WAR ‘The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Edition’ Announced
WAR will celebrate their best-selling album The World Is A Ghetto with a 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition 4CD box set. In addition, a brand new ‘Greatest Hits’ package containing tracks from ‘The World Is A Ghetto’ and more will be available on CD and vinyl. Both will be released on 19 July and are available for pre-order now.
pre-order WAR’s ‘The World Is A Ghetto’ and ‘Greatest Hits’ here
The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition collection was curated by WAR’s producer, Jerry Goldstein, founding member Lonnie Jordan and Jeremy Levine. It includes the recently remastered original album, as well as six bonus tracks and “the making of” recordings that trace the evolution of each of the six original album tracks from the first note to the master take. All were first released on last year’s vinyl box set and this is the first time they will be on CD and streaming platforms.
The original 1976 Greatest Hits collection brings together WAR’s classic collection of tracks including universal favourites Why Can’t We Be Friends, Low Rider, and Cisco Kid as well as the loved deeper cuts including Gypsy Man and Southern Part of Texas that demonstrate the breadth, fusion, and originality of the band’s sound and influences. It will be released on CD and vinyl.
The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition includes six bonus tracks were recorded during the sessions for the album and include original jams that later developed into future WAR songs. For example, versions of War Is Coming and LA Sunshine that would appear on Platinum Jazz in 1977.
The liner notes were written by Goldstein (WAR’s producer) and Lonnie Jordan (lead singer and founding member) and share insights into the “making of” recordings introduced in the set. Goldstein states these tracks show the songs taking shape in the studio. “The nice part about all these ‘making of’ tracks is that the final take of all of these tracks is the actual final master that we used in The World Is A Ghetto, without edits, without overdubs, just raw.” Jordan cleverly adds, “Then we turned it around… R-A-W to W-A-R.”
WAR continues to tour which includes their first UK show in 16 years as part of Chaka Khan’s Meltdown at the Royal Festival Hall, London on 21 June – tickets available from here.