Solomon Roberts, Jr. (vocals/guitars/producer), Anibal Sierra (guitars/keyboards), Gerald Lebon (bass), Larry Greenberg (keyboards), Tommy McConnell (drums) and sisters Denise, Bonnie, and Delores Dunning (vocals) proclaimed "This Groove Is Bad" as the first track of their band Skyy's debut album in 1979. Indeed, the scorching slice of funk was so "bad" it was good, and Skyy embarked on a musical journey that would take them through seven albums on the Salsoul label plus further recordings for
The Right Thing to Do: Carly Simon Reflects On Her Early Career with Elektra's Jac Holzman on "These Are The Good Old Days"
Carly Simon's self-titled debut album arrived on Elektra Records in the spring of 1971, nestled in the label's discography between singer-songwriter Paul Siebel's Jack-Knife Gypsy and folk band Farquahr's eponymous LP. Carly wasn't quite a stranger to the music business, having recorded three albums for the Kapp and Columbia labels with her sister Lucy as The Simon Sisters, but her solo debut augured for a major talent. She was signed by the label's founder, Jac Holzman, beginning an association
Review: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, "Working Our Way Back to You: The Ultimate Collection"
I Can't Give You Anything But Love On Monday, June 26, Frankie Valli walked down the aisle in Las Vegas with his longtime girlfriend Jackie Jacobs. This October, he'll take the stage at the city's Westgate Resort and Casino to begin a yearlong residency at the hotel, during which time he'll turn 90 years young. For more than 60 of those years, the artist born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, New Jersey has been the lead vocalist of The Four Seasons, the group he co-founded on a
Tear It Up: Iconoclassic Reissues Two Rock-and-Roll Gems from Billy Burnette
Last autumn, Iconoclassic Records brought Rocky Burnette's 1979 solo debut The Son of Rock and Roll to CD. Tomorrow, July 7, the label is turning its attention to Rocky's cousin Billy Burnette for another pair of CD premieres. The son of Dorsey Burnette - a veteran artist with recording credits at Imperial, Dot, Motown, Reprise, and Capitol - and the nephew of "Dreamin'" and "You're Sixteen" hitmaker Johnny Burnette, Billy made his solo debut in 1972 on the CBS-distributed Entrance label. He
Keep It Comin' Love: Robinsongs Compiles KC and The Sunshine Band's "Ultimate Collection"
With KC and The Sunshine Band, the numbers speak for themselves. The joyful group founded in the Sunshine State of Florida has racked up five U.S. No. 1 singles along with two more No. 2s as well as six charting LPs including their self-titled 1975 album which went top ten across the globe. Now, Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint has celebrated the group's 50th anniversary with a new 3-CD anthology, The Ultimate Collection. After a low-key album debut in 1974 with Do It Good,
Review: Little Feat, "Sailin' Shoes" and "Dixie Chicken" Deluxe Editions
Little Feat was no ordinary rock-and-roll band. The seeds of the California group were planted when singer-songwriter Lowell George, then playing in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, met keyboardist Bill Payne, who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the famously tough Zappa. The pair hit it off and teamed with former Mothers bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Richard Hayward, late of George's old band The Factory, to form Little Feat. The story remains unclear as to exactly what prompted George
Review: Kenny Rogers, "Life Is Like a Song"
In the booklet to his new posthumous release Life Is Like a Song, the late Kenny Rogers is quoted: "Music is the greatest memory-maker you'll ever encounter. A song can lock you right into a memory for a lifetime." Rogers' own music, whether "The Gambler," "Through the Years," "Lady," "She Believes in Me," "You Decorated My Life," or "Islands in the Stream," certainly proves that adage. The Texas-born singer, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 81, blurred the lines between country and pop
Miracles: Rhino Relaunches Quadio with Jefferson Starship, Black Sabbath, J. Geils Band, and Alice Cooper
Quadio is back! After past releases in the series including, most recently, box sets from The Doobie Brothers and Chicago, Rhino is once again taking a deep dive into the Warner Music family of labels for four reissues presenting original quadraphonic mixes of classic albums on Blu-ray Audio. This quartet of titles is shipping now exclusively from Rhino, and every release includes the original 4.0-channel quad mix and the 2.0-channel stereo mix in high resolution (192/24). Black Sabbath's
Dance Only with Me: Stage Door Reissues Styne, Comden, and Green's "Say, Darling" as Deluxe Edition
Upon its May 13, 1954 opening, The Pajama Game was an instant smash. The Tony Award-winning Best Musical by George Abbott, Richard Bissell, Richard Adler, and Jerry Ross went on to run 1,063 performances and inspire a London production, two Broadway revivals, and countless regional, school, and community theatre productions. But for Bissell, the Iowa-born author of the novel 7-1/2 Cents on which The Pajama Game was based, the road to Broadway was a bumpy one. Bissell put his memories to paper
Holding On: Cherry Red Collects Beverley Craven's Epic Albums on "Memories"
Good - no, great - things do indeed come in small packages. Such is the case with the new collection from Cherry Red's 90/9 imprint. Beverley Craven's Memories: The Complete Epic Recordings 1990-1999 rounds up all three of the British singer-songwriter-pianist's major label albums, as well as a generous host of bonus tracks. Though Craven's catalogue is a small one - this 3-CD set represents roughly half of her released output - it's one rich with melodic charm and often exquisite songcraft
Made For These Times: The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" Arrives in Dolby Atmos, Mixed by Giles Martin
When The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, the band's eleventh studio album, first was released in May 1966, response in the U.S. was surprisingly tepid. Though both "Sloop John B" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" soared to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, Capitol Records was unsure how to promote the album which represented an artistic zenith, and the beginning of a new era, for The Beach Boys. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and was the group's first album since 1963 to miss a Gold
Like a Hurricane: Neil Young's Remastered "Official Release Series" Vol. 5 Contains Four Albums, Expands "Ragged Glory"
Neil Young's Official Release Series Volume 5 is on the way. Set for release July 14, the 6-CD or 9-LP box set will include Freedom (1989), an expanded edition of Ragged Glory (1990), Weld (1991), and Arc (1991). As with all titles in this series, the albums have been remastered, with Ragged Glory sourced from analog tape. This marks the first time these four LPs have been remastered for vinyl. After a rocky stint at Geffen Records, Neil Young returned home to the Warner/Reprise family
Higher and Higher: Rhino Collects Otis Redding's Posthumous Releases on "Otis Forever" Box
Back in 2017, Rhino released Otis Redding's Definitive Studio Album Collection, bringing together vinyl editions of seven studio albums spanning 1964's Pain in My Heart through 1968's posthumous The Dock of the Bay. On June 9, the label will continue the Redding story in a new 6-LP box. Otis Forever: The Albums and Singles (1968-1970) begins with the album that closed the prior box - The Dock of the Bay, this time in stereo rather than mono - and continues with his remaining three posthumous
Farewell Farwell: Charles Mingus' Last Works Chronicled in New Rhino Box Set
Influential jazz composer-bassist Charles Mingus has been the subject of numerous collections over the years encompassing his various label affiliations. The 1997 box set Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961 brought together his early discography for the Atlantic Records label; now, as part of the Mingus 100 festivities, Rhino is turning its attention to his second Atlantic period. On June 23, the label will release Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Recordings on
Once Again: Esoteric Reissues Barclay James Harvest's Second Album with New Stereo, Surround Mixes
Cherry Red's Esoteric imprint has overseen the catalogue of prog rockers Barclay James Harvest for some years now, revisiting their albums in various shapes and sizes. 2023 has recently seen the reissue of BJH's second album, 1971's Once Again, as a 3-CD/Blu-ray box boasting the album in its original stereo mix; a new stereo mix by Stephen W. Tayler; and a fold-down of its original 1973 quadraphonic mix on CD, plus a new 5.1 surround mix, the quadraphonic mix in true 4.0, and the new and
In Memoriam: Tina Turner (1939-2023)
Today, the name of Tina Turner will be on everyone's lips. The magnetic dynamo with the powerfully raspy voice, instantly identifiable stage moves, and indomitable spirit has died at the age of 83. Yet, like most everything else in her extraordinary life and career, even her name was hard-won. Born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tennessee, she began singing with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1957. The volatile bandleader rechristened her Tina Turner, reportedly choosing the first name
Bring Me Home: Paul Young's "The Crossing" Receives 30th Anniversary Edition from 7a Records
Blue-eyed soul singer-songwriter Paul Young made his debut 40 years ago with 1983's No Parlez, his first of five albums released on Columbia Records through 1993. Young has marked the anniversary with a flurry of activity including his new studio album Behind the Lens, a U.K. tour running through November, and a memoir appropriately entitled Take a Piece of Me with You after a famous Daryl Hall lyric popularized by Young. On June 16, 7a Records will continue the Young celebration with a
My Old School: UMe Reissues Steely Dan's "Countdown to Ecstasy"
Following the recent release of Steely Dan's debut album Can't Buy a Thrill in vinyl, audiophile vinyl, and hybrid stereo SACD formats, the jazz-rock heroes' second set will be receiving the same treatment. This Friday, May 26, Countdown to Ecstasy will be issued by Geffen/UMe on 180-gram black vinyl as remastered by Bernie Grundman at 33-1/3 RPM. A 200-gram, 45 RPM version on Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) is already shipping from Acoustic Sounds with the SACD (playable on all CD players)
Let My Love Open the Door: Two Pete Townshend Classics Get Half-Speed Mastered Treatment
Today, Pete Townshend turns 78 years young. The Who frontman will be touring Europe with Roger Daltrey in June and July as well as keeping busy with other endeavors; his Tony Award-winning musical The Who's Tommy will see a major revival from original director Des McAnuff in Chicago this summer. On June 23, UMe will revisit two solo chapters of Townshend's career with half-speed mastered reissues of two solo albums, Rough Mix (1977) and Empty Glass (1980). These are just the first in a series
Anchors Aweigh! "From Hollywood to the World - The Rediscovered Recordings by José Iturbi" Arrives from Sony Classical
Conductor-pianist José Iturbi (1895-1980) broadened the audience for classical music with his appearances in such classic MGM musicals as Thousands Cheer, Anchors Aweigh, Three Daring Daughters, and the Chopin biopic A Song to Remember. Now, Iturbi is the subject of a lavish 16-CD box set from Sony Classical. From Hollywood to the World - The Rediscovered Recordings by José Iturbi features all of the recordings made by Iturbi and his sister Amparo Iturbi (also a pianist) for RCA Victor between
Summer Dreaming: Grapefruit Collects Sunshine Pop Sounds of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, Harmony Grass
Tony Rivers' name occupies a special place in the heart of sunshine pop aficionados. The singer born Douglas Anthony Thompson in Shildon, County Durham, England began his career with The Castaways in a beat mode - even supporting The Beatles on a 1963 Piccadilly gig - before discovering The Beach Boys and taking his already-impressive vocal arrangement skills to the next level. A new 3-CD anthology, Move In a Little Closer: The Complete Recordings 1963-1970 on Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint,
Two Alice Cooper Classics Get Killer Reissues in June
School's in on June 9 when Rhino revisits two early classics from Alice Cooper in 2-CD or 180-gram 3-LP expanded editions. Both 1971's Killer and 1972's School's Out will be reissued with bonus studio and live material. Killer, released in November 1971, was the fourth album from the original Alice Cooper band line-up of singer Alice Cooper, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. But it was the group's second
The Weekend Stream Extra: Legacy Announces Doris Day Digital Campaign
Last April, the Doris Day centennial celebration kicked off. It's since encompassed a rarities collection on CD and the vinyl premiere of Doris' final studio album, My Heart, from Real Gone Music as well as a beautiful coffee table book from Hermes Press, various film and television screenings on Turner Classic Movies, and a flurry of charitable work benefiting the Doris Day Animal Foundation. As a finale to the celebration, Sony's Legacy Recordings has committed to refreshing the late
The Line-Up: Stand Up! Records Reissues Three Richard Pryor Classics on Vinyl
55 years ago, Richard Pryor (1940-2005) made his debut on records. His self-titled album was an auspicious introduction for the man who would be recognized as one of the most significant and influential stand-up comedians of all time as well as a genuine film superstar, an accomplished writer, an Emmy Award recipient, Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize honoree, and five-time Grammy Award winner. In 2021, Omnivore Recordings teamed with the Richard Pryor Estate for CD reissues of Richard Pryor
Every Fairy Tale Comes Real: Joni Mitchell's "At Newport" Arrives in July
Less than one year ago, on July 24, 2022, Joni Mitchell took the stage of the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island for her first full concert set in two decades. Word quickly spread, usually attached to adjectives such as "thrilling," "moving," and "extraordinary." Since then, the Mitchell renaissance has continued unabated. Earlier this year, she received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, following in the footsteps of such greats as Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder,
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