A later effort from perhaps the least prolific of the solo Wailers. Bunny does nice later interpretations of Wailers classics, with a generous helping hand from Sly & Robbie, and adds a nice rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "Keep On Moving" to the set. A favorite album of ours from the twilight of the original roots era, with 10 tracks in all, including "Dancing Shoes", "Mellow Mood", "Rule This Land", "Burial" and "I'm The Toughest". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner from the legendary living ghost that is Scott Walker – possibly the most archly dramatic, unique and strangely alluring work he's ever done! Since Scott Walker albums have become once per decade events, a lot more is at stake with each one, and it's nothing short of amazing that he manages to get more and more exciting with each effort. The Drift finds Scott tackling obscure historical drama, his pop-operatic vibrato as chilling as ever – backed up by his long-relied upon backdrop of string arrangements, guitars, drums and keys – along with (way) off-kilter percussion. But the sounds made with those tried-and-true materials are often unprecedented, from Scott or anyone else on the planet. The voice wails with authority, the backing is often quiet and subtle until the ever-approaching gail swoops in and carries you away. We could probably write a book about this album (and someone undoubtably will) – so we'll leave you to pick it up and experience it for yourself! Tracks include "Cossacks Are", "Clara", "Jesse", "Jolson And Jones", "Cue", "Hand Me Ups", "Buzzers", "Psoriatic", "The Escape" and "A Lover Loves". CD

An incredible collection of work – way different than any blues material of the time, and beautifully brought together here in the best Mosaic fashion! Features material for the Imperial, Comet, and B&W labels, plus unissued tracks – 144 titles in all! CD

Incredible early work from the legendary T Bone Walker – very early recordings of the electric guitar in blues, and maybe still some of the best! Walker's already a master here – playing with this hard tone on the strings, but one that also has a surprising amount of sensitive jazz inflections too – a hollow-body mode that echoes Charlie Christian at times, but definitely explores the bluer side of the spectrum – yet never with that sort of hit-you-over-the-head quality that later artists might use. Instead, Walker's a master of understatement here – in a sublime way – and the blend of guitar solos and his own enigmatic vocals is often given a slight west coast R&B undercurrent. Still some of our favorite electric blues ever – with tracks that include "No Worry Blues", "Got A Break Baby", "T Bone Shuffle", "You're My Best Poker Hand", "First Love Blues", and "T Bone Jumps Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Greg Ward's group here is named 10 Tongues – a great label for an ensemble that's overflowing with individual voices on their instruments – less a big band than a combo that can bring together so many different tones and colors at once! Ward himself is wonderful on alto, but maybe even more impressive as both the leader and composer here – writing in this fresh voice that's extremely positive and uplifting, but without ever resorting to any cloying cliches – and the group seems to respond by playing his music with a sense of joy and discovery at each new twist and turn! Players include Keefe Jackson on baritone and tenor, Tim Haldeman on tenor, Ben LaMar Gay on cornet, Russ Johnson on trumpet, Norman Palm on trombone, Christopher Davis on bass trombone, Jason Roebke on bass, Marcus Evans on drums, and Dennis Luxion on piano – on titles that include "Singular Serenade", "Daybreak", "Grit", "With All Your Sorry Sing A Song Of Jubilation", "Dialogue Of The Black Saint", and "Gather Round The Revolution Is At Hand". CD

A rare bit of hardcore poetry by the Watts Prophets – the legendary LA group who were kind of a west coast answer to the Last Poets! The group have a sound that's as striking as the best early work by The Last Poets – a hard-hitting blend of poetry, rhythms, and righteous energy – all recorded in a style that's stripped down, proud, angry, and in stark contrast to the rest of the work coming out in the soul music industry at the time. Their work was not only some of the most radical and striking of the early 70s, but it's also gone onto become a key blueprint for hip hop of later years – especially the rough-edged style of the west coast that began to emerge at the end of the 80s. CD brings together all the tracks from the group's 2 albums – a total of 41 short tunes that pack the punch of a hand grenade! Titles include "Pain", "A Pimp", "Take It", "Amerikkka", "The Prostitute", "F*cked", "Black In A White World", "Funny How Things Can Change", "Pimping Leaning & Feaning", "Keep You Doing Things", "The Meek Ain't Gonna", "Saint America", "They Shot Him", and "Response To A Bourgeois Nigger". CD

Space seemed to be a logical direction for Lenny White to go – since his high-powered fusion drumming style is enough to power him right out of the galaxy! This album's a hard heavy batch of funky fusion tunes – with lots of hard drums by Lenny, and spacey spacey keyboards by the great Don Blackman! Patrick Gleeson had a hand in some of the synthesizer work, and he gives the album a similar astral sound to the work he did on the Mercury label at the same time. There's a lot of guitars in the lead, but they sound pretty nice next to Lenny's heavy drums – and titles include "Heavy Metal Monster", "Assault", "Climax", "Universal Love", "The Great Pyramid", and "Remembering". LP, Vinyl record album

JJ Whitefield's had a hand in countless funky records over the past 20+ years – a huge range of work that includes projects from Poets Of Rhythm, Karl Hector, The Whitefield Brothers – and here, he's equally funky stepping out on his own! The set's not a strict solo set – although JJ plays guitars, keyboards, flute, bass, percussion, and lots of other instrumentation – including electric sitar! Yet there's also other members throughout the proceedings too players who bring in Fender Rhodes, flute, shamisen, and plenty of funky additional drums – while still keeping things nice and lean, with an even more stripped-down approach to funk than any of JJ's other projects! Titles include "Mukogawa", "No Mo Woa", "Bin Dippers", "Raised With Fire", "Flute Punch", "Hyperion", "Dawn Of Delphi", and "Comin At Ya". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". CD features some great bonus tracks too – including "Glow Girl" and "Early Morning Cold Taxi". CD

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". CD features some great bonus tracks too – including "Glow Girl" and "Early Morning Cold Taxi". CD

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". This fantastic new package features the whole album in stereo and mono – plus 26 more bonus tracks, and a 16 page booklet of new notes and photos! CD

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". CD features an insane 53 tracks in all – both mono and stereo versions of the album, plus 27 bonus tracks that include additional songs, commercials, and previously unreleased versions – titles that include "Things Go Better With Coke", "Rael Naive", "Relax (early demo)", "Rotosound Strings (with final note)", "Girl's Eyes", "Sodding About", "In The Hall Of The Mountain King", "Top Gear", "Rael 1 & 2 (remake)", and "Coke After Coke". CD

Improvisations between two very playful artists here – each of whom do a great job of balancing between their core instruments and sounds from some other slight sources as well! Mars Williams handles saxes, and Vasco Trilla plays drums – but the latter opens up all these other percussion instruments too, while Williams uses toy instruments in very inventive ways – all with results that make the record very different than just a standard set of improvisations between drums and saxes! There's a sonic quality to the record that's very much its own – as you'll hear on long tracks that include "Fogo", "The Tongue Set Free", "Thin Air", "Critical Mass", and "The Shaking Hand That Leaves A Mark". CD

One in a series of double LP compilations Chess put out in the 70s collecting some of the classic blues sides in their catalog. As near as we can tell, these raw folk blues numbers were mostly issued as 45s, featuring Sonny Boy on vocals and harp, with sidemen that include Muddy Waters, Robert Jr Lockwood, Willie Dixon, Otis Spann and others. 28 tracks in all, including "One Way Out", "Don't Lose Your Eye", "Keep It To Yourself", "Sad To Be Alone", "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide", "I Never Do Wrong", "I Don't Know", "Don't Start Me Talkin'", "Bring It On Home", "Key To Your Door", "All My Love In Vain", "Nine Below Zero", "Got To Move", "She Got Next To Me", "Keep Your Hand Out Of My Pocket", "Too Close Together", "Like Wolf" and "Santa Claus". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Ace Records collection of early work by this formative singer in soul music – titles that include "Doggin Around", "Come Back To Me", "It's So Fine", "Shake Shake Shake", "Reet Petite", "If I Can't Have You", and "So Much – plus duets with Linda Hopkins on "Do Lord" and "Shake A Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she delivers the lyrics – a blend that's a bit like Marlena Shaw in her earlier years – and set to some killer arrangements from the great HB Barnum! Barnum gives the record all the cool punch of his great 60s work with Lou Rawls – and nearly all the material was written by the obscure Howlett Smith – an excellent lost writer who had a real talent for coming up with cool little soul songs that rise above the usual bag of his generation. This material works great for Spanky, and together, the pair, along with Barnum, cook up a unique lost soul treat! Titles include "Apartment 101", "On The Morning After", "The Other Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Love Has Me By The Hand", and "Mighty Great Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she delivers the lyrics – a blend that's a bit like Marlena Shaw in her earlier years – and set to some killer arrangements from the great HB Barnum! Barnum gives the record all the cool punch of his great 60s work with Lou Rawls – and nearly all the material was written by the obscure Howlett Smith – an excellent lost writer who had a real talent for coming up with cool little soul songs that rise above the usual bag of his generation. This material works great for Spanky, and together, the pair, along with Barnum, cook up a unique lost soul treat! Titles include "Apartment 101", "On The Morning After", "The Other Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Love Has Me By The Hand", and "Mighty Great Feeling". CD

Excellent recent work by John Wright – a Chicago soul jazz legend of the 60s! You may know John Wright from his classic sides for Prestige Records – like Makin Out or South Side Soul – and although this one was recorded nearly 30 years after the last of those records, it shows that Wright has definitely not lost his touch! Wright still kept up a heck of a lot of live appearances in Chicago, and working here in a local studio, he really opens up – still playing with that hard, rhythmic, left-hand style of his, but also leading with the right on some more lyrical numbers. Titles include "Summertime", "The Preacher", "Watermelon Man", "Evelyn", "My Funny Valentine", and "Blue Monk". CD features one bonus track too! CD

A special live set, dedicated to the head of the unique Three Blind Mice label – and done in the best freewheeling style of pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto! The record's got even more bite than some of Yamamoto's other albums of the time – a soulful groove that has lots of left hand action on the groovers, which sets things up differently for some of his more melodic moments on the solos. The trio features Akira Daiyoshi on bass and Toshio Osumi on drums – and all tracks are nice and long, especially the 16 minute title track! Tunes include "Blues For Tee", "Speed Ball Blues", "Broadway", and "I'm Glad There Is You". CD

One of the most sensitively soulful records of the 70s from pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – a set that still has him working in a trio format, but which also has a slightly more mellow feel overall – with some especially great work from the leader on the ballads! Yamamoto's style is maturing strongly here – and he's got this commanding spectrum of sound from the piano – gentle right hand passages and deep left hand lines – all nicely balanced with work from Tsutomo Okada on bass and Keiji Kishida on drums. Titles include "Billy Boy", "A Shade Of Love", "Midnight Sun", "Autumn Leaves", "Wave", "Blue Manhattan", and "Kid". CD

A sweet masterpiece of 70s AOR from Japan – served up by Tatsuro Yamashita, who was easily one of the most soulful male singers on the scene in the years before city pop! The record's got a jazzy vibe that's great, and which really fits the R&B-inspired midtempo rhythms – almost as if Wayne Henderson had a hand in putting the whole thing together, similar to some of his late 70s productions for Fantasy Records – but with some occasional 80s touches that also hint at changes to come in the next decade. Vocals are all in Japanese, but the record's got a very universal appeal – and titles include "Rainy Walk", "Funky Flushin", "Hot Shot", "Touch Me Lightly", "Yellow Cab", "Nightwing", and "Full Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Bite The Hand That Feeds", "Everything Must Change", "I Was In Chains", "Hot Fun", "Everytime You Go Away", and "Standing On The Edge". LP, Vinyl record album

YOD serves up that nicely laidback, almost conversational style that makes his music so great – working here with beats from Wino Willy, Lee Scott, Nicholas Craven, Jonwayne, and J-Es – each of whom really get that slow-stepping mix of bass and jazz just right! Titles include "The Simpsons", "50K Or Brunch", "The Hand Of YOD", "The Unknown Comic", "The Man On The Moon", "The Tonight Show", and "Triple Lindy". Also features a bonus "Metal Face Medley". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the best solo record that Joe Zawinul ever cut – and one of the few to really show him working in the soulful style that he had with Cannonball Adderley's famous 60s combo! The record features Joe on piano – stepping out on cuts that still have all the soul jazz currents that he brought to his work with Cannon – those rolling lines and heavy left-hand grooves that made a Zawinul groove instantly infectious! The lineups shift a bit here, but include heavyweight players throughout – including Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Clifford Jordan or Joe Henderson on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The presence of those giants puts the whole thing in Blue Note or Prestige Records 60s territory – and titles include "Money In The Pocket", "If", "Midnight Mood", "Some More Of Dat", "Sharon's Waltz", and "Del Sasser". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic from Warren Zevon! Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School is a triumph of the pure craft of catchy rock 'n' roll songwriting – but the lacerating wit flips that aspect right over! On one hand, Warren plays by the mainstream LA rock rulebook here – bright, glossy production and both studio and headlining legends playing on the sessions – but the lyricism. . .wow. Primal urges and sad truths come out in both endearing and forboding songs that include "A Certain Girl", "Jeannie Needs A Shooter", "Gorilla You're A Desperado", "Bed Of Coals", "Bill Lee", the viscious Lynyrd Skynyrd response "Play It All Night Long", and "Empty Handed Heart" and the great title track. LP, Vinyl record album

A silly title, but a pretty nice album overall! This 2CD set features a cool selection of downtempo and retro-styled grooves from some of the hipper overseas labels of the past few years. There's a number of cuts on here by artists that we stock and love, but there's even more by artists we haven't – including some pretty cool groups that we were happy to discover. The package was selected by 45 Dip, and not only includes a number of their own tracks, but also has a feel that's pretty much in keeping with their own end of the musical spectrum – laidback, funky, with elements of classic instrumentation. Titles include "Gorgeous George", "Docking", "Something In Space", and "Va Va Voom (Space Lounge mix)" by 45 Dip, plus "Buddha Cowboy" by John Howard, "Mooger Fooger" by Bermuda Triangle, "She's Groovy" by Akasha, "In Spring" by Les Hommes, "Bubble Love" by Chunking, "Sea Of Change" by Broadway Project, "Angel" by Zohar, "One Day Trip In An Elevator" by Hand Polished, "Love Is Incredible" by Bastian, and "Party" by Sporto Kantes. 29 tracks in all! CD

A killer classic from a time when the Chicago house scene was really taking off – that second generation of underground productions that was tagged with the "acid" term, because of the way they were using older riffs and keyboards to change things up! The Brits got that all wrong, and thought the word was a drug reference – and ended up taking way too much E in the process – but in Chicago, the term meant a new sort of sophistication for house music, and a warmer sound than the first few years too – deeper soul, more interesting keyboard parts, and a door opening to vocals and other elements that would help build a bridge between underground club and a rising tide in the mainstream. There's few records that document that shift as well as this one – a gem on the Hot Mix 5 label, put together by Mickey Oliver, who also had a hand in some of the music too. Titles include "Dream Girl" by Pierre's Fantasy Club, "Can You Feel The Bass" by Phortune, "151" by Armando, "World Turns Around" by Cool McCool, "Jiggerwatts" by Phortune, "The Juice" and "Ecstasy" by Fingers and "Mix Pump Up The Acid" by Mickey Oliver & Ralphie Rosario. CD

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles include "Dirty Mother For You" by Roosevelt Sykes, "So Glad You're Mine" by Arthur Big Boy Crudup, "Everybody Must Suffer/Stone Crazy" by Luther Allison & The Blue Nebulae, "Help Me" by Junior Wells, "I Wonder Why" by Jimmy Dawkins, "Too Much Alcohol" by JB Hutto & His Hawks, "So Many Roads So Many Trains" by Otis Rush, "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. CD

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles on this second volume include "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of rare 60s soul – very different than you might expect from the title and cover! Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "Searching For My Love" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Teasin' You" by Willie Tee, "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, "May I" by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" by Clyde McPhatter, "Idol With The Golden Hand" by the Coasters, "The Entertainer" by Tony Clarke, "Nip Sip" by the Clovers, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E King. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool look at the UK Ember label – with a special focus on their contribution to female pop in the 60s! This package is a lot more focused than other Brit girl pop collections on the market, and has a slightly different vibe as well – given that each of the three singers included had a style that was very much their own! The set features a handful of tracks from Twiggy, the famous model – maybe not the strongest singer, but a surprising presence with the right production – on titles that include "Over & Over", "Beautiful Dreams", and "I Need Your Hand In Mine". Next, there's a good batch of material from Linda Thorson – best known for her role in The Avengers on TV, but a decent singer who can capture some of the slight soul currents of the time – on tunes that include "Wishful Thinking", "Here I Am", "I'll Just Pick Up My Heart", "A Bad Time To Stop Loving Me", and "You Will Want Me". Last up is a good batch of work from the really great Julie Rogers, including most of her album Once More With Feeling – on titles that include "Baby Don't You Leave Me", "Come Tomorrow", "Children Of My Mind", "This Is Me", "But You Know I Love You", and "You Better Sit Down Kids". CD

You might know Ace Records as home to a fair bit of jazz, funk, and soul reissues over the years – but right from the start, the label's also had a keen ear for rockabilly – and can boast a decades-long devotion to the music, with releases that have really blown us away! This set digs back over material that Ace has reissued in previous decades – cuts that are both rare original singles, or unissued tracks – from important labels like Starday, Chess, Goldband, and Meteor – all hand-picked by Keb Darge – another British force in turning us on to great music over the years! The vinyl-only collection is full of gems – and titles include "All Dressed Up" by Jimmy Johnson, "Let's Go Bopping Tonight" by Al Ferrier & His Bopping Billies, "Nuthin But A Nuthin" by Jimmy Stewart & His Nighthawks, "Blue Jeans & A Boy's Shirt" by Glen Glenn, "The Woman I Love" by Gene Terry & His Kook Kats, "Jello Sal" by Benny Ingram, "Lonesome Baby Blues" by David Ray, and "Do Me No Wrong" by Pat Cupp & The Flying Saucers. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great run of grooves – most of which were only initially available on expensive import singles, and which together represent a fantastic stretch of music from this very cool British label! Original Gravity is the brainchild of Neil Anderson, a cat who really knows his groove – whether it be 60s mod, 70s funk, Latin soul, rocksteady, and other great sounds from the past – all classic styles that come off together strongly in this overstuffed set! Anderson had a hand in nearly all the acts here – different combos and projects that have recorded all these different tracks, in different modes, for Original Gravity over the years – finally brought together here as a demonstration of the great, and sometimes overlooked, work of this excellent imprint. The 3CD set features 69 tracks in all, all on CD for the first time ever – with work from Brentford Rd Soul Rebels, Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts, Floyd James & the GTs, Nestor Alvarez, Luchito, Junior Dell & The D-Lites, So Cal Soul Stars, Jodie, Melvin Craig, and others. CD

A special 50th Anniversary set of the legendary Wattstax Concert in 1972 – a magical music moment that had the Memphis soul powerhouse Stax Records filling the Los Angeles Coliseum with some of its best artists – all to celebrate the pride and power of the community in Watts! This set features a distillation of the much longer concert, along with one never-issued track – titles that include "Baby" by Carla Thomas, "Old Time Religion" by The Golden 13, "I've Been Lonely For So Long" by Frederick Knight, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "I'll Take You There" by Staple Singers, "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays, "Hearsay" by Soul Children, "The Breakdown" by Rufus Thomas, "Ain't That Loving You" by David Porter, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Explain It To Her Mama" by The Temprees, "Precious Lord Take My Hand" by Deborah Manning, "I Am Somebody" by Jesse Jackson, and "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes – plus the never-issued "I Shall Not Be Moved" by Eric Mercury. CD

42 rare gems from the Motown vaults – an incredible treasure trove of unreleased material! The package follows beautifully on the heels of the first Cellarful Of Motown volume – but also manages to go even deeper, and get beyond the better-known "lost" Motown tracks, into a realm of soul music treasures that we never would have expected! The whole thing's great – overflowing with tunes so great, you'll find yourself scratching your head as to why Motown never issued these back in the 60s – and will turn towards the label with a whole new level of respect for all the greatness they still managed to record underneath their more familiar hits. The 2CD set also comes with a great booklet that offers track-by-track notes on the tunes – and a selection of cuts that includes "Take My Hand" by Dalton Boys, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Eddie Holland, "All Day All Night" by Earl Van Dyke, "A Woman Just Won't Do Right" by Shorty Long, "I've Gotta Get Away" by Tommy Good, "Show Girl" by The Vows, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by The Monitors, "I Hope You Have Better Luck Than I Did" by The Marvelettes, "My Heart" by Tammi Terrell, "Where Is the Love" by Rita Wright, "Those DJ Shows" by Patrice Holloway, "Rescue Me" by Blinky, "I Can't Go On Sharing Your Love" by The Isley Brothers, "Choo Choo Train" by Little Lisa, "In The Dark" by The Creations, "Love Trouble Heartache & Misery" by Hatti Littles, "Positively Absolutely Right" by The Temptations, and "Let's Talk It Over" by Marv Johnson. CD

An amazing return to form for this legendary collection – filled with never-heard numbers, pulled from the 60s and 70s vaults of Motown Records! Even if you think you've got plenty of Motown in your collection already, you'll find plenty more here to love – totally fresh tracks by some of the label's biggest artists, plus some other gems by lesser-known stars – all of which have all the punch, power, and sparkle of classic Motown at its best! The 2CD set is brimming over with greatness – and we're honestly stunned that they can still come up with so many unreleased gems, even after three previous volumes in the collection. Titles include "Kidnapped" by The Blackberries, "Keep On Tryin" by The Fantastic Four, "My Baby Moves Me" by Brenda Holloway, "Your Kiss Kiss" by Marvin Gaye & Oma Heard, "Miss Lonely Heart" by The Vandellas, "You Gave Me Love To Live For" by Debbie Dean, "Head Over Heels In Love With You Baby" by The Spinners, "I'd Cry" by Chuck Jackson, "Twin Brother" by Eddie Holland, "Daddy Cool" by Oma Heard, "Three Time Loser" by Marvin Gaye, "The Girl I've Chosen To Be My Bride" by Joe Stubbs, "A Bird In The Hand" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Somebody's Waiting For Me" by The Contours, "Only A Lonely Man Would Know" by Ivy Joe Hunter, "The House That Jack Built" by JJ Barnes, "The Philly Dog" by Earl Van Dyke, and "Why Don't You Come Home" by Stevie Wonder. CD

A killer compilation of Daptone Gold – a funky and soulful collection that's a perfect snapshot of the sounds coming out of Daptone's House Of Soul recording studios in the aughties! The Daptone sound spins from a tight community of players with the deepest love and respect for the classic, be it funky instrumentals, gritty raw soul, with bits of Afrobeat and more. Daptone Gold includes some standard bearing label classics, rarities and previously unreleased tracks – incredible stuff from Binky Griptite, The Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Menahan Streetband, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Antibalas. 23 tracks in all: a funky introduction and more from Binky Griptite, "Could Have Been" by Lee Fields, "Che Che Cole Makosa" by Antibalas feat Mayra Vega, "Nervous Like Me" by the Dap-Kings, "I Need You To Hold My Hand" Cynthia Langston & The Gospel Queens, "Stranded In Your Love" by Sharon Jones & Lee Fields and more. Incredible stuff, and a totally essential overview if this your first Daptone Purchase or fiftieth! CD

Incredible rare jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – all hand-picked by DJ Muro, one of the coolest talents on the contemporary scene in Tokyo! The set's a bit of a shift from other collections of this nature – as it focuses a bit more on tracks that are funky than those that are spiritual – yet also includes those that have some very cool, hip Japanese touches – at a level that's hugely different from American jazz work of the time! The selection of cuts is great – and rather than offer a completely diverse dozen, Muro does a great job of focusing in on a few key acts – most of whom have not hit the reissue market strongly in recent years. Titles include "Hanagasa Odori", "Sakura Sakura", "Soran Bushi", and "Yagi Bushi" by Tadaaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys; "Nanbu Ushioi Uta", "Saitara Bushi", "Souma Nagareyama", and "Asadoya Yunta" by Kifu Mitsuhashi & Kiyoshi Yamaya; "Seijinshiki (Adult Day)" by Toshiyuji Miyama & His New Herd; "Tabaruzaka" by Katsuya Yokoyama & The Million Pops; and "Fuku Jobutso Part 1 (Muro edit)" and "Osorezan (Muro edit)" by Kiyoshi Yamaya & Contemporary Sound Orchestra. 2CD set also features a full continuous mix of the music by Muro on the second CD! CD

Incredible rare jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – all hand-picked by DJ Muro, one of the coolest talents on the contemporary scene in Tokyo! The set's a bit of a shift from other collections of this nature – as it focuses a bit more on tracks that are funky than those that are spiritual – yet also includes those that have some very cool, hip Japanese touches – at a level that's hugely different from American jazz work of the time! The selection of cuts is great – and rather than offer a completely diverse dozen, Muro does a great job of focusing in on a few key acts – most of whom have not hit the reissue market strongly in recent years. Titles include "Hanagasa Odori", "Sakura Sakura", "Soran Bushi", and "Yagi Bushi" by Tadaaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys; "Nanbu Ushioi Uta", "Saitara Bushi", "Souma Nagareyama", and "Asadoya Yunta" by Kifu Mitsuhashi & Kiyoshi Yamaya; "Seijinshiki (Adult Day)" by Toshiyuji Miyama & His New Herd; "Tabaruzaka" by Katsuya Yokoyama & The Million Pops; and "Fuku Jobutso Part 1 (Muro edit)" and "Osorezan (Muro edit)" by Kiyoshi Yamaya & Contemporary Sound Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

A really sweet collection of 7" singles – one that features tracks from the full length reissues in the P-Vine Groove Diggers series – a sublime run of really great rare groove releases over the past few years! The package mixes together funky jazz and groovy soul – and all the tracks on the set are hand-picked by DJ Muro – the man who's given us countless great mixes and reissue projects – some of our favorites from the Japanese scene! Titles include "Living Off The Love" by Erik Tagg, "Summer Love" by Prince Billy Mahdi Wright, "Step Out" by 1619 Bad Ass Band, and "The Last Time" by Spice – and the final single plays at 33 1/3, with the longer tracks "Chicango (Chicago Land)" and "Dancing & Singing" by Billy Wooten. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Life! Liberty! Vengeance! A wild and very cool soundtrack for Tarantino's dual Blacksploitation/Spaghetti Western homage Django Unchained – featuring bits from some of our favorite Italian western composers mixed up with classic and contemporary funky soul and hip hop! It's the kind of soundtrack that could only happen for Quentin Tarantino – with rare and hard-to-find compositions by Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani and Jerry Goldsmith on one hand – along with a few seemingly antithetical new compositions on the other – including a track penned by star Jamie Foxx for Rick Ross, a James Brown "Payback" remix with a vocal from the 2Pac archive, plus ones by Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and others! Last but not least, it's got some great bits of film dialogue by Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Titles include "Django" by Luis Bacalov, "The Braying Mule" by Ennio Morricone, "Nicaragua" by Jerry Goldsmith with Pat Metheny, "Day Of Anger" by Riz Ortolani, "Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable)" by James Brown with 2Pac, "Who Did That To You?" by John Legend, "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross, "Trinity (Titoli)" by Annibale E I Cantori Moderni and many more. CD

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. CD

A hand-picked collection of amazing tracks – from one of the world's foremost collectors of 78rpm discs from the pre-war years! Includes a great 72-page booklet with notes on each of the tracks, a lengthy interview, and some great archival photos of Joe in his basement! CD

Slammin's a definite good choice for the title of this one – as this 5th entry in the Easy Tempo series seems even funkier than the other volumes – a set that's got plenty of full-on grooves, hand-picked from the genius Italian soundtrack years of the 60s and 70s! If you're looking for a place to start digging the full range of talents of the maestros of this time, you'd be hard pressed to find a better collection – as the Easy Tempo name always means the best bits from this scene, served up in a package that packs a lot more punch than any single individual soundtrack! Titles include "Loco Love Motor" and "The Frog" by Augusto Martelli, "Montreal Non Stop" and "Anice Nuraghi" by Luiz Bacalov, "L'Arcangelo" by Piero Umiliani, "Running Fast" by Stefano Torossi, "Blazing Magnum" by Armando Trovajoli, "Trop's" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Vuca" by Tony Mimms, and "The Chicken" by Dick Oliver. CD

Sample funk spun from records rescued by The Numero Group – edited by white label production crew Shoes without Numero's consent – which was then seized by Numero at the pressing plant, they bootlegged the bootleg, and release it here legitimately as Eccentric Breaks & Beats! The breakbeat funk aware will recognize the packaging for its parody of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats series – and however you feel about the politics of grey market music – creatively, this thing is a total win! Numero takes such impeccable care with their reissues, from the masters to the notes and packaging, we actually never really thought of the music as sample material – funky as the funkiest of their ouvre is! That's a testament to the curators of Numero, as the singers, players and producers of the original material are of paramount importance and we think of them individually when we listen to those compilations. Shoes, on the other hand (. . .or foot), heard potential for hypnotic, swirling psych funk blends and spins an undeniably creative set to suit. Titles include "Give Me Another Day", "Not Ready For School", "John Goodman Is Too Cool To Cry", "Peopleibrium", "Feel What Lies Behind You", "Saving Mr Billy's Soul", "Cosmic Clock", "Which Jesus Am I", "Everything" and more. CD

Includes 6 discs and a 200-page book in a hand-crafted cedar box! Music from the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers, the Chuck Wagon Gang, Arizona Dranes, the Carter Family, the Stanley Brothers, Skip James, the Virginia Dandies, Louis Washington, Thomas A Dorsey, Laura Henton, Blind Willie McTell, Deacon Leon Davis & more. CD

A Philly soul legend finally gets his time in the spotlight – as drummer Earl Young played on countless classic sessions back in the day, but rarely even got his name in the liner notes! That lack of recognition is corrected here – in a great package that puts Young's face on the cover, details his genius on the drums in the notes, and then presents a motherlode of killer soul tunes from the late 60s through the 70s! Young's maybe best known for his work at Sigma Sound Studios, and on famous sessions for the Philadelphia International label – but here, he's heard on an even wider range of cuts – including late 60s Northern Soul numbers, and great album work by artists you might not normally associate with Philly. Titles include "Storm Warning" by The Volcanos, "Silly Silly Fool" by Dusty Springfield, "Hit & Run" by Loleatta Holloway, "I Just Can't Say Goodbye" by Philly Devotions, "Please Give Me One More Chance" by Clyde McPhatter, "Do The Hand Jive" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Penguin At The Big Apple/Zing" by The Trammps, "I Can't Fight Your Love" by The Modulations, "Touch & Go (12" mix)" by Ecstasy Passion & Pain, "I Like To Live The Love" by BB King, "I'm Doin Fine Now" by New York City, "Ain't Got The Love Of One Girl" by The Ambassadors, "Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind" by The Spinners, "Do It Again" by Charles Mann, and "Be Truthful To Me" by Billy Paul. CD

A love letter to the legendary Fame Records – filled with unissued tracks and rare gems from the vaults! Fame was one of the great ones back in the day – the driving force behind Muscle Shoals soul music, and a company that helped really redefine the sound of the music in the 60s – thanks to incredible production, and a tight cast of studio musicians who knocked it out of the park on nearly every session! 21 of the set's 24 tracks have never been issued before – and, even more compelling, none were featured on the similar 7" box set from Ace – making the package a treasure trove of music, even for the serious soul collector. Titles include "Tell It Like It Is" by Big Ben Atkins, "Almost Persuaded" by Jackie, "You're So Fine" by James Barnett, "I Do" by June Conquest, "Your Helping Hand" by Otis Clay, "In The Heat Of Love" by Marjorie Ingram, "Steal Away 67" by Jimmy Hughes, "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy" by Ralph Soul Jackson, "Let's Do It Over" by Travis Wammack, "For You" by George Jackson, "Baby Come Back" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Keep On Talking" by Prince Phillip, "It Ain't No Harm" by George Byrd & The Dominoes, "Blind Can't See" by Richard Earl & The Corvettes, and "I Need Someone" by The Entertainers. CD

The resurgence of one of the most groundbreaking periods in recent groove history – the almost-forgotten post-punk years in England, a time of incredible musical convergence! In the heady days of the early 80s – a time when much music was being lost under a gloss of big hair, tinny keyboards, and wispy vocals – a small underground of British musicians were bringing together bits of funk, punk, disco, reggae, and 70s electronica – crafting dark and funky little tunes the likes of which we've barely heard since! A number of these groups went onto do much larger (and weaker) recordings – but this package brilliantly documents the edgy brilliance at the beginning of the post punk years: a nihilistic horizon on the other end of punk – no longer angry, caustic, and shouting, on one hand with the wind knocked out of its apparent sails, on the other, slowly fomenting in secret places, coming up with music far more powerful than punk ever was. And for some strange reason, much of it was pretty darn funky – thanks to a heavy use of simple electric bass, scattershot (sometimes primitive) drum parts, and nice electronic touches, almost in an inverse to American electro. The music more than speaks for itself – and the set's as classic a batch of tunes from the time as we'd ever heard. Titles include "Shack Up" and "Knife Slits Water" by A Certain Ratio, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm" by The Slits, "20 Jazz Funk Greats" by Throbbing Gristle, "Vegas El Bandito" and "Coup" by 23 Skidoo, "She Is Beyond Good & Evil" by The Pop Group, "Being Boiled" by The Human League, "To Hell With Poverty" by Gang Of Four, and "24 Track Loop" by This Heat. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

The fourth fantastic chapter in this wonderful trip through the 60s – headed up by author Jon Savage, as a great soundtrack to his documents of the time! If you know Savage at all, you'll know to expect something different and fresh – an unusual take on the period, and one that goes way past the chart hits and overplayed oldies – to instead uncover currents of cultural activity at a much deeper level! And sure, there's a number of familiar songs here – but they're mixed with lesser-known gems, and presented in this great double-length package that features 48 tracks in all – all with notes from Savage himself. Titles include "Talkin About The Good Times" by Pretty Things, "Eastern Organ" by Brother Dan All Stars, "Hard To Handle" by Otis Redding, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "Say It Loud (part 1)" by James Brown, "Omnibus" by The Move, "Sunshine Help Me" by Spooky Tooth, "Everydays" by Buffalo Springfield", "How Does It Feel To Feel" by The Creation, "Dear Delilah" by Grapefruit, "Machines" by Lothar & The Hand People, "Tomorrow Street Puzzle" by Fairport Convention, "I Got A Line On You" by Spirit, "Kick Out The Jams (preview pressing)" by MC5, "World In A Jug" by Canned Heat, "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams, "Honey Chile" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker, and "Why Does It Feel So Right" by The Shades Of Jade. CD

Fantastic west coast blues from the 60s, none of issued at the time – collected together here in a set that really shows the continuing evolution of the sound of LA! During the 60s, the city's blues took on some of the transformations that were happing in Chicago – with similar roots in a southern scene that moved into a hipper, more urban environment – where blues phrasing was more electrified, and mixed with influences from soul and jazz – often with some funky hybrids along the way! All the cuts here were recorded by Kent Records – the clear black music powerhouse of the west coast at the time – and half were issued on rare Japanese CDs in the 90s, the other 12 appear here for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the presentation, notes, and sound quality are wonderful. Titles include "Mama Said" and "Hey Baby" by Willie Headen, "Address In My Hand" and "Soul Blues" by Willie Garland, "Christine" and "Baby Don't Tear My Clothes" by Model T Slim, "Blues Pain" by Lowell Fulson, "You Told Me A Lie" by Smokey Wilson, "Before Day" by Big Mama Thornton, and "Rocks In My Pillow" and "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Long Gone Miles. CD

A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – all bursting out with plenty of energy – maybe a brightened up take on street soul from the early 80s, but usually with a younger female singer, which helps the music bubble along in a really great way! The package is new territory for Ace Records, but they've done a great job of bringing together both key cuts and overlooked gems – all hand-picked by Bob Stanley, with a set list that includes "Two Of Hearts (12" version)" by Stacey Q, "Don't Be Shy (radio voc)" by Janelle, "Lover Girl" by Meg, "Let's Go (radio)" by Nocera, "Funky Little Beat" by Connie, "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, "Together Forever (radio)" by Lisette Melendez, "Dreamin" by Will To Power, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Lil Suzy, "Thief Of Hearts" by Cynthia, "Fascinated (12" version)" by Company B, and "Baby Talk" by Alisha. CD

A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – all bursting out with plenty of energy – maybe a brightened up take on street soul from the early 80s, but usually with a younger female singer, which helps the music bubble along in a really great way! The package is new territory for Ace Records, but they've done a great job of bringing together both key cuts and overlooked gems – all hand-picked by Bob Stanley, with a set list that includes "Two Of Hearts (12" version)" by Stacey Q, "Don't Be Shy (radio voc)" by Janelle, "Lover Girl" by Meg, "Let's Go (radio)" by Nocera, "Funky Little Beat" by Connie, "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, "Together Forever (radio)" by Lisette Melendez, "Dreamin" by Will To Power, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Lil Suzy, "Thief Of Hearts" by Cynthia, "Fascinated (12" version)" by Company B, and "Baby Talk" by Alisha. LP, Vinyl record album

A storming mix of R&B, early soul, and rare rockers – all hand-picked by the famous team of Keb Darge and Little Edith! We first knew Keb as an expert in raw funk over 20 years ago – back at a time when few DJs cared about the style – and you can definitely hear Keb's funk-trained ears at work here – as the tunes are all plenty raw and filled with sharp edges – way way different than any mainstream assumptions you might have about rock or soul from this time! The vibe is similar to some of the best Cramps-fueled compilations, or some of the hipper Norton titles – and titles include "Get Whiz" by The Dazzlers, "Jam & Jelly" by The Col-Lee Jets, "Shis Kebab" by The Black Albinos, "Dance Franny Dance" by The Floyd Dakil Combo, "Nervous Breakdown" by Gregory Dee & The Avanties, "Steady With Betty" by Benny Joy, "Please Give Me Something" by Bill Allen & The Back Beats, and "The Shake" by George Fleming. CD

You might not know Les Cousins, but back in the city it was a very important club on the London scene – a crossroads of blues, folk, and other styles – with an influence that was every bit important in England as the Greenwich Village clubs were in the US! This massive 3CD set does a great job of documenting the sounds that passed through its stage – not via live recordings, but over a well-chosen array of cuts that demonstrate just how hip British work of the time could be – folk-plus material, of the sort you'd hear on the best albums on Island Records or Transatlantic, all very much of the generation of Nick Drake and Fairport Convention! The 3CD set does a really great job of showing the wide range of acts from this moment – including many we haven't had on other reissues in recent years – in a great box that features 72 tracks, and very detailed notes on the material. Includes work from The Levee Brothers, Roy Harper, Dr Strangely Strange, Strawbs, Owen Hand, Dave Evans, Anne Briggs, Tom Yates, Duffy Power, Ron Geesin, Jackson C Frank, Martin Carthy, Dando Shaft, Shelagh McDonald, Al Jones, Sweeney's Men, Sam Mitchell, Tir Na Nog, Beverly, Michael Chapman, and many others. CD

One of the best-ever compilations of GoGo music we've ever seen – all hand-selected by legendary funk DJ Snowboy! Snowboy's been digging for GoGo for years, and he's managed to put together a compilation that avoids all the cliches and mistakes of others like it – going for an all-winning lineup that really gets at the funky funky power of GoGo at its best! Heavy percussion abounds – as congas, cowbells, and drums snap out long and acoustic rhythms – while the band vamps, calls, and even throws in a bit of electro and DJ trickery! The set's got 11 tracks in all, with some nice notes – and a list of titles that include "Scratchin To The Funk" by Doctor Funkenstein, "All We Want Is Go Go" by AM FM, "Give It Here" by Rare Essence, "Take It To The Top" by Ski Bone, "All Wrapped Up In One" by TTED All Stars, "We Need Some Money" by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, "It's In The Mix" by Slim, "Meet Me At The Go Go" by Hot Cold Sweat, "Arkade Funk" by Tilt, "E Flat Boogie" by Trouble, and "Let's Get Small" by Trouble Funk. CD

The second volume of funky soundtrack cuts lifted from MGM's Soul Cinema series – featuring some previously unissued gems from the early 70s, combined with a few more familiar classics, making for a great set of soulful action tunes! Lots of fast funky numbers, a few vocal cuts, and even a few nice breaks – and a set of 13 titles that include "Hang On In There" by Bobby Womack & Peace, "Theme From Foxy Brown" by Willie Hutch, "Friday Foster" by Ward Chandler, "Cornbread" by The Blackbyrds, "Five On The Black Hand Side" by Keisa Brown, "Down & Out In New York City" by James Brown, "Blacula Strikes" by Gene Page, "Black Enough" by Melba Moore, and "Coffy Baby" by Roy Ayers. CD

One of the best-ever releases in this amazing series – and a smoking batch of great little cuts that mix dope guitar, funky hammond, and odd off-beat grooves in a very nice way! The whole thing's nicely packaged, with a fresh approach to funk tunes that's quite different from a lot of recent compilations we've stocked – and we're still grooving to this one, even though we've played it three times in a row! Tracks include "Petite Soul" by Little Ed, "Contagious" by Kenneth Wells, "Gasoline Alley" by Dave Grusin, "Pick & Shovel" by The Touch, "Mind Blow" by Roger Hamilton Spotts, "Un Homme De Mort" by Michel Legrand, "Chicano Chaser" by Ian Langley, "Studio 69" by The Mohawks, "Soul Thing" by Tony Newman, "It's Your Thing" by The Invaders, and "Move Your Hand" by La Clave. 20 cuts in all! CD

One of the best-ever releases in this amazing series – and a smoking batch of great little cuts that mix dope guitar, funky hammond, and odd off-beat grooves in a very nice way! The whole thing's nicely packaged, with a fresh approach to funk tunes that's quite different from a lot of recent compilations we've stocked – and we're still grooving to this one, even though we've played it three times in a row! Tracks include "Petite Soul" by Little Ed, "Contagious" by Kenneth Wells, "Gasoline Alley" by Dave Grusin, "Pick & Shovel" by The Touch, "Mind Blow" by Roger Hamilton Spotts, "Un Homme De Mort" by Michel Legrand, "Chicano Chaser" by Ian Langley, "Studio 69" by The Mohawks, "Soul Thing" by Tony Newman, "It's Your Thing" by The Invaders, and "Move Your Hand" by La Clave. 20 cuts in all! LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked tunes hand-picked by the Japanese maestro of the groove – a heady batch of tracks collected by Yukihiro Fukutomi, with a brilliant melding of jazz, soul, and Latin influences! The set compiles 10 tracks from American and European sources – and features many hard-to-find remixes that surfaced briefly on expensive singles, but which have long gone by the wayside – making this collection even more essential to fans of the groove. Fukutomi presents the tracks in their entirety, unmixed – and titles include "Don't Mean A Thing (Incognito mix)" by Space Jazz Dub Men, "I Got Somebody New (original)" by Georg Levin with Clara Hill, "Everything (Yam Who rmx)" by Dwayne Morgan, "Life Rhythms (Raw Deal rmx)" by E Smoove, "Dreams Come True (Afronaught mix for Bugz In The Attic)" by Alison David, "Listen (Just Listen Louie's Master mix)" by Urban Species, "Cosmic Gypsy (Fila Brazilia rmx)" by United Future Organization, "I Just Wanna Say (Domu's Number One Mix)" by Michelle Lawson, and "Cloud 9 (Quenti Harris Shelter mix)" by Donnie. CD

A totally wonderful compilation – and a fantastic way to dip into the world of Japanese city pop – a genre that most of us missed back in the day, in large part because most of these records never made it to the record racks in the US! As fans know, the movement was a huge crest of creative activity in Japanese music – a way of refining some of the best modes begun in the 70s by artists like Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto (both of whom have a hand in some of the tracks here) – and mixing in some of the long love of American soul, funk, and jazz that had been brewing up for years. There's definitely a lot of soul inspiration on these cuts, even though lyrics are in Japanese – and the music also has some nice electric fusion moments too – although more of the sounds are from beats, keyboards, and basslines. Titles include an early cut by Pizzicato Five, "Boy Meets Girl" – plus "Love Sick" by Mari Iijima, "Pub Casablanca" by Osamu Shoji, "Tropical Love" by Teresa Noda, "Scandal Night" by Miharu Koshi, "Heartbeat" by Miho Fujiwara, "Tonkachi" by Atsuko Nina, "Bewitched" by Naomi Akimoto, "A Soka" by Susan, "Suiyoubi Madeni Shinitaino" by Yukako Hayase, and "Business Man (part 1)" by Makoto Matsushia. CD

A totally wonderful compilation – and a fantastic way to dip into the world of Japanese city pop – a genre that most of us missed back in the day, in large part because most of these records never made it to the record racks in the US! As fans know, the movement was a huge crest of creative activity in Japanese music – a way of refining some of the best modes begun in the 70s by artists like Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto (both of whom have a hand in some of the tracks here) – and mixing in some of the long love of American soul, funk, and jazz that had been brewing up for years. There's definitely a lot of soul inspiration on these cuts, even though lyrics are in Japanese – and the music also has some nice electric fusion moments too – although more of the sounds are from beats, keyboards, and basslines. Titles include an early cut by Pizzicato Five, "Boy Meets Girl" – plus "Love Sick" by Mari Iijima, "Pub Casablanca" by Osamu Shoji, "Tropical Love" by Teresa Noda, "Scandal Night" by Miharu Koshi, "Heartbeat" by Miho Fujiwara, "Tonkachi" by Atsuko Nina, "Bewitched" by Naomi Akimoto, "A Soka" by Susan, "Suiyoubi Madeni Shinitaino" by Yukako Hayase, and "Business Man (part 1)" by Makoto Matsushia. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful compilation – and a fantastic way to dip into the world of Japanese city pop – a genre that most of us missed back in the day, in large part because most of these records never made it to the record racks in the US! As fans know, the movement was a huge crest of creative activity in Japanese music – a way of refining some of the best modes begun in the 70s by artists like Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto (both of whom have a hand in some of the tracks here) – and mixing in some of the long love of American soul, funk, and jazz that had been brewing up for years. There's definitely a lot of soul inspiration on these cuts, even though lyrics are in Japanese – and the music also has some nice electric fusion moments too – although more of the sounds are from beats, keyboards, and basslines. Titles include an early cut by Pizzicato Five, "Boy Meets Girl" – plus "Love Sick" by Mari Iijima, "Pub Casablanca" by Osamu Shoji, "Tropical Love" by Teresa Noda, "Scandal Night" by Miharu Koshi, "Heartbeat" by Miho Fujiwara, "Tonkachi" by Atsuko Nina, "Bewitched" by Naomi Akimoto, "A Soka" by Susan, "Suiyoubi Madeni Shinitaino" by Yukako Hayase, and "Business Man (part 1)" by Makoto Matsushia. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out undercurrent of psychedelia – guitars that buzz or lead searingly, depending on the needs of the number – with heavy, funk-based drums and/or hand percussion with rumbling bass rhythms. From that core, they bust out mightily with more furious percussion, rhythms, mad horn arrangements, and vocals that work as either a sweetener or for even more wild-eyed excitement! In short, global psychedelic funk rhythms with regional Indian folk and classical flourishes, blended with mod, soul, garage and soundtrack influences from around the globe. It's a funky, psychedelic fusion of east and west that's billed as a seminar, but this is no academic endeavor – it's a psych funk party all the way! Includes "The Mod Trade" by The Black Beats, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Somebody To Love – Edit" and "Gairaag Dance Music – Edit" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Dance Music From Hare Rama Hare Krishna" by RD Burman, "Lekar Ham Diwana Dil" by RD Burman feat Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar, "Mary Long" by Atomic Forest, "Dharmatma Theme Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Phir Teri Yaad" by Hemant Bhosle feat Asha Bhosle, "Thanimayil" by Ilaiyaraaja fet Vani Jairam & Chorus and more. 20 tracks in all – with a thick booklet of notes on each track, plus loads of photos, original album & poster art, and more. CD

Heavy funk, hand-picked by Will "Quantic" Holland – and an incredible set that's easily one of the best funk collections we've ever stocked! Will definitely knows his thing, and for the collection, he's dug through the rich catalog of Jazzman 45 reissues in recent years – pulling together some of the best bits from 7" wax, and putting them together into one completely tight collection. The package not only features tremendous tracks all around – most of which are making their CD debut here – but it also includes full liner notes on each number, scans of each label, and even a "funk 45 rarity guide" that's pretty darn handy! And sure, you may already have some of these in your collection as Jazzman or Funk 45 reissue 7" singles – but at this price, the collection's a heck of a great way to get them all together – and it's got the Quantic stamp of approval too. Titles include "Egg Roll" by The M&S Band, "Ooh Ah Ee" by Vern Blair Debate, "Ain't No Other Way" by Herman Hitson, "Tra La La" by The Great Deltas, "Just Plain Funk" by James Polk & The Brothers, "The World (part 1)" by Sandi & The Matues, "Fast Man" by PC's Ltd, "Stay Together" by Soul Excitement, "The Loneliest One" by Gene Anderson, "Boilin Water" by Tony Bowens & The Soul-Choppers, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, and "Mystery Of Black (part 1)" by Shades Of Black. CD

A deep deep dig into the vaults of King/Federal Records – initial home to James Brown and a host of other R&B acts in the 50s – lots of whom are featured here! The collection includes many tracks never reissued before – all hand-picked by vintage 45 expert Mr Fine Wine, and laid out at a level that's both fresher than most King Records collections – and most of the 50s R&B sets we know as well! Fine Wine comes at the project almost with a "roots of funk" approach – which means that there's loads of unusual rhythms, weird cultural hybrids, and raw pre-soul vocals over the top – a killer range of cuts that include "Space Guitar" by Young John Watson, "Bossa Nova & Grits" by Little Joe Washington, "The Way You Do" by Jimmy Nolen, "Good Mambo Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Little Jimmy Scott, "You Can't Hide" by Lula Reed & Freddie King, "Back On The Block" by Sam Anderson & The Telstars, "Same Old Thing" by Amos Milburn, "You're Lower Than A Mole" by Camille Howard, "Be Bop Wino" by The Lamplighters, "Cherry Wine" by Little Esther, and "Stop Knockin" by Juanita Nixon. CD

Here Comes Santa Claus – and a heck of a lot of other folks too – all served up here in a mighty nice collection of Holiday goodies from the postwar years – classic singles and LP cuts, all served up in a mix of jazz, vocal, and R&B modes! The set's a great entry in the series of Christmas-themed compilations from the Bear Family – and like the rest, it's got a mighty big track list, filled with hand-picked numbers by the folks who really know this stretch of music better than most! Titles include "Willy Claus" by Molly Bee, "Winter Wonderland" by Lennon Sisters, "It's A Marshmallow World" by Johnny Desmond, "Christmas Auld Lang Syne" by Bobby Darin, "Jingle Bells" by Frank Sinatra, "I Like A Sleighride" by Peggy Lee, "Ski Jump" by Frederic Curzon, and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland. LP, Vinyl record album

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own – a wonderful mix of album cuts and rare singles – some you'll recognize from famous hip hop samples, some you'll discover here for the first time ever! The triple-length package is overflowing with greatness – and titles include "I Could Never Be Happy" and "I Like It" by The Emotions, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by The Mad Lads and another "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Children Don't Get Weary" by Judy Clay, "All It Takes Is You & Me" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Poverty's Paradise" by 24 Carat Black, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Albert King, "Why Marry" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Steal Away" by Johnnie Taylor, "Hang On Sloopy" by David Porter, "Ike's Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes, "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness" by The Soul Children, "Packed & Took My Mind" by Little Milton, "Sing A Simple Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter, "LA Jazz Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes, and "Keep The Faith" by Mel & Tim. CD

Rare killers from Atlantic Records – served up here on a hip Japanese collection! Includes lots of obscure singles – including "Hold On" by James Carr, "Faithful & True" by Percy Sledge, "Sister Pitiful" by Judy Clay, "Lovebones" by Mighty Sam, "Only Be True To Me" by JP Robinson, "Is It Over" by Otis Clay, "Holding The Losing Hand" by Rozetta Johnson, "We Will Always Be Together" by Peggy Scott & Jojo Benson, "I Found All These Things" by CP Love, "Suppertime" by ZZ Hill, and "Cover Me" by Jackie Moore. LP, Vinyl record album

The cover image should give you a great idea of what you're in for here – rare soul from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s/early 70s generation – presented in a wonderful selection of hand-picked cuts! Most of these numbers were recently reissued as limited run 7" singles by Acid Jazz and partner label Miles Away – but those singles, already expensive at the time, are mostly out of print and fetching money as if they were vintage releases – which makes this full-length set as much of a economic treasure as it is a musical one – a chance to enjoy these gems without breaking the bank! Titles include "Family Tree" by Family Tree with Sharon Brown, "We Got Good Lovin" by The Fantastics, "Time Is Long" by Rick Hickman, "Dancing Close" by Rita Joyce, "When You Lose Your Groove" by The Tom Emmanuel & Ron Experience, "Thank You Lord" by Lamont Butler, "Two Can Make It Together" by Tony & Tandy with Fleur De Lys, "This is The Beginning" by Leon's Creation, "Gonna Find A True Love" by Patterson Twins, and "One More Chance Lord" by Delores Fuller. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant batch of funk soul tracks – deep deep tunes from the late 60s and early 70s – all hand-selected by the folks at soul-sides.com! The collection is the sort that trys to go way past the obvious – and although a few tracks are familiar, it does a great job of bringing together the music in a way that makes each track illuminate the next – setting themes, tones, and modes together with a subtle, but effective edge that really pays off. Some of the tracks have been on other reissues before, but compiler Oliver Wang is no stranger to the soul market these days – and he's gone out of his way to make sure the package has a strong payoff for both new listeners and older collectors alike! Titles include "Live & Let Live" by Jimmy Jones, "Morning Sunrise" by Weldon Irvine, "Masterpiece" by Clarence Reid, "Keep My Baby Warm" by Charles May & Annette May Thomas, "Time & Place" by Lee Moses, "No More Sad Songs" by Amanda Ambrose, "Jealous Guy" by Donny Hathaway, "Piece Of My Heart" by Erma Franklin, "Lovin You" by Johnny Guitar Watson, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, and "Ordinary Guy" by Joe Bataan. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little compilation – one of those gems that comes along, and really reminds us that there's a real art to putting some tracks together! In a package that's kind of a follow-up to their excellent Songs For Mario's Cafe, St Etienne pay tribute to the sound of Soho pubs in years past – blending together obscure mod grooves, soul tunes, and unusual British bits – a good deal of which we've never heard before, but which all seem to make some sort of wonderful sense in the company of each other! Think of this one as the experience you might have on a rainy night in London – taking shelter in the warmth of some back alley bar in the west end, then staying way past lockup because the music the jukebox has been surprisingly great – the kind of tunes you've never really heard before, especially in this sort of combination – always a surprise as each new number comes into play. Genius, pure genius – with 25 cuts that include "Lay This Burden Down" by Mary Love, "I Can't Get Through" by Bill Oddie, "Rock N Bones" by Elroy Dietzel & The Rhythm Bandits, "Walkin Through A Cemetery" by Claudine Clark, "Hi Flutin Boogie" by John Scott, "Davy O'Brien" by Duffy Power, "Flight 2" by Angelo & Eighteen, "Good Time Coming" by Mustard, "Varee Is Love" by The Ohio Players, "Driver's Seat" by Sniff N The Tears, "Hand Clapping Time" by Gino with Johnny Greek, "Pinball" by Brian Protheroe, "Smoke Rings" by Les Paul & Mary Fod, "Lost" by The Darlettes, "I Was Born To Love You" by Herbert Hunter, "The EMI Song" by Alex Chilton, and "Sweep It Out In The Shed" by Little Ann. CD

The brilliant return of one of our favorite funky series ever – filled with top-shelf rarities that represent the best of 70s rare groove and break tracks! It's been a long time since we last saw a volume of Strange Games, but this set shows that it's been more than worth the wait – as BBE have come up with a batch of tunes so great, they must have been working on this one for years! As with other volumes, the names are familiar, but the cuts are all surprisingly hard to find – and they're all hand-picked for their resonance with modern use of the material in hip hop and remix culture – an aspect that makes even obscure tunes echo with a strong familiarity because of a bassline or drum break! And as an added treat, the CD and vinyl both have the same number of tracks – an increasingly rare phenomenon these days – with titles that include "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "LA Night" by Yasuko Agawa, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "You Are What I'm All About" by The New Birth, "Loving You" by Donald Byrd, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Strange Funky Games & Things" by Jay Dee, "Do It Baby" by The Miracles, "California Dreaming" by Eddie Hazel, and "Reflections" by Bill Conti. LP, Vinyl record album

16 tracks of sweet and smooth 70s soul – hand-picked with a freshness that should appeal to the modern hip hop fan as much as the older soul collector. The tracks on here aren't as beat or break-heavy as some of the material on other sample-driven collections we stock – but that's fine with us, as the tracks move into a sophisticated soul range that's always a pleasure to hear, bringing together the kind of well-produced 70s tracks that have shown up on series like Strange Games & Funky Things or Mellow Mellow, both of which have been longtime favorites with the DGA crowd! Titles include "Sweet Taste Of Sin" by Dennis Coffey, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Do It To Me Now" by Fatback, "Don't Risk Your Happiness On Foolishness" by Fantastic Four, "Killing Time" by Natural Essence, "Your Love Is My Desire" by Eramus Hall, "Baby Get Down" by Eddie McLoyd, "Set It Out" by The Detroit Emeralds, "Love Starved" by Shirley Brown, "I'm Gonna Have To Tell Her" by Isaac Hayes, "If I Had The Power" by Johnny Guitar Watson, and "I Got To Have Your Love Now" by Caesar Frazier. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Way way way more than the usual Northern Soul compilation – an all-winning batch of rare soul tracks that go a lot deeper than usual – all hand-picked by the expert soul crew at Grapevine Records! The set does swing with the kind of upbeat and uptempo soul tracks that you'd expect from a Northern set – but the vocals are also harder, and the soul runs deeper – making for the kind of collection that could be equally appreciated by fans of southern and deep soul as well! A number of the tracks have a nice rootsy quality that really focuses on the vocals – letting the singers come out full strength, and dominate the set with some wonderfully heartfelt lyrics. Titles include "Think It Over" by The Chesterfields, "Cheatin Kind" by Don Gardner, "Hold Me In Your Arms" by Eddie Holman, "Ever Again" by Bernie Williams, "You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing" by John Bowie, "Seven Day Lover" by James Fountain, "Thank You Baby" by Matt Brown, "Nothing's Too Good For My Baby" by The Springers, and "Hey You Don't Fight It" by The Montclairs. 24 tracks – and a heck of a great deal for this much greatness! CD

The legendary King Records is known as an important label for R&B and hillbilly music – but the label also has a surprisingly strong legacy in the early years of rock as well – maybe in part because it did such a good job of keeping its ear to the ground with those other important styles! King never got the chart-topping hits of a label like Sun Records, but it did manage to draw together an equally impressive array of talents – some still underground names after all these years, others now elevated in the secret history of rock and roll through their work for the label! The set brings together 30 tracks from King and related Federal and DeLuxe labels, all with the detailed notes and well-chosen cuts that continue to make this series so important, even after many years and dozens of releases – a legacy that's really supported here by cuts that include "Say So" and "If I Had A Woman" by Mac Curtis, "Stop The World" by The Bon Aires, "You're Gonna Like My Baby" by Bill Beach, "Haulin Freight" by Bob Newman, "Jungle Rock" by Hank Mizell, "Top Ten Rock" by Fuller Todd, "Put The Chain On The Door" by Boyd Bennett & His Rockets, "No Good Robin Hood" by Delbert Barker, "One Hand Loose" by Charlie Feathers, "Your Kind Of Lovin" by Donnie White, "Bip A Little Bop A Lot" by Joe Penny, "I'm Mad With You" by Moon Mullican, "Midnight Blues" by The Town Three, and "Good Good Good" by Ken McDonald. CD