Added: 3 years ago
From: nyrainbow2
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  • I was 7 years old when this song came out. It was my favourite song back then, I sung it all the time. Just now found it, almost 50 years later!

  • GREAT SONG

  • where are huey and riley? ;D

  • This got me cravin' Rag Doll

  • we used to go see billy joe before he made bundachs (yes it is a french word used during the occupation). i was sitting in my sis and her husbands 62 bonneville. convertible with carol the first time they played it on radio. even tho he lived in woodlawn terrace a block away, he never came back to the bamboo ranch to sing. my sis still has his signed portrait i think. joe south is a great writer. thanks for the vid. only met bj once since the bamboo days. great showman.

  • Great song from the great songwriter, Joe South.

  • I was there with the first American troops from the US in 1965 to 1966. the 1st Infantry Division spent 8 months in the jungle and 4 months in a hospital.

  • Diggin those dance moves :)

  • I remember I was in the boondocks... the jungles of Vietnem brings back a lot of memoried.

  • @ronzo55 when in nam???

  • and isn't it STILL the same way..people put me down for living in a mobile home park..just don't fit in.

  • Klasse !! Zu schön ;-)

  • Another great tune from the PAST WHEN MUSIC was MUSIC

  • Some people also shorten 'boondocks' to 'boonies'.

  • I don't know why I always thought Bobby Vinton sang this?! Curse those nuns. and Father Durkin back in the day who said me and my gang were never going to amount to much...

  • my 5 year old niece is lovin this!!! lost in the oldies :)

  • I wanted my buddies to back me up in a band performing this song.I was barely ten years old.

  • this is the first song I learned the words to. As the younger sister to three teenagers I was jealous of all the songs they knew so I listened to this song for hours and learned all the words. I felt so proud to be able to sing the song for my family. It brings back so many happy memories. Thanks for posting this song.

  • I love this song so much, brings back great memories of me and my mama singing in the Kitchen :):):)

  • Excellent. I hadn't heard this song in some time, and this morning I woke up with this playing in my head. So glad someone posted this video. Thank you!!

  • i love this music and its the nunber one album played on jukeboxes today because i got have them both sides of the tenneessee River

  • What is a "boondock"? Is there even a singular for boondocks? Is it by the ocean? Are they always down? Isn't a "boon" a good thing? If you are from the docks that had a boon...

  • @tjsbigidea

    boondocks (plural only; not used in singular form)

    A very rural location or town.

    We got lost out in the boondocks, miles from anywhere.

    Greetings from Bavaria, Germany

  • @tjsbigidea:

    Slang 1. Wild and dense brush; jungle. 2. Rural country; the backwoods.

  • @tjsbigidea

    It's from the Filipino word Bundok which means mountain. It came to popular use in the US with returning servicemen stationed in the Philippines. It denotes a rural area and/or people from such areas because city dwelling people in the Philippines would call their usually uneducated cousins from the mountain-provinces "taga bundok" or "from the mountians"

  • you had to be from there

  • Great music great era i got a unmolested 65 chevy chevelle every time i hear this song i thing of it

  • OMG!!!!Why cant people sing like this NOW!!!I AM 11 years old,and i HEART this song!!!!!!!My teacher let us listen to oldies music during work time,SO i learned to love the oldies......

  • 17089234000 evil bastardws/

  • One of the best of the best oldies! Music doesn't get much better!

  • Absolutely bloody F A B U L O U S ! ! !

    thanks for posting this one, a gem!

  • Great song / great voice ... one of my favourites from the 60s. ... and yes, like others have commented, I thought it was Gene Pitney when I first heard it ... Wayne

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  • singers used to dress classy, classy is good.

  • This song (along w/ Billy’s “Oh What A Night”) appears on a very rare Columbia Records promo LP (Columbia DJ-12) was given away at a convention. The title of the LP is "This Is Where It's At", Columbia Records Beach Party, Miami Beach, Fla., July 16, 1965." Little information is found on the I-net about this convention other than what I've posted over the years and only because our band The Modds was an opening act. Billy complimented our lead singer (Dean Liapis) on his performance that night.

  • I love this song! Isn't it great to hear a voice that hasn't been TOTALLY redone !?

  • The style of this music makes me think of Johnny Rivers. Another great one from the past.

  • I like this song since I heard it first in 1965. Billy Joe Royal performed a lot of songs written by JOE SOUTH before Joe South had a hit with his own versions.

    ROSE GARDEN (big hit by Lynn Anderson) is also a Joe-South-Song and could have made it in the sixties too, by BILLY JOE ROYAL, but did not, maybe ahead of its time..

  • I was glad to hear someone else say that Billy Joe Royal sounds like Gene Pitney. For years I've had them confused with each other. Both GREAT singers.

  • this is one of my favorite oldies too. i remember it on am radio back in the 60's.

  • HEY, too cool..finally to put a face to that voice!! Thx YOU TUBE!!!! WAITED 40 YRS. but it's worth it!!!

  • DOWN IN THE BOON DOCKS, GOOD NUMBER.. SOUNDS A BIT LIKE PITNEY ?. colindaleradiosutch

  • I don't dare knock on her door her daddy is my boss man

  • i wasn't really exposed to country or this type of tune here but I see the appeal now that I have grown and can compare all the new music that was available at the time. Had not heard the Name Billy Joe Royal except from my MIL who'd tell me his name was "BILLY JOEL" LOL.kept telling me that she really missed the guys singing & she wished i could get some of his music ( I have been telling her Billy Joel is still singing! LOL). Occured to me who she meant today. anyway - she will be glad.

  • I like this song!

  • didnt know he was a COCKSUCKER??? LOL

    

  • Track down a copy of Billy Joe Royal doing "Hush" (made famous by Deep Purple MKI). As your drops to your chest in sheer amazement that two versions could be so close as to be almost identical, keep in mind that Billy Joe's version was released in 1967 and Deep Purple did not release theirs until 1968.

  • great song 

  • In my opinion, the best hit song of the 1960s.

  • Great song. Reminds me of being 6 and on vacation in Maine. My babysitter (18) loved this song.

  • Oldies rock. Anyone that appreciates music has to appreciate oldies. Oldies is pure music. Pure talent. It doesn't take talent to get on stage and scream in a microphone.

  • I cannot get enough of old music. thank god for youtube

  • My first album

  • <3  this song!

  • 6 people are down in the boondocks

  • great stuff, I used to listen to this so much as a kid!

  • u know every girl back then would scream for boys like that as they still do now, little do they know that all icky gross men are secretly thinking that they wanna put it in your butt and do dirty things to you and deprave you virgin flower, it was an innocent time just cuz men wouldn't admit there sick pleasure, that being said I respect women and am Sickened by today's music and demeaning words towards women.

  • @koffinkat666 intense and passionate

  • @lunglad Thanx it was very heartfelt.

  • I'm only a teen

    and i grew up with this song!!

  • always liked this song for a ring tone

  • wow, i finally found this song!! my mom has always sang a little bit of this, she loves this song!

  • awesome song..!!

  • I hate BJR's voice; such a shame Joe South's soulful voice didn't have as much success...

  • @mtwallet Indeed... I've heard this song (and a few others of him) before, and he sounds rather like he inhaled a lot of helium...

  • I think either Billy or Joe South wrote the Deep Purple song "Hush" I'm not sure which one but it is definitely one of them.

  • I WAS 11 WHEN THIS CAME OUT.

  • this song was written by Joe South. The one who wrote and sang games people play. [ not the spinners song] Well this song as Joe South written all over it. as you notice A few songs that Joe south wrote have the word "lord" in there somewhere

  • Damn, the standard of sexy was alot lower back then listen to those screams.

  • @koffinkat666 maybe the standard of shallowness is higher.

  • @koffinkat666 Naw. Naw, the sexy was real, bona fide sexy at the time. Not that American Idol manufactured crap. Sexy is not about looks, it's about the vibe.

  • @koffinkat666 U know I Dig, didnt think of it that way.

  • Man, I've had this stuck in my head all night. Wheeewwwwww

  • Can someone please, please upload Billy Joe Royal's "Burn Like A Rocket"?

    Thank you!!!!!!!

  • i,m 18 again listening to billy

  • @sherrynoland ~ it was a few weeks ago..............about late summer or early fall 2010................they had a program on TV with a lot of entertainers from that era................Billy Joe Royal sand "Cherry Hill Park"....................I had never heard that song, but I remember listening to "Down in the Boondocks" so often as a kid.................I absolutely loved that song!

  • If I was a pop singer from that era, ide have to carry a 12 GA coach gun to blast away the bitches that made to much noise. . .

    how ANNOYIN that shrill stuff is mid song...

  • I played bass guitar with Billy Joe in the 60's when Down In The Boondocks Was A Hit. he is a really great singer and a nice person.

    God bless him.

  • remember listening to this on 45's over and over while growing up.......................saw Billy Joe Royal on TV last night................brought back such good memories of great music

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  • @jroxyraggs - Was it a current TV appearance, or something from the past?

  • @sherrynoland *slaps forehead twice

  • love it!!!

  • this is not a live recording. It's lipsing.

  • I love this, played the heck out of the 45, when I was a kid!

  • My mom just seen this cat at the DuQuoin Fair in southern Illinois last night. BJ Thomas was there too, and Ray Price, lol.

  • !! La mejor década los '60s. Era verdaderamente internacional se oía absolutamente de todo : rock,baladas,ect.. en todos los idiomas

  • hahahaha down in the what! hahahaha

  • @Sexyface001 "boondocks"

  • Who could enjoy this shee-ite?

  • @eatingperson Obviously, not you... your musical tastes are probably just as refined as your spelling abilities are.......

  • Great tune. It reminds me of my older sister. She loved Van Morrison *& Eagles. I love this type of music. I do like very little of now music. With the exception of a few good artist's I like Jack Johnson. * And the black man who does alot with Jack .HIGH TIDE OR LOW TiDE EXAMPLE.Listen to Jack Johnson & his singer with him bETTYBLUE

  • This is song is better then some of the shit that plays today.

  • @dragoonboy0 most of the shit

  • This is a great song....old song Yeah that's right but it's really a good song.....We'll see if in 50 years the songs of a band like Black eyes peas for exemple are always listened...and what will think the youth of the future about these songs????

  • I heard this song on our drive cross country to move to Texas for my husband to get stationed in Fort Hood. Never new who sang it but I never forgot it. So I am very happy to have found it here in You Tube.

  • Oh yeah, he /so/ looks like a kid who grew up in the slums. *kidding*

  • im 37 so this was before my time but this is one of the best songs ever

  • 4 people misclicked the dislike button!

  • Love this, love this, love this! Grew up singing the heck out of it, wow what memories!  SO glad I grew up during this time. I actually feel sorry for kids today, all they have a clue about are ipods, blackberry's, computers, video games, etc. . They don't know how to live. Thanks for this posting!

  • a true star, this guy was.

  • This is one of my favorite songs oldies is the best

  • Say whatever you want about the 'oldies' music and I might not be from 'that' generation, but I have to say, back 'then' atleast people knew how to sing and they didn't need any computerised altering to make the voice sound good. Not to mention the strong charasteristic features in the face - so rare nowadays.

  • @ScorpBiatch Amen to that brother, this was music when music was king.

  • @Texas21FD Sister... No offence taken :-D

  • @ScorpBiatch 'DITTO!! Your right on 'Scorp! and thanks! I'm 61 years young because of the 'Oldies' that was my time and I feel blessed.

  • @ScorpBiatch These days songs are written by a famous trio..Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy! Wait, if Pluto is a dog, what is Goofy?? LOL

  • @ScorpBiatch

    Yeah, there's some authenticity that painfully lacks in modern music. Not that we don't have great singers, but back than every popular singer had one thing in common: at least they had some musical qualities in the first place.

  • @ScorpBiatch yeah they were ugly motherfuckers back then....i agree totally hahah

  • @ScorpBiatch then if u coodny sing u woodny make it now u can make a donkey sing good

  • @ScorpBiatch RIGHT!!! and back then they grabbed an instrument and played something instead of grabbing their nuts and yelling about "crackin' 40's" and "Bangin'" loose women. We are cultural doomed in the music aspect as a country, but that'll just go on the list.

  • He sounds almost like Gene Pitney to me.

  • who wrote this song ..Bacharach? very typical of 1965 and around... i adore this period music!!

  • @z30soulbrother Joe South, a great songwriter, also wrote The Games People Play, Hush, Walk a Mile in My Shoes and many more.

  • @DslimHarris o yes? i know of Joe South, well! i never cheers for that mate

    Si

  • I miss these times... Music was good.

  • I love Martin Gore's cover more.

  • Am i the only one who finds him kind of cute? : )

  • funny the boondocks are country the city it's the ghetto I lived near the boondocks when young. This song I used to sing to all of the time too and still enjoy. Got to love it....

  • Billy Joe Royal is beyond cool. His song, "Cherry Hill Park" was quite racy for the 60's, but a absolute gem today. Great entertainer, great singer he's one of the best.

  • I WORE the 45 out playing this song! Always went around singing it, oh I love it that I grew up in the 60's! Song still pops into my mind at times, it's a classic! Thanks for the posting!

  • I like this. Great performance.

  • I live in the Boondocks...thanks to You-Tube I can experience the world.

  • love the song.i dont understand why people today dont like the oldies

  • He used to baby sit my mom.When he lived in Savannah.He would sing this song to her and her sister.I think thats so cool.

  • I love this song !

    Thank you very very much for sharing :))

  • Who cares if he is gay.

  • I love this song! The first time I heard it was a few years ago in a grocery store lol & I've loved it ever since :)

  • GREAT SONG

  • how you gonna be a "little bit gay"? Either you is or you ain't.

  • And who the hell cares if he was gay or not?

  • who gives a fuck? you sound like a bigot.

  • I've loved this wonderful song forever.

  • This man is a great entertainer, not just a performer. He's just as good today as he was back then. I was like 4 when this came out and my mama always had it dedicated to me on my birthday. I miss those days!

  • i for real love this song <3 hahah

  • B.J.Royal, ist nur bei kenner bekannt.

    Songwriter, Artist and good typ.

    Auch als Texter für viele andere Künstler ist er unterwegs gewesen.

  • Such a great song.

  • Another singer, BJ Thomas, sounds a little like Pitney & BJ Royal....

  • He sounds better on the 45 than this live version. oh well

  • Course, we have to give a little credit to Joe South for Boondocks.

  • "I KNEW HIM WHEN"

    Billy Joe was well liked at MHS and friendly to everyone. Good ol' Georgia Boy with a genuine soul. I wonder if he remembers those "hayrides" *S*

  • budnew I have lived in Michigan all mjy life and I had holes in my shsoes and clothes too, I can relate, only my dad was an alcoholic

  • Same here, living in Michigan and all that.

    I love this song, I is on my PSP and I recently finished an AMV of it.

    As a hobby, I make AMVs using modern Anime and classic music like this one. Its pretty fun.

  • Now that is a good classic song! it really fits my lifestyle, i'm 13 and I have always been made fun of as the kid with holes in my shoes and clothes covered in patches, I was born in Nutbush, TN about 1.5 miles from Tina Turner, my uncle was her classmate about 53 years ago

  • Now that is one good, classic song! it really fits my lifestyle, I was always made fun of as the kid with patched up clothes and holes in my shoes. I still am at 13

  • He looks like such a sweet guy. I really like his smile at the end--so genuine. I've always loved this song.

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  • Yeah, He kind of does sound like Gene pitney. And believe it or not, I lived down the road from Gene Pitney until he died.

  • Yes Joe South helped launch his career and he appreciates it.Billy joe told me when I asked about Joe South said he had become reclusive similar to Howard Hughes.Billy Joe still sings great and remembers and spends time with his fans. He's a great performer.Boo Callahan Myrtle Beach SC.I hope he returns to the local venues here again real soon real soon

  • i have loved this man since the frist time i heard him and that was many a moon ago he is still AWESOME just seen him sept,4 he still has what it takes i try to see him everytime he is around close

    BILLY JOE ROYAL SO LOVED BY THIS FAN

  • He still kicks ass!!

  • My mom knew him before the song came out.He used to babysit her and her sister.Hes sang the song to them.I've always been a big fan of his.

  • @briank153 LOL, I am his cousin, my dad used to watch him and they used to play together in the fields down in georgia when billy joe was little, and he is still just as nice and down to earth as he has always been!

    Gonna try to get him down to the family reunion in columbus georgia this year if he doesnt have a show scheduled for that weekend.

  • @snakecharmer1002 And by the way, for the people on here who think he is gay, trust me he absolutely is NOT gay and to my knowledge, no one else in our family is either, so lets just put that one to rest!!!!!!!

  • @snakecharmer1002 your brother would beg to differ

  • @sjmmrcrdd First of all, you ignorant prick, i dont have a brother and second YOU need to get a life instead of getting on here and running people in the ground when you know absolutely NOTHING about them!!! And Billy Joe still has more talent now than you will ever have even at his age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @snakecharmer1002 still performing eh??? milking that song 40 years ago....tell him to get a real job lol

  • this is so fantastic...................ve­ry nostalgic for me; I loved it from the moment I heard it, when I was a kid............and still love it just as much as back then...............wonderful!

  • I was 4.

    : P

  • I was two.

  • Yeah, we're getting to be some old farts. lmao

  • HA! I was two also!

    My fiance's 9 year old said he (Royal) sounded like Larry-boy on veggitails - lol

    Good song though...

  • ry cooder does this better

  • yay meh daddeh plays drums for this guy =3>

  • antes los artistas hacian canciones muy cortas pero muy buenas.

  • It's no coincidence that the song and Billy Joe Royal's rendition of it resembles something that Gene Pitney might have done in the early/mid 60's: Joe South wrote the tune and had his friend Billy Joe record a demo of it specifically with Gene Pitney in mind, and in the hope that Pitney might record it on his own.

    As it turned out, Billy Joe did such a good job that it was decided just to have it released as a Billy Joe Royal solo 45, launching Billy Joe's career.

  • I never noticed the Gene Pitney thing but he is uncannily like Gene. His voice sounds higher than I remember from the record.

  • ah dear, brings back memories, my little brother used to chase our big sister and her friends around primary school singing this! good times!