Rhino’s Summer Of Love Celebration Continues

If you’ve checked the weather forecast lately, then you know that summer is still raging on, as is Rhino’s celebration of the Summer of Love. This week, we’ve got four special vinyl reissues, a new Monkees compilation spotlighting their psychedelic side, and a LP that brings together some of the grooviest tunes from 1967.

The next group of releases comes out on July 18 and features the mono version of ALICE'S RESTAURANT by Arlo Guthrie ($24.98), The Electric Prunes’ eponymous debut on purple vinyl ($21.98), Van Morrison's Astral Weeks on clear vinyl ($24.98) and Vanilla Fudge's self-titled debut on white vinyl ($21.98). A new compilation from The Monkees will also be released the same day. SUMMER OF LOVE includes 12 tracks that focus on the group's lesser-known psychedelic side. The collection will be released on LP ($21.98) and CD ($7.98). The LP GETTIN' TOGETHER: GROOVY SOUNDS OF THE SUMMER OF LOVE will also be released on July 18 for $14.98. Its 16 tracks spotlight memorable hits from 1967 like "Hip Hug-Her" by Booker T. & The M.G.'s, "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Vanilla Fudge and "Windy" by The Association.

Arlo Guthrie, ALICE’S RESTAURANT (mono version): This immortal album from Woody’s son features the famous title track that was right up there with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” as a saving grace for DJs that needed to hit the restroom, but rest assured that that’s far from the only reason it’s become a classic.

The Electric Prunes, THE ELECTRIC PRUNES (on purple vinyl): When it comes to garage bands from the ‘60s, few delivered debut albums as immediately addictive as these guys. Side 1 kicks off with “I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night,” and Side 2 starts with “Get Me to the World on Time,” both classics.

Van Morrison, ASTRAL WEEKS (on clear vinyl): Take a little blues, a little classical, a little folk, and a little jazz, stir them all together, and you can see why Morrison’s album took some time to steep with audiences before it was declared an all-time classic. Thankfully, it’s been seen as such for quite awhile now.

Vanilla Fudge, VANILLA FUDGE: Were they psychedelic, hard rock, or proto-metal? Whatever they were, they made an instant impression with their unique takes on other people’s material, and they kept listeners hanging on.

The Monkees, SUMMER OF LOVE: Set aside your notions about how one greatest-hits album by the Monkees is enough and investigate the track listing for this new compilation, which approaches the group’s back catalog from a completely different angle than ever before. If you’ve ever wanted to prove to your friends that the Monkees weren’t just about their hit singles, then you’ve finally got the compilation that you’ve been waiting for.

Side One
1.    "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
2.    "She"
3.    "Porpoise Song" - Single Version
4.    "Words"
5.    "Star Collector"
6.    "Birth Of An Accidental Hipster"

Side Two
1.    "Take A Giant Step"
2.    "Love Is Only Sleeping"
3.    "Randy Scouse Git"
4.    "Tapioca Tundra"
5.    "Saturday's Child"
6.    "For Pete's Sake"

Various Artists, GETTIN’ TOGETHER: GROOVY SOUNDS OF THE SUMMER OF LOVE: The music scene of the Summer of Love was all over the place, and it wasn’t just the hippies who were finding new inspiration from the goings-on at the time. This compilation provides a deeper look into the sounds of the era, and while most of the inclusions may be recognizable, there are some surprises afoot for those expecting the predicable selections

Side One
1.    "Groovin'" - The Young Rascals
2.    "Windy" - The Association
3.    "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" - Harper's Bizarre
4.    "Bowling Green" - The Everly Brothers
5.    "The Windows Of The World" - Dionne Warwick 
6.    "Next Plane To London" - The Rose Garden
7.    "Carrie-Anne" - The Hollies
8.    "It's A Happening World" - The Tokens

Side Two
1.    "Pleasant Valley Sunday" - The Monkees
2.    "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" - The Mojo Men
3.    "Transparent Day" - The West Coast Pop Experimental Band
4.    "C'mon Marianne" - The 4 Seasons featuring the "sound" of Frankie Valli
5.    "Hip Hug-Her" - Booker T. & The M.G.'s
6.    "Gettin' Together" - Tommy James & The Shondells
7.    "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) - The Electric Prunes 
8.    "You Keep Me Hanging On" - Vanilla Fudge