Three will be rolled out once a month through summer

The year 2022 marks 65 years since Roger Miller first burst onto the Nashville songwriter’s scene in 1957 with his big break when then-rising country star George Jones recorded and released “Tall, Tall Trees,” which they co-wrote together on a road trip to Texas. To honor Miller’s life, legacy, and timeless music, Capitol Nashville/UMe will be making 12 of his classic albums originally released on Smash Records, Mercury Records, and MCA Records available digitally for streaming and download for the first time ever.

Beginning tomorrow (Fri, May 27th), three albums will be released once a month through August, starting with 1970’s A Trip In Country, Miller’s recordings of hit country songs he wrote for George Jones, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price and others; 1979’s Making A Name For Myself, featuring his single “The Hat” which he memorably performed on The Muppet Show, and 1985’s eponymous Roger Miller, featuring his recording of “River In The Rain” which he wrote for the seven Tony Award-winning play, Big River; and his last-ever single, “Some Hearts Get All The Breaks.”

Releases will be staggered through August, including three of Miller’s biggest records: 1964’s Roger And Out (later to become known as Dang Me) and 1965’s The Return Of Roger Miller and The 3rd Time Around. Miller’s Gold-certified debut, Roger And Out, made him a household name with his first No. 1 country song and Top 10 pop crossover hit, “Dang Me,” which along with the hit single, “Chug-A-Lug,” garnered him his first five Grammys, including Best Country Song; Best Country and Western Recording, Single; Best Country and Western Performance, Male; Best Country and Western Album; and Best New Country and Western Artist.

His 1965 follow-up, The Return Of Roger Miller, also quickly went Gold on the power of his signature song, “King of the Road,” the Top 40 hit “Do-Wacka-Do,” and the beloved novelty tune, “You Can’t Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd.” In addition to “King of the Road” hitting the top of the Country and Adult Contemporary chart in the US and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, it also went to No. 1 in the UK, and was awarded five Grammys in both the Country and Rock categories. The album, meanwhile, took home the Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Album.

Miller’s third LP and second of 1965, The 3rd Time Around, continued his ascent to pop and country stardom giving him a No. 1 country album, that also soared to No. 13 on the Billboard 200, as a result of the four unforgettable singles: the Top 10 crossover hit, “Engine Engine #9,” and the country Top 10 hits, the “One Dyin’ And A Buryin’” and “Kansas City Star,” plus the melancholy “The Last Word In Lonesome Is Me,” which went on to become a hit for Eddy Arnold the following year and a decade later became a surprising hit for football great Terry Bradshaw.

The digital album releases will also include Miller 1966’s Words And Music, with the four notable singles “Husbands And Wives,” which peaked at No. 5 on the country chart and No. 26 on the Hot 100; the Top 20 hit, “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’ (But I’ll Be a Long Time Gone);” and the tracks “My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died” and Miller’s take on Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel;” his two albums from 1967, Walkin’ In The Sunshine, with the top 10 country title track; and Waterhole #3 (Code Of The West), the soundtrack to the James Coburn-starring Western comedy film of the same name which saw Miller collaborating with jazz composers Dave Grusin and Robert Wells for an orchestrated pop-western style exemplified in the Top 200 crossover hit, “The Ballad of Waterhole #3 (Code of the West).”

The releases will be rounded out with 1968’s romantic-themed A Tender Look At Love, featuring Miller’s covers of songs like “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” “Gentle On My Mind,” and the Top 10 country hit, “Little Green Apples;” and his 1969 and 1970 self-titled albums, which continued his rein on the country charts, peaking at No. 20 and No. 33 respectively. The 1969 record features the Kris Kristofferson-penned classic, “Me And Bobby McGee,” before Kristofferson, Kenny Rogers or most notably, Janis Joplin, recorded their versions. The song peaked at No. 12 on the country chart and was one of three singles, joining “Vance” and “Where Have All The Average People Gone,” as Top 20 country hits from the album. Roger Miller 1970 includes the Top 40 country single, “The Tom Green County Fair.”

May 27

Roger Miller-1985-MCA
Making A Name For Myself
A Trip In The Country

June 24

Roger Miller 1970
Roger Miller 1969
A Tender Look At Love

July 29

Waterhole #3
Walkin’ In The Sunshine
Words and Music

August 26

The 3rd Time Around
Return Of Roger Miller
Roger And Out