Last week, Cash Money Records founders (and New Orleans natives) Bryan "Birdman" and Ronald "Slim" Williams donated $225,000.00 to help the COVID-19 relief effort. Their donation was intended to help residents of the Big Easy pay their rents as they continue to cope with the devastation of the virus. Indeed, a social conscience has always been at the forefront of Cash Money's ethos; the donation was the Williams' second such contribution for coronavirus relief. Every year, they also sponsor
Let's Twist Again: The Legendary Cameo-Parkway Catalogue Is Celebrated With New Digital Collections
You just can't sit down when one of those Cameo-Parkway classics comes on the stereo. Cameo Records - launched by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe, the team that penned the Elvis hip-shaker "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear" - and its sister label Parkway dominated the pop charts from 1958 to 1967 with dance crazes like "The Twist" and "The Wah-Watusi" as well as hits by the likes of Bobby Rydell, The Orlons, The Dovells, Dee Dee Sharp, Don Covay, Evie Sands, and of course, Twist king Chubby Checker. Now,
She Satisfies: Cherry Red Laces Up Shoes' Elektra Years on Box Set
For more than 40 years, Shoes has been celebrating the art of pop with its compact, melodic nuggets worthy of The Beatles, The Raspberries, or Big Star. Hailing from the town of Zion, Ill. on the banks of Lake Michigan, Shoes was formed by Gary Klebe and brothers John and Jeff Murphy, three kids united in their love of music. Between 1979 and 1982, Shoes - still going strong today, by the way - was signed to Elektra Records where they released three acclaimed albums. Cherry Red has recently
Outlaw Man: Cherry Red, Morello Collect Four Albums from Singer-Songwriter David Blue
David Blue might be best-known for two things: writing "Outlaw Blues" on Eagles' Desperado album, and being a friend and occasional sidekick of Bob Dylan's. Yet he recorded seven albums (plus a major contribution to an eighth, the 1965 Elektra anthology Singer Songwriter Project) between 1965 and 1976 in addition to making appearances on stage and film before his untimely death in 1982. Cherry Red's Morello imprint has recently celebrated the late folk troubadour with a four-albums-on-two-CDs
Release Round-Up: Week of May 15
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Frank Sinatra, Nice 'n' Easy: 60th Anniversary Expanded Edition (Capitol/UMe) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP (Remixed Album Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Capitol Records, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, and UMe have a 60th anniversary edition of Frank Sinatra's classic 1960 album arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. For the occasion, the album has been completely remixed and features three bonus tracks:
LiveandWell: David Bowie Rarity Returns from Parlophone
Parlophone Records has announced that three rare David Bowie live releases from the 1990s will all be returning to streaming formats in the months ahead. Tomorrow, May 15, the first of these titles will arrive on digital platforms. Liveandwell.com was made available as a limited edition CD release in 2000 to BowieNet subscribers. It typically fetches high sums secondhand. For this streaming reissue, it has been expanded with two bonus tracks: "Pallas Athena" and "V-2 Schneider," the former
Sing a Rainbow: Four More Cilla Black Albums Go Deluxe from Cherry Red, SFE
Cherry Red's Strike Force Entertainment (SFE) imprint has released another pair of two-for-one titles in its definitive reissue series dedicated to the late superstar Cilla Black. 1966's Cilla Sings a Rainbow, the best-selling album of her career, has been paired with 1973's Day by Day with Cilla, her final LP produced by Sir George Martin; the latter makes its first appearance on CD. It's been joined by 1970's Sweet Inspiration with 1971's Images. As with past volumes in this series, these
Stone Crush on You: Light in the Attic Collects Memphis Soul from 1977-1987
Light in the Attic is at it again with another exercise vault-digging that may well be the definitive word on Memphis' soul scene of the late-'70s and '80s. Stone Crush: Memphis Modern Soul 1977-1987 is now available in an array of configurations. Each documents the modern soul scene of Bluff City's post-Stax years. Available on CD, double vinyl, or a special 2LP/7" set, Stone Crush is a labor of love from collectors/DJs Daniel Mathis and Chad Weekly that's over a decade in the
Book Review: "Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits" by Russ Giguere
"Well, I'm a comer and a goer in a six man band," went the lyrics to The Association's 1968 semi-autobiographical single "Six Man Band." Now, founding member Russ Giguere has reflected on his comings and goings in a new book that serves as both a personal memoir and a history of the band. Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits, written with Ashley Wren Collins, is a compelling look back at a colorful life in the group that gave the world such enduring hits as "Along
In Memoriam: Little Richard (1932-2020)
The stupid but true thing to start off with is there was nothing "little" about him. I was born in 1987, a year after Richard Penniman was officially canonized as one of rock and roll's true pioneers, inducted into the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From that point through the early '90s, he got to enjoy some unlikely fruits of becoming an elder statesman that aren't typically afforded to many at this stage in their careers. In 1986, his song "Great Gosh A'Mighty," from the
Release Round-Up: Week of May 8
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! John Stewart, Old Forgotten Altars: The 1960s Demos (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Omnivore brings together 19 previously unissued demos from late singer-songwriter and onetime Kingston Trio member John Stewart, perhaps best known for penning The Monkees' hit "Daydream Believer." While that song isn't here in demo form, numerous other bona fide Stewart classics certainly are, including "July, You're a Woman" (also
Ready or Not: Ace Sets Release for Thom Bell Anthology featuring Mathis, Warwick, Spinners, Stylistics, More
After having previously celebrated two of his musical inspirations - Burt Bacharach and Teddy Randazzo - with their own volumes, Ace's Songwriters and Producers series is turning its attention to legendary soul maestro Thom Bell. On June 26, the label's Kent imprint will release Ready or Not: Philly Soul Arrangements and Productions 1965-1978. As the title indicates, all 23 tracks were either produced or arranged (or both!) by the multi-hyphenate musician-composer-producer-arranger-conductor who
Sunshine and Shadows: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue '60s NY Psych Band Ars Nova on New 2-CD Set
In Latin, ars nova translates to new art - and that's precisely what the band of the same name was seeking to conjure on two albums originally released in 1968 and 1969. Now, Cherry Red Group's Esoteric Recordings imprint has reissued both of Ars Nova's LPs - Ars Nova and Sunshine and Shadows - on one 2-CD set entitled Fields of People: The Atlantic and Elektra Recordings 1968-1969. The group was the brainchild of recent Mannes College musical conservatory graduates Wyatt Day
Bandcamp Blow-Out: Support Your Favorite Artists Today For a Good Cause!
Despite the challenges facing the music business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some bright spots. On March 20, indie music service Bandcamp waived their revenue share for 24 hours, allowing artists and labels to support themselves even more robustly. Thanks to impressive results ($4.3 million spent on music and merch, 15 times an average Friday's revenue), Bandcamp will repeat the strategy not once, but thrice: the first Fridays of each month (today, May 1; June 5 and July 3). To
How Sweet: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Expand Albums from Shape of the Rain, Neil Innes
Today, we're looking at two new releases from Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records imprint from Shape of the Rain and Neil Innes! Keith Riley, Len Riley, Brian Wood, and Ian "Tag" Waggett came together under the very 1960s name of Shape of the Rain after having exhausted other monikers including The Gear and The Reaction. Under their new psychedelic handle, the group came to the attention of Joe Cocker's manager David McPhie. Initially, the foursome found it difficult to get club gigs precisely
Wonderful! Wonderful! Crimson Collects "Gold" Volumes for Johnny Mathis, George Jones
The ongoing series of budget-priced 3-CD Gold compilations from Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions continues with a pair of releases from artists for whom "legendary" is no understatement: Johnny Mathis and the late George Jones. Curating a representative sampling of Johnny Mathis' singular career in under 50 tracks is no small task, and this set is indeed decades-spanning from his first commercially released single (1956's pairing of "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "When Sunny Gets Blue")
Soundtrack Watch: Goldsmith Favorites, 'Legends' Uncovered, La-La Land Sale
Music reissues have been scarce over the last month or so, but our friends at various boutique soundtrack labels have worked hard to put out quality products before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us as we shine the spotlight on some of our recent favorites! Varese Sarabande has been working overtime, releasing three limited CD Club titles as well as a rarer, high-profile deluxe edition. In the latter case, it's a new deluxe edition of the soundtrack to 2014's Whiplash. The sophomore
Today's the Day: America's "Heritage II" Collects Unreleased Demos, Alternates, More
If you think you know all of the exits off that mythical Ventura Highway, think again. Omnivore Recordings has just released a new collection straight from the America archives, and it's filled with unexpected treasures. Heritage II: Demos/Alternate Takes 1971-1976 follows up the first volume from 2017 and proves itself a more than worthy successor. This collection could well be subtitled The George Martin Years. While its two earliest tracks return to the period of the band's sophomore album,
Release Round-Up: Week of April 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! America, Heritage II: Demos/Alternate Takes 1971-1976 (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) "Today's the Day" when America continues its archival series of demos and alternates via Omnivore Recordings. Heritage II, out today on CD, features 13 previously unissued tracks from 1971-1976 including the epic "Jameroony," the track mix with background vocals only of the hit "Tin Man," Gerry Beckley's never-before-heard "Mandy," and
Down to Junior's Bar: Iron City Houserockers' "Have a Good Time" featuring Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Steven Van Zandt Turns 40, Gets Expanded Edition
Pittsburgh native Joe Grushecky burst onto the national music scene in 1979 as leader of the Iron City Houserockers. Their debut album on MCA Records, 1979's Love's So Tough, conjured an authentic blue-collar milieu and recalled a harder-edged E Street Band. The band upped their game with follow-up release Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive! in 1980. Now, that bar-band classic is returning to print in a newly expanded edition adding a second disc with 16 previously unreleased tracks including
Practice, Practice, Practice (Redux): Zappa Records Revisits 1971 Carnegie Hall Shows
Eddie, are you kidding? Is Zappa Records revisiting Frank Zappa's October 11, 1971 concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall? Yes, indeed. When Frank Zappa and his Mothers of Invention took the stage at that historic venue nearly fifty (!) years ago, the performances were recorded for possible future release on the artist's then-home of Warner Bros. Records. Back in 2011, Zappa Records issued a "warts and all" ticket to both complete shows performed on that date as a 4-CD box set simply
Loretta Lynn Pays Tribute to Patsy Cline With New Memoir and Single
On April 3, country music legend Loretta Lynn released a new book chronicling her friendship with another hero of the genre, Patsy Cline. Entitled Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline, the book is an endearing portrait of a relationship that not only changed the course of the singers' careers, but also the trajectory of country. Dolly Parton has provided the foreword. (Last year, Cline and Lynn's friendship was dramatized in the television film Patsy and Loretta,
Funtime: Universal Collects Iggy Pop-David Bowie Collaborations on Iggy's "The Bowie Years" Box
While David Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" officially kicked off with the January 1977 release of Low, the international superstar had actually been working in Germany a bit earlier with Stooges frontman Iggy Pop on his solo debut, The Idiot. The LP was a departure from Pop's primitive-styled proto-punk with The Stooges, embracing a steely and electronic yet funky sound. Now, Universal Music is collecting the entirety of Pop's German period of Bowie collaborations in a new 7-CD box set. Due on May 29,
Paradise: Edsel Celebrates the Music of Change on CD Box Set, Vinyl Collection
It's been said that the only true constant is change - and that's certainly been borne out by the group bearing that moniker. Between 1980 and 1985, the rotating line-ups collectively known as Change released six albums built around insistent rhythms, catchy hooks, and commanding vocals. Unexpectedly in 2018, Change returned from a three-decade-plus hiatus with a new album that captured the old magic. Late last year, Demon Music Group's Edsel label chronicled Change's discography on CD in a
Review: Donna Summer, "Encore"
I. Try Me, I Know We Can Make It Donna Summer's first studio album was entitled Lady of the Night, after its retro-styled galloping pop song composed by Giorgio Moroder and the album's producer Pete Bellotte. Following the release of her next LP, Summer would own the night as an international superstar. But there was much more to the so-called Queen of Disco than just the remarkable string of hits that crossed over from the dancefloor to the mainstream pop consciousness, among them "Love to
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