News

Has it really been 45 years since Rhino Records put out their very first release in 1978? (Bonus points to those of you who remember “Rocky,” the original Elvis-ified Rhino company logo from back in the day.) In celebration of Rhino’s 45th anniversary this year, the vaunted archival label is launching what they’re calling Rhino Reds, a new series of limited-edition reissues pressed on custom “Rhino Red” vinyl. Read on to see which 12 LPs from Rhino’s deep catalog will be getting the Red carpet treatment over the next few months. . .

Tom Waits hit a new creative stride in the 1980s, starting with his acclaimed September 1983 masterstroke Swordfishtrombones — a breakthrough “junkyard orchestral deviation” (his words) — that culminated four LPs later with November 1993’s The Black Rider. Starting September 1, Island/UMe is re-releasing all five of these key Waits midperiod Island Records LPs via 180g black vinyl and limited-edition color variants with the first three titles slated for September 1, and the remaining two to follow on October 6. Read on to find out more about which specific Waits Island-era titles are forthcoming, and what they each entail. . .

313 is officially in the LP house. To wit: Third Man Records and Blue Note Records have just announced their new 313 Series Partnership, which will showcase five Detroit-themed albums from the Blue Note catalog — a combo of vintage and long-lost titles from Thad Jones, Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, Kenny Cox and The Contemporary Jazz Quintet, and Grant Green — all of them specially chosen for re-release by Blue Note Records President Don Was. Read on to find out more about the content of these five fine 180g LPs that have been newly remastered from the original tapes at Third Man’s Detroit mastering and pressing facility, and when they’ll be released accordingly. . .

Archival label Light in the Attic (LITA) is behind the first official LP reissue of Nancy & Lee Again, the acclaimed 1972 sophomore collaborative album from Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, which was remastered for this release using the original analog tapes. In an AP exclusive video premiere, we go inside keyboard wizard Clare Fischer’s innovative deployment of the Yamaha EX-42 synthesizer on this truly classic album. . .

Who's making their picks on this week's episode of AXS TV's Vinyl Obsession? Glad you asked. This upcoming Sunday, May 7, Ajay Popoff of Lit and 'NSYNC vocalist Chris Kirkpatrick bring us along during their respective shopping trips at Grimey's in Nashville as they each seek out their Top 5 LPs. Read on to get an AP-exclusive sneak preview of that ep. . .

Peter, we love your way. To wit: iconoclast British guitarist/vocalist Peter Frampton and Intervention Records have collectively announced that his Frampton@50: In The Studio 1972-1975 180g 3LP box set is being readied for release on July 28. Read on to find out all the details regarding this fine all-analog vinyl collection of three key entries from Frampton’s early solo career. . .

Subtitle this one, …And Vinyl for All. To wit: Metallica and Furnace Record Pressing have jointly announced that Metallica has acquired the majority interest in Furnace, a leading provider of high-quality vinyl and related services based in Alexandria, Virginia. Read on to see what the revised vinyl-oriented partnership entails, and how Furnace founder Eric Astor and Metallica co-founders Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield have to say about it. . .