RSD BLACK FRIDAY:
RECORD STORE DAY LAUNCHES THE LIST OF SPECIAL RELEASES AT INDIE RECORD STORES ON SHOPPING’S BIG DAY: NOVEMBER 24

RECORD STORES BRING GRAM PARSONS BACK TO LIFE 50 YEARS LATER

In early 1973 Gram Parsons embarked on a tour to promote his recently released first solo album, GP. Gram put together a pretty great band, including the then-unknown Emmylou Harris as his singing partner. The shows were somewhat uneven at first, but by midtour the band started to find its groove.

One show stood out to pedal steel player Neil Flanz: the third night at the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia. Neil felt that this was the best show of the tour and requested a copy of the soundboard recording. He saved it for almost forty years, and then it was acquired by Amoeba Music for a future Gram release. It then disappeared in the Amoeba vault for another ten years before it was rediscovered when Amoeba moved to a new location in LA.

It turns out Neil was right. This is Gram and Emmylou at their finest. And it’s the next-to-last club date ever for Gram and the Fallen Angels. A 50-year-old soundboard cassette offers some unique challenges, but thanks to the efforts of some of the world’s best archival sound restoration engineers, the beauty and energy of Gram, Emmy, and the band shine through on Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels - The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia March 16th 1973, from Amoeba Records, coming to record stores for RSD Black Friday for the first time. For all of those who never got to experience Gram live, this is the closest we’ll ever get to being there.

This isn’t the only bit of unexpected magic that music fans will discover on the List of titles coming November 24, as part of the RSD Black Friday celebration. It’s full of unique and exclusive releases coming from artists expressing their support and love for the independent record store.

Post Malone holds the record for the most RIAA diamond-certified singles in history and may have been going for another record when he spent nearly seven hours at a record store this year, signing records and meeting fans. We’re happy to say that the physical vinyl release of The Diamond Collection, which brings those top singles together for the first time, is on the RSD Black Friday List.  YUNGBLUD also spent a lot of time in record stores this year, as his American As F**ck Record Store Tour, crossed the US for his latest album—there was even a commemorative tour t-shirt! This RSD Black Friday, we’re looking back five years to his debut album, 21^st Century Liability, for a special transparent magenta vinyl pressing and poster insert. It’s joined on The List by The Cape Elizabeth EP from Noah Kahan, the 2020 recording that Noah had pressed to vinyl for RSD Black Friday as a “thank you to the fans who stuck around, came to shows, watched my livestreams and listened.”

Kim Petras’ Problématique album, originally intended to be her debut until a leak forced it back on to the shelf, will emerge from the vault on Apple Red vinyl, adding a new single (“All She Wants” with Paris Hilton) and new artwork to the euphoric, escapist pop tracks inspired by French house music and Parisian soundscapes. This album has already become something of a legend among fans, and legendary albums are something record stores know all about.

Forty-nine years ago, Court and Spark sold by the crate in record stores and ended up being the most successful album of Joni Mitchell’s career.  A new collection of never-before-heard demos sheds new light on the iconic album. Three months after the release of their classic album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips played a small show in Boston for radio station WBOS. The small crowd of competition winners and invited fans were treated to a set that included “Do You Realize??” and “Fight Test”, plus Pink Floyd and Beck covers. Wayne Coyne’s song introductions were a highlight, and they’re included as this pink (naturally!) vinyl release for RSD Black Friday brings this show to vinyl for the first time.

Another storied live event coming to fans’ collections for the first time is a tumultuous 1970 show The Doors put on in Bakersfield, California. After five years together, they were tight enough to veer into the unknown and that’s what they did in this set featuring improvisations and medleys of beloved hits from across their catalog. Live in Bakersfield is a shamanic adventure for all who listen, and it’s coming to record stores November 24 on both double vinyl and compact disc.

Singles also make their mark on The List, including a recreation of the single that introduced a new band from one of record stores’ biggest ever cheerleaders: Prince. The “Gett Off” DJ promo single sent out in 1991 proclaimed “Nothing can stop… Prince and the New Power Generation” and though an edited version did eventually show up on Diamonds and Pearls the “damn near 10 min.” mix of the song gets a commercial release on a faithful recreation of that original single this year.

This past April, Billy Strings (crowned Entertainer Of The Year this past week at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards) was one of the musicians who paid tribute to Willie Nelson at his 90^th Birthday Concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and his tribute continues with a 7” single that features his performance from that show (Willie’s “Whiskey River”) and “California Sober,” a track on which Willie joins in.  A three song EP simply called Tribute showcases the virtuosity and flexibility of the late guitar hero Jeff Beck, with an instrumental combined with a spoken word poem from Imelda May, a live “Elegy for Dunkirk” with opera singer Olivia Safe, and a blistering full band version of “Going Down”.

2023 sees the celebration of Hip-Hop At Fifty and that continues at record stores on RSD Black Friday. Iconic albums of the genre take new/old shape as Dre. Dre’s The Chronic re-emerges in CD longbox form and De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising becomes a 7” box set with bonus tracks to thrill Daisy Age citizens.  Lil Wayne collects his greatest hits, Nas tells his story with I AM… Autobiography, Cypress Hill remixes Black Sunday, and names like Goodie Mob, Digital Underground, Schoolly D, Spice 1, Polo G and more are on the List, along with four themed compilation albums that take an overview of the culture-creating genre from Tuff City.

Movie soundtracks continue to be blockbusters at record stores and no List would be right without them. This year, a standout is the exclusive orange vinyl Wes Anderson created for record stores, for the soundtrack of his latest film, Asteroid City. It features music from Jarvis Cocker, The Asteroid City cast, and original score tracks from Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat.  Speaking of Hollywood, Scarlett Johansson’s Anywhere I Lay My Head sends her love to Tom Waits with  eleven cover songs (and a little help from David Bowie) and even the Jazz Dispensary series gets cinematic this time around on Jazz Dispensary: At The Movies.

Of course, November 24 is the “kick-off” the 2023 holiday season, and music is a key element of holiday merrymaking. The bins at the record stores this RSD Black Friday will ring with holiday sounds from Sia, whose Everyday is Christmas (Snowman EP), gets a vinyl release for the first time, and My Morning Jacket, whose Happy Holiday! adds three new songs for its vinyl debut. Kelly Finnigan’s A Joyful Sound becomes stocking-stuffer-size in a 7” box set version, while The Beach Boys, Nuggets curator/Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, Gary (Ho-Ho-) Hoey, and a sleighful of punk bands go Christmas with various projects (literally, in the case of the punk bands on the anniversary vinyl release of the Punk Goes Christmas comp.)

We’re barely scratching the surface here, but you can find the entire List of releases coming to indie record stores on November 24, as part of our effort to reinforce the importance of supporting independents on “The Biggest Shopping Day Of The Year” at recordstoreday.com

Find more information on RSD Black Friday at our FAQ page: bit.ly/RSDBFFAQ and find stores across the country and the world at recordstoreday.com

For questions, press requests, logos, and artwork, please see the publicists below. Amd for more information, logos, full list and participating stores visit recordstoreday.com

About Record Store Day
Record Store Day, the organization, is managed by the Department of Record Stores and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and promotes independent record stores year-round with events, special releases and other fun things.

Record Store Day, the global celebration of the culture of the record store, takes place annually. The 16th Record Store Day is coming up on April 22, 2023.


Record Store Day Sponsors:
ADA, Alliance Entertainment, AMPED, AMS, Concord Label Group, Crosley Turntables, Dogfish Head Brewery, Furnace Record Pressing, InGrooves, Music Business Association, Marshall Headphones and Speakers, MVD Entertainment, The Orchard, Redeye Worldwide, Sony Music, ThinkIndie, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Traffic Entertainment, URP Distribution, Virgin, Vinyl Styl, WMX

For any media inquiries, please contact:

Perry Serpa
Vicious Kid Public Relations
perry@viciouskidpr.com
917 660-4137

Cristina Sneed
NoiseNY
cristina@noiseny.com
917.684.0452