Features / Release Round-Up

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

Various Artists, Summer of Soul (…or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Legacy Recordings delivers a soundtrack to Questlove’s acclaimed 2021 documentary Summer of Soul, chronicling the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.  Live recordings are featured from headliners including The 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, David Ruffin, Sly & The Family Stone, Gladys Knight & The Pips, B.B. King, The Chambers Brothers, and more.  Available on CD and digital formats, with the digital edition adding one bonus cut from Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach.  Read more here.

The Temptations, Temptations 60 (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The temptin’ Temptations are back with an all-new studio album to mark their 60th anniversary.  Temptations 60 features new songs written and produced by Narada Michael Walden, hip-hop producer K. Sparks, longtime group member Ron Tyson, founding member Otis Williams, and the group’s old pal, Smokey Robinson.  Available on CD and digital/streaming.

Leo Sayer, Northern Songs: Leo Sayer Sings The Beatles (Edsel) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Leo Sayer pays tribute to the Fab Four on this new release featuring his interpretations of such favorites as “Norwegian Wood,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Girl,” “A Day in the Life,” and (two versions of) “Eleanor Rigby.”

I Can Get It for You Wholesale: Original Broadway Cast Recording – Deluxe Edition (Stage Door Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Stage Door Records’ 2-CD edition of the classic cast album that introduced Barbra Streisand adds eight rare demos to the first disc, while a second disc is filled with rare bonus material from Harold Rome’s score.  First up is the CD debut of Sy Oliver and His Orchestra’s album of songs from the musical, issued on Columbia to promote the score.  It’s followed by six pop covers including Robert Goulet’s “Too Soon,” Tony Bennett’s “Have I Told You Lately?,” Jerry Vale’s “Who Knows,” Frank D’Rone’s “What’s in It for Me?,” bandleader Edmundo Ros’ “The Sound of Money,” and The J’s with Jamie’s “Momma, Momma” b/w “The Sound of Money.”  All other than the D’Rone and Ros tracks were originally released on Columbia, as the label endeavored to promote Rome’s score and sales of the cast album.  (D’rone’s 45 was on Mercury while Ros’ rendition was on Decca/London.) The Deluxe Edition of I Can Get It for You Wholesale has been newly mastered from a reel-to-reel tape (this has been reissued pursuant to current U.K. public domain laws, so no master tapes were available) and features new liner notes by musical theatre historian George Dansker.  Read more here.

Bob James Trio, Feel Like Making Live! (Evosound) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Jazz fusion great Bob James and his Trio return with a new live set including renditions of his most famous tunes including Taxi theme “Angela” and “Westchester Lady” as well as a new rendition of Elton John’s “Rocket Man.”  Available on a hybrid stereo and multichannel SACD (playable on all CD players) plus a standard MQA-encoded CD, a 2-LP vinyl set, and digital formats.

Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene (InsideOut Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull release the band’s 22nd studio album today and first since 2003’s Christmas album.  The Zealot Gene is out today on CD/digitally and the vinyl edition follows next Friday, February 4.

Lucinda Williams, You Are Cordially Invited…A Tribute to The Rolling Stones (Highway 20) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The sixth and final volume of Lucinda Williams’ series of rocking cover records arrives today on CD and vinyl.  You Are Cordially Invited… celebrates the music of The Rolling Stones with renditions of “Moonlight Mile,” “Get Off of My Cloud,” “Paint It Black,” “Salt of the Earth,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and more.

John Lodge, The Royal Affair and After (BFD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Moody Blues’ John Lodge releases a new live album with renditions of favorites including “Nights in White Satin,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” and “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)” on CD, digital formats, and 180-gram blue vinyl; a black vinyl edition follows on February 11.  The 10-track set was primarily recorded in summer 2019 at Lodge’s Las Vegas shows (with additional recording from his subsequent U.S. dates).  Lodge and his 10,000 Light Years band hit the road in the U.S. once more in March, hitting such markets as New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Nashville, and Florida.

The Weeknd, Dawn FM (XO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Contemporary soul sensation The Weeknd returns with his fifth studio album featuring collaborations with Tyler the Creator, actor-singer Jim Carrey, Lil Wayne, and at least a couple of names that should pique the interest of Second Disc readers, Quincy Jones and The Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston.  Available today on CD and on vinyl in April.  Target has an exclusive edition with alternate cover artwork.