Andrew Lloyd Webber first became interested in adapting Reverend W. Aubry's Thomas the Tank Engine stories in 1974. A pilot episode for a proposed television series was produced but ultimately not picked up. But the Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat composer didn't give up on the idea of musicalizing a story with trains. He took a step towards that goal with the 1977 single "Engine of Love" for American singer Earl Jordan, and then developed an animated
Slow Dancin': Cherry Red, Esoteric Return to Anthony Phillips' "Slow Dance"
If you missed out on the 2017 Esoteric/Cherry Red expanded reissue of founding Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips' 1990 Slow Dance, you're in luck. The label has just reissued Slow Dance as a 2CD set, dropping the DVD component but otherwise replicating the earlier package at a lower price. Slow Dance, a two-part orchestral suite, was recorded by Phillips in 1988 and 1989. The follow-up to Tarka, his collaborative album with Harry Williamson, Slow Dance became Phillips' first "proper" solo
Hungry Freaks, Daddy: Zappa and The Mothers of Invention's 1968 Whisky A Go Go Show Arrives in June
Fans of the early days of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention have good reason to, well, freak out! On June 21, Zappa Records and UMe are heading back to those heady days on the Sunset Strip for Whisky A Go Go, 1968, a new collection available on three CDs or five 180-gram black vinyl LPs as well as in 2LP "highlights" form. The complete release will also be available digitally in high-resolution. Even in the relatively early days of his recording career, Frank Zappa was thinking
Shadows and Light: Joni Mitchell's Asylum Albums Go Quadio
Joni Mitchell has had quite the year, stopping the show at the Grammy Awards (did anybody watching not shed a tear?), reinventing "I'm Still Standing" at the Gershwin Prize celebration of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and preparing for her Los Angeles concert return with sold-out, hotly-anticipated Joni Jams at the Hollywood Bowl in October. Today, Rhino announced one more jewel in Mitchell's crown. Her 2022 box set The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) has been reissued with a twist: all four albums
I'm Doin' Fine Now: "Groove Machine: The Earl Young Drum Sessions" Spotlights Philly Legend
Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell might have been The Mighty Three, but dozens of musicians joined them in shaping The Sound of Philadelphia. That triumvirate's lush, lithe productions were brought to life by the loose aggregation of players known as MFSB, or the house band at Sigma Sound Studios. These are the same musicians who went on to form The Salsoul Orchestra under the baton of Vincent Montana, Jr., including Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, Bobby Eli, Ron Kersey, Lenny Pakula,
Sweet Dream: Jethro Tull Expands Live "Bursting Out" In New "Inflated Edition" Remixed by Steven Wilson
Jethro Tull's first live album, 1978's Bursting Out, hit stores in September 1978. It was recorded just a few months earlier as Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, John Glascock, John Evan, Dee Palmer, and Barriemore Barlow toured behind their eleventh studio album, Heavy Horses. On June 21, it will return from Rhino in a new 3CD/3DVD book-style edition featuring new remixes by Steven Wilson and an array of bonus material. Bursting Out: The Inflated Edition contains: CD 1: Jethro Tull Live:
Let's Do It Again: The Staple Singers' "Africa '80" Coming from Omnivore
Fans of The Staple Singers are in for a treat. On May 10, Omnivore Recordings will reissue Africa 80, the live album from the legendary gospel-soul group documenting their first-ever tour of the continent. Roebuck "Pops" Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and 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
Stayin' With It: Edsel Continues Kiki Dee Box Set Series, Premieres "Two Sides to Every Story" Album
When Elton John played the final stop of his final U.S. tour at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium on November 20, 2022, Kiki Dee was right there by his side to sing their 1976 smash "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." While that duet remains a major part of the Kiki Dee story, there's plenty more to the Yorkshire-born singer-songwriter's discography. Thankfully, Edsel has chronicled that discography in depth on 2020's The Fontana and Motown Years (spanning 1963-1970) and 2019's The Rocket Years (spanning
Born to Get Down: Robinsongs Reissues Three Albums from The Muscle Shoals Horns
3614 Jackson Highway: Cher immortalized the Sheffield, Alabama address of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio as the title of her 1969 album. The superstar was just one of the many legends who passed through the Studio's doors in hopes of capturing some of that southern swamp magic; others include The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Wilson Pickett, Rod Stewart, and Bob Dylan. Much of that earthy sound was conjured by The Muscle Shoals Horns, the brassy complement to the studio's famed
Younger Than Springtime: Light in the Attic Reissues Pete Jolly's A&M Classic "Seasons"
Pianist/organist/accordionist Pete Jolly (1932-2004), born Peter Ceragioli, Jr., made his debut as a leader in 1955 on the RCA label. After moves to labels including Liberty and Columbia, Jolly landed at A&M Records in 1968. Co-founder Herb Alpert - the A in A&M - personally produced or co-produced all three of Jolly's long-players for the Hollywood label. Songs by A&M mainstays such as Roger Nichols, Burt Bacharach, and Antonio Carlos Jobim populated the albums. The third of
No Regrets: Stage Door Premieres Libby Morris' "Edith Piaf, Je Vous Aime..." on CD
The life of French chanteuse Edith Piaf (1915-1963) has been dramatized on stage and screen numerous times over the years, from Pam Gems' play Piaf (productions of which have starred Jane Lapotaire, Elaine Paige, Elena Roger, and Caroline O'Connor) to writer-director Olivier Dahan's film La Vie en Rose (starring Marion Cotillard). This Friday, March 22, Stage Door Records will reissue a well-received Piaf tribute for the very first time on CD. Edith Piaf, Je Vous Aime..., devised and produced
Tighten Up: Robinsongs Chronicles Archie Bell & The Drells' Atlantic and PIR Years in New Box
"Hi, everybody! I'm Archie Bell of The Drells, of Houston, Texas!" Archie Bell let the world know exactly who he was as he led his group through the "Tighten Up," his 1968 Pop and R&B chart-topping dance record. He explained to author Fred Bronson that the decision to introduce himself was in response to an unkind remark that "nothing good ever came out of Texas." Bell was determined to prove that the comment was wrong - and prove it, he certainly did. Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint
Have You Ever Been in Love: Omnivore Reissues Rare Recordings from The Stylistics, Doris Troy
Omnivore Recordings is celebrating legends of soul with a pair of two new releases. In just three albums recorded between 1971 and 1973, The Stylistics - a.k.a. lead singer Russell Thompkins, Jr., Airrion Love, Herb Murrell, James Dunn, and James Smith - positioned themselves at the vanguard of Philadelphia soul, introducing future pop and R&B standards such as "You Are Everything," "People Make the World Go Round" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" with multi-hyphenate Thom Bell (serving
In Memoriam: Eric Carmen (1949-2024)
Here at The Second Disc, we're shocked and saddened by the passing of Eric Carmen at the age of 74. With The Raspberries and such indelible songs as "Go All the Way," "Let's Pretend," and "I Wanna Be with You," Carmen gave powerful voice to young love and lust; as a solo artist, he brought classical flourishes to the pop chart with "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again." He went on to define the '80s as much as he had the '70s with such enduring hits as "Hungry Eyes" and "Make Me
In Memoriam: Steve Lawrence (1935-2024)
I can't remember when I first heard the voice of Steve Lawrence - or, for that matter, which voice of Steve Lawrence I first heard. Maybe it was as a child, spinning my mom's old Columbia 45 of "Go Away, Little Girl," the 1962 smash written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and sung by a smitten young man, his voice sweetly tender. Perhaps it was a few years later as I discovered the original cast recording of Golden Rainbow, a quintessentially brassy, swingin' '60s musical in which Steve (a few
Living Proof: Bruce Springsteen to Release New Career-Spanning 'Best Of'
In late 2021, Sony Music announced the acquisition of Bruce Springsteen's entire recorded music and songwriting catalogues in a deal valued by The New York Times as an estimated $550 million. Since then, The Boss has released one new studio album (2022's Only the Strong Survive, reported to be the first volume in a series of R&B covers albums) but no archival projects have emerged. On April 19, Sony will release the first domestic "best-of" compilation for the artist since 2009's Greatest
Craft Recordings Jazz Round-Up: Label Reissues Titles from Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Art Pepper, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, More
As 2024 unfolds, it's clear that Craft Recordings is one major destination for jazz. The label's various imprints have readied a number of titles due over the next couple of months from such luminaries as Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Ron Carter, and many others. Here's a rundown of what's on the schedule! Out March 15 from Jazz Dispensary is an all-analog reissue from tenor saxophone great Joe Henderson (1937-2001). The 1969 classic Power to the People blended hard
Crazy (Over You): Esoteric Expands "Baby James Harvest" With New Stereo and Surround Mixes, More
Esoteric Recordings' refresh of the Barclay James Harvest catalogue has seen deluxe expansions of most of the prog-rock heroes' classic-era albums. In fall 2023, Esoteric got around to the band's fourth and final album for EMI's Harvest Records. 1972's Baby James Harvest, often considered a weak link in a strong run of LPs, can now be reevaluated in a 4CD/1Blu-ray edition containing the remastered original stereo mix; a new stereo mix; copious bonus tracks; a full concert in mono and stereo;
Still on the Line: Ace Collects Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb Collaborations, Glen's "Ghost on the Canvas" Revisited with All-Star Duets
From the time singer-guitarist Glen Campbell recorded "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" in 1967, he became forever linked with the words and music of Jimmy Layne Webb. Formerly a staff songwriter for Motown's Jobete Music arm, Webb had placed songs with big names (The Supremes) and lesser-known talents (Danny Day, The Contessas) when he attracted the ear of Soul City Records' Johnny Rivers. The "Poor Side of Town" and "Memphis, Tennessee" singer was the first to release a version of "Phoenix," on
Many States of Independence: Demon Unveils RSD List with Donna Summer, Yardbirds, Lulu, Average White Band, More
As the week unfolds, we'll be continuing our ongoing look at this year's massive Record Store Day list. Here is a glance at all of the releases coming from Demon Music Group. All descriptions are taken directly from the label. If you are interested in any of these titles, they will be available at your local record store on April 20. Head over to recordstoreday.com for a list of participating retailers. U.K. readers, please visit recordstoreday.co.uk and Canadian readers, please
Save Some for Thee: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue Family's "Fearless"
During its relatively short existence, British rock band Family went through a number of personnel and stylistic changes. Cherry Red's Esoteric label has been expanding the Family catalogue, with the band's fifth album, Fearless, having arrived in a 3CD edition late last year. A re-press of the 2CD expanded edition of their third album, A Song for Me, is due on March 1. Family had its origins in Leicester, largely putting the East Midlands city on the British rock map. Vocalist Roger
Peace in the Valley: Barbara Mandrell's "Precious Memories" Returns to CD
Though Barbara Mandrell retired from performing and recording in 1997, the country superstar remains beloved. In 2022, she made a rare public appearance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her induction into the Grand Ole Opry; an all-female lineup of artists including Carrie Underwood, Suzy Bogguss, Linda Davis, Connie Smith, Mandy Barnett, and CeCe Winans paid tribute. Mandrell offered her warm appreciation but did not sing; for the past 25 years, she's restricted any singing activities to
Yes It Is: Grapefruit Collects 85 Beatles Covers on "We Can Work It Out"
Over the years, there have been countless collections of Beatles covers. Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint threw its hat into the ring late last year with a fulsome new 3-CD set. We Can Work It Out: Covers of The Beatles 1962-1966 concentrates only on the Fab Four's first years, arranging its 85 songs in the order of the original Beatles song releases. Most, though not all, of the versions are contemporaneous, making this set a particularly enjoyable tour through the rapidly shifting pop music
Pictures of Home: Rhino Revisits Deep Purple's "Machine Head" on New Super Deluxe Edition
Deep Purple's 1972 album Machine Head remains the venerable hard rock band's most commercially successful album. The third LP from the Mk. II lineup of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice introduced one of rock's most famous riffs with "Smoke on the Water," and influenced a generation of rock and metal musicians. On March 29, Rhino revisits Machine Head as a 3CD/1LP/1Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition with various versions of the album: 2024 Dweezil Zappa album
We Got the Love: Rhino Reissues, Remasters Chaka Khan's Solo Debut on CD, LP
Chaka Khan announced her solo freedom with "I'm Every Woman," the euphoric opening track on 1978's Chaka. At 25 years old, Khan was already a veteran of the funk-rock band Rufus with whom she had recorded landmark hits like "Tell Me Something Good" and "Sweet Thing," but Chaka took her emotive style in a new, mainstream R&B direction. The Warner Bros. album, produced by the legendarily versatile Arif Mardin (Dusty Springfield, Bee Gees), placed Khan's powerful voice front and center with the
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