Released Digitally & on CD
For First Time Ever Today
Vinyl Copies of the Record Available on
February 19 via High Moon Records
“Rich in soulful, unconventional details, masterful singing, crunchy-guitar rock, straight-up Stax-grounded soul, eccentric psychedelia and contemporary funk.” – David Fricke, Rolling Stone
“Lee was perfectly at ease stretching the boundaries of his music to encompass the sounds of the world at large.” – NPR Music
Reel To Real captures Arthur Lee and Love at the peak of their rock, funk, and soul powers. Originally recorded and released in 1974 on RSO Records, this beautifully packaged, deluxe reissue features re-mastered audio from the original tapes, a lavish, full-color book with a trove of candid, unpublished photos, and an illuminating essay by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke. Out today, November 27, the album is available digitally and on physical CD via High Moon Records.
What Arthur Lee began on Love’s Black Beauty (released by High Moon Records to wide acclaim in 2013), he brought to fruition on Reel To Real. Armed with a major label budget, and a powerful, intuitive band, he dug deep into the blues, soul, and rock grooves that first inspired him, reaching out to a new audience with his fierce and forward-thinking personal vision.
The album features Arthur’s beloved Black Beauty band: drummer Joe Blocker, guitarist Melvan Whittington, and bassists Sherwood Akuna and Robert Rozelle — who Lee referred to as “cats who can play funky and rock" — augmented by guitar-ace John Sterling and cameo appearances by legendary guitarists Harvey Mandel and “Buzzy” Feiten. To a palette of stinging guitars, explosive brass (arranged by Arthur Lee), deep funk bass and clavinet, splashes of spacey synthesizer, and dream-team female backing vocals, Arthur Lee brought his funkiest and most soulful collection of songs, channeling the most visceral vocal performances he ever committed to tape.
High Moon Records has unearthed 11 revelatory, previously-unreleased tracks from the original sessions, including alternate takes and mixes, live-in-studio rehearsals, and 4 newly-discovered Arthur Lee originals: “Do It Yourself,” “I Gotta Remember,” “Somebody,” and “You Gotta Feel It.” These songs (three fully-produced rockers, and a spare, jaunty, Imagine-era John Lennon, by-way-of Sly Stone studio sketch) were previously unknown to all but their original participants, and present a major addition to Arthur Lee’s catalog.
This ultra-rare bonus material fills out the picture of a fearless, agile and very funky ensemble, led by a masterful singer-songwriter at his feral, exultant best.
Original Album Tracks
1. Time Is Like A River
2. Stop The Music
3. Who Are You?
4. Good Old Fashion Dream
5. Which Witch Is Which
6. With A Little Energy
7. Singing Cowboy
8. Be Thankful For What You Got
9. You Said You Would
10. Busted Feet
11. Everybody’s Gotta Live
Bonus Tracks
12. Do It Yourself [Outtake]
13. I Gotta Remember [Outtake]
14. Somebody [Outtake]
15. You Gotta Feel It [Outtake]
16. With A Little Energy [Alternate Mix]
17. Busted Feet [Alternate Mix]
18. You Said You Would [Single Mix]
19. Stop The Music [Alternate Take]
20. Graveyard Hop [Studio Rehearsal]
21. Singing Cowboy [Alternate Take]
22. Everybody’s Gotta Live [Electric Version]
23. Wonder People (I Do Wonder) [Studio Rehearsal]
All Bonus Tracks Previously Unreleased Except 18
The CD is packaged in a deluxe custom Digipak with a full-color, 32-page booklet while the LP is pressed on high-quality RTI vinyl with a 24-page, magazine-sized booklet. The LP release will also include a download card for 16-bit WAV files of the complete album and bonus tracks. These digital downloads include the full-color, 26-page PDF booklet.
Order the CD & Pre-Order the LP from High Moon Records
Order the digital download from iTunes
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