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The only full album ever cut by Tina Britt – a great female soul singer who really should have scored big with work like this! Tina was a discovery of Juggy Murray – the Sue Records soul powerhouse who'd helped set fire in the careers of Inez Foxx, Baby Washington, and Tina Turner – and who seemed about to do the same thing with his great work producing this excellent little set. For the record, Juggy combines some of the grittier sounds of his work on Sue with the deeper soul touches that were coming from the southern scene of the time – and he sets Tina up with a great batch of material heavy on influences from Memphis and Muscle Shoals. One of the tracks are originals, but Tina sings them as if they were her own – and titles include "Key To the Highway", "Hawg For You", "My Lover's Prayer", "Who Was That", and "You Ain't Nothing But In The Way". CD adds in 8 more bonus tracks – 3 previously unreleased – with titles that include "It's My Thing", "He Put The Hurt On Me", "Look", "You're Absolutely Right", "Teardrops Fell Every Step Of The Way", "I Found A New Love", and "The Real Thing".

Bobby's first two albums on one CD – like a dream come true to our ears! Both records are incredible stuff – with Bobby hitting hard on every level! The vocals are incredible – fresh, and raw, and with that warm little rasp that made him stand out so strongly from other singers of the late 60s. The arrangements are superb, with a mix of small-combo organ/guitar southern grooving, and just the right touches of larger orchestrations to push the whole thing over the top. The songwriting is superb – with some of Bobby's best early tracks, like "What Is This", "It's Gonna Rain", "I'm Gonna Forget About You", "Don't Look Back", "More Than I Can Stand", "I'm In Love", and "Baby! You Oughta Think it Over". Even the non-original tracks are wonderful – like the track "Fly Me to the Moon", which Bobby manages to completely make his own!

A wonderful collection that brings together two vintage compilations on the legendary Minit label – more than enough work to make a really heavy-hitting CD! The first 12 tracks on the set are from the excellent We Sing The Blues collection, issued by Minit in the early 60s – and a package that features a lot more soul than you'd guess from the "blues" in the title! The collection features some of the best up and coming talents working in the Crescent City at the time – artists who helped shift the R&B sound of the 50s into the New Orleans soul groove that would grow tremendously in the 60s – and who sound great here in a batch of tracks that includes some great lesser-known numbers. New Orleans Our Home Town is a similar package, but one that features a bit more R&B too – older 50s tracks issued on Imperial, mixed with some of the more modern New Orleans soul that was showing up on Minit. CD features a whopping 25 tracks in all – including "The Power Of Love" by Willie Harper, "Te Ta Te Ta Ta" by Ernie K Doe, "Moanin & Screamin (parts 1 & 2)" by Diamond Joe, "Oogsey Moo" by Jessie Hill, "Green Door" by Eskew Reeder, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "Let's Live" by Aaron Neville, "You're The One" by The Spiders, "I Didn't Want To Do It" by The Spiders, "Two Winters Long" by Irma Thomas, "Walking To New Orleans" by Fats Domino, "I'm Gone" by Shirley & Lee, and "A Certain Girl" by Ernie K Doe.

Massive sounds from Benny Spellman – one of the greatest singers on the New Orleans scene of the 60s – and one of the most unique, too! Benny's often got a groove that's different than some of the more R&B-inflected sounds of his contemporaries – sometimes sophisticated enough to almost suggest a jazz approach, sometimes this sinister snakey style that comes across with a moody edge we really love! And although Benny's work has been been brought together over the years, this may well be the best compilation we've ever seen of his music from the 60s – a set of 30 great tracks pulled from his singles for the Minit and Alon labels, with a few unreleased numbers too – often with some key studio help from Allen Toussaint. Titles include "10 4 Calling All Cars", "Life Is Too Short", "I Didn't Know", "Fortune Teller", "Lipstick Traces", "Sinner Girl", "If You Love Her", "Stickin Whicha Baby", "Talk About Love", "You Got To Get It", "No Don't Stop", "The Word Game", "Every Now & Then", and "I'm In Love".

Incredible stuff – and an album that has Bobby hitting hard on every level! The vocals are incredible – fresh, and raw, and with that warm little rasp that made him stand out so strongly from other singers of the late 60s. The arrangements are superb, with a mix of small-combo organ/guitar southern grooving, and just the right touches of larger orchestrations to push the whole thing over the top. The songwriting is superb – with some of Bobby's best early tracks, like "What Is This", "I'm In Love", and "Baby! You Oughta Think it Over". Even the non-original tracks are wonderful – like the track "Fly Me to the Moon", which Bobby manages to completely make his own!

Classic New Orleans soul galore – two full albums back to back on one CD! The compilation isn't really the "blues" promised in the title – but a great little collection of New Orleans soul, featuring loads of great tracks from the earliest years of the genre! The sound here is often somewhat stripped-down and rootsy – not that "fake" New Orleans sound that took over from the 70s onwards (especially when many of the artists were recording in LA!) – but the original real deal, with simple, but tremendously effective rhythms that are often heavy on piano, used in a hard-rolling way on the upbeat tunes – and in a lightly-stepping level on the gentler numbers. CD features 24 tracks in all – both volumes 1 and 2 of the series – with titles that include "Over You" and "Every Day" by Aaron Neville, "It's Won't Be Me" and "Please Don't Leave" by Lee Diamond, "Ooh Poo Pah Doo (parts 1 & 2)" by Jessie Hill, "Hello My Lover" by Ernie K Doe, "Scoop Scoobie Doobie" by Jessie Hill, "T'Aint It The Truth" by Ernie K Doe, "Whip It On Me" by Jessie Hill, "Ruler Of My Heart" and "Cry On" by Irma Thomas, "Lipstick Traces" by Benny Spellman, "Wanted $10000 Reward" by Ernie K Doe, "It Will Stand" and "Country Fool" by The Showmen, "I Did My Part" by Irma Thomas, and "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman.

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! Bobby strikes a perfect balance here – keeping things hip, but also tightening things up too – yet never by getting too smooth or too commercial. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back".

A sprawling, double-sized set of Northern Soul singles – compiled by Richard Searling and with a focus on the pivotal mid 60s period – from the vaults of labels/imprints both big and small! It's got great singles issued at the time on Roulette, Capitol, United Artists, Sue, Veep, Minit, Liberty and more – mostly from '65-'68 – with some fairly famous names and comparably forgotten ones. Most of these tunes became rarities quite soon after they appeared – and it's s a massive set, too – with 50 tracks on 2CDs! Includes "Better Use Your Head" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "I'll Do Anything" by Doris Troy, "He Always Comes Back To Me" by Clydie King, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Breakout" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, "My Dear Heart" by Shawn Robinson, River Of Tears" by by Barbara Banks, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish and more.

A triple-length set – one that brings together two classic Charly Records compilations! The bulk of the set is from the great 2LP collection Mr Joe's Jambalaya – an amazing collection of New Orleans soul from the legendary Minit and Instant labels – both imprints under the guidance of producer Joe Banashak – the "Mr Joe" in the title! The work here includes a good number of lesser-known gems from the Crescent City – mixed in with a few key classics that are really well-chosen numbers that illustrate the kind of important influence that New Orleans would have on soul music for generations to come! Grooves are mostly gritty, with more than a few hints of funk in the mix – and there's plenty of tracks that are filled with that tripling rhythmic mode that was quite specific to New Orleans at the time. Titles include "I Need Money" by Lee Dorsey, "The Sad One" by Eddie Lang, "The La La Man (part 1)" by Oliver Morgan, "Go Back Home" by Allen Toussaint & The Stokes, "Pass The Hatchet (part 1)" by Roger & The Gypsies, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You" by Raymond Lewis, "In The Night" by Chucik Carbo, "Green Door" by Eskew Reeder, "Something You Got" by Barbara George, and "Beverly Baby" by Allen & Allen. The remaining third of the package is from the collection Loaded Down With The Blues – another compilation of Joe Banashak recordings, but one that focuses a bit more on gritty, bluesy material – mostly from the late 50s and early 60s. Titles include "Tight Like That" by Edgar Blancahrd, "Loaded Down" by Matthew Boogie Jake Jacobs, "Way In The Middle Of The Night" by Nolan Pitts, "Ain't Broke Ain't Hungry" by Polka Dot Slim, "Moanin & Screamin" by Diamond Joe, and "Nervous Condition" by The Pitter Pats. 2CDs, and 46 tracks in all!

Incredible work – 2 of Bobby Womack's best albums ever in one set! Understanding is killer 70s work from Bobby – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back". On Communication, Bobby says thanks to Sly Stone on the back of the album cover – and it's clear that he's gotten a good dose of Sly's funky soul to kick things up a bit from earlier albums. Part of the record was cut in Muscle Shoals, and it's still got that rootsy southern style of Bobby's late 60s work – but there's also a slicker LA funk sound in the mix, with lots of electric guitar solos and funky electric keyboards. Features the righteous "Communication", plus "That's The Way I Feel About 'Cha", "Everything Is Beautiful", "Come L'Amore", and a monologue-heavy version of "Close To You" that's a bit on the Isaac Hayes tip. And hey, Pam Grier's on backup vocals, too!

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! Bobby strikes a perfect balance here – keeping things hip, but also tightening things up too – yet never by getting too smooth or too commercial. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back".

Raw southern soul from Hermon Hitson – a howler in the tradition of Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Otis Clay and Bobby Bland! This collection of singles originally cut for Atco, Minit and other smaller labels is bit of a sprawl – from the early 60s on through the mid 70s – which is great, because it gives you a real feel for Hitson's depth! The earlier tracks rock in the Pickett, Bland school of invigorating soul shouters, but as the years progressed Hitson adapted with some occasional ballads and strains of funk – all of it compellingly raw! 21 tracks in all: "You Are Too Much For The Human Heart", "I Got That Will", "Show Me Some Sign", "Bad Girl", "Georgia Grind". "Why Is It Taking So Long", "Where Can I Find My Baby", "Please", "Been So Long", "Sweeter", "A Dream I Had (I Love Her)", "They Kept On Laughin'" and more – including a few unreleased gems!

An under-discovered treasure trove of southern soul – incredible early 70s work from the Sounds Of Memphis label – arguably a hipper imprint than Stax Records at the time! Sounds Of Memphis, and related XL imprint, were a perfect showcase for the growing sophistication in southern soul at the time – the generation of artists who were shaking off the cliches of soul that played big with crossover crowds in the 60s, but which were holding back development of the music in the following decade. The styles here are every bit as rootsy as before, but they offer up new sounds, new styles, new subjects, and new singers – plus some older artists who shine even more brightly in this setting. The package is a great counterpart to the other Sounds Of Memphis set on Kent – that based on Barbara & The Browns – and the production, presentation, and care of this set is every bit as great as that one. Titles include "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Spencer Wiggins, "Last Mile Of The Way" by The Minits, "You're Welcome Back" by Ann Hodge, "Tell Him Tonight" by Rudolph Taylor, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Love" by Lou Roberts, "Talking About The Love I Have For You" by George Jackson, "Hook Like & Sinker" by Dan Greer, "You Can Lead Your Woman To The Altar" by William Bollinger, "Take It From Someone Who Knows" by The Ovations, "California Dreamin" by The Jacksonians, "Let the Movement Last" by Vision, and "Play Thing (alt mix)" by Barbara & The Browns.

A mind-expanding look at Memphis soul – one that gets way past common cliches about the city and its music! There's a heavy dose of funk in the mix on most numbers here – a gritty, fuzzy approach to the music that seems slightly borrowed from the Detroit scene at the end of the 60s – then mixed with some rougher, rootsier southern soul styles too! But other tracks take on a more sophisticated sound too – some of the righteous elements that hit Stax in the post-1968 period, especially as Isaac Hayes and David Porter were working on their own great solo work. Yet unlike Hayes and Porter, most of the artists here are much lesser-known – singers and groups who never charted big, but who got the chance to record for Memphis labels like XL, Stax, Select-O-Hits, and Sounds Of Memphis. CD features 20 tracks in all – and titles include "Dig It" by The Optimistics, "Mississippi Mud" by Smithsonian, "Two Paces Ahead Of Love" by Willie Walker, "Pullin" by The Minits, "It's Bump Time" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "Blackrock Yeah Yeah" by Blackrock, "Keep The Faith" by Mel & Tim, "Watch Dog (alt)" by Barbara & The Browns, "Come What May" by John Gary Williams, "Strange Things" by Art Jerry Miller, "Shake" by The Ovations, "Tip Toeing" by Alvin Cash, "The Way Of Me" by Hannon, "Take A Giant Step" by LaCleve Milon, "Papa Killed A Chicken" by Willie Toliver, and "Don't Boom Boom" by Lillian Hale.