Although this August 16 will mark the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, the musical light left behind by the once and future King of Rock and Roll has never dimmed. 2012 has already seen the expanded reissue of Elvis Country, including the Love Letters from Elvis album, and a handful of reissues from the Follow That Dream specialty label. (More titles are on the way from FTD including a long-awaited, upgraded collection of Presley's Sun recordings: watch for Part Two for more
Getting Real Gone in July with Sanford and Townsend, Clover, 20/20, Jackie Gleason and More
Real Gone Music may not be going “to the moon, Alice,” but the eclectic reissue gurus are going just about everywhere else with their batch of offerings set for July 31. Yes, Jackie Gleason features in a line-up also including poet Charles Bukowski, Sanford and Townsend (Smoke from a Distant Fire), a member of Bread, and a couple of underrated rock-and-roll bands. After the recent, potent reissue of the self-titled debut from Durocs, Real Gone jumps back into the power pop game with 20/20.
His Songs: Elton John "Classic Album Collection," Mash-Up Set Coming in July
Do you remember when rock was young? Many do remember the early days of the former Reginald Dwight, whose first major splash on the American charts was 1970's Elton John. Although that album was John's second, his 1969 debut Empty Sky wouldn't see U.S. release until 1975, at which point John was one of the biggest superstars on the planet. More than forty years after the release of Elton John, the now-Sir Elton's star still shines brightly, with 2010's The Union having earned him a Grammy
Before He Met "Mrs. Jones": Billy Paul's "Ebony Woman" Reissued By BBR
It’s inevitable that Billy Paul will be best remembered for that thing he had going on with a certain Mrs. Jones. But that ode to a steamy extramarital affair hardly told the whole story of Billy Paul. “A lot of people don’t even know I’m a jazz singer. That’s what I want to be known for,” Paul tells Andy Kellman in the liner notes to Big Break Records’ must-have reissue of the singer’s second album, Ebony Woman. Though produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, Ebony Woman wasn’t issued on
Review: The Supremes, "The Supremes at the Copa"
The building on New York’s East 60th Street might between 5th and Madison Avenues might not have looked like much from the outside. But within the walls of 10 E. 60th, it was a different story altogether, as that address housed the fabled Copacabana. Lyricist Fred Ebb asserted of New York City itself, “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere,” but he could have been writing of The Copacabana. And Berry Gordy wanted to make it there. More accurately, the Motown Records chief wanted
Burn, Baby, Burn: The Trammps Go "Definitive" From Music Club Deluxe
At the crossroads of silky Philadelphia soul and pulse-pounding disco, you’d likely find The Trammps. Hailing from the City of Brotherly Love, The Trammps earned their immortality when the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack included their hit “Disco Inferno.” But that classic track is only one small part of the vocal group’s story, which is now being retold by Demon Music Group’s Music Club Deluxe label on the 2-CD, 34-track The Definitive Collection. Boasting recordings from Atlantic, Buddah
Review: The Association, "The Complete Warner Bros. and Valiant Singles Collection"
“Everyone knows” the answer to the musical question of Who’s trippin’ down the streets of the city / Smilin’ at everybody she sees? But here’s another one: what’s the record label reaching out to capture a moment, bendin’ down to give us a rainbow? Everyone (at least everyone reading The Second Disc!) knows it’s Now Sounds. The Cherry Red-affiliated label has recently released the latest in its ongoing series of deluxe reissues of The Association’s catalogue, and it’s the most impressive
Return to Pepperland: We Have A "Yellow Submarine" Blu-Ray Winner!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Robbie Mercy of Clanton, Alabama! Robbie is the recipient of a brand-new, restored Blu-Ray release of The Beatles’ 1968 animated classic Yellow Submarine, courtesy of our friends at EMI and Apple! Robbie was one of many entrants who correctly answered this question: One of the screenwriters of Yellow Submarine received an Academy Award nomination as writer of the highest-grossing film in the United States of 1970. Name the writer and the smash hit
Freak Out! Zappa Family Trust Strikes Deal For Reissue Of 60 Albums From Universal, Roll-Out Begins In July
The numbers and dates may have changed, but we can now finally confirm the news that has long been circulating, both here and elsewhere, that Frank Zappa's catalogue is headed to Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). According to the Zappa Family Trust's press release, a global license and distribution deal will see the reissue of 60 Zappa albums, beginning with a group of 12 (not 18, as previously believed) that will roll out on July 31. Throughout a long career that produced more than 60 albums
It's "All in a Night's Work" For Dino, Shirley and André Previn
Scoring a major motion picture…writing a Broadway musical…recording a jazz piano album…conducting a classical symphony. Any of the above might be all in a night’s work for André Previn, a four-time Academy Award winner and ten-time Grammy recipient. And now Previn’s score for the 1962 film All in a Night’s Work is getting its first-ever soundtrack release courtesy of the Kritzerland label! The Dean Martin/Shirley MacLaine comedy followed Previn’s triumphant, Oscar-nominated score for 1960’s
Reviews: Three From Real Gone - Mick Fleetwood's Zoo, Jerry Reed and Durocs
Real Gone Music has become known for its wide-ranging and eclectic releases, and today we’re looking at three of the most recent, from the countrypolitan stylings of Jerry Reed to the rock animals of Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo and the pure pop of The Dūrocs! Dūrocs, Dūrocs (Real Gone Music RGM-0058, 2012) Are you ready to hear one of the best albums you’ve never heard? Then head straight to the pig pen for the first-ever CD release of Dūrocs. Primarily written and produced by the team of Ron
Review: Paul Simon, "Graceland: 25th Anniversary"
When Paul Simon travelled to Graceland, he was aware of the mighty contradictions: “And I may be obliged to defend every love, every ending/Or maybe there’s no obligations now…” Those days of miracle and wonder took place in 1986, and now some 25 years later, the restless artist is still defending Graceland. The path to Graceland was a circuitous one, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, London, Louisiana and most crucially, Johannesburg. Though the multi-platinum record picked up Grammy
Hooked On A Feeling (Again): B.J. Thomas "Complete Singles" Back On Schedule, Plus Germs Update
Longtime readers of The Second Disc know that Real Gone Music is one of our favorite reissue labels. And the level of dedication from the Real Gone team brings a silver lining to what would otherwise be an update as to a long-delayed title. Back in February, the Real Goners announced the March 27 release of The Complete Scepter Singles of B.J. Thomas, the “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and “Hooked on a Feeling” hitmaker. March, of course, came and went, and as of June 6, this
Review: Heart, "Strange Euphoria"
You’ve gotta have Heart. For over forty years, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have been rocking and rolling, singing and strumming, and did I mention rocking? Often considered the female answer to Led Zeppelin, Heart has outlived that famous band, incorporating Zeppelin’s furious attack into music also influenced by pop and folk. The new 3-CD/1-DVD set Strange Euphoria (Epic/Legacy 88691 93736 2, 2012) is the first collection of Heart’s catalogue selected by the Wilsons and the band’s first
Almighty Fire: Five Lost Aretha Franklin Albums Reissued, Expanded For First Time On CD
The old Second Disc Crystal Ball is back in action! We've looked back to March 30, 2011, when our Reissue Theory column was dedicated to a hypothetical box set containing Aretha Franklin's five "lost" Atlantic albums, all released between 1974 and 1979. Now, over a year later, we don't have to imagine any longer, for a reissue of all five albums is upon us! Roger Friedman has broken the news at Showbiz 411 and Forbes.com that Franklin's label, Aretha's Records, has entered into a deal with
Once Is Just Not Enough: The Dynamic Superiors' Motown Disco Classics Arrive on CD
The old adage that “good things come to those who wait” certainly applied to The Dynamic Superiors. Founded in Washington, DC in 1963, the vocal quintet didn’t receive their first major recording contract until 1974; their previous experience on record had been a lone single for New York’s Sue Records. That major contract was with Motown Records, no longer the Sound of Young America but still a vital force in popular music. SoulMusic Records reissued the first two albums by The Dynamic
Catch A Wave! Special Review: The Beach Boys' "That's Why God Made The Radio"
In Part One of our special two-part series, we recalled the ups and downs of The Beach Boys and the band’s chief musical architect, Brian Wilson. Today, in Part Two, we turn the spotlight over to That’s Why God Made the Radio, the new album in stores today from America’s Band! Brian Wilson is still a cork on the ocean floating over the raging sea. But is that a whiff of contentment I hear running through The Beach Boys’ “reunion” album, That’s Why God Made the Radio? Despite the ups and
Summer Special! The Beach Boys' "That's Why God Made The Radio" Hits Stores Tomorrow
Tomorrow sees the release of That's Why God Made the Radio, the long-awaited studio album from Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks: The Beach Boys. As the favorite sons of Hawthorne, California continue their enormously successful 50th Anniversary Tour and with the promise of catalogue projects to come later in 2012, we're looking at this new album and the legacy of these musical giants in a special two-part series beginning right now! Where did our long hair
Voodoo Child (Slight Return): Full Slate of Jimi Hendrix Releases Due in July on Blu-Ray, DVD, CD, Vinyl
Believe it or not, Jimi Hendrix would have turned 70 this year. Though the groundbreaking guitarist died at just 27 years old in the fall of 1970, he continues to leave behind an invaluable legacy. You don’t have to wait till what would have been his 70th birthday on November 27 to enjoy the latest releases in the partnership between Experience Hendrix and Sony’s Legacy Recordings. The original documentary film Jimi Plays Berkeley, derived from the two concerts Hendrix performed at the
Surf's Up: Jan and Dean Celebrate "Silver Summer" On New Reissue
On Tuesday, June 5, The Beach Boys release their long-awaited new studio album, That's Why God Made the Radio. Here at Second Disc HQ, we're counting down to its release. We're kicking off our mini-celebration of the California legends with a look at a duo intertwined with The Beach Boys' history, Jan and Dean! With The Beach Boys currently touring their acclaimed 50th Anniversary reunion concerts, the time has never been better to revisit the entire surf-and-sun legacy of these California
Review: Various Artists, "From the Vaults of Ric and Ron Records"
It’s rare that three labels team up for one project, but rare is From the Vaults of Ric & Ron Records: Rare and Unreleased Recordings 1958-1962. Not only is this 10-record set rare in terms of quantity (a worldwide limited edition of 1,500) but it’s rare in quality, too. Rounder Records is the force behind this excavation of the vaults of New Orleans’ independent Ric and Ron labels, and the set is being distributed in the U.S. by the Numero Group and in the U.K. by Ace Records. The Numero
Review: Albert King, "I'll Play The Blues For You"
It wasn’t that Albert King couldn’t play music other than the blues…but even when crooning in his most velvety-rich style, there was just something inherently lived-in, worldly, and commanding about that voice…in other words, something bluesy. And though that underrated voice would be enough for a lesser artist, King’s greatest gift was as a guitarist. Perhaps the best display of both of those titanic talents was the 1972 Stax album with the apt title of I’ll Play the Blues for You, just
Master of "Time and Space": Ace Arranger Jimmy Wisner Reissues Early Jazz Recordings
The list of artists with whom Jimmy “Wiz” Wisner has worked is rather staggering: Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Neil Sedaka, Iggy Pop, Carly Simon, Al Kooper, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Searchers…the list goes on. But although everybody knows “Palisades Park” (on which Wisner played organ for Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon) or “Sunday Will Never Be the Same” (which Wisner arranged for Spanky and Our Gang), few know the music he’s created as a solo artist. ABKCO is seeking to redress this
Reviews: First Family of Soul - Rare Albums From Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, Cissy Houston Reissued and Expanded
If there's such a thing as a First Family of Soul, it might as well be the combined Houston/Warwick clan. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1933, Emily "Cissy" Drinkard sang gospel with her family as part of The Drinkard Singers, which counted Cissy's sister Lee Warrick among its members. Marie Dionne Warrick was born in 1940 to Lee and her husband Mancel; Delia Mae "Dee Dee" Warrick followed in 1942. Though The Drinkard Singers remain an important part of the history of gospel music, said to
Betcha By Golly Wow: The Stylistics Go "Streetwise" On New Reissue
“You Are Everything.” “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” “Betcha By Golly Wow.” The songs of Philadelphia’s Stylistics are still prominent in the fabric of American music, largely thanks to a three-album run between 1971 and 1973 on the Avco label. With Thom Bell as the producer, arranger and composer, and Linda Creed as lyricist, the group defined the sweetest strains of Philly soul. Every single Bell produced for the group hit the Top 10 R&B chart, and many also went Top 10 pop. When
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