Christmas Time is Here (Again): New 'Charlie Brown Christmas' Box Boasts New Remixes, Unreleased Outtakes

By Mike Duquette | August 17, 2022 | 9 Comments

Reissues of Vince Guaraldi's classic jazz score to the immortal 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas are common enough for even the most faithful fan to utter "Good grief." But Craft Recordings' newest package of the classic material looks to offer a treasure trove of unheard audio that'll fill your hearts this season. Craft […]

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Bounce Right Back: Howard Jones' 'Live in Japan' Video Gets Wider DVD/CD Release

By Mike Duquette | August 17, 2022 | 1 Comment

Howard Jones and Cherry Red are diving into the vault for another live release - a wider audiovisual issue of a 1984 concert recorded by the synthpop icon in Japan. Live at The NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan - 1984 depicts Jones a year into his major-label career, having already seen debut singles "New Song" and […]

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Behind the Mask: Eric Clapton's '80s and '90s Studio Work Included in New Vinyl Box

By Mike Duquette | August 16, 2022 | 9 Comments

A forthcoming vinyl box set will chronicle the highs and lows of Eric Clapton's solo career in the '80s and '90s, from pop-adjacent player to triumphant elder statesman. Rhino's The Complete Reprise Studio Albums Volume 1 will include six of Slowhand's LPs issued between 1983 and 1998 - from Money and Cigarettes to Pilgrim - […]

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Sock It To Me, Baby: Ace Celebrates Bob Crewe on "Whatever You Want"

By Joe Marchese | August 16, 2022 | 1 Comment

Yesterday, we looked at Ace Records' recent anthology dedicated to West Coast producer Gary Usher. Today, we're heading east... Stanley Robert Crewe of Newark, New Jersey studied architecture and tried his luck as a fashion model before turning full-time to music.  Though the handsome young man was a teen idol-in-the-making, he found his truest calling […]

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Let's Go to Heaven In My Car: Ace Collects Productions and Songs of Gary Usher

By Joe Marchese | August 15, 2022 | 4 Comments

Ace's long-running Songwriters and Producers series has recently yielded two stellar entries celebrating two gentlemen equally versed in both crafts: Gary Usher and Bob Crewe.  Part One of our Ace Round-Up today looks at Happy in Hollywood: The Productions of Gary Usher. Gary Usher (1938-1992) would have gone down in pop history as one of […]

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