Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!

Wings, The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Wild Life [Various Formats] (MPL/Capitol)

3CD/DVD Box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP [Remastered Album + Bonus Audio]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD [Remastered Album + Bonus Audio]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Wild Life was the first Wings album but third overall by McCartney outside the shadow of his famous band.  Paul and his wife Linda teamed up with drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Denny Laine to create a relaxed, pastoral album that was intentionally as light as a feather.  Recording occurred over a little more than a week at Abbey Road (with Alan Parsons engineering alongside Tony Clark), and a number of songs were recorded in just one take.  "Dear Friend" - a response to John Lennon's scathing "How Do You Sleep" which was, in turn, a response to Paul's "Too Many People" - was a holdover from the Ram sessions.  Recording took place from July 25-August 2, 1971, and on that latter date, McCartney announced the birth of Wings to the world.  A cult favorite for its loose, freewheeling sensibility and homespun sound, Wild Life is reissued in a variety of formats.  Get the scoop on all of them here!

Paul McCartney & Wings, The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Red Rose Speedway [Various Formats] (MPL/Capitol)

3CD/2DVD/BD Box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP [Remastered Single Album + Bonus Audio]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP [Remastered Double Album]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 
2CD [Remastered Single Album + Bonus Audio]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The second 2018 Archive Collection box is dedicated to Wild Life's follow-up, 1973's Red Rose Speedway.  In early 1972, the McCartneys had made the decision to expand Wings to a quintet with the addition of guitarist Henry McCullough.  Recording began in March of that year, though once again Paul tapped the reserve of songs recorded during the Ram sessions for a couple of tracks.  The album was originally planned as a double LP, and sessions continued at various studios throughout the year.  It's available in various formats with an abundance of never-before-heard bonus material.  Click here for the full track listings and more!

Carpenters, Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (A&M/UMe)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD

Carpenters with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra pairs the classic recordings of the famous brother-and-sister duo with all-new symphonic orchestrations composed, produced, and conducted by the songs' original arranger-conductor-producer: Richard Carpenter.  In addition to their voices, Richard's keyboards, and Karen's drums, select elements from the original recordings have been incorporated.  Available in a variety of formats including 1CD; 2LP 180-gram black vinyl; and 2LP white vinyl.  The latter will be an exclusive to the Carpenters' webstore, which also offers bundles including lithographs personally signed by Richard Carpenter.  Target has one bonus track, and Japan will have another. Read more here!

Aretha Franklin, The Atlantic Records 1960s Collection (Atlantic/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Atlantic Records 1960s Collection presents Franklin's first five Atlantic studio albums, plus a bonus LP with 11 demos and outtakes that are making their vinyl debut. Limited to 5,000 copies, the box features each album pressed on 140-gram vinyl and presented in replica jackets. These classic albums, originally released between 1967 and 1969, remain benchmarks in the realm of soul: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (Mono), Aretha Arrives (Mono), Lady Soul (Stereo), Aretha Now (Stereo), and Soul '69 (Stereo).  The Rarities from the 1960s bonus disc has outtakes like "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "The Fool on the Hill" as well as demos including "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" and "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)."  All of these originally appeared on the 2007 CD compilation Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul.

Various Artists, Norman Granz: The Founder (Verve/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Verve/UME celebrate the career of a jazz impresario for the ages.  As founder of the Clef, Norgren and Verve labels, Granz helped bring jazz to the masses and launched the careers of many of the genre's brightest stars.  This 4-CD set includes 44 tracks, some appearing on CD for the first time ever.  The booklet includes new liner notes by Tad Hershorn, author of Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz For Justice.  On the discs, you'll find incendiary performances by the likes of Coleman Hawkins with Charlie Parker and Lester Young, Nat "King" Cole, with Les Paul and Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, and Dizzy Gillespie.  Altogether, The Founder shows the lasting impact of Granz's career and the role he played in the work of a veritable who's-who of modern jazz.  Read more here!

John Mellencamp, Other People's Stuff (Republic)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Other People's Stuff,  is a new collection of covers that shows Mellencamp applying his knack for storytelling to ten staples from the American music canon.   The material is culled mostly from his own albums, hard-to-find compilations, and documentary soundtracks.  Mellencamp also recorded a brand-new version of "Eyes on the Prize," a standard that he had performed at The White House for the 2010 Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement at the request of President Obama.  The vinyl pressing follows on December 21.

Vanessa Daou, Zipless [Vinyl] (DRKR Records/KID Recordings) (PledgeMusic)

Originally released  in 1994, the 10-track set featured Daou's interpretation of Erica Jong's written work.  In fact, the album's title is derived from a phrase found in Jong's 1973 work, Fear of Flying, itself a landmark in second-wave feminist literature that sparked controversy for its representation of female sexuality.  With Zipless, Daou presented a music manifestation of those written words with a sensuous combination of jazzy and soulful, chilled-out and empowered, smooth and danceable.  Read about the multitude of available packages here!

Cher, Believe [Vinyl] (Warner Bros.) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Cher's 1998 smash hit album featuring the Grammy-winning phenomenon of a title track comes to vinyl for the first time in celebration of its 20th anniversary and just in time for the opening earlier this week of The Cher Show on Broadway.

Morrissey, Low in High School: Deluxe Edition (BMG Rights Management) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Morrissey has revisited his 2017 album for a new edition with nine bonus tracks including live B-sides and a cover of The Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang."  Available on vinyl or digitally.

Various Artists, Feelin' Right Saturday Night: The Ric & Ron Anthology (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This new 28-track anthology takes listeners back to New Orleans, circa 1958-1962, for some of the city's most smoking productions from artists including Eddie Bo, Johnny Adams, Joe Jones, Barbara Lynn, and Irma Thomas.  This set features two previously unreleased tracks: Bo's "Good Enough for Me" and a demo of Professor Longhair's legendary "Tipitina."

Sylvester, I Need Somebody to Love Tonight (Psychemagik Remix) (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Craft is celebrating the impending 40th anniversary of disco legend Sylvester's "I Need Somebody to Love Tonight" with a new 12-inch single.  Side One has the new remix by British duo Psychemagik  while Side Two has the extended 12-inch Disco Mix originally released on the Fantasy label.  Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters has remastered this floor-filling classic.

Allan Holdsworth, Live in Japan 1984 (Manifesto) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Late guitar virtuoso Allan Holdsworth is the subject of a new live archive series curated in cooperation with his estate.  The first volume features Holdsworth and his group I.O.U. featuring drummer Chad Wackerman, bassist Jimmy Johnson, and vocalist Paul Williams (no, not that Paul Williams) who had served with Holdsworth in British prog band Tempest.  This set was professionally recorded for Japanese television, and the first 1,000 copies of the CD will come with a free DVD of the concert video.

Van Morrison, The Prophet Speaks (Caroline) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Van Morrison returns with his second studio album of the year following the Joey DeFrancesco collaboration You're Driving Me Crazy.  His 40th studio album, The Prophet Speaks reunites him with DeFrancesco and his band (Dan Wilson on guitar, Michael Ode on drums, and Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone) for a set of six original songs and eight reinterpretations of songs by Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, and other blues and soul greats.  Available on CD, LP, and digital.

Original Soundtrack Recording, Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The world's favorite magical nanny is back in a new film this year, and we here at Second Disc HQ couldn't be more excited.  Inspired by the work of the Sherman Brothers, Mary Poppins Returns features an all-new song score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and a new orchestral score by Shaiman. The soundtrack features Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, the original film's star Dick Van Dyke, and others!  Also available digitally.

Dave Grusin, The Premiere Collection (Varese Sarabande)

Varese Sarabande salutes one of our favorite film composers, jazz great Dave Grusin, with a new 3-CD bundle featuring four Grusin scores: ...And Justice for All, Absence of Malice, and a two-fer of Murder by Death with The Pursuit of Happiness!  ...And Justice for All has the mono film version of the soundtrack plus a stereo remix and bonus tracks.  Absence of Malice is a new transfer from the Sony Pictures elements, as is The Pursuit of Happiness and Murder by Death (though the latter is in mono).  As a special bonus, The Pursuit of Happiness includes Randy Newman's song "Let Me Go" as heard in the movie.  On January 4, the three CDs will be issued as standalone discs, but they're available through January 3 at a special bundled price directly from Varese at the link above.