That's Andre Gibson sitting at an electric piano on the cover – an image that will give you very much an idea of the record – as the music here is more personal and intimate than previous recordings by the Universal Togetherness Band – and tracks that actually seem to show a lot more depth and soul overall! The mixture of Gibson's voice and Rhodes is like hearing some demo material from the Donny Hathaway side of the spectrum – definitely more 70s-styled than you'd guess from the date range in the title, but a bit more gritty overall – and mostly with electric piano and vocals, on all numbers, with occasional added instrumentation thrown in from time to time. Titles include "Bring Me Home", "Love Changes Life's Changes", "All My Pals", "Thankful For You", "Say I Will", "Stuck On A Thrill", "Don't It Feel Good", "I Wanna Take You Away", "Breakaway", and "I'm Falling". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer stuff from this legendary Philly soul instrumental combo – with funky soul horns, unstoppable dancefloor ready rhythms and those soul-stirring strings – and right up there with their best ever! Bobby Martin arranged almost every track – and the record's a great example of the kind of lean and mean Philly groove that he had going at the time, a sound that was hard to beat, and hard to copy without sounding silly and overblown. Top shelf soul instrumentals from Philly International in the mid 70s – what more could we ask for? Includes classics like "K-Jee", "MFSB", "TLC" and "Let's Go Disco" – plus the equally great "Sexy", "Love Has No Time Or Place" and "My Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal funk by one of Brazil's greatest groups! Earth Wind & Fire had nothing on Banda Black Rio – as the Brazilian combo mixed together smooth jazz funk, soulful vocals, and great production, into a sound that rivaled any of America's best mainstream funk acts of the 70s! This album's easily their best – and is filled with tight jazzy groovers that we come back to again and again over the years, digging them for their great rhythms and tight instrumentation, never noticing the fact that the lyrics aren't in English! Includes the cuts "Chega Mais", "Tico Tico No Fuba", "Danca Do Dia", "Vidigal", "Gafiera Universal", and the totally great "Cravo e Canela", one of the sneakiest guitar groovers you'll ever hear! (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet sweet set of electric 70s funk – recorded by Booker T during a brief, but well-needed reunion with the MGs! The sound here is quite different than Stax-era MGs – as Booker plays a range of keyboards, not just organ – and the grooves have these great jazz funk touches at the bottom – almost a CTI vibe at times, but packed with the tighter energy you'd expect from the group! Steve Cropper's guitar is great – super-fine, and razor-sharp – really helping cut a nice edge on the cuts – over bass from Donald Duck Dunn and drums from Willie Hall, who's the only new member of the group. In a way, the album feels like mid 70s efforts from Johnny Hammond or Jimmy Smith – sweetly soaring on a let-loose 70s vibe. Titles include the funky break track "Grab Bag", plus "Sticky Stuff", "Moto Cross", "Tie Stick", and "Space Nuts". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A strong effort from the mid 00s revitalized Prince – one that doesn't approach the greatness of the best material, but a graceful and consistent gem nonetheless! As it was done on his big ol' comeback album, Musicology, Prince takes strides to revisit his classic styles on the different tunes, but it doesn't come off as a simple rehash. Each song pretty much finds Prince in a different mode that can be found on a previous LP, but it works because it's so engaged and warm. Latter day Prince really only turns us off when he strains too hard to do something new, and succeeds in our eyes when he simply makes with his trademark pop funk signature sounds we know and love. Notice that no one really succeeds at ripping Prince off? It's because it can't be done. Tracks include "3121", "Lolita", "Te Amo Corazon", "Black Sweat", "Incense And Candles", "Satisfied", "Fury", "The Word", "Beautiful, Loved And Blessed", "The Dance" and "Get On The Boat". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure later album from Wally Badarou, but one that still continues the wonderful vibe he served up on his Island Records material in the early 80s – a blend of Caribbean roots, funky soul, and some sweet electronic touches! The album is all instrumental, and blends percussion – both electric and acoustic – with basslines, keyboards, and some other instrumental touches along the way – all shaped with some global inspirations, but mostly groove-heavy, although in a nicely laidback way! If you dug Wally's work in years past, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "The Lights Of Kinshasa", "Pictures Of You", "Keep On Tryin", "Dance In The Dust", "Amber Whispers", "Crystal Falls", and "Purple Lines". LP, Vinyl record album

What a great idea! The classic Motown work of The Jackson 5 is remixed and remade by a host of super-hip producers! The cuts really retain a lot of their Motown soul flavor, and the remixers do an excellent job of pulling out some of the best elements – like guitar riffs, piano lines, and drumbeats – while still preserving the original vocal direction of the songs. The new versions of the tracks are equally great – like Monday Michiru's version of "I Wanna Be Where You Are", which has sweet vocals from Monday, and some great Fender Rhodes work! Titles include "It's Great To Be Here" remixed by Kenny Dope, "ABC" redone Kayoko Kimura & The Fireflys, "Hum Along & Dance" remixed by United Future Organization, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Shinichi Osawa, "I'll Be There" remixed by Small Circle Of Friends, and "I Want You Back" remixed by Kei Kobayoshi. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic selection of work from one of the hippest girl groups of the 70s – the mighty Love Unlimited trio, three singers who all worked under the genius of Barry White in his prime! Unlike other girl trios of the time, who often used an older soul mode refitted with disco grooves – sometimes acting more like a chorus than a lead act – Love Unlimited always brought their full vocal strengths to play, and do a fantastic job here working in modes that rival some of the best male harmony groups of the early 70s – especially the sweet soul groups from New Jersey, New York, and Philly. And yes, Barry does kick up the groove a bit at times, but even then things are usually more in a midtempo mode, not a disco one – which makes for tremendous sounds throughout. This is the first-ever proper collection of the girls' singles from the early 70s – and titles include "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Fragile Handle With Care", "Are You Sure", "I Should Have Known", "Is It Really True Boy Is It Me", "Walkin In The Rain With The One I Love", "Under The Influence Of Love", "It May Be Winter Outside", "I Love You So Never Gonna Let You Go", "I Belong To You", "So Nice To Hear", "People Of Tomorrow Are The Children Of Today", and "Share A Little Love In Your Hear LP, Vinyl record album

A huge crossover moment for the young Billy Preston – a set that took him from his early fame as a child prodigy on the organ, to a realm of spiritual soul music that would set the course for his big albums of the 70s! The album's produced by George Harrison, and issued on The Beatles' Apple label – and the set's got a nicely rootsy style that's heavy on influences from gospel, and which often uses female backing vocals behind Billy's lead and organ. Harrison managed to get Billy to record versions of "My Sweet Lord" (wonder if Billy got sued too?) and "All Things Must Pass" – and other titles include "Let The Music Play", "I've Got A Feeling", "Right Now", "Use What You Got", and "Right Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully groovy soul from The Entertainers – a group who's recording here strongly for the beach music scene in the Carolinas, but who have an appeal that's much more universal! The tunes are mostly in an upbeat, midtempo mode – with a gentle bounce and a nice sort of step in the rhythms – that sweet groove that shows up in the best beach music classics – and which The Entertainers really have a lock on for this set! But there's also a warmer, more seductive feel going on too – a groove that fits in nicely with some of the early 80s modern soul work of the indie underground – and which helps get this album past any overdone cliches you might expect from the Carolinas – especially on some of the numbers that have a nicely compressed, almost poppish approach to the vocals. There's a depth here that makes the record way more than just a bunch of simple steppers for the dancefloor – and titles include "Hot On A Thang", "Pour Your Little Heart Out", "It's Not What You Got", "I'm Leavin", "In This Moment", "I Won't Cry Anymore", "What Are We Gonna Do", "Livin For The Summer", "Kidnapper", and "I'm In Love With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool Italian work from Carlo Fontana – a singer with a soulful style that's right at home in some of the Italo Disco tracks on the set, but which also works well with other modes too! Carlo knows how to space out his words – never getting as over-emotive as more mainstream Italian pop singers, and instead echoing the groove in the way he puts over a tune – which makes for some mighty nice music with a very universal appeal! The legendary Tullio De Piscopo handled arrangements on a number of cuts – and titles include "La Musica Del Sud", "Amica Luna", "Malatia", "Tu Chi Sij", "Bella Signora", "E Voglie A Te", and "Amanti". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Cynthia Schloss – a reggae singer who'd go on to bring a whole new level of soul to Jamaican music! In fact, the album's maybe half reggae, and half soul – delivered by Cynthia with a range that would have been right at home in American soul in the early 70s, especially given that the pace of most tracks is a lot more laidback than some of the disco work that was taking over America at the time! Yet the grooves aren't exactly the usual Jamaican style, either – as they've got a bubbling vibe and upbeat quality that almost reminds us a bit of crossover soul from the same time – a bit like some of the best work on RCA that would peak on AM radio, with a real universal appeal that's only furthered by Schloss' vocals. Titles include "Love Forever", "I Won't Cry", "There's A Fire", "Red Rose", "Winston B", "Guava Jelly", "Hurry To Me", and "Nightfall". (Reggae, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet masterpiece of 70s AOR from Japan – served up by Tatsuro Yamashita, who was easily one of the most soulful male singers on the scene in the years before city pop! The record's got a jazzy vibe that's great, and which really fits the R&B-inspired midtempo rhythms – almost as if Wayne Henderson had a hand in putting the whole thing together, similar to some of his late 70s productions for Fantasy Records – but with some occasional 80s touches that also hint at changes to come in the next decade. Vocals are all in Japanese, but the record's got a very universal appeal – and titles include "Rainy Walk", "Funky Flushin", "Hot Shot", "Touch Me Lightly", "Yellow Cab", "Nightwing", and "Full Moon". (Japanese, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An early 80s gospel cooker from a group who really live up to their name – young singers from the Portland scene, recorded here during a very uplifting performance at a high school! The rhythms are very driving – funky gospel at its best, with a very romping vibe that has both the larger ensemble and the key soloists really stepping up and knocking it out of the park – setting a fire in the music that goes way past just standard spiritual modes, with a very universal appeal to all fans of soulful styles! Titles include "Be Grateful", "Expressions", "Lord Don't Move That Mountain", "Worship The Lord", "Thank You Lord", "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", and "I Need To Pray". (Gospel, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The Japanese scene had plenty of great artists in the 70s, but few were as fantastic as Tatsuro Yamashita – a singer who effortlessly captures some of the more soulful currents of the American scene at the time, has a way of forging a really universal groove! The production, instrumentation, and arrangements are top-shelf – in the more soulful side of the AOR spectrum, but not nearly as too-polished as chart hits of the year 1980 – and certainly served up with all the right sort of warmth in the instrumentation, which continues to create all sorts of jazzy currents throughout! Tracks include "Silent Screamer", "Rainy Day", "Clouds", "Kissing Goodnight", "Door Into Summer", "Ride On Time", and "Daydream". (Japanese, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An electronic pop masterpiece – and the first moment of international exposure for the mighty Yellow Magic Orchestra! Before this set, the trio of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, and Yukihiro Takahashi had already been making plenty of waves on the Japanese music scene – but the record gave them a focused showcase they never had before, and helped set the stage for so much other electronic music in years to come! The tracks are tuneful, but also created from lots of different electronic elements – video game noise, analogue electronics, drum machines, keyboards, and more – mostly wonderfully tuneful instrumentals, which gave the work a very universal appeal. Titles include "Computer Game (Theme From The Circus)", "Computer Game (Theme From The Invader)", "Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)", "Cosmic Surfin", "Firecracker", "Simoon", "La Femme Chinoise", "Bridge Over Troubled Music", and "Mad Pierrot". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The album's titled after a funky Miami soul gem from the 70s, and the set's got a strong feature on some of the best groovy tracks from that southern city – all originally issued on 7" singles by the TK family of labels, and brought together here with a nice focus on the range of material the company was cutting at the time! There's some great funk in the mix, plus a bit of deep soul too – and titles include "Moon Ride" by Universal Love, "Dance Craze" by New Image, "Friend Of Mine" by Little Milton, "Love In Motion" by George McCrae, "Party Freaks" by Miami, "Party Down (part 1)" by Little Beaver, and "Say Love Can You Chase Away The Blues" by Timmy Thomas. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album by one of the greatest Brazilian funk bands ever – a wonderful blend of funk, jazz, and soul – and a set that rivals any of the best work coming from the US at the time! These guys are right on the money right from the start – moving through sharp changes with effortless ease, yet never in a way that's too slick or commercial – kind of like that perfect balance that Kool & The Gang hit for just a few records in the mid 70s – but with more of a Brazilian feel overall. Jazzy licks abound – and the keyboards, guitar, and horns are just great – but the set's also got some more regional percussion, too – which really rounds out the record wonderfully. The grooves all have a really universal appeal – essential for any fan of funky sounds – and titles include "Mr Funky Samba", "Junia", "Casa Forte", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Lelbon Via Vaz Lobo", "Baia", "Maria Fumaca", and "Metalurgia". (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Bunny Sigler produced this one by Carl, and it's definitely got a lot of Bunny's Philly disco influences running through it. You won't find any "Bad Mamma Jamma" tracks on here – but you will find a lot of up-tempo cuts with a dancefloor sound. Titles include "Live For Today", "Let's Groove", "Willing & Able", "Spend The Night", and "Universal Girl". LP, Vinyl record album