Sailor/Capitol/UMe
Sailor/Capitol/UMeSteve Miller Band recently announced plans to release an expansive rarities-packed three-CD/one-DVD box set titled Welcome to the Vault on October 11. Now, the group has debuted the fourth in a series of advanced tracks from the collection, a previously released 1974 cover of the 1956 Mickey & Sylvia hit “Love Is Strange.”
The Miller Band’s version of the tune has a strong reggae flavor reminiscent of Led Zeppelin‘s 1973 hit “D’yer Mak’er.” The “Love Is Strange” cover is available now as a digital single, and fans pre-ordering Welcome to the Vault will receive an instant free download of that track and three others — alternate versions of the Steve Miller Band hits “Swingtown” and “Rock’N Me” and a 1975 rendition of Howlin’ Wolf‘s “Killing Floor.”
As previously reported, Welcome to the Vault features 52 audio tracks — 38 of which are previously unreleased — as well as 21 video performances spanning from 1967 through 2011. The collection also features a 100-page hardbound book boasting rare photos, a lengthy essay penned by acclaimed rock journalist David Fricke, collectible guitar picks and other memorabilia.
The CDs feature demos, rehearsals, outtakes, concert performances and five recently rediscovered original Steve Miller Band tunes recorded in the 1960s and ’70s.
The DVD includes two rare performances from 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival, a 43-minute concert that originally aired on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert in 1973, a 1974 performance with bluesman James Cotton from the ABC In Concert show, two songs Miller played with his godfather Les Paul in 1990 at a New York City club, and a couple of selections from Steve Miller Band’s 2011 appearance on PBS’ Austin City Limits.
Check out the full track list at the group’s online store.
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