Buck Owens, a pioneer of the Bakersfield sound, saw huge success as the bandleader of the Buckaroos in the '60s and early '70s and as the host of variety show Hee Haw. When his good friend and guitarist Don Rich died suddenly in a motorcycle accident in 1974, the wind was knocked from Owens' sails, and his country music singles were no longer topping the charts as they once did.
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Capitol Records wasn't impressed with the performance of his 1975 song "Country Singer's Prayer," the title track of the album he just completed, so they made the decision to put the entire record up on the shelf. Eventually, they released Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 6, instead, including a couple of the songs that would have been on Country Singer's Prayer. This marked the last record Owens would release with Capitol.
Next, Owens signed with Warner Bros. and reworked a few of the songs he planned for his 1975 album, but the originals were kept with Capitol. Now, 43 years later, Omnivore Recordings has worked alongside the Buck Owens Estate to free the tracks from the original master tapes in their intended order to finally release the complete Country Singer's Prayer that Owens worked hard on decades ago.
Read More: Revisit Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam's 1988 Hit, 'Streets of Bakersfield'
Country Singer's Prayer will see its official release on August 17. You can hear the high quality of the music in the YouTube clip below. Fans can pre-order the CD now on the Omnivore website and make note that the digital recordings will be avilable on August 18.
'Country Singer's Prayer' 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"
