As a member of the extended family of funk group Zapp, Shirley Murdock memorably added her vocals to the 1986 hit "Computer Love" (for which she also shares a co-writing credit). Concurrently, Murdock was launching her own solo career at Elektra Records, where she would release three solo LPs through 1991. Now, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has revisited and expanded that trio of albums on As We Lay: The Elektra Recordings (1985-1991), a new 3-CD collection that's an essential
Too Hot: Edsel Compiles Second Album Box for Kool & The Gang
In 2024, Kool and the Gang will celebrate 60 years of music-making. Though the band has weathered the passing of key personnel in recent years including founding members Ronald Bell a.k.a. Khalis Bayyan and Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Kool" Bell and George "Funky" Brown keep the fusion of soul, R&B, dance, funk, and jazz alive and well. Earlier this year, Demon Music Group's Edsel label released Kool and the Gang's The Albums Vol. 1: 1970-1978 collecting their first dozen LPs plus a disc
Here She Comes Again: Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits Collected on "Diamonds and Rhinestones"
Here she comes again. Hot on the heels of the expanded edition of Dolly Parton's A Holly Dolly Christmas, the superstar is teaming with Legacy Recordings and RCA for a new, career-spanning package. Diamonds and Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection arrives on November 18 with 23 tracks, originally released between 1971 and 2020, on CD, 2LP, and digital formats. Diamonds and Rhinestones draws on Parton's recordings for RCA Victor, Columbia Records, and her own Dolly Records label. The
And Your Bird Can Sing! The Beatles' "Revolver" Goes Super Deluxe in October
The Beatles' seventh studio album - and the bridge between Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - 1966's Revolver is recognized as one of the Fab Four's most groundbreaking as well as significant albums. With producer George Martin, the group employed studio wizardry to bring their new songs to life - tape loops, automatic double tracking, close miking, use of varispeed and reversed tapes, among other techniques that would soon be imitated by countless others - as well as
Circle of Love: Dolly Parton's "Holly Dolly Christmas" Gets Expanded Edition in October
2020's A Holly Dolly Christmas was Dolly Parton's 47th solo studio album, but only her third full-length Christmas record following the Kenny Rogers collaboration Once Upon a Christmas (1984) and solo Home for Christmas (1990). The joyful yuletide set, supported by a prime-time CBS television special, became the superstar's eighth Billboard Country chart-topper; it also reached the peak of the Holiday Albums chart and the top twenty of the Billboard 200. On October 14, the Grammy-nominated
The Weekend Stream Labor Day Special: Spotlight on WIWS Radio with John and Chrissy Sellards
Welcome to a special edition of The Weekend Stream for the long Labor Day weekend! Longtime readers might have noticed that adorable owl perched comfortably atop The Second Disc. He's the mascot for WIWS Radio, an online radio station dedicated to '50s and '60s classics in authentic AM radio sound. We'd like to introduce you to John and Chrissy Sellards, the couple behind WIWS. John is already well known to Second Disc readers for his design work on most of our Second Disc Records releases.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight: Four Elton John LPs Reissued on Vinyl Today
As Elton John continues the final North American leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, another four gems from his discography have returned to vinyl following the recent reissues of The One and Peachtree Road. A Single Man arrived in 1978 and marked a turning point for the singer-songwriter following 1976's expansive double album Blue Moves. Despite the presence of the hit single "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," Blue Moves had ended John's streak of chart-topping albums that began
Two (Discs) of Hearts: Cherry Pop Expands Stacey Q's Debut with 20 Rare or New-to-CD Tracks
Stacey Q's 1986 debut album was titled Better Than Heaven, and listeners were inclined to agree with that assessment as its lead single "Two of Hearts" ascended the charts in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe. On September 16, Cherry Pop will reissue the Hi-NRG classic as a deluxe 2-CD expanded edition with a whopping 20 bonus tracks, almost every one of which is new to CD. Show business was in Stacey Lynn Swain's blood since childhood. She trained as a dancer, modeled,
Dee-Lightful! Stage Door Reissues, Expands Johnny Burke's "Donnybrook!"
"Dee-lightful Is the Word" for Donnybrook! The 1961 Broadway musical was based on Maurice Walsh's short story "The Quiet Man" which had famously been adapted by director John Ford and screenwriter Frank S. Nugent into the Academy Award-winning 1952 film of that name. The story and film had all of the ingredients of a successful musical, with a colorful Irish setting, larger-than-life characters, and vivid romance. Ultimately, Donnybrook! lasted just 61 performances at the 46th Street Theatre
On the Dark Side: Iconoclassic Celebrates John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band on "Greatest Hits"
Iconoclassic Records is headed to the "Dark Side" with the first-ever anthology from the real-life band behind Hollywood's Eddie and The Cruisers: John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band. On September 30, the label will release Greatest Hits, a freshly remastered 16-track collection from the rock-and-roll revivalists whose "On the Dark Side" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 and spent five weeks atop the Mainstream Rock chart and the MTV video charts. Singer-guitarist
Build Me Up, Buttercup: Cherry Red Collects The Foundations on "Am I Groovin' You"
When "Baby, Now That I've Found You" reached No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart in late 1967, The Foundations became the country's first multi-racial band to score a No. 1 single. The irresistible tune by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod also topped the chart in Canada and peaked just out of the top ten in the United States, inaugurating a brief period of success for the groundbreaking group. The Foundations are well-remembered today for both "Baby, Now That I've Found" you and the Macaulay/Mike
Do It Again: HDTT Label Brings Judy Garland's Carnegie Hall Concert to Hi-Res Digital, CD Formats
The Canada-based High Definition Tape Transfers label recently released Judy Garland's The Final Concert in Copenhagen, bringing the legendary artist's last public concert on March 25, 1969 to a variety of high-resolution formats. As the celebration of Garland's centennial continues, the label has turned its attention to Garland's most famous live performance, and indeed one of the most famous concerts of all time. The Greatest Night in Show Business History: April 23, 1961 is HDTT's reissue of
Filthy Habits: "Zappa '75" Brings Frank and The Mothers' Yugoslavia Shows to CD
Earlier this year, Zappa Records and UME released Zappa/Erie, a 6-CD box documenting Frank Zappa and The Mothers' shows in the Erie, Pennsylvania area circa 1974-1976. An upcoming release due October 14 is a bit slimmer - just two CDs - but no less interesting as it chronicles Zappa and the band's visit to an even more far-flung locale in the fall of 1975. Zappa '75: Zagreb/Ljubljana captures The Mothers' first and only concerts in Yugoslavia. He referred to the dates as "The Mothers of
For Your Eyes Only: Cherry Pop Brings Sheena Easton's "Live at The Palace, Hollywood" to CD and DVD
Sheena Easton closed the first chapter of her career with Madness, Money, and Music, recorded in spring and released in autumn 1982. Easton's third studio album, it was her last to be produced by Christopher Neil who had guided the Scottish superstar's meteoric ascent with such songs as "Modern Girl," "9 to 5 (Morning Train)," and "For Your Eyes Only." The Grammy-winning Best New Artist of 1982 scarcely had any time to rest on her laurels; after recording the album at George Martin's AIR
Sock It To Me, Baby: Ace Celebrates Bob Crewe on "Whatever You Want"
Yesterday, we looked at Ace Records' recent anthology dedicated to West Coast producer Gary Usher. Today, we're heading east... Stanley Robert Crewe of Newark, New Jersey studied architecture and tried his luck as a fashion model before turning full-time to music. Though the handsome young man was a teen idol-in-the-making, he found his truest calling behind-the-scenes. With writing partner Frank Slay, Crewe gifted "Silhouettes" to The Rays and "Tallahassee Lassie" to Freddy "Boom Boom"
Let's Go to Heaven In My Car: Ace Collects Productions and Songs of Gary Usher
Ace's long-running Songwriters and Producers series has recently yielded two stellar entries celebrating two gentlemen equally versed in both crafts: Gary Usher and Bob Crewe. Part One of our Ace Round-Up today looks at Happy in Hollywood: The Productions of Gary Usher. Gary Usher (1938-1992) would have gone down in pop history as one of his neighborhood pal Brian Wilson's earliest collaborators, penning lyrics for both a popular hot rod tune ("409") and one of Wilson's most introspective,
Burning Love: Elvis Presley's "Elvis On Tour" Gets Super-Sized on New Box Set
The King once again reigned supreme when Baz Luhrmann's fantastical biopic Elvis hit cinemas this summer and cruised to $138 million (and counting) in domestic grosses. Luhrmann deftly blended Presley's original vocals with that of star Austin Butler, and in at least in one crucial moment in the film, the actual Elvis took the screen in lieu of the young actor. Now, RCA Records and Legacy Recordings are celebrating 50 years of an earlier film: Elvis On Tour, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's dynamic 1972
Moment's Notice: John Coltrane's "Blue Train: The Complete Masters" Due in September
John Coltrane only recorded one album for Blue Note as a leader. 1958's Blue Train, featuring all original compositions plus one standard, would come to be overshadowed by the saxophone great's very next recording: the groundbreaking Giant Steps for Atlantic. But as a document of Coltrane in his hard bop period, Blue Train remains a top-notch record. Now, it's returning to vinyl, CD, and digital formats on September 16 in a variety of editions. Blue Train: The Complete Masters joins Blue
In Memoriam: Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022)
Olivia, we honestly love you. Sandy, the good girl of Rydell High. Kira, the Olympian muse who inspires the roller disco paradise, Xanadu. Livvy, the girl singer who dreams of the big time but must first take to the cosmos. Olivia Newton-John was all of these and more. The singer who sweetly asked "Have You Never Been Mellow" and implored us to get "Physical" in the 1980s' longest-charting Number One was a dedicated activist for environmental and animal rights, and a courageous advocate
Sha-La-La-La-La-La: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collect Living Daylights' "Let's Live For Today: The Complete Recordings"
"Let's Live for Today," a top ten U.S. hit in the Summer of Love, will forever be associated with The Grass Roots. But not one, but two, U.K.-based groups also staked a claim to the song. Now, Cherry Red's Grapefruit arm is chronicling the discography of one of those groups, Living Daylights. The single-CD anthology Let's Live for Today: The Complete Recordings is due this Friday, August 12. Living Daylights - a.k.a. brothers Garth and Norman Watt-Roy on guitar and bass, respectively, plus
Time and the Tide: Dark Horse Collects Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros' Albums on "002"
Back in 2018, Joe Strummer 001 collected recordings made by the late Clash frontman outside of that band: solo, with bandmate Mick Jones, and with The Mescaleros and The 101ers. Now, BMG's reactivated Dark Horse Records label has announced Joe Strummer 002. Subtitled The Mescaleros Years and due from the label on September 16, the collection reissues all three Mescaleros albums and adds fifteen rare and/or previously unreleased tracks. It will be available on 4 CDs with a 72-page book or 7
You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio: Joni Mitchell's "The Asylum Albums (1972-1975)" Coming from Rhino
On Sunday, happy tears flowed at the Newport Folk Festival when Joni Mitchell took the Rhode Island stage for a surprise set - her first full-length concert in roughly two decades, performed alongside her longtime champion Brandi Carlile and a host of illustrious friends. Soon, those tears were flowing everywhere when audio and video from the thirteen-song show was shared worldwide. Joni Mitchell was back, tapping into a deep well of vivid emotion on her beloved standards such as "Both Sides
One and One Make Love: Godley and Creme's pre-10cc Days Collected on "Frabjous Days"
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme might be best known as founding members of 10cc...or as a pioneering pop duo...or as directors of groundbreaking music videos for such artists as The Police, Duran Duran, Sting, and George Harrison. But pre-fame, Godley and Creme recorded an unreleased album for impresario Giorgio Gomelsky. Now, that album - and a clutch of related material - has finally seen the light of day from Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint as Frabjous Days: The Secret World of Godley and Creme
Shooting Stars: Iconoclassic Rediscovers Lost Gems from Ohio Players, Dwight Twilley
On July 29, Iconoclassic Records will release a pair of albums from two very different artists - yet both releases look to be equally essential. The Ohio Players famously topped the U.S. Hot 100 in 1975 with the irresistible "Love Rollercoaster," the group's second song to reach that coveted spot after "Fire." The band's history is a bit of a roller coaster itself, with plenty of ups and downs. Upon its release in 1981, Tenderness might have been considered a down, but Iconoclassic is
Grapefruit's "Heroes and Villains" Collects L.A. Sounds of 1965-1968 From The Beach Boys, Mamas and Papas, Monkees, Zappa, More
Though Heroes and Villains is the title of Grapefruit's new 3-CD anthology chronicling The Sound of Los Angeles 1965-68, that famous Beach Boys song isn't among its 90 selections. Not that Brian Wilson and co. are absent; the compilation instead presents another SMiLE tune, "Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)" as part of its portrait of a place and time in music history when it truly seemed anything was possible. U.K.-based compiler David Wells persuasively makes the case here that L.A.
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