.38 Special re-skinned, re-issue series
40th Anniversary of debut marked as Snakefarm Records launches ‘Re-Skinned’ Re-issue series with coloured vinyl versions of the ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys’ and ‘Special Forces’ albums.
Two classic slices of Southern Rock available now.
| Snakefarm Records will Re-issue two studio albums by famed Jacksonville, Florida rockers .38 Special on July 30th as part of its new Re-Skinned series. The band’s debut is marking its 40th anniversary. Both RIAA Platinum-certified releases in the US, ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys’ and ‘Special Forces’ will be available on 140g coloured vinyl, with both LPs featuring sleeve-notes and original artwork. This is the first time these iconic albums have been repressed on vinyl since they were originally issued in the early 1980s, with both titles being re-mastered specifically for this format. First released in 1981, Wild Eyed Southern Boys marked a turning point in the US band’s career, giving them the opportunity to transcend the Southern Rock pigeonhole they felt they’d been squeezed into with their first 3 outings. Collaborating with Survivor’s Jim Peterik and with celebrated producer Rodney Mills at the helm, the album gave birth to the US hit track ‘Hold On Loosely’, which found a home on both the rock and pop singles charts and rocketed the album into the US Top 20, the first of their records to do so. This substantial success continued the following year with follow-up album, Special Forces. With both Peterik and Mills reprising their respective roles, the band were truly inventing a signature sound and not simply following in the footsteps of their predecessors (such as singer Donnie Van Zant’s older brother Ronnie’s band, Lynyrd Skynyrd). The album bore significant hits in the form of lead single ‘Caught Up In You’, which became the first .38 Special track to reach the US Top 10, leaving ‘You Keep Runnin’ Away’ to push the album to #10 on the US Billboard chart. |
 Photocredit: Dennis Keeley |
| Wild-Eyed Southern Boys Tracklist: 1 / Hold On Loosely 2 / First Time Around 3 / Wild-Eyed Southern Boys 4 / Back Alley Sally 5 / Fantasy Girl 6 / Hittin’ & Runnin’ 7 / Honky Tonk Dancer 8 / Throw Out The Line 9 / Bring It On Special Forces Tracklist: 1 / Caught Up In You 2 / Back Door Stranger 3 / Back On The Track 4 / Chain Lightnin’ 5 / Rough Housin’ 6 / You Keep Runnin’ Away 7 / Breakin’ Loose 8 / Take ‘Em Out 9 / Firestarter |
| ‘Snakefarm Re-Skinned’ The aim of this ongoing series will be to re-visit classic titles within the worlds of Country, Blues, Americana, Southern Rock and more, shining a new light on them via modern mastering techniques, brand new sleeve-notes and expanded artwork, the aim being to make these re-issues both authentic and official. |
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