Recorded August 1, 1964 and released mere weeks later, it didn't take long for "Oh, Pretty Woman" to make its way onto the charts. After only one week of Bubbling Under (Billboard¹s term for songs just outside the Hot 100) at 101, the song made the leap to #51 on August 29th.
To be sure, releases by Roy Orbison had found their way into these realms over the course of the previous five years, starting in 1959 with "Only The Lonely" getting as far as #2. 1960 saw ³Blue Angel hit #9, followed by Orbison's very first #1 -- "Running Scared." The next year "Crying" went to #2 and ³Dream Baby² to #4. "In Dreams," released in 1962, made it to #7 and the next year "Mean Woman Blues" hit #5, followed by the less than prophetic "It's Over" getting to #9.
"Oh, Pretty Woman" entered the Top 10 on September 12, 1964 keeping close company with hits by The Beatles, Animals, Dave Clark Five, Dusty Springfield, Gerry & The Pacemakers and Manfred Mann. While it seemed the Brits were invading US music Roy was undaunted. During this same "invasion" Orbison infiltrated the charts overseas ultimately enjoying a 21 day run at #1 with "Oh, Pretty Woman" in the UK.
With Fred Foster at the helm and the Nashville A-Team at his side in addition to frequent co-writer Bill Dees, magic was made. The record breaking, award winning, and iconic song has inspired a film of the same title, a perfume line, and countless genre spanning covers from artists including Al Green, Van Halen, and Bruce Springsteen to name a few.
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