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A hip little set from The Beat Boys – an Argetine group working in late 60s Brazil, supposedly with a bit of an influence on the sound of Tropicalia! The sound here is a bit straighter than the work of Caetano Veloso or Os Mutantes – a bit in the Jovem Guarda sound of more mainstream Brazilian rock, but with some hipper influences too – including a strong Beatles influence that makes for some great harmonies on the vocals, and instrumentation that really pushes beyond the standard straight Anglo rock modes of the time. Instrumentation features some fuzzy guitars, which are occasionally a bit tripped-out – plus organ, bass, and drums – all topped by echoey vocals from the group. Titles include "O Meu Tamborim", "A Time For Remembrance", "A Felicidade", "Wake Me Shake Me", "Sempre Esperando", "Aria Para A Corda Sol", and "Era Uma Menina". CD reissue features some great notes on the band, plus some vintage photos – and also includes the bonus track "Canudinho".

Soul & blues performances from Hoss Allen's 1966 Rhythm & Blues Revue program which ran on US television and is purported to be the first syndicated series ever revolving around black singers in the US! The history is incredible, but the compilation is all around the music and it's great stuff – featuring Gatemouth Brown, Rodge Martin, The Beat Boys, Earl Gaines, The Might Hannibal, Robert parker, Cleo Randle and many more. 24 tracks in all: "Have You Ever Been Mistreated" by Gatemouth Brown, "Hitch Hike" by The Beat Boys, "Empty Arms & Bitter Tears" by Gerri Taylor, "Respect" by Rodge Martin, "I Don't Know Why I Love You" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry, "24 Hours A Day" by Earl Gaines and much more.

Sweet and smooth 70s soul – hand-picked with a freshness that should appeal to folks who found these sounds through the hip hop that these grooves laid the sonic groundwork for. The tracks on here aren't as beat or break-heavy as some of the material on other sample-driven collections – but that's fine with us, as the tracks move into a sophisticated soul range that's always a pleasure to hear, bringing together the kind of well-produced 70s tracks we love! Titles include "Sweet Taste Of Sin" by Dennis Coffey, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Do It To Me Now" by Fatback, "Don't Risk Your Happiness On Foolishness" by Fantastic Four, "Killing Time" by Natural Essence, "Your Love Is My Desire" by Eramus Hall, "Baby Get Down" by Eddie McLoyd, "Set It Out" by The Detroit Emeralds, "Love Starved" by Shirley Brown, "I'm Gonna Have To Tell Her" by Isaac Hayes, "If I Had The Power" by Johnny Guitar Watson, and "I Got To Have Your Love Now" by Caesar Frazier.

Jumpin' rhythm & blues from Johnny Jones – excellent, exciting recordings in more of an r&b revue sound than the more definitively blues based numbers later on – big collection of numbers devided between sessions with The Jimmy Beck Orchestra and The Imperial Seven, aka The Beat Boys. Given the largeish backing, the numbers have a jumpin' groove, but the players keeping it tight enough that some bluesy intimacy is still there in the fabric. Some sessions feature alternate lead vocalists, a few with Earl Gaines, a couple with Larry Birdsong, plus Charles Walker, Levert Allison and others. 35 tracks in all! "Every Night In The Week", "Now That We're Together", "Best Of Luck Baby", "Slave To Love", "Fiesta", "Oh Baby", "I'm Going Home", "Slow Down Baby", "Mercy On My Soul". "24 Hours A Day", "Pickin' Berries" and more.

The Kurtis Blow-produced debut album by The Fat Boys! We'll say it: respect is due to The Fat Boys – so put the pop culture novelty status, fat comedy cliches and Disorderlies debacle aside. If you're a child of the early 80s, there's a reasonable chance that The Fat Boys were the first rap group you ever heard – and that alone makes them no joke if you ask us. Another thing: the best of their cuts are pretty damn nice, holding up as well some of the best rap circa '84 – and this debut album indeed features some of their best cuts! Includes "Stick 'Em", Fat Boys", "The Place To Be""Human Beat Box", "Can You Feel It?", "Stick 'Em" & "Jailhouse Rap". Limited 2012 vinyl version is remastered – in comes in a pizza box!

A glorious relic of early 70s studio pop – and a record that's awash in unapologetic references to The Beatles and The Beach Boys! Chesapeake Jukebox Band were a short-lived collaboration between singer-songwriters Steve Sawyer and Freddie McFinn, who are working here with genius producer Ron Frangipone in the best compressed style of the legendary Record Plant studios. There's lessons here learned clearly from Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, George Martin, and some of the hipsters on the late 60s Warner scene – but an overall approach that's a bit more personal in the lyrics – which makes for a great combination with the loftier production of the album. At one level, there's also a spaciousness here that reminds us a bit of later work from the UK pop scene – but again, the whole thing's a bit more down to earth, in a way that we really like. Titles include "Sad Nite In Boston", "This Time", "Jennifer", "Love", "Until We Meet Again", "Daisies For The 8th Of May", "Fizbee's Tavern", and "The Door's Unlatched". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Don't Howdy Doody On Me", "Crime Of The Century", and "Don't Cry Your Eyes Out".

A pair of overlooked gems from 70s singer/songwriter Marty Cooper – an artist who definitely leans towards the country side of the spectrum, but also comes across with more of a mellow rock feel too! A Minute Of Your Time is a 1972 set for the Barnaby label – one that beautifully mixes Cooper's raspy vocals with tunes that run from country twang to jazzier lines – especially on the tunes that feature sweet electric piano, and a bit less acoustic guitar. There's a knowing wink to some of these tunes – almost an echo of Lee Hazlewood, although Marty's a lot more sincere – and titles include "The Indiana Girl", "I Wrote A Song", "Mama Was A Cowgirl", "Cowboys & Daddies", and "To Say Goodbye To Anne". If You Were A Singer is a German-only album from the end of the 70s – but one that has Marty Cooper still working in the best mellow modes of his earlier work – kind of a commentary on country music and country ideals, nestled in a style that's real enough to have appeal to the mainstream it's commenting on. Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "Stephen", "Like A Gypsy", "A Second Hand Song", and "Ten Dollar Room". CD features one bonus track – the previously unissued "The Biplane Evermore".

Modern electronic grooves from Funkadiba – a duo that features the legendary Daniele Baldelli, the DJ reknowned for his contributions to the famous Cosmic nightclub! The styles here are definitely an update of that classic Cosmic groove – lots of spare, stark beats mixed with synth and keyboard parts – but usually handled with a slightly warmer feel overall – one that almost shifts back from the 80s roots to grab a bit more 70s funk too – which is mixed in with the rhythms to deepen the soul of the cuts nicely! Titles include "Dirty Sun", "Countdown", "I Must Feel Better", "Barabba Funk", "Funka Takin Over", and "Skippy & The Funky Boys".

A monster album that's gone on to influence a generation – but which was barely recognized at the time! Singer Eugene McDaniels had scored big with some pop hits in the 60s under the name Gene McDaniels – but here, he steps out in a righteous batch of offbeat funk tunes – filled with politics, offbeat rhythms, and some very weird instrumentation. The whole thing's awash in moody, jazzy changes – of the style that showed up often in samples by Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, and other artists who drew keen inspiration from this record. Titles include the massive "Jagger the Dagger" – plus "The Lord Is Back", "Lovin Man", "Headless Heroes", "Freedom Death Dance", and "Supermarket Blues".

Rockin soul from the start of the 60s – a great batch of upbeat numbers that definitely show the rougher side of the Northern groove! Lots of these tracks sit perfectly in a space between early soul music and R&B – and strut along with the heavier grooves of the latter, yet soar with the bold vocals of the former – making for a mix of modes that's mighty nice! There's loads of rare singles here we might not have heard otherwise – and titles include "Somebody Else's Sweetheart" by The Wanderers, "Puddentane" by Lula Reed, "I'm Hurting" by Billy Gales, "You Crack Me Up" by Charlie Baker, "This Little Love Of Mine" by Buddy Ace, "The Snake" by Maximillian, "Boys Will Be Boys" by Joe Tex, "Wait" by Sidney Barnes, "You're A Little Too Late" by Danny Owens, "That's A Good Idea" by Grover Mitchell, and "That's Why I Cry" by Varetta Dillard.

Cosmic grooves and spacey post disco compiled by Dompteur Mooner – a great third volume of the Elaste series from Compost Records! The soul if disco splintered in the cosmos in the early 80s, soaring strings giving way to funky synths, proto-techno programming and all around galactic feel in the clubs of Europe and pretty much all around the world – and this set pulls together the widest range yet! Definitely not disco in a conventional set, but spacey synth funk and influential club grooves from the early 80s underground that sounds great today! Includes "Take A Chance (Dompteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool, "Powerslide" by Mythos, "Africa (Dub Mix)" by Key Of Dreams and more. 14 tracks on the CD version.

Great versions of tunes penned by George Harrison – all of them by Brazilian artists, and most of them of older vintage too! Given that Harrison often wrote some of the edgiest tunes of The Beatles, the recordings here are already on good footing – and given that the collection does a great job of picking cuts from older albums of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s – then throwing in a few more recent recordings – the scope of material is pretty darn great! Most tracks still have the lyrics in English, but a few feature Portuguese lyrics instead – and the set features versions of "Taxman" by Meire Pavao, "Don't Bother Me" by The Bells, "Te Adoro" by Golden Boys & The Fevers, "That Is All" by Hevelyn Costa, "Something" by Evinha, "I Need You" by Rosa Maria, "My Sweet Lord" by Chitaozinho & Xororo, "Love Comes To Everyone" by Zizi Possi, and "Piggies" by Twiggy & Andreas Kisser's Lostapes.

Seminal soul from one of Chicago's greatest labels in the 60s – the One-Der-Ful/Mar-V-Lus imprints, plus tracks from related Toddlin Town too – home to some of the best indie work at the time! The quality here is right up there with the best you'd hear from Chess, Okeh, or Brunswick in the 60s – no surprise, since the pair of labels shared lots of similar talents with the bigger companies – as well as session men, songwriters, and producers too! The full scope of Chicago soul is really covered here – upbeat groovers for the dancefloor, heartfelt ballads with great harmonies, and some of the harder-edged bluesy numbers that really helped put One-Der-Ful on the map! There's also some key early examples of funk – proof that in the 60s, Chicago was one of the hippest scenes in the world – and the set comes with 2 CDs, nestled in a hardback booklet of notes and photos – with a whopping 50 tracks in all. Titles include "Tired Of Being Lonely" by The Sharpees, "Without You" by The Ulti-Mations, "That's How It Is" by Otis Clay, "Keep On Dancin" by Alvin Cash, "The Funky Judge" by Bull & The Matadors, "I Get A Groove" by Thomas East & The Fabulous Playboys, "Damper Down" by Bobby Davis, "The Town I Live In" by McKinley Mitchell, "Come Back Home" by Beny Turner, "Master Key" by Harold Burrage, "If I Could Live My Life All Over" by Dorothy Prince, "You Told A Lie" by Johnny Sayles, "New Girl" by The Accents, and "Don't You Worry" by Joe & Mack.

One of the coolest collections we've seen from the Sublime Frequencies label so far – a rich document of the "pop yeh yeh" movement in Singapore and Malaysia during the late 60s – a wonderful criss-crossing of Anglo pop styles and more exotic modes! The vibe here is a bit similar to French yeh yeh pop of the period – influenced by the sound of the early Beatles, and served up with a lot of twangy guitar next to warmly melodic vocals – in this case, never sung in English at all, and with odd inflections that are way different than the way the voice is used in Brit rock! Guitar is really at the forefront on most numbers – and like the vocals, often recorded with an echoey touch that's not unlike some Tokyo pop of the same time. And equally impressive as the music is the documentation in the book – two big books, full of great photos and as much history as information on the music – all wrapped around a CD that features 26 tracks that include "Bintang Pujaan" by Hasanah Haron & The Spiritual 70s, "Dara" by M Osman & Les Fentones, "Oh Teruna" by Fatima Amin & The Clans, "Budi Bahasa" by Adnan Othman & The Rhythm Boys, "Temasah Ria" by M Said & Les Remaja, and "Syurga Idaman" by Azizah Mohamed & Orkes Nirwana.

Smoking soul from the Cincinnatti scene – a massive amount of work we've never heard before – no surprise, since the set features lots of unreleased tracks! Most of the music here came from the Fraternity label – and most of the artists are blue-eyed soul singers hitting a funkier sort of vibe – one that's got occasional bits of funky rock in the mix, with echoes of the headier sounds going on in Detroit! Upbeat moments mix nicely with darker undercurrents – and most music comes from the Cinci songwriting/producing team of Wayne Perry and Randy McNutt – who also perform here a bit too. While there's been no shortage of soulful sounds from Ohio to find release in the past few years, this stuff really has a unique vibe – largely done with a tightly-arranged, highly-energetic vibe that stands out right away. Titles Includes "Mr Bus Driver", "Gimme The Green Light", "Right Or Wrong", and "Get 'Em While They're Hot" by Wayne Perry; "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Little Flint, "Pain" by The Boys In The Band, "Little Bit Of Lovin'" by Wood-I with Wayne Perry, "Waiting For You" by The Hometown Band, "I Like Skin" by Rick Bam Powell, and "Souled Out" by Soul Limited.

Some of the earliest recorded work from trumpeter Kenny Dorham – presented here in an overstuffed set that brings together most of his appearances on the Savoy label! The core standout tunes here are 10 numbers recorded in 1946 by The Bebop Boys – a combo that featured Dorham, Sonny Stitt, and Bud Powell coming together on tight, short, very upbeat bop material that ranked with some of the best early 78s of the genre. Titles by this group include "Seven Up", "Bebop In Pastel", "Serenade To A Square", "Fools Fancy", and "Bombay". Other material on the CD includes a solo by Kenny on "The Jitney Man" by Billy Eckstine, plus 3 tracks with the Milt Jackson Sextet from 1949 – including "Conglomeration", "Bruz", and "Roll Em Bags". Kenny also plays on three 1949 recordings with Charlie Parker – "Barbados", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Bebop" – as well as four 1956 numbers with Cecil Payne – including "Grooving High", "Man Of Moods", and "Saucer Eyes".

Parkstrumentals from Chicago producer Grant Parks – with classic boombap styled beatcraft built to last – plus a stellar roster of contributions from MCs such as Sadat X, Masta Ace, KRS One, AG, Phil G, Grand Daddy IU & others! 19 tracks including "State Of Consciousness", "Cornerstone", "They Want More" feat K Sparks, "Put Em High", "Piano Heat", "Heavenly","Wild Cowboys", "So Refined" with Phil G, Isis Rose and Lennon of Project Mayhem, "A Message From The Teacher" with KRS One and more.