Two days before his 25th birthday, and just over 20 years since his heartbreaking and still unsolved murder, The Notorious B.I.G. will live on with his widow Faith Evans' duets album, The King & I. The iconic rapper (born Christopher Wallace) met and married R&B singer and fellow Bad Boy Records label mate Evans in 1994--a turbulent but often loving relationship that ended when Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997, 16 days before his second album, Life After Death, hit
Something's Coming: "The Composer" Collects Bernstein's Musicals and More In Massive Box
On March 31, a lavish new box set from Sony Classical will celebrate the legacy of one of America's greatest composers - the late Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990). The LP-sized Leonard Bernstein: The Composer contains 25 CDs of the maestro's most enduring compositions including his Broadway musicals, all of the original stereo "Bernstein Conducts Bernstein" recordings made for Columbia Masterworks, new compilations, and more. Nine discs have been newly remastered from the first-generation analog
Let's Go Crazy! Prince Comes to Streaming, "Purple Rain" Reissue Due in June
Dearly beloved, we R gathered here 2day to announce that Prince's classic Warner Bros. Records catalogue is finally back on streaming services. As previously expected, 18 studio albums, six compilations and a handful of digital singles and EPs are available on Spotify, with all platforms expected to feature the offering by the 5 p.m. Pacific start time of the 59th annual Grammy Awards. But that's not all: in a press release, Warner Bros. announced the first details of the long-awaited
Big Break Big Round-Up, Part One: Spotlight on Chameleon and Five Special
Welcome to Part One of our Big Break Records Big Round-Up! Today, we're looking at a pair of releases from 1979 which have newly received the BBR remastered and expanded treatment! Chameleon was the brainchild of Azar Lawrence, the saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist who had played in the bands of Miles Davis, Gene Harris, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, and McCoy Tyner. Like so many of his jazz contemporaries, Lawrence began to explore the connections between the various strains of jazz
UPDATE: Vibe On's Deluxe Reissue of Miami Sound Machine's "Primitive Love" Indefinitely Delayed
We're sorry to report that fans waiting for the eagerly-anticipated deluxe reissue of Miami Sound Machine's Primitive Love, from the fine folks at Vibe On Records, will have to wait a bit longer. The label has confirmed the unfortunate news that the title has been indefinitely delayed, as a result of Gloria and Emilio Estefan wishing to concentrate on the recording of a new Gloria Estefan album. Our friends at Vibe On have written, in part: "Until very recently, the Estefans were working with
Stop The World! Cherry Red's él Label Reissues Anthony Newley, Peter Sellers, John Barry, José Feliciano, More
Cherry Red's él imprint had a busy 2016, most recently with a number of titles from Anita Kerr including We Dig Anita! and box sets dedicated to her recordings with The Anita Kerr Singers and The San Sebastian Strings. We've already filled you in on most of the imprint's titles from last year, but here are some nice things you might have missed from the él catalogue, many of which have been drawn from the vaults of Ember Records. John Barry Plays 007 and Other '60s Themes for Film,
The Way It Was: SoulMusic Reissues and Expands Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole
We filled you in recently about Cherry Red and SoulMusic Records' recent salute to songstress Vivian Reed, but the label has also offered a pair of titles from two more great ladies of song: Gladys Knight and the late Natalie Cole. Gladys Knight's The Solo Collection collects her first two Pips-less albums, from 1978 and 1979: the Buddah Records release of Miss Gladys Knight, and its Columbia follow-up, Gladys Knight. The second disc features eight bonus tracks associated with the latter
Do That Conga Beat: Vibe On Expands Miami Sound Machine's "Primitive Love" to 2 CDs
This March, Vibe On Records will be going Primitive. The label is following its recent reissue of Cher's I Paralyze with another lavishly expanded Deluxe Edition - this time from Miami Sound Machine featuring the one and only Gloria Estefan. On March 31, Vibe On will reissue MSM's 1985 breakthrough Primitive Love as a 2-CD edition featuring a full 23 bonus tracks - four of which are previously unreleased, and six of which have never previously appeared on CD. Primitive Love, Miami Sound
Groovin' Down A Crowded Avenue: Real Gone March Slate Features The Rascals, Southside Johnny, Artful Dodger, Ann-Margret
Official word has just come out about Real Gone's titles for March and, as usual, the line-up boasts an eclectic group of releases including a number of comprehensive double-CD sets! First up is a compilation featuring liner notes from our very own Joe Marchese. The Definitive Collection from Ann-Margret features 30 of the flame-haired singer/actress's songs from her 1961-1966 tenure on RCA Records and includes standards, pop, soundtrack recordings and collaborations with Al Hirt and Elvis
Mandatory Fun: More Details Emerge About "Weird Al" Yankovic's Career-Spanning "Squeeze Box"
Last June, word came out that this year would see the release of a box set containing all of "Weird Al" Yankovic's studio albums. Over six months have gone by with not much more being revealed, but a few more details have just been announced today. The appropriately-titled Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic will be released on November 24. Produced by Legacy Recordings, it will be available via PledgeMusic. CD, vinyl and digital versions will be released. Both physical
It's Too Late To Stop Now: Ted's Year in Review, And A Look Ahead
In the early days of the New Year, we've announced our annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards, and have also shared Mike's selections for the Reissues of the Year! Today, Ted takes a turn with a look at his own, wide-ranging personal music diary, or Best of 2016 - plus a look at what he's most anticipating in the months to come! We hope you'll discover a favorite of your own! You'll find selected links below for further reading. 2016 was a richly diverse year for music. But before taking a look at
Turn Them Loose! BBR Reissues Philly Classic From People's Choice
"Come on everybody, let's jam with The People's Choice!" goes the lyric to the funky title song which opens 1978's Turn Me Loose, the third album from Frankie Brunson's Philly outfit. People's Choice was a bit different from the other groups populating the roster at Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records, being a self-contained band rather than a vocal group. (Instant Funk was another such band, though that unit found greater success after migrating to Salsoul
Doin' It: Cherry Red Reissues, Expands Three Fusion Classics From Herbie Hancock
Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint recently paired Herbie Hancock's 1978 and 1979 albums Sunlight and Feets Don't Fail Me Now on one 2-CD set. Now, Robinsongs has looked back to bring three original Hancock albums for Columbia Records together as one 2-CD package: 1974's Thrust, 1975's Man-Child, and 1976's Secrets. All three of these albums were Jazz No. 1 records; these reissues sweeten the deal by adding rare single versions to the track line-ups. Thrust was the American follow-up to
This Is It: SoulMusic Collects Melba Moore, Ramsey Lewis, George Duke On New Anthologies
SoulMusic Records, in association with Cherry Red, has recently launched a series of new 2-CD anthologies designed to give a comprehensive look at one period of an artist's career. The initial group of releases is dedicated to three artists whose talents span multiple genres - Melba Moore, George Duke, and Ramsey Lewis. Melba Moore's Standing Right Here: the Anthology - The Buddah and Epic Years devotes one disc to each one of those labels. Moore's first major-label contract was actually
Spicks and Specks: Bee Gees' Catalogue Moves to UMe
Second Disc HQ always buzzes when new catalog acquisitions are announced, and last week had us feeling like bees...Bee Gees, that is! Last Tuesday, it was announced that distribution of the legendary Australian trio's discography (including 22 studio albums, the bestselling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, compilations and unreleased material) would transition from longtime home Rhino to Capitol/Universal Music Enterprises. Barry Gibb, along with his late brothers Robin and Maurice, guided
Release Round-Up: Week of December 2
Welcome to December, and this week's Release Round-Up! The Rolling Stones, Blue and Lonesome (Interscope) Standard Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Rolling Stones return with their first studio album since 2005's A Bigger Bang. Recorded over just three days in London, Blue and Lonesome returns the legendary band to its blues roots. Available on CD, LP
You Know How Good It Is: BBR Expands Vincent Montana's "Goody Goody" For CD
It's that time of year again when radio stations everywhere turn to the sounds of the holiday season. One of the tunes always in frequent rotation is a bit of light swing from The Salsoul Orchestra's 1976 disco classic Christmas Jollies: "Merry Christmas, All." The voice of that perennial belongs to Denise Montana, daughter of its composer-arranger-conductor, the late, great MFSB vibraphonist and Salsoul Orchestra leader Vince Montana. Now, another project uniting Vince and Denise Montana has
A Groovy Kind of Love: Ace Collects Classical-Inspired Pop Songs on "Classical Gassers"
Classical music has long been a source of inspiration for pop. Just ask Barry Manilow ("Could It Be Magic"), Eric Carmen ("All By Myself," "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"), Billy Joel ("This Night"), or Walter Murphy ("A Fifth of Beethoven"). Ace Records has recently collected 24 of these classical "crossovers" on the aptly-titled Classical Gassers: Pop Gems Inspired by the Great Composers. These tracks date between 1960 and 1971 and feature such hitmaking artists as Lesley Gore, Jay and the
Good Times! The Second Disc's Essential RSD Black Friday 2016 Release Guide
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you're enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of 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 - the day for consumers to start off the holiday shopping season on a mad, frenetic note. But 2016 is just in the latest year in which numerous retailers in the U.S. have made headlines by blackening Thursday, or
Double-O-Love: SoulMusic, Cherry Red Reissue Dan Hartman's "Instant Replay"
It's Instant Replay for Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint with the recent reissue of Dan Hartman's 1978 disco classic of the same name. The album featuring the Disco chart-topper has been expanded with four bonus singles for this new edition. It's difficult to pigeonhole Dan Hartman. The late musician-songwriter-producer-artist had begun his musical career as a member of psychedelic rock outfit The Legends before backing Johnny Winter and then, crucially, Johnny's brother Edgar. As a
Everybody Say Yeah! New Box Set Marks 50 Years of NRBQ
The New Rhythm and Blues Quartet (NRBQ) is turning 50 this year, and Omnivore Recordings is throwing the party! High Noon: A 50-Year Retrospective features 106 eclectic songs over 5 CDs including fan favorites such as the 1974 hit "Get That Gasoline Blues," plus rarities, concert tracks, and previously unreleased recordings from the band's varied line-ups over the years! Since its founding in Louisville, Kentucky in 1966, NRBQ has touched on rock, jazz, blues, pop, and Americana. The band has
Release Round-Up: Week of November 4
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a host of holiday offerings (including three new titles from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music!) and much, much more! Jack Jones, The Jack Jones Christmas Album (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music proudly bring Jack Jones' 1964 Kapp Records classic to CD for the very first time! The Jack Jones Christmas Album features lush renditions of "White
You Bet Your Love: Robinsongs Reissues Funky Sets From Herbie Hancock, Zapp
Today, we're spotlighting a pair of funk-drenched new releases from Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint! When Herbie Hancock's The Joni Letters received an Album of the Year Grammy Award in 2008, it became the first jazz album to take the trophy since 1965 - underscoring the legendary pianist's enduring relevance in his fifth decade as a recording artist. Since Takin' Off in 1962 with his Blue Note debut of the same name, Hancock had pushed the envelope of jazz, including a period in the late
Accentuate The Positive: Capitol Records Turns 75, Plans New Vinyl Reissues
Capitol Records, the venerable label founded by Johnny Mercer with B.G. DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and now a unit of Universal Music Group, turns 75 next year. In celebration of this landmark anniversary, the label has announced three new initiatives. The first of these endeavors is The Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Collection, a series of 75 vinyl reissues from various genres curated by "noted music journalists, authors and other renowned creative figures." The Beatles are represented
Do Your Thing: 20 Record Store Day Black Friday Essentials
Are you making a list and checking it twice? We are! Record Store Day Black Friday is here in less than a month, and this week we're showcasing all of our favorite titles. We've shown you the goods from Legacy, Real Gone, Rhino and Omnivore; now, here are 20 more titles we think you should absolutely check out. There's soundtrack goodies from Varese Sarabande and Light in the Attic; holiday favorites from Bob & Doug McKenzie, Frank Sinatra and "Dolemite" himself; lost gems from Isaac Hayes,
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