Maybe we were once too damn cool to buy the 8-track tape, but we’re more than happy to pony up for the upcoming limited-edition Intervention Records 140g yellow-vinyl 1LP edition of Everclear’s July 2000 album Songs From an American Movie Vol One: Learning How to Smile. Set for release on September 13, 2024, it’s the first time this platinum-selling album will be on vinyl.
The stats are these. Songs From an American Movie Vol One: Learning How to Smile (a.k.a. SFAAM Vol One) — which features the hit tracks “AM Radio,” “Wonderful,” and a rousing cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” — will appear on artist-approved “Everclear” transparent yellow vinyl in a limited edition that’s numbered to 2,000 copies. The LP’s catalog number is IR-035, the SRP is $43, and it can be pre-ordered right here. The vinyl is being pressed by Gotta Groove Records, the LP comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve by Stoughton, and it includes an “authentic” booklet that reproduces the lyrics and the credits.
Intervention notes that, while they have eschewed the use of color vinyl with their previous releases, Matt Earley and his team have been able to deliver 140g transparent color vinyl that’s as “ultra-quiet as the black 180g we’re used to.” Intervention founder Shane Buettner affirms that he personally “tested this transparent vinyl himself” before giving it the go-ahead. The stampers for SFAAM Vol One will be replaced every 500 units, as per Intervention’s standard procedures.
SFAAM Vol One is “100%” analog mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes — an interesting story unto itself. Working with Chris Walch and the archive team at Universal Music Group (UMG), Intervention discovered that, although the original audio was digitally captured — mostly at Everclear frontman Art Alexakis’ own basement studio locale — the final mixdown format is, in fact, analog tape.
SFAAM Vol One was never released on vinyl, it was never sequenced to A/B master tapes, and UMG had over a dozen reels with only a few tracks marked as masters. This is where original engineer Neal Avron entered the picture upon being contacted by Alexakis’ team, and he “quickly” identified the masters. UMG then had Kevin Reeves make a new set of ¼-inch A/B master tape reels so that Intervention could analog-master this release.
In a press statement, aforementioned Everclear frontman, chief songwriter, and vocalist/guitarist Art Alexakis said, “I am so stoked that after 25 years, this album is finally going to be available on vinyl — for the first time ever! When this record was originally released on Capitol [in 2000], it was supposed to be released on vinyl, but vinyl sales were down so much that the label absolutely refused to honor our contract. I can’t wait for the fans to get a hold of this record. It’s exactly how I envisioned it to be almost 25 years ago, down to the yellow vinyl and the original artwork! I hope fans of this record and vinyl enthusiasts enjoy it as much as I do.”
Late last summer, I personally interviewed Alexakis about the September 2023 2LP green-vinyl release of Everclear’s Live at the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Blvd. Records, and he told me how much he absolutely loved what Buettner and Intervention did on vinyl with two previous Everclear releases — May 1995’s Sparkle and Fade and October 1997’s So Much for the Afterglow. I’ve listened to both of those LPs myself, and can attest firsthand how good linchpin tracks like “Heroin Girl” and “Santa Monica” (on Sparkle) and “Everything to Everyone” and “Father of Mine” (on Afterglow) sound on 180g Intervention vinyl. (Go here if you want to order either/both of those LPs, each of which have a respective SRP of $40.)
During that same conversation, Alexakis also told me he was hopeful that SFAAM Vol One would soon enough follow suit from Intervention. Now that it is indeed officially forthcoming on vinyl, Alexakis and I will soon talk again about all of SFAAM Vol One’s analog-related details. (That interview will appear here on AP when the time comes.)
As to the artwork, because the original album art was initially created for the 5in format of a CD-only release, Alexakis’ team pointed Intervention to original photographer Frank Ockenfels. Ockenfels and art director Tom Vadakan were able to rebuild the jacket art from ultra hi-rez scans of the original photography to better suit the LP-size format, and it has been printed on heavy blanks as a beautiful, chunky “Old Style” gatefold by Stoughton.
In short, everything is wonderful again, and we can’t wait to hear (and review) Intervention’s version of SFAAM Vol One on vinyl in September.
EVERCLEAR
SONGS FROM AN AMERICAN MOVIE VOL ONE:
LEARNING HOW TO SMILE
140g 1LP (Intervention/Capitol)
Side 1
1. Songs From An American Movie Pt. 1
2. Here We Go Again
3. AM Radio
4. Brown Eyed Girl
5. Learning How To Smile
6. The Honeymoon Song
Side 2
1. Now That It’s Over
2. Thrift Store Chair
3. Otis Redding
4. Unemployed Boyfriend
5. Wonderful
6. Annabella’s Song
