Intrada Readies Silvestri’s “Fandango,” Rare Warner TV Efforts

This week’s latest releases from Intrada showcase a forgotten TV show of the ’60s and an early highlight for a then-little-known 20th century composer.

Fandango was, in its own way, one of the more impressive films of 1985. Directed by a first-timer (Kevin Reynolds) from the basis of his thesis film at the University of Southern California (the original of which found a fan in Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin Entertainment produced the film), the film revolved around a group of college friends (including Kevin Costner, in his first major role) embarking on one last road trip. The score – at times equal in its blend of action and intimate character building – was composed by a relatively unknown Alan Silvestri, who’d scored Romancing the Stone a year earlier and would fully flesh out his talents as a brassy action/sensitive drama composer with Back to the Future in the summer of 1985. For the first time, fans can finally experience this score on any format, sourced from the original 24-track session masters.

Intrada’s also got the score to Then Came Bronson, a short-lived television show about a former newspaperman (played by actor/singer Michael Parks) who casts off his old life to find himself across America. Along the way, he meets and helps people from all walks of life; every episode had him come in and leave on that same Harley-Davidson Sportster. This two-disc set features compositions by George Duning (From Here to Eternity, All the King’s Men) on one disc, and another disc of various other bits from episodes composed by Stu Phillips, John Parker and others.

Both titles can be ordered from Intrada now; links and full track lists are after the jump.

Fire In Her Heart: Madleen Kane’s Disco Classic Returns From Gold Legion

Madleen Kane’s 1978 debut albums played on words for its title, Rough Diamond.  But there was nothing too rough about the album’s sleek disco grooves or about the fashion model-turned-singer at its center.  In 2011, the Gold Legion label reissued Rough Diamond on CD with three bonus tracks.  Its follow-up, 1979’s Cheri, has just recently been given the Gold Legion treatment with one bonus cut of its own.

Born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and American father, Madleen Kane found her first successes in modeling.  The Elite model appeared in publications including Playboy, but soon it was clear that she had more on her mind than just conquering the fashion world.  Rough Diamond, first released in France by CBS and later in the U.S. by Warner Bros., established the 20-year old Kane as a chanteuse for the disco era.  Produced by the French team of Michaele, Lana and Paul Sebastian, the LP featured arrangements by Thor Baldursson, who counted among his many credits a stint arranging for The Salsoul Orchestra following original leader Vince Montana’s departure.    It included original songs by the Sebastians and Baldursson as well as reinventions of standards “C’est Si Bon” and “Fever.”

After the jump: hit the dancefloor with Cheri!

Echo & The Bunnymen’s Deluxe Debut Making Its Way to Vinyl

Fans of Echo & The Bunnymen might want to check out a new release from the independent Weatherbox label: a new, expanded double-vinyl pressing of the post-punk legends’ debut LP Crocodiles.

Met enthusiastically by critics on both sides of the Atlantic upon release, Crocodiles set the framework for what would be considered the classic sound of Echo & The Bunnymen: dark lyrics and brooding vocals from frontman Ian McCulloch, jagged string work from guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson and urgent drumming from Pete de Freitas (who’d recently replaced a drum machine). The album sailed into the U.K. Top 20 on a wave of great reviews, setting the Bunnymen up for even greater success as the ’80s wore on.

This 2LP version of Crocodiles features a bonus vinyl LP with 10 bonus tracks, all of which have been released on a 2003 expanded reissued released by Rhino Records. Three non-LP tracks, three early takes and the contents of the 1981 live EP Shine So Hard are featured on this bonus disc; both platters are packaged in a hardback book package with a 16-page booklet featuring input from Sergeant and Pattinson (who left the band a few years after they reunited in 1996, after a brief stint in the late ’80s and early ’90s without McCulloch) and rare photos.

The set, available on July 8, can be pre-ordered from Amazon U.K. below.

Crocodiles: Expanded Edition (Weatherbox, 2013)

LP 1: Original album (released as Korova KODE 1 (U.K.)/Sire SRK 6096 (U.S.), 1980)

1. Going Up
2. Stars Are Stars
3. Pride
4. Monkeys
5. Crocodiles
6. Rescue
7. Villiers Terrace
8. Pictures on My Mind
9. All That Jazz
10. Happy Death Men

LP 2: Bonus material (originally included on Sire/Rhino CD 2564-61161-2, 2004)

1. Do It Clean
2. Read It in Books
3. Simple Stuff
4. Villiers Terrace (Early Version)
5. Pride (Early Version)
6. Simple Stuff (Early Version)
7. Crocodiles (Live @ Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire – 1/17/1981)
8. Zimbio (Live @ Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire – 1/17/1981)
9. All That Jazz (Live @ Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire – 1/17/1981)
10. Over the Wall (Live @ Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire – 1/17/1981)

Tracks 1-2 released as Korova single SAM 128, 1980. Also included on cassette pressing of original album – Korova CODE 1, 1980
Track 3 was the B-side to “Rescue” – Korova KOW 1, 1980
Tracks 4-6 from Sire/Rhino CD 2564-61161-2, 2003
Tracks 7-10 released as Shine So Hard EP – Korova ECHO 1, 1981

Stax, Motown, Chess Go Country with Second Volume of “Where Country Meets Soul”

Ace’s first volume of Where Country Meets Soul arrived late last year, proving that those two venerable genres intersect more often than one might think.  After all, many of the most enduring records in both styles revolve around the vagaries of heartbreak, so the fine folks at Ace’s Kent imprint brought together 23 tracks from artists well-versed in the torrid ways of love: Solomon Burke (“He’ll Have to Go”), Percy Sledge (“Take Time to Know Her”), Clarence Carter (“Set Me Free”), Esther Phillips (“I Saw Me”), Al Green (“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”) and Candi Staton (“He Called Me Baby”) among them.

The newly-arrived Sweet Dreams: Where Country Meets Soul 2 offers another 23 examples of R&B artists bringing country-and-western staples to life.  Though some artists make a return appearance (Esther Phillips, Clarence Carter, Joe Simon), the overall line-up is even more diverse this time out.  Like the first volume, there are well-chosen songs from the catalogue of Atlantic Records: The Sweet Inspirations’ Tom Dowd-produced “But You Know I Love You,” introduced by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, and Clarence Carter’s Fame-recorded version of John D. Loudermilk’s “Bad News.”  From Atlantic-distributed Stax comes Otis Redding’s dark reinvention of the 1947 standard “Tennessee Waltz” (introduced by Cowboy Copas and a pop hit for Patti Page) and Johnnie Taylor’s 1967 rendition of Merle Travis’ “Sixteen Tons,” produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.  Hayes himself makes an appearance from Stax’s post-Atlantic years via a 1971 Enterprise single of Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You).”

Down at Muscle Shoals, Millie Jackson cut Kenny Rogers’ “Sweet Music Man” in 1977, just one of the many smoldering southern soul performances here.  James Carr, one of R&B’s premier voices, tipped the hat to country music legend George Jones at Malaco Studios for his Goldwax recording of Jones’ “Tell Me My Lying Eyes are Wrong.”  Southern soul queen Bettye Swann is heard on her Capitol 45 of Hank Cochran’s “Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me).”

There’s more after the jump, including the full track listing with discography and order links!