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Some of the funkiest punk ever recorded! A Certain Ratio were an incredible band – coming out of the Manchester scene that spawned Joy Division and other Factory Records bands – working in a dark-tinged mode that was every bit the bleakness of late 70s England. But they also were... read more

Produced by R Kelly. From Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.... read more

Mid 80s soul from Detroit's Colonel Abrams – One of the first artists to take the then burgeoning house sound into the mainstream – paired up with nicely grooving modern soul vibe! Includes the his "Trapped" and "I'm Not Gonna Let", with those bright and bumping... read more

We used to love this single back in the day! Soulful vocals over an electro/seminal house groove, served up here in a radio edits and dub versions.... read more

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west... read more

A tremendous debut from Ace Spectrum – a harmony quartet who never cracked the charts as much as some of their east coast contemporaries, but who were every bit as great as the bigger names on the east coast scene! The album's got a soaring sound that's strongly influenced by Philly, but... read more

A masterpiece of east coast harmony soul – and worth it for the title cut alone! Ace Spectrum are always pretty great, but on this album, they really bust out of the box with some of the most wonderful harmonies they've ever recorded – set to impeccable arrangements by Patrick Adams,... read more

A masterpiece of east coast harmony soul – and worth it for the title cut alone! Ace Spectrum are always pretty great, but on this album, they really bust out of the box with some of the most wonderful harmonies they've ever recorded – set to impeccable arrangements by Patrick Adams,... read more

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The second chapter in a mighty 70s trilogy from Ace Spectrum – a killer set recorded for Atlantic Records, and easily some of the best group soul issued by the label in the decade! Ace Spectrum change things up a bit here from the obvious – hitting a variety of modes that move between... read more

Beatiful soul from one of Chicago's greatest female soul artists! Barbara Acklin was not only a great singer, but she also wrote an incredible batch of tracks during her years at the Brunswick label – most of which were sung by her, and some of which became huge hits for other artists. This... read more

Nice stuff from one of Prelude's better club divas! The tracks are mostly aimed at the dancefloor, with production by Willie Lester and Rodney Brown – and Gayle sings in a strong soulful style that pushes a lot farther than some of the usual female vocals heard on club albums at the time. ... read more

A massive look at the lost years of southern soul singer Johnny Adams – 2CDs worth of music that bring together a wealth of tracks recorded between his initial years on SSS International Records, and his later revival in the 80s on Rounder! These cuts all appeared on much more obscure albums... read more

Funky stuff from Detroit – and with a sound that's so P-Funk, that when you hear the first track – "Long Stroke" – you'll be hard pressed to believe that the record is not some Parliament album from 1977. The rest of the proceedings open up the groove a bit more, and... read more

A killer album of Afro Funk – with a very unusual origin! In the wake of Manu Dibango's big hit (and some kind of failure to register the copyright), many many versions of "Soul Makossa" were recorded and released, some good, some bad. This album is a good example of that... read more

One of the many 70s disco projects recorded under the supervision of Michael Zager – and although this one isn't nearly as Latin as the name might imply, the record is a nice mix of clubby grooves and conga sounds, in the manner of some of the best Latin Hustle records of the time. Titles... read more

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A distant star in the Earth Wind & Fire galaxy – and the only album by this sweetly grooving group that owed a lot to the EWF sound! The record's produced by Verdine White, executive produced by Maurice White, and even features a bit of guest vocals by Philip Bailey – and the... read more

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A classic groover from Yasuko Agawa – proof that the Japanese scene had an ear for soul in the years before Monday Michiru! The early 80s set is made up from equal parts jazz, soul, and Brazilian influences – all used nicely with tight, fusiony production that really works nicely with... read more

Yasuko's on the menu, and she's as sweet as can be on this late 70s set – an album that's even more soul-based than some of her previous efforts! The grooves are nicely upbeat here – hitting a style that's certainly club, but which also has a bit of a funky fusion too – thanks to... read more

A wonderful early album from this hip Japanese singer – done in a mix of jazz and soul that reminds us a lot of Marlena Shaw! The overall style here is perhaps a bit more on the jazz side of the spectrum, but the arrangements and production are definitely influenced by American R&B of... read more

Seminal sounds from the legendary Laurel Aitken – music that not only shows a key part of his early development, but that of Jamaican music as a whole, too! Aitken's best known for his ska and rocksteady work, but the sounds here are often in an R&B-tinged mode – and really show... read more

Surprisingly great work from Steve Alaimo – hardly just the album of simple twist covers that you might expect, although there's definitely a twisting vibe to the record too! Like some of the better twist-related projects of the early 60s – particularly those from soul and R&B... read more

An overlooked set from the Bay Area scene – one of the only albums cut by Lillian Alexander, a vocalist who'd previously worked with both the Grateful Dead and Marvin Holmes & The Uptights! Don't let her work with the Dead put you off, because this set's all-soul, all the way through... read more

An overlooked set from the Bay Area scene – one of the only albums cut by Lillian Alexander, a vocalist who'd previously worked with both the Grateful Dead and Marvin Holmes & The Uptights! Don't let her work with the Dead put you off, because this set's all-soul, all the way through... read more

Groovy stuff from the lovely Sandra Alexander – with a wonderful LA late 60s crossover of styles! This one has the same pop vocal feel of her other album, but it's trippier than usual, with weird arrangements, and a cool trippy laidback feeling. Sandra does some nice versions of the Isleys'... read more

Very nice pop soul session, with production by Calvin Carter, and a sound that's similar to some of the Capitol LA soul sessions from the late 60s. Sandra sings in an easy loungey voice, and covers tracks like "Wedding Bell Blues", "She Will Break Your Heart", and "Ooh... read more

A gospel singer, but with a great ear for soul – the mighty Rance Allen was one of the key figures to bridge the spiritual and secular worlds in the 70s! This excellent set features Rance Allen gems from his early 70s years at Stax Records – tunes that burn with all of the deep soul... read more

Sublime soul by one of the 70s most overlooked artists! Rance Allen was a powerhouse – born out of the gospel scene, and picked up by Stax records during its hip post-Atlantic years. Rance recorded for the label's Truth subsidiary, where he crafted a unique blend of gospel and soul that was... read more

A whole new level of genius for Herb Alpert – a record that's light years away from his earlier work with the Tijuana Brass, and which has the trumpeter stepping strongly into the world of smooth jazzy fusion! The title track here went platinum the minute it was released – and became... read more

Trumpety genius from Herb Alpert – a cut that gave him one massive hit to close out the 70s, and a tune that crossed over big into clubs, radio, and plenty of shag-carpeted rec rooms too! And hey, it worked for Biggie, right?... read more

A fantastic album from Gerald Alston – a tribute to the mighty Sam Cooke, but one that's sung with lots of Alston's own charm as well! We're normally not big fans of tribute sets like this, but the setting turns out to be a perfect one for Gerald – a batch of classic tunes, recorded... read more

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A really unique little record – soulful, folksy, and with a slight jazzy tinge at times – and the first solo album cut by one half of the Alzo & Udine Latin soul duet who recorded for Mercury in the late 60s! This solo album has a bit of a different flavor than Alzo's work with... read more

An 80s groove classic! This track has a killer sound that mixes bass-heavy funk with a tight electric keyboard sound – and it rips along nicely with a very catchy hook. The cut's one of our all-time favorites from this time, and it's got a hard funky groove that keeps on going!... read more

Long stretched out disco tracks written, arranged, and produced by Ray Martinez – in kind of a faceless haze of strings, beats, keyboards, and chorus vocals. The best track on here is the cut "Hazy Shade Of Love", which has a sparer groove and some nice electronics at the beginning... read more

Amazing work by a group that you've probably never heard of! The Ambassadors are an incredible Philly soul harmony group – of the sort that never made it out of the city in the pre-Philly International years, but who had a polish and quality that was every bit as great as bigger-name acts... read more

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Rare funk from the Indy scene of the early 70s – the long-overdue release of material recorded by a really hard-jamming, horn-heavy combo! Amnesty have a sound that's awash in the best large group influences of the time – a bit of Earth Wind & Fire, a bit of Parliament/Funkadelic,... read more

Mellow soul and soaring club – all nicely balanced together in this first album from the group Anacostia! There's a sound here that's slightly different than some of the other east coast groups of the time – a willingness to slow things down, then groove them up – all with a... read more

Two albums back to back from Carl Anderson – an overlooked singer from the early 80s, finally getting his due! Absence Without Love is a wicked little set from Anderson – a singer who first found fame on the state, later sung in a spiritual world, but does an especially great job here!... read more

A great set in the short run of classics that Carl Anderson cut for Columbia Records in the 1980s – albums that never cracked the charts that strongly at the time, but which have gone on to be remembered well over the years! On this record, Anderson nicely balances a tight groove with some... read more

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Some of the funkiest female soul ever recorded – the near-complete work of James Brown diva Vicki Anderson, compiled here officially for the first time ever! Vicki was one of the first female singers to work with James – replacing the sweeter style of vocalist Anna King in the James... read more

Pre funk, perhaps, but mightily storming soul singles from Vicki Anderson – James Brown productions from the mid 60s to the end of the decade – incredible stuff that's been a bit underappreciated in a world of funky compilations, yet no less incredible and even more diversely soulful... read more

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A masterful set of recordings from Chicago soul chanteuse Ruby Andrews – tunes she cut for Zodiac Records between 1967 and 1973! Ruby could handle any soul style her producers threw her way, be it driving dancefloor stompers or pure torch balladry, but she had a way of infusing everything... read more

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By this album, Aquarian Dream have dropped the "Norman Connors presents" tag – as well as his production – but the record's still a great one, and offers proof that they could certainly make it on their own! The album features arrangements and production by Jeff Lane –... read more

Righteous soul, but with a wicked groove too – a killer set from Aquarian Dream, made even better by some great Norman Connors production! In a way, Aquarian Dream were to Norman Connors what Ramp were to Roy Ayers – in that the group wasn't really that dominated by Connors, but they... read more

Swingin Brazilian soul from Eduardo Araujo – a late 60s groover that's steeped in the styles of Memphis and Muscle Shoals, but which also has a unique twist that's all its own! Eduardo's definitely in the "boogaloo" mode referred to in the title, as the album's a blend of the hard... read more

Not much to say here – but the record was a pretty respectable batch of Euro disco that was licensed by Scepter for release in the US, during a period when they were having some luck with early disco sides of their own, and started digging around for similar material from other sources. ... read more

Early 80s synthy soul and new wave sounds from Joan Armatrading – really taking her earlier, kind of folk soul based sound confidently into the early 80s keyboard heavy grooves with some pronounced Caribbean flourishes! Lots of punchy rhythms and neon bright 80s sounds, but it's the songs... read more

Glorious soul from PP Arnold – late 60s material she recorded for the Immediate label that's a wonderful mix of sweetly soaring sounds with more a rollicking core – fresh from her years as an Ikette! It's easy to hear why PP made such a splash in the UK, bringing the heart and soul out... read more

Bass heavy funk from Arrington – picking up where that Slave groove left off, moving into a mode that's also picked up bits of 80s groove and old school rhythms. Titles include "Nobody Can Beat You", "You Meet My Approval", "Speak With Your Body", "Weak At... read more

A nice little 80s groove single by Steve Arrington – recorded back in the days when he could still kick it enough, and before his music had disintegrated into the cliches that he helped to form!... read more

A rare effort by the excellent Chicago vocal group – with some tasteful strings in the mix this time out – bring a sophisticated soul approach to their indelible vocals! The 1967 album features a tight rendition of the band's signature sweet/sour style – perhaps with a bit more... read more

One of the best, and one of the rarest albums ever from The Artistics – one of the many great Chicago soul groups to cut albums for Brunswick during their soul glory years! The record's got that loping soul groove that was the stock in trade of The Chi-Lites, and it features production and... read more

An excellent lost Latin Funk album from the early 70s west coast scene – featuring a group led by Latin pianist and promoter Cesar Ascarrunz – and including some of the greatest Latin and jazz players from the San Francisco scene at the time! Big names on the session include Francisco... read more

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A mid 70s winner from Ashford & Simpson – one of their earlier efforts, and a record that finds them fleshed out as a top notch act of their end – even if it'd be yeas before they'd net the kind of huge chart success that they deserved! Come As You Are is filled with solid soul... read more

Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson's first album for Warner Brothers, and compared to the numbers moved by biggest hits, you could call this one a hidden gem – filled with near perfect mellow soul jams and more sweetly soaring groovers alike! There are moments that steer it into more of a... read more

Stone classic early work from Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson – really moving past the Motown sound – stepping wonderfully into a hip style of soul that would have a huge effect on the direction of R&B in the 70s! I Wanna Be Selfish is actually a very giving effort from the... read more

Ashford & Simpson don't need to ask, at this point – their in full 70s soul stride here, and it's not good, it's great! By this point in the late 70s, Nick and Valerie are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul... read more

Near-perfect work from Ashford & Simpson – really grooving in full powerhouse mode here, and never missing a beat! By all rights, the team should have run out of steam by this point, but the album's another winner from their sublime Warner years – caught in a unique space between... read more

An expanded double-length set from Ashford & Simpson – one that features three sides of live material, plus some great studio work as well! The concert material makes up the core of the album – a really wonderful demonstration of the genius of Nick and Valerie away from the studio... read more

Excellent work from Ashford & Simpson – with some modern soul groovers that are among the best they ever did! Send It twists, turns and grooves with all the elements we love most about Ashford & Simpson in the mid-to-late 70s – memorable songs with the right mix of sultry... read more

Sublimely satisfying work from Ashford & Simpson – a stone killer from the height of their late 70s glory days on Warner Brothers! The pair are working together wonderfully at this point – wrapped up in that blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents that made them a real cut... read more

Great stuff! From Motown songwriters to world-class superstars, the trip was a well-deserved one for Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford – and this album's perhaps their crowning achievement in sophisticated club soul! The record's got a great groove that offers a more soulful version of disco... read more

A mid 70s winner from Ashford & Simpson – one of their earlier efforts, and a record that finds them fleshed out as a top notch act of their end – even if it'd be yeas before they'd net the kind of huge chart success that they deserved! Come As You Are is filled with solid... read more

Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson's first album for Warner Brothers, and compared to the numbers moved by biggest hits, you could call this one a hidden gem – filled with near perfect mellow soul jams and more sweetly soaring groovers alike! There are moments that steer it into more of a... read more

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Stone classic early work from Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson – really moving past the Motown sound – stepping wonderfully into a hip style of soul that would have a huge effect on the direction of R&B in the 70s! I Wanna Be Selfish is actually a very giving effort from the... read more

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Excellent work from Ashford & Simpson – with some modern soul groovers that are among the best they ever did! The album includes their original reading of "Top Of The Stairs", a great sexy soul duet that was later done by Collins & Collins – and it's also got a... read more

Darn solid work from Ashford & Simpson – one of the duo's biggest albums for Capitol Records, and a great set from their 80s run for the label! The groove here is a bit more heavy on keyboards and beats than before, but the pair still keep things plenty soulful with their positive,... read more

Darn solid work from Ashford & Simpson – one of the duo's biggest albums for Capitol Records, and a great set from their 80s run for the label! The groove here is a bit more heavy on keyboards and beats than before, but the pair still keep things plenty soulful with their positive,... read more

Dang, these guys could never miss! Even in later years, Ashford and Simpson were still going strong – working here in a wonderfully mellow style that's as soulful for the moment as their mid 70s groovers were for that time. The album's got a sweet modern style that's pretty much in the... read more

Dang, these guys could never miss! Even in later years, Ashford and Simpson were still going strong – working here in a wonderfully mellow style that's as soulful for the moment as their mid 70s groovers were for that time. The album's got a sweet modern style that's pretty much in the... read more

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One of the more popular offerings from the Hotlanta disco underground of the 70s – and a pretty nice album that shows the best elements of the Atlanta scene. The record's a mostlyinstrumental batch of tracks that's more in the fast funk vein than the disco one on many tracks – and the... read more

Titles include "Freak A Ristic", "Cool Calm Collected", "Silver Shadow", "Let's Start It Over", "Thank You", and "If Your Heart Isn't In It".... read more

The title's certainly right on this one – because Atlantic Starr serve up a really brilliant blend of electro funk and mainstream soul – balanced with that near-perfect sound that made them one of the best groups of their generation! Despite the size of the combo, the sound is... read more

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Radiant grooves indeed from Atlantic Starr – a group who really make things sparkle throughout this magnificent set! The group are at the height of their powers here – skirting a perfect line between mainstream soul and upbeat club – never falling too much into one style or the... read more

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Atlantic Starr definitely get straight to the point on this set – bursting out strongly with an upbeat groove from the very first note – all produced to perfection by maestro Bobby Eli, in the same manner as some of his other great late 70s work for other artists! The group's a big one... read more

Titles include "Who Could Love You Better", "Second To None", "Touch A Four Leaf Clover", "Tryin", and "Island Dream".... read more

A much funkier record than you'd guess from its tripped-out cover – a rare bit of funk from the Austrian scene of the 70s, put together with some especially heavy drums! The album's got the appeal of some of the best obscure American indie sets from the time – and it's got a blend of... read more

Brian Auger's first album away from singer Julie Driscoll – and a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky... read more

An odd 12" from a group that made a handful of recordings for the Ze label. The track's basically a rip off of Skyy's "Call Me", with some strange ad-libbed "rap" over top, part of which sounds kind of like a Chipmunk's record. Bizarre.... read more

One of the strangest covers in the Ze Records catalog – and that's coming from a label that did plenty of weird covers! Aural Exciters take the original "My Boy Lollipop" and transform the tune with a throbbing punky kind of groove – while still preserving the sing-song... read more

The first album from Aurra – a great smooth soul group with a fresh modern soul groove that would help Salsoul successfully make the transition from 70s disco to 80s club. The album has 6 long tracks – all with pretty strong vocals in the lead, and fast funk instrumentation that... read more