Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music celebrate 50 years of the best album you’ve never heard: Pool-Pah’s The Flasher. In 1973, the sexual revolution was on, streaking was taking college campuses by storm, and Deep Throat was edging pornography ever closer to the mainstream. Against this backdrop, a talented New York band with the unlikely moniker of Pool-Pah teamed with up-and-coming singer-songwriter, musician, and arranger Rupert Holmes to write and record an unforgettably far-out soundtrack blending rock, psychedelia, jazz, prog, pop, and electronica. It had – and has – to be heard…
Rated X: Second Disc, Real Gone Expose “The Flasher” With First-Ever Reissue of Psych-Rock Rarity from Pool-Pah, Rupert Holmes
1973: the sexual revolution was on, streaking was taking college campuses by storm, and Deep Throat was edging pornography ever closer to the mainstream. Against this backdrop, a talented New York band with the unlikely moniker of Pool-Pah teamed up with up-and-coming singer-songwriter, musician, and arranger Rupert Holmes to write and record an unforgettably far-out soundtrack blending rock, psychedelia, jazz, prog, pop, and electronica. It had to be heard to be believed…and far too few heard it. That all changes on Friday June 2, when Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music…
Release Round-Up: Week of April 7
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today. Various Artists, Love Is the Message: The Sound of Philadelphia Volume 3 (Snapper/United Souls) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) After well over a year since the release of Satisfaction Guaranteed, United Souls’ series of box sets collecting the Philadelphia International label’s complete studio albums resumes with Love Is the Message: The Sound of Philadelphia Vol. 3. The third installment of the series promised to eventually encompass 15 volumes contains the following eight studio albums: The Ebonys, The Ebonys (Philadelphia International KZ…
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Speed of Sound: Real Gone’s April Line-Up Features Voivod, “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” and More
We’ve already told you about one of Real Gonem Music’s April projects: the 3-CD collection The Complete Scepter Singles 1962-1973 from Dionne Warwick. Now we’ve got the details on an additional six releases, due to hit shelves tomorrow, April 7: five vinyl reissues from the 1980s-2000s with genres encompassing soul, disco, gospel, heavy metal, and soundtracks, plus an all-new CD from the co-founder of Real Gone. First up are two albums by artists with very small discographies. 1980’s Mother Nature was the only full-length LP from singer Mary Mundy. Released on the…
The Weekend Stream: April 1, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend. Our latest round-up may be on April Fool’s Day, but it’s no joke: remixes by Madonna, rarities by Burt Bacharach and Peggy Lee, a White Stripes live set and the first major Barry White production are all here. Happy streaming! Madonna, Nothing Really Matters (Remixes) (Warner/Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon) Madonna closed the Ray of Light album cycle with…
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Quartet Records Is In a “Frenzy” With Mancini and Goodwin’s Scores for Hitchcock Classic
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1972 film Frenzy was widely considered a return to form for the master of suspense, then in his seventh decade. “This is the kind of thriller Hitchcock was making in the 1940s, filled with macabre details, incongruous humor, and the desperation of a man convicted of a crime he didn’t commit,” wrote Roger Ebert. “We are nearly back in the days of his great English films,” opined Penelope Gilliatt in The New Yorker, while Vincent Canby in The New York Times praised it as a “passionately entertaining film.” From his…
The Weekend Stream: March 18, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend. We’ve got new remixes from David Bowie, old remixes from Madonna, an unheard Lou Reed song and much more – including another music writer who could use your help. David Bowie, Let’s Dance (40th Anniversary Remix E.P.) / Let’s Dance (Club Bolly Mixes) / China Girl (Riff & Vox Mixes) (Parlophone) 40th Anniversary Remix: iTunes / Amazon Club Bolly: iTunes / Amazon China Girl:…
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What a Day That Was: Talking Heads’ ‘Stop Making Sense’ Expanded for Vinyl, Film Reissue
Why Stop Making Sense? Why a movie? Why tour? Why do the musicians come out gradually? What will the band do next? Whe do the odd instruments come from? Are live concerts better or worse than records? Why no “special effects” in the movie? Why a big suit? Why was a digital system used for the sound? Talking Heads’ now-legendary live project Stop Making Sense asked a lot of questions of the listener when it was released in 1984. Here’s another one: why reissue the album? That one’s easy to answer: the film is…
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Here They Come: Classic ‘Star Wars’ Recording Gets a New Surround Mix on SACD
Fans of John Williams’ sweeping scores to the nine Star Wars films released between 1977 and 2019 must have the patience of a Jedi Knight. While archival-quality expansions of the original trilogy’s soundtracks were released in 1997 for the series’ 20th anniversary and special edition reissues, the balance of the other six scores remain mostly preserved in their original album forms. In 2018, the series’ new owner, The Walt Disney Company, sort of went back to formula on the original and prequel soundtracks, rebuilding and remixing those original LP programs for CD…
The Weekend Stream: March 11, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend. From a Death Row drop and classic mixes from Madonna and Teena Marie, to a super-sized Elvis tribute, there’s something here for everyone – including a way you can help a reissue producer in need. Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle / Various Artists, Above the Rim (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Deluxe Edition) / Various Artists, Murder Was the Case (The Soundtrack)…
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What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears?
What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears? That’s the question posed by award-winning filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Herb Alpert Is…) in an upcoming documentary film exploring the band’s controversial State Department-sponsored trip behind the Iron Curtain in 1970. Omnivore Recordings has the soundtrack to the film on CD and digital formats as well as a digital-only companion of its instrumental score. The core album features 10 previously unreleased live performances from the tour including “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die,” “Hi-De-Ho…
Release Round-Up: Week of March 3
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today. Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, The Songs of Bacharach and Costello (UMe) 4CD/2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ElvisCostello.com 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP with Lithograph: ElvisCostello.com Elvis Costello is looking back at his 25 years of music with the late Burt Bacharach on this lavish new 4-CD/2-LP box set (also available in smaller formats). The Songs of Bacharach and Costello features four distinctive albums: A newly remastered version of the duo’s acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning 1998…
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What Goes Up Must Come Down: New Documentary, Soundtrack Explore Blood, Sweat and Tears’ 1970 Iron Curtain Tour
What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears? That’s the question posed by award-winning filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Herb Alpert Is…) in an upcoming documentary film exploring the band’s controversial State Department-sponsored trip behind the Iron Curtain in 1970. On April 21, Omnivore Recordings will release the soundtrack to the film on CD and digital formats as well as a digital-only companion of its instrumental score. Though the horn-rock band founded by Al Kooper, Steve Katz, Bobby Colomby, Jim Fielder, Dick Halligan, Randy Brecker, and Jerry Weiss…
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Turn Your Radio On: Real Gone’s March Lineup Includes John Hartford, Don Cherry, Saigon Kick, “The Devil Wears Prada,” and More
Once again, Real Gone Music’s March slate offers up an eclectic selection of genres ranging from bluegrass to funk to jazz to alt-country to hard rock to soundtrack music, all spanning the years 1971-2006. All of these six vinyl reissue titles are due out tomorrow, March 3. Read on for more details about each title. John Hartford moved to Nashville in 1965 and signed with RCA Victor the next year. The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist would record six studio albums for the label. The second of these, 1967’s Earthwords and Music, featured his…
The Weekend Stream: February 25, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend. A veritable bonanza of titles feature an expanded album by Sting, two classic Madonna 12″s, a George Michael-produced rarity, a first-time duet by a country legend and a soul icon, a new recording of a late-period classic from Hollywood’s most famed composer, and so much more! Sting, Ten Summoner’s Tales (Expanded Edition) (A&M/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon) Sting’s camp…
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Keep On Loving You: Real Gone’s RSD Offerings Feature The Donnas, Taproot, “Ocean’s Twelve,” Crispin Glover, and More
The Record Store Day list of releases came out last week and we continue our look through them by focusing today on Real Gone’s slate. Their eight releases come from a variety of genres including punk, alternative metal, hip-hop, film score music, rock and one that defies genre descriptions. We’ve got the list of Real Gone’s titles below, with descriptions coming directly from the label. All of these will be available on April 22, 2023 at participating retailers. Visit recordstoreday.com for a complete list of locations and other information on the event….
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Sit Down, I Think I Love You: Rhino’s RSD Lineup Includes Grateful Dead, Dio, Stevie Nicks, Todd Rundgren, Madonna, and More “Nuggets”
Rhino has announced one of the most expansive lineups for this year’s Record Store Day event at participating independent record stores on Saturday, April 22. Rhino’s slate includes two dozen titles from the label’s heaviest hitters including Madonna, Grateful Dead, Stevie Nicks, Dio, Duran Duran, Ramones, Todd Rundgren, and more – plus a 50th anniversary celebration of the original Nuggets. You’ll find the complete list below, with descriptions provided by the label. Visit RecordStoreDay.com to locate the nearest participating store. Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes: The B-Sides (1-LP black vinyl, limited to 14,500…
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The Weekend Stream: February 18, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend. Today, Joe and Mike are sharing the latest from the Stream: new posthumous singles from Burt Bacharach and Olivia Newton-John, a new song from Ben Folds, a demo from Sting and more – plus a way you can voice your support for members of the LGBTQ+ community who need it. Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello, “You Can Have…
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The Weekend Stream: February 11, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend. Today sees digital expansions from Jan Berry, Brian McKnight and Weezer; new songs from The Guess Who and a member of Jellyfish – plus a great way to provide aid in the face of the week’s biggest natural disaster. Brian McKnight, Anytime (Deluxe Edition) (Motown/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon) Soulful crooner Brian McKnight started to come into his own…
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For The First Time: Real Gone’s February Slate Includes Grateful Dead, Soul Searchers, Harem Scarem, and “One Fine Day” Soundtrack
Real Gone’s line-up for February features music from the 1970s and 1990s, representing genres from funk to classic rock. Available today are vinyl reissues for The Soul Searchers’ second album, Salt of the Earth, the One Fine Day soundtrack, and a CD reissue of Grateful Dead’s Road Trips Vol.1 No.1: Fall ’79. Coming out in two weeks, on February 17, is a vinyl reissue of the debut album from Canadian band Harem Scarem. Washington, D.C.-based group The Soul Searchers formed in the early 1970s and were signed to the small Sussex label…
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Release Round-Up: Week of February 3
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! Carole Bayer Sager, Sometimes Late at Night: Expanded Edition (Iconoclassic) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Iconoclassic Records is bringing Carole Bayer Sager’s star-studded 1981 album Sometimes Late at Night back to CD, for the very first time from the original Boardwalk Records master tapes. Featuring Burt Bacharach, Michael Jackson, Marvin Hamlisch, Neil Diamond, Melissa Manchester, David Foster, and many others, this lush, extraordinary (and extraordinarily personal) set co-produced by Bacharach and Brooks Arthur gets the treatment it deserves. The…
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Turtles in Time: Waxwork Completes John Du Prez’s “Ninja Turtles” Film Score Trilogy with Debut Release
While Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fever may have been cooling a bit by the release of the green gang’s third film in 1993, the music to their motion pictures was still going strong. Waxwork Records, which debuted composer John Du Prez’s scores to the first two films in 2018 and 2021, now offers the premiere release of his work for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. For the third go-round, the space-time continuum goes wild when an enchanted scepter makes April O’Neil (Paige Turco, reprising her role from the second film) switch places…
Stolen Secrets: Quartet Expands Harold Faltermeyer’s “Thief of Hearts,” Includes Melissa Manchester Songs
Hot on the heels of such releases as Ron Goodwin and Henry Mancini’s scores to Frenzy and John Barry’s to Mary, Queen of Scots, the Quartet Records label is turning its attention to an eighties score from a modern master. Quartet is now shipping the first-ever complete, 2-CD edition of Harold Faltermeyer’s score to 1984’s thriller Thief of Hearts, featuring all the cues composed by Faltermeyer for the film as well as the remastered, original Casablanca Records soundtrack album complete with Melissa Manchester’s throbbing title track. Thief of Hearts starred newcomer Steven…
The Year In Review: The 2022 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part Two
Happy 2023! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc’s 13th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! A lot has happened in the last twelve months, but as we 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 2022’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. Despite the many delays caused by…
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The Year In Review: The 2022 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part One
Happy 2023! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc’s 13th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! A lot has happened in the last twelve months, but as we 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 2022’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. Despite the many delays caused by…
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