The Beach Boys 2 - The Second Disc

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Blues, Electronic, Holiday, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

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808 State, Bon Jovi, Charlie Parker, Elton John, Lionel Richie, MC Tunes, Marv Johnson, Ne-Yo, Robert Glasper, The Beach Boys

California Saga: The Beach Boys’ “Sail On Sailor: 1972” Explores “Carl and the Passions,” “Holland”

September 27, 2022 by Joe Marchese | 19 Comments

The cover of The Beach Boys’ eighteenth studio album didn’t look so different than what fans might have expected, with its shot of the beach, blue sky, and palm trees through a car window. But once listeners placed the needle on the first track, it was clear this was no ordinary Beach Boys record. Only one song – the opening “You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone,” a twangy rocker with little of the lushness once associated with their sound – bore a production credit for Brian Wilson; only three…

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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The Weekend Stream: September 3, 2022

September 3, 2022 by Mike Duquette | 4 Comments

Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to discover! From a Prince-ly duo of two queens to a Beach Boy gone solo and more, you’ll find some great picks for the holiday weekend. Wendy & Lisa, B-Sides / Instrumentals / Edits / Extended Versions (Virgin) B-Sides: iTunes U.K. / Amazon U.K. Extended: iTunes U.K. / Amazon U.K. An exciting treat for fans of Wendy & Lisa, the killer pop/rock guitar/keyboard duo…

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The Weekend Stream

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Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock, Soundtracks

The Weekend Stream: August 7, 2022

August 7, 2022 by Mike Duquette | 2 Comments

Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to discover! From new remixes of old favorites and throwback remixes of new hits, to deep dives into ’80s alt-rock, mid-century easy listening, ’70s live folk and ’90s tracks to run on the beach in slow motion to…we’re pulling out all this stops this Sunday! Beyoncé & Madonna, Break My Soul (The Queens Remix) (Parkwood/Columbia) (iTunes / Amazon) Queen Bey had a busy month gearing…

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The Weekend Stream

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Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Funk, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Grapefruit’s “Heroes and Villains” Collects L.A. Sounds of 1965-1968 From The Beach Boys, Mamas and Papas, Monkees, Zappa, More

July 20, 2022 by Joe Marchese | 1 Comment

Heroes and Villains The Sound of Los Angeles 1965 68

Though Heroes and Villains is the title of Grapefruit’s new 3-CD anthology chronicling The Sound of Los Angeles 1965-68, that famous Beach Boys song isn’t among its 90 selections. Not that Brian Wilson and co. are absent; the compilation instead presents another SMiLE tune, “Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)” as part of its portrait of a place and time in music history when it truly seemed anything was possible. U.K.-based compiler David Wells persuasively makes the case here that L.A. replaced England as the epicenter of the American pop scene…

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Box Sets, CD

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Buffalo Springfield, Frank Zappa, Lee Hazlewood, Love, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Grass Roots, The Mamas and The Papas, Tim Buckley, Various Artists

Review: The Beach Boys, “Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys”

July 1, 2022 by Joe Marchese | 19 Comments

We’ll be havin’ fun all summer long… For nearly sixty years, the sun-drenched harmonies of The Beach Boys have provided the soundtrack for summer – from those welcome first days and first rays through the season’s bittersweet final moments as autumn’s chill approaches. They’re the rare band whose compilations, beginning with 1974’s chart-topping Endless Summer, have become nearly as key to their legacy as the core studio albums. 2003’s Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys became their highest-charting album since 15 Big Ones (1976) and highest-charting collection since Spirit…

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Reviews

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Classic Rock, Pop, Rock

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Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, The Beach Boys

Release Round-Up: Week of June 17

June 17, 2022 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up featuring a selection of the week’s new titles! The Beach Boys, Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys – Expanded Edition (Capitol/UMe) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6LP Standard: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD (contains CD 1 only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Standard: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada All Formats (including 2LP and 6LP exclusives): The Beach Boys Official Store Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys was originally issued in 2003, peaking within the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and remaining on the charts for 104…

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

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Brian Wilson, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Hank Williams Jr, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Jeff Harnar, Lorin Hollander, Scott McCarl, The Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers, The Troggs, Whitesnake, Young-Holt Unlimited

Endless ‘Summer’: 21st Century Beach Boys Compilation Expanded for Group’s 60th Anniversary

April 28, 2022 by Joe Marchese | 16 Comments

On October 1, 1962, The Beach Boys released their album debut Surfin’ Safari on Capitol Records, beginning an extraordinary musical odyssey that continues to this day. Since then, brothers Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson; cousin Mike Love; and friend Al Jardine – along with fellow travelers including Bruce Johnston, David Marks, Blondie Chaplin, and Ricky Fataar, and dozens of key collaborators including Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Tony Asher, Van Dyke Parks, Billy Hinsche, Jeffrey Foskett, and Terry Melcher – have become synonymous with beautiful harmonies, musical innovation, and good, good,…

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Classic Rock, Pop, Rock

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Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, The Beach Boys

The Year In Review: The 2021 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part One

January 3, 2022 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Happy 2022! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc’s 12th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! Once again, we’ve all faced unprecedented challenges over the past twelve months. A year that began with hope and promise has ended with further uncertainty for many of us. But music continues to fill a significant role in our lives, providing solace, comfort, and escape in a time unlike any other. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2021’s cream of the catalogue music crop – those exemplary reissues and box sets big and…

In His Room: Brian Wilson’s “At My Piano” Offers Solo Piano Renditions of Beach Boys Favorites

September 17, 2021 by Joe Marchese | 4 Comments

Those lucky enough to have seen Brian Wilson in one of his solo concerts knows that it’s always a special moment when the Beach Boys’ leader plays the piano. While he’s always seated in front of a keyboard, he leaves the heavy lifting to such long-serving bandmates as Darian Sahanaja, Gary Griffin, or Billy Hinsche. Yet his mastery of the instrument has never been in doubt; in one moving moment of the recent documentary Long Promised Road, he’s seen in the studio showing exactly how a tune should be played. Now, he’s…

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Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Pop

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Review: The Beach Boys, “Feel Flows: The Sunflower and Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971”

September 13, 2021 by Joe Marchese | 8 Comments

Like a Companion for Your Lonely Soul Those placing the needle on The Beach Boys’ Sunflower upon its release in 1970 might have been taken aback by the sheer drive of its opening track. The lusty “Slip on Through” – co-written, produced, and primarily sung by Dennis Wilson – rocked harder than just about anything else in the band’s discography to that point. The song announced that Sunflower was not just The Beach Boys’ first album on a new label but the beginning of a new chapter altogether. That chapter is explored…

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Reviews

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Features, The Weekend Stream

Release Round-Up: Week of August 27

August 27, 2021 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! The Beach Boys, Feel Flows: The Sunflower and Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971 (Capitol/UMe) 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP Translucent Blue & Translucent Gold: The Beach Boys Shop Feel Flows: The Sunflower and Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971, a hardcover book-style set to be released in 5-CD, 4-LP (standard black and translucent blue/translucent gold), 2-LP, and 2-CD editions (as well as digitally), explores in depth what’s perhaps the most adventurous and experimental period in the Beach…

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Release Round-Up

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Disco/Dance, Jazz, Pop

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Belinda Carlisle, Buck Owens, Burt Bacharach, Denise Donatelli, Diane Warren, Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, Harold Rome, John Mellencamp, Madeleine Peyroux, Marian Anderson, Marshall Crenshaw, Supergrass, The Beach Boys, The Spinners

The Weekend Stream: July 24, 2021

July 24, 2021 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

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! Brian Wilson, BrianWilson.com Demos With the welcome news of Brian hitting the road…

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

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Brian Wilson, Color Me Badd, Professor Longhair, Simple Plan, The Beach Boys

Long Promised Road: Beach Boys’ “Feel Flows” Box Set for July Release

June 3, 2021 by Joe Marchese | 11 Comments

Unfolding enveloping missiles of soul/Recall senses sadly/Mirage like soft blue like lanterns below/To light the way gladly… The Beach Boys’ spellbinding 1971 song “Feel Flows” may be the most famous obscure song in the band’s catalogue. Cameron Crowe adopted it for the closing credits of his coming-of-age film Almost Famous (soon to receive a mega-expansion on CD and vinyl), and it’s also featured on the soundtrack to the new Apple Music documentary 1971. The Mike Love-led Beach Boys are currently performing on the Feel Flows Tour, and now the haunting 50-year-old tune…

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Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and More Feature on “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything” Soundtrack

May 25, 2021 by Joe Marchese | 5 Comments

David Hepworth’s 2017 book Never a Dull Moment: The Year That Rock Exploded set forth the author’s belief that the year crystallized the “rock era,” producing more enduring recordings than any other year in the genre’s history. It’s difficult to argue with any year that yielded John Lennon’s Imagine, The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, Carole King’s Tapestry, Joni Mitchell’s Blue, Elton John’s Madman Across the Water, Carly Simon’s Anticipation, Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, The Who’s Who’s Next, The Beach Boys’ Surf’s Up, Black Sabbath’s Master of…

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Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Classic Rock, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks

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Diana Ross, Elton John, George Harrison, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Paul McCartney, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Various Artists

Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer: Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” Soundtrack Gets Mega-Expansion

May 21, 2021 by Joe Marchese | 19 Comments

Cameron Crowe, in association with Universal Music, has done the (near-) impossible. On July 9, the writer-director will revisit the soundtrack to his 2000 instant classic Almost Famous in greatly expanded, near-complete form, including five – yes, five! – Led Zeppelin songs plus tracks by other typically difficult-to-license artists including Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder. That’s not to mention new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren, The Beach Boys, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, The Raspberries, and…

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Classic Rock, Soundtracks

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Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD, Vinyl

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Cameron Crowe, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, Stillwater, The Allman Brothers Band, The Beach Boys, The Who, Todd Rundgren, Yes

Release Round-Up: Week of April 23

April 23, 2021 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band (Capitol/UMe) 6CD/2BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The 6-CD/2-BD John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: The Ultimate Collection contains everything recorded by John and Yoko during the sessions for John’s 1970 Plastic Ono Band LP, totaling 159 tracks on CD and 131 on Blu-ray, or 11 hours of music, all completely remixed from the original multitracks. (The Blu-rays include both new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes.) This set follows the 2018 release of Imagine: The Ultimate Collection and the 2020 release…

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Pop, R&B/Soul

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Andre Previn, Hasaan Ibn Ali, Imelda May, John Lennon, Peter Frampton, Steve Cropper, The Beach Boys, The Who, Yoko Ono

Add Some Music: Universal Japan Reissues Beach Boys Collections on CD

February 5, 2021 by Joe Marchese | 17 Comments

Beach Boys collectors’ alert: late in December 2020, Universal Japan quietly released a series of six collections from the group in the MQA-CD format on UHQ (Ultimate High Quality) CDs and housed in mini-LP paper sleeves with OBIs. While these discs are playable on all CD players, those listeners equipped with MQA decoders are promised a higher-fidelity listening experience. All titles have been 24-bit remastered. The six titles from Brian, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al, and Bruce (plus Ricky and Blondie) now available are: The Best of The Beach Boys (Capitol, 1965) –…

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Over The Waves: The Beach Boys Release Copyright Extension EP “1969: I’m Going Your Way”

December 27, 2019 by Sam Stone | 7 Comments

We interrupt our holiday hiatus for this special report… Following the band’s wide-reaching copyright extension releases the last few years, Beach Boys fans have been expecting some rarities vintage 1969 to enjoy as the year wraps up. Today, Capitol/UMG quietly released 1969: I’m Going Your Way, this year’s digital-only round-up of rarities but fans will no doubt be disappointed by its limited scope. While 2018 saw the release of three albums’ worth of rare material (On Tour: 1968 , Wake the World: The Friends Sessions, and I Can Hear Music: The 20/20…

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Let It Snow: Omnivore Breaks Away with Murry Wilson and Snow EP

December 20, 2019 by Joe Marchese | 8 Comments

With its latest release, Omnivore Recordings might as well as be singing “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” The intrepid label has unearthed a true rarity for a new digital EP: four previously unreleased songs produced in 1969 by Murry Wilson for an all-but-unknown harmony-pop outfit named Snow. Freshly unearthed from The Beach Boys’ vault, Murry Wilson & Snow: The Break Away EP features Snow’s lush and fully-produced and orchestrated renditions of two songs from Brian Wilson’s songbook (“Break Away” and “We’re Together Again”) and two presumably original tracks…

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News, Reviews

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Pop

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Brian Wilson, Murry Wilson, Snow, The Beach Boys

Review: Jeffrey Foskett, “Voices”

November 22, 2019 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

It’s only appropriate that Jeffrey Foskett’s new release on the BMG label is entitled Voices. For it’s the beauty of the human voice that’s the key ingredient here – specifically the artist’s rich, supple, and multi-faceted vocal instrument which has lent support over the past four decades to The Beach Boys in their various incarnations. While Foskett has recorded numerous solo albums for the Japanese market, his own works are somewhat less known here in the United States. Happily, Voices rectifies that as a big ray of sunshine perfect to beat the…

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News, Reviews

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming

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Pop

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Brian Wilson, Cecilio and Kapono, Jeff Larson, Jeffrey Foskett, Mike Love, The Beach Boys, Valerie Carter

Release Round-Up: Week of November 22

November 22, 2019 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Various Artists, The Great Songs of Christmas: Classic Carols and Pop Favorites (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music proudly present the first new volume of The Great Songs of Christmas in nearly 50 years bringing many of the exclusive tracks featured on Goodyear’s original 1961-1970 series together. Expect to hear rarities from Percy Faith, Andre Kostelanetz, Johnny Mathis, Robert Goulet and Carol Lawrence, and Ray Conniff, and even more new-to-CD tracks from The Harry Simeone…

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Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

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Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Folk, Holiday, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

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Bing Crosby, Gary Puckett, Grateful Dead, Harry Nilsson, Jeffrey Foskett, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Mathis, Leonard Cohen, Loudon Wainwright III, Mark Lindsay, Rod Stewart, Stanley Black, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Tim Buckley, Tom Waits, a-ha

Holly Jolly Christmas: TJL Presents Ultimate Holiday Celebration on Public Television, CD and DVD

November 13, 2019 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

Have you caught the Christmas spirit yet? If not, things are very likely to change on Saturday, November 16. That’s when TJL Productions debuts a new special on PBS that’s sure to get you ready for the holiday season. A Classic Christmas, part of T.J. Lubinsky’s acclaimed My Music series, presents an array of yuletide favorites from an all-star roster of legendary artists. Hosted by Marion Ross (Happy Days) and Gavin MacLeod (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat), A Classic Christmas is essential viewing for the entire family as it…

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Formats:

CD, DVD

Genres:

Holiday, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

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Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Carpenters, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, Various Artists

Christmas Conga! Real Gone Announces First Wave of Holiday Lineup

October 3, 2019 by Sam Stone | 1 Comment

Sure, you can wait to find Real Gone’s lineup of holiday-themed titles under the tree, but why wait? A trio of merry Yuletide albums will be available on color vinyl on November 1, including Cyndi Lauper’s Merry Christmas… Have A Nice Life!, the Home Alone Christmas soundtrack compilation, and the soundtrack to Love Actually. First up: Cyndi Lauper’s Merry Christmas… Have A Nice Life! This often-overlooked slice of Lauper’s discography is a fresh spin on the time-honored tradition of the Christmas album. The album was partly inspired by motherhood; in fact, the story goes that…

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