It's a doubly monumental day for soundtrack collectors, with two hotly-anticipated expansions of monumentally popular soundtracks unleashed today by La-La Land Records. The first almost doesn't need an introduction - so excited have we been at Second Disc HQ, long before and after its advance announcement - but John Williams' score to Steven Spielberg's Hook is the first bounty of the day. Spielberg's fantastical sequel to James M. Barrie's immortal Peter Pan - where the onetime boy who
Review: Frankie Avalon, "Muscle Beach Party: The United Artists Sessions"
By the time of 1964’s Muscle Beach Party, Philadelphia-born Frankie Avalon had already racked up some 31 hits on the U.S. Billboard charts, including two at Number One, “Why” and “Venus.” On the urging of his Chancellor Records mentor Bob Marcucci, Avalon had welcomed the 1960s by diversifying his talents into film, appearing opposite John Wayne in The Alamo and Walter Pidgeon in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. 1963’s Beach Party, however, was something else altogether. Directed by William
Sweet As Sugar: Bob Mould's Other Trio Gets Expanded Treatment
While Bob Mould has gained rock immortality as one third of the criminally underrated alt-rock outfit Hüsker Dü, his work as frontman for alt-rockers Sugar in the 1990s deserves its own recognition. In May and June, the hard workers at Demon/Edsel will give Sugar its due in the form of expanded, remastered editions of their entire catalogue. After the split of Hüsker Dü in 1988, Mould locked himself away in a Minnesota farmhouse, attempting to write new material and purge himself of the
Bring Back That Lovin' Feelin': Righteous Brothers' Philles Albums Arrive on CD...In Japan!
It’s time to get Righteous…at least if you’re in Japan, that is, or willing to shell out big bucks from an import retailer. Though they have eluded U.S. CD release to date, The Righteous Brothers’ three long-players from Phil Spector’s Philles label will be reissued on April 3 as limited edition SHM-CDs from Universal Music Japan. 1965’s You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and Just Once in My Life, as well as 1966’s Back to Back, are all anchored by key Spector-produced tracks. The remaining
Review: Randy Vanwarmer, "Warmer/Terraform" and "Beat of Love/The Things That You Dream"
Bespectacled singer/songwriter Randy Vanwarmer became one of the unlikeliest radio heroes of the late 1970s when his gentle ballad “Just When I Needed You Most” began its ascent up the Billboard chart amidst an onslaught of disco (“I Will Survive,” “Hot Stuff”) and New Wave (“Heart of Glass”). Vanwarmer’s bittersweet memory of a long-gone lover hit a nerve with listeners looking for an escape from the dance floor. Although the song would qualify him as a one-hit wonder, Vanwarmer continued to
Foghat Remasters Slow Ridin' In from Edsel
British blues-rockers Foghat are bringing their classic catalogue back in a big way on Demon Music Group's Edsel label. The British band, famous for the classic rock staple "Slow Ride," will see their '70s and '80s catalogue for Bearsville Records released as two-fer discs in U.K. shops starting today. The first five sets cover from 1972's self-titled debut to 1980's New Wave-inspired Tight Shoes, two LPs to a CD and with almost no bonus material (save for the Fool for the City / Night Shift
Don't Pass Him By: Get Acquainted With Paul Korda's "Passing Stranger"
If you don’t know the name of Paul Korda, you might have reason to be grateful that the compilers at RPM Records do! Korda’s story is one dotted with familiar personages: P.P. Arnold, Roger Daltrey, Chris Spedding, Madeline Bell, Doris Troy, Andrew Loog Oldham, Onnie McIntyre and Alan Gorrie (Average White Band), Vic Smith (The Jam) on the musical side, Cat Stevens and even Johnny Depp on the personal side. Korda’s career has taken him from the original West End cast of Hair (alongside Paul
Brave New World: Catalogue Labels Take to Spotify for Featured Content
When it first launched in America in November of last year, Spotify looked like it might be the answer to the question of how to move music consumption into the digital frontier in a positive way. It's no secret the music industry has been crippled by technological advances labels were unfortunately not able to predict or adapt to very quickly, and it's thrown the nature of buying, collecting and immersing oneself into music the way we once did into question. But Spotify's model - where, either
Mondo Reale: Peter Gabriel Releases Discography Box Set in Italy
If you're an Italian Peter Gabriel collector, or are looking for a way to get just about his entire solo discography in one fell swoop, you've met your match. Gabriel is partnering with Italian publications TV Sorrisi e Canzoni and Corriere della Sera to sell just about all of his studio albums to create a mega-box for fans. Beginning with his latest project, last year's orchestral New Blood album, 18 sets will be sold at kiosks, one per week, and will ultimately provide a semi-definitive
Release Round-Up: Week of March 26
Most new music comes out today in the U.S., so here's a look at what to expect! Frankie Avalon, Muscle Beach Party: The United Artists Sessions / The Tubes, Young and Rich/Now / Rick Springfield, Beginnings /Clint Eastwood, Rawhide's Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites (Real Gone) Real Gone's offerings include rarities from Frankie Avalon in the '60s, some remasters of early albums by Rick Springfield and The Tubes and a vinyl edition of Clint Eastwood's album for the Cameo-Parkway
Behind That Locked Door: George Harrison Demos Surface on "Early Takes Volume 1"
As if yesterday's announcement of Paul McCartney's reissue plans for Ram wasn't enough... Martin Scorsese's documentary Living in the Material World, exploring the life and legacy of George Harrison, premiered in October 2011, broadcast in the United States on HBO. Roger Ebert wrote of the film, "Scorsese has accomplished the best documentary that is probably possible," noting that the film is a "more objective, less personal documentary than Scorsese usually makes." Todd McCarthy in The
The Wait is Over: My Bloody Valentine Reissue Classic Albums, Compile EPs
A great news day at Second Disc HQ gets even greater with the announcement that Sony Music's U.K. arm is prepping reissues of My Bloody Valentine's classic Isn't Anything and Loveless albums, bringing a three-year journey to an end in May. As our friends at Slicing Up Eyeballs can tell you, retailers first reported remasters of the iconic shoegaze albums, released in 1988 and 1991, back in 2009. They've been rescheduled and delayed no less than nine times since then, leaving fans to wonder if
Hang On To Yourself: 40th Anniversary Edition of David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" Coming In June From EMI
In 1972, you would have found David Bowie at the crossroads of music, fashion and theatre when he introduced Ziggy Stardust on his now-iconic breakthrough LP The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. If the album hardly sounded like any other, “alien” might have been too much of an understatement for Ziggy himself. The concept behind the album was light but the songs were heavy, and among the best Bowie had penned to date. Hard rock riffs melded with evocative
Review: John Cale, "Conflict and Catalysis: Productions and Arrangements 1966-2006"
Catalysis (ca-tal-y-sis): The action of a catalyst, especially an increase in the rate of a chemical reaction. With his induction into Ace Records’ Producers series, John Cale joins an esteemed group including Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Sly Stone, Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach. If Cale isn’t always thought of in the same breath as those giants, it’s simply because his career has been so diverse, encompassing writing, performing and arranging for artists ranging from The Stooges to
Unsung No More: Funky Town Grooves Expands the Ray Parker, Jr. Catalogue
If you've watched the critically-acclaimed TV One series Unsung, which acts as a more in-depth Where Are They Now?/Behind the Music-type program for R&B artists including Alexander O'Neal, Sheila E., DeBarge and Atlantic Starr, you know that Ray Parker, Jr. is far more than just the man behind the iconic theme to "Ghostbusters." The singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist has a ridiculously long list of great session and production work, and managed to walk away from the major labels before he
Higher Ground: Audio Fidelity Reissues Vintage Stevie Wonder, James Taylor on 24K Gold CD
For its April 3 release slate, the Audio Fidelity label is returning to the catalogues of two tried-and-true artists and label favorites. Having tackled James Taylor’s second, fourth and fifth albums, Audio Fidelity fills the gap in Taylor’s Warner Bros. catalogue with the release of the singer/songwriter’s third LP, 1971’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. Similarly, the label has given the remastered 24K Gold CD treatment to four of the five albums from Wonder’s “golden era” at Motown
Intrada Rescues "White Fang" from the Wild
Intrada's latest releases were supposed to be a double shot of Disney, but changes in the label's schedule have yielded just one new title for this week: the first release of the multifaceted score to 1991's live-action Disney flick White Fang. Based on Jack London's novel of the same name, White Fang told the tale of a Yukon explorer (Ethan Hawke) and the wolfdog he befriends. The acclaimed film's music was conducted primarily by two very different composers: an orchestral old hand in Basil
Never Too Much: New Luther Vandross Compilation Highlights Album Cuts and Rarities
If you miss the smooth, soulful voice of Luther Vandross - and, perhaps, wish to dig deeper than his greatest hits - a new compilation from Epic Records and Legacy Recordings might have you covered. On April 17, just three days before what would have been the singer's 61st birthday, the label will release Hidden Gems, a compilation of album cuts and non-LP tracks intended to showcase one of the greatest male voices in contemporary R&B history. The 15-track compilation, compiled and
I Want You To Want Me: Cheap Trick "Complete Epic Albums" Box Offers Remastered Classics, U.S. CD Debuts
"ELO kiddies, ELO kiddies, whatcha gonna do when the lights start shining?" went the musical question in the first song on Cheap Trick's very first album. But one question, naturally, leads to another. Was the song title simply saying a British 'elo in a cheeky salute? Or was it alluding to ELO, a.k.a. Electric Light Orchestra, the orchestral rock outfit founded by Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood? Why the heck does the song sound more like Gary Glitter than those Brummies? And where did the boys
Before You Know It You'll Be on Your Knees: Edsel Releases Philip Bailey Two-Fer
It's always a treat at The Second Disc when a title or project we imagined in a Reissue Theory post comes to fruition in some way. Today, we have one from U.K. label Edsel that almost - almost - captures the essence of a set we envisioned: a two-for-one reissue of two albums by R&B singer Philip Bailey. Known as the sweet-toned vocalist for Earth, Wind & Fire - who could forget those high notes in "September"? - Bailey didn't strike out on his own until 1983's Continuation (reissued a
The People Tree: Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse and Hugo Friedhofer Classics Reissued by Kritzerland
Barbarians, Man, God, The Devil… Kritzerland’s latest two reissues sure aren’t shying away from big subjects! The label began accepting pre-orders today for one never-before-on-CD cast recording and one first-time soundtrack pairing. Both titles are sure to send your temperatures rising! Two Golden Age film scores from Hugo Friedhofer, a Kritzerland favorite, are brought together for the first time on one CD with The Barbarian and the Geisha/Violent Saturday, while the legendary team of
Near, Far, Wherever You Are: "Titanic" Soundtrack to Be Reissued This Spring
A hundred years ago, it was the largest maritime disaster in history. Fifteen years ago, it was the highest-grossing film of all time and the last massive soundtrack on the pop charts. Now, Sony Classical brings the soundtrack to James Cameron's Titanic back to the surface in a major way with two collector's editions of the popular album. On paper, Titanic would have been your average romantic tearjerker: lower-class boy woos upper-class girl to the displeasure of her wealthy suitor. But that
Keep On Dancing: Elvis, Dusty, The Wicked Pickett All Appear on "Memphis Boys"
Just last year, Ace Records' Kent imprint issued a definitive 3-CD survey of Fame Studios, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama home of many of the greatest soul records ever committed to vinyl. Over in Tennessee, however, another joyful noise was arriving courtesy of the musicians at Memphis, Tennessee's American Studios. Ace is celebrating the multifaceted sounds of Chips Moman and Don Crews' American Studios with the new Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios, a 24-track tribute featuring such
Sam & Dave & Edsel: U.K. Label Reissues Stax Duo's Early Albums
Next to Aretha Franklin, they were the most successful R&B act of the '60s. They were two of the most prominent architects of the iconic Stax sound. And their success can be traced back to the most fortuitous bathroom break in history. Next week, U.K. reissue label Edsel will honor the discography of Sam Moore and Dave Prater - known simply as Sam & Dave - with a pair of reissues that collates just about their entire Stax/Atlantic tenure. Moore and Prater were gospel-raised singers who
Guitars A Go-Go: "Fender: The Golden Age" and Jerry Cole's "Psychedelic Guitars" Celebrated by Ace
If you've got guitars on the mind, look no further than a pair of new releases from those compilation experts at the Ace label! Fender: The Golden Age 1950-1970 (Ace CDCHD 1315) is a new 28-track anthology that manages to be both comprehensive and the tip of the iceberg, where the famous guitar is concerned! A new companion to the 2010 book of almost the same name (Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970 by Martin Kelly), this set offers a rare chance to appreciate both the talent on the record label
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