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

A stellar record from Ben E King – and one of a few early 60s gems that really have him leaving a longstanding mark on soul music! There's a balance here that's unbelievable – a quality that's emotive right from the start, yet also perfectly put together too – with Ben's tremendous vocals backed by some tight Atlantic backings – in a style that's virtually the blueprint for lots more uptown soul singers to come in the 60s. The song choice is impeccable too – numbers from Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, and Phil Spector which perfectly straddle the lines of soul music at the time – tunes that include classics like "Here Comes The Night", "Don't Play That Song", "Young Boy Blues", and "Stand By Me" – plus lesser-known gems like "Brace Yourself", "I Promise Love", "Yes", "First Taste Of Love", and "Show Me The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing bit of soul – and one of the rarest funk records of the 70s! This masterpiece was recorded by The Jackson Sisters, a semi-gospelly soul group that has a sound that's a bit like The Voices of East Harlem, but that's a lot harder, and that has a deeper soul sound overall! At times, the group is funky – as on their incredible track "I Believe In Miracles", a rare groove classic if there ever was one, and one of the most in-demand tracks we've ever stocked. At other times, the girls have a mellower soul sound, with great raw harmonies that remind us of the Volt work by The Emotions, but with much rougher instrumental backing. This album's the only one they ever cut – and it's just about impossible to find in the original pressing (and in fact, we've never seen a copy!) Apart from the amazing cut "Miracles", this one includes loads of gems like "Rockin' On My Porch", "Shake Her Loose", "(Why Can't We Be) More Than Just Friends", and "Boy, You're Dynamite"! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from Muddy Waters – a set of tracks all recorded overseas, at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival – but during that strong 70s moment when Muddy had really focused his sound, and was reaching out to cross global boundaries and touch a whole new generation with his sound! The Montreux vibe is always one that's very faithful to the artist – audiences at that festival aren't the sort to be given watered-down, commercial pap – and that's definitely the vibe here, as the material resonates with any of Waters' best 70s live material for other labels, with a really great sound, even from the stage. The set features performances from Muddy Waters appearances in 1972, 1974, and 1977 – and titles include "Same Thing", "Howlin Wolf", "Still A Fool", "Trouble No More", "Rock Me Baby", "Long Distance Call", "Mannish Boy", "Nobody Knows Chicago Like I Do", "County Jail", "I'm Ready", "Electric Man", and "Can't Get No Grindin". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Atlantic LP from the 60s – one that showcases two different sides of singer Mary Wells, in a mode that's different than her work for other labels! The "two sides" in the title are Mary's soul side and her more sophisticated one – the former served up in a batch of great 60s soul covers that echo with an Atlantic sound that's even harder than Mary's earlier work – the latter by a host of groovy 60s pop numbers, done with fuller arrangements, and a vocal range that really surprised us! Sonny Sanders handles the soul sides, Joe Mazzu handles the sophisticated ones – and titles include "Love Make The World Go Round", "My World Is Empty Without You Babe", "Good Lovin", "Dear Lover", "In The Midnight Hour", "Where Am I Going", "The Boy From Ipanema", and "The Shadow of Your Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full length album ever cut by this amazing Chicago girl group! The Lovelites first broke onto the charts with their stunning track "How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad" – a sad slow tune about teen pregnancy, sung in a strange otherworldly style that's also quite soulful – with a catchy hook and a way of referring to the problem at hand that's vague, and makes for a strange approach to the material. That track, and the others on the set, are very different than the usual girl trio material – rougher, more honest, with a quality that's emotive, yet not overly drippy. Part of the thanks for this goes to arranger Johnny Cameron, who handled the tracks on the set – but a lot of the credit should also go to lead singer Patty Hamilton, who co-wrote some of the tracks, and who has a fantastic way of putting over the songs. Titles include "This Love is Real", "Certain Kind Of Lover", "Who You Gonna Hurt Now", "Shy Boy", "I've Got Love", "Gotta Let You Go", "Oh My Love", and "How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad". LP, Vinyl record album

The funky side of New Orleans soul – from a series that has been giving us some of the best underground nuggets for many years, and at a level that goes farther than most of the 60s-centric collections of Crescent City funk! This time around, there's a great rare unissued track from Robert Parker – the excellent instrumental take of "The Hiccup", paired with his vocal version of the tune too – next to titles that include "What's His Name Black Samson" by Willie West, "Stink Bomb" by Eddie Bo, "Tweedie Pie" by Raymond Winnfield, "Da Boys From Across The Tracks" by George Porter's Joy Ride, "Accept What You Expect" by Louisiana Purchase, "Water Hole" by Sam & The Soul Machine, "Things Could Be Better" by Raymond Winnfield, and "Sweet Thing" by Willie Tee. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A sparkling Christmas set from Mary J Blige – one that takes full advantage of those wonderful vocals, and lets them loose on a whole host of Holiday tunes! The album's on Verve, and has a feel that's a lot more classic than some of Mary's other work – a vibe that's somewhere between contemporary R&B and the older vocal jazz you'd hear on Christmas favorites from years past – an approach that comes through strongly in Mary's choice of tunes. Most of the numbers are favorite standards from the Holiday season, given a special Blige twist – arranged by David Foster, and titles include "Little Drummer Boy", "My Favorite Things", "This Christmas", "The Christmas Song", "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer", "Do You Hear What I Hear", "The First Noel", and "Petit Papa Noel". (Holiday Music, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The rare second album from Bobby Boyd – a set that's even more soulful than his first, and which is filled with funky gems! Boyd's vocals are wonderful – tight, but with an earnest quality that almost pushes him more towards a Bill Withers vibe than some of the other funky singers of the time – a great change next to the tight combo instrumentation of the record. Tunes are almost all upbeat and funky – and the mixture of Boyd's warmth with the sharp grooves really makes for a rich sound overall – a record that should have, could have been huge – were it issued at the time – but which is finally seeing the light of day now! Titles include "Ain't What You Know", "Why Are You Cryin", "Good Woman", "Girl I Can Feel Ya", "On This Side Of Town", and "Let Bygones By Bygones" – plus the instrumental "The Happy Hooker", produced by Harvey Fuqua, and which seems to actually be the Nite Liters' song/version, oddly tucked into this album! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums cut by this oft-overlooked southern soul diva – and one that mixes Muscle Shoals production with some nice uptown touches! Produced by Jerry Williams, Jr., aka Swamp Dogg! While the title comes of a bit flamboyantly, in truth, this record is an honest, personal, and earthy southern soul should-be classic. It's not only a personal triumph for Doris Duke, it's also one of greatest Swamp Dogg-produced records! Includes "I Wish I Could Sleep", "It Sure Was Fun", "He's Everything I Need", "Since I Fell For You", "Let Love Touch Us Now", "Bad Water", and a cool cover of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those funk classics that was a funk classic even back in the days when nobody was talking about funk classics! Ripple were an obscure little group of southern players, and although they later went onto cut a disco record for Salsoul, this first album is still their most enduring legacy. The record combines a sound that's a bit Meters, a bit Average White Band – with plenty of funky guitars, choppy riffs, and kine of a white boy soul vocal sound. Includes some stone classics – like "A Funky Song" and "I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky" – both of which were sampled more than a few times over the years – plus "Get Off", "Ripplin", "Willie Pass The Water", and "Dance Lady Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic female funk – a set of grooves that's way more natural than you might guess from the beehive in the title – the harder sound of 60s soul and early 70s funk – all pulled together from a host of rare 7" singles from back in the day! The set's got Numero breaking past the range of a single label or local scene – to pull together the best bits from all over, as a massive collection of all-female funky grooves! Titles include "You Got Me Under Your Spell" by Mae Young, "Good Things' by Pearl Dowell, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear" by Marva Whitney, "Hot Pats (part 1)" by The 20th Century, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Save The Children" by Lolla Collins, "Come Back Boy" by The Ba-Roz, "Second Avenue" by Sonics Band, and the Chicago classic "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic female funk – a set of grooves that's way more natural than you might guess from the beehive in the title – the harder sound of 60s soul and early 70s funk – all pulled together from a host of rare 7" singles from back in the day! The set's got Numero breaking past the range of a single label or local scene – to pull together the best bits from all over, as a massive collection of all-female funky grooves! Titles include "You Got Me Under Your Spell" by Mae Young, "Good Things' by Pearl Dowell, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear" by Marva Whitney, "Hot Pats (part 1)" by The 20th Century, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Save The Children" by Lolla Collins, "Come Back Boy" by The Ba-Roz, "Second Avenue" by Sonics Band, and the Chicago classic "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The most upbeat groovers from one of the rarest soul labels of the 60s – Washington DC's Shrine Records label – a small imprint who recorded some mighty fine singles that have been the gold standard for collectors for years! The company's output was quite small, and the label, as the title implies, never got much exposure at the time – but overall, Shrine's work is extremely great, and the tracks on this set soar with the best Philly and New York soul of the time, especially the male vocal group numbers, which are especially strong. The LP mixes two rare cuts that were not issued in the 60s with other singles on the label – and titles include "My Only Love" by The Counts, "Hey Boy" by The DC Blossoms, "No Other Way" by The Cautions, "Guess Who Loves You" by Eddie Daye & The 4 Bars, "Shame" by The Enjoyables, "I Won't Be Coming Back" by JD Bryant, "I Won't Believe It Till I See It" by Little Bobby Parker, "Takin My Time" by Leroy Taylor & The Four Kays, "Stop Overlooking Me" by The Cairos, and "Don't Let Him Hurt You" by Les Chansonettes. LP, Vinyl record album

A special vinyl-only collection of tracks from the legendary Dave Godin Deep Soul series – a set that's kind of the best of the best – given the strength of those all-great soul collections! All the cuts here offer a perfect definition of the deep soul groove at its best – a rich, heartfelt approach to the genre that's heavy on sounds from the southern soul scene of the 60s, but which also features a few inflections from other styles too! Vocals are always at the forefront, sung in a mindblowing way that may well even surpass some of the bigger names of the period – like artists on Atlantic or Stax – and titles include "Like It Stands" by Robert Ramsey, "These Four Walls" by Irma Thomas, "Losin Boy" by Eddy Giles, "Just Loving You" by Ruby Andrews, "You Got Me" by Jaibi, "Try Love" by Dori Grayson, "I'm Sorry I Hurt You" by Nat Phillips, "I Don't Cary Anymore" by Doris Duke, "Who Are You Gonna Love" by Rozetta Johnson, "You Make Me Feel Good" by Jawrence & Jaibi, and "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas. LP, Vinyl record album