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Sharon Stone and Hayley Sales Announce Their Debut Single “Never Before”

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WORLDSOUND/ INGROOVES/ UMG is proud to announce the first single and collaboration between bold singer/songwriter Hayley Sales and multi-talented Hollywood icon Sharon Stone. – “Never Before.”

“Never Before,” the romantically cinematic ballad highlights Sales’ breathtakingly impassioned vocals combined with Sharon Stone’s timeless, sincere and captivating storytelling.

The duo effortlessly wrote “Never Before” after bonding over their shared experiences of love, loss, and vintage music. The result is a timeless song that oozes soul, jazz, and classic pop influences with a contemporary reimagined twist.

Billie Eilish New Album “Happier Than Ever” Out July 30

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Billie Eilish has revealed details on her highly anticipated sophomore album. The 16-track studio album, titled Happier Than Ever, will be released on July, 30. Continuing the tradition on from her multi-GRAMMY Award, record-breaking debut album WHEN WE ALL GO TO SLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, Happier Than Ever features no outside songwriters or producers, and was written by 19-year-old Billie Eilish and her brother FINNEAS who produced the album in Los Angeles.

Billie Eilish has fast become one of the biggest stars to emerge since the release of her debut single “ocean eyes,” and continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout in 2015, Billie’s album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release, and was the most streamed album of 2019. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? was written, produced and recorded entirely by Billie Eilish and brother FINNEAS in their childhood home of Los Angeles. Billie Eilish went on to make history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories, at the 62nd GRAMMY® Awards, receiving an award for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. Billie Eilish is also the youngest artist to write and record an official James Bond theme song, ‘No Time To Die.’ Most recently, Billie Eilishwas nominated for four additional awards at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2021, and took home both Record of the Year for ‘everything i wanted,’ and Best Song Written For Visual Media for ‘No Time To Die.’

HAPPIER THAN EVER

Getting Older
I Didn’t Change My Number
Billie Bossa Nova
my future
Oxytocin
GOLDWING
Lost Cause
Halley’s Comet
Not My Responsibility
OverHeated
Everybody Dies
Your Power
NDA
Therefore I Am
Happier Than Ever
Male Fantasy

How to launch a SaaS product?

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By Celeste

So you are interested in launching a Saas product! To help you with the process, I have a few steps for a successful launch. The steps are more technical. If you are curious if you have the potential to make this commitment, then check out Deepak Shukla!

He asks questions and prepares your mindset to see if you are ready and willing to play the long game. Once you check out his article, you are ready to jump into these steps.

1. Know your competition

First, you have to understand that it is a competitive market. You have to identify who you are competing with at different levels of your product.

When your product first launch, you will have a different competitor months and years later. Once you identify your competition, study their behaviours. Be aware of their presence.

Start by identifying who your competitors will be when you first launch. Then keep in mind the highest-ranking competitors. Being aware of the highest ranks will help you know what you will go up against as you are working your way up the ladder.

2. Customer onboarding process

The customer onboarding process is the first impression people get when they attempt to use your product. It is crucial just to make a product worth using and not one that is just to bring in money. You will get more money if you deliver value and attention to your customers.

Here are a few ways you can add value to your product.

  • Make your product user friendly to new customers. You and your team would know the ins and outs of your product, but new users won’t. You can provide step by step emails to help users navigate through your product.

To determine if your product is user-friendly, you can have your friends test the product and treat them as genuine customers before sharing it. That way, they can give feedback before other people use your product.

  • Have a fast responding customer service. If new users face any issues, you want to be aware of that. Let them know that they can come to your team and feel heard.
  • Keep users updated. Email customers when prices have changed, updated, problems have been fixed, etc.

3. Launch strategy

The most time-consuming step… the launch strategy! The strategy does not just include up until the launch because you’re going to need a game plan after. As part of your post-launch strategy, don’t forget to include SaaS SEO services to optimize your website for search engines. This will help drive organic traffic and increase visibility in a highly competitive market.   

Also, the launch strategy does not even include the development of the product. We are guiding you solely on how to launch your product.

Here are a few things you might want to consider to prepare for your launch.

  • A shared timeline of when the launch date is and everything happening up until then.
  • Introductory post on your blog
  • Announcements on social media platforms
  • Social media profiles set up (optional)
  • Create videos going over the product
  • Consistent posting dates
  • Test runs of the product
  • Webinars

4. Promote

Finally, promote your product! Promotion will be throughout your launch strategy. Use blog posts and PR events to generate traction.

Start with SEO.

SEO has so many aspects that go into it, and you need to start early on. The more time you invest in SEO, the better the results you will get out of it, which is why partnering with SaaS SEO services can lead to more impactful outcomes. By leveraging their expertise, you can ensure that your SEO strategy is not only effective but also scalable, allowing your business to grow and adapt as your industry evolves.

PPC

Pay per click can give you a better idea of where your product stands. You can do PPC during the advertising, but it can be expensive.

Lead Generation

Use lead generation while you are promoting your content. Lead Generation ll help track how well your product is doing and the number of sales you generate.

Conclusion

Launching a product is a long process. It has already been some time to develop the product which means you don’t want to rush the launch date.

To see if you are ready for the launch, check out Deepak Shukla’s “How to Launch a Saas Product.”

Author bio: My name is Celeste. I am a student at Austin College. I am currently pursuing a business degree and interested in entrepreneurship. She is working for PearlLemon. Before my career, I hope to get the chance to travel internationally.

 

Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame Brilliant Tribute to Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club

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After moving to New York City, Tina Weymouth, a self-taught folk guitarist, was persuaded to join Chris Frantz and fellow musician David Byrne as bassist of a rock group they would call Talking Heads. Later joined by Jerry Harrison on guitar and keyboards, they released some of the most influential music of the era – rightfully earning their place into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of their albums appear in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and three of their songs (“Psycho Killer”, “Life During Wartime”, and “Once in a Lifetime”) were included among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Talking Heads were also on VH1’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. In the 2011 update of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”, they were ranked number 100.

The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame put together a stunning inductee tribute to Tina for her induction in 2019.

70 Birds Play a Room Full of Electric Guitars

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Given an infinite amount of time, these birds will theoretically play Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).

Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ Played On A Hand-Cranked Music Reader

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Andy Riley hand-punched the Soft Cell song “Tainted Love” onto a card and fed it through a hand-cranked music reader. It’s one of those songs you’ll know in a few seconds.

Funk Legends CRACK OF DAWN Have “Gotta Find A Way” in New Single

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Canadian funk legends Crack of Dawn touch on that unmistakable, indescribable feeling of being in love with this, their funk-tastic, swanky new single, “Gotta Find A Way.”

Featuring the same signature velvet-funk tones that have made them Canada’s most celebrated soul act for 40 years and running, this latest delivery from Crack of Dawn teems with that craft so finely tuned, it still has audiences moving the seat of their pants.

In a tribute to history’s trademark funk-pop hallmarks, the lyrics of the 4:03 piece are about connecting with the heart of a desired woman. Soulfully delivered by Michael Dunston, the track’s engineering (Dennis Nieves, who also co-wrote the song), makes a brilliant stand for a composition method that’s now a rarity, where all of the musicians of the ensemble, collaboratively, are actually involved as arrangers to the track.

Nieves succeeded at creating a finished product of a rare balance and clarity, and a track that just hits the mark in the feelgood, move that body subgenre that just never goes out of style. It’s easy to recognize that signature ‘Crack of Dawn’ guitar work, the subtle and tasteful horn arrangements that support a strong melody, backed by a thick brick wall of a groove.

Originally discovered and signed to CBS records by Otis Redding’s producer, Crack of Dawn has developed a signature sound and groove that stands alone in a crowd of flavors of the month’s — a long lasting value, that presents both the finest elements of 70’s and 80’s era funky grooves and brassy vibes, but also the finest of what modern production can offer.

This proves it once and for all: the funk and the groove is in your soul, not in the tech you’re using to make it go round.

And “Gotta Find A Way” is yet another example.

Country Outlaws THE DIVORCEES Serve a Double Shot of Blue-Collar Frustration on “Must Be Nice”

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Reeling from a litany of hard knocks is a truth The Divorcees know all too well; and now the five New Brunswick-based country outlaws are letting it all hang out on this, their latest single, “Must Be Nice” — available now.

Never shying away from what’s real, and how to pen it, this old-school country group have done it again: speaking tough, unabashed honesty from lives lived to an audience who are right there with them. “Must Be Nice” is a song with grit and groove, simmering in thinly-veiled anger towards big banker profits in the midst of working-class misery, and it’s this genuineness that members Alex Madsen, Jason Haywood, Denis “Turtle” Arsenault, Shawn Thomas, and Kevin Macintyre have yet to shy from doing for nearly twenty years, and keeping fans with them every step of the way.

“’Must Be Nice’ is for every single hard-working person out there who gets out of a 12-hr shift from a job they’ve done for years,” the band shares. “It’s for people who work for multi-billion-dollar companies for minimum wage — with no health plans and needing food stamps to get by. It’s for the ones who flip on the news to hear their company got sold out from under them.

“It’s for everyone who’s watched people make millions off other people’s pain without a care in the world. It’s for the guy on the bus getting cut off by a guy in a BMW and whispers under his breath, ‘Must Be Nice’.”

A tried-and-true testament to the art of authentic country songcraft, the band understands all too well the reality of struggling to get through another day and survive into the next. “’Must Be Nice’ is a song of frustration,” they say. “It’s something every single guy in The Divorcees has lived.

“Here in New Brunswick, no one’s got it easy. We’re a poor province. Believe me when I say we’ve had our share of hard knocks.

“And when we see the richest of the rich living the good life while we’re picking which bills to pay — and they don’t even seem to care at all?

“Well, you get my drift.”

“Must Be Nice” is the newest single from The Divorcees’ most recent full-length, 2021’s Drop of Blood — out now; in addition to the 11-track LP, The Divorcees are releasing a documentary of the same name to complement the offering.

While Drop of Blood is a very nuanced trad-country effort, “Must Be Nice” is a bonafide heavy hitter on the roster, packing heat every time it goes up to bat. True country fans will enjoy the funky yet twangy musicianship of the group — a tune that fits seamlessly in the regular playlists of your favorite roadhouse or out-of-the-way dive. From the ingenious twin guitar licks to the earthy Wurlitzer sitting comfortably in the pocket, the juxtaposition of the tune is a perfect blend of sarcasm and groove with a gentlemanly nod to their outlaw heroes.

As with many well-loved country songs, it’s a dose of bitter reality cut with sly, self-deprecating humor — the kind that goes well with a tallboy and a Jack after a hard day on the job. The Divorcees manage to both tell a relatable story, while masterfully compelling you to dance; that’s what they do best.

Their fifth studio release, Drop of Blood follows From Labour To Refreshment (2016), Four Chapters (2012), Last Of The Free Men (2009), and their 2006 breakthrough debut, You Ain’t Gettin’ My Country. With high praise from the likes of SavingCountryMusic(dot)com and Exclaim! The Divorcees’ music has been featured in a wide variety of media and formats, including the film The Phantoms and the Heartland series, on CBC, multiple music videos on CMT, as well as airplay on radio stations nationwide and around the world.

They’re two-time winners of East Coast Music Association’s Country Album of the Year — plus several more from Music New Brunswick for good measure — with national touring, well over 120,000+ streams, and five studio albums to their credit.

Regina, SK’s Indigenous Country Artist Conrad Bigknife Releases New Single, “Nothing But Me”

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Award-nominated Indigenous country artist Conrad Bigknife is embracing the sweet side of living solo with this, his new single, “Nothing But Me” — available now.

The latest to land following the Saskatchewan-based artist’s fourth newly minted album, the self-titled Conrad Bigknife, and heart-wrenching lead single, “I Miss You,” “Nothing But Me” isn’t another ode to a “high lonesome” kind of life…

Instead, audiences will find a celebration of the peace and contentment that can be found in solitude, even when your heart may yearn for another from time to time.

“Now, I understand it’s me, all alone
Doesn’t mean my rambling heart is set in stone
I feel it beat. I’m here and I am free
Living on my own I’m meant to be – nothing but me”

From its honky tonk-ified opening riff, to its closing twang and echo, “Nothing But Me” straightforwardly acknowledges that happiness is most often a do-it-yourself project. At a time when isolation has been acute for so many, Bigknife brings on a heartfelt, Haggard-esque reminder that being alone does not necessarily equate to being lonely.

The 2019 Saskatchewan Music Awards Indigenous Artist of the Year nominee is more than proficiently DIY when it comes to his sound; for his new album, released April 2, Bigknife wrote, sung, recorded, mixed and mastered the songs himself, adding a layer of precise skills to raw talent. Additionally, he’s proud to have collaborated with a host of multi-talented instrumentalists to bring the 12 studio and two live performance tracks on this contemporarily themed, classic sounding collection to life.

“I work with great people who put their hearts into these songs, and I’m so grateful because I think these songs show who we are at this point in time,” reflects Bigknife. “We love making music and I hope that shines.”

Bigknife’s can-do confidence was instilled while growing up in a close-knit family of ten on the Starblanket First Nation near Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. He remembers his father as the ultimate “jack of all trades” —  a snowplow driver, carpenter, and cattle rancher, all at the same time. His mother also balanced raising a family simultaneously with being a school bus driver.

Bigknife’s big love for classic country and its heroes like Johnny Cash, Freddy Fender, George Strait, and Conway Twitty was also cemented in childhood and his family’s record collection. His reverence for the greats combined with a “conscious decision to throw away any self-imposed guidelines I had adopted along the way of what makes up “real” country music” has resulted in a new single and album that both pay tribute and push the thematic envelope.

“There’s a song for a friend who lost a child, there’s songs that take light jabs at the sometimes silliness of love and there’s a couple of memories of honky-tonk nights.” Bigknife explains. “What makes it a country album more than anything, I think anyway, is the instruments and feel.”

The new single “Nothing But Me” and album, Conrad Bigknife, are available now.

 

Frank Zappa’s Final American Show To Be Released For First Time Ever

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Nobody knew, not even Frank Zappa, as he led his 11-strong band through a celebratory version of “America The Beautiful” to close out his show at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on March 25, 1988, that it would be the last time he’d ever play in the United States. Days later, the ’88 band would trek to Europe for a multi-country tour, only to implode on the road before they could make it back to the States for another round of scheduled shows. Despite the growing tensions in the band, the ensemble was considered one of the best Zappa ever put together, a skilled mix of extremely talented musicians made up of both longtime members that had played with The Maestro from the early days alongside exciting new additions, bolstered by his favorite new instrument, the Synclavier. A well-oiled machine armed with an extensive 100-song repertoire, the adroit band were equally as adept at playing Zappa’s complex and challenging, genre-defying songs as they were performing classical compositions by the likes of Bartók, Ravel and Stravinsky.

On June 18, Zappa’s historic, final American show will be released for the first time as the new live album, Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show via Zappa Records/UMe. The first posthumous archival release from the ‘88 touring band, the album features 29 unreleased performances including two additional performances from the same tour: Zappa’s wild interpretations of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” from the March 16 show in Providence, R.I. and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” from the March 23 Towson, Md. show. The record is also notable for containing the first official release of the much talked about “The Beatles Medley.”

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show will be released digitally, on 2 CD or as a 4LP 180-gram vinyl box which will be available on both black vinyl or as a limited edition 180-gram purple vinyl variant, exclusively via the official Frank Zappa online store or uDiscover. Fully authorized by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the recordings have been newly mixed by Craig Parker Adams in 2020 from the 48-track digital master tapes. The shows were recorded using two Sony 3324 DASH PCM 24 track tape recorders synced together using a Lynx Time Code Module, thus providing 48 track recording capabilities. The album is rounded out with detailed liner notes by Travers and Zappa ’88 drummer Chad Wackerman, who celebrated his 28th birthday on stage and is serenaded by Zappa and the crowd, as well as photos from the tour by Peder Andersson.

Pre-order for all configurations is available now and will come with a download of the first single, the previously unreleased performance of “I Ain’t Got No Heart,” available to stream now. First appearing in 1966 on Zappa’s Mothers of Invention debut album, Freak Out!, then later in 1981 with an updated faster arrangement on Tinsel Town Rebellion, the ‘88 version takes the song to another level with the addition of a 5-piece horn section.

Stream “I Ain’t Got No Heart”
Pre-order Zappa ’88: The Last US Show

As Travers writes in the liner notes, “Start with the fulcrum of the 1981-1984 touring bands (Robert, Scott & Chad), bring back Ike Willis, add the Synclavier digital workstation, a 5-piece horn section with multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally and you have what FZ famously described as “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life.” While saying “never heard” might have been a bit of hyperbole, it wasn’t far off as the short-lived band (four months of rehearsal in 1987/1988, followed by a tour from February through June 1988) only played a few dozen shows on the East Coast and Europe before disbanding. Nonetheless, the shows they did play together were electrifying and a masterclass in musicianship.

With Zappa on lead guitar, vocals, and wielding his new obsession the Synclavier, he led the proceedings through a career-spanning set, backed by a stellar cast of veteran band members and newly added members: Mike Keneally (guitar, synth, vocals), Scott Thunes (electric bass, Minimoog), Ike Willis (rhythm guitar, synth, vocals), Chad Wackerman (drums, electronic percussion), Ed Mann (vibes, marimba, electronic percussion), Robert Martin (keyboards, vocals) and the cracking horn section of Walt Fowler (trumpet, flugel horn, synth), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Paul Carman (alto, soprano and baritone sax), Albert Wing (tenor sax) and Kurt McGettrick (baritone and bass sax, contrabass clarinet). The band prepped nearly 100 songs and the sets were wide ranging, spanning tunes from the first Mothers of Invention albums, but with characteristically updated and often times ever-evolving arrangements (“I Ain’t Got No Heart,” “Love Of My Life,” “Who Needs The Peace Corps?”), to new compositions created for the ‘88 tour (“Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk” and “When The Lie’s So Big”) as well as classical compositions (Bartók, Ravel, Stravinsky) that Zappa liked to play to expose his audiences to music he appreciated. In addition to the inclusion of the 5-piece horn section and it being Keneally’s only tour, the concerts also included extensive use of sampling through the then current machine, the Synclavier, which Zappa took on the road for the first time, as well as percussionists Mann and Wackerman’s use of electronic sounds in their set ups.

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show includes all of this and many more highlights such as fan favorites, “Peaches In Regalia,” “The Black Page” “Inca Roads,” “Sharleena” “Sofa #1” and “Pound For A Brown.” It also includes a horn-laden cover of The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus,” and the first official release of the highly sought after “The Beatles Medley,” which features the band performing the music of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” with the lyrics completely changed to reflect the then-recent sex scandal of televangelist Jimmy Swaggart. The bawdy lyrics poke fun at the hypocritical minister and was part of Zappa’s agenda to demystify televangelists.

Just how Zappa felt it was important to rail against toxically prude self-appointed culture protectors and whatever hypocrisy or hypocrite rankled him that day, he was also a motivator of positive action, passionate about causes, especially voting rights, making it his mission to get his audiences to register to vote. With a presidential election looming, Zappa offered voter registration on the tour, aided by The League of Women Voters. Fans were encouraged to vote before the show or during a special 20-minute intermission in the middle of the two-hour plus concert, which would start with Zappa triggering the Synclavier to play a piece of music. In Uniondale it was “One Man, One Vote.” Notably, the version here is a different mix than the studio version released on Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention. Zappa 88: The Last U.S. Show kicks off with Zappa extolling the importance of voting and encouraging the unregistered to sign up at the show by registering someone live on stage. It was followed by a representative from Governor Mario Cuomo’s office reading a message congratulating “Mr. Zappa for the important work you are doing encouraging your audiences and others to register and vote.”
“Sadly after the European run was over,” as Travers pens in the liners, “Frank Zappa chose to disband the group and cancel the rest of the tour, reportedly forfeiting $400,000.00 in revenue and depriving additional audiences the opportunity to witness how special this group really was. With all of the time and money spent to prepare and promote the tour, not to mention the potential within the talented band and crew, now in 2021, it’s an even more historic loss considering FZ was to never tour again.”

Fortunately, Zappa’s final U.S. show, like so many others of his, was documented and can now be experienced in its glory more than three decades later.

FRANK ZAPPA – ZAPPA ’88: THE LAST U.S. SHOW TRACKLISTING

2CD/DIGITAL

DISC 1
“We Are Doing Voter Registration Here”
The Black Page (New Age Version)
I Ain’t Got No Heart
Love Of My Life
Inca Roads
Sharleena
Who Needs The Peace Corps?
I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Dickie’s Such An Asshole
When The Lie’s So Big
Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk
Sofa #1
One Man, One Vote
Happy Birthday, Chad!
Packard Goose Pt. 1
Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat”
Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3
Packard Goose Pt. II
The Torture Never Stops Pt. I
Theme From “Bonanza”

DISC 2
Lonesome Cowboy Burt
The Torture Never Stops Pt. II
City Of Tiny Lites
Pound For A Brown
The Beatles Medley
Peaches En Regalia
Stairway To Heaven
I Am The Walrus
Whipping Post
Bolero
America The Beautiful

4LP VINYL
LP1

SIDE 1
“We Are Doing Voter Registration Here”
The Black Page (New Age Version)
I Ain’t Got No Heart
Love Of My Life

SIDE 2
Inca Roads
Sharleena
Who Needs The Peace Corps?
I Left My Heart In San Francisco

LP2

SIDE 3
Dickie’s Such An Asshole
When The Lie’s So Big
Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk
Sofa #1
One Man, One Vote

LP2

SIDE 4
Happy Birthday, Chad!
Packard Goose Pt. I
Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat”
Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3
Packard Goose Pt. II
The Torture Never Stops Pt. I
Theme From “Bonanza”
Lonesome Cowboy Burt

LP3

SIDE 5
The Torture Never Stops Pt. II
City Of Tiny Lites
Pound For A Brown PT. I

LP3

SIDE 6
Pound For A Brown PT. II
The Beatles Medley (Lennon/McCartney)
Peaches En Regalia

LP4

SIDE 7
Stairway To Heaven
I Am The Walrus

LP4

SIDE 8
Whipping Post
Bolero
America The Beautiful