From Dr. Dre to the Dead, vinyl treasures await at Black Friday Record Store Day 2023

For vinyl record fans, the needle drops on the holiday shopping season on Black Friday Record Store Day, an annual celebration of the once-again-hip music format that offers hundreds of limited-edition, collectible and otherwise hard-to-find treasures for the turntable demographic.

Although there are surprisingly no Taylor Swift titles listed among the more than 170 Black Friday Record Store Day releases slated to hit the bins on Nov. 24, according to the event’s official website, there’s still plenty to excite a wide range of music fans.

This year’s Black Friday lineup, boasting roughly half the releases of the bigger spring Record Store Day event, is being touted for shining a bright light on classic hip-hop.

In that realm, highly anticipated releases include Lil Wayne’s greatest-hits package “I Am Music,” in a limited release of 5,000 copies featuring 18 tracks on two translucent ruby vinyl LPs.

There’s also a 30-year anniversary edition of Dr. Dre’s landmark “The Chronic,” the only item on the RSD list to be issued on CD, packaged in a throwback longbox with custom rolling papers included.

Of course, the definition of highly anticipated is in the eye of the beholder.

For Mike Toole, owner of the venerable Atlantic Sounds record store in Daytona Beach, the Black Friday gem is the Christmas album “Hark! The Ho Ho Hoey Hits!” by well-traveled guitar virtuoso Gary Hoey.

“He did this one surf album that was just killer,” Toole said. “He did live albums and he’s one heck of a guitar player. I don’t think he ever had a hit, but the music was just great. It really hit home with me.”

Atlantic Sounds is among the Volusia County record stores opening early for Black Friday Record Store Day. Here’s where you can go to shop and share the experience.

What Volusia record stores are celebrating Black Friday Record Store Day?

Atlantic Sounds: The shop at 138 W. International Speedway Blvd. will open its doors at 8 a.m. on Nov. 24 for Black Friday Record Store Day. If history is any judge, early-birds will start lining up outside hours before that, Toole said.

Groovy Records: The shop at 212 N. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand will open its doors at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than usual, to greet Black Friday Record Store Day shoppers. Expect a big line outside here, too.

Steve’s Downtown Music: The shop at 108 S. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand, has been a fixture in the downtown business district for 23 years. Owner Steve Chmielewski also will open the doors at 9 a.m., two hours earlier than usual for Black Friday Record Store Day.

What are the most anticipated Black Friday RSD releases?

Here are some highlights, broken down by musical genre:

Contemporary pop

• Noah Kahan, “Cape Elizabeth EP”: The trending singer-songwriter reissues a five-song EP from 2020 on marble vinyl.

• Margo Price, “Strays (Live At Grimey’s)”: This seven-song set, recorded at an in-store performance of songs from the album, is being released on sangria marble vinyl.

• Norah Jones, “Playing Along”: This release, on sea-blue vinyl, includes excerpts from Jones’ popular podcast, which features sometimes unlikely collaborations with other performers.

Classic rock

• Los Lobos, “Kiko (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)”: The original album has been spread across two LPs for better fidelity, with a third disc of never-before-released demos.

• Grateful Dead, “Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA 3/2/1969”: The band that is a RSD fixture returns with a five-LP set encompassing a single show from the group’s definitive era.

• Joni Mitchell, “Court and Spark Demos”: This LP collection of raw material, culled from Mitchell’s recent CD boxed set, offers a look behind the best-selling album of her career.

Classic country

• Willie Nelson, “Shotgun Willie” (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition): The album is accompanied by a second disc of outtakes and alternate versions never before issued on vinyl.

• Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels, “The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia, March 16th 1973”: The soundboard tape of this show, unnoticed and lost for decades, receives the RSD treatment with Parsons poster and cover photo of the singer and his duet partner, Emmylou Harris.

Classic R&B and soul

• Bo DIddley, “I’m A Man: Chess Masters, 1955-1958”: Jack White’s Third Man label is producing this four-LP set of Diddley’s complete Chess studio recordings, with an exclusive RSD variant on silver flake vinyl.

• Prince, “Gett Off!”: This recreation of a rare one-sided promo 12-inch release includes a 10-minute version of the song that heralded the Purple One’s New Power Generation era.

What else is on the list?

"The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album”: Not new on vinyl, but you likely don't have it on a festive green platter.

Bill Evans, “Tales: Live In Copenhagen (1964)”: A previously unreleased trio recording documented in that year, with copious liner notes and photo-filled packaging.

Chet Baker, “Chet’s Choice”: A reissue of a 1985 studio album from Baker’s final years, augmented by five previously unreleased alternate takes and three songs never before released on vinyl.

De La Soul, “3 Feet High and Rising”: The trio’s debut album is being packaged as a set of a dozen 7-inch singles, on splatter vinyl in custom sleeves, with a pin-up poster and a special turntable slipmat.

Digital Underground, “The Body-Hat Syndrome (30th Anniversary)”: It's the vinyl debut of the rap group’s third album, which was previously only available in that format in Italy.

The Doors, “Live in Bakersfield”: This concert recording is being released on both compact disc and vinyl for Black Friday.

Faces, “Had Me A Real Good Time… With Faces! In Session & Live at the BBC 1971-1973”:  A two-LP set of in-studio radio performances from Rod Stewart and his mates.

INXS, “Shabooh Shoobah Rarities”: This new collection features 11 B-sides, remixes and live performances from the time period surrounding the band’s 1982 breakthrough album.

My Morning Jacket, “Happpy Holiday!”: Another holiday offering, marking its first release on vinyl. Three new songs have been added for the occasion.

War, “The World Is A Ghetto (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition)”: The blockbuster hit album from 1973 is honored with a five-LP set full of alternate takes and “reimaginings” from the original sessions.

Visit recordstoreday.com for more information.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Black Friday Record Store Day releases range from Dr. Dre to the Dead