Funky Compilations — CDs  

Funky soul, righteous jazz, and hip production made the Flying Dutchman label one of the greatest imprints of the early 70s! The label was the brainchild of producer Bob Thiele, and was a post-60s project to bring together unheard voices in African American culture – recording heavily in a number of genres that included jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – cutting records that were destined to become instant classics, most of which are still pretty darn influential today! This set does a great job of starting to unpack the wealth of work on Flying Dutchman – bringing together tracks by a few familiar acts, and other lesser-known artists, a few who have rarely been reissued. Titles include "Carnavalito" and "Maria Domingas" by Gato Barbieri, "Mama" and "Chains Of Love" by Esther Marrow", "Baja Bossa" by Oliver Nelson, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by Pretty Purdie, "Save The Children" and "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong & Leon Thomas, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Footprints" and "Astral Travelin" by Lonnie Liston Smith.

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.

A cheesy cover, but a really wonderful little compilation – a set that's filled with obscure righteous soul tunes from the 70s, including some lesser-known cuts by bigger name acts of the time! The vibe here is really wonderful – definitely the kind of kicked-back soul you might listen to on a Sunday afternoon – not as uptight as tracks for the clubs the night before, and rolling out with a sound that's warm and mellow, but still with a bit of groove at the bottom. Most numbers are of mid 70s vintage – sparkling with a good deal of class and sophistication – and titles include "Sunshine" by Pulse, "Ain't No Need" by Ralph Graham, "You Put A Hurting On Me" by Mary Mundy, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "I Just Want To Love You" by Toby Kang, "Don't Trick Me Treat Me" by The Dells, "Sorry" by Grace Jones, "Yes You Need Love" by Anthony White, "Don't You Know I Love You" by Major Lance, "It's All Over" by The Presidents, "A Nice Feeling" by Caroline Crawford, and "Pour Your Little Heart Out" by The Drifters.

A great tribute to the concept of the "wants list" – that crumpled piece of paper that nearly every record collector carries around with them, a listing of hard to find recordings that they're always trying to track down! The set is a great mix of obscure 60s and 70s soul, with a real focus on the kinds of cuts that are all pretty darn important – but also equally hard to track down on their own. Mellow soul is the dominant groove here, making the package a winning set of some killer tunes that are equally appealing now as they were back in the day! Titles include "Touch Me Take Me" by Rita Wright, "Light My Fire" by Erma Franklin, "This Feeling's Rated X-Tra" by Carl Carlton, "One Girl Too Late" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "Let Me Be" by The Duncans, "Mon Belle Amour" by Ann Pebbles, "I Think I'm Falling In Love With You" by Natural High, "I Just Got To Know" by Bennie Johnson, "City Of Brotherly Love" by Soul Survivors, "I'm Always Dancing To The Music" by Benny Golson, "Making Love" by Lou Ragland & GLO, "Hearts & Flowers" by GC Cameron, and "Beware" by Lou Courtney.

An amazing collection of funky nuggets – one that's overflowing with hip soul, funk, and break tracks! The set's the second in a series put together by the staff of London's Soul Brother Records – and like the first, it features some of the most sought-after rare grooves and sample tracks from the 70s – a rich array of titles from a variety of different labels, all collected with a keen ear for the older tracks that are still breaking big well into the 21st Century! And since these guys also run a record store themselves, they've gone way past the obvious – and have chosen an all-essential batch of tunes that aren't easily available on the market, including some killer tracks from major labels that we've been waiting years to see reissued. Titles include "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright, "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More" by Kellee Patterson, "Sho Nuff" by Sly Slick & Wicked, "All I Want Is You" by Four Flights, "Live For Love" by GC Cameron, "I Feel So At Home Here" by Michelle Wiley, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "My Music" by Samuel Jonathan Johnson, "Heaven" by Ruth Copeland, "It's Got To Be Mellow (1976)" by Leon Mellow, "Making Room For Love" by Alton McClain & Destiny, and "When We're Makin Love" by Denise LaSalle.

Sublime 70s soul all the way through – a tremendous collection of mellow groovers and midtempo steppers – quite possibly the best volume so far in the Wants List series! The cuts here are all wrapped around a really unified groove – that 70s style that was never too funky, nor too uptempo – just nicely laidback and warm, yet still with a bubbling, gentle sort of rhythm. Production is full on most tracks, but there's always a great edge in the vocals – and although many of the artists here are bigger names, the cuts on the set (as you might guess from the title!) represent some of their more obscure tracks from the decade! Titles include "Lovely Lady" by Vernon Burch, "Trying To Get Next To You" by Arnold Blair, "If I Can't Stop You" by CB Overton, "Is This Really Love" by Charles Drain, "Show Me The Way To Love" by Carl Davis & The Chi-Sound Orchestra, "Midnight Lovers" by Passion, "Smother Me With Your Love" by Betty Wright, "The Rub" by George & Gwen McCrae, "Feed Me your Love" by The Fatback Band, "Harder & Harder" by Archie Bell, "The Man In The Street" by William Bell, "Sweet Music Soft Lights & You" by Ken Williams, "Wondering" by Betty Everett, "Electrified Love" by Ernie Hines, and "Feel Good" by Michelle Wiley.

Afro-centric jazz from the 70s through the 90s – a real spiritual journey in music, compiled from a host of hard to find records, most of which are long out of print! The music on the collection is from three different decades, but the set's got a wonderfully unified feel – thanks to a strong spiritual current that runs through all the tunes, and a linked heritage of performance that was shared by many of the players over the years. Tracks are from a very diverse set of sources – including many American and European indie labels of the 60s and 70s – and all tunes are long, soulful, and plenty darn righteous! Titles include "Song For Mozambique" by Archie Shepp, "Africa" by Sathima B Benjamin, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Our Roots Began In Africa" by Pharoah Sanders, "Days Gone By" by Moe Koffman, "Children" by Nation/African Liberation Arts Ensemble, "Mrafu" by Nate Morgan, "Afro Blue" by J Life, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Adele Sebastian, and "Banks Of The Nile" by Carlos Garnett.

Diverse dancefloor funk – Volume 1 in the Afrodisia Club series – featuring an international roster of modern funk combos including Diplomats Of Solid Sound, Brother Soul, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Hi-Fly Orchestra, Port Angels, New Mastersounds and more! Great stuff all around, from neo classic funky soul, mod funk, modern DJ tooled hip hop funk, straight up raw small combo cookers and more. 13 tracks in all: "If You're Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)" by Diplomats Of Solid Sound Featuring The Diplomettes, "Cookies" by Brother Soul, "Angel Food Pt 1" by Port Angels, "Soupy" by Maggie Thrett, "Don't Stop" by Patrick & Eugene, "Crosstown Traffic" by Hi-Fly Orchestra, "Thirty Three (Ju Ju Orchestra remix)" by New Mastersounds, "Soul Burger" by Soulful Torino Orchestra and more.

Amazing grooves from a legendary pair of labels – the ultra-funky Perception and Today Records, home of some killer sounds from the New York scene at the start of the 70s! The labels had a great ear for up-and-coming soul – especially with some of the younger groups rising up at the time – and they also used their magic to refresh the sounds of some older artists, particularly jazz musicians, who took on an ultra-funky approach at Perception – one that's made their work for the label some of the most in-demand over the years! Drums are heavy, bass is nice and fuzzy, and many of the cuts have a righteous sound that really takes off from the most progressive soul, funk, and jazz of the late 60s – pushing hard with an even heavier 70s vibe. Titles include "Brother" by Adam Wade & Johnny Pate, "Too Sad To Tell" by Debbie Taylor, "Chitlins & Chuchifritos" by Joe Thomas, "Naturally Good" by Bartel, "You & I" by Black Ivory, "I Can't Get No Higher" by The Eight Minutes, "You Owe It To Yourself" by JJ Barnes, "Get Some Of This" by Madhouse, "Honey Buns" by Bobby Rydell, "Gingele" by Astrud Gilberto, "One Life" by The Albert, "Surrender" by Black Ivory, "Wishful Thinking" by JJ Barnes, "You've Just Been Bitten" by Bartel, "Every Brother Ain't A Brother" by Joe Thomas, "Submission" by Tyrone Washington, "Boogie" by Bartel, "Alligator" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Rock Steady" by Julius Brockington, "Find The One Who Loves You" by The Eight Minutes, "A Possibility" by Wanda Robinson, and "Heritage Hum" by James Moody.

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.

Funky covers galore – mostly contemporary tracks, but a few classics as well – all pulled together in support of the Craig Charles Show on BBC! Craig's got a long-standing reputation as a soul collector, funk fanatic, and all around groovy guy – and over the past decade, his show has almost become to funk and soul what John Peel's was to rock back in the day – a great place to discover new talents and revisit old ones! This package has all the key Charles hallmarks – and features a range of grooves that includes deep funk, Afrobeat, dub, and a few more contemporary modes – all of them funky. Titles include "Rocket Man" by The Stiff Naked Fools, "Insane In The Membrane" by Prince Fatty, "Hard Work" by Smoove & Turrell, "The Clap Hands Song" by T Bird & The Breaks, "Wait A Minute" by the Excitements, "Amen Brother" by The Bamboos, "Singalong" by Treva Whateva, "Shaft In Africa" by Mighty Showstoppers, "The Snake" by Al Wilson, "Satisfaction" by Incredible Bongo Band, and "The Bump" by The Haggis Horns.

Massive sounds from the Dopebrother Studio – home to some of the funkiest Kenny Dope productions of the past few years! The grooves here are mostly older nuggets from the 70s – rare funk, soul, and club numbers – mixed by Kenny and the Undercover Brother in ways that really bring up the funkiest energy of the tunes – lots of hard drums, great breaks, and crisp instrumentation that actually sounds way more dope than if you were spinning a copy of an original funky 45! Most tracks on here have only ever been issued as singles, so the full length collection makes for a great way to dig into all these massive grooves in one place – at a price that's pretty damn hard to beat. Plus, there's even a few unreleased tracks on here too – sure to please even the folks who already own a few of the singles! Titles include "How You Gonna Do It (Undercover Brother edit)" by Lenis Guess & The Raw Soul, "Foxfire (Dopebrother rmx)" by Kenny Smith & The Fox Fire Band, "Party & Get On Down (Undercover Brother edit)" by BAB, "Creative Happiness" by Steve Marshall, "I Can't Dance (Undercover Brother edit)" by Jimmy James Thomas, "We Got To Get Together" by The Masterminds with Lady Bianca, "Your Chicken Ain't Funky Like Mine" by Dirty Red Morgan Group, "Skunkie (Undercover Brother edit)" by Kenny Smith & The Maximum Feeling, "Waiting At The Station" by Jimmy James Thomas, "Do What You Like (Undercover Brother edit)" by 400 Years Of What, and "It's Over Now (Undercover Brother quiet storm mix)" by Manzel.

A very groovy selection of tracks from the New York scene of the 60s – mostly tunes pulled from the Prestige and Milestone labels, and a mixture of soul jazz, modal jazz, and early funky jazz! The package features 13 tracks in all – with plenty rare numbers – and titles that include "Cantaloupe Woman" by George Braith, "The Village Caller" by Johnny Lytle, "Ca'Purange (Jungle Soul)" by Gene Ammons, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Brother John" by Cannonball Adderley, "Muscle Soul" by Phil Upchurch, "Eastern Blues" by Gary Bartz, and the completely fantastic "Nuther'n Like Thuther'n" by Willis Jackson – worth the price of the CD alone!

Here's some chillout music we can really get behind – mellow soul tracks with a beautifully gentle groove – all cut back in the days when an artist could relax a bit without ever losing their cool! The set's heavy on mellow modern soul numbers – all hand-picked by Expansion Records frontman Ralph Tee – who's shown us for decades that he's really got a golden ear when it comes to music like this! There's loads of great gentle steppers on the package, sung by some of the best voices of the mainstream soul scene at the end of the 70s – cuts that include "We Need Love" by Chapter 8, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "We Found Love" by The Dynamics, "Gonna Make Changes" by Phyllis Hyman, "No Love Nowhere Without You" by Linda Williams, "Ain't That Love Baby" by Lou Rawls, "Brother Brother" by Esther Phillips, "What Do You Want Me To Do" by Lou Courtney, "Stay" by Glenn Jones, "We Never Said Goodbye" by Dionne Warwick, and "Paintings Of Love" by Keni Burke.

Killer funky stuff! Dean Rudland put together this tasty set of lost funk tracks from the many labels currently making up the BGP/Ace catalog – and the groove runs through 15 tracks of hard heavy soul, fuzzy funky instrumentals, and slammin groovy grooves. A few tracks on the set might be on other reissues you have – but there's plenty of other nice ones that don't show up elsewhere, and that are packaged in a great way with the rest of the set. Titles include "You" by Spanky Wilson, "Afro Mania" by Preston Epps, "New Beginning" by Sonny Costanzo, "Marriage Is A State Of Mind" by Dave Hamilton, "Gimme Shelter" by Cal Tjader, "One Monkey Can't Stop The Show" by Jacqueline Jones, "Loose & Juicy" by The Pazant Bros, "Light My Fire" by Tammi Lynn, "Chili Mac" by Preston Love, "Brother, You Know You're Wrong" by Idris Muhammad, and "Mighty Mouse" by Caesar Frazier. 15 tracks – and a very nice set!

One of the best compilations of New Orleans funk we've ever seen! Sure, the reissue market is always filled with stuff from the Crescent City – but so many New Orleans compilations are cheapo knock-offs, designed to cash in on the drunk Jazz & Heritage crowd, or they're simplistic sets with the same 10 tracks over and over again. This wonderful batch of tunes was put together by the folks at Soul Jazz – legendary for their work in putting together serious compilations to please the novice and expert alike – and it's got some of the best overall work we've ever seen in trying to pin down New Orleans funk. Sure, there may be a few cuts on here that you've got on other sets – but there's also a lot that you won't have, and the quality of the production makes even the familiar material sparkle again. Titles include "Hercules" by Aaron Neville, "Big Chief (part 1)" by Professor Longhair, "Tell Me What's On Your Mind" by Cyril Neville, "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" by Lee Dorsey, "Hand Clapping Song" by The Meters, "Here Come The Girls" by Ernie K Doe, "Free, Single, & Disengaged" by Huey Piano Smith, "Dap Walk" by Ernie & The High Notes, "Mama Roux" by Dr John, "Love Lots Of Lovin" by Lee Dorsey & Betty Harris, "I've Got Reasons" by Mary Jane Hooper, "Gatur Bait" by The Gaturs, "Hip Huggin" by Robert Parker, and "Can I Be Your Squeeze" by Chuck Carbo. 24 tracks in all!

A killer batch of rare funky tunes – pulled from a host of tiny labels, and put together with a quality level that would blow away a crate full of of funky 45s! This 3rd volume in the Super Funk series seems to dig even deeper than the first 2 – and it also includes few incredible little nuggets that were never officially released in any format! Includes "The Tramp (From Funky Broadway)" by The Showmen Inc, "Put It In" by Johnny King And The Fatback Band, "Cissy Popcorn" and "Funky Chicken" by Preston Love, "Soul Livin" by Everyday People Unlimited, "Brother Brown" by Camille Bob, "At The Soul In" by Count Yates And The Rhythm Crusaders, "Cat Scream" by Li'l Buck, "Bending Soul" by the Soul Blenders", "Ain't It A Groove" by Chico & Buddy, "Soul Brothers Testify" by Soul Senders, "Fat Man" by TKOs, "Sweet Potato Gravy" by Maurice Simon And The Pie Men, and lots more! 20 tracks in all.

A treasure trove of Tennessee soul – a package that brings together two classic compilations on Charly Records, along with a host of rare bonus tracks too! The original release of Music City Soul and SSS Soul Survey were not only the kind of sets that first got Charly recognition as a key label for reissuing soul – but they also drew much-needed focus to the efforts of the Nashville labels working at the end of the 60s – surprising powerhouses for soul music, even though much of their efforts failed to chart at the time! As you'll hear in this set, labels like SSS International, Silver Fox, and Minaret were filled with deep soul gems – the kind of music you'd normally expect to hear from Memphis or Muscle Shoals – but which was coming out in droves from Music City during a brief musical moment at the end of the 60s. The 2CD set features a whopping 50 tracks in all – with titles that include "Baby You Got It" by Clarence Murray, "The Game Of Love" by Willie Hobbs, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" by Reuben Bell, "Soul Ranger" by Clifford Curry, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "Natural Soul Brother" by Danny White, "Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Sundy Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "I Almost Called Your Name" by Johnny Soul, "Soulshake" by Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, "Medley Of Soul" by Big Al Downing, "My Train's Coming In" by Betty Lavette, "All Night Long" by T Bone Walker, "My Ancestors" by Willie Charles Gray, and "The Pleasure Of My Woman" by Georgie Boy.

What a subtitle – "The Cult Tracks Given Birth By The Superheroes Of The 70s"! And if you're thinking that the tracks are by Wolverine, Firestorm, and other 70s comic book creations, that's not the case – as the superheroes here are funky ones! More specifically, the tracks are great little groovers from the funky 45 underground – the kind of groups that really bubbled under in the charts at the time, many of whom never cut a full LP, but who released some monstrously great singles that made more than a bit of impact at the time. The set's got 20 tracks in all – all hard and funky – with titles that include "Super Soul Brother" by Timmie Rodgers, "Stand Up (part 1)" by Maskman & The Agents, "Spanky's Day Off" by Swingin Soul Machine, "It's The Real Thing (part 1)" by Electric Express, "Get It" by Wilmer & The Dukes, "Feelin Funky" by Brother Soul, "Cramp Your Style" by All the People, "Can't Get Satisfied" by Brother Jack McDuff, "Dynomite" by Tony Camillo's Bazuka, and "Foxy Lady" by Don Thompson.

An amazing tribute to London's Acid Jazz label – an imprint that's had an undeniable influence on all the things we do here at Dusty Groove! The massive package is way more than just a collection of the label's classics – and instead, it offers up a range of sounds that influenced the acid jazz scene in the UK at the end of the 80s – and others that go on to show the development of funk and soul in London as the 90s moved on. The package features a 52 page hardcover book, filled with Acid Jazz artwork and images; another 20 page book with the story of the label; a DVD with an interview and video footage of Snowboy, James Taylor Quartet, and other label stars; a 7" single with two unreleased tracks – "Never Stop" by The Brand New Heavies with Jan Kincaid and "Rock Steady (inst)" by The Brand New Heavies; and 4CDs worth of music with songs by Alice Clark, Small Faces, Dinosaur L, Charles Earland, Mark Murphy, The Quick, Jose Feliciano, Pharcyde, Forest Mighty Black, Mr Scruff, Paul Weller, Gang Starr, One Creed, Humble Souls, Tribe Called Quest, Nuyorican Soul, Soho, Ballistic Brothers, and many others. 65 tracks in all – and that's just the music!

Sublime soul all the way through – really tremendous little tracks that are just waiting to be discovered – and none of them the kind of mainstream grooves you might expect from the "crossover" in the title! Instead, these tracks have a power that really helps shift perception of a genre – almost a bridge between upbeat 60s Northern Soul and smoother 70s modern – with a warmth that's undeniable, and a groove that never lets up! The vocals are sublime, and the production is perfect – totally tight, but never slick at all – just perfect for the arrangements that really help these tunes soar! The set features a whopping two dozen tracks in all – and in addition to some real gems by lesser-knowns, there's also some great overlooked tracks by bigger names too – titles that include "I'm Not Ready" by Ujima, "The Common Broken Heart" by Lou Courtney, "Let's Try It Over Again" by Willie Hutch, "Midnight Sunshine" by The Soul Children, "It's Gonna Be Alright" by Maxine Brown, "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin, "Fool's Hall Of Fame" by Ike Lovely, "Wait Till I Give The Signal" by The Shirelles, "Sweeping Your Dirt Under My Rug" by Ann Bailey, "Main Squeeze" by Syl Johnson, "Satisfactorise Your Mind" by Africano, "Trapped In A Love" by Barrino Brothers, and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In" by Freddie Hughes.

Classics and rarities from the Windy City Soul scene that gravitated around the great Curtis Mayfield and his studio! The set features tracks from Curtom, plus the Thomas, Mayfield and Gemigo labels along with Paramount and Polydor – with numbers by The Fascinations, Five Stairsteps & Cubie, The Mayfield Singers, Major Lance, Chuck Ray, Ruby Jones, Notations, Linda Clifford, Gene Chandler and many more! 26 tracks in all: "Girls Are Out To Get You" by The Fascinations, "Don't Start None" by The Mayfield Singers, "You Got The Power" by Mamie P Galore, "I Spy (For The FBI)" by Jamo Thomas & His Party Brothers Orchestra, "Lucky" by The Mayfield Players, "Don't Have To Be Lying Babe" by Gene Chandler, "You Better Run" by Ruby Jones, "Can't Get Enough" by Linda Clifford and more.

Warm groovers galore – an incredible package of uptempo soul tracks from the 70s – cuts that are deeper than disco, but every bit as tight – all brought together to showcase a tremendous generation in music! There's a great mix of classics and underground numbers here – and the package is overflowing with greatness, especially at this price – a whopping 23 tracks in all, including a fair bit we haven't turned up in years – some really rare singles that are great to finally have on CD! The set's easily one of our favorites in this excellent Backbeats series – and titles include "Talkin Bout Poor Folks" by Lou Edwards & Today's People, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "I'm In Need Of Love" by Lou Courtney, "Love Don't Come No Stronger" by Jeff Perry, "Am I Cold Am I Hot" by Bill Harris, "Keep On Trying" by LTG Exchange, "I Couldn't Believe It" by David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks, "Are You Ready For This" by The Brothers, "Can We Share It" by Rick Shephard, "Lady In Red" by Ronnie Dyson, "Once I've Been There" by Norman Connors, "You Made A Believer Out Of Me" by Betty Lavette, "What About My Love" by Damaris, and "Get Out Of My Life" by Sharon McMahan.

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it previously unreleased! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The work that was issued here came out on the TCB, Tayster, and New Day labels – and although the artists are often not well known, the work's got a really unified feel – thanks to the funky vision of Dave Hamilton. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Brand New Girl (part 1)", "You're Wasting My Time (parts 1 & 2)", and "I Got Some (parts 1 & 2)" by Billy Garner; "The Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Going To The Moon" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Just A Mistake" by The Barrino Brothers, "Hunchin" by Gip Roberts, "Bump With Me" by The Webb People, "Sweet Thing (part 1)" by Bobby Dee, and "Can You Dig It" by Chico & Buddy.

Funky soul from Detroit – the second foray into the uber-rare and unreleased funk treasures recorded at Dave Hamilton's Motor City studio – and an even deeper look at what's turning out to be one of the greatest long-buried funk catalogs to come to light in recent years! The collection includes some singles released on Hamilton's own TCB and other imprints, some that were licensed to other labels, plus a wealth of unreleased material. There's straight ahead funk vocals and instrumentals, and numbers that have more of a freewheeling, adventurous vibe – albeit with a raw funk backdrop! Includes numbers by The Deacons, Prophet & His Disciples, Chico & Buddy, Billy Garner, OC Tolbert, Little Ann, Dave Hamilton himself, The Webb People, The Pepper and more. 22 tracks in all: "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "You Fool, You Fool Pt 1" by Prophet & His Disciples, "A Thing Called The Jones" by Chico & Buddy, "The Bad Things (You Said To Me)" by The Barrino Brothers, "Ghetto Stride" by Dave Hamilton, "Who" by Jackie Dee, "Love Bandit" by OC Tolbert, "Simon Says' by The Future Kind, "Clap Your Hands" by The Tokays, "I'm Sending Vibrations" by The Webb People and more.

The title definitely gets it right – as the set's filled with post-Motown gems from Detroit – a wealth of wonderful sounds from the Hot Wax/Invictus labels – almost all of it produced by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team! The music here represents the next evolution of Detroit soul in the years after the initial wave of Motown – music that still carries a lot of the spirit of before, and some of the style (given that HDH were working for the company) – but which also pushes things forward with a prouder, more righteous sound as well! The CD features a heady 23 tracks in all – with titles that include "Trapped In A Love" by Barrino Brothers, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, "Let's Change The Subject" by Satisfaction Unlimited, "Tighten Him Up" by Eloise Laws, "Nothing Sweeter Than Love" by 100 Proof, "Only Time Will Tell" by General Johnson, "Deeper & Deeper" by Freda Payne, "Just As Long" by The 8th Day, "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Honey Cone, "Two Can Be As Lonely As One" by Danny Woods, and "Bright City Lights" by Satisfaction Unlimited.

80s soul galore – most of it more than clubby enough to play on the dancefloor, although done with much sharper sounds than most of the work in the 70s disco generation! The cuts are heavy on bassy beats, guitar parts, and keyboard lines – often nice and lean, with that sharp punch you'd hear so strongly on soul tracks from the 80s. There's plenty of hits and overlooked classics here – and the double length set features "Guilty" by Yabrough & Peoples, "Back & Forth" by Cameo, "The Smurf" by Tyrone Brunson, "Electric Lady" by Con Funk Shun, "Dial My Number" by Pauli Carman, "Baby I'm Hooked" by Kathy Mathis, "Magic's Wand" by Whodini, "Let Me Be The One" by Five Star, "In Your Eyes" by James D-Train Williams, "Seduction" by Val Young, "Turn It Up" by The Conway Brothers, and "The Truth" by Colonel Abrams.

A selection of Warner Brothers-related funk – but featuring some killer numbers that move way past the hits! This is one of the funkiest compilations we've ever heard from a major label – and it's proof that deep down in their catalogs, the majors were working just as hard as the indies to come up with some killer slabs of funk, as you'll hear in this set of 20 gems recorded between the years 1968 and 1974! Many of these numbers were only issued on 45s – or on long out of print LPs – and even though there's a few numbers on here that you may know, the set's also got a number of others that you probably don't, as it even surprised us with some of its funky goodies! Titles include "Getting Uptown" by United 8, "Don't Come Around Here Anymore" by Mark Putney, "Shop Talk (version 1)" by Cold Blood, "Come Little Children" by Donny Hathaway, "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belairs, "Soul Machine" by The Meters, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, "What So Never the Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by The Houseguests, "Back On The Streets Again" by Tower Of Power, "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul" by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Nobody But You Babe" by Clarence Reid, and "You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin" by Charles Wright.

One of the funkiest gospel collections you'll ever hope to own – and an amazing document of the criss-crossing styles going down at the legendary Jewel Records! Jewel didn't just record gospel, but handled a fair bit of soul, funk, blues, and jazz – all of which seems to bubble forth in these amazing recordings – tracks that easily represent some of the hippest, coolest gospel sides of the late 60s and early 70s – the kind of work we've dug for years in its ability to easily cross over to the secular scene, thanks to wicked grooves underneath the vocals! And the vocals are pretty darn great too – work by singers who could have been huge in the mainstream world, had they broken from the spiritual realm – really belting out with the best of the southern soul scene of the time. The package features a whopping 41 tracks in all – with tracks that "Don't Forget The Bridge" by Mighty Songs Of Glory, "There's A Creator" by Roscoe Robinson, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Brotherly Love" by BP's Revolution, "I'm Trying To Be Your Friend" by Soul Stirrers, "Far Away From God" by Armstrong Brothers, "Golden Gate" by Traveling Echoes, "He's A Friend" by Dorothy Norwood, "Watch That Rogue" by Silver Gate Quartet, "You've Got To Serve Somebody" by Bill Moss, and "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires.

Amazing stuff – a stone cooker that almost beats the first volume of Ivory Coast Soul – and further mines the overlooked gems from the West African nation! The album's overflowing with groovers from the late 70s – tracks that often echo some of the Ethiopian styles of the time, yet have a groove that's almost even tighter – especially in the rhythmic commitment to funk, which makes nearly every number here the kind of cut that could easily cross over to an American funky audience too! They've really knocked it out of the park with this one – and the set's one of the best Afro Funk compilations we've heard in years – and is double-length, too. Titles include "Ye Man Noun" by Pierre Antoine, "Me Houe Gnon" by Okoi Seka Athanase, "I Love Music" by Sumo Brothers, "Wouck" by Nguenang, "Labazo" by Bony Castro, "Mansou Djouwi" by Houon Pierre, "Man Moeu" by Docteur Appia Morroh, "Kossopka" by Stanley Murphy, "Bravo Sotra" by Francois Lougah, "Ameniwa" by Assale, "Key Len Fece" by Wey Len Nobel, and "Onguindo" by Charles Atangana & Emitais.

A much-needed look at the massive amount of music recorded in Kenya during the 70s and 80s – an incredibly fertile time for local culture in the nation – and a time when it seemed like there was a great new groove coming out nearly every day! The work here really rivals the best of the classic Soundway compilations – especially their strong surveys of Ghana and Nigeria, with an ear for grooves that go way beyond the usual mainstream sounds of world music! There's more than enough grit and funk here to please any fan of American funk and soul – but the sounds also go way way deeper, too – and echo not only a long Kenyan cultural heritage, but also reflect the unique place the nation had at the crossroads of East Africa – a site that often made the scene especially vibrant in these years. The presentation is superb – with detailed notes and wonderful imagery that includes vintage label scans – and titles include "Mu Africa" by The Rift Valley Brothers, "Wendo Ti Mbia" by Gatanga Boys Band, "Ware Wa" by The Loi Toki Tok, "Sweet Sweet Mbombo" by Orchestre Baba National, "Cha Umheja" by Afro 70, "See Serere" by Sophia Ben & The Eagles Lupopo, "Mutumia Muriu" by The Lulus Band, "Nzaumi" by Ndalani 77 Brothers, "Teresia" by Huruma Boys Band, and "Week End" by Afro 70.

One of the funkiest New Orleans collections we've ever heard – thanks to massive work from compilers Andy Smith and Dean Rudland! There's an approach here that gets right past the obvious, and goes right for the jugular – the deepest veins of Crescent City funk, served up with rhythms that are harder and heavier than those you'd hear in some of the bigger hits from the scene! Forget the overdone cliches you might expect, and dig the massively funky tunes throughout – work that's ever bit as great and gritty as the grooves you'd hear in a Jazzman collection of rare funky 45s. And while some of the artist names are familiar, most are represented by more obscure work – titles that include "Sinner Girl" by Benny Spellman, "Mean Man" by Betty Harris, "Boogaloo Mardi Gras" by Bobby Williams, "La La Man" by Oliver Morgan, "What You Gonna Do" by Eddie Bo, "All I Want Is You" by Zila Mays, "Undivided Love" by Eskew Reeder, "The Book" by Eldridge Holmes, "Being Without You" by Maurice Williams, "Son Of A Slave" by Larry Darnell, "Brotherman Sister Ann" by Clemon Smith, "Funky Soul" by Dave Batiste & The Gladiators, and "Miniskirts & Soul" by Chris Kenner.

Massive mixes from the mighty Tom Moulton – a huge 4CD package that not only includes some classic lost and rare mixes from the 70s, but also a whopping 17 previously unreleased Moulton mixes, appearing here for the first time ever! If there's anyone who's ever been well-suited to reworking a Philly groove, it's Tom – given his long standing association with the soul scene in the City Of Brotherly Love – and his crucial role in pushing soul tracks into the clubs during the 70s. As with most of Tom's best work, the mixes here are richly faithful to the originals – and never try to overstate themselves at all, just focus on the best elements, and bring them to the forefront of the groove! 4CDs, 31 tracks, and Moulton remixes of "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice, "Nights Over Egypt" by The Jones Girls, "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Year Of Decision" by Three Degrees, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "She's A Winner" by The Intruders, "Trammps Disco Theme/Zing Went The Strings" by The Trammps, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Robert Upchurch, "Love Is The Message" by MFSB, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls.

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.

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan.

An excellent collection of funky tracks from South Africa – most of them with a slightly different feel than work you'd get on other Afro Funk compilations – and we mean that in a good way, too! Some of the artists are names you'd recognize from later recordings of the big South African crossover years of the 80s and 90s – but they're represented here by harder, edgier cuts from the early days – and mixed up with some more obscure acts, too – which really helps bring a freshness to the set, especially given the interweaving of genres that goes on – as you might guess from the extended sub-title of the CD! Titles include "Sangoma" by Malombo, "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves, "Intombi Ibhinca Isidwaba" by Phuzushukela, "Kikzelani" by Nelcy Sedibe, "Hula Hoop Jive" by Kataki, "Andromeda" by Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, "Malume" by Abafakasi, "Baloyi" by Dudu Pukwana & Spear, "Lily's Express" by Gwigwi Mrwebi, "Wozan Mahipi" by Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens, and "Bayeza" by Soul Brothers.

Heavy heavy funk from the Louisiana scene of the late 60s and 1970s – and a great collection that really gets past the dominance of the New Orleans sound! The set moves way past the Crescent City to uncover a wealth of great bits recorded in smaller studios located in Shreveport, Lake Charles, and a variety of tiny scenes in the southwest side of Louisiana – and the result is a great batch of tunes with a really gritty, down-n-dirty sound! There's a wealth of great funky styles in the set – including James Brown-inspired jammers, southern soul burners, and some other great modes that show that Louisiana's got a heck of a lot more to offer than just New Orleans funk. Titles include work from the Anla, Murco, Soul International, Goldband, and Tic Toc labels – a total of 22 cuts that include "Soul Time" by Ernest Thomas, "Soul Feeling (parts 1 & 2)" by Eddy G Giles, "Soul Brothers Testify (part 1)" by Chester Randles Soul Senders, "Soul Power" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Put It On" by Count Rockin Sidney with The Dukes, "Fix It" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Miss Hard To Get" by Dennis Landry, "No Sad Times" by Johnny Truit, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, and "I Got A Groove" by JJ Callier.

A very different sound here than the first volume in the series – one that goes strongly for a later take on R&B influenced soul jazz! There's a strong groove here for the steppers on the Windy City scene – a blend of jazzy soul and smoother jazz that's set together nicely without the too-slick spots that always clutter up other collections – and which represents the few modern tracks that were able to penetrate the mostly-dusty steppers scene back in the day. Production and overall instrumentation is relatively electric, even in the percussion, but there's always a few nice acoustic touches to round things out on the best tracks. Titles include "Mama Dadu" and "L'Amour" by Vodu 155, "Piano Groove" by Piano Negro, "Can We Try Again" by Braxton Brothers, "Soul Manifesto" by Rodney Jones, "Tik Tok (inst)" by Lorenzo Smith, "Laid Back" by Jerald Daemyon, "Modern Life" by Tom Saviano, "Pacific Love" by David Patterson, "Cycles Of Re-Elevation" by Michael McEvoy, "Forever's A Long Long Time" by Orquestra Wax, "Groovin In The Midnight (inst)" by Maxi Priest, and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" by Grant Green.

20 killer funky sample tracks – all pulled from the legendary holdings of ACE/BGP! Some of the tracks on here have appeared on other compilations, but the set's put together extremely well, and has more than enough funk for a whole crate of records! Nearly every cut's been sampled at least more than once – and titles include "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Chick A Boom" by Pazant Brothers, "Eva" by Jean Jacques Perry, "Walk Tall" by Cannonball Adderley, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson, "Take Yo Praise" by Camille Yarbrough, "Thinking Single" by The Counts, "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson, "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "What A Man" by Linda Lynell, and "Smokey Joe's La La" by Googie Rene. Funky funky!

A treasure trove of wonderful tunes – all written by the legendary southern soul team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham! The pair rarely entered the spotlight themselves, but contributed countless compositions that helped forge the sound of southern soul in the 60s – classic tunes that made the music of Memphis and Muscle Shoals even more mighty than anyone might have expected – thanks to a depth of feeling, sensitivity of emotion, and a trademark undercurrent of sadness that really helped the music set a new level at the time! This collection is the first to really do justice to the full range of the Penn/Oldham catalog – a beautiful batch of soul singles from a variety of different 60s labels – laid out back to back, in a breathtaking tapestry of soulful music. Titles include "Feed The Flame" by Ted Taylor, "Take Me" by Solomon Burke, "I'm Your Puppet" by Dionne Warwick, "Out Of Left Field" by Percy Sledge, "Cry Like A Baby" by Arthur Alexander, "It Tears Me Up" by Jeanne Newman, "I Met Her In Church" by Tony Borders, "I Need Someone" by The Wallace Brothers, "In The Same Old Way" by Arthur Conley, "Let It Happen" by James Carr, "Are You Never Coming Home" by Sandy Posey, and "I Worship The Ground You Walk On" by Etta James.

Great stuff – and one of the most interesting compilations we've heard in ages! The record blends together tracks from the rich jazz and gospel catalogs of Atlantic Records – shifting effortlessly between vocal and instrumental numbers in a spiritual package of tracks – slow and soulful, fast and funky, and with a change in mode at every new track! Titles include "Prayed & I Prayed" by Myrna Summers, "I Came To Praise Him" by The Stovall Sisters, "Young Man" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Rosalie" by Yusef Lateef, "Shiloh" by David Newman, "I'll Be So Glad When I Get Home" by Morning Star Gospel Singers, "Silver City Bound" by Clifford Jordan, "Live Humble" by Yusef Lateef, "Hang On In There" by Stovall Sisters, and "Witness" by Myrna Summers. Pretty darn fresh all the way through, and with a style that will really surprise you!

A massive fourth volume to this totally great series – and quite honestly, maybe the funkiest so far! Compiler Tobias Kirmayer really knows his stuff – after years of recording and reissuing great music on his own Tramp label – and if anything, his time in the funky underground has only given him a sharper ear for rare singles and lost soulful nuggets – as you'll hear in this wonderful compilation! The set's overflowing with killers from the late 60s and early 70s – and most of them are numbers we've never seen reissued before – quite a feat, given how many funk collections have shown up over the years. Snowboy bills the set as a "high-quality collection of obscenely rare" funk and soul 45s – and he's totally right about all of that – although we'll also add that musically, it's pretty darn great too! Titles include "Sticks & Stones" by Dino & The Dell-Tones, "Shakers & Movers (parts 1 & 2)" by Carl Westmoreland, "Talk About Soul" by Rudy Tee & The Reno-Bops, "Discotheque Soul (edit)" by Ricky Williams, "Hey Rugh Nut" by Zodiacs, "Hipster" by C Forture & J Brinson, "I Don't Think We Are Going Back Again" by Soul Brothers Inc, "Machine Gun" by Odyssey Group, "Night Club" by The Dave Harris Trio, "Honky Games" by Iris Bell with the Jive-Ettes, and "Booty Whip (unreleased acetate version)" by Bro Byron.

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.

Wow! A storming collection of funk and hard grooving soul from the furiously productive period between the late 60s & early 70s – incredible material spun out by NYC labels Scepter, Wand, Dynamo & Musicor – deep stuff, too, with names that we simply don't see often enough these kinds of releases! Dynamic Grooves is just that – with killer numbers by favorites of funk collectors, but relatively (and sadly) obscure figures when it comes to mainstream knowledge all these years later – along with a few bonafide legends. Great funky soul songs by Billy Clark & The Maskman, Warren Lee, Betty Moorer, The Endeavors, Allen Toussaint, Raw Meat, Chuck Jackson, The Soul Brothers, The Backyard Heavies and more! 21 tracks in all: "Soul Party Pt 1" by Billy Clark & The Mask Man, "It's My Thing" by Betty Moorer, "Ain't That Peculiar" by George Tindley, "Chitlin' Strut" by Backyard Heavies, "She's My Meat" by Harmon Bethea, "Horsing Around" by The Soul Brothers, "Fever In The Funk House" by General Cook and more.

A greatest hits two-fer – made even greater with the addition of 27 bonus tracks! First up is Invictus' Greatest Hits – heavy soul from the house of Holland-Dozier-Holland – some of the best bits from their Invictus powerhouse label of the early 70s – definitely a scene-setting imprint at the time! Invictus had some of the deepest grooves ever recorded by the trio – heavy, rumbling bottom sounds – soaring vocal passages – and production that took the Motown lessons of the late 60s to a whole new level. The package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Crumbs Off The Table" by The Glass House, "Band Of Gold" and "Bring The Boys Home" by Freda Payne, "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and "Everything's Tuesday" by The Chairmen Of The Board, "You've Got To Crawl" and "She's Not Just Another Woman" by The 8th Day, and "I Had It All" by The Barrino Brothers. Hot Wax Greatest Hits is a great collection of some of the best numbers from the Hot Wax label of the early 70s – second generation Detroit soul that really set the standard for the 70s! The tunes here were massive back in the day – blasting out of juke boxes, car radios, and a fair bit of home stereos too – all for good reason, given the care and balance the Holland-Dozier-Holland team brought to their work in the studio, and their ears for selecting singers to handle the work. Titles include "Want Ads" and "Stick Up" by Honey Cone, "Somebody's Been Sleepin" and "Too Many Cooks" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul, "Westbound #9" and "Mind Body & Soul" by Flaming Ember, "Woman's Love Rights" by Laura Lee "Women's Love Rights", and "Frightened Girl" by Silent Majority. 2CD set also features 27 bonus tracks that include "Somebody's Gonna Hurt You" by Lee Charles, "Colors Of My Love" by The Silent Majority, "Love Machine" by The Politicians, "Touch Me" by Eloise Laws, "Hey There Lonely Girl" by Ty Hunter, "Wanting You" by Earl English, "That's Love" by The Hi-Lites, "Can't Get Enough Of You" by Tyrone Edwards, "I Need It Just As Bad As You" by Laura Lee, "VIP" by Scherrie Payne, "Guess I'm Gonna Cry" by New York Port Authority, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, and "You Too Me From A World Outside" by Lee Charles.

One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation! We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash, plus "Home Brew" by Miles Grayson, "Just Sitting" by Smithstonian, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "Hi Off Life" by Eternal Flames, "Give Me Another Chance" by The Uniques, "Hold On" by Lorenzo Holden, "Free The Soul Man" by La May & Company, "Little Boy Blue" by The Phillips Brothers, "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?" by Big Daddy Green, "Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)" by Smokey Wilson, "Can't Buy Soul" by Hebrew Rogers, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Face To Face" by The Explosions, and "Turn Around & Go" by Lee Bernard.

A great set of old school funky numbers – the kind of indie soul 45s that first helped define the sound of rare groove back in the 80s – still as brilliantly bumping all these many years later! Most tracks here are from small label 45s of the early 70s – tracks that weren't issued on LP, and were often by artists who didn't ever even get to cut full albums – but who hit some great underground fame for their sharp grooves and wicked approach to instrumentation and vocals! The set's got loads of classics we've loved for years, but which haven't been reissued often in recent sets – cuts that include "Mr Brown" by African Music Machine, "It's Your Thing" by Toddlin Town Sounds, "Keep On Dancing" by Alvin Cash, "Somebody Help The Beggar Man" by Jackie Beavers, "Right On Jody" by Bobby Patterson, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Good Book" by The 8th Day, "Close Your Big Mouth" by The Politicians, "Hunk O Funk" by Scott Brothers Orchestra, "Ace In The Hole" by Honey Cone, "Miss Funky Fox" by Exit 9, "Gotta Get Away" by Harolyn Montgomery, and "Know What To Do When You Get It" by The Genies.

They're not lying about the title on this one – as the package definitely overflows with deep disco and boogie! But even more importantly, the whole thing's plenty darn rare, too – really killer tracks that we haven't seen compiled elsewhere – and which really represent the cream of the crop of the underground 12" scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Most numbers are nice and long, and veer towards the warmer sounds of the late disco era, rather than the harder sounds in the decade to come – a great reminder that there's still plenty of soulful club gems out there if you know where to look – and in that respect, this compilation's a great place to do so. Titles include "You Don't Care (Long Version)" by China Burton, "Live For Love (12" Extended Mix)" by GC Cameron, "Hot Thang" by Cash, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Savares Mix)" by TJ James & The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, "I Need You" by Ricky Womack, "Don't Fight The Feeling (12" Mix)" by Master Force, "Closer" by Chemistry, and "Brotherson" by Ojeda Penn.

A solid compilation of dancefloor soul from the early 80s – one of the best yet in the long-running Nighttime Lovers series from Vinyl Masterpiece – with tracks by Luther Vandross, The Brothers Johnson, Cool Runners, Carl Carlton, Mtume, Freddie Jackson, The Chi-Lites, Stanley Clarke and more! The entire series has done a nice job of putting together bigger names and comparably forgotten ones – but even with the more legendary groups and singers, they go way past the obvious hits. It's a very well sequenced selection on Vol 16 – dancefloor ready soul and a nice set of songs! Includes "I Wanted Your Love" by Luther Vandross, "Kick It To The Curb" by Brothers Johnson, "Private Party" by Carl Carlton, "Nobody Else" by Karen Silver, "I Don't Understand It" by Scott White, "Stop What You're Doing" by The Chi-Lites, "Heaven Sent You" by Stanley Clarke, "Shout For Joy" by Dunn & Bruce Street and more. 13 tracks in all.

One of the most old school volumes of this always-great series – a set that features mostly obscure soul singles from the late 60s and early 70s – many of which we've never had on reissues before! The groove here is more in the style that Chicago Steppers used back in the day – the mellow soul that first burned brightly in the mid 60s, then continued to supply the scene with some great music as years went on. And because of that mode, many of the tracks here have a great late nite feel – not exactly sweet soul, but not too far away either – thanks to some great vocals. Titles include "I Made Up My Mind" and "I'm Not Ready To Settle Down" by The Cheers, "I Love You More" by Lee Williams & The Cymbals, "Feel Kind Of Bad" by The Radiants, "You've Said It All" by Steve Karmen Orchestra, "Pull Together" by Nite Liters, "Here I Am Baby" by Barbara McNair, "Stay A While With Me" by Sharon Ridley, "Here I Am & Here I Stay" by Sonji Clay, "Stealing Watermelons" by Chambers Brothers, and "Got No One" by Delcardos.

Rare raw funk from the late 60s & early 70s – singles dug from the regional US scenes for the most part (plus a stellar number from funky funky Trinidad) – incredible numbers from Guitar Ray, Don Ray & Hobbit, James Polk & The Brothers, The Herculoids, TD & Jimmy James 3, Soul Dukes and more! Feeling Nice was compiled by deep digging collectors and DJs Tobias Kirmayer and Daniel Wanders – and it's outstanding stuff that we're being introduced to for the first time in many cases. Classic level funky soul from acts that didn't get over nearly as big as they should have. Includes "Funky Pete Pts 1 & 2" by Guitar Ray, "James Brown Boo-Ga-Loo" by James In The Incredible Showmen, "Feeling Nice" by Clarence Curvan (the title honor goes to our man from Trinidad), "Back Door Jeannye" by James Polk & The Brothers, "Get Back" by The Herculoids, "Jalapeno Pep" by TD & Jimmy James 3, "Wine For The Party" by Sonrize, "Dance Party Pts 1 & 2" by JC & The Soul Angels and more 12 in all.

The roots of the 70s sound of Philly International – served up here in a host of earlier tracks that have a wickedly funky sound! All numbers here are instrumentals – and all are played by some formation of players who'd later end up working for Philadelphia International Records in the MSFB studio group – but who record here under a variety of names used for obscure funky 45s! Much of the work here was cut at Sigma Sound Studios back when the label was first cutting Philly soul – and the collection features early work by artists who include Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, Earl Young, Vince Montana, Ronnie Baker, Leon Huff, Larry Washington, Ron Kersey, and others – all jamming in a way that's more hard-edged and funk-based than the Philly hits of the 70s. Titles include "Nickol Nickol" by Brothers Of Hope, "Vibrations" and "Bo Did It" by Hidden Cost, "Trippin" and "Jason Pew Mosso (part 2)" by Interpretations, "Egg Foo Wa Wa" by Race Street Chinatown Band, "Squeeze Your Knees" by Cupit, "I Can Dig It" by Daley Diggers, "Cupid's Holding" by Alliance", "Ambassador's Theme" & "Jimmy Bishop Theme" by Sam Reed Band, "Keem O Sabe" by Electric Indian, "Monte Carlo" by French Connection, and "Ando's Theme" by Ando Orchestra.