Record shops around the world celebrate vinyl recordings with special releases on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 22. Hundreds of special vinyl releases will be available. Below are our top 10 picks from the day’s exclusives. For more information go to recordstoreday.com.
THELONIOUS MONK
Les liaisons dangereuses. (Sam Records/Saga). Recorded in 1959 for Roger Vadim’s French film Les liaisons dangereuses but never used and never released as a recording: bit.ly/2pjpsG0 and bit.ly/2oxWAVn. The actual soundtrack features Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers.
DAVID BOWIE
Cracked Actor (Live in Los Angeles, 1974). Three-album set of the Thin White Duke recorded on the Philly Dogs Tour in September 1974: bit.ly/2oUgL1B.
SUN RA
Janus, a compilation of rare material from the Sun Ra Arkestra, drawing from tapes recorded between 1963 and 1970: bit.ly/1CZFSRU.
U-ROY
Toaster broke out of Jamaica with the Tony Robinson produced tracks Dread in a Babylon (1975), a reggae masterpiece on Virgin Records: bit.ly/2o8fXt0.
SUZANNE CIANI
Fish Music. Crystal clear one-sided vinyl of previously unheard recordings from a 17-year-old Suzanne Ciani, an electronic music innovator: bit.ly/1yJb5Ek.
THE METERS
A Message from The Meters (The Complete Josie, Reprise & Warner Bros. Singles 1968-1977). Rare New Orleans funk releases compiled for your listening pleasure: bit.ly/2o89hv3.
POPUL VUH
Cobra Verde. Album originally released in 1987 on Milan Records as the original motion picture soundtrack for Werner Herzog’s film Cobra Verde starring the manic Klaus Kinski: nyti.ms/2pGMGmd.
JERRY COLE
The Astro-Sound From Beyond The Year 2000. L.A. Wrecking Crew veteran first released these tracks as The Animated Egg back in the day. And then 101 Strings were overdubbed in 1969 for what we have here: bit.ly/2pHbM4D.
THE CONGOS
Heart of the Congos. Massive roots reggae classic produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry at his Black Ark studio in 1977: bit.ly/2o8fXsV.
NEIL YOUNG
Decade, long out of print, three-album compilation featuring tracks recorded between 1966 and 1976: bit.ly/2oZuBSD.
