Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!

Various Artists, Almost Famous: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (UMe, 2021)

Out today:

2CD Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Stillwater Vinyl EP: uDiscoverMusic.com

Out August 20:

5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
6LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5CD/7LP/1-7″ Super Deluxe Edition and color variants: uDiscoverMusic.com

Cameron Crowe is revisiting the soundtrack to his 2000 instant classic Almost Famous in near-complete form as a 5-CD or 6-LP set as well as in shorter highlights versions and a Super Deluxe box containing all of the music on CD and vinyl.  The 5CD and 6LP sets feature  five - yes, five! - Led Zeppelin songs plus tracks by other typically difficult-to-license artists including Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder.  That's not to mention new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren, The Beach Boys, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, The Raspberries, and of course, Elton John who has reteamed with the original cast of the film to cut a new Almost Famous version of "Tiny Dancer."  Previously unreleased live tracks from Steely Dan and Neil Young are among the many treats here.  Unfortunately, the larger sets have been delayed until August 20, but the 2CD and 2LP versions are still out as scheduled along with the wide release of the Stillwater EP (available last month in a RSD exclusive edition).

The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang: Live on Copacabana Beach (Eagle Rock/Mercury Studios)

DVD: The Rolling Stones UK Store
Standard Definition BD: The Rolling Stones UK Store
DVD+2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 
Standard Definition BD+2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2 Standard Definition BD+2CD Deluxe Edition: The Rolling Stones UK Store (*)
2DVD+2CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (*)
3LP (Black Vinyl): The Rolling Stones UK Store
3LP (Blue, Yellow & Green Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP pressed on clear vinyl: Sound of Vinyl

On February 8, 2006, the Rolling Stones took the proceedings to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a massive free concert in support of their most recent album, A Bigger Bang.  That show was captured on film and released to cinemas and DVD while the audio was broadcast on XM Radio.  Now, the mega-show is out in remixed, re-edited, and remastered form as The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang - Live on Copacabana Beach.  Four songs excised from the 2007 DVD release The Biggest Bang have been reinstated for the new presentation: "Tumbling Dice", "Oh No, Not You Again", "This Place Is Empty," and "Sympathy for the Devil," but other features haven't been carried over from that set.  (Read more here!)  The two Deluxe Edition releases (*) feature an additional concert film from Salt Lake City, Utah.

Eugene McDaniels, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse: 50th Anniversary Edition [Vinyl] (Real Gone Music)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Singer-songwriter Eugene McDaniels' controversial 1971 soul/R&B classic returns to vinyl from Real Gone Music in a deluxe LP edition curated by the late McDaniels' wife, Karen.   It comes in a newly-created gatefold jacket and features artwork from Eugene's private collection and unseen writings, together with a four-page insert which includes the aforementioned liner notes, handwritten lyrics, and the original lyric sheet.  The reissue was cut from the original LP master and comes in purple vinyl, limited to 1,750 copies.  Read more here!

Amy Grant, Heart in Motion: 30th Anniversary Edition (Amy Grant)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Walmart Exclusive 2CD: Walmart.com

Heart in Motion solidified Amy Grant's standing as a pop powerhouse, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and earning a 5x Platinum certification.  The album released on Myrrh and A&M yielded the No. 1 Pop and AC smash "Baby Baby" as well as four more major hits: "Every Heartbeat" (No. 2 Pop/No. 2 AC), "That's What Love Is For" (No. 7 Pop/No. 1 AC), "Good for Me" (No. 8 Pop/No. 4 AC), and "I Will Remember You" (No. 20 Pop/No. 2 AC).  It's returning in a deluxe, expanded 2-CD edition alongside a remastered version of the original album on vinyl.  The 30th anniversary Heart in Motion features the remastered original album on the first disc with 16 bonus tracks on the second disc including a selection of the album's many contemporary remixes and edits as well as previously unreleased demos and rough mixes.  Three new tracks also premiere here including  "Don't Ever Want to Lose It (Wind in the Fire)."  The Walmart-exclusive edition adds previously unreleased live performances of "Baby Baby" and "Every Heartbeat."  The 2-CD expanded edition is out today and the remastered vinyl LP follows on July 30.  Read more here!

The Sandals, The Original Sound-Track Music from Bruce Brown's "The Endless Summer" [Vinyl] (Real Gone Music)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Rough Trade - Exclusive Variant)

Real Gone's new vinyl reissue of The Sandals' 1966 surf-rock cult classic soundtrack marks the first time the album has been reissued on vinyl in the United States.  The reissue features the original artwork and comes in violet vinyl.  An orange "sunburst creamsicle" vinyl is available exclusively at Rough Trade stores and is limited to 500 copies.

Spacehog, Resident Alien [Vinyl] (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Originally released on Sire Records in October of 1995, Spacehog's debut LP Resident Alien (featuring the chart-topping "In the Meantime") would eventually earn a Gold certification.  Real Gone Music first reissued Resident Alien on vinyl as part of last year's Record Store Day event during the August drop.  It is now out at general retail for the first time.  The 2-LP set features the gatefold packaging newly-created for the RSD reissue and comes on pink vinyl.  Read more about Resident Alien and Endless Summer here!

DEVO's Gerald V. Casale a.k.a. Jihad Jerry (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Devo co-founder Gerald V. Casale released this side-project in 2006 featuring himself and the other members of Devo under a different name.  The album's material is in a hard blues style and includes originals, a cover song, and some obscure Devo material.  The original CD was long out of print...until now!  Real Gone's new edition has newly-created cover artwork by acclaimed woodcut artist Tomo77 plus five bonus tracks including two versions of new single "I'm Gonna Pay You Back" featuring Oingo Boingo's lead guitarist Steve Bartek.

Ella Fitzgerald's Sunshine of Your Love (MPS) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Ella Fitzgerald's 1968 live set with The Tommy Flanagan Trio for the MPS label has returned to CD and LP.  Recorded at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel, the set is heavy on contemporary favorites including Lennon and McCartney's "Hey Jude," Bacharach and David's "This Girl's in Love with You" and "A House Is Not a Home," and Cream's title track.  Selections from Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, and Alec Wilder are all also featured.  Also available in digital formats as well as in a yellow vinyl edition exclusive to Vinyl Me Please.

Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul, Summer of Sorcery: Live at the Beacon Theatre (Wicked Cool/UMe)

3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5LP: uDiscoverMusic.com
Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com

Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul's Summer of Sorcery: Live at the Beacon Theatre, in support of the 2019 release of the Summer of Sorcery studio album, was recorded at the storied New York venue on November 6 of that year.  It arrives today in multiple audio and video formats: 3CD, 5LP, and Blu-ray.  The band's entire 25-song setlist from the Beacon will be included on the live album including all twelve songs from the musically expansive Summer of Sorcery as well as staples from Little Steven's solo songbook ("Love on the Wrong Side of Town," "I Am a Patriot," "Out of the Darkness"), collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny - individually and collectively ("Little Girl So Fine," "Trapped Again"), and choice covers from The Boss (the very recent "Tucson Train" from Western Stars) and The Youngbloods (the psychedelic blues instrumental "On Sir Francis Drake").  Peter Wolf dropped in for the encore, lending his voice to "Freeze Frame" from his final album with the J. Geils Band as well as Van Zandt's hard-hitting anti-apartheid anthem "Sun City."   Both the audio and video formats feature seven additional songs (or nearly an hour of extra music) drawn from Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul's 2017-2019 performances around the world.  Get more info here!

Jam & Lewis: Volume One (Flyte Tyme/BMG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Famed production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis welcome a host of guest stars for their debut studio album as artists.  Volume One features Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Babyface, Toni Braxton, Heather Headley, Morris Day, and more.  Available on CD and digital formats.

The Wallflowers, Exit Wounds (New West) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Jakob Dylan is back with a new cast of Wallflowers for the band's first album in almost a decade.  Exit Wounds features members of producer Butch Walker's regular band including bassist Whynot Jansveld; keyboardist Aaron Embry; drummer Mark Stepro; and Walker on guitars and keyboards; as well as guitarist Val McCallum.  Shelby Lynne guests on four songs.  Available on CD, LP, and digital formats.

Lucinda Williams, Lu's Jukebox Vol. 2: Southern Soul from Memphis to Muscle Shoals (Highway 20) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Following her tribute to Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams is back with a second installment of Lu's Jukebox.  This time, the set features southern soul staples including "Rainy Night in Georgia," "Take Me to the River," "Misty Blue," and "Ode to Billie Joe," all rendered in Williams' distinctive and rootsy style.  Available on CD and digital formats.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella: Original Cast Recording (Really Useful/Polydor) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has teamed with Academy Award-winning writer Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and lyricist David Zippel (City of Angels) to spin a contemporary take on the classic Cinderella story.  Cinderella is currently previewing in London's West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre; here is a complete recording of the score on 2 CDs or 3 LPs (or digitally) as recorded by the cast during the COVID-19 lockdown.  Highlights editions on CD and LP, as well as a 2-cassette version, are available at uDiscoverMusic.com.

Sparks, Annette: Cannes Edition - Selections from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sony Masterworks) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Annette is the new soundtrack from Ron and Russell Mael (a.k.a. Sparks, a.k.a. The Sparks Brothers of the recent documentary film) to French director Leos Carax's first English language film.  Carax has co-written lyrics with Sparks, and the tunes are performed by Sparks with the film's cast including Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, and Simon Helberg.  Vocals were cut live on set and early reviews indicate that the film is as quirky as fans of Carax and Sparks would expect.  Available on CD and download/streaming.