Say “yes” to Merry Clayton! It takes a certain kind of talent to exercise restraint, to be able to generously support another artist while maintaining your own high standard of art, expression and individuality. That’s the story of the background singer, and the story told by director Morgan Neville in his new film 20 Feet from Stardom. Merry Clayton is seen in the film, both savoring and gently ribbing her role as the “diva” of the background singing clique – as the “lead background singer,”
It's Good For The Soul! The Salsoul Orchestra's "Nice 'n' Naasty" Arrives In Expanded Edition
The third song on the first side of The Salsoul Orchestra's second album proclaims "It Don't Have to Be Funky (To Be a Groove)." But under the leadership of vibraphonist Vince Montana, Jr., the grooves were most certainly funky...as well as soulful, jazzy, and above all, danceable. 1976's Nice 'n' Naasty, just reissued in an expanded edition by Big Break Records, is an even more eclectic collection than its predecessor. It continues Big Break's top-flight program celebrating all aspects of
Ring Ring! ABBA's Debut Album Gets the CD/DVD Treatment This Fall
It's been four decades since Agnetha Fälksog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad came together to change the face of pop music. This fall, the first album by the group the world now knows as ABBA is getting an expanded CD/DVD treatment - and those who are interested as to how the quartet came together will have a lot of bonus tracks to discover and enjoy. When the single "People Need Love" was released in 1972, it was intended as a one-off collaboration between three
Review: Big Star, "Nothing Can Hurt Me: Original Soundtrack"
The feature-length documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me opens today at New York’s IFC Center and on Friday at Los Angeles’ Nuart Theatre. In conjunction with its release, Omnivore Recordings has recently unveiled a soundtrack album collecting 21 previously unissued songs from the legendary Memphis band. Rare is the cult band that actually lives up to its legend. Yet, with each listen - time after time, year after year - Big Star not only meets the hype, but surpasses it. Chances are, if
Trip on the Sunset Strip: Kim Fowley's "Complete Imperial Recordings" Arrive From Tune In Records
It’s never been easy to describe Kim Fowley in just a word or two. Fowley is a producer, a songwriter, an actor, a manager, a publisher, a raconteur, and a promoter – both of himself and of various other acts. Gray Newell, writing the liner notes for Tune In Records’ new Fowley anthology, adds a few more words: “musical maverick, Svengali of Sunset Strip, Son of Frankenstein, Lord of Garbage, King of the Creeps, Underground animal, rock ‘n’ roll survivor, Living Legend.” Fowley’s career has
Move It On Over: Rounder to Reissue First Two Albums by George Thorogood and The Destroyers
Even before "Bad to the Bone" solidified his place in the pop culture canon, George Thorogood was a journeyman rocker with a distinctive voice and a knack for good old-fashioned blues. This month, fans will have a chance to rediscover the earliest part of his career, when Rounder Records remasters and reissues the first two albums by George Thorogood and The Destroyers. When the Destroyers' self-titled album was released by Rounder in 1977, Thorogood was a Delaware-born guitarist making a name
If Music Be The Food Of Love: Fleetwood Mac's "Then Play On" Joins "1969-1972" Box Set In August
For many, the story of Fleetwood Mac begins with 1975’s self-titled album. But that album, which introduced Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the group’s line-up, was in fact the band’s tenth. Long before locking into the L.A. pop-rock sound epitomized by “Say You Love Me” or “Over My Head,” the Mac had already experienced a number of transformations, from its blues-based roots to folk, rock and even a retro rockabilly style. On August 20, Reprise Records will revisit that early period
Isn't It Rich: Masterworks Broadway Reissues Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" Soundtrack, Plus Rare Monk, Coward
Where are the clowns? Following the release last month of Clownaround, one of the rarest cast recordings of all time, Masterworks Broadway is again sending in the clowns. In August, the label will deliver the long-awaited reissue of the film soundtrack to Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music with Elizabeth Taylor following in the footsteps of Glynis Johns, Frank Sinatra and Judy Collins and singing “Send in the Clowns.” A Little Night Music will be expanded with previously unreleased
Intrada Readies Silvestri's "Fandango," Rare Warner TV Efforts
This week's latest releases from Intrada showcase a forgotten TV show of the '60s and an early highlight for a then-little-known 20th century composer. Fandango was, in its own way, one of the more impressive films of 1985. Directed by a first-timer (Kevin Reynolds) from the basis of his thesis film at the University of Southern California (the original of which found a fan in Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin Entertainment produced the film), the film revolved around a group of college friends
Fire In Her Heart: Madleen Kane's Disco Classic Returns From Gold Legion
Madleen Kane’s 1978 debut albums played on words for its title, Rough Diamond. But there was nothing too rough about the album’s sleek disco grooves or about the fashion model-turned-singer at its center. In 2011, the Gold Legion label reissued Rough Diamond on CD with three bonus tracks. Its follow-up, 1979’s Cheri, has just recently been given the Gold Legion treatment with one bonus cut of its own. Born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and American father, Madleen Kane found her first
Stax, Motown, Chess Go Country with Second Volume of "Where Country Meets Soul"
Ace’s first volume of Where Country Meets Soul arrived late last year, proving that those two venerable genres intersect more often than one might think. After all, many of the most enduring records in both styles revolve around the vagaries of heartbreak, so the fine folks at Ace’s Kent imprint brought together 23 tracks from artists well-versed in the torrid ways of love: Solomon Burke (“He’ll Have to Go”), Percy Sledge (“Take Time to Know Her”), Clarence Carter (“Set Me Free”), Esther
Review: The Three O'Clock, "The Hidden World Revealed"
Could it be time, once again, for The Three O’Clock? The California group took its place alongside the likes of The Bangles and Dream Syndicate as part of the “Paisley Underground” movement of eighties rockers who looked to the sixties’ psychedelic pop and folk-rock scenes for inspiration. In fact, the band’s bassist/lead vocalist Michael Quercio is said to have even coined that evocative name. Between 1982 and 1988, The Three O’Clock recorded one LP for Frontier Records, two for I.R.S., and
"Windy: A Ruthann Friedman Songbook" Explores The Solo Side of The Songwriter
A look at the intense visage of Ruthann Friedman on the cover photograph of Now Sounds’ Windy: A Ruthann Friedman Songbook reveals those “stormy eyes that flash at the sound of lies,” but a listen to the sounds within shows the artist spreading her “wings to fly above the clouds.” For here is an entire disc’s worth of never-before-heard pop nuggets, crafted with a delicacy and beauty to match that photo. Windy, of course, is so named, of course, for The Association’s 1967 No. 1 hit penned by
Don't Just Stand There! Real Gone Reissues Patty Duke, Johnny Lytle
They laugh alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike! You can lose your mind, when cousins are two of a kind! So went the theme song to television’s The Patty Duke Show, starring the former Anna Marie Duke as “identical cousins” Patty and Cathy Lane. We’re told in Sid Ramin and Robert Wells’ theme song that the worldly Cathy “adores a minuet, The Ballets Russes and crepe suzette,” but the normal New York teen Patty “loves to rock and roll!” So, apparently, did Patty Duke, based
Gimme Some Lovin': Cherry Red Distills Spencer Davis Group's Live, Studio Tracks on "Keep On Running"
Between 1964 and 1968, Birmingham’s Spencer Davis Group charted seven U.K. Top 40 hits (including two No. 1s) and two in the U.S. Top 10. Although the R&B band was short-lived, songs like “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Keep On Running” and “I’m a Man” remain classic rock staples today. A collection of odds and ends has just been released by Cherry Red Records as part of its PressPlay series. The label describes the PressPlay initiative as offering “the perfect introduction to the music of its most
A Beacon in the Pale of the Night: Nik Kershaw's "The Riddle" to Be Expanded in August
Following a recent expansion of his beloved (in the U.K.) debut album, Universal Music Group will offer the double-disc treatment to Nik Kershaw's sophomore effort The Riddle this summer, SuperDeluxeEdition reports. The monumental success of 1983's Human Racing, with its singles "Wouldn't It Be Good" and "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" reaching No. 4 and No. 2 on the U.K. charts, respectively, meant a need to produce a great follow-up. Kershaw delivered with The Riddle, thanks to its
Start Them Up: Rolling Stones' Catalogue Newly Compiled for iTunes
Who says one of the oldest and biggest rock bands in the world can't keep their digital presence somewhat fresh? The Rolling Stones this week unveiled a revamp of their 50-year catalogue on iTunes, including two new digital box sets that collect the majority of their standard discography. While the Stones' catalogue has long been part of the digital music service, they're the latest act to reintroduce their albums in "Mastered For iTunes" format. While tireless physical music enthusiasts might
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun: Red Temple Spirits' Post-Punk Albums Return To CD
Words like “unique” and “singular” are thrown around far too often, but they truly apply to the Red Temple Spirits. The Los Angeles quartet, described in 1989 by one pundit as “enigmatic,” recorded two albums in the waning days of the 1980s, Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon and If Tomorrow I Were Leaving for Lhasa, I Wouldn’t Stay a Minute More... The post-punk group toured in 1990, and even gained airplay on MTV, but before 1992 was out, Red Temple Spirits had gone quietly into the night.
Phyllis Hyman's "Goddess of Love" Is Revisited By SoulMusic Records
Phyllis Hyman sure looked like a Goddess of Love on the cover of her 1983 album of the same name. Now, the striking and statuesque former fashion model’s fourth and final album for Arista Records is back. It's just been reissued by Cherry Red’s SoulMusic imprint in an expanded edition that boasts two more tracks than Reel Music’s 2010 release. In a quest to find Hyman a degree of commercial success commensurate with her great talent, Clive Davis paired her with different producers for each
Review: "Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center"
The new CD/DVD set is entitled Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center, but in fact, Woody never made it past 55. This document of an altogether lively concert program from a wide assortment of admirers proves, however, that his music has not only lasted ‘til 100, but will likely survive us all. This is a celebration, yes, but a celebration with a conscience. A strong thread of morality and social awareness ran through all of Guthrie’s songs, as he believed music could make a
Review: ZZ Top, "The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1990"
"My friends, they all told me Man there's somethin' gonna change your life..." -ZZ Top, "Brown Sugar" I hate to play favorites, but from day one, I've been a fan of Legacy Recordings' "complete albums" concept. The slick packaging of an artist's classic albums in one package, with nicely-crafted mini jackets, replicated label art on disc and the always promising idea of bonus content is often too good to pass up. I'm probably not the typical target buyer - really, when am I ever - but as
Reviews: Eddy Arnold, "Complete No. 1 Hits" and David Allan Coe, "Texas Moon"
When 1965’s “Make the World Go Away” entered the Pop Top 10, it was unusual, even for those heady days of pop diversity. The singer, Eddy Arnold, had first signed to RCA Victor in 1943. The Musicians’ Union’s strike prohibited the young vocalist from recording until it was settled in December, 1944, but when Arnold finally entered WSM’s radio studios to record four songs, he was making history. His session was the first for a major label to be held in Nashville, Tennessee. His star was soon
Life's a Gas: T. Rex Tracks (and More) Compiled on Six-Disc "Marc Bolan At The BBC"
If you thought Edsel's box set edition of T. Rex's The Slider (or UMC's super-deluxe Electric Warrior) was as big as it could get for the glam rock legends, it might be time to rethink things: SpinCDs reports a six-disc box set encapsulating all of Marc Bolan's performances for the BBC - including both tracks by T. Rex and John's Children - will be released in the U.K. this fall. Marc Bolan At The BBC is hardly the first compilation to collect these live-in-studio recordings - 2006's
High Adventure: Kritzerland Heads To "The Far Horizons," Uncovers "Secret of the Incas"
There’s even more film soundtrack news coming your way today, thanks to Kritzerland’s latest announcement! The label will release a special two-for-one CD combining the scores to two vintage adventure films starring Charlton Heston: 1955’s Lewis and Clark drama The Far Horizons and 1954’s exotic Secret of the Incas, the latter of which is frequently cited as a direct inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. This 1,000-unit limited edition is set for release by the first week
Soundtrack Watch: Intrada's Busy Month
Calling all soundtrack lovers: Intrada has been pretty busy in the last few weeks, reissuing or expanding three diverse scores and premiering another on CD. The label's most recent batch saw a pair of double-disc score sets, and the first up was James Horner's action-packed score to 1994's Clear and Present Danger. Based on the Tom Clancy novel, Clear and Present Danger finds the irascible agent Jack Ryan (played again by Harrison Ford, his second turn in the role after 1992's Patriot Games)
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