The Second Disc

Fans of the immortal Doris Day got a surprise earlier this month when the somewhat-reclusive legend and active animal rights crusader announced plans to release a new CD collection, her 29^th studio recording, later this year. Entitled My Heart and possibly set for a UK release later this year courtesy of Day’s longtime label Columbia/Sony, the set will reissue  4 vintage recordings and debut 8 previously-unreleased tracks recorded circa 1985 with Day’s son, Terry Melcher, at the controls. From her longtime home in Carmel Valley, California, Day commented at her website, “These songs all mean so much to me…They bring back happy memories of my friends who appeared on TV with me, my animal friends, and most of all, my [late] son Terry.”

Doris Day’s Best Friends debuted in 1985 on cable television network CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) and is, to date, Day’s last major on-screen appearance. The series of 26 half-hour programs was devoted to the friends nearest and dearest to Day’s heart, animals. While passionately advocating for animal welfare issues, Day used the talk show format to reconnect with celebrities such as Tony Bennett, Tony Randall, Kaye Ballard, Howard Keel, Robert Wagner, Leslie Nielsen and of course, Rock Hudson. Day engaged her son, renowned producer Terry Melcher, to serve as the program’s executive producer and musical director. Day and Melcher cut a number of pop songs for use on the show plus a new theme song. (Day didn’t perform the songs live on the show, but they were used over video montages.)

Many of the songs related to animals, and most were pop songs cast in a then-contemporary musical setting, unique among Day’s recordings. Day had largely stopped recording before the dawn of the 1970s, so it was a particular treat for fans to hear her still in such strong voice on this array of cover versions. Given his long history with the band, it’s no surprise that Melcher drew heavily on Beach Boys-related material. He brought in four Bruce Johnston compositions: his classic “Disney Girls,” “Heaven Tonight” (also recorded by Captain and Tennille) and two Johnston/Melcher co-writes, “The Way I Dreamed It” and the song that gives the new CD its title track, “My Heart.”  Melcher teamed with Mike Love and Bill House on the track “Make It Big,” and Day also cut a version of Billy Preston’s timeless “You Are So Beautiful,” long rumored to have been written, at least in part, by Dennis Wilson who performed it as a concert staple.

Hit the jump for a list of 16 tracks recorded by Day and Melcher, some of which may be selected for the upcoming CD release. One previously-unknown track, “Happy Endings,” has been confirmed to close out the CD, and it’s Terry’s own version of the Melcher/Johnston song recorded by the Beach Boys and Little Richard in 1987. Day has provided a new spoken introduction for the track. (This recording may actually pre-date the Beach Boys’, and may in fact be the demo.) You’ll also find songs by Paul Simon, Elton John and the Beatles among the possible selections for My Heart, and once the track listing is revealed by Day and Sony, The Second Disc will be here to provide it. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey hey! Attention all readers! We take a break from our regularly-scheduled coverage of audio reissues to bring you news of an important music-related video release: the Blu-Ray debut of the Monkees’ 1968 surreal film odyssey Head! With the Criterion Collection’s November 23 release as part of a massive box set dedicated to the films of BBS Productions, Head makes its eagerly-awaited appearance on Blu-Ray. (The box set will also be available in the DVD format.)

To call Head a trip is to put it mildly, as it’s simply one of the wildest films ever made. Not for nothing did New York Times critic Renata Adler describe the film as “A movie for a turned-on audience!” For starters, how many motion pictures feature both Annette Funicello and Frank Zappa? (Others dropping by the set for a guest shot included Victor Mature, Teri Garr, Toni Basil, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson and Sonny Liston!) The up-and-coming Nicholson also wrote and produced with Bob Rafelson.  Harry Nilsson contributed the ironic showstopper “Daddy’s Song” to the score, while the team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin contributed their most psychedelic tune ever, “Porpoise Song.” It opens the film musically and indeed sets its tone. King also teamed with Toni Stern, later to co-write some of her most famous hits including “It’s Too Late,” for Head’s “As We Go Along.”  The Monkees’ performances of these indelible songs are among the film’s finest moments, although the on-set atmosphere contributed to the band’s breaking up shortly after its release. (Only one more completed project would involve all four Monkees post-Head: the 1969 NBC-TV special 33-1/2 Revolutions Per Monkee, in some respects a remake of Head.)

Intrigued?  Click on the jump for the full specs on the Criterion Collection’s Head! Read the rest of this entry »