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Breakout brilliance from Bobby Brown – the album that really showed the world he could stand on his own strongly after leaving New Edition! Given the tight production from LA & Babyface, among others, the sound here is hardly cruel – and instead, the album's got a catchily commercial groove that holds up surprisingly well – and arguably sounds a lot better these days, many years after these tunes were getting a bit too overplayed on the radio. Includes the hit singles "Don't Be Cruel" and "My Prerogative", plus "Every Little Step", "Rock Wit'cha", "Take It Slow", "All Day All Night" and "Roni".

Dialogue excerpts from two early 70s films documenting the shift between the Civil Rights and Black Power eras in the US! Side one is taken from the film Huey – and features Black Panthers Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver and H Rap Brown – plus what sounds like interviews with police and other officials at the time. One of the highlights is as speech in which the platform of the Black Panther party is enumerated, with its 10 point program. The second side is drawn from the film Listen Whitey – and features bits from phone-in radio programs the day after Martin Luther King was assassinated, as well as pieces taken from official statements from pundits and other black leaders from the period.

Some of the funkiest female soul ever recorded – the near-complete work of James Brown diva Vicki Anderson, compiled here officially for the first time ever! Vicki was one of the first female singers to work with James – replacing the sweeter style of vocalist Anna King in the James Brown Revue of the late 60s, and setting the stage for better-known hard soul singers Marva Whitney and Lyn Collins in years to come! Vicki recorded some excellent singles with James and the band backing her up – but never actually cut a full LP, which is why this overdue set is so essential. Vicki's got a socking-hard sound that worked equally well with the early funk sound of the James Brown Band of the late 60s, as it did during her later recordings with the JBs and Bobby Byrd. The collection brings together 17 of Vicki's recordings under the James Brown umbrella – including a number that we'd never heard before, some duets with James and Bobby Byrd, and a few of her singles recorded under the name of Myra Barnes. And you can take our word for it that you won't find a better collection of funky female soul – because this one's hard-stepping and massively grooving all the way through! Titles include "Baby Don't You Know", "Message From The Soul Sisters (parts 1 & 2)", "Super Good (parts 1 & 2)", "I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff", "Answer To Mother Popcorn", "I Want To Be In The Land Of Milk & Honey", "Baby Don't You Know", "If You Don't Give Me What I Want (I Gotta Get It Some Other Place)", "Wide Awake In A Dream", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "I'll Work It Out", "Think", "Don't Throw Your Love In The Garbage Can", and "You're Welcome Stop On By".

Stunning! Although many know Bobby Byrd as the longtime associate of James Brown, and although his singles do turn up from time to time on compilations, this one and only album by him is super-rare. The album's a live recording (although we've never been sure if it's not one of James Brown's "fake" live projects, with studio tracks and applause added in) – and it contains a killer batch of funky tracks like "I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone)" (parts 1 & 2), "Funky Soul", "My Concerto", "You Got To Have A Job (If You Don't Work, You Can't Eat)", and "Hang Ups We Don't Need (The Hungry We've Got To Feed)". Loads of breakbeats, and a killer funky groove with Bobby singing in a style that's as great as James Brown's best funky stuff from the time, but with a darker edge to it. Classic stuff, and an unbelievable one to have on low-priced reissue!

Snapping drums and heavy funk – a completely heavy-hitting number that rivals the best James Brown work of the early 70s! The track's a smoking cooker that never lets up – from the first rattletrap on the drums, to the shouted righteous vocals from Bobby, to the monstrously riffing guitar in the middle, and the great little time change on part 2! Insanely wonderful – the kind of funky 45 that keeps us digging for funky 45s!

Singer and harpist Carol Kleyn's Takin' The Time album from 1980 – and a pretty remarkable step up from her Love Has Made Me A Stranger record of a few years earlier! While the preceding album carried more of a late 60s mood – though one that felt right at home on the mid 70s folk fringe – this one has a warm, laidback and somewhat otherworldly West Coast folk rock vibe. Carol's voice leads the way, and her harp is often right out front, too, but there's lot going on! Speaking of fringe-y, Bobby "Enlightening Beam Of Axonda" Brown is the producer here – but the record is actually quite accessible. Another really strong and worthy reissue from Drag City! Includes "Takin' The Time", "Jethro", "She Lost Her Crown", "Sailor Like Me", "Could Be Me", "Tides And Crazy Moons", "Missy Robin", "Intermission", "How Long Till Forever" and "Prayer".

A great little set of Latin jazz – and one of the strongest albums ever from flute man Hubert Laws! At the time of this recording, Laws was playing with Mongo Santamaria's group – and for this second solo outing, he borrows a lot of grooves from Mongo's bag – and also hits a few tasty lines of his own – mixing in even more of those great soul jazz inflections that always made his solos on the Santamaria records for Columbia some of the real highlights of the time. The groove is wonderful throughout – and other players include Chick Corea on piano, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Benny Powell on tenor, and Bobby Thomas on drums. There's some killer tight Latin numbers with a groovy 60s feel – like "Bloodshot", "Let Her Go", "Baila Cinderella", and "No You'd Better Not" – plus some other tasty jazz numbers like "Mean Lene" and "Strange Girl".

A great little set of Latin jazz – and one of the strongest albums ever from flute man Hubert Laws! At the time of this recording, Laws was playing with Mongo Santamaria's group – and for this second solo outing, he borrows a lot of grooves from Mongo's bag – and also hits a few tasty lines of his own – mixing in even more of those great soul jazz inflections that always made his solos on the Santamaria records for Columbia some of the real highlights of the time. The groove is wonderful throughout – and other players include Chick Corea on piano, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Benny Powell on tenor, and Bobby Thomas on drums. There's some killer tight Latin numbers with a groovy 60s feel – like "Bloodshot", "Let Her Go", "Baila Cinderella", and "No You'd Better Not" – plus some other tasty jazz numbers like "Mean Lene" and "Strange Girl".

An unusual little soundtrack to this obscure pre-Roots film about slavery – handled with some very nice touches from Gary McFarland, Bobby Scott, and Grady Tate! The music is penned by Scott, and is mostly in that hip blend of jazz and soul roots that he was using on some of his own 60s vocal work – but expanded a bit more here with the groovier styles of Skye Records, thanks to arrangements and conducting from Gary McFarland! The work's not as funky as you might expect, but is still plenty darn great – and there's a few instrumental numbers that are especially great here. Grady Tate sings on the vocal ones, often in the deep-voiced style of his own Skye albums – but with an approach that's a bit more down home and soul-based, which is a nice change – almost like Oscar Brown Jr at the best moments. A number of tracks are done in both instrumental and vocal versions – and titles include "Nightwind", "Slaves", "Black Lullabye", "Another Mornin", and "Pickin Cotton".

Funky soul from Bobby Patterson – a smoking set of music that's easily some of the funkiest ever cut for the Paula label in the 70s! Bobby's a southern soul singer, but he's got a righteousness that feels much more Detroit or Chicago – and some of the best cuts here have this sharp, funky undercurrent that's not unlike work by Joe Quarterman – a wicked bottom groove that's definitely inherited from James Brown, and which really helps underscore the badass quality of Bobby's music! The set's a wonderful way to start digging Patterson at the height of his career – and the package includes 17 tracks, with "This Whole Funky World Is A Ghetto", "Right On Jody", "If You Took A Survey", "It Takes Two To Do Wrong", "How Do You Spell Love", "Quiet Do Not Disturb", "I Just Loved You Because I Wanted To", and "I'm In The Wrong".

Incredible work from pianist Duke Pearson – a darkly-tinged album of grooves that surpasses all his other gems for Blue Note! The record showcases some great work from Bobby Hutcherson – slid into the mix in a really sly way, so that his jazzy vibes color all the tunes with an edgey feeling that's missing from most of Duke's other albums. The group's slightly largeish – with Jerry Dodgion on flute and alto, Sam Brown and Al Gafa on guitar, plus added Latin percussion on a number of tracks – but although the larger group format often made for softer edges on other Pearson sessions from the time, the mix here is quite different – at a level that works in complicated rhythms, rich colors and tones, and warm harmonics that have a slightly unsettling undercurrent. The album's worth it alone for the mighty title cut "The Phantom" – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "Bunda Amerela", "Say You're Mine" and "Blues for Alvina".

A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a number of albums, that a whole bunch of incredible music made during it has been pretty badly overlooked over the years! This set on the always great Pressure Sounds puts together 20 of those – many of them simmering with quite a funky sound! Killer organ grooves and smoking rhythms highlight numbers by Val Bennett, The Mellowtones, The Ethiopians, Junior Byles and, of course, the amazing Upsetters! Glen Adams and Winston Wright handle those organs, sax by Tommy McCook, bass by Aston Barrett, trumpet by Bobby Ellis and other legendary instrumentalists, plus Lee Perry on percussion and production. Includes "Val Blows In" by Val Bennett & The Upsetters, "Boss" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "High Plains Drifter", "The Man With No Name" and "Amigo" by The Upsetters, "It's Growing" by Busty Brown & The Upsetters, "What's Wrong With You" by The Bleechers, "He Don't Love You" by The Silvertones, "Awake" by The Ethiopians, "A Big Joke" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Rockfort Psychedelion" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "Iniquity Workers" by The Faithful Brothers, "Rip Up Festival '71" by Junior Byles & Righteous Upsetters and more.

An overlooked Sonny Rollins set from the early 80s – one that has him recording with a fair bit of guitar, but still staying very much in his best form as an improviser! The group here features both Bobby Broom on electric guitar, and Yoshiaki Masuo on acoustic and electric – both players who get in plenty of sound during the set, but always as a follow-up to Rollins' bold tenor voice in the lead. Remaining group members include Bob Cranshaw on electric bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and although the electric strings might normally make for a smooth sort of record, Sonny's sharper sound still brings plenty of edge – even when the rhythms of a few tunes get a bit bright. Titles include "My Little Brown Book", "Reel Life", "McGhee", "Rosita's Best Friend", and "Best Wishes".

Bedrock beatcraft and DJ mix mastery from Steve Stein – including the hugely important Double Dee & Steinski mixes of the early 80s – paired up with solid later work for this excellent 2CD compilation! The Double Dee & Steinski stuff really couldn't be more important to the turntablist scene of the mid 80s, and its influence stretches up to and beyond the mash up DJs of the 00s. Monumental DJ funk and deftly blended samples. Astounding! Disc 1 is the retrospective material – featuring benchmark Double Dee & Steinski mixes: "The Payoff Mix", "Lesson 2 (James Brown Mix)", "Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop)", "Jazz" and "Voice Mail (Sugarhill Mix)" – plus the Steinski tracks "The Motorcade Sped On", "I'm Wild About That Thing", "Ain't No Thing", "Number Three On Flight Eleven" and more. Disc 2 is Nothing To Fear – A Rough Mix By Steinski – done for Solid Steel Productions and BBC London – 28 continuous cuts including "Swingset (10 beautiful girls mix)", "The Id (small world mix)", "By All Means Necessary (Malcolm & Bobby mix)", "I Like It Like That (Scratch It One Time mix)" "Country Grammar (hydro mix)", "Funk Construction (Prodigal Son mix)" and lots more. It's all in the title – it's a rougher set with the scratch & cut effects, bit not as dance club bubbly as other Steinski work.

Funky funky female soul! Marva Whitney was one of the greatest singers in the James Brown stable of stars during the late 60s – and she sang with a hard raw style worth of The Godfather himself! Brother James produced and wrote a good part of this classic album – and the record is one of the greatest JB albums of all time! Nearly every cut's a winner – like the sample classic "Unwind Yourself", which has a crazy corkscrew sax line, or the massive two-part remake of the Isley's "It's Your Thing" (titled "It's My Thing"), or the slowly funky "Get Out Of My Life", or the massive duet with Bobby Byrd "You Got To Have A Job", or the classic instrumental "In The Middle". It's all great – and the album's one of the best funk records you could buy!

A wonderfully expanded version of this classic of funky funky female soul! Marva Whitney was one of the greatest singers in the James Brown stable of stars during the late 60s – and she sang with a hard raw style worth of The Godfather himself! Brother James produced and wrote a good part of this classic album – and the record is one of the greatest JB albums of all time! Nearly every cut's a winner – like the sample classic "Unwind Yourself", which has a crazy corkscrew sax line, or the massive two-part remake of the Isley's "It's Your Thing" (titled "It's My Thing"), or the slowly funky "Get Out Of My Life", or the massive duet with Bobby Byrd "You Got To Have A Job", or the classic instrumental "In The Middle". This reissue is an expanded version, and it features a very excellent batch of tracks that were previously only issued as funky 45s! Tracks include "Sunny", "I Made A Mistake Because It's Only You (parts 1 & 2)", "You Got To Have A Job", "Shades Of (inst)", "I'm Tired I'm Tired I'm Tired", "This Girl's In Love With You", "He's The One", "Unwind Yourself", "What Kind Of Man", "Things Got To Get Better", "It's My Thing (parts 1 & 2)", and "Get Out Of My Life". 18 cuts in all.

A rich tribute to one of the greatest indies of the south – especially back in the 50s – Jackson's mighty Ace Records – home to a rich array of R&B, early rockers, and rootsy music too – all served up here in a mightily overstuffed compilation! The set brings together a few unreleased tracks alongside Ace singles and other obscurities – a rich testament to the strength of the label back in the day – and their great ear for sounds from surrounding scenes as well – as the music here has plenty of echoes of Memphis and New Orleans too! The package is heavy on obscure gems – and titles include "Baby Say You Will" by Jesse Allen, "Hey Hey Baby Come Home" by Albert Scott, "Well I Never Get Tired" by Johnny Fairchild, "Educated Fool" by Huey Piano Smith, "Roll On Train" by Elton Anderson, "Doing The Rock & Roll" by Calvin Spears, "Classy Lassie" by Alvin Red Tyler & The Gyros, "I'm Packing Up" by Earl King, "Love's Like A River" by Charles Brown, "Roll Em Back" by Eddie Bo, and "Love Is My Business" by Bobby Woods. CD features 9 more bonus tracks from the original album – with titles that include "Shed So Many Tears" by Elton Anderson, "You Aim To Please" by Jimmy Clanton, "Sea Cruise" by Huey & Jerry, "Baby It's Love" by Johnny Angel, and "Rock" by Lee Dorsey.

They might well call this a Beginners Guide To Blue Note Jazz Funk – given that most of the tracks here are from the hip 70s run at Blue Note Records! The vibe is wonderful – funky and soulful, but definitely with jazz at the forefront – as older soloists were finding new ways to reach their audiences through electric grooves – and younger players were making a huge name for themselves through a very inventive approach to their work! The 3CD set is a hell of a deal for the money – with 33 tracks that include loads of Blue Note gems, plus some 70s Capitol funk and soul tracks too – titles that include "As" by Gene Harris, "Dominoes" by Donald Byrd, "The Genie" by Bobby Lyle, "Down The Way" by John Lee & Gerry Brown, "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Think Twice" by Donald Byrd, "Tidal Wave" by Ronnie Laws, "London Town" by Light Of The World, "Windy C" by 100% Pure Poison, "Daisy Mae" by Raul De Souza, "Movin" by Brass Construction, "Prance On" by Eddie Henderson, "Music Is My Sanctuary" by Gary Bartz, "Abdullah & Abraham" by Chico Hamilton, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Funky Sneakers" by Willie Bobo, "Sunshine" by Nancy Wilson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, and "Sky Islands" by Caldera.

A killer compilation of late 50s and early 60s songs that were covered and popularized by British pop legend Cliff Richard – and Cliff not only heard them here first, but the man has impeccable taste! This is a stellar set of proto rock, pop and soul – with completely great, if lesser-remembered treasures by superstars and relative cult faves alike – including Bobby Helms, proto rock era Conway Twitty, Gene Vincent, Ruth Brown, Peggy Lee, Bobby Vee, Sonny James, Johnny Otis, Little Stevie Wonder and many more! Includes "Schoolboy Crush" by Bobby Helms, "I'll Try" by Conway Twitty, "Save My Soul" by Jack Scott with The Chantones, "The Night Is So Lovely" by Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, "Somebody Touched Me" by Ruth Brown, "Tough Enough" by Johnny Otis & Orchestra with The Jayos, "D In Love" by Curtis Lee, "I'm Looking Out The Window" by Peggy Lee, "The Minute You're Gone" by Sonny James, It's All Over" by The Everly Brothers and more. 24 tracks in all.

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs.

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. 2LP version features 7 more tracks not on the CD set – and great heavy vinyl and cover!

A host of wonderful work produced by James Brown – most of it by a range of different singers, and one by The Godfather himself! The collection brings together some of the earliest James Brown productions – mid 60s tracks recorded for King and Smash Records, most of which aren't nearly as well known as later JB productions for the People and Polydor labels! As with that later work, all the grooves here are right in the same territory that James was hitting himself – upbeat, funky, and stone out of sight soul – all with plenty of rough edges, and backings from the same tight core of musicians that were helping out Brown on his recordings. The package is a real treasure – and is a great complement to the James Brown Singles collections from the Hip-O Select label – proof that even in these early days, James was clearly the hardest working man in show business – given all his time in the studio with other artists! 22 tracks in all – including "I Found Out" and "I'll Keep Pressing On" by Bobby Byrd, "That's When I Cry" and "If You Don't Think" by Anna King, "I Don't Care" and "Unexplainable" by Dizzy Jones, "Got No Excuse" and "If You Don't Work You Can't Eat" by James Crawford, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "Lookie Lookie Lookie" by The Jewells, "Wide Awake In A Dream" and "Nobody Cares" by Vicki Anderson, "Devil's Den" by The Poets, "It Hurts To Be In Love" by Yvonne Fair, "That's The Spirit" by Rev Willingham, "Faith" by The Five Royales, "I Cried" by Tammy Montgomery, "Soul Food (parts 1 & 2)" by Al Brisco Clark, and "New Breed (The Boo Ga Loo) (part 1)" by James Brown.

A sweet little set of 70s dubs – recorded at Channel 1, Harry J's, Randy's and King Tubbys in the heart of the dub era – with dubby takes on classic cuts by Barry Brown, Horace Andy, Don Carlos and others. The rhythms were laid down by the cream of the crop, too – Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Robby Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Tommy McCook, Deadley Headley, Bobby Ellis, Sculla Sims and others. Includes "Why Fight The Dub", "Conversation Dub", "A Better Version", "Care Free Dub", "Step Inna Dub Style", "Creation Of Dub", "My Brethren In Dub", "A Wicked Dub", "Rub This Dub", "The Jehovah Version" and more. 2 CD bonus tracks: "Invasion Dub" and "A Lonely Dub".

There's a heck of a lot of great music here – a whopping 35 tracks of contemporary and vintage soul, all put together for the price of a regular single CD! The package is the latest in the excellent Luxury Soul series – based around artists who have worked the UK series of the same name – and who really come together here in a warm array of the best contemporary soul styles! There's plenty of Neo Soul numbers, a handful of classics, and a few more modern elements too – and titles include "I'm Not That Tough" by Ashford & Simpson, "Rubber Soul" by Live Tropical Fish with Omar, "Things That I Do" by Gianna, "Enough Is Enough" by Dennis Taylor, "Music & Love" by Victor Haynes, "Just A Simple Love" by Sheree Brown, "In The Meantime" by Johnny Britt, "Crystal Clear" by Howard Hewett, "Just Let Me Be Close To You" by Valentine Brothers, "I'll Come Running Back To You" by June Yamagishi with Bobby Womack, "So In Love" by Chapter 8, "Slow Down" by Al Olive, "Priority" by Kloud 9, "It's Just One Of Those Things" by Incognito, "I Want It" by Soul Talk, "Wake Up Everybody" by Eric Benet, and "Anything" by Angela Johnson.

Way more than just "hits" – given that this hip box set features tracks from every single 12" released by the legendary P&P family of labels – a massive amount of underground dancefloor work from the late 70s and early 80s, and a set that gives new meaning to the word discography! If you know even just a bit of the P&P sound, you'll know you've got a revolutionary listening experience in store – music that goes way beyond conventional club and disco, with lots of weird little twists and turns – in both the instrumentation and production, which often use these cool little homemade spacey touches! Vocals are often right in synch with the offbeat grooves – and just about every cut on here is massively funky, too. Package features work by Cloud One, Milton Floyd, Sons Of Darkness, Jesse Gee, Scoopy, Rudy Stuart, Little Scotty, Henry Brooks, Fly Guy, Ahzz, Super Jay, Otis Turner, Sherod, The Destiny Orchestra, Bobby Mann, and many others – from singles that originally appeared on labels like Queen Constance, La Shawn, Land Of Hits, Golden Flamingo, Heavenly Star, Clarence, Destiny, Mr Brown, P&P, Sound Of New York, and others. 185 songs, on 15 CDs, packaged in cool slim sleeves in a tight box set – over 18 hours of music, and all of it great!

Rare soul from the legendary King Records – hand-picked by Mr Fine Wine, with a special ear for sharp-edged R&B grooves! Most of the work here is from the same early soul stretch as James Brown's initial work for King – and recorded with an equally raw sound overall – heavy rhythms, powerful instrumentation, and amazing vocals that really stretch out with a bold sound for the new generation! A few of the cuts here are by familiar names, and others are lesser-knowns from the rich King catalog – all wrapped together in a big batch of tracks that's filled with the kind of rare gems that Fine Wine's know for – both as a collector and a DJ. Titles include "Old Faithful & True Love" by Earl King, "She's Mine" by Joe Tex, "Mama Needs Your Lovin Baby" by Linda Hopkins, "Cozy's Mambo" by Cozy Cole, "The Jumpin Bean" by The Mystics, "Harem Girl" by Red Prysock, "I Won't Have It" by The King Pins, "One Buffalo" by Jimmy Peterson, "Thanks Mr Postman" by Bobby King, "Solid Rock" by Eli Pauling & The Royalton, "Nothing But Good" by Hank Ballard, and "Take Your Fine Frame Home" by Billy Gayles.

Rare soul from the legendary King Records – hand-picked by Mr Fine Wine, with a special ear for sharp-edged R&B grooves! Most of the work here is from the same early soul stretch as James Brown's initial work for King – and recorded with an equally raw sound overall – heavy rhythms, powerful instrumentation, and amazing vocals that really stretch out with a bold sound for the new generation! A few of the cuts here are by familiar names, and others are lesser-knowns from the rich King catalog – all wrapped together in a big batch of tracks that's filled with the kind of rare gems that Fine Wine's know for – both as a collector and a DJ. Titles include "Old Faithful & True Love" by Earl King, "She's Mine" by Joe Tex, "Mama Needs Your Lovin Baby" by Linda Hopkins, "Cozy's Mambo" by Cozy Cole, "The Jumpin Bean" by The Mystics, "Harem Girl" by Red Prysock, "I Won't Have It" by The King Pins, "One Buffalo" by Jimmy Peterson, "Thanks Mr Postman" by Bobby King, "Solid Rock" by Eli Pauling & The Royalton, "Nothing But Good" by Hank Ballard, and "Take Your Fine Frame Home" by Billy Gayles. Totally great limited package – 20 tracks on 10 funky 45s – all packaged in a mighty cool box!

Pre funk, perhaps, but mightily storming soul singles from Vicki Anderson – James Brown productions from the mid 60s to the end of the decade – incredible stuff that's been a bit underappreciated in a world of funky compilations, yet no less incredible and even more diversely soulful than the funky stuff! Vicki's 70s funk sides are the stuff of legend, and these 60s recordings, which started around the time she joined the James Brown Revue in the mid 60s are just about as good a selection of period female fronted R&B and soul as we can think of – and a really eye opener if you came on board with Vicki for the 70s sounds and her later work with Bobby Byrd! Includes a pair of duets with James Brown – the proto funk gem "Think" from 1968 and "Let It Be Me" from 1970, which truth be told, has more than a little funk bubbling underneath, and some groovy guitars, strings and brass on top – plus "Here Is My Everything" and "Loving You" with Bobby Byrd. But this is Vicki's showcase all the way, and it's a great one! Titles include "I Love You", "My May", You Send Me", "Wide Awake In A Dream", "All In My Mind", "Tears Of Joy", "No More Heartaches, No More Pain", "In The Land Of Milk And Honey", "The Feeling Is Real", "I'll Work It Out" and more. 23 tracks in all.

A stunning set of rare and unreleased grooves by James Brown – nearly all of which were cut during the classic early 70s years with the JBs, but never issued before this cool compilation! The set's got some essentials for any fan of JB – including the lost soul classic "She's The One", a duet with Bobby Byrd called "Since You Been Gone", a live version of "There It Is",an untitled instrumental and another one called "Funk Bomb." Plus, its got the full 9 minute version of the great "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" from Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and lots more excellent bits, packaged with great notes! The CD features a bonus remix of "I Got Ants In My Pants & I Want To Dance" – and this expanded version also features "You've Changed" and "Bodyheat (alternate mix)".

One of the best James Brown soul LPs from the 70's, with a great mix of funky tracks and deeper soul tracks. The latter is represented by the classics "Public Enemy #1" and "King Heroin", both hard soul political tracks. The funk is represented by "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothing", "There It Is", and James's version of "I Need Help" (which was also recorded by Bobby Byrd). Another great reissue of an album we hardly ever see in good shape – and at about one fifth the price of an original copy!

Live material from a Village Gate performance that included the leading lights of the East Village free scene in the 60s – John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Grachan Moncur, and Archie Shepp! The set's a great counterpart to some of the full artist releases on Impulse at the time – and features key material that's not out there elsewhere! A really standout track is from a unique group that never got much recording time – one featuring Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – on a killer version of Monk's "Brilliant Corners". Other titles include an Alber Ayler-led version of "Holy Ghost", a Grachan Moncur reading of "Blue Free" with Hutcherson on vibes, a Coltrane quartet take of "Nature Boy", and Archie Shepp doing "Hambone" in a group with Marion Brown on alto and Virgil Jones on trumpet.

Singer and harpist Carol Kleyn's Takin' The Time album from 1980 – and a pretty remarkable step up from her Love Has Made Me A Stranger record of a few years earlier! While the preceding album carried more of a late 60s mood – though one that felt right at home on the mid 70s folk fringe – this one has a warm, laidback and somewhat otherworldly West Coast folk rock vibe. Carol's voice leads the way, and her harp is often right out front, too, but there's lot going on! Speaking of fringe-y, Bobby "Enlightening Beam Of Axonda" Brown is the producer here – but the record is actually quite accessible. Another really strong and worthy reissue from Drag City! Includes "Takin' The Time", "Jethro", "She Lost Her Crown", "Sailor Like Me", "Could Be Me", "Tides And Crazy Moons", "Missy Robin", "Intermission", "How Long Till Forever" and "Prayer".

A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a number of albums, that a whole bunch of incredible music made during it has been pretty badly overlooked over the years! This set on the always great Pressure Sounds puts together 20 of those – many of them simmering with quite a funky sound! Killer organ grooves and smoking rhythms highlight numbers by Val Bennett, The Mellowtones, The Ethiopians, Junior Byles and, of course, the amazing Upsetters! Glen Adams and Winston Wright handle those organs, sax by Tommy McCook, bass by Aston Barrett, trumpet by Bobby Ellis and other legendary instrumentalists, plus Lee Perry on percussion and production. Includes "Val Blows In" by Val Bennett & The Upsetters, "Boss" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "High Plains Drifter", "The Man With No Name" and "Amigo" by The Upsetters, "It's Growing" by Busty Brown & The Upsetters, "What's Wrong With You" by The Bleechers, "He Don't Love You" by The Silvertones, "Awake" by The Ethiopians, "A Big Joke" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Rockfort Psychedelion" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "Iniquity Workers" by The Faithful Brothers, "Rip Up Festival '71" by Junior Byles & Righteous Upsetters and more.

Funky funky female soul! Marva Whitney was one of the greatest singers in the James Brown stable of stars during the late 60s – and she sang with a hard raw style worth of The Godfather himself! Brother James produced and wrote a good part of this classic album – and the record is one of the greatest JB albums of all time! Nearly every cut's a winner – like the sample classic "Unwind Yourself", which has a crazy corkscrew sax line, or the massive two-part remake of the Isley's "It's Your Thing" (titled "It's My Thing"), or the slowly funky "Get Out Of My Life", or the massive duet with Bobby Byrd "You Got To Have A Job", or the classic instrumental "In The Middle". It's all great – and the album's one of the best funk records you could buy!

A cool collection of gems from the 70s years at Blue Note Records – a stretch that's often overlooked by folks digging for older hardbop from the 50s and 60s, but a tremendous time for the label, when it really burst forward with new sounds! BNLA was the initial part of the catalog number during this generation – hence the title – and the collection brings together a wealth of funk, soul, and fusion tracks from this crucial Blue Note stretch. The package features 20 tracks on 2CDs – including "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Mango Sunrise" by John Lee & Gerry Brown, "Chunky" by Ronnie Foster, "Abdullah & Abraham" by Chico Hamilton, "Galaxy" by Eddie Henderson, "His Blessings" by McCoy Tyner, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" by Marlena Shaw, "Betcha By Golly Wow" by Grant Green, "City Country City" by Lou Donaldson, "Lansana's Priestess" by Donald Byrd, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "La Malanga" by Bobby Hutcherson, and "Tuesday Heartbreak" by Ronnie Foster.

One of the best-ever compilations of James Brown work – and the second slammin' hard compilation of great tracks from the People label. This one's got some more obscure stuff (including 2 unreleased tracks), and material by Bobby Byrd, Vicki Anderson, Maceo, Marva Whitney, Hank Ballard, and more! The groove's tight and hard, and tracks include "Do Your Thing", "Cross The Track", "I Know You Got Soul", "From The Love Side", "What Do I Have To Do To Prove My Love To You", and the massive "Message From the Soul Sisters", and incredible track with a great sample! Also includes 2 CD bonus cuts, one of which is the insanely great "Super Good (parts 1&2)" by Vicki Anderson (recording as Myra Barnes).

A lost treasure from James Brown & The JBs – a vintage live performance from the early 70s, and one that captures the group at the height of their powers! The format here is very similar to the excellent Revolution Of The Mind set – a totally funky, totally righteous live performance that has James and the group even more energized than in the studio – working with the kind of razor-sharp intensity that made them a legendary funk act – leaping from tune to tune with nary a break at all! Bobby Byrd acts as the MC, and joins James for a bit of vocals – and the group at this point still includes Bootsy Collins on bass, plus loads of great guitar from Catfish Collins, and Fred Wesley on trombone and Jabo Starks on drums. Dave Matthews handled some of the arrangements – and titles include "Soul Power", "Sex Machine", "Bewildered", "It's A New Day", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Brother Rapp", "Super Bad", "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose", and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag/I Got You/I Got The Feelin".

A great set of old school funky numbers – the kind of indie soul 45s that first helped define the sound of rare groove back in the 80s – still as brilliantly bumping all these many years later! Most tracks here are from small label 45s of the early 70s – tracks that weren't issued on LP, and were often by artists who didn't ever even get to cut full albums – but who hit some great underground fame for their sharp grooves and wicked approach to instrumentation and vocals! The set's got loads of classics we've loved for years, but which haven't been reissued often in recent sets – cuts that include "Mr Brown" by African Music Machine, "It's Your Thing" by Toddlin Town Sounds, "Keep On Dancing" by Alvin Cash, "Somebody Help The Beggar Man" by Jackie Beavers, "Right On Jody" by Bobby Patterson, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Good Book" by The 8th Day, "Close Your Big Mouth" by The Politicians, "Hunk O Funk" by Scott Brothers Orchestra, "Ace In The Hole" by Honey Cone, "Miss Funky Fox" by Exit 9, "Gotta Get Away" by Harolyn Montgomery, and "Know What To Do When You Get It" by The Genies.

A sweet little set of 70s dubs – recorded at Channel 1, Harry J's, Randy's and King Tubbys in the heart of the dub era – with dubby takes on classic cuts by Barry Brown, Horace Andy, Don Carlos and others. The rhythms were laid down by the cream of the crop, too – Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Robby Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Tommy McCook, Deadley Headley, Bobby Ellis, Sculla Sims and others. Includes "Why Fight The Dub", "Conversation Dub", "A Better Version", "Care Free Dub", "Step Inna Dub Style", "Creation Of Dub", "My Brethren In Dub", "A Wicked Dub", "Rub This Dub", "The Jehovah Version" and more.

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy,, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more.

Another blistering treasure trove of Canadian reggae! You heard us right, this batch of deep and heavy roots comes all the way from Toronto, and though it may be geographically isolated from the Caribbean, the vibes are deeply rooted foundation rock, not unlike some of the other astoundingly great material the folks at Light In The Attic have reissued. Jerry Brown's Summer Records imprint churned out no small number of tremendous reggae cuts, as this excellent compilation documents, working with West Indian ex-pats, visiting luminaries and local talent, too! The tracks run the gamut from bright and crisp to murky smoked out but it's all unbelievably great and will open your eyes to a whole new scene in the same way that the refreshing Jamaica Toronto set did! 15 tracks in all, including "Love Makes The World Go Round", "Warrior" and "Jah Jah Live Forever" by Johnny Osbourne, "Sufferer" and "Awakening" by Earth, Roots & Water, "Run Them A Run" by Willi Williams, "Reach My Destiny" by Noel Ellis, "Dreadlock Lady" by Jerry Brown, "Come Together" by Bobby Gaynair and Earth, Roots & Water, and "Mankind" by Adrian Homer Miller and Earth, Roots & Water. Plus as a bonus, there's a DVD layer on the CD, with 20 minutes of excellent archival footage of Jerry Brown and his artists in the studio and at the dance!

Rare 70s work by Bobby Byrd – sides done for the Brownstone and International label, most of which feature work by members of the James Brown universe, and some production by James Brown himself! The best tracks on the set are from the early 70s – and feature Bobby working in that incredibly tight, incredibly fast-grooving mode he first forged with James – heard to best effect on some key live recordings, and served up here in some equally great studio sides that feature help from Fred Wesley and Brown. A few other cuts keep the funky fire burning with some surprisingly nice Miami touches – with Clarence Reid on production, but Bobby more than strongly in the mix on some great vocals. There also appears to be a few tracks from later years – featuring Byrd with singers Vicki Anderson and Martha High, plus a group that also includes Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley – and 2 more that are later live numbers. The set features 11 tracks in all, and is a great counterpart to Bobby's one and only album for the King label – with tracks that include "Never Get Enough", "Hang It Up", "Back From The Dead", "The Way To Get Down", "Feel Good Friday", "Sayin It & Doin It Are Two Different Things", "Let Me Know", and "Tell Me What's On Your Mind".

Amazing – and the best yet in this legendary series! Like the other volumes, this is a collection of funky work produced by James Brown for other artists, most of it lifted from his legendary People Records imprint. However, unlike the others, or at least unlike the first volume, this volume's got some amazing stuff that almost never shows up on other reissues – and it's even got some incredible unreleased material! The whole thing's a super-heavy super-funky dip into some of the rarest James Brown-related material you can find – if you can find it at all in any other format. Titles include "Pick Up The Pieces One By One" by AABB, "There Was A Time" by Dee Felice Trio, "Doin The Do" by Bobby Byrd & The JBs, "Who Knows" by Beau Dollar, "Talkin Loud & Sayin Nothin (original rock version)" by James Brown, "Mr Hot Pants" by The Believers, "Give It Up Or Turnit Loose" by Lyn Collins (a 45-only track), "How You Gonna Get Respect?" by Hank Ballard, "Hang Out & Hustle" by Sweet Charles (a 45-only track), and "Blow Your Head (undubbed version)" by The JBs! Great stuff – and at this price, you'll be funky and rich!

Don't let the Euro-looking guys on the cover put you off, because this is one massively soulful set – filled with jazzy grooves that are mostly from the good ol' US of A! Most of the work here is from the super-deep Fantasy Records catalog – and much of it is from the 70s too – pulled from that great time when Fantasy labels were mixing up a variety of different influences with older soul jazz modes – touches of Brazilian and Latin rhythms, heavy styles of funk, and even some deeper soul too. CD features 17 tracks in all – including "Welcome To The Basement" by Merl Saunders, "You're So Vain" by David Axelrod, "Goodbye So Long" by Funk Inc, "From The Bottom" by Bobby Timmons, "Boogalooin" by Charles Kynard, "The Riot" by Ed Bogas, "Escravos De Jo" by Dom Um Romao, "Milestones" by Mark Murphy, "Scarborough Street Fair" by Merl Saunders, "Agua Dulce" by Cal Tjader, "Forever & A Day" by Mel & Tim, and "Aye Ma Ma" by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers.

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". CD features nice bonus tracks too – "Magic (12" UK version)", "Thighs High (single version)", and "Let's Dance (single version)".

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Bye Gones (12" version)", "Rockin Radio (special 12" mix)", and "Cruisin (dub)".

Rare work from Weldon Irvine – a selection of tracks recorded as private studio outings, reissued briefly by Luv N Haight in the early 90s, and then only on vinyl! The style here is much more jazz-based than some of Irvine's soul recordings – a mode that's often all instrumental, and which features Weldon playing more acoustic piano than on his 70s fusion classics – but usually mixed in with sweet electric elements, too – which creates this wonderfully righteous balance in the music! The whole thing's very soulful, with plenty of undercurrents of the RCA years – and guest players include Steve Grossman on tenor, Marcus Miller on bass, Tom Browne on trumpet, and Bobby Broom on guitar – the latter 3 of which all worked with Weldon at GRP, making us guess that some of these 80s sides were intended for release on that label. Titles include "Kundabuffer", "Music Is The Key", "Mr PC", "We Can Try Again", and "Blues For Spike". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – including "Blue In Green", "Heard It All Before", "It's Funky", "Shopping", "The Sisters", "Think I'll Stay A While", and "Misty Dawn" – all only ever on the Sisters album, making their first appearance here on vinyl.

One of the last records that Booker Ervin ever recorded, and one of the best! There's a depth of tone and conception here that goes far beyond even Ervin's already-great albums for Prestige – a mix of modernism and soulful expression that really points the way towards jazz expression in the 70s – although sadly, Booker was to leave the planet before getting a chance to stretch out in that era. All 6 tracks on the album are originals – and they sparkle with the imagination found on some of the most top-shelf Blue Notes of the time – work by Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, or Wayne Shorter – played by a group that includes the amazing Richard Williams on trumpet (almost worth the price of the record alone), Bobby Few on piano, Lenny McBrowne on drums, and the little-known Cevera Jefferies on bass. Loads of dark edges, searing solos, and plenty of free flights into the sky – on titles that include "The In Between", "Tyra", "The Muse", "Mour", "Sweet Pea", and "Largo".

Heady sounds from one of Harlem's hippest indie labels of the 50s – the Red Robin imprint, home to a rich array of blues, R&B, and vocal group numbers! The company had a relatively small roster, but really helped its artists find the right sort of groove – in some cases to flourish at a level they'd never done before, in others to get a great start before moving onto bigger fame elsewhere – but still always at a level that had them giving their best! This 2CD package features three dozen numbers from the 78rpm era – the kind of heavy platters that kept Harlem moving in the years between swing and soul – on cuts that include "Hard Rock" and "The Hammer" by Red Prysock, "Shake Baby Shake" and "Drunk Again" by Champion Jack Dupree, "Juicy Fruit" by Tiny Grimes, "Can't Do Sixty No More" and "Go Back" by The Du Droppers, "Daisy" and "Don't Dog Your Woman" by Brownie McGhee, "Doggin My Heart Around" by Sonny Terry, "Earthquake" by Charlie Singleton, "Bobby's Boogie" by Morris Lane, "The Man I Crave" by Sadie Birch, "I've Got A Feeling" and "Tippin" by The Topps, and "You Didn't Give Me A Chance" by Sandra Grimes.

Not 80s hits, but a great collection of lesser-known gems from the left side of the soul spectrum – some cuts by bigger artists that sparkle even more strongly than their hits – mixed with work by some less common acts too – all served up in a double-length package that's filled with surprises! Most numbers have a boogie bounce or an 80s groove approach – nice and funky, but in a post-70s sort of style – and titles include "Hypnotized" by Scott White, "Don't Wanna Wait" by Lew Kirton, "Ladies Choice" by Stone City Band, "Joy" by Band Aka, "Sexy Sassy" by Bobby Nunn, "Don't Bust Yo Bubbles" by Muscle Shoals Horns, "My Simple Heart" by Carol Douglas, "Happy Days" by Forecast, "Let's Dance" by Tom Browne, "Don't Stop" by Shine, "Special Delivery" by Ann Fields, "Shout About It" by Lamont Dozier, "Love Follows" by Steven Dante, and "Stomp" by Moses Tyson.