Two classic labels from the American south have received the deluxe treatment from Ace Records, and for lovers of classic R&B and soul, releases don’t come much better than this. The Ace Story Volume 4 is the latest installment dedicated to Ace’s namesake, the pioneering R&B label out of Jackson, Mississippi that helped launch the careers of artists including Dr. John, Huey “Piano” Smith and Frankie Ford. Just one state over in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Rick Hall’s Fame Studios welcomed
Leaders of the Pack: Ace Celebrates Legendary Songwriters Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
The union of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry was a brief one. Married in 1962, the same year that they began a songwriting partnership, they were divorced in 1965. Their professional partnership only continued for a short time thereafter. And to this day, the team of Greenwich and Barry is spoken of in the same breath as two other successful Brill Building husband-and-wife teams, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (married 1961, still going strong!) and Gerry Goffin and Carole King (married 1959,
Review: Paul and Linda McCartney, "The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Ram"
Paul McCartney might have taken the bull by the horns for his aggressively homemade solo debut McCartney in 1970, defying practically all expectations, but he literally took the ram by the horns on the cover photo of its 1971 follow-up, Ram. By the time of Ram's release, George Harrison had declared that All Things (including Beatles) Must Pass and John Lennon had exorcised many of his demons with the confessional Plastic Ono Band, wife Yoko at his side. With Linda McCartney co-billed as
Release Round-Up: Week of May 22
Chubby Checker, It's Pony Time/Let's Twist Again/Durocs, Durocs/Terry Knight and the Pack, Terry Knight and the Pack/Reflections/The Orlons, The Wah Watusi/South Street/Various Artists, Remember Me Baby: Cameo Parkway Vocal Groups Vol. 1 (Real Gone Music) The latest group from Real Gone Music includes classics from the vaults of Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway label plus power-pop from San Francisco's Durocs! Isaac Hayes and Dionne Warwick, A Man and A Woman/Cissy Houston, Presenting Cissy
Review: The Knack, "Havin' a Rave-Up! Live in Los Angeles, 1978"
Not every album lives up to its title, but The Knack’s Havin’ a Rave-Up! certainly does! The group - Doug Fieger on vocals and rhythm guitar, Berton Averre on lead guitar, keyboards and vocals, Prescott Niles on bass, and Bruce Gary on drums – had quite a number of rave-ups on Los Angeles’ famed Sunset Strip in 1978, and made quite a big noise. The quartet was suddenly being deemed the American answer to The Beatles. Musicians the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Ray Manzarek were
You Can Dance: New ABBA CD/DVD Compilation Due This Fall
While there are more than enough deluxe reissues, compilations and box sets to satiate ABBA novices and experts alike, Universal's European arm is throwing their hat into the ring once more this fall with the release of The Essential Collection, a two-CD/one-DVD singles and videos compilation. While there's no new audio material to be had in The Essential Collection (we can't be too spoiled after the unreleased track on the deluxe reissue of The Visitors), the set may be the most comprehensive
Mould vs. Mould: Sugar Catalogue to Be Expanded in U.S., Too
First it was The English Beat - now, Bob Mould's power-pop outfit Sugar, whose discography is getting the expanded treatment starting next week, is seeing a dueling reissue campaign in both England and the United States. While Copper Blue, Beaster and File Under: Easy Listening are getting expanded CD/DVD issues from Edsel, Merge Records - for whom Mould will release a new album in the fall - will handle expansions of the albums a bit differently. All the DVD content on the U.S. reissues has
Beam Me Up: La-La Land Boldly Expands "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" Score
You've heard all of the clichés before, but La-La Land records truly will go where no man has gone before with the June 5 release of the 3-CD set Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Complete Score. Though Jerry Goldsmith's score to the science-fiction classic has been released on CD before, this joint project of La-La Land, Sony Music and Paramount Pictures offers a luxurious view of every aspect of the film's music. Released in December, 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture reunited the cast
From Chicago to Philadelphia: The Dells' Lost Philly Classics Arrive On CD
When Mercury Records sent Illinois vocal group The Dells to the City of Brotherly Love in 1977, the meeting of Chicago and Philadelphia was long overdue. The group had formed in 1952 and was already legendary by the late seventies thanks to its longevity, consistency of personnel and a phenomenal streak at Chess Records’ Cadet label mainly with arranger/producer Charles Stepney. (In fact, the group’s core membership of five – Mickey McGill, Verne Allison, Marvin Junior, Chuck Barksdale and
Take A Giant Step: Taj Mahal Celebrates 70th Birthday With Release of "Hidden Treasures" From The Vaults
Today, May 17, 2012, Taj Mahal turns 70. Though the bluesman has reached a venerable age, he’s still some 289 years younger than his namesake structure in Agra, India. But the man born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks Jr. has packed in at least a couple lifetimes of breaking new musical ground. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Taj Mahal has fused traditional blues with rock, pop, jazz, folk and world music influences drawing on his own West Indian heritage and beyond. In
Under the Lavender Moon: Los Lobos' "Kiko" Gets Deluxe Reissue This Summer
Their first compilation may have humbly seen them described as "just another band from east L.A.," but Los Lobos have remained one of the most richly diverse bands in a nearly 40-year lifespan. And this August, one of their most acclaimed LPs is getting expanded by Shout! Factory. 1992's Kiko was released some years after the band burst onto the scene with How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984) and their breakthrough contributions to the soundtrack to La Bamba in 1987. But many critics and fans -
In Case You Missed It: A Compilation That Can't Be Kihn-tained
Here's a compilation that slipped through the cracks a few weeks back: Best of Beserkley '75-'84, a new disc covering the work of The Greg Kihn Band, for many years the flagship artist of Beserkley Records. The Berkeley, California-based indie label trafficked in power pop and alt-rock stylings, with early acts including Earth Quake, The Rubinoos and Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers. Kihn, a Baltimore-born singer/songwriter living in Berkeley was an early signee, as well; his debut
Review: Diana Ross, "Live in Central Park"
The hair is the first thing you notice when Diana Ross emerges from a troupe of grass skirt-clad dancers on stage at Central Park in New York City on July 21, 1983. Miss Ross, as she's gotten older, is easily distinguished for that dark, curly mane, like a proud lioness. But while her hair was as resplendent as usual on this night, it was...askew. Musicologists and hardcore Diana fans know why without any explanation: Ross' Central Park concert had the unfortunate circumstance of being schedule
Singin' to the Music: Davy Jones' "Bell Recordings" Joins Monkees' Deluxe "Pool It!" in April, Rhino Offers Limited Vinyl 45
It's no exaggeration to state that the entertainment world was shaken by the sudden passing of Davy Jones on February 29 of this year, responding not only with an outpouring of grief, but with genuinely fond memories of the actor, singer and Monkee. Friday Music is joining Rhino Entertainment in keeping Jones' rich legacy of music alive, with two new releases slated for April 24. After having recently reissued Jones' pre-Monkees debut, the label turns its attention to Jones' 1971-1972 recordings
Just As He Was: Bill Withers' 1971 Debut "Just As I Am" Reissued By Big Break
Bill Withers titled his 1971 debut album Just As I Am, and the raw, simple and understated cover photo seemed to support that title. Withers, with an ingratiating smile on his face and a lunch pail in his hand, is standing against a brick wall at California's Webber Aircraft facility. The US Navy aircraft mechanic turned guitar-slinging singer/songwriter was somewhat of an anomaly on the music scene, and in his understated manner wrote on the album's jacket, "It matters not where I came from
Reissue Theory: Squeeze, "East Side Story"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we focus on notable albums and the reissues they may someday see. Today marks the just-over-three-decade mark on a classic British LP of the '80s that is practically screaming for a deluxe effort. If you were brave or foolhardy enough to label Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook the heirs to the throne of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, 1981 was truly the year to do it. The British singer/songwriters and their little New Wave band that could,
Needles and Pins: Searchers Box Set Finally Back on Schedule
Back on July 26, 2010, we reported on Sweets, Spice, Sugar, Pins and Needles, a 4-CD, 120-track boxed retrospective dedicated to The Searchers, the second-most famous band to emerge from Liverpool during the British Invasion! We wrote: 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 the strongest
Never Say Die: New Black Sabbath Compilation Coming to U.K. in June
It's been a winding road for Black Sabbath fans, likely anxious over the band's somewhat perilous reunion late last year. Original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward announced their plans late last year to tour and release a new album in 2012 - a plan that's been semi-sidelined by Iommi undergoing treatment for lymphoma and contractual disagreements with Ward. Only three dates have been announced for the band this year, including a pair of overseas gigs and a stint at
Cherry Pop Reissues Samantha Fox Titles, Needs Love Too
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-j5GOsRtlk] Here's some news fit for Page Three: '80s pop tart Samantha Fox is expanding her first four albums on Cherry Pop Records this summer. Touch Me (1986), Samantha Fox (1987), I Wanna Have Some Fun (1989) and Just One Night (1991) have all been digitally remastered and will be presented as double-disc sets featuring not only a heap of dance mixes, but a generous amount of rare and unreleased material from the vaults. Fox gained immediate
Within My World: Dave Clark's "Time" Reissued, Features Freddie Mercury, Dionne Warwick, Julian Lennon, Cliff Richard, More
Today, London’s Dominion Theatre is home to We Will Rock You, a tongue-in-cheek “jukebox musical” featuring the music of Queen. That show is currently celebrating its 10th year at the Dominion, but even before the “Bohemian Rhapsody” chaps came to town, the Dominion was no stranger to mega-musicals from rock stars. In 1986, Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five put his name above the title of a lavish spectacle called Time. Clark collaborated on the musical’s book and lyrics with David Soames;
Is There Anyone Out There? Maroon 5 to Expand Debut Album Alongside Newest LP (UPDATE 5/11)
As crazy as it may sound, the debut album by pop-rock band Maroon 5 is turning 10 this year, and the band is picking a strange time to commemorate it. The band and their label, A&M/Octone, are partnering to release a double-disc expanded edition of 2002's Songs About Jane featuring "original demos, unreleased material and videos." The set will be released to general retail on June 5; a deluxe bundle, available on the band's website, also comes with a bonus lithograph "incorporating original
More Ventures in Summer from Sundazed
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRQljAZ9xlA] Following a successful reissue of five Ventures titles on LP and CD earlier this year, Sundazed has four more in the pipeline for June. The guitar-rock pioneers recorded with a frequent intensity that earned them the moniker of "The Band That Launched a Thousand Bands." These four albums, the live The Ventures on Stage, Wild Things!, Super Psychedelics and Hawaii Five-O, released between 1965 and 1969, feature a fantastic cluster of
You Can Do Magic: America, Burritos, Atlanta Rhythm Section Reissues Coming to CD From BGO
Whether you’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name, found some Rhythm in Atlanta or visited the gilded palace of sin, the United Kingdom’s BGO label just might have a reissue for you. On June 4, the label will introduce bring long-out-of-print titles from The Flying Burrito Brothers and Atlanta Rhythm Section to CD, and bring back a pair of hard-to-find albums from America. Though the group’s original incarnation was short-lived, The Flying Burrito Brothers remain a cornerstone of
Wir Lieben Bacharach! And Quincy, Too: Jazz Club Label Compiles Rare Bacharach, Jones On CD
Great catalogue music often arrives in the unlikeliest of places. Universal Music Classics and Jazz’s German division has created the budget Jazz Club label, celebrating artists from the various labels under the Universal umbrella. And though its titles may not be available at your local shop, they’re well worth seeking out, offering plenty of material not available elsewhere. Two of the most recent Jazz Club releases are of a particularly rare vintage. Wir Lieben Bacharach! collects 18
No More Wire Hangers! Henry Mancini's "Mommie Dearest" Joins Christopher Komeda's "Rosemary's Baby" On CD (UPDATED)
Mother's Day is just around the corner, and La-La Land Records is celebrating with a couple of releases celebrating some, ahem, very unusual mothers. No, the world premiere of the soundtrack to Psycho isn't among the duo, but this pair just might be the next best thing. On May 8, the label will issue Henry Mancini's score to 1981's cult campfest Mommie Dearest and Christopher (Krzysztof) Komeda's score to 1968's horror classic Rosemary's Baby, both from the vaults of Paramount
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