Press Release

LUTHER VANDROSS’S TRAILBLAZING EARLY ALBUMS LUTHER AND THIS CLOSE TO YOU REISSUED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER FOUR DECADES

LUTHER VANDROSS’S TRAILBLAZING EARLY ALBUMS LUTHER AND THIS CLOSE TO YOU REISSUED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER FOUR DECADES

Experience These Groundbreaking and Soulful Pieces of Music History by Pre-Ordering the Albums TODAY!

LUTHER VANDROSS’S TRAILBLAZING EARLY ALBUMS LUTHER AND THIS CLOSE TO YOU REISSUED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER FOUR DECADES

Luther

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 21, 2024 – New York, NY – In a thrilling announcement for music enthusiasts and Luther Vandross fans worldwide, Primary Wave Music and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, are proud to unveil the re-release of the legendary R&B artist’s first two albums – Luther and This Close to You. Originally released on Cotillion Records, these seminal records are being made available commercially for the first time in over forty years. Both albums are available for pre-order now in multiple configurations that include Vinyl, CD, and Digital (Luther; This Close To You) and are set to release in April and June respectively. Exclusive bundles including newly designed merch for Luther have also been launched which can be pre-ordered on the official store – shop.luthervandross.com.

 

LUTHER– TRACK LISTING

  1. Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me)
  2. The 2nd Time Around
  3. I’ll Get Along Fine
  4. Everybody Rejoice (From the Tony Award Winning Musical, “THE WIZ”)
  5. Emotion Eyes
  6. This Strange Feeling
  7. It’s Good For The Soul (Parts I And II)

THIS CLOSE TO YOU – TRACK LISTING

  1. This Is For Real
  2. A Lover’s Change
  3. Don’t Take The Time
  4. Jealousy Is In Me
  5. I’m Not Satisfied
  6. This Close To You
  7. Don’t Wanna Be A Fool
  8. Come Back To Love
  9.  Follow My Love
Bonus Tracks – CD/Digital Only

  1. The 2nd Time Around (Instrumental)
Bonus Tracks – CD/Digital Only

10. Can’t Get Enough Good Loving

11. Come Back To Love (Instrumental)

12. Don’t Wanna Be A Fool (Instrumental)

Reviving Luther Vandross’s foundational impact on R&B and soul, his inaugural albums return to the spotlight after four decades, blending timeless artistry and influence. The re-release coincides with the Sundance Film Festival-premiered documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” lauded as one of the most anticipated documentaries of 2024, magnifying his iconic status in the music realm.

In June 1976, the R&B landscape was forever changed with the debut of Luther Vandross’s album Luther, showcasing his extraordinary vocal talent, songwriting, and production skills. The album featured the hit “Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me),” which Luther Vandross and David Bowie reimagined into “Fascination” for Bowie’s iconic Young Americans, illustrating Vandross’s influence with his background vocals and arrangements. It also included “Everybody Rejoice (A Brand New Day)” from the award-winning musical “The Wiz,” marking the only recording of Vandross’s rendition of the song. On March 23, 1977, Vandross’s album This Close to You with his group Luther enchanted listeners with soulful tunes and deep lyrics, further cementing his status in the music industry.

For more information about Luther Vandross and the Cotillion Records release, visit www.luthervandross.com

 

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ABOUT LUTHER VANDROSS 

Luther Vandross was more than just a great singer. An elegant and warmhearted New Yorker who became one of popular music’s most beloved performers, from his solo breakthrough in the early ‘80s to his untimely death in 2005, Vandross was a vocalist whose understanding of singing as an art form was so profound, he changed notions of what it could be. That’s just what he did in balancing the innovation of 1980’s R&B in the irresistibly joyful title track of Vandross’ 1981 solo debut, Never Too Much, to his astonishing 1981 cover of A House Is Not a Home, transforming the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic into an acutely personal demonstration of his control, dexterity, and expressiveness. In the process, he transcends the ‘60s divas who inspired him—Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin—to create a model for those who followed. Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion have all acknowledged the impact that their sometime duet partner had on them.  Luther’s success in the 1980s launched him after many years of working behind the scenes as a session vocalist and arranger for acts like David Bowie and Bette Midler and as the singer of Searching and The Glow of Love, two classy hits for the Italian/American disco group Change. In the decades that followed, Vandross continued to find ways to push the art forward instead of relying on the tried and true, releasing 11 consecutive platinum albums in the process and garnering 31 Grammy nominations and 8 Grammy awards. Grammy winners like 1991’s Power of Love/Love Power and 2003’s Dance With My Father remain as technically accomplished as they are emotionally moving, serving as testaments to his enduring legacy. For more info visit https://LutherVandross.com.