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Back to back gems from Martin Denny – two albums on a single CD! Taste Of Honey is a great later moment from Martin Denny – a set that gave him a big 60s hit in a sweet version of "Taste of Honey"! Denny approaches the tune with all the great mellow moods that Bobby Scott intended – none of the too-fast styles of Hirt, and instead the slow-moving rhythms that work perfectly for the blue undercurrents on the piano. Other tunes follow in a similarly nice blend – still a bit exotic, but almost showing more of a vibes/piano/percussion mix that seems to be borrowed from George Shearing or Cal Tjader – one that we approve of highly! Titles include "Route 66", "Exodus", "I'm In A Dancing Mood", "Black Orchid", "Take Five", and "Taste Of Honey". The second albums is a sweet follow up to Martin Denny's Taste Of Honey album – one that's got a great blend of piano, vibes, and percussion – all used in a way that's almost more jazz-like than some of Denny's earlier work! The formula works great to transform a host of 50s and 60s tunes – and titles include "Volare", "Cool", "Bijou", "Harlem Nocturne", "Satin Doll", "Anniversary Song", "Like Young", "Blue Carousel", and "Theme From The Manchurian Candidate".

One of the funkiest records we've heard from Lee Fields in years – and most of his records are already pretty darn funky! This one's got a very different approach than some of Lee's recent deep funk sides – a more electric, 70s-styled slow funk groove – one that begins with great slow-stepping drums that burn with a nice southern soul undercurrent – topped off by warm keyboards and horn bits, all grooving at a laidback groove that's really outta site! "Honey Dove" is also incredible – and begins with a super-dope guitar bit that just snakes out at a really slow, slinky pace – setting things up for the mellow funky drums, and Lee's total soul vocal part!

The last Honey Cone album for Hot Wax Records – and a set that's still very much at the top of their game! As with other artists from the Holland-Dozier-Holland stable of hits in the 70s, Honey Cone have a massive amount of force behind their groove – so much so, the record might still be great even if the vocals were nothing special – but fortunately, the trio of Edna Wright, Shellie Clark, and Carolyn Willis bring plenty to the table too – a great sense of individual soul and all-together harmonies! Titles include "Who's Lovin You", "Stay In My Corner", "I Lost My Rainbow", "Ace In The Hole", "Sittin' On a Time Bomb", and "A Woman's Prayer". CD features great bonus tracks too – "It's Better To Have Loved & Lost", "Ace In The Hole (single version)", "If I Can't Fly", "Somebody Is Always Messing UP My Good Thing", and "The Truth Will Come Out".

Tremendous sounds from Honey Cone – easily one of the most hard-hitting girl groups in soul music – thanks to some funky funky backings on these early 70s tracks! The trio work in a mode that was first forged by female soul groups in the 60s – yet really push things forward with a righteous groove that totally kicks ass – lots of funk at the bottom, burning soul at the core, and soaring vocals that really take off wonderfully throughout! And while there's been plenty of collections of Honey Cone work over the years, this one may well be the best – thanks to a massive 22 track set list, and a really well-chosen batch of tracks that includes "When Will It End", "Want Ads (long version)", "While You're Out Looking For Sugar", "Take Me With You", "If I Can't Fly", "Stay In My Corner", "Woman Can't Live By Bread Alone", "Innocent Til Proven Guilty", "Sitting On A Time Bomb", "Who's It Gonna Be", "Stick Up", and "The Feeling's Gone".

Definitely a soulful tapestry here – as the trio of Edna Wright, Shellie Clark, and Carolyn Willis are at the height of their 70s powers – soaring forth in a massive trio mode, and one that really rewrites the sound of girl group soul for the 70s! There's a bouncy, upbeat groove to the record – kind of a pre-disco approach, but one that's still strongly rooted in the best Detroit soul mode of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team too – balanced with just the right sort of force that makes the trio sound great, and all without any of the cliches that this sort of group might hit a few years later! Titles include the Honey Cone classics "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (parts 1 & 2)" and "Want Ads", plus the tracks "VIP", "The Day I Found Myself", "Stick Up", "Don't Count Your Chickens", "All the Kings Horses", and "How Does It Feel". CD features the bonus track "We Belong Together (single version)".

The second album by Honey Cone – and the one that really broke them out of the box! The record's got a groove that gets going right from the start – a sense of upbeat, soulful energy that really shows why the Honey Cone approach was so different than most of the girl groups who came before them – a groovier, more righteous style that shows that the ladies are very much in charge – and able to send things over the top with their unified energy! Production is great – very rumbling and bold, which further helps the groove – and titles include the huge hit "Want Ads" – a pre-disco cut that pointed the way towards future female soul groups of the mid 70s – plus "Deaf Blind Paralyzed", "Sunday Morning People", "My Mind's On Leaving", "We Belong Together", and "Blessed Be Our Love". CD features two bonus tracks – "Want Ads (unedited version)", and "The Day I Found Myself (single version)".

A brilliant early set from Honey Cone – and a perfect illustration of the way the trio really moved past simple girl group modes of the 60s! There's a bold, proud, righteous tone to the record right from the start – thanks to these soaringly soulful vocals from the girls, and these fuzzy arrangements from Tony Camillo – who seems to borrow a bit from the more righteous modes of Norman Whitfield at Motown, then give things a bit more of a girl soul twist! The combination is amazing, and the album's rock-solid all the way through – filled with great original tunes that really keep a unified feel throughout – and titles include "Are You Man Enough", "Take Me With You", "Girls It Ain't Easy", "While You're Out Looking For Sugar", "The Feeling's Gone", "Sunday Morning People", and "Take My Love".

The second album released of material from the Double Fantasy sessions – released in 1984, years after John's murder, and record we can easily admit having a lot of affection for all these years later! The production has something of a rough, unfinished vibe to it – yet fairly conventional in instrumentation – with John's to-the-point lyricism working pretty well in that setting. Yoko's eccentric vocals – sometimes plaintive and intimate and at other points in a ghostly echo sound better on this record than she's ever been given credit for. Tender, affectionate John & Yoko – quite appropriate given the time of release and sad circumstances. Includes "I'm Stepping Out", "Sleepless Night", "I Don't Wanna Face It", "Don't Be Scared", "Nobody Told Me", "O'Sanity", "Borrowed Time", "Your Time", "Let Me Count The Ways", "You're The One" and more.

A classic Blue Note groover – the funkiest album by Duke Pearson, and a killer batch of piano-heavy soul jazz tunes! Duke really blew out the box for this one – not only coming up with a great batch of original tunes, and playing them with an incredibly soulful touch – but also working with a top-shelf batch of players that includes Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and James Spaulding! The great Mickey Roker is on drums, playing away with a nice scatter-shot modal mode that grooves in all the right parts – and titles include "Big Bertha", "Sweet Honey Bee", "Sudel", "Ready Rudy?", and "Empathy".

A classic Blue Note groover – the funkiest album by Duke Pearson, and a killer batch of piano-heavy soul jazz tunes! Duke really blew out the box for this one – not only coming up with a great batch of original tunes, and playing them with an incredibly soulful touch – but also working with a top-shelf batch of players that includes Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and James Spaulding! The great Mickey Roker is on drums, playing away with a nice scatter-shot modal mode that grooves in all the right parts – and titles include "Big Bertha", "Sweet Honey Bee", "Sudel", "Ready Rudy?", and "Empathy".

Double LP reissue of these two post-Pet Sounds albums – Wild Honey, the stripped down, back-to-basics record that they put out after the failure of Smile; and 20/20, a weird mix of stuff, but a record that also contains some of the lost tracks from Smile. Loads of great tracks, including "I'd Love Just Once to See You", "Let the Wind Blow", "Country Air", "I Can Hear Music", "Cabinessence", and lots of other nice moments from this point in their career. Still essential stuff.

A brilliant early set from Honey Cone – and a perfect illustration of the way the trio really moved past simple girl group modes of the 60s! There's a bold, proud, righteous tone to the record right from the start – thanks to these soaringly soulful vocals from the girls, and these fuzzy arrangements from Tony Camillo – who seems to borrow a bit from the more righteous modes of Norman Whitfield at Motown, then give things a bit more of a girl soul twist! The combination is amazing, and the album's rock-solid all the way through – filled with great original tunes that really keep a unified feel throughout – and titles include "Are You Man Enough", "Take Me With You", "Girls It Ain't Easy", "While You're Out Looking For Sugar", "The Feeling's Gone", "Sunday Morning People", and "Take My Love". CD features a bonus 7" mix of "While You're Out".

An excellent Duke Pearson album – and (dare we say it?) better than any of his Blue Note LPs! The record features a very tight lineup with Johnny Coles on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Les Spann on flute, James Spaulding on alto, and George Coleman on tenor – all players who are well suited to Pearson's warm funky style on the piano, but who also have a strong modernist sensibility that really comes through on the solos. The album is filled with nice tracks – like "New Girl", "Honeybuns", "Heavy Legs", and the fantastic lyrical groover "Is That So", plus "You Know I Care" and "Our Love".

Northern Soul from the the Harthon Records vaults – rare ones from the Philly scene! "Honey Please Stay" has nice stripped down instrumental arrangements, with piano and bass prominent in the mix with the drums – with the song really taking flight via the strong lead and sweet harmony backing vocals. "Baby Don't Do It" ups the tempo just a bit – and it'sn another great number!

An overlooked gem from Sylvester's years on Fantasy Records – a set that has him working strongly with soul maestro Harvey Fuqua, in a really great blend of disco and more laidback modes! There's a balance here that's like early Luther at his best – a way of being proudly poised, yet never in an overdone way – a captivating approach to the music that pushes past any obvious cliches you might expect, and which will definitely have you digging deeper for more Sylvester if you only know his hits. The set list includes a few older classics remade – including "Fever" and "Cry Me A River" – plus the tracks "Change Up", "I Need You", "My Life Is Loving You", and "Doin It For The Real Thing".

Some of the funkiest female soul ever recorded – the near-complete work of James Brown diva Vicki Anderson, compiled here officially for the first time ever! Vicki was one of the first female singers to work with James – replacing the sweeter style of vocalist Anna King in the James Brown Revue of the late 60s, and setting the stage for better-known hard soul singers Marva Whitney and Lyn Collins in years to come! Vicki recorded some excellent singles with James and the band backing her up – but never actually cut a full LP, which is why this overdue set is so essential. Vicki's got a socking-hard sound that worked equally well with the early funk sound of the James Brown Band of the late 60s, as it did during her later recordings with the JBs and Bobby Byrd. The collection brings together 17 of Vicki's recordings under the James Brown umbrella – including a number that we'd never heard before, some duets with James and Bobby Byrd, and a few of her singles recorded under the name of Myra Barnes. And you can take our word for it that you won't find a better collection of funky female soul – because this one's hard-stepping and massively grooving all the way through! Titles include "Baby Don't You Know", "Message From The Soul Sisters (parts 1 & 2)", "Super Good (parts 1 & 2)", "I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff", "Answer To Mother Popcorn", "I Want To Be In The Land Of Milk & Honey", "Baby Don't You Know", "If You Don't Give Me What I Want (I Gotta Get It Some Other Place)", "Wide Awake In A Dream", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "I'll Work It Out", "Think", "Don't Throw Your Love In The Garbage Can", and "You're Welcome Stop On By".

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". The 9th Wonder produced single "Honey" is an unlisted bonus track.

JR's cut some records that have a rootsier feel – but this one features smooth modern arrangements and production by Phil Medley and Buddy Scott. The set begins with an uptempo clubby remake of "Taste of Honey", and also features a nicely grooving take on "Stella By Starlight". Other tracks include "Million To One", "Live Love & Play", "Love & Conversation", and "The Coming Of Your Love".

Maybe the best record we've ever heard from Cosmic mainman Daniele Baldelli – and definitely a set that really lives up to the funky side promised in the title! Baldelli's got a much deeper groove here than ever before – a great ear for tight elements on the basslines, mixed with jazzy work on keyboards and guitar – all woven into a groove that's every bit as club-worth as his other music, yet a lot more warm and soulful overall! It's almost like Daniele's going back to discover a disco generation he might have missed the first time around – with a retro style that's hard to distinguish from the original, a lot like Joey Negro and some of his Sunshine Band work. Titles include "Mellow Game", "Good Day", "What Da Funk", "Voltage Groove", "Synthesized Honey", "Break Loose", "Drive Me Crazy", and "Fontainebleau".

A great pre-Rubber Soul moment – with tracks that include "Honey Don't", "I Feel Fine", "Baby's In Black", "Mr Moonlight", "I'll Follow The Sun", and "No Reply".

The Beatles for sale, but never in a commercial way at all – early proof of the group's great balance between mainstream appeal and sounds that still stick to the frontiers of rock and roll! The tunes are short, and heavy on influences from American R&B – yet the Fab Four are already crafting their new sound strongly, and have a melodic brilliance that's hard to deny! Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "Honey Don't", "Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "Rock & Roll Music", "I'll Follow The Sun", "Mr Moonlight", and "No Reply".

The Beatles for sale, but never in a commercial way at all – early proof of the group's great balance between mainstream appeal and sounds that still stick to the frontiers of rock and roll! The tunes are short, and heavy on influences from American R&B – yet the Fab Four are already crafting their new sound strongly, and have a melodic brilliance that's hard to deny! Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "Honey Don't", "Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "Rock & Roll Music", "I'll Follow The Sun", "Mr Moonlight", and "No Reply".

A searing debut from Black Heat – one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals – figuring in on about half the tracks – but the main focus here is definitely instrumental – with a strong emphasis on choppy guitar, sweet organ licks, and cooking horn solos on trumpet, tenor, and flute – the last two of which are played by David Newman – not normally a member of the combo, but a great guest for this session! The sound is very tight, but never slick – and often recorded with an earthiness that recalls some of the best indie label funk of the period – like the kind of grooves you might find over at Perception/Today – with all the trippiness that might imply. Titles include "Chip's Funk", "Wanoah", "Barbara's Mood", "Chicken Heads", "The Jungle", "Send My Lover Back", "Honey Love", and "Time Is Gonna Catch You".

A searing debut from Black Heat – one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals – figuring in on about half the tracks – but the main focus here is definitely instrumental – with a strong emphasis on choppy guitar, sweet organ licks, and cooking horn solos on trumpet, tenor, and flute – the last two of which are played by David Newman – not normally a member of the combo, but a great guest for this session! The sound is very tight, but never slick – and often recorded with an earthiness that recalls some of the best indie label funk of the period – like the kind of grooves you might find over at Perception/Today – with all the trippiness that might imply. Titles include "Chip's Funk", "Wanoah", "Barbara's Mood", "Chicken Heads", "The Jungle", "Send My Lover Back", "Honey Love", and "Time Is Gonna Catch You".

A Native Tongues (more or less) hip hop classic from 1991! We hardly need tell you about this one, but in case you can't remember, this is the LP with "Flavor Of The Month", "Similak Child", "Pass The 40", "To Whom It May Concern", "Butt In The Meantime", "Strobelite Honey", and more! CD includes the bonus tracks "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)" and "Yes".

An amazing collection of work from the legendary Graham Bond – a 60s Hammond player who was incredibly important to the London scene during the best mod years of the decade! Bond was way more than just a jazz musician – and like George Fame, Zoot Money, and a few of his other contemporaries – he had a way of mixing together jazz and soul with a strong touch of blues – almost a new British version of soul jazz, similar to the way that some of the bigger English rock groups were drawing from American R&B! Graham sings on most tracks – with these raspy vocals that are incredibly charming, and downright soulful – and in addition to his own work on organ, instrumentation features lots of pre-Cream work from Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce on bass – plus plenty of tenor from Dick Heckstall-Smith too. If you dig the mod work of Georgie Fame, you'll find plenty to love here too – but Bond also really helps point the way towards more progressive jazz-rock experiments of the future – although this set features mostly tracks from 1966 and before, without any of Graham's later trippier music. The 4CD package is the best collection we've ever seen of Bond's music from these years – and includes rare singles, unreleased cuts, and even some side projects with Ernest Ranglin and Duffy Power too. 98 tracks in all, with a great booklet as well – and titles that include "Cabbage Greens", "Harmonica", "Early In The Morning", "Tammy", "Honey Bee", "Long Tall Shorty", "Soul Tango", "Down In The Valley", "Waltz For A Pig", "Like A Baby", "Please Don't Say", "Walking In The Park", "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf", "Dick's Instrumental", and lots lots more.

Trad swinging from Connee Boswell – working here outside of her famous group with her sisters, and getting some pretty nice small combo backing from the Original Memphis Five! The overall style hearkens back to a jazz mode a few decades before the late 50s date of the set – and the group recreates the mood nicely with clarinet from leader James Lytell, plus trumpet from Billy Butterfield, trombone from Miff Mole, and piano from Frank Signorelli. Titles include "All Of Me", "Singin The Blues", "Pagan Love Song", "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street", "Make Love To Me", and "My Honey's Loving Arms".

A really cool little album – recorded by Detroit vibist Jack Brokensha at the end of the 60s, working with a combo called the Baroqe-Adelics, whose instrumentation includes electric harpsichord and fuzzy guitar! The album's the kind of small label jazz side we treasure – and includes a mix of funky and groovy numbers with some straighter tracks that demonstrate Brokensha's vibes in a more conventional jazz context. Includes the great original groovers "Boogaloo", "Opus Barokus", "Twistrist", and "Priscilla" – plus versions of "My Favorite Things", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Tast Of Honey".

A spacey Patrick Adams/Greg Carmichael dance classic – and very much in the P&P disco mode! The record's filled with extended club cuts that have a lot of keyboards and electronics, and although the lyrics are a bit silly at times, the groove is rock solid – with that amazing funky disco sound that was sort of a precursor to the house grooves of the 80s. Adams and Carmichael are on keyboards – and vocalists include Donna Green and Leroy Burgess. Nice all the way through – and tracks include "Lady Bug", "I Love You", "Honey Bun", "Space Shuttle Ride", and "I Got A Big Bee".

The legendary 1970 recordings Alex Chilton made at Ardent Studios – recorded in a brief moment after the bust up of the Box Tops and before the debut of Big Star – and a truly powerful precursor to that most iconic of soulful Memphis rock acts! For the longest time, the 1970 sessions were something of a rock & roll holy grail – having been oft-discussed, if rarely heard, by Chilton and Big Star diehards. In the mid 90s, Ardent Records finally released the heart of this collection as 1970 – and here it's done up with even more love and respect by Omnivore, which over the course of just a handful of releases has become one of the very best deep digging reissuers of great, should-be classic soul & rock treasures. The vibe swings from stripped down, soulful rock that sometimes flirts with country rock – those songs featuring gruff, bluesy vocals from Chilton that belie his actual youth, just as greatly as his vox for The Box Tops – to gentler soul pop numbers that truly prefigure the Big Star sound to come. The collection features 20 tracks: all of the material from the long out of print 1970, plus other songs from the period, including demos (these are raw in the right kind of way, as finished as we'd ever want to hear them) and some original mono mixes. Great liner notes by Bob Mehr, a living encyclopedia of Memphis musical knowledge. Includes "Free Again (Original Mono Mix)", "Come On Honey", "Something Deep Inside", "I Can Dig It", "The EMI Song (Smile For Me)", "Every Day As We Grow Closer/Funky National", "I Wish I Could Meet Elvis", "All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain", "Sugar, Sugar/I Got That Feeling", "All I Really Want Is Money", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and more.

The legendary 1970 recordings Alex Chilton made at Ardent Studios – recorded in a brief moment after the bust up of the Box Tops and before the debut of Big Star – and a truly powerful precursor to that most iconic of soulful Memphis rock acts! For the longest time, the 1970 sessions were something of a rock & roll holy grail – having been oft-discussed, if rarely heard, by Chilton and Big Star diehards. In the mid 90s, Ardent Records finally released the heart of this collection as 1970 – and here it's done up with even more love and respect by Omnivore, which over the course of just a handful of releases has become one of the very best deep digging reissuers of great, should-be classic soul & rock treasures. The vibe swings from stripped down, soulful rock that sometimes flirts with country rock – those songs featuring gruff, bluesy vocals from Chilton that belie his actual youth, just as greatly as his vox for The Box Tops – to gentler soul pop numbers that truly prefigure the Big Star sound to come. 12 tracks on the vinyl version – plus great liner notes by Bob Mehr, a living encyclopedia of Memphis musical knowledge. Includes "Free Again (Original Mono Mix)", "Come On Honey", "Something Deep Inside", "I Can Dig It", "The EMI Song (Smile For Me)", "Every Day As We Grow Closer/Funky National", "I Wish I Could Meet Elvis", "All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain", "All I Really Want Is Money", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and more.

One of the best later albums by Chocolate Milk – a bit different than their earlier work with Allen Toussaint, but still bouncing along in a sweet 80s groove, with more than enough traces of their roots as a funky combo! Leo Nocentelli's sitting in on guitar, adding some nice licks to keep some tracks a bit more firmly grounded in tradition, despite some more modern production touches – and the album's got a compelling vibe that's partly pointed towards the boogie generation of the 80s, but with a heavier funk component overall! Titles include "Let's Go All The Way", "Like My Lady's Love", "Honey Bun", "Running On Empty", and a version of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long".

A very groovy take on the work of Jimmy Webb – a sweet instrumental set from German maestro Kurt Edelhagen – featuring a host of hip jazz players from around the European scene, and some great arrangements by Quincy Jones! The tunes are all hits by Jimmy – but they're redone wonderfully by Quincy – who brings in a slightly more soulful approach overall – one that finds all the best spaces between the notes in Webb's originals, and uses them to create a wonderfully subtle sense of groove. Instrumentation includes trumpets from Jimmy Deuchar and Shake Keane, trombone from Jiggs Whigham, saxes from Karl Drewo and Wilton Gaynair, organ and celeste from Bora Rokovic, and bass from Peter Trunk – plus some added strings – and Quincy gets some help on the arrangements from Tom Scott and JJ Johnson, in ways that aren't entirely clear from the notes. Titles include "Sunshower", "Galveston", "Didn't We", "Up Up & Away", "Where's The Playground Susie", "Wichita Lineman", and "Honey Come Back".

A very groovy take on the work of Jimmy Webb – a sweet instrumental set from German maestro Kurt Edelhagen – featuring a host of hip jazz players from around the European scene, and some great arrangements by Quincy Jones! The tunes are all hits by Jimmy – but they're redone wonderfully by Quincy – who brings in a slightly more soulful approach overall – one that finds all the best spaces between the notes in Webb's originals, and uses them to create a wonderfully subtle sense of groove. Instrumentation includes trumpets from Jimmy Deuchar and Shake Keane, trombone from Jiggs Whigham, saxes from Karl Drewo and Wilton Gaynair, organ and celeste from Bora Rokovic, and bass from Peter Trunk – plus some added strings – and Quincy gets some help on the arrangements from Tom Scott and JJ Johnson, in ways that aren't entirely clear from the notes. Titles include "Sunshower", "Galveston", "Didn't We", "Up Up & Away", "Where's The Playground Susie", "Wichita Lineman", and "Honey Come Back".

Tight!! Lee Fields, one of the great criminally under appreciated funky geniuses of the 70s is back with another pounding, raw funk classic that still finds the man at the peak of his powers, decades after he first made mark on the funk landscape! This is Lee's first full length effort for Soul Fire, a label that we all know goes to painstaking lengths to carefully carry the torch lit by the People Records scene in the 70s into the future, and it's great to see a titan like Lee do amazing work for a great label that does it purely for the love! Lee is absolutely on fire on all 10 of these tracks, with a Godfather like delivery that knocks us out of our chairs every time, whether it's that fiery funk howl that we love so much, or a smooth, soulful glide on the occasional ballad. He's backed up by a bona fide funky orchestra at Soul Fire Studios that includes TONS of hot drums, propulsive percussion, and some driving conga work that steers things into an afro funk groove on several of the tunes. The group MVP, other than Lee himself, could be multi instrumentalist Leon Michels, whose work on flute, keys, tenor and baritone sax, as well guitar and bass not only helps keep the classic 70s feel going, but keeps things crackling at breakneck speed. This isn't newfangled funk revival, this is the real deal from one of the originators – a 33-minute funk maelstrom that will knock you right out of your chair, and have you restarting it the second it ends! Includes "Problems", "The Right Thing", "Rapping With Lee", "I Don't Know Where I'm Going", and "Honey Dove". Oh, if only all of our heroes remained this vital!

One of the best new soul records we've heard in years – a tremendous accomplishment for the mighty Lee Fields, and a set that's quite different than any of his other work! We've always loved Lee's funk and deep soul sides, but this album's something new altogether – almost done in the hard-edge, downtempo mode of the east coast harmony scene of the late 60s and early 70s – like some of the best group soul work coming out of New Jersey or Philly, with some super-dope production and instrumentation that's really amazing! The grooves follow strongly in the same laidback style as recent El Michels work – no surprise, given the El Michels connection to the music – with beats that are hard, but slow – and instrumentation that's funky, but in a mellow sort of way. Lee's vocals are as deep as ever – very much trained in the James Brown tradition, but turned here towards a really unique groove that makes us completely reevaluate his talents – an amazing achievement not just for Fields, but also for the whole Truth & Soul/El Michels crew! An instant classic – with tracks that include "My World", "Ladies", "Expressions Theme", "Honey Dove", "Money I$ King", "Love Comes & Goes", "Do You Love Me", and "Last Ride".

Sublime 70s work from Darrow Fletcher – a singer we mostly know for his early soul singles in Chicago – but one who really hits his stride on these rare sessions from LA! The music was mostly recorded for Ray Charles' Crossover label – although a few singles also appeared on Atlantic too – and the work has Fletcher's wonderful sweet soul vocal approach coming into play with these warmly flowing grooves that are mighty nice – almost a west coast take on the style that Leroy Hutson was doing in Chicago on Curtom! In the setting, Fletcher's even more appealing than before – a mature singer with a hell of a balance between class and soul, poise and swing – more than enough to rival his hippest contemporaries. Production on most tracks was done by Joel Webster – who also recorded for Crossover – and titles include "The Rising Cost Of Love", "Honey Can I", "Try Something New", "Secret Weapon", "Let's Get Together", "It's No Mistake", "Election Day", "Improve", and "Wind Up Toys".

We love Kim Fowley, and can never get enough of his genius – and no matter what the setting, Fowley always seems to move around the maddest corners of rock and pop music! This raw batch of gems is all pulled from the Fowley vaults – and features a host of indie singles recorded in LA between his bigger bursts of fame – some with Kim in the lead, lots more with lesser-known talents all given Fowley's forceful treatment in the studio – a push forward that makes just about every track here sparkle like some long-lost garage rocker or weird novelty number. Norton provides very detailed notes that are as much a musical journey as the cuts themselves – and titles include "The Knight In Shining Armor" by Knights Of The Round Table, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "Young & Wild" by Renegade Five, "Big Bad Wolf" by Kim Garry & The Rhythm Kings, "Watch Your Step" by Larry Green & The Rhythmaires, "Goin Away Baby" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun" by Grains Of Sand, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by The Rogues, "Moses" by Navarros, and "The Trip", "Astrology", and a rare radio spot all by Kim Fowley.

We love Kim Fowley, and can never get enough of his genius – and no matter what the setting, Fowley always seems to move around the maddest corners of rock and pop music! This raw batch of gems is all pulled from the Fowley vaults – and features a host of indie singles recorded in LA between his bigger bursts of fame – some with Kim in the lead, lots more with lesser-known talents all given Fowley's forceful treatment in the studio – a push forward that makes just about every track here sparkle like some long-lost garage rocker or weird novelty number. Norton provides very detailed notes that are as much a musical journey as the cuts themselves – and titles include "The Knight In Shining Armor" by Knights Of The Round Table, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "Young & Wild" by Renegade Five, "Big Bad Wolf" by Kim Garry & The Rhythm Kings, "Watch Your Step" by Larry Green & The Rhythmaires, "Goin Away Baby" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun" by Grains Of Sand, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by The Rogues, "Moses" by Navarros, and "The Trip", "Astrology", and a rare radio spot all by Kim Fowley.

A totally amazing look at Lee Hazlewood's late 60s record label – served up in a host of rare singles by other artists who were working with Lee at the time! The range of styles is wide, but there's a really focused feel to the whole thing – given Hazlewood's key touches in the studio behind the singers, and his undeniable sense of wit and warmth, which makes just about all these artists sound way better with Lee than they would on their own! This limited-edition box is totally beautifully – with eleven individual 7" singles, each with original label and sleeve art – plus the rare "Woodchucks" pic sleeve, a special Hazlewood puzzle, an LHI 45 adapter, and even a download card for all the music – packaged in a heavy-duty magnetic flip-top box! Titles include "Lady Barber" by Lynn Castle, "Invisible People" by Hamilton Streetcar, "Come Down" by Honey LTD, "The Street Song" by The Kitchen Cinq, "Trouble Maker" by Lee Hazlewood, "Valentine Grey" by Danny Michaels, "It's A Nice World To Visit" by Ann Margret, "Bo-Dacious" by The Woodchucks, "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by Eve, and "Nobody Like You" by Lee Hazlewood & Suzi Jane Hokum.

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

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

Super-dope work from Willie – a great selection of laidback and electric grooves, done here with plenty of great work on hollow-body electric guitar, which adds a nice raspiness to the instrumentation, and creates the same sort of vibe you'd hear on Willie's best soundtrack work. The record's got a great cover of "I Wanna Be Where You Are", plus Willie's originals "If You Ain't Got No Money, You Can't Get No Honey", "California My Way", the sample classic "Tell Me Why Has Our Love Tuned Cold", "Ain't Nothing Like Togetherness", "Sunshine Lady" and more.

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

One of the best rock and/or country LPs of the late 50s and early 60s! Capitol signed the rockabilly rebel princess several years prior to the release of this collection of her jumpy, frenetic singles, and had Wanda record more crossover material, which she succeeded at in incredible fashion. That left Capitol to finally release a record of her earlier trademark style, and boy it's a doozy! You get "Fujiyama Mama", one of the most incendiary unsung rock and roll singles of all time, plus other great ones like "Rock You Baby", "Cool Love", "Honey Bop", "Baby Loves Him", "Mean Mean Man", "You've Turned To A Stranger" and bonus tracks including "Sinful Heart" and "I'd Rather Have You". Sweet, but feral honky tonk rockers of the first order!

The cover's a bit gimmicky, but the album's a stone classic – a wicked later Motown moment from the Jackson 5 – and one that has them working with the super-grooving team of Holland-Dozier-Holland! Brian Holland handles production work for the team, and although his touches only appear on about half the record, he really helps the Jacksons hit that wickedly righteous groove that was the trademark HDH sound over that the Invictus label – a bassy, bottom-heavy Detroit sound with just a bit of psychedelic funk as well! Additional production is by Mel Larson & Jerry Marcellino – and titles include "Forever Came Today", "Moving Violation", "You Were Made Especially For Me", "Honey Love", "Body Language", "All I Do Is Think Of You", and "Breezy". CD also includes a bonus track – "Forever Came Today (disc-o-tech version)".

One of Eddie's classic dancefloor groovers for Tamla, with production and arrangements by the hit team of Frank Wilson and Leonard Caston! The album keeps Eddie's hit "boogie" groove going strong – grooving mostly in a midtempo smooth soul style that would become a dominant approach to soul during the next few years, Eddie and Motown's contribution to the soul legacy of the 70s that was nearly as strong as that of Philly soul. Titles include "Boogie Down", "Hooked On Your Love", "Honey Brown", "Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need", and "Loving You The Second Time Around".

Arthur Lyman in 1966 – heard here on two albums from that year, packaged together on a single CD! Lyman 66 has Arthur still working strongly in the vibes/percussion blend of his start – moving into tunes that are familiar 60s pop numbers, but still done here in a smaller combo instrumental mode – and not the "added orchestrations" style of other exotica players of the time. Vibes are often the dominant instrument, played with a nice sense of tone and color – and titles include "Kon Tiki", "Jungle Cat", "Waimea Cowboy", "Fiddler On The Roof", "Only Yesterday", "Mary Poppins Medley", and "Taste Of Honey". The Shadow Of Your Smile is almost jazzy at times – exotically so, but still with a jazz-based sense of sound, tone, and timing – one that shows that Arthur Lyman's really grown since his days in the Martin Denny combo, and certainly earns all the recording time in the studio given to him during the 60s! Percussion, piano, guitar, and even a bit of electric bass come into play nicely here – and the tunes change up rhythms a bit more than usual, with even a dose of Latin in the mix. Titles include "I'll Remember You", "Moon Over Naples", "Marobi", "Yesterday", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Hang On Sloopy".

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group – still soul, but not nearly as sharp. Yet this time around, they really dig deep – and have a way of smoking out plenty of the best soulful elements associated with the Stax Records sound – that great way with a heavy-stepping groove, instrumentation that's tight yet never slick, and solo moments that burst out and really give the tunes a hell of a lot of personality! The rhythm jumps out of the grooves on numbers like "Honey Pot", "Grab This Thing" and "Philly Dog", and the album winds up with a James Brown medley that's pretty darn swingin too.

Two Johnny Mathis gems from his years at Mercury Records – back to back on a single CD! Sweetheart Tree is a unique album – in that it represents some unusual London sessions from Johnny Mathis – material recorded in the UK with different arrangers than usual – including Tony Osborne, Alyn Ainsworth, and Allyn Ferguson – all of whom help give Mathis a slight change of flavor here! The new talents make for a fresh change – and the album also brings in a few US tracks too, with work by Glenn Osser and Lincoln Mayorga – on titles that include "Symphony", "The Skye Boat Song", "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Clopin Clopant", "This Is Love", and "I'll Close My Eyes". The Shadow Of Your Smile is a record that has the singer both hitting classic modes, and stretching out towards some of the hip changes in 60s music as well! The mix of tunes is very nice – with a few Beatles tunes, some bossa tracks, and a few more standard numbers to round out the mix – all arranged with some inventive rhythms by John Pisano, Glenn Osser, Jack Elliott, and Tony Osborne – in ways that make for a nice sense of variety throughout the record. Titles include a great reading of "The Shadow Of Your Smile" – plus "Quiet Nights", "Michelle", "Taste Of Honey", "Melinda", "Come Back To Me", "Something's Coming", and "Moment To Moment".

A warm soul classic from the great George McCrae – his first album after cracking big with Rock Your Baby – and a surprisingly deep effort that goes past the obvious cash-in TK mode of the time! KC & The Sunshine Band back up George on most of the record, and the album's got that "wah wah" sound that the group used on many of their own LPs at the time – a gently funky approach that provides a great counterpoint to McCrae's sweetly crackling vocals. KC also produced the album, and wrote all the songs for George too – and titles include "Baby Baby Sweet Baby", "You Treat Me Good", "It's Been So Long", "Sing A Happy Song", and "I Ain't Lyin". CD features the bonus track "Honey (single)".

Ahhh, good ol' Mel & Tim – possibly our favorite soul duo ever, and a really dynamic pair that carve some great new territory away from the path set by Sam & Dave! The album's a bit of a comeback for the duo, as you'd guess from the title – even though it was only recorded a few years after their initial work for the Bamboo label. There's a stylistic shift that marks a second chapter in the Mel & Tim groove – as they move away from the New York uptown sound, and go for more of a gritty southern sound – thanks to help from producer/arrangers Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins. The set list is filled with loads of great southern soul tunes – penned by composers who include Phillip Mitchell, Isaac Hayes, Dan Penn, and Homer Banks – on the titles "Heaven Knows", "Wrap It Up", "Don't Mess With My Money My Honey Or My Woman", "Carry Me", and a great cover of "I'm Your Puppet". CD reissue includes the bonus tracks "Forever In A Day", "It's Those Little Things That Count", "The Same Folk", and "Yes We Can-Can".

A mod little record from trumpeter Willie Mitchell – a set that's as groovy as it is soulful, with a vibe that's somewhere between 60s instrumental outings on Verve and Atlantic Records! Tunes are a mix of soul and pop numbers, handled by Mitchell's combo with some mighty tight drums and good use of organ on most numbers – which creates a fluid feel that really takes off with the album's fresh and inventive arrangements! Even familiar tunes are transformed nicely by Mitchell's great touch in the studio – as you'll hear on cuts that include "634-5789", "Taste Of Honey", "Secret Agent Man", "Bad Eye", "Wooly Bully", "Java", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Hot Cha".

Willie's Soul Bag is pretty darn deep – a tight mixture of trumpet-heavy originals – all given sock-solid Hi Records soul production! The album's one of Mitchell's most smoking – and in addition to a few well-chosen covers, the set's also got some great originals – including some Jackson/Love numbers that have a definite Memphis Horns groove! There's some great Hammond at times – and in a way, the whole thing almost feels more like a Stax instrumental set than the sort of grooves we're used to hearing from Hi. Titles include "Apollo X", "Grand Slam", "Honey Pot", "Hawaii Five O", "Set Free", "Everday People", and "Young People".

The legendary vocals of Aaron Neville – heard here in one of his most old-school sessions in years! The songs are all vintage R&B – material that even pre-dates Neville's famous years in New Orleans soul, and which goes back to a late 50s/early 60s genre that seems to fit Aaron's sound wonderfully! Things are never schmaltzy at all, and the recording quality is great – mostly just small group backing, with lead guitar from Keith Richards – and backup vocals from older doo wop legends like Bobby Jay and Eurgene Pitt! Titles include "Work With Me Annie", "Gypsy Woman", "Ruby Baby", "My True Story", "Be My Baby", "Money Honey", and "Under The Boardwalk".

Not much rock here, but a definite guitar-driven groove – that Ray Parker vamp cooked up in a long legacy of work for other artists – really sparkling here in the frontline of Raydio! The bass is pretty strong too, with that mainstream funk sound that was popping strongly from the west coast at the end of the 70s – a nice match for the guitar, and never as overdone as some of the other work of this nature. Tunes are all pretty darn catchy – more than enough to crossover, but without losing their cool – and titles include the megahit "You Can't Change That", plus "Rock On", "More Than One Way To Love A Woman", "What You Waitin For", "Honey I'm A Star", and "When You're In Need Of Love".

Martha and the girls' entry into Motown's well-done series of 70s multi-LP collections – this one only a double-length set, but still filled with plenty of great bits by the group! The set features a solid decade's worth of work – material from the trio's 1962 start at Motown, up to some of their even better albums for the label in the early 70s. Titles include "Bless You", "Honey Love", "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things", "My Baby Loves Me", "Honey Chile", "Jimmy Mack", "I Promise To Wait My Love", "Benjamin", "Tear It On Down", "In & Out Of My Life", "Live Wire", "Wild One", "Motoring", "Nowhere To Run", "Quicksand", "Love Is Like A Heat Wave", and "I'll Have To Let Him Go".

Easy instrumentals and jazzy genius from the early 70s Brit scene – groovy, moddish jazz takes on pop and soundtrack hits of the time from the Harry Roche Constellation – with a vibe that betters the grooviest of sound library discoveries! There's a loungey charm to many of the tunes, but trombonist Roche and his Constellation get down and dirty in spots, too – such as on the priceless, tripped out fuzzy funk version of "Pinball Wizard" – and that's just one highlight of this should-be classic! Blasting horns, easy keys, chiming strings, jazz funk bass and grooves galore! Players include the cream of the crop of period British session players. Tracks include "Superwoman", "Tangerine", "That's Living", "Rhapsody In Blue", "Good Morning Heartache", "Pinball Wizard", "Lay Lady Lay", "Ludmilla's Theme", "Spiral" and more. Tracks from Sometimes include "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Watch What Happens", "Moonlight Serenade", "You've Got Possibilities", "Sometimes", "The Prowler", "Marmalade Molasses And Honey", "Carnaby Chick", "My Romance" and more. 21 tracks in all!

A great little album from Shorty – and not that easy to find, either! The title gives away the concept – as all tracks are in a jazz waltz format, which means that they swing very nicely, often with a groove that hints at big band modal work that would show up on labels like MPS. The instrumentation includes interweaving lines on flute, tenor, and some cool vibes by Emil Richards – and the approach throughout is tightly swinging, and never hokey! Titles include "Be As Children", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Jazz Waltz", "Terrence's Farewell", and "A Taste Of Honey".

A great little album from Shorty – and not that easy to find, either! The title gives away the concept – as all tracks are in a jazz waltz format, which means that they swing very nicely, often with a groove that hints at big band modal work that would show up on labels like MPS. The instrumentation includes interweaving lines on flute, tenor, and some cool vibes by Emil Richards – and the approach throughout is tightly swinging, and never hokey! Titles include "Be As Children", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Jazz Waltz", "Terrence's Farewell", and "A Taste Of Honey".

A sweet sweet set from The Spinners – and a record that's more "today" than "yesterday", given the tight 70s arrangements from Thom Bell! Bell's Philly approach is still perfect for the group – unlocking their harmonies in very different ways than back in their Motown roots – and the set's got a wicked balance between these sublime slow ballads and some uptempo numbers that bubble like the best of the group's clubby contemporaries. And in the best Philly style, the set even features a few longer tracks that push the 8 minute mark – kind of soul symphonies, of the sort you'd be much more likely to hear from Gamble & Huff – and which really work well with the group's maturing vocal approach. Titles include "I'm Riding Your Shadow (Down To Love)", "You're Throwing A Good Love Away", "Honey I'm In Love With You", "I Must Be Living For A Broken Heart", "Just To Be With You", "Me & My Music", "You're The Love Of My Life", and "I Found Love (When I Found You)".

A rare early 70s record from guitarist, singer and songwriter Ray Stinnett – who was the guitar player for Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs at their wooliest and bulliest – and made this long-buried solo record for A&M in '71! Ray was born in Memphis, and after his success with Sam The Sham, he dropped out for a while in San Francisco before heading home to Memphis. A Fire Somewhere was recorded at Fame and Argent, and sure enough, it's got quite a swampy southern groove at times – but there's also some sparer acoustic numbers that carry a post-hippie vibe that he no doubt soaked up in San Francisco. It's hard to believe it's been shelved for such a long time! Includes "Salty Haze", "You Make Me-Feel", "Silky Path", "Wheel Of Time", "Stop", "Long Rivers Flow", "America", "You & I", "Honey Suckle Song", "Liberty High", "Natural High", "Love Is The Answer", "A Fire Somewhere" and "The Rain".

A rare early 70s record from guitarist, singer and songwriter Ray Stinnett – who was the guitar player for Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs at their wooliest and bulliest – and made this long-buried solo record for A&M in '71! Ray was born in Memphis, and after his success with Sam The Sham, he dropped out for a while in San Francisco before heading home to Memphis. A Fire Somewhere was recorded at Fame and Argent, and sure enough, it's got quite a swampy southern groove at times – but there's also some sparer acoustic numbers that carry a post-hippie vibe that he no doubt soaked up in San Francisco. It's hard to believe it's been shelved for such a long time! Includes "Salty Haze", "You Make Me-Feel", "Silky Path", "Wheel Of Time", "Stop", "Long Rivers Flow", "America", "You & I", "Honey Suckle Song", "Liberty High", "Natural High", "Love Is The Answer", "A Fire Somewhere" and "The Rain".

Sylvia's Decca recording with backing by the Ralph Burns Orchestra, tracks include "Lilac Wine", "My Ship", "Woman's Intuition", "I'm So Happy I Could Cry", "Experiment" and "Honey In The Honeycomb".

Early Mercury magic from Sarah Vaughan – pressed up here on a rare 10" album issued before the full LP with "divine" in its title! Things here are pretty mellow and laidback, a perfect illustration of the sound that made Vaughan stand out from the rest of her contemporaries – and titles include "It's Magic", "Honey", "Tenderly", "S'Wonderful", "Touch Of Your Lips", and "I Don't Know Why".

A classic full album that brings together some of Muddy Waters' earliest recordings for Chess – a great collection of early singles recorded in Chicago between 1950 and 1954 – most originally issued on 78rpm singles, and beautifully presented in this set! The work's relatively spare and rootsy overall – a great example of Chicago blues in its formative years, with some traces of a more southern style still in the mix – and titles include "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I'm Ready", "Rollin Stone", "Honey Bee", "She Moves Me", "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Standing Around Crying", "Long Distance Call", and "I Just Want To Make Love To You".

A great album from Bobby – different than his earlier albums for United Artists, but in a good way – one that revives his whole career, and takes his sound into a whole new direction! The album's got a smooth soul finish with some touches of synth funk – produced by Bobby and Patrick Moten, who would later work together on the masterful Poet LP – and the contrast between the more modern arrangements and Bobby's raspy soul vocals works wonderfully! The mellow tracks are really great – with a tight, lightly funky sound bubbling under Bobby's wonderful vocals – and the album's got loads of nice cuts like "The Roads Of Life", "Give It Up", "The Roots In Me", "Honey Dripper Boogie", "How Could You Break My Heart", and "What Are You Doing".

A cool take on the Beatles' White Album – served up by a host of different Brazilian artists who really make the most of the music! The record is easily the most experimental set ever issued by The Beatles – and the artists here definitely keep that fact in mind – shifting their styles nicely from track to track, and taking plenty of chances with the tunes – which makes the whole thing way more than just another cover record or tribute album! Given the huge influence The Beatles had on Brazilian music – from the jovem guarda to the Tropicalia scene and beyond – the set's a great illustration of that power. Tracks include "I'm So Tired" by Dissonantes, "Martha My Dear" by Marcio Greyck, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Manfred, "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill" by Daniel Tendler, "Wild Honey Pie" by Bacalhau, "Back In The USSR" by Rodrigo Santos & George Israel, "Dear Prudence" by Ze Ramalho, "Birthday" by Pato Fu, "Revolution 1" by Tantra, and "Good Night" by Jerry Adriani & Tantra.

A teeny-tiny Philly label, but a pretty great one too – home to just a handful of singles, but most of them the kind of rare soul sides that keep us digging over the years! The package features nearly ever key release on Lash – a mix of male soul numbers, group sides, and some sweet female numbers – all recorded over the space of a decade on the Philly scene – showing a great evolution over the years in style! All selections were originally produced by Howard Ravitsky, who owned the label, and definitely improved his chops along the way – and titles include "Get Goin" and "Tell Me" by Lee Johnson, "Here She Comes Now" by Sonny Fulton, "The Guy" by Fannie & The Varcells, "I'm Not The Only One" by Tommy White, "Don't Start That Again" by The Swans, "Inside O Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Treat Myself To A New Love" and "I'm Cuttin In" by The Inspirations, "I'm Happy Without You" by Anny Byers, "Got No Time" by Timmy Carr, "I Can Give You Love" by Benny Sigler, "Give Me What You're Givin Her" by Alfreda Brockington, and "He Brought Sunshine Into My Life" by Patty Hamilton. CD features 30 tracks in all, and full notes on the label.

Amazing grooves from a legendary pair of labels – the ultra-funky Perception and Today Records, home of some killer sounds from the New York scene at the start of the 70s! The labels had a great ear for up-and-coming soul – especially with some of the younger groups rising up at the time – and they also used their magic to refresh the sounds of some older artists, particularly jazz musicians, who took on an ultra-funky approach at Perception – one that's made their work for the label some of the most in-demand over the years! Drums are heavy, bass is nice and fuzzy, and many of the cuts have a righteous sound that really takes off from the most progressive soul, funk, and jazz of the late 60s – pushing hard with an even heavier 70s vibe. Titles include "Brother" by Adam Wade & Johnny Pate, "Too Sad To Tell" by Debbie Taylor, "Chitlins & Chuchifritos" by Joe Thomas, "Naturally Good" by Bartel, "You & I" by Black Ivory, "I Can't Get No Higher" by The Eight Minutes, "You Owe It To Yourself" by JJ Barnes, "Get Some Of This" by Madhouse, "Honey Buns" by Bobby Rydell, "Gingele" by Astrud Gilberto, "One Life" by The Albert, "Surrender" by Black Ivory, "Wishful Thinking" by JJ Barnes, "You've Just Been Bitten" by Bartel, "Every Brother Ain't A Brother" by Joe Thomas, "Submission" by Tyrone Washington, "Boogie" by Bartel, "Alligator" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Rock Steady" by Julius Brockington, "Find The One Who Loves You" by The Eight Minutes, "A Possibility" by Wanda Robinson, and "Heritage Hum" by James Moody.

Fantastic funky soul! The Pama label was a London-based operation in the late 60s – and they cut and licensed some very groovy tracks that mixed funk, soul, and rocksteady, and which featured artists from America, Jamaica, and England! This first volume of the label's output features one of their best-known (and heavily-sampled) tunes, the breakbeat classic "The Champ" by The Mohawks! Other great cuts include "Broadway Ain't Funky No More" by Bobby Patterson & The Mustangs, "Jerking The Dog" by The Crowns, "Baby Hold On" by The Mustangs, "Oh Babe" by The Milwaukee Coasters, "Wet Dream" by Max Romeo, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by Roy Docker, "Honey Bee" by The Classics, and "Soul Man" by Rico. Very nice, and done with a faithful reproduction of the original cover, too!

Fantastic funky soul! The Pama label was a London-based operation in the late 60s – and they cut and licensed some very groovy tracks that mixed funk, soul, and rocksteady by a variety of artists from America, Jamaica, and England! This massive look at the label features both volumes 1 and 2 of the Black Is Soul sets – previously only on vinyl, now brought together into a massive 28 track CD that's overflowing with great grooves you'd have a hard time finding otherwise on this side of the Atlantic! The whole thing's great, and titles include the funky break classic "The Champ" by The Mohawks – plus "Broadway Ain't Funky No More" by Bobby Patterson & The Mustangs, "Jerking The Dog" by The Crowns, "Baby Hold On" by The Mustangs, "Oh Babe" by The Milwaukee Coasters, "Wet Dream" by Max Romeo, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by Roy Docker, "Honey Bee" by The Classics, "Soul Man" by Rico, "History Of Africa" by The Classics, "Feel Good All Over" by Betty Lavette, "Tip Toe" by Norman T Washington, "The Good Ol Days" by Bobby Patterson, "Black Is Soul" by The Imperials, and "Since You've Been Gone" by The Crowns – plus "Sound Of The Witchdoctor", "Pepsi", and "Mony Mony" by The Mohawks,

Cooler than ice – and cooler than just about any other label collection we've ever seen – a massive collection of work from the legendary Artic label, home to some of the best Philly grooves in the late 60s and early 70s! The package not only includes 6CDs, but also features 6 funky 45s as well – each of which features an unissued gem from the label – all wrapped up in a really well-done cover that comes with a 48 page booklet, and lots of vintage photos! There's never been a label overview like this one before – and the CDs feature every single issued by the company, both a and b-sides – a project that took the folks at Jamie many years to produce, but which has been well worth the wait. The music is wonderful throughout – great female soul, some soaring group tracks, and even a few funky nuggets too – way more than we ever knew that Arctic ever recorded. In addition to early efforts from later stars like Barbara Mason or Kenny Gamble, the set also features music by Honey & The Bees, The Ambassadors, The Combo Kings, The Rotations, Teddy & The Fingerpoppers, Three Strangers, Billy Floyd, Jack & Jill, The Temptones, Kenny Hamber, Herb Johnson, Winfield Parker, Lane Relations, Volcanos, Della Humphrey, Royal Five, and many others. The set's six 7" singles are amazing too – a dozen tracks that have never been heard before – including "He's Got To Love Me" and "Catch Him Love" by Barbara Mason, "I'm At My Best When I'm Down" and "The Rock" by The Combo Kings, "It Takes Two" and "Fat Daddy" by Kenny Gamble, "No Doubt About It" and "Lover Boy" by The Tiffanys, "Doctor Love" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Ambassadors, and "I Love You Just The Same" and "Fallin Star" by Winfield Parker.

The title definitely gets it right – as the set's filled with post-Motown gems from Detroit – a wealth of wonderful sounds from the Hot Wax/Invictus labels – almost all of it produced by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team! The music here represents the next evolution of Detroit soul in the years after the initial wave of Motown – music that still carries a lot of the spirit of before, and some of the style (given that HDH were working for the company) – but which also pushes things forward with a prouder, more righteous sound as well! The CD features a heady 23 tracks in all – with titles that include "Trapped In A Love" by Barrino Brothers, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, "Let's Change The Subject" by Satisfaction Unlimited, "Tighten Him Up" by Eloise Laws, "Nothing Sweeter Than Love" by 100 Proof, "Only Time Will Tell" by General Johnson, "Deeper & Deeper" by Freda Payne, "Just As Long" by The 8th Day, "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Honey Cone, "Two Can Be As Lonely As One" by Danny Woods, and "Bright City Lights" by Satisfaction Unlimited.

Way more than just a disco collection – a great album with some had to get numbers you don't see much on vinyl any more. Includes "You Little Trustmaker" by the Tymes, "To Each His Own" by Faith Hope &Charity, "Am I Cold, Am I Hot" by Bill Harris, "What You Don't Know" by Charles Drain, "Honey Baby Theme" by Blood Hollins and Weldon Irvine, "Half Of Your Heart" by Zulema, "Are You Ready For This" by the Brothers, "So Much Love" by Destiny and "Is It Love" by the Choice Four.

Raw rock from the El Paso scene of the early 60s – most of it material produced by local music hound Calvin Boles – a force as important to that scene as Lee Hazlewood was to Phoenix! Boles has a great ear for a sharp guitar line – and really manages to bring the best out of all the players here, giving the tunes an echoey feel that's mighty nice – and which really serves to fan the sparks of genius into a much longer-burning flame! Norton's done a great job with this volume – and have managed to unearth some rare Bobby Fuller tracks, along with gems from contemporaries on the Yucca and Exeter labels. Titles include "Black Out" and "Tickler" by The Sherwoods, "Hot Rod Ford" by DY & The Motivaters, "Lonely" by David Hayes & The Pawns, "Pawn" by The Pawns, "You Hold My Letters" by Bill Taylor & The Sherwoods, "Judy" by The Chancellers, "Dance To The Palisades" by Frank Gonzales & The Palisades, and "You're In Love" and "Say Honey" by Bobby Fuller.

Raw rock from the El Paso scene of the early 60s – most of it material produced by local music hound Calvin Boles – a force as important to that scene as Lee Hazlewood was to Phoenix! Boles has a great ear for a sharp guitar line – and really manages to bring the best out of all the players here, giving the tunes an echoey feel that's mighty nice – and which really serves to fan the sparks of genius into a much longer-burning flame! Norton's done a great job with this volume – and have managed to unearth some rare Bobby Fuller tracks, along with gems from contemporaries on the Yucca and Exeter labels. Titles include "Black Out" and "Tickler" by The Sherwoods, "Hot Rod Ford" by DY & The Motivaters, "Lonely" by David Hayes & The Pawns, "Pawn" by The Pawns, "You Hold My Letters" by Bill Taylor & The Sherwoods, "Judy" by The Chancellers, "Dance To The Palisades" by Frank Gonzales & The Palisades, and "You're In Love" and "Say Honey" by Bobby Fuller.

An amazing look at the psychedelic scene in late 60s Memphis – music that's really mindblowing for the time, yet which often never got its due – given the stronger mainstream focus on Memphis as a hub for blues and soul! (In other words, had any of these cats hit the Sunset Strip in the late 60s, they would have been huge!) Given that Memphis already had a strong studio scene in place – where some of these musicians worked on other sessions – the recordings here are incredibly advanced – often full of cool production techniques and other little twists and turns – all elements that take already-great fuzzy, freaky, hairy rock and roll – and turn it into something even more incredible by the time it's caught on tape! Most of these names are new to our ears, and the package is definitely a historical treasure trove – as pleasing to our record collectors' sensibilities as the music is to our ears. Sound quality is excellent, and many numbers have not been issued before – titles that include "Eat Me Alive" and "We're In Town" by The Goatdancers, "Crazy Man's Woman" and "Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly" by Greg McCarley, "Blue Music Box" by Changin Tymes, "For Your Love" by the Honey Jug, "Rockin In The Same Old Boat" by Triple X, "Deja Vu" by Judy Bramlett, "Come On Along & Dream" by The Poor Little Rich Kids, "Flying Horse Of Louisiana" by Knowbody Else, "Dancing Girl" by The 1st Century, and "Ticket To Ride" by Mother Roses – plus an advertisement for The Goatdancers too!

Raw rompers from the Louisiana scene of the late 50s and early 60s – a more R&B twist on the sort of material covered in the great Boppin By The Bayou series from Ace! The package features some wicked rare singles, mixed with even more obscure unreleased tracks – all pulled together to showcase a style that's kind of like a grittier take on the sound of New Orleans – bits of rock and blues mixed in with the soul – all folded together with stomping rhythms that never know when to quit – and which really send home the tunes' raw vocals, sharp tenor, and tight guitar lines! The package features almost 30 tracks in all, plus great notes too – and titles include "Go Go Cat" by Flo, "Crazy About Love" by Elizabeth, "Rocky" by Rockin Sidney & His All Stars, "I Don't Care" by Tabby Thomas, "Honey Bee" by Blue Charlie, "Pretty Little Dolly" by Mad Dog Sheffield, "Sound The Bell" by Clarence Garlow, "Cool Down Baby" by Jerry Morris, and "I Wanna Know I Know Now" by Big Chenier.

Another in the great series of driving Northern greatness from Stateside – a MASSIVE batch of cuts from a scene so deep they can probably keep digging great ones up for decades and still never run dry! The set's the fourth in the Talcum series of compilations from EMI UK – featuring rare tracks pulled from EMI-owned labels like Capitol, Liberty, United Artists and other companies with names both well known and almost completely obscure – all of which cut some really great singles back in the 60s! Per usual, it's a treasure trove of tunes – many of which we've never heard until now! 26 tracks including "Please Don't Go" by Kathy & The Calenders, "Nothing Can Help You Now" by Lenny Curtis, "What Are You Trying To Do" by Irma Thomas, "World Without Sunshine" by Sandra Phillips, "He's Got The Nerve" by The True Tones, "Turn To Me" by Chris Towns Unit, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch and lots more.

Another in the great series of driving Northern greatness from Stateside – a MASSIVE batch of cuts from a scene so deep they can probably keep digging great ones up for decades and still never run dry! The set's the fourth in the Talcum series of compilations from EMI UK – featuring rare tracks pulled from EMI-owned labels like Capitol, Liberty, United Artists and other companies with names both well known and almost completely obscure – all of which cut some really great singles back in the 60s! Per usual, it's a treasure trove of tunes – many of which we've never heard until now! 26 tracks including "Please Don't Go" by Kathy & The Calenders, "Nothing Can Help You Now" by Lenny Curtis, "What Are You Trying To Do" by Irma Thomas, "World Without Sunshine" by Sandra Phillips, "He's Got The Nerve" by The True Tones, "Turn To Me" by Chris Towns Unit, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch and lots more.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

A really old school jam from guitarist Larry Coryell – one that takes us back to some of the most tripped-out sounds of his early years! Given the cover, you can definitely expect a psychedelic influence to the music – and the group here really helps Larry get back to his roots – finding a sound that's still plenty jazz, but which mixes in some funky and progressive elements too – that genre-stepping quality that really helped Coryell break down a lot of barriers back in the day. Coryell plays both acoustic and electric on the date, and the lineup features some especially nice Fender Rhodes – plus trombone, saxes, bass, and plenty of percussion. Titles include "Torchlight", "Cobalt", "Terco", "The Last Drop", "Return Of Shirtless", "December Blues", "Honey Dijon", and "Dream Scene".

One of our favorite Chicago soul sessions of all time – and the only album ever cut by Texas-bred singer Ginji James! Ginji's got a style that's both sweet and deep – which makes her a perfect fit for the sweeping, loping arrangements of the record – very much in the best Brunswick Chi-soul style of the time – and carried off perfectly by a team of studio talents that includes Carl Davis, Eugene Record, Willie Henderson, and Tom Tom! Ginji's vocals are really wonderful – every bit as great as that of labelmates like Barbara Acklin or The Chi-Lites – and the whole set sparkles with a warmth that's pretty darn hard to find, even in the best soul albums from the time! Titles include "Honey Babe", "I Knew It Was Love", "Until You Return", and "You Hurt Me For The Last Time.

A real landmark of bad-walking soul – one of 2 rare albums cut by vocalist Esther Marrow, easily one of the hardest singing sisters of her generation! Esther's got roots in gospel, but she's singing here in a righteous mode that features plenty of funky undercurrents in the backings – a style that hits harder than work by Aretha Franklin or any of the better-known female singers of the time – and which holds up beautifully over the years! Many tracks here are obscure ones, arranged tightly by Artie Butler and Gene Page, both of whom do a great job of blending fuller orchestrations with tighter drums on the bottom – giving the record a good kick on most tracks, but still shading in the tunes with enough sophistication to match Esther's interpretation of the work. As hard-hitting as Marlena Shaw during her best years at Cadet – with titles that include "No Answer Came", "Money Honey", "Walk Tall", "Peaceful Man", "Hello Brother", "Chains Of Love", "It's A Long Night", and "He Don't Appreciate It".

The SOS Band's second album – and a masterpiece of 80s groove! The key word here is "tight" – as the whole thing holds together like a pile of money dipped in honey – keyboards, bass, percussion, and vocals all sweetly grooving with that post-70s funky feel that the group virtually helped invent. There's a few great mellow tracks on the set, but things are mostly upbeat and uptempo – and tracks include "Stay", "You", "There Is No Limit", "Do It Now", and "It's A Long Way To The Top".

A pair of gems from High Fashion – back to back on a single CD! Feelin Lucky is an 80s groove classic – and a killer bit of Captiol Records soul from High fashion! Of all US major labels, Capitol was probably putting out the best soul in the early 80s – and this is a tight modern batch of up-tempo tracks, right up there with other contemporary classics on the label, like work by BB&Q Band, Taste Of Honey, and TS Monk! The tunes all manage to have a great groove without sounding cheesy – thanks to some nice jazzy touches in the arrangements, good hooks in the songs, and some great soulful vocals. Very, very nice – and nearly every cut's a winner! Tracks include "Feelin Lucky Lately", "Next To You", "Hold On", "When The Lover Strikes", "I Want To Be Your Everything", and "You're the Winner". Make Up Your Mind offers up more sweet modern soul tracks from High Fashion – a short-lived combo who cut a few high quality sides for Capitol at the beginning of the 80s, part of that imprint's strong commitment to R&B at the time. The group here features lead vocals by Alyson Williams, caught at a very young point in her career, plus other leads by Eric McClinton, who's on most of the best tracks on the set. At their best, the group hits a smooth stepping modern sound that's really nice – a toned-down approach for the clubs, infused with a bit of quiet storm soul. Titles include "Show Me", "A Little More Time", "Pump On The Pipe", "Just A Little More Love", "Love", and "Make Up Your Mind".

2 tasty gems from Johnny Lytle – one of the hippest soul jazz vibists you'll ever get a chance to hear! Both albums feature Johnny working in his famous trio with Milt Harris on organ and Peppy Hinant on drums, augmented on some tracks by Steve Cooper on bass and Ray Barretto on congas. The vibes and organ still dominate strongly – which is ok by us – and the sound is opened past Johnny's regular stepping groove into a mix of styles that shows him working in a variety of jazz-based moods and colors. Titles include a number of nice originals like "The House Of Winchester", "Moon Child", "Big John Grady", "Lela", "The Soulful One", and "The Moor Man" – plus groovy covers like "Work Song" and "A Taste Of Honey". 17 tracks in all – and very nice throughout!

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. Titles include "Hey Chico", "The Double Up", and "The Murphy Man" – and the record also includes a nice version of Duke Pearson's "Sweet Honey Bee".

The greatest album to date from Sugarman 3 – one of the funkiest combos of the past 50 years! The group's organ/sax sound has never sounded so great – and it's pumped up even further here from some added guest instrumentation, including drums from Bernard Purdie, plus vocals on a number of cuts from deep funk legends Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and Naomi Davis. The whole thing's as funky as funky can be – the kind of a record that would be selling for $300 if it came out in the 70s, and which is even nicer to have at a low everyday price! Titles include "Shot Down", "Modern Jive", "Funky So & So", "Take It As It Come", "Pure Cane", "Promised Land", "Country Girl", "La Culebra", "Down To It", "Honey Wagon", and "Bosco's Blues".

Wild sounds from the early years of rock and roll – a heady brew of guitar-heavy instrumentals, soulful stompers, and more – all pulled from the hinterland of the rare 45 underground! The tunes here go way past familiar oldies – and even past the sorts of sounds that usually show up on surf compilations – because, as he does with funk records, Keb Darge has a great ear for the unusual – the sorts of odd platters that have always show up in his best record digging and DJ gigs – laid out perfectly here in a really overstuffed collection! Keb turns in nice notes on each track – and titles include "Honey Bun" by Larry Donn, "Ghost Train" by The Swanks, "I Don't Wanna Leave" by Deacon & The Rock & Rollers, "Gorilla" by The Shandells, "She's The One That Got It" by Allen Page, "Madness" by Rhythm Rockers, "Woodpecker Rock" by The Braves, "Let's Dance" by The Excels, "Bad Bad Boy" by Bobby Lollar, and "Lobo Jones" by Jackie Gotroe.

Trumpety magic from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – a record that's known not only for its classic cover of a model dipped in whipped cream, but also for it's tremendously groovy groove! The Tijuana sound is very firmly in place by the time of this set – Mexican-inspired, but compressed down into a sweet little LA groove in that magical A&M way – never too over the top, done in a way that takes a previously-hokey brassy sound, and smoothes it out for the Now Sound generation! Titles include the hit single "Whipped Cream", plus "Taste Of Honey", "Green Peppers", "Bittersweet Samba", "Lemon Tree", "Ladyfingers", and "Butterball".

Pre funk, perhaps, but mightily storming soul singles from Vicki Anderson – James Brown productions from the mid 60s to the end of the decade – incredible stuff that's been a bit underappreciated in a world of funky compilations, yet no less incredible and even more diversely soulful than the funky stuff! Vicki's 70s funk sides are the stuff of legend, and these 60s recordings, which started around the time she joined the James Brown Revue in the mid 60s are just about as good a selection of period female fronted R&B and soul as we can think of – and a really eye opener if you came on board with Vicki for the 70s sounds and her later work with Bobby Byrd! Includes a pair of duets with James Brown – the proto funk gem "Think" from 1968 and "Let It Be Me" from 1970, which truth be told, has more than a little funk bubbling underneath, and some groovy guitars, strings and brass on top – plus "Here Is My Everything" and "Loving You" with Bobby Byrd. But this is Vicki's showcase all the way, and it's a great one! Titles include "I Love You", "My May", You Send Me", "Wide Awake In A Dream", "All In My Mind", "Tears Of Joy", "No More Heartaches, No More Pain", "In The Land Of Milk And Honey", "The Feeling Is Real", "I'll Work It Out" and more. 23 tracks in all.