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Classic Herbie from the early years, and a great mix of soul jazz and modernism! The record include a nice groovy "hit", Herbie's "Blind Man, Blind Man" – an obvious follow-up to "Watermelon Man", but still a standout track with a lot of imagination, and a fierce soul jazz hook that just won't quit! The rest of the record, while still groovy, also shows much more signs of Herbie's far-reaching conception – especially shared with players like Tony Williams, Grachan Moncur, Chuck Israels, and Grant Green – all of whom work with Herbie, Donald Byrd, and Hank Mobley – in a larger than usual group that makes for a really great sound! Titles include "A Tribute To Someone", "King Cobra", and "The Pleasure Is Mine". The CD also includes a bonus alternate take of "Blind Man, Blind Man"!

An album as incredible as its bulls-eye cover – the first record ever from a young Bob Dorough – and easily one of his most swinging sessions! The style here is a bit straighter jazz than on some of Bob's later work – vocalese inspired by Jon Hendricks, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, and others – recorded with a small combo that includes Jack Hitchcock on vibes, Warren Fitzgerald on trumpet, Jerry Segal on drums, and Bob's longtime partner Bill Takas on bass. Many of the tunes are vocalized versions of bop numbers – done with a nicely quirky style that shows that the mad Dorough touch was already in place during these early years – on titles that include "It Could Happen To You", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Baltimore Oriole", "Yardbird Suite", "Devil May Care", and "Ow" – plus his great original "You're The Dangerous Type"! Also features a bonus alternate take of "Yardbird Suite".

A mighty pairing of talents – one of the greatest DJs in the world and one of the hippest jazz labels – served up in a mindblowing mix of music that's way more than just another compilation! When DJ Muro puts together a set, he doesn't just choose the songs – he works hard to find the best ways to present them, and often creates a mix that unlocks hidden corners of sound – with a sensitivity for instrumental passages that few others can touch! His talents here really bring a new sort of light to the legendary Black Jazz catalog – making the music sparkle anew as each tune slides effortlessly into the next – often linked in ways we never would have expected. Titles include "BK" and "Aunt Lovey" by Calvin Keys, "Get Down" by Gene Russell, "Keena" by Cleveland Eaton, "Diswa" and "The Highest Pleasure" by Rudolph Johnson, "March On" and "Slinky" by The Awakening, "Blue Lights" and "Beauty & The Electric Tub" by Henry Franklin, "Soul Village" by Walter Bishop, "Magic Wand Of Love" and "See You Later" by Kellee Patterson, and "Higher Ground" by Doug Carn.

It's hard to go wrong with Jackie & Roy at this early point in their career – and the sound here is completely sublime – unlike anything else we can think of! The album has the pair coming off their seminal early work with Charlie Ventura – working in a mode that's deeply informed by bop, and which has the singers hitting vocal lines that only the hippest of the 50s could match! Yet there's also a sweetness too – a style that sets them apart from the work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, or Jon Hendricks – especially given that some of the tunes have Jackie & Roy taking the lyrics straight, instead of riffing with an instrumental solo-inspired sound. Some cuts feature scatting, others vocalese, and still others offer great straight-up readings of the lyrics – and backing is by a small combo that features Roy on piano, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Bill Crow on bass, and Joe Morello on drums. Titles include "Slowly", "Thou Swell", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Cheerful Little Earful", "Hook Line & Sinker", and "Yesterdays".

Socking soul from the 60s – a record with American roots and a very groovy British sound! The set was the second full length album from Madeline Bell – an American singer transplanted to the mod UK scene of the 60s, where she really flourished in a rich career of hit singles, endless session work, and later fame with the group Blue Mink. The tunes on this set are a wonderful bridge between Madeline's two worlds – and have a sound that's a lot like the uptown soul coming out of the US at the time – sweet and smooth arrangements, topped by deeper soul vocals that make for a wonderful juxtaposition. Arrangements are by British talents Arthur Greenslade, Ian Green, and Keith Mansfield – and titles include "Step Inside Love", "Hold It", "Help Yourself", "After All Is Said & Done", "For Your Pleasure", and "It's Up To You". CD features bonus singles too – 6 more tracks that include "Thinkin", "Go Ahead On", "How Much I Do Love You", "What'm I Supposed To Do", and "We're So Much In Love".

Classic work by one of our favorite pop singers ever – the full-voiced Cilla Black, a vocalist we'd trade for Petula Clark or Dusty Springfield in a minute! During the 60s, Cilla was working in a strongly Bacharach-influenced mode – a style that picked up a lot of uptown touches from the New York scene, but which infused them with the more belting mode of Brit female singers of the time. The result is an incredibly powerful approach to pop – one that showcases Cilla's incredible voice, but which also has her wrapped up in beautifully full arrangements, and rhythms that often have that slightly syncopated gentle groove that we love from Bacharach's work with pop singers. CD features 25 tracks in all – including 6 making their CD debut – titles that include "Yo Yo", "A Man & A Woman", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", "You're My World", "Love Letters", "One Little Voice", "Alfie", "Baby I'm Yours", "A Lover's Concerto", "Step Inside Love", "Liverpool Lullaby", "Forget Him", "Little Pleasure Acre", and "Rule Britannia".

Sublime Italian soundtrack funk – and one of the greatest albums ever from 70s maestro Stelvio Cipriani! The music was scored for a schlocky horror film about a giant octopus – but Cipriani's approach here goes far beyond its roots – beautifully blending together tightly compressed bass and funky drum bits with sweet electric keys and warm string touches – making for a set that slinks along with an infectious groove from start to finish! The sound is incredible – immediately seductive on the first track, and continuing to develop as the set moves on – making for an amazing soundtrack that we'd rank as one of our Italian favorites of the 70s. Titles include "Tentacles", "Small Town Pleasures", "She'll Never Come Back", "San Diego Yellow Cab", "Summer & Winter", and "Scotch For Two". CD features more tracks than the previous version – 7 more bonus tracks that are previously unreleased!

A great lost bit of mid 70s Motown – a pair of should-be classic albums by Dynamic Superiors – in a single set! Dynamic Superiors were a great harmony group with an east coast sound – quite different from the usual Motown combo in that their vocals were often allowed very free range, with less of the tightness of the usual Motown group soul album. Ashford & Simpson produced the record – with arrangements by Leon Pendarvis, Richard Tee, and Arthur Jenkins – and the whole thing's a sweet soul treasure that's got some excellent mellow soul cuts! Titles from the self-titled set include "One Nighter", "Don't Send Nobody Else", "Shoe Shoe Shine", "Star of My Life", and "Leave It Alone". Pure Pleasure is another sweet set – arranged with a bit more of a high stepping groove than some of the other Motown work of the time. Backings are handled by a range of talents that includes Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, and Horace Ott – but the real charm is the way the group's innocent harmony style puts over the lyrics, all of which are very strong tunes written by the team of Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "Face The Music", "Hit & Run Lovers", "Deception", "Pleasure", "Nobody's Gonna Change Me", "Feeling Mellow", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "Don't Give Up On Me Baby".

A true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz with their famous guitar-driven funk – all in a blend that's a lot more sophisticated than most other funk combos of the time, from the rhythms at the bottom to the instrumentation on the top! There's a darkness here that's undeniable – but the album's also not just a head trip into the fuzziest reaches of the studio – as the jazzier inflections help illuminate the farthest corners, and really bring the whole album back to focus with a wonderfully redemptive groove! Psychedelic elements are still all over the place, but also used sparingly enough to be most effective – a brilliant balance that few groups of this type were ever able to muster. Titles include the classic "Funky Worm", with the wild moogy bit that's been sampled loads of times over the years by a gazillion hip hoppers – plus loads of other nice ones, like the slow bonking funker "Pride & Vanity", the wild "Walt's First Trip", and the groovy "Laid It" – as well as "Pleasure", "Paint Me", "Our Love Has Died", and "Walked Away From You". CD features amazing sound and a whopping 7 bonus tracks – including "Ruffell Foot", "What It Is", "Rooster Poot", "Gone Forever", "Dimensions In Time", and "Introducing The Players".

Featuring vocals from Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Mr. Lif and cuts by DMC champ DJ Craze, this track has a much straighter beat than some of the more abstract electronics you might expect from Push Button. Plus the b-side "Breaker's Delight" a squishy electro track, ripe for your moonwalking pleasure.

The incredible second album from Roxy Music – picking up right where the self titled album left off – ratcheting up the excitement even more thanks to Ferry's extra dramatic songs, Eno's unpredictable synthesizer and tape manipulations, and a driving approach to the performances by the rest of the group! The songs range from fairly straight forward fiery glam rock, to more complicated, evolving structural tension. We hear strains of this record in so many great rock albums that followed, from the punk era all the way up to post millenium indie rock – but as influential as it is, it's an amazing experience all its own! Titles include "Do The Strand", "Beauty Queen", 'Strictly Confidential", "Editions Of You", "In Every Dream Home A Heartache", "The Bogus Man", "Grey Lagoons" and "For Your Pleasure".

One of the great modern genre busting-debuts we've had the pleasure of being so stunned by in quite a while! Thundercat's Golden Age is dizzyingly brilliant mix of 80s clubby synths and keys, future soul & funky soundscapes, 70s soul jazzy atmospherics and more – but it's hardly a mere genre-mash, Thundercat's got a unique and inventive vision all his own. A number of tracks feature vocals, but it's really about the mood – and what an expansive mood it is! He shows love here for influential figures from George Duke to Brainfeeder honcho Flying Lotus, to Erykah Badu – great stuff and we're thinking he's only gonna get better from here. Titles include "Hooooooo" (inspired by mid 70s George Duke), "Daylight", "For Love I Come", "Jamboree", "Boat Cruise", "Walkin", "Mystery Machine", "Return To The Journey", "Golden Boy", "Walkin'" (feat Erykah Badu) and more.

One of the great modern genre-busting debuts we've had the pleasure of being so stunned by in quite a while! Thundercat's Golden Age is dizzyingly brilliant mix of 80s clubby synths and keys, future soul & funky soundscapes, 70s soul jazzy atmospherics and more – but it's hardly a mere genre-mash, Thundercat's got a unique and inventive vision all his own. A number of tracks feature vocals, but it's really about the mood – and what an expansive mood it is! He shows love here for influential figures from George Duke to Brainfeeder honcho Flying Lotus, to Erykah Badu – great stuff and we're thinking he's only gonna get better from here. Titles include "Hooooooo" (inspired by mid 70s George Duke), "Daylight", "For Love I Come", "Jamboree", "Boat Cruise", "Walkin", "Mystery Machine", "Return To The Journey", "Golden Boy", "Walkin'" (feat Erykah Badu) and more.

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club music – stripped-down from disco, borrowing some electronics from overseas, and giving the world a fresh new vision of dancefloor sounds that would have a huge influence for decades to come! And by the end of the decade, folks were really starting to play with the format – bringing in lots of older analogue electronic sounds, dubbed "acid" for the way they burned and tweaked – and garnering the city even more interest from the UK and European scenes – who thought the name referred to drug usage, and took the cue to ignite their own waves of house-based parties on the other side of the Atlantic. While back home, Chicago artists were spurred on to experiment even more – and things went from warm and clubby to downright sci-fi – an aesthetic that's really captured strongly in this set from Soul Jazz. 2CD set features the cuts "Can You Feel It" from Mr Fingers, "Hallucinate" by Acid Wash, "151" by Armando, "The Jacking Zone" by Risque Rhythm Team, "I Can't Understand" by Pleasure Zone, "Rabbit Trax 1" by James Jack Rabbit Martin, "Freedom (Factory mix)" by The Children, "Ecstasy" by Mr Fingers, "Washing Machine" by Mr Fingers, "The Night Calls" by Bizzy B, "Go Wild Rhythm Trax No 3" by Virgo, "World Turns Around" by Cool McCool, "House Nation" by The Housmaster Boyz, "Love Trak" by Acid Wash, "Strength Of Bass" by Devotion, "Abstract Expressionism" by The Unknown, "No Way Back" by Adonis, "Choice Of The Underground" by Rocky Jones, "The Juice" by Mr Fingers, and "I Believe" by A Black Man, A Black Man, & Another Black Man.

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club music – stripped-down from disco, borrowing some electronics from overseas, and giving the world a fresh new vision of dancefloor sounds that would have a huge influence for decades to come! And by the end of the decade, folks were really starting to play with the format – bringing in lots of older analogue electronic sounds, dubbed "acid" for the way they burned and tweaked – and garnering the city even more interest from the UK and European scenes – who thought the name referred to drug usage, and took the cue to ignite their own waves of house-based parties on the other side of the Atlantic. While back home, Chicago artists were spurred on to experiment even more – and things went from warm and clubby to downright sci-fi – an aesthetic that's really captured strongly in this set from Soul Jazz. LP part one features the cuts "Can You Feel It" from Mr Fingers, "Hallucinate" by Acid Wash, "151" by Armando, "The Jacking Zone" by Risque Rhythm Team, "I Can't Understand" by Pleasure Zone, "Rabbit Trax 1" by James Jack Rabbit Martin, "Freedom (Factory mix)" by The Children, "Ecstasy" by Mr Fingers, and "I Believe" by A Black Man, A Black Man, & Another Black Man.

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

20 killer funky sample tracks – all pulled from the legendary holdings of ACE/BGP! Some of the tracks on here have appeared on other compilations, but the set's put together extremely well, and has more than enough funk for a whole crate of records! Nearly every cut's been sampled at least more than once – and titles include "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Chick A Boom" by Pazant Brothers, "Eva" by Jean Jacques Perry, "Walk Tall" by Cannonball Adderley, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson, "Take Yo Praise" by Camille Yarbrough, "Thinking Single" by The Counts, "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson, "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "What A Man" by Linda Lynell, and "Smokey Joe's La La" by Googie Rene. Funky funky!

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

A brilliant album from the overlooked reedman Rudolph Johnson – his second session for the Black Jazz label, and even better than the first! There's a soaring, searching quality to the record that Johnson never had before – a way of handling his tenor with a tone that Coltrane would have envied, and which sparkles with some of Rudolph's most soulful 70s contemporaries – like Sonny Fortune or Andrew White! The tunes are almost all originals, and have this depth of vision that really holds us rapt throughout – a way of digging in and continuing to find new meaning throughout the course of Johnson's solos – with superb rhythm backing from the trio of Kirk Lightsey on piano, Kent Brinkley on bass, and Doug Sides on drums. Lightsey is wonderful too – maybe his best performance on record – and titles include the sublime numbers "The Highest Pleasure", "The Traveler", "Time and Space", and "The Water Bearer".

A sweet set of vocal group tunes from the Dynamic Superiors – arranged with a bit more of a high stepping groove than some of the other Motown work of the time. Backings are handled by a range of talents that includes Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, and Horace Ott – but the real charm is the way the group's innocent harmony style puts over the lyrics, all of which are very strong tunes written by the team of Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "Face The Music", "Hit & Run Lovers", "Deception", "Pleasure", "Nobody's Gonna Change Me", "Feeling Mellow", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "Don't Give Up On Me Baby".

Fairport Convention's 9th album in a relatively short history, and a homey little set that often has the group working strongly in a folk-based mode! Instrumentation is a mixture of electric and acoustic guitars, plus mandolin, violin, and assorted percussion – brought in at just the right points to offset the album's few more rock-based tunes. The overall mood is relatively dark, and most tunes are originals, penned with a mix of traditional and conventional themes – and titles include "The Hexhamshire Lass", "Polly On The Shore", "To Aretha From Prison", "Tokyo", "Bring Em Down", "Pleasure & Pain", and "Possibly Parsons Green".

One of the greatest records of the 60s – and a sublime debut from Nico, sounding fresher and less dreary here than on many of her later sides – although still pretty chilling overall! The record features larger orchestral backings on most tracks – never too heavy, but with light strings that really help Nico depart from the sound of her work with The Velvet Underground. This style adds a new level of sophistication to her vocals, and really helps in her interpretation of the unusual material culled for the set – tunes that include a few key numbers by old partners in The Velvets, as well as some especially great tracks by a young Jackson Browne – a romantic interest of Nico at the time! The whole thing's incredible – on a par with the best from Scott Walker during the same stretch, although very different overall – and a key entry in the darker side of the non-hippie end of the 60s spectrum. Titles include "These Days", "It Was A Pleasure Then", "Eulogy To Lenny Bruce", and the incredible title cut, "Chelsea Girls". Fantastic!

11 tracks from one of George Clinton's loveliest groups! Parlet were clearly George's most disco-oriented group – featuring a trio of female voices in the lead (ala First Choice or Three Degrees), with backing by Parliament and the rest of the P-Funk crew. The tracks tend to be a bit longer and faster than your usual Parliament record, but there's still plenty of funk – and the overall feel of the work is very much in the P-Funk party ensemble mode. Titles include "No Rump To Bump", "Pleasure Principle", "Wolf Tickets", "Love Amnesia", "Play Me Or Trade Me", "Ridin High", and "Cookie Jar".

Classic funky disco material from George Clinton and the trio of lovelies that recorded under the name Parlet. The backing's by the rest of the P-Funk empire – with arrangements by Bernie Worrell and Fred Wesley. Titles include "Mr. Melody Man", "Cookie Jar", and "Pleasure Principle".

The incredible second album from Roxy Music – picking up right where the self titled album left off – ratcheting up the excitement even more thanks to Ferry's extra dramatic songs, Eno's unpredictable synthesizer and tape manipulations, and a driving approach to the performances by the rest of the group! The songs range from fairly straight forward fiery glam rock, to more complicated, evolving structural tension. We hear strains of this record in so many great rock albums that followed, from the punk era all the way up to post millenium indie rock – but as influential as it is, it's an amazing experience all its own! Titles include "Do The Strand", "Beauty Queen", 'Strictly Confidential", "Editions Of You", "In Every Dream Home A Heartache", "The Bogus Man", "Grey Lagoons" and "For Your Pleasure".

The title's a bit obtuse, but the music is warm and soulful throughout – a really tremendous session that carries on the strong legacy of solo work that Jimmy Heath was doing in the 70s! The feel here is a lot like some of Heath's dates for the Muse or Xanadu labels – and Jimmy's working here with a great rhythm section that includes Larry Willis on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – players who provide a very soulful grounding for the set. Heath blows alto, tenor, and soprano sax – and remaining players include Tom Williams on trumpet and Tony Purrone on guitar. The groove is in a classic Prestige/Riverside mode – not hard hardbop, but soulful, with touches of post-Coltrane blowing, and the mix of lyricism and soul jazz that Heath's always brought to his best work. Titles include "Trane Connections", "Forever Sonny", "You Can See", "I Waited For You", and "Song For Ben Webster". CD features the bonus track "Is That So".

Way more than you'd expect from the title and cover – not a batch of familiar disco hits, but a treasure trove of club classics from the early 80s! Sure, some of the artists here are familiar – but most of them are from the indie side of the spectrum, and even the few big stars are represented by either non-hit tracks, or hard to find remixes that make this collection well worth seeking out! And given the early 80s focus of the track selection, there's less disco here than 80s groove and boogie-styled rhythms – heavy on the beats and keyboards, and still filled with plenty of great vocals. 20 tracks on 2CDs – with titles that include "Dreamer (long vocal)" by BB&Q Band, "Nights Of Pleasure (Nick Martinelli mix)" by Loose Ends, "You Can't Run From My Love" by Stephanie Mills, "I'm Out To Catch" by Leon Haywood, "Just Another Lover (12" mix)" by Johnny Kemp, "Fall Down" by Tramaine, "I Feel For You (12" mix)" by Chaka Khan, "Got To Be Real" by Selection, "Garden Of Eve (long)" by Yvonne Gage, "The Rhythm Of The Jungle" by The Quick, "Burnin Love" by Con Funk Shun, "I Need You" by Network, "Love Take Over" by Five Star, and "To Be With You" by Maxx Traxx.

A treasure trove of Tennessee soul – a package that brings together two classic compilations on Charly Records, along with a host of rare bonus tracks too! The original release of Music City Soul and SSS Soul Survey were not only the kind of sets that first got Charly recognition as a key label for reissuing soul – but they also drew much-needed focus to the efforts of the Nashville labels working at the end of the 60s – surprising powerhouses for soul music, even though much of their efforts failed to chart at the time! As you'll hear in this set, labels like SSS International, Silver Fox, and Minaret were filled with deep soul gems – the kind of music you'd normally expect to hear from Memphis or Muscle Shoals – but which was coming out in droves from Music City during a brief musical moment at the end of the 60s. The 2CD set features a whopping 50 tracks in all – with titles that include "Baby You Got It" by Clarence Murray, "The Game Of Love" by Willie Hobbs, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" by Reuben Bell, "Soul Ranger" by Clifford Curry, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "Natural Soul Brother" by Danny White, "Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Sundy Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "I Almost Called Your Name" by Johnny Soul, "Soulshake" by Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, "Medley Of Soul" by Big Al Downing, "My Train's Coming In" by Betty Lavette, "All Night Long" by T Bone Walker, "My Ancestors" by Willie Charles Gray, and "The Pleasure Of My Woman" by Georgie Boy.

One of the greatest records of the 60s – and a sublime debut from Nico, sounding fresher and less dreary here than on many of her later sides – although still pretty chilling overall! The record features larger orchestral backings on most tracks – never too heavy, but with light strings that really help Nico depart from the sound of her work with The Velvet Underground. This style adds a new level of sophistication to her vocals, and really helps in her interpretation of the unusual material culled for the set – tunes that include a few key numbers by old partners in The Velvets, as well as some especially great tracks by a young Jackson Browne – a romantic interest of Nico at the time! The whole thing's incredible – on a par with the best from Scott Walker during the same stretch, although very different overall – and a key entry in the darker side of the non-hippie end of the 60s spectrum. Titles include "These Days", "It Was A Pleasure Then", "Eulogy To Lenny Bruce", and the incredible title cut, "Chelsea Girls". Fantastic!