A killer collection of work from a group who are very near and dear to our hearts – a soulful combo who emerged from the UK scene at the end of the 80s, and really helped bring back a classic sort of warmth to soul music! Brand New Heavies were a funk combo at the core, but they were also graced with two great female singers – initially Jay Ella Ruth, then the mighty N'Dea Davenport, the singer who really helped the group soar over here on the US scene! These days, well-crafted, non-programmed soul music is a common thing – but were it not for BNH, and their contemporaries Incognito, the style might have fallen out of favor altogether – especially during that early 90s era when R&B was still pretty heavy on keyboards, samples, and beats! This double-length set is filled with classics from the group – titles that include "Spend Some Time", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Never Stop", "Dream Come True", "Saturday Nite", "People Get Ready", "You Are The Universe", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Mind Trips", "You Can Do It", "Brother Sister", and their great take on "Apparently Nothin" – and their hip hop cut "Bonafied Funk" with Main Source and Large Professor. (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of work from a group who are very near and dear to our hearts – a soulful combo who emerged from the UK scene at the end of the 80s, and really helped bring back a classic sort of warmth to soul music! Brand New Heavies were a funk combo at the core, but they were also graced with two great female singers – initially Jay Ella Ruth, then the mighty N'Dea Davenport, the singer who really helped the group soar over here on the US scene! These days, well-crafted, non-programmed soul music is a common thing – but were it not for BNH, and their contemporaries Incognito, the style might have fallen out of favor altogether – especially during that early 90s era when R&B was still pretty heavy on keyboards, samples, and beats! This double-length set is filled with classics from the group – titles that include "Spend Some Time", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Never Stop", "Dream Come True", "Saturday Nite", "People Get Ready", "You Are The Universe", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Mind Trips", "You Can Do It", "Brother Sister", and their great take on "Apparently Nothin" – and their hip hop cut "Bonafied Funk" with Main Source and Large Professor. 2CD set comes with a full bonus disc of remixes including "Stay This Way (Bob Sinclar rmx)", "Dream Come True (Heavies mix)", "Back To Love (GP club mix)", "Close To You (Masters At Work rmx)", "Saturday Nite (full intention club)", "You Are The Universe (Tuff Jam's 2 in 1 rmx)", and "Sometimes (Monsieur D's underground behavior mix)". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

Bobby Byrd recorded some killer work with James Brown back at the end of the 60s, but hardly got the chance to record much once the 70s moved on – until this killer full length set that has Bobby's vocals backed by the genius of the Soul Society combo! There's a really old school vibe to the whole set – strongly inspired by the James Brown sound of the late 60s, but also filtered through the new changes that the UK scene was bringing in during the generation of Brand New Heavies – a plenty that's great for Bobby, and has a whole back to basics vibe that really sounds wonderful, and reminds us that old funky legends never die – they just don't get the attention they deserve! The set features guest vocals from Vicki Anderson and Carleen Anderson – two generations of female funk – and titles include "Back From The Dead", "Never Get Enough", "I'm On The Move", "Sayin It & Doin It Is Two Different Things", "The Way To Get Down", and "Sunshine". CD

An overlooked gem from the years when most of the rest of the world had forgotten about the JBs – but Fred Wesley and the group were still going strong! The set's a great meeting of two funky generations – the classic James Brown funk of the late 60s and early 70s, and some of the revival modes that sprung up on the London scene at the end of the 80s – heard to best effect here in the way the album was recorded – with core horns from Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto sax, and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor – plus added London grooves in a real Brand New Heavies mode! The groove is nice and hard, and the album's way more of a classic-styled funk outing than most of the other JBs-revival titles from the same stretch – thanks to rock-solid production from the Soulciety family too. Noel McKoy, Jay Ella Ruth, and other Brit funk talents help out on the set – and titles include "What Goes Around", "Chillin With Fred", "Picture On The Wall", "Homeboy", "Push", and "I Like It Like That". CD

A damn great soul album! Sure, the record was a crossover classic that got played to death back in the 80s – but give it a listen now, and you'll be stunned to hear how fresh it sounds, and how much it reminds you of all the British soul acts that sprung up in the years after it was released. We're not saying that Sade had a direct influence on groups like Soul To Soul or Brand New Heavies – but this album's strong commitment to acoustic musical styles and real jazz playing made it a real standout in the often-tinny world of 80s chart soul, and a harbinger of the later return to warm soul styles that would be spurred on by other groups from the UK. Plus, Sade's vocals are incredibly well-wrought, and are the perfect vehicle to deliver songs like "Frankie's First Affair", "Hang On To Your Love", "Your Love Is King", and the seminal 80s slacker dancefloor anthem, "When Am I Going To Make A Living". LP, Vinyl record album

Bobby Byrd recorded some killer work with James Brown back at the end of the 60s, but hardly go the chance to record much once the 70s moved on – until this killer full length set that has Bobby's vocals backed by the genius of the Soul Society combo! There's a really old school vibe to the whole set – strongly inspired by the James Brown sound of the late 60s, but also filtered through the new changes that the UK scene was bringing in during the generation of Brand New Heavies – a plenty that's great for Bobby, and has a whole back to basics vibe that really sounds wonderful, and reminds us that old funky legends never die – they just don't get the attention they deserve! The set features guest vocals from Vicki Anderson and Carleen Anderson – two generations of female funk – and titles include "Back From The Dead", "Never Get Enough", "I'm On The Move", "Sayin It & Doin It Is Two Different Things", "The Way To Get Down", and "Sunshine". CD

A damn great soul album! Sure, the record was a crossover classic that got played to death back in the 80s – but give it a listen now, and you'll be stunned to hear how fresh it sounds, and how much it reminds you of all the British soul acts that sprung up in the years after it was released. We're not saying that Sade had a direct influence on groups like Soul To Soul or Brand New Heavies – but this album's strong commitment to acoustic musical styles and real jazz playing made it a real standout in the often-tinny world of 80s chart soul, and a harbinger of the later return to warm soul styles that would be spurred on by other groups from the UK. Plus, Sade's vocals are incredibly well-wrought, and are the perfect vehicle to deliver songs like "Frankie's First Affair", "Hang On To Your Love", "Your Love Is King", and the seminal 80s slacker dancefloor anthem, "When Am I Going To Make A Living". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from the years when most of the rest of the world had forgotten about the JBs – but Fred Wesley and the group were still going strong! The set's a great meeting of two funky generations – the classic James Brown funk of the late 60s and early 70s, and some of the revival modes that sprung up on the London scene at the end of the 80s – heard to best effect here in the way the album was recorded – with core horns from Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto sax, and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor – plus added London grooves in a real Brand New Heavies mode! The groove is nice and hard, and the album's way more of a classic-styled funk outing than most of the other JBs-revival titles from the same stretch – thanks to rock-solid production from the Soulciety family too. Noel McKoy, Jay Ella Ruth, and other Brit funk talents help out on the set – and titles include "What Goes Around", "Chillin With Fred", "Picture On The Wall", "Homeboy", "Push", and "I Like It Like That". CD