Omnivore Boils Ron Nagle’s “Bad Rice” In Deluxe Edition of 1970 Cult Classic

Today, Ron Nagle may be best known for his groundbreaking work as a ceramic sculptor.  The “baron of sculptural intelligence” has been pushing the boundaries of art for decades now with his award-winning variations on the basic form of a cup.  The San Francisco Gate recently praised the “master ceramic sculptor and painter whose original sense of color is equally informed by Mark Rothko and the hot rod aesthetic.”  But for music fans, Nagle is known for his double life as a singer, songwriter and musician.  A member of the Bay Area band The Mystery Trend and the pop duo Durocs, Nagle has co-written songs with Barbra Streisand (“Believe What You Read,” from Streisand Superman) and provided sound effects for The Exorcist.  In 1970, in the salad days of the Warner Bros. Records label, Nagle recorded one album with co-producer and arranger Jack Nitzsche that has gone on to attain cult classic status.  Now, Omnivore Recordings is restoring that long-lost platter, Bad Rice, to print in a deluxe, 2-CD expanded edition.

Featuring what Omnivore aptly describes as “Nagle’s trademark blend of Stones-y raunch, Beach Boys lilt and Newman-esque black humor,” Bad Rice features guest appearances by Sal Valentino of The Beau Brummels and Ry Cooder, both of whom were sharing the WB family of labels with Nagle, as well as John Blakeley (Stoneground), George Rains (Mother Earth, Sir Douglas Quintet), and Mickey Waller (Pilot, Silvermetre).  Nitzsche, the legendary Wall of Sound architect, co-produced and arranged the LP alongside Nagle’s mentor, San Francisco radio personality Tom “Big Daddy” Donahue.  Despite receiving critical acclaim upon its release, Bad Rice failed to trouble the charts, leaving its charms to be appreciated only by those who found it in dusty record racks and dutifully found themselves spreading the word.  A vinyl reissue arrived from Edsel Records in 1999, but CD release somehow eluded Bad Rice.

We have more details after the jump!

Proving the old adage “better late than never,” Omnivore is presenting Bad Rice – the album named in the 1990s by Billboard as the magazine’s most desired reissue – on CD for the very first time.  And that’s not all.  The label is adding alternative mixes, vintage radio spots and album outtakes as well as an entire second CD of fourteen demos (twelve of which are previously unreleased) drawn from Nagle’s archives.  This disc will also be available as a stand-alone digital release.  New liner notes are provided by Gene Sculatti, who also annotated Real Gone Music’s 2012 reissue of Durocs, and previously unseen photos are also promised for this sure-to-be-definitive reissue.

Bad Rice arrives from Omnivore Recordings on January 27, 2015.  Don’t fear the title – it’s good for you!  Pre-orders are currently being accepted directly from the label; we will update soon with Amazon links!

Ron Nagle, Bad Rice (Warner Bros. LP WS 1902, 1970 – reissued Omnivore Recordings, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. )

CD 1

1. 61 Clay
2. Marijuana Hell
3. Frank’s Store
4. Party in L.A.
5. That’s What Friends are For
6. Dolores
7. Capricorn Queen
8. Sister Cora
9. Somethin’s Gotta Give Now
10. Family Style
11. House of Mandia
12. Beberlang (Outtake)
13. Francine (Outtake)
14. Frank’s Store (Alternate Mix)
15. Dolores (Alternate Mix)
16. Radio Spot 1
17. Radio Spot 2

CD 2: Pre Cooked/Converted: The Bad Rice Demos

1. From the Collection of Dorothy Tate
2. 61 Clay
3. People Have Told Me
4. Out in the Hall
5. Showdown
6. Say My Name
7. Half as Much
8. Who You Gonna Tell
9. So Long Johnny
10. Sleep for Me
11. Rudy My Man
12. Wasted Paper
13. Alice Valentine
14. Saving It All Up for Larry

All tracks previously unreleased on Disc 2 except for Tracks 1 & 2