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Groovy soul from Westbound Records – the Detroit imprint that's best known for its heavy funk from groups like Funkadelic or The Counts, but which also cut some killer Northern numbers in their early years too! The package features loads of under-discovered Westbound nuggets, including a few unreleased tracks too – and the overall feel is almost in the same territory as the HDH/Invictus camp of the early 70s – soaring soul that's clearly informed by the Motown generation, but which comes across with a lot more righteous overtones, thanks to some heady production work! A few names here are familiar, but most of the work should be pretty darn fresh, even if you've got other collections of Westbound work – and as usual, Kent have really knocked it out of the park with a great job on the notes and overall packaging. Titles include "Third World" by Joe Matthews, "Love Love Love" by Damon Shawn, "Till Another Day (Tom Moulton 7" edit)" by Caesar Frazier, "Ain't No Telling" by Houston Outlaws, "Happy Days" by The Magictones, "Gonna Spread The News" by Unique Blend, "Ain't That Lovin" by Denise & Abe, "Lonely In A Crowd" by Superlatives, "My Baby Ain't No Plaything" by The New Holidays, "Can't Shake It Loose" by Funkadelic, "I Can't See Myself Doing Without You" by Bob & Harold, "Never My Love" by Emanuel Laskey, "I'm Slowly Moulding" by The Magictones, and "I Am So Thankful" by Eddie Hill.

While the title may claim that Dionne Warwick is "Just Being Myself", the sound of the set is something completely different – a surprisingly great album that has the lady working with the post-Motown production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland! There's a quality here that resonates strongly from the very first note – a bold move away from Bacharach to some of the more adult soul modes explored in the 70s – handled by HDH with full-on backings on some numbers, but with a more gentle Warwick-styled groove on others. The album's got a depth we never would have expected – especially from the slightly-soppy cover – and Dionne's manage to bring in all the strengths from earlier years, yet also recast them a bit with a fuller soul-based groove on the set. The album features the surprisingly funky "I'm Just Being Myself", which has some great sinister flute over skittish drums – plus the tracks "You're Gonna Need Me", "Come Back", "Don't Burn The Bridge", "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You", and "I Think You Need Love".

One of Eddie's classic dancefloor groovers for Tamla, with production and arrangements by the hit team of Frank Wilson and Leonard Caston! The album keeps Eddie's hit "boogie" groove going strong – grooving mostly in a midtempo smooth soul style that would become a dominant approach to soul during the next few years, Eddie and Motown's contribution to the soul legacy of the 70s that was nearly as strong as that of Philly soul. Titles include "Boogie Down", "Hooked On Your Love", "Honey Brown", "Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need", and "Loving You The Second Time Around".

One of the most political of Dr King's albums – recorded in 1967, but issued after his death when the Vietnam War was still going strong. The album's one of the great titles on Motown's short-lived Black Forum imprint, and is a lot stronger stuff than some of the other King albums they continued to keep in print.

A smoking little set from Flaming Ember – a rock group at the core, but one who has plenty of blue-eyed soul in the mix – thanks to great production from Greg Perry, and strong arrangements from HB Barnum and McKinley Jackson – all of whom give the record a vibe that's right up there with the best Hot Wax/Invictus soul sets of the time! There's a nice amount of fuzz in the grooves – that post-Motown style that uses lots of great bass and guitar alongside core Detroit soul modes – and although the vocals have more of a rockish approach, the instrumental undercurrent is a great mix of funk, rock, and soul! Titles include the sweet soul ballad "Sunshine", plus the cuts "Ember Blues", "1200 Miles From Heaven", "Livin High Money Low", "Gotta Get Away", "Heart On Lovin You", "Stop The World & Let Me Off", and "Ding Need Dong".

Really nice work from The Four Tops – proof that they were still going quite quite strong after Motown! The album's got a hip sound that shows the group moving through a wider range of emotions than we ever remember – crafting rich deep harmonies that still stand apart from the big wave of sweet soul quartets of the early 70s, and which sparkle with all the emotion that Levi Stubbs' voice had to offer. Includes their great theme to Shaft In Africa, the track "Are You Man Enough" – plus loads of other great ones like "I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind", "It Won't Be The First Time", "Sweet Understanding Love", "Too Little, Too Late", "Peace Of Mind", and "Main Street People".

A classic batch of Motown duets from Marvin Gaye and some of his best female co-stars – with a few contributions apiece from Mary Wells, Kim Weston, and Tammi Terrell! Although other artists explored the male/female duet mode back in the 60s, few did it as well as Marvin – thanks in part to a warmly sensitive vocal approach that made his duets come across as personal, loving conversations – and not the too-gimmicky modes used to push the big stars over at other labels. Marvin & Mary Wells sing "Once Upon A Time", "What's The Matter With You Baby", "Together", and "Deed I Do". Marvin & Kim Weston sing "I Want You 'Round", "What Good Am I Without You", and "It Takes Two". And Marvin and Tammi Terrell sing "Your Precious Love", "Little Ole Girl, Little Ole Boy", "I Can't Help But Love You", and "Good Lovin Ain't Easy To Come By".

What can we say? Most of the biggest hits, and many of the very best tracks cut in the prime of Al Green's career – which is to say some of the very best Memphis soul ever recorded! 10 essential tracks in all, and it's just one of these Greatest Hits packages of pure, inarguable perection – with "Call Me", "Let's Stay Together", "Tired Of Being Alone", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "I Can't Get Next To You", "You Ought To Be With Me", "Look What You Done For Me" and "Let's Get Married".

Smoking Motown work from Thelma Houston – a great 70s set that catches the singer at the top of her groove! The album's polished, but never in a too-commercial way – and the grooves acknowledge the growing role of the dancefloor in mainstream soul, yet also mostly stay away from some of the disco cliches of the time – thanks to sophisticated work by arrangers Art Wright, Paul Riser, and Michael Smith! Although we should also point out that this is the record that gave Houston one of her bigger hits – the key crossover track "Don't Leave Me This Way" – nestled nicely amidst other great numbers like "Don't Know Why I Love You", "Any Way You Like It", "If It's The Last Thing I Do", and "Don't Make Me Pay".

Maybe the greatest album that Teena Marie ever cut – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of the lady's work for Motown! The set's got this bright, positive bounce that grabs you right from the start – but also moves into a depth that's way different than other funk albums of the time – a way with a ballad and a thoughtful track that almost makes Marie the 80s heir to the Minnie Riperton legacy, especially given the strength of her voice on the set – and the fact that Teena wrote and produced the whole album herself! At a time when so many other female soul singers were at the mercy of other folks' talents and ideas, Lady T steps forth boldly with this classic set – brimming over with greatness on cuts that include the stellar "Portuguese Love", plus "Yes Indeed", "Where's California", "Opus III", "Square Biz", "365", "Revolution", and "Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me".

One of the first full albums on Motown – and a rockin batch of soul tracks from Martha Reeves and The Vandellas! The title cut – "Come & Get These Memories" – is a stone winner that virtually defines the sound of early Motown – and other tracks are all pretty great too, with nary any filler in the bunch, just great Holland/Dozier/Holland compositions to keep things going! Holland & Dozier produced, and titles include "Can't Get Used To Losing You", "This Is When I Need You Most", "A Love Like Yours", "Tears On My Pillow", "To Think You Would Hurt Me", "There He Is", "Jealous Lover", and "Old Love".

Classic girl group soul by one of Motown's best uptown groups. Tracks include "My Baby Must Be A Magician", "Your Love Can Save Me", "What's Easy For Two Is Harder For One", "Here I Am Baby", and "You're The One For Me Bobby". Nice stuff, and unlike a lot of other Motown LPs from the time, this one's not filled with covers of other tracks, and has a lot of nice original material.

Excellent early albums from Billy Ocean – 1975's Billy Ocean and 1980's City Limit – back-to-back with some solid bonus tracks, too! Billy Ocean is his first, and probably best album ever – a mix of uptempo anthemic r&b tunes and sophisticated ballads that are truly Motown worthy! His vocals are deeply soulful, and the tunes have little in common with his mid 80s hits, but they are hugely catchy and should have been bigger! Titles include "Tell Him To Move Over", "Let's Put Our Emotions In Motion", "Let's Do It All Over Again", "Soul Rock", "LOD (Love On Delivery)" and more, plus 5 bonus tracks. City Limits, from 1980, has more of Billy's Caribbean roots in the sound than the earlier self-titled set, and a little bit of fusiony funk, too! Another totally solid set from Billy, who doesn't get enough respect for his tight early LPs. Titles include "Stay The Night", "What You Doing To Me", "Who's Gonna Rock You", "Are You Ready", "Taking Chances" and more, plus 2 bonus tracks.

A stone burner from 100 Proof Aged In Soul – a group who really take off with this tight second record! The album's a classic from the days when soul music ruled AM radio on both sides of the tracks – and the rest of the album is equally great – packing that tight post-Motown punch that made the Hot Wax label one of the best proponents of Detroit soul in the 70s! Arrangements are by a huge amount of early 70s heavyweights – McKinley Jackson, Paul Riser, and HB Barnum – and the set was produced by General Johnson and Greg Perry, in a style that soars along with the Chairmen Of The Board albums of the time. Titles include "Words", "I Don't Care If I Never Get Over You", "Everything Good Is Bad", "Ghetto Girl", "Nothing Sweeter Than Love", and "Don't You Wake Me".

Fuzzy and funky soul from Detroit! This LP compiles the group's first incredible album – Osmium – plus some other singles from the time. Parliament at this point are much closer to earlier Funkadelic than on their later work – rocking hard with a very guitar-heavy groove, sounding a lot more tripped out than when they're riding the mothership, and forming a key link between the Motown soul tradition and that of Detroit noise rockers like MC5 or The Stooges. Cuts include "Loose Booty", "Little Old Country Boy", "My Automobile", "Red Hot Mama", "Come In Out Of The Rain", and "I Call My Baby Pussycat". Very trippy, very acidy, and very very wild!

Heavy rock and heavy drums – a fuzzed out classic that's one of the best lost hard rock albums of the 70s! These guys may have been a strange choice for Motown's rock-based Rare Earth label back in the day, but they've more than made a place for themselves in the history books – thanks to some really fierce rocking, and an approach to the drums that's kept the record in more than a few crates over the years – not totally a break record, but with plenty of tight work on the drums and some really monster bass! Titles include "Hard Working Man", "Uncertain Destination", "No Time", "Realization", "The Sorcerer Of Isis", "It Couldn't Be Me", "The Death Trip", and "In The Night".

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed".

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

A very mellow overview of Smokey's later solo work – the post-Quiet Storm period, when he was easily slipping from classic soul into adult contemporary territory – and really crossing over big at the time! And while we could probably say that most of this stuff is far watered down from the original Motown inspiration, the work's also got a certain sort of gentle "adult" love song charm. Titles include 3 new tracks exclusive to the album – "Just Like You", "Don't Play Another Love Song", and "Just A Touch Away" – plus "Cruisin", "Blame It On Love", "Baby Come Close", "Tell Me Tomorrow", and "Being With You".

Incredible work – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s!

Warm and wonderful soul from David Ruffin – key proof that the singer could keep on going strong, long after his earlier fame at Motown! The record's got a new sense of sophistication that really breaks David into new territory – a style that's nicely different than the backings Ruffin got from Van McCoy in his later Motown years – and which opens up a more mature sound, courtesy of producer Don Davis – who's casting Ruffin in the same blend of rough and smooth that worked so well for The Dramatics! There's a sophistication here that's completely sublime – a sound that's right up there with Leroy Hutson or Leon Ware – and most tunes hit a mellow or midtempo mode that's totally great! Tracks include "Chain On The Brain", "Break My Heart", "Morning Sun Looks Blue", "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me", "So Soon We Change", and "Sexy Dancer".

An gem of a later album from early Motown hero Barrett Strong – a set recorded back in Michigan, but with the same warm modern soul groove of his album on Capitol! The album's surprisingly great – with loads of original tunes that showcase a side of Strong's writing skills that we wouldn't have expected – and overall, the grooves here mix upbeat numbers with some even better mellower ones, in a style that sounds a fair bit like Johnny Bristol's work at the end of the 70s. A great indie soul set, and one with a great bit of depth! Titles include "I'm So In Love With You", "You're A Mighty Good Lover", "You Are My One & Only Love", "All I Wanna Do Is Be With You", "You Turn Me On", "When You're Truly In Love", "You Make Me Feel The Way I Do", and "Love Is You".

An amazing little record from the lovely Syreeta – our favorite album from the singer, next to her seminal debut – and a soaring set that's put together with sublime production from Leon Ware! Leon grooves things up a bit more than before – which really helps Syreeta's amazing vocals take off strongly, and still hit the spacey heights of her previous work with Stevie Wonder! Ware's right at the top of his game – with killer grooves that rival his work for Marvin Gaye on I Want You, or his own Musical Massage album for Motown – and at some level, we'd easily rank this one up there as part of that heavenly 70s trilogy for the label. There's some sweet electric bits that work perfectly for Syreeta – and titles include "Don't Cry", "Harmour Love", "I Don't Know", "Rest Yourself", "One To One", and "Tiki Tiki Donga".

A great set of work from one of Motown's most enigmatic singers! Syreeta's best known to the world for her connection with Stevie Wonder, but she's a fantastic artist in her own right, with a soulful Minnie Riperton-esque voice that really sounds great on her mid 70s recordings. Of course, Stevie's participation in the work helped out as well – but besides those tracks, you'll also hear Syreeta dueting on cuts with Billy Preston, Smokey Robinson, and GC Cameron. Titles include "Spinnin & Spinnin", "He's Gone", "One To One", "Heavy Day", "Harmour Love", "Your Kiss Is Sweet", "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel", "Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours", "I Love Every Little Thing About You", "First Time On A Ferris Wheel", Something On My Mind", and "To Know You Is To Love You". 18 cuts in all.

One of Syreeta's deepest albums ever – proud, bold, and wonderfully righteous throughout – filled with a sense of message and purpose that was quite rare for Motown at the start of the 80s! Syreeta's really tapped back into that wonderful energy that made her so great when first working with Stevie Wonder – a warm, jazzy glow that suits her unique vocals perfectly – and which is shaped to perfection here by producers Richard Perry, Hal Davis, and Jerry Peters! The album's got a few funky groovers that are definitely Motown circa 1980, but its best moments are the mellower ones – which hit a Minnie Riperton-like quality that's mighty nice. Sheree Brown sings with Syreeta on a few cuts – and titles include "Blame It On The Sun", "Let Me Be The One", "Love Fire", "Here's My Love", and "You Bring Out The Love In Me" – plus "Please Stay" and "One More Time For Love", both duets with Billy Preston.

The Temptations going in all directions – and all of them pretty darn groovy too! The set's still heavy on the solid, righteous sound of Norman Whitfield – who gives some of the best cuts that psychedelic soul imprint he really perfected with the group – a quality that has a lot more funk than other Motown acts were getting at the time – yet still lets the harmonies soar! A few other numbers showcase a more mature ballad style – different than the sweet soul of their roots, and definitely with an adult vibe we really love. Titles include heavy funk on "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", and their great cover of Isaac Hayes "Do Your Thing" – some mellow mature covers like "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" and "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" – plus the long version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and the tracks "Mother Nature" and "Run Charlie Run".

A masterpiece in psychedelic soul from The Temptations – perhaps the most perfectly realized album from their years working with Norman Whitfield! The set's awash in that bottom-heavy, rumbling funk mode that Whitfield brought to the group at the end of the 60s – served up in bold tracks that push the group's vocals to a whole new level, and which bring in a more righteous sound than anyone might have expected previously from Motown! The centerpiece here is the amazing "Runaway Child" – a really extended number that has all the political soul of a Curtis Mayfield tune – and other titles include "Cloud Nine", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "I Gotta Find A Way", "I Need Your Lovin", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

An obscure Motown group from the end of the 70s – 21st Creation had a strident uptempo group sound that reminds us of some of the more successful disco hits of Tavares from the same time. The arrangements are mostly club-oriented – handled by Willie Hutch, Gene Page, and Harold Johnson – and you can hear the group's style to best effect on tracks like their remake of Marvin Gaye's "After The Dance", Willie Hutch's "You Gotta Dance To My Music", or the hard grooving "Thanks For Saving Me". Not totally standout material, but with a few nice moments. Other tracks include "Funk Machine", "Tailgate", and "Baby, I'm For Real".

Undisputed Truth and their late 70s space funk mode! They may have moved away from their Motown pop soul roots, but they're still getting production from Norman Whitfield, who knows how to keep the stormin sound that always worked best with the band. Players on the session include Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford – and the uptempo tracks have a nice, clubbier vibe that's a bit of an update of the band's approach of the preceding few years, not really disco, but more of an extended dancefloor groove hat's still pretty funky! There's also some nice moogy touches on this one!

Two of the better cuts off Stevie's Hotter Than July LP, a sleeper from the early 80s that we find ourselves going back to more and more. "Do I Do" snaps along nicely with a smooth modern soul feel, and "Rocket Love" is a wonderfully spacey ballad, with Stevie plying his some of his finest synth work ever!

A mega-hit for Stevie Wonder – an album that features a killer title cut, plus lots of other wonderful tunes that show the world that a full-formed adult soul star had arrived on the market! There's a depth here that's really great – not the totally heady, righteous sound of Stevie in the early 70s – but still a sensitivity that goes beyond simple Motown pop, and which is also underscored with some great keyboard work as well. Wonder produced the record, and arrangers include Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, and Henry Crosby – and titles include the huge title hit – "Signed Sealed & Delivered" – plus "Heaven Help Us All", "Sugar", "Never Had A Dream Come True", "Don't Wonder Why", and "I Gotta Have A song".

A killer collection of 60s Stevie Wonder work for Motown – almost a greatest hit of the label's greatest hits series – given how wonderful most of the tunes are! The set does a great job of moving through the full range of Stevie's 60s talents – from instrumental groovers heavy on drums and harmonica, to vocal tracks that show the growing power of Wonder's appeal – a maturing, magnificent style that would set a whole new tone for soul in the 70s! Titles include "Contract On Love", "Fingertips Part 2", "I Was Made To Love Her", "Work Out Stevie Work Out", "Uptight", "Castles In The Sand", "Hey Harmonica Man", "I'm Wondering", and the always great "Hey Love".

One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the stupid cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world – and he's honing the sophisticated experiments of the previous few albums into a tightly woven pop sound that would pay Motown a huge dividend for letting him take chances with his music! Includes the big hits "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition", plus the amazing mellow synthesizer classic "You've Got It Bad Girl" and the fuzzy funky "Maybe Your Baby". Great stuff, and one that won't let you down!

A greatest hits two-fer – made even greater with the addition of 27 bonus tracks! First up is Invictus' Greatest Hits – heavy soul from the house of Holland-Dozier-Holland – some of the best bits from their Invictus powerhouse label of the early 70s – definitely a scene-setting imprint at the time! Invictus had some of the deepest grooves ever recorded by the trio – heavy, rumbling bottom sounds – soaring vocal passages – and production that took the Motown lessons of the late 60s to a whole new level. The package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Crumbs Off The Table" by The Glass House, "Band Of Gold" and "Bring The Boys Home" by Freda Payne, "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and "Everything's Tuesday" by The Chairmen Of The Board, "You've Got To Crawl" and "She's Not Just Another Woman" by The 8th Day, and "I Had It All" by The Barrino Brothers. Hot Wax Greatest Hits is a great collection of some of the best numbers from the Hot Wax label of the early 70s – second generation Detroit soul that really set the standard for the 70s! The tunes here were massive back in the day – blasting out of juke boxes, car radios, and a fair bit of home stereos too – all for good reason, given the care and balance the Holland-Dozier-Holland team brought to their work in the studio, and their ears for selecting singers to handle the work. Titles include "Want Ads" and "Stick Up" by Honey Cone, "Somebody's Been Sleepin" and "Too Many Cooks" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul, "Westbound #9" and "Mind Body & Soul" by Flaming Ember, "Woman's Love Rights" by Laura Lee "Women's Love Rights", and "Frightened Girl" by Silent Majority. 2CD set also features 27 bonus tracks that include "Somebody's Gonna Hurt You" by Lee Charles, "Colors Of My Love" by The Silent Majority, "Love Machine" by The Politicians, "Touch Me" by Eloise Laws, "Hey There Lonely Girl" by Ty Hunter, "Wanting You" by Earl English, "That's Love" by The Hi-Lites, "Can't Get Enough Of You" by Tyrone Edwards, "I Need It Just As Bad As You" by Laura Lee, "VIP" by Scherrie Payne, "Guess I'm Gonna Cry" by New York Port Authority, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, and "You Too Me From A World Outside" by Lee Charles.

One of the deeper collections we've seen from Pressure Sounds – great stuff and largely overlooked numbers from the vaults of the Micron Music label – with crisply chopping rhythms, steady harmonies, and echoey dub from Junior Byles, I Roy, Bobby Ellis, Tommy McCook and many more! Micron isn't among the more famous Jamaican enterprises of the period but the tunes more than live up to the pedigree of its better known peers – with Pete Weston in the production booth for many of the tunes, and a couple with Bunny Lee and Lee Perry at the controls. There's an impressive range of artists and styles, and a number of tunes that have more than a little bit of Motown sounds in the mix, which we totally love. Titles include "Conference At Waterhouse" by Jah Sticah, "Lorna Banana", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "Last Of The Love Songs" by Junior Byles, "Message From The Top" by I Roy, "Revolution Is For The Chinaman" by Pete Weston & The Flames, "Ska Baby" by Bobby Ellis, "Black Organ" by Blacker Black , "Our Rights" by Defenders, "Tribute To Muhammad Ali" by Tommy McCook and more. 20 tracks in all.

Northern soul treasures from Lorraine Chandler on a sweet 45 from Outta Sight UK! "I Can't Change" is a great uptempo Detroit groove to it, a great track co-written by Jack Ashford, the percussionist for The Funk Brothers. A great, Motown-worthy cut that was actually recorded for RCA. The flip is great version of the Bond theme "You Only Live Twice" – we love us some Nancy Sinatra, but we'd love to hear this version in the flick instead!

A beautiful little single by this obscure Motown harmony group! "Same Old Love" is a dreamy number that feels like the best of Continental 4, Soul Generation, or other indie east coast groups – with a rising spirit and falsetto lead that we really really love! "Last Row" is another winner – a sweet number with a style that's almost in the Bacharach mode.

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box!

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – definitely all you need, if you're looking for Motown duet work of the 60s! The album's possibly the best-remembered from the pair – filled with classics that really define the Marvin duo mode – sublime little tunes that have Gaye and Terrell trading lines back and forth, almost as if they were conversing together as a romantic couple! Production is sublime – handled by Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol – and the grooves have a great mix of high moments and low-dipping notes, which further underscores the depths of feeling in the vocal performances. The title cut's one that we never tire of hearing – and the LP's got lots of other nice moments, including "Come On & See Me", "I'll Never Stop Loving You Baby", "Memory Chest", "Give In You Just Can't Win", and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing".

A brilliant early set from Honey Cone – and a perfect illustration of the way the trio really moved past simple girl group modes of the 60s! There's a bold, proud, righteous tone to the record right from the start – thanks to these soaringly soulful vocals from the girls, and these fuzzy arrangements from Tony Camillo – who seems to borrow a bit from the more righteous modes of Norman Whitfield at Motown, then give things a bit more of a girl soul twist! The combination is amazing, and the album's rock-solid all the way through – filled with great original tunes that really keep a unified feel throughout – and titles include "Are You Man Enough", "Take Me With You", "Girls It Ain't Easy", "While You're Out Looking For Sugar", "The Feeling's Gone", "Sunday Morning People", and "Take My Love". CD features a bonus 7" mix of "While You're Out".

Margie Joseph's working here with 70s smooth soul maestro Johnny Bristol – and the resulting album is every bit as great as Bristol's own work from the time! Johnny's in perfect form here – coming up with those slightly funky, slightly polished backings that were his best stock in trade in the years after he parted company with Motown – a way of hitting the rhythms that was partially learned from Detroit, but which grew into even warmer, more sophisticated territory in the California sun. Margie's deeply crafted vocals are a great match for Bristol's music – searching, soaring, and digging in nicely when the lyrics really need it. The album's a wonderful treasure – especially given that Joseph easily could have been turning out weaker work at this point in her career! Titles include "You Turned Me On To Love", "He Came Into My Life", "I Feel His Love Getting Stronger", "Come On Back To Me Lover", "Love Takes Tears", "Discover Me", and "All Goodbyes Aren't Gone".

Bonnie Pointer sounding great in the mid 80s– on a hard-to-find album cut for Private I/CBS after a drawn out split with Motown – one that finds her in a prime, catchy dancefloor R&B mode! To our ears, If The Price Is Right holds up as well as a lot of the pop soul of the period, including Bonnie's siblings The Pointer Sisters – though it obviously didn't hit as hugely! It's got crisp keyboards, programming and 80s boogie, but there's also some room for more more tender balladry and chugging club soul reminiscent of the late disco years. Of course, Bonnie's lovely, soulful voice is the most important characteristic. An overlooked album that's well worth catching up with! Include "Premonition", "Johnny", "Come Softly To Me", "Under The Influence Of Love", "Your Touch", "Tight Blue Jeans", "There's Nobody Quite Like You" and "If The Price Is Right". This FTG CD has a whopping 9 bonus tracks – single, club, dub and extended 12" mixes and more – including "Your Touch (Club Version)", "Premonition (Dance Version)", "There's Nobody Quite Like You (Single Version)", "The Beast In Me (12" Version)", "Heaven" from The Heavenly Bodies soundtrack.

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

An album of dance-oriented tracks by The Miracles – recorded to cash in on the big early success of their hit "Mickey's Monkey"! The set leaps and jumps with the same sort of energy as that great track – a side of The Miracles' talents that's a bit more upbeat than usual. And while we miss the ballads and mellower cuts that we love from the group in their early years, we really love the full-on Holland & Dozier production – which pushes the tunes along strongly with a real wall of sound! Titles include "Mickey's Monkey", "Dance What You Wanna", "The Wah-Watusi", "Dancin Holiday", "Land Of 1000 Dances", "Do You Love Me", and "The Groovey Thing". Away We A Go Go is a fantastic album from Smokey and the crew! The record features insanely wonderful lead vocals by Smokey, on a lot of tracks that are less familiar than the big hits – but still really really wonderful. Backing by the group is great, too – and the overall sound is extremely sweet harmony soul, with a perfect Motown set of arrangements behind the band. Titles include "Can You Love A Poor Boy", "Baby Baby", "I'm The One You Need", "Save Me", "Oh Be My Love", and "Swept For You Baby".

A great 80s set from The Temptations – one of the few Motown acts who managed to deliver great work again and again over the years! The production has some 80s traces that are slightly dated, but the vocals are still top-shelf all the way – strongly moved much more into a mellow and modern mode than the group's righteous 70s years, but still plenty darn soulful for our ears – and proof that no matter what the lineup, or the setting, The Temptations could always come out with some top-shelf work! The record's got a nicely balanced feel that most younger groups of the time would have done well to consider – and titles include "Running", "Treat Her Like A Lady", "My Love Is True", "Set Your Love Right", "I'll Keep My Light In The Window", and "Memories".

This one's post-Motown, pre-Elektra in Leon's career – and it's a nice batch of grooves that has Ware operating in the modern soul style he'd use to greater fame on bigger cuts a few years later. The best cut on the album is "What's Your Name" – an extremely catchy two-step number, with a hook that will ring in your head long after the track is over. The whole thing's pretty nice, though – and we always love Leon's approach to writing a sexy soul number. Titles include "Try It Out", "Club Sashay", "Inside Your Love", and "Love Is A Simple Thing".

A sweet set of late 60s groovers – some of Stevie's best work for Motown, and proof that even at a young age, his talents were rich enough to warrant a second volume of greatest hits! Titles hardly need introduction – as the album includes classics like "Heaven Help Us All", "My Cherie Amour", "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day", "Signed Sealed Delivered", "For Once In My Life", "If You Really Love Me", and "Yester Me, Yester You, Yesterday".

One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the stupid cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world – and he's honing the sophisticated experiments of the previous few albums into a tightly woven pop sound that would pay Motown a huge dividend for letting him take chances with his music! Includes the big hits "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition", plus the amazing mellow synthesizer classic "You've Got It Bad Girl" and the fuzzy funky "Maybe Your Baby". Great stuff, and one that won't let you down!

Funky nuggets from a vastly under-tapped source – the mighty holdings of Warner Music, which include some great funky singles from Atlantic, Atco, and Reprise – as well as even deeper gems on a batch of obscure labels like Kwanza and Clintone! The package is totally great – with a heavy, hard edge that goes way past the more famous soul tunes on Atlantic – into the deeper funky territory normally reserved for smaller indie labels at the time. A few tracks on here are by well-known acts, but there's a lot more that aren't – and this all-legit, well-noted collection kicks it far better than any old dodgy funky 45 set! 25 fantastic cuts in all, including "Improve" by Darrow Fletcher, "I'm Just Like You" by 6ix, "Rise Up" by The Commodores (pre-Motown!), "Help Me Make Up My Mind" by Joyce Jones, "Do The Funky Boogaloo (part 1)" by Barry Jones, "Mashed Potato Popcorn" by Freddie & The Kinfolk, "Get In The Groove" by The Mighty Hannibal, "Funky John" by Johnny Cameron & The Camerons, "The Memphis Train" by Rufus Thomas, "I'm On The Move" by Bobby Byrd, "Whatever's Fair" by Mark Holder & The Positives, "Hang On In There" by Stovall Sisters, "Won't Nobody Listen" by Black Haze Express, and "Your Love Is Certified" by Rasputin's Stash.

Overlooked Northern Soul from the west coast – a great batch of burners from San Francisco, and proof that the city had almost as much going on as Detroit! As you might guess from the "hitsville" in the title, there's a sound here that owes plenty to Motown – tight instrumentation alongside real soul vocals – all wrapped up with production that helps bring out the best elements of both, and focus it into a soaringly uptempo groove! But unlike Motown, most of the work here is much more obscure – lesser-known west coast singers and groups who really shine brightly, and who make the set a great discovery in 60s soul. Many tracks are from the indie Villa label – and titles include "Is It All Gone" and "Trust In Me" by The Magicians, "I Can't Jerk" by Ozz & The Sperlings, "Is It Love Baby" and "Why Did Our Love Go" by The Tandells, "We Got To Keep On" by The Casanova II, "I'll Always Love You" by The Performers, "Double Cookin" by The Checkerboard Sauares, "You Gotta Git" by Lonnie Hewitt, "You Can Forget It" by Sisters Three, "Times A Wastin" by The Fuller Brothers, "Why Would You Blow It" by Claude Huey, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, and "You're A Winner" by Harold Andrews.

Jazz loves Marvin Gaye – and we do too! Guess that makes us the perfect folks to rave about how wonderful this set is – a killer collection of 70s jazz funk numbers that pays homage to the great one – offering up instrumental versions of grooves originally recorded by Marvin for Motown – taking the tunes way past their original renderings with loads of sweet instrumental touches! There's still plenty of soul in the mix – given that most numbers here are done in an electrified fusion mode – and a few even feature some slight chorus vocals, too. Titles include "You Sure Love To Ball" by The JBs, "What's Going On" by Quincy Jones, "I Want You" by Gato Barbieri, "Distant Lover" by David Newman, "Don't Mess With Mr T" by Regina Carter, "When Did You Stop Loving Me" by Mongo Santamaria, "Inner City Blues" by Phil Upchurch, and "Trouble Man" by Grover Washington Jr.

A whole new set of mod soul smokers – contemporary cuts, but mostly recorded with a vibe that hearkens back to the sound of London in the 60s – which means plenty of influence from Motown and other Northern Soul sources, plus an occasional touch of jazzy Hammond too! These tracks are all recent, but really showcase the Acid Jazz talent for getting an older style right – not exactly pure 60s, but more the best Brit blue-eyed modes – of the sort you might have heard when Style Council could hit a groover like this, or when some of the more recent Acid Jazz acts are at their best. Titles include "Pandora" by Men Of North Country, "Girlfriend" by The Filthy Six, "Return To Space" by Twisted Tongue, "Ordinary Joe" by Jasmine Kara, "No More Heroes" by Night Trains, "From Now On" by Magnus Carlson, and "Sex Is On Fire" by Jerk Juice.

This volume of the Chicago-based Steppin Across The USA series goes farther back than previous volumes – to the 60s "dusty steppers" sound that first got the city grooving decades ago! The package includes a number of great singles from the Chess, Atlantic, and Motown catalogs – including many that aren't in print elsewhere! Titles include "Oh My Angle" by Bertha Tillman, "Dedicated To You" by Willie Tee, "Oh Cindy" by The Vibrations, "I'm Over You" by Jan Bradley, "Say You" by The Monitors, "Standing On The Dancefloor" by The Isley Brothers, "Let Love Be True" by The Naturals, "Write To Me" by The Isley Brothers, "I Want You I Need You I Love You" by Hector Rivera & The Latin Renaissance, and "I'll Do The Best I Can" by Jame's Phelps.

A beautiful collection of all the great and rare material Eddie Holland cut as solo singer in the late 50s and early 60s – including the incredible early Motown material, plus tracks he cut for Mercury, Kudo, Tamla and United Artists! Of course Eddie Holland is best remembered for uber-legendary work as producer, composer and arranger with the Holland-Dozier-Holland super soul unit – for damn good reason, but it's his early work as singer is way too strong to be considered a mere footnote to his greater legacy. Many of the cuts were written and produced by Berry Gordy, along with numbers written and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, some recorded more famously by later acts, so what you truly have here is the foundation for great things to come – it's beautiful stuff that shines brightly in its own light. Eddie's a solid singer and the songs are terrific, formative stuff that's a pivotal bridge from earlier R&B to massive soul. 56 tracks on 2CDs: "Little Miss Ruby", "Will You Love Me", "Just A Few More Days", "It's Not Too Late", "Just Ain't Enough Love", "Brenda", "Baby Shake", "Magic Mirror", "If Cleopatra Took A Chance", "Action Speaks Louder than Words", "Bashful Kind", "Too Late To Cry", "Happy Go Lucky", "Pretty Little Angel Face", "Day Dreamer", "Rain And Thunder", "I Like Everything About You", "Happy Days" and many more. This set goes deeper than any compilation we've seen of Eddie's recordings, too, with a number of previously unissued Mercury recordings.

This self titled album is fantastic solo work from Smokey – recorded a few years before his monumental Quiet Storm album, but with a very similar high level of quality! Willie Hutch co-produced the album with Smokey, and working with arrangements by Hutch and Gene Page, they transform Smokey's sound into a sophisticated 70s modern one, adding in slight touches of funk, and complicated backings that really let him open up as a singer, both vocally and emotionally. The whole thing's got a wonderful mellow soul groove, and titles include "Wanna Know My Mind", "Baby Come Close", "The Family Song", "Just My Soul Responding", "Holly", "A Silent Partner In A Three-Way Love Affair", and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" Quiet Storm is incredible – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s!

Raphael Saadiq takes throwback soul and r&b to the next level on The Way I See It – rolling in a groove that recalls 60s Motown, grittier group soul, the sophisticated strings of the 70s scene, and subtle contemporary touches that keep it in the here and now! An awareness of the past and the ability to replicate the sounds would be useless without great songs and vocals – and Raphael brings it in both realms – his voice has never sounded better and there's a catchiness to each of these tunes that betters the best pop soul of the past couple years. If that's not enough, Raphael handles most of the instrumentation himself, too! Niceness from one of the pivotal singers/songwriters/producers of the past couple decades. Titles include "Sure Hope You Mean It", "100 Yard Dash", "Keep Marchin", "Big Easy", "Just One Kiss" featuring a fine background turn by Joss Stone, "Love That Girl", "Calling", "Staying In Love", "Never Give You Up" featuring Stevie Wonder's inimitable harmonica & CJ Hilton on vocals, "Sometimes". and the bonus track "Oh Girl" featuring Jay Z.

A mini disco symphony from Norman Whitfield and Undisputed Truth – just the kind of track to make us get up and go down to the clubs! The tune is a great extension of the righteous Whitfield sound forged back at Motown – deepened here a bit and extended into the disco years, but still plenty dark and heavy – with almost more funk in the mix than club! "You + Me" is an uptempo dancefloor burner that still has the group working in a great Norman Whitfield mode – bass bubbling at the bottom, while strings and soul soar over the top! Both cuts presented in very long versions!