"I was working for a record company as a songwriter," Lou Reed remembered in 1972, "where they'd lock me in a room and they'd say, 'Write ten surfing songs,' ya know, and I wrote 'Heroin' and I said, 'Hey, I've got something for ya.' They said, 'Never gonna happen, never gonna happen.'" Reed wasn't able to introduce "Heroin" to the world until March 1967 when the Verve label released The Velvet Underground & Nico. The VU's debut album disappointed commercially but became greatly
After a series of smaller "Drops" over the past two years, Record Store Day is (mostly) back to a one-day event, and the big day is tomorrow: Saturday, April 23. Over 250 titles will be available at independent stores everywhere - including some CD releases, too! That's plenty of albums in almost every genre imaginable, so visit RecordStoreDay.com in the U.S., RecordStoreDay.co.uk in the U.K., and RecordStoreDayCanada.ca in Canada for the complete list, and sound off below as to which titles
Legacy Recordings has announced its release slate for Record Store Day 2022, with titles both coming for the primary RSD event on Saturday, April 23 and the additional RSD Drop scheduled for Saturday, June 18. Legacy's lineup draws on an array of heavy hitters, some of whom have featured in previous RSD releases, including Miles Davis, Lou Reed, Prince, Santana, Mariah Carey, Pearl Jam, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Patti Smith, and more. Below, you'll find Legacy's full list of releases,
While The Second Disc prides itself on connecting people to reissues and box sets they can keep on their shelves, it's no secret that listening audiences are also digital - catalogue music lovers, too - and our passion is connecting people to music from the past that they might adore. So we've introduced a new feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! Madonna, Madame X - Music from the
Director Todd Haynes has long emphasized music in his filmography. One of his first works to garner significant attention was 1987's controversial and unauthorized Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story; four years later, his evocation of the glam rock era in Velvet Goldmine made more commercial waves. More recently, he's been attached to direct Michelle Williams in the forthcoming Peggy Lee biopic Fever. But before Haynes tackles Peggy, he's returning to a different Velvet: The Velvet
Ace Records has had quite a 2021, from collections spotlighting the songs of Lou Reed and Donovan through this past week's releases from Petula Clark, late producer Norman Whitfield, and the ladies of Motown. Today, we're taking a look at a pair of recent releases from the venerable label. Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (1937-2016) may never have become a household name, but the music he helped create certainly did. A guitarist, producer, songwriter, and engineer, Moman pioneered the sound of
Oh! You Pretty Things: David Bowie's 1971 song became an anthem for the glam era: "Don't you know you're driving your mothers and fathers insane? Let me make it plain, you gotta make way for the homo superior..." Bowie's alien persona - androgynous, dangerous, sexy, and flamboyant - connected with youth and caused a stir among their parents. The song's title has now been adopted by a new 3-CD box set from Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint. Alas, "Oh! You Pretty Things" doesn't appear anywhere
"I'll take Manhattan in a garbage bag with Latin written on it that says "It's hard to give a shit these days..." Indeed, Lou Reed always gave off the vibe of someone who didn't give a shit - and moreover, someone who didn't take any shit. But beneath that hip veneer was an artist who cared deeply, and had the talents to express himself and his keenly-felt beliefs in song. He was ready for a new start in 1988 when he began recording his first album for Sire Records after his second stint at
Today's Black Friday shopping will likely look a little different thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But one thing will remain the same: Record Store Day's yearly event. It's been a packed year with RSD Drops in the months of August, September, and October. Now, they're going out with a bang. Labels big and small will release limited-edition vinyl with the collector in mind. Whether you're after new music from legends, reissues of sought-after recordings, or unreleased rarities from the vault,
Preparations for Record Store Day Black Friday, taking place this year on November 27, are in full swing. As shops begin to place their orders and fans everywhere write out want lists, we wanted to let you know about Legacy Recordings' offerings this year. Rock rarities, sought-after live sets, color vinyl reissues, prehistoric Hendrix, and brand-new David Gilmour - it's all on the lineup. So read up on the releases, get in touch with your local record shop, and add these to your collection on
Rhino has announced its releases for this year's Record Store Day Black Friday event, to be held at local record shops everywhere on November 27. The label will continue its box set series for the late John Prine, premiere an Alanis Morissette concert on vinyl, revisit a classic album from Lou Reed, reissue and expanded Motörhead's first recorded album on vinyl as well as CD, and more. Alanis Morissette - Live at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, 2020 (2 LPs) This acoustic concert from
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Diana Ross & The Supremes, Sing and Perform Funny Girl (Second Disc/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records debut Diana Ross & The Supremes Sing and Perform "Funny Girl": The Ultimate Edition, a deluxe 2-CD celebration of the classic 1968 Motown-meets-Broadway gem. Greatly building upon the digital-only Expanded Edition issued in 2014, The Ultimate Edition
Lou Reed went back to basics for his fifteenth solo studio album and Sire Records debut, 1989's New York. In contrast to the prevailing high-gloss, sleek, and electronic sound of the day, Reed opted for a primal sound with two guitars, bass, and drums that recalled his groundbreaking work two decades earlier with The Velvet Underground. (In fact, the VU's Moe Tucker even played percussion on a couple of tracks.) On September 25, Rhino will revisit the dark, visceral LP in a sprawling
As the world begins to slowly open up again, one thing that vinyl aficionados can look forward to is Record Store Day's RSD Drops. As we've previously reported, the organization opted to cancel their big day in April, and instead the titles will be released over three "drops" on August 29, September 26, and October 24. Legacy Recordings has announced their full, updated list of RSD Drops contributions from Cheap Trick, Tyler The Creator, Pink Floyd, Miles Davis, Toto, Manic Street Preachers,
Sony Music's Legacy Recordings division has announced the titles they'll be releasing for the annual Record Store Day festivities. Hitting shelves April 18 will be a slew of genre- and decade-spanning albums from Miles Davis, Cheap Trick, TLC, Judas Priest, Tyler the Creator, Pink Floyd and more! Here's the official word from Legacy! Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, today announces another sensational line-up of vinyl for release on Record Store Day (April
Rhino, the label that manages the catalogue of the Warner family of labels, has announced its upcoming Record Store Day releases. A mouth-watering 29 titles will hit shops on April 18, available exclusively at brick-and-mortar locations. These include the previously announced David Bowie titles; a rare live set from Alice Cooper; rarities from Jethro Tull; a box of John Prine's early albums; a set of core Notorious BIG records; BBC sessions from The Pogues, New Order, and Hawkwind; a
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you've enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of beloved family and friends. Record Store Day Black Friday is now almost upon us, so we thought we'd spotlight a few particularly exciting releases arriving to your local brick-and-mortar record shop! Here's our round up of RSD BF must-haves! We're kicking off with Sam's list, and then we'll follow with Randy and Joe's! Aretha Franklin, The Atlantic Singles Collection 1968
And what does Rhino have planned for this year's Record Store Day Black Friday festivities? Warner's catalog music arm has eight vinyl titles coming to indies on November 29. Expect a few vinyl debuts, some stalwarts of the label (The Monkees, Devo, The Doors) and some newly-available holiday material, appropriate for the end of the year! Learn all about it ahead. Alice Cooper, Billion Dollar Babies Live (Warner) Originally released on a deluxe edition of Alice Cooper's bestselling 1973
The pairing of Nils Lofgren and Lou Reed may have seemed an unlikely one; for one thing, neither gentleman needed much help from anyone else as a songwriter. But the pair's brief collaboration yielded a full album's worth of songs - 13 total - which would be doled out between the artists on Lofgren's A&M release Nils and Reed's Arista album The Bells (both from 1979). Much later, Lofgren tapped the song stash again for Damaged Goods (1995) and Breakaway Angel (2002), but five of their
Today, Rhino announced its offerings for the 2019 Record Store Day celebration, taking place at your local brick-and-mortar shop Saturday, April 13. Rhino's 33 releases highlight several genres of music - soul, rock, rap, comedy, disco, pop, jam bands, prog, and more - on an array of formats including LPs, CDs, picture discs, colored vinyl, and even cassette tapes. Here's the run-down on all their RSD titles! a-ha, Hunting High and Low: The Early Alternate Mixes - 1 LP - 6,000
Real Gone Music has announced that, in conjunction with Sony's Legacy Recordings, the label is adding a new title to the long-running Essential series with a volume devoted to singer-songwriter Eric Andersen. The 2-CD The Essential Eric Andersen, due March 30, features 33 songs chosen by Andersen himself which span his entire career and feature recordings from eighteen albums and ten different labels including Vanguard, Warner Bros., Columbia, Arista, Gold Castle, Appleseed, Meyer, Ryko,
In the spring of 1967, after sitting on it for about a year, Verve Records issued The Velvet Underground & Nico, a strange yet ultimately captivating album by a New York band comprised of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker - with vocal contributions from Nico, a German singer and model introduced to the album at the behest of artist and album producer Andy Warhol. Producer Brian Eno summed the album up better
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Doors, The Singles (Elektra/Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 2CD/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. Vinyl box set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. Singles compiles all 20 of the singles from The Doors' official discography. This not only includes every A and B-side from their core studio albums, but several albums recorded and released after the passing of frontman Jim Morrison, including
Record Store Day has been an institution for a decade now, so leave it to this year's 10th anniversary event to be one of the biggest! We've already shone the spotlight on releases by David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Prince, Omnivore Recordings and Legacy Recordings; now, it's time to take a look at Warner Music's incredibly generous lineup. Over 30 titles will be featured from the label group at independent record stores on Saturday, April 22. There's really something for everyone: vintage 12"
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up which just might be the biggest slate of the year to date! Lou Reed, The RCA and Arista Album Collection (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Legacy brings together 16 Lou Reed albums from his RCA and Arista years on 17 CDs, all remastered directly under Reed's supervision before his untimely passing in 2013. An 80-page hardbound booklet with detailed liner notes, five art prints and a poster round out this limited edition package. Read