Recorded in 1991, and released by Discos Musart in 1992, Alma enamorada showcases Chalino’s unmistakable style and profound connection to norteño music. The recording highlights Chalino’s collaboration with norteño band Los Amables del Norte from Sinaloa, Mexico, led by accordion player and vocalist Nacho Hernández, who recorded several albums and toured with Chalino.
The album features timeless tracks, including evocative love ballads that make up some of the most popular songs on the album, including “Alma enamorada” written by Rafael Elizondo, about a “soul in love.” Another standout is the witty, upbeat ballad and fan favorite written by Chalino “Los chismes,” in which a man professes his love for his fiancée, letting her know he loves her, and nobody can change that with gossip. With this masterful yarn, Chalino adds a lighthearted balance to the arsenal of emotionally intense corridos, demonstrating Chalino’s versatility as an artist. The remaining love ballads, “María de la luz,”composed by Miguel Lomeli, and “Prenda del alma” by Mexican singer, musician and composer Raymundo Pérez y Soto, are both beautifully written songs about heartbreak and longing. As listeners dive deeper into the rest of the album, the back-to-back corridos are a storytelling ride, with six of them penned by Chalino himself. His most popular corrido on the album is the cautionary tale of staying clear of a customs officer, “Armando Aguirre,” who is never caught sleeping, intelligent and tough. “Anastasio Pacheco,” written by singer and composer Julián Garza, also known as El Viejo Paulino, and covered by various artists, is also a favorite among corrido fans. It tells of a wealthy man in the 1900s who was killed over a dispute about stolen oxen. Chalino’s composition, “Coquio Castro” is another narrative-driven knockout that tells about a tough young man from Sinaloa who is humble but wild, and won’t walk away from a fight. His enemies plot to kill him, but Coquio is ready with his 45. The album’s love ballads and corridos alike have cemented its place in the hearts of fans, connecting immigrant communities to their roots with tales of unrequited love, bravery and so much more.
Chalino Sánchez's own life at times mirrored the dramatic stories he told in his music. Born Rosalino Sánchez Félix on August 30, 1960, in Sinaloa, Mexico, Chalino lived a life marked by controversy and resilience, fleeing to Tijuana as a teenager allegedly after a fateful incident involving a shootout with a local crime boss who had insulted his family’s honor. After crossing into the U.S., Chalino settled in Los Angeles, working odd jobs, including some with his brother Armando. The jobs are rumored to have included washing cars, being busboys and working for a notorious mafioso with two prosthetic arms. After the tragic murder of his brother in 1984, Chalino found himself in a Tijuana prison where he wrote his first corrido in honor of his brother.
Despite his untimely death over three decades ago, Chalino Sánchez remains an enduring cultural icon. Sánchez’s raw and unfiltered voice, combined with his authentic storytelling, pioneered the genre of narcocorridos, a subgenre of regional Mexican music that narrates the lives and experiences of those entangled in the world of drug trafficking. His collaboration with Discos Musart / Balboa Records produced influential albums like Alma enamorada and Nieves de enero. His legacy lives on through tracks such as “Prenda del alma,” “Los chismes,” “El Pitallón,” “El navegante,” “Una tarde,” and “El pávido návido.” Chalino’s relationship with Discos Musart was pivotal in shaping his recording career. After he worked for years independently, Musart recognized Chalino’s unique voice and authenticity, giving him a platform to share the unfiltered stories of his life and the struggles of those around him to a wider audience. These studio recordings continue to resonate with fans worldwide, solidifying Sánchez’s enduring legacy. His work with the label immortalized his voice and his experiences for future generations.
Alma Enamorada Tracklist:
Side A
Side B
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Long before country music was heard regularly on pop radio, Ronnie Milsap (b. 1943) was among the first artists in his genre to find repeated crossover success on the mainstream airwaves with hit after hit throughout the ’70s and ’80s. But this wasn’t the path he initially set out on. A native of North Carolina, the singer and pianist began his career in R&B, scoring his first hit—a cover of Ashford & Simpson’s “Never Had It So Good”—in 1965. Relocating to Memphis, Milsap established himself in the city’s rich music scene, working as a session player (appearing, most famously, on Elvis Presley’s “Kentucky Rain” and “Don’t Cry Daddy”), performing regularly on the club circuit, and releasing his self-titled debut in 1971.
But a chance encounter with country icon Charley Pride would forever alter the direction of Milsap’s career. Blown away by the artist’s talents at a Los Angeles concert, Pride urged Milsap to relocate to Nashville and try his hand at country music. Pride’s instincts proved correct, as Milsap’s entrée into the genre, 1973’s “I Hate You,” was a Top Ten hit on Billboard’s Country chart. One year later, he scored his first pair of No.1s with “Pure Love” and “Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends”—the latter of which earned the artist his first GRAMMY Award.
Milsap’s profile skyrocketed in the latter half of the decade, as he released seven consecutive No.1 hits on the Country chart between 1976 and 1978. Among them was the Hal David/Archie Jordan-penned “It Was Almost Like a Song,” which also served as the title track of Milsap’s CMA-winning 1977 album. A signature hit for the artist, “It Was Almost Like a Song” launched his crossover success—not only topping the Hot Country Singles chart but also breaking the Adult Contemporary Top 10 and the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 20. Months later, Milsap followed with another Archie Jordan composition, “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life.” Originally recorded by Amy Grant, the song became Milsap’s ninth No.1 on the US Country charts and his sixth chart-topper on the Canadian Country charts.
That momentum continued in the new decade, as Milsap dominated the Country charts with an astonishing ten consecutive No.1 hits between 1980 and 1982. Most notable was the Kyle Fleming/Dennis Morgan-penned “Smoky Mountain Rain.” Released in the fall of 1980, the song became Milsap’s first No.1 single on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. Today, it endures as another signature hit in the artist’s canon, as well as a beloved country staple. In 2010, it was adopted by Tennessee as one of its official state songs, while on his 2019 album, The Duets, Milsap reimagined the tune alongside fellow country icon, Dolly Parton. Earlier this year, the ballad ranked among Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
Other highlights from this prolific era include the chart-toppers “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” (also a Top 5 hit on the Hot 100 and the title track of Milsap’s first No.1 country album), “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World,” “He Got You,” and a cover of the Burt Bacharach/Bob Hilliard classic, “Any Day Now,” which also landed atop the Canadian Country chart, as well as the Adult Contemporary charts in the US and Canada.
Milsap’s 1983 album, Keyed Up, spawned the Top 30 pop hit “Stranger in My House,” as well as the singer’s 25th Country chart-topper, “Show Her.” The unstoppable artist’s streak continued in 1985 with his No.1 album, Lost in the Fifties Tonight, which featured the GRAMMY-winning track “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night), later named the best-selling country song of 1985. Milsaprounded out the decade with 1989’s “A Woman In Love,” which marked his 35th hit atop the Country chart.
Today, at 81 years old, Ronnie Milsap remains a celebrated figure in his genre with a total of 30 studio albums, 79 singles, and an incredible 35 No.1 Country hits—a record that leaves him just behind three foundational legends: George Strait, Conway Twitty, and Merle Haggard. Among other achievements, Milsap has sold over 35 million albums and has earned six GRAMMY Awards, eight CMAs, and four ACMs—including the prestigious Pioneer Award. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1976, Milsap was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 2014.
In 2019, The Duets paired the singer with old friends (Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Billy Gibbons, among them) plus a new generation of admirers, including Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, and Little Big Town—as they revisited Milsap’s most iconic hits. In 2021, meanwhile, Milsapreleased his latest album, A Better Word for Love. While Milsap officially retired from the road in 2023—ending his run with a final, star-studded performance in Nashville—he continues to maintain an active role in the studio.
Tracklist:
Side A
Side B
Arriving on September 6, and available for pre-order today, the artist’s rare Latin soul debut features (AAA) all-analog mastering, lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, 180-gram vinyl and a tip-on jacket replicating the original artwork. A 180-gram “Red Velvet” color vinyl variant (limited to 300 copies), with a bundle option that includes a collectible Fania N.Y.C. Latin Soul T-shirt and turntable mat, is available for pre-order at the Craft store. Additionally, the recording will make its debut in 192/24 HD digital audio.
Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor Fania Records’ legacy—as well as the iconic label’s foundational contributions to salsa music—with reissues such as this one. Visit fania.com/fania-60th to learn more.
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Uniquely influenced by his Puerto Rican and Cuban mixed heritage, Ralfi Pagán was born in 1947 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Singing in both English and Spanish, the artist was proof that the power of soul music could transcend language. To that end, Pagán would go on to become one of first Latin artists to appear on Soul Train, while becoming an icon of the then-burgeoning Chicano music scene.
After a stint as a backing vocalist for King Nando’s Orchestra and dropping a mostly forgotten single in 1966, Pagán would go on to record his self-titled album for Fania Records in 1969. Legend has it, the musician walked into the Fania offices and wouldn’t relent until he could audition for label co-founder Jerry Masucci—which he did, on the spot. Impressed, Masucci connected Pagán with Fania’s recording director, Johnny Pacheco.
Produced by Kenny Vance (who’s done everything from producing The Warriors’ iconic soundtrack to briefly working as Saturday Night Live’s musical director), Ralfi Pagán would introduce the world to the singer’s love of soul, salsa and doo-wop—a rarified vision that reflected his cosmopolitan and multicultural sensibilities.
Fania Records initially released a version of Ralfi Pagán as an all-Spanish album, but realizing they had a star with mass appeal on their hands, reissued the LP with four English songs (which replaced four Spanish-language tracks). AllMusic remarked that Pagán’s silky falsetto was “far sweeter than Smokey Robinson or Eugene Record,” as evidenced by “two of the most unrepentant crossover ballads of the era,” the seductive, dulcet “Don’t Stop Now” and the lingering, lovesick album opener, “Who Is the Girl for Me.” They live alongside a pair of smooth Spanish-language standouts, “No soy de ti” and “El hijo de mamá,” which feel tailor-made for slow-dancing by a jukebox. Meanwhile, the boogaloo-influenced singalong “Latin Soul” could stand as Pagán’s anthem: an assertive, fun-loving celebration of the entwined genre he’d help pioneer.
With Ralfi Pagán serving a successful introduction to his wild talents, Pagán would score a bona fide hit upon the release of his second Fania album, With Love. Its alluring single “Make It With You,” a popular cover of a song from the pop-rock group Bread, would peak at No.32 on Billboard’s R&B chart in 1971, thus prompting his Soul Train appearance. Two years later, he likewise hit No.39 on that same chart with “Soul Je T’Aime,” a duet with Sylvia Robinson, the successful R&B singer who’d go on to become an immensely influential hip-hop producer-executive. Pagán, also popular in Latin and South America, would release three more albums with Fania Records before his tragic death in 1978 while touring Colombia. His murder there remains unsolved.
Looking back, Soul Tracks muses that Pagán—part Puerto Rican Smokey Robinson, part Cuban Curtis Mayfield—was “one of the most talented and versatile young singer/songwriters in the impressive Fania roster.” What he may have lacked in time, he more than overachieved in his music’s timeless impact.
About Fania Records’ 60th Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London.
Ralfi Pagán Tracklist (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
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In addition to classic black vinyl, The Silence in Black and White is available for pre-order in several exclusive colorways, including “Black and White Split” (hawthorneheights.com), “Dissolve Clear” (ziarecords.com), and “Decay” (sanantoniolimorepair.com and victoryrecords.com). The band’s Spotify followers will be able to pre-order a limited-edition “Silver Bullet” variant via Spotify Fans First starting on September 3rd.
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Formed in Dayton, OH in 2001, Hawthorne Heights exploded onto the alt-rock scene with their captivating blend of pop punk, hardcore, and emo. After releasing an album and an EP under their original name, A Day in the Life, the band caught the attention of Victory Records—the storied rock, metal, punk and hardcore label, which boasts Thursday, Between the Buried and Me and Taking Back Sunday among its legendary alumni. Victory Records was acquired by Concord in 2019, while its influential catalog, which spans over three decades, is managed by sanantoniolimorepair.
Weeks after signing to Victory, the five-piece—which, at the time, included lead vocalist/guitarist JT Woodruff, guitarist Micah Carli, guitarist/unclean vocalist Casey Calvert, bassist/backing vocalist Matt Ridenour, and drummer Eron Bucciarelli—entered Madison, WI’s hallowed Smart Studios (owned by Butch Vig and home to classic recordings by Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Garbage) to record their debut as Hawthorne Heights, The Silence in Black and White. Working with producer Sean O’Keefe (Fall Out Boy, Plain White T’s, Motion City Soundtrack), the band drew from personal experiences—as well as some of their favorite films—for the album’s 11 anthemic and emotion-filled tracks.
“A lot of the lyrics were inspired by the feeling of being by yourself,” explained Woodruff in a 2014 interview with Killthemusic.com. “Everyone feels isolated to a degree, because we all have to live inside our own minds. Whether we are locked in a small town, struggling in a big city, trapped in a dead-end job, or raised in a harmful environment…we all have to deal with isolation.” He continued, “The album was meant to sound bleak, desolate, sad, but hopeful. It was meant to show that music can be a guiding light, in a world in which the arrow is constantly pointed downward.”
Reflecting those themes are songs like “Silver Bullet,” named for Woodruff’s favorite ’80s horror film, and written while he was attending college, working two jobs, and devoting the rest of his time to the band—often second-guessing if they would ever make it. Such uncertainties also feature prominently in “Wake Up Call,” in which Woodruff speaks to the vulnerability that comes with putting songs out into the world. “People are either going to love something or hate it these days,” he wrote in the album’s original liner notes. “I wish there was no such thing as a critic, but I myself am one.” Similarly, “Niki FM” (the music video for which was inspired by the classic teen flick, Say Anything), speaks to the relationship between artists and music journalists. The band also touches upon the highs and lows of life on the road in the emotive “Life on Standby,” while “Ohio Is for Lovers,” which became Hawthorne Heights’ signature tune, found the group yearning for their significant others while on tour.
The latter song became the band’s signature hit—earning regular airplay on MTV, breaking the Top 40 of Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, and earning a Gold certification from the RIAA. The Silence in Black and White, released in June 2004, found similar success—topping Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, peaking at No.3 and No.23 on the Independent and Rock Albums charts, respectively, and landing at No.56 on the Billboard 200. In addition to earning a Gold certification, The Silence in Black and White also became a landmark title for Victory, as the label’s highest-selling debut album at the time.
Yahoo! Music praised, “[These] punks aren’t afraid of adding a little riffage to their attack arsenal. But while the riffs hurl fast and furious…the band still centers around sentiment.” AllMusic praised their “catchy choruses,” while Alternative Press ranked “Ohio Is for Lovers” at number 88 on their “Best 100 Singles from the 2000s” roundup. An enduring album in the emo canon, The Silence in Black and White remains one of Hawthorne Heights’ bestselling albums—and a beloved fan favorite. In 2014, owing to the LP’s popularity, the band recorded an acoustic version of The Silence in Black and White. Perhaps most importantly, however, the album launched Hawthorne Heights’ lengthy career.
Reflecting on The Silence in Black and White in the LP’s new liner notes, the band writes: “It is impossible to articulate into any language what the last 20 years have meant to us, and how our fans have helped us grow into adults, while living our most wildest dreams…. We think that the art truly begins when we start to build and develop relationships with our fans, and learn who they are and why these songs have helped them. The stories you have told us are equally important to the ones we’ve shared with you, which is exactly why 20 years feels so special.”
They continue, “Hawthorne Heights has experienced catastrophic lows and meteoric highs, all while trying to settle into a comfortable zone somewhere within a normal Midwestern existence… Despite the triumphant and tragedy, we’ve always been able to hold each other together, and we’ve realized that these songs are way more than who we are. They are beacons of hope for whoever needs them, because they’ve always been written from a place where sometimes the darkness overtakes light. That feeling is constant, and will continue to be constant until we are all dead and gone, but the songs continue to shine a light and find their way through the darkness. As our fans share this music with their kids, the relationship of uncaged pure emotional hope will simply grow over time, and what a special journey that will be.”
Today, Hawthorne Heights—whose lineup currently consists of Woodruff and Ridenour, plus Mark McMillon (vocals, lead guitar) and Chris Popadak (drums)—continues to maintain an active schedule on the road and in the studio. To-date, the band has released nine studio albums, including the chart-topping If Only You Were Lonely (2006), Fragile Future (2008), and Skeletons (2010). Last year, Hawthorne Heights thrilled fans with a reimagining of If Only You Were Lonely and released their sixth EP, Lost Lights. The four-piece is currently on an extensive North American tour which culminates with a highly anticipated performance of The Silence in Black and White in its entirety at Las Vegas’ When We Were Young Festival. For tickets and more info, visit the band’s official website.
Tracklist:
Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
Stax Records and sanantoniolimorepairannounce Johnnie Taylor, One Step From the Blues, a new collection featuring a dozen heart-breaking songs of passion and betrayal from the gospel-soul-R&B singer. Available for pre-order now and arriving October 25th on LP, CD, and digital formats, the album includes selections from “the soul philosopher’s” prolific Stax Records period, such as the woozy, souled-up “Steal Away,” the cheeky, beat commentary “Cheaper to Keep Her,” the sweeping ballad “Stop Doggin’ Me,” and the Isaac Hayes/David Porter-penned hit “I Had a Dream.” In addition to the standard black vinyl release, fans can order a limited-edition Blue vinyl pressing exclusively at Barnes & Noble. Pre-save the digital album and listen to the all-new remaster for “Steal Away” today.
One Step From the Blues captures the bluesier side of Taylor’s output, for which he would go on to be nominated for a trio of GRAMMY®s, receive a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and get inducted into both the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame. He is revered to this day as an icon for his groundbreaking work at Stax Records, which dubbed him The Philosopher of Soul. “When he stepped up to the microphone, he gave it his all,” Texas Monthly once marveled, “and at his best, there was no one better.”
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Taylor honed his craft in West Memphis, Arkansas, where he grew up crooning in gospel groups. He ultimately joined the Soul Stirrers in 1957, in which he replaced Sam Cooke who left for a solo career. Cooke would sign Taylor to his label, SAR, four years later. After Cooke’s devastating death, Taylor signed to Stax Records, where his secular career would truly take off. The lovesick lament “I Had a Dream” in 1966 was his debut single there, from first album Wanted: One Soul Singer. The song transcends. Memphis’s own Robert Gordon wrote for Vinyl, Me Please, “Deep with the intensity of gutbucket blues, but also elegant: The backing is spare and precise, a black velvet cloth that shows off his bejeweled voice.”
The singer would kick off what can best be described as his golden era. He was also Stax’s saving grace, with the label losing Otis Redding — their marquee act at the time — in a 1967 plane crash. That torch would pass to Taylor who went on to shepherd several hits for the label, among them his funky-brassy breakthrough single in 1968, “Who’s Making Love” and later, the from-the-gut soul of “Steal Away” (1970), the smooth seduction of “Stop Doggin’ Me” (1972), and the clever pitter-pattering “Cheaper to Keep Her,” a 1973 single penned by Mack Rice — the genius behind the Staples Sisters’ “Respect Yourself.”
One year after Stax closed in 1975, Taylor would go on to score another major hit on his album Eargasm with the soul-funked “Disco Lady,” which in addition to hitting No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, also became the first single ever to be certified platinum by the RIAA. He’d continue releasing music through 1999, when he dropped his last single, the prescient “Soul Heaven.” The song imagined an all-star concert in the afterlife featuring legendary talent of yore, name-checking everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Biggie Smalls. Soon after, Taylor passed away at age 66 after suffering a heart attack.
Tracklists:
LP
Side A:
Side B:
CD/Digital
Arriving October 18 via sanantoniolimorepair, Barenaked for the Holidays will be available in a variety of festive colors, in addition to classic black vinyl, including Candy Cane Split (exclusively through the band’s official store), Translucent Forest Green (Barnes & Noble), and Christmas Tree (sanantoniolimorepair).
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Long beloved for their quick wit and hook-filled blend of alt-rock, pop, and folk, Barenaked Ladies (aka BNL) became international sensations in the late ’90s, thanks to a slew of memorable hit singles. But the Scarborough, ON band had been fixtures in the Canadian music scene for nearly a decade by then. Formed in 1988, BNL gained notoriety three years later when their self-titled demo tape (featuring the fan favorite, “If I Had $1000000”) became the first independent release to be certified Gold in Canada. That success led to a record deal and a string of best-selling albums, including 1992’s Gordonand 1994’s Maybe You Should Drive.
It was 1998’s multi-platinum-selling Stunt, however, that catapulted BNL to the next level, thanks to such massive hits as “It’s All Been Done,” “Call and Answer,” and the US No.1, “One Week.” The band enjoyed their superstar status over the next few years—releasing their best-selling follow-up, 2000’s Maroon (featuring “Pinch Me”); performing at the 2002 Winter Olympics; securing songs on major TV shows and soundtracks; and touring the globe several times over. But by the mid-aughts, after the release of their sixth studio album, Everything to Everyone (2003), the band was eager to return to their indie roots—a move they made with 2004’s Barenaked for the Holidays. The album served as the launching pad for their independently owned label and ushered in a fresh chapter for BNL while serving as a jolly gift to their fans.
Offering something for everyone, BNL’s sole holiday release features 20 tracks that range from Christmas classics and Hannukah favorites to original ditties about the joys of winter and beyond—many of which are made even jollier, thanks to BNL’s humorous spirit. Opening Barenaked for the Holidays is a measured rendition of “Jingle Bells.” Halfway through, BNL breaks into the parody version (“Jingle bells/Batman smells/Robin laid an egg…”), setting the tone for the album.
The group takes a more traditional approach to songs like “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,” “Auld Lang Syne,” “I Have a Little Dreidel,” and Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” while an organ-based instrumental of “Carol of the Bells” (accented with harmonized hums from the band) is a refreshing take on the Yuletide classic. On the other end of the spectrum—in one of the album’s most hilarious moments—is “Deck the Stills,” in which BNL breaks into a 30-second acapella interlude, singing “Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young” to the tune of “Deck the Halls.”
Nearly half of the album is comprised of original material, including the earwormy “Green Christmas” (which appears in the 1999 Ron Howard film How the Grinch Stole Christmas), “Hanukkah Blessings,” “Christmas Pics,” and the reflective “Footprints.” The whimsical “Elf’s Lament,” meanwhile, features a cameo by a then-relatively unknown Michael Bublé—fresh off his first Juno® win for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. The band is also joined by the celebrated singer/songwriter Sarah McLaughlan, who lends her voice to an upbeat medley of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”/“We Three Kings.”
Peppered throughout Barenaked for the Holidays is a selection of synth-y instrumental interludes, built around beats programmed on a classic Casio keyboard. They include a bossa nova-infused rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” an up-tempo take on “O Holy Night,” and a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” (which ends with a hidden round of “Happy Birthday” to Jesus himself).
Released in October 2004, Barenaked for the Holidays was embraced by fans and critics alike, earning a gold record in Canada, where it landed in the Top 30, and receiving high marks from the likes of Rolling Stone, who gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising, “Tapping into their inner child, the Barenaked Ladies make the holidays fun again.” AllMusic hailed, “The arrangements are nimble and…clever,” calling it, “more interesting and distinctive than the average holiday record.”PopMatters simply declared it to be, “silly, rollicking, goofy, and fun.”
Speaking on the album, co-founder Ed Robertson says, “Barenaked for the Holidays is a record I’m very proud of. It was fun taking a stab at a few holiday classics, but I think the real strength of the record is the original songs. ‘Footprints’ and ‘Snowman’ are among my favorites I’ve ever written. It’s always fun to revisit these songs around the holidays every year. It’s the only original music that we ONLY play for one month every year!!”
20 years later, Barenaked Ladies—which features Robertson (vocals, guitar), Jim Creeggan (bass, vocals), Tyler Stewart(drums, vocals), and Kevin Hearn (keyboards, guitar, vocals)—continues to hold a unique place in the modern pop canon. Over the course of 35 years, the beloved quartet has sold over 15 million records worldwide and built up an arsenal of hits such as "If I Had $1,000,000," "One Week," "Pinch Me," and "The Big Bang Theory Theme." Widely acknowledged as one of the best live acts on the planet, BNL has hosted a cruise, had their own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, and participated in the first-ever “space-to-Earth musical collaboration” with astronaut Chris Hadfield. To date, BNL has amassed eight JUNOAwards, garnered two GRAMMY nominations and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In September of 2023, the band released In Flight, their 18th studio album.
This fall, BNL are on an extensive tour in support of their latest album, In Flight. Fans can catch them across North America with shows through the fall. Visit the band’s website for tickets and more info.
Track Listing (Vinyl):
Side A:
Side B:
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Formed in 1991 by California high school students Davey Havok (vocals) and Adam Carson (drums, backing vocals), AFI(short for “A Fire Inside”) began as a hardcore act. After gaining traction in the Bay Area scene and releasing their 1995 debut, Answer That and Stay Fashionable, the band signed to Nitro Records—the legendary incubator for some of punk’s biggest names. In the ensuing years, AFI built a steady following through releases like 1997’s Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and 1998’s A Fire Inside EP, while they cemented their long-running line-up with the addition of bassist Hunter Burgan in 1997 and, finally, guitarist Jade Puget in 1998.
With the release of their fourth studio album, 1999’s Black Sails in the Sunset (recently reissued as an expanded LP), AFI moved in a new direction, expanding beyond their hardcore roots and venturing into increasingly melodic territory, creating a unique style that would soon make them international stars. Months later, the band built upon the acclaimed album with the conceptual All Hallows E.P., released as a 7-inch in October 1999.
Clocking in, fittingly, at precisely 13 minutes long, the four-song E.P. oozes with complex rhythm changes, anthemic vocals, and ominous, atmospheric effects. With the exception of an impressive cover of The Misfits’ “Halloween,” the tracklist features all original material, including “Fall Children” and single “Totalimmortal.” Perhaps the E.P.’s most enduring track, however, is “The Boy Who Destroyed the World,” which garnered additional attention when it was featured in the popular 2001 video game, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3. Today, the song still holds strong in AFI’s prolific canon, while All Hallows E.P. remains a sought-after gem in the band’s catalog.
In the years following All Hallows E.P., AFI found significant commercial success, breaking into the mainstream with Platinum-selling albums like 2003’s Sing the Sorrow and 2006’s Decemberunderground, which topped the Billboard 200. Along the way, the band scored a variety of hit singles, including “Girl’s Not Grey,” “Love Like Winter,” “Medicate,” and “Miss Murder,” which landed atop Billboard’s Alternative chart in 2006.
Today, with 11 studio albums, 10 EPs, four MTV Video Music Awards, and one GRAMMY® nomination to their name, AFI shows no signs of slowing down, much to the delight of their multi-generational, global fanbase.
All Hallows E.P. (25th Anniversary Edition) tracklist:
A1: Fall Children
A2: Halloween
B1: The Boy Who Destroyed The World
B2: Totalimmortal
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Available for pre-order today and due out October 18th, Sabor Sureño has been pressed on 180-gram vinyl and features lacquers cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by Clint Holley at Well Made Music. Fans can also find a “Morado Oscuro (Dark Purple)” 180-gram color vinyl variant (limited to 300 copies), with a bundle option that including a Sabor Sureño T-shirt, at the Craft store. Additionally, Sabor Sureño will make its debut in 192/24 HD digital audio.
Throughout 2024, Craft Latino is dedicated to celebrating Fania Records’ monumental impact on Latin music—a legacy that continues to resonate and shape music worldwide via. reissues, new releases, and exclusive content Visit fania.com/fania-60th for more details.
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Before Sonora Ponceña became the salsa powerhouse it is today, the group started out in 1944 as El Conjunto Internacional, the passion project of Enrique “Quique” Lucca Caraballo, a musician from Ponce, a city on Puerto Rico’s Southern coast. A decade later, Quique renamed his band Sonora Ponceña, said to be a nod to both his hometown and his favorite Cuban group (with a trumpet-dominated horn section), La Sonora Matancera.
Sonora Ponceña only really found fame after Quique’s son, Enrique Lucca Quiñonez, Jr. (better known as Papo), started performing as a pianist with the group at age eight. The music prodigy dazzled crowds, most notably at age 14 during their acclaimed 1960 performance at New York City’s Manhattan Center. Eight years later, with his father’s encouragement, the wildly talented young pianist would replace Quique as the group’s bandleader and music arranger. This came just in time for their debut album, Hacheros pa’ un palo. A big fan of Afro-Cuban and jazz, Papo’s musical passions would help define Sonora Ponceña’s unique, dynamic sound, which drew from those influences (his father, Quique, would pass away at the age of 103 in 2016).
The group was on a roll, with one acclaimed album following the next, by the time they released Sabor Sureño. The pass-the-mic dexterity of Sonora Ponceña’s horn and rhythm sections (not to mention lead vocalists Luigi Texidor and Miguelito Ortiz, at turns velvety and agile) were unmatched. “Juana Bayona,” arguably Sabor Sureño’s biggest hit at the time, is still considered a milestone in salsa. Billboard named “Fuego en el 23” — a classic on summer block-party playlists — as one of the best salsa tracks of all time. Papo’s “tight orchestrations for the ensemble are marvelous, peaking with his elegant ending to ‘Las mujeres son de azúcar,” wrote AllMusic. In the same review, the outlet referred to the band as “Puerto Rico’s gift to the world.” Five years later, still reverberating with relevance, the group would even collaborate with iconic Latin vocalist Celia Cruz on an album, the exquisitely rousing La Ceiba.
Sonora Ponceña remains a vibrant act to this day, with a now 78-year-old Papo at the helm. In 1993, they received the Congo de Oro for best international band. A little over a decade after that, in 2004, the Legislature of Puerto Rico officially recognized their musical contributions by dedicating its annual “Día Nacional de la Salsa” to them. All told, Sonora Ponceña has recorded more than 35 albums, with dozens of their releases reaching platinum and gold status.
About Fania Records’ 60TH Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London.
Tracklist (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
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Black Gives Way to Blue is Alice In Chains’ fourth studio album, first released on September 29th, 2009. The project marks a significant moment in the band’s history, being their first record to feature William DuVall sharing vocal and guitar duties with founding member Jerry Cantrell, alongside bassist Mike Inez and drummer/founding member Sean Kinney.
Upon release, Black Gives Way to Blue was an instant smash hit, debuting at No.5 on the Billboard 200 and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA by May 2010. It includes singles “Your Decision,” “Lesson Learned,” “Check My Brain,” and “A Looking in View,” plus the poignant title track “Black Gives Way to Blue,” which features a guest performance from Elton John on piano. This song, a heartfelt tribute to late frontman Layne Staley, captures the band's process in coming to terms with their loss while finding a path forward. Both “A Looking in View” and “Check My Brain” were GRAMMY Award nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Additionally, Black Gives Way to Blue won Revolver's Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year in 2010.
Consequence praised Black Gives Way To Blue as “11 songs that will remind listeners of why Alice was and is so vital to the hard rock scene,” while Blabbermouth described the album as achieving “a newfound level of clarity and humanity that only comes from putting everything [in] the past where it belongs; this could mark the beginning of a new era of stellar music from the band that broke through the grunge barrier and redefined modern rock.”
Despite the near unanimous acclaim, the band felt apprehension in pursuing new music after the tragic death of founding frontman Layne Staley. In a 2009 interview with Billboard, the band discussed the delicate balance between honoring their beloved band member and continuing to evolve the group’s sound in new directions. “It took a lot to get through this process and to even take the chance, and stand-up and risk,” Jerry Cantrell said.
DuVall added: “I think initially people came [with] arms crossed, sort of hoping against hope. I hear that a lot. I’m not trying to do a Layne. One of the things I loved about him was how individual he was. He was just being himself, so that’s what I do.”
Cantrell also reflected on that era in a 2024 interview with Metal Hammer, sharing details about the recording process, which took place at Studio 606 in LA, owned by the band’s friend Dave Grohl. Cantrell explained that the new chapter of Alice In Chains was a pure artistic pursuit of creating excellent music: “There was no master plan, despite what people think,” he continues. “This felt right, so we did the next thing, and then the next thing… It’s more than just making music and it always has been. We’ve been friends a long time. We’re not doing this to please anybody. It had to be OK from here,” he says, pointing to his chest.
Now, 15 years on, the band still feels deeply connected to Black Gives Way to Blue, which signaled a significant turning point in their legendary career. All these years later, the album remains an important touchstone for the group and their millions of devoted fans. Blending heavy grunge with pummeling, unrelenting hard rock, the album was both a tribute to Staley’s impact on the band and a map for moving forward.
Track Listing:
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Side B:
Side C:
Side D:
sanantoniolimorepair announces a reissue for Brenton Wood’s 18 Best, a celebrated collection of the soul singer’s classic songs. The October 4th release will feature his most famous tracks, including the career-defining “Oogum Boogum” and “Gimme Little Sign,” as well as “Baby You Got It”—a trio of hits he released in the 1960s. Available for pre-order now, Brenton Wood’s 18 Best will be released on CD as well as vinyl for the first time and for a limited-time, fans can pick up the album on two special colorways: “Lemonade” (via CraftRecordings.com) or “Baby Blue” (via RSD Essentials). Stream on all major platforms today.
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Raised in Southern California (first San Pedro, then Compton) as Alfred Jesse Smith, the singer would later change his name to Brenton Wood, speculated by many to be a nod to Los Angeles’ moneyed Brentwood neighborhood. He played piano as a child and, inspired by his idols, soul icon Sam Cooke and doo-wop great Jesse Belvin, performed in a few vocal groups before forging out on his own.
In 1967, the aspiring singer would make good on his dreams of becoming a star after signing to Double Shot Records and releasing the plucky-sweet “Oogum Boogum.” NPR once commented, “It’s hard to be in a bad mood after you hear the ‘Oogum Boogum Song’ . . . there’s something about the feeling. That almost playful falsetto, the drums bouncing along, the jangly guitar hits.”
The single was a runaway hit, reaching No.34 on Billboard’s pop chart and No.19 on its R&B chart. Timeless in its appeal, “Oogum Boogum” would go on to appear, decades later, on soundtracks for films such as Almost Famous and Don’t Worry Darling, as well as on TV series like Sex Education and The Umbrella Academy. A few months after that single’s success, Wood released “Gimme Little Sign,” his buoyant, heady love song that soared to No.9 on Billboard’s pop chart and No.19 on its R&B chart. The single sold more than one million copies worldwide.
At this point, Wood, who released both tunes on his debut album, Oogum Boogum, became synonymous with his upbeat affirmations about love, which AllMusic once praised for their “charmingly unpredictable phrasing and his infectious sense of good times.” The album Baby You Got Itfollowed, with its title-track standout, a shimmering song that once again makes fine use of his falsetto and hit No.34 on Billboard’s pop chart. During this prolific era, the singer cut eleven 45s in total.
One of those tracks, “Me and You,” deserves a shoutout for Wood’s effortless use of smooth doo-wop. And another, “Catch You on the Rebound,” would become a lowrider-soul classic popularized by Latino fans. “These days,” the LA Times noted in 1992, “the veteran performer’s fortunes rest in East LA and other Mexican-American strongholds.” Wood, who has released six albums in total and found renewed popularity in the 1980s by touring lowrider festivals. “In the world of East Side Story compilations and dropped Chevy Fleetlines,” NPR writes, “he’s basically Bruce Springsteen.”
Track Listing (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
Track Listing (CD):
To mark this milestone, Violent Femmes are currently on a North America tour, resuming tonight with two performances in Northampton, MA. The tour will conclude on October 9 with a special show at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville. For a full list of dates, visit the band’s official website.
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First released in May of 1984, Violent Femmes’ sophomore title, Hallowed Ground, is celebrated for its innovative exploration of American roots music, blending traditional folk influences with the band’s distinctive style. The set also includes contributions from banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka on “Country Death Song” and “It’s Gonna Rain,” and avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn on “Black Girls,” both of whom added distinctive layers to the record's experimental soundscape.
The album’s lyrics delve into themes of faith, redemption and existential contemplation. This marked a bold departure from the more straightforward pop sound of the band’s debut, which featured beloved teen angst anthems like “Blister in the Sun,” “Add It Up” and “Kiss Off.” The record’s unique lyrical approach and haunting melodies created a deeply introspective and immersive listening experience that intrigued—and initially divided—listeners, including the band members themselves.
On Hallowed Ground, Gano embraced his faith, something previously restrained in his songwriting at the request of atheist-leaning members Brian Ritchie (Femmes’ bassist) and Victor Delorenzo (Femmes’ original drummer). Gano explained the group’s hesitation in a 1989 interview with Phoenix New Times, saying, “At the time, Brian was very aggressively anti-anything Christian. He said he didn’t want to be playing in a band that was expressing something that he felt so vehemently against. I figured they’d find their expression sometime later.” What made Ritchie relent, however, was the quality of Gano’s songwriting. It was unimpeachable. “It’s funny,” Gano added in that interview, “Brian now says that my Christian songs are some of my best numbers.”
In a 2012 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Brian Ritchie offered insight into the album’s creation and its initial reception, reflecting, “To me, it’s more punk to defy your audience than to play what they want to hear. But we lost our audience that way.” Speaking to the fact that both the debut and Hallowed Ground were written while Gano was still in high school, he added, “Ironically, we had the material for both albums. We could’ve put out a double or released Hallowed Ground first and then the debut. We chose to make the first one a pop album and Hallowed Ground a sprawling exploration of American roots music. We’re not considered in the Americana category . . .”
The album’s adventurous spirit and artistic risk-taking have been both lauded and criticized over the years. AllMusic praised Hallowed Ground as “breathtaking and terrifying,” adding that “the Femmes are nothing if not true to themselves, and Hallowed Ground is a testament to their tenacity, courage, and sheer obliviousness to industry ogling. Each track is as naked as it is bursting with ideas, and as the landscape changes, the band changes with it.” Vinyl District concurs that Hallowed Ground “is one of rock music’s core texts in how to successfully flout expectations. It still succeeds greatly as a document of nervy conceptual growth and as a major breakthrough in terms of individual musicianship.” Meanwhile, some critics were initially conflicted, with music scholar and New York Times writer Robert Palmer declaring it “a subterranean mother lode of apocalyptic religion, murder, and madness that has lurked just under the surface of hillbilly music and blues since the 19th century.”
But to fans today, Hallowed Ground stands as a testament to Violent Femmes’ innovative spirit and their enduring influence on independent music. The album highlights the band’s ability to evolve while preserving their unique voice, a quality they’ve maintained throughout their now four-decade career. As Violent Femmes embark on a nationwide tour to commemorate this milestone, fans can experience the band’s dynamic evolution firsthand.
Track Listing:
Side A
Side B
Arriving November 22, 2024, Miles ’54 will be available in an array of formats, including 180-gram 4-LP, 2-CD, and hi-res digital. All audio has been newly remastered by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Physical editions offer a brand-new essay by GRAMMY®-winning music historian Ashley Kahn (author of Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, among others) as well as in-depth session notes by GRAMMY-winning writer, Dan Morgenstern. The complete collection is available for pre-order here, while the track “Oleo” can be streamed today.
1954 was a watershed year for Miles Davis. Ten years into his celebrated career, the trumpeter, composer, and bandleader was on the precipice of international fame and more focused than ever. Throughout the year, Davis entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio for five landmark sessions—each of which would find him honing his sound, maturing as a leader, and collaborating with the era’s brightest rising stars. The resulting recordings would catapult Davis’ career to the next level and set the tone for the mid-late ’50s post-bop scene.
The release of Miles ’54 not only coincides with the 70th anniversary of these recordings but also the 75th anniversary of Prestige Records, the venerable independent jazz label founded by producer Bob Weinstock. Launched in 1949, Prestige found itself at the forefront of the genre: ushering in the cutting-edge sounds of bop, hard bop, soul jazz, and beyond, while developing the careers of such iconic artists as John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, and, of course, Miles Davis.
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In 1954, after ten long years of building a name for himself, Miles Davis “...transformed himself from a member of a tight brotherhood of players into a leader with an immediately recognizable sound that the world came to know and want,” writes Ashley Kahn. Indeed, just a decade earlier, a fresh-faced, 18-year-old Davis had arrived in New York City from St. Louis to study at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music. What followed was the development of one of modern music’s most important figures, thanks to sideman duties with the likes of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Coleman Hawkins, non-stop gigging, and the assembly of his first band—a nonet—whose recordings would eventually be released as The Birth of Cool (1957).
In 1954, after returning home to the Midwest to address his struggles with substance abuse, Davis returned to New York with a newfound sense of well-being and focus. His timing couldn’t have been better. “As post-bebop jazz grew and developed during this period, so did its impact. It became part of an intensely creative, spontaneous period in American culture, the soundtrack to the zeitgeist of the ’50s, inspiring visual artists and writers alike,” notes Kahn. “Jazz was being embraced differently: as a sophisticated art music, more cutting-edge than mainstream.”
The year found Davis headlining major New York venues, including Birdland and Basin Street, while he frequently shared top-billing with stars like Gillespie, Dinah Washington, and Chet Baker. After re-signing with Prestige Records (following his first contract in 1951), Davis was also making multiple trips to Rudy Van Gelder’s storied Hackensack, NJ studio. It was there, over the course of 1954, that he would record five landmark sessions.
These dates, in which Davis collaborated with a collective of uber-talented sidemen (a precursor to his First Great Quintet), also found him maturing as an artist. “Miles’ performances on his 1954 quartet and quintet sessions for Prestige reveal…a heightened level of confidence in his bandleading and in his playing, with a more expansive feel for color, timbre and even atmosphere in his palette,” explains Kahn.
The first of these recordings took place on March 15th, during which Davis—accompanied by Percy Heath (bass), Art Blakey (drums), and Horace Silver (piano)—performed pop standards like “Old Devil Moon” as well as such originals as the lighthearted “Four” and the bluesy “Blue Haze.” Weeks later, on April 3rd, Davis returned with Silver and Heath, plus drummer Kenny Clarke and alto saxophonist Dave Schildkraut to record his own “Solar,” plus such upbeat standards as “Love Me or Leave Me” and “I’ll Remember April.”
In his track notes, which originally appeared on 1988’s Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings, 1951–1956, Dan Morgenstern points out, “This was no slapdash blowing date, but a session more cohesive than most organized groups could manage. And it is certainly worthy of notice that this was the first Miles Davis session (and quite possibly the very first Prestige session) recorded by…[definitive bebop engineer Rudy Van Gelder].” The date is also notable for Davis’ extensive use of the cup mute on his trumpet—a signature technique that he would employ for the remainder of his lengthy career.
The session that followed on April 29th, however, proved to be a historic moment in jazz, in which J. J. Johnson (trombone), Lucky Thompson (tenor sax), Silver, Heath, and Clarke performed two extended jams: Gillespie’s “Blue ’n’ Boogie” and the blues classic “Walkin’.” Quoting pianist Dick Katz, Morgenstern refers to this session as “An amazing seminar...a sort of summing up of much of what had happened musically to the players involved during the preceding ten years.” In his own words, Morgenstern calls the masterful rendition of “Walkin’” a “cornerstone of the hard bop movement.” Kahn, meanwhile, adds that the performance “...incorporated most of the elements that would define Miles’ later ’50s recordings.”
On June 29th, Davis was joined by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins for what Morgenstern refers to as “One of several encounters between Miles and Sonny Rollins, and in some ways the most satisfying.” The pair, joined by Silver, Heath, and Clarke, recorded three iconic Rollins compositions: “Oleo,” “Airegin,” and “Doxy,” as well as the Gershwin classic, “But Not for Me.”
The final session of the year, which took place on Christmas Eve, was certainly the most famous—featuring an awe-inspiring line-up of Thelonious Monk (piano) and Milt Jackson (vibraphone), alongside Heath, and Clarke (aptly released as Miles Davis All Stars, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 the following year). With the addition of alternate takes, this complete session, Morgenstern writes, “can serve as a graduate seminar on the art of improvisation.” Featuring originals by Davis (“Swing Spring”), Jackson (the soon-to-be-standard, “Bags’ Groove”), and Monk (“Bemsha Swing”), the sounds that the trumpeter achieved on this date were near-perfection—a culmination of sorts of Davis’ work—not only accomplished over the year, but the previous decade. By the end of the year, Kahn adds, “Miles’ sound reached a level of maturity that captured mainstream ears. It was a connection that endured.”
Indeed, in the immediate months and years to follow, Davis’ profile grew substantially. In 1955, he ascended to new heights with the assembly of his First Great Quintet (featuring Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, and John Coltrane)—a unit that became the dominant small jazz group of the late ’50s and helped define the hard-bop genre. In later decades, he would continue to push the limits of jazz music—shaping the sounds of post-bop and fusion, while experimenting with electronic elements, funk, rock, pop, and African rhythms well into the late ’80s. Today, 33 years after his death, Davis holds a mighty legacy as one of the most important figures of 20th-century music, with an influence that expands far behind the realm of jazz.
Click here to pre-order
Miles ’54 Tracklist (4-LP):
Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
Side E
Side F
Side G
Side H
Miles ’54 Tracklist (2-CD/Digital):
Disc 1
Disc 2
Rivera’s smooth, smoky voice, contrasted with lively clave rhythms, lent his messages of empowerment—be it about anything from social justice to his love of life—a sense of immediacy. His impact on the salsa genre (which for Rivera would often bend towards jazz, thanks to his gift for improvisation) proved so influential that greats such as Celia Cruz would cover his songs, before he was ultimately inducted into the International Latin Hall of Fame.
Throughout the year, Craft Latino will continue to commemorate Fania’s illustrious legacy of shaping salsa and other Latin music, with reissues (like Traigo de todo), new releases, as well as exclusive content designed to entice collectors and fans alike. Visit fania.com/fania-60th for more details.
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Born in 1931, Rivera was raised in a modest family that lived in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He left school at a young age to help his family by working as a shoeshiner and bricklayer. Inspired by the bomba and plena genres bubbling up in local barrios, he started playing music with Rafael Cortijo, his childhood friend.
Rivera (also known by his nickname, “Maelo”) would end up joining the latter’s band, Cortijo y su Combo, as a singer. Their exhilarating, rhythmic music became hugely popular with audiences from Puerto Rico to New York City, and they ultimately recorded 17 albums together.
This collaboration came to an end in 1962, after Rivera was arrested on drug possession charges and served four years at the notorious U.S. Narcotics Farm prison in Kentucky. Following his prison stint, Rivera moved to New York City, where he sang for Fania’s All Star live performances.
As a solo artist, the singer would go on to release 11 albums that showed off his natural knack for improvising, many with his band, Sus Cachimbos. “El Sonero Mayor,” writes AllMusic, “would go on to record some of his best work…showcasing his unequaled talent [that’s] better than ever.” Among that work: Bienvenido!, his energetic comeback, and the somewhat experimental, but no less effective, Controversia. This success culminated in him performing at a 1974 concert at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. That same year Rivera and Cortijo would reunite and release Juntos otra vez.
But it was Rivera’s own release in 1974, Traigo de todo, that changed his life. It coincided with his spiritual awakening, particularly his devotion to Cristo Negro (or Black Christ). His track “El Nazareno,” a bright, divine affirmation punctuated by deftly dropped lyrical cadences, celebrates the venerated Cristo Negro statue in Panama. The track is his invocation to humanity and loyalty, but also to his agency in choosing a path to redemption. “It’s one of his greatest lyrical narratives, delivered as no one else could,” Bandcamp writes.
In fact, much of Traigo de todo finds the liberated Rivera simply celebrating life. “Qué te pasa a ti” is a groove-driven, wistful musing about an irresistible romance. Meanwhile, the good-times title track, “Traigo de todo,” is an incantation beckoning the listener to dance.
His last performance came in 1978, opening for Bob Marley in Paris. By 1982, Rivera had fallen into a depression following Cortijo’s death due to pancreatic cancer, and his own health began to suffer. The singer passed away suddenly, from a heart attack, just two years later at age 55. He is said to have died in his mother’s arms. His was a prolific career cut far shorter than it should have, but lives long — eternally, even — in legacy.
About Fania Records’ 60TH Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London.
Click here to pre-order Traigo de todo.
Click here to find the exclusive bundle including the “Amarillo radiante (Radiant Yellow)” color vinyl exclusive with a Tico Records T-shirt.
Tracklist (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
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Returning to vinyl for the first time in 50 years, Goldenwings arrives on October 18th and marks the latest title in Jazz Dispensary’s album-centric Top Shelf series. As with all releases in the series — which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities—the LP features all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. A tip-on jacket, replicating the album’s original, eye-catching design, completes the package.
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The story of Opa begins in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, where brothers Hugo and Jorge Osvaldo Fattoruso forged their musical roots. In 1963, the Fattorusos formed their first band, Los Shakers (alongside Roberto “Pelín” Capobianco and Carlos “Caio” Vila). Influenced heavily—in both look and sound—by the Beatles, the four-piece enjoyed a wildly successful career in South America, releasing multiple hit albums and helping to establish the region’s psychedelic rock scene. When the group disbanded in 1969, however, Hugo and Jorge were eager to expand their repertoire and formed Opa alongside bassist Ringo Thielmann.
Despite their garage rock roots, the Fattoruso brothers took a different direction with Opa, blending Latin jazz, funk, pop, and rock for their own highly delectable flavor of fusion. The venture also found the brothers taking up new instruments, swapping guitars and vocals for keyboards (Hugo) and drums (Jorge). As the new decade dawned, the trio relocated to New York City, where they caught the ears of the celebrated Brazilian jazz drummer, Airto Moreira.
Moreira—who had also recently settled in the US alongside his wife (jazz singer Flora Purim)—was at the forefront of the fusion scene, playing with the likes of Miles Davis, Return to Forever, and Weather Report. He was immediately taken with Opa—recruiting them for several studio projects, hiring them as his live band, and helping the group sign to the venerable jazz label, Milestone Records.
At the top of 1976, the band went straight to work on their US debut, with Moreira serving as producer. Joining the trio were a handful of high-profile guests, including guitarist David Amaro (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter) and Brazilian icon Hermeto Pascoal (flute, percussion), while Moreira made several cameos as a percussionist. The result was a Latin jazz-fusion extravaganza, filled with enticing three-part vocalizations, robust rhythms, lush synth textures, and enchanting flute solos.
Among the highlights is opener “Golden Wings,” a funk-forward jam, in which Hugo creates otherworldly sonics through multiple layered keyboards, including the Moog, ARP, and Oberheim. Similarly cosmic is “Totem,” which blends percussive breakdowns with soaring synths. The folk-forward “Corre Niña,”meanwhile would be revisited by the band with Flora Purim on her 1977 LP, Nothing Will Be As It Was...Tomorrow.
Ahead of the aptly titled dancefloor closer, “Groove,” the band delves into an impressive, four-part suite—built around Moreira’s enduring hit, “Tombo.” The album also features two compositions by Uruguayan star Rubén Rada: the joyful “African Bird” and the dreamy, seven-minute-long jam, “Paper Butterflies (Muy Lejo Te Vas).” Not long after, Rada would take an active role as a musician on the band’s 1977 follow-up, Magic Time.
Opa only released two albums before disbanding in the early ’80s. Hugo Fattoruso moved to Brazil, where he worked with the likes of Djavan and Chico Buarque, and Jorge returned to Uruguay, where he formed a group alongside his wife, singer Mariana Ingold. While neither of Opa’s albums found commercial success during their initial releases (despite the high-profile personalities involved), both titles gained underground followings over the following decades—coveted by jazz-funk DJs, crate diggers, and acid-jazz aficionados alike. Now, 50 years later, Goldenwings is back for a new generation of groovers and shakers to enjoy.
Tracklist:
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Martina Topley-Bird, the revered singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist gained immediate attention as the voice of Maxinquaye, on Tricky’s groundbreaking 1995 debut album. The album is still considered to be one of the most innovative and influential albums in modern music, and her breathtaking and instantly recognizable vocals positioned her as the voice of trip-hop.
Topley-Bird went on to work on another three Tricky albums, before launching a solo career in 2003, releasing Quixotic via Independiente to critical acclaim. Admired for her ability to deliver an album with such a wide range of musical styles, yet retain her unique vocal style, Mojo called Quixotic “[a] sensual, endlessly inventive record”; while Q Magazine praised the album’s “...classy, laid-back” and “beyond human” experience. Pitchfork applauded the vocal performance: “Topley-Bird’s voice continues to be a strange and beautiful thing.”
The album features production and accompaniment from several luminaries including Mark Lanegan(vocals) and founding member of Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme (guitar). David Holmesproduced “Too Tough to Die,” which was also covered by both Neneh Cherry and The Twilight Singers. Tricky collaborated on “Sandpaper Kisses” and “Ragga’.” David Arnold, famed composer of five James Bond soundtracks, arranged strings on “Soulfood” and “Stevie’s (Days of a Gun)” (the latter retitled “Aaron’s (In the Daze of a Gun)” for this 2024 reissue). “Sandpaper Kisses” has been featured by The Weeknd on his song “The Birds pt. 2” and by Stephen Marleyon his song “You’re Gonna Leave.”
Topley-Bird went on to release further solo albums (Anything (2004), The Blue God (2008), Some Place Simple (2010) and Forever I Wait (2021)) and collaborate with Massive Attack, Gorillaz, Common, Diplo and The Prodigy.
Click here to pre-order
Tracklisting:
SIDE A
SIDE B
SIDE C
SIDE D
Celia & Johnny arrives as Craft Latino celebrates the 60th anniversary of Fania Records. Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor the iconic label’s enduring legacy—as well as its foundational contributions to salsa music—through reissues such as this one, new releases, plus a host of exclusive content. A special tribute event dedicated to Celia Cruz and Fania 60thanniversary celebration will be held on Saturday, August 3, at Grand Performances in Los Angeles. The free event begins at 6pm and features a live performance by Havana Secret led by maestros Luis Eric Gonzalez and Sean Billings, former members of Celia’s backing band in the West Coast; a DJ set by Gia Fu and dance lessons by the dance theater company Contra-Tiempo.Visit https://sanantoniolimorepair.com/fania-60th/ to learn more.
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“The Guarachera of Cuba,” Celia Cruz (1925 – 2003) rose to fame in the ’50s with the vocal group Sonora Matancera. After a decade of hit records, film roles, and international tours, however, the singer was forced to flee, following the Cuban Revolution. Settling in New York City, Cruz embarked on a solo career, which found her collaborating with some of the era’s biggest Latin stars, including Tito Puente and Memo Salamanca. But by the turn of the ’70s, Cruz was struggling to find her niche in the evolving scene. Fears of flying (amid a series of hijacked flights to Cuba) and disagreements with her label further hampered her ambitions. Her fortunes were about to change, however, thanks to Johnny Pacheco and his label, Fania Records.
The Dominican-born Pacheco (1935 – 2021) began his career as a percussionist in bands led by Tito Puente and Xavier Cugat, among others, before finding fame with his own group, Pacheco Y Su Charanga (with whom he created his signature “Pacheco Groove”). In 1964, he co-founded Fania Records, which allowed him greater opportunities to expand his career, while championing his fellow Latin artists, including Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Monguito el Único, and Ray Barretto. Pacheco also had his eyes on Celia Cruz, as Juan Moreno Velázquez recalls in his liner notes.
The bandleader, he writes, “had noticed that Cruz’s early recordings…with the Tito Puente Orchestra tended to limit her impressive voice, which he felt was not reaching its potential against the enormous sound of Puente’s big band. Pacheco once told me, ‘Let me put it to you this way: Celia sounded good with a stick banging against a can. She didn’t need all those instruments.’”
And so, in 1974, Johnny Pacheco and Celia Cruz joined forces on their first record, Celia & Johnny. Serving as producer Pacheco selected material and arrangements that would allow Cruz’s voice to take center stage. Among the highlights are two songs that would become some of Cruz’s biggest hits: the Junior Cepeda-penned “Quimbara” and a salsa version of the traditional Afro-Peruvian song, “Toro mata.” Cruz’s talents as an interpreter also shine on tracks like the Pacheco-penned “El tumbao y Celia,” as well as on favorites like “Lo tuyo es mental” (written by Anam Munar), “El pregón del pescador” (traditional), and the Orlando de La Rosa standard, “Vieja luna.”
Pacheco’s instincts proved to be right: Celia & Johnny was the vehicle that catapulted Cruz to international stardom, introducing her to a new generation and cementing her status as “The Queen of Salsa.” Long documented as one of Cruz’s favorite projects, the album quickly became a Gold-certified best-seller and would soon be regarded as one of the genre’s most significant albums. Velázquez adds, “It was at Pacheco’s side that Celia changed the course of her musical future, and on this album, her charm, versatility, and integrity confirmed that her moment had arrived.”
In the years following the success of Celia & Johnny, Cruz’s star only continued to rise, as she joined the legendary Fania All-Stars supergroup and released dozens of acclaimed albums, including a series of projects with Pacheco. Among them were the GRAMMY®-nominated Eternos (1978) and De nuevo(1985), as well as the popular 1980 collaboration, Celia, Johnny and Pete (with Pete Rodriguez). Today, Celia & Johnny endures as a centerpiece of salsa’s Golden Age. In 2014, the album was recognized by the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” while a year later, Billboard included the record in its “50 Essential Latin Albums of the Last 50 Years” roundup.
About Fania Records’ 60th Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London.
Celia & Johnny tracklist (vinyl):
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
]]>
De ti depende arrives as Craft Latino celebrates the 60th anniversary of Fania Records. Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor the iconic label’s enduring legacy—as well as its foundational contributions to salsa music—through reissues such as this one, new releases, plus a host of exclusive content. Visit fania.com/fania-60th to learn more.
***
Perhaps the greatest interpreter of salsa music, singer Héctor Lavoe (1946 – 1993) was instrumental in popularizing the genre during the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Known for his impeccably bright vocals, seamless phrasing, and ad-libbed anecdotes, it’s no surprise that Lavoe earned the nickname “El Cantante” after his 1978 hit of the same name (penned for him by the great Rubén Blades). Born Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the singer relocated to New York City at 17, where he picked up his stage name and began performing in bands led by Roberto García, Kako, and Fania Recordsowner, Johnny Pacheco. It was through Pacheco that Lavoe met 16-year-old Willie Colón, with whom he would form one of Latin music’s most celebrated partnerships. Beginning in 1967, Lavoe appeared as a vocalist on ten legendary studio albums with the Willie Colón Orchestra, including the boogaloo classic, El malo (1967), plus best-sellers like Cosa nuestra(1969), Asalto Navideño (1971), and Lo mato (1973).
By the mid-’70s, however, Colón had shifted his focus to production, allowing Lavoe the opportunity to break out on his own. Salsa was reaching its peak popularity in the US, making it the perfect moment for the singer to carve out a spot as one of the genre’s biggest stars. His acclaimed, 1975 solo debut, La voz, was met with critical and commercial success—thanks to such breakout hits as “Mi gente” and “El todopoderoso.” With a newfound confidence, Lavoe returned to the studio for his sophomore album, De ti depende (It’s Up to You). But this time, he held the title of bandleader.
Embracing his new role, the singer reunited with members of Colón’s orchestra (including percussionists José Mangual Jr. and Milton Cardona, pianist “Professor” Joe Torres, and bassist Santi Gonzalez). Lavoe also sought out a varied selection of material that showcased his versatility as an interpreter. In addition to Afro-Caribbean rhythms, the singer chose several bolero themes, including the captivating “Tanto como ayer” and the lilting title track. Written by fellow New YorkerMiguel Angel Amadeo, “De ti depende” also features a standout cameo by the celebrated guitarist/cuatroist (and Lavoe’s frequent collaborator), Yomo Toro.
Other highlights include Perucho Torcat’s “Vamos a reír un poco,” guaracha song “Mentira,” and the dramatic, Tite Curet Alonso-penned “Periódico de ayer,” which remains one of Lavoe’s biggest hits. The autobiographical “Hacha y machete,” meanwhile, finds the singer reflecting on his longtime musical partnership with Colón. Released in 1976, De ti depende (It’s Up to You) was an immediate bestseller, proving Lavoe’s prowess as a vocalist and leader, while securing his place as one of Latin music’s most talented artists. Today, it remains a classic title in the salsa canon.
In the years following, De ti depende, Lavoe released six additional solo albums—including Comedia (1978) and the GRAMMY®-nominated Strikes Back (1987)—while he reunited with Colón for the 1983 Vigilante soundtrack. Lavoe also stayed busy as a regular guest with the celebrated Fania All Stars, appearing on more than a dozen live and studio albums with the collective.
While Lavoe’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 46, his legacy continues to live on through his vibrant catalog of music. Over the decades, his extensive contributions to Latin music have been honored in New York and Puerto Rico through a myriad of street dedications, statues, and murals. Lavoe’s life also inspired an off-Broadway play, a tribute album, and two feature films, including the Marc Anthony/Jennifer Lopez-led El cantante (2006). In 2000, Lavoe was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
About Fania Records’ 60TH Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London.
Tracklist (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
]]>
Comprised primarily of popular Cuban songs from the day (including the label’s namesake, “Fania”) as well as the Pacheco original, “Dakar, Punto Final,” the long out-of-print Cañonazo returns to vinyl on September 13, and is available for pre-order now. Featuring all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, the album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in an old-school style tip-on jacket, replicating its original artwork. A 180-gram “Red Smoke” color vinyl variant (limited to 300 copies), with a bundle option that includes a collectible Fania T-shirt, is available for pre-order at at the Craft store. Additionally, Cañonazo will make its debut in 192/24 HD digital audio.
Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor Fania Records’ enduring legacy—as well as the iconic label’s foundational contributions to salsa music—with reissues such as this one, new releases, plus a host of exclusive content. Visit fania.com/fania-60th to learn more.
***
A leading figure in the New York salsa scene, Johnny Pacheco (1935–2021) shaped the sound of modern Latin music—both through his work as a musician, composer, arranger, producer, and bandleader, as well as through his role as the co-founder of Fania Records. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco inherited a passion for music from his father—a leader and clarinetist for one of the country’s most popular big bands. At 11, Pacheco and his family relocated to New York City, where he honed his craft on a variety of instruments (including the violin, saxophone, and flute) and later attended the prestigious Juilliard School, where he studied percussion.
In the ’50s, Pacheco cut his chops in the legendary orchestras of Tito Puente, Xavier Cugat, and Charlie Palmieri before forming his own band, Pacheco y su Charanga, in 1960. Over the next few years, the group released a string of best-selling albums (Pacheco Y Su Charanga Vols. 1–5), toured the globe, and created a dance craze along the way, “The Pachanga” (a combination of the bandleader’s name and “charanga”). By 1963, however, Pacheco was in search of a new home for his recordings. But rather than sign with an established label, he decided to form his own. Co-founded with lawyer Jerry Masucci, Fania Records not only offered Pacheco full creative control over his work, but also allowed him to champion his fellow Latin artists, including Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, and many others. Before long, Fania would become one of the world’s most successful and influential Latin music labels.
It was only fitting that Fania’s first album was by Pacheco himself. Released in 1964, Cañonazo ushed in a new era for the bandleader, who reorganized his popular group into a conjunto—replacing violins with trumpets and renaming the outfit Pacheco y su Nuevo Tumbao (the word Tumbao translates into any number of meanings, including style, rhythm, and attitude—all of which feel appropriate to mark the artist’s new creative journey). The album also marked Pacheco’s first of many outings with vocalist Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, a relative newcomer at the time, who would become a major star in the scene.
Cañonazo found Pacheco interpreting popular Cuban songs from the ’50s and ’60s, including the title track, written by Evaristo Aparicioand popularized by La Sonora Matancera (featuring Celia Cruz). Other highlights include a cover of La Sonora Ponceña’s “Como Mango,” Cheo Marquetti’s “Pinareño,” and “Fanía (Funché),” a Cuban son by Reinaldo Bolaños, made famous by Estrellas de Chocolate in 1953. The song’s title also inspired Pacheco when it came to naming his new label.
With the release of Cañonazo, Fania Records began its ascent in the Latin music world. Pacheco, meanwhile, would go on to record scores of albums—both as a soloist, as well as with many of Fania’s artists, including popular titles with Celia Cruz, Justo Betancourt, and Papo Lucca. As Fania’s musical director, Pacheco oversaw hundreds of recordings and, in the late ’60s, formed the legendary Fania All Starscollective. Beginning in the ’70s, he expanded into film scoring—working on such projects as the 1972 documentary Our Latin Thing and 1974’s Salsa.
During his seven-decade-long career, Pacheco recorded and composed over 150 songs, earning 10 Gold records from the RIAA, and nine GRAMMY® nominations. Among many other honors, Pacheco received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Latin GRAMMYs and, in 1996, was the first Latin producer to receive the NARAS Governor’s Award. Pacheco was an inaugural inductee into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame and, several years later, received their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1996, Pacheco was celebrated by his home country with the Dominican Republic’s Presidential Medal of Honor, while in 2009, he received the highest distinction possible (the “El Soberano”) at the Dominican Republic’s annual Casandra Awards (now known as The Soberano Awards), which is the country’s equivalent to the GRAMMYs.
About Fania Records’ 60TH Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London.
Cañonazo Tracklist (Vinyl)
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
]]>
Punk Goes Christmas stands out within the eclectic Punk Goes… series thanks to it being one of the only compilations that features original songs and covers alike. A deluxe edition, featuring four additional tracks, was released in November 2015. This latest reissue, which returns the project to its original 12-song format, marks its first availability since that limited run almost a decade ago.
The release is set to arrive on October 11 and available for pre-order now, making it the perfect stocking stuffer for punk, emo and vinyl fanatics worldwide. Craft is offering this special release in two distinct vinyl formats, the wide Translucent Ruby Red vinyl and a Green Smoke variant exclusively via sanantoniolimorepair. The collection is also available to stream/download now.
***
Upon its initial release in November of 2013, Punk Goes Christmas helped completely reimagine the concept of the holiday compilation, letting the generation-defining acts included on the album dictate the direction of Fearless Records’ celebrated series.
The album kicks off with New Found Glory’s heartfelt original “Nothing For Christmas,” a warm ode to true love and a B-side that quickly became a fan favorite at New Found Glory shows before finding a large and eager audience on Punk Goes Christmas.
Other highlights include Man Overboard turning the Kinks’ “Father Christmas” into a cynical and sneering anti-capitalist punk anthem. Yellowcard take on Coldplay’s “Christmas Lights,” tapping into the same catharsis harnessed by the UK band but spinning the bubbling tension in a stadium-ready climax. Punknews.org lauded the track, noting that: “It is a beautifully written tune about lost love, opening with a subtle croon from Ryan Key before giving way to a powerful, almost anthemic last two minutes.”
All Time Low contributed another original to the collection in the form of “Fool’s Holiday,” which Substream Magazine included on their list of best Punk Goes… songs and said “might be one of their best songs written—period.”
The album closes with a triumphant version of “Do You See What I See?,” vulnerably and confidently performed by William Beckett, singer from The Academy Is… The track begins with bold piano chords and the occasional timpani roll accompanying Beckett’s voice, before erupting with a grooving drum beat and triumphant final chorus. It’s a perfect send off to another Christmas season, less a “goodbye” than “see you next year”!
From front to back, Punk Goes Christmas showcases the unbridled excitement that a well-executed and thoughtfully curated compilation album can create. Bands and artists work outside of their traditional comfort zones, creating a truly one-of-a-kind tribute to the holiday spirit.
The collection is the perfect antidote to the same old Christmas songs, a tradition that wears itself thin each year. As The Young Folks wrote in its original review of the project, Punk Goes Christmas blends “aspects of rock and modern music with a Christmas theme. Who doesn’t want to give the holidays a little edge after hearing ‘The First Noel’ and ‘White Christmas’ for the tenth time in three weeks?”
Click here to pre-order or stream/download Punk Goes Christmas
Track Listing:
SIde A:
Side B:
Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor Fania Records’ enduring legacy—as well as the iconic label’s foundational contributions to salsa music—with reissues such as this one, new releases, plus a host of exclusive content. Visit fania.com/fania-60th to learn more.
***
Perhaps the greatest interpreter of salsa music, singer Héctor Lavoe (1946–1993) was instrumental in popularizing the genre during the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Known for his impeccably bright vocals, seamless phrasing and ad-libbed anecdotes, it’s no surprise that Lavoe earned the nickname “El Cantante” after his 1978 hit of the same name (penned for him by the great Rubén Blades). Born Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the singer relocated to New York City at 17, where he picked up his stage name and began performing in bands led by Roberto García, Kako and Fania Records co-founder Johnny Pacheco. It was through Pacheco that Lavoe met 16-year-old Willie Colón, with whom he would form one of Latin music’s most celebrated partnerships. Beginning in 1967, Lavoe appeared as a vocalist on 8 legendary studio albums with the Willie Colón Orchestra, including the boogaloo classic El Malo (1967), plus best-sellers like Cosa Nuestra (1970), Asalto Navideño (1971) and Lo Mato (1973).
In the mid-’70s, Lavoe embarked on a solo career—just as salsa was reaching its peak popularity in the US. Before long, he was one of the genre’s biggest stars, thanks to best-selling (and now classic) albums like La Voz (1975), De Ti Depende (1976) and Comedia (1978). By the mid-’80s, however, salsa was beginning to decline, as merengue and romantic balladry grew in popularity. Despite the changing times, Lavoe was still as popular as ever—thanks in part to the success of the Vigilante film soundtrack—a project which reunited him with Colón and reinvigorated both of the artists’ careers. On the heels of that success, he returned to the studio to record his eighth solo album, Reventó.
Translating to “burst,” 1985’s Reventó found Lavoe seeking to re-energize the salsa scene by bringing together the sounds and players from the genre’s heyday. He recruited Leopoldo Pineda and Lewis Khan to recreate Willie Colón’s signature trombone stylings and reunited with percussionist/vocalists Milton Cardona and José Mangual—both friends from his early days at Fania. The result was one of the most exciting and rhythmically diverse albums of Lavoe’s career.
The singer’s versatility is showcased through a wide range of styles, including the romantic opener, “De qué tamaño es tu amor,” which combines son and Puerto Rican bomba. Fan favorite “Déjala que siga,” meanwhile, is a pachanga number, featuring a flute solo by the great Johnny Pacheco. Lavoe’s humorous side is also on display through a Spanish-language cover of Joe Jackson’s neurotic “Cancer,”which originally appeared on the British singer-songwriter’s hit 1982 LP, Night and Day. Another pop cover is “Porqué no puedo ser felíz,” from the Argentine duo Pimpinela. With the help of celebrated percussionist, musical director and arranger José Madera, Lavoe and his band transform the song into a merengue.
Another standout track is the autobiographical “La fama”—Lavoe’s bittersweet response to his signature hit, “El Cantante.” In the song, Lavoe paints a stark portrait of life as a recording artist, as he sings about being paid to smile, even when he is sad, and how difficult it is to maintain relationships of any kind. On the other side of the spectrum is the uplifting samba “La vida es bonita.” Penned by Argentine artist Cacho Castaña, the tune offers a message of hope and empowerment: “Yo sé que la calle está dura pero ya cambiará/Por eso nada impide que repita que la vida es bonita . . .” (“I know that the street is harsh, but it will change/For nothing keeps me from repeating/That life is beautiful . . .”).
The outlook was certainly bright with the release of Reventó in the spring of 1985. In addition to entering Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart at No.12, it remained on the ranking for an impressive five months. The album also received broad acclaim from critics and, today, is counted among Lavoe’s best works. In a retrospective review, AllMusic praised, “With one foot in the old world of Puerto Rican son, and another in the bustle of New York’s Latin community, Lavoe’s music sounds timeless. This effort can’t fail to send hips into sinuous gyrations.”
Sadly, Reventó would be Lavoe’s penultimate album, before his untimely passing at the age of 46. During his brief but hugely influential career, Lavoe released a total of 10 solo albums, including the GRAMMY®-nominated Strikes Back in 1987. In addition to his work with Willie Colón, Lavoe was also a regular guest with the celebrated Fania All Stars, appearing on more than a dozen live and studio albums with the collective.
Over the decades, Lavoe and his extensive contributions to Latin music have been honored in New York and Puerto Rico through street dedications, statues and murals. Lavoe’s life also inspired an off-Broadway play, a tribute album and two feature films, including the Marc Anthony/Jennifer Lopez-led El Cantante (2006). In 2000, Lavoe was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
About Fania Records’ 60TH Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London.
Reventó Tracklist (Vinyl)
Side A
Side B
*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl
]]>sanantoniolimorepair celebrates the 20th anniversary of Atreyu’s best-selling sophomore album, The Curse, with its first vinyl reissue in a decade. Originally released in 2004, The Curse marked the metalcore band’s commercial breakthrough—not only breaking the US Top 40 but topping Billboard’s Independent Albums chart, thanks to memorable singles like “Bleeding Mascara,” “Right Side of the Bed” and “The Crimson.” To mark the album’s anniversary, this special reissue of The Curse features a rare bonus track (a cover of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”) and a fresh jacket design. In addition to black vinyl, the album will also be available in a variety of limited-edition pressings, including Bleeding Mascara and Crimson Swirl wax—both of which can be found exclusively at atreyuofficial.com—plus Pyre Smoke (via CraftRecordings.com) and Metallic Gold Marble (Revolver). All variants of The Curse arrive September 6 and can be pre-ordered here.
***
Named for the protagonist in Michael Ende’s The NeverEnding Story, Atreyu was formed in Orange County, CA, in 1998. After releasing two EPs (1998’s Visions and 2001’s Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty), the band signed to Victory Records—the storied rock, metal, punk and hardcore label, which boasts Thursday, Between the Buried and Me and Taking Back Sunday among its legendary alumni. Victory Records was acquired by Concord in 2019, while its influential catalog, which spans over three decades, is managed by sanantoniolimorepair.
In 2002, the five-piece released their genre-defining debut, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses. While the acclaimed album set the stage for their enduring career, the band’s 2004 follow-up, The Curse, placed them on the path to mainstream success. Recorded after a year of non-stop touring, the album found the band reflecting on their newfound fame, while grappling with the ups and downs of life on the road.
Produced by Garth “GGGarth” Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Biffy Clyro, Melvins), the album built upon the foundations that Atreyu set with their debut. While the metalcore heroes delivered plenty of blistering moments (including “Bleeding Mascara” and “Corseting”), they balanced their work through a host of reflective, melodic breakdowns, anthemic hooks, a growling power ballad (“The Remembrance Ballad”) and a pop instrumental “An Interlude.”
Upon its release in the summer of 2004, The Curse topped the US Independent charts and became Atreyu’s first album to break the Billboard 200, where it peaked at No.32. The LP, which went on to earn a Gold certification from the RIAA, also earned high marks from critics. Rolling Stone praised The Curse as “true headbanging nirvana,” while AllMusic declared that it “expands mightily on the promise and power of their debut.” PopMatters, meanwhile, hailed it as “a confident album,” praising Atreyu as “a young band who dares to make music that defies categorization.”
Also driving the album’s success were singles “The Crimson” and “Right Side of the Bed”—both of which found significant rotation on the likes of MTV2 and Fuse—while the latter track was also featured in the popular video game Burnout 3: Takedown. The following year, the band appeared on the soundtrack to the blockbuster film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, where they covered Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Game.” The song, which appears on the 20th Anniversary Edition of The Curse, was previously only available physically in the US on a limited-edition exclusive of the album.
Since releasing The Curse, Atreyu has become a leader in the global metalcore scene, thanks in part to two runs on Ozzfest, sold-out headlining tours, appearances on movie and game soundtracks and performances alongside peers like Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Slipknot and Bring Me the Horizon. To date, they have released a total of nine studio albums, including A Death-Grip on Yesterday (2006), which marked their first LP to break the Billboard 200’s Top Ten, and Lead Sails Paper Anchor (2007), which landed at No.8 and topped both the US Hard Rock and Rock Albums charts.
The band, which currently consists of Brandon Saller, Dan Jacobs, Travis Miguel, and bassist/unclean vocalist Porter McKnight, released their latest album (the acclaimed The Beautiful Dark of Life) in December 2023. This summer, Atreyu has performed across Europe, the UK and the US, including appearances at the Download Festival (England) and Rock im Park and Rock am Ring (Germany). Looking ahead, the band will be playing Las Vegas’ When We Were Young Festival, where they will be performing The Curse in full. Visit the band’s official site for tickets and more info.
The Curse tracklist (20th Anniversary Vinyl)
Side A:
Side B:
*Bonus track
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Though his life and career were all too brief, Charlie “Bird” Parker (1920–1955) endures as one of music’s most revolutionary figures. A founding father of bebop (or “bop,” for short) and among the greatest saxophonists of all time, Parker was an innovative composer and improviser whose highly influential work paved the way for hard bop, free jazz, fusion and beyond.
Born and raised in Kansas City, Parker first picked up the alto saxophone as a child. At 14, he dropped out of school to pursue a professional career, and in 1939, “Yardbird,” or “Bird,” as he was lovingly called, relocated to New York City. It was there that he began a deep exploration of melody, rhythm and phrasing, as he developed the earliest sounds of bop.
Bop marked a significant shift from the predominant, predictable sounds of the Swing Era big bands, which stuck to measured chord changes and ballroom-friendly rhythms. Instead, this was music that could be performed by small combos, allowing players the intimacy and freedom to dance around melodies through complex chords—often at a breakneck pace. It was groundbreaking, rebellious and unlike anything anyone had heard before.
Bird, Ashley Kahn writes, developed “a propensity for slaloming through changes with uncanny harmonic precision. His phrasing was filled with surprise and restless energy, marked by bursts of offbeat accents. Rather than fitting his statements neatly into the bar lines of the song structure, he began skating across them, drawing more attention to his own improvised statements, pushing further and further from familiar melodies and themes. “
While the early ’40s were overshadowed by a nationwide recording ban (led by the American Federation of Musicians due to a disagreement over royalty payments) , Bird and his compatriots used this time to develop bop during late-night jam sessions and after-hour shows. Often, they re-imagined their favorite standards, working within the harmonic structure of the original tune, but replacing their themes with faster-paced melodies. As Kahn explains, “These new creations came to be called ‘contrafacts,’ a classical music term borrowed to describe one of the ways of inventing original repertoire for this new mode of improvisation.”
In 1945, a year after the ban was lifted, this exciting new sound began to emerge on record. One of the most famous sessions from this time was led by Bird for Savoy Records and featured bop’s other foundational figures, including trumpet players Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, drummer Max Roach and bassist Curley Russell. Famously touted as “The Greatest Jazz Session Ever,” subsequent releases from the November 1945 session included the Parker originals “Billie’s Bounce,” “Now’s the Time” and “Ko-Ko,” which Kahn writes is “the tune most often credited as the true birth-cry of bebop.” Other highlights from the Savoy era include “Donna Lee,” “Parker’s Mood” and “Cheryl,” all of which are collected in Ornithology.
In order to paint a full picture of Bird’s genius, the compilation also features several of his live performances. These concerts, Kahn argues, “Further cemented his reputation as the standard-bearer of this new wave.” Multiple selections were recorded at New York’s Royal Roost club between December 1948 and May 1949 with an array of legendary players, including Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham and Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Max Roach (drums), Charles Mingus (bass), Milt Jackson(vibraphone) and Bud Powell (piano). Also featured is a fiery 1947 performance of “Confirmation” at Carnegie Hall, as well as a historic, all-star performance of “Salt Peanuts,” captured at Toronto’s Massey Hall in 1953, with Gillespie, Powell, Mingus and Roach.
“Among the most significant of [Bird’s] innovations,” Kahn writes, “was perhaps figuring out how to be truly individual and move the music forward without forfeiting the beauty of what came before. The trouble was that he accomplished it so well and so damn fast, there was little time to leave behind the breadcrumbs.” Indeed, Parker blazed a path that would change the course of modern music—reverberating long after his premature death at 34. Today, his pioneering spirit can be traced through generations of artists who followed in his footsteps.
These recordings, meanwhile, are just as vital as they were nearly eight decades ago. “This is music that demands our continued attention and focus,” argues Kahn. “The challenge today is to figure out how to make our contemporary ears know how intense and challenging Bird’s music was in its day. How to feel how scary it once was. How it bent the ears of an entire generation in the 1940s, then held on, not letting go—and how the world changed.”
Track Listing (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
Track Listing (CD/Digital):
As with all handpicked Bluesville titles, Live Wire/Blues Power and Last Night Blues will be released on vinyl in partnership with audiophile leader Acoustic Sounds. Delivering the highest-quality listening experience, the albums both feature all-analog mastering by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans (The Mastering Lab) and are pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP). Faithfully reproduced tip-on jackets round the releases, while OBIs offer insightful new blurbs by GRAMMY®-winning producer, writer, musician and record executive Scott Billington. Additionally, both albums will be available on CD and digitally in stunning hi-res audio. Read more about each title below.
Lightnin’ Hopkins feat. Sonny Terry: Last Night Blues (1960)
Hailing from Houston, TX, Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins (1912–1982) was one of blues music’s most prolific artists, admired equally for his technical prowess on the guitar and his poeticism as a songwriter. His four-decade-long career, meanwhile, influenced generations of artists (Townes Van Zandt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among them) and often found him collaborating with folk heroes, rock stars and countless fellow bluesmen, including the celebrated harmonicist Sonny Terry. Released in 1961 on Prestige Bluesville and recorded a year earlier, Last Night Blues marked the pair’s second of three albums together.
Recorded by legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder, the acoustic album remains a gem in both artists’ catalogs. Accompanied by Leonard Gaskin (bass) and Belton Evans (drums), the stripped-down set is intimate and soulful, allowing the interplay between Hopkins and Terry to become the focus. Featuring seven originals by Hopkins, plus one composition written with Terry, the album includes such favorites as “Got to Move Your Baby,” the languid “Rocky Mountain” and “Last Night Blues.”
Speaking to Last Night Blues, Scott Billingtonnotes, “Lightnin’s guitar playing and singing are simultaneously at their most passionate and relaxed. His striking lyrical imagery (‘You know the nightmares jumped on poor Lightnin’, they rolled me all night long/And I woke up not findin’ nothin’ but a dream/That’s why I'm singin’ this lonesome song’) is matched by his sure-handed and virtuosic guitar fills, and by Terry’s emotive harmonica. Their off-the-cuff and good-natured ‘Conversation Blues’ riffs on Terry’s sightlessness as Hopkins sings, ‘You know I only got two eyes and I’d offer you one. Now don’t you think well of me?’ It is a magical meeting of two of the greatest blues musicians.”
Acoustic Sounds’ Chad Kassem adds, “Lightnin’ is my absolute favorite blues musician. And here he is accompanied by another all-time great in harmonica man Sonny Terry. This is one of those albums where the sound matches the performances. There’s not a weak link in the chain. It gets my highest recommendation.”
Albert King: Live Wire/Blues Power (1968)
One of the most influential guitarists of all time, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Blues Hall of Fame inductee Albert King (1923–1992) ushered the genre into the modern era by combining his urgent Mississippi blues style with contemporary soul rhythms. Known for his smooth vocals and signature Flying V electric guitar, King continuously redefined the state of contemporary blues during his four-decade-long career through hits like “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw” and “I’ll Play the Blues for You.” Along the way, his guitar techniques informed axemen like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Warren Haynes, to name a few.
Recorded during a 1968 concert at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium and produced by drummer Al Jackson Jr. (of Booker T. & the M.G.’s fame) for release on Stax, Live Wire/Blues Power inspired many of the era’s rising guitar heroes, while it remains a definitive title in King’s catalog. Backed by a small rhythm section of guitar, electric organ, bass and drums, King’s prowess is on display in all of its glory as he blazes through original material (“Blues Power,” “Blues at Sunrise”), plus classic covers, including a spirited rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man.”
“If you never saw Albert King live in his prime, this is as close as you can possibly get,” declares Kassem. “And you’re gonna hear why he is considered one of the all-time best. It doesn’t get any better.”
Billington remarks, “Live Wire/Blues Power marked a pivotal moment not only in the guitarist’s career, but in the blues world at large,” adding that it served as “the introduction of the blues to the ‘flower power’ generation.”He continues, “King enthralls the young audience, while laying down his most extended guitar performances on record. His playing is powerful—twisting and turning over jaw-dropping stop-time breaks as he segues from one crescendo to the next.”
Bluesville Records, which launched in February with John Lee Hooker’s Burning Hell (1964) and Skip James’ Today! (1966), is intended to appeal to blues enthusiasts of all levels—from casual fans who are eager to learn more to long-time collectors and audiophiles. In addition to releasing foundational titles from such legendary labels as Stax, Prestige, Vee-Jay, Vanguard,Rounder and Riverside, Bluesville also seeks to elevate the legacies of the artists behind these albums, while honoring their immeasurable impact on modern music through a variety of initiatives, including curated playlists, in-depth editorial content, dedicated social media channels and much more. In June, Bluesville is celebrating Black Music Month with a variety of artist spotlights and accompanying playlists. For more information, visit bluesvillerecords.com and follow Bluesville Records on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Lightnin’ Hopkins with Sonny Terry – Last Night Blues Track Listing (Vinyl):
Side A:
Side B:
Lightnin’ Hopkins with Sonny Terry – Last Night Blues Track Listing (Hi-Res Digital):
Albert King – Live Wire/Blues Power Track Listing (Vinyl):
Side A:
Side B:
Albert King – Live Wire/Blues Power Track Listing (Hi-Res Digital):
Arriving August 16 via Craft Latino, and available for pre-order now, the album has been newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl for the ultimate listening experience. Rounding out the package is a tip-on jacket, replicating Planté bandera’s classic Inca Records artwork. A deluxe Bandera Blue vinyl color exclusive (limited to 300 copies), with an exciting bundle option that includes a limited-edition Planté bandera T-shirt, is available for pre-order at the Craft store. Additionally, the album will make its debut in 192/24 HD digital audio.
Planté bandera arrives as Craft Latino celebrates the 60th anniversary of Fania Records. One of the most significant Latin labels in the world, Fania has long been the definitive home for such influential genres as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, Latin soul and salsa. Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor Fania’s enduring legacy through a variety of special releases and initiatives, including more than a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, plus curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London. Visit fania.com/fania-60th to learn more.
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With a career that spanned nearly 50 years, celebrated bandleader and virtuosic horn player Tommy Olivencia (1938–2006) was instrumental in shaping the Puerto Rican salsa sound. Born in San Juan, Olivencia began playing the trumpet as a teenager—cutting his chops with local bands before creating his renowned orchestra, La Primerisima, in 1960. Beloved for their signature blend of melodic and swing styles, paired with a big brass sound, La Primerisima soon became known as an incubator for many of the best vocalists in Latin music, including such world-renowned singers as Paquito Guzmán, Chamaco Ramirez, Frankie Ruiz and Gilberto Santa Rosa.
In 1965, Olivencia signed to the newly formed Inca Records, releasing his debut, La nueva sensación musical de Puerto Rico, that same year. Over the next decade—thanks to best-selling albums like Secuestro (1972) and Juntos de nuevo (1974)—Olivencia would help make the Puerto Rican label (which was acquired by Fania Records in 1971) a force in Latin music. Among his most enduring albums, however, was 1975’s Planté bandera, which marked La Primerisima’s eighth and final LP with longtime vocalist Chamaco Ramirez.
Recorded in New York and produced by the great Luís “Perico” Ortiz, Planté bandera was comprised primarily of works by the prolific Puerto Rican composer Tite Curet Alonso, plus originals by Ortiz along with José Febles, Louie Cruz, Máximo Torres and Dominican trumpeter Cabrerita. Long considered a salsa masterpiece, the album featured many of Olivencia’s biggest hits, including the title track—a self-empowering coming-of-age song (which translates to “I Will Raise My Flag”) performed confidently by Ramirez. Planté bandera also found the band revisiting their classic ’60s hit, “Trucutu.” The song, penned by Ramirez, is an ode to truqueros (con artists) and showcases the artist’s vocal dexterity.
The energetic “Evelio y la rumba,” another chart-buster for the group, highlights the delicious bongo beats of José “Papi” Fuentes, as well as the nimble work of timbalero Julito Morales. Among the more sentimental tracks is “Como novela de amor,” which features a cameo by crooner José Pepe Sanchez, plus the bossa nova–tinged “El amor.”
While the album would only grow in popularity after its release, its title track would become Olivencia’s biggest hit. Today, “Planté bandera” is one of the most beloved Latin songs of all time with countless covers in existence. Olivencia and his bandmates, meanwhile, would continue to evolve with the changing times—always keeping the groundbreaking Primerisima sound fresh over the decades.
During his prolific career, Tommy Olivencia released over 20 albums and earned a variety of honors, including Puerto Rico’s prestigious Agüeybaná de Oro Award. Nearly two decades after his death, Olivencia remains one of the undisputed pillars of Caribbean music.
Planté Bandera Tracklist (Vinyl)
Side A
Side B
*Digital track list mirrors the vinyl.
]]>sanantoniolimorepair announces the final batch of 2024 reissues for its Original Jazz Classics series, beloved by collectors and critics alike. The latest reissues include Clark Terry Quartet & Thelonious Monk’s In Orbit, Mal Waldron’s The Quest, Thelonious Monk Septet’s Monk’s Music, Blue Mitchell’s Blue’s Moods, and Cal Tjader’s Latin Kick. All of these titles can be pre-ordered now.
As with previous releases, these new reissues will boast lacquers cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI, and tip-on jackets, replicating the original artwork. All titles will also be released digitally in 192/24 HD audio. Original Jazz Classics was created in 1982 (under Fantasy Records) and relaunched in 2023. This audiophile series has thus far reissued a staggering 850+ jazz albums, drawing from its dazzling jazz catalog, which has grown to include thousands of artist-defining titles originally released by Prestige, Galaxy, Milestone, Riverside, Debut, Contemporary, Jazzland, and Pablo.
Original Jazz Classics relaunched last year to great critical acclaim. While commenting on the reissue of Bill Evans’ Sunday at the Village Vanguard, PopMatters enthused, “The bright, inventive performances are captured perfectly in these new vinyl releases, and listening to them is an exciting, riveting, and perhaps bittersweet experience, as they caught a unique, influential group of musicians at their peak. Clash declared the reissue to be “a must-have.” Tracking Angle gave a perfect score review to the reissue of Bill Evans’ Waltz for Debby, adding, “The best-sounding of all the pressings…the whole line will be worth watching and buying quickly before they sell out.” All About Jazz echoed that sentiment, saying, “Without hyperbole, it can be stated that this is the best-sounding version yet of a beloved album.”
Read more on the latest batch of OJC releases below.
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Clark Terry Quartet & Thelonious Monk – In Orbit (Available August 30, 2024)
Trumpeter Clark Terry plays the flugelhorn on this 1958 release, which earned much attention for one important, flattering detail: Monk appears here as a sideman. The other support talent is nothing to sneeze at: Cannonball Adderley’s frequent bassist Sam Jones and Philly Joe Jones, whom Bill Evans raved about being his favorite drummer.
At this point Clark was at a peak, having become a frequent presence on the stage with Count Basie and Duke Ellington. To that end, AllMusic commented that In Orbit was, true to its title, “A spirited, boppish date.” Monk fans will revel in the more rarified track “Let’s Cool One” (the pianist’s only composition here). Other standouts include Terry’s silky-smooth “One Foot in the Gutter” and the wistful “Argentia.”
Mal Waldron – The Quest (Available September 27, 2024)
Back in 1962, Billboard mused that this album from Waldron, one of Billie Holiday’s go-to pianists, “Contains two ingredients that show his deep-rooted talent, melody, and swing.” An alluring mix of avant-garde and hard bop, the sextet is a well-rounded showcase of talent featuring Eric Dolphy on alto sax, Booker Ervin on tenor sax, Ron Carter on cello, Joe Benjamin on double bass, and Charlie Persip on drums.
Even after decades, Waldron’s compositions such as the sentimental “Duquility” and escapist “Warm Canto” remain unparalleled in their willing transcendence of genre and expectations. Meanwhile, “Fire Waltz” is a bright, cerebral-bop delight.
Thelonious Monk Septet – Monk’s Music (Available October 25, 2024)
This swoon-worthy, seminal album in the Monk cannon was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. The 1957 release by the piano-great also features the talents of Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax), Art Blakey (drums), and John Coltrane (tenor sax) to glorious effect.
The album, wrote Pitchfork, “Helped define the future of jazz and the mind of Monk.” His songs “Ruby, My Dear,” a study in nostalgia, and in contrast, the lively, confident “Well You Needn’t” are highlights in Monk Music’s aural field of dreams.
Blue Mitchell – Blue’s Moods (Available November 15, 2024)
Upon Blue’s Moods release in 1960, DownBeat observed that the work “reflects the attainment of a measure of self-assurance and restraint, hallmarks…of the mature artist.” To that end, this release from Mitchell (on both trumpet and coronet) continues to be a classic, thanks to leaning into the spirited ease that captures hard-bop’s spirited, groove-driven ease.
Joined by a solid rhythm section (pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Roy Brooks). Blue’s Moods exudes warmth and curiosity in covers such as the chilled-out, sauntering “Sweet Pumpkin” and the edgier, life-affirming “Avars.” Blue’s Moods is as seemingly effortless as effortless gets.
Cal Tjader – Latin Kick (Available December 18, 2024)
As legend has it, Tjader’s music has been sampled in more than 200 tracks. There’s a reason why: His pioneering work as a bandleader and (mostly) vibraphonist in the Latin jazz genre is an irresistible entwining of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz fundamentals that immediately transports you to another time and place.
“Everything cooks in a bright yet disciplined manner,” AllMusic said of Latin Kick, his unforgettable release from 1956. “Tjader’s elliptical, swinging vibes preside genially over the ensemble.” This is true: You’d have to try pretty hard to not feel a contact high while listening to effervescent tracks, such as his cha-cha take on Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris,” and an ironically carefree “Lover Come Back to Me,” a cover of the Oscar Hammerstein II song.
Tracklists:
Clark Terry Quartet & Thelonious Monk – In Orbit
Side A
Side B
Mal Waldron – The Quest
Side A
Side B
Thelonious Monk Septet – Monk’s Music
Side A
Side B
Blue Mitchell – Blue’s Moods
Side A
Side B
Cal Tjader – Latin Kick
Side A
Side B
Arriving August 9 and available to pre-order now, Café features all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Rounding out the release is a tip-on jacket, replicating Café’s original artwork. Additionally, Café will also make its digital debut in standard and 192/24 hi-res audio. Plus, a deluxe Dynamite Red vinyl color exclusive (limited to 300 copies), with an exciting bundle option that includes a commemorative Vaya Records T-shirt is available for pre-order at Fania.com. This reissue is also part of the Fania 60th anniversary year-long celebration honoring the iconic label’s enduring legacy and the birth of salsa music. Visit fania.com/fania-60th to learn more.
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In 1970, Fania Records founders Jerry Masucci and Johnny Pacheco launched Vaya Records: an imprint that would serve as a home to some of their most popular and innovative artists, including Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaría and Cheo Feliciano. In addition to releasing numerous salsa classics, however, Vaya also allowed Masucci and Pacheco to branch out into other genres, including jazz, soul and rock.
Among those forays was Café: a New York City-based septet that offered an enticing blend of Latin rhythms with popular sounds of the era, including psych-rock, funk and soul. The group caught the ear of celebrated bandleader, percussionist and Fania All Stars musical director Ray Barretto, who—with eclectic hits like “El Watusi,” “Indestructible” and “A Deeper Shade of Soul”—was no stranger himself to musical exploration. It was a natural move, then, for Barretto to serve as producer for the band’s self-titled debut.
Comprised of Jeff Chaumont (vocals, bass), Julio Gonzalez (vocals, guitar), Daniel Zaremba (piano), Oscar Salas (drums), Nelson “Flako” Padron (timbales, congas), Ian Hilton (saxophone, flute) and seasoned trumpeter Ronnie Tooley (whose credits include projects for John Lennon and Yoko Ono, James Brown and Jaco Pastorius), the band was also joined by several esteemed guests. Among them was the award-winning trumpeter Luis “Perico” Ortiz (Tito Puente, David Bowie, Fania All Stars), saxophonist/flutist Justo Almario (the Commodores, Freddie Hubbard, Chaka Kahn) and saxophonist Hector Veneros (Eddie Palmieri, Mongo Santamaría, Fran Ferrer).
Together, they recorded 11 original songs in English and Spanish that channeled everyone from Blood, Sweat & Tears and the Doors to Santana and War. Among the Spanish-language highlights is the funky opener “Sí Dame Tu Amor” and the supremely groovy “Siempre Mas y Mas,” while the band delivers such English-language delicacies as the jaunty, piano-forward “My Chance Is Due” and the soulful, organ-based “Someday.” Another standout track is the six-and-a-half-minute instrumental “Search for Love/Identify Yourself,” in which the band segues from a dramatic piano and flute-based dirge into an explosive, high-energy jazz jam.
Fifty years later, Café sounds as fresh as ever and, most certainly, will prove that it’s never too late to be rediscovered.
About Fania Records’ 60TH Anniversary Celebration:
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London.
Click here to pre-order Café.
Click here to find the exclusive bundle including the Dynamite Red vinyl color exclusive with the commemorative Vaya Records T-shirt.
Café Tracklist (Vinyl)
Side A
Side B
*Digital track list mirrors the vinyl.
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The original 11-track album can also be found on a series of limited-edition 2-LP pressings, available on color vinyl for the first time, including Gray Smoke (available wide), Black & Grey Splatter (exclusively via the official Creed store), Orange Smoke (Walmart), Red Smoke (Barnes & Noble), Gray Opaque (Revolver), and Black & Gold Marble (Spotify Fans First).
To gear up for the reunion, the band are remastering their iconic music videos in HD. Head to Creed’s official YouTube channel to watch the newly restored videos for “With Arms Wide Open” and “Higher,” and more special announcements will be made in the near future.
Released in September 1999, Human Clay cemented Creed as certified superstars, debuting at No.1 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for a record-breaking 104 weeks. The album’s first single, “Higher,” spent a whopping 57 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No.7, and topping the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts for 17 weeks. The 2x Platinum single “With Arms Wide Open,” became Creed’s first No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100—a spot it held for four weeks – and earned the band a GRAMMY for Best Rock Song and a nod for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
Human Clay has sold over 11 million copies in the US alone, achieving a rare Diamond certification by the RIAA. In 2009, it ranked at No.5 on Billboard’s 200 Albums of the Decade roundup. Today, it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time in the US, while it has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
“Twenty-five years ago, we could have never guessed we’d be celebrating Human Clay’s lasting impact while embarking on a whole new chapter together in 2024. Then and now, it’s the fans who’ve embraced these songs and found a deeper connection to them as they’ve progressed in their lives. Now, we’re reconnecting with these songs like it’s the first time and seeing the impact on a whole new generation” reflects Scott Stapp.
Human Clay [Deluxe Edition] Tracklist (2-CD, Digital)
Disc 1
6 . Faceless Man
Disc 2
Live from San Antonio, TX – 11/4/1999
* previously unreleased
# Expanded digital album only
Human Clay Tracklist (2-LP)
Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
With more than 53 million albums sold worldwide, Creed remains one of modern rock’s most successful acts. Now, 30 years into their incredible journey, Creed is bigger than ever. In late 2023, the Texas Rangers made “Higher” their unofficial anthem, as it spurred them to their first World Series win. Earlier this year, the song appeared in a high-profile Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial, while a NASCAR Daytona 500 campaign also incorporated the hit single. Along the way, Creed has gained a new generation of fans, thanks to countless TikTok videos that feature their songs. The band will make their return to network television on Monday, June 17th when they perform their classic hit, “Higher” on Good Morning America and “My Sacrifice” on GMA3.
Last summer, after an 11-year hiatus, Creed announced their long-awaited reunion—returning to the stage for the first time in April 2024 at the sold-out Summer of ’99 Cruise and Summer of ’99 and Beyond Cruise. In May, meanwhile, the band’s multiplatinum-selling Greatest Hits collection made its wide debut on vinyl (via Craft), this month landing the collection back into the Billboard 200 (currently No.166, in a list of the most consumed albums in the U.S.), as well as hitting Top Hard Rock & Alternative Albums (No.48), Top Alternative Albums (No.21), and moving up the Top Hard Rock Albums rankings (No.11). Originally issued in 2004, the 14-track compilation spans the band’s first three albums (1997’s My Own Prison, 1999’s Human Clay, and 2001’s Weathered). In the months ahead, fans can catch the band on their Summer of ’99 Tour (currently Sold Out) running from July through September, where they’ll be joined by the likes of 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, Switchfoot, Fuel, Big Wreck, and Daughtry. The band will be heading into arenas this November and December on the Are You Ready? Tour with 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH in the US and Mammoth WVH and Finger Eleven in Canada. Scroll down to see a complete list of shows or visit Creed’s official website for tickets and more info.
CREED: SUMMER OF ‘99 TOUR DATES:
Supporting Acts: + 3 Doors Down | ^ Daughtry | * Switchfoot | x Tonic | # Big Wreck | = Finger Eleven
July 17 | Green Bay, WI | Resch Center * = (Sold Out)
July 19 | Monticello, IA | Great Jones County Fair * = (Sold Out)
July 20 | Walker, MN | Moondance Jam * = (Sold Out)
July 23 | Simpsonville, SC | CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park * = (Sold Out)
July 24 | Charlotte, NC | PNC Music Pavilion + = (Sold Out)
July 26 | Bristow, VA | Jiffy Lube Live + = (Sold Out)
July 27 | Virginia Beach, VA | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach + = (Sold Out)
July 30 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage # = (Sold Out)
July 31 | Clarkston, MI | Pine Knob Music Theatre + = (Sold Out)
August 2 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center + = (Sold Out)
August 3 | Burgettstown, PA | The Pavilion at Star Lake + = (Sold Out)
August 6 | Bridgeport, CT | Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater x = (Sold Out)
August 7| Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center + = (Sold Out)
August 9 | St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis, MO + = (Sold Out)
August 10 | Indianapolis, IN | Ruoff Music Center + = (Sold Out)
August 13 | Nashville, TN | Ascend Amphitheater x = (Sold Out)
August 14 | Pelham, AL | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
August 16 | Tinley Park, IL | Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
August 17 | Welch, MN | Treasure Island Amphitheater + = (Sold Out)
August 20 | Gilford, NH | BankNH Pavilion x = (Sold Out)
August 21 | Boston, MA | Xfinity Center + = (Sold Out)
August 23 | Hershey, PA | Hersheypark Stadium + = (Sold Out)
August 24 | Saratoga Springs, NY | Broadview Stage at SPAC + = (Sold Out)
August 31 | San Bernardino, CA | Glen Helen Amphitheater (Summer of '99 & Beyond Festival with 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, Finger Eleven, Hinder, Fuel, Vertical Horizon, The Verve Pipe) (Sold Out)
September 1 | Wheatland, CA | Toyota Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
September 4 | Phoenix, AZ | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
September 6 | Salt Lake City, UT | Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
September 7 | Denver, CO | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
September 10 | Rogers, AR | Walmart AMP ^ = (Sold Out)
September 11 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion + = (Sold Out)
September 13 | San Antonio, TX | Frost Bank Center + = (Sold Out)
September 14 | Houston, TX | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman + = (Sold Out)
September 16 | Brandon, MS | Brandon Amphitheater ^ = (Sold Out)
September 18| Raleigh, NC | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek + = (Sold Out)
September 20 | Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds + = (Sold Out)
September 21 | West Palm Beach, FL | iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
September 24 | Jacksonville, FL | Daily's Place x =(Sold Out)
September 25 | Alpharetta, GA | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre + = (Sold Out)
September 27 | Darien Lake, NY | Darien Lake Amphitheater + = (Sold Out)
September 28 | Atlantic City, NJ | Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena + = (Sold Out)
CREED: “ARE YOU READY?” TOUR DATES:
Supporting Acts: * 3 Doors Down/Mammoth WVH | ^ Mammoth WVH/Finger Eleven
November 02 | Oklahoma City, OK | Paycom Center *
November 03 | Little Rock, AR | Simmons Bank Arena *
November 06 | Kansas City, MO | T-Mobile Center *
November 08 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena *
November 09 | Biloxi, MS | Mississippi Coast Coliseum * (Sold Out)
November 12 | Corpus Christi, TX | American Bank Center Arena *
November 13 | Fort Worth, TX | Dickies Arena *
November 15 | Austin, TX | Moody Center ATX *
November 16 | Bossier City, LA | Brookshire Grocery Arena *
November 19 | Grand Rapids, MI | Van Andel Arena *
November 20 | Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena *
November 22 | Cleveland, OH | Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse *
November 23 | Baltimore, MD | CFG Bank Arena *
November 25 | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre ^
November 27 | Toronto, ON | Scotiabank Arena ^
November 29 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden *
November 30 | Bangor, ME | Cross Insurance Center *
December 02 | Allentown, PA | PPL Center *
December 04 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena *
December 05 | Orlando, FL | Kia Center *
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Now, for the very first time, Sylvester’s legendary concert can be re-lived in its entirety through Live at the Opera House. Previously only available in heavily edited excerpts (via 1979’s Living Proof), the new album presents over two hours of AAA-mastered audio, including all 13 songs from the performance —“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat)” among them—plus a recording of the mid-concert ceremony where Sylvester was awarded the Key to San Francisco. The first single from the album, an extended cut of “Body Strong,” is available to stream on digital platforms now.
Live at the Opera House arrives September 6th via sanantoniolimorepair on 3-LP, 2-CD, as well as HD and standard digital. Both the 3-LP edition (which is pressed on purple vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket) as well as the 2-CD set include recently discovered photographs from the evening, plus new liner notes by Joshua Gamson, author of The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The Music, The Seventies in San Francisco (Henry Holt/Picador, 2005). Click here to pre-order Live at the Opera House.
***
“I have no real projections except I want to play the San Francisco Opera House. I am—and I'm saying this—I am going to play the opera house! It’s going to be a fabulous show with a full orchestra, lots of costumes, lots of lighting and lots of everything. Lots! And whenever you think you have too much, you should put on more, just to be safe.” —Sylvester, in an October 1977 interview with The Advocate.
While Sylvester had long envisioned his concert at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, nothing could have prepared him for the career-defining moment that it would become. Welcomed home by 3,250 friends, family, and fans, the mononymous singer, songwriter, and disco star was about to deliver one of his greatest live performances. But the path to that hallowed stage was long in the making—and certainly not an easy one.
Born in Los Angeles in 1947, Sylvester James Jr. was a natural performer, who trained his soulful voice in the Pentecostal church. But he also wasn’t afraid to be his true self. Leaving home as a teenager, the trailblazing artist lived openly as a gay man, proudly challenging gender norms through his fluid appearance in an era when queer lifestyles were still criminalized in parts of the US. In 1970, Sylvester adopted San Francisco as his home and began making a name for himself—both as a part of avant-garde drag troupe, The Cockettes, and with his rock group, Sylvester and His Hot Band. Though he failed to find commercial success with the Hot Band’s two releases, he set his sights on a solo career, signing a deal with the Berkeley-based Fantasy Records. Armed with new backing singers—Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes (better known as “Two Tons O’Fun,” who later became The Weather Girls)—Sylvester released a self-titled, disco debut in 1977. His follow-up, 1978’s Step II, made him a star.
In the year leading up to his Opera House appearance, Sylvester became a household name, enjoying a Gold-certified album and two Top 40 hits: “Dance (Disco Heat)” and the enduring hi-NRG anthem, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).” Both singles hit No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, while the latter song broke the UK’s Top 10. That success found Sylvester playing sold-out gigs in London and touring the US with acts like The Commodores, Chaka Khan, and War. As one of the few publicly queer performers at the time, Sylvester also broke barriers by appearing on national shows like American Bandstand, The Merv Griffin Show, and Dinah Shore.
For Sylvester, booking a show at the San Francisco Opera House was a celebration of all that he had accomplished so far. But, as Joshua Gamson (author of The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, the Music, the Seventies in San Francisco) writes, the evening also proved what a force Sylvester had become within the city’s queer community. “For gay San Franciscans and the people who loved them, who had known Sylvester from his raucous local shows, or from the dance floor, or just from seeing him around the Castro with his broad, shy smile and his dogs, it was like your cousin had just become a movie star.” He adds, “Almost every self-respecting homosexual in San Francisco was somewhere in the crowd.” Also in the audience were a handful of local dignitaries (including state assemblyman and future mayor Willie Brown and city supervisor Harry Britt), plus the artist’s mother, brother, and sister.
As the curtain rose, the 26-piece orchestra launched into an overture of recent hits as Sylvester, dressed in a sequined red robe, made his grand entrance in a tornado of glitter. Befitting the venue, the show was presented in three parts: “An elaborate overture and opening act; a quieter, bluesier center; and a high-energy, allegro third act, ending on a quiet, bittersweet hymn,” describes Gamson. The setlist—a blend of covers and originals—showcased the breadth of Sylvester’s abilities, as he moved seamlessly between pulsating dance numbers and soulful balladry with his powerful, falsetto vocals.
While his two biggest hits (“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat)”) appeared twice in the show—as orchestral medleys and as previously unreleased extended vocal performances—the artist also premiered “Body Strong” and delivered a rendition of Ben E. King’s “I (Who Have Nothing),” both of which would appear on his 1979 studio album, Stars. The latter performance, meanwhile, makes its debut in this collection. Other previously unreleased selections include an emotive medley of the Benard Ighner-penned staple, “Everything Must Change,” paired with the singer’s own “You Are My Love”—a reprise of the opening overture, plus a cover of the ’70s classic “Never Can Say Goodbye” (in the style of fellow disco queen, Gloria Gaynor), which closed out the evening.
Sylvester also gave impassioned performances of “Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)” (famously recorded by Billie Holiday), the Patti LaBelle-penned “You Are My Friend,” as well as The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Midway through the concert, meanwhile, the artist was presented with the Key to the City. The ceremony, which is featured in its entirety on Live at the Opera, was presided over by longtime city supervisor and gay rights activist Harry Britt, who declared March 11th Sylvester Day, on behalf of then-mayor Dianne Feinstein.
The concert would be a personal milestone for Sylvester, as well as a critical and commercial success (it was the country’s highest-selling event that week for venues under 6,000 people). But—having taken place mere months after the assassination of the state’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk—it was also viewed as a symbolic achievement for San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. “1978 had been a year of foul, violent backlash and collective trauma and loss,” writes Gamson. “Milk had been a symbol of gay power and, now, anti-gay brutality. Sylvester had become an icon of joyful gayness and self-possessed unconventionality. To a lot of people, Milk’s death felt like their own, and Sylvester’s success felt like their victory and their vengeance.”
Later that year, excerpts from the concert were released by Fantasy Records as the double LP, Living Proof. The album peaked at No.45 on Billboard’s R&B chart and spawned several charting singles. In a retrospective of the album, AllMusic praised, “Rockers who dismissed disco in general as cold and mechanical never seriously listened to Sylvester, a passionate, captivating singer who had a magnificent range and was consistently mindful of disco’s soul and gospel roots... [Living Proof] documents…that Sylvester was far from one-dimensional.”
In the years that followed, Sylvester continued to enjoy a steady schedule of album releases, including 1982’s All I Need, which spawned the popular single “Do You Wanna Funk,” and 1986’s Mutual Attraction, featuring the chart-topping dance hit, “Someone Like You.” In addition to his celebrated musical career, Sylvester also became a tireless activist for those living with HIV and AIDS. Sadly, the artist lost his own battle to complications from the virus in 1988, at the age of 41.
Sylvester’s legacy continues to live on, as new generations not only fall in love with his music but also acknowledge the barriers he broke as a queer icon. In the decades following his death, Sylvester has been honored in a myriad of ways, including being inducted into the Dance Music Hall Of Fame in 2005 and ranking among Billboard’s greatest dance club artists in 2016. He was one of the inaugural honorees on San Francisco’s Rainbow Honor Walk and was the subject of an acclaimed, off-Broadway play, Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical. More recently, in 2019, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” while in 2023, Rolling Stone included Sylvester on their 200 Greatest Singers of All Time ranking.
Tracklist (Vinyl):
Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
Side E
Side F
* Unreleased
# Extended
Tracklist (CD/Digital):
* Unreleased
# Extended
]]>“A half-century later, the Memphis band's sophomore album remains a bright, beautiful portrait of young,
big emotions and the way they intersected with the joy of music… After Radio City, those feelings have been rarely articulated so perfectly since.” – Paste Magazine
50 years ago, Memphis power pop pioneers Big Star released Radio City, their genre-defining sophomore album, which went on to become a cult classic inspiring generations of fans through songs such as “September Gurls,” “Back of a Car,” and “I’m in Love With a Girl.” To celebrate the album’s enduring legacy, an all-star collective of musicians (led by the band’s sole surviving original member, Jody Stephens) will perform Radio City in its entirety on both sides of the Atlantic.
Joining Stephens will be some of the band’s biggest fans who have long been associated with Big Star-related projects, including Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Jon Auer (The Posies), Pat Sansone (Wilco), and Chris Stamey (The dB's). The festivities kick off in July at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on August 21, followed by shows across the East Coast in August and the West Coast in October. After a special hometown show at Memphis’ Crosstown Theater on October 1, the group will head to Europe, with stops in Spain, Norway, and the UK. For a full list of cities visited on the tour along with dates, please see below or click here.
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Heavily influenced by the British Invasion, yet undeniably original, Big Star (vocalists/guitarists Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel, and drummer Jody Stephens) offered a fresh new sound when they emerged in the early ’70s. While power pop wouldn’t truly take off until later in the decade, the Memphis band set the tone with their infectious blend of jangly pop, driving guitars, sweet harmonies, and wistful melancholia. In 1971, Big Star made their debut with #1 Record, which featured such memorable numbers as “In the Street” (later made famous by Cheap Trick),“Thirteen” ("one of rock's most beautiful celebrations of adolescence" — Rolling Stone, 2011), and “The Ballad of El Goodo.” (“The bridge [or middle eight, call it what you will] alone shows more talent and creativity than some bands' entire back catalogues.” — The Guardian, 2011) While the album garnered high marks from critics, however, it failed to make a commercial splash.
Bell departed the band soon after, leaving Chilton, Hummel, and Stephens to continue as a trio. In late 1973, Big Star returned to Ardent Studios to record their follow-up, with producer John Fry. Despite losing his longtime collaborator, Chilton stepped in as the band’s de facto leader—a role that allowed his songwriting talents to shine. Released in 1974, Radio City (available via Stax Records/sanantoniolimorepair) featured some of Big Star’s most beloved tracks, including the bluesy opener “O, My Soul,” offbeat rocker “Back of a Car,” the sweet acoustic ballad “I’m in Love with a Girl,” plus their iconic pop classic, “September Gurls.” Once again, Radio City was met with critical acclaim but fell victim to distribution issues, selling less than 20,000 copies at the time.
But the story of Radio City certainly wasn’t over. Shared between friends and musicians as the years went on, the album became a cult favorite—far exceeding its original commercial performance. Today, it is considered a definitive title in the power pop canon and has long been counted among rock’s greatest albums. Hailed as “Pure power pop perfection” by Rolling Stone, Radio City has been included in the outlet’s 2003, 2012, and 2020 “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” rankings. “September Gurls,” meanwhile, appeared on its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list, whileConsequence of Sound declared the track “One of American music’s prototypical power pop jams.”
Although Big Star disbanded in late 1974 (not long after recording their third album, Third/Sister Lovers), the band went on to achieve near-mythic status in the underground scene, influencing some the biggest alt-rock artists of the ’80s, ’90s and beyond, including R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub, Wilco, and The Replacements (who famously penned the song “Alex Chilton” as an ode to the group’s frontman). Over the years, Big Star’s songs have been reinterpreted by the likes of Elliott Smith, The Bangles, Placebo, Beck, Gin Blossoms, Garbage, Counting Crows, and Jeff Buckley, to name a few.
In the last two decades, Big Star has finally been given their due, honored with a host of glowing retrospectives, as well as a tribute record (Big Star Small World, 2006), a documentary (2012’s Nothing Can Hurt Me), and the 2016 concert film and live album, Thank You, Friends: Big Star’s Third Live…And More. The acclaimed release, which is available to view on AmazonPrime, captures the popular touring live show, “Big Star’s Third,” in which an all-star roster of guest vocalists and musicians join a core group (including Stephens, Mills, Auer, Sansone, and Stamey) to perform Third/Sister Lovers, plus selections from #1 Record and Radio City. Filmed at a concert in Glendale, CA, Thank You, Friends features a cross-generational lineup of talent, including Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Robyn Hitchcock, Dan Wilson, original arranger Carl Marsh, and San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet.
50th Anniversary Full Performance of Big Star's Radio City (& More):
August 21 - Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC
August 22 - White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ
August 23 - Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA
August 24 - Union Stage, Washington, DC
Oct. 1 - Crosstown Theater, Memphis, TN
Oct. 4 - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 7 - The Lodge Room, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 24 - Auditorio Mar de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
Oct. 26 - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, Spain
Oct. 27 - La Riviera, Madrid, Spain
Oct. 29 - Folketeateret, Oslo, Norway
Oct. 31 - Hackney Church, London, UK
The Big Star Quintet (with special guest John Stirratt [Wilco] subbing for Mike Mills) will also be hitting the road this July:
July 13 — FitzGerald's, Chicago, IL
July 14 — Square Roots Festival, Chicago, IL
July 15 — Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, Maquoketa, IA
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In addition to a wide Neon Orange pressing, fans can also find several limited color variants of Black Sails in the Sunset, including a “Sunspot” variant(available exclusively through AFI’s official store), “Tropical Sunset” (via sanantoniolimorepair/Nitro Records) and “Oriole” (Revolver).
***
Formed in 1991 by California high school students Davey Havok (vocals) and Adam Carson (drums, backing vocals), AFI (short for A Fire Inside) began as a hardcore act. After gaining traction in the Bay Area scene and releasing their 1995 debut, Answer That and Stay Fashionable, the band signed to Nitro Records. Over the next few years, AFI built a steady following through releases like 1997’s Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and 1998’s A Fire Inside EP, while they cemented their long-running lineup with the addition of bassist Hunter Burgan in 1997 and, finally, guitarist Jade Puget in 1998.
The band’s sound was evolving as well, as they began to move beyond their hardcore roots. That creative evolution would become most apparent with their fourth studio album, 1999’s Black Sails in the Sunset. “Black Sails definitely set the tone of what AFI is,” said Havok in a 2017 Yahoo! interview. “When people envision AFI, whether they picture what we sound like, or look like, or what a show is . . . they’re picturing what began at Black Sails in the Sunset.”
The 12-track album marked a significant stylistic shift for the band, as they ventured into increasingly melodic territory. The breadth of their songwriting is showcased in such standout tracks as the menacing “Malleus Maleficarum,”the breakneck “Porphyria” and the dramatic, anthemic opener, “Strength Through Wounding.” The group also reveals their softer side through songs like “Clove Smoke Catharsis,” in which Havok delivers a melancholic and emotionally raw vocal performance, and the impassioned ballad “God Called in Sick Today.”
Reflecting on the album turning 25, Havok notes "Black Sails will always be very dear to me. It represents the most profound artistic turning point of the band. With this record came Hunter’s permanence and Jade’s arrival. It is the inchoate definition of what AFI would become and is today.” adding with regards to the never-before-released bonus track “Weight of Words” is one of my favorites from the session. On this edition it may be heard for the first time.”
Black Sails in the Sunset has long been hailed as a turning point in AFI’s prolific career. Upon its release, Alternative Press gave the album 4.5/5 stars, declaring it “their first epic. . . . With longer, deeper, richer, more complex compositions than they’ve ever attempted before, Black Sails tackles everything from brooding hardcore . . . to shimmering balladry.” Over the years, the album has been reflected upon fondly by the likes of Neil Strauss at the New York Times (who called it AFI’s “artistic breakthrough . . . in which Davey Havok developed into a singer and songwriter of substance”) and the UK’s Metal Hammer, which included Black Sails in the Sunset on their 20 Best Metal Albums of 1999 roundup, writing “Davey Havok and co truly embraced the dark side. . . . AFI’s great transformation was underway.”
In the years following Black Sails in the Sunset, AFI found significant commercial success, breaking into the mainstream with Platinum-selling albums like 2003’s Sing the Sorrow and 2006’s Decemberunderground, which topped the Billboard 200. Along the way, the band scored a variety of hit singles, including “Girl’s Not Grey,” “Love Like Winter,” “Medicate” and “Miss Murder,” which landed atop Billboard’s Alternative chart in 2006.
Today, with 11 studio albums, 10 EPs, four MTV Video Music Awards and a GRAMMY® nomination to their name, AFI shows no signs of slowing down, much to the delight of their multi-generational, global fanbase. This summer, the band will embark on an extensive North American tour supporting Thirty Seconds to Mars, with shows beginning in late July and running through September. Visit the band’s official site for tickets and more info.
Track Listing:
Side A:
Side B:
* Previous hidden track
** Bonus track
*** Previously unreleased
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