Last year, the Bella Union label released a collection that fell under the radar. Happily, we here at Second Disc HQ have discovered Paradise: The Sound of Ivor Raymonde, available in 1-CD, 2-LP, and digital formats. The name of Raymonde will surely be familiar to fans of Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, or The Walker Brothers, but those are only three of the artists with whom the late producer-arranger-conductor worked his magic. Paradise, co-curated by his son Simon Raymonde of Bella Union
What 1966 record from a Spanish band with a German lead singer was written and recorded in England before becoming a top 5 hit in America? The answer, of course, is "Black is Black," the No. 4 smash from Spain's Los Bravos. Cherry Red Records' RPM imprint has recently released a definitive 2-disc compendium from the group. Black is Black: The Anthology 1966-1969 boasts 60 tracks on 2 CDs from the band most often thought of as a "one hit wonder" in the United States. Los Bravos was formed