Iain Matthews’ Stealin’ Home Revisited September 9th

IAIN MATTHEWS’ 1978 BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM,
STEALIN’ HOME, REISSUED AND EXPANDED BY OMNIVORE RECORDINGS

September 9 release contains Matthews’ Top 20 U.S. hit “Shake It” plus bonus live recordings

Iain Matthews rose to prominence in 1969 as a vocalist for Fairport Convention. In 1971, he hit #23 on the Billboard chart and #1 in the U.K. with his band Matthews’ Southern Comfort and their cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” But it was his ninth solo album, 1978’s Stealin’ Home (released during the time he had temporarily dropped the second “i” from his first name) that solidified his place in the ears and on the radios of America with the album’s #13 single, “Shake It.”

Omnivore Recordings will follow its reissues of Matthews’ jazz collaborations (Joy Mining and In the Now) and his critically acclaimed “final solo album” (2014’s The Art of Obscurity) with the expanded reissue of this 1978 classic, set for September 9, 2014 release.
In addition to his cover of Terence Boylan’s “Shake It,” Stealin’ Home features Matthews’ mix of folk-pop, rock and R&B on originals and versions of tracks written by everyone from Robert Palmer to John Martyn to Rogers & Hammerstein. Matthews’ rich tenor allows the songs to blend perfectly.

According to Matthews in the liner notes, “For me, [Stealin’ Home] served a purpose. I made it at a time when I needed to project a higher, more commercial profile, without sacrificing any artistic integrity. Not as easy as one would think. I tried to add just a couple of songs that had Top 40 potential, without compromising the rest of the material. In hindsight, I like the album. It has some very special moments, and it did precisely what it was supposed to do: It raised my profile, without lowering my credibility.”

To augment the reissue, the CD features a bonus nine-track live set, recorded during the album’s tour and previously available only in Japan, which contains songs from Stealin’ Home, as well as material from other solo releases and Matthews’ previous band, Plainsong. Add in a booklet with photos and notes, including a conversation with Iain and set co-producer Pat Thomas (who has overseen Omnivore’s Matthews reissue initiative), and you’ll want to get Stealin’ Home for your home.

Track Listing:
1. Gimme an Inch
2. Don’t Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes
3. King of the Night
4. Man in the Station
5. Let There Be Blues
6. Carefully Taught
7. Stealin’ Home
8. Shake It
9. Yank and Mary (Smile)
10. Slip Away
11. Sail My Soul

Bonus Live Recordings:
12. Tigers Will Survive
13. Stealin’ Home
14. Shake It
15. Just One Look
16. King of the Night
17. Man in the Station
18. Don’t Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes
19. Call the Tunes
20. Payday

U.S. Tour Dates:
Sun., Sept. 14 GLASSBORO, NJ Kris Noyes House Concert
Thurs., Sept. 18 BALTIMORE, MD Creative Alliance
Sun, Sept. 21 BEACON, NY Town Crier
Wed., Sept. 24 BATON ROUGE, LA Red Dragon
Thurs., Sept. 25 LAKEWOOD, NJ Strand Theater
Fri., Sept. 26 PITMAN, NJ Bus Stop Music Café
Sat., Sept 27 STONYBROOK, LI, NY University Cafe
Sun., Sept. 28 SELLERSVILLE, PA (PHILADELPHIA METRO) Sellersville Theater