VVN Music

Out June 4 Neil Finn and Nick Seymour, the founding members of Crowded House, have announced their first album in over a decade, Dreamers Are Waiting , set for release on June 4 via BMG.  Joining them on the set are Mitchell Froom and Neil's sons Liam Finn and Elroy Finn. Neil said of the set, "We were fortunate to be recording in the studio right before lockdown and so began this album with band tracks recorded live in a room, all brimming with character and energy. We then spent our strangest year, 2020, at distance from each other but connecting daily, swapping files and making those tracks complete. We’re so excited and grateful to be back in one room together now, rehearsing, first to play live in front of audiences in NZ and soon we hope for the rest of the world." So far, two singles have been released, "Whatever You Want" and the new track "To the Island": The track list: 1. Bad Times Good 2. Playing With Fire 3. To The Island 4. Sweet Toot

Releasing March 26th Renowned for their rousing and mesmerizing live performances, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND is preparing to officially release another historic show via the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company label. Recorded on September 28, 1971 at the Austin Municipal Auditorium in Austin, TX, Down In Texas '71 will be available through an exclusive pre-sale at www.merchmountain.com , and beginning March 26 (the band's formation anniversary) at The Big House Museum gift shop and online store, and as a digital release. The nine-track collection features "Statesboro Blues," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Stormy Monday," among others, and as a bonus available only on the physical CD is an exclusive radio interview with band members Berry Oakley and Duane Allman, recorded just a few months ahead of this performance. Down In Texas '71 captures a special snapshot in time during the pivotal year of 1971 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Releasing April 30th This year marks the 40th anniversary of the initial release of The Poet, the Bobby Womack album that served to relaunch his career and established him as a renewed force to be reckoned with in the urban music field in the 1980s. That album was followed by The Poet II which further solidified Womack’s position as the industry’s leading exponent of traditional soul that he maintained until his passing in 2014. Now, for the first time, these classic albums have been remastered from the original tapes. Long believed to be lost, the original tapes have been recovered and are sourced for the remasters of The Poet and The Poet II. To offer the best possible listening experience, both The Poet and The Poet II will be pressed on heavyweight (180 gram) vinyl, making the albums available in the vinyl marketplace for the first time in decades. The historic albums packaged on LP and CD with extensive liner notes by R&B scholar Bill Dahl will release on March 19 in the US an

The following are major new and upcoming releases by veteran artists (first release in 2000 or before).  Only new releases and reissues with additional material are included on the list. February 12, 2021 10cc - Essential 10cc Band - Stage Freight: 50th Anniversary Black Sabbath - Vol. 4: Super Deluxe Edition Edgar Broughton Band - Speak Down the Wire: Recordings 1975-1982 Divinyls - What a Life!: Remastered & Expanded Downes Braide Association (Geoff Downes and Chris Braide) - Halcyon Hymns Tommy Bolin - Shake the Devil: The Lost Sessions Fancy - Complete Recordings Grateful Dead -  Dick's Picks Vol. 8-Harpur College, Binghamton, NY May 2, 1970 Smokey Hogg - The Texas Blues of Smokey Hogg Howlin Wolf - Rare Wolf 1948-1963 Jacksons - Destiny: Expanded Edition Jacksons - Goin' Places: Expanded Edition Jacksons - The Jacksons: Expanded Edition Tommy James & the Shondells - Celebration: Complete Roulette Recordings 1966-1973 Love & Death (with Brian "Head" We

New EP From Patsy Cline Ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend, Patsy Cline’s timeless, aching love song “Crazy” has received its first-ever official video. Directed by director and photographer Natalie O’Moore and beautifully filmed at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge outside of Nashville, the video vividly brings to life the yearning and heartbreak that Cline so perfectly emoted with every line and punctuated with every high note as a young woman, clad in vintage western wear, pines after the object of her desire who is with another woman. As the protagonist sways to the song on the jukebox, what first looked like someone in love starts to look more like an unhealthy infatuation as the night continues and her jealousy grows. A collaboration between the Patsy Cline Estate, UMe and UMG Nashville, the video is available to view now on Cline’s official YouTube channel and kicks off a slew of new video content that in the coming months will include a new lyric video for her hit single “Walkin’ Aft

Impulse Will Celebrate 60 Years in 2021 For 60 years, the legendary Impulse! Records has been home to the greatest jazz artists of all time, including John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Quincy Jones, and more. The orange-and-black imprint known as the House That Trane Built was a cultural beacon of progressivism, spiritualism, and activism throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the label thrives with a new vanguard of jazz artists including Shabaka Hutchings, Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming, Brandee Younger, Ted Poor and more. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Impulse! Records and UMe, the global catalog company of Universal Music Group, announce today a year-long campaign that includes a gorgeous, curated box set, a reimagined Alice Coltrane rarity, Turiya Sings, high-fidelity vinyl reissues, curated playlists, brand partnerships, new deep-dive video content and more to be announced throughout 2021. Jamie Krents, EVP of Verve and Impulse!

February 16 Carman (born Carman Dominic Licciardello), Gospel Hall of Fame Member - Complications from surgery (b. 1956) February 15 Johnny Pacheco , Co-Founder Fania Records and salsa performer - Pneumonia (b. 1935) Raymond Lévesque , Canadian singer-songwriter - COVID (b. 1928) February 14 Ari Gold - Leukemia (b. 1974) February 13 Sydney Devine (b. 1940) February 12 Louis Clark , String arranger for ELO and "Hooked on Classics" (b. 1947) Russ Thyret , Former Chairman & CEO of Warner Bros. Records (b. 1944) Milfrod Graves , Jazz Drummer - Amyloid cardiomyopathy (b. 1941) Rupert Neve , Recording studio pioneer (b. 1926) February 9 Chick Corea - Cancer (b. 1941) Richie Albright , Drummer for Waylon Jennings (b. 1939) Cedric "Swab" Cotton of Ideal - Stabbed (b. 1974) February 8 Mary Wilson  of the Supremes (b. 1944) February 7 Elliot Mazer , Audio Engineer & Producer (b. 1941) Johnny Rogan , Music Writer (b. 1953) February 5 Stefan Crush  of The Men They

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Mary Wilson died on Monday at the age of 76.  A founding member of the Supremes, originally known as the Primettes, with Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown.  By the Spring of 1962, the group was made up of only Wilson, Ballard and Ross who recorded their debut album, Meet the Supremes .  Starting in 1964, the group had twelve number 1 records and eighteen top tens before Ross left at the end of 1969.  They reached the top ten two more times post-Ross and continued to record until the late 70's with Wilson being the only member to remain throughout the entire run of the group.   Here are the twenty biggest hits of the Supremes with Mary Wilson: 1. Baby Love (1964 / #1) 2. Where Did Our Love Go (1964 / #1) 3. You Can't Hurry Love (1966 / #1) 4. Stop! In the Name of Love (1965 / #1) 5. The Happening (1967 / #1) 6. Someday We'll Be Together (1969 / #1) 7. You Keep Me Hangin' On

Final Inductees to be Named in May The nominations were announced today (February 10, 2021) for the latest class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.   Among the nominees are such acts as Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, the New York Dolls, Jay-Z and Devo. Eight of the nominees are up for the first time while three, Carole King, Tina Turner and Dave Grohl, are already members with King going in with writing partner Gerry Goffin (non-performing inductee), Turner with Ike & Tina Turner and Grohl with Nirvana.   Foo Fighters and Jay-Z have been nominated in their first year of eligibility while Carole King, as a recording artist, has been waiting the longest.  She first became eligible in 1985 (the first year of the Hall) and was previously nominated in only 1989.  Other long timers include Dionne Warwick (since 1989), Todd Rundgren (1996), Fela Kuti (1997) and New York Dolls and Tina Turner (both 1999). LL Cool J has seen the most previous nominations with five (2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2019)

Another one week triumph for the Grateful Dead The following are the top albums by veteran artists (recording for twenty years or more) on this week's Billboard charts (February 13, 2021).  Actual chart position is in parenthesis: Dave's Picks Vol 37 Williamsburg, VA 4/15/78 - Grateful Dead (#19) Music to Be Murdered By  -  Eminem  (#24) Greatest Hits  -  Queen  (#26) Metallica  - Metallica  (#38) OK Human  - Weezer  (#41) Diamonds  -  Elton John  (#45) Greatest Hits  - Fleetwood Mac  (#48) Chronicles: The 20 Greatest Hits  -  Creedence Clearwater Revival  (#62) Curtain Call: The Hits  -  Eminem  (#63) Ride the Lightning  - Metallica  (#64) The top 10 charting singles by veteran artists: Happy Does  -  Kenny Chesney  (#47) What's Poppin'  - Jack Harlow Featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez &  Lil Wayne  (#49) Beers and Sunshine  -  Darius Rucker  (#55) Girl Like Me  -  Black Eyed Peas  x  Shakira  (#82) One Too Many  -  Keith Urban  Duet With  P!nk  (#94)

Frank Sinatra: Reprise Rarities Volume 2 A collection of tracks from one of popular culture's most romantic singers went digital Friday with the release of Frank Sinatra: Reprise Rarities Volume 2 from Frank Sinatra Enterprises and UMe. Featuring 13 Reprise tracks, many making their digital debut, the collection follows Volume 1 released last month in honor of Frank Sinatra's birthday and celebrating the 60th anniversary of "The Chairman of the Board" founding Reprise Records. Both are now available via all digital streaming platforms. Hailed by The New York Times for an "extraordinary voice [that] elevated popular song into an art," Sinatra realized a long-time dream by forming his own record label, Reprise, in 1960. At the time Sinatra's business model was highly innovative in the recording industry; the very first of its kind, he pioneered the concept of having artists create and control their recordings. "Untrammeled, unfettered, unconfined"

Foo Fighters' Medicine at Midnight The following are major new and upcoming releases by veteran artists (first release in 2000 or before).  Only new releases and reissues with additional material are included on the list. February 5, 2021 Andrews Sisters - Club 15 From Hollywood Presents the Andrews Sisters Clarence Gatemouth Brown - Rocks Michael Chapman - The Decca Years 1974 to 1977 Common - A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1 A.J. Croce - By Request Curved Air - The Albums 1970-1973 Fine Young Cannibals - Fine Young Cannibals: Expanded Edition Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw & the Cooked: Expanded Edition Eddie Fisher - Songs From Stage & Screen Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight Steve Hillage - Live at Rockpalast 1977 Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) Danny Kroha (of the Gories) - Detroit Blues Todd La Torre - Rejoice in the Suffering Peggy Lee - Things Are Swingin' (DVD) Shenandoah - Every Road Dusty Springfie

Singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly, who wrote such hits as "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" and has his own hit with "The Need to Be", died on Wednesday (February 3) at the age of 77.   Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded the most Weatherly songs, an even dozen, during the early 70's.  Others who contributed versions of his music included Ray Price, Glen Campbell and Garth Brooks.   Here are Weatherly's ten biggest recordings of his songs.  1. Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973 / #1) 2. Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) - Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973 / #2) 3. Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me - Gladys Knight & the Pips (1974 / #3) 4. The Need to Be - Jim Weatherly (1974 / #11) 5. Where Peaceful Waters Flow - Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973 / #28) 6. You're the Best Thing That Ever Happen

The Hollywood Foreign Press announced the nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards on Wednesday morning with a number of veteran artists getting nods.  The biggest is Nine Inch Nails member Trent Reznor and his writing partner Atticus Ross who took two of the five nominations in Best Original Score for "Mank" and "Soul".  Jon Batiste shared the nomination on the latter film.   On the Best Original Song side, perennial nominee Diane Warren is once again nominated for "Io Si (Seen)" from the picture "The Life Ahead" which she wrote with Laura Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi while Raphael Saadiq (Tony! Toni! Toné!) and Andra Day are up for "Tigress & Tweed" from "The United States vs. Billie Holliday". Speaking of that film, Day is also nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.  Another film based in the blues, "Ma Rainey's Big Black Bottom", was nominated for Actress in a Drama (Viola Davis) and Ac

Eminem Remains the Top Veteran Album The following are the top albums by veteran artists (recording for twenty years or more) on this week's Billboard charts (February 6, 2021).  Actual chart position is in parenthesis: Music to Be Murdered By  -  Eminem  (#18) Greatest Hits  -  Queen  (#32) Rumours  -  Fleetwood Mac  (#43) Diamonds  -  Elton John  (#44) Curtain Call: The Hits  -  Eminem  (#59) Chronicles: The 20 Greatest Hits  -  Creedence Clearwater Revival  (#63) Journey's Greatest Hits  -  Journey  (#64) Back in Black  -  AC/DC  (#74) 1  -  Beatles  (#79) Legend  -  Bob Marley & the Wailers  (#80) The top 10 charting singles by veteran artists: What's Poppin'  - Jack Harlow Featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez &  Lil Wayne  (#44) Happy Does  -  Kenny Chesney  (#50) Beers and Sunshine  -  Darius Rucker  (#53) Girl Like Me  -  Black Eyed Peas  x  Shakira  (#85) One Too Many  -  Keith Urban  Duet With  P!nk  (#96)

Esoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a new re-mastered four-disc deluxe 45th anniversary boxed set limited edition (comprising 3 CDs and a DVD) of YEAR OF THE CAT the legendary 1976 album by AL STEWART. Recorded in the early months of 1976 at Abbey Road studios (with some sessions and mixing taking place at Davlen Studios in Los Angeles), YEAR OF THE CAT was the seventh album by Stewart and was the second album on which he collaborated with the celebrated producer ALAN PARSONS. The record was an album of immense musical inventiveness and creativity and was a triumph both in terms of Al Stewart’s song writing and the stunning and sophisticated production by Alan Parsons. Featuring such classic songs as ‘On the Border’, ‘Lord Grenville’, ‘Midas Shadow’, ‘If it Doesn’t Come Naturally, Leave It’, ‘One Stage Before’ and the classic title track. YEAR OF THE CAT was a major commercial and critical success on its release, reaching the US Billboard Top Five and was a European