High Moon Rising: Reissues Coming Soon From Gene Clark and Arthur Lee’s Love
Some of you with long-term memories might recall our happily breaking the news about High Moon Records back in May 2011. The New York-based independent label had recently held a release party to announce reissues of Love’s 1973 unreleased album Black Beauty and Gene Clark’s 1977 Two Sides to Every Story. Both inaugural titles were slated to arrive on June 7. Well, June came and went, as did 2011, with no sign of either of these much-anticipated releases.
So we’re happy to relate the news shared last month by High Moon’s owners George Wallace and J.D. Martignon. As of December 9, High Moon was “finalizing the artwork for both releases on LP and CD” and offered new hints as to the talented names working on the albums. Both albums were remastered by multi-Grammy Award nominee Dan Hersch; the lacquers were mastered and cut by Doug Sax, a name likely familiar to all collectors of audiophile vinyl. The same care is being put into the albums’ booklets. The essay for Black Beauty was written by Ben Edmonds (Rolling Stone, Mojo), and Edmonds’ notes will be joined by over fifty never-before-seen pictures of Arthur Lee and the band during the sessions, taken by Herbert Worthington (Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours). As for Clark’s Two Sides, his biographer John Einarson has provided the new essay. High Moon will include more never-seen photography, this time by Ed Caraeef from the original album photo session.
Both discs will be packaged in hardbound eco-books for the CDs, while the 180-gram LPs will be housed in tip-on jackets with full-color, 11″x 11″ magazine-style inserts. For much more on High Moon Records, including track listings and discographical info for these two albums, hit the jump for the salient details!
ORIGINAL POST of 5/5/11: Hey, reissue fans! (That means you!) It’s time to welcome a new label to the club. High Moon Records has just been established by owners George Wallace and J.D. Martignon and general manager Craig Hyman to specialize in the sounds of the 1960s and 1970s, and the label has selected two titles to kick things off in a big way. Both releases were celebrated with an April 29 release party at the Roxy on (where else?) the hallowed Sunset Strip: Love’s 1973 unreleased album Black Beauty, and Gene Clark’s 1977 Two Sides to Every Story.
1973’s Black Beauty was recorded by the only all-black lineup of Arthur Lee’s famed band Love, but thanks to the collapse of Lee’s Buffalo Records label, it never saw the light of day. Previously available only as a bootleg, High Moon’s first-ever official release of this lost classic will be released on vinyl, digital and CD, with rare bonus tracks, photographs and a new essay by historian Ben Edmonds. High Moon’s release is a most welcome addition to the legacy of the psychedelic rock pioneers still best-known for the 1967 Forever Changes.
Former Byrd Gene Clark’s 1977 RSO album Two Sides to Every Story has been available on CD in the past, but currently commands upwards of $150 second-hand! It followed 1974’s No Other on the Asylum label. Though now considered by many to be the artist’s masterpiece, No Other was a commercial failure and a most unconventional record. Two Sides features more traditional songwriting and features Doug Dillard and Emmylou Harris among its guests. High Moon’s reissue will be released on vinyl and CD and adds bonus tracks, unseen photographs and new liner notes by John Einerson. Clark’s son Kai regards Two Sides as “a personal diary during this trying time in [Clark’s] life” and now fans of the influential country-rock legend’s balladry can experience it themselves. The album is released in cooperation with Universal Music Group and Clark’s estate.
While initially scheduled for June 7, both Black Beauty and Two Sides to Every Story have been delayed; according to label owner Wallace at the Roxy show, European rights issues and bonus tracks are currently being finalized. Watch this space for a update as soon as a new date can be confirmed.
Wallace and Hyman confirmed to Billboard that future projects include reissues of music from Lotti Golden and Sopwith Camel plus unreleased material from the Ace of Cups, the all-girl San Francisco band. The New York-based label is also exploring the possibility of releasing Reel to Real, the 1975 Love album recorded for RSO. Wallace confirmed that High Moon promises “better packaging, more liner notes, more unpublished photographs,” which is music to our ears here at The Second Disc. He continued to Billboard, “This is a way to beat downloading. There are still people out there looking for aesthetically pleasing packages. Almost anything can be made quasi-commercial if it is contextualized in the right way.”
You can visit the label here and stay tuned for more updates!
Love, Black Beauty (recorded 1973, released High Moon Records, 2012)
- Good and Evil (Young and Able)
- Midnight Sun
- Can’t Find It
- Walk Right In
- Skid
- Beep Beep
- Stay Away
- Lonely Pigs
- See Myself in You
- Product of the Times
Gene Clark, Two Sides to Every Story (RSO RS-1-3011, 1977 – reissued High Moon Records, 2012)
- Home Run King
- Lonely Saturday
- In the Pines
- Kansas City Southern
- Give My Love to Marie
- Sister Moon
- Marylou
- Hear the Wind
- Past Addresses
- Silent Crusade
If High Moon has a connection to Stigwood’s RSO catalog for re-issues, I would love to see decently remastered and fully fleshed out (loads of bonus tracks and photos) re-issues of John Stewart’s three RSO albums. This was a turning point in Stewart’s career (his only #1 hit, too….”Gold”) and each of the three albums have a bevvy of incredible songs. Involvement from Buckingham and Nicks should help with the commercial viability of the three. I’m sure John’s wife Buffy and the Stewart Estate could assist in this set of re-issues. Think about it!
Sean Anglum
May 5, 2011 at 18:03
A label like High Moon fills an important niche in today’s music industry. Many labels missed the boat by failing to make historic vinyl digitally available. By focusing only on “new” releases and artists, many record companies failed to realize they were sitting on a motherload. The tide is turning; Warners is now combing their warehouses and archives, estimated to be worth a fortune. High Moon’s timing couldn’t be better. I’ve been hoping for reissues by Lotti Golden and Ace of Cups! This is great news.
largolala
May 9, 2011 at 04:53
A Lotti Golden reissue? Wow! High Moon knows what’s its doing. The current offerings (Clark and Lee) sound like a real coup as well.
Magdalamar
May 14, 2011 at 05:10
I was doing a search and came across this piece about High Moon Records. The line-up sounds fantastic! A fan of female ’60-’70′s singers/groups, I’m looking forward to the next batch of reissues like Lotti Golden and Ace of Cups.
giveituper
May 15, 2011 at 17:57
Music lovers need more dedicated reissue companies like High Moon. I’m looking forward to Lotti Golden, particularly, her 1969 LP “Motor-Cycle” which is almost impossible to find these days.
swanavala
May 20, 2011 at 23:56
Great news! I’ve been looking for a copy as well!
MrRossogood
May 22, 2011 at 03:40
Let’s have the Lotti Golden CD–”Motor-Cycle” perhaps?
bassababe
October 5, 2011 at 03:34
The official email I received this morning says the 2-cd set will not have the downloads that will be available on a card with the LP… This is what it says:
“At the last minute the Two Sides’ LP DL card was disallowed by Uni Music.”
“However, as a special treat for LP buyers, the DL card will feature exclusive, rare and unreleased material, that will not be on the Two Sides To Every Story 2-CD set, coming late Spring.”
“The Download Card tracks will be available at the time of the CD release, so please hold on to your DL cards! We will notify you when they are available.”
Personally, I’m rather annoyed. No reason the cd couldn’t include the extra tracks – or have the same download card. Instead, we get another merchandising ploy.
Ed Silverman
April 3, 2013 at 04:22