Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring the lost songs of a country-pop superstar, two more entries into an underrated SoCal songbook, new music from veteran artists, and much more!
Barbara Mandrell, This Time I Almost Made It: The Lost Columbia Masters (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
We all know Barbara Mandrell did make it...as one of the most successful country crossover superstars of all time. Now, Real Gone has rescued the legendary performer's early, never-on-CD third and final album for Columbia Records. Even better, the label has added seven previously unreleased Columbia recordings - and everything has been freshly remastered at Sony's Battery Studios! I've written the liner notes for this landmark release based upon my new interview with Barbara Mandrell!
J.D. Souther, Black Rose: Expanded Edition (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Following a stint as one-third of the Souther-Furay-Hillman Band, J.D. Souther returned to his solo career with 1976's Black Rose. Jazz musicians Stanley Clarke and Donald Byrd joined friends Ned Doheny and Glenn Frey, and other guests included Art Garfunkel, David Crosby, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Linda Ronstadt, Lowell George, Andrew Gold, Jim Keltner, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, and Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar. Seven bonus tracks (six previously unreleased) grace Omnivore's reissue of this ambitious lost classic.
J.D. Souther, Home by Dawn: Expanded Edition (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Omnivore also has an expanded edition of J.D. Souther's only album of the 1980s, Home by Dawn. David Malloy produced the album in Nashville and introduced "I'll Take Care of You," later recorded by The Dixie Chicks. Embracing a rootsy, forward-thinking country-rock fusion, Home by Dawn welcomed Don Henley as well as Linda Ronstadt and Waddy Wachtel among its cast. Eagle Timothy B. Schmit also sang on the album. Omnivore has expanded Home by Dawn with four bonus tracks (three previously unreleased).
Charles Bukowski, Reads His Poetry (Yellow Beer Vinyl Edition) (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Charles Bukowski: Reads His Poetry captures the notorious author and libertine at a 1972 reading at which the topics included perversion, poverty, drunkenness, gambling and bodily functions. The ultimate non-PC record, Real Gone returns it to vinyl in a "yellow beer" edition limited to 400 copies.
Dion, New York Is My Home (Instant Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
The all-new album from The King of the New York Streets teams him with producer Jimmy Vivino for 10 new songs meshing rock-and-roll and blues. New York is My Home takes its title from the duet between Dion and Paul Simon, a love letter to the Big Apple from two of its most remarkable musical heroes.
Maynard Ferguson, The Ballad Style of Maynard Ferguson/Alive and Well in London (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Omnivore Recordings has recently been revisiting the 1980s ouevre of jazz legend Maynard Ferguson; now, BGO is travelling back in time with the trumpeter for a pair of albums from 1969-1971 featuring his takes on such then-contemporary material as "The Fool on the Hill," "My Sweet Lord," "Fire and Rain" and "Stoney End."
Marty Balin, The Greatest Love (Buckjoy Productions) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
The Jefferson Airplane/Starship singer-songwriter returns with a new set of 15 original songs!
Paul Carrack, Soul Shadows (Carrack UK) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Another veteran artist, singer-songwriter and Squeeze/Ace/Mike + The Mechanics' own Paul Carrack, also has a new album out this week with soulful originals plus a cover of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Share Your Love with Me."
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Joe- The Barbara Mandrell release is awesome! Do you think there could be more Barbara releases in the future if this does well? 🙂
Thanks, Dustin! So glad you're enjoying it! And I certainly hope that we can release more Barbara down the road...keep your fingers crossed!
Keeping them crossed! Would love to at least see some of her Universal-controlled output at least available digitally - but I don't know who to talk to about that!
We would like to see Barbara's Universal material reissued, too. Here's hoping...!
The new Dion is AWESOME! As excellent as his latter-day albums have been, this may be the best of the lot. The man is a true national treasure!
Never really tried literature on records before (the closest is Ray Manzarek's "Myth and reality") but maybe Charles Bukowski is worth a go. His "Post office" was a hilarious reading as I recall it.