There's a few weeks to go until Legacy Recordings and Experience Hendrix LLC reprint the Jimi Hendrix catalogue. March 9 will see CD/DVD versions of four classic Hendrix albums as well as a new unreleased compilation, Valleys of Neptune, on store shelves. In preparation for the reissue, I've been acquainting myself with the ridiculously deep catalogue Hendrix left in his 27 short years on this Earth. And if music research could make me curl up and whimper, I'd have my arms around my knees by
Back Tracks: Marvin Gaye
Our Valentine's Day weekend preparation continues with a look back at the reissue prospects of Marvin Gaye, one of the finest soul voices of the century (and, in my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking losses in popular music). It's quite interesting that Gaye's catalogue, split about 90/10 between labels (Motown and Columbia), has been well-serviced by both. Chalk it up to the fact that one of his biggest hits, "Sexual Healing," was released on the latter label in 1983. Take a look at the
Voices, Another Sound
EDIT: Those who'd like to read the press release, which also has a neat note on the packaging of the reissues, can do so here. ORIGINAL POST: Duranies like me can breathe a sigh of relief: following the news that an April 13 release date has been confirmed for the deluxe reissue of Duran side-project Arcadia's lone album So Red the Rose (1985), our friends at Slicing Up Eyeballs have confirmed that EMI will release the other planned deluxe sets for Duran Duran (1981) and Seven and the Ragged
The (Aggravating) Sound of The Smiths
Today was the day that U.K. fans, elated from the grassroots success of making Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" the 2009 Christmas No. 1 single, attempted to make lightning strike twice with a campaign for The Smiths' immortal "How Soon is Now?" Call me a spoilsport, but I have my doubts that the campaign is going to make the same kind of headway. The "Killing in the Name" incident was just right-place, right-time and had suitable fire underneath it (people will buy a single so
The Runaways - "The Mercury Albums Anthology" Revealed
After announcing it a few weeks ago (and teasing all about it on Twitter today) Hip-O Select has started pre-orders for The Mercury Albums Anthology, a two-disc compilation of nearly all of the albums released by the proto-riot-grrl group that launched the careers of Joan Jett, Lita Ford and other female rock luminaries. The set itself looks pretty straightforward. The band's first four albums - The Runaways (1976), Queens of Noise (1977), Live in Japan (1977) and Waitin' for the Night (1977) -
"Raw Power" to Melt Faces in April
Fans of The Stooges, get ready for a rush: Legacy Recordings is reissuing Raw Power, one of the most iconic pre-punk rock records of the 1970s. And hardcore fans are going to drool over the goodies that are coming their way. The standard set is going to be a two-disc Legacy Edition (you know, the ones in a double digipak with a slip case). On the first disc is the original album as originally mixed by David Bowie. This is a really big deal, as the last time Legacy reissued the record in 1997,
Barry's B's
It may be winter outside (especially in my neck of the woods - I live in one of those places labeled as a "snowpocalypse" or "snowmageddon" in the news), but in my heart it's always spring. And why not? It's always a good time of year for catalogue music, whether you're listening to it, buying it or (oh you lucky ones) working on it. And Valentine's Day is just around the corner, making it a great time here at The Second Disc to pen a few features on some great romantic hitmakers. One of my
Late Night Release Round-Up: Motown Around the World, Arcadia Date, Soundtrack Notes
The above picture, from Hip-O Select's Twitter page, indicates that Motown Around the World is inching ever closer to a release. The compilation, teased by the label since last year, is said to be a comprehensive set of the many foreign-language versions of classic Motown hits as well as a few international singles only available in those territories. Expect cuts from Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations and more. Another nugget from the social-networking pipeline: Duran
Grant Us an Extension
The other day I was talking about how us catalogue fans can sometimes end up wanting that one missing track to add to our collections. I used the 45 version of Billy Joel's "Sometimes a Fantasy," which runs well past the fade-out on the LP, as an example. Interestingly enough, I realized that the track also adhered to another concept I realized I'm enamored of concerning music in general. When I was a kid, I was always interested in the idea of a fade-out. You'd be listening to a song, getting
Back Tracks: The Who
Were you left cold by The Who's straightforward, inoffensive performance at The Super Bowl last night? Did you hear will.i.am's pointless remix of "My Generation" and think about a time in which that song actually meant something? This installment of Back Tracks takes you through the deluxe editions of The Who's discography, so you can focus on the glory days and not Roger Daltrey's incredibly silly get-up. And take heart: The Who's back catalogue is probably one of UMe's grandest war horses.
Another Date Change: Bowie in April
Yet another move on the calendar: Decca/UMe's deluxe edition of David Bowie's first LP - that truly wacky effort on Deram Records - has been set for an April 6 release date, a month back from its intended March release. But those of you who can't wait long enough for the set - consisting of the original LP in mono and stereo as well as new mixes and BBC sessions not included on the collector's set The Deram Anthology from 1997 - note that Universal has already released the set in the U.K., so
Stayin' Alive
Those of you who were debating the merits of Mythology, the upcoming four-disc Bee Gees box set, now have a lot of time to decide to buy it. The box, originally slated for release last November before being pushed back to the spring, is now due on November 16, 2010. Update your calendars accordingly. The set is a retrospective look at the collective careers of the brothers Gibb, with one disc each devoted to Robin, Barry, Maurice and Andy Gibb. The track list (presented after the jump) features
New Release: Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, "Greatest Hits" (UPDATED FEB. 7)
Looks like Hip-O Select isn't the only label catering to the upcoming surge of interest in The Runaways. The influential girl-punk group's most famous member, Joan Jett, is prepping a new solo compilation set for release March 9, less than two weeks before the release of the new biopic of the band. The Amazon pre-order page - as of yet, one of the only public sources of info for the compilation (there's not even a mention on the official sites for Jett or Blackheart Records, her label) - has a
The LP Stands for Lame Product
We catalogue enthusiasts are an odd bunch. The music industry at large is horrified about consumers not buying as much physical music as they used to - but a lot of reissue buyers, interested in the preservation of our collections and their sound quality, are still scouring record stores for purchases. Labels releasing new music have to recontextualize what constitutes "strong sales" now that albums rarely pass 250,000 copies in their first week - but our favorite reissues are lucky to have
Reissue Theory: Ben Folds Five, "Ben Folds Five"
In Reissue Theory, The Second Disc researches and drafts a box set, compilation or reissue that would be worth pursuing by a label. Lots of catalogue enthusiasts are older folks, there's no getting around that. Those who grew up with great rock and roll and consumed it on compact discs as adults are probably the lion's share of people reading sites like this. But regardless of what you perceive the quality of more recent music to be, it needs to be looked after as well by catalogue
Reissue Theory: It's Time to Play the Music
The recent announcement of E1's Sesame Street Old School Volume 1 has got me excited, but for a slightly different reason. I am sentimental toward the Sesame Street Muppets (despite not having been much of a viewer as a child), but my favorite Muppets were always the ones in The Muppet Show - those loveable felt and fur actors singing pop standards, blowing things up and causing all sorts of mayhem. Perhaps more than any other youth-oriented entertaiment of the 1970s (aside from, say, School
Back Tracks: The Supremes
Introducing Back Tracks, a new feature where we take an upcoming release and introduce you to some of the other reissued works from the same group. Today, we start with The Supremes, whose first album, 1962's Meet The Supremes, is scheduled for reissue by Hip-O Select on May 18 (credit where it's due to MusicTAP for the date). The trio is much loved by Motown fans and staff alike. As such, Hip-O Select has dug lots of their treasures from the vault. Hit the jump to take a look at nine Supremes
Sunny Days Indeed
It may be snowing in my part of the world, but catalogue fans should prepare themselves to be on their way to where the air is sweet. That's right, kids (and kids at heart): E1 Records is releasing Sesame Street Old School Volume 1, a box set collating three classic albums by the Sesame Street Muppets. The box features Sesame Street: The Original Cast Recording (1970), Big Bird Sings (1974) and Bert & Ernie Sing Along (1975), all of which are making their CD debuts with remastered sound and
Reissue Theory: a-ha, "Hunting High and Low"
Here's a new feature I'm really excited about on The Second Disc. I'm calling it Reissue Theory (which was very nearly the title of this blog). Herein, I plot out what I think would be excellent plans to expand great catalogue titles. Using the best research skills I can muster, I'll try to put together the perfect playlist for that sorely missing deluxe title. First up is Hunting High and Low, the debut album by pop legends a-ha. Though their chart-topping "Take on Me" was the biggest
Arcadia's "So Red the Rose" Fumbling Toward a Release Date
(UPDATE 10:40 a.m.) Duran Duran's representative Katy Krassner responded with lightning speed to the inquiry about the press release: "There is no set release date...we will update the site when there is one. This was just EMI's updated press materials on the release." So while fans have to wait a bit for the scoop, know that it'll be here soon enough. Thanks to Katy for her response! Duran Duran fans who've spent years fighting to defend the worthiness of the New Wave quintet enjoyed something
News Roundup: ZTT and All That
Awhile back there'd been talk of classic label ZTT - the label that gave us Art of Noise, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Propaganda - reissuing some of its classics with unreleased material from the vaults. Now it seems the first pieces of that plan are coming to fruition! ZTT have recently announced The Element Series, currently comprised of six releases by ZTT artists and associated acts. After the jump, have a go at the titles, track lists and all that.
This is It (Part 2)
Now that I've gotten all my gripes out about the This is It soundtrack, I'm more than happy to pen some thoughts on the actual film, now out on DVD and Blu-Ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. For years after Michael Jackson rose from a nasty string of legal troubles in 2004, I had been ruminating on what could become of one of my favorite pop entertainers. His rumored forays back into the recording studio always left me cold; why would he collaborate with will.i.am or Akon when he had
This is It (Part 1)
One of the biggest catalogue-oriented titles this week is a DVD: Tuesday saw the release of Michael Jackson's This is It, the documentary comprised of tour rehearsal footage for the set of London concerts the King of Pop was working on right before his death in June. I've happily pored through 75 percent of my copy (I have a few features to sift through) and upon completion I'll be sure to post a review. But I'd also like to take a quick look at the other This is It product that's been on
I Am Spartacus
Film score fans have had a lot to sing about in the past year or so. Thanks to the Herculean efforts of independent soundtrack labels, a lot of highly sought-after soundtracks that major labels would never think to release have been put on disc to the delight of fans everywhere. The Intrada label recently scored an enormous coup by releasing Alan Silvestri's complete score to Back to the Future, La La Land Records recently pressed limited editions of James Newton Howard's music for the film
Industry Primer: Conan Seeks Satisfaction Elsewhere, or The Bugatti Veyron Mouse That Roared
Light years away from the world of back catalogue music projects, the entertainment press has been abuzz with the recent furor over the late night talk show lineup on NBC. This past Friday, Conan O'Brien exited The Tonight Show after a too-brief seven-month tenure, leaving Jay Leno able to leave his low-rated primetime show and take back control of the show he agreed to cede to O'Brien almost six years ago. One of the delights during the whole mess was seeing O'Brien - in my opinion, one of the