Toronto's Blackie & The Rodeo Kings have recorded 29 songs that will be divided into two volumes.

The first, entitled "Let's Frolic," will be released Sept. 12 and the follow-up, "Let's Frolic Again," sometime in February.

Why two? "Because we think it's fun; because they really should be joined at the hip," responds Bernie Finkelstein, president of Toronto-based True North Records, which is distributed by Universal Music in Canada.

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings - an Americana/roots trio comprising Colin Linden, Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing -- started recording in January and are still working on the tracks.

"Every song is now recorded, but every song is not yet finished," says Finkelstein, who also co-manages the band with Vancouver's Allen Moy (54.40, Tom Wilson).

The songs were cut party at the famed Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, NY, as well as at Linden's project studio, Pinhead Recorders. The group is still determining how to break the collection into two volumes, but Finkelstein says the title-track will be on the first and the majority of the cover songs will be on the second.

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings recorded a version of Murray McLauchlin's "Down By The Henry Moore" (which came out in 1975 on True North) and a new song by Daniel Lanois called "House of Soul" ("So beautiful it will make you cry," says Finkelstein). There are also songs by Teenage Head, Harold Nix, and Willie P. Bennett.

A Fearing original called "For Those Who Can't Forget" is a duet between country music giant Pam Tillis and Fearing handling the male lead. "Diggin' In Your Dirt," a Wilson composition that features all three members of the group "pretty prominently," says Finkelstein, will likely be the first single.

There is a method to how they are selecting which songs go where, but Finkelstein says "I don't know if I'm able to put it into words. You'd have to hear it. We've come up with something that seems to work."

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings has played some of the songs on "Let's Frolic" and "Let's Frolic Again" in its live set, but the trio hasn't been playing much lately. Fearing, who released his eighth solo album, "Yellowjacket," on April 11, plays some Ontario dates this week before heading to the U.K. on April 24 for a 10-date tour. Wilson's latest solo album, "Dogs Years," came out Feb. 21 and he too has sporadic Ontario dates. And Linden's "Easin Back To Tennessee" came out on Jan. 10, which was backed by a major tour in February with Colin James.

Finkelstein says Black & The Rodeo Kings, booked by Toronto's Jack Ross of The Agency Group, will be touring once "Let's Frolic" comes out.

The album will "probably" come out in America on True North/Rounder. The last album, 2003's "Bark," went to No. 12 on the U.S. American chart. In Canada, "Bark," scanned 12,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan Canada. The group's other albums are 1999's "Kings Of Love" and 1996's "High Or Hurtin."

Solo Tour Dates:
STEPHEN FEARING
April 20: Toronto -- Hugh's Room
April 21: Aylmer, ON -- Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre
April 22: Blyth, ON -- Blyth Memorial Arena
April 24: Turners Hill, UK -- Upstairs @ The Red Lion
April 25 Weymouth, UK -- Centenary Club
April 27: Budleigh Salterton, UK -- Otterton Mill
April 28: Marlbororough UK -- TBA
April 30: Twickenham, UK Cabbage Patch
May 2: Newcastle UK -- Morden Tower
May 3: London, UK -- The Spitz
May 4: Biddulph, UK -- Buddulph Arms
May 5: Tregaron UK -- Talbot Hotel
May 6: Kingsbridge UK -- Hazelwood House
May 14: Ottawa -- Tulip Festival
July 7 - 9: Orillia, ON -- Mariposa
July 21: Perth, ON -- Stewart Park Festival
July 22: Perth, ON -- Stewart Park Festival
July 29: Calgary -- Calgary Folk Festival
July 30: Calgary -- Calgary Folk Festival
Sept 16: Wolfville, NS -- Deep Roots Music
Oct. 16: Gananoque, ON -- Thousand Island Playhouse
TOM WILSON
April 21: Stratford, ON -- Tango
April 22: Port Dover ON -- Lighthouse Festival
April 28: Oshawa, ON -- Le Scratch
May 14: Ottawa, ON -- Tulip Festival
July 7: Orillia, ON -- Mariposa
July 8: Orillia, ON -- Mariposa
July 9: Orillia, ON -- Mariposa
Sept 15: Wolfville, NS -- Deep Roots Festival
Sept 16: Wolfville, NS -- Deep Roots Festival
May. 27: Belleville, ON -- Belleville Club (w/ Paul Reddick)
COLIN LINDEN
May 19: Huntsville, ON -- Huntsville Arts Centre
May 20: Innisfil, ON -- Peters Place
May. 27: Belleville, ON -- Belleville Club (w/ Paul Reddick)