An archive of recordings by Rod Stewart is to be released for the first time. The recordings, a mixture of live sets and studio sessions, were taped for Radio Clyde in Glasgow during the seventies and eighties and will be released with the blessing of Rod’s management.
The recordings are amongst more than 600 found by Scottish Radio Holdings (SRH) and will be released in a multi-million record deal with the Universal music group. The archive, which also features sets by acts including U2, Elvis Costello and Simple Minds, is thought to be the biggest outside of the BBC. The recordings were found when SRH was trying to locate some of its lost tapes.
“These totally unique recordings were usually only broadcast once or twice within a radio marketplace and then left to gather dust,” said a company spokesman.
SRH chief executive Richard Findlay said: “The artists we have been in touch with so far share our enthusiasm. With the support of Universal, whose labels represent a large part of the archive, we believe something of considerable importance can be created,” he said.
The company has set up its own record label, River Records, which will release some of the music.