Michael Nesmith: Different Drum | The Lost RCA Victor Recordings [Gatefold Sleeve Double Blue Smoke Coloured Vinyl Album] 2LP

The late, great Michael Nesmith was always to the beat of a “different drum” – whether it was writing that classic hit for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys, being a member of the wool-capped Monkees, or being one of the earliest forerunners of the country rock genre.

Now, following Nesmith’s recent passing, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are proud to honor his legacy with a major dive into the Nez archives. Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings features 22 tracks from the RCA Victor archives, each previously unreleased on vinyl. On six RCA albums released between 1970 and 1973, Nesmith flourished as a singer, vocalist, songwriter, bandleader and producer under the aegis of RCA Nashville legends Chet Atkins and Felton Jarvis.

With bandmates including legendary pedal steel guitarist O. J. Red Rhodes, John Ware and John London, Nesmith pioneered country rock with a spiritual and searching style all his own. Different Drum brings some of his most remarkable musical explorations from this period to record for the first time from this vibrant era, including cosmic reinterpretations of Monkees favorites like Tapioca Tundra, Magnolia Simms, Circle Sky and Listen to the Band unheard outtakes like American Airman and Six Days on the Road, very different alternate takes on Different Drum, Dedicated Friend and Tengo Amore, and even an early version of Marie’s Theme from his iconic multimedia project The Prison.

The mind-bending music on Different Drum was mixed from the original multitracks by Andrew Sandoval and mastered by Vic Anesini at Sony’s Battery Studios, while papa Nez himself contributed insightful comments to the liner notes by The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese, who also pens a poignant tribute to the creative, generous soul of Michael Nesmith. A beautiful jacket featuring two LPs in Blue Smoke vinyl and a four-page insert with rare photos of the foto by renowned photographer Henry Diltz complete this groundbreaking package.

Different Drum is a widescreen journey through the world of one of the greatest and most beloved icons of rock music iconoclasts. Do not take our word for it, listen to the band!