Buck Owens

There is no doubt Buck Owens and His Buckaroos were one of the biggest acts in the world from 1964–1974. Not only were they topping the music charts, they were filling concert halls worldwide. They were such a popular concert draw that many performances were recorded and released only in the corresponding foreign market. Unfortunately, much of that material never saw the light of day outside the country in which it was released. Until now.

There is no doubt Buck Owens and His Buckaroos were one of the biggest acts in the world from 1964–1974. Not only were they topping the music charts, they were filling concert halls worldwide. They were such a popular concert draw that many performances were recorded and released only in the corresponding foreign market. Unfortunately, much of that material never saw the light of day outside the country in which it was released. Until now.

Third and final of 3 volumes collecting Buck’s complete Capitol singles. • Original stereo single mixes. • Duets with Susan Raye & Buck’s son Buddy Alan. • 9 Top Ten hits. The final installment completing the entirety of Buck Owens' historical Capitol singles. One of the good things that happened in 1970 was that I finally had my studio up and running in Bakersfield. If I was in the mood to record, I’d just call the guys and tell ’em when to be there.

Omnivore's 2013 double-disc set Buck Em! The Music of Buck Owens (1955-1967) provides an interesting spin on Buck Owens: through a collection of mono singles, live tracks, alternate takes, early 45s, and other rarities, it tells an alternate history of Buck's prime years. If there's a hit on this 50-track collection, it's almost always in a version that's slightly different than what usually shows up on a standard greatest-hits. "Second Fiddle," "Love's Gonna Live Here," "I Don't Care (Just as Long as You Love Me)," "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," and "Before You Go" are all in mono, there's an early version of "Ain't It Amazing Gracie," and "Act Naturally" is live, so they're familiar enough to not feel jarring and they do provide the core of a collection that winds up wandering into some pretty teresting territory. This is one of the rare comps to take into consideration, sides Owens recorded before he signed to Capitol or, in other words, before he developed Bakersfield and his signature train rhythm opening with the pure honky tonk of "Down on the Corner of Love" and the rockabilly swing of "Hot Dog."

Maybe it was an epiphany of sorts. As Buck tells it, “One day I was watching Austin City Limits and Dwight Yoakam was on, then he dedicates the program to ‘Buck Owens.’ So I said, I’m going to see what this kid is like.” It wasn’t long after that he was on stage with Dwight singing his old hits. Buck was bitten by the bug to return to music, after calling it quits almost ten years earlier. This man from Sherman, Texas - probably best-known as the wide-grinning rube on Hee Haw for so many years - started a country music revolution. Or more accurately, a counter-revolution. It was called “The Bakersfield Sound”.

As the '70s drew to a close, Buck Owens was still a superstar, thanks largely to his starring role on Hee Haw, still going strong after several years on the air. He may have been big on TV, but his recording career was on shaky ground.

As the '70s drew to a close, Buck Owens was still a superstar, thanks largely to his starring role on Hee Haw, still going strong after several years on the air. He may have been big on TV, but his recording career was on shaky ground.

The Very Best Of Buck Owens Vol. 1 is the 1994 compilation CD by country singer Buck Owens. Released by Rhino, there were two volumes but this is only the first.