Here's a recent treat for fans of British rockers The Cult: the band recently reissued their breakthrough album, 1987's Electric, pairing it with a little-heard early version of the album. The Cult burst onto the scene in England with debut LP Love and the Top 20 hit "She Sells Sanctuary" two years prior. When it came time for the follow-up, the band reconvened with Love producer Steve Brown at Oxfordshire's Manor Studios for a new LP, Peace, in 1986. But the band was dissatisfied with what
Release Round-Up: Week of July 23
Otis Redding, The Complete Stax/Volt Singles (Shout! Factory) A triple-disc set featuring every one of Otis' single sides in mono - a striking statement on a short but iconic soul career. (Amazon U.S.) Smashing Pumpkins, The Aeroplane Flies High: Deluxe Edition (Virgin/UMe) The Pumpkins' 1996 box set of Mellon Collie-era singles is massively expanded, with bonus tracks on each of the five original discs and an unreleased live CD and DVD. CD box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. LP box: Amazon U.S.
He Picks The Songs That Make The Whole World Sing: Clive Davis Curates "The Soundtrack of My Life"
In a year that counts Tommy Mottola, Cissy Houston, Burt Bacharach and Paul Anka among the music biz icons who have published, or will publish, their memoirs, one such figure's autobiography has already made headlines: Clive Davis' The Soundtrack of My Life. The attorney-turned-music mogul took a no-holds-barred approach to chronicling his history, including his tenures at Columbia, Arista, J and the RCA Label Group. This should come as no surprise to anybody who's followed his illustrious and
So Nice: Light in the Attic Remasters, Expands Four Albums From Brazilian Bossa Legend Marcos Valle
After The Walter Wanderley Trio introduced “Summer Samba (So Nice)” to American record buyers in 1966, the breezy bossa nova tune immediately caught on, transporting listeners to the tropics via recordings by Johnny Mathis, Vikki Carr, Connie Francis and the original voice of “The Girl from Ipanema,” Astrud Gilberto. But “So Nice” is just one of the musical gifts bestowed over the years by Brazilian composer Marcos Valle. Beginning next Tuesday, January 15, Light in the Attic is beginning a
Simply Irresistible: Edsel Plans Expanded Robert Palmer Two-Fers
The point is irrefutable! Edsel is releasing two double-disc sets containing all of the late, great Robert Palmer's albums for EMI, with a few audio extras. One of the best blue-eyed soul singers from across the pond, Palmer had been well-known among pop gurus for his eclectic discography on Island Records in the 1970s and 1980s, including hits like "Every Kinda People" and "Bad Case of Loving You." His big break in the U.S., however, came when Andy and John Taylor, the guitarist and bassist
More "Essentials" Arrive From Jefferson Airplane and Starship, Martina, Run-D.M.C., Incubus
Tomorrow might be Halloween, but there’s nothing scary about Legacy Recordings’ four latest additions to the Essential series roster! Today sees the release of career-spanning anthologies from a diverse group of artists: alt-metal rockers Incubus, hip-hop pioneers Run-D.M.C., country queen Martina McBride and ever-evolving Bay Area legends Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship! All of these double-CD anthologies combine familiar hit singles, album tracks and rarities to create what
"Mellon Collie" to Get More Infinite on Six-Disc Deluxe Set
Iconoclastic Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, never one for subtlety or restraint, is continuing the ongoing Smashing Pumpkins reissue campaign this holiday season with a humongous six-disc edition of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The Pumpkins' most ambitious project at the time, the double-album Mellon Collie was described by Corgan as "The Wall for Generation X." Produced Corgan with Flood and Alan Moulder, Mellon Collie attempted to showcase the band closer to how they were
Smashing Pumpkins' "Pisces Iscariot" to Be Expanded with Bonus Discs, Cassette
Having treated fans last year to lavish expanded versions of the Smashing Pumpkins' first two LPs, Gish and Siamese Dream, Billy Corgan is again working with EMI to release a deluxe edition of the band's Pisces Iscariot compilation. Released at the end of 1994, after the band's wave of success off the Top 10, quadruple-platinum Siamese Dream through 1993 and 1994, Pisces Iscariot collated the best of the band's many non-LP B-sides (most of which were only available on import singles) as well as
Another Quarter, Another "ICON" Batch
What can I say about UMe's ICON series that I haven't already said? Nothing. The answer is nothing. LL Cool J, Musiq Soulchild and DMX are out now, Aerosmith and Hank Williams, Jr. are out on May 15. Check 'em out after the jump.
Chili Peppers Revisit Classic Covers on Digital EP
How do the Red Hot Chili Peppers celebrate their graduation to legend status per their recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction? They pay tribute to the ones that came before on a new digital EP that includes a handful of B-sides paying tribute to their favorite fellow inductees. We Salute You, to be released May 1, includes covers of Dion and The Belmonts, The Ramones, The Stooges, Neil Young, The Beach Boys and David Bowie, all of which can certainly be argued as influences for the
The Right Profile: Early Rap Label Anthologized on New Double-Disc Set
Legacy Recordings has got a fantastic new compilation coming out later this month chronicling the rise of a most underrated rap label: Profile Records. Profile was the brainchild of two young aspiring music moguls living in New York City at the tail end of the disco boom. Steve Plotnicki was a songwriter whose cult disco tune, "Love Insurance," was recorded by Cory Robbins in 1979, for release on Robbins' own Panorama label, a small imprint with ties to MCA Music Publishing. The duo aspired to
Release Round-Up: Week of November 29
Now begins the drought. A couple of respectable catalogue titles, but it's going to be shorter round-ups from here through 2011. The Monkees, Instant Replay: Deluxe Edition (Rhino Handmade) Three discs and 87 tracks worth of this underrated entry in The Monkees' catalogue, featuring stereo and mono mixes and session takes galore. Smashing Pumpkins, Gish / Siamese Dream: Deluxe Editions (Virgin/EMI) The first releases in a planned three-year reissue project for Billy Corgan and his Pumpkins,
Cherry Pop Laces Up Dancing Shoes with Compilation of Rare '80s, Motown Mixes
Cherry Pop Records has a major treat next week for British club junkies of the '80s: a double-disc set of rare and unreleased remixes by noted engineer Phil Harding. If you're a British pop junkie who came of age in the '80s, you're doubtlessly familiar with three names: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio of producers hit it big with Hi-NRG pop, all clean beats and shimmering synths, from Bananarama's "Venus" to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." All told, the trio racked
Springsteen, U2, Queen, Joel, McCartney, Taylor Featured On "Rock Hall of Fame" Live Box Set
Since its formation on April 20, 1983, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has inducted a slate of accomplished musicians into its ranks on a yearly basis, causing excitement, consternation and everything in between. Though the worthiness of nominees and inductees is hotly debated with each “class” and a number of distinguished artists continue to be ignored year after year, one thing can be agreed upon: a lot of great music has been played for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It continues to host
No Longer a "Siamese Dream": First Wave of Smashing Pumpkins Expanded Reissues Announced
Anyone worried that Billy Corgan's muse would take him away from the long-promised expanded reissues of The Smashing Pumpkins' catalogue can breathe a sigh of relief. The first two entries in the reissue campaign - 2 CD/1 DVD editions of Gish (1991) and Siamese Dream (1993) - have been announced for a November 28 release domestically (December 5 for the rest of the world). These albums - produced by Butch Vig and remastered by Bob Ludwig - are the first in a lengthy salvo of reissues promised
Reissue Theory: R.E.M., "Dead Letter Office: 25th Anniversary Edition"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on notable albums and the reissues they may someday see. As we mourn the passing of one of the most beloved American rock bands of the last few decades, we look at their all-too-often ignored early B-sides, compiled only once on disc - and how those rarities could make for a nice deluxe package down the line. R.E.M. is dead. Long live R.E.M. The Athens, Georgia-based band announced their split Wednesday, after just over 30
Release Round-Up: Week of August 29
Spin Doctors, Pocket Full of Kryptonite: 20th Anniversary Edition (Epic/Legacy) The "Two Princes" guys...hey, stop laughing...have their hit debut album remastered and expanded - cut that out! - with a bonus disc of demos and rarities. (Official site) Aerosmith, Celine Dion, The Byrds and Carole King, The Essential 3.0 (Columbia/Epic/Legacy) Four Essential compilations get the third-disc treatment. Note that the Celine Dion title is identical to 2008's My Love: The Essential Collection and
Release Round-Up: Week of May 23
Thanks to everyone's favorite all-consuming pop star Lady Gaga, this week's releases actually start a day earlier. Think of it as like being in England! New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys, NKOTBSB (Columbia/Jive/Legacy) Imagine a greatest hits EP for each band, augmented with three bonus tracks featuring all nine boy band members working together like some sort of insane, teenybopper Voltron. (Official site) The Monkees, The Monkees Present: Expanded Edition / Changes: Expanded
Release Round-Up: Week of May 10
Aerosmith, Tough Love: Best of the Ballads (Geffen/UMe) Geffen augments the craziness of American Idol host/Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler (who has a solo single out today) by putting out a compilation of the band's Geffen-era ballads hits ("Love in an Elevator" isn't a ballad in any configuration). Apparently it's only available at Target, so if you visit a local indie store you should be fine. (Official site) Booker T. & The MG's, McLemore Avenue / The Staple Singers, Be Altitude:
UPDATE: Don't "Walk Away": Left Banke Reissues Coming from Sundazed on June 28
Today, The Left Banke is probably best known for "Walk Away Renee." A No. 5 pop hit in 1966, the song has been recorded by The Four Tops, Frankie Valli, Linda Ronstadt and Eric Carmen, to name a few, and remains a staple of oldies radio today. But was The Left Banke a mere flash in the pan, just a one-hit wonder? Far from it. Yet things have been stacked against the group for quite a while now: neither of their two original Smash LPs has ever seen CD release in America, and the definitive CD-era
Short Takes: Soundtracks on Tap from Barry, Horner and Mancini
It's already been a busy week here at Second Disc HQ, and the news just keeps on comin'. Three more soundtracks are due from some of the finest composers in film score history: John Barry, James Horner and Henry Mancini. Before becoming an eminence grise in the world of film scoring, John Barry was best-known as the leader of the John Barry Seven, an association which led him to one of his earliest film projects, the score to the 1960 British film Beat Girl. The long-unavailable soundtrack to
Intrada Sets Watch to "48 Hrs.," Makes "Great Escape"
Intrada's first releases of the new year are two big name scores sure to please a few generations' worth of film music fans. First up is the world premiere release of James Horner's score to 48 Hrs., the 1982 buddy cop comedy starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in one of his first major motion picture roles. This disc features Horner's complete score (one of his earliest successes of the '80s), plus three tracks by The Busboys (including end credits tune "The Boys Are Back in Town") and one
Back Tracks: R.E.M. - The I.R.S. Years
Today, the 25th anniversary reissue of R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction hits stores. Athens, Georgia's favorite rock band has spent the past five years or so establishing their place in the pop-rock firmament: since 2006, the band's early recordings for I.R.S. Records - a six-year span between 1982 and 1987 - have been the center of much catalogue attention from EMI and Universal (each has a piece of the I.R.S. catalogue). The four members of the band - vocalist Michael Stipe, guitarist
R-O-C-K in the B-O-X
Awesome! After what feels like years, Island Records and Universal Music Enterprises have finalized a release date and track listing for On the Rural Route 7609, a career-spanning box set from John Mellencamp. Drawing from more than 30 years of recordings, this four-disc set features 15 previously unreleased recordings, liner notes by Rolling Stone veteran Anthony DeCurtis, Mellencamp's track-by-track annotations and 72 pages of notes and photos, all packaged in a book-style case. Hit the jump