Kenny Rogers & The First Edition’s Albums Hit Streaming For The First Time
The late musical icon was a founder and part of the band from 1967 to around 1976.
Diehard fans of The First Edition can now experience the band’s music in a modern way, as on March 28, nearly its entire catalog has been released for streaming and download.
The eight albums, which have mostly been unavailable for streaming, include the band’s 1967’s eponymous debut that features hit song “(Just Dropped In) To See What Condition My Condition Was In”, 1968’s psychedelic pop The First Edition’s 2nd, 1969’s doubleheader The First Edition ’69 and Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town, 1970’s second doubleheader Tell It All Brother and Something’s Burning, 1971’s Transition and 1972’s concept album, The Ballad Of Calico.
The First Edition formed in 1967 with members Kenny Rogers (lead vocals and bass guitar), Mickey Jones (drums and percussion), Terry Williams (guitar and vocals), Mike Settle (guitar and backing vocals), and Thelma Camacho (lead vocals). The band, which fused psychedelic pop, folk, and country, was later renamed as Kenny Rogers & The First Edition in 1970.
The group stayed together with Rogers as the lead singer until 1976, when he embarked on his solo career, later becoming one of the best-selling music artists in history. The First Edition recorded twelve albums together and has since reunited twice: in 2010 and for a run of shows between 2013 and 2014.
Earlier this month, Kenny Rogers’ music was given a refresh in honor of the fifth anniversary of his passing. Electronic duo VAVO remixed Roger’s 1978 classic “The Gambler.” The digital release of EP ¡Viva Kenny! followed, which features 1981 Spanish-language renditions of Rogers’ biggest hits like “Don’t Fall in Love With a Dreamer” and “She Believes in Me,” which were originally released only in Latin America and Spain.
Throughout his solo career, the music legend has charted more than 120 hit singles across various genres, including country, jazz, folk, pop, and rock. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Check out the various Kenny Rogers and the First Edition albums now available on streaming.
