One of the more new wave-oriented moments from Ava Cherry – a singer we know best from her solo work in soul, but who also has a pretty strong pedigree on the rock side of the spectrum as well! The instrumentation is heavy on keyboards – played by Mark Isham, in a way that sometimes echoes his best soundtrack work of the decade, but more focused too – at a level that brings a deeper sound to the music than you might expect! Tunes are upbeat and catchy, yet trying for a bit of an edge at times – and Ava serves up the lyrics with a subtle sense of drama in her voice. Titles include "Fast Lover", "Love To Be Touched", "Techno Love", "Having Been Far", "I Guess It's Love", "Awkward Situation", and "Streetcar Named Desire". CD features two bonus tracks – 12" remixes of "Awkward Situation" and "Streetcar Named Desire". CD

Some of the most striking work we've heard from Neneh Cherry in years – and a great follow-up to her previous project with The Thing! This set has Neneh working with producer Kieran Hebden – who returns Cherry to the offbeat, arty sound of her early years on the British scene – particularly her excellent work with Rip Rig & Panic! As with that period, the rhythms here are key – but are also rhythms that really veer from the usual – odd basslines and beats that provide a jagged bottom underneath Cherry's soulfully flowing vocals – a sense of counterpoint that really gives the album a lot of power. Titles include "Naked", "Spit Three Times", "Blank Project", "Cynical", "422", "Out Of The Black", "Dossier", and "Everything". CD

It's a year after Wild Cherry's big hit, but the group are still very much in similar territory – working the bass with a heavy crossover dancefloor appeal – and serving up tunes that are compressed perfectly for the AM airwaves! There's a clear nod here to the sunshine sound of the Miami scene – and what the album lacks in real soul authenticity, it more than makes up for in catchy pop charm! Titles include "Baby Don't You Know", "Are You Boogieing", "Dancing Music Band", "Closest Thing To My Mind", "Electrified Funk", and "Hole In The Wall". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Wild Cherry may have been one-hit wonders – but MAN, what a hit! At the time of release, "Play That Funky Music" was seen as a joke on the disco movement – but all these many years later, a quick dip into this self-titled album will show you that Wild Cherry were actually the real deal – a funky combo with a hell of a way with a bassline, led by the riffing guitar and weirdly raw vocals of Robert Parissi! In a way, the group feel more like some of those blue-eyed funk combos from global scenes in the period – like Australia, Germany, or South Africa – where it maybe didn't matter so much if you lad a long legacy in indie soul, as long as you could come up with the goods. And sure, the lyrics get a bit silly at times – maybe more lifted from compressed post-glam AM rock than soulful roots – but the overall sound of the set is surprisingly funky, in a way that's maybe stronger than so many other acts who got more respect at the time. Titles include "Play That Funky Music", "Nowhere To Run", "Don't Go Near The Water", "99 1/2", "The Lady Wants Your Money", "What In The Funk Do You See", and "Get It Up". A great moment when compressed AM pop, disco rhythms, and bass heavy funk all collided at once! LP, Vinyl record album

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". CD

These guys definitely live up to the "jam" in the name of their band – but not in the same way as 21st Century groups using the jam band name! Instead, the sound here is bass-heavy funk – a mode that's probably a bit inspired by P-Funk, but often faster and more frenetic – kind of a rougher-edged version of some of the Ohio funk acts that really rose to prominence at the end of the 70s. Charles Davis is the maestro on bass – and he never pushes things too far, nor pops the strings too much – and instead just uses his strings to really vamp the whole group from the bottom on up, setting the scene for lots of tasty interplay on horns, guitar, and keyboards – amidst a flurry of vocals by members of the group. Titles include "Chazz Jazz", "Midnight Stroker", "Instrument Soul", "Bolo", "Living In Style", "The Funky Get Down", "Can't Hide The Funk", and "Who Want To Fall In Love". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Can't You Ride The Western Funk" and "Whip That Mini Skirt". LP, Vinyl record album

28 tracks in all! CD

There's never been a better bit of throwback dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out – but to us, that was a great thing, and the record represents one of the high points in pop music of the past few decades. Thanks to some skillful sampling by Towa Tei, the group were grounded in a rich history of funk, house, disco, soul, and Brazilian influences – all of which they managed to blend with a postmodern perfection that other groups could only ever dream of! The big hits are certainly very familiar, but the whole album's a delight – and tracks include "Who Was That?", "Smile On", "Try Me On . . . I'm Very You", "World Clique", "ESP", and "Good Beat". This great expanded 2CD edition includes a full CD of remixes, too – 26 tracks in 2CDs! Given that the weird mixes and extrapolations of tunes by the group were such a big part of their larger sound, the extra material really helps get a full picture of the album's greatness! CD

(Rock, Soul) CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Seminal work from the lovely Basia – and an album that's a wonderful hybrid of jazz, soul, and pop – all put together at a level that really goes beyond most of her contemporaries! There's a vibe here that's almost like Swing Out Sister at their best – catchy, but never cloying – and done in an 80s style that refers strongly back to 60s and 70s styles, yet still keeps things quite contemporary overall. And although most of the tunes are pretty poppy, they're also pretty great, and really hold up over the years – thanks to slight undercurrents of jazzy instrumentation, of the sort you'd get from Brit artists like Working Week or Sade. Titles include "Promises", "From Now On", "Freeze Thaw", "How Dare You", "Astrud", and "Miles Away". 2CD version is amazing – and features 5 bonus instrumental tracks, plus 8 more remix tracks, and 5 more single versions, and the non-album track "Give Me That". 30 titles in all! CD

Four classic albums from UK singer Tina Charles – an artist who mixes older vocal touches with the swirling sounds of the legendary Biddu – in a groove that's got a heck of a lot to offer! Tina never was one of the most underground singers of her generation – but it's her confidence in that fact that makes this music so great – an unabashed love of the poppier sounds of the dancefloor, in a way that beautifully mixes together 70s AM sensibilities with the growing sounds of the disco movement. Biddu's a great choice for the project – as the use of light strings and disco grooves resonates with his own solo work, but also maybe has more of a crossover focus, thanks to Tina's poppy vocals in the lead! The 2CD set features the full albums I Love To Love, Dance Little Lady, Heart N Soul, and Just One Smile – with a total of 40 tracks in all. CD

(New Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The second great chapter in the career of this UK club act – a set that features three full albums and an insane amount of bonus tracks – many of which have never been on CD, or even released at all! Rah Band were a great group at putting forward an electric sound for the clubs – and in this stretch of records from the late 80s, they changed their sound to nicely fit the time – more 80s soul, but still with all the sweet electric elements that made them so great in the first place. Given that Rah Band were almost precursors to 80s electro soul, their work here is right at front of the pack for the time – as you'll hear on the full albums Mystery, Something About The Music, and World Keeps on turning – each presented here with rare tracks and remixes as bonus tracks – alongside 2 more CDs that add in additional material, including some 80s work – a whopping 30 more rare cuts as well! CD

(New Grooves, Soul) CD

A huge amount of music from Liquid Gold – a UK studio group formed during the late 70s disco years, but one that was maybe a bit better than most of their commercial contemporaries! These guys have the slick clubby sound you might guess from their image on the cover, but often work with instrumentation that's nice and sharp – not totally underground, but sometimes with the better funky touches at the core that you might find from better club acts on labels like Prelude or TK – a legacy that we mostly know from their one big album of the time, but which is presented here on a 3CD set that's overflowing with rare mixes from singles, the different US and UK track lists from the album, and even bonus instrumental cuts and solo material from group member Ellie Hope. There's a massive 46 tracks in all – and titles include "Substitute", "Secret Love", "My Baby's Baby", "Mr Groovy", "Dance Yourself Dizzy", "Don't Panic", "Anyway You Do It", "Hit The Roof", "The Night The Wine & The Roses", "What's She Got (John Luongo club mix)", "Lucky (12" version)", "Shake", "Dance Yourself Dizzy (Yomanda synth & strings mix)", and "One Of Us Fell In Love". CD

A huge moment in British soul – the debut album from Mica Paris, and a set that broke almost as big on our side of the Atlantic as it did in the UK! Mica's got a wonderful vocal style here – a bit cooler and classier than some of her contemporaries – maybe even in the territory of Sade at times, at least in the way she can deliver a lyric with understated grace and plenty of warmth! The approach is fantastic – completely charming from the get-go, and a really nice change a time when some of the more mainstream soul was sounding a bit tinnier and overproduced. There's a richness to the record that still holds up strongly over the years – thanks in part to the work of songwriters Mick Leeson and Peter Vale – on titles that include "Like Dreamers Do", "Great Impersonation", "Where Is The Love", "So Good", "Don't Give Me Up", "Nothing Hits Your Heart Like Soul Music", and "My One Temptation". This deluxe edition from Cherry Pop includes a second disc of bonus tracks – including "Into The City", "Rock Together", "Same Feeling", "Where Is The Love?", "Wickedn", "My One Temptation (Club Mix)" and more. 23 tracks on 2CDs! CD

A fantastic collection of work from The Rah Band – a late 70s group who were never that big on the US scene, but who were a key part in helping the UK move from earlier electronic experiments into some of the more catchy grooves of the decade to come! At the start, Rah Band had maybe more of an electronic approach that was tied to the generation of moog instrumentals and other crossover instrumental records – thanks in part to the skills of mainman Richard Hewson – but as these records progress, the group also pick up plenty of warmer instrumentation too, especially on guitar and saxes – so that there's a fusion current at times, but mixed with elements that would show up more strongly in 80s electro soul too – all of which make the group a very important precursor to so many trends to come! The three albums in this set – Crunch & Beyond, Rah Band, and Going Up – are all filled with plenty of sweet keyboards, and an increasing sense of groove – and the package also adds in rare bonus tracks to each full album, then includes two full CDs of remix tracks and rarities – all of which makes for a massive package of 71 titles in all – the most we've ever seen from the group on CD! CD

Wonderful work from Harry "Little" Caesar – a singer who made some great R&B singles for the west coast scene in the 50s, but hardly ever got his due on the other side of the US! Harry's got a nicely rough edge in his vocals – a style that reminds us a lot of the best male singers at King, like Roy Brown or Wynonie Harris – and although Caesar's perhaps not as raw and raunchy as the latter, he often covers similar down-to-earth topics in his tunes – material that makes these sides a real joy to rediscover! As the title implies, the work here was recorded for a handful of different labels – Modern, Dolphin, and Downey – and together, the tunes paint a vivid picture of this under-discovered talent from LA – a picture that's expanded on nicely by Billy Vera's notes as well. CD features 26 tracks in all – including "Cadillac Baby", "Don't Mention The Blues", "Lying Woman", "Atomic Love", "Going Down To The River", "Move Me", "Personal Question", "Tried To Reason With You Baby", and "What Are They Laughing About" – plus numbers sung with The Turbans, including "The Nest Is Warm", "No No Cherry", and "Tick Tock A Woo". CD

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s album, issued at a time when Esther Phillips was really riding high with her records on the Kudo label – but a set that brings together unissued sides recorded for Atlantic in the 60s! The style is a great mix of rootsy soul and hipper jazz – arranged by Onzy Matthews on side one, with a care and quality that almost rivals Capitol jazz vocal sessions of the time – and performed live at Freddie Jett's Piper Club on side two – in the same mode as her classic Burnin album from the time locale! Philips is wonderful in both settings – with that distinct approach that's unlike any other singer we know – quite versatile, and at a critical point between her R&B work of the 50s, and her smoother Kudu jazz of the 70s. Titles include include "Cherry Red", "In The Evenin", "I Wonder", "Romance In The Dark", "I Love Paris", and "I'm Gettin' Long Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Supremes albums of the 70s – a rare live Japanese session that wasn't even issued in the US at the time! The album follows strongly in the spirit of the other Motown Japanese live sets of the time – with really tight backings behind the group on stage, and a powerful, spontaneous sound that really seems to take off even more strongly than the studio albums. The girls' vocals are great – and really nicely unfettered on some of the tunes – stepping out with strong leads and soulful harmonies that are a good reminder that the group was still burning strong at this point. Titles include "Stoned Love", "TCB", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", "Bad Weather", "Cherry Cherry", and "Somewhere". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful collection – an important re-investigation of the unusual mix of sounds and styles on the New York scene in the years after disco – a time when funk, punk, hip hop, and art were all colliding at once – providing a really fresh antidote to the staid sounds of Studio 54! The "disco" in the title should be taken lightly – as these cuts didn't play at the slick uptown dance spots – but were instead the soundtrack for the cool spots happening downtown, as the previous loft culture morphed into clubs, in this very special blend of the energy of CBGB and the underground soulful dancefloors. The set list is filled with classics from this time – and titles include "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, "Tell You Today (voc)" by Loose Joints, "Walking On Thin Ice (re-edit)" by Yoko Ono, "Over & Over" by Material, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players, "Kiss Me Again (original edit)" by Dinosaur, "Move" by Nicky Siano, "School Bell/Tree House" by Indian Ocean, "I Walk" by Don Cherry, "Voices Inside My Head" by Common Sense, and "Wheel Me Out" by Was Not Was. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A deep deep dig into the vaults of King/Federal Records – initial home to James Brown and a host of other R&B acts in the 50s – lots of whom are featured here! The collection includes many tracks never reissued before – all hand-picked by vintage 45 expert Mr Fine Wine, and laid out at a level that's both fresher than most King Records collections – and most of the 50s R&B sets we know as well! Fine Wine comes at the project almost with a "roots of funk" approach – which means that there's loads of unusual rhythms, weird cultural hybrids, and raw pre-soul vocals over the top – a killer range of cuts that include "Space Guitar" by Young John Watson, "Bossa Nova & Grits" by Little Joe Washington, "The Way You Do" by Jimmy Nolen, "Good Mambo Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Little Jimmy Scott, "You Can't Hide" by Lula Reed & Freddie King, "Back On The Block" by Sam Anderson & The Telstars, "Same Old Thing" by Amos Milburn, "You're Lower Than A Mole" by Camille Howard, "Be Bop Wino" by The Lamplighters, "Cherry Wine" by Little Esther, and "Stop Knockin" by Juanita Nixon. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Continuous disco mix compilation, with tracks by Wild Cherry, Andrea True Connection, Tavares, Eddie Kendricks, Norman Connors, Addrisi Brothers, Rose Royce, Melba Moore, Supremes, Timmy Thomas, Salsoul Orchestra, Brick, KC & The Sunshine Band, Wilton Place Street Band, T-Connection, Miracles, Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch, Sylvers, George McCrae, Bebu Silvetti, Diana Ross, Kebekelektrik, and The Originals. LP, Vinyl record album

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live set from Amy Winehouse – a concert performance that helped cement her status as one of the true soul legends of the 21st Century – before she was taken away from us all too soon! A few years before, nobody would have guessed that up-and-coming Amy would have been able to command such a large arena presence – and she manages to do so here while still staying very true to herself, and to the kind of deep soul presentation that always made her such a standout from the pack. Titles include "Rehab", "Me & Mr Jones", "Cupid", "F*ck Me Pumps", "Tears Dry On Their Own", "Monkey Man", "You Know I'm No Good", "Valerie", "Cherry", "Wake Up Alone", "Back To Black", and "Hey Little Rich Girl". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary set of grooves from the Italian scene of the early 80s – a batch of tracks that's a lot less electro or disco than some of its contemporaries – thanks to contributions from American jazzmen Don Cherry and Don Moye! Tullio De Piscopo's a percussionist by trade, but he also sings a fair bit here too – in a chanting way that goes along nicely with the mix of drums, keyboards, bass, guitar, and other elements – used in varied ways from track to track, in styles that run from post-disco dancefloor funk to more abstract jazzy grooves. The standout track is the classic "Stop Bajon" – a cut that had a big influence on early Chicago house – but there's plenty other interesting bits here too, and other titles include "Stadera", "Silva Mala", "Cartago", "Chiano Chiano", "Gente Mia", and "I Sono E Notte". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Post-Atlantic work from Robin Kenyatta – but an album that follows in a very similar mode! This date was done for the Wolf subsidiary of TK Records, but it's got a very hip New York groove – one that's almost even more righteous than some of Robin's earlier work, with some excellent arrangements from Arthur Jenkins – who's managed to fill the set with a great sense of soul! Kenyatta's alto and soprano sax are set up with keyboards from Jenkins and Richard Tee, plus bass, guitar, percussion, and some great backing vocals at points – used sparingly, but in ways that almost remind us of Oneness Of Juju at some of their smoother moments. Kenyatta's reeds have a Plunky-like feel too – more inside than the Juju work of the mid 70s, but pointing towards Plunky's smoother sounds to come. Given that the vocal group features Gwen Guthrie, Vivian Cherry, and Patti Austin, you can bet they sound pretty sweet – and titles on the set include "Love Me", "Oh Oh Oh", "You", "Bluebird", and "Of Life & Love". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together". CD

A legendary live set from Amy Winehouse – a concert performance that helped cement her status as one of the true soul legends of the 21st Century – before she was taken away from us all too soon! A few years before, nobody would have guessed that up-and-coming Amy would have been able to command such a large arena presence – and she manages to do so here while still staying very true to herself, and to the kind of deep soul presentation that always made her such a standout from the pack. Titles include "Rehab", "Me & Mr Jones", "Cupid", "F*ck Me Pumps", "Tears Dry On Their Own", "Monkey Man", "You Know I'm No Good", "Valerie", "Cherry", "Wake Up Alone", "Back To Black", and "Hey Little Rich Girl". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A dozen tracks from the Emotions, O'Jay's, Cheryl Lynn, Wild Cherry, Tavares, Three Degrees, Heatwave, Lou Rawls, MFSB, and Johnnie Taylor. CD

Music from Wild Cherry, BW Stevenson, Brewer & Shipley, Starland Vocal Band, Reunion, Billy Swan, Walter Egan, The Jaggerz, First Class, Five Stairsteps, Climax, and more. CD

Athur Baker was a producer with a slightly bumpy path in the 80s, but there's no denying his impact on music at the time – particularly the way he had of funneling sounds from the streets to the dancefloors in the mainstream! Baker was one of the first to really have an ear for both hip hop and other styles of grooves – super-sharp on the right electro elements, yet with a richer understanding of soul, R&B, and club – all of which he brings to work here, on versions of tracks that have all the excitement of a special take on the tune from the clubs back in the day! This 4CD set comes in a huge book-style package, with plenty of notes – and features 43 classic mixes by Baker, with titles that include "Big Love (ext rmx)" by Fleetwood Mac, "Sun City (last rmx)" by Artists United Against Apartheid, "Running Away (Arthur Baker rmx)' by The Colourfield, "C'Est La Vie (ext rmx)" by Robbie Nevil, "Out Of Touch (club version)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates, "Living In A Box (dance mix)" by Living In A Box, "IOU (mega mix)" by Freeez, "Walking On Sunshine (12" version)" by Rockers Revenge, "Soweto (rmx)" by Jeffrey Osborne, "A Love Supreme (jazz in the house rmx)" by Will Downing, "Message Is Love (cupid mix)" by Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples with Al Green, "Ever Fallen In Love (club senseless)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "Buffalo Stance (1/2 way 2 house mix)" by Neneh Cherry, and "Planet Rock (12" voc version)" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Not just Rock N Roll, but a classic collection of doo wop, R&B, and more – served up in a massive CD package that brings together all versions of this classic album on Crown Records! The original Rock N Roll Dance Party was a key collection in the late 50s – one that helped push the best R&B artists on the Modern/Kent label to a wider audience, thanks to a more mainstream cover. But as the 60s moved in, the title was re-vamped with new titles – and appeared in different versions that are finally getting sorted out and presented here. The CD features 26 tracks from all the albums – and even if you're not concerned with the discographical information, the whole thing still stands as a hard-rocking collection of grooves – as fresh today as it was nearly 50 years ago! Titles include "Cherry Pie" by Marvin & Johnny, "Don't Be Angry" by The Cadets, "Sunday Meetin Rock" by Johnny Allen, "All Night Long" by Joe Houston, "Dance With Me Henry" by Etta Jones, "Vido's Boogie" by Vido Musso, "Bye Bye Fare Thee Well" by Peppermint Harris, "Ay La Bah" by Dolly Cooper, "Cool Diggin" by Maxwell Davis, "I Want My Baby" by Jimmy Beasley, "Convicted" by Oscar McLollie, and "Have Mercy Miss Percy" by Long Tall Marvin. CD

Great stuff by one of the most dynamic vocal groups ever! Titles include "Papa Oom Mow Mow", "My Reward", "Love Pill", "The Bird's The Word", "Cherry", "Little Sally Walker", and "Standing In The Love Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A very hip collection of work from the great Joe Turner – material that hasn't been easily issued elsewhere, and which fills in a key chapter of Joe's career! CD1 features vintage material, and is heavy on work from the postwar years, but before Turner rose to a second wave of fame on Atlantic Records – raw tracks recorded for labels that include Freedom and Stag, often with a style that's heavy on the jazzy arrangements that other jump blues artists were using at the time. CD2 features a variety of live recordings – from 1955, 1969, 1971, and 1985 – showing how strongly Turner held onto both his vocal powers over the years, and his ability to command a concert audience. Vintage cuts include "Still In The Dark", "Adam Bit The Apple", "Just A Travelin Man", "Jumpin At The Jubilee", "Around The Clock (part 1)", "Wine O Baby Boogie", "Christmas Date Boogie", and "Baby Won't You Marry Me". Live tracks include "Call The Plumber", "Chicken & The Hawk", "Honey Hush", "Mad Blues", "Chains Of Love", "Cherry Red", "Low Down Dog", and "Flip Flop & Fly". (Blues, Soul) CD

Athur Baker was a producer with a slightly bumpy path in the 80s, but there's no denying his impact on music at the time – particularly the way he had of funneling sounds from the streets to the dancefloors in the mainstream! Baker was one of the first to really have an ear for both hip hop and other styles of grooves – super-sharp on the right electro elements, yet with a richer understanding of soul, R&B, and club – all of which he brings to work here, on versions of tracks that have all the excitement of a special take on the tune from the clubs back in the day! This 2LP package features 14 classic mixes by Baker, with titles that include "Big Love (ext rmx)" by Fleetwood Mac, "Sun City (last rmx)" by Artists United Against Apartheid, "Running Away (Arthur Baker rmx)' by The Colourfield, "C'Est La Vie (ext rmx)" by Robbie Nevil, "Out Of Touch (club version)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates, "Living In A Box (dance mix)" by Living In A Box, "IOU (mega mix)" by Freeez, "Walking On Sunshine (12" version)" by Rockers Revenge, "Soweto (rmx)" by Jeffrey Osborne, "A Love Supreme (jazz in the house rmx)" by Will Downing, "Message Is Love (cupid mix)" by Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples with Al Green, "Ever Fallen In Love (club senseless)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "Buffalo Stance (1/2 way 2 house mix)" by Neneh Cherry, and "Planet Rock (12" voc version)" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album