Meat Loaf exploded to superstardom like a Bat Out of Hell with his 1977 solo debut. But the roots of his success could be traced to his short but blazing tenure with Motown. In 1970, the young performer with the big frame and even bigger voice was garnering rave reviews in the Detroit company of Hair alongside Shaun Murphy, a.k.a. Stoney, a powerhouse blues singer who stopped the show nightly with her incendiary rendition of "Easy to Be Hard." Motown quickly saw the potential of this
Love, That's America: Real Gone, Second Disc Reissue Melvin Van Peebles' "Watermelon Man" Soundtrack
In an extraordinary career spanning seven decades, director and "godfather of black cinema" Melvin Van Peebles (1932-2021) only made one studio film. 1970's Watermelon Man shattered conventions with its bitingly satirical story about a white couple, intolerant and obnoxious insurance salesman Jeff Gerber (Godfrey Cambridge) and his seemingly liberal wife Althea (Estelle Parsons). One morning, Jeff awakens to discover that his skin color has changed from white to black-and it's not a result of
Find Someone to Love: Real Gone's Friday Slate Includes Max Roach, Alan Vega, Grateful Dead, Rare Soul, and More
Real Gone Music has another eclectic array of release hitting store shelves this Friday, June 3. In addition to the deluxe 2-CD set from Stoney and Meatloaf, Everything Under the Sun: The Motown Recordings on Second Disc Records, Real Gone has several vinyl reissues in a variety of genres from jazz to soul to punk/electronic plus another entry in the label's series of Grateful Dead CD reissues. We've got all of the details on this bountiful slate below. Little needs to be said about Max
Suffer Never: Finn Brothers' Debut Album Set for Expanded Vinyl Package
Two of the best-loved songwriters of the Antipodes are celebrating their brotherly partnership in a new deluxe vinyl package. Finn, the first album credited to the Finn Brothers, will debut on vinyl this summer as part of a double LP that also includes Neil and Tim Finn's extraordinary demos from 1989 - which birthed another classic album from the duo. At the time Finn was released in 1995, Tim was enjoying some of the biggest success of his solo career with 1993's Before & After and the
Surrender to the Rhythm: Elvis Costello Reforms His First Band, Rusty, For "The Resurrection of Rust"
In his 2015 memoir Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink, Elvis Costello recalled an early gig at the British Legion Hall "on the posh side of Birkenhead Park" in Birkenhead, Merseyside. "I can't say my set was a triumph," he wrote. "I went off to a round of feeble applause from a handful of pensioners supping mild beer and a smattering of teenagers in army petticoats drinking cider. However, once I found a singing partner in Allan Mayes, my performances became a little more controlled and
Feelings Are Good: '90s Supergroup Neurotic Outsiders Revisited in New Reissue
This week, Sex Pistols fans have the chance to check out the first parts of Pistol, the new FX/Hulu docuseries about the groundbreaking U.K. punk band. (There's also a chance to discover - or rediscover - their catalog thanks to a new collection their lead singer apparently hates.) And if you're interested in what happened to one of the members long after the group's infamous flare-out, a new expanded edition of a long-out-of-print album from onetime supergroup Neurotic Outsiders has you
Goin' Home: Neil Young Releases Lost Album "Toast" In July
For more than 20 years, Neil Young's Toast has sat on the shelf. Now, Toast is being served. On July 8, the "lost" album recorded by the singer-songwriter and his longtime compatriots in Crazy Horse will be released on CD, double vinyl, and digital formats. Young and Crazy Horse recorded the album "around the turn of the millennium" at San Francisco's Toast Studios but the prolific and notoriously mercurial artist soon thought better of releasing it. "Quit" and "Goin' Home" appeared on
Mercenary Territory: Rhino Turn Little Feat's 'Waiting for Columbus' Into Multi-Show Box Set
Last year for Black Friday's Record Store Day event, Rhino premiered Little Feat's Electrif Lycanthrope: Live at Ultra-Sonic Studios 1974, a concert album recorded in front of an intimate studio audience in Hempstead, New York. The band originally fronted by Lowell George always blossomed in a live setting, with that particular brand of electricity best captured on 1978's Waiting for Columbus. The double album recorded in 1977 at London's Rainbow Theatre and Washington, DC's Lisner Auditorium
Liza Minnelli's Landmark "Live in New York 1979" Comes to Ultimate 3-CD Edition, 2-LP Set from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music
Start spreading the news. On July 1, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records will revisit a landmark album recorded in the heart of New York, New York by one of the most extraordinary entertainers of all time. It's perhaps our most expansive release ever: the very first reissue - not to mention first-ever wide release - of Liza Minnelli's electrifying Live in New York 1979. This remarkable "lost" concert album will be released as a deluxe vinyl set on 2 LPs and an Ultimate Edition on 3
UPDATE: "The Beatles: Get Back" Documentary Premieres on Blu-ray and DVD in July
The Beatles: Get Back is finally coming to Blu-ray and DVD. Fans might remember that director Peter Jackson's epic 2021 documentary (which premiered on Disney+ where it is still streaming) chronicling John, Paul, George, and Ringo's exploits in the studio on the road to Let It Be was originally scheduled for home video release on February 8. Just days before the release date, an audio error was discovered. Copies were recalled, although some trickled out and became high-ticket items on
Wait a Minute: Cherry Red, Esoteric Expand Blossom Toes' "If Only for a Moment" with Guest Spots from Frank Zappa, Brian Auger
Though Blossom Toes only recorded two albums, the band is still remembered today as a leading exponent of psychedelic pop-rock in the late 1960s. Guitarist Jim Cregan went on to play with Cockney Rebel and become one of Rod Stewart's major collaborators while Brian Godding, also on guitar, forged a path in jazz and progressive rock. Earlier this year, Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings reissued Blossom Toes' 1967 debut We Are Ever So Clean as a 3CD deluxe edition comprising the original album, a
Stand Up and Shout: Dio's 'Holy Diver' Gets Box Set Reissue This Summer
Whether performing with Elf, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Heaven and Hell, or his own band, Dio, Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010) thrilled with his powerful voice and indomitable spirit. One of the most influential hard rock and metal singers of all time, Dio would have turned 80 years old on July 10. Rhino is remembering him with a 4-CD super deluxe edition of the band Dio's debut, 1983's Holy Diver. The box arrives in stores on July 8, just two days before Dio's 80th. Holy Diver united Ronnie, on
Sweet Music Man: Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Oak Ridge Boys, and More Pay Tribute to Kenny Rogers on "All In for the Gambler"
On Wednesday, October 25, 2017, Kenny Rogers took the stage at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena for what was billed as a farewell concert celebration. Rogers' final tour, The Gambler's Last Deal, would encompass further performances (including a run of Christmas shows in December 2017) before a halt was announced, on doctor's orders, of a planned 2018 leg. But the all-star Nashville show was a symbolic last hurrah for the superstar who died in March 2020 at the age of 81. The tribute concert,
I Remember the Feeling: 7a Records Reissues Studio and Live Albums from Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart
The names of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart have long been inextricably linked with that of The Monkees. The duo penned many of the band's most familiar songs including "(Theme From) 'The Monkees,'" "I Wanna Be Free," "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone," "Valleri," and the chart-topping "Last Train to Clarksville." So when promoters were seeking a Monkees reunion in the mid-1970s, and with Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork unavailable, it's unsurprising that Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz turned to Boyce
Hooray for Hollywood: New Box Set Celebrates 100 Years of The Hollywood Bowl with Sinatra, Bernstein, Doors, Newman, Dudamel, More
2022 marks 100 years of The Hollywood Bowl. The famous amphitheater nestled in the Hollywood hills has hosted luminaries of every genre of music from classical to rock in its instantly familiar bandshell (actually two bandshells, as the first one from 1929 was demolished in 2003 and replaced with a larger model). The Bowl has been featured in movies including the original A Star Is Born, Double Indemnity, Xanadu, and Beaches and cartoons starring Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, and The Pink
No Mere Mortal Can Resist? Speculating on the 40th Anniversary Reissue of 'Thriller'
"Darkness falls across the land / the midnight hour is close at hand..." OK, maybe that's pushing it a little, but today Legacy Recordings did announce a forthcoming 2CD expansion of Michael Jackson's landmark Thriller for its 40th anniversary. The world's best-selling album spun off seven of its nine songs as Top 10 singles in America and helped win the King of Pop a record-setting eight Grammy Awards in one night. (Let's not forget that the eighth was for a storybook album based on E.T. the
Stoned: ABKCO Brings The Rolling Stones' "Singles 1963-1966" to Vinyl
On July 12, 1962, The Rollin' Stones - a.k.a. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, and Dick Taylor - took the stage at London's Marquee Club. Shortly after that initial gig, a "g" was added to the band's name. By February 1963, the classic line-up was in place of Jagger, Richards, Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. Sixty years later, The Rolling Stones have earned their unofficial moniker of The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band. ABKCO is marking that anniversary with
Devoted to You: "Hey Doll Baby" Features The Everly Brothers' Hits and Deep Cuts
"I had the unique pleasure of knowing Phil Everly as a kid and the honor of getting to know Don Everly a bit this year as we prepared this compilation," writes Adria Petty in the liner notes to The Everly Brothers' new collection, Hey Doll Baby. As Tom Petty's daughter, Adria was a first-hand witness to rock and roll history, and that experience has informed her curation of this 17-track compendium. Hey Doll Baby was first issued by Warner Records on vinyl in April for Record Store Day as a
Diamonds Are Forever: Ace Collects Prime John Barry on "The More Things Change"
Ready When You Are, J.B.! John Barry (1933-2011) made his debut as a solo artist for CBS Records with the 1970 album subtitled "John Barry Plays His Great Movie Hits." The composer and former leader of The John Barry Seven had long been associated with CBS, with the label having released the original cast recording of his West End musical Passion Flower Hotel; soundtrack albums to such films as The Ipcress File, The Chase, The Quiller Memorandum, and The Lion in Winter (for which Barry won an
Cat's in the Cradle: Cherry Red Celebrates Harry Chapin on "Story Book: The Elektra Albums 1972-1978"
It's fair to say that when Harry Chapin's debut single "Taxi" peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, the ballad didn't sound like much else on the chart. The top spot was held by Sammy Davis, Jr.'s bouncy ode to "The Candy Man" while the upper reaches also featured gospel-tinged R&B (The Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There"), pristine pop (Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue," Carpenters' "It's Going to Take Some Time"), driving funk (Billy Preston's "Outa-Space"), raunchy rock-and-roll
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: The Animals' Mono Albums Get Individual CD, Vinyl Reissues
Back in 2013, the ABKCO label issued a 5-CD box set from The Animals. Released via Real Gone Music, The Mickie Most Years and More brought together remastered versions of the British band's first four U.S. albums plus a rare private-press EP recorded in 1963. Nearly a decade later, ABKCO is bringing The Mickie Most Years and More back into print as a vinyl set, while the four original mono albums will also be reissued as standalone CDs (with bonus tracks) and vinyl (original albums only) on
In Memoriam: Frank Ursoleo of Iconoclassic Records
Frank Ursoleo, a longtime music industry professional who founded reissue label Iconoclassic Records, died unexpectedly last week (May 5). The recently reactivated label has posted a touching tribute to him, which you can read above. Jeremy Holiday, Iconoclassic's vice president of business development and artist services, was effusive - both in our recent interview and in other conversations - in his praise of Ursoleo as a friend, mentor and music lover guided by tastes, instinct and
This Time It's For Real: Cleveland International Unearths Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes' "Live in Cleveland '77"
Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes' ties with Cleveland ran deep. The New Jersey group, which burst onto the scene with 1976's roof-raising LP I Don't Want to Go Home, was supported early on by Cleveland audiences and radio. The big, brassy band led by Southside Johnny Lyon and championed by "Miami Steve" Van Zandt was signed to Epic by A&R man Steve Popovich, now-legendary record man and founder of Cleveland International Records. In 2017, the frontman remembered Popovich in an
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
OUT TOMORROW From Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music: Melissa Manchester and Darlene Love
Tomorrow's a big day here at Second Disc HQ as we unveil two new releases on CD. Melissa Manchester's Live '77 is the renowned singer-songwriter's first and only live album, recorded by Arista Records in October 1977 at Gainesville, Florida's Great Southern Music Hall but unreleased until now! The 21 songs on Live '77 include Manchester's hits "Midnight Blue," "Better Days," and the song Bob Dylan admired, "Just You and I," as well as the now-standard "Come in from the Rain," fan favorites
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