15 essential releases for Record Store Day Black Friday 2023
November 21, 2023
Vinyl has experienced such a resurgence that one Record Store Day event a year is not enough. On Black Friday (Nov. 24), a wide array of exclusive vinyl releases will be available at indie record shops here in the Twin Cities and beyond. While RSD Black Friday isn’t as big as Record Store Day in terms of events, there will still be a ton of unique, limited-edition vinyl available.
The long list of vinyl exclusives available on Black Friday is rather daunting, so we have chosen 15 notable albums – including a few with local ties – to look out for at your local indie record shop.
Prince - “Gett Off!”
Released as a complimentary companion piece to the recent expansive reissue of Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls, this single-sided 12-inch recreates the original promo release of the “damn near 10 min” extended mix of the Purple One’s funky jam, “Gett Off!” Initially it was only given out to radio and club DJs to announce the arrival of Prince’s brand-new band, The New Power Generation. “Get Off!” was not intended to be on Diamonds and Pearls, but the song proved to be such a big hit on the airwaves and the dancefloor that Prince created an edited version of the track and included it on the album.
Carter Burwell - Blood Simple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Carter Burwell’s musical creative partnership with St. Louis Park filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen began with the Academy-Award-winning duo’s very first movie, Blood Simple. Burwell has since gone on to provide the music for every film the Coen brothers have made -- except for O Brother, Where Art Thou and Inside Llewyn Davis. This RSD Black Friday exclusive release of the Blood Simple soundtrack features an expanded edition of Burwell’s haunting score pressed on, appropriately enough, blood-red vinyl.
The Hold Steady - “The Death of the Punchline" / "Radar & Leda"
Brooklyn-by-way-of-Minneapolis band the Hold Steady are celebrating their 20th anniversary of being a band in 2023. This 7-inch features two unreleased songs -- “The Death of the Punchline” and “Radar & Leda” -- from the recording sessions for their recent full-length, The Price of Progress, released in March. Each pressing of this 7-inch is going to be slightly different color-wise “due to pressing of random colours.”
Various Artists - Judgment Night Soundtrack
Perhaps no other compilation better represents the hybrid, catch-all music collaboration mentality of the ’90s better than the Judgment Night Soundtrack. Helmet doing a song with House of Pain? Sure, why not. Mudhoney and Sir Mix-A-Lot? Never thought of them working together. Cypress Hill doing songs with both Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam? That’s the naughty ’90s for you. Drop the needle down on this red vinyl RSD Black Friday pressing, and you’ll realize, or remember, that these songs rip hard.
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (7-inch vinyl box set)
With De La Soul’s back catalog finally available on streaming services and reissued on vinyl, new fans and old heads are all bumping De La’s brilliant, groundbreaking music these days. It’s paying tribute to David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, who died in February, in the best way possible. For RSD Black Friday, De La’s celebrated debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, gets released in a spiffy box set featuring all the album’s tracks and a few remixes spread out over 12 custom 7-inch singles pressed on splatter vinyl and housed in custom sleeves. The set comes in a custom box featuring the iconic album art and includes a 7-inch pinup and a double-sided 7-inch slip mat.
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark Demos
Certified double-platinum by the RIAA, Court and Spark remains Joni Mitchell’s best-selling album. This is a collection of never-before-heard demos from that album’s sessions. It arrives on basic black vinyl – because when the source material is this good, it doesn’t need any additional bells and whistles. The songs speak for themselves.
U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky
Fresh from christening the Sphere in Las Vegas, U2 is celebrating the 40th anniversary of their beloved live album, Under a Blood Red Sky. It was recorded during U2’s War tour in 1983, including two songs from their legendary performance at Red Rocks. This remastered version is on 180-gram red vinyl and packaged in a gatefold jacket for the very first time. This set also includes a double-sided insert with credits and lyrics, as well as a two-sided poster.
Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels - The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia
As Gram Parsons was set to tour in support of his debut solo album, GP, he assembled a top-notch backing band he affectionately called the Fallen Angels, which included Emmylou Harris on vocals. This soundboard recording of a show from Philadelphia on March 16, 1973, captures one of the best performances from that uneven tour. And after years of sitting unreleased in the vaults of Amoeba Records, the 19-song collection over two LPs is the first new Parsons solo material released in 40 years. It is augmented by an 11x17 poster of Parsons and cover art featuring a long-lost photo of Parsons and Harris on a motorcycle.
Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS - The Secret Tracks
Olivia Rodrigo’s second album, GUTS, is one of the biggest commercial hits of 2023, and was also just nominated for Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Ahead of Rodrigo’s hotly anticipated tour, she has assembled the four bonus tracks that were released separately on different vinyl pressings of the album. GUTS - The Secret Tracks is pressed by Third Man Records, and comes on opaque deep purple vinyl with a butterfly etching on Side B.
Justin Townes Earle - Yuma
Following Justin Townes Earle’s sad passing in 2020, reissues of his weathered and wonderful back catalog have been in high demand. RSD Black Friday sees the reissue of Earle’s stunning debut EP, Yuma, pressed on 180-gram gold vinyl. This glorious release also comes with liner notes by Earle’s longtime friend, collaborator, and art director Joshua Black Wilkins, as well as a beautiful print of a previously unpublished photo of Justin from the EP's cover shoot and full song lyrics from the EP’s six tracks. JTE fans should also seek out a copy of the newly reissued Live At Grimey’s, which captures his 2014 live set at the celebrated Nashville record store.
The Mamas & The Papas: Live at the Monterey International Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Festival, organized by John Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas, took place in the height of the celebrated Summer of Love in 1967. It featured the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix Experience the Who, and Ravi Shankar, as well as definitive showings from Otis Redding and Janis Joplin. The Mamas & the Papas closed the festival down with a hits-filled set that featured “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday.” Produced by Lou Adler and John Phillips, this performance is being released on gold vinyl for RSD Black Friday with a tip-on jacket with a high gloss cover and a four-color sleeve.
Lil Wayne - I Am Music
This 18-track compilation is the very first career-spanning release from Lil Wayne. Nearly all of Weezy’s hits are here, including “A Milli,” “Lollipop (feat. Static Major),” “Mona Lisa (feat. Kendrick Lamar),” “Drop the World (feat. Eminem),” and many more. This magnificent double-LP set showcases Lil Wayne’s expertise on the mic as well as in the recording studio, and shines the spotlight on the many guest stars. I Am Music is pressed on translucent ruby vinyl exclusively for RSD Black Friday.
Screaming Trees - Live at Egg Studios
The criminally overlooked Screaming Trees were one of the first bands from the burgeoning grunge scene in Seattle to sign to a major label. Following the release of Something About Today EP and Uncle Anesthesia on Epic, the band was on the verge of breaking up. With Mudhoney’s Dan Peters sitting in on drums, the band went into Conrad Uno’s Egg Studio in Seattle to record some demos that Mark Lanegan had sitting around. During those sessions, Lanegan convinced the band to record a live set, which went unheard for 30-plus years. Until now. These 11 scorching songs from their early days are fittingly pressed on white and yellow “fried egg” colored vinyl to mark the occasion.
Norah Jones - Playing Along
In 2022, Norah Jones launched her new podcast called Norah Jones Is Playing Along. In each episode, the multiple-Grammy-winning artist interviews her favorite musicians, and joins them in impromptu musical collaborations. On Playing Along, she is sharing a full album of those unique performances. The record features collaborations with Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Valerie June, Logic, Rodrigo Amarante, Lukas Nelson, Bedouine, and more. This RSD Black Friday exclusive is pressed on Sea Blue vinyl.
Charles Mingus - Incarnations
Charles Mingus was given complete creative control during his 1960 recording sessions for Candid Records, resulting in some of his most innovative work. Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus, Mingus, Mysterious Blues, and Reincarnation of a Love Bird represent a highly prolific and intensely creative period for the iconic bassist and composer, as he worked alongside the celebrated multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy. Now comes the release of Incarnations, featuring previously unreleased recordings from those same Candid sessions, remastered and cut by Bernie Grundman. Incarnations is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and comes in a heavyweight jacket featuring period-perfect artwork, with liner notes by Pitchfork/Rolling Stone contributor Hank Shteamer.
Bonus: Here is a list of RSD Black Friday holiday-themed exclusive vinyl releases:
The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album
Kelly Finnigan - A Joyful Sound 45 Box Set
The Fleshtones - Stocking Stuffer
Gary Hoey - Hark! The Ho Ho Hoey Hits!
Lenny Kaye/Cedar Sparks - Holiday Split 7”
John Murphy - The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special (Original Soundtrack)
My Morning Jacket - Happy Holiday!