Now that’s entertainment. Thanks to the efforts of some dedicated reissue specialists in the U.K., some legendary artists – one performer (the performer?), one performing songwriter, and one songwriter – are soon receiving deluxe sets truly capturing an era gone by. On October 9, Sepia Records will release The Genius of Lionel Bart, a 3-CD set authorized by the Lionel Bart Foundation consisting of hits, misses and everything in between from the Oliver! creator (including unreleased material
Ace Goes Where the Action Is! Label Celebrates the Songs of Boyce and Hart, Don Covay, Otis Blackwell
Chain, chain, chain…chain of fools… Don’t be cruel…to a heart that’s true… Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees…people say we monkey around… Those three songs are still among the most recognizable in rock and soul, yet they barely scratch the surface of the songwriting careers of Don Covay, Otis Blackwell and the team of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, respectively. Ace Records has recently searched the discographies of all of those gentlemen to create the latest entries in the label’s definitive
Getting the Knack (No, Not That Knack!) From Now Sounds
When The Knack burst onto the scene in 1979 with the album Get the Knack, allegedly the fastest-selling debut LP since Meet the Beatles, was it a case of déjà vu for Dink Kaplan, Larry Gould, Pug Baker and Michael Chain? The "My Sharona" group was a quartet that came to prominence in Los Angeles, played the Sunset Strip, signed to Capitol Records, and was lauded for a Beatlesque pop style via a massive promotional campaign. But Kaplan, Gould, Baker and Chain had been through it all before.
Go Where You Wanna Go: The Mamas & The Papas' Farewell, "People Like Us," Expanded by Now Sounds
“I guess no matter what else we do, we’ll always be part of this thing called The Mamas & the Papas, with all its intense love-hate relationships.” So once admitted “Papa” John Phillips, and by all accounts, those familiar relationships flared up in 1971 when John, ex-wife Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot reunited for what would turn out to be their final album together, People Like Us. Yet despite being a contractual obligation for the group, the LP turned out to be a work
Take the "A" Train to Complete Boxes From Ellington, Armstrong, Christian and Smith
The roaring twenties are back! Okay – or should that be OKeh? – in fairness, so are the thirties, forties, and fifties, thanks to four upcoming box sets spotlighting legendary jazz and blues stars. Legacy Recordings adds to its growing Complete Albums Collection library on October 30 with these new volumes: Louis Armstrong, The Complete OKeh, Columbia and RCA Victor Recordings 1925-1933 (OKeh/Columbia/RCA/Legacy) (10 CDs); Charlie Christian, The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia/
Golden Age Noir: Miklos Rózsa Score to "Strange Love" Premieres On CD
Had Miklós Rózsa only composed the Academy Award-winning score to 1959’s epic Ben-Hur, his place in the cinema pantheon would likely have been assured. But Ben-Hur was just one of three Rózsa scores to win Oscars in a career that spanned from 1937’s Knight Without Armour through 1982’s Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. Rózsa, who also maintained a career as a composer of concert works, often employed a rich, sweeping orchestral style, and though he famously crafted “big” scores, he was also an
A Big Hunk o' Elvis: Follow That Dream Announces Complete Sun Box [NOW WITH TRACK LISTING], "G.I. Blues" Soundtrack, More
When it comes to Elvis Presley, plenty of musical dreams have been realized thanks to the Follow That Dream label. The mail-order/online Presley specialist label has recently announced its latest batch of Elvis rarities, including one long-awaited box set, an expanded soundtrack recording, a live concert and a new book-and-CD combo. The centerpiece of FTD’s upcoming releases is, no doubt, A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings. This deluxe box will include, for the first time in
Get Up! KISS' "Destroyer: Resurrected" Brings Classic Album to Life with New Remix
Buildings reduced to rubble. The jeering ring of electric guitars. Lots of black and white makeup. Yep, another KISS Katalogue title is koming...er, coming. Universal has set an August 21 date for Destroyer: Resurrected, a new version of what might be the band's best-known studio effort. A project for Destroyer's 35th annversary last year has been in the cards for some time, and while the final effort - a sort of teaser for the band's upcoming Monster album this fall - is certainly far shorter
Brother Love Returns: Neil Diamond's "Hot August Night" Celebrates 40 Years With Newly-Expanded Reissue
"The stage, she is the God-damnedest woman you ever saw." So said Neil Diamond on the occasion of his first Hot August Night, nearly forty years ago at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. It was likely that the leaves were, indeed, hanging down, and the grass on the ground smelling...sweet. Diamond is caught in an odd pose on the album's cover, deep in a moment. He's in a beaded denim suit predating his famous glitter shirts, his long mane of hair wind-blown. The harsh red lighting suggests the
Review: The Beat, "I Just Can't Stop It," "Wha'ppen?" and "Special Beat Service" Expanded Editions
When the members of The Beat had the opportunity to create their own record label, the six-piece unit (“Ranking” Roger Charlery on vocals and toasting, Dave Wakeling on vocals and guitar, Andy Cox on guitar, Everett Morton on drums, David Steele on bass and Lionel Augustus Martin a.k.a. Saxa on – what else? – saxophone!) chose “Go Feet Records” as its moniker. Now, roughly 32 years after the band’s first album was released, it will still have your feet going in wild and unexpected directions.
Review: "Album Produced By: More Of My Roller Coaster Life" by Bruce Kimmel
At The Second Disc, we're (literally) all about reissues! But none of the titles we cover daily would be possible without the efforts of the producers who select the bonus tracks, commission the liner notes, oversee the remastering and pull the packaging together. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! We have endeavored to spotlight the protean work of this select group of individuals, and have been grateful for the opportunity to conduct interviews with some of the finest in the business,
Jiminy Cricket! Two Leigh Harline Scores Paired On New CD
Those who wished upon a star for more music from Leigh Harline are in luck. The Academy Award-winning composer of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” from Walt Disney’s 1940 Pinocchio, had a distinguished career in Hollywood until his death in 1969 at age 62. Kritzerland is celebrating Harline’s career with a new two-for-one CD of the great man’s scores. The Wayward Bus is making its world premiere, while The Enemy Below is returning to print after an absence of many years. Both titles are
Friday Feature: "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial"
When The Second Disc started two years ago, it didn't take long to realize that catalogue soundtrack coverage was going to be well met on the site. Joe and I love the power and beauty of film music, and admire the work of those awesome individuals who are preserving it on disc for future generations. Today marks the 30th anniversary of my all-time favorite film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a film with a powerful soundtrack if ever there was one. Recounting the tale of the music of E.T. is one
Reviews: Three From Real Gone - Mick Fleetwood's Zoo, Jerry Reed and Durocs
Real Gone Music has become known for its wide-ranging and eclectic releases, and today we’re looking at three of the most recent, from the countrypolitan stylings of Jerry Reed to the rock animals of Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo and the pure pop of The Dūrocs! Dūrocs, Dūrocs (Real Gone Music RGM-0058, 2012) Are you ready to hear one of the best albums you’ve never heard? Then head straight to the pig pen for the first-ever CD release of Dūrocs. Primarily written and produced by the team of Ron
Review: Paul Simon, "Graceland: 25th Anniversary"
When Paul Simon travelled to Graceland, he was aware of the mighty contradictions: “And I may be obliged to defend every love, every ending/Or maybe there’s no obligations now…” Those days of miracle and wonder took place in 1986, and now some 25 years later, the restless artist is still defending Graceland. The path to Graceland was a circuitous one, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, London, Louisiana and most crucially, Johannesburg. Though the multi-platinum record picked up Grammy
Have You Checked The Children? "When a Stranger Calls" Joins Fifties Double Feature On CD
Though a holiday weekend is soon to kick off here in the U.S., the Kritzerland label isn’t resting on its laurels. The soundtrack specialists have just announced two new releases featuring three wild (and wildly different) film scores. One of the most successful thrillers of 1979, When a Stranger Calls, featured the second ever film score by Dana Kaproff (Cagney and Lacey, The Bionic Woman, Falcon Crest). Kritzerland released Kaproff’s first (1977’s Empire of the Ants) so it’s only
Soundtrack Surplus: Varese, Intrada, La-La Land Announce List of Heavyweights
Soundtrack fans had a lot of courses to chew on this week, with batches from Intrada and Varese Sarabande landing within mere hours of each other on Monday and Tuesday and a reissue announced for next week by La-La Land Records. Over at Intrada, fans got to enjoy a new entry in the label's Special Collection series: Michael Small's sexy, suspenseful score to The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981). Small's soundtrack is released in full for the first time anywhere, featuring a handful of
Within My World: Dave Clark's "Time" Reissued, Features Freddie Mercury, Dionne Warwick, Julian Lennon, Cliff Richard, More
Today, London’s Dominion Theatre is home to We Will Rock You, a tongue-in-cheek “jukebox musical” featuring the music of Queen. That show is currently celebrating its 10th year at the Dominion, but even before the “Bohemian Rhapsody” chaps came to town, the Dominion was no stranger to mega-musicals from rock stars. In 1986, Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five put his name above the title of a lavish spectacle called Time. Clark collaborated on the musical’s book and lyrics with David Soames;
All Together Now: The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" Remastered Songtrack and Blu-Ray to Bow in June [UPDATED]
Last Tuesday saw the American release on Blu-Ray and DVD of Martin Scorsese's 2011 documentary on the life of George Harrison, Living in the Material World. That notable title, however, isn't the only Beatles-related film coming to home video. On June 5, the Fabs' delightfully trippy 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine will be reissued on DVD and make its Blu-Ray debut in a brand-new transfer. That same day, the 1999 Yellow Submarine Songtrack CD will also see a remastered reissue. Directed
Review: Janis Joplin, "The Pearl Sessions"
One dictionary defines "pearl" as an object both "hard" and "lustrous," synonymous with "gem" or "jewel." Couldn't all of those words also describe Janis Joplin? Pearl was, of course, the name bestowed upon the singer by her final group, The Kozmic Blues Band, and the title of her final, posthumously released album from 1971. Pearl has arrived on CD once more from Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings under the title The Pearl Sessions (88697 84224 2), expanding the original 10-track album
Review: Johnny Cash, "Bootleg IV: The Soul of Truth"
“John, let’s do a shot for the warden,” photographer Jim Marshall reportedly implored Johnny Cash during the singer’s 1969 performance at San Quentin Prison. Cash’s snarling response, with his middle finger in air, made for one of the most famous music photographs of all time. Cropping up on T-shirts, posters and the like, Marshall captured the outlaw side of Johnny Cash like no photographer before or since. Though it might have, indeed, been worth a thousand words, the image still only
Near, Far, Wherever You Are: "Titanic" Soundtrack to Be Reissued This Spring
A hundred years ago, it was the largest maritime disaster in history. Fifteen years ago, it was the highest-grossing film of all time and the last massive soundtrack on the pop charts. Now, Sony Classical brings the soundtrack to James Cameron's Titanic back to the surface in a major way with two collector's editions of the popular album. On paper, Titanic would have been your average romantic tearjerker: lower-class boy woos upper-class girl to the displeasure of her wealthy suitor. But that
Keep On Dancing: Elvis, Dusty, The Wicked Pickett All Appear on "Memphis Boys"
Just last year, Ace Records' Kent imprint issued a definitive 3-CD survey of Fame Studios, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama home of many of the greatest soul records ever committed to vinyl. Over in Tennessee, however, another joyful noise was arriving courtesy of the musicians at Memphis, Tennessee's American Studios. Ace is celebrating the multifaceted sounds of Chips Moman and Don Crews' American Studios with the new Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios, a 24-track tribute featuring such
Review: Pink Floyd, "The Wall: Immersion Box Set"
By the way, which one’s Pink? A record executive poses that wry musical question of Pink Floyd in “Have a Cigar,” a brief, humorous respite on the band’s elegiac 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The ever-ambitious group would actually answer that wry question with The Wall, 1979’s sprawling double album. The psychedelic Dark Side of the Moon and reflective Wish You Were Here both invited listeners to create their own stories in service of the albums’ impressionistic concepts, largely dealing
Double-O Vision: Burt Bacharach's "Casino Royale" Expanded and Remastered...Again!
Seven James Bonds at Casino Royale/They came to save the world and win the gal at Casino Royale! Six of them went to a heavenly spot, the seventh one is going to a place where it’s terribly hot… Hal David’s lyric captures just a small fraction of the insanity of Charles K. Feldman’s 1967 Casino Royale, the big-budget comic extravaganza that was “too much…for one James Bond!” And so, David Niven as James Bond was joined by 007s of all shapes and sizes (and genders!), and even by his nephew,
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