Songs Of Faith: Aretha Gospel offers nine gospel standards recorded by a 14-year-old Aretha in 1956 at the New Bethel Church in her native Detroit, where her father, the legendary Rev. C.L. Franklin, would give his inimitable sermons. Predating her tenure on Columbia Records by six years and her breakthrough on Atlantic Records by more than a decade, these primitive piano-and-vocal recordings offer a fascinating early listen to one of the most original and captivating voices in recorded history. This vinyl release features new liner notes by David Ritz and a discographical history of…
Never Grow Old: Aretha’s Early Gospel Recordings Back On Vinyl In March
UMe will commemorate the late, legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, with a new vinyl reissue of her earliest recordings next month. Songs Of Faith: Aretha Gospel offers nine gospel standards recorded by a 14-year-old Aretha in 1956 at the New Bethel Church in her native Detroit, where her father, the legendary Rev. C.L. Franklin, would give his inimitable sermons. Predating her tenure on Columbia Records by six years and her breakthrough on Atlantic Records by more than a decade, these primitive piano-and-vocal recordings offer a fascinating early listen to one of…
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 2004. It also resulted in two Grammy Awards: Best Traditional R&B…
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Yesterday’s Dreams: UMe Releases “Motown Unreleased: 1968” and “In Loving Memory: Expanded Edition” Copyright Extension Collections
In a winter tradition that’s as reliable as any, UMe has released the latest in the annual copyright extension series, entitled Motown Unreleased: 1968. The two-part compilation will arrive to digital download and streaming services today, December 14. Between the two volumes, there’s a whopping 88 tantalizing, previously unreleased gems from the Motown vault! Motown heavy-hitters, soul superstars, and fan favorites abound on these two collections. There’s a wealth of Stevie Wonder rarities, for example, from his cover of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and rare original recordings, to live…
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THE SECOND DISC’S 2018 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
Another Cyber Monday is upon us, which means one thing at Second Disc HQ: it’s time to launch our annual Holiday Gift Guide, featuring more than 50 essential selections for the music enthusiast in your life! We’ve filled the guide with box sets (such as the David Bowie title to your left!) as well as archival releases and holiday music favorites that will make great stocking stuffers. So just click here to access this year’s top picks, reflecting the diversity of music released this year in genres including rock, pop, country, gospel, prog, jazz, standards, classical, Broadway, and…
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Good News: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Collect Staple Singers’ Epic Years on “For What It’s Worth”
Stop, children, what’s that sound? For nearly half a century, the sound of The Staple Singers was one of tremendous power. Roebuck “Pops” Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and (sometimes) Yvonne, and son Pervis raised their voices in song to celebrate the Lord, but also to fight for civil rights and espouse messages of positivity and resilience to listeners worldwide. At Epic Records, the group transitioned from pure gospel and blues to soul and R&B – a move that would take them to the heights of commercial success at Stax Records. Cherry Red’s…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 10
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Elvis Presley, Where No One Stands Alone (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) RCA presents 14 of The King’s seminal gospel and spiritually-themed recordings, all remixed with new orchestrations and new supporting vocals from artists who knew and worked with Elvis including Darlene Love, Cissy Houston, and Lisa Marie Presley plus members of The Stamps Quartet and The Imperials. Includes new versions of “Stand by Me,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “Crying in the Chapel.” Available on…
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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 Family releases such as Next Stop Is Vietnam:…
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Release Round-Up: Week of March 16
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Andrew Lloyd Webber: Unmasked – The Platinum Collection (Polydor/UMC) 4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Let the memory live again! Andrew Lloyd Webber celebrates his 70th birthday and provocative new memoir Unmasked with this 4-CD, 71-track box set of the same name. The career-spanning anthology features many of the composer’s most famed songs from Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, School of Rock, and more, performed by artists including…
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Review: “Stax Singles Vol. 4: Rarities and the Best of the Rest”
Stax Records is rightfully renowned for its catalogue of deep southern soul straight from the heart of Memphis. But, like its famous Detroit competitor Motown, the label founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton released music in a variety of sounds and styles. The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (released in 1991 and reissued by Rhino in 2016 was the first major archival box to begin to address the Stax legacy in record-by-record fashion. It was followed by The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971 (1993, reissued 2014) and The Complete Stax-Volt…
IN STORES TOMORROW! Second Disc Records, Real Gone Music Collects The Oak Ridge Boys’ Rare Recordings on “When I Sing for Him”
Before “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue” catapulted them into the mainstream of commercial country and pop, The Oak Ridge Boys paid their dues as both recording artists and popular live performers. The band’s history was a long one, with the original Oak Ridge Quartet dating back to the 1940s. But the birth of The Oak Ridge Boys, as we know the group, really took place in 1973 at Columbia Records. That was when Joe Bonsall joined Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban to complete the foursome that still packs houses today. …
Release Round-Up: Week of February 23
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Concert for George [Various Formats] (Craft Recordings) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/2DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/2BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/2DVD/2BD/4LP Limited Online Exclusive Box Set: George Harrison Shop The star-studded 2002 concert celebration of the life of George Harrison – featuring Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and other luminaries – returns in a variety of formats (with some previously unreleased music and bonus features) from…
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Amazing Grace: 14 Hymns and Gospel Favorites
Gaither Music Group celebrates the spiritual side of the late, great Glen Campbell with this 14-track collection. It’s, in effect, a highlights disc from the 2004 Universal release Love is the Answer: 24 Songs of Faith, Hope and Love, as all songs are derived from that double album. Features “The Old Rugged Cross,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “Mary Did You Know,” and more.
When I Sing For Him: The Complete Columbia Recordings and RCA Singles
This 2-CD, 49-song collection from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music premieres on CD The Oak Ridge Boys’ complete, classic 1974-1976 Columbia albums The Oak Ridge Boys, Sky High, and Old Fashioned, Down Home, Hand Clappin’, Foot Stompin’, Southern Style, Gospel Quartet Music, plus all of their period Columbia non-LP singles, and songs that only appeared on compilations. And that’s not all! Every one of the Oaks’ 1990-1993 RCA singles are here, too – for a comprehensive look at these lost periods of Oak Ridge Boys history! TSD’s own Joe Marchese…
BREAKING! The Oak Ridge Boys’ Columbia Years, RCA Singles Collected On Second Disc, Real Gone’s “When I Sing For Him”
Before “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue” catapulted them into the mainstream of commercial country and pop, The Oak Ridge Boys paid their dues as both recording artists and popular live performers. The band’s history was a long one, with the original Oak Ridge Quartet dating back to the 1940s. But the birth of The Oak Ridge Boys, as we know the group, really took place in 1973 at Columbia Records. That was when Joe Bonsall joined Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban to complete the foursome that still packs houses today. …
The Year In Review – The 2017 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z
Happy New Year, and welcome to The Second Disc’s Eighth Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! As with every year’s awards, our goals are simple: to recognize as many of the year’s most essential reissues and catalogue titles as possible, and to celebrate as many of those labels, producers and artists who make these releases happen in the current retail landscape. The labels you’ll read about below have, by and large, bucked the trends to prove that there’s still a demand for physical catalogue music that you can purchase in brick-and-mortar stores. And…
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I’m So Glad You’re Back: Stax Plans Fourth Volume of Singles Box Set Series
Craft Recordings has been doing great things with the Stax Records catalogue in honor of its 60th anniversary (check out our most recent review of the new Isaac Hayes box set for proof!) – and now, they’re continuing a beloved box set series with a new collection of the label’s singles. Continuing the trend established by The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (released in 1991 and reissued by Rhino in 2016), The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971 (1993, reissued 2014) and The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975 (1994, reissued…
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The Soulful Shack: “Motown Unreleased 1966” Box Set Comes to Limited Edition CD
Given the speed and frequency with which the Motown label made recordings during its heyday, the company’s vaults are known to be vast. Large amounts of unreleased material have been added to compilations and reissues over the years, while still other collections have been solely devoted to never-before-heard tracks from the label’s superstars. Due to European copyright laws that allow unused recordings to enter the public domain, Motown has been releasing digital-only copyright-extension compilations for the past several years beginning with multiple Motown Unreleased 1962: Guys, Girls, Jazz, and Gospel volumes. Last…
Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 – 1979-1981
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 8CD/1DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The latest volume of Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series brings his oft-misunderstood “gospel period” into sharp focus through live and studio performances, never-before-heard songs, and much, much more.
Review: Bob Dylan, “Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981”
I. Gotta Serve Somebody Bob Dylan wasn’t mincing words. On the first track of the first album of what would later be referred to as his “gospel years,” the artist laid his message out with striking simplicity. “It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord,” Dylan admonished, “but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Suddenly, the same singer-songwriter who opined that “the answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind” had found the answer – and His name was Jesus Christ. Between 1979 and 1981, Dylan was galvanized by…
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Joy To The World: Expanded Edition
Connie Smith’s 1975 Christmas classic comes to CD for the first time anywhere in the world from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music! This heartfelt holiday collection is a joyful and reverent Americana celebration of Christmas featuring the Grand Ole Opry legend backed by some of Nashville’s finest session players. Connie herself has written a new introduction and participated in an interview for this release, which adds one bonus track: her duet of “Silent Night” with Willie Nelson.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door: Bob Dylan’s New Bootleg Series Volume “Trouble No More” Explores The Gospel Years
Bob Dylan’s acclaimed Bootleg Series is back, and for its newest volume, it’s taking aim at one of the most controversial, and misunderstood, periods of the Bard of Hibbing’s musical journey. Due from Columbia and Legacy on November 3, Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 focuses on Dylan’s so-called “gospel years,” during which time he crafted some of his most enduring songs in praise of a higher power. The Deluxe Edition features nine discs – 8 CDs and 1 DVD – and premieres 100 previously unreleased tracks, including…
You’ll Be Doin’ All Right: New Compilation Features Elvis Presley Christmas Classics with New Orchestral Backing
Even though the fall season has yet to officially begin, kids are back at school and we are already looking ahead to winter. Of course, that also means Christmas and it is time to start kicking off the announcements of Christmas recordings for this year. RCA and Legacy Recordings have just announced a new Elvis Presley project for this yuletide season: Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, due on October 6. As you may have guessed from the title, this new project follows on from 2015’s If I Can Dream:…
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Release Round-Up: Week of June 2
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson, Full Moon: Expanded Edition (Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 1973’s Grammy-winning, chart-topping Full Moon was the first duet album Rita Coolidge made with her then-husband Kris Kristofferson. Yet, it has never been released on CD outside of Japan – until now! Real Gone’s new reissue has been expanded with six previously unreleased outtakes: one from the album sessions and five more solo Coolidge recordings from the period. I’ve written the new liner notes based on my interview with the…
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When It’s Round-Up Time In Heaven: The Great Gospel Recordings
Having already looked at Eddy Arnold’s Christmas recordings and his 1970 recordings with Lee Hazlewood, Real Gone is now turning to some of the country legend’s gospel songs with When It’s Round-Up Time in Heaven – The Great Gospel Recordings. This reissue brings together two of Arnold’s spiritual efforts: 1954’s 10-inch LP When It’s Round-Up Time in Heaven and 1963’s long-player Faithfully Yours for a total of 20 tracks. The two albums highlight the shift in Arnold’s sound. The first is in the traditional country vein and the second is from after he became one of the…
