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. This week, ABC and Steven Wilson shoot a "Poison Arrow" our way, plus rare albums from Bobby Darin, Pat Boone and others - including a lost '60s soul-pop classic you don't want to miss! ABC, Poison Arrow EP (Mercury/UMR) (iTunes / Amazon) Ahead of the new 40th anniversary vinyl box set of ABC's
At the conclusion of his second Atlantic Records tenure in 1967 - a period which yielded the hit "If I Were a Carpenter" and vivid journeys through contemporary folk, Broadway, and Hollywood songbooks - Bobby Darin struck out on his own to form the Direction Records label. Devastated by the assassination of his close friend Robert F. Kennedy, shaken by revelations about his family, and stricken by the ongoing turmoil of the day, Bobby sought to shed the showbiz style to which he'd become
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. Our latest round-up may be on April Fool's Day, but it's no joke: remixes by Madonna, rarities by Burt Bacharach and Peggy Lee, a White Stripes live set and the first major Barry White production are all here. Happy streaming! Madonna, Nothing Really Matters (Remixes) (Warner/Rhino) (iTunes /
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 discover! Millennial nostalgia is all over this week's releases - plus some live jazz and pop as well as a real rarity from a disco diva. Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight (Deluxe Edition) (Warner/Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon) In 2007, nu-metal rockers Linkin Park broadened their sound with the help of producer Rick Rubin and
Tomorrow, March 11, sees a new batch of Real Gone Music vinyl titles hitting store shelves. Among the trio is a lost album by Irma Thomas and a pair of soundtracks to Nora Ephron rom-coms. Two of the releases are making their vinyl debuts. First up is Full Time Woman: The Lost Cotillion Album from Irma Thomas. Thomas, known as "The Soul Queen of New Orleans," was born approximately 50 miles from that city in Ponchatoula, Louisiana in 1941. As a child, she sang in church choir and began
While The Second Disc prides itself on connecting people to reissues and box sets they can keep on their shelves, it's no secret that listening audiences are also digital - catalogue music lovers, too - and our passion is connecting people to music from the past that they might adore. So we've introduced a new feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! Madonna, True Blue (35th
Stage Door Records is turning back the clock - 60 years, to be precise - with the latest volume in its Lost Broadway series. Lost Broadway 1960, out now in the U.K. and this Friday, April 3, in the U.S., once again spotlights the lesser-known shows that played the Great White Way that year (in both the 1959-1960 and 1960-1961 seasons). So while there's no mention of Bye Bye Birdie, Camelot, or Oliver!, you will hear tracks from Wildcat, Do Re Mi, and Christine. (The Unsinkable Molly Brown is
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! America, 50th Anniversary: The Collection (Warner/Rhino) 50th Anniversary: The Collection (3-CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 50th Anniversary: The Collection [2-LP] (Barnes & Noble Exclusive) 50th Anniversary: Golden Hits (Single CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Almost fifty years ago in London, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and the late Dan Peek first joined their voices together in song - beginning a
The opening song of Bobby Darin's 1967 album Sings Doctor Dolittle was entitled "At the Crossroads." The Leslie Bricusse song, introduced by Samantha Eggar (dubbed by Diana Lee) in the big-screen musical, expressed the viewpoint of a young woman constrained by the time in which she lived, wanting more. The tune was quickly adopted and refashioned by singers from Petula Clark in a slow-burning, stoic and determined version, to Sammy Davis, Jr. in exuberantly hyper-charged "Yes I Can!" mode.
Elvis and Dino took on hypocrisy. Dion lamented the senseless deaths of Abraham, Martin, and John. Johnny "Poetry in Motion" Tillotson cast a spotlight on the poor treatment of veterans returned home from war. Bing Crosby wondered "What Do We Do with the World" and Paul Anka observed that "This crazy world has come undone." Such are the moments captured on Ace's thoroughly captivating new collection Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present State of the Union: The American Dream in Crisis
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
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
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,
Ace Records rightfully has a reputation for its top-notch collections, and three recent releases are no exception to that rule. Jon Savage's 1965: The Year The Sixties Ignited follows previous releases compiled for Ace by historian Savage covering the years 1966 and 1967. This latest volume, with 48 tracks on 2 CDs, explores how the various strains of pop music came together to awaken the culture: whether the power of Motown (the label had six number ones) or Bob Dylan (who inspired an
Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer were, indeed, two of a kind. Though Darin is known first and foremost as one of the most dynamic performers of all time, and Mercer as one of the most prodigiously talented songwriters of all time, Bobby was no slouch in the songwriting department, and Mercer was a remarkably engaging vocalist. Both men were entrepreneurs and keen talent spotters who added immeasurably to the fabric of American music and culture. They came together on record but once, for a 1961
Welcome to this week's packed Release Round-Up, featuring hotly-anticipated box sets, an extensive campaign from an iconoclastic artist, and much, much more! Paul McCartney, The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Flowers in the Dirt (Capitol/MPL) DELUXE EDITION (3CD/1DVD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) SPECIAL EDITION (2CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) VINYL (2LP) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Paul McCartney reassesses his 1989 album
"'Like peas in a pod and birds of a feather,'" sing Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer in the album's title song. This self-description has a bull's-eye accuracy; Bobby and Johnny are indeed 'two of a kind.'" So began the original liner notes for 1961's Two of a Kind, the Atco LP that paired one of America's all-time greatest vocalists (and one heck of a songwriter!) with one of its all-time greatest songwriters (and one heck of a performer!). On March 24, Omnivore Recordings will reissue Two of a
Capitol Records, the venerable label founded by Johnny Mercer with B.G. DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and now a unit of Universal Music Group, turns 75 next year. In celebration of this landmark anniversary, the label has announced three new initiatives. The first of these endeavors is The Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Collection, a series of 75 vinyl reissues from various genres curated by "noted music journalists, authors and other renowned creative figures." The Beatles are represented
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Big Star, Complete Third (Omnivore Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Omnivore does an in-depth vault dive into the creation of Big Star's Third for a new 3-CD box set. Complete Third includes every demo, rough mix, outtake, alternate take and final master from the Third sessions known to exist. The 69 tracks on this set represent the culmination of a decade-long search to assemble all extant recordings for the album
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up highlighted by the latest release from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music! The Isley Brothers, Groove with You...Live! (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) We're incredibly excited and proud to bring this sizzling, swooning and immersive double-album document of The Isley Brothers at the peak of their powers to CD for the very first time! Groove with You...Live! features powerful renditions of
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Dio, A Decade of Dio 1983-1993 (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) A Decade of Dio 1983-1993 collects all six studio albums released by Warner Bros. and Reprise in the first decade of the band Dio's soaring career. Formed by Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice after their split from Black Sabbath in 1982, the group first gained prominence with the title track of debut Holy Diver, a staple of MTV and a recurring metal cult
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Chicago, Quadio (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon Canada) This week's biggest and most hotly-anticipated release, Chicago's Quadio, brings together nine albums from the legendary band in remastered high-resolution 192/24 DTS-HD Master Audio in both their original quadraphonic and stereo mixes on nine Blu-ray discs. This lavish celebration of the Windy City's favorite band is housed in a rigid two-piece box, with every album
We're proud to have kicked off the Bobby Darin 80th birthday celebration earlier this month with Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music's release of Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years. The Bobby festivities will continue next month from Edsel Records with the re-reissue of a pair of currently out-of-print titles previously released as a two-fer. The Demon Music Group imprint has new standalone editions of Darin's 1966 albums The Shadow of Your Smile and In a Broadway Bag arriving on June
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring Second Disc Records' very first title of 2016, plus more fantastic releases from our partners at Real Gone Music and titles from Brian Wilson, The Cars, and more! Bobby Darin, Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) We know that you all know about this one...it's the ultimate celebration of Bobby Darin's time at Motown Records on 2 CDs, newly remastered from the
Will the real Bobby Darin please stand up? Between his first single in 1956 and his final recordings in 1973, the artist born Walden Robert Cassotto on May 14, 1936 blazed his path through rock-and-roll, big-band swing, jazz, R&B, soul, country, folk, pop, rock, and everything in between. Yet each reinvention was genuine, and each represented the real Bobby Darin. The driven artist brought fervor and passion to every style he tackled throughout his tragically-short life. Tomorrow,