Features / The Weekend Stream

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Two eras of Madonna, early INXS and plenty of new cuts for country, folk and rock lovers are all in the mix!

Madonna, Into the Groove / Hung Up (Remixes) / Sorry (Remixes) / Jump (Remixes) / 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland) (Remixes) / Celebration (Remixes) EPs (Warner/Rhino)

“Groove”: Apple / Amazon
“Hung Up”: Apple / Amazon
“Sorry”: Apple / Amazon
“Jump”: Apple / Amazon
“4 Minutes”: Apple / Amazon
“Celebration”: Apple / Amazon

Featured on the Queen of Pop’s digital music pages – though there’s no quick anniversary we can think of – is an EP tied to “Into the Groove,” one of Madonna’s most indelible sorta-singles of the ’80s. (It was never issued as such in America, staying only on the 12″ B-side to “Angel,” and so never charted on the Billboard Hot 100; meanwhile, it’s still her biggest hit in the U.K.!) The EP features the original single version and U.K. B-side (Like a Virgin cut “Shoo-Bee-Doo”), plus a brace of remixes by Shep Pettibone tied to the You Can Dance remix album – including the long version from that collection with clean intros and outros instead of crossfaded into other tracks like the original release. Additionally, five remix bundles have appeared from Madge’s mid-to-late ’00s works, including the hits “Hung Up” and “4 Minutes” plus the title track to 2009’s career-spanning Celebration.

INXS, “The Loved One” (Original Recording) (Atlantic/Rhino) (Apple / Amazon)

Perhaps as a token of gratitude to the fans making a strong showing for them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, INXS have debuted an early rarity on digital services for the first time. “The Loved One,” a massive Australian hit in 1966 for The Loved Ones, was covered by the rising band in 1981 as a standalone single that mustered No. 20 on the charts down under. (More familiarly, the band covered it again on their blockbuster Kick in 1987.)

Willie Nelson, “Dream Chaser” (Legacy) (Apple / Amazon)

Constantly redefining the boundaries of “soul survivor,” the country legend’s 79th album Dream Chaser (his 24th since inking a contract with Sony Music’s catalogue arm Legacy Recordings back in 2012) was just announced for a May 29 release, about a month after Willie Nelson turns 93. The title track is now streaming, and the record will feature co-writing credits on six of the album’s 10 tracks, including “I Can’t Read Your Mind,” penned with longtime producer Buddy Cannon and an upstart folkie named Bob Dylan.

Kacey Musgraves, “Dry Spell” (Lost Highway) (Apple / Amazon)

One of country’s most engaging voices is back, and she’s letting it all hang out on the first single to new album Middle of Nowhere (the follow-up to 2024’s Deeper Well, the latest in a series of albums flirting with folk and pop ideas). Moving from MCA Nashville to become the first artist signed to the reactivated Lost Highway (ironically, she was the last artist signed there before it folded into Mercury Nashville), “Dry Spell” takes on being “lonely with a capital ‘H'” (watch the above video if you don’t get it!) with the help of some of her most stalwart musical companions (co-writers Shane McAnally, Luke Laird and Josh Osborne and producers Laird, Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk). Middle of Nowhere, due May 1, will also have duets with Billy Strings, Miranda Lambert and – how about that! – Willie Nelson.

Neil Diamond, “Wild at Heart” (Capitol/UMe) (Apple / Amazon)

Neil Diamond has just announced a new album reuniting him with producer Rick Rubin. Diamond recently completed Wild at Heart from outtakes recorded with Rubin at the sessions for 2008’s Home Before Dark. The title song is the first sample of the LP, and if this rocking slab of vintage Diamond – with the singer-songwriter slinging his own guitar over a tough, taut arrangement – is any indication, these tracks are far from mere leftovers. The full album is due on May 8.

Marvin Gaye, “Soon I’ll Be Loving You Again” (Salaam Remi Remix) (Motown/UMe) (Apple / Amazon)

Salaam Remi, known for productions with Nas, Amy Winehouse and others, lends his remix skills (not for the first time) to deep cut “Soon I’ll Be Loving You Again” from Marvin Gaye’s underrated I Want You. The album recently turned 50 and will be celebrated with several vinyl products; look for a round-up of those next week.

Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Show – Original Demos (50th Anniversary Edition) (MTI) (Apple / Amazon)

Don’t dream it – be it! Last year, The Rocky Horror Picture Show – the cinematic adaptation of Richard O’Brien’s campy cult musical – celebrated its 50th anniversary, and it’s still prompting midnight movie house audiences to toast to its success wherever misfit teenagers live. (Next month, the first Broadway revival since 2000 opens at the former Studio 54, with Luke Evans stepping into Dr. Frank N. Furter’s fishnets and a cast that includes Oscar nominees Stephanie Hsu and Juliette Lewis.) O’Brien’s original 1972-1973 demos to the show’s unforgettable score – including the immortal “Time Warp” – are now digitally available, along with some bonus live performances of select tracks from 1975 and 1999.

OneRepublic, Dreaming Out Loud (Deluxe Edition) (Mosley Music/Interscope/UMe) (Apple / Amazon)

Two decades ago, a new sort of hip-hop/rock hybrid came to light when producer Timbaland – who rose to prominence as a collaborator to Missy Elliott and Aaliyah before embarking on a hot crossover streak with pop singers Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake – remixed “Apologize,” a plaintive ballad by then-unknown Colorado band OneRepublic. The track soared to No. 1 around the world, and thanks to the keen skills of frontman Ryan Tedder (a prolific songwriter in his own right), they were far from done, scoring another major smash with the soaring “Stop and Stare” off debut Dreaming Out Loud. With a new vinyl pressing available (a year early for its 20th anniversary), this new digital deluxe edition offers a handful of rare non-album tracks and live cuts.

Band of Horses, Everything All the Time (20th Anniversary Edition) (Sub Pop) (Apple / Amazon)

Seattle’s Band of Horses, part of a mid-’00s indie boomlet, revisit their debut full-length, now packed with 14 bonus demos, outtakes and live tracks. A new gold vinyl pressing offers a bonus disc with a portion of the bonus cuts.

Peter Frampton, “Buried Treasure” (feat. Benmont Tench) (UMe) (Apple / Amazon)

May 15 brings Carry the Light, Peter Frampton’s first album of new material in more than a decade. Produced and co-written with the guitarist’s son Julian, it’ll feature guest turns from Sheryl Crow, Graham Nash, Bill Evans, H.E.R., Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and Benmont Tench, who lends his keyboard work on this tribute to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

Joe Jackson, “After All This Time” (earMUSIC/Edel) (Apple / Amazon)

The third single to the irascible British singer/songwriter/pianist’s new album Hope & Fury is now streaming.

Dionne Warwick & Cynthia Erivo, “Ocean in the Desert” (Elliott Entertainment) (Apple / Amazon)

Dionne Warwick and Diane Warren both have the same initials…so why shouldn’t these two musical legends team up for the album called DWuets? (Just don’t try to pronounce it!) The first single from what’s being billed as Dionne’s final album is out now, and it’s a Warren power ballad featuring lead vocals by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, who’s currently treading the boards in London as the star of a one-woman Dracula. Shameless plug time: While you’re waiting for DWuets, how about checking out Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971, the 12CD box set from SoulMusic Records, Cherry Red, and The Second Disc collecting her first decade of hits?

Freddy Fender, La Musica de Baldemar Huerta (Virgin/Capitol) (Apple / Amazon)

For his last studio album, originally issued in 2002, country/Tejano singer Freddy Fender brought it all back home, paying homage to the bolero music of his youth (when he was known by his real name, Baldemar Huerta). Working with producers Michael and Ron Morales (who collaborated with Fender in the Tex-Mex supergroup Texas Tornados, featuring Flaco Jimenez and Sir Douglas Quintet’s Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers), Fender sang border classics in a mariachi style, including a poignant remake of his signature country/pop chart-topper, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” The fine folks at SuperVisible Multi Media bring this killer album (a Grammy winner for Best Latin Pop Album) full circle.

Dead Can Dance, “Our Day Will Come” (self-released) (Bandcamp)

The Anglo-Irish darkwave group Dead Can Dance recently removed their catalogue from Spotify and placed it onto Bandcamp. Now, they’ve also exclusively released a new recording there: “Our Day Will Come” is dedicated to the solidarity between the people of Ireland (in their quest for a unified, independent nation) and the people of Palestine, subject to an ongoing genocide in the Middle East. To this end, half the proceeds of all downloads will be donated to Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP).

Lea Michele, “Nobody’s Side” (from CHESS The Musical) (Ghostlight) (Apple / Amazon)

Ghostlight has released the first single from the upcoming cast album of the smash hit Broadway revival of Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Tim Rice’s Chess (now featuring a new book by Danny Strong). The full album of the musical’s first Broadway revival is due later this spring, and if this sizzling track is any indication, it’s going to be worth the wait. Michele has just announced that she will play her final performance in the show on June 21, so if you’re in the New York area, don’t delay!

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (What’ll It Be) (Apple / Amazon)

This sweetly charming two-hander starring Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts is currently playing at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre; its engaging cast album has arrived on digital formats. (No word yet about a physical release; the previous London cast album also starring Tutty has remained digital-only.)

Our friend, gospel and Christian music historian Tim Dillinger, shared the following releases from the Curb vaults with us and was nice enough to write them up, too! Thanks, Tim!

Bobby Jones & New Life, Soul Set Free (Myrrh/Curb) (Apple / Amazon)

While Dr. Bobby Jones is highly regarded as an innovative television personality who gave gospel music an international presence via Bobby Jones Gospel on BET (Black Entertainment Television) for 35 years, many forget that he is also a Grammy-nominated gospel artist who broke ground converging gospel and contemporary Christian music. This 1982 effort – produced by Tony Brown (later known for productions for Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd and Vince Gill) – showcases the group’s central voice Francine Belcher, Grammy-nominated vocalist Charles Miller and future first-call session vocalist Kim Fleming.

The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Miracle Man (Myrrh/Curb) (Apple / Amazon)

This by The Mighty Clouds of Joy, whose 1975 single “Mighty High” lit up dance floors worldwide, is finally available digitally after being out of print for at least 30 years. While the group’s classic 1970s recordings have received their share of love (including Omnivore Recordings’ 2023 reissue of their Kickin’), their recordings for Myrrh Records in the 1980s have received far less critical examination. Miracle Man, produced by Patrick Henderson (Leon Russell, Amy Holland) and Laythan Armor (Beau Williams, Will Downing), strikes a balance between the contemporary and traditional sides of gospel. With compositions by Michael and Stormie Omartian, Howard McCrary, the producers, and group leader Joe Ligon and vocal appearances by Bonnie Bramlett and Maria Muldaur, Miracle Man is a reminder of just how musically adventurous the Clouds were.

B.J. Thomas, The Best of B.J. Thomas (Myrrh/Curb) (Apple / Amazon)

B.J. Thomas’ migration into contemporary Christian music in 1976 was a brief, but important moment in the evolution of a new form of faith-based music. Thomas quickly became a beloved figure in the genre with hits like “Home Where I Belong,” “You Gave Me Love” and “Jesus on My Mind,” all of which are captured on this 11-song retrospective, which highlights four tracks from 1976’s still-not-streaming Home Where I Belong. The Best of B.J. Thomas capsulizes his short but significant stint in contemporary Christian music and reflects how his path laid the groundwork for labelmate Amy Grant’s trajectory in the 1980s and 1990s.

PASSINGS

A stunningly prolific guitarist, Wayne Perkins, who passed away Monday after suffering a stroke earlier this month, was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, putting him in the right place and right time to contribute to the burgeoning Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. But a quirk of fate – his trio becoming the first American signee to Island Records – led to a fascinating period in England, where he played on Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Catch a Fire and The Rolling Stones’ Black and Blue (very nearly becoming Mick Taylor’s replacement). Perkins also played on Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark and as a live sideman for Leon Russell – just part of an incredible career that made him one of the Yellowhammer State’s finest session men.

Six string salutes are also in order for Phil “Wizzö” Campbell, celebrated guitarist for Motörhead from 1984 until frontman Lemmy Kilmister’s passing in 2015 – the second-longest tenured member of the group besides Lemmy. He will be missed by everyone who loved the group’s deeply dependable sound, heard on tracks like “Killed by Death,” “The One to Sing the Blues” and “Hellraiser.”