In 1986, Elvis Costello and The Attractions did something bizarre for rock musicians: they reinvented the wheel. Okay, maybe that's pushing it, but the introduction of "The Spectacular Spinning Songbook" to Costello's tour itinerary remains among the most treasured of memories for longtime fans. Costello, who only used The Attractions once on his then-new album, King of America (opting instead for a number of other musicians, including a studio-created group, The Confederates, featuring T-Bone
A Fantasmagorical Second Disc Interview! Bruce Kimmel Talks New, Expanded 2-CD "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
When Richard M. Sherman introduces his Academy Award-nominated song “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in concert, he often has to remind his audience that the film of the same name wasn’t a Walt Disney production. Producer Albert R. Broccoli, best-known for the James Bond series of films, signed Richard and his brother Robert M. Sherman for their very first film score outside of the Disney sphere. Like the Bond films, United Artists’ Chitty was based on the writing of Ian Fleming. For Fleming’s story
Dead News Round-Up: Of Road Trips and Blu-Rays
It's been a good year to be dead - well, The Grateful Dead, anyway - thanks to a handful of deep catalogue projects catered to the most undying of Deadheads. In the coming weeks, there are a trove of projects around and beyond Rhino's enormous Europe '72 box set, some of which indicate a bit of transition for longtime fans and collectors while still keeping an eye toward the future of preserving the band's legacy. First of all, for those who might want less than the dozens of discs in Europe
Seger Takes Old (and New) Records Off the Shelf on New Hits Set
As if getting some of Bob Seger's albums back on CD wasn't exciting enough this year, a new double-disc compilation puts some of his greatest hits (and a few rarities) back on shelves, where they belong. Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets, boasts 26 tracks of Bob Seger on his own, with The Silver Bullet Band and - most exciting of all - with The Bob Seger System. The original mono single version of "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" will feature on this set alongside classics like "Old Time Rock
Harry Belafonte Still Singing His "Song" On New Masterworks Release
Harry Belafonte has worn many hats in his 84 years: recording artist, film star, civil rights crusader, tireless humanitarian. Though he gracefully and modestly bowed out of performing some years back with little fanfare, Belafonte has returned to the spotlight this month to narrate a documentary on his life and author an autobiography. Though the book is entitled My Song, the film and its musical companion both bear the name Sing Your Song. Sony Masterworks' collection is a sixteen-track
Sail Away: Randy Newman "Live in London" CD+DVD Coming From Nonesuch
By the numbers, Randy Newman is the recipient of six Grammys, three Emmys and two Oscars (the latter out of a stunning 20 nominations). Mr. Newman created "something new under the sun" with the 1968 release of his self-titled Reprise debut, after years honing his craft on staff at Metric Music. At Metric, he wrote with Jackie DeShannon and in this early period provided songs for Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Nina Simone, Alan Price, Peggy Lee and so many others. Ambitious concept albums and
Better Than Barbecued Iguana: Varese to Release New Wall of Voodoo Compilation
There's a good chance that, if you own at least one '80s compilation CD released in the past 10 or 15 years, you've heard "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo. Though the song - with its distinctively sung couplets from vocalist Stan Ridgeway and a propulsive, rhythmic backing track featuring some great guitar work and a distinctive, mariachi-flavored harmonica/synth lick - peaked outside of Billboard's Top 40 almost three decades ago, it's become one of those tunes that sums up the New Wave sound
These Are the Good Times: U.K. Gets New CHIC Compilation, Too
As if the revelation of a new U.K. compilation for today's birthday boy Johnny Mathis (with an unreleased track from the CHIC-produced I Love My Lady, no less) wasn't exciting enough, Edsel's Music Club Deluxe imprint has also announced a similar set for CHIC themselves - and rarity-seekers are going to be excited. Magnifique! The Very Best of CHIC captures the greatest hits and album cuts from the inimitable disco band, spanning not only through their biggest period of success from 1977 to
It's Remixes, B*tch: Britney Spears Gets Mixed Up on New Compilation
A slight break from yesterday's activities of more classic pop/rock-oriented catalogue action to shine the spotlight on some dance collectibles from one of pop's more recognizable faces. Britney Spears is releasing a second volume of dance remixes for your bum-shaking pleasure in October. B in the Mix: The Remixes Volume 2, a sequel to the starlet's 2005 compilation (one of the top 10 best-selling remix albums, as it happens), collects remixes of tracks from her last three studio efforts,
At Their Most Beautiful: New R.E.M. Compilation Announced
The music world was kind of shocked when R.E.M. announced their breakup. (We even devoted a whole Reissue Theory to their 1987 B-sides compilation Dead Letter Office.) It's certainly interesting timing, then, that the band has one last act of catalogue material before they split: a double-disc compilation coming in November. Named after a quippy assessment of the band by its own guitarist, Peter Buck, Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011 is the first set from the band to
Motown Commemorates Supremes', Temptations' Golden Anniversary with Two New Releases
Motown's 50th anniversary was celebrated in style in 2009 - a year before The Second Disc even existed - with some excellent box sets and reissues. But this year marks another important set of golden anniversaries for the label: the debut of Motown's world famous groups, The Supremes and The Temptations. And no commemoration would be complete without a little bit of product to attract fans and collectors. With that in mind, Hip-o Select announced over the weekend a pair of triple-disc sets
Sting Strikes Again with New Best-Of
Is the recently-announced Sting box set too comprehensive, too expensive, or not stocked with enough rarities for you? Universal attempts to throw fans something of a bone with a cut-down version of the box, The Best of 25 Years, due for release in October. Admittedly, the single-disc set is a bit of an odd duck itself, omitting anything but eight of the most obvious singles alongside four bonus tracks: a new mix of "Never Coming Home" (presumably one of the newly-mixed tracks featured on the
Queen News Round-Up: Wembley Goes Deluxe, U.S. Date Set for Last Wave of Reissues
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe0gIFxYhrk] The worldwide celebration of what would have been the 65th birthday of iconic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has captured the public imagination something fierce - check out Google's astounding video tribute above - and The Second Disc couldn't help but add to the celebration with some news and updates on the band's ongoing catalogue endeavors. First of all, deep-pocketed fans will want to be on the lookout for a super-deluxe edition of the
Motown Memories Captured on New DVDs
Oh, for the days when there was a bounty of venues to hear the latest, greatest music on television. By far, one of the greatest vanguards of popular music in the halcyon days of the medium was Ed Sullivan, host of his eponymous show from 1948 to 1971. While Sullivan found himself somewhat bemused by the wide variety of talent he showcased - legendarily confining camera angles on Elvis Presley to tight shots that wouldn't expose too much of his gyrating hips - he generally picked performers
Gone, Baby, Real Gone: New Label From Collectors' Choice and Hep Cat Founders To Launch November 8
It was a mere three weeks ago that we reported on the formation of Real Gone Music, a new venture between Collectors’ Choice Music’s Gordon Anderson and Hep Cat Records’ Gabby Castellana. That announcement generated a great deal of excitement around these parts, and you can read that initial story (along with the spirited discussion that ensued) at the link above. Well, we’re bursting at the seams to pass on the news that Real Gone is up and running! On August 26, Real Gone Music updated its
Wes Montgomery's Verve Years "Movin'" to CD on New Box Set
Hip-o Select announced their latest box set release just before the weekend: a massive chronicle of legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery's output for Verve Records. Montgomery was already an influential jazz player in the late '50s and early '60s when signed to Riverside Records. His thumb-picked guitar stylings influenced countless axe men, from Pat Metheny to Jimi Hendrix, and his plethora of recordings from the era give even the most seasoned fans much to treasure. But when he joined Impulse!
BREAKING NEWS! Good, Good, Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys' "SMiLE" Arrives November 1
Surf's up. At long last, we can finally announce that SMiLE is coming to a shop near you. On November 1, Capitol Records will release The Beach Boys' 1967 lost masterwork as The SMiLE Sessions in three editions: a 5-CD/2-LP/2 7-inch single box (yes, 9 discs!), a slimmer 2-CD version and a 2-LP set. Where to start? First, I recommend digging that artwork at your left. Has it settled in that this set is becoming a reality? Good. Read on, friends. The saga of SMiLE, 2011, was becoming
Miles Davis' "Blue Flame" Continues To Burn Bright With New Fan-Selected Comp
For many, the very art of jazz is inextricably tied to the art of improvisation, or creating in the moment. So it’s both innovative and altogether appropriate that Legacy Recordings is spearheading an improvised album of a sort for one of jazz’s true greats, the trumpeter and composer Miles Davis. Though christened Blue Flame, little else has been set in stone for the digital-only album which will be released on September 26. (And even that title was chosen via a fan poll! Doesn’t it tip the
What's the World? James Offer Up New Rarities Box
Manchester's James have been going strong for nearly 30 years, amassing some 19 Top 40 singles in their native England. It's kind of a surprise, then, that the recently-announced The Gathering Sound is only their first box set. But it sure is a good one. The set chronicles James' discography, from their earliest recordings in 1982 to last year's EPs The Night Before and The Morning After, across three CDs, one DVD, a vinyl record and a USB stick. The three CDs feature a program of studio
Intrada, Disney Reach a "Hole" New World!
You know how it goes: When you wish upon a star…your dreams come true! Well, if that’s not always quite so cut-and-dried in the real world, it certainly happened over the past couple of days in the film score and catalogue music world! I’m recently returned from Anaheim, California and the second-ever D23 Expo, where thousands of fans and collectors descended on the Anaheim Convention Center to spend a weekend immersed in all things Disney. On Friday, I shared some of our personal wishes
Got Its Mojo Working: Magazine Launches New Label, First Releases Coming Soon
If you frequently peruse the magazine racks at your local Barnes and Noble or the soon-to-be-late, lamented Borders, chances are you’re familiar with Mojo. The U.K.-published music magazine leads the vanguard of music publications across the pond along with publications like Uncut, Q, Classic Rock and Word, as high-end, glossy publications tailored for the music-centric crowd. One monthly feature of Mojo and Uncut is the inclusion of a cover-mounted CD designed to tie in with that month’s
On Target: Audio Fidelity Introduces New Retro Reissue Line
Can anybody doubt that Audio Fidelity knows its audience? The audiophile label is taking niche marketing to another level with the introduction of its new line of reissues. To the average consumer, a “Target CD” might be one purchased at that retail giant. To certain collectors, though, the words “Target CD” have a different meaning altogether. In the infancy of the compact disc, target CDs were pressings released by WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic) in the early-to-mid 1980s. Most were
Johnny Mathis, Alfred Newman and Basil Poledouris Coming Soon From La-La Land
Let’s hope all of you film score fans out there have been saving your pennies! On Monday, Kritzerland will unveil its latest classic soundtrack release (watch this very space for that news!) and the very next day, La-La Land continues the musical bonanza with two unique offerings. Jean Neguelsco's 1958 film A Certain Smile starred Rosanno Brazzi (South Pacific) and Joan Fontaine (Rebecca). Adding to the luster, the soundtrack to the 20th Century Fox drama about a middle-aged man’s affair with
Collectors' New Choice: Gordon Anderson Launches New Label
Eagle-eyed crate diggers might have noticed a major disappearing act of late. Collectors’ Choice Music, long renowned for its diverse and eclectic line-up of releases by artists ranging from Bing Crosby to Jefferson Airplane, has quietly been allowing its label’s releases to go out-of-print. In fact, many of those titles are already commanding high prices on the second-hand market. (The beginning of the end of the Collectors’ Choice label can be read here.) Though the company’s famed
Superstar: Leon Russell's "Live in Japan" Arrives In Newly-Expanded Edition
Can anyone dispute that the Master of Space and Time has returned? Leon Russell is currently touring the country with none other than Bob Dylan, riding the wave of adulation he's received for 2010's high-profile Elton John collaboration The Union, as well as an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On August 9, the Omnivore label will remind listeners of just why Russell is so revered today. On that date, Omnivore will release Live in Japan, restoring to a print a 1974 Japan-only LP
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