Real Gone Music has another eclectic array of release hitting store shelves this Friday, June 3.  In addition to the deluxe 2-CD set from Stoney and Meatloaf, Everything Under the Sun: The Motown Recordings on Second Disc Records, Real Gone has several vinyl reissues in a variety of genres from jazz to soul to punk/electronic plus another entry in the label's series of Grateful Dead CD reissues.  We've got all of the details on this bountiful slate below.

Little needs to be said about Max Roach, one of the greatest drummers in jazz history.  If you think of a jazz luminary, odds are that Roach played with them.  His career began in the 1940s; a pioneer of the bebop style, he co-founded Debut Records with Charles Mingus in 1952.  With a prolific recording career as a leader, Roach released albums on several labels.  In the mid-1960s, he was signed to Atlantic Records.  His second LP for the label, Members, Don't Get Weary, was released in 1968.  Roach led a quintet with himself on drums, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Stanley Cowell on piano, and Jymie Merritt on electric bass.  The six-song bop album was written entirely by the group with Cowell penning three numbers, Bartz and Merritt with one each, and Roach composing the title track (featuring vocals by Andy Bey).  After this album, Roach would continue recording for another 30 years.  His final original album was 2002's Friendship with Clark Terry on Columbia.  Roach passed away in 2007.  Real Gone's vinyl reissue of Members, Don't Get Weary is the first American vinyl reissue of the album and comes on black vinyl, pressed at Gotta Groove Records.  A pink vinyl edition, limited to 500 copies, is available exclusively from Collector's Choice Music.

Drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie's Encounter Records only released five albums, all in 1973.  Among those was the self-titled debut album of East Coast.  The seven-member band consisted of Larry Blackmon (leader/drums), James Wheeler (alto saxophone), Gregory Johnson (keyboards), Michael Harris (percussion), Melvin Whay (bass), Patrick Grant (trombone), and Gwen Guthrie (vocals).  The soul-funk album, with all songs written by members of the band, features many styles from sunshine soul to psychedelia.  East Coast only recorded this one LP and had disbanded by the next year.  Guthrie would continue her songwriting career, co-writing tunes for Ben E. King and Sister Sledge, among others.  She became an in-demand backup singer and also had a solo career, recording six albums.  Her biggest hit was 1986's "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But the Rent" which hit No. 5 in the U.K. and was a hit on the U.S. dance charts.  She passed away in 1999.  Blackmon would take Johnson with him and eventually form Cameo.  One of the biggest funk groups in history, Cameo  would record over 20 studio and live albums.  "Word Up!" was their biggest single, coincidentally also in 1986.  Real Gone's vinyl reissue has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and features the original gatefold packaging.  It is the first is the first American vinyl reissue of the album (which has never appeared on CD).  The reissue comes in three versions: fire orange with black streaks vinyl, dark grey vinyl (limited to 150 copies, available directly from Real Gone), and gold vinyl (limited to 310 copies, available from Tandem Vinyl with details TBD).

Next up are two more soul-funk vinyl reissues, this time from the small Maple label.  Both were the artists' only albums and both were produced by Johnny Brantley, who worked with Jimi Hendrix, The Ohio Players, and The Isley Brothers, among others.  George Scott's 1971 album, Find Someone to Love, featured the vocalist's "Wilson Pickett-meets-James Brown" stylings and included ten songs, the majority written by the team of Edward Lewis, James Lewis, and Marion Farmer.  One track, "Sweetthang," writing by Brantley and Billy Lamont, features an uncredited Jimi Hendrix on guitar (although this part was probably laid down in 1966 and Scott's vocals added much later).

The other Brantley-produced LP also comes from 1971 and is a one-off entitled M-Square, credited to Mabu's Madness.  Mabu was Brad "Mabu" Young, a drummer/singer/arranger who lead a 10-person band on this collection of eight songs.  The funky album has several highlights, including the horn section playing The Who's "Sparks" during the song "Do The Best You Can!"  Both albums have been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision.  Each also comes in two different colors.  George Scott's Find Someone to Love is available on green vinyl (the standard edition) or blue vinyl, exclusive to Vinyl Me, Please and limited to 750 copies.  Mabu Madness' M-Squared comes either as a limited 1,400 copy vinyl in "fire orange with black streaks" or as a clear vinyl with yellow and red pigment swirl, limited to 100 copies and available exclusively from Real Gone's website.

Chuck Armstrong began his career under the name Little Charles when he recorded a single for the Gemini label in 1966.  He then moved around to various other labels including Nashville's Sound Stage 7, Detroit's Black Rock, and Miami's Drive.  In 1976, he recorded Shackin' Up on the small R & R label.  Produced by George Kerr (Whatnauts, Linda Jones, Manhattans, Phyllis Hyman), the 10-song album includes the single "Give Me All Your Sweet Lovin'" and the 7-minute long, socially-conscious soul number "You've Got To Deal With It (This Superworld)."  This first American vinyl reissue has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and comes in two limited editions: a 1,400-copy "barbecue sauce" red version available at general retail and a 100-copy "camo" green version available exclusively from Real Gone's website.

Real Gone's slate then moves into the 1980s for Alan Vega's third solo album, Saturn Strip.  Vega got his start as an artist and by the 1970s was working on light sculptures.  During this time, he would meet Martin "Rev" Reverby.  Vega would turn to music and the duo would eventually form the influential punk and electronic band Suicide.  Suicide recorded intermittently and Vega would also record solo efforts, focusing more on his rockabilly influenced-style.  His third album and first for a major label (Elektra), 1983's Saturn Strip, was a bid for commercial success.  Produced by The Cars' Rik Ocasek and featuring keyboard work by Al Jourgenson (who had just founded Ministry), Vega catered his writing to a more radio-friendly style, composing shorter songs than his previous efforts.  It still proved a bit too idiosyncratic for mainstream audiences, but was liked by critics.  Vega would record one more album for Elektra before moving on to other labels while also continuing to record with Suicide.  Suicide's last album was 2002's American Supreme and Vega's last album released in his lifetime was 2010's Sniper.  He passed away in 2016.  Real Gone's new edition is the first-ever vinyl reissue of the album and it comes on "highlighter" yellow vinyl.

Real Gone is also continuing its series bringing Grateful Dead live albums to general retail.  Up this time is Road Trips Vol.1, No.3: Summer '71, originally released by the band through their website in 2008.  The 2-CD set presents material from two shows: one from the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut on July 31, 1971 and another from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on August 23, 1971. (This edition does not contain the third disc of additional performances from other venues only available with first pressings in 2008).  These two shows come right before the release of the band's self-titled album in October of that year.  The sound is also a bit stripped down as Tom Constanten and Mickey Hart had departed the group and Pigpen was suffering health problems.

If you would like to give any of these titles a try, they are all available this Friday, June 3 and we've got the full tracklistings and ordering links below.

Max Roach, Members, Don't Get Weary (Originally release on Atlantic LP SD 1510, 1968 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022)

Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
Pink Vinyl: Collectors' Choice Music

Side 1

1. Abstrutions
2. Libra
3. Effi

Side 2

1. Equipoise
2. Members, Don't Git Weary
3. Absolutions

East Coast, East Coast (Originally released on Encounter Records LP EN-3002, 1973 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022)

Fire Orange with Black Streaks Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
Grey Vinyl: Real Gone Music

Side 1

1. I Found You
2. Keep On Trying
3. Miss Gigi

Side 2

1. Any Thing You Have in Mind
2. Something Deep Inside
3. I've Got to Reclaim You
4. You Can't Let It Get You Down

George Scott, Find Someone to Love (Originally released on Maple Records LP M-6008, 1971 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022)

Green Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
Blue Vinyl: Vinyl Me, Please

Side 1

1. Family Tree
2. Let the Past Be the Past
3. My Neighborhood
4. This Aching Heart
5. Ooh Baby (I Love You)

Side 2

1. Find Someone to Love
2. Why Is It Taking So Long
3. Sweetthang
4. I'm a Fool for You
5. Nobody Can Save Me

Mabu's Madness, M-Squared (Originally released on Maple Records LP M-6007, 1971 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022)

Fire Orange with Black Streaks Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
Clear with Yellow/Red Swirl: Real Gone Music

Side 1

1. Do the Best You Can
2. Show Me How
3. Seize the Time
4. Mind Your Business

Side 2

1. She Turns Me On
2. In Your Day
3. Why Don't You Shake Yourself
4. We'll Make You Proud

Chuck Armstrong, Shackin' Up (Originally released on R & R Records LP RR-910, 1976 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022)

Barbecue Sauce Red Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
Camo Green Vinyl: Real Gone Music

Side 1

1. Shackin' Up
2. Goodness Gracious
3. I'm a Lonely Man
4. Nightmare
5. She Had the Right

Side 2

1. You Got to Deal with It (This Superworld)
2. Coming Home
3. Misleading Information
4. Give Me All Your Sweet Lovin'
5. Sweet Foxy Woman

Alan Vega, Saturn Strip (Originally released on Elektra Records LP 60259-1, 1983 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022)

Highlighter Yellow Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music

Side 1

1. Saturn Drive
2. Video Babe
3. American Dreamer
4. Kid Congo
5. Goodbye Darling

Side 2

1. Wipeout Beat
2. Je T'adore
3. Angel
4. Every 1's a Winner

Grateful Dead, Road Trips Vol.1, No.3: Summer '71 (Originally released on Grateful Dead Records CD GRA2-6003, 2008 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Disc 1 - Yale Bowl, New Haven, CT, July 31, 1971

1. Big Railroad Blues
2. Hard to Handle
3. Me and Bobby McGree
4. Dark Star
5. Bird Song
6. Not Fade Away
7. Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad
8. Not Fade Away
9. Uncle John's Band
10. Johnny B. Goode

Disc 2 - Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL, August 23, 1971

1. China Cat Sunflower
2. I Know You Rider
3. Truckin'
4. Sugaree
5. Cryptical Envelopment
6. Drums
7. The Other One
8. Me and My Uncle
9. The Other One
10. Cryptical Envelopment
11. Wharf Rat
12. Sugar Magnolia