"I'll take Manhattan in a garbage bag with Latin written on it that says "It's hard to give a shit these days..." Indeed, Lou Reed always gave off the vibe of someone who didn't give a shit - and moreover, someone who didn't take any shit. But beneath that hip veneer was an artist who cared deeply, and had the talents to express himself and his keenly-felt beliefs in song. He was ready for a new start in 1988 when he began recording his first album for Sire Records after his second stint at
So Nice: The Lennon Sisters Return This Weekend to Public Television, Issue New Christmas, Broadway, and Standards Collections on CD
65 years ago this coming Christmas Eve, The Lawrence Welk Show welcomed a winsome young quartet for their very first television appearance. The story goes that the host's teenaged son brought Dianne, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet Lennon home to sing for him; their shimmering vocal harmonies won the elder Welk over and he quickly booked them to appear on his show. The response was so tremendous that The Lennon Sisters continued to appear every Saturday night with the "wunnerful, wunnerful" host until
Call Any Vegetable: Soundtrack to "Zappa" Documentary Includes Classics, Rarities, Unreleased Tracks, and Original Score
Today sees the streaming release of the documentary film Zappa from director (and Bill in the Bill & Ted series of films) Alex Winter. Taking into account the many sides of the late, iconoclastic artist - from musician to activist, from boundary-breaking rock-and-roller to innovative composer - the movie has already received widespread acclaim. Fully authorized by the Zappa Family Trust, Winter's portrait of the artist incorporates rare archival footage alongside interviews with key family
Skating on Thin Ice: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue Procol Harum's "Something Magic" in Expanded Edition
Procol Harum titled their 1977 album Something Magic, and indeed, magic was what the English band hoped for when they headed to Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida to record it. Now, Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint has revisited Something Magic as a 2-CD expanded edition with three bonus tracks and a BBC Radio One concert. After Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, producers of 1975's Procol's Ninth, were unavailable to reteam with the band, Procol turned to Criteria and in-house
'60s ROCK, POP AND SOUL: New Treasury Collection DVD Set Offers Over 100 Favorites
Earlier this year, The Second Disc shared news of Rock, Pop and Doo Wop, a 7-DVD collection from Treasury Collection and executive producer-director TJ Lubinsky. Now, with the holidays upon us, a new set featuring dozens of classic hit-makers has just been released: '60s Rock, Pop and Soul. This 4-DVD package has been culled from two decades of Lubinsky's historic television concerts, with 130 hit songs from a "Who's Who" of legendary performers including Frankie Valli ("Can't Take My Eyes
Hell on Earth: Omnivore Readies Richard Hell's "Destiny Street Complete" For January
In 1977, Richard Hell and The Voidoids set the punk world ablaze with their debut album, Blank Generation. Hell had already been a part of both Television and Johnny Thunder's first Heartbreakers lineup, and Blank Generation proved that he was more than ready to strike out with his own band. Hell didn't record a follow-up until 1981, however. When that sophomore album, Destiny Street, was released in 1982, the artist was dissatisfied: "The final mix was a morass of trebly multi-guitar
Gettin' Together: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collect Tommy James and The Shondells' Roulette Recordings
Ohio-born, Michigan-raised rocker Tommy James fronted some of the 1960s' most indelible hits, including "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Sweet Cherry Wine," and the chart-topping "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover." Combining garage rock attitude with pop polish, Tommy James and The Shondells' recordings are still beloved staples of oldies radio today. Now, all of those hits and more are returning to CD in a new 6-disc box set from Cherry Red's Grapefruit
Revolting Children: Broadway Records Expands "Matilda: The Musical" for Vinyl Premiere
When Matilda: The Musical opened at Broadway's Shubert Theatre in April 2013, it was greeted by ecstatic reviews. The New York Times' Ben Brantley proclaimed it "the most satisfying and subversive musical ever to come out of Britain." Variety's Gordon Cox called it "an explosion of joy," and Elisabeth Vincentelli in the New York Post admonished readers that "for once, you can believe the hype." Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin's musical based on Roald Dahl's 1988 novel ran on Broadway for almost
Toasts of the Town: Stage Door Reissues, Expands David Heneker's "Jorrocks" Musical on CD
Composer-lyricist David Heneker (1906-2001) remains best known today for his joyful score to the 1963 West End musical Half a Sixpence which transferred to Broadway in 1965, yielded a 1967 film version, and inspired a 2016 London revival. But Heneker wrote numerous other musicals with equally tuneful scores including Charlie Girl (1965), Phil the Fluter (1969), and Jorrocks (1966). Now, the latter is coming to CD from Stage Door Records with an expanded release of its 1966 London Studio Cast
Reggae Pressure: Doctor Bird Reissues, Expands Classics from Delano Stewart, The Reggae Strings
Cherry Red's Doctor Bird imprint has reliably delivered Jamaican reggae and ska sounds from the vaults of Trojan Records. Today we're looking at two of its recent releases. First things first: the smiling woman on the cover of Delano Stewart's Stay a Little Bit Longer, to the left, is not the artist but rather a model. Winston Delano Stewart is the male singer of '60s rocksteady group The Gaylads, formed in Kingston, Jamaica when Stewart and his singing partner Harris "B.B." Seaton decided
It Must Be Love: New Box Set Celebrates Labi Siffre's Solo Work
Back in 2015, Demon Music Group's Edsel label revisited five albums from British singer-songwriter Labi Siffre in a series of expanded editions. The reissues showcased the timelessness of his writing and the versatility of his performances. Now, Edsel has returned to the Siffre discography to complete it. My Song is the new 9-CD box set bringing together those five previously reissued albums and bonus tracks along with four more to paint a full portrait of Siffre's artistry. Despite a
Jump They Say: David Bowie's "Brilliant Live Adventures" Series Continues with "No Trendy Réchauffé (Live Birmingham '95)"
Last month, Parlophone Records announced Brilliant Live Adventures, a new series of releases from the late David Bowie collecting six rare and previously unreleased live albums from the 1990s to be released in limited-edition, one-time pressings on both CD and vinyl. The first three albums have all been promised for release before Christmas, with the remaining trio due early in 2021. Ouvrez Le Chien (Live Dallas '95) was the first volume; today, the second has been announced. No Trendy
Cherry Red, RPM Get "Right Back Where We Started From" With New '70s Female Pop Collection
Cherry Red's long-running RPM imprint announced earlier this year that 2020 would be its final year of operations - but that hasn't kept RPM from going out with a bang. One of the final titles to arrive from the imprint, Right Back Where We Started From, is a joyous 3-CD celebration of Female Pop and Soul in Seventies Britain. The title is drawn from Maxine Nightingale's irresistibly bouncy 1975 single, a top ten entry in the United Kingdom and a top five in the States. Not every track on
Going, Going, Gone: Kritzerland Premieres John Barry and Alan Jay Lerner's "Lolita, My Love" on CD, Reissues Ben Bagley's "Irving Berlin Revisited"
Kritzerland has just announced two new titles today! A musical version of Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita hardly seemed like typical fare for the Broadway stage. Yet Alan Jay Lerner - lyricist-librettist of My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Paint Your Wagon - envisioned just that. Lolita had already been adapted by Nabokov himself for director Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film starring Sue Lyon, James Mason, Shelley Winters, and a scene-stealing Peter Sellers, but the author gave his blessing to
Ace Round-Up, Part One: Helen Shapiro's "Face the Music" Collects Rare 1967-1984 Singles
Welcome to today's first installment of our Ace Records Round-Up featuring a number of the label's latest titles! Helen Shapiro sang her way into the hearts of Britons as a teenager. Inspired by the success of Alma Cogan, Helen was just 14 when she scored a No. 3 hit on the U.K. Singles Chart with "Don't Treat Me Like a Child." The same year of 1961, she charted not one but two No. 1 singles, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness." Soon, she was appearing in films and appearing
Whatcha Gonna Do for Me: Average White Band Releases "On the Strip: The Sunset Sessions," Reissues "Cupid's in Fashion"
The opening track of Average White Band's new/old release On the Strip: The Sunset Sessions couldn't have a more apropos title: "Let's Go Round Again." Following a successful run of albums with producer-arranger Arif Mardin, the funky big band outfit was re-establishing itself. 1979's Feel No Fret was a self-produced affair on which the band was joined by co-producer Gene Paul; it yielded hit singles in "Atlantic Avenue" and a revival of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Walk on By." For a
Short Takes, Holiday Edition: "Beetlejuice" Offers Demos, Anne Murray Collects Christmas Favorites
Halloween might be over, but the party still continues: Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Legend has it that if you say his name three times, the demon - introduced on screen by Michael Keaton and then on Broadway by Alex Brightman - appears before you. While Beetlejuice: The Musical had its New York run curtailed by COVID-19 after 366 performances, you can't keep a good demon down. The Ghostlight Records cast recording starring Brightman, Sophia Anne Caruso, Rob McClure, Leslie Kritzer,
Cherry Red, SoulMusic Round-Up, Part Two: Barbara Lewis and Carla Thomas' Complete Atlantic Recordings Collected
In recent weeks, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has launched a series of mini-box sets drawn from the Atlantic vaults including titles available now from Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips, Barbara Lewis, and Carla Thomas. Yesterday we explored the releases from Burke and Phillips, and today's spotlight is on Lewis and Thomas! If she had only recorded "Hello, Stranger" and "Baby I'm Yours," Barbara Lewis' place in the pop pantheon would have been assured. But there's much more to her
Join the Joyride: Roxette Pull Rarities from 'Bag of Trix'
Sorry, Mr. Rabbit - it seems that Trix aren't just for kids! On December 11, Rhino will release Bag of Trix: Music from the Roxette Vaults, a deep dive into the archives of the Swedish pop duo. This four-volume set to be released on 4 LPs, 3 CDs, and digital platforms features a wealth of rare material from Per Gessle and the late Marie Fredriksson. Even better, fans don't have to wait until December to listen; the four volumes will be individually rolled out to digital services between this
Cherry Red, SoulMusic Round-Up, Part One: Labels Anthologize Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips' Complete Atlantic Recordings
In recent weeks, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has launched a series of mini-box sets drawn from the Atlantic vaults including titles available now from Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips, Barbara Lewis, and Carla Thomas. Today we're looking at the releases from Burke and Phillips, while we'll next turn to Lewis and Thomas! The late Solomon Burke (who died in 2010 at the age of 70 or 74; reports vary) lived up to his moniker as The King of Rock 'n' Soul. SoulMusic's 3-CD set of that
Let's Do the Time Warp Again: Ode Reissues "Rocky Horror" For 45th Anniversary
Appropriately enough, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the movie that refuses to stay dead. Written off by audiences and critics upon its opening in summer 1975, the little movie with the $1.4 million budget has since earned some $170 million and counting worldwide - the longest-running movie release in history. Even with COVID-19 shutting cinemas everywhere, Rocky Horror marches on in Zoom screenings and tributes timed to its 45th anniversary. As part of that celebration, Ode Records has
It's Magic, You Know: Cherry Red, 7Ts Collect Pilot's Four Albums on New Box Set
Following Tuesday's look at Brian Protheroe's albums collection, we're exploring another recent box from Cherry Red and 7Ts! "Oh-ho-ho, it's magic, you know..." With that memorable 1974 international hit, Pilot burst into the public consciousness. While the band founded by David Paton, Billy Lyall, and Stuart Tosh was only able to spin off three more chart singles, "Magic" remains a classic radio staple. 7Ts has collected the band's first four long-players from 1974-1977 on a clamshell
How Does That Grab You, Darlin'? Light in the Attic Announces Nancy Sinatra Archive Series, New Collection "Start Walkin'"
It would have been difficult for any young artist to follow in the footsteps of a famous parent - let alone when that parent is Frank Sinatra. But Nancy Sinatra didn't just follow in his footsteps...she did it in boots. Her boots are not just made for walkin', they're made for longevity - and this year, she celebrates her 80th birthday with the announcement of a new archival series from Light in the Attic. Sinatra's reissue series follows LITA's similar releases for her frequent in-studio
Review: "Bobby Bare Sings Shel Silverstein Plus" from Bear Family Records
Gather 'round, fellows, I'll tell you some tales... "If I had known what you were doing in the studio, I would have stopped it," Bobby Bare recalled RCA Victor's Jerry Bradley telling him upon hearing the singer's 1973 double album Sings Lullabys, Legends, and Lies. Happily, Bradley had to live with the album that marked Bare's return to RCA after a brief sojourn to rival Mercury Records. RCA's Nashville chief Chet Atkins wanted Bare back on the label, and gave him the freedom to create the
Still Disturbing the Peace: New Liberation Hall Label Reissues Bay Area New Wave, Punk, Ska from 415 Records
The vaults of San Francisco indie label 415 Records have opened! 415 was founded in 1978 by rock promoter Howie Klein and record store owner Chris Knab. Together with friend and collector Butch Bridges, they built a powerhouse indie label focusing on young new wave bands such as SVT, The Uptones, and Pop-O-Pies. 415 was championed by Bay Area luminaries such as manager/Fillmore impresario Bill Graham and producer/studio owner David Rubinson. Columbia Records took notice of 415's activities,
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