Some of the best soul to come out of the early 60s – and also some of the least known! Although Garnet's big hit "Cry Baby" does get its dues from time to time, just about every side he cut was a winner, and they all sparkled with his unusual mix of deep soul vocals and tight uptown production. This whopping 25-track CD is about the first time anyone in the US has given Garnet's work a showcase since it came out – and the track selection includes loads of his best tracks, like "A Quiet Place", "One Girl", "A Little Bit Of Soap", "Welcome Home", and the amazing "Thinkin", which is due to show up on a famous soundtrack sometime soon! CD

A classic compilation gets upgraded in a mighty nice way – as a huge tribute to the many years of soul and funk we've gotten from the Ace/Kent label in London! Back at the start of the 80s, the company was one of the first to properly repress rare American soul, and do it the right way – not only with top-shelf sound quality, but also a strong sense of history that has had us learning as much about 60s and 70s soul from their compilations as we've found ourselves loving the music! The original On The Soul Side album was one of the first Kent titles from the early years – but here, it's expanded to a whopping 26 titles, with great sound and detailed notes – all to present over two dozen tracks that really show the farther reaches of 60s soul beyond Motown and the big chart hits. Titles include "Boy Watcher" by Ginger Thompson, "Baby I Love You" by Jimmy Holiday, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, "Love & Desire" by Patrice Holloway, "A Lot Of Love" by Homer Banks, "It's What's Underneath That Counts" by June Jackson, "Point Of No Return" by Gene McDaniels, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" by Garnet Mimms, "The Record" by HB Barnum, "Love Is A Hurtin Thing" by Lou Rawls, "Nothing Left To Do But Cry" by Merry Clayton, "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love" by Marv Johnson, "What You Gonna Do" by Bobby Womack, "Nobody Treats You The Way I Do" by The Magnificent Men, "Gonna Fix You Good" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "What's A Matter Baby" by Timi Yuro, "Ready Willing & Able" by Jimmy Holiday & Clydie King, and "Trick Bag" by Earl King. CD

Excellent 70s soul from the great Ronnie Dyson – first famous as a singer in the original cast of Hair, but later a soul star in his own right, with a few massive hits that brought him big fame! The arrangements here are by Thom Bell, who gives Ronnie's vocals a fragile quality that works wonders, and by Jimmy Wisner, who hits a little bit more of a deep approach with Ronnie – and the tunes on the set are a strong example of the more sophisticated styles of east coast production during the 70s. Includes Ronnie's big hit "One Man Band", plus "I Don't Wanna Cry", "When You Get Right Down To It", "A Wednesday In Your Garden", "The Love Of A Woman", "Girl Don't Come", "Don't Be Afraid", "Fever", "Make It With You", "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You", "Give In To Love", "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", and "A Touch Of Baby". CD

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

Great group soul from the wonderful Brunswick Records – and a sweet selection that goes way beyond the hits and the bigger groups who recorded for the label! Sure, Brunswick is known for its big groups from Chicago – who were some of the best of their time – but the label also recorded a lot of up-and-comers who were totally great too – but who never got to put together a full album for the label! Lots of those groups are collected here – in a wonderful collection that's filled with soaring harmonies, deep soul leads, and some totally groovy arrangements that are in the best Brunswick ultra-hip style of the early 70s. Titles include "Chickens" by Complaments, "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & King Casuals, "Lonely Street" by The Admirations, "I'll Take You Just As You Come" by The Nialations, "Until You came Along" by The Visitors, "I Think I'll Cry Out Loud" by The Realistics, "The Sweetest Thing" by Channel 3, "Sing A Ling" by The Cooperettes, "Don't Fail Me Now" by The Symphonics, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Don't Take It Out On This World" by Adam's Apples, "Cowboys To Girls" by Jalynne Sound, "He's Got Your Number" by The Demures, and "Stay With Me Baby" by BW & The Next Edition. CD

Delroy Witter's the producer, a key underground talent on the London scene during those big years of homecrafted reggae records – and he gets help here from a range of wonderful singers who really bring out the most soulful currents of the lovers rock promised in the title! The set's a well-done selection of obscure singles that were all initially done by Witter with his Success Sound System – and tunes include some great later lovers rock remakes of American soul tracks, plus a few original numbers too. The set's overflowing with mellow stepping gems – including "Ooh Baby Baby" and "Just For Your Love" by Sonia Ferguson, "Mind Blowing Decisions" and "Tell Me Why" by Tyrone David, "Happiness Togetherness" by Cassandra, "I Do Love You" by Janet Kay, "Little Girl" and "Natural Woman" by Heptics, "Loving Time" by Jackie, and "Don't Cry" by Sugar Minott. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

A legendary album from the great Eddie Kendricks – a set that not only has the singer soaring on the kind of sublime old school vocal numbers he always did so well – but one that also has Eddie stepping out into some great dancefloor modes that would have a huge impact for years to come! Kendricks really scores big with the classic "Keep On Truckin" – a tune that's virtually the blueprint for boogie, and which is echoed here by a few other great numbers that really stand out – tunes that preface disco to come, but which also still bear a very strong link to the richest styles of Motown soul! Northern soul legend Frank Wilson had a great hand in the record – penning some of the best cuts, co-producing with Leonard Caston, and handling arrangements with Caston and James Carmichael – and in addition to "Keep On Truckin", other titles include "Darling Come Back Home", "Not On The Outside", "Any Day Now", "Where Do You Go (Baby)", "Each Day I Cry A Little", and "Only Room For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

Delroy Witter's the producer, a key underground talent on the London scene during those big years of homecrafted reggae records – and he gets help here from a range of wonderful singers who really bring out the most soulful currents of the lovers rock promised in the title! The set's a well-done selection of obscure singles that were all initially done by Witter with his Success Sound System – and tunes include some great later lovers rock remakes of American soul tracks, plus a few original numbers too. The set's overflowing with mellow stepping gems – including "Ooh Baby Baby" and "Just For Your Love" by Sonia Ferguson, "Mind Blowing Decisions" and "Tell Me Why" by Tyrone David, "Happiness Togetherness" by Cassandra, "I Do Love You" by Janet Kay, "Little Girl" and "Natural Woman" by Heptics, "Loving Time" by Jackie, and "Don't Cry" by Sugar Minott. CD

One of the most awe-inspiring Nuggets sets yet – a massive ode to the late 60s San Francisco scene – a wide, wide breadth of amazing singles from a disparate selection of acts – bound by a 120-page hardcover, richly illustrated book! Love Is The Song We Sing isn't at all the lumbering box of hippie nostalgia you might be expecting – it's weighted very heavily in leftfield obscurities, out numbering the big hits by at least 10-to-1 – with harshly buzzing tunes, groovy psychedelia, and topical folk tunes alike. The book is full of great photos, in buoyant color and stately black & white, with notes on each individual track, an essay & track commentary by Alec Palao, a piece by early Rolling Stone figurehead Ben Fong Torres, and an additional piece by Gene Sculatti. This is one of the best Rhino boxes we've ever seen, and that's saying something, isn't it – with amazing songs by Dino Valente, Country Joe & The Fish, Blue Cheer, Sly Stone, Ace Of Cups, Count Five, Moby Grape, Beau Brummels, Flamin' Groovies and many more! Disc one "Seismic Rumbles" includes "Let's Get Together" by Dino Valente, "You Were On My Mind" by We Five, "Number One" by Charlatans, "Can't Come Down" by Warlocks, "She's My Baby" by Mojo Men, "Human Monkey" by Frantics and loads more. Disc 2 "Suburbia" includes "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Rubiyat" by Immediate Family, "Hearts To Cry" by Frumious Bandersnatch and more. Disc 3 "Summer Of Love" includes "Carl Street" by Mystery Trend, "Superbird" by Country Joe & The Fish, "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer, "Underdog" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Loading Zone" by Bells and lots more. Disc 4 "The Man Can't Bust Our Music" includes "Evil Ways" by Santana, "Revolution" by Mother Earth, "I'm Drowning" by Flamin' Groovies, "Dark Star" (single version) by Grateful Dead, "Get Together" by The Youngbloods and more. 77 tracks on 4CDs! CD

Don't even think about the other collections of Johnny Cash's Sun recordings – this is the motherlode, and features just about every single note that he recorded for the legendary label! The mantra of the set is "the singer is more important than the song", and it's certainly true in the case of Johnny. He broke all kinds of barriers between country and early rock music with his sparse, raw and economical productions highlighting the amazingly great rough hewn song style he perfected. The set includes 138 tracks total, including lots of alternate versions, even a bonus disc of an entire unedited recording session. It also includes a huge book with a meticulously researched biography, recording notes, a great wealth of publicity shots, and even childhood photos! Everything's here folks, and sequenced chronologically according to recording dates – "Wide Open Road", "You're My Baby", "My Treasure", "Hey Porter", "I Walk The Line", "Folson Prison Blues", "Don't Make Me Go", "Next In Line", "Big River", "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen", "Cry, Cry, Cry", "The Ways Of A Woman In Love", "Story Of A Broken Heart" – what, you're still reading? Buy this! CD

About as close as you'll get to a debut album from the great Dave Dudley – as the set takes his classic title track, mixes it with a few other indie singles – and adds in a few other truck-themed tunes from the Starday catalog for good measure! Dudley's got one of our favorite voices ever in country music – and his landmark "Six Days On The Road" set a whole new standard for road-based tunes – a winning track about a pill-popping, cop-dodging trucker heading home at the end of a long run! Dave sings some other great ones here – including "Last Day In The Mines", "Where Do I Go From Here", "It's Gotta Be That Way", "Cry Baby", and "Taxi Cab Driver" – and the set also features the instrumentals "Lee Highway Swing" by Chubby Wise, and "Hot Rod Guitar" and "Big Rig Guitar" by Joe Maphis. CD

About as close as you'll get to a debut album from the great Dave Dudley – as the set takes his classic title track, mixes it with a few other indie singles – and adds in a few other truck-themed tunes from the Starday catalog for good measure! Dudley's got one of our favorite voices ever in country music – and his landmark "Six Days On The Road" set a whole new standard for road-based tunes – a winning track about a pill-popping, cop-dodging trucker heading home at the end of a long run! Dave sings some other great ones here – including "Last Day In The Mines", "Where Do I Go From Here", "It's Gotta Be That Way", "Cry Baby", and "Taxi Cab Driver" – and the set also features the instrumentals "Lee Highway Swing" by Chubby Wise, and "Hot Rod Guitar" and "Big Rig Guitar" by Joe Maphis. CD

A wonderful batch of rare deep soul tracks from the Atlantic catalog – featuring some excellent work from singers who rarely turn up on other collections of the label's work. Most of the tracks are from the mid to late 60s – and just about all of them were only ever issued as singles, as the artists never got a chance to cut full LPs for Atlantic. The set's a perfect example of the way that Atlantic kept digging around the southern scene for new talent – often uncovering some real geniuses, who sadly got overlooked in the wake of the bigger stars of the time. Titles include "What Can You Do When You Ain't Got Nobody" by Soul Brothers Six, "A Message To My Baby" by Billy Harner, "He Don't Belong To Me" by Doris Troy, "Temptation's Bout To Get Me" by Ed Robinson, "Let Me Down Easy" by Alvin Robinson, "No Easy Way Down" by Na Allen, "Your Turn To Cry" by Betty Lavette, "Breakfast In Bed" by Baby Washington, "I've Got Enough Heartaches" by Mighty Sam, "I'm Just An Ordinary Man" by Benny Latimore, "How Can You Babysit A Man" by Ned Towns, and "Lonely Soldier" by Mike Williams. CD

A sweet overview of the early years of Aretha Franklin's career – her formative days at Columbia Records, when she was working in a variety of styles before heading over to bigger fame at Atlantic! Even at this early stage, Aretha's one hell of a singer – and, despite what folks who listen to Jerry Wexler might say, this early Columbia work is pretty darn amazing throughout – steeped in a number of different modes, with bits of jazz, R&B, and early soul sewn together beautifully throughout. The double-length set is filled with key early moments from Aretha – and titles include "Don't Cry Baby", "Lee Cross", "Skylark", "One Step Ahead", "Evil Gal Blues", "Take A Look", "Runnin Out Of Fools", "People", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "Take It Like You Give It". LP, Vinyl record album

If you only know BB King from later years, you'll really be stunned at the sound of this great set from the start of the 60s – a record that's much more R&B than the straighter blues of King's bigger label work – and which has a jumping groove nearly all the way through! The mix of modes is right in that best Memphis style of the 50s – currents of jazz, jump blues, and other soulful styles – all topped by King's bold vocals, and given a bit of sweet guitar solos on most tracks – already razor-sharp, even at this early point in his career! Titles include "Bad Luck Soul", "Shut Your Moth", "My Reward", "Don't Cry Anymore", "Just Like A Woman", and "Blues For Me". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including "Broken Promise", "Mercy Mercy Baby", "Lonely", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "I Can Hear My Name", and "Just A Dream". CD

Tight and soulful blues from Little Milton – just the sort of record that helped him cross over to bigger audiences back in the day, and a set that still sounds plenty great all these many years later! The set was done in Chicago – arranged by James Mack, with backing vocals from Kitty & The Haywoods – and the sound is a sweet west side mix of rootsy and soulful elements – a blend that shows the same growing sophistication of the Malaco scene at the time, at a level that moves nicely away from college circuit blues cliches of the 70s. Milton's vocals are wonderful – raspy and appealing with a Tyrone Davis-like charm – and titles include "Friend Of Mine", "Don't Turn Away", "You're Gonna Make Me Cry", "It's All Bad News", "Sundown", "Bring It On Back", and "Baby It Ain't No Way". CD

Glorious girl group pop, solo and group soul singles from the heart of the 60s – beautiful stuff that might have made a splash in their time, but didn't enter the eternal pop culture canon like some of the bigger hits of the day – and we couldn't be happier to have them in our lives all these years later! Where The Girls Are 8 features tunes by The Blossoms, The Orlons, The Sherrys, Dee Dee Sharp, The Four Havens, The Del-Phis, The Bonnetts, The Darlenes, The Pussycats and more – with absolute top shelf craft behind them – but as grand as the productions are and as legendary as the songwriters are – and we're talking about Lou Alder, Ashford & Simpson, Lee Hazlewood, Gamble & Huff and others behind the scenes – nothing outshines the lovely ladies' voices! Includes "Cry Like A Baby" by The Blossoms, "Comin' Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Baby It Hurts" by Kelly Garrett, "Stand By Me" by Little Eva, "My Little Baby" by The Witches, "You Don't Have A Heart" by The Bunnies, "I Ain't Comin' Back" by The Orlons, "Come On And Ska" by The Pussycats, "Let's Be Sweethearts" by The Cinnamon Angels and more. 25 tracks in all. CD

Incredible early tracks from the great Joe Tex – recorded long before his bump and "I Gotcha" years, back when Joe was a sweet southern soul singer, with a strong penchant for a sad lyric, and a unique ability to shift between singing and talking, in a style that made him one of the most honest singers of his generation! This early Checker album brings together tracks from before his bigger material on Atlantic – and features the stunning two-part tracks "All I Could Do Was Cry" and "I'll Never Break Your Heart" – in which Joe opened up a whole new territory of narrative in soul music! Also includes the great "You Keep Her" – his answer song to James Brown – plus "Ain't I A Mess", "Baby You're Right", "Sit Yourself Down", and "Get Closer Together". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible run of music from this legendary group that was the first musical step for singer Van Morrison – a group so great, Van would still have had one hell of a career, even if he didn't do anything else! Right from the start, Them were a very special group – as steeped in American soul and R&B influences as many of their British contemporaries, but gifted with a rare ear to match the deepness of the originals with a flavor of their own – yet one that was also very individual as well! Morrison's singing is a big part of that approach – much more raw than in later years – but the overall conception is very important too – as Them never tries to rock too hard, or push things too far – and instead finds the way to lay back in the groove, and really let their tunes open up with a lot of soul. This excellent 3CD set features everything the group recorded in their short span – all the material from their two full albums, lots of singles as well, and even a full disc of mostly-unreleased rare tracks – including demos, alternates, and BBC performances. 69 tracks in all, with a big booklet of notes – and titles that include "I Gave My Love A Diamond", "Gloria", "My Lonely Sad Eyes", "I Got A Woman", "Could You Would You", "Something You Got", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "The Story Of Them (parts 1 & 2)", "Half As Much", "Don't Start Crying Now", "One Two Brown Eyes", "Richard Cory", "Friday's Child", "Bring Em On In", "Hey Girl", "Out Of Sight", "It's All Over Now Baby Blue", and "I'm Gonna Dress In Black". CD

One of the coolest collections we've heard from Keb Darge in years – not the funk and soul he first gave us when he started putting compilations together, nor the rockabilly and R&B from more recent years – and instead a fantastic array of rare late 60s garage rock and freaky fuzz singles! The set's tone in collaboration with Cut Chemist – another DJ we'd never expect to know this music so well – and together, the pair turn their talent for rare record digging to an arena that never seems to get old – the under-underground of the pre-hippy years, with a stunning selection of tracks by artists who worked in the deep shadows beneath bigger acts like Count Five, The Seeds, or Standells. Half the record is collected by Cut Chemist, the other by Keb – and the package features a whopping 30 tracks in all, most of which we'd never heard before! Titles include "Cry" by The Malibus, "Cuttin Grass" by Caretakers Of Deception, "Project Blue" by The Banshees, "Slander" by Ty Wagner, "Suzy Creamcheese" by Teddy & His Patches, "Nowadays People" by Captain Crunch & The Crew, "Go On Leave" by Red Beard & The Pirates, "In & Out" by Larry & The Blue Notes, "Why Am I Alone"by The Choab, "Can It Be" by The Savoys, "Modman" by The Spacemen, "Baby Go" by The Avantes, "Just Let Me Be" by The Outsiders, and "Come On Baby & Stick Around" by Al's Untouchables. CD

The classic box set featuring so many of the biggest, best, and brightest pop, rock & soul singles of the late 50s and on through the 60s – those ubiquitous, but no less incredible productions from that crazy genius Phil Spector! Back To Mono features many of the best known numbers by the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, Darlene Love, the Checkmates, the Crystals and many more – all of it with the appropriately dubbed Wall Of Sound that made Phil Spector the most famous producer of all time! We'd love to see an addendum someday featuring a set of Spector's productions for those idiosyncratic superstars of the 70s (the Ramones, Leonard Cohen, the post-Beatles) – but as a snapshot of an era, this box can hardly be beaten! 60 tracks on the the main 3CDs in the set – plus a 4th CD featuring the classic Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector album from 1963! Titles include "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by the Teddy Bears, "Spanish Harlem" by Ben E King, "I Love How You Love Me" by Paris Sisters, "He's A Rebel" by the Crystals, "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Going To Marry" by Darlene Love, "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes, "Hold Me Tight" by the Treasures, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by the Righteous Brothers, "River Deep Mountain High" by Ike & Tina, "Love Is All I Have To Give" by Checkmates and tons more – plus the immortal holiday disc featuring the Ronettes, Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans, Crystals, Darlene Love and more! All that, and a thick, nearly 100 page booklet! CD

The largest set so far in this excellent series of American soul releases from Mississippi Records – and like the previous volumes, an expansive set that really digs deep into the most soulful corners of the 60s and 70s! The work here is a mix of obscure tracks and overlooked gems from bigger names in soul – heavy on the kinds of vocals we love from the deep soul generation, but with maybe a few funky touches along the way! As with other volumes, there's a great booklet that's a huge addition to the package – filled with detailed notes – and the 3LP set features 30 tracks that include "Don't Be Surprised" by The Diamonettes, "I'm Lonely For You" by Bettye Swann, "Somewhere Crying" by Irma Thomas, "My Heart Cries For You" by The Invincibles, "Send Her Home To Me" by Johnny Moffett, "Tell Her" by Fred Williams & The Jewel Band, "Get In A Hurry" by Ben E King, "Like A Fish" by George Freeman, "A Woman Will Do Wrong" by Helene Smith, "22nd Century" by Nina Simone, "I'm Hurted" by Mamie Perry, "Can't Go On" by Johnny Steele, "Darling Don't Come Back" by Bobby Thomas & The Afros, "White On Rice" by Clarence Reid, "Louisiana" by Percy Mayfield, "I Submit To You" by Slim & Ann, and "Baby Please Don't Go" by Rose Mitchell. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare soul galore – a set of heavenly harmony tracks from those years when a mellow cut on a 45 single was a perfect way to drift into the small hours of the evening! The music here is all pretty darn obscure, and as with previous volumes, the vibe is somewhere between the sweet soul sound of the New Jersey/Philly scene, and the kind of laidback tracks that always played big on the scene in East LA. Almost all of these tracks are new to our ears – and titles include "Love Don't Change" by Laurene Lavallis, "Crying Baby Won't Help The Hurt" by The Si-Berians, "How Far Can Our Love Go" by Delbert & The Stewart Sensation, "Cindy" by Taste Of Love", "Making Love" by The 5 Stepping Stars, "Phases Of Time" by Joe Jama, "O Lord" by The Invaders, and "What Am I To Do" by Soul Suspension. LP, Vinyl record album

Four rare albums from the great Moe Bandy – maybe not the biggest country star of the 70s, but one who cut a fantastic run of records like these! Bandy's got a very classic honky tonk style – down-home, blue-tinged tunes that often have Moe himself as the punching bag – with an honest look at the struggles of life and love, all served up with lean instrumentation that feels a lot more like some barroom performance than the arena-filling work of some of his superstar contemporaries! All four albums are produced by Ray Baker in a nicely understated mode – almost more 60s in style than you'd guess – with Bandy's wonderful vocals ringing out over some really well-chosen tunes, and classic instrumentation on steel guitar to echo the bluer currents in the lyrics. The set is long overdue, and features the CD debut of these four great records – 40 tracks in all, with titles that include "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind", "A Baby & A Sewing Machine", "A Wound Time Can't Erase", "Are We Making Love Or Just Making Friends", "Up To Now I've Wanted Everything But You", "A Four Letter Fool", "No Deal", "Bic Flicking Baby", and "I Guess I Had A Real Good Time Last Night". CD

A massive overview of Shelby Singleton's SSS family of labels – a key force in the sound of southern soul at the end of the 60s! Singleton first came to fame for his production work at Mercury – but by the time of these recordings, he was stepping out on his own in a great blend of styles that brought together the growing sound of 60s soul with some of the rootsier and more down-home influences in the south at the time. Shelby was based in Nashville, and offered up an approach to southern soul that was a bit different than that coming out of Memphis or Muscle Shoals – one that allowed for a bit of freedom in the way things were played out, and which often featured some nice country elements coming into the mix. The set features work from the SSS, Minaret, and Silver Fox labels – a great assortment of rare singles and album tracks that includes "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" by Betty Lavette, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Everybody's Clown" by Johnny Dynamite, "Cummins Prison Farm" by Calvin Leavy, "I Can't Use You" by Double Soul, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Blue Diamonds" by Double Soul, "I'm Getting It From Her" by Big John Hamilton, "Mama's Got The Wagon" by Mickey Murray, "A Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Crying In The Streets" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, and "So Deep In Love" by Eddy Giles. CD

A real 60s killer from Lightnin Hopkins – the kind of set that showed that even when just working alone, he could carry the force of a much bigger group! Hopkins plays guitar here with just a bit of rhythm at points – a drummer who kicks things up on a few cuts – and he's got a confidence and presence that makes you think that he's fronting a trio or quartet, with deliver that's bold and full of spirit, and guitar work on an acoustic that's clearly informed by all the new experiments on electric – yet served up with equal power! There's some great electric work at points too – and titles include the two part instrumental "Move On Out", plus "Back Door Friend", "Fishing Clothes", "Gamblers Blues", "Found My Baby Crying", "Wig Wearing Woman", "Lonesome Dog Blues", and "Last Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing return to form for this legendary collection – filled with never-heard numbers, pulled from the 60s and 70s vaults of Motown Records! Even if you think you've got plenty of Motown in your collection already, you'll find plenty more here to love – totally fresh tracks by some of the label's biggest artists, plus some other gems by lesser-known stars – all of which have all the punch, power, and sparkle of classic Motown at its best! The 2CD set is brimming over with greatness – and we're honestly stunned that they can still come up with so many unreleased gems, even after three previous volumes in the collection. Titles include "Kidnapped" by The Blackberries, "Keep On Tryin" by The Fantastic Four, "My Baby Moves Me" by Brenda Holloway, "Your Kiss Kiss" by Marvin Gaye & Oma Heard, "Miss Lonely Heart" by The Vandellas, "You Gave Me Love To Live For" by Debbie Dean, "Head Over Heels In Love With You Baby" by The Spinners, "I'd Cry" by Chuck Jackson, "Twin Brother" by Eddie Holland, "Daddy Cool" by Oma Heard, "Three Time Loser" by Marvin Gaye, "The Girl I've Chosen To Be My Bride" by Joe Stubbs, "A Bird In The Hand" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Somebody's Waiting For Me" by The Contours, "Only A Lonely Man Would Know" by Ivy Joe Hunter, "The House That Jack Built" by JJ Barnes, "The Philly Dog" by Earl Van Dyke, and "Why Don't You Come Home" by Stevie Wonder. CD

A fantastic early material from Vernon Oxford – already one of the most distinct country singers of his time! Titles include "Woman Let Me Sing You A Song", "Baby Sister", "Stone By Stone", "Babies Stop Your Crying", "Roll Big Wheels Roll", "Honky Tonk Girls", and "Let's Take A Cold Shower". 28 tracks total. CD