Record Store Day 2023: exclusive cuts every vinyl collector needs
From Björk to Bowie, via ODB of the Wu Tang
Record Store Day has grown from a small initiative to keep vinyl alive to a global celebration of spherical wax. And with that, comes a whole host of Record Store Day 2023 exclusives to discover.
There’s a few caveats to getting your hands on that prized vinyl record, though. First off, not all selections are available in one place. It would be pretty difficult for a tiny store to house a few thousand extra records, after all.
There are RSD exclusives, which are physically released at indie record stores only. RSD First are records that can be found at indie record stores, but they also may be released to retailers or webstores in the future. Finally, there are small run/regional titles. These are regionally based, available only at specific stores or are runs of under 1000 records, so be sure to be outside your local record store bright and early to grab what you want.
Anyway, now that we’ve gone over the rules, what exclusives are available this year? A full list of available records can be found here, but whether it’s drone or disco you’re looking for we have you covered with our top picks for this year’s Record Store Day.
Björk – the fossora remixes
Everyone’s favourite Icelandic experimentalist Björk joins the RSD ranks this year with a pair of remixes taken from the latest album, fossora. Side one brings us Ovule feat. Shygirl, remixed by electronic artist Sega Bodega. On the flipside, Icelandic electronic group Sideproject rework Atopos into a jungle-tinged epic.
Nino Rota/Carmine Coppola – The Godfather Suite
While The Godfather may be one of the greatest films ever made, its score is a standalone piece of musical genius from composer Nino Rota, conducted by Carmine Coppola. Recorded in 1977 with the Milan Philharmonia Orchestra, Rota and Coppola brought us one of the most iconic film themes of all time, second only to Jurassic Park (don’t hate us). Now, The Godfather Suite is available as a RSD exclusive on white vinyl encased in a gatefold sleeve.
Donna Summer – A Hot Summer Night
Few people epitomised the disco era like the late I Feel Love songstress Donna Summer. To celebrate 40 years since Donna Summer’s Hard For The Money tour comes A Hot Summer Night, a live recording taken on 6 August 1983. The LP features tracks like MacArthur Park, Love Is In Control…, On The Radio, Last Dance and a special Bad Girls medley that will sound spectacular at your next living room disco.
Various Artists – Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage
While Donna Summer was a queen of disco, she may not have been the icon she is without people like Larry Levan, a DJ and resident of the fames New York club Paradise Garage. With selections and music tastes second to none, Levan passed away before truly experiencing how influential he would be. Featuring deep cuts and dancehall classics, this RSD exclusive gives you a taste of what Levan was all about.
David Bowie – Laughing With Liza – The Vocalion & Deram Singles 1964 – 1967
What can we say about Bowie that hasn’t already been mentioned? The man not of this Earth was renowned as a reinventor, showman and musical genius, but at one time he was simply a boy from Brixton. Laughing With Liza – The Vocalion & Deram Singles 1964 – 1967 is a snapshot of Bowie’s early years, a collection of 7-inch singles that also includes a never before released version of Space Oddity.
Black Sabbath – Never Say Die!
Never Say Die! is the eighth studio album from Birmingham heavy metalists Black Sabbath. Fronted by famous bat botherer (and PS VR2 enthusiast) Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath have certainly stood by the Never Say Die! mantra after over 50 years in the biz and a few near death experiences. Never Say Die! was a memorable record for Black Sabbath for all the wrong reasons, recorded during some of the band’s rockiest years. But that’s all water under the bridge now, and Never Say Die! is available to collectors on a transparent and light blue splatter vinyl.
Blur – Blur Present The Special Collectors Edition
The Special Collector’s Edition on vinyl for the first time ever. Originally released in 1994 as a Japan-only title, Blur’s The Special Collector’s Edition delivers a 2LP album of B-side singles taken from the Britpop band’s first three studio albums, Leisure, Modern Life Is Rubbish and Parklife. A worthy addition to any collection, even if you’re more of an Oasis fan.
Carole King – The Legendary Demos
Originally released in 2012, The Legendary Demos Vol. 1 is composed of 13 demos recorded from 1962 to 1971 by the American singer-songwriter. Pressed on a milky clear vinyl, The Legendary Demos is a must for any King enthusiast, and will likely be one of the first to sell out this Record Store Day.
The Cranberries – Wake Up + Smell The Coffee
The fifth album from Irish band The Cranberries, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee is set to be issued for the first time ever on vinyl. Being released five years after the passing of lead vocalist Dolores O’Riordan, the special edition LP comes after deluxe reissues of their debut album Everybody Else is Doing It… and follow-up No Need To Argue. With its cover sleeve designed by Storm Thorgerson (Pink Floyd), the Wake Up + Smell The Coffee reissue is restricted to just 4000 copies.
Goblin – Rarities (Film Versions and Alternates)
If you’ve never actively heard of the band Goblin, you might have listened to their work without even realising it. This Italian prog-rock band are renowned for their epic and enchanting scores to films such as Dawn of the Dead, Suspiria and Tenebrae, as well as a whole bunch of Italian B movies. The Goblin – Rarities (Film Versions and Alternates) is exactly as it sounds, a collection of rarer cuts from Goblin’s extensive back catalogue.
Orville Peck – Bronco
The masked cowboy Orville Peck joins the RSD ranks this year with a vinyl issue of his 2022 album, Bronco. Known for enchanting and heartfelt country music with an indie edge, Bronco is the ultimate road trip soundtrack (and much, MUCH better than any single Top Gear compilation). A warning, though. Don’t listen to The Curse of the Blackened Eye if you’re nursing a broken heart.
MIKE D – Brazil 45 Boxset Vol. 4
The original Beastie Boy Mike D offers up a selection of Brazilian bangers this RSD, with the help of the fantastic Mr Bongo record label. The compilation expresses MIKE D’s love of punk and hip-hop, but with more than a touch of Brazilian flavour. Expect funky psych rock, halcyonic MPB and experimental goodness.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
Straight from the slums of Shaolin comes Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, a RSD exclusive reissue of Ol’ Dirty B*stard’s debut album. Arguably the most famous member of Wu Tang, ODB broke out on his own with the hits Shimmy Shimmy Ya, Brooklyn Zoo and Hippa to da Hoppa, as well as features with the likes of Mariah Carey. Pressed on a 2LP picture disc, this is a must have relic for any hip-hop fan.
Self Esteem – Compliments Please
Unless you’ve been hibernating in a Radio 1-less bubble for the past few years, you’re likely already very aware with the brand of contagious pop peddled by Self Esteem. 2021 really was the breakout year for Self Esteem with the release of Prioritise Pleasure, the second full length from the Mercury Prize nominee. The first was 2019’s Compliments Please, which gets a full RSD pressing this year.
David Byrne – The Catherine Wheel
Talking Heads frontman, giant suit wearing musical maestro David Byrne joins the RSD ranks this year with an exclusive pressing of The Catherine Wheel. And in true David Byrne fashion, this score to a 1981 piece of choreographer is weird and wonderful as hell. Part funk odyssey, part lost soundtrack to a 1980s New York grindhouse flick, The Catherine Wheel is a gritty, industrial opera composed at the height of Talking Heads’ popularity. A must have for any Byrne fanatic.
Ennio Morricone – Senza Sapere Niente di Lei
Few names are more respected in the world of movie music composition than Ennio Morricone. In his work soundtracking iconic pictures such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars and The Thing, Morricone helped define the sound of modern cinema. Think Spielberg, but with an ear for a tune.
Senza Sapere Niente di Lei is one of the first scores composed by him, a lounge-jazz odyssey that epitomised the sound of golden era Italian cinema. Pressed on a 12inch yellow 1LP, Senza Sapere Niente di Lei is available for the first time ever on wax this RSD.
A Place to Bury Strangers – See Through You: Rerealized
A Place to Bury Strangers are known for industrial rhythms, cosmic guitar riffs and expansive wall-of-soundscapes. And on See Through You: Rerealized, the band have pretty much pulled the shoegaze equivalent of Band Aid. The remix album features electronic composer Trentmøller, Andy Bell of shoegaze band Ride, post-punk band Xiu Xiu, Annie Hart of synth triplet Au Revoir Simone, UK emerging act bdrmm and more taking apart tracks from APTBS’s 2022 album. A holy grail for old school goths and My Bloody Valentine fans everywhere.
Death – Fate: The Best of Death
Metal heads shouldn’t feel left out of the Record Store Day fun. Fate: The Best of Death is a compilation album by US metal band Death. Containing songs collected from their first four albums – Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, Spiritual Healing and Human – the remastered compilation pulls no punches. It’s 0-100mph in a second stuff, brooding with fat basslines and thrash guitars.
Jack Needham
