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Surprisingly nice work! Like the rest of Solomon's post-Atlantic LPs, this one has a sound that's different than his classic work, but which also exposes a whole new side of his talent, and range of vocals that didn't always show up for Atlantic. Solomon arranged and produced here, and the sound is mellow and a bit modern, but still with excellent southern soul touches. Most of the tracks are new, and are dedications to Martin Luther King Jr., who was the inspiration for the album. The stuff's a lot more political than most of Solomon's work, as you might guess by titles like "I Have A Dream", "Now Is The Time", "Social Change", and "Mountain Top".

One of our favorite albums ever from Solomon Burke – a great little set that draws on all of his deep soul roots for Atlantic, but also gets a little bit funky too! There's a growing maturity in Solomon's music here that we really love – a quality that gets past the churchy cliches, and starts to explore some of the new territory opening up to soul artists at the end of the 60s – influences from all points south, wrapped up in a slightly tighter New York presentation. Titles include Solomon's great version of the hard break classic "Get Out Of My Life, Woman", an amazing remake of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and the tracks "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "Meet Me In Church", "Since I Met You Baby", "Shame On Me", "Why Why Why", and "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye".

Seminal sounds from Solomon Burke – and a record that already has the young singer hitting the full heights of his greatness! There's a vibe here that's unlike anything else – even any of Burke's heavy-hitting contemporaries on Atlantic Records – and the album's key proof that Solomon's easily one of the greatest soul singers who ever lived! His vocals have roots that go very deep, but the strength of his vocals also help bring a new focus to 60s soul as well – a raw power that so many others would try to emulate, yet maybe never hit as well as Burke. A number of cuts here are great originals penned by Solomon, and every number's a gem – with titles that include "Stupidity", "Words", "If You Need Me", "Home In Your Heart", "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying", "I Really Don't Want To Know", and "Send Me Some Loving".

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!

Genius work from Solomon Burke – the kind of all-out, no-nonsense soul album that made Atlantic Records one of the strongest forces in the genre during the 60s! If you've ever bought one of Solomon's weaker recent albums, you owe it to yourself to check this one out – as it's a brilliant batch of tunes, 12 in all, with not a dud in the lot! The vocals are incredible, production is sublime, and the style is a teetering blend of country, gospel, R&B, and soul – never duplicated so well again on wax. Titles include "Can't Nobody Love You", "Goodbye Baby", "Cry To Me", "If You Need Me", "Just Out Of Reach", "You're Good For Me", "Someone To Love Me", and the incredible "He'll Have To Go".

Way more than just a greatest hits album from Solomon Burke – as the set's the only album appearance of most of his key early singles – making the whole thing pack the same punch as his other full-length records for Atlantic! Plus, given that although Burke's music was great, it never got the same radio play as some of his bigger contemporaries – these aren't really hits, so much as seminal 60s soul tunes that went onto form the blueprint for countless other acts to come – both in the north and the south! Burke really draws on his deep gospel roots here – and knocks it out of the park with every number – killer material that we'd take any day against even a pile of his albums from later years. Every track's a winner – and titles include "Down In The Valley", "Cry To Me", "Just Out Of Reach", "Keep The Magic Working", "Looking For My Baby", "How Many Times", "Baby", and "Be Bop Grandma".

Genius work from Solomon Burke – the kind of all-out, no-nonsense soul album that made Atlantic Records one of the strongest forces in the genre during the 60s! If you've ever bought one of Solomon's weaker recent albums, you owe it to yourself to check this one out – as it's a brilliant batch of tunes, 12 in all, with not a dud in the lot! The vocals are incredible, production is sublime, and the style is a teetering blend of country, gospel, R&B, and soul – never duplicated so well again on wax. Titles include "Can't Nobody Love You", "Goodbye Baby", "Cry To Me", "If You Need Me", "Just Out Of Reach", "You're Good For Me", "Someone To Love Me", and the incredible "He'll Have To Go".

Denise Sullivan's history of Black Power and a broader look at the marriage of music and social change – from blues to hip hop! Crawdaddy columnist Sullivan features interviews with John Sinclair, Yoko Ono, Richie Havens, Solomon Burke, Phranc, Wayne Kramer, Len Chandler, Michael Franti and others. Paperback, 248 pages.

An excellent batch of 25 groovers, all hand-picked from the Atlantic soul catalog with a selection that moves waaaaay past the big ol' hits! This is the kind of stuff that we die to find on funky 45s – only if we're lucky! Titles include "Walking Up A One Way Street" by Willie Tee, "At The Club" by The Drifters, "It Ain't What You Got" by Jimmy Hughes, "Help Me Get The Feeling" by Ray Sharpe, "Some Other Guy" by Richie Barrett, "I'm Gonna Run Away From You" by Tami Lynn, "Que Sera Sera" by The High Keys, "Keep Lookin" by Solomon Burke, and the amazing "Some Kind Of Wonderful" by Soul Brothers Six, a monster track that is worth the price of the CD alone!

A stellar collection of country soul by many of the greatest voices of any strain of soul music – Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips, Al Green, Bettye Swann, Percy Sledge, Little Milton, Candi Stanton and many more! A healthy portion of the material comes from the late 60s and early 70s – recordings that bring a depth of genuine soul to songs written or popularized by artists more often associated with the country charts. That said, it's soul music all the way – showing both the dexterity of these great soul singers and the adaptability of the such great songs. Includes "Detroit City" by Arthur Alexander, "He'll Have To Go" by Solomon Burke, "Take Time To Know Her" by Percy Sledge, "I Saw Me" by Esther Phillips, "Hangin' On" by Ann Peebles, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Al Green, "Behind Closed Doors" by Little Milton, "Set Me Free" by Clarence Carter, "Yours, Love" by Joe Simon, "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" by Brook Benton and more.

Possibly the best-ever collection of blacksploitation grooves we've ever seen – a really comprehensive package that not only manages to cover the classics, but which also digs deep enough to come up with lots of fresh bits too! The set really sets a new level for the Soul Jazz label – and is carried off with enough authority towards Black Action films as the label's legendary efforts towards a host of less mainstream genres – truly an achievement for the label's crew, not to mention a heavier bonus for our funky listening pleasure! There's way more here than just a slapped-together batch of tunes from the early 70s – as the set's very carefully put together to showcase a wide range of sounds, along with notes that really get at the social and political power of both the music and the films. 2CD package features a massive color booklet inside the slipcase – and features 34 tracks that include "Shaft In Africa" by Johnny Pate, "Down & Out In New York City" by James Brown, "Wilford's Gone" by The Blackbyrds, "Run Fay Run" by Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Black Belt Jones" by Dennis Coffey, "Willie Chase" by JJ Johnson, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Charley" by Don Costa, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch, "Blacula" by Gene Page, "Theme From Cleopatra Jones" by Joe Simon, "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile" by Isaac Hayes, "Sweetback's Theme" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Aragon" by Roy Ayers, "Strung Out" by Gordon Staples, "Easin In" by Edwin Starr, "The Bus" by Solomon Burke & Gene Page, "Make A Resolution" by The Impressions, "Ed & Digger" by Cotton Comes To Harlem, "Las Vegas Strut" by Jack Ashford, "Lay It On Your Head" by Don Julian, and "Zombie March" by Nat Dove & The Devils.

A vital collection of some of the best songs written, or co-written by Otis Blackwell – who's one of the greatest and most adaptable songwriters of the late 50s onward! His songs were perfectly suited to bridge late 50s and early 60s soul, rock and pop – especially for performers who straddled those styles – but his work reaches pretty far, stylistically! If you don't know the name Otis Blackwell, we promise you know his songs – and some of the best of them are on this set – with some hugely famous tunes, some in iconic form, and others in lesser-known versions. There's also some overlooked gems – and the titles include "Make Me Know It" by Elvis, "Don't Be Cruel" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "My Pigeon's Gone" by The Five Keys, "For My Good Fortune" by Mahalia Jackson, "I'll Find You" by Gene Pitney, "Brace Yourself" by Ben E King, "I Told Myself A Lie" by Clyde McPhatter, "Home In Your Heart" by Solomon Burke, "Handy Man" by Del Shannon, Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott's 1962 demo for "One Broken Heart For Sale", "Fever" by Little Willie John and more.

Includes Solomon Burke's "Hold On I'm Coming ", "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd, "Get Up Off A That Funk", "Funky Chicken" and "If There Were No Music" by Rufus Thomas, "Ya Ya" and "Working In A Coalmine" by Lee Dorsey, and much more to get your soul party started.

A treasure trove of wonderful tunes – all written by the legendary southern soul team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham! The pair rarely entered the spotlight themselves, but contributed countless compositions that helped forge the sound of southern soul in the 60s – classic tunes that made the music of Memphis and Muscle Shoals even more mighty than anyone might have expected – thanks to a depth of feeling, sensitivity of emotion, and a trademark undercurrent of sadness that really helped the music set a new level at the time! This collection is the first to really do justice to the full range of the Penn/Oldham catalog – a beautiful batch of soul singles from a variety of different 60s labels – laid out back to back, in a breathtaking tapestry of soulful music. Titles include "Feed The Flame" by Ted Taylor, "Take Me" by Solomon Burke, "I'm Your Puppet" by Dionne Warwick, "Out Of Left Field" by Percy Sledge, "Cry Like A Baby" by Arthur Alexander, "It Tears Me Up" by Jeanne Newman, "I Met Her In Church" by Tony Borders, "I Need Someone" by The Wallace Brothers, "In The Same Old Way" by Arthur Conley, "Let It Happen" by James Carr, "Are You Never Coming Home" by Sandy Posey, and "I Worship The Ground You Walk On" by Etta James.

Pretty darn great work from OC Smith – on of his biggest albums for Columbia! OC's working in a country soul mode that draws on a tradition shared by Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, Ray Charles, and others – turning the genre towards a more pop-driven version of country, the kind that was creeping into the crossover charts at the end of the 60s. The style's one that might have you suspicious, but it comes off surprisingly well – thanks to arrangements by the always-great HB Barnum, the man who brought a syncopated groove to some of Lou Rawls' best work in the late 60s – his Capitol sides with David Axelrod! The feel here is a bit rootsier, but still has that nice Barnum bounce underneath – and titles include "Wichita Lineman", "I Ain't The Worryin' Kind", "The Best Man", "Stormy", "Cycles", "Keep On Keepin On", "Isn't It Lonely Together", and "Promises".

Early work by Wilson – recorded before his years at Atlantic, for Lloyd Price's short-lived Double L label! The album's got a New York hard soul approach – with styles that might have been used by Ben E King or Solomon Burke, depending on the track – and the overall quality of the album is very high, although in a very different mode than Wilson's later work. Titles include "Peacebreaker", "RB Special", "Baby Don't You Weep", "If You Need Me", "I Can't Stop", and "Baby Call On Me".

A nice compilation on the Cotillion subsidiary of Atlantic collecting spiritual soul tracks and gospel numbers performed by R&B artists from the late 60s. 11 numbers in all: "Let It Be" by Aretha Franklin, "Steal Away" and "Lord Pity Us All" by Wilson Pickett, "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)" by Solomon Burke, "I Told Jesus" by Roberta Flack, "Down By The River Side" and "Without A Doubt" by the Sweet Inspirations, "Heaven Help Us All" by Brook Benton, "God Gave Me A Song" by Myrna Summers & The Interdenominational Singers, and "Milky White Way" and "People Got To Be Free" by Marion Williams.

Heavy funk, deep soul, and lots lots more – an amazing testament to the songwriting skills of New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint! Allen was a heck of a singer on his own – but he also worked plenty behind the scenes in the 60s and 70s – lending his tunes to many others, and producing a good number of recordings as well – some of the best of which are featured in this sweet little set! The package features two dozen smoking tunes from the pen of Toussaint – songs that are heavy on influences from New Orleans soul and funk – already sounding great in the hands of other soul singers in the collection, and really helping transform the style of other artists in ways you might not expect. The whole thing's got the same righteous vibe as Allen's best records from the 70s – and titles include "I'll Be Rolling" by Millie Jackson, "Hercules" by Boz Scaggs, "Occapella" by Lee Dorsey, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by Solomon Burke, "Sweet Touch Of Love" by Irma Thomas, "Sneakin Sally Thru The Alley" by Robert Palmer, "What Do You Want The Girl To Do" by Lowell George, "Shoo Rah" by Frankie Miller, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "Freedom For The Stallion" by Bill Medley, "Whoever's Thrilling You" by ZZ Hill, "Tampin" by The Rhine Oaks, "A Certain Girl" by Warren Zevon, and even "Southern Nights" by Glen Campell.

A well-done look at the legendary Ahmet Ertegun – founder of the equally legendary Atlantic Records, and a key force in popular music during the 20th Century! The DVD features rare clips, classic performances, and other great visuals – with appearances from Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, David Geffen, Robert Plant, Leiber & Stoller, Chris Blackwell, Jerry Wexler, and Ertegun himself. Narration is by Bette Midler – but hey, what are you gonna do?