The legacy of Aretha Franklin lives on, with today bringing announcements of a new pair of releases plus a special digital Christmas single from the forever Queen of Soul. On December 7, Rhino/Atlantic will issue a new vinyl box set. The Atlantic Records 1960s Collection presents Franklin's first five Atlantic studio albums, plus a bonus LP with 11 demos and outtakes that are making their vinyl debut. Limited to 5,000 copies, the box features each album pressed on 140-gram vinyl and
Release Round-Up: Week of October 12
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! David Bowie, Loving the Alien (1983-1988) (Parlophone) 11CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 15LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The fourth annual volume of Parlophone's ongoing series of box sets dedicated to the late David Bowie, Loving the Alien (1983-1988), arrives on 11 CDs or 15 vinyl LPs. This lavish set is filled with more exclusive material than any of its predecessors, as only three studio albums are
We Wish You a Merry Christmas: Andre Kostelanetz, “Bonanza” Releases Coming From Second Disc Records, Real Gone Music
Every year, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records' bonanza of Christmas music is as sure a thing as Santa's coming down the chimney! And this year, there's an actual Bonanza as part of our line-up! On November 9, we're getting into the holiday spirit with two all-new collections. First up is Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra's The Complete Christmas Albums, and Andre and co. will be joined by The Complete Christmas on the Ponderosa featuring Lorne Greene and the cast of television's
Make A List and Check It Twice: Real Gone Announces Christmas Reissues From The McGuire Sisters, John Klein, Rod McKuen
Even though Fall has just begun, we are already looking ahead to Christmas as several artists have already announced yuletide albums for this year. And, continuing their annual tradition, our friends at Real Gone Music are releasing selection of classic Christmas CDs this year, the first three of which they have just announced. All three of these are due on November 2. First up is Season's Greetings From the McGuire Sisters - The Complete Coral Christmas Recordings. The singing trio of
Release Round-Up: Week of September 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Bobbie Gentry, The Girl from Chickasaw County: The Complete Capitol Masters (UMC U.K.) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The career of the enigmatic Bobbie Gentry is celebrated on a remarkable new box set. The hotly-anticipated 8-CD collection The Girl from Chickasaw County: The Complete Capitol Masters collects all seven of Gentry's 1967-1971 Capitol Records studio albums plus more than 75 previously unreleased recordings. This
Wonderful Christmastime: The Monkees’ “Christmas Party” Arrives In October
The Monkees are throwing a Christmas Party, and you're invited! On October 12, the group's first-ever Christmas album will be released via Rhino on CD, digital download, and streaming. Following in the acclaimed footsteps of 2016's Good Times!, Christmas Party will feature production by Adam Schlesinger, new vocals by Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, and classic vocals from the late Davy Jones. On this festive set, The Monkees bring their distinctive sound to yuletide
Summon the Heroes: John Williams Box to Celebrate More Than 25 Years of Pops and More
This past Sunday, John Williams received a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella, for a track on his latest studio album. It's his 24th Grammy and joins his five Oscars, four Golden Globes, three Emmys and numerous other awards. At 85, Williams has hardly slowed down. Of course, aside from his film composing work, he has also been an orchestra conductor for many years. Sony Classical is celebrating that aspect of Williams' career with the 20-disc John Williams:
Release Round-Up: Weeks of December 22 and 29
Welcome to this end-of-year Release Round-Up! The Monkees, More of The Monkees: Super Deluxe Edition (Rhino) Rhino delivers a 3-CD Super Deluxe Edition of The Monkees' 1967 sophomore album with mono and stereo versions of the album and a plethora of alternate takes, never-before-heard rarities, and a recently-discovered live recording! With 91 tracks (55 previously unreleased!), this set greatly expands upon the 2-CD iteration from 2006. Read all about it here! Herbie Mann,
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Beatles, “The Christmas Records”
Dear Beatle People... When the future Sir George Martin first encountered John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he famously wasn't impressed by their music. "They weren't hit material, I didn't think, anyway," he reflected to CBS News. "But they had tremendous charisma, those guys. I fell in love with them, really. They were cheeky and they had this sparkle..." That charisma and most definitely that sparkle shines through on a surprise new release just in time
Release Round-Up: Week of December 15
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Beatles, The Christmas Records (Capitol/Apple/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Happy Christmas, Beatle people! The Christmas Records, a seven-disc vinyl box set from the Fab Four, features colored 45 RPM recreations of the Beatles' original Christmas fan club flexi-discs (all single-sided except for the last two in 1968 and 1969). The original sleeve artwork has been recreated for each title, and an enclosed 16-page booklet
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Johnny Mathis, “The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection”
I. Wonderful, Wonderful "A new sound in popular music," heralded the back cover of Johnny Mathis' 1956 debut album. That self-titled release on Columbia Records introduced a voice that's now instantly familiar: expressive, rich, creamy, seductive, and tender, with a clarion, controlled vibrato that set it apart from any other tone in the golden age of American song. As Columbia's George Avakian realized, Mathis' natural instrument was perfect for jazz - capable of navigating the form's
THE SECOND DISC’S 2017 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
We wouldn't want you to be left out in the cold today for Cyber Monday, so we're proud to present 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 Bob Dylan title to your right!) as well as archival releases and holiday music favorites that make great stocking stuffers. So just click here to access this year's top picks, reflecting the diversity of music released this year in
Release Round-Up: Week of November 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! "Weird Al" Yankovic, Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic (Legacy) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The world's premier parodist celebrates his discography with a box set unlike any other: all 14 of his original albums, newly remastered; Medium Rarities, a bonus album of rare and unreleased material; and a 100+ page book of rare photos and memorabilia--all packaged
Release Round-Up: Week of November 17
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Queen, News of the World: 40th Anniversary Edition (UMC (U.K.) / Hollywood (U.S.) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.) Queen's sixth album, 1977's News of the World, is being generously expanded for its 40th anniversary in a new 3CD/1DVD/1LP box set. The original album is presented on CD and LP. The first bonus CD, the entirely unreleased Raw Sessions, presents an alternate version of the original album from demos, outtakes and live
Release Round-Up: Week of November 10
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Elton John, Diamonds [Various Formats] (UMe) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Elton John looks back on his extraordinary career with a new retrospective collection, available in 1-CD, 2-CD, 3-CD, and 2-LP formats. Get all of the details right here! R.E.M., Automatic for the
If You Just Believe: Josh Groban Expands Hit Holiday Album for 10th Anniversary
The Christmas season is almost upon us, and classical crooner Josh Groban is celebrating with an expanded edition of Noël, his best-selling holiday album. Released in the fall of 2007, a holiday record was something of an inevitability for the lyric baritone, who at the time had spent the better part of the previous decade becoming an adult contemporary sensation. At 19, he stepped in for opera singer Andrea Bocelli during a rehearsal for the Grammy Awards in 1999, where he sang "The Prayer"
Release Round-Up: Week of November 3
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Supremes, The Ultimate Merry Christmas (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music are joining Motown Records to unwrap a celebration of The Supremes' 1965 perennial Merry Christmas. The Ultimate Merry Christmas features the album in three distinctive versions: the original 1965 mono and stereo mixes, as well as a brand new, never-before-heard 2017 mix premiering
Happy Christmas, Beatle People! New Fab Four Holiday Vinyl Box, ‘Sgt. Pepper’ Remix Hi-Def Audio and Vinyl Announced
The Beatles are planning three special gifts for collectors, just in time for the Christmas season: a vinyl box set of the band's beloved Christmas messages to fans, plus new editions of this year's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band remix and reissue on vinyl and hi-def digital audio. All three titles hit stores December 15! If you were a Beatlemaniac during the band's original heyday, nothing could be better than getting a special present from The Beatles Fan Club. Seven original
COMING TOMORROW! The Supremes Kick Off Our Christmas Slate with The Ames Brothers, Connie Smith
TOMORROW, Friday, November 3, is the day we've been waiting for here at Second Disc HQ - when we can finally unveil our new, and biggest ever, Second Disc Records slate of Christmas releases to you! Tomorrow, we're joining Real Gone Music for a trio of titles beginning with The Supremes' The Ultimate Merry Christmas, a deluxe 2-CD, 50-track celebration of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard's 1965 Merry Christmas. This is one ultimate collection we're confident will live up to its
Release Round-Up: Week of October 20
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! George Michael, Listen Without Prejudice 25 (Columbia/Legacy) 2-CD (Disc 1 & 2 Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3-CD/1-DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Legacy is delivering a deluxe edition of George Michael's classic 1990 album. Listen Without Prejudice 25 sees release in several formats. The biggest is a 3-CD/1 DVD box set. The first CD contains a
Tori Amos, Richard Hell Lead Rhino’s Record Store Day Black Friday Slate
Rhino Records is planning 11 titles for this year's Record Store Day Black Friday--and two of them are fairly unexpected catalogue treats from two very different artists. First up, the label has announced an upcoming expanded edition on CD and LP of Richard Hell & The Voidoids' Blank Generation. Hell, a founding member of Television and one of the key figures of early punk rock in New York and beyond (his personal style of spiked hair and safety pins is said to have influenced Malcolm
Release Round-Up: Week of October 13
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Who, Tommy: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Eagle Rock) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. In spring 2017, in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust, The Who played the classic Tommy in full, plus an encore set of seven greatest hits at London's historic Royal Albert Hall. This release includes every song from
Release Round-Up: Week of October 6
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Carol Burnett, Carol Burnett Sings: Expanded Edition (Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Real Gone celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Carol Burnett Show with the comedy legend's third solo album and first for RCA Victor. A tie-in to the groundbreaking variety show, Carol Burnett Sings features four songs performed on early episodes: "Georgy Girl," "Enter Laughing," "I Believed It All" and "There's No Business Like Show
Release Round-Up: Week of September 29
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! David Bowie, A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982) (Parlophone) 11CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 13LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. The third release in Parlophone's series of chronological box sets dedicated to the music of David Bowie, A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982) closes the book on the legendary artist's RCA career. It follows 2015's Five Years (1969-1973) and 2016's Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976),
Making a List and Checking It Twice: Real Gone’s Christmas Offerings Revealed, Including Percy Faith, Fred Waring and Robert Shaw
We've already told you about the three Christmas offerings coming from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music this year from The Supremes, The Ames Brothers and Connie Smith. Now here's the rest of Real Gone's superlative slate of yuletide releases...and one more non-holiday reissue, all due on November 3! First up is an expanded edition of the classic Music of Christmas from Percy Faith and His Orchestra. This was actually the second album to bear this title from the prolific conductor.