Vocal Analysis of Roy Orbison singing "Only the Lonely" from Black and White Night

Today we're talking about the insanely talented Roy Orbison. Along with being a brilliant musician and songwriter, he had one heck of a voice! This clip of "Only the Lonely" is from Black and White Night.
Watch the original video uninterrupted: • Roy Orbison - "Only th...
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[@MartinMcMartin]

Talk about a voice you recognize in a split second, That's Roy Orbison

[@lukeamongthemmongols6258]

Well, zelensky too is quite unique 😂

[@DeeDurand-wm4sf]

Please play walk on and California blue , two of my favorites though not known much by other music lovers ..roy , a national treasure , as I see it

[@deancamf]

Roy Orbison is simply The Voice. His singing takes you to the stratosphere.

[@sea-ferring]

Black and White Night is such a great album. How can you not love Roy Orbison?

[@happyguy61]

‘Effortless’ is the word that comes to mind when thinking about Roy Orbison. One of my all-time favourite artists! Nice one Beth❤

[@kgunitkeese17]

For me, it’s “haunting“. You just get cold goosebumps whenever you hear him sing.

[@dagmar.6954]

Roy Orbison had one of the most smooth powerful voices. He could sing real high falsetto & also low. Elvis Presley loved Roy's voice. Roy had lots of hits in the 60's such as "Running Scared", "Pretty Woman", "In Dreams", "Love Hurts", "Blue Bayou" etc. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys (a rock supergroup) with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, & Jeff Lynne. They had a lot of great songs such as "Handle With Care" & "End Of The Line".

[@prefersoxygen9373]

Roys voice is eerie yet angelic. There's no one like him, ever. Elvis called him the greatest voice ever

[@westnblu]

Elvis never sang an Orbison tune, he felt he wasnt worthy

[@keymack2477]

Thank you for your reaction to this beautiful song! The thing I like most about Roy Orbison is that after he died I heard that absolutely no one who had ever met the man had a bad thing to say about him. He was a true gentleman and a class act as well as being a phenomenal talent! Cheers,

[@ptournas]

I can vouch for that. My brother produced a one night show with him just outside of Boston in April of 1988. He was phenomenal (of course) and I got to spend about an hour with him after the show. He was very nice to everyone, enjoyed it when one of my friends told him he named his daughter Leah after the song. The unfortunate thing was the auditorium was less than half full. After the tickets had gone on sale the date of the final playoff game for the Stanley Cup was announced for the same day, and when the Bruins are in the playoffs it's almost impossible to get anyone in the Boston area anyplace where there isn't a TV! Roy still gave a tremendous performance, but he felt bad knowing my brother was going to lose money on the event. He told him after the show that he wanted to help him out, and he would play a concert for him the following year and instead of his usual fee and a share of ticket sales, all he wanted was airfare and a hotel room! He was actually insistent about and gave my brother his personal phone number. I was blown away by that. And when he met people after the show for photos he was so down to earth and friendly. No ego at all, and somewhat soft-spoken. Sadly, the concert never came about, as Roy sadly passed away with a heart attack that December. I only had one regret at that show. I hadn't realized that my brother had picked Roy up from his hotel for the show and was giving him a ride back after the show, or I would have asked to come along. It turned out that Roy invited him into the room, they talked a while and Roy played a couple of songs for him. My brother had told him that he played some guitar and Roy took out another guitar and gave it to him to use and they played a few oldies together before he left. I sure would have loved to have had a chance to jam with Roy, even if it was just for a few songs!

[@michaelp.7893]

My favorite Roy song and one of my favorite all-time records is his "In Dreams". His version from this Black and White Night concert is especially moving. "But just before the dawn I awake to find you gone..."

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Roy was indeed an excellent musician! In 1988, the year he died, he became one-fifth of the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. His final studio album, Mystery Girl, was released the month after his passing.

[@laruencegiessman5593]

Please do a reaction to the Traveling Willberries. So very much talent in one group, all stars!

[@Tawroset]

Yes!!! The Traveling Wilburys are beyond great, they are LEGENDARY!

[@bobwallace1880]

His song writing was unique. His voice was too. I am 75 years old, was lucky enough to see him 5 times. The Beatles loved him. He opened shows for them in Europe. The problem was he would keep doing encores, sometimes 15-2o because his fans demanded them. The Beatles would then drag him off the stage. Would like you to review "Crying." Good post thank you.

[@fredneecher1746]

As a child of the 60s I just got to say, Roy Orbison was one of the true greats! Hits you in the feels every time, and so cool about it. Always a pleasure to listen to.

[@tom7471]

I appreciate your love for some of the timeless musicians of our past. Roy was one of a kind. I haven't listened to him in years. This whole concert was phenomenal. He was joined on stage by 'back up and musical support' Jackson Browne, T Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes, James Burton, and k.d. lang. Thanks for the reaction!

[@180roadking]

And Bruce

[@Coolrockndad]

Are you kidding me you left out Bruce Springsteen.

[@whereverilaymyhat6673]

And Elvis Costello!

[@Coolrockndad]

@@whereverilaymyhat6673 No Elvis Costello is listed.

[@whereverilaymyhat6673]

@@Coolrockndadmaybe so, but he was in that show!

[@garyparker2541]

Bethany, your sheer enthusiasm and delight, when you dissect the voices are a joy to behold! It also helps that you are real ‘eye candy’ yourself, and the camera loves you! ❤

[@JohnnyZ716]

Oh man this music just floods me with memory's growing up as a little kid and this music always playing in my house. My father would play Roy Orbison, Righteous Brothers, Beach Boys, Roger Whittaker, all those great singers and bands from like the 60's & 70's , all day long on the weekends. Back when music was just clean and pure.

[@ronjones1077]

Only the Lonely & only the one and only voice of Roy Orbison!

[@Beatles4Sale.]

He toured with the Beatles on the Helen Shapiro tour in 1963. Supposedly Roy wrote Pretty Woman in the back of that touring bus. Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall with John, Paul, and Roy discussing songwriting. When the tour started Roy closed the concerts. But during the tour Beatlemania was just starting. The Beatles manager asked if Roy would mind letting the Beatles close the concerts. Roy was very gracious and said yes. However John Lennon said he hated going after Roy because he had such a big voice that the crowd would go crazy for when he played. The other memory I have was the rumor that the Traveling Wilburys were going to go out on tour to promote their first album. It was devastating when Roy died. I know the other Wilburys, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne were huge fans of Roy and were thrilled that he joined their group to sing together. What a loss…😢😢😢

[@mikebrock7606]

Roy had a huge range and it was so smooth. He was a pleasure to listen to...taken away too soon.

[@rcm944]

Love your appreciation of the musical icons from another era and even more how much fun you are having when you get inspired by their music 👍

[@chucko3879]

I had the pleasure seeing Roy two weeks before he passed in 1988, at the Casino in NH. He has such an octave range it was incredible. He never lost it, that incredible voice.

[@rasichap]

Impossible to overstate how great a vocalist he was.

[@jackjacko8706]

I feel that the heartbreak and tragic sorrow he experienced in real life is expressed in his voice. He must know what real pain is. My favourite is “Running Scared” which he sang the last line in full voice without any falsetto or Studio twitching. He knew that he would have to sing the song in Concerts with no retakes.

[@scottlong2382]

Perfect to do him on Father's Day. He was one of my dad's absolute favorites. The radio would always get cranked up whenever any Roy Orbison came on. This is my 5th Father's Day, since he passed. Everyone, don't fail in spending time with your dad and telling him what he means to you.

[@One.Zero.One101]

I'm so sad I only discovered Roy Orbison around 2010. I'm a Beatles fan and I discovered him through Traveling Willburys. He is just the definition of cool.

[@rdyer8764]

I was so fortunate to stumble into one of his concerts in the mid-80s. So sad that it was the only time I saw him live. I was always impressed with what I considered the purity of his voice, especially how he combined it with vibrato! I was surprised you didn't mention his vibrato even once, when I think of it as one of his trademarks. I hope you do more of his performances.

[@douglemay7989]

Fil from Wings of Pegasus goes into that subject.

[@davemears8272]

Roy Orbison had a unique operatic voice. He was very shy, so always wore dark glasses.❤

[@williamwarlick3497]

All I can say, is I truly loved Roy. There will never be another like him. 100% unique and glorious a talent. RIP.

[@jasonbroad5478]

Hey Beth, I was fortunate to see Roy twice before he passed. One of those shows was his "comeback" concerts at the Beacon Theater in NYC. My seat was on the aisle and at one point I looked and saw EVERY toe tapping along to Roy. It was a magical night and one I will remember forever. Thank you for reacting to one of the pillars of rock n roll!

[@MTH58]

Roy, and this whole concert is fantastic. I believe the background singers are KD Lang, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt. Story goes he’d asked them to perform at his show, but they chose to support him instead.

[@mochs3869]

In addition, the core backing band was Elvis Presley's TCB Band: Jerry Scheff on upright bass, Ronnie Tutt on drums, James Burton on guitar and Glenn Hardin on piano.

[@richardyoung3462]

He also has three excellent guys backing up his vocals here in J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne, and Steven Soles.

[@michaellockhart554]

Along with Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello

[@cdfdesantis699]

This man's voice! It just reaches into the heart & plucks at the heartstrings. Thanks for your reaction.

[@Lucia-sy7le]

Really love the music but also love watching her listen to it. She's lovely!!

[@healthfullivingify]

Excellent analysis of Roy's wondrous voice. Some of the things he did bordered on the impossible yet came out fantastic to our ears.

[@aucourant9998]

One of the truly great singers. Elvis never covered any of Roy's songs because he considered Roy had already achieved perfection.

[@slw59]

So so happy you chose to analyze Roy Orbison! My favorite songs by Roy are “It’s Over”, “Crying”, and “In Dreams”.

[@jsusna1972]

k.d. lang does a great job with "Crying" as well.

[@michaellazzeri2069]

Fall of 1960, I had just turned 14 y/o, 9th grade. --------Love this !! Always did.-----MJL, 77 y/o

[@brianwhitney9181]

Orbison,Sinatra,Elvis, they are the cool you described. They need no dancers, no autotune, no special effects. I was fortunate to see Roy and Elvis live in Concert.

[@Bennromansince1955]

you nailed it; he was the synthesis of all of those genres mixed with unbelievable vocal talent.

[@michaelschneider2244]

Roy, like Elvis, had such a unique voice. They were both recognizable in the first word out of their mouths. Anybody that cannot such a voice as great as Roy Orbison, cannot enjoy music. He's a legend. R.I.P. Roy

[@ericdavison5434]

Interviewed after this concert, J.D. Souther called Roy the only "Rock a Billy, Opera" singer.. Thank you so much for this reaction.

[@tonisumblin2719]

There will never be another Roy Orbison.

[@garylozado6142]

Got to see and hear Roy at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. He brought with him his entire orchestra with strings and chorus. It was phenomenal. Each song sounded like the original recording. It was a fantastic experience!

[@sharonmcentee8615]

This song makes me tear up because he sure had some sorrows in life

[@Paldasan]

My favourite vocalist. Just such a beautiful tone and vibrato. Running Scared is my favourite though, such an uncommon song progression.

[@tylerpierce8431]

Just stumbled upon your channel. After binging several videos, I can say, “What a delight to watch your joyful reaction to a wide array of musicians!”

[@Always_ponder]

Your reactions and analysis of all the artists are just so wonderful and fantastic to watch - always look forward to them even if it’s a performer I’ve been interested in beforehand - keep them going 👍

[@jimclarke1108]

His singing here is better than the original studio recording, note the band all music legends

[@robpizz]

Amazingly true

[@MartinSmith-qt3cc]

This lady is adorable 😍

[@tonypassaretti]

Yes she is.

[@srudine]

Love Roy! Such an angelic voice. His falsetto is so wonderful...there goes my heart... He is timeless. We are instantly transported back to the 60's and his contributions in the Traveling Wilbury's are a testament to his incredible, enduring heavenly talent. We miss you Roy🥰. Thank you Bethany. I haven't seen all of your reactions but would love you to play Handle with Care by the Traveling Wilbury's (if you haven't reacted to them) to hear this wonderful ensemble melt us like wax.

[@es5925]

I'm mostly into rock and metal, but Roy is something special 🤌

[@Anonymousones1]

A simpler time and a happier time ❤

[@cortecz]

So excited to see Roy Orbison on the channel. Great analysis. Too many people sleep on the artists of yesteryear. Would love to hear you analyse Peggy Lee - Johnny Guitar and Louis Armstrong - Mack the Knife.

[@romysan1]

yes a great song writer...and he played a very decent guitar while he sings. An amazing talent. RIP Roy !!!

[@rynooosth]

Roy o wow he could vocal this vocalist knws her music wow thanks❤

[@iceelf-gs1492]

Now you've taken us back to my era - those early days of Rock-n-Roll. Roy Orbison was one of the pathfinders of that genre in the early 60's. I fondly remember "Only the Lonely" along with "Oh, Pretty Woman". Then, going back a bit further (50's), there was Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, etc. I remember riding around the neighborhood on my bike as a pre-teen with an old AM radio strapped to the handlebars blasting Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock". Thought I was really "cool". Might as well have been Hell's Angel's blasting metal! Thank you for "taking us back" to that bygone era, and for your appreciation of "all" music!

[@terryfarrar451]

Saw Roy from.memory about 4 times on his visits to Australia I loved this man the first time I saw himI was devastated when I heard he had passed away I still have the the box set in vynl of his 6ties songs called the Golden Decade from the sixties to the seventies had it for over 40 years now

[@kimcutts6153]

I love Roy Orbison, one of my favourites for sure. Its just a pleasure to hear him sing. My absolute favourites by RO is "I Drove All Night"❤🎬

[@rem1762]

Excellent job young lady and as Roy Orbison was unique in his cool factor and talent, not unlike Elvis in a way, you have a unique beauty and even your hair style fits right in with the cool factor of Elvis's and Roy's time period. Just beautiful. Subscribed.

[@gairhumiston7056]

Man, if you could ever react to, what I consider the greatest duet performance ever, that of Roy Orbison and k d lang singing “Crying”, I would freak out. Their vocals are so different yet they share some traits, it would seem (like twang?). PLEASE consider doing a reaction video to this duet. Please.

[@mareenamac6703]

I love your enthusiasm for music and the artists who create it. Thank you.

[@Ellie-kb6zl]

If anyone was born to sing, it was Roy. On top of that he wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own Top 10 hits. Thank you for this. Roy left us far too soon and didn't receive the accolades he so richly deserved.

[@MelodyMan69]

I remember a doco about the RO. A sound engineers told the story when he first did a sound check for Roy. The VU METER went off the scale. Ha ha ha.

[@JohnnySplattWadd]

🕶🕶 A natural talent with no enhancements. 🕶🕶

[@oakvick]

Roy from my recollection as a kid got gobs of radio time. As a kid listening to my dad’s AM radio playing this or any other of his ear massaging tunes while we drove around on the weekends in his car. Great review 👍🏻

[@ericdavison5434]

The back-up singers are (R-L), Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warrens and K.D. Lang. All awesome soloists!

[@captainkangaroo4301]

A great singer and a kind man who lived through such unspeakable tragedy when his sons were killed in a house fire near Nashville many years ago.

[@827dusty]

Elvis once said of his friend Roy Orbison, "Roy has the voice of an angel, and vocal range from High to low, that singers only dream of having. I would trade voices with him in a minute, if he would, and could do it." That's coming from a man with one of the greatest voices in the world himself. Roy had more than his share of tragedy over his life. He lost his first wife and young child in a fire at their home while Roy was out on the road, He had some other very sad things happen as well. Roy is now with his Lord Jesus Christ. God Bless him

[@ReclusiveMountainMan]

My first experience was an elementary school friend blasting it on his mom's van blasting a cassette tape of You Got It. Since then I've been a total fan.

[@raymonditi4596]

a great and accurate description of roy.roy was superb when younger when elvis heard it but after years of singing it got even better in my opinion.he could do anything with it and still hold that tone.

[@danieltrickey9285]

Roy was an Opera singer that grew up with original rock and roll.

[@ryanquinn1257]

Roy Orbison is timeless. His voice was so powerful it would peak early recording technology. His dynamics, falsettos. You put it great of perfect combo of country, rock, doo-wop. Effortless majestic voice.

[@user-dh5yy4ud4n]

My dad had a group of friends who would "pick and grin" every now and then at what is now the University of North Texas in the 50s. They would play all night, taking a break only to get something to eat. One of his playing buddies invited Dad to travel with him to Wink, Texas and play in his band for the summer. My dad declined, saying, "You're never going to make any money in music. I'm going to work the wheat harvest." The playing buddy was Roy Orbison.

[@paulrichards8323]

you've made me a Roy Orbison fan. Thank you for this video.

[@susantownsend8397]

I remember seeing Black and White Night on Cinemax Sessions when it first aired. We watched it every time we could when it repeated and eventually downloaded it onto VHS. We were thrilled when it finally became available on DVD and we still love it.

[@queenbee2371]

His voice makes me smile too! It blows me away every single time !

[@Joe-ym6bw]

My favorite singer

[@jerryncf1553]

The one concert of the past I wish I had been at. One of my very few heroes in music. The Big O.

[@chaoticwonder3278]

I saw an interview with someone about "Running Scared" where Roy just wasn't getting the last note (a high A as they described it) in falsetto, so he decided to just sing it straight and nailed it. So many people know his songs but as the covers that came later. The originals are so much better.

[@stratcat3216]

Roy Orbison defines the term "laid back & cool". his transition between mix/head is so smooth I can't tell where it stops/starts.

[@robertesensee3494]

One of the greatest voices of all time and was gone too soon. His voice is so unique and legendary. RIP Mr. Orbison. You may be gone, but your voice stills lives on.

[@pjesf]

Thanks for doing Roy! He has long been one of my vocal idols - he just sounds so smooth throughout his entire range 😍 Speaking of range, I would like to have heard your thoughts on his vocal range - I’ve seen everything from 1.8 to 4 octaves (the latter being the more probable) 👏🏻

[@mso4433]

Elvis's favorite singer and I think the greatest male voice in rock history. Sorry he's gone.

[@Johnnycdrums]

He got so good he couldn't be ignored. Should be every body's goal, really.

[@eileencorcoran3057]

Hes amazing

[@user-dw2xu2pf7w]

Please do Roy Orbison's "Falling"....to me, this song completely showcases his power! No one has a reaction video to it either...:(

[@tallulah2]

Loved his song You Got It, too. So reminiscent of the 50s songs but a fresh take.

[@zekeedwards7904]

In my 48 years, I would have to say Roy has the best voice I've ever heard, my personal favourite and I could listen to him perpetually for the rest of my life, without getting fed up

[@andrewenglish3810]

A lot of musicians who have met Roy Orbison and had a chance to be in the studio with him have all said he sings with his soul and how musicians typically sing.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

That was a fun action and I definitely like your insights into that amazing voice. It's Over is probably one of my favorites by him.

[@lelouchlives8930]

She's so happy and cute listening to Roy Orbison.

[@bobbo670]

Roys vocal range was Sooooo amazing when you listen to him through Head Phones you REALLY then appreciate the Sound that a True master can Deliver

[@CraigFrancisSoto]

I loved that voice the very first time I heard it on the radio in the mid 60's. He sang "Pretty Woman" Then I heard him sing"Crying". This guy had a phenomenal vocal range.Great low notes and notes in the high register that he sang full force,no falsetto. And he had that very distinctive and wonderful vibrato. One of the best voices, in any style ,of all time. RIP Roy.You were a marvelous singer.

[@mknewlan67]

Elvis and Bruce Springsteen’s favorite singer. Such a phenomenal talent.

[@Ed_H.]

Roy was a wonderful singer who said himself that he didn't really know why he could sing like he did, and I appreciate you for appreciating him.

[@shadypark78]

I was listening to his vocals on "The End of the Line", and even at the end of his life, he had the best voice around.

[@Badgalcici]

Black & White Night is one of my favourites ever, the energy, The Boss being absolutely chuffed to be there. All of it! Roy is forever xx

[@lcassamas]

Roy was in great voice that evening. Just wonderful.

[@MB1974youtube]

Amazing voice. Check out “She’s a mystery to me”. Bono wrote it for him.

[@williamlinington9166]

I had the opportunity to see him live, in the mid 80's. I was front row centre. It was goosebumps for sure!

[@user-vk4ux8zv2s]

Great song! I saw Roy sing this at a high school gym in 1961.

[@mikehawkins4752]

This is from one of my most favorite concert films. Every song is great.

[@caroleann_2142]

As a rocker of the 70s my appreciation of, the talent of the 60s, still holds, without people like Roy, the Everly Bros, Frankie Vallie, Elvis, none of it would have been possible.❤😊