This year's Record Store Day is so big, we've had to do it twice! Record Store Day 2021 - Drop 2 will be taking place on Saturday 17th July, with Townsend Music once again stocking our store with a scintillating selection of coloured vinyl and desirable limited-edition releases.
We've pulled together another few selections from the drop that might be top of your list next Saturday, and this time we've added links directly to the Product Pages, ready for you to bookmark so you can simply hit Refresh and don't have to spend precious time searching when that nail-biting moment comes!
1) Pearl Jam: Alive - 12" Vinyl
'Alive' is the debut single by American grunge rock legends Pearl Jam, originally released on July 7, 1991, 51 days before the release of the band's seminal debut album, Ten.
30 years later it’s being reissued as 12” vinyl single, featuring the original promo single version of 'Alive' plus three rare b-sides: 'Wash', 'Dirty Frank' and the Beatles’ cover 'I’ve Got A Feeling', which is currently not available anywhere else.
Written by guitarist Stone Gossard, 'Alive' originated as an instrumental titled 'Dollar Short' and was included on a demo tape circulated in hopes of finding a singer for the group!
All four tracks are included on Side A of the 12" single while Side B contains an etching of the band’s iconic ‘Stick Man’ logo.
2) Freddie Mercury: Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow - 7" Vinyl
'Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow' by Freddie Mercury, was originally released in 1985 as the fourth and final single from the iconic frontman's debut solo album Mr. Bad Guy.
In a retrospective review of Mr. Bad Guy, Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic considered the song one of the album's "winners", "help[ing] make this an outstanding record from start to finish".
According to Peter Freestone's biography, 'Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow' was inspired by Mercury's relationship with the Austrian actress Barbara Valentin.
To celebrate the year that would have been Freddie Mercury’s 75th Birthday, USM / Mercury Records will release a Record Store Day 2021 exclusive 7″ single of ‘Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow’ on pink vinyl.
3) Black Sabbath: Master Of Reality - Purple Vinyl
Sabbath's first two albums may have galvanised dark blues and psychedelic rock into a sound more weighty than anyone had before, but it was Master of Reality that stands as the band's first true classic and the alchemy that forged heavy metal as we know it.
From the very onset, it's the chugging, down-tuned, fuzzy, big-sounding riffs that are synonymous with what heavy metal is today.
In 2001, Q included Master Of Reality in their list of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time, calling it "malevolent ... Casting Black Sabbath as a Titanic-style house band on the eve of Armageddon, cranking it as the bomb drops."
This numbered limited edition is taken from The Ten Year War box set, remastered by Andy Pearce, including the original sleeve. 1970s replica poster and purple 12" vinyl.
4) Happy Mondays: Hallelujah (Original, Club Mix {Andrew Weather & Paul Oakenfold} and Ewan Pearson Remixes) - 12" Vinyl
How do you tackle a British classic with a remix that’s already ingrained the culture of the last 30 years? Ewan Pearson's throbbing new take on Happy Monday's 'Hallelujah' boldly brings Kirsty McColl’s backing vocals from the Steve Lillywhite mix to the fore while Shaun William Ryder preaches his twisted poetry, never sounding better. A new video for the remix was completed in lockdown and posted to the Happy Monday's YouTube account.
The Andrew Weather & Paul Oakenfold club mix of "Hallelujah" was ranked at number 11 in NME's list of "The 50 Best Remixes Ever".
This 12" also includes the legendary 'Club mix' by Andrew Weatherall & Paul Oakenfold plus the original track remastered and pressed on black vinyl.
5) Jerry Dammers: At The Home Organ: Demos 1980-82
Record Store Day 2021 offers us a rare glimpse into The Specials' keyboard player, label head and songwriter Jerry Dammers' working practices. This RSD Exclusive 10" Black Vinyl featuring two previously unreleased demos of Specials tracks recorded between 1980-1982. These two previously unreleased recordings are Jerry’s own home recordings made on cassette and include elements of the inception of The Specials' most famous recording ‘Ghost Town’, which celebrates its 40th Anniversary in July this year.
"All three of the major UK music magazines of the time awarded "Ghost Town" the accolade of "Single of the Year" for 1981.
On this RSD Exclusive 10" Black Vinyl, Side A presents 'Ghost Town (Original Demo)' and Side B includes 'Theme From 'The Boiler'' later fashioned into a powerful and highly controversial track on Special AKA's album In The Studio.
Record Store Day 2021 Drop 1 releases will be on sale at 6 PM on Saturday 17th July on Townsend Music Store. The full list of Record Store Day 2021 Drop 2 releases can be found on the Record Store Day site.