Ace's long-running Songwriters and Producers series has recently yielded two stellar entries celebrating two gentlemen equally versed in both crafts: Gary Usher and Bob Crewe. Part One of our Ace Round-Up today looks at Happy in Hollywood: The Productions of Gary Usher. Gary Usher (1938-1992) would have gone down in pop history as one of his neighborhood pal Brian Wilson's earliest collaborators, penning lyrics for both a popular hot rod tune ("409") and one of Wilson's most introspective,
The Weekend Stream: August 13, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! A lighter week nonetheless has some fun new digital debuts, including bonus-packed reissues from Belinda Carlisle and a sequel to a classic live jazz album. Belinda Carlisle, Heaven on Earth (Deluxe Edition) / Runaway Horses (Deluxe Edition) (MCA/UMe) Heaven: iTunes / Amazon Horses: iTunes /
Burning Love: Elvis Presley's "Elvis On Tour" Gets Super-Sized on New Box Set
The King once again reigned supreme when Baz Luhrmann's fantastical biopic Elvis hit cinemas this summer and cruised to $138 million (and counting) in domestic grosses. Luhrmann deftly blended Presley's original vocals with that of star Austin Butler, and in at least in one crucial moment in the film, the actual Elvis took the screen in lieu of the young actor. Now, RCA Records and Legacy Recordings are celebrating 50 years of an earlier film: Elvis On Tour, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's dynamic 1972
Release Round-Up: Week of August 12
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the titles arriving in stores today! Jimi Jamison, Rock Hard (Iconoclassic) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Iconoclassic Records is now premiering Rock Hard, Survivor lead singer Jimi Jamison's previously unreleased 1990 album, in a deluxe, expanded CD edition. Intended to be Jamison's solo debut, Rock Hard features 10 songs including three previously unreleased compositions, three previously unreleased
Weather Any Storm: Stax Legend David Porter Returns with New Solo Album
"Soul Man." "Hold On! I'm Comin'!" "B-A-B-Y." "Your Good Thing Is About to End." "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby." The music of David Porter defined the sound of Stax Records, and by extension, soul music itself. Porter wrote those classic R&B tunes in collaboration with Isaac Hayes, but whereas his musical partner embraced the spotlight, Porter largely stayed out of it. Much as Hayes did, Porter launched a solo career, but his four Stax LPs recorded between 1970 and 1973 became cult
Moment's Notice: John Coltrane's "Blue Train: The Complete Masters" Due in September
John Coltrane only recorded one album for Blue Note as a leader. 1958's Blue Train, featuring all original compositions plus one standard, would come to be overshadowed by the saxophone great's very next recording: the groundbreaking Giant Steps for Atlantic. But as a document of Coltrane in his hard bop period, Blue Train remains a top-notch record. Now, it's returning to vinyl, CD, and digital formats on September 16 in a variety of editions. Blue Train: The Complete Masters joins Blue
In Memoriam: Lamont Dozier (1941-2022)
We at The Second Disc are not musicians. Well - I don't want to speak for Joe, but outside of an enthusiastic karaoke night every now and again, I am not a musician. But I obviously think of what it takes to mix brain power and artistic expression so brilliantly in the creation of a song, as well as the struggles that every artist faces when trying to "make it." Earning a living is one thing, sure, but so is the magic of connecting with a friend or a stranger through a song of your own creation.
In Memoriam: Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022)
Olivia, we honestly love you. Sandy, the good girl of Rydell High. Kira, the Olympian muse who inspires the roller disco paradise, Xanadu. Livvy, the girl singer who dreams of the big time but must first take to the cosmos. Olivia Newton-John was all of these and more. The singer who sweetly asked "Have You Never Been Mellow" and implored us to get "Physical" in the 1980s' longest-charting Number One was a dedicated activist for environmental and animal rights, and a courageous advocate
Sha-La-La-La-La-La: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collect Living Daylights' "Let's Live For Today: The Complete Recordings"
"Let's Live for Today," a top ten U.S. hit in the Summer of Love, will forever be associated with The Grass Roots. But not one, but two, U.K.-based groups also staked a claim to the song. Now, Cherry Red's Grapefruit arm is chronicling the discography of one of those groups, Living Daylights. The single-CD anthology Let's Live for Today: The Complete Recordings is due this Friday, August 12. Living Daylights - a.k.a. brothers Garth and Norman Watt-Roy on guitar and bass, respectively, plus
The Weekend Stream: August 7, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! From new remixes of old favorites and throwback remixes of new hits, to deep dives into '80s alt-rock, mid-century easy listening, '70s live folk and '90s tracks to run on the beach in slow motion to...we're pulling out all this stops this Sunday! Beyoncé & Madonna, Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)
Live at Yankee Stadium
2CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Billy Joel's Live at Yankee Stadium, originally released on video, is getting a major makeover. The concert film, shot on June 22 and 23, 1990, has been restored and remixed from original audio and video elements for a 2CD/Blu-ray or 3LP package. Eleven of the tracks have never been released in any format. The ground-up restoration of Live at Yankee Stadium includes the original
Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years
4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 7LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Back in 2018, Joe Strummer 001 collected recordings made by the late Clash frontman outside of that band: solo, with bandmate Mick Jones, and with The Mescaleros and The 101ers. Now, BMG's reactivated Dark Horse Records label offers Joe Strummer 002. Subtitled The Mescaleros Years, the collection reissues all three Mescaleros albums and adds fifteen rare and/or previously unreleased tracks. It
Singles
This handsome new vinyl box collects a dozen seven-inch, two-sided singles culled from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's U.K. and international discographies. Why release a bunch of edited versions from one of the world's most highly regarded prog groups, well known for ambitious and extended compositions? In his foreword, Carl Palmer notes that the idea for this collection originated with him: "The music that you will hear opened the door to radio around the world, and then the musical concept of
Release Round-Up: Week of August 5
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Michael Nesmith, Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music are bringing Michael Nesmith's Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings to vinyl for the first time today! This 2-LP compendium features 22 tracks on CD drawn from the RCA Victor
As You Walk on By: New Box Celebrates the Music of John Hughes Films
A wise philosopher...or maybe a punk kid...or maybe an astute screenwriter?...once wrote "Life moves pretty fast - if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." A new box set devoted to that iconic filmmaker - the late John Hughes - will help fans enjoy some of that life a little more through a diverse collection of pop songs he helped bring to the masses. Life Moves Pretty Fast. The John Hughes Mixtapes offers four volumes of songs from the writer/director's popular
It's a Pretty Good Crowd for a Stadium: Billy Joel's 'Live At Yankee Stadium' Gets Newly Restored for New Release
Billy Joel and New York stadiums are a match made in heaven for fans of the Piano Man. Of course, he's been packing them in with a regular residency at Madison Square Garden that's nearly spanned 100 shows since 2014. In 2008, he brought a galaxy of stars to Shea Stadium (including Paul McCartney, on a return trip to the field) before the Mets' old home was torn down. In 2015, he played a set at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, the last event before its renovation - and two years later, he played
Time and the Tide: Dark Horse Collects Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros' Albums on "002"
Back in 2018, Joe Strummer 001 collected recordings made by the late Clash frontman outside of that band: solo, with bandmate Mick Jones, and with The Mescaleros and The 101ers. Now, BMG's reactivated Dark Horse Records label has announced Joe Strummer 002. Subtitled The Mescaleros Years and due from the label on September 16, the collection reissues all three Mescaleros albums and adds fifteen rare and/or previously unreleased tracks. It will be available on 4 CDs with a 72-page book or 7
To Wish Impossible Things: The Cure Prep "Wish" 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
The Cure hit their commercial stride with 1992's Wish. The band's ninth studio album and highest-charting in both the U.S. and U.K., it tapped into the burgeoning alt-rock movement while retaining the gothic sound on which The Cure made their name. Now, fans' Wishes are coming true with a 30th anniversary expansion on 3 CDs, including 24 previously unreleased tracks and a further four which are new to CD/digital. Curated by Robert Smith, Wish: Deluxe Edition is due from Rhino on October 7,
The Weekend Stream: July 30, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! This week, we've got long-lost pop from a teenaged star, a crop of country classics, cool West Coast jazz, freestyle hits, and more! Nik Kershaw, B-Sides (iTunes / Amazon) and Extended Versions (iTunes / Amazon) (Island) Island brings two compilations from British singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw to digital
Release Round-Up: Week of July 29
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! Grateful Dead, Europe '72 [50th Anniversary Editions] (Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP (black): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP ("Bozo or Bolo" rainbow): Dead.net Lyceum '72 (24LP): Dead.net Lyceum '72 (4CD): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Grateful Dead's thrilling run of European shows which were immortalized on the triple-album
You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio: Joni Mitchell's "The Asylum Albums (1972-1975)" Coming from Rhino
On Sunday, happy tears flowed at the Newport Folk Festival when Joni Mitchell took the Rhode Island stage for a surprise set - her first full-length concert in roughly two decades, performed alongside her longtime champion Brandi Carlile and a host of illustrious friends. Soon, those tears were flowing everywhere when audio and video from the thirteen-song show was shared worldwide. Joni Mitchell was back, tapping into a deep well of vivid emotion on her beloved standards such as "Both Sides
Celluloid Heroes: The Kinks Combine "Muswell Hillbillies," "Everybody's in Show-Biz" on New Box
The Kinks are going super deluxe with a joint reissue of two of the band's most significant albums. On September 9, BMG will issue a combined box celebrating The Kinks' first two albums for the RCA label: 1971's Muswell Hillbillies and 1972's Everybody's in Show-Biz / Everybody's a Star. The campaign will encompass a variety of formats including the centerpiece 6LP/4CD/1BD box plus 2CD, 1LP, 2LP, 2CD, 1CD, and digital releases. Muswell Hillbillies, the band's ninth studio album, was named
Lucky Men: BMG Collects Emerson, Lake and Palmer Singles on New Box Set
Emerson, Lake and Palmer's first, self-titled album reached stores in 1970, heralding the arrival of one of the most significant bands of the progressive rock era. Though ELP became known for its grand, classically-inspired album epics, the band also charted singles in the U.K., U.S., and throughout the world. On August 26, BMG will recognize the 45 RPM legacy of Emerson, Lake and Palmer with the release of Singles, a collection of twelve seven-inch, two-sided singles culled from their U.K.
The Weekend Stream: July 23, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! This week, we've got long-lost pop from a teenaged star, a crop of country classics, cool West Coast jazz, freestyle hits, and more! Jack Wild, A Beautiful World (Buddah) (Amazon / iTunes) Child actor Jack Wild earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as the Artful Dodger in Oliver! - the same part Davy
Release Round-Up: Week of July 22
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of new titles available today! Bob Marley and The Chineke! Orchestra (Island/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) This 10-song set, recorded at Abbey Road Studios under the aegis of producer Nick Patrick, merges Bob Marley's original vocal tracks with new orchestrations played by The Chineke! Orchestra, an adventurous ensemble dedicated to increasing diversity in music. The album features many of the reggae
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