Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson
| Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by | |
| Released | January 1967 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 29:19 |
| Label | MGM |
| Producer | Wesley Rose, Jim Vienneau |
| Roy Orbison chronology | |
| Singles from Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson | |
| |
Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson is a tribute album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records. Released in January 1967, it is a collection of songs written by Country Music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Don Gibson who, like Orbison, often wrote about the loneliness and sorrow that love can bring. Its one single, "Too Soon to Know", became a smash hit in the UK, reaching #3 there in September 1966, and also reached no. 4 in Ireland and no. 27 in Australia. In Canada, the song only reached no. 71.[2]
This album was titled Sweet Dreams in Africa.
The album was released on compact disc for the first time by Edsel Records on September 27, 2004 as tracks 1 through 12 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 13 through 22 consisting of Orbison's 1970 album, Hank Williams: The Roy Orbison Way.[3] The album was also included in the 2015 box set The MGM Years 1965–1973 – Roy Orbison.[4]
History
[edit ]A few of the songs were recorded before his first wife Claudette's death in a motor-bike accident in June 1966.[5] The album was put on hold as Orbison was filming The Fastest Guitar Alive . "Too Soon To Know" was banned by the BBC as they felt it was too personal about Claudette's death.[6] The album also included a new, re-recorded version of "(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time", which previously appeared on his 1960 album Lonely and Blue .[5]
Reception
[edit ]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic said that the album showed "Orbison's inspiration to go into the studio and record an entire LP of songs by Gibson, at the time a labelmate of his at MGM Records. It was a reasonable decision since, as with "Too Soon to Know," a widescreen romantic lament, Gibson's writing style suited Orbison's taste in heartbreak ballads".[9]
Billboard selected the album for a "Pop Special Merit" review, and stated that Orbison "Does much better when he sticks to fresh, good material, and give them a twist that puts a fresh glow to listening."[10] Cashbox gave the album a positive review, saying that it "shows off his singing ability to good advantage."[11] Disc and Music Echo said that the album showed "Roy's super-dramatic delivery suits them well"[12]
Track listing
[edit ]All songs written by Don Gibson.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time" | 2:18 |
| 2. | "(Yes) I'm Hurting" | 2:15 |
| 3. | "The Same Street" | 2:18 |
| 4. | "Far, Far Away" | 2:10 |
| 5. | "Big Hearted Me" | 1:52 |
| 6. | "Sweet Dreams" | 3:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Oh, Such a Stranger" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Blue Blue Day" | 2:10 |
| 3. | "What About Me?" | 2:08 |
| 4. | "Give Myself a Party" | 2:30 |
| 5. | "Too Soon to Know" | 2:48 |
| 6. | "Lonesome Number One" | 2:24 |
Arranged by Bill McElhiney
Charts
[edit ]Singles
[edit ]| Year | Title | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Cashbox | CAN | U.K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | "Too Soon To Know" | 68 | 62 | 71 | 3 |
References
[edit ]- ^ Amburn, Ellis (1990). Dark star: The Roy Orbison Story. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group. pp. 149–150. ISBN 9-780818-405181.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 12, 1966" (PDF).
- ^ "Sings Don Gibson/Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way". allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ "The MGM Years 1965-1973 - Roy Orbison". allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ a b Kruth, John (2013). Rhapsody in black : the life and music of Roy Orbison. Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-4768-8679-4.
- ^ ""TOO SOON TO KNOW" BY ROY ORBISON – Roy Orbison" . Retrieved 2024年11月21日.
- ^ ""Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson" - Album Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2024年07月14日.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1062. ISBN 9781846098567 . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Roy Orbison – Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson: Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2024年07月14日.
- ^ "Pop Special Merit Review: Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson". Billboard . Vol. 79, no. 10. March 11, 1967. p. 47.
- ^ Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. 1967年02月25日. p. 36.
- ^ "ON THE COUNTRY & WESTERN AND FOLK FRONT, Orbison's tribute to a giant" (PDF). Disc and Music Echo . 22 April 1967. p. 10. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 502. ISBN 0898201551.
- ^ Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 254. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.
- ^ "Canadian Singles". RPM magazine. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016年06月13日.
- ^ "Roy Orbison". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 May 2024.