Released: 6th December 2024. 19 CD LIMITED EDITION DELUXE BOX SET FROM ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
LAURA NYRO - HEAR MY SONG: THE COLLECTION, 1966 - 1995
Be ready for the deepest dive yet into the womb like creativity of the idiosyncratic, unmistakable musical force that is Laura Nyro. Acknowledged as a genuine original, expressing a whirlpool nexus of R'n'B, doowop, Broadway, opera, folk & her own individual sort of soul, she thought like a bandleader even when she was solo.
"She wrote songs that had no kind of fixed compass point. They remain as unique & absolutely spellbinding to this day as when I first heard them in the '60s." - Sir Elton John, 2024
* 10 Original Studio Albums, 6 Live Albums including 2 Previously Unreleased Live Concerts, Laura's original demo tape from 1966 & bonus disc of rarities including mono versions, alternative versions & live tracks
* All albums remastered especially for this collection
* All housed in a deluxe, lift-off lid box
* Coffee-table book with in-depth liner notes by Vivien Goldman, foreword from Sir Elton John & testimonials from Charlie Calello, Will Lee, John Sebastian, Jackson Browne, Clive Davis, Lou Adler, Randy Brecker, Bernard Purdie, Scott Billington, John Sebastian & Gary Burden
* Rare, previously unseen photographs including intimate family shots illuminate the book
Included within this set are all of Laura's ten studio albums: More Than A New Discovery (1967), Eli & The Thirteenth Confession (1968), New York Tendaberry (1969), Christmas & The Beads Of Sweat (1970), Gonna Take A Miracle (1971), Smile (1976) & Nested (1978), Mother's Spiritual (1984), Walk The Dog & Light The Light(1993) & her posthumously released masterwork Angel In The Dark (2001). Six live albums: Spread Your Wings & Fly: Live At The Fillmore East (1971), Season Of Lights... Laura Nyro In Concert(1977), Live / The Loom's Desire (1993 & 1994) & two previously unreleased concert recordings from San Francisco (1994). Rounding off this complete collection is Laura's first ever demo tape Go Find The Moon (1966) & a collection of Rarities. All remastered & housed in individual sleeves with original artwork.
At the centre of this deluxe package is a 94-page coffee table hardback book with liner notes by acclaimed author Vivien Goldman, forewords from Sir Elton John, Laura's son Gil Bianchini & brother Jan Nigro. Featuring contributions & testimonials from Charlie Calello, Will Lee, John Sebastian, Jackson Browne, Clive Davis, Lou Adler, Randy Brecker, Bernard Purdie, Scott Billington, John Sebastian & Gary Burden. Never-before-seen photographs & intimate family shots illustrate this detailed compendium.
During the singer/songwriter movement in the late '60s & early '70s, Laura Nyro was one of the most celebrated artists of her day. She penned soulful, literate songs that took the folky introspection of her peers & infused it with elements of soul, R&B, jazz & gospel, giving them an emotional heat that set her apart. Nyro was a hugely respected recording artist, whose confident piano work & rich, expressive vocals made other sonic trailblazers such as Miles Davis & Alice Coltrane navigate towards her. She has influenced the greatest of songwriters - Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Neil Young, Carole King, Kate Bush & Elvis Costello among them.
That influence continues today being heard in the works of Alicia Keys, Tori Amos, Suzanne Vega, Jenny Lewis & more. Nyro's wonderfully expressive & poetic songs - of which many became major hits by other artists, most notably The 5th Dimension, Three Dog Night & Barbra Streisand.