Soul — All Formats  

Bobby's so great, it's hard to fit all of his good stuff on one LP – but this set does a pretty darn good job, and includes 12 tracks from his legendary years on United Artists! Hearing this set, we're stunned to realize just how many great tracks Bobby turned out over the years – especially because there's a few nice ones on here we forgot that he even did. Titles include "Harry Hippie", "You're Welcome, Stop On By", "Sweet Caroline", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "More Than I Can Stand", "I Can Understand It", "Lookin For A Love", and "Woman's Gotta Have It".

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".

15 classic tracks from Brass Construction – featuring mid 70s tunes lifted from the group's well-selling albums on United Artists! The tracks are a blend of disco, soul, and funk – with more than a bit of the horn-heavy groove that earns the group their "brass construction" name. Titles include "Movin", "Good News", "Changin", "What's On Your Mind", "Walkin The Line", "Ha Cha Cha (Funktion)", "Give & Take", "Help Yourself", "LOVEU", and "The Message".

A classic set that goes "slam" from the very first note – and which helped to set the pace for countless ensemble funk acts to come! Brass Construction had a wonderful sound that was the best-realized version of the east coast indie club combos of the mid 70s – funky at the bottom, but polished at the top, in a style that was equally appreciated by fans of disco and more classic funky soul! The "brass" in their title was certainly strongly supported – as the group used a brace of horns on the top of the mix, smoothly gliding over the choppier rhythms at the bottom. And while there's certainly some vocals on the set, they often take second stage to the tight instrumentation of the group! The set includes the classic "Movin" – virtually a blueprint for mainstream funk at the time – plus the tracks "Changin", "Love", "Talkin", "Dance", and "Peekin".

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".

The second album from Brass Construction – heavy horns, basslines, and stellar dancefloor grooves – a stone classic! The first one was totally great, but they cast a wider stylistic claim on II – their trademark funky sound is still very firmly in place, but they bring more to the plate. The rhythms and percussion have a more globally steeped flare at points on the album, and there's a more smoldering, slightly mellower vibe on some tracks, without sacrificing the funk. The whole thing's fused together wonderfully – with the larger group moving with the energy a much smaller combo – and titles include "Sambo", "Screwed", "Get To The Point", "What's On Your Mind", and "Now Is Tomorrow".

Arranged by Leroy Holmes and Arnold Goland – and titles include "Two Strangers In The City", "The Same Old You", "Strangers In The Night", "The More I See You", and "The Wishing Doll".

Dang, who the heck are these guys? They're great! The Exportations seem to have only popped up for this one album, but they've got a solid harmony soul sound that's right up there with the best groups of the 70s – and which in fact feels a lot more like indie work from the early part of the decade than you'd guess from their placement on United Artists, and the 1978 date of this LP. They appear to be a Detroit group, and they've got a great talent for mixing the rough and the smooth – in the manner of The Dramatics best work of the time. Titles include "Main Ingredient", "You've Been A Long Time Coming", "Kiss Me Love", "Strange Sensations", and "Music". Great harmony soul – and a record you'll treasure as much as any indie session of its type!

One of Ike Turner's solo projects after the departure of Tina – and a pretty nice batch of funky instrumentals with a good mix of styles. The groove isn't as raw as in the Tina days – as there's more horns than guitar – but that doesn't stop the tracks from coming together well, in a mode that's half jazz funk, half instrumental soul. Titles include "LA Vamp", "Garbage Man", "Scratch", "The Shakes", "El Burritto", and "Beauty Is In The Eye Of the Beholder".

A killer bit of funky soul from Hidden Strength – an uptempo 70s group with a very tight groove! The group are clearly in the mode of Earth Wind & Fire – extremely proficient instrumentally, grooving together in a righteous style that has plenty of jazz, but which is also going for a more straight ahead soul-based approach. Hidden Strength are best known for their classic groover "Hustle On Up (Do The Bump)" – a killer track with a nice funky bus stop groove and some great moog – but the whole album's pretty darn sweet, with other tracks that include "It Didn't Have To Be This Way", "Angel Of Love", "I Don't Want To Be A Lone Ranger", "I Wanna Be Your Main Man", "All We Need Is Time", and "Happy Song". CD features bonus disco and extended remixes of "Hustle On Up"!

Quite possibly the best album ever from funky maestro Monk Higgins! The record's got some of his tighest work of the time – with plenty of tight breaks, nice keyboards, and soulful sax riffs – and Monk is going full-out on the arrangements, in the manner that he used for his best late Blue Note work with The Three Sounds or Blue Mitchell. The group's listed as "The Specialties" on the cover, and they vamp along nicely, like some of Monk's funky groups from the late 60s funky 45 days. Titles include "Gotta Be Funky", "Big Water Bed", "Up On The Hill", "Last Flight To Dallas", and "Libra's Way".

An excellent batch of soulful and funky instrumental tracks – super-dope 70s work from funky arranger Monk Higgins! The album grooves in the best blacksploitation soundtrack mode – as Monk plays tenor sax and organ in the set, over slinky stepping arrangements that feature Paul Humphrey on drums, and Freddy Robinson on guitars – all coming together with Monk in a sweet LA style of early 70s funk! The groove is funky, yet laidback at the same time – and with some soulful backing vocals behind the instrumentation on a number of cuts – really the perfect sort of approach for a hip crime or action soundtrack. Tracks include "Little Mama", "If", "Highway No 101", "Walking In My Sleep", "Can't Stop", and the classic "Black Fox"!

The title's a bit misleading – as the set's not exactly the stuff of hits – but it is a wicked collection of material that ZZ Hill recorded for United Artists Records in the early 70s – sublime southern soul, finally getting its due in this reissue package! Hill's style here owes a lot to some of the Memphis singers of the 60s – especially Otis Redding and Bobby Blue Bland, both of whom would be welcome references here – although ZZ's also stepping out strongly with his own bad self as well – putting in a bit more punch, and hipping things up for a 70s market that had southern soul audiences stretching way up north and out west too. There's also none of the blues modes that Hill adopted in later years – which is great if you've only heard his Malaco dates – and titles include "Bad Mouth & Gossip", "I Created A Monster", "I Don't Need Half A Love", "Ain't Nothing You Can Do", "Am I Groovin You", "Look What You've Done", "That Ain't The Way You Make Love", "Snap Your Fingers", "Can I Get A Witness", and "Dream Don't Let Me Down".

Snap your fingers to a pair of great albums by ZZ Hill for United Artists! The Best Thing That's Happened To Me is one of his best of ZZ's albums – recorded with a really tight down-home feel, and a style that's maybe even a bit more straight southern soul than some of his albums on smaller labels! Arrangements are by Arthur Wright, and they've got lots of warm touches that really work perfectly with ZZ's vocals – pushing the whole album to a top-shelf level, and making it a lost treasure of southern soul that we'd rank with the best of the genre from the time! Titles include "Your Love Makes Me Feel Good", "Cause I Love You", "Friendship Only Goes So Far", "You Were Wrong", and "I've Got To Get You Back". ZZ is more standout l – another of the few albums he cut for United Artists in the early 70s, all of them great! The set's got a really tight tight feel – recorded at Fame Studios with a warm and lean style that pushes ZZ past the blusier roots of earlier sides, into a completely on top 70s southern soul sort of approach. The backing group is filled with great instrumentalists, the songs are all fresh and without cliché, and ZZ himself really steps up with some incredibly well-placed vocals. Titles include "You're Killing Me", "The Best I Ever Had", "Clean Up America", "It Ain't Safe", and "Let Them Talk".

An excellent Quincy Jones score that stands head and shoulders above the soundtrack to the first film in this series, In The Heat Of The Night. Q is in fine fine form with this material – adding in a lot more funk than before, to fit the uptown theme of the film. There's lots of nice jazzy tracks on the record, and some tight funky ones that made the soundtrack virtually a blueprint for the blacksploitation sound of the 70s! Titles include "Soul Flower", "Call Me Mr. Tibbs", "Black Cherry", "Blues For Mr. Tibbs", and "Fat Poppadaddy".

Ronnie Laws at the top of his early game – working in a tight mix of jazz and soul put together with some great help from Wayne Henderson's At Home Productions – very much in the hit style that team was putting out at the time! The work's surprisingly open and hip compared to efforts like this from a decade later – still smooth in production, but with lots of room for instrumental solos, and a groove that's still more heavy on fusion influences than anything else! Laws plays tenor, flute, and soprano sax – and other players include Larry Dunn on keyboards and Melvin Robinson on guitar – and a few cuts feature chorus vocals, by hip singers who include Eloise and Debra Laws, Diane Reeves, and Phillip Bailey. Titles include "All For You", "These Days", "Flame", "Living Love", "Joy", "Live Your Life Away", and "Love Is Here".

A funky classic from Galt MacDermot! The record is Galt's score for the blacksploitation film that starred Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St Jacques – and it's a mix of vocal and instrumental tunes that takes off from the sound of his late 60s work. Melba Moore sings on a few cuts – and others have lyrics sung by George Tipton, Sakinah, Leta Galloway, and Denise Dillpena, mostly in a early 70s pop soul sort of mode. The instrumentals are actually the best bits, though – with those odd little rhythms that Galt could hit when he really wanted to! Titles include "Man In Distress", "Harlem Medley", "Black Enough", "Stockyard", "Deke", "Ed & Digger", "Coffin Ed & Gravedigger", and "Harlem By Day".

A tasty set from Mandrill – one of their first records away from the Polydor label, but every bit as great as later efforts for that company, especially Mandrilland. The overall sound is a bit smoother than some of their full-out funky albums – but in a way that really helps blend together the band's unique mix of soul, Latin, and Afro-percussion grooves. Titles include "Stop & Go", "Yucca Jump", "Wind On Horseback", "Tee Vee", and "Peck Ya Neck".

A nice batch of mellow easy soul tracks that often gets overlooked! Lea Roberts cut some harder soul sides for Minit in the 60's, but this mid 70's album has her working with Wade Marcus on a set of tracks that have a smoother production sound, but which also focus on Lea's lovely soulful voice. The record's got some great songwrigint in kind of an indie southern soul mode, with a number of great tracks by "E Clay". Tracks include "Give it Back", "Excuse Me", "Find A Place", "I'm Losing My Mind", and "Let It Shine".

A heavy bit of boogie from Southroad Connection – a large ensemble funk outfit with a warm and clubby style! The tracks on the set burn along in a nice late disco mode – with plenty of real instrumentation and small band rhythms at the bottom, but a polished groove overall that nicely offsets the party funk approach. There's lots of bass popping away as the whole group jams over the top, taking time out only to chill down for two ballad numbers on the record – and titles include "Gotta Keep Dancin", "In The Morning", "I Need To Love You", "Best Boogie In Town", and "Take Me Back For More".

Neon bright electro disco pop from the late 70s – the pulsing, thumping Magic Fly by Space – a vessel for French keyboard groover and composer Didier Marouani! The Space project actually started as an experimental, genre splicing cosmic keyboard focused demo – but others rightly saw and heard the future in these synth soul soundscapes and the title track became an international hit! A genuine precussor to the spacey soul 80s to come. Other tracks include "Velvet Rape", "Tango In Space", "Fasten Seat Belt", and "Ballad For Space Lovers".

Mid 70's album of funky soul tracks cut by ex-Gator Willie Tee, with a number of other members of the Gators, for United Artists. Don't go thinking that it's raw New Orleans soul, though, because the sound is a lot more polished, with more of a 70's modern groove to it. Willie's still got some nice moments on keyboards though, but most of the cuts also have some vocals. Tracks include "Anticipation", "Come To Me", "I Can Feel It", "Liberty Bell", and "Moment Of Truth".

War's first LP without Eric Burdon – and although not the mega-hit that following LPs would be, still a pretty great blend of styles that firmly shows the group's unique vision. War are hitting hard with that soulful LA funk sound – a blend of funky jazz, Latin, and other elements – and in a way, this one's kind of a treat if you dig the group, because the material's a lot less familiar than some of their later albums. Titles include "Sun Oh Son", "Lonely Feelin", "Back Home", "War Drums", and "Vibeka".

A monster from start to finish – not only the greatest album from War, but maybe one of the greatest mainstream funk albums of all time! The set's got a really unique groove – one that so many others tried to copy, but which was forged here first – in a wicked LA blend of Chicano funk, heavy organ lines, and soulful singing that sews the whole thing together perfectly. Just about every cut is upbeat and funky – rolling along at that low-rider pace that was War's lasting contribution to funk music – and the album features the huge hits "World Is A Ghetto" and "Cisco Kid", two of the brightest spots on radio funk from the 70s – plus classics like "Four Cornered Room", "City Country City", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles In The Bog".

One of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of wah-wah guitar, funky keys, and tight riffing by the band – especially on the cuts "Harlem Clavinette", "Hang On in There", and "Harlem Love Theme". Also features "Do It Right" and another vocal version of "Hang On In There", both by Bobby.

Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the studio – almost as if Bobby brought a special sort of magic to the sessions that made everyone rise above the sometimes too-familiar work they were giving to the bigger names who were traipsing through the studio. Of course, a big part of the success of the album comes from Womack's amazing vocal delivery – that style that's raspy, yet warm – and which is a perfect fit for the well-penned tunes on the set. Titles include "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "Nobody", "If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up", and a very cool version of "The Look Of Love".

Perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer funky stepper "You're Welcome, Stop On By", which has been sampled and covered many times over the years – plus "I Don't Wanna Be Hurt By Ya Love Again", "Let It Hang Out", "Lookin For A Love", "Doing It My Way", and "Don't Let Me Down".

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! Bobby strikes a perfect balance here – keeping things hip, but also tightening things up too – yet never by getting too smooth or too commercial. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back".

Incredible work – 2 of Bobby Womack's best albums ever in one set! Understanding is killer 70s work from Bobby – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back". On Communication, Bobby says thanks to Sly Stone on the back of the album cover – and it's clear that he's gotten a good dose of Sly's funky soul to kick things up a bit from earlier albums. Part of the record was cut in Muscle Shoals, and it's still got that rootsy southern style of Bobby's late 60s work – but there's also a slicker LA funk sound in the mix, with lots of electric guitar solos and funky electric keyboards. Features the righteous "Communication", plus "That's The Way I Feel About 'Cha", "Everything Is Beautiful", "Come L'Amore", and a monologue-heavy version of "Close To You" that's a bit on the Isaac Hayes tip. And hey, Pam Grier's on backup vocals, too!

Vernon was one of the better smooth soul arrangers of the 70s, and this album from 1975 is one of his better efforts as a solo artist after stints with such groups as The Delfonics, The Bar-Kays and The Stairsteps. The record features a tight batch of self-penned tunes that move between mellow groove and up tempo funk – the latter of which are a bit weak, but the mellow cuts are all pretty nice. Titles include "Give Love A Try", "Changes", "And You Call That Love", "Loving You Gets Better With Time", and "Ain't Gonna Tell Nobody".

Uptempo funky soul, from this short-lived combo who recorded briefly for United Artists during the mid 70s. The group aren't exactly at the Kool & The Gang level, but they're sort of trying, although their sound's a bit slicker. Titles include "Bite Your Granny", "Le Joint", "Movin On Down The Line", and "Time".

Six albums in, and these guys still aren't losing their groove – and if anything, they seem to be getting even tighter and funkier with the 80s groove generation! Randy Muller's still the main man making things happen here – giving the group their trademark horn sound, and that fantastically tight approach to rhythm – one that's very much inherited from the early BT Express groove, but which is almost sharper and more mature. There's a lean quality to these tracks that's quite surprising, given the nine piece lineup of the group – but that's very much the Muller touch, and its in full force here. Titles include "Do Ya", "Working Harder Every Day", "We Can Do It", "I'm Not Gonna Stop", "Don't Try To Change Me", and "We Are Brass".

The second album from Brass Construction – heavy horns, basslines, and stellar dancefloor grooves – a stone classic! The first one was totally great, but they cast a wider stylistic claim on II – their trademark funky sound is still very firmly in place, but they bring more to the plate. The rhythms and percussion have a more globally steeped flare at points on the album, and there's a more smoldering, slightly mellower vibe on some tracks, without sacrificing the funk. The whole thing's fused together wonderfully – with the larger group moving with the energy a much smaller combo – and titles include "Sambo", "Screwed", "Get To The Point", "What's On Your Mind", and "Now Is Tomorrow".

16 of Chuck's best soul cuts, originally recorded for the Wand label. This stuff virtually defines the male side of the NY uptown soul sound, as you'll hear in tracks like "Any Day Now", "I Don't Want To Cry", "I Wake Up Crying", "Tell Him I'm Not Home", and "Any Other Way".

Includes "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Where Are You", "Down The Aisle", "Tear After Tear", "Danny Boy", "Have I Sinned", "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)", "One Phone Call", and "I Believe".

A nicely rootsy set from the team of Ike & Tina Turner – an album that's almost more "down home" than any of the records made by the pair in their roots! The style here is that "back to the country" sound that was favored both with mainstream rock and soul-revival artists of the time – kind of a rock approach that's heavy on guitars, recorded with some redneck undertones and the usual all-soul vocals you'd expect from Tina (who's put in kind of an unfortunate position on the front cover!) There's nothing earth-shattering here, but the record is definite trademark Turners – with tracks that include "Nutbush City Limits", "Drift Away", "Make Me Over", "Fancy Annie", "River Deep Mountain High", "Club Manhattan", and "Get It Out Of Your Mind".

A dozen great tracks from funky Latin soul grooves from LA – most of which forever transformed the sound of funk! All your favorites are here, with 12 tracks in all, including "Slippin Into Darkness", "Cisco Kid", "City Country City", "All Day Music", "Me & Baby Brother", "Why Can't We Be Friends", "Whose Cadillac Is That" and "Low Rider".

Bobby just couldn't miss in the 70s! This album features a smooth soul update of Bobby's raspy southern soul style – with results that are perfect, and which yield some very nice tracks that are both deep and soulful, and smooth-edged groovers. Womack's voice is fantastic, as always – and titles include "Put Something Down On It", "What's Your World", "Git It", "I Don't Know", "Jealous Love", and 2 very nice "Interlude" tracks!

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! Bobby strikes a perfect balance here – keeping things hip, but also tightening things up too – yet never by getting too smooth or too commercial. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back".

A very cool set! This one comes in a hardcover book-like package – and not only includes the main record, but two full other records as well! Across 110th Street is one of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of wah-wah guitar, funky keys, and tight riffing by the band – especially on the cuts "Harlem Clavinette", "Hang On in There", and "Harlem Love Theme". Also features "Do It Right" and another vocal version of "Hang On In There", both by Bobby. Facts Of Life features Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the studio – almost as if Bobby brought a special sort of magic to the sessions that made everyone rise above the sometimes too-familiar work they were giving to the bigger names who were traipsing through the studio. Of course, a big part of the success of the album comes from Womack's amazing vocal delivery – that style that's raspy, yet warm – and which is a perfect fit for the well-penned tunes on the set. Titles include "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "Nobody", "If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up", and a very cool version of "The Look Of Love". Looking For A Love Again is perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer funky stepper "You're Welcome, Stop On By", which has been sampled and covered many times over the years – plus "I Don't Wanna Be Hurt By Ya Love Again", "Let It Hang Out", "Lookin For A Love", "Doing It My Way", and "Don't Let Me Down".

Nice mellow LA funk, played by Lee Oskar with help from a lot of his bandmates in the group War. The sound is similar to some of War's Chicano funk grooves – but with some very nicely punctuated rhythms that have the drums snapping out more than on War's albums from the time. Oskar's harmonica playing is processed in a very cool way that almost completely hides its origins, and which gives it a lot of cool sounds and tones that you wouldn't expect. Titles include "The Journey", "BLT", "The Promised Land", and the nice nice "Down The Nile".

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

War did the music for this funky soundtrack to an early Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs film, and although most of the stuff on here is just typical War stuff, there's one track called "Flying Machine" that's a long funky chase scene-type track that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include "The Kingsmen Sign", "Junk Yard", "Superdude", and "Youngblood". One of the best War LPs!

Soaring grooves and mellow moments – a perfect blend of 70s soul styles, summed up here beautifully by Enchantment! The album's one of the group's greatest – and certainly one that's been very well-remembered around these parts – thanks to some rock-solid arrangements from Johnny Allen, who almost brings an indie soul vibe to the whole set – while still putting the whole thing together at a totally top-shelf level too! The harmonies are wonderful – especially on the ballads, like "Gloria" and "Sunshine" – and other tracks include "Sexy Lady", "Come On & Ride", "Thank You Girl For Loving Me", and "Dance To The Music". CD features 6 bonus tracks – "Come On & Ride (single)", "Hold On (single)", "Gloria (single)", "Dance To The Music (single)", "Sunshine (single)", and "Hold On (12" disco)".

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue shakes the foundation at Carnegie Hall on April Fools Day, 1971! There's a good reason for there being so many live albums by Ike & Tina – it's because they're damn great on stage – and this NYC set is a strong showcase for The Ikettes and The Kings Of Rhythm, too! The group was riding a peak wave of popularity around this time, and they cover a wide variety of songs in a set that's masterfully-paced – starting out slow and building up intensity as it goes! Titles include the Ikettes-led "Piece Of My Heart" and "Everyday People", the thunderous Tina intro "Doin' The Tina Turner", "Sweet Soul Music", "Proud Mary", "I Smell Trouble", "Ike's Tune", "I Want To Take You Higher", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Respect" and more.

A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals, but the overall approach also had plenty of elements of smoother Northern Soul, and wasn't afraid to use strings or uptown arrangements when they were needed. This album's their best, and features 10 tracks written by Eddie Cornelius, plus a great little cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Tracks include the sublime easy soul number "Too Late To Turn Back Now", choppy odd groover "Treat Her Like A Lady", and the cuts "Gonna Be Sweet For You", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Lift Your Love Higher".

Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangments and production, and his breathy uptown style works perfectly with the band's soulful harmonies. Titles include "Hurt So Bad", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Our Song", "Get Out Of My Life", and "Going Out Of My Head".

A pretty great collection of work by Ike & Tina – with a strong focus on their harder-hitting sides! The set compiles tunes from the group's United Artists years, plus some other sides recorded for Liberty Records – and it's a really nicely done set that's pretty appealing to the kind of Ike Turner sounds that more recent soul and fans are digging. There's lots of less-familiar numbers on the set – with a total of 21 tracks that include "Doin It", "The Chopper", "Tell The Truth", "Bolic", "Baby", "Get You When I Want You", "Help Him", "Popcorn", "I Love Baby", "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", "I Wanna Jump", "Too Much Woman", and "I Love Baby".

A sprawling, double-sized set of Northern Soul singles – compiled by Richard Searling and with a focus on the pivotal mid 60s period – from the vaults of labels/imprints both big and small! It's got great singles issued at the time on Roulette, Capitol, United Artists, Sue, Veep, Minit, Liberty and more – mostly from '65-'68 – with some fairly famous names and comparably forgotten ones. Most of these tunes became rarities quite soon after they appeared – and it's s a massive set, too – with 50 tracks on 2CDs! Includes "Better Use Your Head" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "I'll Do Anything" by Doris Troy, "He Always Comes Back To Me" by Clydie King, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Breakout" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, "My Dear Heart" by Shawn Robinson, River Of Tears" by by Barbara Banks, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish and more.

A killer selection of rare soul tunes from the EMI catalog of the late 60s! The cuts on here originally appeared on labels like Liberty, Imperial, Capitol, and United Artists – and they're selected by Dean Rudland with a very strong UK soulboy vibe. There's loads of stuff on here that we've never ever seen on wax, and the quality of the compilation is extremely high. Titles include "Don't" by Marva Josie, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Love & Desire" by Patrice Holloway, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "Looking For You" by Garnet Mimms, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "Dance Dance Dance" The Casualeers, "Ski-ing In The Snow" by The Invitations, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, and "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Woods.

Another in the great series of driving Northern greatness from Stateside – a MASSIVE batch of cuts from a scene so deep they can probably keep digging great ones up for decades and still never run dry! The set's the fourth in the Talcum series of compilations from EMI UK – featuring rare tracks pulled from EMI-owned labels like Capitol, Liberty, United Artists and other companies with names both well known and almost completely obscure – all of which cut some really great singles back in the 60s! Per usual, it's a treasure trove of tunes – many of which we've never heard until now! 26 tracks including "Please Don't Go" by Kathy & The Calenders, "Nothing Can Help You Now" by Lenny Curtis, "What Are You Trying To Do" by Irma Thomas, "World Without Sunshine" by Sandra Phillips, "He's Got The Nerve" by The True Tones, "Turn To Me" by Chris Towns Unit, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch and lots more.

Another in the great series of driving Northern greatness from Stateside – a MASSIVE batch of cuts from a scene so deep they can probably keep digging great ones up for decades and still never run dry! The set's the fourth in the Talcum series of compilations from EMI UK – featuring rare tracks pulled from EMI-owned labels like Capitol, Liberty, United Artists and other companies with names both well known and almost completely obscure – all of which cut some really great singles back in the 60s! Per usual, it's a treasure trove of tunes – many of which we've never heard until now! 26 tracks including "Please Don't Go" by Kathy & The Calenders, "Nothing Can Help You Now" by Lenny Curtis, "What Are You Trying To Do" by Irma Thomas, "World Without Sunshine" by Sandra Phillips, "He's Got The Nerve" by The True Tones, "Turn To Me" by Chris Towns Unit, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch and lots more.

United Artists issue of a speech that was originally issued by Sue Records in the mid 60s. The recording was made on December 17th, 1964 – after King returned from Oslo after receiving the Nobel Prize. The first 4 minutes of the record features introductory remarks by Rev Reuben L Speaks of The First AME Zion Church – then King speaks on the topics "Pilots Of The Movement – The Ground Crew & Mississippi" and "Who Is The Least Of These – and I Believe I've Got To Go Back To The Valley".

A great album from Bobby – different than his earlier albums for United Artists, but in a good way – one that revives his whole career, and takes his sound into a whole new direction! The album's got a smooth soul finish with some touches of synth funk – produced by Bobby and Patrick Moten, who would later work together on the masterful Poet LP – and the contrast between the more modern arrangements and Bobby's raspy soul vocals works wonderfully! The mellow tracks are really great – with a tight, lightly funky sound bubbling under Bobby's wonderful vocals – and the album's got loads of nice cuts like "The Roads Of Life", "Give It Up", "The Roots In Me", "Honey Dripper Boogie", "How Could You Break My Heart", and "What Are You Doing".

A beautiful collection of all the great and rare material Eddie Holland cut as solo singer in the late 50s and early 60s – including the incredible early Motown material, plus tracks he cut for Mercury, Kudo, Tamla and United Artists! Of course Eddie Holland is best remembered for uber-legendary work as producer, composer and arranger with the Holland-Dozier-Holland super soul unit – for damn good reason, but it's his early work as singer is way too strong to be considered a mere footnote to his greater legacy. Many of the cuts were written and produced by Berry Gordy, along with numbers written and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, some recorded more famously by later acts, so what you truly have here is the foundation for great things to come – it's beautiful stuff that shines brightly in its own light. Eddie's a solid singer and the songs are terrific, formative stuff that's a pivotal bridge from earlier R&B to massive soul. 56 tracks on 2CDs: "Little Miss Ruby", "Will You Love Me", "Just A Few More Days", "It's Not Too Late", "Just Ain't Enough Love", "Brenda", "Baby Shake", "Magic Mirror", "If Cleopatra Took A Chance", "Action Speaks Louder than Words", "Bashful Kind", "Too Late To Cry", "Happy Go Lucky", "Pretty Little Angel Face", "Day Dreamer", "Rain And Thunder", "I Like Everything About You", "Happy Days" and many more. This set goes deeper than any compilation we've seen of Eddie's recordings, too, with a number of previously unissued Mercury recordings.

Patrick Adams picks the best of P&P Records – and the man definitely knows what he's doing – given that he was one of the "P's" in the label's name! The tunes here are heavy on those cool spaced-out grooves that Adams did so well – that wonderfully hip, and very underground style he used after an initial few years in more mainstream soul – the trademark imprint of P&P, and the reason why the label's tunes have gone onto influence so many others over the years! The grooves are all sublime – from quick-stepping moogy numbers, to mellower tracks that stretch out in this great sort of gentle funk – all tied together with a united production aesthetic and lots of shared sympathies between the artists. Titles include "Dance Dance Dance" by Marta Acuna, "Jump Jump Jump" by The Musicmakers, "God's Greatest Gift To Man Is Woman" by Margie Lomax, "God Save & Protect All The Children" by Margo Williams, "The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us" by Golden Flamingo Orchestra – and "Flying High", "Disco Juice", "Happy Music", and "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By" by Cloud One.