Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today including a very special pair from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music!
Melissa Manchester, Live '77 (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)
Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music proudly present the premiere release of Melissa Manchester's Live '77, recorded by Arista Records in October 1977 at Gainesville, Florida's Great Southern Music Hall but unreleased until now! The 21 songs on Live '77 - the singer-songwriter's very first live album - include Manchester's hits "Midnight Blue," "Better Days," and the song Bob Dylan admired, "Just You and I," as well as the now-standard "Come in from the Rain," fan favorites "We've Got Time," "Happy Endings," and "Caravan," and spirited covers of such beloved tunes as "I Wanna Be Where You Are," "Rescue Me," and "Monkey See, Monkey Do." Live '77 also debuts Melissa's only recording anywhere of the blues classic "Hi-Heel Sneakers." With absolutely no overdubbing or studio wizardry, Live '77 represents the artist at her most searingly raw, emotional, soulful, and rocking. Our 2-CD release features mastering by Mike Milchner and a 24-page booklet with liner notes by TSD's Joe Marchese, photos by David LeShay and Sherry Rayn Barnett, and design by John Sellards. Read more here!
Darlene Love, The Many Sides of Love: The Complete Reprise Recordings Plus! (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Second Disc Records' inaugural Record Store Day release, Darlene Love's The Many Sides of Love: The Complete Reprise Recordings Plus!, is following its recent RSD debut with a CD release. The Many Sides of Love brings together all of the rare single sides recorded by Darlene for Reprise Records, both as a solo artist and with The Blossoms (the most famous line-up of which featured Darlene, Fanita James, and Jean King). The collection also features the sides The Blossoms recorded (with Darlene on lead, of course) for guitarist Barney Kessel and as The Wildcats. But there's still that Plus! in the title. It additionally offers Darlene's volcanic rendition of Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector's "River Deep, Mountain High" from her star turn in Broadway's Leader of the Pack (produced by Ellie and the legendary Bob Crewe) as well as two Andy Paley-written and produced cuts from the Dick Tracy soundtrack/companion album and Darlene's delightful duet with Bette Midler on the Spector-era classic "He's Sure the Boy I Love." The CD offers an expanded 20-page booklet designed by John Sellards with additional photos and new tributes from Darlene's friends including Dionne Warwick, Jackie DeShannon, Fanita James of The Blossoms, and Stevie Van Zandt. Everything has been newly remastered by Mike Milchner for this release. Read more here!
Dusty Springfield, The Complete Atlantic Singles 1969-1971 (Real Gone Music)
1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
The Complete Atlantic Singles 1968-1971, first issued on CD and then as a Record Store Day vinyl exclusive in 2021, now gets a wide vinyl release today. This comprehensive collection brings together Dusty Springfield's 24 U.S. single sides released during her tenure at Atlantic on one deluxe 2-LP gatefold set. These tracks have been remastered from the original mono tapes by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision, and all but the eight sides pulled from Dusty in Memphis have never been reissued in these original mixes. TSD's Joe Marchese provides the new liner notes based on interviews with Jeff Barry, Thom Bell, and Kenny Gamble.
Neil Young, Official Bootleg Series Vols. 3-5 (Reprise)
OBS 3: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (Los Angeles: February 1, 1971)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
OBS 4: Royce Hall (Los Angeles: January 30, 1971)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
OBS 5: Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line) (NYC: May 16, 1974)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Neil Young is bringing three new volumes of his Official Bootleg Series to CD/digital (May 6) and vinyl (June 3). The two 1971 releases are both of solo acoustic concerts following the September 1970 release of Young's third album, After the Gold Rush. Royce Hall 1971 was recorded at UCLA on January 30 and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 at the large concert hall at L.A.'s Music Center on February 1; the latter show was the final U.S. performance of Young's solo tour that year. Both titles have been derived from the original analog master tapes and both feature a near-identical setlist of Young solo future classics and Buffalo Springfield staples. Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), recorded during a surprise set at the late, lamented New York City club on May 16, 1974, has been mastered and restored from existing bootlegs as no professional master recording exists. The show took place just a couple of months before the release in July of On the Beach and previews a number of songs from that LP plus highlights from the discographies of CSNY, Crazy Horse, and The Stills-Young Band. The title track was introduced as "Citizen Kane Jr. Blues" at the show but was retitled "Pushed It Over the End" when CSNY performed it on their stadium tour that summer. Read more here.
Les Baxter and His Orchestra, Soul of the Drums (Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Real Gone returns exotica master Les Baxter's 1963 Reprise album to vinyl in this newly remastered edition. Pour yourself a mai tai in the nearest tiki mug and get yourself close to the hi-fi for this transporting tropical affair.
Savage Republic, Tragic Figures (Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Also out today from Real Gone: the debut album of post-punk outfit Savage Republic in two formats: as a 2-CD or 2-LP set. The first disc features the original album while the second includes pre-album rehearsals taped in the UCLA parking garages. Earlier reissues of the album have included different bonus material, such as subsequent singles and EPs which are not reprised here. Real Gone worked in collaboration with guitarist Bruce Licher for the release and it features new liner notes by Richie Unterberger including interviews with band members. Mike Milchner at SonicVision has remastered the release. The CD comes in a six-panel digipak which expands the original art while the LP jacket is pressed on heavyweight "Chipboard" paper stock. It comes on red vinyl and is limited to 2,000 copies.
Sheryl Crow, Sheryl: Music from the Feature Documentary (A&M/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
A&M/UMe has a companion album to the documentary Sheryl about the life and career of Sheryl Crow. The film premiered earlier this year at South by Southwest and airs on Showtime beginning today. The Sheryl soundtrack features singles and deep cuts drawn mostly from Threads and her first four studio albums for A&M, plus country-flavored albums Detours (2008) and Be Myself (2017), several live tracks (including duets with Sarah McLachlan and Jason Isbell) and three brand-new songs: "Forever," "Still the Same" and "Live with Me." Read more here.
John Fred and His Playboy Band, Judy in Disguise with Glasses (Liberation Hall) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Louisiana's own John Fred Gourrier, a.k.a. John Fred, is best-remembered today for "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)," a brassy blue-eyed soul hit that played off the title of a certain Beatles tune. John Fred and His Playboy Band ended up knocking the Fabs' "Hello, Goodbye" off the top spot of the Hot 100 in early 1968 with their quasi-parody, but the novelty stigma was quickly attached to the group and they never scored another major hit. There's much more to Fred's discography, though, including five albums for the Paula label of which Judy in Disguise was the last one. Judy was a retooled version of the 1966 LP Agnes English with which it shares numerous tracks. Liberation Hall returns Judy in Disguise to print today on CD (a vinyl edition was released on Record Store Day), and it remains an enjoyable romp through various mid-to-late-'60s pop and soul styles with Fred and his eight-piece band.
The Knack, Live at the House of Blues: September 25, 2001 (Liberation Hall/Smile) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Got The Knack? The "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't" hitmakers' 2001 concert at Hollywood's House of Blues comes to CD today from Liberation Hall. (Like Judy in Disguise, the vinyl version was issued on Record Store Day.) The show features founding members Doug Fieger (lead vocals/guitar), Berton Averre (vocals/lead guitar), and Prescott Niles (bass) along with drummer David Henderson on an array of Knack favorites and choice covers ("Tequila," "Break on Through," "Last Train to Clarksville"). This energetic, upbeat show from the power pop heroes is packaged with a six-page insert featuring a new essay by producer Tony Valenziano who recorded the original show. It's been mastered by Randy Perry.
Ray Charles, Live in Stockholm 1972 (Tangerine) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
The legendary artist's 1972 Stockholm concert premiered last year on CD as part of the True Genius box set; now, it comes to general release on vinyl
Graham Nash, Live: Songs for Beginners/Wild Tales (Proper) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
This new release finds Graham Nash revisiting his solo albums Songs for Beginners and Wild Tales in a live setting. Recorded in 2019 in Albany, Boston, New York, and South Orange, New Jersey, both albums are performed in their original sequences by Nash and his band including Shane Fontayne, Todd Caldwell, Thad Debrock, Andy Hess, Toby Caldwell, Celisse Henderson, Grace Stumberg, and Don Caldwell. Kevin Killen has mixed the recordings which have been mastered by Bob Ludwig. Available on CD, LP, and digitally.
Timothy B. Schmit, Day by Day (Timothy B. Schmit) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Singer-songwriter Timothy B. Schmit (Eagles, Poco) returns with his seventh studio album and first since 2016. Day by Day features twelve songs including lead single "Heartbeat." Available on CD, LP, and digitally.
David says
New Arcade Fire? New Belle and Sebastian?
Joe Marchese says
We recommend Pauseandplay.com for a full list of the week’s releases; this feature does not include every title coming to CD or vinyl in any given week. That said, we’re fans of both artists!