All Categories — All Formats  

A nice 6 song mini LP/EP scorcher from Portsmouth, NH garage rockers The Connection! Seven Nights To Rock is a hook-filled blast – with a tight, no frills and no-nonsense style inspired by the greatests 60s garage sounds – and a tuneful delivery that's above and beyond so many of their contemporary peers. The group not only has a great ear for hooks, but the ability to pull them off with a mix of raucous rock and sweeter harmonies. Fun stuff! Includes "Seven Nights To Rock", "I Think She Digs Me", "Comes 'N Goes", "Bad To Worse", a cover of The Ramones rarity "Yeah Yeah" and in another cool nod to The Ramones – the Connection original "Gonna Leave You" features production by Ed Stasium – producer/engineer of some the Ramones most treasured material!

A wonderful soundtrack for this hip Italian crime film from 1972 – a great little movie that stars the mighty Ben Gazzara, with some equally mighty music to match! The grooves here are right up there with other great 70s work from the team of Guido & Maurizio De Angelis – some great funky and jazzy numbers in a crime/cop mode – but there's also some unusual use of acoustic guitar, which is strummed with a hard edge that's pretty great on a few tracks – making a nice change amidst the electric elements! A few numbers use a fair bit of flute too – often with a weird, folksy melody that's pretty nice – a mountain-sounding tune that possibly underscores the Sicilian connection. The De Angelis brothers actually sing the vocals on the title tune "Afyon Oppio" – and other tracks include "I Picciotti", "Claude", "Serata Al Night", "Cena Fra Amici", "Arrivo A New York", and "Appuntamento D'Affari". Also features 2 bonus tracks – and a great booklet too!

With Phil The Agony, Xzibit and the Liks on the a-side.

One thing you have to remember about The Dells – they always sound great! Even here, in later years, their sound is superb – a rich, deep approach to harmonies that's still head and shoulders above most other groups in the business! The production on the set is by Norman Harris and the Harris Machine – and some tracks get a Philly groove on, while others stick in a mellower ballad mode that's completely dominated by the group. Niceness abounds, and titles include "Private Property", "God Helps Those", "Don't Trick Me, Treat Me", "Wasted Tears", and "How Can One Man Be So Lucky". CD features a bonus track – a US single edit of "Private Property".

A killer batch of work from Eastside Connection – one of the hippest soul groups on the LA scene of the 70s, and a key link to that city's older tradition of Latino soul! Eastside Connection have a sound that's a bit more smooth and aimed at the clubs than earlier LA groups of their type – but they're also wonderfully upfront, open, and honest in their approach – mixing well-styled vocals from both male and female group members, and pushing things forward with a nice dose of jazz in the grooves! And although an indie set, the record's still got some really great production – a careful, classy approach that keeps the album riding high all the way through. Titles include their classic "You're So Right For Me", plus "Frisco Disco", "Sweet Sweet Love", "Dancin", "It's Real", "Let's Not Fall Apart", "Too Sophisticated", and "Over Please".

3 rare French jazz soundtracks on one CD! First up is the music from the film Les Loups Dans La Bergerie, written by Serge Gainsbourg, and performed by Serge's arranger Alain Goraguer – in a hip modern mode that recalls some of the best soundtrack work by Barney Wilen, Miles Davis, and Art Blakey from the same period. Next up are 5 tracks from Les Tripes Au Soleil, written and performed by Andre Hodier – with a feel that's similar to that of Gourager's work, but perhaps a bit more modern. Hodier's tunes feature solos by Roger Guerin on trumpet and Pierre Gossez on alto, plus some performances by Christine Legrand. Last up are tracks from the Freddie Redd's score for The Connection – played by the Daniel Humair Soultet, a very cool group that features Humair on drums, Eddy Louiss on piano, Sonny Grey on trumpet, Jean-Louis Chautemps on tenor, and Rene Urtreger doing the arrangements. The work on the set's a wonderful variation on the American recording of the work – done by Redd and Jackie McLean – with a very different kind of energy that opens up the compositions nicely. Titles include "Wigglin", "Overdose", "Danse", "Le Desert", "Rhythm & Blues No 1", "Les Loups Dans La Bergerie", and "Cha Cha Cha Du Loup".

Don't hold the "disco" in the title against Isaac – because the album's still a pretty nice one, and by no means a cheap sell-out affair! The set was recorded in Memphis, with backings by the classic Movement combo – and although the tunes do have a "sweetened" sound that's clearly aimed at the clubs, there's actually some great instrumentation on the set that goes way past stock disco riffing – and which comes across almost like a funky cop show soundtrack. In case we haven't mentioned it yet, the album's all instrumental too – with Ike leading the Movement group, but not singing on any of the album's tracks. Without vocals, there's plenty of space for the horns to work some interesting bits into the mix – alongside funky riffing on guitar and keys, and some nice use of acoustic percussion. Ike plays a bit of sweet keys on the set, and titles include "Disco Connection", "St Thomas Square", "First Day Of Forever", "Disco Shuffle", "Choppers", "After Five", and "Aruba".

Tight 80s soul from Kleeer – one of the group's standout classics, and a set that's produced with kind of a jazzy finish by Deodato, who also plays some nice keyboards on the record! The Kleeer sound is at its height here – tight, warm, and filled with great harmonies on the vocals – which are then underpinned by a lot of keyboards and bass pedal work, yet in a way that never overwhelms the vocals. The balance is beautiful – at a level that few other groups ever seemed to reach – and there's plenty of hooks that keep things catchy throughout. Titles include "Go For It", "Intimate Connections", "Next Time It's For Real", "Tonight", "Do You Want To", and "Break".

A follow-up to the group's massive electro groover "Dirty Talk" – done with the same sort of percolating beats, electro keys, and whispered snakey vocals that really give the subject matter a run for the money! The groove and sound is very similar to the original – and the mixes have lots of nice beats and electro bits!

An overlooked late 70s set from Rose Royce – not as hitmaking some of their other albums, but actually pretty darn great – thanks to some rock-solid production from Norman Whitfield! The album's a perfect illustration of the way that Whitfield expanded his earlier funky sound with the group – pushing more complicated elements into the bassy groove first forged at Motown – including percussion from Jack Ashford, guitar from Wah Wah Watson, and clavinet and Rhodes from Walter Downing. The funkier tunes are actually the best Rose Royce numbers this time around – and titles include "Lock It Down", "Pazazz", "What You Waiting For", "Shine Your Light", "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight", and "You Can't Run From Yourself".

A massively beautiful piece of work by "the new Rotary Connection" – a version of this groundbreaking Chicago soul ensemble which featured Phil Upchurch, Henry Gibson, and Charles Stepney – the cream of the Chicago production scene! Minnie Riperton's still in the band on vocals, and her work on the LP is similar to that on the legendary Come To My Garden LP. The album features the incredible track "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun" – a haunting soul anthem that has been a favorite of groovers for years, and which was later made into a house track by NuYorican Soul. A great album all the way through, and filled with loads of excellent cuts! Other tracks include "If I Sing My Song", "Hey, Love", "Love Has Fallen On Me", and a cover of Terry Callier's "Song For Everyman".

Some of the most godlike soul music to be recorded on this planet, and two of the best-ever albums by this amazing Chicago collective that included the late Minnie Riperton, and who were arranged and produced by the great Charles Stepney! Both albums feature swirling complex arrangements, filled with strange time changes, chord passages, and nice jazzy bits. Inside it all, the group's cool male/female vocal sound rings out – with Minnie singing on some cuts along, and in duet on others. Includes the band's classic "I Am The Blackgold Of The Sun" (covered recently by NuYorican Soul), plus "The Sea & She", "Hey Love", "Song For Everyman", "The Weight", "Respect", "Salt Of The Earth", and "Vine Of Happiness". Imagine if Scott Walker met The Dramatics, and you've only got part of the picture!

Plenty of Magic here from T-Connection – a clubby set of tracks, yet one that's still put together more like a funk combo record from the mid 70s! The instrumentation is mindblowing – impeccable guitar and basslines, set to snapping rhythms that really capture the best Miami funk mode before smoother disco took over – especially impressive on the longer tracks on the set! The whole thing's great – more like a pile of fast funky 45s than the usual disco record – and titles include the long "Do What You Wanna Do", plus "Disco Magic", "Got To See My Lady", "Peace Line", "Monday Morning", and "Mothers Love".

Funky club from the always-great T-Connection – all extended numbers, served up in one dancefloor-packing set! T-Connection are easily one of our favorite groups from the late 70s club years – and although they played big in discos, the combo also had a core instrumental sound that was steeped in funk – with lots of raw acoustic percussion, tight guitar and bass riffing, and a razor-sharp groove that was always at the top of its game! The package brings together some of T-Connection's best dancefloor tracks from their great run at TK Records – mostly numbers from the late 70s and early 80s, all presented in full or extended versions. Titles include "Disco Magic", "At Midnight", "Do What You Wanna Do", "Saturday Night", "Let Yourself Go", "On Fire", "Everything Is Cool", "Love Odyssey", "Totally Connected", and "Do What You Wanna Do (94 remix)".

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme".

Great work by one of the funkiest disco bands of the late 70s! T Connection were always a step above most of their contemporaries, especially some of the weaker pop disco acts on the TK family of labels – which was the group's home during these years. They brought a really solid conception to all of their work in the early days – and this record's a great mix of soul and funk club tracks, done with a precision that almost approaches Earth Wind & Fire in the mid 70s – razor-sharp, and right on the money throughout! Vocals are tasty, there's lots of nice guitar work, and the production has a modern sound that points ahead to the 80s groove years. Tracks include "Totally Connected", "Let's Do It Today", "Choosing", "That's Love", and "Ecstasy".

Two full albums, and a heck of a lot of bonus tracks too! First up is the first album in Boris Midney's USA-European Connection – and virtually a one man disco symphony in itself! The whole album comes off as one long extended track – even though the variations are given title differences, yet still have the full feel that comes from Midney's creative approach to the grooves in the studio! Core rhythms pulsate strongly, while piano, keyboards, strings and other instrumental bits each make their appearance – including some conga rhythms that really help warm up the bottom – and occasional chorus vocals to drive the hooks home. Titles include "Come Into My Heart", "Good Loving", "Love's Coming", and "Baby Love" – but as we say, it's really a lot more like one long track! The self-titled second set, USA-European Connection, is filled with soaring disco grooves from the legendary Boris Midney – a set that was virtually built by Midney from the ground up – layering instruments over a funky club beat, then forming the grooves into songs in the process! The result is superb studio work from the height of the disco generation – a great illustration of the way that Boris used the studio as musicians might use an instrument – both to create and compose, always with an eye on the end result that would be pressed up on record! Tracks are long, and virtually work together as one extended number – and titles include "I'd Like To Get Closer", "Do Me Good", "Join The Dance", and "There's A Way Into My Heart". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including "Come Into My Heart/Good Loving (orig 12" mix)", "Love's Coming/Baby Love (orig 12" mix)", "I'd Like To Get Closer/Do Me Good (orig 12" mix)", and "There's A Way Into My Heart (orig 12" mix)".

A crucial look at the Chicago scene in the 1980s – and the first collection to really get at the roots of that city's legendary house music scene! Although later labels – like Trax or DJ International – became known as global forces for dance music in the 80s, the big wave of new sounds from the Windy City was really started by a much smaller company – the tiny Mitchbal label, and related Chicago Connection Records! This wonderful package really does a great job of bringing the Mitchbal contribution to light – with lavish notes, almost Numero-style, that fully detail the way the label mixed unique strands on the scene – British imports, new wave rhythms, and a younger generation of soul musicians still looking for an outlet in the post-disco years. These forces, and more, all came together to make the mighty sound of Mitchbal – featured here in a collection of the label's rare singles, some unreleased tracks, and other essential bits. 3CD package features a full bonus mix CD, plus a whopping 24 tracks that include "Fantasy (inst)" by Z Factor, "Shake Your Body" by Jeanette Thomas, "When I Hear The Music" by Mitchbal & The Housemasters, "The House Is On Fire" by Dezz & Grant, "Do Dat Stuff (dance mix)" by Mitchbal & Larry Williams, "I Am Music (inst)" by Libra Libra, "That's The Beat" by Risque Rhythm Team, "Fast Cars" by Z Factor, "More Than Just A Dance (backyard mix)" by Rique Rhythm Team, "I Got Broke Breakdancing (inst)" by MC Ghee, and "I Can't Forget" by Mr Lee.

A crucial look at the Chicago scene in the 1980s – and the first collection to really get at the roots of that city's legendary house music scene! Although later labels – like Trax or DJ International – became known as global forces for dance music in the 80s, the big wave of new sounds from the Windy City was really started by a much smaller company – the tiny Mitchbal label, and related Chicago Connection Records! This wonderful package really does a great job of bringing the Mitchbal contribution to light – with lavish notes, almost Numero-style, that fully detail the way the label mixed unique strands on the scene – British imports, new wave rhythms, and a younger generation of soul musicians still looking for an outlet in the post-disco years. These forces, and more, all came together to make the mighty sound of Mitchbal – featured here in a collection of the label's rare singles, some unreleased tracks, and other essential bits. 2LP package features some of the best club cuts – 8 tracks that include "Fantasy (inst)" by Z Factor, "The Jackin Zone" by Risque Rhythm Team, "Fast Cars" by Z Factor, "I Got Broke Breakdancing (inst)" by MC Ghee, "Shake Your Body" by Jeanette Thomas, "I Am The DJ (jazzy mix)" by Z Factor, "Do Dat Stuff (dance mix)" by Mitchbal & Larry Williams, and "I Like It (club)" by Libra Libra.

Rare funk from the same Minneapolis scene that gave the world Prince – a legendary indie set from the end of the 70s, put together by Lewis brothers Pierre and Andre! Despite their French names, the duo have a mighty American groove on the set – a wicked approach to funk that's very much in the best ensemble mode of the period – but leaner too, given the smaller lineup, and relatively sparse production – which makes most of the record bristle like some rare boogie 45! Vocals are by the brothers, plus female singer Barbara Bolar, and later Prince-mate Sonny Thompson – and Prince himself even adds in some slight magic to one cut on the set. Titles include "Dynamic Duo", "Got To Be Something", "Get Up", "Higher", "Feel Good To Ya", and "Mr G". (And for the record, the group's name on the cover was originally the Lewis Conection – but our spell checker has the title listed with the regular spelling!)

Here's where it all happens! George Clinton lands the mothership, forges the space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act! The record's got some extremely tight numbers that mix the best of the group's new slick playing with the edgieness and naughtiness of the earlier years – and virtually every cut on the album's a classic. The whole thing slides from track to track in a sublime document of the future of funk – and titles include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo".

A wicked groover from Klein & MBO – bubbling over with the sweet electro touches we love in their work! The track's a percolated drum machine riffer – with whispered breathy vocals over the beats, and electric keys that come in nicely and take the tune over.

Rare funk from the same Minneapolis scene that gave the world Prince – a legendary indie set from the end of the 70s, put together by Lewis brothers Pierre and Andre! Despite their French names, the duo have a mighty American groove on the set – a wicked approach to funk that's very much in the best ensemble mode of the period – but leaner too, given the smaller lineup, and relatively sparse production – which makes most of the record bristle like some rare boogie 45! Vocals are by the brothers, plus female singer Barbara Bolar, and later Prince-mate Sonny Thompson – and Prince himself even adds in some slight magic to one cut on the set. Titles include "Dynamic Duo", "Got To Be Something", "Get Up", "Higher", "Feel Good To Ya", and "Mr G". (And for the record, the group's name on the cover was originally the Lewis Conection – but our spell checker has the title listed with the regular spelling!)

One of the best Rotary Connection albums for Cadet – with an incredible baroque spacey soul sound that still feels very fresh today! The group's vocals are especially eerie – and float around these wild arrangements by Charles Stepney, peppered with strings, soul, fuzzy guitars, and even slight bits of electronics. The album features their incredible cut "Memory Band" – the one that begins with those cool sitar riffs that have been sampled by Tribe Called Quest and The Fugees. Other tracks include "Ruby Tuesday", "Soul Man", "Amen", "Rapid Transit", and "Black Noise".

A sublime bit of east coast soul – and the only full album ever cut by this heavenly-voiced trio! The group have a sound to rival the best of their contemporaries on the harmony soul scene – one that floats along on a light pillow of strings and soul, with just the right amount of heavier touches to give the record a bit more of the HDH depth. The falsetto bits are especially nice – drifting out in front of the deeper vocals – and the whole thing's got a solidness that should have made these guys huge. Titles include "The Day You Leave", "Under My Wings", "Wish I Had You", "I've Been In Love", "My World Is Empty Without You", and "You Ain't Livin Unless You're Lovin". CD also features the bonus track "I'm Bugging Your Phone (part 1)".

T-Connection are definitely on fire with this smoking little set – a killer batch of late 70s club, done with almost equal parts funk, soul, and disco! As with their debut, the group here are right on the money instrumentally – playing with a dexterity that few other large funk groups could match this well – especially blistering on some of the album's longer tracks too. There's also a great sense of balance to the record too – a ballad, some midtempo numbers, and a more well-rounded feel that also shows the group going for a wider palette of sounds than just their usual grooves. But as always, the upbeat club tracks are the best – and titles include "Lady Of The Night", "On Fire", "Cush", "Groove To Get Down", and "Let Yourself Go".

Funky funky Don Ellis – a great set of electric groovers released at the same time that Don scored big with his soundtrack for The French Connection! As you'd guess from the title, the feel here is quite similar – funky electric big band jazz, with a very hip 70s action soundtrack feel – one that mixes acoustic sax and trumpet passages with some groovier keyboards and electronic bits – all wrapped up in production that's tight, but never too slick to be funky! The album features a great take on Don's excellent "Theme From The French Connection" – plus great electric jazz covers of "Alone Again Naturally", "Superstar", "I Feel The Earth Move", "Roundabout", and "Lean On Me" – as well as album originals "Chain Reaction" and "Train To Get There".

Here's where it all happens! George Clinton lands the mothership, forges the space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act! The record's got some extremely tight numbers that mix the best of the group's new slick playing with the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – and virtually every cut on the album's a classic. The whole thing slides from track to track in a sublime document of the future of funk – and titles include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version!

T-Connection are definitely on fire with this smoking little set – a killer batch of late 70s club, done with almost equal parts funk, soul, and disco! As with their debut, the group here are right on the money instrumentally – playing with a dexterity that few other large funk groups could match this well – especially blistering on some of the album's longer tracks too. There's also a great sense of balance to the record too – a ballad, some midtempo numbers, and a more well-rounded feel that also shows the group going for a wider palette of sounds than just their usual grooves. But as always, the upbeat club tracks are the best – and titles include "Lady Of The Night", "On Fire", "Cush", "Groove To Get Down", and "Let Yourself Go".

A near-lost 80s groover from T-Connection – recorded after their more famous albums for TK, but every bit as nice! By this point, the group have really sweetened their sound in a nice way – and are working in a Capitol Rare-styled 80s groove that's filled with rolling basslines, spacey keyboards, and mature vocals that get past the ensemble funk mode of their earliest records. There's plenty of catchy clubby numbers on the set – and titles include "Girl Watching", "A Little More Love", "Slippin Away", "Rushing Through The Crowd", "Might As Well Dance", and "Goombay Time".

Cinematic funky soul instros from Tee See Connection – and one of the best 45s yet from our friends at Colemine Records! "Black Mamba" is the charming, serpentine A-Side – a slow cooker with hypnotic trumpet and sax leading the instrumentation – with a steady, but laidback beat, percussion that rattles and hisses, a heavy bass line and some nice guitar. The flipside is an inventive dubby funk instrumental cover of "Take My Breath Away" – yes, the song from Top Gun – with a woozy, Jackie Mittoo-inspired keyboard sound, dub-style bass and drums, and that inescapable melody played nicely by the horn section. Funky stuff from a group that features members of The Jive Turkeys and The Monophonics.

A later score from Ennio Morricone, but done for a lower-budget film than most of his other productions from around this time – which almost seems to have the maestro returning to some of his best crime styles of the 70s! Instrumentation is slightly more modern – a different touch on the keyboards, or production of the other live instruments – but the sense of pacing and phrasing is all Morricone all the way through, and things especially warm up as the album gets going. Titles include "Diapositive Compromettenti", "Il Vecchio Principe", "Dimenticare Palero", "I Gelsomini", and "Ritornare A Palermo".

Here's where it all happens! George Clinton lands the mothership, forges the space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act! The record's got some extremely tight numbers that mix the best of the group's new slick playing with the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – and virtually every cut on the album's a classic. The whole thing slides from track to track in a sublime document of the future of funk – and titles include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo".

Here's where it all happens! George Clinton lands the mothership, forges the space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act! The record's got some extremely tight numbers that mix the best of the group's new slick playing with the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – and virtually every cut on the album's a classic. The whole thing slides from track to track in a sublime document of the future of funk – and titles include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo".

Way different than any other Indian film music you might have heard before – hardly the festive jams of Bollywood classics – and instead, a fresh funky electro mode that's mighty nice! If it weren't for the lyrics, some of these tracks might well have come from the New York street scene of the early 80s – given the beats, the keyboards, and the way the tunes often use sharp short sonic impulses to create some of the best energy in the mix – which also means that there's plenty of groovers along the way! If you dig synth-heavy grooves and 80s club jams, there's plenty here to love – and even if you don't, the package is a wonderful discovery too – filled with notes and photos that really help us appreciate the music. Titles include "Vikram", "Anand", "Paadu Nilave", "Iravu Pookkal", "Poovizhi Vasalile", "Sathya", "Chinna Veedu", and "Agni Natchatram".

Ragas and disco – an amazing little combination, with results that are greater than the sum of its parts! This album's hardly the cheesy affair you might expect – and instead of just adding a few typical Indian flourishes to disco music, Charanjit Singh comes up with a unique new groove – one that's filled with plenty of weird keyboards and moog bits throughout – kind of like a collision between Kraftwerk, 70s Bollywood, and P&P Records – all references we can wholeheartedly endorse! The grooves are quite fast – but that makes the keyboard work even more amazing, because Singh can really spin things out pretty damn quickly – coming up with these hypnotic keyboard bits that are more mesmerizing than even the grooves at the bottom. Very nicely packaged, in a bold second chapter for the Bombay Connection enterprise – and titles include "Raga Lalit", "Raga Khupali", "Raga Vaman", "Raga Kalavati", "Raga Todi", "Raga Malkaune", and "Raga Madhuvanti".

Righteous soul, but with a wicked groove too – a killer set from Aquarian Dream, made even better by some great Norman Connors production! In a way, Aquarian Dream were to Norman Connors what Ramp were to Roy Ayers – in that the group wasn't really that dominated by Connors, but they did benefit a lot from his groundbreaking work in the jazz funk field – getting a level of sophistication in their sound that's really wonderful – and mixed with almost equal parts soul, funk, and jazz in the instrumentation! Vocals are often in a harmony mode – again in the manner of Ramp – and there's a classy yet cosmic sound to the record that we totally love. (And there's also one more Roy Ayers-like connection in the vocal department – since the group features Sylvia Striplin, who later recorded for Roy's Uno Melodic label!) The album's got a number of nice groovers with a strongly off-beat sound – and titles include "Friends", "It Ain't Whatcha Say", "You're A Star", "Play It For Me", and "Gentle Thoughts".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

The debut from Rafael Cameron – a pretty soulful set for Salsoul produced by Brass Connection's Randy Muller! Cameron's got a nice deep soul sound to his vocals, and although the arrangements are uptempo and clubby on some tracks, they're not there to cover up the singing, and have a nice soulful groove! Muller plays piano, flute and some of the percussion, with some sweet guitar in the mix, and some congas – with nice female backing vocals, too! Cuts are on the longer side, and include the dancefloor groover "Let's Get It Off", plus "Funkdown", "Magic Of You", and "Together" and "Feelin's".

Can opens up a bit with Unlimited Edition – expanding upon their earlier Limited Edition compilation – fleshing out that set of archival Can errata into a sprawling, boundless 70+ minute set of brilliant, yet largely unused genius from the group's earlier archives! Can is legendary for constructing their greatest studio material out of freewheeling studio experimentation, so it stands to reason that there was a whole heck of a lot of worthy material left out. Boy, was there ever! It's got bits from both the Mooney and Suzuki periods, as well as spacious Can instrumental material. It's made up largely of brief bits that didn't find their way into a whole piece, but there's some longer numbers, too – and one epic: the 17+ minute "Cutaway". Titles icnlde "Gomorrha", "Doko E", "The Anpress And The Ukraine Song", "TV Spot", "Mother Upduff", "Connection", "Fall Of Another Year", "Transcendental Express", "Ibis", "Blue Bag (Inside Paper)", "Musette", "EFS No. 10", "I'm Too Leise" and more.

One of the best new soul records we've heard in years – a tremendous accomplishment for the mighty Lee Fields, and a set that's quite different than any of his other work! We've always loved Lee's funk and deep soul sides, but this album's something new altogether – almost done in the hard-edge, downtempo mode of the east coast harmony scene of the late 60s and early 70s – like some of the best group soul work coming out of New Jersey or Philly, with some super-dope production and instrumentation that's really amazing! The grooves follow strongly in the same laidback style as recent El Michels work – no surprise, given the El Michels connection to the music – with beats that are hard, but slow – and instrumentation that's funky, but in a mellow sort of way. Lee's vocals are as deep as ever – very much trained in the James Brown tradition, but turned here towards a really unique groove that makes us completely reevaluate his talents – an amazing achievement not just for Fields, but also for the whole Truth & Soul/El Michels crew! An instant classic – with tracks that include "My World", "Ladies", "Expressions Theme", "Honey Dove", "Money I$ King", "Love Comes & Goes", "Do You Love Me", and "Last Ride".

A sublime second chapter in the career of Memphis soul singer Luther Ingram – one of the greatest talents of his generation, represented here by some of his best work ever! Ingram first got his start doing rougher, more fragile soul tunes – but by the time of these 70s recordings, he'd really found his voice – and hit a more confident, more sensuous style that could easily go head to head with Al Green or any of his southern soul contemporaries. There's a key Stax connection to most of the material here, but the sound's a bit different too – thanks to the production efforts of Koko label head Johnny Baylor, who gives Ingram a sound that's nicely apart from the pack. The booklet features a really in-depth look at the music – 14 pages of track-by-track notes on the tunes – and the CD features 19 singles recorded over most of the mid 70s. Titles include "Missing You", "Puttin Game Down", "If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right", "Always", "Help Me Love", "Love Ain't Gonna Run Me Away", "Ain't Good For Nothing", "These Are The Things", "Let's Steal Away To The Hideaway", "I Like The Feeling", "I'm Gonna Be The Best Thing", "Do You Love Somebody", "Get To Me", "How I Miss My Baby", and "You Were Made For Me".

Smoking early work from the legendary Freddie King – most of it recorded during years he had a strong connection to the Chicago electric blues scene, where he really honed his craft to perfection! The work here is definitely blues, but King's vocals bring a soulful inflection to the songs that's undeniable – and although his hard-riffing style would later be copped by countless imitators on later cheesy blues albums, the presentation here is still breathtaking – really raw, and recorded by King with this clear, sharp sound on the guitar that seems to knock out all other elements when Freddie takes a solo! The package is one of the first to really dig deep into these crucial years for King – and brings together 54 tracks all recorded as singles for King Records – complete with full notes, and even information on the original releases too. Titles include "In The Open", "Texas Oil", "Come On", "Just Pickin", "I Hear Jingle Bells", "Hideaway", "Look Ma I'm Cryin", "King A Ling", "Driving Sideways", "Meet Me At The Station", "Monkey Donkey", "Surf Monkey", "The Bossa Nova Watusi Twist", and "Manhole".

A sweet sweet set of rare tracks from start of the 80s – all recorded in the far-out locale of Rock Island, IL – but done with a funky groove to rival the best sounds coming out of New York or Minneapolis at the time! Midnight Express were a regional show band, and they've got a bass-heavy, bottom-centrist groove that's totally great – really bumping up from the lower level with some great basslines and stark drum bits too – heard here in an all-instrumental groove that's really wonderful – just the kind of local genius that's waiting to be discovered all these many years later! Titles include "Terry Jam", "Receiving End", "Tri-City Connection", "Breeze UP", and "Danger Zone Demo".

The one astounding studio album of proto punk/abrasive psych genius from the Monks – a true masterpiece if their ever was one, a record that's been ripped off by myriad more famous groups in both the mainstream and rock underground of the past 40 years! The group's status as discharged G.I.'s informs some of spewed vitriol, but beyond that there's little connection to any trends or scenes, the Monks are true originals in a world of imitators, and that adds a layer of excitement to an already mind blowing listen. The album's wild organ washes, primitive drums and guitar, and harsh, bizarre vocal rants prefigured everything from the Stooges, to Rocket From The Tombs, to the more predictable punk stuff that arrived 18 years later – yet it still grooves. Outrageous and incredible! 12 tracks in all: "Monk Time", "Shut Up", "Boys And Boys And Girls And Girls", "Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy", "I Hate You", "We Do Wie Du", "Drunken Maria", "Blast Off", "That's My Girl" and more.

Definitely the sort of album to make you feel better – given the tight, soulful sounds of Ndugu Chancler and this Chocolate Jam Company! The album's got roots in jazz – Ndugu's a drummer with work on countless other albums – but also steps out with plenty of soul, too – thanks to vocals from Ndugu, Leo Miller, Josie James, and Maxi Anderson – who often sing together in this warm style that fits perfectly with the grooves in the set! Instrumentation is definitely a cut above the usual session of this type – no surprise, given the jazz and fusion heavyweights in the lineup – and the tunes are catchy and grooving, yet never clunky or commercial at all. The blend is sublime – the sort that's made the record a standout for years – and titles include "Send You My Love", "Space Connection", "Make You Feel Better", "Jungle Journey", "Love Anew", and "Come Into My Life Again". CD features three bonus tracks – "Shadow Dancing (7" version)", "Take Some Time (7" version)", and "Love Anew (7" version)".

Get those records off your living room floor and onto your hard drive – with this sweet little turntable from Numark! The unit allows you to plug and play right into your computer – using USB interface to spin the vinyl for easy storage – then letting you do whatever you want with the sound files once you've recorded them! It's a great way to log records into your iPod, play with them on your editing software, or even just listen to them on the computer. Package contains software that works both on a PC and Mac – and the belt-drive turntable comes with RCA cable, USB cable, 45 adapter, and even a pre-assembled cartridge with stylus. Plus, the turntable also has a build in pre-amp, so you get line-level outputs, and don't need an additional stereo to connect to your computer. A great price for a basic turntable, even without the computer connection!

A fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set that's filled with life, emotion, and wonderful instrumentation throughout! The group are a bit more relaxed overall – easing into things, but in a way that really builds up as the album moves on – as they layer together heavy percussion, sweet keyboards, and lots of great sax solos from Plunky Nakabinde – plus wonderfully warm vocals that add a soulful edge the group never had before, but which still is very jazzy – and not like the funky club of later years. The whole thing's wonderfully cohesive, and a treasure throughout – and titles include the warm vocal number "River Luvrite", to the harder hitting "Space Jungle Funk", and other gems like "Soul Love Now", "Follow Me", "The Connection", and "Love's Messenger". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Love's Messenger (inst)", "Bootsie's Lament", "African Rhythm's Chant", "Make A New Start", "Nat's Rebellion", and "African Rhythms (45 version)".

An oft-overlooked gem from Parliament – released during the year 1976, and sometimes hidden between monster LPs like Funkentelechy and Mothership Connection – but every bit as great as those two classics! The album's got that tightened-up P-Funk sound that was working so perfectly at the time – still with all the fuzzy haired elements of earlier years, but presented with a bit more focus – and a powerhouse swing that really drives the tracks home with a funky groove on the bottom! There's a flowing sort of energy here that almost makes you think that the whole thing just emerged naturally from the brain of George Clinton – but all ensemble players have a strong hand in the action, and really get some great moments in on the set. Cuts include "Gamin' On Ya", "Do That Stuff", "Children Of Production", and "I've Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body)".

An oft-overlooked gem from Parliament – released during the year 1976, and sometimes hidden between monster LPs like Funkentelechy and Mothership Connection – but every bit as great as those two classics! The album's got that tightened-up P-Funk sound that was working so perfectly at the time – still with all the fuzzy haired elements of earlier years, but presented with a bit more focus – and a powerhouse swing that really drives the tracks home with a funky groove on the bottom! There's a flowing sort of energy here that almost makes you think that the whole thing just emerged naturally from the brain of George Clinton – but all ensemble players have a strong hand in the action, and really get some great moments in on the set. Cuts include "Gamin' On Ya", "Do That Stuff", "Children Of Production", and "I've Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body)".

After beginning life as a super fuzzed-out psychasouladelic band, Parliament emerged as one of the best pop-funk combos of the mid/late 70s – with a tight tight sound that mixed the smooth major label sound of Casablanca with the mad funk genius of George Clinton. This huge 3LP set brings together some of the band's best tracks from their glory years of the late 70s – when they were hitting the charts and selling a huge amount of albums to college kids stoned out of their mind waiting for the mothership to land. Tracks include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Testify", "Mr. Wiggles", "Bop Gun", "Up For The Down Stroke", "Theme From The Black Hole", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Flashlight", "Ride On", "Rumpofsteelskin", "Agony Of Defeet", and "Children Of Production". 25 tracksin all!

An exquisite bit of modernist hardbop – recorded by Freddie Redd with the same sort of sound that he brought to the classic Connection recording, also done for Blue Note! As with that session, Redd is working here with alto from a young Jackie McLean's on alto sax – really at the top of his powers here, and beautifully skirting a line that runs between soulful hardbop and some of the more modern phrasing McLean would use during his "new thing" years! Tina Brooks is on tenor, and as on other classic Blue Notes – such as the Street Singer album – the Brooks/McLean combination makes for some stellar solo work throughout. Redd's piano is firey in a way that we can hardly describe, and tracks include "Thespian", "Melanie", and "Shadows".

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest soul divas! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons".

A dream come true – Minnie's first two solo albums for Epic, back to back on one CD! Perfect Angel was one of THE albums that helped define the sound of female soul in the 70s – a record that moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons". Adventures In Paradise is even better – and may well be Minnie's greatest album ever! The album's a sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow songs that are perfectly suited to her other-worldly voice. Includes the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP! 19 tracks in all – and an essential CD for any fan of 70s soul!

Kind of an amazing collaboration – a core group that features Tony Allen, Damon Albarn, and Flea – with guest appearances by Erykah Badu, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Fatoumata Diawara, M.anifest, Cheick Tidiane Seck, and Thundercat! The sound of the set is surprisingly wonderful – hardly a cloying collection of common elements in the trio's music – and instead a rich new territory that's almost a 21st Century re-invention of older Afro Funk modes! Allen's drumming is razor-sharp, and gives the record an acoustic energy that's really excellent – and Flea's basswork is astounding too – rough, rootsy, and really dynamic – in ways that have us unexpectedly complimenting him for his talents. Titles include "Lol", "Night Watch", "Forward Sweep", "Extinguished", "Rotary Connection", "Worries", "There", "Check Out", "Benko", and "The Unfadable".

Kind of an amazing collaboration – a core group that features Tony Allen, Damon Albarn, and Flea – with guest appearances by Erykah Badu, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Fatoumata Diawara, M.anifest, Cheick Tidiane Seck, and Thundercat! The sound of the set is surprisingly wonderful – hardly a cloying collection of common elements in the trio's music – and instead a rich new territory that's almost a 21st Century re-invention of older Afro Funk modes! Allen's drumming is razor-sharp, and gives the record an acoustic energy that's really excellent – and Flea's basswork is astounding too – rough, rootsy, and really dynamic – in ways that have us unexpectedly complimenting him for his talents. Titles include "Lol", "Night Watch", "Forward Sweep", "Extinguished", "Rotary Connection", "Worries", "There", "Check Out", "Benko", and "The Unfadable".

Moogy, groovy, and really wonderful stuff – a set of rare private recordings made by the team of Scott Ludwig and Maximillian Crook, both electric inventors and very groovy musicians in their own right! The pair have a bit of a connection to Del Shannon – who used their Musitron instrument on the chorus of his hit "Runaway" – and a few of these tracks were actually produced by Shannon himself, in later years away from pop fame. But over and above that brief connection to mainstream pop, this work more than stands out on its own – and crackles with a sound that's simple, yet intense – almost a 60s garage rock aesthetic applied to electronic instrumentation, with a result that's got the appeal of some of Bruce Haack's work, but none of the child-like themes. Ludwig's playing the Sonocon and Crook is on the Musitron – both instruments of their own invention, and with a fuzzed-up approach to analogue electronics – and the CD features a range of material from in-home recordings and a rare live date! Titles include "Beeswax", "Our Electronic Bag", "Space Child", "Hero", "Punk Walk", "Firefighter's Theme", "The Diamond", "Runaway", "Caravan", "Hawaiian Vibes", and "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight".

A great set of work from one of Motown's most enigmatic singers! Syreeta's best known to the world for her connection with Stevie Wonder, but she's a fantastic artist in her own right, with a soulful Minnie Riperton-esque voice that really sounds great on her mid 70s recordings. Of course, Stevie's participation in the work helped out as well – but besides those tracks, you'll also hear Syreeta dueting on cuts with Billy Preston, Smokey Robinson, and GC Cameron. Titles include "Spinnin & Spinnin", "He's Gone", "One To One", "Heavy Day", "Harmour Love", "Your Kiss Is Sweet", "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel", "Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours", "I Love Every Little Thing About You", "First Time On A Ferris Wheel", Something On My Mind", and "To Know You Is To Love You". 18 cuts in all.

A standout classic of the French disco scene of the 70s – and a record that found a perfect way to bridge the gap between spacier grooves and tighter rhythms for the mainstream! The 70s French scene was often known for plenty of great keyboards – kind of an offshoot of earlier prog, focused towards the dancefloor in the disco generation – and Voyage were one of the greatest groups to put this whole groove together – working here on some nice long tracks that build in a really organic way – often from fast-running drums and basslines, peppered with riffing guitars and keyboards – and often touched with some cool exotic elements as well! There's just a bit of vocals on the set, but most of the focus is instrumental – rolling out beautifully on cuts that include "Latin Odyssey", "Bayou Village", "Scotch Machine", "Orient Express", "Lady America", "Point Zero", and "From East To West". This amazing 2CD version of the album features an insane 24 bonus tracks – including 12" mixes, club mixes, instrumental, and other mixes of album tracks – and a few numbers by the related group VIP Connection – both 12" and 7" mixes of the tracks "Please Love Me Again" and "West Coast Drive".

One of the stranger chapters of the Holland-Dozier-Holland story of the early 70s – and one of the coolest, too! Warlock are a jazzy rock combo with plenty of soul – a bit like a twisted version of Blood Sweat & Tears, but with all the sinister energy you'd guess from the image on the cover! Most of the numbers have a nasty scratchy sort of vocal – almost Alice Cooper-ish, in keeping with the Warlock name of the group – but a few others get a bit more soulful and funky, belying the HDH connection of the group – sometimes even showing a righteous jazzy vibe, as kind of an odd echo of the Detroit Tribe Records scene. The best tracks have some jazzy phrasing in the mix, and let the guitars go off to the side – and titles include "Love Girl", "You've Been My Rock", "So Can Woman", "Thrills Of Love", and the 14 minute jammer "As You Die/Music Box", which almost has a Colosseum build to it! CD features the bonus track "The Judgement Day".

A stunner from Nicole Willis – her second album to date, and head and shoulders above the first! The record's a wonderfully dark set of soul tunes – done in a mode that's similar to that of much of the American underground work in recent years – but touched with lots of cosmic and trippy touches that belie her connection to the Scandinavian scene. Jimi Tenor had a hand in a number of the tracks on the set – as can be expected – but the album's got a more soulful finish overall than any of Jimi's own work, and really showcases Nicole as a strongly-growing vocalist and songwriter. Titles include "You Better Change", "Downtime", "Though U Tried", "Say It", "Sunday Nite", "Didn't Feel No Pain", "Just The Way", "Something Doesn't Fit (Ercola rmx)", and "We Won't Miss A Thing".

A tight collection of uptempo funk and disco-driven soul tunes – with a selection that goes way past the usual dancefloor favorites! We're not sure how to read the title (which seems to have some sort of "inside take" on black culture in America) so we'll write that off to the overzealous imagination of the British compilers of the set – but we will say that the package includes some great numbers that we wouldn't have thought of otherwise, including a few previously unissued tunes by artists on the Westbound label! The groove is upbeat on most tracks, with plenty of jazzy flourishes and a soulful approach to disco. Titles include "Disco Booty" by Melvin Sparks, "Love Don't Come Easy" by New Jersey Connection, "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight" by Sylvester, "Free Man" by South Shore Commission, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by The Clark Sisters, "Latin Disco" by The Counts, "Alvin Stone (The Birth & Death Of A Gangster)" by Fantastic Four, "Moon Trek" by Mike Theodore, "Sadie" by Joe Bataan, "Sure Can't Go To The Moon" by CJ & Co, and "The Magic Man" by King Errison.

Groovy psychedelic pop on Capitol – showing how strangely, yet appealingly pop could stretch out with the resources of Capitol Records at the disposal of groups, producers & arrangers at a fruitful and furiously creative time in pop music! It was a period when David Axelrod, Ken Mansfield and other pioneering production wizards were at Capitol, and the set is filled with rarities – a number of which have never been reissued before, and stuff that could (or should) have made superstars of some of these cats! Great stuff from groups like This Side Up, Tuneful Trolley, The Four Preps, Sidewalk Skipper Band, Moorpark Intersection, Carnival Connection and more. 26 tracks in all: "Book A Trip" by This Side Up", "Lady In Lace" by Stained Glass, "Cynthia At The Garden" by Sidewalk Skipper Band, "Mr Sun" by The Lettermen, "Yours Till Forever" by Griffin, "Don't Take The Night Away" by Pleasure and more.

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! CD set comes with a 40 page set of notes – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler.

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! 2LP set comes with a great set of notes on the inner sleeve – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler.

A killer collection of east coast soul from the 70s – work that originally appeared on a handful of different labels, but which was all put together by Robert Hosea Williams – an unsung producer working out of a small studio in Silver Springs – with an incredible ear for up-and-coming talent! The music here is totally deep and righteous throughout – the hippest of the indie label scene on the east coast – and work that really lives up to the progressive, righteous reference you'd get from the Red, Black, & Green in the title! There's plenty of group soul here – of a type that mixes older harmony modes with hipper 70s references – creating a really badass approach to soul music that's simply mindblowing – and way different than the mainstream variants that were hitting the charts at the time. The whole thing's great – one of the best Numero comps in years – and titles include "Phoney People" and "I Really Really Love You" by Father's Children, "Sleepwalking" and "Let's Do It Over" by The Summits, "Don't Worry About The Joneses" and "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dysons Faces, "Day By Day" and "It Must Be Love" by The Exceptions Featuring Mark Greene, "Town Called Nowhere" and "I Need Your Love" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, and "Summer In The Parks" and "Generation" by East Coast Connection.

A killer collection of east coast soul from the 70s – work that originally appeared on a handful of different labels, but which was all put together by Robert Hosea Williams – an unsung producer working out of a small studio in Silver Springs – with an incredible ear for up-and-coming talent! The music here is totally deep and righteous throughout – the hippest of the indie label scene on the east coast – and work that really lives up to the progressive, righteous reference you'd get from the Red, Black, & Green in the title! There's plenty of group soul here – of a type that mixes older harmony modes with hipper 70s references – creating a really badass approach to soul music that's simply mindblowing – and way different than the mainstream variants that were hitting the charts at the time. The whole thing's great – one of the best Numero comps in years – and titles include "Phoney People" and "I Really Really Love You" by Father's Children, "Sleepwalking" and "Let's Do It Over" by The Summits, "Don't Worry About The Joneses" and "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dysons Faces, "Day By Day" and "It Must Be Love" by The Exceptions Featuring Mark Greene, "Town Called Nowhere" and "I Need Your Love" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, and "Summer In The Parks" and "Generation" by East Coast Connection.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

We're not entirely certain of the precise connection to Pablo here, as this set is credited as Augustus Pablo Presents, but it's excellent all the same – and there is some tasty knob twirling courtesy of the master King Tubby! There's some sweet melodica blowing over some rhythms that sound like they date from the late 70s at the earliest to us, and Pablo's given songwriting credit on most of these tunes. The real deal! Includes "House Raid", "Shake Down", "Shake Up", "Gun Trade", "Hillside Airstrip", "Barbwire Disaster", "Road Block", "Big Rip Off", and "Curly Dub".

Female funk galore – and one of the greatest all-girl compilations we've ever heard! The set's a brilliant follow-up to the first Funk Soul Sisters set on BGP – but we've gotta say that we like it even better than the first, and really appreciate the wide range of unusual tunes collected on the set! There's a depth here that goes way past the obvious – a love of bad-rapping funky female soul that digs deeper, and comes up with some key gems that explode cliches and really expand our love of the music. Titles include both rare album and single tracks pulled from a variety of American indies of the late 60s and early 70s – and although many are by familiar artists, they offer up a side of their talents you really wouldn't expect! Titles include "Easily Persuaded" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Family Tree" by Little Rose Little, "Who Told You" by Jackie Moore, "That's How I Feel" by The Sisters Of Righteous, "Ain't No Love Lost" by Patti Jo, "Love Connection" by Annette Snell, "Gotta Get Away" by Harolyn Montgomery, "Just A Mistake" by The Ebonettes, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "It's My Thing" by Betty Moorer, "Speed Ticket" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Get On Up & Do It Baby" by Marie Adams, and "Jesse Joe" by Jean Knight.

A damn legendary record from the last years of Chess Records – and for good reason, too! Archie Whitewater were a group that was years ahead of its time – a rock combo, but one with real genre-crossing sensibilities that made them perfect for the experimental styles at the Cadet/Concept side of Chess – the same slice of the musical universe that gave us Rotary Connection and important productions from Charles Stepney! The sound here has some surprisingly soulful elements at times – especially the instrumentation, which features some great break moments that get nice and funky, and strands of soulful jazz and blues that really make the music way different than most other groups we can think of – or maybe a bit like a rare elite who shared such visionary territory with Archie Whitewater, such as Shades Of Joy on their first Fontana record. The keyboards and sax lines are as great as the drums – and the vocals have a melancholy undercurrent that's a really refreshing change from some of the overly-postured modes you'd get from other groups in 1970. Titles include the sublime sample cut "Cross Country" – but there's loads of other nice ones with the same stripped-down "Dusty Fingers" sort of groove – and other titles include "Life Is A River", "Home Again", "Lament For The Walking Dead", "Seacoast", "Country To the City", "Friends & Neighbors", and "Mist Of The Early Morning".

Early work that really shows the initial Armstrong connection to the world of blues – thanks to some great vocalists on most of these cuts!

Another wonderful album from this groundbreaking Chicago combo! The group's now a permanent quartet, with the extremely great addition of Jeff Parker on guitar and electronics – and the album continues to push the boundaries of Rob Mazurek's unique sound. The liner notes on the back refer to a NY Times article that described the group's sound as "painterly", and to us, that's a pretty fair estimation of their sound. The group work in wide washes of sound – structured around conventional jazz traditions, but touched with a more abstract approach derived from their connection to the Chicago rock and experimental scene. Titles include "Warm Marsh", "Elroy", "504", "The World Has Changed", "Woman In Motion", and "Antiquity".

Later Dennis Coffey, but still with some groovy tracks, even though the production's a bit smoother and a little faster than his early stuff. With "Funk Connection", "Back Home", and "Wings of Fire". The guitar's still out front, and the whole thing's written and produced by Dennis.

Mindblowing work from Minnie Riperton – her first solo album, cut at the end of the 60s, after a number of years of work with the group Rotary Connection. The album builds off the now famous sound of Rotary Connection – but takes it to the next level, with arch-baroque production by the great Charles Stepney – who couches Minnie's fantastic vocals in a suite of shimmering soulful tracks that mix strings, horns, jazzy piano, and slight touches of bouncing rhythms. The overall sound is impossible to describe – sort of a cross between Burt Bacharach on A&M, Scott Walker's 3rd album, and the sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On. The album's pure genius all the way through – one of the highlights of the Chicago scene of the 60s – and proof that Riperton, Stepney, and crew were shooting for the outer limits of soul music! Titles include "Les Fleur", "Only When I'm Dreaming", "Rainy Day In Centerville", "Memory Band", "Expecting", "Whenever Wherever", and "Oh, By The Way".

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest soul divas! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons".

A bit smoother than Ben's earlier albums – but a great little set all the way through – and about as classic as you can get for Sidran in the 70s! The album's got a bit more soul in the mix, but still has some jazzy elements in the backings – and where things were sometimes messed up in the past, they're much more straightforward here – in ways that make the record really sparkle nicely! Ben's voice is still really compelling, and as on his best albums, there's some nice funky grooves in the mix that keep things fresh. Players include Phil Upchurch on bass and guitar, Woody Shaw on trumpet, David Newman and Sonny Seals on saxes, and Richard Tee on organ. Titles include the great instrumental "Let's Make A Deal" – a fast groover with guitar and keyboards riffing away, sounding like some lost jazz funk gem from the Fantasy Records catalog – plus "Beg For It", "Cuban Connection", "Free In America", "New York State Of Mind", and "Feel Your Groove".

Two rare ones from the glory days of the Canadian disco scene – brought together on one CD with bonus tracks too! Tangerue is a weird blend of disco and Latin modes – particularly merengue and tango, but both used very sparingly – almost as minor cultural references that bubble up from time to time in the soaring, extended disco modes we've come to love from Canadian grooves of the time! Tracks are all nice and long, with a good focus on instrumentation that really knows how to build things up in great layers – on titles that include "Everynight Everyday", "Dance With Me", "Tangerue", and "Doin Your Own Thing" – plus the bonus "Tangerue Medley". Strange Affair is the second album from this Canadian studio group – one that features a variety of different singers, but a unified groove that comes from really tight instrumentation at the bottom. Most numbers have a chorus singing the vocals, over nicely driving rhythms – and titles include "Bad Connection", "Love Is A Strange Affair", "No No No", "I'm Ready/Disco Star", and "Don't Stop The Music" – plus the bonus track "Bad Connection (original 12" mix)".

One of the best new soul records we've heard in years – a tremendous accomplishment for the mighty Lee Fields, and a set that's quite different than any of his other work! We've always loved Lee's funk and deep soul sides, but this album's something new altogether – almost done in the hard-edge, downtempo mode of the east coast harmony scene of the late 60s and early 70s – like some of the best group soul work coming out of New Jersey or Philly, with some super-dope production and instrumentation that's really amazing! The grooves follow strongly in the same laidback style as recent El Michels work – no surprise, given the El Michels connection to the music – with beats that are hard, but slow – and instrumentation that's funky, but in a mellow sort of way. Lee's vocals are as deep as ever – very much trained in the James Brown tradition, but turned here towards a really unique groove that makes us completely reevaluate his talents – an amazing achievement not just for Fields, but also for the whole Truth & Soul/El Michels crew! An instant classic – with tracks that include "My World", "Ladies", "Expressions Theme", "Honey Dove", "Money I$ King", "Love Comes & Goes", "Do You Love Me", and "Last Ride".

A masterpiece of moody keyboards – two killer 70s scores from the great Dave Grusin! First up is The Friends of Eddie Coyle – wonderful music for a superb late Robert Mitchum film – never available on record, at least that we know of – and filled with the kind of groovy, funky, keyboard-heavy lines that make some of Grusin's early 70s scoring so great! The tunes are wonderful – often a bit short, but very enigmatic – and the package features stunning sound on tracks that include "Mr Connection", "Clean Cut", "Baylis Robbery", "The Stakeout", "Shopping Center", "Partridge Robbery/Take A Walk", "Jackie Meets Pete & Andrea", and "Eddie Is Hit". Three Days Of The Condor is an incredible soundtrack – one of the all-time greats of the 70s! Dave Grusin really outdid himself with this one – and created a sublime mix of sound, space, and spare funky beats that holds up wonderfully all the way through! The main theme steps around in a haunting mix of electric piano, basslines, and muted trumpets over strings – and lots of other tunes on the set follow the same format – taking the best of funky Morricone and Francis Lai, and giving it an even hipper American twist! Plus, most of Grusin's soundtrack work of this nature was never properly issued (like his great tunes for Barretta!) – and this rare album is one of the few that ever made it, however briefly, to the record racks! Titles include "Condor", "Yellow Panic", "Out To Lunch", "Flight Of The Condor", and "Flashback To Terror". Loads of great keyboards! CD also features 8 more bonus tracks added to the original record – more great Grusin nuggets from the Condor soundtrack – packaged here with great notes, on a CD that's over 70 minutes in length.

The one astounding studio album of proto punk/abrasive psych genius from the Monks – a true masterpiece – and a record that's been ripped off by myriad more famous groups in both the mainstream and underground rock landscape of the past 40 years! The group's status as discharged G.I.'s informs some of spewed vitriol, but beyond that there's little connection to any trends or scenes – the Monks are true originals in a world of imitators – and that adds a layer of excitement to an already mind blowing listen. The album's wild organ washes, primitive drums and guitar, and harsh, bizarre vocal rants prefigured everything from the Stooges, to Rocket From The Tombs, to the more predictable punk stuff that arrived 18 years later – yet it still grooves. Outrageous and incredible! "Monk Time", "Shut Up", "Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice", "Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy", "I Hate You", "We Do Wie Du", "Drunken Maria", "Blast Off!", "That's My Girl", "Cuckoo", "Love Can Tame The Wild", "He Went Down To The Sea" and more – the first 12 tracks are the original LP release – followed by later singles and a live track. Light In The Attic's reissue has better sound than we've ever heard for this material, and a great booklet of notes and photos.

Mindblowing work from Minnie Riperton – her first solo album, cut at the end of the 60s, after a number of years of work with the group Rotary Connection. The album builds off the now famous sound of Rotary Connection – but takes it to the next level, with arch-baroque production by the great Charles Stepney – who couches Minnie's fantastic vocals in a suite of shimmering soulful tracks that mix strings, horns, jazzy piano, and slight touches of bouncing rhythms. The overall sound is impossible to describe – sort of a cross between Burt Bacharach on A&M, Scott Walker's 3rd album, and the sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On. The album's pure genius all the way through – one of the highlights of the Chicago scene of the 60s – and proof that Riperton, Stepney, and crew were shooting for the outer limits of soul music! Titles include "Les Fleur", "Only When I'm Dreaming", "Rainy Day In Centerville", "Memory Band", "Expecting", "Whenever Wherever", and "Oh, By The Way".

One of Max's real killers from the late 50s! After experiencing the hardship of the loss of Clifford Brown and his LA connection, Max seemed to set his sights on Chicago – where his keen talent for spotting strong young players hooked him up with some of his best bandmates in years. This album has Roach working with windy city young lions like George Coleman, Booker Little (both of whom were up in Chicago from Memphis), Bob Cranshaw (from the MJT+3), and Eddie Baker, an underrated midwestern pianist. The tracks are played with a soulful electricity that graces Roach's best work from the time – and titles include "Shirley", "Sporty", "Memo To Maurice", and "Stella By Starlight".

A stunner from Nicole Willis – her second album to date, and head and shoulders above the first! The record's a wonderfully dark set of soul tunes – done in a mode that's similar to that of much of the American underground work in recent years – but touched with lots of cosmic and trippy touches that belie her connection to the Scandinavian scene. Jimi Tenor had a hand in a number of the tracks on the set – as can be expected – but the album's got a more soulful finish overall than any of Jimi's own work, and really showcases Nicole as a strongly-growing vocalist and songwriter. Titles include "You Better Change", "Downtime", "Though U Tried", "Say It", "Sunday Nite", "Didn't Feel No Pain", "Just The Way", "Something Doesn't Fit (Ercola rmx)", and "We Won't Miss A Thing".

The funky side of the Jewel & Paula labels – surprisingly jazzy work for a company that's best known for its blues recordings! Most of the tracks here come from a creative early 70s stretch for the label – and there's a number of cuts that show a strong connection with the AACM and Chicago undergrounds of the time – mixed with other tracks that show more of the southern roots that you might normally expect from Jewel/Paula. Electric and acoustic sounds mix together wonderfully in the track selection for the package – and titles include "Just A Feelin" by Ronnie Kole, "Chi Congo" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Tropical" by African Music Machine, "L&T" by Tony Valor Orchestra, "Ode To Billie Joe" by Ronnie Kole, "First Thing In The Morning" by James Moody, "I Love Every Little Thing About You" by Odell Brown, "Toussaint Shuffle" by Toussaint McCall, "Got To Get Over" by Sonny Stitt, "One For Bud" by Mal Waldron, and "Great Stone Bottle" by Ronnie Kole.

A funky explosion of dancefloor grooves – key 70s club cuts from Capitol, Blue Note, and TK Records – all packaged together in a massively upbeat set! Most tracks here move at a pretty quick clip – and represent the funkier side of the 70s disco scene – cuts that draw more from tight instrumental jamming than from smoother tricks in the studio! Almost all numbers have some sort of lyrics, but they usually take second stage to the rhythms – and a fair bit of the numbers are long, with timings that move well past the five minute mark. Titles include "Changin" by Brass Construction, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T-Connection, "Is It In" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "Freak In Freak Out" by Timmy Thomas, "Singing Hallelujah" by Queen Samantha, "Caricatures" by Donald Byrd, "Pack It Up" by Gonzalez, "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me" by Peter Brown, and "Time Is On My Side" by Maze.

Quite possibly one of the greatest funk compilations ever – and we're not just saying that because we're from the Midwest! The genius compilers at Jazzman spent years scouring the smaller cities of the American hinterlands – tracking down obscure musicians, long-lost labels, and nearly-gone master tapes – all to bring together 23 bits of rare funk that bristle with the same energy and excitement as the day they were first recorded! The package is incredible – not only filled with incredible tunes that somehow manage to push the boundaries and redefine our understanding of classic funk from the time, but also doing so in a package that's filled with liner notes that offer more information on the artists than probably their own mothers know! Plus, the set's also got some previously unissued numbers as well – making it a must-have for any funk fan, even if you've somehow managed to track down original copies of some of these choice bits! Titles include "Whip It" by The New Establishment In Soul, "Let's Do It Today (full version)" by The Us, "Pushin To The Top" by Markus Kelly & The Impassions, "Sissy Walk" by Billy Ball & The Upsetters, "Tell Her" by Fred Williams & The Jewels Band, "The Hatch" by The TMGs, "Boots Groove" by The Soul Tornados, "Po Boy's Dream" by Illinois Connection, "It's Not You For Me (live)" by Billy Joe Holloman, "Funky In Here" by Dayton Sidewinders, "Master Groove" by Henry Peters & The Imperials, and "A Day In The Life" by Chocolate Snow.

A cool collection of grooves from the legendary TK Records label – and one that goes way past the obvious hits that topped the charts back in the 70s! The package is less the overall story of TK, than it is a great reminder that there's some really funky nuggets lurking deep in the label's mighty catalog – killer tunes that show that the Miami club sound of the late 70s was firmly rooted in funk and deep soul of the earlier part of the decade – at a level that still stayed pretty funky, even well into the disco generation! There's some great gems here – and titles include "Lady Fingers" by Tony Middleton, "Plato's Retreat" by Joe Thomas, "Funk Reaction" by Lonnie Smith, "Harlem Nocturne" by Wildflower, "Don't Turn Away" by Midnite Flite, "Star Cruiser" by Gregg Diamond, "Funk Machine" by Funk Machine, "Hey Sexy Dancer" by Rocky Mizell, "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly & Life, and "Do What You Wanna Do" by T Connection.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.