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Released in 1974, Inspiration Information is Shuggie Otis’ psychedelic soul classic, and it was recorded when he was just 18. …The record has been hailed by everyone from David Byrne to Prince and Raphael Saadiq. Though Otis crept back into the public eye late last year with a series of tour dates, he’s still flown fairly under the radar of most music fans.

Epic/Legacy is hoping to change that with the April 16th release of Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love, packaged with several bonus tracks and a whole separate album of bonus material recorded between 1975 and today.

Read more and listen to “Miss Pretty” at The A.V. Club.

LEGACY RECORDINGS ANNOUNCES TITLES FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2013 (SATURDAY, APRIL 20)

Legacy’s RSD 2013 Collectibles Include Releases From Aerosmith, Cypress Hill, Miles Davis, Dust, Jimi Hendrix, Taj Mahal, Mad Season, Shuggie Otis, Willie Nelson, Sly & the Family Stone and the 20th Anniversary Edition of the No Alternative Compilation

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is proud to announce the label’s all-star line-up of 7″ and 12″ vinyl titles for Record Store Day 2013, celebrated at independent record stores worldwide on Saturday, April 20, 2013.

For RSD 2013, Legacy is offering limited edition and collectible releases from classic artists including Aerosmith, Cypress Hill, Miles Davis, Dust, Jimi Hendrix, Taj Mahal, Mad Season, Shuggie Otis, Willie Nelson and Sly & the Family Stone. Legacy will also be releasing, as a double 12″ vinyl set, the 20th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking No Alternative compilation.

Now in its sixth year, Record Store Day is an annual day-long celebration of record store culture taking place on the third Saturday in April. This past January, RSD announced the appointment of Jack White to the post of Record Store Day 2013 Ambassador.

Legacy Recordings releases for Record Store Day 2013 include:

AEROSMITH – Three 12″ LPs featuring original tracklists on 180-gram audiophile vinyl

Aerosmith – 12″ 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP in an individually numbered jacket – 40 years after its original release in January 1973, this RSD edition of Aerosmith’s classic double platinum debut album is newly remastered from the original source tapes and features the signature tracks, “Dream On,” “Mama Kin” and “Walkin’ The Dog.”

Get Your Wings – 12″ 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP in an individually numbered jacket – Newly remastered from the original source tapes, the RSD edition of Aerosmith’s triple platinum selling second album, the band’s first with producer Jack Douglas, includes the classic “Same Old Song and Dance,” “Seasons of Wither” and “Train Kept A-Rollin’.”

Toys In The Attic – 12″ 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP in an individually numbered jacket – Newly remastered from the original source tapes, the RSD edition of Aerosmith’s third album reaffirms the record’s stature in the pantheon of rock. The band’s most commercially successful album–certified 8x platinum–Toys In The Attic introduced both “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion” to the eternal rock canon.

CYPRESS HILL

Black Sunday – 2 12″ 180-gram high quality heavyweight vinyl LPs in an individually numbered gatefold jacket – The RSD and 20th Anniversary edition of the iconoclastic crossover blockbuster album includes the anthems that made Cypress Hill an indelible signpost on the pop culture landscape including “Insane In The Brain,” “Hits From The Bong” and “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That.”

MILES DAVIS – Three 12″ LPs presented in Mono, featuring original tracklists on 180-gram audiophile vinyl

Round About Midnight – Widely acknowledged by jazz critics and aficionados as a landmark in ‘hard bop’ and one of the greatest jazz albums ever, Miles’ 1956 Columbia Records debut showcased his first legendary quintet featuring John Coltrane.

Milestones – A powerhouse sextet recording featuring John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, this 1958 masterpiece captured Davis’ first modal jazz experiments in pieces like “Straight, No Chaser” and the immortal title track.

Someday My Prince Will Come – Davis’ 1961 successor to Sketches of Spain is an combination of new originals–including tributes to his then-wife, Frances (“Pfrancing”); his producer, Teo Macero (“Teo”); and Columbia Records then-president Goddard Lieberson (“Drad Dog”)–alongside pop standards including the title track from the 1937 film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

DUST

Dust/Hard Attack – Two Albums/One Package – A 2 12″ LP In an Individually Numbered Gatefold Jacket
The hard rock trio formed in Brooklyn, New York, Dust–arguably one of America’s first heavy metal bands–was the launching pad for the careers of bassist Kenny Aaronson (Bob Dylan, Hall & Oates, Rick Derringer, the New York Dolls); drummer Marc Bell (who played with Richard Hell & the Voidoids before becoming Marky Ramone in 1978); and guitarist Richie Wise (who shifted gears, focusing on his producer skills, helmed the first two Kiss albums and several platinum and gold records. Dust recorded two albums–the 1971 self-titled debut and 1972’s follow-up Hard Attack–before disbanding. These two records have become highly-sought after collector’s items. More than forty years since their original pressings, Dust and Hard Attack have been remastered from their original analog tapes for this RSD edition, overseen by original Dust members Marc and Kenny.

JIMI HENDRIX

“Hey Joe” b/w “Stone Free” – 45 RPM 7″ vinyl single – individually numbered
These original 1966 mono mixes were first created for the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut single in the UK and have never been since that time.

TAJ MAHAL

The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal – 1969-1973 – Two 12″ 180-gram vinyl LPs in an individually numbered gatefold jacket – Amazing studio demos chronicling the early years of the American bluesman Taj Mahal.

The Natch’l Blues – 12″ 180-gram vinyl in an individually numbered jacket – Taj Mahal’s breathtaking second album, originally released in 1968, showcased a band featuring Al Kooper and Jesse Ed Davis while introducing a generation to deep blues classics like “Corinna,” “She Caught the Katy (and Left Me a Mule to Ride),” and “The Cuckoo.”

MAD SEASON

Above – Expanded Edition 12″ 180-gram 2 LP gatefold
The only album to be completed by the Seattle-based supergroup Mad Season, Above has achieved mythic status among hard rock aficionados. This expanded double 12″ vinyl edition includes the original album in its entirety as well as three songs from the band’s unfinished second album with newly recorded vocals by Mark Lanegan, a previously unreleased instrumental, “Interlude,” and a remixed version of Mad Season’s cover of John Lennon’s “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier.”

SHUGGIE OTIS

Introducing Shuggie Otis – 12″ 180-gram audiophile vinyl in an individually numbered jacket – includes free MP3 download card
This new compilation brings together ten of the most indelible tracks from the artist Questlove called “…the unsung hero of blues and funk. His music is so potent that it only blossomed 30 years after it was first released.” Includes seminal tracks from the artist’s core catalog: Here Comes Shuggie Otis (1969), Freedom Flight (1971) and Inspiration Information (1974).

VARIOUS ARTISTS – NO ALTERNATIVE – 2 12″ 180-gram vinyl LPs in an individually numbered jacket

Originally released in 1993 as part of the Red Hot Organization’s AIDS Benefit Series, the No Alternative compilation provided a definitive showcase of the bands and artists who would define the contours of alt-rock in the 1990s and beyond. Artists on the album, released on vinyl for the first time as part of RSD 2013, include Matthew Sweet, Buffalo Tom, Soul Asylum, Urge Overkill, American Music Club, Goo Goo Dolls, Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Mould, Sarah McLachlan, Soundgarden, Straitjacket Fits, Barbara Manning, The Verlaines, Uncle Tupelo, Beastie Boys, The Breeders, Sonic Youth, Jonathan Richman, and Patti Smith.

WILLIE NELSON – 7″ Green Colored Vinyl in an individually numbered sleeve “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die”

Released in celebration of the 4/20 record store date and Willie’s 80th birthday (April 30), the A side of this RSD 2013 exclusive, limited, numbered 7” green vinyl edition features features the all-star version of the “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die” (taken from Willie’s 2012 Heroes album) with guest vocals by Snoop Dogg, Jamey Johnson and Kris Kristofferson with a previously unreleased Willie solo version on the B Side.

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE – 10″ Vinyl “I Want To Take You Higher”

Side One of this 10″ vinyl release features a previously unreleased live medley of “Music Lover/I Want To Take You Higher/Music Love” and the mono single master of “Higher.”

Side Two of I Want To Take You Higher is a previously unissued TV medley of “Sing A Simple Song/Hot Fun In The Summertime/I Want To Take You Higher.”

SOURCE Legacy Recordings

The chance to join the Rolling Stones is an offer that comes around approximately. . . never. However, in the mid-Seventies, singer-songwriter Shuggie Otis got just such a call from Stones touring pianist Billy Preston, who asked if the psychedelic soul musician wanted to join the band on their upcoming tour. However, Otis was fresh off the release of his much-labored-over 1974 album Inspiration Information, so he did what few would do and turned down the offer.

As Epic and Legacy Records gear up to release Inspiration Information/Wings of Love on April 16th, you can check out this exclusive interview. Read more at Rolling Stone.

Due to popular demand, Shuggie Otis has confirmed a second concert date next month at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in New York. The Times Square location will host Shuggie on April 20th, and tickets are available now at Ticketmaster. Shuggie’s April 18th show at B.B. King’s is nearly sold out!

At Ticketmaster, you’ll also have the option of buying a ticket & album bundle including Shuggie’s upcoming release Inspiration Information/Wings of Love, which hits stores April 16th!