It's been a few weeks since I last did a post here so I better rectify that with this one that spotlights (in my mind at least) one of the finest Debut Albums by a band that I have a fond affection for since buying their Debut 7" "Don't Dictate" in 1977.
There are links to the music below just click on the coloured titles.
MOVING TARGETS RE:CALIBRATED - Penetration 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Polestar 1st November 2024 Limited Edition of 250 on Red Vinyl (Now Sold Out) Available on Streaming Services Also
Penetration have a couple of dates left on their UK Tour with Essential Logic (London tonight, 17th November and on the 18th November in Brighton) celebrating 45 years since the release of their magnificent debut album 'Moving Targets'. This new re-recording of the album was actually done back in 2007 during rehearsals for a gig at the 100 Club in London. It's the first time it has been released on Vinyl and is only limited to 250 copies which is a bit of a shame. It has been remixed and remastered for this release.
There was a very limited edition of 100 copies self- released on a CDR in 2008 of this by the band, so I am assuming that it is from this recording that has been remixed and remastered for this new vinyl release .
The Debut Album was released in October 1978 on Virgin Records and there was a limited edition of 15,000 on Glow In the Dark Luminous Vinyl.The album reached #22 on the UK Albums Chart.
The band had beefed up their sound for the album with the addition of the twin guitar attack of Neale Floyd and Fred Purser (he would go on to play with Tygers of Pan Tang).
Paul Heaton is the "Musical Champion of the People!" He probably would decry such a statement being attributed to him, because, unlike many of the current crop of "Pop Stars", he comes across as quite a humble fella. He looks out for the best interests of his fans, especially when it comes to the cost of concert tickets. He could charge a lot more than £35 a ticket but realizes that not everyone has big money to spend and is always on the lookout to keeping costs down. At previous shows he's placed a tab behind the counter at pubs close to the venues in order that fans can have a drink on him. He has also provided help for various towns and city foodbanks by having fans bring items to stock the shelves.
Here's Paul on BBC Breakfast almost a week ago talking about the new album and ticketing etc.:
After five very successful albums with Jacqui Abbott, 'What Have We Become' (May 2014 #3), 'Wisdom, Laughter And Lines' (October 2015 #4), 'Crooked Calypso' (July 2017 #2), 'Manchester Calling' (March 2020 #1) and 'N.K-Pop' (October 2022 #1), Heaton finds himself "Solo" again, sort of. This time he has a few guest vocalists (Yvonne Sheldon and Danny Muldon who appear on a couple of tracks) including current back up and at times lead vocalist when the band play live, the wonderful Rianne Downey (a good Scottish lass and solo artist in her own right), you can see Rianne in action alongside Paul at the 2023 TRNSMT Festival Glasgow in the video below (a better and more confident performance from her was at Glastonbury this year. The full set is no longer on the BBC iplayer. otherwise I would have shared the link).
My favourites on the album, after a week of listening, are "National Treasure", "Quicksand", "After The Sugar Rush", "H Into Hurt", "Pull Up A Seat", "The Blues Came In", "Couldn't Get Dead" and "Walk On, Slow Down".
I wondered if PaulHeaton would still be able to pull it off without Jacqui Abbott by his side but he does, and that's all down to the quality of his songwriting and various musical styles. He manages to bring things of everyday life, like a husband supposedly bringing home a "Fish 'N' Chip Supper" and all of a sudden it becomes like an episode of a Soap Opera. He gets political as well, attacking people’s anger about immigrants arriving via boats and dinghies on the song "Small Boats" (sung by Danny Muldoon, an Irish-Mancunian Heaton found in a pub singing Blues Covers). On "National Treasure" he directs the spotlight on who he considers to be the real heroes in our society, namely those who work in the NHS and the thousands of volunteers who serve their communties week in and week out.
The album has had a lot of good positive reviews in the press (not that they always matter):
"Five solo LPs in, The Mighty Several vouches for his continued worth, fostering unity and empathy in divided times." (Four Star Review in MOJO.)
"It’s Heaton through and through, as are cultural reference points
including Bovril, bus drivers, 50p bets, Deirdre and Ken Barlow, and
pubs. Lots of pubs. It’s a bit of a musical picnic."
(Four Star Review in The Telegraph)
"It all adds up to another reliably excellent state of the nation from
Heaton – there may be no real surprises on The Mighty Several, but it
confirms his national treasure status, whether he likes it or not.." (Music OMH Four Star Review.)
"That dance between light and shade is assisted by an Ian Broudie
production which juxtaposes the jaunty with the jaundiced. All human
life isn’t here – not quite – but the life that’s here is wonderfully
human." (Record Collector)
Today is National Playlist Day 2024. I have to confess to not knowing about this particular day before but I wholeheartedly endorse the reasons behind it, helping people living with Dementia. The theme, The Soundtrack Of Your Life, is difficult to contain within one playlist because my playlist would end up easily containing a couple of thousand songs!
I think I remember mentioning here on the blog that I use music as a form of therapy in order to help with my memory because due to my Epilepsy I do struggle at times from forgetfulness. Music has the ability to switch a light on and shine it in the dark places and with the aid of a song a picture can emerge of a memory - an event, a person, a place or the circumstances in which that song, tune or lyric can be put into. Now, I'm no medical authority on such matters and probably don't even use the right terminology, but hopefully you get what I mean.
Down below is a new Playlist I put together to celebrate the day. Each of the 20 songs point to memories in my own life where the songs have been there in that moment and serve as a reminder. I won't go into the reasons for picking each song, as you might find that a bit tiresome. On my iTunes, my YouTube Channel and my Phone I have loads of Playlists that I make use of when I'm having a really tough time.
Playlist For Life encourage folks to make their own Playlists using Spotify (the link is at the bottom of the page), but I don't use that particular platform because I also like visual images as well, so My Playlist is on YouTube,
My Playlist 01 Unsafe Building - The Alarm 02 Don't Lose Your Dreams - Pete Wylie & Wah The Mongrel 03 In A Big Country - Big Country 04 Born For A Pupose/Reason For Living - Dr Alimantado 05 Call Of The Wild - Die Toten Hosen 06 Lion & The Lamb - TV Smith 07 1976 - The Boys 08 I Will Be Your Shield - Billy Bragg 09 Love Shine Bright - Culture 10 Let The Day Begin - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 11 I Fought The Law - The Clash 12 Polaroid Picture - Frank Turner 13 The Weight - Mavis Staples & Levon Helm 14 Out Of Hand - The Mighty Lemon Drops 15 Title Holder - The Interrupters 16 My Love Will Not Let You Down (Live) - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 17 Hour Of Need - Madness 18 Not Dark Yet - Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer 19 Hymn To Him - Dion (Featuring Patti Scialfa & Bruce Springsteen) 20 I Wish You Were Here - Dropkick Murphys
The aim of this particular post is not an examination of the lyrical content of the Woody Guthrie songs that the Dropkick Murphys have written the music for but a rather a bringing together in one place of the albums, the new documentary and a recent live show from Hellfest 2024 to enjoy, play loud, dance, sing-a-long and marvel that songs written so long ago have the ability to speak into our lives decades after Guthrie first put pen to paper. Because we have no idea how Woody Guthrie himself would have created the music for these songs, we are left in the hands of a band from Boston who are largely known for their Celtic Punk sound to do it for us. The fact that they have created two excellent albums from their sessions and barely lost sight of their own unique sound is a testament to the quality of the songs and their own desire to show musically that Guthrie still has something to say.
A couple of days ago the Dropkick Murphys relased their documentary 'This Machine Rising' that spotlights the making of their albums 'This Machine Still Kills Facists' (2022) and 'Okemah Rising' (2023) that feature the lyrics of Woody Guthrie.
"This Machine Rising tells the story of the acoustic songs we wrote around a pile of Woody Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics. These songs get to the core of what the band believes in — and what we’ve always stood for...Acoustic folk and protest music has always been one huge chunk of the puzzle that makes up Dropkick Murphys. We were trying to find lyrics to hit the same areas that were important to us – social and economic injustice, organizing the working class, standing up to fascism or conservative values that we don’t agree with, fighting for the working class people…There are a lot of similarities in the band’s mindset. To read these lyrics that were written in the ‘30s or ‘40s that are so apropos to today, it’s kind of scary and powerful at the same time because it’s so relevant now."Ken Casey(Lead Vocalist)
The lyrics of Woody Guthrie were not new to the Dropkick Murphys, they had first used them on the 'Blackout' album in 2003 with the song Gonna Be A Blackout Tonight:
Also on 'The Warriors Code' album (2005) with I'm Shipping Up To Boston:
One of the things I love about the Dropkicks is that they have a bond with their community and a love for the working man and any injustice done to workers. When they were last in the UK they took the song All You Fonies and rewrote parts of it in support of the Union workers:
"In support of all our Union friends in the UK fighting the good fight against the elitist Tory political party we made this music video in association with the RMT (The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers). On our recent UK shows we changed the words to the song All You Fonies (Bound To Lose) to All You Tories in support of the striking railroad and transit workers, nurses , fire fighters, teachers, postal workers, ambulance staff and health workers . The song is recorded Live at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff Wales and the live video footage is from Cardiff and the Wembley Arena show in London. Animation provided courtesy of the RMT. Best of luck in your struggle friends.
Yours in Solidarity,
Dropkick Murphys"
The band will be out touring the UK in 2025, here's the dates:
Feb 04: Birmingham O2 Academy Feb 05: Glasgow O2 Academy Feb 06: Manchester Academy Feb 07: Cardiff Utilita Arena Feb 08: London Alexandra Palace
If you have never seen them live then their recent set at Hellfest 2022 will be a good introduction (the 2024 show I can't embed but you can watch it here)
Unless you have been hiding under a rock the past few days it will not have escaped your attention that Oasis have annouced they will be touring in 2025 (dates are at the bottom of this post). News of this has had wall to wall coverage on all Social Media platforms, TV & Radio, Newspapers and of course the Music Press.
This announcement came three days before the 30th Anniversary reissue of their Debut Album 'Definitely Maybe' (which is released today) and a couple of days after Liam Gallagher had completed his tour celebrating the album. Coincidence? Possibly. 😏
The album has been reissued a number of times since first coming out on 30th August 1994 and it's probably worth mentioning a few of them before getting stuck into this latest version:
1994 Vinyl had the added track "Sad Song" to make it a 12 track album, the CD, MiniDisc & Cassette had only 11 Tracks.
2005 American DualDisc contained all 11 songs found on normal CD releases but on the DVD side they were in Enhanced Stereo. Also included were the 'Definitely Maybe Documentary' plus "Live Forever (Live at Glastonbury 1994)" and "Columbia (Live From Hammersmith Palais, London 13th December 1994)".
2006 Japanese Limited Edition CD Vinyl Replica included "Sad Song" and "Cloudburst".
2014 CD under the title "Definitely Maybe: Chasing The Sun Edition". This was a 3CD set that included the album Remastered on CD1. CD2 included B-sides and Extra Tracks and CD3 was made up of Unreleased Demos, Outtakes & Live Recordings. The Vinyl version included a Download Code for all the Bonus Material. The Japanese Edition of the CD included "Shakermaker (Slide Up Mix)" and "Bring It On Down (Monnow Valley)".
2015 There were Yellow, Red, and Silver Vinyl versions released on Creation.
2019 Limited Edition 25th Anniversary 2LP Picture Disc exclusive to the Oasis Official Store.
2020 Vinyl Reissue (it was basically the 2014 Remastered Edition)
2020 Japanese Reissue Limited Edition (2000 copies) Ivory Coloured Vinyl
Now we come to the most up to date reissue of the album, 'Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)':
2024 The Vinyl is just the 2014 Remastered Edition and the 4LP set also includes the Monnow Valley Studio version of the album on LP 3 recorded in late 1993 in Wales that was rejected by both the band and label. Back into the studio, Sawmills Studio in Cornwall, in February 1994 where seven of the eight tracks on LP 4 are Outtakes from these sessions recorded between February - April 1994. Links to all the songs on this new reissue are included below. The 2CD set brings the Monnow Valley and Sawmills Studio sessions on the second CD and the 2014 Remastered album on CD1 doesn't include "Sad Song" as part of the album (as the Vinyl version always has done) rather than as an extra track (only the 2006 Japanese version had done this previously) and on this set only a 1992 demo version of the song is included as the final track.
From a personal perspective I think Oasis could have done better on the CD set by including a complete live show from 1994. It's not as if none exist because they have used songs from various live performances on a couple of the previous reissues (2005 American DualDisc and the 2014 CD set for example). That would have piqued my interest into possibly buying a copy.
My overall impression of 'Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)' is that it is aimed at those who are "the completists", who must have everything ever released by the band. To add to their collection with this new reissue they are also going to have a healthy bank balance (and that's not even thinking about the cash needed to grab a ticket for one of the reunion shows, which are pretty pricey as well)! 😉 I have included below some of the prices I've found for the various formats down below also just incase you are counting the pennies and pounds and fancy grabbing a copy.
In a joint statement, the band said: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”
The dates for the 2025 UK and Ireland tour are: 4, 5 July, Principality Stadium, Cardiff 11, 12, 19 and 20 July, Heaton Park, Manchester 25, 26 July, 2, 3 August, Wembley Stadium, London 8, 9 August, Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 16, 17 August, Croke Park, Dublin.
You may recall that back on the 12th March this year I did an interview with December (if you haven't read it, then CLICK HERE to do so).
December are well known for their cover versions of U2, Big Country and The Alarm and a nice addition to that body of impressive covers comes the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Over the past few years the band have recorded and released a number of covers of songs written by Bruce Springsteen. Today they have brought them together on a 6 Track Digital EP called 'We Made A Promise'. It is available from lots of digital platforms. Videos for five of the six songs have been issued (see below) with the latest, "Ghosts", released this week. I purchased mine from Amazon Music this morning. I do hope you enjoy this.
1 Reason To Believe
2 Stolen Car
3 Tougher Than The Rest
4 No Surrender
5 One Step Up
6 Ghosts
For More Videos by December check out their You Tube Channel by Clicking Here.
I was very excited to find out yesterday that the debut, and only album by the Shop Assistants was reissued on the 26th July, I ordered it right away and it arrived this afternoon. The album of course was first released in November 1986 on Blue Guitar (a sub-label of Chrysalis Records). It had its first reissue on CD in 1997 (Overground Records), 2008 & 2012 (Cherry Red) and the only Vinyl reissue came in 2012 on American label 4 Men With Beards.
If you like Vinyl, then all you'll get is the 2024 Remaster of the album, but if you want more then it's best to go for the 2CD Expanded Version which includes the 2024 Remaster, B-sides of the only single released from the album, Instrumental Demos, Rough Mixes, Alternate Versions, tracks from two concerts in October 1986 and their second John Peel Session. Thirty-seven tracks in all.
Hopefully this new Remaster might open up some new ears to the wonderful sound of the Shop Assistants, one of Edinburgh's finest Indie Bands of the 1980s. I highly recommend it and I have no doubt it will feature highly on my end of year list of Reissues of the Year.
Will Anything Happen (2024 Remaster Expanded Edition) - Shop Assistants
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Chrysalis Records 26th July 2024
Produced by Mayo Thompson, John Ryan & Shop Assistants Released on Vinyl & 2CD Digipack
The Band:
Alex Taylor - Vocals & Tambourine David Keegan - Guitar & Noise Sarah Kneale - Bass & Backing Vocals (Lead Vocals on "What A Way To Die") Laura MacPhail - Drums & Percussion
Tracklist for 2CD Expanded Edition
Disc 1: Will Anything Happen (20024 Remaster)/B-Sides/Demos 1-1 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You 1-2 All Day Long 1-3 Before I Wake 1-4 Caledonian Road 1-5 All That Ever Mattered 1-6 Fixed Grin 1-7 Somewhere In China 1-8 Train From Kansas City 1-9 Home Again 1-10 Seems To Be* (Missing) 1-11 After Dark 1-12 All Of The Time 1-13 What A Way To Die 1-14 Nature Lover B-Sides 1-15 Looking Back 1-16 All Day Long (Slow Version) Instrumental Demos 1-17 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You 1-18 After Dark 1-19 A Million Miles From Home
Disc 2: Studio Outtakes/Live/Peel Session 2-1 Looking Back (Rough Mix) 2-2 Caledonian Road (Rough Mix) 2-3 What a Way To Die (Rough Mix) 2-4 Fixed Grin (Roundhouse Version) 2-5 Train From Kansas City (Roundhouse Version) 2-6 Before I Wake (Roundhouse Version) 2-7 All That Ever Mattered (Alternate Take) Live In London 03/10/1986 2-8 Seems To Be 2-9 Nature Lover 2-10 Something To Do 2-11 Switzerland Live In Deinze 05/10/1986 2-12 Home Again 2-13 It's Up To You 2-14 Safety Net John Peel Session 11/11/1986 2-15 Fixed Grin 2-16 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You 2-17 Ace Of Spades 2-18 Before I Wake
In May 1968 Louis Armstrong was in the studio making his final trumpet recordings on the album 'Disney Songs The Satchmo Way'. A couple of months after this he was in London to perform and film for the BBC TV"Show of the Week". The video of that performance is included below. It was filmed 2nd July 1968 and first broadcast 22nd September 1968 and is considered one of his last great live performances. The filming of the show came hot on the heels of Louis Armstrong reaching the #1 spot on the UK Singles Chart (and stayed there for four weeks) with "What A Wonderful World".
I mentioned it is considered to be one of his last great live performances and that was because by 1968 (not sure of dates on this matter) his poor health (heart and kidney issues) had forced him off the road. He wouldn't play live again until 1970 when he had to curtail his live shows due to a heart attack. Against medical advice he would take to the road again in March 1971 but after a two week stand in Manhattan he had another heart attack. He was still hoping to get back on the road again but on 6th July 1971 he died in his sleep from a heart attack, he was aged 69.
I'm no expert on the music of Louis Armstrong (Jazz is not really my thing) but his voice I remember as a kid was something I felt comfortable with, even if it was just him singing the songs of Walt Disney or the childish safety blanket I experienced thinking everything was going to be okay when I heard "What A Wonderful World".
It may appear a bit odd of me to post a piece like this but the way I look at it is the world is even crazier now than when I was a five year old kid in 1968 and sometimes there's nothing wrong in finding a shelter in the storm of the madness and listening to a voice you sense you can find consolation in.
Louis In London - Louis Armstrong Verve Records 12th July 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Here is the actual BBC Footage and below that are links to the audio and a few High Defintion videos that have become available leading up to the release of the album.
Louis Armstrong - Vocals & Trumpet The All Stars: Tyree Glenn, trombone Joe Muranyi, clarinet Marty Napoleon, piano Buddy Catlett, bass Danny Barcelona, drums
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A Wee Bonus
Disney Songs the Satchmo Way - Louis Armstrong Beuna Vista Records 1968
A nice treat yesterday evening was being able to watch a live stream of Simple Minds on YouTube coming live and direct from Lyon, France. Being a total numpty it only clicked half way through the instrumental "Somebody Up There Likes You" that they were playing the 'New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)' album in sequence. 😲 To be fair on myself though, I was also trying to follow the football at the same time. 😁
I really enjoyed the performance and I realise that a show like this lends itself to the format of the "big hitters" but it was a bit disappointing not to have at least one or two newer songs thrown into the mix just for the contrast that Simple Minds are still making new music and are not resting on the laurels of a well stocked back catalogue. Maybe that's just a me thing so I can't help but mention it.
Jim Kerr & Charlie Burchill are the only original members of the band but the rest of the team have been playing alongside them for quite a number of years (apart from the keyboardist Erik Ljunggren who is a recent addition) and man, they are a tight unit. Cherisse Osei (Drums) gets a lot of praise among Simple Minds fans and rightly so, she's like watching a fireworks display in action. As for Sarah Brown, I could listen her endlessly. Taking the lead vocal for "Book of Brilliant Things" was pretty special and also her vocals with Jim Kerr on "Mandela Day" were just lovely. Sarah, by the way, has an excellent solo album out called 'Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson', that's worth checking out. I should also give a shout out to Bassist Ged Grimes (no Bass Guitar Player Jokes please! 😉) who has been with the band since 2010. His name was always familiar to me but for one reason or another I never checked his details out until last night. He has quite the musical history starting with Dundee pop band Danny Wilson and a lot of surprises along the way (for more info check out his Wikipedia page).
Jim Kerr celebrated his 65th Birthday the day before this gig (9th July) and despite the age he still sounds good and covers every area of the stage throwing shapes as he goes. "Belfast Child" was the moment you really got to hear the power of his voice and I think that song never sounded better than at this show, though near the end of "Don't You (Forget About Me)" his voice cracked a bit. Charlie Burchill (who will also hit 65 in November) was on great form. I think he often doesn't get the credit as a good guitarist among his contemporaries as some fella called The Edge (U2) always seems to get the top spot.
As to the broadcasters, ARTE Concert, they did a superb job in capturing the sight and sounds, only one little glitch during "Sanctify Yourself" kept it from being perfect. You should check out their YouTube ChannelARTE Concert for more performances, especially the recent films from Hellfest 2024.
Set 1: 1 Waterfront New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) Album In Full 2 Someone Somewhere in Summertime 3 Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel 4 Promised You a Miracle 5 Big Sleep 6 Somebody Up There Likes You (Instrumental) 7 New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) 8 Glittering Prize 9 Hunter and the Hunted 10 King Is White and in the Crowd ****** 11 I Travel
Interlude (25 Minutes)
Set 2: (starts at 1hr 24.19 on the video) 12 Book of Brilliant Things (Vocals by Sarah Brown) 13 Mandela Day (Vocals by Jim Kerr and Sarah Brown) 14 Come a Long Way 15 Let There Be Love 16 Sanctify Yourself 17 Belfast Child 18 Don't You (Forget About Me) 19 Alive and Kicking
The show ran approx. 1h55min (taking out the 25 Minute Break)
Current Tour Line Up Jim Kerr - Vocals Charlie Burchill - Guitar Ged Grimes - Bass Sarah Brown - Backing Vocals Gordy Goudie - Guitar, Backing Vocals Cherisse Osei - Drums Erik Ljunggren - Keyboards
One of the things I love about doing a music blog is being able to share some of the music that I am enjoying listening to at any given moment. I realise that not everyone who reads the blog will have the same musical taste, but that's okay, I'm not going to get on your case about it. I guess the one thing I have always tried is to do put something up that might give you the reader an opportunity to experience something different from what you normally listen to. Today's choice is a collection of songs by Tom Petty performed a number of artists from the world of Country Music.
For those who may be wondering where Country Music fits among all the other types of music I listen to, let me assure you that it's not a new thing at all with me. As a kid I grew up with a Mother, who among her own musical tastes, absolutely loved Country Music. It was not uncommon to hear the sounds of Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell and Tammy Wynette plus loads more playing on the living room stereo. Add to that my own delving into the genre with the music of Hank Wangford, Emmylou Harris, Buddy & Julie Miller, as well as newer artists like Miranda Lambert, Jason Isbell, Ashley McBryde, Eric Church, and oh so many more.
So if you are open to experiencing something new to your ears this might be a good starting place. There are links for every song on the album and as a wee bonus I'll post a few links for some other artists covering the songs of Tom Petty.
Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty - Various Artists Big Machine 21st June 2024
Tom Petty (pictured above, credit to Sam Jones) and Country Music, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea (some Petty fans are already foaming at the mouth in rage that such a thing is happening!) but I think it's a gem of an album. It also has the seal of approval from the family of Petty and even a couple of Heartbreakers turn up on the album (Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench). I guess if folks have an axe to grind about the album they should take it up with those who gave it the okay in the first place rather than attack the artists involved in the project.
It's ten days after the 40th Anniversary of the release of 'Born In The U.S.A.' and to celebrate this milestone Sony Music have put out "a special-edition release featuring new coloured vinyl and expanded packaging on 14th June 2024. Arriving via translucent red LP, this anniversary edition of 'Born In The U.S.A.' will feature a gatefold sleeve and exclusive booklet with archival material from the era, new liner notes penned by Erik Flannigan and a four-color lithograph" (from the press release). To obtain one of these you are going to have to hand over between £29.99-39.99, depending where you purchase it from. I will not be purchasing it as I do not have a record player and it seems rather pointless splashing out cash on something I'm never going to play.
Like most Springsteen fans I had thought that there might be another Boxset issued, similar to what had been done with the 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town' and 'The River' albums. Such a thing had been spoken about in many Springsteen groups going back to even the 30th Anniversary and lots of rumours and speculation were thrown around as to what it might contain. You can imagine the sense of disappointment when the announcement came that it would only be the album on Red Vinyl as a Limited Edition!
I decided that to get over this disappointment I would envisage what I thought a 'Born In The U.S.A.' Boxset might look like (saying this I realise that most fans might have their own ideas, and that's a good thing. Maybe leave a comment if you are able to outlining what your Boxset might contain). For the record, let me say again, this is not something that's an Official release, it's just something from the imagination of a Springsteen fan who has too much time on his hands! 😀
Of course, the first thing in the Boxset is the album itself. I'm going with a CD/DVD package as Vinyl would be too expensive. As we go along maybe I'll add some history of the album and the songs that didn't make the record. There's lots of links to music and video below, so click on them to enjoy the sounds.
Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen Columbia/CBS 4th June 1984 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 By The Numbers: Charts US Chart #1 UK Chart #1 Australian Chart #1 Austrian Chart #1 Canadian Chart #1 Dutch Chart #1 French Chart #2 German Chart #1 Italian Chart #2 Japanese Chart #6 New Zealand Chart #1 Norwegian Chart #1 Spanish Chart #2 Swedish Chart #1 Swiss Chart #1 By The Numbers: A brief snapshot of Certification* Over 30 Million Copies Sold Worldwide Australia 14x Platinum Canada Diamond Germamy 2x Platinum New Zealand 17x Platinum Portugal Gold UK 3x Platinum US 17x Platinum * The amount of sales that gets a Diamond, Platinum and Gold Certification is different in each country mentioned
The next addition to the Boxset would be the singles. Seven were released from the album (too many I think but it happened) and I would have the seven singles on CD with their artwork featuring the Born In The U.S.A. material from both the 7" and 12" where applicable.
I think there should be at least one DVD included of a live show. I have no idea how much footage there is sitting around but there was a bootleg DVD doing the rounds for a while that could maybe be cleaned up visually and the audio quality as well.The Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France 29th June 1985 show appears to have been Pro-shot, but I don't know exactly what it was filmed for. It's a great setlist as well (see below)
1 BORN IN THE U.S.A. 2 BADLANDS 3 OUT IN THE STREET 4 JOHNNY 99 5 ATLANTIC CITY 6 SHUT OUT THE LIGHT 7 THE RIVER 8 WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY 9 TRAPPED 10 DARLINGTON COUNTY 11 GLORY DAYS 12 THE PROMISED LAND 13 MY HOMETOWN 14 THUNDER ROAD 15 COVER ME 16 DANCING IN THE DARK 17 HUNGRY HEART 18 CADILLAC RANCH 19 DOWNBOUND TRAIN 20 I'M ON FIRE 21 BECAUSE THE NIGHT 22 ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) 23 CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE 24 BORN TO RUN 25 BOBBY JEAN 26 RAMROD 27 TWIST AND SHOUT - DO YOU LOVE ME 28 ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
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QR Code Live Show Download
The Boxset is already CD heavy (1 album and 7 singles) so for a change of pace I thought including a QR Code that would take you directly to Springsteen's website where there will be a choice to download a show from the Official Archives from the 1984-85 Tour. As far as I can recall (I'll have to double check) four shows from the Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford NJ 10 night stand in 1984 are available and the Giants Stadium, NJ 22nd August and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 27th September from 1985 are also available. Here's Links to two of the 1984 shows as an example :
Another QR Code link could also be used for the bringing together of the numerous outtakes both released and unreleased (a number of them were released as the B-sides of the singles already mentioned above and 12 tracks were featured on the 'Tracks' Boxset and two tracks on 'Essential Bruce Sringsteen'. Others still remain unreleased to date). The link could go directly to Springsteen's Website where all the tracks can be downloaded or even streamed if you so wish.
It would probably be better to do it this way rather than have CD copies as there's so many of them. I have put together a playlist of my own with about 41 songs that you can see below:
There was actually a really good Bootleg put out called 'Unsatisfied Heart' that brought many of the 'Born In The U.S.A. Sessions' songs together that could easily be co-opted for a great playlist (see below).
Disc 1: 01 Born In The U.S.A. (Contains a different Springsteen vocal overdub and a very long, extended jam ending) 02 Murder Incorporated (This track has the original Van Zandt background vocals) 03 Downbound Train (Slighly different version / mix) 04 Glory Days (Unedited, contains an entire extra verse (about Bruce’s dad) that was cut from the officially released version) 05 This Hard Land (Original Take-re-recorded the song in 1995 and released that re-recording on 'Greatest Hits') 06 My Love Will Not Let You Down (Different Mix compared to Tracks) 07 Johnny Bye Bye (Bruce borrowed the first two lines from Chuck Berry’s song “Bye Bye Johnny) 08 Frankie (No Sax Solo) 09 I'm Goin' Down (Complete) 10 Working On The Highway (Slighly different version/mix) 11 I'm On Fire (Extended) B-sides: 12 Sugarland 13 Follow That Dream 14 Dont Back Down 15 One Love 16 Little Girl
Disc One Recording details: Track 11 recorded at The Hit Factory, Feb 1982. Tracks 1, 3, 4 recorded at The Hit Factory, March or April 1982. Track 2 recorded at The Power Station, April or May 1982. Track 10 recorded at The Hit Factory, April 1982. Track 5 recorded at The Hit Factory, May 11, 1982. Track 8 recorded at The Hit Factory, May 14, 1982. Track 6 recorded at The Hit Factory, May 5, 1982. Track 9 recorded at The Power Station, November 9th 1983. Track 13 recorded at Thrill Hill West, LA, CA, January 30, 1983. Track 14 recorded at Thrill Hill West, LA, CA, January 4, 1983. Tracks 7, 12, 15, 16 recorded at Thrill Hill West, mid Jan to mid Feb 1983.
Disc 2: 01 None But The Brave (The original mix without the new (90's) vocal track or the overdubbed second guitar) 02 Murder Incorporated #2 (Different mix permutation of the same core recording as #1) 03 (Drop On Down And) Cover Me 04 Janey Don't You Lose Heart (Same Mix as the one on tracks, longer fade out, and features Steve Van Zandt on background vocals and guitar) 05 My Love Will Not Let You Down #2 (Different Mix) 06 Cynthia (Different Mix) 07 Darlington County (Slightly different lyrics and an alternate beginning and ending) 08 Protection (Different Mix) 09 TV Movie (Original Mix with Saxophone) 10 County Fair (Ruth Jackson on background vocals) Solo: 11 Shut Out The Light (Additional Lyric) 12 Richfield Whistle 13 Fugitives Dream 14 Delivery Man 15 The Klansman 16 Unsatisfied Heart
Disc Two Recording details: Track 1 recorded at The Hit Factory, from the April-June 1983 sessions. Track 3 PROBABLY recorded at The Hit Factory during Jan or early Feb 1982. May be from later. Track 2 recorded at The Power Station, April or May 1982. Track 4 recorded at The Hit Factory, June 16, 1983 Track 5 recorded at The Hit Factory, May 5, 1982. Track 6 recorded at The Hit Factory, April 20, 1983. Track 7 recorded at The Power Station during April or May 1982. Track 8 recorded at The Hit Factory, Feb 1982. Track 9 recorded at The Hit Factory, June 13, 1983. Track 10 recorded at The Hit Factory, April or May 1983. Tracks 11,13 recorded at Thrill Hill West, August 1982 through April 1983. Tracks 12,14,16 recorded at Thrill Hill West, January through May 1983. Track 15 recorded at Thrill Hill West, January 4, 1983.
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If you are a total music nerd like me and want to read more on the making of the 'Born In The U.S.A.' album then please go and check out BRUCEBASE WIKI. There you will be able to find all the details for the songs recorded during the Sessions between January 1982 - February 1994.
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The last addition to the boxset I would put in a Born In The U.S.A. Tour Poster.
