Billy Thorpe’s classic 1979 sci-fi rock album Children of the Sun is set to return in its original form through a newly announced authorized reissue, marking the first proper CD release of the album in decades. The release restores the full original record, which had long been hard to find despite the enduring popularity of its title track.
Originally released in 1979, Children of the Sun helped establish Thorpe as a cult favorite in the U.S. rock market. Backed by a strong lineup that included session bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Alvin Taylor, the album blended expansive production with futuristic themes and became a staple of album-oriented rock radio. Its title song became especially well known, but the album itself gradually slipped out of circulation.
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A later version, Children of the Sun… Revisited, produced by Spencer Proffer, replaced much of the original album and became the edition most listeners encountered over time. That revised release included only five tracks from the 1979 album, along with three new songs. As a result, the original version became increasingly scarce, and collectors often had to turn to expensive used copies. The album was reportedly issued on CD only once before, through a limited Australian pressing in 1993.
The new reissue was driven by Jeremy Holiday of Iconoclassic Records, who began searching for the album for his own collection and was surprised by how difficult it had become to find. He discovered that despite the album’s strong history in the United States, it had never received a proper domestic CD release. That realization led to a lengthy effort involving rights research, archival work, and tape recovery.
Because the album had changed hands multiple times after its original release, confirming ownership required a detailed legal and historical search. Children of the Sun was first released on Capricorn Records, later distributed by Polydor, and the rights were eventually found to have reverted to Proffer’s company.
The final hurdle was locating the original master tapes. With assistance from Universal Music’s archives, production masters prepared for Polydor in 1979 were found and used to create new masters. Engineer Wouter Bessels handled the restoration work with input from Proffer and longtime collaborator Larry Brown.
The result is a long-awaited restoration of one of Billy Thorpe’s best-known albums. Holiday said it was unfortunate that Thorpe, who died in 2007, did not live to see the reissue. He also noted that the album was recorded over a long period but mixed quickly, calling attention to its spacious sound and strong use of stereo effects. For listeners, the release offers a rare chance to hear Children of the Sun as it was originally intended, bringing a classic rock favorite back after years out of reach.
