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A motherlode of music from the glory days of Chairmen Of The Board – tremendous tunes from that time when the group were one of the freshest things in soul music – partly for their unique vocal approach, and partly for the bold, upbeat sound of their backings! All the work here comes from the Invictus Records years of the early 70s – and the set rolls out strongly with bold production from Holland Dozier Holland – often with a heady vibe that adds a nice degree of righteousness to the mix. The set's got over 20 tracks in all – and titles include "Skin I'm In", "Feeling Alright", "Elmo James", "Finders Keepers", "I'm A Sign Of Changing Times", "Let's Have Some Fun", "So Glad You're Mine", "Everything's Tuesday", "Chairman Of The Board", "Pay To The Piper", "Give Me Just A Little More Time", and "Working On a Building Of Love".

A sweet set of sounds from disco maestro Boris Midney – an artist who rarely recorded under his own name, but was the guiding force behind a great range of famous studio projects! The first half of the set features music from the Companion album – a set moves along in a way that's really a cut above the usual dancefloor groove – tight, lean grooves that draw a lot from just a little – never too overblown, in the way that mainstream disco might be – and instead this nicely compressed blend of tight drums, sweet keyboards, and other instrumental lines fused together in a way that works well with the spare vocals. Titles include "This Is A Test", "There's A Way", "Step On Out", "Living Up To Love", and "I Feel Delight" – plus bonus tracks "Living Up To Love (12" mix)", "Step On Out (12" mix)", and "Step On Out (rhythm track)". The second half features some great singles from Midney – real one-off projects, but offered in enough mixes to almost make for a full LP apiece! Titles include "Can He Find Another One (west side)", "Can He Find Another One (east side)", and "Can He Find Another One (inst west)" by Double Discovery; "Dddance (voc)", "Dddance (beats)", "Dddance (inst)", and "Dddance (alt mix)" by Boris Midney; and "Thanks For Loving Me" by Boris Midney.

A pair of disco gems back to back in a 2CD set – with great bonus tracks too! First up is Evita, a loving take on the hit 70s musical – one that serves up all the best tracks in a sweet disco mode – and moves the sound from Broadway to the main floor of Studio 54! Festival present the material, but the key force here is disco maestro Boris Midney – who really helps craft some compelling keyboard-heavy grooves for the set – wicked dancefloor rhythms that have lots of sweet funky touches, topped with vocals that still retain some of the drama of the original! The approach worked surprisingly well with audiences at the time – and titles include "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "Buenos Aires", "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You", "Rainbow High", "She Is A Diamond", and "High Flying Adored". CD features four more long bonus tracks – including two "Special Dance Music Version" mixes from promo 12" singles – plus "Don't Cry For Me Argentina (7" version)" and "Don't Cry For Me (Mexican 12" mix)". Next up is another great Boris Midney project – one of the few issued under his own name, and a cool disco-fication of the themes from The Empire Strikes Back! The set only features four tracks, but all of them are relatively long – and filled with cool instrumental touches on keyboards, guitar, and percussion – more than enough to blow similar Star Wars disco projects out of the water! Titles include "Yoda's Theme", "The Imperial March", "Han Solo & The Princess", and "Star Wars".

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

A brilliant collection of work from this overlooked Chicago soul singer – a set that brings together his whole 1974 album for Dakar, plus bonus singles from his late 70s years at Chi-Sound Records! First up is the sublime I Enjoy Loving You – one of a rare few albums cut by Sidney Joe Qualls – a fantastic 70s soul talent who's probably better known for his work behind the scenes, and as a songwriter, than he is as a voice on his own. The session is produced with a style that kind of mixes Brunswick Chicago soul with rootsier southern elements – stepping proud in the 70s territory of Johnnie Taylor or Tyrone Davis, but sounding way way better here, and with a much more independent vibe. Plus, the album boasts some incredible material – original tunes written by the likes of Sam Dees, Clifford Davis, George Davis, and others. Titles include "Shut Your Mouth", "Run To Me", "I Enjoy Loving You", "Please Help Me", "Can't Get Enough of Your Love", and "The Next Time I Fall in Love". CD then features 5 more bonus tracks from his 1979 studio work with Carl Davis' Chi-Sound label – tracks that include "I'll Run To Your Side", "Let The Woman Know", "So Sexy", "Good Ol Funky Music", and the classic "I Don't Do This To Every Girl I Meet".

A smoking disco double-header from THP Orchestra – two excellent albums back to back, with loads of bonus tracks too! Early Riser has a groove that really has the group starting out strongly – a perfect early disco approach that's funky and instrumental, but which often echoes some other earlier instrumental eras too – partly in the choice of songs, partly in the way that familiar grooves are disco-fied for the 70s! There's more covers here than in later years, but all of them are done mighty well – with a strong use of funky guitars and keyboards that keep a nice edge on the rhythms. Titles include "Theme From SWAT", "More", "Dawn Patrol", "Early Riser", "Crazy Crazy", "Manha De Carnaval", and "Sugar Sugar". CD features 8 more bonus tracks added to the album – including "Theme From SWAT (orig 7" mix)", "Early Riser (orig 12" mix)", "Manha De Carnaval (7" edit)", "Fightin On The Side Of Love (12" mix)", "Fightin On The Side Of Love (inst 7" mix)", and "Fightin On The Side Of Love (inst 12" mix)". Two Hot For Love is a great little disco album – really a cut above its contemporaries, thanks to some great instrumentation overall! Side one features the extended "Two Hot For Love" title track – presented as a mini-suite of sorts with lead vocals from Barbara Fry, a singer who's really a lot more soulful than you'd expect. But even better are the keyboards by Michael Lewis – soaring out with similar spacey touches to his own AVI work, and bringing in some interesting interplay to the tune. Side two features some shorter tracks – including a great funky remake of "Manha De Carnival" with more great Lewis keyboards – plus "Crazy Crazy", "Dawn Patrol", and "Early Riser" – all longer versions than on the group's first album. CD features lots of bonus remixes of the title single "Two Hot For Love" – including an "RCA 12" mix", "7 inch b-side", "Pete Waterman 12" edit", and a few more single mixes.

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

The second US album from Euro disco outfit Voyage – a group who manage to bring in some nice progressive and jazzy elements to the mix! There's almost a jamming rock-gone-disco approach to a few of the best numbers – thanks to a strong use of heavy guitars and keyboards, and a real rock-like phrasing at times. All tracks are longish, with TK-styled breakdowns on the better tunes – and lead vocals are handled by Sylvia Mason. Titles include "Tahiti, Tahiti", "Souvenirs", "Kechack Fantasy", "Eastern Trip", "Let's Fly Away", "Golden Eldorado", and "Gone With The Music". This 2CD special edition also includes he album length Special Instrumental Vol 2 on CD1 – plus a second CD featuring 12", 7" and otherwise alternate mixesof "Souvenirs", "Let's Fly Away", "Tahiti, Tahiti" and more – including the bonus "Dance And Romance" recorded as Disco & Co. 24 tracks on 2CDs!

An overlooked gem from Voyage – maybe the best album ever from this Euro Disco lineup, but a set that never fully got its due, given that it was initially released after the end of the disco generation! The style here is even tighter and funkier than previous outings from Voyage – definitely done with echoes of 80s club, yet more disco than 80s groove in the long run – thanks to the strong emphasis on rhythms the group always had from the start. As before, the keyboards and drums lay out most of the structure of the tunes – but there's also some great riffing guitar, and plenty of catchy vocals too – possibly even more hook-heavy than before. Titles include "One Step Higher", "Let's Get Started", "Come & Get It", "I Surrender", and "Follow The Brightest Star". Massive 2CD edition also features 15 more bonus tracks – including the previously unreleased "Almost Made It" – and lots of mixes of "Nowhere To Hide", "Let's Get Started", "Magic In The Groove", "I Surrender", and "One Step Higher".

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

Way more than just a simple reissue – because there's so many tracks on here, it's more like spending a day in the vaults of Sirocco Records! The core material here comes from Voyage 3 – a soaring third set from Voyage, – and one with a bit of a post-disco groove, as you might guess from the new wave look of the cover! The tunes still step out with plenty of clubby rhythms and keyboards, but also bring the guitars up a bit more – and almost give them a sharp edge at times – seeming to go for a crossover style that really works well with the lyrics. But the best cuts, as before, are mostly instrumental – and have that soaring, spacey sound that really lives up to the "voyage" name – a cool Euro-disco groove that works perfectly, even when the vocals drop out. Titles include "I Love You Dancer", "I'm Only Human", "Do It Again", "I Don't Want To Fall In Love Again", and "All The Way". Yet there's way way more, as promised – including 7 more tracks from Special Instrumental No 3 – an all-instrumental version of the album that's almost even better. Then, you also get the Sylvia Mason album – a project with a soulful singer fronting the same production lineup of Marc Chantereau, Slim Pezin, Pierre Alain Dahan, and Roger Tokarz! Sylvia's vocals really bring in a lot more soul than usual for Voyage material – sounding great on cuts that include "Shadow In The Sun", "Hello Superduper Star", "You're Like A Silent Movie", "Afraid Of Love", and "We've Gotta Dance". CD also features lots of bonus tracks too – including "I Love You Dancer" in 12" and 7" mixes, "We've Gotta Dance" in 12" and 7" mix , "I Don't Want o Fall In Love Again (7" mix)", and "Discotch" in 12" and 7" mixes!

An amazing tribute to London's Acid Jazz label – an imprint that's had an undeniable influence on all the things we do here at Dusty Groove! The massive package is way more than just a collection of the label's classics – and instead, it offers up a range of sounds that influenced the acid jazz scene in the UK at the end of the 80s – and others that go on to show the development of funk and soul in London as the 90s moved on. The package features a 52 page hardcover book, filled with Acid Jazz artwork and images; another 20 page book with the story of the label; a DVD with an interview and video footage of Snowboy, James Taylor Quartet, and other label stars; a 7" single with two unreleased tracks – "Never Stop" by The Brand New Heavies with Jan Kincaid and "Rock Steady (inst)" by The Brand New Heavies; and 4CDs worth of music with songs by Alice Clark, Small Faces, Dinosaur L, Charles Earland, Mark Murphy, The Quick, Jose Feliciano, Pharcyde, Forest Mighty Black, Mr Scruff, Paul Weller, Gang Starr, One Creed, Humble Souls, Tribe Called Quest, Nuyorican Soul, Soho, Ballistic Brothers, and many others. 65 tracks in all – and that's just the music!

A jam packed collection of classic funk that formed the bedrock of the hip hop revolution – iconic breakbeat material and straight up funky treasures – a 2CD set compied by Dean Rudland! This new set celebrates the great earlier Breaks series on Harmless with a nice mix of numbers that are as classic as can be to beat diggers, but only recoginizable for the sampled bits to younger and more mainstream listeners, plus better-remembered classics that are just as important . The set features tracks by Mohawks, Liquid Liquid, Al Green, Taana Gardner, Last Poets, Funkadelic, Cymande, MFSB, Brick, Syl Johnson, The O'Jays, Average White Band and many more. 31 tracks on 2CDs: "The Champ" by Mohawks, "Space Funk" by Manzel, "Get Down With The Philly Sound" by MFSB, "Love And Happiness" by Al Green, "The Message" by Cymande, "Groovin'" by Willie Mitchell, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulsom, "Here I Go Again" by Jean Plum and many more.

Incredible tunes from the second generation of the surf music scene – a time when the sweeter sounds of Southern California were shed for the heavier, headier modes of the late 60s! The package is a wonderful look at this under-exposed genre – and features rare work recorded for surf films from both the US and Australia – the latter of whom would carry the genre forward more strongly than even her American counterparts. Most tracks here are instrumental, but they're a far cry from The Surfaris or Ventures – as the guitars are often fuzzy and jamming, over rhythms built from rumbling bass and heavy drums. Titles include "Crumple Car" and "Innerspace" by Farm, "Junkyard" and "Hollywood" by G Wayne Thomas, "Big Green" and "Sitar Track" by Music Convention, "Dream Chant" by Ticket, "Transparent Dream" and "Animal Kingdowm" by Smoghorn, "Drainpipe" by The Protein Brothers, "Evolution" by Tamun Shud, and "Gypsy Shoes" by G Wayne Thomas.

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.

A great take on the sound of Philadelphia International – a double-length set of re-edits of Philly gems from years back – but all done in ways that are completely respectful to the originals! The approach here is wonderful – as warm and soulful as the Philly grooves from back in the day – but often extended and reworked slightly – the way you might have heard on a vintage 12" promo – which is even more impressive once you consider that some of these tracks never came out in that format! The choice of tracks is totally right on the money – and a great demonstration of that old school edit mode that never tried to mess with the track at all – just increase the pleasure it brought to the dancefloor – and the set features 21 very long tracks, including "Satisfaction Guaranteed (Morning Star re-edit)" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Only The Strong Survive (J*Ski re-edit)" by Billy Paul, "Free Love (Victor Rosado re-edit)" by Jean Carn, "Life On Mars (DJ Mila re-edit)" by Dexter Wansel, "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now (The Noodleman re-work)" by McFadden & Whitehead, "Nights Over Egypt (Womack & TOT re-edit) by The Jones Girls, "Strategy (Touchsoul re-edit)" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Let The Dollar Circulate (Scratch N Sniff's ext re-reub)" by Billy Paul, "Darlin Darlin Baby (Deep & Disco re-work)" by The O'Jays, and "Be For Real (Tim McAllister re-edit)" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.

Massive mixes from the mighty Tom Moulton – a huge 4CD package that not only includes some classic lost and rare mixes from the 70s, but also a whopping 17 previously unreleased Moulton mixes, appearing here for the first time ever! If there's anyone who's ever been well-suited to reworking a Philly groove, it's Tom – given his long standing association with the soul scene in the City Of Brotherly Love – and his crucial role in pushing soul tracks into the clubs during the 70s. As with most of Tom's best work, the mixes here are richly faithful to the originals – and never try to overstate themselves at all, just focus on the best elements, and bring them to the forefront of the groove! 4CDs, 31 tracks, and Moulton remixes of "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice, "Nights Over Egypt" by The Jones Girls, "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Year Of Decision" by Three Degrees, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "She's A Winner" by The Intruders, "Trammps Disco Theme/Zing Went The Strings" by The Trammps, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Robert Upchurch, "Love Is The Message" by MFSB, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls.

The most loving tribute to Philadelphia International that we've ever seen – a massive 10CD box set that also features a 60 page booklet, a full Philly International discography, and a huge amount of great tracks from the legendary label – over 12 hours of music in all! The track list is wonderful – put together by Ralph Tee, of Expansion Records fame – with a great ear for the full range of Philly sounds, not just the hits – which means that in addition to work by The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, MFSB, and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – the set also features work by The Ebonys, Bobby Bennett, Robert Upchurch, Love Committee, Kaleidoscope, Monk Montgomery, Norman Harris, Frantique, The Dells, Silk, The Ethics, The Futures, Carolyn Crawford, and others! Great stuff all the way through – and a bargain at this price.

Two disco killers – together in one single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is Beautiful Bend – a classic album of stripped-down disco grooves – featuring spacey keyboard work from Boris Midney, and lots of heavy congas by Larry Washington! The real focus here is the instrumental work – those long, stretched-out grooves that seemed to be the trademark of the Miami scene in the 70s – especially given the use of percussion here. And although the vocals are mostly of the chorus type, they do a good enough job to emphasize the grooves – and help get the tracks moving forward in all the right ways! Tracks are all quite long – and titles include "Make That Feeling Come Again", "Ah Do It", "That's The Meaning", and "Boogie Motion". CD also features the bonus tracks "That's The Meaning/Boogie Motion (12" mix)" and "Make That Feeling Come Again/Ah Do It (12" mix)". Next up is the self-titled RFC album from Caress – a pretty great set done in a top-shelf clubby mode! Keyboards, horns, arrangements, and production are all by Boris Midney – who'd be working here almost as a one-man show, were it not for the added strings and vocals by Kevin Owens and Chequita Jackson. The set features 4 long jams – and includes "Catch The Rhythm", Charmed", You Got It Too Uptight and "Love Spell". CD also features bonus tracks – "Catch The Rhythm (promo only 12" mix)" and "You Got It Too Uptight/Love Spell (promo only 12" mix)".

Two great albums back to back in one set – with a full CD's worth of bonus material too! First up is The Glow Of Love – the classic debut from Change, and the start of an amazing run of groovers in the early 80s! The set's got a tight, jazzy feel throughout – a stripped-down approach to disco modes, with the same focus on the basslines that you'd find in work by Chic – but a style that's almost even more instrumentally focused overall, given the great range of studio players who worked on the set. Yet there's also some key vocal moments, too – work by Luther Vandross that really helps make some of the best tracks sparkle, and which went onto catapult Vandross into a rich solo career on his own. The set's filled with sharp rhythms and sweet jazzy changes – and titles include the classics "The Glow Of Love" and "Searching", both with Luther, plus "Lover's Holiday", "Angel In My Pocket", and "The End". Miracles is a brilliant second set from Change – working here without Luther Vandross on lead vocals, but hardly missing a beat at all! As before, the basslines are at the core of the set – a sweet stripped-down approach that brings even more focus onto the bottom of the groove for early 80s dancefloors – with loads of numbers that step along in a really groovy mode – one quite far from the cliches of disco, and inflected by loads of jazzy elements that keep things fresh over the years! Vocals are by James Robinson – previously with Lonnie Liston Smith – Diva Gray, and Jocelyn Shaw – and titles include "On Top", "Paradise", "Hold Tight", "Your Move", "Stop For Love", and "Heaven Of My Life". CD 2 features a whopping 17 more bonus tracks – lots of single mixes, including versions of "A Lover's Holiday", "It's A Girl's Affair", "Angel In My Pocket", "The Glow Of Love", "Searching", "The End", "Paradise", "Hold Tight", "Stop For Love", and "On Top".

A pair of disco gems – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! First up is the album On Such A Winter's Day by Grand Tour – a unique side project of the Canadian team who gave the world the THP Orchestra, but one that's done with a bit more Euro style overall! The grooves are full and sweeping right from the start – not as cold as the sounds coming from some of the German studios, but with a similar use of vocals tied up inside the strings – a quality that has the singer equally placed with the instrumentation in the mix, and not as much as a standout soloist. These strings are arranged to perfection by the legendary Jimmie Haskell – who really changes up his mode here, and works great with the groove. The set's got a killer clubby remake of "California Dreamin" – done with female lead vocals and a disco pace that's somehow more chilling than the original. Other titles include "Still I'm Sad", "The Grand Tour", "Flight To Versailles", and the great jazzy groover "Late November". Bonus tracks include "Grand Tour (7" mix)", "Let's Go Boating (promo 7" mix)", "Grand Tour Medley", "Lat November (promo 7" mix)", and "Still I'm Sad (7" mix)". Headin South is a standout album from Southern Exposure – a sweet disco set from the Canadian scene of the late 70s – and one that's as sexy-sounding as its cover might imply! The tracks are long and nicely stretched-out – and have a great use of percussion at the core, mixed with spacier keyboards that really help refine the groove – and give the tracks more than enough energy to push well past the 5 minute mark – even without any sort of strong vocals in the lead! Lyrics are mostly in the catch chorus style of this sort of work – but the main appeal is really the instrumentation, including keyboards from Carl Marsh, alongside some nice riffing guitar and bass as well. Titles include "On Our Way", "Love Is", "Tight Pants", and "Headin South". Bonus tracks include "Headin South (edit)", "On Our Way (edit)", "Love Is (7" mix)", and "Tight Pants (7" mix)".

70s magic from Syl Johnson – a huge collection of his work for the Hi Records label – put together in a set that seems to include almost ever track that Syl recorded at the time! The music is quite different than Johnson's earlier work in Chicago – warmer, with more of a southern soul vibe – thanks to production from Willie Mitchell, who's often putting Syl's vocals in the same sort of setting he used with Al Green – a mode that really opens up some new magic in Johnson's singing! There's a slow-burning brilliance to the set right from the start – and tracks include "Main Squeeze", "We Did It", "The Love You Left Behind", "I Wanna Satisfy Your Every Need", "Come On Home", "Stand By Me", "Please Don't Give Up On Me", "Take Me To The River", "Let Yourself Go", "Anyone But You", and "Could I Be Falling In Love".

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

Two disco albums from Evelyn Thomas – back to back on a single CD, with tracks from an unreleased third album as well First up is I Want To Make It On My Own – a Casablanca stormer from Evelyn Thomas – a set that makes mighty full use of her strong vocals for the clubs, but which also features some quick-stepping production from Ian Levine! There's a nice polish to the record, but in an older sort of style – so that the lead singer is respected when the lyrics are flowing free, yet the tracks are also more than long enough to step out with plenty of longer disco modes too. A few tracks have some nice hooks that would more than make them stand on their own as soul singles – and titles include "I Want To Make It On My Own", "Back To Reality", "Thanks For Being There", and "It's The Magic Of Your Touch". Have A Little Faith In Me is filled with tight long tracks that work perfectly with the bold vocals of singer Evelyn Thomas – grooves that build up long before the lyrics come into the mix – in the best style of club classics on the AVI label! Ian Levine's at the helm once again – guiding Thomas in the studio – but the arrangements have an even tighter punch than before – a nice touch of Chicago groove from arrangers Danny Leake and Fiachra Trench. All titles are nice and long – and tracks include "My Head's In The Stars", "Love Isn't Just An Illusion", "Have A Little Faith In Me", and "No Time To Turn Around". CD features three unreleased bonus tracks that are all mighty nice – recorded after the second album, but never released – including the slinky groover "Sleaze", plus "Summer On The Beach" and "Love In The First Degree".

Massive mixes from the mighty Tom Moulton – a huge package that not only includes some classic lost and rare mixes from the 70s, but also previously unreleased Moulton mixes, appearing here for the first time ever! If there's anyone who's ever been well-suited to reworking a Philly groove, it's Tom – given his long standing association with the soul scene in the City Of Brotherly Love – and his crucial role in pushing soul tracks into the clubs during the 70s. As with most of Tom's best work, the mixes here are richly faithful to the originals – and never try to overstate themselves at all, just focus on the best elements, and bring them to the forefront of the groove! This totally cool package features 31 mixes in all – pressed up as eight 12" EPs – most with four tracks each, leaving plenty of room for very long mixes! Titles include Moulton mixes of "Jam Jam Jam" by People's Choice, "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, "Intro/My Love Don't Come Easy" by Jean Carn, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders, "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Robert Upchurch, "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls, and "Love Epidemic" by The Trammps.

A massive collection of work from the legendary Lee Dorsey – put together with an especially strong emphasis on his funkiest tracks from the 60s and 70s! There's plenty of Lee's hits here, but there's also lots of other great 45 nuggets too – some of the Dorsey cuts that have really become prized in recent years because they're so darn funky – filled with those sharp, angular New Orleans grooves that always worked so well with Lee's vocals – and which are often produced with a very soulful vibe by Allen Toussaint! Every cut on the set's a winner – and titles include "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Ride Your Pony", "Four Corners (part 1)", "Little Ba-by", "Candy Yam", "Take Care Of Our Love", "Feelin", "Cynthia", "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky", "Working In The Coal Mine", "Give It Up", "Go Go Girl", "Can You Hear Me", and "Shortnin Bread".

Tremendous tremendous grooves – hip, jazzy, and deeply soulful – all hand-picked by DJ Spinna, and way more than just the usual funk compilation! Spinna's not kicking back, letting the licensors do his work for him here – and he's really gone out of his way to select a batch of older tracks that match the hipness of his own current work – sublime tunes throughout, all glowing in a united love of soul, funk, fusion, Latin, and Brazilian modes! 2CD set is unmixed, and features 20 tracks that include "River People" by Weather Report, "Bail Out" by DJ Rogers, "When She Made Me Promise" by Beginning Of The End, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Movin On" by Outside, "The World Was Young" by Monika Linges, "Let's Rock" by Feel, "Nereci" by Djavan, "Too Late" by Junior, "Automan (dub)" by Newcleus, "It Ain't Whatcha Say" by Aquarian Dream, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" by Herbie Hancock, and "Body Talk" by Eddie Kendricks.

Massive grooves from the legendary Sam Records – a late 70s disco powerhouse from the New York scene – and one of the tightest, most soulful labels on the market! This killer collection not only brings together the best of Sam from the glory days, it also offers up a wealth of edits and remixes that further enforce the funky sounds of the classics – including a number of contemporary edits that really bring out the hippest aspects of the tunes! Percussion breakdowns are extended, keyboard parts stretched out, and basslines are funkier than ever – on a 2CD set of tracks that include "We'll Make It (Volta Bureau edit)" by Mike & Brenda Sutton, "Bourgie Bourgie (Catz N Dogz rmx)" by John Davis & Monster Orchestra, "This Beat Is Mine (Soul Clap rmx)" by Vicky D, "Just How Sweet Is Your Love (Walker & Royce Touch)" by Rhyze, "Feel Alright (Bonar Broadberry edit)" by Komiko, "Stay With Me (Andy Ash edit)" by John Davis, "Let's Lovedance Tonight (Jacques Renault edit)" by Gary's Gang, Just Let Me Dance (Maxxi Soundsystem rmx)" by Scandla, "Up Jumped The Devil (6th Borough Project jumped up jam)" by John Davis, "Keep On Dancing (Todd Terje rmx)" by Gary's Gang, "Don't Stop (runaway rmx)" by KID, and "Let's Do It (Prince Language hands up edit)" by Convertion – plus a long continuous mix of tracks by Jacques Renault!

A pair of late disco classics from Ultimate – back to back in a single set! First up is the group's self-titled debut from 1979 – Euro disco, but recorded in Philly – which makes for a wonderful criss-crossing of modes throughout! As with other disco sets of the style from the time – especially work on Casablanca Records – the set's got a number of really long, stretched-out tunes – almost mini musical symphonies built for the dancefloor, which unfold with sharp rhythms changes, sweet chorus vocals, and razor sharp studio instrumentation! The best of these is the leadoff number which takes up all of side one – the massive "Love Is The Ultimate/Touch Me Baby/Dancing In The Night" medley – which is then followed by slightly shorter groovers with equally great flavors – "Ritmo De Brazil", "Take Me To Chinatown", and "Music In My Heart". CD also features two bonus tracks – different mixes of the "Love Is The Ultimate" medley. Next is the Ultimate album from 1980 – a set that's got a stronger vocal approach than their previous effort – thanks to work by a trio of lovelies from the Philly scene, recorded here with a sound that's a bit different than some of their Casablanca contemporaries! The record's not nearly as polished as some of the rest – arranged by Michael Forte with a style that's certainly clubby, but with some hook-heavy modes that are a bit song-based too – almost crossover soul at the best moments, which is quite unexpected. Vocals are by Riti Saunders, Barbara Hernandez, and Deborah McGriff – and titles include "This Time I'm In Love", "Get To The Top", "Feel So Fine", "Now & Forever", and "Secret Agent Man".

An overstuffed package of funk – filled with classics from the 70s, all brought together in celebration of the legendary Pulp Fusion series! Hard to believe it's been 15 years since the first Pulp Fusion volume, but during that time the collections have brought us plenty of joy, and plenty of grooves – and have built a well-deserved reputation for coming up with some of the grooviest cuts around! This double-length collection is all-solid all the way through – a great mix of cuts that go past obvious 70s hits, and include the kind of funky nuggets that have really gotten some fame in later years – thanks to collectors and heavy sample usage. Titles include "Get Down With The Get Down" by Melvin Sparks, "2 For 1" by Pleasure, "Always There" by Willie Bobo", "Captain Connors" by Norman Connors, "We All Got A Mission" by Billy Paul, "Lope Song" by Eddie Russ, "Yellow Sunshine" by Yellow Sunshine, "People Make The World Go Round" by Milt Jackson, "A Time & A Place" by The Heath Brothers, "Tragic Magic" by Nathan Davis, "Jungle Strut" by Gene Ammons, "It's A Trip" by The Last Poets, "La Botella" by Joe Bataan, "Life On Mars" by Dexter Wansel, and "The World We Live In" by The Politicians.

A wonderful compilation – with a really unique sound! The compilers have gone for the sort of tracks that have provided an inspiration for some of London's more spacious soul artists of the past few years – and they've carved out a special slice of tunes from the cusp of the 70s, right at the point when hippie freedoms were sneaking into soul, folk, rock, and funk – in rare instances creating a fantastic blend of moods and modes, tunes that deliver that rare sound known in the underground as the "folk funk experience". The package is different than most funk compilations you'll buy this year – with a laidback groove that features lots of acoustic guitar, hand-played percussion, and even some nice touches of strings in just the right parts. The familiar mixes with the obscure – and the result is one of the tastiest listens our ears have heard in a long time! Titles include "You" by Bill Withers, "Play With Fire" by Barbara & Ernie, "And That's Saying A Lot" by Christine Perfect, "Les Fleur" by Minnie Riperton, "Milk & Honey" by Bonnie Dobson, "For What It's Worth" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, "Reach For The Truth" by Linda Lewis, "Make Music" by Rena Sinakin, "I Have Seen" by The Pedllers, "The Dolphins" by Al Wilson, "Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love" by Odyssey, and "Aht Uh Mi Hed" by Shuggie Otis.