Old 97’s - Fight Songs (3 LP)
LP
Their classic second album for Elektra Records on vinyl for the very first time. The 180g deluxe 3LP set features the original 1999 album, a 2021 remix by Grammy winning producer, Vance Powell, and a bonus disc of unreleased 1998 demos all mastered from the original analog tapes.
Old 97’s "Fight Songs (Deluxe Edition)" is Run Out Groove's new featured title this month; voted in by fans. Pioneers of the 1990s alt-country movement, Old 97’s have been together with their original lineup for over 25 years and have released 12 studio albums. Run Out Groove is releasing their classic Elektra Records album FIGHT SONGS on vinyl for the very first time.
When asked about the album finally seeing a release on vinyl, guitarist Ken Bethea said, “When Run Out Groove approached us with the idea of releasing “Fight Songs” for the first time on vinyl, not only were we excited, but also immediately thought of the idea of a remix. A chance to turn back time 23 years and we coaxed our current producer/mixer Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Phish, Sturgill Simpson) onto the project and he agreed with one caveat: no slick, all rock…”
Ken goes on to say, “For the band, this 3LP set is a wild trip back in time. It includes our original recording of 1998’s “Fight Songs”, the Vance Powell remix that allows us to experience an alternative “what if” version of the album, and this little nugget of what the band sounded like back in those days as we rehearsed and sussed out our songs. We are blown away by these sounds. We know you will be blown away as well.”
OLD 97S:
Fight Songs (Deluxe Edition)
3LP
A1.JAGGED (original 1999 master) [3:27]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
A2.LONELY HOLIDAY (original 1999 master) [4:08]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
A3.OPPENHEIMER (original 1999 master) [3:27]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
A4.INDEFINITELY (1999 MASTER) [3:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
A5.WHAT WE TALK ABOUT (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [4:10]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
A6.CRASH ON THE BARRELHEAD (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [2:39]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
B1. MURDER (OR A HEART ATTACK)(ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [3:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
B2. ALONE SO FAR (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [4:17]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
B3. BUSTED AFTERNOON (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [3:11]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
B4.NINETEEN (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [3:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
B5. LET THE IDIOT SPEAK (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [3:43]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
B6. VALENTINE (ORIGINAL 1999 MASTER) [3:08]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
C1. JAGGED (2021 REMIX) [3:27]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
C2. LONELY HOLIDAY (2021 REMIX) [4:08]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
C3. OPPENHEIMER (2021 REMIX) [3:27]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
C4. INDEFINITELY (2021 REMIX) [3:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
C5. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT (2021 REMIX) [4:10]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
C6. CRASH ON THE BARRELHEAD (2021 REMIX) [2:39]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
D1. MURDER (OR A HEART ATTACK)(2021 REMIX) [3:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP
D2. ALONE SO FAR (2021 REMIX) [4:17]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
D3. BUSTED AFTERNOON (2021 REMIX) [3:11]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
D4. NINETEEN (2021 REMIX) [3:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
D5.LET THE IDIOT SPEAK (2021 REMIX) [3:43]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
D6. VALENTINE (2021 REMIX) [3:08]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
E1.LONELY HOLIDAY (Unreleased demo) [4:34]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
E2. OPPENHEIMER (Unreleased demo) [3:30]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
E3. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT (Unreleased demo) [4:01]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
E4. JAGGED (Unreleased demo) [3:37]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
E5. WEIGHTLESS (Unreleased demo) [3:59]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
F1. INDEFINITELY (Unreleased demo) [4:10]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
F2.SINGULAR GIRL(Unreleased demo) [4:48]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
F3. BUSTED AFTERNOON(Unreleased demo) [3:36]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
F4. NINETEEN(Unreleased demo) [3:21]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
F5. ALONE SO FAR(Unreleased demo) [4:41]
(Miller, Hammond, Bethea, Peeples)
Burgermeister Music (ASCAP)/Pennycost Music(ASCAP)/ This Is My Piece of Sheet Music(ASCAP)/Wait Till Next Year Music(ASCAP)
Tracks 1-5 on Side E and tracks 1-5 on side F are previously unreleased pre-production demos.
Recorded in July 1998 at 70 Hurtz Studio in Argyle, Texas.
Rhett Miller Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar;
Ken Bethea, Lead Guitar; Murry Hammond, Bass, Background Vocals;
Philip Peeples, Drums; Andrew Williams Acoustic guitar, Piano
Engineered By: Dave Willingham
Produced By: Andrew Williams
Album originally released as Elektra 62372-2 on April 27, 1999
Original album credits:
Guitar – Rhett Miller
Bass, Vocals – Murry Hammond
Drums, Percussion – Philip Peeples
Guitar – Ken Bethea
Steel Guitar – Jon Rauhouse (tracks: 1 & 2 on side A, track 2 on side B, tracks 1 & 2 on Side C and track 2 on Side D)
Mixed By – Bradley Cook (tracks: 1 to 6 on side A & 2, 3, 5 & 6 on Side B, tracks 1 to 6 on side C and 2,3, 5 & 6 on side D), Tom Lord-Alge (tracks: 1 & 4 on side B and tracks 1& 4 on Side D)
Performer [Odds And Ends] – Andrew Williams
Producer – Andrew Williams
Recorded By – Bradley Cook
Engineer – Ethan Allen, Femio Hernandez, Joe Zook, Martin Klemm, Philip Broussard
Illustration [Cover Illustration] – Markus Greiner
Originally Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
Photography By – Danny Clinch, Joan Sheehan, Rhett Miller
Reissue credits:
Vinyl Produced for Release By: Matt Block and Tom DeSavia
Analog to Digital Transfers: Tal Miller at Next Generation Audio
2021 Album Remixed By: Vance Powell at Sputnik Sound, Nashville, TN
Unreleased 1998 Demos Mixed By John Pedigo at Angleridge Estates in Dallas, Texas
Vinyl Mastering By: Pete Weiss at Verdant Studio, Somerville, MA
Lacquers Cut By: Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl, Memphis, TN
Liner Notes By: Rhett Miller & Tom DeSavia
Additional band photos, promo items and ephemera courtesy of: Tom DeSavia
Graphic Design By: Edward O’Dowd
Management: Wes Kidd