Features / Release Round-Up

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Various Artists, NOW Yearbook: Vault ’82 (NOW Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The U.K.’s NOW line continues with another Vault installment spotlight hits of 1982 including The Who’s “Athena,” Elton John’s “Empty Garden,” Neil Diamond’s “Heartlight,” Billy Joel’s “Allentown,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” and much more from a cross-section of artists and genres.  Out today in the U.K.; available next Friday in North America.

Various Artists, He’s a Rebel: The Songs of Gene Pitney (Jasmine) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Jasmine has whipped up a nifty collection of tracks currently in the U.K. public domain from the pen of Gene Pitney, featuring such artists as The Crystals (“He’s a Rebel”), Ricky Nelson (“Hello, Mary Lou”), Roy Orbison (“Today’s Teardrops,” “22 Days”), and Steve Lawrence (“Tears from Heaven”) as well as Pitney himself.  Note that most Jasmine releases are now CD-Rs, not silver discs.

Miyoshi Umeki, The Mercury Years 1956-1962 (Jasmine) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Jasmine has another compilation this week.  This one’s from actress-singer Miyoshi Umeki of Flower Drum Song and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father fame.  Umeki was a star in her native Japan before coming to the U.S., where she became the first Asian artist to win an Oscar.  This set brings together her two Mercury LPs plus bonus tracks with Andy Williams, Dinah Shore, and others.

The James Hunter Six, Off the Fence (Easy Eye/Concord) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The British singer-songwriter’s soul outfit is back with a new album featuring a guest appearance by Van Morrison on “Ain’t That a Trip.”  Available on CD, digitally, and vinyl.

Richard Marx, After Hours (BMG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The singer-songwriter welcomes Rod Stewart, Kenny G, Tom Scott, Chris Botti, and Randy Waldman for a set of classic standards (including “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Summer Wind,” and “The Way You Look Tonight”) and original songs inspired by that milieu.  Available on CD, LP, and digitally.

Evita: The Album (The Other Songs) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Following its digital release last fall, The Other Songs has released the full 10-track album live EVITA: The Album on CD and vinyl, capturing the electrifying production that entranced the West End this past summer. The cast includes Rachel Zegler, Diego Andres Rodriguez, James Olivas, Aaron Lee Lambert, and Bella Brown. But wait, there’s more! The Other Songs has also revealed that a complete live recording of the production will follow later this year (formats to be announced).