Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary

Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary is a compilation album, released in 1990 to commemorate 40 years of the American record label Elektra Records. The brainchild of executive manager Bob Krasnow, Rubáiyát allowed one to explore the catalog of past Elektra artists (which also included some artists from Asylum Records and Nonesuch Records) in the performance of its current artists. It was compiled by Lenny Kaye, who also wrote the liner notes for the booklet, which includes labels and covers of some of the historic records released by Elektra since its founding.

List of topics

The compilation was released on double CD, on quadruple vinyl and on double cassette. In the list the interpreter appears first, then the theme, and then between parentheses the original interpreter and the year in which the theme was released:

DC 1; Disc 1, Side A; Cassette 1, Side A

1. The Cure: "Hello, I Love You" (The Doors, 1968)
2. Tracy Chapman: "The House of the Rising Sun" (Glenn Yarbrough, 1957)
3. Billy Bragg: "Seven & Seven Is" (Love, 1966)
4. Jevetta Steele: "['d Like to Teach the World to Sing" (New Seekers, 1971)
5. Gipsy Kings: "Hotel California" (Eagles, 1976)

Disc 1, Side B

1. The Black Velvet Band: "Werewolves of London" (Warren Zevon, 1978)
2. The Sugarcubes: "Motorcycle Mama" (Sailcat, 1972)
3. Shinehead: "One Meatball" (Josh White, 1956)
4. The Havalinas: "Bottle of Wine" (Tom Paxton, 1965)
5. Pixies: "Born in Chicago" (Paul Butterfield, 1965)

Disc 2, Side A; Cassette 1, Side B

1. Faster Pussycat: "You're So Vain" (Carly Simon, 1972)
2. Kronos Quartet: "Marquee Moon" (Television, 1977)
3. Phoebe Snow: "Get Ourselves Together" (Delaney & Bonnie, 1968)
4. Happy Mondays: "Tokoloshe Man" (John Kongos, 1972)
5. Ernie Isley: "Let's Go" (The Cars, 1979)

Disc 2, Side B

1. Lynch Mob: "Going down" (Don Nix and the Alabama State Troopers, 1972)
2. Arto Lindsay " The Ambitious Lovers: "A Little Bit of Rain" (Fred Neil, 1965)
3. Anita Baker: "You Belong to Me" (Carly Simon, 1978)
4. Howard Jones: "Road to Cairo" (David Ackles, 1968)

DC 2; Disc 3, Side A; Cassette 2, Side A

1. The Big F: "Kick Out The Jams" (MC5 1969)
2. The Georgia Satellites: "Almost Saturday Night/Rockin' All Over the World" (John Fogerty, 1975)
3. Sara Hickman: "Hello, I Am Your Heart" (Dennis Linde, 1973)
4. Teddy Pendergrass: "Make It With You" (Bread, 1970)
5. Linda Ronstadt: "The Blacksmith" (Kathy & Carol, 1965)

Disc 3, Side B

1. Bill Frisell, Robin Holcomb, Wayne Horvitz: "Going Going Gone" (Bob Dylan, 1974)
2. Jackson Browne: "First Girl I Loved" (The Incredible String Band, 1967)
3. 10,000 Maniacs: "These Days" (Jackson Browne, 1973)
4. Metallica: "Stone Cold Crazy" (Queen, 1974)
5. Danny Gatton: "Apricot Brandy" (Rhinoceros, 1968)

Disc 4, Side A; Cassette 2, Side B

1. Shaking Family: "Union Man" (The Cate Brothers, 1975)
2. They Might Be Giants: "One More Parade" (Phil Ochs, 1964)
3. Howard Hewett: "I Can't Tell You Why" (Eagles, 1979)
4. Leaders of the New School: "Mt. Airy Groove" (Pieces Of A Dream, 1982)
5. Shirley Murdock: "You Brought The Sunshine" (The Clark Sisters, 1983)

Disc 4, Side B

1. John Eddie: "Inbetween Days" (The Cure, 1985)
2. The Beautiful South: "Love Wars" (Womack & Womack, 1983)
3. Michael Feinstein: "Both Sides Now" (Judy Collins, 1967)
4. John Zorn: "T.V. Eye" (The Stooges, 1970)
5. The Cure: "Hello, I Love You (Slight Return)" (The Doors, 1968)

Curiosities

• Lenny Kaye was a member of Patti Smith's group, as well as producer of Suzanne Vega's first albums, as well as compiler (along with Jaz Holzman, founder of Elektra) in 1973 from the first Nuggets, compiled from groups garages and protopunks of the 60's.
• Metallica recorded his version of the theme "Stone Cold Crazy" (Queen's) after failing to rehearse a song by composer and singer Tom Waits. Ironically Metallica would win a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for that version, a prize that always refused Queen.
• The Cure and Jackson Browne are the only two artists who were both honored and honored other artists.
• According to Robert Smith in the book inserted in the compilation Join The Dots, The Cure recorded three versions of The Doors' "Hello, I Love You" theme in one night in Launceston's The Live House studio (Corwall). Originally Smith thought of Wendy Waldman's "Pirate Ships" subject, but it didn't work. Looking at the Elektra catalogue, he decided to version the theme of The Doors. Three versions were made: a "fresh version", a "strict version" and a "mad version". The so-called "mad version" -"Hello, I Love You (Slight Return)"-, which lasts just 10 seconds, was the only one that originally sent Elektra for the Rubáiyát, although then the "strict version" would join the compilation. The "rare version" is in Join The Dots.