Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” (often erroneously referred to as just “Pretty Woman”) was recorded in 1964. It was written by Orbison and his long-time co-writer Bill Dees. (Previously, the duo had partnered on Orbison’s hit “It’s Over.”) Orbison would recall about the song’s formation: We’d just begun about six in the evening. What you do is play anything that comes to mind, and my wife wanted to go to town to get something. I said, “Do you need any money?” And Bill Dees said, “Pretty woman never needs any money.” Then he said, “Would that make a great song title?” I said, “No, but ‘Petty Woman’ would.” So I started playing the guitar and he was slapping the table for drums. That was the conception, and by the time she got back—which was about 40 minutes—we had the song.“The song,” released on the Monument label, would become one of the most enduring and timeless hits in rock and popular music. Its melody is immediately recognizable, its bass line and driving drum beat completely infectious. A bone fide classic, “Oh, Pretty Woman” has enjoyed the legacy of a classic song—it has been covered, parodied, saluted and sampled. Still, nothing quite compares to the original. The musicianship of the first recording—featuring guitar players Billy Sanford, Jerry Kennedy and Wayne Moss—is flawless, polished to a fine sheen. And Orbison’s singing (always his ace in the hole) is at its deep, melodious best. Unlike most rock singers, there is nothing “rough” about Orbison’s tone. As he displayed on “Cryin’” and “Only the Lonely,” his vocals are always unrushed and unforced. More than once Orbison’s voice has been described as operatic; he could so seamlessly transition from low tones to a piercing falsetto.Orbison was born in 1936 in Vernon, Texas. While still in his teens, he formed his first band and helmed his own radio show. After attending North Texas State University (where he counted Pat Boone as a classmate), Orbison fell in with many other then emerging country-rock acts including Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. With the assistance of Presley, Orbison would eventually sign with Sun records. A gifted writer as well as singer, some of Orbison’s early songs were sung by the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Everly Brothers. In 1959, Orbison signed with Monument Records and scored his first hit, “Only the Lonely.” It would go on to sell over two million copies. Later hits included “Blue Angel,” “Running Scared,” and “Mean Woman Blues.” His biggest hit however was his 1964 “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
