Buck Owens and the Buckaroos

[ping-ping-clicka]

Yeah, that's me always late to the party and forgetting to wear his britches, blush
I feel compelled to do some serious listening to Buck Owens and the Buckaroos because I think I may have missed out on a huge part of my cultural heritage and musical enjoyment.

And.. the clean tones of the telecaster are something I've overlooked as I drifted hypnotised by my love of the contained rage and fury of distorted guitar tones, which my Teles have no trouble providing.
The other day while playing as the haze of long term covid infection rises, I was using my Faux Amps to listen to my mini strat. The Princeton, Deluxe and Twin flavors, all clean and spellbinding in all their synthetic glory.
Wow ! palm slaps forehead and mutters is surprise , muttering "buh-duh" almost falling off the stool that I was sitting on.
I'm happy as a clam having some new subjects to explore, yummy more brain candy, all stimulated by my long term dedication to slide guitar.

 

[blue metalflake]

If you’ve not immersed your self in buckaroo world, you’re missing a huge slice of telecaster heaven.
This was the sound that hooked me on Teles, before I knew what guitar they used.
Lots available on utube

 

[dlew919]

https://www.toppermost.co.uk/buck-owens/

here’s an article I did. Hope you enjoy.

 

[Bob M]

Buck and Don Rich were the epitome of the Bakersfield Sound. More so than Merle Haggard (absolutely no offense to Merle). Watch Buck’s TV shows on YouTube. Live music and Don Rich’s playing and harmony singing are worth the price of admission. I’m going for another coffee and back to the TV to watch some this morning.

 

[Maicobmw]

Don Rich was THE MAN.

 

[tery]

 

[985plowboy]

Don Rich
Nuff said

 

[maxvintage]

As a kid I only knew about Buck Owens through Hee Haw, which growing up in Philly I thought was the most ridiculous mass of corny lameness ever assembled. There was Buck a' pickin' and a grinnin. UGH. It seemed undignified and shallow and show-bizzy. Too much mugging for the camera

Later I was able to hear those songs more clearly and appreciate what was going on. To me the best part is the vocal harmonies--he and Don Rich had a really distinctive blend.

I play The Buckaroos in class a lot for a generation of students that never saw "Hee Haw" and understand "country" as modern country, and they sound extremely fresh and effective to them.

 

[blue metalflake]

Don & Buck represent what a Tele is all about, clean sound, really effective and what they do is much cleverer than you think at first listen

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

If you’ve not immersed your self in buckaroo world, you’re missing a huge slice of telecaster heaven.
This was the sound that hooked me on Teles, before I knew what guitar they used.
Lots available on utube

Thank you for your assuring direction. I am heartertened .

I

 

[Mike M]

HUGE influence on John Lennon and The Beatles : I'll Cry Instead, I'm a Loser, Baby's in Black, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party.

And that's before they covered "Act Naturally"

 

[craigs63]

HUGE influence on John Lennon and The Beatles : I'll Cry Instead, I'm a Loser, Baby's in Black, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party.

And that's before they covered "Act Naturally"

You missed "I Feel Fine"! I think they'd heard this one a few times before "writing" that one.

 

[EdgarHF]

As a kid I only knew about Buck Owens thought Hee Haw, which growing up in Philly I thought was the most ridiculous mass of corny lameness ever assembled. There was Buck a' pickin' and a grinnin. UGH. It seemed undignified and shallow and show-bizzy. Too much mugging for the camera

Later I was able to hear those songs more clearly and appreciate what was going on. To me the best part is the vocal harmonies--he and Don Rich had a really distinctive blend.

I play The Buckaroos in class a lot for a generation of students that never saw "Hee Haw" and understand "country" as modern country, and they sound extremely fresh and effective to them.

Accept for the amazing guitar work, which alone is worth the price of their albums, I still feel the same way you once did. I don't, though, let it distract me from enjoying their work. I feel the same way about Marty Robbins and his Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs album, to me it's 50's corny but again amazing guitar work.

 

[buster poser]

The Beatles had the first songs I remember singing, but Buck was the first person I can remember seeing with a guitar. Hee-Haw was must-see TV for us before I could read. Still didn't experience the '60s Buckaroos til much later, when Dwight Yoakam sort of reminded everyone a living legend was still alive in the late 80s.

Every guy in that group was top notch, Cantu, Holly, Tom Brumley and obviously Dangerous Don. Each really on top of their instrument, and absolutely no end of bouncy toe-tappers, some truly great song-writing. Don't think they get nearly enough credit for their impact.

Editing to add one of the best things on youtube. There are two other appearances you can find, but this one is my favorite/best quality:



LIVE. Unreal.

 

[aeyeq]

You missed "I Feel Fine"! I think they'd heard this one a few times before "writing" that one.

A few years back I was going down to FL to do a gig and I sent a demo I made of Mama Tried with Buckaroo stuck in the middle. We ended up doing just Mama Tried because the rehearsal time was not enough for the band to learn it.

My friend, we played together many years there from first garage bands to first bar bands - a fine guitarist still active, learned the part. He knew Buck and the Buckaroos but somehow had not heard Buckaroo.

Later he told me “I can‘t stop playing this thing.”

 

[slauson slim]

Willie Cantu, drummer.

 

[SuprHtr]

Probably in 3rd grade, long before Heehaw, I heard the Buckaroos on some variety show and was hooked. Later my tastes shifted (Cream, Led Zeppelin, Mountain, etc.) and I forgot how much I liked Buck Owens. One great thing about him was his self-deprecating sense of humor. I recently saw a video of an performance where the band donned Beatle wigs as a joke. Beatles and Buckaroos had a mutual admiration society going, no question, and that still impresses me.

 

[Wrighty]

Buck and Don Rich were the epitome of the Bakersfield Sound. More so than Merle Haggard (absolutely no offense to Merle). Watch Buck’s TV shows on YouTube. Live music and Don Rich’s playing and harmony singing are worth the price of admission. I’m going for another coffee and back to the TV to watch some this morning.

Buckaroo, first instrumental that hooked me.

 

[davidge1]

Buck Owens had kind of a musical vision for his band. He was after a specific sound and feel... something very lively. In most country music, everything is there to support the singer and the song, but my favorite artists always made the overall feel of the music and sound of the band equally important (or maybe more so) – they wanted something unique and identifiable. I think it goes back to western swing, and I don't think it's a coincidence that my favorite artists, people Buck Owens, Hank Thompson, and Waylon Jennings all came from the southwest and were either based there or the west coast.

 

[haggardfan1]

Buckaroo is one of my all time favorite songs to play--or to listen to.
Check out Marty Stuart and Cousin Kenny's version!

The Buckaroos were actually named by Merle Haggard, who played bass in the band for a while.