In early 1973 Gram Parsons embarked on a tour to promote his recently released first solo album, GP. Gram put together a pretty great band, including the then-unknown Emmylou Harris as his singing partner. The shows were somewhat uneven at first, but by mid tour the band started to find its groove.

One show stood out to pedal steel player Neil Flanz: the third night at the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia. Neil felt that this was the best show of the tour and requested a copy of the soundboard recording. He saved it for almost forty years, and then it was acquired by Amoeba Music for a future Gram release. It then disappeared in the Amoeba vault for another ten years before it was rediscovered when Amoeba moved to a new location in LA.

 A 50 year old soundboard cassette offers some unique challenges, but thanks to the efforts of some of the world’s best archival sound restoration engineers, the beauty and energy of Gram, Emmy, and the band shine through on Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels-The Last Roundup:Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia March 16 1973, from Amoeba Records, coming to record stores for RSD Black Friday for the first time. For all of those who never got to experience Gram live, this is the closest we’ll ever get to being there.

This is not the only bit of unexpected magic that music fans will discover on the List of titles coming November 24, as part of the RSD Black Friday celebration. It’s full of unique and exclusive releases coming from artists expressing their support and love for the independent record store.

Kim Petras’s Problématique album, originally intended to be her debut until a leak forced it back on to the shelf, will emerge from the vault on Apple Red vinyl, adding a new single “All She Wants” with Paris Hilton and new artwork to the euphoric, escapist pop tracks inspired by French house music and Parisian soundscapes. This album has already become something of a legend among fans, and legendary albums are something record stores know all about.

49 years ago Court and Spark sold by the crate in record stores and ended up being the most successful album of Joni Mitchell’s career.  A new collection of never before heard demos sheds new light on the iconic album. Three months after the release of their classic album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips played a small show in Boston for radio station WBOS.

The small crowd of competition winners and invited fans were treated to a set that included “Do You Realize??” and “Fight Test”, plus Pink Floyd and Beck covers. Wayne Coyne’s song introductions were a highlight, and they’re included as this pink vinyl release for RSD Black Friday brings this show to vinyl for the first time.

Another storied live event coming to fans’ collections for the first time is a tumultuous 1970 show The Doors put on in Bakersfield, California. After five years together, they were tight enough to veer into the unknown and that’s what they did in this set featuring improvisations and medleys of beloved hits from across their catalog. Live in Bakersfield is a shamanic adventure for all who listen, and it’s coming to record stores November 24 on both double vinyl and compact disc.

Singles also make their mark on The List, including a recreation of the single that introduced a new band from one of record stores’ biggest ever cheerleaders: Prince. The “Gett Off” DJ promo single sent out in 1991 proclaimed “Nothing can stop… Prince and the New Power Generation” and though an edited version did eventually show up on Diamonds and Pearls the “damn near 10 min.” mix of the song gets a commercial release on a faithful recreation of that original single this year.

This past April, Billy Strings was one of the musicians who paid tribute to Willie Nelson at his 90th Birthday Concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and his tribute continues with a 7” single that features his performance from that show Nelson’s “Whiskey River” and “California Sober,” a track on which Willie joins in.  A three song EP simply called Tribute showcases the virtuosity and flexibility of the late guitar hero Jeff Beck, with an instrumental combined with a spoken word poem from Imelda May, a live “Elegy for Dunkirk” with opera singer Olivia Safe and a blistering full band version of “Going Down”.

2023 sees the celebration of Hip-Hop At Fifty and that continues at record stores on RSD Black Friday. Iconic albums of the genre take new/old shape as Dre. Dre’s The Chronic re-emerges in CD longbox form and De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising becomes a 7” box set with bonus tracks to thrill Daisy Age citizens.

Lil Wayne collects his greatest hits, Nas tells his story with I AM… Autobiography, Cypress Hill remixes Black Sunday, and names like Goodie Mob, Digital Underground, Schoolly D, Spice 1, Polo G and more are on the List, along with four themed compilation albums that take an overview of the culture-creating genre from Tuff City.

Movie soundtracks continue to be blockbusters at record stores and no List would be right without them. This year, a standout is the exclusive orange vinyl Wes Anderson created for record stores, for the soundtrack of his latest film, Asteroid City. It features music from Jarvis Cocker, The Asteroid City cast, and original score tracks from Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat.  Speaking of Hollywood, Scarlett Johansson’s Anywhere I Lay My Head sends her love to Tom Waits with  eleven cover songs (and a little help from David Bowie) and even the Jazz Dispensary series gets cinematic this time around on Jazz Dispensary: At The Movies.

On November 24 is the “kick-off” the 2023 holiday season, and music is a key element of holiday merrymaking. The bins at the record stores this RSD Black Friday will ring with holiday sounds from Sia, whose Everyday is Christmas (Snowman EP), gets a vinyl release for the first time, and My Morning Jacket, whose Happy Holiday! adds three new songs for its vinyl debut.

Kelly Finnigan’s A Joyful Sound becomes stocking-stuffer-size in a 7” box set version, while The Beach Boys, Nuggets curator/Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, Gary (Ho-Ho-) Hoey, and a sleighful of punk bands go Christmas with various projects (literally, in the case of the punk bands on the anniversary vinyl release of the Punk Goes Christmas comp.

People can find the entire list of releases coming to indie record stores on November 24, as part of the effort to reinforce the importance of supporting independents on “The Biggest Shopping Day Of The Year” at recordstoreday.com.

Photo Credit: Ekaterina Gorbacheva