Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on great albums and the reissues they could someday see. Aretha Franklin began her groundbreaking stint at Atlantic Records in 1967 and it wasn’t long before a legendary star was in the ascendant. Yet the final chapter of Aretha’s Atlantic story has been all but forgotten. Today’s Reissue Theory takes us back to 1974 as we revisit the “lost albums” of Aretha Franklin. There are plenty of adjectives that can be used to describe
Cherry Red Fills in Gaps for April
The Cherry Red label group has been insanely busy in recent weeks prepping expanded and remastered albums for consumption in England. We've already seen new releases from their Now Sounds, Big Break and Soul Music labels, but April will see a few other worthy titles for your consideration on the Cherry Red, Cherry Pop, El and Iron Bird labels. First up is a reissue of How Long: The Very Best of Ace, one of the surprisingly few career-spanning sets by pub-rockers Ace. The band's brief brush with
Giving Them The Best That He Got: Warwick, LaBelle, Bailey Featured on Skip Scarborough Anthology
Skip Scarborough (1944-2003) may not have ever gained the name-brand recognition of some of his songwriting peers. But the man born Clarence Alexander Scarborough penned some of the most instantly recognizable classics in the soul music pantheon. Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got," The Friends of Distinction's "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" and Earth Wind & Fire's "Can't Hide Love" are just three of Scarborough's most memorable compositions. The latter went on to be recorded by
Review: "Inner City: The Original Broadway Cast Recording"
"I look around and what do I see? Nothing's the way it used to be..." In 1969, Eve Merriam bluntly took aim at violence, racism, corruption and poverty in her ironic collection of verse, Inner City Mother Goose. Controversial from the outset, Merriam's Mother Goose became one of the most banned books in the country. Enter visionary theatre director Tom O'Horgan. Having replaced Gerald Freedman for Hair's move uptown in 1968, O'Horgan was well known for his experimental flair. Julian Barry's
Kickstarting a New Reissue Project
(Note: I was remiss by not initially thanking Thierry Côté for linking to this story on Twitter. Thanks!) In the early days of remasters and reissues, the best way for an album to get expanded was to be a critical and commercial success. As time went on, that thankfully wasn't always the case; reissues could serve as critical reappraisals or reminders of undersold gems by popular performers. Gradually, as the majors tightened their belts, independent labels were on hand to continue work on
Short Takes: "Beauty and the Beat" Expansion, Another Wainwright Box, The Truth is Out There
The Go-Go's iconic Beauty and the Beat (1981) will be expanded in May by EMI, reports the band's official site. The band, which recently announced a summer tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the chart-topping album (which featured Top 20 single "Our Lips Are Sealed" and No. 2 hit "We Got the Beat"), will see several versions of the album, including a hot-pink vinyl edition and a double-disc set on CD featuring a vintage live set. Loudon Wainwright III's 40 Odd Years box set is due from
Review: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack"
Close your eyes for a moment and pretend you're on Jeopardy! The answer: "This 1963 widescreen epic opened Hollywood's Cinerama Dome." The question: "What is It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?" Raise your hand if you got it right! Yes, Mad World, as we'll abbreviate it for expediency's sake, is this author's epic film to end all epic films (sorry, Ben-Hur!) and certainly one of the only Hollywood epic comedies! While the designation "all-star" has been applied before and since, perhaps no film
And Now...Along Comes The Association, Expanded and Remastered!
UPDATE 3/24: The track listing on this release has been amended slightly. You can find it after the jump, of course. What makes the perfect pop song? The ingredients, of course, vary. In a weighty tome that can easily be viewed through a cynical lens today, Herb Hendler (of Capitol Records’ publishing arm Beechwood Music) offered How to Write a Contemporary Song to prospective songwriters in 1967. He included a worksheet where one could ask a number of questions of his or her favorite song: Is
Here They Come...Monkees Reissues Coming from Friday Music
Monkees fans didn't have a lot to complain about in 2010; Rhino Handmade released acclaimed box sets dedicated to the band's albums The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees and Head, while Micky Dolenz paid tribute to Carole King with his solo King for a Day. The news got even better as 2011 began, with Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork confirming the rumored plans that they would reunite for a 45th anniversary Monkees tour. (Michael Nesmith, as expected, chose to sit the May/June/July tour out.) Yet
Back Tracks: The Police
On this day in 1978, A&M Records signed a bunch of blonde guys masquerading as punk rockers to their label. That doesn't sound like a blueprint for success, but those guys - vocalist-bassist Gordon Sumner (better known as Sting), guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland - were well on their way to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, then one of the most lamented and celebrated after their messy breakup (and inevitable reunion). The Police were like few others,
"Trail of the Pink Panther" Leads to World Premiere Release by Intrada
Blake Edwards’ Trail of the Pink Panther, from 1982, is best remembered as the final film in the long-running series to feature Peter Sellers. The extraordinarily talented, mercurial actor had died in 1980, but Edwards paid tribute to his colleague by stitching together outtakes and old material to continue the story of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. (1983’s Curse of the Pink Panther was shot concurrently by Edwards, introducing Ted Wass as Clifton Sleigh, an inept New York policeman on the
Reissue Theory: Elton John, "To Be Continued...1992-2010"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on notable albums and the reissues they may some day see. It's been over two decades since Elton John released his career-spanning To Be Continued... box set, and so much has happened with his career since then. How do you cover such ground? Simple - make another one! It’s only appropriate that Elton John titled his 1992 album The One. It was a major first for the superstar: his first album recorded in all too many years without
Love Makes the World Go Round: London Cast "Carnival" Hits CD
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Sister Act. Catch Me If You Can. Today’s Broadway is populated by adaptations of familiar movies; in 1961, such screen-to-stage transfers were rare. When they did occur, the authors usually changed the title of the film to signify that their musical version was, indeed, a new work. (Imagine producers today allowing authors to diverge from a famous property's title!) Such creative freedom resulted in some of the most inspired musicals in stage history, and one such
Marlena Shaw is "Acting Up" Again
Whether recording jazz, pop or funk, the soulful Marlena Shaw has made her mark. The first female vocalist signed to Blue Note Records, Shaw has had an impressive career with tenures not only at the venerable jazz imprint but also Chess' Cadet subsidiary, Columbia, Verve and Concord. Included in her outstanding discography are searing takes on Goffin and King's "Go Away, Little Girl" (as "Go Away, Little Boy"), Ashford and Simpson's "California Soul" and a discofied "Touch Me in the Morning."
Alice Cooper Readies Mega-Box Set
Only a day after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Alice Cooper is prepping a massive collectible for fans: a four-CD/one-DVD/double-vinyl box set capturing the band's early shock rock years. There are only some preliminary details about Old School 1964-1974, but here's what we can tell you. It's going to feature, across its four CDs, demos, live takes, spoken-word material and vintage advertisements; demos from the School's Out and Muscle of Love sessions are specifically
The SMiLE Saga: A Happy Ending Promised for Lost Beach Boys Masterwork
The story of The Beach Boys' 1967 SMiLE, often considered the greatest lost album of all time, has long been a story of heroes and villains. On February 3, the band's Al Jardine was a hero when he announced that SMiLE would finally be arriving in record stores everywhere later this year. The Second Disc duly passed this on before Jardine offered a bizarre quasi-retraction, likely at the behest of his record label, on February 14. Mastering engineer Steve Hoffman (who was worked with the Beach
Friday Feature: "The Graduate"
“Just one word…plastics.” With that one word, spoken to the disaffected Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) by an associate of his father’s, the audience viewing 1967’s film The Graduate, could both laugh and sneer along with Benjamin. After all, “plastics” stood for all that was superficial and fake in society. Mike Nichols, directing only his second feature film after a successful Broadway career, was anything but subtle as he masterfully threaded the film’s themes throughout every aspect of
"SMiLE"! It's Actually Happening!
Wow! From Billboard: It's an event that pop music fans have been waiting for since the Summer of Love: Capitol Records is planning to release the Beach Boys' great lost album, "Smile," later this year. Two longtime Beach Boys associates -- engineer Mark Linett and archivist Alan Boyd -- are co-producing the release, which Capitol has titled "The Smile Sessions." The project will be released in three versions: a two-CD set, an iTunes LP digital album and a limited-edition boxed set containing
Review: Simon and Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water: 40th Anniversary Edition"
"What's the point of [making] this album?," an impossibly youthful Paul Simon asks in the 1969 television special Songs of America. "The world is crumbling." If Simon didn't know then why he was "just" recording an album despite all of the tumult around him, he almost certainly knows now. After all, he and partner Art Garfunkel have seen Bridge Over Troubled Water make it to 40 years (actually, 41!), and have even participated in the celebration. The duo have also seen the accompanying album and
Review: Neil Diamond, "The Bang Years 1966-1968"
When it comes to Neil Diamond, I'm a believer. There's not a trace of doubt in my mind that Diamond burst onto the scene at the right time - not necessarily the night time, though I, too, thank the lord for it. No, Diamond made a big noise in the corridors of Bang Records in the period between 1966 and 1968, an era when the music business was experiencing change more rapidly than anyone could have predicted. And it was far from predictable that the somber and intense young man pictured on The
Intrada Premieres Scores for "Flying Machines," "Wrongfully Accused"
Intrada's first releases for March involve two premiere score releases from two very different eras - a roadshow flick from the '60s and an action satire from the late '90s. First up is Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, a 1965 ensemble comedy from England starring luminaries including Benny Hill, Terry-Thomas and Red Skelton. Ron Goodwin's light, poppy theme went on to have some success as a pop single, although the resultant album was an odd one, featuring music and dialogue in
Nektar's "A Tab in the Ocean" Released in Expanded Edition
"I wonder what would happen if a giant tab of acid was dropped into the sea?" asked a member of the progressive rock band Nektar some forty years ago, recalled Roye Albrighton, Nektar's guitarist and vocalist. Albrighton and his mates parlayed their curiosity into the group's acclaimed second album, appropriately titled A Tab in the Ocean. Philadelphia's ItsAboutMusic.com label has just reissued that recording in a deluxe two-CD set also containing a bonus "lost album," In the Beginning: The
Friday Feature: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
More than 30 years ago, Dave Cameron walked through the halls of Clairemont High School in San Diego. He had a colorful collection of friends: a middle-class, business-oriented guy, his sexually naive sister, her sophisticated best friend, the jock and nerd duo that lusted after the girls and a colorful surfer dude. What none of them knew at the time was that Dave Cameron wasn't really a high school student. He was 22, and had already graduated high school seven years prior, at the age of 15. In
Review: Jackie DeShannon and Doris Troy, Anthologized by Ace
It may have been sheer coincidence that Ace dropped I'll Do Anything: The Doris Troy Anthology 1960-1996 and Jackie DeShannon's Come and Get Me: The Complete Liberty and Imperial Singles Volume 2 on the same day. But different though these two singers may be, their similarities are striking. Both were pioneering female songwriters, with Troy penning her biggest hit, "Just One Look," and DeShannon offering up the likes of "When You Walk in the Room" and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." Both had
Masterworks Jazz Continues "Cool Revolution" with a Quartet from CTI
Chances are, if you think of a jazz artist, it wouldn't take many degrees of separation to reach Creed Taylor. The esteemed producer began his career at Bethlehem Records overseeing a roster including Herbie Mann, Charles Mingus, Carmen McRae, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding. In 1956, he departed Bethlehem for ABC-Paramount, where in 1960 he launched the Impulse! label with artists like Johnson, Winding, Ray Charles and John Coltrane. It was at Impulse! that Taylor came into his own, emphasizing
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