Author Archive / Joe Marchese

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Paul McCartney, Wings

In Memoriam: LaMonte McLemore (1935-2026)

February 6, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 5 Comments

In an interview late last year with TSD, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., and Florence LaRue shared memories of their lifelong friend and co-founder of The 5th Dimension, LaMonte McLemore (1935-2026). “He loved music and he was a very accomplished photographer,” remembered Marilyn. “He knew Berry Gordy and did very well with his photography in Jet Magazine. If you ever look up Jet’s Beauty of the Week, he was always featuring the young black girls in Los Angeles. His work was good and Motown used him for some of their photography. LaMonte…

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LaMonte McLemore, The 5th Dimension

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Pop, R&B/Soul

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What’s That, My Boy? Demon Announces RSD Slate Including “Doctor Who,” “Bluey,” Pixies, Stewart Copeland, T. Rex, More

February 5, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

The Record Store Day rollout continues with a slate of titles arriving worldwide from Demon Music Group. All of these titles – from television favorites (Doctor Who and Bluey) to classic rock heroes (T Rex, Pixies, and Stewart Copeland) and more – are due at brick-and-mortar independent stores in the U.K., U.S., and around the world on Saturday, April 18. Head over to RecordStoreDay.com for the complete list of participating stores in the U.S. and RecordStoreDay.co.uk if you’re in the U.K., and below you’ll find details for all of Demon’s releases! We’ve…

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Formats:

Vinyl

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Classic Rock, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks

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Art of Noise, Dead or Alive, Ian Dury and The Blockheads, Joff Bush, Labi Siffre, Pixies, Rainbow, Record Store Day, Ritchie Blackmore, Status Quo, Stewart Copeland, T Rex

Let Him Run Wild: Rhino’s Record Store Day Slate Includes Brian Wilson, David Bowie, The Doors, Talking Heads, Black Sabbath, Joni Mitchell, More

February 4, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 8 Comments

Today’s the day! The Record Store Day list is here, ramping up anticipation for the annual event which takes place at brick-and-mortar stores on Saturday, April 18. As expected, Rhino is leading the RSD pack with a whopping slate of over 50 titles scheduled to arrive in independent shops everywhere. The label has brought out many of its heaviest hitters, including David Bowie, The Doors, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Grateful Dead, Rod Stewart, Talking Heads, and Brian Wilson, among others. Head over to RecordStoreDay.com for the complete list of participating stores (and…

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Formats:

Box Sets, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Woo-oo! Intrada Debuts Music from Disney Animated Favorite ‘DuckTales’

February 2, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg… For animation fans of a certain age, those lyrics immediately conjure the globetrotting adventures of a certain Scottish duck who’s tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties…who made his money square. Over the course of 100 episodes originally aired between 1987 and 1990, Walt Disney Television Animation’s DuckTales vividly brought to life the adventures of Uncle Scrooge McDuck. Introduced by writer-artist Carl Barks in the 1947 comic book story “Christmas on Bear Mountain,” Uncle Scrooge quickly became one of pop culture’s most…

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Soundtracks

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Ron Jones

Who Loves The Sun: Rhino High Fidelity Reissues Velvet Underground, Stooges Classics

January 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Stooges and Velvet Underground Rhino High Fidelity

Rhino High Fidelity, the label’s audiophile-standard line of vinyl reissues, has announced its first releases of 2026: two classic rock milestones from the dawn of the 1970s. Limited to 5,000 units each, The Velvet Underground’s Loaded and The Stooges’ Fun House are both available now exclusively from Rhino.com. Each album has been cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at Optimal in Germany. Both titles are housed in sturdy, glossy “tip-on” jackets and contain newly-penned liner notes. Despite the tumultuous period surrounding the birth…

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Formats:

Vinyl

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Classic Rock

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Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, The Stooges, The Velvet Underground

Advance Romance: Zappa and Beefheart’s “Bongo Fury” Returns as 50th Anniversary Box Set

January 28, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Zappa Records is rolling out its first archival release of 2026, and in doing so, is belatedly celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of Frank Zappa’s landmark releases. Bongo Fury, The Mothers of Invention’s 1975 collaboration with fellow iconoclast Don Van Vliet a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, is returning on March 20 in a variety of formats including a 5CD/1Blu-ray box; 2LP expanded edition; and 1LP original album. Bongo Fury is notable not only as the final original album to be released by Zappa and The Mothers but also as a transitional album featuring…

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Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa

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Blu-Ray Audio, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Blues, Classic Rock

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Do You Believe in Magic? Cherry Red Collects The Lovin’ Spoonful’s Complete 1960s Recordings on “What a Day for a Daydream”

January 26, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 7 Comments

Lovin' Spoonful What a Day for a Daydream

New York native John Sebastian fused pop and folk when he joined with Zal Yanovsky, Steve Boone and Joe Butler as The Lovin’ Spoonful. Over an eighteen-month period beginning in the summer of 1965, the band notched seven consecutive top ten hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 including two which reached No. 2 (“Daydream” and “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” and one which hit the top spot (“Summer in the City”). Though the original group’s time together was short-lived, the music has lived on, and a lineup…

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John Sebastian, The Lovin' Spoonful, Zal Yanovsky

Formats:

Box Sets, CD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Folk, Pop

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Still I Dream of It: The Beach Boys’ ‘We Gotta Groove’ Highlights ‘Love You,’ ’15 Big Ones,’ ‘Adult/Child’ Eras

January 21, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 33 Comments

Over three years after the release of Sail On Sailor: 1972, The Beach Boys’ long-running archival series is back in full force with a new box set due on February 13. We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years brings together highlights from the band’s 1974-1977 period, with the title referring to the band’s own Santa Monica studio. The set will look a bit different than the past releases in this series, eschewing separate CD and LP formats for a combined 3LP/3CD box with a number of tracks only in the CD format. (UPDATE…

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, The Beach Boys

A Second Disc Interview: Andrew Sandoval on “The Kinks – All Day and All of the Night: The Day-by-Day Story Pt. 1 – 1940-1971”

January 15, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 6 Comments

Here at Second Disc HQ, we’re longtime fans of writer-producer-musician-historian Andrew Sandoval. In addition to his groundbreaking work with The Monkees catalogue – including, most recently, helming the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. box set and penning the liner notes for the singles collection The As, The Bs, and The Monkees – Andrew has curated reissues from artists including The Everly Brothers, The Band, Love, Bee Gees, Van Morrison, and The Kinks. Andrew’s longtime association with the latter band has led to a new release coming soon from his boutique publishing house,…

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Interviews, News

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Books

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Andrew Sandoval, Doug Hinman, The Kinks

Where Is The Love: Rhino Collects Roberta Flack’s First Eight Studio Albums in New Box

January 14, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 8 Comments

On February 10, Roberta Flack would have celebrated her 90th birthday. Though Flack passed away in February 2025, the occasion is being marked with a new box set from Rhino. With Her Songs: The Atlantic Albums 1969-1978 brings together the late artist’s first eight studio albums in one compact package. The 8CD set is due on February 6. With Her Songs kicks off with 1969’s First Take. Upon its expanded release in 2020 – still the only time an album of Flack’s has received a physical expanded edition – TSD wrote, “Recorded…

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Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack

Formats:

Box Sets, CD

Genres:

R&B/Soul

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Good Clean Fun: Rhino Preps New Monkees Singles Collection

January 13, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 7 Comments

Following last year’s deluxe box of The Monkees’ Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd., Rhino has announced its first release from the band in 2026. The A’s, The B’s and The Monkees, at long last, brings together on 2 CDs all of the band’s commercial singles originally released between 1966 and 1970, from “Last Train to Clarksville” b/w “Take a Giant Step” through “Oh My My” b/w “I Love You Better.” The set is due from Rhino on January 30. (Some copies ordered directly from Rhino are already shipping.) The A’s, The…

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Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, The Monkees

In Memoriam: Bob Weir (1947-2026)

January 12, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

Some folks look for answers/Others look for fights/Some folks up in treetops/Just look to see the sights I can tell your future/Look what’s in your hand/But I can’t stop for nothing/I’m just playing in the band… – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter, and Bob Weir, “Playing in the Band” On Saturday evening, New York’s Empire State Building was lit up with the colors of tie-dye. The tribute marked the passing at the age of 78 of Bob Weir, the co-founder of Grateful Dead whose music both epitomized and transcended the counterculture in which…

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Features, News

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Classic Rock, Rock

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Bob Weir, Grateful Dead

Japan Reissue Round-Up: “Wicked: The Soundtrack,” Bruce Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel

January 6, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

Today, we’re taking a look at three unique 2025 reissues from Japan! Back on December 5, we shared news that John Powell and Stephen Schwartz’s instrumental score to the blockbuster sequel Wicked: For Good had received a physical release on 2 CDs or 2 LPs whereas their work on the 2024 first film was only issued digitally and on limited-edition vinyl. Over in Japan, however, it’s a horse of a different color. Universal Japan, Republic, and Verve have released a deluxe 2CD edition of Wicked including both an expanded edition of Schwartz’s…

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, SACD, Vinyl

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Classic Rock, Pop, Soundtracks

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Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen, Cynthia Erivo, John Powell, Simon and Garfunkel, Stephen Schwartz

Holiday Gift Guide Special: Our Favorite Stocking Stuffers

December 23, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Christopher Cross All Right The Worldwide Singles

Most of our Holiday Gift Guide features this year have concentrated on large-scale releases, but today, we’re looking at three titles small enough to be last-minute stocking stuffers (get to your local indie record store now!) – and big enough to be favorites you’ll play all year long. It’s more than All Right: Omnivore Recordings has revisited Christopher Cross’ early years for a first-ever collection of his original single releases from the U.S. and beyond. The Worldwide Singles 1980-1988 offers 31 cuts on 2 CDs – many in new-to-CD single edit or…

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Christopher Cross, Little Feat, The Replacements

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Holiday Gift Guide Review: Bob Dylan, “The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through the Open Window”

December 22, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

Bob Dylan met Columbia Records’ John Hammond on September 14, 1961 at the apartment of folksinger Richard Farina and his then-wife Carolyn Hester. Dylan had been invited to Carolyn’s rehearsal session as a harmonica player. Hammond later told the story of being so impressed with the young man from Hibbing, Minnesota that he decided to sign him on the spot. A subsequent audition took place, and when Dylan – then dazzling audiences at Gerde’s Folk City on a bill shared with The Greenbriar Boys – showed up for Hester’s Columbia session on…

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Folk

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Bob Dylan, Carolyn Hester, Dave Van Ronk, Harry Belafonte, Jim Kweskin, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Peter Paul and Mary

Holiday Gift Guide Review: Frank Sinatra, “Long Ago, Far Away (1943-1951)”

December 18, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 6 Comments

This week, the a cappella vocal group Pentatonix notched its first-ever number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. More remarkably, the song was first recorded in 1937, written by a composer-lyricist who died in 1989, and features a vocalist who passed away in 1998. The song is “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” the songwriter is Irving Berlin, and the duet partner is, of course, Frank Sinatra. With this achievement, Sinatra returned to the top of the AC chart for the first time since September 30, 1967, when “The…

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Holiday Gift Guide, News, Reviews

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CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Popular Standards/Vocal

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Dorothy Kirsten, Eileen Barton, Frank Sinatra, June Hutton

Holiday Gift Guide Review: Eternity’s Children, “Eternity’s Children” and “Timeless”

December 16, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

As temperatures drop and winter approaches, a little sunshine is always welcome…and High Moon Records has delivered with a pair of reissues from the cult-favorite pop band known as Eternity’s Children. The label behind Sly and The Family Stone’s The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 and the expanded edition of Lotti Golden’s Motor-Cycle has returned 1968’s Eternity’s Children and 1969’s Timeless to vinyl for the first time since their original releases. By the time the Mississippi band arrived on Capitol Records’ Tower imprint for their debut LP, the ranks had…

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Clarence White, Eternity's Children, Gary Paxton, Gene Parsons

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Vinyl

Genres:

Pop

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Wired For Sound: Edsel Boxes Hank Marvin Solo Albums on “The Studio Album Collection 1982-1995”

December 11, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Brian Robson Rankin of Newcastle-upon-Tyne moved to London while still a teenager, armed with a guitar and a dream. He adopted the name Hank Marvin, melding his childhood nickname of “Hank” with the first name of American country singer Marvin Rainwater, and put on a pair of glasses inspired by Buddy Holly’s. His school friend Bruce Welch joined him, and before long, the pair had met Cliff Richard’s manager. In 1959, Richard’s band then known as The Drifters became The Shadows, and Richard, Marvin, Welch, and Brian Bennett (who replaced drummer Tony…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Rock

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Brian May, Cliff Richard, Duane Eddy, Hank Marvin, Jeff Lynne, Mark Knopfler

Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Rolling Stones, “Black and Blue: Super Deluxe Edition”

December 8, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 7 Comments

The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band was in a period of transition. In December 1974, guitarist Mick Taylor announced he was leaving The Rolling Stones. The Stones had already weathered the loss of Brian Jones in 1969 and now they were, once again, without a guitarist. The sound of music was changing, too, with the rise of punk and disco even as prog and heavy rock remained entrenched on the charts. Where did that leave the band who had just proclaimed “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” on…

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Billy Preston, Jeff Beck, The Rolling Stones

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Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Classic Rock

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Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Beatles, “Anthology Collection”

November 26, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

1995: Bill Clinton was President of the U.S., John Major was Prime Minister of the U.K., phones weren’t yet smart, Braveheart won Best Picture, the O.J. trial was on everyone’s mind, Jerry Garcia died, and the biggest songs of the year were Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” (U.S.) and Robson and Jerome’s “Unchained Melody/White Cliffs of Dover” (U.K.). In November, the band that changed pop music forever launched its first major archival project at a time when such vault deep dives weren’t yet (so) commonplace. The Beatles Anthology was a true multimedia venture, encompassing…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

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George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, The Beatles

In Memoriam: Jimmy Cliff (1944-2025)

November 24, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Before The Rocky Horror Picture Show, there was The Harder They Come. Director Perry Henzell’s film inspired by the life of Jamaican outlaw Ivanhoe “Rygin” Martin, starring Jimmy Cliff in the title role, failed to make a splash at the box office upon its initial U.S. release in early 1973. But canny exhibitors realized its similarity to Blaxploitation films such as Shaft and Superfly, and it quickly became a mainstay of midnight movies. The New York Times noted that it ran for 26 weeks at a Cambridge cinema in 1973 before returning…

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Genres:

Reggae

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Jimmy Cliff

Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Monkees, “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.” [Super Deluxe Edition]

November 12, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 5 Comments

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of The Monkees, an occasion soon to be commemorated by last Monkee standing Micky Dolenz with a new tour. The group’s home of Rhino Records has started the party early with the recent release of the latest (and last?) of the label’s series of lavish album reissues. 1967’s Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. has been expanded as a comprehensive 4CD/1-7″ box set by producer/annotator Andrew Sandoval, and as usual, the result is manna for longtime fans and collectors. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. found Davy Jones,…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

Tags:

The Monkees

Sweet and Lovely: Bill Evans’ Trio Explorations Revisited in New Set from Craft

November 11, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Craft Recordings is revisiting a halcyon period of The Bill Evans Trio. Due on November 21, Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Recordings collects the complete studio recordings by the Bill Evans Trio lineup of Evans (1929-1980), bassist Scott LaFaro (1936-1961), and drummer Paul Motian (1931-2011). The 3CD or 5LP set presents the complete albums Portrait in Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961) plus 26 alternate takes – a full 17 of which are previously unreleased. Evans, a pioneer in the area of modal jazz (in which the solos build from the key, not – as…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Jazz

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Bill Evans

Fighting My Way Back: Thin Lizzy Revisit the Mid-’70s on New Box

November 5, 2025 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Thin Lizzy are turning back the clock. Following last year’s set 1976 – chronicling the breakthrough albums Jailbreak and Johnny the Fox – the Irish band will, on November 21, release ’74-’75, a deep dive into Nightlife and Fighting. The 7CD box set chronicles the making of those two seminal albums which were the first to feature the “classic” quartet line-up with guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson joining frontman/bassist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey. Nightlife came first in 1974, produced by Lynott and Ron Nevison, whose credits would grow to…

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