Ten Record Store Day Black Friday 2018 Releases to Watch for this November

Record Store Day Black Friday Logo 2017.

The list of releases for Record Store Day’s 2018 Black Friday event was released last week. Offering a variety of limited edition and first run exclusives, there is a lot to look forward to this holiday season. A full list of releases is available now on the Record Store Day website.

Taking place November 23, Record Store Day Black Friday intends to “spotlight” record shops as great places to purchase gifts. According to the event’s website, by creating limited edition items for independent retailers to sell, they hope to get people to celebrate the art of music instead of mass production.

With Record Store Day Black Friday (RSDBF) just around the corner, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of this season’s most interesting releases. Here are 10 that we’re excited to, hopefully, get our hands on.

1.       Weezer, “Africa”: Earlier this year indie/”emo” band Weezer indulged an internet campaign asking them to cover Toto’s “Africa.” The song ended up becoming their first top ten hit in a decade. For RSDBF, Weezer will be releasing a 10” of the song on a picture disc shaped like the African continent backed with their cover of Toto’s other hit, “Rosanna” (not unlike the one Toto released for the two singles back in 1982).

2.       Frank Zappa, ‘We’re Only In It For The Money’: Frank Zappa’s 1968 album ‘We’re Only In It For The Money’ turned 50 this year. This RSDBF, the album’s original mono mix will be getting its first vinyl pressing since its release, this time on five different picture discs, including four never-before-seen photos from the vault and one that will be exclusive to Europe.

3.       Eric Clapton, ‘Happy Xmas (Bonus Tracks)’: Eric Clapton released a Christmas album, ‘Happy Xmas,’ this past Friday, his first holiday album in his five decade career. But that’s apparently not the end of it. For RSDBF, Clapton is releasing a 7” with two additional original holiday songs not available on the record.

4.       Grateful Dead, “Playing In The Band”: Coming in at 47 minutes long, the Grateful Dead’s 1974 recording of “Playing In The Band at the Edmundson Pavillion in Seattle, WA is the band’s longest uninterrupted song ever recorded. The song is being released in its entirety for RSDBF.

5.       Dead Kennedys, ‘Iguana Studios Rehersal Sessions’: It has been more than a decade since California punk rockers Dead Kennedys released any sort of music. However, the band is giving fans a look at their early days with the release of their demo and rehearsal tapes from 1978. The recordings include early takes on such infamous tracks as “Holiday In Cambodia” and “California Uber Alles.”

6.       The Jimi Hendrix Experience, ‘Burning of the Midnight Lamp’ Mono EP: To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of ‘Electric Ladyland’ (which happens to be today), the Jimi Hendrix Experience is releasing a 7” EP featuring the original / rare mono mixes of “Crosstown Traffic,” “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” and “Gypsy Eyes.” Copies of the EP will be numbered and pressed on transparent Orange Crush vinyl.

7.       Iggy Pop & The Stooges, ‘Rare Power’: Iggy Pop & The Stooges’ seminal 1973 album ‘Raw Power’ turns 45 this year. For RSDBF, the iconic punk band will be putting out a nine-song album of previously unreleased outtakes and alternative mixes of songs from the album.

8.       Lookout Records, ‘The LookOuting!’: Last year, defunct East Bay, California label Lookout Records held a music festival at 924 Gilman Street featuring up-and-coming punk bands. The event was recorded and is being released as a double LP for Record Store Day Black Friday. Limited to just 1000 copies, all proceeds from the album’s sale will go to 924 Gilman Street. (My guess is that this album will not be coming to stores in New York.)

9.       Various Artists, ‘A Day In The Life: Impressions of Pepper’: The 50^th anniversary celebration for the Beatles’ iconic ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ apparently isn’t over. For ‘A Day In The Life,’ Verve Records gave up-and-coming and established jazz artists the task of reinterpreting songs from the album. The result is described on the Record Store Day website as “impressionistic, original [and] avant-garde.”

10.   Various Artists, ‘Mom+Pop 10 Year Anniversary Compilation’: What’s better than an independent record label releasing a compilation to independent record shops! Mom+Pop Records is celebrating their tenth anniversary this year and they will be doing just that. The 3xLP box set will feature an album of rarities from the label’s most successful artists, as well as an LP of the label’s artists covering other artists (some of which are also Mom+Pop artists). Aside from the music, the set also comes with a 36-page book about the label’s history and a poster.

Record Store Day Black Friday will see the release of some outstanding limited edition titles just in time for the holiday shopping season. Keep an eye out for some of the titles above and let us know what titles you’re excited to pick up this November.

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Find Record Store Day releases and much more at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop. We have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find next at Vinyl Bay 777.

Record Store Day Black Friday 2017: The Importance of Independent Record Shops on Black Friday

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, takes a look at what makes Record Store Day’s Black Friday event important

The wait is finally over! Today is Record Store Day Black Friday! Like its parent event in April, Black Friday is a chance to find exclusive releases while supporting the independent record shops that foster the music community.

Now in its seventh year, Record Store Day Black Friday emerged out of a necessity to bring independent shops back into the fold of holiday shopping. According to their website, the event “gives record stores exclusive releases as part of an attempt to redirect the focus of the biggest shopping day of the year to the desirable, special things to be found at local stores.” This year’s event will feature titles from the likes of Paul McCartney, the Grateful Dead, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Tori Amos, Twisted Sister, Queen, Willie Nelson and hundreds more. All exclusives are released in limited quantity and once they are gone, they are gone.

Black Friday itself has been around since 1952. Taking place the day after Thanksgiving, it is considered to be the start of the holiday shopping season. The first profitable sales day of the year, the event is named for the black ink used to mark profits in a business’ sales ledger (losses are marked in red). In more recent years, Black Friday has become even more of a phenomenon, with scores of shoppers lining up at ridiculously early hours (sometimes ON Thanksgiving) to take part in deep discounts and sales.

Much of the time though, Black Friday feels like it is reserved for the big retailers. Those are the stores that run the biggest deals and draw the biggest crowds. And while Small Business Saturday is a thing, it’s not quite as big as the behemoth that is Black Friday.

Such is the need to celebrate local, independent record shops during the holiday season, as well as all year long. These are the places where music communities grow and thrive, where people discover new music and the classics. There no better place to find gifts for the music lovers in your life than from people who know and love music.

Record Store Day has been a very profitable event for locally-owned and independent record shops all over the world for the last ten years. The annual April event has played a large role in the vinyl revival, helping it to become the only physical medium to grow in albums sales year over year. Record Store Day has also been proven to raise retail sales at independent stores. This past April’s event earned the biggest non-Christmas retail sales in more than a decade. So if anyone can bring attention to local stores during the holiday season, it’s Record Store Day.

While Black Friday is often geared more towards larger retailers, Record Store Day is aiming to bring some of that attention back to locally-owned and independent shops with their Black Friday event. After all, it is these Independent record shops that have had a big part in creating community around music. Through exclusive releases, the event hopes to help draw in business and give music lovers an added reason to shop locally this holiday season.

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Shop for music gifts locally this holiday season at Vinyl Bay 777. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Check out exclusive Record Store Day Black Friday exclusives while supplies last or browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store and online at vinylbay777.com. New titles are being added to our selection all the time, so you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Record Store Day Black Friday 2017: Seven Exclusive Album Reissues to Watch For

For the last 10 years, Record Store Day has been a great avenue for launching album reissues. The event gives artists and labels the opportunity to celebrate these tremendous works while also giving back to the fans who buy the albums and the independent stores that sell them. This Record Store Day Black Friday will be no different as there are many specially-packaged and long-out-of-print reissues being released this Friday, November 24.

In anticipation of Record Store Day Black Friday, Vinyl Bay777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the album reissues we can look forward to this coming Friday. Here are seven titles we can’t wait to get our hands on. (Note: Vinyl Bay 777 may not have all of these titles in stock on RSD. Please drop by the store on Friday to see what we will have.)

1.       Tori Amos, ‘Y Kant Tori Read’: Tori Amos has two releases coming out for Record Store Day Black Friday that bookend her career. The first is the ‘Russian EP,’ which features four songs from her 2017 album ‘Native Invader’ on orange vinyl with labels printed in Russian. The other is a reissue of her synth-pop band Y Kant Tori Read’s 1988 self-titled album, which doubles as Amos’ very first recording for Atlantic Records.  Long out-of-print and usually shunned by Amos herself, the album is being remastered and released in original track list order.

2.       Grateful Dead, ‘Grateful Dead Records Collection’: Between 1973 and 1977, the Grateful Dead were releasing music on their own label, Grateful Dead Records. Come this Friday, fans of the jam band will be able to own all four albums released on the label together in one neat package. The ‘Grateful Dead Records Collection’ features ‘Wake of the Flood,’ ‘From the Mars Hotel,’ ‘Blues for Allah’ and the double LP ‘Steal Your Face,’ all “faithfully replicated, housed in rigid slipcases” and coming with books “containing liner notes and iconic photos of the band.”

3.       Richard Hell & the Voidoids, ‘Blank Generation’: Richard Hell & the Voidoids’ iconic debut album ‘Blank Generation’ turned 40 in September. In celebration of the anniversary, the band is issuing a 40^th anniversary edition of the album for Record Store Day Black Friday. This new edition was remastered by Greg Calbi, who originally mastered the album at Sterling Sound, and features a bonus disc/LP with unreleased tracks that include alternate studio versions, out-of-print singles, and bootleg live recordings of the band’s first performance at CBGBs in 1976. The package also contains previously unpublished photos of the band from Roberta Bayley, an essay by Richard Hell and an interview conducted by Hell with guitarist Ivan Julian.

4.       Willie Nelson, ‘Yesterday’s Wine’ and ‘Spirit’: Willie Nelson has not one but two reissues coming out for Record Store Day Black Friday. The first is ‘Yesterday’s Wine,’ which hasn’t been pressed on vinyl in more than three decades. Part of Friday Music’s 180g Audiophile Vinyl Series, the album will be released on burgundy vinyl and packaged in a gatefold sleeve with a poster of the album’s cover art. The second reissue is of Nelson’s 1996 album ‘Spirit,’ which is being pressed on vinyl for the first time. Newly remastered and pressed on colored vinyl, the album will come in a “deluxe gatefold, ‘tip-on’ uncoated jacket.”

5.       Iggy Pop, ‘New Values’: Another addition to Friday Music’s 180g Audiophile Vinyl Series, Iggy Pop will be reissuing his 1979 Arista Records debut ‘New Values,’ his third solo release, for Record Store Day Black Friday. This new edition features the album on blue and black swirled vinyl packaged in a gatefold cover with a 24x24 poster included.

6.       Steve Earle, ‘El Corazon’: Released in 1997, ‘El Corazon’ is one of Steve Earle’s most eclectic albums to date. After twenty years, the album will be seeing its first ever vinyl release for Record Store Day Black Friday. The new edition will come with an exclusive lithograph.

7.       Neil Young, ‘Harvest Moon’: Neil Young’s classic album ‘Harvest Moon’ turned 25 this month. To celebrate, the iconic singer-guitarist is releasing a special 25^th anniversary edition of the album, pressed on vinyl for the first time in North America, for Black Friday. The vinyl will feature two LPs, with the album’s artwork etched on the second side of the second LP.

In true Record Store Day fashion, this year’s Black Friday event will feature some outstanding special-edition reissues. These are just some of the reissue titles coming out this Friday that we feel are worth getting excited over. A mix of landmark anniversary releases, vinyl first-presses and long out-of-print titles, these reissues would be a great addition to any music fans’ collection.

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Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop, is excited to be a part of Record Store Day Black Friday this year. Drop by our Plainview location on November 24 between 9 AM and 10 PM to find exclusive Record Store Day releases and to browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia. Vinyl Bay 777 has thousands of titles in store and online at vinylbay777.com year-round with new titles being added all the time.

Record Store Day Black Friday 2017: Seven Exclusive Christmas Releases

One of the things that set Record Store Day Black Friday apart from its parent event in April is the holiday releases. As Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday season, that makes it the perfect time for artists to spread a little holiday cheer.

In preparation for Record Store Day Black Friday, Vinyl Bay777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the exclusive Christmas releases coming out this Friday. Here are seven that will get you in the holiday spirit. (Note: Vinyl Bay 777 might not have all of these titles. Please visit the store on Friday, November 24 to see what we will have.)

1.       Twisted Sister, ‘A Twisted Christmas’: Rock out to classic Christmas songs from one of metal’s most hard-rocking bands. Twisted Sister originally released ‘A Twisted Christmas’ in 2006, turning out to be the final studio album the band would release together. For Black Friday this year, the album is being rereleased on green vinyl. Only 2000 copies are being made.

2.       Paul McCartney, ‘Holidays Rule’:  For Black Friday, former Beatle Paul McCartney will be putting out two 7” releases. Both feature a new take on his 1979 original Christmas classic “Wonderful Christmastime,” accompanied by Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.  The first release, on green vinyl, will feature The Decemberists on the b-side performing “Jesus Christ.” The second release, on red vinyl, will feature Norah Jones on the b-side performing “Peace.”

3.       Greg Lake, “I Believe In Father Christmas”: It’s been almost a year since King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer singer Greg Lake passed away. To honor his legacy, BMG Rights Management is releasing at 10” of “I Believe In Father Christmas,” Lake’s debut solo single and holiday hit. The b-side features an updated 2002 version of the song that has been out-of-print since then. Only 2000 have been pressed.

4.       Cheap Trick, ‘Christmas Christmas’: While many of the Christmas releases coming out on Black Friday are reissues, Cheap Trick have put out an entirely new Christmas album that will make its debut during the event. The album features a mix of classic holiday tunes and covers of rock holiday tunes by The Ramones and The Kinks. The release is limited to only 2000 copies.

5.       The Minus 5, ‘Dear December’: Why even cover other peoples’ music at all? The Minus 5’s Scott McCaughey wrote 12 new holiday tracks for the band’s Record Store Day Black Friday release, ‘Dear December.’ Limited to 1500 copies on white vinyl in an Advent Calendar-style gatefold jacket, the album features guest appearances from Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, M Ward and Chuck Prophet.

6.       ‘Christmas on Death Row’: Originally released in 1996, the famed Christmas compilation album is being pressed on vinyl for the first time ever, making its debut for Record Store Day Black Friday. Featuring music from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and the Dogg Pound, the LP will be pressed on colored vinyl with only 1000 copies being released.

7.       Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”/ “Santa Baby”: Rateliff and his band will be putting their Americana spin on two jazzy Christmas classics for their Black Friday release, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Santa Baby.” The 7” will be pressed on black vinyl with only 3000 copies available.

Just in time for the start of the holiday season, these are some of the holiday releases coming out during this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday. Be sure to watch for some of these releases, as well as other exclusive and limited-quantity releases, when the event takes place this Friday, November 24.

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Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop is excited to participate in Record Store Day Black Friday this Friday, November 24. Pick up exclusive and limited edition vinyl releases in store during our extended business hours: 9 AM to 10 PM. While you’re here, check out thousands more titles on new and used vinyl, CD and cassette, as well as music DVDs and memorabilia. More titles are being added to our selection all the time, so it always pays to stop by Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com, to see what’s new.

Record Store Day Black Friday 2017 Coming Soon to Vinyl Bay 777

Record Store Day Black Friday Logo.

It’s almost that time of year again! With Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday, the holiday season is fast approaching.  It also means that Black Friday, largely considered to be the official kick-off to the holiday shopping season, is around the corner. And while you may be hyped on all the big deals at the big retailers, Record Store Day is hoping that you might spread the love to the local shops too.

Now in its seventh year, Record Store Day Black Friday will be bringing limited edition releases to independent record shops, like Vinyl Bay 777, just in time for the holiday season. According to their website, the event is designed to “give record stores exclusive releases as part of the attempt to redirect the focus of the biggest shopping day of the year to the desirable, special things to be found at local stores.”

This Black Friday’s collection of exclusives boasts a wide array of releases, from high-profile reissues and anniversary rereleases to exclusive first-releases. There are even a handful of Christmas albums and singles coming out for the occasion to get you in the holiday spirit. A full list of Black Friday releases can be found on the Record Store Day website (Note that not everything on this list will be available at Vinyl Bay 777).

Past Record Store Day releases.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is excited to be participating in Record Store Day Black Friday once again. The store will be extending its hours for the day, opening from 9 AM until 10 PM. We will be carrying many of the listed items in super limited quantities, so make sure to get here early to have the best chance of finding the album you are looking for.

Record Store Day has been at the forefront of the vinyl revival for more than a decade. Every April, the event has been drawing in more and more fans of the physical medium, including those that may not have grown up with it. This past April, the event drew its highest sales numbers ever, raising vinyl sales for that day 3.4 percent over the previous year and 484 percent for that entire week.

Kick off the holiday shopping season by checking out the exclusive and limited edition Record Store Black Friday items being released this Friday, November 24. Vinyl Bay 777 will be open all day to celebrate the event, so make it a point to drop by and check out what’s new. Help in Record Store Day’s effort to preserve the local, independent record shop and find the perfect gifts for your friends and family at the same time.

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Find gifts for the music lover in your life at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have a wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia to choose from. Browse thousands of titles in an array of genres in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. More titles are being added to our selection all the time, so you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Record Store Black Friday 2017 Releases to Watch For

On Tuesday, Record Store Day released the official list of releases coming out during their Black Friday event. Taking place November 24, the event is now in its seventh year of releasing limited edition vinyl, CD and cassette releases to independent record shops for the holiday season. Artists releasing titles this November include the Grateful Dead, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Frank Zappa, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Queen, Notorious B.I.G., Twisted Sister and many, many more.

In anticipation of Record Store Day Black Friday, Vinyl Bay777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the titles being released for this year’s event. Here are 10 of the more interesting releases, from the anniversary reissues to rare finds and oddities.

1.       Richard Hell & the Voidoids, ‘Blank Generation (40^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)’: It’s been 40 years since Richard Hell & the Voidoids released their ground-breaking debut album, ‘Blank Generation.’ Hell is celebrating the milestone by reissuing the album for Record Store Day as double LP and double CD sets. The second disc will feature outtakes, alternate studio versions, and recordings of their first performance at CBGBs. Packaging for the rerelease will mimic that of the original release and include a booklet with essays and journal entries from Hell, never-before-seen photos and an interview between Hell and bandmate Ivan Julian.

2.       Neil Young, ‘Harvest Moon’: For its 25^th anniversary, Neil Young is re-mastering and reissuing ‘Harvest Moon.’ This will be the first time the album has been available on vinyl in the United States and will be limited to 5000 copies.

3.       Lure, Burke, Stinson & Kramer, 'L.A.M.F. Live At The Bowery': In 2016, Walter Lure (The Heartbreakers), Clem Burke (Blondie), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements) and Wayne Kramer (MC5) came together to pay tribute to Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers sole album, ‘L.A.M.F.’ Recordings from that show are now being released on transparent blue vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday. There are only going to be 950 copies pressed.

4.       Lou Reed and Kris Kristofferson, 'The Bottom Line Archive Series: In Their Own Words: With Vin Scelsa': The Bottom Line’s Archive Series is releasing a picture disc featuring selections from Lou Reed and Kris Kristofferson’s1994 ‘In Their Own Words: With Vin Scelsa’ set at the famed venue. Only 1000 of these albums are being made.

5.       The Turtles, 'Turtles '66': Considered to be the “lost” Turtles album, ‘Turtles ’66’ features original mono mixes of early Turtles tracks. With only three of these 12 tracks having been previously released in mono, much of this album has not been heard like this before. And with only 1000 being made, very few will have the chance to hear it this way.

6.       Various Artists, ‘From The Vaults’: For all the reggae and two-tone fans out there, Studio One is releasing a two LP compilation of music from their vault. ‘From The Vaults (Obscure Singles Compilation)’ will feature rarities from throughout the label’s history. Many of these tracks have been out-of-print for decades or have never been released at all. To make it even more of a catch, there will only be 600 copies made.

7.       Grateful Dead, 'Grateful Dead Records Collection': One of the larger sets being released for Record Store Day Black Friday, the Grateful Dead will be releasing four of their iconic albums in one limited-edition five-LP box set. The set includes ‘Wake Of The Flood,’ ‘From The Mars Hotel,’ ‘Blues For Allah’ and ‘Steal Your Face,’ which will all be “faithfully replicated” and “housed in a rigid slipcase,” as well as a book featuring liner notes and iconic band photos. Only 5,000 sets will be made, so Dead Heads should line-up early. If this isn’t

If this isn’t enough Grateful Dead for you, ‘Side Trips, Volume One,’ featuring Jerry Garcia, is being rereleased. The album originally came out on CD in 1998, but will now be getting a vinyl release.

8.       Frank Zappa, “Lumpy Gravy” / “Primordial”: Frank Zappa’s debut solo album, ‘Lumpy Gravy,’ turned 50 this year and to celebrate, Zappa has reissued the album’s title track, along with b-side “Primordial.” The release is in Mono and being pressed on burgundy vinyl.

9.       At The Drive-In, ‘Diamante’: Earlier this year, At The Drive-In cemented their reunion with a new album and now the band is getting ready to release even more new music. For Record Store Day Black Friday, the band will be releasing the 10” ‘Diamante’ EP featuring three brand new tracks. The majority of the 3000-copy run will be on coke-bottle green with “bone-splatter” vinyl, but there will be 100 pressed on black/double-mint vinyl hidden among them.

10.   Leonard Nimoy, 'Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space': In 1967, Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy released an album of space-themed tracks. Now after being out-of-print for decades, this unusual find will be rereleased for Record Store Day Black Friday this year.

These are just some of the titles being released for this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday event. Check out the full list of exclusives at the Record Store Day website and let us know what releases you’re excited for.

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Find previous Record Store Day releases and more at Vinyl Bay 777. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.