In Dreams: The Greatest Hits
Encyclopedia
In Dreams: The Greatest Hits is a music album of Roy Orbison
songs released in 1987 on Virgin Records
. The two-record set was produced by Roy Orbison
and Mike Utley except for the song "In Dreams" which was produced by Orbison with T Bone Burnett and film director, David Lynch
. All songs are new recordings by Orbison from 1985, except for the song "In Dreams", which was recorded in April 1987.
One track, Uptown, was recorded by Robert Gordon as a mere tribute to Orbison. Leah appeared on an album recorded by Bertie Higgins. The original 1960s versions of these songs were hit records for Orbison when recorded on Monument Records from 1960 to 1964, with two exceptions. The first exception, "Ooby Dooby", was a hit for Orbison on Sun Records in 1956. "Claudette", the second exception, was a song Orbison wrote that became a hit for The Everly Brothers
in 1958. Orbison himself didn't record "Claudette" until he had signed with MGM Records in 1965—ironically, a few months after he had divorced his wife Claudette, who had inspired the song. (They later reconciled in 1966, before her death in a motorcycle accident.)
The album contains four songs named by Rolling Stone
in 2004 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
Side Two
Side Three
Side Four
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...
songs released in 1987 on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. The two-record set was produced 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 Mike Utley except for the song "In Dreams" which was produced by Orbison with T Bone Burnett and film director, David Lynch
David Lynch
David 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...
. All songs are new recordings by Orbison from 1985, except for the song "In Dreams", which was recorded in April 1987.
One track, Uptown, was recorded by Robert Gordon as a mere tribute to Orbison. Leah appeared on an album recorded by Bertie Higgins. The original 1960s versions of these songs were hit records for Orbison when recorded on Monument Records from 1960 to 1964, with two exceptions. The first exception, "Ooby Dooby", was a hit for Orbison on Sun Records in 1956. "Claudette", the second exception, was a song Orbison wrote that became a hit for The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
in 1958. Orbison himself didn't record "Claudette" until he had signed with MGM Records in 1965—ironically, a few months after he had divorced his wife Claudette, who had inspired the song. (They later reconciled in 1966, before her death in a motorcycle accident.)
The album contains four songs named by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
in 2004 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
Track listing - (songwriter)
Side One- "Only The LonelyOnly the Lonely"Only the Lonely " is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Recorded by Orbison, it became his first major hit. As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, described by the New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency". It is seen as a seminal event...
" - (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...
/Joe MelsonJoe MelsonJoe 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...
) - "Leah" - (Orbison)
- "In DreamsIn Dreams (song)Recorded in Monument's Nashville studios in early 1963, "In Dreams" peaked at number 7 on Billboards Hot 100 and spent 13 weeks on the charts in the U.S. During the five months the song was on the charts, Orbison replaced guitarist Duane Eddy on a tour of England. He was immensely popular in...
" - (Orbison) - "Uptown" - (Orbison/Melson)
- "It's Over" - (Roy Orbison/Bill DeesBill DeesWilliam "Bill" Dees is an American musician most famous for his song writing collaborations with singer Roy Orbison.-Career:...
)
Side Two
- "Crying" - (Orbison/Melson)
- "Dream Baby" - (Cindy WalkerCindy WalkerCindy Walker was a prolific American songwriter, as well as a country music singer and dancer. As a songwriter Walker was responsible for a large number of popular and enduring songs recorded by many different artists. She adopted a craftsman-like approach to her songwriting, often tailoring...
) - "Blue Angel" - (Orbison/Melson)
- "Working For The Man" - (Orbison)
- "Candy Man" - (Beverly Ross/Fred NeilFred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
)
Side Three
- "Running ScaredRunning Scared (song)"Running Scared" is a 1961 American pop song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and sung by Orbison. An operatic rock ballad, the song was released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in March 1961 and went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Running Scared" also reached #9 in the...
" - (Orbison/Will JenningsWill JenningsWilbur H. "Will" Jennings is an American songwriter who is popularly known for writing the lyrics for "My Heart Will Go On", the theme for the film Titanic .-Life and education:...
) - "Falling" - (Orbison)
- "I'm Hurtin" - (Orbison/Melson)
- "Claudette" - (Orbison)
Side Four
- "Oh, Pretty WomanOh, Pretty Woman"Oh, Pretty Woman" is a song, released in August 1964, which was a worldwide success for Roy Orbison. Recorded on the Monument Records label in Nashville, Tennessee, it was written by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100...
" - (Orbison/Dees) - "Mean Woman BluesMean Woman Blues"Mean Woman Blues" is a 12-bar blues song written by Claude Demetrius. It was recorded by Elvis Presley as part of the soundtrack for his 1957 motion picture, Loving You. Presley also released the song on Side 2 of a four-song EP record...
" - (Claude DemetriusClaude DemetriusClaude Demetrius was an African American songwriter.Born in Bath, Maine, by his early twenties he was in New York City writing music for and/or with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Witherspoon and B.B. King. Demetrius wrote the 1945 musical comedy short film Open the Door, Richard...
) - "Ooby Dooby" - (Wade Moore/Dick PennerDick PennerDick Penner is a retired professor of English, who, while in college in 1955, co-composed, with Wade Lee Moore , Ooby Dooby, Roy Orbison's rockabilly classic. Penner also had been a singer, guitar player, and recording artist.In 1957, Penner switched from country music to rock & roll...
) - "Lana" - (Orbison/Melson)
- "Blue BayouBlue Bayou"Blue Bayou" is the title of a song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and sung by Orbison.-Roy Orbison version:A plaintive ballad, it was originally released by Orbison as a 45rpm single on the Monument Records label in August 1963 ."Blue Bayou" also appears on Orbison's 1963 album, In Dreams...
" (Orbison/Melson)