Real Gone's slate for June has an international flavor to it featuring recordings from Germany and artists from Jamaica and Sweden.  All four of these projects are hitting store shelves tomorrow, June 7.  Read on for all of the details.

First up is Live on Beat Club '71-'72 from Fanny.  When Richard Perry signed the group to Reprise in 1969, they became the first all-female rock band signed to a major label.  The foursome (June Millington - guitar, Jean Millington - bass, Alice De Buhr - drums, and Nickey Barclay - keyboards) released their debut, self-titled album in 1970, produced by Perry.  They soon created a buzz around Los Angeles which led to television appearances, session work and opening for acts such as Slade, Jethro Tull, and Humble Pie.  The band released their second LP, Charity Ball (adorned with a cover photo by actress Candice Bergen), in August, 1971.  Produced again by Perry, the eleven-song set featured all original music with the exception of a cover of Stephen Stills' "Special Care."  The group would notch their biggest hit on Reprise when the title track climbed to No. 40 on the Billboard chart.  A few months later, in February, 1972, Fanny Hill hit store shelves.  Recorded at Apple Studios in London, Perry was back in the producer's chair, joined by Beatles associate Geoff Emerick as engineer.  Fanny was also joined by Rolling Stones sidemen Bobby Keys and Jim Price on a couple of tracks.  The majority of the material was still self-written, but two covers were included: a version of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog" and a Latin-influenced take on Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" which hit No. 85 on the Billboard Hot 100.

But the end would soon come for Fanny.  They released their next album in 1973, produced this time by Todd Rundgren.  But June Millington left the band soon after, shortly joined by Alice De Buhr, and the group then left Reprise.  With a new line-up, they signed with Casablanca and released one LP in 1974.  However, the band broke up not too long afterward.  June and Jean Millington tried to revive Fanny with a whole new line-up and tour in 1975, but that effort failed to gain much traction when they resisted playing Fanny's older output.  Three of the four members would perform a reunion concert in 2007 and a spin-off project in 2018.  Fanny Walked the Earth saw the Millington sisters join drummer Brie Howard-Darling.  A documentary was released in 2021 about the group and they have influenced many later acts including The Go-Go's, The Bangles, and The Runaways.  The band also performed last May, 2023 in San Fransisco.

Real Gone has reissued the Fanny catalogue before, including expanded CD reissues of the group's four Reprise albums from 2013-2016 and a series of vinyl reissues from 2020-2022.  This new release, Live on Beat Club '71-72 ,contains eleven songs from two appearances by the band on the West German music television show which ran from 1965 to 1972 and hosted many of the most famous pop and rock acts from over all over the world.  Their material for these two sets draws from their second and third albums, Charity Ball and Fanny Hill.  The release has been mastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision from hi-res mono files taken from the original videotape.  The package contains new liner notes with contributions from Alice de Buhr, Jean Millington, and June Millington.  It is available in two formats: on a peach-colored vinyl and on CD.  The CD contains an exclusive bonus track of the soundcheck for one of the appearances.

Next up is a vinyl reissue of reggae band Israel Vibration's 1988 album Strength of My Life.  Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skelly" Spence all contracted childhood polio and met at a Jamaican rehabilitation center in the late 1950s.  They fell out of touch but eventually reunited in the early 1970s to form Israel Vibration.  It took several years but they were eventually able to record a single with producer Tommy Cowan.  "The Same Song was released on his Top Ranking label in 1977.  The next year, the band released their debut album of the same name and it became a success.  Their next two albums, 1979's Unconquered People and 1981's Why You So Craven, were released on the Harvest and Volcano labels, respectively.

Their next album would not come for another seven years, appearing on the Real Authentic Sound label: 1988's Strength of My Life.  The band had fled the Jamaican dancehall scene and sought better medical treatment in the US.  They even broke up for a time before reuniting to record Strength.  Featuring Augustus Pablo on melodica on "Greedy Dog" and Dwight Pinkney on guitar on "Jah Love Me," it also began their long partnership with the band Roots Radics.  The band would continue to record through 2015.  Craig left the band in 1997 and recorded a solo album and passed away in 2020.  Spence would pass away as well in 2022.

Real Gone's reissue of Strength of My Life is the first time the album has appeared on vinyl since its initial release and comes in a few varieties.  The regular black vinyl LP is available at all retailers.  A marijuana green vinyl is available exclusively from Real Gone's website, limited to around 100 hand-numbered copies.  You can also purchase an exclusive bundle from their website, featuring the two vinyl editions and a test pressing of the reissue.

Chicago area band Smoking Popes was first formed in 1990 as Speedstick by the three Caterer brothers: Matt (bass), Josh (lead vocals/guitar) and Eli (guitar/backing vocals).  They changed their name to Smoking Popes the next year and recruited drummer Mike Felumlee.  The band played local shows and recorded an EP and would release their first album on independent label Johann Face in 1993.  The next year, Smoking Popes recorded their second full-length album, Born To Quit, for Johann Face.  It would prove to be their big break.  Green Day heard the album and invited the group to open for them.  Then, the song "Need You Around" began to gain attention on alternative radio.  Capitol Records soon took notice and signed the band, re-releasing Born To Quit shortly thereafter.  "Need You Around" would be placed on the soundtrack to the film Clueless, giving Smoking Popes their biggest exposure yet.  In fact, several songs from the album would show up in films: "My Lucky Day" in Tommy Boy, "Mrs. You & Me" in Angus, and "Gotta Know Right Now" in Boys.   "Need You Around" proved to be the group's biggest hit, charting at No. 35 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks survey.  The album peaked at No. 37 on the Heatseekers chart.

Smoking Popes recorded one more album for Capitol before parting ways with the label.  The band then broke up in 1998 before re-forming for a 2003 album.  They have released three albums since then with the most recent being 2018's Into the Agony.  They continue to tour and are currently on the road with The Get Up Kids.  Real Gone's new vinyl reissue of Born To Quit marks the album's 30th anniversary and comes on pink and white "sunburn" vinyl.

The final release on Real Gone's slate is a vinyl reissue of Swedish singer-songwriter Stina Nordenstam's 2001 album This Is Stina Nordenstam.  The singer released her first album in 1991 and her second album, And She Closed Her Eyes, was named the best Swedish album of all time in a 2013 by Sonic.  Nordenstam went in an experimental direction for a while before coming to a more pop sound on 2001's This Is Stina Nordenstam.  It features duets with Suede's Brett Anderson on two songs: "Trainsurfing" and "Keen Yellow Planet."  The album would hit No. 26 on the Swedish charts.  Nordenstam recorded the album The World is Saved in 2004 and it is her last album to date.

Real Gone's vinyl reissue of This Is Stina Nordenstam marks the album's debut in the format.  It comes in several editions: a clear vinyl edition available at all retailers, a coke clear with black swirl variant which is limited to around 100 copies available from Real Gone's website and in a bundle with those two editions and a test pressing, also available from Real Gone's site.

If you would like to give any of these titles hitting store shelves tomorrow, June 7, a try, we've got the full tracklistings and ordering links below.

Fanny, Live on Beat Club '71-'72 (Real Gone Music, 2024)

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

1. Charity Ball
2. Place in the Country
3. Hey Bulldog
4. Thinking of You
5. Ain't That Peculiar
6. Blind Alley
7. Special Care
8. Borrowed Time
9. Summer Song
10. Knock on My Door
11. Young and Dumb
12. Soundcheck*

(*) Exclusive CD Track

Israel Vibration, Strength of My Life (Originally released on Real Authentic Sound CD RAS 3037, 1988 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. Cool and Calm
2. Jah Love Me
3. Pay Day
4. Greedy Dog
5. No More Apartheid

Side 2

1. Perfect Love and Understanding
2. Live and Give
3. Middle East
4. Jah Is the Strength of My Life

Smoking Popes, Born To Quit (Originally released on Johann Face Records CD JFR 014, 1994 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. Midnight Moon
2. Rubella
3. Gotta Know Right Now
4. You & Me
5. Just Broke Up
6. My Lucky Day

Side 2

1. Need You Around
2. Can't Help the Teardrops (from Getting Cried)
3. Adena
4. On the Shoulder

Stina Nordenstam, This Is Stina Nordenstam (Originally released on Independiente CD ISOM 24CD, 2001 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1

1. Everyone Else in the World
2. Trainsurfing
3. So Lee
4. The Diver
5. Circus

Side 2

1. Stations
2. Keen Yellow Planet
3. Lori Glory
4. Welcome to Happiness
5. Clothe Yourself for the Wind
6. Sharon & Hope