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

Meet Me Down in Soulville: Numero Unearths The Royal Jesters' "English Oldies"

June 26, 2015 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Royal Jester English Oldies

To residents of San Antonio, Texas, The Royal Jesters are hometown heroes.  To even the most astute music fans outside of the San Antonio region, the vocal group might be all but unknown.  Thanks to Chicago's Numero Group reissue specialists, however, The Royal Jesters have gotten a big break.  The group founded by high school pals Oscar Lawson, Henry Hernandez, Mike Pedraza and Louis Escalante in 1958 continued to perform and record through 1977, with sporadic reunions after that.  Their sound

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: The Royal Jesters

New Eydie Gorme Collection Celebrates Her Career, Premieres Unreleased Songs

June 25, 2015 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Eydie Gorme American Treasure

In a career spanning six decades, the late Eydie Gorme was a leading light of the Great American Songbook, employing versatile voice and powerful belt on record and on stage both solo and with her husband of over 55 years, Steve Lawrence.  Now, Lawrence is paying tribute to her immense legacy in song with a new collection.  An American Treasure presents 34 solo recordings by Gorme on three discs - 12 tracks per disc of The Hits and Steve's Favorites, and 10 previously unreleased tracks on the

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Eydie Gorme, Steve Lawrence

Long Live Love: RPM Collects Sixties Sound of The Stormsville Shakers

June 25, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Stormsville Shakers

Phillip Goodhand-Tait has had his songs recorded by artists ranging from Gene Pitney to Roger Daltrey and has also fronted a number of bands in his many decades in the music industry.  Cherry Red Group imprint RPM has collected 27 tracks by singer-musician-songwriter Goodhand-Tait, solo and with his bands The Stormsville Shakers and Circus as One and One is Two: Complete Recordings 1965-1967. Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Goodhand-Tait began his music career while still in

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Phillip Goodhand-Tait, The Stormsville Shakers

Hang On To Yourself: David Bowie's "Five Years 1969-1973" Box Collects Albums, Bonus Discs

June 23, 2015 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

David Bowie Five Years Cover

Forty-four years to the day after David Bowie first performed at Glastonbury (then known as the Glastonbury Fair rather than today's Festival), Parlophone Records has announced the first in a new series of box sets which will eventually span his entire career.  Five Years: 1969-1973, named of course after the opening track of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, will be available on September 25 in 12-CD or 13-LP configurations, containing all of the core material (ten

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, Rock Tags: David Bowie

Release Round-Up: Week of June 23

June 23, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Rolling Stones Marquee Club

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a vintage live concert from The Rolling Stones in a variety of formats, an all-star salute to the great Carole King, a rare soundtrack from a beloved performer to a classic children's film, and much, much more! The Rolling Stones, From the Vault: The Marquee Club Live in 1971 (Eagle Rock) DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. SD Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. SD Blu-ray + CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD DVD + CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Blu-Ray, CD, Digital Download, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks Tags: Carl Hall, Carole King, Jerry Garcia, Rickie Lee Jones, Rod McKuen, The Lover Speaks, The Rolling Stones, The Royal Jesters

Soul Time: Ace Digs Into the Vaults for New Jackie Wilson Anthology

June 22, 2015 By Joe Marchese 6 Comments

Jackie Wilson NYC

When it comes to classic soul men, the roster at Ace Records is second to none.  Two recent releases shed light on two underrated yet titanic talents - Jackie Wilson and Garnet Mimms - in the label's typically comprehensive fashion.  Today, Part One of Two, looks at the latest from Wilson! Ace has dug deep into the archives of Brunswick Records for an unparalleled look at the sixties' New York sessions for Mr. Excitement himself, Jackie Wilson!  The simply-titled NYC 1961-1966 presents 48

Continue Reading

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

Sister Golden Hair Surprise: Remastered, Complete "America: The Warner Bros. Years" Box Due in July

June 18, 2015 By Joe Marchese 11 Comments

America Warner Years

Get ready for another ride down Ventura Highway.  On July 17, Rhino will release the new 8-CD box set America: The Warner Bros. Years 1971-1977 collecting all of the studio and live albums released by the band for the Warner Bros. label: America (1971), Homecoming (1972), Hat Trick (1973), Holiday (1974), Hearts (1975), Hideaway (1976), Harbor (1977), and America Live (1977).  Happily, we can report that every one of these albums will be presented in newly-remastered sound prepared in

Continue Reading

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

Power of Soul: Robinsongs Collects The Best of Jazz-Soul Drummer Idris Muhammad

June 18, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Idris Boogie to the Top

Idris Muhammad's 1974 album for Kudu Records was called Power of Soul - and it was a power that the drummer brought to all of his recordings over a three-decade period spanning 1970 through 1998.  Cherry Red's Robinsongs label has recently compiled a new anthology of the greatest works of Muhammad, who died on July 29, 2014 at the age of 74.  The Very Best of Idris Muhammad: Boogie to the Top brings together 13 selections from his 1970s prime for producer Creed Taylor's Kudu label. Born Leo

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, R&B/Soul Tags: Idris Muhammad

Review: Robin Gibb, "Saved by the Bell: The Collected Works 1968-1970"

June 17, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Saved by the Bell

Give me a smile!  With the new release of Robin Gibb's Saved by the Bell: The Collected Works of Robin Gibb 1968-1970 (R2 549315), Rhino/Reprise has unveiled the most significant archival collection related to The Bee Gees in nearly a decade.  Not since 2006's The Studio Albums 1967-1968 has the vault door been opened to reveal such a remarkable wealth of pop treasure from an artist with the surname of Gibb - in this case, the late Robin. This three-CD set, produced with stunning attention to

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download Genre: Pop Tags: Robin Gibb, The Bee Gees

It's Their Party: Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, Ben E. King, Steppenwolf Go Real Gone In August

June 16, 2015 By Joe Marchese 14 Comments

Lesley Gore Someplace Else Now

Are you ready to take a magic carpet ride with Real Gone Music this August? The label's slate for the month offers an array of rock, soul and pop heavy hitters including a number of CD debuts.  Two complete singles collections arrive, both on two CDs: one from John Kay and Steppenwolf (The Complete ABC/Dunhill Singles Collection), and another from the late, great Ben E. King (The Complete Atco/Atlantic Singles Volume 1).  Then, the label is offering up two rare soundtracks from bona fide rock

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks Tags: Alex North, Ben E. King, Dusty Springfield, Jorge Ben, Lesley Gore, Mike Bloomfield, Robbie Robertson, Steppenwolf

Release Round-Up: Week of June 16

June 16, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

James Taylor Before This World

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring the return of a veteran artist, celebrations of the renowned musicians of Nashville and Los Angeles, a classic Disney soundtrack, and much more! Various Artists, Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City (Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Legacy teams with the Country Music Hall of Fame for this 2-CD, 36-song companion soundtrack to the Nashville museum's current exhibit chronicling Music City's fusion of country of rock.

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Country, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Christopher Cross, Donovan, Eddi Reader, James Taylor, John Barry, Johnny Cash, Miklos Rosza, The Dream Syndicate, Various Artists

Snuff's Guitars: Varese Vintage Rediscovers Garrett's "50 Guitars"

June 15, 2015 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Best 1

Thomas Lesslie "Snuff" Garrett is remembered today for his myriad of hit productions for artists like Gary Lewis and the Playboys ("This Diamond Ring"), Cher ("Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves," "Half Breed"), and Vicki Lawrence ("The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia").  But producing was just one facet of Garrett's expansive career that saw him work as a DJ, an arranger, a record label promotion man and chief.  Varese Sarabande's Vintage division, which has recently reissued numerous albums from

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Laurindo Almeida, Snuff Garrett, Tommy Tedesco

RPM Says "Vive Le Rock and Roll" With New Collection from Early French Rockers

June 12, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Vive Le Rock and Roll

RPM, an imprint of Cherry Red Group, has recently issued a number of sets exploring the world of sixties French pop.  Now the label has recently turned to the heavier side, with Vive Le Rock and Roll, a 22-track anthology dedicated to the country's rock-and-roll scene. As detailed in Kieron Tyler's extensive liner notes to this collection subtitled The Unruly World of French Rock and Roll 1956-1962, France didn't cotton to the rough-and-tumble genre immediately.  Bill Haley and the Comets

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Everything Else Tags: Johnny Hallyday, Various Artists, Vince Taylor

Remember When The Music: Bottom Line Presents Unheard Harry Chapin, Reissues Janis Ian and More

June 11, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Bottom Line Archive Chapin

The new Bottom Line Archive Series, which launched earlier this year with volumes from The Brecker Brothers, Willie Nile, and Kenny Rankin, continues on June 30 with a new wave of titles all recorded at the late, great New York venue once located on West 4th Street in Greenwich Village.  Concerts from Harry Chapin and Janis Ian, plus two various-artists compilations, will be released on Bottom Line Records on that date. Legendary singer-songwriter Harry Chapin's January 1981 set at The Bottom

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Folk, Pop, Rock Tags: Harry Chapin, Janis Ian, Jimmy Webb, Pete Seeger, Various Artists

Review: Little Richard, "Directly From My Heart"

June 10, 2015 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Little Richard Directly

The annals of rock have been filled with colorful characters, but few can compare to Richard Penniman, a.k.a. Little Richard.  Over the course of just eighteen months beginning in 1955, the man who has called himself The King and Queen of Rock and Roll recorded the songs that laid the foundation of the genre, notching seventeen R&B Top 10s - four of which also made the Pop Top 10.  After that initial burst of fame, however, Richard retreated from the spotlight.  The new box set Directly from

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Little Richard

Jim Peterik, Don Dixon, Jules Shear, Justin Currie, Julian Velard Fight Cancer on "You Can't Live on Love Alone"

June 9, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

You Cant Live on Love Alone

Many of you reading this might know Popdose as one of your favorite pop-culture hangouts on the Internet.  Recently, our good friends at Popdose have curated a special digital-only release that not only features an array of remarkable artists, but helps a great cause, too. You Can't Live on Love Alone: Songs for the Fight Against Multiple Myeloma arrived on Amazon last week, on June 2.  This 19-track compendium is headlined by artists ranging from veterans (Jim Peterik of The Ides of March

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Digital Download Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock Tags: Don Dixon, Jim Peterik, Jules Shear, Julian Velard, Justin Currie, Kenny Loggins

More "I Love You"s: Cherry Pop Reissues, Expands "The Lover Speaks"

June 9, 2015 By Joe Marchese 6 Comments

The Lover Speaks

The Lover Speaks once more!  Cherry Red Group's Cherry Pop label has just offered up a new, expanded and remastered reissue of the new wave duo's gleaming slice of synth-pop.  1986's eponymous debut for The Lover Speaks, a.k.a. vocalist-lyricist David Freeman and composer-arranger Joseph Hughes, might be best remembered today for including the original recording of "No More 'I Love You's," a 1995 hit for Annie Lennox on both sides of the Atlantic.  But Cherry Pop's reissue makes the case for the

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: The Lover Speaks

Release Round-Up: Week of June 9

June 9, 2015 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

rolling stones sticky fingers

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, headlined by the long-awaited return of The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers in a variety of formats and editions! The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers (UMe) 3-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-CD/1-DVD Deluxe Edition Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 1-CD Standard Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-LP Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Digital Download:

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock Tags: Dave Edmunds, Eydie Gorme, Faith No More, Jackie Lomax, John Lennon, Pete Townshend, Stephanie Mills, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Knack, The Rolling Stones, Valerie Simpson

Love Is The Answer: Edsel Collects Complete Big Tree Albums of England Dan and John Ford Coley

June 8, 2015 By Joe Marchese 8 Comments

England Dan

Here's one from the "Just in Case You Missed It" Department... Thanks to the endurance of hit songs like "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" and "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again," the music of England Dan (Seals) and John Ford Coley is still in regular rotation on soft-rock and oldies radio stations today.  The duo was only together for roughly a decade, but in that time they notched over ten charting singles, three of which went Top 10 Pop and four of which topped the Adult

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: England Dan and John Ford Coley

The Bad Seeds: "Nick Cave Heard Them Here First" Features Dylan, Cash, Pitney, More

June 5, 2015 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Nick Cave Heard Them Here First

Ace Records has an unusual name on its roster: that of Australian musical iconoclast Nick Cave.  An artist who's lived up to his description as rock's "Prince of Darkness," Cave has nonetheless drawn on a wide array of influences in crafting his own intense, personal and powerful songbook.  Ace has rounded up the original versions of 25 songs recorded over the years by the artist on the collection entitled Nick Cave Heard Them Here First.  This anthology follows the label's similar sets for The

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Country, Folk, Gospel, Rock Tags: Bob Dylan, Gene Pitney, Hank Williams, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, The Stooges

Hey, Look Me Over! Harbinger Celebrates The Music of Cy Coleman On New Collection

June 4, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Cy Coleman You Fascinate Me So

When Bob Dylan released his first collection of standards earlier this year, the venerable singer-songwriter took umbrage at the notion that he was "covering" classic songs.  "I don't see myself as covering these songs in any way," he reflected.  "They've been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them."  Among the songs uncovered by Dylan was Cy Coleman and Joseph McCarthy's "Why Try to Change Me Now," first recorded by Frank Sinatra

Continue Reading

Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Cast Recordings, Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, Floyd Huddleston

Review: Nils Lofgren, "Nils Lofgren"

June 4, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Nils Lofgren

Nils Lofgren was only in his teenage years when Neil Young called upon him to add piano and guitar to his now-classic 1970 album After the Gold Rush. The Chicago-born musician's association with Young announced him in a big way, launching a career that flourishes to this very day.  Lofgren served a brief stint in Crazy Horse, playing on that band's 1971 album, and with his own band Grin recorded four well-received albums between 1971 and 1973 on the Epic and A&M labels.  It was in 1975 for

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock Tags: Nils Lofgren

They're Gonna Groove: Led Zeppelin Reissues Final Three Albums On July 31 In Variety of Formats

June 3, 2015 By Joe Marchese 12 Comments

Led Zeppelin Coda CD

Come this July, worldwide release day shifts to Friday.  And with this morning's announcement from Led Zeppelin, it looks like Friday, July 31, will be the mightiest of the month - and perhaps even the summer!  On that date, the band will conclude its deluxe edition series with a plethora of reissues for its three final studio albums: Presence, In Through the Out Door and Coda. As with the previous deluxe editions, Presence, In Through The Out Door, and Coda have been newly remastered by

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock Tags: Led Zeppelin

Not Fade Away: Rhino Celebrates Live Grateful Dead With 4-CD and 80-CD Box Sets

June 2, 2015 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Grateful Dead Definitive Live

With the ongoing celebration of the band's 50th anniversary and the upcoming reunion shows at Chicago's Soldier Field, the Grateful Dead have arguably been more visible in 2015 than in any point since the passing of Jerry Garcia in 1995.  The long strange trip continues this fall with Rhino Records' release of the band's most lavish release to date.  30 Trips Around the Sun, due on September 18, is a whopping collection of never-before-released live Dead.  It will be available both as an 80-CD

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download Genre: Classic Rock Tags: The Grateful Dead

Always and Forever: Big Break Reissues Heatwave, Silver Convention

June 2, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Heatwave Too Hot

Big Break Records, an imprint of the Cherry Red Group, is back in a big way with its first three reissues of 2015!  Expanded editions of Heatwave's first two albums Too Hot to Handle and Central Heating as well as Silver Convention's Summernights all have arrived in stores in the U.K. this week, and are due in the U.S. next week! Heatwave burst onto the scene in a big way with 1976's Too Hot to Handle, an album that lived up to its title with three hit singles.  The group's membership crossed

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Disco/Dance, Funk, R&B/Soul Tags: Heatwave, Silver Convention

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • …
  • 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