Today, we’re spotlighting a number of reissues you might have missed from the Varese Sarabande label which arrived in the final weeks of 2014!

The 1977 coming-of-age drama One on One starred young Robby Benson as high school basketball star Henry, who must overcome obstacles – both romantic and academic – to get through his freshman year of college.  The score was provided by Charles Fox (“Happy Days,” “Ready to Take a Chance Again”) who also collaborated on a number of songs for the movie with Paul Williams.  The film’s songs were performed by the soft-rock duo of Seals and Crofts and released on a Warner Bros. Records soundtrack album.  That LP, featuring the No. 28 Pop/No. 11 AC hit “My Fair Share (The Love Theme from One on One),” was briefly available on CD from Wounded Bird, and has now been reissued and newly remastered (by Steve Massie) on Varese.  The 14-track album features both Fox’s bright, melodic score cues and Seals and Crofts’ songs such as “This Day Belongs to Me,” “John Wayne,” “Love Conquers All” and “Hustle.”  Alas, the LP’s bootleg-style artwork has been retained, but this is one book (or album) that shouldn’t be judged by its cover!

Today, Danny Elfman is best-known for his film score work; indeed, an entire style of composition can be thought of as “Elfman-esque” – think his memorable themes for Batman, Beetlejuice or The Nightmare Before Christmas).  But before becoming Tim Burton’s favorite score composer, Elfman was known for his work in the new wave band Oingo Boingo.  Danny released his first solo album, the aptly-titled So-Lo, in 1984 on MCA Records…but despite that title, he was actually backed on the LP by the Boingo line-up of Steve Bartek on guitar, Rich Gibbs and Paul Fox on synthesizers, Johnny “Vato” Hernandez on drums and percussion, Kerry Hatch on bass, Leon Schneiderman on baritone sax, Sam “Sluggo” Phillips on tenor, and Dale Turner on trumpet and trombone.  The sound of So-Lo was much mellower and more laid-back than the typical Oingo Boingo album.  In an interview excerpted in the new liner notes by Jerry McCulley, Elfman admits that he “designed it so that there was no ‘solo career’ – there was no tour, and I divided up the songwriting royalties among the band so that if it was a big hit, they’d all participate.”  Of course, Elfman’s music career took him in a different direction than that of a singer-songwriter, but So-Lo stands as a fine taste of what might have been.  Varese has expanded the album by one track, the single edit of “Gratitude” as heard on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack.

South African-born Trevor Rabin followed his landmark 1982-1994 stint as guitarist and vocalist for prog-rock legends Yes with an artistic rebirth as a film composer for such movies as National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Snakes on a Plane and Grudge Match.  Rabin’s 2003 release Live in L.A. was originally released on Voiceprint Records.  Recorded at Los Angeles’ Roxy Theatre on the final night of Rabin’s 1989 tour for his Bob Ezrin-produced album Can't Look Away, the album featured such Yes hits as “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “Love Will Find a Way” plus material from Can’t Look Away such as the anti-apartheid title track.  Rabin was joined by a band including another film score composer, Mark Mancina, on keyboard, plus Lou Molino III on drums/percussion and Jim Simmons on bass.  Varese’s reissue, mastered by Chas Ferry at Rock Talk Studios, has new liner notes from Jerry McCulley and one previously unissued bonus track, “Solly’s Beard.”

Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers released his most recent solo album in 2007.  Damn Near Righteous was the first solo release in over a decade from the “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” singer, and featured both original songs and familiar ones.  But the album on the Westlake Records label quickly disappeared.  Varese has given it a second chance in a new reissue.  Though Medley’s deep voice had become a bit rougher in the years since The Righteous Brothers’ heyday, he still delivered in recognizable, blues-inflected style on Doc Pomus’ “Lonely Avenue,” Earl King’s “Trick Bag” and a stripped-down rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman.”  A haunting, dark duet on The Beach Boys’ “In My Room” found Medley joined by not only Brian Wilson but the legendary, now-departed Phil Everly.   The album’s producers Steve Dorff and Shayne Fair also provided some new material including the touching tribute to Medley’s late Righteous partner Bobby Hatfield, “California Goodbye.”  Varese’s reissue of this lost gem by one of rock’s most famed vocalists lacks the bonus behind-the-scenes DVD that accompanied the original release, but adds a bonus track, “Blue Denim Blues.”

Texas-born singer-songwriter Shawn Phillips has enjoyed a long and illustrious career with highlights including a series of well-received albums released on the A&M label between 1970 and 1977 and his performance of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s haunting title theme to Lost Horizon in 1973.  Though Phillips’ output as of the 1980s has become more sporadic, he’s continued to make music.  Infinity, which has recently arrived on Varese, was recorded in 1989 using what Phillips deemed the “Infinity Device.” The “Infinity Device” was a collection of pre-MIDI Analog Synthesizers and drum modules which allowed the troubadour to perform alone while generating a large, band sound.  Three tracks on the album produced by Chas “Chuck” Ferry at Cherokee Studios feature no overdubbing whatsoever, while  other tracks feature additional (keyboard/piano) parts played simultaneously by Elmo Peeler. Each track was recorded in one take.   Infinity is the only studio recording of Phillips performing with the Infinity Device.  The artist provides new liner notes for this first-time release.

Varese has rescued the 1971 Blue Thumb album by the British duo Mark-Almond.  Jon Mark (vocals/guitar/drums) and John Almond (vocals/woodwinds/vibes/percussion) both departed the ranks of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1970 to form Mark-Almond.  Both men had strong pedigrees: Mark had co-produced early recordings for Marianne Faithfull with none other than Mick Jagger, while Almond was a veteran of Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and The Alan Price Set.  Incorporating rock, folk and jazz influences, and almost entirely composed by Mark, Mark-Almond attracted attention from Rolling Stone.  Ben Fong-Torres even reported that the opening song “The Ghetto” had attracted the attention of Elvis Presley (who, of course, scored a hit with “In the Ghetto”).  Mark-Almond recorded two albums for Blue Thumb, of which this was the first; the duo then moved on to other labels including Columbia.  Two tracks have been added to Mark-Almond: the single versions of “The City” and “The Ghetto.”  Jerry McCulley has written new notes, and Steve Massie has remastered.

The next year of 1972, a very different band made a splash on the Warner Bros. label.  Malo, led by Arcelio Garcia and Carlos’ brother Jorge Santana, scored a Top 20 hit single on its very first album with “Suavecito,” co-written by the band’s timbales player, Richard Bean.  The self-titled debut of the band has been reissued by Varese in an edition adding the single edit of “Suavecito.”  With its big, brash horn and percussion sound courtesy of some 10-plus players (eight formally named on the album as band members plus guests Victor Pantoja and the legendary Coke Escovedo), Malo was closer in spirit to Chicago or Blood, Sweat and Tears than to Santana.  Producer David Rubinson brought out the best in the group, channeling its Latin influences into a rock-jazz stew on the album’s six lengthy songs.  Varese’s reissue of Malo’s debut features A. Scott Galloway’s new essay and remastering by Steve Massie.

The final release in this group hails from the New York City metal outfit Riot.  Varese has reissued and expanded the band’s third album – and last one with original vocalist Guy Speranza – Fire Down Under.  Originally released in 1981 on Elektra, Fire cracked the Billboard albums chart at No. 99 and today remains a high point in the band’s catalogue as well as its best-selling LP.  Speranza is joined on the LP by Mark Reale and Rick Ventura on guitar, Kip Leming on bass and Sandy Slavin on drums.  Fire has a checkered history, with Capitol Records declining to issue the album (allegedly for being too heavy) and Elektra swooping in to save the day.  The album was reissued on CD in 1997 by the German High Vaultage label, utilizing a new remix by album producer Steve Loeb, and again in 1999 by Metal Blade Records in the U.S. with the original Elektra mix.  Varese’s reissue, featuring a new essay by Larry R. Watts, presents the original Elektra version of the album and adds the same two bonus tracks heard on the 1999 reissue: outtakes “Misty Morning Rain” and “You’re All I Needed Tonight.”  It should be mentioned that, like most of the albums mentioned here, Fire Down Under features a great recreation of the original label (in this case, Elektra) on the CD itself.

All of the above titles are available now and can be ordered at the links below!

Seals and Crofts, Sing the Songs from the Original Motion Picture Sound Track: One on One (Warner Bros. BS 3076, 1977 – reissued Varese Sarabande 302 067 262 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Love Theme from One on One (My Fair Share)
2. The Day Belongs to Me
3. Janet’s Theme
4. John Wayne
5. Picnic
6. Flyin’
7. Reflections
8. Love Conquers All
9. It’ll Be Alright
10. Hustle
11. Time Out
12. The Party
13. The Basketball Game
14. The Day Belongs to Me (Reprise)

Danny Elfman, So-Lo (MCA 5534, 1984 – reissued Varese Sarabande 302 067 300 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Gratitude
2. Cool City
3. Go Away
4. Sucker for Mystery
5. It Only Makes Me Laugh
6. The Last Time
7. Tough as Nails
8. Lightning
9. Everybody Needs
10. Gratitude (Single Edit) (MCA single 52560, 1984)

Bill Medley, Damn Near Righteous (Westlake Records, 2007 – reissued Varese Sarabande 302 067 304 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Sit Down and Hurt
2. Trick Bag
3. Something Blue
4. Lonely Avenue
5. In My Room (with Brian Wilson and Phil Everly)
6. Hurt City
7. Just Like a Woman
8. I’ll Find Someone Who Will
9. Beautiful
10. Two Lives (Introduction)
11. Two Lives
12. Rock My Baby (with McKenna Medley)
13. California Goodbye
14. Blue Denim Blues (bonus track)

Shawn Phillips, Infinity (Varese Sarabande 302 067 276 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. For the Lost and Lonely
2. Crown of Love
3. I’m a Little Bit Older
4. Early in the Night
5. Everybody Gets Out Alive
6. I Will Never Leave
7. Money Dance
8. Infinity (Instrumental)

Trevor Rabin, Live in L.A. (Voiceprint VP 256CD, 2003 – reissued Varese Sarabande 302 067 230 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Cover Up
2. Sorrow (Your Heart)
3. Heard You Cry Wolf
4. Changes
5. Eyes of Love
6. Love Will Find a Way
7. Sludge
8. I Can’t Look Away
9. Owner of a Lonely Heart
10. Something to Hold On To
11. Solly’s Beard (previously unreleased)

Mark-Almond, Mark-Almond (Blue Thumb BTS 27, 1971 – reissued Varese Sarabande 302 067 302 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. The Ghetto
2. The City: Grass and Concrete/Taxi to Brooklyn/Speak Easy It’s a Whiskey Scene
3. Tramp and the Young Girl
4. Love: Renaissance/Prelude/Pickup/Hotel Backstage
5. Song for You
6. The City (Single Edit) (Blue Thumb 201, 1971)
7. The Ghetto (Single Edit) (Blue Thumb 201, 1971)

Malo, Malo (Warner Bros. 2584, 1972 – reissued Varese Sarabande 320 067 260 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Pana
2. Just Say Goodbye
3. Café
4. Nena
5. Suavecito
6. Peace
7. Suavecito (Single Edit) (Warner Bros. 7605, 1972)

Riot, Fire Down Under (Elektra 5E-546, 1981 – reissued Varese Sarabande 302 067 261 8, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Swords and Tequila
2. Fire Down Under
3. Feel the Same
4. Outlaw
5. Don’t Bring Me Down
6. Don’t Hold Back
7. Altar of the King
8. No Lies
9. Run for Your Life
10. Flashbacks
11. Misty Morning Rain (first issued on Metal Blade CD 3984-14233-2, 1999)
12. You’re All I Needed Tonight (first issued on Metal Blade CD 3984-14233-2, 1999)