Dion DiMucci was just 20 years old but already a chart veteran when he went solo at the dawn of the 1960s. Enduring hits like "I Wonder Why" and "A Teenager in Love" had been recorded with his friends The Belmonts, but when Carlo Mastrangelo, Angelo D'Aleo, and Fred Milano wanted to emphasize doo-wop harmonies and Dion wanted to rock and roll, Dion and the Belmonts split. How would the Italian kid from the Bronx follow that amazing first act? The answer was "Runaround Sue," the chart-topping
Straighten Up and Fly Right: Resonance Collects Nat "King" Cole's Earliest Years on New Box Set
The career of Nat "King" Cole has been exceedingly well-represented in the CD era, whether via numerous, expanded original album reissues or the hefty box sets released by the Bear Family and Mosaic labels. But one period of King Cole's career has been rather overlooked: the recordings he made prior to signing with Capitol Records, the label with which he would spend more than two decades. Now, Resonance Records is addressing that situation with a remarkable, comprehensive new box set that
Release Round-Up: Week of July 12
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! America, 50th Anniversary: The Collection (Warner/Rhino) 50th Anniversary: The Collection (3-CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 50th Anniversary: The Collection [2-LP] (Barnes & Noble Exclusive) 50th Anniversary: Golden Hits (Single CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Almost fifty years ago in London, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and the late Dan Peek first joined their voices together in song - beginning a
Release Round-Up: Week of June 28
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Motown: The Complete No. 1s (Motown/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) For its 60th anniversary year, UMe has begun reminding fans that "Motown Did It First"; now, Motown is revisiting an essential box set that was originally released in celebration of its 50th anniversary a decade ago. Motown: The Complete No. 1s features more than 200 international chart-toppers, plus a handful of bonus masters that went to No.
Release Round-Up: Week of June 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Prince, Originals (Warner/NPG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Originals brings together 15 demos of songs Prince gave away to other artists including The Time, Sheila E., Kenny Rogers, Martika, Vanity 6, and The Bangles. Tidal will exclusively offered the album for high-resolution streaming on June 7, with the CD and wide digital release out today, and vinyl configurations to follow in July. A Target exclusive CD edition adds one
Release Round-Up: Week of June 14
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Johnny Mathis, Killing Me Softly with Her Song/When Will I See You Again (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music continue celebrating Johnny Mathis' discography with two albums on one CD. 1973's Killing Me Softly with Her Song and 1975's When Will I See You Again both spotlight Mathis' silky interpretations of the day's greatest hits. Killing Me Softly with Her
OUT TOMORROW! Second Disc Records, Real Gone Bring Four Johnny Mathis Classics to CD
As Johnny Mathis plays to packed houses across the country on his acclaimed The Voice of Romance Tour and on the heels of the February CD release of his treasured CHIC collaboration I Love My Lady, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are excited to continue our series of deluxe reissues from the superstar artist. TOMORROW, a quartet of classic Mathis albums with a classic soul twist will be reissued on a pair of two-for-one releases. All four LPs are making their standalone CD
Release Round-Up: Week of May 31
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Hootie & The Blowfish, Cracked Rear View: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Atlantic/Rhino) 3-CD/DVD Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-CD Expanded: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Hootie and the Blowfish are revisiting their 21x platinum smash Cracked Rear View with a new 3-CD/DVD Deluxe Edition and 2-CD Expanded Edition. The Deluxe Edition includes a new
Comes Once In a Lifetime: Stage Door Celebrates "Lost Broadway: 1961" On New Collection
Stage Door Records' five volumes of Lost West End have sampled numerous rare musicals that have played London over the years. Now, the U.K. label is turning its sights across the pond to the Great White Way to launch a new series: Lost Broadway. The first volume focuses on the year 1961, when composer-lyricist Jerry Herman made his Broadway debut with the successful Milk and Honey; some of the brightest stars included Barbara Cook, Jerry Orbach, Elaine Stritch, and Alfred Drake; the venerable
Swinging Doors: Grateful Dead, Emmylou, Dolly, Dino, More Celebrate "The Merle Haggard Songbook"
Along with Buck Owens - with whom he shared a musical history and a wife - Merle Haggard (1937-2016) defined The Bakersfield Sound of country music: authentic, raw, rooted in honky-tonks. But unlike the Texas-born and Arizona-raised Owens, Haggard was actually born in Bakersfield and raised just across the river from that California town. "Hag," as he preferred to be known, rocketed to superstardom thanks to "Okie from Muskogee," his controversial 1969 song that was either a scathing
Right as Rain: Second Disc, Real Gone Reissue Four Johnny Mathis Classics in June
As Johnny Mathis plays to packed houses across the country on his acclaimed The Voice of Romance Tour and on the heels of the February CD release of his treasured CHIC collaboration I Love My Lady, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are excited to continue our series of deluxe reissues from the superstar artist. On June 14, a quartet of classic Mathis albums will be reissued on a pair of two-for-one releases. All four LPs are making their standalone CD debuts. 1973's Killing Me Softly
In Memoriam: Doris Day (1922-2019)
Without a golden wand or mystic charms, fantastic things began when Doris Day lifted her voice in song. Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff of Cincinnati, Ohio intended to pursue a career as a dancer, but a car accident at age thirteen curtailed her plans. "I couldn't walk for almost three years," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2011. She then added with characteristic spirit and optimism, "That was the greatest thing that happened. Instead of dancing, I sang. They carried me three times a week up a
In the Mood for Love: Cherry Red Collects Early Blossom Dearie in New Box Set
This past weekend - April 28, to be exact - would have marked the 95th birthday of Blossom Dearie. The singer-pianist-songwriter with the recognizably wispy, coquettish voice recorded over 30 albums for labels including Verve, Capitol, and Fontana, and collaborated with talents including Johnny Mercer, Michel Legrand, and Bob Dorough. Cherry Red's El label has just celebrated Dearie's early years with a new 3-CD set, The Adorable Blossom Dearie (superseding the label's previous single-disc
Changing My Tune: Kritzerland Reissues, Remasters Classic Gershwin, Coward Tributes
Kritzerland is continuing its long-running series of reissues drawn from Ben Bagley's Painted Smiles archives. The label has just announced new editions of the long out-of-print George Gershwin Revisited and Noel Coward Revisited. George Gershwin Revisited remains one of the starriest releases in the Revisited series, featuring Barbara Cook, Elaine Stritch, Bobby Short, and Anthony Perkins. Keeping with the focus of the series, producer Bagley and musical director-arranger Norman Paris
Release Round-Up: The Second Disc's 2019 Record Store Day Must-Haves
Looking for our usual Release Round-Up? Alas, there's not much new in the way of catalogue music this Friday (and we've already filled you in on Billy Paul and Leon Russell!), but for a very good reason: tomorrow sees releases a-plenty as part of Record Store Day! Without further ado, welcome to our annual rundown of Must-Haves for this year's RSD event! Once you're through reading, let us know what you're most looking forward to picking up tomorrow at your favorite local independent
Review: Nat "King" Cole, "Ultimate Nat King Cole" and "International Nat King Cole" [UPDATED]
March 17, 2019 would have been Nat "King" Cole's 100th birthday. While the man born Nathaniel Adams Coles only lived to the age of 45, he more than earned his royal moniker over his three decades of performing. He paved the way for African-American artists as the first black man to host a nationwide television variety show, and quietly but devotedly crusaded for civil rights. At the time of his death, at the height of Beatlemania, he was selling some seven million records a year. The Cole
Whatever Lola Wants: "Spotlight on Gwen Verdon" Arrives from Stage Door
On April 9, the FX network will premiere Fosse/Verdon, a new miniseries chronicling the tumultuous romantic and creative relationship and marriage of director-choreographer Bob Fosse and superstar dancer-actress Gwen Verdon (encompassing such classic musicals as Damn Yankees, Chicago, and Sweet Charity). Before that, the U.K.'s Stage Door label is celebrating the late, great Verdon with a new anthology, many of the tracks on which resulted from her partnership with Fosse. Spotlight on Gwen
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
Review: Nat "King" Cole, "Ultimate Nat King Cole"
Yesterday, March 17, 2019, would have been Nat "King" Cole's 100th birthday. While the man born Nathaniel Adams Coles only lived to the age of 45, he more than earned his royal moniker over his three decades of performing. He paved the way for African-American artists as the first black man to host a nationwide television variety show, and quietly but devotedly crusaded for civil rights. At the time of his death, at the height of Beatlemania, he was selling some seven million records a
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
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
You Made Me Love You: Judy Garland's "Lost Tracks 2" Collects 50 Rarities on 2 CDs
June 22, 2019 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of Judy Garland. Though Garland was only on this earth for 47 short years, she packed that time with incendiary performances on stage, screen, radio, television, and records. That still-singular body of work has been exceedingly well-documented in the years since her death, but remarkably, there's still more to be discovered. JSP Records has just followed up its acclaimed 2010 collection Lost Tracks 1929-1959 with a second
The Story of His Life: Hal David Celebrated on Public Television, Upcoming CD and DVD
"Words by Hal David." That credit graces many of the most cherished popular songs of the second half of the twentieth century, including "(They Long To Be) Close To You," "I Say a Little Prayer," "The Look of Love," and of course, "What the World Needs Now Is Love." Beginning this weekend, Public Television stations nationwide will be celebrating the life and legacy of Hal David with a new special. What the World Needs Now: Words by Hal David from John Paulson Productions is hosted by The
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- …
- 31
- Next Page »