BRUCE HORNSBY RELEASES NEW ALBUM WITH SPECIAL GUEST ERIC CLAPTON

“When I play music, I guess I’m what you’d call an ecstatic,” says Bruce Hornsby. “I’m always pursuing those joyful, exuberant, transcendent moments that happen when everything is working. That’s why I called this album Levitate, because that’s what those moments feel like.”
By any standard, Bruce Hornsby has built one of the most diverse and adventurous careers in contemporary music. Drawing from a vast wellspring of American musical traditions, the singer/pianist/composer/bandleader has created a large and remarkably accomplished body of work that’s employed a vast array of stylistic approaches, while maintaining the integrity, virtuosity and artistic curiosity that have been hallmarks of his work from the start.

The 13-time Grammy nominee’s multifarious talents and far-ranging musical interests are prominent on Levitate, which marks the artist’s Verve debut. The album’s 13 songs span an expansive sonic and emotional palette, encompassing heartfelt insights and absurdist humor, while incorporating a broad assortment of influences within compact song structures. The material ranges from the expansive, expressive songcraft of “Prairie Dog Town” and “In the Low Country” to the gently reflective introspection of “Invisible” and “Here We Are Again,” with the album-opening “The Black Rats of London” offering a swaggering treatise on the influence of the rodents, insects and microbes upon key historical events. Such colorful moments help make Levitate a consistently compelling evocation of Hornsby’s established abilities, as well as a substantial creative departure.

“I’ve always been about finding a place to express my interest in playing the piano within the pop song context,” Hornsby explains. “But with this record, I felt like I’d done that enough, so this time I really wanted the focus to be on the songs. This record actually has a couple of songs that are under three minutes, which is kind of unprecedented for me.

“It’s also my first record with no piano solos,” he adds. “I tend to write long, lyric-intensive songs, and I also like to blow. But this time I thought, I’ve done that, and I really want to make this record more about the writing.”

Beyond its distinctive musical approach, Levitate features the vibrant balance of sincerity and silliness that’s long been a hallmark of Hornsby’s songwriting. “As I get older, I tend to gravitate in my writing more and more toward the humorous,” he says. “For years, I was sort of well known for writing love songs, but I stopped doing that a long time ago, because it’s just not what I’m interested in now. But for Levitate, I actually wrote a love song, ‘Here We Are Again’–although it’s a time-travel fantasy love song using the language of physics, it resonated for me as an interesting angle lyrically.”

Levitate also demonstrates Hornsby’s knack for provocative songwriting collaborations. For instance, “Cyclone” features resonant wordplay courtesy of legendary Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. The album’s title track, meanwhile, finds Hornsby writing a haunting lyric around a theme originally written by soundtrack composer Thomas Newman for The Shawshank Redemption. And “Paperboy” and “Michael Raphael,” both co-written by Hornsby and lifelong friend Chip deMatteo, draw upon Hornsby’s longstanding fascination with the language of modern classical music.

The album is the first Hornsby release co-credited to his longstanding touring band the Noisemakers, an appropriately eclectic outfit that includes bassist J.V. Collier, guitarist Doug Derryberry, drummer Sonny Emory, reeds player Bobby Read and keyboardist John “J.T.” Thomas.

“This particular lineup has been together since ’02, but J.T. has been with me for nineteen years, Bobby for sixteen, and JV has been here for fifteen, so I’ve got a lot of history with these guys,” Hornsby states. “The players come from disparate backgrounds and all bring something different to the table, but we’re all on the same page in our pursuit of a joyful noise. Playing with these guys consistently pushes me to improve, vocally and pianistically.”

Levitate (which Hornsby co-produced with studio vet Tony Berg) also features guest appearances by Eric Clapton on “Space Is the Place” and fiddler Andy Leftwitch, a longtime mainstay of Ricky Skaggs’ band, on “The Black Rats of London.”

The album is dedicated to the memory of Hornsby’s talented nephew R.S. Hornsby, who frequently performed with Bruce as guest guitarist, and who was killed in a car accident six days after recording a memorable solo on “Continents Drift.”

“That’s been, of course, so difficult for our family,” notes Hornsby. “But I love the fact that this beautiful, long solo that R.S. played can serve as his last testament. He was a beautiful player; he really had the gift. He played with a lot of soul, a lot of feeling.”

Although Levitate marks a departure for Hornsby in many respects, it displays the same creative iconoclasm that’s been a constant in the artist’s two-and-a-half decade recording career. His commercial stock soared early on, when “The Way It Is”–the title track of Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s 1986 debut album–became the most-played song on American radio in 1987, winning ASCAP’s Song of the Year award. “The Way It Is” and such subsequent hits as “Mandolin Rain” and “Every Little Kiss,” established Hornsby as popular pop act, while high-profile work with the likes of Don Henley, and Huey Lewis made him an in-demand collaborator.

Despite his early successes, Hornsby chose to pursue a more personal, idiosyncratic musical path, focusing on projects that sparked his creative interest and musical progress. That direction was manifested in his lengthy association with the Grateful Dead, with whom he’s performed more than 100 concerts as guest keyboardist. His work with the Dead encouraged Hornsby to incorporate his interest in musical improvisation into his own performances, while his eclectic musical interests have been reflected in a wide array of recording projects. Over the years, Hornsby has successfully ventured into jazz, classical, bluegrass and even electronica, as reflected by such acclaimed recent releases as the bluegrass project Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby and the jazz trio album Camp Meeting, with Jack deJohnette and Christian McBride. The prestigious list of Hornsby collaborators now includes such diverse figures as Ornette Coleman, Bob Dylan, Bela Fleck, Charlie Haden, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Branford Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Robbie Robertson, Leon Russell, Chaka Khan, Wayne Shorter, Squeeze, Tupac Shakur and Sting.

“I guess I’m a bit of a musical proselytizer,” says Hornsby. “I’m always hoping to turn the audience on to more adventurous music and music that’s below the mainstream radar. I know that that may seem too pretentious to the rock and pop world. But for me it’s all just beautiful music, and people seem willing to come along with me on the journey.”

Indeed, Hornsby’s musical adventures have won him an extraordinarily devoted and open-minded fan base, which has enthusiastically supported his varied musical output. “For a good two or three years in the mid-’90s, I hardly played any of my hits on stage, and people thought I was committing career suicide,” he recalls. “But for me, it was about getting people to understand that if you’re here for a stroll down memory lane, then I’m not your guy. And gradually, I was able to sort of flip my crowd, and acquire an audience that’s there to hear us be adventurous.”

Indeed, Bruce Hornsby’s restless musical spirit continues to spontaneously push him forward into exciting new musical pursuits. He’s currently working with Chicago director Kathleen Marshall on a prospective Broadway musical titled SCKBSTD (many of the new lp’s songs are from this project). He’s composed and recorded several soundtrack projects for filmmaker Spike Lee, most recently writing and recording the score for Kobe Doin’ Work, Lee’s ESPN documentary on Kobe Bryant. Hornsby is also featured onscreen in the new Robin Williams/Bobcat Goldthwait film World’s Greatest Dad. That film features lots of Hornsby music, including the Levitate track “Invisible.”

Hornsby’s deep grounding in American roots music recently led him to return to his alma mater, the University of Miami, to launch the Creative American Music Program. The new program develops the creative skills of young songwriters by immersing them in the multiple musical traditions–including folk, old-time traditional music, blues, gospel and bluegrass–that are the foundation of modern American songwriting.

Such projects are consistent with the same lifelong pursuit of musical transcendence that helps to animate Levitate. “To me,” says Hornsby, “it’s always just been about broadening my reach and moving into new areas. So it’s a fantastic situation to be able to do that, and to continue to pursue a wide-ranging musical life.”

Following a critically acclaimed box-set, a duet recording with Ricky Scaggs and a jazz trio album w/ Christian McBride & Jack DeJohnette, the beloved songwriter/pianist/vocalist returns to the format that has brought his greatest commercial success. Accompanied by his seasoned touring band the Noisemakers, Hornsby’s stellar new songs are presented in dynamic arrangements with his signature blend of rock, country, pop & jazz and featuring some of the finest vocal performances of Bruce’s illustrious career The title track is the end theme for Spike Lee’s documentary Kobe at Work about the NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.

Bruce also wrote the score (his first) Hornsby has a featured role (as himself) in the film World’s Greatest Dad opening August 21st starring Robin Williams directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and featuring several Hornsby songs including the Levitate track “Invisible” A number of the songs on Levitate are part of the score for a prospective Broadway musical SCKBSTD currently in development.

Bruce and Eric will appear on the Jay Lenno show in the US on 17th September.

Buy your copy here if you live in Europe.
Buy your copy here if you live in the USA.

EARTH WIND AND FIRE “LIVE AT MONTREUX 1997″ BLU-RAY

On 16 November 2009, Eagle Rock Entertainment release Earth, Wind & Fire “Live At Montreux 1997” [Cat No ERBRD5042]. This Blu-ray features the whole of the July 1997 concert, which features a couple of tracks from their In The Name Of Love album surrounded by their classic hits. Eagle was the first visual music company to embrace High Definition and their commitment to the new technology continues with new additions to their Blu-ray catalogue.

Earth, Wind & Fire were formed at the end of the sixties but really hit their stride in the mid-seventies when founder Maurice White was joined by his brother Verdine on bass and lead vocalist Philip Bailey. The new line up went on to score a string of hit singles and albums in the US, the UK and many other countries around the world over the next decade and to pick up six Grammy Awards in the process. As part of the European tour to support the release of their “In The Name Of Love” album, the band played at Montreux and went down so well they were immediately booked to return the following year.

The band’s line-up for this show was: Philip Bailey (lead vocals, percussion); Sheldon Reynolds (lead vocals, guitar); Verdine White (bass); Ralph Johnson (vocals, percussion); Sonny Emory (drums); Morris Pleasure (keyboards); Mike McKnight (keyboards); David Romero (percussion); B. David Whithworth (vocals, percussion); Gary Bias (saxophone); Ray Brown (trumpet); Reggie Young (trombone); Dee Dee Weathers (dancer); Kayusha Simpson (dancer)

TRACKLISTING

1 Rock That
2 Jupiter
3 Saturday Nite
4 Revolution
5 Gratitude
6 September
7 Let’s Groove
8 Rock It
9 Sun Goddess
10 Can’t Hide Love
11 That’s The Way Of The World
12 Drum Solo
13 Reasons
14 Mo’s Solo
15 Boogie Wonderland
16 After The Love Has Gone
17 Sing A Song
18 Shining Star
19 Devotion

As a Bonus Feature on “Live At Montreux 1997” we include seven tracks from their return performance in 1998:
1 Kalimba Funk Intro
2 Pride / Mighty Mighty
3 In The Stone
4 Percussion Solo (Daahoud)
5 I’ll Write A Song
6 Love’s Holiday
7 Getaway (filmed in standard def).
This release is a much requested Blu-ray release of the successful DVD and cements Earth, Wind & Fire’s reputation as a great live act.

Buy your copy here.

BILLY IDOL “SUPER OVERDRIVE LIVE” DVD

Eagle Rock Entertainment are proud to announce the release on 16 November 2009 of the incredible Billy Idol DVD “In Super Overdrive Live” [Cat No EREDV771]. Billy Idol is a hugely popular and instantly recognisable performer and this release features many of his classic tracks including: “White Wedding”, “Flesh For Fantasy”, “Eyes Without A Face”, “Rebel Yell”, “Ready Steady Go”, “Kiss Me Deadly” and many more.

“In Super Overdrive Live” was filmed at the Congress Theater, Chicago for the US TV series Soundstage and originally broadcast in America in July 2009. The show sees Billy Idol, with trademark sneer and peroxide hair very much to the fore, reunited with guitarist Steve Stevens, who played on (& sometimes co-wrote) all his eighties hits. The tracklist runs from early Generation X favourites, through his classic solo singles and up to tracks from his most recent album “The Devil’s Playground”.

TRACKLISTING

1 Super Overdrive
2 Dancing With Myself
3 Flesh For Fantasy
4 Touch My Love
5 White Wedding
6 Scream
7 Eyes Without A Face
8 Cry
9 Blue Highway
10 Ready Steady Go
11 Rebel Yell
12 Kiss Me Deadly

The line-up for this show was: Billy Idol (vocals); Steve Stevens (guitars); Brian Tichy (drums); Stephen McGrath (bass); Derek Sherinian (keyboards). Idol is a fantastic live performer who oozes onstage charisma and the audience rocks along to every minute of this mesmerising concert. There is simultaneous Blu-ray release [Cat No ERBRD5045] for this title.

In Super Overdrive Live [Blu-ray]:
Buy your copy here if you live in Europe.
Buy your copy here if you live in the USA.

In Super Overdrive Live [DVD]:
Buy your copy here if you live in Europe.
Buy your copy here if you live in the USA.

TIME LIFE CELEBRATES THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME WITH A LANDMARK DVD COLLECTION OF 125 HISTORIC INDUCTION CEREMONY PERFORMANCES

This Fall, Time Life commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame with an unprecedented, comprehensive collection of performances compiled from a quarter century of induction celebrations. The ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE DVD collection boasts 125 remarkable performances by the most influential and significant figures in rock music history, as well as the speeches, toasts and roasts by which these members of rock royalty salute each others’ accomplishments. History is made when legendary artists such as Mick Jagger and Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Bono, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Tom Petty, take the stage for once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. The ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE set includes nine DVDs, eight of these featuring an assortment of performances spanning more than two decades of ceremonies, as well as induction and acceptance speeches, and never-before-seen backstage and rehearsal footage. A ninth DVD features The Concert For The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, a star-studded concert event which opened the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland in 1995.

Never before available, the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE DVD set is an unparalleled rock ‘n’ roll experience – over 24 hours of rare and exclusive performances and footage – and a must-own for every music fan.

On October 20, the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE 9-DVD set will be available for purchase exclusively online for $119.96 via the DVD website www.RockHallDVDs.com or www.TimeLife.com.

Each year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors rock music’s pioneering figures during prestigious, black-tie ceremonies. Rock’s biggest stars induct their biggest influences and contemporaries, with heartfelt, wise and witty speeches. Over the years, Paul McCartney has inducted John Lennon, Paul Simon has inducted Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler has
inducted AC/DC, Elton John has inducted The Beach Boys, and in turn, Elton John was inducted by Axl Rose. ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE includes a staggering 52 of these tributes, all complete and unedited. But, it’s during the live performance part of the ceremony when rock history is really made.

With egos set aside, the artists take the stage and deliver once-in-a-lifetime performances, often with a truly mind-blowing combination of talent, such as Mick Jagger performing with Bruce Springsteen, REM with Eddie Vedder, The Band with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck with Jimmy Page. As Robbie Robertson once commented, “It’s an opportunity to see musical combinations we may never see again as long as we live,” Case in point, 1988’s ceremony featured a jaw-dropping performance of The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Mick Jagger and Billy Joel. The ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE DVD set includes 125 of these musically historic performances, from Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry rockin’ “Roll Over Beethoven” at the inaugural ceremony in 1986, to Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, Joe Perry, Flea, and Metallica’s rendition of “The Train Kept A-Rollin’” at this year’s ceremony in April. As a bonus, a ninth DVD contains the 1996 Concert For The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame featuring an all-star line-up including John Mellencamp, Bon Jovi, Lou Reed, Soul Asylum, The Allman Brothers, Sheryl Crow, The Kinks, Ann and Nancy Wilson, John Fogerty, James Brown and Al Green.

The Rock and Roll of Fame Foundation and Museum’s anniversary celebration will extend beyond the DVD set, with both a book and two groundbreaking concerts this fall. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The First 25 Years, chronicling 25 years of induction ceremonies, will be published by Collins Design (an imprint of HarperCollins) in September. In October, the Hall of Fame will present two live concert events at Madison Square Garden in New York, featuring performances by Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Aretha Franklin, Metallica, Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, and U2.

About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established 25 years ago by legendary record executive Ahmet Ertegun and a group of music business executives to honor the artists that have defined rock and roll and have inspired and continue to inspire a generation. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum designed by I.M. Pei in Cleveland, Ohio that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as educational programs.

About Time Life
Time Life and the Time Life logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies, used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc. Headquartered in Fairfax VA, Direct Holdings Americas Inc.’s history began in 1961 as Time Life a direct marketing division of Time Incorporated specializing in books. The business has been operated as a separate company since the mid-1970s when it relocated to Virginia, and has since grown to become one of the world’s largest direct marketers of audio and video products throughout North America, Europe and Australia. The Company has set the standard in the direct response industry by pioneering direct marketing techniques and building one of the most trusted and recognized brands in commerce. The Company now also sells its products through major traditional and non-traditional retailers around the world as well as via the Internet. The Company was sold in 2003 to private investors.

Online Exclusive Collection includes:

9 DVDs in deluxe collector’s packaging

125 one-of-a-kind live performances

54 complete Hall of Fame induction speeches

“The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” commemorating the opening of the museum in Cleveland in 1995 featuring performances by John Mellencamp, Eric Burdon and Bon Jovi, Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed and Soul Asylum, The Allman Brothers and Sheryl Crow, The Kinks, Ann and Nancy Wilson, John Fogerty, James Brown, and Al Green.

9-plus hours of never-before-seen backstage and rehearsal footage.

9 essays from award winning music journalists and historians Rob Bowman, Holly George-Warren, Michael Hill, Dave Marsh, Charlie McCardell and Andy Schwartz

PERFORMANCES BY:

AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, The Band, Jeff Beck, Bee Gees, Chuck Berry, Blondie, Bon Jovi, Ruth Brown, Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Burdon, Jerry Butler, Solomon Burke, The Byrds, Johnny Cash, Chubby Checker, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Cream, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, Bo Diddley, The Doors, Melissa Etheridge, Flea, Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Green Day, Dave Grohl, Buddy Guy, Emmylou Harris, Dhani Harrison, Taylor Hawkins, Isaac Hayes, Don Henley, John Lee Hooker, Bruce Hornsby, The Isley Brothers, Etta James, Mick Jagger, Jefferson Airplane, Billy Joel, Kid Rock, B.B. King, Ben E. King, The Kinks, Jonny Lang, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Jeff Lynne, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Mamas & The Papas, Martha & the Vandellas, Dave Mason, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Stevie Nicks, The O’Jays, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Page, Parliament-Funkadelic, Joe Perry, Tom Petty, Wilson Pickett, The Pretenders, Prince, Queen, Bonnie Raitt, The Rascals, R.E.M., Lou Reed, The Righteous Brothers, Robbie Robertson, The Ronettes, Axl Rose, Santana, Percy Sledge, Soul Asylum, Bruce Springsteen, The Staple Singers, Patti Smith, Booker T. & the MG’s, James Taylor, Traffic, Tina Turner, U2, The Who, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, ZZ Top

Full tracklistings:

DVD 1

Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen and The Rock Hall Jam Band: I Saw Her Standing There, 1988

Cream: Sunshine Of Your Love, 1993

Roy Orbison with Bruce Springsteen and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Oh, Pretty Woman, 1987

John Fogerty & Friends: Green River, 1993

The Doors with Eddie Vedder: Light My Fire, 1993

Crosby, Stills & Nash with Tom Petty: For What It’s Worth, 1997

Jefferson Airplane: Volunteers, 1996

Santana with Peter Green: Black Magic Woman, 1998

Crosby, Stills & Nash with James Taylor and Emmylou Harris: Teach Your Children, 1997

Jackson Browne: Running On Empty, 2004

The Band with Eric Clapton: The Weight, 1994

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The Promised Land, 1999

Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood and Dhani Harrison: Handle With Care, 2004

Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison and Prince: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, 2004

Paul McCartney and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Let It Be, 1999

DVD 2

Jackson Browne And Melissa Etheridge: Wake Up Little Susie, 1995

Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen and The Rock Hall Jam Band: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, 1988

Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Honky Tonk Women, 1989

James Taylor: Woodstock (A Tribute To Joni Mitchell), 1997

Crosby, Stills & Nash: Wooden Ships, 1997

R.E.M. with Eddie Vedder: Man on the Moon, 2007

Aerosmith with Kid Rock: Sweet Emotion, 2001

ZZ Top: La Grange, 2004

ZZ Top: Tush, 2004

AC/DC: Highway To Hell, 2003

Metallica: Master Of Puppets, 2009

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, 1999

U2: Pride (In The Name Of Love), 2005

The Rock Hall Jam Band: All Along The Watchtower (A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix), 1992

DVD 3

The Who and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Won’t Get Fooled Again, 1990

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: American Girl, 2002

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Sweet Home Alabama, 2006
The Righteous Brothers: You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, 2003

The Byrds with Don Henley and Jackson Browne: Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season), 1991

The Mamas & The Papas: California Dreamin’, 1998

Cream: Born Under A Bad Sign, 1993

Traffic: Dear Mr. Fantasy, 2004

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham: Landslide, 1998

Fleetwood Mac: Say You Love Me, 1998

Queen with Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins: Tie Your Mother Down, 2001

Billy Joel: Only The Good Die Young, 1999

Mick Jagger and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Start Me Up, 1989

John Mellencamp: Pink Houses, 2008

U2 with Bruce Springsteen: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, 2005

DVD 4

Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Roll Over Beethoven, 1986

Little Richard: Tutti-Frutti, 1995

Bo Diddley with Robbie Roberston and Eric Clapton: Bo Diddley, 2005

Eric Clapton with Robbie Robertson: Farther On Up The Road, 2000

Little Richard: (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay, 1989

Tina Turner and The Rock Hall Jam Band: River Deep—Mountain High, 1989

Etta James: At Last, 1993

The Isley Brothers and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Shout , 1992

Chubby Checker and The Rock Hall Jam Band: The Twist, 1986

The Ronettes: Be My Baby, 2007

Little Richard, Mick Jagger and The Rock Hall Jam Band: I Can’t Turn You Loose (A Tribute To Otis Redding), 1989

Joan Jett, John Mellencamp,John Fogerty and Billy Joel: Glad All Over (A Tribute To The Dave Clark Five) 2008

The Rascals: People Got To Be Free, 1997

Dave Mason and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Feelin’ Alright, 2004

James Taylor and The Rock Hall Jam Band: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), 2000

Jeff Beck with Jimmy Page: Beck’s Bolero, 2009

Kid Rock and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Sweet Little Rock and Roller, 2004

Chuck Berry with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Johnny B. Goode, 1995

DVD 5

Billy Joel and The Rock Hall Jam Band: What’d I Say (A Tribute To Ray Charles), 1999

Johnny Cash and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Big River, 1992

Ben E. King And The Rock Hall Jam Band: Stand By Me, 1988

Jerry Lee Lewis: Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On, 2005

Ruth Brown with Bonnie Raitt: Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean, 1993

John Lee Hooker with Bonnie Raitt: I’m In The Mood, 1991

Buddy Guy with B. B. King and Eric Clapton: Let Me Love You Baby, 2005

Billy Joel with Bonnie Raitt: Runaway (A Tribute To Del Shannon), 1999

Paul McCartney and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Blue Suede Shoes, 1999

John Fogerty & Friends: Born On The Bayou, 1993

The Doors with Eddie Vedder: Break On Through, 1993

Bruce Springsteen & The E Steet Band: Backstreets, 1999

Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, Joe Perry, Flea, and Metallica: The Train Kept A-Rollin’, 2009

DVD 6

Percy Sledge: When A Man Loves A Woman, 2005

The O’Jays: Love Train, 2005

Jerry Butler: Only The Strong Survive (A Tribute To Gamble & Huff), 2008

Solomon Burke: Cry To Me, 2001

Martha & The Vandellas: Dancing In The Street, 1995

The Four Tops and The Rock Hall Jam Band: I Can’t Help Myself, 1990

Booker T. & The MG’s and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Green Onions, 1992

Isaac Hayes: Theme From Shaft, 2002

The Staple Singers: I’ll Take You There, 1999

Aretha Franklin: Don’t Play That Song (A Tribute To Ahmet Ertegun), 2007

Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) (A Tribute To Ahmet Ertegun), 2007

Al Green: Take Me To The River, 1995

Parliament-Funkadelic: Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up the Funk), 1997

Wilson Pickett with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: In The Midnight Hour, 1999

DVD 7

Green Day: Blitzkrieg Bop, 2002

Blondie: Call Me, 2006

Elvis Costello & The Imposters: (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding, 2003

Bruce Springsteen and Axl Rose: Come Together (A Tribute To John Lennon), 1994

The Doors with Eddie Vedder: Roadhouse Blues, 1993

John Fogerty & Friends: Who’ll Stop The Rain, 1993

Cream: Crossroads, 1993

Jackson Browne: The Pretender, 2004

Patti Smith Group: Because The Night, 2007

Patti Smith Group: People Have The Power, 2002

Jonny Lang and Jeff Beck: Be-Bop-A-Lula (A Tribute to Gene Vincent), 1999

Jeff Beck: People Get Ready (A Tribute To Rod Stewart), 1994

DVD 8

The Who and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Substitute, 1990

The Who and The Rock Hall Jam Band: Pinball Wizard, 1990

Melissa Etheridge: Piece Of My Heart (A Tribute To Janis Joplin), 1995

James Taylor: Fire And Rain, 2000

Bee Gees: Massachusetts, 1997

Bee Gees: You Should Be Dancing, 1997

John Mellencamp: Small Town, 2008

Bonnie Raitt with Melissa Etheridge and Bruce Hornsby: Thing Called Love, 2000

The Pretenders: Message Of Love, 2005

The Pretenders: My City Was Gone, 2005

The Pretenders: Precious, 2005

Metallica: Iron Man (A Tribute To Black Sabbath), 2006

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Free Bird, 2006

DVD 9

John Mellencamp: R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.

Eric Burdon and Bon Jovi: It’s My Life

Aretha Franklin: (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

Lou Reed and Soul Asylum: Sweet Jane

The Allman Brothers Band with Sheryl Crow: Midnight Rider

The Kinks: All Day And All Of The Night

Ann and Nancy Wilson: The Battle Of Evermore

John Fogerty with Booker T. & The MG’’s: Fortunate Son

James Brown: I Got You (I Feel Good)

Al Green: Tired Of Being Alone

Al Green: A Change Is Gonna Come

LEONARD COHEN’S LEGENDARY 1970 ISLE OF WIGHT SHOW TO BE RELEASED ON CD AND DVD

2009: LEONARD COHEN’S STELLAR COMEBACK YEAR CAPPED BY DVD DEBUT OF 1970 CONCERT PERFORMANCE

LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970

TWO-DISC DVD+CD PACKAGE COUPLES
FESTIVAL DOCUMENTARY FILM BY MURRAY LERNER
WITH AUDIO RECORDING BY TEO MACERO

Live versions of classic songs from first two Leonard Cohen LPs: “So Long, Marianne,” “The Stranger Song,” “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Good¬bye,” “Suzanne,” “Bird On The Wire,” “You Know Who I Am,” “The Partisan,”
and more, plus poetry and stories to calm the 600,000 at Isle Of Wight

DVD documentary adds 2009 interviews with fellow festival performers Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Johnston, and Kris Kristofferson

Available at both physical and digital retail outlets starting Oct. 20, 2009, through Columbia/Legacy – also available in double-LP and Blu-ray configurations – releases coincide with latest dates on Cohen’s first full-scale U.S. tour in 15 years, Oct. 17th through Nov.13th

“‘All those people had been sitting out there in the rain, after they’d set fire to Hendrix’s stage,’ Bob Johnston recalls, ‘and nobody had slept for days. And then Leonard came out and he started out singing ‘Like… a … bird’ – singing it so slowly that everybody in that audience was exactly with him. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard. And that’s what saved that show and saved the festival.’”
– Bob Johnston, as told to Sylvie Simmons, from the liner notes to LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970

Nearly 40 summers ago on August 31, 1970, 35-year-old Leonard Cohen was awakened at 2 a.m. from a nap in his trailer and brought onstage to perform with his band at the third annual Isle Of Wight music festival. The audience of 600,000 was in a fiery and frenzied mood, after turning the festival into a political arena, trampling the fences, setting fire to structures and equipment – and stoked by the most incendiary performance of Jimi Hendrix’s career, less than three weeks before his death.

As Cohen followed Hendrix’s set, onlookers (and fellow festival headliners) Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Judy Collins and others stood sidestage in awe as the Canadian folksinger-songwriter-poet-novelist quietly tamed the crowd. Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Murray Lerner, whose footage of the 1970 festival did not begin to see release until 1995, was able to capture Cohen’s performance. Likewise, Columbia Records staff A&R producer Teo Macero, who was ostensibly there to record Miles Davis’ set, did a brilliant job of supervising Cohen’s live recording as well.

LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 is a fascinating and timely portrait of the artist as a young man, just three years into his recording career (though he was already a published poet and novel¬ist for 15 years). As he mesmerizes the Isle Of Wight audience, Cohen intersperses a baker’s dozen songs with tales both real and apocryphal, as well as a handful of his poems. In pristine condition after nearly four decades in the archive, the video and audio programs will be available together as a deluxe two-disc DVD+CD package at all physical and digital retail outlets starting October 20th through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTER¬TAIN-MENT. A double-LP vinyl set will be released on the same date.

LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 will also be available on Blu-ray, exclusively through Amazon.com [in US]

The CD (and double-LP) of LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 represent the 77-minute concert set as performed by Cohen and his backup band: Bob Johnston (Cohen’s Nashville-based Columbia A&R staff producer), and Nashville musicians Charlie Daniels (electric bass, fiddle), Ron Cornelius (lead guitar), and Elkin ‘Bubba’ Fowler (bass, banjo). They were joined by backup singers Corlynn Hanney, Susan Musmanno, and Donna Washburn. During the course of their European tour – which Cohen only agreed to undertake if Johnston (producer of Cohen’s most recent LP, Songs From A Room) would manage him and organize the band – the group began to call themselves The Army, owing to the battles they were subjected to by audiences on the road.

The DVD (and Blu-ray) of LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 is a masterwork by Murray Lerner, known for his work on Festival!, his Oscar-nominated 1969 documentary of the Newport Folk Festivals. His work on that film spurred the Isle Of Wight promoters to bring him aboard and document their festival – whose violence turned it into the last of the three original Isle Of Wight festivals of 1968, 1969, and 1970. (Bob Dylan put the festival on the map when he performed there in 1968, his first public performance since recovering from his fabled motorcycle crash of 1966.)

Lerner’s Isle of Wight footage went unfunded for decades until 1995, when the multi-artist Message To Love (with its brief snippet of Cohen singing “Suzanne”) was finally issued on video. Since then, Lerner’s documentary-style Isle of Wight videos on the 1970 performances by Miles Davis, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix have inspired a new generation of music fans. In 1980, Lerner’s From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern In China won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Adding further historic provenance to LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 is a newly commissioned 2,000-word liner notes essay written by veteran British rock journalist and BBC commentator Sylvie Simmons. Author of well-received biographies on Neil Young (Reflections In Broken Glass, 2003), Serge Gainsbourg and others, Simmons previously wrote liner notes for the 2003 Sony International compilation MOJO Presents An Introduction To Leonard Cohen.

“Before he sang,” Simmons writes, “Cohen talked to the hundreds of thousands of people he couldn’t see. He told them – sedately – a story that sounded like a parable and a bedtime story, that worked like hypnotism and at the same time tested the temper¬a-ture of the crowd. He described how his father would take him to the circus as a child. Leonard didn’t much like circuses, but he enjoyed the part where a man would stand up and ask everyone to light a match so they could locate each other in the darkness. ‘Can I ask each of you to light a match,’ Leonard asked the audience, ‘so I can see where you all are?’”

All but three of the songs on LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 originated on Cohen’s first two LPs, his debut Songs Of Leonard Cohen from 1967 (“So Long, Marianne,” “One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong,” “The Stranger Song,” “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Good¬bye,” “Suzanne”); and Songs From A Room from 1969 (“Bird On The Wire,” “You Know Who I Am,” “Tonight Will Be Fine,” “The Partisan,” “Seems So Long Ago, Nancy”). The three other songs – “Diamonds In The Mine,” “Sing Another Song Boys,” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” – were destined for Cohen’s third album, 1971’s Songs of Love and Hate (which actually reprised the Isle of Wight live version of “Sing Another Song Boys”).

The October 20th release of LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 coincides with the next leg of Cohen’s first full-scale U.S. tour in 15 years, opening October 17th at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida (Fort Lauderdale), ending November 13th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. (Please see complete itinerary below.)

Cohen made history earlier this year when – in between critically acclaimed concerts in Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand – he played New York’s Beacon Theatre in February, followed by California’s Coachella Festival in April. These were his first U.S. performances since 1994, the year that he commenced a five-year retreat at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center atop a mountain in the San Gabriel Forest.

Cohen returned to recording and touring in 1999, when he released the studio album Ten New Songs in 2001. The live album Field Commander Cohen came in 2001 (culled from British tour dates back in 1979); and the studio album Dear Heather in 2004. 2006 marked the release of Blue Alert, the debut album by Anjani Thomas, a protégé of Cohen since the ’80s, produced by Cohen, with all songs co-written by Cohen and Anjani. On March 10, 2008, Leonard Cohen was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at the 23rd annual dinner ceremony. In March 2009, Cohen released Live In London as a DVD and as a separate double-CD package, a 5-star album recorded at the O2 Arena in 2008.

Along the way, Leonard Cohen became the first Canadian-born artist ‘inducted’ into Legacy Recordings’ prestigious Essential series – when The Essential Leonard Cohen was issued in 2002. The 31-song compilation was personally chosen by the artist, with selections that ranged from Songs Of Leonard Cohen through 2001’s Ten New Songs. In May 2007, Columbia/Legacy issued expanded editions of Songs Of Leonard Cohen, Songs From A Room, and Songs Of Love and Hate, each with multiple tracks of previously unreleased bonus material.

All of the tracks on LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 were written by Leonard Cohen except the highly-charged “The Partisan,” originally a French song of World War II heroism and resistance. The English translation was penned by Tin Pan Alley song¬smith Hy Zaret, of “Unchained Melody” and “One Meatball” renown. Joan Baez had been singing “The Partisan” for years, and at Isle of Wight Cohen dedicated the song to her “and the work she is doing.” (Baez finally got around to recording “The Partisan” on her 1972 album, Come From the Shadows, whose title came from a line in the song.)

Joan Baez – whose performance preceded Hendrix at Isle of Wight – is among the quartet of fellow festival performers who bear witness to Lerner in 2009, along with Judy Collins, Bob Johnston, and Kris Kristofferson. Their interviews add to the historic impact of LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970.

“It was a brilliant performance,” Simmons writes, “and Lerner’s cameras captured Cohen’s commanding presence, hypnotist’s charm, and an intimacy that would seem unfeasible in such a vast, inhospitable space.” As Johnston sums up, “It was magical, from the first moment to the last. I’ve never seen anything like it. He was just remarkable.”

DVD + CD:

LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970
(Columbia/Legacy 88697 57067 2)

Disc One: DVD – Chapters: 1. Intro: Diamonds In The Mine • 2. Famous Blue Raincoat • 3. “It’s A Large Nation” • 4. Bird On The Wire • 5. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong • 6. The Stranger Song • 7. Tonight Will Be Fine • 8. “They’ve Surrounded The Island” • 9. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye • 10. Sing Another Song Boys • 11. Judy Collins Introduces Suzanne • 12. Suzanne • 13. Joan Baez On The Isle Of Wight • 14. The Partisan • 15. Seems So Long Ago, Nancy • 16. Credits: So Long, Marianne • Bonus Interviews: Bob Johnston • Judy Collins • Joan Baez • Kris Kristofferson.

Disc Two: CD – Selections: 1. Introduction • 2. Bird On The Wire • 3. Intro to So Long, Marianne • 4. So Long, Marianne • 5. Intro: “Let’s renew ourselves now…” • 6. You Know Who I Am • 7. Intro to Poems • 8. Lady Midnight • 9. They Locked Up A Man (poem)/A Person Who Eats Meat/Intro • 10. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong • 11. The Stranger Song • 12. Tonight Will Be Fine • 13. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Good¬bye • 14. Diamonds In The Mine • 15. Suzanne • 16. Sing Another Song, Boys • 17. The Partisan • 18. Famous Blue Raincoat • 19. Seems So Long Ago, Nancy.

Blu-ray

LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970
(Columbia/Legacy 88697 588299 1)

Chapters: 1. Intro: Diamonds In The Mine • 2. Famous Blue Raincoat • 3. “It’s A Large Nation” • 4. Bird On The Wire • 5. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong • 6. The Stranger Song • 7. Tonight Will Be Fine • 8. “They’ve Surrounded The Island” • 9. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye • 10. Sing Another Song Boys • 11. Judy Collins Introduces Suzanne • 12. Suzanne • 13. Joan Baez On The Isle Of Wight • 14. The Partisan • 15. Seems So Long Ago, Nancy • 16. Credits: So Long, Marianne • Bonus Interviews: Bob Johnston • Judy Collins • Joan Baez • Kris Kristofferson.

Vinyl double-LP:

LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970
(Columbia/Legacy 88697 57067 2)

LP One: Selections – Side one: 1. Introduction • 2. Bird On The Wire • 3. Intro to So Long, Marianne • 4. So Long, Marianne • 5. Intro: “Let’s renew ourselves now…” • 6. You Know Who I Am • Side two: 1 Intro to Poems • 2 Lady Midnight • 3 They Locked Up A Man (poem)/A Person Who Eats Meat/Intro • 4 One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong • 5 The Stranger Song.

LP Two: Selections – Side one: 1. Tonight Will Be Fine • 2. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye • 3. Diamonds In The Mine • 4. Suzanne • Side two: 1 Sing Another Song, Boys • 2 The Partisan • 3 Famous Blue Raincoat • 4 Seems So Long Ago, Nancy.

legacy

STEPHEN STILLS MANASSAS RARITIES SET DUE

After recording his second solo album, Stills formed Manassas in 1971 with a talented group of musicians that included Chris Hillman, a former member of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers. Manassas released two albums, 1972′s eponymous double-album debut and the 1973 follow-up, Down The Road. MANASSAS – PIECES features alternate versions of two songs from Down The Road: ‘Do You Remember The Americans’ and ‘Lies’ (featuring guitarist Joe Walsh). The collection also includes the legendary group’s unreleased performances of ‘Sugar Babe’ and ‘Word Game,’ a pair of songs Stills recorded in 1971 for his second solo album. The remaining tracks include ‘Like A Fox,’ a song recorded with blues guitarist Bonnie Raitt on background vocals and the Latin-tinged ‘Tan Sola Y Triste’ (Spanish for ‘So Alone and Sad’).

1. Witching Hour
2. Sugar Babe
3. Lies – with Joe Walsh
4. My Love Is A Gentle Thing
5. Like a Fox – with Bonnie Raitt
6. Word Game
7. Tan Sola Y Triste
8. Fit To Be Tied
9. Love and Satisfy
10. High & Dry
11. Panhandle Rag
12. Uncle Pen
13. Do You Remember the Americans
14. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)
15. I Am My Brother

Due 21 September in the UK and 22 September in the US

Buy your copy here if you live in Europe.
Buy your copy here if you live in the USA.

SALVO RELEASE ‘ALL THIS AND MORE…’ 3CD/1DVD BOX SET BY PROCOL HARUM

Salvo continue their fine Procol Harum remasters series with a glorious box set featuring three CDs loaded with hits, album tracks and live tracks from 1969 through to 2007. The DVD features live music from 1974 through to 2006.

Details:

Disc 1
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Lime Street Blues
Homburg
In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence
Cerdes (Outside The Gates Of)
Salad Days (Are Here Again)
Repent Walpurgis
Shine On Brightly
In Held ‘Twas in I A:
Glimpses Of Nirvana
In Held ‘Twas in I B:
Twas Teatime At The Circus
In Held ‘Twas in I C:
In The Autumn Of My Madness
In Held ‘Twas in I D: Look To Your Soul
In Held ‘Twas in I E: Grande Finale
A Salty Dog
The Milk Of Human Kindness
Pilgrim’s Progress
Long Gone Geek
Still There’ll Be More
About To Die
Barnyard Story

Disc 2
Your Own Choice
Broken Barricades
A Rum Tale
For Liquorice John
Robert’ s Box
Beyond The Pale
As Strong As Samson
The Thin End Of The Wedge
Pandora’ s Box
Fools Gold
Taking The Time
The Unquiet Zone
The King Of Hearts (live in Utrecht, `92)
Perpetual Motion
The Emperor’ s New Clothes
So Far Behind
Man With A Mission (live in Utrecht, `92)
Blue Danube

Disc 3
New Lamps for Old (Golders Green, 1974)
Last Train To Niagara
(Irvine Meadows, 1993)
Crucifiction Lane (California, 1969)
Rambling On (California, 1969)
Juicy John Pink (Isle of Wight Festival, 1970)
Broken Barricades (Hollywood Bowl, 1973)
Tv Ceasar / Rule Britannia
(Hollywood Bowl, 1973)
Souvenir of London (New Jersey, 1975)
(You Can’ t) Turn Back The Page (Turin, 2007)
Learn to Fly (Schio, 2007)
One Eye on the Future (Schio, 2007)
Whisky Train (Schio, 2007)
All This and More (Edmonton, 1971)
Luskus Delph (Edmonton, 1971)

DVD
Bringing Home the Bacon (Danish TV, 1974)
Toujours l’ Amour (Danish TV, 1974)
The Devil Came From Kansas
(Danish TV, 1974)
The Idol (Danish TV, 1974)
Something Magic (Ledreborg, 2006)
Butterfly Boys (Ledreborg, 2006)
Nothing But The Truth (Ledreborg, 2006)
Into the Flood (Ledreborg, 2006)
Simple Sister (Ledreborg, 2006)
Whaling Stories (Ledreborg, 2006)
The VIP Room (Isle of Wight, 2006)
Kaleidoscope (Isle of Wight, 2006)
Alpha (Isle of Wight, 2006)
An Old English Dream (Union Chapel, 2003)
Grand Hotel (Union Chapel, 2003)
As Strong As Samson (Union Chapel, 2003)
Quite Rightly So (Union Chapel, 2003)
Conquistador (Union Chapel, 2003)
Piggy Pig Pig (Copenhagen, 2001)
Seem to Have the Blues (Most All of the Time)
(Copenhagen, 2001)
Memorial Drive (Copenhagen, 2001)
Wizard man (Copenhagen, 2001)

Source: Salvo

Buy your copy here if you live in Europe.
Buy your copy here if you live in the USA.

THE DOORS FELT FORUM 1970 BOX SET DUE

A fabulous box set by The Doors featuring their four complete Felt Forum concerts in New York 1970 will be released later in the year.

TECHNICAL NOTE ON THE DOORS LIVE IN NEW YORK (FELT FORUM) FROM BRUCE BOTNICK

A long, long time ago, when nobody thought that we would ever need the 8-track tapes again, many bits and pieces were removed from these shows and were scattered through many Doors albums. Large chunks were used in Absolutely Live, An American Prayer, and Alive, She Cried. Goings-on between Jim and the audience, as well as parts of songs from the 8-track masters, have disappeared forever, though some do exist on the live 2-track tapes. Through the generous help of a few of our Doors collectors, we were able to obtain personal copies of audience recordings that helped us sort out the road map, show us what bits went where, and determine exactly what was missing.

In putting this project together, The Doors and I agreed that it was very important to have complete shows. The plan was to insert the audience and the live 2-track recordings where chunks were missing from our masters, in order to have a faithful reproduction of the concert. So, you might be rocking to “Five To One” or “Light My Fire,” and all of a sudden the sound might change into the live 2-track or an audience recording, and then back again. We tried to keep this at a minimum, but felt that going about it in this fashion would, in the end, be a more satisfying experience.

Beyond the audience recordings that have been circulating through the Doors-o-sphere, this is the first time that we have all four concerts complete.

“Where’s John Sebastian?” you might ask. When John came onstage to join The Doors for the Sunday second show encore, he was handed a microphone that was only going through The Doors’ sound system, and not plugged into the Fedco Audio Labs mobile truck. As a consequence, John’s harmonica didn’t get recorded. So, earlier in 2009, we arranged for John to join Ray Manzarek and myself at Skywalker Sound in San Rafael. John replayed his parts as closely as possible against the PA leakage from the audience tracks on the original recorded 8-track masters. We are quite happy with the result.

Some of you may think that this is sacrilege and would have preferred to have these three songs the way that they were. In order to accommodate you, these versions will be up on the Rhino website for you to download using a code that will come along with your purchase of this boxed set.

Source: thedoors.com

Buy your copy here if you live in Europe.
Buy your copy here if you live in the USA.

GINGER BAKER AND VERY SPECIAL GUESTS PLAY THE JAZZ CAFE IN LONDON

The legendary Ginger Baker takes to the stage at the Jazz Café in London on Wednesday, 4th November with some very special guests. The world’s greatest drummer will be joined by names from his stellar career for a one-off show that promises to be truly unforgettable. Tickets are £60.

His autobiography is due for publication around the same time.

CLASSIC BOWIE ALBUMS GET DELUXE RE-ISSUE TREATMENT

A special 40th anniversary two disc edition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity album will be released in October.

Disc one contains the full original album that first appeared as David Bowie on the Philips label in November 1969 and as Man Of Words, Man Of Music on Mercury in the US.

Disc two contains fifteen tracks including eight previously unreleased versions.

DAVID BOWIE – Space Oddity 40th Anniversary Edition

CD 1:
01 – Space Oddity (5.14)
02 – Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed (inc. Don’t Sit Down) (6.51)
03 – Letter To Hermione (2.32)
04 – Cygnet Committee (9.31)
05 – Janine (3.21) 
06 – An Occasional Dream (2.54)
07 – Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (4.46)
08 – God Knows I’m Good (3.17)
09 – Memory Of A Free Festival (7.09)

CD 2:
01 – Space Oddity (demo) (5.10) *
02 – An Occasional Dream (demo) (2.49) *
03 – Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (single B-side with spoken intro) (4.56)
04 – Brian Matthew interviews David/Let Me Sleep Beside You (BBC Radio session D.L.T. Show) (4.45)
05 – Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed (BBC Radio session D.L.T. Show) (3.54) *
06 – Janine (BBC Radio session: D.L.T. Show) (3.02)
07 – London Bye Ta-Ta (stereo version) (3.12)
08 – Prettiest Star (stereo version) (3.12)
09 – Conversation Piece (stereo version) (3.06) *
10 – Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 1) (single A-side) (4.01)
11 – Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 2) (single B-side) (3.30)
12 – Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (alternate album mix) (4.45) *
13 – Memory Of A Free Festival (alternate album mix) (9.22) *
14 – London Bye Ta-Ta (alternate stereo mix) (2.34) *
15 – Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola (full length stereo version) (5.14) *

* Previously unreleased

Every effort was made to source from original tapes for this project, with close attention to the sound of an original vinyl first pressing for reference.

Don’t Sit Down has been restored to its original place, at the end of Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed, and not listed as a separate track. Also original fade out/in lengths and gaps between tracks have been observed.

The release will be accompanied by extensive sleeve notes with rare pictures and memorabilia pertaining to the original release.

In early 2010 RCA will release a special four disc version of ‘Station To Station’. Originally released in January 1976, the new expanded edition will include the complete Nassau Coliseum show from 1976 amongst many other goodies.

Disc 1:

Original stereo Station To Station album

Disc 2: DVD with 5.1 Station To Station surround sound mix and original stereo album. The 5.1 sound is mixed by Harry Maslin.

Discs 3 & 4:

The complete Uniondale, Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum March 23rd, 1976 concert mixed by Harry Maslin.

Live Nassau 1976 tracklisting
01 – Station To Station
02 – Suffragette City
03 – Fame 
04 – Word On A Wing
05 – Stay 
06 – Waiting For The Man
07 – Queen Bitch
08 – Life On Mars?
09 – Five Years
10 – Panic In Detroit (with most of drum solo edited out)
11 – Changes (with band Intro)
12 – TVC 15
13 – Diamond Dogs
14 – Rebel Rebel
15 – The Jean Genie

Source: davidbowie.com

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