Abc up

At first glance, it's a mystery. Why choose 1961 as the cut-off point for a collection spanning the first years of singer/keyboardist Ray Charles' lengthy tenure with ABC-Paramount? Extend that to 1962, and even within the 3-CD confines of The Complete ABC Recordings 1959-1961 it would be possible to include the momentous Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. This was the album that gave Charles his place in the mainstream of American popular music, to achieve which he had switched to the bigger ABC from Atlantic, where his exalted blend of rhythm & blues and gospel had helped define the sound of emergent soul music.

This four part series, as seen on ABC TV, tells the story from the point of view of ordinary Australians on the Home Front during World War II. Personal recollections, rare archival footage and the music of the time combine to create an evocative and haunting picture of this unique picture in Australian history.

Almost to the day we released our The Mamas and The Papas: Complete Singles–50th Anniversary Collection back in January 2016, fans of the group (and they are legion!) started asking us about reissuing Papa Denny Doherty's criminally overlooked 1971 solo album on the ABC/Dunhill label, Watcha Gonna Do. This record came out on CD only in Japan back in 2002, and commands hundreds of dollars online, so a straight reissue would have worked just fine. But that's not how we do things at Real Gone Music… and so we aren't stopping with the album. We're adding six bonus tracks, five of 'em previously unreleased, to fashion a brand-new compilation, Of All the Things–The Complete ABC/Dunhill Masters! Arranged by Jimmie Haskell, produced by Bill Szymczyk, and featuring songs written by Denny with his first wife Linda Woodward with such session players as Barry McGuire, Buddy Emmons, Russ Kunkel, "Fast" Eddy Fischer, and Eric "The Doctor" Hord, Watcha Gonna Do is truly a lost gem of early '70s roots rock, sort of The Mamas and Papas meeting The Band and The Eagles (Szymczyk went on to produce all of The Eagles albums). The bonus tracks include the rare single of the non-LP track "To Claudia on Thursday"–with additional vocals supplied by Spanky McFarlane of Spanky & Our Gang–plus five other tracks unearthed from both album session tapes and follow-up recordings left in the vaults. Joe Marchese provides liner notes featuring quotes and reminiscences from Eddy Fischer, Denny's daughters, Bill Szymczyk, Michelle Phillips, and others. Artwork includes previously unpublished period photographs. Remastered by Mike Milchner/Sonic Vision, this release is a must for any fan of The Mamas and The Papas and of that gorgeous Doherty tenor!

Few albums define a particular era as does The Lexicon Of Love. It’s embedded deep in the fabric of popular culture. Namechecked, referenced and, now, frequently in “best of all time” polls, the album opened up the 80s wide, in full, glorious Technicolor. In 1982, ABC became the toast of the world with this album. It also launched the production career of Trevor Horn. Like the greatest landmark albums, it has transcended its origins and is simply there, an ever-evolving testament to its marriage of youth, wit, creativity, technology, emotion, masterplan and happy accident.