VIA PRESS RELEASE | Light in the Attic Records commemorates the 40th anniversary of Donnie & Joe Emerson’s Dreamin’ Wild, the private press album that hit the mainstream, garnering considerable acclaim and notoriety since its original release in 1979, and subsequent reissue in 2011 by Light In The Attic.
The brothers have recently become cult favorites thanks in large part to the hypnotic allure of “Baby,” a song that has been covered by Ariel Pink & Dâm-Funk (released as part of LITA’s Cover Series) and featured in a number of films and TV shows, including a prominent placement in the most recent season of the critically acclaimed HBO series, Big Little Lies. The unlikely story of the rock’n’roll farmer boys from rural Washington State is set for a big screen adaptation, helmed by Oscar-winning producer Jim Burke (Green Book) and producer/writer/director Bill Pohlad (Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave, The Tree of Life).
As part of LITA’s 40th Anniversary celebration, Donnie & Joe’s rare 1977 debut single “Thoughts In My Mind” and its b-side “Take It” will be released digitally for the first time, and Dreamin’ Wild will be made available on “Baby Blue” vinyl and on 8-track—yes, on 8-track—which will be limited to 100 units world-wide. A newly commissioned series of animated shorts by Jeffrey C. Lowe will portray the unique story of Donnie & Joe. Exclusive merchandise will include a “Dreamin’ Wild” eye pillow (included with Donnie & Joe vinyl orders from the LITA online store while supplies last), fleece sweatshirts and, looking towards Valentine’s Day, a pack of Donnie & Joe-themed heart candy and a heart-shaped vinyl single of “Baby” b/w the previously unreleased song “Tonight.”
More about Donnie & Joe Emerson’s Dreamin’ Wild | Pacific Northwest isolation mixed with wide-eyed ambition, a strong sense of family and the gift of music proved to be quite the combination for teenage brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson. Originally released in 1979, Dreamin’ Wild is the sonic vision of the talented Emerson boys, recorded in a family-built home studio in rural Washington State. Situated in the unlikely blink-and-you-missed-it town of Fruitland and far removed from the late 1970s punk movement and the larger disco boom, Donnie and Joe tilled their own musical soil, channeling fuzz-rock, AOR gold, and barnyard soul and funk, with a pinch of inspiration from current top 40 chart staples Steve Miller, Elton John, and the Brothers Johnson.
Re-discovered at a Washington State antique store in 2008 by record collector Jack Fleischer, the few remaining copies of Dreamin’ Wild’s original limited run finally escaped a dusty attic and into the hands of excited collectors gobsmacked by the album’s funky stew and bemused by the comedic imagery of the innocently designed sleeve. Light In The Attic’s CD, LP, and digital re-release of Dreamin’ Wild in 2011 proved to be just the beginning of the reappraisal of the Emerson’s talents and their unlikely story, and was the spark that was needed to ignite Donnie & Joe’s resurgence which continues to this day.
