June 24, 2022     —–     Chart #149

Have you seen us on Facebook? CLICK HERE to like our page. Today we have a great song from 1964. “Oh, Pretty Woman” or simply “Pretty Woman” is a song recorded by Roy Orbison, written by Orbison and Bill Dees. It was released as a single in August 1964 on Monument Records and spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 from September 26, 1964, the second and final single by Orbison to top the US charts. It was also Orbison’s third single to top the UK Singles Chart (for a total of three weeks).

The single version (in mono) and the LP version (in stereo on the Oribisongs LP) have slightly differing lyrics. The LP version with the intended lyric: “come with me baby” was changed for the single to “come to me baby” as the former was considered too risque. The record ultimately sold seven million copies and marked the high point in Orbison’s career. Within months of its release, in October 1964, the single was certified gold by the RIAA. At the year’s end, Billboard ranked it the number four song of 1964.

“Oh, Pretty Woman” was later used for the title of the 1990 film Pretty Woman starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and the 2018 Broadway musical Pretty Woman: The Musical.

The title was inspired by Orbison’s wife, Claudette, interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out. When Orbison asked if she had enough cash, his co-writer Bill Dees interjected, “A pretty woman never needs any money.”

Orbison’s recording of the song was produced by Fred Foster on August 1, 1964. There were four guitar players at the session: Roy Orbison, Billy Sanford, Jerry Kennedy, and Wayne Moss. Sanford, who later played on sessions for Elvis Presley, Don Williams and many others, played the intro guitar. Other musicians on the record included Floyd Cramer on piano, Henry Strzelecki on upright bass, Boots Randolph and Charlie McCoy on saxophones, Buddy Harman on drums, and Paul Garrison on percussion. Bill Porter served as recording engineer. Billboard described the song as having a “great dance beat coupled with fine arrangement.” Cash Box described it as “a catchy, quick-beat salute with a number of ear-catching rockin’ ingredients.”

Van Halen (bet Roy never imagined this!): https://youtu.be/FWQRDI7mTyw

Keep rockin my friends,

Stan