Tuesday, December 21, 2010

New Music Releases - December 21, 2010

Per norm, few releases this holiday week, although some major stars are releasing and reissuing some fantastic music.  As always, CVR Blog picks are in red:

ABBA - The Vinyl Collection Box Set (9-LP box set) (vinyl)
Adele - Rolling the Deep
Alexanre Desplat-Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows-Pt 1: Limited Edition Collector's Box Set (soundrack)

Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper " Along Came A Spider " COLORED VINYL LP Record Album IMPORT From GERMANY {Limited Collectors Edition}






Asking Alexandria - Life Gone Wild
Avant - The Letter
Bill Haley & the Comets - Bill Haley & the Comets (Hits)
Boston - Boston (vinyl)
Buzzcocks - Trade Test Transmissions
Carter Burwell - True Grit (soundtrack)
Chicken Shack - Unlucky Boy
Dave Van Ronk - Sings
Dock Boggs - Dock Boggs
Dock Boggs - Volume 2
Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now

Eric Clapton - Beginnings







Frank Sinatra - A Swingin' Affair
Frank Sinatra - Close to You
Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me / Come Dance With Me
Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra - Look to Your Heart
Frank Sinatra - No One Cares
Frank Sinatra - Only the Lonely
Frank Sinatra - Swing Easy / Songs for Young Lovers
Frank Sinatra - This Is Sinatra
Frank Sinatra - This Is Sinatra 2
Frank Sinatra - Where Are You
Funkadelic - The Electric Spanking of War Babies (Vinyl)
Ghostface Killah - Apollo Kids

Harry Nilsson - Little Touch of Scmilsson in Night (vinyl)





Hex Hector - Allura
Jamie Foxx - Best Night of My Life
John Lee Hooker - Original Texas Slim
John Lee Hooker - Sings Blues
Jonathan Richman - O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth (vinyl)
June Carter Cash - Press On (reissue) (vinyl)
Keri Hilson - No Boys Allowed
Keyshia Cole - Calling All Hearts
Kinks - Introspective (vinyl)

Lightnin' Hopkins - Moon Rise Blues





Little Johnny Taylor & Bobby Patterson - Volume 3: Soul Jewels
Loreena McKennitt - Wind That Shakes the Barley (vinyl)
Marc Bolan & T-Rex - Thunderwing
Mike Bloomfield - Live Adventures (vinyl)
Motley Crue - Afraid (2 Remixes)
Mott the Hoople - London to Memphis
New Lost City Ramblers - With Cousin Emmy
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday (vinyl)
Otis Rush - I Cant Quit You Baby
Perry Como - Dream Along with Mr. C
R Kelly - Love Letter
Ride - Nowhere (reissue) (vinyl)
Royal Thunder - Royal Thunder
Scott Miller - Are You With Me?
Smoke Fairies - Through Low Light & Trees

Steve Goodman - Somebody Else's Troubles





Thunderhead - Classic Killers Live
Tom Waits - Closing Time (reissue) (vinyl)
Tom Waits - Heart of Saturday Night (reissue) (vinyl)
Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner (reissue) (vinyl)
Tom Waits - Small Change (reissue) (vinyl)
Tony Bennett - Golden Songs

Yardbirds - Little Games (Limited Edition)(vinyl)





Find New Jazz Releases HERE


Remember, if you are a record company and have new releases or know of any I missed (especially vinyl), please email me and I will add your music to the list. I also do reviews of new vinyl, email me for more information.

New Music Releases are put together from a variety of sources by blog owner Robert Benson
Have new music for the list? Email me at rbenson30@wi.rr.com  



Rock & Roll Trivia

John Hall, co-founder of the Rock band Orleans, was elected to US Congress in November, 2006, representing New York's 19th congressional district. That's him you hear doing the slick guitar work on "Still The One" and "Dance With Me".

Before they formed The Lovin' Spoonful, John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky were in a group called The Mugwumps, whose other members included Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, who would rise to fame in The Mamas and The Papas.

The Barry Manilow hit "I Write The Songs," was actually written by the Beach Boys' Bruce Johnson, has been recorded by over two hundred artists, and has a cumulative, worldwide sales figure of twenty-five million copies.

Seven-foot drag queen RuPaul appeared with comedy legend Milton Berle at the MTV awards. Uncle Milte said, "You know RuPaul, thirty years ago when I was on television, I used to wear dresses too." "That's interesting," the giant cross-dresser snapped. "You used to wear dresses, now you wear diapers."

During the last years that Elvis Presley performed live, he opened his shows with "The Theme From 2001". When asked about it, Presley said that he felt the number 2001 had a special significance in his life that he couldn't explain. Elvis died August, 16, 1977, which numerically is 8-16-1977. When these numbers are added up, they equal 2001.

The day after Elvis died, Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day, the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland had surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history.

Paul McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" for Julian Lennon after John's divorce from his first wife, Cynthia. The song's original name was "Hey Julian", then changed to "Hey Jules" before settling on the final title.

The members of Exile, who scored a US number one hit in 1978 with "Kiss You All Over", toured with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars in 1965 as back-up band for artists including Brian Hyland and Tommy Roe.

Billboard Magazine printed the first Hot 100 singles chart in August, 1958. Their first number 1 hit was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson.

When he was a boy, David Bowie took art lessons from Peter Frampton's father, Owen.

In 1963, artists managed by Brian Epstein placed 85 songs in the Top Ten of the British record charts.

In 1966, songwriter Tommy Boyce asked Del Shannon to record the theme for Dick Clark's upcoming TV show Where The Action Is. Shannon didn't like the song and turned it down. It was then offered to Freddy Cannon, who had a #3 US hit with it.

Mary McGregor recorded her 1977, number one hit, "Torn Between Two Lovers" while standing in a bathroom, to take advantage of the room's natural echo.

The Notorious B.I.G. married his flame, Faith Evans, only eight days after he met her. Responding to a reporter's question on how it was working out, Biggie replied, "She ain't speaking to me right now."

Marilyn Manson has always denied rumors that he was a child actor who had appeared on the popular television show "Mr. Belvedere." "I've masturbated during the show when it was on TV," he explained. "But, I have never been on it."

At the same time as "Love Will Keep Us Together" was starting to fade from the Billboard Hot 100, The Captain and Tennille had a Spanish version of the same song ("Por Amor Viviremos") enter the chart. It was the only time in Rock history that an act had two versions of the same song in different languages and on different singles, appear simultaneously on the Hot 100.

While Ernie K-Doe's hit "Mother-In-Law" was at the top of the US charts in 1961, Dick Clark decided he would not have K-Doe on American Bandstand because he felt the song was disrespectful towards his Mother-in-Law.

The line from Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode, "That little country boy could play" was originally written as, "That little colored boy can play." Berry knew that in order to get the song played on the radio, he would have to change that lyric.

The world's most expensive record has an estimated value of $180,000 and is in the possession of Paul McCartney. The disc is the first pressing of "That'll Be The Day", recorded in 1958 by the Quarry Men, made up of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Colin Hanton and John Duff Lowe.

It was Paul Simon who actually wrote The Cyrkle's 1966 hit "Red Rubber Ball" under the assumed name of Jerry Landis.

Circa Survive Set to Release Deluxe Vinyl Edition of Acclaimed Album

Pre-Order Goes Live on December 21st at CircaSurvive.com; Co-Headlining Tour With Anberlin Begins January 14th; "BLUE SKY NOISE" Deluxe Vinyl Arrives on January 18th

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 20, 2010) - Atlantic recording group Circa Survive has unveiled plans to release an audiophile-grade vinyl edition of their critically acclaimed, third full length album "BLUE SKY NOISE." The deluxe vinyl edition of "BLUE SKY NOISE" will be available beginning January 18th. Fans can preorder the special release through CircaSurvive.com starting Tuesday, December 21st. For more details, please visit the band's official website http://www.circasurvive.com/

Produced by multiple Grammy winner David Bottrill (Tool, Muse, King Crimson) and mixed by Rich Costey (Interpol, The Mars Volta, Rage Against The Machine), "BLUE SKY NOISE" entered the Billboard 200 chart at #11 upon its release earlier this year, with the standard vinyl edition of the album taking the #1 spot on the Soundscan Vinyl chart. Pressed onto audiophile grade, 180-gram vinyl, the deluxe vinyl edition of "BLUE SKY NOISE" comes as a double-disc album complete with vintage styling and brand new gatefold artwork by renowned artist Esao Andrews. Digital downloads of both "BLUE SKY NOISE" and the band's recently released, 5-song "APPENDAGE" EP are also included.

Circa Survive recently completed their highly successful headlining U.S. tour, selling out in nearly every market across the country including the tour's finale -- a two night stand at New York City's Irving Plaza. The Doylestown, PA-based group is already preparing for a busy touring schedule in 2011, teaming up with Anberlin for a co-headlining run that kicks off on January 14th at The National in Richmond, VA (see itinerary below). Foxy Shazam will be supporting on all dates. Circa Survive is also one of the mainstage performers at this year's Bamboozle Festival which features an artistically rich and varied lineup that includes Lil Wayne, The Gaslight Anthem, Bruno Mars, Wiz Khalifa, Dashboard Confessional and more.

Circa Survive is: Nick Beard (bass), Steve Clifford (drum), Brendan Ekstrom (guitar), Colin Frangicetto (guitar), Anthony Green (vocals).

For up-to-the-minute news and information, please visit http://www.circasurvive.com/  www.myspace.com/circasurvive

This Date In Music History - December 21

Birthdays:

Ray Hilderbrand - Paul and Paula (1940)

Betty Wright (1953)

Patrick Murphy - Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr.(1964)

Gabrielle Glaser - Luscious Jackson (1966)

Brett Scallions - Fuel (1971)


They Are Missed:

John Spence, singer, original member of No Doubt in the late 80's, committed suicide in 1987.

Born on this day in 1940, Frank Zappa, multi' instrumentalist, producer and composer. Recorded with The Mothers Of Invention and solo, 1969 album 'Hot Rats,' 1974 album 'Apostrophe,' featuring "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow." First band was The Blackouts, recorded one of the first concept albums 'Freak Out'. Zappa died of prostrate cancer on December 4,1993.



Born on this day in 1946, Carl Wilson, guitar, vocals, The Beach Boys. Died February 6, 1998 after a long battle with lung cancer.


History:

LaVern Baker recorded "Jim Dandy" in 1955.

In 1966, the Beach Boys received three Gold Record citations for the single "Good Vibrations" and the albums 'Little Deuce Coupe' and 'Shut Down, Vol. 2.'

The Beatles held a party at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London in 1967 to preview their new movie ‘Magical Mystery Tour.'

Just in time for Christmas in 1967, the Rolling Stones released the stoned-out 'Their Satanic Majesties Request.' The album was recorded while Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones endured their drug arrests and trials.

In 1969, the Rolling Stones played the first for four shows at the Lyceum Ballroom in London as a sort of Christmas gift to fans.

Crosby, Stills and Nash performed together in public for the first time in 1968.

Janis Joplin gave her first solo performance in Memphis, TN in 1968.

Glen Campbell topped the US album chart in 1968 with ‘Wichita Lineman.' Although the LP would stay on the chart for 46 weeks, it would be Campbell's only #1 album.

In 1969, the Supremes made their last TV appearance together with Diana Ross on 'The Ed Sullivan show,' singing their last #1 "Someday We'll Be Together."

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Canned Heat appeared at the Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California in 1969.

In 1970, a stretch limousine carrying Elvis Presley pulled up outside the White House in Washington, D.C. The driver handed over a letter from Elvis addressed to President Nixon requesting a meeting to discuss how the King of Rock and Roll could help Nixon fight drugs. The President agreed to give Presley a Narcotics Bureau badge - but only after learning that the chief of the narcotics bureau had turned down the same request earlier that day and told Presley the only person who could overrule his decision was the President. At Elvis' request, the meeting remained secret for more than a year, until the Washington Post broke the story on January 27th, 1972.

Following Blind Faith, Steve Winwood reformed Traffic as a trio in 1970 with original members Jim Capaldi (drums) and Chris Wood (woodwinds). Their 'John Barleycorn Must Die' featuring the rousing instrumental “Glad” goes gold.

In 1974, Harry Chapin enjoyed his only number one single with "Cat's In The Cradle." The song's theme about a distant father and son relationship was suggested to Harry by his wife, after he expressed disappointment about being on tour instead of attending his son's birth.



During a North American tour in 1977, Queen appeared at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California.

The Eagles, Chicago and Linda Ronstadt performed at a benefit show in 1979 for the presidential campaign for California governor Jerry Brown, who also happens to be Ronstadt's boyfriend.

Heart went to #1 on the US album chart in 1985 with their self- titled album.

Lionel Richie had a number one record for the seventh time in 1985, when "Say You, Say Me" reached the top of the Billboard Pop chart. He started his string with "Three Times A Lady" and "Still" while he was with The Commodores, before having hits with "Endless Love", "Truly", "All Night Long" and "Hello."

In 1985, Bruce Springsteen's album, ‘Born in the USA’ passed Michael Jackson's ‘Thriller’ to become the second longest-lasting LP on the Billboard US Top 10. It stayed there for 79 weeks. Only ‘The Sound of Music’ with Julie Andrews lasted longer at 109 weeks.

To help promote Aerosmith’s “Love In An Elevator,” in 1989, a couple got married in an actual elevator at the Scope Arena in Norfolk (VA) during the group’s show.

A concert in memory of John Lennon was held at Japan's Tokyo Dome in 1990, featuring Sean Lennon, Hall and Oates, Natalie Cole and Linda Ronstadt.

Believe it or not, in 1993, Shaquille O'Neal's "I Know I Got Skillz" single was certified Gold by the RIAA.

The charity record "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" went to #1 on the UK singles chart in 1996. With the consent of Bob Dylan, musician Ted Christopher of Dunblane, Scotland wrote a new verse for the song in memory of the schoolchildren and teacher killed in the Dunblane massacre. The cover version of the song included brothers and sisters of the victims singing the chorus and Mark Knopfler on guitar.

In 2001, police launched an investigation into why Olivia Harrison listed a non-existent Beverly Hills address as the place of George Harrison's death.

Keane appeared at the 12 Bar Club, London in 2002 and were spotted by Simon Williams of Fierce Panda records who asked them to put a single out on his label.

Money making figures for 2002's top grossing Rock artists were as follows:

Paul McCartney - $126.1 million
The Rolling Stones - $90 million
Cher - $67.6 million
Neil Diamond - $52.2 million
Britney Spears - $43.7 million
Aerosmith - $36.3 million
Eagles - $34.9 million
'N Sync - $33 million
The top grossing country artist was Kenny Chesney at $22.7 million

In 2003, Eminem's ex-wife Kimberley Mathers pleaded guilty to a drug and driving offences. Mathers had been pulled by traffic police in June and was charged with possession of cocaine, two other charges driving with a suspended license and maintaining a drug house in which police discovered marijuana and Ecstasy were dropped. The 28 year-old mother appeared in a Michigan court after turning herself in, having previously failed to attend a November 1 hearing and removed an electronic tagging device used to monitor her movements.

Madonna was forced to cancel a romantic holiday at Skibo Castle in Scotland in 2005, after her private jet broke down with technical difficulties at London Airport. She should have called me, my jet was working....

The Beatles' "Love" sat at #1 on the European Top 100 Albums chart in 2006. The album was produced by George Martin and his son Giles Martin and features music compiled and remixed for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name. The disc would quickly be certified Platinum and won Grammys in two categories - Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Surround Sound Album at the 50th annual Grammy awards on February 10th, 2008.

A trashed guitar once owned by the late Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, was sold to an unidentified private collector for $100,000 in 2008. "It's a really cool-looking guitar because it's smashed and held together with duct tape and Kurt Cobain wrote on it," says Jacob McMurray, senior curator at the Experience Music Project in Seattle. The EMP had displayed the Fender Mustang.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), released its listing of 2009's most played holiday songs, tracked by radio airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide, from over 2,500 radio stations nationwide.

The top 10 most-played holiday songs in the ASCAP repertory this holiday season are:

1. "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) - played 118,918 times
2."Jingle Bell Rock" (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Roth Boothe) - played 118,601 times
3."It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) - played 101,614 times
4. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) - played 89,348 times
5. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - played 77,599 times
6. "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) - played 74,360 times.
7. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Johnny Marks) - played 57,948 times
8. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone) - played 55,617 times.
9. "Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano) - played 51,072 times
10. "Frosty the Snowman" (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins) - played 51,068 times

Note: The above list represents an aggregation of all different artist versions of each cited holiday song.