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/ Ashford and Simpson

April 30, 2025 By Mike Duquette 2 Comments

Smackwater Jack LP

A cadre of titles from the discography of the late Quincy Jones - spanning nearly 25 years of his storied career - are coming back into print on physical formats thanks to the shared efforts of Universal' Music Group's teams in America and Japan. Coming June 6 are new SHM-CD pressings of seven of Jones' LPs: This is How I Feel About Jazz (1957), The Quintessence (1962), Big Band Bossa Nova (1962), Walking in Space (1969), Body Heat (1974), Mellow Madness (1975), Sounds...and Stuff Like

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Categories: News Formats: CD, Vinyl Genre: Jazz, Latin, Pop, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Chaka Khan, Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann, James Ingram, Lalo Schifrin, Leon Ware, Luther Vandross, Minnie Riperton, Patti Austin, Quincy Jones, Zoot Sims

July 29, 2023 By Mike Duquette 3 Comments

Stream 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. Big things happening in this column: two big box sets from a legendary prog-turned-pop outfit, rare mixes from one of pop's most legendary performers, tons of remixes from a soulful producer/performer and 200(!) classical titles from a legendary British label. Whew! Genesis, Archive #1 (1969 - 1975) /

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Categories: The Weekend Stream Formats: Digital Download, Digital Streaming Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Electronic, Everything Else, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock Tags: ABC, Al Jarreau, Ashford and Simpson, Babyface, Barry Manilow, Barry White, Bruce Springsteen, Chaka Khan, El DeBarge, Genesis, Gloria Estefan, James Ingram, Madonna, Mike Rutherford, Miles Davis, Mya, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Pulp, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ronald Isley, Siedah Garrett, Steve Hackett, Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell, The Art of Noise, Tony Banks

September 17, 2018 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Ashford and Simpson Love Will Fix It 1

Had Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson written nothing but "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," the duo would have found their place in the musical pantheon assured.  But the reality is that the husband-and-wife team also wrote such American pop standards as "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "You're All I Need to Get By," "California Soul," and "Solid (As a Rock)."  They were so prolific that even top-notch material was left on the shelf; Second Disc

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson

September 7, 2018 By The Second Disc Leave a Comment

Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same Cover

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Led Zeppelin, The Song Remains the Same [Various Formats] (Atlantic/Swan Song) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Blu-ray Audio: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/4LP/2DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham took the famous stage at New York's Madison Square Garden on July 27-29, 1973 for the concerts

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Blu-Ray Audio, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, DVD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks Tags: Alice Coltrane, Ashford and Simpson, Bob Seger, George Gershwin, Grateful Dead, Harold Arlen, Jack Cassidy, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, The Posies

July 13, 2018 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Grateful Dead Anthem of the Sun

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!  Today might be Friday the 13th, but when it comes to catalogue music, it's a lucky day! Bobby Darin, Go Ahead & Back Up: The Lost Motown Masters (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Naturally, we're most excited about this release - our landmark 25th title on Second Disc Records, and certainly the most rarities-packed!  Go Ahead & Back Up: The Lost Motown Masters premieres a never-before-heard Bobby Darin

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Ben Folds Five, Bobby Darin, Grateful Dead, Jason Isbell, Smokey Robinson, The Rolling Stones, The Statler Brothers, Timi Yuro, Willie Nelson

July 12, 2018 By The Second Disc Leave a Comment

BD Go Ahead Final Cover

Are you ready to hear Bobby Darin like you've never heard him before? The musical superstar joined Motown Records in 1970, inaugurating the final phase in a remarkable career that saw him transform from a rock-and-roll teen idol to a sophisticated swinger to a socially conscious folkie.  Yet before his tragic death at the age of 37 in 1973, Darin only released one album and a handful of singles for Berry Gordy's legendary label.  A few posthumous recordings followed in 1974 and a live album in

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Bobby Darin, Smokey Robinson

May 22, 2018 By The Second Disc 6 Comments

BD Go Ahead Final Cover

Bobby Darin joined Motown Records in 1970, inaugurating the final phase in a remarkable career that saw him transform from a rock-and-roll teen idol to a sophisticated swinger to a socially conscious folkie.  Yet before his tragic death at the age of 37 in 1973, Darin only released one album and a handful of singles for Berry Gordy's legendary label.  A few posthumous recordings followed in 1974 and a live album in 1987, but the story stayed the same: that despite the best efforts of all,

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Bobby Darin, Smokey Robinson

February 26, 2016 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Ashford and Simpson I Wanna Be Selfish

Big Break Records has recently returned to the catalogues of Ashford and Simpson and Rose Royce for a trio of new, expanded and remastered reissues. Gimme Something Real (1973) and I Wanna Be Selfish (1974), Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson's first two albums for Warner Bros. Records, concludes BBR's survey of the duo's WB years.  Gimme Something Real introduced all but the most diehard fans to the already-famous songwriters as singer-songwriters.  As "Valerie and Nick," they had released

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Disco/Dance, R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Rose Royce

January 29, 2016 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Phil Collins Face Value 2015

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring a host of deluxe reissues, box sets, and more! Phil Collins, Face Value: Deluxe Edition (Atlantic/Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Phil Collins' 1981 classic featuring "In the Air Tonight" gets expanded to two CDs or DD with the addition of eight live tracks and four demos (plus a new, modern cover photograph echoing the original).  Ten of the twelve bonuses are new

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Bill Evans, Cilla Black, Esther Phillips, Harpers Bizarre, Julia Fordham, Lee Hazlewood, Phil Collins, Sister Sledge, The Hollies, The Miamis, The Paris Sisters

November 25, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Ashford and Simpson So So Satisfied

Big Break Records has recently continued its definitive reissue series chronicling Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson' Warner Bros. years with the expanded releases of 1977's So So Satisfied and 1980's A Musical Affair.  This pair follows previous titles in the series including Come As You Are, Send It and Is It Still Good to Ya and Stay Free.  (Gimme Something Real and I Wanna Be Selfish arrive in January!) Though So So Satisfied found Ashford and Simpson still on the cusp of the greater

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson

September 25, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

David Bowie Five Years Cover

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up - maybe the biggest and most diverse yet of 2015! David Bowie, Five Years (Parlophone) 12 CD Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 13 LP Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. New remasters of David Bowie (a.k.a. Space Oddity), The Man Who Sold the World, Hunky Dory and Pin Ups are collected in a new box set along with existing versions of Ziggy Stardust (in both the original and 2003 mixes), Aladdin Sane, Live Santa Monica '72, the Ziggy Stardust

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, SACD, Vinyl Genre: Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Billy Cobham, Bob Marley, David Bowie, Diana Krall, Don Henley, Herb Alpert, Johnny Mathis, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Loggins and Messina, Micky Dolenz, Queen, Sneakers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Tony Bennett

September 22, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Ashford and Simpson Come As You Are

The husband-and-wife team of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson needs no introduction; the classic R&B and pop songbook has been shaped by the duo's compositions including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "Let's Go Get Stoned," "California Soul" and "Solid (As a Rock)."  Big Break Records has recently been celebrating Ashford (1941-2011) and Simpson (born 1946) in a major way - with a definitive expanded reissue

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson

August 28, 2015 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Faces You Can Make Me Dance

Welcome to New Release Friday and this week's Release Round-Up! Faces, You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything (1970-1975) (Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. This long-awaited 5-CD box set includes Faces' First Step (1970), Long Player (1971), A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse (1971), and Ooh La La (1973), and adds never-before-released bonus tracks to each album.  The set is topped off with a bonus disc containing non-LP selections.

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: CD, Digital Download, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Ashford and Simpson, Conway Twitty, Faces, Gloria Gaynor, Jimi Hendrix, Lee Hazlewood, Margo Smith, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, The Kitchen Cinq, Van Morrison

July 31, 2015 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Led Zeppelin Coda SDE

Led Zeppelin, Presence / In Through the Out Door / Coda [Various Editions] (Swan Song/Atlantic) Presence: Super Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. In Through the Out Door: Super Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album

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Categories: Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets, CD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock, Jazz, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks Tags: Alice Cooper, Ashford and Simpson, Led Zeppelin, Ray Parker Jr., The Band, Vince Guaraldi

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