After having previously celebrated two of his musical inspirations - Burt Bacharach and Teddy Randazzo - with their own volumes, Ace's Songwriters and Producers series is turning its attention to legendary soul maestro Thom Bell. On June 26, the label's Kent imprint will release Ready or Not: Philly Soul Arrangements and Productions 1965-1978. As the title indicates, all 23 tracks were either produced or arranged (or both!) by the multi-hyphenate musician-composer-producer-arranger-conductor who
Let's Do It Again: Omnivore Preps Four Remastered Staple Singers Albums For June
Today, more than 25 years after their final performance together, The Staples Singers are synonymous with gospel and soul music of the highest order. Roebuck "Pops" Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and (sometimes) Yvonne, and son Pervis raised their voices in song to celebrate the Lord, but also to crusade for civil rights and share musical messages of power and positivity around the world. In the 1960s, the group transitioned from pure gospel and blues to soul and R&B, setting the stage
Message in the Music: Craft Recordings Celebrates Legacy of Stax's Gospel Truth Records
Craft Recordings is celebrating the Gospel Truth with a new reissue campaign dedicated to that Stax Records imprint. Every week, the label drops a digital reissue of a Gospel Truth title culminating in the vinyl, CD, and digital release in September - Gospel Heritage Month - of a newly-curated singles collection. Various digital playlists and lyric videos will also be unveiled throughout the course of the series. Stax chief Al Bell launched Gospel Truth in 1972, working in close coordination
Walking in Rhythm: Robinsongs Collects Best of Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds on "The Jazz Funk Collection"
Donald Byrd was well-versed in the art of reinvention. The trumpeter/bandleader began his career as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers while still pursuing his master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music. Upon graduating from both institutions, Byrd played with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and a host of jazz's finest leaders. By 1958, he was leading his own quintet. But in the years to come, the sound of music would shift radically. Byrd would change with it. His
I'm Coming Out: Diana Ross' "Supertonic: Mixes" Collects Chart-Topping Remixes
For the legendary Diana Ross, it's clear that there truly ain't no mountain high enough. The superstar made chart history earlier this year when "Love Hangover 2020" reached the top position on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart - making it her fourth consecutive No. 1 remix of a song that had previously been No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its original version. Now, that record-setting remix is coming to CD, clear vinyl LP, and digital formats along with Miss Ross' other three recent chart-toppers
Everybody Needs a Thrill: Tracks From Prince's 'Live At The Aladdin' Released Digitally
Nearly four years after Prince's passing, The Artist's work still lives on. Next Tuesday, on the anniversary of his passing, CBS will air a tribute concert recorded earlier this year, and Legacy Recordings' next wave of CD and vinyl reissues, covering The Rainbow Children and One Nite Alone... eras, will release next month after being delayed due to the COVID-19 situation. (Don't forget, we're also doing a live listen to Around The World In a Day this afternoon at 5 p.m. EST!) Now, ahead of
What a Wonderful World: Dr. John's "Ske-Dat-De-Dat" Tribute to Louis Armstrong Returns to Vinyl
The late Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, frequently drew on the classic sounds of New Orleans as he conjured his own musical voodoo. Appropriately enough, his final studio album was a tribute to one of the most significant figures to ever emerge from the Crescent City. 2014's Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch celebrated the legendary Louis Armstrong as only Dr. John and his friends could do. Now, it's returning from The Last Music Company in a new vinyl pressing on June 5, one day before the
Lost in Music: Cherry Red Boxes Sister Sledge Classics on "Thinking of You"
While 1979's anthemic "We Are Family" broke Sister Sledge into the mainstream, Kathy Sledge and her older sisters Debbie, Joni, and Kim were hardly overnight sensations. They paid their dues, and had been recording for Atco Records since 1973 when all four members were still teenagers. Now, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has compiled all of the Sledges' recordings for Atco, its parent Atlantic, and sister imprint Cotillion into one tidy 6-CD box set. Thinking of You: The
Paisley Park Is In Your Heart: Join Us For a #TSDTweet On 'Around The World In a Day'
We're a little more than a month into COVID-19 lockdown here at TSD HQ, and we know things are still tough for everyone. (Things are tough for the music business, too, but they have more money than most of us! So this post is for you.) As Mike noted in his last missive to our awesome readers, one of the things getting us through the situation is sharing the gift of music with each other. Neil Finn's Fangradio has been a balm, and Steve Nieve's The Daily Improvisation recently remotely
Paradise: Edsel Celebrates the Music of Change on CD Box Set, Vinyl Collection
It's been said that the only true constant is change - and that's certainly been borne out by the group bearing that moniker. Between 1980 and 1985, the rotating line-ups collectively known as Change released six albums built around insistent rhythms, catchy hooks, and commanding vocals. Unexpectedly in 2018, Change returned from a three-decade-plus hiatus with a new album that captured the old magic. Late last year, Demon Music Group's Edsel label chronicled Change's discography on CD in a
From The Founder: Hello From Inside
It was on my 23rd (or 25th, depending on how you count it) day of lockdown when I once again had to do something we're all sick of doing these last few weeks: go on social media and see another wave of tributes to a favorite artist who's succumbed to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, it was John Prine, an artist I freely admit is one of my many musical blind spots; but reading the tributes - some from friends, some from great writers, some from both - really underscores the profound
Give In to Love: Cherry Red Collects Dee Dee Bridgewater's R&B Years
Dee Dee Bridgewater has long defied easy categorization. The Grammy and Tony Award-winning singer-actress has fronted a jazz orchestra; worked with legends of the genre like Thad Jones, Dexter Gordon, and Max Roach; starred in two Broadway musicals; hosted a long-running NPR radio show; and served as a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador as part of her fight against world hunger. Cherry Red Group's Robinsongs imprint has recently collected her first four American albums on a 2-CD set. When Charlie
Review: Donna Summer, "Encore"
I. Try Me, I Know We Can Make It Donna Summer's first studio album was entitled Lady of the Night, after its retro-styled galloping pop song composed by Giorgio Moroder and the album's producer Pete Bellotte. Following the release of her next LP, Summer would own the night as an international superstar. But there was much more to the so-called Queen of Disco than just the remarkable string of hits that crossed over from the dancefloor to the mainstream pop consciousness, among them "Love to
In Memoriam: Bill Withers (1938-2020)
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain We all have sorrow But if we are wise We know that there's always tomorrow... Those words from "Lean on Me" held tremendous meaning when Bill Withers first introduced them in 1972. Today, they arguably hold even greater resonance. It's been announced that Withers has passed away of heart complications at 81 years of age. While his recording career was a relatively short one, roughly spanning just a decade and a half, he leaves behind some of the
Release Round-Up: Week of April 3
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Andy Williams, Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Real Gone Music has the first-ever collection of never-before-heard music from Andy Williams' Columbia Records years. Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 boasts 20 selections direct from the Columbia vault encompassing 16 previously unreleased studio outtakes and four rare singles. Every track on Emperor of Easy
Release Round-Up: Week of March 27
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Donna Summer, Encore (Crimson Productions) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The ultimate Donna Summer box set, Encore bring together the late superstar's complete albums on 33 CDs, including 8 discs of 7″ and 12″ mixes, single edits, non-album cuts, and other rarities. It totals a staggering 329 tracks, truly the most comprehensive tribute to Summer ever collected. Christian John Wikane provides the new liner notes. The set is
Release Round-Up: Week of March 20
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Def Leppard, The Early Years 1979-1981 (Bludgeon Riffola) Box Set (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) On Through the Night: CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada High N' Dry: CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Def Leppard revisits their first years with a new box set covering the group's first three years
Magic Moments: Demon Collects Perry Como, Gladys Knight and The Pips, David Soul on New "Gold" Collections
Today, we're looking at another three of Demon Music Group/Crimson Productions' Gold collections! Almost two decades after his death on May 12, 2001, Perry Como remains one of the most cherished voices in American popular song. Over the course of five decades at RCA Victor, the mellow crooner scored 131 chart hits in the U.S. alone, over 20 gold records, multiple Emmy and Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, and sales of over 100 million records between 1945 and 1970. Perry's entry in the
Release Round-Up: Week of March 13
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! ABBA, Live at Wembley Arena (Polar/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) ABBA brings its 2014 release of Live at Wembley Arena - preserving the group's November 10, 1979 performance at the storied venue - back to vinyl. This edition on 3 LPs has been half-speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. Ella Fitzgerald, The Complete Piano Duets (Verve/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) This
UMe Preps 'More Trouble' With Vinyl Release of Marvin Gaye's 'Trouble Man' Outtakes
Between What's Going On and Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye released a masterwork that still remains one of the less-heralded items in his remarkable '70s catalogue. Trouble Man was the soundtrack to a 20th Century-Fox "blaxploitation" film, and while it was Gaye's only foray into film scoring, it proved that the Motown superstar could hold his own against the other soul stars-turned-film composers such as Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield - as if there was ever any doubt. The soundtrack album made
Love Oh Love: Run Out Groove Announces LeRoy Hutson's "The Curtom Years" Anthology as Next Release
Run Out Groove has announced its latest, fan-voted release, and it's a treasure trove for soul fans and collectors! LeRoy Hutson's The Curtom Years anthologizes the period in which the multi-talented singer/songwriter/producer/musician and onetime lead singer of The Impressions recorded for the group's co-founder Curtis Mayfield's label. The limited and individually numbered 2-LP release boasts 20 newly-remastered songs recorded between 1973 and 1979, including eight previously unreleased tracks
Legacy's RSD Lineup Has Something For Everyone
Sony Music's Legacy Recordings division has announced the titles they'll be releasing for the annual Record Store Day festivities. Hitting shelves April 18 will be a slew of genre- and decade-spanning albums from Miles Davis, Cheap Trick, TLC, Judas Priest, Tyler the Creator, Pink Floyd and more! Here's the official word from Legacy! Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, today announces another sensational line-up of vinyl for release on Record Store Day (April
Cherry Red Round-Up: Complete Box Sets Celebrate The Honeycombs, The Meters
The Honeycombs weren't quite a one-hit wonder. The stomping "Have I the Right?" established the group, under the aegis of maverick producer Joe Meek, when it topped the U.K. Singles Chart in the summer of 1964. But its follow-ups barely squeaked into the top 40, and a No. 12 placement for "That's the Way" was too little, too late to bolster the group's fortunes. These showings, however, were no reflection on the band's quality. For one of its final releases, Cherry Red's RPM imprint has
Dionne Warwick's "Déjà Vu: The Arista Recordings" Box Out Today from Cherry Red, SoulMusic
UPDATED 2/28: Earlier this week, the popular competition show The Masked Singer unmasked The Mouse. But to anyone who's ever listened to a radio over the past 50-plus years, there was no need for a reveal. It was obvious that, underneath the giant mouse head, was the voice of only one person: the inimitable Dionne Warwick. Over 40 years ago, Warwick left Warner Bros. Records and signed to Clive Davis' Arista label to begin a new chapter in her remarkable career. Today, Cherry Red's SoulMusic
Release Round-Up: Week of February 28
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Allman Brothers Band, Trouble No More: 50th Anniversary Collection (Mercury/UMe) 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 10LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada UMe is marking The Allman Brothers Band's 50th anniversary with a new 5-CD or 10-LP box set boasting 61 newly remastered tracks including classics, rarities, and seven previously unreleased tracks. Trouble No More is bookended with the band's never-before-heard
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