A little more than a week ago, on March 15, Sly Stone turned 72. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and multi-hyphenate artist has survived more than his share of ups and downs. But for a staggering period of nearly 50 years, Sly's work as composer, singer, producer and musician has continued to take listeners higher with his groundbreaking blend of funk, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, psychedelia, jazz and pop. Epic Records and Legacy Recordings have recently reissued the first five albums from Sly
The Disco Years
This new box set includes the fashion and music icon's Portfolio, Fame and Muse, three albums recorded for Island Records at the height of the disco era with contributions from Tom Moulton, Vince Montana and more. The albums are expanded with over 20 bonus B-sides, edits, instrumentals and extended mixes, some previously unreleased.
Ben (Expanded Edition)
Real Gone and Dusty Groove kick off a series of reissues from Brazilian pop legend Jorge Ben's catalog, starting with his 1972 masterpiece, Ben. This edition adds seven bonus tracks, including a fast-paced 1972 version of his first big hit "Mas Que Nada" and a rare single with Gilberto Gil, "Jazz Potatoes." Peter Margasak provides new liner notes!
Can We Talk? Rare Joan Rivers Album Comes to CD for Record Store Day
When Joan Rivers released The Next to Last Joan Rivers Album in 1969 on Buddah Records, could she have realized that the title would indeed remain accurate? The first album from the trailblazing comedy legend arrived on Warner Bros. in 1965, while the last Joan Rivers album came via Geffen Records in 1983. Now, the next to last Joan Rivers album – that just so happens to be called The Next to Last Joan Rivers Album – is making its CD debut on Record Store Day this April 18 on the Stand Up!
Omnivore's Record Store Day Trio Revealed with The Honeys, MC Lyte, More "High Fidelity"
What do Brian Wilson, MC Lyte and Sam Phillips have in common? All three are among the artists and producers represented on Omnivore Recordings’ trio of delicious vinyl offerings for this April 18’s upcoming Record Store Day! Sessions ’64!! is so exciting that no less than two exclamation points will do!! This groovy 10-inch slab of translucent gold vinyl transports listeners back to 1964. It includes nine tracks produced by Brian Wilson and Jimmy Bowen for the Warner Bros. and
Release Round-Up: Week of March 10
This week brings a particularly impressive slate by any standard, but we're particularly proud to introduce the world to Second Disc Records with our first two releases, from Johnny Mathis and the late Bob Crewe! Johnny Mathis, Life is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Here, on two CDs, we proudly present both of Johnny Mathis' album collaborations - including the never-on-CD Mathis Is... - with songwriter-producer
Shake Your Pants! Robinsongs Goes "Insane" With New Cameo Reissues
In 2010, Cherry Red’s Superbird imprint combined Cameo’s first two albums, Cardiac Arrest and We All Know Who We Are, in one package. Now, five years later, Cherry Red’s Robinsongs has just reissued the funk supergroup’s third and fourth outings, 1978’s Ugly Ego and 1979’s Secret Omen. Originally founded as The New York City Players, Larry Blackmon and his big band soon changed the group name to Cameo, to avoid confusion with the Ohio Players. Prior to this, Blackmon (the band’s
Walking in Memphis: Omnivore Revisits "Beale Street Saturday Night"
Omnivore Recordings is going back to Memphis. The label has already preserved a number of classic records drawing on the city’s rich musical landscape by artists including Big Star, Alex Chilton, Sandra Rhodes, and Sid Selvidge. On April 14, Omnivore will add to that collection with the reissue of Beale Street Saturday Night, produced and curated in 1979 by the late Jim Dickinson in celebration of the city’s blues mecca Beale Street. Produced for The Memphis Development Foundation (and
Don't Leave Her This Way: Thelma Houston's "Any Way You Like It" Gets Expanded Treatment
Powerhouse vocalist Thelma Houston has long had a champion in SoulMusic Records. In 2012, the label issued an expanded edition of her debut album (and second overall) for Motown’s California-based MoWest label, and in 2013, SoulMusic reissued both of her duet albums with the “Ice Man” Jerry Butler. The label has just revisited 1976’s Any Way You Like It, the album that made a superstar out of Houston thanks to a little anthem called “Don’t’ Leave Me This Way.” Though Berry Gordy’s West
Release Round-Up: Week of February 17
The Pretenders, 1979-1999 (Edsel) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) This mega-box features all of Edsel's expanded Pretenders reissues, totaling the band's eight Sire/Warner Bros. albums across 14 CDs and 8 DVDs (with six of the titles as 2-CD/1-DVD sets and two as 1-CD/1-DVD sets). Wow! All of the box set's albums are also available individually (see below)! All track listings and discography can be found here. The Pretenders, 1979-1999 individual CD/DVD reissues
I'm Real: Deluxe Edition
The Godfather of Soul's 1988 Scotti Bros. album has been expanded from 11 tracks on one CD to 21 tracks on two CDs thanks to the addition of various single versions and remixes.
Release Round-Up: Week of February 10
Mike + The Mechanics, Living Years: Deluxe Edition (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) This Deluxe Edition of Mike + The Mechanics’ 1988 album arrives in the U.S. with a second disc featuring “The Living Years 2014″ and live tracks culled from the band’s 1989 tour. Read our full coverage here. Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Complete Columbia Singles (Friday Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Friday Music has repackaged Collectors’ Choice Music’s 2010 three-disc collection of the
Easy Skanking in Boston '78
Easy Skanking in Boston '78 kicks off a new program from UMe and the Bob Marley family. This new release, consisting of previously unreleased concert footage, will be available in Blu-Ray/CD combo pack, DVD/CD and standalone CD and vinyl versions. The video was shot with a hand-held camera by a fan that Marley allowed to sit right in front of the stage for his 1978 concert at Boston's Music Hall. The result captures the artist from just a few feet away. Gaps in the original footage have been
1974-1979
This box set brings together the band's Mr. Natural, Main Course, Children of the World and Spirits Having Flown plus a disc of bonus material.
You Should Be Dancing! Bee Gees' "1974-1979" Box Set Arrives in March
The legacy of The Bee Gees is stayin’ alive with the March 24 release of a new box set celebrating the group at its commercial peak. Bee Gees: 1974-1979 follows in the footsteps and basic format of 2014’s The Warner Bros. Years: 1987-1991, housing within a compact clamshell box four original studio albums plus a bonus disc of B-sides and single releases. 1974-1979 box begins with 1974’s Mr. Natural and continues with Main Course (1975), Children of the World (1976) and Spirits Having Flown
Songs of Inspiration
Exposure: Deluxe Edition
1987's Exposure from the Freestyle dance-pop trio Exposé lived up to its title, with a total of seven singles lifted from the album including hits "Point of No Return," (US #5, 1987), "Come Go with Me" (US #5, 1987), "Let Me Be the One" (US # 7, 1987), and "Seasons Change" (US #1, 1987). With these hits, Exposé became the first female group ever to have four Top 10 singles from a debut album make the Billboard Hot 100. This 2-CD edition adds 19 bonus tracks to the original 10-song sequence -
Real Gone's March Slate Boasts Peggy Lee, Perry Como, Foghat, J. Geils Band - and Second Disc Records, Too!
We hope that nobody missed yesterday’s big news of The Second Disc’s partnership with Real Gone Music to create Second Disc Records, launching March 10 with a pair of releases from Johnny Mathis and Bob Crewe! But that’s not all that Real Gone has on tap for March release. With a total of eight titles ranging from psychedelia to standards, this may be one of the label’s most eclectic release batches yet! Real Gone is kicking off the month on March 3 with two iconic classic rock albums on
Joy In My Soul: The Complete SAR Recordings
This new 2-CD collection from ABKCO offers the complete recorded output of the legendary gospel group on the SAR Records label, which was co-owned by former Soul Stirrer Sam Cooke and former Pilgrim Traveler J.W. Alexander. The recordings span the period of 1959 to 1964, and cover the period after the group's Specialty recordings and up until Sam Cooke's tragic death.
Freedom Highway Complete - Recorded Live at Chicago's New Nazareth Church
Pretty Girls Everywhere
Rockin' Soul/Love Corporation
The Stand-Up Years 1964-1968
The Legacy Collection: Fantasia
Return To The "Freedom Highway": Staple Singers Classic Is Reissued and Expanded
For almost 50 years, between 1948 and 1994, The Staple Singers stood at the crossroads of gospel and soul, preaching messages of peace and positivity through music. In April 1965, The Staples - "Pops," Mavis, Yvonne and Pervis - were joined by drummer Al Duncan and bassist Phil Upchurch at Chicago's New Nazareth Church to record the album that became Freedom Highway. The LP, originally released on Epic Records, recognized that year's historic civil rights marches from Montgomery to Selma,