For its 60th anniversary year, Universal Music Enterprises has begun reminding fans that "Motown Did It First"; now, the label that launched The Sound Of Young America is revisiting a box set that was released in celebration of its 50th anniversary a decade ago. Motown: The Complete No. 1s is being reissued and expanded on June 28. Motown: The Complete No. 1s featured more than 200 international chart-toppers, plus a handful of bonus masters that went to No. 1 through cover versions or
Force Majeure: Tangerine Dream Classics, Outtakes, and Surround Mixes Abound on “In Search of Hades” Box
Tangerine Dream was among the "true pioneers of electronic and ambient music, and the albums they recorded for Virgin Records between 1973 and 1979 remain classics of the genre" - so says progressive rocker and remixer extraordinaire, Steven Wilson. And he should know, as Wilson has been heavily involved in a Tangerine Dream box set that spotlights the era, entitled In Search of Hades: The Virgin Recordings 1973-1979. Due from UMC/Virgin on June 14, In Search of Hades celebrates Tangerine
Release Round-Up: Week of April 19
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Rolling Stones, HONK [Various Formats] (Interscope) 1-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3-CD deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP standard: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP Target-exclusive blue vinyl: Target.com 4-LP deluxe color vinyl: The Rolling Stones' Online Shop Various music/apparel bundles: The Rolling Stones' Online Shop Honk is a new compilation album from The Rolling Stones that
Simply Love You: Mike McGear’s Wings-Backed Album “McGear” Expanded With Bonus Tracks and DVD
Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings has announced the June 28 release of one of the most anticipated Beatles-related reissues: an expanded, remastered 2-CD/DVD edition of Mike McGear's McGear album. The 1974 album was produced by McGear's brother Paul McCartney who also wrote or co-wrote the majority of the tracks. Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Denny Seiwell also appear on McGear, which has been dubbed by some fans as a "lost Wings album." McGear follows Esoteric's previous
Many a New Day: Decca Broadway Relaunches Label with “Oklahoma!,” “Tootsie”
If any single album could be said to have given birth to the concept of the original Broadway cast recording as we know it, that album would be Decca Records' 1943 preservation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! with its original stars Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, and Celeste Holm. Decca's Jack Kapp envisioned a release that would allow listeners across the nation to take Oklahoma! to their own homes, a true souvenir album that captured the energy and excitement of the smash production and
Mardi Gras In New Orleans: Macca-Sponsored Professor Longhair Concert “Live On The Queen Mary” Available on CD and LP
In March of 1975, Professor Longhair, the New Orleans blues singer and piano player extraordinaire, gave a concert aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner at a special Venus and Mars album release party organized by Paul McCartney and Wings in Long Beach, CA. Three years later, a recording of the concert was released on Harvest Records. On Friday, April 5, Live On The Queen Mary arrived back on shelves, reissued by Harvest and MPL in a number of configurations: CD, 2-LP, and a special "Long Live
Shower the People: James Taylor’s “One Man Band” Comes to Vinyl in June
For more than 50 years, the voice of James Taylor has been that of an old friend, offering warmth, comfort, and reassurance in song. While the singer-songwriter hasn't released a new album in four years, he's been a welcome presence on the road. Now, the recording of one of his most beloved tours is coming to vinyl for the first time from Craft Recordings. On June 7, the label will bring Taylor's 2007 One Man Band to a 2-LP set. Housed in a gatefold jacket, it's been mastered by Ryan Smith
Only Wanna Be With You: Hootie and the Blowfish Celebrate 25th Anniversary of “Cracked Rear View” With Deluxe Reissues
'90s pop superstars Hootie and the Blowfish are set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 21x platinum smash Cracked Rear View with a 2-CD Expanded Edition and 3-CD/DVD Deluxe Edition. Both configurations are due from Rhino on May 31 and boast a wealth of unreleased and hard-to-find content. The classic album was originally recorded at L.A.'s NRG Studios with Don Gehman producing. The result was an infectious collection that spawned four successful singles ("Hold My Hand," "Only Wanna Be
Keep Talking: Pink Floyd’s “The Division Bell” Arriving on Blue Vinyl for 25th Anniversary
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Pink Floyd's The Division Bell. The album saw the post-Waters lineup of David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason reuniting to create a decidedly more organic, integrated work than their previous release, A Momentary Lapse of Reason. The resulting album reached No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K., and inspired a successful world tour and concert album the following year. On June 7, Pink Floyd Records will release a special, 25th anniversary edition of The
Release Round-Up: The Second Disc’s 2019 Record Store Day Must-Haves
Looking for our usual Release Round-Up? Alas, there's not much new in the way of catalogue music this Friday (and we've already filled you in on Billy Paul and Leon Russell!), but for a very good reason: tomorrow sees releases a-plenty as part of Record Store Day! Without further ado, welcome to our annual rundown of Must-Haves for this year's RSD event! Once you're through reading, let us know what you're most looking forward to picking up tomorrow at your favorite local independent
A Song For You: Leon Russell’s “Live at Gilley’s” Returns to CD, Vinyl For Record Store Day Weekend
Leon Russell may have been The Master of Time and Space, but he wasn't averse to being down to earth, either. Between 1979 and 1981, Russell teamed with the bluegrass band New Grass Revival for what he deemed "rhythm and bluegrass." 1981's The Live Album, recorded at Pasadena, California's Perkins Palace, preserved their collaboration. Some 19 years later, another live album emerged: Live at Gilley's. Recorded in Mickey Gilley's honky-tonk (as memorably immortalized in Urban Cowboy) in
Fresh and Sweet: Carole King Concert Unearthed On “Live At Montreux 1973”
Carole King's lasting legacy as a singer and songwriter has been revitalized in recent years by compilations, an autobiography, and - most recently - the still-ongoing, Tony Award-winning jukebox musical Beautiful. One thing that's been notably absent? Previously unreleased content. With the exception of the excellent 2012 vault dive The Legendary Demos, and a few odd bonus tracks on reissues, King's archive has remained largely untouched. To the delight of fans worldwide, that will soon
The Whole Town’s Talking: SoulMusic Anthologizes Best of Billy Paul On New 2-CD Set
The late Billy Paul was one of the first and brightest stars in the Philadelphia International Records firmament. His very first studio album - 1968's rather misleadingly titled Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club - was the second ever release on the Gamble label, a precursor to PIR, while Going East was the very first ever LP released on PIR. The husky-voiced baritone remained with the label through the 1970s, and then recorded just a couple of albums for independent labels in the 1980s. Billy
Review: Nat “King” Cole, “Ultimate Nat King Cole” and “International Nat King Cole” [UPDATED]
March 17, 2019 would have been Nat "King" Cole's 100th birthday. While the man born Nathaniel Adams Coles only lived to the age of 45, he more than earned his royal moniker over his three decades of performing. He paved the way for African-American artists as the first black man to host a nationwide television variety show, and quietly but devotedly crusaded for civil rights. At the time of his death, at the height of Beatlemania, he was selling some seven million records a year. The Cole
Never Give Up, Never Surrender: Real Gone To Debut the Soundtracks to “Galaxy Quest” and “American Beauty” on Vinyl in May
Next month, Real Gone is debuting two films scores on vinyl. Both hail from 1999 and feature the work of brothers David and Thomas Newman. The siblings are also famously the sons of noted film composer Alfred Newman and cousins to Randy Newman. First up, coming out on May 3, is David Newman's score to Galaxy Quest. Directed by Dean Parisot, the film is an affectionate send-up of the original Star Trek series (both on and off-screen). Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman,
Feelin’ Alright: Traffic’s Classic Recordings Collected in Vinyl Box Set, “The Studio Albums: 1967-1974”
During the mid-1960s and early 1970s, British rock group Traffic made some of the most creative and pioneering music of the day. The band was led by ex-Spencer Davis Group singer and guitarist Steve Winwood and featured Jim Capaldi on drums, Chris Wood on woodwinds, and at various times, Dave Mason on guitar and assorted Indian instruments, Rebop Kwaku Baah on percussion, Rosko Gee on bass, and members of the Muscle Shoals studio band, among others. From 1967 to 1974, Traffic navigated through
Flip The Switch: Complete Rolling Stones Show From 1998, “Bridges To Bremen,” Due June 21
Twenty years since it was originally aired, The Rolling Stones' 1998 concert film Bridges To Bremen will finally be released as part of the band's ongoing archive series from Eagle Vision on June 21 . It captures the complete September 2, 1998 show from Germany's Weserstadion show, recorded on The Rolling Stones' final leg of their tour supporting the Bridges To Babylon album. The Bridges To Babylon tour was a landmark in live Rolling Stones history. For one, it was the first tour to
And I Never Knew: Ace Collects Rare, Unreleased Tommy Hunt on “The Complete Man”
One of the brightest stars in the uptown soul firmament, Tommy Hunt, has just been celebrated by Ace's Kent Records on a new collection filled with rare and previously unheard material. The Complete Man: 60s NYC Soul Songs follows up the label's The Biggest Man with a second dip into his recordings for New York indie Scepter Records as well as Capitol, Atlantic, and Dynamo. Born in 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tommy Hunt's family settled in Chicago during his formative years. But
One Night Only: Smithsonian Folkways Celebrates 50 Years of “Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,” Box Set Due in May
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, or simply "Jazz Fest," as it's become known, is more than a gathering of musicians performing for a crowd. Since its founding, it's become a cultural event; an annual celebration of the unique music, art, food, and people of New Orleans and beyond, with acts ranging from jazz, rock, pop, country, blues, and more. To celebrate the festival's fiftieth year, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has announced the May 10 release of Jazz Fest: The New Orleans
Short Takes, Broadway Edition: Stage Door Celebrates Alfred Drake, Kritzerland Reissues “Streets of New York” and More
With his rich baritone and intense looks, Alfred Drake (1914-1992) defined the classic Broadway leading man. Originating roles in such landmark musicals as Oklahoma!, Kiss Me Kate, and Kismet, Drake won Tony and Drama Critics Awards, and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. But despite his many appearances on cast recordings, Drake has never headlined a solo CD...until now. The U.K.'s Stage Door label has announced the April 26 release (May 3 in North America) of Lucky to Be Me: A Life
New Sunrise: Simple Minds Celebrates 21st Century Albums with “Rejuvenation 2001-2014” CD/DVD Box
Simple Minds' Rejuvenation 2001-2014 - previously released on LP in 2018 - is now available as a 7CD/1-DVD box set, courtesy of Edsel. The set boasts expanded versions of five of the band's 21st century albums: Neon Lights (2001), Cry (2002), Black and White 050505 (2005), Graffiti Soul (2009) and Big Music (2014). Fans can expect 25 bonus tracks, as well, including the hard-to-find covers set Searching For the Lost Boys, which was previously a bonus disc housed with Graffiti Soul. There's
Release Round-Up: Week of April 5
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! David Bowie, Spying Through a Keyhole: Demos and Unreleased Songs (Parlophone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Spying Through a Keyhole: Demos and Unreleased Songs is the new box set with four seven-inch vinyl singles of some of Bowie's earliest material. It will feature nine rare, monaural recordings, including mostly solo vocal-and-guitar versions of familiar songs ("Space Oddity" in its earliest known version, "London Bye Ta Ta,"
Beat The Clock: Sparks Celebrate 40 Years Of ‘No. 1 In Heaven’ With CD, Vinyl Reissue
Ron and Russell Mael have always open to musical influences. Over the course of their four-decade career as Sparks, the art-pop legends have traversed genres and influenced generations. The L.A.-based Mael brothers formed their first group, Halfnelson, in 1970 and eventually landed a deal with Bearsville Records. At Bearsville, Todd Rundgren produced their self-titled debut album. Three years later, the band had rechristened themselves Sparks and caught the attention of the music press and a
It’s A Good Thing: Cherry Red Collects The Complete Plastic Penny with Future Elton John Drummer Nigel Olsson
Nowadays, drummer extraordinaire Nigel Olsson can be found behind the kit for Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, supporting the same superstar artist with whom he's been associated for nearly fifty years. Before his association with Elton, however, Nigel was plying his trade as one-fifth of Plastic Penny, a group which briefly straddled the worlds of pop, R&B, and underground psychedelia. The band also boasted future members of UFO, Cochise, and The Troggs. Cherry Red's
Don’t Wait Till Tomorrow: Blixa Sounds Collects Robin Lane and the Chartbusters’ Complete Recordings on “Many Years Ago”
Since its founding last year, Blixa Sounds has championed the rare and hard-to-find, with reissues of material by the likes of Robbie Dupree, Stephen Bishop, Linda Clifford, and Chris Darrow & Max Buda (see our coverage of the latter here!) Now, the label has compiled a one-stop-shop collection of tracks by Robin Lane & The Chartbusters with Many Years Ago: The Complete Robin Lane & The Chartbusters Collection. The 3-CD set brings together a whopping 52 tracks, spanning all of the
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