The Bakersfield Sound 1940 - 1974 (10-CD Boxet) out on Bear Family Records August 16

BUCK OWENS AND MERLE HAGGARD  HEADLINE BEAR FAMILY RECORDS’ MASSIVE BOX SET  THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND 1940-1974 Available at : Bear Family.com With more than 300 tracks on 10 discs, this comprehensive collection comes packed with classic songs along with amazing rarities and never-before-released recordings.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — When Buck Owens and Merle Haggard emerged from the dim lights, thick smoke and loud, loud music of Bakersfield, California's thriving honky-tonk scene of the ’50s and ’60s, they changed country music forever. “We represent the end results of all the years of country music in this town,” Haggard once remarked about the California city that served as home base for the two Country Music Hall of Fame inductees. But how were the twin pillars of the “Bakersfield Sound” shaped by the Central California's city’s larger musical community? Who paved the way for their successes and who were their influences? The Bakersfield Sound 1940-1974 answers these questions and more.  Out from Bear Family on August 9, 2019, this sprawling 10-CD box set is the first multi-disc anthology to cover Bakersfield's country music heritage. Diving deep into the “Bakersfield Sound,” the compilation’s 307 tracks include plenty of fan favorites as well as a vast quantity of deep cuts, alternate takes, radio recordings, demos, live material, and previously unreleased studio recordings.  The massive collection begins with ’40s field recordings of migrants who arrived in Central California to find a better life, and proceeds to trace the development of this historic country music scene all the way through 1974. A turning point year for the Bakersfield Sound, 1974 stands as the last full year Merle Haggard made his home in the city; the year of Buck Owens’ final Top 10 hit as a solo artist; and the year local guitar hero Don Rich was killed in a motorcycle accident.   Offering a glimpse into the early days of the Bakersfield Sound are rare recordings from early pioneers Tex Butler, Tex Marshall, and Ebb Pilling, along with a Bakersfield radio studio performance by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys from the mid-’40s. During this era, Bakersfield served as a regular major tour stop for this fabled Western Swing ensemble. The set reveals fascinating historic material: previously unheard work tapes of a recently-paroled Merle Haggard recording demos with only his acoustic guitar to accompany him (likely the earliest existing recording of Merle’s voice); a newly discovered Haggard session for Tally Records that was believed to have been lost and has never been issued before; and previously unknown live recordings of Buck Owens and the Buckaroos at the very last of Buck’s legendary annual Toys for Tots shows before Don Rich’s death. Included, too, are unreleased recordings by Red Simpson, Billy Mize, Bonnie Owens, and Johnny Bond; radio broadcasts from the stage of the legendary Blackboard Café; and an early Bill Woods vanity record that predates any of his previously known recorded output.

This treasure trove of Bakersfield music history also contains many significant “firsts,” from songwriting legend Harlan Howard’s first recording (for Bakersfield’s Tally Records); to Harlan’s then-wife Jan Howard’s first known demo recording (cut in Lewis Talley’s studio); to Barbara Mandrell’s very first solo recording on Mosrite Records; and legendary bandleader Johnny Barnett’s only known single (the first song written by Merle Haggard to have ever been commercially released).  Dozens of nearly-impossible-to-find recordings from local labels of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s have been assembled together for the first time. Many of the selections have never been reissued, and some haven’t seen the light of day since their initial release. In some cases, only a handful of 78 or 45 rpm records were ever pressed, and the songs have been long forgotten until now.  Known as “Nashville West,” Bakersfield proved to be a fertile musical breeding ground, boosting the careers of such nationally known country artists as Ferlin Husky, Tommy Collins, Dallas Frazier, Jean Shepard, Wynn Stewart, Tommy Duncan, Al Brumley, Dick Curless, Joe & Rose Lee Maphis, The Gosdin Brothers, Kay Adams, Clarence White, and Roy Nichols — who all can be heard on this anthology. The Bakersfield Sound 1940-1974, furthermore, reveals the impressive depth of the city’s music scene by shining the spotlight on regional stars like Cliff Crofford, Herb Henson, Jimmy Thomason, Billy Barton, Fuzzy Owen, Semie Moseley, Don Markham, Tommy Dee, Jelly Sanders, Oscar Whittington, Johnny Barnett, Vancie Flowers, Bobby Durham, Bob Morris, Bobby Austin, Gary Paxton, Ronnie Sessions, Gene Moles, Tony Booth, Freddie Hart, and David Frizzell. Besides its mother lode of music,The Bakersfield Sound 1940-1974 comes with an accompanying full-colored illustrated 220-page book featuring a plethora of photos (many shown for the first time), a foreword by Foo Fighters guitarist (and huge country music fan) Chris Shiflett, in-depth analysis by Grammy-nominated Bakersfield Sound historian Scott B. Bomar, profiles on each artist, and a track-by-track commentary. This unparalleled 10-CD collection wonderfully illuminates how a country music cottage industry transformed Bakersfield into the Country Music Capital of the West, and ignited speculation that the city could become a serious challenge to Nashville's commercial country dominance. Complete track listing may be found at: Bear Family.com

Original vinyl pressings of Buck Owens' vintage LPs offered by Omnivore, along with new 'The Complete Capitol Singles, 1971-1975' set.

ORIGINAL PRESSINGS OF VINTAGE BUCK OWENS LPs

AVAILABLE MAY 31 FROM OMNIVORE (ONLINE ONLY) —

40 ORIGINAL, VINTAGE, SEALED VOLUMES

Also on May 31, Omnivore will release Buck Owens & the Buckaroos’ two-CD The Complete Capitol Singles, 1971-1975.

The 42-song set — the third and final release in a series — contains every A- and B-side of 21 singles from 1971-75, including nine Top Ten hits. 

Presented in original stereo single mixes.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On May 31, 2019, exclusively from the Omnivore Recordings’ web store, 40 original, vintage, sealed Buck Owens LPs will be made available for sale. 

The stock comes directly from Owens’ own collection in Bakersfield. The original pressing LPs span much of Buck’s career, from 1964’s Together Again/My Heart Skips a Beat to Act Naturally, released in 1989. 

Quantities are limited and the LPs will be sold first come, first served. 
Visit: omnivorerecordings.com/bucklps

Complete listing:

Under Your Spell Again (1961)

The Best Of Buck Owens (1964)

Together Again/My Heart Skips A Beat (1964)

I Don’t Care (1964)

I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail (1965)

Before You Go/No One But You (1965)

The Instrumental Hits Of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos (1965)

Christmas With Buck Owens And His Buckaroos (1965)

Roll Out The Red Carpet For Buck Owens And His Buckaroos (1966)

Dust On Mother’s Bible: Songs of Faith And Religion by Buck Owens And His Buckaroos (1966)

Carnegie Hall Concert With Buck Owens And His Buckaroos (1966)

Open Up Your Heart (1966)

Your Tender Loving Care (1967)

It Takes People Like You To Make People Like Me (1967)

The Best Of Buck Owens Vol. 2 (1968)

Sweet Rosie Jones (1968)

The Guitar Player (1968)

Christmas Shopping (1968)

I’ve Got You On My Mind Again (1968)

The Best Of Buck Owens Vol. 3 (1969)

Buck Owens In London (1969)

Close-Up (1969)

The Kansas City Song (1970)

Double Play (1970)

A Merry “Hee Haw” Christmas From Buck Owens And His Buckaroos (1970)

I Wouldn’t Live In New York City (1970)

Bridge Over Troubled Water (1971)

The Best Of Buck Owens Vol. 4 (1971)

Too Old To Cut The Mustard? (1972)

Live At The Nugget (1972)

Live At The White House (1972)

In The Palm Of Your Hand (1973)

Aint It Amazing, Gracie (1973)

Arms Full Of Empty (1973)

The Best Of Buck Owens Vol. 5 (1974)

41st Street Lonely Heart’s Club (1975)

The Best Of Buck Owens Vol. 6 (1976)

Hot Dog! (1988)

Live At Carnegie Hall (1988 reissue; bonus tracks)

Act Naturally (1989)

This is an incredible opportunity to own a piece of country music history direct from the collection of the artist! (Please note, because these are sealed, vintage stock, and anomalies may exist, there will be no returns nor replacements.)

Also on May 31, Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with the Buck Owens Estate, will release Buck Owens and the Buckaroos’ The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975, available on CD and Digital.

The set is the third and final volume in a series chronicling every one of Buck’s historic Capitol singles from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. 

Taken from the original stereo masters, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975 collects the A- and B-side to all 21 singles from that period, including nine Top Ten hits, in their original, chronological form.

Newly remastered and featuring liner notes from author and Bakersfield country historian Scott B. Bomar, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975 presents the golden age of Buck Owens in an entirely new way.

Buck Owens & the Buckaroos' 2-CD 'The Complete Capitol Singles, 1971-1975' out May 31

BUCK OWENS & THE BUCKAROOS’ TWO-CD

THE COMPLETE CAPITOL SINGLES, 1971-1975

COMING FROM OMNIVORE ON MAY 31, 2019

42-song set —the third and final release in a series — contains every A- and B-side of 21 singles from 1971-75, including nine Top Ten hits.

Presented in original stereo single mixes.

Contains duets with Susan Raye and Owens’ son Buddy Alan.

Also available May 31 from Omnivore (online only), 21 original, vintage, sealed Owens LPs

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with the Buck Owens Estate, will release Buck Owens and the Buckaroos’ The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975 on May 31, 2019, available on CD and Digital. (Pre-order $26.98 Omnivore Recordings)

The set is the third and final volume in a series chronicling every one of Buck’s historic Capitol Recordssingles from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Taken from the original stereo masters, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975 collects the A- and B-side to all 21 singles from that period, including nine Top Ten hits, in their original, chronological form.

Newly remastered, and featuring liner notes from author and Bakersfield country historian Scott B. Bomar, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975 presents the golden age of Buck Owens in an entirely new way.

“One of the good things that happened in 1970 was that I finally had my studio up and running in Bakersfield,” said Owens of that period. “If I was in the mood to record, I’d just call the guys and tell ’em when to be there. I didn’t have to deal with having to find out when Capitol’s studio would be available anymore, or go to the trouble of driving down to L.A. every time we were going to record, or knowing that every minute I was recording at Capitol it was costing me money. It was still costing me money to record at my own studio, of course, but at least I wasn’t billing myself at an hourly rate that would be charged against my record royalties like Capitol had done to me all those years.”

From Bomar’s liner notes: “Taken together, [these sides] represent a period of experimentation that reflects Owens’ willingness to adapt to changing times and commercial tastes. The music presented here includes some pop-inflected country, some bluegrass, some novelty songs, some slickly polished productions, and some stripped-down ballads. In Buck’s chest, however, beat a hard-driving honky-tonk heart that was never too far from the surface. The elements we associate with Buck’s 1960s period are on display here, too. While his ’70s output doesn’t often earn the same attention as his earlier work, there is much from this period that should be celebrated.”

These are the records that made Buck Owens a legend and defined the Bakersfield Sound. It’s history. It’s The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975.

Omnivore Buck Owens Complete Capitol Singles 1971-1975

Track Listing:

Disc One

1. Bridge Over Troubled Water

2. (I’m Goin’) Home

3. Ruby (Are You Mad)

4. Heartbreak Mountain

5. Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms

6. Corn Likker

7. Too Old to Cut the Mustard – Buck & Buddy 

8. Wham Bam – Buck & Buddy

9. Santa’s Gonna Come in a Stagecoach – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

10. One of Everything You Got – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

11. I’ll Still Be Waiting for You 

12. Full Time Daddy

13. Made in Japan

14. Black Texas Dirt

15. Looking Back to See – Buck Owens & Susan Raye 

16. Cryin’ Time – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

17. You Ain’t Gonna Have Ol’ Buck to Kick Around No More

18. I Love You So Much It Hurts

19. In the Palm of Your Hand

20. Get Out of Town Before Sundown 

21. Ain’t It Amazing, Gracie

22. The Good Old Days (Are Here Again)

Disc Two

1. The Good Old Days (Are Here Again) – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

2. When You Get to Heaven (I’ll Be There) – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

3. Arms Full of Empty

4. Songwriter’s Lament

5. Big Game Hunter

6. That Loving Feeling

7. On the Cover of the Music City News 

8. Stony Mountain West Virginia

9. (It’s a) Monster’s Holiday

10. Great Expectations (B-Side Version) 

11. Great Expectations (A-Side Version) 

12. Let the Fun Begin

13. 41st Street Lonely Hearts’ Club 

14. Weekend Daddy

15. Love Is Strange – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

16. Sweethearts in Heaven – Buck Owens & Susan Raye

17. The Battle of New Orleans

18. Run Him to the Round House Nellie (You Might Corner Him There)

19. Country Singer’s Prayer

20. Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

Also on May 31, exclusively from the Omnivore Recordings web store, 21 original, vintage, sealed Buck Owens LPs will be made available for sale. The stock comes directly from Bakersfield and the collection of Buck Owens. The LPs span much of Buck’s career starting withTogether Again/My Heart Skips A Beat from 1964 to Act Naturally released in 1989. 

Quantities are limited and the LPs will be sold first come, first served.

NEWS: Buck Owens' final Capitol Records album, never released, will be available via Omnivore on August 17th.

BUCK OWENS’ LAST CAPITOL ALBUM, 
COUNTRY SINGER’S PRAYER, 
WILL FINALLY BE RELEASED, VIA 
OMNIVORE RECORDINGS, ON AUGUST 17.

Recorded in 1975, the artist’s last intended Capitol set

features his final two singles for the label.

New liner notes are by Scott B. Bomar.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with the Buck Owens Estate, will release Country Singer’s Prayer, Buck Owens’ final Capitol album from 1975, which has remained unissued until now. Street date for CD and Digital is August 17, 2018.

PRE-ORDER at omnivorerecordings.com

By late 1975, Buck’s unequaled success at Capitol Records was finally winding down. His singles were no longer topping the charts, and after the untimely death of bandmate Don Rich the year before, Buck was starting to lose the fire that drove him through an unprecedented run of groundbreaking hits in the ’60s and early ’70s. His contract with Capitol was due to expire at the end of the year, and he and the Buckaroos readied one final album for the label in November 1975. 

While several of Buck’s later Capitol recordings had not been topping the charts as before, his last single for them, “Country Singer’s Prayer,” failed to even make a showing. 

Omnivore Buck Owens Country Singer's Prayer trailer

Likely due to the indifference shown to that last single, the decision was made to shelve this final album, and assign the selection number to what was ultimately Buck’s last Capitol release, Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 6, which did include the last two singles originally intended for Country Singer’s Prayer: “Battle of New Orleans” and the title track. 

While Buck would revisit some of these songs with producer Norro Wilson in Nashville after signing to Warner Bros. Records, the original recordings produced at Buck’s Bakersfield studio with the Buckaroos remained in the vault. 

Country Singer’s Prayer will finally receive its release some 43 years late, taken from the original LP master tapes, in what was the intended sequence. Also included are the B-sides to Buck’s final two singles from the unissued album. 

With new liner notes by Scott B. Bomar featuring interviews with longtime Buckaroos piano playerJim Shaw and Robert John Jones (a.k.a. Rocky Topp), who co-wrote “Country Singer’s Prayer,” this is a fascinating chance to experience Buck’s last intended Capitol album. 

Track Listing:

1. John Law

2. Love Don’t Make The Bars

3. He Ain’t Been Out Bowling With The Boys

4. Drifting Away

5. The Battle Of New Orleans

6. Country Singer’s Prayer

7. California Okie

8. A Different Kind Of Sad

9. It’s Been A Long, Long Time

10. How’s Everything

Bonus Tracks:

11. Run Him To The Round House Nellie (You Might Corner Him There)

12. Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

Produced at Buck Owens Studios in Bakersfield, California

Buck Owens’ The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966 & Don Rich and the Buckaroos’ out in December

A “BUCKAROO” Moment at Omnivore Recordings:
BUCK OWENS’ THE COMPLETE CAPITOL SINGLES: 1957-1966
& DON RICH and the BUCKAROOS’ GUITAR PICKIN’ MAN
coming in December

Owens package contains 56 A- and B-sides on two discs, out December 9th,
while Buckaroos bandleader Don Rich’s guitar and vocal work from 1963-70 is spotlighted in 18-track collection, out December 16th.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — From the radio to jukeboxes to turntables to television, country legend Buck Owens and the “Bakersfield Sound” he pioneered became part of American music’s fabric.

For the first time, Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with the Buck Owens Estate, is proud to present Buck Owens and the Buckaroos’ The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966.

Taken from the original mono single reels, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966 collects all 56 sides from that period, including 13 #1 hits, in their original and chronological form. Street date for the collection available on CD and digitally — is December 9, 2016 (Omnivore  or at Amazon.com.  Buy 2-CD $26.98 | Buy Digital $16.98), a week ahead of Buckaroos bandleader Don Rich’s own collection, Guitar Pickin’ Man, coming from Omnivore on December 16, 2016.

Newly remastered, and featuring liner notes from Buck’s autobiography (written with Randy Poe), plus an introduction by musical disciple Dwight Yoakam, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966 presents the golden age of Buck Owens in an entirely new way. Featured are such hits as “Above and Beyond,” “Foolin’ Around,” “Under the Influence of Love,” “Act Naturally” and “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” — among many other chart-toppers.

According to Yoakam, “To say that Buck Owens was a singularly unique figure in country music would be light years beyond cliché. There have been four, maybe five, other artists in the history of the entire genre who have left as indelible a sonic imprint on so many millions of listeners’ ears. This collection of music should introduce new listeners and reacquaint old fans with just how cool country music can be.”

There are many reasons Buck Owens and his Buckarooswere the hottest band in the world in the 1960s and 1970s, but one is certainly the work of multi-instrumentalist Don Rich. As evidenced on the 2013 reissue of That Fiddlin’ Man, Don certainly knew his way around four strings (he began as the band’s violinist), but his twangin’ guitar work was his calling card.

Guitar Pickin’ Man showcases Rich’s skill and innovative playing by collecting 17 tracks from 10 releases from Buck and the Buckaroos, and adding the previously unissued title track recorded in 1973 for and during their time on the television classic, Hee Haw. Sadly, Rich was killed in a 1974 motorcycle accident.

Not just an ideal primer for the uninitiated but also a fantastic aural journey for fans, Guitar Pickin’ Man features notes from Don’s sons Vance and Vic Ulrich as well as photos from their personal family collection.

Owens once said of his right-hand man: “The reason my Capitol records sounded the way they did — real heavy on the treble — was because I knew most people were going to be listening to ’em on their AM car radios. At the time, nobody else was doing anything like that, but it just seemed like common sense to me. And it was one more reason that you knew it was a Buck Owens record as soon as it came on the radio — because it just didn’t sound like those other records.”

Experience the work of Buck Owens’ bandleader, friend and musical trailblazer, Don Rich — theGuitar Pickin’ Man.

Both collections compiled by Grammy® nominated producer Patrick Milligan (in full cooperation with the Buck Owens Estate) and mastered by multiple Grammy® winner Michael Graves.

Buck Owens and the Buckaroos: The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966

Track Listing: Omnivore  or at Amazon.com