Tag: Mercury
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The Mission / Mission U.K., Children, 1988 on Mercury
Another band with a different name in the US—apparently there was already an R&B act out of Philadelphia called the Mission. (Note the coin/medal on the cover only has The Mission). The Mission (aka the Mission U.K.) started with two veterans from Sisters of Mercy, joined by Mick Brown from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and…
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Sarah Vaughan, Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin, 1958 on Mercury
Fantastic collection of Sarah Vaughan doing Gershwin standards from the twenties and thirties, supported by Hal Mooney & His Orchestra. My copy—via a private sale—is a 2xLP gatefold reissue in mono by Verve/UMe, which reproduces the old Mercury labels.
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Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Too-Rye-Ay, 1982 on Mercury
Credited on the cover to “Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners,” this was their second LP, the first with Mercury Records and the one with the massive hit “Come on Eileen.” Wonderful album – also includes “Jackie Wilson Said.” There were plans for a 40th anniversary reissue of Too-Rye-Ay “As It Could Have Sounded” (a…
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The Runaways, The Runaways, 1976 on Mercury
Debut album from Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West, aka The Runaways – though apparently Nigel Harrison actually plays the bass on the album. Currie published a memoir (Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway) on which the 2010 biopic The Runaways was based, with Kristen Stewart playing Joan Jett,…
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Michelle Shocked, Captain Swing, 1989 on Mercury
This was Shocked’s third LP and the follow up to the massively successful Short Sharp Shocked which came out in 1988. It’s (deliberately) all over the place in genre but wonderful. The “hidden” track is also present on the vinyl – “Russian Roulette” is not listed on the labels but plays after “Must Be Luff.”…
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Tears for Fears, Songs From The Big Chair, 1985 on Mercury
Sophomore album from Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, following The Hurting. Hard to imagine trying to follow up that record, but this went to number one in the US. “Shout” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” fueled that success. They’ve been touring again in support of The Tipping Point but I’ve not managed to…
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The Robert Cray Band, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, 1988 on Mercury
Fifth full length from Robert Cray and co – sometimes referred to as The Robert Cray Band, other places just Robert Cray from the 1980s. This was their second major label record (on Mercury following Hightone and Tomato). It was not as successful as Strong Persuader which preceded it but there are some great songs…
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The Brains, The Brains, 1980 on Mercury
Self-titled debut album from Atlanta’s The Brains, including a song later made famous by Cyndi Lauper, “Money Changes Everything.” The Brains would only go on to one more full length LP, Electronic Eden. Both were produced by Steve Lillywhite. Various members went on to play in other Atlanta bands, including the Georgia Satellites. Tom Gray…
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Charlie Parker, The Mercury & Clef 10-inch LP Collection
This 2021 box collects / reproduces the 10″ LPs put out in the early 1950s: I don’t normally collect 10″ records, but got a good deal on this box, which is very well made, reproducing original covers and labels, and with an included book. Neither of the two “Charlie Parker With Strings” LPs actually has…
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Rush, Exit . . . Stage Left, 1981 on Mercury
Like many, I found Rush as teen (or maybe pre-teen?) and was immediately hooked by the aggressive musicality and complexity and the allusive nature of Peart’s lyrics. Even the album title here is a reference to Snagglepuss (as well as a reference back to All The World’s a Stage?). Still holds up as an amazing…
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Michelle Shocked, The Texas Campfire Tapes, 1986 on Mercury / Cooking Vinyl
This was the debut album for Michelle Shocked, purportedly recorded by Cooking Vinyl founder Pete Lawrence on a Sony Walkman at an unplanned performance at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Shocked herself has called it a “bootleg” and says it was released without her permission: My music career began as the Bootleg Poster Child.…
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Def Leppard, Pyromania, 1983 on Mercury
For me this is one of those albums I loved as a 13 year old, then outgrew for many years (aka thought I was too cool for something so massively popular and unapologetically hair metal) but have come again to appreciate with wiser ears. It was their massive breakout, with “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and…
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Erroll Garner, Feeling is Believing, 1970 on Mercury
Garner’s first album in the 1970s, with five of his own compositions plus recordings of the Beatle’s “Yesterday;” Blood, Sweat, & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel;” “For Once In My Life;” “Strangers in the Night;” and the Hal David Burt Bacharach “The Look Of Love.” Listed as “A Product of Octave Records” – who are currently reissuing…
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Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material, 2015 on Mercury Nashville
The follow up to her break out Same Trailer, Different Park, released in 2015 on Mercury Nashville. Love the songwriting here – modern twist on classic country songwriting, co-produced by Musgraves with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird. My copy is the Vinyl Me Please reissue on gold nugget vinyl, with listening notes by Amileah Sutliff
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Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (aka Peter Gabriel III, or Melt), 1980 on Mercury
The third in the series of self-titled releases Gabriel put out between 1977 and 1982, Melt features lots of complex synthesizer and percussion work, with guests like Robert Fripp and Genesis bandmate Phil Collins. Kate Bush adds backing vocals on No Self Control and Games Without Frontiers. No, he’s not singing “she’s so popular” –…
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Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park, 2013 on Mercury
My copy is the 2023 Vinyl Me Please reissue (in the VMP Essentials, not VMP Country track) on “green galaxy” vinyl. Love Musgraves’ songwriting – this was her fourth LP but is the one that got her lots of attention, and deservedly so. Mama’s hooked on Mary KayBrother’s hooked on Mary JaneAnd Daddy’s hooked on…
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David Bowie, Space Oddity, (originally) 1969 on Mercury
An album so great they named it three times. 😉 Originally released with the album title “David Bowie” by Philips in the UK, but by Mercury in the US/Canada with the subtitle “Man of Words / Man of Music” added, in 1969; reissued in 1972 as “Space Oddity” to capitalize on the popularity of the…
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Sarah Vaughan, The New Scene, 1966 on Mercury.
Sarah Vaughan, The. New Scene, 1966 on Mercury. One of Vaughan’s later Mercury albums, a few years after the Tivoli live record. Includes the Lennon-McCartney Michelle