Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. You're not hallucinating this week - there are more Daryl Hall and U2 EPs! - but there's also some great new soundtrack scores and vintage vocal jazz to peruse, too. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Daryl Hall, I'm in a Philly Mood (Epic) (iTunes / Amazon)
Hall's third album, 1993's Soul Alone, was more than a cheeky reference to a lyric from Daryl Hall & John Oates' 1984 hit "Out of Touch." After dabbling in esoteric, progressive rock (Sacred Songs, released in 1980 after it was shelved for three years) and maximalist pop (1986's Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine), Hall's latest solo release was as R&B-oriented as they come, featuring the irresistible single "I'm in a Philly Mood" - still a staple of Hall's live sets. This two-track EP, part of a continuing series of rarities from Hall's solo material excavated for streaming and download, features the single edit of "Philly Mood" as well as "I've Finally Seen the Light," a Japanese bonus track from the original album.
Various Artists, Dinner At Mancini's (Primary Wave) (iTunes / Amazon)
As part of the ongoing centennial celebration for legendary film composer Henry Mancini, this newly-recorded collection gives more than two dozen classics of his, from "Peter Gunn" and "The Pink Panther" to "Moon River" and "Baby Elephant Walk," a lo-fi/chillwave treatment, perfect for your coolest dinner party.
Charles Fox, Killing Me Softly with His Songs (Gold Media Entertainment) (iTunes / Amazon)
Hot off the announcement of Intrada's expansion of Charles Fox's score to Foul Play, Intrada surprised fans with more release news: they will soon release on CD the soundtrack to a 2024 documentary about Fox's life and career, featuring new recordings of his classic pop songs and TV themes. Highlights include Canadian pop band Barenaked Ladies' take on the theme to Happy Days, a rendition of "I Got a Name," originally, beautifully sung by the late Jim Croce and here covered by his son A.J., and Fox accompanying himself on solo piano on the documentary's "title song," a massive hit for Roberta Flack. For those too excited to wait, it's available digitally today - and the documentary can be watched for free (with ads) on YouTube below.
U2, ZOO TV (Live in Dublin 1993) (Island/UMR) (iTunes / Amazon)
Amidst all the recent U2 digital EPs, the band sneakily released another EP of unreleased live cuts from two homecoming gigs on their massive ZOO TV tour in support of Achtung Baby and Zooropa. (It's also available on CD at Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Canada.)
Julie Wilson, At the St. Regis (Vik/RCA) (iTunes / Amazon)
A onetime Miss Nebraska, Julie Wilson made her mark on Broadway and the West End in such musicals as Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific, Kismet, The Pajama Game, Jimmy, and Peter Allen's ill-fated Legs Diamond, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. But Wilson was better known as the "Queen of Cabaret," having begun working nightclubs in the mid-1940s and continuing nearly until her death in 2015 at the age of 90. Among her later, acclaimed albums were tributes to Stephen Sondheim, Harold Arlen, Kurt Weill, and Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and The Gershwins, but Legacy has gone back much further. 1958's At the St. Regis was Julie's second and final album for RCA's Vik imprint, capturing her May 1957 set with The Marshall Grant Trio. The original LPs were emblazoned with a sticker "For Adults Only," and the liner notes were penned by none other than Hugh Hefner. Saucy, sultry, stylish, and sophisticated, this is the sound of mid-century New York in all its glory. At the St. Regis has never seen CD release outside of Japan, making this digital debut all the more welcome.
Ann Gilbert, In a Swingin' Mood (Vik/RCA) (iTunes / Amazon)
Team Legacy has also dug up another treasure from the Vik label: this time, a 1957 studio set from jazz-pop chanteuse Ann Gilbert. Backed by the Elliot Lawrence Orchestra, Gilbert sings such favorite tunes as "What'll I Do," "Lover Come Back to Me," "Someone to Watch Over Me," and "Love Is Just Around the Corner." In a Swingin' Mood was her second for RCA; the first, 1956's The Many Moods of Ann, was on its Groove imprint. Not long after the release of this LP, Gilbert married theatrical producer Stuart Ostrow and retired from professional performance to become a music teacher. Hopefully The Many Moods of Ann will follow In a Swingin' Mood to digital platforms. Though frequently reissued on CD in Japan as well as in Spain, this marks the album's first U.S. reissue.
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