Stark Reality – Definitive Reissue Of The Band’s Legendary LP

This is the definitive reissue of The Stark Reality’s Discovers The Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop (1970), lacquered by Bernie Grundman in an all-analog transfer directly from the master tapes

BUY NOW AT RAPPCATS » The Stark Reality
BUY NOW AT BANDCAMP » The Stark Reality

The story of this album begins in Boston the late 1960s, with a wild jazz band landing a deal with Ahmad Jamal’s nascent AJP imprint after the jazz pianist heard their demo recordings. Bandleader Monty Stark had been tasked by the great American songsmith Hoagy Carmichael’s son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael, to create interpretations of the elder Carmichael’s children songs for a Mr. Rogers-themed show that the younger Carmichael was producing for local PBS affiliate WGBH. MORE

Posted in News

Warehouse Find – Stark Reality Tee Shirts

Buy via our webstore at rappcats.com.

Back in 2003, Jeff Jank designed these tee shirts for Egon’s Stones Throw Records Stark Reality compilation Now. Our merch partner from those days, The Giant Peach, found a small stack of these as they changed warehouses last month. They sent ’em our way and we’re blowing ’em out. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

If you’ve not heard this band’s wondrous music yet, you can download a track here – and watch a video clip of the performance of the same song on the WGBH Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop program, which aired for an unbelievable season in the early 1970s. Imagine being a kid on that show. C’mon now.

Stark Reality’s two essential LPs Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop and Roller Coaster Ride are available as stand-alone LP’s, and come with a download card for all tracks and a digital version of the extensive booklet we presented in our box set.

Posted in News

Announcing: Stark Reality Individual LPs Available Now

Stark Reality’s two essential psych-jazz-funk LPs now available as stand-alone vinyl albums, download a free track below!

Buy via our webstore at rappcats.com.

Previously only available as part of our Acting, Thinking, Feeling box set, Stark Reality’s two essential LPs Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop and Roller Coaster Ride are now available as stand-alone LP’s, and come with a download card for all tracks and a digital version of the extensive booklet we presented in our box set.

If you’ve not heard this band’s wondrous music yet, you can download a track here – and watch a video clip of the performance of the same song on the WGBH Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop program, which aired for an unbelievable season in the early 1970s. Imagine being a kid on that show. C’mon now.

Posted in News

Update: Stark Reality “Acting, Thinking, Feeling” LP/CD/Digital Out NOW; Free MP3….

Acting, Thinking, Feeling: the Stark Reality’s complete works is out NOW on 6LP/3CD box set/digital. See pics and grab a free MP3, below!

That’s right: there were some delays, but we’re happy to announce that our Stark Reality Acting, Thinking, Feeling box set is now out in all formats – LP, CD and digital. You can see pictures of the LP and CD box set below, and if you want to buy the album digitally you have two choices: you can buy the albums a la carte at iTunes (link below), Emusic or your favorite DSP, or you can subscribe to Now-Again Deluxe at Drip.fm and the entirety of the set as a signing bonus (email us for details). As we noted before, you can download the un-edited version of “All You Need To Make Music,” restored from a brand new master tape transfer (like the entirety of our set) below.

Download: Stark Reality “All You Need To Make Music (Full Version)”
Subscribe Now to get “Acting, Thinking, Feeling” via Now-Again Deluxe at: https://drip.fm/nowagain
Buy: Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop on Rappcats
Buy: Stark Reality Roller Coaster Ride on Rappcats
Buy: Stark Reality Acting, Thinking, Feeling on Rappcats

MORE

Posted in News

Stark Reality “Acting, Thinking, Feeling” Box Set Pics – And A Free MP3….

Acting, Thinking, Feeling: the Stark Reality’s complete works will be released Feb. 5th, 2013 as a 6LP/3CD box set. The entire album is available now to our subscribers at Now-Again Deluxe. See pics of the CD box set, and grab a free MP3, below!

We’ve just received our advance copies of the Stark Reality’s Acting, Thinking, Feelingng 3 CD box sets and damn do they look boss. So boss, in fact, that we’re showing you a bit of what you’re in for come February 5th. You’ll note, of course, the thick cardboard “tip-on” mini-LP gatefold packages, the 52 page adhered booklet, and of course our custom designed slipcase.

And, since we’ve already mentioned that this is the band’s complete, unadulterated works, what better way to prove that than to give away the full length, unedited version of the Monty Stark-penned masterwork “All You Need To Make Music” – recently restored and remastered from, as we promised, the original tapes in a glorious new transfer.

Images of the 6LP box set to come soon.

Download: Stark Reality “All You Need To Make Music (Full Version)”
Subscribe Now to get “Acting, Thinking, Feeling” via Now-Again Deluxe at: https://drip.fm/nowagain

MORE

Posted in News