Art surrounds Bob Orrall, literally. Stepping into his home, your eyes are sort of frantically undecided as to which delightful painting/sculpture/cuckoo clock to study. It’s everywhere. Which is kind of a perfect metaphor for Bob himself—creativity everywhere. His music, his art, his home, god knows his studio, and even his choice of eye wear and footwear—his life. Couple this with the fact that he seems to have unlimited energy, and you have a perfect recipe for an epically creative life.
And in Bob’s case, it’s a career that has been equally epic.
I am embarrassed to say that Bob found us. How we did not know that right under our noses here in Manchester was this marvelous man? After The Cricket’s Out & About on Cape Ann summer supplement came out in May with a loose theme of “music,” a package arrived at our office with a CD, material on the Robert Ellis Orrall band and an album, “Sunshine,” with cover art that was a riot of all things 80s. It was from Bob Orrall.
Who is Bob Orrall? Even if you think you don’t know him, you probably do. Through his prolific songwriting career in Nashville. So far, Bob has racked up over 300 cuts as a songwriter. Bob has written songs for Carlene Carter (“I Couldn’t Say No” was his first Top 40 single), Shenandoah, and Clay Walker—both hit Number One on the pop charts. Then there’s Reba McEntire, Lindsay Lohan, and Taylor Swift.
Bob was asked to work with Swift when she was just 13 years old. At the time, Bob’s daughter was the same age, and Swift had a deal with RCA. Bob says he was “astonished” by Swift right away. She was totally clear about what kinds of songs she wanted. She was utterly in charge, an incredibly hard worker, and had enormous talent.
So they began. She would get dropped off after school and they would write, finishing two songs the first day they worked together. One year and a stack of songs later, Bob arranged a performance by Swift at the Bluebird Café, Nashville’s famous scouting venue for record execs. He was sure she’d get a record deal, and Swift’s father was just as sure she’d sell a million copies of her first album.
Swift got her deal, and Bob co-produced her debut album featuring three of their songs. That album, called “Taylor Swift,” sold not one, but 10 million copies. Then Bob co-produced Swift’s follow-up release “Beautiful Eyes”, and the two releases hit both the Number One and Number Two album slots on the Billboard chart in the same week. Listening to him tell the story, it is clear that Bob thinks the world of Swift, and I am guessing if we could ask her (Taylor, are you out there?) she would say the same of Bob.
But long before Taylor, there was Kook. Bob grew up in Lynnfield, Mass. As a sixth grader, he looked up to high schooler Kook Lawry, a “guitar god.” After high school, around 1979, Bob was in his early twenties, writing songs, and ready to start a band. He plucked up his courage to approach Kook. Kook agreed. From there, Kook’s friend Don Walden came in on bass, and David Stefanelli, a friend from Somerville, joined on drums, with Bob on keyboard. The band Robert Ellis Orrall was born.
At the time Bob and his wife lived at 45 School Street in Manchester. Today, Bob laughs that he was making about $25/week and his wife, Christine, was the manager at the White Rainbow in Gloucester; they loved it. Before long, the band took off. They signed a three-record deal with RCA. They toured, opening for top bands like U2 and The Kinks. And just as the band was becoming hugely popular, their manager made a hot-headed decision to leave RCA, telling executives he was going to another label with his roster of talent, including the Robert Ellis Orrall band. Another label never happened, and Bob learned an important lesson about the music business. The band dissolved after a five-year run. Bob says it was not so much a break-up as “a give up.”
So, Bob turned to what he knew and loved: songwriting. He had written more than 50 songs since high school, including one he was not totally embarrassed about, called “Christine,” for a girl he’d met at school. Bob entered a songwriting contest and won first place. He also married Christine. So, with “Robert Ellis Orrall” on hold, Bob began heading to Nashville about once a month with what he called his “bag full of hooks,” little bits and beginnings of songs that he would share with established songwriters to see if they might like to work together to finish it. Soon, Bob got a reputation around Nashville as a skilled songwriter who was a good person to work with—honest, generous, talented.
By 1990, he and Christine had moved to Nashville and Bob had his first Number One record (remaining there for three consecutive weeks). They fell in love with the city, made a home, and raised their three children.
Then, during COVID, Bob reached out to his dear friends from “Robert Ellis Orrall”. His bandmates had all had gone on to have robust musical careers as session players and forming successful bands of their own. David formed RTZ with Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau of the legendary band Boston. Kook formed Funbucket, a hugely popular North Shore band. They began sending tracks back and forth and decided to make an album, using the very same engineer they used for their first album, “Fixation.” (Yes, that’s right … “Orrall Fixation”). They recorded an album, and had enough material for another one, which is currently being finished to be released next year. After 30 years, Robert Ellis Orrall is back!
I asked local musician and music producer Tony Goddess for his thoughts on Bob. He had this to say:
“Robert Ellis Orrall has had the career that us music business lifers all dream of — starting out performing and making major label records, graduating to writing songs with and nurturing the careers of some of the biggest names in music. To helping his own sons survive and thrive in this risky but exciting endeavor. And all along the way he’s maintained the respect and friendship of everyone he’s worked with … which is the hardest part.”
Wow. But it makes sense. Having spent just a small amount of time with Bob, his lively kind manner and sweet blue eyes, but mostly the way he speaks of others is a clue that here is a really nice person in what can be a very nasty business.
So what happens next? You go see them! Yes. Robert Ellis Orrall the band that neither broke up nor gave up is hitting the stage at The Cut next week in Gloucester. Bob explains that it’s so much fun now because they are not this big rock and roll act, they are just a bunch of friends playing songs and telling stories; with some fun surprises along the way.
For us, it’s a chance to see what ceaseless creativity, enduring friendship, and a powerful love of music looks like. See you there.
An Evening with Robert Ellis Orrall, with an afterparty featuring Funbucket is Thursday, October 17 at The Cut in Gloucester. (Doesn’t that technically make it a double bill?) Info at thecutlive.com.
