Record Store Day 2022 highlights include Sam Fender, Blur, Taylor Swift and Johnny Marr

Virgin Radio

17 Feb 2022, 09:26

If you are a record collector, then you’ve probably already got Saturday April 23rd circled in your diary, as that is the day you can get your hands on some new and rare releases. 

With the 15th Record Store Day just a couple of months away, the full list of releases has just dropped. And it looks like we’ll have to raid our piggy banks, as there is a lot of great stuff on offer this year. 

In case you aren’t familiar with Record Store Day, it sees hundreds of limited edition, sometimes rare and new vinyl, CD and even cassette releases sold exclusively through independent record shops.

Over 250 stores in the UK take part in RSD, and the event also happens all across the world. 

Artists that are offering limited-edition goodies this year include Blur, Sam Fender, Johnny Marr, Blondie, Billy Bragg, Elvis, Skunk Anansie, Slash, Joni Mitchell, Suede, Bring Me The Horizon, and The Cranberries. And this is just scratching the surface of the music that will be available to buy on the day.

Another musician that is releasing something is Taylor Swift, who was recently announced as the first global ambassador of Record Store Day 2022. She said: “I’m very proud to be this year’s Ambassador for Record Store Day. The places where we go to browse and explore and discover music new and old have always been sacred to me.” 

She added: “Record stores are so important because they help to perpetuate and foster music-loving as a passion. They create settings for live events. They employ people who adore music thoroughly and purely.”

The artist’s albums, Red (Taylor’s Version), Evermore, and Folklore were three of the best-selling vinyl albums of 2021, and Taylor helped independent record stores around the world when the coronavirus pandemic first started by sending out signed editions of Evermore and Folklore to help boost their sales. For RSD, she will be releasing a 7″ vinyl of The Lakes, a bonus track off of 2020’s Folklore, which is limited to 10,000 copies.

Blur are releasing a special, double heavyweight coloured vinyl edition of their 1998, Japan-only remix compilation Bustin’ + Dronin’, which features mixes of tracks from their 1997 eponymously titled, number one album. It has never been available on vinyl before now.

Sam Fender will drop Alright/The Kitchen (Live) on 7” vinyl, while Johnny Marr’s Spirit, Power & Soul features two tracks from the former Smiths artist on 12" colored vinyl.

Blondie are set to share a deluxe two-disc, four-track 7” set on red and yellow vinyl, featuring their classic song Sunday Girl.

Slash will drop, Live ! 4 (feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators) (Live at Studios 60) on a double LP, and Suede’s Sci Fi Lullabies comes as a triple album.

You can see the full, and very extensive, list of Record Store Day 2022 releases here.