Many of these “reissues” were previously released recordings, most on LP although some, from the “pre-tape” days, were released on 78-rpm discs. My job was to find the most original audio “source” and most accurate data (updating the publishing data) regarding the music and the sources. Identifying the best sources (most original recordings – not tape copies) was not always obvious.
For example, LP masters were NOT the best source because they were “compressed” copies (to limit the the dynamic range to accommodate the limitations of the LP). Before the CD revolution, record company archives were considered to be of little value. The recordings they documented either peaked and became catalogue items or disappeared all together. Probably 80% of record company archives were unreleased even in the late 1980’s. I have notebooks that contain copies of company files relating to most of these recordings and their tape and source archives.
Compilations were theme-based collections of songs/recordings from various albums or sources for the artist or a collection of artists. I must have produced a dozen different Glenn Miller compilations for RCA. Everything we put out, sold. Every combination, from tempo to songwriter to charted songs. As the “reissue producer”, I usually selected the songs and tracks for the compilations. That was always fun and much of the research that informed my choices are in the project notebooks for these recordings. It’s interesting to see how different labels dealt with their vaults and the systems they used to identify individual items.
Some of the reissues I produced for CD release were recordings I had produced! That felt a bit strange. I wrote liner notes for others as well. These are part of the collection. I have copies of most of the reissues and compilations CDs of the titles below as well as related project notebooks, miscellaneous tapes (cassettes, dats, cds).
Many of these artists are famous and therefore subject to subsequent reissues and compilations. These are all first editions of CD reissues, more or less at the beginning of the CD revolution. Most of them are no longer available as catalogue items from the companies that own them, probably replaced by subsequent generations of “re-imaginings”.
I’ll bet you that subsequent reissues did not find a better primary source for them than those that I was able to find, mostly thanks to befriending the one person in the vault and in “documents” who knew everything. At RCA that was Bruce and Bernadette. Such great people! Ignored and disrespected for the most part, they gave their adult lives to that company, only to be let go unceremoniously when the company had to make a negative quarterly report to Wall Street. At one point, RCA bought out or forced out every employee in the 1133 6th Ave. building who was over 50. These recordings were actually the fruits of lifetimes of effort.
A&M RECORDS
Herb Alpert & Hugh Masekela – HERB ALPERT & HUGH MASEKELA
Chet Baker – YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN
George Benson – THE OTHER SIDE OF ABBEY ROAD
George Benson – SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
George Benson – TELL IT LIKE IT IS
Dave Brubeck – 25TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION
Don Cherry – BROWN RICE
Ornette Coleman – DANCING IN YOUR HEAD
Paul Desmond – FROM THE HOT AFTERNOON
Gil Evans – WHERE FLAMINGOS FLY
Charlie Haden – CLOSENESS
Charlie Haden – THE GOLDEN NUMBER
Jim Hall – COMMITMENT
Billy Hart – ENCHANCE
Antonio Carlos Jobim – WAVE
Quincy Jones – GULA MATARI
Quincy Jones – WALKING IN SPACE
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis – NEW LIFE
Mel Lewis – MEL LEWIS AND FRIENDS
Charles Lloyd – WAVES
Herbie Mann – GLORY OF LOVE
Wes Montgomery – A DAY IN THE LIFE
Wes Montgomery – DOWN HERE ON THE GROUND
Wes Montgomery – ROAD SONG
Gerry Mulligan – THE AGE OF STEAM
Milton Nascimento – COURAGE
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee – SONNY AND BROWNIE
BMG/RCA/BLUEBIRD
Toshiko Akiyoshi & Lew Tabackin – THE COLLECTION
Joe Morello – JOE MORELLO
Shorty Rogers – SWINGS
Sidney Bechet – THE MASTER TAKES
Phil Woods – LIVE
Nina Simone – BEST OF
Neil Hefti – BATMAN
Lena Horne – I HAVE DREAMED
Duke Ellington – CONCERT OF SACRED MUSIC
Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis – IN A MELLOW TONE
Nina Simone – THE BLUES
Chet Baker – THE ITALIAN SESSIONS
Paul Desmond – EASY LIVING
Paul Desmond – TAKE TEN
Benny Goodman – PURE GOLD
Tommy Dorsey – THE BEST OF
Glenn Miller – THE POPULAR RECORDINGS (1938-1942)
Glenn Miller – LEGENDARY PERFORMER
Glenn Miller – CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO – THE NUMBER ONE HITS
Miriam Makeba – AFRICA
Glenn Miller – A MEMORIAL
Glenn Miller – THE COMPLETE (13 CDs)
Glenn Miller – MOONLIGHT SERENADE
Glenn Miller – CARNEGIE HALL CONCERT
Various – MASTERS OF THE BIG BAND
Duke Ellington – SOPHISTICATED LADY
Chet Baker – SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
Count Basie – BASIE’S BASEMENT
Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra – STARDUST
Louis Armstrong – SUGAR
Erskine Hawkins – TUXEDO JUNCTION
Fats Waller – AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
Artie Shaw – FRENESI
Illinois Jacquet – FLYING HOME
Sonny Rollins – THE BRIDGE
Charlie Barnet – CHEROKEE
Coleman Hawkins – APRIL IN PARIS
Paul Desmond – POLKA DOT’S AND MOONBEAMS
Woody Herman – EARLY AUTUMN
Benny Goodman – STOMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY
Al Hirt – OUR MAN IN NEW ORLEANS
Doc Severinsen – GOOD MEDICINE
Pete Fountain – HIGH SOCIETY
Buddy Rich – NO JIVE
Tito Puente – PUENTE GOES JAZZ
Joe Williams – JUMP FOR JOY
Sonny Rollins – WHAT’S NEW?
Louis Armstrong – SINGS THE BLUES
Coleman Hawkins – THE HAWK IN PARIS
Various – JAZZ PIZZAZZ
SONY MUSIC/LEGACY
John McLaughlin with the One Truth Band – ELECTRIC DREAMS
Dreams – DREAMS
David Sancious – DAVID SANCIOUS
Tony Williams – LIFETIME
Return To Forever (Chick Corea) – LIVE
Aretha Franklin – FROM JAZZ TO SOUL – Double CD Set (Compilation)
Weather Report – WEATHER REPORT
John McLaughlin – ELECTRIC DREAMS
Miles Davis – MILES IN THE SKY
Charles Mingus – LET MY CHILDREN HEAR MUSIC
Herbie Hancock – HEADHUNTERS
Thelonious Monk – CRISS CROSS
Weather Report – HEAVY WEATHER
Miles Davis – MILES SMILES
Miles Davis – SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN
Al DiMeola – THE ESSENCE OF… (Compilation)
George Benson – THE ESSENCE OF… (Compilation)
Charles Mingus – DYNASTY
Stan Getz with Jimmy Rowles – THE PEACOCKS
George Duke – A BRAZILIAN LOVE AFFAIR
George Benson – IT’S UPTOWN
George Benson – THE GEORGE BENSON COOKBOOK
Miles Davis – SORCERER
Miles Davis – MILES AHEAD
Gerry Mulligan – WHAT IS THERE TO SAY?
Al DiMeola – CASINO
Marvin Gaye – GREATEST HITS
Bill Withers – LEAN ON ME (Compilation)
Thelonious Monk – MONK’S BLUES
Paul Desmond – THE LYRICISM OF PAUL DESMOND (Compilation)
Dave Brubeck/Louis Armstrong – THE REAL AMBASSADORS
Weather Report – 8:30
Weather Report – TALE SPINNIN’
Ella Fitzgerald/Billie Holiday/Lena Horne/Sarah Vaughan – THE FOUR LADIES
Andre Previn – A TOUCH OF ELEGANCE (Compilation)
Thelonious Monk – BIG BAND & QUARTET IN CONCERT
Max Roach – M’BOOM
Steve Kahn – THE COLLECTION (Compilation)
Mahavishnu Orchestra – INNER WORLDS
Aretha Franklin – UNFORGETTABLE
Dave Brubeck – THE JAZZ COLLECTION (Compilation)
Billie Holiday – LADY IN SATIN
BMG/RCA (POP)
Jon Lucien – THE BEST OF JON LUCIEN
Soundtrack – SOUTH PACIFIC
The Guess Who – THE BEST OF THE GUESS WHO
Various – ROCK & ROLL VOLUME 1, THE EARLY 50’s
Various – ROCK & ROLL VOLUME 2, THE LATE 50’s
Scorpions – IN TRANCE
Styx – MAN OF MIRACLES
Mickey & Sylvia – LOVE IS STRANGE
Lou Reed – LEGENDARY HEARTS
Various – RCA RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE
The Guess Who – LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT
Paul Anka – 21 GOLDEN HITS
Jefferson Airplane – BATHING AT BAXTER’S
Isley Brothers – SHOUT – THE COMPLETE VICTOR SESSIONS
Judas Priest – ROCKA ROLLA
Judas Priest – THE BEST OF
Lou Reed – BERLIN
Various – NIPPER’S #1 HITS – THE BEST OF RCA VICTOR
Hall & Oates – BIGGER THAN THE BOTH OF US
Hot Tuna – AMERICA’ S CHOICE
Hot Tuna – YELLOW FEVER
Jefferson Airplane – BLESS ITS POINTED LITTLE HEAD
Jefferson Airplane – 30 SECONDS OVER WINTERLAND
Jefferson Airplane – CROWN OF CREATION
Jefferson Airplane – BLOWS AGAINST THE EMPIRE
John Denver – ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
Elvis Presley – MY HAPPINESS
Soundtrack – OLIVER
Perry Como – PURE GOLD
The Guess Who – CANNED HEAT
The Guess Who – THE GREATEST OF THE GUESS WHO
Harry Nilsson – A LITTLE TOUCH OF SCHMILSSON
John Denver – POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES
John Denver – I WANT TO LIVE
Various – DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!
John Denver – FAREWELL TO ANDROMEDA
Hot Tuna – HOT TUNA
Harry Nilsson – SON OF SCHMILSSON
Various – NIPPER’S GREATEST HITS, THE ’50’s VOLUME 1
Various – NIPPER’S GREATEST HITS, THE ’50’s VOLUME 2
Various – NIPPER’S GREATEST HITS, THE ’60’s VOLUME 1
Various – NIPPER’S GREATEST HITS, THE ’60’s VOLUME 2
Various – NIPPER’S GREATEST HITS, THE ’70’s VOLUME 1
Various – NIPPER’S GREATEST HITS, THE ‘8O’S
Styx – II
Pure Prairie League – LIVE! TAKIN’ THE STAGE
Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash – SUN’S GREATEST HITS
Elvis Presley – SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
Diana Ross – SILK ELECTRIC
Elvis Presley – THE GREAT PERFORMANCES
Various – DANCE THE LAMBADA
Various – DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! VOLUME 2
Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins – THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
Neil Sedaka – GREATEST HITS, VOLUME 2
Lou Reed – RETROSPECTIVE
Soundtrack – BYE BYE BIRDIE
Soundtrack – EXODUS
Soundtrack – HATARI – HENRY MANCINI
Lou Reed – SALLY CAN’T DANCE
Styx – THE BEST OF STYX
The Guess Who – AMERICAN WOMAN
Elvis Presley – ELVIS IS BACK
Hot Tuna – BURGERS
Jefferson Airplane – VOLUNTEERS
Dr. Buzzard – DR. BUZZARD’S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND
Hot Tuna – PHOSPHORESCENT RAT
Lou Reed – CONEY ISLAND BABY
Harry Nilsson – SINGS RANDY NEWMAN
The Guess Who – AMERICAN WOMAN
Elvis Presley – A DATE WITH ELVIS
Elvis Presley – PROMISED LAND
Elvis Presley – FOR LP FANS ONLY
Jefferson Airplane – TAKES OFF
Lou Reed – LOU REED LIVE
The Guess Who – WHEATFIELD SOUL
Lou Reed – BETWEEN THOUGHT & EXPRESSION
Various – GOD BLESS AMERICA- AND OTHER PATRIOTIC HITS
Henry Mancini – PURE GOLD
BMG (HERITAGE – BLUES & COUNTRY)
Various – UNDER THE DOUBLE EAGLE
Various – GRINDER MAN BLUES
Bill Monroe – MULE SKINNER BLUES
Various – ARE YOU FROM DIXIE
Various – RAGGED BUT RIGHT
Leadbelly – ALABAMA BOUND
“Sonny Boy” Williamson & “Big Joe” Williams – THROW A BOOGIE – WOOGIE
Arthur Crudup – THAT’S ALL RIGHT MAMA
Various – MASTERS OF THE DELTA BLUES – CANNED HEAT BLUES
Various – A TREASURY OF SACRED MUSIC – SOMETHING GOT A HOLD OF ME
Various – A TREASURY OF GOSPEL MUSIC – I HEAR MUSIC IN THE AIR
Various – BEALE STREET BLUES – WILD ABOUT MY LOVIN’
Various – THE SPIRIT OF JAZZ
Washboard Sam – ROCKIN’ MY BLUES AWAY
Women Blues Singers of the 20’s – ‘BETTER BOOT THAT THING
Lonnie Johnson – HE’S A JELLY ROLL BAKER
The Golden Gate Quartet – TRAVELIN’ SHOES
GRP
Various – I LOVE A PIANO
Various – THE WORLD OF CONTEMPORARY JAZZ GROUPS
Various – DIGITAL BIG BAND BASH!
Various – GUITAR FIRE
Various – SONG BIRDS
Various – TRIUMPHANT SAX!
Various – SOUND THE TRUMPETS
Various – THE BLUES
Various – THE BALLADEERS
Various – DUOS
Various – ACOUSTIC JAZZ
Various – FEEL THE VIBES
Various – JAZZ LIVE
Various – A JAZZ ROMANCE
Various – EXOTIC JAZZ
Various – COVERING ALL THE BASSISTS
Various – THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER
Ella Fitzgerald – BEST OF
Billie Holiday – BEST OF
Louis Armstrong – BEST OF
John Coltrane – BEST OF
Johnny Hartman – BEST OF
Sonny Rollins – BEST OF
Gato Barbieri – BEST OF
Pharoah Sanders – Best of
Charles Mingus – BEST OF
Duke Ellington – BEST OF
ATLANTIC
Various – THE HISTORY OF JAZZ ON ATLANTIC
– NEW ORLEANS
– KANSAS CITY
– BEBOP
– WEST COAST
– MAINSTREAM
– PIANO
– POST BOP
– SINGERS
– SOUL
– AVANT-GARDE
– INTROSPECTION
– FUSION
VICTOR JAZZ
Chet Baker – THE ITALIAN SESSIONS
Charles Mingus – Tijuana Moods
Benny Goodman – TOGETHER AGAIN
Coleman Hawkins – BODY & SOUL
Paul Desmond/ Gerry Mulligan – TWO OF A MIND
Duke Ellington – SOPHISTICATED LADY
Sonny Rollins – THE BRIDGE
Dizzy Gillespie – DIZZIER AND DIZZIER
Al Hirt – HONEY IN THE HORN; OUR MAN IN NEW ORLEANS
Tommy Dorsey/ Frank Sinatra – LOVE SONGS
Tommy Dorsey/ Glenn Miller – SHOWDOWN
Glenn Miller – CANDLELIGHT MILLER
Paul Desmond – DESMOND BLUE
Paul Desmond – BOSSA ANTIGUA
Paul Desmond – EASY LIVING
Paul Desmond – GLAD TO BE UNHAPPY
Paul Desmond – TAKE TEN
Duke Ellington – THE POPULAR DUKE ELLLINGTON
Woody Herman – WOODY HERMAN AND THE GREAT TENORS
Carmen McRae – THE COLLECTED
Danilo Perez – THE COLLECTED
Antonio Hart – THE COLLECTED
James Moody – THE COLLECTED
Roy Hargrove – THE COLLECTED
Warren Hill – THE COLLECTED
Marcus Roberts – THE COLLECTED
Stan Getz/ Arthur Fiedler – TANGLEWOOD
Marion Meadows – THE COLLECTED
Roy Hargrove/Marcus Roberts/Hugh Masekela/James Moody/Carmen McRae – JAZZ SAMPLER
Frank Sinatra – THE POPULAR VOLUMES I & II & III
Glenn Miller/ Johnny Mercer – MILLER PLAYS MERCER
Gil Scott Heron – EVOLUTION AND FLASHBACK – THE VERY BEST OF
Richard Stolzman – FEAST – RICHARD STOLTZMAN PLAYS THE MUSIC OF BILL DOUGLAS
Duke Ellington/Count Basie – BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Buddy Rich/Woody Herman – BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Charles Mingus/Gil Evans – BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Benny Goodman/Artie Shaw – BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Glenn Miller/Andrews Sisters – VOLUMES I & II – UNRELEASED MASTERS
James Galway – GREATEST HITS VOLUME III
Paul Desmond – THE COLLECTED
Benny Goodman – THE VERY BEST OF
CONCORD (1998)
Jim Hall – Best Of (Jazz Heritage Series)
George Shearing – Best Of (Jazz Heritage Series)
OTHER
Paul Desmond – CANADIAN KNIGHTS (unreleased)