April 16, 2024 marked what would have been the 100th birthday of Henry Mancini (1924-1994). With over 125 films and 90 albums to his credit (not to mention television shows, stage productions, and more!), the late composer’s richly melodic music is still very much a part of the American cultural tapestry. Spain’s soundtrack specialist label Quartet Records wasn’t about to let the Mancini centennial go unnoticed. The label has delivered four new Mancini releases just in time for the holidays, all of which look to be deserving of the composer’s great legacy….
It’s a Good Day: “Something Wonderful: Peggy Lee Sings the Great American Songbook” Coming from Omnivore
On April 9, Omnivore Recordings will release Something Wonderful, indeed: a 2-CD, 40-track collection of rare and long-unheard performances from the one and only Peggy Lee. This release brings together a host of rarities from CBS Radio’s 1951-1952 Peggy Lee Show, all expertly restored and remastered by Michael Graves. Something Wonderful: Peggy Lee Sings the Great American Songbook features Lee’s long-lost renditions of classic American standards written by a “Who’s Who” of great songwriters, among them Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cole Porter, Matt Dennis, Hoagy…
Review: Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer, “Two of a Kind: Expanded Edition”
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 romp on Darin’s then-home of Atco Records. …
Release Round-Up: Week of March 24
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 Flowers in the Dirt in a variety of formats. All boast a remastered version of the original 13-track album (including…
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Ace In The Hole: Omnivore Reissues Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer Classic
“‘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 Kind, and the sensationally…
Accentuate The Positive: Capitol Records Turns 75, Plans New Vinyl Reissues
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 (naturally!) with five titles, Frank Sinatra with four, and The Band, Bonnie Raitt, and The Beach…
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