ARTISTS & MUSIC Owens Cohort Rich Gets Due On Anthology Project From Sundazed BY JIM BESSMAN caster guitar- playing, which was so two relationships. One was like a another life. He could read my mind, "Buckaroo," is taken from the 1965 NEW YORK- Forever revered by central to Owens' recordings from father and son; the other was like and I could read his. We were on the album "The Instrumental Hits Of Southern California country enthu- the '60s as well as the Buckaroos' brothers," Owens says. "In refer- same wavelength. Losing him, all Buck Owens & His Buckaroos." siasts for his primary role in creating own albums. But the set also show- ence to this compilation, it's a fair the thunder and lightning went out "There are instrumental cuts from Buck Owens' trademark Bakersfield cases Rich's equally outstanding and good and wonderful represen- of my music. It's never been the all the original Buckaroos albums, sound, guitarist Don Rich, who died songwriting, fiddling, harmony tation of who and what Don Rich same since -all one has to do is lis- which the set mainly draws from," in 1974, is the focus of a first -ever vocals, and occasional lead vocals. was but still so far from being com- ten to tell." says Irwin. "But it really exposes the compilation documenting his many "I sincerely believe that Don Rich plete as to what he was. As Owens recalls, Rich was an talents within his talent. If you focus contributions to Owens' band the was as much a part of the Buck "When I met Don he was 16, and exceptional fiddle player when they on his Telly and electric playing, you Buckaroos, which Rich led. Owens records as was Buck Owens," I was 28," Owens continues. "He first met but knew "little or nothing realize how awesome his flat- picking The 24 -track "Country Pickin'- says Owens, who has also claimed in was with me for 16 years, and it was about guitar." Rich soon is. So we included some The Don Rich Anthology," due Dec. the past that Rich's fatal motorcycle just uncanny. I've always said, if became more enamored acoustic flatpicking and 5 from Sundazed Music, spotlights accident essentially ended Owens' there's such a thing as reincarnation, of Owens' own estimable nylon string guitar -play- Rich's stellar silver-sparkle Tele- own musical life as well. "We had we played music together back in Telecaster guitarwork, ing, but everything is and as the two toured the stamped with the unique country together initial- Don Rich personality, ly as a duo, he not only whatever he's playing." England Embraces Brooks Affiliation learned to play the Telly Sundazed will service "but superceded me com- "Country Pickin' " to pletely," Owens says. country radio and col- With `Highways' Project On Capital "I never saw any- lege formats. "They've one-before or after - really embraced the AFTER YEARS OF TRYING to stay out of the long here because Garth held his hand' was to just step com- with his wonderful gifts," RICH (LEFT) AND OWENS Buck releases so far," shadow cast by Garth Brooks, Tyler England decid- pletely out of Garth's shadow. I could have opened adds Owens. "Maybe a says Irwin, who antici- ed last year to embrace his affiliation with the country every show Garth played. He offered it to me." But guy like Vince Gill could play guitar pates beneficial press response from superstar through a professional collaboration. In the England says he told Brooks, " `People aren't going to or sing his parts, but play fiddle? And the country, collectors', and fanzine process, the two have rekindled their friendship, and respect me if the only thing they ever see is me stand- also he had that perpetual smile. I publication sectors. There will prob- England has rediscovered his own identity as an artist. ing somewhere near you." could absolutely, emphatically, ably be an online giveaway of some England spent six years touring in the band of col- Eventually, England says, he discovered "it didn't unequivocally tell you I never met sort, he adds, and retailers will have lege buddy Brooks but stepped out on his own when matter, because whether [Garth] was in the shadows anyone who ever had a bad thing to a dedicated poster for the album and he signed a solo deal with RCA Records. He record- or not, people still expected that he was paying my say in 16 years about Don Rich. He the label's simultaneously released ed two albums for RCA-a 1995 self-titled set that way. Even fans would say, `Is Garth paying for that was just one of those gifted guys, and complete version of the classic "Buck yielded the No. 3 hit "Should've Asked Her Faster" bus for you ?' ... I'm never going to get out of the shad- people immediately liked him." Owens & The Buckaroos Live At and the underrated 1996 follow -up "Two Ways To ow of the mountain of Garth, so there is just one other The close Owens/Rich relationship, Carnegie Hall" album from 1966. Fall." Now signed to Capitol, also home to Brooks, alternative, and that's to get up on top of the mountain notes Sundazed president Bob Irwin, "Sundazed's Buck reissues in gen- England is readying the release of his first album and shout down at everybody, I guess. was "one of those friendships that eral have been so beautiful, and right for the label, "High- "One really cool happens so easily and naturally that now people are interested in and hun- ways & Dance Halls," thing about this whole once it's forged, it's hard to imagine gry for music from that era in coun- due Nov. 21. Brooks deal is that it reunited one without the other." Citing coun- try music," says Laura Cantrell, who produced the set, which a friendship that we try music authority Rich Kienzle's hosts the "Radio Thrift Shop" week- features a reworked Nashville had just misplaced for liner notes, Irwin adds that Rich's ly program at East Orange, N.J., "Should've Asked Her four or five years," instrumental mastery and bandlead- free -form station WFMU and is her- Faster" recorded as a England adds. "After I ing savvy allowed Owens the freedom self a Diesel Only recording artist. duet with labelmate left his band, he was on to truly step out as a front man. "Don Rich, in Buck's mind, was obvi- Steve Wariner. Seem the road, I was on the "Don always preferred the role of ously his equal and counterpart in and sound, and this antholo- After the RCA deal TM road, and our paths just consummate backup musician and that era ended, England moved didn't cross at all." bandleader," says Irwin. "But he had gy offers a great reference point, in is further addition to great music." his family back to Okla- by Phyllis Stark In the studio with an awesome talent, which homa but soon got a call Brooks, England was recognized in the heartfelt testimo- Rich's enduring legacy is reiterat- from Brooks. "He gave nervous at first because nials that we got from Merle Hag- ed by Owens and a more contempo- me that speech-'Hey buddy, I really feel like you "I'd been beaten down so much between my previous gard, Marty Stuart, Chris Hillman, rary protégé, Dwight Yoakam. "Not haven't had your best shot yet, and if you still want a label and radio not playing what we put out that I did- Pete Anderson, John Jorgenson, [fel- a day goes by that somebody doesn't shot at this, I think I can probably help you,'" Eng- n't know what I had to bring to the table with Garth low Buckaroo] Jim Shaw, and Buck." mention something about Don Rich," land recalls. Brooks connected England with Pat anymore. This is the most successful guy in music right Sundazed has been extensively and says Owens. "I average at least one Quigley, then president/CEO of Capitol's Nashville now, and he is putting it all on the line, in my mind, by respectfully reissuing Owens' catalog E -mail a week about him -and that's division, who quickly signed him. producing my record. What if I totally let him down over the last seven years. "It's been amazing. He still lives in the hearts But, England says, "the best part of this whole deal and I just suck? So there was a lot of pressure from wildly successful and helped break us of a lot of people." . is the fact that Garth produced it. that standpoint. But the magic of it all was once we into mainstream retail," says Irwin, Notes Yoakam, whose debt to That's not because Garth has pro- started agreeing on songs. I realized that I wasn't whose primarily archival/ reissue Owens and Rich has been so readily duced so many successful things in going into a committee meeting with the record label, label is distributed independently manifested in his music and the con- his life-this is the first product he's asking them what songs I could cut -it was just me worldwide, with Caroline East and tributions of his guitarist/ producer gone out on a limb to produce himself. and Garth." West and Bayside handling the bulk Pete Anderson,' Don Rich's harmony - But the magic of me and Garth is sim- England says he gave input into nearly every aspect of its domestic releases.