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Guitarist, songwriter, and singer Richard Thompson and his then-wife, the rich-toned singer Linda Thompson, released an incredible trio of albums for Island Records in the ’70s:  I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974), Hokey Pokey, and Pour Down Like Silver (both 1975).  On March 27, these three much-loved folk-rock records will arrive on vinyl once more, this time on new 180-gram pressings.

For those who have heard these albums before, they need no introduction.  If somehow they’ve passed you by over the decades, you’ll find a dose of beauty, elegance, introspection, and fantastic performances within.  Just a few years from his exit from Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson continually refined his intricate guitar style during these years, with some of the most memorable playing of his decades-long career.  Linda Thompson matches Richard’s guitar prowess with superbly affecting vocals, full of an uncanny richness and subtlety.  Just a listen to tracks like “The Calvary Cross,” “A Heart Needs A Home,” or the arresting “Dimming of the Day” is enough to convert any newcomer, or remind the long-time fan of Richard and Linda’s important place in music.

And now, you’ll be able to find all three albums on the shelves of your favorite record shop (on in the virtual stacks online) for the first time in decades.  While I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight has been reissued on wax many times before, these new printings mark the first vinyl reissues of Hokey Pokey and Pour Down Like Silver in 35+ years.

So, whether longtime devotee or new initiate, you’ll want to pick up these new reissues, which due from Island/UMe on March 27.  You can find track listings and pre-order links below!

Richard and Linda Thompson, I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight (originally Island LP ILPS-9266, 1974 — reissued Island/UMe, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1:

1. When I Get to the Border
2. The Calvary Cross
3. Withered and Died
4. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
5. Down Where the Drunkards Roll

Side 2:

1. We Sing Hallelujah
2. Has He Got a Friend For Me
3. The Little Beggar Girl
4. The End of the Rainbow
5. The Great Valerio

Richard and Linda Thompson, Hokey Pokey (originally Island LP ILPS-9305, 1975 — reissued Island/UMe, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1:

1. Hokey Pokey
2. I’ll Regret It All In The Morning
3. Smiffy’s Glass Eye
4. The Egypt Room
5. Never Again

Side 2:

1. Georgie On The Spree
2. Old Man Inside A Young Man
3. The Sun Never Shines On The Poor
4. A Heart Needs A Home
5. Mole In A Hole

Richard and Linda Thompson, Pour Down Like Silver (originally Island LP ILPS-9348, 1975 — reissued Island/UMe, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1:

1. Streets of Paradise
2. For Shame of Doing Wrong
3. The Poor Boy Is Taken Away
4. Night Comes In

Side 2:

1. Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair
2. Beat The Retreat
3. Hard Luck Stories
4. Dimming Of The Day / Dargai