18 of Buck’s favorite country songs recorded for Hee Haw at Buck’s own Bakersfield studio!

Given the opportunity to record a large group of songs that reached far beyond his own best-known works, Buck enjoyed the rare chance to stretch out and have fun performing the hits of other country singers.

Over the course of this collection, pulled from the vast trove of material Buck recorded for Hee Haw, Owens provides us with a concise tutorial on the history of country music–from “In the Jailhouse Now,” a song first popularized by Jimmie Rodgers in 1928–to “Rednecks, White Socks And Blue Ribbon Beer,” a hit for Johnny Russell in 1973.

Many of the songs Buck recorded for Hee Haw were originally recorded by some of Buck’s biggest and earliest influences. “Stay a Little Longer” had been a hit for Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It,” “Jambalaya,” and “Hey, Good Lookin’” were all Hank Williams staples. Other early favorites of Buck’s were Jack Guthrie’s “Oklahoma Hills” and Hank Snow’s “I’m Moving On.”

Also included is “Swinging Doors,” a song written and first popularized by fellow Bakersfield Sound stalwart Merle Haggard.

There are country standards throughout–from Faron Young’s “Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young” to Stonewall Jackson’s “Waterloo.”

Our CD’s title track, “Honky Tonk Man,” is a song first popularized by Johnny Horton in 1956. Thirty years later, it became an even bigger hit for Dwight Yoakam (about a decade after Buck had recorded the song for Hee Haw).

In recent years there have been a number of recording artists who seem to have had more “new” material released after they passed away than was released while they were still alive. Not so with Buck Owens. An unreleased Buck Owens track is a rare thing, indeed. To have eighteen previously unreleased sides all together on one CD is a Bakersfield-sized bounty of riches for Buck Owens fans everywhere.

CD / Digital Track List:

1. Honky Tonk Man Originally a hit for Johnny Horton (1956)
2. Swinging Doors Originally a hit for Merle Haggard (1966)
3. Hey, Good Lookin’ Originally a hit for Hank Williams (1951)
4. Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line Originally a hit for Waylon Jennings (1968)
5. My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You Originally a hit for Ray Price (1957)
6. Stay A Little Longer Originally a hit for Bob Wills (1945)
7. Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Youg Originally a hit for Faron Young (1955)
8. I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water Originally a hit for Stonewall Jackson (1965)
9. Oklahoma Hills Originally a hit for Jack Guthrie (1945)
10. My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It Originally a hit for Hank Williams (1949)
11. In The Jailhouse Now Originally a hit for Jimmie Rodgers (1928)
12. Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone Originally a hit for Charley Pride (1970)
13. Jambalaya (On The Bahyou) Originally a hit for Hank Williams (1952)
14. Waterloo Originally a hit for Stonewall Jackson (1959)
15. I’m Walking The Dog Originally a hit for Webb Pierce (1954)
16. I’m Moving On Originally a hit for Hank Snow (1950)
17. The Bridge Washed Out Originally a hit for Warner Mack (1965)
18. Rednecks, White Socks And Blue Ribbon Beer Originally a hit for Johnny Russell (1973)

All tracks previously unissued.