This coming Friday, May 6, sees two releases on Second Disc Records through Real Gone Music: The Complete Reprise Recordings Plus! from Darlene Love and Live 1977 from Melissa Manchester.  But joining those two on Real Gone's slate are another two reissues: a new vinyl version of Les Baxter's Soul of the Drums and, on CD and LP, an expanded version of Savage Republic's 1982 debut album: Tragic Figures.

First up is 1963's Soul of the Drums by Les Baxter and his Orchestra.  Along with Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman, Baxter is considered one of the pioneers of exotica music, the easy listening genre featuring a tropical flair.  Getting his start as a saxophonist in the early 1940s, Baxter would switch to singing and joined groups such as Mel Tormé's Mel-Tones. By 1950, he had changed tracks again and was arranging and conducting for Capitol Records, including working on several Nat King Cole recordings.  He also recorded Yma Sumac's Voice of the Xtabay, considered one of the earliest examples of exotica.  Another early addition to the genre was Baxter's own album, Ritual of the Savage, from 1951.  He would continue to work in that style for many more of his own recordings, although the genre would not have a name until 1957 when Martin Denny's Exotica was released.  Baxter would also have hits in the 1950s on songs such as "Ruby" (1953), "Unchained Melody" (1955), and "The Poor People of Paris" (1956).

Soul of the Drums shows Baxter's refined style in exotica after recording it for twelve years by that point.  It draws inspiration from African, Brazilian, Cuban and Haitian roots and features such varied instruments as the harp, glockenspiel, marimba, and vibraphone.  Ten of the twelve tracks were written by Baxter while the other two, "Lord, What A Morning" and "Mai Tai," were written by Michael Clough and Ira Cook, respectively.  Les Baxter would continue to record steadily through the 1970s.  He also worked on scoring films, which he had started in the mid-1950s and would also continue through the 1970s.  When his other work opportunities began to dwindle in the 1980s, he turned to writing music for theme parks, including Sea World.  He passed away in 1996.

Real Gone's new vinyl version is the first vinyl reissue of the album.  It comes on bright green vinyl and is limited to 1,500 copies.

Next up is a reissue of post-punk band Savage Republic's debut album: 1982's Tragic Figures.  Founded in the early 1980s at UCLA in Los Angeles by Bruce Licher (guitar) and Mark Erskine (drums/percussion), the group was first known as Africa Corps.  They were soon joined by Philip Drucker (aka Jackson Del Rey) (guitar/percussion), Robert Loveless , and Jeff Long (guitar/percussion).  Shortly before the release of Tragic Figures on Licher's own Independent Project label, the band's name was changed to Savage Republic.  Real Gone describes the style of the album as post-punk-industrial-trance-psychedelic-surf.  The album cover, designed by Licher, features a photograph of the revolutionary government executing Iranian Kurds on August 24, 1979 by photographer Jahangir Razmi.

Savage Republic split in 1983, with material from their second album being completed by Drucker and Loveless under the name 17 Pygmies.  But the group would reform in 1985 (with a mix of new and old members) and release three studio albums, one live album, and an EP before going their separate ways again in 1990.  Licher brought the band back in 2002 with some of the mid-1980s members, but he left after one tour.  The others carried on and completed another three albums, with the last being 2014's Aegean.

Real Gone is reissuing Tragic Figures in two formats: as a 2-CD or 2-LP set.  The first disc features the original album while the second includes pre-album rehearsals taped in the UCLA parking garages.  Earlier reissues of the album have included different bonus material, such as subsequent singles and EPs which are not reprised here.  Real Gone worked in collaboration with Licher for the release and it features new liner notes by Richie Unterberger including interviews with band members.  Mike Milchner at SonicVision has remastered the release.  The CD comes in a six-panel digipak which expands the original art while the LP jacket is pressed on heavyweight "Chipboard" paper stock.  It comes on red vinyl and is limited to 2,000 copies.

If you are interested in either of these releases hitting store shelves this Friday, we've got the full tracklisting and preorder links below.

Les Baxter and his Orchestra, Soul of the Drums (Originally released on Reprise Records LP RS-6100, 1963 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side One

1. The Girl Behind the Bamboo Curtain
2. Lord, What a Morning
3. Coffee Bean and Calabash Annie
4. Sunrise at Kowloon
5. Which Doctor?
6. Mai Tai

Side Two

1. A Day in Rio
2. River of Dreams
3. Nina
4. Shadow of Love and The Enchanted Reef
5. Jacaranda
6. Ceremony

Savage Republic, Tragic Figures: Expanded Edition (Real Gone Music, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1 (Tragic Figures album - Originally released on Independent Project Records IP 004, 1982)

1. When All Else Fails...
2. Attempted Coup: Madagascar
3. The Ivory Coast
4. Next to Nothing
5. Exodus
6. Machinery
7. Zulu Zulu
8. Real Men
9. Flesh That Walks
10. Kill the Fascists!
11. Procession

Disc 2 (Pre-Tragic Figures)

1. Attempted Coup: Madagascar
2. When All Else Fails
3. Kill the Fascists!
4. Real Men
5. The Vampire Bites
6. Next to Nothing Weirdness
7. Thee Three Preserves
8. Sliding into Arabia
9. As It Was Written
10. Procession (Into the Light)
11. Exodus