Now-Again Records

Out Now: Regional Garland “Mixed Sugar – The Complete Works” (Download 2 Bonus MP3s!)

OUT NOW – The collected works of the Flint, Michigan soul singer/songwriter and his band, including the crossover masterpiece “It’s A Bad Feeling” and entries by Hunts Determination Band, 21st Generations, Reggie and Vann and Brilliance.

We’ve already told you about Flint, Michigan’s Regional Garland and the awesome symphonic soul, heavy funk, pleading ballads, proto-disco and boogie included on our Mixed Sugar: The Complete Works, 1970-1987, much of which came from master tapes and is previously unreleased. We told you that the CD comes with a 32 page booklet and that the 2LP comes with a 16 page booklet. We mentioned that both include a wealth of photos and ephemera and extensive liner notes by Ronnie Reese and Egon.

Well, we did called this set “The Complete Works” – and we’ve just found out that, well, it isn’t his complete works. You see, Regional forgot about a super-obscure 45 released by this woman pictured below, who we know only as Mahana.

Her two songs were two of the last of Garland’s Brilliant Minds productions and are both excellent. One is a version of “What Love Has Joined Together;” the Mixed Sugar version of this song appears on our anthology. The other, “She Really Needs Love,” is an unknown Garland instrumental. We’re offering them for free download below – directly from Regional’s master tapes. But don’t ask us any further about Mahana: shortly after recording these two songs, she disappeared, which explains the rarity of her blue-labled Brilliant Minds 7″.

Download: Mahana “What Love Has Joined Together.”
Download: Mahana “She Really Needs Love.”

Announcing: Regional Garland – Mixed Sugar, The Complete Works 1970-1987 (with a free mp3)….

The collected works of the Flint, Michigan soul singer/songwriter and his band. Contains the crossover masterpiece “It’s A Bad Feeling” and entries by Hunts Determination Band, 21st Generations, Reggie and Vann and Brilliance. Presented as a CD and 2LP. Worldwide street date March 27th.

Although Flint, Michigan’s Regional Garland toiled in regional obscurity for years, he managed to pen, sing and produce a series of 1970s soul songs that have been appreciated for decades in various musical circles around the world. Some – like The Perfections’ “Girl, You Better Hurry” and the 21st Generations’ “I Need Love” – have been lionized by the soul-collecting cognoscenti. Others – such as Mixed Sugar’s “It’s A Bad Feeling” and “Fifteen Ain’t Young No More” – were played in the hallowed halls of Northern Soul Parthenon Wiggan Casino in the mid-’70s and helped anchor the 80s Modern Soul scene.

Still relevant in 2011, Garland’s songs have inspired a second generation of fans, many of whom weren’t even born when Garland originally recorded them. This anthology pieces together the disparate elements of Garland’s recording arc; it spans from his earliest songwriting efforts for Flint vocal combos who released their music on independent imprints, to his demos recorded for Chicago soul-impresario Jerry Butler, through music he produced and released on his proprietary imprints through the late 70s to mid 80s. As such, this is a varied album, which encompasses symphonic soul, heavy funk, pleading ballads, proto-disco and boogie.

Much of the audio contained on Mixed Sugar: The Complete Works, 1970-1987 came from master tapes and is previously unreleased. CD comes with a 32 page booklet; 2LP comes with a 16 page booklet. Both includes a wealth of photos and ephemera and extensive liner notes by Ronnie Reese and Egon.

Below, we’re offering a download of Mixed Sugar’s “It’s A Bad Feeling.” This song will also appear on our forthcoming Soul Cal anthology, scheduled for early April 2012.

Buy: Regional Garland – Mixed Sugar: The Complete Works 1970-1987.”
Download: Mixed Sugar “It’s A Bad Feeling.”

Regional Garland – Mixed Sugar, The Complete Works 1970-1987

Buy it here.

Original sessions produced by Regional Garland and others.
This compilation produced, annotated and researched by Egon
Liner notes by Ronnie Reese, edited by Egon.
Licensed, and all photos, courtesy Regional Garland

Tracklist:

01. I NEED LOVE (21ST GENERATIONS) 2:03
02. HEY JAMES 2:53
03. GIRL YOU BETTER HURRY 3:40
04. GET ON DOWN 2:42
05. I NEED LOVE (HUNTS DETERMINATION BAND – INSTRUMENTAL)* 2:01
06. ARE WE THROUGH (INSTRUMENTAL)* 2:55
07. IT’S A BAD FEELING 3:04
08. FIFTEEN AIN’T YOUNG NO MORE 2:40
09. GANGSTER GIRL* 3:11
10. I’M GONNA GET YOU* 2:24
11. THE DISCO JAM BAM BAM 3:17
12. I’M SAD WE’VE BROKE UP* 3:12
13. WHAT LOVE HAS JOINED TOGETHER* 3:14
14. WHY NOW (VOCAL) 4:14
15. IF THIS AIN’T LOVE 3:26
16. I’M FALLING IN LOVE 3:08
17. HIT GIRL 3:53
18. HOW COULD YOU (EXPECT ME TO TAKE YOU BACK) 3:25
19. CHILLIN’ OUT 3:56
Bonus Tracks:
20. I NEED LOVE (HUNTS DETERMINATION BAND – VOCAL) 2:00
21. I NEED LOVE (HUNTS DETERMINATION BAND – 45 ISSUE) 2:19

2LP/CD. 2012. NA5090.

Download high res cover art here.