With his long mane of white hair, Edgar Winter has long cut one of the most striking profiles in rock.  Like his older brother Johnny, Texas-born Edgar was steeped in the blues.  Emerging onto the scene with the 1970 Epic album Entrance, Winter fused blues with many of the styles with which he would become known, including rock, pop, soul, and jazz.  Funk and even disco would come later, but one thing remained constant in whatever genre Edgar Winter was recording: virtuosic musicianship.  A talented multi-instrumentalist, Winter wielded his alto saxophone and keyboards on a number of albums as both a solo artist and a bandleader.  Cherry Red's Hear No Evil imprint has recently collected his classic 1970s output on a pair of generously expanded box sets.  (Winter concurrently recorded in solo and group settings.)  Tell Me in a Whisper: The Solo Albums 1970-1981 has Entrance plus three more LPs on four CDs, while its companion volume I've Got News for You (1971-1977) brings together six albums on six CDs from Edgar Winter's White Trash and The Edgar Winter Group.  Both sets add copious bonus tracks to paint a full portrait of the artist during this period.

As a solo artist, Winter was truly free to follow his muse.  Entrance (primarily composed by Edgar and Johnny) introduced his catholic approach to music; its opening track alone combined rock with orchestrated pop, blue-eyed soul, and straight jazz passages.  Every track on the first side segued into the next with no interruption, as if to underscore his progressive ambitions.  Entrance, on which Edgar played sax, piano, and organ in addition to handling all lead vocals, also touched on gospel and boogie.  It introduced his scorching rendition of John D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" (which he would revisit with White Trash) as performed with Johnny.  It would become a Winter staple.

Tell Me in a Whisper continues with Jasmine Nightdreams, Edgar's 1975 sophomore solo album "co-created" per the credits with his frequent collaborator, Dan Hartman.  In addition to singer-songwriter-musician Hartman, the album also featured Johnny as well as the brothers' Blue Sky Records labelmate Rick Derringer.  (Hear No Evil has also recently collected Derringer's Blue Sky albums in a similar box set.)  The soaring Hartman/Winter title co-write epitomized smooth mid-'70s pop-rock, but strains of danceable funk, gospel, and blues rock weren't far beneath the surface.

1979's The Edgar Winter Album took the artist to the hallowed grounds of Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios for a vibrant album of soulful R&B and disco inspired by the sounds of the city.  Dance music pioneer Tom Moulton co-produced with Winter, and a small group of Philly and MFSB veterans formed the band, including Larry Washington on congas, Keith Benson on drums, James Williams on guitar, and Craig Snyder on guitar.  In addition to catchy uptempo, disco-flecked numbers like "It's Your Life to Live" and "Above and Beyond," Winter revisited his anti-war ballad "Dying to Live."  The box is rounded out with 1981's Standing on Rock, which turned up the guitars as well as the in-vogue synthesizers for a set of vaguely science fiction-influenced songs such as "Martians" and "Tomorrowland."  All four albums in HNE's box feature bonus singles, with a total of fourteen tracks appended to the four discs.

The companion set I've Got News for You chronicles the same period, but with Winter's ensembles.  The first album in the 6-CD set, Edgar Winter's White Trash, followed up Entrance in 1971.  As its cover proudly boasted, the album introduced lead singer-saxophonist Jerry LaCroix, who also co-wrote six of the ten tracks with Winter.  LaCroix joined Jon Smith (vocals/saxophone), Mike McLellan (vocals/trumpet), Bobby Ramirez (drums), George Sheck (bass), and Floyd Radford (guitar) in the core band, while producer Rick Derringer and Johnny Winter both made guest appearances.  The brassy rock explosion touched on all of Winter's favorite styles, and introduced the aforementioned "Dying to Live," which would subsequently be covered by artists including Blood, Sweat & Tears' David Clayton-Thomas.  LaCroix, Derringer, and Johnny Winter joined Edgar for 1972's raucous live album Roadwork, which also featured White Trash member Bobby Ramirez.  Blending original material with choice covers of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose," Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A.," and Stevie Wonder's "Do Yourself a Favor," Roadwork reinvented "Tobacco Road" in searing style, and featured a scorching rave-up of Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo."

But 1972's They Only Come Out at Night truly established Winter's rock supremacy.  Credited to The Edgar Winter Group, it yielded the still-familiar signature hits "Frankenstein" (No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Free Ride" (No. 14).  The album featured a classic line-up of Winter, Dan Hartman on bass, Ronnie Montrose on guitar, and Chuck Ruff on drums, and made it all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard Albums Chart.  Follow-up Shock Treatment (1974) didn't match its predecessor's success, but continued Winter's hit streak with two more chart entries written by Dan Hartman (who had also penned "Free Ride"), "River's Risin'" and "Easy Street."

Rick Derringer earned above-the-title billing on 1975's The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer.  The group of Winter, Derringer, Hartman, and Ruff might have spread themselves thin, also releasing the "solo" Jasmine Nightdreams the same year.  1976 brought the release of Together: Edgar and Johnny Winter Live, the only one of Edgar's seventies albums not included in these two box sets.  In 1977, Jerry LaCroix returned to the fold for the amusingly-titled Recycled, the reunion of White Trash.  Jon Smith, Marshall Cyr, Floyd Radford, Dan Hartman, Dan Minatre, Robert Arnold, and George Recile were also all on hand for this slice of big band rock and roll.  Based around original songs, it lacked the spark of White Trash's debut, but the power of the sound was never in doubt.

No less than 28 bonus singles are spread throughout these six discs; They Only Come Out at Night alone has a generous complement of nine, including three single versions of "Frankenstein" and two of "Free Ride."  Malcolm Dome has penned liner notes for both titles, which are housed in clamshell cases with each disc in a replica mini-LP sleeve.  (Unfortunately, neither box contains discographical annotation.)  Tony Dixon has handled remastering.

Taken together, Tell Me in a Whisper and I've Got News for You present a near-complete account of Edgar Winter's incendiary first decade as a recording artist and a bandleader.  Funky, brash, soulful, and rocking, these two box sets prove that there's much more to the artist than just "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride."  Both boxes can be ordered at the links below!

Edgar Winter, Tell Me in a Whisper: The Solo Albums 1970-1981 (Cherry Red/Hear No Evil HNEBOX 097, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Entrance (Epic BN 26503, 1970)

1. Winter's Dream: Entrance
2. Where Have You Gone
3. Rise to Fall
4. Fire and Ice
5. Hung Up
6. Back in the Blues
7. Re-Entrance
8. Tobacco Road
9. Jump Right Out
10. Peace Pipe
11. A Different Game
12. Jimmy's Gospel
13. Now is the Time (B-side) (Epic single 5-10618, 1970)
14. Tobacco Road (Mono edit) (Epic single 5-10618, 1970)

CD 2: Jasmine Nightdreams (Blue Sky PZ 33483, 1975)

1. One Day Tomorrow
2. Little Brother
3. Hello Mellow Feelin'
4. Tell Me in a Whisper
5. Shuffle-Low
6. Keep on Burnin'
7. How Do You Like Your Love
8. I Always Wanted You
9. Out of Control
10. All Out
11. Sky Train
12. Solar Strut
13. Little Brother (Mono Edit) (Blue Sky single AS 136, 1975)
14. Little Brother (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single AS 136, 1975)
15. One Day Tomorrow (Mono Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8-2758, 1975)
16. One Day Tomorrow (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8-2758, 1975)
17. Jasmine Nightdream (B-side) (Blue Sky single ZS8-2758, 1975)
18. I Always Wanted You (Mono Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8-2761, 1975)
19. I Always Wanted You (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8-2761, 1975)

CD 3: The Edgar Winter Album (Blue Sky JZ 35989, 1979)

1. It's Your Life to Live
2. Above and Beyond
3. Take It the Way It Is
4. Dying to Live
5. Please Don't Stop
6. Make It Last
7. Do What
8. It Took Your Love to Bring Me Out
9. Forever in Love
10. Above and Beyond (Extended Instrumental) (Blue Sky 12-inch single 4Z8 2785, 1979)
11. Above and Beyond (Extended) (Blue Sky 12-inch single 4Z8 2785, 1979)
12. Above and Beyond (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS9 2876, 1979)
13. It's Your Life to Live (Single Edit) (Blue sky single ZS9 2780, 1979)

CD 4: Standing on Rock (Blue Sky JZ 36494, 1981)

1. Star Garbage
2. Standing on Rock
3. Love is Everywhere
4. Martians
5. Rock and Roll Revival
6. In Love
7. Everyday Man
8. Tomorrowland
9. Love is Everywhere (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS6 70068, 1981)

Edgar Winter, I've Got News for You (1971-1977) featuring The Edgar Winter Group and Edgar Winter's White Trash (Cherry Red/Hear No Evil HNEBOX 098, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Edgar Winter's White Trash (Epic KE 30512, 1971)

1. Give It Everything You Got
2. Fly Away
3. Where Would I Be (Without You)
4. Let's Get It On
5. I've Got News for You
6. Save the Planet
7. Dying to Live
8. Keep Playin' That Rock 'n' Roll
9. You Were My Light
10. Good Morning Music
11. Keep Playin' That Rock 'n' Roll (Single Edit)
12. Where Would I Be (Without You) (Single Edit)
13. Where Would I Be (Without You) (Mono Edit)
14. Give It Everything You Got (Single Edit)
15. Give It Everything You Got (Mono Edit)

CD 2: Edgar Winter's White Trash - Roadwork (Epic KEG 31249, 1972)

1. Save the Planet
2. Jive, Jive, Jive
3. I Can't Turn You Loose
4. Still Alive and Well
5. Back in the U.S.A.
6. Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo
7. Tobacco Road
8. Cool Fool
9. Do Yourself a Favor
10. Turn On Your Lovelight
11. I Can't Turn You Loose (Mono Edit) (Epic single 5-10855, 1972)
12. I Can't Turn You Loose (Single Edit) (Epic single 5-10855, 1972)
13. Cool Fool (Single Edit) (Epic single 5-10855, 1972)

CD 3: The Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out at Night (Epic KE 31584, 1972)

1. Hangin' Around
2. When It Comes
3. Alta Mira
4. Free Ride
5. Undercover Man
6. Round and Round
7. Rock 'n' Roll Boogie Woogie Blues
8. Autumn
9. We All Had a Real Good Time
10. Frankenstein
11. Frankenstein (Edit) (Source TBD)
12. Frankenstein (Mono Edit) (Epic single 5-10967, 1972)
13. Round and Round (Single Edit) (Epic single 5-10922, 1972)
14. Round and Round (Mono Edit) (Epic single 5-10922, 1972)
15. Free Ride (Single Edit) (Epic single 5-11024, 1972)
16. Free Ride (Mono Edit) (Epic single 5-11024, 1972)
17. Catching Up (B-side) (Epic single 5-10903, 1972)
18. Frankenstein (Single Edit) (Source TBD)
19. Hangin' Around (Mono Edit) (Epic single 5-11069, 1973)

CD 4: The Edgar Winter Group - Shock Treatment (Epic PE 32461, 1974)

1. Some Kinda Animal
2. Easy Street
3. Sundown
4. Miracle of Love
5. Do Like Me
6. Rock & Roll Woman
7. Someone Take My Heart Away
8. Queen of My Dreams
9. Maybe Some Day You'll Call My Name
10. River's Risin'
11. Animal
12. River's Risin' (Mono Edit) (Epic single 5-11143, 1974)
13. River's Risin' (Single Edit) (Epic single 5-11143, 1974)
14. Someone Take My Heart Away (Mono Edit) (Epic single 8-50060, 1974)
15. Someone Take My Heart Away (Single Edit) (Epic single 8-50060, 1974)
16. Easy Street (Mono Edit) (Epic single 8-50034, 1974)
17. Easy Street (Single Edit) (Epic single 8-50034, 1974)

CD 5: The Edgar Winter Group - With Rick Derringer (Blue Sky PZ 33798, 1975)

1. Cool Dance
2. People Music
3. Good Shot
4. Nothin' Good Comes Easy
5. Infinite Peace in Rhythm
6. Paradise/Sides
7. Diamond Eyes
8. Modern Love
9. Let's Do It Together Again
10. Can't Tell One from the Other
11. J.A.P. (Just Another Punk)
12. Chainsaw
13. Diamond Eyes (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8 2763, 1975)
14. Diamond Eyes (Mono Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8 2763, 1975)
15. People Music (Mono Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8 2762, 1975)

CD 6: Edgar Winter's White Trash - Recycled (Blue Sky PZ 34858, 1977)

1. Puttin' It Back
2. Leftover Love
3. Shake It Off
4. Stickin' It Out
5. New Wave
6. Open Up
7. Parallel Love
8. The In and Out of Love Blues
9. Competition
10. Stickin' It Out (Mono Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8 2769, 1977)
11. Stickin' It Out (Single Edit) (Blue Sky single ZS8 2769, 1977)