Due out tomorrow, September 3,  is a quartet of new vinyl reissues from our friends at Real Gone Music.  The albums are from four different decades and encompass a wide variety of genres with two of the albums making their vinyl debuts.

First up, from 1989, is the self-titled debut album from Junkyard.  This Los Angeles-based band was founded in 1987, but had a different lineup by the time they gathered to record this first album for Geffen.  The group by then consisted of lead singer David Roach, guitarist Chris Gates, bassist Clay Anthony, and drummer Patrick Muzingo.  Ex-Dag Nasty/Minor Threat guitarist Brian Baker also joined the band just prior to recording.  The music of Junkyard is self-described by the band as “booze-rock.” (Think of a harder southern rock style.)  The album was produced by Tom Werman who had worked with groups like Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, and Blue Oyster Cult.  It also featured famed guests Al Kooper and Earl Slick.  Junkyard recorded one more album for Geffen and was then dropped from the label.  They disbanded shortly after that but reformed in 2000 after the release of a live album on Cleopatra.  Since then, they have released several more albums including 2017’s High Water which hit the Billboard Hard Rock chart.  Their last album, Old Habits Die Hard, came out in 2019 and consisted of material recorded in 1992.

Real Gone’s vinyl reissue returns Junkyard to that format for the first time since its initial release in 1989.  It comes in opaque yellow vinyl and features the original inner sleeve.  It is limited to 1,500 copies.

For the next reissue on Real Gone’s slate, the label moves into the 1990s.  By the time of 1994’s Mirror Blue, Richard Thompson already had a legendary career.  He first led Fairport Convention in the 1960s and then became part of a duo with his then-wife Linda in the 1970s.  After the pair split up, the singer/songwriter/guitarist struck out on his own for good.  Thompson first signed with Polygram before moving to Capitol in 1988.  Mirror Blue was his fourth album for the label (after two regular studio albums and a soundtrack).  Mitchell Froom returned as producer after working on Thompson’s last album, 1991’s Rumor and Sigh, which produced his biggest American hit “I Feel So Good.”  But this time the production went in a more modern direction after Froom’s work with artists like Suzanne Vega and Los Lobos.  Critics weren’t thrilled with the results but the album still went to No. 23 on the British charts and produced the song “Beeswing” which has become a concert staple.  Thompson left Capitol in 2001 and began releasing his projects on smaller labels.  He continues to tour (although he has taken a break due to COVID-19) and his last studio album was 2018’s 13 Rivers.

Mirror Blue was released on vinyl in the U.K. back in 1994.  But the 55-minute album was contained on a single LP so the sound wasn’t up to optimal standards.  For this new reissue, Real Gone has expanded the album to 2 LPs with a gatefold jacket.  It comes on clear “mirror” vinyl and is limited to 1,200 copies.

We then move into another decade for a vinyl reissue of Ill Niño’s debut album Revolution Revolución from 2001.  The band was founded in Union City, New Jersey by percussionist and drummer Dave Chavarri, late of Pro Pain in 1998.  The initial lineup released an EP, but the group was put on hold when Chavarri joined Soulfly for a tour in 1999.  He reformed the band with a new set of players including vocalist Christian Machado, guitarists Marc Rizzo and Jardel Paisante, bassist Lazaro Pina and Roger Vasquez on additional percussion.  Gaining exposure on college radio, Ill Niño was signed to Roadrunner Records and released Revolution Revolución on September 18, 2001.  The Latin nu-metal album reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 350,000 copies worldwide.  Two more albums and some lineup changes would come for Roadrunner before the band and label parted ways.  They signed with Victory Records in 2010 and have released a total of seven albums.  Lawsuits plagued the group for several years but those have now been resolved and a new album is currently in the works.

The new vinyl reissue from Real Gone is the first time Revolution Revolución has appeared in that format.  The album comes on dark green with yellow splatter vinyl and includes an inner sleeve with lyrics.  It is limited to 1,500 copies.

The final entry in Real Gone’s quartet of vinyl reissues continues into another decade with Cee Lo Green’s The Lady Killer from 2010.  Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Green was a first a member of the hip-hop group Goodie Mob before striking out on his own for a pair of solo albums on Arista in 2002 and 2004.  He then took up a collaboration with producer Danger Mouse to form Gnarls Barkley for a pair of albums, one of which produced the hit “Crazy” in 2006.  Green then decided to return to solo recording and signed with Elektra.  His first album for the new label was The Lady Killer and producers on the project included Salaam Remi, Element, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T. Smith, Paul Epworth, and Jack Splash.  It also featured guest vocals from Lauren Bennett of Paradiso Girls and Philip Bailey from Earth Wind & Fire.  Green wrote over 70 songs for the album before narrowing down to the final 14 on the finished product (a number of the cut songs have leaked online).  All of that paid off, though, because it produced his biggest hit with “Fuck You” which went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (the radio edit was renamed “Forget You”).  The album itself went to the top 10 on the U.S. charts.  Green has released three more albums with the most recent being last year’s CeeLo Green is Thomas Calloway (referencing his birth name) and has made numerous appearance on other artists’ albums and on television.

Real Gone’s vinyl reissue of The Lady Killer marks the album’s first appearance in that format.  It comes on hot pink vinyl and features an inner sleeve with lyrics.

If you would like to pick up any of Real Gone’s vinyl reissue out tomorrow, we’ve got the full track listings and ordering links below.

Junkyard, Junkyard (Limited Opaque Yellow Vinyl Edition) (Originally released on Geffen 924 227-2, 1989 – reissued Real Gone Music, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. Blooze
2. Hot Rod
3. Simple Man
4. Shot in the Dark
5. Hollywood

Side 2

1. Life Sentence
2. Long Way Home
3. Can’t Hold Back
4. Texas
5. Hands off

Richard Thompson, Mirror Blue (Limited Clear “Mirror” Vinyl Edition) (Originally released on Capitol CDP 581492, 1994 – reissued Real Gone Music, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. For the Sake of Mary
2. I Can’t Wake Up to Save My Life
3. MGB-GT
4. The Way That It Shows

Side 2

1. Easy There, Steady Now
2. King of Bohemia
3. Shane and Dixie

Side 3

1. Mingus Eyes
2. I Ride in Your Slipstream
3. Beeswing

Side 4

1. Fast Food
2. Mascara Tears
3. Taking My Business Elsewhere

Ill Niño, Revolution Revolución (Dark Green with Yellow Splatter Limited Vinyl Edition) (Originally released on Roadrunner Records RR 8497-2, 2001 – reissued Real Gone Music, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. God Save Us
2. If You Still Hate Me
3. Unreal
4. Nothing’s Clear
5. What Comes Around
6. Liar
7. Rumba

Side 2

1. Predisposed
2. I Am Loco
3. No Murder
4. Rip Out Your Eyes
5. Revolution/Revolución
6. With You

Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer (Hot Pink Vinyl Edition) (Originally released on Elektra 2-525601, 2010 – reissued Real Gone Music, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. The Lady Killer Theme (Intro)
2. Bright Lights Bigger City
3. Fuck You
4. Wildflower
5. Bodies
6. Love Gun (Featuring Lauren Bennett)
7. Satisfied

Side 2

1. I Want You
2. Cry Baby
3. Fool for You (Featuring Philip Bailey)
4. It’s OK
5. Old Fashioned
6. No One’s Gonna Love You
7. The Lady Killer Theme (Outro)​