Tuesday, December 20, 2016

NICK MINNOW Releases New EP "Tongue Tied" on MOOSTER RECORDS


Nashville's NICK MINNOW drops a 5 song EP of monumental proportions via MOOSTER RECORDS. Equally influenced by Frank Zappa, Ween, and the great rock bands of the past, MINNOW provides a quirky view of a world full of S&M Giraffes, a kingdom of Sandwiches, Dinosaurs and enough clay to fill your spare bedroom. The only thing left behind will be a trail of taco wrappers and foot steps in the clay as he walks away leaving you FULLY ROCKED!

Digital Download comes with 4 short stop motion animations from Nick Minnow.

This is a Co-Release with Minnowland who will be handling the CD release. Check it out below, as well as , an animation by Minnow for Jeffrey Lewis y Los Bolts.




Monday, December 19, 2016

COSMIC HORROR THE CREATURE BELOW RISES FROM THE DEPTHS TO DVD AND VOD FEBRUARY 28






Breaking Glass Pictures is proud to announce the release of the terrifying, Lovecraftian horror THE CREATURE BELOW On Demand and DVD this February. Described as “a triumph” (Eye for Film) and “a smart genre film” (Horror Talk), THE CREATURE BELOW follows a young scientist as she discovers something evil in the depths of the ocean and her ultimate descent into the jaws of madness. THE CREATURE BELOW will be available On Demand and DVD on February 28, 2016.

Official Synopsis:
During a traumatic accident on a deep-sea dive, Olive, a gifted, young marine biologist discovers an unearthly creature. Losing her dream job, Olive smuggles the creature home, intent on studying it in secret, unbeknownst to her devoted boyfriend Matt and estranged sister Ellie.

Plagued by gruesome nightmares, her fractured memories of what happened during the accident in the depths of the ocean begin to unravel, revealing her symbiotic bond with an eldritch horror far older and malevolent than she could possibly imagine, one which drives her to carry out its sinister will, with deadly results for those around her.

Starting February 28, THE CREATURE BELOW will be available to buy/rent on the following platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, PlayStation, Xbox, Vudu, and On Demand through your local cable provider.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Gift Guide Help from Olive Films

Gift Guide Help from Olive Films

Streaming platforms may dominate the conversation for most of the year, but is it too impersonal to give a streaming service subscription as a gift? This holiday season, physical media reigns -- DVDs and Blu-rays of old and new favorite films make the perfect gifts.  Some of this year's most thoughtful presents are special DVDs and Blu-rays, and Olive Films has put together this ultimate gift guide to help your readers.

FOR THE CINEPHILE...








 
OLIVE SIGNATURE: JOHNNY GUITAR

Widely panned at its 1954 release, this bizarre Nicholas Ray-directed Western starring Joan Crawford, Mercedes McCambridge, and Sterling Hayden has been gaining popularity recently, soon to cement its status as a cinephile cult favorite. In September, Johnny Guitar came to Olive Signature on DVD and Blu-ray, mastered from a new 4K restoration and featuring loads of entertaining and informative bonus materials.  The Olive Signature edition of Johnny Guitar is sure to thrill (and likely impress) any cinephile. 
  • Introduction by Martin Scorsese
  • Audio commentary with historian and critic Geoff Andrew
  • "Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and Johnny Guitar” - with historian Larry Ceplair and blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein
  • Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western?” - with critics Miriam Bale, Kent Jones, Joe McElhaney and B. Ruby Rich
  • “Free Republic: The Story of Herbert J. Yates and Republic Pictures” - with archivist Marc Wanamaker
  • “Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other” - with critics Miriam Bale, Kent Jones, Joe McElhaney and B. Ruby Rich
  • “My Friend, the American Friend” - Nicholas Ray biographical piece with Tom Farrell and Chris Sievernich
  • "Johnny Guitar: The First Existential Western" - an original essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum
  • Theatrical trailer 


J'ACCUSE (1938)

Perhaps best known for his silent works, Abel Gance is remembered as one of the major figures of early cinema.  Haunted by the suffering he witnessed during World War I, he created the silent J’accuse (1919) to serve as the ultimate indictment of war. He eventually remade J’accuse in 1938, utilizing the newly available technology of sound.  If his original film is a lamentation of World War I, his remake is a plea for peace under the looming threat of World War II. For the film’s final act, Gance, always a technological innovator, used special effects that were ahead of their time to create a climax that walks the line between surrealism and horror. Despite the film's great importance, the DVD and Blu-ray of J'accuse  (1938) have only just debuted on November 15th, so this will give the cinephile on any gift list the opportunity to catch up with a long-neglected piece of film history.









 
OLIVE SIGNATURE: MACBETH

With Macbeth, the prolific Orson Welles would use a potent mix of highly stylized visuals and theatrical performances to create an altogether unique vision for his interpretation of the Shakespeare tragedy. This special Olive Signature edition includes both the original 1948 107-minute cut, replete with affected highland accents, and the 1950 pared-down 85-minute re-release that removed most of the accented dialogue, making it one of the year's ultimate gifts for cinephiles.
  • New High-Definition digital restoration
  • Includes 1948 and 1950 versions
  • Audio Commentary with Welles biographer Joseph McBride
  • "Welles and Shakespeare" - an interview with Welles expert, Professor Michael Anderegg
  • "Adapting Shakespeare on Film" - a conversation with directors Carlo Carlei (Romeo & Juliet) and Billy Morrissette (Scotland, PA)
  • Excerpt from We Work Again, a 1937 WPA documentary containing scenes from Welles' Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth
  • "That Was Orson Welles" - an interview with Welles' close friend and co-author, Peter Bogdanovich
  • "Restoring Macbeth" - an interview with former UCLA Film & Television Archive Preservation Officer Bob Gitt
  • "Free Republic: The Story of Herbert J. Yates and Republic Pictures"
  • “The Two Macbeths” - an essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum

 
FOR THE IN-LAWS...





OLIVE SIGNATURE: HIGH NOON

Many people find parents-in-law to be the most difficult family members to shop for. They want to impress with a sleek and elegant gift, but they also want something that strikes an emotional chord.  High Noon is considered one of the greatest Westerns of all time, and with a new 4K restoration used for this DVD and Blu-ray, people can give their in-laws the priceless gift of reliving a classic in the best presentation since its theatrical run.
  • “A Ticking Clock” - Academy Award nominee Mark Goldblatt on the editing of High Noon
  • "A Stanley Kramer Production" - Michael Schlesinger on the eminent producer of High Noon
  • “Imitation of Life: The Hollywood Blacklist and High Noon” - with historian Larry Ceplair and blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein
  • “Oscars and Ulcers: The Production History of High Noon” - a visual essay with rarely seen archival elements, narrated by Anton Yelchin
  • “Uncitizened Kane" - an original essay by Sight & Sound editor Nick James
  • Theatrical trailer
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND

Directed by the great Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, June Allyson, and Frank Lovejoy, Strategic Air Command is one of the absolute classics of aviation film. Its greatest claim to fame is its stunning aerial photography, which was filmed in breathtaking Vistavision. Also having the distinction of being the only movie to ever highlight the B-36 Peacemaker, this newly debuted DVD and Blu-ray will thrill any fans of Jimmy Stewart, classic film, or aviation.
 
      

 
FOR THE 80's KIDS...
AMERICAN NINJA 1-4

Remember this gem from the days of the video store? 80's kids surely will.  Full of cheesy moments and goofs that endeared them to kids everywhere, Cannon Films’ American Ninja series packed enough ninja action to launch a wave of martial arts obsession amongst young people across the US. American NinjaAmerican Ninja 2: The ConfrontationAmerican Ninja 3: Blood Hunt, and American Ninja 4: The Annihilation are each on DVD and Blu-ray from Olive Films with bonus features that appeal to the 80's kid in all of us. All four films together would make an awesome and thoughtful gift.

ZAPPED!
Here's another offering from Olive Films sure to conjure up some nostalgia. When a lab accident leaves a high school student with telekinetic powers, it’s a comic free-for-all in this raunchy comedy starring Scott Baio, Willie Aames, Heather Thomas, and Felice Schachter.  Encouraged by his hormonally minded friend to put his powers to good use, he exacts revenge on school bullies, cheats a little at sports and improves his luck with the girls, culminating in a prom scene reminiscent of Carrie … with laughs.
    

 
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TO SHARE







 
OLIVE SIGNATURE: THE QUIET MAN

Countless people across the country grew up watching The Quiet Man with their parents or their grandparents. Now, they can revisit this classic with their own children. The Quiet Man is now available from the newly launched Olive Signature on DVD and Blu-ray. With pristine video quality, bonus features that will enchant the whole family, and sleek packaging, anyone can be proud to give this Olive Signature DVD or Blu-ray to a loved one.
  • Mastered from 4K scan of original camera negative
  • Audio commentary with John Ford biographer Joseph McBride
  • “A Tribute to Maureen O'Hara: with Hayley Mills, Juliet Mills, and Ally Sheedy”
  • “Don’t You Remember It, Seánín?: John Ford’s The Quiet Man” - a visual essay by historian and John Ford expert Tag Gallagher
  • "Free Republic: The Story of Herbert J. Yates and Republic Pictures"
  • "The Old Man: Peter Bogdanovich Remembers John Ford”
  • “The Making of The Quiet Man” – written and hosted by Leonard Maltin






 
OLIVE SIGNATURE: THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY

A film can turn any night into a wonderful shared experience between generations, and The Night of the Grizzly exemplifies this. It's a simple but exciting Western about a family, a town, and a killer bear. This is the type of film that simply doesn't get made anymore.  
  • New High-Definition digital restoration
  • Audio Commentary by film historian Toby Roan
  • “Blood on the Claw: How Cheyenne Bodie Became a Movie Star” - an essay by C. Courtney Joyner
  • “The Legend of Big Jim Cole” –  interview with Clint Walker
  • The Night of the Grizzly World Premiere archival footage
  • “At Home with Clint Walker and His Home Gymnasium” – archival interview
FOR THE SCI-FI LOVERS
THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS
The Monster of Piedras Blancas, only having recently debuted on DVD and Blu-ray, had become a sort of Holy Grail of monster b-movies. Shot over the course of two weeks, the film was produced with a final budget of $29,000. This micro-budget necessitated a resourceful craftsmanship from the filmmakers that resulted in the endearingly campy monster flick that fans know and love. Its shocking (for the time, at least) gore also earned it a place in the hearts of many young horror fans.
    
COMMANDO CODY: SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE
One of the reasons we at Olive Films love classic Sci-Fi so much is because of its zany, innocent fun. If that's what someone is looking for in a gift to a Sci-Fi fan, they should look no further than the complete serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. This set contains all twelve pulse-pounding episodes of the beloved tv series-turned-theatrical serial.
    

Thursday, December 15, 2016

THE PAST COMES BACK TO HAUNT IN THE HARROW FROM BREAKING GLASS


“From start to finish, everything is beautifully visualized. Toying with timelines and reality can be difficult, but THE HARROW walks that line and keeps every moment grounded in the characters' emotions ... THE HARROW remains engaging in every timeline and reality.”
 – Black Script Review

Breaking Glass Pictures will release the psychological thriller THE HARROW, the debut feature from award-winning director Kevin Stocklin, on DVD and Video on Demand this January.

Starring Sonya Harum (‘Gossip Girl”), Maggie Geha (“Gotham”, Ted 2), Tom McKay (“Hatfields & McCoys”) and Geneva Carr (“Bull”), THE HARROW follows a southern drifter plagued by visions of his dead lover, and the young woman who arrives to find out the truth that he buried long ago. THE HARROW will be available on DVD and Video on Demand January 10, 2017.

Official Synopsis:
Miller, a southern drifter, lives in seclusion in an abandoned 100-year-old slaughterhouse - his only company is visions of Gale, his dead lover who was murdered a decade ago. When Gale’s daughter Ruth arrives, looking to dig up the past, she and Miller reassemble the shards of his shattered memory and are horrified at what they uncover.

'Breaking Glass is very excited to bring The Harrow to worldwide audiences”, said Michael Repsch, SVP of Distribution & Sales at Breaking Glass. ‘First time director Kevin Stocklin did a tremendous job of blending genre elements into a dramatic story, creating something that crosses over many genre boundaries.'

Starting January 10, THE HARROW will be available to buy/rent on the following platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Playstation, Xbox, Vudu, and On Demand through your local cable provider.



Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Krampus comes early with new Fright-Rags collection

Krampus comes early with new Fright-Rags collection

Shirts, hoodies & socks sale now: bit.ly/KrampusFR



Fright-Rags is the one-stop shop for the horror fan on your holiday list this year! The company is releasing new apparel and merchandise from genre movies leading up to Christmas.

The festivities kick off today with the release of the all-new Krampus collection. It includes tees designed by Justin Osbourn and Chogrin as well as custom-knit crew socks. In addition to unisex and girls shirts, Osbourn's artwork is also available on zip-up hoodies.

The holiday cheer continues this Saturday, December 10th, with two surprise shirts from classic '80s Christmas films available exclusively for 24 hours. Horror lounge pants will follow on December 13th. The 15th will see the release of stocking stuffer posters and a special Secret Santa Edition of the popular "Tee of Mystery;" it features two shirts for $20, one of which has never been released before.

The Krampus collection is on sale now at Fright-Rags.com. All domestic orders placed by December 18 are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

CREAM FRESH CREAM (Deluxe Edition)




CREAM
FRESH CREAM
(Deluxe Edition)



Late January 2017 sees the deluxe edition release of Fresh Cream, the debut album by British, blues boom, power trio, Cream.

The 3-CD + 1 Blu-Ray Audio disc come housed in a gatefold sleeve within a rigid slipcase and includes a 64-page hardback book, featuring new sleeve notes by respected Rolling Stone writer, David Fricke. The set comprises various alternate and new stereo mixes plus several, previously unreleased BBC sessions. A special 6LP 180g Vinyl edition of Fresh Cream will also be released in April 2017.

Originally released in 1966, at the height of the UK blues bloom, Fresh Cream showcased the not inconsiderable talents of three of the then music scene’s brightest lights: Eric Clapton fresh from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers; drummer, Ginger Baker straight from the Graham Bond Organisation and versatile bassist and musician, Jack Bruce who, at the time, had just left Manfred Mann. Collectively the three had decided to give up their roles as much sought after sidemen to form their own super group.

Coming together as Cream in the early summer of 1966, the trio moved at impressive speed to make the release of Fresh Cream in December of the same year. Highlights include the racing harmonica work-out and the call and response excitements on Muddy Waters’ Rollin’ and Tumblin’, a spine-tingling vocal on the Willie Dixon classic, Spoonful, as well as the self-penned Sleepy Time Time, which gave Clapton a free hand to wake up all and sundry. Their rousing treatment of the traditional standard, Cat’s Squirrel alerted listeners to just how well Clapton, Baker and Bruce musically complemented each other.



Fresh Cream is available to order now:

3CD + 1 Blu-Ray Audio: https://cream.lnk.to/FreshCreamCD

6LP 180g Vinyl: https://cream.lnk.to/FreshCreamVinyl

Monday, December 12, 2016

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS TO RELEASE TWO COMPANION VINYL BOX SETS

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS
TO RELEASE TWO COMPANION VINYL BOX SETS 


FEATURING ENTIRE STUDIO ALBUM REPERTOIRE
BOX SETS COMMEMORATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
MULTI-PLATINUM BAND’S SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will commemorate the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut album by releasing two companion vinyl box sets featuring their entire studio album repertoire via UMe and Reprise/Warner Bros. Records. Several of these albums have been out of print on vinyl for years and all albums have been remastered for this release except where noted. All LPs in each of the limited-edition box sets will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl with replica artwork.

The Complete Studio Albums Volume 1 (1976-1991) features nine vinyl albums and will be released on December 9th.  Pre-order at TomPetty.com.

Volume 1 features:
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers*
You’re Gonna Get It!*
Damn The Torpedoes*
Hard Promises
Long After Dark
Southern Accents
Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)
Full Moon Fever
Into The Great Wide Open
*Remastered since 2010

The Complete Studio Albums Volume 2 (1994-2014) begins with Petty’s first release for Warner Bros Records, Wildflowers (featuring the Grammy-winning single “You Don’t Know How It Feels”), and includes his most recent album, 2014’s Hypnotic Eye, which entered the Billboard album chart at No. 1. This box contains seven albums on twelve pieces of vinyl and will be released on November 25th.  Pre-order at TomPetty.com.

Volume 2 features:
Wildflowers (2-LP)
She's The One
Echo (2-LP)
The Last DJ (2-LP)
Highway Companion (2-LP)
Mojo (2-LP)    (Original Master, 2010)
Hypnotic Eye  (Original Master, 2014)


 About Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers:
Three-time Grammy Award-winner Tom Petty has charted albums in the Top 5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart in each of his five decades as a recording artist. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers most recent release, Hypnotic Eye, entered the chart at No. 1. The band released their debut album in 1976 and have since sold over 80 million records. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, their first year of eligibility, and in recent years have continued to build on their already legendary success. Their concerts are celebrated by fans and critics alike and their music has influenced numerous young bands and writers around the world. Tom Petty will be honored as the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday February 10th, 2017.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW

Thursday, December 8, 2016

PHANTASM: RAVAGER & PHANTASM: REMASTERED debut on on Blu-ray & DVD December 6.


PHANTASM: REMASTERED 
PHANTASM:
RAVAGER

Two Terrifying Titles in Don Coscarelli’s Legendary Horror Franchise
Debut on Blu-ray & DVD December 6







Well Go USA Entertainment brings two terrifying installments in the cult favorite Phantasm series from legendary writer/director Don Coscarelli when the fifth installment in the franchise PHANTASM: RAVAGER and the original PHANTASM: REMASTERED debut on Blu-ray™ and DVD December 6.

David Hartman (Transformers Prime, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers) is the first new director of a film in the popular Phantasm series history with PHANTASM: RAVAGER, which features the entire original cast including Reggie Bannister – a veteran of all five films – A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, and Kat Lester. Angus Scrimm takes up his iconic role as the terrifying Tall Man for the fifth and final time.

PHANTASM: REMASTERED presents Mike, Jody, Reggie, and the Tall Man as they’ve never been seen before. For the first time in high-definition, follow the trio in the remastered original classic that started it all, in which two brothers discover their local mortuary hides a legion of hooded killer dwarfs, a flying drill-ball, and the demonic mortician who enslaves the souls of the damned.

PHANTASM: REMASTERED Synopsis: 
At a funeral, Mike (Michael Baldwin), watches as a tall mortician clad in black (Angus Scrimm) tosses the unburied coffin into a waiting hearse as if it were nothing. Seeking the truth behind this unusual sight, Mike breaks into the mortuary, where he comes face-to-face with the sinister Tall Man. After barely managing to escape with his life, Mike enlists the help of his brother, Jody (Bill Thornbury), and their friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). Together they set out to uncover the secrets of the Tall Man and those who dwell in his hellish world.

PHANTASM: REMASTERED Bonus Material Includes:
Audio Commentary with Director Don Coscarelli and cast members Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm, & Bill Thornbury
Graveyard Cars
Interviews from 1979 with Don Coscarelli and Angus Scrimm
Deleted Scenes

PHANTASM: REMASTERED has a runtime of approximately 90 minutes and is rated R for nudity, violence and intense scenes.

PHANTASM: RAVAGER Synopsis: 
After battling with the Tall Man in Phantasm: Oblivion, a battered Reggie wanders through the desert in search of his missing friend, Mike. After recovering his 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda, Reggie is targeted by two of the Tall Man’s Sentinel Spheres and destroys them. He awakens suddenly to find himself sitting in a wheelchair pushed by none other than the elusive Mike! Although overjoyed by their reunion, Reggie is in this alternate dimension an aged and weary old patient in a psychiatric ward. And only he remembers their battled and bloodied past with the Tall Man. Reggie must travel between dimensions and discern what is reality in order to confront the mysteries at the heart of a decades-long struggle against evil. He is met with new and familiar faces along the way, and an epic showdown on the Tall Man’s home world awaits!

PHANTASM: RAVAGER Bonus Material Includes:
Audio Commentary with Director David Hartman and Writer & Producer Don Coscarelli
Behind the Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Giant Dwarf
Escape from Dawn’s Cabin
Cuda vs Sphere
Phuntasm: Bloopers & Outtakes
PHANTASM: RAVAGER has a runtime of approximately 86 minutes and is not rated.  
















Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Stephen King Pens Picture Book, Easter egg for DARK TOWER fans...



On November 22, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers will publish Charlie the Choo-Choo, written by Stephen King and published under the pseudonym of Beryl Evans—a character in Stephen King's novel, The Waste Lands, part of the Dark Tower series. Having sold over 30 million copies to date, the Dark Tower series has a devoted fan base who will no doubt rush to pick up this Easter egg item. Charlie the Choo-Choo is publishing just in time for the Dark Tower movie, which releases in February 2017 starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey.

In a blurb for the book, King says, “If I were ever to write a children’s book, it would be just like this!”

Engineer Bob has a secret: His train engine, Charlie the Choo-Choo, is alive...and also his best friend. From celebrated author Beryl Evans (a pseudonym for Stephen King) and illustrator Ned Dameron comes a story about friendship, loyalty, and hard work.

Fans of Stephen King’s acclaimed Dark Tower series will recognize Charlie the Choo-Choo as the picture book that shows up in Book Three, The Waste Lands, written by the character Beryl Evans. An Easter egg for devoted fans, a mock-up of the book was recently distributed at San Diego Comic Con, where over 500 fans gathered to claim one of 150 copies available. Now in its completion, fans across the country can bring Charlie the Choo-Choo to their home libraries.

UMe TO RELEASE LIMITED EDITION SIX-DOUBLE-LP VINYL BOX SET, THE BLACK EYED PEAS -- THE COMPLETE VINYL COLLECTION, WITH ALL SIX INTERSCOPE TITLES ALSO AVAILABLE AS INDIVIDUAL LPs



Originally formed in Los Angeles in the late ‘80s by rap partners will.i.am and apl.de.ap., The Black Eyed Peas were signed to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, then joined Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope in 1998 for their critically acclaimed major label debut album, Behind the Front.  Since then, The Black Eyed Peas have gone on to sell more than 35 million albums around the world, emerging from the West Coast rap underground to become Grammy-winning, multi-platinum superstars who have stormed the pop charts after adding pop diva Fergie to their ranks for 2003’s breakthrough album, Elephunk, which produced their first hit single, “Where Is the Love,” “Shut Up,” “Hey Mama” and “Let’s Get It Started.”  Monkey Business, which followed in 2005, produced the hit singles, “Don’t Phunk with My Heart,” “My Humps” and “Pump It,” going triple-platinum in the U.S. and around the world, establishing the band as global pop icons.  The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies), released in 2009, was nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning Best Pop Vocal Album, spawning the hit singles, “Boom Boom Pow” and the David Guetta-produced “I Gotta Feeling,” the latter two topping the Billboard Hot 100 back-to-back for a record-breaking 26 consecutive weeks.

UMe will now bring all six Interscope studio albums in The Black Eyed Peas’ hit-packed catalog together for the first time in The Complete Vinyl Collection, a limited edition vinyl box set that includes 180-gram double-LPs of each (for a total of 12 discs) in a black rigid lift top box, with gold foil band logo, to be released September 30. All six individual vinyl LPs will also be released separately in a limited edition run.

The band’s 1998 Interscope bow, Behind the Front, found Black Eyed Peas joined by new member Taboo.  The song, “Joints & Jam,” the album’s first official single, originally appeared on the soundtrack of the Warren Beatty movie, Bulworth, while “Be Free” appeared in the film, She’s All That.  The album’s second single was “Karma,” which was one of five music videos included on the DVD Behind the Bridge to Elephunk. Macy Gray guested on the track, “Love Won’t Wait.”

Bridging The Gap, which came out in 2000, is the last album recorded as Black Eyed Peas before the band added a “The” to their name.  There were three singles released, “BEP Empire/Get Original,” “Weekends” and “Request + Line,” the last once again featuring Macy Gray. Other cameos on the album included Esthero (“Weekends”), Chali2na (“Get Original”), Kim Hill (“Hot”), De La Soul (“Cali to New York”), Les Nubians and Mos Def (“On My Own”) and Wyclef Jean (“Rap Song”). The album peaked at #67 on the Billboard 200, while “Request + Line” climbed to #2 on the Billboard U.S. Rap chart.

Fergie joined The Black-Eyed Peas for their 2003 breakthrough, Elephunk, on will.i.am Music Group/A&M Records, which scored the band’s first crossover hit single “Where Is the Love?” which spent seven weeks at #1 in the U.K.  The album charted at #14 on the Billboard 200, was certified double-platinum by the RIAA and has since sold 3.2 million in the U.S. and 9 million copies worldwide. Allmusic praised Elephunk for “[possessing] some of the most boundary-pushing productions in contemporary (mostly) uncommercial hip-hop.”  The band later changed the lyrics to “Let’s Get Retarded,” to “Let’s Get It Started.”

Monkey Business, the 2005 follow-up, also on will.i.am Music Group/A&M, continued the group’s momentum, earning four Grammy nominations and an award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Don’t Punk with My Heart,” which became the group’s first Top 5 single, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  “My Humps” came out as the album’s third single – after “Don’t Lie,” which peaked at #14 – turning into one of the year’s top-selling songs. The album hit #3 on the Billboard 200, and sold more than 4 million in the U.S. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland guested on “My Style,” while Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Cee Lo Green and John Legend contributed to “Like That.” Other cameos were made by Jack Johnson (“Gone Going”), James Brown (“They Don’t Want Music”) and Sting (“Union”).

The Black Eyed Peas’ fifth studio album, The E.N.D. (which stands for The Energy Never Dies), came out in June, 2009, with three promotional singles, “Imma Be,” “Alive” and “Meet Me Halfway,” released through the iTunes store in the weeks before the album’s release. The album completed the transition from hip-hop to pop and gave the group its first three chart-topping singles in “Boom Boom Pow,” “I Gotta Feeling” and “Imma Be,” topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 12, 14 and two weeks, respectively. The E.N.D. has sold more than 14.5 million copies worldwide and was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year (losing to Taylor Swift’s Fearless) and Record of the Year (“I Gotta Feeling”), winning for Best Pop Vocal Album.  Entertainment Weekly described it as “pure Top 40 nirvana.”

Released in November, 2010, The Beginning is The Black Eyed Peas’ sixth and most recent studio album, described as a “prequel” to The E.N.D. The singles included “The Time (Dirty Bit),” “Just Can’t Get Enough” and “Don’t Stop The Party.” The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at #6. The group followed up the album release with “The Beginning Massive Stadium Tour,” which began in June 2011 in France and ended in November after a total of 20 shows. Entertainment Weekly praised the album’s “heavier electronic beats… Every song is piled high with sticky pop melodies, slick hip-hop rhythms, bright synth parts, and vocals that have been diced and processed to high heaven, all furthering the goal of maximum catchiness.”


REVIEW TO FOLLOW