Soul — All Formats  

Bloodstone's augmented here by a heck of a lot of studio players – more than enough to fill out the needs of the soundtrack to this so-so film from the mid 70s. A few cuts still have the group singing in their better harmony style, but more than a few numbers are remakes of 50s vocal group classics or older standards – in a mode that clearly shows that Bloodstone's control over the score was maybe not as strong as that of other groups working on soundtracks at the time. Titles include "Yakety Yak", "Hooray For Romance", "Go To Sleep", "I'm In Shape", and "Money".

A later effort from James D-Train Williams, but still plenty darn great – and proof that his groove was still one of the strongest in 80s soul music! The style of the set follows from Williams' best earlier work – a bit of bounce at the bottom of most of the tracks, but never too much – just enough to make the titles bubble with enough electricity to carry through the catchiest hooks of the lyrics. Instrumentation includes a fair bit of 80s drum machine rhythms, offset by the deeper soul of Williams' vocals – and titles include "Curious", "Runner", "In Your Eyes", "Order In The House", "Smile", "Runner (dub mix)", "With All My Heart", and "Shadow Of Another Love".

An excellent 80s groove classic! James D-Train Williams sings it nice and deep on this catchy club cut – but the real groove is put over by Hubert Eaves, who does some excellent work on keyboards!

Al Green's first LP – with a very different feel than his later work on Hi. The record's got a harder southern soul groove – almost in a Wilson Pickett/Arthur Conley mode, but with some sweeter elements in the backing. Al's voice is still incredible, although different than later, in that he's singing with a really open vibe, letting himself go a bit more, and not keeping in that smooth sophisticated mode of later years. Originally released by the tiny Hot Line label, and issued later by Bell Records when Al started to hit big with Hi Records during the early 70s. Titles include "Back Up Train", "Get Yourself Together", "Don't Leave Me", "Let Me Help You", "Hot Wire", and "Stop & Check Myself".

A short, but totally killer Ghanaian disco record from KG Band – which is led and produced by multi-instrumentalist Kiki Gyan – and recorded at Lagos' Decca Studios in 1980! Disco Train is a rare one – with one long grooving dancefloor stormer per side. Each cut is a really sweet blend of global boogie, funk and soul – with distinctly African elements, too! "Disco Train" rolls beyond the 10 minute mark without coming close running off the rails. The drums don't stop and the bass is nice and funky – with some groovy falsetto vocals sung in English, a nicely vamping guitar groove, horns and Afro percussion. "Loving You" runs just shy of 10 minutes on the other side – and while the title of the song and the quiet opening seconds might trick you into the thinking it's gonna be straight and mellow, it's actually got a surprisingly adventurous groove overall! The drums are a bit feverish, which is a nice foil for the easygoing vibe and romantic lyricism – and it's again anchored by some funky bass, guitar and African percussion.

Probably the funkiest record ever by this landmark soul combo! The Rimshots are one of these groups that you always find their later work, but in their early days they were an absolutely killer combo – with a hard funky groove that virtually defined the funky 45 sound. In fact, their singles were the stuff that funky collectors were going for way back in the day – when nobody collected funky 45s – and this album may well be the only full-length piece of wax that comes close to matching the strength of those singles. 9 tracks in all: "Neighbor! Get Your Own", "Born Funky", "Soultrain (parts 1 & 2)", "Coastin & Crashin (parts 1 & 2)", "In Cold Blood", "Love, True Love! (Please Pass My Way)" and "A Hot Day In Harlem".

Seminal 80s groove from James "D Train" Williams – a killer batch of tracks lifted from his strong 12" singles of the time! D Train was great in that he was one of the few artists of his scene who could come up with a whole album of strong material – but that didn't also stop hip from being the king of the male soul dancefloor tune, as you'll hear on this great little set! The package features 10 cuts in all, all produced and arranged by Hubert Eaves – and titles include "Keep On", "Walk On By", "Music", "Keep Giving Me Love", "Something's On Your Mind", "D Train Theme", "Just Another Night", "Trying To Get Over (edit)", "D Train Theme (dub)", and "You're The One For Me (Labor Of Love mix)".

James D-Train Williams' first album for a major label – and a really great follow-up to the indie success of his initial recordings for Prelude Records! The style here is very similar to the clubby grooves of D-Train's earlier sides – thanks to strong keyboards, production, and songwriting help from Hubert Eaves – the jazzy talent who helped give Williams' his trademark groove! Instrumentation veers slightly more towards mainstream 80s soul at times, but the Eaves' sound is still very firmly in place here – and titles include the groovers "Oh How I Love You (Girl)", "Misunderstanding", and "Let Me Love You" – plus "You Are Everything", "I Got Your Number", "Stand Up & Fight", and "Miracle Of The Heart". CD also features 4 bonus tracks from singles – 12" mixes of "Misunderstanding" and "Oh How I Love You Girl" – plus "You Are Everything (acapella)" and "Oh How I Love You Girl (inst)".

Sweet soul with a nice disco groove – by a singer who was brought to light during the Bee Gees' big disco years of the 70s! Teri's got a wonderful approach here – almost earlier female pop, but with a soulful range too – one that's really brought out by the arrangements, which share a similar sort of balance. Things are never too overly disco, but groove nicely too – and the album's got a lot more than some of the other crossover projects of this nature. Titles include "Save Me Save Me", "Pleasure Train", "Back In Your Arms Again", "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of", and "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You". CD features 2 bonus tracks – 12" versions of "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" and "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You".

One of the most enduring albums on the Prelude label, and a great bit of modern soul by James "D-Train" Williams. Hubert Eaves produced the album, and he added lots of tasty electro keyboards to the set, played with his usual jazzy touches and a nice flourish that gives Williams' voice a strong kick on the best cuts. Sparklingly sophisticated – and proof that the indie labels could still churn out quality soul as well as they could disco! Includes the cuts "You're The One For Me", "D Train Theme", "Walk On By", "Lucky Day", and "Love Vibration".

A great batch of lost funky club tracks – heavy moog in the mix, making some great wikki-wikki sounds over the album's smoothly grooving tunes! The group's got Gregg Phillinganes and Roger Smith in the frontline on keyboards – they also play Arp and Fender Rhodes next to moog – and Dick Griffey helped with the vocal arrangements, giving the record the smooth sophisticated feel of a classic LA Solar release from the late 70s, mixed with some of the jazzier grooving on Fantasy records from the same time. Titles include "Mood I Love Love", "Don't Overlook The Feelings", "So Long", "Let Love Flow For Peace", and "Fantasy". CD also features the bonus track "Erika (ext mix)".

Fantastic Norman Harris production makes this one of the best-ever efforts from The Whispers at this time! Norman put together the incredible "Living Together (In Sin)", and plays some excellent guitar on the track – and he takes the sweet west coast harmonies of The Whispers into the realm of Philly Groove greatness. Other nice tracks include "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are", "Sounds Like A Love Song", and "In My Heart".

Not really a set of funky 45s – despite the title – but a good selection of instrumental numbers with a hard New Orleans groove. The style of most of this stuff predates the funk era by a few years, but Booker's touch on the organ is very tasty – and the cuts have a nice feel that's kind of like stuff on the Sue label from the same time. Unfortunately, many of the tracks seem to be mastered from vinyl (even though the whole set's on the up-and-up) – so you might think you're actually listening to a funky 45 – but the musical quality's strong enough to override that factor in most parts. Titles include "Tubby (parts 1 & 2)", "The Duck", "Big Nick", "Beale Street Popeye", "Kinda Happy", and "Smacksie".

A lost album of raw twangy guitar from Mickey Baker – best known as the noisier half of the Mickey & Sylvia team – and even more let loose here on his own! The record is pretty rocking all around – with lots of loud, complex guitar soloing from Mickey – in a manner that would later emerge more in surf recordings, but which is here set in nice jazz-based studio arrangements – of the sort that really lets Baker step out as a bold solo talent on his own, instead of lurking in the background of the countless other sides he cut with other artists. Mickey really wails, and the album's a great lost treasure in the Atlantic catalog – with grooves that include "Midnight Midnight", "Gloomy Sunday", "Baia", "Whistle Stop", "Milk Train", "Baker's Dozen", and "Chloe".

One of the original Dramatics, singer Ron Banks strikes out here on his own – a slept on gem from the early 80s! The set's in a similar modern soul mode to LJ Reynolds, who also worked with him in the group, and was having a bit of a solo career of his own at the time. It's got sort of a D-Train feel to it – with classic male soul vocals over instrumentation that includes some slight electro touches, especially on keyboards and drum programs. Banks keeps the whole thing nice and soulful, thanks to some great vocal work, which you'll hear on the smooth mellow track "Let Love Flow", which has a beautiful down-tempo groove, and a nice two-step beat – plus the other mellow tracks like "Make It Easy On Yourself" and "You and Me". Uptempo club cuts include "Truly Bad", "Zap", and "She's So Good to Me".

A great little record from Booker T and group – often overlooked amidst the range between Green Onions and Melting Pot, but a very strong album of soulful Memphis instrumentals all the way through! Book's organ is bubbling hot, and the band's tight rhythm style works in a perfect laid-back mode to push the group way past the stock grooves of earlier albums – thanks to great work from the rest of the combo too. There's some mighty nice rhythm changes on this one, and a good range of non-pop tunes like "Night Owl Walk", "Chinese Checkers", "Soul Dressing", "Tic Tac Toe", "Outrage", "Home Grown", "Big Train", "Jelly Bread", and "Plum Nellie".

The rare self-titled set from the Bobby Boyd Congress – a killer combo with roots in early 70s Long Island, but relocated to France to make this killer set! The group is lead by tenor sax player and lead vocalist Boyd – although this set is heavy with instrumental passages. We're loving the way they mix brass heavy funk with lumbering psych steeped organ and fuzzed out guitar grooves. They even sneak in a laidback or jam, too – bringing a pretty versatile approach to this album! Titles include "Straight Ahead", "In A Toy Garden", "I'm Undecided", "Train", "It's Good To See Your Face Again", "Dig Deep In Your Soul" and "Bright Flowers".

A swirling blend of soul, funk, and jazzy grooves – and a super-rare album that we've never seen in the original! Supposedly, backing on the record is by the British Afro-Funk group Assagai – which sounds right to us, because there's a nice rolling conga groove on many of the tracks. Lead vocals are by Charles Hilton Brown, in a nicely raw soul style that reminds us a bit of Otis Redding, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland on some of his early 70s material. The record features vocal covers of a number of soul hits – like "Try A Little Tenderness", "Love Train", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some originals that are even better, like the funky instrumental "GRF", and the tunes "Maddox" and "Tell Me Once Again". Nice and raw, and with a sound hip enough to match the record's cover!

A slammin' set of heavy R&B numbers from James Brown – combined in here with some other nice tracks from King Records artists of the time! The set almost has the same feeling as some of the James Brown Show albums – in that James is presented with other hard-hitting artists of his time – yet the difference here is that the others are King Records giants in their own right. The album features about 50% material by James – all hard hitters that include "Suds", "Hold It", "Scratch", "Night Train", "Cross Firing", and "Night Flying" – nearly all of which are instrumentals, in the best early King tradition! These are followed up by other tunes, mostly instrumental, from other artists – including "Doin Everything" and "Switch A Roo" by Henry Moore, "Tonk Game" by Hank Marr, "Bushy Tail" by Clifford Scott, "The Wobble" by The Wobblers, and "Just A Little Bit Of Everything" by Herb Hardesty'.

A trio of early 80s efforts from Con Funk Shun in a 2CD set – with bonus tracks! Touch is a killer from the group – one of the few mainstream funk groups who actually managed to sound better and better with each new record – and on this set, they really seem to come into their own! Titles include "Too Tight", "Lady's Wild", "Give Your Love To Me", "Kidnapped", "Welcome Back To Love", "Touch", and "Play Widit". Includes 2 bonus tracks: "Lady's Wild (12" Version)" and "Body Lovers (12" Version)". 7 is not the group's 7th album, but a bold statement of the unity they feel as a 7 piece ensemble – perfectly lived up to in the record's well-crafted grooves! The album's one of Con Funk Shun's best overall – really solid, but never too slick, very tight in the bass department, but still soulful on the vocal tip, and never afraid to slip into a sweeter, more mellow tune. Titles include "Straight From The Heart", "Bad Lady", "Promise You Love", "I'll Get You Back", "A Song For You", and "California 1". To The Mix has snapping grooves and a sweet clubby sound. The bass is tight, the keyboards are electric, and the rhythms are great – never forced or stiff, and always flowing with a sense of soul that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries. Vocals are strong too – especially on the numbers that step things down a few notches – and titles include "Ms Got The Body", "Let's Ride & Slide", "Everlove", "Hide & Freak", "You Are The One", "Take It To The Max", "The Freak", and "Love's Train". Includes the bonus "Ms Got The Body (12" Version)" and an instrumental version.

Incredible stuff – a never-issued funky soul record from the 70s – but one that you'll proudly stack next to your rare classics from Ramp, 24-Carat Black, and James Mason! Like work by all three of those acts, this early set by Father's Children is massive righteous – filled with deep soul and strong social messages, while also coming across with a hell of a groove, too – thanks to some wickedly funky backings, and production that keeps the whole thing burning along beautifully! The set is amazing – quite different than the later Mercury Records album by the band – and more like the kind of record you'd expect to hear from Curtom or early 70s Stax – a perfect choice for the folks at Numero to bring to light after all these years – and another reason why their efforts are always worth checking out. As usual for the label, there's a full set of notes and photos that tell the story of the group and this lost treasure – but even if it came out with no artwork at all, the music would still have us raving – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Universal Train", "Everybody's Got A Problem", "Linda", "Dirt & Grime", "Who's Gonna Save The World", and "Kohoutek".

Incredible stuff – a never-issued funky soul record from the 70s – but one that you'll proudly stack next to your rare classics from Ramp, 24-Carat Black, and James Mason! Like work by all three of those acts, this early set by Father's Children is massive righteous – filled with deep soul and strong social messages, while also coming across with a hell of a groove, too – thanks to some wickedly funky backings, and production that keeps the whole thing burning along beautifully! The set is amazing – quite different than the later Mercury Records album by the band – and more like the kind of record you'd expect to hear from Curtom or early 70s Stax – a perfect choice for the folks at Numero to bring to light after all these years – and another reason why their efforts are always worth checking out. As usual for the label, there's a full set of notes and photos that tell the story of the group and this lost treasure – but even if it came out with no artwork at all, the music would still have us raving – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Universal Train", "Everybody's Got A Problem", "Linda", "Dirt & Grime", "Who's Gonna Save The World", and "Kohoutek".

A split LP, but a seminal full length album in the doo wop genre – one that was issued on Vee Jay in the early 60s, but brought together some key earlier work by The Flamingos and The Moonglows! Both groups here are at the height of their early powers – singing in a stripped-down and nearly acapella mode that's totally great – often with just a bit of rhythm to keep things grooving along. The sound is much different than the later Flamingos' sides on End, and represents The Moonglows before they'd softened things up a bit. Titles include "I Was Wrong", "Real Gone Mama", "Oh Rockin Daddy", "Secret Love", "Whistle My Love", and "219 Train" by The Moonglows – and "Vooit Vooit", "Someday Someway", "Golden Teardrops", "Carried Away", and "If I Can't Have You" by The Flamingos.

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Sax-heavy New Orleans R&B instrumentals from Herb Hardesty – the tenor player and secret weapon in Fats Domino's band – one of those incredible players whose name isn't as well known as the sound of his instrument! His sax sounds really great out front and in the lead – tightly grooving late 50s and early 60s rhythm & blues. This first ever CD retrospective of Herb's relatively few recordings as a leader features sessions recorded in New Orleans in '58, NYC in '59 and Cincinnati in '61 – with stellar players that include Hank Jones, Jimmy Davis, Walter Nelson, Clarence Ford and Roy Montrell. 12 of the tracks from a never-released Mercury LP – and the set has 20 tracks in all! Includes "Sassy", "Goldie", "Herb's Mood", "Nat", "Adam And Eva", "Coach Train", "69's Mother's Place, "The Chicken Twist", "Perdido Street" and more – plus 2 tunes with vocals by group guitarist Walter "Papoose" Nelson – "It Must Be Wonderful" and "Why Did We Have To Part".

A treasure trove of overlooked Memphis soul – the earliest work of the legendary Luther Ingram – brought together here properly for the first time ever! Although Ingram's probably best known for his mega-huge hits in the early 70s, he really sounds amazing here in the early days – a vocalist with a bit more grit than we remember, working with backings that have an underground, deep soul take on the Memphis sound of the time. There's a somewhat more down home quality to some of these tunes than on other Memphis work from the late 60s – a style that probably didn't play as big up north as some of the hitmakers from the scene, but which is really worth of rediscovery all these many years later. Unlike other over-cliched work on Stax and Hi Records, most of these tunes have a really fresh, new sort of feel – less-iconic, and all the more appealing because of that fact. CD features 19 tracks in all, pulled from Ingram's first 10 singles – including "You've Got To Give Love To Get Love", "Ghetto Train", "I Can't Stop", "My Honey & Me", "Missing You", "Looking For A New Love", "Pity For The Lonely", "Home Don't Seem Like Home", "To The Other Man", "I'll Love You Until The End", and a rare radio promo of "My Honey & Me".

A record that really lives up to its title, given the sweet Philly grooves of the set – a real surprise, given that the album was recorded in Germany! The session's a rare studio project in the early years of the German disco scene – and comes off with the best soulful styles that were bubbling up in the US at the time – clubby instrumental grooves that are filled with soaring strings and tight rhythms – yet served up in ways that are never too overdone! In fact, if you slapped some obscure US label on this one, folks would be more than willing to believe that the set's some underground corner from the New York scene – quite a surprise for a record that was initially cut just for sound library usage. Titles include "City Train", "Alaska Flight", "Skyline", "Night Shift", "Full House", "Star Shot", "Rush Hour", "Sun Ship", and "Flash Point".

A record that really lives up to its title, given the sweet Philly grooves of the set – a real surprise, given that the album was recorded in Germany! The session's a rare studio project in the early years of the German disco scene – and comes off with the best soulful styles that were bubbling up in the US at the time – clubby instrumental grooves that are filled with soaring strings and tight rhythms – yet served up in ways that are never too overdone! In fact, if you slapped some obscure US label on this one, folks would be more than willing to believe that the set's some underground corner from the New York scene – quite a surprise for a record that was initially cut just for sound library usage. Titles include "City Train", "Alaska Flight", "Skyline", "Night Shift", "Full House", "Star Shot", "Rush Hour", "Sun Ship", and "Flash Point".

One of the most fantastic albums by the JBs – a masterpiece of funky jamming, tight instrumentation, and that free yet tight style of the James Brown 70s years! The tracks are longer than on some of the earlier singles – especially the 8 minute jammer "(It's Not The Express) It's the JBs Monourail", an answer to BT Express' theme song, and a fantastic cut that's held up through so many years and so many scenes! Another great jammer is the group's version of "Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself", which runs for nearly 10 minutes – plus spacey funk tracks "Transmogrification" and "Taurus, Aires, & Leo", and the tighter jammer "Soul Funky Train", which returns to the group's funky 45 mode. Fantastic all around – and the kind of record you'll be playing for your grand kids!

One of the most fantastic albums by the JBs – a masterpiece of funky jamming, tight instrumentation, and that free yet tight style of the James Brown 70s years! The tracks are longer than on some of the earlier singles – especially the 8 minute jammer "(It's Not The Express) It's the JBs Monourail", an answer to BT Express' theme song, and a fantastic cut that's held up through so many years and so many scenes! Another great jammer is the group's version of "Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself", which runs for nearly 10 minutes – plus spacey funk tracks "Transmogrification" and "Taurus, Aires, & Leo", and the tighter jammer "Soul Funky Train", which returns to the group's funky 45 mode. Fantastic all around – and the kind of record you'll be playing for your grand kids! CD adds 5 extra bonus cuts, all from hard-to-find People singles, and not on other LPs – including "J.B. Shout", their version of "Alone Again", "Sportin Life", "Dirty Harri", and the two part classic "Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time". Nice stuff, and a good reason to pay the extra price for the Japanese reissue!

Surprisingly enjoyable record in which King Curtis runs through a number of C&W favorites, and turns them into R&B sax instrumentals. The album shows what a clear link there was between the two musical traditions, and includes classics like "Night Train To Memphis", "You're Cheatin Heart", "High Noon", "I'm Movin' On", and "Walkin The Floor Over You".

Classic soul from Bettye Lavette – with some her best recordings ever – a batch of tunes cut in Memphis with Lelan Rogers for the Silver Fox label in '69 & '70! The Betty heard here is a lot harder than on her earlier soul sides – recorded with a raw power that could easily blow away Aretha Franklin or any of her hard soul sisters – and done with a unique crossing of southern, funky, and country soul modes! Amazing! Titles include "My Train's A Coming", "Do Your Duty", "Love Made A Fool Of Me", "At The Mercy Of A Man", "Piece Of My Heart", "Easier To Say Than Do", "He Made A Woman Out Of Me", "We Got To Slip Around", "I'm In Love", and "Games People Play".

A pair of killers from this legendary group! High On Music is one of the funkiest albums ever from The Memphis Horns – that super-tight instrumental combo headed by Andrew Love on tenor and Wayne Jackson on trumpet! Both players had years in the Memphis soul scene under their belt by the time of this set – and instead of just going for familiar modes, they wisely try to reach for a whole new groove – bringing in a bit of New York funk from the time, particularly the tighter ensemble sound of the Fatback generation. Booker T still handles production, which ensures a link to Memphis roots – and there's some great keyboards, which underscore the horns nicely. Titles include "Freedom Train", "Get It Up", "80 Proof Red", "Move Your Feet", "Keep On Doin' It", "Crystal Mellow", "Love's Mood", and "Beale Street Shuffle". On Get Up & Dance, The Memphis Horns expand their groove – still serving up their great blend of funky soul horns, but also adding in a bit of vocals too! The core focus of the album is still instrumental – based around that amazing sound led by Memphis soul legends Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson – but given the dancefloor orientation of some of the best tracks here, vocals are a perfect blend for the sound – lyrics that never dominate too much, but which have a great way of underscoring the groove! Singers include DJ Rogers, Lani Groves, Deniece Williams, and James Gilstrap all sing on the record – and titles include "Just For Your Love", a smooth mellow stepper that's pretty darn catchy – plus "Love Is Happiness", "Get Up And Dance", "Memphis Nights", "What The Funk", "Don't Abuse It", "Keep On Smilin", and "Waitin For The Flood".

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio, this 1973 concert marks the only time they worked live with the singers – in a stunning showcase for the young label, performed as part of a Columbia Records convention in San Francisco! Given the setting, and the uniqueness of the whole event, the CD release of this rare material is a treasure for soul fans of many generations – a rare addition to the amazing run of music the label first started giving us at the time. The set begins with MFSB doing a version of "Freddie's Dead" – then runs into Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes singing "I Miss You", "The Love I Lost", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – followed by Three Degrees on "I Didn't Know" and "Dirty Ol Man". MFSB then follow with "TSOP", then Billy Paul sings "East" and "Me & Mrs Jones", and the set ends with The O'Jays on "Love Train", "Sunshine", "Back Stabbers", and "When The World's At Peace".

Heavy heavy funk from this hard-rocking group! The Midnight Movers were a tripped out combo who used a heck of a lot of guitar work in their grooves – and who also had a 4-part sax section that riffed heavily over the beats, creating a mad wailing approach that was as hard and full-on as any of their contemporaries on the end of the 60s funk scene. This set's the first-ever collection to look at their work – and it features tunes from their rare album on the Elephant label, plus a few obscure singles that include 2 sides cut with the singers Skip & Ernest. The sound is great – better than we remember – and titles include "Funk Ain't Nothing But A Scent", "Crabs", "Pickin & Chippin", "Sweet Darlin", "Try Our Thing", "Truckin", "Long Train Runnin", "Masai", and "Put Your Mind In The Pocket". CD features a number of bonus tracks too – including the legendary "Follow The Wind (part 1 & 2)".

One of the best records ever from Don Nix – a legendary figure whose work on the Memphis scene of the 60s touched countless of rock and soul artists – recording here with a nicely tight sound at Muscle Shoals! Like some of his contemporaries, Nix made the move from Memphis to Muscle Shoals, and really helped push his music further – drawing on his strong southern roots on both sides of the fence, and turning out a set with the kind of depth and integrity that so many others would try at the time, but never get this well! Most songs are originals, and production and arrangements are by Nix as well – and titles include "Olena", "The Shape I'm In", "Going Back To Iuka", "Three Angels", "Mary Louise", "My Train's Done Come & Gone", and "Living By The Days".

Recorded at Muscle Shoals, with Duane Allman on dobro and Eddie Hinton on guitar! Titles include "Waiting For A Train", "Loan Me A Dime", "I'm Easy", "I'll Be Long Gone", and "Now You're Gone".

One of Gil Scott-Heron's best albums from later years! The record's got some wonderful mellow cuts – the kind that send chills up our spine, and which remind us of Gil's stripped-down jazzy work on the album Winter In America. And in fact, Gil does an excellent remake of the classic track "Your Daddy Loves You" from that album – adding in a bit more production than on the original, but still doing the cut with a wonderfully soulful vibe. A few cuts have a razor sharp lyricism laid down over jazz funk arrangements – "The Klan" and "Waiting For The Axe To Fall" in particular – but the best numbers are wonderfully sophisticated jazzy numbers, like "Combinations" and "The Train From Washington".

One of Bunny's earliest, and one of his best. Although some of the tracks have an uptempo pre-disco feel, there's none of the excesses of his later albums for Gold Mind. Instead, there's a solid Philly soul groove, and great production by Bunny, with arrangements by Norman Harris and Ronnie Baker. Tracks include "Keep Smilin", "Picture Us", "Love Train", "Things Are Gonna Get Better", and "Your Love Is Good".

Great work by Bunny Sigler – and a perfect bridge between his earlier Philly soul from the late 60s, and his later disco from the end of the 70s! Bunny's in perfect form vocally – and the record is a super-strong batch of tracks that deserves to be well up there in the Gamble/Huff cannon – oft-overlooked for some odd reason, but prime 70s Philly all the way through – and quite different than some of Sigler's later material! The songwriting's great – loads of compelling original cuts – and arrangements are by Bunny, Ronnie Baker, and Norman Harris – ensuring a top-shelf Sigma sound all the way through! Titles include "I Lied", "Picture Us", "Things Are Gonna Get Better", "Your Love Is Good", and a different take on "Love Train". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Love Train (part 1)", and "I Lied (single version)".

The one and only album cut by this great little group – a seminal force in the pre-disco club years, with a soaring full-on sound that was in the same mode as other groups like BT Express or The Trammps. Includes their classics – like "We're On the Right Track", "Train Called Freedom", and "Free Man", in nice long LP versions. Good uptempo funk grooves all the way through – and a very righteous soul sound that's still pretty darn fresh!

Really one of the nicer late 60s efforts by the Supremes – now with Cindy Birdsong in the group in place of the departed Florence Ballard – with the now well known title track, and a number of other great pop soul numbers, with the classic Motown sound! The Supremes could arguably nail a big chorus better than just about any group in the history of pop and soul – and this set's filled with them. Overall, a lesser known batch of tunes but a very good one! Titles include "You've Been So Wonderful To Me", "Love Child", "Keep An Eye", "How Long Has The Evening Train Been Gone", "Does Your Mama Know About Me" and "He's My Sunny Boy".

A late 60s Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed psychedelic elements into a rolling righteous groove – with a style that was perfect for the political tenor of the times! The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular Motown vocal group into a super soul power that shaped soul music heavily in the next few years. Of course, a good deal of the credit goes to producer Norman Whitfield – who's really in his element on the set, and gives the group a sublime blend of heavy bass, fuzzy guitar, and tripped-out production on the vocals. Includes the classic "Psychedelic Shack", plus "Friendship Train", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Hum Along And Dance", and "It's Summer".

Damn great work from Allen Toussaint – a record that was cut at a time when he'd really made his way into the mainstream of American music, yet could still come across with a hard New Orleans groove! The title cut, "Southern Nights", is a perfect illustration of this fact – as it was written by Toussaint, but became a big hit for Glen Campbell, who recorded a very soppy version of the number. Yet here, Allen turns it into a weird trippy tune – produced with great Sansu production, and backing by New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, George Porter, and Art Neville – all of whom help the tune bristle with new energy, and a really sinister groove. The rest of the record continues in a similar vein – with a spacey LA mellow sound that actually works great for Toussaint's vocals, and gives them a wild flanged-out sound that's pretty amazing – and downright spooky at points! Titles include "Southern Nights", "Basic Lady", "Last Train", "Worldwide", "You Will Not Lose", "When The Party's Over", and "What Do You Want The Girl To Do".

A very sweet little album by this great Motown group! The record was produced by Norman Whitfield, and it's a perfect example of the rumbling funky soul sound that he was developing at the time – a mixture of heavy bass, rumbling percussion, fuzzy guitars, and a stone righteous sound that pushed soul music firmly into the 70s! The songs are mostly all originals written by him and Barrett Strong – and the band is filled with great players like Dennis Coffey, Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, and the great Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin. Titles include "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World) Friendship Train", "What It Is?", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "What's Going On", and "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell Right Here On Earth".

Chuck Willis is billed as "the king of the stroll" on the cover of this classic Atlantic album – but that title only gets at just a small part of his genius! The set's one of a rare few Chuck cut in his too-short life – and it may well be his greatest, as it's really got Willis stepping out with a strong degree of focus – on a batch of all-original tunes sung in that amazing crackling voice of his! The style is R&B, but really points the way towards soul music – thanks to a personal presentation of the music, and some deep roots that really come through in the overall sound. Titles include the classic original versions of "CC Rider" and "Betty & Dupree" – both numbers that sound better in Chuck's own hands than any later incarnations – and other titles include "That Train Is Gone", "Juanita", "It's Too Late", "My Life", "Ease The Pain", and "There's Got To Be A Way".

A rich tribute to one of the greatest indies of the south – especially back in the 50s – Jackson's mighty Ace Records – home to a rich array of R&B, early rockers, and rootsy music too – all served up here in a mightily overstuffed compilation! The set brings together a few unreleased tracks alongside Ace singles and other obscurities – a rich testament to the strength of the label back in the day – and their great ear for sounds from surrounding scenes as well – as the music here has plenty of echoes of Memphis and New Orleans too! The package is heavy on obscure gems – and titles include "Baby Say You Will" by Jesse Allen, "Hey Hey Baby Come Home" by Albert Scott, "Well I Never Get Tired" by Johnny Fairchild, "Educated Fool" by Huey Piano Smith, "Roll On Train" by Elton Anderson, "Doing The Rock & Roll" by Calvin Spears, "Classy Lassie" by Alvin Red Tyler & The Gyros, "I'm Packing Up" by Earl King, "Love's Like A River" by Charles Brown, "Roll Em Back" by Eddie Bo, and "Love Is My Business" by Bobby Woods. CD features 9 more bonus tracks from the original album – with titles that include "Shed So Many Tears" by Elton Anderson, "You Aim To Please" by Jimmy Clanton, "Sea Cruise" by Huey & Jerry, "Baby It's Love" by Johnny Angel, and "Rock" by Lee Dorsey.

80s soul galore – most of it more than clubby enough to play on the dancefloor, although done with much sharper sounds than most of the work in the 70s disco generation! The cuts are heavy on bassy beats, guitar parts, and keyboard lines – often nice and lean, with that sharp punch you'd hear so strongly on soul tracks from the 80s. There's plenty of hits and overlooked classics here – and the double length set features "Guilty" by Yabrough & Peoples, "Back & Forth" by Cameo, "The Smurf" by Tyrone Brunson, "Electric Lady" by Con Funk Shun, "Dial My Number" by Pauli Carman, "Baby I'm Hooked" by Kathy Mathis, "Magic's Wand" by Whodini, "Let Me Be The One" by Five Star, "In Your Eyes" by James D-Train Williams, "Seduction" by Val Young, "Turn It Up" by The Conway Brothers, and "The Truth" by Colonel Abrams.

A landmark collection of southern soul from the 60s and 70s – all of it pulled from the vaults of Excello Records, a label that didn't always circulate strongly at the time! The work here is buried in the depths below Stax and Atlantic, but echoes many similar themes – influences from blues, R&B, and country – and a presentation of the themes that's always in a newly proud, newly sophisticated mode for the era. There's some grittier funk in the mix too, and the set features a whopping 24 tracks in all – including "Letter From My Darling" by Kip Anderson, "My Love Grows Stronger" by The Kelly Brothers, "Look What I've Done" by Percy Wiggins, "Funky Little Train" by Stacy Lane, "Let's Try To Build A Love Affair" by The Exotics, "Seventh Son" by Lee Webber, "I Will" by Latimore Brown, "Don't Let Me Be A Cryin Man" by Johnny Truitt, "Way Cross Town" by Tiny Watkins, "No Brags Just Facts" by Stacy Lane, and "No Pity In The City" by Eugene Kemp.

Excellent r&b & soul from the Nashville scene of the 60s – lesser known and smaller label singles issued at the time that deserve to be heard – and with a pretty tight and consistent focus with numbers by just a handful of great singers and combos! Includes rollicking, bluesy and soulful numbers by Cornell Blakely, JJ Barnes, Stone Martin, Larry Birdsong, Clentt Gant, Robert Garrett and others. 24 tracks in all: "Don't Do It", "I Want My Share", "Who Knows" and more by Cornell Blekely, "Try Your Luck On Me" and "You Win Again" by Stonie Martin, "Night Train" and "Stagger Lee" by John R, "Big Oak Tree", "I Gotta Sit Down" and more by Herbert Hunter, ""Somebody Help Me" by Larry Birdsong, "Mean Man" and "I Don't Want To Be Sober" by Robert Garrett and more.

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White.

A really unique album for Chaka Khan – one in which she teams up with a host of jazz artists to craft a classic-styled set of vocals! Given that Chaka was at the height of her 80s groove solo career at the time of this one, the move was a surprising one – but also a great chance for Chaka to show that she had a lot more to offer than just pop chops, as she sounds pretty darn great scatting on these classic jazz numbers. Players include Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Lenny White, and Chick Corea – and titles include "Them There Eyes", "All Of Me", "Take The A Train", "Hire Wire", "The Aerialist", and "I Hear Music".

Incredible stuff – a never-issued funky soul record from the 70s – but one that you'll proudly stack next to your rare classics from Ramp, 24-Carat Black, and James Mason! Like work by all three of those acts, this early set by Father's Children is massive righteous – filled with deep soul and strong social messages, while also coming across with a hell of a groove, too – thanks to some wickedly funky backings, and production that keeps the whole thing burning along beautifully! The set is amazing – quite different than the later Mercury Records album by the band – and more like the kind of record you'd expect to hear from Curtom or early 70s Stax – a perfect choice for the folks at Numero to bring to light after all these years – and another reason why their efforts are always worth checking out. As usual for the label, there's a full set of notes and photos that tell the story of the group and this lost treasure – but even if it came out with no artwork at all, the music would still have us raving – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Universal Train", "Everybody's Got A Problem", "Linda", "Dirt & Grime", "Who's Gonna Save The World", and "Kohoutek".

A smoking selection of seventies funk – a perfect introduction to the genre, and one that's overflowing with the kind of classics that got first got us started loving music like this! The set list is decidedly hip – cuts that didn't always get much play back in the day, but which have gone onto become huge over the decades – thanks to deep digging by serious collectors, or sampling by hip hop acts – or even by the raving reviews of funk fanatics like us! The package features a massive 19 tracks in all – with loads of heavy drums, sharp guitars, and raw soul vocals – on titles that include "Watts Breakaway" by Johnny Otis, "Got To Get A Knutt" by New Birth, "Afro Strut" by Nite-Liters, "The Dapp" by African Music Machine, "It's Alright" by Bobby Rush, "Good Thing (part 2)" by Casey Jones, "Ice Cold Daydream" by Shuggie Otis, "One Monkey" by Kim Melvin, "Get It Where You Find It" by Jesse Gresham Plus 3, "Pull My Coat" by Eddie Jacobs Exchange, "Toe Hold" by Al Kooper, "Soul Train" by Little Royal, "It's Not How Long You Make It" by Shay Holiday, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Soul Drums" by Bernard Purdie, and "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter" by Nina Simone.

A sweet little set of classic 70s Philly – one of the best collections of work by the team of Gamble & Huff we've ever seen! There's nothing too obscure or offbeat here – and instead, the collection focuses mostly on the massive crossover tracks produced by the pair back in the day – the landmark soul that not only redefined the sound of Philly, but also the 70s as well! And while most of this material has been on the market often over the years, it's still pretty darn nice to see it all clustered together in one place. Most titles are the full-length album versions – and the CD features 14 tracks that include "Me & Mrs Jones" by Billy Paul, "When Will I See You Again" by Three Degrees, "TSOP" by MFSB, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice, "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders, "Use Ta Be My Girl" by The O'Jays, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" by Lou Rawls, "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Love Train" by The O'Jays, "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, and "If You Only Knew" by Patti LaBelle.

Killer early stuff from Hank – when he was just about the size of a bratty kid, and he had a voice on him that would stop a train! Loads of shoutin R&B tunes, including "The Coffee Grind", "I Love You So-o-o", "Don't Go, I Love You", "Look At Little Sister", and the hit "Finger Poppin Time".

We're not normally the biggest fans of The Chambers Brothers, but this album's a cracking winner from the mid 70s. Shouldn't be so, given the date and the label, but there's a really funky track on here that's one of their best – the great break cut "Stealing Watermelons", which has a great drum part, a strong bassline, and cool harmonica on the intro! Other tracks are pretty nice too – and titles include "Stop The Train", "Miss Lady Brown", "Lotta Fine Mama", "Smack Dab In The Middle", and "Pretty Girls Everywhere".

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Titles include "Here Comes The Sun", "Some Will Wait", "Patient Lady", "Missing Train", and "End Of The Seasons".

A landmark crossover album – featuring Buddy Miles' mixed Freedom Express group, and a heavy jazz-rock sound that would soon dominate the charts with other groups. Buddy's drums are super-heavy, even if his vocals always get us the wrong way. Includes the original recording of "Them Changes", plus "Memphis Train", "Your Feeling Is Mine", "Dreams", and "Down By The River". One for the Fillmore crowd!

A self-titled set from the mighty Music Machine – a studio ensemble who were as important to the sound of European club music in the 70s as Instant Funk and MFSB were to the Philly scene in the US! The Machine features a host of players who'd previously backed Donna Summer and other Giorgio Moroder projects, stepping out here as an act on their own – grooving tightly with the kinds of stretched-out disco modes that Moroder really helped pioneer, graced by some excellent keyboards from Thor Baldursson! Most cuts have some sort of chorus vocals – sung by Madeline Bell, Sue Glover, and Sunny Leslie – and titles include the extended "Get On The Funk Train", a short remake of "Love To Love You Baby", and the cuts "Spring Affair", "Trouble Maker", "Try Me I Know We Can Make It", and "I Wanna Funk With You Tonight".

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed".

Rare funk from the Oaktown scene of the early 70s – most of it previously unreleased! The package is tremendous right from the start – cut from the same Music City cloth as work by Darondo, with an equally rough-edged, messed-up sort of feel – one that goes way past familiar funky sounds of the time! Bass is often quite heavy in the mix, giving most of these tunes a really strong, fat bottom sound – and some of the instrumentation has this wicked jamming fuzzy feel that almost recalls the best of the Westbound sound in Detroit. Titles include "Richmond Experience" by Kevin Burton & Peace, "Wouldn't It Be A Shame" by The Soul Messengers, "Check Me Out (alt)" by Little Denice, "Gumbo" by Victor Green, "Freedom Train" by Kevin Burton & Peace, "Just A Man" by Chucky Thurmon & Pharris Wheel, "Giant Hamburger (part 2)" by Victor Green, and the cuts "Get Down" and "Havin Fun" – both by unknown artists!

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Amazing early work from Cissy Houston – arguably her deepest set ever, and put together with a wonderful balance of New York class and southern soul modes! There's no denying that Houston's vocals are great – especially given her family pedigree – but she really gets a chance to shine strongly here – stepping out as a bold, righteous lead – and one with a mature, all-adult feel throughout! Arrangements are by Bert DeCoteaux – who balances things wonderfully – really letting Cissy stand by herself in the front of the arrangements, but also creating just the right sort of swell in the orchestrations when needed. Titles include "I'll Be There", "Any Guy", "This Empty Place", "Didn't We", "Be My Baby", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", and "He/I Believe". CD has an insane amount of bonus tracks – 12 more tracks from rare singles – including "I Love You", "Only Time You Say You Love Me", "Midnight Train To Georgia", "It's Not Easy", "Making Love", "Darling Take Me Back", and "Hang On To A Dream".

Very very very cool compilation of rare James Brown-produced singles from the People Records years, with loads of stuff that's never shown up on the other James Brown comps. Cuts include 3 tracks by Sweet Charles ("Hang Out and Hustle", "Together", "I Wont' Last a Day"), 2 by The Flames – a little known soul group that James produced ("My Lonely Hour", "Stand Up And Be Counted"), and some hard to find singles by the JBs, including their covers of "Watermelon Man" and "Backstabbers", plus a 2 part reading of "Giving Up Food for Funk", and the cuts "Everybody Got Soul" and "All Aboard the Funky Soul Train". The comp finishes off with 2 great Maceo cuts, and is an excellent package from PVine, and a must for the JB fan!

A monster from start to finish – not only the greatest album from War, but maybe one of the greatest mainstream funk albums of all time! The set's got a really unique groove – one that so many others tried to copy, but which was forged here first – in a wicked LA blend of Chicano funk, heavy organ lines, and soulful singing that sews the whole thing together perfectly. Just about every cut is upbeat and funky – rolling along at that low-rider pace that was War's lasting contribution to funk music – and the album features the huge hits "World Is A Ghetto" and "Cisco Kid", two of the brightest spots on radio funk from the 70s – plus classics like "Four Cornered Room", "City Country City", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles In The Bog". Features great bonus tracks too – previously unreleased "Ghetto Jam" numbers that are even more open and freewheeling than cuts on the album – titles that include "Freight Train Jam", "58 Blues", "War Is Coming (blues version)", and a sweet rehearsal take of "The World Is A Ghetto".

Funky nuggets from a vastly under-tapped source – the mighty holdings of Warner Music, which include some great funky singles from Atlantic, Atco, and Reprise – as well as even deeper gems on a batch of obscure labels like Kwanza and Clintone! The package is totally great – with a heavy, hard edge that goes way past the more famous soul tunes on Atlantic – into the deeper funky territory normally reserved for smaller indie labels at the time. A few tracks on here are by well-known acts, but there's a lot more that aren't – and this all-legit, well-noted collection kicks it far better than any old dodgy funky 45 set! 25 fantastic cuts in all, including "Improve" by Darrow Fletcher, "I'm Just Like You" by 6ix, "Rise Up" by The Commodores (pre-Motown!), "Help Me Make Up My Mind" by Joyce Jones, "Do The Funky Boogaloo (part 1)" by Barry Jones, "Mashed Potato Popcorn" by Freddie & The Kinfolk, "Get In The Groove" by The Mighty Hannibal, "Funky John" by Johnny Cameron & The Camerons, "The Memphis Train" by Rufus Thomas, "I'm On The Move" by Bobby Byrd, "Whatever's Fair" by Mark Holder & The Positives, "Hang On In There" by Stovall Sisters, "Won't Nobody Listen" by Black Haze Express, and "Your Love Is Certified" by Rasputin's Stash.

A treasure trove of Tennessee soul – a package that brings together two classic compilations on Charly Records, along with a host of rare bonus tracks too! The original release of Music City Soul and SSS Soul Survey were not only the kind of sets that first got Charly recognition as a key label for reissuing soul – but they also drew much-needed focus to the efforts of the Nashville labels working at the end of the 60s – surprising powerhouses for soul music, even though much of their efforts failed to chart at the time! As you'll hear in this set, labels like SSS International, Silver Fox, and Minaret were filled with deep soul gems – the kind of music you'd normally expect to hear from Memphis or Muscle Shoals – but which was coming out in droves from Music City during a brief musical moment at the end of the 60s. The 2CD set features a whopping 50 tracks in all – with titles that include "Baby You Got It" by Clarence Murray, "The Game Of Love" by Willie Hobbs, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" by Reuben Bell, "Soul Ranger" by Clifford Curry, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "Natural Soul Brother" by Danny White, "Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Sundy Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "I Almost Called Your Name" by Johnny Soul, "Soulshake" by Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, "Medley Of Soul" by Big Al Downing, "My Train's Coming In" by Betty Lavette, "All Night Long" by T Bone Walker, "My Ancestors" by Willie Charles Gray, and "The Pleasure Of My Woman" by Georgie Boy.

The Steppin Muzak series goes strongly back to the 70s with this volume – throwing in a few cuts from later years, but mostly sticking with the great 70s mellow moments that first got us interested in the Chicago steppers scene many years back! There's some warm, wonderful moments here – including a number of cuts not easy to find on CD – and titles include "If It Takes All Night" by Soul Train Gang, "Countryside" by Fat Larry's Band, "Candy" by The Four Tops, "You're The One" by Ray Simpson, "I Found My Rainbow" by Touch Of Class, "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Charles Earland, "Mutha's Love" by Bobby Franklin, "You Only Live Once" by Changing Tymes, "I Love The Way You Love" by Individuals, "Crazy About Your Love" by Robert Thomas, "Baby Take It Off" by Lenny Williams, and "Her Seedy Life" by Blue Zone UK.

Massive music from the Northern Soul years of the 60s – American tunes that played heavily on British dancefloors – and went on to fuel the all-night energy of the scene! The sound is upbeat soul throughout – killer tracks from Detroit, Chicago, New York, and other US locales – most of which were overlooked at the time by most US audiences, but discovered and brought to life overseas. This massive 2CD package brings together two classic Charly Records compilations dedicated to the glory days of the scene – put together by collectors who really know their grooves, and expanded here with lots of bonus tracks that weren't on the original versions! There's a whopping 56 tracks in the set, packaged in a hardcover book-style cover, with great color notes and images in the middle – and titles that include "Sweet & Easy" by Van McCoy, "You're Gonna Need Me" by Ted Ford, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "But I Couldn't" by Willie Harper, "Touch Me Hold Me Kiss Me" by The Inspirations, "That Other Place" by Wade Flemons, "Come On Train" by Don Thomas, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Omar Khayyam" by The Rubaiyats, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "So Blue" by Joe Murphy, "Gonna Take A Journey" by Barrett Strong, "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups, "Just Like The Weather" by Nolan Chance, "Mr Bang Bang Man" by Little Hank, "Young Man Old Man" by The Stokes, "Halos For The Angels" by Blanch Carter, and "Momma's Gone" by Little Johnny Blair.

A swirling blend of soul, funk, and jazzy grooves – and a super-rare album that we've never seen in the original! Supposedly, backing on the record is by the British Afro Funk group Assagai – which sounds right to us, because there's a nice rolling conga groove on many of the tracks. Lead vocals are by Charles Hilton Brown, in a nicely raw soul style that reminds us a bit of Otis Redding, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland on some of his early 70s material. The record features vocal covers of a number of soul hits – like "Try A Little Tenderness", "Love Train", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some originals that are even better, like the funky instrumental "GRF", and the tunes "Maddox" and "Tell Me Once Again". Nice and raw, and with a sound hip enough to match the record's cover!

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", The massive medley featuring "Please, Please, Please", "I Want You So Bad", "I Love You, Yes I Do", "Strange Things Happen" and more, and "Night Train". This newly remastered edition features five bonus tracks/single mixes of original LP tracks!

Fantastic female soul – and an incredible collection of work from the young Betty Lavette – easily one of our favorite female soul singers of the time! The set brings together late 60s tracks recorded for the Calla and Silver Fox label – and as great as her later work might be, this is the stuff that will really blow you away – the real deal, right-on-the-money sort of tracks that made Betty a legend right from the get-go! Backings are often nicely funky, and production has that great gritty way of unlocking the full depth of Lavette's vocals without going for any easy soul cliches – a kind of purity that's really kept these tracks at the top of our stack over the years. The set features a great book-style cover, with notes on the music – and the CD also features a few duets with Hank Ballard, too! Titles include "He Made a Woman Out of Me", "Do Your Duty", "We Got to Slip Around", "Love's Made a Fool of Me", "Let's Go Let's Go Let's Go", "Hello Sunshine", "My Train's Coming In", "Nearer To You", and "I'm In Love".

Great late Philly – played by a group that features plenty of talents from the legendary Sigma Studios scene of the 70s! As you'd guess from the title, most of the cuts here are remakes of earlier Philly cuts – mostly Gamble & Huff favorites from back in the day – but redone here in a session from the start of the 80s, so most of the classic elements are still very firmly intact! Plus, the players are all the right choice to make the record come off just right – a lineup that includes Norman Harris on guitar, Lenny Pakula on organ, Vince Montana on vibes, Ronnie Baker on bass, Earl Young on drums, and Larry Washington on congas – about as great a Philly rhythm section as you could hope for! Vocals are by a well-chosen group too – David Simmons, Ron Tyson, and Joe Freeman – who might be best known for his work with The Ethics and Love Committee. There's a very strong Gamble & Huff vibe running through the set – and titles include "Philly Medley (parts 1 & 2)", "Bad Luck", "I Don't Love You Anymore", "Backstabbers", "Love Train", "The Love I Lost", and "TSOP Medley".

A wealth of rare New Orleans soul – and a great package dedicated to the work of producer Wardell Quezerque! The 2CD, 60 track set is chock-full of wonderful numbers – great singles that have been remastered and which feature a mixture of better known singers – like Eddie Bo or CL Blast – plus a host of other talents we'd never heard before. The "smokin" in the title is certainly well-placed, as the package is overstuffed with great tunes that you'd have to spend a lifetime of digging through singles bins to find. Tracks include "Poor Sam" by Earl King, "99.44% Pure Love", "What Can I Do" by CL Blast, "Soul Train" by Curley Moore, "Patty Cake Shake" by Guitar Ray, "You Are Going To Be Somebody's Fool Too" by Eddie Bo, "I Believe In Miracles" by Jerry Foucha, "Can You Forgive Me" by Earl Harrison, "Everybody Dance" by Lydia Marcelle, "Lucky Fellow" by The Jades, "Can't Stay Away" by The Fabulettes", and "Make Up Your Mind" by Vic Cornish.

A super tripped-out blend of rock, funk, and soul – easily one of Buddy Miles' most mindblowing albums – and a classic that never lets up at all! Buddy's leading the whole group on drums – really kicking things large from behind the kit – while the rest of the group jams in a heavy style that's got plenty of fuzzed-out guitar and jazzy horn riffs – virtually a blueprint for countless other rock funk groups that copped Buddy's style in years to come. The drums alone are worth the price of admission – but the whole album's so right, tight, and outta sight that it's been a favorite in our crates for years! Titles include "Train", "Let Your Lovelight Shine", "Don't Mess With Cupid", "Funky Mule", and "Wrap It Up".

A sublime set of 60s New York sounds – some of the best compositions by the team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, served up by a host of excellent soul, rock, and pop artists of the time! There's a really unifying feel to the work here – not just the continual themes of sadness and wanting that the pair were known for (especially Ellie!), but also the "wall of sound" style of production, which always seemed to bring their subtle messages to the forefront in really wonderful ways! And while this may be the second set in Ace's series on the pair, all the work here is totally top-shelf – essential stuff that include "Sweet Laurie Fair Laurie" by The Tokens, "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes, "Every Boy & Every Girl" by The Chiffons, "All Grown Up" by The Exciters, "I Got To Go Back" by The McCoys, "That's All I Ever Want From You Baby" by Manfred Mann, "Goodnight Goodnight" by Ellie Greenwich, "Look Of Love" by Leslie Gore, "The Train From Kansas City" by The Shangri-Las, "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Connie Francis, "I Know It's All Right" by Sam Hawkins, "I Wanna Love Him So Bad" by The Jelly Beans, "That Boy John" by The Raindrops, "I Wonder" by The Butteflies, "Chapel Of Love" by The Dixie Cups, and "Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home" by Darline Love.

DJ Muro's digging James Brown – and we're digging the massive way he mixes together the music! The set's way more than another James Brown compilation – and instead, it feels more like a love letter to The Godfather – served up in music made by James himself, and some of his key sidemen too – all mixed together by Muro in these short blasts of funk and soul that bristle with energy throughout! The whole thing's got way more care than the usual mixtape – as Muro's been training his ears on JB nuggets for years, so knows just the right makes to cut and make a change – managing to get through bits of 43 tracks in just the course of 73 minutes. Includes work from "The Boss", "Down & Out In New York City", "Baby Here I Come", "Blues & Pants", "Nose Job", "A Talk With The News", "Funky Drummer", "Hot Pants Road", "Can Mind", "I Got Ants In My Pants", "The Drunk", "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose", and "Funky President".

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

Great Mid 70s records from Cameo – Cardiac Arrest from 1975 and We All Know Who We Re from 1977 – together in a single set! Cardiac Arrest is excellent early work from the group. It's got a really sublime approach – tightly funking, but not too fast, in the mode of some of their weaker 80s material. The band have that tightly snapped groove firmly in place – as you'd already know if you've heard the album's classic sample cuts, "Rigor Mortis" and "Post Mortem". Other tracks include "Funk, Funk", "Find My Way", and "Good Times" – and the record's one of the best of the bunch from this period! We All Know Who We Are is of the most overlooked Cameo albums – and one we go back to more than the rest! Unlike some of the group's other funk-heavy outings, this one's nicely restrained, with a sophisticated ensemble soul style that reminds us of the best mid 70s work by Earth Wind & Fire. A real highlight is the smooth stepping title cut – "We All Know Who We Are" – a wonderfully catchy number that's also got a really righteous message, and kind of a "Damn Right I Am Somebody" intro, with the band rapping to each other before the song starts. Other tracks include "It's Serious", "Inflation", and "Stand Up".

Legendary Bay Area soul numbers by Darondo – as re-edited/remixed/liberally-adapted by Tall Black Guy and Dandy Teru! First up is Tall Black Guy's take on "I Don't Want To Leave" – which uses Darando's "Sure Know How To Love Me" as it's source material. The breezy, easygoing vibe of the original carries over pretty well onto it – with a think bass sound and a tripper, spacey club soul vibe. On the flip, Dandy Teru's "Untrue" is just as free of an interpetation – using strains of Darondo's "True" a soulful springboard into the cosmos.

Smooth soul from Cliff Dawson – a singer as classy as his look on the cover, and definitely a cut above most of the mainstream soul artists of his time! The album's an overlooked gem that's very nicely put together – well recorded, arranged with a subtle flair, and usually done with a warmer sound than you might guess for the vintage of the set – almost like some late 70s underground modern soul set, which is saying plenty to ears like ours! Thor Baldursson did most of the arrangements, but in ways that are much more restrained than his disco years – and titles include "It's Not Me You Love", "Waiting For Your Love", "Betcha Didn't Know", "I Can Love You Better", "Ocean Green Eyes", and "Never Say I Do".

One of the best new soul records we've heard in years – a tremendous accomplishment for the mighty Lee Fields, and a set that's quite different than any of his other work! We've always loved Lee's funk and deep soul sides, but this album's something new altogether – almost done in the hard-edge, downtempo mode of the east coast harmony scene of the late 60s and early 70s – like some of the best group soul work coming out of New Jersey or Philly, with some super-dope production and instrumentation that's really amazing! The grooves follow strongly in the same laidback style as recent El Michels work – no surprise, given the El Michels connection to the music – with beats that are hard, but slow – and instrumentation that's funky, but in a mellow sort of way. Lee's vocals are as deep as ever – very much trained in the James Brown tradition, but turned here towards a really unique groove that makes us completely reevaluate his talents – an amazing achievement not just for Fields, but also for the whole Truth & Soul/El Michels crew! An instant classic – with tracks that include "My World", "Ladies", "Expressions Theme", "Honey Dove", "Money I$ King", "Love Comes & Goes", "Do You Love Me", and "Last Ride".

Perhaps Donny Hathaway's greatest album from the 70s, and certainly the one with the most amazing arrangements! The record was Donny's last studio session, and it's got him working at a level that's far advanced from even his groundbreaking earlier work – using complicated rhythms and sophisticated string passages – but also throwing in some killer jazzy bits that make for some of his funkiest work ever! The liner notes have Donny showing off his musical training in evaluations of the song structures, but the music alone should be enough to convince you this one is great! Includes "The Slums", a funky rollicking tune that is sort of a follow-up to "The Ghetto"; "Valdez In The Country", a totally catchy instrumental with loads of electric piano, and a very Bob James-esque sound; the jaunty "Flying Easy"; and the spiritual soul cuts "Someday We'll All be Free" and "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry (parts 1 & 2)".

Perhaps Donny Hathaway's greatest album from the 70s, and certainly the one with the most amazing arrangements! The record was Donny's last studio session, and it's got him working at a level that's far advanced from even his groundbreaking earlier work – using complicated rhythms and sophisticated string passages – but also throwing in some killer jazzy bits that make for some of his funkiest work ever! The liner notes have Donny showing off his musical training in evaluations of the song structures, but the music alone should be enough to convince you this one is great! Includes "The Slums", a funky rollicking tune that is sort of a follow-up to "The Ghetto"; "Valdez In The Country", a totally catchy instrumental with loads of electric piano, and a very Bob James-esque sound; the jaunty "Flying Easy"; and the spiritual soul cuts "Someday We'll All be Free" and "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry (parts 1 & 2)".

A great little album of southern funk from the 70s – cut by the team that provided musical backing on many of the classic Hi Records sessions from the time! The groove is a bit different than usual for Hi – not compressed, burning deep soul – but tight, funky, and flanged-out – a bit like what classic P-Funk might have been like, had it been recorded in Memphis! The group's super sharp in their playing – with great bass and electric keyboards – but they've also got kind of a trippy feel that's very surprising, given the more restrained soul quality of much of the stuff on Hi. The album's all original material, and most cuts have cool vocals slinking in and out of the funk – and titles include "On The Loose", "Skinny Dippin'", "Superstar", "Purple Raindrops", and "You Got Me Comin".

A great little album of southern funk from the 70s – cut by the team that provided musical backing on many of the classic Hi Records sessions from the time! The groove is a bit different than usual for Hi – not compressed, burning deep soul – but tight, funky, and flanged-out – a bit like what classic P-Funk might have been like, had it been recorded in Memphis! The group's super sharp in their playing – with great bass and electric keyboards – but they've also got kind of a trippy feel that's very surprising, given the more restrained soul quality of much of the stuff on Hi. The album's all original material, and most cuts have cool vocals slinking in and out of the funk – and titles include "On The Loose", "Skinny Dippin'", "Superstar", "Purple Raindrops", and "You Got Me Comin".

Two killers from Jabula – overlooked Afro soul albums from the 70s! The set mixes up the track list a bit, but still comprises both full albums from the group – the first of which is the self-titled Jabula. Jabula is South African soul, but recorded in the UK – coming across with a post-colonial vibe that's mighty nice! Jabula have a sound that's a bit like Osibisa – heavy in African roots, but also trained a bit more towards a 70s soul audience as well – with some very tight arrangements that really help focus their energy strongly – and make the album a surprisingly great debut! Most cuts have female vocals in the lead – but the instrumentation is also pretty great too – with some killer reed work from Dudu Pukwana, and lots of warm keyboards too. Titles include the great instrumentals "Naledi", a snaking funky track with a great soprano sax solo, and "Let Us Be Free", which is kind of an Afro-descarga number, with lots of guitar – and other cuts include "Thandi", "Jabula Happiness", "Listen To Me Crying", and "Our Fathers". Thunder Into Our Hearts is a great second set from Jabula – and a record that seems to push the jazzy component of their sound even further than before! The ensemble has really wonderful rhythms – great bass and percussion that get nice and funky at times, and which are often mixed with some really sweet keyboard parts. But the horns also have a great UK jazz approach too – reeds from Dudu Pukwana, trombone from Nick Evans, and even (supposedly) a bit of trumpet from Mongezi Feza – all of whom really help give the music a complex, modern vibe that goes way beyond other Afro-styled groups of this nature. Tunes are a mix of vocals and instrumentals – and titles include "Soweto My Love", "Tears Of Africa", "Thunder Into Our Hearts", "Harvest (part 2)", and "Journey To Africa".

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer".

A pair of killers from Kwick – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Kwick – sweet 80s groove from a quartet who were once known as The Newcomers, and recorded some Memphis singles for Stax – but who here reemerge more than fully-formed – leaping into the new decade with an amazingly rich sound! Given the group's previous work, the vocals here are really wonderful – trained on old school harmony modes, and refitted to some more contemporary rhythms – yet all in a way that never loses the depth that made them so great in the first place. Although never super-huge, the group have a quality level that rivals the best of their contemporaries in this mode from the time – making this debut a stone gem to rival the best from acts like Switch or Tavares. Titles include "I Want To Dance With You", "Can't Help Myself", "Serious Business", "Let This Moment Be Forever", and "Tonight Is The Night". To The Point is a wonderful second set from Kwick – a bit more grooving than their first, with added emphasis on funky bass bits and keyboards – yet a set that's still filled with all the great vocals from before! It's not easy to harmonize tightly while stepping along with a lively rhythm, but Kwick make it all sound perfect here – super-tight, yet never uptight – in a rare blend that few other groups could ever reach in such a setting! The whole album's a charmer – and titles include "Split Decision", "Nightlife", "You're The Star Of My Show", "You're The Kind Of Girl I Like", "No Winner No Loser", and "I Choose You".

A great album of mellow soul tracks from Curtis Mayfield – laidback, slinky, and almost to his earlier work what Let's Get It On was to the early 70s career of Marvin Gaye! The album's got a warm, soulful vibe that's totally great – not as all-out funky or politically righteous as before, and instead more deeply personal, and almost intimate at times – in a way that really lets Curtis open up with those fragile and heartbreaking vocals that made his 60s work so great. The restraint here is totally great – another mid 70s masterpiece from arranger Rich Tufo – and at times, Mayfield hits a similar mode to some of Leroy Hutson's best Curtom work from the time! Titles include "Just Want To Be With You", "All Night Long", "When We're Alone", "I'm Gonna Win Your Love", "Sparkle", "Never Say You Can't Survive", and "Show Me Love".

The start of a legendary run for vocalist Alexander O'Neal – and a set that really helped redefine the sound of male soul in the 80s! O'Neal got his start in an early version of The Time, and he's working here with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – but the sound of the record is way deeper than all of those references put together – a careful, classy set that definitely lives up to the vintage look of Alexander on the cover! Jam and Lewis play tightly in the group, handling most of the key instrumentation – often with a restrained style that's quite different than their pumping hits, which lets O'Neal's great vocals flow out with an undeniably soulful power. Rhythms often hit the best sort of groove for Alexander's style – which sounds best in a mellow or midtempo mode – and the set's filled with classics, including "A Broken Heart Can Mend", "If You Were Here Tonight", "Innocent", "What's Missing", "You Were Meant To Be My Lady", and "Look At Us Now". 2CD version features a cool book-like cover, new notes, and lots of bonus tracks – including "Are You The One", "Innocent (dance rmx)", "If You Were Here Tonight (soft version)", "You Were Meant To Be My Lady (ext dance rmx)", and "What's Missing (dance rmx)".

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest soul divas! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons".

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest soul divas! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons".

A dream come true – Minnie's first two solo albums for Epic, back to back on one CD! Perfect Angel was one of THE albums that helped define the sound of female soul in the 70s – a record that moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons". Adventures In Paradise is even better – and may well be Minnie's greatest album ever! The album's a sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow songs that are perfectly suited to her other-worldly voice. Includes the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP! 19 tracks in all – and an essential CD for any fan of 70s soul!

Some of the best tracks ever from the pair of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – some of most righteous, authoritative and thematically heavy soul music ever created – compiled in one incredible set! Messianic, emotive vocals from Gil and stunningly restrained, magical soul jazz arrangements from Brian – words can't express how dynamic these tunes are! Great stuff from classic LPs such as Winter In America, It's Your World, First Minute Of A New Day, Secrets and more! 15 tracks in all: "The Bottle", "It's Your World", "Johannesburg", "Winter In America", "The Liberation (Red, Black & Green)", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Live)", "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angel Dust", "Show Bizness", "Madison Avenue", "Shut 'Em Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)".

The full range of greatness from the Trammps – key gems from their years on Buddah, Atlantic, and Philly International Records – nearly every one of them a non-stop groover throughout! The Trammps were one of the most unique groups on the Philly scene of the 70s – a great harmony outfit like some of their contemporaries, but geared up for the dancefloor right from the start – with a soaring, soulful vibe that was crucial to the development of the disco sound at the time! They really hit the heights with some cuts in the latter half of the decade – yet always managed to come across with the well-honed group soul focus of their roots. This 34 track package offers up the Trammps in all their greatness – and titles include "Trained Eye", "Groove All Mighty", "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart", "Trammps Disco Theme (Tom Moulton mix)", "Starvin", "Body Contact Contract", "Hold Back The Night", "Love Epidemic (Tom Moulton mix)", "Mellow Out", "VIP", "Music Freek", "Love Magnet", and "Soul Bones".

60s soul treasures from a trio of New York labels reverered for so many great singles – Sceptor, Wand and Musicor – in a great collection from Kent UK! It's filled with group acts and solo stars, soaringly emotional cuts and rawer rumbling R&B, even some early strains of funk – and includes a number of previously unissued songs from the vault that are just as sweet as the regional hits of the time. The genuine love of the material that goes into these Kent and Ace compilations continues to impress! 24 tracks in all: "That's No Way To Treat A Girl" by Marie Night, "I Want A Guarantee" by Maxine Brown, "Stick By Me" by Ed Townsend, "Sweeping Your Dirt Under My Rag" by Ann Bailey, "Diamond Ring" by The Fabulous Dinos, "So Help Me Woman" by George Tindley, "Speed Up" by Betty Moore, "You Got It Baby" by The Toys, "Walking With Pride" by Dan & The Clean Cuts, "Ain't No Love Lost" by Patti Jo and more.

Mighty recordings from the funk years of King Records – amazing grooves that follow the initial inspiration that James Brown gave to the label – but take things into wild new territory too! The late 60s & early 70s were kind of a strange and tumultuous time at the longtime Cincinnati operation – which was adapting to the changes in funk, soul and R&B music that James Brown almost single-handedly ushered in – at King and throughout the entire culture! What's most impressive here, beyond the exceptional quality of each song and performer, is the diversity – as the set's not all front-to-back JB-style funk – and also features some funked up bluesy soul, strains of gospel, the convincing move towards funk from veterans such as Hank Ballard & Bill Doggett – all topped off with righteous storytelling, sweet female soul leads, and some amazing grooves down at the bottom! Titles include "Getting Down (With Hoss)" by Kastle, "Love's Sweet Water" by Barbara Burton And The Messengers, "Baby Don't You Know" by The Brownettes, "Clay Tyson (Man On The Moon)" by Clay Tyson, "Cool Jerk" by The Coasters, "The Boo Boo Song" by King Coleman, "Unwind Yourself" by Hank Ballard, "Steal Away" by Leon Austin, "Peter Rabbit" by The Presidents, "Lookin For A Woman" by Robert Moore, "Push & Shove" by Willy Wiley, "Ball Of Fire" by Connie Austin, "Sad But True" by Elaine Armstrong, and "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila.