Jim and John Hager recorded three albums for Capitol Records: The Hagers and Two Hagers Are Better Than One in 1970, and Motherhood, Apple Pie & The Flag the following year. The identical twins also logged a staggering 135 appearances on the television staple Hee Haw between 1969 and 1985, and were a concert draw until Jim’s death in 2008—with his brother passing a mere eight months later in 2009. While all critically acclaimed, and being dubbed “the next big thing” in country music, the albums did not chart as well as expected, but those who know country music and Buck Owens, know they were something special.

The Complete Capitol Albums collects these sought-after albums, coupling them together on CD for the first time, and debuting them digitally as well. Mastered from the original analog master tape sources by Grammy winner Michael Graves, the collection was produced for release by Grammy winner Cheryl Pawelski and Grammy nominee Randy Poe - author of Buck ‘Em!: The Autobiography Of Buck Owens. In addition to photos of The Hagers, packaging contains liner notes from Poe, as well.

From Randy Poe’s liners:

“The real reason The Hagers were never able to score a major hit on Capitol Records is impossible to say. Maybe record buyers and radio didn’t take the brothers seriously because of their frequent comedic portrayals on Hee Haw. Perhaps there was some strange stigma attached to the fact that they were twins. Maybe it was their pre-Willie long hair that turned off a late 1960s/early 1970s country audience.”

Whatever the actual reason The Hagers failed to sell records in droves, it certainly wasn’t because of a lack of talent. The songs were strong; the production was solid; and the vocals were spot-on.