Freed from the vault: A new Rick Springfield album recorded in 1974 will finally be released

Back in 1974, Rick Springfield was signed with Columbia Records and recorded an album. And now, nearly 50 years later, it’s about to be released.

Why the delay?

According to Iconclassic Records:

Rick Springfield seemed to be on a fast track to stardom by 1974. He had it all: a batch of well-crafted commercially viable songs, a great voice, muscular musicianship and striking good looks. After scoring with 1972’s “Speak to the Sky” single, he assembled his first solo band and hit the road in pursuit of his dreams. “It was a hedonistic couple of months of rock and roll and partying and no parents,” remembers Springfield. “Songs came out of all that fire and sexual angst of being 25 and being on your own.”

But when Rick delivered his completed Springfield album to Columbia Records, the label balked. Its hard rock sound and suggestive lyrics flew in the face of the pink and perky bubblegum sound they expected. In early ’75, the Springfield album was officially shelved.

For almost 50 years, Springfield has sat in the vaults…until now. Remastered from the original tapes and expanded with unheard live performances of its material, Springfield finally takes its rightful place in Rick’s catalog.

Here’s what the expanded edition remastered CD with bonus tracks, which is due to be released on May 12, 2023, includes:

• Previously unreleased vintage Rick Springfield studio album!
• Plus rare single sides for first time on CD worldwide
• Unheard bonus live versions of 8 of the album tracks, introduced by the legendary Wolfman Jack
• 16 of 21 tracks previously unissued
• 20-page full color booklet includes unseen photos and memorabilia
• 5,000-word liner notes essay by Ken Sharp includes new commentary from Rick Springfield plus the contributing musicians and his then-manager, and full track by track discussion
• Digitally remastered from the original master tapes by Vic Anesini

Here’s the track listing:

TRACK LISTING

• Original Springfield Album
• 1. Trash *
• 2. Call The Fire Brigade *
• 3. Eleanor Rigby
• 4. Child Within
• 5. Beethoven Street *
• 6. Sukaya *
• 7. Sweet Teezer *
• 8. Pearly And Me *
• 9. American Girls
• 10. Elektra *

BONUS TRACKS

• Bonus Single – First Time on CD
• 11. Streakin’ Across The U.S.A.
• 12. Music To Streak By
• 
  Live at Northwest Speedway, Post Falls, Idaho, 1974
• 13. Wolfman Jack Introduction *
• 14. Music To Streak By *
• 15. Trash *
• 16. Call The Fire Brigade *
• 17. Sukaya *
• 18. Eleanor Rigby *
• 19. American Girls *
• 20. Elektra *
• 21. Beethoven Street *
• 
  * Previously Unreleased

LINEUP

• Rick Springfield – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
• Peter Leinheiser aka Peter Lyon – Guitar, Background Vocals
• Gabriel Katona – Keyboards, Saxophone, Background Vocals
• Les Smith – Bass, Background Vocals
• Eddie Rodriguez – Drums, Background Vocals

SPECIAL GUESTS

• Jimmie Haskell – String arrangements

The CD is currently on pre-order here.

I also just want to send a shout out to those at rickspringfield.us, a fan site for being an incredible resource for all things in Rick Springfield fandom. I just noticed that they have created a page with all the SiriusXM 80s on 8 “Working Class DJ” shows. So fun!

They even have lyrics to some of the songs coming out on this “Springfield” CD. I assume RS was disappointed that it wasn’t released then and I wonder if he ever imagined that it would finally be released nearly 50 years later and that he’d have so many decades-long fans eagerly awaiting it (and of course he would have never imagined that it would be released on CD because they didn’t exist yet).