Toronto, CA | Sunrise music store entrepreneur raises tea shops from the dead: Doug Putman is reopening shuttered David’s Tea locations under T. Kettle brand. It was about eight weeks ago – seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic – that Doug Putman decided to resurrect the tea business. Specifically, the Canadian entrepreneur who resurrected Sunrise Records and Tapes, the Canadian and U.K. branches HMV, and the U.S.-based FYE (For Your Entertainment) had his eye on David’s Tea, the ubiquitous high-end tea shop that had more than 400 locations across the country. Like Sunrise, HMV and FYE, David’s Tea declared bankruptcy in the summer, shuttering 166 locations in Canada and 42 in the U.S., while maintaining its online business. On Oct. 28, Putman announced that Sunrise had taken over the leases of those shops and will be re-opening under the name T. Kettle in November.
Madison, WI | Strictly Discs in Wisconsin, in a Pandemic: ‘Right Now It Doesn’t Really Feel’ Like Things Will Turn Around: With cases in Wisconsin continuing to surge, Governor Tony Evers put a 25% capacity restriction in place for retail — until a state judge blocked it. In October 1988, Angie Roloff and her husband Ron opened Strictly Discs in Madison, Wisconsin, after Ron left a career in the biomedical research field to pursue his love of music full time. Nearly 31 years later, the couple made the difficult decision to shutter in-store operations due to COVID-19, roughly a week before Governor Tony Evers forced a mandatory shutdown of all non-essential businesses. Now that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has overturned Evers’ stay-at-home order — ruling it “unlawful” and “unenforceable” — the Roloffs and their employees have reopened the store. As part of Billboard’s efforts to best cover the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on the music industry, we will be speaking with Roloff regularly to chronicle her experience throughout the crisis.
Light in the Attic Announces Nancy Sinatra Reissue Campaign: The archival label is kicking off the year-long tribute with a deluxe compilation of Sinatra’s work from 1965-1976. Archival record label Light in the Attic has announced a year-long reissue campaign to honor Nancy Sinatra, who recently turned 80. The campaign will include reissues of studio albums and archival releasees on vinyl, CD, and digital formats. Today, Light in the Attic has announced Nancy Sinatra: Start Walkin’ 1965-1976, a definitive compilation of Sinatra’s solo work as well as her iconic recordings with Lee Hazelwood. It will also include interviews, liner notes (penned by The New Yorker writer and Pitchfork contributor Amanda Petrusich), and more. The compilation is available on all formats February 5. Listen to the first single from the collection, Sinatra’s 1976 cover of “(L’été Indien) Indian Summer,” below. The songs on Start Walkin’ have been remastered from the original analog tapes by engineer John Baldwin. In addition to Petrusich’s liner notes, the vinyl edition includes new interviews with Sinatra, a 24-page booklet, and more. Colored vinyl options are available in addition to standard black.
Three Landmark Frankie Goes To Hollywood Albums Set For Reissue: ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’, ‘Liverpool’ and greatest hits collection, ‘Bang!’ are set to return on both CD and vinyl. Three landmark albums by 1980s pop superstars Frankie Goes To Hollywood are set for reissue on both vinyl and CD. Welcome To The Pleasuredome, Liverpool and Bang!…The Greatest Hits will be available through UMC on December 11, except for the US where all three will be available on January 22, 2021. Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s legendary debut album, Welcome To The Pleasuredome was first released by ZTT and Island Records on 29 October 1984. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at number one due to reported advance sales of over one million. Featuring the band’s signature hits, “Relax”, “Two Tribes” and “The Power Of Love”, the album was also a top ten seller internationally in countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, and New Zealand. Produced by Trevor Horn, it was widely-regarded as a ground-breaking release and helped define pop music production in the eighties.
Verlaines to release on vinyl: Dunedin music veterans The Verlaines will release their first new music on vinyl in nearly three decades this weekend — a limited edition pressing of 10th album Dunedin Spleen. Presented for Record Store Day 2020, October 24, the release is a double album on coloured vinyl, presented in a gatefold sleeve. The genesis of Dunedin Spleen dates back to shortly after The Verlaines’ ninth album, Untimely Meditations, in February 2012, during a prolific songwriting period for band founder Graeme Downes. By the end of 2013, Downes had completed enough material for two albums, setting lyrics to music using notation-playback software. At Easter, 2014, after laying down basic tracks, the band was confident they had enough material for a double album — more than 20 songs making 90-plus minutes of music. It was about this time, Downes and the late Roy Colbert discussed the idea to hold a concert of classic Dunedin songs fleshed out for a full orchestra, and the Tally Ho! concert series was born.
