“I’m feeling a range of different emotions right now. I feel a sigh of relief but emptiness too. Another chapter in my life has come to an end. A truly sad ending to a brilliant music pioneer. I will say, if it weren’t for Phil, there would never be a Darlene Love.” – Darlene Love “It’s a sad day for music and a sad day for me. When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best. He was…
Marshmallow World: Legacy Reissues Christmas Classics from Andy, Perry, Dean, Elvis, Johnny, Kenny and Dolly, and More
October is upon us, and while 2020 hasn’t given us much to rejoice about, the holiday season is almost here. Before the month is out, radio stations will begin switching to seasonal formats, and television will begin showing yuletide movies. With a never-ending barrage of bad news, “we need a little Christmas right this very minute” has hardly seemed more apt. Sony’s Legacy Recordings is getting a head start on Christmas this year with the release on vinyl of 10 favorite albums from the vaults of Columbia, RCA, Arista, and more. On…
Review: John Lennon, “Imagine: The Ultimate Collection”
You May Say I’m a Dreamer Much like the artist who created it, John Lennon’s Imagine has always been an album of contradictions. While its dreamy, idealized title track has become an anthem for generations, the same LP veers from heartbreaking vulnerability (“Jealous Guy”) and expressions of romance (“Oh My Love,” “Oh Yoko!”) to a withering, personal jab at a friend (“How Do You Sleep”) to powerfully pointed social commentary (“Crippled Inside,” “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die,” “Gimme Some Truth”). With 1970’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,…
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River Deep Mountain High: Ace Returns to the Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich Songbook
With Sweet Things, Ace Records has picked a most apt title for its third volume of music from the Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry songbook (Ace CDCHD 1434). Though Greenwich and Barry were united as husband and wife for just the short period of 1962-1965, and only worked together for a short time after that, a year hasn’t gone by since when their enduring songs haven’t been recorded and re-recorded. The collection’s 24 titles span 1963-1978 and blend hits and rarities from the duo with tracks penned by Greenwich and Barry individually…
Saint Etienne Hosts “A Central Park Picnic” With Phil Spector, Burt Bacharach, Dion, The Drifters
For the inaugural release of his new Cherry Red imprint Croydon Municipal, Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley has curated a collection of Songs for a Central Park Picnic. Songwriter/producer Stanley’s label is an extension of his Croydon Municipal blog, in which he holds forth on subjects as diverse as Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb’s Guilty, the evolution of Britpop, and the fortunes of HMV. Like Stanley’s blog, his new CD compilation reflects his eclectic musical passions. Saint Etienne Presents Songs for a Central Park Picnic, arriving July 29 in the U.K. and August…
Be My Baby: Sundazed Preps Spector Reissues On Vinyl
It’s once again time to go back to mono. Sundazed has just announced the vinyl reissue of four classic albums from Phil Spector’s Philles label. On July 31, The Ronettes’ Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica by the Ronettes; Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah by Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans; and The Crystals’ Uptown and He’s A Rebel will all receive the Sundazed treatment. All four albums were reissued on CD last year from Phil Spector Records and Legacy Recordings as part of The Philles Album Collection box set, but this Sundazed campaign marks…
Release Round-Up: Week of May 8
Barenaked Ladies, Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before! (Rhino) A single-disc compilation of mostly unreleased odds and ends from the BNL catalogue. Bill Withers, Just as I Am: 40th Anniversary Edition (Big Break) A remaster of Withers’ breakthrough 1971 album, featuring the immortal “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Grandma’s Hands.” Phil Collins, …But Seriously (Audio Fidelity) Collins’ 1989 solo album, featuring hits “Another Day in Paradise” and “Something Happened on the Way to Heaven,” has been mastered for a 24K gold disc. Various Artists, Da Doo Ron Ron: More from the Ellie Greenwich…
Bring Back That Lovin’ Feelin’: Righteous Brothers’ Philles Albums Arrive on CD…In Japan!
It’s time to get Righteous…at least if you’re in Japan, that is, or willing to shell out big bucks from an import retailer. Though they have eluded U.S. CD release to date, The Righteous Brothers’ three long-players from Phil Spector’s Philles label will be reissued on April 3 as limited edition SHM-CDs from Universal Music Japan. 1965’s You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and Just Once in My Life, as well as 1966’s Back to Back, are all anchored by key Spector-produced tracks. The remaining songs were produced by one-half of the duo,…
Second Discmas, Week One: And The Winners Are…
And the winners are… With our second week of exciting giveaways about to kick off later today, it’s about time to reveal the winners from our first week of Second Discmas! Without further ado, here we go! Congratulations to… Charles K. of Cleveland, OH, and Jose M., winners of Ben Folds’ The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective! Jeffrey R. of Los Angeles, California, Rich D., Jake H., Kenneth R., and Anthony “Anth”, winners of Billy Joel’s Piano Man: Legacy Edition! Edward O., Richard D., and Pat C., winners of The Essential…
The Second Day of Second Discmas
It’s The Second Day of Second Discmas, our special form of holiday greetings to our loyal readers, and we’ve got another round of awesome giveaways for you today. Today, we’ve got another gift for you from our friends at Legacy Recordings. Sony’s reissue arm has been diligent lately in releasing works from the esteemed Philles Records catalogue, from a series of greatest-hits albums to a fantastic, bonus-filled box of vintage albums from the label’s discography. On The Second Day of Second Discmas, we give to thee a trio of teenage symphonies: three…
The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time, Part 8 (#65-61)
We continue our look at the many reissues of the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003! We’ll explore the various versions of these classic albums on disc, letting you know which audio treasures can be found on which releases. It’s a marvelous night for a “Moondance” before we go “Back to Mono,” roll with the Stones and then take in latter-day classics from the 1980s and 1990s! 65. Moondance, Van Morrison (Warner Bros., 1970) Van Morrison’s 1968 Warner Bros. debut, Astral Weeks, was a creation like no other,…
Review: Phil Spector, “The Philles Album Collection” and “The Essential Phil Spector”
Whoa-oh, a-whoa-oh-oh-oh! Think of The Ronettes’ wail, every bit as iconic a cry as a-whop-bop-a-loo-a-whop-bam-boom. Doesn’t rock and roll have a way of elevating onomatopoeia to poetry? And no label made sweeter poetry in the first half of the 1960s than Philles Records. The voices of Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, La La Brooks, Barbara Alston and the rest spoke directly to America’s teenagers. These women, alternately vulnerable and defiant, were little more than girls when they began putting their voices to the “little symphonies” being crafted by producer Phil Spector and his house arrangers,…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 24/25
It’s Tuesday, but most of the new music this week has already been out for a day. But assuming you were too busy to get out to the shops, here’s a look at what’s new. And there’s quite a bit! Various Artists, Phil Spector Presents The Philles Album Collection (Phil Spector Records/Legacy) Six of the first seven Philles albums presented in mono, along with a bonus disc of those delightfully out-there instrumental B-sides. Seriously, have you heard any of them? They’re crazy. In a good way, that is. Diana Ross & The Supremes,…
FINAL UPDATE 8/4: “Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection” and “Essential Phil Spector” Due From Legacy
Well, get a load of that! This is the photo I’ve been waiting for – and if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been waiting with bated breath, too! As of August 4, we have official confirmation that Legacy’s Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection is, indeed, coming on October 18, along with a two-disc retrospective as part of the label’s long-running Essential series. Most purchasers of Legacy’s first wave of Philles Records reissues last February took immediate notice of a full-color insert which promised a most exciting June release sure to grab everyone’s…
