Features / The Weekend Stream

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. There’s even more holiday gifts today: new takes on a film music legend, a decade-spanning dance mash-up, more centennial celebrations for a Rat Pack icon, plus some deep country and modern rock treasures.

Cécilia Tsan, Sara Andon & Simone Pedroni, John Williams Reimagined: Home Alone (Warner Classics/Erato/Parlophone) (Apple / Amazon)

In 2024, soundtrack reissue producer Robert Townson assembled cellist Tsan, flautist Andon and pianist Pedroni for a most intriguing project: John Williams Reimagined, a selection of famous themes and deeper cuts – more than 30 total – from John Williams’ lengthy oeuvre of film music, dramatically rearranged for that intimate trio. This holiday season, with the Williams-scored family comedy Home Alone turning 35, Townson and the trio have reconvened for a six-theme suite paying tribute to both the blockbuster 1990 film and its sequel.

Joe Jackson, “Welcome to Burning-by-Sea” (earMUSIC/Edel) (Apple / Amazon)

The irascible British singer/songwriter/pianist Joe Jackson is prepping next year’s Hope and Fury, his first album of straightforward pop/rock since 2019. (He did release What a Racket! in 2023, a pastiche of early 20th century music hall songs credited to the fictitious songwriter Max Champion.) The nine-track affair features his touring band (longtime bassist Graham Maby, guitarist Teddy Kumpel and drummer Doug Yowell) plus Peruvian percussionist Paulo Stagnaro, and is described by the artist as another example of the “Bicoastal LatinJazzFunkRock” that made him a notable name in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Lead single and opening track “Welcome to Burning-by-Sea” is one of his odder singles – a shuffling, lyrically dense mood-setter that sets the table for the full album, due out April 10.

Fatboy Slim & The Rolling Stones, “Satisfaction Skank” (Southern Fried/ABKCO) (Apple / Amazon)

A collaboration decades in the making! British DJ Fatboy Slim has been slipping a version of one of his signature tracks, “The Rockafeller Skank,” mashed up with The Rolling Stones’ breakthrough “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” since the late ’90s. Now, The Stones have finally signed off on a version of the oft-bootlegged mix, even supplying Slim with the original master tapes to get the released version just right. What is there to do but…check it out now, right about now?

Sammy Davis, Jr., Sammy Swings / Sammy: The Original Television Soundtrack / Now / That’s Entertainment / The Song and Dance Man (UMe)

Sammy Swings: Apple / Amazon
Sammy: The Original Television Soundtrack: Apple / Amazon
Now: Apple / Amazon
That’s Entertainment: Apple / Amazon
Song and Dance Man: Apple / Amazon

UMe celebrates Sammy Davis, Jr.’s 100th birthday with a quintet of new-to-digital titles from the legendary entertainer’s catalogue.The 1957 Decca album Sammy Swings, with arrangements by Sy Oliver, Morty Stevens, and Jack Pleis, features his beloved renditions of such standards as “That Old Black Magic,” “The Gypsy in My Soul,” and “Temptation.” The campaign then jumps to the first-ever digital-era reissues of four albums from Davis’ MGM and 20th Century years. Now welcomed Davis to MGM Records with the chart-topping “The Candy Man” as well as such epochal recordings as “I’ll Begin Again” and “John Shaft,” produced by none other than Isaac Hayes himself. Sammy: The Original Television Soundtrack captured the musical highlights of Davis’ acclaimed NBC-TV special including the premiere of “I’m Not Anyone,” written for Sammy by his pal Paul Anka. That’s Entertainment, a tie-in to the MGM compilation film of the same name, returned Sammy to the milieu of pure standards, with swingin’ arrangements by the great Nelson Riddle. The last title in this series, The Song and Dance Man, was Davis’ 20th Century debut and found the consummate entertainer stylishly reinterpreting contemporary TV themes from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Baretta, and Chico and the Man. Read more about “Sammy in the Seventies” in our 2011 Reissue Theory column, and – if you’re in the NYC area – think about paying a visit to 54 Below on Saturday, February 28, when the sold-out Once in a Lifetime: A Sammy Davis, Jr. Centennial Celebration returns to the stage after its celebrated premiere this month!

The Pogues, Fairytale of New York (2025 EP) (Warner Music U.K./Rhino) (Apple / Amazon)

In time for the holidays, one of the most off-kilter entries in the modern Christmas canyon gets a second look with a new digital EP (also recently released as a zoetrope picture disc). Celtic rockers The Pogues’ team-up with the late Kirsty MacColl, 1987’s “Fairytale of New York,” is here backed with two unreleased selections from a 1987 show at the Glasgow Barrowlands (including MacColl singing live on “Fairytale”) and the instrumental version of the studio track.

Illuminati Hotties, FREE I.H.: Five Years Free (Snack Shack Tracks) (Apple / Amazon)

Gregarious recording engineer Sarah Tudzin was gaining notice with her quirky, spiky “tenderpunk” project Illuminati Hotties when disaster struck: in 2019, a host of artists accused Tiny Engines, the label that issued her debut Kiss Yr Frenemies, of inconsistent payments and other bad business practices. In negotiating an exit from her contract, Tudzin agreed to pay Tiny Engines royalties on whatever came next…which was 2020’s hilariously acidic “mixtape” FREE I.H.: The is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For, featuring cockeyed cuts like the 75-second “Will I Get Cancelled If I Write a Song Called, ‘If You Were a Man, You’d Be So Cancelled’.” Long after moving on to bigger and better things, releasing the acclaimed albums Let Me Do One More (2021) and Power (2024) and winning a Grammy Award (one of four nominations) for her behind-the-boards work with alt-rock supergroup Boygenius, FREE I.H. has been released on vinyl and reissued digitally with six bonus tracks.

Gary Numan, Telekon (45th Anniversary Expanded Edition) (Beggars Banquet) (Apple / Amazon)

New Wave icon Numan followed debut album The Pleasure Principle (which featured the unlikely worldwide hit “Cars”) with 1980’s Telekon, a more sonically expansive affair blending his signature synths with distorted guitar and even occasional strings. This expanded package, to be released on CD early next year, features four previously unreleased recordings including the unheard “Like a B-Film.”

Bill Wyman, Demos (Edsel) (Apple / Amazon)

Recently included in the box set Treasury, this unissued collection of demos from the former Rolling Stones bassist is yours to hear separately on streaming and download services.

Jim Reeves, Girls I Have Known (RCA) (Apple / Amazon)

Another early gem from Jim Reeves’ catalog is delivered digitally with the aid of SuperVisible Multi Media. This 1958 long-player, Reeves’ fourth for RCA Victor, is a mini-concept piece, with each song titled after a girl’s name – including “Anna Marie,” a Top 5 country chart hit.

Freddy Fender, Are You Ready for Freddy (Dot/Geffen) (Apple / Amazon)

SuperVisible’s also got a great find from the late country/Tejano singer Freddy Fender making its digital debut! Fender’s second studio album, released in 1975, followed that year’s hit debut Before the Next Teardrop Falls, the title track of which became both a country and pop chart-topper. Are You Ready gave Fender his third country No. 1 with a cover of “Secret Love,” penned by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster and made famous by Doris Day in the film Calamity Jane.

Randy Parton, The RCA Years (RCA/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon)

Though hardly a household name, entertaining was surely in Randy Parton’s blood, as one of Dolly Parton’s 11 siblings. He performed closely with her, spending time as her touring bassist (notably serving as her duet partner on the country chart-topper “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You,” co-written by Pebe Sebert, the mother of pop hitmaker Kesha) and headlining a show at Dollywood from its opening in 1986 until shortly before his passing from cancer in 2021. Parton never released a full album for RCA Victor, but put out nine singles for the label between 1975 and 1982 (including “Roll On Eighteen Wheeler,” which would later become part of a mighty country singles chart run for labelmates Alabama). This collection features all of those 18 A and B-sides, plus 11 other songs from RCA sessions that were never released, plus a further nine mono mixes of some of those tracks, released and/or prepared for promo single copies.

Arthur Smith & Clay Smith (Smith & Son), Guitars Galore (Monument/Epic) (Apple / Amazon)

Arthur Smith had earned acclaim in the ’50s with a series of engaging country instrumentals including “Guitar Boogie” and “Dueling Banjos.” Years after the latter became an unexpected hit when covered (initially without credit) by Eric Weissberg for the 1972 film Deliverance, Smith and his son Clay recorded this album for Monument Records, featuring a mix of originals and genre standards (“Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” Pasty Cline’s “Crazy,” Hank Williams’ “There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight”).

Michael Hampton, Into the Public Domain (Sound Mind) (Apple / Amazon)

A key member of the P-Funk universe, guitarist Michael Hampton was picked by George Clinton as Funkadelic’s guitarist after Eddie Hazel became a less consistent presence in the band. “Kidd Funkadelic” now has a new solo project of his own, Into the Public Domain, a genre-hopping affair helmed by acclaimed producer/engineer Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo and featuring Shooter Jennings (Waylon’s son) playing keys and co-producing several tracks. The mini-album – which, true to its title, is issued under a license that will grant royalty-free usage of its tracks for commercial sync or sampling – is the first in a series of three rolling out over the next few months.

Soul Coughing, Ruby Vroom Remixes (Round Hill) (Apple / Amazon)

’90s alt-rockers Soul Coughing – led by frontman/songwriter Mike Doughty – issued this collection of rare promo-only remixes from 1994 debut Ruby Vroom for Record Store Day Black Friday. It’s now digitally available, as the band promises more tour dates in 2026 – continuing a reunion that started two years ago for the 30th anniversary of the album.

Scott Weiland, “If I Could Fly” (Primary Wave) (Apple / Amazon)

Released earlier this month, “If I Could Fly” is a previously unreleased tune from the vaults of the former Stone Temple Pilots frontman, commemorating the 10th anniversary of his passing after a lengthy battle with substance abuse. “If I Could Fly” dates to a break in STP activity in 2000, inspired by the birth of Weiland’s son Noah. (The younger Weiland recently played a tribute show in honor of his father, making headlines afterward for cryptic messages that had fans worried about his well-being.)

Babyshambles, Down in Albion (20th Anniversary Edition) (Rough Trade) (Apple / Amazon)

Occasionally brilliant and often troubled musician Pete Doherty started Babyshambles after the implosion of his original group The Libertines, who briefly ejected him in 2003 due to substance abuse issues. (Doherty’s legal troubles and tumultuous relationship with supermodel Kate Moss made him of great interest to British tabloids at the time; he’s since gotten sober, and plays with both bands.) Down in Albion was noted by some critics for its similarity in places to the work of The Clash – perhaps little surprise considering Mick Jones, founding guitarist for The Only Band That Matters, produced the album. It’s now been remastered and expanded with five rare bonus tracks.

TSD wishes to acknowledge the passing of two musical luminaries this week. Raul Malo, lead singer of alt-country act The Mavericks, was one of the most arresting frontmen in the genre, mixing the traditional Nashville sound with folk and Americana influences as well as – crucially – Latin sounds derived from Malo’s Cuban heritage and upbringing in Miami. Add Malo’s traditionally gorgeous singing voice and it’s clear what a one-of-a-kind presence he was. Malo died on December 8 at the age of 60 after a short battle with cancer; two days prior, the band put on a pair of star-studded benefit shows at the Ryman Auditorium featuring Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Jimmie Vaughan, Jamey Johnson and others. Malo reportedly got to see the shows remotely, and spent time with his bandmates before his passing.

We also celebrate the work of arranger Gordon Goodwin, who also passed away on December 8 after a battle with pancreatic cancer; he was 70 years old. Goodwin’s wide-ranging career includes three Daytime Emmys (two for working on the hilarious animated series Animaniacs) and four Grammys (including one for work on the Disney/Pixar blockbuster The Incredibles), and a lengthy tenure with the swing-fusion ensemble he founded, The Big Phat Band. TSD HQ particularly cites Goodwin for his work in the Disney theme parks, arranging music for parades and live shows, as well as a lengthy concert tenure with Johnny Mathis. “Gordon wrote many of the best arrangements in my entire library and some of the best that I have ever heard,” Mathis offered in a statement. “He eventually came to conduct as well as play piano. His skills and abilities had no boundaries because as a musician, he was not mortal.”