Crying (song)
Encyclopedia
"Crying" is a rock and roll
ballad written by Roy Orbison
and Joe Melson
and sung by Orbison.
in July 1961 and made #1 on the United States
Cashbox chart for a week on October 7, 1961, although it peaked at #2 on the rival Billboard Hot 100.
In 1987, Orbison rerecorded the song as a duet with k.d. lang
as part of the soundtrack
for the motion picture, Hiding Out
. Their collaboration won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
. The duet version was a minor US chart hit for the two, peaking at #42 on the Hot Country Singles
chart, though it was a more substantial hit in the UK in 1992, reaching #13 on the UK Singles Chart
.
In 2002, "Crying" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award
. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #69 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
ballad written by Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
and Joe Melson
Joe Melson
Joe Melson , is an American singer and a BMI Award–winning songwriter.Melson was born in Bonham, the seat of Fannin County in northeast Texas. He was reared on a farm until he was sixteen. He attended high school in Gore, Oklahoma, and in Chicago before he returned to Texas to study at the two-year...
and sung by Orbison.
History
The song was released as a 45rpm single by Monument RecordsMonument Records
Monument Records was an American record label, Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958, by Fred Foster and Buddy Deane . Buddy Deane soon left the company, and in the early 60's bought KOTN in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he retired to until his death...
in July 1961 and made #1 on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Cashbox chart for a week on October 7, 1961, although it peaked at #2 on the rival Billboard Hot 100.
In 1987, Orbison rerecorded the song as a duet with k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
as part of the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the motion picture, Hiding Out
Hiding Out
Hiding Out is a 1987 movie starring Jon Cryer as a Wall Street broker "hiding out" as a high-school student as the mob tries to kill him.- Plot :...
. Their collaboration won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together...
. The duet version was a minor US chart hit for the two, peaking at #42 on the Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, though it was a more substantial hit in the UK in 1992, reaching #13 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
In 2002, "Crying" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #69 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Cover versions
- A version by Jay and the AmericansJay and the AmericansJay and the Americans was a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial lineup consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane , Kenny Vance and Sandy Deanne , though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black.-Early years:They were...
reached #2 in the US in 1966. - Three cover versions made country music charts over time. Charting with the song were Arlene HardenArlene HardenAva "Arlene" Harden is an American country music singer. Between 1966 and 1968, she was one-third of The Harden Trio, which comprised her brother, Bobby and sister, Robbie. Arlene recorded for Columbia Records as a solo artist between 1967 and 1973, charting fifteen times on the Hot Country Songs...
(#28 in 1970), Ronnie MilsapRonnie MilsapRonnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
(#79 in 1976) and Stephanie WinslowStephanie WinslowStephanie Winslow is an American country artist. In the late 70s and 80s, she had a series of hit singles on the Billboard country music chart....
(#14 in 1980). - Don McLeanDon McLeanDonald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
covered the song in 1980, taking it to #5 on the Hot 100, #2 on Adult Contemporary, #6 Country, and #1 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. - Gene PitneyGene PitneyEugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
included the song in his 1999 album Gene Pitney Sings Great Ballads. - Rebekah Del RioRebekah Del RioRebekah Del Rio is a Latin American singer/songwriter from San Diego, California.After recording the song "Llorando", a Spanish-language version of Roy Orbison's "Crying," she moved to Nashville in 1994. There, she was signed to Irving Azoff's label, Giant Records, and recorded her first album,...
performed an a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
Spanish languageSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
version of the song, entitled "Llorando" in the 2001 David LynchDavid LynchDavid Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
film Mulholland DriveMulholland Drive (film)Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
. - In 2007, Billy GilmanBilly GilmanWilliam Wendell "Billy" Gilman III is an American country music artist. In 2000, at the age of 12, he debuted with the single "One Voice," a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts and became the youngest singer to a Top 40 hit on the country music charts...
released it as a single. - Clay AikenClay AikenClayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
recorded the song with Linda EderLinda EderLinda Eder is an American singer and actress. She made her Broadway debut in the musical Jekyll & Hyde, for which she received 1997 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Nominations, as well as the Theatre World Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
on his 2010 album Tried and TrueTried and TrueTried and True is the fifth full length studio album released by Clay Aiken on June 1, 2010. This album is Aiken's first release on the Decca label. The deluxe edition includes two additional tracks plus a second disk with behind the scenes video and a live performance.-Background:The songs on...
. - Latin sensation La IndiaLa IndiaLa India , known also as "La Princesa de la Salsa" , is a singer of salsa. She has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.-Early years:...
covered the song in a salsa style on her 2010 album, Unica. - Il DivoIl DivoIl Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
included the song in the album Wicked Game (Il Divo album)Wicked Game (Il Divo album)Wicked Game is the sixth studio album by the operatic pop group, Il Divo. The album was released on 4 November 2011. Il Divo performed "Wicked Game", their reworking of the Chris Isaak song, on TV in the UK on 5 September on Red or Black? and in the US on 7 September on the semi-final of America's...
in 2011.
Live cover performances
- Carrie UnderwoodCarrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
performed this song in the Top 3 episode of the popular singing show American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Underwood later won the competition. - Emily Vinette performed this song in the Top 10 episode of Canadian IdolCanadian IdolCanadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
s third seasonCanadian Idol (Season 3)Melissa O'Neil won the title of the first female Canadian Idol and the youngest Idol ever in North America in 2005, beating runner-up Rex Goudie.-Group 1:*Matt Humphreys: Chariot *Jenn Beaupré: Cheek to cheek...
. Vinette was voted off the next night. Ashley Coulter performed the song in the top 6 episode of season 4Canadian Idol (Season 4)The fourth season of Canadian Idol began in February 2006 ran until September 2006. Zack Werner, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan, and Farley Flex returned to judge, and Ben Mulroney returned to host, with Elena Juatco as the new roving reporter. The season premiered on May 29, five days after the finale of...
. She was also voted off the next night. - In the final round of season 2 of the talent show America's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent (Season 2)The second season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered on the NBC network on June 5, 2007 with a two-hour episode. Tabloid talk show host Jerry Springer succeeded Regis Philbin as host. Piers Morgan and David Hasselhoff returned as judges,...
, ventriloquist Terry FatorTerry FatorTerry Wayne Fator is a ventriloquist, impressionist, comedian, and singer from Dallas, Texas. Fator is capable of doing over 100 ventriloquial impersonations, and uses 16 different puppets in his act. He was the winner of Season 2 of America's Got Talent, and received the million dollar prize...
made his puppet turtle Winston perform this song while impersonating Roy OrbisonRoy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
. Fator received the highest number of votes and won the competition along with the one million dollar prize. - In 2009 "Crying" was performed by Jamie 'Afro' Archer on the UK version of The X FactorThe X Factor (UK series 6)The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
.
Appearances in film, TV and other media
- "Crying" was featured in an episode of Only Fools and HorsesOnly Fools and HorsesOnly Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
. The episode "Stage FrightStage Fright (Only Fools and Horses)"Stage Fright" is an episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 7, and first broadcast on 13 January, 1991....
" featured Raquel and a guest character Tony Angelino (played by Philip PopePhilip PopePhilip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford.-Performer:He appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1978 and 1979, both with Angus Deayton...
) singing this song at a function. Unfortunately Tony had a rhotacismRhotacismRhotacism refers to several phenomena related to the usage of the consonant r :*the excessive or idiosyncratic use of the r;...
, causing him to pronounce his R's incorrectly, making "Crying" sound more like "Cwying". - "Crying" is featured near the start of the first of the Australian telemovie trilogy Small Claims starring Rebecca GibneyRebecca GibneyRebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand born Australian actress.-Biography:Gibney was born the youngest of six children, and brought up in Wellington. She has said she wasn't so much funny as a "bit odd" as a child. "I was a bit like Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family...
and Claudia KarvanClaudia KarvanClaudia Karvan is an Australian actress popular for her roles in the television series The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way. She is also a producer and writer on Love My Way. She currently stars in the drama series Spirited...
. - "Crying" was featured in the movie GummoGummoGummo is a 1997 American independent drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine. It was his directorial debut and has since become a cult film. The film stars Jacob Reynolds, Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, Chloë Sevigny, Linda Manz and Max Perlich...
. After huffing glue, Tummler remarks that his cross-dressing brother used to sing "Crying". Tummler then proceeds to weakly sing parts of the song. The original version of the song is used during the last scenes of the movie. - "Llorando" was also featured during the closing scenes of Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, season 3. - On 2 February 2008 k.d. lang speaking on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Saturday Live program said that Roy had told her that this song was written after he had seen an ex girlfriend at a burger stand. - In early 2008, "Crying" was featured in an anti-drunk-driving commercial. It is sung karaoke-style.
- In the episode titled "1961" in Season 3, Episode 23 of Heroes, "Crying" is playing in the background, although this point in the plot is in May 1961, and the song wasn't released until July.
- In the Sports NightSports NightSports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure...
episode "And the Crowd Goes Wild", Casey McCall wears sunglasses during the course of a day following an eye exam. His colleagues ridicule him for this, one of them saying, "Hit the high note in 'Crying' and I'll be impressed," in reference to Orbison and his trademark sunglasses.