Richard Thompson returns with "Ship To Shore" May 31 - Releases new song "Freeze" today, April 17

Singer-songwriter/guitar master Richard Thompson is set to return with a new full-length album this spring. Below is the official media release...Robert Kinsler

RICHARD THOMPSON RETURNS WITH SHIP TO SHORE MAY 31, 2024 VIA NEW WEST RECORDS 

RELEASES “FREEZE” TODAY 

U.K. SHIP TO SHORE TOUR LAUNCHES MAY 25, 2024

The legendary Richard Thompson will return with Ship To Shore on May 31, 2024 via New West Records. The 12-song set was produced by Thompson and recorded in Woodstock, NY. Ship To Shore follows his 2018 studio album 13 Rivers and his 2021 memoir Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975 which was published by Algonquin Books. Met with early critical acclaim, Uncut Magazine said “While consistency is Thompson’s forte, his last few albums have been some of his strongest: 2013’s Electric and 2015’s Still were excellent, but 2018’s 13 Rivers and his upcoming album, Ship To Shore, are even better.” 

The influential singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist has been on a singular musical journey for over a half century, from his days in the ‘60s as a pioneer of British folk rock with Fairport Convention, to his seminal ‘70s duo work with Linda Thompson, to the exploratory, deeply emotional music of the solo career that has been his primary concern ever since. The time taken between 13 Rivers and Ship To Shore is something like an eternity for the prolific artist, but once Thompson began writing, new songs came in a burst of inspiration. To craft the album, he retreated to Woodstock, New York, where he was joined by his longtime band — guitarist Bobby Eichorn, bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and drummer Michael Jerome — along with harmony vocalist Zara Phillips, fiddle player David Mansfield, and engineer Chris Bittner. The team worked quickly — roughly a week to track, vocals included. 

Ship To Shore pulls from various styles, genres and eras, but remains unmistakably Richard Thompson. “I liked the idea of having a strong base to work from and reaching out from there,” he says. “And I think of my base as being British traditional music, but there’s also Scottish music, there’s Irish music. There’s jazz and country and classical. As far as I’m concerned, once you establish your base, you can reach out anywhere. It’ll still be you ringing through, wherever you decide to go musically.” 

Today, Thompson shared the album highlight, “Freeze.” Of the song, he says, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, do something. Forwards, backwards, sideways, anything. There is nothing to fear but fear itself… no, I take it back, it’s all terrifying choices. Good luck.”

Thompson previously shared “Singapore Sadie,” offering, “I have been playing this live over the past year or so and it has become a favorite. We recorded it really quickly in two or three takes and David Mansfield is featured on the fiddle.”  

Richard Thompson will launch a 12-date UK tour in Cambridge on May 25  that features a performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London on June 8. Thompson has also announced a "Richard Thompson & Friends" two night stand at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY on July 12 and 13 as well as a performance at The Town Hall in New York City on October 18. Please see tour dates, with more to be announced, below. 

Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the ‘60s, he and his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock.  He left the group by the age of 21 which was followed by a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, to over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist.  In 2011, Thompson received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.  The Los Angeles Times called him “the finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix” and Rolling Stone has named him one of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time.  He has received lifetime achievement awards for songwriting from the BBC Radio 2 Awards, the Americana Music Association, and was awarded the prestigious Ivor Novello Award.  His song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923.”  A wide range of musicians have recorded Thompson’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Los Lobos, and many more.  His massive body of work includes many Grammy nominated albums as well as numerous soundtracks, including Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man and 2019’s The Cold Blue. 

Thompson’s genre defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar along with engaging energy and onstage wit continue to earn him new fans and a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos and writers in Folk Rock history.

Richard Thompson’s Ship To Shore will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited “Deep Blue” color vinyl edition of 500 with a bonus orange flexi disc featuring a demo of the song “Trust” will be available via Rough Trade. An autographed compact disc edition and a limited Orange & Yellow Marble color vinyl edition featuring a 5x7 archival print autographed by Richard Thompson will be available via Independent Retailers and is available for pre-order NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS. 

Richard Thompson Ship To Shore Track List: 

1. Freeze 
2. The Fear Never Leaves You 
3. Singapore Sadie
4. Trust  
5. The Day That I Give In 
6. The Old Pack Mule  
7. Turnstile Casanova  
8. Lost In The Crowd  
9. Maybe 
10. Life’s A Bloody Show 
11. What’s Left To Lose  
12. We Roll 

Richard Thompson On Tour: 

05/25/24 - Cambridge, UK - Corn Exchange #
05/26/24 - Bristol, UK - Beacon #
05/27/24 - York, UK - Barbican #
05/29/24 - Glasgow, UK - Royal Concert Hall #
05/30/24 - Gateshead, UK - Glasshouse #
05/31/24 - Manchester, UK - Aviva Studios at Manchester Factory International#
06/01/24 - Stoke-on-Trent, UK - Victoria Hall #
06/03/24 - Birmingham, UK - Symphony Hall #
06/04/24 - Cardiff, UK - New Theatre #
06/05/24 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall #
06/06/24 - Brighton and Hove, UK - Dome Concert Hall #
06/08/24 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall #
07/12/24 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios +
07/13/24 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios +
07/17/24 – Earlville, NY – Earlville Opera House *
07/20/24 - 07/21/24 – Guelph, ONT – Hillside Festival*
07/23/24 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart Opera House *
07/24/24 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage *
07/26/24 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Café *   
7/27/24 – Harrisburg, PA – Whitaker Center *
07/28/24 - Cape May, NJ - Cape May Convention Hall *
10/18/24 - New York, NY - The Town Hall #
08/23/25 - 08/30/25 - Venice, Italy - Harmony Voyages- Gems of the Adriatic Cruise

 * Solo Show
# Full Band
+ RT & Friends

RichardThompson.com 
NewWestRecords.com 

Omnivore Recordings Announces Previously Unissued Performance From Iconic Folk-Rock Band Steeleye Span

Although we are in early 2024, a number of exciting historic live performances have been announced. The latest is a forthcoming performance by groundbreaking folk-rock group Steeleye Span set for release on Feb. 16...Robert Kinsler

Omnivore Recordings Announces Previously Unissued Performance From Iconic Folk-Rock Band Steeleye Span Recorded Live at NYC’s Legendary Bottom Line

Live At The Bottom Line, 1974 will be available on

CD and Digital on February 16, 2024

January 10, 2024: On February 16, Omnivore Recordings will release Live At The Bottom Line, 1974, a previously unissued performance from the iconic British folk-rock band Steeleye Span, recorded live at New York’s legendary Bottom Line while on the band’s Now We Are Six tour.

 

Fairport Convention co-founder and bassist Ashley Hutchings and legendary singer Sandy Denny parted ways with the group after their classic Liege And Leaf album. Hutchings recruited Tim Hart and Maddy Prior (an established folk duo) and Terry and Gay Woods, naming their new band after a character in the traditional song “Horkstow Grange.” While their line-up fluctuated (Terry Woods would leave and later become the bassist in the classic Pogues line-up a decade later), the band solidified and continues to this day.

 

Staying true to their folk roots, the band found themselves not only supporting

Jethro Tull on tour, but signing to Chrysalis Records. Their breakthrough sixth

album released in 1974, Now We Are Six, referring to both number of album

releases and band members, (with a cameo from David Bowie on saxophone!)

That release included the track “Thomas The Rhymer,” which has become a Steeleye concert staple.

 

On their fourth tour of the US, Steeleye Span played New York’s fabled Bottom

Line in July of 1974, showcasing not only material from their new and previous

albums, but adding the classic jig and reel medleys the band had become known for

in performance. The 74-minute set includes their #14 UK hit “Gaudete,” the classic

“John Barleycorn,” and much more. Many of the US tour dates were headlining

shows, they garnered good press and some were broadcast on local FM radio, including the Bottom Line show which was carried on WNYU-FM.

 

Live At The Bottom Line, 1974 documents what may have been Steeleye Span’s

longest and most successful tour of the US, and we’re lucky that on this New York

City night, the tapes were rolling to capture this fantastic ever-evolving live band.

Slàinte mhath!

 

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/rQdxJ-Dhseg

 

Pre-order: https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/span-live-at-the-bottom-line/

 

Live At The Bottom Line, 1974 Tracklist:

1. Beg Your Leave

2. Irish Jigs (Including Paddy Clancy’s)

3. Alison Gross

4. Song Introduction To “Cam Ye O’er Frae France”

5. Cam Ye O’er Frae France

6. Song Introduction To “John Barleycorn”

7. John Barleycorn

8. Song Introduction To “Little Sir Hugh”

9. Little Sir Hugh

10. Song Introduction To “Two Magicians”

11. Two Magicians

12. Saucy Sailor

13. Robbery With Violins/Kitty Come Down From Limerick/O’Rourke’s Reel

14. Summer Is A Comin’ In

15. Staines Morris/In Peascod Time

16. One Misty Moisty Morning

17. Gaudete

18. Thomas The Rhymer

19. The Musical Priest/The Silver Spear/The High Reel

20. Nautical Medley: Hearts Of Oak/A Life On The Ocean Wave/Rule Britannia

21. Royal Forester

22. The Mason’s Apron

Sights and Sounds: Ringo Starr, Richard Thompson, Sena Ehrhardt

Happy Friday everybody! Hope you all had a great 4th of July and you have an equally fine weekend! Here are a few media releases and announcements worth sharing...

RINGO INVITES EVERYONE EVERYWHERE TO JOIN HIM ON HIS BIRTHDAY TO CELEBRATE WITH A MOMENT OF  PEACE & LOVE ON JULY 7, 2013 AT NOON, YOUR TIME 

July 7 is Ringo Starr's birthday and since 2008 the world has been celebrating with him by sharing a moment of "Peace & Love" at Noon.

When Ringo is on tour during the summer we join forces with the Hard Rock International who have generously hosted many of his birthdays.

This time Ringo is taking the summer off and will be in England at home with family and friends, so he sent this video message for his fans to let them know even though he is at home he will still be celebrating with a Peace & Love moment and invites everyone everywhere to join him at Noon their time to do the same.

Ringo's video message:

URL FOR SHARING: http://bit.ly/11etPk5

RICHARD THOMPSON AND HIS ELECTRIC TRIO JOINS AMERICANARAMA FEST WITH BOB DYLAN, WILCO AND MY MORNING JACKET    LISTEN: "GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE"

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 3, 2013 - Grammy-nominated folk-rock pioneer and guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson has been on a seemingly never ending tour since the release of his highly acclaimed studio album, Electric (February 5 on New West Records) and as of this week has joined the AmericanramA Festival, featuring heavyweights Bob Dylan, Wilco and My Morning Jacket. The Richard Thompson Electric Trio, featuring Thompson on guitar and vocals, Taras Prodaniuk on bass and Michael Jerome on drums, kicked off their two-week  run of the tour last night in Memphis and will hit the Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit areas before wrapping up in Toronto.Thompson and band will then jump across the pond for shows in the UK and Europe and then return to the U.S. for the Philadelphia Folk Festival and a couple dates in California where Thompson will perform with Peter Frampton as part of his Guitar Circus. More dates to be announced soon, including an east coast run. Since his early beginnings playing with the groundbreaking British folk-rock group Fairport Convention at just 19 years old to his storied and passionate output asRichard and Linda Thompson to his eclectic solo material, Thompson has had an extraordinary and wildly prolific career stretching more than 45 years. All the while he's been expanding his roster of accomplishments into theater with his multi-media extravaganza Cabaret of Souls, scoring the gripping Werner Herzog documentary"Grizzly Man" and curating London's prestigious Meltdown Festival. His latest album, Electric, produced by Buddy Miller and released on New West Records, has garnered some of the best reviews of his career and is his best selling album in more than a decade, with sales already surpassing his last album, 2010'sDream Attic. Q called the record "a first-class showcase for Thompson's spine-tingling solos" while Mojo said "it's up there with his best" and the Huffington Post hailed it as his "best studio work since Mock Tudor." Rolling Stone declared: "The excellence is undeniable." One of the many standout tracks from Electric, "Good Things Happen To Bad People," a song that encapsulates Thompson's wry sense of humor and guitar heroics, has been nominated as "Song of the Year" by the Americana Music Associationand Thompson himself is nominated for "Artist Of The Year" alongside Buddy Miller, Dwight Yoakam and Emmylou Harris. Last year, the Americana Association honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting. Named one of the "20 Greatest Guitarists" by Rolling Stone and declared "one of this world's most gifted songwriters" by American Songwriter, Thompson is a recipient ofBBC's Lifetime Achievement Award, Mojo's Les Paul Award, the Orville Gibson Guitar Award and the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen of England's 2011 New Year Honours List, was awarded an honorary doctorateby Aberdeen University in his ancestral Scotland and Grammy-nominated forDream Attic. Thompson's songs have been recorded by Robert Plant, REM, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and many others. RICHARD THOMPSON ELECTRIC TRIO ON AMERICANARAMA July 5 - Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center July 6 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center July 7 - Kent, OH - Kent Stage * July 9 - Duluth, MN @ Bayfront Festival Park July 10 - St. Paul, MN @ Midway Stadium July 11 - Peoria, IL @ Dozer Park July 12 - Chicago, IL @ Toyota Park July 14 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre July 15 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre * Headline show not part of AmericanaramA ADDITIONAL TOUR DATES: August 16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Folk Festival August 30 - Lincoln, CA @ Thunder Valley Casino ** August 31 - Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre ** ** Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus NEW VIDEO OF SENA EHRHARDT Acoustic Performance of "Dreamin' or Dyin'" Blind Pig Records has just released a new video from Sena Ehrhardt.  It features Sena and her father (and guitarist in her band) Ed Ehrhardt performing an acoustic version of "Dreamin' or Dyin"  on TV station KSMQ in Minneapolis. Written by the daughter-father songwriting team, the track appears (with full band accompaniment) on Sena's new Blind Pig release entitled All In.  The composition was just announced as a nominee for the "Song of the Year" Blues Blast Music Award (for which voting by the public opens July 15th). In its review of the CD, Elmore magazine says of the tune: "'Dreamin' or Dyin',' an aching tale of unrequited love, is one of the album's strongest tracks.  Ehrhardt's vocal range on this tender soul ballad is amazing - her voice goes from a mournful whisper to a ringing trumpet in the space of a measure." To watch the video of "Dreamin' or Dyin'" please click HERE.

Sights and Sounds: The Beatles, Coldplay, VCMG, Omnivore Recordings

Anytime you can work in exciting news and updates about The Beatles, Coldplay and two of the original members of Depeche Mode, well the day looks like a good one.

Louise Harrison To Discuss The Early Years of The Beatles and The Beatles With Tony Sheridan: First Recordings: 50th Anniversary Edition


2-CD Set This Week on CBS Early Show, NPR’s The Takeaway,
VH1 Classic Rock Nights with Eddie Webb, SiriusXM, and more

Louise Harrison will travel to New York this week to promote the recent release of THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN: FIRST RECORDINGS: 50th Anniversary Edition and share her memories of The Beatles and her brother, George. An integral part of the band’s breakthrough in America, where she had been living when the group released their first single, Louise is credited with working tirelessly to get their song played on American radio for the first time. Her interviews in New York with media outlets including the CBS Early Show, NPR program The Takeaway, VH1’s Classic Rock Nights with Eddie Webb, SiriusXM, The Fox Business Channel, Better TV, and many more will coincide with the 10th anniversary of George Harrison’s death.

As one of the earliest supporters of The Beatles, it is fitting that Louise Harrison speak about their first recordings, captured in the new double-disc collection. Released by Time Life on November 8, 2011, THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN: FIRST RECORDINGS: 50th Anniversary Edition is a remarkable story, told through music, mementos and words, of a band on the cusp of changing music and pop culture forever. The collection is a fascinating and comprehensive view of one of the most important yet overlooked moments in Beatles history.

Entertainment Weekly noted that the set “hints at the greatness to come” while calling Harrison’s “Cry For a Shadow” one of its best tracks. Along with the songs, the box set includes a deluxe booklet which presents an in-depth look into the beginnings of one of the greatest and most influential groups in pop music history. The historical text by Beatles scholar Hans Olaf Gottfridsson is brought to life with rare and candid photos by Astrid Kirchherr, copies of contracts, and personal biographies handwritten by each member in 1961. The earliest days of The Beatles have never been revisited in such detail.

The set includes every recording they made for German producer Bert Kaempfert and Polydor in 1961 and 1962 and feature Tony Sheridan on lead vocals, a decision made by Kaempfert. However, John Lennon sings lead vocals on “Ain’t She Sweet,” and George Harrison plays an instrumental, “Cry For A Shadow.” Multiple versions have been released throughout the past several decades – some in mono, some in stereo – each with distinctly different sounds. Most notably, the US versions of these tracks were overdubbed with another guitar player and drummer in an attempt to mirror the edgier sound the group had evolved into, unbeknownst to American fans at the time of their release in 1964. All versions of every track, including mono and stereo mixes, are included in the double disc set, remarkable in their difference but all bearing the same unmistakable sound of a wholly new kind of band.


RING IN 2012 WITH COLDPLAY!

Photo credit: Sarah Lee

COLDPLAY NEW YEAR'S EVE: AN AUSTIN CITY LIMITS SPECIAL

90-MINUTE PBS CONCERT EXTRAVAGANZA IS AUSTIN CITY LIMITS' FIRST-EVER NEW YEAR'S EVE SPECIAL

Austin City Limits (ACL), the world's longest-running live music television series, is ringing in the new year with a stunning performance by Coldplay. The first-ever ACL New Year's Eve special -- a rare 90-minute episode -- is viewable on PBS stations nationwide on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 at 11 p.m. (check local listings). Coldplay New Year's Eve: An Austin City Limits Special can also be viewed on demand on pbs.org starting at 11 p.m. ET on Dec. 31, 2011.

Coldplay's second appearance on ACL's stage is another milestone for the historic show and a one-of-a- kind episode with the band's unique production.

"We decided to go big with Coldplay - really big. So we came up with the idea of celebrating New Year's Eve with a 90-minute special. All the hits plus their brand new songs," said Executive Producer Terry Lickona. "It'll be a great way to kick off 2012!"

The New Year's Eve special comes on the heels of the release of the band's new album, Mylo Xyloto, which has charted at No. 1 in 32 countries. It also hit the No. 1 spot in all 35 iTunes stores around the world, breaking the record for the highest number of download sales in one week - a milestone Coldplay first achieved in 2008 with the release of Viva La Vida. Mylo Xyloto is Coldplay's third consecutive studio album to debut atop both The Billboard 200 and the U.K. album chart.

The ACL New Year's special highlights the mid-point of season 37 -- the first season taped entirely in ACL's new home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater, a full-time music venue and state-of the-art production facility. The remaining five episodes of the season will air in early 2012.

Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at www.austincitylimits.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and our blog for up-to-date information.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS SEASON 37 BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(Check local listings for exact dates and times.)
December 31, 2011 Coldplay
January 7, 2012 The Head and The Heart / Gomez
January 14, 2012 Arcade Fire
January 21, 2012 Fleet Foxes / Joanna Newsom
January 28, 2012 Florence + the Machine / Lykke Li
February 4, 2012 Wilco


VCMG

VINCE CLARKE AND MARTIN L. GORE ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF BRAND NEW COLLABORATION

After 30 years working their retrospective ongoing music projects Vince Clarke (Erasure / Yazoo / Depeche Mode) and Martin L. Gore (Depeche Mode) come together for the first time since 1991 as VCMG to release a brand new album preceded by a series of EPs.

VCMG is the fruit of initially tentative discussion and subsequent enthused collaboration where Vince and Martin, both influential as pioneers in electronic music, get to exercise their lifelong love of the genre as the techno inspired VCMG.

As Vince explains: “I’ve been getting into and listening to a lot of minimal dance music and I got really intrigued by all the sounds… I realised I needed a collaborator… so it occurred to me to talk to Martin.”

Says Gore: "Out of the blue I got an e-mail from Vince just saying, 'I'm interested in making a techno album. Are you interested in collaborating?' This was maybe a year ago. He said, 'No pressure, no deadlines,' so I said, 'OK’.”


The writing and recording of the album was done in a typically unique way with the pair working alone in their respective studios, communicating only via email, exchanging files until the album was ready. It was in May 2011 that the pair met for the first time to discuss the project when they both performed at Short Circuit presents Mute festival in London.

The album (title to be announced soon) was produced by Vince Clarke and Martin L. Gore and mixed by the influential Californian electronic artist Überzone / Q and will be released in early 2012.
The first release is an EP entitled Spock. EP1 / SPOCK will feature remixes from Edit-Select, aka Tony Scott, the UK DJ / producer and founder of EditSelect Records whose previous remix credits include Speedy J, Death In Vegas and Gary Beck; Regis, British techno musician Karl O’Connor, member of the Sandwell District collective and co-founder of Downwards Records); Zak aka DVS1, founder of Hush Records and one of the most prominent figures in US dance music counts techno innovator Derrick May amongst his biggest fans, with his second ever release on May's own Transmat plus XOQ, the alter ego of Überzone / Q, who mixed the VCMG album.

EP1/SPOCK will be available initially as a global exclusive on Beatport on November 30, 2011 and then on all DSPs December 13, 2011.


OMNIVORE RECORDINGS TO RELEASE TRIO OF NEW RECORDINGS

30th ANNIVERSARY REISSUE OF RICHARD THOMPSON'S LONG OUT-OF-PRINT INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM STRICT TEMPO! CD AND DIGITAL RELEASE NOVEMBER 29



INFLUENTIAL POWER-POP BAND JELLYFISH'S ONLY TWO STUDIO ALBUMS

BELLYBUTTON AND SPILT MILK LIMITED EDITION LP RELEASE JANUARY 10



ALEX CHILTON'S FIRST SOLO RECORDINGS FREE AGAIN: THE "1970" SESSIONS

LIMITED EDITION LP, OPEN EDITION LP, CD AND DIGITAL RELEASE JANUARY 10


OMNIVORE RECORDINGS WEBSTORE NOW OPEN

LIMITED EDITION BIG STAR THIRD [TEST PRESSING EDITION] LP ON SALE NOW!

Omnivore Recordings has announced the upcoming releases for a trio of new recordings including the 30th Anniversary reissue of Richard Thompson's long out-of-print instrumental recording Strict Tempo! on November 29; followed on January 10, 2012 by influential power-pop band Jellyfish's two studio albums Bellybutton and Spilt Milk; and also on January 10, 2012, Free Again: The "1970" Sessions by Alex Chilton - the musical architect of The Box Tops and Big Star.



Richard Thompson "Strict Tempo!" CD/Digital - November 29, 2011

For more than 40 years Richard Thompson has been the guitarists' guitarist, the songwriters' songwriter, and a consummate artist. As a founder of the legendary British folk-rock group Fairport Convention, through the '70s releases with his then-wife, Linda Thompson, to his highly successful solo career and work as a session player for other artists, Thompson has left behind a trail of recordings and compositions nearly unequaled in modern music history. His solo career can be traced to 1972's Henry The Human Fly, after which he went on to record a string of critically acclaimed albums with Linda Thompson. It wasn't until 1981 that Thompson released another solo album, this time it was called Strict Tempo! and, not surprisingly, due to his gifts as an instrumentalist, was an instrumental album that showcased his extraordinary talents by Thompson playing all instruments himself, accompanied only by former Fairport bandmate Dave Mattacks on drums/percussion.

Strict Tempo! was originally released on Thompson's own imprint, Elixir, in 1981 and later reissued by the Hannibal label but has been out of print for some time. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of this dexterous collection of traditional jigs and reels-with an original Thompson composition and a Duke Ellington cover thrown in for good measure. Omnivore Recordings is proud to celebrate the reissue of this recording with a CD release packaged in a special limited edition "greeting card" digipack (after which will be available in standard jewel case), featuring new notes on each song by Thompson. Additionally, Strict Tempo! will be made available for the first time digitally, all on November 29th.


Jellyfish "Bellybutton" LP and "Spilt Milk" LP - January 10, 2012

On January 10, Omnivore Recordings will release influential power pop band Jellyfish's debut album Bellybutton and follow up Spilt Milk exclusively on vinyl LP.The only two full-length studio albums in the band's short, storied history, each release has been cut directly from the album's original analog masters. Distributed by EMI, this will be the first time Bellybutton and Spilt Milk will be made commercially available in the U.S. on vinyl.


Bellybutton, originally released at retail in the U.S. only on CD, will be limited to 1500 copies pressed on 180-gram translucent blue vinylcomplete with replicated original album tri-fold sleeve. The bands 1990 debut album was released to rave critical reviews, hailed for its fresh, effervescent, power pop sound, and charted three singles. Spilt Milk, originally released at retail in the U.S. only on CD, will also be limited to 1500 copies pressed on 180-gram translucent green vinyl. The bands follow up release took up where Bellybutton left off, an elaborate and complex studio creation described as a "flawless pop gem" with comparisons to The Beatles and The Beach Boys for its lush vocal harmonies.

Formed in San Francisco by singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and singer/songwriter Roger Manning, the duo rounded out the band's initial lineup with guitarist Jason Falkner (The Three O'Clock, The Grays) and Roger's brother Chris Manning on bass. Following Bellybutton's support tour, Falkner and (Chris) Manning left the band due to creative differences and exhaustion from life on the road. Their next album Spilt Milk was created by Andy and Roger with help from then session men Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Spoon), Lyle Workman (Beck, Todd Rundgren) and T-Bone Wolk (Hall & Oates). Following a tour in support, the group disbanded in 1994.

Alex Chilton "Free Again: The '1970' Sessions" LP/CD/Digital - January 10, 2012

In the latter months of 1969, somewhere between the moon landing and the start of the Vietnam draft, the concerts at Woodstock and Altamont, Alex Chilton decided to take back his life. During that annus mirabilis, while the world experienced a generationally sparked social, political, and cultural upheaval, the 18-year-old Chilton was in the midst of a revolution of his own. For the past year, Chilton had been strapped in a creative, professional, and personal straitjacket. He was the lead singer of a million-selling band, The Box Tops, but felt like little more than a puppet of the group's producers. In the era of free love, he'd been pressured into a shotgun marriage and fatherhood. And he'd ultimately come to see himself as the pawn of an unscrupulous business machine, sent to grind it out on the road in a series of silly lip-synched TV performances and one-night stands while someone else cashed his checks. As he entered the studio that summer to make his first solo recordings, the man who would come to define the very spirit of musical independence was still bound in chains. At a time where liberation and self-expression were rallying cries, Alex Chilton was about to break free.

"Free Again: The '1970' Sessions" are the first solo recordings from a post-Box Tops/pre-Big Star Alex Chilton. The album, mixed and engineered by Terry Manning (CREDITS), will be released as a 20-track CD featuring six previously unreleased songs, and 12-track LP. The first 1,500 LPs will be pressed on limited-edition clear vinyl (black vinyl thereafter). The first 500 LP orders from the Omnivore Recordings webstore will come with a bonus 7" that includes two additional versions of the previously unreleased "All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain" - the original mix and the demo. The album will also be available digitally at all major online retailers, as well as the Omnivore Recordings webstore.


You can now pre-order and purchase all Omnivore Recordings titles direct at their all new online webstore: http://omnivorerecordings.com/shop. Omnivore is currently offering an online exclusive of the Big Star Third [Test Pressing Edition] as a clear vinyl version. This is your second chance to grab the wildly popular album that instantly flew off shelves, selling out during Record Store Day this past April. The webstore's Big Star Third [Test Pressing Edition] is limited to just 500 copies and features the same cut and packaging, manufactured at the same time as the 2000 black vinyl copies for Record Store Day. Don't miss out!

About Omnivore Recordings:

Founded in 2010 by longtime, highly respected industry veterans Cheryl Pawelski, Greg Allen, and Brad Rosenberger, Omnivore Recordings' vision is to preserve the legacies and music created by historical, heritage, and catalog artists while also releasing previously unissued, newly found "lost" recordings and making them available for music-loving audiences to discover. Omnivore Recordings is distributed by EMI in North America and Ace Records UK in Europe. The label's first releases included the limited LP release of Big Star Third, a limited edition Buck Owens 7" of previously unreleased material, The Motels shelved third album Apocalypso, the first official stateside release of Leon Russell's 1971 Live in Japan album originally released and available only in Japan, original soundtrack score to the documentary Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place, and legendary Bay Area soul singer Darondo's unreleased Music City Sessions and Bay Area teen soul and funk combo The Two Things In One Together Forever: The Music City Sessions.


Omnivore Recordings official website: http://omnivorerecordings.com/