J Records and Legacy Recordings have announced a 20th anniversary reissue of Luther Vandross: Live at Radio City Music Hall 2003. The album will release digitally on Feb. 10.
Arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day, the expanded edition will include the 11 tracks from the original live album plus four new tracks.
Additionally, the reissue will be sequenced in the same order as the concert and will include Vandross’ banter in between the songs.
The four new tracks are “Power of Love / Love Power,” “Going Out Of My Head,” “Any Day Now” and “Say It Now.”
View this post on Instagram
The first song, lifted from his 1991 album Power of Love, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also spent two weeks to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (formerly Hot R&B Singles) in June 1991.
“Power of Love / Love Power” propelled its parent album Power of Love atop Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (formerly Top R&B Albums) later that month. The 2x multi-platinum album stayed at No. 1 for five weeks.
With the reissue announcement, J Records and Legacy Recordings released an official lyric video for “I’d Rather,” the lead offering.
“I’d Rather,” taken from Vandross’ self-titled 2001 album, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, making it his fourth leader. It reigned for nine weeks, the second longest behind his hit “Your Secret Love,” which held the top 11 weeks in 1996.
In 2020, Rated R&B featured Luther Vandross: Live at Radio Music Hall 2003 on its 12 Live R&B Albums Put You in Concert Mode list.
Reissue aside, Vandross had a year of accolades in 2021. The legend landed eight new certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), including platinum awards for the song “Dance With My Father” and his Mariah Carey duet “Endless Love.”
Vandross also gained platinum and gold awards for the following albums: One Night with You: The Best of Love, Volume 2 (platinum); The Ultimate Luther Vandross (platinum); and Love Is on the Way (gold).
Circling back to Live at Radio City Music Hall, the album was recorded over two nights in New York City. It turned out to be Vandross’ last couple of concerts. Vandross suffered a stroke two months after recording the live album. He took time away from the spotlight to focus on his health.
Vandross passed away on July 1, 2005, in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54.
Luther Vandross’ Live at Radio City Music Hall – 2003 (Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition – The Last Concert) Tracklist
1. Power of Love / Love Power (new track)
2. Happy Valentine’s Day (spoken word)
3. Never Too Much
4. Work It/ Here and Now (spoken word)
5. Here And Now
6. Going Out Of My Head (new track)
7. Stop To Love
8. Love Won’t Let Me Wait
9. Any Day Now (new track)
10. A House Is Not A Home
11. I’d Rather
12. Take You Out
13. Say It Now (new track)
14. Superstar
15. Band Introduction (spoken word and music including 30 of “I Believe”)
16. Intro to “Glow Of Love” (spoken word)
17. Glow Of Love
18. Encore (spoken word)
19. If Only For One Night
20. Creepin’
