It's been more than 50 years since The Rolling Stones and a host of friends converged at Intertel TV Studio in Wembley to film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, the concert film that featured the band alongside friends like The Who, Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac (a supergroup featuring John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell). The once-lost documentary has been newly restored and will be screened in select theaters throughout the United States in early
Ain’t Gonna Play No Second Fiddle: Dana Gillespie’s MainMan Recordings Collected on “What Memories We Make”
Dana Gillespie first made a splash on the U.K. charts with a run of singles for Pye and a couple albums on Decca and London in the mid-'60s. In 1971, the actress-singer-musician signed to RCA under the aegis of MainMan, the management company headed by Tony Defries that famously included David Bowie on its roster. Gillespie had first befriended the future superstar as a teenager in Swinging London before reconnecting with him in a major way in the early 1970s. It was Bowie who had
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
Babe, It Ain’t No Lie: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Celebrates Iconic Women in Folk With New Vinyl Reissues
The archivists and musical archaeologists at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings have been mining their mammoth catalogue of folk, world music, blues, jazz, frog sounds, educational recordings, early electronica, historical documentary, and so on to create new vinyl reissues of some of their shining gems. This week, in celebration of the start of Women's History Month, the label has put the spotlight on three releases by Folkways icons. There's legendary guitar picker Elizabeth Cotten, whose
Light My Fire: Legacy Brings Unheard José Feliciano Concert to Digital and Streaming with “Live 1967”
Over the last several months, Legacy Recordings has been quietly releasing gems from the vault and reissuing overlooked titles from the Columbia, RCA Victor, Arista, Bang, Monument, Ode, and Epic vaults as part of a digital music series. While our primary focus at The Second Disc remains with physical media, periodically we will shed some light on the best of these digital compilations and reissues, such as this previously unreleased live recording from one of the best guitarists and
Release Round-Up: Week of February 8
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Prince, Musicology [Various Formats] (Legacy) 1-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP black vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP purple vinyl: Prince Official Store Today, three of Prince's essential 2000s albums arrive on CD and, for the first time ever, LP. Musicology marked Prince's return to a major label and to the upper heights of the charts. It reached the Top Five on the Billboard Album Chart in
Got My Mojo Working: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collects Alexis Korner and Baroque Pop On Two Box Sets
Periodically this month, we'll be looking at titles released in the latter part of 2018 that we either didn't cover, or only covered briefly, the first time around! We hope you enjoy this look at "some nice things we've missed"... Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint has recently released a pair of 3-CD box sets touching on two very different aspects of the sixties British music scene. One of the fathers of the British blues boom, Alexis Korner (1928-1984) has been celebrated on Every Day I
Locked Away: Keith Richards Premieres Unreleased Material on “Talk Is Cheap” 30th Anniversary
Keith Richards is set to have a busy year. He and The Rolling Stones recently announced a headlining slot at the 50th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as part of the band's U.S. No Filter Festival. Now, Keith and BMG have teamed up for a special look at his debut solo album, Talk Is Cheap, due out March 29. Originally released in 1988, Talk Is Cheap found Richards leading an impressive roster of musicians, including Ivan Neville, Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, The Memphis Horns, and even
Dreams Do Come True: Run Out Groove Plans Four New Titles from Ronnie Hawkins, Better Than Ezra, Fred Neil, Incredible String Band
For the last several years, Run Out Groove, has given music fans the power to vote on new vinyl titles mined from the vaults of Warner Music. Over the years, some stellar titles just didn't get enough votes to move on to the pressing plants. Today, Run Out Groove announced a new partnership with vinyl micro-pressers QRATES to bring some of these worthy titles onto vinyl. The titles up for pre-order include: Better Than Ezra'sFriction, Baby, Fred Neil's Bleecker & MacDougal, The
On The Frontier: Esoteric Announces Renaissance “Ashes Are Burning,” Byrds’ Self-Titled Reissues, 1968 Box Set, and More
February promises to be a packed month for music fans, as Esoteric brings listeners a new, expanded reissue of Renaissance's 1973 classic, Ashes Are Burning, as well as a reissue of The Byrds, the reunion album by the legendary folk-rock group. Also on the way are reissues of Tear Gas's self-titled album, an expanded edition of Greenslade's Time and Tide, and a new 3-CD set called Revolution: Underground Sounds of 1968. Meanwhile, Esoteric's Reactive imprint will issue a 4-CD set
Release Round-Up: Week of January 11
Welcome to today's Release Round-Up! Taking Back Sunday, Twenty (Craft Recordings) 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada This 21-track anthology, available on single CD, double LP, and digital formats, celebrates 20 years of Taking Back Sunday drawing on all seven of the band's studio albums as well as newly-recorded material. Watch for more coverage of this title later today! The Flying Burrito Bros., Burrito Deluxe
Can’t Help Myself: Smithsonian Folkways Announces Dave Van Ronk, Lead Belly, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee Vinyl Reissues
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is one of America's iconic record labels. When Moses Asch started Folkways in 1948, his goal was to create an audio encyclopedia of the world. And 70 years and one Smithsonian Institution acquisition later, it's safe to say they've stayed on track with that creed. Their repertoire now includes the 2,000+ classic Folkways titles, as well as the back catalog of other legendary labels like Cook, Paredon, Dyer-Bennett, Arhoolie, and The UNESCO Collection of
Rhino “Starts Your Ear Off Right” with New Vinyl Exclusives from CSNY, Joni, Monkees, Buffalo Springfield, More
Rhino's popular "Start Your Ear Off Right" vinyl reissue campaign is returning to local independent record stores and Barnes & Noble locations beginning next Tuesday, January 8, and continuing through Tuesday, January 29, with a new batch of limited (and often colorful) vinyl reissues arriving each week. Each group features an eclectic line-up drawn from the Rhino archives. January 8 will see compilations from Aretha Franklin, Alice Cooper, and The Monkees, as well as a 1978 post-punk
Release Round-Up: Week of December 14
Welcome to another Release Round-Up. Here's a look at what's coming out today, December 14! Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen on Broadway [2CD] (Columbia) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Springsteen on Broadway captures songs and selected stories from The Boss' acclaimed, Tony Award-winning engagement on the Great White Way. Mixed by Bob Clearmountain and mastered by Bob Ludwig, the album arrives one day before the closing show, and also just before it's broadcast in full on
Release Round-Up: Week of December 7
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Wings, The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Wild Life [Various Formats] (MPL/Capitol) 3CD/DVD Box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP [Remastered Album + Bonus Audio]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD [Remastered Album + Bonus Audio]: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Wild Life was the first Wings album but third overall by McCartney outside the shadow of his famous band. Paul and his wife Linda teamed up
Eyes On The Prize: John Mellencamp Collects Covers On New Album, “Other People’s Stuff”
When John Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, Billy Joel remarked that, "People need to hear a voice like yours to echo the discontent that's in the heartland. They need to hear stories about it. They need to know that someone out there feels the way they do." Though Mellencamp has never sought to be the voice of the Small Town, his stories of struggle, loss, perseverance, and love have spoken to the American heartland for more than forty years. For his
Review: Chris Darrow and Max Buda, “Eye of the Storm”
Last month, the L.A.-based label Blixa Sounds unveiled its latest release, the first-ever reissue of Chris Darrow and Max Buda's Eye of the Storm. The 1981 collaboration brought together two psych-rock heavyweights, whose multi-instrumental talents and joyous style are on full display throughout. It's hard to believe, but the album has never received any sort of reissue or re-pressing since its original release on the legendary Takoma label 37 years ago. Now, Blixa Sounds has brought the
The Second Disc’s Picks for Record Store Day Black Friday 2018
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you've enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of beloved family and friends. Of course, from this day which conjures nostalgic and warm feelings comes a celebration of a different kind with this year's annual Black Friday shopping extravaganza - and Record Store Day's miniature cousin to April's yearly event. In keeping with TSD tradition, Joe, Randy, and Sam have elected our top picks of the numerous titles being released
Release Round-Up: Week of November 16
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Fleetwood Mac, 50 Years: Don't Stop (Warner Bros./Rhino) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada In celebration of its 50 years, Fleetwood Mac is issuing a new career-spanning collection featuring 50 songs on either 3 CDs or 5 LPs. These include hits, favorites, and a smattering of rarities such as the CD premiere of 2013's "Sad Angel"
Sparks Will Fly: The Rolling Stones’ “Voodoo Lounge Uncut” Concert Arrives on CD, LP, DVD, and Blu-ray
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones..." Those are the exciting words that have let audiences worldwide know they're in for a night of exciting rock and roll. Though The Rolling Stones wrapped up their No Filter Tour in July, fans of live Stones will have good reason to be happy this fall, as a concert from 1994 is finally released in full as Voodoo Lounge Uncut. In recent years, Universal Music and Eagle Rock Entertainment have shone a light on rare and previously unreleased concerts
Dream A Little Dream: Real Gone’s Black Friday RSD Slate Includes The Mamas and the Papas, Cheap Trick and Roy Buchanan
Our continuing look at this year's Black Friday Record Store Day offering now brings us to Real Gone Music's three selections which will be available the day after Thanksgiving, November 23. You may purchase these at any participating independent record shop. (See the full list of shops here!) Roy Buchanan - Live at Town Hall 1974 Blues-rock guitarist Buchanan was famous for playing the Fender Telecaster with an effects-free technique and influencing many other musicians despite never
Rare Power: Legacy Announces Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Hendrix, Byrds, Joan Jett, More
Seven is Legacy Recordings' lucky number for this Black Friday's annual Record Store Day event. On November 23, the label will release seven titles on limited edition vinyl in a variety of genres reflecting the diversity of the Sony vaults. The offerings are highlighted by an EP of mono mixes from Jimi Hendrix; the vinyl debut of the Legacy Edition of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, coinciding with Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman's current tour celebrating the album; and more vinyl
Varese Vintage Reissues Soundtracks from Nino Rota, Taj Mahal
Varese Vintage has just reissued a pair of soundtracks on CD from an accomplished master of the film score genre (Nino Rota) and an American blues legend (Taj Mahal). 1979's Hurricane proved to be Nino Rota's final score. It found the Italian-born composer (The Godfather, La Dolce Vita) adding a lush layer to the romantic "man-against-nature" adventure story. Producer Dino De Laurentiis (King Kong, Flash Gordon) insisted the movie penned by Lorenzo Semple Jr. (the Batman television show,
Release Round-Up: Week of July 27
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Bob Dylan, Live 1962-1966: Rare Performances from the Copyright Collections (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The new 2-CD set Live 1962-1966: Rare Performances from the Copyright Collections draws on Dylan's previously issued limited edition "copyright extension" collections to offer a sampler of Dylan onstage, from a pair of songs recorded on April 16, 1962 at Gerdes Folk City in New York ("Blowin' in the Wind" and
Review: Bear Family’s “Battleground Korea: Songs and Sounds of America’s Forgotten War”
If there was any doubt that history could be engaging as well as informative, such doubt would be dispelled by a listen to Bear Family's new release, the 4-CD box set Battleground Korea: Songs and Sounds of America's Forgotten War. Make no mistake, the handsomely slipcased collection is as imposing and heavy as a textbook, as its four discs are housed within a lavish, 160-page hardcover tome. But this immersive journey can't help but thrill in its scope and execution. It follows previous Bear