Canadian label Music In Motion Ent is releasing Diamonds – The Best of the Hard Rock Years 1990 – 1995, a brand new compilation featuring iconic guitarist Rik Emmett's hand picked rock tracks from his three Duke Street releases, Absolutely, Ipso Facto and The Spiral Notebook plus two previously unheard songs.
Remastered with the most up to date technology at Iguana Studios in Toronto ON, Diamonds provides Rik Emmett fans with a new listening experience. The Diamonds cover art features the work of renowned photographer Andrew MacNaughtan. International retail date is set for March 1, 2024 through Music In Motion Ent (Canada) and Deko Entertainment (ADA/WMG).
A signed Deluxe Edition of 400 collector sets is NOW AVAILABLE for pre-sale on Rik Emmett’s webstore through RockPaperMerch.com. A limited number of hand signed editions will also be available through the Deko Entertainment webstore.
The Deluxe Edition is designed with an album gatefold that includes both the CD (with bonus tracks) and LP (on 180g heavyweight marble space effect vinyl). Exclusives include: copies of handwritten lyric sheets, a photo set of never-before-seen images, guitar picks from each album, a lenticular holographic poster of the cover art, a gold embossed lithograph of the album cover hand signed by Rik, and a custom felt Diamonds vinyl slipmat.
The Deluxe Edition also touts two new previously unheard Rik Emmett original tracks (from the Absolutely and Ipso Facto demo sessions) that will not appear on the retail versions and will not be available on streaming platforms. The two new tracks will premiere in an exclusive online video stream in late January where Rik will preview the Deluxe Edition and tell stories of his Triumph and solo years from his Lay It On The Line biography. All purchasers of the Deluxe Edition will receive a private link to this stream. In addition, all purchases before January 31, 2023 will be entered into a draw to win Rik’s personal signed test pressing of Diamonds!
CHERRY RED TO RELEASE “CELEBRATE IT TOGETHER: THE VERY BEST OF HOWARD JONES 1983-2023” COMPILATION OCTOBER 6TH
In celebration of his 40-year career, Cherry Red Records will soon release CELEBRATE IT TOGETHER: THE VERY BEST OF HOWARD JONES 1983-2023. Due out on October 6th, the very special compilation will be available in three different formats: 4CD, 2LP or 2CD. This is the first anthology that looks at his entire catalogue, from the original version of “New Song,” all the way to a 2023 Elephant Talk remix of it that recasts it within a modern electronica context. It includes songs from his classic Warner-era catalogue, as well as work from his independent Dtox label and features the comprehensive collection of hit singles, remixes, key album tracks, live versions and alternative recordings.
For CELEBRATE IT TOGETHER, Jones personally chose to group the songs into four categories: “Popular Hits,” “Electro,” “Chill,” and “Curiosities.” He wanted to elevate this selection of songs beyond the typical chronological approach and create themes that mix and match different pieces from different eras, with the overall listening experience top of mind. The deluxe 4CD box set version contains 64 remastered tracks and includes 4 previously unreleased tracks and a further 6 tracks previously unreleased on CD. Please see below for the respective CD track listings. To access cover art, please click here. To pre-order CELEBRATE IT TOGETHER, please click here.
Howard Jones just wrapped a wildly-successful summer tour of North America as main support for Culture Club on The Letting It Go Show shed trek. Berlin rounded off the bill. Of Jones’ set, USA Today declared him to be “personable and gracious…in fine form”, dubbing him the “genial keyboard wizard”. Later this month, Howard Jones will headline a short run of dates in Canada before heading to Japan and the UK to continue his 40th anniversary shows. Please see below for the Canadian itinerary.
Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past four decades, playing live in a number of configurations including intimate solo shows and dates with his full high-tech band set-up. He first burst upon the contemporary music scene in 1983, with his very English songwriting and pioneering synthesizers with “New Song”. His first two albums, HUMAN’S LIB and DREAM INTO ACTION, were worldwide hits. HUMAN’S LIB reached #1 in the UK and featured the hits “New Song” and “What Is Love?” In 1985, Jones released the follow-up, DREAM INTO ACTION, which quickly became a Top Ten platinum album in the United States and featured the hits “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame” and “Like To Get To Know You Well”.
Howard Jones has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide and continues to make new music and tour the world. Jones has recently performed on NBC’s top-rated morning and nighttime shows respectively, The Today Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His ubiquitous hits can be heard in such high-profile television series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries,” “Superstore” and “Bumblebee”.
Howard Jones Canadian tour dates:
9/26 - Saint Catherine’s, ON - First Ontario Performing Arts Centre
9/27 - Oakville, ON - Oakville Centre For The Performing Arts
9/28 - Richmond Hill, ON - Richmond Hill Centre For The Performing Arts
9/29 Kingston, ON - Kingston Grand Theatre
10/1 Brantford, ON Sanderson Theatre
For more information on Howard Jones, please visit: www.howardjones.com
To access publicity images of Howard Jones, please visit: www.howardjones.com/press/index.html
EDENBRIDGE to Release Best of Album in January!
"The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2" on January 15th, 2021
After the first retrospective The Chronicles Of Eden (2007), Edenbridge, one of the most unique bands in their genre, delivered their second "Best Of" album, right on time to their 20th Anniversary.
The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2 is the quintessence of the studio albums 5-10 and again it was up to the fans to vote for their favorite tracks of each album. Creative mastermind/multi-instrumentalist Lanvall: „The voting was not a major surprise and is more or less identical to the songs, we would also have chosen. Therefore 4 tracks of each album could be covered along with some older all out of print bonus tracks.“
As a surprise, there are 2 new recorded acoustic versions of the hits Higher (over 4 million views on YouTube) and Paramount featured, among the Easter Version 2020 of the song Dynamind, re-recorded by Sabine Edelsbacher. Lanvall: „It was extremely fun to turn Higher into a nearly jazzy piano/vocal version showing a different side of us, formerly unknown. Paramount was one of the absolute fan favorites and so it was near to transform that song too and let it shine in a new light.“
The 150 minutes of the double album cover the big range of the symphonic metal sound and the compositional substance and consistency, Edenbridge has been standing for 20 years. Atmospherically dense compositions, directed mainly by Lanvall and vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher, which combine melodies and grooves, toughness and sensitivity, emotions and intellect, spirit and the subconscious mind in a unique way.
The atmospheric artwork was inspired by a vision, singer Sabine had, linking the spiritual awakening to a Aurora Borealis. Sabine: „After an own spiritual experience a couple of years ago and without an explainable reason, I felt a deep connection to the name Aurora. Subsequently I concerned myself with what the name stands for and relating it now to a heart quality, which might lead us to higher consciousness. Especially when there is a lot of negativity in the room, a possibility for transformation exists, through recognition and acceptance, respectively the self-responsibility for one's own feelings. Edenbridge always followed this path and especially now it is even more important to get into the own truthfulness.“
"The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2" will be released worldwide through Steamhammer/SPV on January 15th, 2021 as 2CD digipak version, download and stream: https://Edenbridge.lnk.to/ChroniclesOfEden2
The graphic direction of the cover artwork was again in the hands of drummer Johannes Jungreithmeier, who developed into the creative visual pole of the band since his entrance into the band in 2016. All tracks were produced by Lanvall and mixed by Threshold mastermind Karl Groom, with whom the band has been collaborating for 15 years now.
"YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW IS A MYSTERY, TODAY IS A GIFT"