ACM@UCO
So you wanna be a rock 'n' roll star? Well, built on the whole School of Rock phenomenon that has become many musically talented kids' new right of passage, there may now be a logical next step that comes with a college diploma. Starting August 12th at the University of Central Oklahoma, a new music division will open its doors, focusing on the study of all facets of popular music such as performance, production and business affairs. Considering the difficulties awaiting most music students and with an eye on the current state of a downsizing business environment, The Academy of Contemporary Music -- the concept and successful, award-winning British program founded in 1995 -- comes with a reality-based approach, presenting the music student with a well-rounded, practical education in all areas of the field as well as helping to supply connections after his or her education is completed. "A lot of parents have had the thought, 'I've got a kid here who's really into music, especially rock or country, and they're smart, and would do well in school if they wanted to,'" says the school's CEO and ambassador, Scott Booker, also longtime manager of The Flaming Lips. "The trick is finding the school that makes sense for them. I've had a lot of parents say, 'Thank you for doing this...I don't know what I was going to do with my kid...this is great because they're not only studying what they want to, but they're also getting a real college degree."
A press release for the university's Academy of Contemporary Music announces the following: "Connecting students directly to today's music industry, ACM@UCO's staff of teachers will include acclaimed performing artists and award-winning music professionals and will provide a new pool of talent for the U.S. music industry." That's a pretty big claim, although looking at the roster of professionals involved -- Greg Kurstin (The Bird and The Bee, Lilly Allen producer), Tom Biery (general manager and executive vice president of Warner Brothers Promotions), members of The Flaming Lips, and Blue Man Group drummer, Dr. Peter Pollack -- you can see that the school's evolving curriculum features some healthy diversity as it guides students toward their future careers.
"There are several paths you can follow, like performance, where we'll be teaching guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals, and yes, they have to learn music theory," says Booker. "Since they're getting a college degree, there are some general education classes. In fact, one of them is Speech. I want every student in the school to take that class because if you can't talk to people, how can you get on a stage?" On some of those other paths, he adds, "There are areas like production where you learn to record artists and live performances, and there's scoring where you learn how to work on soundtracks, which can also get you a job in advertising or something related." Due to having to tweak the program's British model, the school's music business studies will be on a more basic level until sophomore year, although basic elements of it will surface in both the performance and production curricula.
How did this concept migrate from the UK to the States? "I came across it in my travels when I was managing The Flaming Lips," Booker explains. "I also have a degree in education, and there was always a side of me that wanted to get the word out on how the music business works and help young people understand that. When I went to school, there wasn't anything offered traditionally. The music business classes that were out there were about theater or working in the classical music field; there was very little for people who wanted to manage groups or play rock. So, I was in France at Midem -- a big music business conference held annually. While I was there, I met representatives from the ACM school who weren't trying to raise money, but were trying to get their students jobs at record companies and demos around to the various labels. It really intrigued me because most of the schools I'd spoken to taught about the music business but they weren't trying to help the kids get a job or get signed. That's what drove me to the ACM school in the first place. I always felt that only an education in how (the business) works wasn't enough. You need to mentor people and literally take them by the hand to the head of a record label, or A&R (department), or any other organization. It's the best way of getting something going."
Back in the U.S., Booker presented this progressive idea to the University of Central Oklahoma. "Through an organization called Oklahoma Creativity Project -- which wanted to change the way commerce, culture and education is dealt with in the state -- I got to meet the head of the university, President Roger Webb. I talked to him about starting a music business class, the conversation on changing the way it was taught having gone on for years. I also met people at the state's Regents office. These are the guys who decide what is taught at higher ed. I told one of their people, Phil Moss, about the ACM program, and he and President Webb thought it was intriguing." Booker later ran into the pair while showcasing acts at South X Southwest when they, like their British cousins at Midem, were trying to place bands and get jobs for their students. "I saw this opportunity, so I took Phil and the ACM guys, sat them down at a table together, and we just started talking about what each other did. Phil called me the next week and said, 'Man, that school sounds great, I really need to talk to President Webb about that again.'"
Webb and Moss then visited the British school and were amazed enough to green light the Academy at UCO. "I thought my work was done," Booker remembers, "but they kept inviting me to hang out with them, be at the meetings and talk about it. To some degree, since I spoke 'music business,' I was the translator to academia. Eventually, as they were about to sign the franchise agreement, President Webb asked me if I was interested in running it." The university's franchise includes the United States and Canada, so all future programs employing the unique ACM approach in these territories will be channeled through them.
At present, most universities probably wouldn't institute a program like this because of their more traditional approach. However, this direction seems to be where all education needs to go in order to synchronize better with our adjusting economy. In fact, in many ways, it trumps some of these decades-old programs that refuse to let go of their 20th century mindsets. And considering the comparatively aloof approach successful institutions like Full Sail University, Boston's Berklee College of Music and even Nashville's Belmont College take after one completes his or her degree, from a practical perspective, this crucial "placement" program makes all the difference and, logically, really should be applied to all graduates regardless of their degrees. In the meantime, it would be smart to watch UCO's Academy of Contemporary Music and its success rate to see if this perhaps could be the future of Amerca's educational system.
RAPHAEL SAADIQ - "Let's Take A Walk"
Hey you! Wanna take a peek at Raphael Saadiq's new, retro video for the Motown-inspired single "Let's Take A Walk"? Yeah, thought you might...
THE ROAD TO WOODSTOCK by Michael Lang & Holly George-Warren
WOODSTOCK / THREE DAYS THAT ROCKED THE WORLD edited by Mike Evans & Paul Kingsbury
BY THE TIME WE GOT TO WOODSTOCK written by Bruce Pollock
With Woodstock's anniversary plus Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock's August 28th release date looming, enough Woodstock-related books are being rushed out to clear-cut a small forest. Currently, the most popular of these is Michael Lang's (the festival's Godfather) and Holly George-Warren's (famed Rolling Stone writer) 283-page testament that not only properly documents the three days, but also offers a "Where Are They Now?" chapter, complete set lists, and a self-indulgent but pretty entertaining piece on Lang's Brooklyn and Florida existences (including some words on his head shop). Perspective is given through stories from virtually everyone living that was associated with the event, and as Woodstock-themed books go, this is your official document.
However, the Guilty Pleasure Award goes to Woodstock / Three Days That Rocked The World for its generous fix of quick stories and anecdotes, gorgeous photography, photographic time capsules, and shots of associated memorabilia. You even get a relatively long, two-page forward by Martin Scorsese in which he reminisces about being part of the film crew, witnessing the extravaganza while cloistered in a tiny area to the right of the stage. "I almost never saw the audience," he writes, "so concentrated was I on the action on the stage." The book moves from image to essay fluidly and informatively, and like Robert Altman's photo journal The Sixties, you get a real gritty feel of the era and its mind set.
Its press release reads, "By The Time We Got To Woodstock breathlessly documents a year that saw more music-as-manifesto and rock-as-revolution than ever before," and having that understanding is the best way to launch into Bruce Pollock's racecar of an account of musicians and their place in the biz and culture. With an astounding overview and enough information to crash Wikipedia, By The Time We Got To Woodstock is the best primer on our culture's history and psychology precipitating Woodstock to date. It's precise and, at times, funny (Pollock's dry humor is legendary), though sometimes, it's freakishly objective to the point of wanting to scream, "Please, I don't want to know any more about Lothar & The Hand People!!" But it's fascinating in its non rose-colored account, and is mandatory reading for anyone wanting to rip through the hippie veils shrouding that year's biggest musical event.
BEST WOODSTOCK BOX SET PRESS RELEASE OF THE WEEK:
Rhino Marks The Festival's 40th Anniversary With A 6-CD Box Set
Featuring The Most Comprehensive Collection Ever Available Of
Artists That Performed At The Festival
Features 38 Previously Unreleased Tracks
Available August 18
LOS ANGELES -- Much has been written about the significance of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair as a cultural event. Ironically, what has been least examined up to now is the very thing that brought nearly half a million together in 1969: the music itself. As the historic festival marks its 40-year anniversary, Rhino presents WOODSTOCK--40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM, a 77-song, six-CD collection that features the most comprehensive collection ever available of artists that performed at the original festival, sequenced in chronological order of performance, featuring 38 previously unreleased recordings, including the Grateful Dead, The Who, Tim Hardin, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & The Fish, and others. WOODSTOCK--40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM will be available August 18 at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $79.98.
To assemble the most comprehensive document of the myth-steeped weekend, the box set's co-producer Andy Zax pored over every inch of multitrack tape in search of the strongest parts of each of the 33 sets. "The way we approached all of the material was as if it was a cinéma verité documentary -- the raw record of the event," Zax says. In addition to the music, the set offers considerable amount of ancillary material sprinkled throughout the discs -- stage announcements, lysergic babble, the sounds of rain, a cameo appearance by Abbie Hoffman, and the graciousness of Max Yasgur's address to the crowd, heard for the first time in its entirety.
Another significant byproduct of WOODSTOCK--40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM is that, by virtue of its size and rigorously chronological sequence, it gets closer to a sense of the performances as they occurred in real time than any previous compilation. For the first time, the complete and accurate set lists will be available in the boxed set's booklet. Some Woodstock aficionados will be taken aback by the actual order of the performances; it differs from both various written accounts and from Michael Wadleigh's film Woodstock, which takes certain liberties with chronology in order to maintain its narrative flow.
WOODSTOCK -- 40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM
Tracks:
Disc 1
1."Handsome Johnny" -- Richie Havens
2."Freedom (Motherless Child)" -- Richie Havens
3."Choppity Choppity"-- John Morris
4."Look Out" -- Sweetwater
5."Two Worlds"--Sweetwater *
6."Jennifer" -- Bert Sommer *
7."And When It's Over"-- Bert Sommer *
8."Smile" -- Bert Sommer *
9."There Goes Marilyn!"-- John Morris
10."Hang On To A Dream" -- Tim Hardin *
11."Simple Song Of Freedom" -- Tim Hardin *
12."Flat Blue Acid"-- John Morris
13."Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital" -- Ravi Shankar *
14."Momma Momma" -- Melanie *
15."Beautiful People" -- Melanie
16."Birthday Of The Sun" -- Melanie
17."Coming Into Los Angeles" -- Arlo Guthrie ***
18."Wheel Of Fortune" -- Arlo Guthrie *
19."Every Hand In The Land" -- Arlo Guthrie *
20."All You Funny People"-- John Morris
Disc 2
1."Joe Hill"-- Joan Baez
2."Sweet Sir Galahad"-- Joan Baez
3."Hickory Wind" -- Joan Baez *
4."Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" -- Joan Baez w/Jeffrey Shurtleff
5."Bring Scully His Asthma Pills"-- John Morris
6."Insulin" & Quill Intro-- John Morris
7."They Live The Life" -- Quill *
8."That's How I Eat"-- Quill *
9."I Understand Your Wife Is Having A Baby"-- Chip Monck
10."Donovan's Reef" -- Country Joe McDonald *
11."The 'Fish' Cheer"/"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" -- Country Joe McDonald
12."Persuasion" -- Santana
13."Soul Sacrifice" -- Santana
14."How Have You Been"-- John B. Sebastian
15."Rainbows All Over Your Blues" -- John B. Sebastian
16."I Had A Dream" -- John B. Sebastian
17."The Letter" -- Incredible String Band *
18."When You Find Out Who You Are" -- Incredible String Band *
19."She Is Lost"-- Chip Monck
Disc 3
1."We're In Pretty Good Shape"-- Chip Monck
2."Going Up The Country" -- Canned Heat
3."Woodstock Boogie" -- Canned Heat **
4."The Brown Acid Is Not Specifically Too Good"-- Chip Monck
5."Blood Of The Sun" -- Mountain ***
6."Theme For An Imaginary Western" -- Mountain ***
7."For Yasgur's Farm" -- Mountain *
8."For Those Of You Who Have Partaken Of The Green Acid"-- Chip Monck
9."Green Acid Advice"-- Jerry Garcia & Country Joe McDonald
10."Dark Star" -- Grateful Dead *
11."Green River"-- Creedence Clearwater Revival
12."Bad Moon Rising"-- Creedence Clearwater Revival *
13."I Put A Spell On You" -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Disc 4
1."Work Me, Lord" -- Janis Joplin
2."Ball And Chain" -- Janis Joplin
3.Medley: "Dance To The Music"/"Music Lover"/"I Want To Take You Higher"--Sly & The
Family Stone
4."The Politics Of The Situation"-- Abbie Hoffman
5."Amazing Journey" -- The Who *
6."Pinball Wizard" -- The Who *
7. Abbie Hoffman vs. Pete Townshend
8."We're Not Gonna Take It" -- The Who **
9."The Other Side Of This Life" -- Jefferson Airplane *
10."Somebody To Love"-- Jefferson Airplane
11."Won't You Try"/ "Saturday Afternoon"-- Jefferson Airplane
12."We Got A Whole Lot Of Orange"-- Grace Slick
13."Volunteers" -- Jefferson Airplane
14."Breakfast In Bed For 400,000"--Wavy Gravy
15."It Just Keeps Goin'"-- John Morris
16. Max Yasgur Speaks
Disc 5
1."Feelin' Alright"-- Joe Cocker *
2."Let's Go Get Stoned"-- Joe Cocker
3."With A Little Help From My Friends" -- Joe Cocker
4. The Rainstorm
5."Rock & Soul Music"-- Country Joe & The Fish
6."Love" -- Country Joe & The Fish *
7."Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine"-- Country Joe & The Fish *
8."Summer Dresses"-- Country Joe & The Fish *
9."Silver and Gold"-- Country Joe & The Fish *
10."Rock & Soul Music" (Reprise)-- Country Joe & The Fish *
11."Leland Mississippi Blues" -- Johnny Winter *
12."Mean Town Blues" -- Johnny Winter
13."You've Made Me So Very Happy"-- Blood Sweat & Tears *
Disc 6
1."Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" -- Crosby Stills & Nash
2."Guinnevere"-- Crosby Stills & Nash
3."Marrakesh Express" -- Crosby Stills & Nash
4."4 + 20" -- Crosby Stills & Nash
5."Sea Of Madness" -- Crosby Stills Nash & Young
6."Wooden Ships" -- Crosby Stills Nash & Young
7."No Amount Of Loving"--The Butterfield Blues Band *
8."Love March" -- The Butterfield Blues Band
9."Everything's Gonna Be Alright" -- The Butterfield Blues Band
10."Get A Job" -- Sha Na Na *
11."At The Hop" -- Sha Na Na
12."Get A Job" (Reprise) -- Sha Na Na *
13."The Star Spangled Banner"-- Jimi Hendrix
"Purple Haze"-- Jimi Hendrix
"Woodstock Improvisation"-- Jimi Hendrix
14."Woodstock Farewell"-- Chip Monck
*Previously Unissued - never before released
**Previously Unissued Full-Length Version - previously released on a Woodstock title in edited form.
***Previously Unissued Woodstock Recording - presenting the actual Woodstock performances here for the first time.
BEST BEE GEES CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH TWO ANTHOLOGIES PRESS RELEASE OF THE WEEK:
Reprise Honors Barry, Maurice, Robin, And Andy Gibb With MYTHOLOGY, A Four-Disc Boxed Set That Features A Disc Dedicated To Each Brother
MYTHOLOGY Features Two Previously Unreleased Maurice Gibb Tracks, And One Previously Unreleased Track By Andy Gibb
Simultaneous Release Of ULTIMATE BEE GEES: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION, A Double-Disc Career Retrospective; Also Available As Deluxe Edition With DVD Of Previously Unreleased Footage
Both Available From Reprise November 3
(Los Angeles, July 16, 2009) --As members of both The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, winners of both the Lifetime Achievement (2000) and Legend Awards (2003) from the Recording Academy, seven GrammyÒ Awards, BMI Icon Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Brit Awards, it's hard to overstate the significance of what the Bee Gees accomplished in the 50 years since brothers Barry, Robin, and the late Maurice Gibb began calling themselves the Bee Gees. To celebrate the Bee Gees' golden anniversary, Reprise honors the singing siblings with a pair of special releases: a four-disc boxed set and a career retrospective that includes a DVD of previously unreleased footage in the deluxe edition. MYTHOLOGY and an ULTIMATE BEE GEES: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION will both be available worldwide on November 3, at all retail outlets, including www.BeeGees.com, for a suggested list price of $54.98 (CD) and $39.99 (digital) for MYTHOLOGY, and $24.98 (deluxe with DVD), $19.98 (standard CD), and $19.99 (digital) for the THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION.
Curated and produced by Barry and Robin Gibb, MYTHOLOGY contains four discs, each spotlighting a different Gibb brother, including one dedicated to Andy, who was not part of the group. The songs were chosen by Barry, Robin, Maurice's widow Yvonne (and their children Adam & Samantha) and Andy's daughter Peta. "These are pretty much our personal favorites," Barry explains in the liner notes. "This is now the Bee Gees 50thAnniversary. And by the Bee Gees I mean all four brothers." "I always see our songs as 'just us brothers' having a good time," adds Robin Gibb. "When I look back now, it is more about the journey, not the arrival." MYTHOLOGY also features a scrapbook of family photos, many never-before published, along with tributes from artists such as George Martin, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Graham Nash, and the band's longtime manager Robert Stigwood.
Spanning the Bee Gees' five-decade career, the set's 81 tracks touch on several of the group's best-known hits. But mainly, the collection digs into the Bee Gees' vast catalog to highlight deep tracks such as the early single "Spicks And Specks" (1966); the title track from the 1969 concept album Odessa; the single B-side "Country Woman" (1971); "Spirits Having Flown" (1979), the title track from the 35 million-selling album; "Overnight" (1987) from the multi-platinum ESP; "Closer Than Close" (1997) from Still Waters; and "Man In The Middle" (2001) from the Bee Gees 20th and final studio album before Maurice's passing in 2003. MYTHOLOGY also features the debut of a pair of previously unreleased Maurice Gibb tracks: "Angel Of Mercy" and "The Bridge."
The final disc spotlights Andy Gibb, who was not a member of Bee Gees, but worked with his brothers throughout his career before his death in 1988 at the age of 30. Notably, Andy's first 3 singles all went to #1 in the US, a feat that had never been previously accomplished. `The compilation opens with "Shadow Dancing" (1978), a #1 smash co-written by all four brothers that appeared on Andy's second album. Nearly all of the songs from his 1977 debut Flowing Rivers are featured, including the back-to-back #1 singles: "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water." The set contains "I Can't Help It," a duet with Olivia Newton-John that cracked the Top 20 and several tracks from his final studio album After Dark (1980), including the Top 10 single "Desire." MYTHOLOGY also marks the debut of "Arrow Through The Heart," a song Andy recorded shortly before his death that was intended for a comeback album.
Mythology Tracks:
Disc One (Barry)
1. "Spirits (Having Flown)"
2. "You Win Again"
3. "Jive Talkin'"
4. "To Love Somebody"
5. "Tragedy"
6. "Too Much Heaven"
7. "First Of May"
8. "More Than A Woman"
9. "Love So Right"
10. "Night Fever"
11. "Words"
12. "Don't Forget To Remember"
13. "If I Can't Have You"
14. "Alone"
15. "Heartbreaker"
16. "How Deep Is Your Love"
17. "Love You Inside And Out"
18. "Stayin' Alive"
19. "Barker Of The UFO"
20. "Swan Song"
21. "Spicks And Specks"
Disc Two (Robin)
1. "I Am The World"
2. "New York Mining Disaster"
3. "I Can't See Nobody"
4. "Holiday"
5. "Massachusetts"
6. "Sir Geoffrey Saved The World"
7. "And The Sun Will Shine"
8. "The Singer Sang His Song"
9. "I've Gotta Get A Message To You"
10. "I Started A Joke"
11. "Odessa"
12. "Saved By The Bell" - Robin Gibb
13. "My World"
14. "Run To Me"
15. "Love Me"
16. "Juliet" - Robin Gibb
17. "The Longest Night"
18. "Fallen Angel"
19. "Rings Around The Moon"
20. "Embrace"
21. "Islands In The Stream"
Disc Three (Maurice)
1. "Man In The Middle"
2. "Closer Than Close"
3. "Dimensions"
4. "House Of Shame"
5. "Suddenly"
6. "Railroad" - Maurice Gibb
7. "Overnight"
8 "It's Just The Way"
9. "Lay It On Me"
10. "Trafalgar"
11. "Omega Man"
12. "Walking On Air"
13. "Country Woman"
14. "Angel Of Mercy"
15. "Above And Beyond"
16. "Hold Her In Your Hand" - Maurice Gibb
17. "You Know It's For You"
18. "Wildflower"
19. "On Time"
20. "The Bridge"
Disc Four (Andy)
1. "Shadow Dancing"
2. "I Just Want To Be Your Everything"
3. "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water"
4. "An Everlasting Love"
5. "Desire"
6. "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away"
7. "Flowing Rivers"
8. "Words And Music"
9. "I Can't Help It" - With Olivia Newton-John
10. "Time Is Time"
11. "Me (Without You)"
12. "After Dark"
13. "Warm Ride"
14. "Too Many Looks In Your Eyes"
15. "Man On Fire"
16. "Arrow Through The Heart"
17. "Starlight"
18. "Dance To The Light Of The Morning"
19. "In The End"
ULTIMATE BEE GEES: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION is the second release celebrating the Bee Gees' 50-year anniversary. The two-disc set features the many hits and chart-topping singles, plus their performances of a selection of hit songs they wrote for others. The DVD, available in the deluxe edition, offers a treasury of unreleased videos, spanning the Bee Gees' entire career with previously unreleased television appearances, live performances, and promo videos.
Ultimate Bee Gees: The 50th Anniversary Collection Tracks:
Disc One - "A Night Out"
1. "You Should Be Dancing"
2. "Stayin' Alive"
3. "Jive Talkin'"
4. "Night Fever"
5. "Nights On Broadway"
6. "More Than A Woman"
7. "Tragedy"
8. "Love You Inside & Out"
9. "You Win Again"
10. "Boogie Child"
11. "One"
12. "Secret Love"
13. "Alone"
14. "This Is Where I Came In"
15. "Spirits Having Flown"
16. "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)"
17. "Still Waters (Run Deep)"
18. "If I Can't Have You"
19. "Spicks & Specks"
Disc Two - "A Night In"
1. "How Deep Is Your Love"
2. "Emotion"
3. "Too Much Heaven"
4. "New York Mining Disaster 1941"
5. "To Love Somebody"
6. "Holiday"
7. "Massachusetts"
8. "Words"
9. "World"
10. "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
11. "First Of May"
12. "I Started A Joke"
13. "Love So Right"
14. "Lonely Days"
15. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"
16. "Run To Me"
17. "I've Gotta Get A Message To You"
18. "The Singer Sang His Song"
19. "Don't Forget To Remember"
20. Medley
a."Islands In The Stream"
b."Heartbreaker"
c."Guilty"
d."Immortality
e."Grease"
BEST RHINO LAUNCHES THE DIGITAL 45 PRESS RELEASE OF THE WEEK:
As The Single Hits 60, Rhino Will Release A Group Of Digital Singles Every Month, Featuring Songs Originally Issued On 45 With Their Original B-Sides And Artwork
Rhino's Digital 45s Are Included In iTunes D45,
A Showcase Of These New Digital Bundles On iTunes
First Batch Of 60 Rhino Digital 45s Available July 14
LOS ANGELES -- After its 1949 debut, the 45-rpm vinyl single went on to revolutionize the way people listened to music, both literally -- requiring adjustable-speed players -- and figuratively -- introducing a global audience to the simple, yet profound joy that comes from playing a favorite song over and over. As the single turns 60 this year, history repeats itself. Digital bytes have replaced vinyl grooves, but the love affair with the hit song continues. As last year music fans downloaded more than a billion tracks; the most ever.
To celebrate the milestone, Rhino will spotlight songs originally issued on 45 by offering them as RHINO DIGITAL 45s, bundled with their original B-sides and artwork. Original picture sleeve art will be included when available and original label art will be used for all others. The first group of RHINO DIGITAL 45s will be available July 14. iTunes will feature a total of 60 digital 45s, including six exclusives. These will be featured in iTunes Digital 45, which showcases these new digital bundles inside the iTunes store. Among the iTunes exclusives are several singles featuring B-sides making their digital debut including "Take It Easy"/"Get You In The Mood" by the Eagles, "Kiss"/"Love Or Money" by Prince & The Revolution, and "Whip It"/"Turn Around" by Devo. The remaining 54 singles will be available at all digital retails outlets. Each following month, Rhino will release a new batch of 25 digital 45s to all partners. For more information, please visit www.rhino.com/Digital45.
The first group of RHINO DIGITAL 45s features a total of 31 tracks making their digital debut including Jackson Browne's "The Crow On The Cradle" (B-side of "Somebody's Baby"), Morrissey's "I Know Very Well How I Got My Name" (B-side of "Suedehead"), and James Taylor's "I Can Dream Of You" (b-side of "Shower The People). Other digital debut highlights include tracks from The Cars, Talking Heads, and Pretenders as well as single edits, radio mixes, and live versions from The B-52s, Deep Purple, The Doors, Faith No More, and Yes. RHINO DIGITAL 45s will be available from all DSPs for list prices of $1.49 and $1.99. Downloads from iTunes will include a bonus PDF containing the original picture sleeve or label art.
The RHINO DIGITAL 45 marks the return of the B-side. With the "plug side" of a single the focus of a record label's attention, its reverse allowed artists a chance to stretch their creative legs. B-sides were an opportunity to show listeners who only knew the hit that a band had more than one trick up its sleeves (Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" and The Doobie Brothers' "Black Water," among others, were originally issued as B-sides). And while most hits also appear on artists' albums, the "non-LP B-side" was often unavailable to all but the most loyal fans and hardcore collectors, until now.
RHINO DIGITAL 45 - First 60 Singles
a-ha"Take On Me"/"Love Is Reason"* #
The B-52's"Love Shack"(edit)†/"Channel Z"*
The Blues Brothers"Soul Man"/"Excusez Moi Mon Cherie"*†
Jackson Browne"Somebody's Baby"/"The Crow On The Cradle"†*
The Cars"Let's Go"/"That's It"†
Chicago"You're The Inspiration"/"Once In A Lifetime"
Alice Cooper"School's Out"/"Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets"*
Collective Soul"Shine"(radio edit)†/"Breathe"
Crosby, Stills & Nash"Southern Cross"/"Into The Darkness"*
The Cure"Just Like Heaven"/"Breathe"* #
Damn Yankees"High Enough"†/"Piledriver"
Deep Purple"Smoke On The Water"/"Smoke On The Water"(edit)†
Devo"Whip It"/"Turn Around"† #
Doobie Brothers"What A Fool Believes"/"Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels"*
The Doors"Light My Fire"†/"Crystal Ship"
The Dream Academy"Life In A Northern Town"/"Test Tape No. 3"†*
Eagles"Take It Easy"/"Get You In The Mood"† #
Eagles"Hotel California"/"Pretty Maids All In A Row"
En Vogue"Free Your Mind"†/"Just Can't Stay Away"†
Erasure"A Little Respect"/"Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor"†*
Faith No More"Epic"(radio remix Edit)†"Edge Of The World"
Foreigner"Urgent"/"Girl On The Moon"*
Aretha Franklin"Respect"/"Dr. Feelgood"
Genesis"In Too Deep"/"I'd Rather Be You"*
Hootie & The Blowfish"Let Her Cry" (radio edit)†/"Hold My Hand" (radio edit)
Hootie & The Blowfish"Time"/"Only Wanna Be With You"
INXS"What You Need"/"Sweet As Sin"†*
Iron Butterfly"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"/"Iron Butterfly Theme"
Howard Jones"Things Can Only Get Better"/"Why Look For The Key"†*
KC & The Sunshine Band"That's The Way (I Like It)"/"What Makes You Happy"
Los Lobos"La Bamba"/"Charlena"*
Steve Martin and The Toot Uncommons"King Tut"/"Sally Goodin"/"Hoedown At Alice's"*
Edwin McCain"I'll Be"/"Grind Me In The Gears"†
Bette Midler"From A Distance"/"One More Round"
The Monkees"Daydream Believer"/"Goin' Down"*
Morrissey"Suedehead"/"I Know Very Well How I Got My Name"†*
Orleans"Still The One"/"Siam Sam"
Wilson Pickett"Mustang Sally"/"Three Time Loser"
Pretenders"Louie Louie"/"In The Sticks"†*
Prince & The Revolution"Kiss"/"Love Or Money"†* #
Ratt"Round And Round"/"The Morning After"*
Otis Redding"(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay"/"Sweet Lorene" #
The Replacements"Can't Hardly Wait"/"Cool Water"*
Rufus & Chaka Khan"Ain't Nobody"/"Sweet Thing"(live)
Sam & Dave"Soul Man"/"May I Baby"
Duncan Sheik"Barely Breathing"/"Wishful Thinking"
Sister Sledge"We Are Family"/"Easier To Love"†
Skid Row"Youth Gone Wild"/"Sweet Little Sister"*
Rod Stewart"Forever Young"/"Days Of Rage"* #
Sugarhill Gang"Apache"/"Rapper's Delight"
T.Rex"Bang A Gong (Get It On)"/"Raw Ramp"
Talking Heads"Take Me To The River"(edit)†/
"Thank You For Sending Me An Angel"*
Talking Heads"And She Was"/"And She Was" (dub version)† #
James Taylor"Shower The People"(edit)†/"I Can Dream Of You"†
Travis Tritt"T-R-O-U-B-L-E"/"Leave My Girl Alone"
Van Halen"Jump"/"House Of Pain"*
X"Wild Thing"†/"Devil Doll"†
X"4th Of July"/"Positively 4th Street"†*
Yes"Roundabout"(single edit)†/"Long Distance Runaround"
Dwight Yoakam"Guitars, Cadillacs"/"I'll Be Gone"
†Available digitally for first time
*Includes Original Picture Sleeve Art
#iTunes exclusive
BEST REALLY SHORT KIMYA DAWSON MEETS THIRD EYE BLIND PRESS RELEASE OF THE WEEK:
Kimya Dawson, of Juno soundtrack fame, performs a duet with Third Eye Blind on the song "Why Can't You Be." The song appears on Third Eye Blind's new forthcoming album Ursa Major as an iTunes exclusive.
A stream of Kimya/Third Eye Blind duet can be heard at www.myspace.com/thirdeyeblind