Everybody Loves Somebody: New “Playlist” Wave Includes Ronnie Spector, Simon and Garfunkel, Journey, Dean Martin, More

It’s a new year, and that means a new crop of Playlist titles from Legacy Recordings!  As in the past, this crop of releases runs the gamut, with a number of titles including rare or new-to-CD material and others relying on the tried and true.  The artists represented also encompass a wide variety of genres.  Fans of classic rock-and-roll and pop will find plenty to enjoy on a career-spanning disc from Ronnie Spector and a reissue of the vintage Greatest Hits album of Simon and Garfunkel, while those seeking their rock in a more modern vein can sample music from Sponge, Stabbing Westward and The Verve Pipe.  Traditional vocal pop enthusiasts should take notice of Legacy’s first-ever release from the catalogue of Dean Martin, and classic country gets a place with a Playlist from Ray Price.  For R&B fans, there are titles from Ray Parker, Jr. and Jermaine Jackson.  Christian artists Israel (Houghton) and New Breed get a Playlist volume, too.  The collection is rounded out by entries from rap group Three 6 Mafia, singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, and eighties rock heroes Journey.

All thirteen titles will be available in stores on Tuesday, January 21, and after the jump, we’ll spill details on all of them – plus full track listings with discographical annotation and pre-order links!

• Playlist: The Very Best of Ronnie Spector takes in tracks from the Colpix, Philles, Apple, Epic, Columbia and Bad Girl Sounds labels to create an overview of the girl group leader’s career from 1962 (Jackie DeShannon and Sharon Sheeley’s “He Did It”) through the crowning Phil Spector productions (“Be My Baby,” “Walking in the Rain,” “Baby I Love You”), jaunts with George Harrison (“Try Some, Buy Some”) and The E Street Band (“Say Goodbye to Hollywood”) and latter-day recordings with the likes of the late Joey Ramone (“You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory”).  Holly George-Warren supplies a new essay and Mark Wilder has remastered.

• Playlist:  Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits is a new packaging of the duo’s seminal 1972 compilation, which introduced some exclusive live tracks.  The Playlist edition doesn’t include any additional liner notes; it does, however, add discographical annotation for each track and reprints the original LP back cover artwork.

• Playlist: Journey – Greatest Hits Live, similarly, repackages Journey’s 1998 Greatest Hits Live under the Playlist banner.  The disc contains seventeen tracks spanning live recordings from 1981 and 1983 including such perennials as “Open Arms,” “Faithfully” and, of course, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

• Playlist: The Very Best of Sponge is culled from the Michigan alt-rock band’s two Sony albums, 1994’s Rotting Piñata and 1996’s Waxing Ecstatic, with seven tracks from each LP.

• Playlist: The Very Best of the Verve Pipe draws on the three albums recorded by the Michigan band for RCA Records between 1996 and 2001 plus one track from the soundtrack to 1998’s contemporary film adaptation of Great Expectations.

• Playlist: The Very Best of Stabbing Westward takes its tracks from three Columbia long-players: 1994’s Ungod, 1996’s Wither Blister Burn & Peel and 1998’s Darkest Days, plus one track (“Dawn”) from the Japanese edition of Wither Blister.  This disc mirrors The Essential Stabbing Westward which was originally released in 2002, one year after the band broke up.

• Hey, pally!  Legacy is the latest label to acquire rights to reissue the Reprise-era masters of the perennially-hip Dean Martin, and so Playlist: The Very Best of Dean Martin spotlights thirteen selections from the late, great entertainer’s tenure at The House That Frank Built – plus one late-career track licensed from Warner Bros. Records (1984’s “Drinking Champagne”).  The Reprise material includes the chart-topping pop hit “Everybody Loves Somebody” from 1964 and Dino’s No. 25 hit remake of “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” from the same year, along with other charting singles including Lee Hazlewood’s “Houston” (No. 21, 1965), “I Will” (No. 10, 1965) and “Little Ole Wine Drinker Me” (No. 38, 1967).  Vic Anesini has remastered all fourteen tracks, and James Ritz supplies a new essay about the King of Cool.

• Three Motown tracks kick off Playlist: The Very Best of Jermaine Jackson, including the Top 10 Pop/No. 1 R&B smash “Let’s Get Serious,” produced, arranged and co-written by Stevie Wonder.  Playlist then takes in a selection of recordings drawn from Jackson’s tenures at Arista and LaFace Records including the never-before-on-CD B-side “Whatcha Doin’,” from 1986.  “Do What You Do,” “Dynamite” and “Do You Remember Me?” are presented in their original single mixes, and Playlist also makes room for notable duets with Whitney Houston (“Take Good Care of My Heart”), Pia Zadora (“When the Rain Begins to Fall” from the film Voyage of the Rock Aliens’ Curb Records soundtrack) and brother Michael (“Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good to Be True).”  Rashod Ollison pens new liner notes, and Dave Donnelly has remastered.

• Jermaine’s Arista labelmate gets the Playlist treatment on The Very Best of Ray Parker, Jr.  Its fourteen tracks are a tour through the singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist’s sleek and steamy catalogue with and without Raydio, including smash hits “The Other Woman” (No. 4 Pop/No. 2 R&B, 1982), “You Can’t Change That” (No. 9 Pop/No. 3 R&B, 1979), “Jack and Jill” (No. 8 Pop/No. 5 R&B, 1977), “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)” (No. 4 Pop/No. 1 R&B) and “Ghostbusters” (No. 1 Pop and R&B, 1984).  “Jack and Jill” and 1981’s “That Old Song” and “It’s Your Night” are presented in their original single versions.  The fourteen tracks, released between 1977 and 1987, have been remastered by Sean Brennan.  Brian Chin supplies new liner notes.

• Playlist: The Very Best of Three 6 Mafia excerpts six albums from the Columbia, Relativity and Loud labels originally released between 1997 and 2005, and includes the Academy Award-winning Best Song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.”

• Playlist: The Very Best of Ray Price takes in the period between 1954 and 1980 in a chronological journey of the Columbia recordings of country great Ray Price, who died just last month on December 16 at the age of 87.  It includes one duet with Willie Nelson (1980’s “Faded Love”) and a number of C&W standards including “Release Me,” “Heartaches by the Number” and Nelson’s “Night Life” and “Funny How Time Slips Away.”

• Playlist: Closer – The Best of Sarah McLachlan repackages the Canadian singer-songwriter’s 2008 best-of, and features sixteen tracks including two recordings, “Don’t Give Up on Us” and “U Want Me 2,” first issued on that set.  The remaining songs have been drawn from six albums released between 1988 and 2003 on the Arista/Nettwerk labels, and naturally, hits such as “Adia,” “Angel” and “I Will Remember You” are included.

• A Grammy Award-winning Christian music artist is the focus of Playlist: The Very Best of Israel and New Breed.  Israel Houghton took elements of jazz, rock and gospel on recordings such as the five albums represented here, all of which were released on the Columbia and Integrity labels between 2001 and 2012.  Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, Michael Gungor and Aaron Lindsay are among the collaborators featured on these thirteen cuts.

All thirteen Playlist titles are available from Legacy Recordings on January 21, and can be pre-ordered below!

Three 6 Mafia, Playlist: The Very Best of Three 6 Mafia (Columbia/Legacy 88883 74766-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Tear Da Club Up ’97
2. Side 2 Side
3. Late Nite Tip
4. 2-Way Freak (feat. La Chat)
5. Ridin’ Spinnas (feat. Lil Flip)
6. Sippin on Some Syrup (feat. UGK & Project Pat)
7. Poppin’ My Collar
8. Who Run It
9. Stay Fly (Still Fly Remix feat. Slim Thug, Trick Daddy & Project Pat)
10. Weak Azz B***h (feat. La Chat)
11. Baby Mama (feat. La Chat)
12. I’m So Hi
13. Slob on My Knob – Tear Da Club Up Thugz
14. It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp (feat. Frayser Boy & Paula Campbell)

Tracks 1 and 3 from Chapter 2: World Domination (Relativity, 1997)
Tracks 2, 7, 9 and 14 from Most Known Unknown (Columbia, 2005)
Tracks 4 and 11 from Choices: The Album (Relativity/Loud, 2001)
Track 5 from Da Unbreakables (Columbia, 2003)
Tracks 6, 8, 10 and 12 from When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (Loud, 2000)
Track 13 from CrazyNDaLazDayz (Relativity, 1999)

Jermaine Jackson, Playlist: The Very Best of Jermaine Jackson (Arista/Legacy 88883 76929-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Daddy’s Home
2. Let’s Get Serious
3. Let Me Tickle Your Fancy
4. Dynamite (7″ Version)
5. Do What You Do (7″ Version)
6. Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming (Too Good to Be True) (Duet with Michael Jackson)
7. When the Rain Begins to Fall (Duet with Pia Zadora)
8. Take Good Care of My Heart – Whitney Houston with Jermaine Jackson
9. (Closest Thing to) Perfect
10. I Think It’s Love
11. Do You Remember Me (7″ Version)
12. Whatcha Doin’
13. Don’t Take It Personal
14. You Said, You Said

Track 1 from Jermaine (Motown, 1972)
Track 2 from Let’s Get Serious (Motown, 1980)
Track 3 from Let Me Tickle Your Fancy (Motown, 1982)
Tracks 4-8 from Dynamite (Arista, 1984). Track 8 later released on Whitney Houston (Arista, 1985)
Tracks 9-11 from Precious Moments (Arista, 1986)
Track 12 from “Do You Remember Me” single (Arista, 1986)
Track 13 from Don’t Take It Personal (Arista, 1989)
Track 14 from You Said (LaFace, 1991)

Ray Parker, Jr., Playlist: The Very Best of Ray Parker, Jr. (Arista/Legacy 88883 77347-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. The Other Woman
2. You Can’t Change That *
3. Jack and Jill (Single Edit) *
4. A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) *
5. I Still Can’t Get Over Losing You
6. I Don’t Think That Man Should Sleep Alone
7. Jamie
8. Two Places At the Same Time *
9. That Old Song (Single Edit) *
10. It’s Your Night (Single Edit) *
11. For Those Who Like to Groove *
12. Let Me Go
13. Bad Boy
14. Ghostbusters

* with Raydio

Tracks 1 and 12 from The Other Woman (Arista, 1982)
Track 2 from Rock On (Arista, 1979)
Track 3 from Raydio (Arista, 1978)
Tracks 4 and 9-10 from A Woman Needs Love (Arista, 1981)
Track 5 from Woman Out of Control (Arista, 1983)
Track 6 from After Dark (Geffen, 1987)
Track 7 from Chartbusters (Arista, 1984)
Tracks 8 and 11 from Two Places At the Same Time (Arista, 1980)
Track 13 from non-LP single, 1982
Track 14 from Ghostbusters: Original Soundtrack Album (Arista, 1984)

Dean Martin, Playlist: The Very Best of Dean Martin (Legacy 88883 79474-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Everybody Loves Somebody
2. Every Minute, Every Hour
3. The Door is Still Open to My Heart
4. You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
5. Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
6. In the Chapel in the Moonlight
7. I Can’t Help Remembering You
8. Houston
9. Bumming Around
10. I Will
11. Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me
12. Ain’t Gonna Try Anymore
13. Kiss the World Goodbye
14. Drinking Champagne

Track 1 from Everybody Loves Somebody (Reprise, 1964)
Tracks 2-4 from The Door is Still Open to My Heart (Reprise, 1964)
Tracks 5-6 from Dean Martin Hits Again (Reprise, 1965)
Track 7 from Welcome to My World (Reprise, 1967)
Tracks 8 and 10 from Houston (Reprise, 1965)
Track 9 from (Remember Me) I’m the One Who Loves You (Reprise, 1965)
Track 11 from Reprise single 0608, 1967
Track 12 from Dean “Tex” Martin: Country Style (Reprise, 1963)
Track 13 from Dino (Reprise, 1972)
Track 14 from The Nashville Sessions (Warner Bros., 1983)

Israel & New Breed, Playlist: The Very Best of Israel & New Breed (Integrity/Columbia/Legacy 88843 00510-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Jesus the Same
2. No Turning Back (feat. Aaron Lindsey)
3. Medley: You Have Me/You Hold My World (feat. Michael Gungor)
4. Jesus At the Center
5. Everywhere That I Go – Israel Houghton
6. Saved by Grace – Israel Houghton
7. New Season
8. Surprises – Israel Houghton feat. Fred Hammond
9. Not Forgotten (Live)
10. Again I Say Rejoice
11. Moving Forward – Israel Houghton
12. Love God, Love People – Israel Houghton
13. Mercies – Israel Houghton with Kirk Franklin

Tracks 1-4 from Jesus At The Center: Live (Integrity/Columbia, 2012)
Tracks 5-6 and 11 from The Power of One (Integrity/Columbia, 2009)
Track 7 from New Season (Integrity, 2001)
Tracks 8 and 12-13 from Love God, Love People (Integrity/Columbia, 2010)
Tracks 9-10 from Alive in South Africa (Integrity, 2005)

Sponge, Playlist: The Very Best of Sponge (Columbia/Legacy 88843 01537-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Plowed
2. Molly (Sixteen Candles)
3. Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)
4. I Am Anastasia
5. Rotting Piñata
6. Velveteen
7. Got to Be a Bore
8. Have You Seen Mary
9. Neenah Menasha
10. Pennywheels
11. My Purity
12. Rainin’
13. Drownin’
14. Silence is Their Drug

Tracks 1-2, 5, 9-10 and 12-13 from Rotting Piñata (Work, 1994)
Tracks 3-4, 6-8, 11 and 14 from Wax Ecstatic (Columbia, 1996)

Ray Price, Playlist: The Very Best of Ray Price (Columbia/Legacy 88843 01539-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Release Me
2. Crazy Arms
3. City Lights
4. Invitation to the Blues
5. Heartaches by the Number
6. Heart Over Mind
7. Pride
8. Make the World Go Away
9. Night Life
10. Funny How Time Slips Away
11. It Should Be Easier Now
12. I Let My Mind Wander
13. For the Good Times
14. Faded Love – Willie Nelson with Ray Price

Track 1 from Columbia single 4-21214, 1954
Track 2 from Columbia single 4-21510, 1956
Tracks 3-4 and from Columbia single 4-41191, 1958
Track 5 from Columbia single 4-41374, 1959
Track 6 from Columbia single 4-41947, 1961
Tracks 7 and 9 from Night Life (Columbia, 1963)
Track 8 from Burning Memories (Columbia, 1964)
Track 10 from The Other Woman (Columbia, 1965)
Track 11 from Another Bridge to Burn (Columbia, 1966)
Track 12 from B-side to Columbia single 4-44042, 1967
Track 13 from For the Good Times (Columbia, 1970)
Track 14 from San Antonio Rose (Columbia, 1980)

The Verve Pipe, Playlist: The Very Best of The Verve Pipe (RCA/Legacy 88843 01547-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Hero
2. The Freshman (Pop Mix)
3. Cup of Tea
4. Photograph
5. Television
6. Never Let You Down
7. Villains
8. Penny is Poison
9. She Loves Everybody
10. Colorful
11. Happiness Is
12. Kiss Me Idle
13. La La
14. Her Ornament

Tracks 1, 5, 9 and 12-13 from The Verve Pipe (RCA, 1998) 
Tracks 2-4 and 7-8 from Villains (RCA, 1996)
Tracks 6 and 10-11 from Underneath (RCA, 2001)
Track 14 from Great Expectations: The Album (Atlantic, 1997)

Ronnie Spector, Playlist: The Very Best of Ronnie Spector (Phil Spector Records/Legacy 88843 02071-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. He Did It *
2. So Young *
3. You Baby *
4. Baby, I Love You *
5. Do I Love You? *
6. Walkin’ in the Rain *
7. (The Best Part of) Breaking Up *
8. Be My Baby *
9. I Can Hear Music *
10. Try Some, Buy Some
11. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (with The E Street Band)
12. Love on a Rooftop
13. You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory
14. All I Want

* with The Ronettes

Track 1 from Dimension single 1046, 1962
Tracks 2-8 appear on Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (Philles, 1964)
Track 9 from Philles single 133, 1966
Track 10 from Apple single 1832, 1971
Track 11 from Epic single 8-50374, 1977
Track 12 from Columbia single 38-07300, 1987
Track 13 from She Talks to Rainbows (Bad Girl Sounds, 1999)
Track 14 from Last of the Rock Stars (Bad Girl Sounds, 2006)

Stabbing Westward, Playlist: The Very Best of Stabbing Westward (Columbia/Legacy 88843 02072-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Lost
2. Control
3. Nothing
4. Lies
5. What Do I Have to Do?
6. Shame
7. I Don’t Believe
8. Sleep
9. Crushing Me
10. Save Yourself
11. Sometimes It Hurts
12. Haunting Me
13. Dawn
14. Torn Apart

Tracks 1-4 from Ungod (Columbia, 1994)
Tracks 5-9 from Wither Blister Burn & Peel (Columbia, 1996)
Tracks 10-12 and 14 from Darkest Days (Columbia, 1998)
Track 13 from Japanese pressing of Wither Blister Burn & Peel (Columbia, 1996)

Simon & Garfunkel, Playlist: Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits (originally released as Columbia KC 31350, 1972 – reissued Columbia/Legacy 88843 02644-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Mrs. Robinson
2. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Live)
3. The Boxer
4. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) (Live)
5. The Sound of Silence (Single Version)
6. I Am a Rock
7. Scarborough Fair/Canticle
8. Homeward Bound (Live)
9. Bridge Over Troubled Water
10. America
11. Kathy’s Song (Live)
12. El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
13. Bookends
14. Cecilia

Tracks 1, 10 and 13 from Bookends (Columbia, 1968)
Tracks 2, 4, 8 and 11 are exclusive to this compilation (Track 2 also released as Columbia single 4-45663-B, 1972)
Tracks 3, 9, 12 and 14 from Bridge Over Troubled Water (Columbia, 1970)
Tracks 5-6 from Sounds of Silence (Columbia, 1966)
Tracks 7 from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (Columbia, 1966)

Sarah McLachlan, Playlist – Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan (originally released as Nettwerk/Arista 88697 20363-2, 2008 – reissued Arista/Legacy 88843 02645-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Vox
2. The Path of Thorns (Terms)
3. Into the Fire
4. Possession
5. Hold On
6. Good Enough
7. Building a Mystery
8. Sweet Surrender
9. Adia
10. Angel
11. I Will Remember You (Live)
12. Fallen
13. World on Fire
14. Stupid
15. Don’t Give Up on Us
16. U Want Me 2

Track 1 from Touch (Nettwerk/Arista, 1988)
Tracks 2-3 from Solace (Nettwerk/Arista, 1991)
Tracks 4-6 from Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (Nettwerk/Arista, 1993)
Tracks 7-10 from Surfacing (Nettwerk/Arista, 1997)
Track 11 from Mirrorball (Nettwerk/Arista, 1999)
Tracks 12-14 from Afterglow (Nettwerk/Arista, 2003)
Tracks 15-16 are tracks recorded for this compilation

Journey, Playlist: Greatest Hits Live (originally released as Columbia CK 69139, 1998 – reissued Columbia/Legacy 88843 02646-2, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Don’t Stop Believin’
2. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
3. After the Fall
4. Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
5. Faithfully
6. Who’s Crying Now
7. Anyway You Want It
8. Lights
9. Stay Awhile
10. Open Arms
11. Send Her My Love
12. Still They Ride
13. Stone in Love
14. Escape
15. Line of Fire
16. Wheel in the Sky
17. Fireworks and Crowd