Omnivore readies Owens Xmas release
The original title, released in 1970, combined Owens' two Christmas albums for Capitol ("Christmas With Buck Owens and His Buckaroos" and "Christmas Shopping") as one package.
Now, in its CD and digital debut, "A Merry 'Hee Haw' Christmas" is augmented by four bonus tracks: "All I Want for Christmas Is My Daddy," "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy (Daddy Looked a Lot Like Him)" and two Toys for Tots public service announcements originally issued on a 1972 Capitol promotional single.
Buck Owens and His Buckaroos recorded two Christmas albums for Capitol: "First Christmas With Buck Owens and His Buckaroos" in 1965 and "Christmas Shopping" in 1968. Both albums make the Billboard Christmas Album Chart ("Christmas With" charted multiple times - number 12 in 1965, and 23 in both 1966 and 1967, and 31 for "Christmas Shopping").
"Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy (Daddy Looked a Lot Like Him)," drawn from "Christmas With," charted twice, hitting number 2 in 1965 and two years later in December 1967, revisiting the charts and making it to 18. In 1968, it was the title track of the second classic Christmas offering, "Christmas Shopping," which made it to 5.
Going back to the holiday well in 1970, Capitol cashed in again with a double LP distillation of the two albums called "A Merry 'Hee Haw' Christmas," which charted at 34. For that compilation, two songs were omitted, one from each original album, and they've been reinstated for Omnivore"s reissue. "All I Want For Christmas Is My Daddy" was left off the "Christmas Shopping" disc, while "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy (Daddy Looked a Lot Like Him)" was lost from the "Christmas With" album.
Patrick Milligan and Cheryl Pawelski produced the CD with approval from Owens' estate. The recordings were newly remastered from the original analog master tapes by engineer Michael Graves.
The track listing is:
1. Christmas Shopping
2. Christmas Time Is Near
3. The Jolly Christmas Polka
4. All I Want For Christmas Is My Daddy
5. Merry Christmas From Our House To Yours
6. Good Old Fashioned Country Christmas
7. One Of Everything You Got
8. Home On Christmas Day
9. Christmas Schottische
10. A Very Merry Christmas
11. It's Not What You Give
12. Tomorrow Is Christmas Day
13. Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy (Daddy Looked A Lot Like Him)
14. Blue Christmas Lights
15. Christmas Ain't Christmas
16. Jingle Bells
17. All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You
18. Santa's Gonna Come In A Stagecoach
19. Christmas Time's A Comin'
20. Blue Christmas Tree
21. Here Comes Santa Claus Again
22. Christmas Morning
23. It's Christmas Time For Everyone But Me
24. Because It"s Christmas Time
25. Toys For Tots (Version 1) (bonus track)
26. Toys For (Version 2) (bonus Track)
More news for Buck Owens
- 04/11/19: Final Owens singles set from Capitol announced
- 06/14/18: Final Owens Capitol recording finally sees light of day - four decades later
- 03/22/18: Owens singles set readies for release
- 06/23/17: Yoakam, Owens ACL sets see light of day
- 11/04/13: Buck autobiography drops Tuesday
- 06/05/13: Gill, Franklin pay tribute to Buck, The Hag with new CD
- 11/21/12: Owens, Flatt and Scruggs, Charles songs enter Grammy hall
- 08/23/11: Early Buck Owens recordings coming out
CD reviews for Buck Owens
When the hits stop coming, country labels move on; loyalty is fleeting, never mind 19 number 1 hits (14 consecutive), more than 40 Top 10 songs, and 15 years with a label. Buck Owens found that out in the mid-'70s as his contract with Capitol was coming to an end, and the label shelved his final album of new material.
Unheard since that time except through the expansive Bear Family box-set "Tall Dark Stranger," these recordings hold interest for those who appreciate encountering ...
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