All Categories — LPs  

Includes "Here Comes The Break", "Dopest Verse", "Ph*ck What Ya Hear" & "Check It Out" which has got Tash & King Tee guesting on it. 9 tracks plus a bunch of the obligatory interludes & so forth.

Beautiful Persian pop from Faegheh Atashin, aka Googoosh (alternately, Gougoush)– and like some of the best, adventurous pop music from around the world at the the time, it's steeped in myriad styles – from emotionally string-laden to funky and danceable! Googoosh is a genuine cultural icon in the realm of period Iranian pop music, but even with that status, some of her most amazing music is stunningly rare. Finders Keepers focuses a bit on the rare stuff for this incredible set – all from the early to med 70s – and it's one of their best ever releases. We don't speak the language, but there's no mistaking the genuine soul at the center of the songs. Really great stuff! Includes "Shekayat", "Talagh", "Mano Tou", "Pishkesh", "Mano Gonjishkaye Khooneh", "Digeh Geryeh Delo Van Menikoneh", "Gharibe Ashena" and more.

Heavy funk from the Mexican scene of the early 70s – a great little combo that blends together equal parts soul, rock, and jazz! Grupo Oz are clearly influenced by some of the jazzier groups going down on the west coast Latin scene of the time – and like many of those groups, they also bring in a good deal of heavy guitar as well – riffing along with the funky rhythms of the tracks in a heady Chicano brew! There's plenty of jamming on the set, but the main focus is on the rhythms – really rumbling around at the bottom end of the bass range, and topped by some tasty horns and the occasional soulful English language vocal! The best cuts almost get into a tripped-out groove, thanks to the album's fuzzy guitar – and titles include "Miss Thing", "Sneak", "ACG Groove", "Fly", "Oz Machine", "Robin's Song" and "A New Day".

A really unique little record from Herbie Hancock – one that's almost completely improvised over Latin percussion! The setup is quite spare – and quite different than Herbie's other Blue Note work – and the group features improvised backgrounds by bassist Paul Chambers and 2 Latin percussionists, Willie Bobo and Osvaldo "Chihuahau" Martinez. Herbie only wrote simple sketches for the songs on the album, and most of the work on the tracks was done live, spontaneously, in the studio – creating a very free groove that never goes too far out, but which is far more adventurous than usual. All tracks are long, and titles include "Succotash", "Triangle", and "Mimosa".

Very cool session recorded in the 60's, and also issued under the title Dimensions & Extensions. Herbie Hancock and Paul Chambers team up with Latin percussionists Willie Bobo and Osvaldo "Chihuahau" Martinez for a set of long improvised tracks in which Herbie states a basic line, and the other players join in spontaneously. The record's got a sound that's unlike most other Blue Notes from the time, with a very free groove that never goes too far out, but which is far more adventurous than usual. All tracks are long, and titles include "Succotash", "Triangle", and "Mimosa".

The third album in Margie Joseph's early 70s run for Atlantic Records – and like the rest, a batch of super-tight tunes arranged and produced by Arif Mardin – done with the same sense of sophisticated soul he was bringing to the work of Aretha Franklin at the time! Margie's nicely a bit more laidback than Aretha, though – not nearly as cliched at times, and capable of hanging onto her southern roots, even in a fuller setting. Many numbers feature backing vocals – by singers who include Donny Hathaway, Cissy Houston, and Tasha Thomas – but Joseph is right out front on all numbers, singing strongly in the lead, yet without any too-diva sort of tendencies! Titles include a nice version of Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh", plus "Stay Still", "Just As Soon As The Feeling's Over", "Sign Of the Times", and "Promise Me Your Love".

Nice little soundtrack for this obscure thriller starring Sean Connery. Michael Kamen (ex-New York Rock & Roll Ensemble) lays down some groovy tracks with a good 70's crime/thriller feel. Some tracks are more orchestral, but there's some nice moments with a good bass-y feel. Titles include "Irish Drive", "Magic City", "Baxter Bus", "Beach Scene", and "Stay With Me", which has vocals by Tasha Thomas.

A pretty killer slab of heavily-thumping early 70s rock from Megaton – a group with a Sabbath-like and a sound that definitely matches it – plus a surprising bit of bluesy heat in the mix! The album's got an impressive sound, somewhat in the vein of Free – and like Free, the vocalist seems to have a secret stash of bluesy soul records underneath his bed – as well as other contraband! There's some pretty shameless riffs on Zep and other hard rockers of the era – and that actually kind of adds the seedy charm of the record. Tracks include "Out Of Your Own Little World", "Niagara", "Wanna Be A Hero", "Coo Cooki Choo", "Woman I'm Gonna Make You Mine", "Life Was Easy Yesterday", and "Tomorrow Never Comes My Way".

One of the last great funk albums from King Records – a set recorded in the early 70s, but done with a crackling sharp sound that's like the best late 60s James Brown albums for the label! Mickey Murray is from Augusta, GA – James Brown's hometown – and his approach is similar to James' at times, but it's also got more of a southern funk groove too – a bit like the great combination you'll hear in Lee Fields' music, which is a perfect fit for the album's raw, rootsy production! The record includes a great funky cut called "The Buzzard", plus other nice ones like "Explosive Population", "People Are Together", "Going Back To Alabama", "Fat Gal", and "I Wanna See My Baby".

Early work from a group who later grew into the famous Ikenga Super Stars Of Africa – recording here in London with a great raw sound – and an unusual mix of modes that's part Afro Funk, part something else entirely! The set's got that unique post-colonial vibe of some of the other great London recordings of the early 70s – such as work by Cymande or Demon Fuzz, both of whom have some dubby similarities to the Nkengas work on this set – possibly because the whole thing was served up for the Orbitone Records label – usually a home to sounds from Jamaica! There's a nice use of echo that really abstracts the basslines and percussion – although the grooves themselves are still more straightforward than any from Kingston at the time – and definitely echo the Nigerian roots of the group. Tracks have a lot of cool little funky corners and sharp edges that really set them apart – and titles include "London Special", "Ndu Bu Isi", "Anyi Bundi Igbo", "Jungle Beat", "Anyi Buofu", and "Ube Frank Special".

Unreleased live material – recorded in New Jersey in 1950 with an unknown group; in New York in 1953 with Charles Mingus on bass, Bud Powell on piano, and Candido on congas; and at the Hi Hat in Boston in 1954 with Herb Pomeroy on trumpet.

Driving rhythms, heavy percussion, funk and psychedelia filtered through native Haitian and more Caribbean-inflected music - the great Respect LP by the Tabou Combo de Petion-Ville! The handful of records we've been lucky enough to hear over the years by the group have all been exceptional – and this may very well be the best of them! The dexterity of the musicians – the exciting percussion backdrop and these spindly, swirling and hypnotic electric guitars are especially impressive – but everything's really, really great. There are impassioned lead vocals and sweet group backup, some accordion and more instrumentation – with songs that balance moving melodies with some surprisingly tripped out bits of echo and other atmospherics. Titles include "Respect", "Minouche", "Maria", "Alle Lave", "Ti Gran Mou'n", "Bebe Paramount", "Plus Pres De Toi" and "Compas Popcorn".

They're not kidding with the name of this group – because the set's a masterpiece of 70s Afro Funk – totally great all the way through! The combo has African origins, but they're recording here in London – which makes for a really wonderful criss-crossing of cultural modes – the same sort of heavy, dark-tinged groups you'd hear from Cymande or Demon Fuzz – both of whom are a great comparison to the sound of this group! Bass is very heavy in the mix – not dubby, but really rumbling right from the start of each tune – and helping to set up the complicated percussion patterns, fuzzy guitar bits, and nicely trippy vocals – all of which are recorded in just the right way to make the sum of the elements sound like way more than the parts. Titles include "Afro Funk", "Tei Egwu", "Hot Love", "Farewell To Ibusa", and "Try & Try".

A world of rhythmic, danceable sounds from George Danquah – the legendary Ghanaian guitarist, composer and bandleader who had earlier played and/or toured with Benya Beats, Blue Monks and Uhuru Dance Band and other brilliant groups – and this rare mid 70s set is the only album billed to Danquah that we've ever been lucky enough to hear! It's amazing stuff and covers broad stylistic terrain while holding together strongly. There's some fairly straight up, yet uniquely arranged Afro Funk & soul, some reggae inspired rhythms, percussion driven gems and strains of highlife. Danquah plays guitar and handles the conducting and arranging, backed by a core of trumpet, tenor sax, organ, bass, drums and conga – with some vocals, wah wah guitar and flute. Includes "Mbesiafo (Part One)", "African Reggae", "Just For A Moment", "Araba Soso Wo Ndzema", "Chain Of Love", "Why Worry – Let's Do 'Highlife'", "Mbesiafo (Part Two – Vocal)", "Mese Medo No" and "Onyame Sane".

A great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash".

A pivotal early 70s set of Peruvian Cumbia from Enrique Delgado and Los Destellos – the rare Constelacion LP from 1971 – a great album that's definitely in the more cosmic realm of the style! Guitarist Delgado was one of more creative forces in cumbia, credited as one of the first, if not THE first figures to bring electric guitar out into to the forefront of the sound. That's likely true, but the percussion is sharing the wheel! Even more impressive is the range of styles that so deftly blend with Peruvian rhythms on this album – from spindly, dexterous lead guitar to fuzzed out, surf and psych informed washes – paired masterfully with more traditional sounds. Includes "A Patricia", "Senorita", "El Corneta", "Constelacion", "Onsta La Yerbita", "Pasion Oriental", "Otro Ano", "La Cancion De Lily", "Pachanga Espanola", "Azuquita" and "La Aranita".

One of the last great funk albums from King Records – a set recorded in the early 70s, but done with a crackling sharp sound that's like the best late 60s James Brown albums for the label! Mickey Murray is from Augusta, GA – James Brown's hometown – and his approach is similar to James' at times, but it's also got more of a southern funk groove too – a bit like the great combination you'll hear in Lee Fields' music, which is a perfect fit for the album's raw, rootsy production! The record includes a great funky cut called "The Buzzard", plus other nice ones like "Explosive Population", "People Are Together", "Going Back To Alabama", "Fat Gal", and "I Wanna See My Baby".

One of the most ambitious albums on CTI – a very large project in which Don Sebesky seems to work with just about everyone else who recorded for the label! The Giant Box title is apt – as the record originally came packaged in a cardboard box – room enough to hold the 2 records that comprised it, all the long tunes on the set, and the huge array of cast who helped out on the project. Players include Sebesky on organ, piano, and electric piano – plus Baws, Joe Farrell, Paul Desmond, and many others. There's some sweet vocal backgrounds on the set – by Jackie & Roy, Lani Groves, and Tasha Thomas – and titles include "Vocalise", "Semi Tough", "Firebird/Birds Of Fire", "Free As A Bird", and "Song To A Seagul". Great stuff – with bits of funk, jazz, and ambitious arrangements – all filtered into the cool CTI sound!

A brilliant little album from Archie Shepp – material recorded on a variety of dates at the end of the 60s, but packaged together as an extremely soulful set in the mid 70s! There's a feel here that rivals some of the best moments of the Attica Blues years – a mix of spiritual soul jazz and bolder modern moments – reigned in nicely from the freer Shepp sound of a few years before, and given a really righteous focus by the addition of vocals on some tracks. Archie sings a bit himself, and one number features Leon Thomas singing with Tasha Thomas and Doris Troy – a very odd meeting in the studio! Players include Woody Shaw, Jimmy Owens, Dave Burrell, Grachan Moncur III, and Wally Richardson – and the tracks even get a bit funky at times! Titles include an excellent version of "New Africa", which was recorded later in Paris by Grachan Moncur III – plus "Back Back", "Spoo Pee Doo", "Slow Drag", and Cal Massey's "Bakai".

Early to mid 70s Persian Funk – a nicely compiled set featuring some of the funkiest music released on Iran's Ahang Rooz label from the early-to-mid 70s! It's got instrumental stormers and vocal numbers – in Farsi and English – funk and soul steeped Persian grooves from an incredible period for modern music in the Middle East! Ahang Rooz rose up during a much different period in Iran, when government's Ministry Of Culture nurtured the label and grew to release albums by the biggest acts in the region. From the outset, the label produced music that blended regional folk styles and instrumentation with globally popular genres. Secret Stash celebrates the funky stuff for Persian Funk – be it straight forward or global pop and psych infused. Includes a few great covers, include Martik's take on Stevie Wonder's "Past Time Paradise" and Googoosh's raw and funky version of "Respect" – and other tracks include "Cheshm Be Rah" by Shohreh, "Hard Groove" by Ahamaizadeh, "Soul Raga" by Mehrpouya, "Prison Song" by Shahram Shabpareh, "Del Dare Pir Misheh" by Kourosh Yaghmaei, "Morteza" by Morteza and more. 11 in all.

They're not kidding with the name of this group – because the set's a masterpiece of 70s Afro Funk – totally great all the way through! The combo has African origins, but they're recording here in London – which makes for a really wonderful criss-crossing of cultural modes – the same sort of heavy, dark-tinged groups you'd hear from Cymande or Demon Fuzz – both of whom are a great comparison to the sound of this group! Bass is very heavy in the mix – not dubby, but really rumbling right from the start of each tune – and helping to set up the complicated percussion patterns, fuzzy guitar bits, and nicely trippy vocals – all of which are recorded in just the right way to make the sum of the elements sound like way more than the parts. Titles include "Afro Funk", "Tei Egwu", "Hot Love", "Farewell To Ibusa", and "Try & Try".

A live recording of Charles Bobo Shaw's AACM inspired Human Arts Ensemble, then a quintet, breaking down into trios, with Shaw joined by Joseph Bowie on trombone and James Emery on electric guitar for this side. As with other recordings by the Human Arts, they explore free modes of playing over some more traditional rhythmic forms, with some nice grooves forming the base of a couple of the tracks. Five numbers in all "Sequence", "Tilburg Centre", "Ectodorph", "Ballad" and "Concere Natashiah".

Glorious and spirit shaking Gospel Funk – a selection of stellar singles from the House Of Beauty label – stirring with Goodness and infused strongly with secular soul and funk influences! The House Of Beauty label started in the basement of Carmen Murphy's Detroit beauty parlor, which became a rehearsal space for local gospel acts, and soon enough a pioneering local label for gospel and some secular vocal groups. By the mid 60s, HOB became a gospel subsidiary for Scepter Records in NYC and things started getting funky! This vinyl only set on Secret Stash includes a tight collection of singles that are steeped in funk, some in a slow cooking way and others more uptempo. The vocals are wonderful and spirited all the way, accompanied by guitar, drums, bass and organ on most tunes. Includes "Power Lord" by The Victory Travelers, "Play It By Ear" by Rev Milton Brunson, "Trouble All Around Me" and "Serve The Lord" by Southland Singers, "If You Think Your God Is Dead, Try Mine" by The Swan Silvertones, "New Testament" (plus a reprise) by The New Testament, "Working People" by Connie Pitts, ""Can't Find No Toher Love" by Messiahs Of Glory and more.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

A weird little record from the Nigerian scene of the 70s – much more laidback than you might expect, and a set with a definite Jamaican influence too! At times, some of these tracks are almost more reggae than Afro Funk – although at other points, there's definitely the fierce energy of some more familiar Nigerian music of the period – making for a really cool blend that sets this album strongly apart from most of its contemporaries! Production is great – not really dubby, but kind of spread-out – in ways that make the Afro-styled numbers really sparkle strongly – and which trips out some of the more Jamaican sounding grooves. Titles include "Papa's Black Dog", "Lahila", "Elizabeth", "Come Back Again", "My Home", and "Jahojah Comfort Me".