The title of the new collection from Cherry Red's Righteous imprint, Lush Exotica, conjures up images of tropical islands, palm trees swaying in the breeze, sun-drenched beaches, and Polynesian paradise. Perhaps no artist provided a more vivid soundtrack to those images than Arthur Lyman. The late vibraphonist and marimba player (1932-2002), born in Oahu, Hawaii, recorded dozens of albums applying his breezy, alluring style to genres such as folk, jazz, showtunes, and pop. Lush Exotica
In Memoriam: Harry Belafonte (1927-2023)
Can a song truly make change? In an increasingly complex, divided and uncertain world, it's a fair question that has no easy answers. As a child, though, I can tell you I believe the answer was yes. After all, there was Harry Belafonte's "Turn the World Around." It's funny to think that a song from one of Belafonte's final studio albums - far removed from the unprecedented success of 1956's Calypso, the first LP claimed to sell a million copies - and one that didn't even get a considerable
Straight Into Love: Kenny Rogers' Posthumous "Life Is Like a Song" Coming in June
Kenny Rogers released the 28th and final studio album of his lifetime with 2015's Once Again It's Christmas. On June 2, UMe will celebrate the late superstar's musical legacy with a posthumous release featuring eight previously unreleased tracks and two rarities. Life Is Like a Song, coming on CD, vinyl, and digital formats, has been curated and executive produced by his widow Wanda Rogers. It's also Rogers' first studio album to debut on vinyl in the U.S. since 1991. Life Is Like a Song
Mind Go Wild: Zappa's 1970 "Hot Rats" Sequel "Funky Nothingness" Gets First Release
In the pantheon of jazz-rock, Frank Zappa's 1969 LP Hot Rats is surely near the pinnacle. The primarily instrumental album recorded by Zappa, multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood, and the top tier of L.A.'s session musicians melded the compositional and improvisational sophistication of jazz with Zappa's gritty, searing, and blues-drenched electric rock style. Recorded to 16 tracks at a time when the technology was still in its infancy, Hot Rats pushed the boundaries of production. Elements of
Take Me Home Tonight: Liberation Hall Preps Eddie Money, Muddy Waters, Charlie Parker, More for Record Store Day
When it comes to Record Store Day, Liberation Hall sure isn't kidding around. The label has seven titles from a host of rock, jazz, blues, and folk superstars, all set for release on vinyl at independent record stores everywhere tomorrow, April 22 - but that's not all. All seven albums have also arrived on CD. Eddie Money's The Covers (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) brings the late rock-and-roller's two 2009 EPs together on one album. The eight songs on The Covers encompass the
Release Round-Up: Week of April 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Philip Bailey, State of the Heart: The Columbia Recordings (1983-1988) (SoulMusic/Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) State of the Heart celebrates the timeless voice of Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey with expanded editions of his three solo LPs for Columbia Records in the '80s: 1983's Continuation, 1984's Chinese Wall (including the mega-hit Phil Collins duet
Summer Sessions: Rusted Wave and 1984 Publishing Premiere '80s Scores by Alan Silvestri, Danny Elfman
The '80s not only saw tremendous soundtracks from many of the established composers in Hollywood, but a new generation of musicians making a mark on the silver screen, as well. Next month, two of the best film music discoveries of the '80s will be the subject of new reissues from Rusted Wave Records and 1984 Publishing (known for printing photo books about "Weird Al" Yankovic as well as the memoir by the late Marie Fredriksson of Roxette fame). The labels will prep vinyl and CD releases of
Marshall Crenshaw to Have a 'Field Day' with Another Expanded Reissue
Yep Roc Records thrilled fans of great power-pop when they expanded and reissued Marshall Crenshaw's long out-of-print 1982 debut album last year, hitting vinyl for Record Store Day and following up soon after on CD and digital. This summer, the magic continues with a similar reissue for Crenshaw's second LP Field Day. After the delirious magic of Crenshaw's first LP - including the Top 40 hit "Someday, Someway" and a host of other great tunes - even the best of predictions wouldn't have had
Hard Rock Road: Esoteric Collects Steppenwolf's "Epic Years"
BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COMWhile Steppenwolf will always be remembered for classic rock and oldies radio perennials "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride," the band was much more than just those two hits. The original iteration of the band fronted by German-Canadian singer-songwriter John Kay on Dunhill Records notched a dozen entries on the U.S. Hot 100 as well as $42 million in record sales, $7 million in concert tickets, and two Gold-certified albums. Their music spoke to the
This Way, Mary: Quartet Expands John Barry's "Mary, Queen of Scots"
Today, we're continuing our ongoing look at a recent crop of soundtrack releases! The life of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) has proved ample fodder for filmmakers over the years, from 1936's Mary of Scotland with Katharine Hepburn to 2018's Mary, Queen of Scots with Saoirse Ronan. Mary was just six days old when her father, James V of Scotland, died and she inherited his throne. She married Francis, the Dauphin of France in 1558, becoming queen consort of France. When she returned to
UPDATE 4/17/23: New Four Seasons Mega-Box Will Have You Swearin' to God
The Four Seasons are one of America's most resonant and enduring pop/rock outfits. Between the group and its distinctive frontman Frankie Valli, they've scored around a dozen Top 10 hits - seven of which went to No. 1. Their early output in the '60s held its own against the British Invasion. They maintained hits into the disco era, and a cover of one of their songs hit the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. The original quartet was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Neon Knights: Black Sabbath's Dio-Era Live Album Gets Remixed Reissue
Like all good demons, Black Sabbath proved they could rise from the dead - or, at the very least, the loss of their iconic frontman - with the recruitment of Ronnie James Dio as lead singer in the early '80s. Now, the live document they issued chronicling this era will get a new look for its 40th anniversary. Live Evil, the 1983 double album that followed Dio, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice as they toured in support of Mob Rules and Heaven and Hell the
Forever Young: Bob Dylan's "Shadow Kingdom" Comes to CD, LP
Those of you who missed out on Bob Dylan's Shadow Kingdom: you're in luck. The troubadour's pandemic-era concert event, which was first livestreamed in stark black-and-white in July 2021, is now coming to CD, 2LP, and digital formats for its audio-only premiere. Shadow Kingdom will arrive from Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings on June 2, and the film will be available for digital download and rental beginning the following Tuesday, June 6. Shadow Kingdom found Dylan dipping into the
Release Round-Up: Week of April 14
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Dionne Warwick, The Complete Scepter Singles 1962-1973 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) The Complete Scepter Singles 1962-1973 is a set for which Dionne Warwick fans have long been waiting: a complete collection featuring the A- and B-sides of every one of her classic Scepter Records singles (plus two bonus sides originally issued on the
Wonderful Tonight(s): Eric Clapton Announces '24 Nights' Box Set
Like Cheap Trick and Budokan or The Allman Brothers Band and the Beacon Theatre, Eric Clapton has a kind of bond with London's Royal Albert Hall. He's played there more than 200 times in the last 60 years - more than any other artist - and condensed two runs of shows at the venue into the live album 24 Nights in 1991, the start of a critical and commercial renaissance for the guitar legend. On June 23, Rhino rolls out a series of products telling an even deeper story of the period that
Wait: Paul Simon Announces New Folk Project for Release in May
Last year, rumors began abounding that Paul Simon was back in the studio recording a new album which would be his first since 2018's In the Blue Light and first of original material since 2016's Stranger to Stranger. 2018 was also the year when Simon said goodbye to the road with his Homeward Bound tour. That farewell tour culminated on September 22 in an unforgettable hometown show at Queens' Flushing Meadows Corona Park, but Simon has revealed that he's far from done with music. Those
Where the Devil Don't Stay: Drive-By Truckers Plan "Director's Cut" of 'The Dirty South'
Nearly 20 years ago, genre-bending Southern rock outfit Drive-By Truckers got their first shot of mainstream success with an intriguing concept album called The Dirty South. Now, the group is revisiting that release on The Complete Dirty South. It's a release that frontman Patterson Hood is deeming a "director's cut" of the original work, featuring an expanded, altered track list and a few songs that are remixed, featuring new vocals or both. (All tracks have been remastered by Greg
It's Raining Discs: SoulMusic Promises Tons O' Fun with Weather Girls/Martha Wash Collection
According to our forecast, SoulMusic Records has got an incredible opportunity to soak up two of the most unique singers of the '80s: the dance duo The Weather Girls! Carry On: The Deluxe Collection 1982-1992 is a long-overdue assessment of Martha Wash and Izora Armstead's unlikely journey toward the top of the pop charts, some fascinating music that came before it - and a triumphant second act by Wash following some truly bizarre situations that only could have happened in the music
Fragile Thing: Cherry Red Expands Big Country's Final Album with Stuart Adamson
Today would have been the 65th birthday of Stuart Adamson, the brilliant leader of Scottish rock group Big Country. Sadly, Adamson left us far too soon in 2001, losing a battle with depression and alcoholism - so perhaps it is fitting that today we bring the news of Cherry Red expanding the last work by the classic line-up of the band. Following similar releases for the band's material through the '90s from the label (including the expansive Out Beyond the River set and a deluxe edition of
Still Beatin': Huey Lewis and The News Get Expanded Japanese Albums, CD/DVD Collection
Have you heard The News? The sweet pop/rock/soul sound of San Francisco's Huey Lewis & The News has sadly gone silent in recent years, thanks to its one-of-a-kind frontman's battle with Ménière's disease, which causes intermittent hearing loss. But a surprise new reissue campaign courtesy of Universal Music Group's Japanese division promises the most comprehensive look at the band's blockbuster catalogue of the '80s and early '90s. UMG will remaster, expand and reissue the six albums the
Mighty Real: Second Disc Records, Real Gone Music Celebrate Sylvester on "Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years"
When the self-described "disco queen" known as Sylvester stepped on a New York stage opening for Chaka Khan, the local press was entranced. One newspaper approvingly noted that he made "David Bowie look like Lawrence Welk." Nothing was too outrageous for Sylvester. But at his core, he was serious about music and about breaking down the walls of identity. In appearance and demeanor, the unapologetically gay San Francisco star challenged the gender binary long before such discussions were in
You Made Me Love You: Judy Garland's Nightclub Debut Restored for Premiere Release
Judy Garland wasn't even 35 years of age when she quipped on the stage of Las Vegas' New Frontier Hotel, "That's the noisiest, loudest opening number...I'm getting a little old for it! Without taking a step, I get tired!" If the superstar was, in fact, tired, she hardly showed it. Thanks to the High Definition Tape Transfers label, the opening night of Garland's first Las Vegas engagement is now available in sparkling sound for all to enjoy. The Lost Vegas Show premieres the ebullient
Continuing: 7a Reissues, Expands Michael Nesmith's "Ranch Stash" on CD and Vinyl
7a Records, hot off its recent reissue of Macy Gray's jazz/R&B gem Stripped, has returned to the milieu of The Monkees with the latest in its series of expanded and remastered 50th anniversary reissues from the catalogue of Michael Nesmith. Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash is out now in CD and 180-gram gray vinyl formats, both of which add the alternate RCA version of "Marie's Theme" as a bonus track. As detailed in the always-compelling liner notes by Andrew Sandoval, Nesmith's
Release Round-Up: Week of April 7
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today. Various Artists, Love Is the Message: The Sound of Philadelphia Volume 3 (Snapper/United Souls) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) After well over a year since the release of Satisfaction Guaranteed, United Souls' series of box sets collecting the Philadelphia International label's complete studio albums resumes with Love Is the Message: The Sound of Philadelphia Vol. 3. The
Speed of Sound: Real Gone's April Line-Up Features Voivod, "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," and More
We've already told you about one of Real Gonem Music's April projects: the 3-CD collection The Complete Scepter Singles 1962-1973 from Dionne Warwick. Now we've got the details on an additional six releases, due to hit shelves tomorrow, April 7: five vinyl reissues from the 1980s-2000s with genres encompassing soul, disco, gospel, heavy metal, and soundtracks, plus an all-new CD from the co-founder of Real Gone. First up are two albums by artists with very small discographies. 1980's Mother
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