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Always-great work from lovely French singer Claudine Longet – a vocalist with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of! This one's another sublime blend of French 60s pop and sunny A&M production – arranged to perfection by the great Nick DeCaro, with touches that deepen... read more

One of the best albums ever by LTD – featuring some wonderful early vocals by Jeffery Osborne, and stellar production by the team of Larry and Fonce Mizell! The Mizell Brothers sound a lot different here than they do on their Blue Note work – more deeply soulful, with a sound that's... read more

Jeffrey Osborne's really emerging strongly here in the mellow soul mode – especially on the album's two great ballad cuts, "Concentrate On You" and "We Both Deserve Each Other", both of which are smooth mellow steppers with a modern soul approach that's slightly less... read more

A cool promo-only radio record – one that features tracks from LTD's earlier albums on A&M, mixed with interview bits and dialogue – more than enough to act as a special radio show in itself! The album is divided up into five banded segments, each with a few songs, interviews with... read more

Freaky spandex and a mighty nice groove – a record that sounds a lot better than you might guess from the group's outfits on the cover! Magic Lady are a trio of funky females – grooving in a style that's a bit like the Brides Of Funkenstein, but a lot more stripped-down – an 80s-t... read more

Quite different than most of Letta's other albums – with a smooth approach that's got a strong modern soul feel, one that works surprisingly well with Letta's vocals. Paul Riser handled the string and horn arrangements, and although the album's not as "authentic" as some of Letta's... read more

A creative highpoint for The Mekons – even if too few were listening at the time! The greatest curse The Mekons have to deal with is their relative obscurity, outside of underground rock aficionados – and if you don't require the fieriness of their punkier earlier albums, we can't... read more

One of our favorite albums by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – a perfect bridge between the simple pop of earlier records, and the group's expanding sound as the 70s approached! The warmly glowing Brasil 66 style is still very strongly in place, but the music here is all a bit hipper –... read more

The start of a legend – and the very first album by Sergio Mendes' Brasil 66 group, proudly brought to the world through the godlike talents of a young Herb Alpert! Sergio was no stranger to the recording studio by the time of this set, but the record marked a real shift in his music –... read more

The start of a legend – and the very first album by Sergio Mendes' Brasil 66 group, proudly brought to the world through the godlike talents of a young Herb Alpert! Sergio was no stranger to the recording studio by the time of this set, but the record marked a real shift in his music –... read more

Dreamy bossa pop from the A&M studios of the 60s – the Brasil 66 sound at its best! The style here is a perfect blend of real Brazilian influences and some of the hipper styles bubbling in the LA studio scene of the time – all locked together perfectly by Sergio Mendes, in the twin-... read more

A real classic from Sergio Mendes – probably most famous for its funky bits! The record pushes past the formula of the earlier Brasil 66 albums, and goes for a more sophisticated approach that adds in some sweet electric moments, more complicated grooves, and an overall sound that's even... read more

A beautiful Japanese package – featuring A&M material, but in a completely unique cover, with lavish production!... read more

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Fantastically sweet pop from Chris Montez! Chris had a light little voice that was perfect for the A&M Records approach of the 60s – a style that has him singing gently over arrangements that glide and bounce around with ease, sometimes handled by Herb Alpert, in a breezy sunny LA mode... read more

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Mindblowing! This is when Wes Montgomery really starts to get interesting to us – when he's working with a top-line arranger like Don Sebesky, crafting some incredibly compelling chords over lightly jazzy arrangements and soaring strings, in a whole new mode of expression that would go onto... read more

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Late work from Wes – recorded in the sublime CTI format that was really breaking down boundaries at the end of his career! Don Sebesky scored these great backings for the set – jazzy and easily swinging, featuring players like Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Grady Tate, Ray Barretto, Stan... read more

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Sweet pop and soft rock from one of the greatest songwriting teams ever! Roger Nichols and Paul Williams may not be as familiar to you as Bacharach & David – or at least not as familiar as Paul Williams himself – but during the late 60s and early 70s, the pair emerged from the... read more

Incredible work from the songwriting team of Roger Nichols & Paul Williams – sublime greatness from the end of the 60s era at A&M! At the time of these recordings, Nichols had just finished cutting his landmark Small Circle of Friends album for A&M – and Paul Williams was... read more

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The overlooked collaboration between Human League singer Philip Oakey and producer Giorgio Moroder! The duo initially worked together on the outstanding "Together In Electric Dreams" single – a surprise hit from Moroder's soundtrack for a forgettable movie – and given The... read more

Was there a more tragic figure in the 60s scene than Phil Ochs? Perhaps, but this is still a wonderful piece of his odd and sad career, a great portrait with his unrelenting political stance still in place, though not as raw as some of his other LPs. More arranged than any of his other LPs, but... read more

Titles include "We Belong To Love", "Soweto", "You Should Be Mine", "Emotional", "A Second Chance", and "Love's Not Ready".... read more

A seminal bit of crossover gospel! Titles include "Power", "The Son Will Come Again", "I See The Light", "You Can't Be Livin", and "Have You Heard The Word".... read more

Unlike a lot of the group's other records from the early 70s – most of which are all-acapella – this one features the group's rich harmony vocals backed by some heavier funk arrangements. Far from wrecking their sound, this approach actually makes them sound a lot better – and... read more

Not as completely sublime as some of Phillips' other records from the 70s, but with some jazzy touches that takes it past the hippy folk sound, into the farther reaches of the cosmic soul universe. Includes the jazzy instrumental "Planscape", which has a heavy fusion groove – plus... read more

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Titles include "Driven To Tears", "Man In A Suitcase", "Shadows In The Rain", "Voices Inside My Head", "Bombs Away", and "Don't Stand So Close To Me".... read more

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Billy Preston right in the middle of a classic 70s run – hitting a trademark blend of soul, jazz, and other groovy influences – all with a sound that's very much his own, and which puts him in the same company as Sly Stone or Stevie Wonder! Preston's market was a bit more mainstream... read more

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One of the strongest albums by Rockie Robbins – and they're all pretty darn great – thanks to some sweet production and arrangements from the team of Skip Scarborough and Jerry Peters! Skip and Jerry bring a nice sense of smoothness to Rockie's Chicago-forged sound – expanding... read more

Great work from the wonderful Rockie Robbins – a smooth soul singer who cut some great sides at the start of the 80s, but who hardly ever gets his due! Bobby Martin's working with Rockie on this effort – giving the set that warmly gliding mode that made Martin's productions some of the... read more

Arranged by Mort Garson – with tracks that include "Child Of Clay", "Today", "Turnaround", "The Lovers", "You Pass Me By", and "My Love Is A Wanderer".... read more

The landmark first album from The Sandpipers – a set that not only sent big ripples through 60s pop in general, but which also really transformed the sound of male harmony groups at the time! The trio have a great way of mixing together jazz harmonies learned in the generation of the Four... read more

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A lesser-known gem from The Sandpipers, and a record that really lives up to the "softly" in the title! There's a slight undercurrent of folk on some of the tunes here – bits of jangly acoustic guitar under the trio's harmony vocals – often with an undercurrent of darkness... read more

Sweet folksy pop from the glory days of A&M! Evie has a voice that's emotive in a folk rock way, but which is here produced with smoother west coast arrangements that are more in an LA mode. The overall sound of the album is very hip – with that cool late 60s approach that never gets... read more

A nice one by Tom Scott! He's veering here towards the more tightly produced sound of later years, but the overall feel is still quite nice – and the record has some good funky moments, and players like Howard Roberts, Emil Richards, and Mike Wofford really make the session cook with a... read more

Jazzy soul from Seawind – breezing along with all the tight finish of their earlier work, heading towards more modern soul territory than before, but still retaining all the fusion grooves that inform their roots – kind of in a summation of the breezy style of the Hawaiian scene of the... read more

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Pure mainstream 70s pop genius – and the most fully formed of all early Supertramp albums! The set's a masterpiece from start to finish – filled with themes of loss and loneliness, but served up by the group with an incredibly redemptive sense of majesty and power. The keyboards on... read more

The early 70s glam masterpiece from T Rex – setting the standard for the sounds to come – and pop landmark status aside, it's probably the best album Bolan, Mickey Finn and the group ever cut! On Electric Warrior, T Rex resurrects the primitive spirit of the seediest rock of their... read more

An incredible album by the Tamba 4 – one of 2 albums the Brazilian bossa combo did in the US for A&M Records, during the brief time when they were expanded to a quartet from the original Tamba Trio lineup! The set is completely sublime – a wonderful mix of the group's trademark... read more

Beautiful stuff – and a record we never tire of hearing! This album's a sublime extension of the earlier Brazilian style of the Tamba Trio – in a set that has them adding a fourth member, and picking up some cool new sounds from producer Creed Taylor! The set brings the group's... read more

Beautiful stuff – and a record we never tire of hearing! This album's a sublime extension of the earlier Brazilian style of the Tamba Trio – in a set that has them adding a fourth member, and picking up some cool new sounds from producer Creed Taylor! The set brings the group's... read more

The early 80s debut from singer, songwriter Gary Taylor – also playing Rhodes, piano and synth on this set – filled with nicely grooving 80s soul! The songs are solid, and though he'd go on to write songs for a number of soul and R&B stars, he lets these numbers build slowly into... read more

A great little solo set from Jean Terrell – a singer who's probably best known for her work as the leader of The Supremes after Diana Ross left the group, but who sounds even better here on her own! The album's still got the strong-voiced sound that Jean brought to her Motown years –... read more

A legendary pairing of two key 60s pop talents – the soulful sounds of Ike & Tina Turner, and the soaring production styles of Phil Spector! The album's quite different than some of the grittier Turner projects of the time – lots of full orchestrations and strings, mixed with the... read more

A legendary pairing of two key 60s pop talents – the soulful sounds of Ike & Tina Turner, and the soaring production styles of Phil Spector! The album's quite different than some of the grittier Turner projects of the time – lots of full orchestrations and strings, mixed with the... read more

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Excellent work from The Valentine Brothers – and a pretty big album for the group on A&M. The best tracks have a smooth modern soul sound – stepping along nicely at a catchy groove, with the Brothers' sweet harmonies interacting wonderfully, kind of in a late O'Jays mode, with a... read more

Wild wicked funky stuff, from the man who gave the world Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song, and his son Mario! Melvin's wearing cornrows and a shirt that says "Rated X By An All-White Jury" on the front – and the grooves on the album have the same sort of confrontational vibe. Doug... read more

A real classic from the 70s AM soft rock/soul scene – and a record that's surprisingly rewarding this many years later! Gino's working here in territory that's a bit similar to contemporaries like Paul Williams or Nick DeCaro – material that's well-penned, softly sung, and produced... read more

An amazing leap forward for the incredible Walter Wanderley – a record that has him mixing his earlier bossa groove with the wider vision of late 60s A&M/CTI – supported by an amazing cast of American and Brazilian artists! The vibe is wonderful from the very first note – a... read more

Titles include "Go For It", "First Timothy Six", "I Miss Your Kiss", "Do The Guitar", "Planet Funk", and "You Sexy Thing".... read more

Sublime sounds from We Five – and a record that really takes the group past the pop styles of their debut! There's some nicely sinister echoes of the San Francisco scene going on here – more electric guitar than previously, used in edgey ways – and this more "arch"... read more

Sublime sounds from We Five – and a record that really takes the group past the pop styles of their debut! There's some nicely sinister echoes of the San Francisco scene going on here – more electric guitar than previously, used in edgey ways – and this more "arch"... read more

Completely charming sounds from We Five – a second full length set for A&M Records, and one that really has the group growing past their simple folksy roots! There's a wonderful interplay of voices going on here – styles borrowed a bit from male/female jazz and soul vocal groups of... read more

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A classic set from this massively underrated singer/songwriter! Paul Williams was definitely at the height of his mainstream popularity by the time of this set – with endless appearances on countless TV shows, not to mention work in The Planet Of The Apes films – yet the record's got a... read more

Yes, that's right – THE Paul Williams: the short blonde guy who was a bit of a celebrity in the early 70s, showing up on countless variety and talk shows, and even making an appearance in the later Planet Of The Apes movies. Despite Williams' short stature and strange looks, he was actually... read more

Subtle sounds and gentle soul from Paul Williams – the wonderful singer/songwriter who cut some real gems for A&M Records in the early 70s! The album's filled with Williams' wonderful compositions – including a few penned with Roger Nichols – those great songs that other... read more

That's Paul Williams, lost amidst the whiteness of the cover – kind of fuzzy around the edges, just like the warm feelings in his music! The album's got all the best elements that Williams had to offer in the 70s – some incredible songs that are instantly more personal and more upfront... read more

A real gem from Paul Williams – the kind of well-penned, subtly-arranged record that marked his best work for A&M! Williams is getting a bit more confidence in his songwriting, yet also knows that he sounds best as a singer when he's got a slightly fragile feel – often recorded... read more

One of the weirdest, wildest moog albums you'll ever hear – an amazing collaboration between moogy maestro Mort Garson and "word man" Jacques Wilson! The album's an electronic fairy tale for the late 60s scene – a pretty scary little set at the heart, given all the analogue... read more

An electronic pop masterpiece! YMO's first US release, and their best LP of quirky techno pop, bubbling over with video game noise, synthesized beeps and a stew of futuristic noises all glued together with infectious rhythms. Includes "Computer Game (Theme From The Circus)", "Comput... read more

The sounds of The Beatles – completely transformed – as a handful of tunes by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, and a few by George Harrison too, are taken up by the A&M Records crew of the 60s and 70s! We're huge fans of A&M, as the label's always had a way of taking already-gr... read more

Includes performances by Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Country Joe McDonald, the Beach Boys, Merry Clayton, and Linda Ronstadt.... read more

A sublime selection of grooves from the legendary A&M Records – and a key document of the way the label helped shape the sound of Brazilian music in the 60s! Far more than any other American imprint, A&M had a key dedication to bringing Brazilian sounds to the US – not just... read more

Tracks include "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Viet Nam", "Time Will Tell", "I'm Gonna Use What I Got To Get What I Need", "Sitting In Limbo", "Many Rivers To Cross", "Wild World", "Come Into My Life", and "My... read more

Tracks include "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Viet Nam", "Time Will Tell", "I'm Gonna Use What I Got To Get What I Need", "Sitting In Limbo", "Many Rivers To Cross", "Wild World", "Come Into My Life", and "My... read more

A great little entry into a genre that got way too overdone and way too cluttered by the end of the 80s – but which was surprisingly fresh at the time of this initial release! The set pays tribute to the late Thelonious Monk, but does so by moving way past his modern jazz roots – and... read more