Of Romance, Ghouls, Shoes, Wanderers and The Dead: Real Gone Announces October Line-Up

Summer’s still underway, but Real Gone Music is looking to October with the announcement of a new batch of reissues due for the month that gives us Halloween and the World Series.  Returning favorites will take their place alongside artists new to the label, and a certain ghoulish host is even getting involved!

On October 2, the Real Goners will collect, for the very first time, The Complete Laurie Singles of Dion DiMucci.  This 2-CD, 36-track comp offers the crème of the Dion crop, including “Lonely Teenager,” “Lovers Who Wander” and “Abraham, Martin and John,” all in original mono mixes.  Illinois power pop luminaries The Shoes have carried on the attitude and rock spirit, if not the sound, of Dion, for the past three-and-a-half decades, and Real Gone’s 35 Years—The Definitive Shoes Collection brings together the best of the band from 1977’s incendiary debut all the way through 2012’s Ignition.

Two seventies albums from David Cassidy kicked off Real Gone’s reissue campaign for the former Keith Partridge, and the series continues with a real rarity.  1985’s Romance never received an American release (not the first time this had happened to Cassidy, always popular on the European continent), but that hardly stopped it from becoming a Top 20 album in the U.K. and spawning hit singles including one collaboration with George Michael!  “She Knows All About Boys” and “The Last Kiss” anchor a powerful pop album that has to be heard to be believed.  In addition to Cassidy, The Grateful Dead returns to Real Gone with another reissued installment of Dick’s Picks.   Volume 27 – Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA 12/16/92 preserves the final Grateful Dead line-up featuring Vince Welnick on keyboard. With rare cover versions of Beatles and Who songs, this is a special Dead concert not to be missed, if you didn’t grab it the first time around!

Last but certainly not least, the Cool Ghoul, John Zacherle, arrives on Real Gone with a Halloween-themed two-fer containing his hit single and Halloween perennial, “Dinner with Drac.”  Monster Mash and Scary Tales were originally recorded for Philadelphia’s Cameo-Parkway family in 1962 and 1963, respectively.  These were first reissued on Collectors’ Choice Music in 2010 but quickly went out-of-print.  They’re back now on Real Gone in an edition retaining the liner notes by Zacherle and his ardent fan, Mr. John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful!  As it’s ready-made for your Halloween party, you won’t want to miss this!

Hit the jump for pre-order links and more details on each title!

While You See a Chance: Universal Expands Steve Winwood’s “Arc of a Diver” as 2-CD Set

When Steve Winwood sees a chance for a deluxe reissue, he takes it!

Arc of a Diver, first released on New Year’s Eve 1980, marked the solo commercial breakthrough for the former Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith member, peaking in the U.S. at an impressive No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spawning the hit single “When You See a Chance,” which earned a No. 7 placement on the Hot 100.  Due on September 24 in the U.K. from Universal/Island, the 2-CD deluxe Arc of a Diver comes a couple of years too late to qualify as a 30th anniversary reissue.  But this classic album begs the question: better late than never?

Steve Winwood’s second solo album following 1977’s self-titled debut, Arc of a Diver was performed entirely by the multi-instrumentalist, on acoustic and electric guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, drums and percussion.  Alongside later smashes like 1986’s Back in the High Life, it remains one of the most enduring albums in the great musician’s catalogue.  Winwood wrote every track on the album, either on his own or in collaboration with Will Jennings (“Looks Like We Made It,” “My Heart Will Go On”), Vivian Stanshall (The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band) or George Fleming.  The one-man band recorded Arc at his own home studios in Gloucestershire, England, and produced and engineered the sessions himself, too.

What bonus tracks have been added for the new edition?  Hit the jump!  We’ve also got a pre-order link and full track listing with discographical annotation!