Over the past month, Rhino has been releasing numerous titles as part of its Sounds of the Summer initiative, for a total of over two dozen vinyl releases hitting brick-and-mortar stores. These titles encompass various reissues as well as new entries in the label’s ongoing Now Playing series of compilations. As of now, these LPs are all exclusive to independent record stores and Barnes & Noble locations. We’ve given a spin to a few of these titles! How to distill the discography of one of America’s pre-eminent songwriters into the contents of…
UPDATE 4/17/23: New Four Seasons Mega-Box Will Have You Swearin’ to God
The Four Seasons are one of America’s most resonant and enduring pop/rock outfits. Between the group and its distinctive frontman Frankie Valli, they’ve scored around a dozen Top 10 hits – seven of which went to No. 1. Their early output in the ’60s held its own against the British Invasion. They maintained hits into the disco era, and a cover of one of their songs hit the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. The original quartet was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal…
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Sock It To Me, Baby: Ace Celebrates Bob Crewe on “Whatever You Want”
Yesterday, we looked at Ace Records’ recent anthology dedicated to West Coast producer Gary Usher. Today, we’re heading east… Stanley Robert Crewe of Newark, New Jersey studied architecture and tried his luck as a fashion model before turning full-time to music. Though the handsome young man was a teen idol-in-the-making, he found his truest calling behind-the-scenes. With writing partner Frank Slay, Crewe gifted “Silhouettes” to The Rays and “Tallahassee Lassie” to Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon. He formed his first record company, XYZ, in 1957, and by 1962 had launched arguably his most…
New Four Seasons Mega-Box Will Have You Swearin’ to God
The Four Seasons are one of America’s most resonant and enduring pop/rock outfits. Between the group and its distinctive frontman Frankie Valli, they’ve scored around a dozen Top 10 hits – seven of which went to No. 1. Their early output in the ’60s held its own against the British Invasion. They maintained hits into the disco era, and a cover of one of their songs hit the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 last year. The original quartet was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal…
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Release Round-Up: Week of June 25
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses): 50th Anniversary Edition (Grateful Dead/Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Dead.net (B&W Vinyl) Rhino continues its series of 50th anniversary reissues for Grateful Dead with the band’s 1971 self-titled live album with the famous “Skull and Roses” cover. The centerpiece of the reissue is more than hour of previously unreleased music from another famed SF venue, Bill Graham’s Fillmore West, recorded on July 2, 1971 during the Dead’s final show at the Fillmore West. Highlights include…
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I Want You, I Need You: Retroactive Reissues Three from Chris Christian Including Star-Studded LP with Cross, Valli, Champlin, Beckley, Foster
Chris Christian rose to prominence as one-third of the pop trio Cotton, Lloyd and Christian alongside producer Michael Lloyd (The Osmonds, Barry Manilow) and Daryl Cotton (Zoot, Olivia Newton-John). Before long, Christian’s songs were being recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley (“Love Song of the Year”), Dionne Warwick (“When the World Runs Out of Love”), and Carpenters (“(Want You) Back in My Life Again”). Christian also produced and wrote songs for artists including B.J. Thomas, Marilyn McCoo, America’s Dan Peek, and the artist whom he discovered and signed when she was…
’60s ROCK, POP AND SOUL: New Treasury Collection DVD Set Offers Over 100 Favorites
Earlier this year, The Second Disc shared news of Rock, Pop and Doo Wop, a 7-DVD collection from Treasury Collection and executive producer-director TJ Lubinsky. Now, with the holidays upon us, a new set featuring dozens of classic hit-makers has just been released: ’60s Rock, Pop and Soul. This 4-DVD package has been culled from two decades of Lubinsky’s historic television concerts, with 130 hit songs from a “Who’s Who” of legendary performers including Frankie Valli (“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”), Jackie DeShannon (“What the World Needs Now Is Love”), John…
A Second Disc Interview: TJ Lubinsky Shares Details on New “Rock, Pop, and Doo Wop” DVD Set
“Be My Baby.” “Can’t Take My Eyes off You.” “Stand by Me.” “You Don’t Own Me.” Songs such as these not only defined the era in which they were first written and performed, but continue to resonate today. They’re just four of the classic songs included on an upcoming 7-DVD set from Treasury Collection that serves as a definitive concert anthology of classic American R&B music. Rock, Pop, and Doo Wop has been curated by executive producer and director TJ Lubinsky from his acclaimed onstage reunions of original artists performing their biggest…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 21
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up – one of the year’s biggest! Frank Sinatra, World on a String (Capitol/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K./ Amazon Canada) Featuring performances spanning 1953 to 1982, this new live collection boasts more than four hours’ worth of rare audio and video from the legendary Chairman of the Board – over 90 tracks on CD alone including such Sinatra favorites as “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” “Witchcraft” and “Bewitched” right up through “Strangers in…
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Real Gone Celebrates Christmas With The Soulful Strings, John Gary, Four Seasons
Real Gone Music is this year’s source for classic Christmas reissues – including two from our own Second Disc Records imprint! Here, we’re taking a look at three more titles from the label’s Christmas feast! At first glance, The Soulful Strings might appear to be just another of those ubiquitous sixties instrumental studio outfits, delivering MOR versions of the day’s popular hits. Yet, a closer look at Cadet Records’ Soulful Strings – and most of its brethren, truth be told – reveals some of the best musicians of the day, moonlighting from their…
Spotlight On: The 4 Seasons’ “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” Mono Editions
In recent months, Real Gone Music has further diversified its CD offerings with a line of mini-LP replica editions of rare titles from Banana and the Bunch, The Viscounts, and Jorge Ben. This Friday, the label kicks off an eagerly-anticipated series from New Jersey’s favorite sons, The 4 Seasons. The band’s first and third albums – from 1962 and 1963, respectively – were both headlined by U.S. No. 1 singles. The Vee-Jay releases Sherry and 11 Others (RGM-0386) and Big Girls Don’t Cry and Twelve Others (RGM-0387) might not have the most…
Christmas Joy: Real Gone Kicks off the Holidays with Four Seasons and More in October
It may be hard to believe, but the holiday season will be here sooner than we think! To prove that point, Real Gone Music is getting Christmas started early with its October slate of releases featuring five yuletide gems along with three titles good for year-round enjoyment. This batch of Christmas classics kicks off with the 4 Seasons’ The 4 Seasons Greetings, continuing Real Gone’s series of mono Seasons reissues which began in September. Next, you’ve got holiday tunes from crooner and actor John Gary with his lone RCA Christmas LP. Rounding out…
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