One of the most desired unreleased records of the New Wave era will finally receive an official release, nearly three decades after it was put on the shelf. The Motels' Apocalypso was rejected for its lack of commercial appeal by Capitol Records, which accidentally led the band to a path of brief fame in the 1980s...but it's going to be fun to wonder "what if?" with this set. In 1981, The Motels - lead singer Martha Davis, guitarist Tim McGovern, keyboardist/saxophonist Marty Jourard, bassist
Archives for July 6, 2011
Content with Content: Thoughts on Catalogue Titles and Retail Exclusives
Last week, there was a sort-of funny tempest in a teapot reported by The Los Angeles Times over pop singer Beyoncé's latest album, 4. The paper reported that fans were unhappy with the seemingly low stock of deluxe editions of the album at Target, the chain that was carrying the special version exclusively, as well as problems with the bonus content (an online-exclusive music video, streamed through a special portion of the singer's website when unlocked with the bonus disc) was not available
Suddenly...Cherry Pop Reissues and Expands Two Billy Ocean Albums
If you're sharing the same dream to see Billy Ocean's catalogue get some deluxe treatment, next Tuesday is your day: Cherry Pop is reissuing two of Ocean's mid-'80s pop smashes with bonus content. These will be the Cherry Red label group's second and third reissues for Ocean, following Big Break's expansion of 1982's Inner Feelings back in March. The Trinidad-born, England-raised Ocean enjoyed early success in the late '70s on the GTO label. His first single, 1976's "Love Really Hurts Without
New Links in the Chain: Deluxe 2-CD/1-DVD Sets Coming from The Jesus and Mary Chain (UPDATED)
Few album titles have been more apt than the Jesus and Mary Chain's 1985 LP debut, Psychocandy. The record took deceptively simple pop songs, influenced by the melodies of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, and cloaked them in a noisy, fuzz-and-feedback-laden haze that took the darkness of The Velvet Underground one step further. If the group didn't exist, someone would have had to invent it. William and Jim Reid, two Scottish brothers, formed the core of the band, initially joined by bassist
Whole Hall and Oates: Famed Duo's Complete Atlantic Years Collected
Daryl Hall and John Oates made their first significant dent on the pop charts with 1976's "Sara Smile," released on RCA Records. "Rich Girl" followed as their first No. 1 single in 1977, and a few short years later, they were proclaimed the most successful duo in rock history thanks to an amazing string of ubiquitous pop singles: "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," "Maneater," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" and so on. But those who only know Hall and Oates from those remarkable 1980s