ALBUM RELEASE NEWS

To this news, we heartily say, muy bueno! Analogue Productions have just announced that a deluxe reissue of September 1997’s groundbreaking multicultural phenomenon known as Buena Vista Social Club will be forthcoming on February 14, 2025, and it will be available in two primo editions: 1) 180g 45rpm 4LP black vinyl, and 2) reel-to-reel tape, the latter of which represents the first time this storied recording will appear in that format.

Naturally, we here at AP will be reviewing this historical collection on vinyl — and, if we can somehow get a copy of the reel-to-reel, in that format as well! — as close to the release date as possible.

This new edition of Buena Vista Social Club has been mastered directly from the original master tapes by engineering legend Bernie Grundman, and it has been plated and pressed on 180g black vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP). The SRP for the 180g 4LP 45rpm edition is $120, while the SRP for the reel-to-reel edition is a hefty $450. The 4LP set can be preordered from Acoustic Sounds here, and/or from Music Direct here, and/or via the MD link graphic below ahead of the tracklisting section. The reel-to-reel version — which can be seen below — can be preordered from Acoustic Sounds here (though this latter version may be released later than the initial February 14 target date).

As one might expect, the packaging for the 4LP edition of Buena Vista Social Club features tip-on, gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination, as crafted by Stoughton Printing. Also included is a 12-page booklet that incorporates lyrics and rare studio images from the album’s recordings sessions that took place in March 1996 at Havana’s EGREM Studios.

There have been a few multidisc vinyl incarnations of Buena Vista over the years, including the original 2LP 1997 Nonesuch/World Circuit Japanese release (WQJP-2010-11), Nonesuch’s 1998 domestic reissue of same (RTH 79478), Classic Records’ 2001 8-single-sided, 45rpm edition (RTH 79478-45), World Circuit’s 2015 2LP reissue (WCV050), 2020 VMP/BMG red vinyl 2LP reissue (WCV050VMP), and the recent April 2024 RSD limited edition (1,700 copies) gold vinyl 2LP from World Circuit/BMG (WCV05025G). This new edition is the first 45rpm incarnation of Buena Vista Social Club since the above-noted 2001 release.

Here are some stats about the rise of Buena Vista Social Club to refresh your memory, and/or introduce you to its inherent magic. Buena Vista Social Club is the sobriquet that represents what is generally considered to be a legendary collective of Cuban musicians that featured the likes of vocalist/percussionist Ibrahim Ferrer, guitarist/vocalist Compay Segundo, vocalist Omara Portuondo, guitarist/vocalist Eliades Ochoa, and pianist Rubén González among them. Noted SoCal-born guitarist and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Ry Cooder also joined these recording sessions — which took place in just seven days at the aforementioned, vintage EGREM Studios in Havana — and he is also rightly credited as the album’s producer.

Thanks to the widespread embrace of Buena Vista Social Club, the classic, traditional sounds of Cuban son, bolero, and danzón became a cultural phenomenon. The self-titled 1997 Buena Vista Social Club Nonesuch release has sold over 12 million copies worldwide to date, and it earned a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album (when the category was then known as Best Tropical Latin Performance).

Signature Buena Vista tracks, such as the Afro-Cuban grooves of “Chan Chan” and the tender, soulful melodies of “Dos Gardenias,” are said to “radiate the passion, joy, and authenticity of Cuban musical traditions” — and I can certainly confirm those sentiments from my own personal experiences spinning various editions of the LP on my turntable throughout the years. (The 2001 edition is simply breathtaking.) Given the album’s pedigree and presentation, we expect to hear great things from this new 45rpm 4LP edition of Buena Vista Social Club — and we’ll let you know exactly what we think of it in our forthcoming review.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
180g 4LP (Nonesuch/Analogue Productions)

LP1, Side A
1. Chan Chan
2. De Camino a La Vereda

LP1, Side B
1. El Cuarto de Tula

LP2, Side C
1. Pueblo Nuevo
2. Dos Gardenias

LP2, Side D
1. ¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho?
2. Veinte Años

LP3, Side E
1. El Carretero

LP3, Side F
1. Candela
2. Amor de Loca Juventud

LP 4, Side G
1. Orgullecida
2. Murmullo

LP4, Side H
1. Buena Vista Social Club
2. La Bayamesa