Gone, Baby, Real Gone: New Label From Collectors’ Choice and Hep Cat Founders To Launch November 8

It was a mere three weeks ago that we reported on the formation of Real Gone Music, a new venture between Collectors’ Choice Music’s Gordon Anderson and Hep Cat Records’ Gabby Castellana.  That announcement generated a great deal of excitement around these parts, and you can read that initial story (along with the spirited discussion that ensued) at the link above.  Well, we’re bursting at the seams to pass on the news that Real Gone is up and running!

On August 26, Real Gone Music updated its website, complete with a spiffy logo and the news that its first batch of releases would be coming November 8, with details to come “VERY soon,” natch.  A July 31 posting at the site indicates the label’s only criteria for a potential reissue candidate: “What makes a piece of music real gone? It can be from any era, any genre, from superstar acts or the most esoteric artist—but if it’s REAL GONE, it’s an essential recording coming to you with excellent sound and packaging, designed to make you feel like you did the first time you bought an album or single at your local record store.”

Real Gone is the brainchild of Anderson and Castellana, two music lovers from Ohio with a wealth of experience in the reissue business.  The label plans on “licensing repertoire from major and independent labels, artist estates and other sources for release on CD, vinyl and digital formats,” according to co-founder Anderson.  He hails from Collectors’ Choice Music, the label he founded.  (Collectors’ Choice still operates as a retail/catalogue concern only, having suspended its label operations.)  Castellana founded roots-rock, rockabilly and punk specialist label Hepcat, which was sold to Collectors’ Choice back in 2005. 

Hit the jump for more on this exciting new label!

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Real Gone’s first releases will arrive on November 8.  It should be an auspicious debut, too.  It doubtless will raise more than a few eyebrows here at The Second Disc that Anderson and Castellana plan for a release calendar featuring about ten, count ‘em, ten titles per month!  The reason for such an ambitious slate?  “Because there is still a lot of music out there to rediscover, savor and celebrate.”  Amen, brothers!

You may visit Real Gone Music to utilize the label’s Suggestion Box and sign up for its newsletter, as well.  And stay tuned here to The Second Disc for news on what November will bring from Real Gone!

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Joe Marchese
Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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0 thoughts on “Gone, Baby, Real Gone: New Label From Collectors’ Choice and Hep Cat Founders To Launch November 8”

  1. Best wishes to this effort.

    Thank you to Anderson and Castellana for their past work.

    How about more efforts to reissue uncollected singles and “one-offs” from compilation albums and tributes?

  2. I’m guessing that not even these guys will be able to get “Buckingham Nicks” released.

    Yes, that was my way of challenging them to do so.

  3. Another good one, that I’m also guessing won’t happen anytime soon, is the self-titled solo album from John Fogerty (the one with “Rockin’ All Over the World” and “Almost Saturday Night).

    All of his other stuff, even the original Blue Ridge Rangers album, has been reissued except for “John Fogerty.” Even on Fogerty compliation albums, both “Rockin’ ” and “Saturday” are represented by more recent live versions. I

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