Top 10 Roy Buchanan Songs

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Born in Ozark, Arkansas, on September 23, 1939, Roy Buchanan was first raised there before moving to the farming community of Pixley, California. He was raised as the son of a farmer who also preached the gospel as a Pentecostal minister. Buchanan’s musical memories began when he attended mixed-race revival meetings with his mother. The interest was enough to motivate him to pick up the guitar and learn it. At fifteen, he began his career as a musician, performing in Johnny Otis’s rhythm-and-blues revue.

First Recordings

When Buchanan was nineteen, he made his recording debut with Dale Hawkins. It was Buchanan who played the solo for the single “My Babe.” Two years later, Buchanan began playing for Ronnie Hawkins, Dale Hawkins’s cousin, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While touring with him, Buchanan taught Robbie Robertson how to play the guitar. The recording of Ronnie Hawkins’s “Who Do You Love?” featured Buchanan as the bass player.

During the early 1960s, Buchanan played as a sideman with various rock bands before opting to support his family as a trained barber. At first, he left the music industry only to record and release his first solo single, “Mule Train Stomp,” while signed to Swan Records. In 1962, his recording with drummer Bobby Gregg produced the signature pinch-harmonic sound that became a Roy Buchanan trademark. He used this to his advantage when the wave of British performers swept across the North American audience during the mid-1960s.

Buchanan vs. Hendrix

While living in Washington, D.C., Buchanan played for Danny Denver’s band for several years. He earned himself a reputation as one of the finest rock guitarists. In 1967, photographer John Gossage observed that Roy Buchanan was impressed by Jimi Hendrix’s debut album, Are You Experienced?, which led him to give Buchanan a concert ticket so he could attend the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968. For Buchanan, he was surprised to find Hendrix was using his trademark sounds that he first used, including the Telecaster sound created by electronic pedals. Although Buchanan could never attempt Hendrix’s stage performance, he shifted his focus to further enhance his own guitar-picking style.

PBS

In 1971, the name Roy Buchanan earned him national recognition after the hour-long documentary Introducing Roy Buchanan aired. This resulted in a record deal with Polydor Records and a series of praise and invitations. He became the man who turned down the Rolling Stones’ offer to join them. Speculation had it that Buchanan turned the Stones down because of the fear of experiencing the same fate as Brian Jones. In 1977, PBS aired the second season of its popular music program, Austin City Limits. Roy Buchanan appeared on it, cashing in on the fame the network had given him six years earlier.

Making Records

While with Polydor Records, he recorded and released five albums. The second album became certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. While recording for Atlantic Records, Loading Zone was certified gold in 1977. Despite his success, Buchanan quit recording in 1981, making it clear he didn’t want to enter a studio again unless he could record his music his way. In 1985, Alligator Records offered Buchanan the creative freedom to do precisely as he wished. In 1985, he released When a Guitar Plays the Blues. It was followed the next year with Dancing on the Edge. The final album Buchanan recorded was Hot Wires, released in 1987.

August 7, 1988, marked the final show Roy Buchanan would perform. Exactly one week later, Buchanan’s body was hanging from his shirt while in a Fairfax County, Virginia, jail cell. While the August 14, 1988, death was ruled a suicide, Buchanan’s family and friends pointed out there were bruises on the man’s head. They were not in agreement that Buchanan would end his own life. Despite the personal demons that plagued Roy Buchanan, he was a devout Christian who took the Holy Bible seriously. Not even the charge of a domestic dispute and public intoxication was enough to convince those closest to Buchanan to believe he’d prefer death over redemption.

Roy Buchanan Legacy

Although Roy Buchanan was not recognized as a big-name recording star, there is consensus that he was one of the most influential guitar players in the music industry. Throughout his career, he played a number of different guitars, such as a 1953 Fender Telecaster he named “Nancy.” Aside from the jumbo frets being installed, it retained its original serial number 2324. He also owned a 1952 Butterscotch Blonde Fender Telecaster that would later become the property of guitarist Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash fame.

Buchanan’s Telecaster guitar was played through a Fender Vibrolux amplifier, with the tone and volume set to full. He used these controls as part of his signature sound, including the wah-wah effect that Hendrix copied and performed at the start of his recording career. Buchanan purposely distorted various sounds to achieve the desired effect. This included using a razor blade to slit the paper cones in his amp’s speakers. Other guitarists, including Dave Davies from The Kinks, also used Buchanan’s technique.

The chicken-picking technique was another trademark of Roy Buchanan, as he used his thumbnail instead of a plectrum. Buchanan employed several guitar-playing methods and was famous for his oblique bends. At will, he could play harmonics and mute out individual strings while picking or pinching others. His playing style influenced scores of guitarists, including Jeff Beck, who dedicated his 1974 version of “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” to Buchanan.

Top 10 Roy Buchanan Songs

#10 – Thank You Lord

We open our top 10 Roy Buchanan songs list with the magnificent song “Thank You, Lord.” The song was released on Roy Buchanan’s second album, appropriately titled Second Album. The album was released in 1973 on Polygram Records. The song features a simple arrangement of Roy Buchanan playing acoustic guitar and singing lead vocals. However, the music begins to lean toward the electric side, with some outstanding electric guitar playing reminiscent of George Harrison’s spirit.

#9 – I Am a Lonesome Fugitive (featuring Chuck Tilley)

“I Am a Lonesome Fugitive” was a song originally written and performed by Merle Haggard in 1967. For Roy Buchanan, this was an inspirational number that inspired him to create an impressive version of his own. While he performed his signature guitar licks, vocalist Chuck Tilley soulfully sang along, turning the song into an amped-up version of a country classic. Featured on Roy Buchanan’s 1972 debut album, “I Am a Lonesome Fugitive” also marked a time in the genius guitarist’s life where he perhaps felt like one from time to time.

#8 – Further On Up the Road

Roy Buchanan’s 1975 Live Stock performance was a gem for the audience, leaving an enduring impression on those lucky enough to be there. “Further On Up the Road” was a twist to a blues standard that Buchanan performed a year after Eric Clapton and The Band performed the song together in the Band’s The Last Waltz film.

#7 – Please Don’t Turn Me Away

In 1974’s “This Is What I Am Here For, “Please Don’t Turn Me Away” was a bluesy number in which Roy Buchanan mimicked Billy Price’s verse vocals during two solo spots. The genius behind the guitar was at his best as he poured his heart and soul into the tune, making it an all-time, addictive classic. The eighth-note piano riff at the start of the song sets up the vocal performance, which echoes Dion’s style in many ways. Listen to that guitar solo at close to the two-minute mark. It’s worth the price of admission alone.

#6 – Haunted House

1972’s “Haunted House” came from Roy Buchanan’s debut album. What started out as a Bob Geddins original was cranked into a goofy rockabilly number that’s just too catchy to ignore. Not only did Buchanan bring forth serious songs with his guitar talent, but he also offered lighthearted material to tap your toes to and enjoy.

#5 – Five String Blues

What made 1973’s Second Album a certified gold seller was the collection of high-quality tunes like ‘Five String Blues.” The wailing opening was met with what sounded like violin distortion before it shredded into some serious blues. Before the song is over, the laid-back lyrics kick in with a few phrases before Buchanan’s harmonic pinches take over the song again. As a musician, this was Buchanan at his best, knowing how to adjust the mood of a song as if on a whim.

#4 – Pete’s Blues

Released in 1972, Roy Buchanan was a debut album featuring Buchanan’s guitar genius. “Pete’s Blues” was a bluesy number that influenced the Middle East and was a passionate squeal that contrasted beautifully against the slow backbeats. Allowing the harmonics of the instruments to dictate the musical storyline, Buchanan was a master of turning his guitar into the star of any melodic performance. Even if the most gifted vocalist sings, if the musical instruments fail to deliver quality, it’s a waste of talent.

#3 – Roy’s Bluz

The 1975 Live Stock performance by Roy Buchanan turned “Roy’s Bluz” into one of the most entertaining guitar numbers ever produced. When performing before a live audience, Buchanan seemed to be unbeatable. He, along with his 1953 Telecaster named Nancy, made good use of the infamous wah-wah sounds and other signature sounds that turned Buchanan into a guitar hero. The majority of the best guitar talent learned their craft from the influence of Buchanan, whether it be directly or indirectly.

#2 – The Messiah Will Come Again

From the 1972 album Roy Buchanan, “The Messiah Will Come Again” became one of his most memorable tunes. After the monotone opening, the slow guitar playing that followed was so full of emotion that a listener would have to be heartless not to feel something. This song was written while Buchanan was contending with substance abuse, and it perhaps served to be just as therapeutic for him to perform it as it was for a fan to hear it.

#1 – Sweet Dreams

2004’s Guitar Player featured a version of Roy Buchanan’s “Sweet Dreams,” citing it as one of the 50 Greatest Tones of All Time. This song was released from Roy Buchanan’s self-titled debut album while he was signed with Polydor Records. The song was originally written and recorded by Don Gibson in 1955. However, the Faron Young version got most of the attention. Since then, “Sweet Dreams” has become a country standard, an all-time favorite among recording artists and stage performers. Young’s version became a number two hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart compared to Gibson’s number nine rank.

In 1960, Gibson re-recorded and released “Sweet Dreams,” which became a number six hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and a number ninety-three hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. Buchanan’s 1972 version of “Sweet Dreams” was one of the best definitions of a true guitar hero.

Using the guitar in place of where vocals would appear, Buchanan’s version would be used as the closing number to the 2006 film, The Departed. Sometimes, the best country ballads are the ones that allow the talent behind the star instrument do all the storytelling while the listener just sits back and takes it all in.

Feature Photo: RoyBuchananPerforming.jpg: Carl Lender at https://www.flickr.com/photos/clender/derivative work: WikiAR, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons