Born from the ashes of The Candymen and The Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section began as the house band at Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, and Bill Lowery's Studio One in Doraville, Georgia. Members had already performed on recordings by Al Kooper, Roy Orbison, B.J. Thomas, and even Liberace by the time they began rising to fame, fanning the southern rock flame.  Now, the band's classic output - recorded from 1974 to 1980 - has been remastered and collected in a new box set: The Polydor Years, due this Friday, May 31 from Caroline International.

The Polydor Years is an 8-CD set that brings together many of their best-loved albums and biggest hits.  Inside you'll find Third Annual Pipe Dream (1974), Dog Days (1975), Red Tape (1976), A Rock and Roll Alternative (1976), Champagne Jam (1978), Underdog (1979), Are You Ready? (1979) and The Boys From Doraville (1980). Their first two band efforts were recorded for Decca Records and therefore don't feature here.

Over the course of their tenure with Polydor, the band morphed from a straight-ahead, down-home southern rock group, to a more laid-back sound that brought them their biggest hits - "So Into You" (No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, 1977), "Imaginary Lover" (also No. 7, 1978), "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight" (No. 14, 1978), and their cover of the Classics IV's "Spooky" (No. 17, 1979).  The latter had particular resonance as ARS originally rose out of the ashes of that group, with keyboardist Dean Daughtry and guitarist J.R. Cobb among the founding members.

Alongside the classic albums, The Polydor Years includes several rare single edits and mono mixes that represent the radio-friendly versions of their songs.  All the tracks in the set have been remastered by Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham and the albums come housed in a clamshell box with a booklet of liner notes and discographical annotations.  All told, it's an attractive presentation of some classics from the '70s rock era.

You can purchase The Polydor Years in stores this Friday, May 31, courtesy of Caroline International, or place your pre-orders now with the links below!

Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Polydor Years (Caroline International, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Third Annual Pipe Dream
1. Doraville
2. Jesus Hearted People
3. Close The Door
4. Blues In Maude's Flat
5. Join The Race
6. Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us)
7. Get Your Head Out Of Your Heart
8. The War Is Over
9. Help Yourself
10. Who You Gonna Run To

Bonus Tracks:
11. Angel (What in The World's Come Over Us) - Mono Edit
12. Angel (What in The World's Come Over Us) - Single Edit
13. Doraville - Mono Edit
14. Doraville - Single Edit
15. Get Your Head Out Of Your Heart - Mono Edit

CD 2: Dog Days
1. Crazy
2. Boogie Smoogie
3. Cuban Crisis
4. It Just Ain't Your Moon
5. Dog Days
6. Bless My Soul (Instrumental)
7. Silent Treatment
8. All Night Rain

Bonus Track:
9. Crazy - Mono Edit

CD 3: Red Tape
1. Jukin
2. Mixed Emotions
3. Shanghied
4. Police! Police!
5. Beautiful Dreamer
6. Oh, What A Feeling
7. Free Spirit
8. Another Man's Woman

Bonus Tracks:
9. Free Spirit - Mono Edit
10. Jukin - Mono Edit

CD 4: A Rock and Roll Alternative
1. Sky High
2. Hitch-Hikers' Hero
3. Don't Miss The Message
4. Georgia Rhythm
5. So Into You
6. Outside Woman Blues
7. Everybody Gotta Go
8. Neon Nites

Bonus Tracks:
9. So Into You - Mono Edit
10. So Into You - Single Edit
11. Neon Nites - Mono Edit
12. Neon Nites - Single Edit

CD 5: Champagne Jam
1. Large Time
2. I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight
3. Normal Love
4. Champagne Jam
5. Imaginary Lover
6. The Ballad Of Lois Malone
7. The Great Escape
8. Evileen

Bonus Tracks:
9. Champagne Jam - Mono Edit
10. Imaginary Lover - Mono Edit
11. Imaginary Lover - Single Edit
12. I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight - Mono Edit
13. I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight - Single Edit

CD 6: Underdog
1. Do It Or Die
2. Born Ready
3. I Hate The Blues / Let's Go Get Stoned
4. Indigo Passion
5. While Time Is Left
6. It's Only Music
7. Spooky
8. My Song
Bonus Tracks:
9. Indigo Passion - Single Edit
10. Large Time - Single Edit
11. Back Up Against the Wall - Single Edit
12. Spooky - Single Edit

CD 7: Are You Ready?
1. Sky High
2. Champagne Jam
3. I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight
4. Large Time
5. Back Up Against The Wall
6. Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us)
7. Conversation
8. Imaginary Lover
9. Doraville
10. Another Man's Woman
11. Georgia Rhythm
12. So Into You
13. Long Tall Sally

CD 8: The Boys From Doraville
1. Cocaine Charlie
2. Next Year's Rock & Roll
3. I Ain't Much
4. Putting My Faith In Love
5. Rough At The Edges
6. Silver Eagle
7. Pedestal
8. Try My Love
9. Strictly R & R

Bonus Track:
10. I Ain't Much - Single Edit