Dionne WordPress Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • The Weekend Stream
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ Pop

Release Round-Up: Week of February 17

February 17, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

pretenders box

  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

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Country, Funk, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Art Pepper, Bob Marley, Chicago, Glen Campbell, Kiki Dee, Pretenders, The Alan Parsons Project, The Box Tops

In Memoriam: Lesley Gore (1946-2015)

February 16, 2015 By Joe Marchese 11 Comments

Lesley Gore

I last saw Lesley Gore on October 4, 2010. Lesley was one of a starry assemblage of artists paying tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at New York’s Symphony Space. Though I seem to recall her making a comment about the song not being part of her current repertoire, she gamely performed her 1965 hit “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” for her friend Marvin, its composer. If you closed your eyes, you were back in time to a more innocent era – whether you had actually been there or not – and filled with the

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Lesley Gore

The 50th Anniversary Anthology

February 13, 2015 By

Hermans Hermits Bear Family 50

Bear Family gives the "I'm Into Something Good" and "There's a Kind of Hush" pop stars the deluxe treatment with this new release featuring 66 tracks (spanning hits, B-sides, rarities and demos) - 56 of which are making their first appearance EVER in true stereo mixes!  That's not all.  This set, produced by Ron Furmanek and annotated by Andrew Sandoval, boasts a 140-page book with a foreword by Herman himself, Peter Noone!

Continue Reading

Formats: CD Genre: Pop

Grapefruit Collects Rare Psych-Pop From Pre-Deep Purple Episode Six, More on "Shapes and Shadows"

February 13, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Shapes and Shadows

Musical renaissance man Les Reed is responsible for some of the most beloved pop tunes of all time – “It’s Not Unusual,” “There’s a Kind of Hush,” and “The Last Waltz” among them.  His songs have been recorded by Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark and Bing Crosby.  Less well known is that Reed also founded a record label.  His Chapter One Records was formed in 1968 and lasted until 1973, releasing music by a diverse collection of artists including Episode Six (a proving

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Deep Purple, Les Reed, Mark Wirtz, Various Artists

Listen, People: Bear Family Compiles Herman's Hermits Anthology, Premieres Stereo Mixes

February 11, 2015 By Joe Marchese 12 Comments

Hermans Hermits Bear Family

Bear Family Records is into something good! On March 27, the reissue specialists will unveil The Best of Herman’s Hermits: The 50th Anniversary Anthology, a two-CD, 66-song collection including all of the band’s classic hit records plus demos, B-sides, rarities and a 140-page (!) booklet. For this set which totals almost three hours of music, a whopping 56 tracks are promised to appear for the very first time in true stereo mixes. Herman’s Hermits burst onto the pop scene with their 1964

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Herman's Hermits

One Little Spark: New Label Launches With Kate Bush, Ben Folds, Laura Nyro, "The Sound of Music"

February 10, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Analog Spark

With its upcoming roster boasting titles from Kate Bush, Ben Folds Five, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Laura Nyro and Julie Andrews, the new audiophile label Analog Spark is pulling out all the stops for its debut this spring. Yesterday, Razor & Tie announced the launch of Analog Spark, a new imprint which will focus on reissued releases on both 180-gram vinyl and SACD. Razor & Tie co-owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam commented, “We’re very excited about the launch of Analog Spark

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: SACD, Vinyl Genre: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Ben Folds Five, Julie Andrews, Kate Bush, Laura Nyro, The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Release Round-Up: Week of February 10

February 10, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Kylie Rhythm Box Set

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

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, SACD, Vinyl Genre: Classical/Opera, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Blood Sweat & Tears, Eddie Money, Engelbert Humperdinck, Judy Garland, Kylie Minogue, Mario Lanza, Melissa Manchester, Mike + The Mechanics, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Steve Tyrell

Make Me Smile: Mobile Fidelity Brings "Chicago Transit Authority," "Chicago II" To SACD

February 6, 2015 By Joe Marchese 4 Comments

Chicago II

Does anybody really know what time it is?  Happily, it’s time for Mobile Fidelity to continue its series of limited edition hybrid stereo SACDs for the Chicago catalogue.  MoFi has previously issued 1973’s Chicago VI on SACD and 1984’s Chicago 17 on 24k Gold CD, but now the label has turned back the clock to the very beginning.  And when the very beginning is the one-two punch of 1969’s Chicago Transit Authority and 1970’s Chicago II on SACD, it’s a very good place to start, indeed. Long

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: SACD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop Tags: Chicago

Reviews: Two From Omnivore - Ian Matthews, "Stealin' Home" and TV Eyes, "TV Eyes"

February 6, 2015 By Joe Marchese 4 Comments

ian matthews stealin home

In Part One of our Omnivore round-up, we looked at recent releases from Big Star and Roger Taylor.  Today, we're turning the spotlight on Ian Matthews and the trio of Roger Manning, Jason Falkner and Brian Reitzell, a.k.a. TV Eyes! “This album was very much a conscious attempt at something a little more AOR, without deserting my roots.” So writes Ian (or, as he’s sometimes known on record, Iain) Matthews in his introduction to Omnivore Recordings’ splendid 2014 reissue of his 1978 album

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Pop, Rock Tags: Ian Matthews, Jellyfish, TV Eyes

Megarama: The Mixes

February 5, 2015 By

Megarama

Edsel follows up its six 2CD/DVD album reissues for Bananarama with a companion volume: a 3-CD casebound book set, featuring 36 rare mixes. None of these were included on the album reissues, and fourteen of them are previously unreleased. Megarama was curated with the cooperation of Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward from the group, and was compiled and annotated by acknowledged SAW expert Tom Parker.

Continue Reading

Formats: CD Genre: Pop

Kiki Dee/Stay with Me

February 5, 2015 By

Kiki Stay with Me

Edsel continues its repackaging of the Kiki Dee catalogue with her third and fourth Rocket albums from 1977 and 1978.

Continue Reading

Formats: CD Genre: Pop

Loving and Free/I've Got the Music in Me

February 5, 2015 By

Kiki Loving and Free

This package collects Kiki Dee's first two albums for Elton John's Rocket label.  1973's Loving and Free was produced by the Rocket Man and features him and his backing band on John/Taupin originals that he never recorded himself. The title track of its 1974 follow-up I've Got the Music in Me provided Kiki with her signature song.  This slipcased two-album set adds eight bonus tracks (including all non-album singles) as well as photos and liner notes.

Continue Reading

Formats: CD Genre: Pop

Can't Help Falling in Love/Home Lovin' Man

February 5, 2015 By

Andy Two Fer

BGO brings together two of Andy Williams' U.K. albums in one package.  Can't Help Falling in Love, the U.K. equivalent of Andy's U.S. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head LP, remained on the U.K. albums chart for almost a year, and its title track went Top 10.  1971's Home Lovin' Man, the Brit answer to Love Story, went to No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart thanks to two major hit singles: the title track and "It's So Easy."  Both albums have track listing variations to their U.S. counterparts.  BGO's

Continue Reading

Formats: CD Genre: Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

Release Round-Up: Week of February 3

February 3, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

tony joe white wb8

Tony Joe White: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (2-CD Set) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / George Jones & Tammy Wynette: Songs of Inspiration (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / Bobby Lance: First Peace/Rollin’ Man (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. ) / Jerry Williams: Gone (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / Various Artists: Apollo Saturday Night/Saturday Night at the Uptown (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / John Hall: Power (Expanded Edition) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) / Ray Kennedy: Ray Kennedy (Expanded

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Bob Dylan, Diana Krall, George Jones, Grateful Dead, Tammy Wynette, Tony Joe White

1974-1979

February 2, 2015 By

Bee Gees 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.

Continue Reading

Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul

You Should Be Dancing! Bee Gees' "1974-1979" Box Set Arrives in March

February 2, 2015 By Joe Marchese 7 Comments

Bee Gees 1974 1979

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

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Barry Gibb, Bee Gees, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb

In Memoriam: Rod McKuen (1933-2015) - A Second Disc Encore Review

January 30, 2015 By Joe Marchese 4 Comments

rod mckuen listen3

On January 29, 2015, we lost a true American original with the passing of Rod McKuen, 81.  Poet, composer, lyricist, singer, author, artist; there were few mountains that McKuen didn't climb to great success.  An Oscar and Pulitzer nominee, and a Grammy winner, McKuen also was among the earliest to champion the works of Jacques Brel, and was a longtime advocate for gay rights.  "It doesn't matter who you love, or how you love, but that you love," McKuen once said.  In his own recordings and

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Rod McKuen

Unchained Melodies: Ace Collects "The London American Label 1965" with The Righteous Brothers, Burt Bacharach, The Vogues, More

January 29, 2015 By Joe Marchese 5 Comments

London American 1965

With the recently-released tenth volume of its year-by-year chronicle, Ace’s The London American Label series revisits 1965.  Though America was swept up in the sounds of the British Invasion, Great Britain was still interested in the music from the United States – as evidenced by the 27 selections here drawn from 72 singles.  That said, the tide was turning; London American issued 109 singles in 1964 and 177 in 1963.  Hit-wise, though, the London American label yielded 11 chart records in 1965

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Burt Bacharach, Lou Johnson, The Righteous Brothers, The Ronettes, The Vogues, Various Artists

Star-Spangled Rodeo: Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" Turns 40, Gets Expanded Edition

January 28, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy

When the 87th Annual Academy Award nominations were announced on January 15, fans of legendary entertainer Glen Campbell no doubt rejoiced at his first-ever Academy Award nomination. Campbell and co-writer Julian Raymond received a Best Original Song nod for “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” the singer-songwriter’s touching farewell from the soundtrack of the documentary film I'll Be Me. It followed news of two Grammy nominations for the song. Campbell, of course, is in the midst of a valiant and very

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Country, Pop Tags: Glen Campbell

Rhinestone Cowboy: 40th Anniversary Edition

January 27, 2015 By

Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy

Capitol Nashville remasters and expands Glen Campbell's smash 1975 album with five bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased "Quits," two rare new-to-U.S.-CD single sides and remixes of "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)."

Continue Reading

Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Country, Pop

Shadows in the Night

January 27, 2015 By

Bob Shadows

It's not a catalogue title, but it's one of the most intriguing of the year nonetheless - Bob Dylan's 36th studio album and first dedicated to the Great American Songbook.  Recorded at Capitol Studios, Shadows in the Night features ten Dylan interpretations of songs previously recorded by Frank Sinatra and written by Irving Berlin, Cy Coleman, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh, and others including the Chairman himself ("I'm a Fool to Want You").

Continue Reading

Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

What's a Matter Baby: RPM Rounds Up Timi Yuro Rarities

January 27, 2015 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Timi Yuro Rarities

The late Rosemary “Timi” Yuro, a.k.a. “the little girl with the big voice,” is still fondly remembered today by music aficionados for her full-throated rendition of “Hurt,” a No. 4 Pop/No. 2 Easy Listening hit in 1961. Signed at first to Liberty Records, Timi went on to record a number of other hits including Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “The Love of a Boy” (No. 44 Pop, 1962) and producer Clyde Otis and Joy Byers’ "What's a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You?)” (No. 12 Pop, 1962). Through two

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Timi Yuro

Release Round-Up: Week of January 27

January 27, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Rainbow A Light

Johnny Mathis, You Light Up My Life/Mathis Magic and The Best Days of My Life (Funky Town Grooves) You Light Up My Life/Mathis Magic: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. The Best Days of My Life: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Funky Town Grooves has not one, but two, releases from the legendary Johnny Mathis!  You Light Up My Life (1978) joins the never-before-on-CD Mathis Magic (1979) on one disc, while FTG's The Best Days of My Life expands the 1979 album with five bonus tracks, two of which are

Continue Reading

Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Blu-Ray Audio, Box Sets, CD Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock Tags: Johnny Mathis, Johnny Winter, Paul Glass, Rainbow, Ron Nagle, Rush, T Rex, The Shadows of Knight, The Standells

RPM Round-Up: Label Collects Mick Fleetwood's Early Days with Bo Street Runners Plus Mark Wirtz, Pelican

January 23, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Bo Street Runners

As three recent titles prove, Cherry Red’s RPM label leaves no stone unturned in its pursuit of rare pop music to issue on CD, living up to its credo “By Collectors – For Collectors.” Much like The Artwoods (also recently the subject of a compilation from RPM), The Bo Street Runners were among the exciting mod R&B revivalist bands that London had to offer in the mid-sixties. However, The Runners – like The Artwoods, The Action and so many others – never attained the top tier of commercial

Continue Reading

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Bo Street Runners, Mark Wirtz, Mick Fleetwood, Pelican, The Matchmakers

Review: Jellyfish, "Bellybutton" and "Spilt Milk" Deluxe Editions

January 20, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

jellyfish bellybutton

Omnivore Recordings has come out swinging in 2015! With the long-anticipated deluxe reissues of Jellyfish’s two studio albums finally here, the label has set a high bar for sheer pop ecstasy. While the band is often tagged as “power pop” – which is not altogether inaccurate – these two 2-CD sets make a strong case that Jellyfish was so much more. In his liner notes for this deluxe revival of 1990 debut Bellybutton (OVCD-5), author Ken Sharp points out that “everyone from Queen to Henry

Continue Reading

Categories: Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Pop, Rock Tags: Jellyfish

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 150
  • 151
  • 152
  • 153
  • 154
  • …
  • 165
  • Next Page »

Upcoming Releases

  • Status Quo Live deluxe
    Live! Deluxe Edition
    Status Quo
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
  • Brothers in Arms 40
    Brothers in Arms: 40th Anniversary Edition
    Dire Straits
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
  • Version 1.0.0
    The Bridge
    David Sancious
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,673 other subscribers

Popular Posts

  • Most Commented
  • Most Viewed
  • Dionne Warwick Make It Easy on Yourself(Don't) Walk On By: Dionne Warwick's "Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971" Due in June on 12...
  • Tracks II CD packshot no disc artShut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on 'Tracks II'
  • Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits Amazon exclusiveHe Wears It Well: Rod Stewart's 'Ultimate Hits' Due in June
  • RSD 2025 best of restRecord Store Day 2025: The Best of the Rest
  • record store day logoThe Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2025: Our Favorite Picks
  • John Williams Anthology 1Mondo Maestro: New John Williams Box Set Series Announced, Plus 'Star Wars' Re-Recordings on Vinyl

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popdose
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2025 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy