Gentry, Bobbie: The Girl From Chickasaw County (Vinyl 2xLP)

This new format (2LP) is cut down versions of the boxset and features a selection of the unreleased bonus material from the 8CD package.

In 2018 UMC released Capitol years boxset consisted of 8CDs, this is the first ever large-scale retrospective containing the first UK reissues of her albums in their entirety – supplemented by 76 previously unreleased demos, outtakes and alternate takes from all Bobbie’s Capitol albums. Included are beautiful acoustic demos of songs like Refractions, Courtyard and Seasons Come Seasons Go, alternate takes of Sunday Best, Sweet Peony and Benjamin, and previously unheard originals like Morning to Midnight, and Joanne. In addition, Bobbie recorded some great cover versions that never saw the light of day including Conspiracy of Homer Jones by Dallas Frazier, Spinning Wheel by Blood Sweat and Tears, Salome Smith and her amazing dancing bear by Randy Newman, and blues songs like Seventh Son by Willie Dixon.

One of the selling points of the set is a previously unreleased album of jazz cover versions including intimate mostly acoustic interpretations of songs including Irving Berlin’s Suppertime, Billie Holidays God Bless the Child (play from start) and Since I Fell for You by Buddy Johnson. This change of direction was abandoned in favour of the blue-eyed soul of the Touch em With Love LP, making these recordings a unique document of Bobbie as we have never heard her before. Also included are selections from Bobbie’s three BBC tv series including live versions of her well-known tracks Ode to Billie Joe and Mississippi Delta as well as songs Bobbie never recorded in the studio like The Beatles’ Mother Nature’s Son and Harry Nilsson’ Open your Window. All the audio has been mastered from the original tapes. These to include many rare and never before seen images of Bobbie, images from photo shoots, out takes, performing and touring. These releases feature an exclusive illustration provided by fashion illustrator David Downton.