Features / Release Round-Up

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

Ronnie Spector, English Heart (Savoy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The one and only Ronnie Spector returns with an all-new studio album saluting her British Invasion friends. Expect Ronnie-ized renditions of the Jagger/Richards-written “I’d Much Rather Be with the Boys” (as “I’d Much Rather Be with the Girls”) as well as “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying,” “Tell Her No,” “Girl Don’t Come” and more!  Amazon has an exclusive CD/DVD edition as well as an exclusive autographed vinyl LP!  You can access all formats from the links above!

Michael Colby and Gerald Jay Markoe, Charlotte Sweet: Original Cast Recording (JAY Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD)

The Original Cast Recording of the beloved 1982 off-Broadway musical by Michael Colby and Gerald Jay Markoe receives a deluxe, expanded reissue – complete for the very first time on 2 CDs.  None other than Leonard Cohen presciently observed, “I loved the show. Some of those songs are classic theatre pieces – I think they’ll be around for a long time.”  Charlotte Sweet is available at Amazon.com, above, but those who order directly from JAY Records will receive a CD-R of Colby and Markoe’s related Christmas musical, Ludlow Ladd!

Michael Colby and Paul Katz, Tales of Tinseltown (JAY Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD)

Michael Colby and Paul Katz’s deliciously funny showbiz musical Tales of Tinseltown receives its premiere recording on April 8 on this dazzling new CD produced by Jeffrey Lesser (Rupert Holmes, Barbra Streisand) and starring a theatrical Who’s Who: Harriet Harris, Richard Kind, Klea Blackhurst, Christina Bianco, Jake Epstein, Nat Chandler, Tony Yazbeck and Alison Fraser!

Deep Purple, Stormbringer: 35th Anniversary Edition (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

On the occasion of Deep Purple’s induction tonight into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rhino brings the 35th anniversary CD/DVD edition of 1974’s Stormbringer back into print for the U.S. market featuring the original album, surround mixes, and more.

Deep Purple, Come Taste the Band: 35th Anniversary Edition (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Stormbringer is joined by another re-reissue: this time, of 1975’s Come Taste the Band.  This edition features the original album and 2010 remixes on two CDs.

Tiny Tim, The Complete Singles Collection (1966-1970) (Now Sounds) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Now Sounds is tip-toeing through the tulips once again with the first-ever Complete Singles Collection (spanning the years 1966-1970) for the late Tiny Tim.  This set includes the original single mixes of all of Tiny’s Reprise singles, as well as his debut 45 on Blue Cat and his post-Reprise era one-off single for Scepter Records, for the first time ever on CD!  Many of the rare mono mixes are also making first-time CD appearances.  All tracks have been remastered from the original tapes!  Includes “Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips with Me,” “April Showers,” “Fill Your Heart,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “What the World Needs Now is Love,” and many more!  Watch for a full report soon!

Johnny Mandel, The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea: Original Soundtrack (Kritzerland)

Kritzerland brings Johnny Mandel’s stirring, melodic score to the 1976 film starring Kris Kristofferson and Sarah Miles to CD.  (Kristofferson even supplied the melody to the movie’s “Sea Dream.”)  Pre-orders are open now; the album is due the second week of May, though pre-orders from Kritzerland usually arrive an average of four weeks early.

Nicolette Larson, Nicolette/In the Nick of Time/Radioland (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

BGO brings together the first three albums by the late Nicolette Larson – Nicolette, In the Nick of Time and Radioland – in one 2-CD slipcased edition.

Spinners, Can’t Shake This Feelin’/Labor of Love (Expansion) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Expansion brings two late-period, post-Thom Bell Spinners albums to one CD.  Can’t Shake This Feelin’ was produced by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas and features a recording of Bell’s Delfonics hit “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind (This Time)” while the Michael Zager-helmed Labor of Love has a medley of Carpenters’ “Yesterday Once More” plus “Nothing Remains the Same.”  Note that the latter LP is complete here unlike on Collectables’ prior CD reissue.