1989 Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl
Mystery Girl is the twenty-second album by American singer Roy Orbison. It was completed in November 1988, a month before his death at the age of 52, and according to the official Roy Orbison discography by Marcel Riesco, released on the Virgin record label on January 31, 1989. It includes the hit singles “You Got It”, which was co-written by Orbison and his Traveling Wilburys bandmates Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, and “She’s a Mystery to Me”, written by Bono and The Edge. The album was a critical and commercial success; it peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, the highest position Orbison had achieved on that chart, and number 2 on the UK Albums Chart.
Mystery Girl was Orbison’s first album of all-new material since 1979 and its success posthumously continued the resurgence that his career had undergone since 1986. Among the many other contributors to the album were Mike Campbell and other members of the Heartbreakers, T Bone Burnett, George Harrison, Jim Keltner and Rick Vito. For the 25th anniversary of its release, the album was reissued with bonus tracks including “The Way Is Love”, a song recorded by Orbison on a cassette tape in the 1980s that was subsequently completed by his sons and producer John Carter Cash.
Tracks
1 You Got It (Jeff Lynne; Roy Orbison; Tom Petty) 3:30
2 In The Real World (Richard Kerr; Will Jennings) 3:44
3 (All I Can Do Is) Dream You (Billy Burnette; David Malloy) 3:39
4 A Love So Beautiful (Jeff Lynne; Roy Orbison) 3:33
5 California Blue (Jeff Lynne; Roy Orbison; Tom Petty) 3:57
6 She\’s A Mystery To Me (Dave Evans; Paul Hewson) 4:16
7 The Comedians (Elvis Costello) 3:26
8 The Only One (Craig Wiseman; Wesley Orbison) 3:55
9 Windsurfer (Roy Orbison; Bill Dees) 4:01
10 Careless Heart (Albert Hammond; Diane Warren; Roy Orbison) 4:09
Media
Musicians
1 You Got It
Bass | Jeff Lynne |
Drums | Jeff Lynne |
Guitar | Jeff Lynne |
Acoustic Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Acoustic Guitar | Tom Petty |
Keyboards | Jeff Lynne |
Background Vocals | Jeff Lynne |
Background Vocals | Tom Petty |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
2 In The Real World
Bass | Mike Campbell |
Drums | Jim Keltner |
Guitar | Mike Campbell |
Acoustic Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Organ | Al Kooper |
Background Vocals | Barbara Orbison |
Background Vocals | Howie Epstein |
Background Vocals | Tom Petty |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
3 (All I Can Do Is) Dream You
Bass | Buell Neidlinger |
Bass | T-Bone Wolk |
Drums | Mickey Curry |
Guitar | Rick Vito |
Acoustic Guitar | Billy Burnette |
Background Vocals | Billy Burnette |
Background Vocals | Rick Vito |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
4 A Love So Beautiful
Bass | Jeff Lynne |
Drums | Ray Cooper |
Acoustic Guitar | George Harrison |
Acoustic Guitar | Jeff Lynne |
Acoustic Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Keyboards | Jeff Lynne |
Background Vocals | Jeff Lynne |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
5 California Blue
Bass | Jeff Lynne |
Drums | Ian Wallace |
Guitar | Jeff Lynne |
Acoustic Guitar | Mike Campbell |
Acoustic Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Acoustic Guitar | Tom Petty |
Mandolin | Mike Campbell |
Keyboards | Jeff Lynne |
Percussion | Ian Wallace |
Background Vocals | Jeff Lynne |
Background Vocals | Tom Petty |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
6 She\’s A Mystery To Me
Bass | Howie Epstein |
Drums | Jim Keltner |
Guitar | Bono |
Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Piano | Benmont Tench |
Strings | Benmont Tench |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
7 The Comedians
Bass | Buell Neidlinger |
Double Bass | David Miner |
Double Bass | Jerry Scheff |
Guitar | David Rhodes |
Guitar | T-Bone Burnett |
Percussion | Gary Coleman |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
8 The Only One
Bass | Howie Epstein |
Drums | Jim Keltner |
Guitar | Steve Cropper |
Acoustic Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Organ | Benmont Tench |
Piano | Benmont Tench |
Horns | Jim Horn |
Background Vocals | Howie Epstein |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
9 Windsurfer
Bass | Howie Epstein |
Drums | Jim Keltner |
Slide Guitar | Rick Vito |
Acoustic Guitar | Mike Campbell |
Piano | Benmont Tench |
Strings | Mike Utley |
Background Vocals | Howie Epstein |
Background Vocals | Jeff Lynne |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
10 Careless Heart
Bass | Mike Campbell |
Drums | Jim Keltner |
Guitar | Mike Campbell |
Acoustic Guitar | Mike Campbell |
Acoustic Guitar | Roy Orbison |
Piano | Benmont Tench |
Background Vocals | Howie Epstein |
Vocals | Roy Orbison |
Liner Notes
Producer – Jeff Lynne (Tracks 1, 4, 5)
Producer – Roy Orbison (Tracks 2, 8, 9, 10)
Producer – Mike Campbell (Track 2, 8, 9, 10)
Producer – Barbara Orbison(Track 2)
Producer – Bono (Track 6)
Producer – T-Bone Burnett (Tracks 3, 7)
Producer (Executive) – Barbara Orbison
Arranged By – Benmont Tench (Track 6)
Arranged By (Memphis Horn Arrangements) – Steve Cropper (Track 8)
Arranged By (Strings) – Mike Utley (Tracks 2, 7)
Concertmaster – Sidney Page (Track 7)
Conductor (Strings) – Louis Clark (Tracks 4, 5)
Engineer – Don Smith (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Engineer – Phil McDonald, Richard Dodd (Tracks 1, 4, 5)
Engineer – Kevin Killen, Rik Pekkonen (Tracks 3, 7)
Engineer (Assistant By) – Michael C Ross (Tracks 3, 7)
Engineer (Assistant Engineer – A & M Studios) – Randy Staub
Engineer (Assistant Engineer – Rumbo Recorders) – Andy Udoff, Julian Stoll, Robin Laine
Mastered By – Stephen Marcussen
Mixed By – Don Smith (Tracks 6, 8, 9, 10)
Mixed By – Randy Staub (Track 8)
Art Direction – Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff, Melanie Nissen
Design – Tim Stedman
Photography By – Glen Erler
Record Company – EMI / Kemongsa Music Ltd.
Licensed From – EMI/Kemongsa
Licensed From – Virgin Records Ltd.
Recorded At – A&M Studios
Recorded At – Rumbo Recorders
Mastered At – Precision Lacquer