Roy Buchanan

Roy Buchanan - Live In U.S.A. & Holland 77- 85 - 1991 - Silver Shadow

If you like the styles of Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, SRV, or Jimi, you may appreciate the late Roy Buchanan's great talent. Chet Atkins once said "that Roy's pickin' is just about the best there is". Although Roy Buchanan was regarded as a great musician by people like Lennon, Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson, Billy Gibbons, and influenced some of these people, he has never been a household name to "Joe Public". A TV documentary, "The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World" was broadcast in the early seventies, and Jeff Beck dedicated his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" to Buchanan on his 1975 Blow by Blow album. Roy Buchanan, himself once said, "Probably the reason I never made it big was because I didn't care whether I made it big." Roy Buchanan remains a very much overlooked bluesman, and master of the Fender Telecaster. The album notes on this live album states that Tracks 1-8 were recorded at My Father's Place, Roslyn, New York, on September 27, 1977, and Tracks 9-13 were recorded in Amsterdam, Holland, on February 2, 1983. (Roy played Amsterdam in 1985). The first eight tracks sound like a radio recording and sound quality is fair to good. The last five tracks are most likely from a soundboard recording of decent quality. The album notes list the artists playing as Roy Buchanan on guitar and vocals, Larry Exum on bass and vocals, and Morris Jennings on Drums. However, Tracks 1, 2, 7, & 13 are mislabelled on the cover, and Tracks 3, 5, & 9 may not be correctly titled. Also, some catalogues list this album as an official release. Other sources say the album was never officially sanctioned. The track list posted here has been amended but may still not be correct. Any info on this album would be appreciated. Buy Roy Buchanan's great 1973 "Second Album" album. His "Roy Buchanan American Axe: Live In 1974" is also an outstanding album. Check out the great tribute album, "Fred Chapellier & Friends - A Tribute To Roy Buchanan". Roy's "Master Series" compilation album is @ ROYBUCH/MS and his "Messiah On Guitar" album @ ROYBUCH/MOG

TRACKLIST / COMPOSERS [NOT DEFINITIVE]

1 I'm a Ram - Green "Teenie" Hodges
2 Honky Tonky
3 My Baby Says She's Gone
4 Further On Up The Road - Mack Veasey Robey
5 Blues Before The Sunrise
6 Slow Down - Larry Williams
7 I'm Evil - Roy Buchanan
8 I'm a Lonesome Fugitive - Casey Anderson, Liz Anderson
9 Honky Tonky in F
10 Sweet Dreams - Don Gibson
11 Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
12 Roy's Blues aka Roy's Bluz / Night Train - Roy's Bluz by Roy Buchanan
13 The Messiah Will Come Again - Roy Buchanan

MUSICIANS [NOT DEFINITIVE]

Roy Buchanan - guitar and vocals
Larry Exum - bass and vocals
Morris Jennings - drums

BIO

Roy Buchanan has long been considered one of the finest, yet criminally overlooked guitarists of the blues rock genre whose lyrical leads and use of harmonics would later influence such guitar greats as Jeff Beck, his one-time student Robbie Robertson, and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. Although born in Ozark, AR, on September 23, 1939, Buchanan grew up in the small town of Pixley, CA. His father was both a farmer and Pentecostal preacher, which would bring the youngster his first exposure to gospel music when his family would attend racially mixed revival meetings. But it was when Buchanan came across late-night R&B radio shows that he became smitten by the blues, leading to Buchanan picking up the guitar at the age of seven. First learning steel guitar, he switched to electric guitar by the age of 13, finding the instrument that would one day become his trademark: a Fender Telecaster. By 15, Buchanan knew he wanted to concentrate on music full-time and relocated to Los Angeles, which contained a thriving blues/R&B scene at the time. Shortly after his arrival in L.A., Buchanan was taken under the wing by multi-talented bluesman Johnny Otis, before studying blues with such players as Jimmy Nolen (later with James Brown), Pete Lewis, and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. During the mid- to late '50s, Buchanan led his own rock band, the Heartbeats, which soon after began backing rockabilly great Dale ("Suzy Q") Hawkins. By the dawn of the '60s, Buchanan had relocated once more, this time to Canada, where he signed on with rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. The bass player of Ronnie Hawkins' backing band, the Hawks, studied guitar with Buchanan during his tenure with the band. Upon Buchanan's exit, the bassist-turned-guitarist would become the leader of the group, which would eventually become popular roots rockers the Band: Robbie Robertson. Buchanan spent the '60s as a sideman with obscure acts, as well as working as a session guitarist for such varied artists as pop idol Freddy Cannon, country artist Merle Kilgore, and drummer Bobby Gregg, among others, before Buchanan settled down in the Washington, D.C., area in the mid- to late '60s and founded his own outfit, the Snakestretchers. Despite not having appeared on any recordings of his own, word of Buchanan's exceptional playing skills began to spread among musicians as he received accolades from the likes of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Merle Haggard, as well as supposedly being invited to join the Rolling Stones at one point (which he turned down). The praise eventually led to an hour-long public television documentary on Buchanan in 1971, the appropriately titled The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World, and a recording contract with Polydor Records shortly thereafter. Buchanan spent the remainder of the decade issuing solo albums, including such guitar classics as his 1972 self-titled debut (which contained one of Buchanan's best-known tracks, "The Messiah Will Come Again"), 1974's That's What I Am Here For, and 1975's Live Stock, before switching to Atlantic for several releases. But by the '80s, Buchanan had grown disillusioned by the music business due to the record company's attempts to mold the guitarist into a more mainstream artist, which led to a four-year exile from music between 1981 and 1985. Luckily, the blues label Alligator convinced Buchanan to begin recording again by the middle of the decade, issuing such solid and critically acclaimed releases as 1985's When a Guitar Plays the Blues, 1986's Dancing on the Edge, and 1987's Hot Wires. But just as his career seemed to be on the upswing once more, tragedy struck on August 14, 1988, when Buchanan was picked up by police in Fairfax, VA, for public intoxication. Shortly after being arrested and placed in a holding cell, a policeman performed a routine check on Buchanan and was shocked to discover that he had hung himself in his cell. Buchanan's stature as one of blues-rock's all-time great guitarist grew even greater after his tragic death, resulting in such posthumous collections as Sweet Dreams: The Anthology, Guitar on Fire: The Atlantic Sessions, Deluxe Edition, and 20th Century Masters. © Greg Prato, allmusic.com

BIO (Wikipedia)

Roy Buchanan (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) was an American guitarist and blues musician. He is noted for his use of note bending, volume swells, staccato runs, and pinch harmonics. Buchanan was a pioneer of the Telecaster sound. Roy Buchanan was born in Ozark, Arkansas and was raised both there and in Pixley, California, a farming area near Bakersfield. His father Bill was a sharecropper in Arkansas and a farm laborer in California (but not a preacher, as Buchanan often told interviewers). Buchanan related how his first musical memories were of racially-mixed revival meetings his family would attend. "Gospel," he recalled, "that's how I first got into black music". He in fact drew upon many disparate influences while learning to play his instrument (although he later claimed his aptitude was derived from being "half-wolf"). He initially showed talent on the steel guitar before switching to the standard instrument in the early 50's. In 1958, Buchanan made his recording debut with Dale Hawkins, including playing the solo on "My Babe" for Chicago's Chess Records. Two years later, during a tour through Toronto, Buchanan left Dale Hawkins to play for his cousin Ronnie Hawkins and tutor Ronnie's guitar player, Robbie Robertson. Buchanan soon returned to the U.S. and Ronnie Hawkins' group later gained fame as The Band. The early 60's found Buchanan performing numerous gigs as a sideman with multiple rock bands, and cutting a number of sessions as guitarist with musicians such as Freddy Cannon and Merle Kilgore. Buchanan's 1962 recording with drummer Bobby Gregg, "Potato Peeler", first introduced the trademark Buchanan pinch harmonics. An effort to cash in on the British Invasion caught Buchanan with The British Walkers. In the mid-'60's, Buchanan settled down in the Washington, DC area, playing as a sideman before starting his own groups. One of these groups was called The Snakestretchers, an allusion to Buchanan's disdain for the vagaries of the band experience. The Snakestretchers became a semi-permanent combo for Buchanan starting in this period, with whom he made his first acclaimed recording as a front man. Danny Gatton was another respected Telecaster master who lived in Washington, D.C. at that time. Both musicians gained reputations as under-appreciated guitarists. In 1971, riding on word-of-mouth reputation that included praise from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Merle Haggard, and an alleged invitation to join the Rolling Stones, Buchanan gained national notoriety as the result of an hour-long Public broadcasting television documentary. Entitled "The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World", the show rejuvenated a contract with Polydor and began a decade of national and international touring. He recorded five albums for Polydor (one went gold) and three for Atlantic Records (one gold), while playing most major rock concert halls and festivals. Finally, Buchanan quit recording in 1981, vowing never to enter a studio again unless he could record his own music his own way. Four years later, Buchanan was coaxed back into the studio by Alligator Records. His first album for Alligator, When a Guitar Plays The Blues, was released in the spring of 1985. It was the first time he was given total artistic freedom in the studio. It was also his first true blues album. Fans quickly responded, and the album entered Billboard's pop charts and remained on the charts for 13 weeks. Music critics, as well as fans, applauded Roy's efforts with favorable reviews. His second Alligator LP, Dancing on the Edge, was released in the fall of 1986. The album, featuring three songs with special guest, rock'n'soul vocalist Delbert McClinton, won the College Media Journal Award for Best Blues Album of 1986. He released the twelfth LP of his career and his third for Alligator, Hot Wires, in 1987. In addition to Donald Kinsey (formerly with Albert King and Bob Marley and The Wailers), keyboardist Stan Szelest, and Larry Exum (bass) and Morris Jennings (drums), this album includes guest vocals by veteran soul singer Johnny Sayles and blues singer Kanika Kress. Buchanan used a number of guitars throughout his career, although he was most often associated with a 1953 Telecaster guitar, which he used to produce his trebly signature tone. Rarely did Buchanan utilize 'stomp boxes' although later live performances utilized a digital delay. The 'sound' of Buchanan is essentially a Telecaster to an overdriven Fender amp on 10. Buchanan taught himself many guitar styles, including the 'chicken pickin' style. He sometimes used his thumb nail rather than a plectrum and also employed it to augment his index finger and plectrum. Holding his thumb at a certain angle, Buchanan was able to hit the string and then partially mute it, suppressing lower overtones and exposing the harmonics, a technique now known as 'pinch harmonics'. Buchanan had the ability to execute pinch harmonics on command, and could mute individual strings with free right-hand fingers while picking or pinching others. Having first trained as a lap steel guitarist, Buchanan would often imitate its effect and bend strings to the required pitch, rather than starting on the desired note. This was particularly notable in his approach to using double and triple stops. Staccato hammer-on/offs and volume/tone knob sound effects were also used by Buchanan. Buchanan honed his live technique through many years of playing dance halls and bars. Buchanan played Carnegie Hall several times, and is perhaps the only lead guitarist to have consistently headlined there for over 15 years. Buchanan encouraged a tradition of 'roots' performances that grew out of country, blues, and especially rock and roll. He often stuck around long after shows to talk with loyal fans. Many live CDs were released after his death. Buchanan's long-standing alcohol and substance abuse problems seemed to worsen with time, culminating on August 14th, 1988, when Buchanan was arrested for public intoxication. Several hours later Buchanan was found hanging by his own shirt in his cell in the Fairfax County Jail. His cause of death was officially recorded as suicide, a finding disputed by Buchanan's friends and family.Roy's musical career took him from underground club gigs in the sixties and seventies to national television, gold record sales, and worldwide tours in the eighties with the likes of Lonnie Mack, the Allman Brothers, Willie Nile. Even posthumously, he has the respect of many guitarists and a large number of fans, particularly for his unique sound. Buchanan was noted for the ability to get 'wah wah' and 'violin swell' effects from his Telecaster by use of the instrument's knobs and a plectrum. Finally, he was a pioneer in the use of pinch harmonics, and some of rock's most notable guitarists acknowledge Buchanan's mastery of the technique. British guitar legend Jeff Beck dedicated his performance of a Stevie Wonder composition "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" to Buchanan on his 1975 landmark album Blow by Blow. In 2006, the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, The Departed by Martin Scorsese, ends with Buchanan's soulful instrumental treatment of the Don Gibson country music classic, "Sweet Dreams," as the credits begin to roll. In 2007, French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier released a CD entitled "Tribute to Roy Buchanan featuring a guest appearance from former Buchanan lead vocalist Billy Price.