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/ Joe Marchese

Peggy Lee at 100: Grammy Museum Presents Panel Discussion and Virtual Exhibit; Documentary, CD, and DVD Coming This Summer

May 25, 2020 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Peggy Lee 100 Logo

100 years ago tomorrow - May 26, 1920 - Norma Deloris Egstrom was born in Jamestown, North Dakota. You know her as Peggy Lee: groundbreaking singer, songwriter, actress, and artist. Though she passed away in 2002, her music is as present today as ever - and her influence just as strong. Peggy's songs have recently scored such television shows as Ryan Murphy's Hollywood and Amy Sherman-Palladino's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and have been heard in commercials promoting Samsung and Tropicana

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Categories: News Formats: CD, DVD Genre: Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Peggy Lee

Boogie Chillen': Ace Collects John Lee Hooker's Early Years, Premieres Unreleased Tracks

May 21, 2020 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

John Lee Hooker Documenting the Sensation Recordings

Ace Records is celebrating the late blues legend John Lee Hooker (1912 or 1917 - 2001) with a historic new box set. Due on May 29, Documenting the Sensation Recordings 1949-1952 accomplishes just that feat. When Ace purchased Sensation Records from Bernard Besman, a number of Hooker sides were among the acquisition. Besman had previously sold some of Hooker's recordings to United Artists and Greene Bottle. Until now, Ace hadn't completed research into the total contents of the acquisition. Over

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Blues Tags: John Lee Hooker

Outlaw Man: Cherry Red, Morello Collect Four Albums from Singer-Songwriter David Blue

May 20, 2020 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

David Blue Morello 4 Classic Albums

David Blue might be best-known for two things: writing "Outlaw Blues" on Eagles' Desperado album, and being a friend and occasional sidekick of Bob Dylan's. Yet he recorded seven albums (plus a major contribution to an eighth, the 1965 Elektra anthology Singer Songwriter Project) between 1965 and 1976 in addition to making appearances on stage and film before his untimely death in 1982. Cherry Red's Morello imprint has recently celebrated the late folk troubadour with a four-albums-on-two-CDs

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Folk, Pop Tags: Dave Mason, David Blue, Eagles, Graham Nash, Jennifer Warnes

State of Independence: Donna Summer Live Set Comes to CD, DVD, LP in July

May 19, 2020 By Joe Marchese 4 Comments

Donna Summer Hot Summer Night

Following its career-spanning Encore box set celebrating late superstar Donna Summer, Demon Music Group's Driven by the Music imprint will be bringing one of the diva's classic concerts to multiple formats. A Hot Summer Night will be issued on July 10 in both CD/DVD and 2-LP colored vinyl formats. The concert was recorded on August 6, 1983 as part of Summer's Hard for the Money tour. The She Works Hard for the Money album had just been released a couple of months earlier, in June, but Summer

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Categories: News Formats: CD, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Donna Summer

I Like Your Kind of Love: Edsel Collects Early Andy Williams on "The Cadence Recordings" Box

May 15, 2020 By Joe Marchese 9 Comments

Andy Williams Cadence Recordings

By any metric, 2020 has been a challenging year. But fans of Andy Williams have had some rays of sunlight with a number of releases. Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions released the late vocalist's Gold, a 3-CD, career-spanning anthology of many of his finest recordings. Real Gone Music issued Emperor of Easy: The Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72, premiering 20 outtakes and rare singles on CD from Williams' first decade at the label. Now Demon's Edsel label is turning back the clock for a new

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Andy Williams

LiveandWell: David Bowie Rarity Returns from Parlophone

May 14, 2020 By Joe Marchese 5 Comments

David Bowie Liveandwelldotcom

Parlophone Records has announced that three rare David Bowie live releases from the 1990s will all be returning to streaming formats in the months ahead. Tomorrow, May 15, the first of these titles will arrive on digital platforms. Liveandwell.com was made available as a limited edition CD release in 2000 to BowieNet subscribers. It typically fetches high sums secondhand. For this streaming reissue, it has been expanded with two bonus tracks: "Pallas Athena" and "V-2 Schneider," the former

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Categories: News Formats: Digital Streaming Genre: Classic Rock, Rock Tags: David Bowie

Sing a Rainbow: Four More Cilla Black Albums Go Deluxe from Cherry Red, SFE

May 13, 2020 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Cilla Black Sings a Rainbow and Day by Day

Cherry Red's Strike Force Entertainment (SFE) imprint has released another pair of two-for-one titles in its definitive reissue series dedicated to the late superstar Cilla Black. 1966's Cilla Sings a Rainbow, the best-selling album of her career, has been paired with 1973's Day by Day with Cilla, her final LP produced by Sir George Martin; the latter makes its first appearance on CD. It's been joined by 1970's Sweet Inspiration with 1971's Images.  As with past volumes in this series, these

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Cilla Black

Book Review: "Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits" by Russ Giguere

May 11, 2020 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Russ Giguere Along Comes The Association

"Well, I'm a comer and a goer in a six man band," went the lyrics to The Association's 1968 semi-autobiographical single "Six Man Band." Now, founding member Russ Giguere has reflected on his comings and goings in a new book that serves as both a personal memoir and a history of the band. Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits, written with Ashley Wren Collins, is a compelling look back at a colorful life in the group that gave the world such enduring hits as "Along

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: Books Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Russ Giguere, The Association

Ready or Not: Ace Sets Release for Thom Bell Anthology featuring Mathis, Warwick, Spinners, Stylistics, More

May 7, 2020 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Thom Bell Ready or Not

After having previously celebrated two of his musical inspirations - Burt Bacharach and Teddy Randazzo - with their own volumes, Ace's Songwriters and Producers series is turning its attention to legendary soul maestro Thom Bell. On June 26, the label's Kent imprint will release Ready or Not: Philly Soul Arrangements and Productions 1965-1978. As the title indicates, all 23 tracks were either produced or arranged (or both!) by the multi-hyphenate musician-composer-producer-arranger-conductor who

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Connie Stevens, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Johnny Mathis, Lesley Gore, The O'Jays, The Spinners, The Stylistics, Thom Bell, Various Artists

Come Hear Uncle John's Band: Grateful Dead's "Workingman's Dead" Gets 50th Anniversary Reissue with Unreleased Concert

May 6, 2020 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Grateful Dead Workingmans Dead

The ongoing Grateful Dead anniversary reissue series is marching on with the July 10 celebration of the 50th anniversary of Workingman's Dead featuring two new releases from the band and Rhino Records. Often hailed as one of the Dead's most accessible albums along with its follow-up, American Beauty, Workingman's Dead placed its focus on tighter songcraft in a country/folk-oriented vein that would later be described as "Americana." It introduced the group's first chart hit, the timeless

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock Tags: Grateful Dead

Sunshine and Shadows: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue '60s NY Psych Band Ars Nova on New 2-CD Set

May 6, 2020 By Joe Marchese 4 Comments

Ars Nova Fields of People

In Latin, ars nova translates to new art - and that's precisely what the band of the same name was seeking to conjure on two albums originally released in 1968 and 1969. Now, Cherry Red Group's Esoteric Recordings imprint has reissued both of Ars Nova's LPs - Ars Nova and Sunshine and Shadows - on one 2-CD set entitled Fields of People: The Atlantic and Elektra Recordings 1968-1969. The group was the brainchild of recent Mannes College musical conservatory graduates Wyatt Day

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Ars Nova

Let's Do It Again: Omnivore Preps Four Remastered Staple Singers Albums For June

May 5, 2020 By Joe Marchese 6 Comments

The Staples Family Tree

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Mavis Staples, The Staple Singers

Message in the Music: Craft Recordings Celebrates Legacy of Stax's Gospel Truth Records

May 4, 2020 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

logo Gospel Truth

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Gospel, R&B/Soul Tags: Louise McCord, The Gospel Artistics, The Howard Lemon Singers, The Rance Allen Group

The Ties That Bind: Springsteen Releases 1981 New Jersey "River" Show to Benefit State Pandemic Relief Fund

May 1, 2020 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Bruce Springsteen Brendan Byrne Arena

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download Genre: Classic Rock, Rock Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Gary U.S. Bonds

What a Wonderful World: Omnivore Reissues, Expands Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks' "Orange Crate Art" on CD, LP

April 30, 2020 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks Orange Crate Art

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Vinyl Genre: Pop Tags: Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks

How Sweet: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Expand Albums from Shape of the Rain, Neil Innes

April 30, 2020 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Riley Riley Wood and Waggett Shape of the Rain

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Neil Innes, Shape of the Rain

Wonderful! Wonderful! Crimson Collects "Gold" Volumes for Johnny Mathis, George Jones

April 29, 2020 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Johnny Mathis Gold

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")

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Country, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: George Jones, Johnny Mathis

Makes Me Feel Fine: "NOW That's What I Call Yacht Rock 2" Sets Sail

April 27, 2020 By Joe Marchese 16 Comments

Now Thats What I Call Yacht Rock 2

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Pop Tags: Air Supply, Captain and Tennille, Chicago, Eric Carmen, Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Loggins, REO Speedwagon, Toto, Various Artists

So In Love: Stage Door Collects the Romantic Sounds of Broadway's John Raitt on "Original Album Series" Set

April 27, 2020 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

John Raitt Original Album Series

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Cast Recordings, Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: John Raitt

Today's the Day: America's "Heritage II" Collects Unreleased Demos, Alternates, More

April 24, 2020 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

America Heritage II

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,

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Categories: Reviews Formats: CD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: America

Rolling Stones Drop New Song, "Living in a Ghost Town," Today

April 23, 2020 By Joe Marchese 6 Comments

Rolling Stones Living in a Ghost Town

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Rock Tags: The Rolling Stones

I'll Plant My Own Tree: JSP Records Collects Judy Garland's "Best of Lost Tracks 2"

April 23, 2020 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Judy Garland 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

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Popular Standards/Vocal, Soundtracks Tags: Judy Garland

Happy Ending: Intervention Brings Joe Jackson's "Body and Soul" to Hybrid SACD

April 22, 2020 By Joe Marchese 5 Comments

Joe Jackson Body and Soul Intervention

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

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Categories: News Formats: CD, SACD Genre: Pop, Rock Tags: Joe Jackson

Walking in Rhythm: Robinsongs Collects Best of Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds on "The Jazz Funk Collection"

April 22, 2020 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Donald Byrd and Blackbyrds 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

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, R&B/Soul Tags: Donald Byrd, The Blackbyrds

A Nation on Fire: Fans Vote Machine Head's "Burn My Eyes" as Next Run Out Groove Release

April 21, 2020 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Machine Head Burn My Eyes

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

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Categories: News Formats: Vinyl Genre: Rock Tags: Machine Head

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