Here at The Second Disc, we're shocked and saddened by the passing of Eric Carmen at the age of 74. With The Raspberries and such indelible songs as "Go All the Way," "Let's Pretend," and "I Wanna Be with You," Carmen gave powerful voice to young love and lust; as a solo artist, he brought classical flourishes to the pop chart with "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again." He went on to define the '80s as much as he had the '70s with such enduring hits as "Hungry Eyes" and "Make Me
In Memoriam: Steve Lawrence (1935-2024)
I can't remember when I first heard the voice of Steve Lawrence - or, for that matter, which voice of Steve Lawrence I first heard. Maybe it was as a child, spinning my mom's old Columbia 45 of "Go Away, Little Girl," the 1962 smash written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and sung by a smitten young man, his voice sweetly tender. Perhaps it was a few years later as I discovered the original cast recording of Golden Rainbow, a quintessentially brassy, swingin' '60s musical in which Steve (a few
Still on the Line: Ace Collects Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb Collaborations, Glen's "Ghost on the Canvas" Revisited with All-Star Duets
From the time singer-guitarist Glen Campbell recorded "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" in 1967, he became forever linked with the words and music of Jimmy Layne Webb. Formerly a staff songwriter for Motown's Jobete Music arm, Webb had placed songs with big names (The Supremes) and lesser-known talents (Danny Day, The Contessas) when he attracted the ear of Soul City Records' Johnny Rivers. The "Poor Side of Town" and "Memphis, Tennessee" singer was the first to release a version of "Phoenix," on
RSD Round-Up: Spotlight on Omnivore, Iconoclassic, Friday Music, Dark Horse, Light in the Attic, and More
Our look at this year's Record Store Day releases continues with a look at the lineups from Omnivore Recordings, Iconoclassic Records, Friday Music, Light in the Attic, and more of our favorite labels! All titles here are due on April 20, and all descriptions are taken directly from the labels. If you are interested in any of these titles, they will be available at your local record store on April 20. Head over to recordstoreday.com for a list of participating retailers. U.K. readers, please
It's Wonderful to Be in Love: Cherry Red Reissues Sandy Posey's "Complete MGM Recordings"
"If you're born a woman, you're born to be hurt..." The stark sentiment expressed by singer Sandy Posey in her 1966 recording of Martha Sharp's "Born a Woman" didn't keep the song from reaching the twelfth spot on the Billboard Hot 100 - effectively launching a career that's continued into the 21st century. Between 1966 and 1968, the Alabama-born songstress recorded four studio albums for MGM Records, all of which blended pop and country sounds in a Brill Building-meets-Memphis style crafted
L.O.V.E.: Decca Celebrates Bert Kaempfert Centennial on New Box Set
Bert Kaempfert (1923-1980) may best be remembered today for his brief association with The Beatles or as the composer of "Strangers in the Night," "L.O.V.E.," and "Spanish Eyes." Kaempfert, who died in 1980, would have turned 100 last October. Decca is celebrating his life, legacy, and centennial year with a major new 24-CD box set coming on January 19. The Bert Kaempfert Decca Collection collects 24 of the German composer-bandleader's American LPs originally released in the 1960s and
Nice to Be Around: Extensive John Williams Box Set Released in France
If you're a Second Disc reader, you're no doubt aware of the immense musical power film composer John Williams has over us (and people like us!). Even a casual fan surely knows his most familiar works for the screen, from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park and Harry Potter; the films of Steven Spielberg (JAWS, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List); themes for everything from Superman to the Olympics. He's picked up five Oscars (53 nominations, second only to Walt Disney), 25
Smell of Incense: Cherry Red's Grapefruit Label Collects The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's Reprise Recordings
Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records has kept a busy schedule throughout 2023 with a number of artist anthologies and various-artists compilations. We'll be looking at a few of those sets, beginning with today's spotlight on The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band released three albums in 1967 and 1968 on the Reprise Records label, blending straightforward late-'60s L.A. rock with dark, often surreal lyrics and psychedelic soundscapes. All of these
UPDATE: Something Big: Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme Celebrated on Upcoming Public Television Special, "Ultimate Collection" CD Box Set and More
"Steve and Eydie represent all that is good about performers and the interpretation of a song," Frank Sinatra once observed. "They're the best." Without a doubt, anyone who'd had the opportunity to see Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme onstage - or any of their hundreds of television appearances over five decades - would agree with the Chairman of the Board's assessment. Now, the couple's extraordinary career is being celebrated on a remarkable new Public Television special which debuts on
Release Round-Up: Week of October 27
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the (many, many!) new titles available today! As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Salsoul Orchestra, Christmas Jollies I + II: The Extra Jolly Edition (SoulMusic/Cherry Red/Second Disc) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red) The Second Disc has teamed with SoulMusic Records for the definitive celebration of the Christmas disco/Philly soul classic. The Salsoul
Something Big: Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme Celebrated on Upcoming Public Television Special
"Steve and Eydie represent all that is good about performers and the interpretation of a song," Frank Sinatra once observed. "They're the best." Without a doubt, anyone who'd had the opportunity to see Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme onstage - or any of their hundreds of television appearances over five decades - would agree with the Chairman of the Board's assessment. Now, the couple's extraordinary career is being celebrated on a remarkable new Public Television special which debuts on
Release Round-Up: Week of October 20
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the many titles being released today as we inch closer to the holiday shopping season! As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Nancy Sinatra, Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos, and Rarities (1965-1978) (Light in the Attic) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Standard Black 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Zodiac Blue 2LP: Nancy's Bootique Highway Song Yellow 2LP: Nancy's
The Weekend Stream: September 9, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to float you into the weekend. From classic Jersey pop and British dance of the '80s to a bright young drummer keeping Detroit soul alive in the present day, our latest offerings pack quite a punch. The Bongos, Numbers with Wings (40th Anniversary Edition) (RCA/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) The New Jersey pop/rock outfit led by
Cherry Red's El Label Celebrates Burt Bacharach, Leonard Bernstein on New Box Sets
In recent months, Cherry Red's El imprint has turned its attention to a pair of legendary American composers. Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and Burt Bacharach (1928-2023) were born just a decade apart, though Bacharach lived more than three decades longer than Bernstein. Neither man was born in New York City, but both created much of their remarkable work there. Both were proud Jewish Americans, and both wrote for the musical theatre. An American in New York: Leonard Bernstein - The City
Review: Elvis Presley, "Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite: 50th Anniversary Edition"
When Elvis Presley said Aloha from Hawaii 50 years ago, the whole world was watching - or close to it. The King, fashionably late, stepped onstage at Honolulu's International Center (capacity at the time: roughly 6,000) at 1:00 a.m. on January 14, 1973 for a scheduled 12:30 a.m. concert. Satellites were beaming the program to a reported audience of over one billion. Another fanciful claim by Colonel Parker? Perhaps. But Aloha was a technological achievement. It was the most expensive
In Memoriam: Tony Bennett (1926-2023)
The air was thick with anticipation at Radio City Music Hall. The date was August 3, 2021 and Tony Bennett was set to take the Great Stage with his friend and confidante Lady Gaga for the first of two farewell performances. It was his 95th birthday. A 6,000-strong crowd, mostly masked and uncomfortably shoulder-to-shoulder, jammed the theatre's lobby for a final chance to see one of the twentieth - and twenty-first - century's greatest voices live. The announced time on the ticket came and
Review: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, "Working Our Way Back to You: The Ultimate Collection"
I Can't Give You Anything But Love On Monday, June 26, Frankie Valli walked down the aisle in Las Vegas with his longtime girlfriend Jackie Jacobs. This October, he'll take the stage at the city's Westgate Resort and Casino to begin a yearlong residency at the hotel, during which time he'll turn 90 years young. For more than 60 of those years, the artist born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, New Jersey has been the lead vocalist of The Four Seasons, the group he co-founded on a
The Weekend Stream: July 8, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to float you into the weekend. From Prince's vault to a classic Talking Heads live performance and rarities from Doris Day and Duke Ellington, you've got plenty to choose from today! Prince, All a Share Together Now / 7 (E Flat Version) (NPG) All a Share: iTunes / Amazon 7 (E Flat Version): iTunes / Amazon It's been nearly two
Anchors Aweigh! "From Hollywood to the World - The Rediscovered Recordings by José Iturbi" Arrives from Sony Classical
Conductor-pianist José Iturbi (1895-1980) broadened the audience for classical music with his appearances in such classic MGM musicals as Thousands Cheer, Anchors Aweigh, Three Daring Daughters, and the Chopin biopic A Song to Remember. Now, Iturbi is the subject of a lavish 16-CD box set from Sony Classical. From Hollywood to the World - The Rediscovered Recordings by José Iturbi features all of the recordings made by Iturbi and his sister Amparo Iturbi (also a pianist) for RCA Victor between
UPDATE 4/17/23: New Four Seasons Mega-Box Will Have You Swearin' to God
The Four Seasons are one of America's most resonant and enduring pop/rock outfits. Between the group and its distinctive frontman Frankie Valli, they've scored around a dozen Top 10 hits - seven of which went to No. 1. Their early output in the '60s held its own against the British Invasion. They maintained hits into the disco era, and a cover of one of their songs hit the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. The original quartet was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
The Precious Moments: Cherry Red Collects Matt Monro's "Complete EMI Recordings 1971-1984"
Thanks to the herculean efforts of Michele Monro and the Matt Monro Estate and engineer/restoration specialist Richard Moore, the music of Matt Monro (1930-1985) has been particularly well served in the CD/digital era. The late singer so closely identified with such classics as "If I Never Sing Another Song," "My Kind of Girl," and "Walk Away" was admired by Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Bing Crosby, Quincy Jones, and Michael Jackson for his warm, clear baritone and direct, understated way
Release Round-Up: Week of March 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today. Elton John, Honky Château: 50th Anniversary Edition (Rocket/UMC) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Hot on the heels of his final U.S. live performances, Elton John is looking back with a 50th anniversary edition of his 1972 LP Honky Château. The reissue will feature the original album (boasting such classics as "Rocket Man,"
The Weekend Stream: March 11, 2023
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 usher you into the weekend. From a Death Row drop and classic mixes from Madonna and Teena Marie, to a super-sized Elvis tribute, there's something here for everyone - including a way you can help a reissue producer in need. Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle / Various Artists, Above the Rim (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Deluxe
Goodness Gracious Me: Cherry Red Collects Early George Martin Productions on "A Painter in Sound"
Late producer Sir George Martin is described as A Painter in Sound on Cherry Red/El's new collection of his Pre-Beatles Productions and Classical Influences. While Martin has been anthologized in the past, most notably on the unparalleled 6-CD set Produced by George Martin in 2001, there's always room for another one - in this case, an eclectic 4-CD journey that's largely far-removed from the rock which made Martin famous. The title of the set is derived from a Martin quote repeated in its
Got It Together: "Nancy and Lee Again" Debuts on CD in March
Following last year's reissue of 1968's Nancy and Lee, Light in the Attic is continuing its Nancy Sinatra Archival Series with the first-ever reissue of Sinatra's second duets LP with Lee Hazlewood, 1972's Nancy and Lee Again. On March 24, an expanded edition of the album will be available in CD, vinyl, four- and eight-track tape, and digital formats. Nancy and Lee Again inaugurated Sinatra's brief tenure at RCA Victor which additionally encompassed the solo album Woman (hopefully also on
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