THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

657-Roy Orbison and the Candy Men-Oh, Pretty Woman.

1964-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0-35. ‘MERCY!’

Roy Kelton Orbison was born on April 23rd, 1936, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, United States, he died of a heart attack on December 6th, 1988, at the age of 52. Music critics described his music as ‘Operatic,’ which earned him the nickname, ‘The Caruso of Rock,’ after the Italian Operatic tenor Enrico Caruso, (1873-1921) he was also widely known as ‘The Big O.’ During his career Roy Orbison suffered badly from stage fright, which is why he took to wearing dark sunglasses when performing, leading many initially in to thinking that he was actually blind. It was while at high school that Roy Orbison and some friends formed the band ‘Wink Westerners,’ playing ‘Country’ standards and Glenn Miller songs, (1904-1944) (see also best songs 808-321 and 146) which led to appearances on the local radio station ‘ KERB,’ in Kermit, Texas. With the ‘Wink Westerners,’ Orbison won a talent contest, leading to television appearances on ‘KMID-TV,’ in Midland, Texas. When Johnny Cash (1932-2003) (see also best songs 857-428 and 199) toured the area in 1955 and 1956, he appeared on the same local television show, and suggested to Roy Orbison that he should get in touch with Sam Phillips (1923-2003) at ‘Sun Records,’

Roy Orbison cut his teeth as as singer and songwriter at ‘Sun Records,’ but he failed to make a commercial breakthrough, until coming to the attention of the American music producer Fred Foster (1931-2019) (see also best songs 341) who signed him up to ‘Monument Records,’ in 1960, a label which he had founded in 1958. Fred Foster is credited with the development of Roy Orbison, and he would oversee the most successful period in Orbison’s career between 1960-1965, but with the inevitable change in music tastes, Roy Orbison would find his record sales declining over the next 20 plus years, until his career was given a big boost when he was asked to join the British/ American ‘supergroup’ the ‘Traveling Wilburys’ in 1988, performing alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, (1943-2001) Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty (1950-2017.) With the ‘Traveling Wilburys’ Orbison adopted the stage name ‘Lefty Wilbury,’ in honour of one of his earliest musical influences, the American ‘Country,’ and ‘Honky Tonk’ singer Lefty Frizzell (1928-1975.)

The solo discography of Roy Orbison includes 23 studio Albums released between 1961-2015, and 92 singles issued between 1956-2017, there are also 24 official compilation Albums, and four live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, 20 of his tracks have made the top 40, with ‘Running Scared,’ (1961) and ‘Oh, Pretty Woman,’ (1964) both reaching Number 1. In the UK he has achieved 32 top 40 hits, with ‘Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel’) (1960) ‘It’s Over,’ (1964) and ‘Oh, Pretty Woman,’ (1964) all making the Number 1 position.

‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ was co-written by Roy Orbison, and Bill Dees, (1939-2012) with the production being by Fred Foster, and was released as a stand alone single. It has gone on to sell in excess of seven million copies worldwide, and after being chosen as a piece of music for the film, the producers named the 1990 American romantic comedy ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ after the song. The songs title was inspired by Roy Orbison’s wife, Claudette, (1941-1966) interrupting a conversation to announce that she was going out. When Orbison asked if she had enough cash, Bill Dees, the songs co-writer interjected,’Pretty woman never needs any money.’ Bill Dees has also said,’Mercy,’ was mine, I used to say that all the time, when I saw a pretty woman, or had some good food.’

Bill Dees has told how quickly the song came about,’He sang it (Orbison) while I was banging my hand down on the table, and by the time she returned (Claudette) we had the song. I love the song. From the moment that the rhythm started, I could hear the heels clicking on the pavement, click, click, the pretty woman walking down the street, in a yellow skirt and red shoes. We wrote Oh Pretty Woman on a Friday, the next Friday we recorded it, and the next Friday it was out. It was the fastest thing I ever saw. Actually, the yeah, yeah, yeah in Oh Pretty Woman probably came from the Beatles.’

‘Pretty woman, walkin’ down the street, pretty woman the kind I like to meet. Pretty woman I don’t believe you, you’re not the truth, no one could look as good as you, MERCY!.’