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Lost funky work from one of the soulful sisters of Aretha Franklin! Erma's got a hard-hitting style that's right up there with Aretha's best for Atlantic – and on this album, she's working in Chicago with Johnny Pate, Sonny Sanders, and Willie Henderson – for a harder-hitting sound than her famous sis, really in the groove with the best of Brunswick from the late 60s! Erma's vocals are incredible – equally at home with the original tracks on the record, as well as some late 60s hits that are nicely soulized by the boys in the band! Titles include "Hold On I'm Coming", "Baby I Love You", "Light My Fire", "You've Been Cancelled", "Can't See My Way", and "Gotta Find Me A Lover".

Charlie Haden and Hank Jones reunite as a duo – working through a set of songs with spiritual sources, in ways that really seem to unlock the warmest elements of both players! Jones is no stranger to this sort of mode, especially in later years – and his gentle, spacious touch on the keys of the piano is a real change from some of the heavier modes you might have heard when these tunes were played along with a choir. But the real revelation is possibly Haden – who hits some of his most evocative, sentimental sounds in years – a great reminder of the ways that he could always paint such a pretty picture with his basslines when he wanted. Titles include "Deep River", "The Old Rugged Cross", "Down By The Riverside", "Going Home", "Blessed Assurance", "Come Sunday", and "Nearer My God To Thee".

Hard soul genius from The Isley Brothers – a set that has the group sounding quite different than their smooth hits from later years – with a hard-burning quality that's mighty nice all the way through! The vocals are still tremendous – and in fact, given that these guys are usually moving at a pretty darn fast clip, the way they trade sounds is even more amazing – grooving to sounds that are even more upbeat than most Northern Soul – and presented with a great garagey edge! Titles include the familiar monster "Twist & Shout" – but all cuts are great, and include "Spanish Twist", "I Say Love", "Hold On Baby", "The Snake", "Don't You Feel", "Never Leave Me Baby", "You Better Come Home", and "Right Now".

One of the greatest new male soul voices of the 80s – served up here in a beautiful batch of ballads, love songs, and mellow cuts! Freddie Jackson could number plenty of groovers amongst his hits, but he also always seemed most at home with a ballad – where the complexities of his vocal approach usually hit their height, and his confidence was always well-placed! This set features a dozen great reminders of Jackson at his best – titles that include "You Are My Lady", "Rock Me Tonight", "Hey Lover", "You & I Got A Thang", "Love Me Down", "Main Course", "Do Me Again", "I Could Use A Little Love", "Have You Ever Loved Somebody", and "Love Is Just A Touch Away".

Chuck Jaques hits a sweet groove here – a soulful rocksteady rhythm that really sends the whole tune home nicely – perfect for his heartfelt vocals in the lead! "Brush" is handled by Lynn Taitt on the flip – and the tune's got this badass blend of stepping guitar and tinkling piano in the bottom – a wonderful groove that's almost more popcorn soul instrumental than late 60s Jamaica!

The best-ever collection of work we've ever seen from Barbara Lewis – and the first set to really give the soul singer her due! Lewis was a hell of a vocalist back in the 60s – an artist who could be classy one minute, and gutsy the next – often working with key production from the great Ollie McLaughlin – a Detroit talent from the time, and one who crafted a really unique groove with Barbara! The result is a batch of tracks that go way beyond familiar 60s soul – and way beyond Barbara's better-known hits too – a wealth of under-discovered tunes that really shows a lot of development, especially as the 60s move on. There's loads of tracks on here we've not heard in years – and titles include "Fool Fool Fool", "On Bended Knees", "You're A Dream Maker", "I'm All You've Got", "I'll Keep Believing", "Don't Forget About Me", "It's Magic", "Make Me Belong To You", "I Remember The Feeling", "I'll Make Him Love Me", "Sho Nuff", "Make Me Your Baby", "Love To Be Loved", "Think A Little Sugar", "My Mama Told Me", "Snap Your Fingers", "Pushin A Good Thing Too Far", "Come Home", "Baby I'm Yours", and "I Say Love".

One of Cheryl Lynn's early killers for Columbia – an album of tight, bouncy, joyous soul all the way through – free from any of the too-commercial touches that sometimes slowed Cheryl's later work! Ray Parker Jr produced the set – and he as well is free from the slicker sounds of his hits – keeping things warm, personal, and real on most of the album's best tracks – and balancing Cheryl nicely between heartfelt mellow tracks and a few more uptempo tunes designed to keep her on the minds of the dancefloor scene. Titles include "In The Night", "Baby", "What's On Your Mind", "Hurry Home", and "With Love On Our Side". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Shake It Up Tonight (single)" and "In The Night (single)".

Early, early Coxsone Dodd produced sides of groovy rocksteady, voiced by a young Bob Marley with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. While we don't find this material nearly as compelling as his later work produced by Lee Perry and then his huge international hits, it's great Studio One rocksteady and an interesting portrait of a legend in the earliest stages of his career. 10 tracks, including "Simmer Down", "Maga Dog", "I Made A Mistake", "I Am Going Home", "Donna", "Nobody Knows" and "Love & Affection".

Elis Regina hits the London scene of the late 60s – with amazing results that make the album one of her best from the early years! The style here is still quite bossa-oriented, but backings are done by Peter Knight – who'd worked with Scott Walker and some of the other hip British singers at the time – so the sound's a bit different than Elis' Brazilian records, too. Knight's quite sensitive to Regina's way of interpreting a tune – and he nicely follows the soaring, jazzy vibe that Roberto Menescal had given her at home. But the groove's also a bit more open and fluid too – with some slight Brit Easy touches that really send the whole album home! Titles include a great version of "Upa Neguinho", plus "O Barquinho", "Zazueira", "Giro", "A Volta", "Corrida De Jangada", "Watch What Happens", and "Wave".

2 amazing albums from Elis Regina – back to back on a single CD! First up is Elis Como Et Porque – one of our favorite albums ever from the incredible Elis Regina – a record that really has her hitting new levels in her style – moving past simple bossa into a realm of music that's all her own! The backings are arranged by Roberto Menescal, who also moves into some great new territory here – a soaring, spacious mode that's way different than his gentler bossa – and which really has some of the growing complications that were showing up in Brazilian music at the end of the 60s. There's a fair bit of jazz in the mix, but also a fair bit of majesty too – and the tunes soar out with a much livelier feel than some of Regina's later albums. Titles include amazing renditions of "Canto De Osssanha", "O Barquinho", "Giro", "O Sonho", "Casa Forte", and "Vera Cruz" – plus a tasty version of Michel Legrand's "Recit De Cassard", from Umbrellas Of Cherbourg. On Elis Regina In London, Elis hits the London scene of the late 60s – with amazing results that make the album one of her best from the early years! The style here is still quite bossa-oriented, but backings are done by Peter Knight – who'd worked with Scott Walker and some of the other hip British singers at the time – so the sound's a bit different than Elis' Brazilian records, too. Knight's quite sensitive to Regina's way of interpreting a tune – and he nicely follows the soaring, jazzy vibe that Roberto Menescal had given her at home. But the groove's also a bit more open and fluid too – with some slight Brit Easy touches that Really send the whole album home! Titles include a great version of "Upa Neguinho", plus "O Barquinho", "Zazueira", "Giro", "A Volta", "Corrida De Jangada", "Watch What Happens", and "Wave".

A sweet groover from the Italian scene of the 70s – music that's got a lush feel, but a funky one too – a great mix of strings and electric instrumentation that rivals the best cop/crime work of the time – yet also has a nice sexy feel too! There's almost a blacksploitation vibe to the record at times – and although some instruments solo at points, the real groove lies in the tight vamping of the orchestra – which hits all the right notes to really send the whole thing soaring – often with a nice use of tone and color too! Titles include "Flying High", "Fearing Much", "Going Home", "Running Fast", "Walking In The Dark", and "Feeling Tense".

A surprisingly trippy record by Del Shannon! The set is way different than the simpler pop you may know from Shannon's bigger hits – and the album's a rare late 60s gem with great British touches that include production by Andrew Loog Oldham and backings by Arthur Greenslade! There's a compressed psychedelic approach going on here that's served up with mellow organ, baroque orchestrations, and standout instrumental touches that would almost be enough, even without Shannon's vocals. But Del's presence is really what holds the whole album together – bringing in a sense of sweetness from past years, but also showing a strong desire to move into more mature themes that creates a really great sort of tension. Tunes include a few originals by Del, plus a number of other great ones by Andrew Rose and Billy Nichols – with titles that include "Led Along", "It's My Feeling", "Mind Over Matter", "My Love Has Gone", "Cut & Come Again", "Runaway 67", and "He Cheated". CD also features 5 bonus tracks too – mono singles mixes of titles on the album!

One of the best trio sessions we've ever heard from Horace Tapscott – warmer and a bit more soulful than some of his other sides of this nature, and played with a well-rounded style that really hits home! The group features great drum work from Ben Riley, and bass by Fred Hopkins – and the set list includes some of Tapscott's excellent original compositions, the kind of blocky, searching tunes that have always made his writing a favorite of ours. Titles include "Sandy & Niles", "As A Child", "To The Great House", and "Chico's Back In Town".

A well-done collection of grooves from the legendary CTI Records – home to some of the most important jazz funk of the 70s! The set does a good job of getting past the familiar hits from the label, and moves into territory that showed the complexity of the grooves being laid down – a depth that's sometimes overlooked, given the success of CTI. The nicely-priced set features 10 tracks in all – including "Hard To Face The Music" by Idris Muhammad, "September 13" by Deodato, "Canned Funk" by Joe Farrell, "Rock Steady" by Johnny Hammond, "I'm Not So Sure" by Milt Jackson, "Hurtin House" by Esther Phillips, "Sugar Free" by Hank Crawford, "Shoogie Wanna Boogie" by Dave Matthews, "I Remember Wes" by George Benson, and "Storm" by Stanley Turrentine.

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind.

Genius work from one of the greatest Southern Soul studios ever – Muscle Shoals' legendary Fame Studios – the start of a huge wave of great music in the 60s, and a genre-changing sound that's still going strong today! The package is the best we've ever seen to look at Fame – not just a killer selection of the studio's music – 75 tracks that bring together rare singles, hits, and some lesser-known gems – but also a beautiful hardcover book, filled with pages and pages of great notes, vintage images, and more – really telling the unique take of Fame, producer Rick Hall, and all the mighty talents who helped make Muscle Shoals one of the most important sites for soul music in the 60s and 70s. Titles include "Ten Miles High" by David & The Giants, "Search Your Heart" by George Jackson, "Let Them Talk" by Dan Penn, "Two In The Morning" by Spooner's Crowd, "Lady In The Rain" by Lowell Fulson, "Wanted Lover" by James Govan, "Grits & Gravy" by The Fame Gang, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "What Color Is Love" by Roscoe Robinson, "Laugh It Off" by The Tams, "Thief In The Night" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Mitty Collier, "I'm Just A Prisoner" by Candi Staton, "Thread The Needle" by Clarence & Calvin, and "Slippin Around With You" by Art Freeman.

Funky female soul galore – a killer set of rare tunes that's one of the best sets of this type we've ever stocked! The SuperFunk crew at BGP have gone through the rich array of labels handled by the company – pulling out some massive tunes that really push our understanding of female soul – taking things way past the obvious hits and girl group numbers, into hard and heavy-stepping territory that we really love! Most of the tunes on the set are completely new to our ears, and there's a great mix of northern and southern funk styles that keeps things super-fresh. Drums crackle, basslines pound, and the gals belt it out loud, clear, and funky on a set of 20 tracks that includes "Tell Me What's Wrong" by Lynn Varnado, "Listen Here" by Valorie Keys, "Know What To Do When You Get It" by The Genies, "Heavy Heavy Hangs My Heart" by Vera Hamilton, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Pounds Of Soul" by Betty Bibbs, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Delilah Moore, "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Staying At Home Like A Woman" by Lynn Varnado, "Hold On This Time" by Fontella Bass, "Mr Fix It" by Thelma Jones, "I'm Glad I Got Over You" by Jeanette Jones, "One Way Street" by Little Ann, and "It's Too Late For Tears" by Rene Bailey.

Funky female soul galore – a killer set of rare tunes that's one of the best sets of this type we've ever stocked! The SuperFunk crew at BGP have gone through the rich array of labels handled by the company – pulling out some massive tunes that really push our understanding of female soul – taking things way past the obvious hits and girl group numbers, into hard and heavy-stepping territory that we really love! Most of the tunes on the set are completely new to our ears, and there's a great mix of northern and southern funk styles that keeps things super-fresh. Drums crackle, basslines pound, and the gals belt it out loud, clear, and funky on a set of 20 tracks that includes "Tell Me What's Wrong" by Lynn Varnado, "Listen Here" by Valorie Keys, "Know What To Do When You Get It" by The Genies, "Heavy Heavy Hangs My Heart" by Vera Hamilton, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Pounds Of Soul" by Betty Bibbs, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Delilah Moore, "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Staying At Home Like A Woman" by Lynn Varnado, "Hold On This Time" by Fontella Bass, "Mr Fix It" by Thelma Jones, "I'm Glad I Got Over You" by Jeanette Jones, "One Way Street" by Little Ann, and "It's Too Late For Tears" by Rene Bailey.

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

Herbie got a standing ovation for this performance – at least if the title is to be believed – and considering the grooves on the set, it was all for very good reason! The album's one of the few to feature Mann in the company of pianist Chick Corea – who steps out here with some hard, soulful, Latin-inflected energy that's totally great – and which really makes the group cook. Other players include Dave Pike on vibes and Patato Valdes on congas – and the great Ben Tucker joins the group on an extremely popular 10 minute version of his composition "Comin Home Baby", one of Herbie's all-time hits. Other tracks are equally long and jazzy – and titles include "Mushi Mushi" and "Patato".

An album that collects a number of groovy tunes by Dionne – some from movies she starred in, some from soundtracks she recorded, and others from films that she never had a hand in at all! Arrangements are by Burt Barcharach, Pat Williams, Garry Sherman, and Bobby Scott – and titles include "Slaves", "The April Fools", "A House Is Not A Home", "The Look Of Love", "Alfie", and "Valley Of the Dolls".

Although this one looks like a greatest hits set, it's actually a live show that features Dionne running through most of her big Bacharach hits during the Scepter years. The set features impersonations by Dionne on tracks like "Baby Love", "Bill Bailey", and "Falling In Love Again" – plus straight versions of many old hits, including "House Is Not A Home", "Alfie", "Don't Make Me Over", "The Look Of Love", "Reach Out For Me", and "Wives & Lovers".

Not the full story of Bossa Nova (for that, we might suggest the Trip To Brazil CD) – but a good compilation of rare tracks from the EMI/Odeon catalog, home to some of the best work ever recorded in Brazil! The set's got more than a few hits, but it also features a number of tunes that we've not had easy luck finding on CD – and at this price, the 20-track set's a great little set of bossa tunes whatever way you slice it! Titles include "Voce" by Milton Banana, "Samba De Verao" by Marcos Valle, "Corcovado" by Joyce with Gilson Peranzzetta, "Fotografia" by Sylvia Telles, "Copacabana" by Nana Caymmi, "Se Todas Fossem Iguais A Voce" by Lucio Alves, "O Barquinho" by Pery Riberio, "A Ra" by Joao Donato, "Vivo Sonhando" by Marcos Valle, "Ao Amigo Tom" by Doris Monteiro, "Meditacao" by Luiz Eca & Astor, "Amor Em Paz" by Dick Farney & Claudette Soares, "Samba De Uma Nota So" by Walter Wanderley, "Chega De Saudade" by Lelia Pinheiro, and "A Felicidade" by Agostinho Dos Santos.

A great west coast live date from Bill Evans – one that showed that his magic on the keys was equally at home in LA as it was in New York! The session's especially noteworthy for the presence of drummer Larry Bunker – a great player who worked on countless recordings, both jazz and non-jazz, but who hits a new level here with the Evans Trio – one that almost matches that of Paul Motian for his sensitivity and lyrical interplay with Evans' piano and the bass of Chuck Israels! Titles include "Blues In F", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "The Boy Next Door", "Swedish Pastry", and "Round Midnight" and the bonus track "All The Things You Are".

Two Detroit gems – back to back on a single 45! "Set My Heart At Ease" is an upbeat groove from Mikki Farrow – produced perfectly by the Pied Piper team, who build things wonderfully in a very short space – and really out-Motown Motown with the groove! "I'm Coming Home" is a very cool number from September Jones – a tune that's as dark as the namesake month of its singer – with a vibe that's cool and righteous, while the groove still hits some strong Detroit 60s modes!

Frank Frost really kicks it hard on this set of classic recordings from the 60s – a batch of tracks that easily show why Frost was one of the funkiest bluesmen to record for the Jewel/Paula label! Frank sings and plays harmonica – but an equal attraction here is the rhythms – which are often tight and vamping, and sometimes hard and heavy too – definitely more funk-based at points than the more common rolling blues of the time – although when Frost hits more standard modes, he's still pretty great too. Titles include "Harpin On It", "My Back Scratcher", "Never Leave Me At Home", "Janie On My Mind", "Ride With Your Daddy Tonight", "Five Long Years", "Pretty Baby", and "Harp & Soul".

Al Green, 1973 – what could be better? The king of Memphis soul is at the height of his powers here – working in a setting that yielded less chart hits than some of his other albums for Hi Records, but which is still as sublime as the rest – thanks to an undeniable studio magic guided by Willie Mitchell! The sound is full, but never slick or smooth – and Al's vocals are tremendous throughout (but honestly, did you expect anything less?) Titles include "Call Me (Come Back Home)", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "Funny How Time Slips Away", and the beautiful "Have You Been Making Out OK?"

A treasure trove of overlooked Memphis soul – the earliest work of the legendary Luther Ingram – brought together here properly for the first time ever! Although Ingram's probably best known for his mega-huge hits in the early 70s, he really sounds amazing here in the early days – a vocalist with a bit more grit than we remember, working with backings that have an underground, deep soul take on the Memphis sound of the time. There's a somewhat more down home quality to some of these tunes than on other Memphis work from the late 60s – a style that probably didn't play as big up north as some of the hitmakers from the scene, but which is really worth of rediscovery all these many years later. Unlike other over-cliched work on Stax and Hi Records, most of these tunes have a really fresh, new sort of feel – less-iconic, and all the more appealing because of that fact. CD features 19 tracks in all, pulled from Ingram's first 10 singles – including "You've Got To Give Love To Get Love", "Ghetto Train", "I Can't Stop", "My Honey & Me", "Missing You", "Looking For A New Love", "Pity For The Lonely", "Home Don't Seem Like Home", "To The Other Man", "I'll Love You Until The End", and a rare radio promo of "My Honey & Me".

Brilliantly bright, tuneful 60s sounds from Tommy James & The Shondells – groovy stuff that's often as deeply catchy as their bigger hits, but also a bit more obscure as well – which makes this album a lot more fresh than some of their other records! There's still a nice raw jangly quality to the backdrops, which really offsets the sweet vocals nicely – a balance the really sends home these jaunty tunes in a great way! Titles include "Gettin Together", "I Want To Be Around You", "There's So Much Love All Around Me", "Some Happy Day", "So Deep With You", "Real Girl", and "Lost In Your Eyes".

"Best of" set reprising Grady Tate's mellow jazzy cuts for the Skye label. All the hits are here, including "Windmills of Your Mind", "In My Time", "Sack Full of Dreams", and the beautiful "After the Long Drive Home".

Easily some of the greatest work ever recorded by Ted Taylor – done as a string of sessions in Chicago, New York, and Nashville for Okeh Records – and finally properly collected here in one great set! Taylor's a singer with a wonderful voice – one that was more famously tuned towards bluesier work later in his career, but which is hear heard coming off an initial run in doo wop – in a mix of modes that includes both Chicago and southern soul styles! Production is by Carl Davis, Billy Sherrill, and others – and no matter what the setting Taylor's vocals are incredible – crackling with a sense of emotion and soul that made him one of the singers to match at the time, even if his Okeh years never yeilded that many hits. CD features 25 tracks in all – with titles that include "So Hard", "I'll Make It Up To You", "Don't Lie", "Pretending Love", "I'll Release You", "Can't Take No More", "Be Ever Wonderful", "Need You Home", "Somebody's Always Trying", "Top Of The World", "Stay Away From My Baby", and "Mercy Have Pity".

Way more than just a simple collection of work by Luther Vandross – as this one definitely lives up to the "love" in the title, and spreads it around with a massive amount of work that shows the true depths of Luther's talents! In addition to some hits and favorites, the set also features rare demo material, live tracks, duets, and a full rehearsal session – plus work by Vandross with the groups Change, Charme, and Luther! The 56-song, 4CD package also comes with a 60 page booklet that includes rare photos, an essay, and more – and songs include the exclusive new single "There's Only You", plus the previously unreleased tracks "Meet Luther Vandross", "Ready For Love (demo)", "If You Can't Dance (demo)", and "There's Only You", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", and "So Amazing" from The Montserrat Sessions. Other titles include "Love The One You're With", "George Porgy", "Funky Music Is A Part Of Me", "Power Of Love/Love Power", "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye", "If This World Were Mine", "She Loves Me Back", "Searching (live)", "Always & Forever (live)", "A House Is Not A Home (live)", "Isn't There Someone", "Dance With My Father", "Take You Out", "The Closer I Get To You", "Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (LP mix)", and lots lots more!

A greatest hits two-fer – made even greater with the addition of 27 bonus tracks! First up is Invictus' Greatest Hits – heavy soul from the house of Holland-Dozier-Holland – some of the best bits from their Invictus powerhouse label of the early 70s – definitely a scene-setting imprint at the time! Invictus had some of the deepest grooves ever recorded by the trio – heavy, rumbling bottom sounds – soaring vocal passages – and production that took the Motown lessons of the late 60s to a whole new level. The package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Crumbs Off The Table" by The Glass House, "Band Of Gold" and "Bring The Boys Home" by Freda Payne, "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and "Everything's Tuesday" by The Chairmen Of The Board, "You've Got To Crawl" and "She's Not Just Another Woman" by The 8th Day, and "I Had It All" by The Barrino Brothers. Hot Wax Greatest Hits is a great collection of some of the best numbers from the Hot Wax label of the early 70s – second generation Detroit soul that really set the standard for the 70s! The tunes here were massive back in the day – blasting out of juke boxes, car radios, and a fair bit of home stereos too – all for good reason, given the care and balance the Holland-Dozier-Holland team brought to their work in the studio, and their ears for selecting singers to handle the work. Titles include "Want Ads" and "Stick Up" by Honey Cone, "Somebody's Been Sleepin" and "Too Many Cooks" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul, "Westbound #9" and "Mind Body & Soul" by Flaming Ember, "Woman's Love Rights" by Laura Lee "Women's Love Rights", and "Frightened Girl" by Silent Majority. 2CD set also features 27 bonus tracks that include "Somebody's Gonna Hurt You" by Lee Charles, "Colors Of My Love" by The Silent Majority, "Love Machine" by The Politicians, "Touch Me" by Eloise Laws, "Hey There Lonely Girl" by Ty Hunter, "Wanting You" by Earl English, "That's Love" by The Hi-Lites, "Can't Get Enough Of You" by Tyrone Edwards, "I Need It Just As Bad As You" by Laura Lee, "VIP" by Scherrie Payne, "Guess I'm Gonna Cry" by New York Port Authority, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, and "You Too Me From A World Outside" by Lee Charles.

A surprisingly great recent set from these three older ladies of soul – recorded live in Chicago, and with as much class and care as some of their work from many years back! The format has each of the three singers getting her own space on the stage – singing in front of a well-rehearsed band as they work through some of their best older hits – often with some spoken parts on the intros that are as charming as the tunes themselves! Jean Carn sings "What You Won't Do For Love", "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Closer Than Close", and "Ain't No Way"; Shirley Jones (of Jones Girls fame) sings "Who Can I Run To", "This Feeling's Killing Me", "Do You Get Enough Love", "You're Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else", and "Nights Over Egypt"; and Cherrelle sings "You Look Good", "Saturday Love", and "Everything I Missed At Home".

A really mixed bag of grooves from the Crusaders – but still an album that's quite tasty if you dig their work on the Chisa label! The record appears to be a greatest hits collection – with the "best" in the title – but it's more a summation of the styles they'd been digging on previous records, as some tracks feature a tight funky groove, others have a mellower electric one, and still others have a straight jazz approach. Highlights include the African-sounding "Time Has No Ending", the Sly Stone cover "Thank You Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin", and a nice reading of Wilton Felder's "Way Back Home".

A damn great little record from Candeia – a set that's even rootsier than his earlier albums – with lots of heavy percussion at the bottom, and an earthy quality that really hits home right from the start! Candeia's vocals are wonderful throughout – slightly raspy, and very individual – no easy samba cliches at all – and coming across with a sense of personality that makes us feel like Candeia's serving up the tunes just for us, right on the spot! Titles include "Brinde Ao Cansaco", "Conselhos De Vadio", "Camafeu", "Acalentava", and "Sinha Dona De Casa".

Elis Regina hits the London scene of the late 60s – with amazing results that make the album one of her best from the early years! The style here is still quite bossa-oriented, but backings are done by Peter Knight – who'd worked with Scott Walker and some of the other hip British singers at the time – so the sound's a bit different than Elis' Brazilian records, too. Knight's quite sensitive to Regina's way of interpreting a tune – and he nicely follows the soaring, jazzy vibe that Roberto Menescal had given her at home. But the groove's also a bit more open and fluid too – with some slight Brit Easy touches that really send the whole album home! Titles include a great version of "Upa Neguinho", plus "O Barquinho", "Zazueira", "Giro", "A Volta", "Corrida De Jangada", "Watch What Happens", and "Wave".

Great disco grooves from the TK Records empire of Henry Stone – home to countless club goodies at the end of the 70s! The package brings together some of the more obscure numbers issued on various TK labels – a nice change from some of the overdone TK hits that have been reissued a lot more heavily over the years – showing that there's plenty left to discover in the Henry Stone archives! Many of the numbers have a soaring Miami disco groove – long tracks with nice instrumental moments in the middle, and lots of great guitar bits, basslines, percussion, and keyboards wrapped up in the mix. Tracks on this second volume include "At The Disco Dance" by Wizdom, "Let's Love" by Foxy, "Danger" by Gregg Diamond's Starcruiser, "Burning Love Breakdown" by Peter Brown, "Beyond The Clouds" by Quartz, "If There's Love" by Amant, "One Love" by Celi Bee, and "Hey Sexy Dancer" by Rocky Mizell.

Nancy Wilson turns her wonderfully sophisticated vocal style towards a batch of hits from Hollywood films of the 40s, 50s, and 60s – arranged and conducted by Jimmy Jones, in that classy blend of jazz and soul that suited Wilson so well in the 60s! The style is really a cut above the usual – handled with great poise by Nancy throughout, but also done in a mode that's relaxed enough to get past some of the stodgier sounds of records like this. The mellower tunes are actually some of the best here – personal, reflective, and echoing the "Guess Who I Saw Today" sound of Wilson in the 60s. Titles include "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Almost In Your Arms", "When Did You Leave Heaven?", "My Shining Hour", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Wild Is The Wind".

Two groovy sets from Paul Mauriat – both recorded in the magic year of 1966! More Mauriat really has Paul opening up with some hipper 60s sounds than usual – taking on a whole bunch of American pop tunes of the time, and retuning a French orchestral approach towards leaner, meaner modes – almost a soulful strings sort of vibe at times – although at others, definitely scored by Mauriat with the kind of French soundtrack styles we love in his music – especially in his great use of electric harpsichord on many of the tunes! Titles include "Bang Bang", "Black Is Black", "Sunny", "Guantanamera", "Lara's Theme", and "Reach Out I'll Be There". Prestige De Paris returns Mauriat to the songs of his homeland – classic French tunes from the more romantic previous generation – often done here with full strings and a relatively florid approach that's a bit different than some or Paul's worldwide hits. Titles include "Sous Le Ponts De Paris", "La Mer", "Moulin Rouge", "Les Feuilles Mortes", "La Seine", and "Fascination".

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

Although often eclipsed by their bigger hits, and lost in the shuffle because it didn't have a proper title – this is probably one of the finest albums ever by this legendary Chicago harmony soul group! The record has a very sophisticated soul sound, with harmonies that are even better than on earlier albums – and a great batch of tracks with some very unusual twists and turns that take them farther than the band's big hits. Includes the great groover "Go Away Dream", the hits "Marriage License" and "Stoned Out Of My Mind", and lots of other nice ones like "Homely Girl", "I Never Had It So Good", and "I Found Sunshine".

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis.

A brilliant testament to the righteous power of soul music in the civil rights era – and key proof that even a subtle message could do a lot back in the day! The package presents the work in roughly chronological order – starting from a time when politics had to be peddled softly, and moving towards a time when things could be a bit more explicit – showing a great evolution of themes of pride and power, offered up in tunes both familiar and obscure. The collection is way more than a "hip hits of the 60s" sort of set – and acts almost as a mini-documentary of the contributions of soul music to civil rights – supported by a great set of notes and photos in the booklet. We're especially happy to see the track "Have You Ever Seen The Blues" by Yaphet Kotto – alongside 22 more titles that include "Blues For Mr Charlie" by Lou Gosset & Joe Lee Wilson, "The Ghetto" by Homer Banks, "We're A Winner" by The Impressions, "When Will We Be Paid" by The Staple Singers, "Oh Lord Why Lord" by Parliament, "Message From A Black Man" by The Spinners, "Run Charlie Run" by The Temptations, "Cryin In The Streets (parts 1 & 2)" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "Free At Last" by Jackie Day, "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway, and "The Prayer" by Ray Scott.