As of yesterday (December 17^th), the seminal collection of music celebrated its 50^th birthday. The record is hailed as one of Bowie’s best albums, given that it features some of the prolific songwriter’s most well-known and revered tunes, such as “Life on Mars?”, “Queen Bitch” and “Oh! You Pretty Things”. 

The re-issue of the album will be released on a vinyl picture disc via Parlophone Records on January 7^th, 2022. You can pre-order the physical version here.

In a statement, producer Ken Scott (who has also worked with The Beatles, Elton John and several other Bowie records such as Space Oddity and Aladdin Sane) said of the re-issue in a statement: “The new version of ‘Changes’ is a fresh look at David’s classic… When listening to the original multi-track I discovered a few things that I had eliminated from the original mix and also a completely different sax solo at the end. It was those things that led me to try a new mix, trying for a slightly harder, more contemporary edge to it.”

Originally released on the 17^th of December 1971, Hunk Dory was extremely well-received in both the United Kingdom and abroad, with British and American publications producing glowing reviews. Reviewing the album shortly after its initial release, NME’s Danny Holloway said of the record: “[Hunky Dory is] a breath of fresh air compared to the usual mainstream rock LP of [1972]. It’s very possible that this will be the most important album from an emerging artist in 1972, because he’s not following trends – he’s setting them”.

Publications formed in later years have also given the album very positive reviews, with Allmusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine saying: On the surface, such a wide range of styles and sounds would make an album incoherent, but Bowie’s improved songwriting and determined sense of style instead made Hunk Dory a touchstone for reinterpreting pop’s traditions into fresh, postmodern pop music.

In other news regarding the legendary British songwriter, January 8^th 2022 will mark what would have been his 75^th birthday. In celebration, a livestream concert will take place, featuring appearances from various icons of pop culture such as comedian Ricky Gervais, actor Gary Oldman, Simon LeBon of Duran Duran, and Def Leppard. The event was announced earlier this month, and tickets can be found here via RollingLiveStudios

The 40^th anniversary re-issue of the album features nine additional tracks on top of the eleven original songs, including an alternate version of “Start Me Up” and a cover of R&B group Chi-Lites’ “Trouble’s a’ Comin”. Another bonus disc on the album includes a 26-song live album entitled Still Life: Wembley Stadium 1982, which is a recording of a show from the Tattoo You tour. The album is available on all streaming services, and physical media can be found here.

Most excitingly, the album features a previously unheard track entitled “Come To The Ball”; a swaggering, danceable tune packed with attitude, introduced by a razor-sharp earworm riff by Keith Richards. The song was produced by Jimmy Miller, who had previously worked with The Rolling Stones on albums such as Let It Bleed and Exile on Main St. You can listen to the song at the YouTube link below.

The original Tattoo You is made up almost entirely of outtakes from previous studio albums from the ‘70s. The album also features one of the group’s biggest songs, “Start Me Up”. The album was considered a critical and commercial success for The Rolling Stones, however it was the result of numerous difficulties, namely the band facing touring obligations and personal feuds (particularly between Jagger and Richards) that prevented them from arranging recording sessions for a follow up to their 1980 album Emotional Rescue. A few songs were released as they were, but the majority of the album consisted of half-finished songs that the members would come in to work on when they were available to do so.

In other recent news concerning The Rolling Stones, the band are presently on tour in the United States on the No Filter tour, A North American/European tour which has been ongoing since its commencement in Hamburg on the 9^th of September 2017. As with many tours at this current time, it was originally supposed to reach its end in 2020, however this was complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. No Filter officially resumed on the 20^th of September 2021, a date which not only marked the band’s first time on tour since August 2019, but their first time out on the road without their late drummer Charlie Watts. More information on the tour can be found here.

The tracklist for the second CD on the re-issue Lost & Found: Rarities is listed below.

1). ‘Living In The Heart Of Love’
2). ‘Fiji Jim’
3). ‘Troubles A’ Comin’ (Chi-Lites)
4). ‘Shame Shame Shame’ (Jimmy Reed)
5). ‘Drift Away’ (Dobie Gray)
6). ‘It’s A Lie’
7). ‘Come To The Ball’
8). ‘Fast Talking Slow Walking’
9). ‘Start Me Up’ (Early Version)

The album was originally released in 1981 following the passing of singer Ian Curtis and marking the re-formation of the group into New Order, which featured all of the remaining members of Joy Division, with the addition of Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. Still features a live recording of Joy Division’s final show at Birmingham University on May 2^nd, 1980, some popular cuts from their two full-length albums, unreleased studio material such as “Dead Souls” and “Glass”. Furthermore, the album includes the only live performance of “Ceremony” that Joy Division ever played, with the song later becoming New Order’s first single.

Joy Division are perhaps one of the most influential short-lived bands in music history, forming in the Summer of 1976 initially under the name Warsaw, and dissolving in 1980, shortly after the release of their second and final album Closer, which was released following Ian Curtis’ death. The band released one other full-length album prior to this; 1979’s Unknown Pleasures, which garnered critical acclaim in subsequent decades. The group released a number of well-revered singles in addition to these two records, including the iconic song “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, as well as “Transmission” and “Atmosphere”. Regardless of their short lifespan as a group, Joy Division are considered innovators of the post-punk genre, and their dark, brooding style has lived on through groups of the 2000s and beyond.

Despite their very sudden demise, New Order rose from the ashes of the group in 1980, going on to become very successful, releasing five full-length albums throughout the 1980s alone, such as Power, Corruption & Lies (1983) and Technique (1989). The band’s 1983 single “Blue Monday” became the best-selling 12-inch single of all time, and was an extremely popular club hit.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, New Order have recently returned to the world of live performance, having played a show at Heaton Park in Manchester. They are also set to perform a show at the O2 in London, on November 6^th. Furthermore, the band will be releasing their New Order 316 live DVD to YouTube in celebration of the 40^th anniversary of their debut album Movement.

The re-issue of Still is limited edition, featuring a clear vinyl and a ruby red sleeve. It will be available for purchase via New Order’s online store. Detailed below is the track list.

Side A
“Exercise One”
“Ice Age”
“The Sound Of Music”
“Glass”
“The Only Mistake”

 Side B
“Walked In Line”
“The Kill”
“Something Must Break”
“Dead Souls”
“Sister Ray”

 Side C
“Ceremony”
“Shadowplay”
“Means To An End”
“Passover”
“New Dawn Fades”
“Twenty-Four Hours”

 Side D
“Transmission”
“Disorder”
“Isolation”
“Decades”
“Digital”

Out today on #WarChildRecords! We have re-released the classic albums ‘1 Love’, ‘Hope’, ‘Help! A Day In The Life’ and ‘War Child Presents Heroes’, all available now on digital.

A limited vinyl run of each album will also be available. Pre-order now!https://t.co/Fn56VdSZ47 pic.twitter.com/S47f0HDJDZ

— War Child UK (@WarChildUK) September 10, 2021

The first of the four albums, 1 Love, was originally released in 2002 in a collaborative effort with NME, to celebrate fifty years since the magazine debuted. The album featured the likes of Oasis, Muse, Prodigy, Jimmy Eat World and Stereophonics, all of whom were asked to select a number one song to cover. The second album, Hope, saw War Child teaming up with the Daily Mirror to create an artistic response to the Iraq war. Unlike 1 Love, this album did not just include covers, it featured re-imagined original songs as well, such as Cat Stevens’ re-recording of Peace Train with the inclusion of the Incwenga Singers, a South African choir.

Help! A Day In The Life was the third compilation album released by War Child, this time to celebrate the tenth anniversary of a previous compilation record entitled The Help Album and to help fund the charity’s efforts in countries ravaged by war. The album featured twenty tracks- both original music and covers- by various artists including Radiohead, Bloc Party and Coldplay. The fourth and final album, 2009’s War Child Presents Heroes, was recorded over a period of six months and was intended to carry the theme of “placing faith in the next generation”. This album exclusively featured cover songs, however in this case, the original artists were called upon to nominate newer artists to re-interpret their songs. The compilation included musicians such as Rufus Wainwright, Lily Allen and Beck.

The four re-issued albums were released on streaming platforms on September 10^th, and are presently available for pre-order on limited edition vinyl.