In Latin, ars nova translates to new art - and that's precisely what the band of the same name was seeking to conjure on two albums originally released in 1968 and 1969. Now, Cherry Red Group's Esoteric Recordings imprint has reissued both of Ars Nova's LPs - Ars Nova and Sunshine and Shadows - on one 2-CD set entitled Fields of People: The Atlantic and Elektra Recordings 1968-1969. The group was the brainchild of recent Mannes College musical conservatory graduates Wyatt Day
Let’s Do It Again: Omnivore Preps Four Remastered Staple Singers Albums For June
Today, more than 25 years after their final performance together, The Staples Singers are synonymous with gospel and soul music of the highest order. Roebuck "Pops" Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and (sometimes) Yvonne, and son Pervis raised their voices in song to celebrate the Lord, but also to crusade for civil rights and share musical messages of power and positivity around the world. In the 1960s, the group transitioned from pure gospel and blues to soul and R&B, setting the stage
Bandcamp Blow-Out: Support Your Favorite Artists Today For a Good Cause!
Despite the challenges facing the music business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some bright spots. On March 20, indie music service Bandcamp waived their revenue share for 24 hours, allowing artists and labels to support themselves even more robustly. Thanks to impressive results ($4.3 million spent on music and merch, 15 times an average Friday's revenue), Bandcamp will repeat the strategy not once, but thrice: the first Fridays of each month (today, May 1; June 5 and July 3). To
Release Round-Up: Week of May 1
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Benefit for Moogy Klingman (Purple Pyramid) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cleopatra Records' Purple Pyramid imprint remembers Utopia's late keyboardist with Benefit for Moogy Klingman. This 4-CD/2-DVD set (originally slated for May 15 but apparently shipping today) includes the band's Highline Ballroom reunion set of January 29, 2011 (featuring Todd Rundgren, Moogy, Ralph Schuckett, John Siegler, Kevin
What a Wonderful World: Omnivore Reissues, Expands Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks’ “Orange Crate Art” on CD, LP
Brian Wilson found himself an artistic crossroads in 1995. His first solo album was seven years in the rearview mirror. He had begun rebuilding his life with new wife Melinda three years after being extricated from the "care" of disgraced doctor Eugene Landy. Now, it was time for a creative rebirth, too. It began in January with the release of Don Was' documentary film I Just Wasn't Made for These Times and its accompanying soundtrack. It continued later in the year when Wilson reunited with one
How Sweet: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Expand Albums from Shape of the Rain, Neil Innes
Today, we're looking at two new releases from Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records imprint from Shape of the Rain and Neil Innes! Keith Riley, Len Riley, Brian Wood, and Ian "Tag" Waggett came together under the very 1960s name of Shape of the Rain after having exhausted other monikers including The Gear and The Reaction. Under their new psychedelic handle, the group came to the attention of Joe Cocker's manager David McPhie. Initially, the foursome found it difficult to get club gigs precisely
Wonderful! Wonderful! Crimson Collects “Gold” Volumes for Johnny Mathis, George Jones
The ongoing series of budget-priced 3-CD Gold compilations from Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions continues with a pair of releases from artists for whom "legendary" is no understatement: Johnny Mathis and the late George Jones. Curating a representative sampling of Johnny Mathis' singular career in under 50 tracks is no small task, and this set is indeed decades-spanning from his first commercially released single (1956's pairing of "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "When Sunny Gets Blue")
Soundtrack Watch: Goldsmith Favorites, ‘Legends’ Uncovered, La-La Land Sale
Music reissues have been scarce over the last month or so, but our friends at various boutique soundtrack labels have worked hard to put out quality products before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us as we shine the spotlight on some of our recent favorites! Varese Sarabande has been working overtime, releasing three limited CD Club titles as well as a rarer, high-profile deluxe edition. In the latter case, it's a new deluxe edition of the soundtrack to 2014's Whiplash. The sophomore
Makes Me Feel Fine: “NOW That’s What I Call Yacht Rock 2” Sets Sail
It's time to break out the piña coladas. This Friday, the long-running NOW series will release its second volume of NOW That's What I Call Yacht Rock. This collection of classic songs in the "yacht rock" genre - think: seventies and early eighties soft rock with memorable melodies, sparkling productions, and plenty of saxophones - arrives on CD and in digital/streaming formats, with a 2-LP vinyl set arriving on July 3. With eighteen songs, NOW That's What I Call Yacht Rock 2 boasts return
Today’s the Day: America’s “Heritage II” Collects Unreleased Demos, Alternates, More
If you think you know all of the exits off that mythical Ventura Highway, think again. Omnivore Recordings has just released a new collection straight from the America archives, and it's filled with unexpected treasures. Heritage II: Demos/Alternate Takes 1971-1976 follows up the first volume from 2017 and proves itself a more than worthy successor. This collection could well be subtitled The George Martin Years. While its two earliest tracks return to the period of the band's sophomore album,
Release Round-Up: Week of April 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! America, Heritage II: Demos/Alternate Takes 1971-1976 (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) "Today's the Day" when America continues its archival series of demos and alternates via Omnivore Recordings. Heritage II, out today on CD, features 13 previously unissued tracks from 1971-1976 including the epic "Jameroony," the track mix with background vocals only of the hit "Tin Man," Gerry Beckley's never-before-heard "Mandy," and
Happy Ending: Intervention Brings Joe Jackson’s “Body and Soul” to Hybrid SACD
Intervention Records' Joe Jackson reissue series has already seen high-quality vinyl pressings of such favorite albums as I'm the Man, Look Sharp!, Night and Day, and Summer in the City: Live in New York. Now, the label is turning its attention to another classic from the Jackson discography, his 1984 studio album Body and Soul. On or around June 5, the label will reissue Body and Soul as a stereo hybrid SACD, playable on all CD players. Following the breakthrough success of 1982's Night and
Do You Like Huey Lewis and The News? Join Us For Another #TSDTweet This Friday!
A sincere thanks to our readers and friends who joined in to last Friday's live tweet of Prince and The Revolution's Around The World In a Day. It was a nice way to revisit a classic album, a fine memorial to one of our favorite artists, and a nice little show of community in some unusual times. So it's only natural that we'd do it again - and this time, we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the striking slasher film American Psycho by giving a listen to one of the albums it gave a most
I’m Coming Out: Diana Ross’ “Supertonic: Mixes” Collects Chart-Topping Remixes
For the legendary Diana Ross, it's clear that there truly ain't no mountain high enough. The superstar made chart history earlier this year when "Love Hangover 2020" reached the top position on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart - making it her fourth consecutive No. 1 remix of a song that had previously been No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its original version. Now, that record-setting remix is coming to CD, clear vinyl LP, and digital formats along with Miss Ross' other three recent chart-toppers
Everybody Needs a Thrill: Tracks From Prince’s ‘Live At The Aladdin’ Released Digitally
Nearly four years after Prince's passing, The Artist's work still lives on. Next Tuesday, on the anniversary of his passing, CBS will air a tribute concert recorded earlier this year, and Legacy Recordings' next wave of CD and vinyl reissues, covering The Rainbow Children and One Nite Alone... eras, will release next month after being delayed due to the COVID-19 situation. (Don't forget, we're also doing a live listen to Around The World In a Day this afternoon at 5 p.m. EST!) Now, ahead of
Release Round-Up: Week of April 17
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, Carnegie Hall (Zappa Records/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Zappa Records and UMe repackage this 2011 website-exclusive 4-CD set in more compact 3-CD fashion for general release. Carnegie Hall chronicles Zappa and the Mothers of Invention's October 11, 1971 shows at the famed New York venue from the original mono tapes. This version drops the opening set by The Persuasions but
Paisley Park Is In Your Heart: Join Us For a #TSDTweet On ‘Around The World In a Day’
We're a little more than a month into COVID-19 lockdown here at TSD HQ, and we know things are still tough for everyone. (Things are tough for the music business, too, but they have more money than most of us! So this post is for you.) As Mike noted in his last missive to our awesome readers, one of the things getting us through the situation is sharing the gift of music with each other. Neil Finn's Fangradio has been a balm, and Steve Nieve's The Daily Improvisation recently remotely
You Got to Have Friends: Todd Rundgren’s Utopia Releases “Benefit for Moogy Klingman” in 4-CD/2-DVD Box Set
Mark "Moogy" Klingman might have been best known as an early member of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, or as the co-writer of Bette Midler's joyful hit "Friends" which took on new poignancy in the era of AIDS. But Moogy also recorded as a solo artist and as part of the band Glitterhouse, played onstage with such luminaries as Lou Reed, and served as Midler's producer and musical director. In January 2011, the Utopia line-up of Todd Rundgren, Kevin Ellman, John Siegler, Ralph Schuckett, and Klingman
Devoted to You: Edsel Collects Everly Brothers’ “Cadence Recordings” on CD, Reissues Albums on Vinyl
Brothers Don and Phil Everly successfully straddled the line between country and rock-and-roll (with a healthy dollop of R&B) beginning with their first hit record, 1957's "Bye Bye Love." Still an oldies-radio staple today, the Felice and Boudleaux Bryant classic began a long stretch of successes for the duo. Archie Bleyer, of Cadence Records, signed the boys in February 1957 and was keenly aware of their potential to appeal to both teenaged and adult markets. At his behest, the Everlys
Release Round-Up: Week of April 10
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Doris Day, Her Greatest Songs (Sony U.K.) (Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Her Greatest Songs features 16 of Doris' classics from 1948-1970 on pink vinyl. This new compilation draws on her classic Columbia recordings plus the vinyl debut of her rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," recorded in 1970 for the 1971 CBS-TV special The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special. The release of Her Greatest Songs is available today on CD, streaming,
Like A Song: Craft Recordings Compiles “The Best of Ronnie Milsap” on CD
Craft Recordings has just announced a new collection celebrating country superstar Ronnie Milsap. Due out on May 29, The Best of Ronnie Milsap gathers up 12 of the artist's biggest hits from his first tenure at RCA. Craft's parent company, Concord Music, acquired the rights to 16 of Milsap's RCA albums from between 1977-2006 last year, and this is the first physical product to come from the acquisition (an expanded digital version of this compilation featuring 25 songs was released last June by
From The Founder: Hello From Inside
It was on my 23rd (or 25th, depending on how you count it) day of lockdown when I once again had to do something we're all sick of doing these last few weeks: go on social media and see another wave of tributes to a favorite artist who's succumbed to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, it was John Prine, an artist I freely admit is one of my many musical blind spots; but reading the tributes - some from friends, some from great writers, some from both - really underscores the profound
Review: Donna Summer, “Encore”
I. Try Me, I Know We Can Make It Donna Summer's first studio album was entitled Lady of the Night, after its retro-styled galloping pop song composed by Giorgio Moroder and the album's producer Pete Bellotte. Following the release of her next LP, Summer would own the night as an international superstar. But there was much more to the so-called Queen of Disco than just the remarkable string of hits that crossed over from the dancefloor to the mainstream pop consciousness, among them "Love to
Release Round-Up: Week of April 3
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Andy Williams, Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Real Gone Music has the first-ever collection of never-before-heard music from Andy Williams' Columbia Records years. Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 boasts 20 selections direct from the Columbia vault encompassing 16 previously unreleased studio outtakes and four rare singles. Every track on Emperor of Easy
OUT TOMORROW! Real Gone Music Collects Andy Williams’ Unreleased Tracks, Rarities on “Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72”
Tomorrow, Real Gone Music will release the first-ever collection of never-before-heard music from Andy Williams' Columbia Records years, and we can confirm that it will have been worth the wait. Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 boasts 20 selections direct from the Columbia vault encompassing 16 previously unreleased studio outtakes and four rare singles. Every track on Emperor of Easy is new to CD. Throughout his two decades with Columbia Records, Williams recorded 30 studio
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