From Genesis to Revelation, the debut album from prog-rock legends Genesis, is no stranger to reissues due to its complicated ownership history. But this year, on the eve of the group’s 60th anniversary, Cherry Red’s Esoteric label will prepare the most expansive editions of the album ever pressed – versions approved by the group’s original founding members, including original vocalist Peter Gabriel and longtime members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Available as a 4CD/Blu-ray box set or smaller 2CD and 2LP offerings, the centerpiece of all sets is a set of new…
They Got It All: John Du Prez’s Score for “Weird Al” Yankovic’s ‘UHF’ to Get Premiere Release
For as long as it’s been since “Weird Al” Yankovic achieved the unlikely feat of topping the Billboard 200 with his 14th album Mandatory Fun in 2014, fans have wondered what’ll inspire him to start making more music. The generationally-beloved parodist indicated at the time that he wasn’t planning on focusing on full-length albums – indeed, he let his longtime contract, starting at Scotti Bros. in 1983 and ending at Sony Music’s RCA Records, lapse – and subsequent works were few and far between. Most notably, he recorded two polka medleys – one of songs from…
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Just a Sweet, Sweet Fantasy: Mariah Carey Celebrates 30 Years of ‘Daydream’ with Expanded Editions
Mariah Carey surprised fans earlier this month with a generous digital expansion of her 1995 smash album Daydream. Physical versions of the 30th anniversary set are forthcoming – but, to quote one of the album’s biggest hits, the variations in track list might have you feeling kinda hectic inside. Legacy Recordings’ 2CD-equivalent digital offering, issued on July 17, added 21 rare and unreleased bonus tracks to the original 12-track album: vintage remixes, B-sides and outtakes, writing session demos, a cappella versions and excerpts from three concerts recorded across 1995 and 1996. The physical…
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I Get So Emotional: ‘WH1TNEY’ Puts Houston’s Chart-Toppers Together on LP
Whitney Houston’s most enduring contributions to pop music history – her 11 chart-topping singles – will be celebrated on a new LP this summer. The appropriately-titled WH1TNEY, pressed on grape-colored purple vinyl, will bring together every hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 between 1985 and 1996. From her self-titled debut in 1985, there’s “Saving All My Love,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All”; 1987 follow-up Whitney yields “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” (these collective album…
I’m in Heaven: Tom Tom Club Collect (Sort of) Complete Albums for New Box Set
Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth splintered from Talking Heads to create the side project Tom Tom Club, a loose grouping of musicians and singers also including Weymouth’s sisters and guitarist Adrian Belew. Over the course of six albums originally released between 1981 and 2012, Tom Tom Club kept fans glued to the dancefloor with original songs and diverse covers including Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby,” Lou Reed’s “Femme Fatale,” and Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing.” On August 7, Rhino will assemble the group’s discography (or most of it, anyway) on…
Back For More: Cherry Red Expands Lulu’s “Independence” with Remixes, Singles, Videos, More
Scottish singer Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie was just fifteen years old in 1964 when, under the stage name of Lulu, she made listeners want to “Shout!” with a rip-roaring rendition of The Isley Brothers’ classic. She parlayed that memorable U.K. top ten hit into an international career that’s encompassed records, film and television roles, West End appearances, multiple books, and a concert career. Lulu remained on Decca Records, the home of “Shout!,” for a two-year stint, departing the label in late 1966 to sign with producer Mickie Most EMI’s Columbia Records arm…
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? A Decade of ‘Hamilton’ Celebrated with CD, Vinyl Box Sets
One of the biggest Broadway musicals of the last decade is getting celebrated in a big way for its 10th anniversary. Rhino has announced Rise Up! Hamilton: The Anthology, a heavy-duty 5CD or 7LP+7″ box set honoring Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed show. The set, available September 25, will include three albums’ worth of material from the musical – the original cast recording, the chart-topping covers project The Hamilton Mixtape, and the first physical release of the Hamildrops series of bonus recordings inspired by the production – along with additional audio extras, an 80-page book, and collectible ephemera….
Won’t Get Fooled Again: Four Who Classics Revisited by Analogue Productions on Vinyl, SACD, Reel-to-Reel
What’s next for Analogue Productions? How about Who’s Next? The label has announced that four classic titles from The Who will be receiving the deluxe audiophile treatment across various formats including UHQR Vinyl, 45 RPM LPs, hybrid SACDs (playable on all CD players), and Ultra Tape Reel-To-Reel Formats. My Generation and Live at Leeds arrive next week, July 24, while Tommy and Who’s Next will follow (date TBD). These releases have been sourced from the original analog master tapes and mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (with SACD editions mastered…
Around and Around: Grateful Dead Celebrate “Summer Magic 1985” with Massive Box Set, Standalone Concert Release
Rhino and Grateful Dead are celebrating a 40th (+1) anniversary with a new concert compendium due from Dead.net on September 18. Summer Magic 1985 is a 20CD collection featuring seven previously unreleased concerts from the legendary band’s 20 Years So Far tour. It’s limited to 10,000 numbered copies (while also arriving in high-resolution digital formats). But that’s not all; the Merriweather Post Pavilion show of June 30, 1985 will be broken out for 3CD and 4LP standalone release on the same day. The Dead’s magic in the summer of ’85 was plentiful,…
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Baby Loves That Way: David Bowie’s Early Singles, Unreleased Material with Shel Talmy Gathered for New Album
The David Bowie estate is going back toward the beginning of the late singer’s career, focusing on his early days as a blues interpreter with a famous British producer. The Shel Talmy Recordings, to be released September 18, collects 21 recordings the then-unknown musician recorded with producer Talmy during 1965, when he was a member of bands The Manish Boys and The Lower Third. Only four of these tracks were released at the time as singles, with another seven alternate and outtake versions turning up on compilations over the years; that of…
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About ‘Face’: Phil Collins’ Debut Expanded on Vinyl, Remixed for Blu-ray for 45th Anniversary
Did he miss again? Hardly. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of his debut album, Phil Collins will release a new deluxe vinyl version of 1981’s Face Value featuring all the material from the original 2016 deluxe edition and more – including some long unavailable and previously unreleased material. Available September 18 and following the example of similar box sets for No Jacket Required (1985) and Both Sides (1993), Face Value (Full Value) offers a half-speed pressing of the original album’s 2015 remaster cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, plus three additional LPs including the 12…
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’80s Romance: Edsel Reissues “The Belle Stars” With Singles, Remixes, More
The Belle Stars’ catalogue is a relatively tiny one, consisting of just one complete studio album, a handful of non-LP singles, and a live album that didn’t see release until long after the group had broken up. Now, Edsel has reassembled the all-girl band’s audio discography in a new 3CD, 7-inch-sized box simply titled The Belle Stars – essentially a generously expanded edition of their same-titled debut LP. The Belle Stars were born out of the ashes of two-tone/ska revival band The Bodysnatchers when five of its seven members decided to press…
Ready: Cat Stevens’ “Buddha and the Chocolate Box” Returns to CD, LP, Digital Formats
Cat Stevens’ Buddha and the Chocolate Box, originally released in 1974, is the latest title in the singer-songwriter’s venerable cat-o-log to get the remastered reissue treatment. One of Yusuf’s four consecutive LPs to reach the top three in both the United States and Great Britain and his sixth A&M release overall, Buddha returns September 4 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. In many respects, Buddha and the Chocolate Box was a homecoming for Stevens. After retreating to Jamaica to self-produce the R&B-influenced Foreigner (also reissued as part of the Cat-o-Log series), he…
In Memoriam: Bonnie Tyler (1951-2026)
For more than 50 years, the gravelly voice of Bonnie Tyler was one of pop and rock’s most distinctive. Whether bringing to life the rootsy “It’s a Heartache” or the majestic theatrical drama of “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Tyler sounded like nobody else. The Welsh singer born Gaynor Hopkins in 1951 died earlier today at the age of 75, following a recent illness that left her hospitalized since May. Bonnie decided to pursue singing as a career after performing in a talent competition in 1969. Though she took second place to an…
All That’s Known: ‘Spring Awakening’ Bows on Vinyl with Archival Recordings
One of the most pivotal Broadway shows of the last few decades will be revisited in a special package for its vinyl debut. Spring Awakening, the striking rock musical by Steven Sater (book/lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (music), will have its original cast recording reissued for its 20th anniversary on August 14. In addition to the original songs – now newly mastered for vinyl by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound – this package will also include two previously unreleased recordings of songs cut from the final production. The high-quality gatefold package includes…
Everything’s Heavy Underground: Ben Folds Five to Reissue Debut with ‘Shelved First Attempt’ Bonus Disc
Piano-pounding alternative trio Ben Folds Five will revisit their first album this fall – both versions of their first album. The group’s self-titled debut will be remastered and expanded on September 4, a year after its 30th anniversary mark. This 2CD or 180-gram 2LP release pairs that original album, featuring seminal tracks like “Underground” and “Philosophy,” with a mostly unreleased “Shelved First Attempt” featuring many of the same tracks (and a few others) recorded in an earlier session. Both sets will offer expanded liner notes featuring rare photos and commentary by Folds. It…
Soundtrack Watch: ‘Frankenstein’ from Intrada, Barry and Bond from La-La Land and Quartet, ‘SpongeBob’ and ‘Shrek’ At Varese, and Williams’ Full ‘Disclosure’
Recent weeks have seen some incredible archival soundtrack announcements from many of our favorite labels – as well as a physical release of a new film score we’re quite excited about here. Come take a deep dive with Mike and Randy in our latest Soundtrack Watch! INTRADA 1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story is a two-part British-American television film directed by Jack Smight and loosely adapted from Mary Shelley’s classic novel by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy. Starring Michael Sarrazin as Frankenstein’s Monster, Leonard Whiting as Victor Frankenstein, David McCallum as Dr. Henry Clerval,…
Give the Kid a Break: Alice Cooper’s Early Solo Material Remastered in New Box Set
On July 31, Rhino will celebrate the early years of shock rock legend Alice Cooper with a new 5CD or 5LP box set. The Studio Albums 1975-1978 begins with 1975’s Welcome to My Nightmare, his first proper solo album, and continues with Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (1976), Lace and Whiskey (1977), and From the Inside (1978). The collection is rounded out with a 7-track collection of bonus material encompassing rarities and unique single versions. (In the vinyl set, this bonus album is cut at 45 RPM.) The band Alice Cooper began…
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow): Rhino Celebrates 60 Years of “The Monkees” with “Made For TV”
On September 12, 1966, television audiences first met The Monkees. Under the auspices of creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, the zany foursome of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork pushed the boundaries of the American sitcom format with their musical misadventures. The Emmy Award-winning comedy only lasted two seasons and 58 episodes on NBC but endured thanks to Saturday morning repeats, syndication, cable, DVD, Blu-ray, and – most notably – the albums recorded by the four young men cast as The Monkees who went on to assume the…
The Force is with Him: New John Williams Addresses His Film Music ‘Legacy’
John Williams’ place in the canon of film music, Hollywood history and American popular culture is well solidified. The 94-year-old composer just saw the release of Disclosure Day, his 30th soundtrack for director Steven Spielberg – a collaboration that’s yielded three Oscar-winning scores in JAWS, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List plus memorable themes to classic films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indiana Jones film series and Jurassic Park. Next year, his Oscar-winning work on 1977’s Star Wars – a musical odyssey that’s yielded a trio of film trilogies and multiple spin-off streaming shows and theme park…
All I Want: Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” Turns 55, Rhino Unveils Vinyl and Reel-to-Reel Reissues
Joni Mitchell’s landmark Blue turns 55 this year, and Rhino isn’t letting the occasion go unnoticed. On July 10 – just weeks after the album’s actual anniversary on June 21 – the label will unveil High Fidelity editions on both vinyl and reel-to-reel tape. (For audiophiles who prefer shiny silver discs, Blue was reissued last year on Blu-ray Audio with Atmos, quadraphonic, and high-resolution stereo mixes.) On Blue, Mitchell turned her artistry fully inward for an act of stunning musical self-reflection. Upon hearing the original album, Kris Kristofferson famously quipped “Save something…
Gimme A Slice: Cherry Red, Second Disc Collect The Roches’ Warner Bros. and Rykodisc Albums on “Runs In The Family”
The world first heard the voices of Maggie and Terre Roche on Paul Simon’s 1972 LP There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. With youngest sister Suzzy, The Roches soon carved out a remarkable career of their own. Between 1979 and 2007, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy pushed the boundaries of so-called folk music. The songs of The Roches were personal, funny, heartbreaking, vulnerable, witty, sad, joyful, and utterly original as the sisters bared their hearts and souls in striking harmony. Now, on September 11, Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings and Second Disc Records will celebrate The…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 19
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Sheena Easton, The Singles: 1980-1987 (Cherry Pop) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well. The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix)….
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I Feel Free: Esoteric Collects Jack Bruce Albums, Concerts on “Halfway to the Stars”
The recording career of the late Jack Bruce (1943-2014) spanned the 1960s through the 2010s, encompassing tenures in the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, West, Bruce and Laing, and, of course, Cream (among other bands). Between 1969 and 2014, Bruce released fourteen solo studio albums as well as numerous live sets, videos, and compilations. Now, Cherry Red’s Esoteric Recordings imprint has recently bundled two studio albums and two live sets from the turn of the (new) century as Halfway to the Stars: The Recordings 2001-2003. The bassist/singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist was known…
Never Get Away from the Sound: Fleetwood Mac Expands Quintet-Era ‘Greatest Hits’ Set
Rhino is revisiting the first compilation of Fleetwood Mac’s “classic” quintet era – a push, it appears, ahead of a long-awaited, as-yet unreleased documentary on the band. 1988’s Greatest Hits will be reissued on July 31 in a new double-disc edition on CD and vinyl. In addition to the plethora of smash hits like “Rhiannon,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “Tusk,” “Gypsy,” “Little Lies” and “Everywhere” – as well as the then-new tracks “As Long As You Follow” and “No Questions Asked” – the set now includes a bonus disc of…
