2/03/2023

70s singer-songwriter Laurie Styvers first-ever anthology out Feb 17; first song/video out today

HIGH MOON RECORDS UNVEILS FIRST-EVER ANTHOLOGY FROM

SINGER-SONGWRITER LAURIE STYVERS

 

GEMINI GIRL: THE COMPLETE HUSH RECORDINGS

AUGMENTS TWO FABLED STUDIO LPS WITH FULL ALBUM’S WORTH

OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL, INCLUDING DEMOS, ALTERNATE VERSIONS,

AND LONG-LOST ORIGINAL SONGS

 

 “BEAT THE REAPER” PREMIERES TODAY - LISTEN


EVOCATIVE VISUALIZER

CREATED BY THE BOO RADLEYS’ MARTIN CARR – WATCH

 

DELUXE COLLECTION ALSO FEATURES EXTENSIVE LINER NOTES FROM

GRAMMY® AWARD-NOMINATED ARCHIVIST ALEC PALAO,

PLUS NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS, POSTERS, AND MORE

 

GEMINI GIRL: THE COMPLETE HUSH RECORDINGS

ARRIVES VIA HIGH MOON RECORDS

ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023

 

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW


High Moon Records is proud to announce the first-ever comprehensive anthology from singer-songwriter Laurie StyversGemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings arrives on 2XCD and digital download on Friday, February 17. All formats will feature optimum fidelity, along with an exclusive 48-page booklet collecting extensive liner notes from GRAMMY® Award-nominated compilation producer Alec Palao alongside lavish artwork, a bounty of never-before-seen photos, memorabilia, and more. Pre-orders are available now.

 

Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings is heralded by today’s remastered premiere of Styvers’ 1972 debut single, “Beat The Reaper,” joined by an evocative animated visualizer created by renowned musician/visual artist Martin Carr (The Boo Radleys, bravecaptain), streaming now on YouTube.

 

WATCH “BEAT THE REAPER” OFFICIAL VISUALIZER

LISTEN TO "BEAT THE REAPER"

PRE-ORDER GEMINI GIRL: THE COMPLETE HUSH RECORDINGS

 

Laurie Styvers may be amongst the lesser-known names within the milieu of 1970s cult singer-songwriters, but anyone who experiences the bewitching innocence on display within her two deeply moving solo albums, Spilt Milk (1971) and The Colorado Kid (1973), will surely fall in love with this enigmatic figure. Born in Texas, Styvers was a student at the American School in London when she joined the legendary 1960s psych-folk outfit, Justine, guesting on their eponymous 1970 debut LP before heading back to the US to attend college in Colorado. She soon returned to the UK, embarking upon a solo career after signing with Hush Productions, founded by legendary producers Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, David Bowie) and Hugh Murphy. 

 

Produced by Murphy (known for his landmark work with Gerry Rafferty, Richard and Linda Thompson, Van Morrison, and more), Styvers’ Hush recordings revealed her as an exceptional songstress with a humble and captivating vocal presence, redolent of such iconic artists as Carole King, Karen Carpenter, and Judee Sill. The sumptuous musical backgrounds – arranged by Tom Parker (Apollo 100, New London Chorale) and David Whitaker (Nico, Marianne Faithfull), and featuring the cream of UK session personnel as accompaniment – expertly elevate Styvers’ intimate, haunting songcraft, heightening songs like her iconic debut single, “Beat The Reaper,” with the baroque flavors of early 1970s British pop.

 

Styvers commuted between London and Colorado while making Spilt Milk and The Colorado Kid, but the relative commercial failure of both albums – as well as a disastrous engagement supporting Emitt Rhodes at Los Angeles’ famed Troubadour – saw her ardor dampen for a music career and hastened her exit from the scene. She sadly faded into obscurity, spending her later years caring for animals before passing away in 1998, her seraphic face and voice somehow frozen in time.

 

Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings is the exhaustive document Laurie Styvers’ remarkable body of work has so long demanded. Drawn from original tapes and session reels, the 36-track, newly remastered anthology includes Spilt Milk and The Colorado Kid – both available for the first time in five decades – alongside a full album’s worth of unreleased material, including demos, alternate versions, and previously unheard songs. The 48-page booklet includes painstaking liner notes by compilation producer Alec Palao that delve deep into Styvers’ heartbreaking legend, based upon the recollections of those who knew or worked with her, all extensively illustrated with never-before-seen photos, rare memorabilia, and more. Discretely moving, intensely melancholic, and rich with Styvers’ unique gift for graceful melodies, Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings now stands as the last word on the intangible magic of this fascinating and mysterious artist.

 

The best part of Laurie Styvers is her sweet and humble voice,” Palao writes, “and the fine music that surrounds it, and no statute of limitations exists for such things. They reference an era long passed, when a genuine innocent could put words on paper, voice to tape, lay some simple, heartfelt cards on the table, and share it all with the world, with none of the irony and cynicism that now engulf popular music. Laurie’s gift is in a better place for that.

 

# # #

 

LAURIE STYVERS

GEMINI GIRL: THE COMPLETE HUSH RECORDINGS

(High Moon Records)

Release Date: February 17, 2023


Tracklist:

 

DISC 1: SPILT MILK

Beat The Reaper

Imagine That The Lights Have Gone Out

All I Ever Had

Five Leaves Left

Gemini Girl

Pigeons

Leo Loves You

Seasonal Blues

You Keep Coming Home In The Mornings

Inside You

Eat Your Cornflakes

Open Your Window

Let Me Comfort You *

God Knows The Reason *

Gemini Girl (Alternate Version) *

Eat Your Cornflakes (Alternate Version) *

All I Ever Had (Demo Version) *

White Flowers (Alternate Version) *

 

DISC 2: THE COLORADO KID

You Are My Inspiration

All American Long Haired Denimed Songwriting Guitar Man

Take Me In Your Arms Again

Heavenly Band

You Can Fly Me To The Moon

White Flowers

You Be The Tide, I’ll Be The Bay

There’s Still Time (Follow Your Heart)

Oh Colorado

Gather The Grain

Take Good Care

The Way It Should Stay *

Now That The Rain’s Stopped *

Part Time Lover *

Crazy Rainy Spring *

If You Don’t Write Me Soon *

Oh Colorado (Alternate Version) *

You Be The Tide, I’ll Be The Bay (Alternate Mix) *

 

* Previously Unreleased

 

CONNECT WITH HIGH MOON RECORDS:

HIGHMOONRECORDS.COM | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

No comments: