Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night
From Wikinfo
Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night is an acclaimed 1987 Cinemax television special originally broadcast on January 3, 1987 on HBO's Showtime starring Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll pioneer singer/songwriter Roy Orbison. The special was filmed entirely in black and white.
Described as a cinematographic masterpiece, the performance at Los Angeles's "Coconut Grove" was created to pay tribute to Orbison's more than thirty-year contribution to Rock and Roll. Few early performers were more gifted than Roy Orbison, whose vaulting operatic tenor voice brought a haunting intensity unlike no other to songs of heartbreak and lost love.
Filmed in black and white the television special introduced Orbison to a whole new generation of fans. Put together by musical director, T-Bone Burnett, Orbison was accompanied by a who's who supporting cast. The star-studded lineup is all the more noteworthy for the restraint with which they collaborate. All were fans, and all were volunteers who had lobbied to participate resulting in a cohesive honoring of a great star through stirring performances. And in the audience can be seen further devoted Orbison admirers, Billy Idol, Kris Kristofferson and others. From this performance, Orbison's 1964 #1 hit song "Oh, Pretty Woman" was nominated for a Grammy Award for best live performance. Re-released as part of a CD bearing the same title as the television special, the song won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
The special consisted of a performance of many of Orbison's hits at the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles, taped on September 30, 1987, approximately a year before his death. Three songs, Blue Bayou, Claudette and Blue Angel, were taped but not included in the original broadcast due to time constraints.
Put together by musical director, T-Bone Burnett, Orbison was accompanied by a supporting backing band which included many notable musical performers. All were fans who volunteered to participate in the special. Other celebrity admirers of Orbison were in the audience, including Billy Idol, Sandra Bernhard and Kris Kristofferson. The backing band was the TCB Band, which accompanied Elvis Presley from 1969 until his death in 1977: Glen D. Hardin on piano; James Burton on lead guitar; Jerry Scheff on bass; and Ronnie Tutt on drums. Male background vocalists, with some also joining in on guitar, were: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Steven Soles. Singing the female background vocals were k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, and Bonnie Raitt. Over the end credits, several of the band members are shown saying some words about Orbison.
On piano was Glen D. Hardin, who had played piano for Buddy Holly as well as for years for Elvis Presley. Lead guitarist, James Burton was also from Presley's group. Male background vocals with some on guitar, were: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J. D. Souther, Steven Soles. Singing the female background vocals were k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, and Bonnie Raitt.
The special was later released in several home video formats including VHS, Laser disc and DVD, with the laserdisc and DVD releases containing the two previously unreleased songs. A blu-ray version was released in September, 2008. "Blue Angel" appears on the blu-ray disc as a bonus track. The performance has been used by PBS stations to assist in fund raising. It has proved to be the single most successful fund raiser in PBS history. The audio from this special was made into an album by Virgin Records in 1989, titled "A Black & White Night Live".
The year following this performance, Roy Orbison died of a heart attack.
See also
- Black & White Night album released containing the music from this performance
External links
- Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night at the Internet Movie Database
- review by Ian Grant http://www.epinions.com/content_103463489156
- review by Colin Jacobson http://www.dvdmg.com/orbison.shtml
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, used under the GNU Free Documentation License
