Joe Bonamassa's landmark 2000 album A New Day Yesterday has been reissued to mark its 20th anniversary.
Released today, and titled A New Day Now, the album has been entirely re-sung by Bonamassa, while long-time producer Kevin Shirley has remixed and remastered the record in full.
"The reason we went back and remixed it, and re-sang it, and pulled from the original masters was because I never felt like I deserved a guy like Tom Dowd to produce my first album," says Bonamassa of the reissue. "I was an infant as far as being an artist.
"Tom saw a little pebble in a stream that could travel down and eventually become this nugget of gold, if you want to call it that, and he had a vision for me that I didn't see. I appreciate that, and I wanted to pay tribute to him as a man who mentored me through that time.
"Tom Dowd was a master of everything he endeavoured on. There was no second rate; there was no compromise on quality of absolutions and results. I wasn't developed enough as a musician myself to rise to his level. I certainly gave it my all and rose to the occasion grading on the curve of the musician I am today, the musician Tom always knew was inside my soul.
"I decided to enlist the help of another producer and mentor that has significantly impacted my life both on a personal basis and professionally, Mr Kevin Shirley to help remix, re-sing and finally pay tribute to Tom as I tried to so hard to when he was alive. I have been extremely fortunate in my life to have been surrounded by two of the best most brilliant record producers anyone could have dreamed of being associated with.
"We included some crude demos and recordings I did at 75 Campbell Ave when I was just a teenager and alternate versions of songs you are familiar with partly because some of the master tapes have been lost."
"As time has gone by, Joe's vocal style, particularly, has changed enormously," says Shirley. "He's grown from an adolescent shouter to a very mature and soulful singer. From early on in our working relationship, Joe has mentioned that he would really like to have another shot at those vocals, and asked that if he did redo them, would I remix his first solo album.
"Added to this album are three bonus songs which Stevie Van Zandt produced for Joe. They're a terrific look at where Joe was coming from, what he was looking for and how he has developed over the years."
The bonus tracks referenced by Shirley are all unreleased, unheard demos from a 1997 studio session which took place prior to Bonamassa being signed, when Van Zandt was one of his biggest early fans.
A New Day Now is available now via Provogue/J&R Adventures
