The following article was taken from Dec 1998 Now Dig This:
Between the spring of 1956 and September of 1958, Roy
Orbison recorded 25 titles at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. These tracks
have been issued on a myriad of releases both then and now and the intervening
years. The "25" have seen the light of day as original undubbed and
overdubbed masters together with alternative takes, bumping the quota up
to 42 items.
In addition,
Orbison guested on the recordings of several Sun artists resulting in a
possible listing, including alternates, of approximately 50 recordings.
On some of these he vocalises on others he is playing guitar - in some
cases more obviously than others.
In the first thrash, there were
four singles coupling "Ooby Dooby" with Go! Go! Go!, "Rockhouse " with
"You're My Baby". "Sweet and Easy To Love" with "Devil Doll" and "Chicken
Hearted" with "I Like Love".
When 'Only
The Lonely' happened on Monument in 1960, 'Sweet And Easy To Love' was
sweetened for re-release with it's original coupling. An Album was also
assembled featuring most of the Sun singles plus leftovers from the vaults
with several tracks subjected to further enhancement by the addition of
instruments such as clarinets and pianos together with vocal choruses.
Titled 'At The Rockhouse' (Sun LP 1260), it saw release in the UK on Ember
(NR 5013) as 'The Exciting Sounds of Roy Orbison' complete with with a
dark-glassed Roy photo on the cover. Apart from the release of an
overdubbed 'Domino' on a budget compilation, that was it until Shelby 
Singleton
bought the Sun catalogue in 1969 and the European licencees got their hands
on the material. This resulted in unissued masters and rare items
being released on Phonogram and Charly. From 1973 through to the late 1980's,
compilations escaped with these demos, undubbed masters and alternative
takes.
Now
in 1998, where do you go for the best collection of Sun Orbison masters?
First off not everything that Roy committed to tape in those years
at Sun is on CD but most of it is or has been in recent years.
Pride
of place must go to the Bear Family compilation 'The Sun Years 1956-58'
(BCD 15461). This features all the undubbed masters plus alternatives and
one duet (with Ken Cook). So this set boasts 28 masters - 24 of the original
'25', the duet and three alternative takes. We are well aware that various
countries have had other compilations of this material, but for the sake
of this article we are using as our primary sources what we consider to
be the three most comprehensive (and legitimate!) collections made
available in recent years.
All
the overdubbed masters except 'Domino' were included on the Pickwick CD
'The Big O - The Early Years' (PWK 107). Some outtakes and alternative
overdubs were only ever issued on Out-of-print vinyl albums. These are
covered in the breakdown that follows. The Charley CD 'The Rocker' (CPCD
8180) features a mixture of un-dubbed masters, alternative takes and three
of the songs on which he guested.
Naturally
there has been a certain confusion as to which version of which song is
included on which compilation, as some information on previous releases
has proven to be incorrect. Our intentions here is to give the low-down
on these recordings using aural evidence as our guide. Naturally any corrections
or additions would be welcomed.
Checking
alternative takes can be an onerous task but we have given it our best
shot.
As
noted earlier not everything is currently available and it could be argued
that now could be the time for a full update to feature everything
including takes/performances not included on the Bear Family CD. This would
naturally have to be a 2xCD set and could also include Orbison's other
pre-Monument recordings encompassing his Clovis sessions and Nashville
sides for RCA.
Nice Idea.
Vinyl releases from the '70s and 80's that all offered
unreleased and alternate performances: Charly's 'The Big O' (1976) and
'The Sun Years' (1984) plus Zu Zazz's 'Problem Child!' (1988)s
The tracks appeared in various formats:
Demo
Undubbed/Unissued
With Overdubs
(added by Sam Phillips after Roy hit the big time
at Monument)
Alternate takes
The following list appeared in Now Dig This
Sun Recordings
THE SUN RECORDINGS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
PRIMARY SOURCES:
CDs:
THE SUN YEARS 1956-58 (BEAR FAMILY BCD 15461)
THE BIG 'O' THE EARLY YEARS (PICKWICK PWK
107)
ROCKER (CHARLEY
CPCD 8180)
Also:
Sonny Burgess - The Classic Recordings (Bear Family
BCD 15525)
Sonny Burgess - The Arkansas Wild Man (Charly CPCD
8103)
Hayden Thompson - Love My Baby
(Gee-Dee CD 270131-2)
Various - The Legendary Sun Artists Part 1 (Sunjay
SJCD 70601)
Various - Essential Sun Rockabillies Volume 5 (Charley
CPCD 8317)
Various - Sun Rock n Roll Volume 2(Charley CPCD 8318)
Various - The Complete Sun Singles Volume 2 (Bear
Family BCD 15802)
Various - The Complete Sun Singles Volume 3 (Bear
Family BCD 15803)
Various - The Complete Sun Singles Volume 4 (Bear
Family BCD 15804)
Various - The Complete Sun Singles Volume 5 (Bear
Family BCD 15805)
Vinyl:
Roy Orbison At the Rockhouse (Sun Lp 1260)
The Sun Story
(Sun 6641 180) UK Phonogram
Sun Rockabillys Volume ONE (Sun 6467 025) "
"
Sun Rockabillys Volume Three (Sun 6467 028)
" "
Orbiting With Roy Orbison and Bristow Hopper
(Design DLP 164)
The Big O (Charley CR 300008)
The SunYears (Charley CDX 4)
Problem Child (ZU Zazz Z 2006)
Hillbilly Rock (Jewel 13011/12)
Hop Flop And Fly (Sun LP 1025)
Rockabilly Tunes (Sun LP 1026)
A TRUE LOVE GOODBYE
Original issue Sun 6467 028 (UK Phonogram)
CD availability: BCD 15461 / PWK 107/CPCD 8180
CHICKEN HEARTED
Original issue: Sun 284
CD availability: BCD 15461 / PWK 107/CPCD 8180 / BCD
15803
CHICKEN HEARTED (semi-spoken vocal)
Original issue: Jewel 13011/12 (bootleg)
currently out of print
CHICKEN HEARTED (instrumental)
Original issue: Z2006
currently out of print
CLAUDETTE (vocal/guitar demo)
Original issue Sun 6641 180 (UK Phonogram)
CD Availability: BCD 15461 /PWK 107
CLAUDETTE (vocal/group demo)
Original issue Z 2006
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
DEVIL DOLL
Original issue: Sun 265
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK 107 /BCD
15802
DOMINO (undubbed)
Original issue: Sun 6467 025 (UK Phonogram)
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK 107
DOMINO (overdubbed)
Original issue: Design DLP 164
Currently out of print
FOOLS HALL OF FAME
Original issue: Sun 6467 028 (UK Phonogram)
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK 107
GO! GO! GO!
Original issue: Sun 242
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK 107 /
BCD 15802
I GIVE UP
Original issue: CDX 4
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
I LIKE LOVE
Original issue: Sun 284
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK 107 /BCD
15803
I NEVER KNEW (undubbed)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability: BCD 15461
I NEVER KNEW (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP1260
CD Availability: CPCD 8180 / PWK 107
IT'S TOO LATE (undubbed)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
IT'S TOO LATE (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
LOVESTRUCK
Original issue: CR 300008
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK 107
MEAN LITTLE MAMA (undubbed)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
MEAN LITTLE MAMA (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
MEAN LITTLE MAMA (alt. harmonica overdub)
Original issue: CDX 4
Currently ot of print
ONE MORE TIME
Original issue: CR 300008
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK
107
OOBY DOOBY
Original issue: 242
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / BCD 15802
OOBY DOOBY (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
OOBY DOOBY (alt. take)
Original issue: CDX 4
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
OOBY DOOBY (alt. take)
Original issue: Jewel 13011/12 (bootleg)
Currently out of print
PROBLEM CHILD (undubbed)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability:CD 15461 / CPCD 8180
PROBLEM CHILD (alt. take)
Original issue: Z 2006
Currently out of print
PROBLEM CHILD (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
ROCKHOUSE
Original issue: Sun 251
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / PWK
107 /BCD 15802
SWEET AND EASY TO LOVE (undubbed)
Original issue: Sun 265
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180 / BCD
15802
SWEET AND EASY TO LOVE (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: BCD 15804 / PWK 107
THE CAUSE OF IT ALL
Original issue: Sun 6467 028 (UK Phonogram)
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / PWK 107 / CPCD 8180
THE CLOWN
Original issue: CR 300008
CD Availability: PWK 107 / CPCD 8180
THE CLOWN (alt.take)
Original issue: BCD 15461
CD Availability: BCD 15461
THIS KIND OF LOVE (undubbed)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability: BCD 15461
THIS KIND OF LOVE (alt.take)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability: CPCD 8180
THIS KIND OF LOVE (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
TRYING TO GET TO YOU (undubbed)
Original issue: CDX 4
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
TRYING TO GET TO YOU (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
YOU TELL ME
Original issue: CDX 4
CD Availability: BCD 15461 / CPCD 8180
YOU'RE GONNA CRY (undubbed)
Original issue: Z 2006
CD Availability: BCD 15461 /CPCD 8180
YOU'RE GONNA CRY (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
YOU'RE GONNA CRY (alt. harmonica overdub)
Original issue: CDX 4
Currently out of print
YOU'RE MY BABY (undubbed)
Original issue: Sun 251
CD Availability: BCD 15461 /BCD 15802
YOU'RE MY BABY (overdubbed)
Original issue: Sun LP 1260
CD Availability: PWK 107
Miscellaneous:
FIND MY BABY FOR ME (Sonny Burgess)
(Roy sings backing vocal)
Original Issue: CR 30136
CD availability: BCD 15525 (includes false starts)
/ CPCD 8180
I WAS A FOOL (Ken Cook)
(Roy sings harmony vocal)
Original Issue: PI 3534
CD availability: BCD 15805 / CPCD 8318
I WAS A FOOL alt. take (Ken Cook)
(Roy sings harmony vocal)
Original Issue: Sun 6467 028
Currently out of print
GREENBACK DOLLAR (Ray Harris)
(Roy sings backing vocal)
Original Issue: Sun 272
CD availability: BCD 15802
GREENBACK DOLLAR -alt. take (Ray Harris)
(Roy sings backing vocal)
Original Issue: Sun LP 1025
CD availability: CPCD 8317
ROCKABILLY GAL (Hayden Thompson)
Original Issue: Sun LP 1026
CD availability: CPCD 8180 / Gee-Dee CD 270131-2 /
SJCD 70601
Other Sun compilation albums:
Roy may also play guitar on Sun recordings by Maggie
Sue Wimberley
(check out the 'ooby dooby'-styled solo on 'Rock n
Roll Cinnamon Tree')
Barbara Pittman, Ken Cook and possibly others.
An extract from an article "Roy Orbison In Clovis" :
"" Roy recorded A True Love Goodbye in Clovis on several occasions, including June 23rd 1957 and probably August 20the 1957.
The song exists with varied instrumentation ; some takes including celesta which was presumably played by Vi Petty.
The Nor-Va-Jak publishing contract showing Orbison and Petty as composers, is dated August 26th 1957.
Another Orbison /Petty composition, "You've Had It",
was filed with
Nor-Va-Jak on the same date but we found no evidence
of any recording.
Could this have been converted into the Wilson/Orbison song "I've Had It" which was filed with "My heartbeat" (same composers) On November 12th 1957? Peanuts had recorded both songs a couple of days earlier.
An undated Clovis tape box contains
one version of "A True love
Goodbye" with the superb "Cat named Domino" which
has been heavily bootlegged in the past decade and is surely Roy's best
ever rocker.
An Alternative "Cat named Domino" exists but falls apart at one point in the instrumental break.
It is otherwise superior t o the bootlegged Clovis version.
Peanuts Wilson recorded "Paperboy" in Clovis some 6 months before Orbison recorded the version which was released on Monument with credit to Roy as sole composer.
"I Was a Fool " was logged on an Nor-Va-Jak publishing contract as an Orbison/Petty composition.
I found no trace of any Clovis recording but this is presumably the song Ken cook and Roy Cut in Memphis for Phillips international (3534) on September 4th 1958 and which credited only Roy Orbison as composer.
According to Sun compiler 'Ding Dong', the version used on the Charley-Sun LP 'Rockabilly Tunes' (1026) is an alternate, cut in the period March 29th-April2nd 1957.
This is three weeks before Easter (Good Friday was April 19th 1957) when Robert Linville recalls going to Clovis with Roy.
The above mentioned Peanuts Wilson tracks 'I've Had It', 'My Heartbeat' and 'Paperboy', together with the Wilson composition 'You've Got Everything', are scheduled to get their long overdue issue on an Ace CD of Norman Pettyproduced rockers planned for release in early 1999.
The issued versions of 'Cast Iron Arm' and 'You've got Love' will also be on the CD.
Perhaps Barbara Orbison will eventually get together with the Petty Estate to allow enthusiasts to hear some of Roy Orbison's best ever recordings. ""
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