Roy Orbison – Oh, Pretty Woman

Roy Orbison performs “Oh, Pretty Woman” as the finale of the Black & White Night Concert. Backed by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Tom Waits, kd lang, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, T Bone Burnett, Steven Soles, and Jennifer Warnes. Recorded September 30, 1987.

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Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman

Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman (from Black White Night)06:19

“Oh, Pretty Woman” or simply “Pretty Woman” is a song recorded by Roy Orbison, written by Orbison and Bill Dees. It was released as a single in August, 1964 on Monument Records and spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 from September 26, 1964, the second and final single by Orbison to top the US charts. It was also Orbison’s third single to top the UK Singles Chart (for a total of three weeks).

Roy Orbison was writing with his songwriting partner Bill Dees at his house when he told Dees to get started writing by playing anything that came to mind. Orbison’s wife Claudette came in and said she was going to go into town to buy something. Orbison asked if she needed any money, and Dees cracked, “Pretty woman never needs any money.” Inspired, Orbison started singing, “Pretty woman walking down the street.” Bill Dees recalls in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: “He sang it while I was banging my hand down on the table and by the time she returned 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.”

In 1964, Orbison was the only American artist to have a #1 UK hit, and he did it twice – with “(Oh) Pretty Woman” and “It’s Over.”

Înregistrare live din timpul turneului în Australia din 1972 – primul video.

Oh, Pretty Woman  a fost compusă de Roy Orbinson împreună cu Bill Dees. Povestea este că amândoi se aflau acasă la Roy, când acesta i-a spus lui Bill să compună un cântec despre orice îi vine în minte. Soția lui Roy, a venit în camera unde erau ei, să le spună că merge în oraș la cumpărături. Roy a întrebat-o dacă are nevoie de ceva bani, și atunci Bill Dees a spus “Pretty woman never needs any money.” (O femeie frumoasă nu are niciodată nevoie de bani). Inspirat, Roy Orbinson a început să cânte “Pretty woman walking down the street.”  Roy a început să compună, și până când soția lui s-a întors din oraș au avut melodia gata.

Acesta a fost ultimul lui mare hit. Până în anii ’80 când muzicieni de renume, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan și George Harrison l-au citat ca infuentă muzicală și l-au invitat să participe la diferite proiecte. Toate au dus la Traveling Wilburys, un grup din care au făcut parte Roy, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty și Bob Dylan.

Roy Orbinson a murit în urma unui atac de inimă la 6 Decembrie 1988, la vârsta de 52 de ani, în casa mamei lui.

Oh, Pretty Woman a fost inclusă pe albumul Greatest Hits din 1964.

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