One of the underrated bands of the late ’70s were a four piece band from Zion, Illinois called Shoes. Formed by two brothers along with two HS pals, the band served up their first big release album, Black Vinyl Shoes in 1977 (Sire in the UK; they were still working on their US big label negotiations with Elektra). By 1979, with Elektra as their US label, Shoes released the phenomenal Present Tense album. If a classification is needed, well, if you were to mention Cheap Trick as a cousin to the sound of Shoes, well, you’d be right. To date, Shoes have released more than fifteen sets including live and ‘best of’ as well as previous reissues.
On August 31, Cherry Red Records from the UK will release a new 3CD boxed anthology called Black Vinyl Shoes Anthology 1973-1978, which will cover the period of time from their formation through their Black Vinyl Shoes album (pre-Present Tense). This will provide almost all songs from their short-run Heads Or Tails (1974), One In Versailles (1976), Bazooka (1976), and their complete classic Black Vinyl Shoes album. And more with demos and previously unreleased songs.
This Box will also contain a respectable and collectible booklet with new liner notes, an essay, photos, and credits. All of the music on this anthology are newly remastered.
Black Vinyl Shoes Anthology 1973-1978 – Shoes
CD1 (Black Vinyl Shoes):
01 Boys Don’t Lie
02 Do You Wanna Get Lucky?
03 She’ll Disappear
04 Tragedy
05 Writing a Postcard
06 Not Me
07 Someone Finer
08 Capital Gain
09 Fatal
10 Running Start
11 Okay
12 It Really Hurts
13 Fire for Awhile
14 If You’d Stay
15 Nowhere So Fast
Bonus Tracks
16 Capital Offense
17 She’ll Disappear (Previously Unreleased Demo)
18 Lucky Tail
19 I Wanna Hide
20 Tomorrow Night (Bomp! Version)
21 Okay (Bomp! Version)
22 I’ll Take You Away
23 Full Bite
24 Baby’s Gone
25 Ever Again
26 Like I Told You (Previously Unreleased Second Version)
27 Karen (Previously Unreleased Acoustic Demo)
28 I’ll Take You Away (Previously Unreleased Alternative Version)
CD2 (Bazooka):
01 Pinheads
02 Move It or Lose It
03 Rock Your Own
04 Along with Love
05 Love Took a Turn
06 Alone But Satisfied
07 New Meat
08 I’m Broken
09 The Atlantic
10 My Anisette
11 Snap!
12 Educated
13 Like I Told You
14 I Can Make It (Previously Unreleased Demo)
CD3 (One In Versailles)
01 Dance in Your Sleep
02 Do I Get So Shy
03 Un Dans Versailles
04 Kristine
05 Something I Can’t See
06 Eggroll Rock
07 Song for Her
08 One Night
09 No, I Don’t
10 The Sun
11 One in Versailles
12 Banjo
Bonus Tracks
13 My Husband’s Home!
14 Nothing Means More
15 I’d Like to Take You Out Again (From “Heads or Tails”, 1974, previously unissued)
16 Rock’n’Roll Freak