Tracy Chapman will mark the 35th anniversary of her self-titled debut album with a vinyl release on 4th April 2025, via Elektra/Rhino Records.
Originally released by Elektra Records in April 1988, ‘Tracy Chapman' has long been unavailable on vinyl. This anniversary reissue has been prepared for release by Chapman and the album’s original producer, David Kershenbaum, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and sourced from an analogue master. The album package will also include an insert of translated lyrics, which accompanied the original international release.
Featuring the classic singles ‘Fast Car', “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution”, and ‘Baby Can I Hold You', the album earned three Grammy Awards and went on to become one of the most successful debuts of all time, peaking at #1 in multiple countries and selling more than 20 million copies worldwide. To this day, it still makes regular appearances on charts around the world, and is one of the most successful albums by a female artist in chart history.
You can pre-order the album now on the following formats:
- Black LP – All retailers
- Orange LP – Amazon exclusive
- Oxblood Red LP – HMV exclusive
- Transparent Orange LP – Indies exclusive
Chapman comments, “I was just out of college when the album came out and for a young singer songwriter it was a dream come true – making a record, recording my own songs, releasing my first album. 1988, that year marked the beginning of what has been a humbling and thrilling experience, seeing fans around the world embrace these 11 songs. I really wanted to mark the 35th anniversary of the album, and so I am grateful to have this opportunity to reissue the record on vinyl.”
In February 2024, Chapman made a surprise appearance at the 66th Grammy Awards, collaborating with country superstar Luke Combs for an unforgettable duet of ‘Fast Car'. The performance was historic, representing a moment of confluence, coming 35 years to the month since Chapman first performed ‘Fast Car' at the Grammys and after a year of unprecedented success for Combs with the song.
Introduced to a new audience, ‘Fast Car' achieved new chart peaks across genres (including #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and #2 on the Hot 100), and won two awards at the 2023 CMA Awards (notably Song of the Year for Chapman, who made history as the first Black songwriter to win in the category). Following the Grammy performance, Chapman’s original version re-entered charts around the world (including the Hot 100), as did her debut album.
