Los Angeles, CA (March 5, 2020)—Craft Recordings is excited to announce their roundup of exclusive vinyl titles for Record Store Day 2020, taking place on April 18th at independent record stores across the country. This year’s array of titles features several rarities, including the first-ever vinyl reissue of The Iron Pot Cooker—the 1975 LP from performance artist and activist Camille Yarbrough, plus the long out-of-print, self-titled 1970 album from blues-rockers Parish Hall. Also available is Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe’s first-ever Gold record, 1969’s Cosa Nuestra; plus, a UK-only exclusive EP from British garage, grime and hip-hop pioneers, So Solid Crew.
Craft has also put together two special compilations. The first, Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up, offers a power-packed lineup of hits and rarities from the era’s influential underground music scene, and features acts like the Music Machine, the Vagrants and Count Five. Also uncovering long-lost musical nuggets of the ’60s is The Land of Sensations and Delights: A White Whale Records Collection, which highlights the folk-rock and psychedelic-pop of White Whale Records, and features singles from artists like Smokestack Lightnin’, J.K. & Co., and The Clique.
Since 2008, Record Store Day has celebrated the culture of the independent record store—offering music lovers the chance to pick up exclusive or limited-edition releases, while supporting their local music retailer at the same time. With the spirit of the devoted cratedigger in mind, the team at Craft Recordings has put together the following #RSD20 releases:
Willie Colón canta Héctor Lavoe: Cosa NuestraWhen the multi-talented trombonist, bandleader and community activist Willie Colón teamed up with one of the greatest salsa singers of all time, Héctor Lavoe, musical history was made. The best-selling duo, who were instrumental in popularizing salsa in the United States, collaborated throughout the late ’60s and ’70s, and recorded a total of 10 vibrant albums together, while also both taking part in the celebrated Fania All-Stars band.
Released in 1969, Cosa Nuestra was the pair’s fourth album, and their first record to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The LP features the pair at the top of their game, as they perform such hits as the exuberant “Che Che Colé,” “Juana Peña,” “Te Conozco,” and the bolero “Ausencia.” AllMusic called the album “a masterpiece,” adding that Lavoe’s vocals are “his best on record.” This 180-gram reissue of Cosa Nuestra has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and manufactured at Memphis Record Pressing. The pressing is limited to 2,000 copies worldwide and comes housed in a classic tip-on jacket.
Cosa Nuestra is currently available in standard digital format (listen here) and will be released in high-resolution audio for the first time on April 24th.
Track list – Cosa Nuestra:
Side A:1. Che Che Colé 2. No Me Llores Más 3. Ausencia 4. Te Conozco
Side B:1. Juana Peña2. Sonero Mayor 3. Sangrigorda 4. Tu No Puedes Conmigo
Camille Yarbrough: The Iron Pot CookerPraised by SPIN as a “hip-hop foremother,” Camille Yarbrough is an award-winning performance artist, author and cultural activist, among many other hyphenates. In 1971, Yarbrough wrote and starred in a one-woman, spoken-word show, called Tales and Tunes of an African American Griot. Four years later, Yarbrough released The Iron Pot Cooker, an album based on the show.
This rare and highly collectible landmark title has been recognized for its candor and passionate rhetoric. Part R&B, part street poetry, The Iron Pot Cooker has been called “a precursor to…The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” by writer Kevin Powell, while Billboard called it “thought-provoking,” adding that “Yarbrough has stylish traces of Nina Simone and Gil Scott-Heron but her own style of singing and recitation…are outstanding.”
The album is perhaps best known by a younger generation for its song “Take Yo’ Praise,” which was sampled in the hit 1998 Fatboy Slim song “Praise You.” This 180-gram reissue, which marks the first vinyl availability of the title since its 1975 release on Vanguard Records, was cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The pressing was manufactured at Memphis Record Pressing and comes housed in a tip-on jacket.
The Iron Pot Cooker is digitally available now (listen here) and will be released in high-resolution audio for the first time on April 24th. Limited to 2,300 copies worldwide.
Track list – The Iron Pot Cooker:
Side A1. But It Comes Out Mad2. Dream – Panic – Sonny Boy The Rip-Off Man – Little Sally The Super Sex Star (Taking Care Of Business)3. Ain’t It A Lonely Feeling
Side B1. Take Yo’ Praise2. Can I Get A Witness3. All Hid
Various Artists: Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-UpThis garage rock extravaganza unearths rarities and spotlights classic tracks from the vaults of Stax, Original Sound, Vanguard and Fantasy Records. A follow-up to the 2019 Record Store Day title Poppies: Assorted Finery From the First Psychedelic Age, Double Whammy! surveys another influential underground scene of the 1960s: garage rock—or, as compilation producer Alec Palao describes it, “The American grass roots response to the British Invasion.” Thanks to the popularity of rock acts like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, bands without formal training or a slick, studio-tweaked sound suddenly had an opportunity for recognition and radio play. It was the beginning of an exciting new cultural era—one that celebrated the raw energy of youth culture, and where possibilities seemed limitless.
Focusing on the period between 1965 and 1968, the set features such legendary acts as the Music Machine, the Vagrants and Count Five, as well as lesser-known groups like Sacramento’s Group “B,” New York City’s Circus Maximus and Memphis’ the Poor Little Rich Kids. The 16-track LP also includes three previously unreleased tracks. Pressed on limited-edition translucent blue vinyl in a foil-wrapped jacket, the package includes liner notes from GRAMMY®-nominated writer and producer Alec Palao, who offers an in-depth look into each song on the compilation. Limited to 2,800 copies worldwide.
Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up will also be available across all digital platforms on April 24th, while a previously unreleased extended version of the Music Machine’s “The People in Me” will be available to stream or download as a special sneak peek on April 10th.
Track list – Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up:
Side A1. Count Five: Psychotic Reaction (Unedited Version)2. Lonnie Duvall: Attention*3. The Torquays: Harmonica Man (From London Town)4. The Pullice: Can’t Get Enough*5. The Squires: Anytime Anywhere6. Circus Maximus: Short-Haired Fathers7. The Bittersweets: In The Night8. Joey Paige: ’Cause I’m In Love With You
Side B1. Jack Bedient & The Chessman: Double Whammy2. The Orfuns: The Animal In Me3. The Music Machine: The People In Me (Full-Length Version)*4. The Poor Little Rich Kids: Stop Quit-It5. The Vagrants: I Can’t Make A Friend6. Group “B”: She’s Gone7. The Tears: Rat Race8. The Fantastic Zoo: This Calls For a Celebration
*previously unreleased
Parish Hall: Parish HallOut of print on vinyl for decades, the first and only album from Parish Hall has been a long-sought-after title by record collectors from around the globe. The Bay Area trio—which consisted of singer, guitarist and pianist Gary Wagner, bassist John Haden and drummer Steve Adams—played a heavy, blues-infused rock, which has often drawn comparisons to one of their contemporaries: the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1969, the group caught the ears of local composer Ray Shanklin, who brought the band into the Fantasy Records fold, and produced the album. The result was a raw, energetic collection of 10 original songs by Wagner.
Parish Hall only released that one album together in 1970, and then seemingly fell into obscurity. Twenty years later, the LP gained a cult following among rock enthusiasts, and soon became a hot commodity with collectors. More recently, the songs from Parish Hall have had a new life, appearing in shows like The Deuce, films like the Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs, and video games like Mafia 3.
This reissue, which marks the very first American pressing since 1970, has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Memphis Record Pressing. Limited to 1,500 copies worldwide.
Parish Hall will also be released digitally across all platforms for the very first time on April 24th. The title will be available in high-resolution audio on the same date.
Track list – Parish Hall:
Side A1. My Eyes Are Getting Heavy2. Dynaflow3. Ain’t Feelin’ Too Bad4. Silver Ghost5. Skid Row Runner
Side B1. Lucanna2. We’re Gonna Burn Together3. Somebody Got the Blues4. How Can You Win?5. Take Me with You When You Go
The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970Featuring 26 hits and rarities from the ’60s, The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970, unearths the best gems from the Los Angeles label. Founded by Ted Feigin and Lee Lasseff in 1965, White Whale Records was instantly put on the map, thanks to its debut single, the Turtles’ “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which hit the Billboard Top 10 that summer. Throughout the next five years, the short-lived but enterprising label issued over 150 singles, as well as 24 albums. Though not every release had the same success as the Turtles’ output, Feigin and Lasseff signed a wide range of artists: from singer-songwriters to psychedelic pop acts. The Land of Sensations & Delights celebrates the “myriad of obscurities and curiosities” that came from the White Whale catalog, as the GRAMMY®-nominated compilation producer, Andrew Sandoval, explains in his in-depth liner notes.
Housed in a gatefold jacket, the two-LP collection includes such artists as the jazzy, Latin-tinged Triste Janero, the Laughing Gravy (a solo project by Dean Torrence, of Jan & Dean fame), Sunset Strip regulars Smokestack Lightnin’ and Professor Morrison’s Lollipop, whose garage-rock single “You Got the Love” gained traction as a regional hit. Limited to 2,000 copies worldwide.
In addition to the vinyl release, The Land of Sensations & Delights will also be available digitally and on CD, starting April 24th.
Track list – The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970:
Side A1. Professor Morrison’s Lollipop: You Got The Love2. The Answer: I’ll Be In3. Smokestack Lightnin’: Got A Good Love4. The Odyssey: Little Girl, Little Boy5. XL’s: We Must Find A Way6. The Everpresent Fullness: Darlin’ You Can Count On Me
Side B1. Kris Jensen: I Can’t Get Nowhere With You2. Lyme & Cybelle: Song #73. The Laughing Gravy: Vegetables4. The Motives: The Chair5. The Bears: Goin’ It Alone6. Kenny O’Dell: Sunshine Dreamin’7. J.K. & Co.: Land Of Sensations & Delights
Side C1. The Clique: Superman2. Bazooka: Look At You Now3. Dalton & Montgomery: All At Once4. Bobby Lile: Time To Be A Woman5. The Brothers: Love Story6. The Committee: If It Weren’t For You7. Mournin’ Do: Summer Dream
Side D1. Horses: Cheyenne2. Rainy Daze: My Door Is Always Open3. The Reivers: Constantly 4. The Buster Brown: The Proud One5. The Rockets: Won’t You Say You’ll Stay6. Triste Janero: In The Garden
So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds EP So Solid Crew are a British garage and hip hop group originating from Battersea/Clapham Junction, London. With their seminal Number One single “21 Seconds,” the collective defined the UK music scene in the early 2000s and are today cited as pioneers of UK garage, grime and hip hop. The BRIT award-winning crew consisted of many influential members, the most notable include Megaman, Lisa Maffia, Romeo, Asher D, DJ Swiss and Harvey. To celebrate an upcoming anniversary tour, So Solid Crew will release a new EP featuring the original anthem, alternate mixes and unreleased live cuts from the BBC archives. A very special 12” for Record Store Day 2020—limited to 2,100 copies—is pressed on ultra-clear heavyweight vinyl and housed in a bespoke “21” cut-out sleeve. This title is available for the UK-only.
Track List – So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds EP:
Side A 1. 21 Seconds (Original Mix)2. 21 Seconds (BBC Radio 1 Lamacq Live, 2002) Side B 1. 21 Seconds (DJ Swiss & Dan Da Man Vocal Remix)2. 21 Seconds (12” Version)3. 21 Seconds (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, 2001)
About Craft Recordings:Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Joan Baez, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, Nine Inch Nails, Thelonious Monk, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Traveling Wilburys, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Concord, Fania, Fantasy, Milestone, Musart, Nitro, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Sugar Hill, Vanguard and Vee-Jay Records, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation-ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord Recorded Music. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and Spotify.
