Soul — All Formats  

A legendary run of music from the late, great Sam Cooke – almost all of his recordings for RCA Records, packaged here in one sweet little package! The scope of the set is wonderful – and almost something of a revelation, given that a number of these titles have never appeared on CD in the US before – making this collection a real discovery in soul music! Cooke first came out of the underground in the late 50s – and by the time he hit RCA, was really ready to take on new challenges – recording some key tracks that would help redefine the sound of soul for the 60s – and also working on some special album projects that expanded the range of work that he was handling – showing off some great sides of his talents. The set features the killer live album One Night Stand – recorded at the Harlem Square Club – plus the studio albums Cooke's Tour, Hits Of The 50s, Swing Low, My Kind Of Blues, Twistin The Night Away, Mr Soul, and Night Beat – all packaged in these cool little LP-styled sleeves!

A great early RCA set from Sam Cooke – issued with the odd tag "Folk Favorites" in the corner – but done with that unmistakable soul vibe that Sam helped invent at the time! True, many of the tunes have folk music roots – but they're re-swung by Sammy Lowe with some nice jazzy charts – in a way that sounds way different not just from folk music, but also from some of the pop-folk work that other artists were doing at the time. If anything, the feel is like some of the other RCA gems from the time – which had Cooke re-working familiar tunes with a new sort of sophisticated soul mode – one that would go onto influence countless others in years to come. Titles include "Goin Home", "Jeanie", "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "If I Had You", and "Pray" – plus the huge hit single "Chain Gang".

Incredible work by The Exciters – material we totally love to death, most of which is a lot harder-hitting than the group's earlier hits in the 60s! The package pulls together their post-UA recordings for the Bang, Shout, and RCA labels – the first to of which are represented by singles, the last by a full LP and some great extra material from 45s – all of which is really incredible stuff that moves way past any pop soul expectations you may have! Production is by Bert Berns on the non-RCA material, and Larry Banks on the RCA sides – and both producers bring an incredibly hip sound to the recordings, mixing the unique deep soul lead of Brenda Reid with some very groovy backings – arranged by Artie Butler, George Patterson, and Teacho Wiltshire, all of whom bring something unique to the mix. The force of these sides is amazing – almost a revolution in female soul, captured in the history of one group – and the booklet features very full notes on the girls, culled from interviews, and telling the story of their legendary years in the 60s. CD contains all of the legendary Caviar & Chitlins LP, plus lots of singles – 21 tracks that include "Take One Step I'll Take Two", "Soul Motion", "Number One", "A Little Bit Of Soap", "Number One", "You Don't Know What You're Missing", "Blowing Up My Mind", "Movin Too Slow", "Turn Me On", "A Year Ago", "You Got Me", "Always", "Fight That Feelin", "Give It All", and "Weddings Make Me Cry".

Quite possibly the greatest music that Nina Simone ever recorded – brought together beautifully in one compact yet complete set! Nina Simone recorded some great music before she hit the RCA label in the late 60s – but her time at that company really saw a flowering of her unique talents – a way of hitting a vibe that went way beyond familiar jazz vocals – stretching out into something more righteous, more powerful, and more moving than had ever been recorded before – a wealth of great sounds represented beautifully on the albums in this package! The set begins in familiar territory of her Philips Records years – jazz vocals, but with a folksy depth, and political undercurrent. Yet as things move on, the tunes open up, often get longer, and Simone's vocals get bold and powerful – sometimes with key help from a young Weldon Irvine – who wrote some of the best original tunes, and also worked with Nina on keyboards. The package features the full albums Nina Simone Sings The Blues, Silk & Soul, Nuff Said, Nina Simone & Piano, To Love Somebody, Black Gold, Here Comes The Sun, Emergency Ward, and It Is Finished – all in cool LP-styled sleeves, with a bonus booklet too!

A self-titled set that features a nice batch of lesser-known gems from Sam Cooke's early 60s years on RCA! Lots of the material here is a nice contrast to some of the hit-heavy Cooke sets on the market – not that those aren't great, but it's just good to hear some of the other sides of Sam's amazing talents at the time. Titles include "Little Things You Do", "Long Long Ago", "I Fall In Love Every Day", "You're Always On My Mind", "If I Had You", "Don't Cry On My Shoulder", "Out In The Cold Again", and "You Belong To Me".

Massive work from Aretha Franklin's ultra-hip sister – singer Carolyn Franklin, a soul artist that we'd gladly trade for Aretha any time! Carolyn got her start in deep soul modes that were somewhat similar to Aretha's work on Atlantic – but she also worked with production that was a bit looser, freer, and more open to righteous influences than some of her sister's hit-bound sessions – and over the course of 4 albums for RCA she recorded some tremendously hip and funky tunes! This package is one of the first times that Carolyn's material has ever officially made it into the reissue years – and it brings together some of the best cuts from her RCA albums, including work arranged by Horace Ott, Wade Marcus, Bert De Coteaux, and other soul legends. There's a good deal of funk in the mix here – heavy bottoms on the tunes that really make them snap alongside the righteous vocals – and the package is easily one of the hardest-hitting sets of female soul you could ever hope to buy! 22 tracks in all – including "If You Want Me", "There I Go", "Ain't That Groovy", "Boxer", "Reality", "Chain Reaction", "Don't Wake Me Up In The Morning Michael", "Not On The Outside", "Boy I Love You", "You Are Everything", "Shattered Pride", "I Can't Help My Feeling So Blue", "As Long As You Are There", and "You Can Have My Soul".

A brilliant soul album! That's right, we said SOUL album! Bowie was at the height of his Ziggy Stardust fame when this one was recorded – a drastic left-turn in styles, forged during a point in his American tour when he could take a break, head to Philly, plug in at the Sigma Sound Studios, and come up with some fantastic little soul tunes, thanks to help from Luther Vandross! The album sparkles with the best sound of Luther's early work – and you'll hear more than a bit of Luther's work on his own, and his tunes with Gregg Diamond on the set. Features the sublime tracks "Win", "Fascination", "Right", "Somebody Up There Likes Me", and "Can You Hear Me" – as well as the hits "Young Americans" and "Fame".

Surprisingly nice work from Peter Brown – a groover who still managed to hit on all burners after his early years at TK Records! Brown's definitely got a crossover feel here – clubby rhythms, but topped with vocals that belie his look on the front – and which, along with the catchy grooves, should have done more than enough to get Peter some wider play with early 80s audiences. Yet there's also some key dancefloor craft here – no-nonsense approach to the bottom of the tunes, and never too much cloying production up top – which serves to keep things nice and lean, and plenty clean too. Titles include "Give Me Up", "Heaven In Your Eyes", "Shall We Dance", "Danger", "The Love Game", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", and "Baby Gets High". CD features bonus tracks – "Baby Gets High (7" mix)", "Baby Gets High (12" mix)", "Overnight Sensation (12" mix)", and "Overnight Sensation (inst)".

A spacey Patrick Adams/Greg Carmichael dance classic – and very much in the P&P disco mode! The record's filled with extended club cuts that have a lot of keyboards and electronics, and although the lyrics are a bit silly at times, the groove is rock solid – with that amazing funky disco sound that was sort of a precursor to the house grooves of the 80s. Adams and Carmichael are on keyboards – and vocalists include Donna Green and Leroy Burgess. Nice all the way through – and tracks include "Lady Bug", "I Love You", "Honey Bun", "Space Shuttle Ride", and "I Got A Big Bee".

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and produced by Burke – who also played a fair bit of the music on the set as well! The tunes are upbeat and grooving – often with a rhythm that goes nicely right down the middle, and never tries to be too funky or clubby. This groove is epitomized by Burke's classic "Risin' To The Top" – a tune that's been sampled heavily over the years, to great fame – and which is probably the lasting legacy of this set. But the whole album's totally great – sophisticated 80s groove at its best – with other cuts that include "Who Do You Love", "Changes", "All Night", and "Hang Tight".

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and produced by Burke – who also played a fair bit of the music on the set as well! The tunes are upbeat and grooving – often with a rhythm that goes nicely right down the middle, and never tries to be too funky or clubby. This groove is epitomized by Burke's classic "Risin' To The Top" – a tune that's been sampled heavily over the years, to great fame – and which is probably the lasting legacy of this set. But the whole album's totally great – sophisticated 80s groove at its best – with other cuts that include "Who Do You Love", "Changes", "All Night", and "Hang Tight".

Wickedly fuzzy funk! Jimmy Castor recorded in a lot of different styles during the 70s – but the one he used on this album is still his best! The record's a non-stop guitar-heavy batch of classic funk tracks – and it features the storming break track "It's Just Begun", the funky goofy "Troglodyte", and plenty other nice moments like "Bad", "LTD", "I Promise To Remember", and "Psychee". Fuzzy guitar meets heavy drums meets some of the most insane lyrics ever on a mainstream funk album! One of our most requested records – and for good reason! If you've ever bought a lousy Jimmy Castor album – throw it away, and buy this one!

Wickedly fuzzy funk! Jimmy Castor recorded in a lot of different styles during the 70s – but the one he used on this album is still his best! The record's a non-stop guitar-heavy batch of classic funk tracks – and it features the storming break track "It's Just Begun", the funky goofy "Troglodyte", and plenty other nice moments like "Bad", "LTD", "I Promise To Remember", and "Psychee". Fuzzy guitar meets heavy drums meets some of the most insane lyrics ever on a mainstream funk album! One of our most requested records – and for good reason! If you've ever bought a lousy Jimmy Castor album – throw it away, and buy this one!

One of the best later albums by Chocolate Milk – a bit different than their earlier work with Allen Toussaint, but still bouncing along in a sweet 80s groove, with more than enough traces of their roots as a funky combo! Leo Nocentelli's sitting in on guitar, adding some nice licks to keep some tracks a bit more firmly grounded in tradition, despite some more modern production touches – and the album's got a compelling vibe that's partly pointed towards the boogie generation of the 80s, but with a heavier funk component overall! Titles include "Let's Go All The Way", "Like My Lady's Love", "Honey Bun", "Running On Empty", and a version of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long".

This is the second album of hard funky soul by this great New Orleans band – and it's one of their best! The record's a nice one, with great production by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, and a nice rolling funk groove that never lets up. Loads of great deep funky cuts, including "Never Ever Do Without You", "Running Away", and "Pluck It". One of their two truly great LPs!

No friction here, as the groove is mighty tight, and plenty smooth – a great example of the way that Chocolate Milk found a whole new sound in the 80s! Gone are the heavier modes of the 70s, and in their place are some wicked keyboards and bass-heavy rhythms – snapping and popping with a heck of a lot of vibrant energy, in an electro groove that's a long way from the group's New Orleans roots! The sound is great – almost like discovering a whole other band altogether – and titles include "Take It Off", "Friction", "Keep It Coming", "Don't Let Up", and "Don't Make Me Wait".

If there's anyone who earns the name "Mr Soul", it's gotta be Sam Cooke – given that records like these were crucial to getting the term of soul music out to the public in the 60s! The set's a great illustration of the way that Sam cooks up soul, too – as it mostly features familiar tunes, recast by Cooke with a new soul music approach – that deeper feeling he brings to the lyrics, while still holding up a professional polish that rivals the great singers of the decade before. Horace Ott handled the arrangements, with a great blend of strings and soul – and titles include "Smoke Rings", "I Wish You Love", "Little Girl", "Driftin Blues", "Send Me Some Lovin", and "Chains Of Love".

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that doesn't stop him from using his voice to perfection, sweetly crafting beautiful lines on a batch of standards given the soul treatment, plus a few of Sam's own hits. And sure, it's easy to criticize this album after the release of the Live At The Harlem Square album in the mid 80s – which was recorded a year earlier, but rejected by RCA in favor of this album's crossover potential – but keep in mind that for most folks who didn't grow up with the hindsight of reissues, this album was all they had, and it still had quite an impact in the soul market. Titles include "The Best Things In Life Are Free", "Try A Little Tenderness", "If I Had A Hammer", "Twistin The Night Away", "You Send Me", and "This Little Light Of Mine".

A posthumous collection of material that Sam recorded for RCA before his untimely death – not really a greatest hits collection, but a lot better than the usual "house cleaning" type of record that gets issued in this sort of situation! Arrangements are by Stan Applebaum, Jimmie Haskell, and Rene Hall – and titles include "Feel It", "One More Time", "Soothe Me", "I'm Gonna Forget About You", "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More", "Sugar Dumpling", and "Wonderful World".

A beautiful bit of funky rocking soul – and the one and only album by the Deirdre Wilson Tabac – a group whose name is as strange as their grooves are funky! The group are best known for their well-compiled track "I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes" – an uptempo jazzy gem that mixes skipping Hammond with soaring vocals and some really great horns – and the rest of this set has a very similar feel – one that blends jazz rock with more soulful vocals, in a groove that's totally unique! Sonny Casella wrote, arranged, and produced the record – and he's also the drummer in the group, so there's keen attention to rhythms on all tracks. Titles include "I Can't Keep From Cryin", "Magic One", "I Go To You", "Other Side Of Life", "Angel Baby", "Get Back", "The Last Thing On His Mind", and "Let's All Join Together". Includes two bonus tracks "Turn Around" and "Children Listen".

One of the coolest club combos of the 70s – the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – a group with a sound that's a lot tighter than their name! The group's probably best known for giving exposure to August Darnell in his pre-Kid Creole years – but they've also got a sound that's really all their own, and which draws strongly from all members of the group – making them way more than just another Darnell side project. Old and new styles come together wonderfully in the band's music – but the approach isn't just easy retro disco, and instead is often a warmer take on mainstream 70s disco modes – one that dips into the past to pull back the right elements to bring a bit more life to the sound. Arrangements are mostly by Stony Browder Jr, who co-wrote most of the tunes – and titles include "The Gigolo & I", "You Got Something/Betcha The Love Bug Bitcha", "Transistor Madness/Future DJ", "Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon", "Mister Love", "Sunshower", "Nocturnal Interludes", "Soraya/March Of The Nignies", "Auf Wiedersehen/Darrio", "I'll Play The Fool", and "Hard Times".

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA, and picking up a host of more righteous soul influences in the process – really coming up with a great sound for the 70s! The record is filled with surprising gems – the kind of cuts that will make you go "damn!", and have you digging for other Feliciano records from the same time. Highlights include an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady", with loads of jazzy changes – plus the originals "Virgo", "Hard Times In El Barrio", and his classic theme to "Chico and the Man" – a cut that sounds especially great on this album, in ways we never appreciated when watching the show. Other numbers include "Essence Of Love", "Stay With Me", "You're No Good", and "I've Got To Convince Myself".

Nice mid 80s UK pop soul from Five Star – sweet family act that's kind of in the mode that's a bit of an unofficial British answer to the cheery family pop soul vibe of groups like DeBarge and New Edition at the time – and a sweet one! Lean, lightly thumping synth soul backdrops and nice vocals from the group on some very catchy songs! Titles include "Love Take Over", "All Fall Down", "Let Me Be The One", "System Addict", "Hide And Seek", "RSVP", "Crazy", "Winning" and more.

A sweet little 80s groover – nice female vocals, a snapping bass-y kind of groove, and a very satisfying overall style that makes for a pretty nice tune!

Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some of the best cuts on the record, and also playing acoustic piano next to Weldon's bank of electric keys. Tunes are nicely varied throughout – returning to the exploratory nature of some of Irvine's earlier records – and there's even some great mellower numbers that are some of our favorite tracks on the set – including the sublime stepper "I Love You", the gently spacey "Music Is The Key", and a sweet instrumental cover of "What's Going On". Other tracks include "Sinbad", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Do Something For Yourself", and "Here's Where I Came In".

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters Charles Sullivan and Everett Blood Hollins, and saxophonist Sonny Fortune – both players who really help the album find some soulful structure! The album's all-instrumental, and has Weldon really taking off on the keyboards – not just using them for main solos, but also dropping in cool noisy bits and analogue effects that really sound great – almost out-Herbieing Herbie Hcock for the record, and turning in some of his biggest classics on wax! Titles include the massive sample cut "We Gettin' Down", plus "Jungle Juice", "Blast Off", "Softly", "Power & The Glory", "Yasmin", and "Pogo Stick".

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters Charles Sullivan and Everett Blood Hollins, and saxophonist Sonny Fortune – both players who really help the album find some soulful structure! The album's all-instrumental, and has Weldon really taking off on the keyboards – not just using them for main solos, but also dropping in cool noisy bits and analogue effects that really sound great – almost out-Herbieing Herbie Hcock for the record, and turning in some of his biggest classics on wax! Titles include the massive sample cut "We Gettin' Down", plus "Jungle Juice", "Blast Off", "Softly", "Power & The Glory", "Yasmin", and "Pogo Stick".

Excellent work by Glenn Jones – even if the record is only a 5 track EP! The set is one of those strange little records issued in the early 80s, when the music industry was trying to figure out a way to make money between the ever-escalating cost of the LP and the less-popular 12" single – but it easily packs as much punch as most other full length soul records from the same time. Glenn's incredible in the set – showing that he's one of the few really strong soul talents to emerge in the 80s, with a voice that's perfect for tight-grooving tunes and for mellower ballads. There's a fair bit of keyboard work on the set, and Glenn's voice holds strong in a great way – working wonderfully on titles that include "Everybody Loves A Winner", "Thank You For The Love", "I Am Somebody", and "Keep On Doing". Also features a bonus instrumental version of "I Am Somebody".

A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – and who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision – the sounds range from classic level slow jams, to solid modern soul to touches of electro and more dancefloor geared groovers – and it sounds like work of deft scene veterans rather than a full length debut for the group! The songs were written by the band who, at that time, included Jane Eugene, Carl McIntosh and Steve Nichol. Tracks include "Hangin On A String", "Choose Me", "Music Takes Me Higher", "Dial 999", "Tell Me What You Want", "A Little Spice", "So Much Love", and "Let's Rock". This great Soulmusic.com CD edition has wealth of bonus tracks: seven in all, including "In The Sky (UK Single – Long Version)", "Only A Day Away", "No Stranger To Darkness (UK Single)" and more.

A tremendous little record from Love Peace & Happiness – a great vocal trio from the early 70s, and one who really shine with this overlooked gem for RCA! The trio were part of the New Birth/Nite Liters universe that producer Harvey Fuqua brought to the label at the time – and they've got a hip sound that's right up there with the other two groups – with whom they were very intimately involved – working here with arrangements from Fuqua that are almost his contribution to post-Motown sounds in the 70s, the way that Holland-Dozier-Holland were working at Invictus. Ann Bogan really soars with righteous leads in the group – and gets equal support from brothers Leslie and Melvin Wilson – who really help underscore some of the bolder elements of the music – especially on the funkier cuts. Titles include "I Don't Want To Do Wrong", "Lonesome Lonely & Alone", "Don't Knock My Love", "If I Owned The World", "You Can't Cheat the Cheater", "Stay", "Mind", and "You've Chosen Me". Great reissue – with excellent sound and very detailed notes!

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien – and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul – bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most compelling voices we've ever heard in soul music. It takes courage to be this gentle and sincere, and although the record was never a hit when it was released, it's been a perpetual favorite of groovers for many many years – thanks to the depth of Lucien's lyrics, and the unique range of rhythms in the set! Includes the funky "Would You Believe in Me", the space "Lady Love", and the tracks "Kuenda", "Satan", "Love Everlasting", and soooo many more. Essential soul from one of the 70's most righteous artists – and probably the best place to start sampling his rich career!

A great little album from Pat Lundy – an enigmatic talent who crops up a number of times over the years – but always on different record labels, and always with a slightly different sound and style! This album's one of Pat's best – and has her working in a sophisticated soul style that's a lot like Marlena Shaw, with but some deep soul undercurrents too – a really great blend that was way ahead of its time when first issued back in 1973 – and a set that's still unlike most other records we can think of! Burt Keyes handles the arrangements, and he gives the whole thing a great sense of class right from the start – but also knows how to hit some funkier moments too, which really let Lundy unlock the bolder side of her vocals. Titles include "Only Love Spoken Here", "What Is Love", "Friend Of Mine", "Love Child", "He's The Father Of My Children", "No More Tears To Cry", and "I've Never Been A Woman Before".

Incredibly great work from Machine – an album of disco tunes, but with a hipper, message-oriented feel than most of its contemporaries! The group will forever be known for their classic hit "There But For The Grace Of God Go I" – an infectious groover with a wild lyric about urban flight in the 70s – and they more than match the quality of that one with a host of other great tunes on the set that have a similar feel. Part of the credit should go to August Darnell, working here in a pre-Kid Creole way that throws in lots of jagged touches and some really wicked guitar to most of the tunes! Tracks include "There But For The Grace Of God Go I", plus "Mr. Destiny", "You've Come A Long Way Baby", "It's The Last Time Again", and "Marisa".

Two of our favorite albums by The Main Ingredient – back to back on a single CD! Euphrates River is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still arranging, but the group produced themselves, giving the record a sexy funky feeling in the best parts, not that dissimilar from some of Marvin Gaye's work, or records by groups like The Isley Brothers or The O'Jays. Includes great versions of two Seals & Crofts songs – "Summer Breeze" and "Euphrates" – both a perfect example of this style, as is "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" – plus a great reading of Willie Hutch's "California My Way", which has a super-dope sample at the beginning. Of course, the album still includes material like their hit " "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", a sweetly style AM radio pop hit in the band's best style of earlier years. Afrodisiac is one of the most righteous albums ever from the Main Ingredient – as you might guess from its title and stylish cover! The group are really opening up here – and show a distinct Stevie Wonder influence throughout – not just because they perform their own hip takes on a number of tunes by Stevie, but also because Wonder himself plays a bit on the record! Rhythms are inventive, and grooves nice and complex – way past standard chart soul, into a heady mix that holds up beautifully over the years. Keyboards slide in great with the harmonies – and titles include great versions of Stevie Wonder tunes "Superwoman", "Where Were You When I Needed You", "Something Lovely", "Girl Blue", and "I Am Yours" – plus the great breakbeat track "You Can Call Me Rover", which has a very tight drum sound at the beginning, and tight soul harmonies all the way through. Also features a hip take on the Isleys' "Work To Do" too!

A killer set from a group that never lets us down – stepping out here in a sound that's more modern, more mature than their hit work of the 70s – yet still filled with all the sublime harmony soul we'd expect from the trio of Tony Silvester, Cuba Gooding, and Luther Simmons! Wade Marcus did all the arrangements – really showing his strengths on the album's mellow cuts, which are our favorites here – although the upbeat cuts still also step out in that best 80s groove mode that RCA was exploring at the time – made even better by the strong vocals of the trio! The record's got a classic sound that goes way past its cover image – and titles include "Think Positive", "What Can A Miracle Do", "With You", "Makes No Difference To Me", and "Ready For Love".

A pair of great early albums from Main Ingredient – Tasteful Soul from 1970 and Bitter Sweet from 1971 – in a single set! Tasteful Soul is one of the groups earliest records, with a great set of Bert DeCoteaux arrangements, and a totally sweet soul harmony sound! The arrangements are nice and airy, with lots of smooth sweeping passages that let the vocals float around effortlessly. Tracks include "Magic Shoes", "I'm Better Off Without You", "Spinning Around", "Need Her Love", "Searching", and "Somebody's Been Sleeping". Bitter Sweet is another gem,, and the one that includes the big hit "Everybody Plays the Fool", one of the all-time great AM radio soul classics! Nice east coast group soul throughout, with that slightly heavy production style the band was hitting at the time. Other titles include "No Tears", "Fly Baby Fly", "You've Got to Take It", and "I Can't See Me Without You". 20 tracks in all!

The amazing debut of Ronnie McNeir – a 70s soul maestro we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware – but one who's possibly even more impressive, given that he cut this record when he was only 22 years old! The album's quite heavy on keyboards – played by Ronnie underneath his wonderful vocals – with jazzy touches that give the record a strongly mature sound, almost in the realm of Stevie Wonder at points, especially Stevie's sound right at the end of the 60s. But Ronnie's also very much his own man too – and puts together the album with a great deal of thought – a few recurring musical themes between some tunes, and even bits of dialogue which serve to unite the different tunes, and almost make the record a mini-symphony of soul! The songwriging is beautiful too – numbers that have a deeply personal feel, but without any common cliches – often a righteous undercurrent that creates a spiritual vibe that links things together wonderfully. There's a depth here that goes way beyond common soul albums of the time – and the album's a real treasure of 70s soul – the kind we'd never part with! Titles include "In Summertime", "Young Girl", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Girl You're Gonna Lose Your Groove", "Keep Your Hands Off My Lady", "Extra Extra", "Gone Away", and "I'm So Thankful".

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

One of those cool RCA 12" singles from the mid 70s – cuts recorded by groups who never made a bigger wave on the label! This is a great Canadian disco cut with a quick-stepping sort of groove – produced by Tony Green at a level that's a nicely lean take on styles that would explode a bit more fully in coming Canadian years.

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and the instrumentation is great too – handled by the Pied Piper team, who were kind of a Motown offshoot that featured Jack Ashford on vibes and percussion, Dave Hamilton and Ray Monette on guitar, and Joe Hunter on piano. Hunter and Ashford handled the arrangements – with a pitch-perfect sound that's completely sublime – sweet and grooving at the same time, and put together with the same kind of care you'd find at Motown – but with all the harder-edge qualities that always made indie work from Detroit so great. Every cut is a winner, and the set is the only full album ever done by the group – with cuts that include "Egyptian Love", "Till The End Of Time", "Since I Found My Baby", "Sweetest One", "Unlucky Sun", "I'll Never Forget You", "Do The Pied Piper", and "I'm With You All The Way". Great reissue – fully remastered from the original tapes – with new liner notes too!

2 long-overdue classics from New Birth – back to back on a single CD! Ain't No Big Thing captures the group near the beginning of their career – when they were sort of a funky soul army, featuring the instrumental talents of The Nite-Liters, the vocal strength of a number of excellent members, and the raw production skills of the great Harvey Fuqua! This album's one of their best-ever – and it features a great mix of soul and funk, with some sweet cuts, and other nice harder numbers, all done in the warm spirit of the group when they were in their prime. Includes "Honeybee", "Oh What a Feeling", "How Good It Feels", plus groovy covers, like "I Want to Make It With You" and "Never Can Say Goodbye". Coming Together is an excellent early album by New Birth – with a good straight ahead soul style, and some nice arrangements by Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua, and Bert De Coteaux. The tracks are a mix of originals and covers, and the band is great throughout – grooving hard in a souful way that makes the record glisten with an honest intensity that's missing from some of the group's later work. With "African Cry", "Don't Knock My Love", "All the Way", "Two Kinds of People", "Yesterday I Heard The Rain", and "I Don't Want To Do Wrong". A tough one to find, and the album that will make you love the band!

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar together wonderfully with backings from The Nite-Liters – who help give the record a righteous undercurrent at most points, which makes the whole thing sound way hipper than any other projects of this nature! Vernon Bulllock acts as the music director for the whole group – really pulling things together with a tightness that's outta sight – and leadership of the project comes from Harvey Fuqua – who arranged and produced as well. There's some massively heavy talent on board for this initial outing, and you can definitely hear it all come into play beautifully – a wonderful harmony of rich talents, without any egos or issues to get in the way. Vocals chance nicely throughout – sometimes a female lead, sometimes male – as do the grooves, which are funky one minute, and mellow the next! Tracks include "All The Way", "Pretty Words Don't Mean A Thing", "One Way Bus", "It's You Or No One", "Do The Funky Chicken", "The Unh Song", and "What'll I Do". Great reissue – with excellent sound, and very detailed notes!

Disco breaks! 2 great late 70s disco tracks, with more than a little dose of a funk, nice production courtesy Leon Pendarvis, and a great choral vocal approach that really sets them apart!

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and all funky! This album may well be the group's best – their last for RCA, and a set that really has them honing their edge incredibly. The drums are amazing, the keyboards great, and the horns have this quality that's both complex, yet right on the money – making for a richness in sound that really sets the group apart from their contemporaries. A few singers from The New Birth provide chorus vocals on a few tracks – but most of the set is instrumental, and the record's one we'd gladly stack next to our Meters albums on Josie or JBs classics on People. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Drumology", "Excuse Me While I Do My Thing", "Serenade for a Jive Turkey", "Happy Hooker", "Craaashing", "Damn", "Pee-Foul", and a sweet cover of "Valdez in the Country" that's been sampled at least once over the years!

Cold, hard, and funky! This might be the greatest album ever by this legendary 70s funk band – and it's got a killer sound that has the tightness of the JBs, the rawness of the early Meters, and the frenzy of a rare funky 45! Includes the incredible "Afro Strut" – worth the price of the record alone, as it's got this screaming sax riff that's completely insane! Other nice ones include covers of "Shaft" and "Them Changes", plus "Brand X", "Baker's Instant", and "Respect To The Other Man".

A great album filled with hard breaks, tight choppy guitars, and a deep funky sound. This is one of the best early albums by the Nite Liters, and it's filled with great grooves like "Funky-Doo", "Stinkin Charlie", and "K-Jee" – but just about every track is a funky winner! These guys fit right in between The Meters & The JBs – and in our book, they're one of the best instrumental funk acts of the 70s! The album's like finding a pile of rare funky 45s, all pressed onto the same piece of wax!

Stone funky funky! This is an excellent reissue of the Nite Liters' classic first album, and a monster batch of funky instrumentals that we'd put up there with the great Meters records on Josie, or the classic JBs LPs on People! There's lots of hard drums, choppy guitars, and good funky grooves. The tracks are short and hard, with the kind of raw funk groove that you buy rare funk LPs for. Tracks include "Itchy Brother", "Snap Your Twig", "Down & Dirty", "The Heckler", and "Stuff N It".

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that balances disco rhythms with mainstream 70s soul – but overall, the record's got even more to offer than that gem – including some surprisingly well-done mellower cuts that really make great use of the vocals of Lillian and Louise Lopez. Production is by Sandy Linzer and Charles Calello – the latter of whom is clearly right at home with the groovers – and in addition to "Native New Yorker", other cuts include "Ever Lovin Sam", "You Keep Me Dancin", "Thank You God For One More Day", "Weekend Lover", "Easy Come Easy Go", and "Golden Hands". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Weekend Lover (single rmx)" and "Native New Yorker (12" disco version)".

Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah wah tunes penned by Gene Page – and featuring a lot of groovy keyboards as well! The set's got a few vocal numbers, sung by 21st Century Ltd and The Hues Corporation, but it's the instrumentals that really steal the show– and there's plenty of great ones here that rank with the best blacksploitation work of the decade – hard and funky groovers that have kept this one flying out of the crates for many many years. Titles include Blacula (The Stalk Walk)", "Blacula Strikes!", "Heavy Changes", "Movin'", "Run Tina Run!", "Firebombs", "I'm Gonna Catch You", "Finding Love, Losing Love" and "Good To The Last Drop".

One of the best albums by offbeat jazz singer Annette Peacock – one with a loose, very innovative vibe in arrangements – with some pretty darn cool electronics! Annette not only has a strong voice, she's fearlessly creative in her use of it – and on this album, her vocals are often processed through the electronics – in a way that's a good decade ahead of the curve, but never in a way that never denigrates her strength as a singer! At times, she's screaming like Betty Davis in a funky mode, at others she's getting raw and dirty in a Tom Waits vein, and at others she presages 80s club oddities like Klaus Nomi! Somehow these divergent modes work together, making this one of the most unique and trailblazing albums of Annette's career! Includes the funky break track "Pony", a pretty compelling number, plus "I'm The One", "Been & Gone", "Love Me Tender", "Blood", "One Way", "Gesture Without Plot", "Did You Hear Me Mommy?" and "7 Days".

A great little album of smooth soul cuts from Greg Perry – an extremely talented arranger, producer, and songwriter whose credits includes work in soul, pop, and country – appearing here in one of the few sessions he ever cut under his own name! There's a bit of a southern soul feel to the album, although most of the record's got a modern feel – and we'd compare this one to mid 70s work by Lou Courtney, which has a similar combination of styles. A classic level effort that's been too long undiscovered! Cuts include "Where There's Smoke (There's Fire)", "Melody", "(I Can See The) Handwriting On The Wall", "How's Your Love Life, Baby", "A Taste Of You (Is A Taste Of Love)", "Come Fly With Me", "I'll Always Be In Love With You" and "Let's Get Away From It All".

Great later work from Pleasure – a group who are probably best-known for their classic 70s albums on Fantasy Records, but one who kept the groove riding high in some early 80s years at RCA! This set's a shimmering jewel – a great mix of funky rhythms and mellower moments, all wrapped up in that blend of modern soul and 80s groove that RCA was really hitting perfectly for a few key years at the start of the decade. The sound's definitely different than the Fantasy years, but in a way that nicely has the group maturing a bit – changing things up, yet still holding onto all the best elements that made them a cut above most of their contemporaries. Keyboards come in a bit more than before, and there's some really tasty bass-driven numbers – on titles that include "Take It To The Streets", "Sending My Love", "Give It Up", "Sassy Baby", "It's So Hard", "Stone Love", and "All The Way".

A great step into the 80s for The Pointer Sisters – a record that has them bringing in themes that are a bit more soulful than some of their previous efforts! The album's still got all the big crossover potential of their other hits – but the groove's got a solidly soulful vibe overall – plenty catchy, and with some great 80s elements bubbling underneath – more than enough to freshen up their sound, and give the trio great new territory to work through! Titles include the mega-hit "Slow Hand" – plus "Sweet Lover Masn", "We're Gonna Make It", "What A Surprise", "Got To Find Love", "Fall In Love Again", "Should I Do It", and "Someday We'll Be Together". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Holding Out For Love" and "What A Surprise (original edit)".

Della swings it hard this live set from the 60s – with backing from John Cotter, in a style that's jazzy, bouncy, and swinging! Even the mellower tracks are done in a tightly snapping style that's every bit the best approach that Della brought to vocals – a bit of soul in the undercurrent, and a catchy upbeat mode that makes even the odder tunes come across well. Titles include "Misty", "Comes Once In A Lifetime", "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Someday", and "If Ever I Would Leave You".

Vickie Sue Robinson hits a great groove here – thanks to production and arrangements from T Life, who seems to bring a deeper soul to the music! There's a fullness here that goes way beyond the usual – a soaring vibe that works perfectly with Robinson's famous vocals, and a well-rounded style that goes way beyond pop disco and easygoing soul! T Life wrote almost all the tracks on the set, and the studio combo is nice and tight – still very much in the best live riffing approach to soulful club in the late 70s. Titles include "Never Stop Loving Me", "Can't Accept The Fact", "What's Happening In My Life", "Hope Your Feelings Are Like Mine", "High On Your Love", "Shine Your Love On Me", and "Movin On".

Full on disco from Vicki Sue Robinson – a bit crossover at times, but handled with a top-shelf approach all the way through! Maestro Warren Schatz produced and arranged the set – and the tunes have a smoothly grooving approach that really lets Vicki flow out nicely in advance of the hook – then bring things back home strongly on the chorus. Titles include some great ones by Gordon Grody – "Something Like A Dream", "Let Me Down Easy", and "How About Me" – plus a version of "Daylight" by Bobby Womack. Other tracks include "I Won't Let You Go", "Can't Find No Love", and "After All This Time".

A nice reissue which brings together 3 LPs by one of the most underrecognized talents of 70's soul! DJ's deep soul voice is smooth and mellow, with the kind of honest heartbreaking quality that you find in the best work by Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. It's Good To Be Alive finds DJ in a strong set of arrangements that have a stripped-down feel, with a little bit of electronics, as on some of Stevie's best LPs from the early 70's. Tracks include "Hold On, Be Strong", "Think I'll Make It Anyhow", "If You Didn't Love Me (Don't Go Away)", "Love You Forever", and "Say You Love Me". On the Road Again is another classic work from DJ – with a soaring, sweeping, righteous soul feel that reminds us of Rance Allen at his best, or of some of the smooth work of Lamont Dozier from the same time. DJ wrote, arranged, and produced all the tracks on this album, and the cuts have a slight nod towards spiritual gospel, with excellent jazzy touches that keep things in a modern vein. Titles include "Let My Life Shine", "Secret Lady", "Girl I Love You", "Say You Love Me, One More Time", and "Holding On To Love". Love Music & Life is as great the other two – with tracks that include "Saved By Love", "Love Will Make It Better", "No Price", "You Against You", "Hold Out For Love", and "Love Is On The Way". 30 tracks on 2 CDs!

A late 80s duo set from former Temptations David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks! The Ruffin & Kendrick album for RCA (we didn't leave the -s off Eddie's last name, that's how he was billed at the time) finds both in excellent form vocally, and rather than making a neo-classic Motown vibe for the record, the production is very much in the 80s modern soul mode of bigger hits of the day. It's got bright synth soul, a bit of boogie, and other other mid-to-late 80s modes that should have made this one a real win commercially – especially given the soulful weight and importance of the singers and genuine emotion in their performances. Titles include "I Couldn't Believe It", "Ordinary Girl", "One More For The Lonely Hearts Club", a cover of "Family Affair", "Goodnight Pillow".

Album of clubby, uptempo stuff, recorded in Rio, and with a bit of a Brazilian feel to it. The tracks are long and fast, and include medleys of "Girl From Ipanema/Manha De Carnaval" and "Chove Chuva/Mas Que Nada", as well as a few other Brazilian tracks. There's also a version of "Mambo No. 5", which is the same one from the Ultimate Breaks compilation.

An 80s collection, but one that's filled with gems from Gil Scott-Heron's legendary early years at Flying Dutchman – a time when he was recording some of his most impressively righteous material ever! The music's a hip mix of protest poetry and sweet jazzy numbers – played with great keyboard accompaniment from frequent partner Brian Jackson on nearly every track – plus help from Hubert Laws on flute and sax, and Bernard Purdie on drums. CD features 17 tracks in all – much more than the album – and titles include "Pieces of a Man", "Lady Day & John Coltrane", "Whitey on the Moon", "The Needle's Eye", "Home is Where the Hatred Is", "Did You Hear What They Said?", "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "No Knock", "Sex Education Ghetto Style", "A Sign Of The Ages", "The Prisoner", and "When You Are Who You Think You Are".

Wonderful work by Nina – the kind of record that once made purists turn up their noses, but which is now being rediscovered as a unique jazz/soul crossover album, filled with loads of nice moments! The instrumentation's pretty darn interesting – and includes sitar, harp, Spanish guitar, and other odd percussion instruments. Includes Nina's nice version of "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "Dambala", "Obeah Woman", and "The Pusher".

One of Nina's first for RCA – a mixture of jazz and soul tunes handled with some classy arrangements by Sammy Lowe, most of which feature nice electric bass work at the bottom by Gene Taylor! Taylor's bass gives the tracks a nice "dip" that's not exactly funky, but does provide a strong kick that keeps things moving along nicely – in a way that points towards the direction Nina would take in the 70s, and which makes this album a fair bit hipper than some of her Philips work! Nina's not as over the top as on other records, but still lays it out quite hiply – and tracks include "Consummation", "Go To Hell", "Love O Love", "It Be's That Way Sometime", "Turn Me On", and "Some Say".

Great work from this famous Italian maestro – sweeping, soaring instrumentals – but also a bit funky at times too! Ettore brings a real soundtrack approach to most numbers – fitting, given that most tunes here are film themes – and he uses full strings, plus some nicely isolated instrumentation at points, especially a bit of tinkling piano. Things are mostly straight, but there's a great funky break on his version of "The Godfather (part 2)" – and some sweetly gentle funk on "Once Is Not Enough" – another great warm number. Other titles include "The Big Hunt", "The Saddest Thing Of All", "Sheila Levine", "Incontro", and Stratta's own great "The Beginning Of Our Life".

Tavares chill things out nicely, definitely heading for the "new directions" in the title, and going for more of a mellow sound that was clearly going to help them reach new audiences in the post-disco years. The harmonies are as great as they always were in the early days, taking a nicely smoothed out approach in place of the somewhat gritter groove of some of the earlier work – moving fearlessly into the 80s groove with excellent results! Titles include "Mystery Lady", "Abra Ca Dabra Love You Too", "Maybe We'll Fall In Love Again", "The Skin You're In", "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me", "A Penny For Your Thoughts", "Got To Find My Way Back To You", and "Wanna Be Close to You". This CD edition has 4 bonus tracks: "Got To Find My Way Back To You (12" Dance Mix)", "A Penny For Your Thoughts (Single Version)", "The Skin You're In (Single Version)" and "Got To Find My Way Back To You (Single Version)".

A modern soul gem produced by Lenny White! Though White lends a touch of jazzy sophistication to the set, it's a straight up dose of mainstream modern soul, with great ensemble vocals and crisp production over tight songs that should have landed Wax at the top of the radio. Somehow though they managed to only find success with some sought after singles years after the fact, but you can grab the whole album here! It's got all the hallmarks of the best of the era – chirping guitars, tasteful keyboards that sit just right in the mix, and rhythms and tempos on most of the tracks that veer between club oriented grooves and tight pop soul. 9 tracks in all, including "Can't Hide From Love", "Crazy In Love", "Playin' The Part", "The Right Time For Us", "Do You Believe In Magic", "Music's On The One", "When And If I Fall In Love" and "April Lady".

Excellent sounds from Charlie Wilson – aka "Uncle Charlie", the former lead singer of The Gap Band! Wilson's great here, and really finds a comfortable space that works well right from the start – never trying to be too young or too contemporary, and instead stretching out in these warm, wonderful lines that are an even deeper take on the best styles from his earlier years – especially on some of the midtempo groovers, which really make the album shine! There's some occasional electric touches on the vocals – not really processing, or auto tuning, but a vibe that recalls the funky power of the Gap Band on some of their old school jams – and Wilson really shows why he's still one of the best male soul singers of his generation – working here with a solid approach that few others could match. Titles include "A Million Ways To Love You", "Turn Off The Lights", "Our Anniversary", "My Love Is All I Have", "Whisper", "Say", and "I Still Have You".

A seminal classic from vocalist Michael Wycoff – thanks to some killer help from Webster Lewis – who not only produced the album, but also plays keyboards on the set! The album's got a bounce and bubble that's right up there with Lewis' best from the late 70s – but thanks to some rich vocals from Wycoff, it's also got a bit more depth too – especially on some of the mellower groovers which really sparkle wonderfully! Some moments are upbeat, others are nicely laidback – and Wycoff's rich range is given some great focus here, in a balance that makes for one hell of a great record all the way through. Titles include the stellar stepper "Looking Up To You", one of those anthemic cuts you'll recognize immediately – plus "Diamond Real", "Still Got The Magic", "Love Is So Easy", and "Love Conquers All".

Way more than just a disco collection – a great album with some had to get numbers you don't see much on vinyl any more. Includes "You Little Trustmaker" by the Tymes, "To Each His Own" by Faith Hope &Charity, "Am I Cold, Am I Hot" by Bill Harris, "What You Don't Know" by Charles Drain, "Honey Baby Theme" by Blood Hollins and Weldon Irvine, "Half Of Your Heart" by Zulema, "Are You Ready For This" by the Brothers, "So Much Love" by Destiny and "Is It Love" by the Choice Four.

Arguably the group's biggest album in terms of sales – thanks to a mega-hit on the sublime tune "Rock The Boat" – one of those tracks that crossed over big on both sides of the charts! The production is less 70s soul than crossover pop – but the mode works well with the Hues' blend of 1 gal and 2 guy vocalists – served up here in arrangements from Gene Page, Tom Sellers, and Perry Botkin Jr. Titles include the hits "Freedom For The Stallion" and "Rock The Boat" – plus "The Family", "Go To The Poet", "Salvation Lady", "Live A Lie", and "Miracle Maker (Sweet Soul Shaker)".

Early early early work by The Isley Brothers – an album built around their huge rock and roll hit "Shout" – one of those numbers you've heard a million times, in a million versions, and which you've probably forgotten came from the first trio of Isleys way back before they turned into one of the biggest funky soul acts of the 70s! "Shout" is offered here in 2 parts, and other tracks include "Ring A Ling A Ling", "Without A Song", "That Lucky Old Sun", and "Yes Indeed".

Kashif penned this catchy little tune for Evelyn Champagne King – really helping her find her groove in the 80s with a sweet flurry of electric beats, keyboard parts, and plenty of bass! The vocals are totally great – right in pace with the rhythms, but warmer overall – all showing that magic King touch!

Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah-wah tunes penned by Gene Page, and featuring a great bit of keyboards as well! The set's got a few vocal numbers, sung by 21st Century Ltd and The Hues Corporation, but it's the instrumentals that really steal the show here – and there's plenty of great ones here that rank with the best blacksploitation work of the decade – hard and funky groovers that have kept this one grooving in the crates for many many years. Titles include "Blacula Strikes", "The Stalkwalk", "Movin", "Run Tina Run", "Firebombs", and "Good To The Last Drop".

The second album from this Brazilian-tinged disco combo – not as great as the first one, but still with some nice moments. Many of the tracks are pop covers – like "Sometimes When We Touch", "I'm In You", or "Eyes On The Sparrow", which is probably the best of the three. The best cut, though, is "Black Coco", a nice groover with some heavy conga work, and a nice breakdown.

Brian Auger's first album with The Oblivion Express – a harder-rocking ensemble than his initial Trinity trio, but one who also really pushed things with a really jazzy edge! Like many of Auger's contemporaries on the UK scene, Brian was making the shift from Brit beat group jazz and soul, into a style that was more progressive and harder-driving – one that blended together jazz and rock, but which still, in Auger's case, held onto many of the best soulful sounds of earlier years! Tunes are nice and long, and really hard-jamming – with plenty of soaring organ lines throughout – and titles include "Total Eclipse", "The Light", "Oblivion Express", "On the Road", and "The Sword".

A great later sleeper from Brian Auger – a record that's much deeper and more soulful than some of his earlier work – and done in a soaring style that's really great! Alex Lighterwood sings as much as Auger plays the keys here, but that's ok with us – because he fuses his voice very nicely with organ, electric piano, and moog – creating a spacily soulful quality that's produced with a nice flanged-out style! Some tracks are funky, others are more laidback – and the set's a great illustration of how far Auger had come in just a few years. Titles include the spacey "Thoughts From Afar", the fast-jamming "The Big Yin", a Latin-tinged instrumental "Something Out Of Nothing", plus "Future Pilot" and "Brain Damage".

A killer album of 70s New Orleans funk! Chocolate Milk were an amazing funk group in their best moments – and this album is certainly one of those moments – a blistering batch of tracks that set a whole new style for the Crescent City scene, and which showed that producers Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn could easily hit the hipper notes of the 70s! There's a tight rhythmic sound at the core of most numbers, but expanded instrumentation over the top – bits of spacey electrics or jazzier electronics that never would have shown up in Sansu records of years back, but which show that with the right group, New Orleans funk could easily take on the hippest styles going down on both coasts! The title cut, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words", is a slow funk classic – and the record also includes the incredible electronic-tinged "Time Machine", a perpetual favorite these days. Other nice tracks include "Pretty Pimpin' Willie" and "Ain't Nothin' But a Thing". Arguably the band's best album ever! This Big Break UK remastered edition includes one bonus track: "My Mind Is Hazy (Single Version).

No friction here, as the groove is mighty tight, and plenty smooth – a great example of the way that Chocolate Milk found a whole new sound in the 80s! Gone are the heavier modes of the 70s, and in their place are some wicked keyboards and bass-heavy rhythms – snapping and popping with a heck of a lot of vibrant energy, in an electro groove that's a long way from the group's New Orleans roots! The sound is great – almost like discovering a whole other band altogether – and titles include "Take It Off", "Friction", "Keep It Coming", "Don't Let Up", and "Don't Make Me Wait".

An overlooked funky classic from Chocolate Milk – and a set that still preserves the tight grooves of the group's earliest work! Allan Toussaint is still on hand this time around to help with both production and songwriting – and his touches can definitely be felt on the record – a tight funky undercurrent that's definitely rooted in New Orleans soul, but has some warmer, more contemporary elements too – just like that mid 70s change Toussaint was bringing to his own grooves. Standout cuts include the funky numbers "Grand Theft" and "America" – plus the groover "Girl Callin" – although there's some mellower numbers we like pretty darn well too. Other tracks include "Help Me Find The Road", "Thinking Of You", "That's The Way She Loves", and "Fertility".

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love".

Collection of Sam Cooke's wonderful soul for RCA, compiled just after his untimely death. The set's divided into more uptempo numbers on the first side, and Sam's great ballads on the flip, all with his rich voice ringing clearly on top. Features "Shake", "Yeah Man", 'Win Your Love For Me", "It's Got The Whole World Shakin", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "I'm Just A Country Boy" and "Ease My Troublin Mind".

Very unique work from Dr Buzzard's Savannah Band – a set that bears all the unmistakeable touches of group leader August Darnell! The set's definitely got the older aesthetic that Darnell brought to his work at the time – possibly even more so than the group's first album – and it's also got a wonderfully acoustic approach to the music, one that uses older jazz inflections mixed with rootsier percussion – almost a late 70s club update of older swing and Latin modes! The tunes are beautifully penned too – most often starting out with a real sort of 30s or 40s style, then sweeping nicely into more of a 70s groove – but always without any sense of gimmick or trickery. Vocals are by the lovely Cory Daye, with a bit of help from Darnell – and titles include "Transistor Madness", "Organ Grinder's Tale", "Mister Love", "The Gigolo & I", "Nocturnal Interludes", and "I'll Always Have A Smile For You".

One that we heard way too much when it was out, but which we kind of love now! The album's part of H&O's great comeback years in the early 80s – a time when they were mixing their white boy soul with some nice 80s groove and electro touches, often going for a spare mix of groove and vocals that's really compelling. Includes the sublime "Maneater", everything that was right with pop in the 80s – plus "One On One", "Open All Night", "Crime Pays", "Go Solo", "Delayed Reaction", "At Tension", and "Italian Girls".

A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – and who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision – the sounds range from classic level slow jams, to solid modern soul to touches of electro and more dancefloor geared groovers – and it sounds like work of deft scene veterans rather than a full length debut for the group! The songs were written by the band who, at that time, included Jane Eugene, Carl McIntosh and Steve Nichol. Tracks include "Hangin On A String", "Choose Me", "Music Takes Me Higher", "Dial 999", "Tell Me What You Want", "A Little Spice", "So Much Love", and "Let's Rock".

Although the Main Ingredient were best known for their early 70's singles, this album from '74 is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still arranging, but the group produced themselves, giving the record a sexy funky feeling in the best parts, not that dissimilar from some of Marvin Gaye's work, or records by groups like The Isley Brothers or The O'Jays. Includes great versions of two Seals & Crofts songs – "Summer Breeze" and "Euphrates" – both a perfect example of this style, as is "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" – plus a great reading of Willie Hutch's "California My Way", which has a super-dope sample at the beginning. Of course, the album still includes material like their hit " "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", a sweetly style AM radio pop hit in the band's best style of earlier years.