Funky Compilations — All Formats  

Some of the best funky singles of recent years released on one CD! The Soul Fire label is probably the most dedicated flag waver around for the classic funk sound – producing limited edition funky 45s by classic artists and newbies working in a classic mode – artists like Sugarman Three, Lee Fields, and Detroit Sex Machines. Many of the singles are now out of print on vinyl forever – and they are collected here, and on Grazing In The Trash Volume 1, with both the a & b sides! Titles include "Don't Think. . .Do" and "Get Up In Your Hot Pants" by Bama & The Family, "Soul Dig Part 1" and "Soul Dig Part 2" by Soul Diggers, "Solid Funk" and "Funky Moon" by Sugarman Three, "Soul Dynamite" and "Ain't It Funky Now" by Lee Fields & The Explorers, "Funky Crawl" and "Rap It Together" by Detroit Sex Machines, "Get Down" and "Moon Mission" by Joseph Henry & The Soul Command, and "In The Raw" and "The Bastard" by Whitefield Brothers.

A crucial look at the Chicago scene in the 1980s – and the first collection to really get at the roots of that city's legendary house music scene! Although later labels – like Trax or DJ International – became known as global forces for dance music in the 80s, the big wave of new sounds from the Windy City was really started by a much smaller company – the tiny Mitchbal label, and related Chicago Connection Records! This wonderful package really does a great job of bringing the Mitchbal contribution to light – with lavish notes, almost Numero-style, that fully detail the way the label mixed unique strands on the scene – British imports, new wave rhythms, and a younger generation of soul musicians still looking for an outlet in the post-disco years. These forces, and more, all came together to make the mighty sound of Mitchbal – featured here in a collection of the label's rare singles, some unreleased tracks, and other essential bits. 3CD package features a full bonus mix CD, plus a whopping 24 tracks that include "Fantasy (inst)" by Z Factor, "Shake Your Body" by Jeanette Thomas, "When I Hear The Music" by Mitchbal & The Housemasters, "The House Is On Fire" by Dezz & Grant, "Do Dat Stuff (dance mix)" by Mitchbal & Larry Williams, "I Am Music (inst)" by Libra Libra, "That's The Beat" by Risque Rhythm Team, "Fast Cars" by Z Factor, "More Than Just A Dance (backyard mix)" by Rique Rhythm Team, "I Got Broke Breakdancing (inst)" by MC Ghee, and "I Can't Forget" by Mr Lee.

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

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.

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.

An essential chapter of Miami soul – even if most of the work is appearing here for the first time ever! The set is a magnificent companion to Numero's Deep City collection of pre-TK Miami soul – but it's put together in such a way that it's almost a beautiful introduction to the south Florida sound on its own – served up in a batch of rare, unreleased tracks! The music is every bit as wonderful as you'd expect – Miami soul recorded at a time before cliches had started to hit that scene – and when the best artists down south were strongly resonating ideas from Memphis and Muscle Shoals with other elements borrowed from northern groups both funky and mellow. Numero have really outdone themselves with this one – and the collection is way more than a part 2 to their previous package – more of a brilliant set of soul tunes on its own, complete with a booklet that's as beautiful as the music. Titles include "One Little Piece" by The Rollers, "Don't Be Surprised" by Lynn Williams, "No Way Out" by Clarence Reid, "What's In The Lovin" by Helene Smith, "Mr Lucky" by Betty Wright, "There Goes My Baby" by James Knight & The Butlers, "Do What You're Doin" by The Rising Sun, "Do Your Stuff" by Perk Badger, "Masterpiece" by Deep City Band, "Nasty Dog (part 2)" by The Nasty Dog Catchers, "Thank You Baby" by Betty Wright, "Your Love Won't Let Me Leave You" by Snoopy Dean, "The Pot Can't Talk About The Kettle" by Helene Smith, "Show Me What You Got" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "Don't Be A Fool" by Clarence Reid, and "Knockin At The Wrong Door" by The Rollers. 2LP version features a great 12 x 12 fold out color insert in the middle – and includes 4 bonus tracks – instrumental versions of "Play With Fire" by The Rollers, "True Love Don't Grow On Trees" by Helene Smith, and "There Goes My Baby" by James Knight & The Butlers – plus the cut "Frenchy The Tickler" by Johnny K Killens & The Dynamites.

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind.

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!

A great set of purely classic level Studio One material – great stuff from the early 60s onward to around 1980 – and unfailingly amazing all the way through! Studio One opened up in the fall of '63, and soon after, the best of the best of Jamaican music greats of the time were wanting to record there for Coxsone Dodd. The set features the unstoppable rhythms of The Skatalites and timeless greatness from The Heptones, Maytals, Horace Andy, Lone Ranger, Freddy McKay, Wailing Souls, Willie Williams, Marcia Griffiths, Dub Specialist, Doreen Schaeffer, Ernest Ranglin and many more. 18 tracks in all: "Ball Of Fire" and "Fidel Castro" by The Skatalites, "I'm Your Man" by The Heptones, "Watch Your Step" by Freedy McKay, "Mr Music" by Pablove Black, "Sitting With Stupid" by Dub Specialist, "Let Me Hold You Tight" by Marcia Griffins, "Treat Me Bad" by The Maytals, "Everything She Want" by Lone Ranger and more.

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!

A bit trippy, but also pretty darn funky – a wonderfully groove-conscious assortment of work from Blue Note and some other EMI-related labels – most of it from the tail end of the 60s and the hip start of the 70s! There's a bit less psychedelia here than you might guess from the title, but that's ok with us – as the track list is wonderful – and features some of the hippest, most mature grooves coming out at the time – a blend of cuts that ranges from righteous soul jazz to the soaring productions of Larry Mizell! Titles include "Howling For Judy" by Jeremy Steig, "Streets Of Calcutta" by Ananda Shankar, "Light My Fire" by John Andrews Tartaglia, "Wind Parade" by Donald Byrd, "Hallelujah I'm Coming Home" by Candido, "Acid Pot Or Pills" by Horace Silver, "Music Is My Sanctuary" by Gary Bartz, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cristo Redentor" by Donald Byrd, and "Love For Sale" by Gene Harris. 12 tracks in all!

A wicked little collection that really lives up to its name – a set that's filled with warmth and good energy throughout – not to mention a great array of overlooked soul tracks too! Most of the numbers here are lesser-known gems from the late 70s and early 80s – upbeat, but not in a disco way – and usually somewhere in a space between modern soul and boogie, which works perfectly for the positive vibes of the tunes! There's a soaring feel that definitely takes off from an Earth Wind & Fire sort of style – and although most of the artists here are familiar, you'll really be surprised at the tracks chosen for the set. Titles include "Love Vibes" by The Emotions, "Something On Your Mind" by Melba Moore, "Razzle Dazzle" by Heatwave, "Better Things" by Sylvia St James, "Riding" by Michael Henderson, "Can You See Where I'm Coming From" by Instant Funk, "All In The Way You Get Down" by Ray Parker Jr & Raydio, "Sweet Fire" by Mighty Fire, "Here I Am" by Dynasty, "No One" by Flakes, "Love Is Such A Crazy Thing" by The Spinners, "Wonderful" by GQ, and "When I'm Dancin" by Lenny Williams.

Uptempo soul from Jewel, Paula and Ronin labels – the Shreveport, LA base of Stan Lewis – record store and label opener, distributor, and all around behind-the-scenes wizard of the 60s & 70s independent soul scene! The singles are wonderful throughout, bridging the mid 60s to the 70s very nicely – with tracks by Billy Joe Young, The Objectives, Cliff Wagner, Peppermint Harris, Montclairs, Barbara West, Jay Jay Taylor and many more. The liner notes have a reprint of a cool vintage feature on Stan's empire from Billboard in 1973 – and the titles include "Got You On My Mind" by Billy Joe Young, "I'm Waiting" by Bill Bush, "Love Went Away" by The Objectives, "Wait Until It Happens To You" by Peppermint Harris, "Not Too Long Ago" by The Uniques feat Joe Stampley, "I'm A Fool For You Baby" by Barbara West, "Fight Fire With Fire" by Shay Holiday, "Hung Up On Your Love" by Montclairs, "Sugar Coated Words" by Miki Honeycutt, "I'm Not Tired Yet" by Jay Jay Taylor and more.

A beautiful collection of heavy grooves from Panama and Colombia – all put together by an artist we definitely trust when it comes to all things funky! Quantic's been spending plenty of time down near the equator in recent years – turning his initial funky ear to more Latin-styled rhythms – but always with the same hard and heavy feel of his best American-styled grooves! There's a massive blend of northern funk and equatorial rhythms here – really unique little tunes that are bound to please the ear of anyone who digs a collection of funky 45s – yet with styles that are more than complicated enough to also set fire to a lover of global grooves too! The package may well be the best so far in Nascente's Experience collection – and titles include "Getting It Together" by Mauricio Smith, "El Lobo" by Wganda Kenya, "Soul Cucaracha" by The Soul Fantastics, "Full Salsa (excerpt)" by Fruko, "Bayesa" by Wganda Kenya, "Hiko Iko" by Little Grancisco Greaves, "Puyalo Ahi" by Pedro Beltran, "Caracuche Che Che" by Los Autenticos De Garmo, and "Palo Bonito" by Pedro Beltran.

Mighty recordings from the funk years of King Records – amazing grooves that follow the initial inspiration that James Brown gave to the label – but take things into wild new territory too! The late 60s & early 70s were kind of a strange and tumultuous time at the longtime Cincinnati operation – which was adapting to the changes in funk, soul and R&B music that James Brown almost single-handedly ushered in – at King and throughout the entire culture! What's most impressive here, beyond the exceptional quality of each song and performer, is the diversity – as the set's not all front-to-back JB-style funk – and also features some funked up bluesy soul, strains of gospel, the convincing move towards funk from veterans such as Hank Ballard & Bill Doggett – all topped off with righteous storytelling, sweet female soul leads, and some amazing grooves down at the bottom! Titles include "Getting Down (With Hoss)" by Kastle, "Love's Sweet Water" by Barbara Burton And The Messengers, "Baby Don't You Know" by The Brownettes, "Clay Tyson (Man On The Moon)" by Clay Tyson, "Cool Jerk" by The Coasters, "The Boo Boo Song" by King Coleman, "Unwind Yourself" by Hank Ballard, "Steal Away" by Leon Austin, "Peter Rabbit" by The Presidents, "Lookin For A Woman" by Robert Moore, "Push & Shove" by Willy Wiley, "Ball Of Fire" by Connie Austin, "Sad But True" by Elaine Armstrong, and "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila.

A pretty impressive testament to the songwriting of Skip Scarborough – a great compilations of soaringly soulful numbers he wrote from some of the best and biggest soul & R&B singers and groups of the late 70s onward! The set is pretty heavily weighted with numbers from the last couple years of the 70s, with a few from the 80s and later gem or 2 – songs by Earth Wind & Fire, Phyllis Hyman, Freda Payne, Syreeta, LTD, Creative Source, Bobby Humphrey, Patti Labelle, The Emotions and more. A good deal of it is in the somewhat laidback, yet purely soulful and sophisticated style – but his songwriting talent has quite a reach, from string-laden disco era dancefloor soul to boogie, tduets fodder and well beyond. A very well chosen set! Includes "Lover To Lover" by Maxi Anderson, "Earth Wind & Fire" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Funky Luvah" by Creative Source, "Tell Me Please" by Freda Payne, "Love Changes" by Mother's Finest, "Can't Hide Love" by Dionne Warwick, "Don't Ask My Neighbors" by The Emotions, "Dancin To Keep From Cryin" by Bobby Humphrey and more. 18 tracks in all.

Great tracks from the second generation of Philadelphia International – that time when the label moved past the clubby Philly sounds that had won them big hits in the 70s – into an even deeper range of styles overall! Most of the tracks here have a wonderfully mature sort of feel – a move past easy dancefloor modes, into more complicated mellow steppers and midtempo rhythms that are perfect for the emotive, sensual lyrics of the tunes – most of which are performed by artists who were still the greatest working for the Pilly International label at the start of the 80s! Gems throughout – with great cuts that include "I'm In Love Again" by Patti Labelle, "Easy Easy Got To Take It Easy" by Teddy Pendergrass, "When I'm Gone" by The Jones Girls, "Mine All Mine" by The Stylistics, "Start The Fire" by Jean Carn, "I Can't Stop Turning You On" by Silk, "Set A Little Trap" by Phyllis Hyman, "So Glad I'm The One" by Instant Funk, "Yes You Need Love" by Anthony White, "Your Love Is Good" by Bunny Sigler, and "I've Been Pushed Aside" by McFadden & Whitehead.

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen – a collection of work by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s – a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s – very much in an Earth Wind & Fire tradition of joy, love, and life – played in righteous ensemble mode with a good deal of jazz in the instrumentation alongside funkier rhythms on the bottom! The artists on the set originally hailed from Chicago and Detroit – and there's still strong influence from those scenes, particularly the early 70s sound of the Windy City. If you dig The Pharaohs and Pieces Of Peace, you'll find plenty here to love – and as usual with Numero Records, the whole thing comes with an amazing booklet of notes – the full story of this unique musical diaspora, supported with some great images as well. Titles include "Go To Proclaim", "Equilibrium", "Prince Of Zeal", "Junky Baby", and "Savior In The East" by Soul Messengers; "Holding On" and "Dimona" by Tonistics; "Daniel", "Burn Devil Burn", and "A Place To Be" by Spirit Of Israel & Soul Messengers; and "Hey There" and "Modernization" by Sons Of The Kingdom.

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen – a collection of work by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s – a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s – very much in an Earth Wind & Fire tradition of joy, love, and life – played in righteous ensemble mode with a good deal of jazz in the instrumentation alongside funkier rhythms on the bottom! The artists on the set originally hailed from Chicago and Detroit – and there's still strong influence from those scenes, particularly the early 70s sound of the Windy City. If you dig The Pharaohs and Pieces Of Peace, you'll find plenty here to love – and as usual with Numero Records, the whole thing comes with an amazing booklet of notes – the full story of this unique musical diaspora, supported with some great images as well. Titles include "Go To Proclaim", "Equilibrium", "Prince Of Zeal", "Junky Baby", and "Savior In The East" by Soul Messengers; "Holding On" and "Dimona" by Tonistics; "Daniel", "Burn Devil Burn", and "A Place To Be" by Spirit Of Israel & Soul Messengers; and "Hey There" and "Modernization" by Sons Of The Kingdom.

A whole new set of mod soul smokers – contemporary cuts, but mostly recorded with a vibe that hearkens back to the sound of London in the 60s – which means plenty of influence from Motown and other Northern Soul sources, plus an occasional touch of jazzy Hammond too! These tracks are all recent, but really showcase the Acid Jazz talent for getting an older style right – not exactly pure 60s, but more the best Brit blue-eyed modes – of the sort you might have heard when Style Council could hit a groover like this, or when some of the more recent Acid Jazz acts are at their best. Titles include "Pandora" by Men Of North Country, "Girlfriend" by The Filthy Six, "Return To Space" by Twisted Tongue, "Ordinary Joe" by Jasmine Kara, "No More Heroes" by Night Trains, "From Now On" by Magnus Carlson, and "Sex Is On Fire" by Jerk Juice.

A beautiful illustration of the sound of Studio One Records – that unique quality that makes the legendary label one of the most soulful sources of Jamaican music ever! The package is a surprisingly great treat – one that's still amazingly essential, even if you've got other Studio One collections – as it really has an unusual approach – one that seems to get past all the sub-genres of Jamaican music, and focus on the core genius of Studio One! In that respect, there's a very deep soul vibe to most of these tracks – almost a Kingston echo of Memphis or Muscle Shoals, not in the style of music – which is usually early reggae or rocksteady – but in the way all the core elements of the tunes come together perfectly, even before the singer's great vocals come into the mix! Once again, Soul Jazz prove that they've got a magical set of ears – as you'll hear on this collection of tracks that includes "Happy Feelings" by Dub Specialist, "Live Up To Your Name" by Prince Lincoln, "Happy Valley" by Reuben Alexander, "There's A Fire" by Larry Marshall, "Rolando Special" by Roland Alphonso, "Homeward Bound" by Freddie McGregor, "Hip Hug" by Slim Smith, "Good People" by Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus, "Keep On Moving" by Lord Tanamo, "Trouble Maker" by Wailing Souls, "Call To Me" by Rita Marley, and "Double Minded Man" by Anthony Ellis.

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 document of the wide wide reach of Earth Wind & Fire at the end of the 70s – that joyous, righteous spirit that not only flowed through their own music, but seemed to touch most of the soul and jazz world as well! The set's a much-needed look at the way that energy from EWF flowed out to so many other folks too – as the group's tunes were frequently covered, its members frequently worked with other artists, and Maurice White frequently lent his production talents to others in the studio! The package is overflowing with greatness from the great ones – a killers set of tracks that include "Got To Find My Way" by Pockets, "Tequila Mockingbird" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Let's Get Together" by Paulinho DaCosta, "City Lights" by Valerie Carter, "Ancient Source" by Caldera, "Answer To My Prayer" by Alton McClain & Destiny, "Let Love Groove Me" by Syliva St James, "The Boy I Left Behind" by Deniece Williams, "Glow Love" by Mighty Clouds Of Joy, "And I Do" by Abraham Laboriel, "I Waited" by Blue Magic, "Dream Come True" by Stargard, and "Theme For Relana" by Gene Harris.

They're not kidding about the title on this one – although they might have added "weirdest" to the name, too! The songs here are all familiar ones, especially if you dig rare grooves from the 60s and 70s – but the versions you'll hear are definitely unusual – often some pretty obscure takes on funk and soul numbers, plus a few bits from other styles too – done up in even funkier versions than before, partly because the production is even rawer, but also because the overall execution is too! Latin vibes mix up with soulful rhythms, deep funk solos, and even some freaky fuzzy psyche-inspired moments – and titles include "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & The King Casuals, "Jungle Fever" by Afrosound, "Bang Bang" by Fruko & Sus Tesos, "Pastime Paradise" by Ray Barretto, "Cloud Nine" by Mongo Santamaria, "I Turn My Camera On" by Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, "Light My Fire" by Ebony Rhythm Band, "Scorpio" by Johnny Frigo, "Rat Race" by Antibalas, and "The Next Message" by The Mighty Mo & Winchester Seven.

They're not kidding about the title on this one – although they might have added "weirdest" to the name, too! The songs here are all familiar ones, especially if you dig rare grooves from the 60s and 70s – but the versions you'll hear are definitely unusual – often some pretty obscure takes on funk and soul numbers, plus a few bits from other styles too – done up in even funkier versions than before, partly because the production is even rawer, but also because the overall execution is too! Latin vibes mix up with soulful rhythms, deep funk solos, and even some freaky fuzzy psyche-inspired moments – and titles include "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & The King Casuals, "Jungle Fever" by Afrosound, "Bang Bang" by Fruko & Sus Tesos, "Pastime Paradise" by Ray Barretto, "Cloud Nine" by Mongo Santamaria, "I Turn My Camera On" by Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, "Light My Fire" by Ebony Rhythm Band, and "The Next Message" by The Mighty Mo & Winchester Seven.

A diggers delight through and through – even though the set will save you plenty of digging! The package is a killer collection of rare funky nuggets and sample tracks – put together with an ear for some of the best bits that have provided the building blocks for the hipper side of the spectrum in recent years – and with an eye for cuts that haven't been compiled that often! Many of the names here are big ones from 70s soul and funk, but they're represented by harder cuts that move past their hits – a great array of grooves that includes "Walk With Me" by Manchild, "Family" by Hubert Laws, "People Make The World Go Round" by Angela Bofill, "Mighty Mighty" by Earth Wind & Fire, "It's Rough Out Here" by The Modulations, "Funky Monkey" by Mandrill, "Elevate Our Minds" by Linda Williams, "Crab Apple" by Idris Muhammad, "Theme From King Kong" by Lalo Schifrin, "We Get Down" by Weldon Irvine, "Trogladyte" by Jimmy Castor, "Sneaking Up Behind You" by The Brecker Brothers, and "Turn Off The Lights" by Larry Williams.

Tremendous tunes throughout – a collection of rare club and disco tracks that goes way past the usual – and which is bound to please the ears of any lover of late 70s grooves! The sounds are familiar, but the tracks are all pretty darn obscure – wonderful rare singles that serve up some of the best dancefloor styles of the late 70s and early 80s – particularly the sort of indie modes that we love in the east coast underground! Boogie vibes abound, as do funky club rhythms, sweet instrumental riffs, and some excellent soul vocals that really send the whole thing home – on a great range of tracks that are as musically wonderful as the original records are rare. 2CD set features 24 tracks in all – titles that include "I'm Gonna Break You Down" by Tony Gregory, "Let's Party All Night" by Hearts Of Fire, "Baby I'm Coming At You"b y Jesse Gomez, "Focus" by Phylliss Bailey, "Good Feelings" by Pike, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Ron Richardson, "The Mind Blower" by Billy Frazier, "Fallen Into Love" by Motherfox, "Sunlight" by Krisp, "Time Is Running Out" by The Underground Band, and "This Party Is Just For You" by Special Touch.

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane.

A sweet little set that definitely aims to stake out its own little territory – with a groove that lives up surprisingly well to the title! The music here is way funkier than you might expect – and comes from a time when many popular singers were working in studios staffed by cats who were pretty darn cool – and had a great ear for picking up some of the best musical undercurrents from other scenes – including some of the best soul and funk that was really breaking out in the US at the start of the 70s! As a result, many of these tracks have unexpectedly funky rhythms at the bottom – way different than the kind of backings that you might have heard in country soul records from a few years before – and different too than the redneck rock that was becoming more popular with some of the bigger acts on the charts. You're bound to recognize a few bigger names here – as the set's not just country artists – and as usual, the Light In The Attic crew have done a stunning job of putting the whole thing together. Titles include "LA Memphis Tyler Texas" by Dale Hawkins, "Georgia Mountain Dew" by Johnny Adams, "Light Blue" by Bobby Darin, "I Wanta Make Her Love Me" by Jim Ford, "Hawg Frog" by Gray Fox, "Fire & Brimstone" by Link Wray, "Street People" by Bobby Charles, "Bayou Country" by Gritz, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, and "Studspider" by Tony Joe White.

New and old Blue Note collide in this jam-packed 2CD set of tracks! Forget the "chillout" in the title, because a good portion of the set is real jazz from the old days, and the rest is newer material, based around the older ideals of the Blue Note idiom. Together, the music makes for a nice little package of tracks, shifting with ease from classic to future, stepping through a wider array of catalog than you might expect. Titles include "More Than This" by Charlie Hunter with Norah Jones, "Loungin" by Guru with Donald Byrd, "She's A Lady" by Patricia Barber, "Sun At Midnight" by Jason Moran, "Slow Bombing The World" by Marc Jordan, "Flute Down" by Karl Denson, "Off The Record" by Ronny Jordan, "Harvest Moon" by Cassandra Wilson, "God Bless The Child" by Stanley Turrentine, "Cantaloop (inst)" by US3, "Light My Fire" by Julie London, "Ashes" by Greg Osby, "Slow Drag" by Donald Byrd, "Soul Manifesto" by Rodney Jones, "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky" by Lou Donaldson, and "It's Your Thing" by Grant Green. 24 tracks on 2CDs!

Jazzy 45s galore – and a huge dip into the vaults of Prestige Records! This tasty set brings together 18 classics recorded in the heyday of the jazz funk years at Prestige – the late 60s and early 70s, a time when the soul jazz sounds of previous years were being forged into a leaner, meaner, harder-hitting groove. And although the LP was the growing format during these days, there was actually a heck of a lot of great work issued on 45s – still spinning strong with the jukebox crowds in the clubs and tap rooms, and still getting major play on radio stations, where the single was still king. The set features many 45 mixes of funky classics that you might know from LPs – and intersperses them with some other more obscure numbers pulled from full albums – making for an all-solid, all-funky set of tracks from one of the hippest jazz labels ever! Titles include "Fire Eater" by Rusty Bryant, "Don't Knock My Love" by Idris Muhammad, "Jungle Strut" by Gene Ammons, "Express Yourself" by Idris Muhammad, "Right On" by Boogaloo Joe Jones, "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" by Melvin Sparks, "Sing A Simple Song" by Charles Earland, "Son Of Man" by Houston Person, "Listen Here (part 1)" by Freddie McCoy, "Black Talk (part 1)" by Charles Earland, "Message From The Meters" by Leon Spencer, "Reelin With The Feeling" by Charles Kynard, "I Want You Back" by Harold Mabern, and "Thank You (part 1)" by Melvin Sparks.

A second volume of underground disco and unstoppable dancefloor soul from NYC in the late 70s and early 80s – M&M Mixes Vol 2, highlighting rare and previously unreleased mixes by John Morales! It features a roster of legendary names, particularly to diggers of deeper disco tracks, but also some soul stars who worked well in that groove – a batch of tunes mixed & engineered by Morales back in the day at M&M Studios and elsewhere. Great numbers by Brass Construction, Inner Life feat Jocelyn Brown, Candi Staton, Fantastic Aleems, Teddy Pendergrass, War, Double Exposure, Salsoul Orchestra and more! CDs version includes 18 tracks on a jam packed 2CDs – many grooving on the longer side, with titles include "Caught Up" by Inner Life feat Jocelyn Brown, "Heartless" by Evelyn Thomas, "Now Is Tomorrow" by Brass Construction, "You Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton, "Slipping Into Darkness" by War, "Dreamin" by Loleatta Holloway, "Magic Bird Of Fire" by Salsoul Orchestra, "Dancing Into The Stars" by Logg and more.

A sweet little set that definitely aims to stake out its own little territory – with a groove that lives up surprisingly well to the title! The music here is way funkier than you might expect – and comes from a time when many popular singers were working in studios staffed by cats who were pretty darn cool – and had a great ear for picking up some of the best musical undercurrents from other scenes – including some of the best soul and funk that was really breaking out in the US at the start of the 70s! As a result, many of these tracks have unexpectedly funky rhythms at the bottom – way different than the kind of backings that you might have heard in country soul records from a few years before – and different too than the redneck rock that was becoming more popular with some of the bigger acts on the charts. You're bound to recognize a few bigger names here – as the set's not just country artists – and as usual, the Light In The Attic crew have done a stunning job of putting the whole thing together. Titles include "LA Memphis Tyler Texas" by Dale Hawkins, "Georgia Mountain Dew" by Johnny Adams, "Light Blue" by Bobby Darin, "I Wanta Make Her Love Me" by Jim Ford, "Hawg Frog" by Gray Fox, "Fire & Brimstone" by Link Wray, "Street People" by Bobby Charles, "Bayou Country" by Gritz, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, and "Studspider" by Tony Joe White.

Tremendous tunes throughout – a collection of rare club and disco tracks that goes way past the usual – and which is bound to please the ears of any lover of late 70s grooves! The sounds are familiar, but the tracks are all pretty darn obscure – wonderful rare singles that serve up some of the best dancefloor styles of the late 70s and early 80s – particularly the sort of indie modes that we love in the east coast underground! Boogie vibes abound, as do funky club rhythms, sweet instrumental riffs, and some excellent soul vocals that really send the whole thing home – on a great range of tracks that are as musically wonderful as the original records are rare. 2 LP set features 13 tracks in all – titles that include "Let's Party All Night" by Hearts Of Fire, "Baby I'm Coming At You"by Jesse Gomez, "Focus" by Phylliss Bailey, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Ron Richardson, "The Mind Blower" by Billy Frazier, "Time Is Running Out" by The Underground Band, "Slow Love" by State Department, "Get The Feelin’" by Freeway, and "My Music Says It All" by Breanda Cuffari.

A wonderful compilation – with a really unique sound! The compilers have gone for the sort of tracks that have provided an inspiration for some of London's more spacious soul artists of the past few years – and they've carved out a special slice of tunes from the cusp of the 70s, right at the point when hippie freedoms were sneaking into soul, folk, rock, and funk – in rare instances creating a fantastic blend of moods and modes, tunes that deliver that rare sound known in the underground as the "folk funk experience". The package is different than most funk compilations you'll buy this year – with a laidback groove that features lots of acoustic guitar, hand-played percussion, and even some nice touches of strings in just the right parts. The familiar mixes with the obscure – and the result is one of the tastiest listens our ears have heard in a long time! Titles include "You" by Bill Withers, "Play With Fire" by Barbara & Ernie, "And That's Saying A Lot" by Christine Perfect, "Les Fleur" by Minnie Riperton, "Milk & Honey" by Bonnie Dobson, "For What It's Worth" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, "Reach For The Truth" by Linda Lewis, "Make Music" by Rena Sinakin, "I Have Seen" by The Pedllers, "The Dolphins" by Al Wilson, "Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love" by Odyssey, and "Aht Uh Mi Hed" by Shuggie Otis.

A pretty impressive testament to the songwriting of Skip Scarborough – a great compilations of soaringly soulful numbers he wrote from some of the best and biggest soul & R&B singers and groups of the late 70s onward! The set is pretty heavily weighted with numbers from the last couple years of the 70s, with a few from the 80s and later gem or 2 – songs by Earth Wind & Fire, Phyllis Hyman, Freda Payne, Syreeta, LTD, Creative Source, Bobby Humphrey, Patti Labelle, The Emotions and more. A good deal of it is in the somewhat laidback, yet purely soulful and sophisticated style – but his songwriting talent has quite a reach, from string-laden disco era dancefloor soul to boogie, tduets fodder and well beyond. A very well chosen set! Includes "Lover To Lover" by Maxi Anderson, "Earth Wind & Fire" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Funky Luvah" by Creative Source, "Tell Me Please" by Freda Payne, "Love Changes" by Mother's Finest, "Can't Hide Love" by Dionne Warwick, "Don't Ask My Neighbors" by The Emotions, "Dancin To Keep From Cryin" by Bobby Humphrey and more. 18 tracks in all.

Get ready for a whole new source for funky music – obscure small label recordings made by singers and musicians working in British bars, clubs, and lounges during the 60s and 70s! The cover looks kitschy, but the grooves are surprisingly great – a really wide range of funky numbers that feature lots of organ, choppy guitar, and jazzy vocals – all served up with a style that aims to be commercial, but which always falls a few spots short of the mark – giving the tracks some nicely rough edges, and a great sense of humanity that definitely earns the "Working Man's Soul" in the title! You'll be hard pressed to find most of these tracks in the original on either side of the Atlantic – and the folks at Licorice Soul have done a really wonderful job reconstructing the details of this elusive scene. A real delight through and through – one of the most mind-opening collections we've heard in years – with tracks that include "Meadowbank" by Sounds Bob Rogers, "Don't Bother Me No More" by Sophisticats, "Work Song" by Alan Randall, "Vehicle" by Collection, "Flyin Hi" by Maxwell Plumm, "Little Bit Of Love" by Carol Lee Scott, "Chain Of Fools" by Dave Anthony, "Light My Fire" by Brian Sharp, "Hip Flask" by The Northern Jazz Orchestra, "Hang In There" by The Peter Coe Big Band, and "Funky Nassau" by John O'Hara & The Famous O'Hara's Playboys.

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.

DJs Kon & Amir serve up an incredibly wicked batch of 70s grooves – soulful and funky, and featuring some stellar material from the far corners of the crates! The pair are best known for their break-heavy party mixes – but here, they're letting the tunes stretch out a bit more – giving our ears a fuller taste of some incredible gems that push the set way past the usual collection of 70s soul! Titles include "Cut Up Mr Kool" by Standard Of Living, "Trip To Your Mind" by Hudson People, "Feel The Real" by David Benedeth, "I Thought You Wanted To Dance" by Symbol 8, "Home" by Band X, "Make The Most Of It" by Starfire, "Music Slave" by Jade, "Here I Go Again" by Karin Jones, "We Are The Chosen Few" by Chosen Few, "Madame Butterfly" by Leo Sunshipp, "I Need Ya" by Ron Holden, and "Microwave Boogie" by Skip Jackson & The Natural Experience.

A key look at the influence of Italian rhythms on American dancefloors – tracks from a magical time when Italian artists were hitting big in clubs on the US scene! The work here is from an early 80s moment when disco was on the downturn – leaving space for Italian imports to hit our shores with bigger force than before – bringing with them a range of romping rhythms, electronic sounds, and other odd touches that really set the scene for house music to come! A few cuts here have a slightly cold feel – a bit like the electronic post-punk imports from the UK or Germany – but most numbers are still quite warm and soulful, yet tuned differently than American club of the time – a bit more emphasis on the beats and basslines, even though there's still plenty of vocals and keyboards as well. The set features full notes on this time and the music by Bill Brewster – author of Last Night A DJ Saved My Life – and it features a great array of under-reissued tracks, including "Dreaming" by Rainbow Team, "Burning Love" by DD Sound, "Love" by Firefly, "Wojtyla Disco Dance (part 1)" by Freddy The Flying Ducthman & The Sistina Band, "Brazilian Dancer (DJ version)" by Kasso, "Tha Kee Tha Tha" by Five Letters, "Flor De Coca" by Number One Ensemble, "E Fatto E Sorde E (Maxessa edit)" by Tullio De Piscopo, "Tina Are You Ready (inst)" by Valentine, and "Do It Again" by Easy Going.

The folks at Plastic dig a little deeper than usual for this one, and they turn up a nice batch of cuts – some obscure, some better-known – to define the genre of 60's Noir. The 16 tracks on the compilation are a mix of crime/spy type tracks, moody jazz vocal tracks, and dark moody orchestral themes. Although some of the stuff is a bit funky, the mood is much different than the usual funk compilation, and has more of an overall spooky feel. Tracks include "Out Of This World" by Mark Murphy, "Crossfire" by The Hurricanes, "Ennloro" by Percy Faith, "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Armando Sciascia, "Goldfinger" by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, "Love For Sale" by Eartha Kitt, "Harlem Love Theme" by JJ Johnson, and more by Lalo Schifrin, Cal Tjader, Oscar Brown, and others!

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.