About The Song
“We’re Gonna Get Together” is a duet by Buck Owens and Susan Raye from the early 1970s, released on Capitol Records during the period when Owens was actively presenting himself not just as a solo star but as the leader of a whole Bakersfield “family.” Issued as a single under both names, it gave Raye a prominent co-billing on a Buck Owens record at a time when she was already a featured singer on his TV show and concert tours. The track runs a little over two minutes and was also included on a duet LP that collected several Owens–Raye collaborations from this era.
By the time of this recording, Owens had largely shifted his studio work from Capitol’s Hollywood rooms to his own Buck Owens Studios in Bakersfield, California. Sessions there were typically produced by Owens together with longtime Capitol producer Ken Nelson, using the Buckaroos as the core band. “We’re Gonna Get Together” grew out of those Bakersfield sessions: a compact, radio-friendly performance tracked quickly with a small, well-rehearsed group. Songwriting credits on releases list Owens among the writers, reflecting his continued habit of shaping material specifically for his voice, his band and his duet partner.
The song is often grouped with other Owens–Raye duets such as “Togetherness” and “The Great White Horse.” These tracks appeared on Capitol singles and albums around the turn of the decade, making up a distinct side of his catalogue parallel to his solo hits. A duet LP built around “We’re Gonna Get Together” gathered these sides into one package, giving country listeners a fuller picture of the partnership. In that context, the title song functions as a statement of purpose: a bright, optimistic declaration that two voices and two characters are stepping out together.
Lyrically, “We’re Gonna Get Together” is straightforward and upbeat. The two singers trade lines about how life’s problems feel smaller when faced as a pair: long days, money worries and everyday disappointments are easier to handle when there is someone to share them. Each verse alternates perspectives, with Buck’s lines answered or completed by Raye’s, and the chorus returns to the promise that “we’re gonna get together” and stay that way. There is little in the way of detailed story; instead, the lyric works like a series of simple vows about sticking it out through good times and bad.
Musically, the track sits comfortably in Owens’ Bakersfield style while reflecting the slightly smoother edge of his early-’70s records. The arrangement rides on a firm backbeat with electric bass, bright Telecaster-style lead guitar and steel guitar providing short fills between vocal phrases. Piano or organ colours the background without crowding the mix. The tempo is mid-fast, close to a dance-floor shuffle, and the whole performance is kept tight and concise. Compared with heavily orchestrated Nashville productions of the same period, the sound remains lean: essentially a road band recorded cleanly, with the focus on rhythm and vocal blend.
On country radio, “We’re Gonna Get Together” gave Buck Owens and Susan Raye another presence on the charts alongside his solo hits. While it did not become as iconic as 1960s smashes like “Act Naturally” or “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail,” it logged a respectable run in the U.S. country Top 40 and helped establish the pair as a reliable duet team. For Raye, these records were especially important: they linked her directly to Owens’ established audience and paved the way for her own solo successes on Capitol in the early 1970s.
In retrospect, “We’re Gonna Get Together” stands as a representative example of how Buck Owens adapted his Bakersfield sound to a new decade. The record keeps his core elements—short songs, clear melodies, twanging guitars and unadorned production—but frames them in a duet that talks about commitment and mutual support rather than barroom trouble or straight heartbreak. For listeners exploring this era, it offers a concise snapshot of the Buck Owens–Susan Raye partnership and of the broader, ensemble-based image he projected during his early-’70s Capitol years.
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Lyric
We’re gonna get together we’re gonna get together
We’re gonna get together today
Well I’m a gonna hug and kiss ye (well honey I can’t resist ye)
We’re gonna get together today
Well now I come from the country (and I come from the city)
We’re gonna get together today
Well I like fried potatoes (and I like slice tomatoes) we’re gonna get together today
We’re gonna get together…
well I come from the country
We’re gonna get together today
(Well I like Johnny Carson) well let’s go see the Parson we’re gonna get together today
We’re gonna get together…
Well now honey I’m gonna get ye (hmm well baby I’m gonna let ye)
We’re gonna get together…