So Amazing: Companion Album to Luther Vandross Documentary Features Unreleased Songs
One of this year’s documentary darlings at the Sundance Film Festival, a look at the life and career of Luther Vandross, makes its theatrical debut in select cities this week. Ahead of its wider, planned streaming release in 2025, Legacy Recordings will issue a new double-disc anthology of his work, accompanied by several rare and unreleased tracks. Never Too Much: Greatest Hits, available December 13, offers 20 tracks on two CDs that represent the cream of Vandross’ solo career. In addition to unforgettable hits across the three decades he released albums –…
The Weekend Stream: October 26, 2024
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. We’re positively packed this Saturday: posthumous tracks from Van Halen, Luther Vandross and DMX; a great deluxe live set from Linda Ronstadt; plus some Halloween and Christmas surprises…and, to top it all off, a call to action to aid one of our favorite power-pop acts of the last 40 years. Edward & Alex Van Halen, “Unfinished (Between Us Two)” (self-released) (official site) Alex Van Halen just released Brothers, a heartfelt…
In Memoriam: Jack Jones (1938-2024)
Music was Jack Jones’ birthright. The singer’s singer – best-known for “Wives and Lovers,” “Lollipops and Roses,” “The Race Is On,” and, yes, the theme to The Love Boat – was born to actors Allan Jones and Irene Hervey in 1938 and grew up in the world of show business, eventually reaching its heights himself. Jones has died at 86 after a battle with leukemia, and while his passing closes another chapter of The Great American Songbook, his extraordinary body of work will continue to resonate. While attending University High School in…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 25
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Blue Magic, Stop to Start: The Atco and WMOT Recordings (SoulMusic/The Second Disc) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red) Let the sideshow begin! SoulMusic Records and TSD are proud to unveil a new 6-CD box set dedicated to the sweet ‘n funky soul stylings of Philly quintet Blue Magic (“Sideshow,” “Three Ring Circus,” “Welcome to the Club,” “What’s Come Over Me”). Stop to Start: The Atco and WMOT Recordings brings together…
OUT TOMORROW! SoulMusic Records, TSD Collect Blue Magic on “Stop to Start: The Atco and WMOT Recordings”
Throughout 2024, SoulMusic Records has teamed with The Second Disc to celebrate the sound of Philadelphia with a number of comprehensive box sets: The Salsoul Orchestra’s It’s Good for the Soul: The Vince Montana Years (1975-1978); Double Exposure’s My Love Is Free: The Salsoul Recordings (1976-1979); First Choice’s Love Having You Around: The Gold Mind Recordings (1977-1980); Loleatta Holloway’s We’re Getting Stronger: The Gold Mind/Salsoul Recordings (1976-1982); and Spinners’ Keep on Keepin’ On: The Atlantic Years (Phase Two: 1979-1984). Tomorrow, October 25, SMR and TSD will unveil a new 6-CD box set dedicated to the sweet ‘n…
Soundtrack Watch: James Bond Back in Action At La-La Land, Varese Plots ‘Matrix’ and ‘RoboCop’ Vinyl
Following our round-up of soundtrack reissues from September, here’s a look at all the great CD and vinyl expansions and re-releases film score fans can expect from this month – and even a few in the next few weeks. From James Bond to RoboCop, there’s something here for just about anyone. Everything La-La Land Records touches turns to excitement! After the surprise expansions of Bond flicks Live and Let Die and Octopussy that kicked off the calendar year, the label has stuck again with a special 60th anniversary reissue of the soundtrack to the series’…
Can You Dig It? Yes, I Can: Chicago’s “Live at 55” Features Steve Vai, Robert Randolph, Chris Daughtry, Judith Hill, More
Last November 17 and 18, Chicago celebrated the 55th anniversary of debut album Chicago Transit Authority at Atlantic City’s Ovation Hall (within the massive Ocean Casino Resort) with two marathon concerts touching on every facet of the band’s long career. Now, the film of those concerts – featuring a number of special guests including Steve Vai, Robert Randolph, and Judith Hill – is coming to a variety of formats almost one year to the day, on November 22, 2024. Mercury Studios will release Chicago & Friends’ Live at 55 on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD,…
A Special One for You: ‘Christmas Once More’ Offers New Mixes of Carpenters Holiday Classics
Christmas music was a vital part of the Carpenters canon from the very beginning. In 1970, Richard and Karen contributed their own standard to the yuletide canon with “Merry Christmas Darling,” the first of three holiday singles released by the brother-and-sister duo. Richard set to music the lyric written by Frank Pooler, choir director at the Carpenters’ alma mater of California State University – Long Beach (today the home of the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center), and in the process created the rare holiday perennial written in the second half…
Soundtrack Watch: September Score Releases Abound at La-La Land, Intrada and More
The end of the year always brings a deluge of news and releases for archival film score fans. While October is nearly over and has had its share of killer announcements, we’d first like to shine a light on some of the biggest titles released back in September! La-La Land had a busy ninth month of the year, featuring a lot of other long-running partnerships and favorites from the label discography. First, there’s the seventh and final release in the label’s Star Trek: The Original Series – The 1701 Collection product line. Here, all…
Funny the Way It Is: Dave Matthews Band Celebrate Rock Hall Induction with New Vinyl Compilation
Having just earned a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Dave Matthews Band will release a new compilation early next year. Where Are You Going: The Singles, available February 7, is a new double-vinyl set collecting 22 of the group’s best-known songs over their three decades of studio albums, from major-label breakthrough Under the Table and Dreaming (1994) to last year’s Walk Around the Moon. Seven of those 10 albums, from 1998’s Before These Crowded Streets to 2018’s Come Tomorrow, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and while their singles’ chart placements have always…
The Weekend Stream: October 19, 2024
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. A brief week offers some unusual soundtracks, an even more unusual Beach Boys homage – and plenty of Christmas curiosities! Various Artists, Pulp Fiction (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Geffen) (iTunes / Amazon) This weekend, the iconic songs-and-dialogue album for Quentin Tarantino’s classic film Pulp Fiction – featuring favorites like Dick Dale’s rapid-fire, guitar-driven instrumental “Misirlou” and a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” by Urge Overkill…
Listen to the Music: Rhino’s New Batch of Quadio Titles Includes Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Starship, J. Geils Band, Foghat
Rhino’s ongoing series of Quadio four-channel surround releases on Blu-ray Audio Discs has already presented a host of classic albums by the eclectic likes of Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Bread, Chicago, Seals and Crofts, Spinners, Randy Newman, and many others. Today, the label announced a new batch with three returning artists (The Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Starship, J. Geils Band) and one band new to Quadio (Foghat). Each of the four discs, currently available exclusively from Rhino.com, has a quadraphonic mix and a 192/24 stereo mix. British rock band Foghat‘s third album, Energized,…
Discs for Groovy Children: Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Rage Against the Machine Lead Legacy’s Record Store Day Black Friday Slate
Legacy Recordings has prepped an eclectic state of mostly classic rock and hip-hop titles to be released on vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday. The long-running spinoff event to the big April bonanza takes place November 29 at participating independent outlets – and below is an alphabetical look at what Sony Music’s catalog arm will be releasing. More than 50 years after her tragic passing, singer Janis Joplin continues to find new fans – and Legacy’s first Black Friday title highlights her power in concert as the frontwoman of Big Brother…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 18
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. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Long After Dark: Deluxe Edition (Geffen/UMe) 2CD/Blu-ray Audio: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/Blu-ray Audio (with Amazon-exclusive stickers): Amazon U.S. 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Tom Petty Store (Exclusive) Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ fifth studio album has gotten a deluxe makeover. Geffen/UMe have revisited 1982’s oft-overlooked Long After Dark, originally released on Backstreet Records, in various formats including 2LP and 2CD+Blu-ray. The bonus disc, featuring outtakes…
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day: Real Gone, Second Disc Premiere Original “The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Sings Christmas Carols” on CD
Over the past decade, we here at TSD have happily partnered with Real Gone Music on an array of Christmas releases from such evergreen artists as Johnny Mathis, The Supremes, Chet Atkins, Connie Smith, and Robert Goulet. But our newest yuletide title is from our biggest ever group – bigger than Mitch Miller and His Gang or Eugene Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra! On November 22, we’re proud to reissue the very first Christmas album from a group numbering 360 members: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Today known as The Tabernacle Choir at…
From Scores to Soul: Craft Recordings’ RSD Black Friday Slate Includes Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, More
It’s that time of year again! With Record Store Day’s annual Black Friday event happening just weeks away – on Friday, November 29 – news has arrived of what to expect from each label. Craft Recordings’ ever-eclectic slate features classic jazz, rare soundtracks, vintage soul sides, and more from an array of boldfaced names including Max Roach, Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Angelo Badalamenti, and others. You’ll find the full list below, with descriptions provided by the label for all titles. All RSD Black Friday releases will be available at participating stores; you…
Fairy Tale: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Reissue Rock Cult Classic from Amazing Blondel Predecessor Methuselah
Before founding progressive folk group Amazing Blondel, John Gladwin and Terry Wincott played in various musical units and styles. After honing their skills in beat, blues, R&B, soul, and even California-inspired psychedelic harmony pop, the British duo turned their sights to harder rock and changed their band’s name from The Gospel Garden (inspired by both The 5th Dimension’s Jimmy Webb-penned opus The Magic Garden and the 1963 recording of the Langston Hughes stage adaptation Black Nativity: Gospel on Broadway) to Methuselah. Gladwin (lead vocals/percussion), Wincott (guitar/vocals), Les Nicol (guitar/vocals), Mick Bradley (drums),…
Rhino’s Record Store Day Black Friday Lineup Includes Phil Collins, Doors, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Steve Martin, Yes, More
TSD kicks off our look at this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday releases, due at participating independent record stores on November 29, with a packed slate coming from Rhino. With over 20 titles, Rhino has brought out the heavy hitters including The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Grateful Dead, Yes, Stevie Nicks, Todd Rundgren, and more. And that’s not all. There are special treats for fans of animation classic (The Carl Stalling Project) and contemporary (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie) and a picture disc from comedy legend Steve Martin. Visit here for a list…
Review: Frank Zappa, “apostrophe (‘): 50th Anniversary Edition”
Strictly commercial? Not quite. Though Frank Zappa earned his first top ten record and first Gold record with apostrophe (‘) – the same LP that spun off his first single to make the Billboard Hot 100 – it would be difficult to argue that the singer-songwriter-bandleader had dramatically altered his art in an effort to hit the charts. Sure, the material was a bit more focused and the album rather tight at 32 minutes in length. Yeah, the cover artwork, with its instantly recognizable, tightly-cropped image of the long-haired artist, looked much…
Mama, Cradle Me Again: Madfish Collects Laura Nyro Albums, Rarities on New CD Box
Over three years after the release of its 8LP vinyl box set American Dreamer 1967-1978, the Madfish label is returning to the discography of late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro for the December 6 release of Hear My Song: The Collection 1966-1995. Whereas American Dreamer chronicled Nyro’s first decade of music, the 19CD Hear My Song is a career-spanning appreciation of the artist who influenced such talents as Elton John, Barry Manilow, Todd Rundgren, Stephen Schwartz, Rickie Lee Jones, Melissa Manchester, and Jenny Lewis. While Nyro as an artist only notched one Hot 100…
The Weekend Stream: October 12, 2024
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. The Christmas creep may continue, but we’ve got plenty more where that came from: a new spin on a John Lennon classic, rare remixes from David Bowie, a live triumph from Céline Dion, some thrills and chills from the Alien universe – and first off, a charitable compilation built for a good cause in the wake of our country’s severest storms of late. Various Artists, Cardinals At the Window (Music’s Promise) (Bandcamp)…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 11
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Duran Duran, Danse Macabre: De Luxe (Tapemodern/BMG) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP Box Set: Official Store Duran Duran has reissued their 2023 album on CD and digitally with three new recordings: an original instrumental, “Masque of the Pink Death,” that now opens the album; a cover of Electric Light Orchestra’s “Evil Woman”; and “New Moon (Dark Phase),” a re-recording of the band’s 1984 Top 10 hit “New Moon on…
Listen to the Music: Rhino’s Rocktober Slate Features Doobie Brothers, Yes, Fleetwood Mac, Monkees, More
Rhino’s annual Rocktober campaign – this year encompassing 43 limited edition colored vinyl reissues of rockers both classic and contemporary – kicked off on October 4 with titles from Black Sabbath, Bush, Deep Purple, Devo, The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, The Monkees, Stone Temple Pilots, and more. Next, on October 18, the collection will grow to include releases from Ramones and The Velvet Underground. The slate concludes on October 25 with The Cars, Foghat, Iron Butterfly, and more, including a second volume of Yes’ Yessingles. As usual, Rocktober titles will only be…
Ace Round-Up: Label Celebrates John Barry, Jackie DeShannon, Thom Bell, Paul Williams, Holland-Dozier-Holland
Today, we’re rounding up five releases from Ace Records, all of which were released within the past few months by the U.K. label. Ace has followed up its 2022 collection dedicated to the oeuvre of composer John Barry, The More Things Change: Film TV, and Studio Work 1968-1972, with a new volume of the film maestro’s works. Something’s Up! Film, TV, and Studio Work 1964-1967 (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) hardly plays like a collection of runners-up, however. Barry crafted so much indelible music – throughout his lifetime, but…
Set the Night on Fire: The Doors Announce 60th Anniversary Campaign
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of The Doors. Though the eponymous debut album from Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore didn’t hit stores until January 1967, the foursome was already a seasoned one, having served as house band at the famed Whisky a Go Go since mid-1966. To celebrate 60 years since that fateful day when Manzarek met his old UCLA classmate Morrison on a California beach and the two decided to form a band, Rhino has announced a number of projects beginning with a box…