Lou Stallman wrote the Yankees theme song; Jim Fragale wrote for Melba Moore. LP, Vinyl record album

An early hummer from one of the hardest male/female soul acts next to Ike & Tina Turner, but listed here under Inez's name. Inez & Charlie scored super big with their hit "Mockingbird" – the tune that kicks off this LP for a subsidiary of the Sue label – but they also had a style that could get them through a wide variety of material, grooving long past their hits, with great vocals up front, and plenty of hot guitar licks to keep the grooves rough! A dozen great numbers hee, including the title track and "Sitting Here", "Jaybirds", "The Ball Game", "Tom & Jim", "I See You My Love", "The Angels Got Together", "Broken Hearted Fool", "The Angels Got Together", "Searching For My CC", "Love Me Today" and "Talk With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Gladys Knight steps out on her own – in her very first solo album, after years of recording with The Pips! The change has maybe a bit more focus on Knight's incredible vocals in the lead, but the approach is also strongly similar to the best work with The Pips at the same period – with the Jim Gilstrap singers providing backup vocals, but at a lighter level, with less harmonies that soar out – so that Knight really carries the tunes in a wonderful way. Most tracks are in that mellow mode that Gladys was really doing so well in the 70s – and titles include "I'm Coming Home Again", "I'm Still Caught Up With You", "The Way It Was", "I'll Take a Melody", "Love Gives You The Power", and "Sail Away/Freedom For The Stallion". LP, Vinyl record album

Martha Reeves' first solo album for MCA – an all-out studio affair that's quite different from her classic 60s work for Motown! The album's done in a way that really focuses on the deepest side of Martha's vocals – in a way that goes for the sort of "rootsy" soul that was cropping up heavily on majors at the start of the 70s – well-recorded in LA studio sessions, but featuring styles that were decidedly down-homey. Players on the album include Billy Preston, Dennis Doffey, Joe Sample, and Arthur Adams – all of whom bring a tightly professional focus to the backings – and Martha's helped on backup vocals by both Clydie King and Jim Gilstrap. Titles include "Power Of Love", "My Man", "Sweet Misery", "Wild Night", "You've Got Me For Company", "Storm In My Woul", "Facsimilie", and "Many Rivers To Cross". CD also features bonus tracks "Stand By Me", "Our Day Will Come", and "I Sure Do Love You" LP, Vinyl record album

A hip little record – produced by Bob Thiele as pre-Flying Dutchman effort, and with some of the great vibe of the blues records on that label! The set's got an unusual lineup – with jazzman Richard Williams on trumpet, plus Ed Davis on tenor, Marshall Hooks on guitar, Curtis Tillman on bass, Robert Schedel on piano, and Big Jim Wynn on saxophones. One track also features guitar from Art Adams and harmonica from Lightnin Rod – and titles include "Blues For Reverend King", "Ode To Billie Joe", "If You Were A Rabbit", "Juicy Harmonica", "Help Me", and "A Letter To The President". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Drifters, The Globetrotters, The Futures, Jerry Butler, Jim Gilstrap, The Trammps, The Platters, Chairmen Of The Board, Benny Spellman, The Ravens, The O'Jays, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, The Tams, and The Intruders. LP, Vinyl record album

Raw early work from the great Luther Allison – with the man himself on guitar and vocals, plus a bit of extra guitar from Jimmy Dawkins – and tenor on two tracks from Jim Conley too! (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the best-remembered album by Labi Siffre – thanks to some well-used sample tracks over the years! But over and above the fame of the funky tunes "The Vulture" and "I Got The", the record's a key part of Siffre's 70s catalog – a record that's as great for its complex songwriting and deeply personal lyrics as it is for its Fender Rhodes lines, and tight musical backings from the combo of Big Jim Sullivan. All titles here are originals, and even when the groove slows down there's a depth that clearly marks Labi as one of the best singer/songwriters of the 70s – a talent who's been finally rediscovered in recent years, although sometimes only remembered for a few jazzy hooks from these tunes, and not the strength of the whole magilla! Here's your chance to dip into the Siffre sound at its fullest – on tracks that include "The Vulture", "I Got The", "Another Year", "Down", "Old Time Song", "Sadie & The Devil", "Remember My Song", and "Turn On Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collections of music we've ever heard from the legendary TK Records in Miami – a company that was a powerhouse of 70s hits and disco classics – but which also cut some wonderful underground soul at the time! This sublime set looks at that great lesser-known legacy of TK – the hipper, more sophisticated music they cut in between the chart numbers and boogie singles – often by soul artists who had some involvement with bigger acts, but who really got a chance here to shine on their own! There's a surprising amount of funk in the mix – that deeper current that made Miami a key heir to 60s funky styles from Memphis and New Orleans – and there's some equally great modern soul, but served up with a complexity that goes way past the usual – both in the songwriting and arrangements. If you've only heard TK hit collections, you'll find plenty to love here – and even for deeper diggers like us, there's still plenty of new bits to be discovered! Titles include "Confusion" by Leno Phillips, "You Knock Me Out" by Wildflower, "Hey There Jim" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Tears Of The World" by Robert Moore, "I Got Bills To Pay" by Johnny K, "I Want To Be Loved" by Stevens & Foster, "Sleep On Dream On" by Raphael Munnings, "Life Is A Beautiful Feeling" by Formula 1, "Bahama Soul Stew" by Funky Nassau, "Lay It On Me" by Willie Johnson, "The Silence That You Keep (version 1)" by Milton Wright, and "There Must Be Something" by Friday Saturday & Sunday. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 2 features five full records – all with lots of space for the tracks to stretch out – and titles include "My Number's Up (Tee Scott rmx)" by The Salsoul Orchestra, "The Love Bug Done Bit Me Again (David Todd rmx)" by Skyliners, "LA Sunshine (Robert Ouimet rmx)" by Aura, "Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Tony Valor Sound Orchestra, "Handsome Ma (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Sparkle Tuhran & Friends, "Love Thang (Tee Scott rmx)" by First Choice, "Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez edit)" by Kay Gees, "Love Is The Message (Tee Scott rmx)" by Brooklyn Express, "Changes (Jellybean Benitez rmx)" by Chain Reaction, "J'Ouvert (Frank Sestito rmx)" by John Gibbs & The Jam Band, "By The Way You Dance (Bobby DJ Guttadaro rmx)" by Bunny Sigler, "It's Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons disco madness version)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet symphony of groove – featuring one long track on each side of the record – both composed and produced by arranger Ray Martinez, and mixed to perfection by the mighty Jim Burgess! Side one features "If There's Love" – a swirling batch of strings that soar alongside fast-stepping piano lines that really give the song some warmth right at the start – a bouncing disco groove that's mostly got an instrumental propulsion, but which features chorus vocals from Richard Norega and Martha Roque. Side two features the even better "Hazy Shade Of Love" – which has lots of great electronics that give the tune a cool moogy feel at points – kind of a space between P&P and TK records, with maybe some Rinder & Lewis touches! LP, Vinyl record album

A lost classic in the funky poetry mode of the 70s – and right up there with the best work from the time by the Last Poets, Jim Ingram, or Gil Scott Heron! Bama's got a rough-edged voice that works very well with the funkier backings of the set – handled by a team that includes Bernard Purdie on drums, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – and this rough vocal style also fits the themes of the tunes, which are still as political and righteous as other work in the genre, but a bit more down to earth as well. The music itself was arranged and composed by Jimmy Wizner and Billy Jackson – and titles include "Ghettos Of The Mind", "The Right To Be Wrong", "Nothingness", "Drunken Sister", "I Got Soul", "Welfare Slave", "Social Narcotics", and "Blackman, My Brother". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good – but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. Backings are by George Tipton, plus a jazz combo made up of Jim Horn, Ray Brown, and Milt Holland – but it's Jose that really makes the whole thing amazing! His style of presentation is like anything else we can describe – filled with sadness and soul, but enough joy to keep moving forward. He takes tracks like "Light My Fire", "In My Life", "Sunny", and "California Dreamin", and transforms them into an amazing document of the darkness hidden behind the sun of southern California. "California Dreamin" is especially amazing – and Jose's version is one of the best soul songs of all time! (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The title's certainly right on this one, because the album is soft and beautiful – recorded by Aretha Franklin in a moody late nite mode that's similar to early 60s work by Sarah Vaughn or Dinah Washington on Roulette! Backings are by Belford Hendricks – relatively full, with strings and sometimes a bit of backing vocals – and Aretha's vocals drift nicely over the top with a relatively slow pace overall. And while this isn't the hard-hitting Atlantic soul that made her fame, the record's still a great demonstration of Franklin's many talents – and heck, if she'd cut a set like this these days, we're sure she'd get a Grammy for returning to the classics! Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Shangri-La", "A Mother's Love", "Jim", "Friendly Persuasion", and "People". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Gladys Knight and group – as the record features their super-huge hit "The Midnight Train To Georgia", a landmark track that not only had a catchy pop hook, but which spoke volumes about African-American migration in the postwar years. The track's one of those you've heard a million times, but it's got a strength that still holds up tremendously. Part of this is due to great production work by Tony Camillo – who handled arrangements and studio work on about half the tracks – and part is due to Jim Weatherly, who wrote the song, and about half the others on the album. The whole album's great – one of the best Buddah Records moments for the group – and titles include "I've Got To Use My Imagination", "Window Raising Granny", "Where Peaceful Waters Flow", "Once In A Lifetime Thing", "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", and "Storms Of Trouble Times". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best solo records from Harvey Mason – best known as the drummer on some really monster 70s funky fusion sessions (such as Johnny Hammond's Gears album) – but a surprisingly well-rounded R&B artist overall! As with Norman Connors, another fusion drummer gone soul star, Harvey's working here in a style that mixes jazz influences with modern soul – grooving things for a more mainstream audience, but still keeping things real underneath. The record's filled with guest appearances by fusion greats – like Bob James, David Spinozza, Richard Tee, Lee Ritenour, and others – and Jim Gilstrap sings vocals on a cut or two. Titles include "The Race", "Groovin You", "Wave", "We Can", and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Van McCoy, Blackbyrds, Gwen McCrae, Sugarloaf, Styx, Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes, Stylistics, Hot Chocolate, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Gloria Gaynor, Carol Douglas, Kool & The Gang, Billy Preston, George McCrae, Jim Gilstrap, Hues Corporation, Kiss, and BT Express. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant and overlooked gem from the glorious post-disco years of the New York scene – the first album recorded by Lizzy Mercier Descloux, a French native who'd relocated to America in the late 70s, and soaked up a huge array of influences from the scene at the time! The album's a really unique blend of funk, punk, reggae, and disco – done in the playful, genre-crossing spirit of the best Ze Records projects of the period – moving full steam ahead in a blend of infectious rhythms and dancefloor grooves, with nary a care for genre or classification! Titles include great versions of "Fire" and "Mission Impossible", plus "No Golden Throat", "Torso Corso", "Jim On The Move", and "Wawa". LP, Vinyl record album