Roy Orbison's original recording- still a great voice but cluttered up background- only reached 33 on charts

While the production could be argued as 'cluttered', There are lots of factors that could have contributed to the '33' chart pos. What was it up against? Who were the artists and styles it was compared to? It's like the writer John Grisham hawking his books and nothing sold until low-and-behold one day he sells one. Then all those others that had been rejected got attention and were published. Lots of things have to line up on that cosmic pinpoint of time, style, theme, quality, production, lyric.
Hats off to Ronstadt producer for doing a song from a different gender and working it plus having the vision that it would work.

http://www.showcaseyourmusic.com/JIMCARLISLE