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A weirdly great little record! At first glance, you might think that this album's just another version of the super-huge moog hit "Popcorn" – but it's a lot more than that! The group has sort of a sing-song funky feel – hard piano, some nice drums, and grooves that remind us of work by Duke Of Burlington – but with more chorus-type vocals, kind of in a funky rock mode. The overall effect is hard to describe, but essentially the record's a great batch of party funk numbers – grooving with plenty of strange touches, and lots of nice heavy drums! Titles include "Son Of Popcorn", "Sweet Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Popcorn Popcorn Hey Hey Hey", "Popcorn Popcorn", and "Salted Popcorn".

A stunning look at a legendary London club of the 60s – presented here in a really well-done book-style package – with a CD that's brimming over with the American soul that made it groove so great back in the day! The set does a great job of showing the roots both of Northern soul, and the UK mod scene – as most of the work here is from that early cusp of soul – when R&B still figured strongly into the mix, and the groove also had some strong inflections from blues and jazz as well! The photos and images in the book are totally great – laid out over a full-color 24 pages – and the CD features 28 smoking tracks – including "Ain't That Loving You Baby" by Jimmy Reed, "Jaywalking" by The Upsetters, "Who Can I Run To" by Geri Hall, "I'll Take One" by Harold Burrage, "Song Called Soul" by Gene Chandler, "Let The Good Times Roll" by Alvin Robinson, "Question" by Roscoe Shelton, and "I've Got A Claim On You" by Betty Everett.

The story of one of the most legendary soul clubs in the UK – home to the great wave of Northern Soul enthusiasm that burst big in the 60s – plus a fair bit of hanky panky as well! This collection shows a decidedly raw side of the club's roots – American soul from the 60s, plus a fair bit of R&B as well – a groove that's rougher than you might find on other Northern Soul collections – which often tend towards some of the tighter Detroit productions of the period. The CD features a whopping 28 tracks in all – with lots of tracks from Chicago and the Motor City – and the package is a cool book-style one, with 24 pages of full-color images and photos, plus notes as well. Titles include "Road Runner" by Bo Diddley, "Good Times" by Gene Chandler, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Do The 45" by The Sharpees, "Get Down With It" by Bobby Marchan, "I Spy For The FBI" by Jamo Thomas, "And Get Away" by The Esquires, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "Searchin" by Alvin Robinson, and "You Shot Me Through The Grease" by Alvin Cash.

A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic Shadow. It's a superior follow up to the 4 Track Era compilation, and a solid blueprint for his very best work to come! This is all previously unreleased, and it was produced from 1992 to 1996 – which is the period that beat heads and leftfield hip hop production historians outta know culminated in the release of the classic Endtroducing album. That said, this is not a set of Endtroducing leftovers – it's strong, original and legacy-building instrumental work from a crucial period – assembled by the man himself! 24 tracks on the CD. Includes "Intropy (Original Version)", "Vee In Detroit", "Alright", "Don't Try It", "Falling Up", "Aye", "Britty But Magic", "Atmospheric Disturbances", "Quickstep", "Freddi's Popcorn", "From The Old School", "Mystical With Solo", "Fast Rap Fanfare" and more.

A great funky 45 collection! The set's a brilliant package from the crate-digging funk-searching team at Now Again – and features repressings of 7 rare funk singles, all with the original label, packaged into a cool box that comes with an oversized booklet that contains information on all the artists, and some very cool vintage photos! The whole thing's tremendous – a funk compilation to beat Funky 16 Corners set from Stones Thrown, and packaged in a way that vinyl-digging funk hounds can really appreciate it! Titles include "Dap Walk" and "Things Are Better" by Ernie & The Top Notes, "Popcorn 69" and "Sissy Walk" by Billy Ball & The Upsetters, "Mr Chicken" and "The Cissy's Thang" by Soul Seven, "Heart N Soul" and "Maxi Midi" by Booker T Averheart, "Trespasser (parts 1 & 2)" by Bad Medicine, "Funky Soul Music (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Commanders, and "I've Got To Find A Way" and "The Dump" by Soul Vibrations.

Proof that the US Army had plenty going on during the 70s – as you'll hear from this killer set of military-produced grooves from East Of Underground! The set goes way past the previous East Of Underground reissue – to feature work by the groups Soap, Black Seeds, and Sound Trek – all wrapped up in a beautiful package that's as visually pleasing as the music is funky! The cuts here were all recorded by US Army servicemen during the height of the Vietnam war – as Army-issued albums designed to encourage recruitment (as if a few funky grooves could help offset the bad press the war was getting on TV!) But despite that odd origin, the music here is all pretty great – mostly covers of familiar tunes from the time, but recorded with a nicely gritty quality that's mighty nice – and which makes the overall feel of the records like digging into some lost small studio tapes – ala Numero! Now Again have done a great job of putting together the whole package, too – contributing a wealth of notes and photos, and really digging deep into the scene in which these unique records were created. Not only that, but the packaging also replicates the style of the original odd releases too! The set features an LP each of music by East Of Underground and Soap – plus another LP that features a side each by the groups Black Seeds and Sound Trek. Titles include "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Kool & The Gang", "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers", "I Love Everything About You", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Hell Below", "Higher", "Popcorn/Santana", "Walk On By", "Java Girl", and "Get Together".

Mindblowing work from the legendary Hank Ballard – a set cut years after his initial fame with The Midnighters, when he was working with James Brown in some very hip, funky, territory! James produced the record, and penned most of the tunes – and he does a really great job of bringing out the nasty, sinister qualities in Hank's vocals – sharper here than even in the 50s R&B era, and perfectly suited for the mix of politics and personal themes in the tunes! Backings are by the James Brown Band of the late 60s – and the whole thing's one of the funkiest albums The Godfather ever had a hand in! CD features the full original album, plus 6 more bonus singles – with tunes that include "How You Gonna Get Respect", "Funky Soul Train", "Unwind Yourself", "Blackenized", "From The Love Side", "Butter Your Popcorn", "Come In Wit It", "With Your Sweet Lovin Self", "Which Way Should I Turn", "You're So Sexy", "Woman Is A Man's Best Friend", and funky remakes of "Annie Had A Baby", "Teardrops On Your Letter", and "Finger Poppin Time".

A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic Shadow. It's a superior follow up to the 4 Track Era compilation, and a solid blueprint for his very best work to come! This is all previously unreleased, and it was produced from 1992 to 1996 – which is the period that beat heads and leftfield hip hop production historians outta know culminated in the release of the classic Endtroducing album. That said, this is not a set of Endtroducing leftovers – it's strong, original and legacy-building instrumental work from a crucial period – assembled by the man himself! 22 tracks on the 2LP version. Includes "Intropy (Original Version)", "Vee In Detroit", "Alright", "Don't Try It", "Falling Up", "Aye", "Britty But Magic", "Atmospheric Disturbances", "Quickstep", "Freddi's Popcorn", "From The Old School", "Mystical With Solo", "Fast Rap Fanfare" and more.

Proof that the US Army had plenty going on during the 70s – as you'll hear from this killer set of military-produced grooves from East Of Underground! The set goes way past the previous East Of Underground reissue – to feature work by the groups Soap, Black Seeds, and Sound Trek – all wrapped up in a beautiful package that's as visually pleasing as the music is funky! The cuts here were all recorded by US Army servicemen during the height of the Vietnam war – as Army-issued albums designed to encourage recruitment (as if a few funky grooves could help offset the bad press the war was getting on TV!) But despite that odd origin, the music here is all pretty great – mostly covers of familiar tunes from the time, but recorded with a nicely gritty quality that's mighty nice – and which makes the overall feel of the records like digging into some lost small studio tapes – ala Numero! Now Again have done a great job of putting together the whole package, too – contributing a wealth of notes and photos, and really digging deep into the scene in which these unique records were created. Not only that, but the packaging also replicates the style of the original odd releases too! The set features a CD each of music by East Of Underground and Soap – plus another CD that brings together an unusual double LP by the groups Black Seeds and Sound Trek. Titles include "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Kool & The Gang", "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers", "I Love Everything About You", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Hell Below", "Higher", "Popcorn/Santana", "Walk On By", "Java Girl", and "Get Together".

Super-heavy funk from late great Desco Records scene! The Mighty Imperials were one of the best funky 45 groups to record for mighty deep funk Desco label – and their first album never properly saw the light of day, thanks to some pressing and distribution messups before the demise of the company. Now, the whole thing's finally out officially – a funky treasure that sounds like a lost 70s gem, and which has almost as much mystique, given the status of the original record! The core combo features organ, drums, bass, and super-heavy guitar – and the album also features them recording with some additional vocal help from Joseph Henry! Henry sings in a mode that's very similar to Lee Fields' work with the deep funk scene – and his vocals are on a number of tracks on the album – leaving the rest as groovy funky instrumentals with a nice heavy late 60s sock-boogaloo sound! Includes covers of "Never Found A Girl" and "Cold Sweat" – plus originals "Soul Buster pt 1", "Chico's Barnyard", "Kick The Blanket", "Thunder Chicken", and "Joseph's Popcorn".

Nina Simone's great answer song to "Hit The Road Jack" – a wonderfully playful vocals, sung by Nina with all her raw early power – and set to a groove that's just like the Ray Charles original! "Work Song" is another classic – sung by Simone so well, it's got us leaving with visions of a female chain gang!

From the title, to the cover, to the gritty grooves way down in the wax – this has got to be one of the funkiest Blue Note albums ever – a real landmark from the legendary Lou Donaldson! The set kicks off with a hard and heavy groove from the very first note – thanks to some super-tight drumming by a young Idris Muhammad – still billed under his birth name of Leo Morris on the sleeve, but already hitting the kit with that snapping post-Popcorn style that would revolutionize funky jazz in years to come! Donaldson's plenty smoking himself on electrified alto sax – played with that great mix of flatness and echo that you'd hear in Eddie Harris' albums of the same time – and the rest of the lineup is equally cooking, with Melvin Sparks on guitar, Charles Earland on organ, and Ed Williams blasting away on funky trumpet! Titles include killer remakes of "It's Your Thing" and "Who's Making Love" – plus Donaldson originals "Hot Dog" and "Turtle Walk" – all nice and long, and with a really raw sound!

A pair of great albums – brought together in one super-heavy package! First up is the legendary East Of Underground record – an uber-obscure LP recorded in 1971 by a group of US Army serviceman at the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt, Germany – originally used as a recruiting tool during the Vietnam war! Given the strength of the set, we wouldn't be surprised if plenty of folks signed up for a tour of duty after hearing it – as the set cooks like some of the best American funk from the indie 45 world at the time. The production is nice and dark – with an echoey quality that makes us guess the album was a live recording – done by American servicemen with the feel of some backroom funk show from the Indy or Ohio scene of the 70s. Some of the tracks are familiar numbers from American hits – but redone here with a nicely gritty feel – and titles include the awesome medley "Bet'Ya Never Lose My Love California Dreamer" – plus "Higher", "Smiling Faces", "Hell Below", "Getting Over", "Popcorn/Santana", "I Love You", "Java Girl", and "Walk On By". The set also includes the Soap album – a very similar record with a mix of rock and soul, done with the same sort of US Army-endorsed approach – and some great raw production that really makes the album sparkle! Many tunes are covers, but they're played here with a gritty live energy – so that even the rock tunes feel a bit funky at times – given a really odd edge. Titles include weird versions of "Uncle Albert", "Ticket To Ride", "Southern Man", "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Get Together", and "Walk Away".

A compilation of sorts, but one with a really unified groove – thanks to the fact that most tracks here feature work by all the same players! The album's a project headed up by Lance Ferguson of the Bamboos – and it's a collection of funky 45-styled tunes with a definite old school feel – all billed to different artists, in a mode that's similar to some of the "fake" compilations done by Poets Of Rhythm years back! Like those records, the grooves here are all played by the same batch of musicians, named differently on each track – a combo that features Lance on some super-sharp guitar, and which sounds a lot like the best funky 45 work of The Bamboos. Even cooler, though, is the fact that all the cuts here are older funk classics from the late 60s and early 70s – killer originals that are redone here in versions that are as good, if not better than, the originals. CD features 12 titles that include "Whatcha Feel Is Whatcha Get" by Prince Nafa & His Polynesians, "Yo Yo" by Alvarado Rodriguez Trio + 4, "Honky Tonk Popcorn" by Pacific Rhythm Combo, "Black Feeling" by Luther Harris, "Executive Party" by Zoltar, "Licking Stick Licking Stick" by Rusty Garnett, and "Ghetto Funk" by Queens Community Show Band.

From the title, to the cover, to the gritty grooves way down in the wax – this has got to be one of the funkiest Blue Note albums ever – a real landmark from the legendary Lou Donaldson! The set kicks off with a hard and heavy groove from the very first note – thanks to some super-tight drumming by a young Idris Muhammad – still billed under his birth name of Leo Morris on the sleeve, but already hitting the kit with that snapping post-Popcorn style that would revolutionize funky jazz in years to come! Donaldson's plenty smoking himself on electrified alto sax – played with that great mix of flatness and echo that you'd hear in Eddie Harris' albums of the same time – and the rest of the lineup is equally cooking, with Melvin Sparks on guitar, Charles Earland on organ, and Ed Williams blasting away on funky trumpet! Titles include killer remakes of "It's Your Thing" and "Who's Making Love" – plus Donaldson originals "Hot Dog" and "Turtle Walk" – all nice and long, and with a really raw sound!