If you've been reading The Second Disc for some time, you know that one of our highlights is The Weekend Stream, our spotlight of catalogue material that makes its way - either first or primarily - to streaming and download services. The TSD team has the shelves to prove our love of CDs or vinyl, but the joy of discovering a lost classic or future favorite from the past is what really drives us, and The Weekend Stream is run in that spirit. And it might not run at all if not for the help of one
Pryor Conviction: An Interview with Dan Schlissel of Stand Up! Records
If you'll forgive the stupidly obvious lede, Dan Schlissel takes comedy pretty seriously. As the founder of Minneapolis-based Stand Up! Records, he's carved a considerable niche in the music industry as one of the longest-lasting and most stalwart homes for stand-up comedy on CD, LP and many other formats. Schlissel, a first generation American whose parents came from Israel, first started the indie-rock label -ismist, which provided a crucial stepping stone to an up-and-coming band of masked
Never Gonna Be the Same: A Conversation with Gary Clark of Danny Wilson
The best known hit of his band begins with "Everything is wonderful / being here is heavenly..." and perhaps no line better sums up the experience of hearing a song by Gary Clark. The Scottish singer/songwriter formed the trio Danny Wilson with his brother Kit and bassist Ged Grimes in the mid-'80s, eventually scoring a hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1987 and 1988 with the sublime "Mary's Prayer." While it's easy to place Danny Wilson in the same British sophisti-pop continuum that
Oooh, This I Need: Adam Mattera Talks 'Dearly Beloved: A Prince Songbook'
Last year, The Second Disc had nothing but good things to say about Dearly Beloved: A Prince Songbook, Cherry Red's triple-disc tribute to the music of Prince. The set told a story of The Artist's massive impact on pop, rock and soul by way of songs he gave others to record and a galaxy of genre-bending covers. In a year of considerable challenges in Prince fandom, it was a veritable oasis in a desert. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Mattera, the curator and
A Second Disc Interview: Celebrating Marianne Faithfull's Final EP with Executive Producer Andrew Batt
As part of Saturday's Record Store Day festivities, Decca will release the final recordings of Marianne Faithfull on vinyl. The four-song EP Burning Moonlight harkens back to the late artist's very first albums, released in 1965 on the same label: one dedicated to pop music, and the other to folk songs. The title track to Burning Moonlight was issued digitally in the past weeks; tomorrow, "She Moved Through the Fair" will arrive on streaming services. Finally, on June 6, the entire EP will be
You Can't Start a Fire Without a Spark: Arthur Baker on the 'Born in the U.S.A.' Dance Remixes
On June 4, 1984, Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A., his seventh studio album, and kicked his career into an unpredictable new gear. Augmenting his well-loved classic rock style and haunted lyricism with polished production and accessible pop melodies, the Jersey icon struck gold, platinum and diamond with Born in the U.S.A.: it was the best-selling album of 1985 (it was certified 17x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2022), spun off seven Top 10 singles on
A Second Disc Interview: Mixing It Up with John Luongo
John Luongo is a good liar. Well, maybe he's good at being tongue-in-cheek. "I'm bashful," he says at the start of our interview back in October. "You're gonna have to really drag these things outta me, 'cause I'm a little shy!" What follows is about 100 minutes of captivating stories and thoughtful, enthusiastic lessons from one of the most notable names in dance music. The Boston-born DJ and mix engineer made a name for himself transforming dozens of soul and pop tracks for disco 12"
Master of 'Dance Masters': An Interview with Reissue Producer Wayne A. Dickson
Wayne A. Dickson knows a thing or two about timing. The Scottish DJ, manager and compilation producer, perhaps best known for a staggering discography of soul and disco reissues for Cherry Red's Big Break Records label, recalled a passion for getting a proper collection of 12" mixes by CHIC and related artists on CD. "It was greenlit something like four times over six years, and then the project manager who'd greenlit it would get let go, and the project would die with it," Dickson recalled
An Interview with Scott Davies, Rubellan Remasters' One-Man Band
Scott Davies has learned a lot on the job. Once toiling in the business of IT, music fans now know him as the singular creative force behind Rubellan Remasters - the sole curator, engineer, designer and distributor of a handful of CDs covering respected catalogues by New Wave/alternative acts including Visage, Missing Persons, Divinyls and most recently Oingo Boingo, the alt-rock band led in the '80s and '90s by future film composer Danny Elfman. From 2021 to the present Rubellan remastered
The Weekend Stream Labor Day Special: Spotlight on WIWS Radio with John and Chrissy Sellards
Welcome to a special edition of The Weekend Stream for the long Labor Day weekend! Longtime readers might have noticed that adorable owl perched comfortably atop The Second Disc. He's the mascot for WIWS Radio, an online radio station dedicated to '50s and '60s classics in authentic AM radio sound. We'd like to introduce you to John and Chrissy Sellards, the couple behind WIWS. John is already well known to Second Disc readers for his design work on most of our Second Disc Records releases.
Release Round-Up: Week of May 6
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today including a very special pair from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music! Melissa Manchester, Live '77 (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music proudly present the premiere release of Melissa Manchester's Live '77, recorded by Arista Records in October 1977 at Gainesville, Florida's Great Southern
How Does It Feel to Be Back: An Interview with Jeremy Holiday of Iconoclassic Records
Jeremy Holiday remembers it well: at four years old, he got his first "pop" record, Daryl Hall & John Oates' 1980 blockbuster Voices. That record set him on an incredible path that readers of The Second Disc will no doubt recognize: the journey to a fruitful career in catalogue music. For nearly 25 years, Holiday maintained an incredible tenure in the major label reissue business, working at BMG's Buddha and Heritage imprints, surviving a 2005 merger with Sony Music (and BMG's divestment
A Second Disc Special Feature: David Lasley and Rosie
The Second Disc is thrilled to welcome Charles Donovan for a very special guest post. In addition to being one of the finest music journalists working today, Charles has curated some of our favorite releases in recent years including Rupert Holmes' Songs That Sound Like Movies: The Complete Epic Recordings, Pamela Polland's Pamela Polland/Have You Heard the One About the Gas Station Attendant?, and Maxayn's Reloaded: The Complete Recordings 1972-1974. Today, Charles brings his knowledge,
Listen to the Band: Andrew Sandoval Reveals "The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story" In June
Since its publication in 2005, author Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story has been an indispensable reference tool for fans of Davy, Micky, Peter, and Michael - not to mention one helluva read. But as the years passed, the guide to all things Monkees went out of print, with secondhand copies fetching in the three-figure range. Happily, Sandoval has returned to the book for a completely new edition due this June. We were thrilled to have the chance to speak with the author
A SECOND DISC INTERVIEW: All I Need In Just A Song - Dave Mason Reflects on 50 Years With "Alone Together Again"
Magic was in the air in 1970 and it certainly reached Los Angeles' Sunset Sound, where Dave Mason, along with an array of new friends and some of the top session musicians around, recorded Alone Together. Though only 24 years old, Mason had plenty of experience under his belt. The multi-instrumentalist made a name for himself as part of Traffic, penning some of their best crossover material ("Hole in My Shoe," "Feelin' Alright?"). He also participated in sessions with The Rolling Stones
A SECOND DISC EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Joni Mitchell's Co-Producer Patrick Milligan Discusses New "Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1" Box Set
"I was born to take the highway / I was born to chase a dream / Any road at all is my way / Any place is where I've been." So sings a young Joni Mitchell on "Born to Take the Highway," one of her earliest compositions. The 1965 road song is one of a staggering 29 previously unreleased tracks unearthed for a once-unthinkable project: a deep-dive into her archives. The first installment in the series, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967), sees her chasing that dream. Out
A SECOND DISC EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Marty Scott and Kenneth Womack Discuss "JEM Records Celebrates John Lennon"
It was 40 years ago this year that John Lennon tragically left the world. Yet his legacy remains strong by way of numerous reissues, compilations, books, and films. Moreover, the timeless message of his songs continues to resonate with audiences everywhere and inspire new interpretations by artists of all genres. Tomorrow, October 9, marks what would have been John's 80th birthday. On that date, the New Jersey-founded indie label JEM Records will commemorate Lennon's life and music by
A Second Disc Interview: Chatting with America's Audio Archivist Jeff Larson as Band Preps "Half Century" Box
Chewing on a piece of grass/Walking down the road/Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe? Happily, the music of America has stayed with us for 50 years. Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek met in London where their fathers were stationed with the United States Air Force; their coming together at the dawn of the 1970s has led to 16 studio albums and 47 singles including three U.S. chart-toppers and eleven Top 40 hits. That's in addition to a Grammy Award, a spot in the Vocal Group
A SECOND DISC INTERVIEW! Mike McCartney Talks "McGear" Deluxe Reissue
TSD's own Sam Stone recently had a chance to speak with the enduring artist behind the U.K.'s Christmas chart-topper of 1968, The Scaffold's "Lily the Pink," as well as the top ten smash "Thank U Very Much" and the solo hit "Leave It." Mike McCartney, a.k.a. Mike McGear just happens to be Paul McCartney's younger brother, but has a lifetime of his own musical history to share. In this wide-ranging conversation, he offers stories of the making of his classic album McGear, recently reissued by
A SECOND DISC EXCLUSIVE! Out Of My Hands, Still In My Heart: The Story of Pamela Polland's Lost Album
Pamela Polland may not have become a worldwide household name, but there was a point around the year 1973 where she was close to becoming one. In the prior decade, she had written songs performed by the illustrious likes of Vikki Carr, The Serendipity Singers, and Linda Ronstadt; performed in a blues duo with Ry Cooder; formed the psych-pop duo The Gentle Soul; appeared in the Leonard Bernstein-hosted Inside Pop documentary; and launched a solo career. In the years that followed, she hit the
A SECOND DISC INTERVIEW! Have No Fear, Bond Is Here: "Casino Royale: 50th Anniversary" Reissue Announced, Chris Malone Explains Restoration
Seven James Bonds at Casino Royale/They came to save the world and win the gal at Casino Royale! Six of them went to a heavenly spot, the seventh one is going to a place where it's terribly hot... Hal David's lyric captures just a small fraction of the insanity of Charles K. Feldman's 1967 Casino Royale, the big-budget comic extravaganza and cult favorite that was "too much...for one James Bond!" And so, David Niven as James Bond was joined by 007s of all shapes and sizes (and genders!),
Extra-Terrific: Inside The Art of La-La Land's 'E.T.' Soundtrack Reissue
Attendees of this past weekend's Mondo-Con were treated to a special new print from the master pop-culture provider: a striking new poster for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Eagle-eyed fans will recognize the graphic from its debut on La-La Land Records' 35th anniversary double-disc expansion of John Williams' Oscar-winning soundtrack. It's a wondrous image: of the film's protagonist Elliott, seen from behind astride his bicycle as he looks upward into the evening sky, reflecting on the incredible
Now We're Getting Somewhere: An Interview with Neil Finn of Crowded House
Hey now, hey now...Here at Second Disc HQ, we're bursting with pride to share with you this very special interview conducted by our very own Mike Duquette! Crowded House founder Neil Finn reflected at length with Mike about his band, his career, legacy, and the series of truly lavish Crowded House reissues hitting stores on November 11. We know you'll enjoy this one! Take it away, Mike... There are certain songwriters who've mastered certain places in their compositions. Think of, say, Lou
For Now, For Always: A Second Disc Interview! Bruce Kimmel Announces "Unsung Sherman Brothers"
"In every job that must be done/There is an element of fun/You find the fun and snap!/The job's a game!" For more than fifty years, the tuneful team of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman found the fun in their own job: songwriting. Together, "The Boys" penned memorable hits by Annette Funicello and Ringo Starr, defined the sound of Disneyland with unforgettable songs like "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and "It's a Small World," and made timeless movie magic with Mary Poppins,
Moonlight Serenades: Bruce Kimmel Talks Complete Glenn Miller Soundtracks Coming To CD!
Legendary bandleader Glenn Miller only made two film appearances as an actor. 20th Century Fox's 1941 musical Sun Valley Serenade introduced two standards into the American Songbook - "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "At Last" - and earned three Academy Award nominations. Its 1942 follow-up, Orchestra Wives, moved Miller from featured status to above-the-title billing and introduced another Oscar-nominated hit, "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo." Yet both films, and their remarkable treasure trove of