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The rare and originally Japanese-only Seven Waves album from electronic musician Suzanne Ciani – plus her even rarer Voices Of Packaged Souls from 12 years earlier – together in a single set from Bird/Finders Keepers! Seven Waves was originally issued in the early 80s, and composed on a host of instruments that no longer exist! It's got a spare, ethereal sound – with an electronic vibe that's right up there with some of the best German or French soundtrack albums of this nature from the time – kind of post-Cluster, post-Tangerine Dream material – with shorter tunes and a great melodic focus! Titles include "Sirens", "Love In The Waves", "Wind In The Sea", "Sailing Away", "Water Lullaby", and "Birth Of Venus". Voices Of Packaged Souls is one of the first-ever albums to feature the music of Suzanne Ciani – and one of the wildest, too! The set was originally pressed up in a tiny 50 copy run – as part of an art exhibit in Brussels to feature a sound sculpture collaboration between Ciani and another artist – filled with loads of weird, wild, offbeat electronics by Suzanne – including some cool processed vocal passages, and loads of spare, stark sounds that work together as a beautiful collage – moving from noise to notes to noise and back again! This is the first time the Voices Of Packaged Souls material has ever appeared on CD – and the titles include "Sound Of Heat", "Sound Of Wetness", "Sound Of Love Turning", "Sound Of A Lighted Window", "Sound Of A Dream Kissing", "And All Dreams Are Not For Sale" and many more.

With spoken word by William S Burroughs.

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.

The first ever retrospective of the late 60s & early 70s work of singer Willie Hobbs – a great mix of uptempo southern soul, slow cooking groovers, tender ballads and more – and Hobbs nails it on all fronts! Most of the singles were cut for Nashville labels– including Silver Fox, Seventy Seven, Sound Plus and others – with top notch production and song selections, when added to Willie's exceptional vocals, adds up to excellence that rivals the best soul of the period made anywhere. It includes some great stuff recorded at Fame in Muscle Shoals, with that sound well represented, plus a bunch of stellar Nashille recordings that range from gospel-tinged soul to funky beaters! 22 tracks: "Yes, My Goodness Yes", "The Game Of Love", "Where The Sweetness Lies", "Where Did I Go Wrong", "Do Your Own Thing", "Big Legged Woman", "Mr. Lovemaker", "Why Me", "Judge Of Hearts", "At The Dark End Of The Street", "(Please) Don't Let Me Done", "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", "Somebody Love Me" and more..

Stones Throw does it again – with a massive batch of older funk rarities that tops most of the rest on the market! Cold Heat is a follow-up to the label's smoking Funky 16 Corners set – and like that one, it's overflowing with great bits that have barely (or never) been heard by the rest of the world at large. Compiler Egon has gone through a range of rare singles, masters, and demos – and has come up with tunes that burn with a brightness that's undeniable. The grooves are all on the harder end of the James Brown Funky People side of the spectrum – and some tracks are by names that are finally getting their due, thanks to the work of Egon, Wax Poetics, and some of the other funky forces doing the good work over the past few years. In a way, the collection's a summation of some of the singles and reissues coming out through the Now Again/Stones Throw imprint – but it also features some other bits and alternate versions that are totally great! Titles include "Don't Go" by Aristocrats Organization, "Loaded To The Gills (edit)" by Michael Liggins & The Supersouls, "Mr Chicken (alternate)" by The Soul Seven, "Slipping Into Darkness" by Dayton Sidewinders, "James Brown Medley" by The Apollo Commanders, "Scorpio" by Kashmere Stage Band, "Sad Chicken" by Leroy & The Drivers, "Street Scene" by Leon Mitchinson, "Free Your Mind" by Amnesty, "The Thing" by Carleen & The Groovers, "Go For Yourself (edit)" by Kenny Smith & The Loveliters, and "The Stretch (edit)" by Detroit Sex Machines.

Top shelf southern soul from a great singer – a deep collection of singles by Charles Smith – who had a regional hit with "My Great Loss (Ashes To Ashes)" back in the day, and it's really everyone's great loss that he's not more widely regarded decades later! Smith recorded that great single and a handful of others for the Seventy Seven label in the early 70s, and without national distribution, it was tough to break Smith out bigger, but boy did he ever deliver well enough to deserve more! He really shines on the ballads, imbuing those with such a genuine depth of emotion, and his naturally expressive voice really brings out the best elements of some great songs. It's tried and true southern soul, very much in the spirit of other Muscle Shoals recordings of the time, along with Memphis and other cities. Smith was produced by Dewey Vandiver and many of the recordings were done at Quad City Sound, along with Fame and Muscle Shoals Sound. This excellent Soulscape CD collects the tracks from those singles, other recordings that weren't released at the time, plus a few alternate versions. Other tracks include, "Glad To Home", "I'm Useless", "Pull Me Out Of The Water", "Full Time Fool" (plus alternate version), "Two Pillows", "Walk Slow", "Reach That Mountain", "I Want To Love You", "It's Getting Harder To Get By" (plus alternate version), "Why Can't I Cry" (plus an alternate version), "The Only Time You Say You Love Me" and more. 19 tracks in all.