Buddy Miles, All the Faces of Buddy Miles (Columbia KC-33089, 1974 – reissued Big Break CDBBR 0123, 2012)

Producer Johnny Bristol was one of the brightest names at Motown in the late 1960s, responsible for such hits as Diana Ross and the Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together,” David Ruffin’s “My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)” and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”  Following his departure from Motown, Bristol continued producing other artists but embarked on a successful solo career, first at MGM Records and later for labels including Atlantic.  The same year he charted on MGM with the Top 10 “Hang on in There Baby,” Bristol took the controls for All the Faces of Buddy Miles.  He brought along Funk Brothers cohorts including bassist James Jamerson and guitarist Melvin “Wah Wah Watson” Ragin, and lent the titular drummer a smooth sound at the crossroads of pop, funk and soul.  Miles ceded the drum chair and concentrated on vocals for the settings provided by Bristol and veteran arranger H.B. Barnum, who had worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin.  Although Miles wasn’t a vocal powerhouse, he brought a great deal of passion to a largely original set that touched on most of the faces of seventies soul music.

Bristol supplied most of the material, with future Warren Zevon collaborator Jorge Calderon contributing a couple of new songs.  Calderon’s “All the Faces” supplied the album with its title, as Miles queried, “How can all the faces be a part of who I am?”  There’s not much of the forceful funk-rock Miles of Electric Flag and Band of Gypsys.  There’s more of the Miles who played with Ruby and the Romantics and The Delfonics.  But Miles and the band cut loose on Calderon’s raucous “Kiss and Run,” Bristol’s tougher “Wants and Needs (The Earth Song)” and the album’s lone instrumental, “Baby Don’t Stop (Sit on the Rock).”  The softer influence of Philly soul is felt on Bristol’s “I’m Just a Kiss Away.”  A revival of Tommy Edwards’ “It’s Only the Good Times” is cabaret gone to church, and Bristol’s “Pain” smolders and simmers with the title emotion until the singer and the song reach boiling point.   A jazzy saxophone lends “Pain” a late-night vibe.  Miles even ventures into Barry White territory with the sensual R&B of “Got to Find Ms. Right.”

Keyboardist Clarence McDonald contributes to the liner notes in this fine package, which also includes the single version of “Pull Yourself Together” as a bonus track.  All the Faces of Buddy Miles is one album that lives up to its title, and will likely be mandatory listening for fans of under-the-radar seventies soul.

Pharoah Sanders, Love Will Find a Way (Arista 4161, 1978 – reissued Big Break CDBBR 0117, 2012)

How to commercialize the sound of one of the leading pioneers of the free jazz movement?  That was the question that producer Norman Connors positioned himself to answer when he signed with Clive Davis’ Arista Records label.  Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders was lauded by Ornette Coleman as “probably the best tenor player in the world,” and had been closely associated with the avant garde jazz of Sun Ra and John Coltrane.  Sanders first joined Coltrane on record for 1965’s Ascension, and Meditations (1966) spectacularly featured the two men on “dueling” tenor saxophones with extensive “free” passages.  After Coltrane’s 1967 death, Sanders played with his wife Alice, and also served as a leader, continuing to push the boundaries of jazz.  But Norman Connors, a songwriter, arranger, and drummer who had scored a hit with 1976’s You Are My Starship, had designs on updating Sanders’ sound without compromising it.  The result was Love Will Find a Way, which walks the line between R&B, fusion and even smooth jazz.

Though Connors smartly didn’t try to disguise the fact that Sanders was, first and foremost, a jazz musician, the surroundings (courtesy Motown stalwarts McKinley Jackson and Paul Riser) were markedly different than the lengthy, frequently dissonant jazz his fans had come to expect.  The title track found Sanders melodically playing over a lush bed of strings, tinkling piano and sweet background singers.  “Pharomba,” arranged by Jackson, allowed Sanders more room to wail over funky support from Connors and Kenny Nash on percussion, Lenny White on drums and Alex Blake on bass.  As producer, though, Connors kept the track melodic and tight.  He also enlisted a not-so-secret weapon in the form of the budding vocal star Phyllis Hyman.  Hyman had made her first big splash when Connors produced her on You Are My Starship’s revival of Thom Bell and Linda Creed’s “Betcha By Golly Wow.”  She lent her remarkable and appropriately jazz-inflected voice to three tracks: “Love is Here,” “As You Are” and “Everything I Have is Good.”   For “Everything I Have,” Connors himself sang a duet with Hyman.  With vocalists out front, Sanders’ playing is much more restrained but no less dexterous.  Sanders takes the soprano sax for a languid instrumental version of the 1953 standard “Answer Me, My Love” and gets the party started with a cover of Marvin Gaye’s then-recent Motown hit “Got to Give It Up.”  But Pharoah’s version isn’t as funky as Gaye’s cool original, and it’s one of the less distinguished tracks here.  (Nor was it a favorite of Connors’, according to the extensive liner notes by Shelley Nicole.)

It’s impossible not to note the irony that a groundbreaker in the free jazz arena came very close to the realm of smooth jazz with Love Will Find a Way.  This transformation of Pharoah Sanders might be anathema to those moved by the extended explorations of his past, and indeed, Sanders soon returned to the style of music that was more personal to him.  But thanks to Norman Connors’ contributions, Love is a singular hybrid of R&B and soul with jazz as well as a true time capsule.  Big Break’s expanded edition adds the single versions of “As You Are” and “Got to Give It Up.”

We’ll meet you after the jump with looks at the latest reissues from The Pointer Sisters and Greg Phillinganes!

The Pointer Sisters, Serious Slammin’ (RCA 6562-1-R, 1988 – reissued Big Break CDBBR 0125, 2012)

With 1988’s Serious Slammin’, Big Break continues (concludes?) its overhaul of the Pointer Sisters’ Planet Records/RCA tenure during which Richard Perry (Harry Nilsson, Barbra Streisand) guided June, Anita and Ruth to their biggest successes.  By the time of this 1988 swansong on RCA, the ebullient hits “He’s So Shy,” “Jump (For My Love)” and “I’m So Excited” were all in the rearview mirror, and Perry set out to update the Pointers’ sound yet again.  Though the producer had successfully adapted his own pop-rock style through disco, R&B and electronic dance-pop, the funkier urban hip-hop grooves coming to prevalence in the late eighties presented a new challenge.  Serious Slammin’ proves that Perry and the Pointer Sisters didn’t fully meet that challenge, though it wasn’t for lack of trying.

Layers of synthesizers and thick drums dominated; even the album’s horns were largely synthesized!  The metallic instrumentation overwhelms the Sisters’ actual singing on many of these tracks including the repetitive title song.  “Shut Up and Dance” was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett (Michael Jackson’s “The Man in the Mirror”) and like “Serious Slammin’” found the Sisters in a homogenized unison vocal style against a hard-edged, electronic background.  The relentless, monotonous beats and lack of big, danceable pop melodies threaten to derail Serious Slammin’, but there’s at least a bit more character on Diane Warren’s “Moonlight Dancing,” sensually sung by June.  (The song was later recorded by Bette Midler in a very different arrangement.)  Ditto for another June spotlight, the catchy “Flirtatious,” and “I’m in Love,” on which the huskier-voiced Ruth takes the lead for Perry and Jeff Lorber’s sleek and romantic production. Matthew (“Break My Stride”) Wilder co-wrote, played and associate-produced “Pride,” with the three sisters trading off vocals.  “I Will Be There” (a different composition than “Be There”) wraps up the album on a high note, with a heartfelt sentiment vivaciously expressed.

It might have reflected a lack of new material that Perry revived “My Life” from Hot Together in a remixed version.  One song, “He Turned Me Out,” got an extra push on the soundtrack of the Carl Weathers starrer, Action Jackson.  And that isn’t the only film song heard here.  Considerably more successful was “Be There” from Beverly Hills Cop II which teamed the Pointers with eighties super-producer Narada Michael Walden.  Though the song wasn’t on Serious Slammin’, Big Break has added its 12-inch extended remix to the album; unfortunately the original single version hasn’t also been appended.  The copious bonus material does include two extended mixes of “He Turned Me Out,” the single version of “I’m in Love” and “Translation,” the B-side of “He Turned Me Out,” with its wailing sax part.   The latter is noted as a remix, but the discographical information in the otherwise-excellent booklet, alas, doesn’t indicate its origin.  As these songs were written and produced with the dancefloor in mind, the extended remixes often enhance the original tracks.  The slightly shorter single edit of “I’m in Love,” too, reveals that the song deserved a better fate on the charts.

With this reissue, Big Break has accorded Serious Slammin’ the respect it hasn’t always gotten in the Pointer Sisters’ impressive catalogue.  Although the material isn’t uniformly inspired, the presence of rare bonus material and the top-notch presentation make for one seriously slammin’ package for fans of Anita, June and Ruth.

Greg Phillinganes, Pulse (Planet BXL1-4698, 1985 – reissued Big Break CDBBR 0127, 2012)

Richard Perry knew talent when he saw it, and he wasted no time in signing keyboard whiz Greg Phillinganes to his Planet Records label.  After a self-produced debut on Planet (1981’s Significant Gains), Phillinganes returned to session duty.  He played for The Pointer Sisters, Donald Fagen, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson and many others while collecting material for a very personal second solo album for which Perry himself would take production reins.  The result was Pulse, released in March 1985, which failed to score on the charts but now makes a terrific entry in Big Break’s catalogue.

Pulse epitomizes the sound of synth-pop circa 1985, with Phillinganes playing all keyboards and also supplying almost all vocals on the album, both lead and background.  That said, the session veteran called on a number of his famous friends.  Michael Jackson had rewritten a 1979 Yellow Magic Orchestra song originally penned by Ryuichi Sakamoto with English lyrics by Chris Mosdell, but when Jackson and producer Quincy Jones opted not to use the song on Thriller, the King of Pop gave his blessing for Phillinganes to recut it based on his demo.  The cosmic, futuristic “Behind the Mask” became the opening song on Pulse.  (Eric Clapton also later recorded the song with Phillinganes again on keys, and Jackson’s version was finally released in 2010 in heavily remixed form.)  Planet labelmates The Pointer Sisters are out front on Robbie Nevil and Mark Mueller’s “Won’t Be Long Now,” and Michael’s brother Jackie Jackson arranged his composition “Playin’ with Fire,” with guest vocals from James Ingram and Howard Hewett.  The men of Mr. Mister co-wrote and performed on the R&B-tinged “Signals.”  Perhaps most notably, Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen wrote the smooth and jazzy “Lazy Nina” for Phillinganes and also arranged it with the singer/keyboardist.   The song’s syncopations recall Fagen’s signature style.  Even the B-side of the album’s first single “Behind the Mask” was a collaborative effort; “Only You” was co-written by Phillinganes and Bill Withers.

The result is a largely up-tempo, feel-good album.  The most heartfelt track is Phillinganes’ understated vocal performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I; the artist subtly updates the track for the eighties while staying true to Rodgers’ melody and embellishing it with an appropriate, lightly Eastern arrangement.  As a singer, Phillinganes is stronger on the up-tempo songs than the ballads, but he imbues this classic song with emotion if not technical prowess.  Another unusual detour is “Countdown to Love,” co-written by Kenny Vance of the Planotones.  Even beginning with an a cappella chorus, “Countdown” adds electronics to an otherwise classic doo-wop style.  The result is a fun homage to the genre.  “Shake It,” despite its technical wizardry and virtuosic use of the Synclavier, is one of the less successful tracks on Pulse, a cacophonic paean to the beat.  (Michael Jackson’s openly acknowledged influence on his friend Phillinganes is clear via the vocal interjections on “Shake It” and other songs here!)

Big Break’s reissue adds six bonus tracks: the aforementioned “Only You,” 12-inch mixes of “Behind the Mask” and “Playin’ with Fire,” instrumentals of the same two songs, and the single edit of “Mask.”  While there’s regrettably not discographical attribution for all of these tracks, the detailed and well-designed booklet features a strong new essay from Christian John Wilkane.  Until Phillinganes (currently the Musical Director of the Cirque Du Soleil Michael Jackson: Immortal tour) decides to release another solo effort, fans can be contented with this deluxe Pulse.

The Dells felt as if they were making up for lost time; Rico “Superbizzee” Washington’s notes reveal that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, two of the primary architects of “The Sound of Philadelphia,” were originally slated to produce The Dells early in the decade.  Leonard Chess, however, balked at the team’s asking price, and as Chuck Barksdale recalls, material intended for The Dells such as “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” scored in a big way for Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes.  (The vocal similarity between The Dells’ Marvin Junior and The Blue Notes’ Teddy Pendergrass is unmistakable.)  When The Dells finally got the chance to record in Philadelphia, though, it wasn’t with Gamble and Huff.

Guitarist Norman Harris was part of the rock-solid rhythm section that played on virtually every hit to come out of Philadelphia in the early 1970s, joined by bassist Ronnie Baker and drummer Earl Young.  That trio formed the core of Philadelphia International Records (PIR) “house band” MFSB and when Baker, Harris and Young moved into the realm of production, Gamble and Huff even set up Golden Fleece Records for the team’s work with such acts as The Trampps.  The team, however, felt underappreciated by Gamble and Huff, and in 1976, they defected to the Cayre Brothers’ Salsoul label in addition to continuing non-PIR freelance work.  The two records from The Dells arrived in the post-PIR period for Baker, Harris and Young, but carried on the sound the trio participated in creating with Gamble and Huff.  In addition, much of the albums’ personnel will be familiar to any Philadelphia soul fan: guitarists Roland Chambers and Bobby Eli, bandleader Don Renaldo and His Horns and Strings, and songwriters Ron Tyson and Allan Felder.

Hit the jump for a look at They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, But We Did It and Love Connection including full track listings and order links!

They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, But We Did It epitomizes the period of Philly soul in which the city’s strings-and brass-laden, orchestrated soul sound was giving way to what’s now considered disco.  As such, the album has both four-to-the-floor dancefloor anthems (“Our Love”) and elaborate, yearning ballads (“Waiting For You,” “Could It Be”).  It even looks back to the socially conscious songs that were a hallmark of the Philly style with “Rich Man, Poor Man (Peace).”  The album’s material was written to order by Felder, Harris, Tyson, T.G. Conway, Bruce Gray and Ron Kersey, working in different configurations, and arrangements were provided by Harris, Kersey, and Conway.  It, of course, was recorded at Joe Tarsia’s Sigma Sound Studio, which Philadelphia International had turned into a world-renowned spot.

Unfortunately the album stalled at No. 40 R&B and No. 208 Pop, with lead single “Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before)” only reached No. 29 on the R&B charts.  The song is a pleading, passionate ballad showcasing The Dells’ smooth harmonies and a soulful rap.  But with disco taking the public by storm, perhaps one of the album’s up-tempo tracks would have made a better choice.  Three songs briefly appeared on Billboard’s National Disco Action chart, but all told, the album failed to make an impression.  Reissue producer David Nathan has added three U.S. single edits to the album: “Could It Be,” “Our Love” and “Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before).”

Despite the lack of commercial success, Mercury took another chance on The Harris Machine for Love Connection, released later in 1977.  Sensing a new approach was necessary, Harris made the decision to eschew the traditional Philadelphia soul sound in favor of something akin to more traditional R&B.  Still, the album was again recorded at Sigma Sound, and more former PIR associates of Harris and co. were enlisted including arranger Jack Faith and songwriter Bunny Sigler.  Bobby Eli stepped up to the plate to co-write one track, the sublimely funky “God Helps Those (Who Help Themselves).”  Outside songwriters were also brought in.  Not that the patented Philly soul style was wholly absent, though; there’s no denying the origin of Love Connection.

The single “Private Property” is a big ballad produced by Tyson, Felder and Harris, with strings, brass, harmonies and even falsetto vocals juxtaposed with Marvin Junior’s familiar baritone.  Despite the sweepingly romantic sound, Junior makes it clear to a potential rival that his woman is his “private property” in no uncertain terms!  Love and lust are also on the mind in “Don’t Trick Me, Treat Me,” in which our lead singer lets his lady know how unhappy he is with her resistance to his amorous advances in the bedroom!  Arranger Jack Faith (The O’Jays’ “Use Ta Be My Girl”) provided the “original Philly sound” with Ron Tyson’s “How Could One Man Be So Lucky” in which the Dells continue to explore romantic triangles, this time from the perspective of a man imagining himself with another guy’s girl!  The title track, from Felder, Tyson and Harris, is a bit of a disco-fied “Love Train” update with the group imploring peace to various locations over the world.  Marvin Junior got in on the songwriting act with a jazzy doo-wop update, “Wasted Tears,” selected as the album closer.

Rico Washington again provides liner notes, with Barksdale telling him that Bunny Sigler had “written some bad songs for us.”  That’s “bad” in the sense of “good,” as Sigler’s “Should I Or Should I Not” proves.  Love Connection has been expanded with its lone single edit, “Private Property.”  (Its B-side was a retread of “Teaser” from the previous album.)  Alan Wilson has remastered both albums for SoulMusic Records.  Following Love Connection’s No. 45 R&B/No. 204 Pop, The Dells parted ways with Mercury, feeling the company hadn’t given their albums sufficient promotion.  Norman Harris, prominent PIR expatriate, returned to Gamble and Huff’s fold in 1980 with a solo collection also entitled The Harris Machine after his production group.

The Dells finally made it to Philadelphia International proper in 1992 for I Salute You, celebrating the group’s 40^th anniversary.  But with the Dells celebrating their 60^th anniversary and Philadelphia International Records now celebrating its own 40^th, the time has never been better to revisit The Dells’ collaborations with some of PIR’s finest alumni.  You can order both albums below!

The Dells, They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, But We Did It (Mercury SRM-1-1145, 1977 – reissued SoulMusic SMCR 5046, 2012)

1. Teaser
2. Our Love
3. Could It Be
4. Rich Man, Poor Man (Peace)
5. They Said It Couldn’t Be Done (But We Did It)
6. Waiting For You
7. Get On Down
8. Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before)
9. Could It Be (U.S. Single Edit – Mercury single 73909-B, 1977)
10. Our Love (U.S. Single Edit – Mercury single 73909-A, 1977)
11. Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before) (U.S. Single Edit – Mercury single 73901-A, 1977)

The Dells, Love Connection (Mercury SRM-1-3711, 1977 – reissued SoulMusic SMCR 5047, 2012)

1. Private Property
2. God Helps Those (Who Help Themselves)
3. I’m In Love (I Can’t Explain What I Feel)
4. Don’t Trick Me, Treat Me
5. How Can One Man Be So Lucky
6. Should I Or Should I Not
7. Love Connection
8. Wasted Tears
9. Private Property (Single Edit – Mercury single 73977-A, 1977)

Columbia was the label where two-time Grammy winner Taj Mahal got his start.  Born in New York but raised in Massachusetts, he relocated to California in 1964 and soon formed The Rising Sons with another up-and-coming talent, Ry Cooder.  A club sensation, the Rising Sons managed to release one single on Columbia, though an album of unreleased material produced by Terry Melcher (The Byrds, Paul Revere and the Raiders) escaped from the vaults years later.  The eclectic music of The Rising Sons anticipated the catholic approach Taj Mahal would take as a solo artist; the band’s repertoire included Bob Dylan (“Walkin’ Down the Line”), Blind Willie McTell (“Statesboro Blues”) and even Carole King and Gerry Goffin (“Take a Giant Step”).  Though the group soon disbanded, Columbia kept tabs on Taj Mahal, and released his self-titled solo debut in 1968.  The blues-oriented set featured compositions from McTell, Robert Johnson and Sleepy John Estes, and featured Cooder on rhythm guitar.  Taj played lead guitar, slide guitar and handled vocals.  More albums followed, with 1969’s half-acoustic, half-electric Giant Step/De Old Folks at Home a particular milestone.  The album took half of its title from the Goffin and King song that was becoming a Taj Mahal signature, and also included material from The Band’s Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson as well as Sonny Boy Williamson and Huddie Ledbetter on the electric side.  The acoustic volume primarily consisted of traditionals.

Taj Mahal played the Royal Albert Hall on a bill with Santana between Giant Step/De Old Folks at Home and 1971’s Happy to Be Just Like I Am.  Taj Mahal remained with Columbia Records until 1976, writing more of his own material but frequently spicing his albums with songs from other musicians ranging from Mississippi John Hurt to Bob Marley and Chuck Berry!  In 1976 he left Columbia for Warner Bros. Records, a sister label of Reprise Records, where Mahal’s old friend Ry Cooder had started his own solo career in 1970.  Taj Mahal continues to perform and record today; his 2008 album Maestro celebrated his long career with guest spots from Los Lobos, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley and Ben Harper.  Legacy’s 2005 The Essential Taj Mahal offered a retrospective of his career.

Hit the jump for more on Hidden Treasures, plus the full track listing!

Mahal has commented of Hidden Treasures, “Throughout my more than 40 years of recording, I have always been an outside-the-box composer/musician/performer and not always understood by the music industry, so it gives me a phenomenal amount of personal pleasure to have Sony/Legacy reissue my whole catalog of music!  This is fabulous news for the legions of fans who have always been unfailingly loyal to me and this music we’ve shared for the duration of a wonderful and (thank you very much) still on-going career of touring and playing live for fans around the world!  This excitement is amplified even more for everyone (me included) by the first-time release of an excellent live concert from Royal Albert Hall in London, England and an an album of never before released studio musical gems! I’m thrilled that this music is finally coming to the light of day! So go for it babies! Listen and dance your (bleep) off to the music we love so much and glad there’s more where that came from! I made the music of my heart and y’all helped!”

The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973 arrives in stores from Legacy Recordings on August 21!  A pre-order link is not yet active, but we’ve linked to Amazon.com’s placeholder for the title, below!

Taj Mahal, The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973 (Legacy, 2012)

CD 1 – Studio

1. Chainey Do
2. Sweet Mama Janisse  (February 1970, Criteria Recording Studios)
3. Yan – Nah Mama – Loo
4. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day
5. I Pity the Poor Immigrant
6. Jacob’s Ladder
7. Ain’t Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo’)
8. Sweet Mama Janisse  (January 1971, Bearsville Recording Studios, Woodstock, NY)
9. You Ain’t No Streetwalker, Honey, But I Do Love the Way You Strut Your Stuff
10. Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl
11. Shady Grove
12. Butter

CD 2 – Royal Albert Hall: April 18, 1970

1. Runnin’ by the Riverside
2. John, Ain’t It Hard
3. Band Introduction
4. Sweet Mama Janisse
5. Big Fat
6. Diving Duck Blues
7. Checkin’ Up on My Baby
8. Oh, Susanna
9. Bacon Fat
10. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day

All tracks on CD 1 and CD 2 previously unreleased

1992′s Kiko was released some years after the band burst onto the scene with How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984) and their breakthrough contributions to the soundtrack to La Bamba in 1987. But many critics and fans – not to mention the band themselves – look highly on their work on Kiko, arguably the ultimate synthesis of the band’s diverse influences, from blues to country to Tex-Mex. It was hailed as the year’s best album by The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune, and the experimental video for “Kiko and The Lavender Moon” won an MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video.

Shout! Factory’s celebration of the album comes twofold: not only are they remastering and expanding the album with five unreleased bonus tracks, but they’re also releasing a live show from 2006, in which the band played the album in its entirety. That set, Kiko Live, will be released as a CD/DVD set or a CD/Blu-Ray package and will also feature bonus interviews about the making of the album.

All sets will be available on August 21. Preview the track lists after the jump!

Kiko: 20th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory, 2012)

1. Dream in Blue
2. Wake Up Dolores
3. Angels with Dirty Faces
4. That Train Don’t Stop Here
5. Kiko and the Lavender Moon
6. Saint Behind the Glass
7. Reva’s House
8. When the Circus Comes
9. Arizona Skies
10. Short Side of Nothing
11. Two Janes
12. Wicked Rain
13. Whiskey Trail
14. Just a Man
15. Peace
16. Rio de Tenampa
17. Whiskey Trail (Studio Demo)
18. Rio de Tenampa (Studio Demo)
19. Peace (Live @ Capitol Studios on NPR – 12/25/1992)
20. Arizona Skies/Borinquen Patria Mia (Live @ Capitol Studios on NPR – 12/25/1992)
21. Kiko and the Lavender Moon (Live @ Capitol Studios on NPR – 12/25/1992)

Kiko Live (Shout! Factory, 2012)

1. Dream in Blue
2. Wake Up Dolores
3. Angels with Dirty Faces
4. That Train Don’t Stop Here
5. Kiko and the Lavender Moon
6. Saint Behind the Glass
7. Reva’s House
8. When the Circus Comes
9. Arizona Skies
10. Short Side of Nothing
11. Two Janes
12. Wicked Rain
13. Whiskey Trail
14. Just a Man
15. Peace
16. Rio de Tenampa
17. Carabina 30-30
18. Volver Volver
19. La Bamba

All tracks recorded live at the House of Blues, San Diego – 2/24/2006

Who among us hasn’t been touched by the music of Donna Summer?  One of the defining voices of the disco era, Summer has been silenced today after a brave battle with cancer.  Yet the music of LaDonna Adrian Gaines, born on New Year’s Eve in 1948, will doubtless continue to transport us back to a time when vivacious music blared “On the Radio.”  Donna Summer implored us to take that “Last Dance” on the disco floor with some very “Bad Girls” in a nearly unrivalled string of hits.  She reminded us about that cake in the rain in a chart-topping remake of Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park,” and taught Barbra Streisand to have “No More Tears (Enough is Enough).”  Today, we remember the sublimely soulful, deeply dramatic Donna Summer.  Please share your memories of Donna Summer and her legacy of “Hot Stuff” below.

The Berkeley, California-based indie label trafficked in power pop and alt-rock stylings, with early acts including Earth Quake, The Rubinoos and Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers. Kihn, a Baltimore-born singer/songwriter living in Berkeley was an early signee, as well; his debut recording was released on the label’s first LP, the audaciously titled Beserkeley Chartbusters Vol. 1.

Despite the size of that claim, Kihn would indeed become the main (and by the ’80s, among the only) artist for the label, with huge hits in “The Break Up Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em),” which peaked at No. 15 in 1981, and “Jeopardy,” a No. 2 hit in 1983. (The latter was, of course, an early tune parodied by “Weird Al” Yankovic as “I Lost on Jeopardy.” Kihn even appeared in the video!)

The Greg Kihn Band stopped putting out records in 1986, a few years after Beserkley folded; Kihn now operates as a radio DJ in San Jose. Rhino issued a compilation of their work in 1989, and other labels have licensed the Beserkley catalogue in the decades since. The Riot label takes the reins on this new disc, which gathers 21 of the band’s best singles and album cuts for a new generation to enjoy.

The set is out now, and can be ordered after the jump.

The Greg Kihn Band, Best of Beserkley ’75-’84 (Riot, 2012)

1. All the Right Reasons
2. Any Other Woman
3. Madison Avenue Man
4. For You
5. Remember
6. Sorry
7. Rendezvous
8. In the Naked Eye
9. Moulin Rouge
10. The Break Up Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)
11. Valerie
12. Can’t Stop Hurtin’ Myself
13. When the Music Starts
14. Happy Man
15. Every Love Song
16. Testify
17. Jeopardy
18. Tear That City Down
19. Someday
20. Love Never Fails
21. Reunited

Track 1 from Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1 (Beserkley, 1975)
Track 2 from Greg Kihn (Beserkley, 1976)
Tracks 3-4 from Greg Kihn Again (Beserkley, 1977)
Tracks 5-6 from Next of Kihn (Beserkley, 1978)
Tracks 7-9 from With the Naked Eye (Beserkley, 1979)
Tracks 10-13 from Rockihnroll (Beserkley, 1981)
Tracks 14-16 from Kihntinued (Beserkley, 1982)
Tracks 17-20 from Kihnspiracy (Beserkley, 1983)
Track 21 from Kihntagious (Beserkley, 1984)

Another Kinks-size box is on the way.

Following the recent, well-received series of deluxe album reissues and the limited-edition Kinks in Mono box set, Universal U.K. and Sanctuary Records have announced the latest project celebrating the quintessentially English rockers.  Due on August 13, the 5-CD/1-DVD box set The Kinks at the BBC isn’t the first survey of the band’s BBC live recordings, but it’s by far the most comprehensive.  It has been compiled from all of the existing recordings made by The Kinks still residing in the British Broadcasting Corporation’s archives, and includes “a raft of sessions and live recordings from throughout the band’s career including the rare concert and unheard session recordings,” according to the label.  In addition to the five CDs’ worth of audio tracks, a DVD will present live appearances from programs including Top of the Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test.  And no fear!  If this is too much Kinks for you, a 2-CD “Best Of” distillation will also be offered.

Sanctuary first packaged the Kinks’ BBC recordings in 2001 as BBC Sessions 1964-1977 (06076 84504-2).  This 35-track compilation, remastered by Andy Pearce and Ray Davies himself, included many of the band’s most iconic songs like “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night” and “Waterloo Sunset.”  As the group’s early recordings were supplemented with seasoned session players, the live recordings often had a raw dimension that the more polished studio cuts lacked.  The Kinks’ association with the BBC was a long one, and especially in the early days, covers were played alongside originals.  As “You Really Got Me” was climbing to number one, the band recorded its first BBC session on September 7th, 1964 at London’s Playhouse Theatre.  The Kinks’ last BBC performance to date took place just over thirty years later, on October 8, 1994.  A total of 24 visits were made by the band to the media giant’s studios.

Hit the jump for details!

All of the band’s many faces were captured by the BBC.  The December 13, 1965 broadcast was the first to feature entirely self-penned songs, and although it was the eighth BBC session in roughly one year, it was also the group’s last for over year-and-a-half.  When the Kinks returned to the BBC in the summer of 1967, gutsy R&B and blues would take a backseat to the increasingly original songs being written by Ray Davies.  As “pop” was ceding to “rock” and artists exerting more control, artists became more reluctant to re-record hits for the radio.  The practice had begun due to what was called “needle time”:  due to an agreement between the BBC and the various unions, the playing of commercial recordings was extremely limited in order to ensure work for the BBC’s in-house engineers and musicians.  “Needle time,” too, was becoming a thing of the past.  When the Kinks entered the Beeb’s studios the same week The Village Green Preservation Society was released in November 1968, only the album’s title song was played live, with other selections from the actual album played in remixed or overdubbed form.  (The irony of the “needle time” practice is that it led to many remarkable performances from artists like The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix, all of whom have had BBC compilations released.)

BBC sessions became less frequent for the band in the 1970s.  A couple of sessions were recorded for legendary DJ John Peel, and as the BBC turned its attention to airing full “in concert” specials, the Kinks were naturally invited to participate.  The first such special arrived in July 1974, and a second one came three years later.  The Old Grey Whistle Test/Sight ‘n’ Sound 1977 Christmas Eve special was broadcast on Radio 1 and BBC 2 television.  Despite its success, The Kinks wouldn’t return to the BBC for a whopping seventeen years!

Still, this fertile and active period of recording from Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Mick Avory, Pete Quaife and their compatriots should provide quite the treasure trove for this exhaustive box set.  The Kinks at the BBC is due in the U.K. on August 13, and can be pre-ordered here at from Amazon U.K. for just £36.57 at the time of this writing.  (That’s roughly $58.26 in U.S. dollars at today’s exchange rate.)  Seeing how quickly The Kinks in Mono box set sold out last year, you might want to pre-order now!  A track listing has not yet been revealed by Sanctuary.  Watch this space for that information as it arrives from the label.

Musicologists and hardcore Diana fans know why without any explanation: Ross’ Central Park concert had the unfortunate circumstance of being schedule the same night a torrent of wind and rain blanketed the city. The ensuing concert special, airing on Showtime, captured a beautiful, almost surreal night, with Ross’ unique powerhouse persona – slender limbs outstretched to the sky, gleaming grin winding up a near-hysterical audience – as New York’s first line of defense against Mother Nature.

The incredible battle of wills, which crescendoed into an early end to the first concert and a quickly scheduled follow-up show on the following, drier night, has finally been captured on DVD. Diana Ross: Live in Central Park (Shout! Factory 826663-13128) is a heck of a collectible for her fan base, but does a pretty astounding job of crossing over into essential viewing for soul and R&B enthusiasts in general.

Diana Ross’ post-Supremes packaging may not be for everyone. Sometimes, it felt she vacillated too easily between soothing soul goddess and Norma Desmond-ish diva. (For younger readers, this is, not surprisingly, sort of how Michael Jackson carried himself, too.) But that almost obstinate resistance came in handy as the ’80s dawned, first with the release of the excellent, CHIC-produced diana in 1980 (on which Ross sounded as spirited as she had in the ’60s, with a decidedly modern twist), and then with the Central Park special Diana: For One and For All.

The 47-minute program, broadcast live to satellite on Showtime in the U.S., has the then-39-year-old star all but laughing in the face of the elements. She urges calm among her audience, and doesn’t shy away from anything. She insists on extending an onstage ramp to get closer to the crowd, and refuses to retreat from the increasing downpour. (The affable commentary on the special by Cable ACE-winning director Steve Binder only serves to perpetuate the idea that Diana’s attitude came less from a “come see about me” mindset and more from a need to entertain her fans.)

Funnily enough, the power of the rain-shortened concert almost makes the next night’s sunny full show an afterthought. But Diana’s energy hasn’t let up in the 24-hour gap between shows. (Another small treat for nostalgists: the recap of the previous show that starts the full feature, complete with clips of vintage New York newscasts.) Though the first third is ripe with the same emotional beats as the night before, the full show also gives us stellar performances of “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down,” as well as some choice covers (Michael Sembello’s “Maniac,” Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky,” a slight but spirited run-through on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”).

It’s hard to complain about having Diana Ross: Live in Central Park to add to our collections. (The transfer, it should be noted, is pretty great, with only a few artifacts toward the end of the original special and a clear transfer on the full concert.) If a little “love shower” couldn’t stop Miss Ross from putting on a hell of a show…well, who are we to argue?

The first twelve tracks on The Bell Recordings represent the complete 1971 Davy Jones album, on which Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield’s “Rainy Jane,” a No. 52 hit for the singer. (Sedaka’s own 1969 version achieved some measure of popularity in Australia in the period between his early RCA hits and Rocket Records comeback.) The Bell era is also notable for Jones’ appearance on the Brady Bunch episode “Getting Davy Jones,” but Jones also kept a high profile via television guest spots on Love American Style, Here Come the Brides and even The New Scooby-Doo Movies! Davy Jones was arranged and conducted by Al Capps, who also worked with Bobby Sherman, Andy Williams and Cher, and carried on the lighter sound of the Monkees’ repertoire rather than that band’s later sonic explorations. The twelve tracks from Davy Jones are augmented by six bonus tracks: the mono singles “Girl” b/w “Take My Love” and “I’ll Believe in You” b/w “Road to Love,” plus album tracks “How About Me” and “I Really Love You,” also both in mono.

UPDATE 5/16/12: Rhino Records announced today that a limited edition green vinyl single of Davy’s “Girl” and “Rainy Jane” will be released as a double A-side 7-inch single!  Only 1,000 copies of this limited edition release have been pressed!  “Girl/Rainy Jane” is available exclusively at Rhino.com and can be pre-ordered here!  It’s set to arrive on May 29 at Rhino.com.

Hit the jump to join Davy, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork as we dive into The Monkees’ Pool It! on Friday Music!

1987’s Pool It! marked the reunion of The Monkees, or at least three quarters of the group. As with the final 2011 reunion tour, Michael Nesmith sat out of Pool It!. Even sans Nesmith, the album managed to reach No. 72 on the Billlboard album charts. Its lead single, “Heart and Soul,” cracked the Hot 100 at No. 87, driven by a video which depicted the three Monkees being thawed out after a nearly 20-year freeze. A companion VHS, Heart and Soul, was billed as “The Official Monkee Videography,” promising “a behind-the-scenes look featuring music videos from their current album ‘Pool It!,’ interviews and a barrelful of special surprises.” Pool It! will be paired with Heart and Soul for Friday’s CD/DVD edition. The album itself drew primarily on material from outside writers, including Bobby Hart on “Long Way Home,” but Jones contributed “(I’ll) Love You Forever” and Peter Tork offered “Gettin’ In.” Similarly, session musicians (including Elvis Costello associates Roger Bechirian and Davey Faragher) handled most of the instrumental work on the album.

One more reunion album would follow, 1996’s Justus, which even enticed Nesmith back into the fold. But Pool It! remains a fun excursion back to the time when Monkeemania almost swept the 1980s! The new CD/DVD edition is expanded by two bonus tracks, the single remix of “Every Step of the Way” and the B-side of “Heart and Soul,” the live concert favorite “MGBGT.” Curiously, the live version of “(I’ll) Love You Forever,” the B-side of “Every Step of the Way” on Rhino single RNOR 74410/11 is absent.

Friday Music is promising that 2012 will be another big year for The Monkees, with a two-on-one CD release of Micky Dolenz’ Micky Puts You to Sleep and Broadway Micky, as well as 180-gram vinyl releases of Instant Replay and Justus all planned for summer release. Watch this space for more updates, and don’t miss Davy Jones’ The Bell Recordings 1971-1972 and The Monkees’ Pool It! in stores on April 24. You can pre-order below!

Davy Jones, The Bell Recordings 1971-1972 (Friday Music, 2012)

1. Road To Love
2. How About Me
3. Singin’ To The Music
4. Rainy Jane
5. Look At Me
6. Say It Again
7. I Really Love You
8. Love Me For A Day
9. Sitting In An Apple Tree
10. Take My Love
11. Pretty Little Girl
12. Welcome To My Love
13. Girl (Mono)
14. Take My Love (Mono)
15. I’ll Believe In You (Mono)
16. Road To Love (Mono)
17. How About Me (Mono)
18. I Really Love You (Mono)

Tracks 1-12 from Davy Jones, Bell LP 6067, 1971
Tracks 13-14 from Bell single 45-159, 1971
Tracks 15-16 from Bell single 45-178, 1972
Tracks 17-18 are mono bonus tracks

The Monkees, Pool It! Deluxe Edition (Rhino RNCD 70706, 1987 – reissued Friday Music, 2012)

CD: The Original Album plus 2 Bonus Tracks

1. Heart and Soul
2. (I’d Go The) Whole Wide World
3. Long Way Home
4. Secret Heart
5. Gettin’ In
6. (I’ll) Love You Forever
7. Every Step of the Way
8. Don’t Bring Me Down
9. Midnight
10. She’s Movin’ In With Rico
11. Since You Went Away
12. Countin’ on You
13. MGBGT (Live) (B-side of “Heart and Soul,” Rhino single RNOR 74408, 1987)
14. Every Step of the Way (45 Remix) (A-side of Rhino single RNOR 74410, 1987)

DVD

1. Heart and Soul: The Official Monkees Videography

Over at Intrada, fans got to enjoy a new entry in the label’s Special Collection series: Michael Small’s sexy, suspenseful score to The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981). Small’s soundtrack is released in full for the first time anywhere, featuring a handful of alternate cues intended for a soundtrack LP that never materialized.

Intrada’s second release is an interesting one: a reissue of the expanded score to Star Trek V: The Final Frontier by Jerry Goldsmith. As you may recall, La-La Land’s expansion of the album, which combined the complete score with the original soundtrack LP and bonus material, was a sellout not long after its limited release in 2010. Paramount apparently requested it be back in print in perpetuity – now, virtually every classic Trek soundtrack reissue of the past few years is now available in unlimited quantities – and so, with only minor changes in artwork, it can boldly go to your collection once more.

Varese dropped a crazy amount of titles on Tuesday, and you can read all about them after the jump!

In total, Varese Sarabande issued seven(!) titles this week. Four were part of the standard CD Club, but three are part of a new series: Varese Encore, limited, remastered releases of titles in the label’s 35-year library that have fallen out of print. No new material will be added to these sets; they’re just another chance for fans to own them. The inaugural titles in this series date to the ’80s: Miklos Rosza’s Eye of the Needle, Alan Silvestri’s Clan of the Cave Bear and Elmer Bernstein’s Amazing Grace and Chuck.

As for the Club titles, Varese offers a remaster of the original soundtrack album to the classic Chinatown by Jerry Goldsmith, another double-disc selection of scores to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (including music by Leonard Rosenman and Lalo Schifrin), the individual release of Bill Conti’s The Karate Kid Part III score (previously released as part of a box set) and Alien: A Biomechanical Symphony, a live CD/DVD of music from the Alien franchise recorded at the Fimucité conference in 2009.

And finally, La-La Land announced earlier today a limited, remastered reissue of the original soundtrack to the 1970 film/television adaptation (exhibited theatrically in Europe but aired on television in America) of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre starring George C. Scott and Susannah York and featuring a sweeping score by John Williams. While the masters for the complete score have long been missing, La-La Land has done well to press 2,000 copies of the original LP on CD. That title will be available next Tuesday, but the other titles are available at the links below – and the Varese sets are going fast!

Jerry Goldsmith, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: Music from the Motion Picture (Intrada MAF 7119, 2012 – original film released 1989)

Disc 1: Original Score

1. Nimbus III
2. The Mind-Meld
3. The Mountain (Main Title) *
4. The Big Drop
5. Raid on Paradise
6. Not Alone
7. Target Practice
8. A Tall Ship
9. Plot Course
10. No Harm
11. Approaching Nimbus III
12. Open the Gates
13. Well Done
14. Without Help
15. Pick It Up
16. No Authority
17. It Exists
18. Free Minds
19. The Birth
20. The Barrier *
21. A Busy Man
22. An Angry God
23. Let’s Get Out of Here (Part 1)
24. Let’s Get Out of Here (part 2)
25. Cosmic Thoughts
26. Life is a Dream (End Credits) *

Disc 2: Original Soundtrack LP and additional material

1. The Mountain *
2. The Barrier *
3. Without Help
4. A Busy Man
5. Open the Gates
6. An Angry God
7. Let’s Get Out of Here
8. Free Minds
9. Life is a Dream *
10. The Moon’s a Window to Heaven – Hiroshima
11. The Mountain (Main Title) (Alternate) *
12. A Busy Man (Alternate)
13. Paradise Saloon (Source)
14. The Moon’s a Window to Heaven (Film Version)
15. Vulcan Song/Row, Row, Row Your Boat (Instrumental Source)
16. Synclavier Effects

This set was first released as La-La Land Records LLLCD 1157, 2010. Disc 2, Tracks 1-10 released as Epic LP SE 45267, 1989. All other tracks previously unreleased. * denotes track which contains original Star Trek theme written by Alexander Courage.

Michael Small, The Postman Always Rings Twice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Intrada Special Collection Vol. 197, 2012 – original film released 1981)

1. Main Title
2. Frank in Room
3. Kitchen Love
4. Going to Chicago
5. Got to Have You, Frank
6. Fuse Box
7. Please Don’t Leave Me
8. Murder and Push Car
9. Doing It in the Dirt
10. We Do It
11. They Leave Courthouse
12. Thinking of Cora
13. You Know What I Learned
14. Suspense on Stairs
15. They Marry
16. Last Drive
17. Elegy for Cora
18. End Credits
19. Kitchen Love (Alternate)
20. Got to Have You, Frank (Long Version)
21. Beat Each Other Up (Alternate)
22. Cora Spits (Alternate)
23. Thinking of Cora (Album Version)
24. They Marry (Album Version)
25. Last Drive (Album Version)
26. La Donna E Mobile (Verdi, arr. Small)
27. La Ci Darem La Mano (Mozart, arr. Small)

All tracks on this disc previously unreleased

Jerry Goldsmith, Chinatown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande VCL 0512 1129, 2012 – original film released 1974)

1. Love Theme from “Chinatown” (Main Title)
2. Noah Cross
3. Easy Living
4. Jake and Evelyn
5. I Can’t Get Started - Bunny Berigan & His Orchestra
6. The Last of Ida
7. The Captive
8. The Boy on a Horse
9. The Way You Look Tonight
10. The Wrong Clue
11. J.J. Gittes (3:09)
12. Love Theme from “Chinatown” (End Title)

This disc previously released as ABC Records LP ABDP-848, 1974 and Varese Sarabande VCD-5677, 1995.

Various Artists, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Original Television Soundtrack, Volume 3 (Varese Sarabande VCL 0512 1130, 2012 – original episodes aired 1964-1965)

Disc 1

1. Main Title (Funeral March of a Marionette) – Charles Gonoud, arr. Bernard Herrmann
2. Suite 1 (Chapter Title/Scene One/Danielle/Steering Post/Poco Mort) – Lyn Murray
3. Suite 2 (Act II Opening/Laundry Bag/Inner Sanctum/Dummy #1/Dummy #2/Danielle Revisited/Blink) – Lyn Murray
4. Suite 3 (Act III Opening/Eulogy/Lawyer/Partner) – Lyn Murray
5. Suite 4 (Morris Bond/Mon Dragon/Bad Bourbon/End Title) – Lyn Murray
6. Suite 1 (A Lonely Place/Squirrel/Untitled/Tarnished Love/Cracker/Dirt Road) – Lyn Murray
7. Suite 2 (Black Hills/Gamboling Man/Georgia Knife/End Title) – Lyn Murray
8. Suite 1 (Songkhla/Taratao/Redang/Khota Baru/They Lied) – Lyn Murray
9. Suite 2 (Samui/Batu Pakat #1/Batu Pakat #2/Kuala/Star Song/Trengganv) – Lyn Murray
10. Suite 3 (Pyre/Ramna/Kuantan/Chukai/Kra/By Prayer) – Lyn Murray]
11. Suite 4 (Phangan/Grave Scene/Car #1/Car #2/End Title) – Lyn Murray
12. Suite 1 (On the Ledge/Mr. Smith/Ariane/Three Days) – Lyn Murray
13. Suite 2 (Private Place/Thanatos/Imminent Guest) – Lyn Murray
14. Suite 3 (Chancy Ride/Black Rider/Hot Pursuit #1/Hot Pursuit #2/Thanatos Bridge/Taped Vapor) – Lyn Murray
15. Suite 4 (Morning Surprise/All in My Mind/Sunset Blood/All in My Mind/End Title)

Disc 2

1. Suite 1 (Chapter Title/Concerned Helen/Photographer’s Studio/Note) – Leonard Rosenman
2. Suite 2 (Out of Commercial/Dejected Dorothy/Dorothy Watching/Dorothy Searching/Jack Shot) – Leonard Rosenman
3. Suite 3 (Card Game/Blood Bills/Elevator/Mrs. Clarvoe/Bad Girl, Helen/Dorothy’s Image) – Leonard Rosenman
4. Suite 4 (End Title) – Leonard Rosenman
5. Suite 1 (Memo from Purgatory/Malt Shop Twist/Philene/Purgatory Twist/Dark Room/I Volunteered) – Lalo Schifrin
6. Suite 2 (Initiation/Cool Off, Man/Candle/Jukebox/At Your Funeral/Let Flyers Do It) – Lalo Schifrin
7. Suite 3 (Escape/Baron’s Blues/End Title) – Lalo Schifrin
8. Suite 1 (Chapter Title/Barbara/Baldwin/Fight/Relaxing) – Benny Carter
9. Suite 2 (Madeline/Farnum/To Commercial #1) – Benny Carter
10. Suite 3 (Mexican Talk/Twisting Dial #1/Twisting Dial #2/Hacksaw/Farnum’s Desk/Killing Farnum) – Benny Carter
11. Suite 4 (Ernie’s Plan #1/Empty Office/Ernie’s Plan #2/Ernest & Judy Embrace/End Title) – Benny Carter
12. Suite 1 (Chapter Title/Frieda and Baby/To Commercial #1) – Leonard Rosenman
13. Suite 2 (Nervous Joyce/To Commercial #2) – Leonard Rosenman
14. Suite 3 (Dexter Leaving/Joyce Phones/Joyce Studies Newspaper/Joyce Reacts to Phone/To Commercial #3) – Leonard Rosenman
15. Suite 4 (Joyce Reacts to Doorbell/End Title) – Leonard Rosenman
16. End Title  (Funeral March of a Marionette) – Charles Gounod, arr. Bernard Hermann

All tracks previously unreleased.
Disc 1, Tracks 2-5 from “Who Needs an Enemy?” (May 15, 1964)
Disc 1, Tracks 6-7 from “Lonely Place” (November 16, 1964)
Disc 1, Tracks 8-11 from “Triumph” (December 14, 1964)
Disc 1, Tracks 12-15 from “Thanatos Place Hotel” (February 1, 1965)
Disc 2, Tracks 1-4 from “Beast in View” (March 20, 1964)
Disc 2, Tracks 5-7 from “Memo from Purgatory” (December 21, 1964)
Disc 2, Tracks 8-11 from “The Crimson Witness” (January 4, 1965)
Disc 2, Tracks 12-15 from “One of the Family” (February 8, 1965)

Bill Conti, The Karate Kid Part III: Original Motion Picture Score (Varese Sarabande VCL 0512 1131, 2012 – original film released 1989)

1. Main Title
2. Terry Silver
3. The Last Tree
4. Terry’s Next Move
5. The Hidden Tree
6. Terry Sneaks In
7. Mike States His Case
8. Getting the Tree
9. Jessica’s Slip
10. Daniel Signs Up
11. Miyagi’s Prayer
12. Daniel Submits
13. Miyagi’s Shut Out
14. Terry Owns Daniel
15. Jessica’s Kiss
16. Daniel’s Resolution
17. Miyagi Kicks Butt
18. Kata Training
19. Bonsai Prayer
20. The Final Blow

This disc was originally released as part of Varese Sarabande box set VCL 0307 1059-2, 2007

Miklos Rosza, Eye of the Needle: Original Motion Picture Score (Varese Sarabande VCL 0512 1132, 2012 – original film released 1981)

1. Prelude
2. English Wedding
3. The Blonde Agent/Blondie’s Death
4. Camouflage
5. Love Scene
6. The Fight
7. Passion/Love Theme
8. Frantic Drive/Despair
9. The Broken Heart/Revulsion
10. Escape
11. The Hostage/The Lamp
12. Retribution
13. Finale/Epilogue

This disc originally released as Varese Sarabande STV-81133, 1981 and on Varese Sarabande VCL-9101.9, 1991.

Elmer Bernstein, Amazing Grace and Chuck: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande VCL 0512 1133, 2012 – original film released 1987)

1. Home Town
2. Nukes
3. Amazing
4. Fun and Games
5. The Movement
6. Chuck and Dad
7. Good and Bad Guys
8. Decisions
9. Remembering Amazing
10. Dad and Sis
11. Steamroom
12. Final Victory
13. End Credits

This disc originally released as Varese Sarabande STV-81312/VCD-47285, 1987

Alan Silvestri, The Clan of the Cave Bear: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande VCL 0512 1134, 2012 – original film released 1986)

1. Main Title
2. The Bear Skull
3. Ayla Finds the Cave
4. Ayla Alone
5. The Glacier Trek
6. The Clan Finds Ayla
7. Creb on the Mountain
8. The Counting
9. Creb Gives Ayla Totem
10. Wolf Attack
11. The Vision
12. Iza’s Death
13. Caught
14. The Clan
15. Ayla Hugs Creb
16. The Rape
17. End Title

This disc was originally released as Varese Sarabande STV-81274/VCD-47252, 1986

John Williams, Jane Eyre: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (originally released as Capitol SW 749, 1970 – reissued La-La Land Records LLLCD 1214, 2012)

1. The Love Theme from “Jane Eyre”
2. Overture (Main Title)
3. Lowood
4. To Thornfield
5. Festivity at Thornfield
6. Grace Poole and Mason’s Arrival
7. Meeting
8. Thwarted Wedding
9. Across the Moors
10. Restoration
11. Reunion