April 18th sees the eighth annual Record Store Day – a day record when record collectors, vinyl freaks and independent record shops come together to celebrate the art of music – and to support small and specialist record shops not just in the USA and the UK but throughout the world.
The event came into being in 2007 when over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA came together to celebrate a unique culture and to tell music fans that the independent record stores had not gone away but still existed in a world dominated by downloads, manufactured artists and corporate domination of the music industry.
It is also a day record collectors can purchase special limited edition vinyl releases, collector’s items and promotional products, released exclusively by hundreds of artists and record companies.
This year there are over 220 UK record stores taking part, selling over 600 releases on 45s, EPs and LPs – with something for every kind of music fan from rock, metal, indie, dance, country, folk and soul.
And the day is not just for the dedicated vinyl enthusiast looking for that rare first edition or unusual shaped vinyl – its also for those just discovering the joys of independent record shops, with knowledgeable staff who are passionate about music and who know their stuff.
Among the highlights of this years releases will be special editions from the Grateful Dead, (for Deadheads – a live set from 1990), Bob Marley, Mumford And Sons, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Hawkwind, Bob Dylan, Deep Purple, Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher; EPs from The Small Faces and The Kinks, The Pretty Things, plus Springsteen’s early albums.
Also look out for the official re-issue of the Northern Soul classic ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’ a 45rpm demo by Frank Wilson, an original of which sold for over £25,000 and reissues of folk material from Bert Jansch including an EP and reissues of Ann Briggs albums on Topic. Even James Last and Monty Python have releases this year!
Among the limited edition sure fire sellers will be a 10†vinyl release by Glastonbury headliners the Foo Fighters called ‘Songs From The Laundry Room’, with never before heard tracks and demos; Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters – a 10†disc ‘More Roar’ featuring three tracks recorded during his current world tour plus a version of ‘Whole Lotta Love’; a eight track live album from guitar hero Joe Bonamassa and a double yellow vinyl live album by Captain Beefheart recorded in Leicester in 1972.
As Foo Fighters front man Dave Ghrol who is an ambassador for Record Store Day says: “Here’s listening to vinylâ€.
Download the pdf of this years releases by clicking here.