Earlier this year, erstwhile Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman released Back to Basics, his fifth solo album and first in over two decades.  The time couldn't be better, then, to revisit Wyman's past work apart from his former bandmates.  Edsel has happily obliged with two new multi-disc collections in the Bill Wyman's Recording Archives series showcasing Wyman's own musical melange of blues, soul, pop, and rock-and-roll.  The 4-CD/1-DVD White Lightnin': The Solo Box reissues and expands Wyman's first four solo albums with 24 bonus tracks (four of which are previously unissued) and a bonus DVD with new and archival footage.  The Complete Willie and the Poor Boys has the hit 1985 collaborative album with Charlie Watts, Andy Fairweather-Low, Mickey Gee and Geraint Watkins, plus a 1992 live album and a DVD featuring Willie and the Poor Boys - The Movie with bonus material.

White Lightnin', housed in a flip-top box, kicks off with Wyman's 1974 solo debut on Rolling Stones Records, Monkey Grip.  Featuring such Stones-esque titles as "Crazy Woman," "What a Blow" and "Pussy," the LP was produced, written and arranged by Wyman.  A "Who's Who" played on Monkey Grip, including Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, Dr. John, Leon Russell, Joe Lala, Dallas Taylor and the Bonnaroo Horns.  Betty Wright, George McCrae and Gwen McCrae supplied backing vocals.  The loose, spirited album was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, going Top 40 in the United Kingdom and a respectable No. 99 in the United States.  All eight bonus tracks included on the previous expanded edition - encompassing four single versions, an early take of "Wine and Wimmen" and three outtakes - have been retained here.

Wyman didn't wait long before releasing Stone Alone on the Rolling Stones label in 1976.  The album was another joyously rock-and-roll affair, with Van Morrison jumping in on saxophone for the opening revival of Gary U.S. Bonds' "Quarter to Three," harmonica on "Every Sixty Seconds," and guitar on "What's the Point."  Ruth and Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters backed up Wyman, as did Clydie King and Venetta Fields, while other famous friends included Fleetwood Mac's Bob Welch, Tower of Power's Emilio Castillo and Lenny Pickett, Joe Walsh, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Keltner, Al Kooper, Joe Vitale, Albhy Galuten, and the Stones' own Ronnie Wood.  Danny Kortchmar, Dr. John and Dallas Taylor all returned from Monkey Grip.  Kortchmar supplied his own song "Feet," and Wyman and co. also covered Jimmy Soul's raucous "If You Wanna Be Happy."  The six bonus tracks from the Castle reissue have been appended here, as well: four outtakes and the single mixes of "Quarter to Three" and "Apache Woman."

Wyman's next solo album didn't arrive until 1981 on the A&M label.  Heralding a new decade and a glossy new pop sound, it was self-titled, and featured ten original songs mostly played a self-contained band including Terry Taylor (guitars), Dave Mattacks (drums) and Dave Lawson (the prominent synthesizers).  Special guests were limited to Chris Rea, who played slide guitar on "Visions," and Brian Setzer, who added guitar to the opening "Ride On Baby."  In addition to the previously-on-CD quartet of single versions, this edition adds previously unreleased demos of "Come Back, Suzanne" and "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star."  The final album in this collection arrived more than a decade later, in 1992, on the Victor label.  With the release of Stuff, co-produced by the artist and Terry Taylor, Wyman was just one year away from departing The Rolling Stones.  In addition to another brace of original songs, Wyman brought his own spin to Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On," Ray Davies' "This Strange Effect," and Barry Lewis and Paul Moore's "If I Was a Doo Doo Doo."  Nicky Hopkins on piano and Elton John associate Ray Cooper on percussion joined in the band.  Four twelve-inch mixes - two of which are previously unissued - appear here.

White Lightnin': The Solo Years then adds a DVD with a new interview filmed in March 2015, plus seven music videos and a number of BBC Television clips from programs including The Old Grey Whistle Test, Parkinson and the Kenny Everett show.  The DVD is in NTSC format and playable worldwide.  A lavish, 40-page color booklet features full credits and lyrics for each album as well as a lengthy new essay by David Wells.  Peter J. Reynolds' 2006-2007 remastering has been used for the albums and previously issued bonus material; Phil Kinrade has newly remastered the new inclusions.

Though the music on The Complete Willie and the Poor Boys is joyous 1950s-style rock-and-roll and rockabilly, the loose group came together under sobering circumstances.  Small Faces/Faces bassist Ronnie Lane had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  For a 1983 charity concert, Wyman and his Stones bandmate Charlie Watts joined an all-star cast including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood and Kenney Jones to raise money for the Ronnie Lane Appeal for ARMS (Action for Research Into Multiple Sclerosis).  The concerts were so successful that they were extended to encompass American performances.  In addition to raising awareness of an important cause, the concerts turned out to be just plain fun for those involved.  Hoping to extend the camaraderie he experienced performing for ARMS, Wyman formed Willie and the Poor Boys inspired by both his childhood nickname and the Creedence Clearwater Revival album title and lyric.

The original Willie and the Poor Boys album featured the core of producer-bassist-vocalist Wyman, Watts, Andy Fairweather Low, Micky Gee and Geraint Watkins.  Watts shared drum duties with Kenney Jones and Henry Spinetti, and the guests expected of any Wyman project were also present.  This time, they included Chris Rea, Ray Cooper, and on a pair of tracks, Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers.  The album predominantly featured covers of famous tunes including Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go," Allen Toussaint's "Can You Hear Me," Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine," Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" and Little Richard's "Slippin' and Slidin'."  Wyman and Fairweather-Low's original song "Poor Boy Boogie" ended the album on a high note.

On March 11 and 12, 1985, Wyman, Watts, Fairweather-Low, Watkins and Gee were joined by Chris Rea, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones, Henry Spinetti and others to film a 30-minute concert at Fulham Town Hall.  Audience cameos were made by John Entwistle and Chris Jagger, and Ringo Starr even popped in as a janitor! The album arrived on Wyman's own Ripple label via Decca, and in June, the video of the film was released.  The proceeds from both projects went to ARMS.  The DVD here includes not only the movie, but a bonus documentary and the music video for "These Arms of Mine" with Page and Rodgers.

In summer 1992, Wyman resurrected Willie and the Poor Boys with a modified line-up consisting of Terry Taylor on guitar/backing vocals, Jimmy Henderson on harmonica/vocals, Gary Brooker on keyboards/vocals, Graham Broad on drums, and Fairweather-Low back on guitar/vocals.  The new band played five dates in Sweden, revisiting album favorites and adding comparable selections like Ray Charles' "What'd I Say," Chris Kenner's "Land of 1,000 Dances," and Sam Phillips' "Mystery Train."  The July 31 show was recorded and twelve tracks aired on the radio.  These were subsequently released on CD.  (Five tracks from the original concert seem to have been lost to time.)  The Willie and the Poor Boys name would next be used by Wyman one more time, for a couple of December 1992 performances in Surrey.  Just weeks later, he announced he was leaving the Rolling Stones.  After a handful of appearances in 1994, Willie and the Poor Boys retired for good, though Wyman would resurrect the group's spirit and repertoire in Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings featuring Taylor, Fairweather-Low and Brooker among its members.  Edsel's Complete Willie and the Poor Boys, housed in a fold-out digipak, boasts a 20-page booklet with David Wells' new liner notes.  Phil Kinrade has newly remastered both audio CDs.

Both Bill Wyman titles are available now from Edsel and can be ordered at the links below!

Bill Wyman, White Lightnin': The Solo Box (Edsel EDSB 4023, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: Monkey Grip (Rolling Stones Records COC 59102, 1974)

1. I Wanna Get Me A Gun
2. Crazy Woman
3. Pussy
4. Mighty Fine Time
5. Monkey Grip Glue
6. What A Blow
7. White Lightnin'
8. I'll Pull You Thro'
9. It's A Wonder
10. Wine And Wimmen (early version)
11. It's Just A Matter Of Time
12. If You Got The Feelin'
13. Five Card Stud
14. Monkey Grip Glue (single edit)
15. What A Blow (single edit)
16. White Lightnin' (single mix)
17. Pussy (single mix)

CD 2: Stone Alone (Rolling Stones Records COC 79103, 1976)

1. A Quarter To Three
2. Gimme Just One Chance
3. Soul Satisfying
4. Apache Woman
5. Every Sixty Seconds
6. Get It On
7. Feet
8. Peanut Butter Time
9. Wine And Wimmen
10. If You Wanna Be Happy
11. What's The Point
12. No More Foolin'
13. High Flying Bird
14. Back to School Again
15. Can't Put Your Picture Down
16. Love is Such a Wonderful Thing
17. A Quarter to Three (Single Mix)
18. Apache Woman (Single Mix)

CD 3: Bill Wyman (A&M AMLH 68540, 1981)

1. Ride On Baby
2. A New Fashion
3. Nuclear Reactions
4. Visions
5. Jump Up
6. Come Back Suzanne
7. Rio De Janeiro
8. Girls
9. Seventeen
10. (Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star
11. Rio De Janeiro (single edit)
12. Come Back Suzanne (single edit)
13. Visions (single edit)
14. (Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star (single edit)
15. Come Back Suzanne (demo) (previously unreleased)
16. (Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star (demo) (previously unreleased)

CD 4: Stuff (Victor VIC-5202, 1992)

1. If I Was A Doo Doo Doo
2. Like A Knife
3. Stuff (Can't Get Enough)
4. Leave Your Hat On
5. This Strange Effect
6. Mama Rap
7. She Danced
8. Fear Of Flying
9. Affected By The Towns
10. Blue Murder (lies)
11. Like a Knife (12" single mix)
12. Stuff (Can't Get Enough) (12" single mix)
13. She Danced (12" mix) (previously unreleased)
14. Stuff (Can't Get Enough) (alternate 12" mix) (previously unreleased)

DVD

1. Feature Interview
2. I Wanna Get Me A Gun
3. Monkey Grip Glue
4. What A Blow
5. (Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star
6. A New Fashion
7. Come Back Suzanne
8. Stuff (Can't Get Enough)
9. Old Grey Whistle Test (May 8, 1974) (featuring "White Lightnin'" promo video)
10. Parkinson - Interview (February 3, 1982)
11. Kenny Everett Television Show (February 25, 1982) (includes "A New Fashion" performance)
12. Bonus clips from Newsnight (November 5, 1981 and July 15, 1982)

The Complete Willie and the Poor Boys (Edsel EDSG 8062, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: Willie and the Poor Boys (Ripple/Decca BILL 1, 1985)

1. Baby Please Don't Go
2. Can You Hear Me
3. These Arms Of Mine
4. Revenue Man
5. You Never Can Tell
6. Slippin' And Slidin'
7. Saturday Night
8. Let's Talk It Over
9. All Night Long
10. Chicken Shack Boogie
11. Sugar Bee
12. Poor Boy Boogie

CD 2: Willie and the Poor Boys Live (Ripple, 1994)

1. High School Confidential
2. Tear It Up
3. Baby Please Don't Go
4. Medley: Ooh Poo Pah Doo / Rockin' Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu
5. Mystery Train
6. Chicken Shack Boogie
7. Stagger Lee
8. What'd I Say
9. Red Hot
10. Lovin' Up A Storm
11. Medley: Poor Boy Boogie / Hound Dog / Shake Rattle & Roll / Looking For Someone To Love
12. Land of 1,000 Dances

DVD: Willie and the Poor Boys - The Movie

1. Poor Boy Boogie
2. You Never Can Tell
3. Chicken Shack Boogie
4. Let's Talk It Over
5. All Night Long
6. Saturday Night
7. Baby Please Don't Go
8. These Arms Of Mine
9. "Making Of" documentary
10. These Arms Of Mine (with Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page)