Soul — All Formats  

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

Nikki lays down some of her righteous poetry over a backing provided by the Sweet Inspirations and a host of Atlantic studio musicians. The groove is pretty soulful, and this is probably one of her most successful albums that blend poetry and music. Titles include "A Certain Peace", "The Women Gather", "The Way I Feel", "Just An NY Poem", and "My House".

Rock-solid Buddah work from Gladys Knight & The Pips – still pretty righteous on the vocal tip, but often a bit fuller and more polished than before! Knight shows a great talent for a mature ballad here – no big hits, but that's part of the charm of the set – as there's a personal, intimate quality to the tunes that also comes from the less-familiar nature of the lyrics. A few more tunes get a bit uptempo – to be expected when Tony Camillo's helping with production and arrangements – and the album features the great sample cut "Don't Burn Down The Bridge", plus the tracks "I Feel A Song", "Seconds", "Love Finds Its Own Way", "Better Go Your Way", "The Goings Up & The Comings Down", "Tenderness Is His Way", and "The Need To Be".

One of Jackie Moore's best albums ever – and a tight batch of deep soul tunes produced by 70s maestro Brad Shapiro! Jackie's vocals are wonderful – full of feeling, and delivered with an honest, upfront quality that really ranks with some of the best southern soul singers of the time! Shapiro's touch is great, too – and works the same sort of magic here that he did with Millie Jackson – serving up a blend of rootsy numbers, plus some smoother 70s groovers that really offer up a great way for southern soul to keep on growing. The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals and Criteria, with a great mix of modes – and the mellow cuts have these great bubbling guitars and organ behind the vocals, really making them some of the best numbers on the record. Titles include "At The Top Of The Hill", "Tired Of Hiding", "Hurting Inside Out", "The Bridge That Lies Between Us", "Never Is Forever", and "Heart Be Still".

Great uptown early Philly soul album from the late 60's, featuring the talents of a young Bunny Sigler before he got tied up making too many uptempo records. The record features arrangements by Joe Renzetti – in a sweet uptown style that brings out a lot in Bunny's young vocals. Includes the title hit, plus "Can You Dig It", "There's No Love Left", and "Lovey Dovey". Goofy cover, too.

Incredible work from a group who've definitely earned their name! Naming a group SOUL might be suicide for a band that can't carry off the groove – but these guys are funky monsters, with a real talent for a hard heavy sound that was rarely matched by other combos. The band have a great drummer, with a good talent for the funky break, but also a jazzy flourish that works well on SOUL's mellower numbers – and apart from the usual bass and guitar riffing, the album also features some great funky flute, in a mode that's similar to some of Jeremy Steig's excellent early work. Some tracks have vocals and some have instrumentals – but the whole album's great, and is an undisputed funky classic. Titles include "Can You Feel It", "Do What Ever You Want To Do", "Peace Of Mind", "Love, Peace & Power", and "My Cherie Amour".

Incredible work from a group who've definitely earned their name! Naming a group SOUL might be suicide for a band that can't carry off the groove – but these guys are funky monsters, with a real talent for a hard heavy sound that was rarely matched by other combos. The band have a great drummer, with a good talent for the funky break, but also a jazzy flourish that works well on SOUL's mellower numbers – and apart from the usual bass and guitar riffing, the album also features some great funky flute, in a mode that's similar to some of Jeremy Steig's excellent early work. Some tracks have vocals and some have instrumentals – and both albums are great! ACE put together both these masterpieces of heavy funky grooves and laid them back to back on one CD of super-heavy funky tracks. The set's a great deal, and both albums are winners all the way through! Tracks include "Down in the Ghetto", "Burning Spear", "Soul", "Tell it Like It Is", "Peace Of Mind", "My Cherie Amour", and "Sleeping Beauty".

Masterful funky soul jazz from the mid 70s – and one of the best solo albums recorded by Headhunter Bill Summers – a sunny batch of Bay Area funk that really grooves with the best of Fantasy Records from the time! The set was produced by Skip Scarborough, and has that great bubbling, stepping, soulful groove that was Scarborough's best contribution to jazz funk – a trademark groove that was every bit as important to the 70s as the work of Bob James or Larry Mizell! Summers' work on congas and percussion is excellent and the players are totally top shelf – the core group features drums by Alphonse Mouzon, bass by Paul Jackson, and keyboards by Scarborough – and vocalists on the set include Dianne Reeves, Mikki Morris, and Charles Meeks. Titles include "Drum Suite", "Come Into My Life", "People Know", "Just A Matter Of Time", "No One", "Check It Out", and "Que Sabroso".

Amazing work from The Voices Of East Harlem – a group with roots in gospel, but working here in a wonderfully soaring secular soul style – complete with arrangements and production from the legendary Leroy Hutson! The style here is similar to some of Leroy's best work, and that of his contemporaries on Curtom – a sound that's righteous and often funky, but able to hit some sweeter, warmer notes as well. Individual voices step out from the larger ensemble and take key leads on some tracks – and the overall style is simply mindblowing, at a level that makes us easily rank this as one of our favorite soul albums of all time! A must-have album, and one we've treasured for years – with tracks that include "Just Got To Be Myself", "So Rare", "March Across This Land", "Amazing Love", "Take A Stand", and "Can You Feel It".

Excellent work from this oft-overlooked southern soul singer – the beautiful Tommie Young! Tommie's a lady (in case you didn't know it), and she's got deep deep style that'll knock you flat out – with a soaring female southern soul sound on many of the tracks here – including a few that presage some of the soul sounds to come later in the 70s! Bobby Patterson wrote most of the tracks on this debut, and the set was recorded in Shreveport with a deep burning Louisiana sound that was the best of that city's scene at the time. The whole thing's great, and titles include "Do We Have a Future", "Everybody's Got a Little Devil In Their Soul", "Hit & Run Lover", "Do You Still Feel The Same Way", "You Came Just In Time", "You Brought It All On Yourself", and "That's How Strong My Love Is". CD features 5 bonus tracks: "Take Time To Know Him", "Get Out Of My Life", "I'm Not Going To Cry Anymore", "One Sided Affair", and "Midsummer Dream".

A wicked little collection that really lives up to its name – a set that's filled with warmth and good energy throughout – not to mention a great array of overlooked soul tracks too! Most of the numbers here are lesser-known gems from the late 70s and early 80s – upbeat, but not in a disco way – and usually somewhere in a space between modern soul and boogie, which works perfectly for the positive vibes of the tunes! There's a soaring feel that definitely takes off from an Earth Wind & Fire sort of style – and although most of the artists here are familiar, you'll really be surprised at the tracks chosen for the set. Titles include "Love Vibes" by The Emotions, "Something On Your Mind" by Melba Moore, "Razzle Dazzle" by Heatwave, "Better Things" by Sylvia St James, "Riding" by Michael Henderson, "Can You See Where I'm Coming From" by Instant Funk, "All In The Way You Get Down" by Ray Parker Jr & Raydio, "Sweet Fire" by Mighty Fire, "Here I Am" by Dynasty, "No One" by Flakes, "Love Is Such A Crazy Thing" by The Spinners, "Wonderful" by GQ, and "When I'm Dancin" by Lenny Williams.

Sublime soul all the way through – a tremendous set of modern and mellow cuts from the end of the 70s and start of the 80s – all put together with a really beautiful feel! There's a perfect balance here – between mainstream and underground, laidback and grooving – the classiest sort of soul from the time, and work that's light years away from both disco dancefloors and chart-oriented cuts. Expansion Records' Ralph Tee put the package together, and his approach here really takes us back to the time when the label first started catching our ear with their subtle, sophisticated approach to soul. Many tracks here haven't been reissued before, and even those that have sound wonderful in the company of the rest. Titles include "If You're Ready" by Beau Williams, "Let's Go All The Way" by Gayle Adams, "The Good Side Of Love" by Ronnie McNeir, "We're In Ecstasy" by Hubert Laws, "Evening Of Love" by Main Ingredient, "It's Alright With Me" by Patti Labelle, "Say You Love Me Girl" by Breakwater, "Never Had A Love Like This Before (inst)" by Tavares, "Here We Go Again (parts 1 & 2)" by Isley Brothers, "I Want To Be Where You Are" by Ronnie Dyson, "Can You Find The Time" by Champaign, "How Do You Take Your Love" by Major Harris, and "What About My Love" by Damaris Carbaugh.

For too long we dismissed Roberta Flack out of hand because of her currency as a soft rock radio favorite, but her mid 70s output had more than its share of sublime, soulful moments, and this album is no exception. Of course, a generous helping hand from the left reverend Eugene McD and co-producer Leon Pendarvis doesn't hurt either. 9 tracks in all, including the title track, plus "Feelin That Glow", "I Can See The Sun In Late December", "Mr Magic" and "Early Ev'ry Midnite".

80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The Summertime", done in such a way that it's got a cool skating stepper's groove to it – and set amidst some jazzy riffing and ensemble vocals that are totally great. The rest of the album follows in a similar mode – really bouncy and joyous, with mixed male and female vocals stepping out over a set of lean, mean 80s groovers that should have been huge! Tracks include "Hot Fun", "Patiently", "We Can't Miss", "Meet The Man", "Movin Up", and "Gunch". Feel The Music is a massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A classic soulful fusion album on Capitol, recorded and released during the crucial years of the "Capitol Rare" sound! Gene Dunlap is a jazz drummer at heart – but he's got a flair for the modern soul song – and in the same style as Norman Connors or Harvey Mason before him, he manages to put together a strong record of grooves and ballads from behind the kit! The strongest point of the record is work by The Ridgeways, a female soul trio who sing on the best tracks, giving them a smooth Jones Girls-ish kind of sound. The album includes two modern soul classics – "Before You Break My Heart" and "It's Just the Way I Feel" – plus "Love Dancin", "Rock Radio", "I Got You", and "Surest Things Can Change".

A nice early 80s disco remake of the classic club funk cut "Freakin Time" by Asphalt Jungle. The production's a bit more crisp on this outing, and the nice lengthy progressive version more than lives up to the group's name, with an extended guitar solo and some nice sax riffing over the popping 80s disco groove.

Chaka Khan steps off her smoother sets from the early 80s here – into a groove that's a bit chunkier, funkier, and with some key 80s groove touches! Arif Mardin's still in charge of the whole project here, but he's opened the door to a host of other producers to update Chaka's sound for the dancefloor – including John Robie, Russ Titelman, James Newton Howard, and others. The title hit – "I Feel For You" – is a vocoder bumping classic from back in the day – and other tracks include "Chinatown", "This Is My Night", "La Flamme", "My Love Is Alive", "Hold Her", "Through The Fire", and "Stronger Than Before".

Not the classic disco tune "I Feel Love", but instead a great modern groover from Uku Kuut – one that has these great stepping keyboards over beats, with a vibe that's just like some lost instrumental street soul cut from the mid 80s! The tune spins perfectly at both 45 and 33 – making the single a great double-value – and "Santa Monica Pier" follows in a similar mode, with a nice sort of slink to the keyboards!

Definitely the sort of album to make you feel better – given the tight, soulful sounds of Ndugu Chancler and this Chocolate Jam Company! The album's got roots in jazz – Ndugu's a drummer with work on countless other albums – but also steps out with plenty of soul, too – thanks to vocals from Ndugu, Leo Miller, Josie James, and Maxi Anderson – who often sing together in this warm style that fits perfectly with the grooves in the set! Instrumentation is definitely a cut above the usual session of this type – no surprise, given the jazz and fusion heavyweights in the lineup – and the tunes are catchy and grooving, yet never clunky or commercial at all. The blend is sublime – the sort that's made the record a standout for years – and titles include "Send You My Love", "Space Connection", "Make You Feel Better", "Jungle Journey", "Love Anew", and "Come Into My Life Again". CD features three bonus tracks – "Shadow Dancing (7" version)", "Take Some Time (7" version)", and "Love Anew (7" version)".

It's pretty easy to dismiss Billy Ocean after he unleashed pop trash like "Carribbean Queen" and "Suddenly" on the world, but this single from relatively early on in his career is a sublime 80s club groover that pumps along at a nice mid tempo clip, and is still a favorite around these parts.

Another great pulsating electro disco team up between Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder gets some extra electro/synth touches and dubby effects courtesy Patrick Cowley, plus mega mix is a full 15 minutes!

Sure, it's not classic funky Average White Band, but the album's a great one that showcases the group's best second suit – their smooth compressed late 70s soul sound – a great evolution of their earlier groove, and one that showed them as a great mainstream soul act! The tunes are a bit mellower overall, but still have a lot of crackle and warmth – and Hamish Stuart's lost none of his vocal charm, and in fact may even sound better in a more laidback, less funky heavy setting! With the great break track "Stop The Rain" – and the cuts "When Will You Be Mine", "Please Don't Fall In Love", "Walk On By", "Feel No Fret", "Atlantic Avenue", "Ace Of Hearts", "Too Late To Cry" and "Fire Burning".

80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The Summertime", done in such a way that it's got a cool skating stepper's groove to it – and set amidst some jazzy riffing and ensemble vocals that are totally great. The rest of the album follows in a similar mode – really bouncy and joyous, with mixed male and female vocals stepping out over a set of lean, mean 80s groovers that should have been huge! Tracks include "Hot Fun", "Patiently", "We Can't Miss", "Meet The Man", "Movin Up", and "Gunch". Feel The Music is a massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

An amazing package of work from George Duke – 6 of his legendary fusion albums for MPS Records, including the never-reissued double-length set Solus/The Inner Source! That incredible album is worth the price of the package alone – as it begins with some sublime trio work from Duke, rooted in jazz but already stretching out in amazing ways – then moves into some even hipper Latin-styled grooves, with Jerome Richardson on reeds and Luis Gasca on a bit of trumpet! Other albums in the set are equally great – and trace Duke's evolution from straighter jazz into funky freer fusion and soul – an incredible musical shift that's presented on the albums Faces In Reflection, Feel, I Love The Blues She Heard My Cry, The Aura Will Prevail, and Liberated Fantasies – each of them classics in their own right, presented together wonderfully here in this complete MPS package! The set is amazing – with a whopping 64 titles in all, and complete notes on all the music – including some recollections from Duke himself.

An obscure second set from the man who gave the world "Bounce Rock Skate Roll" – but a great one too! The album's got Vaughan Mason paired with Butch Dayo, in a way that brings a nice sort of back/forth feel to his usual roller skating groove – with results that are even more partyful than the first time around! The pair have a great sort of street soul energy to their groove – not really breakdance or electro, but not that far off – and served up with a much deeper soul conception than you'd usually find in this sort of project! We'd even go so far as to note a bit of hip hop influence in the music – even though the overall approach is definitely clubby soul – and titles include the great "Party on the Corner", plus "Rollalong Songs", "Feel My Love", and "You Can Do It". CD features the bonus tracks "Party On The Corner (orig Shep Pettibone 12" master dub)", "You Can Do It (orig 12" radio)", and "You Can Do It (orig 12" inst)".

One of those bright, charismatic Billy Ocean records from a couple years before his massive pop soul crossover – just a sublime 80s club groover that pumps along at a nice mid tempo clip – a real favorite around these parts! This was Billy's debut for Epic and there's plenty of signposts here of his potential to bust out in a big way commercially – it's hooky and insistent, but still plenty soulful, less steeped in pop gloss and with fewer ballads – lean, danceable soul that holds up very, very well. Also includes "Stay The Night", "Whatever Turns You On", "Don't Say Stop", "Another Day Won't Matter", and "Taking Chances". This Big Break UK remastered edition has 4 bonus tracks: 12 inch versions of "Are You Ready" and "Stay The Night" and single versions of the title track and "Another Day Won't Matter".

Sweet keyboards and lots of funky grooves – one of the best of George Duke's seminal albums for MPS – and a record that captures him at a key middle point in his growth! The sound here is tighter than the trippier records of before, but also never too smooth or commercial – still with plenty of cosmic influences in the funk, and a wealth of great keyboard work that rivals some of Herbie Hancock's best from the same stretch. George sings a bit himself – in a warmly compressed mode that's simply wonderful, and which further expands the grooves – and although much of the album's instrumentation comes from the keyboards, the record also features guest appearances from Airto on percussion and Ndugu on drums – as well as a bit of guest vocals from Flora Purim. Titles include "The Once Over", "Tzina", "Statement", "Love", "Feel", "Funny Funk", "Rashid", and "Cora Joberge".

A fantastic bit of spacey soul – and an amazing collaboration between the Mizell Brothers and vocalist Rance Allen! The set's quite different than Rance's earlier, rootsier work for Stax – and instead has the soaring, joyous quality of some of the other great Mizell productions from the time on albums by Gary Bartz, Bobbi Humphrey, and Johnny Hammond! The best cuts here soar along with a really jazzy feel – that trademark Mizell groove, supported with excellent production that somehow manages to fuse a wide range of keyboards, rhythms, and string together with a really lean sound. Rance's spiritual vocals are wonderful throughout – and the whole album's essential for both Mizell fans, and any lover of righteous 70s soul! Titles include the sublime classics "Truth Is Marching On", "Reason To Survive", and "Peace of Mind" – plus "I'm Gonna Make It After All", "Got To Be Ready", and "You're My Everything".

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun".

The image on the cover is a great summation of the Aurra magic – a sweet blend of male and female vocals with plenty of soul – woven together in ways that are quite different from more cliched duet modes of earlier years! The grooves are at the center of the record – set out strongly by producer/arranger Stephen Washington, with loads of great basslines at the core! Yet it's the vocals that really make the record sparkle – work by Starleana Young and Curt Jones – both very individual singers who have a way of coming together here with a very fresh feel! Studio magic allows both to provide backup as well as lead vocals – and the album's filled with great groovers that include "It's You", "Make Up Your Mind", "A Little Love", "In My Arms", "Still Free", and "Checking You Out". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Checking You Out (Shep Pettibone 12" mix)", "Make Up Your Mind (unreleased Tom Moulton rmx)", "Make Up Your Mind (orig 12" inst)", "A Little Love (orig 12" rmx)", and "A Little Love (orig single)".

CTI Masters, and then some – a collection that features one full album from Patti Austin, plus lots of bonus tracks too! The first 10 tracks on the album comprise the classic End Of The Rainbow debut for CTI – wonderfully warm soul from the great Patti Austin – a key artist in the late 70s, and one who really helped push the music forward with a new sense of sophistication! Patti's got a strongly jazzy vibe here – and works with David Matthews arrangements that are really well put-together – less funky than some of Dave's other work of the period, and filled with these mellow moments that really let Austin's energy flow! The overall feel is a bit like some of Jean Carn's work on Philly International – hip, sophisticated, and filled with plenty of jazz touches – although with an even stronger approach to ballads – and titles include the classic "This Side Of Heaven", plus "More Today Than Yesterday", "Say You Love Me", "In My Life", "Give It Time", and "What's At The End Of A Rainbow". CD then goes onto include 8 more tracks from other CTI albums from Patti – equally great numbers that include "Havana Candy", "I Just Want To Know", "We're In Love", "I Need Somebody", "Lost In The Stars", "Body Language", "Another Nail For My Heart", and "I Want You Tonight".

One of David Axelrod's oddest records, but still a darn great one! The whole album is sort of a concept album about slavery (hence the title "The Auction"), and it has some spiritual political vocals on a number of tracks – but underneath is the usual great funky instrumentation of David Axelrod, with lots of nice deep grooves that kick the otherwise snoozy lyrics into another level. The whole thing's got a feel that's sort of like the 24 Carat Black record, with a deep soulful groove. Titles include "The Auction", "Oh! Freedom", "The Debt", "Freedom", "Sympathy", "Leading Citizen", and "Be Proud, My Race!".

A great little album from Roy Ayers' early years with Polygram – often overlooked amidst some of the bigger records in the catalog, but a very soulful set that's got some wonderful funky numbers! There's a really jazzy feel going on here – Roy's nod back to his older roots in music, touched with some of the sharper styles of the 70s generations – especially in the rhythms, which are starting to have that snapping sound that was the Ayers trademark in the 70s. Vibes ring out wonderfully throughout – often getting more space than vocals – and other instrumentation includes soprano sax from George Braith, keyboards from Harry Whitaker and Leon Pendarvis, and drums from Bernard Purdie. Bits of strings slide in nicely, showing a deeper sound to Roy's arranging skills – and titles include the funky break classic "The Boogie Back", a sweet reading of "Feel Like Makin' Love", with all the right electric effects to get the best out of the song's mellow righteous vibe – and the great cuts "Fishika", "Sensitize", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "When is Real Real?", and "Change Up The Groove".

Roy Ayers in a seductive mid 80s mode – his first for Columbia – and a record with some incredibly nice moments that blow away most of his contemporaries! The synth soul and drum machine era might seem like an odd fit for Roy's jazzy vibes, but it actually works really well here! You could argue that few players with a such profound jazz funk pedigree could pull off an 80s modern sound so succussfully – and we'd argue that Roy Ayers is indeed one of the few! If synths and programmed drums aren't your thing, this record is actually more heavily-weighted with laidback jazzy soul, with plenty of vibes and the usual warm sexy vocals from Roy. Includes the funky classic "Poo Poo La La", which has a great little monologue in it – plus "I Can't Help It", "Compadre", "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy", and "Love Is In The Feel". This 2012 FTG CD includes 3 bonus tracks: "In The Dark (7" Version)", "Poo Poo La La (Edit)" and "Love Is In The Feel (7" Version)".

A really great little album from Roy Ayers – titled after a famous 60s pop hit, but with a much hipper feel than you'd expect! The group on the album features modernist soul jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, and Hubert Laws – all of whom work nicely with Roy on the album's expansive approach to the music. The set features a great version of Jobim's "Wave" – done like we've never heard it before – plus the original cuts "What The People Say", "Lil's Paradise", and "A Rose For Cindy".

One of Roy Ayers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused Roy Ayers sound that's totally great, and which makes the album sparkle wonderfully throughout! All aspects of Roy's talents are perfectly balanced here – his warm vocals and jazzy vibes, his uptempo grooves and mellower rhythms – played to perfection by a hip lineup of players that includes Philip Woo on electric piano, Justo Almario on tenor sax, and Steve Cobb on drums. Edwin Birdsong guests a bit on the record – bringing in a nice edge to a few tunes – the album's got a really unique dark undercurrent, even in smoother moments – that subtle Roy Ayers' approach that's always made him one of our all-time favorite artists. Titles include the wonderful jazz-tinged "Searching", a great midtempo stepper that we really love; the funky break track "The Memory", a righteous number that feels like work from earlier records; the clubby classic "One Sweet Love to Remember"; and the sweet instrumental "Vibrations", which has a mellow kickback feel! Other tunes include "Higher", "Domelo (Give It To Me)", "Baby I Need Your Love", and "Better Days".

Talk about a meeting of the minds – a pair of ultra-amazing classics from the team of Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – back to back in a single set! At the time of Step Into Our Life, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". Prime Time is a funky classic from the team of Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson – both at the top of their game here, and effortlessly mixing together jazz, funk, and soul! The record really seems to embrace the best of both artists' styles – some of the bassy groovers that Wayne did so well himself, and while producing for other artists – and those snakey, soulful numbers that we love so much in the late 70s work from Roy Ayers – ultra-sophisticated, but still plenty darn grooving – and some of the most sensual soul you'll ever hope to hear. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Weekend Lover", "Thank You Thank You", "Can You Dance", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind", "You Make Me Feel Like Rockin With Ya", "Have Your Way", and "Million Dollar Baby".

A totally great disco number written by Leroy Burgess, and produced Began Cekic featuring vocals by Bessy Scott. Like other BC productions from the early 80s this dynamic, uplifting track is aimed straight at the dancefloor, and you get a nice nearly 9 minute version here alongside the funky instrumental and shorter edit, in case you feel like playing it on your radio show!

JR's cut some records that have a rootsier feel – but this one features smooth modern arrangements and production by Phil Medley and Buddy Scott. The set begins with an uptempo clubby remake of "Taste of Honey", and also features a nicely grooving take on "Stella By Starlight". Other tracks include "Million To One", "Live Love & Play", "Love & Conversation", and "The Coming Of Your Love".

The pinnacle of classy crossover soul at the end of the 80s – and a landmark album that's probably still helping Anita pay her bills! The feel is mellow and laidback without being too cheesy or too adult contemporary – drawing from mellow soul traditions of the 70s, and filtering it through production styles of the 80s without losing too much of the warmth. Titles include "Talk To Me", "Fairy Tales", "Lonely", "No One To Blame", "More Than You Know", and "Whatever It Takes".

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 album from Ray – even if it is a bit different than some of his other work from earlier years. The feel is kind of 70s R&B, with a jazzy touch, and if you're not looking for straight Latin stuff, this is actually a pretty great album – as Ray gets the group to work smoothly together, absorbing influences from Latin funk of the 70s, into a sound that owes a lot to more mainstream jazz funk of the time. The record includes the excellent cut "Here We Go Again" – a great midtempo number with a perfect steppers groove – plus the cuts "Tumbao Africano", "Leti", and "Expresso".

The only album ever by The Barrino Brothers – a stellar early 70s harmony group, and one who could sing with the best of the east coast scene of the time! The whole set's got a feel that's very much in the best mode of groups like The Modulations, Soul Generation, and even The O'Jays – as the group's got a deeper, more solid sound than some of the more fragile outfits of their era. Production is very strong – thanks to the Holland-Dozier-Holland powerhouse sound of the time – and the group's vocals are supported on a full groove that really helps send the whole thing over the top! The title cut "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love" is a stone classic – and other nice tracks include "Rain", "I Had it All", and "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way". Loads of bonus tracks too – including "Trapped In A Love", "I Had It All (single)", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (inst)", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (single)", "Born On The Wild (voc)", and "Born On The Wild (inst)".

A rare bit of Florida funk from the 70s – an album recorded by TK during the height of its soulful run at the time, but never issued until now! The group's headed by vocalist Becen Padron – who also plays keyboards, guitar, and drums – and the rhythms have a snapping, funky, clubby sort of groove – quite similar to some of the more famous rhythms coming from TK powerhouse KC & The Sunshine Band! As with KC's work, the groove here is a bit funk, a bit disco, and plenty darn catchy – and Padron's rough-edged vocals bring a nice sort of unpolished feel to the record, making it come across a lot more indie than most sounds on TK. Titles include "The Thange", "Surrender Your Love", "Florida Fantasy", "Girls", "Gotta Have The Funk Funk", and "You Do Me Good".

Maybe the greatest record we've ever heard from Beggar & Co – a set that sparkles strongly from a host of excellent guest work – not just from Incognito, but also from some key American musicians as well! The groove is tighter than ever – and very much in the 70s-inspired style that's always made us love the group – a wonderfully warm blend of jazz, funk, and soul that comes off with the feel of a lost treasure from way back! The set's got a positive, upbeat sound throughout – and titles include "If You Really Love Me", "Victoria Park", "Summer Is Here At Last", "While The City Sleeps", "New Beginnings", "Rise", "Yesterday's Gone", and "Changes".

Fantastic work from Archie Bell & The Drells – an important record that bridges their earlier and later sounds! It's a key transitional album for the crew – as most of the album's in the harder rawer Texas funk groove of earlier year, but some of it features newer production by Gamble & Huff, in that excellent smooth dancing style that took Archie light years from his roots. The Gamble & Huff tracks are the most obvious – the singles "I Can't Stop Dancing" and "Do The Choo Choo" – and the album's got other great cuts like the original tunes "Do You Feel It?", "You're Such A Beautiful Child", "Jammin In Houston", and "Love Will Rain On You", plus versions of Curtis Mayfield's "I've Been Trying" and "Sometimes I Wonder". CD also features three bonus tracks – "Low Down", "Going Out Of My Head (demo)", and "Who's Loving You (demo)".

One of the wildest albums by the funky conga player. The title track, "Lion Walk" runs through all of side one, and has a weird, tripped-out sloppy funk feel, with guitar and sax solos over Big Black's moody congas. Side two has three long songs, with a groove that's not as good, but still pretty dark and moody: "Tell Me, Do Your Conscience Bother You", "Love, Sweet Like Sugar Cane" and "Come On Down To The Beach".

A lost bit of ensemble funk from the end of the 70s – served up in a mix of bass-heavy club and boogie styles! The group have a rolling groove that's a bit like some of the work by Instant Funk or other clubby funk acts – but the overall feel is a bit tighter and more small group-oriented, even though the end result is as tight and professional as anything coming out on some of the bigger labels at the time – making for a great mix of indie and mainstream funky club styles! Our favorite cuts may actually be the mellower ones – which have some great soul harmonies – but even the uptempo tracks are pretty nice, with a strong Philly-inspired sound overall – and titles include "Postcard Love Affair", "My Fantasy", "Push", "There You Go", "Fantasize", "I Judge The Funk", and "You're Always on My Mind".

A pretty darn cool little record – even if it is a bunch of cover versions! As the title proclaims, the set presents the winners of a US Army competition for its members stationed in Europe in the early 70s – one that chose The Black Seeds for side one of the album, and Sound Trek for side two! The Black Seeds are a sweet harmony group with a really heartbreaking feel – very much in the New Jersey/Philly mode, and sounding great on a number of roughly-done covers that include "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Do Your Thing", "Backstabbers", and "Ain't No Sunshine". The Sound Trek are a bit more groove-oriented – kicking off their set with an instrumental reading of "Kool & The Gang", but then rolling into a batch of vocal soul covers that include "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers" (again!), "Coldest Days Of My Life", and "I Love Everything About You".

A great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm – and the band's got a nice spacey sound that almost reflects directions that other funk groups, like Kool & The Gang, were taking at the time. The best case of this is the massive cut "Mysterious Vibes", a slow jazzy stepper that was sampled to great fame a few years back – but you can also hear it on the cuts "Supernatural Feeling", "Soft & Easy", and "Dreaming About You".

Two of the later Blackbyrds LPs on one CD! Action's one of their great ones, and it's got a cool mellow vibe that's different than their earlier funkier stuff. It also includes the great cut "Mysterious Vibes", which was sampled by someone not too long ago. Also with the cuts "Supernatural Feeling", "Soft and Easy", and "Street Games". Better Days has a bit of a modern soul feel, with more of the later Fantasy production style, and the tracks "Do It Girl", "What's On Your Mind", and "Love Don't Strike Twice".

A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound good on paper, it actually works wonderfully on the record – as the tunes retain all of the jazz funk feel of the originals, without any of the cheap tricks you might expect. The album's as essential as any of the group's earlier albums – and it's filled with great versions of classics like "Supernatural Feeling", "Gut Level", "Walking In Rhythm", "Do It Fluid", "Rock Creek Park", and "Happy Music".

A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound good on paper, it actually works wonderfully on the record – as the tunes retain all of the jazz funk feel of the originals, without any of the cheap tricks you might expect. The album's as essential as any of the group's earlier albums – and it's filled with great versions of classics like "Supernatural Feeling", "Gut Level", "Walking In Rhythm", "Do It Fluid", "Rock Creek Park", and "Happy Music".

A lost southern soul gem – cut at the end of the 70s, in that rare blend of southern and modern styles that few performers could really carry off well! Frederick Knight produced the album, and it really steps off of his own mellow work of earlier years – taking things even further, thanks to a really wonderful presentation on the vocals by CL, sounding here like the best 70s work by Johnnie Taylor or Tyrone Davis! The album's got a really special feel – and if it was cut for a smaller label, it probably would have gone onto become a rare groove treasure – instead of a slightly-overlooked record on Cotillion. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Our Love Will Last", "I've Got To Make It On My Own", "I Wanna Get Down", "If I Had Loved You More", "Love Don't Feel Like Love No More", and "Let's Do Something Different Tonight".

One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s – presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves – very unusual in both conception and execution – with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! There's definitely a rock influence in the set, but the music isn't rock at all – it's a very dark, almost dubby groove at points – and a bit more straightforwardly funk at others – almost a post-colonial style that clearly comes from a London influence, given to the group by a previous association with Ginger Baker. Rhythms are quite tight, and the bass is as strong as the drums – mixed up nicely with riffing guitar, and moody vocals that color the whole thing nicely. Titles include "Preacherman", "Time To Face The Sun", "We Are Out Together", "Chant To Mother Earth", "Miss Sagitt", "Beware", and "We Gonna Have A Party". Phase II is a critical next step for the group – music that's even deeper than before, but a bit funkier too! There's clearly some touches here of other African funk of the time – especially in the way the guitar parts groove with the rhythms – although those heavy Blo basslines from before are still nicely in place, as are some of the fuzzier production elements too. Titles include "Whole Lot Of Sh*t", "Atide", "Blo", "It's Gonna Be A Good Day", "Native Doctor", and "Don't Take Her Away From Me".

A great later album from Bloodstone – recorded after their initial classics for London, but in a sweet and mellow soul mode that's totally outta site! Part of the strength of the set is the mighty Al Johnson – who provides arrangements here that push the group firmly into a more modern take on harmony soul, and which have a gentle groove that makes for plenty of sweet steppers and mellow midtempo groovers. The vocals are every bit as great as on the earlier albums – just given a brighter setting in which to shine. Titles include "Just Wanna Get The Feel Of It", "She Wants To Hear The Words", "It's Been A Long Time", "Throw A Little Loving My Way", "It's All Been Said Before", and "Don't Stop".

A killer late set by Bloodstone – one that holds on to all the excellent harmonies they brought to their 70s work, but which pushes their groove forward in a whole new direction! There's a warm modern glow to the set – one that works perfectly with the vocals – and the quintet still have a hell of a way with a ballad – singing in that slow-tripping style that was never too overly emotive, yet could pack a hell of a punch back in the day – especially in the wee hours! The tunes here are longer than before, and inflected by some rich arrangements by both the Isley Brothers and McKinley Jackson – and the set's got an Isleys-like approach by putting all the ballads on one side, and the groovers on another. These groovers really hold onto the harmonies wonderfully – making for a great follow-up to the ballads – and titles include the sublime smooth stepping track "We Go A Long Way Back", plus "Go On & Cry", "How Does It Feel", "Nite Time Fun", "My Love Grows Stronger", and "My Kind Of Woman". CD features great bonus tracks too – "My Love Grows Stronger (part 2)", "Go On & Cry (7" mix)", and "We Go A Long Way Back (12" mix)".

Blue Magic getting a bit bolder than before – adding in some heavier funk that takes them past the mellow moments of their earliest years – yet still serving up some great harmonies in the process! The change is a subtle one – heard on some of the album's more hard-grooving tracks, which also bring in some full arrangements that echo the trippy feel of the cover – yet which still always respect that slight heartbreaking undercurrent of the group's great vocals, thanks to arrangements from Bobby Eli! Just about every moment from Blue Magic is totally great, and this album is no exception – with titles that include "Freak N Stein", "Mother Funk", "To Get Love", "See The Bedroom", "Summer Snow", "Making Love To A Memory", and "Spark Of Love".

Angela Bofill's sublime first album – a mixture of jazzy soul and soulful jazz, all put together with a sound that's really a cut above most of her contemporaries! As with Jean Carn or Phyllis Hyman, there's a sophistication to Angela's sound here that indicates roots in much hipper territory that were still pulling strongly on her work for this mainstream set – a sound that runs deeper than you might expect for such a commercially successful record, and which has really kept it alive for years. Part of the strength of the set is the jazzy backings given the music – arranged by Dave Grusin, and carried off by himself on keyboards, with other players who include Eric Gale on guitar, Dave Valentin on reeds, Steve Gadd on drums, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion. There's a warmly glowing feel to the record that's neither slick or commercial – and titles include "Children Of The World United", "Summer Days", "Rough Times", "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", and "The Only Thing I Would Wish For". Includes a bonus track – the Arista single mix of "This Time I'll Be Sweeter".

A righteous bit of soul – one of the only non-jazz albums we've seen on the Muse label, and a really great session that reminds us of work by Alice Clark and Esther Marrow – two other overlooked 70s soul singers who also recorded for jazz labels! Rickie's got a deep soul approach to the vocals that's nicely inflected with jazzy work by players that include Tom Malone, Kalaparusha, Buddy Terry, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – the last of whom arranged and conducted the backings, and gives the album a full-on and progressive feel. Rickie's vocals have lots of nice gentle tones, making for some sweet little numbers that sparkle nicely – titles that include "Baby Won't You Stay", "To Be Needed", "In A Little While", "At The Clinic", "What Could It Be", and "I Won't See Yesterday".

A wonderful soundtrack from Booker T & The MGs – a record that's probably much better remembered than the film for which it was written! The tunes show a whole new depth for the group – a style that still has some of the charm of their previous hits, but which also takes off in whole new directions too. Some tunes are pretty darn catchy, and others have a nicely bubbling sound – almost jazzy in parts, with a great scene-setting feel for the movie. Booker actually sings on 2 tracks – "Johnny I Love You" and "Blues In The Gutter" – and Judy Clay sings on "Children Don't Get Weary". Other than that, though, the whole thing's instrumental – with titles that include the megahit "Time Is Tight", plus "Cleveland Now", "Down At Ralph's Joint", and "Tank's Lament".

Brass Construction's fifth album, and the group's still grooving harder than most of their contemporaries! The legendary Randy Muller is still fully in charge here – serving up his trademark lean, mean arrangements that compress all elements of the music firmly on the beat – all in a way that creates one of the funkiest grooves you'll ever hear in mainstream late 70s club! There's plenty of great little touches to keep each tune interesting – bits of strings, keyboards, or other elements that burst out of the mix playfully . Titles include "It's Alright", "Watch Out", "I Want Some Action", "Right Place", "Music Makes You Feel Like Dancing", and "Shakit".

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way".

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker, whose twin-horn frontline forged a very popular sound in the mid 70s – some really well-crafted numbers, done with a strong smooth approach that still sits well after all these years! Back To Back features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sung on the album along with Patti Austin. The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound! Don't Stop The Music is a stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the pair. And thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! Heavy Metal Be Bop is tight and funky jamming, with a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title! Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. On Detente, the Brecker's are still rooted in jazz, but definitely step out with plenty of soul in the mix too – vocals from DJ Rogers, Carl Carlwell, Luther Vandross, and others – all of whom really add a lot to the set! On Straphangin, the BBs manage to groove with a sharpness and depth that most of their smoother fusion contemporaries just weren't hitting – an edge that reminds us of the deeper roots these guys had before they started hitting the mainstream! Last up are the live fusion classics Blue Montreux Vols 1 & 2 – both recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album!

That's Brenda & Herb, not Peaches & Herb – Herb Rooney and Brenda Reid of the excellent 60s group The Exciters – grooving together here in a really full-on vocal approach that's clearly inspired by the best aspects of Ashford & Simpson! Tracks have a lush, full feel – arranged by Lou Hemsey in a mode that works equally well on the dancefloor tracks and on the mellower numbers – and there's an ambitious approach that could fall flat on its fact, but hangs together well – thanks to the overall execution of the set! The group may not be one of the best-remembered pair from the disco years – but they do a great job here of matching the best work of their contemporaries. Titles include "I Think I'm Gonna Like This", "Lie Down", "I Wanna Make You My Sweetheart", "Two Of Us", "Look What They've Done To Our City", and "What Goes Around".

Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves. The group has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label – and their style of slicking up funky licks into a tightly compressed sound was obviously a bit hit with the kids of their generation, and hip hop sample heads in years to come. This 12 track greatest hits set includes the classic g-funk number "Dusic", plus "Music Magic", "Dazz", "Good High", "Free Happy", "We Don't Wanna Sit Down, We Wanna Get Down", and "Living From The Mind".

Rough and raw work from Big Bill Broonzy – well-done sides that feature Bill on vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded in Paris in the early 50s, and issued here in a US package on the Scepter label! There's a pretty earthy feel to most of the tracks – a real "crossroads" feel that possibly has more to say about postwar European perceptions of the blues than the actual sound of the American scene at the time – but from the perspective of over 50 years later, there's a definite classic feel to the record that really stands the test of time. Titles include "Hey Bud Blues", "Coal Black Curly Hair", "Low Down Blues", "Louise Louise Blues", "Letter To My Baby", and "John Henry".

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power!

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power!

Great reissue of James' second set of tracks recorded live at the famous Apollo Theatre! We like this one way better than volume one, and find it to be a much heftier set of tracks – with a stunning array of sheer raw showmanship. This one's in a 2 LP format, with lots more room for The Godfather and his band to stretch out and groove in the great way that they do when they play live. Tracks include "Bring It Up", "Let Yourself Go", "Think" (in duet form), a great version of "There Was a Time", "It May Be The Last Time", "I Feel Good (I Got You)", "Prisoner Of Love", "Out Of Sight", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Lost Someone","Thanks", "Let Yourself Go", "Cold Sweat", "I Feel Alright", and "Please, Please, Please". Very nice stuff!

One of the wilder James Brown instrumental LPs from the late King period. The James Brown Band is fronted by a heavy fuzzy guitar sound, which gives the LP a sort of rock-break feel, with nice fuzzy electric tones. All tracks are by James and Dave Matthews, and the record is sort of a second album by Matthews' Grodeck Whipperjenny group. Titles include "Can Mind", "Don't Mind", "Bob Scoward", and "Just Enough Room for Storage". Wild, and tough to find these days, too!

A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that always earned him a huge audience in the cognoscenti. The feel is a bit more electric than before, with Richard Tee on electric piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. A few cuts have female backing vocals, and titles include "Gang Bang", "Feel the Fire", "Dime Away from a Hot Dog", and "Young Man".

One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" feel to it). There's a lot of great stuff on here, and most of it doesn't appear on Oscar's other albums in studio versions. Tracks include "Call of the City", "Muffled Drums", "Maxine", "Brother Where Are You?", and more! Backing's by a tight little combo that includes Floyd Morris and Phil Upchurch!

Heavy ballads from Peabo Bryson – a perfect sampling of the style he did so well back in the day, including a few of his famous duets with Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole as well! The set's overflowing with mellow jams from Peabo – the kind of laidback numbers that really helped him lock in his style, and help define a whole new level of maturity for the male voice in soul music. Titles include "What You Won't Do For Love", "Feel The Fire", "I'm So Into You", "Tonight I Celebrate My Love", "All My Love", "Show & Tell", "She's A Woman", "You're Looking Like Love To Me", and "Reaching For The Sky".

One of our favorite albums ever from Solomon Burke – a great little set that draws on all of his deep soul roots for Atlantic, but also gets a little bit funky too! There's a growing maturity in Solomon's music here that we really love – a quality that gets past the churchy cliches, and starts to explore some of the new territory opening up to soul artists at the end of the 60s – influences from all points south, wrapped up in a slightly tighter New York presentation. Titles include Solomon's great version of the hard break classic "Get Out Of My Life, Woman", an amazing remake of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and the tracks "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "Meet Me In Church", "Since I Met You Baby", "Shame On Me", "Why Why Why", and "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye".

Rare 70s work by Bobby Byrd – sides done for the Brownstone and International label, most of which feature work by members of the James Brown universe, and some production by James Brown himself! The best tracks on the set are from the early 70s – and feature Bobby working in that incredibly tight, incredibly fast-grooving mode he first forged with James – heard to best effect on some key live recordings, and served up here in some equally great studio sides that feature help from Fred Wesley and Brown. A few other cuts keep the funky fire burning with some surprisingly nice Miami touches – with Clarence Reid on production, but Bobby more than strongly in the mix on some great vocals. There also appears to be a few tracks from later years – featuring Byrd with singers Vicki Anderson and Martha High, plus a group that also includes Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley – and 2 more that are later live numbers. The set features 11 tracks in all, and is a great counterpart to Bobby's one and only album for the King label – with tracks that include "Never Get Enough", "Hang It Up", "Back From The Dead", "The Way To Get Down", "Feel Good Friday", "Sayin It & Doin It Are Two Different Things", "Let Me Know", and "Tell Me What's On Your Mind".

Terry Callier's first album – recorded in 1964 when he was a wee teen hanging around Chicago's folk scene! As the title indicates, the album's definitely got a folk-styled sound – but also as the "new" implies, it's got a sound all it's own, fresh and free – and that sound is the genius that is Terry Callier! This is very stripped down material, very dark and brooding – a good chance to hear Terry before he hit the Chess studios and they backed him up with a lot of orchestrations (although we love the orchestrations, too.) The material has a soulful spiritual feel, and is sung with a lot of passion over acoustic guitar. Think of Nina Simone's folksier stuff from the same time, if you need a reference. Tracks include "900 Miles", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "It's About Time", "Promenade In Green", and "I'm A Drifter".

An amazing full length collection of work from Rickey Calloway – an artist we've really only known from individual singles, but one who packs a hell of a punch in the space of this rock-solid CD! Rickey's groove is right out of the James Brown camp of the glory days – tight tight tight instrumentation, filled with lots of riffing grooves that are right on the beat – topped with Rickey's amazing vocals, which feel like they're lifted from some obscure funky 45s from back in the day! Production is nice and raw on most numbers and there's a few mellower deep soul tracks which help round out the sound wonderfully – giving the set the full scope you might normally expect to hear from Lee Fields. The packaging on this one's a bit slim, but the music's totally great – and the set features 16 killer cuts that include "Tell Me", "Lose It", "Shed A Tear", "Groove Master", "Get The Groove", "That's The Way", "Paying My Dues", "Get It Right", "A Letter", "I'm In Love", and "The Feeling".

One of Candido's funkiest albums! The record's got a similar sound to Candido's great albums for Blue Note and Solid State – with short, hard funky tunes that have a really great 70s edge! Chico O'Farrill did the arrangements, and the record chops along nicely with some very funky tracks that feel like they were lifted from a blacksploitation soundtrack – conga mixed with great keyboards, wah wah guitar, and tight blasts of horns in just the right bits! The whole thing's a killer – filled with heavy funky 45-type numbers – and tracks include "Soulwanco", "Succulent", "Yolanda", "Candido's Funk", "Kushy", "Sultry", and "Mighty Mouth". Very nice!

Contemporary soul from Miami – a set issued by the legendary Henry Stone, and done with a vibe that's a great update of his TK Records sound from the 70s! Certified Slim is a singer with a definite southern pedigree – a soulful style that's got a few undercurrents of blues, in a way that reminds us a lot of Latimore – yet with a markedly more youthful feel. Like Latimore, Slim gets some great keyboards bubbling underneath his vocals – and some sweet riffing guitar that's definitely a key element in keeping the Henry Stone sound strong. Titles include "Lease To Own It", "Move Somethin", "If It's Love You Want", "Baby I Will", "So Independent", and "She's Her Own Boss".

An obscure record with a silly title – but a seminal batch of southern soul instrumentals, recorded at the height of the Muscle Shoals scene! The record's a really odd one in the Chess catalog – because it's got the feel of a record that should have come out on Atlantic or Capitol, or more appropriately Fame – as Rick Hall arranged and produced the record, and it features instrumentation by all his best Fame Studios session players, including Charlie Chalmers and Andrew Love on tenor, Gene Miller and Wayne Jackson on trumpet, Jimmy Johnson guitar, Spooner Oldham on piano, Carl Banks on organ, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Chalmers handles the main solo lines on tenor – cutting nice King Curtis-y lines over some well crafted southern soul grooves with a strong funky 45 feel. There's some particularly great cuts on the album – and titles include "Night Rumble", "Velvet Soul", "Groovin", "Soulin", "Two In The Morning", and "Poppin".

An obscure later album from west coast soul group Chapter 8 – recorded after Anita Baker had left the group to move out on her own, but done for the mid 80s Beverly Glen indie, where Baker had also gotten her start as a solo act! The set's got a feel that's smooth and sophisticated – tighter even than the group's 70s album on Mercury – and most of the tracks focus on mellow modern and more adult-styled soul numbers that showcase the vocals of singers Valerie Pinkston and Gerald Lyles. Titles include "How Can I Get Next To You", "Don't Stop Loving Me", "How Is It Possible", "Love Loving You", "It's My Turn", and "Don't You Think It's Time".

Forget everything you know about Chubby Checker – because this album's unlike any of his 60s hits – and instead shows the singer as a hipper, funkier, more soulful talent than before! As you might guess from the spelling in the title, the set's got overseas origins – and really only circulated in the European market of the early 70s – and unfortunately never helped Checker regain his fame over here on our shores. There's some nice tripped-out elements that really work well with the groove – a bit of psych mixed in with funk and deep soul – all kind of that hip London brew that has all the separate elements coming together wonderfully. Titles include "Stoned In The Bathroom", "How Does It Feel", "My Mind", "He Died", "Goodbye Victoria", "Love Tunnel", and "No Need To Get So Heavy". CD features the bonus track "Gypsy".

Early 80s club grooves, with kind of an electro feel – and that post-disco positive diva soul sound!

There weren't many vocal albums on the Mainstream label during the early 70s, and this rare soul side is a real overlooked gem! Alice Clark has a rich soulful voice, with a style that sounds a bit like Esther Marrow, mixed with some of the lead vocalists in Voices Of East Harlem – a really right-on sort of sound that's totally great, and way hipper than most 70s chart soul! Arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, who brings in a touch of jazz – but again, with a much hipper feel than most of his other backings – and most of the tracks are quite obscure, well-written tunes – of the sort of material you might expect to hear sung by Gil Scott-Heron or Donny Hathaway. Titles include "Never Did I Stop Loving You", "Looking At Life", "Charms Of The Arms Of Love", "Don't You Care", and "Hey Girl".

The great self-titled Alice Clark LP on Mainstream plus earlier singles for Warner Brothers and unreleased tracks – the complete studio recordings from '68-72 – in one great set! There weren't many vocal albums on the Mainstream label during the early 70s, and this rare soul side is a real overlooked gem! Alice Clark has a rich soulful voice, with a style that sounds a bit like Esther Marrow, mixed with some of the lead vocalists in Voices Of East Harlem – a really right-on sort of sound that's totally great, and way hipper than most 70s chart soul! Arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, who brings in a touch of jazz – but again, with a much hipper feel than most of his other backings – and most of the tracks are quite obscure, well-written tunes – of the sort of material you might expect to hear sung by Gil Scott-Heron or Donny Hathaway. Includes "Don't You Care", "Charms Of The Arms Of Love", "Maybe This Time", "Looking At Life", "Hey Girl", "Don't Wonder Why", "It Takes Too Long To Learn To Live Alone", "Hard Hard Promises" and the rest from the classic and always sought self-titled album from 1972 – plus great earlier Warner Brothers singles "You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurts Me)" and "Heaven's Will (Must Be Obeyed)" from 1969, the previously unreleased "Before Her Time" and "You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurts Me)" instrumental, and more! 16 tracks in all.

There weren't many vocal albums on the Mainstream label during the early 70s, and this rare soul side is a real overlooked gem! Alice Clark has a rich soulful voice, with a style that sounds a bit like Esther Marrow, mixed with some of the lead vocalists in Voices Of East Harlem – a really right-on sort of sound that's totally great, and way hipper than most 70s chart soul! Arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, who brings in a touch of jazz – but again, with a much hipper feel than most of his other backings – and most of the tracks are quite obscure, well-written tunes – of the sort of material you might expect to hear sung by Gil Scott-Heron or Donny Hathaway. Titles include "Never Did I Stop Loving You", "Looking At Life", "Charms Of The Arms Of Love", "Don't You Care", and "Hey Girl".

Otis Clay recorded live in Japan – working before a very appreciative audience, and hitting grooves that are right up there with his best 70s work on Hi Records! The sound is a bit looser than Hi – which is a nice change – and Clay's really in command on the set, leading the group with a strong sense of personality, and serving up great vocals with a strong deep soul feel. The grooves are filled with classic Memphis soul moments – and titles titles include "Hard Working Woman", "Ellie", "Trying To Live My Life Without You", "His Precious Love", "Love & Happiness", "Here I Am Baby", and "Love Don't Love Nobody".

Soaring vocals from Angela Clemmons – a set that really has an amazing range, and a depth of sound that goes way past the usual from Epic Records at the time! Angela's got a way of stretching out right from the start – inflecting the lyrics with a rich power that easily matches or beats some of her bigger-name contemporaries at the time – and which really help give an extra something special to the record. Production is by Paul Leka, and a number of songs were written by Michael Brown – and the pair really help give the whole thing a personal feel, and keep the set from being just another run of the mill mainstream soul album from the early 80s. Titles include "Giving It Away", "Fill You Up", "Uneasy", "When You're Through I'll Be Waiting", "Mine", and "Sure Thing". CD features two bonus tracks – "Out Here On My Own (7" mix)", and "Give Me Just A Little More Time (12" mix)".

One of the holy grails of the Spaced Out club music scene! Patrick Adams produced and arranged (and wrote and probably performed) this stunning set of spacey club grooves with a cool electronic feel, and a nice sense of mid to up-tempo rhythms. Includes the classic "Atmospheric Strut", one of the moogiest tracks around, plus the classics "Spaced Out" and "Disco Juice". All cuts are great, though, and the album's also got a good soul sound that often gets overlooked, especially on the cut "Doin' It All Night Long". A great one, and on the rare P&P label!

These sides are from the obscure Chicago group Coffee – a club-oriented female trio, in the same vein as First Choice and other famous Philly groups. The tracks have a disco feel and the songs were produced by Clarence Johnson & Riccardo Williams and arranged by Floyd Morris.

Rootsy gospel from The Como Mamas – a tremendous trio of female singers, working here in an all-acapella mode that's completely sublime! The set's an offshoot of the Como Now project done by Daptone a few years ago, and has the same timeless feel – quite a difference from the heavy funk you might normally hear on Daptone, yet equally soulful all the way through! The tunes are spiritual, but served up with more than enough depth to please any fan of secular soul, too – and the lack of any instrumentation, mixed with straightforward production, all makes the record feel like some lost indie label gem from decades ago. Titles include "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Peace Of Mind", "Thank Him Enough", "God Is Good To Me", "I Know It Was The Blood", "Old Landmark", "Ninety Nine & A Half Won't Do", and "Soon I Will Be Done".

A sweet set of sounds from disco maestro Boris Midney – an artist who rarely recorded under his own name, but was the guiding force behind a great range of famous studio projects! The first half of the set features music from the Companion album – a set moves along in a way that's really a cut above the usual dancefloor groove – tight, lean grooves that draw a lot from just a little – never too overblown, in the way that mainstream disco might be – and instead this nicely compressed blend of tight drums, sweet keyboards, and other instrumental lines fused together in a way that works well with the spare vocals. Titles include "This Is A Test", "There's A Way", "Step On Out", "Living Up To Love", and "I Feel Delight" – plus bonus tracks "Living Up To Love (12" mix)", "Step On Out (12" mix)", and "Step On Out (rhythm track)". The second half features some great singles from Midney – real one-off projects, but offered in enough mixes to almost make for a full LP apiece! Titles include "Can He Find Another One (west side)", "Can He Find Another One (east side)", and "Can He Find Another One (inst west)" by Double Discovery; "Dddance (voc)", "Dddance (beats)", "Dddance (inst)", and "Dddance (alt mix)" by Boris Midney; and "Thanks For Loving Me" by Boris Midney.

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound up a few notches to expand the groove. Norman gets help on the arranging tip from Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – which is why the album has such a great 70s smooth soul feel – and there's loads of guest appearances, like vocals by Johnson, Jean Carn, and The Jones Girls, and instrumental solos from Freddie Hubbard and Gary Bartz. Adaritha sings lead vocals on a number of cuts, and Glenn Johnson takes the lead on "Melancholy Fire". Includes a great version of "Black Cow", plus "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else", with Al Johnson on vocals!