What do Paul McCartney, Dave Brubeck and Little Richard have in common? All three will be recipients of exclusive, limited edition Record Store Day releases from our friends at Concord Records. Since its founding in 2007, Record Store Day has become an institution at many independent shops, and has even gone global with the participation of international retailers.
As previously reported, a 7-inch vinyl single from Paul McCartney will prove a highlight of Concord's roster and kick off the reissue program for the Archive Collection release of 1971's Ram. "Another Day" b/w "Oh Woman, Oh Why" was recorded in 1970 during the Ram sessions. It was the first single of McCartney's solo career, and kicked it off in high style, selling over a million copies worldwide. It was a No. 1 hit in France and Australia, in the U.K. it reached No. 2, and in the U.S., it peaked at a none-too-shabby No. 5.
Tying in with another expanded reissue from Concord is a special RSD-exclusive 12-inch red vinyl LP of Little Richard's 1957 Specialty album Here's Little Richard. This special pressing of the original album classic includes familiar hits from the piano-pounding rocker including "Tutti Frutti," "Rip It Up," "Slipin' & Slidin'," and "Jenny Jenny." It has been remastered from the original analog tapes.
Rounding out Concord's reissue trio for Record Store Day is a 1952 recording from The Dave Brubeck Octet. Originally released on the Fantasy label, Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals offers eight tracks from personnel including Brubeck (piano), Bill Smith (clarinet/baritone saxophone), Paul Desmond (alto saxophone), David Van Kriedt (tenor saxophone), Dick Collins (trumpet), Bob Collins (trombone), Ron Crotty (bass), and Cal Tjader (drums). These highly experimental jazz recordings can be yours on 10-inch red vinyl.
Hit the jump for more, including the details of Concord's more modern-skewing releases, plus track listings for each of the reissued titles!
On the "new music" front, Concord will also offer a limited edition 180-gram double-gatefold vinyl edition of Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society as an early RSD exclusive. The two-LP set also includes a download card for access to both audio and video content from the album and will be made available to general retail four weeks after April 21. Finally, the label is issuing a 10-inch vinyl edition from Jay Farrar (Son Volt), Will Johnson (Centro-matic), Anders Parker (Varnaline), and Yim Yames (a.k.a. Jim James of My Morning Jacket). Let's Multiply includes two previously unreleased demo tracks and an additional two tracks not available for purchase anywhere else.
Here's the Concord RSD reissue recap! Check with your local independent retailer to find which titles might be available at a record store near you!
The Dave Brubeck Octet, Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals (Fantasy 3-3, 1952 - reissued Fantasy/Concord, 2012)
- The Way You Look Tonight (Kern-Fields) 3:00
- Love Walked In (Gershwin-Gershwin) 2:35
- What Is This Thing Called Love (Porter) 2:42
- September In The Rain (Dubin-Warren) 2:52
- Prelude (Van Kreidt) 2:12
- Fugue On Bop Themes (Van Kreidt) 2:43
- Let's Fall In Love (Arlen-Koehler) 2:23
- IPCA (Smith) 2:42
Little Richard, Here's Little Richard (originally released as Specialty Records SP-100, 1957 - reissued Specialty/Concord, 2012)
- Tutti Frutti
- True Fine Mama
- Can't Believe You Wanna Leave
- Ready Teddy
- Baby
- Slippin' and Slidin' (Peepin' and Hidin')
- Long Tall Sally
- Miss Ann
- Oh Why?
- Rip It Up
- Jenny, Jenny
- She's Got It
Paul and Linda McCartney, Another Day/Oh Woman, Oh Why (Apple single R 5889, 1971 - reissued Hear Music, 2012)
- Another Day
- Oh Woman, Oh Why
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I am not familiar with this era of Brubeck, only having late 50s and 60s albums by him, but I love the cover and the instrumental line-up looks intriguing. It seems like it may be influenced by Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool sides. Last year's RSD release of Miles' Prestige LP 161 10" is never far from my turntable. A great release, so I'm looking forward to this Brubeck.
Do we know if the McCartney is the mono or stereo mix?
I don't know of mono mixes of either Another Day or Oh Woman, Oh Why. I'd have to guess they are stereo mixes.
Thanks. I thought I had seen mention somewhere that there were mono mixes, but now I can't find it so I must have mixed it up with something else.
Mono mixes were made for radio stations, stereo for commercial release — just as it was for Ram. The single is notable because the 'gunshots' on "Oh Woman Oh Why" are clearly in different spots, meaning it's a different mix rather than a fold down of the stereo mix.
After doing a little research, I see that these Brubeck recordings date from 1946-49, so they are definitely not influenced by the "Birth of the Cool" sessions! In fact, it appears they are similar, but just in one of those serendipitous parallel developments that sometimes occurs. I am definitely looking forward to this album.
Assuming I can find it, of course. 🙂
Indeed, Jason...if you're a fan of the BIRTH OF THE COOL sessions, you won't be disappointed by the Brubeck set. It shares much in common with the BoTC sessions, and signals a different direction Brubeck and Desmond might have pursued.
I hate Record Store Day. You have to get up pretty early to get to a participating retailer, only to find once you get there that most of the good stuff--manufactured in limited quantities anyway--is already gone, usually snapped up by the people who work there (let's face it, anyone who works at a real record store is already a collector), or people with contacts in said store. Of course, you'll get a second chance at some of the most sought-after items, marked up astronomically on E-Bay or other sites. I understand the purpose of Record Store Day, and maybe it was a noble idea the first couple of years, but it's wrongly conceived. If you want to help independent retailers, vinyl, or limited edition CDs should be released on a regular basis, perhaps weekly. This would ensure that the stores would see an increase in traffic more than just once or twice a year, and give more people a chance to pick up something interesting without --and this is the ironic thing about it--feeling like you stumbled upon a Black Friday event at a big box retailer.
I can understand your frustration. For me, the closest store that even participates is over a hundred miles away. I used to panic over whether or not I could get everything I wanted. Now I find there is very little that I do want, and I don't bother rushing to the stores to track down those items. I go weeks later and almost always find what I want at regular retail prices. Let's face it, these are only as collectable as we want them to be. It's manufactured scarcity. Since it should be about the music, I really don't care anymore if I get the red vinyl or 7" version of something. I can always track it down on an old LP or a new CD and get the music I want. The Miles 10" that I mentioned upthread I purchased months after the last RSD and I still see it in stores for $10-15. I hope to get the Brubeck the same way, but if not it won't bother me. I have thousands of other CDs and LPs to which I can listen.
I also collect comics, and every year for the past ten or so, on the first Saturday of May the industry holds Free Comic Book Day. For those events you just go in and choose a title from dozens of publishers for free. The stores pay a nominal amount for the books (about 20 cents each) and it's a great public awareness event. The stores are generally packed and the customers get what they want. No manufactured rarity like the music business is attempting to create.
I completely agree. Though, as i stated in a previous post, my experience hasn't been the record store employees grabbing all the titles, it is the secondary market dealers. Those crumbs who turn around and sell the stuff on Ebay and Amazon.com's marketplace and other sites. These clowns show up in groups and are usually first in line. Then they act as a tag team once in the store. One will grab all the McCartney for example, one will grab the stack of Springsteen etc. Then they hand each one of their cronies one of each and bam, they are all gone. I have seen these jerks in action and it ticks me off. The comparison to Black Friday is spot on. I too wish the record labels would just schedule and stagger these releases year round. It better supports the record stores that way too. They don't have just one big day, it spreads it out. I will still get out there on RSD and try for the titles I want but it is becoming an exercise in futility its also getting dangerous with all the pushing and shoving.
I saw a few items on the RSD 2012 list that I'd consider if they weren't gonna
be so expensive, not that most (if any) will actually HAVE them by the time I
show up. I mentioned ina previous post that some stores still have stuff left
over from last year's 'event.'
But some of my 'usual stores' have worthwhile sales on non-RSD stock the
same day, so I usually go for that instead.
Did OK last year (with non-RSD items, of course).
I've been to a number of stores on various Record Store Days. And while waiting in line seems a bit much it's all due to fights over records breaking out AND online sellers swooping down before anybody else has a chance at items. Kind of like ticket scalping, which is legal in some states including my own. Last weekend I ended up in Fargo, ND @ Orange Records, a cool indie store run by some young guys who obviously have a serious love of music. Had to wait in line outside for a bit but once in, appreciated the way things were done. Everything RSD was behind the counter. When it was your turn, you asked for what you wanted, if they had it, you received it @ RSD suggested retail or LOWER. They won't let you buy multiples of anything so it's about as fair can be on a day like RSD.