Black Beauty, the masterpiece by Arthur Lee’s legendary psychedelic rock band Love, is making its first-ever official release on CD, out November 11th via High Moon Records. The album had never been released in any format until High Moon Records put it out on vinyl in 2012. In November, Black Beauty will be available as a TrueSound Audiophile CD, packaged in a Hardbound Eco-Book.
The Deluxe CD comes with a 62-page photo-filled booklet with over 35 never-before-seen photos by Herbert W. Worthington and a revelatory essay by Ben Edmonds. Bonus tracks feature explosive live Black Beauty-era Love performances, an unearthed Arthur Lee interview from 1974, and two unreleased Arthur Lee studio cuts. The ultra-rare title track from legendary filmmaker Max Julien’s “Thomasine & Bushrod’, recorded a few months after the completion of Black Beauty, was Arthur Lee’s first and only foray into film soundtrack composition. Recorded in 1973 for Hair Executive Producer Michael Butler’s Buffalo Records, Black Beauty remained unreleased when the label folded. Finally, after 40 years High Moon Records is honored to fulfill Arthur Lee’s wish that Black Beauty be heard by music fans worldwide on CD.
Black Beauty is that rarest of rock artifacts: a full-length studio album, from an undisputed musical genius. The album is the missing link in a catalog that includes Forever Changes, the classic 1967 Love album the New York Times called “one of the most affecting and beguiling albums of all time.” With Black Beauty, Arthur Lee manages to combine searing 70’s-rock with gorgeous melodies and stellar songwriting—topped off by his most powerful, soulful vocals ever. With its wonderfully eclectic collection of songs, the album offers Love fans a rare glimpse into a previously undocumented phase of Arthur Lee’s fabled career, while shining a light for new fans to discover the unique genius that is the music of Arthur Lee and Love.
