THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,413) Roy Junior — “Victim of Circumstances”
“One of the great snarling garage/punk songs of the 60s” (Last.fm, https://www.last.fm/music/Roy+Junior/+wiki), a “hard-nosed punk flavored gem” (Dale Duncan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBgW6cW_HEg), an “[e]xcellent uptempo . . . garage howler . . . You with fantastic vocals, way-cool lyrics, great guitar, organ, and pounding drums” (Popsike.com, https://www.popsike.com/1966-TEXAS-PUNKERROY-JUNIORVICTIM-OF-CIRCUMSTANCES/130176262848.html), “[w]ith an arrangement awash in Vox organ, driving drums and slashing tambourine (heck, even a reverb surf guitar intro)”. (liner notes to the CD comp Garage Beat ’66: Vol. 6: Speak of the Devil . . .)
Thus, “it might be somewhat of a surprise to learn that the victim here is none other than Roy Acuff, Jr. That’s right, the son of country legend/traditionalist Roy Acuff.” (liner notes to the CD comp Garage Beat ’66: Vol. 6: Speak of the Devil . . .)
Dale Duncan notes:
[T]he author of this song is Don Turnbow whose birth name was Jarrett Don Turnbow. Turnbow was a self-producing singer/songwriter who became a staff writer at Acuff-Rose Music. He also penned the Newbeats hit song “Bread And Butter” and the screamin’ 60s punk rocker “Hipsville 29 B.C. (I Need Help)” which was ferociously covered by The Sparkles in 1967.
As Roy Jr., to All Music Guide tells us:
The son of Roy Acuff, at times during his childhood, Roy Jnr. saw little of his father owing to his touring commitments. Initially showing little interest in music, he began to work in the offices at Acuff-Rose Music but in 1963, unbeknown to his father, he learned to sing and play the guitar. In 1965, he was given the opportunity to record for Columbia Records by Wesley Rose and a month later his father introduced him on the Grand Ole Opry. He played various venues in the USA and even toured US military bases in Germany. Occasionally he appeared with his father and in the early 70s, he sang backing vocals on some of his recordings. However, audiences made him nervous and he never enjoyed performing. He was much happier working behind the scenes and by the mid-70s, he had retired as a performer to become an executive of Acuff-Rose. During his brief recording career, he wrote and recorded several of his own songs including ‘Back Down To Atlanta’ and ‘Street Singer’.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/roy-acuff-jr-mn0001010186#biography
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