Funky Compilations — All Formats  

We can't think of a better title for this excellent compilation from Peanut Butter Wolf. The Badmeaningood series is a personal hip hop chronicle from the compiler, and as you'd expect from PBW, the definition here is taking somewhat less than literally, though there's no shortage of back in the day old school classics, mixed side by side with some unlikely candidates, but in a way that makes more than perfect sense. Mixed continuously front to back like your favorite mix tape this set takes you from Grandmaster Flash's "New Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash" to Keni Burke's "Risin' To The top (Snowboy's acoustic mix)" and stopping at all points in between, whether it's Iron Butterfly's "Soul Experience", Johnny Hammond's "Fantasy", The Cold Crush Brothers "Punk Rock Rap", Prince Far I's "Black Man Land", the Jungle Brother's "I'm Gonna Do You", the 45 King's "Funk Box (We Want To Hear The Beat box)", Roy Ayer's "Can't You See Me", The Human League's "Hard Times" and Alicia Myers "Don't Stop What You're Doin" and many more!

Fantastic funky soul! The Pama label was a London-based operation in the late 60s – and they cut and licensed some very groovy tracks that mixed funk, soul, and rocksteady, and which featured artists from America, Jamaica, and England! This first volume of the label's output features one of their best-known (and heavily-sampled) tunes, the breakbeat classic "The Champ" by The Mohawks! Other great cuts include "Broadway Ain't Funky No More" by Bobby Patterson & The Mustangs, "Jerking The Dog" by The Crowns, "Baby Hold On" by The Mustangs, "Oh Babe" by The Milwaukee Coasters, "Wet Dream" by Max Romeo, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by Roy Docker, "Honey Bee" by The Classics, and "Soul Man" by Rico. Very nice, and done with a faithful reproduction of the original cover, too!

Fantastic funky soul! The Pama label was a London-based operation in the late 60s – and they cut and licensed some very groovy tracks that mixed funk, soul, and rocksteady by a variety of artists from America, Jamaica, and England! This massive look at the label features both volumes 1 and 2 of the Black Is Soul sets – previously only on vinyl, now brought together into a massive 28 track CD that's overflowing with great grooves you'd have a hard time finding otherwise on this side of the Atlantic! The whole thing's great, and titles include the funky break classic "The Champ" by The Mohawks – plus "Broadway Ain't Funky No More" by Bobby Patterson & The Mustangs, "Jerking The Dog" by The Crowns, "Baby Hold On" by The Mustangs, "Oh Babe" by The Milwaukee Coasters, "Wet Dream" by Max Romeo, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by Roy Docker, "Honey Bee" by The Classics, "Soul Man" by Rico, "History Of Africa" by The Classics, "Feel Good All Over" by Betty Lavette, "Tip Toe" by Norman T Washington, "The Good Ol Days" by Bobby Patterson, "Black Is Soul" by The Imperials, and "Since You've Been Gone" by The Crowns – plus "Sound Of The Witchdoctor", "Pepsi", and "Mony Mony" by The Mohawks,

Possibly the best-ever collection of blacksploitation grooves we've ever seen – a really comprehensive package that not only manages to cover the classics, but which also digs deep enough to come up with lots of fresh bits too! The set really sets a new level for the Soul Jazz label – and is carried off with enough authority towards Black Action films as the label's legendary efforts towards a host of less mainstream genres – truly an achievement for the label's crew, not to mention a heavier bonus for our funky listening pleasure! There's way more here than just a slapped-together batch of tunes from the early 70s – as the set's very carefully put together to showcase a wide range of sounds, along with notes that really get at the social and political power of both the music and the films. 2CD package features a massive color booklet inside the slipcase – and features 34 tracks that include "Shaft In Africa" by Johnny Pate, "Down & Out In New York City" by James Brown, "Wilford's Gone" by The Blackbyrds, "Run Fay Run" by Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Black Belt Jones" by Dennis Coffey, "Willie Chase" by JJ Johnson, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Charley" by Don Costa, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch, "Blacula" by Gene Page, "Theme From Cleopatra Jones" by Joe Simon, "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile" by Isaac Hayes, "Sweetback's Theme" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Aragon" by Roy Ayers, "Strung Out" by Gordon Staples, "Easin In" by Edwin Starr, "The Bus" by Solomon Burke & Gene Page, "Make A Resolution" by The Impressions, "Ed & Digger" by Cotton Comes To Harlem, "Las Vegas Strut" by Jack Ashford, "Lay It On Your Head" by Don Julian, and "Zombie March" by Nat Dove & The Devils.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2 CD set features 17 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture, "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, "Take Me Higher" by Virgo Four, "Acid Over" by Tyree, "Box Energy" by DJ Pierre, "Video Clash" by Lil Louis, "Explorer" by Green Velvet, "Like This" by Two Of A Kind, "Acid Tracks" by Phuture, and "Downfall" by Armando.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2LP set features 8 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, and "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture.

Not classic disco – but a wealth of 80s soul – packed into a double-length set that's overflowing with R&B gems from the years beyond disco! Most tunes are still pretty clubby – not in an underground way, but with some of the styles of the more important soul modes of the time – those ways of hitting a groove with plenty of midtempo rhythms, sweet stepping moments, and even a bit of boogie too! Titles include "Middle Of The Night" by Body, "Passion From A Woman" by Krystol, "In The Dark" by Roy Ayers, "Rock Steady" by The Whispers, "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent" by Gwen Guthrie, "Don't Let Go Of Me" by Mike & Brenda Sutton, "If You Can Do It I Can Too" by Meli'Sa Morgan, "Strip This Heart" by John Adams, "Back To Love" by Evelyn King, and "Falling In Love" by Sybil.

A warm, easygoing and sprawling 2CD set from the Expansion and Jazz FM team – the third and best yet in their Funky Sensation series – with both hits and relatively underappreciated numbers! It's wonderful stuff all the way – and well chosen by Mike Vitti & Ralph Tee – with full-length treasures by Roy Ayers, Rick James, Cameo, Rene & Angela, Willie Hutch, Dazz Band, Charles Earland, Teen Marie and The Gap Band to name but a few. What we love about the Funky Sensation series is the sort of informal, unfussy vibe. It's not so much about shining a lot on particular labels, producers or well-defined scene – and very much about simply putting together some sensationally funky, jazzy and soulful music, nearly all of it from the mid 70s to early 80s, together in a generous double-sized set! 26 tracks on 2CDs – and over 150 minutes of music. Includes "Running Away" by Roy Ayers, "Circles" by Atlantic Starr, "Now That We Found Love" by Third World, "So Fine" by Howard Johnson, "Man Power" by Lalomie Washburn, "I Believe In Miracles" by The Jackson Sisters, "I Need Your Lovin'" by Teena Marie, "I'l Be Good" by Rene & Angela, "Get It Up For Love" by Tata Vega, "Outstanding" by The Gap Band, "Let The Music Play" by Charles Earland and many more.

Raw tunes from the late 50s and early 60s – a smoking collection of rare rockers, raunchy R&B, and some early soul numbers too – all served up in a totally sweet 10" vinyl package! The set's from the same folks who gave us the excellent Beat From Badsville series – and like those great collections, this one's got a vibe that takes us back to some of the Stompin sets from earlier years, and which also makes us feel like we've discovered some hipster jukebox from many decades back – stocked with vintage wax with a mighty nice edge! Titles on this volume include "Old Man Mose" by Rod Willis, "The Devil Sat Down & Cried" by Savannah Churchill & The Striders, "Action" by Lance Fortune, "St James Infirmary" by Otto Bash, "Shadrack" by Golden Gate Quartet, "Cross Over The Bridge" by The Chords, and "Snake Dance Boogie" by Roy Hogsed.

A completely sublime collection of spiritual jazz numbers from the 70s – put together by the legendary Kev Beadle, one of the first cats to spin the music with Gilles Peterson on the UK scene! The package is a great mix of essentials from years back, plus some under-discovered nuggets from the American underground – all with a nice emphasis on the grooves and rhythms – in a way that you might have heard back at Dingwalls on a Sunday afternoon! The set's a great reminder that music can be progressive and groovy at the same time – and the whole thing's overflowing with righteous treasures that include "Jessica" by Roy Porter, Namaste" by Seeds Of Fulfillment", "In Every Way" by Reverie, "Open Your Mind" by Southern Energy Ensemble, "Flying Colors" by James Williams, "Dipping" by Johnny Walker, "Here Comes The Family" by Peter Giger's Family Of Percussion & Archie Shepp, "Brotherhood" by Kamal Abdul Alim, "Sun Shower" by Byron Morris & Unity, and "Freedom Road" by The Pharoahs.

A reverent snapshot of the spiritual & soul jazz emanating from the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a well curated set featuring great numbers by Frank Foster, Blue Mitchell, Hadley Caliman, Roy Haynes and other giants of the scene! The material comes from a time in Mainstream label history when it was essentially relaunched as a jazz label, following some the psyche era rock albums of the previous few years. Soulful jazz sounds from a spiritual realm as well as some in a jazz funk mode, and excellent material all the way! 12 great tracks in all: The sprawling opener "The Loud Minority" by Frank Foster, "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell, "Up And Down" by Harold Land, "Watercress" by Hadley Caliman, "Kamili" by Buddy Terry, "Senyah" by Roy Haynes, "EW Beautiful People" by Frank Foster, "Little One" by Hadley Caliman and "Petits Machins" by Johnny Coles/

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. 2CD version features 36 tracks that include "Condition Red" by Barry Stoller, "Light Flight" by Pentangle, "Man Alive" by Tony Hatch, "The Contract Man" by Bullet, "Echo Four Two" by Laurie Johnson, "Man Friday" by Syd Dale, "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, "Fragment Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "Sort Of Soul" by Birds & Brass, "Fiesta Numero Uno" by The Marleybone Orchestra, "The Persuaders" by John Barry, "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry" by Roy Budd, "Canvas" by Brian Bennett, "Death Line" by Will Malone, "Folk Song" by James Clarke, "Steam Heat" by Barbara Moore, "Artful Dodger" by Syd Dale, "Jaguar" by John Gregory, "Whole Lotta Love" by CCS, "Face Up" by Alan Moorehouse, "Angels" by Alan Parker, and "Soul Thing" by Keith Mansfield.

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. Part 1 – 2LP version features 19 tracks that include "Condition Red" by Barry Stoller, "Light Flight" by Pentangle, "Man Alive" by Tony Hatch, "The Contract Man" by Bullet, "Echo Four Two" by Laurie Johnson, "Man Friday" by Syd Dale, "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, "Fragment Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "Sort Of Soul" by Birds & Brass, "Fiesta Numero Uno" by The Marleybone Orchestra, "The Persuaders" by John Barry, and "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry" by Roy Budd.

The Verve vaults are open again – and as with other Remixed sets, they've let in a host of hip talents to change up their classics! This time around, the results seem even better than before – thanks partly to a very strong array of mixers, including some of our own personal funky favorites – but also thanks to a change in remixing styles for this sort of work – an added complexity, and respect for the originals – so that the tunes aren't just simple smatterings of old vocals over contemporary beats! Titles include "Cry Me A River" by Dinah Washington remixed by Truth & Soul, "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" by Roy Ayers remixed by 9th Wonder, "Gimme Some" by Nina Simone remixed by Mike Mangini, "There Was A Time" by James Brown remixed by Kenny Dope, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw remixed by Diplo, "Take Care Of Business" by Nina Simone remixed by Pilooski, "Bim Bom" by Astrud Gilberto remixed by Psapp, "Dilo Como Yo" by Patato & Totico remixed by Antibalas, "Evil Ways" by Willie Bobo remixed by Karriem Riggins, "I Get A Kick Out Of You" by Ella Fitzgerald remixed by Cinematic Orchestra, and "Tea For Two" by Sarah Vaughan remixed by Chris Shaw.

Spirit, swing, and a whole lot more – a mighty collection of music all hand-picked by the legendary Nicola Conte! There's a deeply soulful groove to the whole thing – and a touch of the exotic as well – and the package really reminds us a lot of the great Gilles Peterson Universal collections that were out a few years back – full of deep tones and rich colors, and proof that when you've got the right guy at the helm, a collection of older jazz tracks can be way more than just the sum of its parts! In addition to Universal label work – originally issued on Decca, Emarcy, and other labels – the package features some Fantasy/Prestige tracks too – including some great gems we might have missed otherwise. Almost 75 minutes of music – with titles that include "Taboo" by Dorothy Ashby, "New Delhi" by James Clay, "Big P" by New Jazz Orchestra, "Juan-Les-Pins" by Staffan Abeleen, "Subo" by Klaus Weiss, "Spanish Castles" by George Gruntz, "Modette" by Roy Haynes, "My Favorite Things" by Sound Of Feeling, "Jungle Fantasy" by Yusef Lateef, "Feeling Good" by Pat Bowie, "The Hooter" by Ernie Wilkins, "Afro Blue" by Abbey Lincoln, "Bogota" by Ahmad Jamal, and "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria.

The soundtrack to the excellent Dub Echoes documentary and a wild trip across the landscape of dub, both new and old! Syncopated rhythms, deep, dark bass, and cosmic reverb and echo abound on this fine set that connects the modern dubstep scene with heavyweight Jamaican originators of the sound. While it would take a massive box set to cover even a portion of the music featured in the film, the selector's at Soul Jazz of kept this set nicely concise, tight and right all the way through! 17 numbers in all, including "Witness (One Hope) (Walworth road rockers dub)" by Root sManuva, "Sega Beats" by Disrupt, "Forever More" by Dub Syndicate, "Psalms Of Drums" and "Ruffer Version" by King Tubby, "Sine Of The Dub" by Kode9 & The Space Ape, "Rootsman" by U Roy & Francois Kevorkian, "King In My Empire" by Rhythm & Sound with Cornell Campbell, "Deb Dub" by Digital Dubs Vs Dubiterian, "Congo Man Chant" by the Congos and "Rejoicing Skank" by the Upsetters.

The grooviness continues! This set's a wonderful mix of obscure soundtrack grooves – plus a few other choice Latin bits – with an out-of-this world groove that's totaly excellent! The Mood Mosaic series is one of our favorite-ever – as they really go out of their way to pull together excellent little bits from rare sources, blending each volume with a thematic intensity that makes each individual track sparkle in the mix! Titles include "Jungle Fever" by Sheba, "Ape Shuffle" by Lalo Schifrin, "Willie Escapes" by JJ Johnson, "Crack Shot" by Max Harris, "Moneyrunner" by John Schroeder, "Free Tarrant" by Roy Budd, "Man With The Golden Gun" by London Royal Orchestra, "Galaxy A Go Go" by Jerry Goldsmith, "Dope Bust" by Flora Purim & Buddy De Franco, and "Mini Manhunt" by David Shire.

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy,, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more.

A celebration that's a decade in the making – compiling some of the best material from the producer-centric series of hip hop albums on BBE/Beat Generation – timeless boombap from Jay Dee, Madlib, DJ Spinna, King Britt, Marley Marl, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Pete Rock and others! The 2CD compilation features sets compiled and mixed by DJ Spinna and Mr Thing – which not only feature stellar beats by the producers at the helm, but rhymes and vocals from the likes of Talib Kweli, Slum Village, Jill Scott, Bahamadia, Guilty Simpson and many more. One thing we appreciated from the get-go with albums in the Beat Generation series was the effort to make records that were built to last – and as much as 10 years later, it holds up really well! The 2CD version features sets deftly mixed by Spinna & Mr Thing, and a sprawling set list that includes "Stop" by Madlib, What It Do" by Madlib feat Talib Kweli, "Are You Ready" by DJ Jazzy Jeff feat Slum Village, "Hummin'" by Marley Marl feat Roy Ayers & Edwin Byrdsong, ""Live Us Sold" by DJ Spinna feat Abdul Shylon, "Galactic Soul" by DJ Spinna, "Transcend" by King Britt feat Bahamadia, "Give It To Y'All" by Pete Rock feat Roc Marciano & Trife, "African Rhythms" by Jay Dee, "Lay Me Down" by Will I Am feat Terry Dexter and many more.

A treasure trove of raw soul and rough-edged R&B – a killer collection of material that originally appeared on the ultra-limited series of Juke Box Jam singles from Jazzman – sweetly collected into one nicely-priced package! The grooves here are totally great – and represent a step backwards in the funk scene – a move back to the 50s and early 60s from the previous focus on later years' soulful sounds – a much-needed dig back into the R&B that first inspired all the soul and funk of the 60s and 70s – but with a very fresh ear, so that the collection's way different than any set of music like this you would have heard a decade ago! The sounds are plenty gritty, and a great illustration that there's still loads to be discovered in these crucial years of music – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Lula" by Mike Robinson, "Country Boy" by Big Tiny Kennedy, "Mr Hound Dog's In Town" by Roy Brown, "I Can't Takit No Longer" by Ben Harper, "Shorty" by Vernon Dilworth, "Geechie Goomie" by Marga Benitez, "Crazy Do" by Jack Tucker, "I Say No No More" by Frances Burr, "Baby You Were Meant For Me" by Ervin Rucker, and "Hot Weather Blues" by Mr Sad Head.

Rare rock from the Golden Triangle scene of Southeast TX in the late 60s and early 70s – a well-curated overview of the stylistically sprawling material being cut at Mickey Rouse's Lowland Recording Studio in Beaumont! Texas rock of the late 60s and early 70s justifiably brings to mind acts like The 13th Floor Elevators and The Bubble Puppy – tripped out psychedelia in other words, but Texas is huge, and there was a heck of a lot more going on than just the best remembered cult favorites. The music coming out of just the Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Texas "triangle" chronicled here was incredibly diverse. It includes proto TX boogie rock that's a clear precursor to early ZZ Top, harmony flavored numbers that sound closer to Cali than they do The Lone Star State, one track that somehow fuses CS&N with The Beatles and does so with prominent cowbell in the mix (and it's good!!!), punchy psych grit, and swaggering country rock with some twang in the strings that feels a bit more profoundly Texan. You don't need our word that The Numero Group has devoted some serious attention to detail – with a large booklet of notes, photos and histories, plus the impressive Lost In The Golden Triangle "family tree" of the regional musicians involved – as if discovering these long buried regional relics wasn't impressive enough already. Beautiful! 28 tracks on the 2LP version...6 more than on the CD! "Trash One" by the Lowland Studio Band, "Live My Life Today" by Insight Out, "Simple House" by Mother Lion, "Love Of The Morning" by Circus, "Take A Look At Your Friends" by Next Exit, "You Know I Love You" by Roy Briggs & Alton Tew, "Calling Me Home (Demo)" by Donald Thomas and more, plus the LP only tracks "Lizard" by Lowland Studio Band, "Let Me Listen" by Sage, "Groundhog Day" by Boot Hill and more.

A hip set of modern jazz takes on Disney tunes – featuring a stellar roster of both veterans and younger talent bring fresh, jazzy creativity to numbers that truly deserve the love and respect of such artists, regardless of how anyone feels about the empire! Incredibly cool players here, some radically reworking the classic Disney grooves, others embracing and expanding on it. Artists include Esperanza Spaulding, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Regina Carter, Dianne Reeves, Dave Brubeck and others. 13 tracks in all: "Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat" by Roy Hargrove, "Chim Chim Cher-Ee" by Esperanza Spaulding, "You've Got A Friend In Me" by Joshua Redman, "Alice In Wonderland" by Roberta Gambarini with The Dave Brubeck Trio, "Gaston" by Bad Plus, "Circle Of Life" by Mark Rapp, "He's A Tramp" by Dianne Reeves and more.

Rave-up soul treasures from the late 50s through the 60s – one of the best compilations we've seen from Outta Sight! Age Of Northern Soul pulls together great material that blends Northern Soul, Popcorn and R&B – all of it pretty wonderful It's got lesser-remembered tunes from famous names that sound as glorious in our ears as some of the more beloved hits – including Etta James, Jimmy Ruffin, The Temptations and The O'Jays – as well as some great stuff from singers and groups most known to collectors. It's also jam packed with songs – 27 in all! Titles include "Seven Day Fool" by Etta James, "Don't Feel Sorry For Me" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Don't Mess With My Man" by Irma Thomas, "Mr Johnny Q" by The Bobbettes, "Oh My Soul" by Garlon Davis, "The Day Will Come" by Freddie Gorman, "Faded Letter" by Satintones, "Hard Times" by Royal Jokers, "Romance Without Finance" by The Temptations, "Heard Hearted Woman" by Eddie Burns, "Drip Drop" by The Drifters, "It Keeps Raining" by Fats Domino and many more.

The blueprint of a generation – a set that brings together a huge amount of rare singles from the start of the 60s – most of which helped form the groove for years to come! The set's got a great early soul feel – tracks that show a genre still in formation – as bits of R&B, vocal jazz, blues, and other styles are pulled together in the new groove of the time – not yet as upbeat as the Northern Soul you'd know from a few years later – but definitely cooking with a similar sort of energy. There's plenty of numbers here to appeal to a mambo soul crowd – and titles include "You Ain't So Such A Much" by Blanche Thomas, "Feelin Kind A Lonesome" by Willie J Charles, "She Knocks Me Out" by Harold Burrage, "My Heart's On Fire" by Billy Bland, "Good Enough" by Bobby Guy, "He's The One That Rings My Bell" by Sherri Taylor, "I Think I Love You" by Helen Troy, "Little Annie" by Anna Bell Caesar, and "You Don't Have To Go" by Sam Myers.

One of the coolest sets the Numero Group has ever released – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given their already-mighty catalog! Although the label issued a previous dip into the enigmatic Boddie Recording company of Cleveland, this massive package brings together a whopping 57 tracks from the Boddie studios and related labels – many of which have never been reissued before, even by Numero – and all of which offer up a mindblowing microcosm of the American scene in the 60s and 70s – a wealth of rare funk, soul, psych, gospel, and more – all of it the kind of gritty material that 45 collectors die for! But just as cool as the music is the package itself – a heavy box with a flap that fits around five LPs, two booklets, flyer reproductions, and even a Boddie greeting card! There's loads of rare photos, band information, studio details, and more – billed by Numero as a "self-contained record industry" in one box. Musically, the whole thing's right on par with other Numero releases – maybe even above them, given the wide range and depth of the collection – and artists include Bo & The Metros, Inter Circle, King James Version, Ricky Hodges, Jackie Russell, Angela Alexander, Frankie Pighee, Chantells, AC Jones, Harvey Hall, Headlines, Modern Detergents, Penny North, JC Akins, Little Anthony Mitchell, Gospel Fabulators, Royal Kings, Corinthian Singers, Brother Bill, Victory 5, and many more.

Cooler than ice – and cooler than just about any other label collection we've ever seen – a massive collection of work from the legendary Artic label, home to some of the best Philly grooves in the late 60s and early 70s! The package not only includes 6CDs, but also features 6 funky 45s as well – each of which features an unissued gem from the label – all wrapped up in a really well-done cover that comes with a 48 page booklet, and lots of vintage photos! There's never been a label overview like this one before – and the CDs feature every single issued by the company, both a and b-sides – a project that took the folks at Jamie many years to produce, but which has been well worth the wait. The music is wonderful throughout – great female soul, some soaring group tracks, and even a few funky nuggets too – way more than we ever knew that Arctic ever recorded. In addition to early efforts from later stars like Barbara Mason or Kenny Gamble, the set also features music by Honey & The Bees, The Ambassadors, The Combo Kings, The Rotations, Teddy & The Fingerpoppers, Three Strangers, Billy Floyd, Jack & Jill, The Temptones, Kenny Hamber, Herb Johnson, Winfield Parker, Lane Relations, Volcanos, Della Humphrey, Royal Five, and many others. The set's six 7" singles are amazing too – a dozen tracks that have never been heard before – including "He's Got To Love Me" and "Catch Him Love" by Barbara Mason, "I'm At My Best When I'm Down" and "The Rock" by The Combo Kings, "It Takes Two" and "Fat Daddy" by Kenny Gamble, "No Doubt About It" and "Lover Boy" by The Tiffanys, "Doctor Love" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Ambassadors, and "I Love You Just The Same" and "Fallin Star" by Winfield Parker.

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Titles include "Le Jardin" by Rodelius, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Base & Apex" by Eno, Moebius & Rodelius, "In A Sacred Manner"by Gila, "Himmelblau" by Wolfgang Reichmann, "Co Co Pino" by DAF, "Sun & Moon" by Michael Hoenig, "Emphasis" by Harald Grosskopf, "China" by Electric Sandwich, "Zeebrugge" by Asmus Tietchens, "Krautrock" by Faust, "Gibli" by Niagara, "Electric Day" by You, "Die Weisse Aim" by Sergius Golowin, "Danger Cruising" by Pyrolator, "Sundance Chant" by Gila, and "Als Hatt Ich Das Alles Schon Mal Gesehen" by AR & Machines.

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Part 1 of the vinyl set features titles that include "Le Jardin" by Rodelius, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Base & Apex" by Eno, Moebius & Rodelius, "In A Sacred Manner"by Gila, "Himmelblau" by Wolfgang Reichmann, "Co Co Pino" by DAF, "Sun & Moon" by Michael Hoenig, and "Emphasis" by Harald Grosskopf.

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Vinyl version part 2 features tracks that include "China" by Electric Sandwich, "Zeebrugge" by Asmus Tietchens, "Krautrock" by Faust, "Gibli" by Niagara, "Electric Day" by You, "Die Weisse Aim" by Sergius Golowin, "Danger Cruising" by Pyrolator, "Sundance Chant" by Gila, and "Als Hatt Ich Das Alles Schon Mal Gesehen" by AR & Machines.

A glorious batch of unearthed soul and funk from the early 70s central Ohio scene – the storming singles of Prix label – culled from ultra rare 45s plus previous unreleased gems! Prix was the imprint started to release work captured at Columbus's Harmonic Sounds studios commercially – pummeling funk, uptempo harmony soul, some heavy organ groovers and beyond – work by the Royal Esquires, Eddie Ray, Joe King, Marion Black and others. Most of the tracks were cut in the first few years of the 70s – at a time when when central Ohio was producing soul and funk as mighty as the bigger midwestern cities of Detroit, Memphis and Chicago – standing just as tall even if it didn't get over as well in the marketplace! Some tracks were issued as Prix 45s in the early 70s, and others were never officially released – culled from finished masters, demos and other studio material that was only recently discovered! Titles include "Wait A Minute", "You Got Me" and more by Eddie Ray, "Mystic" and "Mister Kidneys" by OFS Unlimited, "Speak On Up" and "Your My Everything" by Joe King, "Ain't Gonna Run" by Royal Esquires, "Listen Black Brother" by Marion Black, "Melon Jelly" by Soul Ensemble, "I'm Gonna Gitcha" by Chip Willis & Double Exposure and more. LP has 2 bonus cuts – 21 tracks in all!

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 host of wonderful work produced by James Brown – most of it by a range of different singers, and one by The Godfather himself! The collection brings together some of the earliest James Brown productions – mid 60s tracks recorded for King and Smash Records, most of which aren't nearly as well known as later JB productions for the People and Polydor labels! As with that later work, all the grooves here are right in the same territory that James was hitting himself – upbeat, funky, and stone out of sight soul – all with plenty of rough edges, and backings from the same tight core of musicians that were helping out Brown on his recordings. The package is a real treasure – and is a great complement to the James Brown Singles collections from the Hip-O Select label – proof that even in these early days, James was clearly the hardest working man in show business – given all his time in the studio with other artists! 22 tracks in all – including "I Found Out" and "I'll Keep Pressing On" by Bobby Byrd, "That's When I Cry" and "If You Don't Think" by Anna King, "I Don't Care" and "Unexplainable" by Dizzy Jones, "Got No Excuse" and "If You Don't Work You Can't Eat" by James Crawford, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "Lookie Lookie Lookie" by The Jewells, "Wide Awake In A Dream" and "Nobody Cares" by Vicki Anderson, "Devil's Den" by The Poets, "It Hurts To Be In Love" by Yvonne Fair, "That's The Spirit" by Rev Willingham, "Faith" by The Five Royales, "I Cried" by Tammy Montgomery, "Soul Food (parts 1 & 2)" by Al Brisco Clark, and "New Breed (The Boo Ga Loo) (part 1)" by James Brown.

Seminal club tracks from the start of the 80s – a dozen great boogie numbers pulled together for the second installment in this excellent series! The package is really the cream of the crop from the era, and the set mixes together a few minor hits with other lesser-known numbers for a really fresh array of music – the kind of collection that goes way past the obvious, and which is bound to re-illuminate your understanding of dancefloor grooves from the time. Titles include "Share The Night" by World Premier, "Our Hearts Will Aways Shine" by Ozone, "Bizzaare" by Rhyze, "You Need A Change Of Mind" by Brooklyn Express, "Can't Get Away" by Carol Williams, "Seventh Heaven (Larry Levan rmx)" by Gwen Guthrie, "Still In Love" by Rose Royce, "Help Is On The Way" by The Whatnauts, "Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore, and "Stay Tonite" by Mandrill.

Rare grooves in many flavors – a wonderful collection of rare gems from the American 70s underground – and a set that's overflowing with cuts from some of the most valuable albums of the period! The core vibe here is jazz, but there's also a lot more going on too – bits of funk, some spiritual touches, and some downright soulful moments too – all presented in a set of tracks that really lives up to the "deep" in the title – a bit like Gilles Peterson pulling together music of this nature, but as if he dug even deeper than usual! Titles include "Shake Your Poo Poo (45 version)" by Earl Carter & The Fantastic 6, "Vaya Mulatto" by Stone Alliance, "Free Man" by George Freeman, "African Rhythms (45 version part 1)" by Oneness Of Juju, "Mr PC" by Mike Selesia, "Destroy The Nihilist Picnic" by London Experimental Jazz Quartet, "Intergalactic Love Song (alt mix)" by The Diddys with Paige Douglas, "Ain't Got No I Got Life" by Nina Simone, "Only Yesterday" by Weldon Irvine, "Afra Jum (alt take)" by Francisco Mora Catlett, and "Dream Come True (part 1)" by Three Of Us.

A stellar collection of far reaching 70s funk – bridging schools of funk brilliantly – from fusiony grooves, to disco, to rawly raucous, and smoothed out and soulful – a mix of famous material that crossed over with others that are best known to crate diggers! The set's in the German Jazz Club series – and includes great stuff from Deaodato, Pleasure, Rose Royce, Betty Davis, Parliament, Rick James, The Bar-Kays, Ohio Players, Southside Movement and many more. 18 tracks in all: "Funk Yourself" by Deodato, "Let's Dance" by Pleasure, "Supernatural Feeling" by Blackbyrds, "Unfunky UFO" by Parliament, "This Is It" by Betty Davis, "Blow Your Head" by Fred Wesley & The JBs, "Shake Your Rump To The Funk" by Bar-Kays, "Funk Talk" by Southside Movement and more.

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "Women Police In England" by Mighty Terror, "My Sorrow" by West African Swing Stars, "Cricket Umpires" by Lord Kitchener, "Jordhu" by Caribbean Swing Band, "Trumpet Highlife" by Shake Keane, "Calypso Mambo" by George Browne, "Cuban Nightingale" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Kitch" by The Quavers, "Tabu" by Mona Baptiste, "King Jimmy Foo Foo" by Tejan Sie with The West African Rhythm Brothers, "The Escape" by Dizzy Reece, "Mambo Contempo" by Ginger Johnson, "Life In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Sway" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Song Of Joy" by Rupert Nurse's Calypso Band, "Joe Louis Calypso" by Lord Beginner, "Uncle Joe" by Fitzroy Coleman Quintet, "Me Donkey Want Water" by Tony Johnson, "Belly Lick" by Eric Hayden, "Nigeria Odowoyin" by West African Rhythm Brothers, and "Football Calypso" by King Timothy.

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "The Escape" by Dizzy Reece, "Mambo Contempo" by Ginger Johnson, "Life In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Sway" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Song Of Joy" by Rupert Nurse's Calypso Band, "Joe Louis Calypso" by Lord Beginner, "Uncle Joe" by Fitzroy Coleman Quintet, "Me Donkey Want Water" by Tony Johnson, "Belly Lick" by Eric Hayden, "Nigeria Odowoyin" by West African Rhythm Brothers, and "Football Calypso" by King Timothy.

Massive grooves from the legendary Sam Records – a late 70s disco powerhouse from the New York scene – and one of the tightest, most soulful labels on the market! This killer collection not only brings together the best of Sam from the glory days, it also offers up a wealth of edits and remixes that further enforce the funky sounds of the classics – including a number of contemporary edits that really bring out the hippest aspects of the tunes! Percussion breakdowns are extended, keyboard parts stretched out, and basslines are funkier than ever – on a 2CD set of tracks that include "We'll Make It (Volta Bureau edit)" by Mike & Brenda Sutton, "Bourgie Bourgie (Catz N Dogz rmx)" by John Davis & Monster Orchestra, "This Beat Is Mine (Soul Clap rmx)" by Vicky D, "Just How Sweet Is Your Love (Walker & Royce Touch)" by Rhyze, "Feel Alright (Bonar Broadberry edit)" by Komiko, "Stay With Me (Andy Ash edit)" by John Davis, "Let's Lovedance Tonight (Jacques Renault edit)" by Gary's Gang, Just Let Me Dance (Maxxi Soundsystem rmx)" by Scandla, "Up Jumped The Devil (6th Borough Project jumped up jam)" by John Davis, "Keep On Dancing (Todd Terje rmx)" by Gary's Gang, "Don't Stop (runaway rmx)" by KID, and "Let's Do It (Prince Language hands up edit)" by Convertion – plus a long continuous mix of tracks by Jacques Renault!

Crisply-tailored, yet soulful and groovy mod jazz from the 60s – a slew of great numbers by Byrdie Green, Johnny Lytle, Mark Murphy, Reuben Wilson, The Nightbeats, The Cals, Billy Larkin, Johnny Hammond Smith, Byrdie Smith and more! Lots of great stuff here, from names synonymous to moddish jazz and others that nicely fit that mold for a bit – cats like Buddy Guy, for instance. A sweet, sweet set from the passionate compilers at Kent UK! Includes "The Real Thing" by Troy Dodds, "Finders Keepers" by Floyd White, "Rod Run" by The Reuben Wilson Quartet, "Talkin' About Love" by Tobi Lark, "Screamin'" by Jack McDuff, "Double Love" by The Cals, "Tricky Too" by Gus Jenkins, "Fever" by Buddy Guy, "Work Song" by Clint Stacy, "My Beat" by George Stone, " It's Like Love" by Mark Murphy, "The Village Caller" by The Johnny Lytle Trio and more.

A treasure trove of twelve inch singles from Solar Records – the west coast powerhouse for uptempo soul! Most of the numbers here date from the early 80s years when Solar were totally on top of their game – really dominating mainstream soul of the time in the same way Philly International did a decade before. The 2CD set features 12" mixes for all tracks – which mean that most are longer than the LP versions – and most grooves here are in a bumping, stepping, or boogie-oriented mode – post-disco with plenty of great west coast R&B touches. Titles include "Midas Touch" and "Scientific Love" by Midnight Star, "Show Me Where You're Coming From" and "Dance With You" by Carrie Lucas, "Call Me" by Bill Wolfer, "There It Is" and "Night To Remember (US ext mix)" by Shalamar, "No Pain No Gain" and "Rock Steady" by The Whispers, "I Don't Wanna Be A Freak" and "Love In The Fast Lane" by Dynasty, "It's All The Way Live" and "One Minute After Midnight" by Lakeside, "Classy Lady" by Leroy Hutson, "Romeo Where's Juliet" and "Winners & Loser" by Collage, "Street Beat" by The Deele, and "Come Back Lover" by The Sylvers.

Another chapter in the Studio One story, as told by the top notch selectors at Soul Jazz, and as with the earlier editions in their Studio One series, this one's another mighty batch of Jamaican rhythm and blues. Like so many other Coxsone Dodd productions, you can hear the foundations of many future generations of Jamaican music running through these titles, 17 jaunty ska numbers laced with jazz inflected solos laid down by Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Jackie Mittoo and the Skatalites, or harmonized vocals courtesy the Ethiopians, Maytals and others. As you've come to expect, this is an ace package with excellent notes and archival photos, loaded down with classic performances and hard to get nuggets, too! With Jackie Mittoo's "El Bang Bang", Ken Boothe & Stranger Cole "Arte Bella", The Wailers "Put It On", The Skatalites "Addis Ababa" and "Exodus", Joe Higgs "I'm The Song My Enemies Sing", Delroy Wilson "I Want Justice", Tommy McCook "Sampson" and "Freedom Sounds", The Maytals "Marching On", Don Drummond "Don Cosmic", Andy & Joey "You're Wondering Now" and more!