R&B/Soul - The Second Disc

The Shel Talmy Recordings

August 14, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (180-gram red vinyl) The Shel Talmy Recordings collects 21 recordings the then-unknown David Bowie recorded with producer Talmy (The Who, The Kinks) during 1965, when he was a member of bands The Manish Boys and The Lower Third. Only four of these tracks were released at the time as singles, with another seven alternate and outtake versions turning up on compilations over the years; that makes a full 10 tracks debuting on this package, including lead track “I Want Your Love.” Some of…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

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How Sweet It Is: Rhino’s New Quadio Batch Includes James Taylor, James Gang, David Gates, Herbie Mann

August 12, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Rhino’s Quadio series has recently announced its latest batch of four titles, and as usual, they comprise a quartet of eclectic titles from the 1970s. Two singer-songwriters – James Taylor and Bread’s David Gates – are joined by soul-jazz titan Herbie Mann and the rockers of The James Gang. Each Blu-ray Audio Disc in the Quadio series includes the original four-channel quadraphonic mix with a high-resolution 192/24 stereo mix, with both sourced from the original analog tapes. (The lone exception here is the Herbie Mann quad mix, which was sourced out of…

Categories:

News

Formats:

Blu-Ray Audio

Genres:

Classic Rock, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

David Gates, Herbie Mann, James Taylor, The James Gang

How It Is Done: Cherry Red Collects The Riot Squad, Including David Bowie Recordings, On New 3CD Collection

August 11, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

The Riot Squad only released seven singles on the U.K.’s Pye label between 1965 and 1967. But thanks to the discovery of Joe Meek’s Tea Chest Tapes, the story of the band that might be best known for a short-lived collaboration with David Bowie can now be told in full. I Take It That We’re Through: Anthology 1965-1967 arrives from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint on August 21, with 3 CDs and 83 tracks (40 of which are previously unreleased and another 14 of which are new to CD). Ron Ryan (guitar), Graham…

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News

Formats:

Genres:

Classic Rock, R&B/Soul

Tags:

David Bowie, Joe Meek, The Riot Squad

The Weekend Stream: August 8, 2026

August 8, 2026 by The Second Disc | 3 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. An unexpected return from a ’90s one-hit wonder, a team-up of two pop queens, and plenty of odds and ends from 1976 will satisfy your Saturday. Various Artists, One Night Only (Music from the Motion Picture) (Back Lot Music) (Apple / Amazon) The new comedy from director Will Gluck (Easy A) involving a meet-cute on the one day non-marital sex is legal…

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The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Country, Disco/Dance, Everything Else, Gospel, Latin, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Ben Folds Five, Brenda Lee, Fania All-Stars, General Johnson, Henry Mancini, Jim Reeves, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, New Birth, New Radicals, The Anita Kerr Singers, The Presidents of the United States of America

Release Round-Up: Week of August 7

August 7, 2026 by The Second Disc | 6 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Tom Tom Club, Let There Be Love (Warner/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Rhino assembles most of the Talking Heads offshoot group’s discography on a new 6CD or 7LP box set. Let There Be Love contains Tom Tom Club (1981), Close to the Bone (1983), Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom (1988), Dark Sneak Love Action (1991), The Good, the Bad, and the Funky (2000), and Downtown Rockers (2012). Get the detail on what’s included on what’s not by clicking here. Whitney…

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Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Bing Crosby, Elephant's Memory, En Vogue, Primal Scream, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Hollywood Stars, Tom Tom Club, Various Artists, Whitney Houston

Don’t Let Go: Real Gone’s August Lineup Includes En Vogue, Obituary, Elephant’s Memory, and Absolute Grey

August 6, 2026 by Randy Fairman | 1 Comment

Elephant's Memory Take It to the Streets

Real Gone’s August slate of releases hitting stores tomorrow, August 7, spans from the 1970s to the 1990s and includes genres from soul to rock death metal to punk (!) on vinyl and CD. Read below for more details on each title! Absolute Grey formed in September 1983 in Rochester, New York, consisting of vocalist Beth Brown, guitarist Matt Kitchen, bassist Mitchell Rasor, and drummer Pat Thomas. Drawing inspiration from the melodic guitar work of bands such as R.E.M., Rain Parade, and the Paisley Underground movement, Absolute Grey developed a distinctive sound…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Absolute Grey, Elephant's Memory, En Vogue, Obituary

The Weekend Stream: August 1, 2026

August 1, 2026 by The Second Disc | 3 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. It’s an alt-rock weekend to start, with a Southern country/rock rarity from the ’80s that’s worth checking out and a pop-punk favorite from the ’00s. And that’s only the start… Velvet Elvis, Velvet Elvis (Expanded Edition) (self-released) (Apple / Amazon) Velvet Elvis combined college rock with country in the late ’80s, tapping producer Mitch Easter of Let’s Active for their second…

Review: Joni Mitchell, Dusty Springfield, and Cher in Rhino High Fidelity

July 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Rhino High Fidelity, the label’s series of deluxe audiophile reissues, continues to prove its bona fides with a latest batch of limited-edition vinyl releases from three great women of song: Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark, Cher’s 3614 Jackson Highway, and the late Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis. Joni Mitchell embraced pop on her sixth studio album, 1974’s Court and Spark, while continuing to develop her jazz stylings and maintaining her singular voice as both a singer and songwriter. Produced by Mitchell, collaborating with engineer Henry Lewy, Court and Spark epitomized the sound of the Southern California musical…

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Reviews

Formats:

Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul

Tags:

Cher, Dusty Springfield, Joni Mitchell

WH1TNEY

July 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Whitney Houston’s most enduring contributions to pop music history – her 11 chart-topping singles – are celebrated on a new LP. The appropriately-titled WH1TNEY, pressed on grape-colored purple vinyl, brings together every hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 between 1985 and 1996. From her self-titled debut in 1985, there’s “Saving All My Love,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All”; 1987 follow-up Whitney yields “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” (these collective album spinoffs…

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Formats:

Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, R&B/Soul

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Just a Sweet, Sweet Fantasy: Mariah Carey Celebrates 30 Years of ‘Daydream’ with Expanded Editions

July 27, 2026 by Mike Duquette | No Comments

Mariah Carey surprised fans earlier this month with a generous digital expansion of her 1995 smash album Daydream. Physical versions of the 30th anniversary set are forthcoming – but, to quote one of the album’s biggest hits, the variations in track list might have you feeling kinda hectic inside. Legacy Recordings’ 2CD-equivalent digital offering, issued on July 17, added 21 rare and unreleased bonus tracks to the original 12-track album: vintage remixes, B-sides and outtakes, writing session demos, a cappella versions and excerpts from three concerts recorded across 1995 and 1996. The physical…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Cassette, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul

Tags:

Mariah Carey

I Get So Emotional: ‘WH1TNEY’ Puts Houston’s Chart-Toppers Together on LP

July 27, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 6 Comments

Whitney Houston’s most enduring contributions to pop music history – her 11 chart-topping singles – will be celebrated on a new LP this summer. The appropriately-titled WH1TNEY, pressed on grape-colored purple vinyl, will bring together every hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 between 1985 and 1996. From her self-titled debut in 1985, there’s “Saving All My Love,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All”; 1987 follow-up Whitney yields “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” (these collective album…

Categories:

News

Formats:

Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks

Tags:

Whitney Houston

Release Round-Up: Week of July 24

July 24, 2026 by The Second Disc | 3 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Four Tops, Live! (Deluxe Edition) (Elemental Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Recorded over two separate engagements at the Roostertail club in Detroit, this 60th anniversary edition of one of Motown’s first and best live LPs has been completely rebuilt, newly mixed and mastered from the original multitrack tapes and offering not only songs from the concerts not heard on the original album, but alternate performances of the ones…

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Release Round-Up

Formats:

Blu-Ray Audio, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Comedy, Country, Disco/Dance, Everything Else, Jazz, Latin, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Barnes and Barnes, Carly Simon, Foreigner, Goo Goo Dolls, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Lulu, Mongo Santamaria, Randy Newman, Seals and Crofts

Back For More: Cherry Red Expands Lulu’s “Independence” with Remixes, Singles, Videos, More

July 22, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

Scottish singer Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie was just fifteen years old in 1964 when, under the stage name of Lulu, she made listeners want to “Shout!” with a rip-roaring rendition of The Isley Brothers’ classic. She parlayed that memorable U.K. top ten hit into an international career that’s encompassed records, film and television roles, West End appearances, multiple books, and a concert career. Lulu remained on Decca Records, the home of “Shout!,” for a two-year stint, departing the label in late 1966 to sign with producer Mickie Most EMI’s Columbia Records arm…

Categories:

News

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, DVD

Genres:

Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul

Tags:

Bobby Womack, Lulu, Take That

The Weekend Stream: July 18, 2026

July 18, 2026 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. We’ve got throwbacks to the ’90s and the ’00s, a legend of film music conducting live for America, some deluxe editions of the current top-selling album in the country from a timeless pop icon, and so, so much more! Mariah Carey, Daydream (30th Anniversary Edition) (Columbia/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) A sweet, sweet fantasy came true for all the Lambs out there: a…

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The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Disco/Dance, Electronic, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Andy Partridge, Antonio Banderas, Bobby Timmons, Carly Rae Jepsen, Carole Bayer Sager, Engelbert Humperdinck, Hot Chip, John Williams, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Marvin Hamlisch, Michelle Branch, Neil Simon, New Radicals, Portugal. The Man, XTC

The Weekend Stream: July 11, 2026

July 11, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. We’re catching up on some stray things we missed ahead of the Fourth of July holiday – so there’s certainly plenty to love! Beyoncé, “Morning Dew (Donk)” (Parkwood/Columbia) (Apple / Amazon) Queen Bey surprised the hive with a surprise release over the Fourth of July weekend: a fleshed-out version of the previously-leaked demo “Donk.” Though the track was believed to stem from…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Andy Partridge, Ben Folds Five, Beyoncé, Christina Perri, Curt Smith, George Michael, Green Day, Jim Reeves, John Lennon, Mary Ann Kennedy, Tears for Fears, U2

Release Round-Up: Week of July 3…Plus The Weekend Stream!

July 3, 2026 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Due to the U.S. holiday, there’s less than usual on offer this week, but our usual large gathering of titles will resume soon! In the meantime, here’s a rundown of some highlights from today’s releases plus a truncated version of The Weekend Stream (on hiatus this weekend). As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. From all of us at TSD HQ to all of you, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy Fourth of July weekend! Grateful Dead, Fillmore Audtitorium, San…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Cassette, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Deep Purple, Galt MacDermot, Gary Stewart, Grateful Dead, Imani Coppola, Madonna, Mike Rocket, Ronnie Dyson, Steven Van Zandt

The Weekend Stream: June 27, 2026

June 27, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. A solo record from a Prince associate gets expanded with rare tracks, another classic Tom Petty track gets a new mix, and new music from Sugar, a Monkee and a killer pop songstress (those are all different songs!) help kick off our latest round-up! Morris Day, Color of Success (Deluxe Edition) (Warner/Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) Rhino offers a dual celebration of Black…

Release Round-Up: Week of June 26

June 26, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Metallica, Reload: Deluxe Edition (Blackened Recordings) 15CD/5LP/7″/4DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3CD (* included on bonus discs): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cassette: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Metallica’s seventh studio album is their latest to get a massive box set treatment: 29 hours of audiovisual material on 15 CDs, five LPs, a 7″ single and four DVDs. Fans will get a deep dive…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, DVD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Boone Creek, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Maren Morris, Metallica, Nancy Sinatra, Robert Lopez, Roberta Flack, Rodney Crowell, Sting, Tina Turner, Trey Parker and Matt Stone

In Memoriam: Clive Davis (1932-2026)

June 23, 2026 by The Second Disc | 9 Comments

Today, The Second Disc remembers Clive Davis. Mike kicks things off… It was not entirely hubris that spurred Clive Davis to title his second memoir The Soundtrack of My Life in 2013 (which, in turn, inspired the career-spanning documentary on him to be named The Soundtrack of Our Lives). Here was a man who, with very few peers, was the sort of self-styled “record men” that fueled phases of incredible music industry growth in the back half of the 20th century. Next to perhaps only Berry Gordy, Davis’ label tenures at Columbia, Arista and…

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Features

Formats:

Genres:

Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock

Timeless

June 14, 2026 by Mike Duquette

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (140-gram Purple Marbled Vinyl) Ten years after his tragic passing, a newly-curated release from Prince’s vault offers 10 unreleased tracks spanning his entire recording career – mostly unconsidered, in their respective forms, for any formal versions of his albums. Advance highlights include “With This Tear,” a song Prince gave to Celine Dion early in her English-language singing career, and the ’90s pop/funk “Stone.”

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Release Round-Up: Week of June 12

June 12, 2026 by The Second Disc | 3 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The 5th Dimension, Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 (Second Disc/Cherry Red/Strawberry) Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red 2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Second Disc Records is proud to team with Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City &…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Cream, David Beard, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Keith Urban, Michael McDonald, Mike Campbell, Robbie Robertson, Sue Glover, The 5th Dimension, The Band, The Beach Boys, Tommy Steele, Triumph

OUT TOMORROW! The 5th Dimension’s Soul City and Bell Albums Collected on New Box from TSD, Cherry Red

June 11, 2026 by The Second Disc | 22 Comments

2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Tomorrow, June 12, is the date for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint and Second Disc Records! This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s recordings for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including the group’s rare pre-5th Dimension…

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Nothing Left But Stone: ‘Timeless’ Collects 10 Unreleased Prince Recordings

June 4, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 6 Comments

The faithful fans hoping for more music from Prince’s vault have something to look forward to. Timeless, a new collection from NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, offers 10 previously unreleased recordings spanning the breadth of the Minneapolis legend’s career, from a 1978 home recording to a live take of a favorite B-side from one of his final concerts. The album will be available on CD and vinyl on August 28. Prince’s version of “With This Tear,” an early ’90s ballad given to Celine Dion and released to mark the 10th anniversary of…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Celine Dion, Prince

In Memoriam: Peabo Bryson (1951-2026)

June 3, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 4 Comments

To an entire generation of families, Peabo Bryson was the voice behind the end-credit versions of the beloved Disney animated themes “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World” from Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, respectively. But long before – and well after – he brought to life the melodies of Alan Menken and lyrics of Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Bryson distinguished himself as one of the richest, smoothest, and most versatile voices in contemporary R&B. Yesterday evening, June 2, family announced his death at the age of 75…

Categories:

News

Formats:

Genres:

R&B/Soul

Tags:

Peabo Bryson

The Montreux Years

June 2, 2026 by Joe Marchese

BMG compiles thirteen tracks from five of the late Roberta Flack’s concerts recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1971 and 2008 including renditions of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” “To Love Somebody,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Suzanne Koga provides the liner notes. Available on 1 CD or 2 LPs. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Categories:

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul

Tags: