Los Tigres Del Norte have renewed their contract with Fonovisa, Billboard Bulletin reports. The new, long-term deal includes the norteno band’s catalog and future recordings.
Los Tigres’ “La Reina del Sur” (Queen of the South) hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart in November. The set took its name from a best-selling novel by Spain’s Arturo Perez-Reverte, which was in turn inspired by “Contrabando y Traicion” (Contraband and Treason), a corrido popularized by Los Tigres years before.
Fonovisa has been making an effort to re-sign its top acts. Last month, the label, acquired a little over a year ago by Univision Music Group, renewed its contract with Marco Antonio Solis.
— Leila Cobo, Miami
The Grateful Dead’s “View From the Vault” archive series has moved into its fourth volume, with DVD and CD audio documents of a pair of summer 1987 California concerts: July 24 at Oakland Stadium and July 26 at Anaheim Stadium. As with past releases in the series, the Monterey Video DVD is culled from the four cameras that projected stage action onto large video screens in each venue.At the time, the Dead was at the height of its second wave of popularity, thanks to a string of sold-out concerts (some with Bob Dylan) and the single “Touch of Grey,” which was climbing Billboard’s Hot 100 (it eventually peaked at No. 9 in September).
The DVD features the full Oakland show, and most of the drastically different set list of the Anaheim date. The four-disc Grateful Dead Records audio CD includes both in their entirety, restoring “Friend of the Devil,” “Me and My Uncle,” and “Big River,” cut from the DVD due to time limitations. Both are available directly from the Dead’s GDStore.com.
— Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.
Turner Classic Movies and Rhino Movie Music have teamed to reissue an expanded version of “Fame: The Original Soundtrack From the Motion Picture.” Due April 22, the new version includes one song omitted from the original 1980 release, “Miles From Here,” as sung by actor Paul McCrane, now better known as Dr. Romano on the NBC series “ER.” The new set is also appended with sing-along instrumental versions of “Out Here on My Own” and “Fame.”The initial RSO/Polydor release of the film’s infectious soundtrack — most of it composed by Michael Gore — reached No. 7 on Billboard’s album chart. The set was propelled by the Irene Cara-sung hits “Fame,” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Academy Award for best song, and “Out Here on My Own” (No. 19), which was co-written by Lesley Gore.
— Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.