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A 50s LP that compiles Julia's earlier singles for Capitol – a mixture of jump blues and early R&B, done with some nice jazzy touches that give the tracks a Kansas City groove. Titles include "Last Call For Alcohol", "I Was Wrong", "Tell Me Daddy", "Ain't It a Crime", "King Size Papa", and "Snatch & Grab It".

Ahhhhhh . . . The genius of Fatback! "Groovy Kind Of Day" is a really sweet jazzy number from the group – laidback and breezy, with a skipping drum beat, a warm group vocal, and nice touches on flute and electric keys that really give the cut a unique feel! "Party Time" is back to the group's funkier style – but that's a-ok with us too! The track's got a wikki-wikki bit of electronics as the groove builds up – and lots of fierce vocals as it rolls on!

A sweet little 4 track DJ tool 12" with four of our favorite 80s groove numbers! You know the Frankie Smith number:; the rope-jumping, rollerskating, linoleum rocking summertime groove. "Rock Your World"s a catchy 80s groover from Weeks & Co – one of their best early cuts! The track cooks up the groove like a monster roller skating jam – using bass, keys, and a snapping approach to grab us right away – before the chanting chorus and main vocals come into the mix – and serve up a surprisingly soulful breakdown in the middle. JR Funk delivers a mid tempo club groover with a fast two-beat groove that's got some shouted James Brown-esque vocals over the popping groove. Suzy Q rounds out the set with a track that's just shy of roller boogie – slightly cold, with a thumping dancefloor groove that's got some nice European touches!

A classic underground funk set from the 70s – and a record that definitely lives up to the party time promised in the title! The group have a really festive approach to funk – still as hard-hitting and sharp-edged as other indie contemporaries – but willing to open up and push things with a live sort of energy too – a vibe that's a bit like a funkier take on Jr Walker & The All-Stars – especially given the strong use of tenor on the tunes! The set's got two very long jamming numbers – "Party Bump (parts 1 & 2)" and "One More Time (parts 1 & 2)" – and other titles are all pretty nice too – including "You're Gonna Need", "Now Generation", and "Party Strut". Produced by George Kerr, arranged by Bert Keyes, and even the version of "Amazing Grace" comes out pretty nice too!

A massive early 80s electro club groove, with great syn drum beats and some nice soulful vocals over top!

An obscure early party record!

Quite an unusual record from New Orleans R&B legend Dave Bartholomew – arranger, producer, and trumpeter – coming off here with more of a jazz sound than on his usual records! Despite the "New Orleans" and "House Party" in the title, the album's actually set of complicated larger group arrangements – wonderful stuff with some strongly pronounced solos, blowing forth in styles that almost evoke some of the best crime jazz soundtracks of the time. Wardell Quezerque joined Bartholomew in putting together the album, and titles include "Sultan's Dream (parts 1 & 2)", "Concerto For Alto Sax (parts 1 & 2)", "Portrait Of A Drummer", and "A Cool One".

Excellent stuff from Blow Fly – and a great bit of funk that's a hilarious parody of disco! Blow's band funks it up with riffs that you'd hear from The JBs, BT Express, or other groups of the time – while Blow himself sings these very off-color, and very funny lyrics that rip off the overt sensuality and empty promises of the disco era. The whole thing's as great as any of his other funky records from the time – and it's another one of those great gems from the 70s that put the "party" in Party Records!

A positive, powerful set from the always-great Sheree Brown – a new recording, but one that sparkles just as much as her rare classics for Capitol Records at the start of the 80s! Like those gems, there's a blend of jazz and soul here that's really wonderful – a special sound that puts Sheree in the rare company of artists like Minnie Riperton or Patrice Rushen – able to embrace so many ideas at once, and turn them into a rich new groove of her own! Rushen actually helps out a bit on the record, as does Leon Ware – although the main production credits go to Brown herself, who only seems to have stepped up her game in these recent years. Great proof that the great ones still keep on keepin on, if given the chance – with titles that include "Messages From The Heart", "Time For The Party", "Just A Simple Love", "I Think I'm Gonna Pray", "Getting Started", "We Can Chance The World", and a bonus version of Minnie Riperton's "Inside My Love".

Heist films always provided some of the best soundtracks of the 70's, and this one (starring Robert Shaw and Richard Roundtree, and issued in the US as Diamond Shaft) is no exception! Roy Budd rises to the groovy occasion and scores some excellent moments that match a light orchestral sound with a throbbing electric bass and percussion underground – in a style that's like Lalo Schifrin's best work from the time. The LP's overflowing with tracks, including a few bonus mixes, and there's even 2 vocal numbers that feature The Three Degrees. Titles include "The Thief", "Beauty & The Bass", "Diamonds", "Party Piece", "Thief On the Prowl", and more! Nice notes, and some nicely funky crime themes, too! Nice gatefold cover, too!

Solomon Burke's years at Atlantic just kept getting better and better! He started out very strong at the beginning of the 60s – and by the time of a record like this, he was in strong command of his vocal talents and emotion, such that he could do a fantastic job with just about any song. Proof is in the set here – as Solomon works with a host of New York and southern soul arrangements, on tracks that include versions of "Detroit City", "Presents For Christmas", "Party People", "Woman, How Do You Make Me Love You Like I Do", "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "Time Is A Thief", and "It's Been A Change". Great stuff all around!

The full scope of genius from the legendary Alvin Cash – not just his 60s gritty groovers, but a host of later funk tracks as well – all packaged into a beautiful book-styled package! Cash is one of our favorite Chicago artists ever – a dancer by trade, but a flamboyant personality who always managed to make his way center stage – whether live or in the recording studio! The set begins with early "twine" numbers from Alvin – some romping heavy soul tracks that have a very deep bottom, and a raw sound that's equal part R&B and Chicago soul – definitely tuned towards the dancefloor crowd that was a natural fit for Cash's energy. As the set moves on, it then picks up some wicked late 60s singles for the Toddlin Town label, and also includes some excellent early 70s groovers for Sound Stage Seven – some of Alvin's hardest, heaviest numbers ever. The set features work by Alvin Cash with The Registers, Hundred Dollar Bills, The Crawlers, and Scott Brothers Orchestra – and titles include "Keep On Dancing (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky 69", "Moanin & Groanin", "Doin The Creep", "It's Party Time", "Funky Washing Machine", "Alvin's Doin His Thing", "Funky Street", "Doin The Ali Shuffle", "Whip It On Me", "The Charge", "Boston Monkey", "The Philly Freeze", "Alvin's Boogaloo", "Let's Do Some Good Timing", "The Bump", "Twine Time", "Twine Awhile", "The Barracuda", and "You Shot Me Through The Grease".

A wonderful treasure from the early 80s soul scene – the first album from Champaign, and an instant winner right from the start! The group may not have been one of the bigger names of their time, but they really won a lot of favor with soul listeners over the years – and this album's one that turns up often in collections of top-shelf soul from the period – no surprise, given the classy, careful production – and the mix of jazzy riffing, tight rhythms, and well-crafted vocals – almost enough to put Champaign at the level of Earth Wind & Fire! The sound is just right – very soulful, with less of the too-commercial modes of some of their contemporaries – and titles include "Party People", "Whiplash", "I'm On Fire", "How Bout Us", "Can You Find The Time", "Dancin Together Again", "If One More Morning", and "Lighten Up". CD features bonus 7" versions of "How Bout Us" and "I'm On Fire".

A pair of great ones from this overlooked soul group from Illinois! Modern Heart is wonderful work from Champaign – a really self-contained group, and one who really rise above the rest of the early 80s soul scene! The album's got a tightness that's hard to beat – yet a sound that's never too slick or commercial either – kind of that best balance you'd find more in late 70s mainstream soul work, save for the fact that any upbeat numbers here have more of an 80s groove style than a disco one. The mellow tracks balance things out nicely, and show a deeper songwriting sound from the group than we might have expected – further testament to the strength of the album, along with the group's own arrangements and production. Titles include "Cool Running", "Party Line", "Try Again", "Let Your Body Rock", "Get It Again", "Love Games", and "Walkin". Woman In Flames is sweet, tight, and right on the money – a stellar bit of soul from Champaign – one of those great 80s groups who never seemed to get their due, but managed to make some really wonderful music right from the start! The album's got a slightly heavier production tip than before – arrangements from James Newton Howard that link Champaign a bit more to the sound of their mid 80s contemporaries – especially some of the other groups on Columbia. Yet there's also a healthy core to the album that comes from the group's own contributions – their continued strong sense of songwriting and performance, which makes their overall sound a lot less reliant on outside help than other groups of the period. Titles include "This Time", "Off & On Love", "Be Mine Tonight", "Mardi Gras", "Capture The Moon", "Woman In Flames", and "Intimate Strangers".

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On".

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On".

Titles include "Freddy Blue Eyes", "Party Lights", "Foxy", "Dancin Party", "Disappointed", "Party Time", "What Kind Of Party", and "My Turn To Laugh".

Killer cuts from The Clovers – and a great illustration of the way that Atlantic Records could really bring something special to a vocal group! The Clovers recorded for other labels – both before and after this stretch – but the style here is still their best, an upbeat approach to R&B that really gets the most out of their vocals – and allows individual leads to soar out between the tight harmonies! Lots of tunes are plenty playful – almost in a Coasters mode, but a bit less goofy – and titles include "Love Bug", "All About You", "So Young", "Down In The Alley", "Nip Sip", "I I I Love You", "In The Morning Time", "Your Tender Lips", "Fool, Fool, Fool", and "Wishing For Your Love".

A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time, the album's done very firmly under the guidance of Charles Jackson and Marvin Yancey – a pair who give Natalie just the right sort of backing to launch her career – a sound that's full and rich, deeply sophisticated – but also still plenty soulful, almost in the mode of some of Minnie Riperton's work at the time. Given the pair's Chicago roots – and the arrangement help from Richard Evans – that comparison is no surprise, and Natalie rises to the occasion nicely. Titles are all originals too – and include "Needing You", "Joey", "I Can't Say No", "Something For Nothing", "I Love Him So Much", "You", "Your Face Stays On My Mind", and the huge hit "This Will Be". Next up is Natalie – a record that really has Natalie Cole finding her groove – not needing any help from her famous familial legacy, thank you – and instead stepping out with a tight, proud mode that really helped refine the sound of female soul in the 70s! The album's got plenty of influences from the Chicago soul scene – including songwriting and production from the team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – and work from key session players like Richard Evans and Gene Barge, who worked in the Curtom Studios to craft the grooves on the set! Titles include "Keep Smiling", "Mr. Melody", "Heaven Is With You", "Can We Get Together", "Touch Me", "Hard To Get Along", and "Good Morning Heartache". Unpredictable is an album that reunites Natalie Cole with the smooth soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey – the team who did such a great job with Natalie's Capitol debut, and who really continue the groove here too! The album's got a rock-solid approach through and through – a quality that has Natalie really standing out on her own as a positive young artist in soul – without any need to nod towards her father, as in later years. And Jackson and Yancey bring a nice dose of Chicago soul class to the affair – which turns out to be a perfect match for Natalie's vocals! Titles include "Be Mine Tonight", "Party Lights", "This Heart", "I've Got Love On My Mind", and "Still In Love".

A mighty helping of music from the overlooked Mitty Collier – a 60s soul singer on Chess Records, and one who was every bit as great as bigger label stars like Etta James or Fontella Bass! Like both of those singers, Mitty's got a voice that grabs you right from the get-go – a deeply soulful approach to her music that's really fresh and without cliche – especially considering she got her start belting out tunes years before some of the bigger names in 60s female soul, and managed to keep things mighty real all the years she was working at Chess. Production and arrangements here are all top shelf – handled by Phil Wright, Riley Hampton, and others – and the CD offers up 24 gems from Mitty's years at Chess – the a-sides of all 15 singles cut for the label, plus 9 more great tunes from the flips! Titles include "Everybody Makes A Mistake Sometimes", "Gotta Get Away From It All", "I've Got Love", "I Had A Talk With My Man", "Walk Away", "My Party", "Sharing You", "That'll Be Good Enough For Me", "Git Out", "Watching & Waiting", "Like Only Yesterday", "No Faith No Love", "I'm Your Part Time Love", and "Miss Loneliness".

The legendary unreleased Motown recordings by The Contours – material that should have been issued as a full length LP in 1964 – but all but a couple tunes have languished in the vaults until now! The group simply kills on on these dancefloor ready stormers, with raucous, charismatic lead vocals and tight harmony backup – on a set of numbers that were no doubt ready and set to slay live audiences. We're sure The Contours were unbeatable live, but these recordings really should have made it out at the time. Better late than never, to say the very least! Includes the 60s singles "Can You Do It" and "Can You Jerk Like Me", plus the unreleased "Do The See Saw", "Foot Stomping Time", "Party Groove", "Okey Dokey", "Love Is Uncertain", "Wanted", "Boy Meets Girl", "You Hurt Me So", "Throw You Out Of My Mind", "Giant Steps", "Let's Do The Uncle Willie", "Tonight", "Nobody Fine As Dinah", "Somebody's Daughter Outta", "Let's Do The Uncle Willie" and more. 26 tracks in all!

The killer first album from Don Covay – working here with his classic Goodtimers combo in a nicely gritty groove! The record really stands out from other Atlantic soul of the time – as Covay keeps things tight, and fresh – providing most of the tunes himself, and working in a style that has echoes of southern soul, but which comes off with a bit more of an east coast sort of groove! Lots of tracks are upbeat, party soul type numbers – and the backings by the Goodtimers are totally great – just the sort of rollicking backdrops you'd expect to hear Don singing with on any of his well-traveled live dates of the time. Titles include the hit "Mercy Mercy" – plus "Daddy Loves Baby", "Take This Hurt Off Me", "I'll Be Satisfied", "Can't Stay Away", and "Come On In".

A much-needed look at the mighty Sugar Pie DeSanto – a singer who really rocked Chess Records back in the 60s! DeSanto came to the label already boasting one hell of a groove – a rock-solid sense of rhythm that made all of her tunes groovers right from the get-go – and a raw vocal power that easily rivaled, if not beat, that of Etta James – her labelmate at Chess, and partner on a few duet tracks here! The collection's a non-stop soul party throughout – as upbeat as Northern Soul, but with plenty of deep soul elements as well – and it's the first time many of these cuts have been brought together on CD, and certainly never before as wonderful as this. Kent serves up some great notes and vintage photos with the package – the latter of which show Sugar Pie in action on stage, clearly one of the sexiest singers to work the circuit back in the 60s! Titles include "In The Basement (parts 1 & 2)", "Soulful Dress", "Witch For A Night", "Ask Me", "Good Timin", "Mr & Mrs", "Mama Didn't Raise No Fools", "Crazy Lovin", "There's Gonna Be Trouble", "Jump In My Chest", "Somewhere Down The Line", "Use What You Got", "Never Love A Stranger", "I Love You So Much", "Go Go Power", and "I Don't Wanna Fuss".

A great blend of early rock and monster movie aesthetics from The Dynamic Del-Aires – a north New Jersey group who only cut a handful of singles, but also managed a key appearance in The Horror of Party Beach before fading away into obscurity! Despite that short time in the record racks, though – the group is totally great – a combo that almost blows away the best of the Northwest, and certainly has their same sort of raw, rocking, instrumental-heavy approach – although some numbers also feature some cool vocals too! This package brings together the rare singles, the movie tracks, and even some unissued live and demo tracks too – all in a beautiful-looking package with lots of photos of the group in action. Titles include "Drag", "So Far So Long", "Zombie Stomp", "The Crawl", "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", "Berserk", "Treble Rock", "Sing Sing Sing", "Someplace Else", and even a "Horror Of Party Beach" movie trailer!

Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley – one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess – produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time – and picks up the full-on Otis funky mode by leaning hard on the drums, pulling up the bass, and bringing in a trio of female lovelies to back up Bo on vocals! Gloria Scott's one of the vocalists on the album, and Shuggie Otis even joins in on the funky party with some sweet guitar! But even with all this help, Bo's still the star of the story – and his massive chugging approach to guitar is moving full steam ahead on the set – really ripping a groove through a great batch of original tracks that include "Take It All Off", "I've Had It Hard", "Good Thing", "Bad Trip", "Infatuation", "Bo Diddley-Itis", "Woman", and "Look At Grandma".

Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley – one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess – produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time – and picks up the full-on Otis funky mode by leaning hard on the drums, pulling up the bass, and bringing in a trio of female lovelies to back up Bo on vocals! Gloria Scott's one of the vocalists on the album, and Shuggie Otis even joins in on the funky party with some sweet guitar! But even with all this help, Bo's still the star of the story – and his massive chugging approach to guitar is moving full steam ahead on the set – really ripping a groove through a great batch of original tracks that include "Take It All Off", "I've Had It Hard", "Good Thing", "Bad Trip", "Infatuation", "Bo Diddley-Itis", "Woman", and "Look At Grandma".

80s groove from the Ingram Family – a record that features the core vocals of Ron Aikens and Galaxy, plus plenty of great backing funk from the Ingrams! The style here is a great mix of boogie, street soul, and bits of electro – with a style that's a bit like Aleem from the same period, but a bit funkier overall. Ron's lead vocals can be nice and sweet on the mellower tracks, and on the funkier ones the rest of the trio come in and chant with the chorus in a sweet ensemble mode. There's also plenty of great keyboards in the mix too – some with great squishy and splashy bits that really make the tunes sound great! Butch Ingram produced, and titles include "We're Here To Rock You", "You Got It", "Party", "Spend Some Time", "Come Let Me Love You", and "Give Your Dog A Bone".

A mix of post disco soul sophistication and laidback funky numbers from Gaston – a welcome approach from the early 80s era – a time when too many contemporary soul acts moved towards a more overly polished vibe! Gaston's self-titled LP is just polished enough – with a bright sound, lead and call-and-response harmony vocals, bouncy bass lines, soulful keys and sweet synths. Fun party soul jams and a couple of tasteful ballads, too! Titles include "Mind Sticker", "You Don't Love Me", "Broken Record", "You Turn Me On", "Benny Hill", "Here A Funk, There A Funk, Everywhere A Funk Funk", "Love Is Gonna Getcha" and "We Come To Take Control".

Nice little soundtrack, written as the follow-up to the 1962 film The Interns. Like that one, there's some nice party sequences here – easily jazzy numbers grooving along nicely, in the style of Hagen's best work of the 60s. Strings mix with jazzy rhythms and some strong instrumental solos, and overall, the soundtrack's really a strong cut above the usual one for this type of movie – and filled with some really great jazz-based tracks. Titles include "Goodbye To Nancy", "Needle Stickin Blues", "Split", "Considine & Laura", "A Matter Of Time", "A Slight Case Of Rape", and "New Interns Watusi".

Amazing work from altoist Joe Harriott – previously unissued material from the mid 50s – right at a crucial time when Joe was starting to flex his muscles on the UK scene! The Harriott here is a bit more inside than on his later modern dates – but the sound is still undeniably powerful – a really unique edge, much more biting than most of his contemporaries – with a depth of feeling you'd normally expect from a tenor! The group is nice and lean, too – pianist Johnny Weed, Major Holley on bass, and the great Phil Seamen on drums – working nicely with Joe on cuts that include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Sounds Of The Party", "Embraceable You", and "Blues".

Not as much of an all-out funk party as some other kung fu soundtracks of the 70s – but a really great record that's filled with plenty of great spoken bits too! The album's the soundtrack to the Kung Fu TV show, which starred David Carradine – and it's mostly made up of "Eastern" sounding cuts that have a moody soundtrack feel, done in a traditional orchestral mode – spare, brooding numbers that almost feel like they're pulled from 60s Italian westerns and peplum films, but with some exotic twists and turns too! But almost best of all are the spoken bits – dialogue from the show with hokey takes on Eastern philosophy – completely charming from today's perspective, and a great counterpart to the music. Titles include "Sign Of The Dragon", "Dark Angel", "Time Of The Soul", "An Eye For An Eye", "Caine's Theme", "The Ancient Warrior", and of course, "Grasshopper"!

A heavy funk party from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – and a set that hits a lot harder than some of the smoother fusion of the time! There's a grit here that hearkens back to some of the best American jazz funk at the start of the decade – a nice edge that you often don't find in Japanese recordings of this vintage – which is clearly inspired by the American soul scene of the time – as evidence in the weird-looking cover, and in the album's choice of tracks! The notes are in Japanese, which makes it a bit hard to tell what's going on – but the whole thing feels like a live performance, with supposedly different Japanese groups taking the lead – and some calls on the tunes that almost give the whole thing an Osaka Monaurail feel! Titles include "Put It Where You Want It" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "I Who Have Nothing" by Tan Tan, "Walking All Day" by Eddie Ban & Orient Express, "Sex Machine" by Ozawa Tetsu, and "Scratch" by Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo.

Maybe the third great Philly studio group of the 70s – after MFSB and Salsoul Orchestra – a killer combo who provided backing grooves to plenty of great club tracks over the years – and who step out strongly here on their own debut album! Bunny Sigler helps give the album a sharp focus – with his own production and songwriting in play – in modes that are very much like his own best club tracks of the time – but the group is more than great enough on their own – with a funky edge that definitely lives up to their name, and a groove that's even sharper than the two aforementioned contemporary combos. Lead vocals are by James Carmichael, who's totally great – and titles include "Don't You Wanna Party", "Never Let It Go Away", "I Got My Mind Made Up", "Dark Vader", "Wide World Of Sports", and "You Say You Want Me To Stay". CD features bonus tracks that include "I Got My Mind Made Up (12" rmx)", "I Got My Mind Made Up (single)", "Crying (12" rmx)", "Crying (single)", and "Dark Vader (Pat Stapley rmx)".

Mega-hit material from KC & The Sunshine band – an album issued firmly into the disco years, but which still had the group hitting hard in their trademark Miami sound! The tracks here are a bit longer and more hook-heavy than before – and represent the kind of material that linked harder Kool & The Gang-styled funk with some of the crossover sounds that Miami was famous for at the time – a sound that was still largely pre-disco in its roots, but which also helped set the crossover scene for so many other groups of the 70s. The set is filled with loads of huge hits – like "Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", and "Baby I Love You" – and other tracks include "I Like To Do It", "Come On In", and "Let's Go Party".

Very groovy work from Peggy – a set of tunes tone with a nice little Latin flair! The tunes themselves are all Broadway hits of the late 50s and early 60s, but they're redone wonderfully here – so that they often bear little resemblance to the originals. Jack Marshall handled the arrangements with a swinging and jazzy sound – really throwing in some tight syncopated rhythms to make the album crackle more than most of Peggy's other work from the time. Titles include "Hey There", "I Am In Love", "Heart", "On The Street Where You Live", "The Party's Over", "Dance Only With Me", and "I Enjoy Being A Girl".

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks – very different than Little Beaver's earlier work, but every bit as great! The album's got a warm, mellow finish that's almost a maturation of the sound that Beaver first forged on his Party Down album – with plenty of his deep soul vocals and guitar work laced through the mix, on top of lots of nice keyboard bits from Timmy Thomas! The groove is mellow Miami soul at its best – and in a way, it's this shift that really helped Beaver keep his music alive – giving it a depth that sets it apart from some of the hitbound Miami music of the period. Titles include the classic groover "Concrete Jungle", plus "When Was The Last Time", "Pretty Little Girl", and "I Really Love You Babe".

A great debut from The Malemen – a short-lived group in the recording studio, but one who spent many years on the southern scene as a well-travelled showband! The group have a more modern vibe here than they might on the stage – a sweet 80s groove approach that features plenty of tight basslines bumping up the rhythms, with keyboards following quickly in step – all while the group often do a great job of harmonizing together alongside the groove! There's a nicely varied sound to the record – one that goes way past the usual slapbass funk of the time – and titles include the nice mellow cuts "Baby Doll" and "The Love We'll Share" – plus "Shakedown", "Party Time", "Hard On It", and "Take You Out".

A great debut from The Malemen – a short-lived group in the recording studio, but one who spent many years on the southern scene as a well-travelled showband! The group have a more modern vibe here than they might on the stage – a sweet 80s groove approach that features plenty of tight basslines bumping up the rhythms, with keyboards following quickly in step – all while the group often do a great job of harmonizing together alongside the groove! There's a nicely varied sound to the record – one that goes way past the usual slapbass funk of the time – and titles include the nice mellow cuts "Baby Doll" and "The Love We'll Share" – plus "Shakedown", "Party Time", "Hard On It", and "Take You Out".

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-a-ling mode – clearly McCann's nod to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time! The backings here are a bit fuller than usual for Les too – and his trio with Leroy Vinnegar is augmented with lots of added percussion, plus vibes from Lynn Blessing, sax and flute from Plas Johnson, and trumpet from Lee Katzman. The whole thing's wonderful – a non-stop party that rivals similar boogaloo jazz sets of the time – and titles include "Fakeout", "Boo Go Loo", "Hey Leroy", "Bang Bang", "La Brea", and "Music To Watch Girls By".

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-a-ling mode – clearly McCann's nod to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time! The backings here are a bit fuller than usual for Les too – and his trio with Leroy Vinnegar is augmented with lots of added percussion, plus vibes from Lynn Blessing, sax and flute from Plas Johnson, and trumpet from Lee Katzman. The whole thing's wonderful – a non-stop party that rivals similar boogaloo jazz sets of the time – and titles include "Fakeout", "Boo Go Loo", "Hey Leroy", "Bang Bang", "La Brea", and "Music To Watch Girls By".

An obscure second soundtrack for The Mack – one that's not nearly as well known as the classic Motown score by Willie Hutch, but which features some great work from Eugene McDaniels – and funky backings from Alan Silvestri! Eugene sings sweetly on the title theme "In The Beginning" – and funkily on the track "Party Time" – but our favorite tunes are actually the instrumental ones by Silvestri, done in a really wicked sort of groove – one that mixes traditional blacksploitation scoring with some jazzier touches – in a mode that's tight one minute, laidback the next, and filled with a great blend of jazz, soul, and electricity! Titles include "Play Ball", "We Can Beat This", "Slim", "Here Today", "Planetarium", and "Kill Fats".

A killer tribute to the music of Herbie Nichols – played by a committed batch of modernists who are clearly inspired by his genius! Misha Mengelberg's in the group on piano – and his angular lines on the keys have plenty of Nichols and then some – lots of Misha's own inventive inflections, but given a bit more focus than usual, in ways that really make the session a standout in his career at the time. Other group members are wonderful too – Steve Lacy, playing soprano sax in ways that almost recall his Monkish moments of the late 50s – George Lewis, blowing inside one moment, open and free the next – and rhythm players Arjen Gorter on bass and Han Bennink on drums. Mengelberg arranged – and titles include the Nichols tunes "Terpsichore", "Step Tempest", "Hangover Triangle", "Spinning Song", and "House Party Starting" – plus "Change Of Season" and "The Happenings".

Another blast from Kingston's past, adding another piece to the Coxsone Dodd puzzle in Soul Jazz's ongoing Studio One series! This set collects Sugar Minott's formative days at Studio One, with his sweet soulful singing fully formed, but showcasing the dawn of the dancehall style, with Minott adding an altogether new twist to tried and true Studio One rhythms, laying the foundation for versioning, one of the cornerstones of modern reggae! His new lyrics and melodies breathe new life into classic tracks, including 'Vanity", "Please Be True", "Hang On Natty", "Jahovia", "Try Love", "Give A Hand", "Is It True", "Love Gonna Pack Up", "Give Me Jah Jah", "Party Time" and more! 17 tracks in all.

Sublime southern soul from The Ovations – a group with a really unique approach to their music! Unlike other southern groups of the time, The Ovations had a somewhat sweet style overall – one that was informed by their great love of the older music of Sam Cooke, and turned onto a hipper, more 70s-styled Memphis groove overall! Lead vocalist Louis Williams has a style that's as equally charming as Cooke, although with his own great touches overall – and the backings on some of the cuts add in a nice southern soul component, although still with the same sort of polish that Cooke might have appreciated. CD features 21 tracks in all – including their rare album for MGM, plus other singles for the Sounds Of Memphis and XL labels – as well as 6 previously unissued tunes, and one rare single for Chess! The package is a long-overdue tribute to this wonderful group, and titles include "Hooked On A Feeling", "One In A Million", "Touching Me", "So Nice To Be Loved By You", "I Can't Believe It's Over", "Having A Party", "Don't Say You Love Me", "I'm In Love", "Pure Natural Love", "Sweet Thing", "I Care For You", "Till I Find Some Way", "Hangin On", "You're My Little Girl", and "Gotta Get Free".

A smoking set of late 70s 12-inch disco mixes from Lee Scratch Perry – some of the very best of Black Ark productions from the period, actually – in a 2CD set from Trojan! Disco Devil features numbers that Scratch produced, mixed and tripped out from 1977 to 1979 at Black Ark – elongating some truly stellar material for slow cooking, mostly 7-9 minute workouts of recordings by Max Romeo & The Upsetters, George Faith, The Congos, Junior Delgado, Junior Murvin & Dillinger, Watty Burnett, Lee Perry himself and others. One of the finer selected compilations of prime 70s reggae we've seen from Trojan in a little while! Includes "Norman" by Max Romeo & The Upsetters, "Bad Weed" by Junior Murvin, "Disco Devil" by Lee Perry & The Full Experience, "Roots Train" by Junior Murvin & Dillinger, "Open The Gate" by Watty Burnett, "Neckodeemus" by The Congos, "Party Time" by The Heptones, "Garden Of Life" by Leroy Sibbles and more.

One of the coolest, grooviest cats who ever cut a record – an an artist with a really unique conception at the time of these recordings! Roy Porter got his start as a drummer during the bebop years, and worked hard on the LA scene of the R&B and soul scenes of the 50s and 60s – but to us, his crowning achievement is these amazing funk sides of the early 70s – amazingly complex, but right on the money too – and a whole new kind of music that's impossible to describe in words! Roy mixes funky drums with lots of cool jazzy changes – keyboard lines, horn parts, and bass bits that have the frenzy you might find in fusion, yet come across with the down-to-earth vibe of a funky 45 – a killer blend that goes way past jazz, and even most straight funk too – as you'll hear in this sweet little set. The package brings together all the best tracks from these key Porter years – and titles include "Jessica" and "Panama" in both vocal and instrumental versions, plus "Wow", "Funny Feelin", "Funky Twitch", "Love You", "Hense Forth", "Out On The Town Tonight", "Givin Me The Blues", "Waver-ing", "Party Time", and "Hip City".

Tight funky soul from Quazar! This relatively overlooked group is one of the lesser-remembered P-Funk-linked acts of the late 70s – which is a shame, as it's a great little side project from the team of Glenn Goins and Jerome Brailey. It's got a with a bass and drums-heavy party groove all the way! The style here is almost even tighter than that of Parliament or Funkadelic at the time – with tunes that are shorter and more focused, pointing the way towards the changes that mainstream funk would take later into the 80s. Most of the tunes are stormers – with killer group chanted backing vocals! Titles include "Funk With A Big Foot", "Funk With A Capital G", "Funk N Roll", "Your Lovin Is Easy", "Shades of Quaze", "Workin' On The Buildin'" and "Love Me Baby". 9 tracks on the original album – and this Big Break CD edition has 3 bonus tracks: "Funk N Roll (Single Version)", "Savin My Love For A Rainy Day (Single Version)" and Funk With A Big Foot (Single Version)".

A key album of 80s southern blues from Bobby – done in the slightly electrified, slightly modern style that was coming out of the Jackson scene at the time – in a way that helped find a home for so many artists after the decline of southern soul in the 70s! Material like this made Bobby a huge hit on the small club circuit of the time – and the tracks have plain and simple themes of a man's needs and his aims of getting them. Bobby himself handled arrangements, and titles include "Gotta Have Money" (a remake of his older hit), "Party Down", "Natural Born Lover", "She Caught Me With My Pants Down", "She's So Fine", and "Mojo Boogie".

Benchmark Scientist dub – great stuff recorded and mixed at King Tubby's near the end of the 70s – and it's some of tightest, heaviest dubs of the period! Scientist works over some of the heftiest Aggrovator sides on this legendary set – one of favorite dub records, period! One particular standout is a great take on the "Drum Song" rhythm – but the whole set is inmpeccable! Other titles include "Taxi To Baltimore Dub", "Satta Dread Dub", "Every Dub Shall Scrub", "Blacka Shade Of Dub" and "Just Say Dub. . .Who". 10 tracks in all. This 3 X 10" box set version is very nicely done – with to 2 dubs per side – closing out with 2 bonus tracks: "Queen Of The Icotion" and "Party Time On The Enterprise".

At last! Someone's finally gone and put together a real collection of Marlena Shaw's fantastic jazzy soul work! Sure, there's been other compilations out on the market – but this one's the real deal, and spans her years at Chess/Cadet, Blue Note, and Columbia – years that saw Marlena emerging to become one of the greatest smooth soul singers of all time! The set begins with the oft-sampled cuts "Woman Of The Ghetto" and "California Soul" – both righteous classics in their own right. The groove then moves onto the excellent "Liberation Conversation", and other smoother material, like "This Feeling's Good", "Loving You Was Like A Party", "Feel Like Making Love", "Without You In My Life", and "Yu Ma/Go Away Little Boy", which features one of the greatest monologues on record! Also includes a version of Al Johnson's "Back For More", and "Could It Be You", a duet with Phil Upchurch.

Early work from Smash – a group that included the core of DeBarge before they went onto bigger fame! Oddly, the album was first issued in Germany in 1977, but made its US debut here on Source – about time, too, as the record's a nice blend of funky tunes and the sweeter pop soul you'd expect from DeBarge. The funky tunes are actually pretty nice ensemble numbers – grooving in a harder edge than you'd think for the period, especially as so many groups were noodling a bit too much on the bass. Titles include "Pall Mall Groove", "Funk Freak", "Where's the Party", "Your Love", "Don't Waste My Time", and "Anyway".

Amazing rare grooves from Tommy Stewart – the Atlanta studio wizard who cut some of the hippest club tracks in the south at the end of the 70s! This package digs way deeper than even Tommy's classic self-titled album – to feature some obscure and unreleased material that show the tremendous power of Stewart in the studio – the kind of energy that made him a one man powerhouse to rival some of the bigger teams turning out grooves at the major labels! As with his classics, all the tunes here have a great funky feel – not really disco, but more upbeat funk, turned towards the dancefloor – served up with lots of sharp edges on the rhythms that keep things mighty nice – and which avoid any too-familiar cliches of the time. In a way, Stewart's groove is a bit like the grittier club from P&P up north – as you'll hear on this set that features the cuts "Night Flight", "Beyond Love", "Hot Box", and "Everything's Made For Love" by Stewart – plus great collaborations with vocalist Stevo on "Pay The Price", "Universal Love", "Party Night", "Starry Eyes", "Livin For The City", "Jammin", and "Messing UP A Good Thing". Also features two Al Kent remixes, too!

We've loved Swing Out Sister for more than a few years – and over that time, the duo's only gotten better! It's records like this that keep us coming back again and again – a brilliant blend of soul currents and hook-heavy arrangements that feel like a blend of late 60s UK and the best of the contemporary global Neo Soul underground! Corinne Drewery's vocals grab us right away with their depth and upfront sense of personality – and the sweet keyboards of Andy Connell hold the whole thing together with the kind of jazzy undercurrents the group has had since their start. The set includes some sweet remakes of older tunes – and titles include "You On My Mind", "Incomplete Without You", "Notgonnachange", "Am I The Same Girl", "Breakout (fabulous party mix)", "Mama Didn't Raise No Fool", and "Now You're Not Here (Taj Calder inst)". Plus, this special package also features a bonus DVD – a full length concert, titled Tokyo Stories – as well as a special book with rare photos, an essay on the group, and a personal message too!

We've loved Swing Out Sister for more than a few years – and over that time, the duo's only gotten better! It's records like this that keep us coming back again and again – a brilliant blend of soul currents and hook-heavy arrangements that feel like a blend of late 60s UK and the best of the contemporary global Neo Soul underground! Corinne Drewery's vocals grab us right away with their depth and upfront sense of personality – and the sweet keyboards of Andy Connell hold the whole thing together with the kind of jazzy undercurrents the group has had since their start. The set includes some sweet remakes of older tunes – and titles include "You On My Mind", "Incomplete Without You", "Notgonnachange", "Am I The Same Girl", "Breakout (fabulous party mix)", "Mama Didn't Raise No Fool", and "Now You're Not Here (Taj Calder inst)".

Two gems from The Sylvers – back to back on a single CD! Showcases is filled with great groovers from The Sylvers – a set cut when the group were firmly in their disco years – a great setting for their playful family-style vocals! In fact, moving to disco may well have been one of the greatest things the group could have done – because it really set them apart from the rest of the pack, and helped them find a way for their maturing vocals to really stretch out! Foster, Leon, Angie, and the whole Sylvers gang sound mighty great here – as they groove hard on their classic "Boogie Fever", plus other tracks that include "Ain't No Good In Goodbye", "Free Style", "I Can Be For Real", and "Ain't Nothin' But A Party". New Horizons is hard grooving work from The Sylvers – LA's favorite family soul act of the 70s, really burning strong here for the Capitol club years! The album follows nicely in the mode of some of their bigger chart hits of the time – using the group's surprisingly well-crafted harmonies in a playful mode that often has some nice uptempo dancefloor touches, but which still manages to lay back at just the right points for a mellow cut. The album's self-produced by the group, and titles include "New Horizons", "The Party Maker", "Another Day To Love", "Star Fire", "Any Way You Want Me", "Dressed to Kill", and "Lovin' Me Back".

Damn great work from Allen Toussaint – a record that was cut at a time when he'd really made his way into the mainstream of American music, yet could still come across with a hard New Orleans groove! The title cut, "Southern Nights", is a perfect illustration of this fact – as it was written by Toussaint, but became a big hit for Glen Campbell, who recorded a very soppy version of the number. Yet here, Allen turns it into a weird trippy tune – produced with great Sansu production, and backing by New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, George Porter, and Art Neville – all of whom help the tune bristle with new energy, and a really sinister groove. The rest of the record continues in a similar vein – with a spacey LA mellow sound that actually works great for Toussaint's vocals, and gives them a wild flanged-out sound that's pretty amazing – and downright spooky at points! Titles include "Southern Nights", "Basic Lady", "Last Train", "Worldwide", "You Will Not Lose", "When The Party's Over", and "What Do You Want The Girl To Do".

One of the coolest Italian soundtracks we've heard in a long time – a wonderful set of tunes that moves from slinky, to easy, to groovy, and beyond! The tunes start out bubbling very spare and slow – with floating piano, moog, and other nice bits – and as the record progresses, the sound gets heavier, with some nice funky elements thrown into the mix! The whole thing's a brilliant exercise in understatement – not only one of the best soundtracks by Umiliani from the 70s, but also a perfect example of why we dig Italian soundtracks so much! Titles include "Volto Di Donna", "La Prima Uscita", "La Rinuncia", "Senza Tregua", "Nostalgia", "The Party", and "Maryam".

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

A killer assortment of funky leftfield grooves from the late 70s and early 80s – groundbreaking work that goes way beyond conventional club, funk, and disco! The music here was light years ahead of its time, and still sounds pretty darn fresh today – a weird mix of arty, punky, and experimental modes – but all filtered down into a groove that's still catchy and compelling enough to cross over to fans of mainstream club. Many cuts here had a huge influence on house and techno modes of the mid 80s, and continue to have impact today on some of the younger, more influential groovemakers around the globe – and this single CD set is sort of a re-casting of the previous Disco Not Disco collections on Strut Records, which themselves were influential enough at the start of the current decade. CD features the tracks "Mind Your Own Business" by Delta 5, "Crunch Cake" by Isotope, "Your Life (party mix)" by Konk, "Launderette" by Vivien Goldman, "My Spine Is The Bassline (12" edit)" by Shriekback, "Contort Yourself (August Darnell rmx)" by James White & The Blacks, "Love Tempo (rmx)" by Quando Quango, "Sharevari (inst)" by A Number Of Names, "Silent Street/Silent Dub" by Maximum Joy, "Shake It Right" by Six Sed Red, and "Los Ninos Del Parque (12" mix)" by Liaisons Dangereuses.

Dancefloor treasures from Factory Records – avant disco classics and underground club tunes from the earlier year of the legendary label – compiled by Strut! Peter Saville of DJHistory.com assembled this great collection of 12-inch classics – with great tracks by Section 25, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Quando Quango, X-O-Dus, Marcell King and more. Incredible, ageless and fiercely creative dancefloor material from that creatively fertile post-punk disco era on through the mid 80s! Includes "Looking For A Hilltop (Megamix)" by Section 25, "Wild Party" by A Certain Ratio, "Puppeteer" by Blurt, "Time" by Minny Pops, "Dirty Disco" by Section 25, "For Belgian Friends" by The Durutti Column, "Reach For Love" by Marcel King, "Cool As Ice (Restructured By John "Jellybean" Benitez), "See Them A'Come" by X-O-Dus, "Smiling Monarchs" by Abecedarians and more. CD version has 24 tracks on 2CDs.

Rare raw funk from the late 60s & early 70s – singles dug from the regional US scenes for the most part (plus a stellar number from funky funky Trinidad) – incredible numbers from Guitar Ray, Don Ray & Hobbit, James Polk & The Brothers, The Herculoids, TD & Jimmy James 3, Soul Dukes and more! Feeling Nice was compiled by deep digging collectors and DJs Tobias Kirmayer and Daniel Wanders – and it's outstanding stuff that we're being introduced to for the first time in many cases. Classic level funky soul from acts that didn't get over nearly as big as they should have. Includes "Funky Pete Pts 1 & 2" by Guitar Ray, "James Brown Boo-Ga-Loo" by James In The Incredible Showmen, "Feeling Nice" by Clarence Curvan (the title honor goes to our man from Trinidad), "Back Door Jeannye" by James Polk & The Brothers, "Get Back" by The Herculoids, "Jalapeno Pep" by TD & Jimmy James 3, "Wine For The Party" by Sonrize, "Dance Party Pts 1 & 2" by JC & The Soul Angels and more 12 in all.

Great Latin grooves from Atlantic Records! It's a little known fact that Atlantic Records actually had a pretty hot Latin catalog at one time – and even though the label was best-known for their soul and jazz releases, they also took the time to cut a rare few Latin sides, all with the same high quality as their better-known output. The set only scratches the surface of that rich Latin tradition – but it does a great job of bringing out cuts from hard-to-find albums that we barely ever see on original vinyl. The general groove is Latin Soul and groovy Latin Jazz – and although a few of the cuts are by names that are more easily recognized, others are by artists you might be surprised to know recorded for Atlantic at all! Titles include "Stop & Go" by Willie Rosario, "Mambo Watusi" by Rene Bloch, "Tumbando Cana" by Louie Ramirez, "Baila Cinderella" by Hubert Laws, "Mambo Show" by Charlie Palmieri, "Motherless Child" by Luis Gasca, "Windjammer" by Mongo Santamaria, "Jumpin With Symphony Sid" by Louie Ramirez, and "Tell It" by Mongo Santamaria. 12 cuts in all.

Soulful luxury at a mighty nice price – 3CDs and 35 tracks of music from both the contemporary underground, and back in the day! The package is one of the best so far in this annual series – and like the others, it has a great way of turning up unusual numbers we might have missed otherwise – some subtle gems and overlooked sleepers, which makes the package as much of a place for new discovery as it is a musical bargain. Titles include "So Inspired" by Big Brooklyn Red, "Suddenly" by Adriana Evans, "On The Rebound" by Dave Appell & Friends, "When I Think Of You" by Holloway & John Whitehead, "Rise" by Beggar & Co, "Someday We'll All Be Free (Yam Who rmx)" by Diplomats Of Soul, "Just Like Me" by Junk Funk, "Major Bossa" by Khari Simmons, "Loving You" by Soul Talk, "Believe" by Lady Alma, "Blown Away" by Kevin Leo, "Time For The Party" by Sheree Brown, "Taste of Your Love" by Valentine Brothers, and "Dime" by Kloud 9.

Our favorite kind of funk is Super Funk – and this fab entry to the long-running series definitely keeps up the groove! As before, there's plenty of rare tracks here – most pulled from obscure singles of late 60s/early 70s vintage – and some even from rare studio tapes that were never issued at the time! Most tracks are short, with a nicely gritty groove – the kind of funky 45 madness that will always keep us digging for rare 7" singles – put together by the BGP crew with a real understanding of the groove! There's some especially nice female singers in the mix – almost creating a mini Sister Funk focus on the package – but there's also great guy singers and groups too. 20 tracks in all – with cuts that include "The Sneak" by The Douzer, "Queen Of Losers" by Eleanor Rigby, "Groovy Baby" by Kim Tamanga, "It's Mookie Time" by Cleveland Eaton & The Kats, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Moving Woman" by 87th Off Broadway, "Bad Bad Woman (part 1)" by Marie Franklin, "He Say She Say" by Chet Ivey, "Cold Sweat" by Julio Zavalla, "Shakin Up The Nation" by The Radiations, "One Sweet Song" by Gloria Lucas, and "I'm Moving Home" by Mary Alice McCall.

The next set in the stellar Next Stop Soweto series from Strut Records – highlighting rare South African sounds – this one infused with the western party music influences of funk, soul and organ drenched grooves of all kinds! Volume 1 in the series concentrated on the lively township jive sounds, this one gets gritty and funky – American funk, soul and R&B drenched organ grooves are more prominent in the sound – combining with regional traditions masterfully and coming out feverish and ready for the dancefloor! Includes material from the small, but exciting South African soul scene by groups The Klooks and The Anchors, mbaqanga numbers liberally infused with soul and funk by the Mgababa Queens and Mahotella Queens, jazzier funk from The Heshoo Beshoo Group and much more! 22 tracks on 2LPs: "Khubani" by JK Mayengani & The Shingwedzi Sisters, "Blockhead" by The Monks, Nkuli's Shuffle" by The Klooks, "Come With Me" and "Funky Message" by The Heroes, "Last Time" by The Anchors, "I Am There" by The Grasshopers, "Saduva" by Gibson Kente, "Wozani Mahipi" by Mahotella Queens and more.

Massive mixes from the mighty Tom Moulton – a huge 4CD package that not only includes some classic lost and rare mixes from the 70s, but also a whopping 17 previously unreleased Moulton mixes, appearing here for the first time ever! If there's anyone who's ever been well-suited to reworking a Philly groove, it's Tom – given his long standing association with the soul scene in the City Of Brotherly Love – and his crucial role in pushing soul tracks into the clubs during the 70s. As with most of Tom's best work, the mixes here are richly faithful to the originals – and never try to overstate themselves at all, just focus on the best elements, and bring them to the forefront of the groove! 4CDs, 31 tracks, and Moulton remixes of "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice, "Nights Over Egypt" by The Jones Girls, "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Year Of Decision" by Three Degrees, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "She's A Winner" by The Intruders, "Trammps Disco Theme/Zing Went The Strings" by The Trammps, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Robert Upchurch, "Love Is The Message" by MFSB, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls.

Massive mixes from the mighty Tom Moulton – a huge package that not only includes some classic lost and rare mixes from the 70s, but also previously unreleased Moulton mixes, appearing here for the first time ever! If there's anyone who's ever been well-suited to reworking a Philly groove, it's Tom – given his long standing association with the soul scene in the City Of Brotherly Love – and his crucial role in pushing soul tracks into the clubs during the 70s. As with most of Tom's best work, the mixes here are richly faithful to the originals – and never try to overstate themselves at all, just focus on the best elements, and bring them to the forefront of the groove! This totally cool package features 31 mixes in all – pressed up as eight 12" EPs – most with four tracks each, leaving plenty of room for very long mixes! Titles include Moulton mixes of "Jam Jam Jam" by People's Choice, "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, "Intro/My Love Don't Come Easy" by Jean Carn, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders, "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Robert Upchurch, "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls, and "Love Epidemic" by The Trammps.

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright.

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright.

Mid 80s funky soul from Cashflow – a rare one cut for the Atlanta label, and produced by Larry Blackmon – a group R&B effort that seamlessly combines the club ready soul, funk, 80s rap influences and otherwise tightly thumping grooves Blackmon worked with at the time! Cashflow had a hit with "Mine All Mine", but the rest of the record is nearly as nice as that one – post electro, keyboard heavy synth soul & funk production with group vocals that range from quite strong lead and backing vocals – plus a Larry Blackmon rap in the middle of "Party Freak", a cut that works nicely in the She's Strange era Cameo mold! Other tracks include "Can't Let Love Pass Us By", "Spending Money", "Reach Out", "I Need Your Love" and "It's Just A Dream".

A definite good thang from Faze-O – easily the masters of snakey funk at the end of the 70s! The set's got loads of great elements that echo the group's Riding High debut – a groove that never goes too far over the top, and which kicks back at a pace that so many others would copy a few years later – a vibe that's a bit Ohio, a bit Cali, yet crafted here with a vision that's totally unique to the band! Horns are a bit heavier than before, but there's still plenty of great keyboards too – and the vocals definitely recognize that they're the second star of the record, and usually defer to the rhythms on most numbers. Tracks include "Good Thang", "Party Time", "Space People", "Who Loves You", and "Funky Lady".

Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight".

Tremendous tunes throughout – a collection of rare club and disco tracks that goes way past the usual – and which is bound to please the ears of any lover of late 70s grooves! The sounds are familiar, but the tracks are all pretty darn obscure – wonderful rare singles that serve up some of the best dancefloor styles of the late 70s and early 80s – particularly the sort of indie modes that we love in the east coast underground! Boogie vibes abound, as do funky club rhythms, sweet instrumental riffs, and some excellent soul vocals that really send the whole thing home – on a great range of tracks that are as musically wonderful as the original records are rare. 2CD set features 24 tracks in all – titles that include "I'm Gonna Break You Down" by Tony Gregory, "Let's Party All Night" by Hearts Of Fire, "Baby I'm Coming At You"b y Jesse Gomez, "Focus" by Phylliss Bailey, "Good Feelings" by Pike, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Ron Richardson, "The Mind Blower" by Billy Frazier, "Fallen Into Love" by Motherfox, "Sunlight" by Krisp, "Time Is Running Out" by The Underground Band, and "This Party Is Just For You" by Special Touch.

One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s – presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves – very unusual in both conception and execution – with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! There's definitely a rock influence in the set, but the music isn't rock at all – it's a very dark, almost dubby groove at points – and a bit more straightforwardly funk at others – almost a post-colonial style that clearly comes from a London influence, given to the group by a previous association with Ginger Baker. Rhythms are quite tight, and the bass is as strong as the drums – mixed up nicely with riffing guitar, and moody vocals that color the whole thing nicely. Titles include "Preacherman", "Time To Face The Sun", "We Are Out Together", "Chant To Mother Earth", "Miss Sagitt", "Beware", and "We Gonna Have A Party". Phase II is a critical next step for the group – music that's even deeper than before, but a bit funkier too! There's clearly some touches here of other African funk of the time – especially in the way the guitar parts groove with the rhythms – although those heavy Blo basslines from before are still nicely in place, as are some of the fuzzier production elements too. Titles include "Whole Lot Of Sh*t", "Atide", "Blo", "It's Gonna Be A Good Day", "Native Doctor", and "Don't Take Her Away From Me".

A great early demonstration of the bold talents as a leader from trumpeter Maynard Ferguson – heard here in a loose, open-ended performance that's more of a jam session than anything else! The style's almost similar to the Clifford Brown jam dates for Emarcy from the same time – two long tracks that are driven by well-crafted rhythms – and which really soar with open solo work from Ferguson on trumpet, Bud Shank on alto, Bob Cooper on tenor, and Bob Gordon on baritone. The work is nicely boppish and a fair bit more open than most of the players were getting at the time – and Maynard himself is often back a far bit to let everyone get in some good solo space! Each track lasts a side – and titles include "Night Letter" and "Somebody Loves Me".

Given that this one features the classic disco groover "I Will Survive" – one of the greatest pop soul songs of all time – you hardly need anything else! Still, you're getting 9 more tracks – all a nice bonus – including "Can't Fight The Feelin", "Anybody Wanna Party?", "So Much Love", "Casanova Brown", "Goin Out Of My Head", and "Never Can Say Goodbye".

A pair of scores recorded a decade apart – both working pretty well together on a single CD! Seven Days In May is a mid 60s military thriller – scored by Jerry Goldsmith with a fair bit of snapping snare – but used in a way that kind of bridges suspenseful moments and more war-like themes – pretty darn taught throughout the entire soundtrack! The numbers have a nice sort of resonance with each other, and really keep up the energy – and tracks include "Main Title", "Pickets", "First Sign Of Trouble", "Midnight Rendezvous", "Casey Is Caught", and "Scott Defeated". The Mackintosh Man sounds quite different, and provides a great change of pace after the tenseness of Seven Days In May – a slightly whimsical score penned by Maurice Jarre for an overlooked early 70s spy thriller with Paul Newman – handled with this great main theme that's provided in a number of different variations – almost a jaunty number, with echoes of Italian modes of the time, but almost more comedy than spy! The pace and instrumentation changes a bit from track to track, but this great theme repeats often – and titles include "Postal Thief", "Meeting In Prison", "Escape Route", "Drugs For Rearden", "Party 2", "Loose Talk", and "Rendezvous With Wheeler". Features some bonus tracks too!

An excellent lost funky soundtrack on Blue Note – their only one for years, and Grant Green's entry into the blacksploitation genre! The whole thing bristles with the kind of chunky, thumping percussive feel as the best funky soundtracks of the era – informed by the work of Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes, but with the deeper jazz feel that Green brings from his other Blue Note sides of the time! Some cuts are quite funky, particularly the opener, "Past, Present, and Future" with it's crisp trap, chicken scratch guitar and bongo driven beat. Others have more of a stripped-down dope instrumental feel – there's some sweet funky flute work on "Fathers Lament", and even a slight bossa groove creeps into the title track! The whole album's very nice, and it's very different than any of Grant Green's other work! Other titles include "Afro Party", Luana's Theme", "Slight Fear And Terror", and "Battle Scene".

One of the greatest New York groups of the early 80s – and a key link in the post-disco, post-punk, and no wave scenes of the time! Konk had an incredible sound that featured a stripped down blend of bass, live percussion, and horns – all grooving together in a style that sat somewhere between Kid Creole and ACR – but without the kitsch of the former, or the darkness of the latter! The bass dominated on most tracks – rolling out amidst the drums and congas, and setting a pace that was picked up strongly by the group's tight work on horns. Most tracks are acoustic, save for the bass – and the vocals are kept at a minimum to allow for the strongest focus on the tunes rhythmic progressions! As usual, Soul Jazz have done a tremendous job of recounting the group's history in a wealth of notes, interviews, and photos – and this well-done package is the first ever proper reissue of the group's work! Titles include "Machina Jam", "Baby Dee", "Elephant", "Soka Loka Moki", "Love Attack", "Konk Party", and "Your Life". Plus, the set also features bonus tracks "Konk Party (DJ tools)" and "Baby Dee (live)".

A super-huge album for Kool & The Gang – the set that features their massive hit "Celebration", a cut that became an instant party classic, and which is probably still earning them a fortune in royalties year after year from wedding bands alone! Believe it or not, the album was arranged, conducted, and produced by Deodato – who was making a great move at the time to get into more straight soul work from his roots in bossa and his 70s run in jazz funk. And in a way, it's Deodato's ear for a great warm groove that really seems to make the set sparkle – giving it a strong soul sound, even with tighter production – still somewhat down to earth, despite its hit status. Apart from "Celebration", other tracks include "Jones Vs Jones", "Love Festival", "Love Affair", "Night People", and "Morning Star".

Although Ramsey first scored big with his spare trio recordings during the late 50s, by this point in his career, Cadet were wisely playing with his sound a lot, adding in new elements to keep things fresh and soulful. Such is the case with this album, which has Ramsey's second trio (with Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White) performing with very groovy arrangements by Richard Evans. The result is some totally cool material – very much in the best crossover mode of the Cadet Concept years. The highlight of the album is the Eastern-tinged funky number "Jade East", which has some nice sitar and chimes in the background. Other tunes include "Party Time" and "Bear Mash", plus hard piano covers of "I Was Made To Love Her", "Soul Man", and "Respect".

An obscure second set from the man who gave the world "Bounce Rock Skate Roll" – but a great one too! The album's got Vaughan Mason paired with Butch Dayo, in a way that brings a nice sort of back/forth feel to his usual roller skating groove – with results that are even more partyful than the first time around! The pair have a great sort of street soul energy to their groove – not really breakdance or electro, but not that far off – and served up with a much deeper soul conception than you'd usually find in this sort of project! We'd even go so far as to note a bit of hip hop influence in the music – even though the overall approach is definitely clubby soul – and titles include the great "Party on the Corner", plus "Rollalong Songs", "Feel My Love", and "You Can Do It". CD features the bonus tracks "Party On The Corner (orig Shep Pettibone 12" master dub)", "You Can Do It (orig 12" radio)", and "You Can Do It (orig 12" inst)".

Stunning – an overloaded set of grooves by one of the greatest Philly soul talents ever! Vince Montana's probably had a hand in more records than you'd think – either playing vibes, which he did on countless Philly classics, or arranging and producing, which he did with a freewheeling soulful style, influencing club music for years with his unique talents! Vince has mostly preferred to work in the background – hiding out under the names of groups like Philly Sound Works, Montana, or Goody Goody, and laboring endlessly in the biggest factory of modern soul ever, the landmark Sigma Sound Studios in Philly. This set's one of the first to ever do him justice – a huge sampling of work recorded in the late 70s and 1980s, when Vince's talents were still riding very high, and in some ways, he was working as a one-man campaign to keep alive the MSFB style of the 70s – still working in a very classic mode, a blend of soul, jazz, disco, and funk – augmented with the sorts of quality touches that were rarely turning up in music at the time. CD features 22 titles on 2 CDs – including "It Looks Like Love (new club)", "Esto Parese Amor (love vibes)", "Heavy Vibes (club mix)", "It Looks Like Love", "Do It Any Way You Wanna", "What Happened To The Music", "Make Me Hot (dub)", "I Wanna Know", and "South Soul Party (club mix)". Great package, with a nice book on Vince, too!

One of Rudy's best from the time – featuring some incredibly raw shouted party dialogue, backed by some great soulful instrumentation. The music makes the whole thing groove nicely, even though it's a bit more buried in the mix than on albums like Sensuous Black Man. A few tracks have guest vocals by Lady Reed – and titles include "That's My Watch", "The Marines", "Hit Her With A Rock", "Sell It Girls", and "Dangerous Dan".

The second great Donald Byrd soul project of the 70s – a group who hailed from the music department at North Carolina Central College, and who are produced by Donald here with a groove that's similar to his more famous work with The Blackbyrds! Like The Blackbyrds, these guys started as college students with a good sense of jazz – but the overall groove here is more in a soul-based mode, similar to the smoother style that the Blackbyrds used after their first album or two – with almost an equal focus on the vocals and funky instrumentation. There's a nice ensemble feel to the set, and titles include "Super Trick", "Hey Girl", "Bull City Party", "Washing Machine", "You & I", and "Sleepy Time Is Over".

Pure brilliance from The Nubian Crackers – a New York party groove from the early 90s, and one that's overflowing with classic samples from the old school! The cut mixes together a host of wicked funky tracks – with only a bit of a sampled vocal refrain over the top – and some great "Hard To Handle" beats on the chorus, which really send home the whole tune and give it a strong sort of focus! "Test Da Rocket Launcha" is another rare cut from back in the day – not a straight hip hop track, but the kind of 45 King-styled groove that plays strongly with older records – and shows that even in the 90s, the live spirit of mixing funky tracks was still alive and well!

Lee Perry's monster dub records – Super Ape and Return Of The Super Ape – in a 2CD set with bonus tracks! Super Ape is an essential dub album, rendering Scratch's dense, multi-layered Black Ark rhythms in all their raw glory, with toasts and vocal snippets darting in and out of the dubs courtesy Prince Jazzbo, the Heptones, Dillinger and Scratch himself. Includes "Zion's Blood", "Croaking Lizard", "Dread Lion", "Patience", "Dub Along", "Black Vest", "Underground", "Curly Dub" "Three In One", "Super Ape" and more. Return Of The Super Ape is instrumental, but not strictly dub, and some cuts do have Perry's vocals on top. Slow rolling and a bit murky, yet infused with Perry's unique vision. Includes "Bird In Hand", "Psyche And Trim", "Huzza A Haha", "High Rankin Sammy" and many more. Each CD has a slew of bonus tracks – 11 in all: "When Jah Come", "From Creation", "Sufferer's Time (extended version)", "Party Time Parts 1 & 2" and more.

The mothership has landed! While attempting to make a definitive compilation of all of Scratch's productions would take well more than 3 CDs, this set does a fine job of touching on important highlights and unearthing a few hidden gems, from the fertile Black Ark period. 55 tracks in all, with a fat 52 page book with extensive notes and loads of great photos, we'll let the exhaustive track list speak for itself: Max Romeo "One Step Forward", "War In A Babylon", "Chase The Devil" and "Norman", Devon Irons "Vampire", the Heptones "Sufferer's Time", "Mr. President" with Jah Lion, "Why Must I (version)" with Lee Perry and "Make Up Your Mind", Junior Dread "Sufferer's Heights", The Congos "Don't Blame On I", "Feast Of The Passover" and "CongoMan", The Meditations "Much Smarter", "Life Is Not Easy", and "No Peace", Junior Murvin "Tedious", 'police & Thieves", "Bad Weed" and "Roots Train" with Dillinger, Mikey Dread "Dread At The Mantrols", Errol Walker "In These Times", "John Public" and "John Public (version)" with Enos Barnes, Glen DaCosta "Magic Touch", Jah Lion "Soldier & Police War", Raphael Green & Doctor Alimantado "Rasta Train", Augustus Pablo "Vibrate On", The Upsetter Review with Junior Murvin "Closer Together", Keith Rowe "Groovy Situation", George Faith "To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)", Lee Perry "Dub Revolution Pt. 1", "Dreadlocks In Moonlight", "Soul Fire", "Curly Locks" and 'Roast Fish & Cornbread" and The Upsetters "One Step Dub", "Vamp A Dub", "Sufferer's Dub", "Much Smarter Dub", "Life Is Not Easy Dub", "Revelation Dub", "In These Times Dub", "Grumblin' Dub", "No Peace Dub", "Party Time pt. 2", "Vibrator", "Bird In Hand", "Dyon Anasawa" featuring Full Experience, "Rastaman Shuffle", "Groovy Dub" and "Corn Fish Dub".

Without a doubt, one of the most famous scores to come out of Hollywood in the 40s – David Raksin's enduring soundtrack for Laura – and it's as beautiful now as ever! The theme was recorded time and time again over the next few decades – in vocal and instrumental versions, by hundreds of artists. The entire score is wonderful though – and mighty influential, too! It's lush and lovely, with noirish touches – seemingly serving as a template for so many dramatic scores to come! Includes the main title theme plus "The Phonograph", "The Café", "Waldo Walks Away", "Mark", "Apartment House", "The Party", "Laura Leaves", "Night" and more. This great CD version on Kritzerland includes full original score – plus the a bonus test demo fand also presents the full "Laura Suite – Theme And Variations" by Raksin, conducted by Alfred Newman, and runs over 27 minutes long!

This album's like a funky 45 party! Senor Soul first started out as one of those fake Latin acts in the LA scene – kind of a soul jazz version of the Tijuana Brass – but by the time of this album, they've turned into a hot funky combo, with a really wonderful sound! The groove here is a wonderful blend of piano, vibes, percussion, and some totally great funky flute – with a blown-out sound that reminds us of the way the instrument sounds on later work by groups like SOUL or The Duke Of Burlington. The group groove hard on the album's cuts – a great mix of original funky 45 type numbers, plus a few well-chosen covers that keep the groove hard. Titles include "The Mouse", "It's Your Thing", "Soul Sermon", "Make The Funk Jump", "Hypnotizer", "Soul Fiesta", "El Loco", and "Love Has Two Faces".

Far and away the band's best record! The album's got a fresh funk sound that takes an earlier 70s ensemble style and slicks it down a bit – but thanks to some great drum work by Tim Dozier (Steve Arrington had yet to join the band), and a subtle riffing bass style by Mark Adams, the band had a groove that was quite revolutionary, and which set them apart from the legions of funk imitators that were springing up at the end of the 70s. The high points of the album is the band's seminal "Slide", which is followed up with "Son Of Slide" – and both tracks have these amazing dark repetitive grooves that have really stood the test of time (thanks in part to a famous sample by Tribe Called Quest!) Other tracks include "You & Me", "Party Hardy", "Screw Your Wig On Tite", and "Separated".

Amazing rare grooves from Tommy Stewart – the Atlanta studio wizard who cut some of the hippest club tracks in the south at the end of the 70s! This package digs way deeper than even Tommy's classic self-titled album – to feature some obscure and unreleased material that show the tremendous power of Stewart in the studio – the kind of energy that made him a one man powerhouse to rival some of the bigger teams turning out grooves at the major labels! As with his classics, all the tunes here have a great funky feel – not really disco, but more upbeat funk, turned towards the dancefloor – served up with lots of sharp edges on the rhythms that keep things mighty nice – and which avoid any too-familiar cliches of the time. In a way, Stewart's groove is a bit like the grittier club from P&P up north – as you'll hear on this set that features the cuts "Night Flight", "Beyond Love", "Hot Box", and "Everything's Made For Love" by Stewart – plus great collaborations with vocalist Stevo on "Pay The Price", "Universal Love", "Party Night", "Starry Eyes", "Livin For The City", "Jammin", and "Messing UP A Good Thing". Also features two Al Kent remixes, too!

A definite freakout party from The Unfolding – a cool group that was possibly just a studio combo put together by Audio Fidelity for this rare 60s set – although we can more than forgive that fact, given the wild sound of the music! The record's got an approach that may well be the definition of psych if you were to look for a musical reference – lots of fuzzy guitar, some nice tripped-out moments, and a sinister bassline that oozes sex and spookiness – definitely a lot more dangerous than most of the music you'd find on the radio at the time! Vocals are nicely offbeat – and titles include "I've A Zebra She Can Fly", "Love Supreme Deal", "Girl From Nowhere", "Flora's Holyday", and "Electric Buddah".

A nicely grooving set to start the 80s by The Waters – an underappreciated 2-man, 2-woman LA vocal group who did a considerable amount of backup vocals in the studio scene of the late 70s – and this is easily their best record! It's got some of the best arrangements the group ever received – and it's also got a smooth modern soul style that's similar to some of Wayne Henderson's work on Fantasy Records, mixed with some of the smooth jazz funk that was coming out on Arista at the time. An overlooked gem! Titles include "I Can Make You Smile", "Throw A Little Bit Of Love My Way", "Come To Me", "Dance With Me", "Heart Lead The Way", "Let Him Prove It", and "Party People".

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis.

Smooth and soulful club from the mighty Capitol Records – one of the few major labels to really understand a groove at the end of the 70s! The 2CD package is a wonderful tribute to the hipper soul coming out of Capitol at the time – a set that features some hits, some album tracks, and a fair bit of rarities that we've never seen on CD before – some lesser-known club cuts that sit beautifully here next to the bigger names in the collection. But big or small, the artists here are all pretty darn great – much more soul artists heading for the clubs in the late 70s than quickie disco acts just looking for a buck. The collection features 31 tracks in all – including a few non-Capitol cuts – with tracks that include "A Little Bit Of Love" by Gentle Persuasion, "Expressway To Your Heart" by Margo Thunder, "Sophisticated Lady" by Natalie Cole, "Windstorm" by Gloria Jones, "One Thing On My Mind" by Evie Sands, "Surrender" by Barrett Strong, "Do It Good" by Taste Of Honey, "I'm Back For More" by Tavares, "Save Your Love For Me" by Donna Washington, "Conscience" by Sun, "Party In Me" by Gene Dunlap, "Our Love Is Insane" by Desmond Child, "I'm Going Through Changes Now" by Brown Sugar, "Southern Girl (live)" by Maze, "Adventures In Paradise" by Minnie Riperton, "Man Up In The Sky" by Barrett Strong, "Positive Forces" by Tavares, "Sixty Thrills A Minute" by Mystic Merlin, "Street Corner" by Ashford & Simpson, "We All Need Love" by Troiano, "Annie Mae" by Natalie Cole, "Don't Tie Me Down" by Brown Sugar, and "Ooh Child" by Charles Jackson.

Legendary work from Goldwax Records – pulled from a stretch when the Memphis imprint was really going strong! By the time of these tracks, Goldwax was really coming into their own – picking up some of the best soul currents of the Memphis scene – and rivaling the Stax/Volt powerhouse in terms of quality – especially on the deep soul tracks that Goldwax seemed to do better than anyone else! This 2CD package is a wonderful overview of these golden years for the label – and it features every single single, both a and b-sides intact – presented with detailed notes on each release. Some of the work is the stuff of Memphis soul legend – mixed in with some more unusual, lesser-known bits from the scene – including a few rock, blues, and country numbers as well. 54 tracks in all – with titles that include "Anything You Do Is Alright" by Spencer Wiggins, "Don't You Believe Him" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "Cry Me A Hand Full" by The Terrys, "Say You Need It" by Barbara Perry, "Lovable Girl" by James Carr, "When You Look In The Mirror" by Eddie Jefferson, "What Time Ye Got" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "Little Things" by Jeannie Newman, "Forgetting You" by James Carr, "Hello Daughter" by Leroy Daniel, "I Can't Forget You" by The Yo Yos, "Good Times" by George & Greer, "Walking Out On You" by Spencer Wiggins, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "Liquid Mood" by Timmy Thomas, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "Me & My Imagination" by The Ovations, and "The Wife Of The Life Of The Party" by Kathy Davis.

Soulful luxury at a mighty nice price – 3CDs and 35 tracks of music from both the contemporary underground, and back in the day! The package is one of the best so far in this annual series – and like the others, it has a great way of turning up unusual numbers we might have missed otherwise – some subtle gems and overlooked sleepers, which makes the package as much of a place for new discovery as it is a musical bargain. Titles include "So Inspired" by Big Brooklyn Red, "Suddenly" by Adriana Evans, "On The Rebound" by Dave Appell & Friends, "When I Think Of You" by Holloway & John Whitehead, "Rise" by Beggar & Co, "Someday We'll All Be Free (Yam Who rmx)" by Diplomats Of Soul, "Just Like Me" by Junk Funk, "Major Bossa" by Khari Simmons, "Loving You" by Soul Talk, "Believe" by Lady Alma, "Blown Away" by Kevin Leo, "Time For The Party" by Sheree Brown, "Taste of Your Love" by Valentine Brothers, and "Dime" by Kloud 9.