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This week the first new music in almost 40 years will arrive from Shuggie Otis, one of the more enigmatic figures in pop music history. The album, Wings of Love (Epic/Legacy), with 14 previously unreleased tracks, is being packaged alongside a reissue of his previous and most celebrated recording, Inspiration Information, from 1974.

In the years between these records his ethereal, psychedelic-tinged funk influenced artists like Prince and D’Angelo and has been sampled by OutKast and Beyoncé. Yet as the decades passed he released nothing and seldom performed, even as his reputation as a brilliant recluse — an R&B Brian Wilson or Syd Barrett — steadily grew. “I never hid,” Mr. Otis said. “There’s a misconception that I actually quit, but I always wanted to work.”

Dressed in a suit, fedora and scarf, all grays and off-whites, at a recent interview at his record label’s office in Manhattan, Mr. Otis, 59, was personable and talkative for a legendary loner. He was still excited about his show the previous night at the Highline Ballroom. “It was overwhelming,” he said. “I never played New York on this level, as far as Shuggie Otis being presented like a star. Last night was one of my all-time favorites.”

Read more about Shuggie Otis at The New York Times. The album Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love will be released on Tuesday, April 16th.

Shuggie Otis was recently interviewed by SPIN about his upcoming album, Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love, to be released April 16th. Here is an excerpt:

Were you always aware that, even though it didn’t sell when the album was released, there was a small group of people that cared passionately about Inspiration Information?

Since the late ’70s, I had a feeling that one day that album would be re-released, and I thought it would be Sony. It turned out to be Luaka Bop [David Byrne’s label also reissued the album in 2001], and now it is gonna be Sony. When it first came out again the response did surprise me. I think it sold 7,000 copies the first week, which is not bad for somebody who — a lot of people didn’t know who I was. Kids all of a sudden liked the music as well, which surprised me. I didn’t think kids would like that type of music. But little did I know: Music is music. All kids aren’t the same, and all record buyers aren’t the same. The major label record buyers who make people famous are not the same as the people who were buying my record years later.

Read more about Shuggie Otis at SPIN.

Despite his success, Shuggie Otis has had it harder than most music lovers realize. Sure, he’s been sampled by almost every hip-hopper imaginable. And he wrote “Strawberry Letter 23,” a huge hit for the Brothers Johnson.The problem for Otis has really been escaping his own considerable shadow. The guy was a guitar god by age 15. The auteur of several classic (if poorly-selling) Psych-Funk albums by 21. He was actually asked to join the Rolling Stones as a replacement for Mick Taylor. That’s enough pressure to drive anyone underground. Luckily, at 59, Otis is out amongst us again. He’s touring and is re-releasing his masterpiece, Inspiration Information, plus the never-released Wings of Love. Spinner recently talked to the California native about his mysterious, misunderstood persona.

Read the Shuggie Otis Q&A at Spinner.

Here’s your chance to listen to Shuggie Otis’ Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love, in stores April 16th! NPR is streaming the complete 2CD set exclusively now!

Listen to Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love at NPR.