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A massive amount of early work by The Animals – brought together in one overstuffed package with some unreleased tracks as well! The group here have a great rough sound – much more bluesy than in later years, which turns out to be a perfect setting for the young Eric Burdon – whose vocals soar out wonderfully over a mix of original tunes and remakes of American classics by folks like Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and others! Producer Mickie Most really knows how to keep the right sort of edge on the tunes – lots of raw power in the instrumentation, especially the Hammond and guitar – and a stark, dark quality to Eric's vocals that went onto become the stuff of legend. Package features 40 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Believe To My Soul", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Club A Go Go", "For Miss Caulker", "Feel", "Boom Boom", "Don't Want Much", "It's My Life", "House Of The Rising Sun", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "I'm Gonna Change The World".

Grooviness galore – and a wonderful selection of obscure psychedelic numbers from the deep deep vaults of EMI Records! The cuts here are mostly of British late 60s origin, and they feature a really fuzzed-up approach to pop – complete with odd production techniques, off-kilter arrangements, and a pretty heady brew of guitar, bass, drums, and tripped-out vocals – all served up with top-shelf sound, as proof that even on the bigger labels of the 60s, lots of younger artists were still taking plenty of chances! The package has complete track-by-track notes in a full color book with photos, labels, and album sleeve images too – and the CD features 25 tracks that include "Dandelion Seeds" by July, "Real Life Permanent Dream" by Tomorrow, "Hold On" by Ipsissimus, "Dog Presides" by Paul Jones, "Model Village" by Pennyh Peeps, "Towards The Skies" by The Gods, "Strange Walking Man" by Mandrake Paddle Steamer, "Mr Commuter" by Mike Proctor, "William Chalker's Time Machine" by The Lemon Tree, "Barricades" by The Koobas, "Please Leave My Mind" by Herbal Mixture, "World Of You" by The Aerovons, and "Monday Morning" by Tales Of Justine.

A tremendous document of work by Jake Thackray – one of the most unique talents on the British music scene of the 60s, but an artist who's sadly been un-remembered over the years! At first glance, Jake's definitely a folkie, but he's also one with a strong influence from French singer/songwriters like Jacques Brel or George Brassens – and takes key inspiration from them in the depth and darkness of his work. Like both Brel and Brassens, Thackray's got a style that's almost out of time – one that's ageless at some points, but with a very contemporary way of viewing the world – personal, pointed, and penned with an incredible sense of wit. In an era when most folkies were attacking the political or pushing into the fantastic, Jake spent careful time looking at human foibles and the complexities of interpersonal relationships – always from a distance, but close enough to note the odd humor in even the most banal situations. This wonderful set brings together 4 of Thackray's albums for EMI – Bantam Cock, Last Will & Testament, Jake's Progress, and On Again On Again – all of which feature Jake's slightly jazz-inflected vocals alongside acoustic guitar and very spare, but well-chosen additional instrumentation. Package also features a full disc of unreleased material – including different versions of other tunes on the albums. 97 tracks in all, and a wonderful musical discovery throughout! Titles include "The Cactus", "Country Bus", "Brother Gorilla", "The Girl In The Window", "Ulysses", "Scallywag", "Salvation Army Girl", "On The Shelf", "Go Little Swale", "Isabel Makes Love On National Monuments", "Joseph", "Famous People", "The Gravedigger", and "Leopold Alcocks".

Looking for funky Brazilian grooves? You'd have a hard time doing better than this tasty little set – 20 slices of rare soul, funk, and jazzy tunes from the Brazilian scene of the 70s – all hand-picked by Patrick "Da Lata" Forge! The set's a tremendous introduction to the wealth of great music from this time – and brings together a number of cuts that have crossed over big on the global groove scene inspired by Forge and Gilles Peterson, plus a number of other tracks that are lesser-known but equally great as the rest! Grooves often mix together electric and acoustic sounds, traditional and modern instrumentation, and feature arrangements that offer a whole new approach to rhythm than you'd hear in American work from the same stretch – a really amazing sound that's presented perfectly here! Titles include "Garra" by Marcos Valle, "Bola De Meia Bola De Gude" by 14 Bis, "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" by Simone, "Maita" by Doris Monteiro, "Baoba" by Claudia, "Nereci" by Djavan, "No Baixo Do Sepateiro" by Meirelles, "Embalo Diferente" by Os Devaneios, "Que Bandeira" by Evinha, "Aquelas Coisas Todas" by Toninho Horta, "Algo No Ar" by Marcelo, "Banana" by Joyce, and "Trem Da Central" by Claudio Jorge.

Maybe the deepest set so far in the excellent Funk Experience collection – and one that's got a surprising amount of great grooves we've never heard before! We've dug the 60s and 70s Scandia scene for years – as there's some massive gems from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark that often get overlooked by US crate diggers – rare jazz, funk, and soul numbers that are often some of the most unusual European grooves of the time! But we've honestly never heard most of the cuts here – a great surprise to our ears, and a rich treasure trove of musical gems that really stand out – even in a world of other great compilations. All tracks are from the vaults of EMI Records – and are brought together here with a great ear for the way they sound next to each other – a massive lineup that includes "Taboo" by Max Leth, "Memphis Underground" by Modern Sound Quintet, "Mr Minor" by Staffan Abeleen Quintet, "Mas Que Nada" by Bob Azzam, "Big Band Felicidade" by Bernt Rosengren, "La Folia" by Solar Plexus, "Stone Free" by Claes Goran Fagerstedt, "Horrorscope" by Ralph Lundsten, "Bubble Sex" by Tommy Seebach, "Standing In The Way" by Charles Williams, "Ari's Tune" by Ted Curson, "Naat Vain Silmin" by Carita Holmstrom, and "Nica's Dream" by Bo Warmell – plus the classic "You Never Come Closer" by Doris, maybe the one track here you will already know.

A lost treasure from Antiono Adolfo – keyboard player, arranger, and one of the greatest Brazilian talents of his generation! Adolfo's sound and style is contemporaneous with the best work of Marcos Valle, Edu Lobo, and others – and like them, he has an approach that mixes together jazz, MPB, baroque orchestrations, easy scoring, and a bit of funk – similar to the best work of the Blue Brazil generation on EMI/Odeon Records. The approach is one that's rarely been matched by any other artist – and it's a strong reason why Adolfo's records from this period are extremely sought after in the world of collectors. This beautiful album from 1970 has Adolfo working with the group A Brazuca – who bring some wonderful vocal harmonies to the set, mixing with strings, guitars, and some great electric piano work from Adolfo. Includes the breezy classic "Transamazonica", plus the cuts "Que Se Dane", "Atencao Atencao", "Claudia", "Panorama", "Tributo A Victor Manga", "Caminhada", "Grilopus No 1", and "Cotidiano".

The debut album from Pier Angeli – equally known for her acting ability as well as her singing – and working here in a swinging late 50s American take on the sound of Italian pop! Pier was married to singer Vic Damone, and while his style's perhaps a bit fuller and more emotive than hers, there's a good degree of comparison – as Pier's working here to please the imagined Italy of the American audiences in the years when things settled down after World War 2 – singing in Italian throughout to a nice set of backings from Hugo & Luigi. Most of the album's in a lush, romantic mode that's in keeping with other Roulette vocal sessions of the late 50s – save for the fact that the language is Italian, not English! Titles include "Volare", "Anema E Core", "Nu Quarto E Luna", "Torero", "Arrividerci Roma", and "Suvenir D'Italie".

Classic work by one of our favorite pop singers ever – the full-voiced Cilla Black, a vocalist we'd trade for Petula Clark or Dusty Springfield in a minute! During the 60s, Cilla was working in a strongly Bacharach-influenced mode – a style that picked up a lot of uptown touches from the New York scene, but which infused them with the more belting mode of Brit female singers of the time. The result is an incredibly powerful approach to pop – one that showcases Cilla's incredible voice, but which also has her wrapped up in beautifully full arrangements, and rhythms that often have that slightly syncopated gentle groove that we love from Bacharach's work with pop singers. CD features 25 tracks in all – including 6 making their CD debut – titles that include "Yo Yo", "A Man & A Woman", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", "You're My World", "Love Letters", "One Little Voice", "Alfie", "Baby I'm Yours", "A Lover's Concerto", "Step Inside Love", "Liverpool Lullaby", "Forget Him", "Little Pleasure Acre", and "Rule Britannia".

The rarest of all of Art Blakey's percussion group projects – and quite possibly the best, too! The session features Blakey at the head of a strong mix of jazz and percussion players – with Art Taylor and Philly Joe Jones on the regular drum kit, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Ray Bryant on piano, and a host of assorted percussion work by the likes of Ray Barretto, Sabu Martinez, Victor Gonzalez, Julio Martinez, and others. The resultant sound is incredible – very full, rich, and earthy – and done in a way that interweaves African and Latin percussion styles with straighter American jazz! A few cuts have chanting by Blakey and Sabu – and titles include "The Feast", "Mirage", "Lamento Africano", "O'Tinde", "Swingin Kilts", "Dinga", "Reflection", and "Aghano".

A standout early album from Luiz Bonfa – one that features larger orchestrations than a number of his other sides, as well as a good blend of vocals in addition to Bonfa's haunting work on guitar. The album's got a full, rich sound – one that takes Bonfa to territory that we'd never expected, showing him to be a much more expressive artist than you'd hear on some of his "guitar with arrangements" sets. Maria Toledo sings on a few numbers as well, and titles include "Melancolia", "Mania De Maria", "Amor Demais", "Menina Flor", "Chorou Chorou", "Fio De Cancao", and "Indiferenca".

Mad music from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – a brilliant mix of dada energy and psychedelic production – served up in these five classic Liberty albums from the cusp of the 70s! Frontman Neil Innes later went on to a lot of projects with Eric Idle in later years – including the famous Rutles project – and the work here definitely has a Monty Python sense of humor, especially in the way it mixes the modern and the vintage with effortless ease – but in ways that seem to create a really unsettling blend of two different eras! There's a definite psych influence going on too – possibly the contribution of Vivian Stanshall – and the set features the full albums Gorilla, The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse, Tadpoles, Kenysham, and Let's Make Up & Be Friendly – plus a huge amount of "extra treats" – 8 more bonus tracks from later years and singles.

Arguably one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time – and the key flowering of the partnership between David Bowie and Mick Ronson! The guitars here are heavy – so much so that the record's always crossed over big with crowds who are always suspicious of Bowie's artier work of the 70s – and represented a crucial moment when his groundbreaking music also found a large mainstream audience as well. And despite the fact that Ziggy's an androgynous space rocker with a spurious pedigree, the manufactured posturing of the album's come to be taken quite literally over the years – a vivid text of alienation, expression, and redemption – served up beautifully over a host of classic tracks that include "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", and "Ziggy Stardust" – all further proof of Bowie's 70s ability to slide in wherever he wanted with ease!

The only full album ever cut by Tina Britt – a great female soul singer who really should have scored big with work like this! Tina was a discovery of Juggy Murray – the Sue Records soul powerhouse who'd helped set fire in the careers of Inez Foxx, Baby Washington, and Tina Turner – and who seemed about to do the same thing with his great work producing this excellent little set. For the record, Juggy combines some of the grittier sounds of his work on Sue with the deeper soul touches that were coming from the southern scene of the time – and he sets Tina up with a great batch of material heavy on influences from Memphis and Muscle Shoals. One of the tracks are originals, but Tina sings them as if they were her own – and titles include "Key To the Highway", "Hawg For You", "My Lover's Prayer", "Who Was That", and "You Ain't Nothing But In The Way". CD adds in 8 more bonus tracks – 3 previously unreleased – with titles that include "It's My Thing", "He Put The Hurt On Me", "Look", "You're Absolutely Right", "Teardrops Fell Every Step Of The Way", "I Found A New Love", and "The Real Thing".

A wealth of early work from the lovely Celly Campello – one of the biggest girl pop icons in the Brazilian scene of the 60s! Celly's work is more inspired by American rock and roll than previous Brazilian styles – and as such, these records are a crucial part in the formation of the jovem guarda sound of the pre-Tropicalia years – the bright, bouncy approach to Brazilian music that's perfectly summed up in the sounds of Celly! The package features six full albums from Campello's years at EMI/Odeon – the classic Estupido Cupido (1959), plus Broto Certinho (1960), A Bonequinha Que Canta (1960), A Graca De Celly Campello E As Musicas De Paul Anka (1961), Brotinha Encantador (1961), and the compelling Celly album from 1968 – which shows a surprising maturation of her style. All packaged in a sweet slipcover – with bonus tracks too!

Early bossa magic from Deodato – cut years before his electric fusion albums in the 70s! This little gem shows Deodato to be quite the arranger – working in a small combo mode that mixes percussion, guitars, and horns with his own sweet piano and organ licks – grooving in a gentler, sparer sort of way than on his albums with the Os Catedraticos ensemble – and going for a really warm and wonderful sound! The album's got a feel that's different than a lot of other bossa albums from the time – at one level, a bit more sophisticated on the rhythms, but at another level, done with a style that's cleaner and more down to earth than the larger backings on other Brazilian sides. Tracks include "Samblues", "Nuvens", "Encanto Triste", "So Tinha De Ser Come Voce", and "Deus Brasileiro".

Kind of a silly name for a group – but the record's pretty nice! Elbow Bones & The Racketeers were one of the many retro-soul groups working under the guidance of producer August Darnell – aka Kid Creole – who gave the group a style that was similar to his own unique blend of 80s club grooves, 40s swing, and 30s gangster cliches! Vocals are by Gichy Dan, Stephanie Fuller, and Dutch Robinson – and the set's unified by Darnell's good ear for a catchy hook – those quirky, groovy little numbers that always made the Kid Creole and Dr Buzzard albums so great! Titles include "A Night In New York", "Other Guys", "Our Love Will Always Stand", "You Got Me High", and "I Call It Like I See It". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 7 more numbers that include "Night In New York (12" ext)", "Happy Birthday Baby (12" ext)", "Happy Times (12" ext)", "I Wanna Remind You", "Night In New York (single)", and "Happy Birthday Baby (single)".

Includes historical mono recordings of Elgar's "Symphony No 1 In A Flat (Falstaff)", "Symphony No 2 In E Flat" with rehersal sequence and both versions of the Rondo, "The Dream Of Gerontius (excerpts)", "Civic Fanfare & National Anthem", and "The Music Makers (excerpts)".

Sweet 70s grooving from Brazilian singer Eva – a bit of soul, a bit of easy, all styled together nicely by orchestrations from the magical maestro Gaya! Gaya's work here is similar to his best backings for other artists in the Blue Brazil generation – a mix of American pop, post-bossa instrumentation, and in this case, some very slight electric touches – kind of hipping up the tunes a bit with some nice keyboards! The album's got a really nice version of "Moon River" that skips along at a nice pace – plus some great originals that offer a strong update to the sound of other Brazilian pop/post-bossa singers, like Doris Monteiro or Claudette Soares. Titles include "O Homem Do Tempo", "Vinte Leguas", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Olha Eu Aqui Oh Oh Oh", "Talisma", and Sonho Lindo".

Strange and wonderful work from one of our favorite Brazilian artists – and a set that's put together with all the best complications of Egberto Gismonti's early years! The record is one of Gismonti's last true works of genius – and it hearkens back to the sound and style used on some of his earlier EMI albums, with interweaving guitar, piano, strings, and odd assorted sounds, all coming together in an incredibly hard to describe melange – but one that's filled with emotion, soul, and rich imagination! A few tracks have a nice jazzy groove, and others have a darkly serious edge – and together, they take the whole thing way past the simpler sound of his later ECM recordings. Titles include "Ta Boa Santa?", "Palhaco", "Magico", "Karate", and "Equilibrista". Fantastic!

Rare work from British easy maestro Ron Goodwin – one of England's most important orchestral talents of the 50s and 60s! Disc one of the set features Goodwin's instrumental singles of the 50s – many of which were done in a style that's similar to some of Les Baxter's pre-exotica work for Capitol. Like Baxter, Goodwin came from a more traditional style of mood music, but was also willing to work in farther-reaching modes – and would pick up traces of some of the more ambitious easy styles of his time. The second disc features Goodwin's soundtrack work of later years – much of which was done in highly dramatic styles that often supported historical narratives, war stories, and other films of an epic nature. Together, the 2CD set makes for a great look at Goodwin's oft-neglected work – and is packaged with a great set of notes and a huge amount of tracks! Titles include "Concetta", "Red Cloak", "The Melba Waltz", "Messenger Boy", "Jet Journey", "Tropical Mirage", "Josita", "Wagon Train", "Aces High", "Departure", "Frenzy", "Decline & Fall", "Cafe Royal Waltz", "Return My Love", and "When Eagles Dare". 53 tracks in all!

Overlooked gems from this key reedman on the Brit modern scene of the 60s – two rare albums in a single package! First up is Movement – one of the most obscure albums recorded by Joe Harriott – leading light of the British avant scene in the 60s – and one of the best, too! The album features Harriott working with a quintet that includes Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Bobby Orr on drums, and Coleridge Goode on bass – playing in territory that's somewhat in the neighborhood of his Abstract and Free Form albums, but also a bit more inside, with more of a focus on swinging, hard-hitting jazz. The rhythms are often quite tight and soulful, and although the album's touched with lots of angular moments – both in the solos and backings – the overall sound is wonderfully grooving and tremendously captivating! The album's got that perfect blend of modern, modal, and soul that make the best Brit jazz albums from the mid 60s so wonderful – and the set list includes original tunes such as "Movement", "Spaces", "Blues On Blues", "Revival", "Beams", and "Count Twelve". High Spirits is pretty unique – a set of takes on tunes that come from a musical show, but recast strongly as soulful sides for the Harriott combo! Pianist Pat Smythe re-arranged all tracks in the set – and really gives them a new sort of energy – opening them up for lots of solo work on his own piano, plus alto from Harriott, and some beautiful trumpet lines from the great Shake Keane – a player who always sounds great next to Joe. The rest of the group features Coleridge Goode on bass and Bobby Orr on drums – and titles include "Home Sweet Heaven", "Something Tells Me", "Go Into Your Trance", "I Know Your Heart", and "Was She Prettier Than I".

An 80s groove classic – and a killer bit of Captiol Records soul from High fashion! Of all US major labels, Capitol was probably putting out the best soul in the early 80s – and this is a tight modern batch of up-tempo tracks, right up there with other contemporary classics on the label, like work by BB&Q Band, Taste Of Honey, and TS Monk! The tunes all manage to have a great groove without sounding cheesy – thanks to some nice jazzy touches in the arrangements, good hooks in the songs, and some great soulful vocals. Very, very nice – and nearly every cut's a winner! Tracks include "Feelin Lucky Lately", "Next To You", "Hold On", "When The Lover Strikes", "I Want To Be Your Everything", and "You're the Winner".

Amazing sounds from The Hollies – a smoking selection of rare recordings for the BBC – overflowing with goodness, and a much-needed addition to their fab 60s catalog! We really love the sound of The Hollies in the studio – but the amazing thing here is that these live, spontaneous radio recordings are equally great – handled with that well-honed sound that few of their contemporaries could touch – a beautiful blend of jangle pop, harmony vocals, and just the right sort of rough edges to really make the whole thing come across beautifully! Tracks are pulled from programs that include Saturday Club, Delaney's Delight, Top Gear, and This Must Be The Place – and the set features a whopping 32 tracks that include "The Games We Play", "I'm Alive", "Look Through Any Window", "Jennifer Eccles", "Here I Go Again", "Wings", "Shake", "Wishyouawish", "Step Inside", "Hard Hard Year", "Charlie & Fred", "Nobody", "She Said Yeah", "Too Many People", and "So Lonely".

The rare second album by the Jongo Trio – a fantastic bossa group who mixed together vocals and keyboards with stunning magic! The trio's approach is similar to that of the more famous Tamba Trio – in that the three members groove on keyboards, bass, and percussion – while also harmonizing vocals in a soaring, airy style that really adds a lot to the set. This album's got the group using a bit of organ and electric piano in addition to their usual acoustic keys – making for a bossa style that's slightly electrified, with great results on the album's overall sound. The set includes a really great uptempo version of "Aguas De Marco", plus the tracks "Alo Feveiro", "Quem Vem La", "Cavaleiro De Aruanda", "Sandalia De Prata", "Bate Barriga", "Feitinha P'Ro Poeta", and "Duas Contas".

A Brit soul classic from Light Of The World – and a set that has the funky group working strongly with producer Augie Johnson! Given Johnson's background with Wayne Henderson, the move is a great one for the group – one that really helps them bring out the best warm sounds from their tight instrumentation, in ways that really showcase some of the jazzier elements in their music! The main groove is still plenty soulful, and often focused around the vocals – but given that the group also features a young Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick on guitar and Peter Hinds on keyboards, you can bet the instrumentation's pretty great too. The set easily matches the best US albums of the type at the time – and titles include "London Town", "Time", "I'm So Happy", "More Of Myself", "Pete's Crusade", and "I Walk The Streets Alone". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks – pulled from the Brass Strings N Things live album recorded by Beggar & Co – a post-Light Of The World group that features members of that group with artists from Central Line and vocalist Noel McKoy. These live titles include "Time", "Movin", "Bahia De Palma", "Somebody Help Me Out", and "Cosmic Lust".

On Sophisticated Lady, Julie London's got her hair up, and is wearing a classy gown – so you can bet that the feel of the record definitely follows through with the "sophisticated" promise of the title! Things are as mellow as on London's early classics for Liberty, but there's a bit more of an orchestrated feel too – fuller backings that couch her lovely vocals in a near-perfect array of strings – usually quite gentle, and often breaking away to give Julie that personal, solitary space that usually has her singing at her best. Titles include "Make It Another Old Fashioned Please", "Sophisticated Lady", "Remind Me", "You're Blase", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "Absent Minded Me". For The Night People is mature, mellow, and totally wonderful – clear proof that Julie London was still making great music well into the 60s! The album's got a simple, unassuming charm – very much in the late nite mode you'd guess from the title, with spare backings from Don Bagley that often have a key guitar line in the mix – working along with London's vocals in the same style as the mid 50s – but with a different feel overall – a bit more mature and world-wise, which makes for a perfect fit for tunes that include "I Got It Bad", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Am I Blue", "I'll Never Smile Again", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", and "When The Sun Comes Out".

Sweet soundtrack grooves from Brit maestro Geoff Love – two late 70s albums back to back in a single package! First up is Star Wars & Other Space Themes – a set that has Love really cashing in on the sci-fi cinema boom of the mid 70s – leaping off with the lead theme to Star Wars, but then sounding even groovier on a host of other cuts from previous years – a sweet range of numbers that's often heavy on Brit influences – arranged with some nice funky touches by Nick Ingman, with almost a KPM vibe at times! Titles include "UFO", "Barbarella", "Space 1999", "March", "Thunderbirds", "Dr Who", "Mars The Bringer Of War", and "Star Trek". Nick Ingman's the arranger on Close Encounters – and helps give the record a disco vibe that's quite different than the usual sci fi set – a groove that clearly stems from Ingman's great sound library work of the 70s – touched here with plenty of clubby rhythms and some especially great keyboards at times. The whole thing's funkier than you might expect – and titles include "Close Encounters", "Flight Fantastic", "Space Patrol", "Solar Sailor", "The Omega Man", "Star Wars", "Time Machine", and "Blake's 7".

The last album ever issued by the enigmatic studio collective Mandigo – a batch of British musicians, but recording here in the best Afro Rock mode of the 70s sound library scene! As with some of the best British projects of this nature, there's a lot of different elements at play in the mix – African percussion, American funk, and some fuller arrangements that really push the whole thing over the top – in ways that make the whole record come across like a batch of all the best chase and crime soundtrack cuts from hip action films of the time! And like the other Mandingo records, there's also some cool use of electronics too – a bit less than before, but still with some great elements that really help create a unique sound. The whole thing grooves nicely, and standout cuts include "Man From Takoradi", "Rebellion", "Jungle Juice", "Arachnid", and "Manhunter".

A groovy set of surfing stomps performed by The Marketts – some of the best Liberty surf rock ever! This record finds these players pairing up rumbling rhythms and raw percussion with nicely grooving piano and some sweet sax – with some tight, punchy guitar grooves to keep it well enough within the surf instros idiom. Rugged stomps and sunny rockers from the masterful Marketts! Tracks include "Surfer's Stomp", "Let's Go Trippin'", "Surfin", "Stompin' Room Only", "The Bristol Stomp", "Here Comes The Ho-Dads", "Stompede", "Let's Go Trippin'".

Dreamy pop from Italian diva Mina – sweetly soaring strings and groovy 60s pop touches – horns, galloping percussion and other upbeat touches on a few tracks, though a few more are piano and voice centered numbers with a touch of melancholy! The album features great arrangements by Mario Robbiani, Pino Presti, Augusto Martelli, and GP Reverberi – and the overall feeling is a bit easier than some of Mina's more work. It's got dreamy ballads sung in both English and Italian. Lovely stuff from wonderful singer! Titles include "Sentimentale", "Alfie", "Something", "Capiro", "Le Farfalle Nella Notte", "Amor Mio", "Mi Fai Sentire Cosi Strana" and more.

A great look at the lesser-known side of the career of UK vocalist Matt Monro – one that features rare EMI singles, obscure album tracks, and other usual bits all pulled together in one overstuffed 2CD set! The package is a great antidote to all of the overdone hits collections of Monro's work on the market – and it really gets at the subtle brilliance of his work – that dark-voiced style that was a true precursor to the sound of Scott Walker and others to come in UK pop at the end of the 60s. And even though we're big fans of Matt, there's plenty here we'd never heard before – but that's to be expected with a total of 51 tracks that include "When I Look Into Your Eyes", "The Lady Smiles", "Love Song", "Other People", "Mirage", "All Of A Sudden", "When Love Comes Along", "It's That Time Again", "Only Friends", "So Little Time", "Nothing To Lose", "Lover's Caravan", "All That Remains", "Sitting On Top Of The World", "Till", "I've So Much To Be Thankful For", and even a medley of Matt's famous commercial work!

A landmark album – and one that Milton cut with his "corner club", an elite group of musicians and songwriters from the early days of his career – including greats like Lo Borges and Wagner Tiso. Borges is particularly fantastic, and shines on the massively beautiful cut "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser", which begins the album The sound of the record is impossible to describe adequately, but it's got that beautiful soulful feel that all of Milton's albums from the time had, and is expanded through the participation of the other rich talents. The vocals are mixed perfectly, and the songwriting's brilliant all the way through. Cuts include "San Vincete", "Lila", "Paisagem Da Janela", "Cravo E Canela", and lots more. Originally released as a double LP, so this CD's packed with good cuts.

Much more of a soul-based effort than usual from Pieces Of A Dream – a tight set of hook-heavy grooves with a sharp late 80s vibe! There's still some of the jazz of the group's roots in place – often heard on the keyboards – but the focus has shifted most strongly to vocals, and rhythms that really help structure the energy of the tunes – a setting that works perfectly for the addition of Norwood, who stepped in to really help the group increase their lyrical direction at this point! Norwood's got a rich style that's definitely deepens the soul of the record – and titles include "Bout Dat Time", "For You", "Can't Be Alone", "Kicking", "Surrender", and "Pick Up The Pieces". CD features bonus tracks – a 7", 12", and dub version of "Bout Dat Time".

The second amazing album from Placebo – a wicked mix of funky fusion styles, and a real standout on the European scene of the early 70s! The group's the brainchild of Marc Moulin – who wrote all tracks, and plays a wealth of great keyboards, in ways that almost make him the European equivalent of Herbie Hancock – especially in the way he can spaciously explore a groove! But there's other great elements to the music too – some tight funky rhythms, great horn parts, and some wicked guitar from fusion legend Philip Catherine – whose snakey lines bring a quality to the record that was in place on Placebo's first outing. Titles include "NW", "Plotseling", "Hop Hop", "Tanga", "Stomp", and "Dag Madam Merci".

Jazzy MPB with a wonderfully warm finish – served up sweetly on this overlooked Brazilian nugget from the 70s! Fernando Ribeiro's got a style that's got some of the sophistication of Lo Borges or Milton Nascimento – particularly in the way his lyrics come across with lots of jazz-based inflections that are matched by chromatic tones on guitar – but there's an even more personal quality to some of the songs, which reminds us a bit of Joyce – even though Ribeiro's style is something completely different entirely! It's a bit hard to peg, or describe in words – but like some of Borges' best, there's a captivating feel to the record that really goes beyond the boundaries of language – a style that holds you rapt with words, even if you can't understand their meaning. Titles include "Hora Impropria", "Em Mar Aberto", "Ultimamente", "Aqui & Ali", "Imagina", "Delirio", and "Pedra Sobre Pedra".

The last album ever from the amazing Minnie Riperton – and one of her greatest records as well! The album was sadly issued after Minnie's untimely early passing from this planet – but it's a heavenly batch of tunes that definitely shows that her love of music lives forever – thanks not only to a strong talent for songwriting and sublime production from husband Richard Rudolph – but also some important help from a variety of all-star guests who are all brought together out of deep affection for Minnie. George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack, Patrice Rushen, Peabo Bryson and others all make key appearances here – working with arrangements from Johnny Pate, and vocals the Minnie recorded for the record before its completion. Titles include the perennial favorite "Here We Go" – easily one of Minnie's greatest tunes ever – plus "I'm In Love Again", "You Take My Breath Away", "Strange Affair", "Island In The Sun", and " The Song Of Life (La-La-La)".

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!

2 incredible albums from 70s soul legend Minnie Riperton – back to back on one nicely-priced CD! Stay In Love is is one of the key albums of Minnie's career – recorded when she was at the height of her power, forging a whole new soul sound that mixed her incredible voice with jazzy modern arrangements that were a few years ahead of most of the other singers at her level. The album's subtitled "A Romantic Fantasy Set To Music", and it features a swirling mix of ballads and uptempo tunes – all with a sexy sound, and some of the most seductive vocals that Minnie ever recorded. Includes the club groover "Young Willing & Able", plus "Can You Feel What I'm Saying?", "Gettin' Ready for Your Love", "Could It Be I'm In Love", and the great "Stick Together", written with Stevie Wonder. Minnie was the last album released before Riperton passed away from a tragic early death – and it's a wonderful batch of jazzy modern soul cuts that gives a good indication of the direction that Minnie might have gone in the 80s! The album's got plenty of great guest players – including Minnie's longtime fan/friend Stevie Wonder, plus Phil Upchurch, Jose Feliciano, Hubert Laws, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, and many others – and production is handled by the usual Rudolph/Riperton team, with help from Henry Lewy. Includes the great track "Memory Lane", which gets endless airplay here in Chicago, plus the beautiful ballad "Never Existed Before", and the cuts "I'm A Woman", "Lover & Friend", and "Return To Forever". 17 tracks on one CD!

Spare genius from the legendary Labi Siffre – a record without categorization, and one that sits beautifully between soul, folk, and singer-songwriter styles of the early 70s! The record balances perfectly between simple tunes that just feature voice and guitar, and more complicated ones that use subtle strings, electric keys, and other orchestrations behind Labi's vocals – never too much, but just enough to give the tunes a hipper, sometimes slightly more grooving feel – in a mode that's somewhere in the territory of Terry Callier from the time, but very much its own sound altogether! This one's incredibly hard to peg – but well worth seeking out, and a tremendous bit of work from an artist who's unfortunately mostly remember these days for just a few famous break tracks – and not his sublime sense of songwriting! Titles include "Love Oh Love Oh Love", "Crying Laughing Loving Lying", "My Song", "Hotel Room Song", "Blue Lady", "Gimme Some More", and "It Must Be Love". CD features 6 bonus tracks that include "You Make It Easy", "For The Lovin", "Oh Me Oh My Mr City Goodbye", "You'll Let Me Know", and "Pristine Verses".

An incredible record from Labi Siffre – spare, simple, and totally beautiful – in a space beyond category! The album is the sort that should have been a real standout in the 70s – early work by one of the freshest songwriters to hit the British scene, sung in a style that's a bit jazzy, a bit soulful – with playful inflections that never get in the way of the beautiful lyrics at all. Labi's got a unique blend of modes here that ranks with a rare few in music – Terry Callier, Joni Mitchell, and a few other beyond-category artists from the same generation. The whole thing's extremely beautiful – and Labi's voice and guitar are backed by some subtle arrangements that shade in the bottom with electric keys, a bit of bass, spare strings – and sometimes nothing at all! Titles include "Thank You Lucky Star", "Bless The Telephone", "There's Nothing In The World Like Love", "You're Lovely", "A Number Of Words", "Who Do You See", "Not So Long Ago", "Relax", and "Interlude". CD also features 6 bonus tracks that include "Oh What A Day", "Seasons Come Seasons Go", "Get To The Country", and "Fallin For You".

An amazing document of righteous soul jazz – the full recordings for Horace Silver's United States Of Mind trilogy – done in collaboration with singers Andy and Salome Bey! The sound is completely different from Silver's work of the 60s – very righteous and message-oriented, with lyrics that often express social and political issues of the time – but which are delivered by the singers in a hip style that takes them far beyond their era – so much so, in fact, that all three albums are really only being appreciated to their fullest years later! Most of the recordings feature smaller combo instrumentation from groups that have Silver playing mostly electric piano – alongside musicians that include Randy Brecker, George Coleman, Houston Person, Idris Muhammad, Harold Vick, and Cecil Bridgewater – and overall, the tunes almost feel more like work that would have been issued on the Strata East label, instead of the usual Blue Note grooves of the time. Wonderful to have back out again – especially in this complete version, which features 28 tracks on 2CDs! Titles include "Big Business", "The Happy Medium", "Won't You Open Up Your Senses", "Soul Searchin", "All", "From The Heart Through The Mind", "Total Response", "Cause & Effect", "Wipe Away The Evil", and "Peace".

A Fender Rhodes treasure – the one and only album from Solis Lacus – a hip 70s Belgian group who were contemporaries of Placebo – and work here in very similar modes! The album's resplendent in Rhodes lines from Michel Herr – a great keyboardist with an excellent ear for space, sound, and timing – working here in ways that are never too overdone, with a group who know how to take off, but never get too jammingly overdone – nor too rock-fusion either – which really keeps things soulful throughout! The sextet lineup includes trumpet, tenor, soprano sax, Rhodes, and lots of percussion – and as with Placebo, there's a nice structure to the rhythms on most of these cuts – ways of hitting a groove that are very different than American Rhodes work of the time – and which makes a record like this a wonderful new discovery in sound! Titles include "Utopic Cities", "Little Green Man", "Sea Of Tranquility", "Remake", "Open Air", and "Peace Please".

The second chapter of Steeleye Span on Chrysalis Records – and a set that still has the group hewing strongly to the acoustic roots of their early years! At a time when many of their contemporaries were tempted to go for more commercial, more mainstream modes, Steeleye Span only seemed to get more traditional – really holding onto the Celtic folk roots that made them so great in the first place – with amazing lead vocals from the legendary Maddy Prior, and strong vocal support from other group members Tim Hart, Bob Johnson, Rick Kemp, and Peter Knight – who all seem to have really learned how to harmonize together over the years. The set features one live album and four studio sets – the full records Rocket Cottage, Storm Force Ten, Live At Last, Sails Of Silver, and Tempted & Tried – a whopping 47 tracks in all!

Great work from Swing Out Sister – very different than the 80s work by them you might know, with a much more sophisticated sound, and an expansive approach to the musical backings that really takes the work somewhere new! Singer Corrine Drewrey has really matured in her style, singing with the confidence of a classic jazz vocalist, but still with enough pop to work the hooks in the album's excellent batch of soulful tunes. Backings are jazzy, like before, but not nearly as forced or falsely-peppy – and the album almost has the feel of a collection of vocal tunes from classic 60s soundtracks, redone with a modern twist and a strong dose of soul! Titles include "Through The Sky", "The Vital Thing", "Alpine Crossing", "Where Do I Go", "Fool Tag", "Suspended In Time", and "Will We Find 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 smooth batch of modern soul from this great 70s vocal group! By this point in their career, Tavares have already had great fame on both the radio and dancefloor charts – moving effortlessly between sweet harmony tracks and more strident disco ones. This set has the group working in a mature mode that falls out equally well on both sides of the fence – with arrangements by Bobby Colomby, David Foster, and Benjamin Wright, and tracks that include "Bad Times", "I Don't Want You Anymore", "Paradise", "Why Can't We Fall In Love", and "I Can't Go On Living Without You".

A pretty great collection of work by Ike & Tina – with a strong focus on their harder-hitting sides! The set compiles tunes from the group's United Artists years, plus some other sides recorded for Liberty Records – and it's a really nicely done set that's pretty appealing to the kind of Ike Turner sounds that more recent soul and fans are digging. There's lots of less-familiar numbers on the set – with a total of 21 tracks that include "Doin It", "The Chopper", "Tell The Truth", "Bolic", "Baby", "Get You When I Want You", "Help Him", "Popcorn", "I Love Baby", "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", "I Wanna Jump", "Too Much Woman", and "I Love Baby".

Forget the silly cover on this one – and go straight for the grooves! The album's a wonderful bossa session from the 70s – recorded live by pianist Luiz Carlos Vinhas, best known for his groundbreaking work with the group Bossa Tres! Vinhas plays acoustic piano in trio format – in a mode that's similar to his classic work of the 60s, but with a style that's more complicated, more far-reaching, and which shows that his lyrical powers had only increased with time. The tunes flow along very nicely in combinations of bossa and American tunes – wrapped together with pianistic magic by Vinhas, and recorded with a very lively feel! Titles include "Minha/Fotografia/Waves", "Zazueria/Asa Branca", "Festa/O Barquinho/Surfboard", and "What's New/This Guy's In Love/Que Maravilha/Nao Tem Solucao".