DownBeat Presents Your Record Store Day Shopping Guide

By DownBeat I Apr. 12, 2016

The hardest-to-find titles sold on Record Store Day are the limited-run/regional focus releases. The LP *Dark Territory*, by Dave Douglas’ band High Risk, is limited to 600 copies.
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Fat Possum is offering the Junior Kimbrough track “I Gotta Try You Girl,” remixed by Daft Punk as a 12-inch single, as well as a various artists tribute, Sunday Nights: The Songs Of Junior Kimbrough, a double LP limited to 1,500.

Rolling Stones fans will be looking for New Barbarians, a 10-inch EP of live performances pressed on red vinyl, limited to 3,000. The New Barbarians was a side project for Rolling Stones members Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, who teamed up with bassist Stanley Clarke, former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Rolling Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys and Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters.

Fans of David Bowie will seek out three titles that honor the late rock icon: I Dig Everything: The Pye Singles (1966) (BMG/Santuary), a 12-inch EP limited to 5,000; The Man Who Sold The World (Rhino), a 12-inch picture disc limited to 7,500; and the single “TVC15” (Rhino), a seven-inch picture disc limited to 5,000.

Following up on the success of Bob Dylan’s 2015 collection of standards, Shadows In The Night, Columbia is giving fans a sneak peak of the bard’s forthcoming album. Melancholy Mood is a special seven-inch EP pressed on red vinyl, limited to 7,000. It includes four tracks from Dylan’s album Fallen Angels, slated for a May 20 release. The four tracks are “Melancholy Mood,” “All Or Nothing At All,” “Come Rain Or Come Shine” and “That Old Black Magic.” The EP’s title cut was a hit for Artie Shaw’s band in 1939, and it was recorded that same year by the Harry James Orchestra, whose vocalist was a young guy named Frank Sinatra.

The array of RSD Exclusive seven-inch singles also includes the Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” (Rhino) and Carl Douglas’ 1974 chart-topper “Kung Fu Fighting” (BMG/Santuary).

The hardest-to-find titles sold on Record Store Day are the limited-run/regional focus releases, which are often only available in a certain geographic region. This year’s batch includes the new album from trumpeter Dave Douglas’ band High Risk. The LP Dark Territory (Greenleaf), is limited to 600 copies. The band includes drummer Mark Guiliana, bassist Jonathan Moran and Shigeto. Tracks include “All The Pretty Horsepower,” “Loom Large” and “Let’s Get One Thing Straight.”

In contrast, the easiest-to-acquire titles are known as “RSD First” titles. These are available at participating indie stores for a limited amount of time before they become widely available at other outlets (typically four to six weeks later).

Among the “RSD First” titles are Jimi Hendrix’s Smash Hits (Legacy). Restored to its original 1969 format, this vinyl platter includes such iconic tracks as “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe” and “Fire.” As a bonus, there’s a re-creation of the poster included in the original LP release with Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding dressed as cowboys on horseback, photographed at Warner Brothers’ film studios in early 1969.

Also among the “RSD First” titles is the various artists compilation Jazz Dispensary: Cosmic Stash (Fantasy). This four-LP set features acid-jazz grooves, jazz-funk and spaced-out cosmic explorations, featuring the music of Bernard Purdie, Isaac Hayes, David Axelrod, the Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the Blackbyrds, Pharoah Sanders and others.

Record shops around the world will hold special events on April 16. At Grimey’s in Nashville, Tennessee, Tompkins Square label founder Josh Rosenthal will read from his new book, The Record Store of the Mind. He’ll also be signing copies and DJs will invade Grimey’s to spin records. (Among the acclaimed titles in the Tompkins Square catalog is When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel, 1926–1936.)

In Edinburgh, Scotland, the vinyl haven Underground Solu’shn (in business since 1995) will open at 8:00 a.m. on April 16. Numerous DJs will spin there during the day, including Vic Galloway and Dancin’ Dave Carson.