One of the busiest labels on the reissue front is undoubtedly Cherry Red Group’s Big Break Records imprint. We’ve just turned the spotlight on BBR’s releases from Donna Summer and John Barry, and Leon Haywood and Carl Carlton, and The Salsoul Orchestra and Loleatta Holloway. Coming up, we have reviews and features planned on titles from The Hues Corporation, Odyssey, and more. But today, we’re taking a look at another handful of the busy BBR label’s most recent offerings – from top-tier
As If She Never Said Goodbye: Barbra Streisand Goes "Back to Brooklyn"
1969’s lavish Academy Award-winning film Hello, Dolly! found Barbra Streisand’s Dolly Levi returning to the Harmonia Gardens restaurant where she was serenaded with Jerry Herman’s famous title tune: “It’s so nice to have you back where you belong…!” Some 43 years later, the same sentiments were applicable when Streisand – as herself, natch – took the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for two sold-out homecoming concerts. On Tuesday, Columbia Records will release Back to Brooklyn, available
Release Round-Up: Week of October 22
Tears for Fears, The Hurting: Deluxe Edition (Mercury/UMe) The landmark debut album from the U.K. hitmakers celebrates its 30th anniversary with a new double-disc deluxe edition stocked with rare single-only material and a deluxe box set version with a bonus disc of John Peel sessions and the In My Mind's Eye live concert film on DVD. 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 3CD/1DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Van Morrison, Moondance: Expanded Edition (Warner Bros./Rhino) Though Van would rather you
Ava Cherry Takes A Ride On A "Streetcar Named Desire"
“Black people don’t do new wave. She’s supposed to be doing soul,” Ava Cherry recollected of radio’s reaction to her 1982 Capitol Records single “Love to Be Touched.” Yet not only did Cherry – the former model, stalwart background vocalist and onetime muse to David Bowie - do new wave, but she did it with fervor and flair. With production from Bob Esty (Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” Barbra Streisand’s “The Main Event”), Cherry’s sophomore solo album Streetcar Named Desire, produced by Bob
Special Review: Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb Conjure Old Ghosts On Two New Releases
Since 1967, it’s been difficult to think of Glen Campbell without thinking of Jimmy Webb – and vice versa. When the ace session guitarist interpreted the young songwriter’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” on the album of the same name, the result wasn’t just a Grammy-winning hit single, but the beginning of a partnership that’s survived through six decades. Campbell scored successes with a string of Webb’s songs in the late 1960s (“Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “Where’s the Playground, Susie”),
Disco Connection: BBR Spins Dance Gold With Latest Reissues
At Big Break Records, no stone has been left unturned in the label’s quest to reissue the best in soul, R&B, dance and disco, as evidenced by five of the Cherry Red imprint’s latest catalogue expansions. 1971’s “Funky Nassau” by The Beginning of the End established the Bahamas as a fertile ground for musical invention when the single on Henry Stone’s Alston label became a Top 15 Pop/Top 10 R&B hit. His interest in the region’s music piqued, Stone signed the quintet T-Connection to his
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, It's Yours: SoulMusic Reissues Motown Gem "Syreeta"
Though Syreeta Wright never received the same level of acclaim as many of her Motown contemporaries, her stamp on the company is indelible. The late artist (1946-2004) wasn’t just a distinctive vocalist, but also a songwriter with credits like The Spinners’ “It’s a Shame” and Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” and “If You Really Love Me.” SoulMusic Records has just followed up its recent reissue of Syreeta’s 1977 One on One with her very next Motown solo album, 1980’s
Hallejulah! It's (Still) Raining Men with The Weather Girls' Deluxe Reissue
Everything about The Weather Girls’ debut album, Success, was big. The 1983 LP was the brainchild of producer/songwriter Paul Jabara, who modestly noted on the LP’s back cover, “After working with Barbra, Donna and Diana – I began to get spoiled – I felt I could only work with ‘giants in the industry!’ I think I found them!” And so the “Last Dance” and “No More Tears (Enough is Enough)” auteur turned his attention to Two Tons o’ Fun. Izora Rhodes Armstead and Martha Wash had toured with the
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
From Miss Ross to a Friend of the Boss: Legacy's Latest Wave of "Playlists" Offer Hits and Deep Cuts
Playlist, Legacy Recordings’ series of single-disc anthologies spotlighting “The Hits plus the Fan Favorites,” keeps on rollin’ with a new, typically eclectic group of artists covering a wide swath of genres and styles. Today, May 21, Legacy releases volumes in the series dedicated to the best of R&B (Diana Ross, Donna Summer), pop (Billy Ocean), country-and-western (Chet Atkins, Patty Loveless, Restless Heart, Mindy McCready), Latin jazz (Tito Puente) and the many strains of rock
Release Round-Up: Week of May 21
The Beach Boys, Live: The 50th Anniversary Tour (Capitol) Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and David may not be touring again anytime soon, but at least we now have two discs of live memories to play. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Townes Van Zandt, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt / High, Low and In Between (Omnivore) You heard the demos, now rediscover these great country albums, on CD or vinyl! Late Great CD (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.), LP (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) High, Low CD (Amazon U.S. / Amazon
The Year in Reissues: The 2012 Gold Bonus Disc Awards
Wow! Was it just over a year ago when a rather dubious report began circulating (that, shockingly, was picked up by many otherwise-reputable publications) that proclaimed the death of the CD was secretly scheduled by the major labels for 2012? Well, 2012 has come and (almost) gone, and it might have been the most super-sized year in recent memory for reissues, deluxe and otherwise, from labels new and old. Here at the Second Disc, we consider our annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards a companion
What a Feeling: Giorgio Moroder Rarities Due from Repertoire
What could be cooler than the recent news that disco super-producer Giorgio Moroder joined music-sharing site SoundCloud and started posting high-quality rare and unreleased tracks for fans to stream? How about Moroder making not one, but two more accounts holding such audio treasures? But what could be cooler than that for fans of physical discs? Simple: Repertoire Records is releasing a double-disc set of rare gems produced by the man who gave us the greatest hits of Donna Summer, Blondie's
Reviews: The Jimmy Somerville Reissues - Bronski Beat, The Communards and Solo Somerville
The more things change… The old adage has never been more shockingly true than when it comes to the music of Jimmy Somerville. Throughout an uncompromising career, Somerville has deftly blurred the lines between politics and music, deploying his piercing falsetto to sing eloquently of social ills against a dance-pop backdrop. Somerville came to prominence in 1984 as a member of Bronski Beat, a group of three young gay men who were determined to make their mark despite the social climate in
The Long and Short of Sparks: Two Compilations Coming from Pop Icons
Calling all fans of eclectic rockers Sparks: two compilations are coming from Repertoire Records, both collecting their late '70s and early '80s single output in two different ways. On August 13, the German label will release Shortcuts: The 7 Inch Mixes (1979-1984) and Extended: The 12 Inch Mixes (1979-1984), a pair of two-disc sets chronicling every side released by the group, in every size, on every label the band were signed to around the world. The brothers Mael - Ron and Russell, from
Springsteen, U2, Queen, Joel, McCartney, Taylor Featured On "Rock Hall of Fame" Live Box Set
Since its formation on April 20, 1983, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has inducted a slate of accomplished musicians into its ranks on a yearly basis, causing excitement, consternation and everything in between. Though the worthiness of nominees and inductees is hotly debated with each “class” and a number of distinguished artists continue to be ignored year after year, one thing can be agreed upon: a lot of great music has been played for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It continues to host
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
Reissue Theory: Cher, "A Woman's Story: The Warner Bros. Years"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on well-known albums of the past and the reissues they could someday see. Before Madonna, before Lady Gaga, there was Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPiere Bono, better-known as Cher. Today, we look at a largely forgotten period of the diva's career, now entering its sixth(!) decade. Cher's latest hit song may be titled "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," but really, who thought we had? We listeners don't need a modest little Diane Warren
The Year in Reissues, Part III: The Gold Bonus Disc Awards
Well, another New Year is in sight, the CD still isn't dead (told you so!) and celebration is in the air at The Second Disc. Back on December 23, Mike shared The Year in Reissues both here and over with our pals at Popdose. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 bucks until you read these indispensable columns! Are you back with me? Good. Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to take a fun look back at a few of my favorite things via Joe's Gold Bonus Disc Awards! I'm awarding these to the reissues
Review: Jimmy Webb, "Ten Easy Pieces Plus 4"
Often a reissue celebrates a classic album of years past. Through additional content, new remastering or expanded liner notes, the listener can put the original in perspective. It can be a reminder of just why we loved that album so much the first time around or take us to a special time in our own past. At other times, a reissue brings a forgotten album to light, revealing it as a lost treasure. Such is the case for Jimmy Webb's Ten Easy Pieces, now Plus 4 courtesy the fine folks at DRG
Intrada Goes "Deep"
Chalk up another in-demand title getting resurrected from the soundtrack honchos at Intrada: an expanded presentation of John Barry's score to the 1977 underwater thriller The Deep. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley (who of course wrote that other undersea horror tale, JAWS), the film - centered around a quest for undersea treasure - had only a few similarities to Steven Spielberg's fish story from two years earlier: both films shared a star (Robert Shaw, although Louis Gossett Jr. would
The Second Disc Interview #1: A Soulful Chat with Harry Weinger
It is with the greatest pride that The Second Disc presents its first-ever interview, bringing you closer to the catalogue music world we all love so much. Our first interviewee is one of the most notable names from the world of reissues. Harry Weinger, vice-president of A&R for Universal Music Enterprises, has been part of the music business for more than 30 years, writing for publications like Rolling Stone, Vibe, Billboard and Cashbox before becoming a staff writer for PolyGram's
When All is Said and Done: ABBA Plot New Compilation with All the A-Sides
ABBA are set to release their latest - and as of a few years ago, truly - career-spanning compilation this fall. Available October 25 on two CDs or four LPs, The Singles (The First Fifty Years) updates the concept of 1982's The Singles (The First Ten Years), a double album which collected 23 of the group's A-sides (including new tracks "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack," effectively the final works from the group after members Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad as well as Björn
The Weekend Stream: May 17, 2024
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. This week brings live tracks from The Boss, rarities from Sheena Easton and a new album from one half of rock's biggest (defunct) duo - plus, as you'd expect, so much more! Bruce Springsteen, The Live Series: Songs from Around the World Vol. 2 (Columbia/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) With Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band currently
The Sound of 'One Hand Clapping': Legendary Paul McCartney & Wings Concert Special Gets Debut Standalone Audio Release
One of Paul McCartney's oft-bootlegged live performances will finally get an official release this summer: the soundtrack to his 1974 "rockumentary" One Hand Clapping. This acclaimed performance with Wings, recorded at Abbey Road Studios in the wake of the release of Band on the Run, will be available June 14 on two CDs or two LPs, featuring the 15 songs used in the special and another disc of 12 songs recorded during the four-day session that birthed the program. A bonus 7", available