Releases from two legends of country and blues highlight Omnivore Recordings' November slate. On November 13, the label will drop the second 2-CD retrospective dedicated to the music of Bakersfield's favorite son Buck Owens, while two weeks later on the 27th, it will unveil a 4-CD box set spotlighting the singular career of Bobby Rush.
Buck 'Em! Volume 2: The Music of Buck Owens (1967-1975) picks up where the first volume of the series, issued in 2013, left off. Its 50 tracks trace the many accomplishments of Buck Owens during this busy period which found him continuing to write and record for Capitol Records even as he took on hosting duties for television's popular Hee Haw. Buck 'Em! Volume 2 includes country chart-toppers like "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Tall Dark Stranger," fan favorites including "Ain't It Amazing, Gracie" and the original version of "Streets Of Bakersfield," duets with Susan Raye and Buck's son Buddy Alan, plus live tracks, alternates, outtakes, and covers such as Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." All told, seven tracks are new to CD and nine are new to the U.S.!
As with the first volume, the second Buck 'Em! features liner notes drawn from Owens' autobiography of the same name, co-written with Randy Poe. Michael Graves, a Grammy winner for his work on Omnivore's Hank Williams - The Garden Spot Programs 1950, has remastered. It's due on November 13.
On November 27, Omnivore has Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush chronicling the career of the Louisiana-born, Arkansas-raised blues legend who has befriended and shared stages with the likes of Etta James, Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. The 4-CD box set takes its title from the 1971 Galaxy Records single that earned Rush a No. 34 berth on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, but Galaxy isn't the only label represented. Chicken Heads, with nearly 100 tracks and almost 5 hours of music, also draws on the multiple Grammy nominee's varied recordings for Checker, Jewel, Philadelphia International, LaJam, Urgent and his own Deep Rush label.
Chicken Heads is graced with a 32-page color booklet featuring new liner notes from Bill Dahl and testimonials from friends and fans of Rush including Mavis Staples, Keb' Mo', Elvin Bishop, Denise LaSalle, Leon Huff, Al Bell, and more. Michael Graves has remastered this collection of sizzling blues, funk and soul. The career-spanning box is due on November 27!
You can peruse both track listings and place pre-orders below!
Buck Owens, Buck 'Em! Volume 2: The Music of Buck Owens (1967-1975) (Omnivore, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
CD 1:
- HAPPY TIMES ARE HERE AGAIN
- SWEET ROSIE JONES
- YOUR MOTHER'S PRAYER
- YOU'LL NEVER MISS THE WATER (TILL THE WELL RUNS DRY)
- IF I HAD THREE WISHES
- LET THE WORLD KEEP ON A TURNIN' -- Buck Owens and Buddy Alan
- THINGS I SAW HAPPENING AT THE FOUNTAIN ON THE PLAZA WHEN I WAS VISITING ROME OR AMORE
- DARLIN', YOU CAN DEPEND ON ME (Alternate Version)
- I'VE GOT A TIGER BY THE TAIL (Live at the White House)
- WHO'S GONNA MOW YOUR GRASS
- WE'RE GONNA GET TOGETHER -- Buck Owens and Susan Raye
- I'VE GOT YOU ON MY MIND AGAIN (Live in London)
- JOHNNY B. GOODE (Live in London)
- TODAY I STARTED LOVING YOU AGAIN -- Buck Owens and Bettye Swann (Outtake)
- BIG IN VEGAS (Live in Las Vegas)
- LAS VEGAS LAMENT (Live in Las Vegas)
- THE KANSAS CITY SONG
- DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS (Early Version)
- TALL DARK STRANGER (Live in Scandinavia)
- I WOULDN'T LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY (IF THEY GAVE ME THE WHOLE DANG TOWN)
- BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
- (I'M GOIN') HOME
- RUBY (ARE YOU MAD)
- CORN LIKKER
- I'LL STILL BE WAITING FOR YOU (Live in Reno)
CD 2:
- ARMS FULL OF EMPTY
- AIN'T IT AMAZING, GRACIE
- YOU AIN'T GONNA HAVE OL' BUCK TO KICK AROUND NO MORE
- I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS
- SOMETHING'S WRONG
- IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND
- STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD
- THE GOOD OLD DAYS (ARE HERE AGAIN) -- Buck Owens and Susan Raye
- I WON'T BE NEEDING YOU
- IT NEVER WILL BE OVER FOR ME
- BIG GAME HUNTER
- (IT'S A) MONSTER'S HOLIDAY
- STONY MOUNTAIN WEST VIRGINIA
- HOLDIN' ON
- ON THE COVER OF THE MUSIC CITY NEWS (Live in Japan)
- MADE IN JAPAN (Live in Japan)
- SOMEWHERE BETWEEN YOU AND ME -- Buck Owens and Susan Raye (Live in New Zealand)
- ROLLIN' IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS (Live in Australia)
- GREAT EXPECTATIONS
- 41ST STREET LONELY HEARTS' CLUB
- WEEKEND DADDY
- HE AIN'T BEEN OUT BOWLING WITH THE BOYS (Outtake)
- A DIFFERENT KIND OF SAD (Outtake)
- THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS
- COUNTRY SINGER'S PRAYER
Bobby Rush, Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush (Omnivore, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
CD 1:
- SOMEDAY
- LET ME LOVE YOU
- SOCK BOO GA LOO
- MUCH TOO MUCH
- GOTTA HAVE MONEY
- CAMEL WALK
- WAKE UP
- THE THINGS THAT I USED TO DO
- LET IT ALL HANG OUT
- JUST BE YOURSELF
- DONE GOT GOOD TO ME PT. 1
- CHICKEN HEADS
- MARY JANE
- GOTTA BE FUNKY
- GOTTA FIND YOU GIRL
- BOWLEGGED WOMAN, KNOCK-KNEED MAN PART 1
- NIKI HOEKY
- SHE'S A GOOD 'UN
- GET YOU OUT OF HERE PART 1
- I'M STILL WAITING
- SHE PUT THE WHAMMY ON ME
CD 2:
- I WANNA DO THE DO
- HEY WESTERN UNION MAN
- LET'S DO IT TOGETHER
- BE STILL
- TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER
- SUE (Single Version)
- MAKING A DECISION (Single Version)
- BERTHA JEAN (Single Version)
- WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER
- FUNK
- NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT
- A MAN CAN GIVE IT (BUT HE CAN'T TAKE IT)
- NINE BELOW ZERO
- I AIN'T STUDDIN' YOU (Single Version)
- YOU, YOU, YOU (KNOW WHAT TO DO)
- TIME TO HIT THE ROAD AGAIN
- I'M GONE
- HANDY MAY
- ONE MONKEY DON'T STOP NO SHOW
CD 3:
- HEN PICKED
- SHE'S SO FINE
- BUTTERMILK BOTTOM
- BIG FAT WOMAN
- BOOGA BEAR
- HOOCHIE MAN
- SCOOTCHIN'
- HE GOT MY ATTENTION
- ALWAYS ON MY MIND
- WET MATCH
- UNDERCOVER LOVER
- TOUGH TITTY
- WHEN SHE LOVES YA
- EVIL (Live)
- RIDE IN MY AUTOMOBILE
- RIVER'S INVITATION
CD 4:
- FEELING GOOD (PT. 1)
- NIGHT FISHIN'
- TAKE ME TO THE RIVER
- HELP ME
- HOWLIN' WOLF
- UNCLE ESAU
- WHAT'S GOIN' ON
- I GOT 3 PROBLEMS
- BLIND SNAKE
- SHOW YOU A GOOD TIME
- DOWN IN LOUISIANA
- YOU JUST LIKE A DRESSER
- SWING LOW
- ANOTHER MURDER IN NEW ORLEANS - Dr. John and Bobby Rush with Blinddog Smokin'
- SITTIN' HERE WAITIN' - Bobby Rush with Blinddog Smokin'
- IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU LIKE IT - Bobby Rush with Blinddog Smokin'
- PUSH AND PULL Featuring Frayser Boy
- DEDICATION (Excerpt)
Murray Passarieu says
I can't believe Alabama, Louisiana, or Maybe Tennessee isn't on the Buck collection. It remains unrelased on domestic CD, unless you count The Supersuckers cover version.
John Ryan Horse says
Between the late 1990s and mid 2000s Sundazed issued at least two dozen original Buck O. Capitol albums, covering 1961 - 71, on CD. Seems Buck retained the rights to his master tapes and entrusted them to Bob Irwin & Sundazed to do a very fine reissue campaign (even the Buckaroos and Don Rich solo material)....Most were expanded, especially then live albums. I have about 15 of these and am not sure what improvements might lead me to invest in this new set. If anybody has done a comparison I'd love to hear it!!