Second Disc Records Label Kicks Off in March with Johnny Mathis’ “Complete Thom Bell Sessions,” Bob Crewe’s “Complete Elektra Recordings”

January 14, 2015 By Joe Marchese — 15 Comments

sdrecordsAs The Second Disc enters its fifth year as your go-to destination for classic music news and reviews, we’re excited to share our biggest news yet: a partnership with one of our favorite labels, Real Gone Music, to create Second Disc Records!

Since its founding in 2011, Real Gone has rescued music that might otherwise have languished in a dusty vault or relegated to digital download – music that lives up to the label’s name – in splendidly remastered and generously expanded editions. Real Gone embodies the same “something for everyone” spirit that we’ve always strived to represent here at The Second Disc; indeed, artists from Doris Day to Vanilla Fudge (and everybody in between!) have gotten the Real Gone treatment. One of our earliest features here was Reissue Theory, in which we would imagine how we might bring a vintage title back to life. Now, thanks to our amazing friends at Real Gone, we’re in a position to bring those reissue theories to life on compact disc. With our imprint, we intend to celebrate the artists, songwriters and producers who have shaped the sound of music and the soundtrack of our lives, in every genre and over every decade.

JohnnyMathisOur initial release slate in March 2015, co-produced by Real Gone Music’s Gordon Anderson and The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese, features a 2-CD complete compendium of the one and only Johnny Mathis’ musical collaborations with songwriter-producer-arranger-conductor and Philadelphia soul legend Thom Bell (The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Delfonics). The Complete Thom Bell Sessions boasts their 1973 classic I’m Coming Home, the 1977 “sequel” Mathis Is… in its worldwide CD debut, and a host of bonus tracks including Mathis and Bell’s 1991 reunion, other Mathis renditions of Bell classics, rare single versions, and previously unreleased instrumental mixes spotlighting Bell’s lush orchestrations!

Bob CreweThe Complete Thom Bell Sessions is joined by complete collection of “Fifth Season” Bob Crewe’s recordings for the Elektra label. The Complete Elektra Recordings marks the U.S. CD debuts for two albums, The Bob Crewe Generation’s disco extravaganza Street Talk (1976) and Crewe’s singer-songwriter gem Motivation (1977). We’ve expanded both albums with numerous rare, never-on-CD bonus singles. We promise that these two titles will be just the beginning.

We hope you’ll join us for the ride as we take The Second Disc into the next five years. We want your suggestions as to what albums you’d like to see get the Second Disc Records treatment, and thanks for your support of The Second Disc. Please click on the Second Disc Records tab above for full track listings and more details on both titles coming on March 10 plus a link to send us your suggestions and/or comments!

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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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15 thoughts on “Second Disc Records Label Kicks Off in March with Johnny Mathis’ “Complete Thom Bell Sessions,” Bob Crewe’s “Complete Elektra Recordings””

  1. Spencer Marquart

    Congrats. This is fantastic news Joe!! And I’m really enjoying the new page layout. Here’s to a wonderful new partnership with Real Gone Music!

    Reply
  3. Bob M

    Since you asked…

    Argent – Counterpoints (never on CD)
    Buckingham Nicks (ditto)
    Tranquility – Silver (ditto)
    Glencoe – Glencoe (on CD, but never the British release)

    Reply
  4. Kevin B.

    This is great news. I am so thrilled about the Johnny Mathins “Thom Bell” collection. Thom Bell is one of my favorite producers / song writers off all time. You can count on my support Joe! I am looking forward to what you and The Second Disc label have in store for all of us reissue fans.

    Reply
  5. Chuck

    Great new look and much continued success! I’d love to see an official “Buckingham Nicks” release with lotsa bonus tracks for making us wait all these years. I’ve never seen the Mac live, but very excited for Feb. 12th at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, can’t wait!

    Reply
  7. Jason

    Love the site, but can’t say I’m a fan of the new logo at all, and (sorry) the cover art for your first two releases would make a graphic artist cry. I do hope they are not the final versions.

    Reply
    1. Ricardo Amaral

      I agree. They do have some very kitschy elements that distract from the quality within. But Real Gone has never really done much quality work on that end (see the horrendous work on The Best of Stories cover and back cover). They should talk to Phil Smee for some tips…

      Reply
  8. Ricardo Amaral

    So now we have a channel to request releases, then? Such as most of the Doug Sahm albums from the 70s which were never re-releaesd on CD (Texas Tornados I believe never was) or John Fogerty first solo albuns (long out-of-print and excruciatingly expensive)…

    Reply
  9. Henry

    It would be wonderful to get the extended “Baby It’s Me” album by Diana Ross on CD, as well as “Funny Girl” by The Supremes. Both were “released” last year as digital downloads but not on CD…

    Reply
  10. Lawrence Schulman

    Congratulations to all at Second Disc. Just a note to say that your new logo is brilliant. Great design!!! Good luck with all your future endeavors.

    Lawrence Schulman

    Reply

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