Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Jackie DeShannon, Love Forever: Demo Recordings 1966-1968 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Jackie DeShannon signed with Liberty Records and Metric Music in 1960 as a performer and songwriter.  Her big break would come in 1964 when she would open for The Beatles on their first U.S. tour.  The next year she would record Bacharach and David's "What the World Needs Now is Love" and her recording career really took off.  But songwriting was always paramount to Jackie's career, and she placed such classic songs as "When You Walk in the Room" with The Searchers in 1964 and "Don't Doubt Yourself Babe" with The Byrds for their debut album in 1965.  This new compilation, arriving on CD today after a Record Store Day release, picks up in 1966.  The sixteen demos here find DeShannon turning a bit more introspective as musical tastes began to change and would preview her songwriting in the 1970s.  Ten of the recordings here have never been heard before by the public so there is much to discover.  This is, essentially, a new Jackie DeShannon album - which is always something to celebrate.  The compilation features new liner notes from Ritchie Unterberger with quotes from DeShannon.

Petula Clark, Solitude and Sunshine: The Songs of Rod McKuen (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Twenty years ago, Petula Clark teamed with her longtime friend Rod McKuen to record an entire album of the singer-songwriter-poet's compositions; the project which had been mooted for decades had finally become a reality.  Solitude and Sunshine was recorded at Hollywood's Private Island Trax, with subsequent overdubs cut in Geneva, resulting in 20 tracks recorded by Petula from the McKuen songbook including "If You Go Away," "Seasons in the Sun," and "Love's Been Good to Me."  The album was originally released as a mail-order exclusive from Rod's website and Petula's fan club; now, with this expanded edition, it finally sees wide release.  The CD includes the original 14 songs plus six bonus tracks (five of which are previously unreleased) as well as a deluxe booklet with beautiful color photos and liner notes penned by both Petula and the late McKuen.  Rod duets on "The Importance of the Rose," "Where Are We Now," "Love Is," and "Golden Apples of the Sun."  Put simply, this exquisite release is a must-have for fans of either artist.

Jesse Ed Davis, Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day: The Unissued Atco Recordings 1970-1971 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Straight from last Thanksgiving's Record Store Day Black Friday event on which it was issued on vinyl, here's a CD debut from singer-songwriter-guitarist Jesse Ed Davis.  The Native American artist played and performed with some of the greatest musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s.  He toured with Conway Twitty, became a member of Taj Mahal and played with George Harrison during the Concert for Bangladesh.  Davis also worked on albums from John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Gene Clark, Leonard Cohen, and Jackson Browne.  This led to him being signed by Atco, where he released two albums in 1970 and 1972.  Real Gone's new CD collection gathers up previously unreleased outtakes from these two albums (Real Gone has previously released the two albums on both CD and vinyl).  Here you'll find you'll find unreleased songs ("Slinky Jam"), covers of "Kansas City" and "Tracks of My Tears," unissued instrumentals (including a version of Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"), and an entire side featuring alternate versions of "Washita Love Child" from Davis' first album.  The set has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and features notes by Dr. Douglas Miller, who wrote a biography of Davis: Washita Love Child - The Rise of Indigenous Rock Star Jesse Ed Davis.  Davis' son, William Noriega, has also contributed photos to the set.

SLY LIVES! (a.k.a. The Burden of Black Genius) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Columbia/Legacy)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Legacy releases the soundtrack to the latest documentary by The Roots' drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, who picked up an Academy Award for his work on 2021's Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) .  This new companion album to this highly-anticipated look at the life and legacy of Sly Stone features 21 favorite hits and album cuts, about half of which are unreleased alternate versions, mixes, or edits (including exciting plays with the original multi-track tapes by Brooklyn DJ and remixer J. Period).  It arrives on CD or 2 LPs. Get the track listing and more here!

Eric Clapton, Unplugged: Enhanced Edition (Surfdog)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada​

To coincide with a newly-upgraded presentation of the original MTV Unplugged special (streaming on Paramount+), Surfdog is reissuing the original 1992 live album in an "enhanced" edition which boasts a slightly reorganized and expanded 2CD or 2LP sequence, a brand-new mix, and highlights from a never-before-heard audio interview with Clapton discussing the songs in his set shortly before playing them in that session.  (All of the musical material was previously released in 2013 on Rhino's expanded edition of the album; that edition offered additional bonus tracks not included here.)  Read more here.

Nellie McKay, Gee Whiz: The 'Get Away from Me' Demos (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Omnivore rounds up previously unissued demos from Nellie McKay's 2004 debut album produced by Geoff Emerick.  The LP contains 18 tracks while the CD and digital editions have 21; McKay herself provides the new liner notes.  The demos have been sequenced identically to the original record, and everything has been newly mastered by by multiple Grammy winner Michael Graves.  It adds up to a fascinating peek behind the curtain at one of 21st century pop's most memorable debuts.

INXS, Listen Like Thieves (40th Anniversary Edition) (Petrol/UMC (U.K.)/Petrol/Atlantic/Rhino (U.S.))

3CD/LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

INXS' breakthrough album is getting the red carpet treatment for its 40th anniversary. The Australian group's 1985 effort Listen Like Thieves receives a multi-format reissue today...and while it will be available around the world, there's a slight catch: each format has different and unique bonus material.  The centerpiece of the campaign is a 3CD/LP box set featuring a new remix of the original album by Giles Martin and Paul Hicks plus two discs of unreleased material: one covering unheard demos and outtakes from the album sessions, and the other featuring a newly unearthed BBC recording of a 1986 set at the Royal Albert Hall in London. A 2CD cutdown will feature the remixed album and highlights from the live set, but will also add seven rare B-sides and remixes from the Listen Like Thieves era - tracks which, oddly, aren't part of the bigger box. Writer Paul Sexton contributes new liner notes, including new quotes from interviews with the surviving band members. Get the track listings and more here.

Lamb, An Extension of Now: Unreleased Recordings 1968-1969 (Real Gone Music)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

San Francisco underground psych group Lamb was a duo of Barbara Mauritz and Bob Swanson.  They are perhaps best known for appearing on 1972's Fillmore: The Last Days concert album, chronicling the final concerts the storied venue.  But they also released two albums on Warner Bros. in 1970 and 1971.  Real Gone's new collection, An Extension of Now: Unreleased Recordings 1968-1969 goes even further back.  It gathers a number of early unreleased compositions in studios and professionally taped their live performances.  The LP includes 9 tracks while the CD is an expanded, 19-track affair.  Produced by Bay Area archivist Alec Palao, the packages include liner notes by Richie Unterberger drawing on an interview with Swanson.  The LP is available in several variants: a black vinyl available at general retail, a green with orange swirl vinyl exclusive to Real Gone's website (limited to 100 copies), and a Wax Mage variant.  The CD is limited to 500 copies.

Gershon Kingsley, Music to Moog By (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

When Robert Moog invented the Moog synthesizer in 1964, it took the music world by storm.  A whole new genre popped up making use of the instrument.  One such album was Gershon Kingsley's 1968 album Music To Moog By.  Kingsley was a pioneer and in electronic music and considered one the biggest names in the genre.  He formed a duo with Jean Jacques Perry and their 1967 song "Baroque Hoedown" would become the theme to Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade in 1972.  Kinglsey and Perry went their separate ways after 1967 and Kingsley continued his solo career.  Released on the Audio Fidelity label, Music To Moog By includes classical pieces, two Beatles covers ("Nowhere Man" and "Paperback Rider") and originals.  One of these originals would become Kingsley signature song: "Pop Corn," which would become a massive hit for Hot Butter in 1972.  Real Gone's vinyl reissue includes the 8-page The Book of Moog insert which was available in some original copies.  The reissue comes on strawberry with black swirl vinyl, limited to 900 copies.  It is also available on color stripe vinyl, limited to 100 copies and available only from Real Gone's website and a Wax Mage variant.

Tyketto, Don't Come Easy (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Hard rock band Tyketto was based in New York City.  The four-person group signed to Geffen in 1989 and released their debut album, Don't Come Easy, two years later.  Their sound is similar to Whitesnake and Bon Jovi and the album produced a hit single "Forever Young," but grunge was exploding and the album never took off.  Their second album was rejected by Geffen and they were dropped from the label.  But they persevered and have recorded four more studio albums and are on tour this year.  Real Gone's reissue of Don't Come Easy has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision.  It features a printed inner sleeve and comes on teal with white swirl vinyl.  It is the first vinyl reissue of the album in the United States.

Wang Chung, Clear Light/Dark Matter (SING)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Deluxe 2CD/2LP/7" Bundle: Sing Marketplace

The time has come to take your baby by the hand and check out a new compilation from '80s pop hitmakers Wang Chung.  Clear Light / Dark Matter includes the singles "Dance Hall Days," "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," and "Let's Go!" plus tracks from their cult classic soundtrack from the film To Live and Die in L.A. - along with rare material (including the A-side of their debut single) and even a few unreleased demos. It'll be available on two CDs, two LPs (one black vinyl, one white) or an exclusive deluxe set through tech site-cum-label SING, offering the vinyl and CD sets with a bonus 7", an exclusive booklet, a turntable slipmat and more. (The 7" features two new remixes of signature song "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by French musician Eric Kupper, which was featured on a four-track 10" for Record Store Day.)  Get the track listing here!

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1991's Flight of the Cosmic Hippo was jazz fusion group Béla Fleck & the Flecktones sophomore album.  This album debuted a new term, "blu-bop," to describe the group's combination of bebop jazz and bluegrass music.  Featuring originals and covers like "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Lennon/McCartney's "Michelle," the album shot to No. 1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz album chart and received a couple of Grammy nominations.  Real Gone's vinyl reissue has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and comes on cobalt blue vinyl, limited to 900 copies.  Get the track listings for all of Real Gone's releases this week here!

 

Rilo Kiley, That's How We Choose to Remember It (Saddle Creek)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Rilo Kiley is reuniting, and on May 9 - the day before the band takes the stage at the Just Like Heaven Festival in Pasadena, CA - they'll follow up a reissue of The Execution of All Things with That's How We Choose to Remember It, an 11-track collection drawing from their four studio albums and one early EP from 1999-2007. Get more details here!

The Final Solution, Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix (High Moon)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Though they never released any major studio recordings in their brief tenure, The Final Solution were an influential group in San Francisco's burgeoning mid-'60s psychedelic scene. An oft-bootlegged 1966 set from the venerated Matrix nightclub has now been restored for Just Like Gold from original reels, remastered by Dan Hersch and featuring liner notes by Alec Palao. The CD features an additional six bonus rehearsal tracks, and this release will be the first of several from High Moon spotlighting music recorded at The Matrix. (Bizarre trivia: Final Solution guitarist Ernie Fosselius was later a charter member of Richard Elfman's surrealist collective The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo - which later became, by the last two words in the name, a celebrated alt-rock group in the '80s led by Elfman's brother Danny - and also directed the short film spoof Hardware Wars, considered to be the first parody of Star Wars.)

Bob James and Dave Koz, Just Us (Just Koz) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Two jazz greats have teamed up for this album featuring James on acoustic piano and Koz on saxophone with no additional instrumentation; tracks include "Smile," "All the Way," "My Ship," and "On the Sunny Side of the Street."  Available on CD and LP.