Now-Again Records

Coming Soon – Expanded Rhythm Machine LP/CD.

Rhythm Machine’s mid 70s soul/funk opus expanded with previously unreleased tracks. Worldwide release date: 07.24.12

If you purchased our Soul-Cal anthology, you heard Rhythm Machine’s anthemic “Put A Smile On Time.” If you’re anything like us, you were smitten with this synth-lead, should-have-been-a-classic. In late July you’ll have the opportunity to dig into the band’s self titled album from whence that song came – expanded with three previously unreleased tracks, never before published photos like the ones you see here, and detailed liner notes. More information, product shots and a free download coming soon.

Oh, and if you haven’t signed up for our Now-Again Deluxe subscription service, now would be an opportune time: you’ll get our three latest albums upon subscribing, and get Rhythm Machine two weeks ahead of street date.

Out Now: Soul 7 7″ Box Set

Finally back in print – the 7” box set that Egon issued in 2003 as a companion piece to the essential Stones Throw deep funk anthology The Funky 16 Corners. Out NOW.

In 2000, deep funk anthologies were of the shoddy, bootleg variety: you know, the kind that featured new photos of models playing up the funk buffoonery of overgrown afros, bell bottoms and platform shoes. Then came the first fully licensed album of its kind – The Funky 16 Corners anthology, released on Stones Throw Records in 2001 – and, for the funk heroes and heroines that had recorded in the wake of James Brown in the 60s and 70s, everything changed. It’s not too much of a reach to say that companies like Numero Group, Jazzman Records, Light In The Attic – and their marvellous reissues from the past decade – might not have been had it not been for The Funky 16 Corners’ success.

In 2003, two years after The Funky 16 Corners’ release, Egon revisited the deal that sent him on the chase for licensing agreements in the first place: a box set of 7” singles that Traffic Entertainment Group’s president Joe Mansfield had sent him on. The result was Soul 7 – a 7” box set of seven seven inch singles from the 60s and 70s. Some had seen their songs featured on The Funky 16 Corners; some had been up for consideration, but hadn’t made the final cut.

Soul 7 was, as Egon wrote in his original liner notes, “a companion piece to The Funky 16 Corners… a chance to stretch out, and dig a lil’ deeper into the backgrounds and musical legacies of some of the pieces that define the genre that Keb Darge dubbed deep funk.” Almost ten years after Soul 7’s original release, the results of that investigation still sound fiery and fresh. Download an example – the key New Orleans funk of Ernie and The Top Notes Inc. – below.

Get: Soul 7 by subscribing to Now-Again Deluxe at Drip.fm
Download: Ernie and The Top Notes, Inc. “The Dap Walk.”

RIP – Vinnie Johnson (Stark Reality, Stanton Davis’ Ghetto Mysticism Drummer)

Phil Morrison, bassist of our favorite, impossible-to-describe jazz group Stark Reality, told us today that Vinnie Johnson, the band’s drummer, had passed away. We don’t have any further details at this time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Vinnie’s family. He was one helluva drummer, and a cheerful, super guy. He will be missed.

Photo above by Jim Bourne, taken in 1970 on the back lot at Boston’s WGBH, for use on the Stark Reality’s AJP-issued LP.

Announcing Now-Again Deluxe – Our Subscription Service At Drip.FM

We’ve partnered with Drip.fm to bring you our exclusive subscription, Now-Again Deluxe. Members get every new Now-Again album, single and EP two weeks before street date, delivered right to your inbox as WAV files and 320 kbps MP3s…

We’ve just made it a little bit easier for you to stay on top of everything we release here at Now-Again: by signing up for Now-Again Deluxe, you’ll never miss another Now-Again album, single or EP, and you’ll get them delivered to your inbox two weeks ahead of street date. We’re also going to be rolling out back catalog and exclusive albums only for our Now-Again Deluxe subscribers.

The price is $15 (USD) per month, automatic credit card billing is month to month, and you can cancel at any time. When you subscribe, you’ll immediately receive our three latest albums. And then? You just sit back and relax as we deliver album after funky album – at least one per month.

More Info: About Now-Again Deluxe
Subscribe Now: https://drip.fm/nowagain

SOLD OUT: EXCLUSIVE PRE-SALE OF OUR WITCH LP/CD BOX SET!

Thanks to everyone that ordered their WITCH box set directly from us! WE ARE NOW SOLD OUT.

Our WITCH We Intend To Cause Havoc! box set pre-sales have done better than expected. We shipped every order that paid as of Thursday, May 24th but we’ve still been receiving requests from folks who want to make sure they don’t miss out on the very-limited 6 LP box set format. We don’t blame ’em – if we didn’t have copies of all of the WITCH’s original Zamrock albums and 45s at our disposal, we’d be jonesing for legit, straight from the master tapes reproductions of WITCH’s 54 rare and unreleased garage-, psych-, prog-, funk- and afro-rock songs. To be honest, we’d probably want the box just for the booklet.

Well, we’re still in the first phase of building out our new webstore, so we’ve set up something for those that want to be guaranteed a copy (in either format). We have 40 LP box sets and 60 CD box sets, and we’re making them available, on a first come first serve basis. As an extra bonus, you’ll get them at 10% off our suggested retail price. UPDATE – WE’VE SOLD OUT. If you want in, here’s what to do:

1.email us with subject line WITCH PRE-SALE at: witch@nowagainrecords.com

2.tell us your preferred format: 6 LP ($73 plus shipping) or 4 CD ($30 plus shipping) and give us your address.

3.tell us your preferred shipping method: in the USA we offer both USPS media and priority mail; internationally we offer USPS first class (when possible), priority or express mail. Bear in mind: the 6 LP box set is heavy, so shipping it internationally isn’t going to be cheap (expect to pay $30-$40 in shipping depending where in the world you live).

4.we’ll email you back to tell you your total, and give you our Paypal address. And, just because we don’t want you to wait – when we confirm your shipment, we’ll also send a link where you can download all of the albums so you can dig in immediately! Note: we only accept Paypal payments at this time.