And Legacy’s Essential train just keeps on rolling along. Upgrades to Essential 3.0 have been announced for two popular volumes in the long-running series, The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic and The Essential Barry Manilow. The new editions will expand the 2-CD releases with a third disc containing 6 and 7 tracks, respectively. While none of the tracks on the third discs appear to be rare, Essential 3.0 titles are usually priced very similarly to the original 2-CD sets (retailing for
EMI Sees Red and Blue
For casual buyers who didn't get swept up in Beatlemania with the massive remaster/reissue project last year, EMI will reissue The Beatles' 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, arguably two of the most recognizable compilations of The Fab Four in history. Known to many as the "Red" and "Blue" albums, these double-disc sets provided a concise anthology of John, Paul, George and Ringo's hits and notable album sides. (We wouldn't be surprised if some of our younger readers cut their teeth on these sets.) While
Syl Johnson Box Set Coming (Not Because He's Black)
A hat tip to Record Racks (who are contributing a neat guest post later this week that I'm quite excited for) for passing this one along: Numero Group is prepping a box set due October 19 devoted to unjustly forgotten soul survivor Syl Johnson. Johnson was a soul musician in the James Brown or Al Green mold. He toured with Magic Sam and Howlin' Wolf, cut tracks for the Federal label (the same one that put out "Please, Please, Please," James Brown's first hit) and had a socially conscious Top 20
At What Price?
If there are any readers of The Second Disc from outside America, I'd like you to do us a favor. Go to iTunes or Amazon and download the bonus tracks included on the digital versions of the a-ha deluxe reissues. And enjoy them, please. Because American fans cannot. Not long after the release of the Web-exclusive deluxe editions of Hunting High and Low and Scoundrel Days, a-ha's official site announced that the digital editions of each title would include four additional bonus tracks, including
Friday Feature: "Footloose"
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsCO-YkDgnY] This week's theatrical release of Step Up 3D proves that young people everywhere still embrace the notion of defying authority by shaking one's ass on the dance floor. It's nothing new, of course; ever since Columbia Pictures turned Twist Around the Clock onto a dance-crazy culture in 1961, dance pictures have become a generational touchstone. Whether they're good, crowd-pleasing films (Saturday Night Fever (1977), Flashdance (1983)) or
The Second Disc Interview #2: From Hollywood, It's Bruce Kimmel!
Producer, director, writer, actor, composer, lyricist, raconteur – any and all of those words could be used to describe Bruce Kimmel. After helping to launch the Varese Sarabande label over thirty years ago and christening its still-ongoing soundtrack series with his score to The First Nudie Musical (which he also wrote, co-directed and acted in), Kimmel founded the Bay Cities label. Between 1989 and 1993, he and his Bay Cities colleagues were among the very first to reissue classic film
It's Up
The Complete Elvis Presley Masters. Go here. Talk below. Some reactions after the jump.
The Rebel Kind: Ace Preps Lee Hazlewood Compilation
When Lee Hazlewood died in 2007 after a brave battle with cancer, music lost one of its true eccentrics. With a resonant baritone, a keen ear for a melody and a dry wit, Hazlewood was an unlikely recording star. His first long-term collaboration was with guitarist Duane Eddy, with whom he produced a string of hit instrumentals. His second such collaboration was a career-defining one with Nancy Sinatra, effectively launching her career with 1966’s “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” on the Reprise
A Wounded Bird Bonanza (EVEN MORE ADDED 7/30)
Wounded Bird Records has just opened the floodgates and got a couple of interesting obscurities released or reissued on CD. There's a couple of notable names here, and at least one that looks to have bonus tracks. Hit the jump to see them all.
Rhino Handmade Releases Unreleased Tony Joe White
The latest Rhino Handmade title is That On the Road Look "Live," a rumored live album by Tony Joe White - finally revealed to be true. White was a Louisiana-bred guitarist famous mostly for his compositions rather than his own performances. "Polk Salad Annie" was his biggest hit, but it's primarily known as a concert staple during Elvis' last decade. "Rainy Night in Georgia" was also his composition, though Brook Benton made it a gold-seller in 1970. But this live set - the recording date and
Back Tracks: The Cars
The above picture is a bit of a shock, if you haven't seen it yet: all four of the surviving members of The Cars - Ric Ocasek, Elliott Easton, Greg Hawkes and David Robinson - in a recording studio. It was posted to the official Facebook page for the Boston-based rockers on Thursday. No caption, no explanation. Just the members of The Cars, possibly gearing up for some new music. And who'd have thought? Since the band broke up in 1988, chances seemed slim where a reunion was concerned. The
Iconoclassic to Reissue Solo Carl Wilson and Guess Who in September
If sensitive composer/producer Brian Wilson was the soul of The Beach Boys, and brash frontman Mike Love the voice, passionate singer/guitarist Carl Wilson was no doubt the heart. There was little Carl Wilson couldn’t do, vocally, whether the angelic tones of “God Only Knows,” the soulful shouting of “I Was Made to Love Her” or the dreamlike psychedelia of “Feel Flows.” And when brother Brian wasn’t able to guide the band through the tumultuous 1970s, Carl stepped up to the plate with an amazing
The Lady and Her Music: "The Essential Lena Horne" Coming in August
Thanks to our friends at MusicTAP for the tip that, on August 24, Legacy will celebrate the life of a great lady of song with its release of The Essential Lena Horne: The RCA Years. Like The Essential Henry Mancini (scheduled to be released on the same day), this release is far from definitive, but appears to be a solid introduction to one period of the late Horne’s magnificent career. That career saw the artist rising from her nightclub roots to break racial barriers in Hollywood, becoming one
The Second Disc Interview #1: A Soulful Chat with Harry Weinger
It is with the greatest pride that The Second Disc presents its first-ever interview, bringing you closer to the catalogue music world we all love so much. Our first interviewee is one of the most notable names from the world of reissues. Harry Weinger, vice-president of A&R for Universal Music Enterprises, has been part of the music business for more than 30 years, writing for publications like Rolling Stone, Vibe, Billboard and Cashbox before becoming a staff writer for PolyGram's
Breaking News: More "Promises" Kept from Kritzerland
We catalogue music enthusiasts just can't get enough. Near-universal acclaim greeted Kritzerland on its re-release of the original cast album of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's Promises, Promises, including from your humble correspondent. Yet many of those cheers were quickly followed in the fan community by: "Now, when are you going to release the London Cast Recording?" The long-lost United Artists LP was recorded in 1969 with the stars of the production at the Prince of Wales Theatre: Tony
Of Panthers and Baby Elephants: "The Essential Henry Mancini" Coming Soon
Henry Mancini’s film score work has been anthologized numerous times, and the latest such release is due August 24 from Legacy as part of their ongoing The Essential… series. The Essential Henry Mancini is a 2-disc overview containing 36 tracks, dating between 1958 and 1983. During that time, Mancini was one of Hollywood’s most prolific composers, creating memorable themes for the big and little screens alike. Mancini’s longterm collaboration with Blake Edwards ranks with the Danny Elfman/Tim
British Invasion, Redux: New Sets Due from The Searchers and Petula Clark
While the original British Invasion is now just a few years south of 50, its music continues to endure. The Second Disc is pleased to report on a trio of new releases coming our way from two of the U.K.’s seminal artists, The Searchers and Petula Clark. One of the best and most successful bands to come out of Liverpool, The Searchers may have toiled in the shadow of that other band from Liverpool, but hits like “Sugar and Spice,” “Pins and Needles” and “When You Walk in the Room” remain some of
Friday Feature: "Reality Bites"
There are plenty of moviegoers in any given week who look at the films playing at their local theatre, shake their head and conclude that Hollywood is no longer making movies for "them." One only wonders how the winter of 1994 was for that crowd when Reality Bites was released. One of the most explicitly Generation X movies ever created, Reality Bites follows the trials and tribulations of a group of twentysomethings in 1990s Houston. There's Leilaina (Wynona Ryder), a college valedictorian
Back Tracks: The Apple Tree, Part II - The Beatles, Sort Of
What has it been, two weeks since The Second Disc promised a continuation of our Back Tracks series regarding the Apple Records discography? Regardless of the gap, it's time to continue our look back. Part 1 covered all the previous reissues of the records that are to be reissued in October. Part 2 will cover all the Apple releases that involve The Beatles; by this, we mean anything that had a Beatle involved by name.* (For the sake of clarity, we're not including anything actually by The
Reissue Theory: Cheap Trick, Squeeze Do-Overs
Today's installment of Reissue Theory is going to tread over familiar ground, in honor of two bands who turned out some great live sets last night at New Jersey's State Theater: Cheap Trick and Squeeze. Though both bands have their share of hardcore fanatics, they didn't seem to be as vocal last night - at least one person was heard musing after the show that neither band catered to the greatest-hits crowd (Cheap Trick's set mixed most of the favorite early tracks with new material - the band
News Round-Up: New Stage and Screen Releases from Kaper, Loesser and More
There's rarely such a thing as a Monday matinee, but that won't keep The Second Disc from ushering in the week with news of a quintet of reissues from our friends at Film Score Monthly and Sepia Records. These exciting releases are sure to please devotees of both soundtracks and cast albums. Film Score Monthly kicks things off with their new release of BUtterfield 8: Bronislau Kaper at M-G-M, Volume 1 (FSM 1309). Kaper rarely seems to be afforded the acclaim given to many of his contemporaries,
Friday Feature: "Ghostbusters"
For whatever cosmic reason, 1984 was a huge cosmic intersection for pop music and film. Prince exploded into the national consciousness with Purple Rain, Kenny Loggins continued his run as America's go-to soundtrack guy with his contributions to Footloose. Stevie Wonder called The Woman in Red to say he loved her, Harold Faltermeyer helped make Eddie Murphy a superstar with "Axel F." from Beverly Hills Cop. Even Phil Collins had a soundtrack hit, against all odds. And then there was
Dear Apple, Your Track Lists Are Showing
Our resident Beatles/Apple sage Phil Cohen noted The Second Disc that there was some preliminary info on the track lists for the upcoming Apple reissues. To quote him, from a comment on our Back Tracks post on previous issues of these albums (Part 2 is due very soon - we promise - and will cover previous reissues of all the other material on Apple, including The Beatles-oriented stuff): Some preliminary info about the Apple releases is available via a link at The Beatles official website. There
How Crowded is EMI's House?
A fun little tidbit from release date king Pause & Play, himself a diligent arts journalist who just recently got to interview the members of Crowded House (their new album, Intriguer, was released this week). At the suggestion of some cheeky catalogue music blogger, P&P asked the members of the band if there were ever any plans to expand the band's catalogue on CD. (The Crowded House discography is relatively free of B-sides, compared to some of their contemporaries, but demos and
Back Tracks: Rupert Holmes
“If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain”…Come on, you know how it goes, sing along…“If you’re not into yoga, if you have half a brain…” So goes the song that got Rupert Holmes into the record books as singer/songwriter of the last No. 1 hit of the 1970s and the first of the 1980s. While it may be the most famous song penned by the idiosyncratic artist/composer/producer (and collaborator of artists ranging from Streisand to Sparks!), it’s merely the tip of the iceberg for Rupert
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