Jac Holzman was still in college when he and pal Paul Rickolt each chipped in three hundred bucks to start a record company.  That label, Elektra Records - so named for Greek mythology's daughter of Atlas and Pleione, but with the "c" swapped out for a "k" - inaugurated its catalogue with the simply-titled New Songs, an album of poetry settings by composer-pianist John Gruen.  Elektra soon shifted its emphasis to folk music, growing its discography with recordings by Theodore Bikel, Josh White, Judy Collins, Oscar Brand, and Tom Paxton before branching out into rock in the late 1960s with The Doors, Love, and The Stooges.  With every musical sea change to come - including singer-songwriter pop, punk, hard rock, and alternative - Elektra was there.  Today, the label - a part of the Warner Music family since 1970, when it was purchased by the Kinney corporation which had acquired Warner Bros. the year before - is celebrating its rich history with a weekly series of vinyl drops.  Though New Songs isn't among the titles reissued, there are a handful of surprises in addition to bona fide classics.  Every Friday this month, beginning on July 4, a new batch of titles will arrive at independent brick-and-mortar stores; select LPs will also be available via Rhino.com.

Here's an overview of the titles you can expect to arrive this month from Elektra and Rhino as part of Elektra's 75th anniversary celebration.  The majority of titles arrives in stores this Friday; future weeks include titles in the Rhino Hi-Fi and Rhino Reserves audiophile-quality lines as well a specially-curated collection on both vinyl and CD.  Rhino.com links have been added where available.  Check your local independent brick-and-mortar retailer for these titles; Rhino's "event" releases are also usually available at Barnes and Noble stores with music locations. Descriptions have been provided by TSD.

July 4

The Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen
1LP on Canary vinyl

The Afghan Whigs' fourth studio album, 1993's Memphis-recorded Gentlemen, presented a bleak, soulful concept album/song cycle about the end of a relationship.  It's back on "canary" vinyl.

Anita Baker, Rapture
1LP on Black vinyl

Anita Baker's 1986 breakthrough netted the chanteuse two Grammy Awards and a top 10 hit with the sultry "Sweet Love" as well as a top 40 success with "Caught Up in the Rapture."  Today, it's still a rapturous set of plush soul and R&B.

Bread, Best of Bread
1LP on Cloud Clear vinyl

Bread's multi-platinum 1973 compilation - a No. 2 smash on the Billboard 200 - features such huge hits as "Baby I'm-a Want You," "Everything I Own," "Make It with You," "It Don't Matter to Me," "Diary," and "If" - and that's just Side One!

Grover Washington Jr., Winelight
1LP on Chardonnay vinyl

Grover Washington Jr.'s smooth 1980 studio album welcomed Bill Withers for the Grammy-winning crossover hit "Just the Two of Us;" the album received the Grammy for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.

Keith Sweat, Keith Sweat
1LP on Ruby Red Vinyl

Keith Sweat's self-titled, 4x Platinum 1996 album - his fifth LP, overall - yielded the hit singles "Twisted" and "Nobody," and welcomed Ron Isley on "Come with Me."  Filled with stylish new jack swing and soul grooves, it remains the most successful album of Sweat's career.

Nanci Griffith, Other Voices, Other Rooms
2LP on Black vinyl

The late vocalist's 1994 Grammy-winning album featured guest turns by Bob Dylan and John Prine and songs by a folk "who's who" including that illustrious duo plus Townes Van Zandt, Tom Paxton, Ralph McTell, Woody Guthrie, Janis Ian, Gordon Lightfoot, and others.  Guy Clark, Bela Fleck, Iris DeMent, Emmylou Harris, John Hartford, Odetta, and Allison Krauss are among the talents who contributed to Griffith's Elektra debut.

Public Image Ltd, This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get
1LP on Cloudy Translucent vinyl

PiL's 1984 album featuring "Bad Life" and "This Is Not a Love Song" returns on cloudy translucent vinyl.

Superdrag, Regretfully Yours
1LP on Pink vinyl

The Tennessee alt-rockers' full-length major-label debut platter featured a Billboard Modern Rock hit in "Sucked Out," setting the stage for a career which continues to the present day.

Television, Adventure (Rhino High Fidelity)
1LP on 180-gram Black vinyl

Television's second album, from 1978, was thought at the time to have somewhat softened the band's aggressive sound - but there's still plenty to like on this set from Tom Verlaine and company.  Original co-producer John Jansen provides the liner notes for this 180-gram reissue pressed at Optimal and AAA-cut by Kevin Gray.

The Stooges, The Stooges (Rhino High Fidelity)
1LP on 180-gram Black vinyl

The Stooges returns to Rhino's High Fidelity line as AAA-cut from the original stereo tapes by Kevin Gray.  Pressed at Optimal, this 180-gram vinyl edition includes an insert containing photos and an interview with photographer Glen Craig.

Third Eye Blind, Third Eye Blind
2LP on Grape vinyl

The Bay Area band's 1997 debut was certified 6x Platinum by 2001; it remains their biggest-ever album.  Rhino's reissuing it on grape-colored vinyl.

Tim Buckley, Happy Sad (Rhino Reserve)
1LP on 180-gram Black vinyl

Produced by Zal Yanovsky and Jerry Yester, Tim Buckley's 1969 album reflected his move away from folk as well as his growing interest in jazz.  It ended up being his highest-charting album.  This Rhino Reserve reissue has been cut from the original masters by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing's plant in Oxnard, California.

Sisters of Mercy, First and Last and Always
1LP on Black & Red Marble vinyl

The British goth-rockers' 1985 debut album returns on black and red marble vinyl.

July 11

The Cars, The Cars (Rhino High Fidelity)
1LP on 180-gram Black vinyl

The Cars' self-titled debut returns to the Rhino High Fidelity line in an unnumbered edition cut from the original masters by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal.  The liner notes include a new interview with Elliot Easton and producer Roy Thomas Baker's original tracking notes for "Good Times Roll."

Television, Marquee Moon (Rhino High Fidelity)
1LP on 180-gram Black vinyl

This unnumbered Rhino High Fidelity pressing of Television's groundbreaking Marquee Moon has been AAA-mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal. David Fricke's liner notes include interviews with Richard Lloyd, Fred Smith, and Billy Fica.

July 18

Various Artists, Dylan's Circle
2LP on Black vinyl or 1CD (Links TBD)

Jac Holzman has curated this all-new collection celebrating both the Elektra legacy and the fertile Greenwich Village folk scene from which so many memorable albums sprung. Though Bob Dylan wasn't an Elektra artist, he was at the center of that vibrant era - and so Dylan's Circle features not only the Bard of Hibbing himself but also such key Elektra artists as Judy Collins, Josh White, Judy Henske, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Hamilton Camp, The Dillards, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and even Love.

July 25

Love, The Elektra Singles
1LP on Black vinyl

This collection brings together the Southern California band's classics including "My Little Red Book," "7 and 7 Is," "She Comes in Colors," and "Alone Again Or."

The Cars, Shake It Up (Rhino Reserve)
1LP on 180-gram Black vinyl

Featuring the hit title track which went to the top 10 in 1981, The Cars' Shake It Up is added to the Rhino Reserve line.  This reissue has been cut from the original tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing in Oxnard, California.

The Doors, Golden Doors 2
1LP on Purple vinyl (D2C Edition includes 7-inch on Purple vinyl​)

This 1970 compilation was originally released in Japan only, and original copies fetch high coin today.  This second volume of Doors favorites includes "Touch Me," "Wishful Sinful," "The Soft Parade," and "Moonlight Drive" among its 12 cuts.  Bruce Botnick has mastered and Bernie Grundman has cut the lacquers for this release.  A bonus 7-inch EP (reprising five songs on the LP) will be available with copies ordered directly from Rhino.com.