All Categories — All Formats  

Little Brother transitions to the majors with their soulful underground sound intact – and deliver an effort that in the best moments improve upon the already classic Listening LP! It looks like this just isn't going to go over with the TRL crowd, despite the Atlantic logo. The soul sample vibe in general has seeped back onto the pop charts thanks to Kanye, but the prolific 9th Wonder's brand is of a much grittier stock, providing a rock solid, emotional soul foil for the rhymes of Phonte and Big Pooh. Honestly, as ubiquitous as 9th's production presence continues to be, there's still really no one else out there like Little Brother – which is another reason to celebrate. Like the golden era work by the prime movers of the Native Tongues, the Wu, and Organized Noize collectives, LB's sound is an instantly identifiable, singular signature that you just can't bite. Don't expect to hear a better full length hip hop album on a major label in '05. Tracks include an intro & outro feat Yahzarah, "Beautiful Morning", "The Becoming", "Not Enough", "Slow It Down" and "All For You" feat Darien Brockington, "Cheatin'", "Lovin It" feat Joe Scudda, "Watch Me", "Sincerely Yours", "Still Lives Through", "We Got Now" feat Chaundon and more!

Blues, but with an undercurrent of New Orleans jazz – no surprise, given the Louisiana roots of Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery! The album's a classic set recorded in Chicago in the early 60s – featuring both Montgomery in a spare solo setting, and with help from a small backup group that includes Ted Butterman on cornet, Bob Gordon on clarinet, and Mike McKendrick on banjo. Little Brother plays piano on all numbers, and sings on most – and titles include "44 Vicksburg", "Prescriptions Of The Blues", "Sweet Daddy", "Home Again Blues", "Up The Country Blues", "Saturday Night Function", "Michigan Water Blues", and "Oh Daddy". CD features the bonus track "Cooter Crawl".

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the tunes – but honestly, this slim little set is more than enough to prove to us that the man's a genius – and it's filled with really wonderful tunes that still stand as some of the most incredible moments in 60s pop! Production is amazing, vocals are wonderful, and the quick changes of theme and setting really keep things interesting – all without making us feel like we're getting hit over the head with some cheap gimmicks. Titles include "Vegetables", "Heroes & Villains", "Fall", "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", and "Wind Chimes".

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the tunes – but honestly, this slim little set is more than enough to prove to us that the man's a genius – and it's filled with really wonderful tunes that still stand as some of the most incredible moments in 60s pop! Production is amazing, vocals are wonderful, and the quick changes of theme and setting really keep things interesting – all without making us feel like we're getting hit over the head with some cheap gimmicks. Titles include "Vegetables", "Heroes & Villains", "Fall", "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", and "Wind Chimes". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

Some of the moodiest sounds you'll ever hear in a record to feature banjo as the main instrument – a classic set of recordings from the legendary Dock Boggs! The set was put together by Mike Seeger, who also plays a bit of guitar on the record – but most of the sounds are up-close, very personal work by Boggs – whose voice has as much character as his inventive sounds on the banjo. Titles include "Wise County Jail", "Brother Jim Got Shot", "Little Black Train", "Danville Girl", "Old Joe's Barrom", and "Glory Land".

Hard-burning funk with a really wicked little intro! "Get Down People" starts with this really vamping squishy keyboard part that sounds totally great – one that's all tightly compressed and cut in with the grooves – then keeps on burning with fuller horns, guitar, and voices come into the mix! The track's a really great little party funk number – with a breakout sax part in the middle, and a nice little break near the end! "Do What You Like" starts out complicated, but then falls into a mad little slow funk groove that's heavy on the keyboards, lined up next to a snapping little drum bit!

Rare early 70s soul from Cinci! "Doon-Chang" by the female vocal combo 4 Jades has a little bit of a psych funk vibe going on thanks to the guitars – with a funky bassline prominent in the mix, some sax, nicely -grooving organ and solid drums. Still, it's the voices that shine the brightest! Sweet lead and backup vocals really make this one a standout. "Gee How I Miss You" is a mellower tune – but still with a heavy bass groove – and the vocals are even more sublime on this track!

Rare early 70s soul from Cinci! "Doon-Chang" by the female vocal combo 4 Jades has a little bit of a psych funk vibe going on thanks to the guitars – with a funky bassline prominent in the mix, some sax, nicely -grooving organ and solid drums. Still, it's the voices that shine the brightest! Sweet lead and backup vocals really make this one a standout. "Gee How I Miss You" is a mellower tune – but still with a heavy bass groove – and the vocals are even more sublime on this track! The flip has a pair of strong, stylistically divergent tracks by Longmire – the funky disco instrumental gem "Make You Wanna Holler" – and the tender vocal ballad "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".

A cooking little album from guitarist George Freeman – his first album as a leader, recorded during a brief initial period of fame at the start of the 70s! The album's got a stripped-down, very groovy feel – one that takes off from some of Freeman's 60s work with Groove Holmes – but which puts George center stage, and allows for plenty of examples of his amazing tone and phrasing on the guitar! The core group is a trio – with Sonny Burke on organ and Billy Mitchell on drums – and Freeman's more famous brother Von joins in on tenor sax on a good portion of the tracks – playing in a soul jazz mode that's arguably better than that used on his Atlantic debut, recorded right around the same time. One more track features an even more unusual lineup – with Lester Lashley on trombone, Robert Pierce on organ, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre on tenor, making one of his few appearances on record of this type! But the real star of the set throughout is George Freeman – playing the electric guitar with a quality that's unlike anyone else we can think of – a nitty, gritty tone that's almost a direct heir of T-Bone Walker, but a lot jazzier overall! Titles include the great funky number "Must Be Must Be", plus "Hoss", "Cough it Up", "Mama Papa Brother", "Birth Sign", "My Ship", and "My Scenery".

The classic debut from one of the weirdest concept groups of the 60s – a mime rock band brought together by producer Lew Futterman – who'd also worked on some killer funky jazzy sessions with Brother Jack McDuff! The style here is psychedelic pop through and through – and although the group didn't speak, they do sing (is that really mime?) – and work in a groovy sing-song blend of reeds and rockish rhythms, one that definitely has some of the same sharp changes and funky undercurrents you'd find in Futterman's jazz projects – although honed down here into much shorter Sunshine tunes! The album's a very unique little record – and oddly the group flourished for years. But somehow this first record has a charm that's really undeniable – and is maybe still their best effort ever. Titles include "White Winged Doves","Dream Of Tomorrow", "Pray For Rain", "How Does It Feel To Be Free", "I Ride To Nowhere", "Come & See Me", and "Jelly Jam".

The first compilation to really do justice to jazz funk legend Eddie Henderson – and a great one, too! Henderson's spacey trumpet style graced some of the best Blue Note and Capitol jazz sides to come out during the 70s – and his open-ended snakey way of playing was very different than many of his 70s contemporaries on the instrument. Plus, Eddie never minded a little bit of smooth production, and was certainly one of the more soulful players of his generation – forging a unique style that was in the same camp as Donald Byrd's sweet fusion work for Blue Note in the mid 70s, but with a spacey style that's really great. Nearly every cut on the CD features production work by Skip Drinkwater – who was to Eddie what Larry Mizell was to Donald Byrd – and most of this work has been long unavailable for years! Titles include "Kudu", "Explodition", "Involuntary Bliss", "Inside You", "Galaxy", "Butterfly", "Say You Will", "Amoroso", "Open Eyes", "Prance On", and "Hopscotch". Excellent work throughout – performed in the company of some of the 70s best funky fusion players!

An excellent soul album from the great Willie Hutch! The record's got more of a vocal focus than some of Willie's other albums – and his rich voice is perfectly set up in some sweet and soulful arrangements that have a full sound and a classy finish, but still a raw edge that keeps things exciting. Willie arranged and produced the whole thing, again proving that he was one of the freshest talents at Motown during the 70s. Includes the Little Beaver-esque dope guitar cut "Ode To My Lady", plus "Party Down", "Love Power", "Talk To Me", "(I'm Gonna) Hold On", "You Gotta Give Love Up", and "Love Me Back".

A classic set of soul jazz tracks from Gator Tail and Brother Jack McDuff – recorded in a raw grooving style, very similar to that used on some of their live recordings from the same time. The core of the group features Bill Jennings on guitar and Wendell Marshall on bass, but some of the rhythm players change up over the course of the tracks, and Buck Clarke adds some nice conga on side 2! Includes the nice 10 minute groover "This'll Get To Ya", plus "Glad A See Ya", "Three Little Words", and "To' Gether".

Includes the tracks "Spreadin Knowledge Around" by Harry James with Ben pollack & The Dean's Kids, "Jamaica Shout" by Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang, "In A Little Spanish Town" by Bunny Berigan & His Boys, and "Swing Brother Swing" by Wingy Mannone & His Orchestra.

The classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks!

The stellar solo debut of Janis Joplin – fronting her own Kozmic Blues Band after the break from Big Brother! The raw emotion of her voice is as impressive as ever here – and there is more of a rockin' blues vibe here than on her earlier records – thanks the killer horn section in this new band. There's some stripped down numbers, too, giving this record a pretty balanced feel. A classic! Titles include "Try", "Maybe", "As Good As You've Been To This World", "Kozmic Blues", "To Love Somebody", "Little Girl Blue", and "One Good Man".

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound that comes straight from the heart, and avoids any of the easy tricks that could mar such a session – proof that music like this could really sparkle in the hands of Stax Records – especially when the backing instrumentation features The Bar-Kays and Memphis Horns! Titles include "High Cost Of Loving", "Little Brother", "I'll Play The Blues For You (parts 1 & 2)", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Angel Of Mercy", and "I'll Be Doggone". CD features four previously unissued bonus tracks – "Albert's Stomp", "I Need A Love", "Don't Burn Down The Bridge (alt)", and "I'll Play The Blues For You (alt)".

A previously unreleased soul track from the legendary Manzel – a great little number that has a bit more of a soul feel than some of his other work! The track's got a nice raspy vocal in the lead, but it also still has plenty of keyboards too – used in a sly, slinky, slow funk way alongside some trippy chromatic guitar – in a style that makes the tune nicely spacey but still plenty grooving in a laidback way!

A pivotal album for Barbara Mason – one in which she takes the little girl soul sound of earlier albums, and turns it into a sophisticated range of emotions that foreshadows later Philly work by singers like Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman! Despite the Philly arrangements by Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana, there's actually a bit of a southern twinge to the record – an aspect that works nicely on the ballad cuts, which have kind of an Ann Sexton or Shirley Brown feel to them – sophisticated female soul at its best, and a real change overall for Barbara. Features the uptempo extended political cut "World War Three", plus "All in Love is Fair", "Bed and Board", "Caught in The Middle", "I Miss You Gordon", and "Me and Mr. Jones", her cover of the Billy Paul hit, and a nice version too! Includes the bonus track "Child Of Tomorrow".

Tight funky instrumentals from Brother Jack McDuff – an Atlantic groover that's probably closer to his late 60s gems for Cadet Records than it is his earlier work for Prestige! The solos are shorter, but they're packed nicely around the rhythms – played by a combo that features a young Melvin Sparks on some mighty nice guitar – plus Leo Johnson on tenor and Ray Appleton on drums! The groove is tight and choppy, with little bits of funk, and McDuff's usual sense of humor and warmth – and for the record, Jack wrote loads of original tracks, including "Mush Melon", "Snap Back Jack", "Strolling Blues", and "Do It Now".

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a nice bridge between 50s use of the organ in R&B, and the growing soul jazz take on the instrument that McDuff was helping to forge at the time. The group's a real cooker too – with some great work on guitar by a young Grant Green, smoking tenor from Jimmy Forrest, and lyrically dancing drums from the great Ben Dixon. Titles include the great original "Whap!", plus versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "The Honeydripper" – and an excellent reading of Henry Mancini's "Mr Lucky", virtually worth the price of the record alone!

A pair of classics from the great Bill Medley – pulled from his key early years on his own! Bill Medley 100% a surprisingly wonderful little record – and a real testament to the blue-eyed soul of Medley! The set's a solo outing that has Bill stepping away from his fame as a Righteous Brother – but almost sounding even better on his own, with a depth of soul to his vocals that's really amazing – echoes of Ray Charles, Jerry Butler, Chuck Jackson, and other 60s greats – served up with a surprising lack of cliche – at least in comparison to folks who tried this sort of thing in later years. Bill Baker serves up some sparkling arrangements for the set – and titles include "Brown Eyed Woman", "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Show Me", "One Day Girl", and "That's Life". Soft & Soulful is a record that really has Bill Medley deepening up his groove – moving past some of the more standard soul music modes of earlier efforts, and stretching out in a rich tapestry of modes that clearly sets the scene for soul singers in generations to come! There's still a strong dose of 60s soul in the mix here, but the arrangements complicate things nicely – and bring in this "adult" approach to the music that no doubt went back from Medley's mainstream presence to have an influence on other soul singers as well – kind of a template for more mature modes that would show up more strongly in the 70s. Medley wrote some of the tunes on the set himself – which further deepens the personality of the record – and titles include "Winter Won't Come This Year", "Peace Brother Peace", "100 Years", "I'm Gonna Die Me", "Softly", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Any Day Now", and "Street Of Dirt".

Willie Mitchell's definitely on top with this smoking little set – a record that seems to allow even freer interplay between the members of his group – in ways that make the album one of Mitchell's jazziest efforts of the 60s! The players of the group are getting a bit of credit on the back cover this time around – a great revelation that the smoking tenor on the record comes from Willie's brother James Mitchell, and that the cool tight guitar lines are from Mabon Teenie Hodges – who we don't think we know from anywhere else! Most tunes are familiar songs, but reworked with hip Memphis instrumental arrangements – on titles that include "30 60 90", "Big Power House", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "Come See About Me", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Who's Makin Love", and "Take Five".

Wild, psychedelic era material from the very hip Lutheran pastor Brother John Rydgren! He sports a smoky voice and a poetic, playful, almost comedic spoken word style – in a way that's very much reminiscent of Ken Nordine – as if Ken was a groovy Christian poet! The sound is fuzzy, tripped out psychedelic pop – and his mission seems to be to satirize the sounds and styles of the time as much as it is to spread the Good Word – but at the same time, he's fully embracing the psychedelic sounds! It's almost entirely spoken word on the vocal front – with some oddball choir backdrops and other, often female voices floating in and out from time to time – and pretty diverse instrumentation that often feels like he's vocalizing over some psych funk sound library grooves! Also like our man Nordine, Brother John was a radio personality – but he released some incredibly rare LPs – with '68's Silhouette Segments, '67's Cantata Of New Life and '66's World Of Youth anthologized here by Omni – along with some additional material and a nice little booklet. Incredibly cool stuff! Includes "Music To Watch Girls By", "The Happening", "An Offering Of Music", "Butterfly", "Great To Build Something", "The Air Terminal", the nearly half hour "Cantata Of New Life", "News (The Kite And The News)", "Forgiveness (The Boy Looking Natural)", "Baptism (Come To War)", "Martyrs" and more.

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola,Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue".

Horace Silver at his most righteous – stepping out here in the amazing Phase 2 of his United States Of The Mind series – with some heavy vocals from the great Andy Bey! The grooves are more complicated than Silver was laying down a few years before – yet still equally soulful – and in addition to vocals by Be, and his sister Salome, the group also features Silver on electric piano, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet & fluegelhorn, Harold Vick on tenor sax, and Bob Cranshaw on bass, Richie Resnicoff on guitar and Mickey Roker on drums – a sweet little combo who really open up with a hip, righteous groove! The titles probably give more information about the tracks than we ever could, and include "Acid, Pot, Or Pills", "Soul Searchin", "What Kind Of Animal Am I", "I've Had A Little Talk", and "Big Business".

A great little groover from Johnny Hammond Smith – and one of his rarest albums! The record may be rare because it's got a strange cover that features a comic character that looks like the Green Lantern, and Prestige might have gotten nervous about copyright infringement – but more likely they held it back because the record was such a good one! Johnny's in great form on the Hammond, and his combo really cooks nicely – with Floyd Smith on guitar, Earl Edwards on tenor, and Houston Person sitting in for the version of the title cut. The set features a great version of Smith's groover "Cleopatra & The African Knight", plus "Benny's Diggin", "There Is No Greater Love", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "The Stinger", and "Brother John".

Two of the funkiest cuts from Ohio's legendary Kenny Smith! "Skunkie" is a wicked little groove that's every bit as great as you might guess from the title – an instrumental that's filled with heavy snapping drum bits, as well as a mad triplet piano bit that really gives the tune a fantastic edge – lots of hard piano that gets all dark and sinister before the other instruments start doing their thing! "Everybody Knows" is more of a soul track, but still plenty darn great – soaring and groovy, with a really catchy vocal bit!

The best work yet from Myone, Myth and Symbolyc (S1) – moving to the higher profile Om Records – and delivering their signature bright, Rhodes-steeped, and rollicking underground hip hop sound with fine results! SFP have been spinning on our turntables for years – and they've carried their soulful vibe in an even stronger way on the Healing – with appearances by Little Brother, Erykah Badu, Yazarah and others – plus additional production by Illmind, Vitamin D, Jake One! Tracks include "Ready Forum", "You (The Only Ones)", "Under Pressure", "Good Times", "Liberation" feat Toby, "Get Live" feat Erykah Badu, "Soul Clap", "Pinball", "Rise" feat Little Brother, "Cali Cruisin'" feat Deloach & Bavu, "Parachutes" feat Thesis, "God Is" feat Daruen Brockington & Yahzarah, plus the bonus track "After The Healing" feat Verbal Seed, K-Otix,Tahiti & others.

A massive double header – two great albums back to back! Rated Extraordinaire is our favorite album ever from Johnnie Taylor – an incredible set from the late 70s that really has Taylor reinventing his sound – and coming across as a great talent for a mellow groove! The album has a wonderful smooth soul vibe all the way through – and starts with the classic "Your Love Is Rated X", a sweet little stepper with a hook that's totally great, and a groove that goes on and on and on – one of those cuts we can hear for years, and it still never gets old! Don Davis produced the whole thing – in a way that balances the raspy roots of Taylor's vocals with the tighter changes going on in late 70s soul – a balance that he was always good at, but possibly never served up this well again. In addition to "Your Love Is Rated X", other titles include "And I Panicked", "Did He Make Love To You", "Love Is Better In The AM", "It Ain't What You Do", "Here I Go", and "Stop Giving People Hard Luck Stories". Ever Ready is a sweet set from Johnnie Taylor's late 70s run on Columbia Records – and a set with a definite groove for the dancefloors! The album' was recorded in Detroit, and features some sparkling production from Don Davis – very much in that Detroit-into-disco mode that Davis was pushing strongly at the time – in a way that was smooth overall, but still let the singers keep all the edge and personality in their vocals! Arrangements are by Rudy Robinson, in collaboration with a number of others – and titles include "Hey Mister Melody Maker", "Ever Ready", "Keep On Dancing", "Give Me My Baby", "Soul Fillet", "I Love To Make Love When It's Raining", and "Bittersweet Love".

A great little solo set from Jean Terrell – a singer who's probably best known for her work as the leader of The Supremes after Diana Ross left the group, but who sounds even better here on her own! The album's still got the strong-voiced sound that Jean brought to her Motown years – but the production is smoother and more in a Philly mode, thanks to production and arrangements from Bobby Martin – who pushes Jean into the more sophisticated style that worked perfectly for the hipper ladies of the late 70s. The songwriting on the record is really great too – with plenty of adult soul numbers by Hanks & Grey, who really push the level of the lyrics up a few notches more than usual. Titles include "I Had To Fall In Love", "Rising Cost Of Love", "Change Up", "How Can You Live Without Love", and "No Limit".

The greatest album ever recorded by Joe Thomas – and a hip batch of funky flute tracks that ranks with the best work of Jeremy Steig or SOUL! Joe's blowing here with arrangements by Chico O'Farrill – strangely off-beat backings that add in more than a touch of Latin to the funk, making for a strong little groove on the best cuts. There's a couple of short funky 45 cuts on here, like "Chitlins & Chuchyfritos" and "Ebony Godfather", but the real winner is a long version of Gary Byrd's "Every Brother Ain't a Brother", which features Joe soloing next to some great funky keyboards!

The greatest album ever recorded by Joe Thomas – and a hip batch of funky flute tracks that ranks with the best work of Jeremy Steig or SOUL! Joe's blowing here with arrangements by Chico O'Farrill – strangely off-beat backings that add in more than a touch of Latin to the funk, making for a strong little groove on the best cuts. There's a couple of short funky 45 cuts on here, like "Chitlins & Chuchyfritos" and "Ebony Godfather", but the real winner is a long version of Gary Byrd's "Every Brother Ain't a Brother", which features Joe soloing next to some great funky keyboards!

One of our favorite funk combos take on a host of gems from the past – all classic soul and funk numbers that really expand the sound of Osaka Monaurail! The group first got their start doing a great riff on the sound of James Brown – but here, they move into Memphis soul, Chicago funk, and more – working their well-honed instrumental talents over a host of killer cuts that explode in fresh new versions! Unlike other records, where Ryo Nakata sings, this time around he's just leading the group and playing keyboards – but that shift is OK with us, as it gives the horns and guitar lots more space to do their thing. Titles include "Cafe Regio's", "Supershine #9", "Chocolate Buttermilk", "Amen Brother", "Get Down", "Get Ready", "Little Old Money Maker", "Message To Love", "Divertissement", and "Hey Jude". CD also features 3 bonus live tracks – "Tighten Up", "Truck Turner", and "Soulful Strut". Note: This is a different package for the album Amen Brother – which was issued under the Osaka Monaurail name.

One of the coolest sets the Numero Group has ever released – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given their already-mighty catalog! Although the label issued a previous dip into the enigmatic Boddie Recording company of Cleveland, this massive package brings together a whopping 57 tracks from the Boddie studios and related labels – many of which have never been reissued before, even by Numero – and all of which offer up a mindblowing microcosm of the American scene in the 60s and 70s – a wealth of rare funk, soul, psych, gospel, and more – all of it the kind of gritty material that 45 collectors die for! But just as cool as the music is the package itself – a heavy box with a flap that fits around five LPs, two booklets, flyer reproductions, and even a Boddie greeting card! There's loads of rare photos, band information, studio details, and more – billed by Numero as a "self-contained record industry" in one box. Musically, the whole thing's right on par with other Numero releases – maybe even above them, given the wide range and depth of the collection – and artists include Bo & The Metros, Inter Circle, King James Version, Ricky Hodges, Jackie Russell, Angela Alexander, Frankie Pighee, Chantells, AC Jones, Harvey Hall, Headlines, Modern Detergents, Penny North, JC Akins, Little Anthony Mitchell, Gospel Fabulators, Royal Kings, Corinthian Singers, Brother Bill, Victory 5, and many more.

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 20 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group.

Tracks by Vivian Green, Goapele, Joe McDuphrey, Lizz Fields, Jay Z, Common Thread, Urban Ave 31, India Arie, Venus Malone, Detroit Experiment, Floetry, Little Brother, Angela Johnson, Fertile Ground, Jazzanova, Donnie, Common, Blaze, and Peven Everett. 35 tracks in all!!

A cheesy cover, but a really wonderful little compilation – a set that's filled with obscure righteous soul tunes from the 70s, including some lesser-known cuts by bigger name acts of the time! The vibe here is really wonderful – definitely the kind of kicked-back soul you might listen to on a Sunday afternoon – not as uptight as tracks for the clubs the night before, and rolling out with a sound that's warm and mellow, but still with a bit of groove at the bottom. Most numbers are of mid 70s vintage – sparkling with a good deal of class and sophistication – and titles include "Sunshine" by Pulse, "Ain't No Need" by Ralph Graham, "You Put A Hurting On Me" by Mary Mundy, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "I Just Want To Love You" by Toby Kang, "Don't Trick Me Treat Me" by The Dells, "Sorry" by Grace Jones, "Yes You Need Love" by Anthony White, "Don't You Know I Love You" by Major Lance, "It's All Over" by The Presidents, "A Nice Feeling" by Caroline Crawford, and "Pour Your Little Heart Out" by The Drifters.

A killer batch of rare funky tunes – pulled from a host of tiny labels, and put together with a quality level that would blow away a crate full of of funky 45s! This 3rd volume in the Super Funk series seems to dig even deeper than the first 2 – and it also includes few incredible little nuggets that were never officially released in any format! Includes "The Tramp (From Funky Broadway)" by The Showmen Inc, "Put It In" by Johnny King And The Fatback Band, "Cissy Popcorn" and "Funky Chicken" by Preston Love, "Soul Livin" by Everyday People Unlimited, "Brother Brown" by Camille Bob, "At The Soul In" by Count Yates And The Rhythm Crusaders, "Cat Scream" by Li'l Buck, "Bending Soul" by the Soul Blenders", "Ain't It A Groove" by Chico & Buddy, "Soul Brothers Testify" by Soul Senders, "Fat Man" by TKOs, "Sweet Potato Gravy" by Maurice Simon And The Pie Men, and lots more! 20 tracks in all.

A killer batch of rare funky tunes – pulled from a host of tiny labels, and put together with a quality level that would blow away a crate full of of funky 45s! This 3rd volume in the Super Funk series seems to dig even deeper than the first 2 – and it also includes few incredible little nuggets that were never officially released in any format! Includes "The Tramp (From Funky Broadway)" by The Showmen Inc, "Put It In" by Johnny King And The Fatback Band, "Cissy Popcorn" and "Funky Chicken" by Preston Love, "Soul Livin" by Everyday People Unlimited, "Brother Brown" by Camille Bob, "At The Soul In" by Count Yates And The Rhythm Crusaders, "Cat Scream" by Li'l Buck, "Bending Soul" by the Soul Blenders", "Ain't It A Groove" by Chico & Buddy, "Soul Brothers Testify" by Soul Senders, "Fat Man" by TKOs, "Sweet Potato Gravy" by Maurice Simon And The Pie Men, and lots more! 20 tracks in all.

An amazing collection of funky nuggets – one that's overflowing with hip soul, funk, and break tracks! The set's the second in a series put together by the staff of London's Soul Brother Records – and like the first, it features some of the most sought-after rare grooves and sample tracks from the 70s – a rich array of titles from a variety of different labels, all collected with a keen ear for the older tracks that are still breaking big well into the 21st Century! And since these guys also run a record store themselves, they've gone way past the obvious – and have chosen an all-essential batch of tunes that aren't easily available on the market, including some killer tracks from major labels that we've been waiting years to see reissued. Titles include "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright, "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More" by Kellee Patterson, "Sho Nuff" by Sly Slick & Wicked, "All I Want Is You" by Four Flights, "Live For Love" by GC Cameron, "I Feel So At Home Here" by Michelle Wiley, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "My Music" by Samuel Jonathan Johnson, "Heaven" by Ruth Copeland, "It's Got To Be Mellow (1976)" by Leon Mellow, "Making Room For Love" by Alton McClain & Destiny, and "When We're Makin Love" by Denise LaSalle.

A really brilliant little record from Nat Adderley – one that shows him shaking off the groove gotten from brother Cannonball, and finding some great space all on his own! The setting here is tight and funky – at a level that's a bit more arranged than a small combo soul jazz session, but which still has plenty of sharp edges and bold notes! The groove's a bit like Kudu Records from the time, but less electric overall – and Nat's cornet is featured in a hip combo with John Stubblefield on reeds, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano and keyboards, and Buddy Williams on drums. There's plenty of great funky riffing in the set, but also some wonderfully laidback grooves that really sparkle with electric piano from Gumbs – and titles include a surprisingly wonderful version of "MASH", plus "Hummin", "Midnight Over Memphis", "The Traveler", "Listen To The Rain", and the Latin-tinged "Amor Sonador".

A great little album from Roy Ayers – a very funky record that's almost all instrumental all the way through! The sound is a bit in the vein of Roy's Live At Montreux set – but funkier overall, thanks to some very heavy rhythms on the bottom – and an approach to the tunes that's short, tight, and very much on the money! In addition to Roy's great vibes, the set also features Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Jimmy Owens and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpets, Garnett Brown on trombone, and Dennis Davis on drums and percussion – all very hip players who really help Roy find the mix of jazz and funk he was going for at the time. Dee Dee Bridgewater sings a bit of vocals on the record, joining Roy on the sublime spiritual track "Love From The Sun" – but most other tracks on the album have a more instrumental approach. The record includes a great remake of Leroy Hutson's track "Giving Love", sung more famously by Voices of East Harlem, and it's also got a nice funky cover of the hit "Brother Louie" – plus the tracks "The Morning After", "Des Nude Soul", "Virgo Red", "Love From The Sun", and "I Am Your Mind".

The second album from Foreign Exchange – the formerally bi-continental project of North Carolina MC, and nascent soul singer Phonte of Little Brother, and transplanted Dutch producer Nicolay – who take an even deeper turn into spacey soul on Leave It All Behind! Given that Phonte is singing rather than rapping, you'd be tempted to say that Foreign Exchange has left hip hop behind, but hip hop is in the heart and soul – and the group was born of the idea of hip hop as an evolving art form – so rhymes or not, it's hip hop to us. The spacey, jazzy melodic groove here finds producer Nicolay in peak form – a nice balance between thumping bass, beats and mellow atmospherics, and the mood is impeccable. We're pretty much stunned at how well Phonte is developing as a vocalist, with laidback lead and overdubbed backing vocals that go back the heart & soul comment above. A left turn for a duo that was adventurous to begin, with an excellent move to the next level! Titles include "Daykeeper", "Take Off The Blues", "All Or Nothing/Coming Home For You", "I Wanna Know", "House Of Cards", "Sweeter Than You", "Valediction", "If She Breaks Your Heart", "If This Is Love", "Something To Behold" and "Leave It All Behind".

The classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks!

An unexpectedly great batch of funky gospel tunes from Brother Vernard Johnson – most of which are done with a choppy little groove that goes way beyond the usual spiritual bag! Johnson plays sax on all numbers, and is often working alongside vocalists as well – but the main attraction to our ears is the burning rhythms on the tunes, which often have a fair bit of Texas funk in the mix! A surprising number of these tracks actually have some nice breaks – a real surprise for a gospel record – and even when the vocals kick in, things are still plenty darn righteous and soulful – a style that we're always looking for when crate-digging for 70s gospel albums, but which is always hard to find! Titles include "I Love To Praise His Holy Name", "I Surrender All", "Good To Me", "Soul Metamorphosis", "Awesome God", "Thank You Lord", "Soon & Very Soon", and "What Is This".

A great overlooked album by this fantastic tenor talent from Detroit. Although often lost in other people's groups, Billy is excellent here, and lays down some great solos with a lot of imagination and fire. He's backed by a group that includes Thad Jones, Kenny Burrell, and Richard Wyands, and the tracks include "Bossa Nova Ova", "Oliver Jr.", and "Brother Peabody".

A wonderful album from Moody – one of his "comeback" albums for Chess/Argo, recorded after his release from the Overbrook institution, hence the title. By this point, Moody was writing and playing with much more of an edge than during his bebop days – and the record certainly shows that – not only on the title track "Last Train From Overbrook", a jumpy little number that became one of the big new tunes in Moody's book, but on the whole album, which features some well-conceived large charts written by Johnny Pate. Pate and Moody wrote the bulk of the songs, too – and titles include "Yvonne", "Brother Yusef", "The Moody One", "There She Goes", "Tico Tico", and "Why Don't You". The album also features a great double-exposed cover photo, and some of the most chilling liner notes you'll ever read about a jazzman's struggles with addiction.

One of the most tripped-out albums of funk you'll ever buy – a rare treasure with a very unusual history! The Stark Reality were a cool little combo formed to work on public television in Boston in the late 60s – and the combo featured some heavy guitars, fuzzed-up vibes, and some monster percussion laid out in tight bass and drum rhythms that were years ahead of their time! The group recorded one rare album – ostensibly a children's record, but based around old compositions by Hoagy Carmichael, completely pulled apart, sliced up, overly harmonized, and spat out into wild funky tunes that bear no resemblance to their originals! The original album – Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop – has been a holy grail for collectors for years (we once sold a copy for hundreds of dollars!), and the music has only ever really been heard by a few dedicated beatheads that have tracked down rare copies. Now, though, the geniuses at Stones Throw have put out the whole LP, plus bonus material, in one fantastic package that is soon to make the Stark Reality legends amongst funky fans the world over! Mad vibes meet fuzzy guitars meet killer funky beats – and the whole thing's a masterpiece that will never be duplicated again! Tracks include "Too Much Tenderness", "Sunday's Song", "Roller Coaster Ride", "Say Brother", "Rocket Ship", "All You Need To Make Music", "Junkman's Song", and "Thirty Days Hath September".

Jack Walrath is a surprisingly compelling trumpeter who always grabs us in different ways – soulful one minute, experimental the next – always with an approach that's quite unique! On this special little set, he begins by just blowing a mouthpiece – using a tone that's really striking – then moving into some warmer lines on trumpet and flugelhorn with sensitive phrasing at points, and bolder notes at others! The group's a quintet, and features Larry Coryell on guitar, Benny Green on piano, Anthony Cox on bass, and Ronnie Burrage on drums – and titles include "Clear Out Of This World", "So Long Eric", "Stardust", "Wake Up & Wash It Off", "Come Sunday", and "Brother Can You Spare A Dime".

Raw soul, heavy funk, snotty rock, and raucous R&B – all pulled from the legendary record collection of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy! The sounds here are the sorts that went onto form the blueprint for The Cramps – and the package is overflowing with rare gems that are hand-picked by the pair – the kind of underground, indie singles that have always made record-digging so great – plucked up by Lux and Ivy in the years before most of us even started searching for wax! The cool 10" set features two dozen tunes – and titles include "Drive Daddy Drive" by Little Sylvia, "Stormy Weather" by The Five Sharps, "Rock A Bongo Boogie" by Terry Snyder, "Red Headed Flea" by The Caps, "Chickie Run" by Homer Denison Jr, "99 Chicks" by Ron Haydock & The Boppers, "Baby Brother" by Bill Carter & The Rovin Gamblers, "Service With A Smile" by The Kuf-Linx, "Imagination" by The Quotations, "Tongue Tied" by Betty McQuade, and "The Vulture" by Ronny Ray's Playboys.

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 19 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group.

Way before his recent soundtrack fame, Randy Newman was one heck of a great songwriter – and at the start of his career he penned some of his best songs ever – most of which are featured here in this sweet little set! Back in the 60s, Newman had an ear for unusual themes and topics – and wrote these great little songs that got real personal, really fast – moving past the fluffier themes of mainstream pop, and into more honest, earnest territory that really set the stage for the growth of the singer/songwriter at the end of the decade. Most of the recordings here pre-date Newman's own versions of the tunes during his classic years at Reprise – and they're a great illustration of the way his words already had a big impact on the world of 60s pop. CD features 26 tracks in all, by a surprising array of artists – and titles include "Love Story" by Rick Nelson, "Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear" by Alan Price, "Have You Seen My Baby" by Fats Domino, "Old Kentucky Home" by The Beau Brummels, "So Long Dad" by Nilsson, "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" by Dusty Springfield, "Big Brother" by Calvin Grayson, "Friday Night" by The O'Jays, "Happy New Year" by Beverley, "I Can't Remember Ever Loving You" by Tammy Grimes, "Looking For Me" by Vic Dana, "They Tell Me It's Summer" by The Fleetwoods, "Love Is Blind" by Erma Franklin, "Somebody's Waiting" by Gene McDaniels, and "Just One Smile" by The Tokens.

One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" feel to it). There's a lot of great stuff on here, and most of it doesn't appear on Oscar's other albums in studio versions. Tracks include "Call of the City", "Muffled Drums", "Maxine", "Brother Where Are You?", and more! Backing's by a tight little combo that includes Floyd Morris and Phil Upchurch!

A classic set of soul jazz tracks from Gator Tail and Brother Jack McDuff – recorded in a raw grooving style, very similar to that used on some of their live recordings at the time! The tracks on the disc are lifted from the first Together Again album cut by the pair, and the second set – appropriately titled Together Again, Again! All tracks were recorded between the years 1959 and 1961, and feature Jackson and McDuff at the height of their early soul jazz powers – grooving in a tenor/organ style that's clearly linked to raw grooves of earlier R&B work, but which also has a much stronger approach to jazz soloing. Tracks include the great 10 minute groover "This'll Get To Ya", plus "Glad A See Ya", "Three Little Words", "Snake Crawl", "Backtrack", "Gil's Pills", and "To' Gether".

A classic set of soul jazz tracks from Gator Tail and Brother Jack McDuff – recorded in a raw grooving style, very similar to that used on some of their live recordings at the time! The tracks on the disc are lifted from the first Together Again album cut by the pair, and the second set – appropriately titled Together Again, Again! All tracks were recorded between the years 1959 and 1961, and feature Jackson and McDuff at the height of their early soul jazz powers – grooving in a tenor/organ style that's clearly linked to raw grooves of earlier R&B work, but which also has a much stronger approach to jazz soloing. Tracks include the great 10 minute groover "This'll Get To Ya", plus "Glad A See Ya", "Three Little Words", "Snake Crawl", "Backtrack", "Gil's Pills", and "To' Gether".

A smoking little set – an album of jazz takes on Curtis Mayfield classics, played by a hip combo that includes a few musicians from Mayfield's old band! The album's a straight jazz effort all the way through – and the interpretations are so soulful and swinging on their own, you might even forget that Curtis provided the inspiration for the tunes – thanks to work from Wallace Roney on trumpet, Ernie Watts on saxes, Phil Upchurch on guitar, Russ Ferrante on piano, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, and Henry Gibson on congas! The album's one of the last that Gibson ever cut, and his percussion really helps the whole thing find its groove – providing a nice kick to the work of Roney, Watts, and Upchurch over the top. Titles include "Freddie's Dead", "Superfly", "Beautiful Brother Of Mine", "People Get Ready", "Amen", "Gypsy Woman", and "It's All Right".

The classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks!

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound that comes straight from the heart, and avoids any of the easy tricks that could mar such a session – proof that music like this could really sparkle in the hands of Stax Records – especially when the backing instrumentation features The Bar-Kays and Memphis Horns! Titles include "High Cost Of Loving", "Little Brother", "I'll Play The Blues For You (parts 1 & 2)", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Angel Of Mercy", and "I'll Be Doggone".

A nice 70s reissue two-fer that brings together two sides of jazz King Curtis cut for Prestige. The first set, The New Scene Of King Curtis finds him accompanied by Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Oliver Jackson – plus trumpet from Nat Adderley, billed on the back as "Little Brother" for contractual reasons! The 5 tracks are long and open, with less of King's tenor tricks, and more of a laidback Gene Ammons-ish style of blowing: "Little Brother Soul", "In A Funky Groove", "Have You Heard", "Da Duh Duh" and "Willow Weep For Me". The second LP is another rare early King Curtis jazz session – cut a few months later, but still before he settled down to his tight short soul instrumental recordings for Atlantic. The record is very much in the Prestige soul jazz style of the early 60s with Curtis set up nicely in a group that features Nat Adderley and Wynton Kelly again, but with Sam Jones and Belton Evans in the rhythm section, and it holds together in an easy grooving way. There's 6 tracks in this set: "Soul Meeting", "Lazy Soul", "All The Way", "Jeep's Blues", "What Is This Ting Called Love?" and "Do You Have Soul Now?".

Beautiful falsetto soul from the great Ralfi Pagan – one of the most enduring singers of the Latin Soul era! Unlike some of his contemporaries, who were a bit rough-hewn in their style – Ralfi had a wonderful voice, and he sung in a mode that placed him right up there with some of the best harmony vocal singers of the late 60s. This set of 15 tracks pulls together most of his best-remembered tracks from those glory days – and titles include "Wonderful Thing", "I Could Never Hurt You Girl", "Loneliness Loneliness", "Ooo Baby Baby", "Just For A Little While", and "Brother Where Are You".

The one and only album ever cut by The Winstons – an obscure mixed-race soul combo who had roots in Otis Redding's touring band, and who hit big with a soul Grammy in 1969 for the title track to this one, "Color Him Father". The cut's an amazing document of its time, a sweet little story-song about a boy who's lost his dad in the war (Vietnam?), and who grows to love the new guy that his mom is dating. Sounds sappy, but it's one of the most compelling soul singles of the 60s – and is always a treat to hear. The other big cut on the record is the classic breakbeat track "Amen Brother", which is an instrumental reading of the gospel standard, done in a fast-funk style that's been sampled for years – both by hip hoppers and by drum n bass producers! Other tracks include "The Chokin Kind", "The Greatest Love", "Everyday People", and "Only The Strong Survive". This Fuel CD edition has 4 bonus tracks: "Love Of The Common People", "Wheel Of Fortune", "Say Goodbye To Daddy" and "Mama's Song"

The one and only album ever cut by The Winstons – an obscure mixed-race soul combo who had roots in Otis Redding's touring band, and who hit big with a soul Grammy in 1969 for the title track to this one, "Color Him Father". The cut's an amazing document of its time, a sweet little story-song about a boy who's lost his dad in the war (Vietnam?), and who grows to love the new guy that his mom is dating. Sounds sappy, but it's one of the most compelling soul singles of the 60s – and is always a treat to hear. The other big cut on the record is the classic breakbeat track "Amen Brother", which is an instrumental reading of the gospel standard, done in a fast-funk style that's been sampled for years – both by hip hoppers and by drum n bass producers! Other tracks include "The Chokin Kind", "The Greatest Love", "Everyday People", and "Only The Strong Survive". This LP has 2 bonus tracks – "Love Of The Common People" and "Say Goodbye To Daddy".

Wild stuff – and one of the coolest compilations we've ever seen from the global scene! The set documents some early underground explorations of rocking rhythms – unusual use of electric instrumentation and R&B-styled production, mostly from far-flung sources, and served up with a fair bit of exotic touches too! The package features notes on each track, which helps tie the music together in a nice way – and although the 10" album is short, it packs a mighty punch. Titles include "Samisen Boogie Woogie" by Ichimaru, "Skokiaan" by Cold Storage Comission, "Rak Ron Ying Kwa Det" by Gunga Din, "Zaino Ya Zaino" by Moahammed Abdel Wahab, "La Buena Vida" by Los Golden Boys, "Whistlin Boogie" by Sister Slocum & Her Little Brother, and "Eena Meena Deeka" by Kishor Kumar.

A dark little soundtrack that we'd pitch right up there with The Wicker Man or Rosemary's Baby – and one with a sound that's somewhere in between those two classics! The work was penned for an obscure early 70s film in the Czech new wave – and features music that's sometimes a bit folksy, sometimes a bit spiritualist – served up in a blend of light orchestrations, occasional choral passages, and eerie isolated instruments that include flute, harpsichord, organ, and bells! There's a darkly brooding quality that really reminds us of Komeda's last great moments for Polanski – but the overall sound is a bit freer, and more illustrative as well – little snippets of poetry in sound, created with a feel that's as evocative as the images they were designed to accompany. CD features 23 tracks in all – titles that include "The Magic Yard", "Talk With Grandmother", "The Letter", "The Sermon", "Sacrifice", "Questions & Answers", "Homeless", "Puppets", "In Flames", "Brother & Sister", "Forgiveness", and "And The Last".

A funky funky shimmy from Billy Martin and Wil Blades – a very spare, stripped-down set that's heavy on drums from Martin, and lots of great Hammond and clavinet from Blades! The groove is a lot more focuses, and decidedly more gritty than we've heard from either player of late – almost a return back to 60s soul jazz roots than inspired them both – but touched with some tight 70s funk on the rhythms as well! Tracks include "Deep In A Fried Pickle", "Les & Eddie", "Pick Pocket", "Mean Greens", "Brother Bru", "Toe Thumb", and "Little Shimmy".

A tremendous document of work by Jake Thackray – one of the most unique talents on the British music scene of the 60s, but an artist who's sadly been un-remembered over the years! At first glance, Jake's definitely a folkie, but he's also one with a strong influence from French singer/songwriters like Jacques Brel or George Brassens – and takes key inspiration from them in the depth and darkness of his work. Like both Brel and Brassens, Thackray's got a style that's almost out of time – one that's ageless at some points, but with a very contemporary way of viewing the world – personal, pointed, and penned with an incredible sense of wit. In an era when most folkies were attacking the political or pushing into the fantastic, Jake spent careful time looking at human foibles and the complexities of interpersonal relationships – always from a distance, but close enough to note the odd humor in even the most banal situations. This wonderful set brings together 4 of Thackray's albums for EMI – Bantam Cock, Last Will & Testament, Jake's Progress, and On Again On Again – all of which feature Jake's slightly jazz-inflected vocals alongside acoustic guitar and very spare, but well-chosen additional instrumentation. Package also features a full disc of unreleased material – including different versions of other tunes on the albums. 97 tracks in all, and a wonderful musical discovery throughout! Titles include "The Cactus", "Country Bus", "Brother Gorilla", "The Girl In The Window", "Ulysses", "Scallywag", "Salvation Army Girl", "On The Shelf", "Go Little Swale", "Isabel Makes Love On National Monuments", "Joseph", "Famous People", "The Gravedigger", and "Leopold Alcocks".

What a subtitle – "The Cult Tracks Given Birth By The Superheroes Of The 70s"! And if you're thinking that the tracks are by Wolverine, Firestorm, and other 70s comic book creations, that's not the case – as the superheroes here are funky ones! More specifically, the tracks are great little groovers from the funky 45 underground – the kind of groups that really bubbled under in the charts at the time, many of whom never cut a full LP, but who released some monstrously great singles that made more than a bit of impact at the time. The set's got 20 tracks in all – all hard and funky – with titles that include "Super Soul Brother" by Timmie Rodgers, "Stand Up (part 1)" by Maskman & The Agents, "Spanky's Day Off" by Swingin Soul Machine, "It's The Real Thing (part 1)" by Electric Express, "Get It" by Wilmer & The Dukes, "Feelin Funky" by Brother Soul, "Cramp Your Style" by All the People, "Can't Get Satisfied" by Brother Jack McDuff, "Dynomite" by Tony Camillo's Bazuka, and "Foxy Lady" by Don Thompson.

Soulful fusion from The Brecker Brothers – a set that's one of their standout efforts from the 70s – and a record that went onto influence a whole generation of jazz musicians too! The album features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sings on the album along with Patti Austin! The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound – titles that include "Lovely Lady", "Night Flight", "Slick Stuff", "What A Miracle Can Do", "I Love Wastin Time With You", "Keep It Steady", "Grease Piece", and "Dig A Little Deeper". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "If You Wanna Boogie (single version)", and "Slick Stuff (single version)".

A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals, but the overall approach also had plenty of elements of smoother Northern Soul, and wasn't afraid to use strings or uptown arrangements when they were needed. This album's their best, and features 10 tracks written by Eddie Cornelius, plus a great little cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Tracks include the sublime easy soul number "Too Late To Turn Back Now", choppy odd groover "Treat Her Like A Lady", and the cuts "Gonna Be Sweet For You", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Lift Your Love Higher".

A groovy little soundtrack – put together by the DeAngelis brothers for one of the earlier pairings of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer – with a sound that's arguably better than most of their later soundtracks! There's plenty of playful elements in the mix – the kind of jaunty grooves that always seemed especially well suited to Hill's moments onscreen – but there's also some great 70s moments too, of the sort that push forward from mod 60s Italian comedy grooves, with some nice exotic and bossa touches on a few of the best tracks. Instrumentation is a lot richer than other Hill/Spencer scores – and the CD features a whopping 23 tracks that include "Flying Through The Air", "Gli Amici", "Valzer Fra Amici", "Il Matto", "Samba", "Bossa", "Plata & Salud", and "Il Ballo".

A wonderful soundtrack for this hip Italian crime film from 1972 – a great little movie that stars the mighty Ben Gazzara, with some equally mighty music to match! The grooves here are right up there with other great 70s work from the team of Guido & Maurizio De Angelis – some great funky and jazzy numbers in a crime/cop mode – but there's also some unusual use of acoustic guitar, which is strummed with a hard edge that's pretty great on a few tracks – making a nice change amidst the electric elements! A few numbers use a fair bit of flute too – often with a weird, folksy melody that's pretty nice – a mountain-sounding tune that possibly underscores the Sicilian connection. The De Angelis brothers actually sing the vocals on the title tune "Afyon Oppio" – and other tracks include "I Picciotti", "Claude", "Serata Al Night", "Cena Fra Amici", "Arrivo A New York", and "Appuntamento D'Affari". Also features 2 bonus tracks – and a great booklet too!

A nice little funky fusion set by Dreams – who were basically the Brecker Brothers, before they stepped out on their own and started calling themselves by that name! The fusion super group actually hews a little closer to the rock side of the fusion game at times, but there's no shortage of jazzy chord structures and some nice riffing and soloing going one – not unlike Chase or some of the other groups that were grooving in a similar jazz rock vein at the time! Billy Cobham joins the Breckers on the set – and titles include "Devil Lady", "15 Miles To Provo", 'The Maryanne", "Holli Be Home", "try Me", "Dream Suite" and "New York".

A hip little rock group from the upstate NY scene – and heck, they had to be hip, to record on the Just Sunshine label! The sound here has a bit of a funky rock approach, colored by a Band-like hominess – but thanks to some strong famous guests on the session, the instrumentation steps out way past the vocals on the best numbers – with help from a crack lineup that includes Toots Thielemans, Tito Puente, David Sanborn, and the Brecker Brothers! The core group are great, too – with the same sort of tight rhythms and soulful vocals we loved from their previous release – and titles include "Vicious Circle", "Freewheelin", "Down To The City", "What Becomes Of Your Life", "Do It Like Ya Mean It", and "Whitecaps".

A great little score from that time when Italian westerns were able to mix in equal parts humor and action – served up here in a buddy film that's got a bit of a Butch & Sundance vibe! The music is maybe more 60s playful than you'd expect – still often sweeping in a western style, but often underscored with comedic elements that correspond to some of the more offbeat action on the screen. Even the tenser moments have a sort of comedy quality – and feel more like heist-style numbers than the usual western styles – but that could also be due to the groovier modes normally used by Gianni Ferrio. This expanded edition features a heck of a lot of tracks – way more than any previous version – including vocal numbers by Lilian Terry and by the team of John Ireson and Wayne Parham. Titles include "Falling In Love With A Pretty Girl", "Young Man Go West", "Two Not So Peaceful Brothers", "Monty & Ted", "Let's Keep Our Fingers Crossed", and "Working Hard".

A great little score from that time when Italian westerns were able to mix in equal parts humor and action – served up here in a buddy film that's got a bit of a Butch & Sundance vibe! The music is maybe more 60s playful than you'd expect – still often sweeping in a western style, but often underscored with comedic elements that correspond to some of the more offbeat action on the screen. Even the tenser moments have a sort of comedy quality – and feel more like heist-style numbers than the usual western styles – but that could also be due to the groovier modes normally used by Gianni Ferrio. This expanded edition features a heck of a lot of tracks – way more than any previous version – including vocal numbers by Lilian Terry and by the team of John Ireson and Wayne Parham. Titles include "Falling In Love With A Pretty Girl", "Young Man Go West", "Two Not So Peaceful Brothers", "Monty & Ted", "Let's Keep Our Fingers Crossed", and "Working Hard".

A never-heard soundtrack for a never-seen film – and a record that's every bit as funky as better-known sets from the blacksploitation era! Final Solution were a small time group from Chicago's west side in the 70s, but on this wicked little soundtrack they sparkle just as brightly as Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, Curtis Mayfield, or any of our favorite soundtrack soul artists from the time – working in a really righteous approach to soul with lots of heavy rhythms on the bottom and rumbling bass in the mix – so that even when the tunes are mellow, there's still a bold, brash sort of power to the set! The vocals are mostly delivered in harmony style, again with a nice edge – a bit like The Impressions work on Three The Hard Way, but with more of an indie soul feel overall, given the production circumstances. Once again, our hats are off to Numero for unearthing this gem. Titles include "Brotherman", "Never Coming Back Again", "I Don't Care", "Girl In My Life", "Gotta Get Through To You", "One Day", "I'm Ready For Love", and "We Can Work It Out".

Incredible work from Michael Franks – his first five albums for Warner Brothers, all packaged together in one sweet little set! At this point in his career, Franks is almost a whole genre unto itself, one that sets a whole new tone for the male voice in American music! The style here is light and jazzy – almost an evolution of modes first begun by Kenny Rankin, and served up here with a similarly compressed production style that really brings out the jazz in the instrumentation – yet the work isn't straight jazz either – as Franks works with plenty of soul, and a great ear for a hook too – a really genre-crossing style that always has these records showing up in some of the hippest collections of 70s work you'll find. There's almost a Steely Dan sense of the sublime going on here – and instrumentation is often used warmly and gently – never too slick to overwhelm the gentle wit of Michael's lyrics. The set features the full albums The Art Of Tea, Sleeping Gypsy, Burchfield Nines, Tiger In The Rain, and One Bad Habit – all packaged in tiny LP-styled sleeves!

A wicked dip into Colombian music – focused around the work of two true giants of the scene! CD1 features 21 massive tracks from Fruko – one of the hardest-hitting artists working in Colombia in the 70s – often in a sound that starts out in New York salsa, but takes all these weird little twists and turns as it adapts to the local rhythms! Joe Arroyo's tracks start where Fruko's leave off – pushing the groove even more with a bolder, more confident Colombian style – still filled with some great jazzy riffs that you'd hear in salsa, but moving into some especially nice tropical touches too! The production on the material for both artists is great – often filled with some sweet studio tricks – and the booklet features notes on the artists, plus images of lots of vintage album covers too. 38 tracks in all – with tracks billed to each artist separately, or The Latin Brothers, La Verdad, or Afrosound – on titles that include "El Preso", "El Violento", "Tu Sufriras", "La Pintosa", "Ocho Dias", "El Esclavo, "Tifit Hayed", "San Juan De Puerto Rico", "Palenque", Pobre Naci, "El Son Del Caballo", "Baila Simon, "Musa Original", "Matigua", "Vuelve", "Son Apretao", and "En Barranquilla Me Quedo.

A great little album from Herbie – it that says "previously released" on the back cover, but was actually released with Tootie Heath as leader under the name Kuumba, entitled Kawaida. It's a hip batch of afro-centric jazz, with a Strata East sort of feel: lots of percussion and spacey soul jazz work in a very righteous vein! Don Cherry, Buster Williams, Mtume, Herbie Hancock, and Ed Blackwell are all part of the group – and the tracks are all long and spiritual, in a style that's similar to the Heath Brothers album on Strata, but with a bit more fire. 3 tracks: "Maulana", "Dunia", and "Kamili".

A cool sci-fi story from two of the three brothers who created Love & Rockets – a tight little tale about robot culture, with a vibe that's like some of the best work from the early years of the magazine! The drawings here are most strongly in the famous style of Gilbert Hernadez, but you can also feel the influence of Mario as well – and the high-quality printing has the black and white images really popping off the page, wrapped up in a nice color hardcover! 126 pages, with bonus notes as well.

Sweet funky soul from the great Willie Hutch – best known to most as the composer of the fantastic soundtracks for Foxy Brown and The Mack, but a heck of a great soul artist in his own right, with a wealth of great albums from the 70s! Willie's got a sweet raspy vocal style that's really great, and on many tracks, he plays some dope guitar, in the manner of Little Beaver on his slicker albums. Titles on this set include "Brothers Gonna Work It Out", "Get Ready For The Get Down", "If You Ain't Got No Money", "Sunshine Lady", "Theme Of Foxy Brown", "Party Down", "I'll Be There", "Slick", and "Love Power". 14 tracks in all!

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly great on piano (and even a bit of alto sax, which is mighty nice) – especially on the long tracks, which really let the players stretch out! Other players include the great Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Skeeter Best on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "Blue Funk", "Cosmic Ray", "Soul Brothers", and "How Long Blues".

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly great on piano (and even a bit of alto sax, which is mighty nice) – especially on the long tracks, which really let the players stretch out! Other players include the great Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Skeeter Best on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "Blue Funk", "Cosmic Ray", "Soul Brothers", and "How Long Blues".

A very strange little record – composed for a very strange film directed by Allen "Candid Camera" Funt – in which people are surprised by a nude woman, and have to react accordingly. There's a lot of tunes on here that have an almost Harper's Bizarre feel – that kind of "sweet, but dark inside" style that we love from late 60s rock albums on Warner Brothers. The mood changes from track to track, to fit the situations of the scenes – and there's plenty of great tunes on here with sweet or groovy vocals and a hip easy soft pop style. Titles include "Kids", "Too Bad You Can't Read My Mind", "Pardon Me", "Let's Get Down To It", "What Do You Say To A Naked Lady", and "Hail To Humanity".

A tremendous little record from Love Peace & Happiness – a great vocal trio from the early 70s, and one who really shine with this overlooked gem for RCA! The trio were part of the New Birth/Nite Liters universe that producer Harvey Fuqua brought to the label at the time – and they've got a hip sound that's right up there with the other two groups – with whom they were very intimately involved – working here with arrangements from Fuqua that are almost his contribution to post-Motown sounds in the 70s, the way that Holland-Dozier-Holland were working at Invictus. Ann Bogan really soars with righteous leads in the group – and gets equal support from brothers Leslie and Melvin Wilson – who really help underscore some of the bolder elements of the music – especially on the funkier cuts. Titles include "I Don't Want To Do Wrong", "Lonesome Lonely & Alone", "Don't Knock My Love", "If I Owned The World", "You Can't Cheat the Cheater", "Stay", "Mind", and "You've Chosen Me". Great reissue – with excellent sound and very detailed notes!

A full blown duets album by Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn McCarthy of Faun Fables –co-headlining a straight-up beautiful set of tunes once sung by The Everly Brothers! They're not going for the hits here, rather taking on some of the more unusual Everly originals and covers – which include tunes written by Kris Kristofferson, Jackie Edwards, John Denver, King/Goffin and others. As longtime fans of The Everlys at their wierdest and most adventurous, we can't recommend this enough! Billy & Dawn clearly love the songs, and deliver with genuine warmth and affection – and go all in with the production, too! It's sweet and intimate, yet beautifully textured with steel, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonium, flute, cello and keyboards – even a sousaphone and tuba! It's mostly got some leftfield country charm, but there's a chugging rocker or 2 in the mix, too. Titles include "Breakdown", "Empty Boxes", "Milk Train", "What Am I Llivng For", "My Little Yellow Bird", "So Sad", "Omaha", "Poems, Prayers And Promises", "Just What I Was Looking For", "Kentucky" and more.

A full blown duets album by Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn McCarthy of Faun Fables – co-headlining a straight-up beautiful set of tunes once sung by The Everly Brothers! They're not going for the hits here, rather taking on some of the more unusual Everly originals and covers – which include tunes written by Kris Kristofferson, Jackie Edwards, John Denver, King/Goffin and others. As longtime fans of The Everlys at their wierdest and most adventurous, we can't recommend this enough! Billy & Dawn clearly love the songs, and deliver with genuine warmth and affection – and go all in with the production, too! It's sweet and intimate, yet beautifully textured with steel, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonium, flute, cello and keyboards – even a sousaphone and tuba! It's mostly got some leftfield country charm, but there's a chugging rocker or 2 in the mix, too. Titles include "Breakdown", "Empty Boxes", "Milk Train", "What Am I Llivng For", "My Little Yellow Bird", "So Sad", "Omaha", "Poems, Prayers And Promises", "Just What I Was Looking For", "Kentucky" and more.

Excellent work from Oscar Pettiford – his last sessions, in case you couldn't tell by the title, recorded in Copenhagen in 1959 and 1960, with players that include Allan Botchinsky on trumpet, Jan Johansson on piano, Erik Nordstrom on tenor, and Luis Hjulmand on vibes. Despite the introduction of European ringers to the set, and despite the posthumous collection of sessions, the album's actually one of Pettiford's strongest, and certainly one of the best to show his ever-growing commitment as a modernist during the 50s. The album includes loads of original tunes – including "Blue Brothers", "Two Little Pearls", "Laverne Walk", "Why Not? That's What!", and "My Little Cello".

A double-header to die for – two of the rarest albums from Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – back to back on a single CD! First up is Saffron & Soul – one of the first albums from the legendary Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – a wonderful little record that evenly blends together jazz, Latin, and soul music! There's a stronger soul jazz vibe here than on some later Pucho sets – partly due to the strong use of jazz in the rhythms, but also to the record's excellent horn work – not by the Pazant Brothers, but by Harold Alexander on tenor and flute, Claude Bartee on tenor, and Vicent McEwan on trumpet – all players who really make the record sparkle! The set's heavy on vibes too – a Pucho trademark, played here by Willie Bivins – and titles include the excellent "Soul Yamie", plus "Something Black", "The Groover", "Caravan", "Aye Ma Ma", and "What A Piece". Shuckin & Jivin is one of the most soulful albums ever recorded by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – a set that really shows the changing sound of Latin music in the late 60s – with some fresh vocals added to the group by Jackie Soul! Jackie only sings on a few cuts, but really brings in a raw Spanish Harlem vibe – one that gives the set a bit more of a Fania/Cotique sort of groove than usual – even when the group are leaping ahead on tight instrumentals – tunes that really sparkle with piano from Neal Creque, vibes from Willy Bivens, and tenor sax from Claude Bartee! Vocal gems include "Shuckin & Jivin", "CC Rider", and "You Are My Sunshine" – instrumental tracks include "Return To Me", "Swing Thing", "Maiden Voyage", and "How Insensitive".

A landmark live set from the Rolling Stones – featuring material from their smoking tour of 1969! The set really captures the Stones at their most nasty – that great turning point when their edge was maybe sharpest of ever, right in the best Let It Bleed mode – but with even more raw energy from the live setting. Titles include "Carol", "Live With Me", "Street Fighting Man", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Little Queenie", and "Stray Cat Blues". Massively expanded package features a huge amount of music – the unreleased Stones tracks "Prodigal Son", "You Gotta Move", "I'm Free", and "Satisfaction" – plus material from sets by BB King and Ike & Tina Turner on a full separate disc – both pulled from the same tour! Also features a DVD with backstage footage by the Maysles Brothers, and song performances of all the extra Stones tracks!

A killer compilation of late 50s and early 60s songs that were covered and popularized by British pop legend Cliff Richard – and Cliff not only heard them here first, but the man has impeccable taste! This is a stellar set of proto rock, pop and soul – with completely great, if lesser-remembered treasures by superstars and relative cult faves alike – including Bobby Helms, proto rock era Conway Twitty, Gene Vincent, Ruth Brown, Peggy Lee, Bobby Vee, Sonny James, Johnny Otis, Little Stevie Wonder and many more! Includes "Schoolboy Crush" by Bobby Helms, "I'll Try" by Conway Twitty, "Save My Soul" by Jack Scott with The Chantones, "The Night Is So Lovely" by Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, "Somebody Touched Me" by Ruth Brown, "Tough Enough" by Johnny Otis & Orchestra with The Jayos, "D In Love" by Curtis Lee, "I'm Looking Out The Window" by Peggy Lee, "The Minute You're Gone" by Sonny James, It's All Over" by The Everly Brothers and more. 24 tracks in all.

Sublime soul all the way through – really tremendous little tracks that are just waiting to be discovered – and none of them the kind of mainstream grooves you might expect from the "crossover" in the title! Instead, these tracks have a power that really helps shift perception of a genre – almost a bridge between upbeat 60s Northern Soul and smoother 70s modern – with a warmth that's undeniable, and a groove that never lets up! The vocals are sublime, and the production is perfect – totally tight, but never slick at all – just perfect for the arrangements that really help these tunes soar! The set features a whopping two dozen tracks in all – and in addition to some real gems by lesser-knowns, there's also some great overlooked tracks by bigger names too – titles that include "I'm Not Ready" by Ujima, "The Common Broken Heart" by Lou Courtney, "Let's Try It Over Again" by Willie Hutch, "Midnight Sunshine" by The Soul Children, "It's Gonna Be Alright" by Maxine Brown, "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin, "Fool's Hall Of Fame" by Ike Lovely, "Wait Till I Give The Signal" by The Shirelles, "Sweeping Your Dirt Under My Rug" by Ann Bailey, "Main Squeeze" by Syl Johnson, "Satisfactorise Your Mind" by Africano, "Trapped In A Love" by Barrino Brothers, and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In" by Freddie Hughes.

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it previously unreleased! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The work that was issued here came out on the TCB, Tayster, and New Day labels – and although the artists are often not well known, the work's got a really unified feel – thanks to the funky vision of Dave Hamilton. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Brand New Girl (part 1)", "You're Wasting My Time (parts 1 & 2)", and "I Got Some (parts 1 & 2)" by Billy Garner; "The Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Going To The Moon" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Just A Mistake" by The Barrino Brothers, "Hunchin" by Gip Roberts, "Bump With Me" by The Webb People, "Sweet Thing (part 1)" by Bobby Dee, and "Can You Dig It" by Chico & Buddy.

Funky soul from Detroit – the second foray into the uber-rare and unreleased funk treasures recorded at Dave Hamilton's Motor City studio – and an even deeper look at what's turning out to be one of the greatest long-buried funk catalogs to come to light in recent years! The collection includes some singles released on Hamilton's own TCB and other imprints, some that were licensed to other labels, plus a wealth of unreleased material. There's straight ahead funk vocals and instrumentals, and numbers that have more of a freewheeling, adventurous vibe – albeit with a raw funk backdrop! Includes numbers by The Deacons, Prophet & His Disciples, Chico & Buddy, Billy Garner, OC Tolbert, Little Ann, Dave Hamilton himself, The Webb People, The Pepper and more. 22 tracks in all: "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "You Fool, You Fool Pt 1" by Prophet & His Disciples, "A Thing Called The Jones" by Chico & Buddy, "The Bad Things (You Said To Me)" by The Barrino Brothers, "Ghetto Stride" by Dave Hamilton, "Who" by Jackie Dee, "Love Bandit" by OC Tolbert, "Simon Says' by The Future Kind, "Clap Your Hands" by The Tokays, "I'm Sending Vibrations" by The Webb People and more.

A slew of vintage gospel material from the 78rpm generation – some of it with a definite country tinge, some of it a bit more bluesy – and all of it great! The package really lives up to the shellac-digging strengths of other compilations on Mississippi – and really opens us up to a world we might never have experienced otherwise – wonderful rare material that already great on its own, but which resonates strongly in the company of all the other tracks on the set – pressed up on vinyl, which furthers the classic feel of the music too! Titles include "I Had A Dream" by Lottie Bracy, "I'll Be Rested" by Blind Roosevelt Graves, "I Can't Tarry" by Two Gospel Keys, "You Can't Hide" by Mother McCollum, "Where The Soul Of A Man Never Dies" by The Anglin Brothers, "Gods Little Birds" by Sister OM Terrell, and "No Drunkard Can Enter" by The Delmore Brothers.

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

Gloriously soulful and passionate postwar gospel – one of the best ever compilations on the Tompkins Square label – shining a powerful light on rare African American church recordings, street corner sermon style numbers, choir backed testifying soul & blues, and straight up wonderful spiritual soul music all the way! The tunes range from the mid-to-late 1940s through the 1970s for the most part, with a few later recordings – and part of what's so inspiring about it is the disregard of formality to the program. It has crackly field recordings of congregations, reverends and choirs, back porch gospel blues, and more polished, but no less passionate recordings – the common thread being the raw, honest devotion and deeply felt soulfulness of it. Hats off to producer, compiler Mike McGonigal for putting together such an excellent set, and for his concise, but well done notes on each track, and to Tompkins Square for continuing to raise the bar! 80 tracks on 3 discs: "Peace In The Valley" by Rev Lonnie Farris, "Rock And Roll Sermon" by Elder Beck, "So Glad" by Rev Robert Ballinger, "Wasn't That A Mystery" by Madison County Senior Center Singers, "The Wicked Shall Cease From Troubling" by Nathaniel Rivers, "Jesus' Blood" by Golden Stars Of Greenwood, SC, "God's Mighty Hand" by Rev Utah Smith, "Fire Shed In My Bones" by Boyd Rivers, "Power Is In The Heart OF Man" by Brother & Sister W B Grate, "You Ought To Been There" by The BC Harmonizers, "Go Devil Go" by Madam Ira May Littlejohn and more.

A selection of Warner Brothers-related funk – but featuring some killer numbers that move way past the hits! This is one of the funkiest compilations we've ever heard from a major label – and it's proof that deep down in their catalogs, the majors were working just as hard as the indies to come up with some killer slabs of funk, as you'll hear in this set of 20 gems recorded between the years 1968 and 1974! Many of these numbers were only issued on 45s – or on long out of print LPs – and even though there's a few numbers on here that you may know, the set's also got a number of others that you probably don't, as it even surprised us with some of its funky goodies! Titles include "Getting Uptown" by United 8, "Don't Come Around Here Anymore" by Mark Putney, "Shop Talk (version 1)" by Cold Blood, "Come Little Children" by Donny Hathaway, "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belairs, "Soul Machine" by The Meters, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, "What So Never the Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by The Houseguests, "Back On The Streets Again" by Tower Of Power, "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul" by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Nobody But You Babe" by Clarence Reid, and "You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin" by Charles Wright.

A landmark collection of southern soul from the 60s and 70s – all of it pulled from the vaults of Excello Records, a label that didn't always circulate strongly at the time! The work here is buried in the depths below Stax and Atlantic, but echoes many similar themes – influences from blues, R&B, and country – and a presentation of the themes that's always in a newly proud, newly sophisticated mode for the era. There's some grittier funk in the mix too, and the set features a whopping 24 tracks in all – including "Letter From My Darling" by Kip Anderson, "My Love Grows Stronger" by The Kelly Brothers, "Look What I've Done" by Percy Wiggins, "Funky Little Train" by Stacy Lane, "Let's Try To Build A Love Affair" by The Exotics, "Seventh Son" by Lee Webber, "I Will" by Latimore Brown, "Don't Let Me Be A Cryin Man" by Johnny Truitt, "Way Cross Town" by Tiny Watkins, "No Brags Just Facts" by Stacy Lane, and "No Pity In The City" by Eugene Kemp.