Real Gone Music continues to mine the vaults for overlooked classics and will present two exciting titles on August 9: a color vinyl reissue of The Strangeloves' I Want Candy (presented in mono and back on vinyl for the first time in three decades), and a new compilation of '80s country songstress Janie Fricke's best-sellers entitled It Ain't Easy: The Complete Hits (1979-1988).

Originally released on Bert Berns' Bang label in 1965, The Strangeloves' I Want Candy wasn't what it seemed.  The three-piece group billed themselves as natives of Australia (since they couldn't convincingly fake a British accent).  They concocted a backstory that involved growing up on a sheep farm and adopted the names Giles, Miles, and Niles Strange.  In reality, they were Richard Gottehrer, Jerry Goldstein, and Bob Feldman, three Brooklyn-bred music moguls who sought to cash in on the sounds from across the pond that were sweeping the charts.

The brothers Strange were no strangers to chart success themselves.  As FGG Productions, the team had already written a hit for The Angels with "My Boyfriend's Back."  But with the girl group sound going out-of-vogue, the trio regrouped and introduced audiences to further pop classics - all while adopting humorous caveman garb.  The album featured the singles "Cara-Lin" and "No Jive," alongside their version of "Hang On Sloopy," recorded before The McCoys took a stab at it.  But the biggest hit was undoubtedly "I Want Candy."  The song's pay-off over the decades would be sweet.  The original hit No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. It would later be turned into a new wave anthem decades later by Bow Wow Wow (No. 50, 1982).  Other hit covers worldwide include The Candy Girls (1996), Aaron Carter (2000), and Melanie C (2007).

For the new vinyl reissue, Real Gone will press the album's original mono mix on candy apple red wax.  It marks the album's first appearance on vinyl in 30 years and will be limited to just 1,000 copies.

Also on August 9, Real Gone will release a 41-track, 2-CD compilation of Janie Fricke's most successful country classics on It Ain't Easy: The Complete Hits (1979-1988).  Fricke had paid her dues before making it big in Nashville as a jingle singer.  Once she relocated, she got gigs with the likes of Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Crystal Gayle, and Tanya Tucker.  Eventually she went out on her own and signed to Columbia in 1977.  In just two years, she scored six No. 1 Country hits and won two consecutive CMA Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year.

Real Gone's new compilation promises to be the definitive, career-spanning collection.  All 38 of her charting tracks are accounted for, including duets with the likes of Charlie Rich, Johnny Duncan, Larry Gatlin, and Merle Haggard, alongside her later hits as Janie Frickie.  Fricke herself has penned the liner notes for the collection, which are supplemented with previously unseen photographs in the extensive booklet.

So place your orders for these two exciting releases from Real Gone, available August 9!  You can find full track listings and order links below.

The Strangeloves, I Want Candy (originally released as Bang LP 211, 1965 -- reissued Real Gone Music, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)