Real Gone is starting off 2024 with another set of eclectic titles. We’ve already told you about the new Andy Williams rarities collection When You Fall in Love: Lost Columbia Masters 1977-1982 featuring liner notes by our own Joe Marchese, but here is the rest of Real Gone’s slate featuring a wide range of material from the 1950s through the 2000s. All of these titles hit store shelves tomorrow, February 2. Black Jazz Records was founded in 1969 by pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory. Russell envisioned the label as a…
Love and Marriage: Stage Door Pop Celebrates “Crossroads Wedding Party” Featuring Noele “Nolly” Gordon
Next month, American PBS stations premiere Nolly, a three-part miniseries written by Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who, It’s a Sin) about British television star Noele “Nolly” Gordon (1919-1985), portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter. The 2023 production is presented on PBS by Masterpiece – formerly Masterpiece Theatre – which describes it as “an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Gordon’s most tumultuous years, and a sharp, affectionate, and heartbreaking portrait of a forgotten icon.” But Gordon, a star of both stage and screen, hasn’t been forgotten by everybody. Stage Door Pop, the…
Soundtrack Watch: Quartet Reissues ‘Cutthroat Island,’ Intrada Expands ‘Something Wicked’
With Bond back in action at La-La Land Records, some of our favorite soundtrack reissue labels are also starting the new year off with a bang! Quartet Records has just reissued a ’90s favorite score on CD, while Intrada has revisited an early classic by James Horner with an all-new approach. The name Cutthroat Island would shiver the timbers of any Hollywood enthusiast in the mid-’90s. The infamous pirate epic, starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine and Frank Langella and directed by Davis’ then-husband Renny Harlin, was plagued with unbelievable production issues, from casting (Michael…
The Year In Review: The 2023 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part Two
Happy 2024! Welcome, friends, to Part Two of The Second Disc’s 14th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! As we yet again look to a new year with optimism and a hopeful spirit, we recognize the many roles music has played in our lives. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2023’s cream of the catalogue music crop – those exemplary reissues and box sets, big and small, that proved to be truly outstanding for music lovers worldwide. After much deliberation, we’re excited to unveil our favorites. This isn’t…
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The Year In Review: The 2023 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part One
Happy 2024! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc’s 14th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! As we yet again look to a new year with optimism and a hopeful spirit, we recognize the many roles music has played in our lives. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2023’s cream of the catalogue music crop – those exemplary reissues and box sets, big and small, that proved to be truly outstanding for music lovers worldwide. After much deliberation, we’re excited to unveil our favorites. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Top…
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Dear Little Buttercup: Rhino’s “Start Your Ear Off Right” Features America, The Doors, Grateful Dead, “Three Amigos,” More
Rhino is once again inaugurating the new year with a Start Your Ear Off Right campaign, launching this Friday in brick-and-mortar independent record stores (and if the past is any indication, at Barnes and Noble locations across the United States). The vinyl-only slate, which is spread out over the next four release weeks, concentrates on classic rockers (The Doors, Foghat, America, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Black Sabbath, Stevie Nicks, Yes) with a healthy dose of R&B legends (Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield, Zapp and Roger) and a late country music great (Eddie Rabbitt)…
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All-Time High: La-La Land Surprise Expands a Pair of James Bond Scores
Having delivered a typically stunning last batch of archival film score reissues last November, La-La Land Records is wasting no time at all kicking off 2024 with a bang. On Christmas Eve, they surprise-announced two pre-orders of expanded editions of soundtracks to two James Bond films from the ’70s and ’80s. La-La Land has long been the home of definitive presentations of 007 on CD, having licensed deluxe 2CD sets of three scores fan favorite composer David Arnold composed for Pierce Brosnan’s late ’90s/early ’00s tenure as Ian Fleming’s daredevil secret agent…
We Wish You (Another) Merry Discmas!
The stockings are hung, the presents are wrapped, and the time is now to wish all of our readers at The Second Disc a wonderful holiday season before we enter a brief winter hibernation until the new year! 2023 was our 13th year as (we hope!) one of the more fun destinations for music reissues, box sets and catalogue releases. The business has certainly changed a lot in that time – maybe too much vinyl, maybe not enough CDs? – but labels big and small keep finding new, old and interesting ways…
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Holiday Gift Guide Review: Stevie Nicks, ‘Complete Studio Albums and Rarities’
I. Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You? When was the moment that Stephanie Lynn Nicks became inevitable? It’s not as though you can just forget a voice like hers. Ever since the start of her on-again, off-again tenure in Fleetwood Mac – when her dulcet tones powered songs like “Rhiannon,” “Landslide,” “Dreams” (the band’s first No. 1 single in America), essential B-side “Silver Springs,” “Gypsy” and others – Nicks’ artistry and talent has been a given. But you can feel it in the air too, right? At some point in the last decade,…
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Nice to Be Around: Extensive John Williams Box Set Released in France
If you’re a Second Disc reader, you’re no doubt aware of the immense musical power film composer John Williams has over us (and people like us!). Even a casual fan surely knows his most familiar works for the screen, from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park and Harry Potter; the films of Steven Spielberg (JAWS, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List); themes for everything from Superman to the Olympics. He’s picked up five Oscars (53 nominations, second only to Walt Disney), 25 Grammys, the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award (the only composer to receive the honor),…
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Soundtrack Watch: Intrada, Quartet and Varese’s Last Batches for 2023, ‘The Naked Gun’ Gets Solo Shot
With a few weeks left in the year, film score labels are still working hard to get out some choice archival releases on CD! Here’s the latest from Intrada, Quartet Records, Varese Sarabande’s CD Club, and a reissue from the folks at Rusted Wave. The estate of James Horner has worked overtime to get a myriad of scores from the late composer out into the market. Two major ones come from Intrada and Quartet, respectively: Intrada delivers a reissue of his third film score, to the sci-fi adventure film Battle Beyond the Stars…
Holiday Gift Guide Review: John Williams, ‘Hook (The Ultimate Edition)’
I. Kindest Personal Regards When critics walked out of screening rooms for Steven Spielberg’s Hook, they – not inaccurately – saw a film that possessed the childlike whimsy and rollercoaster thrills the director was a sure hand at ever since JAWS scared its way to the top of the all-time box-office charts. And yet, it was hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. “Hook is a huge party cake of a movie, with too much frosting,” David Ansen opined for Newsweek. “After the first delicious bite, sugar shock sets in.” It seems…
The Weekend Stream: December 2, 2023
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts. This week’s latest includes anniversary projects from Alicia Keys, live vault material from Bruce Springsteen, an oddity from The Alan Parsons Project and possibly the only article where Taylor Swift shares space with Minor Threat! Alicia Keys, The Diary of Alicia Keys 20 (RCA/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) Legacy Recordings celebrates two decades of R&B pianist/singer Alicia Keys’ sophomore album, featuring the hits “You Don’t Know My Name” and “If I Ain’t Got You.” The album…
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Release Round-Up: Week of December 1
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. The Sound of Music: Super Deluxe Edition (Craft Recordings) 4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Craft Store (picnic meadow green) This remarkable new 4CD/1BD box set invites listeners to hear The Sound of Music anew. The first two discs represent the complete musical score as heard in the film, from the orchestral prelude and Julie Andrews’ iconic “The Sound of Music” – yes, that…
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THE SECOND DISC’S 2023 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
Cyber Monday is upon us today, which means one thing at Second Disc HQ: it’s time to launch our annual Holiday Gift Guide, featuring (more than) 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 around 50 essential selections: sprawling box sets and deluxe vinyl editions, as well as releases on CD from favorite artists that just might make great stocking stuffers. So just click here or visit the handy…
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Hooked: Williams, Horner, Mancini, Jarre Bring Black Friday Gifts to La-La Land
Two scores from a late, modern icon of film soundtracks; a classic late-period soundtrack to a Hitchcock classic, an informal kickoff to another soundtrack legend’s centennial celebration; and a major gap filled in the most notable director-composer canon? La-La Land always brings out the big titles for their last batch of releases on Black Friday, but they’ve really outdone themselves this year with an era-spanning offering of five great archival score CD releases. Perhaps the most exciting is a stunning new reissue of John Williams’ stirring score to Steven Spielberg’s Hook. The 1991 blockbuster told…
The Second Disc’s Guide to Black Friday Record Store Day 2023: Our Essential Picks
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you’ve enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of beloved family and friends. Of course, from this day which conjures nostalgic and warm feelings comes a celebration of a different kind with this year’s annual Black Friday Record Store Day event. In keeping with tradition, Mike, Randy, and Joe have once again selected some essential picks of the roughly 200 titles being released tomorrow at independent record stores everywhere. With so many shoppers at the mall and…
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Soundtrack Watch: La-La Land, Intrada Deliver Archival Scores Beyond the Stars
With only weeks to go before La-La Land’s typically huge Black Friday announcement, it’s worth noting an incredible clutch of archival score reissues and premieres that have been released over the last two months. Here’s a look at some recent releases – including one on vinyl – coming from La-La Land Records and Intrada. La-La Land Records: Trek, Scarface and Jason Some box set breakouts and a rare foray into vinyl have lit up LLL’s release slate this fall. First up, second and third installments of the label’s Star Trek: The Original Series –…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 27
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the (many, many!) new titles available today! As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Salsoul Orchestra, Christmas Jollies I + II: The Extra Jolly Edition (SoulMusic/Cherry Red/Second Disc) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red) The Second Disc has teamed with SoulMusic Records for the definitive celebration of the Christmas disco/Philly soul classic. The Salsoul Orchestra’s Christmas Jollies I + II: The Extra Jolly Edition brings together Vincent Montana, Jr.’s original Christmas Jollies plus Tom Moulton’s complete 1992 remix and producer Patrick Adams’ rare follow-up, Christmas…
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Now and Then: Unheard Outtake, New Mixes Added to Classic Beatles Compilations
On April 2, 1973, the first career-spanning compilations by The Beatles – broken up for three years – were released. Nicknamed for the colored borders around Angus McBean’s iconic photos of The Fab Four (taken six years apart) leaning over a stairwell at EMI’s offices in London, the “Red” (The Beatles 1962-1966) and “Blue” (The Beatles 1967-1970) albums offered on eight sides of vinyl a holistic view of the group’s unbelievable discography: 54 hit singles, B-sides and treasured album cuts that would offer a perfect primer for new generations of Beatlemaniacs. Five…
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The Sound of Music: Super Deluxe Edition
4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Craft Store (picnic meadow green) As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This remarkable new 4CD/1BD box set invites listeners to hear The Sound of Music anew. The first two discs represent the complete musical score as heard in the film, from the orchestral prelude and Julie Andrews’ iconic “The Sound of Music” – yes, that word is overused, but it certainly…
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Release Round-Up: Week of October 20
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the many titles being released today as we inch closer to the holiday shopping season! As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Nancy Sinatra, Keep Walkin’: Singles, Demos, and Rarities (1965-1978) (Light in the Attic) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Standard Black 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Zodiac Blue 2LP: Nancy’s Bootique Highway Song Yellow 2LP: Nancy’s Bootique “Sugar Me” Pink Splatter 2LP: Spotify Abridged 4-Track Tape: Nancy’s Bootique Abridged 8-Track Tape: Nancy’s Bootique Following the release of the anthology Start Walkin’ 1965-1976 and expanded editions of Boots, Nancy and Lee,…
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You Don’t Need a Weatherman: New Bob Dylan Compilation Accompanies New Archival Book
Next Tuesday, October 24, publishing house Callaway will release Mixing Up the Medicine, a 600+-page tome promised to be “the most comprehensive book yet published on the work of Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter-poet and cultural icon, Bob Dylan.” As entire libraries could be filled with the books written on Dylan, that’s no small boast – but this hefty coffee table volume looks like it might live up to the hype. Written and edited by Mark Davidson and Parker Fishel, the book celebrates both Dylan himself and The Bob Dylan Center, the expansive Tulsa,…
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
A Vince Guaraldi classic premieres on CD and vinyl. This 50th anniversary of the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving features the pianist-composer’s complete score for teh television special plus bonus material as remixed and remastered from the original, recently-discovered multitrack tapes. Featuring Guaraldi joined by Mike Clark on drums; Seward McCain on electric bass; Tom Harrell on trumpet; and Chuck Bennett on trombone, the soundtrack has been remixed by Terry Carleton, restored and mastered by Vinson Hudson, and produced by Sean and Jason Mendelson.
The Weekend Stream: October 14, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to float you into the weekend. There’s a plethora of breakouts from box sets new to streaming, from John Lennon to Prince – plus rare remixes by Cyndi Lauper and a surprise treat from a beloved theme park. John Lennon, Imagine (The Ultimate Mixes / Deluxe) / Imagine (The Elements Mixes) / Imagine (The Evolution Documentary) / Imagine (The Raw Studio Mixes) / Imagine (The Out-Takes / Deluxe)…
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