Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend.From Rufus Wainwright to Lana Del Rey, Donna Summer to ZTT, we're bringing you the goods.
Rufus Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright (25th Anniversary Edition) (Geffen/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon)
One of the best-reviewed albums of 1998 was the baroque-pop debut from singer/songwriter Rufus Wainright. With an incredible family pedigree (his parents are Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle), he carved an indelible niche for himself in the popular music canon. Now, his first album been remastered and expanded with nine outtakes from the album sessions - six of which were released on an out-of-print box set and three heard for the first time anywhere.
Donna Summer, Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved) (Mercury) (iTunes / Amazon)
A "lost" hit of the disco queen's - a U.S. No. 1 dance chart hit co-written with Robert Clivillés and David Cole of C+C Music Factory and issued on a 1994 greatest hits album - is found just in time for tomorrow's premiere of Love to Love You, Donna Summer, a new documentary airing on HBO. This digital EP includes several long out-of-print remixes.
Lana Del Rey, Say Yes to Heaven (Polydor/Interscope) (iTunes / Amazon)
One of the least predictable trends on TikTok is the popularity of sped-up versions of songs. What was a generational aesthetic has actually led to completely unexpected hits; R&B singer Miguel barely scraped the Top 40 with his second single "Sure Thing" in 2010, but the sped-up trend got its hooks into the tune, and this year it became his best-charting single. The sped-up effect on Lana Del Rey is even stranger: the song that went viral on the app is a leaked outtake from 2012. Though the iconoclastic singer has been promoting a new album since the beginning of the year, she surprise-released "Say Yes to Heaven" today. Who could have guessed?
James Brown, (So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On (Volcano) (ITunes / Amazon)
Another James Brown remix EP from the Scotti Bros./Volcano years, this one taken from the funk-forward Love Over-Due (1991).
The Beach Boys, Fun, Fun, Fun (Steve Aoki Remix) (Capitol/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon)
Sure, whatever!
Samara Jay, Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition) (Verve/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon)
Bronx-born Samara Jay garnered considerable acclaim with Linger Awhile, which featured a bold new voice tackling some terrific jazz standards; she won two Grammy Awards for her effort, including Best New Artist. Now, a digital deluxe edition includes eight more tracks, including some new duo and trio arrangements of some of the tunes on the original LP.
Instinct, Sleepwalking (ZTT) (iTunes / Amazon)
A most intriguing historical find in the early ZTT discography has been unearthed for the label's 40th anniversary! Influential U.K. post-punk group Pigbag split up in 1983, and three of its members - singer Angela Jaeger, guitarist James Johnstone and bassist Simon Underwood formed Instinct, meant to be a part of Zang Tumb Tuum's roster until disagreements over sonic directions with producer Trevor Horn arose. A planned single didn't materialize - until now!
Edgar Winter, The Edgar Winter Album (Expanded Edition) (Epic/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon)
After second solo album Jasmine Nightdreams, blues keyboardist Edgar Winter made one more album each with The Edgar Winter Group and Edgar Winter's White Trash. When he re-emerged as a solo artist in 1979, it was a most unexpected move: The Edgar Winter Album flirts heavily with disco courtesy of producer Tom Moulton. This theme is borne out on instrumental and extended mixes of "Above and Beyond," included as bonus tracks alongside two single edits.
Robin Thicke, A Beautiful World (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (NuAmerica/Interscope/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon)
The son of actor Alan Thicke was a surprising contender in smooth white-boy R&B throughout the '00s. Then came "Blurred Lines" and...a lot of other stuff. Still, when he was hot, he was hot. This reissue includes two rare bonus tracks making their digital debuts (including the bizarrely-titled "High School Man").
Tanya Tucker, Lovin' and Learnin' / Here's Some Love / Ridin' Rainbows / Dreamlovers / Should I Do It (MCA Nashville)
Lovin': iTunes / Amazon
Here's: iTunes / Amazon
Rainbows: iTunes / Amazon
Dreamlovers: iTunes / Amazon
Do It: iTunes / Amazon
Finally, five '70s and '80s albums from the onetime teen country star, featuring Top 10 country hits like "You've Got Me to Hold On To," "Here's Some Love," "It's a Cowboy Lovin' Night" and "Can I See You Tonight."
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The 2008 Universal Studio fire incinerated most of the MCA master tapes so it's surprising that these five Tanya Tucker MCA albums are getting a digital release. None were ever released on legitimate CD's. Wondering if these were mastered from tapes found in UMG vaults in other countries or elsewhere - or have they been dubbed from the vinyl albums?
Note that track 6 on the Ridin' Rainbows digital release is mistitled. "Ridin' Out The Heartache:" is in fact the title track for that album "Ridin' Rainbows."
For Tanya Tucker: Let’s hope 1975’s Self Titled Tanya Tucker, 1977’s You Are So Beautiful, 1979’s Tear Me Apart, and 1982’s Changes are soon to come too. That would complete her discography digitally.
Tanya's 1977 "You Are So Beautiful" Columbia album is available digitally. That album rounded up ten tracks recorded during her 1972 - 1974 tenure with that imprint.
"You Are So Beautiful" was also released on a 4 LP on 2 CD Cherry Red/Morello set in the U.K. in 2018. That collection included Tanya's first three .Columbia albums - Delta Dawn, What's Your Mama's Name & Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)
Two Columbia Tanya Tucker non-LP single B side tracks remain unreleased digitally - "I Love The Way He Loves Me" [B side of Delta Dawn] and "Satisfied With Missing You" [B side of The Man That Turned My Mama On]
The Steve Aoki remix of the Beach Boys is a complete waste of bandwidth. It makes absolutely no sense and it's six minutes (for the two mixes) that I will never get back.