About Richard Orange, the (Memphis, TN) Commercial

Appeal had this to say: “The Memphis music landscape

hasn't had an eccentric the likes of Richard Orange since, well, that last British-pop-inspired madman, Alex Chilton. The differences: Orange isn't concerned with being difficult, and he has Beatlemania so bad the John Lennon estate should start paying him royalties.” And Illinois Entertainers editorialized: “… some Fab Four loyalists will want Richard Orange arrested for trespassing.”

When Orange cites his influences, he lists David Bowie,

XTC, Sting, Eric Clapton, Todd Rundgren, and Claude'

Debussey. But first and foremost, he admits, are John

Lennon and Paul McCartney. But don’t be misled. Though his voice often raises goose-bumps as a dead-ringer for Paul McCartney, Richard Orange is not a rip-off artist or a “Beatle imitator” of the kind you might see in a cheap casino lounge. He uses The Beatles as a launching pad for inspiration, as did groups such as Badfinger, ELO, and XTC, whose imitations were tributary, not mercenary.

Richard’s first album release was "ZUIDER ZEE", in 1975 on CBS/Columbia Records. In the 1980s and ‘90s, he wrote prolifically, getting cuts by Cyndi Lauper and a

soundtrack spot in Sylvester Stallone’s film Over the Top.

He re-formed Zuider Zee in 2000 and has been writing,

recording, and performing in Memphis ever since.

Here, LocoBop offers six of his post CBS tracks, all cut in 1978. "Fold Out Girl" and "Long Distance Love" were recorded in Memphis. "Supernatural", “Shoot Out on Mars” (with Carson Whitsett), “There’ll Never be Another Night Like This” (with Amber) and “You Never Even Noticed Me” (also with Amber) were all recorded in Jackson, MS.