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LOS ANGELES — Ever since Blue Velvet, it's been hard to listen to Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" without thinking of David Lynch's warped cinematic visions.
If anything could possibly eclipse Lynch's surrealistic filmmaking, it's Orbison's "friends."
Last week some of the most acclaimed performers in rock — including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Jackson Browne — gathered at the Ambassador Hotel's Cocoanut Grove to lend instrumental and vocal support to the rock 'n' roll legend. The occasion was the filming of the Cinemax Sessions: Roy Orbison & Friends, a special that will be shown on the cable channel in early 1988.
Wearing his trademark dark glasses and a black fringe jacket, Orbison and his all-star band performed "In Dreams," 17 other classics and "The Comedians," a new song composed by Costello.
Seated immediately behind the Vernon, Texas, native was Springsteen plucking an electric guitar. Behind Springsteen, Costello sat strumming an acoustic guitar and occasionally playing a harmonica. To Costello's left were J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne and Steven Soles singing backup. Behind that trio was another group of backing vocalists, Canadian country crooner K.D. Lang, Bonnie Raitt and Jennifer Warnes.
At a time when rock's forefathers are being remembered and reintroduced to younger fans — in films such as the upcoming Chuck Berry documentary Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll and the film biography of Ritchie Valens, La Bamba — Cinemax couldn't have picked at better time to spotlight Orbison.
The 51-Year-old Texan is enjoying a comeback following the use of "In Dreams" in the controversial film Blue Velvet and the subsequent release of In Dreams: The Greatest Hits. The 19-song collection, which features new recordings of Orbison's best-known material, was recently released on Virgin Records.
Though Orbison, one of the original artists to emerge from Sun Records label along with Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash, reached his artistic peak by 1964, he has remained one of rock's most influential performers.
As early as 1958, the Everly Brothers scored a minor hit with Orbison's "Claudette." In later years both Linda Ronstadt and Van Halen had hits with Orbison classics. And Springsteen's "Thunder Road" makes reference to Orbison "singin' for the lonely."
In January Orbison was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Springsteen, whose introductory comments were used as liner notes on In Dreams: The Greatest Hits album.
The strong lineup of talent enlisted for the Orbison tribute managed to eclipse even the Keith Richards-led ensemble that backed Berry for his 60th birthday concert featured in Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll.
The second half of the show saw Springsteen sharing the spotlight with Orbison for an impressive reading of "Dream Baby," Orbison and Costello doubling on harmonica during Candy Man and Orbison, Springsteen and Burton trading guitar riffs during a spirited version of Ooby Dooby.
Nothing came close, though to the show-stopping "Oh, Pretty Woman," which featured a rave-up reprise, with Costello and Souther sharing one microphone, Browne and Springsteen at another, and Orbison in front. Orbison said it best.
"Mercy."
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