WAR to reissue two iconic albums & play first UK show in 16 years

In 1973, the best-selling album in America declared by Billboard Magazine was The World Is a Ghetto by WAR, and to continue the 50th anniversary celebrations of this iconic album, The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is to be released as a 4CD boxset, complementing the release of the critically acclaimed limited edition 5-LP version from November 2023’s Record Store Day. In addition, the classic original Greatest Hits package containing tracks from The World Is A Ghetto and more will be available on CD and vinyl.

Both will be released on July 19^th 2024 and are available for pre-order now from https://war.lnk.to/TWIAGTCS

The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition collection was curated by WAR’s producer, Jerry Goldstein, founding member Lonnie Jordan, and Jeremy Levine. It includes the recently remastered original album, as well as six bonus tracks and “the making of” recordings that trace the evolution of each of the six original album tracks from the first note to the master take. All were first released on the vinyl box set and this is the first time they will be on CD and streaming platforms.

The original 1976 Greatest Hits collection brings together WAR’s classic collection of tracks including universal favourites ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends’, ‘Low Rider’, and ‘Cisco Kid’ as well as the loved deeper cuts including ‘Gypsy Man’ and ‘Southern Part of Texas’ that demonstrate the breadth, fusion, and originality of the band’s sound and influences. It will be released on CD and vinyl.

The World Is A Ghetto: 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition six bonus tracks were recorded during the sessions for the album and include original jams that later developed into future WAR songs.  For example, versions of ‘War Is Coming’ and ‘L.A. Sunshine’ that would appear on Platinum Jazz in 1977. The liner notes were done by Jerry Goldstein and Lonnie Jordan and share insights into the “making of” recordings introduced in the set.

Goldstein states these tracks show the songs taking shape in the studio. “The nice part about all these ‘making of’ tracks is that the final take of all of these tracks is the actual final master that we used in The World Is A Ghetto, without edits, without overdubs, just raw.” Jordan cleverly adds, “Then we turned it around… R-A-W to W-A-R.”

In 1972, The World Is a Ghetto soared to the top of the Billboard album and R&B charts, becoming Billboard’s No. 1 Album of the Year for 1973, generating two gold singles, including the title track and ‘The Cisco Kid’, which shipped gold and remains WAR’s highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100. This album also marked the beginning of an extended period of creative and commercial triumph for WAR, which boasts 17 gold, platinum, or multi-platinum albums in the band’s remarkable career.

Today, WAR’s music provides an inexhaustible source of inspiration for R&B and hip-hop artists. Samples from four of the six songs on The World Is A Ghetto have appeared on tracks by artists like A$AP Mob, Geto Boys, Janet Jackson, and a hip-hop supergroup featuring Method Man, Redman, and Cypress Hill.

As part of their continued anniversary celebrations, WAR will perform their first UK show in 16 years as they headline the Royal Festival Hall in London on June 21^st 2024 as part of Chaka Khan’s Meltdown festival. They then return to the States for an extensive run of shows throughout the summer. Full listings can be found at war.com/tour/

THE WORLD IS A GHETTO: 50^TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR’S EDITION
5-LP Track Listing

LP One: Original Album
Side One

1. The Cisco Kid
2. City, Country, City
3. Four-Cornered Room

Side Two

1. Where Was You At?
2. Beetles In The Bog
3. The World Is A Ghetto

LP Two: Bonus Tracks
Side One

1. L.A. Sunshine – Original Jam *
2. War Is Coming – Original Jam *

Side Two

1. Lonnie’s Wednesday Night Jam *
2. Lee’s Latin Jam *
3. Blues For Papa Dee *
4. This Is My Song Milton James *

LP Three: Making of the Tracks
Side One
The Making Of ‘The Cisco Kid’

Side Two
The Making Of ‘Where Was You At?’ *

LP Four: Making of the Tracks
Side One
The Making Of ‘City, Country City’ *

Side Two
The Making Of ‘Four-Cornered Room’ *

LP Five: Making of the Tracks
Side One
The Making Of ‘The World Is A Ghetto’ *

Side Two
The Making Of ‘Beetles In The Bog’ *

* previously only released on 5-LP set

Side 2
1 Me And Baby Brother
2 Southern Part Of Texas
3 Why Can’t We Be Friends ?
4 Low Rider
5 Summer