Saw him in Pittsburgh, late '71 or early '72, on a bill with Billy Preston and Loggins & Messina. He stole the show, no doubt about it. I never heard a man play a guitar like that.
Once you hear Roy Buchanan play ....you simply forget the best guitarists you've listened to before. He's pure Magic. A sorcerer ..a wizard. . he's the best that ever did it and he was simply toying with us. God must of wanted him for Himself. Gonna give Him a piece of my mind one day
Saw Roy many times in the 70's and 80's....various people on this video touch on the fact listeners LOVED Roy...he was fantastic live and his albums never seemed to catch the magic of Roy Buchanon
Ultimately they should have done albums featuring Roy with other world class guitarists like Danny Gatton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Steve Morse, Albert Lee, and many others who would have lifted Roy's sound and choice of songs far higher than it was happening. Add some killer pedal steel players and lead singers and you would have had a monster album to offer the world rather than the same old stuff of playing over basic I-IV-V chord progressions. Danny Gatton's records were terrific and cutting edge. Roy and Danny were the two great guitarists in the DC / Maryland area for years. Bottom line is you have to have great songs. Coupled with a well chosen rhythm section or two or more and the artistry of other lead guitar players blended in with Roy's sound and natural flair for music. I played with Roy on some of his last gigs on a California Tour in 1988. I recorded 2 of those gigs we did in El Toro at the Coach House and in San Diego at The Bachanal on the board on cassette. Recently I transferred them to a digital format and had the lows miss and highs boosted to beef up the sound. The result is 2 complete shows sounding like a "live" concert album..
Someone told me about this guitar player. many moons ago- I was mid teens, probably, and........ I heard "The Messiah Will Come Again" I was floored.The Brits would call it "gobsmacked". I bought a Tele and became familiar. Saw him at Massey Hall in Taranna (that's how it's pronounced in Toronto, Ontario, Can), and one of the best acoustic spaces in North America, IMHO. Hey Joe sounded like Hendrix taken somewhere new. His physical ability to manipulate the peculiar properties of a Telecaster- to it's best qualities. It was an eyeopener to be him to be so subtle and also hyperagressive when called for. The pinky volume swells, alone......Holy Mother of Gawd!!!!! Sorry. I'm gettin' all guitar geeky on ya........ No one doesn't shed a tear for the Messiah. Even non-guitarists. Nobody can make that Telecaster cry, like that. Jeff Beck noticed that too, yu think? Danny Gatton was in the same-ish place to a degree. A sardonic question: Do Telecasters cause suicide?
Easily the best white blues guitarist ever and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. The emotion he poured into every note was unrivalled. He's like Jeff Beck, a thousand different ways to play the same note. Wish he was still with us.
Why do people have to try to categorizs music artists as if what they're doing is a sport ? ' easily the greatest ' ? What if I like someone else's playing more? Who is the greatest sculptor or painter? It depends on what you like to look at. Music is art . Not a competition
saw him in texas in the seventies. ge was playing in this little bar around houston, I was sittin about ten feet from him and he was ON FIRE..... when he got to a quiet section on hey joe so many people were yelling "oh roy" you could hardly hear the guitar.... so I yelled at the top of my voice "shut the f12k up". and the whole place quieted down so you could hear a pin drop, and he looks up at me and gives a little grin and then contiues to kill it. the most moving music night of my life.... A truly amazing player
Roy had his own "Blues" voice on his guitar...an amalgamation of many unique styles ....a potpourri of sounds, riffs, bends, squeals, all played in accurate precision in every style. He wasn't a singer but he did sing. He didn't compose music but he copied others applying his style into them. he influenced some of the greatest guitar players such as Jeff Beck.
Roy Buchanan obviously NEEDED the feedback from an audience... Studio work just didn't satisfy him... It's a shame how his life worked out... Roy was SO talented...
I always considered That's What I'm Here For to be his best album. It had the potential in my opinion for radio airplay with tunes like Please Don't Turn Me Away and Home is Where I Lost Her.
I met Roy Buchanan arie crown theater 1972 in person behind stage an watched him play half way through the second song he stopped the band and told the audience to come down and sit in front so the concert went on I actually sat 10 ft from him behind stage I'm 72 yrs old and remember that moment as it was yesterday he is in a category musician that I haven't heard 54 yes 1972
I was turned on to his music white in the Navy...From A shipmate from the upper east coast,Somewhere.. I was hooked! knowing that no sound enhanced devices other than a over drive was used...Everyone that crosses my path or visits my home gets at the least a 1841 shuffle with hey Joe from Austin dose of it!!! I had 2 tickets to the Armadillo world headquarters gig.. lucky I thought...BEING stationed in corpus for prossesing out of the service,on the Saturday morning of the show...My X at the gate,the OD Lt.Commander said I couldn't have liberty... needless to say,that was a fuckedup day...M
Saw him in 77 in Gainesville Fl. at The Great Southern Hall. It was actually just a little downtown movie theater. Looked like he was snorting coke right on stage. It was memorable but very short concert.
I was friends with Lonnie Mack and once I asked him about the shows he played with Roy . He said Roy liked to get stoned so they got along great. Lonnie knew Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison but he said Jim was self destructive and liked to start fights he couldn't win and Janis just wanted to get drunk and f**k. Roy was quiet and thoughtful but he liked to take pills and stay up all night so him and Lonnie had good times. There are a lot of similarities between Roy and Lonnie's early recordings
What If Roy was chosen to be one of the guitar players on Al Kooper's album called Super Sessions with Steve Stills & Mike Bloomfield. He would have killed on that album and fit right in sound wise.
I have seen several documentaries on Roy, and once again, no mention of Charlie Daniels. I copied and pasted this from Vintage Guitar just in case anyone is interested.-----At some point rocker Charlie Daniels signed Roy to record a studio album for Polydor Records, and they assembled enough tracks in Nashville, but Buchanan canned the LP, complaining that Daniels had made him sound too much like everyone else (four tracks turned up on Polygram’s 1992 collection, Sweet Dreams). Buchanan later told journalist Tom Zito that at this point he turned down - through Daniels - a job offer from the Rolling Stones stemming from Brian Jones’ death in July 1969. It’s a great story: a guitarist too hot, too disinterested in fame to join the Stones. Unfortunately, Daniels himself told me he had never even heard that story, nor spoken to the Stones. Could this oft-repeated tale simply be one of Roy’s “greatest hits,” one of the greatest stories ever told in rock and roll circles?---- It would be nice to hear more about this time and his work with Charlie.
albanymike Go for it. Any intelligent opinion of Roy's music is precious. He especially, would be flattered you liked his Atlantic albums, as I do too..
Roy and another tele master Danny Gatton were never going to be household names like a lot of lesser guitar gods today you know who i mean they didn,t fit the profile they didn,t do the look at me im a guitar god poses or have the big hair they were mavericks who done their own thing they didn,t shred a hundred bullshit notes a second so they weren,t air guitar friendly and both of them were the least likely men in the world to be virtuoso guitarists.
Saw him in Pittsburgh, late '71 or early '72, on a bill with Billy Preston and Loggins & Messina. He stole the show, no doubt about it. I never heard a man play a guitar like that.
Once you hear Roy Buchanan play ....you simply forget the best guitarists you've listened to before. He's pure Magic. A sorcerer ..a wizard. . he's the best that ever did it and he was simply toying with us. God must of wanted him for Himself. Gonna give Him a piece of my mind one day
QED Amen
Saw Roy many times in the 70's and 80's....various people on this video touch on the fact listeners LOVED Roy...he was fantastic live and his albums never seemed to catch the magic of Roy Buchanon
The dislikes are from guitar players who heard roy and had to sell their guitars lol 😂
Ultimately they should have done albums featuring Roy with other world class guitarists like Danny Gatton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Steve Morse, Albert Lee, and many others who would have lifted Roy's sound and choice of songs far higher than it was happening. Add some killer pedal steel players and lead singers and you would have had a monster album to offer the world rather than the same old stuff of playing over basic I-IV-V chord progressions. Danny Gatton's records were terrific and cutting edge. Roy and Danny were the two great guitarists in the DC / Maryland area for years. Bottom line is you have to have great songs. Coupled with a well chosen rhythm section or two or more and the artistry of other lead guitar players blended in with Roy's sound and natural flair for music.
I played with Roy on some of his last gigs on a California Tour in 1988. I recorded 2 of those gigs we did in El Toro at the Coach House and in San Diego at The Bachanal on the board on cassette. Recently I transferred them to a digital format and had the lows miss and highs boosted to beef up the sound. The result is 2 complete shows sounding like a "live" concert album..
Someone told me about this guitar player. many moons ago- I was mid teens, probably, and........ I heard "The Messiah Will Come Again" I was floored.The Brits would call it "gobsmacked". I bought a Tele and became familiar. Saw him at Massey Hall in Taranna (that's how it's pronounced in Toronto, Ontario, Can), and one of the best acoustic spaces in North America, IMHO. Hey Joe sounded like Hendrix taken somewhere new. His physical ability to manipulate the peculiar properties of a Telecaster- to it's best qualities. It was an eyeopener to be him to be so subtle and also hyperagressive when called for. The pinky volume swells, alone......Holy Mother of Gawd!!!!! Sorry. I'm gettin' all guitar geeky on ya........
No one doesn't shed a tear for the Messiah. Even non-guitarists. Nobody can make that Telecaster cry, like that. Jeff Beck noticed that too, yu think? Danny Gatton was in the same-ish place to a degree. A sardonic question: Do Telecasters cause suicide?
Great comment, friend.
Was at the same show. And, yes, I bought a Tele too. Still play it. Me and the lads still play Hey Joe and Down By The River. Good Comment!
Easily the best white blues guitarist ever and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. The emotion he poured into every note was unrivalled. He's like Jeff Beck, a thousand different ways to play the same note. Wish he was still with us.
Why do people have to try to categorizs music artists as if what they're doing is a sport ? ' easily the greatest ' ? What if I like someone else's playing more? Who is the greatest sculptor or painter? It depends on what you like to look at. Music is art . Not a competition
saw him in texas in the seventies. ge was playing in this little bar around houston, I was sittin about ten feet from him and he was ON FIRE..... when he got to a quiet section on hey joe so many people were yelling "oh roy" you could hardly hear the guitar.... so I yelled at the top of my voice "shut the f12k up". and the whole place quieted down so you could hear a pin drop, and he looks up at me and gives a little grin and then contiues to kill it. the most moving music night of my life.... A truly amazing player
Thank you!
gary everett. thats an awesome story.
Wow what an experience! Reminds me of a scene in a movie!
How I wish I had mustered the courage to do the same on various occasions. Quite heroic and salutary. 👍
That ...made my day ! Bravo !!!
Roy had his own "Blues" voice on his guitar...an amalgamation of many unique styles ....a potpourri of sounds, riffs, bends, squeals, all played in accurate precision in every style. He wasn't a singer but he did sing. He didn't compose music but he copied others applying his style into them. he influenced some of the greatest guitar players such as Jeff Beck.
Roy and Jerry Reed, I would love to hear that combo . Reed for rhythm and Roy to solo
Thank you for this series. I saw Roy every chance I could. Sadly, the music ended.
Roy Buchanan obviously NEEDED the feedback from an audience... Studio work just didn't satisfy him... It's a shame how his life worked out... Roy was SO talented...
I always considered That's What I'm Here For to be his best album. It had the potential in my opinion for radio airplay with tunes like Please Don't Turn Me Away and Home is Where I Lost Her.
You can really hear the similarities between Roy and Danny Gatton in that opening sequence.
I met Roy Buchanan arie crown theater 1972 in person behind stage an watched him play half way through the second song he stopped the band and told the audience to come down and sit in front so the concert went on I actually sat 10 ft from him behind stage I'm 72 yrs old and remember that moment as it was yesterday he is in a category musician that I haven't heard 54 yes 1972
I dig ALL Roy..any year..any time..any song....move over boy n let Roy take over
Thanks for posting all these interviews from the witnesses - guys who were there.
The best I ever heard ... Loved it and still do , Merci pour le partage ! Montréal Québec
still love him, forever!
Olivia Crockett Did you know Roy?
Beyond genius...😏😏😏
Saw him at the Beacon in NYC and at the Pier, also in NYC and at the Dick Clark theater in Tarrytown
Wayfaring Pilgrim just may be the prettiest song ever
Love the picture of Roy with a Gibson
Superbe documentaire !
Thank you !
Levon Helm sent me here. Im glad he did!
still love his work!!
I was turned on to his music white in the Navy...From A shipmate from the upper east coast,Somewhere..
I was hooked!
knowing that no sound enhanced devices other than a over drive was used...Everyone that crosses my path or visits my home gets at the least a 1841 shuffle with hey Joe from Austin dose of it!!!
I had 2 tickets to the Armadillo world headquarters gig.. lucky I thought...BEING stationed in corpus for prossesing out of the service,on the Saturday morning of the show...My X at the gate,the OD Lt.Commander said I couldn't have liberty... needless to say,that was a fuckedup day...M
Horace Bixby no overdrive pedal was used either brother. Just the reverb from his amp and loud volume. Thank you for your service sir!
They didn't cover I'm a ram! I love that song.
Creo Dios el mar y todos sus animales y se dijo.... Después creare a Roy Buchanan para que con su Gibson lleve el canto de las ballenas a la humanidad
Saw him in 77 in Gainesville Fl. at The Great Southern Hall. It was actually just a little downtown movie theater. Looked like he was snorting coke right on stage. It was memorable but very short concert.
A "legend"!
Dang, I wanted to hear something about recording 'The Prophet' album. Charlie Daniels could say about that session.
YES! 👌✌️🤙
> ...playin' The Great Gig In The Sky 🎶 😇
I was friends with Lonnie Mack and once I asked him about the shows he played with Roy . He said Roy liked to get stoned so they got along great. Lonnie knew Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison but he said Jim was self destructive and liked to start fights he couldn't win and Janis just wanted to get drunk and f**k. Roy was quiet and thoughtful but he liked to take pills and stay up all night so him and Lonnie had good times. There are a lot of similarities between Roy and Lonnie's early recordings
can you imagine if he got with a producer and players he really clicked with? But Roy was such an individual individual I guess.
What If Roy was chosen to be one of the guitar players on Al Kooper's album called Super Sessions with Steve Stills & Mike Bloomfield. He would have killed on that album and fit right in sound wise.
if only Tom Dowd had got hold of him in a live setting...
Great story about Lennon. Most people would drop everything to have John Lennon play rhythm guitar on their album.
he really took many wrong turns, man this man could of been guided the right way. too many hands in the soup
I have seen several documentaries on Roy, and once again, no mention of Charlie Daniels. I copied and pasted this from Vintage Guitar just in case anyone is interested.-----At some point rocker Charlie Daniels signed Roy to record a studio album for Polydor Records, and they assembled enough tracks in Nashville, but Buchanan canned the LP, complaining that Daniels had made him sound too much like everyone else (four tracks turned up on Polygram’s 1992 collection, Sweet Dreams). Buchanan later told journalist Tom Zito that at this point he turned down - through Daniels - a job offer from the Rolling Stones stemming from Brian Jones’ death in July 1969. It’s a great story: a guitarist too hot, too disinterested in fame to join the Stones. Unfortunately, Daniels himself told me he had never even heard that story, nor spoken to the Stones. Could this oft-repeated tale simply be one of Roy’s “greatest hits,” one of the greatest stories ever told in rock and roll circles?---- It would be nice to hear more about this time and his work with Charlie.
I don't like the way the three Atlantic albums are basically dismissed in this documentary.
So
William sanbean So, that's my opinion. I really like those albums and I wanted to express that.
albanymike Go for it. Any intelligent opinion of Roy's music is precious. He especially, would be flattered you liked his Atlantic albums, as I do too..
maxwellfan55 Thank you. And I also think the cover photo for his "Loading Zone" album is iconic. I also saw him live four times in the 70's and 80's.
You were blessed to have seen Roy play, I envy you. You must have the most wonderful memories. Peace and Love.
22.21-22.56!
I think that his recorded music wasn't nearly as good because they were too short for him to really get into them.
Roy and another tele master Danny Gatton were never going to be household names like a lot of lesser guitar gods today you know who i mean they didn,t fit the profile they didn,t do the look at me im a guitar god poses or have the big hair they were mavericks who done their own thing they didn,t shred a hundred bullshit notes a second so they weren,t air guitar friendly and both of them were the least likely men in the world to be virtuoso guitarists.
Great player...boring albums/songs except for "The Messiah Will Come Again".