Roy Orbison mix from the top down rather than from the bottom up, beginning with close-miked backing vocals in the foreground, and ending with the rhythm section soft in the background. This combination became Orbison's trademark sound. "Only the Lonely" shot to number two on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and hit number one in the UK and Australia. According to Orbison, the subsequent songs he wrote with Melson during this period were constructed with his voice in mind, specifically to showcase its range and power. He told "Rolling Stone" in 1988, "I liked the sound of [my voice]. I liked making it
Roy Orbison's Sun Recordings rockabilly music. According to Riesco's official Roy Orbison discography, Orbison's first 2 Sun singles were released in the UK on an extended play called "Hillbilly Rock" (London Records RES 1089) in 1957. Orbison affiliated himself with the Everlys' music publisher, Acuff-Rose. Wesley Rose got Orbison a one-year contract with RCA, an affiliation that spawned two mediocre singles. During the last RCA session, Orbison had a conversation with bassist Bob Moore, who was buying himself a stake in Monument Records. Moore called owner Fred Foster, and said, "You know what I heard today? RCA's letting Roy Orbison go." Fred Foster signed