CARIBOU - Record Store Day 2024 Vinyl!

[dougs]

RECORD STORE DAY 2024 - April 20th:

Elton's CARIBOU album is getting a special release on vinyl for RECORD STORE DAY on April 20th, 2024.  It marks the 50th anniversary of the release of this #1 Elton album featuring the "_itch is Back" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" and "Ticking."

The 1974 album will be released as a double album on sky blue vinyl.  The first disc will be the entire album as released in 1974.  The second disc is the real bonus here with a new "radio mix 2024" version for the "_itch is Back" and a new extended version for "Stinker."  Extra tracks like "Pinball Wizard" and "Ducktail Jiver" and "Snookeroo" plus B-sides/outtakes "Cold Highway" and "Sick City" appear on the bonus disc.

Remember, you can only get this album AT record stores and there are only 3000 copies being pressed which is very limited!  Way better to support local record stores than mega giant retailers, anyway!  So far, this is a vinyl only release.  Occasionally Elton's record company will release RSD pressings on CD and digitally at a later date.

Update:  It appears that the RSD album will open up similar to a double album with two sleeves.  The original did not have the double gatefold.  Each album will be a different colour.

Check it out!

recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/17857

Doug

[dougs]

RECORD STORE RELEASE OF CARIBOU:

Saturday, April 20th is the official RECORD STORE DAY 2024.  Elton will be releasing a special first-time double album version of CARIBOU.  His eltonjohn.com site just kindly posted some interesting information about the album in honour of this RSD 2024 release:

www.eltonjohn.com/stories/caribou-inside-the-studio-and-on-the-charts

Remember, that this release will only be available at this time IN actual record stores and not online.

Enjoy!

Doug

[dougs]

Review:  RECORD STORE DAY 2024:

I got my copy of Elton's RSD 2024 special vinyl release of CARIBOU.  As advertised:

* album now opens as a double gatefold (2 LPs)
* heavy high quality 180 gram vinyl
* sky-blue coloured vinyl for both albums
* LP 1:  the original 1974 album with recently remastered versions
* LP 2:  bonus tracks including the 2024 Radio Mix for "The _itch is Back" plus "Pinball Wizard" and two B-sides ("Sick City" and "Cold Highway") and an extended version of "Stinker" and the session recorded version of "Ducktail Jiver" and the demo of "Snookeroo" which Ringo Starr later recorder for his album. 

Highlights (spoiler alert):

* "Ducktail Jiver" is a highlight:  this acoustic guitar driven upbeat song would have fit nicely on the original CARIBOU album.  Nice to finally have this worthy track.
* "The _itch is Back (New Radio Mix 2024)" is also an interesting track:  the new mix has Elton's voice more front & centre giving it a bit more prominence.  The Tower of Power horns are lower in the mix and omitted in other parts.  Elton's piano is a bit higher in the mix.  Backing vocals are more clearly presented.  A heavy gritty guitar part appears throughout the song clear in the mix.  There is a longer Elton vocal refrain at the end of the song.
* "Stinker (Extended Version)" is a solid 1 1/2 minute longer than the original CARIBOU version.  The intro has a bit of an extension. The outro has a lengthy extended part where the band continues the funky heavy groove.  Elton's vocals are, at times, inaudible as they have been reduced greatly in the mix and appear only in the left speaker.  The version of "Stinker" is, for all intents and purposes, an instrumental with a very very low vocal track.  The song's groove is so infectious that it works very well as an "almost" instrumental.  I always thought that the song would shine as an instrumental.  Davey's guitar, Dee's heavy funky bass, and Chester Thompson's organ playing are a pleasure to hear.  Not my favourite Bernie lyric so I am not too concerned about the near-inaudible vocal.

If you haven't purchased CARIBOU on vinyl in years, these recently remastered versions combined with the high quality vinyl make it the best vinyl listen yet.  Very quiet and clear with a great dynamic range.  "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" and "Ticking" just shine!

Crowd size:  my suburban record store had the line-up begin at 4 am for the 9 am early opening.  The larger downtown store had the line-up begin at midnight with people sleeping outside. It was 0°C (32°F) by 4 am!  Our store opened with about 90-100 people in line on the frosty morning.   The crowds for RSD are now, more than ever, people of all ages:  pre-teens to 70s!  Everyone shared their music-related stories.  Good fun and purchases!

Doug

[dougs]

CARIBOU - RECORD STORE DAY 2024 - Update:

eltonjohn.com kindly posted a new article about the "bonus disc" songs from the RSD 2024 release of Elton's 1974 album CARIBOU:

www.eltonjohn.com/stories/caribou-bonus-tracks-and-more

Enjoy!

Doug