Welcome to April’s edition! As spring sets in, we’ve got a great selection for you, and also a bit of news: You’ve been asking us for a long time about buying extra records from our boxes and back issues. Well, we’ve been working hard on this in the background, and are really pleased to have soft launched vinylshop.co.uk! At the moment you’ll be able to see all the back issue records there that we have in stock, plus a few other choice cuts we think you might like. Do go have a look around, and let us know if you have any feedback:
[email protected] Now, on to this month’s records. Another month with two LPs for you, and we have a lovely mix of the very obscure, and a release you’ve probably never seen by an artist you’ll definitely know:
Our first album is from Italian label Spittle Records. Originally started in 1984, the label lay long dormant after a few years of releases, but in 2005 it was restarted with the purpose of filing and reissuing gems from the Italian 80's rock, punk and new wave scenes. With the 391 compilation project, Spittle are shedding light on the most obscure and overlooked of the Italian underground. This is the Belpaese illustrated in imaginative regional postcards, capturing the vibe of a DIY ethos and culture: - a great selection of little-known new wave, post-punk and electronic nouvelle vague. If you like “
391 | Selezione 2”, check out the first in the series, and Spittle’s surprisingly large release catalogue.
Our second album is by someone you all know,
Aretha Franklin. We all know her greatest hits, but you may never have seen or heard her first ever secular studio album. Released in 1961, this album was to mark Aretha's move from gospel music to what eventually became soul. The album showcases an 18-year-old Franklin, covering a range of pop standards. Her label, Columbia Records was experimenting to see what kind of music worked best with Aretha's style. Though rare to find an original 6-eye pressing on vinyl, we’ve managed to get our hands on this reissue for you. At once new and comfortingly familiar, this is a great album to usher in early summer for us all.
