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.
I want Aretha!
I won a previous prize (Judas Priest), but wasn’t aware of it – I sent you guys my address on FB – could you please look into this?? Thanks.
I think if Otis had lived into the late 60s, he would have been a mega-star! I can envision that he would have been THE breakout artist at Woodstock, even bigger than Sly Stone! He would have been the true “King” of Soul. And, of course, Aretha will never relinquish her title as “Queen.” God bless them both. Our lives are richer because of them.
I think Otis’s legacy has grown exponentially over the years, so even though he died very young, he put so much great material down and made such a formidable impact in that short span that, I think to informed music fans, he’s one of the most important and essential soul artists of all time. He certainly is to me! In fact, when I think of the term “soul,” his is usually the first face I see in my mind. I don’t care how many times I hear a song of his–and, believe you me, I listen to him frequently–his singing ALWAYS send a chill bolting up and down my spine. I can’t think of any other artist, in any genre, I can really say that about. God bless him indeed!!!!!