Mystery Girl
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | (Positive)[2] |
| Deseret News | (Positive)[3] |
| Houston Chronicle | [4] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [5] |
| The New York Times | (Favorable)[6] |
| Robert Christgau | (B)[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| Q | [citation needed] |
Mystery Girl is the last album recorded by Roy Orbison, posthumously released on the Virgin label in 1989. The album became a hit worldwide, reaching #5 on the US Billboard 200, and #2 on the UK Albums Chart.[9]
History
Roy Orbison had not released an album of new material since 1979 when he released Laminar Flow. All the tracks were recorded in late 1988, and it was finalized for release in the weeks following Orbison's death through the collaborative efforts of several artists who were all friends and admirers. The album was named after the chorus from the track "She's a Mystery to Me", written for Orbison by U2's Bono and The Edge.
In the documentary In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story, Bono tells how he woke up for a concert's sound check, following a late night listening to the soundtrack to David Lynch's Blue Velvet, and had the tune of title song in his head, figuring it was another Orbison song ("In Dreams" was the only Orbison song on that album). During the sound check he performed it for the other members of U2, who agreed that the track sounded like an Orbison song. A short while later, Orbison met the band backstage at one of their concerts and subsequently asked Bono if he would like to write a song with/for him.
The album was released posthumously in 1989 and would join another Orbison album on the Billboard chart. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 was recorded in mid 1988, with Orbison as part of the supergroup, Traveling Wilburys. The dual success means that Orbison joins Jim Croce, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson as the only singers to simultaneously have two Top 5 albums on the Billboard chart posthumously. [citation needed]
In May 2014, this album was re-issued to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It included bonus material including demos, and a new song "The Way Is Love", which was put together by John Carter Cash and Orbison's sons from a demo recorded on a cassette around 1986.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Got It" | Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty | Jeff Lynne | 3:30 |
| 2. | "In the Real World" | Richard Kerr, Will Jennings | Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell, Barbara Orbison | 3:44 |
| 3. | "(All I Can Do Is) Dream You" | Billy Burnette, David Malloy | T Bone Burnett | 3:39 |
| 4. | "A Love So Beautiful" | Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne | Jeff Lynne | 3:33 |
| 5. | "California Blue" | Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty | Jeff Lynne | 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "She's a Mystery to Me" | Bono, The Edge | Bono | 4:16 |
| 7. | "The Comedians" | Elvis Costello | T Bone Burnett | 3:26 |
| 8. | "The Only One" | Wesley Orbison, Craig Wiseman | Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Windsurfer" | Roy Orbison, Bill Dees | Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell | 4:01 |
| 10. | "Careless Heart" | Roy Orbison, Diane Warren, Albert Hammond | Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell | 4:08 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "You May Feel Me Crying" | Richard Kerr, Will Jennings | Brian Eno[10] | 4:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "The Way is Love" | Roy Orbison, Bill Dees | 4:12 |
| 12. | "She's a Mystery to Me" (Studio demo) | Bono, The Edge | 4:51 |
| 13. | "(All I Can Do Is) Dream You" (Studio demo) | Billy Burnette, David Malloy | 4:34 |
| 14. | "The Only One" (Studio demo) | Wesley Orbison, Craig Wiseman | 5:12 |
| 15. | "The Comedians" (Studio demo) | Elvis Costello | 3:25 |
| 16. | "In the Real World" (Studio demo) | Richard Kerr, Will Jennings | 3:38 |
| 17. | "California Blue" (Studio demo) | Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty | 4:42 |
| 18. | "Windsurfer" (Work-tape demo) | Roy Orbison, Bill Dees | 3:50 |
| 19. | "You Are My Love" (Work-tape demo) | Roy Orbison, Bill Dees | 2:35 |
Personnel
Core
- Roy Orbison – vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar on 1 2 4 5 8 10, electric guitar on 6
- Jeff Lynne – electric guitar on 1 5, acoustic guitar on 4, keyboards on 1 4 5, piano on 1, bass on 1 4 5, backing vocals on 1 4 5 9
- Tom Petty – acoustic guitar on 1 5, backing vocals on 1 2 5
- Mike Campbell – electric guitar on 2 10, acoustic guitar on 5 9 10, bass on 2 10, mandolin on 5
- Jim Keltner – drums on 2 6 7 8 9 10
- Howie Epstein – bass on 6 8 9, backing vocals on 2 8 9 10
- Benmont Tench – piano on 6 8 9 10, organ on 8, cheap strings on 6
Additional personnel
- Phil Jones – drums on 1, percussion on 1
- Michael Utley – string arrangements on 1 2 7 9
- Barbara Orbison – backing vocals on 2
- Roy Orbison, Jr. – backing vocals on 2
- Al Kooper – organ on 2
- Rick Vito – electric guitar on 3, backing vocals on 3, slide guitar on 9
- Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – bass on 3
- Buell Neidlinger – arco bass on 3 7
- Billy Burnette – acoustic guitar on 3, backing vocals on 3
- Mickey Curry – drums on 3
- George Harrison – acoustic guitar on 4
- Ray Cooper – drums on 4
- Louis Clark – strings arrangements on 4 5
- Ian Wallace – drums on 5, percussion on 5
- Bono – electric guitar on 6
- David Rhodes – electric guitar on 7
- T Bone Burnett – electric guitar on 7
- Mitchell Froom – piano on 7
- Jerry Scheff – string bass on 7
- David Miner – string bass on 7
- Gary Coleman – percussion on 7
- Steve Cropper – electric guitar on 8
- The Memphis Horns – horns by Jim Horn, arranged by Steve Cropper on 8
Accolades
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "You Got It" | Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male[11] | Nominated |
Chart positions
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[30] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI)[31] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[32] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[33] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[34] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[35] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[36] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[37] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Iyengar, Vik. Mystery Girl at AllMusic
- ^ Silverman, David (1989-02-02). "Orbison`s `Mystery Girl` Is A Poignant Comeback". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "ON THE RECORD: LAST ALBUM BY ORBISON WAS A WINNER". deseretnews.com. Deseret News. 1989-03-10. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Claypool, Bob (1989-02-12). "Records". Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (1989-01-29). "The Albums of Winter : Posthumous Roy Orbison release leads the pack". articles.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Holden, Stephen (1997-07-08). "THE POP LIFE". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "CG: Roy Orbison". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
- ^ link Archived 2006-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 408–409. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ The Official Roy Orbison Site "Roy Oabison The Soul of Rock and Roll 4-CD box set features 12 unreleased songs". Retrieved 2011-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "HERE'S LIST OF NOMINEES FROM ALL 77 CATEGORIES". deseretnews.com. Deseret News. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ "australian-charts.com Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl – austriancharts.at" (in German). Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
- ^ "Album Search: Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ ロイ・オービソン-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Mystery Girl by Roy Orbison". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "charts.org.nz — Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl". VG-lista. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl — hitparade.ch" (in German). Retrieved 2011-08-08.
- ^ "Chart Stats — Roy Orbison — Mystery Girl". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Allmusic - Mystery Girl > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
- ^ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 50 Albums 1989". aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at — Jahreshitparade 1989" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1989". RPM. 1989-12-23. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1989" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2014-05-01.
- ^ "Hitparade.ch — Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1989". Swiss Music Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ articles with dead external links%5d%5d%5b%5bCategory:Articles with dead external links from February 2016%5d%5d[%5b%5bWikipedia:Link rot|dead link%5d%5d] "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
{{cite web}}: Check|archiveurl=value (help) - ^ articles with dead external links%5d%5d%5b%5bCategory:Articles with dead external links from February 2016%5d%5d[%5b%5bWikipedia:Link rot|dead link%5d%5d] "The Billboard 200 - Year-end: 1989". Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Check|archiveurl=value (help) - ^ "Canadian album certifications – Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl". Music Canada.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Roy Orbison; 'Mystery Girl')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Mystery Girl in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1990 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "Solo Exitos 1959-2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1979-1990". Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Mystery Girl')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "British album certifications – Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Mystery Girl in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl". Recording Industry Association of America.
