This fall, Omnivore will be revisiting the back pages of two California artists with whom the label has become associated: Dean Torrence and Buck Owens.

Back in 2017, Omnivore issued Filet of Soul Redux: The Rejected Master Recordings from Jan Berry and Dean Torrence, the innovative surf-rock duo and Beach Boys pals who transformed the sound of SoCal pop. But Dean was always much more than "just" one-half of that pioneering musical pair.  As a graphic designer, Torrence won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover in 1971 for the band Pollution's debut album; he went on to design memorable covers for artists including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and, of course, The Beach Boys.  As a musician, he kept busy outside of his partnership with Jan Berry as a collaborator of the loose aggregation he dubbed The Legendary Masked Surfers. One of those Masked Surfers was Beach Boy Mike Love, with whom Torrence recorded a number of Beach Boys and Jan and Dean favorites for various projects.  The 2002 Varese Sarabande compilation The Dean Torrence Anthology: Legendary Masked Surfer Unmasked rounded up 18 of those rarities with Love, Flo and Eddie, Gary Griffin, and Torrence's other buddies.  Now, 20 years later, Omnivore is revisiting the Dean Torrence story with a new volume in that same spirit.  The Teammates: Twenty Years of Making Music 1965-1985 features 23 rare and unreleased tracks featuring Dean with Mike Love, Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Flo and Eddie, Leon Russell, Harry Nilsson, and Jan Berry.

Curated by Dean and Beach Boys historian David Beard (who also penned the notes for the 2002 album), The Teammates showcases Torrence's camaraderie with his famous friends.  The set includes ultra-rare single sides from Dean's side projects such as Our Gang and The Laughing Gravy (famous for a cover of the SMiLE tune "Vegetables," heard here in an alternate mix) as well as a pair of 1973 recordings from Torrence, Terry Melcher, and Bruce Johnston.  You'll hear nostalgic Dean solo covers of "Teenager in Love," "I Only Have Eyes for You," and "Get a Job" as well as Mike and Dean's recordings of "Lightnin' Strikes," "Alley Oop," and "Her Boyfriend's Back" from the 1983 Japanese compilation Listen to the Air and "Jingle Bell Rock" from the same year's yuletide-themed Listen to the Air: Winter Party on the Beach.  (The former received a U.S. issue from Radio Shack as Rock 'n' Roll City while the latter was released under various titles in the U.S. with track listing tweaks.)  Flo and Eddie join Dean for Jan and Dean's "Ride the Wild Surf" (a Brian Wilson/Dean/Roger Christian co-write) and The Legendary Masked Surfers, too, with "Buy Our Album" and "Order Our Album."  (Done!)

The Teammates features new liner notes from Torrence as well as a Q&A between Torrence and Beard as well as a foreword by Winston Simone.  The CD release arrives in stores on October 14 from Omnivore.

The city of Bakersfield is located over 100 miles north of Los Angeles but a very different musical sound was conjured by its artists (even if many of those classic country tracks were recorded in Hollywood!).  The California country capital's favorite son, Buck Owens, has been celebrated by Omnivore on various releases over the last decade including three 2-CD collections collecting the late legend's Complete Capitol Singles 1957-1976.  (The three volumes have also been released as one slipcased, 6-CD de facto box set.)  On September 9, Omnivore will revisit Owens' singles repertoire for a handy distillation.  Bakersfield Gold: Top 10 Hits 1959-1974 brings together 46 songs - all of Owens' top ten smashes, including a whopping nineteen No. 1s - on 2 CDs, 3 LPs, and digitally.

Essentially, this is a comprehensive greatest hits set featuring Owens, his Buckaroos, and associates including Rose Maddox, Susan Raye, and his son Buddy Alan at Capitol Records.  All of the expected Owens favorites are here such as "Act Naturally," "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," "My Heart Skips a Beat," "I Don't Care (Just as Long as You Love Me)," "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass," and "Only You (Can Break My Heart)" as well as more surprising selections such as covers of "Johnny B. Goode" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Bakersfield Gold boasts new liner notes from Owens historian Randy Poe.  A special gold vinyl edition will be available exclusively through independent retailers.  Look for this collection of twangy, rip-roaring honky-tonk country from one of the all-time greats on October 7 from Omnivore.

You'll find track listings and pre-order links for both titles below.

Dean Torrence and Friends, The Teammates: Twenty Years of Making Music 1965-1985 (Omnivore, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Buy Our Album - The Legendary Masked Surfers
2. Summertime, Summertime - Our Gang
3. The Theme From Leon's Garage - Our Gang
4. Louisiana Man (With Session Intro) - Jan & Dean
5. Snowflakes On Laughing Gravy's Whiskers - The Laughing Gravy
6. Vegetables (Alternate Mix) - The Laughing Gravy
7. Moving Day - Locksley Hall
8. It's A Beautiful Day - Hogfat Cantina Singers & Bel Air Bandits
9. Just Keep It Up - Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence
10. Love Lace - Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence
11. A Teenager In Love - Dean Torrence
12. I Only Have Eyes For You - Dean Torrence
13. Get A Job - Dean Torrence
14. One Summer Night - Dean Torrence
15. Dead Man's Curve (Dr. Landy Version) - Dean Torrence
16. Be True To Your Bud (Budweiser Fight Song) - Mike & Dean
17. Lightnin' Strikes - Mike & Dean
18. Her Boyfriend's Back - Mike & Dean
19. Alley Oop - Mike & Dean
20. Jingle Bell Rock - Mike & Dean
21. Ride The Wild Surf - Flo & Eddie with Dean Torrence
22. Order Our Album - The Legendary Masked Surfers
23. Fun, Fun, Fun (Commercial) - Mike & Dean

Buck Owens and The Buckaroos, Bakersfield Gold: Top 10 Hits 1959-1974 (Omnivore, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Under Your Spell Again
2. Above And Beyond
3. Excuse Me (I Think I've Got A Heartache)
4. Foolin' Around
5. Loose Talk - Buck Owens & Rose Maddox
6. Mental Cruelty - Buck Owens & Rose Maddox
7. Under The Influence Of Love
8. Kickin' Our Hearts Around
9. You're For Me
10. Act Naturally
11. Love's Gonna Live Here
12. My Heart Skips A Beat
13. Together Again
14. I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)
15. I've Got A Tiger By The Tail
16. Before You Go
17. Only You (Can Break My Heart)
18. Gonna Have Love
19. Buckaroo
20. Waitin' In Your Welfare Line
21. Think Of Me
22. Open Up Your Heart
23. Where Does The Good Times Go
24. Sam's Place

CD 2

1. Your Tender Loving Care
2. It Takes People Like You (To Make People Like Me)
3. How Long Will My Baby Be Gone
4. Sweet Rosie Jones
5. Let The World Keep On A Turnin' - Buck Owens & Buddy Alan
6. I've Got You On My Mind Again
7. Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass
8. Johnny B. Goode
9. Tall Dark Stranger
10. Big In Vegas
11. The Kansas City Song
12. The Great White Horse - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
13. I Wouldn't Live In New York City (If They Gave Me The Whole Dang Town)
14. Bridge Over Troubled Water
15. Ruby (Are You Mad)
16. Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
17. I'll Still Be Waiting For You
18. Made In Japan
19. Big Game Hunter
20. On The Cover Of The Music City News
21. (It's A) Monsters' Holiday
22. Great Expectations