Former Rolling Stones Bassist Billy Wyman to Release Two CD Anthologies

Press release
Source: Chipster Entertainment, Inc.

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has had an interesting solo career in addition to his seminal work in "the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band" from which he retired in 1993 after three decades of service.

Sanctuary Records shines a light on Wyman's side projects with the release of the remastered two-CD sets 'A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2002' on April 25, 2006, and 'Poor Boy Boogie: The Willie And The Poor Boys Anthology' on May 9, 2006.

'A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2002' collects songs from Wyman's three solo albums as well as his work with Willie And The Poor Boys and The Rhythm Kings. The songs were compiled and annotated by Wyman and music expert David Wells. The liner notes booklets for 'A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2002' and 'Poor Boy Boogie: The Willie And The Poor Boys Anthology' both include exclusive interviews, rare photos and memorabilia.

The track listing for 'A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2002' is as follows:

Disc 1 - Solo Years 1974-1985 - "I Wanna Get Me A Gun," "Monkey Grip Glue," "What A Blow," "White Lightnin'," "I'll Pull You Through," "It's A Wonder," "A Quarter To Three," "Soul Satisfying," "Peanut Butter Time," "If You Wanna Be Happy," "What's The Point," "Ride One Baby," "A New Fashion," "Nuclear Reactions," "Come Back Suzanne," "Girls," "(Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star," "Stuff (Can't Get Enough)," "This Strange Effect" and "Blue Murder (Lies)."

Disc 2 - Willie And The Poor Boys 1985-1992 - "Baby Please Don't Go," "You Never Can Tell," "Let's Talk It Over," "Mystery Train" (live), "Tear It Up (live), "Land Of A Thousand Dances" (live) - The Rhythm Kings 1997-2002 - "Let The Good Times Roll" (live), "Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu" (live), "Georgia On My Mind" (live), "I'm Ready" (live), "Lead Me To The Water" (live), "Baby Workout" (live), "I'll Be Satisfied" (live), "Chicken Shack Boogie" (live), "Love Letters" (live), "Jitterbug Boogie" (live), "Melody" (live), "Stop Her On Sight (SOS)" (live), "Midnight Special" (live) and "Jump, Jive & Wail" (live).

The 'Poor Boy Boogie: The Willie And The Poor Boys Anthology' track listing is as follows:

Disc 1 - 'WILLIE AND THE POOR BOYS' - "Baby Please Don't Go," "Can You Hear Me?," "These Arms Of Mine," "Revenue Man (White Lightnin')," "You Never Can Tell," "Slippin' And Slidin'," "Saturday Night," "Let's Talk It Over," "All Night Long," "Chicken Shack Boogie," "Sugar Bee" and "Poor Boy Boogie."

Disc 2 - 'TEAR IT UP' - "High School Confidential," "Tear It Up," "Baby Please Don't Go," "Medley: Ooh Poo Pah Doo/The Rockin' Pneumonia & The Boogie-Woogie Flu," "Mystery Train," "Chicken Shack Boogie," "Stagger Lee," "What'd I Say?," "Red Hot," "Lovin' Up A Storm," "Medley: Poor Boy Boogie/Hound Dog/Shake, Rattle & Roll/Looking For Someone To Love" and "Land Of A Thousand Dances."

Wyman was the first member of The Rolling Stones to embark on a solo career. His first album, 'Monkey Grip,' was released in 1974 and his second, 'Stone Alone,' followed in 1976. Both featured performances from stellar guests including Van Morrison, Little Feat's Lowell George, Leon Russell, Dr. John, Al Kooper, Joe Walsh and his Rolling Stones bandmate Ron Wood. Wyman's third solo album, 'Bill Wyman,' was released in 1982 and its best-known song was the flamenco/disco novelty single "(Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star."

Wyman initially formed a supergroup to perform charity benefit concerts for Action Research into Multiple Sclerosis (ARMS), but this collective then went on to release two albums of R&B and early rock 'n' roll standards under the name Willie And The Poor Boys (the title of a classic Creedence Clearwater Revival album, but spelled differently). The 1985 studio album 'Willie And The Poor Boys' and the 1994 live album 'Tear It Up' (recorded in Sweden in 1992) -- both out of print -- are now compiled on 'Poor Boy Boogie: The Willie And The Poor Boys Anthology.'

The chain of events leading to the formation of Willie And The Poor Boys began in the late 1970s when The Small Faces (later just The Faces) bassist Ronnie Lane was stricken with multiple sclerosis. In 1983 Wyman then gathered many of his and Lane's all-star friends to play ARMS concerts. He was joined by two of his bandmates, Charlie Watts and Wood (himself a former Faces member), as well as The Beatles' Ringo Starr, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Free and Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, The Faces and The Who's Kenney Jones and Procol Harum's Gary Brooker. The ARMS concerts were so successful that Wyman decided to keep the project going under the name Willie And The Poor Boys. Many of the musicians who participated in the 1983 concerts performed on the 'Willie And The Poor Boys' and 'Tear It Up' albums. Other notable musicians involved include Andy Fairweather-Low and Chris Rea. Lane succumbed to multiple sclerosis in 1997 at the age of 51, but the music Wyman and their friends created as Willie And The Poor Boys will help preserve his memory.

Wyman's musical focus turned to swing jazz and jump blues when he formed The Rhythm Kings in 1995. More of his high-profile friends took part in this venture including Eric Clapton, Paul Carrack, Georgie Fame, Albert Lee, Peter Frampton and former Rolling Stones bandmate Mick Taylor. The Rhythm Kings released five albums between 1997 and 2002 but the band primarily focused on live performances, immediately becoming an international concert attraction.

For more information, please visit www.billwyman.com or www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com.