If you see me walking down the street, and I start to cry…or smile…or laugh...there’s a good chance I might be listening to a song by Burt Bacharach. Since beginning his songwriting career with 1952’s instrumental “Once in a Blue Moon” as recorded by Nat King Cole, Bacharach has provided the soundtrack to many of our lives, often in tandem with lyricist Hal David. (Their first collaborations date to 1956, including The Harry Carter Singers’ “Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil,” and Sherry
Life is Beautiful: The "Romantic" Tony Bennett Coming For Valentine's Day
Well, Valentine’s Day is less than one month away, and chances are some of you might be looking for the perfect accompaniment for that moment when you turn the lights down low, pour your favorite vino and share amorous thoughts with your better half. If so, Concord Music Group has one such offering for your hi-fi. Isn’t It Romantic? is a new 15-track offering due on February 7, drawing on Tony Bennett’s recordings for the Improv and Fantasy labels, originally released between 1975 and
Every Saga Has a Beginning: "Star Wars" Score to Be Reissued
As Star Wars fans count down to a theatrical reissue of the chronological beginning of the six-film series, new fans will get a chance to rediscover its musical merits, thanks to a new reissue from Sony Classical. The year 1999 was a monumental year for fans of George Lucas' Star Wars series. After years of discussions and planning, that May saw the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the first of a new prequel trilogy that explained how Lucas' mythological galaxy fell into the
Release Round-Up: Week of January 17
Frank Sinatra, The Concert Sinatra (Concord) A remixed, remastered and expanded edition of Frank's 1963 studio album (the title referred to the size of Nelson Riddle's excellent orchestra). Modern English, Mesh and Lace / After the Snow / Ricochet Days (4AD) Newly-pressed reissues of the first three Modern English LPs, with bonus tracks. They've been out before, so you might already have them. But if you don't, they're here again. Heaven 17, Play to Win: The Very Best of Heaven 17 / Hot
Review: The Monkees, "Instant Replay: Deluxe Edition"
When The Monkees' Instant Replay was released in February 1969, less than three years had passed since the band's vinyl debut in October 1966. But the pop world of 1966 might have been a lifetime ago. Five days before Instant Replay's February 15 release, The Beach Boys unveiled the album 20/20, on which America's band surreptitiously recorded a song by Charles Manson. Two days after, The Temptations skyrocketed to Cloud Nine, meeting psychedelia head-on. By the year's end, the dream of
New Cherry Red Imprint Sets Its Sights; JoBoxers, 'Til Tuesday Expansions Planned
Cherry Red's stable of reissue labels has become a little bigger: this month, the group established a new imprint, Hot Shot Records, that looks to expand the horizons of reissues for pop and dance hits of yesteryear. Established under the group's thriving Big Break Records label, Hot Shot's mission, according to its Facebook page, is "to breathe life back into a variety of smart pop, dance gems and hidden treasures." From its outset, it looks like the label is looking to make a mark with
Jason Takes Hollywood: "Friday the 13th" Box Available from La-La Land
It's Friday the 13th, and there's a chill in the air out in the east. Perfect timing, then, for La-La Land Records to unveil their much-anticipated Friday the 13th soundtracks box set! The beloved soundtrack label is presenting, for the first time, all of Harry Manfredini's music for the first six films in the long-running slasher series, remastered and restored from original source elements. Much of this material is being heard on disc for the first time, a definite treat for fans of the
Open Your Eyes: The Move's "Live at the Fillmore 1969" Coming From Right Recordings
Can you hear the grass grow? An oft-circulated set by Birmingham's legendary Move is finally receiving an official release courtesy of Right Recordings! Live at the Fillmore 1969 chronicles the band's stand at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore Auditorium on October 16-19 of that year; The Move joined Joe Cocker and the Grease Band and Little Richard on the bill! The new 2-CD set is being released thanks to the cooperation of Sue Wayne, the widow of late singer Carl Wayne, and arrives in the
Gilbert O'Sullivan Goes "Back to Front" On Next Salvo Reissue
Would the real Gilbert O’Sullivan please stand up? When peering at his sophomore album, Back to Front, potential purchasers back in 1972 didn’t see the same nostalgic figure of the previous year’s Himself. Gone was the chap in his flat cap, pudding-basin haircut and jacket. In his place was a tanned, rather more mainstream-looking fellow, shirt open and chest hair exposed. But the opening “Intro” in which the singer implored listeners to sit back, relax and enjoy the album, was proof
And the Tracks Are...: "2012 Grammy Nominees" Disc Due
With the 54th Annual Grammy Awards mere weeks away on February 13, it's getting close to one of music's most vaunted pre-Grammy traditions: the release of the annual Grammy nominees compilation. Due out January 24, 2012 Grammy Nominees compiles exactly the artists you'd expect, from multiple award nominees (British soul songstress Adele, pop acts Bruno Mars and Katy Perry, modern rock legends the Foo Fighters and country star Taylor Swift) to rising stars (rappers J. Cole and Nicki Minaj,
Love Hangover, Redux: Hip-O Select Plans Deluxe Edition of "Diana Ross"
And now Hip-o Select unveils its first new catalogue set of the New Year: a deluxe edition of Diana Ross' legendary 1976 self-titled album. Ross' first studio LP in three years, following 1973's Last Time I Saw Him, was produced by Michael Masser, who'd rose to prominence with his work on Last Time - writing the title track - as well as Motown stalwarts Hal Davis and Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The leadoff single had been released the previous year, a sweet, irresistible song from
Wouldn't It Be Good? Universal U.K. Expands Nik Kershaw's Debut LP
A pleasant surprise is coming from Universal's catalogue arm across the pond: an expanded edition of Nik Kershaw's excellent debut album Human Racing. Released in 1984, Human Racing gave the young Bristol-born, Suffolk-raised guitarist a big break after years of jobbing in local bands. Aided by a set of teen magazine-ready good looks and an ear for intricately arranged, vaguely theatrical pop tunes, the second single from Human Racing, the excellent "Wouldn't It Be Good," became a Top 5 smash
Review: Alex Chilton, "Free Again: The 1970 Sessions"
What makes a cult hero most? Alex Chilton ascended to that lofty rank as the leader of Big Star, a band whose negligible commercial impact is only matched by its considerable influence over an entire generation of musicians. When Chilton’s Paul McCartney met Chris Bell’s John Lennon (or vice versa?), they formed a brief but potent team as singers and songwriters. What resulted was the exuberant power pop of the optimistically-titled No. 1 Record as recorded by Big Star: Chilton, Bell, Jody
Goin' Back to New Orleans: Rounder Anticipates Mardi Gras With New Collection
Laissez les bons temps rouler! Each year, the good times do indeed roll in New Orleans, Louisiana, when the city throws the biggest Mardi Gras bash in the country. Though carnival season is celebrated around the world, the revelry in New Orleans surely has one of the richest legacies, and a major part of that legacy is, of course, its music. Rounder Records, founded in 1970 and now part of the Concord Music Group, has built a solid foundation of Cajun and carnival favorites in its impressive
Pulp on Fire: Early U.K. Albums Expanded for February Release
Yesterday's announcement of the lineup for the three-day Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April was met with typical fanfare associated with major festival announcements. And why not? A veritable who's who of rising stars and legends across a wide swath of genres will be performing, including Radiohead, The Black Keys, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Bon Iver, Madness, Squeeze, The Shins, ex-Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, the newly-reunited At the Drive-In, James, Florence and The Machine,
Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits Reprised, and Flashback with Iron Butterfly
Two long out-of-print greatest hits collections are back in print today thanks to the fine folks at Rhino Records. Iron Butterfly’s Evolution: The Best of Iron Butterfly arrived on the Atco label in 1971 and brought together 11 tracks from the hard rock pioneers’ first four albums. Andy Gibb’s 1991 Greatest Hits, originally on the Polydor label, differed from the 1980 RSO Records hits compilation, and offered 12 prime pop cuts from the youngest of the Brothers Gibb. Although Rhino’s Light
Release Round-Up: Week of January 10
A slow week, but enough substantial releases to make this our first Round-Up of 2012! Alex Chilton, Free Again: The 1970 Sessions (Omnivore Recordings) After The Box Tops, before Big Star, the late, great Chilton finds his voice as a writer. A review from Joe is forthcoming! Jellyfish, Bellybutton / Spilt Milk (Omnivore Recordings) Brand-new vinyl remasters of the only two albums by the perennially underrated power pop band. Andy Gibb, Greatest Hits / Iron Butterfly, Evolution: The Best of
Intrada Releases Two Fists of Kamen for 2012
After a healthy and innovative year for film score reissues, Intrada starts off the new year with a bang - or better yet, a swift roundhouse kick: two heretofore-unreleased late-'80s action scores by the excellent Michael Kamen. The first one is a very familiar title to pop-culture junkies and cult-classic geeks: the score to Road House. The 1989 action flick starred Patrick Swayze in his first post-Dirty Dancing project as Dalton, a strangely complex, widely-renowned bouncer with a degree in
Edsel January Preview: Rundgren, Chapin, Gosdin, Manhattan Transfer, Jo Jo Gunne Kick Off 2012
What kind of year will 2012 be? If the first batch of releases, slated for January 30 release, from the Edsel label is any indication, there's plenty of rare and well-done music on the way! A three albums-on-two-CDs package collects the entirety of Todd Rundgren's Warner Bros. Records period. A Cappella/Nearly Human/2nd Wind continues Edsel's definitive series which brings Rundgren's solo and Utopia output on both Bearsville and Warner Bros. under one umbrella. The studio wizard's decision
Friday's Child: David Bowie's "Hours" Expanded and Remastered
Has it really been over eight years since David Bowie released his final studio album to date, Reality? Bowie turned 65 yesterday, quietly enjoying what may be his retirement. But it doesn't seem like so long ago that the musician was still considered prolific; Reality came hot on the heels of 2002's Heathen. And Heathen seemed to signify a new era for Bowie, his first album for the venerable Columbia Records after a stint at Virgin, for which 1999's Hours... was the final release. All of
Rick Nelson, Mark Lindsay, McGough and McGear (with Hendrix and McCartney!) Are Real Gone In February
With another month comes another slate of rare music on both CD and vinyl from one of the real up-and-comers in the reissue biz, Real Gone Music! The label’s February centerpieces just might be Rick Nelson’s The Complete Epic Recordings and Mark Lindsay’s The Complete Columbia Singles, but those two releases are being joined by titles from Sean (T.S.) Bonniwell, McGough and McGear, Eddie Hazel and the girls of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s Red Bird label on CD, plus Hank Thompson on vinyl!
Promised You a Miracle: Simple Minds Expand Early Albums for New Box Set, Tour
In 1985, Scottish rockers Simple Minds burst onto the American music scene in a big way with "Don't You (Forget About Me)," the chart-topping theme to iconic teen drama The Breakfast Club. Before their brush with John Hughes-induced fame, though, the band released a batch of increasingly successful post-punk and New Wave records between 1979 and 1982. This winter, to coincide with the "5x5 Tour" in Europe, which will see founding members - singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill -
Another Year, Another Batch of "ICON" Titles
It's 2012, a new year full of new catalogue opportunities - and yet another batch of our favorite ridiculous, vaguely pointless series of compilations, UMe's ICON. The generic collections pack nothing but hits into an 11-track set list, enabling the uninitiated to get a simple primer of their favorite artist for maybe $8 and change. This time around, the batch is very rock-oriented (mid-'80s Deep Purple, Anthrax, Cinderella, Uriah Heep) with some traces of late-'90s rap and R&B (Dru Hill,
Mighty Love: Detroit Spinners' Best Compiled On New 2-CD Anthology
If an award were given for the Best Second Act in Popular Music, it might well go to The Spinners. Signed to Motown in 1963 after early successes at Gwen Gordy’s Tri-Phi label, The Spinners – singers Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson, Billy Henderson, C.P. Spencer and Bobbie Smith - had difficulty ascending to premier status at the Motor City label. After some moderate hits like “Truly Yours” in 1966, the group’s biggest brush with the charts came in 1970 when Stevie Wonder gifted them the song
Come Fly With Me: Bobby, Peggy, Ella, Buddy Take Off With "Pan Am" Soundtrack
Following in the footsteps of Matthew Weiner’s 1960s drama Mad Men, Jack Orman’s Pan Am takes to the airwaves each week on ABC with a period-perfect recreation of the days when "the world's most experienced airline" ruled the skies. Now, the show’s impeccably-selected music can be yours to keep - and perhaps used as the soundtrack to your very own swinging cocktail party! - on Verve’s Pan Am: Music From and Inspired by the Original Series, due to arrive on January 17. How appropriate that one
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