Gone Digital: Mason Williams, Andy Goldmark, The Flys, Shoes, and Hazell Dean

If it’s Tuesday, then it must be time for Gone Digital, our weekly look at five artists with recent additions to Rhino’s digital catalog. As ever, the types of music we’ll be covering will be all over the place, but that’s Rhino for you: we’re all about variety!

•    Mason Williams, MUSIC BY MASON WILLIAMS (1969) / HANDMADE (1970) / SHAREPICKERS (1971): Many only know Mason Williams for his biggest hit – “Classical Gas” – but he was a legendary comedy writer as well, having worked most famously on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and, somewhat less famously, on Saturday Night Live. These three albums were released while he was earning gainful employment in the world of comedy, so it’s impressive that he was able to keep the music coming as often as he did. If you’ve never heard anything but “Classical Gas,” expand your knowledge of Mr. Mason.

•    Andy Goldmark, ANDY GOLDMARK (1973): Although far better known for his work as a songwriter, having penned tunes for Carly Simon, Jennifer Paige, Jermain Jackson, and others, Goldmark did release one solo album in the ‘70s – that would be this one, obviously – and then much, much later managed to deliver a follow-up, though not until 2011.

•    The Flys, TODAY BELONGS TO ME: 1977-1980: An underrated UK band who arrived in the punk era but tended toward more power pop with their musical sensibilities, this compilation features the material they released during their heyday.

•    Shoes, ELEKTRAFIED: THE ELEKTRA ALBUMS 1979-1982: Speaking of power pop, these guys were one of the bands that helped define the genre, and while some would say that’s an albatross, all we know is that they were flying high at the time, and they delivered some of the catchiest hooks imaginable.

•    Hazell Dean, HEART FIRST (EXPANDED) (1984): Although her success didn’t extend to this side of the pond, this album holds a special place in music history, as it was the first LP produced by the legendary pop production team of Stock, Aitken, and Waterman.