Funky Compilations — All Formats  

Plenty of disco love here – a really heartfelt selection of rare club tunes – great little numbers that are as funky and soulful as they are obscure! These aren't the disco hits of the late 70s, but they're also not clunkers that are just rare either – and instead, they're great little tunes that hardly got discovered back in the day – but are brought together here in a wicked collection by collector Al Kent! There's a freshness to the material that takes us way past the obvious – funky basslines, snapping drums, and lots of wonderful keyboards and guitar – all wrapped up in a near-perfect way, and usually set to some smoking vocals too. Many of the cuts here are rare to even our crate-tuned ears – and titles include "Mighty Gents" by The Mighty Gents, "Hungry" by Sandy's Gang, "Oh Baby/Get On Down" by Bo Galigher & TSB, "Something About You" by Moses, "Disco Fever (part 3)" by Rhond Durand, "Disco Music" by Sil Austin, "Hustle On Down (part 3)" by Michael Legrair, and "I Want To Be With You" by Gregory Andre & Two Plus Three.

Excellent work from an overlooked west coast soul label – LA's mighty hip Romark Records, home to a surprisingly righteous batch of work from the 60s! Most tracks here hail from the label's mid 60s heyday, but have a groove that's light years past most of their contemporaries – really echoing modes that would burst bigger in the 70s, both in the message in the music, and the overall presentation of the songs – all at a level that could sometimes have a great deal of sophistication! A few more tracks are from an early 80s stretch of work from Romark producer Kent Harris – and show that the groove was still going on in the LA underground – really helping give a full picture of this obscure musical outlet. As usual, Ace/Kent have done a tremendous job with presentation – providing plenty of notes and information to flesh out the excellent set list – with cuts that include "I'm The Only One" by Donoman, "Have Mercy On Me" by Larry Atkins, "It's Hard To Explain" by Ray Agee, "All At Once" by Ty Karim, "Work It Out" by Marcene Harris, "Beautiful Day My Brother" by Obie Jessie, "I'm Leaving You" by The Francettes, "Dream Girl" by Lon-Genes, "Pay & Be On My Way" by O'Malley Jones, "If I Can't Stop You" by Marshall McQueen, and "I Can't Hold Back This Feeling" by Deborah Foster & Marshall McQueen.

Plenty of disco love here – a really heartfelt selection of rare club tunes – great little numbers that are as funky and soulful as they are obscure! These aren't the disco hits of the late 70s, but they're also not clunkers that are just rare either – and instead, they're great little tunes that hardly got discovered back in the day – but are brought together here in a wicked collection by collector Al Kent! There's a freshness to the material that takes us way past the obvious – funky basslines, snapping drums, and lots of wonderful keyboards and guitar – all wrapped up in a near-perfect way, and usually set to some smoking vocals too. Many of the cuts here are rare to even our crate-tuned ears – and titles include "Mighty Gents" by The Mighty Gents, "Hungry" by Sandy's Gang, "Oh Baby/Get On Down" by Bo Galigher & TSB, "Something About You" by Moses, "Disco Fever (part 3)" by Rhond Durand, "Disco Music" by Sil Austin, "Hustle On Down (part 3)" by Michael Legrair, "I Want To Be With You" by Gregory Andre & Two Plus Three, "How Long Is Forever" by Frank & James, "Human" by Neo Experience, "Waiting In the Wings" by Marion Javius, and "Is It Wrong" by Magnetic Force. 2CD version features a full mix of all tracks by Al Kent – plus an unmixed CD with 15 individual tracks.

A sweet celebration of 30 years of Kent Records – a longtime home to rare soul from the 60s and 70s, with killer collections like these! The set is way more than a rehash of the label's work from the past three decades – as it also features a big number of previously unreleased tunes too, making the package essential to any longtime fan of the label – as well as any lover of 60s soul in general! All tunes are as upbeat and groovy as you'd expect from the Northern Soul reference in the title – and the whole thing's a smoking reminder of why we've trusted Kent with our record-buying dollars for so many years. Titles include "You Only Live Twice (orig take)" by Lorraine Chandler, "Faith & Understanding (alt mix)" by The Magicians, "What Should I Do (alt mix)" by Little Ann, "I'd Be A Millionaire" by Chuck Jackson, " Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right" by The Mayberry Movement, "True Love Is In The Heart" by Alexander Patton, "Changes" by Lilly Fields, "I'm Shooting High (alt mix)" by OC Tolbert, "I'm Stepping Out Of The Picture" by Johnny Maestro & The Crests, "Handwriting On The Wall" by Bobby Wisdom, "Baby Without You" by Gene & Gary, and "Have Faith In Me" by Sugar & The Spices.

An under-discovered treasure trove of southern soul – incredible early 70s work from the Sounds Of Memphis label – arguably a hipper imprint than Stax Records at the time! Sounds Of Memphis, and related XL imprint, were a perfect showcase for the growing sophistication in southern soul at the time – the generation of artists who were shaking off the cliches of soul that played big with crossover crowds in the 60s, but which were holding back development of the music in the following decade. The styles here are every bit as rootsy as before, but they offer up new sounds, new styles, new subjects, and new singers – plus some older artists who shine even more brightly in this setting. The package is a great counterpart to the other Sounds Of Memphis set on Kent – that based on Barbara & The Browns – and the production, presentation, and care of this set is every bit as great as that one. Titles include "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Spencer Wiggins, "Last Mile Of The Way" by The Minits, "You're Welcome Back" by Ann Hodge, "Tell Him Tonight" by Rudolph Taylor, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Love" by Lou Roberts, "Talking About The Love I Have For You" by George Jackson, "Hook Like & Sinker" by Dan Greer, "You Can Lead Your Woman To The Altar" by William Bollinger, "Take It From Someone Who Knows" by The Ovations, "California Dreamin" by The Jacksonians, "Let the Movement Last" by Vision, and "Play Thing (alt mix)" by Barbara & The Browns.

Dancefloor cookers from the prime Northern Soul years – all instrumental numbers on this sharp compilation on Kent – 45 sides from a labels like Money, Villa, Swan, King, Epic and Warner Brothers! For all the wonderful Kent soul compilations we've gotten our dusty fingers on over the years, it's a wonder they're never been one devoted to instrumentals – until now! Rhythms roll along at a tight tempo, the tight guitars punch it up, some strings soar, and a pounding Northern beat keeps it all stomping! Those core elements are key, but others weave in an out, from hand claps on the beat, to organ grooves, bursts of brass and more. 24 tracks in all: "Double Cookin" by Checkerboard Squares, "Make Me Yours" by Arthur Wright & His Orchestra, "Festival Time" by San Remo Golden Strings", "The Sounds Of Lane" by Tracks To Your Mind, "Champion Pt 1" by Willie Mitchell, "The Guys From Uncle" by The Spy, "Stirrin Up Some Soul" by The Mar-Ketts, "Hey America (Sing Along)" by James Brown, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and more.

The latest volume in one of our favorite series of soul jazz tracks! This one opens the scope way past previous volumes, and features a rollicking party of tasty little groovers – most of them with a raw, uptempo, funky 45 jukebox kind of feel! Tracks are from the Chess, Fantasy, Jewel, and Brunswick catalogs – with many rare numbers like "Fever" by Sharon Cash, "Get Ready" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Ain't There Something That Money Can't Buy" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Light My Fire" by Erma Franklin, "Hush" by Woody Herman, "Another Plan For School Mix Up" by The Cals, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Karen Hernandez, "Caesar's Pad" by Googie Rene, "The Point" by Aaron (Chico) Bailey & The Family Affair Band, "I Got To See My Baby" by Lee Jones & The Unforgotten Two, and "Ain't It A Groove" by Dave Hamilton. 23 cuts in all – and very very groovy!

Genius work from one of the greatest Southern Soul studios ever – Muscle Shoals' legendary Fame Studios – the start of a huge wave of great music in the 60s, and a genre-changing sound that's still going strong today! The package is the best we've ever seen to look at Fame – not just a killer selection of the studio's music – 75 tracks that bring together rare singles, hits, and some lesser-known gems – but also a beautiful hardcover book, filled with pages and pages of great notes, vintage images, and more – really telling the unique take of Fame, producer Rick Hall, and all the mighty talents who helped make Muscle Shoals one of the most important sites for soul music in the 60s and 70s. Titles include "Ten Miles High" by David & The Giants, "Search Your Heart" by George Jackson, "Let Them Talk" by Dan Penn, "Two In The Morning" by Spooner's Crowd, "Lady In The Rain" by Lowell Fulson, "Wanted Lover" by James Govan, "Grits & Gravy" by The Fame Gang, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "What Color Is Love" by Roscoe Robinson, "Laugh It Off" by The Tams, "Thief In The Night" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Mitty Collier, "I'm Just A Prisoner" by Candi Staton, "Thread The Needle" by Clarence & Calvin, and "Slippin Around With You" by Art Freeman.

Possibly the greatest installment so far in this wonderfully groovy series – a set of hard-swinging soul jazz tracks from the 60s – most of them the sort you might find blasting out of a jukebox in the backroom of some southside bar! Heavy Hammond, tremendous tenor, and gritty guitar lines abound – all upbeat and groovy, almost funky at times – served up in 2 or 3 minute installments from a batch of rare 45s! There's echoes here of the instrumental grooves that play big on the popcorn soul scene, but other work is more jazz-based overall – and although a few tunes have vocals, the biggest focus here is on instrumental numbers. Wonderful stuff throughout – and a collection we'll be playing for years! Titles include "Bash Dance" by Bobby Donaldson, "Arabian Jerk" by The Merits, "La La La La La" by Afro Blues Quintet, "Take Off Your Shoes (part 1)" by Booker T Averhart & The Mustangs, "Hung Over" by The Martinis, "Senor Blues" by Dee Clarke, "Sweet Bread" by Miles Grayson Trio, "All Around The World" by Chuck Higgins, "COD" by Albert King, "Fredrick's Dream" by Kenny Rice & Leo's Five, and "Tam-A-Rind" by Hank Jacobs & The TKOs.

A love letter to the legendary Fame Records – filled with unissued tracks and rare gems from the vaults! Fame was one of the great ones back in the day – the driving force behind Muscle Shoals soul music, and a company that helped really redefine the sound of the music in the 60s – thanks to incredible production, and a tight cast of studio musicians who knocked it out of the park on nearly every session! 21 of the set's 24 tracks have never been issued before – and, even more compelling, none were featured on the similar 7" box set from Ace – making the package a treasure trove of music, even for the serious soul collector. Titles include "Tell It Like It Is" by Big Ben Atkins, "Almost Persuaded" by Jackie, "You're So Fine" by James Barnett, "I Do" by June Conquest, "Your Helping Hand" by Otis Clay, "In The Heat Of Love" by Marjorie Ingram, "Steal Away 67" by Jimmy Hughes, "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy" by Ralph Soul Jackson, "Let's Do It Over" by Travis Wammack, "For You" by George Jackson, "Baby Come Back" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Keep On Talking" by Prince Phillip, "It Ain't No Harm" by George Byrd & The Dominoes, "Blind Can't See" by Richard Earl & The Corvettes, and "I Need Someone" by The Entertainers.

We can't get enough of Fame Records – that legendary powerhouse of southern soul in the 60s and 70s – and fortunately, the vaults of the studios have finally been opened after all these decades – and we're really getting the full picture of all the genius that went down in Muscle Shoals! This tremendous little package is essential southern soul listening for both the collector and newcomer – a whopping 24 tracks that virtually define the sound of the genre at its height – handled perfectly by producer Rick Hall and his core combo of crack musicians – working way past cliche to create some tremendous music on the set! A few of the artists here are names you'll know from Fame hits, a few more are lesser-knowns from the scene at the time – and a few more are even completely unknown – singers who weren't listed on the master tapes or studio records, but who are issued here because their vocals are so great. Titles include "Long Ago" by Ben & Spence, "It Tears Me Up" by James Barnett, "Take Me Back" by George Jackson, "Unfortunately" by Jackie, "Have Pity On Me" by Billy Young, "Don't Let It Be Sad" by June Conquest, "Fool For A Woman" by Prince Phillip, "Take It All Off" by Clarence Carter, "Are You Teasing Me" by Linda Carr, "I Can't Stop" by Big Ben Atkins, "Get In A Hurry" by Joe Simon, and "Midnight Affair" by George Soule.

Hard-hitting Harlem soul – a sweet selection of indie singles from the late 60s and early 70s – most of which are light years away from the mainstream! The sound of many cuts here is quite unique – elements of soul modes of the era, but swirled up and spit out in really fresh ways – often with a bit of grit in the grooves, and some unusual, offbeat production, instrumentation, and rhythms – all of which help keep things cool throughout! We'll be honest in saying that we'd hardly heard most of these singles before, and only knew a few of the artists – but there's a wealth of wonderful music to discover in the package – all quite different than you might find on other funk or soul collections, with almost the revelatory approach we're used to getting from the Numero Group. CD features track-by-track notes on the tunes – and titles include "I'll Do It For You" by Little Willie, "She Said I'd Be A Failure" by Clarence Ashe, "I Pray To Keep Our Love Strong" by Johnnie & Joe, "I Got A Feeling" by Dicky & Billy, "24 Hours Of The Day" by The Gillettes, "Stay Away From My Baby" by Taffie Lee, "Dancing In A Dream World" by Jimmy & Arthur, "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" by Miss Johnnie, "You Needn't Tell Me" by Sity & James, "I Won't Ever Try To Change You" by Henry Hodge, "Money & All Your Love" by Freda Allyne, and "It Doesn't Matter" by Niece Dezel.

A massive collection of soulful groovers – tunes that packed the dancefloors in the days before disco, and which definitely show the harder edge of the soul spectrum! The set starts off with mid-60s tunes based around a simple rhythm and a quirky dance gimmick – then branches out into some hard-hitting sock-soul numbers from later in the decade, and eventually slides into some sweet 70s funk! The overview of tunes is a great one, with some tasty familiar numbers, some great obscurities, and a few tracks that have been massively hard to find on CD! Titles include "The Greasy Frog" by Jeb Stuart, "The Matador" by Major Lance, "The Dip" by The Whispers, "Jerk It" by The Gypsies, "The Chicken" by Jackie Lee, "The Meditation" by TNT Band, "Broadway Freeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, "Walkin The Duck" by The Triumphs, "Temptation Walk" by The Entertainers IV, "Moon Walk (parts 1 & 2)" by Joe Simon, "Bumpin & Stompin" by Garland Green, "Bus Stop" by Fatback Band, and "Do The Sissy" by Albert Collins. 26 tracks in all!

Deep southern soul from the Sounds Of Memphis label – with some incredible stuff that for the most part never has seen official light of day before now – compiled by Dean Rudland for Kent UK! Kent has mined the vaults of Sounds Of Memphis for a series of solid compilations, and it's surprising how much more continues to be discovered considering the continual high quality! A solid majority of the tracks are prime 60s & 70s southern soul – with some early 80s records later on on the set that with a contemporary sound, though still committed to a true soul style! Includes "Pity A Fool" by Carl Sims, "I Don't Want No One Way Love" by Dan Greer, "Stop Boy" by Fran Farley, "So Cruel" by Barbara And The Browns, "Teardrops" by William Bollinger, "Play The Game (Pt 2)" by Version, "Make It Easy On Yourself" by Demetrius, "When I Look Inside" by Takelia Kelly, "It's Hard To Say No" by George Jackson & Linda Lucchesi, "Save My Love" by Billy Cee & The Freedom Express and more.

60s soul treasures from a trio of New York labels reverered for so many great singles – Sceptor, Wand and Musicor – in a great collection from Kent UK! It's filled with group acts and solo stars, soaringly emotional cuts and rawer rumbling R&B, even some early strains of funk – and includes a number of previously unissued songs from the vault that are just as sweet as the regional hits of the time. The genuine love of the material that goes into these Kent and Ace compilations continues to impress! 24 tracks in all: "That's No Way To Treat A Girl" by Marie Night, "I Want A Guarantee" by Maxine Brown, "Stick By Me" by Ed Townsend, "Sweeping Your Dirt Under My Rag" by Ann Bailey, "Diamond Ring" by The Fabulous Dinos, "So Help Me Woman" by George Tindley, "Speed Up" by Betty Moore, "You Got It Baby" by The Toys, "Walking With Pride" by Dan & The Clean Cuts, "Ain't No Love Lost" by Patti Jo and more.

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

Think you know Stax Records? Guess again – as this mindblowing collection offers up a whole new side of Stax we've never heard before. Forget the hits, forget the overplayed oldies – this set's brimming full of deep soul gems from the legendary Memphis label – including a fair bit of heartbreaking tracks that go way beyond any southern soul cliches! The music is amazing – proof that Ace still really knows how to put together a compilation – and in addition to some real rarities, there's also some killers appearing here for the first time ever – making the whole thing essential to any fan of Stax – or southern soul in general. A massive amount of music, all of it great – and titles include "Stay Baby Stay" by Johnny Daye, "I've Done It Again" by The Charmells, "Move Over" by Soul Children, "Hold On This Time" by Chuck Brooks, "Groovin' On My Baby's Love" by Freddie Waters, "Make A Joyful Noise" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Fault Is Not In Me" by Sylvia & The Blue Jays, "A Love Affair Theat Bears No Pain" by Shack, "Two Fools" by Willie Singleton, "Let Em Down Baby" by Jimmy Hughes, "Love Changes" by Charlene & The Soul Serenaders, and "Woman Across The River" by Little Milton.

An absolute treasure trove of rare soul singles from Pied Piper Productions – a mid 60s Detroit soul operation that features Funk Brothers Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, and Mike Terry – laying down sounds that rival the best Motown groovers of the period! The work is amazing throughout – soul cuts heavily focused on the groove and amazing lead vocals – recorded in ways that are similar to the best of Detroit at the time, but with some rawer aspects too – which makes for a massive package of Northern Soul gems! The package features both solo singers and great groups too – artists who include Lorraine Chandler, The Hesitations, September Jones, The Cavaliers, Willie Kendrick, Nancy Wilcox, and – heard here on rare singles and LP tracks that were originally released on labels like Karate, Kapp, Ruby and Giant – plus a number of recently unearthed titles that are seeing release for the first time ever! The set features 24 tracks in all, and the usual superb Kent notes and packaging – with titles that include "I Can't Hold On" by Lorraine Chandler, "Stuttering Sam" by September Jones, "Gambler's Blues" by Nancy Wilcox, "This Heart Is Lonely" by Rose Batiste, "Just Can't Leave You" by Tony Hesher, "Could It Be" by Micki Farrow, "I Fell In Love (Can't Help It)" by Freddy Butler, "He'll Be Leaving You" by The Pied Piper Players, "If Only You Knew" by Mike & Ray, "Time Changes Things" by Willie Kendrick, and "Lonely Too Long" by The Sandpipers.

Mindblowing music from the trio of Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Jo Armstead – most of it composed and recorded in New York during the mid 60s – before Armstead left for the Chicago scene, and Ashford & Simpson went to work for Motown in Detroit! The three writers have a really beautiful way of putting over a tune – fresh lyrics that are perfect for the budding soul generation of the 60s – and which often get some production work from the members of the trio too, especially on some of the tracks here that were issued by Wand Records. The package does a perfect job of unearthing these early years – pulling together compositions by the three (and occasionally just by Ashford & Simpson) – and illuminating this period with notes that are as thorough as the selection of tracks on the set. Titles include "Dance Children Dance" by Mary Love, "The Shoe Won't Fit" by Betty Everett, "Look Away" by The Shirelles, "Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me Baby" by The Crystals, "I Don't Need No Doctor" by Sandy Nelson, "Please Little Angel" by Doris Troy, "The Real Thing" by The Chiffons, "Smokie Joe's" by The Jewels, "Say It Again" by Marie Knight, "Looky Looky" by Candy & The Kisses, "Mr Creator" by The Apollas, "You're Absolutely Right" by Tina Britt, "I'm Satisfied" by Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown, "Cry Like A Baby" by Aretha Franklin, "Same Old Feeling" by Jo Ann & Troy, "Only Your Love Can Save Me" by Betty LaVette, and "Love Ain't What It Used To Be" by The Diplomats.

An amazing tribute to one of the best soul songwriters in the 70s – the mighty Phillip Mitchell, a key force in mixing together deep soul roots with more sophisticated styles for the time! Mitchell's got this mighty positive way of putting over a tune – lyrics that still hold onto the emotion of the past, yet also come through things with a forward-thinking style too – one that really helps get past obvious cliches, and which always seems to make a Mitchell-penned track stand out as the real gem on an album of 70s soul! Many of the artists here are from a southern soul background – no surprise, as Mitchell made most of his magic south of the Mason/Dixon line – and the set really brings together a great number of artists, and really shows the deep reach that Mitchell had at the time. Titles include "Hitch Hiking To Heartbreak Road" by Bobo Mr Soul, "Something New To Do" by Bobby Sheen, "Carry Me" by Ernie Shelby, "I Don't Do This" by Sidney Joe Qualls, "Free For All" by Mel & Tim, "Come Through Me" by Garland Green, "Here I Am Again" by Candi Staton, "You Made Me What I Am" by Erma Coffee, "Gonna Have A Murder On Your Hands" by JJ Williams, "Archie's In Love" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Leftovers" by Millie Jackson, "How Can I Go On Without You" by Corey Blake, and "That's The Way I Wanna Live My Life" by Tommie Lee.

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White.

Great sounds from a very special place – that magical meeting point where country meets soul – a spot that was crossed surprisingly often in the southern soul scene of the 60s and 70s! The set's a great follow-up to the excellent first volume – and really does a wonderful job of showing the way that a country ethos could work equally well in soul music – with results that will definitely have you re-thinking your ideas of cultural separation in the south. Much of the work is from that great late 60s/early 70s point when the country soul genre was really maturing – moving past the earlier moments of Ray Charles or Brook Benton, and using the style to express a new level of lyrical sophistication – especially in songs of love lost. Titles include "Sweet Music Man" by Millie Jackson, "Don't You Ever Get Tired" by Bettye Swann, "I Hate You" by Bobby Bland, "Statue Of A Fool" by David Ruffin, "Tennessee Waltz" by Otis Redding, "Bad News" by Clarence Carter, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "But You Know I Love You" by Sweet Inspirations, "Please Help Me I'm Falling" by William Bell, "Sometimes" by Facts Of Life, "I'll Release You" by Ted Taylor, and "All I Have To Offer" by Eddie James.

Groovy soul from Westbound Records – the Detroit imprint that's best known for its heavy funk from groups like Funkadelic or The Counts, but which also cut some killer Northern numbers in their early years too! The package features loads of under-discovered Westbound nuggets, including a few unreleased tracks too – and the overall feel is almost in the same territory as the HDH/Invictus camp of the early 70s – soaring soul that's clearly informed by the Motown generation, but which comes across with a lot more righteous overtones, thanks to some heady production work! A few names here are familiar, but most of the work should be pretty darn fresh, even if you've got other collections of Westbound work – and as usual, Kent have really knocked it out of the park with a great job on the notes and overall packaging. Titles include "Third World" by Joe Matthews, "Love Love Love" by Damon Shawn, "Till Another Day (Tom Moulton 7" edit)" by Caesar Frazier, "Ain't No Telling" by Houston Outlaws, "Happy Days" by The Magictones, "Gonna Spread The News" by Unique Blend, "Ain't That Lovin" by Denise & Abe, "Lonely In A Crowd" by Superlatives, "My Baby Ain't No Plaything" by The New Holidays, "Can't Shake It Loose" by Funkadelic, "I Can't See Myself Doing Without You" by Bob & Harold, "Never My Love" by Emanuel Laskey, "I'm Slowly Moulding" by The Magictones, and "I Am So Thankful" by Eddie Hill.

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

Lost soul from a massively overlooked source – the mighty LA indie Double Shot Records, best known for their fuzzy rock classics, but also a hotbed of tripped-out soul! Given that Double Shot's 2 biggest artists of the late 60s were Count Five ("Psychotic Reaction") and Brenton Wood ("Oogum Boogum Song"), you can imagine that the label would be equally well suited to handle mod 60s guitars and sweet soul vocals – and on most of the tracks on this set, you'll be hearing them at the same time! The set's a really massive batch of tunes – a wonderful discovery to our ears, as we'd only ever heard the odd rare single on the label, and had no idea that there was so much great work – nor that it would sound so great! The CD features a total of 26 tracks in all, pulled from the Double Shot singles of the late 60s – with tracks that include "Push Me Baby" and "Jelly" by The Bagdads, "What Is Soul" and "The International Love Song" by The Real Thing, "Four Piece Funky Nitty Gritty Junky Band" and "Everybody's Got A Hang Up" by Bobby Freeman, "Gotta Keep Talkin" and "Coming In Out Of The Rain" by Maurice Rodgers, "The Neck" and "Trouble" by Kent & The Candidates, "Sugar Sugar" by Shirley, and "Trouble" by Foxy.

Tremendous soul from a massively overlooked label – the GWP imprint on the New York scene of the late 60s – home to a wealth of rare soul nuggets, just waiting to be discovered! The package is wonderful through and through – a great mix of male and female soul work, some with a sweet groove, some with a funkier undercurrent – all top-shelf productions all the way through, kind of a hipper update of the earlier uptown sound of New York – taken into even more sophisticated territory for the 70s! Vocals are superb, and the arrangements are ultra-cool – handled by Larry Banks, George Kerr, Teacho Wilshire, and Ed Bland. The package offers up full notes, and some great images too – and titles include "Here It Comes" and "Detour" by The Persians, "Without Your Love" by Bobby Penn, "My Life Is No Better" by Larry Banks & Jaibi, "Go Away" by The Hesitations, "Never Gonna Let Him Know" by Debbie Taylor, "So Much In Love" by The Exceptions, "You Got Me" by Jaibi, "Don't Let Your Mind Go Wild" by Benny Gordon, "Happiest Girl In The World" by Plus 4, "Stop" by Debbie Taylor, "I Don't Care What He's Done" by The Devonnes, "All In My Mind" by Benny Gordon, "Changes" by Lilly Fields, and "You Hit Me" by Alice Clark.

Not really blues, but not really soul either – a wonderful mix of modes that's come to be known as the popcorn sound of the early 60s! The style's hardly "pop" at all – and instead, these tunes are plenty gritty throughout – more like numbers you'd hear blasting out of a backroom jukebox, or on the decks of some deep soul DJ dedicated to serving up a rough-edged groove! Lots of these numbers might be called post-R&B – as they still have some of the styles of the 50s, mixed with the tighter punch of the newborn soul sound – and the set's a wonderful illustration of this magical moment in music, finally getting some credit after all these years. CD features loads of tracks we'd never heard before – and titles include "Don't Knock It" by Sinner Strong, "You Lied" by Marva Josie, "Mr Lonely" by Freddie North, "When You See Me Hurt" by Carl Lester & The Show Stoppers, "Well I Done Got Over It" by Bobby Mitchell, "I'm Comin Home" by Bobby John, "I Ain't Talkin" by Pat Hunt, "This Little Lester" by James Wayne, "Why Oh Why" by Austin Taylor, "Rockin Bed" by Valerie Carr, and "I'm Hurted" by Mamie Perry.

A brilliant testament to the righteous power of soul music in the civil rights era – and key proof that even a subtle message could do a lot back in the day! The package presents the work in roughly chronological order – starting from a time when politics had to be peddled softly, and moving towards a time when things could be a bit more explicit – showing a great evolution of themes of pride and power, offered up in tunes both familiar and obscure. The collection is way more than a "hip hits of the 60s" sort of set – and acts almost as a mini-documentary of the contributions of soul music to civil rights – supported by a great set of notes and photos in the booklet. We're especially happy to see the track "Have You Ever Seen The Blues" by Yaphet Kotto – alongside 22 more titles that include "Blues For Mr Charlie" by Lou Gosset & Joe Lee Wilson, "The Ghetto" by Homer Banks, "We're A Winner" by The Impressions, "When Will We Be Paid" by The Staple Singers, "Oh Lord Why Lord" by Parliament, "Message From A Black Man" by The Spinners, "Run Charlie Run" by The Temptations, "Cryin In The Streets (parts 1 & 2)" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "Free At Last" by Jackie Day, "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway, and "The Prayer" by Ray Scott.

Amazing treasures from the legendary Fame Records – 5 unique 7" singles, packaged together in an old magnetic tape-style box, which indicates how deep they had to dig in the vaults to get these gems! There's a great mix of southern soul and nascent rock here – and titles include "Slippin Around With You" and "I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind" by Art Freeman, "I Hope They Get Their Eyes Full" by Boy, "The Girl That Radiates That Charm" and "Hot Toddy" by Jimmy Ray Hunter & The Del Rays, "You Might As Well Forget Him" by Jimmy Hughes, and "Keep On Talking" and "Take A Good Look" by James Barnett.

Sweet sounds from the soulful 70s – a massive batch of music that definitely earns the "masterpiece" in the title! The collection focuses on one of our favorite styles of the 70s – that warmly grooving mode that came to be known as "modern soul" – partly in contrast to the faster styles of Northern, and partly because there was a tightness of production and sophistication of arrangements that really pushed the whole groove forward! Work here is from a range of different scenes, and it's all pretty darn great – and all pretty darn obscure, too – no too-familiar tracks to clog up your listening, and instead a real discovery of gems that need to be rediscovered. Titles include "Go Away" by The Hesitations, "Pity A Fool" by Barbara Brown, "Sugar Love" by Pat Livingston, "Didn't I" by Darondo, "A State Of Mind" by James Carpenter, "This Man's Arms" by Loleatta Holloway, "So Much Love To This" by The Sweetens, "I Never Could Have Made It" by Jesse Davis, "What More Can I Ask For" by Betty Gouche, "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups & The CCs, "The Feeling Is Gone" by Rose Batiste, and "You Won't Be True" by Gloria Lucas.

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.

The dancefloor just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to an incredible selection of rare disco and club tracks from the best years of the genre! The set list here is really amazing – the kind of tunes that rarely turn up this easily, and never in such a cohesive package – and our hats are off to compiler Al Kent for putting together such a wonderfully tasty set! Most numbers here are from the mid to late 70s – and showcase a soulfully grooving approach to disco – one that's free from the cliches of the mainstream side of the genre, and which features plenty of real soul vocals alongside uptempo funky instrumentation that usually features a few odd twists and turns! Most numbers are edited by Al Kent, sometimes in very subtle ways, and include "cover ups" billed to other artists – and the package essentially brings together material from Kent's previous CD series of the same name – but with revised track order, wonderful packaging, and a bonus poster! There's a whopping 45 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Love Is All Around" by Sizzle, "I've Been Searching" by Arts & Crafts, "Get Ready" by Allan Harris & Perpetual Motion, "Sweet Jazz Music" by Panache, "To Be With You" by Jimmy Sabater, "Funkathone" by The People's Workshop, "Just Friends" by Silver Platinum & Gold, "Why In The World Do They Keep On" by Executive Suite, "Dancing Free" by Hot Ice, "Doing Our Own Thang" by Al Tanner, "Fear" by Arthur King, "Party Together" by Superbs, "How Can I Tell Her" by Curtis, "Giving It All To You" by Cheryl Berdell, "We've Got It" by Sylvano Santorio, and "Sound Of Disco Rock" by Stringfield Family.

The dancefloor just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to an incredible selection of rare disco and club tracks from the best years of the genre! The set list here is really amazing – the kind of tunes that rarely turn up this easily, and never in such a cohesive package – and our hats are off to compiler Al Kent for putting together such a wonderfully tasty set! Most numbers here are from the mid to late 70s – and showcase a soulfully grooving approach to disco – one that's free from the cliches of the mainstream side of the genre, and which features plenty of real soul vocals alongside uptempo funky instrumentation that usually features a few odd twists and turns! Most numbers are edited by Al Kent, sometimes in very subtle ways, and include "cover ups" billed to other artists – and the package essentially brings together material from Kent's previous CD series of the same name – but with revised track order, wonderful packaging, and a bonus poster! Limited vinyl 2 features the tracks "Dancing Free" by Hot Ice, "Doing Our Own Thang" by Al Tanner, "Fear" by Arthur King, "Party Together" by Superbs, "How Can I Tell Her" by Curtis, "Giving It All To You" by Cheryl Berdell, "We've Got It" by Sylvano Santorio, and "Sound Of Disco Rock" by Stringfield Family.

Rare gems from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – and maybe the most smoking volume in this all-great series so far! The sound is hard and heavy right from the start – very much in the best mode of the funky 45 reissues we've been hearing from Tramp in recent years – right up there with the deepest funk you'd get from labels like Ace/Kent or Jazzman on their best compilations! And although other volumes have all been great, there's a special sort of magic this time around – an edge that really shows the evolution of Tramp's ear for picking a groove – and deep notes that also show their growing knowledge of the most obscure cuts from back in the day. We can guarantee there's plenty here you don't already have in your record collection – and titles include "Funky Screw" by Lee Fields, "Soul Chicken" by Bobby Allen & The Exceptions, "Ease It On In" by Sunrize, "Deepest Sympathy" by Theodis Ealey, "Tend To Your Business (parts 1 & 2)" by Wildfire, "Pat's Rubber Band" by Alley Pat, "Puttin It On Your Mind" by Jimmy Ellis, "Nobody Loves Me Like My Baby" by Jimmy Gilford, "99/44 100 Pure Love" by Al Reed, and "Monkey In A Sack" by Lil Buck & The Top Cats.

Rare gems from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – and maybe the most smoking volume in this all-great series so far! The sound is hard and heavy right from the start – very much in the best mode of the funky 45 reissues we've been hearing from Tramp in recent years – right up there with the deepest funk you'd get from labels like Ace/Kent or Jazzman on their best compilations! And although other volumes have all been great, there's a special sort of magic this time around – an edge that really shows the evolution of Tramp's ear for picking a groove – and deep notes that also show their growing knowledge of the most obscure cuts from back in the day. We can guarantee there's plenty here you don't already have in your record collection – and titles include "Funky Screw" by Lee Fields, "Soul Chicken" by Bobby Allen & The Exceptions, "Ease It On In" by Sunrize, "Deepest Sympathy" by Theodis Ealey, "Tend To Your Business (parts 1 & 2)" by Wildfire, "Pat's Rubber Band" by Alley Pat, "Puttin It On Your Mind" by Jimmy Ellis, "Nobody Loves Me Like My Baby" by Jimmy Gilford, "99/44 100 Pure Love" by Al Reed, and "Monkey In A Sack" by Lil Buck & The Top Cats.

One of the best-ever compilations of funky work on BGP – and even better than their other Super Breaks sets! This one features some totally rare killers – not only from hard-to-find funky 45s, but also from obscure studio tapes that have never been properly issued! The set's a funky fanatic's dream, and pushes past the usual Ace/BGP line, into territory more reserved for the likes of Keb Darge and Ian Wright, on smaller labels. A large number of the tracks are from the catalogs – released and unreleased – of Westbound and Kent – and titles include "Gotta Get Me A Job" by Ann Alford, "Here Comes The Judge" by Larry & Tommy, "Soul Power" by The Houston Outlaws, "Freedom & Justice" by The Pace-Setters, "I Got To Have You" by Little Ann, "Soul Funk" by Chico & Buddy, "Skunk Juice" by The Pazant Brothers, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "Hook & Boogit (parts 1 & 2)" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Motor City" by The Counts, and "Groove" by Dave Hamilton. 20 cuts in all!

The dancefloor just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to an incredible selection of rare disco and club tracks from the best years of the genre! The set list here is really amazing – the kind of tunes that rarely turn up this easily, and never in such a cohesive package – and our hats are off to compiler Al Kent for putting together such a wonderfully tasty set! Most numbers here are from the mid to late 70s – and showcase a soulfully grooving approach to disco – one that's free from the cliches of the mainstream side of the genre, and which features plenty of real soul vocals alongside uptempo funky instrumentation that usually features a few odd twists and turns! Most numbers are edited by Al Kent, sometimes in very subtle ways, and include "cover ups" billed to other artists – and the package essentially brings together material from Kent's previous CD series of the same name – but with revised track order, wonderful packaging, and a bonus poster! Limited vinyl 1 features the tracks – "Love Is All Around" by Sizzle, "I've Been Searching" by Arts & Crafts, "Get Ready" by Allan Harris & Perpetual Motion, "Sweet Jazz Music" by Panache, "To Be With You" by Jimmy Sabater, "Funkathone" by The People's Workshop, "Just Friends" by Silver Platinum & Gold, and "Why In The World Do They Keep On" by Executive Suite.

Country cats, southern rockers, and even some soul-singers too – all wrapped up in a heady brew of grooves that definitely lives up to the swamp rock in the title! The package is a rich discovery of tracks from the southern scene at the start of the 70s – an amazing place where sounds were really criss-crossing at the time – not just mixing up country and redneck rock styles, but also drawing a surprising amount of influence from soul and funk too – especially the latter, given some of the massive rhythms in the set! Like the first volume, the collection is a great illustration of the way that, in the right parts of the south, boundaries were constantly being broken – as you'll hear on great tracks that include "Ruby" by Area Code 615, "Houston" by Cowboy, "For What It's Worth" by Cher, "Touch Em With Love" by Bobbie Gentry, "Sufficiently Breathless" by Captain Beyond, "Deep In Kentucky" by The Box Tops, "Lonesome & A Long Way From Home" by Earl Scruggs, "Let The South Wind Blow" by Grinderswitch, "Midnight Rider" by Gregg Allman, "The Minstrel Is Free At Last" by Barefood Jerry, "Somewhere In Between" by Bobby Lance, "No Fence Around Me" by Joe South, and "Who's Making Love" by Tony Joe White.

Country cats, southern rockers, and even some soul-singers too – all wrapped up in a heady brew of grooves that definitely lives up to the swamp rock in the title! The package is a rich discovery of tracks from the southern scene at the start of the 70s – an amazing place where sounds were really criss-crossing at the time – not just mixing up country and redneck rock styles, but also drawing a surprising amount of influence from soul and funk too – especially the latter, given some of the massive rhythms in the set! Like the first volume, the collection is a great illustration of the way that, in the right parts of the south, boundaries were constantly being broken – as you'll hear on great tracks that include "Ruby" by Area Code 615, "Houston" by Cowboy, "For What It's Worth" by Cher, "Touch Em With Love" by Bobbie Gentry, "Sufficiently Breathless" by Captain Beyond, "Deep In Kentucky" by The Box Tops, "Lonesome & A Long Way From Home" by Earl Scruggs, "Let The South Wind Blow" by Grinderswitch, "Midnight Rider" by Gregg Allman, "The Minstrel Is Free At Last" by Barefood Jerry, "Somewhere In Between" by Bobby Lance, "No Fence Around Me" by Joe South, and "Who's Making Love" by Tony Joe White.

Exclusive, never before heard music from Bonobo featuring Fink, Herbie Hancock, Dobie & Eclectic, Skalpel, Cougar, Terry Garthwaite, John Gregory and more! 12 tracks on 2LPs. Includes "Feel Love" by Dave Invisible, "If Music Was This Easy" by Skalpel, "Lazy Afternoon" by Stan Kenton, "What More" by Terry Garthwaite, "Wantin' Ain't Getting" by The Associaation, "Quand LE Blues S'En Ira" by Henri Texier and more.

The next set in the stellar Next Stop Soweto series from Strut Records – highlighting rare South African sounds – this one infused with the western party music influences of funk, soul and organ drenched grooves of all kinds! Volume 1 in the series concentrated on the lively township jive sounds, this one gets gritty and funky – American funk, soul and R&B drenched organ grooves are more prominent in the sound – combining with regional traditions masterfully and coming out feverish and ready for the dancefloor! Includes material from the small, but exciting South African soul scene by groups The Klooks and The Anchors, mbaqanga numbers liberally infused with soul and funk by the Mgababa Queens and Mahotella Queens, jazzier funk from The Heshoo Beshoo Group and much more! 22 tracks on 2LPs: "Khubani" by JK Mayengani & The Shingwedzi Sisters, "Blockhead" by The Monks, Nkuli's Shuffle" by The Klooks, "Come With Me" and "Funky Message" by The Heroes, "Last Time" by The Anchors, "I Am There" by The Grasshopers, "Saduva" by Gibson Kente, "Wozani Mahipi" by Mahotella Queens and more.