Secret Seven Records, SF

Blaze Foley - Clay Pigeons LP (SEC-7-010)

+ Twelve recordings from the 70’s & 80’s available on VINYL for the first time

+ Features Blaze’s own versions of songs that were covered by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett & John Prine

+ Liner notes by Blaze Foley biographer, Sybil Rosen; Cover photo by C.P. Vaughan

“He is one of the most spiritual cats I’ve ever met; an ace finger picker; a writer who never shirks the truth; never fails to rhyme; and one of the flashiest wits I’ve ever had to put up with. He’s only gone crazy once. Decided to stay. But the main thing is the music. Blaze is a lover of things alive, and pleads their cause with every word. I am proud to call Blaze my friend” -- Townes Van Zandt, 1984

“Blaze Foley was a genius and a beautiful loser” – Lucinda Williams

"Foley wrote and sang story songs so vividly full of ache, sadness, reflection, and the naked truth that I believe he may have attained that level of direct realism that songsmiths such as Kristofferson, Dylan, and Haggard are always trying to reach . . .” -- Joe Nick Patoski, Texas Monthly

Secret Seven Records and Lost Art Records are proud to present Blaze Foley: Clay Pigeons, a (vinyl-only) career-spanning collection of studio, home and intimate live recordings from 1976 - 1988. Culled from posthumous CDs released by Lost Art Records and Fat Possum, Clay Pigeons marks the first-ever proper LP release by one of country music’s most beautiful, yet oft unheard, voices. Featuring many of Blaze’s best loved songs including: “Oval Room,” “Clay Pigeons,” and “If I Could Only Fly”—a song Merle Haggard described as “the best country song I’ve heard in 15 years.”

Side One: Clay Pigeons / You’ll Get Yours Aplenty / Election Day / Lovin’ You / For Anything Less / Oval Room

Side Two: Cold, Cold World / Down Here Where I Am / Moonlight / Rainbows & Ridges / My Reasons Why / If I Could Only Fly

Listen to: Clay Pigeons

Pre-order Reissue (Will ship by March 10, 2020). Will only ship within the USA. $20 plus $2 shipping

Purchase Sybil Rosen's book, Living In The Woods In A Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley here

To purchase other Blaze Foley albums on CD go to Lost Art Records & Fat Possum

Visit cover photographer, C.P Vaughan's website

Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah documentary website

Root Hog Review

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Wave A Flag For Harvey Milk: Sing-along coloring book (w/ Mr. Greg & Cass McCombs song download)

Wave A Flag For Harvey Milk is a sing-along coloring book that introduces young children to the inspiring life of the late, great Harvey Milk.

Each book contains a link to download Mr. Greg and Cass McCombs' recording of the song Wave A Flag For Harvey Milk. You can listen to the recording below.

"Each year, my preschool class in San Francisco leads an assembly in honor of Harvey Milk. After searching fruitlessly for an age appropriate book or song about Harvey Milk to share with my preschoolers, I decided to write and illustrate one myself. I wrote Wave A Flag For Harvey Milk as a way to introduce the preschoolers to the positive things that Harvey Milk did for San Franciscans in particular, and the LGBT community at large. The words of the book are the lyrics to an accompanying song that I sing with my students." -Mr. Greg

"Wave A Flag For Harvey Milk, is such a treat to see. Greg still has the creative and unique perspective that I have always known him to posses since the first days that I spent becoming his friend."

-Brian Anderson, subject of the film On Being a Gay Professional Skateboarder, Thrasher Magazine’s “Skater of the Year”, and wonderful human being.

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Working On The Railroad with JESSE FULLER

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Secret Seven and Mississippi Records have joined forces to re-release Jesse Fuller's debut EP, available for the first time in its original 10" vinyl format in sixty years. Working On The Railroad includes six of Jesse Fuller's finest recordings, including the original version of San Francisco Bay Blues which has been covered by Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and many others. Includes an insert with recently uncovered photos of The Lone Cat.

Railroad Worksong
Lining Up The Tracks
John Henry

Railroad Blues
San Francisco Bay Blues
Hanging 'Round A Skin Game

Recorded in 1954 in El Cerrito, California just a few blocks away from Secret Seven's new home.

Working On The Railroad is distributed by Mississippi, LITA, and Revolver

Watch Jesse Fuller perform San Francisco Bay Blues below

Watch a 1971 TV documentary about Jesse Fuller here

Listen to Bob Dylan's 1961 recording of San Francisco Bay Blues here

Watch Bob Dylan performing San Francisco Bay Blues in Jesse Fuller's adopted city, Oakland, CA here

Watch Paul McCartney's recording of San Francisco Bay Blues here

Watch the Grateful Dead perform Fuller's Monkey and the Engineer in Oakland, CA here

Listen to Bob Dylan's version of Fuller's You're No Good (the first song on Dylan's debut LP) here

Listen to Jesse Fuller's version of You're No Good here

Watch Elizabeth Cotten and Jesse Fuller perform here

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Blaze Foley - Cold, Cold World LP

Back In Print

Cold, Cold World captures Blaze Foley and his working band - the Beaver Valley Boys - from their first Texas studio recordings dating from 1979 and 1980. Blaze and the band - anchored by the renowned Gurf Morlix - are at the top of their form.

Previously only available on CD, now on vinyl. This LP contains 13 songs and comes with a code to download the album plus four additional songs that were included on the CD release.

A Secret Seven / Lost Art Records co-release.

Purchase Blaze Vinyl LP Here for $20 (ships only within the USA)

Listen to: Small Town Hero

“He is one of the most spiritual cats I’ve ever met; an ace finger picker; a writer who never shirks the truth." -Townes Van Zandt

As is often the case with artists whose legacies have been shaped by tragic circumstances, in some ways the music of Blaze Foley cannot be divorced from his personal story. Born Michael David Fuller in 1949, he spent his formative years traveling the South with his family as a group of itinerant Gospel singers. By 1974, he had begun to develop his persona as a songwriter, first as “Depty Dawg,” and finally as “Blaze Foley.” Blaze’s brief career was characterized by equal measures of prolificacy, poor luck, and personal misfortune. Despite his friendship with fellow Texas outlaw country stalwart, Townes Van Zandt, success eluded Foley at all turns. Albums were recorded, lost, found, and lost again. Troubled both by substance abuse and homelessness, Foley struggled to commit many of his songs to tape, and those that were recorded rarely received proper releases during his lifetime—save a lone 45rpm. An LP was pressed in 1984, but allegedly, the album was seized by the FBI when the owner of the record label was arrested for drug smuggling. Blaze finally received some of the LPs, which he traded for beer and cab rides. Blaze’s life ended tragically in 1989 when he was fatally gunned down while intervening in a family feud on the behalf of an elderly and defenseless friend.

Despite the obscurity that plagued his career his talent was acknowledged and celebrated by his more successful peers both during his life and after his passing. Notables such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, John Prine, and Lyle Lovetthave covered Foley’s songs. Additionally, Townes Van Zandt and Lucinda Williams have immortalized Foley with tribute songs written in his honor. There is also a biography, Living In The Woods In A Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley, by Sybil Rosen that chronicles Blaze's life and concentrates on his early songwriting days when he was living with Sybil in a treehouse in rural Georgia. There is also a documentary film, Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah. Yet despite any accolade that could be used to measure Foley’s importance, nothing comes close to hearing him sing his own songs.

Note: This LP contains two recordings that were also on SEC-7-010.

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Michael Hurley & Cass McCombs

Cass McCombs - "Three Men Sitting On A Hollow Log" b/w Michael Hurley - "Mabel Green"

New recordings from Mr. McCombs and Mr. Hurley. Cass' song, Three Men Sitting On A Hollow Log, is previously unreleased and exclusive to this record. Michael Hurley contributes a previously unreleased solo version of his song, Mabel Green. Full color picture sleeve painted by Michael. One time limited pressing. Cass appears courtesy of Domino. (SEC-7-014)

This 7" will be distributed by Mississippi, Midheaven, & Light In The Attic

Michael Hurley - "Wildegeeses" b/w "South in Virginia

1993 recording of one of Michael's greatest songs of all time. Unreleased version featuring just Michael & his guitar. Wildegeeses is a heavy little ballad about love & loss & all that kind of thing. The B side, West Virginia, is a recording from around the same time - a song thats never came out until now. Both killers. Full color picture sleeve painted by Michael. One time only limited edition. A co-release with the wonderful Mississippi Records. (SEC-7-013) (MRPO40)

This 7" will be distributed by Mississippi & Midheaven.

OUT OF STOCK try here: Mississippi,Midheaven, & Light In The Attic

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In A Cloud II: New Sounds From SF (SEC-7-012)

13 previously unreleased recordings by some of San Francisco's finest, including:

Side A) Vetiver ‘Any & All’ / Chuck Prophet ‘Gotta Get Back To You’ / Hannah Lew (of Grass Widow) ‘Octopus Via Satellite’ / Kelley Stoltz ‘My Jacqui’ / ‘ Wymond Miles (of Fresh & Onlys) ‘Don’t Ask This Of Me’ / Papercuts ‘Hey Jaqueline’

Side B) Ty Segall Band ‘Swag’ / Bad Backs ‘Center Of The World’ / Will Sprott (of The Mumlers) ‘Under My Eyes’ / Paula Frazer ‘On The Way Back Home’ / Lucky Eyes ‘The Haunted’ / Tim Cohen (of Fresh & Onlys) ‘People Like Us’ / Sonny & The Sunsets ‘Broom & Dustpan (previously unreleased version)’

Cover Art by Simon Evans

850 copies pressed

OUT OF STOCK

Try a local record store.

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Sonny Smith - One Act Plays LP (SEC-7-011)

Sonny Smith (of Sonny & The Sunsets) with guests: Neko Case, Edith Frost, Mark Eitzel, Rico Bell, Jolie Holland, Peggy Honeywell, Virgil Shaw, Eugene & Akire Chen, Andy Cabic, and John Dwyer

A 2005 recording released on vinyl for the first time in an edition of 400 hand #’d copies

LP is housed in an old-school tip-on sleeve with paste-on photo

The songs on One Act Plays started out as real one act plays written for the theater. But in writing them I began to make them songs at some point. I can’t remember when this mysterious shift happened. However, ultimately the plays as songs were performed on stage in a play called The Dangerous Stranger, so somehow it came full circle. The Dangerous Stranger was supposed to be about reality being the dangerous intruder of fantasy, and fantasy being a dangerous intruder to reality. I can't remember if the play was successful at conveying this idea at all. That was the kinda stuff on my mind at the time I guess. I had a few influences at the time I was writing them. One was Terry Allen's Juarez, a concept record with recurring characters. Also I was really into Sam Shepard at the same time so I was reading a lot of his stuff. A few of the songs, like 'Eddie and Rita' even have some stage directions lifted directly from one of his plays. The song 'Following Father' took a bunch of facts from my dad's cousin, a Texan who always had some get rich quick scheme that never lasted. I was trying to make some kind of Tennessee Williams like thing apparently. Epic! Large! Family! Redemption! Well, anyway, most of these plays are fictional, except for 'Freaks In Space' and 'Honey Roy Rockwell'. Those two are the complete truth. The terrible truth. –Sonny Smith

OUT OF STOCK

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MICHAEL HURLEY - Fatboy Spring LP (SEC-7-009 / MR-094)

A full LP of never before released Hurley recordings from 1972 - 73! Great early versions of classic Hurley songs such as Automatic Slim & the Fatboys, Drivin' Wheel, Ghost Woman Blues, Watchin' the Show & The Portland Water. Hurley is backed up by "The Fatboys" - not the rotund hip hop crew from the film "Disorderlies" but rather a bunch of not so fat nice guys in Vermont who played mostly for the local dairy farmers. (Later they were known as "Sheriff Mocus & the Deranged Cowboys") A laid back countryish album sure to please the hardcore Hurley fan & casual listener too. Deep & breezy. Cover painting by Michael. A co-release from Mississippi and Secret Seven.

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Side One: Automatic Slim & The Fatboys / Drivin' Wheel / Lonesome Graveyard / Long Legs

Side Two: Long John / Move It On Over / Watchin' The Show / The Portland Water /

Singing Waterfall

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Listen to: Automatic Slim & the Fatboys

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SOLD OUT

Download extra Fatboy Spring liner notes

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Tiny Tim: Lost & Found 1963-1974 (Rare & Unreleased Recordings) LP (SEC-7-008)

Tiny Tim: Lost & Found 1963-1974 is a (vinyl only) collection of 17 obscurities, consisting of previously unreleased acetates, privately pressed 45's, and an early '60's studio session arranged by Milton Glaser. Much of the material on this release was thought to have been lost to time, but after many years of collecting and compiling by Tiny Tim enthusiasts, Secret Seven Records is making it available to a wider audience for the first time.

Lost & Found contains tracks from Tiny's pre-fame years, recorded between 1963 and 1966, as well as songs from his post-fame years, recorded between 1971 and 1974. The material from the 1960's represents the years in which Tiny scraped by, performing in dives in Greenwich Village and living with his parents who had, by 1963, written him off as mentally ill. The material from the early 1970's, although recorded while his mainstream career was in its decline, features some of the most intriguing, eclectic, and enjoyable material of his career.

This limited edition VINYL LP includes liner notes by Tiny Tim historian / biographer, Justin A. Martell and a cover photo by Baron Wolman. Secret Seven would like to thank Ernie Clark and Justin Martell for their invaluable assistance.

"I listened to this album absolutely entranced. Tiny's genius is, I have always felt, utterly indescribable. Bizarre, devastatingly real, funny, sad—this album shows Tiny Tim as the emotionally naked and inspired innocent he was.What a remarkable man and artist, revealed as even more remarkable by this glorious and gorgeous album. " -David Tibet (Current 93)

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Side One: If I Had A Talking Picture of You / Sunshine / April Showers # 2 / Ballad Of Attica Prison (Whispering Voices) / Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me / Delilah / I Ain't Got No Money / Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes / Maggie May

Side Two: Me And The Man On The Moon / Alice Blue Gown / Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound / Little Girl (In The Pines) / My True Love / Prisoner's Song / Old Front Porch / When You And I Were Young, Maggie

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Listen To: If I Had A Talking Picture Of You

Out Of Stock

This LP is distributed by Revolver and Light In The Attic

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Interview with Justin Martell about Tiny Tim + Lost & Found

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Mr. Bill Wagman was nice enough to send us an interview that he did with Tiny Tim on KDVS on 5/22/96.

Listen Here:Tiny Tim Interview on KDVS

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MICHAEL HURLEY Blue Navigator 8-Track (SEC-7-007 / MR-072)

Secret Seven and Mississippi Records have joined forces to reissue Blue Navigator, one of Michael Hurley's rarest and most enjoyable albums, on 8-Track cassette--a fitting format for a former 8-Track repairman. Blue Navigator was originally released on LP in 1984 on Rooster Records and quickly went out of print after a fire destroyed the Rooster offices and BN master tapes, making it one of Hurley's most sought after albums. Transferred from the original vinyl to virgin tape, and housed in a recycled cartridge. This is the 2nd pressing of 50 copies.

Songs: Blue Navigator, Who ever heard of You?, Dices Dices, Werewolf, Wolf Dispatch, '54 Chevy, Code of the Mountains, Ghost Woman Blues, Somebody to Say Bye Bye To, Open Up (eternal lips)

"Here is a long lost rarity from an unjustly overlooked American troubadour...timeless music..." -Russ Forster (Director of the 8-Track documentary So Wrong They're Right)

Listen To: Who Ever Heard Of You

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Later this year...Secret Seven and Mississippi will bring you a (vinyl) collection of previously unreleased recordings by Michael Hurley & friends entitled: Fatboy Spring.

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MIchael Yonkers - Goodby Sunball LP (SEC-7-006)

Secret Seven Records is proud to release the first ever reissue of the lost psych-folk LP 'Goodby Sunball' by cult favorite, Michael Yonkers. Privately released in 1974, 'Goodby Sunball' was recorded at Yonkers' home studio a few years after 'Microminature Love' and just before 'Lovely Gold'. Remastered from the original LP by Ben Tuttle.

Limited to 500 copies.

"The music for 'Goodby Sunball' was written during the recovery period following serious spine surgery. The surgery had not gone well, i was laid up for months, and had to learn to walk again. So, the music was written using an acoustic guitar, while laying in bed. When i was able to be up and around more, i started recording the songs...a little at a time.It took about 7 months. i recorded the tracks in the little studio i had in my place. It was all recorded on two-channel, tube type machines (back and forth between machines). The vocals were done in the bathroom, to give an expanded sound." - Michael Yonkers

Side One: Goodby Sunball / Tell Me Of Love / The Day Of Jubilee / Angel Of The Snow / The Swamp Of Love / Anne Is My Lassie / Another Day / Morning Of Love / Someone Like You

Side Two: Early Wakin' Morning / Strange And Lonely Land / Oh Can You Tell Me / Time Honored Love / Goodby Sunball

Listen To: swamp of love

Download Grace Cooper (of The Sandwitches) singing Yonkers': Oh can you tell me

SOLD OUT

Video by Jeanne Applegate

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