Memphis (Roy Orbison album)

1972 studio album by Roy Orbison

Memphis

Cover art by Drew Struzan

Studio album by

Roy Orbison

Released| November 1972
Genre| Rockabilly
Length| 37:27
Label| MGM (SE 4867)
Producer| Roy Orbison, Joe Melson
Roy Orbison chronology
| Roy Orbison Sings
(1972)  | Memphis
(1972)  | Milestones
(1973)

|
|

Singles from  Memphis

1. "Memphis, Tennessee"
Released: September 18, 1972[1]

Memphis is the seventeenth album recorded by Roy Orbison, and his tenth for MGM Records. The album was released in November 1972.

The album was released on compact disc by Diablo Records on October 25, 2004, as one of three albums combined on one CD with Roy Orbison Sings and Milestones being the other two.[2] Memphis was included in a box set entitled The MGM Years 1965-1973 - Roy Orbison, which contains 12 of his MGM studio albums, 1 compilation, and was released on December 4, 2015.[3]

## History

[edit]

The album took three weeks to make in March and April 1972. The album had one single, "Memphis, Tennessee", which reached No. 84 in the US.[4] Also included was a new, re-recorded version of Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You", which previously appeared on his 1960 album Lonely and Blue.[5] This was Orbison's final album that was released for London Records as Decca let Orbison out of their contract on June 30, 1972.

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [7]

Bruce Eder of AllMusic said that the album "moves on to more familiar sentimental country-pop territory of the kind that Glen Campbell had been charting with and filling his albums with for a few years -- and after that comes a hot, beat-driven, chorus-laden, big-sounding number. nderstated interpretation of Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You" that shows how less can be more with a voice like Orbison's, and then there's the pop/rock country "Run the Engines Up High," which incorporates some heavy, rock-style fuzz guitar, and a version of "I Fought the Law," complete with phased drums."[6]

Billboard described the album as "one of [Orbison] best efforts in years"[8]

## Track listing

[edit]

Side one

1. "Memphis, Tennessee" – (Chuck Berry)
2. "Why A Woman Cries" – (Jerry McBee)
3. "Run, Baby Run (Back Into My Arms)" – (Joe Melson, Don Gant)
4. "Take Care of Your Woman" – (Jerry McBee)
5. "I'm The Man on Susie's Mind" – (Joe Melson, Glenn Barber)
6. "I Can't Stop Loving You" – (Don Gibson)

Side two

1. "Run The Engines Up High" – (Jerry McBee)
2. "It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing)" – (Neal Merritt, Alice Joy Merritt, Shorty Hall)
3. "I Fought the Law" – (Sonny Curtis)
4. "The Three Bells" – (Jean Villard; English lyrics by Bert Reisfeld)
5. "Danny Boy" – (Frederic Weatherly)

## Production

[edit]

* Produced by Joe Melson & Roy Orbison except "Danny Boy" produced by Don Gant
* Arranged by Joe Tanner

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Amburn, Ellis (1990). Dark star: The Roy Orbison Story. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group. pp. 257–258\. ISBN 9-780818-405181.
2. ^ "Roy Orbison Sings/Memphis/Milestones". AllMusic. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
3. ^ "The MGM Years 1965-1973 - Roy Orbison". AllMusic. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 224\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. ^ Kruth, John (2013). Rhapsody in black : the life and music of Roy Orbison. Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books. p. 162\. ISBN 978-1-4768-8679-4.
6. ^ a b Eder, Bruce. "Roy Orbison - Memphis: Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
7. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1062\. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
8. ^ "Pop Spotlight: Memphis". Billboard. Vol. 84, no. 51\. December 16, 1972. p. 53.

* v
* t
* e

Roy Orbison

Discography

Studio albums|

* Lonely and Blue
* Roy Orbison at the Rock House
* Crying
* In Dreams
* There Is Only One Roy Orbison
* Orbisongs
* The Orbison Way
* The Classic Roy Orbison
* Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson
* The Fastest Guitar Alive
* Cry Softly Lonely One
* Roy Orbison's Many Moods
* Big O
* Hank Williams: The Roy Orbison Way
* Roy Orbison Sings
* Memphis
* Milestones
* I'm Still in Love With You
* Regeneration
* Laminar Flow
* In Dreams: The Greatest Hits studio re-recordings of earlier hits)
* Mystery Girl
* King of Hearts
* One of the Lonely Ones

Compilations|

* Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits
* More of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits
* Early Orbison
* The Great Songs of Roy Orbison
* The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison
* In Dreams: The Greatest Hits
* The Legendary Roy Orbison
* 16 Biggest Hits
* Greatest Hits Live
* The Essential Roy Orbison
* A Love So Beautiful
* Unchained Melodies

Collaborations|

* Class of '55
* Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1

Soundtrack appearances|

* Roadie
* Blue Velvet
* Less than Zero

Live|

* A Black & White Night Live

Singles|

* "Tryin' to Get to You"
* "Ooby Dooby"
* "Go Go Go"
* "Only the Lonely"
* "Blue Angel"
* "Running Scared"
* "Crying" / "Candy Man"
* "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)"
* "Working for the Man"
* "In Dreams"
* "Blue Bayou"
* "Pretty Paper"
* "It's Over"
* "Oh, Pretty Woman"
* "Memphis, Tennessee"
* "You Got It"
* "She's a Mystery to Me"
* "I Drove All Night"

Related articles|

* Traveling Wilburys
* Roy Orbison/The Beatles Tour
* Fred Foster
* In Dreams (musical)

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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