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Loads of classics – including "Calling Dr Love", "Love Gun", "Hotter Than Hell", "God Of Thunder", "Deuce", "Detroit Rock City", "Beth", "Black Diamond", "Rock & Roll All Nite", and "Rock Bottom".

One of the best-ever Mel Torme jazz vocal albums – right up there with his best Bethlehem recordings! The set was recorded with Marty Paich's Dek-tette, who set the tone perfectly for the warmly perfect style of The Velvet Fog – and who, like Mel, manage to be totally polished, yet also still swing with a fair bit of emotion. The result is a swinging batch of standards that lets Mel shine at his best – including titles like "I've Got The World On A String", "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", and "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart".

One of the most treasured albums ever by The Cure! Includes "Why Can't I Be You", "Just Like Heaven", "Catch", "Hot Hot Hot" and more.

"Special Kiss" is an extra-special charmer – a slow funk number with a definite 80s spin, and these cool spacey vocals wrapped around a hook you'll swear you remember from back in the day! The Tom Noble remix makes all the niceness even nicer – and "In The Dark" is a great bit of beats and keys, even funkier than the main track – and with vocals that eerily echo somewhere in the background!

A fantastic record – one of the best jazz vocal records of the 80s, and a real bright spot in an often dim decade for jazz! The set is Carmen Lundy's debut – and it's a masterful self-produced effort that immediately put her in the ranks of the ultra-hip, ultra-soulful jazz crowd – singers like Betty Carter and Dee Dee Bridgewater, both of whom took a lot longer to sound this good than Carmen! The record is set in a perfect setting – Carmen working closely with musicians headed up by brother Curtis on bass, and including soulful players like Bobby Watson, Rene McLean, Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis, and Harry Whitaker. The whole thing's great – the kind of righteous vocal set that few singer ever seem to make this well – and titles include some great originals like "Good Morning Kiss", "Time is Love", and "Perfect Stranger" – plus excellent versions of "Dindi", "Love For Sale", and "The Lamp Is Low". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes!

A warm mellow groove from Bettye Swann – pulled from rare Atlantic Records sessions from the 70s, and a real overlooked chapter in Bettye's career! "I Want Sunday" moves along in a great midtempo mode – gently gliding on a slight wave of strings, but with plenty of room for Swann's vocals to crackle the tune's great lyrics! "Kiss My Love Goodbye" is a bit more upbeat – with some stone Philly production, and these tight, right-on lyrics from Bettye!

A key album in the career of Louis Armstrong – one that helped him forge the fourth or fifth great comeback in his career! As you'd guess by the title, the album's built around Louis' hit version of "Hello Dolly" – sung in a mode that at one level stretches back to his roots in trad jazz, but at another kind of peps the whole thing up with a mod 60s/20s retro sort of swing – more syncopated than before, with a choppy little groove that pushed Louis right back onto the charts. Backing is by a small group that includes Billy Kyle on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Joe Darensbourg on clarinet – and the album's filled with other great numbers that include "A Kiss To Build A Dream On", "Moon River", "You Are Woman I Am Man", "Blueberry Hill", and "Be My Life's Companion".

Pure magic from the height of Roy Ayers' classic 70s run on Polydor – a record that's filled with warm, jazzy grooves – all served up in that unique style that Roy was forging at the time! The album perfectly balances dancefloor tracks with mellower numbers – stepping out one minute with a funky groove on the bottom, then sliding into some slinkier laidback styles that are equally great. William Allen handles the arrangements with Roy, and does the strings himself – and also plays some monstrous bass on most numbers, which really brings up the rhythms from the bottom! Titles include the killer groovers "Sweet Tears", "When Is Real Real", "Let's Do It", and "Freaky Deaky" – and the warm mellow cuts "You Came Into My Life", "Kiss", and "Melody Maker".

One of our favorite Ray Barretto albums of the 60s – a real gem from the pre-Latin Soul years! The album's a clear attempt to cash in on the cash in on the James Bond craze of the time – issued by United Artists, who were releasing the Bond films, but also had Ray under contract during the period too. But despite that simple gimmick, it's a great little set – with a quality level that goes way beyond Bond soundtracks, or the usual from Barretto at the time! The tracks are all hard and groovy, with an excellent jazz feel – and some killer arranging from Ray that's right up there with the work he did for his legendary Charanga Moderna album! You may recognize the song titles – but their versions here are superb, and the album's filled with many many wonderful moments that step out with mad rhythms and great jazzy touches. Titles include "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "OO7", "Search For Vulcan", "Thunderball", and "Goldfinger". Nice "spy" shot of Ray on the cover, too!

A very weird record – and one of the most compelling albums ever cut by organ whiz Dave Baby Cortez! The record's a mixture of many different styles – the pop soul instrumentals of Dave's earlier career, the funky soul jazz of the early 70s, and some trippier sounds that have a wild spaced out feel – hardly what you'd expect from Dave's early 60s hits! Arrangements are by Sammy Lowe, and the approach is mostly in the small combo format, with some added backings on a few of the cuts – all nicely run through the rougher New Jersey edges of the All Platinum label – which really helps enforce the sound of the record! Titles include the classic "Funky Robot (parts 1 & 2)", plus the cuts "Funk Shack East", "Pretty Eyes", "P's and Q's", "Born Funky", and "Tongue Kissing", which has a spoken voice narrating how to French kiss!

One of Miles' last great albums – a soundtrack composed in conjunction with Marcus Miller, and recorded with a mix of atmospheric electronics and trumpet solos, coming off in a way that sounds far better than most of his other attempts at this style fro the time. Miller plays all the other instruments in the set, apart from some occasional guest work by players that include John Scofield, Earl Klugh, Omar Hakim, and Jason Miles. Titles include "Conchita", "Lament", "Los Feliz", "Lost In Madrid", "Siesta", "Kitt's Kiss", and "Wind".

Wonderful Sammy from his years at Reprise – and a beautiful album cut in collaboration with arranger Marty Paich! Marty had a swinging, jazzy style that always brought out the best in Sam – even on an album of fuller, mellower tracks such as these. The title hit is done by Sammy in a heartfelt style that showed that he could be every bit the pop crooner as some of his contemporaries, and the album follows in a similar mode – but also throws in some more upbeat numbers that keep things fresh and grooving. Titles include "Song From Two For The Seesaw", "We Kiss In A Shadow", "Love Is The Tender Trap", "Back In Your Own Back Yard", "There Was A Tavern In The Town", and "Falling In Love With Love".

The best collection we've ever seen on Ernie K Doe – a really massive set that not only features all the tracks from his early years on the New Orleans soul scene, but also includes his great comeback album from 1970 too – plus some killer cuts from the mid 70s as well! Allen Toussaint produced all the recordings – which makes for not only a really unified feel throughout, but also a nicely evolutionary one too – as the rough, gritty grooves of New Orleans are taken to hipper, more sophisticated territory as time moves on – those really complicated funky rhythms that have always made the title track a standout favorite from Ernie! The package features a hardcover book-style design, with notes, photos, and label scans in the middle – and cuts include "Come On Home", "Popeye Joe", "Here Come The Girls", "Stoop Down", "You Got To Love Me", "So Good", "Back Street Lover", "Talkin Bout This Woman", "A Long Way Back Home", "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye", "So Good", "The Fight", "Rub Dub Dub", "Hey Hey Hey", "There's A Will There's A Way", "Wanted $10,000 Reward", "Mother In Law", "A Certain Girl", "Reaping What I Sow", and "Penny Worth Of Happiness".

Dang, who the heck are these guys? They're great! The Exportations seem to have only popped up for this one album, but they've got a solid harmony soul sound that's right up there with the best groups of the 70s – and which in fact feels a lot more like indie work from the early part of the decade than you'd guess from their placement on United Artists, and the 1978 date of this LP. They appear to be a Detroit group, and they've got a great talent for mixing the rough and the smooth – in the manner of The Dramatics best work of the time. Titles include "Main Ingredient", "You've Been A Long Time Coming", "Kiss Me Love", "Strange Sensations", and "Music". Great harmony soul – and a record you'll treasure as much as any indie session of its type!

A cool contemporary trio – one that features a really compelling blend of guitar, bass, and drums – used in ways that really go past the obvious! Georg Wadenius handles the guitar, with a sensitivity to the strings that evokes the soul of some of the best 60s generation – but also has a compelling approach to rhythm that recalls some of the more unusual players of the period, too – a blend that's quite hard to describe in words, but which really makes the record way more than anything you'd expect to find in the world of jazz guitar – the kind of freshness that first hit our ears from the 70s ECM generation, but different too! Other trio members really help come up with the right sort of sounds to match Georg's energy – Mattias Svensson on bass and Jonas Holgersson on drums – an equally-weighted trio that definitely warrants the merged names of the group. Titles include "Sweet Kiss", "Longing", "Kristallen Den Fina", "Saleya", and "Den Blomstertid Nu Kommer".

Sweetly grooving early 80s UK soul from David Grant – his first solo album after the breakup of Linx – and it's a nice one! There's a leaner pop soul sound at play here, one that would have sounded right at home on the US charts of the time – but it's never too poppy – and always with David's genuinely soulful voice out front. The songs are of pretty solid, with some uptempo numbers and some more ballad-y tunes – the latter of which are really nice! Includes "Rock The Midnight", "Love Will Find A Way", "Stop And Go", "Organize", "Watching You, Watching Me", Holding On", "In The Flow Of Love", "Wrap Yourself Around Me" and more. This Big Break CD edition has a healthy batch of bonus tracks and alternate versions – 9 in all: "Stop And Go (12" Master Mix)", "Love Will Find A Way (Single Version)", "Kiss Away The Blues", "Klik Trax", :Rick The Midnight (Single Version)" and more.

An inventive project from Hot Peas & Butta and Big Pimp Jones – one that's similar to some of the soundtrack-styled funk we've heard before from the latter act – but with a vibe that's definitely deeper, too! The music here is written for an imaginary thriller – based around a secret government project – and the results are quite similar to the grooves you might hear on some classic 70s soundtrack for a film with a equally-compelling plotline! Drums are heavy, and there's lots of bold deep funk energy at the core – but there's also some richer sounds too – touches of orchestrations here and there which really shade things in nicely, and make you feel like the record is more of a high-budget studio recording than a simple deep funk effort. Titles include "Terror Mountain Showdown", "Night Over The Harbor", "Battle In The Sky", "Epilogue Of Chaos", "Descending Upon Monsters", and "The Military's Kiss". Comes with a bonus 7" single – feature three more tracks not on the CD!

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but she delivers it with a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "So Strange", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)". CD features some great bonus tracks too – including "Love Is Free", "Sing A Song", "Sweet Music", "Kiss You All Over (12" mix)", and "So Strange (12" mix)".

Great work from one of the grooviest pianists of the 60s – a player who could always keep things lively and swinging, even in a small combo session! The album's one of Pete Jolly's gems for the Ava label – a follow-up to his semi-hit Little Bird, and like that one, a record done with some slight additional help from Howard Roberts on a few tracks. But this time around, Roberts' work is only on a few of the titles – leaving Pete's core trio to take over most of the grooves themselves, building strongly from warmly rolling rhythms by Chuck Berghofer on bass and Larry Bunker on drums, topped by Jolly's surprisingly soulful lines on piano – all in a blend that reminds us of the great balance between lyricism and groove we always find in the best work of Vince Guaraldi. Titles include "Sweet September", "Can't We Be Friends", "Any Number Can Win", "Soft Winds", "Oleo", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", and "Kiss Me Baby".

A standout classic from Fern Kinney – and a set that not only marked a big moment of evolution for southern soul, but also for the Mississippi scene as well! The set was recorded at the Malaco studios in Jackson, but has a vibe that's much closer to some of the TK Records material from Miami – that maturation of southern soul during the disco era – as warmer, more modern touches came into play with rootsier styles of vocals! Mike Lewis handled the string arrangements – giving the record the same disco vibe as some of his other work of the time, including Anita Ward's big debut – and Fern's vocals have this higher range than usual for a southern singer – almost more innately tuned towards clubby rhythms. Titles include a big hit remake of King Floyd's "Groove Me" – really marking the change from the original version – plus "Baby Let Me Kiss You", "Pillow Talk", "Sun Moon Rain", "Angel On The Ground", and "Under Fire". CD features bonus tracks "Let's Keep It Right There", "I Want You Back", "Movie Show", "Baby Let Me Kiss You (single)", "Sweet Life", "Tonight's The Night", and "Groove Me (single)".

A nice little 50s album that compiles Gene's work from the early 40s – his groundbreaking early swing sides, some featuring singer Anita O'Day, others with the great Roy Eldridge on trumpet! Tunes are tight, lively, and feature some killer drum work (natch!) – and titles include "After You've Gone", "Murder Hey Says", "Tuxedo Junction", "Massachusetts", "Disc Jockey Jump", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Drum Boogie", "Let Me Off Uptown", and "Slow Down".

Possibly the only Liberace album you'll ever see at Dusty Groove – mostly because it's plenty darn groovy! As you might guess from the date and the title, the record presents a hipper Liberace than on earlier sets – a late 60s approach to his earlier piano stylings, with tunes that are more contemporary, and backings from arranger Emory Gordy, done in a style that moves towards the cooler side of easy listening at the time. Liberace plays all the acoustic piano lines in the set, but the arrangements are what really make it work – coming off with some cooler sounds that update the more flowery piano stylings nicely. Titles include a great remake of Johnny Harris' "Footprints On The Moon", plus "Traces", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Parks & Recreation", "A Brand New Me", "Mixed Emotions", and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".

A classic bit of Chicago house goes mainstream – and a suprisingly big hit from the late 80s. The main reason most folks bought this album was for Louis' "French Kiss", a sex-sound infused house cut with a "fast-then-slow-then-fast" groove that was endlessly dropped into mixes on radio and in clubs at the time. However, like late 80s house contemporaries Blaze, Louis actually turned out to be a pretty interesting soul talent when given a whole album to work with – and although "French Kiss" is on the beat-heavy "dance" side of the album, there's also a pretty interesting "romance" side that has some nice home-made late 80s soul tunes with great warm keyboard-heavy production. Titles include "Lil Tanya", "The Luv U Wanted", "6 AM", and "Brittany".

A strangely beautiful set of music composed by Zdenek Liska – described as orchestral/electronic, and it's soaring, haunting stuff – music with a great deal of subtley and abstract beauty on one level, and tense, fractured and spooky atmospherics on another! This is complex, accomplished material – classic soundtrack styled strings and other grander orchestrations blend with soundscape errata that's hard to define and describe – be it creaky, crackling beats, eerie bits of echo, or fuzzy effects. Titles include "Mala Morska Vila", "Witches Firewall", "The Sixth Sister", "The Black Sea", "The Kiss", "Games/Echoes", "Behind The Rock", "The Pendant" and more.

The third album from Little Feat – and one that brings a bit of Crescent City rock and soul into the mix – but it's still Little Feat, so it's got a restless creative energy that's beautifully tough to classify! There's quite a bit of soul influences in the mix – especially the tunes with the female chorus backing vocals. Not a Dixie rock cliché to be found anywhere on it, either! Includes "Dixie Chicken", "Two Trains", "Roll Um Easy", "Kiss It Off", "Fat Man In The Bathtub", "Fool Yourself" and more.

Early Brit pop from Jerry Lordan – best known as the songwriter of a host of hits for bigger artists in the pre-Beatles years – stepping out here in an album of his own! Jerry's a singer with a surprising degree of charm – not a full-on rocker, but more of an old school vocalist with a good ear for a punch tune – working here with arrangements from Johnnie Spence that show that great lighter side of the London sound at the time! Titles include "A House A Car & A Wedding Ring", "Man On My Trail", "Leave Me Alone", "I'll Stay Single", "Married", and "The World's Loneliest Man". CD also features 14 more bonus tracks – singles and demos that include "Can We Kiss", "Who Could Be Bluer", "Do I Worry", "Sing Like An Angel", "I've Still Got You", and "One Good Solid 24 Carat Reason".

A groovy little Italian soundtrack – straight in some parts, but very nice in others! There's some sweet tunes that features wordless female vocals – in the mode of work by Armando Trovajoli or Ennio Morricone from the time – and there's other tunes that have a dancing groovy style that are right in the Easy Tempo mode. The tracks are very short, but groove around nicely – and really fit the feel you might expect from a title like The Wild Eye! Titles include "Bali Street", "The Sultan", "Don't Go Away", "The Kiss", "Two Lovers", "Love Comes Back", "Goodbye", and "Golden Age".

One of the only early albums as a leader from pianist Ronnie Mathews – a player who recorded more often in later years, but who really sounds incredible in this rare session for Prestige! Although a lyrical player at heart, Mathews also has a very hard edge here – more of a soul jazz groove than you'd hear on his later records, and a great example of the sound he was picking up from some of his key 60s work as a sideman. The group is great overall – with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Charles Davis on baritone sax – both players who bring a Blue Note-like sense of imagination to their solos here. The rest of the group features Eddie Kahn on bass and Albert Heath on drums – and titles include the killers "The Thang", "Ichi Ban", and "The Orient" – plus "Let's Get Down", "1239A", and "Prelude To A Kiss".

A collection of outtakes from the Deserter’s Songs sessions! Includes home demos and otherwise rougher, early versions and otherwise alternate mixes – pretty wonderfully fleshed out, though, even in blueprint form. A very worthy batch of rare versions of songs from their one-time underappreciated/now acknowledged classic Deserter's Songs – plus more from the sessions. 11 in all: "Piano Vs Telephone (Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Pick Up, If You're There (DJ Nickel 1998 Remix)", "Endlessly (Tascam 8-Track Reel To Reel Demo)", "A Soft Kiss (For Waking Up) (Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Goddess On A Hiway (1989 Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Night On Panther Mountain (Unreleased Mix)" and more.

Prince in near-peak form in the mid 80 – creatively, anyway! Parade is a brilliant stand-alone album, tough it doubles as a soundtrack to a film that flopped – standing today as one of our favorite Prince albums from the 80s! Includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown – and the whole album's got some great orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer. Titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead".

Massive soul from Wendy Rene – one of the lesser-known talents from the Stax Records scene of the 60s, and an artist who's finally getting her due! We're not sure why Wendy never hit bigger at the time – because her singles here are wonderful – excellent female soul that not only ranks with the best of the Stax sound of the time, but which also challenges the bite of some of the best Motown music too – thanks to a particularly northern groove on some of the best cuts here! In fact, it may well be this style – often closer to Detroit soul than the usual Memphis bag at Stax – that might have held Wendy back. But that's hardly an issue all these many years later – and our hat's off to the folks at Light In The Attic for not only bringing together her rare singles, but also collecting unreleased songs, other rarities, and even material performed with the group The Drapels – all recorded in the years 1964 and 1965, and supported by some great notes too. Titles include "Bar B Q", "I Wish I Were That Girl", "What Will Tomorrow Bring", "Last Love", "Crowded Park", "Give You What I Got", "Deep In My Heart", "Wondering", "First Kiss", "Reap What You Sow", "After Laughter Comes Tears", and "He Hasn't Failed Me Yet".

Roctober's famous "Kissue" – featuring interviews with Kiss cover band Strutter, Bruce Kulick, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Jumpin Gene Simmons, and a Japanese Archival Kiss interview! Also features Kiss Toy Rejects, Pedro Bell Almost Meets Kiss, and comics by Eric Searleman, Jenny Zerkavis, Olaf, Rob Syers, Cathy Hamilton, Soul Finger Tattoos, and others. Also includes a bonus 8" vinyl record, featuring songs about Kiss by The Polkhaholics, Social Parasite, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Ratso, Buh Zombie, DJ Josh, Dom Nation, and Beau Grumpus.

The Equals story (60s brit mod bubblegum soul). Ludicrous Dolly Parton critical discography (over 100 lps reviewed). The mysterious ? (Question Mark and the Mysterians) interviewed and observed. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. 2 Live Crew get the Pedro (Funkadelic lp cover artist) Bell treatment. Johnny Thunders comix. Los Crudos anarchist interview. Roctober #1 reprint with rockabilly behemoth Sleepy Labeef, the Connells, Scott Radinsky (hardcore punk vocalist turned major league pitcher). Plus Runaways, Weird Al, KISS, the Goblins, Godzilla, zillions of comix

Snack rock superheroes the Go Nuts interviewed. R&B eccentrics celebrated. KISS worldwide convention coverage. Brother Wayne Kramer tells it like it is. Includes flexi disc with original songs by Girl Trouble, Mcrackins, Pedro Bell, Goblins, Butterglory, Scissor Girls, Geezers, Blanche, Jak Shit, John Huss, Ligon brothers, Royal Crowns, Combustible Edison, USA, Asstroland, Iggy and the Stooges, Buck & Betty, the Singing Cockroaches.

Essential peak solo material from Diana – her aptly self-titled set from 1976, showing Ms. Ross stretching out stylistically with incredible style and with beautiful vocals! Diana '76 is among her best work of the 70s – and that's saying something! It opens with the gorgeous "Theme From Mahogany" – and given that this album's release was timed well with the movie, you could be forgiven to think it could be a quickie product to ride the film's commercial coattails. Not at all! In fact, this album is a major creative triumph – songs ranging from elegant balladry, to jazzy soul, to sultry disco. It's one of those rare few cases in which a great artists covers miles of stylistic territory and reins it all into a consistent whole. We always loved this album, but re-approaching after all these years, we think it's a real masterpiece! Titles include "Theme From Mahogany", "You're Good My Child", "Love Hangover", "Kiss Me Now", "After You", "Smile", "One Love In My Lifetime", and "I Thought It Took A Little Time". The folks at Motown/Hip-O Select are giving it the masterpiece love for this 2CD edition – with the original album plus 9 bonus tracks on Disc 1 – plus 15 more bonus tracks on Disc 2! Bonus tracks include non-album singles "Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right (Single Version)" and "Together (Single Version)", single and alternate versions of the best album tracks, rare, unreleased sessions material that include a sweet cover of Elton John's "Harmony", "Go Where Your Mind Is", "Le Lo Li" and much more, plus an interview with Diana. 33 tracks on 2CDs plus a nice booklet..

Jerry Lewis as a boy geisha? Sounds like a pretty wild movie – but the soundtrack is a bit more straightforward than you might expect – a great mix of rich Hollywood scoring with some very nice "exotic" touches thrown in for good measure – a surprisingly top-shelf effort from maestro Walter Scharf! As with some of Jerry's films of the time, there's a strong sense of sentiment to the music – to offset some of the more comedic moments on the screen – and Scharf's music is surprisingly tender at points, with a quality that can echo the youthful innocence that Lewis brings to his portrayal. CD version has a huge amount of bonus tracks – 22 numbers in all, with titles that include "Tokyo Street Theme", "Dinner On The Floor", "The Steam Baths", "Harry Returns", "The Chase", "A Parting Kiss", and "Touring Japan".

Spy themes galore – a full CD of famous James Bond tunes, paired with a whole bonus CD of additional work from Brit maestro Roland Shaw! Back in the 60s, Shaw recorded a host of great spy-styled sets for Decca – two albums of work with Bond on the cover and in the title, and two more with additional spy and secret agent themes! The best of that work's packaged together here, in an ultra-cool 2CD set that features 37 tracks in all – a good number of which were penned by John Barry for original Bond films, then redone by Roland in ways that are swinging 60s, with lots of mod instrumental moments – including some great guitar amidst all the horns. Titles include "Twisting With James", "You Only Live Twice", "Chateau Fight", "Pussy Galore's Flying Circus", "Thunderball", "Dawn Raid On Fort Knox", "Dr No's Fantasy", "James Bond Theme", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Bond Below Disco Volante", "The Saint", "I Spy", "The Avengers", "Theme From The Man From Uncle", "Casino Royale", and "Mission Impossible".

2 LP set filled with spy themes conducted by Brit bandleader Roland Shaw, with a very groovy Phase 4 sound. Titles include "Mr Kiss-Kiss, Bang-Bang", "The Saint", "The Avengers", "Ipcress File", "Our Man Flint", "James Bond Theme", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Casino Royale", and lots more! Very weird cover, too – with some "women as targets" images on the front and back.

Easily one of the best of the Bond-alike albums of "spy" grooves from the 60s – handled by Brit easy maestro Roland Shaw, with a sound that's in keeping with the best soundtrack work of the time! Shaw's got a jazzy mode here that really opens up some of these tunes – letting the horns and piano come into play a bit more on a few numbers, and differing the songs a lot from their more famous versions used in the films. The package has a great kitschy cover, plus a cool montage of film scenes on the back – and titles include "The Saint", "The Ipcress File", "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Man From Uncle", "Our Man Flint", and "I Spy".

Fierce funky instrumentals from Motown keyboardist Earl Van Dyke – a set that's overflowing with great original tracks, plus some sweet funky covers too! The style here is quite different than Earl's previous work – and quite different from most of Motown too – with a hard-edged approach to the grooves that's much more like the work going on in the funky 45 underground on other labels – especially on the drums, which often snap nicely and give the album a great breaking sort of sound! The set was recorded live at the Hi Chapparal club in Detroit, with audience noise dubbed in later – and titles include "The Flick", "Cissy Strut", "Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again", "Fuschia Moods", "The Stingray", "The Whip a Rang", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".

Mad mad funk, and the fantastic second LP by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – the group that proved to everyone that LA could be just as funky as any other city in the 60s! The record draws strongly from the group's indie roots in the funky 45 scene – and the album's filled with short tracks that bump along in jagged rhythms, offbeat arrangements, and some slight touches of sweeter soul. Charles Wright is leading the group on vocals, and taking a stronger presence on these soul-based cuts – but as before, it's the strength of the overall group that really makes the album great – especially the bass work of Melvin Dunlap and the funky drums of James Gadson! Titles include some killer original tracks by the band – like "Do Your Thing", "Giggin' Down 103rd", "Phuncky Bill", "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul", and "A Dance, A Kiss, & A Song" – plus great covers of "Something You Got", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Knock On Wood".

Excellent lost funk tracks from the French studio scene of the 70s! We've never seen any of these on the original vinyl – and just about every cut is culled from a rare French jazz, soundtrack, or instrumental LP! There's a whopping 17 tracks in all, and the groove ranges from Blacksploitation funky to breakbeat moog to De Wolfe groovy – with lots of other grooves in between. Cuts include "Slag Machine" by Patrick Abrial, "Happy Smith" by Michel Gonet, "Exciting Mrs. Brown" by April Orchestra, "Coulc Ah!" by Francois Rolland, "Generique" by Philippe Sarde, "Aerospatial" by Janko Nilovic, "Afro-Disiac" by Bernard Estardy, and "Kiss This" by Claude Denjean. Lots more grooviness, and a very nice package that's filled with cuts we've never heard before!

Incredible southern soul work from Sound City – a lesser-known studio operating out of Shreveport in the 70s, with a groove that's a bit different than some of its bigger contemporaries on the scene! The Sound City approach is a bit leaner than Hi, Jewel, Malaco, or other outfits running at the time – and this collection of tracks issued on its tiny Alarm label show a growing sophistication that moves past some of the more familiar southern soul modes. There's a bit of funk on some of the tracks – almost more New York influenced in approach than down south –and there's also some more personal, mature ballad numbers too – really great tracks that make great use of the more heartbreaking qualities of the vocalists featured here – Ted Taylor, Reuben Bell, and Eddie Giles. The set has a really unified sound – given that there's only these three singers featured on the set – and that all vocalists have a good way of hitting both high notes and rootsier modes. Titles include "Somebody's Getting It", "Steal Away", "I'm Gonna Hate Myself In The Morning", "Looking Back", and "Everybody's Stealing" by Ted Taylor; "I'll Be Your Woman", "Superjock", "One Sided Love Affair", and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" by Reuben Bell; and "Swearing Out A Want", "There Must Be A Place", "You're My Sweet Inspiration", "How Many Times", "I Can't Get Over You", and "Married Lady" by Eddie Giles.

Amazing stuff from No Wave legends DNA – 32 tracks from long out of print singles, EPs and live recordings – many on CD for the first time ever! DNA was one of the most uproarious acts in that increasingly legendary NYC scene – featuring Arto Lindsay's scratchy guitar and haggard banshee wail of a lead vocal presence, those primitive Bowery funk keyboards by Robin Krutchfield, and thumping, metronomic bass and drums by Tim Wright and Ikue Mori. The band's songs rarely marched past the 2 1/2 minute mark or so, getting in-and-out for a quick catharsis. These tracks trace the range of the under-recorded group perfectly, from the raw punk squall of the early singles to the funkier, sinister post disco sound later on. Amazing, awe inspiring stuff from a scene that keeps on belching greatness! Great notes and photos, here too! Includes "You & You", "Egomaniac's Kiss", "Not Moving", "Size", "New Fast", "New New", "Young Teenagers Talk Sex", "Police Chase", "Cop Buys A Donut", "Nearing", "Low", "Brand New", "Horse", "Forgery", "A New Low" and tons more!

Amazing stuff from No Wave legends DNA – a vinyl set that features material that wasn't on the CD collection of the same name! DNA was one of the most uproarious acts in that increasingly legendary NYC scene – featuring Arto Lindsay's scratchy guitar and haggard banshee wail of a lead vocal presence, those primitive Bowery funk keyboards by Robin Krutchfield, and thumping, metronomic bass and drums by Tim Wright and Ikue Mori. The band's songs rarely marched past the 2 1/2 minute mark or so, getting in-and-out for a quick catharsis. These tracks trace the range of the under-recorded group perfectly, from the raw punk squall of the early singles to the funkier, sinister post disco sound later on. Amazing, awe inspiring stuff from a scene that keeps on belching greatness! Great notes and photos, here too! Includes "You & You", "Egomaniac's Kiss", "Not Moving", "Size", "New Fast", "New New", "Young Teenagers Talk Sex", "Police Chase", "Cop Buys A Donut", "Nearing", "Low", "Brand New", "Horse", "Forgery", "A New Low" and tons more! 37 tracks in all – with vinyl-exclusive tunes "Pompeii", "Shrinking Thing", "Drinking Water", and 2 live titles from CBGBs.

One of Swamp Dogg's roughest and rawest albums of the 70s – a real down-home affair that's probably one of the clearest expressions of what Jerry Williams was trying to do with his character! The album was produced by Jerry in collaboration with Miami soul maestro Steve Alaimo – and has a lean, mean deep soul feel – with backing from a small combo that features some mighty nice guitar from Little Beaver, and tracks that spin out longer than usual – with plenty of spirit! Titles include "Wife Sitter", "Choking To Death", "Midnight Hour", "Please Let Me Kiss You Goodbye", "I Couldn't Pay For What I Got Last Night", and "Mighty Mighty Dollar Bill".

One of Swamp Dogg's roughest and rawest albums of the 70s – a real down-home affair that's probably one of the clearest expressions of what Jerry Williams was trying to do with his character! The album was produced by Jerry in collaboration with Miami soul maestro Steve Alaimo – and has a lean, mean deep soul feel – with backing from a small combo that features some mighty nice guitar from Little Beaver, and tracks that spin out longer than usual – with plenty of spirit! Titles include "Wife Sitter", "Choking To Death", "Midnight Hour", "Please Let Me Kiss You Goodbye", "I Couldn't Pay For What I Got Last Night", and "Mighty Mighty Dollar Bill".

Powerhouse soul from singer Doris Allen – who made a bit of a splash in the late 60s southern soul scene with duet partner Big John Hamilton – but who's own work from that time and a couple decades later have been under acknowledged in the digital era until now! The first half of the CD features the late 60s work, and it's wonderful – produced by Finley Duncan at Duncan's Playground Studios – featuring a couple of the Hamilton duets, but it's Doris's show. She can both shout out soulfully to the heavens and reign it in for more delicate numbers, and the often gritty soul backing of drums, organ and horns are of the finest caliber. The second half of the set jumps to the mid 80s, and the cleaner, smoother sounds of that era – still produced by Duncan – and Allen's voice as impeccable as earlier. Titles include "A Shell Of A Woman", "Kiss Yourself For Me", "Let A Little Love In", "A Place In My Heart", "Them Changes", "Bright Star", "Candy From A Baby", "Treat Me Like A Woman", "Full Time Fool", "Night Time Is The Right Time" and more, plus 9 previously unreleased tracks, including "Clean Up Woman", "Birmingham Jail", "Ashes Won't Burn" and more. 23 tracks in all!

One of the greatest of Barry's scores for the James Bond films – early enough to be raw, but confident enough to change up the mood nicely! The theme song features vocals by Tom Jones – and the rest of the tunes almost reads as a who's who of hipster influences, as so many of them have been taken up by other artists as band or album names. Titles include "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Thunderball", "The Bomb", "Chateau Flight", "Bond Below Disco Volante", "Death Of Fiona", and "Switching The Body".

A classic full-length album from The Coasters – one of the few the group ever cut for Atlantic Records – and a perfect illustration of everything that made them so great! Almost every cut here was penned by the team of Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller – who were also working with the group in the studio, and giving this amazingly pyrotechnic approach to group harmony – one that moved way past the simple street corner modes of a few years before, and which brought all sorts of sinister and sharp changes to their music! The vocals come across with plenty of soul, and also a huge amount of dexterity and wit as well – so much so that just about nobody else could make these tunes shine so well as The Coasters on these vintage recordings. Titles include "Young Blood", "Searchin", "Lola", "I Must Be Dreamin", "One Kiss Led To Another", "Riot In Cell Block # 9", "Framed", "Smokey Joe's Cafe", "Turtle Dovin'", "Framed", and "Down In Mexico".

The complete recordings done by John Coltrane for Bethlehem Records – mostly cut during December of 1957, and issued on the albums The Winner's Circle and Art Blakey Big Band! Both albums were a bit unusual for the label – in that The Winner's Circle was sort of a blowing/jam session type record, cut with some of the big poll winners of the year, but with shorter tracks than the usual Prestige-styled set of that nature. The lineup includes Donald Byrd, Al Cohn, Eddie Costa, Oscar Pettiford, and Philly Joe Jones – and Coltrane's a bit buried in the group, but gets out some nice licks from time to time. The second set of tracks was recorded for a unique big band session led by Art Blakey – featuring a core group with Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Walter Bishop Jr, and Wendell Marshall on some tracks – plus a larger lineup on a number of others. The CD brings together a whopping 27 tracks from these sessions, including some great alternate takes – and titles include "Midriff", "Tippin", "The Outer World", "The Kiss Of No Return", "Pristine Take", and "Oasis" – a previously unreleased track!

A really great album by Billy Eckstine – much more swinging and upbeat than some of his other 50s sessions, and with a strongly pronounced jazz flair overall! The album's supposedly recorded live in Vegas in the wee hours of the morning, and features Billy blowing a bit of trumpet as well as singing – all set to some nicely thumping orchestrations by Bobby Tucker, who really knows how to hit the right groove for this sort of a set. Titles include "Lady Luck", "Have A Song On Me", "Deed I Do", "Without A Song", "Moonlight In Vermont", and "Lush Life". CD features a huge amount of previously unissued bonus tracks – titles that include "Prelude To A Kiss", "Fools Rush In", "I Apologize", "Little Mama", "Prisoner Of Love", "Alright Okay You Win", and "In The Still Of The Night".

One of the only full LPs of work that was ever issued by the Flamingos on Chess – a collection of older singles, presented here in a later edition with a different cover and some bonus tracks! Tracks include "Would I Be Crying", "Whispering Stars", "The Vow", "A Kiss From Your Lips", "Chickie Um Bah", "Dream Of A Lifetime", and "Chick A Boom That's My Baby". Bonus tracks include the previously unissued "If I Could Love You", "I Really Don't Want To Know", and "I Found A New Baby" – plus an alternate take of "Dream Of A Lifetime".

An expanded version of Hugo Friedhofer's score for One Eyed Jacks – a compelling soundtrack for one of the more ill-fated westerns of the 50s! Friedhofer really moves beyond familiar stereotypes here – using offbeat orchestrations, often heavy on woodwinds and solo instrumentation, to create a nice sense of place and space – almost exotic at points, then underscored by bolder dramatic themes that build as the soundtrack unfolds. There's almost as much drama in the music as you'll find on the screen – and titles include "Seduction", "Contrition", "Toast To Friendship", "Kiss Of A Scoundrel/Pursued By Rurales", and "Finale". CD features a full bonus disc – a second CD with 27 more tracks from the original score, as well as alternates of the main themes on the first disc!

Stunning funk from the great Dizzy Gillespie – light years away from his early bop recordings! The album's a slammin batch of 70s instrumentals – Dizzy's trumpet firmly in the lead over electric backings that have more than a bit of funk in them. The bass is the main driving factor of the tunes – played either by Phil Upchurch or Chuck Rainey – and the tracks bounce along with a fierce and righteous groove that also includes hard riffing on guitar and some sweet piano lines. Players include Mike Longo, James Moody, and Bernard Purdie – and tracks include "N'Bani", "Matrix", "Soul Kiss", "Ding A Ling", and "Alligator". Great stuff, and a crucial album in Dizzy's lost career! Damn funky, too.

Peter Gruzien's legendary underground loner psych country record The Unicorn from 1974 – reissued here with a bonus second LP Garden Of Love – which features odds and ends written and recorded from the late 50s through the 70s! The Unicorn is a cool and strange mix of spare honky tonk musical backdrops, oddball keyboards and trippy effects, plaintive, charismatic drawl vocals and lyrics that are in turns staight up and wildly surrealistic. Titles include "Innocents", "The Unicorn", "White Trash Hillbilly Trick", "Satan's Horn", "The Lost World", "Redemtion And Prayer", "Return Of The Unicorn" and more. Garden Of Love features songs that are for the most part less trippy lyrically, but it's ultimately just as otherworldly thanks to the lo fi vibe! Titles include "The Garden Of Love", "Alone Amongst The Crowd", "Kiss Me Another", "The Bills", "Echoing Footsteps", "Stonewall" and more. 2LPs of crucial esoteric Americana!

A beautiful album of dark-hued vocals – sung by Johnny Hartman with a quality that's as smokey as the image of him with a cigarette on the cover! The album set a whole new standard for male vocal jazz in the 60s – and is a distillation and refinement of earlier ideas in music by Billy Eckstine, taken down to more personal and fluid levels by Hartman – and recorded here with great small group baking that includes Illinois Jacquet on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The vibe is very mellow, but never sloppy or sleepy – and titles include "Charade", "In The Wee Small Hours", "Stairway To the Stars", "Kiss & Run", "Our Time", "Don't You Know I Care", "If I'm Lucky", and "Don't Call It Love".

Swing session with small group backing by Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Woode, Sonny Greer, and Clark Terry – and which features Johnny's warm tones soloing nicely on comfortable standards. All of side one is a "ballad medley", with a very Creamy sound, and titles that include "But Not For Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Whispering", and "Tenderly". The flipside's got a bit more kick, and titles that include "Honey Bunny", "Passion", and "No Use Kicking".

One of 3 albums that vocalist Lurlean Hunter cut for RCA during the 50s – all of them very nice, in a sophisticated jazz club style that's not as well remembered these days. This album has her singing with Phil Moore's orchestra – a perfect backdrop for her dusky style. Titles include "Kiss Me Again", "If I Could Be With You", "Nobody's Heart", "Some Other Time", and "Under A Blanket Of Blue".

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but one that still shows a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)".

An Isley Jasper Isley 3-fer – the '84, '85 & '87's Broadway's Closer To Sunset Boulevard, Caravan Of Love and Different Drummer – in a single set! Broadway was the first breakaway effort from the trio of Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper, and Marvin Isley – a set that's got an even leaner groove than some of the Isley Brothers material from years before! The group really hit their stride right away – stepping out in a sweet array of funky rhythms that have some definite 80s touches on the beats, yet which still share all the best Isleys elements overall! Guitar parts are especially sharp – that carved in soul sound that showed up in most Isleys projects from the early 70s onwards – and the vocals have a great sense of warmth and soul, especially on the mellower tunes in the set, which turn down some of the more hook-heavy rhythms heard on other tracks. Titles include "Serve You Right", "Sex Drive", "Love Is Gonna Last Forever", "Kiss & Tell", "I Can't Get Over Losin You", "Look The Other Way", "Break This Chain", and "Broadway's Closer Than Sunset Blvd". Ernie and Marvin Isley team up with Chris Jasper and for Caravan, and more fully reinventing their for the 80s! The record features the wonderful "Caravan Of Love", a soulful spiritual tune that's kind of to 80s soul what The Impressions "People Get Ready" was to 60s soul! Different Drummer was the last album by this configuration of the group, taking on different modes, with some soul gems in the mix. Titles include "Dancing Around The World", "High Heel Syndrome", "Liberation" and more. Includes "Different Drummer", "Do It Right", "Blue Rose", "8th Wonder Of The World" and more.

Jellyfish take off from the Beach Boys' Stack O Tracks concept of an instrumental record – and offer up no-vocal versions of the albums Bellybutton and Spilt Milk! These aren't "stripped off" versions of the records – but complete instrumental readings of the music, recorded at the same time as the original records – issued here for the first time ever! Jellyfish's pair of early 90s albums are almost defiantly in the way they ignore the era's alt-rock boom in favor of classic psych and power pop – which is something they earned our respect for, both then and now – and you get to hear just how intricately-layered their sound is here on the instrumentals. It has the feel of late 60s and 70s rock film scores in a way – and it's really cool stuff – truly worthwhile to have sans vocals! 22 tracks on 2CDs: Bellybutton titles include "The Man I Used To Be", "That Is Why", "I Wanna Stay Home", "She Still Loves Him", "Now She Knows She's Wrong", "Bedspring Kiss", "Calling Sarah" and more – and Spilt Milk titles include "Hush", "Joining A Fan Club", "New Mistake", "The Ghost At Number One", "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", "Brighter Day".

Most of the tracks on this 2 LP set are not from Jones' solo records but rather songs under the direction of others, mainly John Coltrane but also Frank Foster and Sonny Rollins. Some of the Coltrane titles are the drum solo from "Pursuance", "Impressions", "Your Lady", and "Vigil". Other titles are Foster's "Shiny Stockings" and "We Kiss In A Shadow" with Rollins. There are of course several other all star players who turn up on these songs such as McCoy Tyner, Richard Davis, Jimmy Garrison and Rashied Ali.

A pair of the best tracks from the instant classic, mainstream attention seizing I Learned The Hard Way – "Better Things" and "Window Shopping on a 45 – as they should be, because these are neo jukebox classics of the highest caliber! "Better Things" is a perfect kiss off track, with Sharon convincing us she has "Better Things", and making it clear that no one's better than she is contemporary funky soul! "Window Shopping" is a slower cooking gem, keeping the groove at a funky simmer.

Prince in a grand groove – actually a better record overall than Around The World In A Day, and one of our favorite Prince albums! Sure, it was the soundtrack to a film that flopped – and that might be the reason this one can get slighted in discussion of his better albums. This one deserved better – and it includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown – but the whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer. Titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead".

Sade's last LP from the early 90s before she went into her brief recording and performing hiatus. Like the preceding records, the approach is heavy on the jazz side of things, with a crisp, spare touch on the production and a wonderfully soulful feel to the songwriting. At this point she no longer had to work to break into the charts, but that didn't stop her and her band from coming up with a great batch of material that managed to be easily accessible without losing any of the sublime grace that set her apart. Includes "No Ordinary Love", "Cherish The Day", "Feel No Pain", "I Couldn't Love You More", "Like A Tattoo", "Kiss Of Life", "Pearls", "Bullet Proof Soul" and "Mermaid".

Titles include "Go For It", "First Timothy Six", "I Miss Your Kiss", "Do The Guitar", "Planet Funk", and "You Sexy Thing".

Mad mad funk, and the fantastic second LP by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – the group that proved to everyone that LA could be just as funky as any other city in the 60s! The record draws strongly from the group's indie roots in the funky 45 scene – and the album's filled with short tracks that bump along in jagged rhythms, offbeat arrangements, and some slight touches of sweeter soul. Charles Wright is leading the group on vocals, and taking a stronger presence on these soul-based cuts – but as before, it's the strength of the overall group that really makes the album great – especially the bass work of Melvin Dunlap and the funky drums of James Gadson! Titles include some killer original tracks by the band – like "Do Your Thing", "Giggin' Down 103rd", "Phuncky Bill", "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul", and "A Dance, A Kiss, & A Song" – plus great covers of "Something You Got", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Knock On Wood".

Ben Webster and ballads – what more could you want? This nice 2LP set brings together some fantastic Webster work from his mid 50s years at Verve – featuring larger arrangements by Ralph Burns and Billy Strayhorn, plus small group playing with Teddy Wilson. At face value, the set is nothing fancy – but Webster's tone is incredible, drenched in soul and emotion, especially on the tracks arranged by Burns. Titles include "Prelude To A Kiss", "All Too Soon", "Chelsea Bridge", "Love Is Here To Stay", "You're Mine You", "Love's Away", and "Sophisticated Lady".

One of the greatest Nancy Wilson albums of the 60s – a small combo jazz date, done with a style that's different than some of Wilson's larger sessions of the time! The group has a relaxed, easygoing feel – and Wilson slides in with a style that's a lot more laidback and subtle than on other Capitol dates – almost the mellow feel of a late 50s Dakota Staton date, but still song with all the careful class that Nancy brings to her vocals! The group's a quartet, led by pianist Hank Jones – and featuring Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Grady Tate on drums – on titles that include "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", "Do it Again", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Supper Time", and "I Thought About You".

Classics from the glory days of this key 70s label – including work by Donna Summer, Sumeria, Love & Kisses, Parliament, The Godz, Meco, and Kiss!

One of our favorite "lost" albums ever – an amazing small combo jazz session that rivals the best that 60s Blue Note or Prestige had to offer! The group's led by tenor player Hank Bagby – an artist we only know from this record, but who has a rich sense of imagination that comes out right from the start – not just on his well-penned tunes for the record, but also on his inventive arrangements, and his way of leading the sharp combo through the perfect realization of his musical vision! Bagby's tenor solos alone are worth the price of admission – but the record's a cooker that really gets equal energy from the whole ensemble too – trumpeter Chuck Foster, pianist Dave MacKay, bassist Al Hines, and drummer Chiz Harris – perfect throughout on original tunes that include "Dee Dee", "The Great Wall", "Soul Sonnet", "Kiss Me Quigley", "Iborian", and "Algerian Suite".

An amazing little record – not only a fab 60s soundtrack, but a rare non-Blue Note 60s album by Herbie Hancock! The set was recorded for the film Blow Up – an incredibly dark thriller by Michaelangelo Antonioni, set in swinging London of the 60s, which provided a very groovy backdrop for Herbie's score! The tunes get plenty groovy on this set – dancing out with a combination of fast rhythms, nice piano and organ, and some of the jazzy flourishes you'd expect from a Quincy Jones soundtrack of similar vintage. The Yardbirds also make an appearance on the cut "Stroll On" – which features in one of the best scenes in the film – and other Herbie Hancock tracks include "The Thief", "Verushka", "The Naked Camera", "Bring Down The Birds", "The Kiss", and "The Bed".

Classy supperclub vocals, with arrangements by Jimmy Jones, and some sweet polished singing from Bill Henderson. Most of the tracks are standards or pop – like "Am I Blue", "The More I See You", and "Twelfth Of Never – but there's a few nice lesser-known ones, like "My How The Time Goes By" that Thad Jones arranged and conducted and "Never Kiss & Run".

The Manhattans were one of those groups who knocked around for years in the indie soul world – cutting some fantastic material early on, but then losing direction for a number of years until they sprung forth as a huge act for Columbia during the early 70s. By that time, the band had more than polished their harmonies – coming up with an incredible style that was sweet and smooth, yet still undeniably soulful and human, especially on the ballads that were their specialty. Titles on this set include "Kiss & Say Goodbye", "It Feels So Good To Be Loved So Bad", "Shinging Star", and "Crazy".

Sublime mellow tracks from Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions – a great reminder that amidst all the uptempo groovers they gave us in the 60s, the group also could really make a ballad shine too! These slower-paced cuts feature harmonies that are even more sublime than on the upbeat numbers, and some especially heartbreaking leads from Curtis – whose slight vocal crackle always really seems perfectly suited for moods like these. Titles include "I Can't Stay Away From You", "I Loved & I Lost", "Just One Kiss From You", "Falling In Love With You", "I'm So Proud", "Never Let Me Go", and "I'm The One Who Loves You".

Bass-heavy funk from Ohio resident Mico Wave – recorded during a decade when it seemed that the state was overflowing with bass-heavy funk groups! Bootsy Collins produced the record – natch – and the sound here is kind of an extension of the Zapp groove, with some smoother late 80s funk touches. Mico Wave plays most of the instruments, and get some help from Bootsy, Bernie Worrell, and Maceo Parker. Tracks include "Star Search", "Misunderstood", "First Impression", "Sleeping Single", "American Dream", and "Kiss".

A classic set of Chicago doowop produced by the Chess brothers. With loads of great stuff, like "Ten Commandments of Love", "When I'm With You", "Sweeter Than Words", "Blue Velvet", "Don't Say Goodbye", "Kiss Me Baby", "I'll Stop Wanting You", and "Penny Arcade".

No, not the New Wave of French cinema and not the new wave of post punk pop errata in the late 70s and early 80s – this New Wave is a pretty great, yet poorly remembered LA soft rock group 'circa '67 – with laidback vocals and warmly soaring arrangements by the great Gene Page! The vocals are soft and harmony laden, with groovy 60s west coast songs lushed up with vibes, harpsichords, oboes, strings and lightly layered psych flourishes! This great Now Sounds UK CD features the group's original self-titled Canterbury album in both the original stereo and mono versions in full – plus 5 bonus tracks! Includes "Little Dreams", "The Shade Of The Sun", "Live For Today", "Not From You", "Where Do We Go From Here" and more – with bonus tracks "Tightrope", "Kiss The Mountain", "You Never Said I Love You" and 2 more.

A pair of post Philly International gems from Lou Rawls on Epic – Now Is The Time from '82 and Close Company from '84 – in a single set! Now Is The Time is a solid soul effort from Lou, still working wonders here in the early 80s on a record that stands the test of time surprisingly well! The production doesn't overdo it with period production flourishes, with some sweeping arrangements on some numbers and more of an easygoing vibe on others. Titles include "Kiss Me One More Time", "Let Me Show You How", "Ain't That Love Baby", "This Love" and "Back To You". Close Company features a fair bit of production from Dexter Wansel, in a way that continues the groove from a few years before! The sound's got a smooth, sophisticated feel that works great with Lou's maturing vocals – and the overall feel is right up there with the best classy soul coming out on Epic at the time – work that's really stood the test of the time because it never gave in too much to commercial trends. Titles include "Close Company", "All Time Lover", "In The Middle Of The Night", "Pretty Eyes", "Forever I Do", "Ready Or Not", and "Say It Again". 17 tracks in all on the CD.

Massive soul from Wendy Rene – one of the lesser-known talents from the Stax Records scene of the 60s, and an artist who's finally getting her due! We're not sure why Wendy never hit bigger at the time – because her singles here are wonderful – excellent female soul that not only ranks with the best of the Stax sound of the time, but which also challenges the bite of some of the best Motown music too – thanks to a particularly northern groove on some of the best cuts here! In fact, it may well be this style – often closer to Detroit soul than the usual Memphis bag at Stax – that might have held Wendy back. But that's hardly an issue all these many years later – and our hat's off to the folks at Light In The Attic for not only bringing together her rare singles, but also collecting unreleased songs, other rarities, and even material performed with the group The Drapels – all recorded in the years 1964 and 1965, and supported by some great notes too. Titles include "Bar B Q", "I Wish I Were That Girl", "What Will Tomorrow Bring", "Last Love", "Crowded Park", "Give You What I Got", "Deep In My Heart", "Wondering", "First Kiss", "Reap What You Sow", "After Laughter Comes Tears", and "He Hasn't Failed Me Yet".

An early Supremes record – prime 60s Motown at its best – produced by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team, with a solid, unified feel that really pushed the Supremes out of simple girl group soul, and into the realm of Motown genius they would nearly rule for years to come. Tunes are by HDH, Norman Whitfield, and Smokey Robinson – and include the classics "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Baby Love", plus "Come See About Me", "I'm Giving You Your Freedom", "Your Kiss Of Fire", "Ask Any Girl", and "A Breath Taking Guy".