Secret origins have long been a classic trope of comic books. This June, a rather unexpected super-team will find their origins revealed in a new graphic novel. That's the release date for Z2 Comics' Grateful Dead Origins, written by Chris Miskiewicz with art by Noah Van Sciver. Origins will depict the early days of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart as they transform from bar band The Warlocks to the groundbreaking Grateful Dead. The
Review: Donna Summer, "Encore"
I. Try Me, I Know We Can Make It Donna Summer's first studio album was entitled Lady of the Night, after its retro-styled galloping pop song composed by Giorgio Moroder and the album's producer Pete Bellotte. Following the release of her next LP, Summer would own the night as an international superstar. But there was much more to the so-called Queen of Disco than just the remarkable string of hits that crossed over from the dancefloor to the mainstream pop consciousness, among them "Love to
Sentimental Journeys: Doris Day's Birthday Weekend Celebrated with Online Auction, Upcoming Releases
Today, April 3, would have been Doris Day's 98th birthday. Though she passed last year on May 13, her spirit remains very much with us. As we reflect on her singular life, and cherish her work as a singer, actor, humanitarian, and activist, we're thrilled to share some very special news about an imminent event and upcoming releases. This weekend, an online auction will take place at Julien's Auctions including many clothing items from Doris' movies and television programs in addition to
In Memoriam: Bill Withers (1938-2020)
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain We all have sorrow But if we are wise We know that there's always tomorrow... Those words from "Lean on Me" held tremendous meaning when Bill Withers first introduced them in 1972. Today, they arguably hold even greater resonance. It's been announced that Withers has passed away of heart complications at 81 years of age. While his recording career was a relatively short one, roughly spanning just a decade and a half, he leaves behind some of the
Your Mind Has Left Your Body: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue Jefferson Airplane and Kantner-Slick-Freiberg
Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint is taking off with Jefferson Airplane to reissue three classic albums, all remastered from the original, first-generation master tapes. Esoteric has paired the Airplane's final 1970s releases, Long John Silver and the live Thirty Seconds Over Winterland, on one 2-CD release. It's joined by Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and David Freiberg's Baron von Tollbooth and The Chrome Nun on which those three artists built the bridge that would connect Jefferson
Hey, Look Me Over! Lucille Ball, Anthony Perkins, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Darin Featured on "Lost Broadway 1960"
Stage Door Records is turning back the clock - 60 years, to be precise - with the latest volume in its Lost Broadway series. Lost Broadway 1960, out now in the U.K. and this Friday, April 3, in the U.S., once again spotlights the lesser-known shows that played the Great White Way that year (in both the 1959-1960 and 1960-1961 seasons). So while there's no mention of Bye Bye Birdie, Camelot, or Oliver!, you will hear tracks from Wildcat, Do Re Mi, and Christine. (The Unsinkable Molly Brown is
She's Got Rhythm: Linda Lavin Returns with New Studio Album
Every week between August 31, 1976 and March 19, 1985, Linda Lavin could be seen on CBS in the title role of the sitcom Alice. Lavin also sang the show's memorable theme song, composed by David Shire with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and occasionally performed in character as Alice Hyatt. But Lavin's inherent musicality was no surprise to those who followed her illustrious career on and off Broadway where she appeared in musicals including A Family Affair, It's a Bird...It's a
Colour My World: Petula Clark's Complete 1974 Royal Albert Hall Concert Comes to CD
When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown... When Petula Clark first sang those words by Tony Hatch back in 1964, it's highly doubtful that she - or anybody else - could have predicted the COVID-19 crisis which we're all currently experiencing. But the warm, inviting, and reassuring sentiment has never seemed more relevant than it does today. Thanks to the herculean efforts of the United Music Foundation, it's now possible to travel with the timeless Ms. Clark
The Spirit Of Radio: Rush's 'Permanent Waves' To Be Expanded On CD, Vinyl
The January 1980 release of Rush's Permanent Waves marked a breakthrough for the band. The album became Rush's most successful to that point, reaching the top five of the album charts in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. It also represented a shift towards more compact, radio-friendly songs while still honoring the group's progressive roots. On May 29, Mercury/Anthem/UMe will reissue Permanent Waves in a variety of formats including 2-CD and 3-LP sets, and a 2-CD/3-LP Super Deluxe Edition. Geddy
Mojo Rising: Manifesto Collects Irreverent Roots-Rock of Mojo Nixon on New Box Set
BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COMManifesto Records has a new box set that's positively Bo-Day-Shus!!! It's The Mojo Manifesto: The Original Album Collection from cult psychobilly rocker Mojo Nixon. The 10CD/1DVD collection has all of Nixon's solo albums (and early collaborations with Skid Roper) as originally released between 1985 and 2009 along with a bonus DVD of seven music videos. Neill Kirby McMillan Jr. was immersed in music from a young age; his father ran a soul-oriented radio station in Virginia
Review: Matt Monro, "Stranger in Paradise: The Lost New York Sessions"
After years of exhaustively mining the late singer's catalogue for a series of definitive releases, the Matt Monro estate has turned up a new chest of buried treasure - and it's a collection that's both required listening for longtime fans and an ideal introduction for new ones. Stranger in Paradise: The Lost New York Sessions from Capitol Records/UMC takes listeners back to the Big Apple circa 1966 when the British singer joined with a quintet of jazz pros to record a different kind of album.
In Memoriam: Kenny Rogers (1938-2020)
Last evening, American popular song lost one of its most resonant and reassuring voices when Kenny Rogers died peacefully of natural causes at the age of 81. Rogers' recording career spanned seven decades, from his early singles in the 1950s through his final studio album, 2015's Once Again It's Christmas. He sold over 100 million records worldwide. It's appropriate that Rogers' last studio recording would be a Christmas album, as he embodied the season's spirit of joy and goodwill throughout
Too Good to Be True: Cherry Red Reissues and Expands Hazell Dean's "Heart First"
Cherry Red Records' Cherry Pop imprint has re-reissued a classic from The Queen of Hi-NRG, Hazell Dean. The singer's 1984 album Heart First - her first commercially released LP and the first production of the Stock Aitken Waterman team - was previously expanded by Cherry Pop as a single disc in 2010. Now, ten years later, that iteration's seven bonus tracks have grown to 21 for the album's first 2-CD deluxe edition. Heart First arrived on the strength of Dean's singles "Searchin' (I Gotta
Magic Moments: Demon Collects Perry Como, Gladys Knight and The Pips, David Soul on New "Gold" Collections
Today, we're looking at another three of Demon Music Group/Crimson Productions' Gold collections! Almost two decades after his death on May 12, 2001, Perry Como remains one of the most cherished voices in American popular song. Over the course of five decades at RCA Victor, the mellow crooner scored 131 chart hits in the U.S. alone, over 20 gold records, multiple Emmy and Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, and sales of over 100 million records between 1945 and 1970. Perry's entry in the
UMe Preps 'More Trouble' With Vinyl Release of Marvin Gaye's 'Trouble Man' Outtakes
Between What's Going On and Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye released a masterwork that still remains one of the less-heralded items in his remarkable '70s catalogue. Trouble Man was the soundtrack to a 20th Century-Fox "blaxploitation" film, and while it was Gaye's only foray into film scoring, it proved that the Motown superstar could hold his own against the other soul stars-turned-film composers such as Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield - as if there was ever any doubt. The soundtrack album made
Follow Me Follow: Grapefruit Reissues, Expands "The Birthday Party" from Jeff Lynne, The Idle Race
For Jeff Lynne, listening to The Idle Race must be a bit like viewing baby pictures. He's quoted from a 2013 interview in the liner notes to Cherry Red/Grapefruit's essential new reissue of the band's 1968 LP The Birthday Party: "I still like all those Idle Race songs, but I just find them so weird!" Indeed, The Birthday Party is weird - but in the best sense of the word as the young Lynne's melodic gifts were already very much in flower in his pre-Move, pre-ELO days. Somewhat surprisingly, The
The Big Light: Johnny Cash's Complete Mercury Albums Reissued in New Box Set and Individual LPs
Johnny Cash is coming to town (again)! When the legendary Man in Black was unceremoniously dropped by his longtime home of Columbia Records in mid-1986 - "the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life," opined then-label chief Rick Blackburn - he wasn't yet finished. Mercury Records stepped up to sign Cash, beginning a relationship that lasted for five years and six albums. Now, that fertile 1986-1991 period of rebirth is being revisited by Mercury and UMe in a multi-platform
Love Oh Love: Run Out Groove Announces LeRoy Hutson's "The Curtom Years" Anthology as Next Release
Run Out Groove has announced its latest, fan-voted release, and it's a treasure trove for soul fans and collectors! LeRoy Hutson's The Curtom Years anthologizes the period in which the multi-talented singer/songwriter/producer/musician and onetime lead singer of The Impressions recorded for the group's co-founder Curtis Mayfield's label. The limited and individually numbered 2-LP release boasts 20 newly-remastered songs recorded between 1973 and 1979, including eight previously unreleased tracks
Circle of Friends: Demon Announces Record Store Day Releases
We're continuing our Record Store Day 2020 spotlights with a look at what Demon Music Group has on offer for RSD in the U.K. (with many titles available worldwide)! The label's 15 titles encompass classic rock and pop titles plus comedy, spoken-word, a lost Doctor Who series, and much more. Remember: releases are available while supplies last at your preferred brick-and-mortar record store on Saturday, April 18! The descriptions to follow have been provided by Demon. Bob Mould - Circle of
Craft Recordings' Record Store Day Lineup Includes Fania Classics, White Whale Rarities, Camille Yarbrough, So Solid Crew, and More
Craft Recordings has announced a typically eclectic slate of releases for Record Store Day, all of which should be available at your favorite local independent record store on Saturday, April 18 (while supplies last). This year's batch includes long out-of-print albums from blues-rockers Parish Hall and performance artist Camille Yarbrough; another treasure from the Fania Records catalogue; a rare EP from British hip-hop groundbreakers So Solid Crew, and two themed '60s compilations certain to
Cherry Red Round-Up: Complete Box Sets Celebrate The Honeycombs, The Meters
The Honeycombs weren't quite a one-hit wonder. The stomping "Have I the Right?" established the group, under the aegis of maverick producer Joe Meek, when it topped the U.K. Singles Chart in the summer of 1964. But its follow-ups barely squeaked into the top 40, and a No. 12 placement for "That's the Way" was too little, too late to bolster the group's fortunes. These showings, however, were no reflection on the band's quality. For one of its final releases, Cherry Red's RPM imprint has
Mystic Lady: Modern Harmonic Reissues Nancy Priddy's "You've Come This Way Before"
Nancy Priddy titled her 1968 Dot Records LP You've Come This Way Before but the actress-singer actually hadn't followed many footsteps in creating her debut album. Modern Harmonic, which has just reissued it on a splendid new vinyl pressing, describes the lost gem as "Dreamy Psych Baroque Pop." Throw in folk, jazz, psychedelia, and sunshine pop, and you have an idea of this ambitious, offbeat, and altogether trippy curio on which the underground met the mainstream. Priddy's own story is a
Dionne Warwick's "Déjà Vu: The Arista Recordings" Box Out Today from Cherry Red, SoulMusic
UPDATED 2/28: Earlier this week, the popular competition show The Masked Singer unmasked The Mouse. But to anyone who's ever listened to a radio over the past 50-plus years, there was no need for a reveal. It was obvious that, underneath the giant mouse head, was the voice of only one person: the inimitable Dionne Warwick. Over 40 years ago, Warwick left Warner Bros. Records and signed to Clive Davis' Arista label to begin a new chapter in her remarkable career. Today, Cherry Red's SoulMusic
Short Takes, Broadway Edition: London "Annie" Comes to CD, Kritzerland Continues "Revisited," and Mondo Has "Bathtubs"
The sun will come out tomorrow...because that's the release date for Stage Door Records' world premiere CD release of the Original London Cast Recording of Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin's beloved musical Annie. A little over a year after its smash, Tony Award-winning debut on Broadway, Annie opened in the West End at the Victoria Palace Theatre (today the home of Hamilton). While original star Andrea McArdle repeated her performance for the first 40 performances, the role of
Review: Frank Zappa, "The Hot Rats Sessions"
What is jazz-rock? The label has been applied to the work of diverse artists such as Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Miles Davis, Steely Dan, and Santana (and that's just to name some of the most well-known exponents) not to mention an entire cadre of fusion artists like the groups Weather Report and Return to Forever. In the jazz-rock canon, the name of Frank Zappa certainly stands tall. The multi-faceted artist delivered one of the genre's earliest and most seminal albums with 1969's Hot
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