The Fat Angel Sings

“Strange Days 1967 – A Work In Progress” is an album of early alternate mixes from the “Strange Days” sessions before the overdubs were complete. The recently unearthed tracks were mixed by Bruce Botnick back in ’67, and feature new liners by him as well.

“Strange Days 1967: A Work In Progress” is an album of rough mixes from the album’s early 1967 sessions discovered after 58 years! Without the final overdubs heard on the original release. “It’s time once again, to visit 1967 during the recording of The Doors’ Strange Days album. These rough mixes are of the moment since they reflect exactly what and where we were during the recording sessions.” – Bruce Botnick 

Rediscovered, insists the hype sticker, after 58 years of absence, “Strange Days 1967” offers up The Doors’ second album in its entirety, but as a previously unreleased rough mix. Which does sound great, does sound rough, and does keep your attention fully focussed for those moments when it deviates from the familiar record — for better or worse. There is, after all, something quite exhilarating about peeping in on sessions that were never intended to be heard by the wider world, and the sheer inventiveness of The Doors at work is a sound to behold. “When The Music’s Over” is especially gripping – there’s a lot of last minute overdubbing that had not been done when these tapes were made, rendering this a sparser, but in many ways tougher performance than the familiar one.

Mike Bloomfield was a true pioneer in American blues and rock music. He introduced millions to the music of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Lightnin’ Hopkins and was ranked No.22 on Rolling Stone’s ‘100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’ – America’s answer to Eric Clapton. A leading force in the Chicago blues scene, Bloomfield worked alongside prolific producer Norman Dayron (Rolling Stones/Howlin’ Wolf/Muddy Waters/Eric Clapton) and had credits with the likes of Bob Dylan, Al Kooper, The Electric Flag and Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

His illustrious career will remain inspirational to generations of musicians and fans. This is a best-of collection from the work Bloomfield created with Norman Dayron. Pressed on heavyweight coloured vinyl.

On September 8th 2003, David Bowie made history with the biggest ever live and interactive music satellite event the world had ever seen. The special one-off live concert was beamed via satellite from London’s Riverside Studios, simultaneously to 50,000 fans in 86 cinemas in 26 countries around the planet from Hong Kong to Helsinki, thrilling fans with a spectacular, first-ever live performance of his brand new album “Reality”. On 8th September, 2003, David Bowie made history at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London, with the biggest ever live and interactive music satellite event the world had seen to that point. The special one-off live concert was beamed simultaneously to fans in 86 cinemas in 26 countries, from Hong Kong to Helsinki, and 14 screens in Paris alone were dedicated to the show.

Bowie and his band unveiled the first-ever live performance of his new album “Reality”, released a week later. Now, for the first time, the eleven-song main set, performing the “Reality” album in its entirety, plus three previously unreleased tracks from the encore, The event marked many firsts in technological terms; it was the biggest ever non-TV satellite broadcast, the first ever interactive cinema event via a Q&A element hosted by Bowie fan and broadcaster Jonathan Ross and the first live satellite event in 5.1 DTS surround sound, which was overseen by longtime collaborator, Tony Visconti.

The precedent-setting event also went live across Asia a day later with a live Q&A between David and fans in Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Southeast Asia. The event was also beamed to North and South America, and Canada the day the album was released, with David doing brand new live Q&A sessions for those broadcasts.

Record Store Day 2025 sees the first ever release of the concert, available on 180g heavyweight vinyl and also on CD, including a replica poster of the original event. “I got a better way, Ready, set, go!”

Parlophone Records is proud to announce the release of a David Bowie limited double vinyl LP and CD: “Ready, Set, Go! (Live, Riverside Studios’ 03)” which will be released on 12th April 2025, for Record Store Day.

Musicians David Bowie – Vocals Leader, Guitar Mike Garson – Piano, Keyboards Gerry Leonard – Guitar Sterling Campbell – Drums Earl Slick – Guitar Gail Ann Dorsey – Bass Guitar Vocals Catherine Russel – Backinng Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar

Magnificent rumblings of The Dream Syndicate from the mid 80s featuring demos for the ‘Out Of The Grey’  album, unreleased songs from the era and the band live in New York delivering spine tingling takes on the album’s title track and ’50 In A 25 Zone’. This collection of much sought after rarities has never been pressed to vinyl, until now.

The Dream Syndicate’s 1986 album is being released for the first time in 24 years in vinyl. With some of Steve Wynn’s strongest songs – “Slide Away” is delightful pop, “Now I Ride Alone” is moody and intense “like the hardboiled typewriting of novelists Jim Thompson, Ross MacDonald, and James Cain” that Wynn dug back in July ‘85. The epic “Boston” imagines the era in which Van Morrison was holed-up in that city circa 1967-68 writing the songs that comprised Astral Weeks while “50 in a 25 Zone” is a vehicle for a band-driven, slow burn groove. The set including many unreleased demos and out-takes.
With a wealth of unreleased material – including a never-before-heard July 1985 live album which has the ‘balls to the wall’ energy hard not captured in the studio. The songs were so fresh on that July night – they had not been recorded in the studio yet. You’ll hear alternate versions of several Out of the Grey songs recorded as ‘demos’ before the album versions. Including “Out of the Grey” live, demos & outtakes… in other words, you need this! 

The iconic U.S Grunge Rockers, Dinosaur Jr, release an exclusive live session from Dutch radio station VPRO, featuring live tracks from “Green Mind”, “Where You Been”, “Without A Sound” and “Hand It Over”

Captured at the height of their powers during the mid 1990s, “Guess I’ll Crawl (Live In Santa Monica) captures Dinosaur Jr on their “Without A Sound” tour, and features selections from the album alongside classics from their career up to that point. Loud and heavy as ever, the band turn in an inspired performance, which has since become a favourite among fans. Never officially released until now, and produced in association with the band, “Guess I’ll Crawl (Live In Santa Monica)” is the latest in the ongoing extensive exploration of Dinosaur Jr’s Sire Records period. A must-hear glimpse of one of the treasures of the rich seam of American alternative rock and grunge artists who reinvigorated guitar orientated music in the late 1980s and 1990s.

These live tracks are made available on vinyl for the very first time to celebrate Record Store Day with this white 10′ EP which will delight fans and collectors. Recorded live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, November 16th 1994. • Eight tracks showcasing the band at their live and loud best on the ‘Without A Sound’ tour. The band are Captured at the height of their powers during the mid 1990s, ‘Guess I’ll Crawl (Live In Santa Monica)’ and features selections from the album alongside classics from their career up to that point. Loud and heavy as ever, the band turn in an inspired performance, which has since become a favourite among fans. Never officially released until now, and produced in association with the band, ‘Guess I’ll Crawl (Live In Santa Monica)’ is the latest in our ongoing extensive exploration of Dinosaur Jr’s Sire Records period

A must-hear glimpse of one of the treasures of the rich seam of American alternative rock and grunge artists who reinvigorated guitar orientated music in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Hailing from Chicago, The Flock was one of the most original groups to emerge on the late 1960s buoyant music scene. Along with their fellow Chicagoans Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago, The Flock were highly original in their musical approach, successfully fusing jazz, rock, blues and even classical influences. The band recorded three singles in 1966 and 1967 before changing musical direction and recruiting virtuoso electric violinist Jerry Goodman to their ranks. With a line-up of Fred Glickstein (guitar, lead vocals), Jerry Goodman (violin), Jerry Smith (bass), Ron Karpman (drums), Rick Canoff (saxophone), Tom Webb (saxophone) and Frank Posa (trumpet),

The Flock came to the attention of manager Aaron Russo, owner of Chicago’s famous Kinetic Playground venue. Russo secured the band a contract with Columbia Records for whom The Flock recorded two excellent albums for the label, “The Flock” (1969) and “Dinosaur Swamps” (1970).

Despite enthusiastic critical acclaim and patronage of established musicians such as John Mayall (who declared them to be the best band in America in 1969), The Flock sadly failed to fulfill their commercial potential and their classic line-up broke up in 1971, with Jerry Goodman joining The Mahavishnu Orchestra, but they did leave a recorded legacy of fine music. Truth – The Columbia Recordings 1969 – 1970 celebrates the music of this excellent band and features both of their Columbia albums in re-mastered form, along with six rare single tracks previously unissued on CD and six rare non-album session recordings from 1969 & 1970, including a re-recording of their early single “What Would You Do If the Sun Died”.

The anthology features an illustrated booklet that includes a new essay with an exclusive interview with Flock guitarist Fred Glickstein.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a new 2CD anthology celebrating the fine American Jazz rock band The Flock.

We’re pleased to announce the release of “The Studio Albums”, an 8-CD box set comprising the complete collection of all Pete Townshend’s solo studio albums. The boxset includes eight CDs: “Who Came First”, “Rough Mix” (with Ronnie Lane), “Empty Glass”, “All the Best Cowboys…”, “White City”, “The Iron Man”, “Psychoderelict” and “Psychoderelict2 (Music Only).

For the first time, all of Pete Townshend’s studio albums have been compiled in one place; to create an expanded Complete Studio Albums 8CD Set. featuring such tracks as “Let My Love Open the Door,” “Face the Face,” and “Rough Boys” as well as his early versions of future Who classics “Pure and Easy” and “Let’s See Action,” arrived April 4th, 2025, via UMe.

“Who Came First” was Townshend’s debut solo record, released in 1972. The album collected demos from the unrealized concept album Lifehouse, part of which became The Who’s classic “Who’s Next” album. The cover photo of Townshend taken by Graham Hughes (who also shot the cover of The Who’s “Quadrophenia“) features Pete standing on eggs and is a reference to the philosophical dilemma “Who came first? The chicken or the egg?.”

“Rough Mix” was initially released in 1977 while The Who were on hiatus. It was a collaboration with Small Faces bassist Ronnie Lane and features contributions from John Entwistle, Eric Clapton, and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, among others. The orchestral arrangements for the track “Street in the City” were provided by Townshend’s then father-in-law, noted British film and television theme composer Edwin Astley.

“Empty Glass”, produced by Chris Thomas (Roxy Music, Sex Pistols, Pretenders, Wings), was Townshend’s next solo release, in 1980. The songs predominantly deal with issues Townshend was struggling with at the time, including alcohol, drugs, and the death of The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon. The second single from the album “Let My Love Open the Door” was a U.S. Top Ten hit, the first single “Rough Boys,” which was dedicated to Pete’s children and The Sex Pistols

“All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes”, released in 1982, contained two singles “Uniforms (Corp d’Esprit)” and “Face Dances (Pt 2),” as well as “Somebody Saved Me” a song The Who had recorded for their 1981 album “Face Dances”, which didn’t appear until an expanded edition in 1997.

Chris Thomas once again produced the album, featuring Simon Philips on drums and Jody Linscott on percussion, who would later perform with The Who. Promo videos were made for seven tracks from the album by renowned photographers Davies & Starr.

As the title of 1985’s “White City (A Novel)” suggests, the album tells a story of cultural conflict, racial tension and youthful hopes and dreams in the London housing estate in the 1960s, not far from where Townshend was raised. The album was again produced by Chris Thomas and features guest appearances by David Gilmour, Clem Burke, John “Rabbit” Bundrick, Pete’s daughter Emma and a young Justine Frischmann, who would later form the Brit-Pop band Elastica. As with his previous album, Pete filmed several videos but this time compiled them into a long-form video, White City (The Music Movie) featuring the singles “Face the Face” and “Give Blood,” directed by Richard Lowenstein.

“The Iron Man: The Musical” by Pete Townshend is an adaptation of Ted Hughes’ famous short story, The Iron Man. The album was produced and mainly composed and performed by Townshend but also features performances from Roger Daltrey, legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker and Nina Simone. The three then-surviving original members of The Who (Daltrey, Entwistle, and Townshend) perform two songs, “Dig” and a cover of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s “Fire.”

“Psychoderelict”, released in 1993, is Townshend’s last solo album to date. Structured like a radio play with dialogue, it follows Ray High, a reclusive 60s rock star who resurfaced in Townshend’s novella The Boy Who Heard Music and in the mini rock opera Wire & Glass, the centrepiece of The Who’s “Endless Wire” album. The album is presented both with and without the dialogue of the original release.

Townshend says of his solo studio work, “I have always written first for myself. Not as an artist but for play, for fun, for joy, for self-expression. For therapy? In a way, of course. These solo songs are therefore not Who exclusions or out-takes, they are part of a story that may well have been very different had I not made some poor decisions in the early ’80s. I have stories to tell about every song, and one day I may write a book that tells of that journey, but I’m probably happier spending my time today writing new music rather than explaining how the old stuff came about.”

The new set is an accompaniment to 2024’s “Live In Concert 1985-2001” box.

In tribute to this release, the set will feature rare artist photos and memorabilia in expanded deluxe packaging newly designed by Richard Evans. The set will also contain sleeve notes by archivist Matt Kent with a new exclusive interview from Pete Townshend.

Pre-order your copy for release on March 28th: