Announcing the Vinyl Debut of Tulare Dust: A Songwriters’ Tribute to Merle Haggard

HighTone Records is proud to launch its reissue series with the first-ever vinyl pressing of TULARE DUST: A SONGWRITERS’ TRIBUTE TO MERLE HAGGARD. Originally released in 1994, this landmark collection reimagines Haggard’s songs through the voices of Americana’s finest, including Lucinda Williams, Joe Ely, Dwight Yoakam, Dave Alvin, Iris DeMent, and more.

Merle Haggard (1937–2016) remains one of country music’s greatest artists, with a career that spanned more than five decades. A pioneer of the Bakersfield sound, Haggard drew on jazz, blues, folk, and country influences to craft a distinctive style, while his lyrics reflected the stark realities of working-class American life. Despite widespread acclaim, his songwriting was often overshadowed by his larger-than-life persona.

In 1994, Tom Russell and Dave Alvin set out to change that perception by gathering a wide range of artists to highlight Haggard’s songwriting—what they described in the liner notes as “one of the most important bodies of contemporary American musical work.”

Reflecting on the project, co-producer Dave Alvin recalls:

“When Tom Russell and I started discussing a tribute album to Merle Haggard, our thoughts were to put the focus on Merle’s excellent, and at that time, under-appreciated songwriting. To us, his country music stardom and complex personal mythology had perhaps made most people not realize that he was one of the great songwriters in the history of American roots music. To make this point, we invited artists from a wide musical spectrum—well-known to obscure, raw to polished, quiet to loud—to contribute. These artists’ unique styles mixed all of these American roots approaches together, just like Merle Haggard’s songs had. Tom and I have always been proud of this album, and especially proud that Merle approved.”

Russell and Alvin not only served as executive producers but also appeared as performers, bookending the album’s 15 tracks: Russell opens with a dustbowl medley, while Alvin closes with a moving rendition of “Kern River” (1985).

Other highlights include:

• Lucinda Williams – “You Don’t Have Very Far to Go” (1964)
• Dwight Yoakam – “Holding Things Together” (1974)
• Joe Ely – “White Line Fever” (1969)
• Iris DeMent – “Big City” (1982), a performance Haggard praised for its depth
• Billy Joe Shaver – “Ramblin’ Fever” (1977)
• Robert Earl Keen with The Sunshine Boys – “Daddy Frank” (No.1, 1971)
• Rosie Flores – “My Own Kind of Hat” (1979)
• Katy Moffatt – “I Can’t Be Myself” (1970)
• Steve Young – “Shopping for Dresses” (1982)
• Peter Case – “A Working Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today” (1977)
• Marshall Crenshaw – “Silver Wings” (1969)
• Barrence Whitfield – “Irma Jackson” (1972)
• John Doe (of X) – “I Can’t Hold Myself in Line” (1969)

Upon release, Tulare Dust was embraced by fans and critics alike—including Haggard himself. Americana UK hailed it as “a great tribute to a true legend.” AllMusic noted, “Every composition radiates with Haggard’s honesty, eye for detail, and strong point of view,” while the Los Angeles Times praised it as “loving and sensitive.”

Pre-Order here