Music lovers will soon be able to own rare audio history, thanks to a partnership between the Southern Folklife Collection (SFC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yep Roc Records, based in Hillsborough.
The SFC, part of the Wilson Special Collections Library, will create digital masters of rare archival recordings from its collections, which Yep Roc Records will produce, package and distribute.
âMusic lovers and researchers have long come to Chapel Hill to hear the unique recordings that are in the Southern Folklife Collection. Through this partnership, we are able to bring historic roots music to audiences around the world,â said Steve Weiss, director of the SFC.
The inaugural releaseâ Dolly Partonâs first single, âPuppy Loveââis a 45-RPM with a B-side of âGirl Left Alone.â The limited edition run will be available exclusively in participating stores on April 22, Record Store Day. Subsequent releases will be available on compact disc, vinyl and from digital providers.
âLike a first love, a first record for a singer will always be remembered above all others,â said Parton. âHopefully Iâve improved since I recorded âPuppy Love,â so don’t laugh…just enjoy.â
The first three releases from the SFC/Yep Roc partnership are:
Dolly Parton: âPuppy Loveâ and âGirl Left Aloneâ (April 22)
Dolly Parton recorded âPuppy Loveâ for Goldband Records in 1959, when she was just 13. This edition is re-mastered from the original mono master tape. Packaging will include reproductions of the original Goldband record labels, housed in a picture sleeve featuring an early promotional photograph of Parton.
âSwampland Jewelsâ (Sept. 22)
A compilation of classic Cajun music from Goldband Records,âSwampland Jewelsâ features recordings by Jo-El Sonnier, Boozoo Chavis, Iry LeJune Jr. and Cleveland Crochet. Packaging features the original album art of a bikini-clad girl riding a giant crawfish, and includes the booklet âFrom the Bayou,â a history of Goldband Records by music writer Mike Leadbitter and Goldband Records founder Eddie Shuler.
Doc Watson: âLive at the Club 47â (Date TBA)
A newly discovered performance by Doc Watson, âLive at the Club 47â was recorded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1963. This recording features unreleased songs from Watsonâs early repertoire.
âThis is an amazing opportunity for Yep Roc to work with Steve Weiss and the Southern Folklife Collection to help bring some incredible music to a worldwide audience of music fans,â said Glenn Dicker, co-owner and A&R for Yep Roc Records. âWalking through the vast archives for the first time to see, touch and, of course, hear what kinds of treasures are in the collection was a mind-blowing experience. Steve is doing a terrific job curating the collection and we’re honored to be part of the team.â
More information on the Southern Folklife Collection is available here. For purchase and online ordering details, visit www.yeproc.com.
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About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nationâs first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelorâs, 110 masterâs, 64 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolinaâs most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolinaâs 317,000-plus alumni live in all 50 states and 156 other countries. More than 167,000 live in North Carolina.
About the Southern Folklife Collection
The Southern Folklife Collection is one of the nationâs foremost archival resources for the study of American folk music and popular culture. SFC holdings extensively document all forms of southern musical and oral traditions across the entire spectrum of individual and community expressive arts, as well as mainstream media production. Centered around the John Edwards Memorial Collection, the SFC is especially rich in materials documenting the emergence of old-time, country-western, hillbilly, bluegrass, blues, folk, gospel, rock and roll, Cajun and zydeco musics.
About Yep Roc Records
Founded by Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen in 1997, Yep Roc Records is based in Hillsborough, N.C. and calls itself âthe artist-driven label that refuses to be labeled.â With a strong belief in the vision of each of its artists, Yep Roc Records strives to serve each project based on its unique characteristics. Over 20 years, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Aoife OâDonovan, Chatham County Line, Dave Alvin, Los Straitjackets, Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock and Tift Merritt. The label is exclusively distributed by Redeye.