Today, more than 25 years after their final performance together, The Staples Singers are synonymous with gospel and soul music of the highest order. Roebuck "Pops" Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and (sometimes) Yvonne, and son Pervis raised their voices in song to celebrate the Lord, but also to crusade for civil rights and share musical messages of power and positivity around the world. In the 1960s, the group transitioned from pure gospel and blues to soul and R&B, setting the stage
Message in the Music: Craft Recordings Celebrates Legacy of Stax's Gospel Truth Records
Craft Recordings is celebrating the Gospel Truth with a new reissue campaign dedicated to that Stax Records imprint. Every week, the label drops a digital reissue of a Gospel Truth title culminating in the vinyl, CD, and digital release in September - Gospel Heritage Month - of a newly-curated singles collection. Various digital playlists and lyric videos will also be unveiled throughout the course of the series. Stax chief Al Bell launched Gospel Truth in 1972, working in close coordination
The Ties That Bind: Springsteen Releases 1981 New Jersey "River" Show to Benefit State Pandemic Relief Fund
Earlier today, Bruce Springsteen announced the release of the latest title in his live series, with all proceeds from the sale of the show going to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. The date was July 9, 1981. Springsteen and The E Street Band had just returned from Europe and headed home to New Jersey to christen the brand-new Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. Today, the venue is a filming facility rather than a concert venue, but in summer '81, it was a major new addition to the
What a Wonderful World: Omnivore Reissues, Expands Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks' "Orange Crate Art" on CD, LP
Brian Wilson found himself an artistic crossroads in 1995. His first solo album was seven years in the rearview mirror. He had begun rebuilding his life with new wife Melinda three years after being extricated from the "care" of disgraced doctor Eugene Landy. Now, it was time for a creative rebirth, too. It began in January with the release of Don Was' documentary film I Just Wasn't Made for These Times and its accompanying soundtrack. It continued later in the year when Wilson reunited with one
How Sweet: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Expand Albums from Shape of the Rain, Neil Innes
Today, we're looking at two new releases from Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records imprint from Shape of the Rain and Neil Innes! Keith Riley, Len Riley, Brian Wood, and Ian "Tag" Waggett came together under the very 1960s name of Shape of the Rain after having exhausted other monikers including The Gear and The Reaction. Under their new psychedelic handle, the group came to the attention of Joe Cocker's manager David McPhie. Initially, the foursome found it difficult to get club gigs precisely
Wonderful! Wonderful! Crimson Collects "Gold" Volumes for Johnny Mathis, George Jones
The ongoing series of budget-priced 3-CD Gold compilations from Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions continues with a pair of releases from artists for whom "legendary" is no understatement: Johnny Mathis and the late George Jones. Curating a representative sampling of Johnny Mathis' singular career in under 50 tracks is no small task, and this set is indeed decades-spanning from his first commercially released single (1956's pairing of "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "When Sunny Gets Blue")
Makes Me Feel Fine: "NOW That's What I Call Yacht Rock 2" Sets Sail
It's time to break out the piña coladas. This Friday, the long-running NOW series will release its second volume of NOW That's What I Call Yacht Rock. This collection of classic songs in the "yacht rock" genre - think: seventies and early eighties soft rock with memorable melodies, sparkling productions, and plenty of saxophones - arrives on CD and in digital/streaming formats, with a 2-LP vinyl set arriving on July 3. With eighteen songs, NOW That's What I Call Yacht Rock 2 boasts return
So In Love: Stage Door Collects the Romantic Sounds of Broadway's John Raitt on "Original Album Series" Set
Having celebrated the life of Alfred Drake in a 2-CD collection last year, Stage Door Records has turned its attention to another of Broadway's greatest leading men: the late John Raitt (1917-2005). John Raitt: Original Album Series brings together four full-length LPs from the legendary performer originally issued between 1955 and 1960, plus a host of bonus tracks. It's due at general retail on May 1 and is currently shipping directly from the label. A California native, Raitt made his
Today's the Day: America's "Heritage II" Collects Unreleased Demos, Alternates, More
If you think you know all of the exits off that mythical Ventura Highway, think again. Omnivore Recordings has just released a new collection straight from the America archives, and it's filled with unexpected treasures. Heritage II: Demos/Alternate Takes 1971-1976 follows up the first volume from 2017 and proves itself a more than worthy successor. This collection could well be subtitled The George Martin Years. While its two earliest tracks return to the period of the band's sophomore album,
Rolling Stones Drop New Song, "Living in a Ghost Town," Today
Fresh off their appearance on last weekend's One World: Together at Home telethon with an affecting version of their 1969 anthem "You Can't Always Get What You Want," The Rolling Stones surprised fans earlier today with a brand-new song appropriate to these isolated, sheltering-at-home times. Alternately bluesy, funky, and rocking, "Living in a Ghost Town" conjures the kind of imagery that any of us looking out a window onto an empty street can surely appreciate. The track was cut "well over
I'll Plant My Own Tree: JSP Records Collects Judy Garland's "Best of Lost Tracks 2"
Last year, JSP Records premiered its latest archival release celebrating the life and remarkable artistry of Judy Garland. Lost Tracks 2: 1936-1967 collected 50 rarities on two discs spanning the entirety of the late superstar's career, 40 of which were new to CD. Now, on June 26, JSP will release a single-disc "highlights" edition of that seminal set with 25 tracks, adding one previously unreleased bonus cut. The Best of Lost Tracks 2: 1936-1967 premieres on CD young Judy's rendition of
Happy Ending: Intervention Brings Joe Jackson's "Body and Soul" to Hybrid SACD
Intervention Records' Joe Jackson reissue series has already seen high-quality vinyl pressings of such favorite albums as I'm the Man, Look Sharp!, Night and Day, and Summer in the City: Live in New York. Now, the label is turning its attention to another classic from the Jackson discography, his 1984 studio album Body and Soul. On or around June 5, the label will reissue Body and Soul as a stereo hybrid SACD, playable on all CD players. Following the breakthrough success of 1982's Night and
Walking in Rhythm: Robinsongs Collects Best of Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds on "The Jazz Funk Collection"
Donald Byrd was well-versed in the art of reinvention. The trumpeter/bandleader began his career as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers while still pursuing his master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music. Upon graduating from both institutions, Byrd played with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and a host of jazz's finest leaders. By 1958, he was leading his own quintet. But in the years to come, the sound of music would shift radically. Byrd would change with it. His
A Nation on Fire: Fans Vote Machine Head's "Burn My Eyes" as Next Run Out Groove Release
Run Out Groove has announced its next fan-voted title to arrive in a limited, numbered vinyl edition which can be delivered right to your front door. Fans have voted Machine Head's 1994 debut album Burn My Eyes to get the ROG vinyl treatment. The Bay Area thrash metal band featuring vocalist/rhythm guitarist Robb Flynn, lead guitarist Logan Mader, bassist Adam Duce, and drummer Chris Kontos injected a dose of hard-hitting realism into their first album. They referenced drug abuse, the selling
Down to Junior's Bar: Iron City Houserockers' "Have a Good Time" featuring Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Steven Van Zandt Turns 40, Gets Expanded Edition
Pittsburgh native Joe Grushecky burst onto the national music scene in 1979 as leader of the Iron City Houserockers. Their debut album on MCA Records, 1979's Love's So Tough, conjured an authentic blue-collar milieu and recalled a harder-edged E Street Band. The band upped their game with follow-up release Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive! in 1980. Now, that bar-band classic is returning to print in a newly expanded edition adding a second disc with 16 previously unreleased tracks including
What a Wonderful World: Dr. John's "Ske-Dat-De-Dat" Tribute to Louis Armstrong Returns to Vinyl
The late Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, frequently drew on the classic sounds of New Orleans as he conjured his own musical voodoo. Appropriately enough, his final studio album was a tribute to one of the most significant figures to ever emerge from the Crescent City. 2014's Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch celebrated the legendary Louis Armstrong as only Dr. John and his friends could do. Now, it's returning from The Last Music Company in a new vinyl pressing on June 5, one day before the
Lost in Music: Cherry Red Boxes Sister Sledge Classics on "Thinking of You"
While 1979's anthemic "We Are Family" broke Sister Sledge into the mainstream, Kathy Sledge and her older sisters Debbie, Joni, and Kim were hardly overnight sensations. They paid their dues, and had been recording for Atco Records since 1973 when all four members were still teenagers. Now, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has compiled all of the Sledges' recordings for Atco, its parent Atlantic, and sister imprint Cotillion into one tidy 6-CD box set. Thinking of You: The
Practice, Practice, Practice (Redux): Zappa Records Revisits 1971 Carnegie Hall Shows
Eddie, are you kidding? Is Zappa Records revisiting Frank Zappa's October 11, 1971 concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall? Yes, indeed. When Frank Zappa and his Mothers of Invention took the stage at that historic venue nearly fifty (!) years ago, the performances were recorded for possible future release on the artist's then-home of Warner Bros. Records. Back in 2011, Zappa Records issued a "warts and all" ticket to both complete shows performed on that date as a 4-CD box set simply
You Got to Have Friends: Todd Rundgren's Utopia Releases "Benefit for Moogy Klingman" in 4-CD/2-DVD Box Set
Mark "Moogy" Klingman might have been best known as an early member of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, or as the co-writer of Bette Midler's joyful hit "Friends" which took on new poignancy in the era of AIDS. But Moogy also recorded as a solo artist and as part of the band Glitterhouse, played onstage with such luminaries as Lou Reed, and served as Midler's producer and musical director. In January 2011, the Utopia line-up of Todd Rundgren, Kevin Ellman, John Siegler, Ralph Schuckett, and Klingman
Devoted to You: Edsel Collects Everly Brothers' "Cadence Recordings" on CD, Reissues Albums on Vinyl
Brothers Don and Phil Everly successfully straddled the line between country and rock-and-roll (with a healthy dollop of R&B) beginning with their first hit record, 1957's "Bye Bye Love." Still an oldies-radio staple today, the Felice and Boudleaux Bryant classic began a long stretch of successes for the duo. Archie Bleyer, of Cadence Records, signed the boys in February 1957 and was keenly aware of their potential to appeal to both teenaged and adult markets. At his behest, the Everlys
Try a Little Tenderness: Capitol Remixes, Reissues, Expands Frank Sinatra's "Nice 'n' Easy" for 60th Anniversary Release
In 1960, Nice 'n' Easy did it for Frank Sinatra. Following his masterpiece of melancholy, No One Cares, he returned with a set of romantic, reflective ballads anchored by a quintessentially breezy title track. Featuring The Voice at his deeply felt best and the orchestrations of Nelson Riddle at their lushest, Nice 'n' Easy spent nine weeks at the top of the Billboard stereo album chart of a total 86 chart weeks. It received multiple Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year and was
Funtime: Universal Collects Iggy Pop-David Bowie Collaborations on Iggy's "The Bowie Years" Box
While David Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" officially kicked off with the January 1977 release of Low, the international superstar had actually been working in Germany a bit earlier with Stooges frontman Iggy Pop on his solo debut, The Idiot. The LP was a departure from Pop's primitive-styled proto-punk with The Stooges, embracing a steely and electronic yet funky sound. Now, Universal Music is collecting the entirety of Pop's German period of Bowie collaborations in a new 7-CD box set. Due on May 29,
Paradise: Edsel Celebrates the Music of Change on CD Box Set, Vinyl Collection
It's been said that the only true constant is change - and that's certainly been borne out by the group bearing that moniker. Between 1980 and 1985, the rotating line-ups collectively known as Change released six albums built around insistent rhythms, catchy hooks, and commanding vocals. Unexpectedly in 2018, Change returned from a three-decade-plus hiatus with a new album that captured the old magic. Late last year, Demon Music Group's Edsel label chronicled Change's discography on CD in a
In Memoriam: John Prine (1946-2020)
Last evening, we learned of the passing of John Prine, 73, from COVID-19 complications. Though initially branded by the press as one of the "new Dylans," it wasn't long before the singer-songwriter transcended that label - and most others. With wit, humor, anger, empathy, and social conscience, the onetime "singing mailman" delivered mordant observations and poignant character studies over a career spanning five decades. Prine burst onto the scene with his 1971 self-titled release on Atlantic
Give In to Love: Cherry Red Collects Dee Dee Bridgewater's R&B Years
Dee Dee Bridgewater has long defied easy categorization. The Grammy and Tony Award-winning singer-actress has fronted a jazz orchestra; worked with legends of the genre like Thad Jones, Dexter Gordon, and Max Roach; starred in two Broadway musicals; hosted a long-running NPR radio show; and served as a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador as part of her fight against world hunger. Cherry Red Group's Robinsongs imprint has recently collected her first four American albums on a 2-CD set. When Charlie
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- …
- 172
- Next Page »