In his all-too-short life, guitarist Eric Gale (1938-1994) made his mark on the worlds of jazz, rock, R&B, and pop, leading his own jazz ensembles and contributing as a session musician to countless classic records by Paul Simon, The Drifters, Billy Joel, and Aretha Franklin, among others. Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint has recently taken stock of the late Gale's legacy of lithe, liquid guitar lines with a 2-CD release, The Definitive Collection. The Brooklyn-born musician ultimately
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, with some of the most high-profile releases yet for 2016! The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds 50 (Various Editions) (Capitol/UMe) 4-CD/1-BD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-CD Deluxe Edition (CD 1 + highlights from 4-CD set): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Mono 180-Gram Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Stereo 180-Gram Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Beach
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Linda Ronstadt, Frenesi (Remastered Edition) (Elektra/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Linda Ronstadt's 1992 Spanish-language album Frenesi returns to CD in a newly-remastered edition with no additional content. Consider this an appetizer for the upcoming expanded remaster of Trio! Allen Toussaint, The Complete Warner Recordings (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Rhino has a reissue of its 2003
When Allen Toussaint unexpectedly passed away last November at the age of 77 during a European tour, it was reported that the great producer-arranger-composer-pianist had completed one final album. Nonesuch has confirmed the release of American Tunes on June 10, the culmination of one of the most remarkable careers in popular music. American Tunes was recorded at two sets of sessions with producer Joe Henry: solo piano at Toussaint's New Orleans home studio in 2013, and with the rhythm
We've already filled you in on Rhino's upcoming Record Store Day releases from the late David Bowie, but the label has now confirmed the rest of its vinyl offerings for the April 16 event! This year's crop of 25+ titles is a diverse one, with a number of vinyl premieres, new entries in the label's longtime "Side by Side" series, and more! You'll find all details just below. a-ha - Hits South America 12-inch 180-gram vinyl Limited edition of 3000 copies, $14.98 AIR - Casanova
Allen Toussaint once asked in song, "What is success? Is it doin' your own thing, or to join the rest?" The New Orleans native, of course, was well-acquainted with success, if ever mindful of its cost. In a career spanning seven decades, Toussaint happily was able to do his own thing - as a pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, producer, and recording artist. Toussaint, who passed away suddenly last evening at the age of 77 while on tour in Europe, brought the music
Dr. John's most famous single was titled "Right Place Wrong Time," but the one and only Mac Rebennack has certainly found himself in the right place at many a right time. One particularly halcyon period of the funky New Orleans piano man's long career is captured on Omnivore Recordings' essential new collection of The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1974 (OVCD-149). Though the 22 U.S. and U.K. singles included on this collection represent Dr. John's earliest years as a solo artist under that
"Every day I write the book," sang Elvis Costello on his first U.S. Top 40 hit, and this year he is indeed writing one. The iconoclastic British rocker, who's chased his muse through the most diverse of places, from punk to bluegrass, will let it all out in prose on the hotly anticipated memoir Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink. And now, Universal Music Enterprises, the home base for Elvis' catalogue for nearly a decade (following stints at Rykodisc/Demon in the 1990s and Warner
Of all the great names in the annals of R&B history, there is only one Allen Toussaint. A pianist, singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and all-around renaissance man, the Louisiana native is responsible - in one capacity or another - for some of the most memorable songs and recordings in the modern pop and soul canon: "Working in the Coal Mine," "Southern Nights," "Mother-in-Law," "Lady Marmalade" and "Yes We Can Can" among them. Though those hits for Lee Dorsey, Glen Campbell, Ernie
The Doctor is in! On September 18, Omnivore Recordings is heading to the bayou with one of New Orleans' favorite sons, Mac Rebennack - a.k.a. Dr. John! The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1974 collects the Good Doctor's A- and B-sides, from both the U.S. and the U.K., as issued on the Atco and Atlantic labels during that prolific period. These 22 tracks take the piano-pounding Night Tripper from his debut album, Gris-Gris, through Desitively Bonnaroo, produced by fellow N'awlins legend Allen
Welcome to Part 2 of our two-part series exploring a recent crop of amazing soul and R&B from the Ace and Kent labels! Birmingham, Alabama native Sam Dees has worn many hats in a long and illustrious career – producer, singer, songwriter, among them. But it’s a songwriter that Dees has received his greatest acclaim. He’s gifted music to George Benson and Aretha Franklin (“Love All the Hurt Away”), Atlantic Starr (“Am I Dreaming”), Gladys Knight and the Pips (“Save the Overtime (For Me)”
The Posies, Failure (Omnivore) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Omnivore expands the 1988 debut album from power-pop heroes The Posies. The new Failure restores the album’s original 12-track running order (preserved on cassette but cut down by one song on vinyl) and adds eight bonus tracks. Many of these are sourced from a long out-of-print 2000 box set and a 2004 reissue of the album proper, but one, a demo of “At Least for Now,” is being heard for the first time
Billy Thermal, Billy Thermal (Omnivore) Before Billy Steinberg co-wrote with Tom Kelly a host of pop classics (“Like a Virgin,” “True Colors,” “So Emotional,” “Eternal Flame"), he fronted a little-heard band on Richard Perry's Planet Records: their original five-track EP is expanded to a 12-track compilation with demos and outtakes! (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) The Guess Who, Power in the Music: Expanded Edition (Iconoclassic) The final Guess Who studio album for RCA (and last with
Oasis, Definitely Maybe: Chasing The Sun Edition (Big Brother/Ngrooves) Oasis' debut album is remastered and expanded; the first in a planned series of multi-format reissues from the legendary Britpop band. 1CD remaster: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.2LP remaster: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.3CD deluxe edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.3CD/2LP/1 x 7″ box set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Billy Joel, A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (Columbia/Legacy) The Piano Man's 1987 sojourn to the USSR is
Claudia Lennear might have spent much of her career 20 Feet from Stardom, as per the acclaimed documentary of that title. But on her 1973 Warner Bros. solo debut album, the onetime background singer and member of Leon Russell’s Shelter People was front and center. That LP was titled Phew!, perhaps not the most likely name for a heady brew of funk, rock and soul by the striking singer who gave inspiration to both David Bowie and Mick Jagger. But “Phew!” is an accurate expression of relief now
What is success? For Allen Toussaint, it's been a career that's lasted for over fifty years in which he's created some of the most memorable music ever committed to tape: "Mother-in-Law." "Whipped Cream." Lady Marmalade." "Working in the Coal Mine." "Southern Nights." "Yes We Can Can." The latter song, a hit for the Pointer Sisters, took on added significance when it became associated with Barack Obama's 2008 U.S. Presidential campaign. As writer, producer, vocalist and arranger, Allen