Only the Lonely

This article is about the Roy Orbison song. For other uses, see Only the Lonely (disambiguation).
"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)"
scan of record label Monument 45-421
Single by Roy Orbison
from the album Lonely and Blue
B-side"Here Comes That Song Again"
PublishedMay 4, 1960 (1960-05-04) Acuff-Rose Publications, Inc.[1]
ReleasedMay 9, 1960 (1960-05-09)[2]
RecordedMarch 25, 1960[2]
StudioRCA Victor Studio B, Nashville[2]
Genre
Length2:27
LabelMonument 421
Songwriter(s)Roy Orbison, Joe Melson
Producer(s)Fred Foster
Roy Orbison singles chronology
"Up Town"
(1959) 		"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)"
(1960) 		"Blue Angel"
(1960)

"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson.[3] Orbison's recording of the song, produced by Fred Foster for Monument Records, was the first major hit for the singer. It was described by The New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency".[3] Released as a 45 rpm single by Monument Records in May 1960, "Only the Lonely" went to No. 2 on the United States Billboard pop music charts on 25 July 1960 (blocked by Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry") and No. 14 on the Billboard R&B charts.[4] "Only the Lonely" reached number one in the United Kingdom, a position it achieved on 20 October 1960, staying there for two weeks (out of a total of 24 weeks spent on the UK singles chart from 28 July 1960).[5] According to The Authorized Roy Orbison, "Only the Lonely" was the longest charting single of Orbison's career.[6] Personnel on the original recording included Orbison's drummer Larry Parks, plus Nashville A-Team regulars Floyd Cramer on piano, Bob Moore on bass, and Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitars, Joe Melson and the Anita Kerr Singers on backing vocals. Drummer Buddy Harman played on the rest of the songs on the session.

In 1999, the 1960 recording of "Only the Lonely" by Roy Orbison on Monument Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[7]

  1. ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1960). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1960 Music Jan-June 3D Ser Vol 14 Pt 5. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  2. ^ a b c Weize, Richard (2001). Orbison 1955-1965 (7-CD Deluxe Box Set) (booklet). Bear Family Records. BCD16423. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  3. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (January 1, 1989). "POP VIEW; The Man With the Blue Velvet Voice". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 443.
  5. ^ "Orbison's widow sues film makers". BBC News. January 1, 2002. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  6. ^ Orbison, Roy Jr.; Wesley Orbison; Alex Orbison; Jeff Slate (2017). The authorized Roy Orbison. New York. ISBN 978-1-4789-7654-7. OCLC 1017566749.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#o [bare URL]