New York, NY (Top40 Charts) When Judy Henske and Jerry Yester's (now revered) 1969 album Farewell Aldebaran failed to find its audience, the artists decided to take a different approach for their next release — becoming a "band." Adding songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
Craig Doerge (pronounced "Durgee") and John Seiter (known for his work with Spanky & Our Gang and The Turtles), Rosebud was born. After recording was done and the album "finished," the band added bassist
David Vaught. Additional songs were laid down, and others removed in lieu of the new material. Finally, in 1971, Rosebud the album appeared on Frank Zappa's Straight Records, distributed through Reprise.
In his liner notes for Omnivore Recordings' expanded reissue, due out June 16, 2017, Barry Alfonso (acclaimed author and songwriter) says, "French choral numbers, gospel rockers, nostalgic ballads, angelic lullabies — it sounds like the contents of a greatest hits collection. In fact, the above tracks are all found on the sole album by Rosebud, an L.A.-based quintet that barely lasted a year."
Rosebud, is indeed, all of that and much more. While inching Henske & Yester closer to the mainstream, Rosebud is just as daring as Aldebaran (whose own Omnivore expanded reissue was named one of 2016's best reissues by Mojo and Uncut). Its songs have the same studio sophistication, hook-laden material, and wit.
To make this reissue even more special, ten bonus tracks have been added, seven of which are previously unissued. The packaging contains photos and ephemera, tracing the changing history in the making of the album, as well as new interviews with Henske, Yester and Doerge in Alfonso's essay. Produced for release by Grammy®-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski, and with new mastering and restoration by Michael Graves (who also has won a few Grammy® Awards himself), Rosebud is ready to take the uninitiated on a journey, and adds nearly another album's worth of rare singles and unheard tracks for those who loved the original.
From Alfonso's notes: "Rosebud combined a deep mastery of musical craft with a streak of oddball spirit. [They] blended a dizzying variety of influences into songs that made even their quirkiest elements go down easy. That the band never had a chance to reach a wide audience is something more than a damn shame."
Named after the sled in
Orson Welles' iconic Citizen Kane, Rosebud is a secret no more.
Track Listing:
Original album:
1. Panama
2. Le Soleil
3. Reno
4. Western Wisconsin
5. Lorelei
6. Salvation
7. Lullabye II (Summer Carol)
8. The Yum Yum Man
9. Roll Home Cheyenne
10. Flying To Morning
Bonus Tracks:
11. Lazy
12. Reno (Mono Single Version)
13. Mercury Of Fools*
14. Hey Old Friend (Judy vocal) *
15. Le Soleil (Demo) *
16. What's The Matter With Sam*
17. Easy On Me, Easy*
18. Father Of Souls
19. Mercury Of Fools (Demo)*
20. Old Friend (Jerry vocal) (Demo) *
* Previously unissued
