Jac Holzman was still in college when he and pal Paul Rickolt each chipped in three hundred bucks to start a record company. That label, Elektra Records – so named for Greek mythology’s daughter of Atlas and Pleione, but with the “c” swapped out for a “k” – inaugurated its catalogue with the simply-titled New Songs, an album of poetry settings by composer-pianist John Gruen. Elektra soon shifted its emphasis to folk music, growing its discography with recordings by Theodore Bikel, Josh White, Judy Collins, Oscar Brand, and Tom Paxton before branching…
The Weekend Stream: May 7, 2022
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! Truly something for everyone this week, from classic rock to live jazz and folk to…Christmas albums? Whitesnake, Greatest Hits (2022 Remix) (Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon) Ahead of their farewell tour, David Coverdale has yet again revisited the Whitesnake catalogue through a series of remixes, this time pertaining to most of the songs that were on the band’s 1994 greatest hits collection. There’s…
Categories:
Formats:
Genres:
The Weekend Stream: January 15, 2022
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! This week features early works by John Denver, TV works by Jan Hammer and Giorgio Moroder, live stuff from Tegan and Sara and a real throwback of a compilation album. Denver, Boise & Johnson / The Mitchell Trio, Leaving on a Jet Plane: John Denver (Warner Records) (Amazon / Spotify) John Denver’s career took off when his “Leaving on a Jet Plane”…
Categories:
Formats:
Genres:
Betcha by Golly Wow: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Collect Phyllis Hyman’s Albums Discography In New Box Set
“Phyllis sat right in my class. I can still see the pigtails.” In a 2016 interview with The Second Disc, Thom Bell shared his earliest memories of the late Phyllis Hyman (1949-1995). The songwriter-arranger-conductor-producer would cross paths numerous times over the years with his childhood friend: first via Phyllis’ hit recordings of his “Betcha By Golly Wow” and “Loving You – Losing You,” and later, his own productions and songs for her. “She was a lonely individual,” observed Thom, “which in turn enhanced the lonely vibes of a melody – if there…
Takin’ Care of Business: Dutton Vocalion Reissues Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Burton Cummings, Mott the Hoople, Leonard Bernstein, More in Quadraphonic
The Dutton Vocalion label has announced its first batch of hybrid SACD releases (playable on all CD players) for 2021 including another group of long-out-of-print quadraphonic surround mixes. First up is a three-for-one release from Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople. The first disc of this 2-SACD set presents 1974’s The Hoople (the band’s highest charting album in the U.S.) in stereo and quadraphonic; followed by a stereo-only presentation of 1972’s All the Young Dudes (featuring David Bowie’s classic title anthem) split across both discs; and concluding with the stereo-only Mott (their…
The Best of The Rest: Even More RSD Black Friday Releases Confirmed!
November 27 is always a special day for vinyl enthusiasts. Still filled up on last night’s Thanksgiving meal, music fans line up at their local shop for a chance at limited-edition vinyl. While the celebrations may look a little different this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (RSD has announced they’ll be less stringent about online sales) one thing remains the same: There are some excellent releases on offer, available exclusively from your local participating record shop! Here are some more releases from labels big and small that have us adding…
Categories:
Formats:
Genres:
Check Out Grover: SoulMusic Records Collects Columbia-Era Grover Washington, Jr. Titles on “Sacred Kind of Love”
During the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, there were few jazz musicians as popular and influential as Grover Washington, Jr. The talented reed-man’s skilled saxophone work (he could bring the funk on soprano, alto, baritone, tenor, and even flute) was matched by a pop sensibility that made him an instrumental figure in jazz-fusion as it morphed into smooth-jazz. His music was funky, danceable, accessible, and always smooth. His groundbreaking work in the ’70s and early ’89s has been well-documented — from his beginnings on Kudu/CTI and his genre-defining crossover Mister Magic, to his…
Release Round-Up: Week of July 19
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! James Taylor, The Warner Bros. Albums 1970-1976 (Warner/Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino has a newly remastered box, supervised by Peter Asher, of James Taylor’s six studio albums for the label including Sweet Baby James (1970), Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971), One Man Dog (1972), Walking Man (1974), Gorilla (1975); and In the Pocket (1976). Available on CD, 180-gram LP, or digital. Read more here! Judy Collins, The Elektra Albums Volume One [1961-1968] (Edsel) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)…
Categories:
Formats:
Genres:
Bet Your Lucky Star: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Anthologize the Best of Jean Carne
Cherry Red’s SoulMusic imprint has recently continued its series of artist anthologies with a pair of double-disc sets from two great ladies of soul-jazz: Jean Carne and Marlena Shaw. Today, we’re taking a look at Jean Carne’s collection! Jean Carne (also known as Jean Carn, though we’ll continue to use her preferred spelling with an “e”) has recorded for a variety of labels in a 45-plus year career: first, as part of a soul-jazz duo with her then-husband Doug Carn at his Black Jazz Records, and then solo at Philadelphia International, Motown,…
Mister Magic: Cherry Red Collects Grover Washington Jr.’s “Definitive Collection”
In a career spanning three decades, Grammy-winning saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. recorded roughly 25 albums, earned a No. 2 Pop single with Bill Withers, supported countless other vocalists, and recorded music of genres from funk to opera. (Yes, opera!) Washington passed away in 1999 at the age of 56, but not before having made his mark on the worlds of jazz and pop alike. His legacy has recently been celebrated by Cherry Red’s Robinsongs label on the new 2-CD Definitive Collection. This 24-track set draws on his recordings for CTI/Kudu, Motown, Elektra,…
Release Round-Up: Week of March 10
This week brings a particularly impressive slate by any standard, but we’re particularly proud to introduce the world to Second Disc Records with our first two releases, from Johnny Mathis and the late Bob Crewe! Johnny Mathis, Life is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Here, on two CDs, we proudly present both of Johnny Mathis’ album collaborations – including the never-on-CD Mathis Is… – with songwriter-producer Thom Bell, plus ten bonus tracks! Read more here! Bob Crewe, The Complete Elektra Recordings…
Categories:
Genres:
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
September 25, 2026