Remastered

Dakota Staton Described by influential critic Leonard Feather as "a dynamic song stylist recalling at times elements of Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan," Dakota Staton never enjoyed the widespread acclaim or commercial success of her reference points, but she remains one of the most soulful and commanding jazz singers of the postwar era. Born outside of Pittsburgh on June 3, 1930, Staton began singing and dancing as a child, later attending the Filion School of Music. At 16, she starred in the stage show Fantastic Rhythm and two years later joined local bandleader Joe Wespray. From there, Staton headlined a lengthy residency at Detroit's landmark Flame Show Bar, followed by years traveling the Midwest club circuit.

Music costs money and takes time, and the worlds of film, television, radio, and advertising need lots of music and they need it quickly. So, in the mid-20th century, "library music" emerged, allowing producers to license pre-recorded tracks, saving both hours and expenses. In Britain, the system flourished thanks to major publishers like De Wolfe, Chappell, KPM, and Bruton, each of which shaped the industry with a distinct approach. De Wolfe, often cited as the world's first library label (established in 1909), built a formidable reputation with orchestral recordings and, later, cutting-edge electronic scores. Chappell, launched in the 1940s, became synonymous with big-band energy and lush orchestral themes, releasing classic LPs in the 1960s and '70s by figures such as Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw. KPM, with its iconic green-sleeve LPs, offered a blend of polished jazz, funk, and pop cues that proved particularly adaptable for television themes and sports programming. Bruton, arriving in 1977, pushed the sound in a slicker, more contemporary direction, leaning heavily into disco, electronic textures, and commercial polish.

Glenn Miller's reign as the most popular bandleader in the U.S. came relatively late in his career and was relatively brief, lasting only about three and a half years, from the spring of 1939 to the fall of 1942. But during that period he utterly dominated popular music, and over time he has proven the most enduring figure of the swing era, with reissues of his recordings achieving gold record status 40 years after his death. Miller developed a distinctive sound in which a high-pitched clarinet carried the melody, doubled by a saxophone section playing an octave lower, and he used that sound to produce a series of hits that remain definitive examples of swing music. Miller's approach is not much appreciated by jazz fans, who prefer bands that allow for greater improvisation than was found in his highly disciplined, rigorously rehearsed unit. But he brought the swing style of popular music to a level of sophistication and commercial acceptance it had not previously achieved and would not see again after his untimely passing.

As well as the remastered album with original track-listing, the ‘Further listening’ album of additional material features previously unreleased demos entitled ‘Vocal’, ‘She pops’ and ‘In slow motion’, as well as PSB mixes and remixes of ‘Leaving’ and ‘Memory of the future’.

Elvis Presley was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

‘Actually’ debuted at the number 2 on the UK Albums Chart upon its release in 1987. The album was produced by Julian Mendelsohn, Stephen Hague, Shep Pettibone, Andy Richards and Pet Shop Boys. This period saw Pet Shop Boys reach new critical and commercial heights with three number one singles, “It’s a sin”, “Always on my mind” and Heart”, and ‘What have I done to deserve this’, their number two single featuring Dusty Springfield. The ‘Catalogue’ re-issue of ‘Actually’ includes the remastered original album with the 2-CD album features bonus material including the Shep Pettibone mix of ‘Heart’, and demo versions and alternative mixes of tracks including ‘One more chance’ and ‘Always on my mind’.

La Dolce Vita is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed and co-written (with Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli and Brunello Rondi) by Federico Fellini. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who, over seven days and nights, journeys through the "sweet life" of Rome in a fruitless search for love and happiness. The screenplay, written by Fellini and three other screenwriters, can be divided into a prologue, seven major episodes interrupted by an intermezzo, and an epilogue, according to the most common interpretation.

‘Actually’ debuted at the number 2 on the UK Albums Chart upon its release in 1987. The album was produced by Julian Mendelsohn, Stephen Hague, Shep Pettibone, Andy Richards and Pet Shop Boys. This period saw Pet Shop Boys reach new critical and commercial heights with three number one singles, “It’s a sin”, “Always on my mind” and Heart”, and ‘What have I done to deserve this’, their number two single featuring Dusty Springfield.