New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Legendary Southern Californian band WAR will play two headline shows ahead of their previously announced UK festival dates in July. The band will perform at the Dublin Academy on July 2nd, followed by Manchester's Band On The Wall on July 4th. WAR will then play Love Supreme festival on July 5th and headline the Most Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival on July 12th.
Ahead of their touring, WAR will release Why Can't We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector's Edition) on June 6th via Avenue/Rhino. The release celebrates the multi-million-selling, blockbuster album that topped charts and left an indelible mark on music history.
This deluxe 3CD and digital set commemorates 50 years of some of the band's most iconic songs, including its timeless title track, 'Why Can't We Be Friends?', the perennially cool 'Low Rider', 'So' and more.
First released in 1975, Why Can't We Be Friends? remains a groundbreaking record—defined by unforgettable melodies, a powerful message of unity, and an enduring influence that continues to shape music, film, and social movements today.
Newly remastered by Bernie Grundman, Why Can't We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector's Edition) presents the original album alongside two additional discs. Featuring seven unearthed bonus tracks, rare jam sessions and unedited mixes including the never released long version of 'Low Rider' and the 'Cisco Kid'-esque song 'Zorro', as well as a revelatory recording about the making of 'Why Can't We Be Friends?', the collection offers a deeper look into the record than ever before.
The 3CD and
Digital editions follow the stunning Why Can't We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector's Edition) 3LP set that just debuted as a 2025 Record Store Day Vinyl Exclusive. WAR's previous box set, honouring 50 years of The World Is a Ghetto, was named a Best New Reissue by Pitchfork, and hailed as one of the best of the year by The New York Times, Variety and more. Why Can't We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector's Edition) continues that streak.
WAR's signature fusion of funk, soul, jazz, Latin, rock and street music is what first propelled them to prominence 55 years ago, but it was their ability to craft songs of social consciousness that further cemented their place in the modern American songbook.
The immediate global impact of 'Why Can't We Be Friends?' was so profound that NASA transmitted the title track into space during the historic Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Since then, WAR have continued to sing out against racism, hunger, crime and conflict, while their music has been sampled by
Janet Jackson, Tupac, Beastie Boys, Method Man, Sublime, Redman, Cypress Hill, Shaggy, A$AP Mob, Scarface, The Geto Boys, De La Soul, Flo Rida, Liam Payne,
Thomas Rhett and more, and covered by everyone from Willie
Nelson to The Muppets,
George Clinton, Phish,
ZZ Top and The Isley Brothers.
With more than 50 million albums sold, 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records, three Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominations, a GRAMMY Hall of Fame entry, four No.1 LPs, nine Top 10s and twenty Top 40 songs, WAR didn't just define the sound of the 1970s—they became a lasting voice for creative collaboration and social change, with a mission of love and harmony that resonates now more than ever.
From the prophetic message of 'Why Can't We Be Friends?' to the timeless groove of 'Low Rider', this collection captures WAR at their most innovative and socially impactful. More than just a musical milestone, Why Can't We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector's Edition) reaffirms the album's relevance—both as a reflection of the polarizing era that inspired it, and as a beacon of hope for our present and future.
UK & EU TOUR:
July 2- Dublin, IE- Academy
July 4- Manchester, UK- Band On The Wall
July 5- Glynde, UK- Love Supreme Festival
July 7- Paris, Fr- New Morning
July 10- Mainz, De- Kulturzentrum (exclusive Germany Performance)
July 12- Birmingham, UK- Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival
July 13- Rotterdam, Nl- North Sea Jazz Festival
