Roy Buchanan - Sweet Dreams

Mike Selecky · Post by **Mike Selecky** » 27 Jul 2006 4:37 pm

I almost forgot how good Roy really was ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqRnaSRyELA&NR

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 28 Jul 2006 2:53 am

He sure was great. Considering how his life ended, I find this little clip incredibly moving:

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Al Moss · Post by **Al Moss** » 28 Jul 2006 7:11 am

Thanks for the heads up. Nice hunk of film and a pretty faithful rendition of what had been recorded on that first Polydor release with the Snake Stretchers. Geez, what a tone. I had forgotten about Roy's facing his Vibrolux with the speakers facing away from him.-usually into the curtains. Those folks to the rear of the stage must have been getting a earful.
BTW-- anybody know the whereabouts of that PBS documentary on Roy, I think it was titled, "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitar Player",(?) must've been from '70 or '71.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 28 Jul 2006 8:30 am

Between him and Gatton--who stole what from who?

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 28 Jul 2006 9:39 am

My friends like to tease me and say it's my fault that he's gone. I saw him and three days later, he's gone. I saw Danny Gatton, two weeks later, he's gone. I saw The Band, one week later, Richard Manuel was gone. People have been BEGGING me to go see Kenny Chesney.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 28 Jul 2006 1:06 pm

Bill,
The only thing they stole from each other was the use of Dick Heinze the Hammond guy from the day !

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Bob
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Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 28 Jul 2006 2:24 pm

Chris - I have a not-so-short list of singers I'd like you to see, too...

RR

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 28 Jul 2006 10:35 pm

Thanks Mike and Andy for posting those.

Mike wrote: "I almost forgot how good Roy really was ..."

Nah...I don't believe that's possible.

I was fortunate to able to see him play live on two occasions.

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Mark

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 28 Jul 2006 10:36 pm

And you know, Roy started out as a kid on lap steel.

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Mark

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 1 Aug 2006 9:29 am

Roger, I'll get to your list as soon as I'm done with mine!!!! (edited to correct horrid usage of the English language)[This message was edited by Chris Forbes on 01 August 2006 at 10:30 AM.]

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 11 Aug 2006 11:12 pm

The clip of Sweet Dreams brings back a lot of memories. I saw Roy back around 1971 when he was playing small venues and was only known to a small group of guitar players. I read about him in Guitar Player Magazine back then, and I bought his first album, which had just been released.

The club was in Ellington CT, and the place was empty... maybe 25 people on a Saturday night! So I sat at the edge of the stage right next to Roy and watched him closely. His amp was a Fender Vibrolux Reverb.
The amp was on a chair way at the back of the stage, turned backwards, facing the wall and miked, of course. He had a small band, I think just 4 pieces. He sounded awesome, just like on that Sweet Dreams clip above. He never smiled, didn't say much, and he didn't appear to be having much fun up there, but I guess his show was not about fun. Between each song it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was a weird night, kind of depressing, but I knew that I was seeing and hearing something special, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Roy didn't like to travel, especially in the early days. He played around his home in D.C. mostly. You gotta respect a guy who turned down an offer to join the Rolling Stones! [This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 12 August 2006 at 07:05 PM.]