Photo Credit: Adam Berta
Hitmakers War was at the top of their game in 1973 after releasing their best-selling album, The World is a Ghetto. The album received its initial anniversary treatment during 2023’s Record Store Day release, offered in limited-edition, widely acclaimed 5LP format. The collection will be revisited, along with the ensemble’s 1976 Greatest Hits compilation album, presented as The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, due on July 19 via Rhino.
According to the War’s official press release, The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition was curated by band producer Jerry Goldstein, founding member Lonnie Jordan, and Jeremy Levine. It features the freshly remastered original album, six bonus tracks, and “the making of” recordings that track War’s time in the studio–from the first recorded note of each song to the master take. Initially dropped in vinyl box set form, the impending deliverable will make the set available on streaming platforms and CD for the first time.
In addition to The World Is A Ghetto, Greatest Hits presents global favorites such as “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider,” and “Cisco Kid,” besides deep cuts like “Gypsy Man” and “Southern Part of Texas.” The World Is A Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition includes six bonus tracks recorded during the original album sessions, with featured original jams that would develop into future band material, such as “War Is Coming” and “L.A. Sunshine,” which appeared on Platinum Jazz in 1977.
Describing “the making of” feature, Goldstein writes in his liner notes, “The nice part about all these ‘making of’ tracks is that the final take of all of these tracks is the actual final master that we used in The World Is A Ghetto, without edits, without overdubs, just raw. Then we turned it around…R-A-W to W-A-R.”
Notably, The World Is A Ghetto ascended on the Billboard album and R&B charts, earning the No. 1 slot and Album of the Year in 1973. The set earned the groove masters two gold singles for the LP title track and “The Cisco Kid.” The set functioned as the starting point of a prolific period of creation for War, who would go on to gain 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records throughout their colorful career.
Pre-order now. Scroll down to view a breakdown of the forthcoming track list.
Lonnie Jordan spoke to Relix in 2023. Read Reflections: War.
THE WORLD IS A GHETTO: 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR’S EDITION
5-LP Track Listing
LP One: Original Album
Side One
“The Cisco Kid”
“City, Country, City”
“Four-Cornered Room”
Side Two
“Where Was You At?”
“Beetles In The Bog”
“The World Is A Ghetto”
LP Two: Bonus Tracks – Side One
“L.A. Sunshine” – Original Jam*
“War Is Coming” – Original Jam*
Side Two
“Lonnie’s Wednesday Night Jam”*
“Lee’s Latin Jam”*
“Blues For Papa Dee”*
“This Is My Song Milton James”*
LP Three: Making of the Tracks – Side One
The Making Of “The Cisco Kid”
Side Two
The Making Of “Where Was You At?”*
LP Four: Making of the Tracks
Side One
The Making Of “City, Country City”*
Side Two
The Making Of “Four-Cornered Room”*
LP Five: Making of the Tracks – Side One
The Making Of “The World Is A Ghetto”*
Side Two
The Making Of “Beetles In The Bog”*
*previously only released on 5-LP set
WAR – GREATEST HITS – Side 1
All Day Music
Slippin’ Into Darkness
The World Is A Ghetto
The Cisco Kid
Gypsy Man
Side 2
Me And Baby Brother
Southern Part Of Texas
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Low Rider
Summer