This is a significant find for any country music collector.  Owens' self-titled debut album, released on the La Brea label.

Release History

• Original Release: 1960/1961.

• Significance: This is his true debut album. Most people associate Buck Owens with Capitol Records, but this La Brea release (Catalog #L-8017 for Mono, actually predates his Capitol debut by about a year.

Interesting Album Facts

• The "Other" Debut: Because Buck moved to Capitol shortly after this, they also titled his first Capitol album Buck Owens (1961), which often confuses collectors. The La Brea version features his earlier, raw "Bakersfield Sound" style.

• The Rare Label: La Brea was a small Los Angeles label. Because they didn't have the massive distribution of Capitol, original pressings of this specific album are much harder to find in the wild.

• Bakersfield Roots: This album captures Buck at a pivotal moment before he became a household name on Hee Haw. It includes early versions of tracks like "Down on the Corner of Love" and "House Down the Block."