Put Your Hands to Heaven: An Interview with Reissue Producer Vinny Vero

Vinny Vero is everywhere. I don’t mean this in just a literal sense – as of this posting, he’s currently in Australia playing several DJ sets – but he’s also had a multifaceted career in the music business, be it as a marketer, producer, remixer or writer. “This year is my 25th anniversary in the music business,” he told The Second Disc with a laugh. “All of a sudden I feel very experienced!”

Vero parlayed his passion for music into a plum gig as a research manager for prominent New York radio station WHTZ-FM. From there, he spent five fruitful years doing marketing and catalogue work for EMI, working with such artists as Roxette, Blondie, and the Pet Shop Boys. After leaving the company, he continued to hone his marketing skills, but never strayed too far from records, independently producing compilations and “reswizzling” tunes for dance clubs. Last year, Vero began producing reissues for the U.K.’s Cherry Red Group; their first collaboration, a two-disc expansion of Breathe’s hit LP All That Jazz, was released in Europe this week.

Last year, as he was putting the finishing touches on All That Jazz, Vero took time out of his busy schedule to talk to The Second Disc about his work and career. I think you’ll find it a fascinating and informative read about what it’s like to work in an ever-changing industry, all the while working hard and loving what you do – easily the best way to survive in the catalogue music game.

After the jump, we talk to Vinny about all his work, great and small!

Release Round-Up: Week of February 26

Fanny, Fanny / Freddie King, The Complete King Federal Singles (2-CD Set) / Rod McKuen, Sold Out at Carnegie Hall (2-CD Deluxe Edition) / Rod McKuen, Listen to the Warm (Deluxe Edition) / Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys, The Street Giveth…and the Street Taketh Away / The Hello People, Fusion / The Grateful Dead, Dick’s Picks 25 – May 10, 1978 New Haven, CT / May 11, 1978 Springfield, MA (4-CD Set) (Real Gone Music)

Much to enjoy from Real Gone today: four discs of live Dead, deluxe editions from beloved songwriter/poet Rod McKuen, Freddie King’s A’s and B’s for King and Federal and Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys’ The Street Giveth…, produced by Jimi Hendrix.

Breathe, All That Jazz: Deluxe Edition (Cherry Pop)

The underrated, dreamy debut album that spawned some major international hits in “Hands to Heaven” and “How Can I Fall” is expanded by Cherry Pop as a two-disc set with many B-sides and remixes. Check back later this week for a special interview with Vinny Vero, the veteran compilation producer/remixer who produced this reissue! (Amazon U.K. / Amazon U.S.)

Kirsty MacColl, A New England: The Very Best of Kirsty MacColl (Salvo)

A brand-new Kirsty MacColl compilation (Amazon U.K. / Amazon U.S.), featuring many of her non-LP singles. An Amazon U.K. edition features exclusive art cards and a DVD of music videos along with the standard package.

Various Artists, Born to Be Together: The Songs of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (Ace)

From Ace comes a nice tribute to one of the best songwriting duos of the century. Features hits like “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “On Broadway” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” (Amazon U.K. / Amazon U.S.)

Chita Rivera, Chita! / And Now I Sing! (Stage Door)

However you can try to explain why the living stage legend’s two ’60s solo LPs are only now coming out on CD as a two-for-one package, they’re here for your enjoyment! (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Cherry Pop Puts Its “Hands to Heaven” with Breathe Expansion

As we look ahead to 2013, Cherry Pop is about to get sophisticated with a reissue of All That Jazz, the debut album by U.K. group Breathe.

While their name sort of sits in the footnotes section of U.K. pop history, Breathe’s jazz/soul sound was rather enormously popular toward the end of the decade. Three singles, including “How Can I Fall?” (No. 3) and “Hands to Heaven” (No. 2) were U.S. Top 10 hits, with “Hands” also peaking at No. 4 in their native England. (“Hands to Heaven” was, in fact, Billboard‘s ninth biggest hit of 1988.) But for whatever reason, the album itself never passed gold status in America, and sophomore album Peace of Mind stiffed. The group disbanded shortly thereafter.

But Cherry Pop brings the album – and David Glasper’s gorgeous vocals on said album – back to CD in a two-disc set featuring 22 bonus tracks, including all the band’s major single mixes and B-sides of the period. The liner notes include insight from co-producer/mixer/engineer Chris Porter (who did a tremendous job mixing another British pop LP from the same year, George Michael’s Faith), as well as all of the original album’s cover variants. (It’s worth noting that friend of The Second Disc, compilation producer/remixer Vinny Vero, produced this package for Cherry Pop. As we approach the release date, look for an interview with Vinny on both this set and his work in the catalogue field!)

You can order the expanded Jazz, due out February 25, at Amazon U.K. – we expect an import link from Amazon in due time – and a full track breakdown is after the jump!