Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts. Anniversary releases from Bon Jovi and Madonna, more INXS remixes, deep dives on Duke Ellington and Doris Day, a new recording from Melissa Manchester and a unique new take on a classic Brazilian vocalist are what you'll enjoy today!
Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi (Deluxe Edition) (Mercury/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon)
The New Jersey rockers have already teed up a big 2024: frontman Jon Bon Jovi will be honored at the Grammy Awards as the MusiCares Person of the Year, and a multi-part documentary about the band (with participation from all current and former members) will stream on Hulu in April. This week, the group released a digital deluxe edition of their debut album (new vinyl and cassette pressings were also announced) that features demos and alternate versions of lead single "Runaway" and "Come Back" plus four live tracks recorded in Tokyo, previously included on a reissue of the album in 2010 and newly mixed by the band's longtime engineer Obie O'Brien.
Madonna, Material Girl (Single) (Warner/Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon)
Madonna's Celebration Tour recently circled back to New York, and it's the 40th anniversary year of Like a Virgin. While we wait for some hopeful news about possible reissues of her classic catalogue, we have another one of her many digital EPs to enjoy, including new remasters of Like a Virgin favorite "Material Girl," its 12" remix, and B-side "Pretender."
INXS, "Freedom Deep" (Extended 12" Mix) / "Please (You Got That...)" (E-Smoove Club Mix) (Petrol/Atlantic)
Freedom Deep: iTunes / Amazon
Please: iTunes / Amazon
Two more vintage single remixes from INXS' All Juiced Up Part 2 - both from 1993's Full Moon, Dirty Hearts album.
Melissa Manchester, "Just Too Many People" (Green Hill) (iTunes / Amazon)
Melissa Manchester revisits her irresistible 1975 hit "Just Too Many People," co-written with Vini Poncia, on the latest single from her upcoming album RE:VIEW. Originally released on Manchester's 1975 Arista Records debut Melissa, "Just Too Many People" reached No. 2 on the AC chart and went top 30 Pop. Her new rendition for RE:VIEW honors the spirit of the original recording while reflecting her current interpretation of the song.
Duke Ellington, Ellington in Order, Volume 7 (1936-37) (Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon)
Two and a half hours of the latest Ellington chronological deep dive. Includes not only works as bandleader but recordings he sat in on with the likes of Barney Bigard and Cootie Williams.
Doris Day, The Complete Columbia Singles, Volume 6 (1953-1957) (Columbia/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon)
The latest volume of Doris Day's single sides for Columbia include some of her biggest hits, including the chart-topping "Secret Love," "If I Give My Heart to You," and arguably her signature song, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)."
Darwin Del Fabro, Revisiting Elis Regina (Madalena Music) (iTunes / Amazon)
Brazilian singer Elis Regina (1945-1982) became one of the country's most beloved and best-selling vocalists, helping to popularize the tropicalismo genre and MPB (Brazilian popular music) and collaborating with the illustrious likes of Jair Rodrigues and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Now, Brazilian-born, New York-based actor-singer Darwin Del Fabro is Revisiting Elis Regina on this new album, sung in Portuguese and produced by two-time Latin Grammy nominee Delia Fischer. As the press release explains, the album emerged from Del Fabro's desire to return to Brazil and connect his roots with his current-day life in New York. (Del Fabro uses he/they pronouns.) "I came back to rediscover and embrace a version of myself that I had left behind," Del Fabro observed. "I wanted to channel my experiences of being a non-binary person in Rio into singing the complex narratives and blissful melodies of Elis Regina's hits. Returning to my mother tongue while performing the songs of the greatest singer of her time is a dream come true." This beguiling album of some of Brazil's most enduring songs is one you won't soon forget.
Michael Davis says
Thank you for bringing back the weekend stream. I really look forward it every week.
Harry Cohen says
I am RE ally looking forward to Melissa Manchester's RE VIEW. She is quite underappreciated as a singer and composer. It will be nice to RE visit some of her great songs.