I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Frank Sinatra, Guns 'n' Roses, The Smashing Pumpkins, Wicked, Mariah Carey, Tears For Fears, Szandra Mayer, and A Winnie the Pooh Christmas.
- Frank Sinatra’s seminal 1955 Capitol Records album In The Wee Small Hours reissue in Blue Note’s acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Series is available now, marking the album’s 70th anniversary. Produced for release by Joe Harley, the new Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and comes packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket featuring session photos by William Claxton and Ken Veeder, as well as an essay by Rita Kirwan. In The Wee Small Hours is a melancholy masterpiece of lost love and heartbreak that was a pivotal album in the legendary vocalist’s career. Produced by Voyle Gilmore, the album embodied Sinatra’s artistic growth into a more mature singing style with stunning renditions of Great American Songbook standards given sublime arrangements by Nelson Riddle, creating one of the first-ever concept albums.
- UMe/Geffen celebrate Guns N’ Roses’ incredible musical legacy with GUNS N' ROSES – LIVE ERA ’87-’93, the ultimate vinyl set that chronicles the first official live album from Guns N’ Roses. LIVE ERA ’87-’93 was recorded live across the universe between 1987 and 1993, and it has been newly remastered for this collection from the original stereo analog master tapes for the first time since 1999. Included on LIVE ERA ’87-’93 are definitive, of-era live renditions of classic Guns N’ Roses tracks such as “November Rain,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine, “Welcome To The Jungle,” “Don’t Cry,” and “Paradise City.” Out now, GUNS N' ROSES – LIVE ERA ’87-’93 features a total of 23 live tracks. It is available in multiple configurations, including a Premium 4-LP Color Vinyl, Standard 4-LP 180-Gram Black Vinyl, and Digital Remaster. The new remaster of GUNS N' ROSES – LIVE ERA ’87-’93 is available to stream and as digital downloads newly expanded with the 1999 vinyl & Japan bonus track “Coma”, with all vinyl configurations available to order, HERE
- The Smashing Pumpkins released what would become one of the most iconic works of the decade: the sprawling double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Now, thirty years later, the band is returning with a special deluxe reissue expanding on the original album, including eighty minutes of previously unreleased recordings from the 1996 tour in support of the album. Three new versions of Mellon Collie are now available via UMe. The album and live material has hit DSPs, while a four-disc deluxe edition CD package, featuring new liner notes written by Billy Corgan is also now available. The band has also put together a limited edition boxset essential for the diehard fans, including Mellon Collie and the 1996 Infinite Sadness tour audio on four CDs and six LPs, the new liner notes in a hardbound book, a custom tarot card deck, and seven frameable lithographs, all housed in a velvet slipcase with a cloth carrying bag. Included in all versions, the 1996 live material is a holy grail for longtime Pumpkins devotees. Only recently discovered, the recordings showcase the original lineup at the height of their powers. Listen to the newly discovered live track, “Geek U.S.A.” From The Infinite Sadness Tour ’96, now HERE.
- Republic Records and Verve Records announce the forthcoming release of Wicked: For Good (Original Motion Picture Score), the official score album from Universal Pictures’ Wicked: For Good, the epic conclusion to the global cinematic phenomenon. Wicked: For Good (Original Motion Picture Score) will be released December 5, with pre-order available now HERE. Composed by Academy Award® and GRAMMY® nominee John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon, Happy Feet) and GRAMMY® and Academy Award® winner Stephen Schwartz, the legendary composer and lyricist of the Wickedstage musical, Wicked: For Good (Original Motion Picture Score) continues the composers’ extraordinary collaboration, expanding the emotional and sonic landscape first introduced in last year’s Wicked.
- “It’s tiiiiiiime!” Award-winning global superstar, songwriter, singer, best-selling author, and pop’s reigning Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, is ushering in the 2025 holiday season with a flurry of festive activity, new releases, holiday cheer and seasonal surprises. Mariah’s sophomore holiday album, 2010’s Merry Christmas II You, is available now on Shiny Starlight-colored vinyl (via Def Jam Records/UMe) in celebration of its 15th anniversary. The record, available exclusively at Amazon, features the fan favorite yuletide singles, “Oh Santa!,” “When Christmas Comes,” “Christmas Time Is In The Air Again,” “Auld Lang Syne (The New Year’s Anthem),” and the aptly titled “All I Want For Christmas Is You (Extra Festive),” a slightly revamped and orchestral version of Mariah’s perennial juggernaut hit. Merry Christmas II You will also be available in immersive Dolby Atmos in the coming weeks allowing fans to enjoy Mariah’s jolly jams in spatial audio. Purchase Merry Christmas II You now: MariahCarey.lnk.to/MerryChristmasIIYouPR
- Tears For Fears' multi-platinum-selling second album, Songs From The Big Chair, has been reissued in multiple formats and is available now, marking its 40th anniversary and celebrating its enduring impact. Originally released on February 25, 1985, Songs From The Big Chair became a global sensation, topping the US charts and spawning five hit singles: “Mothers Talk,” “Shout,” “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Head Over Heels,” and “I Believe.” The album captured a perfect intersection of pop accessibility, sharp lyricism, guitar power, and new-wave innovation. To mark its Ruby Anniversary, UMe has unveiled a range of special editions, including a limited-edition 2LP Transparent Red vinyl featuring the original unused artwork and tracks previously unavailable on vinyl, a 3CD deluxe set, a limited-edition 1LP Coke Bottle Clear vinyl, and a limited-edition 1LP picture disc.
- 18-year-old South Florida via Los Angeles-based pop singer-songwriter Szandra Mayer announces her debut EP with shimmering, delicate track "When You Know" out now. While the official title and artwork will be revealed, Mayer promises a project that explores young womanhood through confessional lyricism and intimate, vibrant production as she aims to make other young women feel seen and heard. Mayer looks at the making of the forthcoming project as a pivotal growth and learning experience as it documents her coming-of-age. Mayer explains, “This EP is a collection of entries from my teenage girl years, capturing everything I experienced and how it affected me. It explores my confusion, delusions, overthinking, and all the moments that helped me learn more about myself. It’s so special to me because each of these songs talks about experiences not only I’ve gone through, but that many other young girls can relate to, and that’s the part that makes me most proud of it all.”
- The Asylum, the studio best known for the global pop-culture phenomenon SHARKNADO, is spreading holiday cheer with its newest animated feature, A WINNIE-THE-POOH CHRISTMAS, arriving everywhere on streaming and on demand November 21, 2025. The film stars Bruce Campbell (EVIL DEAD, CARS 2, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS) in a standout voice performance that brings a fresh charm and warmth to this modern take on the Milne classic. In this heartwarming holiday adventure, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends awaken to find all their Christmas gifts mysteriously vanished. Determined to save the season, the friends embark on a whimsical winter journey filled with Heffalumps, Woozles, snowy surprises, and the kind of gentle mischief only the Hundred Acre Wood can deliver. Along the way, they discover that the greatest gift of all is the joy and love of chosen family. A WINNIE-THE-POOH CHRISTMAS marks the beginning of a new slate of seasonal animated films from The Asylum. The studio is also currently developing A VERY WINNIE EASTER and A WINNIE-THE-BOO HALLOWEEN — expanding the beloved characters into a year-round, family-friendly universe. Streaming and On Demand Everywhere November 21, 2025.
