New Release of the Week: Bobby Charles - Rarities

It’s a pretty quiet week for new releases in the wake of Record Store Day on Saturday, so we’re going to take a look at a couple of our favourite special RSD releases which may have gone under the radar.

First up, Bobby Charles. He was a Louisiana-born singer-songwriter known for swamp-pop hits like ‘See You Later, Alligator’ and ‘Walking to New Orleans’.

The Bobby Charles Rarities collection includes material recorded during the sessions for his self-titled debut album (a big Sound Records favourite) on Bearsville.

It’s an album of laid-back, funky country rock, played at a pace that's evocative of the hot, humid climate of Charles’s home state.

Charles is backed by a crack collection of musicians on the recordings, with contributions from members of The Band, as well as Dr. John, Ben Keith and David Sanborn.

This is an RSD exclusive featuring all content that has not previously been available on vinyl.

Sound Pick: Michael Chapman - Who’s This Yorkshire Guy? (Live In Brighton, 2015)

Rare unreleased live set from the late, great guitarist and singer-songwriter who circumnavigated folk, jazz, country, blues and progressive rock’s nuances.

Michael Chapman was hugely underappreciated by the mainstream music business in his time, but was probably one of the most influential, important and enduring figures to have emerged from the ‘60s and ‘70s British folk scene.

Inspired by guitar stylist John Fahey, his impromptu performances were adored by everyone from Bowie and Elton John to Thurston Moore, Bill Callahan and Lucinda Williams.

An original favourite of Peel’s Perfumed Garden in the ‘70s, a contemporary of Bert Jansch and John Martyn, his gritty weathered vocals and infectious playing resulted in a cult revival in the 2010s from where this intimate recording took place.