Dionne WordPress Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • The Weekend Stream
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ Joe Marchese

You Bet Your Love: Robinsongs Reissues Funky Sets From Herbie Hancock, Zapp

November 3, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Herbie Hancock Sunlight and Feets

Today, we're spotlighting a pair of funk-drenched new releases from Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint! When Herbie Hancock's The Joni Letters received an Album of the Year Grammy Award in 2008, it became the first jazz album to take the trophy since 1965 - underscoring the legendary pianist's enduring relevance in his fifth decade as a recording artist.  Since Takin' Off in 1962 with his Blue Note debut of the same name, Hancock had pushed the envelope of jazz, including a period in the late

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Disco/Dance, Funk, Jazz, R&B/Soul Tags: Herbie Hancock, Zapp

EXCLUSIVE! Merry Christmas, Darling: Carpenters Public TV Special and DVD Coming Soon

November 2, 2016 By Joe Marchese 21 Comments

Carpenters Christmas Memories DVD

It's that time of year again!  There's a crisp chill in the air, Christmas decorations are finding their way to storefronts and malls everywhere, and the sounds of the season are beginning to hit the airwaves.  Among the most beloved classic holiday songs heard on radios and playlists each winter are those by Karen and Richard Carpenter.  The brother and sister duo proved to be the most successful American popular music act of the 1970s (20 Billboard Top 40 hits including three #1s and five #2s,

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: DVD Genre: Holiday, Pop Tags: Carpenters

Accentuate The Positive: Capitol Records Turns 75, Plans New Vinyl Reissues

November 2, 2016 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Capitol 75

Capitol Records, the venerable label founded by Johnny Mercer with B.G. DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and now a unit of Universal Music Group, turns 75 next year.  In celebration of this landmark anniversary, the label has announced three new initiatives. The first of these endeavors is The Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Collection, a series of 75 vinyl reissues from various genres curated by "noted music journalists, authors and other renowned creative figures."  The Beatles are represented

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Bobby Darin, Bonnie Raitt, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mercer, The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles

Review: "Unsung Sherman Brothers: Song Scores from Three That Got Away"

November 1, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Unsung Sherman Brothers

How often does one get the opportunity to hear a never-before-released score from one of the most beloved songwriting teams of all time?  How about three unreleased scores, then?  And what if one of those scores featured seven never-before-heard performances from Sammy Davis, Jr.?  Indeed, such opportunities are rare...making Kritzerland's new release of Unsung Sherman Brothers all the more special.  This delectable and tuneful collection premieres rare demo recordings of three unproduced scores

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Sammy Davis Jr., The Sherman Brothers

Kritzerland Solves The Swingin' Riddle with Nelson's "Paris When It Sizzles"

October 28, 2016 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Paris When It Sizzles OST

Kritzerland is taking listeners to the City of Light with a new 2-CD soundtrack release composed by the legendary Nelson Riddle.  The label is accepting pre-orders now for the world premiere complete release of Riddle's score to Paris When It Sizzles, the 1964 Paramount romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Tony Curtis and Noel Coward. A send-up of moviemaking with a glamorous backdrop, Paris starred Holden as a playboy screenwriter and his real-life old flame Hepburn as

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Nelson Riddle

Release Round-Up: Week of October 28

October 28, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Neil Diamond Acoustic Christmas

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Roy Orbison, The Ultimate Collection (Roy's Boys/Legacy) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Legacy Recordings and Roy's Boys, LLC deliver a newly-remastered, career-spanning anthology for the late Roy Orbison.  The Ultimate Collection has 26 tracks drawn from The Big O's halcyon years at Monument and MGM as well as his final solo recordings and collaborations with The Traveling

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Funk, Holiday, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Black Sabbath, Jimmy Buffett, Marc Almond, Mozart, Neil Diamond, Otis Redding, Philip Glass, Roy Orbison, She and Him, The Intruders, The Legal Matters

Dylan, Hendrix, Run-D.M.C. Lead Off Legacy's Record Store Day Black Friday Slate

October 27, 2016 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Bob Dylan Real Royal Albert Hall

The official list is here for this year's Black Friday Record Store Day event - that's Friday, November 25! - and as usual, an eclectic array of titles will be on offer to kick off the holiday shopping season.  Legacy Recordings has tapped some of its heaviest hitters for this year's limited edition vinyl releases including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Run-D.M.C. and Alice in Chains...plus a disparate pair of animation favorites! Here's the full list of Legacy's Black Friday RSD releases, with

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Alice in Chains, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Record Store Day, Run-D.M.C.

Strange Days: Early Doors Show Arrives In December On "London Fog 1966"

October 27, 2016 By Joe Marchese 12 Comments

The Doors London Fog 1966

Rhino Records and Bright Midnight Archives are opening new doors onto the early days of The Doors with a CD/LP box set due on December 9.  London Fog 1966 captures Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore at The London Fog, a Sunset Strip bar located steps away from the Whisky a Go Go.  This live gig, only recently discovered, marks the earliest known live recordings of the band, and kicks off The Doors' 50th anniversary celebration of 2017 - the year of their

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Vinyl Genre: Blues, Classic Rock Tags: The Doors

I Can't Give Back the Love: Ace Collects Motown Magic on Syreeta's "Rita Wright Years"

October 26, 2016 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Syreeta Rita Wright Years

Ace's new release from late Motown chanteuse Syreeta, The Rita Wright Years: Rare Motown 1967-1970, kicks off with "I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You."  The moody, majestic composition by Brian Holland, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson might have been too unorthodox - beginning with its introductory brass call-to-arms - to attain hit status upon its release as the Motown family of labels' first single of 1968.  But, backed on 45 with Ashford and Simpson's beautifully yearning "Something

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Syreeta

Quark, Strangeness and Charm: Cherry Red Collects Hawkwind Albums On Two New Box Sets

October 24, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Hawkwind Charisma Years

Earlier this year, Cherry Red Records released The Machine Stops, the new studio album from prog-rockers Hawkwind.  The Machine Stops continued the label's long association with the band which has also encompassed deluxe remastered editions of albums such as Palace Springs and Warrior on the Edge of Time and expanded live releases like Coded Languages - Live at Hammersmith Odeon November 1982.  Now, Cherry Red's Stonehenge imprint (itself an offshoot of Esoteric Recordings) has collected

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Classic Rock Tags: Hawkwind

Release Round-Up: Week of October 21

October 21, 2016 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Lazarus OCR

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up - one of the year's biggest! Frank Sinatra, World on a String (Capitol/UMe)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K./ Amazon Canada) Featuring performances spanning 1953 to 1982, this new live collection boasts more than four hours' worth of rare audio and video from the legendary Chairman of the Board - over 90 tracks on CD alone including such Sinatra favorites as "I Get a Kick Out of You," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Lady is a Tramp," "Witchcraft"

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Holiday, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock Tags: Bette Midler, David Bowie, David Crosby, Donna Fargo, Dr. John, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Frankie Valli, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, The Pretenders, Tony Hadley

Doin' the Do: Cherry Pop Reissues, Expands Betty Boo's "Boomania"

October 19, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Betty Boo Boomania

Boomania is back! Earlier this year, Cherry Red's Cherry Pop imprint reissued GRRR! It's Betty Boo, the 1992 sophomore album by Alison Clarkson, a.k.a. pop/dance/hip-hop chanteuse Betty Boo. Now, the label has turned the clock back to Boomania, the infectious 1991 debut album by the stylish and genre-bending multiple hyphenate rapper-singer-songwriter-producer. The Beatmasters' 1989 U.K. No. 7 hit "Hey DJ/I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)" – based on Martha and the Vandellas' 1968

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Disco/Dance, Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop Tags: Betty Boo

Ace Collects Classic Beatles Covers On "Let It Be: Black America Sings Lennon, McCartney and Harrison"

October 18, 2016 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Let It Be Black America Sings

If there was ever any doubt as to the versatility, adaptability and endurance of the songs of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, it would certainly be dispelled by Ace’s new release of Let It Be: Black America Sings Lennon, McCartney and Harrison.  The latest volume in the label’s Black America Sings series (also encompassing volumes dedicated to Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, and the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David) and the second dedicated to the music of The Beatles,

Continue Reading

Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Dionne Warwick, Mary Wells, Nina Simone, The Beatles, The Four Tops, The Supremes, The Temptations, Various Artists

Review: Big Star, "Complete Third"

October 17, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Big Star Complete Third

Will the real Big Star’s Third please stand up?  That’s a loaded question, for it’s possible that there never, in fact, was a “real” version of the album recorded at Memphis’ Ardent Studios in 1974 by Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens with producer-engineer Jim Dickinson, studio owner John Fry and engineer Richard Rosebrough.  Chilton even asserted numerous times that the sessions were never intended to yield a Big Star album at all.  (One potential name for the duo of Chilton and Stephens was

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Alex Chilton, Big Star

Turn Off The Lights: BBR Goes Philly with Teddy Pendergrass, Edwin Birdsong

October 17, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Teddy Pendergrass Teddy

Cherry Red’s Big Break Records imprint has turned back the clock to 1979 for a pair of titles from the legendary roster of Philadelphia International Records. BBR has continued its journey through the catalogue of the late Teddy Pendergrass with an expanded reissue of his third PIR solo platter, simply entitled Teddy.  Overseen by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, the 1979 album followed in the footsteps of its predecessor, the previous year’s R&B chart-topper Life Is a Song Worth Singing, in

Continue Reading

Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Edwin Birdsong, Teddy Pendergrass

Release Round-Up: Week of October 14

October 14, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Big Star Complete Third

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Big Star, Complete Third (Omnivore Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Omnivore does an in-depth vault dive into the creation of Big Star's Third for a new 3-CD box set.  Complete Third includes every demo, rough mix, outtake, alternate take and final master from the Third sessions known to exist. The 69 tracks on this set represent the culmination of a decade-long search to assemble all extant recordings for the album

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Big Star, Bobby Darin, Keely Smith, Phil Collins

You Really Got Me: The Kinks' "Mono Collection" Due In December

October 13, 2016 By Joe Marchese 6 Comments

Kinks Mono Collection

The Kinks - The Mono Collection brings together eight classic albums in their original U.K. Pye Records mono editions on ten LPs, all pressed on 180-gram vinyl.  The set includes 1967’s Live at Kelvin Hall and 1970’s original 2-LP collection The Kinks (otherwise known as The Black Album.  A hardcover 48-page book including never-before-seen photos and new interviews with Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory tops it all off. The Kinks in Mono, appropriately enough, kicks off with 1964’s

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: The Kinks

Life is a Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me): Ace Collects Seventies Smashes On "Hit List 2"

October 13, 2016 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Hit List 2

Way back in 2004, Ace Records compiled The Hit List: 24 Hot 100 American Chartbusters of the 1970s.  The label has recently returned to the milieu of the first collection for Hit List 2: More Hot 100 Chartbusters of the 70s.  The material on this CD is quite a bit different than that on most Ace releases in that both the artists and the songs are largely familiar.  But it still casts its 24 tracks into a new context, celebrating – in the label’s words – the “time when AM radio was still king and

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Various Artists

The Golden Pathway: Esoteric Continues Anthony Phillips Reissues with "1984" and More "Private Parts"

October 12, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Anthony Phillips 1984

Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint has continued its definitive Anthony Phillips reissue series with two more deluxe titles by the artist/composer: 1981's concept album 1984 as a 2-CD/DVD-A edition, and Private Parts and Pieces V-VIII in a 5-CD set. Not counting Phillips' Private Parts releases, 1984 followed his 1979 album Sides.  Whereas Sides was produced by Rupert Hine with the aims of attracting a mainstream audience, 1984 was an instrumental affair containing just four tracks -

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Classic Rock, Everything Else Tags: Anthony Phillips, Genesis

Friday's Child: Lee Hazlewood Meets Indie Rock On Ace's New "Son-of-a-Gun"

October 7, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Lee Hazlewood Son of a Gun

Ace has previously surveyed the singular oeuvre of musical iconoclast Lee Hazlewood on a number of releases including Califia: The Songs of Lee Hazlewood and, more recently, Shazam! and Other Instrumentals Written by Lee Hazlewood.  Now, on Son-of-a-Gun and More from the Lee Hazlewood Songbook, the label has returned to the territory of Califia with a twist.  Whereas that compilation focused on Lee’s vivid, quirky songs as performed by Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Ann-Margret, Dino, Desi

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop, Rock Tags: Lee Hazlewood, Various Artists

Release Round-Up: Week of October 7

October 7, 2016 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Lou Reed RCA and Arista Album Collection 1

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up which just might be the biggest slate of the year to date! Lou Reed, The RCA and Arista Album Collection (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Legacy brings together 16 Lou Reed albums from his RCA and Arista years on 17 CDs, all remastered directly under Reed's supervision before his untimely passing in 2013.  An 80-page hardbound booklet with detailed liner notes, five art prints and a poster round out this limited edition package.  Read

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Blues, Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Gospel, Holiday, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock Tags: ABBA, B.J. Thomas, Barry Gibb, Cher, Eddie Money, Eden Atwood, Evelyn "Champagne" King, John Hammond, Loretta Lynn, Lou Reed, Mahalia Jackson, Micky Dolenz, Otis Redding, Percy Faith, Perry Como, Prince, Sandy Bull, Yes

Morning Glory: Omnivore Collects Tim Buckley's Complete Singles

October 6, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Tim Buckley Wings

The music of the late Tim Buckley is about to take flight again on Wings - The Complete Singles 1966-1974 from Omnivore Recordings.  Due for release on November 18, Wings presents the A- and B-sides of all ten singles issued from his nine albums, plus one previously unreleased track originally slated for an unissued 45.  In short, this 21-track anthology promises to provide a powerful introduction to the genre-bending, envelope-pushing artist. Hailing from bucolic Orange County, California by

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Folk Tags: Tim Buckley

Child of the Universe: Esoteric Reissues Two From Barclay James Harvest

October 5, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Barclay James Harvest Everyone

Esoteric Recordings has recently turned its attention to the Polydor discography of prog giants Barclay James Harvest for a pair of 2-CD/1-DVD reissues.  John Lees founded Barclay James Harvest in 1966 with Les Holroyd, Mel Pritchard and Stuart "Wooly" Wolstenholme.  After one single for EMI's Parlophone imprint in 1968, the progressive four-piece was moved over to the Harvest imprint.  Barclay James Harvest remained on Harvest for four LPs, but didn't score their commercial breakthrough until a

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD, DVD Genre: Classic Rock Tags: Barclay James Harvest

Leather and Lace: Rhino Expands Stevie Nicks' "Bella Donna" and "The Wild Heart" In November

October 4, 2016 By Joe Marchese 9 Comments

Stevie Nicks Bella Donna

Stevie Nicks is launching her 24 Karat Gold tour later month, named for her acclaimed 2014 studio album consisting of new recordings of previously unheard compositions. Now, Nicks is looking back once more with two more 24-karat gold Deluxe Editions of her first two solo albums, Bella Donna and The Wild Heart. Both releases arrive from Rhino on November 4, along with remastered, stand-alone editions of the original albums on LP, CD and DD. 1981's solo debut Bella Donna will be released as a

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

The Wonderful World of Christmas: Elvis, Johnny, Luther Headline Legacy's Vinyl Christmas Slate

October 3, 2016 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Elvis Merry Christmas Baby

Looking for some vinyl to place under the tree this season?  Legacy is coming to the rescue with five new Christmas releases from the label's top tier artists including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Luther Vandross and more! Merry Christmas Baby arrives from Elvis Presley this Friday, October 7.  This new 120-gram vinyl compilation features seventeen of the King's bona fide Christmas Classics, all newly remastered from original sources.  Naturally, "Blue Christmas" is here, as well as "Santa

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Vinyl Genre: Country, Holiday, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Luther Vandross, Various Artists

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • …
  • 173
  • Next Page »

Upcoming Releases

  • Status Quo Live deluxe
    Live! Deluxe Edition
    Status Quo
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
  • Brothers in Arms 40
    Brothers in Arms: 40th Anniversary Edition
    Dire Straits
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
  • Version 1.0.0
    The Bridge
    David Sancious
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,676 other subscribers

Popular Posts

  • Most Commented
  • Most Viewed
  • Dionne Warwick Make It Easy on Yourself(Don't) Walk On By: Dionne Warwick's "Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971" Due in June on 12...
  • Tracks II CD packshot no disc artShut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on 'Tracks II'
  • Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits Amazon exclusiveHe Wears It Well: Rod Stewart's 'Ultimate Hits' Due in June
  • RSD 2025 best of restRecord Store Day 2025: The Best of the Rest
  • record store day logoThe Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2025: Our Favorite Picks
  • John Williams Anthology 1Mondo Maestro: New John Williams Box Set Series Announced, Plus 'Star Wars' Re-Recordings on Vinyl

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popdose
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2025 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy