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Formats and Editions
1. To The Sea
2. Brightside
3. Can't Hide It
4. I've Got Something
5. Hang On Hold Tight
6. I'm Huge
7. That's Alright
8. She's A Crook
9. Coming To A Theater Near You
More Info:
What better way to celebrate forty years in the business of rock & roll ! ! One of the factors that contributed to the renaissance in the city of Providence, Rhode Island over the past four decades is it's vibrant music scene. One band that is keeping things vibrating in this music center is celebrating forty years in the business of rock & roll. Steve Smith & the Nakeds couldn't think of a better way to get the party started than the release of "Coming to a Theatre Near You", their classic 80's album digitally remastered for CD. The Nakeds, as they are affectionately known by their fans, are high mileage for sure, but it is all highway mileage for these guys. Since 1973 they have performed in concerts, clubs and special events all over the United States and Canada touring with Bruce Springsteen's saxophonist Clarence Clemons for a series of critically acclaimed performances. The Nakeds' ten-piece lineup of road-tested musicians has also provided backup for many others such as The Temptations, Nils Lofgren, Gary U.S. Bonds, and John Cafferty (Eddie & the Cruisers fame). The significance of the new CD release "Coming to a Theatre Near You" is that it was recorded in 1985, just as the city of Providence was at a turning point in it's resurgence to vitality. The cover art of the original vinyl album (remember those?) was preserved for the new CD and it depicts the marquee at the front of the Palace Theatre in downtown Providence which has since been restored and is now called the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC). During the days of the mid-eighties, you could walk downtown after business hours to find the streets desolate and deserted, quite in contrast to the vibrant atmosphere of restaurants, theater, music and nightlife that thrives there today. Throughout their history, as now, Steve Smith & the Nakeds are recognized as a hard-core working band creating memorable times for people who hear them play in the nightclubs of the city, or at some popular hangout at the beach on a summer night. The band has their own record label, "Bonehead Music" with three more recent CD releases to date. Although the band had written and recorded original music in the early 80's that was recognized by some major music industry insiders as having the elements necessary for wider commercial distribution and industry backing, a record deal never materialized and continued to elude Steve Smith and The Nakeds. With the emergence of the internet in an industry that was dominated and controlled by megalithic record companies that kept a stranglehold on the radio airwaves and the record stores, this new paradigm allowed The Nakeds, and other excellent and otherwise overlooked bands, to promote and make their music more widely available than was ever possible previously . After more than three decades, they eventually signed a deal with Sony RED Music for distribution of their 2010 CD release of 'I'm Huge And The Babes Go Wild'. An animated video of 'I'm Huge' that was featured on FOX's 'Family Guy' sixth season DVD also went viral that same year on YouTube. There was more than a little concern about the condition of the original master tapes from the 1984 recording sessions of 'Coming To A Theater Near You' when the Nakeds first decided that to go forward with the remastering process. The tapes were in storage for more than fifteen years and restorative measures had to be taken to preserve and protect them before they could be loaded onto a tape deck and exposed to the magnetic tape heads. Over a period of years, the adhesive layer that bonds metal oxide to a magnetic tape is weakened by exposure to and changes in temperature and humidity. The actual process of restoration involves putting the tape into a convection oven at a constant temperature for an extended period of time to strengthen the chemical bond between the metal oxide and the mylar tape. Without taking these precautions, the metal oxide media would be pulled off the tape onto the magnetic playback heads of the tape recorder as the tape is being played. Needless to say, the restoration was a success and future generations may continue to enjoy listening to Steve Smith & the Nakeds "Coming to a Theater Near You". What is it about this band and this tape that kept it going for four decades? It's all about the music that creates a strong bond between the players and the audience. For as long as the Nakeds have been around, they keep the music hot and folks just keep coming back to enjoy it.
