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Rare sought-after album from 1970 Illionois band Breakaway. Soul Funk-Fusion & Disco, remastered from original master tapes by legendary & original producer Bill Schulenberg.
The re-issue of these two long-lost and highly collectable LPs marks the end of a long road for
BBE and for the band Breakaway who made them… The explosion of Internet connectivity has
made what used to seem rare commonplace, but also opened up a world of previously
unknown musical riches, and enabled enterprising fans to make contact with obscure figures
that they might’ve imagined would be forever inaccessible. Whereas collectors used to prize
independent labels, now it’s all about the ‘private press’: records released by the same folks
that made them, in tiny numbers, without distribution, and promotion usually limited to giving
them out by hand at gigs. Such were the releases of Breakaway.
Breakaway recorded two LPs. in the late 70’s these re-issues tell the story of a magnificent live
band that made waves across St. Louis, Ill and further beyond to cities such as Boston and Las
Vegas. A story that has come full circle after 35 years…
Their self titled first album Breakaway touches showbiz glitz, while songs like ‘Understudy DJ’
and ‘There’s a New Group In Town’, caught the disco vibe, as pretty much everything else did
in 1977, and it’s these that have been delighting twenty-first century dancers , as the morethan
decade-long mania for all things ‘disco’ sends enterprising DJs and collectors looking way
beyond the canon of classics.
‘Straight On To The Top!’ was a more ambitious album, Breakaway had more experience and
the potential of a record deal seemed closer and more realistic. ‘Work With The Music’ has
something of a mutant disco feel, and would certainly fit with today’s music on the trendy dance
floors of East London, Williamsburg NY and Shibuya Tokyo ‘Breakaway’ had a sophisticated
funk/fusion sound that wouldn’t have sounded amiss on many a big-budget major label album
project. After the release of ‘Straight On To The Top!’, the band entered negotiations with
Bang Records in the US, but the A&R department fell apart, and the hopes of a record deal
faded…
Fast-forward 35 years, the enthusiasm is still the same…
This exclusive release comes with extensive sleeve notes by Jesper Christiansen - Doctor of
Music archaeology, the package also features a wealth of original photos alongside artwork
and press cuttings of the period.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
• Previously never re-issued albums, highly collectable amongst DJs and record
collectors.
• Lovingly re-mastered from the original Dolby A master tapes with never before
released bonus tracks
• Kathy Newbry-Taylor is still performing live on Las Vegas stages as well as
worldwide, focusing on her new Jazz repertoire and is playing the Kyoto Jazz Club
“Repos” from the 18th November to 28th of December 2013.
• Additional sleeve notes by original producer Bill Schulenburg.
• Exclusive & previously non-published studio session photographs
• Original art work restored and retouched by Rankin affialte, to match the exact
original packing.
• Limited to 500 indivudual single LPs in gatefold packing, with original restored art
work + sleeve notes + studio session pictures. Includes CD & download link too.
Compliments BBE ‘s significant catalogue of soul, funk, disco, boogie releases,
For fans of BBE compilers Al Kent, John Morales, Mr Thing, Kon & Amir, Kevin Beadle and
those who enjoyed Virgin Ubiquity, Newban, Jean Wells and Sandy Barber. |
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