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The influential independent reissue label Sundazed Music has announced its new distribution arrangement with the equally innovative RED. Beginning on October 1, 2014, RED will distribute Sundazed’s new releases, as well as its massive catalogue of vintage garage, surf, psychedelia, rockabilly, blues, soul, R&B and jazz reissues.
Since its founding by Bob and Mary Irwin in upstate New York in 1989, Sundazed has established a reputation for delivering the best of ’50s, ’60s and ’70s music with a fan’s passion and a perfectionist’s concern for sonic quality, archival thoroughness and state-of-the-art packaging. Both descriptions can be applied to Bob Irwin, whose skills as a producer/engineer and lifelong love for vintage rock ‘n’ roll have fueled the label’s growth into one of the world’s foremost reissue labels, with an expansive catalogue that includes classic recordings by such giants as Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Buck Owens, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Redding, Love, Chet Atkins, Freddy King, the Young Rascals and the Velvet Underground, as well as such beloved cult heroes as surf guitar king Dick Dale, guitar feedback pioneer Link Wray, New Orleans funk masters the Meters, and such garage-rock giants as the Sonics, the Trashmen, the Remains and the Shadows of Knight.
From the beginning, Sundazed has been a vocal exponent of the power of vinyl, releasing a steady stream of LPs and 7″ singles whose popularity helped to set the stage for the current vinyl resurgence. While the company’s CD reissues and compilations have set an industry standard for their careful sound quality and thoughtful packaging, its vinyl releases continue to embody the same high standards of mastering, pressing and packaging that originally established Sundazed as a vinyl trendsetter. Sundazed continues to acquire historic vinyl catalogues from a variety of sources, while maintaining a prolific schedule of vinyl releases.
RED, an award-winning division of Sony Music Entertainment, headquartered in New York City, is widely recognized as the industry leader in music distribution and artist development. RED specializes in digital and physical sales, digital and retail marketing, DTC, radio promotion and product development for more than 60 independent record labels. RED’s marketing outreach is unsurpassed in generating consumer awareness for artists, labels and brand partners.
“I’ve always enjoyed the excitement associated with change and the charge that comes with new opportunity, and I’d been feeling that Sundazed was once again ready for something like that,” Bob Irwin says of the company’s new relationship with RED. “Partnering with RED makes perfect sense to me, and I’m honored that they feel the same. Alan Becker and I have known each other for decades; in fact, we first met in the label’s early days, before Sundazed even had a name. He knows me, he knows our catalog, and he loves our music. This feels like a great fit to me.”
“I’ve been a fan of Sundazed, and of Bob’s work, for 25 years, so to finally get to work with him is a real joy,” said Alan Becker, RED’s Senior Vice President, Product Development. “RED is a leader in distributing and marketing independent vinyl releases that has been at the forefront of vinyl’s resurging availability in stores in recent years, and Sundazed is one of the world’s best vinyl reissue catalogues. We are excited to work with Sundazed to further grow its business and reach new audiences and accounts.”
“I love it that we’re already underway,” Irwin enthuses. “We’ve been busy accessing new and wonderful catalogs and everyone at Sundazed is completely excited about the future. We continue to be thrilled to do what we do, and we’re very, very excited to now be partnered with our friends at RED.”