2nd Chance: Sun Ra - What's New? A Cobbled but Complete Copy (1975)

Though still extremely difficult to find, most copies of What's New? are a hybrid that contain the A Side of The Invisible Shield as the B side.  Even more rare is to find a copy of the original B Side, "We Roam The Cosmos."  I understand why Ra might have decided to change the B side - The Invisible Shield tracks are a better match with Side A and make for a more consistent listening experience.  I'm a sucker for a good cosmo-drama, so the chance to include the ultra-rare We Roam The Cosmos is something I couldn't pass up. With the help of some thoughtful and generous blog readers, I can offer you a 'cobbled but complete' version that includes the entire What's New? album with both the original Side B and the Invisible Shield tracks.   

Many thanks to Marc E of Philadelphia and to I-) for making this possible.

95. [82] Sun Ra

What's New?

Sun Ra (p.); Al Evans (flg); Danny Davis (as); Marshall Allen (fl, picc); John Gilmore (ts); Calvin Newborn (eg); Ronnie Boykins (b); Tommy Hunter (d).

Choreographers Workshop,
NYC, late 1962

What's New? (Burke-Haggart)
Wanderlust (Calvin Newborn)
Jukin' (Al Evans)

96. [83]  Sun Ra (p.); John Gilmore (ts); Ronnie Boykins (b); poss. Tommy Hunter (d).

Choreographers Workshop,
NYC, late 1962

Autumn in New York (Duke)

These tracks were issued in 1975 on Side A of Saturn LP 539, What's New?  The matrix number for this side is SRA 52375A.  On Urs Berger's original version, this side is labeled Saturn 539.  On Alden Kimbrough's original copy, this side bears an orange label.  Mark Webber points out that all subsequent pressings have Side A of The Invisible Shield (matrix 144000A for a B-side.  Date from ct; composer credits indicate the presence of Calvin Newborn and Al Evans; other personnel identified by rlc.

226. [195]  Sun Ra Arkestra

What's New?

Sun Ra (declamation); June Tyson (space ethnic voice); Akh Tal Ebah (space ethnic voice); poss. Eddie Thomas [Thomas Thaddeus] (space ethnic voice); poss. Cheryl Banks (space ethnic voice); poss. Judith Holton (space ethnic voice); unidentified (b); poss. Atakatune (c/a).

Live, poss. May 23, 1975

Space Is the Place (Ra) /
We Roam the Cosmos (Ra)

First released in 1975 as Side B of Saturn LP 539/752, What's New? Side B bears the matrix number 52375B and the number 752 on the label (on Alden Kimbrough's copy, the Side B label is black and does not match the orange Side A label).  The only title on Side B is "Sub Underground Series" (Kimbrough's copy of the album is titled Sub Underground #1).  The 10:30 track begins with the conclusion of a live performance of "Space Is the Place" and launches without pause into a lengthy "cosmo-drama," here titled with the first line of Ra's declamation.  Personnel identified by rlc.  Almost all copies of What's New? replace the original B side with Side A of The Invisible Shield.  Thanks to Urs Berger for information and a tape of the very rare original version. 

from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

We Roam the Cosmos

Original, non-hybridized (mega-rare !!!) El Saturn LP ES752-A / ES752-B (matrix # SRA 53275 A / B) called «What's New ?» - contrary to most copies of this album, this copy is the original version that has the «We Roam The Cosmos» B-side, not the (usual) side A of «The Invisible Shield».

None of the Sun Ra discographies previous to Robert L. Campbell's 1st edition (1994) mentioned this version of the «What's New ?» album. Even the listing in Mr. Campbell's preliminary (to the 1st edition) discography (on which the discography on the Saturn home-page is based) still notes : «seems to exist only in hybridized versions» - see : http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~moudry/disc_a.htm#20. Mr. Campbell's 1st edition finally mentions one (!!!) known copy with one label orange, the other black. Since then, a few copies have been discovered, including this one. It is reasonable to assume that the copy here is the 1st original version, since both its labels are black «El Saturn» with the Chicago address and the same «752» catalogue number and both sides have the «SRA 53275» matrix number. The labels give no track listing, only «Sub Underground Series … volume____». Side A has four tracks (What's New?, Wanderlust, Jukin' and Autumn In New York, recorded in New York in 1962), while the Side B has one single track, the cosmo-drama «We Roam The Cosmos» (named after the first exclamation following the fade-in of the end of Space Is The Place), recorded live in 1975. This track is unlike anything else in Sun Ra's discography : the band members are truly in trance and the energy unbelieveable … the vocals are occasionally overmiked / in the red … only possibly parts of the side 2 of «Out Beyond The Kingdom Of» have some similarity to this recording.  

The cover is one with the eagle motif on the front and the Acropolis on the rear, the paper lightly textured. This is certainly the original cover of this particular edition, as I know a second copy exactly like this one.

Even the hybridized version of this album is rarely seen and a copy has recently reached $230 here on eBay. The reserve for this copy was set at $325.

via 

Sun Ra Arkestra
What's New?
(Cobbled but Complete)

1.  What's New   6:55
2.  Wanderlust   5:53
3.  Jukin'   2:26
4.  Autumn in New York   6:59

5.  State Street   3:45
6.  Sometimes I'm Happy   6:42
7.  Time after Time 1   2:18
8.  Time after Time 2   3:30
9.  Easy to Love   3:27
10. Sunnyside Up   3:36

11. We Roam The Cosmos   10:30

-FLAC-

RS
HF

or

-320-
RS
HF