On July 30th, 2017, John Prine was joined by friends and colleagues alike from across the musical spectrum during his performance at the Newport Folk Festival. In the four years since, the all-star set has existed only in the fragmented form of fan-shot YouTube videos. On Monday, however, Newport Folk Festival organizers announced the first-ever vinyl release of John Prine and Friends, capturing the late singer-songwriter’s full 2017 set with the cavalcade of special guests.
The 16-track recording stretched out over two LPs captures Prine’s entire festival-closing Sunday set. The live album will features an array of guest musicians, including Jim James (“All The Best”), Margo Price (“In Spite of Ourselves”), Nathaniel Rateliff (“Sam Stone”), Roger Waters with Lucius (“Hello In There”), and more. John Prine and Friends also hosts the all-star, set-closing “Paradise” sing-along which saw the inclusion of as many artists they could fit on the stage.
To be released exclusively through NFF, the live album was produced with the support of the Prine family and Oh Boy Records and was mixed from the original multi-track recordings, mastered specifically for vinyl release. The release is comprised of a two-LP set, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a deluxe Stoughton old-style tip-on gatefold jacket.
Pre-orders for John Prine and Friends begin Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET here. The vinyl is expected to ship in October, but those who pre-order the album will receive an instant digital download of the entire recording. Proceeds from album sales go to benefit the Newport Festival Foundation’s continued efforts of supporting music programs in Newport, RI and across the country.
Scroll down to see the full tracklist for John Prine and Friends, and relive Prine’s guest-filled 7/30/17 set with pro and fan-shot videos.
