In the final part of our Apple Records series, we open the import-only Apple Box Set and spin the label's first-ever "greatest hits" set. While the label only lasted a tumultuous seven years between 1968 and 1976, the legacy of Apple Records survives on today’s radio airwaves: “Those Were the Days.” “Day After Day.” “Come and Get It.” Notwithstanding The Beatles’ albums, both solo and as a group, that bore the famous label design, there was no shortage of great music emanating from the Savile
New U.K. Sister Sledge Comp is Another Way to Get Your CHIC On
If you love Rhino France's new CHIC box set as much as we do here at The Second Disc HQ (expect a review up in a few days or so), here's another title you'll probably enjoy: the Music Club Deluxe label in the U.K. is releasing a new two-disc compilation for Sister Sledge. Sister Sledge, indeed comprised of Philadelphia-based sisters named Sledge (Kim, Debbi, Joni and Kathy), were a moderately successful R&B/dance group in the Atlantic label group (first signing to Atco, then Cotillion) that
Review: The Apple Records Remasters, Part 4 - Harrison's Soulful Trio
In the penultimate installment of our weeklong series on the new Apple Records remasters, we listen to the label's three most soulful singers: Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy and Billy Preston, and along the way, encounter George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and a number of their most famous friends! In yesterday’s installment, we looked at the less commercial side of Apple Records. Today, we turn the spotlight on four records that positively smoke, by three soulful troubadours. The funky
Review: The Apple Records Remasters, Part 3 - Esoteric to the Core
In Part 3 of our five-part Apple Records series, we look at a number of the non-rock recordings released under the Apple umbrella. As the home of Apple Records, 3 Savile Row, London, saw many of rock’s greatest musicians pass through its doors. But Ron Kass, the American expatriate headhunted from Liberty Records to be Apple’s first head, knew the importance of building a diverse catalogue across many genres. In its short years as an active label, Apple certainly took Kass’ belief to heart, and
Review: The Apple Records Remasters, Part 2 - Meet Mary and James
In Part 2 of our five-part series exploring the new Apple Records reissue campaign, we look at the folkier side of the label with Mary Hopkin and James Taylor. In Part 1, Badfinger had close encounters of The Beatles kind when both Paul McCartney and George Harrison lent their production expertise to the Apple Records band. McCartney made his other major contribution to Apple’s catalogue with the debut album of a winsome 18-year old Welsh songstress named Mary Hopkin. The Apple Records reissue
Back Tracks: Menken at Disney
This week will see the release of Disney's newest animated feature, Tangled, a quirky retelling of the Rapunzel tale. As has been custom for the best of Disney's animated features, the film will feature songs and score from Alan Menken, the musical genius who gave Disney some of its greatest music of the past 20-plus years. Menken came to Disney in the late 1980s after his musical with lyricist Howard Ashman, a peppy, Wall of Sound-inspired take on Roger Corman's Little Shop of Horrors, was
Your Black Friday Wishlist
The more-or-less official start of the holiday shopping season kicks off next Friday, November 26. (You've probably seen decorations up in department stores by now. Even this huge Christmas fan can't blame you for shaking your head.) But giving the gift of music is important. You probably know that, and your local indie music store knows that, too. That's why this Black Friday will see a gaggle of special releases at all stores that participate in Record Store Day. There's a lot of neat vinyl
FSM Readies "North Dallas Forty"
Film Score Monthly has another release ready to go for soundtrack collectors: the premiere release of the score to North Dallas Forty by John Scott. Released in 1979, North Dallas Forty was a fact-based account of novelist Peter Gent's five-year stint in the NFL. The film got much of the details right, and critics and fans were both pleased. John Scott - a session player from England - drummed up a soundtrack that had jazz and blues undertones while keeping the entire orchestra intact for the
Review: The Apple Records Remasters, Part 1 - A Quartet by Badfinger
Welcome to Part 1 of a five-part series in which we’ll take an in-depth look at the recently-released Apple Records reissue campaign, comprised of 16 Apple albums recorded between 1968 and 1974 plus the first-ever label anthology. We’ll begin with the albums of Badfinger. It’s almost impossible to write about Badfinger without mentioning their mentors, employers, producers and influences, The Beatles. Signed in 1968 by the Apple label at the instigation of The Beatles’ confidante and “roadie,”
Motown Goes Funky
A neat duo of reissues is on the way later this month from Funkytown Grooves - two R&B women on Motown Records in the 1980s. The label is prepping expanded reissues of Stacy Lattisaw's Take Me All the Way (which spawned the Top 5 R&B and Dance hit "Nail It to the Wall") and Set My Love in Motion, a 1981 LP by Syreeta Wright (the late ex-wife of Stevie Wonder). Each release will be accompanied by two 12" single tracks each. Pre-order links are here and here; track lists are after the
Simon Officially Rhymin' for Legacy in 2011
Legacy Recordings just announced another big catalogue overhaul planned for 2011: Paul Simon's catalogue is indeed getting a new reissue campaign next year. Our own Joe Marchese reported in June that Simon had planned to move his back catalogue from Warner Bros. back to Columbia, the home of Simon & Garfunkel. And The Essential Paul Simon, a straight reissue of the 2007 Rhino compilation, was released a few weeks ago. But this is the first official confirmation from the label that something
"Michael" Stays Away from the Vaults (Mostly)
Sony has released the track list for upcoming Michael Jackson posthumous album Michael, and...it's exactly what you'd expect. The estate and Sony are starting small, focusing on tunes Jackson recorded after 2001's Invincible, likely an attempt to sound as "new" as possible. (Never mind the fact that Michael's material from as long as 40 years ago sounds fresher than his material from, say, a decade ago.) That said, there's a few songs to be included on the disc that definitely come from some of
A Soundtrack That's Ready for Its Close-Up, 60 Years On
Here's a fun, surprise soundtrack coming out of the vaults. Counterpoint Records is releasing the first-ever CD of the original soundtrack to Sunset Boulevard, the 1950 Billy Wilder classic with Oscar-winning music from acclaimed composer Franz Waxman. Sunset Boulevard was the fictional tale of Norma Desmond, a silent-film starlet whose time has long passed (played to perfection by Gloria Swanson). The noir tale sees Desmond meeting a struggling screenwriter (William Holden) and attempting to
In Case You Missed It: The Best Concert Ever?
The Second Disc very rarely covers "new" releases, even if they're newer releases by vintage artists. But when our good friend Eric Luecking of Record Racks (a darn good site if I say so myself) reminded me a few days ago of the recently-released Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert DVD, it seemed alright to break that unofficial embargo of "new" stuff. In case you missed this when it was released on September 28, The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts is a
A Reissue Worth 1000 Points and a 1-UP Mushroom
In September, The Second Disc did a Reissue Theory commemorating the early music of the Super Mario Bros. series for the video game franchise's 25th anniversary. In the post, we mentioned a new compilation of Mario music that was, at the time, exclusive only to Nintendo's native Japan. Now, we can report, that compilation is coming to America in time for Christmas. It's not just a soundtrack, of course. Nintendo is releasing a special deluxe game package for the Nintendo Wii. It will include a
Some Compilation House-Cleaning
Just so everyone's on the same page (yours truly included), we present a few updated track lists for some upcoming compilations for your perusal. When Pink's Greatest Hits...So Far!!! and Nelly Furtado's The Best Of were announced back in October, the track lists were either partial or based upon import track lists. In the interest of clarity, we give you standard and deluxe domestic track lists for both titles, each due November 12. (This writer is still bummed that Pink's take on "Whataya
Review: Paul McCartney, "The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Band on the Run"
In the promotional EPK created to kick off The Paul McCartney Archive Collection, the former Beatle reflects on the importance of giving value for the dollar when it comes to buying an album. With this dictum in mind, the team at Concord/Hear Music and McCartney’s company, MPL, created a multi-tiered program for the series’ kickoff release, a remastered edition of McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run. It's available in multiple CD editions, a vinyl set and as high-resolution downloads. All are
Reissue Theory: NOW That's What I Call Missing
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on well-known albums of the past and the reissues they could someday see. With another entry in the NOW That's What I Call Music series out in the U.S. today, we reflect on the series' original entries across the pond...and the titles in the series that have yet to appear on CD. Today in the States, a new entry in the NOW That's What I Call Music series was released (the 36th in the main series, not counting specialty
Review: The Monkees, "Head: Deluxe Edition"
Once upon a time, the undisputed king of the box set was Rhino Records. The label gave us a brain in a box, an old phonograph to house the masterworks of Ray Charles, a crate of eight tracks to take us back to a more soulful time, and a hatbox filled with the most effervescent girl group sounds possible, just to name a few. (Shag carpets, coffee beans and a carrying case for 45s figured prominently in a few other such packages.) Of late, these lavish sets haven't appeared with great frequency; I
Release Round-Up: Week of November 9
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes: Deluxe Edition (Geffen/UMe) With a bonus disc of B-sides and unreleased outtakes and an optional Blu-Ray audio version, audiophiles hopefully won't have a reason to say "don't do me like that" with this set. (Official site) Bon Jovi, Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection (Island) If 1994's Cross Road isn't enough of a Bon Jovi comp for you, this career-spanning set (available in single and double-disc formats) combines all the usual hits
Intrada Readies "Patton," "Gator" for Battle
Two fan favorite titles were announced by Intrada last night: a newly-expanded soundtrack for the classic film Patton (1970) and a reissue of the score to the cult classic Gator (1976). Film fans remember Patton for George C. Scott's famed portrayal of the controversial American general during World War II. (Scott won an Oscar for the role - and became the first person to refuse an Oscar.) Score fans remember it as yet another triumph for Jerry Goldsmith, who provided an innovative score
FSM Readies "Dr. T," Warner Bros. Two-Fer
Film Score Monthly, one of the best sources for soundtrack reissues and info in the pre-Internet age, has had a lot of weird press lately. FSM founder Lukas Kendall had an oddly overstated reaction when discovering that this year's Star Trek: The Next Generation box set had been uploaded onto a torrent site. (It was easily the Internet at its worst on both sides - FSM posters might have overreacted at what was already a callous, disgusting act on the part of the pirates, leading to little
Review: Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, "Collaborations"
George Harrison…the Radical Beatle? While you’re unlikely to find that description in many Beatles reference books, it’s not all that far-fetched a description. Exhibit “A” might be the new box set released by Dark Horse and Rhino just in time for the gift-giving season. While it’s arrived somewhat under the radar compared to higher-profile sets from the McCartney and Lennon camps, the music found on George Harrison's collection of Collaborations with Ravi Shankar will sound far more radical to
New Poison Comp is Hard to Swallow
Some of us get a bit jaded about catalogue projects sometimes. Not all of us can help it, but every now and then it doesn't hurt to stop and realize why we're so upset about a seemingly pointless compilation or repackage. That seemingly useless single-disc greatest-hits set that offers nothing new for a collector might be the entry point for a new fan into a certain artist's discography, turning them into as hardcore a fan as you and me. (And let's not forget the best-kept secret - so secret
A Re-Release Date More Fit for Queens
Queens of the Stone Age had planned on reissuing their self-titled debut at the end of the month with three bonus tracks. For all those keeping score at home, that reissue has been pushed back to January 11. The set, to be released through QotSA frontman Josh Homme's Rekords Rekords imprint, will be released as a CD and 180-gram double-vinyl version. Reacquaint yourself with the track list after the jump.
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