Short Takes, International Edition: INXS Celebrates 25 Years of “Kick” Plus The Byrds Go Mono and Stereo

Welcome to the working week!  This morning’s Short Takes brings us to the U.K. for the 25th anniversary of a pop classic, and to Japan, where one of the 1960s’ greatest bands is getting the red carpet treatment!

Though we’re reluctant to rush the summer away, it sure looks like this September’s going to be a month with kick!  Kick, that is.  It appears that Universal U.K. will be giving the full, Super Deluxe treatment to Aussie band INXS’ 1987 breakthrough album.  The multi-platinum Kick yielded the band’s only American No. 1, “Need You Tonight,” and three other Top 10 tracks, and established Michael Hutchence’s group as pop hitmakers.  This marks the culmination of a story we’ve been following here at The Second Disc for over two years now.  We first posited, Reissue Theory-style, on an expanded edition back in February 2010 that could possibly improve on Universal’s 2004 Deluxe Edition.  Then, in May 2011, Universal Strategic Marketing veep Andrew Daw told Music Week that a 25^th anniversary, multi-format deluxe edition of Kick would arrive in 2012 along with an array of other INXS-related projects.  Mr. Daw is keeping true to his word, as the first details of this Super Deluxe Edition of Kick – due on September 17 in the U.K. and approximately one week later in the U.S. from Mercury Records – have been revealed.

According to an image now available at Amazon, the 3-CD/1-DVD Kick 25 set includes, on CD, the original album plus two discs of “remixes, demos, [and] unheard tracks.”  The DVD will feature a “documentary, unseen band home footage and promos.”  A hardback book will tell The Story of Kick, and a poster and sticker sheet will be among the swag.  It’s likely that this set will be distilled into other formats, as well, so be sure to watch this space for the latest developments on Kick 25 as well as news on whether Rhino, the U.S. rights holders to INXS’ catalogue, has any celebrations in the works!  In the meantime, you can pre-order the Super Deluxe Edition right here!

Our next item is for you Byrdmaniax out there!  Hit the jump to venture into the Wayback Machine for a flight – or flyte – to the sixties with The Byrds!

To everything, turn, turn turn…but the music of The Byrds has endured as strongly as any of the band’s great contemporaries.  And this is the season for another round of reissues…at least, if you’re living in Japan!  The Japanese division of Sony Music Entertainment has recently unveiled an impressive reissue campaign for the California folk-rockers, including the first-ever definitive survey of the band’s complete A and B sides on Columbia Records, plus deluxe mono/stereo reissues of the first five Byrds albums.

For Legacy Recordings’ impressive series of reissues in the mid-1990s, Vic Anesini remixed and remastered The Byrds’ original albums, loading each CD with appropriate bonus tracks.  It would be hard to top that series, but this new Japanese treatment is not to be ignored by Byrds diehards.  The new Japanese editions of Mr. Tambourine Man (1965), Turn!  Turn!  Turn! (1965), Fifth Dimension (1966), Younger Than Yesterday (1967) and The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968) don’t replace the American CDs; the Legacy versions include different bonus tracks and, of course, the new mixes.  But these truly comprehensive new Japanese CDs include both the original stereo and mono mixes of each album, plus bonus tracks of their own.  All of these titles are housed in paper sleeves replicating the LP jackets, and include an inner sleeve for protection plus black-and-white booklets with Japanese liner notes and English lyrics (albeit some oddly translated!).  All are in Sony’s Blu-Spec CD format, playable on all standard CD players.  These five limited edition titles are joined by Original Singles As and Bs: 1965-1971 as a 2-CD set.  Original Singles also contains tracks scheduled as singles but not originally released in that format.

All of the mono/stereo expanded titles from Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman and co. are available now from Sony Music Japan, and can be viewed and ordered at the links below!

The Byrds, The Original Singles As and Bs: 1965-1971 (Sony Music Japan SICP-3467, 2012)

CD 1

1. Mr. Tambourine Man (42371-A, 1965)
2. I Knew I’d Want You (42371-B, 1965)
3. All I Really Want to Do (43332-A, 1965)
4. I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better (43332-B, 1965)
5. Chimes of Freedom
6. The Bells of Rhymney
7. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
8. She Don’t Care About Time
9. The Times They Are A-Changin’
10. Turn!  Turn!  Turn!  (To Everything There is a Season) (43424-A, 1965)
11. She Don’t Care About Time (43424-B, 1965)
12. Set You Free This Time (43501-A, 1966)
13. It Won’t Be Wrong (43501-B, 1966)
14. He Was a Friend of Mine
15. Eight Miles High (43578-A, 1966)
16. Why (43578-B, 1966)
17. 5D (Fifth Dimension) (43702-A, 1966)
18. Captain Soul (43702-B, 1966)
19. Mr. Spaceman (43766-A, 1966)
20. What’s Happening?!?! (43766-B, 1966)
21. I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)
22. Psychodrama City
23. So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star (43987-A, 1967)
24. Everybody’s Been Burned (43987-B, 1967)
25. It Happens Each Day
26. My Back Pages (44504-A, 1967)
27. Renaissance Fair (44504-B, 1967)

CD 2

1. Have You Seen Her Face (44157-A, 1967)
2. Don’t Make Waves (44157-B, 1967)
3. Lady Friend (44230-A, 1967)
4. Old John Robertson (44230-B, 1967)
5. Goin’ Back (44362-A, 1967)
6. Change is Now (44362-B, 1967)
7. You Ain’t Going Nowhere (44499-A, 1968)
8. Artificial Energy (44499-B, 1968)
9. I Am a Pilgrim (44643-A, 1968)
10. Pretty Boy Floyd (44643-B, 1968)
11. Bad Night at the Whiskey (44746-A, 1969)
12. Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man (44746-B, 1969)
13. Lay Lady Lay (44868-A, 1969)
14. Old Blue (44868-B, 1969)
15. Ballad of Easy Rider (44990-A, 1969)
16. Oil in My Lamp (44990-B, 1969)
17. Wasn’t Born to Follow (44990-B alternate, 1969)
18. Jesus is Just Alright (45071-A, 1969)
19. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (45071-B, 1969)
20. Chestnut Mare (45259-A, 1970)
21. Just a Season (45259-B, 1970)
22. Glory, Glory (45440-A, 1971)
23. Citizen Kane (45440-B, 1971)
24. America’s Great National Pastime (45514-A, 1971)
25. Farther Along (45514-B, 1971)

All tracks on the Columbia label.  All tracks in mono except for CD 2, Tracks 23 & 25.

The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man (Columbia, 1965 – reissued Sony Music Japan SICP-20372, 2012)

1. Mr. Tambourine Man
2. I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better
3. Spanish Harlem Incident
4. You Won’t Have to Cry
5. Here Without You
6. The Bells of Rhymney
7. All I Really Want to Do
8. I Knew I’d Want You
9. It’s No Use
10. Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe
11. Chimes of Freedom
12. We’ll Meet Again
13. She Has a Way (Mono Bonus Track)
14. All I Really Want to Do (Mono Bonus Track)
15. Mr. Tambourine Man
16. I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better
17. Spanish Harlem Incident
18. You Won’t Have to Cry
19. Here Without You
20. The Bells of Rhymney
21. All I Really Want to Do
22. I Knew I’d Want You
23. It’s No Use
24. Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe
25. Chimes of Freedom
26. We’ll Meet Again
27. Mr. Tambourine Man (Stereo Bonus Track)

Tracks 1-12 from Mr. Tambourine Man (Mono), Columbia CL-2372, 1965
Tracks 15-26 from Mr. Tambourine Man (Stereo), Columbia CS-9172, 1965

The Byrds, Turn!  Turn!  Turn! (Columbia, 1965 – reissued Sony Music Japan SICP-20373, 2012)

1. Turn!  Turn!  Turn! (To Everything There is a Season)
2. It Won’t Be Wrong
3. Set You Free This Time
4. Lay Down Your Weary Tune
5. He Was a Friend of Mine
6. The World Turns All Around
7. Satisfied Mind
8. If You’re Gone
9. The Times They Are A-Changin’
10. Wait and See
11. Oh!  Susannah
12. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Mono Bonus Track)
13. She Don’t Care About Time (Version 1 – Mono Bonus Track)
14. The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Version 1 – Mono Bonus Track)
15. She Don’t Care About Time (Version 2/Single Version – Mono Bonus Track)
16. Turn!  Turn!  Turn! (To Everything There is a Season)
17. It Won’t Be Wrong
18. Set You Free This Time
19. Lay Down Your Weary Tune
20. He Was a Friend of Mine
21. The World Turns All Around
22. Satisfied Mind
23. If You’re Gone
24. The Times They Are A-Changin’
25. Wait and See
26. Oh!  Susannah
27. Turn!  Turn!  Turn!  (To Everything There is a Season) (Stereo Bonus Track)

Tracks 1-11 from Turn!  Turn!  Turn! (Mono), Columbia CL-2454, 1965
Tracks 16-26 from Turn!  Turn!  Turn! (Stereo), Columbia CS-9254, 1965

The Byrds, Fifth Dimension (Columbia, 1966 – reissued Sony Music Japan SICP-20374, 2012)

1. 5D (Fifth Dimension)
2. Wild Mountain Thyme
3. Mr. Spaceman
4. I See You
5. What’s Happening?!?!
6. I Come and Stand at Every Door
7. Eight Miles High
8. Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)
9. Captain Soul
10. John Riley
11. 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)
12. Why (Mono Bonus Track)
13. I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider) (Mono Bonus Track)
14. Psychodrama City (Mono Bonus Track)
15. 5D (Fifth Dimension)
16. Wild Mountain Thyme
17. Mr. Spaceman
18. I See You
19. What’s Happening?!?!
20. I Come and Stand at Every Door
21. Eight Miles High
22. Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)
23. Captain Soul
24. John Riley
25. 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)

Tracks 1-11 from Fifth Dimension, Columbia CL-2549, 1966
Tracks 15-25 from Fifth Dimension, Columbia CS-9349, 1966

The Byrds, Younger Than Yesterday (Columbia, 1967 – reissued Sony Music Japan SICP-20375, 2012)

1. So You Wanna Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
2. Have You Seen Her Face
3. CTA 102
4. Renaissance Fair
5. Time Between
6. Everybody’s Been Burned
7. Thoughts and Words
8. Mind Gardens
9. My Back Pages
10. The Girl with No Name
11. Why
12. Don’t Make Waves (Mono Bonus Track)
13. It Happens Each Day (Mono Bonus Track)
14. My Back Pages (Mono Bonus Track)
15. So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
16. Have You Seen Her Face
17. CTA 102
18. Renaissance Fair
19. Time Between
20. Everybody’s Been Burned
21. Thoughts and Words
22. Mind Gardens
23. My Back Pages
24. The Girl with No Name
25. Why

Tracks 1-11 from Younger Than Yesterday (Mono), Columbia CL-2642, 1967
Tracks 15-25 from Younger Than Yesterday (Stereo), Columbia CS-9442, 1967

The Byrds, The Notorious Byrd Brothers (Columbia, 1968 – reissued Sony Music Japan SICP-20376, 2012)

1. Artificial Energy
2. Goin’ Back
3. Natural Harmony
4. Draft Morning
5. Wasn’t Born to Follow
6. Get to You
7. Change is Now
8. Old John Robertson
9. Tribal Gathering
10. Dolphin’s Smile
11. Space Odyssey
12. Lady Friend (Mono Bonus Track)
13. Old John Robertson (Mono Bonus Track)
14. Artificial Energy
15. Goin’ Back
16. Natural Harmony
17. Draft Morning
18. Wasn’t Born to Follow
19. Get to You
20. Change is Now
21. Old John Robertson
22. Tribal Gathering
23. Dolphin’s Smile
24. Space Odyssey

Tracks 1-11 from The Notorious Byrd Brothers (Mono), Columbia CL-2775, 1968
Tracks 14-24 from The Notorious Byrd Brothers (Stereo), Columbia CS-9575, 1968