One of the hippest John Barry scores we've ever heard – quite different than his music for James Bond films, but still equally groovy! At some level, Barry's working here with an Ennio Morricone-like sense of space and sound – a love of gentle elements that emerge with a soft, tender sort of feel – but one that's still quite dark underneath, with a real undercurrent of tension. But unlike some of Barry's other serious scores of the time, this one's never too tense – and has a really great sense of melody and overall sound – one that makes the music extremely haunting all the way through! A watery, echoey piano dominates many tracks – and titles include "Capito", "Boom", "Urgentissimo", "Of A Year Unknown", "Pain Gone Till Tomorrow", and "Mister Death Angel Flanders". Also includes "Hideaway" – a wonderfully hip Georgie Fame tune that's one of our favorites from his late 60s years! LP, Vinyl record album

Completely wonderful work from Georgie Fame – a stone cooking collection of his mid 60s mod recordings for Columbia Records in the UK – a unique combination of jazz, soul, and R&B – all delivered with a style so original, it can only be dubbed Fame-like! Georgie's approach really digs deep on the American scene – a bit of New Orleans soul, a dose of New York soul jazz, all filtered together with a London appreciation of the best elements of both, and delivered with a tightness that almost beats out most US recordings that even try to come close! The collection does a great job of avoiding material already compiled on the Polydor Fame set from years back – and really goes for upbeat, hard-grooving numbers that show why Georgie's music had such a big role in the hippest sides of the London scene of the 60s. Titles include "Sweet Thing", "Something", "Point Of No Return", "Lil Darlin", "El Bandido", "Dawn Yawn", "Music Talk", "Outrage", "It's Got The Whole World Shakin", "Move It On Over", "Last Night", "The World Is Round", and "See Saw". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record – and a bit different than some of the other MGM material by the Animals! Eric Burdon's soulful vocals are in the lead, and set up here with great backings from Benny Golson and Horace Ott – both of whom bring a strong current of soul jazz to the set, for a mod groove that's almost in Georgie Fame territory! LP, Vinyl record album

A famous 70s session from the great Muddy Waters – one that has him heading over to London, and rubbing shoulders in the studio with some key musicians whose work he'd helped inspire! Chess Records first tried this mode out with Howlin Wolf in 1970 – but the Waters session is maybe even more cohesive and uplifting – thanks in part to Muddy's ability to really reach out and welcome in fans and supporters from the outside! There's still some Chicago help at the core, thanks to a young Carey Bell on harmonica – working here alongside UK rock superstars who include Rory Gallagher on guitar, Rick Grech on bass, and Steve Winwood on piano and organ – plus some work on organ from Georgie Fame (billed as Georgie Fortune), and guest vocals from the great Rosetta Hightower. Back in Chicago, Johnny Pate added a few touches with his arrangements – and titles include "Key To The Highway", "Walkin Blues", "I Don't Know Why", "Sad Sad Day", "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I'm Gone", "Blind Man Blues", and "Young Fashioned Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from one of the hippest jazz singers of all time – and a hell of a pianist too! Mose Allison began his recording career laying down piano on jazz sessions for Stan Getz and a few others – but here, he emerges as a fully-formed talent of his own – steeped in modes from the New Orleans scene, but also able to spin out his own uniquely hip approach – at a level that went onto have a huge influence on later generations of singers – from Dr John to Georgie Fame to Paul Weller – as well as the UK mod scene of the 60s! This album's one of a few that Allison cut for Epic Records, which are among some of our favorites – and titles include "Baby Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", "Back On The Corner", "Mad With You", "Life Is Suicide", "I Love The Life I Live", and "Ask Me Nice". LP, Vinyl record album

Leon Russell at the height of his powers – really firmly on his own in the lead, after so many years in the background – and working with a confidence that makes the whole thing completely charming right from the get-go! Like a rare few – a short list that might include Mose Allison, Dr John, or Georgie Fame – Russell is able to reference roots without any sort of hoke, and easily make them into a sound and style that's all his own – in this case with some mod touches of the jazz promised in the title, but also touches of Texas, New Orleans, and maybe a bit of his Tusla home turf too. Titles include versions of "If I Were A Carpenter", "Smashed", "Wild Horses", and "The Ballad Of Hollis Brown" – plus the originals "Stop All That Jazz", "Mona Lisa Please", "Working Girl", and "Time For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set by one of the most unique voices in early 70s British pop – the enigmatic Norman "Hurricane" Smith, a strange singer whose work fits into a spectrum that lies somewhere between Georgie Fame, Gilbert O'Sullivan, and Ray Davies! Like all 3 of those artists, Hurricane's got an ear for days gone by – a slight touch of nostalgia that comes through in the subjects of his tunes and the instrumentation that accompanies his voice. And if we were to link his style with anyone, it would probably most directly be Gilbert O'Sullivan – who shares a similarly quirky style of songwriting and arranging, and who gave Smith a hit in the tune "Who Was It?" The rest of the numbers off this album are originals, with titles that include "Aunti Vi's", "Getting To Know You", "Theme From An Unmade Silent Movie", "Many Happy Returns", "Take Suki Home", "Back In The Country", and "Don't Let It Die". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive Fender Rhodes set from early 70s Belgium – the kind of set that never shows up on this side of the Atlantic, and which is pretty darn rare in its home territory too! Keyboardist Jack Van Poll has a wonderful sense of space on this set – a way of letting the tunes build simply and gracefully – often with a slow-growing groove that lets the Rhodes roll along wonderfully – never too slow, though, and always with a sweet funky undercurrent! And while we'd never heard of Jack before this set, he's got a great sense of style and imagination on his solos – very open, but always with a soulful undercurrent. The rest of the trio includes Mary Hehuat on Fender bass and Ruud Pronk on drums – and titles include "Marriedyet", "Blue Tait", "A Box For Leslie", "Sweet Georgie Fame", "Passage To Pferov", and "Objizdka". LP, Vinyl record album