Ray Parker Jr. - The Second Disc

The Weekend Stream: February 22, 2025

February 22, 2025 by Mike Duquette | 2 Comments

Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts! A great Carly Simon deep cut gets a fresh mix, plus Phil Collins in concert and new music from The Stylistics. Carly Simon, “Share the End” (2025 Remaster) (Elektra/Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon) Though merely billed as a remaster in the metadata, this upbeat, heartbreaking side-two opener to Simon’s sophomore album Anticipation has been newly remixed. It’s a dramatic revisit of a song that resonates still, and hopefully a portent of…

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The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Bill Champlin, Billy Gibbons, Carly Simon, Gene Simmons, Larry Coryell, Phil Collins, Ray Parker Jr., Ron Wood, Shania Twain, Steve Lukather, Tatyana Ali, The Stylistics, Tower of Power, Will Smith

Who Ya Gonna Call? Big Break Anthologizes Best of Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio

November 30, 2017 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

Ray Parker Jr For Those Who Like to Groove

It would be a mighty task to distill the career of Ray Parker, Jr. – singer, songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, and more – into one collection, but Big Break Records has boldly done just that with the enticing anthology entitled For Those Who Like to Groove: The Essential Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio. The Cherry Red imprint has collected 32 hits and rarities on 2 CDs from the period of 1978-1987, proving there’s a whole lot more to the artist than just his chart-topping “Ghostbusters.” A longtime session veteran who had…

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News

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Genres:

R&B/Soul

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Ray Parker Jr., Raydio

Release Round-Up: Week of October 16

October 16, 2015 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! The dB’s and Friends, Christmas Time Again! (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Omnivore revisits and revises the classic alt-rock Christmas compilation. Producer Chris Stamey has added new performances by Yo La Tengo & Jeff Tweedy, Marshall Crenshaw, Robyn Hitchcock, and Big Star’s Third (featuring Mike Mills of R.E.M. taking lead vocals on Big Star’s “Jesus Christ”) to selected tracks from past editions of the album for a total of 22 tracks! King Crimson, Thrak (CD/DVD-A) (DGM) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) 1995’s Thrak arrives as the…

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Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, DVD-Audio, Digital Download, Vinyl

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Cole Porter, Earth Wind and Fire, Glen Campbell, Judy Garland, King Crimson, Pat Boone, Ray Parker Jr., Raydio, The dB's

Release Round-Up: Week of July 31

July 31, 2015 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Led Zeppelin, Presence / In Through the Out Door / Coda [Various Editions] (Swan Song/Atlantic) Presence: Super Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. In Through the Out Door: Super Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Original Album Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Deluxe Edition Vinyl: Amazon U.S….

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Release Round-Up

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Jazz, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks

Tags:

Alice Cooper, Ashford and Simpson, Led Zeppelin, Ray Parker Jr., The Band, Vince Guaraldi

Release Round-Up: Week of October 21

October 21, 2014 by Joe Marchese | 5 Comments

Ray Parker Jr. & Run-DMC, Ghostbusters: Stay Puft Edition Super Deluxe Vinyl (Legacy) The Marshmallow Man is back! The Stay Puft Super Deluxe Edition Vinyl is a limited edition collectible that every Ghostbusters fan will want to take home! Co-produced by The Second Disc’s Mike Duquette, this set contains the No. 1 hit single “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. and the “Ghostbusters” rap by Run-DMC for the film’s hit sequel, with both tracks on a white 12” single in a deluxe, puffy, package that smells like marshmallows! Suzi Quatro, The Girl from Detroit City…

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News, Release Round-Up

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Soundtracks

Tags:

Mike Oldfield, Neil Diamond, Ray Parker Jr., Run-D.M.C., Scott Walker, Spandau Ballet, Suzi Quatro, The Hollies

The Second Disc’s Record Store Day 2014 Must-Haves

April 18, 2014 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

If you’ve been following these pages for the past few weeks, you’ve likely noticed an awful lot of coverage about Record Store Day! Well, the day is nearly here! Tomorrow, Saturday, April 21, music fans and collectors will flock to their local independent record stores to celebrate both the sounds on those round black platters and the very concept of shopping in a physical retail environment. To many of us, both are a way of life. We’re doubly excited this year because one special title was co-produced by our very own Mike…

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News

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Genres:

Soundtracks

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Bruce Springsteen, Paramore, Randy Newman, Ray Parker Jr., Record Store Day, Ronnie Spector, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Muppets, The Pogues, Van Dyke Parks, Vinyl

Of Ghosts, Panthers and Ronettes: Legacy Unveils Record Store Day 2014 Slate

March 20, 2014 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Today’s the day! This morning, Los Angeles’ vinyl mecca Amoeba Music hosted the “Official List Launch” for Record Store Day, with simultaneous unveilings of the extensive RSD ’14 line-up occurring in Nashville and across the pond in London. We’ve already filled you in on some of the exciting titles arriving on Saturday, April 19 from many of our favorite labels (Real Gone Music, Omnivore Recordings) and artists alike (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Devo, Neil Young, R.E.M. ), and there’s plenty more news on the way! Among those slates revealed today was that of…

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News

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Bruce Springsteen, MGMT, Outkast, Ray Parker Jr., Ronnie Spector, The Allman Brothers Band, The The, Vinyl

Release Round-Up: Week of January 21

January 21, 2014 by Mike Duquette | 3 Comments

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…

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News, Release Round-Up

Formats:

Box Sets

Genres:

Soundtracks

Tags:

Loleatta Holloway, Mike + The Mechanics, Paul McCartney, Ray Parker Jr., Ronnie Spector, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles

Everybody Loves Somebody: New “Playlist” Wave Includes Ronnie Spector, Simon and Garfunkel, Journey, Dean Martin, More

January 17, 2014 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

It’s a new year, and that means a new crop of Playlist titles from Legacy Recordings! As in the past, this crop of releases runs the gamut, with a number of titles including rare or new-to-CD material and others relying on the tried and true. The artists represented also encompass a wide variety of genres. Fans of classic rock-and-roll and pop will find plenty to enjoy on a career-spanning disc from Ronnie Spector and a reissue of the vintage Greatest Hits album of Simon and Garfunkel, while those seeking their rock in…

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News

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Ray Parker Jr., Ray Price, Ronnie Spector, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel, The Verve Pipe

Release Round-Up: Week of July 3

July 3, 2012 by Mike Duquette | No Comments

Jellyfish, Live at Bogart’s (Omnivore) A fine 1991 gig from the criminally underrated power pop band, captured on CD and three sides of vinyl. Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits (Audio Fidelity) The Bard’s first compilation gets the 24K gold disc treatment. Elton John, Classic Album Selection (Universal U.K.) Elton fans have a neat little budget compilation of studio albums to look forward to (from 1970’s self-titled album to 1973’s Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player). Small Faces, Odgens’ Nut Gone Flake: Deluxe Edition (Snapper Music) A triple-disc expansion of the seminal 1968 album,…

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News, Release Round-Up

Formats:

Blu-Ray, Box Sets

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Tags:

Bob Dylan, Bronski Beat, Ray Parker Jr., Small Faces, The Searchers

Unsung No More: Funky Town Grooves Expands the Ray Parker, Jr. Catalogue

March 21, 2012 by Mike Duquette | No Comments

If you’ve watched the critically-acclaimed TV One series Unsung, which acts as a more in-depth Where Are They Now?/Behind the Music-type program for R&B artists including Alexander O’Neal, Sheila E., DeBarge and Atlantic Starr, you know that Ray Parker, Jr. is far more than just the man behind the iconic theme to “Ghostbusters.” The singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist has a ridiculously long list of great session and production work, and managed to walk away from the major labels before he was pushed out due to age or declining commercial fortunes. Based on interviews conducted on the show, he…

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News

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Ray Parker Jr.