The song became Royal’s breakthrough single, reaching number nine on the pop charts and briefly making the vocalist into a teen idol. The demo ended up at Columbia, and the label signed Royal to a six-year deal. Royal flew from Cincinnati (where he was working at the time) to Atlanta and cut “Down in the Boondocks,” whose churchy echo resulted from the use during recording of a large septic tank that had been dragged into the studio. Royal and South roomed together for a time, and two or three years later South contacted him with a song he wanted Royal to sing as a demo, in the hope that Gene Pitney would record it. In 1962, he recorded an independent single that went unnoticed. Performing at a nightclub that also booked Sam Cooke and other African-American stars, Royal observed their vocal moves and began to practice them on his own time. He also spent time in Savannah, where he was influenced by African-American vocal styles and began to develop his distinctive vocal sound. Royal had his own rock & roll band in high school and was regularly singing around Atlanta by the age of 16. He learned to play steel guitar and joined the Georgia Jubilee in Atlanta at 14, performing with Joe South, Jerry Reed, and Ray Stevens, among several other artists. Royal was born into a family of musical entertainers in Valdosta, Georgia, and made his debut on his uncle’s radio show at the age of 11. Although he never had another hit as successful as “Down in the Boondocks,” he racked up about 15 singles that hit the country charts over the course of the 1980s.
1 on the Canadian music chart in November 1965. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of November 6, 1965. "I Knew You When" was first recorded by Billy Joe Royal for his 1965 studio album, Down in the Boondocks. There have also been several other hit cover versions of this song, including by Donny Osmond and Linda Ronstadt.
It became a popular hit in 1965 when recorded by American pop and country singer Billy Joe Royal. " I Knew You When" is a song written and composed by Joe South. 1965 single by Billy Joe Royal "I Knew You When"
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