Fats Domino Box Set Includes Unreleased Tracks, Documentary & Book
OCTOBER 7, 2019by: MICHAEL FRANKLEAVE A COMMENT
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Bear Family Records is releasing a new box set, I’ve Been Around, which offers access to 312 tracks from the New Orleans singer-pianist Fats Domino. The set includes Domino’s work with Imperial Records (recordings from 1948-1962) and–collected for the first time in a Bear Family Records set–Domino’s ABC-Paramount Records sessions (recordings from 1963-1965). Also included are originally unreleased takes, undubbed masters and unreleased instrumental backing tracks, making this set a must-have for any collectors interested in Domino’s life and work.
Besides Domino’s iconic music, I’ve Been Around includes both a 60-minute and 90-minute cut of the PBS American Masters documentary Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll, which was released in 2016 and includes interviews with the late Dave Bartholomew and Crescent City studio owner Cosimo Matassa. The set also includes a 240-page full-color book, filled with updated notes by biographer Rick Coleman, commentary by producers Hank Davis and Scott Parker, a complete Domino sessionography and a collection of previously unpublished pictures.
During the 1950s, Domino was the first R&B artist to gain recognition by the younger generation, bridging the gap between African-American and white audiences. By leaving indelible marks on the history of music–such as “Ain’t it a Shame,” “I’m in Love Again,” “Blue Monday,” “Blueberry Hill” and “I’m Walkin’”–Domino was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. On Oct. 24, 2017, Domino died at his home in Harvey, LA at the age of 89.
Bear Family Records will release I’ve Been Around on Nov. 8. The set is priced at $212. To preorder the set, view pictures of the product or to see a full track-list, visit the Bear Family Records website, here.
