The Dirt

Record Store Day 2021 to go ahead despite covid uncertainty, and there are gems to pre-order.

In spite of covid-19, Record Store Day gears up for another year of excellent releases; Journey finally reached an “amicable settlement” with their former long-time bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith; Elton John and Metallica in mind-boggling team-up; Jon Bon Jovi says stadium tours are no longer “motivational”… Welcome back The Datsuns and Trucker Diablo… Say hello to Twisted Illusion and L.A. Edwards… Say goodbye to Alan Cartwright, Gerri Miller, James MacGaw, Lou Ottens…

Now into its thirteenth year, Record Store Day this year takes place on Saturday June 12 and Saturday July 17.

As this issue went to press, non-essential shops in England and Wales were enjoying their first day of being allowed to open following this year’s period of lockdown, and queues were forming outside many retail outlets. Record shops around the country could therefore be seeing more people than in previous years coming out to shop on the two Record Store Days.

As usual, lots of exciting, exclusive, supercollectable goodies will be made available on a first-come first-served basis, and in keeping with tradition there will be something to suit all tastes. The website Recordstoreday.co.uk carries a list of participating stores and a full list of domestic releases.

Among this year’s goodies, AC/DC release 5,000 copies of a 12-inch picture disc of Through

The Mists Of Time and Witch’s Spell, from the band’s latest album Power Up. There’s a double A-side seven-inch single of Play Don’t Worry and Animal No. 9 performed by Mick Ronson on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1974. There will also be limitededition EPs from Genesis, Robert Plant and

Status Quo, each from their 1990 open-air shows at Knebworth Park in 1990, all available on black or coloured vinyl.

June 12 is the release date for a double live album from the Michael Schenker Group, recorded at the Manchester Apollo on their debut UK tour in 1980 (until now available only in digital format) on red vinyl.

Previously available as part of Def Leppard’s Early Years boxed bundle, Live In Oxford comes out on vinyl on June 12, limited to 4,000 copies. Available on the same day are studio versions of UFO’s Mother Mary and This Kid’s, from their Strangers In The Night album, on 10-inch vinyl.

Available on July 17 is a five-track EP from Queen + Adam Lambert, Live Around The World.

It comprises four tracks taken from their charttopping 2020 album of the same name, plus a previously unreleased version of I Want It All

recorded in Tokyo in 2014.

Fans of The Clash will want to check out the double album If Music Could Talk, a 1980 interview with Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon originally available only as a promotional LP for US radio ahead of the release of the group’s fourth album, Sandinista!.

As part of the US’s Record Store Day, Anthrax have released a limited-edition branded miniturntable, which comes with and a vinyl disc bundle (also sold separately). One of the 1,000 turntables available will include a Golden Ticket that entitles a lucky fan to receive a personal Zoom call from singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello.