Thomas & Friends

Percy must track down Santa after he discovers a child's letter that was accidentally left in his mail cart on Christmas Eve.

From his 1966 recording of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” through his 1972 double-sided hit single “That’s What Friends Are For”/Happier Than the Morning Sun,” B.J. Thomas enjoyed a string of hits rivaled by few artists of the era, and the fact that he did it for an independent label, Scepter, makes his achievement even more impressive. Various compilations of B.J.’s Scepter sides have come and gone, but never one quite like this: this double-CD set includes the A and B-side of EVERY SINGLE B.J. cut for the label (minus two duplicate B-sides), 46 tracks in all including all 19 hits he scored for the label. And don’t forget, with all those B-sides, you’re getting a bunch of rare, non-LP single sides (11 of ‘em, to be exact). Add notes by Mike Ragogna featuring fresh quotes from the artist and photos and you’ve got the most comprehensive B.J. Thomas compilation ever released!

Thomas Guthrie's arrangement of the "Schöne Müllerin" for small ensemble transports the listener back to a world of sound that Schubert knew from the musical evenings in the homes of his friends - those gatherings where the singing was accompanied by guitars, strings and, if available, a piano. Unlike the lieder recital, where the singer stands at the grand piano in a large hall, in this intimate atmosphere the listener is drawn much more into the drama and emotion of Schubert's music. The singer Thomas Guthrie is supported by Bjarte Eike and members of his ensemble Barokksolistene.

Though they never achieved the popular success enjoyed by some of their peers, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett spearheaded the roots-rock revolution of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s along with The Allman Brothers and The Band, turning away from the exoticism of psychedelia towards music “rooted” in blues, country, and soul. Witness the fact that the “And Friends” that played with the pair included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and Bobby Whitlock….out of Delaney and Bonnie’s various aggregations arose Derek and the Dominoes and Joe Cocker’s band for the legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. And for Motel Shot, the duo’s fourth studio album and their third for Atco/Atlantic, the circle of “friends” included Cocker, Whitlock, and Mason, plus appearances by Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, and John Hartford among others! But for the most part, this is a largely acoustic, charmingly informal affair dipped in gospel and dominated by the Bramletts and Whitlock; the Motel Shot title refers to informal, after hours jam sessions on the road.