Ron and Russell Mael have always open to musical influences. Over the course of their four-decade career as Sparks, the art-pop legends have traversed genres and influenced generations. The L.A.-based Mael brothers formed their first group, Halfnelson, in 1970 and eventually landed a deal with Bearsville Records. At Bearsville, Todd Rundgren produced their self-titled debut album. Three years later, the band had rechristened themselves Sparks and caught the attention of the music press and a
It's A Good Thing: Cherry Red Collects The Complete Plastic Penny with Future Elton John Drummer Nigel Olsson
Nowadays, drummer extraordinaire Nigel Olsson can be found behind the kit for Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, supporting the same superstar artist with whom he's been associated for nearly fifty years. Before his association with Elton, however, Nigel was plying his trade as one-fifth of Plastic Penny, a group which briefly straddled the worlds of pop, R&B, and underground psychedelia. The band also boasted future members of UFO, Cochise, and The Troggs. Cherry Red's
Sugar and Spice: Cherry Red Collects The Searchers' "Complete Pye Recordings" On New Box
Last year, John McNally and Frank Allen of The Searchers announced that the Merseybeat band would be retiring in 2019, some 60 years after McNally co-founded the group and 55 years after Allen first joined up. The Searchers will play their final show on Sunday in Milton Keynes, about 50 miles northwest of London. But the music lives on, and today, Cherry Red's Grapefruit label releases an impressive tribute to the band's body of work with When You Walk in the Room: The Complete Pye Recordings
Release Round-Up: Week of March 29
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up. Here's what's due for March 29! John Coltrane, Coltrane '58: The Prestige Recordings [5 CD] (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The year 1958 was a breakout one for saxophone legend John Coltrane. It marked the year when Coltrane--already well-established as a talented sideman--began to make a name for himself as a solo musician and developed his signature "sheets of sound" style while exploring many other routes. To
Motown Did It First: Japan's Motown 60 Campaign Reissues Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, Gladys, Martha, Brenda, and More
Motown Did It First! That's the campaign slogan for Universal Japan's ongoing program celebrating the venerable label's 60th anniversary. And indeed, the influence of Motown - still the most successful African-American-founded record label of all time - can't be underestimated when considering the current music scene. A number of physical releases have already been released in Japan to mark the anniversary, most of which are available as affordable imports and include titles not commonly
In Memoriam: Scott Walker (1943-2019) - Back Tracks: Part II (1975-2018)
"Imagine Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen," The Guardian once wrote of the amazing journey of Scott Walker. The pop idol turned crooner turned shocking avant-garde auteur died this week at age 76, but not before leaving behind one of the most fascinating catalogues of the rock era. An American and child actor on Broadway who found his success in England as one third of The Walker Brothers, Scott could have been content reliving his glory days of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine
In Memoriam: Scott Walker (1943-2019) - Back Tracks: Part I (1967-1974)
"Imagine Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen," The Guardian once wrote of the amazing journey of Scott Walker. The pop idol turned crooner turned shocking avant-garde auteur died this week at age 76, but not before leaving behind one of the most fascinating catalogues of the rock era. An American and child actor on Broadway who found his success in England as one third of The Walker Brothers, Scott could have been content reliving his glory days of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine
Review: Kate Bush, "Remastered in Vinyl" Boxes 3 and 4, CD Box 2
When Kate Bush returned to music in 2005 after a 12-year absence, about all that could be expected was the unexpected...and the sonic auteur, naturally, delivered. Her 21st century work and assorted ephemera has been collected by Parlophone as one box of remastered CDs and two box sets of remastered vinyl LPs. Aerial opens Parlophone's CD Box 2, and Remastered in Vinyl Box 3. The record was conceived as two halves, one on each disc. The first, A Sea of Honey, is a collection of
Release Round-Up: Week of March 22
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up. Here's what's on the way today, March 22! Aretha Franklin, Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings (Rhino/Atlantic Catalog Group) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings presents Aretha Franklin's iconic concerts at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles during January 1972 in full. Both the Thursday night and Friday night sets are accounted for, spread across four 180-gram LPs. For
You Get What You Need: Restored "Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" Arriving to Theaters in 4K/Dolby Atmos in April
It's been more than 50 years since The Rolling Stones and a host of friends converged at Intertel TV Studio in Wembley to film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, the concert film that featured the band alongside friends like The Who, Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac (a supergroup featuring John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell). The once-lost documentary has been newly restored and will be screened in select theaters throughout the United States in early
Take It On The Run: HNE Compiles REO Speedwagon's Hit Era On Extras-Laden Box Set
Last October, Cherry Red/Hear No Evil released the 8-CD The Early Years 1971-1977, chronicling REO Speedwagon's beginning on Epic Records. And now they're back with the follow-up set: The Classic Years 1978-1990, containing the group's seven remaining Epic albums and a bonus live disc across 9 CDs, highlighting the period when REO Speedwagon became a household name. The first album in the box, 1978's You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish, found REO Speedwagon at a time of change.
The Smell of Incense Fills Your Room: Craft Recordings Announces New Psychedelic Rarities Collection, "Poppies"
Following their announcement of a Record Store Day color-vinyl edition of the title, Craft Recordings have unveiled further details about their new compilation of hard-to-find gems from the psychedelic era, entitled Poppies: Assorted Finery from the First Psychedelic Age. In addition to the orange-vinyl RSD version, which will be in independent shops on April 13, Poppies will also be released on CD and on digital download platforms on April 19. The 13-track collection - the first in a series
Right from the Start, I Gave You My Heart: Edsel Collects Kiki Dee's Complete Rocket Years
When Kiki Dee was signed in 1973 to Elton John's Rocket Records label, the 26-year old was already a veteran of the music business as an in-demand background singer and a solo artist for Fontana and Motown. The former Pauline Matthews of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England had proven herself a versatile vocalist at both of those labels, but at Rocket would finally take flight as a top-tier blue-eyed soul singer with so much more to offer than just the duet part in "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." The
Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle: Dana Gillespie's MainMan Recordings Collected on "What Memories We Make"
Dana Gillespie first made a splash on the U.K. charts with a run of singles for Pye and a couple albums on Decca and London in the mid-'60s. In 1971, the actress-singer-musician signed to RCA under the aegis of MainMan, the management company headed by Tony Defries that famously included David Bowie on its roster. Gillespie had first befriended the future superstar as a teenager in Swinging London before reconnecting with him in a major way in the early 1970s. It was Bowie who had
Release Round-Up: Week of March 15
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Nat King Cole, Ultimate Nat King Cole (Capitol/UMe) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada To celebrate Nat King Cole's centennial and his legacy of enduring music, Capitol/UMe has partnered with the Nat King Cole Estate for a number of exciting projects. Among them are two new collections that showcase Cole's remarkable talents -- both available today Ultimate Nat King Cole arrives on CD and digital, with a 2-LP configuration to
Take Me To The Pilot: Elton, Lennon, Queen Among Universal's Record Store Day 2019 Offerings
Record Store Day 2019 is just under five weeks away. In anticipation of the April 13th celebration of vinyl, The Second Disc presents a round-up of Universal Music Group's RSD selections! The Charlatans, Us and Us Only - LP, clear vinyl - 1,000 copies Originally released in 1999, Us and Us Only was the British alt-rock group's sixth album. It will be reissued for the first time ever for Record Store Day, pressed on limited-edition transparent vinyl. Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker With
Ease On Down: Pat Boone and Family Celebrate Springtime and Easter on New DVD
Last November, MPI Home Video celebrated the holiday season with pop, film, and television star Pat Boone and his family with the release of a double feature DVD: Pat Boone & Famlly - Christmas and Thanksgiving Specials. Now, MPI is continuing the series with the Boones' Springtime and Easter Specials. When Pat began his series of specials for ABC-TV under the aegis of executive producer Jerry Weintraub in 1978, his daughter Debby had recently ascended to superstar status with the
Stop! And Think It Over: Perry Como's Color "Music Hall" DVD Features Nancy Wilson, Bobbie Gentry, George Carlin
For a staggering six decades, Perry Como was a welcome presence on television screens with his long-running, award-winning programs. Perhaps no recording artist used the medium of television as well as Mr. C did, all the while charting dozens of hit records including "Catch a Falling Star," "Magic Moments," and "It's Impossible." Last year saw a new PBS biography and song retrospective (Till The End Of Time - Perry Como Classics) and an accompanying 4-CD set with 100 original recordings
In Memoriam: Hal Blaine (1929-2019)
You may not know the name, but you know the sound. The sound of Hal Blaine was one of jubilance, energy, drama, power, ferocity, and swagger, ever deployed solely in service of the song. Upon his death yesterday at the age of 90, Brian Wilson deemed him "the greatest drummer ever." Few could argue with that description, as Blaine was Los Angeles' first-call drummer during perhaps the greatest period of pop invention in the latter half of the twentieth century. From 1966 to 1971, Blaine
Dreams Never End: New Order's "Movement" To Be Reissued In April, 12" Singles Arriving TODAY
New Order rose from the ashes of legendary post-punk group Joy Division and created a unique blend of punk, electronica, and new wave that made them one of the most celebrated groups of the '80s. Their debut album Movement arrived at a period of transition. Having elected to continue on after the death of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, the re-named New Order were in search of a new identity and a new sound. Most of the material that would make up Movement came from songwriting sessions in
Release Round-Up: Week of March 8
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Pamela Polland, Pamela Polland/Have You Heard the One About the Gas Station Attendant? (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) BGO collects the two Columbia albums of singer-songwriter Pamela Polland in one deluxe, slipcased package - her 1972 self-titled LP and 1973 follow-up which was shelved and never released...until now! Pamela Polland and Have You Heard the One About the Gas Station Attendant? are filled with enchanting pop
A SECOND DISC EXCLUSIVE! Out Of My Hands, Still In My Heart: The Story of Pamela Polland's Lost Album
Pamela Polland may not have become a worldwide household name, but there was a point around the year 1973 where she was close to becoming one. In the prior decade, she had written songs performed by the illustrious likes of Vikki Carr, The Serendipity Singers, and Linda Ronstadt; performed in a blues duo with Ry Cooder; formed the psych-pop duo The Gentle Soul; appeared in the Leonard Bernstein-hosted Inside Pop documentary; and launched a solo career. In the years that followed, she hit the
In the Pocket: Ace Salutes Mickie Most, Reggie Young on New Anthologies
The names of Mickie Most and Reggie Young might not be among the most familiar except to diehard music aficionados, but the songs that benefited from their respective golden touches certainly are among the most well-known ever. Ace Records has recently paid tribute to both of these late talents with a pair of deluxe anthologies. The Pop Genius of Mickie Most may be the most lavish single-disc package yet released by Ace, housed in a heavy slipcase also containing a squarebound 74-page
Real Gone Music's Record Store Day Slate Includes Badfinger, Cheap Trick, More
Real Gone Music has announced its offerings for the 2019 Record Store Day celebration, taking place at your local brick-and-mortar shop Saturday, April 13, and they include a pair of rarities releases from two beloved bands, and a new-to-vinyl soundtrack. Check out all three titles below, with descriptions for each provided by the label! Badfinger, So Fine--The Warner Bros. Rarities (2-LP Red Vinyl Edition) (2,000 copies) Most folks point to Badfinger as the greatest power pop band of all
Hunting High And Low: Rhino Announces Record Store Day 2019 Lineup
Today, Rhino announced its offerings for the 2019 Record Store Day celebration, taking place at your local brick-and-mortar shop Saturday, April 13. Rhino's 33 releases highlight several genres of music - soul, rock, rap, comedy, disco, pop, jam bands, prog, and more - on an array of formats including LPs, CDs, picture discs, colored vinyl, and even cassette tapes. Here's the run-down on all their RSD titles! a-ha, Hunting High and Low: The Early Alternate Mixes - 1 LP - 6,000
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