Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!
Blinky, Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music are proud to mark Motown's 60th anniversary with a collection that has truly been decades in the making. Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology is the ultimate tribute to Sondra "Blinky" Williams, Motown's great lost superstar. Over two CDs and almost 50 songs, Blinky's Motown journey is chronicled with songs written and produced for her by the label's greatest talents including Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Frank Wilson, Hal Davis, Gil Askey, Deke Richards, Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson, Don Hunter, Stevie Wonder, Willie Hutch, and Clay McMurray, who unexpectedly passed away last week and to whom this release is dedicated. The first disc presents Blinky's never-before-released 1970 album Sunny and Warm in complete form for the first time along with all of her released singles plus rarities and live tracks. The second disc premieres over 20 never-before-heard recordings, both in original Motown stereo mixes and brand-new mixes by Kevin Reeves, that showcase the depth and breadth of Blinky's remarkable voice. Co-produced and annotated by Joe Marchese and Andrew Skurow, this one-of-a-kind collection blends gospel, jazz, R&B, funk, pop, soul, and, of course, the classic Sound of Young America with the distinctive voice of Motown's greatest "lost" artist, Blinky. Heart Full of Soul has to be heard to be believed. Read more here!
Pink Floyd, The Later Years 1987-2019 (Pink Floyd Records/Legacy)
5CD/5DVD/6BD/2 Vinyl Single Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (Bundles: Pink Floyd Online Store)
1CD Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Bundles: Pink Floyd Online Store
Pink Floyd's The Later Years: 1987-2019 celebrates the band's David Gilmour-led years which yielded the albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), The Division Bell (1994), and The Endless River (2014) and the live efforts Delicate Sound of Thunder (1988) and Pulse (1995). The massive, limited-edition set includes 5 CDs, 2 vinyl singles, 5 DVDs and 6 Blu-ray discs packed full of Floydian treasures. Among them are new stereo and surround sound remixes, highly sought-after restored live performances from Venice 1989 and Knebworth 1990, recently unearthed outtakes and extras, a new look at a classic album, and two newly minted singles featuring unreleased live material. In addition, the set will include exclusive reproductions of posters and tour memorabilia, and two deluxe books -- one for photos and another for lyrics -- designed by Aubrey Powell at Hipgnosis and Peter Curzon of StormStudios! If that's just a little too much, a 2-LP/1-CD highlights collection is also available with live material, jams, rehearsals, and new mixes. The CDs in the 18-disc audiovisual excavation are contained in a 60-page, hardback book which contains a table of contents, track lists, and an exhaustive guide to the content on the discs -- and there is plenty! Read more here, and watch this space later today for our full review of this massive set.
Fats Domino, I've Been Around: The Complete Imperial and ABC-Paramount Recordings (Bear Family) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Get ready to find your thrill, as Bear Family Records has the ultimate tribute to singer, pianist, and rock-and-roll pioneer Fats Domino. The new 12CD/1DVD box set I've Been Around is packed with 312 tracks including all of Domino's recordings for Imperial Records, the label on which he made his name and recorded his biggest hits from 1948-1962, and ABC-Paramount Records, where he continued turning out stellar work between 1963-1965. This being a Bear Family box, it also features a treasure trove of originally unreleased alternate takes, undubbed and unedited masters, and backing tracks as well as a stunning, 240-page full-color hardcover book with updated and extended liner notes by Rick Coleman; track-by-track commentary by producers Hank Davis and Scott Parker (who have been involved in over 50 Bear Family projects); a comprehensive Domino Imperial sessionography and the most complete ABC-Paramount discography available to date; plus numerous previously unpublished images. Whew! Get more details here.
America, Live in Concert - Wildwood Springs (America Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
America brings a special acoustic set previously available at their concerts to general retail with this release, recorded September 21-22, 2007 at Wildwood Springs Lodge in Steelville, MO. The album includes all of the hits one would expect including "A Horse with No Name," "I Need You," "Tin Man," "Ventura Highway," and "Sister Golden Hair."
Robert Plant, Digging Deep (Rhino/Es Paranza) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Rhino collects eight 7" vinyl singles from Robert Plant in one new box set. Packaged in a hardcover book, the singles encompass three decades, and two songs from each of Plant's eight solo albums including the # 1 Rock hits "Little by Little," "Tall Cool One," and "Hurting Kind." This release coincides with the second season of Plant's popular podcast Digging Deep with Robert Plant.
Various Artists, The London American Label: Year by Year 1967 (Ace) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
After a long hiatus, Ace's London American Label series resumes with a volume looking at the label's releases from 1967. As the name implies, the London American label brought the best sounds of the U.S. across the pond - and this set includes tracks from an eclectic array of artists including The Association, Charlie Rich, Nino and April, Freddie Scott, Wilson Pickett, Jack Jones, and Micky Dolenz. Watch this space for full coverage on this title soon.
Eminem, The Slim Shady LP: Expanded Edition (Aftermath/Interscope/UMe)
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Digital: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Other Streaming Services
This year marks 20 years since Eminem released his major-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, which launched him from the underground rap scene to worldwide superstardom. With iconic songs like "My Name Is," "Role Model," and "'97 Bonnie and Clyde," The Slim Shady LP introduced the world to Eminem's undeniable and enduring talents. The album was a smash hit. Its lead single, "My Name Is," reached No. 36 on the Billboard charts; the album won a Grammy for Best Rap Album, and it was eventually certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Slim Shady LP, Aftermath, Interscope, and UMe released an expanded digital edition including 7 bonus tracks. Among them are a cappella versions, alternate mixes, instrumentals, and other rarities. Now, that edition is coming as a 2-CD or 3-LP set. Read more here.
Man of Magic: Original London Cast Recording (Stage Door Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Stage Door Records is bringing another rare London cast album to CD with the premiere of Man of Magic, the 1966 musical based on the life of Houdini. With music by Wilfred Wylam (a.k.a. classical composer Wilfred Josephs), and book and lyrics by John Morley and Aubrey Cash, Man of Magic starred Americans Stuart Damon (Cinderella, General Hospital) and Stubby Kaye (Guys and Dolls, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) along with Judith Bruce (The Avengers, Playgirl After Dark). The tuneful score was captured on the CBS cast album which has been remastered for Stage Door's Cast Album Masters Series, limited to just 500 units. Grab it before it disappears!
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