Here's a set that takes the "More" in its title very seriously – as the package is overflowing with way more rare work than we might have expected – six tracks from the Motown vaults that appear here for the first time ever, and many other that were unreleased at the time – showing just how much the Detroit soul powerhouse was able to capture some of the best female singers coming through its studios! If you're worried about these tracks being clunkers, put aside those fears – as even the lesser cuts at Motown are usually better than some of the hits at other labels – given the production strengths and studio talents, who do a great job here of making both the big names and the lesser-knowns sound wonderful. As always with Ace, there's a huge amount of detailed notes that really make the package great – alongside 25 tracks that include "Good Good Feeling" by Brenda Holloway, "Hold Me Oh My Darling" by Ann Bogan, "I Don't Want Your Promises" by LaBrenda Ben, "Don't Be Too Long" by Anita Knorl, "A Love So Deep Inside" by the Velvelettes, "Can't Figure It Out" by The Lewis Sisters, "I'm So Helpless" by Debbie Dean, "Nothing But A Fool" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "My Daddy Knows Best" by Little Lisa, "Suck Up" by Oma Heard, "This Love I've Got" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Never Trust A Man" by Chris Clark, "When I Was In School" by Hattie Littles, and "All I Could Do Was Cry" by Yvonne Fair. (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

A great entry in this long-running series – one of the most trusted compilations of top-shelf 80s grooves over the years – and one that always does a really great job of balancing mainstream music with some under-discovered gems! Actually, to most ears, these tracks are probably all under-discovered – but even if you're an 80s soul completist, there's still probably some great discoveries here – as you'll hear on a set list of 13 tracks that include "Treasure Mind" by Trace Of Smoke, "Sweet Tender Loving" by Brief Encounter, "Call Me" by Josie James, "It's My Turn" by Chapter 8, "Love Is Trying To Get A Hold On Me" by Tavasco, "Love I Feel Inside" by Waldo, "You're So Jealous" by Jewel, "Hanging Out" by New Birth, "Can You Stay With Me" by Midnight Star, "Share My Love" by Bobby Broom, and "Reach High" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. CD

A sweet overview of the Van McCoy songbook from the early 60s to early 70s – and a stellar compilation from Ace Records – a label that's gone above and beyond in its efforts to shine a light on the songwriters and producers behind some of most moving songs of the era! The breadth ofMcCoy's talent is pretty amazing, all the more so given his huge disco era hit "The Hustle", a world away from the soaringly emotional soul songs he penned for top shelf singers like Betty Everett, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Nancy Wilson, Donny Hathaway, Erma Franklin, Jerry Butler and more – many of the best of which are compiled here! 24 tracks in all: "I Got The Sweetest Feeling" by Erma Franklin, "Getting Mighty Crowded" by Betty Everett, "Baby I'm Yours" by Barbara Lewis, "Sotp And Get A Hold Of Myself" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "So Soon" by Aretha Franklin, "Giving Up" by Donny Hathaway, "Nothing Worse Than Being Alone" by The Ad Libs, "I've Lost You" by Jackie Wilson and many more. (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

Sam Dees is a hell of a singer, and he's a hell of a songwriter too – one who's worked not just with the southern soul stars of his roots, but also a much wider range of soul talents too! This wonderful collection really gets at the strength of Dees' amazing ability to pen a special soul tune – as it features work from a surprisingly huge array of talents from all sides of the soul spectrum – including a fair bit of vocalists we never knew worked with Sam's material. We love Dees' own records to death – and have enjoyed many of his demo recordings over the years, too – but a set like this really shows the important influence he had on soul music in the 70s – the way he touched so many folks, and helped them out with his meaningful lyrics. The set features great notes on Sam and his contribution – and 22 tracks that include "Where Did We Go Wrong" by LTD, "Vanishing Love (UK rmx)" by The Chi-Lites, "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "So Your Love Finally Ran Out" by Les McCann, "Run To Me" by Sidney Joe Qualls, "Save The Overtime" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Seconds Of Your Love" by Johnnie Taylor, "One In A Million You" by Larry Graham, "Spoiled By Your Love" by Anita Ward, "What A Way To Put It" by The Temptations, "Good Guys Don't Always Win" by Ray Crumley, and "My World" by Sam Dees himself! (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

Curtis Mayfield is a hell of a singer – as most folks know from his work in the Impressions, and his later solo classics of the 70s – and he's also a hell of a songwriter too, one who was very generous with his magical material, right from the start! Back in the 60s, Curtis was sharing his songs with other up-and-coming soul singers on the Chicago scene – some of whom he was also producing in the studio, as well – and as the decade moved into the 70s, others were soon picking up Mayfield's tunes – both for their ability to deliver a personal message, and for the larger political agenda that was always in the music too! This really well-done collection brings together two dozen of Curtis' best songs, handled by other folks – mostly from the 60s and early 70s, but with a few surprises from later years too – all supported with a really great collection of notes and other information too. Titles include "Man's Temptation" by the Jackson 5, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, "Rainbow (alt)" by Gene Chandler, "Monkey Time" by The Miracles, "I'm So Proud" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "That's What Love Will Do" by The Gaylads, "Never Stop Loving Me" by Keni Burke, "I've Been Trying" by Jerry Butler, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's All Over" by Walter Jackson, "Mama Didn't Lie" by The Orlons, "He Will Break Your Heart" by Freddie Scott, "People Get Ready" by Dionne Warwick, "Need To Belong" by Isaac Hayes, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "Let's Do It Again (single edit)" by The Staple Singers, "Look Into Your Heart (single edit)" by Aretha Franklin, and "The Makings Of You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

A stunning selection of female soul from Motown – all of it rare, and much of it previously unreleased! The set is a great reminder not only of how much we still have to learn about the biggest soul label in the motor city – but also of the exceptional quality that Motown brought to their recordings – so much so that even long-unissued tracks like these can easily stand with the biggest hits from other 60s soul labels! The package is wonderful if you dig female soul – and maybe even if you just like vintage soul in general – and in addition to rare cuts by big Motown names, you'll also hear some lesser-knowns that show the way the company was always trying to reach out for new talent in the fertile world of Detroit music. As usual, Ace has provided very detailed notes that offer as much history as information on the music – and the CD features 24 titles that include "It's Been A Long Time Happenin" by Rita Wright, "There Are Things" by Ann Bogan, "It's Crazy Baby" by Liz Lands, "Baby I've Got It" by Brenda Holloway, "Honey Don't Leave Me" by The Lewis Sisters, "It's All Right" by LaBrenda Ben, "When Someone's Good To You" by Oma Page, "In My Heart I Know It's Right" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Sweet Talkin Guy" by The Marvelettes, "Cookie Boy" by Thelma Brown, "I Up & Think Of You" by Kim Weston, "There Was" by The Lollipops, "Keep Away" by Little Lisa, "Playboy (first version)" by The Marvelettes, "I Know You Don't Love Me No More (orig mix)" by Yvonne Fair, "In Your Heart" by Patrice Holloway, "You've Got Possibilities" by Barbara McNair, and "Bad News" by LaBrenda Ben. (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD