NEW YORK (NY) – Could it really be getting better? That was a fair question on the lips of the crowd assembled last Friday, April 28, at New York City’s World of McIntosh Townhouse. The Second Disc was privileged to be among those members of the press assembled for a “first listen” to the upcoming 50th anniversary stereo remix of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, due for release on May 26 from Capitol, UMe, and Apple Records. Jeff Jones, the chief executive of Apple Corps, and Giles Martin, producer…
Getting Better All the Time: The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” Reissued for Its 50th Anniversary
“It was twenty years ago today Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play They’ve been going in and out of style But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile So may I introduce to you The act you’ve known for all these years Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!” With that verse, The Beatles quite honestly changed popular music. Their eighth studio album, and the first since their final concert tour, ushered in a sea change of rock and roll–a focus on the long-playing album over singles as focal artistic point, an introduction…
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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You Want It, Too: McCartney-McManus Demos Coming to Cassette for Record Store Day
As controversial as the Paul McCartney Archive Collection’s approach to Flowers in the Dirt has been, the official release of demos from McCartney’s fruitful writing sessions with Elvis Costello has made for some excitement around Second Disc HQ. Some of those fateful “McCartney/McManus” demos are now slated for an exclusive Record Store Day piece, it was announced yesterday. Three unheard cassette demos, part of the much-maligned download-only portion of the deluxe box set (which will also feature previously released B-sides and remixes, instead of this content on a physical disc), have been…
Paul McCartney Sets Archive Release of “Flowers in the Dirt” For March, Includes Elvis Costello Demos
Last August, Paul McCartney announced his return to The Beatles’ longtime home of Capitol Records, bringing all of his solo works beginning with 1970’s McCartney into the fold of the Universal Music Group-owned label. Today, the long-awaited multi-format Archive Collection release of 1989’s Flowers in the Dirt has been announced for March 24, 2017 via MPL/Capitol/UMe. Highlighted by four collaborations with Declan MacManus, a.k.a. Elvis Costello, Flowers in the Dirt featured productions by not only McCartney and MacManus, but also Mitchell Froom, Trevor Horn, David Foster, and Steve Lipson. Pink Floyd’s David…
A Capitol Arrangement: Paul McCartney Returns To Venerable Label
Paul McCartney is coming full circle. After years at Concord Records, successor to Hear Music, McCartney has signed a worldwide deal with Universal Music Group’s Capitol Records label. This new agreement brings all of the superstar’s solo works beginning with 1970’s McCartney to the Capitol fold, and also encompasses a new solo album that is currently in the works. McCartney commented in a statement: “This is genuinely exciting for me. Not only was Capitol my first U.S. record label, but the first record I ever bought was Gene Vincent’s ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ on the…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 10
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, with some of the most high-profile releases yet for 2016! The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds 50 (Various Editions) (Capitol/UMe) 4-CD/1-BD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-CD Deluxe Edition (CD 1 + highlights from 4-CD set): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Mono 180-Gram Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Stereo 180-Gram Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Beach Boys’ landmark 1966 album Pet Sounds is turning 50, and Capitol/UMe is celebrating…
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Listen To What The Man Said: “Pure McCartney” Career-Spanning Box Arrives In June
Paul McCartney has just announced a new, solo career-spanning anthology. On June 10, Pure McCartney will arrive in 4-CD (67 tracks), 4-LP (41 tracks) and 2-CD (39 tracks) formats. This non-chronologically sequenced compilation draws on solo and Wings material from 1970’s homemade McCartney through 2014’s “Hope for the Future,” featured on the Destiny video game. The collection, curated by the legendary artist, includes both familiar hits and lesser-known album tracks as well as material from Macca’s side project The Fireman, and the 2015 remix of “Say Say Say” initially presented on a…
With a Little Help From Their Friends: Esoteric Reissues “McGough and McGear” In Mono and Stereo
The original 1968 LP issue of McGough and McGear reprinted a handwritten list of “People on a Train.” These famous people included Jimi Hendrix, Spencer Davis, Gary Leeds of the Walker Brothers, Dave Mason, John Mayall, Graham Nash, Paul Samwell-Smith, Jane Asher and a certain Paul McCartney. The train, in fact, was the studio where Roger McGough and Mike McGear – real name, Mike McCartney – recorded their only album as a duo. The unconventional yet accessible art-rock classic, produced in part by the future Sir Paul and featuring all of those…
Say, Say, Say! The Second Disc’s Essential RSD Black Friday 2015 Release Guide
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you’re enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of family and friends. Of course, from this day which conjures nostalgic and warm feelings comes a celebration of a different kind with this year’s annual Black Friday – the day for consumers to start off the holiday shopping season on a mad, frenetic note. But 2015 is just in the latest year in which numerous retailers in the U.S. have made headlines by blackening Thursday, or Thanksgiving Day…
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Our Big Record Store Day Black Friday Round-Up Featuring McCartney, Bowie, Wilson, Queen, Ronstadt, More
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve told you about the 2015 Black Friday Record Store Day offerings from Legacy, Omnivore and Real Gone Music. Well, the full list of releases which are coming out on November 27 has been announced and we’ve got the details below including new titles from Rhino, Varese Sarabande, Hear Music and more! The entire list is over 125 items long, so we’ve just highlighted some entries below in which you might be interested. The full listing can be seen at recordstoreday.com. As usual, with so many…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 2
Welcome to our new Release Round-Up! Paul McCartney, The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Tug of War (MPL/Concord) The Paul McCartney Archive Collection continues with 1982’s Tug of War, featuring “Ebony and Ivory” and “Here Today.” The release is available in various formats: 3-CD/1-DVD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-CD Special Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-LP Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Check out our full feature for information on what you’ll find in each version! Paul McCartney, The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Pipes of Peace (MPL/Concord) Paul…
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Paul McCartney Archive Collection “Tug of War” and “Pipes of Peace” ARRIVE TOMORROW!
REMINDER! Tomorrow, October 2, will finally see the release of the next two installments in Paul McCartney’s Archive Collection: Tug of War and Pipes of Peace! At last, we can say, say, say it’s true: the next two volumes of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection are almost here in a variety of formats. Macca’s second and third albums of the 1980s, the platinum sellers Tug of War and Pipes of Peace, will arrive from Concord Records and MPL with the expected array of bonus material, highlighted by a complete 2015 remix of Tug…
Release Round-Up: Week of September 11
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Second Disc Records is going back to the beach with Ricci Martin, but that’s far from all this week! We’re also taking off with ELO, singing street-corner symphonies with The Four Seasons, and much more! Plus: new titles from classic artists! Ricci Martin, Beached: Expanded Edition (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) What if key members of The Beach Boys, Chicago, America, and Wings had teamed up to create one of the greatest California rock albums you’ve never heard? Well, they actually did! Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, author…
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Together In Perfect Harmony: Paul McCartney’s “Tug of War” and “Pipes Of Peace” Join Archive Collection
At last, we can say, say, say it’s true: the next two volumes of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection are on their way for October 2 release in a variety of formats. Macca’s second and third albums of the 1980s, the platinum sellers Tug of War and Pipes of Peace, will arrive from Concord Records and MPL with the expected array of bonus material, highlighted by a complete 2015 remix of Tug of War. 1982’s Tug of War marked McCartney’s first album following the breakup of Wings. It followed 1980’s McCartney II…
Going to the Country: “Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats” Chronicles Birth of Music City Country-Rock
Two legendary artists headline a new anthology arriving on June 16, 2015 from Legacy Recordings. Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, a 2-CD, 36-track compilation, serves as an audio companion and soundtrack to the exhibit of the same name currently on display at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame through December 31, 2016. Like the exhibit, this new release explores the timeless sounds created at the intersection of country, folk and rock in Nashville between, roughly speaking, 1964 and 1975. Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash formed a mutual…
Release Round-Up: Week of March 23
It’s a Monday release date here in the U.S., so here’s your early Release Round-Up! Bee Gees, 1974-1979 (Reprise/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) This box set brings together the band’s Mr. Natural, Main Course, Children of the World and Spirits Having Flown plus a disc of previously issued bonus material. Full track listing and details here. Watch on Record Store Day for a companion vinyl release to this set featuring the 12-inch mixes from Saturday Night Fever! Kansas, Miracles Out of Nowhere (CD/DVD Set) (Epic/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) The new…
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Zombies, Everly Brothers, Paul McCartney Featured On Varese’s Record Store Day Slate
If you’re looking for Zombies on Record Store Day – and we’re not talking about The Walking Dead, either! – Varese Sarabande’s line-up for the April 18 event is just for you! Besides a treat from the British rockers, the label is also offering up vintage rock-and-roll from The Everly Brothers, girl-group pop courtesy The Dixie Cups, a rare soundtrack from Sir Paul McCartney, and more! Straight from the label’s press release, here’s the lowdown on each release you can expect at your local participating independent record retailer on Saturday, April 18!…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 17
Henry Mancini, The Classic Soundtrack Collection (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) The Classic Soundtrack Collection features 18 of Mancini’s most memorable soundtrack albums for RCA, Columbia and Epic Records on nine CDs, spanning the period between 1960’s High Time and 1978’s Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, and adds bonus material from vocalists including Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams and, on a previously unreleased track, Julie Andrews. Johnny Mathis, The Global Albums Collection (Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) A Columbia artist since 1956, Johnny Mathis departed his label home just once –…
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Listen To What The Man Said: Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Venus and Mars,” “Wings at the Speed of Sound” ARRIVE TODAY!
Today just might be the biggest and most packed release date of the year, and two of the undisputed highlights are the latest additions to Paul McCartney’s Archive Collection library! Venus and Mars adds fourteen bonus tracks, including various singles, tracks from the One Hand Clapping special, and “Let’s Love,” a song written by Macca for Peggy Lee. Wings at the Speed of Sound has seven additional audio tracks including demos of “Silly Love Songs” and “Let ‘Em In,” and “Beware My Love” featuring Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. This is your place to sound off…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 4
Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete and Raw (Columbia/Legacy) At long last, here are the complete and unexpurgated Basement Tapes – 6 discs and over 140 songs recorded in the creatively fertile days of 1967 and 1968 by Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm. Quite simply, this treasure trove of Americana may well be the Catalogue Music Event of the Year. Complete: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Raw: CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. The Paul McCartney Archive Collection:…
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Everybody Out There: Paul McCartney Expands “New” In October As 2-CD/1-DVD Set
The week before hotly-anticipated Archive Collection releases arrive of Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound, Paul McCartney is looking to a more recent title for a deluxe reissue. On October 28, McCartney will revisit New, first released in October 2013. The 2-CD/1-DVD set expands the album that entered both the U.K. and U.S. album charts at No. 3 and has since sold nearly a quarter of a million copies in the U.S. in addition to having earned platinum and gold certifications elsewhere in the world. This new edition of…
Release Round-Up: Week of January 21
The Beatles, The U.S. Albums (Apple/Capitol/UMe) The centerpiece product of The Fab Four’s 50th anniversary celebration (thus far, anyway) is a 13-disc box featuring the original, unique American releases on Capitol/United Artists from 1964 to 1970 (including six titles from that first year alone). All but the spoken-word documentary album The Beatles’ Story will be available individually, and all but that and 1970’s stereo-only Hey Jude compilation will be available in mono and stereo on the same disc. The U.S. Albums: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Meet The Beatles!: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. The Beatles’ Second Album: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. A Hard Day’s Night: Original…
The Year in Reissues: The 2013 Gold Bonus Disc Awards
Welcome to The Second Disc’s Fourth Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! Though this is a slow time of year for news, it’s the perfect time to look at the year in review. As with every year’s awards, our goals are simple: to recognize as many of the year’s most essential reissues and catalogue titles as possible, and to celebrate those labels, producers and artists who make these releases possible in what many might deem an increasingly-challenging retail landscape. These labels have bucked the trends to prove that there’s still a demand for…
