Fleetwood Mac's Live arrived in December 1980, roughly fourteen months after the adventurous Tusk. While Tusk had peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and yielded two U.S. top ten hits, it fell off the albums chart after nine months. (Rumours, in contrast, spent 31 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1977-1978, a record for a group or duo.) With the public still hungry for new Fleetwood Mac material, the band issued the sprawling double album Live. It was the first live album from the line-up
In Memoriam: Mary Wilson (1944-2021)
Mary Wilson...our world is empty without you. When Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard (along with their friend Barbara Martin) first came to Motown, they were known as The Primettes. Before their first single's release, they had been rechristened The Supremes. While there was initial skepticism of the name, any such doubts clearly dissipated when "Where Did Our Love Go" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on August 22, 1964. It was the first of a staggering twelve No. 1s The
Short Takes: More of Frank Sinatra's "Reprise Rarities" Compiled, Universal Reissues Peggy Lee and David Bowie
Frank Sinatra Enterprises and UMe have released a second volume of their digital-only Reprise Rarities series, bringing together another 13 sides from Frank Sinatra's time at the label he founded, all of which are new to download and streaming. This baker's dozen from the Chairman of the Board spans 1960-1995 and is arguably even more eclectic than the first collection. Reprise Rarities Vol. 2 includes single B-sides ("Tina," "Blue Lace," "Star!," "It's Sunday") as well as the sublime 1976
Add Some Music: Universal Japan Reissues Beach Boys Collections on CD
Beach Boys collectors' alert: late in December 2020, Universal Japan quietly released a series of six collections from the group in the MQA-CD format on UHQ (Ultimate High Quality) CDs and housed in mini-LP paper sleeves with OBIs. While these discs are playable on all CD players, those listeners equipped with MQA decoders are promised a higher-fidelity listening experience. All titles have been 24-bit remastered. The six titles from Brian, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al, and Bruce (plus Ricky and
Release Round-Up: Week of February 5
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Dusty Springfield, The Complete Atlantic Singles 1969-1971 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The Complete Atlantic Singles 1968-1971brings together Dusty Springfield's 24 U.S. single sides released during her tenure at Atlantic. These tracks have been remastered from the original mono tapes by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision, and all but the eight sides pulled from Dusty in Memphis have never before appeared on CD in
Blinding Lights: The Weeknd Preps Hits Compilation Ahead of Super Bowl Performance
In the predominantly digital and streaming world, the humble greatest hits album is scarce for even the biggest artists. Most need either a lot of hits or a newsworthy reason to put one out. For Canadian pop/R&B singer The Weeknd, whose new collection The Highlights hits stores Friday, February 5, both of those conditions handily apply. For one, the man born Abel Tesfaye has notched 35 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including chart-toppers "The Hills," "Can't Feel My Face,"
In Your Eyes: Mondo Expands 'Say Anything...' Soundtrack with Unreleased Material
Soundtrack vinyl label Mondo offers a killer new expanded release this week that'll make even the staunchest opponent to selling, buying or processing anything reconsider their position: the stirring soundtrack to 1989 romantic comedy Say Anything... Already lauded for his teenaged work as a journalist for Rolling Stone (which inspired his 2000 film Almost Famous) and the book-turned-'80s film classic Fast Times At Ridgemont High, screenwriter Cameron Crowe made his directorial debut with
Look at the View: Cherry Red's New Strawberry Imprint Collects Mod, Pop, Psych, and Freakbeat on "Halcyon Days"
Last year, Cherry Red's RPM imprint closed up shop after almost 30 years and some 600+ releases. But a new imprint was announced to pick up where RPM left off: Strawberry. Its inaugural collection, Halcyon Days: '60s Mod, R&B, Brit Soul, and Freakbeat Nuggets has proved an auspicious debut for the imprint with big shoes to fill. The 3-CD collection traces the development of '60s British soul and R&B from the mod period to the first flowering of psychedelia featuring a blend of names
Blame It on the Boogie: Legacy Expands Three Jacksons Albums, Reissues "Live!" on Vinyl
45 years after their first recordings were released by Epic and Philadelphia International Records, Sony's Legacy Recordings is turning its attention to The Jacksons. On February 12, the labels will issue digital-only expanded editions of The Jacksons (1976), Goin' Places (1977), and Destiny (1978) while on March 26, a 2-LP vinyl version of The Jacksons Live! (1981) will be released. After seven years at Motown, four-fifths of The Jackson 5 - Michael, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie - made the move
Tommy James and The Shondells' "Celebration: The Complete Roulette Recordings" Out Today on Grapefruit
UPDATED 1/29: Ohio-born, Michigan-raised rocker Tommy James fronted some of the 1960s' most indelible hits, including "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Sweet Cherry Wine," and the chart-topping "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover." Combining garage rock attitude with pop polish, Tommy James and The Shondells' recordings are still beloved staples of oldies radio today. Now, all of those hits and more have returned to CD in a new 6-disc box set from Cherry
Release Round-Up: Week of January 29
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Tommy James and The Shondells, Celebration: The Complete Roulette Recordings (Cherry Red/Grapefruit) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint brings together Tommy James and The Shondells' 1966-1973 recordings for Roulette Records (including James' solo Roulette LPs) on this 6-CD box set. The set features liner notes by Bob Fisher and mastering by Simon Murphy. Read the track listing and more here, and watch
Life Lessons: America's Gerry Beckley Looks Back on New Solo Career Retrospective "Keeping the Light On"
For over fifty years, Gerry Beckley has performed, written, and recorded with the group he co-founded with Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, America. But with his 1995 album Van Go Gan, Beckley began a parallel solo career that also continues to this very day. On the heels of his sublime 2019 release Five Mile Road, the singer-songwriter is looking back with a new solo retrospective. Keeping the Light On: The Best of Gerry Beckley will arrive in 2-CD and 2-LP formats via the Blue Élan label on
Point of Rising: Jeff Larson, Jeddrah Team Up for Collaborative Album "New Moon"
Who says that classy adult pop is a thing of the past? The California pop-rock sound is in gorgeous full bloom on Jeff Larson and Jeddrah's New Moon, available everywhere today on digital/streaming services as well as physical CD from Japan's Vivid Sound label. The first (but hopefully not the last) full-length collaborative album between the two artists, New Moon is collaborative in every sense. Larson, a mainstay of the West Coast scene who's worked extensively with America and recently
Takin' Care of Business: Dutton Vocalion Reissues Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Burton Cummings, Mott the Hoople, Leonard Bernstein, More in Quadraphonic
The Dutton Vocalion label has announced its first batch of hybrid SACD releases (playable on all CD players) for 2021 including another group of long-out-of-print quadraphonic surround mixes. First up is a three-for-one release from Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople. The first disc of this 2-SACD set presents 1974's The Hoople (the band's highest charting album in the U.S.) in stereo and quadraphonic; followed by a stereo-only presentation of 1972's All the Young Dudes (featuring David Bowie's
In the Meantime: UMe Reconfigures 'What's Going On' Bonuses for 50th Anniversary
As one of the most striking albums in Motown Records' deep catalogue and one of the most moving pieces of conscientious Black expression in pop music, What's Going On has been in the spotlight many times since its release nearly a half-century ago. This week, Universal Music Enterprises seeks to streamline the album's reissues in the 21st century with three new digital products. What's Happening Brother: Earlier Reissues What's Going On first got the deluxe treatment for its 30th
Release Round-Up: Week of January 22
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Kinks, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (BMG) 3CD/2 7-inch Box Set (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 1CD Edition (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 1LP Edition (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 2CD Edition (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The Kinks' 1970 classic Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One arrives in a variety of formats including bonus material such as
Short Takes: Cherry Red Spotlight on Tasmin Archer and Kevin Rowland
Today's Short Takes looks at some nice things we've missed over the past few months from Cherry Red! Yorkshire-born singer-songwriter Tasmin Archer has only released three full-length studio albums in nearly thirty years, but there's no doubt that she has practiced "quality over quantity." The title of her first LP, 1992's Great Expectations, might have been tongue-in-cheek as Archer exceeded all expectations. The opening track and first single, the rhythmic ballad "Sleeping Satellite,"
Share Your Love: Vinyl Me Please Announces New Reissues of Soul, Folk, Rock, and Hip-Hop Classics
Record subscription service Vinyl Me Please has announced the latest batch of reissues for this month, February, and March. These are split into three tracks: Essentials, curated from an array of genres; Classics, which focuses primarily on soul, jazz, and R&B; and Rap & Hip-Hop, which spotlights favorites These include lost classics from the Stax and Motown vaults, John Prine's masterful self-titled album, overlooked hip-hop gems, and a landmark rock album from the turn of the new
A Few Words on Phil Spector (1939-2021)
"I'm feeling a range of different emotions right now. I feel a sigh of relief but emptiness too. Another chapter in my life has come to an end. A truly sad ending to a brilliant music pioneer. I will say, if it weren't for Phil, there would never be a Darlene Love." - Darlene Love "It's a sad day for music and a sad day for me. When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best. He was in complete control, directing
Setting Sail to the Island of Souls: Sting's 'The Soul Cages' Receives Digital Expansion
A surprise archival release from Sting dropped this weekend: a digital expanded edition of his third solo album, The Soul Cages, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. A deeply-felt song cycle, The Soul Cages found Sting simultaneously looking backward and forward. In the studio, he reunited with producer Hugh Padgham, who'd overseen The Police's Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity; he also diversified his backing band, picking up session guitarist Dominic Miller - his musical
By the Forces of Nature: Rhino Celebrates Black History Month With Limited Edition Vinyl and New Digital Releases
Black History Month is on the way in February and to celebrate, Rhino will release a number of limited-edition colored vinyl reissues along with a digital initiative to bring legendary recordings to digital service providers for the first time ever. The Rhino Black initiative begins on February 5, with the vinyl reissue of George Benson's multi-platinum Breezin' (issued on blue and beige vinyl) and a the first-ever vinyl issue of the Donny Hathaway compendium, A Donny Hathaway Collection, which
It's Only "Words": Playback Collects Rarities on "A Bee Gees Songbook"
While The Bee Gees have never truly faded from the popular consciousness, it's fair to say the group founded by Barry Gibb and his late brothers Maurice and Robin is currently experiencing a renaissance. Director Frank Marshall's documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart earned acclaim for its candid chronicle of the group's ups and downs while Barry has reaffirmed his legacy with the new album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook Vol. 1. On the latter, he's joined by an array of country
Living It Up: Level 42 Preps Box Set of Early Polydor Material
Before the rest of the world knew there was something about Level 42, the British jazz-rock group built a foundation of successful material that caught on in their home country. This spring, Cherry Red's Robinsongs label will compile, with the band's input and blessing, their material for Polydor Records with the first of two CD box sets. The Complete Polydor Years Volume 1 1980-1984, available March 26, chronicles singer/bassist Mark King, keyboardist Mike Lindup and brothers Boon Gould (on
Midnight Rocks: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue Al Stewart's "24 Carrots," Collect Anthony Phillips' "Missing Links"
Periodically this month, we'll be looking at titles released in the latter part of 2020 that we either didn't cover, or only covered briefly, the first time around! We hope you enjoy this look at "some nice things we've missed." Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart released his first album in 1967 but didn't break into the lucrative American market until 1974's Past, Present, and Future (released 1973 in the U.K.). While that LP only peaked within the second half of the Billboard 200, the
Life is So Strange: Missing Persons' Albums to Be Remastered and Expanded
Fans of New Wave group Missing Persons have a new destination: the Rubellan Remasters label has issued new expanded editions of their three albums for Capitol Records. Spring Session M (1982), Rhyme & Reason (1984) and Color in Your Life (1986) have each been remastered by Rubellan, with rare and unreleased bonus tracks appended to each. Each has been remastered from the original tapes in Universal Music Group's archive. A box set, limited to 500 copies, is also being sold by the label,
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- …
- 118
- Next Page »