VIA PRESS RELEASE | More than a half century after Buck Owens and the Buckaroos took the stage at Las Vegas’ legendary Mint Hotel and Casino, a remarkable document of the band at the height of its powers is finally seeing the light of day. At The Mint, Las Vegas, 1968, a previously unreleased, professionally recorded live album sourced from the long-lost original Capitol Records reels will be released on October 23 via Sundazed Music. The album is now available for pre-order.
At The Mint, Las Vegas 1968 is a revelation, considering Owens was a man who rarely left worthwhile recordings sitting in a vault. Famously prolific throughout the 1960s, he put his recordings from the era to good use.
Yet somehow, an entire professionally recorded performance by Owens and one of the greatest lineups of the Buckaroos remained unreleased and largely unknown for nearly six decades.
The set finds Owens joined by Don Rich, Doyle Holly, Tom Brumley, and Jerry Wiggins, tearing through hits and deeper cuts with the precision, energy and unmistakable Bakersfield sound that made the Buckaroos one of the most formidable country bands of their generation. At The Mint is more than a newly discovered Buck Owens concert. The tapes preserve the evening virtually as it happened, offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of a live album in 1968.
Beginning with legendary country broadcaster Ralph Emery warming up the audience and continuing through his closing thanks, the recording captures stage banter, between-song exchanges, and candid moments that almost certainly would have disappeared had Capitol prepared the tapes for release at the time. The unfiltered quality gives the album an intimate look into an unreleased concert from one of country music’s most iconic artists.
