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/ News

BREAKING! Second Disc Records Brings All-Star "Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" To CD in February!

December 12, 2016 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COM

Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are tipping off 2017 with a slam dunk release!  On February 3, we will be bringing Thom Bell's soulful, all-star soundtrack to The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh - featuring The Spinners, The Four Tops, Loretta Lynn, Phyllis Hyman and more - to CD for the very first time in a newly expanded, remastered edition!

The 1979 cult favorite film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh featured an all-star team from the worlds of basketball and Hollywood - Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Meadowlark Lemon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry Tarkanian, Stockard Channing, Jonathan Winters, Flip Wilson, Debbie Allen, Harry Shearer, and more - for its fantastical tale of a struggling Pittsburgh basketball team that beats the odds with a little help from the heavens.

The movie's soundtrack was equally illustrious.  Pop-soul maestro Thom Bell, renowned for his work with The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and Johnny Mathis, wrote, produced, arranged, and conducted his very first motion picture score, and the result was a soul symphony incorporating funk, disco, and jazz rhythms, and of course, Bell's trademark luscious balladry.  An A-team of R&B's finest artists was enlisted to perform Bell's all-new songs, including The Four Tops, The Spinners, Bell and James, Phyllis Hyman, The Delfonics' William "Poogie" Hart, and The Sylvers, plus country superstar Loretta Lynn, ragtime legend Eubie Blake, and the one and only Doc Severinsen.  Yet, when the movie came and went from theatres, so did the soundtrack album...until now!

The Fish gained a cult following on television, VHS, and DVD, and now, it's time for its sizzling soundtrack to have its chance on the court, too.  Hip-hop's most tuned-in artists have already sampled its lost rhythms; now you can hear the originals! The first-ever CD release of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh boasts a sparkling new remastering from the original Lorimar Records tapes by Sean Brennan at Sony's Battery Studios, and trust us - these timeless grooves have never sounded so crisp and fresh!  Three rare bonus tracks (all in their CD debuts, as well) make this Fish even more robust: two distinctive 12-inch mixes of Bell and James' infectious title song, and The Thom Bell Orchestra's lush, orchestral "Pisces Theme."  The booklet, winningly designed by John Sellards to incorporate the original album artwork and period graphics, features my liner notes drawing on a new, extensive interview with Thom Bell!

The original soundtrack of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh brings Second Disc Records full circle, as our first release was Johnny Mathis' Life is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions, celebrating the great vocalist's collaboration with Bell.  This deluxe Expanded Edition of The Fish is nothing but net, and a must-have for classic soul fans from Philly to Motown...and of course, Pittsburgh.  Look for it on February 3 from Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records, and watch this space for complete details on the rest of Real Gone's amazing and diverse February line-up, featuring Lesley Gore, Lynn Anderson, Delaney and Bonnie, and more!  Pre-order links are available below.  The Doctor is in!

Various Artists, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh: Expanded Edition (Lorimar/CBS SZ 36303, 1979 - reissued Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music, 2017)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. A Theme for L.A.'s Team (Thom Bell/Casey James) - The Thom Bell Orchestra feat. Doc Severinsen (4:07)
  2. Magic Mona (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James/Jack Robinson) - Phyllis Hyman (3:24)
  3. Mighty, Mighty Pisces (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) - The Sylvers (3:48)
  4. (Do It, Do It) No One Does It Better (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) - The Spinners (4:05)
  5. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) - Bell and James (3:28)
  6. Moses Theme (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) - Frankie Bleu (4:32)
  7. Chance of a Lifetime (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) - The Four Tops (5:00)
  8. Follow Every Dream (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) - William Hart (4:11)
  9. Ragtime (Thom Bell/Jack Robinson) - Eubie Blake and Thom Bell (1:18)
  10. Is It Love, Must Be Love (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell) - Loretta Lynn and Frankie Bleu (4:57)
  11. Pisces Theme (Thom Bell) - The Thom Bell Orchestra (Lorimar single ZS9-8004) (2:49)
  12. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) (12-Inch Mix) - The Thom Bell Orchestra feat. Bell and James (Lorimar 12-inch single 4Z8-8005) (5:23)
  13. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (Thom Bell/Leroy Bell/Casey James) (Instrumental 12-Inch Mix) - The Thom Bell Orchestra (Lorimar 12-inch single 4Z8-8005) (5:30)

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul, Soundtracks Tags: Bell and James, Doc Severinsen, Eubie Blake, Loretta Lynn, Phyllis Hyman, The Four Tops, The Spinners, The Sylvers, Thom Bell, William Hart

Avatar photo

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, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. 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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Comments

  1. D.Harris says

    December 12, 2016 at 10:00 am

    I can't believe it! Never thought this over-looked gem would make it to CD, much less as part of an expanded edition!

    Thank you in advance - Can't wait for the February release date!!! Pre-ordering now... 😀

    Reply
  2. Zubb says

    December 12, 2016 at 10:12 am

    I too am so excited for this release. At least there is one thing to look forward to in the dark and dismal new year.

    Reply
  3. D.Harris says

    December 12, 2016 at 10:16 am

    P.S. Now if only we could see the "Roller Boogie" soundtrack reissued on CD (hint-hint). Another under-rated effort.

    1979 | Casablanca Record & FilmWorks

    Reply
  4. Billy Dojcak says

    December 12, 2016 at 3:36 pm

    I was an extra in this movie waaaay back when I was 14. Only saw it once. Never knew there was a soundtrack. I have to get this. Thanks for the heads up.

    Reply
  5. Guy says

    February 9, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    I'm looking to buy this but it's £17 on UK Amazon - seems a little pricey, is there a reason for this?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoJoe Marchese says

      February 14, 2017 at 1:27 pm

      I can only speak from my personal observations here, Guy, but in recent months the cost of U.K. titles on Amazon U.S. have dropped significantly - even as the cost of U.S. titles on Amazon U.K. have risen. I've chalked it up to the economic changes and upheaval in both countries. I do hope you're able to enjoy THE FISH, in any event!

      Reply
      • Guy Lawrence says

        February 16, 2017 at 12:29 pm

        Cheers Joe. It's been up and down in price since I commented but I'll definitely grab it.

        Reply

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