Mystery Girl

For the Nickelodeon television movie, see Mystery Girl (TV movie). For the Chinese mythological fairy, see Jiutian Xuannü.

Mystery Girl
File:Mystery Girl - Roy Orbison.jpg
Studio album by Roy Orbison
Released	February 7, 1989
Recorded	October - November 1988
Genre	Rockabilly, country rock
Length	38:17
Label	Virgin
Producer	Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell, Jeff Lynne, T-Bone Burnett, Barbara Orbison, Bono
Roy Orbison chronology
In Dreams: The Greatest Hits (1987)In Dreams: The Greatest Hits1987 Mystery Girl (1989) A Black & White Night Live (1989)A Black & White Night Live1989

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Chicago Tribune	(Positive)
Deseret News	(Positive)
Houston Chronicle
Los Angeles Times
The New York Times	(Favorable)
Robert Christgau	(B)
Rolling Stone
Q

Mystery Girl is the last album recorded by Roy Orbison, posthumously released on the Virgin label in 1989. The album became a hit worldwide, reaching #5 on the US Billboard 200, and #2 on the UK Albums Chart.

History

All the tracks were recorded in late 1988, and it was finalized for release in the weeks following Orbison's death through the collaborative efforts of several artists who were all friends and admirers. The album was named after the chorus from the track "She's a Mystery to Me", written for Orbison by U2's Bono and The Edge.

In the documentary In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story, Bono tells how he woke up for a concert's sound check, following a late night listening to the soundtrack to David Lynch's Blue Velvet, and had the tune of title song in his head, figuring it was another Orbison song ("In Dreams" was the only Orbison song on that album). During the sound check he performed it for the other members of U2, who agreed that the track sounded like an Orbison song. A short while later, Orbison met the band backstage at one of their concerts and subsequently asked Bono if he would like to write a song with/for him.

The album was released posthumously in 1989 and would join another Orbison album on the Billboard chart. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 was recorded in mid 1988, with Orbison as part of the supergroup, Traveling Wilburys. The dual success means that Orbison joins Jim Croce, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson as the only singers to simultaneously have two Top 5 albums on the Billboard chart posthumously.

On December 6, 1988, Orbison died from a heart attack aged 52.

In May 2014, this album was re-issued to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It included bonus material including demos, and a new song "The Way Is Love", which was put together by John Carter Cash and Orbison's sons from an demo recorded on a cassette recorded around 1986.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"You Got It"	Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty	Jeff Lynne	3:30
2.	"In the Real World"	Richard Kerr, Will Jennings	Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell, Barbara Orbison	3:44
3.	"(All I Can Do Is) Dream You"	Billy Burnette, David Malloy	T Bone Burnett	3:39
4.	"A Love So Beautiful"	Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne	Jeff Lynne	3:33
5.	"California Blue"	Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty	Jeff Lynne	3:57

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
6.	"She's a Mystery to Me"	Bono, The Edge	Bono	4:16
7.	"The Comedians"	Elvis Costello	T Bone Burnett	3:26
8.	"The Only One"	Wesley Orbison, Craig Wiseman	Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell	3:55
9.	"Windsurfer"	Roy Orbison, Bill Dees	Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell	4:01
10.	"Careless Heart"	Roy Orbison, Diane Warren, Albert Hammond	Roy Orbison, Mike Campbell	4:08

Bonus track (2007 reissue)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
11.	"You May Feel Me Crying"	Richard Kerr, Will Jennings	Brian Eno	4:14

Bonus tracks (2014 Legacy Recordings reissue)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"The Way is Love"	Roy Orbison, Bill Dees	4:12
12.	"She's a Mystery to Me" (Studio demo)	Bono, The Edge	4:51
13.	"(All I Can Do Is) Dream You" (Studio demo)	Billy Burnette, David Malloy	4:34
14.	"The Only One" (Studio demo)	Wesley Orbison, Craig Wiseman	5:12
15.	"The Comedians" (Studio demo)	Elvis Costello	3:25
16.	"In the Real World" (Studio demo)	Richard Kerr, Will Jennings	3:38
17.	"California Blue" (Studio demo)	Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty	4:42
18.	"Windsurfer" (Work-tape demo)	Roy Orbison, Bill Dees	3:50
19.	"You Are My Love" (Work-tape demo)	Roy Orbison, Bill Dees	2:35

Personnel

Core

• Roy Orbison – vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar on 1 2 4 5 8 10, electric guitar on 6
• Jeff Lynne – electric guitar on 1 5, acoustic guitar on 4, keyboards on 1 4 5, piano on 1, bass on 1 4 5, backing vocals on 1 4 5 9
• Tom Petty – acoustic guitar on 1 5, backing vocals on 1 2 5
• Mike Campbell – electric guitar on 2 10, acoustic guitar on 5 9 10, bass on 2 10, mandolin on 5
• Jim Keltner – drums on 2 6 7 8 9 10
• Howie Epstein – bass on 6 8 9, backing vocals on 2 8 9 10
• Benmont Tench – piano on 6 8 9 10, organ on 8, cheap strings on 6

Additional personnel

• Phil Jones – drums on 1, percussion on 1
• Michael Utley – strings arrangements on 1 2 7 9
• Barbara Orbison – backing vocals on 2
• Roy Orbison, Jr. – backing vocals on 2
• Al Kooper – organ on 2
• Rick Vito – electric guitar on 3, backing vocals on 3, slide guitar on 9
• Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – bass on 3
• Buell Neidlinger – arco bass on 3 7
• Billy Burnette – acoustic guitar on 3, backing vocals on 3
• Mickey Curry – drums on 3
• George Harrison – acoustic guitar on 4
• Ray Cooper – drums on 4
• Louis Clark – strings arrangements on 4 5
• Ian Wallace – drums on 5, percussion on 5
• Bono – electric guitar on 6
• David Rhodes – electric guitar on 7
• T Bone Burnett – electric guitar on 7
• Mitchell Froom – piano on 7
• Jerry Scheff – string bass on 7
• David Miner – string bass on 7
• Gary Coleman – percussion on 7
• Steve Cropper – electric guitar on 8
• The Memphis Horns – horns by Jim Horn, arranged by Steve Cropper on 8

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
1990	"You Got It"	Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male	Nominated

Chart positions

Peak positions

Chart (1989)	Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart	1
Austrian Albums Chart	4
Dutch Mega Albums Chart	1
German Media Control Albums Chart	4
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart	89
New Zealand Albums Chart	7
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart	1
Swedish Albums Chart	1
Swiss Albums Chart	3
UK Albums Chart	2
United States Billboard 200	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	9
Austrian Albums Chart	29
Canadian Albums Chart	8
Dutch Albums Chart	17
Swiss Albums Chart	26
UK Albums Chart	51
U.S. Billboard 200	42

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	3× Platinum	300,000
Germany (BVMI)	Gold	250,000
Netherlands (NVPI)	Platinum	100,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)	Platinum	100,000
Sweden (GLF)	Platinum	100,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)	Gold	25,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Platinum	300,000
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,000,000
^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

Preceded by Look Sharp! by Roxette	Swedish Chart number-one album February 8 - March 22, 1989	Succeeded by Like a Prayer by Madonna
Preceded by Anything for You by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine	Dutch Mega Chart number-one album February 18, 1989	Succeeded by Anything for You by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
Preceded by Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 by Traveling Wilburys	ARIA Charts number-one album February 27 - March 26, 1989	Succeeded by Hits of '89 Volume 1 by Various artists
Preceded by Ancient Heart by Tanita Tikaram	Norwegian VG-lista number-one album 07 - 09/1989	Succeeded by Solregn by Åge Aleksandersen