On August 23, 1967, Reprise Records would issue The Jimi Hendrix Experience's debut album, Are You Experienced, in North America. U.K. audiences had been hipped to the incendiary group consisting of Hendrix, drummer Mitch Mitchell, and bassist Noel Redding a couple of months earlier, when the album (with a unique track listing) arrived on the Track Records label. Five days before that auspicious U.S. record debut, on August 18, the trio took the stage of the Hollywood Bowl in front of a
I'm a Believer: Micky Dolenz Opens Up His Archive for "I'm Told I Had a Good Time"
It's often been said that if you remember the 1960s, you weren't really there. Well, Micky Dolenz has incontrovertible proof that he was there, and as he says, I'm Told I Had a Good Time. That's the title of the remarkable new tome from Beatland Books which chronicles the singer-drummer-actor's life from 1945-1978 via previously unpublished photographs, artwork, scripts, lyrics, and assorted miscellany. I'm Told I Had a Good Time, now available for pre-order with a December 6 ship date,
Ageless and Evergreen: New Barbra Streisand Compilation, 'Yentl' Deluxe Reissue Due in October
On November 7, Barbra Streisand will release her long-awaited memoir. My Name Is Barbra shares its name with the superstar's fifth Columbia Records album, originally released in 1967, and promises to trace her life and career from her Brooklyn roots through her triumphs in Broadway, Hollywood, on the concert stage, and beyond. Before that, though, the EGOT winner and 46-time Grammy nominee (and eight-time winner!) is gifting fans with two new releases. On October 27, Streisand will look back on
Don't Stop the Music: Sundazed Chronicles Jackie DeShannon's '50s Radio Days on "The Sherry Lee Show"
Earlier this year, Jackie DeShannon's seminal 1965 recording of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" was inducted into the National Recording Registry. The era-defining single is just one of the many high points of DeShannon's extraordinary legacy; Jackie toured with The Beatles, penned a rock and roll classic with the oft-covered "When You Walk in the Room," co-wrote and introduced the anthemic "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," anticipated the '70s
In Memoriam: Jimmy Buffett (1946-2023)
As the son of a son of a sailor/I went out on the sea for adventure/Expanding the view of the captain and crew/Like a man just released from indenture... As the self-described son of a son of a sailor, Jimmy Buffett took to the seas for adventures beyond his wildest dreams. He recorded his first album for Andy Williams' Barnaby label in 1970, but that album, Down to Earth, would sell a reported 324 copies in its initial outing. Buffett soon traded earth for water and embarked on a voyage
Nancy Sinatra Keeps Walkin': New Collection Brings Together B-Sides, Rarities, Previously Unreleased Tracks
Back in 2021, The Nancy Sinatra Archival Series launched at Light in the Attic with the collection Start Walkin' 1965-1976. That release brought together many of the singer's finest and most famous recordings. Now, following expanded editions of Boots, Nancy and Lee, and Nancy and Lee Again, LITA is delivering a companion volume focusing on Nancy's B-sides and hidden gems. Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos, and Rarities (1965-1978) arrives on October 20 in a plethora of formats including CD,
Review: Van Morrison, "His Band and the Street Choir," Jaco Pastorius' "Word of Mouth" in Rhino Hi-Fi
Don't want to discuss it/I think it's time for a change... Van Morrison's 1967 debut album for Bert Berns' Bang Records, Blowin' Your Mind, came close to living up to its title with the lovably breezy "Brown-Eyed Girl" nestled alongside more challenging fare such as "T.B. Sheets," and everything in between: pop, folk, Latin, rock-and-roll, blues. But the Northern Irish singer-songwriter truly came into his own with a move to Warner Bros. the following year. The mystical, hypnotically
Party It Down: "We're An American Band" Explores U.S. Hard Rock with Grand Funk, Vanilla Fudge, Mountain, Spirit, Nazz, More
We're An American Band: the new 3-CD collection from Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records is titled after Grand Funk (Railroad)'s 1973 chart-topping anthem. The song penned by Don Brewer and produced by Todd Rundgren was a semi-autobiographical look at life on the road, complete with parties, groupies, and guest stars. The story goes that the title phrase developed from a friendly argument between Grand Funk and Humble Pie about British vs. American rock. Brewer insisted that wasn't the way it
I'm the Slime: Zappa's "Over-Nite Sensation" Goes Super Deluxe for 50th
The title of Frank Zappa's 1973 album Over-Nite Sensation was, expectedly, dripping with sarcasm; the album was the prolific composer-bandleader's seventeenth overall release. But the "sensation" part was spot-on. The LP became Zappa's first of two U.S. gold-certified releases and an ideal entry point into his musical world. On November 3, Zappa Records and UMe celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark record in a variety of formats including a 4CD/1Blu-ray super deluxe edition, 2LP and
This Is It: Sepia Salutes Late, Great Rose Marie on "Rose Marie Sings: The Complete Mercury Recordings and More"
The year was 1929. At the age of six, Rose Marie Mazzetta headlined a Warner Bros. Vitaphone short film entitled Baby Rose Marie: The Child Wonder. The star was already a showbiz veteran, having begun performing at the age of three; at five, she was offered a seven-year contract by the NBC radio network. Though Rose Marie would soon drop the "Baby," she would remain a wonder as, simply, "Rose Marie" for the entirety of her extraordinary career which ultimately spanned ten decades until her
Do the Stanley: Cherry Red, Esoteric Launch Stackridge Reissue Series
Stackridge may be best-remembered today for the band's third album, 1974's The Man in the Bowler Hat. Produced by Sir George Martin, it remains their highest-charting LP. But Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings is aiming to bring all of the Stackridge discography to light with a new reissue campaign. Both 1971's self-titled debut and 1972's Friendliness are available now, with the band's next three albums all scheduled for reissue later this month and in September. Wrapped in a Hipgnosis
Learn to Work the Saxophone: Steely Dan's "Aja" Returns to Vinyl, SACD in September
UMe's Steely Dan reissue campaign - which has so far yielded remastered standard and audiophile vinyl and hybrid stereo SACD reissues of the band's first three albums Can't Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, and Pretzel Logic - has announced an unexpected detour. On September 29, the series will jump ahead to the sixth Dan album and arguably Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's crowning achievement: 1977's Aja. (No fear: Katy Lied and The Royal Scam will show up later.) Aja sounded - and sounds
Not Like We Love Our Freedom: Joni Mitchell's Third "Archives" Revisits 1972-1975 Period
"The sound of this thing was like, 'We're breaking some new ground here.'" Earlier this year, musician-arranger-bandleader Tom Scott of the L.A. Express reminisced to the U.K.'s MOJO magazine about working with Joni Mitchell on her 1972 album For the Roses. Indeed, Scott realized early on that the merging of folk and jazz sensibilities was about to take the singer-songwriter's music to the next level. Mitchell's creatively groundbreaking 1972-1975 albums - For the Roses, Court and Spark (1974),
A1 on the Jukebox: 7a Reissues Dave Edmunds and Rockpile's "Tracks on Wax 4" and "Repeat When Necessary"
Throughout a career spanning six decades, Dave Edmunds never strayed far from the primal power of genuine rock-and-roll. After stints in various bands - most notably, Love Sculpture - the Welsh singer-guitarist struck out on his own and scored a U.K. Christmas chart-topper in 1970 with a cover of Dave Bartholomew's "I Hear You Knocking." In January 1972, he released his first solo album: Rockpile. Its title would figure prominently in Edmunds' future as he co-founded a band of that name with
Cherry Red's El Label Celebrates Burt Bacharach, Leonard Bernstein on New Box Sets
In recent months, Cherry Red's El imprint has turned its attention to a pair of legendary American composers. Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and Burt Bacharach (1928-2023) were born just a decade apart, though Bacharach lived more than three decades longer than Bernstein. Neither man was born in New York City, but both created much of their remarkable work there. Both were proud Jewish Americans, and both wrote for the musical theatre. An American in New York: Leonard Bernstein - The City
Call Me Up in Dreamland: Rhino Hi-Fi Series Continues with Van Morrison, Jaco Pastorius
Rhino recently launched its Rhino High Fidelity series of audiophile-quality vinyl titles. Now, the label has announced the next two titles in that line: Van Morrison's His Band and the Street Choir and the late Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth. Both albums' lacquers have been cut by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Optimal; the releases are limited and numbered to 5,000 units sold exclusively at Rhino.com in the U.S. and in select stores overseas. Van Morrison's third album for
Review: Elvis Presley, "Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite: 50th Anniversary Edition"
When Elvis Presley said Aloha from Hawaii 50 years ago, the whole world was watching - or close to it. The King, fashionably late, stepped onstage at Honolulu's International Center (capacity at the time: roughly 6,000) at 1:00 a.m. on January 14, 1973 for a scheduled 12:30 a.m. concert. Satellites were beaming the program to a reported audience of over one billion. Another fanciful claim by Colonel Parker? Perhaps. But Aloha was a technological achievement. It was the most expensive
In Memoriam: Robbie Robertson (1943-2023)
Storyteller, songwriter, guitarist, musicologist, singer: throughout a career spanning the 1950s through the present day, Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson wore many hats. The Toronto-born musician joined his first band in 1956 and attracted the attention of Ronnie "The Hawk" Hawkins in 1959. Hawkins liked what he heard, and recorded two of the teenaged Robertson's songs in 1959. Before long, he was playing in Hawkins' band alongside fellow Canadians Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson,
Winter Wonderland: Craft Reissues "A Dave Brubeck Christmas"
It's that time of year again, when news turns to all things Christmas! Craft Recordings has recently announced a new reissue of a beloved yuletide album. 1996's A Dave Brubeck Christmas was the great pianist-composer's only full-length holiday offering; on September 22, it will return to print as a 2-LP set at 45 RPM pressed on 180-gram vinyl, with lacquers cut by Ryan Smith. Brubeck (1920-2012) joined the Telarc label in 1993 and recorded prolifically for the label through 2006 in various
Cherry Red Round-Up: SoulMusic Celebrates Randy Crawford, Grapefruit Collects The Complete First Class
In today's Cherry Red Round-Up: titles from the SoulMusic, Grapefruit, and Cherry Pop labels! Throughout a recording career spanning, roughly, 1972-2008, Randy Crawford refused to be pigeonholed. Gifted with a versatile, expressive voice, Randy straddled the worlds of jazz and soul while dipping her toes into funk, pop, dance, and rock; her collaborators include George Benson, Al Jarreau, Steve Hackett, Rick Springfield, David Sanborn, and Joe Sample and The Crusaders. SoulMusic Records
Down South Jukin': Lynyrd Skynyrd Celebrates "Fyfty" Years on New Box Set
If you looked up "southern rock" in the music dictionary, there's a good chance you might find a photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd next to the definition. The Jacksonville, Florida band first came together as My Backyard in 1964; five years later, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, bassist Larry Junstrom, and drummer Bob Burns took on the unusual, now-familiar moniker. Skynyrd didn't release their first album until 1973 by which time bassist Leon Wilkeson had come
Do It Right: Edsel Reissues, Expands Kiki Dee's "I've Got the Music in Me"
Edsel has long been championing the recordings of Kiki Dee, including two definitive box sets chronicling The Fontana and Motown Years and The Rocket Years. It's the latter chapter to which the label has recently returned on a reissue of the British singer's second album, I've Got the Music in Me. Originally released on Elton John's Rocket Records in 1974, the LP yielded a top twenty pop hit on both sides of the Atlantic. What sets this 2-CD expanded edition apart is both the content - it
Review: Frank Zappa, "Funky Nothingness"
Frank Zappa's 1969 LP Hot Rats remains among the late composer-bandleader's most accessible albums. Blending bluesy electric rock with jazz, it makes a fine introduction to his sometimes-daunting discography. But those looking for more might not have known exactly where to start. Certain elements of the Hot Rats sound would crop up in the maestro's future discography, but a proper sequel was never released. It's only been recently revealed, however, that one was recorded...more or less.
Frampton@50 Update: Remastered SACDs Out Now, Vinyl Shipping Tomorrow
"Take me away," Peter Frampton repeatedly implores on the title track of his 1972 solo debut Wind of Change. Indeed, change was in the air. He'd recently departed Humble Pie but stayed at A&M Records to launch his own career. Departing from the band's boogieing ways, Frampton's debut was filled with acoustic-based, melodic tunes plus a handful of muscular rock offerings to prove that the artist hadn't lost his way. Those shimmering acoustic guitars are among the elements that gain
Any Major Dude Will Tell You: Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" Set for Reissue
The Steely Dan reissue campaign rolls on with the July 28 reissue of the band's third album, 1974's Pretzel Logic. The release follows the recent reissues of both Can't Buy a Thrill and Countdown to Ecstasy; like those titles, it will be remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog masters and reissued on standard 180-gram black vinyl, Ultra High-Quality (UHQR) premium vinyl cut at 45 RPM, and hybrid stereo SACD (playable on all CD players). Donald Fagen has overseen the audio for