As we continue our look through this year’s upcoming Record Store Day releases, here is what Real Gone Music will be offering on April 21 at your local record store!

Tim Buckley, Live at the Troubadour – 2-LP 12″ Clear Vinyl

First appearing on CD in 1994, this album is drawn from Tim Buckley’s September 3  and September 4, 1969 shows at West Hollywood’s famed Troubadour.  Buckley was joined by Lee Underwood on guitar, Carter C.C. Collins on congas, John Balkin on bass, and Art Trip on drums in the band.  Some material is drawn from Buckley’s early efforts such as Happy Sad, while others hail from his albums which hadn’t yet been released such as Blue Afternoon, released in November 1969 and Lorca.  While Lorca would not come out until May 1970, Buckley actually recorded the album a few weeks after these concerts.  Two songs played at the Troubadour, “Venice Mating Call” and “I Don’t Need It To Rain,” were never featured on a Buckley studio album.  This RSD release marks the album’s first time appearing on vinyl.  It comes in a gatefold jacket featuring liner notes and rare photos from the Buckley archive, and is limited to 1,000 copies.

Harry Nilsson, Pussy Cats – 12″ Colored Vinyl

Originally released in 1974, Pussy Cats was produced by John Lennon, who was partying around Los Angeles with Nilsson during this period.  They were joined on the sessions by other notable musicians including Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Jessie Ed Davis, Dan Kortchmar and Jim Keltner.  In his Second Disc review of the RCA Albums box set back in 2013, Joe described Pussy Cats thusly: “Produced in the midst of all-too-public debauchery, this LP introduced Nilsson’s ‘new’ voice.  His booze-and-drugs-fuelled lifestyle took a toll on a once-angelic tenor, leaving behind a husky rasp still capable of great emotion but with greatly diminished range.  A clearly-strained Nilsson croaks his way through oldies like ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’ and ‘Rock Around the Clock’ with Lennon contributing thick, sometimes murky production as well as backing vocals and string charts that point the way towards ‘No. 9 Dream.’  The heartbreaking if sarcastic ‘Don’t Forget Me’ is among Nilsson’s finest compositions, though, and the atmospheric ‘Old Forgotten Soldier’ and ‘Black Sails’ show that his songwriting muse hadn’t completely departed.  Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ allowed the singer to cut loose in one of his most visceral performances.”  Real Gone’s RSD edition marks this one-of-a-kind album’s first vinyl reissue.  It comes in a “six-page” gatefold with lyrics like on the original release.  Limited to 1,500 copies, it’s pressed on “hardwood” colored vinyl perfect for any Lost Weekend!

Blue Oyster Cult, Rarities Vol. 2 – 2-LP 12″ Colored Vinyl

On last November’s Black Friday Record Store Day, Real Gone released Rarities, Vol. 1 from Blue Oyster Cult.  That 2-LP title replicated the first “disc” of the digital double album Rarities 1969-1988.  That digital release gathered up the bonus tracks from BOC’s series of album reissues as well as the bonus content from their 2012 Complete Columbia Albums box.  Real Gone’s first LP set covered the years 1969-1974.  This new release picks up there, featuring rarities from 1975 to 1988.  You’ll find a blend of live cuts, demos and outtakes on the album.  It starts with a live take of “Stairway to the Stars” and then features demos of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Dance the Night Away.”  You’ll also find four outtakes from Spectres, a live 1977 “Godzilla,” five songs from an August 22, 1979 concert, two rare covers, demos for songs for the film Teachers and even a spoken intro for a song from Stephen King.  The gatefold album jacket has photos from the Columbia archives and liner notes from Scott Schinder, featuring exclusive quotes from Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma.  The vinyl is colored “Translucent Blue” and is limited to 2,000 copies.  As a special bonus, 100 randomly-chosen copies will include a vintage PR photo of BOC signed by Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma.

The Rascals, The Complete Singles A’s and B’s – 4-LP 12″ Box Set

In January 2017, Real Gone released this landmark compilation from The Rascals on a 2-CD set.  As the title suggested, it featured every A- and B-side released by the group on Atlantic and Columbia between 1965 and 1972 in their original single mixes for a total of 47 tracks.  Now, Real Gone is releasing the compilation as a 4-LP box set.  Formed in Garfield, New Jersey in 1965 the band featured songwriters Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere on vocals (and Cavaliere also on keyboards) with Gene Cornish on guitar and Dino Danelli on drums.  Most of their works was engineered by Tom Dowd and arranged by Arif Martin.  You’ll hear all of the band’s biggest hits on this compilation including “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin’,” “How Can I Be Sure,” “A Beautiful Morning,” and “People Got To Be Free.”  The set has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision.  Ed Orsborne has contributed a 4,500-word essay featuring exclusive quotes from Brigati, Cavaliere and Cornish and the package includes rare photos.  This is the first time all of the group’s singles have appeared together on vinyl.

If you would like to give any of these titles a try, be sure to head to your local record shop for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 21!