{"product_id":"sports-30th-anniversary-deluxe-edition","title":"Sports! [30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]","description":"Huey Lewis \u0026amp; The News: Huey Lewis (vocals, harmonica); Johnny Colla (guitar, saxophone, background vocals); Chris Hayes (guitar, background vocals); Sean Hopper (keyboards, background vocals); Mario Cipollina (bass); Bill Gibson (drums, percussion, background vocals).\u003cbr\u003eAdditional personnel: John McFee (pedal steel guitar).\u003cbr\u003eProducer: Huey Lewis \u0026amp; The News.\u003cbr\u003eReissue producer: Kevin Flaherty.\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California; The Plant Studios, Sausalito, California; live in San Francisco, California on February 21, 1985; live on TV Rock Palace, Los Angeles, California on January 15, 1984.\u003cbr\u003eDigitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Bob Norberg (Capitol Mastering).\u003cbr\u003eThis is part of EMI's Expanded Editions series.\u003cbr\u003ePersonnel: Huey Lewis (vocals, harmonica); Johnny Colla (vocals, guitar, saxophone); Chris Hayes (vocals, guitar); Sean Hopper (vocals, keyboards); Bill Gibson (vocals, drums, percussion); John McFee (pedal steel guitar); Mario Cipollina (bass).\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California and The Plant Studios, Sausalito, California.\u003cbr\u003eLiner Note Author: Gary Graff.\u003cbr\u003eRecording information: Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA; The Atomatt, San Francisco, CA; The Plant Studios, Sausalito, CA.\u003cbr\u003ePhotographer: Bennett Hall.\u003cbr\u003ePicture This found Huey Lewis and the News developing a signature sound, but they truly came into their own on their third album, Sports. It's true that the record holds together better than its predecessors because it has a clear, professional production, but the real key is the songs. Where their previous albums were cluttered with generic filler, nearly every song on Sports has a huge hook. And even if the News aren't bothered by breaking new ground, there's no denying that the craftmanship on Sports is pretty infectious. There's a reason why well over half of the album (\"The Heart of Rock \u0026amp; Roll,\" \"Heart and Soul,\" \"I Want a New Drug,\" \"Walking on a Thin Line,\" \"If This Is It\") were huge American hit singles -- they have instantly memorable hooks, driven home with economical precision by a tight bar band, who are given just enough polish to make them sound like superstars. And that's just what Sports made them.\u003cbr\u003e[For the 30th Anniversary of Sports, the 1983 blockbuster that turned Huey Lewis \u0026amp; The News into superstars, the albums was given a sparkling new remaster and expanded into a 2-disc set containing a second CD comprised entirely of live versions of the album's nine songs. Not all of these nine songs date from the supporting tour for Sports. As a matter fact, only \"Walking On A Thin Line\"-here introduced with \"this is another one off the new record,\" a phrase that often sends audience rushing to the nearest beerstand-dates from 1983, with the vast majority dating from 1987-1989, when the band was recording and promoting Small World, the 1988 album that brought their hit streak to a close. Two other cuts come from the Fore! era -- \"If This is It\" was cut in 986, \"Bad Is Bad\" is from 1987-and on these, like the Small World performances, are precise, professional and a bit too polished, the sound of arena rockers, not a bar band. Remarkably, the two songs cut in 2012-presumably because neither song were performed live in the '80s-do indeed showcase Huey Lewis \u0026amp; The News at their raucous, barroom best. They tear through \"You Crack Me Up\" and, best of all, they bring in former Clover guitarist John McFee to play steel on a rowdy \"Honky Tonk Blues.\" Long the weak link on the LP, here on this deluxe edition this Hank Williams cover is a standout, capturing all the good humor and joy of Huey Lewis \u0026amp; The News at their best and it's something of a small wonder that they still sound so good 30 years after their commercial peak.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49026409103647,"sku":"602537368563","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/56c77b4dd8e1c45cdb75379f05de268d.jpg?v=1777841530","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/sports-30th-anniversary-deluxe-edition","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}