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Wonderful work from Ingram – an incredibly talented soul family who'd spent more than enough time woodshedding in earlier years, and emerged to become one of the strongest mainstream acts of the 80s scene! There's a solid feel here that goes way beyond commercial soul – a great way with some of the gentler tunes, pointing back to a Philly Soul legacy with ballads – and a hip way with the upbeat numbers, which carefully avoid some of the clunkier 80s soul modes of the period. James, butch, William, John, and Robert Ingram all had a hand in writing the tunes – and titles include "With You", "When You're Hot You're Hot", "Just For You", "Fantasy", and "I Like It".

A wicked 80s groove from the mighty Ingram Family! Ingram were one of those groups that actually got better as they got slicker – and by the time of this 1983 release, Butch, James, and William Ingram had had more than enough experience working together and with other artists to really forge a strong sophisticated soul sound. The record's a lot better than many of its group-soul contemporaries' – and it's more of an extension of a 70s harmony group style than it is a throwaway 80s group funk album. The songwriting's a notch above what you'd expect – and the overall soul component is very high. Titles include "Share A Dream", "No One", "Smoothin Groovin", "Spoken Words", and "Groovin On A Groove".

A sublime second chapter in the career of Memphis soul singer Luther Ingram – one of the greatest talents of his generation, represented here by some of his best work ever! Ingram first got his start doing rougher, more fragile soul tunes – but by the time of these 70s recordings, he'd really found his voice – and hit a more confident, more sensuous style that could easily go head to head with Al Green or any of his southern soul contemporaries. There's a key Stax connection to most of the material here, but the sound's a bit different too – thanks to the production efforts of Koko label head Johnny Baylor, who gives Ingram a sound that's nicely apart from the pack. The booklet features a really in-depth look at the music – 14 pages of track-by-track notes on the tunes – and the CD features 19 singles recorded over most of the mid 70s. Titles include "Missing You", "Puttin Game Down", "If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right", "Always", "Help Me Love", "Love Ain't Gonna Run Me Away", "Ain't Good For Nothing", "These Are The Things", "Let's Steal Away To The Hideaway", "I Like The Feeling", "I'm Gonna Be The Best Thing", "Do You Love Somebody", "Get To Me", "How I Miss My Baby", and "You Were Made For Me".

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".

Recorded for Respect, Stax's 70s "political" label, this is a great LP of spoken Afrocentric material, backed by drumbeats and other instrumentation. Kind of in the vein of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron spoken stuff, and a little like Gary Byrd. Includes the great cut "Drumbeat", with the famous sample "It began in Africa..." – plus "Home Brew", "I Remember America", and "Black Woman".

Sublime soul from Luther Ingram – a masterfully mature record that really helped take southern soul to the next level in the mid 70s! The music has a slow-building, sensuous sort of feel that's really great – a classy, sophisticated approach, but one that still has enough roots in the older modes to keep things real – a balance that's struck wonderfully by arrangers Johnny Baylor and John V Allen. Recording was done in Muscle Shoals, but at a level that really gets past some of the more standard modes that were being trotted out for more crossover artists – almost like they were holding back the best, waiting for Luther. Titles include "Sweet Inspiration", "Let's Steal Away To The Hideaway", "All That Shines", "I've Got Your Love In My Life", "It's Too Much", and "I'm Gonna Be The Best Thing".

80s groove from the Ingram Family – a record that features the core vocals of Ron Aikens and Galaxy, plus plenty of great backing funk from the Ingrams! The style here is a great mix of boogie, street soul, and bits of electro – with a style that's a bit like Aleem from the same period, but a bit funkier overall. Ron's lead vocals can be nice and sweet on the mellower tracks, and on the funkier ones the rest of the trio come in and chant with the chorus in a sweet ensemble mode. There's also plenty of great keyboards in the mix too – some with great squishy and splashy bits that really make the tunes sound great! Butch Ingram produced, and titles include "We're Here To Rock You", "You Got It", "Party", "Spend Some Time", "Come Let Me Love You", and "Give Your Dog A Bone".

We'll be honest, we like Barbara Mason more as an adult artist than we do as a younger one – especially the way she sounds on sets like this! The album's got a great gentle groove at times – Butch Ingram production that brings in modern, mature elements – but also somehow unlocks a more deeply soulful vocal approach than on some of Mason's earlier albums. A few cuts have a great stepping groove – and titles include her classic mellow cut "She Got The Papers (I Got The Man)" – part of the Barbara/Shirley/Richard Dimples Fields song cycle – as well as a remake of her first hit "Yes, I'm Ready", plus lots of others like "On & Off", "I Love Having You Around", "I Can Want You", "Let Me Give You Love", and "You Did Not Stay Last Night". 13 cuts in all, with much more than the original LP!

A sweet disco circus from Metropolis – one of the many studio groovers from 70s disco maestro Thor Baldursson – who handles all the arrangements on the set! The great Tom Moulton produced with Thor – and gives the record a rich, clubby, disco feel that's mighty nice – and vocals are by The Sweethearts trio – which features Barbara Ingram in the lineup! There's some surprisingly great tracks on the set – tunes that have a deeper soul than some of Thor's other projects, and which evenly balance out the grooves with a few more laidback moments – making for a really well-rounded album on Salsoul. Titles include "Here's To You", "New York Is My Kind Of Town", "I Love NY", "Was That All", and "Go Get It". CD features bonus tracks – "I Love New York (original Tom Moulton 12" long mix)" and "I Love New York (original Tom Moulton 12" short mix)".

Greg's definitely showing off all his chops on this one – working with help from a huuuge array of famous guest stars – including The Pointer Sisters, James Ingram, Howard Hewett, Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and others. And while the bulk of the record really shows the influence of these mainstream 80s soul artists – and not always in a good way – the record also sports a brilliant tune done with Donald Fagan of Steely Dan, the sweetly grooving "Lazy Nina", which sounds like the best work off Fagan's Nightfly, and has Greg and Don duetting on vocals! Titles include "Behind The Mask", "Signals", "Shake It", "Countdown To Love", "Come As You Are", and "Playin With Fire". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Only You", "Behind The Mask (12" version)", "Playin With Fire (12" version)", "Behind The Mask (inst)", "Behind The Mask (single)", and "Playin With Fire (inst)".

One of the many Philly-based, club-oriented projects that centered around Butch Ingram and the Ingram family during the late 70s – Slick have an approach that takes long grooves, builds them out instrumentally, adding in a fair bit of keyboards and moog, like some of the Canadian groups of the same time. Tracks include "Space Bass", "Sexy Cream", "The Whole World's Dancin", and "Put Your Pants On".

A seminal bit of seventies soul from Switch, and a record that really helped set the tone for countless others to come in the 80s – no surprise, given that the group's got members from both the DeBarge and Ingram families! There's a warmth here that few others can match – an earnest, honest quality that never gets lost, even amidst the well-crafted instrumentation and tight production of the record – almost an updated legacy of the early 70s east coast scene, but never polished up too much at all! There's some wonderful harmonies that work perfectly on both the upbeat and mellower numbers – warming things up beautifully on titles that include "It's So Real", "I Wanna Be With You", "I Wanna Be Closer", "You Pulled A Switch", and "There'll Never Be".

A seminal bit of seventies soul from Switch, and a record that really helped set the tone for countless others to come in the 80s – no surprise, given that the group's got members from both the DeBarge and Ingram families! There's a warmth here that few others can match – an earnest, honest quality that never gets lost, even amidst the well-crafted instrumentation and tight production of the record – almost an updated legacy of the early 70s east coast scene, but never polished up too much at all! There's some wonderful harmonies that work perfectly on both the upbeat and mellower numbers – warming things up beautifully on titles that include "It's So Real", "I Wanna Be With You", "I Wanna Be Closer", "You Pulled A Switch", and "There'll Never Be".

One of the last records Switch recorded before Philip Ingram went solo, and the rest of the guys broke off into DeBarge – and an album with some surprisingly sweet soul moments! The funky side of Switch is still stringly in place, but this record has some great little ballads ballads too – with the band singing in a solid harmony style that's right upfront in the mix, unencumbered by the harder instrumentation of the funkier numbers, showcasing a soulful side that almost reminds us of the mid 70s east coast indie scene! Titles include "Love Over & Over Again", "All I Need Is You", "You & I", "Without You In My Life", and "Just Imagine".

Jump blues, rollicking R&B, proto rock, Northern Soul and otherwise rawly stomping stormers selected by DJ Andy Smith – a cool compilation of late 50s and 60s treasures that you might hear on one of his Jump Up Twist club nights! There's some familiar names in the set list for deep digging fans of any of the above styles, but there are no tracks that come even close to being overplayed, and each one is a winner – cuts by Wynonie Harris, Wynona Carr, Al Ferrier, Toni & The Showmen, Johnny Guitar Watson, Alton Ellis, The Skatalites, Luther Ingram, Mickey Champion, The San Francisco TKOs and more. Titles include "Bloodshot Eyes" by Wynonie Harris, "Ooo Little Girl" by Floyd Dixon, "Tracks To Your Mind" by The Sounds Of Lane, "Ska Beat" by Alton Ellis, "Collie Bud" by Skatalites, "Hit, Git And Split" by Young Jessie, "Make Up Your Mind" by San Francisco TKOs and more. 23 in all.

A soulful testament to the towering talents of songwriter, bandleader, producer and singer Richard Popcorn Wylie – a killer collection of singles that Richard had a hand in by Tommy Neal, Mighty Lovers, Luther Ingram, Betty Boo, Tony Hester, Mighty Lovers, Detroit Executives, Jimmy Soul Clark and Popcorn himself! A somewhat grittier, but still sweet as can be side of Motor City soul of the mid-to-late 60s. Includes "Goin' To A Happening" by Tommy Neal, "Get It Babe" by Stanley Mitchell, "Stop That Boy" and "Spellbound" by Betty Boo, "Hanky Panky" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "Spaceland" by Tony Hestor, "Savin' My Love For You" by People's Choice, "Quit Twistin' My Arm" by Stanley Mitchell "Cool Off" by Detroit Executives and more. 25 tracks in all.

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

Funky breaks from the Stax Records – the legendary Memphis label that's had as much of an influence on the sound of hip hop as any northern company! The set brings together 19 tracks that are immediately recognizable for their use in modern hip hop – all heavy funk numbers with a solid southern groove – filled to the brim with burning horns, searing guitars, rumbling bass, and heavy funky drums! Tracks on the set have been sampled over the years by the likes of Wu Tang, Brand Nubian, Dilated Peoples, De La Soul, and others – but they also stand out equally well as funky tunes on their own, whether or not you've got an ear for who used them later. Great funky southern soul all the way through – with tracks that include "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines, "Black" by The Mar-Keys, "Tramp (inst)" by Otis & Carla Band, "Make This Young Lady Mine" by The Mad Lads, "The Devil Is Dope" by The Dramatics, "In The Hole" by The Bar-Kays, "I'll Play The Blues For You (part 1)" by Albert King, "Soul Girl" by Jeanne & The Darlings, "Itch & Scratch (part 2)" by Rufus Thomas, "Drumbeat" by Jim Ingram, "Crop Dustin" by Steve Cropper, "After Laughter" by Wendy Rene, "Memphis Sunrise" by The Bar-Kays, "Girl I Love You" by The Temprees, and "As Long As I've Got You" by The Charmels.

A crunchy batch of grooves from one of the hippest British soundsystems ever! The Wild Bunch were a Bristol-based collective dedicated to spinning the best in underground hip hop and club tracks – a group whose members included Roni Size, Tricky, Krust, and future members of Massive Attack, represented here by DJ Milo, who's come up with a fantastic batch of tracks that perfectly sums up their genius blend of styles and rough-edged groove! The CD version of the set features a continuous mix of tracks by Milo – 26 tunes laid out back to back, bumping and jumping through a set list that includes "It's Yours" by T La Rock, "Just Rhymin With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane & Biz Markie, "We Rap More Mellow" by Younger Generation, "It's Your Rock" by Fantasy, "Rock Shock" by BBCS &A, "Who Needs Enemies With Friends Like You" by Montana Sextet, "The Music Got Me" by Visual, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "DJ's Delight" by Ingram, "Love Rap" by Spoonie G, "Double Fresh" by The Wild Bunch, "Inside Out" by Odyssey, "I'm In Love" by Evelyn Champagne King, "Smurph Across The Surf" by Micronawts, "Dyin To Be Dancin" by Empress, "Can You Feel It" by Mr Fingers, and "It's Serious" by Cameo.

The sensuous soul gem from Barbara Mason – a sweetly soulful groover all the way – one of her strongest albums of the 70s! Give Me Your Love earns our love from the open second, and it features the great title hit, a reworking of Curtis Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love", which was arranged by Curtis himself – along with the equally great "You Can Be With The One You Don't Love". Vince Montana did most of the other arrangements, and you can see traces of Barbara's move into clubland later in the decade – but this one's more about lush, deeply soulful sounds. Leon Huff is on piano and keys, the tunes have incredible backing vocals with Barbara Ingram, Bunny Sigler, Kenny Gamble and others in the chorus – but this is Barbara's show all the way, emoting soulful magic out front! Tracks include "Let Me In Your Life", "Bed and Board", "Who Will You Hurt Next", and "You Can Be With the One You Don't Love" – and the album's one of her strongest all the way through. CD version comes with the bonus, shorter version epic groover "Yes, I'm Ready".

Sweet Philly soul from Tony Strong – a singer who's worked with some of the greatest Philly groups over the years – including The Ebonys, Perfections, Blue Magic, and Intruders! This contemporary set features production by Butch Ingram, in a style that's almost an 80s modern take on older Philly male vocal modes – with Strong firmly in the lead, but supporting harmonies on most tracks that really recall the best sort of Intruders style – although in ways that you would have heard if the group had gone on recording past their 70s albums and singles. Other members of the Ingram Family round out the backing group – and titles include some new tracks, and some older remakes – cuts that include "Wind It", "Friends No More", "It Ain't Over", "Voyage To Atlantis", "United", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Together", "When You Coming Home", and "I'll Always Love My Mama".