VA - The Bakersfield Sound, Country Music Capital Of The West 1940-1974 [2019] (10 x CDs)

BAKERSFIELD SOUND

VA - The Bakersfield Sound, Country Music Capital Of The West 1940-1974 [2019] (10 x CDs)

Buck Owens turned Bakersfield, California into the epicenter of hip country music in the mid-'60s. All it took was a remarkable streak of number one singles that steam rolled right through Nashville with their electrified twang, forever changing the notion of what constituted country music and codifying the Bakersfield sound as hard-driving rhythms, trebly Telecasters, and lean arrangements suited for honky tonks, beer joints, and jukeboxes all across America. Half-a-century later, these remain sonic signifiers of Bakersfield, so the term no longer conveys a specific sound, place, and era, a situation the weighty Bear Family box The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West 1940-1974 intends to rectify.

The subtitle of the ten-CD set indicates the intent of Scott B. Bomar, author of the box's weighty hardcover book and the compilation's co-producer: He aims to document a particular period of the past, one that still echoes in the present but is best appreciated as a moment in time. The Bakersfield Sound isn't designed as a snapshot of a scene but rather a full immersion. Many of the biggest singles from Owens and Merle Haggard, the two titans of Bakersfield Country, are side-stepped in favor of deep cuts, demos, and live cuts, selections that help give familiar tunes a fresh kick; when surrounded by music from fellow travelers, including many names that are fairly obscure, they regain their original vitality. Context is the reason why The Bakersfield Sound seems so alive as a listening experience, the other is pacing. Sequenced chronologically -- the great exception is the tenth disc, which rounds up a bunch of rougher broadcast and live tapes, along with other working variations -- The Bakersfield Sound provides an excellent prehistory to Buck's Big Bang of the '60s, setting the scene with a clutch of migrant worker field recordings from the early '40s before settling into a bunch of western swing and country boogie. Between the wild rhythms of the Maddox Brothers & Rose and the jumping blues of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys lie the seeds of not only Owens and Haggard, but all their peers and predecessors, including Tommy Collins and Wynn Stewart. As the discs roll on, the aforementioned artists are a constant presence, but so is the king of truck driving country Red Simpson, along with such local draws as Billy Mize and Faye Hardin, each adapting to the subtly shifting sounds of the time. By the middle of disc four, The Bakersfield Sound hits its stride, alternating between these foundational figures and obscure names who nevertheless cut a few 45s that sound as sweet as anything else on the box: Mize's "Gentle on My Mind," "Make It Rain," and Johnny Campbell's galloping "Mr. Conscience" are proof of that. By the second half, it becomes quite clear that the sound of Bakersfield wasn't confined to its city limits, nor was it strictly about the train-track rhythms and hot-shot picking of the Buckaroos. It was an expansive, imaginative American music, building upon country traditions by relying on new technology and singing about modern concerns. Within his book, Bomar traces the origins of the place, the artists, and the tracks, all of which are welcome, but the highest testament to The Bakersfield Sound is that as a collection of songs, it plays like the jukebox of any country music fan's dreams. (AMG review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Please note: Due to a legal claim just prior to the release date, eight songs have been removed from the CDs (replaced by a brief silence). These songs are still listed in the book. Copies also seem to exist on which these songs are present. The removed songs are 5-6, 5-7, 10-7, 10-8, 10-9, 10-10, 10-11, 10-26

==========================================================

ALL 

or

ALL 

==========================================================

Track lists

CD1

01 Lloyd Stalcup - The Cotton Picker's Song 0:55

02 Homer Pierce - Darlin' Baby 1:36

03 Jack Bryant - Sunny Cal 1:35

04 Mary Sullivan - Sunny California 0:59

05 Wayne Dinwiddle - Home In The Government Camp 1:05

06 King Family - Get Along Down To Town 3:01

07 Lloyd Reading - Home In San Antone 2:35

08 Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - Opening Theme Seven Come Eleven 3:24

09 Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - Get Along Home Cindy 2:47

10 Elwin Cross & His Arizona Wranglers - Back In Dear Old Oklahoma 3:38

11 Maddox Brothers And Rose - Okie Boogie 2:21

12 Bob Manning - Reading Your Letter With Tears In My Eyes 2:01

13 Leon Payne - Lost Highway 2:42

14 Tex Marshall & Bill Woods - Hittin' The Trail 3:02

15 Leo 'tex' Butler - When The Leaves Come Tumbling Down 2:49

16 Bill Woods & His Orange Blossom Boys (vocal By Cliff Crofford) - Have I Got A Chance With You 2:48

17 The Maddox Brothers And Rose - Water Baby Blues (Aka Water Baby Boogie) 2:09

18 Terry Preston - (A Pretty Woman Is A) Deadly Weapon 2:19

19 Terry Preston - I Want You So 2:29

20 Herb Henson - Funny Book 2:21

21 Jimmy Thomason - Honey Baby 1:48

22 Jimmy Thomason - Your Love Was Like The Weather 3:01

23 Hillbilly Barton - You Made Me Love You 2:21

24 Ebb Pilling & His Ozark Squirrel Shooters - Ozark Polka 2:29

25 Bill Woods & His Orange Blossom Playboys (vocal By Hillbilly Barton) - A Heart Break Ago 2:35

26 Fuzzy & Bonnie Owens - A Dear John Letter 2:37

27 Bill Woods & Rita Goodwin - A Dear John Letter 2:38

28 Billy Mize With Bill Woods & Hhis Orange Blossom Playboys - Pusan 2:16

29 Ferlin Husky - Hank's Song 3:14

30 Joe Maphis & Rose Lee - Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music) 2:58

31 Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky - A Dear John Letter 2:31

CD02

01 Tommy Collins - You Better Not Do That 2:30

02 Dallas Frazier - Ain't You Had No Bringin' Up At All 2:46

03 Bud Hobbs - Louisiana Swing 2:25

04 Forest Lee & Clete Stewart - When I Hold You 1:49

05 Buck Owens - Down On The Corner Of Love 2:23

06 Dave Stogner & His Western Rhythmaires (vocal By Al Brumley) - Stepping Stones 2:32

07 Herb Henson & Joyce Yours - Out Of Line 2:37

08 Semie Moseley - When The Saints Go Marching In 3:18

09 Jean Shepard - Take Possession 2:43

10 Farmer Boys - It Pays To Advertise 2:53

11 Wynn Stewart - Why Do I Love You So 2:07

12 Tommy Duncan - Crazy Mixed Up Kid 2:36

13 Johnny Taylor - Sad Sad Saturday Night 3:04

14 Wanda Jackson - I Gotta Know 2:30

15 Billy Mize - Who Will Buy The Wine 2:36

16 Al Coker With The Coker Family - Baby I Like Your Style 2:06

17 Louise Duncan - Wherever You Are 2:32

18 Sid Silver - Bumble Rumble 2:03

19 Andy Morris - I Need Her Love 1:42

20 Dusty Payne - I Want You 2:23

21 Fuzzy Owen - Your Every Thing (I Wish That She Could Be) 2:20

22 Bonnie Blue Bell - I Never Thought 2:17

23 Jan Howard - What Time Tomorrow 2:25

24 George Rich - Drivin' Away My Blues 2:10

25 Bill Woods - Ask Me No Questions 2:20

26 Fuzzy Owen - Beware Of A Stranger 2:19

27 Skeets Mcdonald - Keep Her Off Your Mind 2:33

28 Dave Stogner - Yes Sir 2:18

29 Harlan Howard - Fun On The Freeway 2:44

30 Cliff Crofford - A Night For Love 2:07

31 Farmer Boys - Someone To Love 2:41

32 Buck Owens - Come Back To Me 2:18

CD03

01 Reuben Chapman With Coy Baker & His Band - I'm Sorry Too 2:24

02 Don Thompson With Coy Baker & His Band - Empty Days And Lonely Nights 3:00

03 Phil Brown - You're A Luxury 2:07

04 Unknown, Possibly Skeets Mcdonald - Steady Lovin' 1:45

05 Johnny Bond - I Like That Kind 2:12

06 Henry Sharp - Crazy Moon 1:55

07 Gene Martin With The Desert Stars - Pair Of Empty Arms 2:51

08 Herb Henson - You'al Come 2:10

09 Lewis Talley - Letters Have No Arms 2:46

10 Buck Owens - Second Fiddle 2:07

11 Billy Mize & Cliff Crofford - When 1:26

12 Billy Mize - You Can't Take Your Love Outta This Boy 1:44

13 Billy Kaundart - I Removed Your Ring 2:04

14 Larry Bryant - Keep Right On Tryin' 2:00

15 Buck Owens - Tired Of Livin' 2:03

16 Joe Hall - Cold Hearted Woman 2:26

17 Owen Charles - Stage Coach 2:20

18 Rip Goodman And Marcia - If I Could Only Tell You 2:49

19 George Latta - Our Hearts 2:19

20 Buck Owens - Til These Dreams Come True 2:30

21 Billy & Cliff - Living Up To My Name 2:49

22 Don Markham & The Marksmen - Goose, Pt. 1 2:19

23 Bonnie Owens - Just For The Children's Sake 2:21

24 Wally Lewis - My Baby Walks All Over Me 2:29

25 Wynn Stewart - Playboy 2:23

26 Al Brumley - Someone's Gonna Get Hurt 2:18

27 Jackie Kelley - Door Of Temptation 2:05

28 Jelly Sanders - Fiddlin' Country Style 1:49

29 Buck Owens & Rose Maddox - Loose Talk 2:34

30 Jimmy Patton - What Will I Do (With All These Memories) 2:34

31 Tommy Dee - Loving You (On Someone Elses' Time) 2:55

32 Custer Bottoms & Jack And Jerry - Why Tell Me 2:32

CD04

01 Buck Owens - King Of Fools 2:53

02 Marksmen - Scratch 2:11

03 Jerry Cornelius & The Golden Eagles - It's My Turn To Cry 2:43

04 Wayne Morris - I Can't Stop Lovin' 2:12

05 Wayne Morris - I Pretend 2:42

06 Bill Woods - Truck Drivin' Man 2:19

07 Billy Bledsoe - My Last Night In Town 2:04

08 Leon Hart - New Home Sweet Home 2:23

09 Kenny Hays - Crossing My Fingers 2:18

10 Kenny Hays - Foolish Notions 2:16

11 Georgia Lynn - On Your Wedding Day 2:55

12 Tommy Lewis - Go Where You Wanta Go 2:25

13 Vancie Flowers - Private Party 2:06

14 Buck Owens - There's Gonna Come A Day 2:17

15 Anita Cross - Why Should I Cry Again 2:05

16 Bonnie Owens - Waggin' Tongues 2:23

17 Rollie Weber - Painting The Town 2:05

18 Johnny Barnett - Second Fiddle 2:22

19 Johnny Barnett - Too Old To Hurt 2:31

20 Merle Haggard - Skid Row 1:45

21 Bill Meyers - Good/Bye Mr. Blues 2:08

22 Buck Owens - If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' 2:04

23 Bill Bledsoe - Tell Me Why 2:39

24 Bob Morris - Put Your Arms Around Him 2:24

25 Roy Nichols - Silver Bells 2:12

26 Buck Owens - Act Naturally (Live) 2:55

27 Merle Haggard - Life In Prison 2:26

28 Bobby Durham - My Past Is Present 2:53

29 Bobby Durham - Queen Of Snob Hill 2:21

30 Vancie And Rita - Tears In My Beer 2:11

31 Rose Stassi - Out Of My Mind 2:20

CD05

01 Buck Owens - Close Up The Honky Tonks 2:52

02 Merle Haggard & Bonnie Owens - Slowly But Surely 2:23

03 Bob Hortter - Working Overtime 2:05

04 Jim Witlock - S.O.S. 1:50

05 Buck Owens - Fallin' For You 1:59

06 Merle Haggard - If I Had Left It Up To You (Deleted) 0:04

07 Merle Haggard - I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can (Tally Records Version, Deleted) 0:04

08 Merle Haggard - I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can (Capitol Records Version) 2:02

09 Tommy Duncan - I Wish I Hadn't Called You 2:55

10 Jim Ward - Red Wine 3:10

11 Lewis Talley - More Wine, More Women, More Song 2:01

12 Merle Haggard & Bonnie Owens - I'll Take A Chance 2:03

13 Don Rich & The Buckaroos - I'm Layin' It On The Line 2:29

14 Buck Owens - There Never Was A Fool 2:13

15 Doyle Holly & The Buckaroos - After You Leave Me 2:28

16 Dee Mize (aka Buddy Mize) - Just Leave My World Alone 1:42

17 Billy Mize - Walking My Fool 1:58

18 Liz Anderson - (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers 2:29

19 Tommy Collins - If You Can't Bite Don't Growl 2:03

20 Jeanie O'neal - Alcohol And Tears 2:58

21 Bobby Durham - Home Is Where I Hang My Head 2:32

22 Red Simpson - Jeannie With The Light Brown Cadillac 2:20

23 Merle Haggard - Swinging Doors (Alternate Take) 2:55

24 Kay Adams - Roll Out The Red Carpet 2:13

25 Dick Curless & Kay Adams - Old Standby 2:28

26 Buck Owens - House Of Memories 2:59

27 Buck Owens - Tiger By The Tail (Live At Carnegie Hall) 2:27

28 Vicki Lester - Fool Me Again 2:29

29 Ray Salter - The Bad Guy Gets The Girl 3:02

30 Billy Mize - Pappy Was A Clever Man 2:53

31 Jeanie O'neal - Correspondence Course In Love 2:26

CD06

01 Bobby Austin - Apartment #9 2:52

02 Buck Owens - Open Up Your Heart 2:31

03 Dick Curless - A Good Job Huntin' And Fishin' 1:59

04 Gary Paxton - Goin' Thru The Motions 2:21

05 Red Simpson - I'm Actin' Like My Old Self Again 2:49

06 Kay Adams - Little Pink Mack 2:12

07 Doyle Holly - The Dumb Thing 2:12

08 Merle Haggard - Someone Told My Story 2:35

09 Red Simpson - Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves 2:37

10 Barbara Mandrell - Queen For A Day 2:28

11 Ronnie Sessions - I Guess You're Finally Satisfied 3:17

12 Merle Haggard - Mixed Up Mess Of A Heart 2:10

13 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis - A Lifetime Of Love 2:45

14 Del And Sue Smart - I'm So Mad At Me 2:11

15 Merle Haggard - Drink Up And Be Somebody 2:31

16 Buckaroos - You'll Never Miss The Water (Til The Well Runs Dry) 2:18

17 Bob Morris - The First Thing I Think Of 2:18

18 Faye Hardin - Only The Strong Can Survive 2:41

19 Merle Haggard - You Don't Have Very Far To Go 2:20

20 Bobby Austin - I'm Not Looking For An Angel 2:38

21 Buckaroos - Chicken Pickin' 2:09

22 Doyle Holly & The Buckaroos - A Foolish Notion 2:35

23 Merle Haggard - I Made The Prison Band 2:32

24 Oscar Whittington - 50 Year Waltz 1:39

25 Del And Sue Smart - Love That Just Won't Stop 2:13

26 Gosdin Brothers - Hangin' On 2:53

27 Suzi Arden - Who Do You Go To 2:37

28 Ronnie Sessions - There Never Was A Fool 2:10

29 Merle Haggard - Where Does The Good Times Go 2:05

30 Joe Maphis - Pickin' And Guitin' 1:44

31 Rose Lee Maphis - Country Girl Courtship 2:21

32 Wayne Wilson - I'd Rather Be Hurt By You 2:28

CD07

01 Buck Owens - The Heartaches Have Just Started 2:13

02 Gene Moles - Fingerlickin' 1:46

03 Al Brumley - I'm Goin' Crazy 2:34

04 Bill Handy With Jelly Sanders Combo - Don't Leave Me Cryin' 2:25

05 Leo Stephens - Walking In My Sleep Crying Over You 2:20

06 Tom Rose - It's Over 2:21

07 Buck Owens And Buddy Alan - Let The World Keep On A Turnin' 2:03

08 Merle Haggard - Too Many Bridges To Cross Over 2:28

09 Dean Sanford - Too Young To Grow Old Over You 2:19

10 Tommy Wiggins - Calling All Lovers 2:05

11 Larry Daniels & The Buckshots - Buckshot 2:50

12 Bonnie Owens - Lead Me On 2:33

13 Leon Copeland - I'm Out Of My Mind 2:16

14 Clarence White - Buckaroo 1:59

15 Sanland Brothers - Vaccination For The Blues 1:52

16 Red Simpson - You Put My World Back Together 1:58

17 Strangers (merle Haggrad) - Hammin' It Up 2:33

18 Bob Ross - Lucy Clowers 2:16

19 Ronnie Sessions - (I Used To Live) The Life Of Riley 1:57

20 Barbara Cheatwood - Married Man 2:54

21 Billy Mize - Make It Rain 2:45

22 Cliff Crofford - Mention My Name 2:11

23 Buck Owens - Sam's Place (Live In London) 1:57

24 Merle Haggard - California Cottonfields 2:49

25 Rodney Lay - Not Going Back To Jackson 2:20

26 Glenda Blackwell - I Want To Live In Your House 2:33

27 Tom Tall - Pitty Pitty Patter 2:21

28 Judy Hall - My Old Used To Be 2:29

29 Ira Allen - Love Is Me 1:59

30 Faye Hardin - Mistakes I've Made 2:16

31 Harold Cox & The Sooners - Pumpkin Center 2:15

32 Jerry Dallas - Tears Of Joy (Are A-Croppin' Out On Me) 2:11

33 Stan Farlow - Devil River 2:06

CD08

01 Merle Haggard - Mama Tried (Live) 2:16

02 Strangers - Stealin' Corn 2:04

03 Truitt Cunningham - Forgive And Forget 2:15

04 Buck Owens & Susan Raye - Cryin' Time 2:48

05 Buck Owens - Bring Back My Peace Of Mind 2:41

06 Sanland Brothers - Cowboy Convention 3:01

07 Don Rich & The Buckaroos - Guitar Pickin' Man 2:27

08 Don Rich - Your Heart Turned Left (And I Was On The Right) 2:10

09 Buddy Alan - A Whole Lot Of Somethin' 2:49

10 Merle Haggard - I'm A Good Loser 2:42

11 Bobby Wayne & The Stangers - California On My Mind 2:47

12 Buck Owens - Reno Lament 2:46

13 Hagers - Your Tender Loving Care 2:39

14 Henry Sharpe - There Is No Easy Way 2:34

15 Lewis Talley - Because You Can't Be Mine 2:25

16 Mike Beagles - She Don't Care Now 3:16

17 Dave Price - Night Life Is My Weakness 2:35

18 Merle Haggard - Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man) 3:14

19 Sharon Haley - Heartbreak Mountain 2:24

20 Mayf Nutter - Never Ending Song Of Love 2:37

21 Tony Booth - Cinderella 2:21

22 Red Simpson - I'm A Truck 3:11

23 Johnny Campbell - Mr. Conscience 1:50

24 Vancie Flowers - How Dark Is My Journey 2:47

25 Merle Haggard - Bring It On Down To My House 2:39

26 Kenni Huskey - Number One Heel 2:14

27 Sonny Anglin - Today's Tomorrow's Yesterday 2:13

28 Merle Haggard - I'm Tired Of Your Understanding Ways 2:21

29 Kenny Vernon - I Bought The Shoes (That Just Walked Out On Me) 2:31

CD09

01 Buck Owens - Arms Full Of Empty 2:25

02 Susan Raye - Love Sure Feels Good In My Heart 2:54

03 Homer Joy - Streets Of Bakersfield 2:29

04 Merle Haggard - I Know An Ending When It Comes 3:12

05 Buck Owens - Something's Wrong 2:49

06 Doyle Singer With The Buckaroos - Young Widow Brown 2:56

07 Tide Cartwright - Cheater's Ground 2:13

08 Blackjack Duran - I Laid Back Down 2:15

09 Arlo Guthrie - This Troubled Mind Of Mine 2:29

10 Merle Haggard - The Emptiest Arms In The World 2:56

11 Kenny Johnson With The Country Mile - Beer Drinkers Of America Unite 2:21

12 Buck Owens & Susan Raye - Sweethearts In Heaven 2:31

13 Laurel Lee - Mountain Of Fortune And Fame 2:55

14 Red Simpson - Bill Woods From Bakersfield 2:36

15 Thad Tillotson - Good Ole Country Sound 2:20

16 Freddie Hart - If You Can't Feel It (It Ain't There) 2:07

17 Carlyle Graham - Foolish Man 2:37

18 Kay Austin - The Lord Rested On Sunday 2:30

19 Cliff Crofford - Every Time I Hear The Fiddle Play 3:00

20 Merle Haggard - Holding Things Together 3:01

21 David Frizzell - I'm The Bartender's Best Friend 2:38

22 Lawanda Lindsey - I Ain't Hangin' Around 2:35

23 Toby Keeney - Going Back To Oklahoma 1:39

24 Walt Pascoe - That Little Glass Of Milk 2:43

25 Roger Spanke - Betty Jane 2:01

26 Sandy Thomas - Antique In My Closet 2:49

27 Dennis Payne - Do You Believe In Me 2:15

28 Debi Hawkins - Teach Me How To Love 3:17

29 Merle Haggard - Mirrors Don't Lie 3:08

30 Tony Booth - A Different Kind Of Sad 2:35

CD10

01 Buck Owens & His Buckaroos - Y'all Come - Tall Dark Stranger (Live) 3:25

02 Tony Booth & The Buckaroos - Lonesome 7-7203 (Live) 2:06

03 Buddy Alan & The Buckaroos - Fishin' On The Mississippi (Live) 2:42

04 Susan Raye & The Buckaroos - L.A. International Airport (Live) 2:03

05 Buck Owens & His Buckaroos - Johnny B. Goode (Live) 4:44

06 Bonnie Owens - Number One Heel (Take 14) 2:13

07 Merle Haggard - If I Had Left It Up To You (Take 4, Deleted) 0:04

08 Merle Haggard - If I Had Left It Up To You (False Starts, Deleted) 0:04

09 Merle Haggard - If I Had Left It Up To You (False Starts, Deleted) 0:04

10 Merle Haggard - I'm Not Looking For An Angel (Demo, Deleted) 0:04

11 Merle Haggard - Second Fiddle (Demo, Deleted) 0:04

12 Vancie Flowers & Rita Lane - Strange 2:29

13 Vancie Flowers & Rita Lane - Tears In My Beer 1:58

14 Billy Mize - Misery 2:24

15 Billy Mize - The Name Of The Game Is Heartaches 3:02

16 Red Simpson - I'd Be A Good Time Charlie 1:56

17 Red Simpson - Fit For A King 1:46

18 Johnny Barnett - Which One Is To Blame 3:34

19 Junior Stonebarger With Jelly Sanders Band - Release Me 2:38

20 Fuzzy Owen With Bill Woods' Band - My Ears Should Burn (When Fools Are Talked About) 3:04

21 Bill Woods With Don Rich - Truck Drivin' Man 2:32

22 Tommy Collins - Be Serious Ann 4:14

23 Joe & Rose Lee Maphis - Christmas Time's A Comin' 2:42

24 Lewis Talley - Blue Christmas 2:49

25 Louise Lovett - Lonely Christmas Call 2:32

=============================================================

=============================================================