Well, there hasn't been any news of David Bowie releasing his lost album Toy, even after it was unceremoniously leaked two weeks ago. But some old Bowie material will indeed be coming to light in a new way on June 6, when the musician and iconoclast releases Golden Years as both an EP and iPhone application. Golden Years, the EP, will feature Bowie's original 1975 track and four remixes by Anthony Valadez, Eric J. Lawrence, Chris Douridas and Jeremy Sole of KCRW. It will be released in an array
Hey, Baby! It's Nino and April, Compiled on Ace!
Few artists have blurred the lines between jazz, rock and traditional pop as well as Nino Tempo. Both the multi-talented Tempo (saxophonist, arranger, songwriter, producer, actor) and his sister April Stevens have managed extraordinarily long, diverse careers in the music business; April's first single was released in 1950! Ace next week releases the most comprehensive retrospective yet for Nino and April. Hey, Baby!: The Nino Tempo and April Stevens Anthology compiles their work at numerous
More from Macca: "Run Devil Run," "Driving Rain" and "Chaos and Creation" Coming from Hear Music
Way back in February, our pals at MusicTAP passed along the news that Hear Music would continue Paul McCartney's catalogue reissue series on May 24 with three new titles, 1999's Run Devil Run, 2001's Driving Rain, and 2005's Chaos and Creation in The Back Yard. This trio will arrive in advance of the June 7 deluxe reissues of McCartney (1970) and McCartney II (1980). Both of those titles are part of The Paul McCartney Archive Collection and will contain extensive bonus material similar to last
Bing Crosby Goes "Through the Years" and Crosby Archive Continues Digitally
With the Collector's Choice Music label in a state of flux and no new releases on the horizon, disappointment is in the air. One of the most acclaimed series created at Collector's Choice in recent years is The Bing Crosby Archive. With the cooperation of Crosby's family and access to his personal collection, executive producer Gordon Anderson spearheaded a deluxe series of expanded reissues restoring the legendary artist's album catalogue to print. While no formal announcement has been made by
Reissue Theory: Aretha Franklin, "Sweet Passion: The Lost Atlantic Years"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on great albums and the reissues they could someday see. Aretha Franklin began her groundbreaking stint at Atlantic Records in 1967 and it wasn’t long before a legendary star was in the ascendant. Yet the final chapter of Aretha’s Atlantic story has been all but forgotten. Today’s Reissue Theory takes us back to 1974 as we revisit the “lost albums” of Aretha Franklin. There are plenty of adjectives that can be used to describe
Ventura Highway, Revisited: America Offers Re-Recorded "Hits"
Buyer, beware! Eagle-eyed music browsers may have noticed a new title from America, the 1970s hitmakers behind such soft rock radio perennials as “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “I Need You,” and of course, the deathless “A Horse with No Name.” America Records released Hits: 40th Anniversary Edition last week, and buyers could be forgiven for thinking it was another repackage of History: America’s Greatest Hits. Seven of the twelve tracks on each compilation are identical. It would be
Giving Them The Best That He Got: Warwick, LaBelle, Bailey Featured on Skip Scarborough Anthology
Skip Scarborough (1944-2003) may not have ever gained the name-brand recognition of some of his songwriting peers. But the man born Clarence Alexander Scarborough penned some of the most instantly recognizable classics in the soul music pantheon. Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got," The Friends of Distinction's "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" and Earth Wind & Fire's "Can't Hide Love" are just three of Scarborough's most memorable compositions. The latter went on to be recorded by
Review: "Inner City: The Original Broadway Cast Recording"
"I look around and what do I see? Nothing's the way it used to be..." In 1969, Eve Merriam bluntly took aim at violence, racism, corruption and poverty in her ironic collection of verse, Inner City Mother Goose. Controversial from the outset, Merriam's Mother Goose became one of the most banned books in the country. Enter visionary theatre director Tom O'Horgan. Having replaced Gerald Freedman for Hair's move uptown in 1968, O'Horgan was well known for his experimental flair. Julian Barry's
Rare Cinema Treasures from Barry, Addison and Sarde Coming Soon
Film score collectors are among the most insatiable music purchasers, but luckily, there’s frequently a steady stream of releases. Three new and exciting titles have just been announced. Direct from Los Angeles on the estimable Kritzerland label comes Phillipe Sarde’s score to Roman Polanski’s 1986 film Pirates. A continent away in Spain, the Quartet Records label has been growing an impressive library of soundtracks, and the label has recently announced two new additions: John Barry’s 1965
Happy Birthday, Lady Soul: Aretha Franklin Turns 69 Today!
Today, March 25, is Aretha Franklin’s birthday, and she’s celebrating in high style. After being treated in November for an undisclosed ailment, the newly-trim Queen of Soul has announced a May 19 return to performing at the Chicago Theatre. This announcement came on the heels of Tuesday’s release of Legacy’s lavish 12-disc box set, Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia, collecting all of her pre-Atlantic recordings for the storied label. We couldn’t allow Franklin’s birthday to go
Review: Various Artists, "Manhattan Soul: Scepter, Wand and Musicor"
Tomorrow evening, New York’s Broadhurst Theatre will be filled with the sounds of soul. The new Broadway musical Baby, It’s You! will begin previews on March 26, bringing to the stage the story of New Jersey housewife Florence Greenberg (portrayed by Tony Award winner Beth Leavel) and her mighty musical empire founded in 1959. Greenberg, a pioneering woman in a field then dominated by men, nurtured the careers of The Shirelles and Dionne Warwick, among others, shepherding the songs of Carole
Review: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack"
Close your eyes for a moment and pretend you're on Jeopardy! The answer: "This 1963 widescreen epic opened Hollywood's Cinerama Dome." The question: "What is It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?" Raise your hand if you got it right! Yes, Mad World, as we'll abbreviate it for expediency's sake, is this author's epic film to end all epic films (sorry, Ben-Hur!) and certainly one of the only Hollywood epic comedies! While the designation "all-star" has been applied before and since, perhaps no film
And Now...Along Comes The Association, Expanded and Remastered!
UPDATE 3/24: The track listing on this release has been amended slightly. You can find it after the jump, of course. What makes the perfect pop song? The ingredients, of course, vary. In a weighty tome that can easily be viewed through a cynical lens today, Herb Hendler (of Capitol Records’ publishing arm Beechwood Music) offered How to Write a Contemporary Song to prospective songwriters in 1967. He included a worksheet where one could ask a number of questions of his or her favorite song: Is
Here They Come...Monkees Reissues Coming from Friday Music
Monkees fans didn't have a lot to complain about in 2010; Rhino Handmade released acclaimed box sets dedicated to the band's albums The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees and Head, while Micky Dolenz paid tribute to Carole King with his solo King for a Day. The news got even better as 2011 began, with Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork confirming the rumored plans that they would reunite for a 45th anniversary Monkees tour. (Michael Nesmith, as expected, chose to sit the May/June/July tour out.) Yet
Verve Throws a 50th Anniversary "Celebration" for Sergio Mendes
This year, Sergio Mendes celebrates his 50th year as a recording artist. The Brazilian musician is most closely identified with the romantic sounds of bossa nova, though his career has been an eclectic one. His latest recordings have embraced hip-hop sounds in collaboration with The Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, John Legend and India.Arie, while he did much to define the classic sound of A&M Records in the 1960s, a blend of bossa nova, jazz and soft pop (think: Herb Alpert and The
Motown, Disco and Funk: Tata Vega and Harvey Mason Reissues Due in April
Fans of classic soul and R&B have already had a very good 2011. And there’s no sign of letting up! Cherry Red’s Big Break and Soulmusic.com labels have particularly led the charge. After an exciting slate for March, Soulmusic.com Records has announced three releases for April. Tata Vega’s first two albums on the Motown label both will receive expanded editions, while famed drummer Harvey Mason’s Arista debut also will be reissued. Vega is perhaps one of the most underrated exponents of the
"Trail of the Pink Panther" Leads to World Premiere Release by Intrada
Blake Edwards’ Trail of the Pink Panther, from 1982, is best remembered as the final film in the long-running series to feature Peter Sellers. The extraordinarily talented, mercurial actor had died in 1980, but Edwards paid tribute to his colleague by stitching together outtakes and old material to continue the story of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. (1983’s Curse of the Pink Panther was shot concurrently by Edwards, introducing Ted Wass as Clifton Sleigh, an inept New York policeman on the
Reissue Theory: Elton John, "To Be Continued...1992-2010"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on notable albums and the reissues they may some day see. It's been over two decades since Elton John released his career-spanning To Be Continued... box set, and so much has happened with his career since then. How do you cover such ground? Simple - make another one! It’s only appropriate that Elton John titled his 1992 album The One. It was a major first for the superstar: his first album recorded in all too many years without
Love Makes the World Go Round: London Cast "Carnival" Hits CD
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Sister Act. Catch Me If You Can. Today’s Broadway is populated by adaptations of familiar movies; in 1961, such screen-to-stage transfers were rare. When they did occur, the authors usually changed the title of the film to signify that their musical version was, indeed, a new work. (Imagine producers today allowing authors to diverge from a famous property's title!) Such creative freedom resulted in some of the most inspired musicals in stage history, and one such
Marlena Shaw is "Acting Up" Again
Whether recording jazz, pop or funk, the soulful Marlena Shaw has made her mark. The first female vocalist signed to Blue Note Records, Shaw has had an impressive career with tenures not only at the venerable jazz imprint but also Chess' Cadet subsidiary, Columbia, Verve and Concord. Included in her outstanding discography are searing takes on Goffin and King's "Go Away, Little Girl" (as "Go Away, Little Boy"), Ashford and Simpson's "California Soul" and a discofied "Touch Me in the Morning."
Rare Alfred Newman Score to "Counterfeit Traitor" Debuts from Kritzerland
It's not too great an exaggeration to state that without Alfred Newman, we probably wouldn't be discussing film music here at The Second Disc, or anywhere else. In a career spanning 40 years and some 200 films, Newman played an integral, early role in the art of composing original music for cinema. He was rewarded with a whopping 45 Academy Award nominations and nine wins, and even made music the family business. Brothers Lionel and Emil had impressive careers, while sons Thomas and David
The SMiLE Saga: A Happy Ending Promised for Lost Beach Boys Masterwork
The story of The Beach Boys' 1967 SMiLE, often considered the greatest lost album of all time, has long been a story of heroes and villains. On February 3, the band's Al Jardine was a hero when he announced that SMiLE would finally be arriving in record stores everywhere later this year. The Second Disc duly passed this on before Jardine offered a bizarre quasi-retraction, likely at the behest of his record label, on February 14. Mastering engineer Steve Hoffman (who was worked with the Beach
Friday Feature: "The Graduate"
“Just one word…plastics.” With that one word, spoken to the disaffected Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) by an associate of his father’s, the audience viewing 1967’s film The Graduate, could both laugh and sneer along with Benjamin. After all, “plastics” stood for all that was superficial and fake in society. Mike Nichols, directing only his second feature film after a successful Broadway career, was anything but subtle as he masterfully threaded the film’s themes throughout every aspect of
More Imperial-Era Hollies Reissues Headed Your Way
It's Hollies-mania all over again! Back on February 15, we tipped you to a vinyl box set due April 19 collecting some of the Manchester quintet's toughest-to-find tracks. But it gets better. On the same date that Sundazed releases the Lost Recordings and Beat Rarities box, the label will also continue its vinyl LP reissue series for the band with brand-new releases of Beat Group! and Bus Stop. These 1966 albums for Imperial Records were, respectively, The Hollies' third and fourth American
Review: Simon and Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water: 40th Anniversary Edition"
"What's the point of [making] this album?," an impossibly youthful Paul Simon asks in the 1969 television special Songs of America. "The world is crumbling." If Simon didn't know then why he was "just" recording an album despite all of the tumult around him, he almost certainly knows now. After all, he and partner Art Garfunkel have seen Bridge Over Troubled Water make it to 40 years (actually, 41!), and have even participated in the celebration. The duo have also seen the accompanying album and
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