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These guys have a great old school sort of sound – Philly production by Bobby Eli, sweet female vocals from Cherry, and guest vocals from William Hart of The Delfonics, who really makes the tune sound wonderful! "No Answer" is back to Cherry in the lead – coming across with a blue-eyed soul vibe that takes us back to some of the best Brit divas of the late 60s!

Stellar late 60s soul from Darrell Banks! "I'm The One Who Loves You" features emotional, real and wonderful vocals from Darryl – with a tight soul groove under some soaring strings, and the tune builds to emotional dynamite close! The flip "I'm Knocking At Your Heart" is just as sweet!

Wow, we knew almost nothing about this record! Freddy Briggs is the main force behind Coldwater Stone – as he wrote and produced all the tracks, and sings lead vocals throughout the record. His style's sort of a mix of funk and soul, and he works in the heavier style that was used by some of the other bands on the legendary GSF imprint – but also has a nice southern soul style in the best moments! Not as grittily funky as the Skullsnaps, but a fitting labelmate – and with a smoldering, geniune soulfulness that's positively killer – a record that's as rare as any other on the label, if not more so! Titles include "End Of the World", "Jefferson Park", "Outside Love Affair", "You're the One", "Biggest Mistake In The World", and "Without The One You Love". This excellent CD version from Outta Site UK packages the remastered Coldwater Stone's Defrost Me album with 2 bonus tracks: "Sound Off" and "I'm So Sorry", with credit and top billing to Freddy Briggs – with notes that provide some insight in the man that we simply didn't have before and we appreciate it!

A really cool little tune – a northern soul killer at the heart, and served up with soaring vocals from Candy & The Kisses – a group who seem to have almost the full power of a choir, given the richness of the arrangement here! "Bok To Bach" is spelled weirdly here, and has an equally quirky sound too – electric harpsichord strutting away over a "Bend Me Shape Me" sort of groove – soul instrumental, but with a catchy pop twist, too!

Two great lost numbers from one of our favorite soul artists of all time! "I Can Take Care" is a rolling midtempo number, with that loping Chi soul groove that Gene was working in afer his early Vee Jay sides. Gene's vocals really send us – especially on the the chorus, when they go over the top! "Mr Big Shot" is a great cut too – with a strumming guitar underneath the beat, in kind of a hip mod style that's a real surprise to hear from Gene! There's some backup vocals on the chorus, but the verse has Gene rolling ahead full steam.

A tightly punctuated groover from the Philly scene of the 60s – a cut that bounces along with these hard-ringing piano notes underneath Christine's sweeter vocals – making for a mighty nice combination in the groove! "SOS" is hardly the sound of distress – and instead soars along nicely on this rumbling rhythm that really pushes Cooper's vocals forward boldly!

Rare soul from Sam Dees – Shelby Singleton productions for SSS International – starting with a nice, rumbling bassline and piano before Sam's achingly soulful voice kicks in the with the horns – with a raspy style that's completely sublime. Killer! The flip has an alternate version & chorus.

A pair of killer albums from The Five Stairsteps – 1967's self-titled set for Windy C – plus '68's Love's Happening by The Five Stairsteps & Cubie – together with bonus track on this great set from Outta Sight UK! The Five Stairsteps album is a landmark batch of sweet soul – recorded by the still youthful group that included a 13 year old Kenny Burke! The kids were brought together by their parents Clarence and Betty Burke, but it was Curtis Mayfield who really gave them a push – as he discovered them, produced them, and wrote some excellent songs for them during their best early years. Mayfield's sweet soul style forged with The Impressions runs through most of these tracks – and although the group is young, they really do a fantastic job with the material, and infuse it with a soulfulness way past their years. Titles include "Danger She's A Stranger", "World Of Fantasy", "Ooh Baby Baby", "Don't Waste Your Time", and "Behind Curtains". Love's Happening might be the best record ever by this Chicago soul group! The record's got a full batch of original tracks written and produced by Mayfield – including their amazing, funk steeped version of "Don't Change Your Love", with a breakbeat that lit up the sampler culture for years! That raw drum sound is in effect on even the more delicate numbers, and the lead vocals and harmonies soar or sink deep to the soul, as the groove demands. There's also some kind of tripped out touches in the production in spots, making for a nice balance of sweet soul and leftfield touches. Kind of an underappreciated effort in the grand scheme of Curtis Mayfield productions, but wholly essential! Other titles include "Stay Close To Me", "New Dance Craze", "Baby, Make Me Feel So Good", and "Little Young Lover". 5 bonus singles in the set: "Ain't Gonna Rest (Til I Get You)", "You Can't See", "Change Of Pace", "Madame Mary" and "We Must Be In Love".

A Northern soul winner – two killer cuts, back to back on a single 45! "Packing Up" has this great piano part that punctuates the groove right from the start – ringing out loud and proud, and setting the tone for Damon's quick-tempo vocals! Eddie Jones really shines on "Give Me Good Lovin" – a tune done with a vibe that's almost Ray Charles overall – slinky vamping rhythms on the bottom, and raw raspy vocals that are totally outta site!

A killer cut by The Metros – one of Detroit soul's best secrets in the 60s! The track is amazing – dipping, turning, and soaring with this groove that even knocks out most Motown classics – and it's backed here by an equally great number, making for one hell of a 45!

Stormin Philly soul from The Orlons – a stepping groover that's got some great interplay between the female lead and the harmony vocals! There's a proud strut that makes the tune one of the Orlons' standout numbers – and "No Love But Your Love" has these great vibes that jingle around underneath the vocals!

A mad mod number from Dee Dee Sharp – her own unique take on the Ben Tucker tune, and one of the most soulful tracks from her early years at Cameo Records! The cut's got that mod jazz vibe that always makes it great – but its Dee Dee's vocals that really send the whole thing soaring – stretching out with righteous undercurrents that are quite different than any other reading of the track we've heard! "Standing In The Need" is a nice one too – more grooving than standing, with a cool two-step Philly rhythm at the bottom!

Nothing secret about this groove – as it bursts out with a joyous, positive energy it's very hard to miss! The young Dee Dee Sharp really sounds great on the cut – soaring with righteous Philly 60s backings – and "Good" is another tasty number – but one done with a sweet sort of stomping vibe!

Early Philly soul from Bunny Sigler – two Leon Huff tracks served up perfectly by the singer! "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" has these hard vibes that soar along with the groove – a whirling frenzy that really seems to bring out some great harmonies as Sigler's lead mixes with the backing group! "Follow Your Heart" is a burner too – even better than the main track, with some of the most hard-edged vocals we've ever heard from Bunny!

Tari Stevens really knocks it out of the park with "False Alarm" – a tune that's got a sing-song groove that's mighty nice – pure 60s Philly all the way through, but with these dips and turns in the vocals that really make for a compelling approach! "The Way I Feel About You" burns in a more straightforward way – really sending things over the top as Bonnie & Lee trade the vocals back and forth!

A wonderful indie groove from The Tymes – proof that these guys are well worth checking out at every point in their career! "Here She Comes" has this loping groove that's almost more Chicago than Philly – and a sing-song lyric that's sweetly punctuated by a vibes note in the middle! "Anymore" has a slightly bluer feel, but the cut's still a groover – stepping around in this great mellow mode, with even more harmonies from the group than the main cut!

"Breakaway" is a killer – a tune that leaps into the groove right at the start, and explodes with both super-tight instrumentation and soaring harmonies from The Valentines! The Ohio Players take off themselves on the flipside – in a groove that's more Detroit Northern Soul than you might expect – with a wonderful old school sound that's way different than later records!

A rare gem from The Vibrations – some obscure Epic Records tracks from the 60s – a time when the group were one of the hippest things going on the Chicago soul scene! There's a great balance between tight harmonies and fiesty rhythms here – a two-sided pleasure pack on 7" wax!

A cool groover from Ben Westbeech – one with this weird pulsating keyboard bit in the rhythms – wobbling in and out of tune in this excellent way – all while Ben holds things together vocally on top! Joey Negro gives the whole thing a bit more of a housey vibe on the flipside – and together, the two tracks work like an extended suite on the theme!

A rare gem from the ABC run of soul singles in the 60s – and maybe the only thing we've ever heard from this sweet girl group! "Gonna Be A Big Thing" has a great groove, and a really positive vibe – one of those numbers that gets you out on the floor, then has you humming the catchy hook all week long! "Looky Looky" is a bit grittier, and a nice soulful stomper – and both cuts feature sparkling Jerry Ross production!

Rave-up soul treasures from the late 50s through the 60s – one of the best compilations we've seen from Outta Sight! Age Of Northern Soul pulls together great material that blends Northern Soul, Popcorn and R&B – all of it pretty wonderful It's got lesser-remembered tunes from famous names that sound as glorious in our ears as some of the more beloved hits – including Etta James, Jimmy Ruffin, The Temptations and The O'Jays – as well as some great stuff from singers and groups most known to collectors. It's also jam packed with songs – 27 in all! Titles include "Seven Day Fool" by Etta James, "Don't Feel Sorry For Me" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Don't Mess With My Man" by Irma Thomas, "Mr Johnny Q" by The Bobbettes, "Oh My Soul" by Garlon Davis, "The Day Will Come" by Freddie Gorman, "Faded Letter" by Satintones, "Hard Times" by Royal Jokers, "Romance Without Finance" by The Temptations, "Heard Hearted Woman" by Eddie Burns, "Drip Drop" by The Drifters, "It Keeps Raining" by Fats Domino and many more.

The blueprint of a generation – a set that brings together a huge amount of rare singles from the start of the 60s – most of which helped form the groove for years to come! The set's got a great early soul feel – tracks that show a genre still in formation – as bits of R&B, vocal jazz, blues, and other styles are pulled together in the new groove of the time – not yet as upbeat as the Northern Soul you'd know from a few years later – but definitely cooking with a similar sort of energy. There's plenty of numbers here to appeal to a mambo soul crowd – and titles include "You Ain't So Such A Much" by Blanche Thomas, "Feelin Kind A Lonesome" by Willie J Charles, "She Knocks Me Out" by Harold Burrage, "My Heart's On Fire" by Billy Bland, "Good Enough" by Bobby Guy, "He's The One That Rings My Bell" by Sherri Taylor, "I Think I Love You" by Helen Troy, "Little Annie" by Anna Bell Caesar, and "You Don't Have To Go" by Sam Myers.

A wonderful collection from the soul treasure hunters at Outta Sight – essential grooves from a pivotal period – late 60s and early 70s soul singles that bridge the raw, driving vibe of the previous era to the more sophisticated arrangements of dancefloor soul to come! It's got some legendary names and comparably obscure ones alike – a great, stylistically varied set of soul tunes by Bobby Womack, The Electrifying Cashmeres, The Carlettes, Philharmonics, Three Shades Of Soul, Johnny Adams, Deniece Chandler, The Identities and more. Superb soul singles all the way – a bunch of which we've never heard before now! 24 tracks in all: "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "Lost Without Your Love" by The Carlettes, "Tried And Convicted" by Bobby Womack, "Mama, I Wish I Stayed Home" by Deniece Chandler, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by Judy Green, "When Love Slips Away" by The Identities, "Crying Time Is Over" by Tony Love, "You're A Bad Habit, Baby" by Johnny Adams, "Patience" by Rokk and more.

Classics and rarities from the Windy City Soul scene that gravitated around the great Curtis Mayfield and his studio! The set features tracks from Curtom, plus the Thomas, Mayfield and Gemigo labels along with Paramount and Polydor – with numbers by The Fascinations, Five Stairsteps & Cubie, The Mayfield Singers, Major Lance, Chuck Ray, Ruby Jones, Notations, Linda Clifford, Gene Chandler and many more! 26 tracks in all: "Girls Are Out To Get You" by The Fascinations, "Don't Start None" by The Mayfield Singers, "You Got The Power" by Mamie P Galore, "I Spy (For The FBI)" by Jamo Thomas & His Party Brothers Orchestra, "Lucky" by The Mayfield Players, "Don't Have To Be Lying Babe" by Gene Chandler, "You Better Run" by Ruby Jones, "Can't Get Enough" by Linda Clifford and more.

Rockin soul from the start of the 60s – a great batch of upbeat numbers that definitely show the rougher side of the Northern groove! Lots of these tracks sit perfectly in a space between early soul music and R&B – and strut along with the heavier grooves of the latter, yet soar with the bold vocals of the former – making for a mix of modes that's mighty nice! There's loads of rare singles here we might not have heard otherwise – and titles include "Somebody Else's Sweetheart" by The Wanderers, "Puddentane" by Lula Reed, "I'm Hurting" by Billy Gales, "You Crack Me Up" by Charlie Baker, "This Little Love Of Mine" by Buddy Ace, "The Snake" by Maximillian, "Boys Will Be Boys" by Joe Tex, "Wait" by Sidney Barnes, "You're A Little Too Late" by Danny Owens, "That's A Good Idea" by Grover Mitchell, and "That's Why I Cry" by Varetta Dillard.

A soulful testament to the towering talents of songwriter, bandleader, producer and singer Richard Popcorn Wylie – a killer collection of singles that Richard had a hand in by Tommy Neal, Mighty Lovers, Luther Ingram, Betty Boo, Tony Hester, Mighty Lovers, Detroit Executives, Jimmy Soul Clark and Popcorn himself! A somewhat grittier, but still sweet as can be side of Motor City soul of the mid-to-late 60s. Includes "Goin' To A Happening" by Tommy Neal, "Get It Babe" by Stanley Mitchell, "Stop That Boy" and "Spellbound" by Betty Boo, "Hanky Panky" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "Spaceland" by Tony Hestor, "Savin' My Love For You" by People's Choice, "Quit Twistin' My Arm" by Stanley Mitchell "Cool Off" by Detroit Executives and more. 25 tracks in all.

Some of the hippest Detroit soul of the 60s – a wealth of wonderful recordings done by legendary producer Don Davis! In the 70s, Don would make some huge marks in the mainstream with groups like The Dramatics, Dells, and others – but these sides represent the initial flowering of the Davis' genius in the Motor City – a magnificent melding of that scene's tightness with some rootsier, harder-edged vocals that really send the tunes home! We'd be hard-pressed to think of a better start to dig into the Detroit scene past Motown – and in addition to rare singles, the set also features some unissued tracks too. Titles include "Somebody Needs You" by Darrell Banks, "Love On A Lease Plan" by Johnnie Taylor, "Girl Crazy" by Sharon Soul, "A Love That Never Grows Cold" by Jackey Beavers, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by Melvin Davis, "Headache In My Heart" by Debonaires, "I Need You Like A Baby" by Andrea Henry, "Who's Kissing You Tonite" by Herman Lewis, "Has It Happened To You Yet" by Edwin Starr, "That's Why I Love You" by The Professionals, "Deeper In Love" by Robert Ward, "Friday Night" by Steve Mancha, and "When You Lose The One You Love" by Buddy Smith.

Rare soul galore, but great soul too – a smoking selection of rare nuggets from the late 60s, including a fair bit of cuts that have never been on CD before! The package seems to be nicely heavy on talents from the Chicago scene – which is A-Ok with our Windy City ears – but also features great bits from down south and out west too – and the tunes step and soar along with grooves that break way past obvious 60s modes, and show that there's a continued great run of music to be discovered from this really amazing time! The whole thing's great – not a bit of filler at all – and titles include "I'm Stuck On You" by The Poets, "Just What Do You Plan To Do About IT" by Little Jerry Williams, "You Never Do Right" by The Fi-Dels, "Soon As Darkness Falls" by Roscoe Shelton, "Wonderful Nite" by Ruby Andrews, "All I Need" by June Conquest, "I Can't Hear You" by Betty Everett, "New Guy" by The Dynettes, "My Love Is Gone" by The Shadows, "Good Lovin Man" by Delores Hall, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "If There's Anything Else You Want" by Roddie Joy, "That I Love You" by Paul Johnson, and "I'm Walking Away" by Denise Chandler.

The heaviest side of the Chicago soul scene of the 60s – served up in a massive batch of rare tracks from the indie label underground! The collection is a great tribute to the depth of the Windy City scene back in the day – the huge range of local artists who were working hard to keep Chicago grooving – often with a style that was nice and gritty, with a bit less polish than work from Detroit – but with an equal sort of punch on the dancefloor! All tunes here are upbeat and grooving – and the range of artists is wonderfully representative, and includes a few rare tracks from singers who'd crack later fame on bigger labels. Titles include "I Can't Forget" by Bull & The Matadors, "I'm A Big Man" by Big Daddy Rogers, "Swing Your Love My Way" by No No Starr, "Disillusioned" by Marvin L Sims, "Check Her Out" by The Idols, "Spring Song" by The Accents, "All The Way" by The Danderliers, "Lovely Ladies" by Jimmy Hughes, "All Of My Life" by The Ringleaders, "I'm A Good Guy" by The CODs, "A Lonely Boy" by Lee Wilson, and "Speed Up" by Betty Moorer.

Uptempo soul from Jewel, Paula and Ronin labels – the Shreveport, LA base of Stan Lewis – record store and label opener, distributor, and all around behind-the-scenes wizard of the 60s & 70s independent soul scene! The singles are wonderful throughout, bridging the mid 60s to the 70s very nicely – with tracks by Billy Joe Young, The Objectives, Cliff Wagner, Peppermint Harris, Montclairs, Barbara West, Jay Jay Taylor and many more. The liner notes have a reprint of a cool vintage feature on Stan's empire from Billboard in 1973 – and the titles include "Got You On My Mind" by Billy Joe Young, "I'm Waiting" by Bill Bush, "Love Went Away" by The Objectives, "Wait Until It Happens To You" by Peppermint Harris, "Not Too Long Ago" by The Uniques feat Joe Stampley, "I'm A Fool For You Baby" by Barbara West, "Fight Fire With Fire" by Shay Holiday, "Hung Up On Your Love" by Montclairs, "Sugar Coated Words" by Miki Honeycutt, "I'm Not Tired Yet" by Jay Jay Taylor and more.

A great compilation of rare soul from the dual vaults of Nashville's SSS International and NYC's GSF Records – a north-meets-south collection of brilliant late 60s to mid 70s soul put together by Outta Sight UK! Both labels released a pretty diverse mix of soul styles – from gritty and funk tinged, to sweeter and more soaringly orchestrated – and the set includes incredible stuff from some of our all time favorite acts from the period overlooked by the mainstream, as well as stuff that's was heretofore unheard by our deep digging selves! 20 tracks in all: "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Help Is On The Way" by Van McCoy, "Baby You Got Me" by Clarence Murray, "Give Him Up" by The Whatnauts, "Love Me" by Lloyd Price, "My Hang Up Is You" by Skull Snaps, "I Got The Place If You've Got The Time" by Allison, "Do I (Love You Like You Like It)" by Jackie Ross, "I'm Your Pimp" by Skull Snaps, "Lonely Man" by Johnny Soul and more.

Stellar soul singles on Brunswick – nearly all of which come from the prime mid-to-late 60s period at the legendary Chicago label – with Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler, Barbara Acklin, Gene Chandler, Erma Franklin, Lavern Baker and many more! There's a tight focus here on mid-to-late 60s Brunswick – all of them great – and many are quite rare. There are some modest or regional hits in the set, but most might have been forgotten if not for the devotion of the Northern Soul scenes to come. It's got a number of uptempo stormers, midtempo groovers and some sweet surprises. Soul galore, indeed! Includes "Soul Galore" by Jackie Wilson, "Have More Time" by Marvin Smith, "Oh Linda" by Leroy Taylor, "I'll Bet You" by Billy Butler, "There Was A Time" by Gene Chandler, "Sweet, Sweet Revenge" by Alvin Valentine, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "I'm The Only One To Do It" by Lavern Baker, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and many more.

A motherlode of rare Detroit soul – all pulled from the small Sidra label imprints, and put together here in a package that features nearly every Northern Soul groover from the company! This set goes way deeper than most Northern collections – and many of the cuts here are ones we haven't seen on other compilations, at least not in recent years – which makes the whole thing a massive discovery in music – maybe even more when you consider the nice notes and colorful package, which also features a load of rare label scans too! Titles include "We've Got Each Other" by Ronnie & Robyn, "I'm Sure" by Two Plus Two, "I Lost A Good Thing" by Gwen Owens, "So Real" by Barbara Mercer, "Please Stay" by Pearl Jones, "Let My Baby Go" by The Embraceables, "Baby You're Mine" by Lou Ragland, "How To Make A Sad Man Glad" by The Capreez, " Love's What You Want" by Marisa Gatti, "Keep On Going" by Gary Haines, "The Other Side" by 5 Of A Kind, "Open Up Your Heart" by Profonix, and "God Must Have Created Love" by Flery Bursey.

Hard to be lonely with a groove this great – a sweet 60s stepper with a great midtempo punch – one that really works great for the deep-toned vocal approach of Jewel Akens! The cut's one of the best we've ever heard from the singer – and has an offbeat quality that's mighty nice. "Slice Of The Pie" is more upbeat overall, with great arrangements that wrap some vibe up in the strings – and sing-song vocals from Jewel that are a bit more in his usual bag!

Pre-Maze genius from Frankie Beverly – a storming 60s soul track from the Philly scene – proof that the young Frank was already onto something great at a young age! "Because Of My Heart" soars along right from the start – a groove that has Beverly's lead supported by soaring harmonies from The Butlers. "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" is upbeat too – but more in a stepping sort of way, with piano lines dipping and turning in a beautiful way – and vocals that are even more mature than on the a-side!

Two Philly female soul grooves – back to back on a limited 45! "My Heart Your Heart" is a soaring cut from Janie Grant – a singer who might have been pop in another setting, but who really steps out here in a cool Northern soul groove – complete with trademark Philly vibes in the mix! "Picture Me Gone" is completely sublime – classier than the usual Philly soul of the time, with a current of jazz in Evie Sands vocals that really make the whole tune sparkle!

Virgil Henry steps out here with a great warm groove – strings that soar over a snapping beat that really kicks the song into gear – and gives the whole thing a tight focus you might not expect from Henry's unusual vocals! "Check Yourself" is another great Colossus groove – funky and righteous, with almost a Norman Whitfield sort of vibe – thanks to brooding backdrops behind the great harmonies of the group!

A nice lost girl group single on ABC – ostensibly from the east coast, given that Jerry Ross produced the record. "Gotta Have" is a catchy little number – midtempo, a bit stomping, and with some really weird vocals from the girls, especially towards the middle, and they're pitched in funny kind of way! "Evil One" is mighty nice too – almost even catchier, and like the a-side, set to some great Jerry Ross grooves!

Nothing slow about this fizzy little groover – as the cut soars with plenty of soul right from the start – and really stands out as one of the best cuts ever from this excellent 60s girl group! The vocals have a bursting quality that's way past simple soul – and there's a bassline in the rhythms that makes the whole thing pulsate plenty! "Baby You Got Me" is pretty great too – exactly the same backing track, but with different lyrics on top!

Northern Soul from the the Harthon Records vaults – rare ones from the Philly scene! "Honey Please Stay" has nice stripped down instrumental arrangements, with piano and bass prominent in the mix with the drums – with the song really taking flight via the strong lead and sweet harmony backing vocals. "Baby Don't Do It" ups the tempo just a bit – and it'sn another great number!

Two versions of this 60s soul stormer – a great harmony track from The Incredibles, with vocals that soar mightily with the hook on the main side – then step aside on the flip, so that the Audio Arts group can groove it on up with an even more rhythm-heavy instrumental!

A great blast of horns starts things out on "So In Love" – then Othello's vocals soar right over the groove – really finding the right sort of way to step along with the complicated bassline of the rhythm, all without every losing her cool! Steve Flanagan sounds great on "I've Arrived" – an unusual tone that has this chugging rhythm that's a mighty nice fit for the dark, deep, echoey mode used to record the vocals!

A sweet Okeh rarity from the Seven Souls – a cut that bounces along with a groove that's right up there with the bigger Chicago soul issued by the label – that gentle swing that always played big in the Windy City soul scene of the 60s, topped with great harmony vocals from the group! "I'm No Stranger" is a bit more jaunty – almost funky, if we say so ourselves – with this guitar that gets great and groovy right at the start, before launching the tune's great vocals off on a tightly soaring riff.

Two different versions of this tune by HB Barnum – both of them nice! Judy Street's take on "What" begins with some sparkling vibes, then rolls into a singing girl soul beat that's both sweet and catchy, with just a hint of pop! Tina Mason brings a bit more twang to the tune – which still has the same Brit-styled hook here, but adds in some nice guitar as well – which almost works better with the groove!

A pair of "Sweet Memories" – but with a nicely unified feel! Both tracks are great – with a similar stepping sort of groove – one that's pretty spare overall, with a rough-edged approach that really helps keep the sweetness of the vocals alive – whether they're solo or harmony-based!

A great late Curtom number from Gavin Christopher – a singer who only cut a handful of records back in the 70s, but manages to soar with the confidence of a much bigger star! Bobby Eli handles arrangements on both tracks – and "This Side Of Heaven" has a soaring Philly groove, while "We'll Always Be Together" has a wicked stepping style that still sounds wonderful all these many years later!

A great groove from The Inspirations – one of those groups who can harmonize at a quick pace – which makes "Your Wish" as much of a Northern soul dancefloor stormer as it is a group soul treasure! And on the flip, the group really sound wondeful on the ballad "I'll Take A Chance On You" – a heartbreaking number with sublime harmonies right from the start!

A stone Philly stormer from Vickie Baines – hardly the "country" promised in the title! The tune begins with this monotone bassline that's mighty nice – then rolls into piano lines and Vickie's marvelously soaring vocals! The flipside's great too – more of a midtempo stepper, with some excellent vibes that ring out beautifully in the middle!

Two rare Philly grooves – both from the Cameo/Parkway family of labels! "You Didn't Say A Word" is a lasting treasure from Yvonne Baker – a Northern Soul groover that soars with this great horn-heavy lead – and gets this cool crackling vocal from Yvonne that's mighty nice! Hattie Winston slows it down a bit on the flip – sounding amazing on "Pictures Don't Lie", a tune that's almost got a New York uptown sort of vibe!

A stunning lost Curtom track – funky mellow soul at its best, with Leroy Hutson arrangements and production that are right up there with his own best work! Arnold's got a voice that's warm and mellow, but which has a nice little crackle – sounding great on the sublime a-side that breaks and steps along with a sweet mellow groove that we totally love, and on the mellow, mellow late night flip too. Like finding a lost Leroy Hutson recording with a slightly different vocal style!

The classic of all classics by Billy Butler! "Right Track" is a seminal Northern groover that forever put Billy's name on the lips of dancefloor requests – and it's issued here with a rare instrumental flip too!

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!

The Dynamites get some heavy help here – vocalist Charles Walker, who's already recorded with the group, and the legendary Bettye Lavette – who works here with Charles in a real old-soul, deep soul duet! The combo slow down their action perfectly for the track – hard-burning with a vintage Fame Studios sort of feel – leaving Charles and Bettye plenty of room to work some magic with the lyrics! Walker helms the tune solo on "Serendipity" – a nice hard groover with funky organ over bass – and one of the group's most sock-soul-sounding rhythms!

A Cameo cooker from Bobby Paris – the kind of single that makes us wish we could hear a full album from the singer! "Night Owl" has this perfection right from the start – that rare Northern Soul mix of vocals, instrumentation, and rhythms that are all right on the money – soaring out with an upbeat, grooving sound that never lets up! "Tears On My Pillow" isn't nearly as weepy as it might sound – thanks to a vamping rhythm that hits a sock-soul groove at the start – and really offsets the sad theme of the lyrics.

Excellent work from this sweet modern soul artist – one who never issued a full album on Epic! "I'm Not Ready" soars along right from the start – a brilliant mix of strings and congas setting fire to a really warm groove – which is then topped with these wonderful vocals that really reach for the skies! "Shoulder To Lean On" has almost a Philly feel, but more of a New York groove underneath – slight funk that ripples amidst the strings, and underscores the vocals with a nice righteous vibe!

Storming soul from Maurice Williams – two smoking tracks that feature production from Marshall Seehorn and Allen Toussaint! "Being Without You" has Williams sounding a lot more Northern Soul than you might expect – really pushed forward strongly with stomping rhythms – and soaring with these amazing vocals over the top! "Return" is from a few years before, and has a strutting groove that's a bit more R&B – nice tenor in the mix alongside the vocals, and a great punch that really gets the midtempo rhythms going!

Two versions of the same tune – each cut on different sides of 1970! Cookie Woodson's got the later version, but it comes up first here – a romping groove that's almost Chicago Brunswick soul, and which lopes along with some cool horn parts and vibes that dance along wonderfully with Woodson's soaring vocals! The Virgil Henry version seems to have almost the same arrangement at the start – but his vocal approach is sweeter and warmer, and really makes for a nicely different flavor for the cut!

A rare early soundtrack from Bill Conti – penned for an obscure Italian film in the years before his 70s blockbuster film scores – and done with a groovy groovy sound that's really outta sight! The style is much more mod than we've ever heard from Bill – funky in parts, and playful in others – with all the best range of instrumentation we're used to hearing from Italian composers of the time – a role that Conti fits perfectly with this sweet little score! The mood varies nicely from track to track – usually moving between upbeat numbers and mellower groovers – and there's a few great jazzy moments that stretch out longer than usual for this sort of score. 17 tracks in all – including a few renditions of the vocal number "Juliette"!

Here's a group who definitely live up to their name – a damn funky 70s act from Nigeria, with a tight, righteous groove that's completely outta sight! The Funkees have an approach that's a lot more compact than Fela, and a lot more soulful than some of their more tripped-out contemporaries – and they also had some recording experience in London, which possibly gave them an even hipper focus – like some of the great post-colonial combos that were brewing up sounds on the British scene of the 70s! This wonderful package brings together the best of the group's work – their rare early Nigerian 45s, and key cuts from the UK albums – all with the incredible Soundway ear for a groove – meaning that The Funkees sound pretty darn funky all the way through. Titles include "Mimbo", "Dancing Time", "Break Through", "303", "Life", "Ole", "Akpankoro", "Abraka", "Acid Rock", "Slipping Into Darkness", "Point Of No Return", and "Dancing In The Nude".

Here's a group who definitely live up to their name – a damn funky 70s act from Nigeria, with a tight, righteous groove that's completely outta sight! The Funkees have an approach that's a lot more compact than Fela, and a lot more soulful than some of their more tripped-out contemporaries – and they also had some recording experience in London, which possibly gave them an even hipper focus – like some of the great post-colonial combos that were brewing up sounds on the British scene of the 70s! This wonderful package brings together the best of the group's work – their rare early Nigerian 45s, and key cuts from the UK albums – all with the incredible Soundway ear for a groove – meaning that The Funkees sound pretty darn funky all the way through. Titles include "Mimbo", "Dancing Time", "Break Through", "303", "Life", "Ole", "Akpankoro", "Abraka", "Acid Rock", "Slipping Into Darkness", "Point Of No Return", and "Dancing In The Nude".

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar together wonderfully with backings from The Nite-Liters – who help give the record a righteous undercurrent at most points, which makes the whole thing sound way hipper than any other projects of this nature! Vernon Bulllock acts as the music director for the whole group – really pulling things together with a tightness that's outta sight – and leadership of the project comes from Harvey Fuqua – who arranged and produced as well. There's some massively heavy talent on board for this initial outing, and you can definitely hear it all come into play beautifully – a wonderful harmony of rich talents, without any egos or issues to get in the way. Vocals chance nicely throughout – sometimes a female lead, sometimes male – as do the grooves, which are funky one minute, and mellow the next! Tracks include "All The Way", "Pretty Words Don't Mean A Thing", "One Way Bus", "It's You Or No One", "Do The Funky Chicken", "The Unh Song", and "What'll I Do". Great reissue – with excellent sound, and very detailed notes!

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar together wonderfully with backings from The Nite-Liters – who help give the record a righteous undercurrent at most points, which makes the whole thing sound way hipper than any other projects of this nature! Vernon Bulllock acts as the music director for the whole group – really pulling things together with a tightness that's outta sight – and leadership of the project comes from Harvey Fuqua – who arranged and produced as well. There's some massively heavy talent on board for this initial outing, and you can definitely hear it all come into play beautifully – a wonderful harmony of rich talents, without any egos or issues to get in the way. Vocals chance nicely throughout – sometimes a female lead, sometimes male – as do the grooves, which are funky one minute, and mellow the next! Tracks include "All The Way", "Pretty Words Don't Mean A Thing", "One Way Bus", "It's You Or No One", "Do The Funky Chicken", "The Unh Song", and "What'll I Do".

Super-dope sounds from Venice Dawn – a sweet 7" single that packs the punch of their much longer releases! "Turn Down The Sound" is a wicked harmony soul cut, but one that's laced with lots of psychedelic elements – including the production – and set to these slow funk rhythms that are really outta sight! "1969 Organ" is a tune that really lives up to its title – another trippy track that's built around a breakbeat with spacey elements – and a cool Yes-like organ line in the middle!

Hard to miss with The Crusaders at this point – and the album's one of their stone classics from the 70s – just the kind of soulful fusion that few other groups could touch! The core trio of Joe Sample's keyboards, Wilton Felder's saxes, and Stix Hooper's drums is augmented by the guitar of Billy Rogers and bass of Robert Popwell – both players who slide in warmly to the grooves, yet still help the combo keep that lean, funky sound they first forged after dropping the first word from their Jazz Crusaders name. Things are never slick at all, and the use of vocals and larger instrumentation is yet to come – leaving the album a tight, right, outta sight groover all the way through! Titles include "Fairy Tales", "Merry Go Round", "Cosmic Reign", "Snowflake", "Covert Action", and "Bayou Bottoms".

Two wonderful gems from Soul Brothers Inc – both wicked funky numbers with a very unusual twist! "Pyramid" has these sweet strings next to a Latin-esque groove that moves with a nice bassy bottom – then slides into this warm vocal that's completely heartwarming, in ways that are very different for a groove like this! "Girl In The Hot Pants" is something else entirely – a heavy heavy funk number that begins with a great shouted vocal, then rolls into a fast-chugging groove that's completely outta sight! A stone burner that never lets up – and with a good sense of humor too!

Funky vibes and fuzzy guitar – a full CD worth of instrumental work by Detroit soul legend Dave Hamilton! Hamilton's well known for his production and arranging work for a variety of other artists, but here he steps out on his own as a heck of a great funky musician – working in a sly, slinky motor city groove that's fuzzed up with plenty of touches that recall the best moments of the early Westbound generation. Hamilton plays vibes equally well as guitar on the set – recalling a bit of the jazz of his early roots as a recording artist, but mixing it in with plenty of trippier styles from the end of the 60s – making for a groove that's totally outta sight all the way through! But best of all, the CD features a full album's worth of material that's issued here for the first time ever – Hamilton's legendary Soul Suite project, which is presented here alongside additional rare tracks from singles! The CD features a total of 16 cuts in all – with titles that include "Blue Funk", "Soul Suite", "The Sweeter The Juice", "Brother Rat", "Pisces Pace 2", "Tell Your Mama", "Yesterdays", "Take It In Stride", "The Deacons", "Blue Vibes", "Marriage Is A State Of Vibes", "Cracklin Bread", and "Can You Dig It".

A bit of soul, a bit of blues, and a rock-solid sound that's outta sight all the way through! Clay Hammond is a hell of a southern soul singer – one with a range that's sometimes as great as Bobby Blue Bland, and a sweetness that almost echoes an earlier generation of Sam Cooke – while still taking things into some nice deeper soul territory too! The backings here are often nice and tight – never overly polished, but with a focus that really suits Clay's great vocals – and really sets him apart from some of the other singers of this nature at the time. CD features a whopping 25 tracks in all – and titles include "The Good Side Of My Girl", "Take Your Time", "My Jealous Girl", "I'll Make Up To You", "You Messed Up My Mind", "I Got A Letter This Morning", "Ain't That The Way", "Suzy Do It Better Than You", and "You Threw Out Your Lifeline".