It seems like no one’s safe from the vinyl bug–not even soundtrack giant Intrada, who this week announced vinyl versions of two of their best action scores: Laurence Rosenthal’sClash of the Titans and Vince DiCola’s Rocky IV. Desmond Davis’ Greek myth epic Clash of the Titans was part Hollywood throwback, part modern action film for 1981. Harry Hamlin, as Perseus (the son of the god Zeus, as portrayed by Laurence Olivier), fights a brilliant array of monsters created by stop-motion animation legend Ray Harryhausen (his final film work) to save the beautiful…
Milan Records Rebuilds “Terminator” for CD and LP
He said he’d be back! Milan Records will reissue Brad Fiedel’s long out-of-print score to The Terminator on LP and CD this spring. James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi/noir film about a cyborg sent back through time to kill the mother of a man who’d save humanity after a nuclear apocalypse and artificial intelligence uprising remains a high watermark of the genre. With a captivating mythology, groundbreaking makeup effects by Stan Winston Studio and command performances by Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger (in his breakthrough/signature role as the unstoppable machine), The…
UPDATE: Lose That Long Face: “Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen” Premieres New-to-CD Tracks, Unearths Lost Recording
UPDATE 2/10/16: Whether imploring those around her to “Get Happy” or dreaming of a place “Over the Rainbow,” Judy Garland gave some of the most immortal performances of her career (and indeed, of the whole of popular music as well as film) with the songs of Harold Arlen. In Arlen’s sophisticated yet blues-based melodies, Garland found the perfect expressions in which to bare her soul, alternately with vulnerability, tenderness, desperation and joy. Now, JSP Records, the label which has recently released such landmark Garland collections as Lost Tracks (and the new The…
Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen
The 2-CD set Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen traces the partnership between the singer and composer with 45 recordings made between 1938 and 1968 in the studio, on film, radio and in concert. Four tracks are completely new to CD, including a newly-discovered A Star is Born pre-recording of the complete version of “Lose That Long Face.” Our very own Joe Marchese has contributed an essay to this definitive, first-of-its-kind collection. Joe’s essay joins the sleeve notes and discography by producer Lawrence Schulman as well as an essay by Garland discographer and historian…
Waiting To Exhale: Original Soundtrack (Purple Vinyl Edition)
Real Gone brings to vinyl a two-LP edition of the soundtrack to the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. Produced (with most of the songs written by) Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the soundtrack was a huge smash in the mid-1990s featuring songs by Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Brandy, TLC, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, SWV and Patti LaBelle, among others. The album topped the Billboard charts and was eventually certified 7x platinum. Seven of its sixteen songs were released as singles. It also garnered critical acclaim too as it received 11 Grammy…
SPECIAL FEATURE! “The Grease Megamix” Is the Word: Inside an Unlikely International Hit
In the 45 years since Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey premiered their musical Grease in a trolley barn-turned-blues club in Chicago, the show has taken on a life unlike any other theatrical production in America, or even the world. There have been 11 different major productions of the show throughout the U.S. and U.K., including a record-breaking 3,388-performance run on Broadway, five runs on London’s West End between 1979 and 2007 and three national tours; an internationally-acclaimed film adaptation that remains the highest-grossing musical film of all time; and a hotly-anticipated live…
Ooh Baby: Real Gone’s March Slate Includes Unreleased Herbie Mann Together with Dave Mason and Mickey Gilley Anthologies Plus Limited Vinyl Reissues
Yesterday we brought you the news of the upcoming Second Disc Records title to be released in conjunction with Real Gone Music: Bobby Darin’s Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years anthology. Now we’ve got the rest of Real Gone’s March slate to tell you about and it’s as excitingly eclectic as ever! Kicking things off is a CD that should be of great interest to jazz enthusiasts. Herbie Mann is considered one of the greatest jazz flautists ever and was an early proponent of world music. His long tenure at Atlantic…
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Kritzerland Brings Herrmann’s “Snows,” Intrada Delivers Goodwin’s Disney “Oddball”
Kritzerland has announced its latest release, and it’s another classic score from the pen of the legendary Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Vertigo). Twentieth Century Fox’s lavish 1952 film The Snows of Kilimanjaro starred Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Ava Gardner under the direction of Henry King and cinematography of the renowned Leon Shamroy. Kilimanjaro, nominated for two Academy Awards, was one of the year’s most successful movies, and yielded more memorable music from the veteran composer Herrmann. Kritzerland promises that “Herrmann captures all moods of the story, from nostalgia to sadness to joy…
Release Round-Up: Week of January 8
Welcome to our first Release Round-Up of 2016! The Mamas and the Papas, The Complete Singles: The 50th Anniversary Collection (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Real Gone Music has 53 tracks on 2 CDs of pure pop pleasure from The Mamas and the Papas – as a group and solo – with this first-ever collection of their complete singles, just in time for their 50th anniversary! Full details here. J.D. Souther, John David Souther (Expanded Edition) (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) J.D….
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Rhino Charges Into January with New Colored Vinyl Titles, CD Box Sets
Rhino Records has quite the cure for the usual January doldrums that hit the release calendar, announcing more than a dozen new and reissued titles available exclusively through participating physical stores. The “Start Your Ear Off Right” initiative, featuring titles available January 19, encompass some of the best-known names in Rhino’s back catalogue, including The Grateful Dead, The Monkees, Devo, The Cars and The Replacements. From colored vinyl variants to CD box sets, there’s virtually something for everyone here. And just what will you find? Read on and find out! Bad Company,…
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The Year In Review, Part 2 – More Of The Best Of 2015
The Second Disc is continuing its celebration of 2015’s finest with today’s column by Ted Frank! Stop, do not pass GO and do not collect 200 dollars if you haven’t already read our Sixth Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards summation of the year’s greatest releases. Here, Ted presents his very own, alternative year in review with titles new and old! I make records … I really don’t want to be about singles or anything. -Adele, The Tonight Show In recent years, the download/stream-heavy music business has seemingly become an industry of the sure-fire hit single rather…
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The Year in Review – The 2015 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z
Happy New Year, and welcome to The Second Disc’s Sixth Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! As with every year’s awards, our goals are simple: to recognize as many of the year’s most essential reissues and catalogue titles as possible, and to celebrate as many of those labels, producers and artists who make these releases happen in an increasingly-challenging retail landscape. The labels you’ll read about below have, by and large, bucked the trends to prove that there’s still a demand for physical catalogue music that you can purchase in brick-and-mortar stores. And…
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Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection
The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection contains 10 compact discs and 1 DVD celebrating John Williams’ classic scores for cinema’s most beloved franchise. The six discs comprising the original Star Wars trilogy are the same as the 1997 (and 2004) releases. The prequel trilogy is also simply the same single CDs that have been in print. Oddly, the two-disc version of The Phantom Menace is not included. Instead, the 10th CD is a 16-track compilation disc featuring cues from the six movies. The DVD includes new interviews with Harrison Ford and John Williams together with the one-hour…
Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection
Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection presents versions of each soundtrack as they initially appeared on vinyl, spread across 11 LPs. This marks the first time thatAttack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith have appeared on vinyl. Sony describes the set as follows: “Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection includes each of the six film soundtracks fromStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in deluxe gatefold sleeves faithfully replicating the original artwork. Audio was transferred from the original LP masters using the…
Release Round-Up: Week of December 18
Well, Christmas is almost upon us, and the onslaught of new releases has turned into a trickle as we head right into last-minute shopping territory! Still, selections are choice! Enjoy, and remember – you’ll see our next Release Round-Up in the New Year! John Williams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Walt Disney Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada) Today is all about Star Wars…and we’re just as thrilled as could be about a brand-new score by the legendary John Williams! Maynard Ferguson, Storm / Live from San Francisco…
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May the Force Be With You: Sony Re-Releases “Star Wars” Soundtracks in CD and LP Box Sets, “The Force Awakens” Soundtrack Out Today
Today sees the release of the hotly-anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters (well, technically, yesterday at 7 PM). As the film seems poised to break several box office records, a deluge of Star Wars products has hit the shelves. Among these offerings released today is the soundtrack CD featuring John William’s seventh score for the iconic franchise. To tie in with all of the Star Wars happenings, Sony Masterworks recently announced that the label will be releasing two box sets on January 8, 2016: Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection and…
Won’t You Dance With Me: Real Gone Goes Country with Barbara Mandrell, Ralph Stanley, Marty Robbins and Doug Sahm with Bob Dylan and Others
Real Gone is in a country mood this February, with the majority of their slate devoted to the country and western genre. But that is not all you will find on the label’s mix of CDs and vinyl for the month. Kicking things off is collection drawn from Barbara Mandrell’s tenure at Columbia Records: This Time I Almost Made It – The Lost Columbia Masters. This CD features liner notes by our very own Joe Marchese based on a fresh interview with Mandrell, and is centered around Mandrell’s final album at Columbia – 1974’s…
Lose That Long Face: “Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen” Premieres New-to-CD Tracks, Unearths Lost Recording
Whether imploring those around her to “Get Happy” or dreaming of a place “Over the Rainbow,” Judy Garland gave some of the most immortal performances of her career (and indeed, of the whole of popular music as well as film) with the songs of Harold Arlen. In Arlen’s sophisticated yet blues-based melodies, Garland found the perfect expressions in which to bare her soul, alternately with vulnerability, tenderness, desperation and joy. Now, JSP Records, the label which has recently released such landmark Garland collections as Lost Tracks (and the new The Best of…
Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Original Soundtrack]
Well, this isn’t a reissue, but it is the soundtrack to the most highly-anticipated movie of the year, scored by the legendary John Williams. Here’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens!
Uncommonly Gentle: Intrada Scores with “Scissorhands,” “Double Indemnity,” “Something Wicked” and More
Intrada Records has gone big throughout this year, bringing all four JAWS soundtracks to the surface in definitive forms and adding to the Back to the Future 30th anniversary festivities with a reissue of two of Alan Silvestri’s scores (including the never-before-expanded Part II). How do they close out the year? With a four-title slate that includes a classic composer-director combo, an anthology of ’40s and ’50s noir, an unused score from a Disney cult classic and an epic newer score from a hit Asian film! Exactly 25 years to the day it was first released, Intrada…
Release Round-Up: Week of December 4
Well, this is it – the final big release week of the year! While next week will see releases slow to a trickle, this week is packed with exciting box sets and much more! Bruce Springsteen, The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (Columbia) 4-CD/3-DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada 4-CD/2-BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada This 4-CD/3-DVD or 4-CD/2-BD set celebrating The Boss’ seminal album The River features a treasure trove of previously unreleased material across its 53 audio tracks plus four hours of never-before-seen video footage. Read the full track…
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Yesss!!! La-La Land Reissues Williams, Horner, Barry, Tiomkin Classics for Final 2015 Offering
A classic ’50s score and four popular ’90s soundtracks from three beloved composers make up La-La Land Records’ exciting-as-always Black Friday announcements. This year, the label has prepped expanded reissues of Dimitri Tiomkin’s Giant (1956), 25th anniversary editions of John Williams’ Home Alone and John Barry’sDances with Wolves (both 1990) and two scores by the late James Horner: 1994’s The Pagemaster and 1995’s Braveheart. All five limited edition CD sets will be available to order on Tuesday, December 1. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s as appropriate as always to start…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 27
To our U.S. readers, today is the day of shopping known as Black Friday – but happily, the diverse slate of releases due in stores today should lift your spirits – no matter where you’re located! Love, Reel to Real: Expanded Edition (High Moon Records) (Amazon U.S.) High Moon Records has the premiere reissue of Arthur Lee and Love’s 1974 album Reel to Real as a newly-expanded Deluxe Edition boasting a color, 32-page booklet. A vinyl edition will follow early next year. Read more here! America, Archives Volume One (America Records) (Amazon…
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Say, Say, Say! The Second Disc’s Essential RSD Black Friday 2015 Release Guide
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you’re enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of 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 – the day for consumers to start off the holiday shopping season on a mad, frenetic note. But 2015 is just in the latest year in which numerous retailers in the U.S. have made headlines by blackening Thursday, or Thanksgiving Day…
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John Williams’ Original “JAWS” Score Gets Deluxe, Expanded Edition From Intrada
Only shortly after their expansion of the score to JAWS 2, Intrada gives fans of the great white shark franchise a true reason to need a bigger boat, announcing a deluxe edition of John Williams’ iconic, Academy Award-winning soundtrack to Steven Spielberg’s JAWS. We’ve told the story behind the music before, in a Friday Feature from 2012. What’s important now is what fans can expect from this new release, the third issue of JAWS score on CD. According to Intrada’s product description, the first release of the original film score (Decca’s 25th anniversary edition from 2000) featured a distillation…
