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Golden Earring's really opening up its groove here – getting past the straight jangle pop of their debut, and expanding their sound in ways that rival the changes going on with The Hollies or Hermans Hermits at the same time! A slightly soulful undercurrent emerges on a few tracks – almost a hint of the heaviness to come in the group's music, yet still mostly focused on rockish outlets here. And the instrumentation's getting a bit more complicated too – some really compelling lines that take full advantage of the great production for the record. Titles include "Another Man In Town"," Smoking Cigarettes", "In My House", "Don't Wanna Lose That Girl", "Tears & Lies", "Impeccable Girl", "Call Me", "Lionel The Master", and "There Will Be A Tomorrow". CD features 4 bonus tracks too – "Wings", "Don't Run Too Far", "What You Gonna Tell", and "Daddy Buy Me A Girl".

Here's some chillout music we can really get behind – mellow soul tracks with a beautifully gentle groove – all cut back in the days when an artist could relax a bit without ever losing their cool! The set's heavy on mellow modern soul numbers – all hand-picked by Expansion Records frontman Ralph Tee – who's shown us for decades that he's really got a golden ear when it comes to music like this! There's loads of great gentle steppers on the package, sung by some of the best voices of the mainstream soul scene at the end of the 70s – cuts that include "We Need Love" by Chapter 8, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "We Found Love" by The Dynamics, "Gonna Make Changes" by Phyllis Hyman, "No Love Nowhere Without You" by Linda Williams, "Ain't That Love Baby" by Lou Rawls, "Brother Brother" by Esther Phillips, "What Do You Want Me To Do" by Lou Courtney, "Stay" by Glenn Jones, "We Never Said Goodbye" by Dionne Warwick, and "Paintings Of Love" by Keni Burke.

The vibe gets wider and wider with each new entry in this classic series – no surprise, given the depth of sounds the Chicago steppers have been getting into! Some of the cuts here are almost of vintage that hits the starting time of the collection, while others reflect the growing love of 80s and 90s grooves among steppers – the careful selection of tracks from those decades, with a definite ear for a sweet mellow sound! Titles include "Golden Girl" by Jakarta, "Love On The Line" by Janice, "Please Be True" by Sof Touch, "Lost In Loving You" by The McCrarys, "42nd & 6th" by Till Bronner, "Now You Know" by Billy Butler, "Forever Yours (rmx)" by 101 North, "Thief" by Lil Louis, "Something Real" by Mikki Blue, "Love High" by Jeff Redd, "Commitment" by Scott Scheer, and "Girl's Gonna Get'Cha (rmx)" by Steady B.

Mindblowing music from The Association – a heady double-length package that features every single the group ever cut for the Valiant and Warner Brothers label – which together make for an amazing evolution in sound! Although best remembered for their few soft rock hits, The Association were a hell of a group who never stopped growing back in the 60s – from sublime folksy harmonies at the start, to more complicated baroque pop as years went on, to some psych elements, and even a return to rootsier sounds they never had in the first place – always delivered with qualities that were head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – and perfectly put together in the best LA studio styles, with help from giants like Curt Boettcher, Gary Paxton, Bones Howe, and others. The group also became quite skilled in the studio themselves – as you'll hear in the book's copious notes and comments from members themselves – all a perfect package for a set that features 37 mighty tunes that include "Six Man Band", "Goodbye Columbus", "Like Always", "No Fair At All", "Standing Still", "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies", "Looking Glass", "Birthday Morning", "Makes Me Cry", "PF Sloan", "Just About The Same", "Traveler's Guide", "I Am Up For Europe", "Hear In Here",a nd "Forty Times" – not to mention some bigger hits!

A Syd Barrett treasure trove – and an essential compilation of unreleased work that's a much-needed companion to Barrett's classic albums for EMI! The material here is all from the years 1968 to 1970 – tracks recorded before, during, and around the sessions that later became The Madcap Laughs and Barrett – but which often also show a wider-ranging side of Syd's talents, especially on the few demo recordings – which offer an even more personal glimpse of the artist trying to find his way. Instrumentation is a bit more acoustic than on Barrett's full albums, but even the acoustic guitar is played with these dark tones that have the same sinister quality as the chords he brought to Pink Floyd – maybe even more striking here without any fuzz, as they resonate alongside Syd's offbeat lyrics. Titles include "Rats", "Golden Hair", "Opel", "Clowns & Jugglers", "Birdie Hop", "Let's Spilt", and "Swan Lee". Features a number of bonus alternate takes – added to the original core lineup of 14 tracks from the 1988 release of Opel.

One man psychedelic funk jams from Blue and his Bluefunks project – bass player for the ATL's hip hop funk band (who backed Outkast live) – doing his own thing here on HomeCookedTapeHissInfestedFunks! Blue's heavy bass groove leads the way, boundlessly straddling genres and making his own style out of it all. He plays all the instrumentals on the set and does the singing – it's his show all the way. You hear his love of classic raw funk rock and psych soul throughout. Creative energy permeates the home spun vibe in away that reminds of Cody Chesnutt, but Blue's sound is all his own. "Nay...Na-Na", "Moments Golden", "See Thangz", "Act A Fool", "On The Wall", "Watcha Wanna Do", "Step It Up", "Feenin'" and more.

Way more than just a James Bond cash-in record – and instead an ultra-hip jazz session from the west coast scene of the 60s! The James Bond at the helm of the record is actually Jimmy Bond – the great bassist who worked on some key sessions of the late 50s and early 60s as a sideman, and who turns out to be a surprisingly great leader on this rare mid 60s date! The record is more jazz than anything else – played with a crime/spy bent, to be sure – but also flowing with really great solos and a fair bit of a bossa influence in the rhythms! The group here is more than hip enough to make the record work – with Harold Land on tenor sax, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, and Buddy Colette on flute and tenor – all working in a sextet led by Bond, with plenty of round, warm, almost modal lines on his bass – punctuated nicely by piano from Joe Parnello and drums by Joh Guarin. Arrangements are by Dick Groove – who keeps things very groovy – and many of the tracks here are actually original numbers written by Bond and Warren Baker, titled after Ian Fleming books that had not yet been made into movies at the time of this album! Titles include "Casino Royale", "Moonraker", "For Your Eyes Only", "007 Theme From Dr No", "Man With The Golden Gun", "Diamonds Are Forever", and "Live & Let Die".

Gritty, powerful raw soul from Charles Bradley – the full length debut from the 62-year-old Brooklyn singer – backed perfectly by The Menahan Street Band! It's incredible, a record that sounds just as rawly emotional and impeccably soulful in 2011 as it would have in 1971 – much like the work Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, there's no mistaking this for anything but the real deal. Rough hewn in beautifully so – with perfect, funky backing by team Menahan. A timeless treasure! Titles include "In You (I Found A Love)", "I Believe In Your Love", "The Telephone Song", "Golden Rule", "How Long", "Trouble In The Land", "Since Our Last Goodbye", "Heartaches And Pain", "The World" and more. Expanded version features two bonus tracks – INCREDIBLE covers of Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" and Nirvana's "Stay Away".

An excellent record from Hiss Golden Messenger – who blend rootsy, but freewheeling instrumentation with artful, ambitious songwriting – and they're one of the most creative groups around making brilliantly original music that still hold true to southern folk and roots history The anchors are singer/guitarist/mandolin player MC Taylor and guitar and bass player Scott Hirsch – but the music is fleshed out by a large group of great musicians on a diverse list of instruments – piano, Rhodes and Hammond on the keyboards spectrum, banjo, fiddle, pedal steel and and array of acoustic and electric strings, sax and more. In a way, it's the mix of traditional reverence and straight up newness is reminiscent of The Band in the late 60s and early 70s – but they ultimately have a vibe all their own. Includes "Red Rose Nantahala", "Sufferer (Love My Conqueror)", "I've Got A Name For The Newborn Child", "Devotion", "Hat Of Rain", "The Serpent Is Kind (Compared To Man)", "Cheerwine Easter", "Busted Note", "What Shall Be (Shall Be Enough)".

Pivotal singles from the amazing Wanda Jackson – one of the greatest female rock and country voices from the 50s onward – who mixes a cutesy coo and a feral growl for a sound that was pretty much unprecedented at the time! The material bridges proto rock and country music in a way that confused the heck outta radio programmers and the label's hope to break her into superstardom back in the day – and Wanda had a voice that could've (and should've) made her a star on par with the Sun Studios boys club. She's tough and tender at the same time – and Capitol producer Ken Nelson is near the top of his game here, too. This really is the best of her Capitol singles – 29 in all – including "I Gotta Know", "Fujiyama Mama", "Honey Bop", "Did You Miss Me?", "Right Or Wrong", "Sinful Heart", "In The Middle Of A Heartbreak", "Mean Mean Man', "Sympathy", You Bug Me Bad", "Silver Threads And Golden Needles", "Rock Your Baby", "(Every Time They Play) Our Song", "Little Charm Bracelet", "No Wedding Bells For Joe", "Honey Bop" and more.

A compilation of pivotal mid 90s Dilla productions and remixes – classics and rarities from the Pharcyde, N'Dea Davenport, and the Brand New Heavies with guest appearances by Q-Tip and Mos Def – great stuff from the prime Delicious Vinyl years! It's full of bedrock jazzy funk from Jay Dee – a 2CD set with vocal versions on the first disc and a second CD featuring instrumentals. This is a great refresher course on Jay Dee's golden age pedigree – especially if you came on board with Dilla in the later Stones Throw years – featuring his earlier genius productions plus a second disc featuring instrumental versions. Proceeds from the CD are to go to Ma Dukes. Titles include "Runnin'" (plus instrumental), "Somethin' That Means Somethin'" (plus instrumental), "Bullsh*t" (plus instrumental), Y? (remix)" (plus instrumental) by Pharcyde, "Sometimes (remix)" (plus remix instrumental) by Brand New Heavies feat Q-Tip, "Saturday Night (remix)" (plus remix instrumental) by Brand New Heavies feat Mos Def, "Whatever You Want (remix)" by N'Dea Davenport and more.

Classic Quincy Jones from the 60s – a pair of records that really show why his jazz skills were unlike anyone else! Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits is a very groovy record that was done with a feel that's somewhere in between his Big Band Bossa album and his best 60s soundtrack work! The format is simple – Quincy picks a sweet batch of jazz semi-hits from the early 60s, plays them with a nice mix of soul jazz arrangements, and works with a great ensemble filled with wonderful players – including Roland Kirk, Budd Johnson, Seldon Powell, James Moody, and Jerome Richardson on reeds; Lalo Schifrin and Patti Brown on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Melba Liston on trombone – plus lots of great percussion at the bottom, helping bring some Latin energy to the grooves at points. Tunes are familiar, but all given a great Quincy Jones twist – and titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Jive Samba", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Bossa Nova USA", and "Watermelon Man". Golden Boy is a sweet bridge between Quincy's big band recordings and his groovier soundtrack work of the mid 60s – as the record combines straight jazzy grooving with some of the cooler elements of Quincy's soundtrack scores, like stepping strings, wordless voices, and a breathy mellow groove that floats across the disc in a wonderful way! Aiding Quincy in the album are a host of top-line jazz players – including Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Woods on saxes – plus Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, and Jim Hall on guitar! Although titled after the show Golden Boy, only a few cuts here are from that musical – and the rest include Quincy Jones originals and some cool covers, given the Q twist. Titles include "Seaweed", "The Witching Hour", "Hard Day's Night", "The Sidewinder", and "Theme From Golden Boy", done in 2 versions, both great!

Mad funk from the great Galt MacDermot – a wonderful selection of obscure tunes from some of his best funky soundtracks! Galt's work on Hair has been sampled heavily by a variety of hip hop producers over the years – but even better is his work for less famous soundtracks, a good variety of which are sampled here in a wonderfully-done set that focuses on the truly funky tracks that Galt wrote for these films – and which gets past the sometimes-off tracks that can occasionally get in the way of his lesser soundtracks. The package is a total jam throughout – filled with tunes that have weird rhythms, moody keyboards, and the kind of offbeat approach to funk that's always made his work so great. There's only a few tracks from previously reissued soundtracks like Woman Is Sweeter and Cotton Comes To Harlem – plus lots lots more from weirder films that include American Express, Nucleus, Fortune & Men's Eyes, Moon Over The Alley, and Rhinoceros! In true Galt MacDermot funky fashion, there's lots of great drum work on the set from Bernard Purdie – and titles include "Golden Apples", "Coffin Ed", "Dead End", "Fragments II", "Tango", "Ed & Digger", "Duffer", "Bedroom", "Queenie's Theme", "Fortune & Men's Eyes", "Rhinoceros Theme", and "Never Die Desire Not".

Great early 70s work from Herbie Mann! By this point in his career, Herbie must have had a fleet of cars, a harem of ladies, and a golden flute. You can hear his success in the live material that makes up the album – recorded before very enthusiastic audiences at the New York and Montreux festivals in 1972. Who'd have thought jazz flute could go so far? All tracks are long and pretty darn lively – and Herbie's group still includes Sonny Sharrock on guitar, plus the groovy Pat Rebillot on piano, and David Newman on tenor and 2nd flute. Titles include "Soul Beat Momma", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Respect Yourself", "Memphis Underground", and "Hold On, I'm Coming".

Herbie Mann's got Latin fever – and it makes for one heck of a great 60s album! The vibe here is more bossa nova than the New York Latin of the time – but that's OK with us, because Mann's flute is perfect in the setting – and really sparkles here on the album's tracks that were partially recorded in Brazil! Mann's got a way of putting a nice sort of punch into bossa – using his sharp flute lines in ways you'd never hear a Brazilian player use at the time – and titles include the bossa numbers "Nana", "Groovy Samba", "Influencia De Jazz", and "Batida Differente" – plus "Fever", "The Golden Striker", and "Now Now – Later On".

A late 70s dancefloor soul set from Mascara – an album and group that's notable for a number of reasons – most importantly for being a pre-solo star showcase for the great Luther Vandross! Mascara is an interesting international joint effort – with instrumental tracks recorded in Munich and the vocals in Englewood, NJ – co-produced by UK DJ Chris Hill. Luther is one of 3 lead singers along with Ula Hedwig and David Lasley. It's got an all purpose dancefloor groove to it that's hard to resist – and the singing by all three is really strong! Luther was on the verge of a massive breakthrough at this point, which was between his legendarily crucial work with Young Americans-era Bowie and the start of his great solo career. Speaking of Young Americans, Mascara's take on "Golden Years" is early in this set, which also includes the medleys "See You In LA" and "Jet Plane Ride", plus "If You Don't Want To Be In My Life", "I Feel So At Home Here" and "Comin' Home Baby". This first ever CD release includes 3 bonus tracks: "See You In LA (Radio Version)", "Jet Plane Ride (Radio Version)" and "It's Cool (Radio Version)".

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that balances disco rhythms with mainstream 70s soul – but overall, the record's got even more to offer than that gem – including some surprisingly well-done mellower cuts that really make great use of the vocals of Lillian and Louise Lopez. Production is by Sandy Linzer and Charles Calello – the latter of whom is clearly right at home with the groovers – and in addition to "Native New Yorker", other cuts include "Ever Lovin Sam", "You Keep Me Dancin", "Thank You God For One More Day", "Weekend Lover", "Easy Come Easy Go", and "Golden Hands". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Weekend Lover (single rmx)" and "Native New Yorker (12" disco version)".

A completely unique little set from singer Steve Parks – a set cut in the Bay Area scene of the early 80s – but done with a righteous 70s vibe that mixes jazz, soul, and bits of Latin influences as well! The overall approach is definitely soul, but there's plenty of jazz inflections in the vocals and instrumentation – a vibe that's not unlike the best sound of Jon Lucien on RCA, but which is carried here by Parks with a bit more force – and these undeniably fluid vocals sounds that really blow us away! Instrumentation is right on the money – warm, jazzy, and never hokey at all – with lots of great acoustic percussion at the core. Titles include the massive sample track "Movin In The Right Direction" – plus "All In A Day", "Everything's Gonna Be OK", "Don't Stop Now", "The Golden Key", and "Sadness In My Samba". CD features an insane number of bonus tracks – 9 more numbers that include "Wrong Decision", "Should've Been Wishing", "Wonderful", "Stop Drop Everything", "You Make It Easy For Me", and "Shimmy & Jive".

A split album that combines work from 2 different early 10" LPs on Bethlehem – both led by some of the best bassists to record for the label at the time! The first 6 tracks are classic work by Oscar Pettiford – some of his best as a leader, and cut with a hip group that includes Charlie Rouse on tenor, Duke Jordan on piano, and Julius Watkins on French horn. The tracks swing nicely with a strong modernist bop influence – and titles include "Cable Car", "Tricotism", "Oscar Rides Again", and "Golden Touch". The other 8 tracks are a bit mellower, but still quite modern – and with a really fresh approach. Recorded by Vinnie Burke's quartet, they feature a very unusual lineup of bass, clarinet, accordion, and guitar – the latter of which is played by the enigmatic Joe Cinderella, of Gil Melle group fame, and who gives the record a similar feeling to Melle's strange work for Blue Note. Titles include "For All We Know", "Time Out", "On The Alamo", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise".

A beautiful take on the music of The Beatles – done in a completely different style than the originals! The tunes here are all famous numbers from the glory days of the fab four, plus a few later solo songs too – but Ze Ramalho performs them all in a mellow, stripped-down setting that often just features his vocals and guitar in the lead, with some occasional extra supporting instrumentation – all at a level that's way more Brazilian than British! A few of the later compositions add in some bigger backings, but never too slick or commercial – and a few others feature some great forro-styled accordion – an instrument that we're not sure the Beatles ever used in their own recordings. And best of all are the vocals – which have all the aging, raspy charm you might expect from Ramalho's image on the cover. Titles include "Golden Slumbers", "If I Fell", "Carry That Weight", "Your Mother Should Know", "Dear Prudence", "Beware Of Darkness", "Isn't It A Pity", "It Don't Come Easy", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "I Need You", and "In My Life".

An incredible record by Jimmy Smith – unlike anything we've ever heard from him! The session is a rare French soundtrack one – recorded in 1965, in a setting that was quite different than any of Jimmy's American sessions from the same time. According to the notes, Smith was just shown the film, and given free reign to improvise as needed. The result is a set of tracks that at times almost resembles Larry Young's work more than it does any of Smith's sides for Blue Note or Verve – moody and atmospheric tracks that still swing nicely, but have a strong degree of freedom. Rhythm is by Quentin Warren on guitar and Billy Hart on drums – and titles include "Love Theme", "Generique", "Blues Pour Alphonse", "Melodie Pour Catherine", and "Angoisse/Race Track Blues". CD also features 5 bonus tracks from Verve albums of the time, mostly soundtrack related, and including "Man With The Golden Arm", "Any Number Can Win", "Mission Impossible", and "Goldfinger".

Righteous jazz, with plenty of soul – a killer collection of the mid 70s work of Lonnie Liston Smith – all based around his legendary recordings for the Flying Dutchman label! Lonnie got his start on the hippest side of the jazz spectrum – including work with Pharoah Sanders on Impulse – but by the time of these tracks, he'd found a way to beautifully mix the righteous energy of his roots with some sweet mid 70s jazz funk touches – all served up in a sublime blend of electric keyboards and acoustic piano, and often expanded with lyrics that helped Smith cross over into a soul audience too! Few artists ever handled the balance as well as Lonnie – although this work certainly inspired dozens of others to try – and the set's a beautiful testament to his lasting power, with 15 great tracks that include "Visions Of A New World", "Cosmic Funk", "Get Down Everybody", "In Search Of Truth", "Expansions", "Beautiful Woman", "Golden Dreams", "Astral Traveling", "Meditations", "Devika", "Shadows", and "Sunbeams".

One of the most important records from Wadada Leo Smith in years – an extended set of compositions that offer reflections on and reactions to the Civil Rights era in America! The work here stretches back to the 70s – as some of the tracks were penned by Smith many years ago, but have been brought together, and woven in with more recent music to form a rich tapestry in sound – one that's performed partly by Smith's Golden Quartet/Quintet – and partly by the Southwest Chamber Music ensemble! The sound is stunning – some of the richest, most expressive material we've ever heard from Leo – and the core group features Smith on trumpet, Anthony Davis on piano, John Lindberg on bass, and both Pheeroan Aklaff and Susie Ibarra on drums – while the Southwest group brings in added chamber instrumentation on strings and clarinet. Aklaff plays a few striking solo percussion numbers – and titles include "The Freedom Riders Ride", "The Little Rock Nine", "John F Kennedy's New Frontier & The Space Age", "Black Church", "Rosa Parks & The Montgomery Bus Boycott", "Democracy", and "Medgar Evers A Love Voice Of A Thousand Years' Journey".

A remixed version of the collaboration between Neneh Cherry and The Thing – but a set with a sound so different, it may as well be an additional record from project! The remixes here really take a lot of liberties with the original music – so that the resulting tracks aren't just jazzy numbers with a bit of flourish, and instead sparkle with this really new creative energy – core elements pulled from their roots and relayered in very different ways – with almost more of a focus on Cherry's wonderful vocals overall. Titles include "Accordion" remixed by Hortlax Cobra, "Dream Baby Dream" remixed by Four Tet, "What Reason Could I Give" remixed by Kim Hiorthoy, "Cashback" remixed by Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, "Sudden Moment" remixed by Merzbow, "Dirt" remixed by Kurzman, and "Golden Heart" remixed by Nymph.

A far reaching triple platter of Afro Colombian grooves from the late 60s & 70s – propulsive percussion, bursts of brass, hot and heavy Afro Latin funk & soul, with some surprisingly heady and otherworldly sounds permeating some of material – all culled from the vaults of Colombia's Discos Fuentes label! Afrosound Of Colombia Vol 1 is one of best compilations yet from Vampi Soul – shining a much needed light on Discos Fuentes, but on top of that it's simply a great collection of funky Afro Latin sounds you may not have heard before! The numbers cover a lot of territory – salsa, cumbia, boogaloo, tropical funk, and chicha recordings abound – but the shared elements of killer percussion and feverish vibes overall make for a cohesive flow throughout. Excellent! 43 tracks on 2 CDs plus excellent liner notes, photos and artwork. Titles include "El Abanico" By Wganda Kenya, "Cumbia De Sal" by Cumbia En Moog", "Caliventura" by Afrosound, " El Ascensor" by Los Corraleros De Majagual, "La Negra Celina" by Los Golden Boys, "El Caminante" by Fruko Y Sus Tesos, "Nostalgia Campesina" by Rodolfo Con Los Idolos, "Rosalia" by Wganda Kenya, " Salsa Boogaloo" by Sexteto Miramar and much more!

An amazing document of this important southern scene – a key rockumentary from the 80s, with a strong focus on the flowering of music in Athens, Georgia! Athens really just burst briefly as a scene in the US at the start of the decade – but went onto have a huge impact on music for years to come – thanks to work from groups like The B-52s, REM, Pylon, and a host of great lesser-knowns featured here. Titles include a rare recording of "Dream" by REM, plus "Pretty" by Love Tractor, "Hi" by Time Toy, "Stop It" by Pylon, "His & Hearse" by BBQ Killers, "Crazy Hazy Kisses" by Flat Duo Jets, "Golden" by Dreams So Real, "Elephant Radio" by The Squalls, "Swan Swan H" by REM, and "Na Na Na Na" by The Squalls. CD/DVD package features the the soundtrack on CD for the first time ever – plus 5 bonus tracks! DVD features the full film plus bonus tracks!

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the tracks here are from the final years of the group – a fair bit of material from Abbey Road – opened up and given a whole new sort of energy here – showing the rich inspiration the fab four were still able to provide, even at the end! Beatles music has been a crucial influence on Brazil, from the 60s Jovem Guarda and Tropicalia scenes onward – and the work here really shows the range of influences, extrapolated through really creative instrumentation, vocal arrangements, and production techniques. The whole thing's hardly another "tribute to" session – and instead is more like an extended poem inspired by the work of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Titles on this third volume include "Here Comes The Sun" by Joyce, "Something" by Flavio Venturini & Aggeu Marques, "Polythene Pam" by Autoramas, "The End" by Milton Nascimento, "Mean Mr Mustard" by Joao Donato with Paula Morelenbaum, "Because" by Aretha, "Golden Slumbers" by Elis Regina & Milton Nascimento, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Pouca Vogal, and "Her Majesty" by Silvia Machete.

Heavy funk in a variety of cool colors – the first-ever collection of work from German sound library labels Golden Ring & Happy Records – and a real revelation to our ears! Grooves are plenty heavy throughout – lots of funky drums and burning basslines – with instrumentation that runs the gamut from choppy fusion to soundtrack-styled funk – often with lots of keyboards and guitar in the mix! The labels are almost a refuge for players who'd previously cut more famous funky work at the MPS label – artists who include Peter Thomas, Klaus Weiss, and Sigi Schwab, all of whom make some key appearances here – moving at the same great funky jazz pace they were hitting earlier in the 70s. Other artists are more obscure, but equally great – and the set's a true treasure trove of funky grooves you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Titles include "Present News" and "Jumping Balls" by Klaus Weiss, "Sound Colours A" by Peter Thomas, "Getting High" and "Get The Groove" by Sigi Schwab, "Mr Marco's Blues" and "Chicago Song" by Ralph Marco, "Open Up" and "Pick It Up" by Frank Mantis, "Late Train" and "Dark Alley" by Ken Aldin, and "Just Funky" by Klaus Weiss.

Dancefloor cookers from the prime Northern Soul years – all instrumental numbers on this sharp compilation on Kent – 45 sides from a labels like Money, Villa, Swan, King, Epic and Warner Brothers! For all the wonderful Kent soul compilations we've gotten our dusty fingers on over the years, it's a wonder they're never been one devoted to instrumentals – until now! Rhythms roll along at a tight tempo, the tight guitars punch it up, some strings soar, and a pounding Northern beat keeps it all stomping! Those core elements are key, but others weave in an out, from hand claps on the beat, to organ grooves, bursts of brass and more. 24 tracks in all: "Double Cookin" by Checkerboard Squares, "Make Me Yours" by Arthur Wright & His Orchestra, "Festival Time" by San Remo Golden Strings", "The Sounds Of Lane" by Tracks To Your Mind, "Champion Pt 1" by Willie Mitchell, "The Guys From Uncle" by The Spy, "Stirrin Up Some Soul" by The Mar-Ketts, "Hey America (Sing Along)" by James Brown, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and more.

A well-done look at a key moment in British music – that point when acoustic roots mixed with electric youth, and brought around a huge revival in the field of folk! The UK shifts at the end of the 60s were way different than those in the US – not nearly as simple as Dylan going electric, or folk harmony going pop – and as you'll hear in this set, there's a really progressive, revolutionary feel that runs through the music – one that's both got a great sense of history, yet a mission of personal change as well – quite far from overdone political tropes, yet with undeniable world-changing power in the end. The 2CD package is designed to accompany the book of the same name – and is divided up into Acoustic Eden and Electric Albion discs – each with their own feel. Titles include "Brother John" by Bread Love & Dreams, "Garden Song" by Bill Fay, "Music Of The Ages" by COB, "Diana" by Comus, "Oak Ash & Thorn" by Peter Bellamy, "John Barleycorn Must Die (first version)" by Traffic, "The Lark In The Morning" by Steeleye Span, "Country Road" by Unicorn, "Glasgerion" by Trees, "Glistening Glyndebourne" by John Martyn, and "Voices" by Nick Drake.

Legendary work from a crucial component of Brazilian culture in the late 60s – the International Song Festivals of the time – a very important way of presenting both new talent and new compositions as well! The events were really unique, and often quite striking – from both a cultural and political perspective – as artists used the festivals as a key platform for taking steps forward in their words and music – sometimes steps that were even bolder than their studio work on record! Performances are unique to the records, and usually represent some key non-album tracks from the artists involved. This first volume brings together seven different albums from the years 1966 to 1968 – all originally issued on the Ritmos and Odeon labels – with work by artists who include Marcos Valle, Dori Caymmi, Beth Carvalho, Golden Boys, Taiguara, Vocalistas Modernos, Luiza, Clara Nunes, Elza Soares, Doris Monteiro, Maria Creuza, Morgana, Miltinho, Stelinha Egg, Reginaldo Bessa, Agostinho Dos Santos, Maria Jose, Quarteto 004, Milton Nascimento, Maricenne Costa, Zeze Gonzaga, Maysa, Quarteto Em Cy, Tuca, MPB4, Silvio Cesar, Paulinho Nogueira, Carlos Hamilton, Elis Regina, and many others! Albums include I Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular Vols 1 & 2 (1966), II Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular (1967), and four volumes of III Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular (1968).

Legendary work from a crucial component of Brazilian culture in the late 60s and early 70s – the International Song Festivals of the time – a very important way of presenting both new talent and new compositions as well! The events were really unique, and often quite striking – from both a cultural and political perspective – as artists used the festivals as a key platform for taking steps forward in their words and music – sometimes steps that were even bolder than their studio work on record! Performances are unique to the records, and usually represent some key non-album tracks from the artists involved. This second volume brings together work from the 1969 to 1972 versions of the Festivals – a really crucial time in Brazilian music, represented here by performances from Clara Nunes, Marcos Valle, Quarteto Forma, Beth Carvalho, Golden Boys, Tiaguara, Evinha, Antonio Adolfo & Brazuca, Maria Odette, Oz Brazoes, Hermes Aquinho, Alceu Valenca, O Grupo, Vox Populi, Martinho Da Vila, Luiza, Som Okey 5, Jards Macale, Os Tres Morais, Tribo, Toni Tornado, Agostinho Dos Santos, Trio Esperanca, Wilson Simonal, O Terco, Som Imaginario, Wanderlea, Silvo Cesar, Osmar Milito, Ze Rodrix, Claudia, Alaide Costa, and many others! Box features the full albums IV Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular Vols 1, 2, & 3 (1969), V Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular Vols 1 & 2 (1970), VI Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular (1971), and VII Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular (1972) – and most albums have bonus tracks too!

Gloriously soulful and passionate postwar gospel – one of the best ever compilations on the Tompkins Square label – shining a powerful light on rare African American church recordings, street corner sermon style numbers, choir backed testifying soul & blues, and straight up wonderful spiritual soul music all the way! The tunes range from the mid-to-late 1940s through the 1970s for the most part, with a few later recordings – and part of what's so inspiring about it is the disregard of formality to the program. It has crackly field recordings of congregations, reverends and choirs, back porch gospel blues, and more polished, but no less passionate recordings – the common thread being the raw, honest devotion and deeply felt soulfulness of it. Hats off to producer, compiler Mike McGonigal for putting together such an excellent set, and for his concise, but well done notes on each track, and to Tompkins Square for continuing to raise the bar! 80 tracks on 3 discs: "Peace In The Valley" by Rev Lonnie Farris, "Rock And Roll Sermon" by Elder Beck, "So Glad" by Rev Robert Ballinger, "Wasn't That A Mystery" by Madison County Senior Center Singers, "The Wicked Shall Cease From Troubling" by Nathaniel Rivers, "Jesus' Blood" by Golden Stars Of Greenwood, SC, "God's Mighty Hand" by Rev Utah Smith, "Fire Shed In My Bones" by Boyd Rivers, "Power Is In The Heart OF Man" by Brother & Sister W B Grate, "You Ought To Been There" by The BC Harmonizers, "Go Devil Go" by Madam Ira May Littlejohn and more.

They're not lying about the "impossibly rare" part of the title here – because most of the work on this set is previously unreleased – funky Bay Area gems recorded in the late 60s and early 70s, finally seeing the light of day on this collection! The music represents a much deeper current of soul than you might know from Sly & The Family Stone or some of the bigger bay area groups of the period – a really righteous batch of tracks that freak out nicely with a heady, jamming groove – one that's often heavy on the basslines and drums, but which also has a celebratory, party-hearty quality in the vocals and other instrumentation. A few artists here are familiar, but most are relatively obscure – and the biggest portion of this music has languished for years in the vaults of the Golden State Recorders studios of producer Leo Kulka. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Super Chicken" by Ramona King, "Rock Steady" by Ruby Delicious, "Devil's Got Your Mind" by San Francisco TKOs, "Hearing Things" by Snooky & The Cosmic Flowers, "I've Gotta Groove" by Julio Zavalla, "Love Machine" by Alonzo Smith, "Poor Sad Child (parts 1 & 2)" by The Windjammers, "Are You Together For The New Day" by The Love Experience, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "House Party" by Wally Cox & The Natives, "I'm Glad I Got Over You" by Jeanette Jones, "Sweet Talk" by Marvin Holmes & The Uptights, and "Vida Blue (part 1)" by Jimmy Bee.

Damn funky gospel soul – the sort you'd hardly expect from spiritual folks like these, but which flourished strongly alongside more standard church-related work in the 70s! The package is a stunning follow up to Numero's first Good God volume – and really digs even deeper than that great set – pulling out a mad flurry of rare funky 45s that easily match any hip secular soul at the time, at least in the spirit of the groove! The lyrics are definitely on the righteous tip, but never too much so – and the earthly rhythms at the bottom of most tracks is more than enough to help pitch the grooves strongly towards anyone who's never even set foot inside of a church. As usual, Numero do an excellent job with the notes and details on all cuts – showing they really put a hell of a lot of thought into the collection – and titles include "I Know I've Been Changed" by Victory Travelers, "Pray A Little Longer" by Lucy Sister Soul Rogers, "Packing A Grip" by Golden Echoes, "Like A Ship" by Pastor TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ, "Been Trying" by Chicago Travelers, "The Same Thing It Took" by Inspirational Gospel Singers, "Somebody Watching You" by Sacred Four, "Peter & John" by Andrew Wartts & The Gospel Storytellers, "I Thank You Lord" by Little Chris & The Righteous Singers, and "Share Your Love" by Sensational Five Singing Sons.

One of the funkiest gospel collections you'll ever hope to own – and an amazing document of the criss-crossing styles going down at the legendary Jewel Records! Jewel didn't just record gospel, but handled a fair bit of soul, funk, blues, and jazz – all of which seems to bubble forth in these amazing recordings – tracks that easily represent some of the hippest, coolest gospel sides of the late 60s and early 70s – the kind of work we've dug for years in its ability to easily cross over to the secular scene, thanks to wicked grooves underneath the vocals! And the vocals are pretty darn great too – work by singers who could have been huge in the mainstream world, had they broken from the spiritual realm – really belting out with the best of the southern soul scene of the time. The package features a whopping 41 tracks in all – with tracks that "Don't Forget The Bridge" by Mighty Songs Of Glory, "There's A Creator" by Roscoe Robinson, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Brotherly Love" by BP's Revolution, "I'm Trying To Be Your Friend" by Soul Stirrers, "Far Away From God" by Armstrong Brothers, "Golden Gate" by Traveling Echoes, "He's A Friend" by Dorothy Norwood, "Watch That Rogue" by Silver Gate Quartet, "You've Got To Serve Somebody" by Bill Moss, and "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires.

Frantically funky club from Lagos – an amazing collection of post-Fela work from the Nigerian scene, lots of it with the kind of uptempo grooves you'd expect from the "disco" in the title! Yet the sound here is hardly the type you'd find over at Studio 54 – as most cuts here still veer more strongly towards Afro Funk than glittery disco – lots of heavy percussion, bumping basslines, and rough production – the kind of gritty grooves that makes tracking down records like this so great! There's definitely a bit more tightness in the instrumentation than a few years before – but things are never slick or commercial – and the overall feel is almost like some of the Banda Black Rio or Uniao Black funk coming from Brazil at the same time. Titles include "Hang On" by Nana Love, "Boogie Trip" by Doris Ebong, "Bad City Girl" by Grotto, "Don't Put Me Down" by Pogo Ltd, "Everybody Get Down" by Asiko Rock Group, "Boogie Train" by Paradise Stars, "Take Life Easy" by Christy Essien, "Boredom Pain" by MFB, and "Rover Man" by Emma Dorgu.

Sitar-heavy psych from the late 60s to early 70s – each track a prime example of how sublimely Eastern string buzzes worked in the psychedelic era – and a straight-up excellent set of rare international singles! What's so great here is that it's a pretty diverse mix of styles – electric and acoustic psych-stepped rock, pop and folk. Some of sunny and some dark – some pop hook-filled, some tripped out – and all of it is hypnotic and worthy checking out! Includes "Eight Miles High" by The Folkswingers, "Many Times Jimbo" by Click, "Water Boy" by Shocking Blue, "Face In The Clouds" by Family, "Real Life Permanent Dream" by Tomorrow, "All Your Ambition" by Saffron, "Love" by The Virgin Sleep, "Spinning Wheel" by Blonde On Blonde, "Ask For Nothing' by Galliard and more. 28 tracks in all!

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

Soul awakening gospel that's stripped down souful and with profoundly soaring spirit – beautiful stuff recorded and issued by Waymon Jones, proprietor of Savannah, GA's Gusman Record Shop and issued as 45s & LPs on the Pitch and Gusman labels! This as exciting and vibrant a collection of rural southern gospel soul as we could have hoped for, with a couple early 60s recordings and a wealth of recordings through the 70s, by the Golden Stars Of Greenwood, SC, Southern Six of Springfield, SC, the Travelingaires, The True-Tone Singers, Mighty Revelaires, Sensational White Family Singers and more. The sprawling 3CD is organized by Pitch 45s, Gusman 45s and LP tracks from both imprints. 71 tracks on 3CDs! Includes "Jesus' Blood" by Golden Stars, "Fight On" by The True-Tone Singers, "Jesus Said He Loves Me" by Travelingaires, "All My Lifer" by The Phillip's Specials, "Christian Plea" by Southern Wonders, "Steal Away" by Mighty Revelaires, "He Said So" by Sensational White Family Singers and much more.

A sprawling set that commemorates the Reggae Golden Jubilee– one that's beautifully put together by VP – and featuring 100 pivotal tracks from the early 60s to the late 00s! Selector Mr. Seaga does a pretty terrific job on the tracklist – which focuses as much on tracks that proved to be among the most trailblazing as it does on big hits. It touches on the styles and subgenres from throughout reggae's history – from ska, to rocksteady, reggae, dub, deejay, dancehall and beyond – with bellwether material by Theophilus Beckford, Higgs & Wilson, Skatalites, U-Roy, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Yellowman, Third World, Dennis Brown, Maxi Priest, Sugar Minott, Beres Hammond, Sizzla, Shaggy and many, many more. "Dumplins" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "They Got To Go" by Prince Buster, "Bring Home" by Justin Hines & The Dominoes, "Rough And Tough" by Stranger Cole, "Hypocrite" by The Heptones, "Occupation" by Don Drummond & The Skatalites, "Wear You To The Ball" by U-Roy & The Paragons, "The A Fi Get A Beatin'" by Peter Tosh, "Police And Thieves" by Junior Murvin, "Right Time" by Mighty Diamonds, "Uptown Ranking" by Althea & Donna, "Over Me" by Yellowman, "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth, "Try Jah Love" by Third World, "Wild World" by Maxie Priest, "One Blood" by Junior Reid, "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus & Pliers, "Putting Up Resistance", by Beres Hammond, "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" by Dawn Penn, "Untold Stories" by Buju Banton, "Black Woman And Child" by Sizzla, "Gimme The Light" by Sean Paul, "Pon De River, Pon De Bank" by Elephant Man, "Welcome To Jamrock" by Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff and more.

Definitely a well-titled set – given that the early 50s were some real breakout years for jazz in Sweden – a time when the nation's scene rose to become one of the most compelling in Europe – and gained a fair bit of followers from the US, too! The work here is incredible – not just as European jazz, but as modern jazz in general – music that rivals all the best experiments on the American west coast of the early 50s, and which also has some of the more soulful modernism coming out of the New York and Boston scenes too. The 3CD set is filled with some of the finest Swedish jazz recordings of the time – a whopping 55 titles, packaged in a sweet slipcase with two different booklets of notes and photos. Includes work by Charles Norman, Roffe Ericsons, Bengt Hallberg, Arne Domnerus, Carl-Henrik Norins, Bertil Dahlander, Sven Sjoholms, Arne Domnerus, Hep Cats, Lars Gullin, Leif Asp, and many others.

One of the earliest albums on Arhoolie Records – an amazing document of steel guitar bluesman Black Ace! Ace plays just like he sits on the cover – really leaning into the instrument in ways that bring out all these cool, deep inflections – completely hypnotizing on their own, with almost an unworldly feel at points – and accompanied by vocals on most tracks. Titles include "Drink On Little Girl", "Bad Times Stomp", "Farther Along", "Evil Woman", "Fore Day Creep", "Little Augie", and "Golden Slipper".

After a series of incredible LPs for Blue Note throughout the 60s, Hill seemed to virtually disappear, recording sporadically for smaller European outfits throughout the 70s. This late 80s side brings him back to Blue Note, and reunites him with Bobby Hutcherson and some younger players for a set that recalls the wonderful modernity of those earlier sides. Hill's angular but propulsive approach still sounds great, though this set finds him veering closer to the inside that his earlier progressive sessions. Includes : "Pinnacle", "Golden Sunset", "Samba Rasta", "Tail Feather", "Spiritual Lover" and "Bobby's Tune". Cd features 3 bonus tracks ; "Pinnacle (alt take)", "Golden Sunset (alt take)' & "Spiritual Lover (alt take)".

Wail Moody indeed! One side of this gem of an album features an extended hard blowing track – called "Wail Moody Wail" – one that features James blowing on both tenor and alto, in a group with Pee Wee Moore on baritone, Dave Burns on trumpet, Jimmy Boyd on piano, and William Shepherd on trombone. The groove is open – informed by bop, but with a lot of early soul jazz in the mix – and the album's more proof that Moody is one of the great under-recognized talents of the 20th century! Other titles include "The Golden Touch", "The Donkey Serenade", and "Moody's Blue Again".

The second album from UK soul trio Loose Ends and the one that really helped them breakthrough! Like their previous album, So Where Are You was produced by Philly producer Nick Martinelli, but this one finds the group tightening up the groove into a more focused modern soul style – mid 80s period production. Dancefloor friendly, but with a focus on the tight focus on the traded male & female lead vocals and really strong songwriting – co-written by the group. Includes "Magic Touch", "A New Horizon", "So Where Are You?", "Golden Years", "Silent Talking", "Hangin' On A String", "Give It All You Got", "The Sweetest Pain" and more. This Soulmusic.com CD edition includes 5 bonus track – including a version of "Magic Touch" featuring Roy Ayers on vibes! Others include "Hangin' On A String (The Twilight Firm All Night Mix)", "Hangin' On A String (Frankie Knuckles Club Mix)", "Golden Years (UK 12" Single Mix).

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio, this 1973 concert marks the only time they worked live with the singers – in a stunning showcase for the young label, performed as part of a Columbia Records convention in San Francisco! Given the setting, and the uniqueness of the whole event, the CD release of this rare material is a treasure for soul fans of many generations – a rare addition to the amazing run of music the label first started giving us at the time. The set begins with MFSB doing a version of "Freddie's Dead" – then runs into Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes singing "I Miss You", "The Love I Lost", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – followed by Three Degrees on "I Didn't Know" and "Dirty Ol Man". MFSB then follow with "TSOP", then Billy Paul sings "East" and "Me & Mrs Jones", and the set ends with The O'Jays on "Love Train", "Sunshine", "Back Stabbers", and "When The World's At Peace".

Legendary work from Goldwax Records – pulled from a stretch when the Memphis imprint was really going strong! By the time of these tracks, Goldwax was really coming into their own – picking up some of the best soul currents of the Memphis scene – and rivaling the Stax/Volt powerhouse in terms of quality – especially on the deep soul tracks that Goldwax seemed to do better than anyone else! This 2CD package is a wonderful overview of these golden years for the label – and it features every single single, both a and b-sides intact – presented with detailed notes on each release. Some of the work is the stuff of Memphis soul legend – mixed in with some more unusual, lesser-known bits from the scene – including a few rock, blues, and country numbers as well. 54 tracks in all – with titles that include "Anything You Do Is Alright" by Spencer Wiggins, "Don't You Believe Him" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "Cry Me A Hand Full" by The Terrys, "Say You Need It" by Barbara Perry, "Lovable Girl" by James Carr, "When You Look In The Mirror" by Eddie Jefferson, "What Time Ye Got" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "Little Things" by Jeannie Newman, "Forgetting You" by James Carr, "Hello Daughter" by Leroy Daniel, "I Can't Forget You" by The Yo Yos, "Good Times" by George & Greer, "Walking Out On You" by Spencer Wiggins, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "Liquid Mood" by Timmy Thomas, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "Me & My Imagination" by The Ovations, and "The Wife Of The Life Of The Party" by Kathy Davis.

Blood & Fire dips into their excellent catalog of fine, fine reggae and pulls together an outstanding little compilation of some of the best tracks from the catalog! This nicely priced set focuses on vocal numbers, all voiced by top notch artists, showcasing the breadth of great music cut during the golden era of Jamaican music that makes up the body and soul of Blood & Fire's dynamite releases! 18 tracks in all, including "Fire Fe The Vatican" by Max Romeo, "Storm" by Gregory Isaacs, "Children Of Jah" by the Chantells, "Problems" by Horace Andy, "Rent Man" by Black Uhuru, "Chant Down Babylon" by Sylford Walker, 'Go Down In Silence" by Prince Alla, "Man Next Door" byDennis Brown, "Fight It To The Top" by Michael Prophet, "Every Knee Shal Bow" by Johnny Clarke, "At The Feast" by the Congos, "Yes Yes Yes" by Errol Holt, "Jah Jah The Conqueror" by Linval Thompson, "Give Jah Praise" by WIlli Williams, "Deliver Me From My Enemies" by Yabby You, "Judgement Time" by Junior Ross & The Spear, "Bandulu" by Cornell Campbell and "Remember Me" by Junior Byles & Rupert Reid.

Some of the deepest grooves we've ever heard from Mop Mop – still in the cool, jazzy mode of previous records – but a lot more organic too, with great percussion that really helps shape the sound of the set! As before, there's some excellent work on vibes and keyboards – but many of the rhythms also have a tribal vibe that seems reflected in the album's cover image – a groove that's made even better by live instrumentation that includes trombone from Fred Wesley, and some well-chosen vocal moments that include guest work from Anthony Joseph on three tracks. Titles include "Kamakumba", "Heritage", "Phantom Of The Panther", "Run Around", "The Golden Bamboo", "Damballah", "Mojomamy", and "Afro Jojo (parts 1 & 2)".

Kind of an offshoot of the Marc Moulin world of the early 70s – the self-titled album from Plus, a group made up of musicians from the funky combo Placebo! The vibe is much more open than with Placebo, but still shares lots of that group's great talent for mixing together jazz, funk, and trippy bits of prog – yet all in a way that's never too overindulgent, and always with a nice punch on most of the cuts! Drums are great, keeping things very interesting – and the horn passages run from Afro-styled lines with a nice exotic quality, to straighter jazz rock – augmented by some gritty vocals from time to time. Titles include "The Search", "Gimme Some More Of That", "What Did You Do", "Open Letter", "Put Everything Together" and "Enjoy Yourself".

A beautiful later score from the legendary Miklos Rosza – a masterpiece that draws on all of his many years in film, yet serves things up with a more subtle approach than before! There's a sense of space here that we don't always hear in Rosza – almost a pausing between the notes, creating a sense of reflection that really expands the gentle sentiment of the tunes – while still building to a bit of drama at a few key moments. Nothing here is overdone at all – and the soundtrack is a great reminder that in the serious film score world, away from the hits, the mid 70s could be a very golden period! Titles include "Providence", "Sonia Et Le Saint Suaire", "Feuillages", "Poursuite", and "Valse Crepusculaire". CD features 15 more bonus tracks – all previously unreleased!

Funky breaks galore – mixed by a man who knows them better than anyone! Kenny Dope really came up with some choice bits for this set – and pulled together 37 different tracks that include 60s soul, 70s funk, and a few choice bits from the early years of hip hop – all sewn up into one mighty groove that never stops kicking! Great all the way through – and like having Kenny play his favorite jams for you, one after the other! Titles include "Uphill Peace Of Mind" by Kid Dynamite, "Engine #9" by Wilson Pickett, "Can I Get A Soul Clap" by Grand Wizard Theodore, "Be Black Baby" by Grady Tate, "Scorpio" by Hoctor Band, "2001" by Cecil Holmes, "Space Dust" by Galactic Force, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky, "Get Up" by Vernon Burch, "Catch A Groove" by Juice, "The Guardian Angel" by Golden Flamingo Orchestra, and "Sessomatto" by Sessomatto.

Way more than just a simple "survey" of Chicago soul – and instead, a whopping collection of work from the vaults of Dakar Records – nearly all of it produced by Chi-soul genius Carl Davis! Back in the 60s, Davis' work was a seminal force in shaping the sound of the Windy City – particularly that lightly stepping, sometimes loping groove that showed up in Carl's productions for Okeh and Brunswick, and which was used even more heavily once he launched Dakar! And while Dakar was kind of a partner label to Brunswick for many years, the company also had much firmer Chicago roots – and mostly issued a variety of rare singles by artists who never cut full LPs – either for the bigger labels at the time, or at all! This extremely well-done package digs through the finest Dakar work of the late 60s and early 70s – tracing a groove that starts with the trademark Chicago sound of the 60s, then moves into a much more righteous style as the 70s move in. CD features 28 titles in all – including "Love Had To Be You" by Jean Shy, "Forever & A Day" by Wales Wallace, "Cowboys To Girls" by Jalynne Sound, "Just To Make You Happy" by Shirley Karol, "Baby Jane" by Otis Clay, "I'm In Danger" by The Visitors, "You're So Right For Me" by Johnny Sayles, "You Babe" by Carl Davis, "Love Uprising" by Mister T, "You Brought Out The Good In Me" by Otis Leavill, "Follow The Leader" by Major Lance, "I Choose You" by Donald Height, "Broken Home" by Ben Monroe, and "It's All Over Between Us" by Lee Charles.

Wicked grooves from the German scene of the 70s – that stretch of the sound library generation when things were getting even more electronic than before – and picking up some great funky dancefloor modes in the process! Most of these numbers are heavy on keyboards – especially the more electronic types that warrant the "cosmic" in the title of the collection – usually delivered over clean, clear, upbeat rhythms that bring plenty of club, disco, and boogie modes to play in the process! Think of this one as the blueprint for the best Euro club sounds of the late 70s and early 80s – but since the tunes are even shorter and more focused, they pack a hell of a lot more punch too! Features work from sound libraries that include Media Music, DeWolfe, Sonimage, Jollymay, Golden Ring, Intersound, and more – with cuts that include "Greenwich Street" by Klaus Weiss, "Bacchanales Estardiennes" by Bernard Estardy, "Poursuite Dans La Nuit" by Roger Davy, "Spectator" by Tom Elliot, "Coordinates Meeting" by Peter Thomas, "Bio Rhythm No 3" by Thomas Clausen, "Flying Objects" by Roger Webb, and "Ele Toldoth" by Helmuth Brandenburg.

The Easy Tempo groove is wider than ever here – still plenty funky, but also jazzy and groovy too – with some mod 60s influences filtering into the mix, and even a bit of vocals too! As always, the style is heavy on Italian soundtrack modes – that great blend of bossa, jazz, and other elements that graced so many cinematic excursions of the period – and which have been beautifully re-presented by Easy Tempo over the course of their excellent series. Set features titles that include "Sweden" by Tito Fontana, "Caccia Al Ladro" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tap 5" by Ettore Ballotta, "Notte In Allegria" by Piero Umiliani, "Golden Gate Bridge" by Riz Ortolani, "Gangster Song" by Piero Umiliani, "Ebony Ride" by Piero Piccioni, "Gordon Blues" by Francesco De Masi, "Concerto Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, and "Glad" by Lou Stein Trio.

Patrick Adams picks the best of P&P Records – and the man definitely knows what he's doing – given that he was one of the "P's" in the label's name! The tunes here are heavy on those cool spaced-out grooves that Adams did so well – that wonderfully hip, and very underground style he used after an initial few years in more mainstream soul – the trademark imprint of P&P, and the reason why the label's tunes have gone onto influence so many others over the years! The grooves are all sublime – from quick-stepping moogy numbers, to mellower tracks that stretch out in this great sort of gentle funk – all tied together with a united production aesthetic and lots of shared sympathies between the artists. Titles include "Dance Dance Dance" by Marta Acuna, "Jump Jump Jump" by The Musicmakers, "God's Greatest Gift To Man Is Woman" by Margie Lomax, "God Save & Protect All The Children" by Margo Williams, "The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us" by Golden Flamingo Orchestra – and "Flying High", "Disco Juice", "Happy Music", and "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By" by Cloud One.

The great second album from The Bo-Keys – the stellar Memphis combo that's a mix of younger players and veteran session musicians from of the vaunted Hi Records scene of the classic era – who deliver a straight up knockout with Got To Get Back! We dug the group's earlier work, but this one really raises the bar. It's not so much a throwback to the late 60s and 70s golden era of Memphis and other points southern soul as it is a modern statement on the sounds longevity – committed with the purest authenticity. There's funky and smouldering soul instrumentals and vocal numbers with an incredible lineup of guests – including the great Otis Clay, plus Percy Wiggins, William Bell and Charlie Musselwhite. They work equally great in a number of modes, too. Titles include "Hi Roller", "Jack And Ginger", "Sundown On Beale", "90 Days Same As Cash", "Cauley Flower", "Got To Get Back (To My Baby)" with Otis Clay, "Weak Spot" with William Bell, "Catch This Teardrop" with Percy Wiggins and more.

Classic-styled funk from Alex Puddu – not only the greatest record we've heard from him so far, but a set that's definitely worthy of its "golden age" claim in the title! The music is all new, but it was done for a series of short Danish porno films from the 70s – and Puddu gets a sound that's right on the money for the vintage – loads of great short funky soundtrack modes that are perfect for the time – handled with tight rhythms, great basslines, and some wicked jazzy solos that really send the whole thing home. Puddu plays a range of instruments – including electric sitar – in a group that also features some great Fender Rhodes, organ, sax, and flute – and the tunes are really wonderful throughout – like finding a lost soundtrack from the 70s that never got issued as an album. Titles include "Kinky Hairdresser", "Miss Butterfly", "Madam Delight", "Sex Bar", "Lusty Nurses", "Black Triangle", "Naughty Girls At The Wild Party", "The Dirty Games Of Dr Love", and "Piano For Lovers".

Simply the best Philly 70s collection we've heard – ever! This one goes way past the hits, and moves into work from a variety of labels – not just the famous tunes on Philly International, but all of the Philly-produced gems that were coming out from other sources and other singers during the 1970s – a decade when the Philly sound had a golden touch that could transform the work of any singer into pure genius! The tracks on the set are really well thought-out – a sampling of work from a variety of different artists that you might not think to associate with the Philly groove at first glance, plus others who had their only really truly strong success through a brief link with the City of Brotherly Love. 18 tunes in all – and all of them warm clubby grooves with a perfectly smooth feel! Titles include "Look On The Good Side" by The Invitations, "Make It Last" by Barbara Mason & The Futures, "Good For The Gander" by Jermaine Jackson, "Stay With Me" by The Futures, "Who Loves You" by The Joneses, "I Just Can't Say Goodbye" by Touch Of Class, "Hurt So Bad" by The Philly Devotions, "Will You Be Mine" by The Whispers, "Now OR Never" by Little Dooley, "One More Time" by Dianne Steinberg, "Where It's Warm" by Revelation, and "A Little Bit Or Love" by Charen Cotton.