Rah Band : The Crunch & Beyond REPEAT1 Released 06/07/2009.Re-Pressed was a new label launched by Phil King, musician with Felt, Lush and The Jesus & Mary Chain and Junkshop Glam compiler. The label’s belief is that the sounds of the past inform the future and this is a keenly sought after re-press for this debut Re-Pressed CD (try saying that really quickly!!). The Crunch & Beyond by the RAH Band was the brainchild of arranger Richard Hewson. His career dates back to arranging the Long and Winding Road for the Beatles; Melody (SWALK) O/S/T for the Bee Gees followed by arrangements for almost every top UK artist of the early 1970's. The Crunch + Beyond features the influential analogue synth classic track The Crunch, a top 10 UK hit in 1977, which has heavily influenced such contemporary artists as Goldfrapp (check out recent hit single Strict Machine/We are Glitter) and producer Richard X (Girls Aloud, Rachel Stevens). Close your eyes and you could be back in hmmmm January 2006. The album features such other retro futurist instrumentals as Concrete, Electric Flag , Turkey Roll and Is Anybody There? As a bonus we present the non LP single Jiggery Pokery / Porridge. Richard and his motley crew of synth glam space cadets beamed down to Top Of The Pops in the summer of 1977 with an unforgettable jaw dropping rendition of The Crunch , that was as shocking as the Sex Pistols first appearance on Granada TV's So It Goes. Hewson wearing a bin liner with accessorised PVC balaclava prodded out his primitive analogue synth sounds, his finger protruding from Steptoe fingerless gloves, whilst his band wearing thigh length boots and Kimonos lurched behind him!

Pilot : From The Album Of The Same Name RETRO857 Released 27/07/2009. Signed to EMI in April 1974, following apprenticeships since 1969 in studios, club bands and even the embryonic Bay City Rollers, consummate musicians David Paton / Billy Lyall / Stuart Tosh expertly meshed catchy tunes, punchy guitars, strong harmonies to score major international success with three albums in three years. RPM presents all three LPs, now digitally re-mastered at Abbey Road studios, each with bonus tracks added from the archive of David Paton who has also contributed to the sleeve notes. From The Album Of was written by Paton and Lyall and majorly demoed before they ever got to EMI’s studios, whereupon they picked Alan Parsons from the in-house staff list to produce.

Pilot : Second Flight RETRO858 Released 27/07/2009. Signed to EMI in April 1974, following apprenticeships since 1969 in studios, club bands and even the embryonic Bay City Rollers, consummate musicians David Paton / Billy Lyall / Stuart Tosh expertly meshed catchy tunes, punchy guitars, strong harmonies to score major international success with three albums in three years. RPM presents all three LPs, now digitally re-mastered at Abbey Road studios, each with bonus tracks added from the archive of David Paton who has also contributed to the sleeve notes. Second album, from 1975, again produced by Alan Parsons (who would take three of Pilot to record his own album I-Robot a year later), featured a major hit with the single January, a no.1 in many countries.

Pilot : Morin Heights RETRO859 Released 27/07/2009. Signed to EMI in April 1974, following apprenticeships since 1969 in studios, club bands and even the embryonic Bay City Rollers, consummate musicians David Paton / Billy Lyall / Stuart Tosh expertly meshed catchy tunes, punchy guitars, strong harmonies to score major international success with three albums in three years. This third album was recorded at Morin Heights in Quebec,Canada in 1976, and this time had Roy Thomas Baker (Queen) producing. Heavier power pop sound and song writing contributions from more band members mark this album as a progression. It still retains the Pilot stamp of quality, and yielded a major hit in the single Penny In My Pocket . Again we have the demo version from David Patons archive, together with three more unreleased songs as bonus tracks.

Keith : Ain’t Gonna Lie rpm273 Released 08/06/09. A keenly awaited re-press for this definitive Keith compilation. Peak period 1966-1967 Jerry Ross produced Orchestral and Harmony Pop with massive chart hits. The glorious package includes the two Mercury albums and singles and the booklet features a Pete Doggett essay from an interview with Ross and some very rare pics. 98.6 and Daylight Savin’ Time are probably the two most well known tracks but checkout other gorgeous tracks such as I Can’t Go Wrong and Ain’t Gonna Lie; you won’t be disappointed!

The Mojo’s : Everything’s Alright – The Complete Recordings retro855 Released 29/06/09. The complete recordings of this well respected Merseybeat act during their career (1963-1967). Best known on record for their own song ‘Everything’s Alright’, in part through their own recording being regarded as one of the classic ‘Mersey Sound’ tracks ever, as well as it making the top 10, and later through David Bowie covering it on PIN UPS. Two other tracks also made the charts, Why Not Tonight and Seven Daffodils, from a collection of seven singles and one EP recorded for Decca. The complete recordings are bookended by their very first recording and their last. The first made as The Nomads was included on the Oriole LP This Is Merseybeat in 1963 , and the last was the previously un-reissued Liberty single as Stu James & The Mojos in 1967.

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