The Gentrys – It's Been So Long (Opaque Sky Blue Vinyl)

Best known for the 1965 hit Keep On Dancing, Memphis garage-rock group The Gentrys entered a new phase when they joined Sun Records as the label moved to Nashville in 1970. It’s Been So Long draws on that period, bringing together rare grooves and previously unreleased lost tracks from the Sun vault to reveal a softer and more melodic side of the band.

Led by Jimmy Hart - later famous as a professional wrestling manager and personality - The Gentrys worked with producer Knox Phillips, son of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips. These recordings broaden the familiar picture of the group, blending their Memphis rock foundations with Laurel Canyon-style vocal harmonies and a more reflective early-1970s sensibility.

The twelve-track collection includes Sunshine, Goddess Of Love, Castle In The Clouds, Two Of Us, Wooden Hearts and the title track, alongside interpretations of songs such as Cinnamon Girl, Wild World and Father And Son. Together they document a band absorbing the rapidly changing musical landscape around them while retaining the directness that first made their name.

This vinyl edition is pressed on opaque sky blue 180g vinyl and includes a printed inner sleeve. For collectors of Sun Records, Memphis rock and archival releases, It’s Been So Long offers a useful look beyond The Gentrys’ best-known single and into a less familiar chapter of their career.