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.[1]
| Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1967 | |||
| Recorded | June 1 – October 18, 1966 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | MGM | |||
| Producer | Wesley Rose, Jim Vienneau | |||
| Roy Orbison chronology | ||||
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This album was entitled 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.[2] The album was also included in the 2015 box set The MGM Years 1965–1973 – Roy Orbison.[3]
History
editA few of the songs were recorded before his first wife Claudette's death in a motor-bike accident in June 1966.[4] 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.[5] 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.[4]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
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".[8]
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."[9] Cashbox gave the album a positive review, saying that it "shows off his singing ability to good advantage."[10]
Track listing
editAll 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
References
edit- ^ "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 2024-11-21.
- ^ ""Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson" - Album Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ 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 2024-07-14.
- ^ "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. 1967-02-25. p. 36.