... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great combination of funk and soul – upbeat and mellow on the same album, served up by this rare indie combo from the 70s! The album's one of the few to appear on the elite BRC imprint of Brunswick Records – home to some incredible work over just a very short stretch, including this near-perfect set of sounds from Total Eclipse! The record begins with a few mellow numbers that would be right at home in the New Jersey soul scene of the early 70s – then rolls into some upbeat funk tracks that aren't disco at all, but show that quicker variant of funk that came to the forefront back when the clubs still had a nice sort of edge. Instrumentation includes lots of offbeat touches on the rhythms – and some cool moog on one track – and lead singer Bernard Fowler has this great quality that's heartbreaking when it wants to be, and positive at other moments. Titles include "St Albans Strut", "Midtown", "A Great Combination", "Loneliness", "Space Boogie", and "Plain Insane". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Brian Auger reaches way back into his catalog here – and brings together both classic cuts from his earliest years playing Hammond on the UK scene, and some unissued material that appears here for the first time ever! The set's maybe most noteworthy for featuring Auger in some more R&B-styled cuts – including versions of "Walkin" and "I See A Man Downstairs" that have Sonny Boy Williamson joining Auger's Trinity combo – and two cuts by the early combo Steampacket, versions of "Watch Your Step" and "Sidewinder"! Yet the set's nice and long, and features plenty more great cuts too – all with killer keyboard work from Brian, on titles that include "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance (live)", "Straight Ahead", "A Better Land", "Red Beans & Rice (live)", "Save Me (live)", "Light My Fire", "Indian Rope Man", "Jeannine", "Poinciana", "Total Eclipse", "Fill Your Head With Laughter", "Planet Earth Calling", and "Splatch". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic Chess albums from Chuck Berry – issued here on a single CD! First up is One Dozen Berrys – the fresh fruits of the labors of a young Chuck Berry – heard here at his raw, early best! The sound here is stunning – a version of Chuck that gets way past any oldies cliches – and which reminds us that at the start, his music was coming from the same Chess Records fount as Bo Diddley's riffing guitar and Muddy Waters' Chicago blues! The tunes all work together perfectly – and the familiar numbers fit in perfectly with overlooked gems that really make the album great – especially when Chuck's guitar is really given a chance to step out and solo. Titles include "La Juanda", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "It Don't Take But A Few Minutes", "Rock & Roll Music", and "Low Feeling". Juke Box Hits is way more than a "hits" album – as it's filled with some great obscure material that always gets eclipsed by Chuck's big hits. Despite the idea that these would be "new jukebox hits", the material has an approach that was probably a bit too hard for radio, but that's ok with us! Titles include "13 Question Method", "Don't You Lie To Me", "The Way It Was Before", "Away From You", "I'm Talking About You", and "Stop & Listen". CD

Two classic Chess albums from Chuck Berry – issued here on a single CD! First up is One Dozen Berrys – the fresh fruits of the labors of a young Chuck Berry – heard here at his raw, early best! The sound here is stunning – a version of Chuck that gets way past any oldies cliches – and which reminds us that at the start, his music was coming from the same Chess Records fount as Bo Diddley's riffing guitar and Muddy Waters' Chicago blues! The tunes all work together perfectly – and the familiar numbers fit in perfectly with overlooked gems that really make the album great – especially when Chuck's guitar is really given a chance to step out and solo. Titles include "La Juanda", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "It Don't Take But A Few Minutes", "Rock & Roll Music", and "Low Feeling". Juke Box Hits is way more than a "hits" album – as it's filled with some great obscure material that always gets eclipsed by Chuck's big hits. Despite the idea that these would be "new jukebox hits", the material has an approach that was probably a bit too hard for radio, but that's ok with us! Titles include "13 Question Method", "Don't You Lie To Me", "The Way It Was Before", "Away From You", "I'm Talking About You", and "Stop & Listen". CD

Very righteous work from The Exciters – best known for their girl group recordings in the 60s, but recording here in a very heavy sort of 70s mode – strongly in keeping with the "Black Beauty" in the title! Arrangements and production on the set are by Herb Rooney – who takes the girls into territory that's much more deep soul than before, a space that really works wonders with the already-tremendous lead vocals of Brenda Reid. It's almost like the group were hanging back for years, waiting for the 70s to break before they could really show the hipper undercurrents that always set them apart from the rest of the groups in the 60s, but which were always eclipsed by their hits and sweeter material. Most titles are originals, and tunes include "Leaving Him Tomorrow", "Don't It Make You Just Feel Good", "Learning How To Fly", "I Can't Give In", and "Life Love & Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Gwen Guthrie's first album for Island Records – a unique little soul set from the early 80s, recorded in Nassau with backing from Sly & Robbie – in a groove that's totally great! The rhythms here are really at the heart of the set – not in a way that eclipses Gwen's vocals, but which does plenty to make the record stand out from the pack at the time – in a groove that's partly clubby, mostly soulful, and which has some key elements from its Nassau connection! Other players on the date include Wally Badarou on keyboards and Sticky Thompson on percussion – and titles include "Peek A Boo", "Your Turn To Burn", "God Don't Like Ugly", "Dance Fever", "Getting Hot", "Your Turn To Burn", and "For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the Native American theme of the title, the group, and the cover image, the set is mostly a pretty straight mix of soul and rock, mid 70s crossover material with a flanged-out LA kind of appeal. Titles include "Interstate Highway 101", "Blood Sweat & Tears", "Cookin With D'Redbone", "One More Time", "Suzy Girl", "Only You & Rock & Roll", "Moon When Four Eclipse", and "Beautiful Illusions". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty sounds from a legendary Detroit soul producer – the great Dave Hamilton, a talent who issued a number of key singles back in the day, but who's left behind an even larger legacy of excellent unreleased work! This collection draws from both sides of that spectrum – and features upbeat Northern Soul gems that were issued on small labels like Topper and Demo-Ristic – mixed with other tracks that lay in Dave's vaults until their discovery at some point in the 90s! Together, the tracks are a wonderful illustration of the deep deep trove of material that lurked in the Detroit scene far in the shadows of Motown – artists who were eclipsed by the big names at the time, but who sound mighty darn fresh all these many years later. Titles include "What Should I Do", and "Who Are You Trying To Fool" by Little Ann, "Sweep It Out The Shed" and "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "Love Friends & Money" by James Lately, "You Won't Miss The Water" by Chico & Buddy, "Talkin About My Baby" by Dottie & Millie, "You Got Me Turned Around" by OC Tolbert, "Shoop Doop" by Dave Hamilton, and "You Did" by Priscilla Page & Rony Darrell. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal 70s work from Sarah Webster Fabio – an amazing blend of poetry and music, and incredibly hip all the way through! Fabio's got a depth that goes beyond other commercial poets of the time – a righteousness that's right at home in the spiritual jazz scene of the 70s, and which is supported here by some great backings on guitar, bass, and percussion – plus some especially evocative saxophone, played by Denianke (Leon Williams) on some of the best tracks. The voice of Thomas Fabio joins Sarah on some of the numbers – with a brooding, echoey feel that's really great – and titles include "Eclipse", "Interrogation", "Together To The Tune Of Coltrane's Equinox", and "A Black Girl's Mean Ol Low Down Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Esther Phillips' biggest comeback albums from the 70s – a classic set that takes her deeply soulful vocal approach, and sets it to some sweet jazz funk backings – served up by guitarist Joe Beck, who almost gets equal credit on the album cover! The rest of the lineup is equally great – with alto from David Sanborn, more horns from The Brecker Brothers, and even a bit of work from Steve Khan – all fusion superstars in their own right, but who never eclipse Esther's lead. Titles include a good version of Grover Washington's "Mr Magic" – with the same funky undercurrent as the original – plus the tracks "One Night Affair", "I Can Stand A Little Rain", "Hurtin House", "Turn Around Look At Me", and a semi-hit version of "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost bit of mid 70s soul from Candi – an album that's often eclipsed by the Young Hearts hit before it, but which actually comes across stronger than that one! The groove is funky southern soul on the best cuts – tight and full, but still with a harder edge on the bottom, and rhythms that are more funky soul than the disco used on some of Candi's other late 70s albums. The set was recorded in California, with lots of sweet jazzy touches alongside the vocals – and titles include "Nights On Broadway", "Cotton Candi", "A Dreamer Of A Dream", "You Are", "Listen To The Music", "Music Speaks Louder Than Words", and "One More Chance On Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing collection of 70s soul tracks – sweet, mellow, laidback, and including loads of numbers that have been buried for years! The focus here is not on obscure groups, but on lesser-known album tracks by bigger names – including many chillout numbers that have a sweet jazzy feel, and which might have gotten eclipsed by some of the artists' bigger hits. ?uestlove of the Roots put the set together, and the whole set's got the deep soulfulness of his own work with that group – track after track of mellow 70s soul, jazzy riffs, spacey instrumentation, and warm vocals effortlessly sliding together! Titles include "Star Of The Story" by Heatwave, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "Clover" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Before The Dawn" by Patrice Rushen, "Can We Pretend" by Bill Withers, "That's What Friends Are For" by Deniece Williams, "Next To Nature" by Jean Claude Toran, "Glowin" by The Rationals, "Magic In Your Eyes" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers, "Sienna" by Stanley Cowell, "Quiet Storm" by Smokey Robinson, "Wheels Of Life" by Gino Vannelli, and "Gotta Find A Lover" by Roy Ayers. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

As with many of the Chuck Berry full LPs for Chess, this one's filled with some great obscure material that always gets eclipsed by Chuck's big hits. Despite the idea that these would be "new jukebox hits", the material has an approach that was probably a bit too hard for radio, but that's ok with us! Titles include "13 Question Method", "Don't You Lie To Me", "The Way It Was Before", "Away From You", "I'm Talking About You", and "Stop & Listen". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Betty LaVette in all her gritty glory – stepping out here in a style that's a nice change from her Anti Records material – maybe a bit more down to earth and tuned towards the vibe of an older southern soul crowd, instead of a more crossover indie market! There's plenty of sharp, bluesy guitar in the mix, which resonates strongly with LaVette's vocals – and even though the record features guest appearances from Steve Winwood and John Mayer, it's clear that Betty's a shining star who can eclipse them all. Titles include "Plan B", "Lazy", "I'm Not Gonna Waste My Love", "In The Meantime", "Sooner Or Later", "Don't Get Me Started", "Lazy", and "See Through Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A real lost treasure on Hi Records – one of the few albums ever cut by Don Bryant, a singer whose talents seemed to be eclipsed by the rising stars of Al Green and Ann Peebles – but who was every bit as great! Bryant's got a sound here that's still firmly in the Hi style forged by Willie Mitchell – who produces this set – but there's also some nicely rougher edges too, a sound that's almost more Stax than Hi – and which certainly features a bit of a nod to Wilson Pickett down in Muscle Shoals – not exactly funk, but with some nice grit in the grooves! The whole thing's great – and titles include "Try Me", "Cry Baby", "Funky Broadway", "Soul Man", "Land Of 1000 Dances", "She's Looking Good", and "Slip Away". CD