Over 58 years ago, Ella Fitzgerald took the stage at Berlin's Sportpalast for a swinging set. The March 25, 1962 date, part of an extensive European tour, found her supported by the trio of pianist Paul Smith, bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks, and drummer Stan Levey. She was no stranger to Berlin; her February 1960 concert at the city's Deutschlandhalle was released as Mack the Knife: Ella in Berlin and won two Grammy Awards. There had been no audio document of her 1962 show...until now. On
Varese Boots Up Expanded ‘Hackers’ Soundtrack
Audiences and critics may not have fully understood Hackers when it was released exactly 25 years ago - but the cyber-cult classic continues to be a touchpoint in the public's early understanding of the nascent Internet. Next week, its original soundtrack is being expanded for its anniversary, complete with some surprising cameos from a classic rock legend. The film followed a group of young, elite, underground programmers who accidentally stumble upon a computer virus-assisted plot to
Funky Mama: Hard-To-Find Roland Haynes Album “2nd Wave” To Be Reissued by Real Gone Music
The deep-dive into Black Jazz Records' catalogue continues! Real Gone Music has announced new CD and vinyl reissues of Roland Haynes' only album, 2nd Wave, due on October 23. The hard-to-find album features notable jazz sidemen like the ace rhythm section composed of drummer Carl Burnett (whose credits include Cal Tjader, Vince Guaraldi and Gene Harris and The Three Sounds), and bassist Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin (who's recorded with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Hugh Masekela, and many
A Miracle Happened: “A Cellarful of Motown” Returns with Gems from The Temptations, Martha and The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston, Blinky, and More
The classic Motown vaults are, once again, open. This Friday, the U.K.'s Caroline label will release the long-anticipated fifth volume of A Cellarful of Motown, the rarities series which last saw a volume in 2010. But this 2-CD, 43-song collection promises to have been worth the wait as it features previously unreleased and new-to-CD tracks from such household name artists as Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Gladys Knight and The Pips, and The (Detroit) Spinners
Goddamn Electric: Pantera’s ‘Reinventing The Steel’ Gets Remixed and Expanded
Rhino is reinventing Pantera's final album as a remixed and expanded edition this fall, for its 20th anniversary. Reinventing The Steel, released in the spring of 2000, is coming back October 30 as a bonus-packed 3CD set that pairs the remastered original album with a brand-new remix by the band's longtime producer Terry Date. (This album was one of their only heavy metal works not to be produced by Date, who had collaborated with the group since 1990's Cowboys From Hell.) The set also
A Hundred Million Miracles: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song” Reissued on Vinyl, Hi-Rez Digital
Flower Drum Song occupies a unique position in the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon. The 1958 musical wasn't one of the duo's timeless hits (Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music). Nor was it one of their three commercial misses (Allegro, Me and Juliet, Pipe Dream). Instead, when considering the R&H oeuvre, it resides somewhere in between. It played 600 performances, and yielded a successful London production, a couple of bona fide classic songs, a
Dirty Old Town: The Pogues’ ‘BBC Sessions’ RSD Release To Be Expanded On CD
Rhino is expanding one of their recent Record Store Day "drop" vinyl sets for CD: a collection of BBC performances by Celtic-punk group The Pogues. The BBC Sessions 1984-86 features six sets recorded over three years by the raucous ensemble, including a 1984 set for John Peel's radio program when they were still going by the full name of Pogue Mahone (a rough approximation of the Gaelic phrase for "kiss my ass"). Two Peel sets, one each for David "Kid" Jensen and Phil Kennedy (released for
Review: July, “The Complete Recordings” Traces Over 50 Years of the Beloved Psych-Rock Band
They might not be a household name, but July is a band you ought to know. The U.K. psych-rockers have garnered a cult following since the release of their self-titled 1968 record. Original mono copies sell for more than three grand online, but its not just the scarcity and desirability of the album that raises eyebrows; it's the high quality of the music. Though their singles may not have charted back in the day, the five-piece Ealing-based group is still considered by psych-rock enthusiasts
Mind Blowing Decisions: Crimson Collects Three Discs of Heatwave
Autumn's almost here, but Demon's Crimson imprint is planning a Heatwave with the impending release of a 3CD collection in the label's Gold series that covers the U.K. R&B group in detail. Though they were based in England and signed to the country's GTO label (with Epic handling their works in the U.S.), Heatwave showcased the potential of soul, funk and R&B in the disco era to connect with a global audience. At the core of the band were two Americans (singers Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and
Shout To The Top: Paul Weller Compiles The Style Council on ‘Long Hot Summers’
Ahead of a forthcoming documentary on the second famed band of Paul Weller's career, the revered British rocker has co-compiled a new collection devoted to The Style Council. Long Hot Summers: The Story of The Style Council provides an extensive overview of Weller's work through the '80s after the dissolution of The Jam.The 37-track collection, available across 2 CDs or 3 LPs, includes a healthy mix of the group's biggest singles, album cuts, B-sides and two unreleased tracks: an extended
Pearl Jam’s ‘Unplugged’ Set Gets Wide Release In October
One of the first major live sets by Pearl Jam - a stunning, stripped-down session for MTV Unplugged - will get a wide release in October. The band announced yesterday that the seven-song 1992 broadcast will bow on CD and digital formats on October 22, almost a year after its vinyl debut for Record Store Day Black Friday. Less than a year before, the quintet fired the first salvo in what would be considered rock's grunge explosion with the release of debut album Ten. Along with Alice In
Pinch Me: Barenaked Ladies’ ‘Maroon’ Celebrates 20 Years with Expanded Vinyl
After crossing over from Canadian cult act to international hitmakers through the '90s, Barenaked Ladies entered a new decade with their fifth album Maroon in 2000. Next month, Rhino is expanding and reissuing the album, adding five rare tracks into the running order, pressing it on 180-gram, double (what else?) maroon-colored vinyl. The new pressing will be available in early 2021, while a digital version of the same set is now available to stream and download. Maroon followed 1998's Stunt,
From The Beginning: Greg Lake’s Career Celebrated on New Compilation, “The Anthology: A Musical Journey”
Greg Lake left behind a rich musical legacy when he passed away in 2016. As a member of Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson, pre-Crim bands The Shy Limbs and The Shame - not to mention his talents as a solo artist, producer, and composer - he helped define the landscape of progressive rock. A new career-spanning compilation called The Anthology: A Musical Journey will pay tribute to his contributions through the decades. It will be released on October 23 through BMG. The two-disc set
Underneath The Stars: Mariah Carey Delivers ‘The Rarities’ For New Collection
Mariah Carey's continuing her #MC30 campaign in a big way with a new collection of rare and unreleased studio and live material, as well as vinyl reissues of her whole catalogue. The Rarities presents the flipside of the pop idol's incredible blockbuster career (one that's produced an impressive 19 chart-topping singles in the U.S. - just one less than The Beatles) through B-sides and outtakes as well as the premiere audio release of a full live set from 1996. Lead single "Saves The Day," a
Born To Take The Highway: Joni Mitchell’s Early Years Celebrated With New Box Set of Unreleased Music, ‘Joni Mitchell Archives, Volume 1’
If you're as big a fan of Joni Mitchell as we are here at The Second Disc, you probably did a double-take at that headline. And with good reason. Joni Mitchell - the artist, songwriter, and singer who has created some of the most influential music of all time - has a reputation for not looking back. Despite her considerable legacy and personal archive full of treasures, it wasn't until recently that she began began really celebrating her past. Films, tribute concerts, and a recent book of art
Stand Next To Your Fire: Unreleased Jimi Hendrix Recordings Arrive on “Live In Maui” Album and Film
Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings have announced a brand-new collection that celebrates The Jimi Hendrix Experience's near-mythic performances on Maui, Hawaii in 1970. Live In Maui brings together audio and video with a new feature-length documentary called Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix In Maui. The collection will be available in 2-CD/Blu-ray and 3-LP/Blu-ray configurations, all due on November 20. Hendrix's performances on Maui in 1970 caught him at another pivotal point in his
Elevate Your Soul: U2 Announces 20th Anniversary Editions of “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”
It's a beautiful day, or at least it will be on October 30, when U2 will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their acclaimed album All That You Can't Leave Behind. It was the album that put the band back on the charts and heralded something of a return to form after some experimental excursions in the mid-to-late '90s. The Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno-produced album won seven Grammy Awards including Best Rock Album, Song of the Year ("Beautiful Day") and, for the only time in history, two
House of a Thousand Guitars: Bruce Springsteen Announces New Album, “Letter To You”
Today, Bruce Springsteen announced his latest project, a new album called Letter to You due on October 23. His 20th album features all the members of the E Street Band and was produced by Springsteen and Ron Aniello. It sees Bruce Springsteen looking forward and back. He revisits a trio of songs that were written across the decades: "Janey Needs a Shooter," "If I Was the Priest" and "Song for Orphans." "I love the emotional nature of Letter to You," says Springsteen in a statement. "And I
Truckin’: Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” 50th Anniversary Release Set for October Release
Fifty years ago, the Grateful Dead released two consecutive masterworks: Workingman's Dead in June, and American Beauty in November. Rhino delivered a 50th anniversary edition of the former earlier this summer, and as promised, the latter will be released in its own golden anniversary set this fall. On October 30 - almost 50 years to the day after its original release (November 1, 1970) - American Beauty will return as a both a 3-CD set and a 1-LP picture disc. American Beauty: 50th
Suddenly It’s Yesterday: Demon Reissues R&B Classics from Freda Payne, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, More
Today, we're taking a look at an array of recent R&B/soul vinyl releases from Demon Music Group! Demon has been home to Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus catalogue for years now, and after a comprehensive series of CD reissues, the label has turned its attention to vinyl. Freda Payne's Contact was the Detroit songstress' second album for Invictus and a further showcase for her extraordinary vocal gifts. Freda had already recorded for labels including ABC-Paramount and MGM when an old
Return to Fantasy: Uriah Heep Mark ’50 Years In Rock’ With New Box Set
British rockers Uriah Heep will compile a new box set to mark their five decades together. 50 Years In Rock celebrates the proto-metal group's extensive career with 23 CDs and one LP featuring the group's studio albums of original material plus their 1973 Live album. A handful of albums - none of which feature bonus tracks from various reissues over the years - will be combined onto one CD, with their individual artwork "intertwined" on the CD mini jackets. (Artist Roger Dean has also
Review: The Rivieras and The Duprees, “The Coed Singles”
New York has been the epicenter of many a musical genre, from salsa to Broadway. One that's still synonymous with the city - and indeed, with America's east coast - is doo-wop. Its golden age was a relatively short one; some might say 1955-1963, or maybe even 1957-1959, or that it started earlier in the fifties. The sweet vocal group sound of doo-wop's street-corner symphonies was simultaneously innocent and sophisticated, with nonsense syllables married to pretty, tight harmonies and
Oh No, Not Me: Tony Visconti Remixes David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ For 50th Anniversary (UPDATED WITH ORDER LINKS)
David Bowie's third album The Man Who Sold The World will be remixed and reissued for its 50th anniversary this fall. The album will be re-released November 6 - two days after its exact anniversary - with a new mix of nearly the entire album by original producer Tony Visconti, available on CD, LP and high-resolution digital formats. (The sole exception: Side 1 closer "After All," which Visconti felt he could not improve on.) This release will feature a new version of the album's original
UPDATE: Unreleased Thelonious Monk “Palo Alto” Concert Back On Track For September Release
UPDATED 9/4: "[It's] one of the best live recordings I've ever heard by Thelonious...I wasn't even aware of my dad playing a high school gig, but he and the band were on it." So says T.S. Monk, son of groundbreaking jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. "When I first heard the tape, from the first measure, I knew my father was feeling really good." The younger Monk is talking about Palo Alto, a newly unearthed concert recorded October 27, 1968 which will -- after much anticipation -- finally see
Funny and You Don’t Know Why: The Second Disc’s Bandcamp Friday Picks for September
On March 20, as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic was just starting to be understood, indie music retailer Bandcamp made the bold choice of waiving their share of revenue for artists and labels who were cancelling shows and delaying album releases left and right. The result was more music bought by more fans than any day on the site, a record broken on the first Friday of May. Bandcamp Fridays have since taken place in June, July and August - plus the first of an annual occurrence when the