Welcome to another New Release Friday, and today’s Release Round-Up!

Dusty Springfield, Come for a Dream: The U.K. Sessions 1970-1971  (Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Earlier this year, Real Gone released Faithful – a collection of Dusty Springfield’s complete sessions with producer-songwriter Jeff Barry, compiled for the first time as originally envisioned on one disc.  Now, the label has turned its attention to Dusty’s 1970-1971 London sessions intended for the album See All Her Faces but eventually released on numerous collections and box sets over the years.  For the very first time, every one of the tracks Dusty recorded in London during that two-year period has been collected on one disc in newly remastered sound.  Come for a Dream: The U.K. Sessions 1970-1971 presents some of Dusty’s rarest music in context, as you’ve never heard it before.  One track, Spike Milligan’s “Goodbye,” makes its U.S. CD debut and second appearance anywhere following its premiere on the 2011 U.K.-only Goin’ Back box set.  I’ve written the new liner notes for this one-of-a-kind collection.

Ben E. King, The Complete Atco/Atlantic Singles Vol. 1-1960-1966 (2-CD Set) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / Robbie Robertson/Alex North, Carny-Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / Mike Bloomfield & Nick Gravenites, Steelyard Blues-Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture(Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / Jorge Ben, Ben (Limited Mini LP Sleeve Edition) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The rest of Real Gone’s slate for today is equally exciting, with the first volume of a complete compendium of Ben E. King’s Atco and Atlantic singles; two rare soundtracks from rock legends; and a limited edition replica CD of Brazilian legend Jorge Ben’s 1972 breakthrough!  Note that Real Gone’s first-time-on-CD reissue of Lesley Gore’s MoWest album Someplace Else Now has been delayed for one short week, to August 14!  Read about all of this week’s Real Gone titles here.

Simon and Garfunkel, The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

This lavish new box set contains 180-gram remastered vinyl editions (from the original analog tapes) of the following six LPs:

1. Wednesday Morning, 3.A.M. (originally released October 19, 1964, Columbia Records)
2. Sounds Of Silence (originally released January 17, 1966, Columbia Records)
3. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (originally released October 10, 1966, Columbia Records)
4. Bookends (originally released April 3, 1968, Columbia Records)
5. Bridge Over Troubled Water (originally released January 26, 1970, Columbia Records)
6. Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits (originally released June 14, 1972, Columbia Records)

Simon and Garfunkel. The Concert in Central Park (Legacy)

CD/DVD Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
180-Gram Vinyl LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Simon and Garfunkel’s now-legendary reunion concert of September 19, 1981 at New York’s Central Park has been newly-remastered for release on 180-gram vinyl and as part of a CD/DVD set.

Elvis Presley, Today: Legacy Edition (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Legacy Recordings and RCA continue their series of Legacy Edition expansions of The King’s classic catalogue with this 2-CD remaster of 1975’s Today.    This 40th anniversary release contains the original album featuring the hit single “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” and 10 undubbed session mixes previously only available via the Follow That Dream collectors’ label. Disc 2 features live performances recorded within weeks of the album’s release. Previously issued in 1980, this reconstructed concert has been remastered and reassembled from the original source tapes.

Georgie Fame, Georgie Does His Thing with Strings/Knock on Wood EP/The CBS As and Bs (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. )

BGO premieres a number of classic tracks from Georgie Fame on CD with this new 2-CD set featuring the entirety of Fame’s 1970 CBS album and 1967 Knock on Wood EP, plus his non-LP singles recorded for the label!

Tom Rush, Tom Rush/Take a Little Walk with Me (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Singer-songwriter Tom Rush’s first two albums for Elektra Records are collected on one CD.  He’s backed by musicians including Al Kooper and John Sebastian on these folk classics!