Av Dag Bøgeberg

Judy Baker, Faron Young og Roy Orbison.

"The party of 56" er et privat opptak av Roy Orbison og den syngende sheriffen Faron Young med venner hjemme hos Judy Baker, i Corpus Christi, Texas gjort i 1956. Etter 46 år vil endelig disse opptakene se dagens lys og slippes på cd. Dette skal etter planen skje andre uka i september 2002.

"The Party Of 56"-tapene ble funnet for seks år siden og for Roy Orbison fans må dette være høydepunktet når det gjelder sjeldne opptak som man nå får muligheten til å ærverve seg. Samtidig er nok dette overraskende lyder også for Elvis-fansen da det faktisk er Elvis-hits opptakene i hovedsak dreier seg om. Roy Orbisons store gjennombrudd kom i 1960 med "Only The Lonely".

Låtliste på "The Party Of 56":
Roy Orbison synger: Miss Fanny - Marylou - You're My baby - Slippin' And A Slidin - Ready Teddy - Hound Dog - Don't Be Cruel - Lawdy Miss Clawdy- That's All Right Mamma - I Want You, I Need You, I Love You - I Was the One.

Faron Young synger: Mrs.Brown - Honky Tonky Man - Heartbreak Hotel - Blue Suede Shoes - Good Rocking Tonight - Hound Dog - Tutti Frutti - I Walk The Line.

Av David Banner

Syng'a Roy.

"1956 Party TAPE". It was the Fall of 1956. The 20-year-old Roy Orbison was touring with his band, The Teen Kings, still enjoying the popularity of their hit "Ooby Dooby" released by Sun Records. The song peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Pop Chart and re-entered a couple of times. They were being booked by Stars Inc. in Memphis, sharing the stage with some other Sun Records acts like Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and some Country singers also. Some of them where Johnny Horton, Sonny James and Faron Young. Faron was a Capitol Records artist and had just had his first No. 1 Country hit with Joe Allison's "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" sometime back.

It is not clear exactly when this recording was made, possibly around or after September 1956 after "Hound Dog" was released, but it would be wise to assume that it took place after a show with Roy and Faron. Some sources indicate that the location was Corpus Christy, Texas. For sure we know that it was made by Judy Baker into a home tape recorder using a hand microphone. Judy became a Country Music hostess but little we know about her. She was born in 1924 and died in February 2000, now buried in Goodlettsville, Davidson County Tennessee, USA. The tape stayed in her position through the years and surfaced after her passing. A few pictures were taken that night while the guitar was passed around to the hands of Roy and Faron. Elvis was Roy's favorite singer, and vice versa. Roy had seen a few of Elvis shows in Texas, and they met at the Overton Park Shell in Memphis in June, 1956. Both Roy and Faron sing mainly Elvis songs, Roy also does a few Little Richard tunes and one of his first recordings "Hey Miss Fanny", a hit by The Clovers a few years back.

The importance of this recording is enormous. To Roy Orbison fans, this reveals an early Orbison, casual and relaxed singing songs they have never heard him sing before, and we know how a fan feels like when something like this comes across. For Elvis's fans this means the discovery of new versions sung by Elvis's favorite singer. Either way, an early piece of history not to be missed.