Record Store Day, Big Star Third Vinyl Reissue

 

For Big Star fans and record collectors the world over, April 16 is going to be a big day. BIG. Aside from just being Record Store Day, it also marks the release of the newest Big Star reissue: The ultimate version of the mysterious, occasionally misunderstood, and almost always under-appreciated Third. Along with a Buck Owens 7″ (featuring early and unreleased recordings), this special edition of Third will be the inaugural release from Omnivore Recordings, and it’s a doozie. Take a look at this exploded view:

From Omnivore’s official press release:

 

Big Star Third [Test Pressing Edition] is a special edition vinyl release limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide. The album has been described as a lost record re-discovered years after it was recorded, one that has seen many track listings, titles and album covers. It’s been dubbed a classic, and an enigma. The Omnivore Recordings edition comes complete with replicas of the original tape box, tracking and lead sheets, mastering card and is pressed on 180 gram vinyl. The new pressing was cut from the original assembly reel, on the same lathe at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis and by the very same engineers who cut it the first time, Larry Nix and John Fry. Pressed on high quality vinyl at RTI, this is the definitive version of this album. In the limited run of 2,000, five copies of the original test pressings signed by Big Star’s Jody Stephens, original mastering engineers Larry Nix and Ardent’s John Fry will be available at retail, randomly, worldwide. Take a peek inside Larry Nix’s Mastering room at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis as Larry, John and Jody prepare the actual new master being used for the new “test pressing” edition on YouTube.

About Omnivore Recordings:

Founded in 2010 by long-time, 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. Distributed by EMI in North America and Ace Records UK in Europe, Omnivore Recording’s current artist projects include limited edition releases by Big Star and Buck Owens with future projects by Townes Van Zandt and Leon Russell to be announced soon.

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

Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/omnivorerecordings

Big Star’s Third Performed Live in NYC

Readers of this blog may remember a story about a very special performance of Big Star‘s Third that ran for two nights at the Cat’s Cradle in Carborro, North Carolina in December of 2010. The same performance was reprised in March of this year  in New York City. The performance featured (as did the first) a string section to recreate Carl Marsh’s arrangements on the original record, and an impressive guest list, to say the least: Michael Stipe & Mike Mills (REM), Matthew Sweet, M. Ward (She & Him), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Mitch Easter, Chris Stamey (The dB’s), Tift Merritt, and Will Rigby (The dB’s), among others.

Jody Stephens (Big Star’s original and current drummer, and the last surviving original member of the band) had this to say about the conceptualization of the original performance:

Sometime around last December John Fry and I got an email from Chris Stamey (The dBs, and producer of the Big Star Third live production). In the email he talked about producing a live performance of Big Star’s Third LP and was asking if I would participate. He also was hoping Alex would join in. I walked over to John’s office to see if he had read the email… he had. I think we both said “Is he crazy?”

Chris approached Carl Marsh (brilliant Third arranger and player) about recharting the string arrangements. Carl agreed, then John agreed to pull the stings off the multitracks to facilitate the process. The project was moving forward… slowly.

Alex’s passing away in March added a new sense of purpose to the project and we all started thinking that Chris’s crazy idea was actually a very sincere way for us all to share a fascinating experience.. it became a blue moon in the sky.

We got this email from Chris: “We just had our first reading of the string parts for the Big Star Third concert. just with a quartet of the four first-chair players, all excellent musicians. It was an unforgettable experience to hear that music come back to life in the room. I wish you all could have been here. I guess you will, eventually.

We didn’t get the score for ‘For You’ until 10 minutes before they arrived, at 10 AM this morning. We started with it, and the room filled up with that great beauty. After that it was revelation after revelation.”

When we all came together at Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC on Decembner 8th for the first rehearsal together it was indeed revelation after revelation. Odd how a dark and melancholy record can bring out the best spirits in people. Everyone was so committed to the performances.. players and audience alike. I wish everyone could have been there.

All the crazy ideas are the best ones!

This show precedes another very exciting piece of news for Big Star fans and vinyl enthusiasts: the re-release of Third on vinyl through Omnivore Recordings, set for Record Store Day 2011. From the announcement on Omnivore’s website:

We’ve got a brand new pressing of Big Star’s Third on 180gm vinyl! This is the Test Pressing Edition that commemorates the original 14-song version of this album among albums and comes stuffed with replicas of the studio tracking sheets and lead sheets. This limited edition is being cut from the original assembly reel, on the same lathe at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis and by the very same engineers who cut it the first time, Mr. Larry Nix and Mr. John Fry! Pressed on high quality vinyl at RTI, this should be the definitive version of this album.

Randomly inserted into this limited edition run (1,000 for the US, 1,000 for Europe) will be five copies of the original test pressing from ’75 courtesy of Big Star’s Jody Stephens—signed by Jody, Larry Nix and John Fry of Ardent Records. You KNOW how hard these are to come by! All we ask, is that if you’re one of the lucky five to find an original in your package, please send us a picture of it, or of you and it, or of it and your favorite stuffed animal. We’ll post the photo on our Big Star page so you have bragging rights and we know they’ve all landed in a happy, loving home.

(In the photo: Jody Stephens during Big Star’s Third, live in New York City. Photo by Conni Freestone.)

Big Star Album is Recreated at Baruch College – Review – NYTimes.com

Michael Stipe, Matthew Sweet, and Others Pay Tribute to Big Star in New York – Spinner

Jay Lustig’s article on the performance from nj.com

Omnivore Recording’s Record Store Day announcement

Ticketing information for this performance

Stephen Burns & The Scruffs Return to Work with Adam Hill and Lucas Peterson

Stephen Burns of The Scruffs traveled to Ardent this winter to produce a new record with engineer Adam Hill and assistant Lucas Peterson.

Burns and The Scruffs have a long history with Ardent, having recorded their first two records here in the late 1970′s with John Fry engineering, and have been back twice within the last four years to mix two new ones (2007′s Pop Manifesto and 2010′s Conquest). Adam Hill was the assistant engineer on both those mixes and must have made a good impression as this time around, Burns put him in the engineer’s seat. This project also marks the first time Burns and The Scruffs would be tracking AND mixing at Ardent in more than 30 years.

Burns, the band’s primary creative force, wrote the songs and handled guitar/keys/vocals. Bobby Kildea of Belle & Sebastian provided bass/guitar/percussion and vocals. Mark Rodgers (who’s been a member for 10 years) joined in once again on drums and percussion. Guests included Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Memphis players Jake and Toby Vest (The Third Man, The Bulletproof Vests), John Whittemore (Neighborhood Texture Jam, The 1-4-5′s), and Al Gamble (The City Champs).

They also enlisted the help of some vintage Ardent gear, including the Spectra Sonics rack (channel strips pulled directly from the console that was used at Ardent’s National Street location and re-seated in a custom rack by technical director Chris Jackson), the Fairchild 660 and 670 (vintage tube compression), and Chris Bell’s mid-60′s Gibson ES-330.

All tracks were cut to ProTools, but keeper tracks were bounced to analogue before mixing. Naturally.

The Scruffs Web site

In the picture, L to R: Jody Stephens, Stephen Burns, Bobby Kildea, Mark Rodgers, and enigneer Adam Hill.

Jody Stephens Accepts GRAMMY Award for Keep an Eye on the Sky

We’re proud to announce that Keep an Eye on the Sky, the Big Star Box Set, won the GRAMMY this year in the category of Best Album Liner Notes. Robert Gordon, the author of said liner notes, was not in attendance at the GRAMMYs this year. Ardent Studios manager/Big Star drummer/Memphis GRAMMY chapter trustee Jody Stephens stepped up to accept the award in Gordon’s place.

The boxed set, a labor of love for all those involved, was released in late 2009 to great critical and fan response.

A video of Jody’s acceptance speech can be viewed here: http://www.grammy.com/videos/53rd-annual-grammy-awards-pre-telecast-album-note

Read more GRAMMY nominations and winners at the official site - http://www.grammy.com/nominees

In the picture: Jody Stephens with George Flanigan, Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Huey Lewis at Minglewood Hall 1/27/11

Huey Lewis & The News w/ The City Champs @ Minglewood Hall

Thursday Jan 27, 2011 8:00 PM

Bring your Minglewood Hall Huey Lewis and the News concert ticket stub to the Stax Museum Jan 27th through July 31st and receive:
• Two for one admission to the Stax Museum 
• $20 autographed Huey Lewis and the News “Soulsville” CD for $15 while supply lasts 
• Special price on autographed Steve Roberts photo of Huey Lewis (more details to come)

Huey Lewis and The News have been defying the rock oddsmakers for three decades. 2009 marked the group’s 30th anniversary. Formed from two rival Bay Area bands in 1979, their contagious brand of straight-ahead rock n’ roll has outlasted countless trends, selling over 20 million albums worldwide in the process. Huey Lewis & The News have carried the banner as the quintessential American rock band, endearing them to millions of fans and earning them the right to mark their place on the pop history map.

These Grammy Award winners have written and performed such classic Top Ten Hits as “Heart of Rock & Roll”, “Stuck With You”, “I Want A New Drug”, “If This Is It”, “Hip To Be Square” and “Workin’ For A Livin’”. The group also wrote and performed “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time” for the hit film Back To The Future. “The Power of Love”, which was nominated for an Academy Award, went all the way to #1 on Billboard’s singles chart.

Huey Lewis and The News have released their first album in nine years on W.O.W. Records titled Soulsville. Recorded at historic Ardent Studios in Memphis, the album features 14 classic songs from the vault of Stax Records. The CD pays tribute to the rich Stax legacy of the 1960’s & 70’s. The band, joined by their long time horn section, capture the energy and excitement of this important era.

As great a recording career as the band has had, it’s their live performances that remain the stuff of legend. They have toured worldwide continuously for more than 30 years. Huey Lewis & The News incorporate a variety of musical influences, including R&B and soul, to create their own unique sound. One of the highlights of their show is their a cappella rendition of early rock n’ roll classics such as “Sixty Minute Man”, “Under The Boardwalk” and “It’s Alright.”

DeGarmo & Key Announced as GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame Inductees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 26, 2010 – The GMA Foundation (GMAF) will induct Johnny Cash, DeGarmo & Key, Golden Gate Quartet, and Bill “Hoss” Allen into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame on January 24, 2011.

From the GMA’s official press release:

From coffee houses to MTV, the legendary Christian rock duo of DeGarmo & Key did more than just leave their mark on the world of gospel music – they changed the very face of it.

Friends since the first grade, Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key grew up together in Memphis, Tenn., listening to “old blues guys” performing street-side on egg crates and apple boxes. At the age of 16, Eddie and Dana landed their first record deal. It was shortly after this record deal that the friends were brought to Christ, and the direction of their lives and careers took a sharp turn.

Over the next 17 years, DeGarmo & Key created 15 albums of faith-filled, blues-influenced rock music, earning seven GRAMMY and 17 Dove Award nominations. The duo created some of the first in-roads into the world of Christian music videos and was the first contemporary Christian artist to be aired on MTV. Inspired by the work of Larry Norman, the group consistently made it their goal to get their music and the message of the Gospel to those who did not know Christ, expanding the world of Christian music beyond the boundaries of their day. Billboard Magazine once raved that DeGarmo & Key’s albums contained “one of the most consistently inventive bodies of music in Christian music.”

Always looking for ways to use their music as a ministry, they also created a 13- week Sunday school curriculum based on songs from their album Go To the Top, worked with Zondervan to promote the NIV Student Bible, contributed efforts to the ”True Love Waits” campaign and the Biblical Literacy Foundation, and gave away over 150,000 copies of their D & K album to unsaved youth.

DeGarmo and Key disbanded in 1995, but both Eddie and Dana continued to influence gospel music through their roles as executives – together the two co founded Forefront Records with Dan Brock. Today, Eddie continues as an executive in his role as President of EMI CMG Publishing, while Dana served as pastor of TheLove of Christ Church, which he founded in Memphis. Dana Key passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2010.

Jody Stephens Joins Performance of Big Star’s Third in Carborro, NC

On December 9th and 10th, at the Cat’s Cradle in Carborro, North Carolina, the stars aligned as a project first conceptualized 5+ years ago came to full realization. Big Star‘s Third, believed by many in the Big Star circle to be the band’s most emotionally diverse and darkest work, received its proper live orchestral debut to a sold out crowd for two nights.

Lisa Sorg of Indieweek.com had this to say of the evening:

“I always have thought Big Star’s Third was intended to be heard in the wintertime because of the record’s imagery of scarves flying behind, air going cool, blue moons and fireplaces burning bright. The movie in my head was filmed in high contrast: white snow and black trees, as the main character battles the chill of urban canyons while struggling to calm his inner demons. After experiencing last night’s show, where I once saw darks, mid-tones and whites, I now see color. It is the difference between viewing black-and-white Depression-era photographs and then seeing the recently discovered versions that had been shot on Kodachrome.

“Because of Chilton’s death last March, there was an unspoken, dutiful responsibility to the material. The performers not only honored it; they also expanded the tonal palette of the original. It was brilliant and beautiful. Again, I have been psychically reassembled.”

From Jody Stephens, Big Star‘s original and current drummer, and the last surviving original member of the band:

“Sometime around last December John Fry and I got an email from Chris Stamey (The dBs, and producer of the Big Star Third live production). In the email he talked about producing a live performance of Big Star’s Third LP and was asking if I would participate. He also was hoping Alex would join in. I walked over to John’s office to see if he had read the email… he had. I think we both said “Is he crazy?”

“Chris approached Carl Marsh (brilliant Third arranger and player) about recharting the string arrangements. Carl agreed, then John agreed to pull the stings off the multitracks to facilitate the process. The project was moving forward… slowly.

“Alex’s passing away in March added a new sense of purpose to the project and we all started thinking that Chris’s crazy idea was actually a very sincere way for us all to share a fascinating experience.. it became a blue moon in the sky.

“We got this email from Chris: “We just had our first reading of the string parts for the Big Star Third concert. just with a quartet of the four first-chair players, all excellent musicians. It was an unforgettable experience to hear that music come back to life in the room. I wish you all could have been here. I guess you will, eventually.

“We didn’t get the score for ‘For You’ until 10 minutes before they arrived, at 10 AM this morning. We started with it, and the room filled up with that great beauty. After that it was revelation after revelation.“

“When we all came together at Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC on Decembner 8th for the first rehearsal together it was indeed revelation after revelation. Odd how a dark and melancholy record can bring out the best spirits in people. Everyone was so committed to the performances.. players and audience alike. I wish everyone could have been there.

“All the crazy ideas are the best ones!”

(Photo by Daniel Costen)

Check out Flickr for more pictures of the event.

Read the Indieweek.com review of the show.

Listen to Frank Stasio’s radio interview with Jody about the two shows.

Check out Big Star on Amazon.com.

Chris Stamey’s blog on the whole experience.

Big Star Receives Brass Note on Beale Street

Big Star will soon take their place in front of BB King’s on historic Beale Street in the form of a brass note, which was presented to the original members – Jody Stephens, Chris Bell, Alex Chilton and Andy Hummel – on Saturday, November 13th. Ardent Studios’ owner and founder John Fry, along with Dean Deyo of the Memphis Music Foundation, Susan Murrmann, and author Bob Mehr all had kind words to say about Big Star and its history with Ardent. Jody Stephens accepted the note on behalf of the band and all its members, and lots of friends and family were in attendance to help celebrate.

To view more pictures of the event, check out the Memphis Music Foundation’s  facebook page. Thanks to all who made it out!

In the picture, L to R: Engineer Mike Wilson, booking manager Daniel Russo, new media specialist Rachel Hurley, controller Elizabeth Montgomery, Jody Stephens, John Fry, engineer Jeff Powell, Susan Marshall, and Dena Wheeler.

Jim Gaines Receives Note on Historic Beale Street

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEMPHIS, TN  – 25 October 2010 – Brass Notes on Beale for Jim Gaines, Sandy Carroll

Notes in the Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame were dedicated on Thursday, October 28, at 5:30 pm inside the Hard Rock Café for record producer Jim Gaines and singer Sandy Carroll. The husband and wife team have each had successful separate careers. John Fry of Ardent Studios spoke at the event.

Sandy Carroll was “one of the first entertainers on Beale Street” after the redevelopment, according to John Elkington. Carroll was a house band singer at Lafayette’s Corner, the site of the present Wet Willie’s. In addition to singing and playing piano, she also is a songwriter.  She has co-written songs for blues guitarist Albert King and Luther Allison.

Gaines recorded Huey Lewis & the News’ demo that resulted in his first album and produced the group’s first four albums. Since then, GRAMMY-winning Gaines has recorded an diverse array of artists including Santana, Ana Popovic, Stevie Ray Vaughn,  and Luther Allison. Their note ceremony took place at the Hard Rock, the site of a former recording studio where Gaines produced a number of albums.

The Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame was established in 1986 by Performa Entertainment Real Estate to tie the traditions of historic Beale Street to the new Beale Street Entertainment District. Biographies of the honorees may be found at www.bealestreet.com.

In the picture, L to R: Ralph Arista, drummer Bill Gibson, guitarist/saxophonist Johnny Colla, engineer Jim Gaines, 2nd assistant Lydia Gilman (seated), Huey Lewis, assistant Curry Weber, and keyboardist Sean Hopper.

Stax Museum Honors Huey Lewis and the News

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, TN honored GRAMMY winners Huey Lewis and the News on Thursday, October 28th with a public reception celebrating the release of their new album ‘Soulsville.” Huey Lewis was in attendance! The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at historic Ardent Studios.

The event was open to the public. Guests had an opportunity to purchase personalized autographed CDs as well as being the first to hear cuts from the new album. All proceeds went to benefit the Stax Music Academy.

There was also a special VIP event from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. Guests had an opportunity to get a photo, personalized autographed CD, and the opportunity to hear students of the Stax Music Academy.

‘Soulsville’ is Huey Lewis and the News’ first album in nine years and will be released on W.O.W. Records. Recorded at historic Ardent Studios in Memphis, the album features 14 classic songs from the vault of Stax Records, including “Respect Yourself” and “Got to Get You Off My Mind.” Considered to be the preeminent soul music label in America, Stax was home to artists like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T & The MG’s, and Isaac Hayes, and produced an astounding number of hit records throughout the 1960′s & 70′s. Ably paying tribute to the rich Stax legacy, Huey Lewis and the News, joined by their long time horn section, capture the energy and excitement of this important era.

‘Soulsville’ re-unites Huey Lewis and the News with co-producer Jim Ganes (‘Sports,’ ‘Fore!’) who worked at the Stax and Ardent Studios as a young man and was involved in many of the label’s original recordings.

“We’re especially proud of the collection” says Lewis, who has been previewing material from the album while on a critically acclaimed summer tour. “There should be a number of surprises for everyone.”

For the cover of ‘Soulsville’ (pictures above), acclaimed Memphis folk artist Lamar Sorrento has created a striking, affectionate caricature of a Memphis street corner. Complete with musicians, rib joints, and of course, WDIA, the country’s first black radio station, Sorrento captures the spirit and energy of Memphis just as vibrantly as Lewis and the News do on their new album.

The event on Facebook

http://www.soulsvilleusa.com

Check out a clip of Huey talking about the new record (and Ardent!) on MSNBC.

For more information or to discuss media opportunities, please contact:

Doug Carpenter

Doug Carpenter and Associates, LLC

(901) 372-5100

doug@doug-carpenter.com

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