"Sorry - only one group like this to a generation," renowned engineer-producer Phil Ramone wrote on the back cover of The Free Design's 1968 sophomore album You Could Be Born Again. After over 50 years, The Free Design are still a singular group, difficult to pigeonhole. Their gentle, even childlike style has frequently landed them in the sunshine pop genre, but that match was never quite right: not only were they from New York, but their sound lacked the brightness and even brashness that
I Told You I Was Trouble: Two Amy Winehouse Box Sets Coming to CD, LP
This Friday, two new box sets will celebrate the legacy of the late Amy Winehouse across vinyl and CD. 12 x 7: The Singles Collection and The Collection (both currently available in the U.K.) will respectively collect all of the late British singer's A- and B-sides on 12 pieces of vinyl and her three studio albums on CD alongside a live concert and remix collection previously unreleased in the format. (A 2015 vinyl variant of the album-focused The Collection included those same studio and live
THE SECOND DISC'S 2020 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
Another Cyber Monday is here, which means one thing at Second Disc HQ: it's time to launch our annual Holiday Gift Guide, featuring a few of our favorite things for the music enthusiast in your life. Sure, we might not have included raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but we've filled the guide with more than 50 essential selections: box sets (such as the amazing Elton John title to your right!) as well as archival releases and Christmas music favorites that just might make great
Behind That Locked Door: 50th Anniversary Celebrations for George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" Kick Off TODAY With Remixed Title Track, "My Sweet Lord" RSD Black Friday Release
This morning, the estate of George Harrison has released a new 2020 remix of the artist's classic song, "All Things Must Pass." Originally released 50 years ago today on the All Things Must Pass triple-album, it's now released as a digital single as "a prelude of what's to come." The new stereo mix has been undertaken by Paul Hicks, who's been involved with recent Beatles archival projects as well as the John Lennon Gimme Some Truth box set. It arrives the same day as the reissued "My Sweet
Release Round-Up: Week of November 27
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! To our U.S. readers, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and to our readers around the world, we hope you're staying safe and enjoying a lot of great music in these most challenging of times. Cee Lo Green, Cee Lo's Magic Moment (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Our friends at Real Gone Music have a Christmas-green color vinyl edition of Cee Lo's Magic Moment, the 2012 holiday album by neo-soul icon Cee Lo
The Most Wonderful Time: New Andy Williams Special Premieres, "The Ultimate Collection" and More Released
Over the past weeks, radio stations across America have been changing to holiday formats. There's a good chance that if you spin the radio dial, you'll end up on the voice of Andy Williams. The late singer's 1963 favorite "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" has become an unofficial anthem of the Christmas season, and last year reached an all-time peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 - an all the more impressive feat considering his first appearance on the chart was in 1956. Williams'
'60s ROCK, POP AND SOUL: New Treasury Collection DVD Set Offers Over 100 Favorites
Earlier this year, The Second Disc shared news of Rock, Pop and Doo Wop, a 7-DVD collection from Treasury Collection and executive producer-director TJ Lubinsky. Now, with the holidays upon us, a new set featuring dozens of classic hit-makers has just been released: '60s Rock, Pop and Soul. This 4-DVD package has been culled from two decades of Lubinsky's historic television concerts, with 130 hit songs from a "Who's Who" of legendary performers including Frankie Valli ("Can't Take My Eyes
A SECOND DISC INTERVIEW: All I Need In Just A Song - Dave Mason Reflects on 50 Years With "Alone Together Again"
Magic was in the air in 1970 and it certainly reached Los Angeles' Sunset Sound, where Dave Mason, along with an array of new friends and some of the top session musicians around, recorded Alone Together. Though only 24 years old, Mason had plenty of experience under his belt. The multi-instrumentalist made a name for himself as part of Traffic, penning some of their best crossover material ("Hole in My Shoe," "Feelin' Alright?"). He also participated in sessions with The Rolling Stones
Release Round-Up: Week of November 20
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Live in Maui (Experience Hendrix/Legacy) 2CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings have a brand-new collection that celebrates The Jimi Hendrix Experience's near-mythic performances on Maui, Hawaii in 1970. Live In Maui brings together audio and video with a new feature-length documentary called Music,
Some People Want It All: Vinyl Me, Please Announces Color Vinyl Reissue of "The Diary of Alicia Keys"
"Everything means nothing, if I ain't got you..." The refrain was inescapable in 2003, when Alicia Keys' instant classic "If I Ain't Got You" dominated the radio and reached a cross-section of audiences that had rarely been seen before. The track is a highlight among many on her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. The chart-topping, Grammy-winning album defied the concept of the sophomore slump. It stayed on the Billboard Albums listing for 88 weeks and has been certified 5x-Platinum
Gettin' Together: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collect Tommy James and The Shondells' Roulette Recordings
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 are returning to CD in a new 6-disc box set from Cherry Red's Grapefruit
We'll Be Together: Sting Preps New Duets Collection
While known as a singular performer - even his stage name is one word - Sting's next album is a collection of (mostly) previously released collaborations with other artists. But don't expect Duets to be a simple compilation of hits: only three of these tracks are from the former Police frontman's studio albums (four, if you count deluxe editions). Everything else is from Sting's guest appearances on albums by others and the occasional soundtrack appearance. Highlights include his 1999 hit
Release Round-Up: Week of November 13
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Elton John, Jewel Box (EMI/UMe) 8CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Deep Cuts 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rarities & B-Sides 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada And This Is Me... 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Elton John is reaching deep into the vault with Jewel Box, a new, super-sized collection of rare and unreleased material. The British pop legend's deep dive into his
Review: Joan Armatrading's Self-Titled Album Shines on Intervention's Vinyl Reissue
Back in 2018, we wrote about an upcoming vinyl reissue of Joan Armatrading's self-titled album on Intervention Records. (It was actually your author's very first post on The Second Disc!) Intervention had been making a name for themselves as the new kid on the block of audiophile labels. This imprint has since become known for its attention to detail, commitment to superior audio, and deluxe presentations. We were no doubt thrilled to hear what was to come. Well, after a slight pause,
It Must Be Love: New Box Set Celebrates Labi Siffre's Solo Work
Back in 2015, Demon Music Group's Edsel label revisited five albums from British singer-songwriter Labi Siffre in a series of expanded editions. The reissues showcased the timelessness of his writing and the versatility of his performances. Now, Edsel has returned to the Siffre discography to complete it. My Song is the new 9-CD box set bringing together those five previously reissued albums and bonus tracks along with four more to paint a full portrait of Siffre's artistry. Despite a
Release Round-Up: Week of November 6
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Armed Forces: Super Deluxe Edition (UMe) uDiscoverMusic Store: black / color Elvis Costello is revisiting his 1979 album in super-sized format. Armed Forces arrives today as a deluxe, slipcased 9-disc vinyl set with three 12-inch LPs, three 10-inch LPs, and three 7-inch singles including 23 previously unreleased live tracks and the complete contents of the previous Rhino/Edsel deluxe edition (with many
Cherry Red, RPM Get "Right Back Where We Started From" With New '70s Female Pop Collection
Cherry Red's long-running RPM imprint announced earlier this year that 2020 would be its final year of operations - but that hasn't kept RPM from going out with a bang. One of the final titles to arrive from the imprint, Right Back Where We Started From, is a joyous 3-CD celebration of Female Pop and Soul in Seventies Britain. The title is drawn from Maxine Nightingale's irresistibly bouncy 1975 single, a top ten entry in the United Kingdom and a top five in the States. Not every track on
Ace Round-Up, Part One: Helen Shapiro's "Face the Music" Collects Rare 1967-1984 Singles
Welcome to today's first installment of our Ace Records Round-Up featuring a number of the label's latest titles! Helen Shapiro sang her way into the hearts of Britons as a teenager. Inspired by the success of Alma Cogan, Helen was just 14 when she scored a No. 3 hit on the U.K. Singles Chart with "Don't Treat Me Like a Child." The same year of 1961, she charted not one but two No. 1 singles, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness." Soon, she was appearing in films and appearing
How Far They've Come: Matchbox Twenty Celebrate Two Decades with Vinyl Box
Matchbox Twenty is looking back with a new box set. On November 20, the band will release the simply-titled 20, a new 7-LP vinyl collection containing all five of their studio albums plus Exile on Mainstream Revisited, a "reimagined" version of the 2007 compilation Exile on Mainstream now featuring numerous rare tracks making their first appearance in the vinyl format. The box includes: Yourself or Someone Like You (1996); Mad Season (2000; 2 LPs, new to vinyl); More Than You
Whatcha Gonna Do for Me: Average White Band Releases "On the Strip: The Sunset Sessions," Reissues "Cupid's in Fashion"
The opening track of Average White Band's new/old release On the Strip: The Sunset Sessions couldn't have a more apropos title: "Let's Go Round Again." Following a successful run of albums with producer-arranger Arif Mardin, the funky big band outfit was re-establishing itself. 1979's Feel No Fret was a self-produced affair on which the band was joined by co-producer Gene Paul; it yielded hit singles in "Atlantic Avenue" and a revival of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Walk on By." For a
Short Takes, Holiday Edition: "Beetlejuice" Offers Demos, Anne Murray Collects Christmas Favorites
Halloween might be over, but the party still continues: Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Legend has it that if you say his name three times, the demon - introduced on screen by Michael Keaton and then on Broadway by Alex Brightman - appears before you. While Beetlejuice: The Musical had its New York run curtailed by COVID-19 after 366 performances, you can't keep a good demon down. The Ghostlight Records cast recording starring Brightman, Sophia Anne Caruso, Rob McClure, Leslie Kritzer,
What's New, Pussycat? Tom Jones' Decca Years Collected on New 17-CD Box
Way back on May 26, 2016, The Second Disc reported on Tom Jones' The Complete Decca Studio Albums Collection, then set for a September 2, 2016 release. Alas, the 15-CD release didn't materialize that fall. But this story has a happy ending. Sir Tom has announced on Facebook that the hefty box - now counting 17 discs, with two CDs comprising an expanded version of the 2020 digital-only rarities set Hide and Seek: The Lost Collection - will finally arrive on November 20 with over 200 tracks and
Short Takes: Neil Young and Elton John Prepare 50th Anniversary Editions of Classic Albums
Today, two of music's most important figures announced 50th anniversary editions of landmark albums. Neil Young's After the Gold Rush will be reissued on CD and LP with two bonus tracks, while Elton John has announced a green vinyl edition of Tumbleweed Connection and a special single featuring two unreleased recordings. We've got all the details below. First up, Neil Young. Neil Young's After The Gold Rush was a game-changing album for the Canadian singer and songwriter. The multiplatinum
Digital Round-Up: Nelly Furtado, OutKast Celebrate 20 Years with Expanded Albums
A pair of popular albums from 2000 are now available as digital-only expanded editions for their 20th anniversaries. Whoa, Nelly! was the debut album from genre-bending singer Nelly Furtado. Born in Canada to Portuguese parents, Furtado's blend of folk and hip-hop stood out amid the era of teen-friendly pop on TRL. Lead single "I'm Like a Bird" topped the charts in her native country and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100; follow-up "Turn Off the Light" hit the Top 10 in both countries as
A SECOND DISC EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Joni Mitchell's Co-Producer Patrick Milligan Discusses New "Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1" Box Set
"I was born to take the highway / I was born to chase a dream / Any road at all is my way / Any place is where I've been." So sings a young Joni Mitchell on "Born to Take the Highway," one of her earliest compositions. The 1965 road song is one of a staggering 29 previously unreleased tracks unearthed for a once-unthinkable project: a deep-dive into her archives. The first installment in the series, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967), sees her chasing that dream. Out
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- …
- 120
- Next Page »