A surprisingly great pairing of talents – the post-Animals Eric Burdon on vocals, and early grooves from Cali funk legends War – coming together here in a blend that still holds up beautifully after all these years! Burdon was already getting pretty soulful on the last few Animals albums on MGM – and he really advances that style here when working with War's great grooves – some of the grittiest, nastiest, most stretched out work of their career – especially on some of the album's nicely long tracks. There's some nice Latin currents to the music at times, and the group vocalize alongside Burdon at times – and titles include a long version of "Paint It Black", plus "Bare Back Ride", "Sun/Moon", "Pretty Colors", "Gun", "Nuts Seeds & Life", "They Can't Take Away Our Music", and "Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet modern soul with a sound that would get picked up on years later by the LA G-Funk scene. The album's produced by War's Far Out production team – and it's got a smooth sound that's mixed with moogy keyboards and compressed instrumentation on the best cuts. Some tracks are a bit too funky, but the mellow ones are very tasty. Includes the excellent track "Summer Love", plus "Cream City", "Magic Night", "Lonely Princess", and "Jungle Desire". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer debut from Brick – the start of a massive run at the end of the 70s, a time when the group was easily one of the biggest acts to come out of the up-and-coming Atlanta scene! Like some other Atlanta acts of the time, Brick had a way of fusing older funky soul on a tighter modern groove – coming up with a sound that was nice and lean – perfect for these key transitional years of funk – with influences that were felt for years, in places as far away as the west coast! Case in point is the album's classic "Dazz" – one of those cuts that never gets old – nestled nicely in a lineup that also includes "Music Matic", "Here We Come", "Good High", "That's What It's All About", "Brick City", and "Sister Twister". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked bit of mid 70s funk from the Ohio Players – cut right at the height of their brilliant Mercury years! The album's got a smooth and slinky finish that has the band tightening up a lot from their Westbound years – going for a compressed spacey soul sound on some of the album's mellower numbers, in a style that's equally as mindblowing as their heavier funk. This approach makes for some really nicely tripped-out tunes that have some nice jazzy touches – expanding the group's sound way past the hits, into some complicated grooves that are plenty darn nice! Titles include "Contradiction", "Who'd She Coo?", "Far East Mississippi", "Tell The Truth", "My Life", "Bi-Centennial", and "My Ladies Run Me Crazy". LP, Vinyl record album

Diana Ross really finds a way to remake her groove here – a sweet new sound that fits her revamped look in the Andy Warhol image on the cover! Although Ross could sparkle strongly during the disco years, the best cuts here are some of the more midtempo moments – nicely spaced out in ways that allow the singer to modulate her approach, and never push things too far, or get overly dramatic. There's definitely a few of those later modes here – both on ballads and more upbeat numbers – but the core of the record lingers nicely in the silky electric style promised in the title – especially on the great cut "Muscles", which was written for the record by Michael Jackson. Other titles include "So Close", "Still In Love", "Who", "Love Lies", "In Your Arms", and "I Am Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little set for Sister Sledge – their first post Nile Rodgers album of the 80s – with production this time out by Narada Michael Walden – with a crisp, uptempo vibe the does a great job of balancing the righteous post disco club groove with the sing-a-long chorus vocals and catchier compositions that made the Sisters famous! Narada doesn't stray too far from the Chic-styled sound of the previous couple of records – with some really catchy songs that hint at the cleaner pop sound of later records with retaining the dancefloor groove. Sweet stuff from Sister Sledge! The sequencing of the record is top notch, each track floating into the next, with the tunes "All American Girls", "He's Just A Runaway", "If You Really Want Me", "Next Time You'll Know", "Happy Feeling", "Ooh, You Caught My Heart", "Make A Move", "Don't You Let Me Lose It", "Mais Makes Me Feel Good" and "I Don't Want To Say Goodbye". (Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A big crossover moment for Donna Summer in the 80s – a set that features lots of keyboard-heavy arrangements from Michael Omartin – who produced the record at a level that really gets the most out of Summer's hook-heavy style! Donna's way past the drama of the disco years here – and does a great job of getting right down to business on most of the tunes – never pushing things too far past her vocal range, but adding just the right sort of punch to the lyrics alongside Omartin's catchy keyboards. Titles include "Eyes", "Supernatural Love", "Cats Without Claws", "Suzanna", "It's Not The Way", "There Goes My Baby", and "I'm Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A special version of this excellent series – with an album by each artist in the package! Side one features a killer album by the justly described Great JJ Jackson – and one that's been a darn tough one to find over the years! The leadoff cut is JJ's amazing single "But It's Alright", a slammin' soul track that always stops us dead whenever we hear it – which isn't often enough! The rest of the material is excellent too, and there are lots of nice tracks like "I Dig Girls", "Courage Ain't Strength", "Too Late", "Try Me", "Down But Not Out", Sho Nuff (Got A Good Thing Going", and "Four Walls". He's equally adept at uptempo soul and more ballad inflected tunes – great stuff all the way! Side two features Hypnotized by Linda Jones – one of the greatest female singers on the east coast scene at the end of the 60s – heard here on a classic Warner Brothers set that includes some of her best-remembered tracks! At some level, the set's a prequel to Linda's later recordings for the Stang/All Platinum label – as it features production and arrangements by the great George Kerr – who really has a way with slow-moving soul tunes, and the kind of sad-tinged tracks that Jones always did so well! Plus, his raw production really brings out some of the deeper soul qualities in Linda's voice – a mode that's quite a surprise at times, and presented here in a way that's far beyond any of the Aretha Franklin-styled cliches of other singers. Jones is a tremendously unique talent in female soul, and this album's her lasting legacy – a true treasure with cuts that include the hit "Hypnotized", plus loads of other nice ones like "Last Minute Miracle", "Give My Love A Try", "You Can't Take It", "What've I Done", and "I Can't Stand It". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie group – and a cooker of a set that follows strongly from Gregg's previous Hot Butterfly gem! Luther Vandross isn't on board this time around, but the overall groove is still totally great – upbeat, soaring, and put together with a jazzy undercurrent that really keeps things interesting – far more so than most other mainstream disco sets of the time! Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company – handled the arrangements – and the grooves spin out nicely from Diamond's keyboards, and a tight mix of strings and jazzy horns. Vocals are from the soulful trio of Gwen Guthrie, Ullanda McCullough, and Zachary Sanders – and titles include "Dance Little Dreamer", "Risky Changes", "Boogie Boo", "We Must Believe In Music", "Feel Like Dancing", and "Don't Lose The Number". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest funky jazz combos of the 70s – stepping out here in their amazing debut for Cobblestone records! Catalyst had a groove that was unlike most of their contemporaries – a sound that was often jazzier than some of the tighter funk artists on labels like Kudu or Prestige, with some deeply spiritual leanings in the solos – but also a style that was still pretty tight and focused, not as far out as some of the headier groups on the Strata East label. There's loads of great choppy rhythms and tight-edged grooves on the record – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Eddie Green, reeds from Odeon Pope, bass from Al Johnson, and drums and percussion from Sherman Ferguson. Skip Drinkwater produced the session at Sigma Sound, and it's definitely got some of his hallmark appreciation of rhythm in the mix – on titles that include "Ain't It The Truth", "New Found Truths", "East", "Catalyst Is Coming", "Jabali", and "Salaam". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s groove from Gladys Knight & The Pips – just the kind of record that shows why the group kept going strong for so many years! The classic approach is still very firmly intact – Gladys' wonderful lead, soaring out over the Pips' warm harmonies – a vocal power that so many other groups could never get this right – evolved amazingly here from the early soul years of the group's origins. The approach of the set is lean and smooth, yet turns out to be a perfect fit for the maturing Knight/Pips sound – a mode that still keeps them right out in front of the pack, with a great mix of grooving and sophistication. Titles include "Save The Overtime (For Me)", "Heaven Sent", "When You're Far Away", "Just Be My Lover", "Don't Make Me Run Away", "Ain't No Greater Love", "O La De Da", "You're Number One", and the longstanding classic "Hero (Wind Beneath My Wings)". LP, Vinyl record album

An unlikely meeting of talents, but a great one – as Buddy Miles' rougher groove comes into contact with the sublime 70s production talents of Johnny Bristol – who makes the whole album groove beautifully! Buddy's sound is a lot warmer than before, but that's A-OK with us, as by the mid 70s, his funky rock groove was beginning to wear a bit thin – so we really applaud his making the move into some super stone mellow soul with Bristol! And if that's not enough, HB Barnum is also handling the arrangements here – setting Buddy up with some slightly funky backings that share some traces of Barnum's blacksploitation soundtrack work of the period – and which make for a record that's far more super-dope than you might expect! A real treasure throughout – the kind of musical surprise that helps us get up out of bed in the morning! Titles include "Pull Yourself Together", "We Got Love", "All The Faces", "I'm Just A Kiss Away", "Got To Find Ms Right", "Wants & Needs", and "Pain". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s classic from jazzy funk master George Duke! Master Of The Game is an excellent mix of jazz, smooth soul, and Latin riffing – really a perfect blend of styles that shows not only how far George's sound had progressed throughout the 70s, it also charts the development of the California scene during the late 70s. George has musical help from Ray Obeido, Roland Bautista, and Sheila E – plus vocals by Lynn Davis, Josie James, and Napoleon Brock. The tracks have a smooth sound that works perfectly with Duke's best keyboard approaches – subduing his tenency to "rock out" a bit, but bringing forward his classic ability to hit a stone mellow groove. Titles include "I Want You For Myself", "Every Little Step I Take", "Look What You Find", "I Love You More", "Dog Man", and "Games". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A huge hit for Aretha Franklin – and a record that brought her famous vocals to a whole new generation of listeners! The sound is definitely different than before – a change from both the deep soul of Atlantic years, and the initial classy approach of her time at Arista – and working with lots of help from Narada Michael Walden, Aretha gets an 80s groove that turns out to be a perfect platform for her sound – one that lets her vocals really take off, while still getting plenty of great hooks as well – all in a mode that somehow sounds far less commercial than we remember at the time. Includes the massive hits "Freeway Of Love" and "Who's Zoomin Who" – plus "Ain't Nobody Every Loved You", "Push", "Integrity", "Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves", and "Sweet Bitter Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from the Gap Band – funky gems and sinister groovers – the best of both worlds for the group! Tunes like "Burn Rubber On Me (When You Want To Hurt Me)" and "Humpin" packed 80s dance floors for good reason, and put the band in steady rotation, while numbers like "Yearning For Your Love" showed the band could drop the tempo, stretch out a bit, and deliver the mighty mellow, too. This one's certainly at the top of the heap of 80s groovers, as far as we're concerned – a record that really took the Gap Band over the top! Other tracks include "Nothin' Comes To The Sleepers", "Are You Living", "The Way", "Gash Gash Gash" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

If you never went to Skippy White's record store in Boston, you really missed a hell of a shop – a surprisingly great outlet for rare and underground soul, located way up in New England – and a place that was giving the world wonderful music over the course of many decades! Back in the early days of the store, Skippy really had his ear to the scene – and managed to capture all sorts of great artists who were working very underground on the Boston scene – mostly soul acts, but a bit of blues and gospel too – all featured here in the first-ever collection to look at White's work at this level. The package was put together by Eli Paperboy Reed, and has notes from Boston contemporaries Peter Guaralnick and Peter Wolf – yet it's far hipper than any of those references might imply – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Do The Thing" by Earl Lett, "I Love What I Found In You" by The Precisions, "I've Been Lifted Out Of Sin" by Sons Of David, "Evil Woman Blues" by Guitar Nubbit, "Treason" by The Precisions, "Holy Ghost & Fire" by The Lord's Messengers, "Skippy White (parts 1 & 2)" by Junior Washington, "I Was Standing" by Lynn Harmonizers, and "Now Is The Time" by Earl Lett. LP, Vinyl record album