Black Music Month kicks off
Black Music Month kicks off this month and it includes reissues of classics by some of the world’s greatest artists, including Charles Mingus, Curtis Mayfield, Milt Jackson & Ray Charles, Zapp & Roger, The Drifters, The Time, and previously unreleased music from Miles Davis and Roberta Flack.
The influential black artists paved the musical highways for generations to come - leading to cultural, social, and political revolutions that still ring true in 2021. In June and July, Rhino will celebrate these legendary artists who continue to influence and inspire today’s music. The full release schedule is listed below, and physical titles are available for pre-order now.
Doo-wop music was popularized by African-American youth in the East Coast cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York, moving through the steel factories of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati heading west sweeping through the Windy City, Chicago, before traveling the airwaves and reaching the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles, California. Hip-Hop took a similar trajectory by amplifying the rhythmic voices of Black youth. This art form originated in New York City and ignited a firestorm of creativity that took the world by storm in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and continues to dominate popular music today.
The Drifters melodic harmonies burst onto the music scene in the 1950s, starting in barbershops and street corners before dominating the charts. Over the next decade, the group had created numerous hits and multiple number 1’s on the Billboard charts. Their two iconic hits “Under the Boardwalk” and “This Magic Moment” cemented their legacy and place in music history by being honored with their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The essay then follows the transition of the doowop style to soul and funk, eventually landing on hiphop’s inclusion of the earlier styles to create something wholly original. For example, legendary group, Zapp and Roger’s megahit “More Bounce to the Ounce” has been sampled over 300 times since its release in 1980.
The re-release of Lupe Fiasco’s” Food & Liquor” album showcases the harmonic influences of doo-wop throughout “Daydreamin’” ft. Jill Scott, which won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2008. This album will remind fans of Lupe’s clever, witty, and intelligent wordplay that solidified him as one of hip Hop’s greatest lyricist and most important voices.
VINYL OF THE WEEK
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition or new collection from a legendary act. This week, it’s a big box set from one of our favorite rock and roll singers.
ROD STEWART
‘1975 - 1978’
Sir Rod Stewart was on his way to becoming one of the most successful recording artists in history in 1974 when he moved to America and signed with Warner Bros. Over his next 27 years with the label, he released some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed records of his lengthy career.
The label is going back back to the start of that legendary run with a set that features Stewart’s first four albums for the label on vinyl, plus a bonus LP of rare and unreleased studio outtakes from said LPs, ‘Atlantic Crossing,’ ‘A Night on the Town,’ ‘Footloose & Fancy Free’ and ‘Blondes Have More Fun.’
After being out of print for decades, the studio albums look and sound amazing as they return to vinyl, complete with replica sleeves and newly remastered sound. Add to that the bonus LP, all organized in an iridescent box with a foil-stamp on the cover, Rod’s blonde shag haircut glistening in gold, and his leopard-print suit shimmering in silver. I
That four-album run during the 1970s was one of Stewart’s most successful, and the bonus LP of this set, titled ‘Encores 1975-1978,’ is a collection of 10 outtakes selected from the recording sessions for all four albums. The first side highlights five songs from the recent deluxe editions released for ‘Atlantic Crossing’ and ‘A Night on the Town.’
Songs include an alternate version of the B-side “Rosie” and a cover of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” recorded with the influential Stax Records house band, Booker T. & The MG’s. The flip side features five previously unreleased session outtakes from Foot Loose & Fancy Free and Blondes Have More Fun. Highlights include a cover of the Motown classic, “You Really Got A Hold On Me,” and the unreleased tracks “Silver Tongue” and “Don’t Hang Up.”
Rod’s new set, the vinyl version, is in stores from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.