Rod Stewart was on his way to becoming one of the most successful recording artists in history in 1974 when he moved to America and signed with Warner Bros. Records. Over his next 27 years with the label, Stewart released some of the most commercially successful records of his career.
Warner Records has released a new boxed set, Rod Stewart 1975-1978, that features the classic rock legend’s first four Warner albums on vinyl, plus a bonus LP of rare and unreleased studio outtakes from those albums: Atlantic Crossing (1975), A Night on the Town (1976), Footloose & Fancy Free (1977), and Blondes Have More Fun (1978). It arrived June 4, 2021, via Rhino.
“It’s extraordinary for me to look back on this era of my career,” said Stewart in the April 15 announcement. “I think fans will enjoy experiencing these songs on vinyl. I know I did.”
After being out of print for decades, the studio albums mark their return to vinyl with replica sleeves and newly remastered sound. The albums and the bonus LP are packaged in an iridescent box with Stewart foil-stamped on the cover, his blonde shag haircut in gold, and his leopard-print suit in silver.
After stints with the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces and several outstanding solo albums, Stewart moved to Los Angeles in 1974. The Warner Bros. run began with Atlantic Crossing, produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, who also produced Stewart’s next three albums.
That four-album run during the 1970s was one of Stewart’s most successful. After Atlantic Crossing was certified gold, A Night on the Town went double-platinum, and Foot Loose & Fancy Free went triple-platinum, as did its follow-up Blondes Have More Fun, which became Stewart’s first #1 album. That era introduced many of the singer’s best-known tracks: “Sailing,” “I Don’t Want to Talk About It,” “I Was Only Joking,” “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Hot Legs.”
The bonus LP, titled Encores 1975-1978, is a collection of 10 outtakes selected from the recording sessions for all four albums. Songs include an alternate version of the B-side, “Rosie,” and a cover of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” recorded with the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & The MG’s.
It also features five previously unreleased session outtakes from Foot Loose & Fancy Free and Blondes Have More Fun. Highlights include a cover of the Motown classic, “You Really Got a Hold On Me,” and the unreleased tracks “Silver Tongue” and “Don’t Hang Up.”
Related: Rod Stewart and Friends – 10 great collaborations
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationUgggh! The beginning of the end for Stewart, in my opinion.