Short Takes: More News on Queen Reissues, Stax Expansions, Howard Jones Box Ships

• Queen’s official site issued a press release yesterday confirming a June 13 release date in the U.K. of the next batch of the band’s reissues. News of the World (1977), Jazz (1978), The Game (1980), Flash Gordon (1980) and Hot Space (1982) will comprise this batch. No bonus material has been announced (nor has a U.S. release date been set), but a Deep Cuts compilation will accompany the discs.
• We have our friends at Vintage Vinyl News to thank for this tip: Concord Records is releasing three expanded albums from the Stax catalogue! The albums, all remastered and expanded with as-yet-unconfirmed bonus material, are Booker T. & The MGs’ McLemore Avenue (1970), The Staple Sisters’ Be Altitude: Respect Yourself (1972) and Johnnie Taylor’s Taylored in Silk (1973).
• Howard Jones recently let fans know via Twitter and Facebook that his latest box set (The 12″ Album / Action Replay) has begun shipping after a short delay. (A comment from Howard’s team also confirmed remasters of One to One (1986) and Cross That Line (1989) in the pipeline. Has anyone got their box yet?