Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions label is continuing its series of low-priced, music-packed releases under the Gold banner. Among January's releases in the series were titles from Andy Williams, Gene Pitney, and The Tremeloes. Andy Williams (1927-2012) remains one of the most beloved popular vocalists of all time. After brief affiliations with Columbia Records (with Kay Thompson and his siblings, The Williams Brothers) and RCA Victor's X imprint, Williams established himself at Archie
Ace Records has an unusual name on its roster: that of Australian musical iconoclast Nick Cave. An artist who's lived up to his description as rock's "Prince of Darkness," Cave has nonetheless drawn on a wide array of influences in crafting his own intense, personal and powerful songbook. Ace has rounded up the original versions of 25 songs recorded over the years by the artist on the collection entitled Nick Cave Heard Them Here First. This anthology follows the label's similar sets for The
After a long hiatus, Cherry Red's RPM label is continuing its series of reissues dedicated to the late Gene Pitney ("Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa," "Town Without Pity," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"). The singer's long out-of-print albums for Aaron Schroeder's Musicor label were reissued on CD in a series of two-fers by Sequel Records in the late 1990s, but upon their deletion from the catalogue, they began commanding high prices on the second-hand market. Since then, the Pitney
With one of the most resonant and recognizable voices in rock and roll, Gene Pitney (1940-2006) was the rare American talent to be able to withstand the British Invasion and continue to thrive. He collaborated with Phil Spector and The Rolling Stones, wrote hit songs for Roy Orbison, Bobby Vee, Ricky Nelson and the Crystals, and brought to life the songs of others, too. Among the recipients of the Pitney treatment were Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and