An incredible package from the great Darrell Banks – a set that brings together his sublime Stax Records album, plus lots of rare bonus tracks too! The core record – Here To Stay – is incredible work from the great Banks – one of the few albums this genius Detroit soul singer cut before his untimely early death! Darrell's got a raw sound and a way with a groove that makes him a perfect choice for late 60s Stax/Volt Records – and he works here with Detroit studio genius Don Davis – who really knows how to mix the rough and the smooth in a perfect way – very different than both the usual Memphis or Detroit soul of the time! Tracks are very well-written – each one's a total lost nugget – and the arrangements have this punch that works perfectly with Banks' tremendous vocals. Titles include "I Could Never Hate Her", "My Love is Reserved", "No One Blinder", "Just Because Your Love Is Gone", and "We'll Get Over". CD then includes a wealth of bonus tracks – some previously unissued – including "Love Is Not An Easy Thing (demo)", "Mama Give Me Some Water (demo)", "Love Why Have You Forsaken Me (demo)", "Just Because Your Love Is Gone (single version)", "No One Blinder (single version)", and "Beautiful Feeling (single version)". CD

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A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly badass group who sported great lead vocals from Rhonda Washington – a singer who really knew how to stay on the groove and send the whole thing home! The work on this set is a great evolution of the Stax groove – and shows where the label might have gone in terms of 70s funk, had they stayed the course – and although the album's long overdue to get released, we're plenty happy to finally have it out after all these years. Many tracks were issued over the years as singles, and the set also features a few tracks not intended for the album too – titles that include "Stop Dogging Me", "Funny", "Mama's Baby", "I'll Kill A Brick", "Good Woman Turning Bad", "I Can't Let You Go", "Echoes From The Past", and "I Can't Win For Losing". CD

Includes music by William Bell, the Mar-Keys, Carla Thomas, Prince Conley, the Veltones, Nick Charles, Rufus Thomas, the Chips, Barbara Stephens, the Del-Rios, and more – 29 tracks total. CD

Includes music by Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, the Mad Lads, David Porter, Wendy Rene, the Admirals, Sam & Dave, Booket T & the MGs, Barbara & the Browns, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

Music from Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, William Bell, the Mad Lads, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, the Premiers, the Astors, Booker T & The MG's, Johnnie Taylor, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

Includes music from the Mad Lads, William Bell, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas, Ruby Johnson, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T, and more – 25 tracks in all! CD

Includes music by the Mad Lads, Sir Mack Rice, Carla Thomas, the Charmels, Judy Clay, Eddie Floyd, Mable John, Booker T & the MGs, Willam Bell, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

Includes tracks by Rufus Thomas, the Charmels, Jeanne & The Darlings, Sam & Dave, Memphis Nomads, Mable John, Otis Redding, William Bell, Derek Martin, and more – 27 tracks in all! CD

This is it! A pretty darn complete document of one of the greatest soul labels of all time – put together in a wonderful box with a book on the label that's almost as great as the music on the 9CDs in the set! This one established a new standard for box sets when it was issued in 1991, and it was the first time you could really get a clear picture of the great work of Stax without spending a lifetime tracking down obscure singles. A portion of this work will be familiar to you – as it includes classic tunes by the likes of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, The Bar-Kays, Booker T & The MGs, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and others – but there's also a wealth of amazing soul by artists who recorded for Stax and Volt, yet never made it big on the charts, and never cut full albums for the label. Just a small amount of these folks include The Memphis Nomads, Jeanne & The Darlings, Derek Martin, Barbara & The Browns, Eddie Jefferson, The Tonettes, Macy Skipper, The Premiers, Sir Isaac & The Do-Dads, Ruby Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Eddie Purrell, Sir Mack Rice, and many others. A lifetime of listening in one box – and an essential set if you dig 60s soul! This is the nicely compact jewel case version – 9CDs in a box that's roughly 6" square. CD

Stax Records was so great at the start, the label kept on recording and releasing amazing music far past its familiar hits – so much so that the b-sides of their singles were often every bit as great as the better-played sides! This set looks at that huge legacy of music, and brings together two dozen b-sides from early Stax singles – many reissued for the first time ever – which makes the whole thing completely essential, even if you've got other Stax collections, or even the initial box set – which didn't includes many of these tracks! Keep in mind that the classic "Green Onions" was initially issued as a b-side by the label, and you'll get an idea of the quality level you're in for here – killer Memphis soul from the label's top talents, with titles that include "Deep Down Inside" by Carla & Rufus, "I Don't Want Trouble" by Barbara & The Browns, "Whatcha Gonna Do" by William Bell, "Raw Dough" by The Triumphs, "I Want You Back" by Carla Thomas, "The Dribble" by The Mar-Keys, "Good Love Bad Love" by Eddie Floyd, "All Night Worker" by Rufus Thomas, "Mini Skirt Minnie (inst)" by Sir Mack Rice, "I'm Waiting On You" by William Bell, "You Make A Strong Girl Weak" by The Premiers, "Reputation" by The Four Shells, and "Grab This Thing (part 2)" by The Mar-Keys. CD

A legendary live set from the 60s all-stars of Stax Records – a performance in London in the late 60s, as the label follows Motown's lead on taking its big names overseas! The lineup is legendary, and most of the tunes are familiar by the artists, but get nice fresh versions here – sometimes a bit quicker, and sometimes a bit rougher – both of which makes a nice change from the iconic classics. Titles include "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MGs, "Philly Dog" by The Mark-Keys, "Knock On Wood" and "If I Had A Hammer" by Eddie Floyd, "Hold On I'm Comin" and "I Take What I Want" by Sam & Dave, "Shake" by Otis Redding, and "Yesterday" by Carla Thomas. CD

A legendary live set from the 60s all-stars of Stax Records – a performance in London in the late 60s, as the label follows Motown's lead on taking its big names overseas! The lineup is legendary, and most of the tunes are familiar by the artists, but get nice fresh versions here – sometimes a bit quicker, and sometimes a bit rougher – both of which makes a nice change from the iconic classics. Titles include "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MGs, "Philly Dog" by The Mark-Keys, "Knock On Wood" and "If I Had A Hammer" by Eddie Floyd, "Hold On I'm Comin" and "I Take What I Want" by Sam & Dave, "Shake" by Otis Redding, and "Yesterday" by Carla Thomas. LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's every bit as great as the title might imply – heavy guitar-based funk from the second version of The Bar-Kays – one that uses the new instrumental focus to push a groove that's much more black rock than before! There's still a bit of trumpet from the past, but the sound here is much heavier on the bottom – and really fuzzes up the guitar nicely at times to create a hipper sort of soul instrumental vibe! The rhythms are quite hip too – with echoes of the experiments in soul going on at Stax in the work of Isaac Hayes and others – and the album's miles away from the work that the group was laying down a few years before! Definitely one of the hardest-hitting Stax albums of the early 70s – and filled with great tracks like "You Don't Know Like I Know", "Dance To The Music", "Piece Of Your Peace", "Montego Bay", and "Baby I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic black rock funk from Stax, by the second version of the Bar-Kays (the first went down in the plane with Otis) with a nice hard sound all the way through! There's plenty of guitars in the mix, ripping away like a buzzsaw over the top of bass-heavy funk rhythms – ready to bite with the same sting of the rattlesnake that's pictured on the cover! Cuts include "Coldblooded", "Fightin' Fire With Fire", "Frame of Mind", and "Waiting and Hating". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from the new version of The Bar-Kays – a group who reformed to become a combo as heavy as any of the best funky groups from Detroit, LA, or New York at the time! There's a style here that's a sweet Memphis distillation of ideas bubbling under in music by Sly Stone, Funkadelic, and others – taken to new territory here by a group that was already steeped in 60s soul instrumental sounds! The cuts show a great ear for simple hooks and playful instrumental twists and turns – still with a bit of the trumpet used on Bar-Kays work of the past, but more in a groove that lets the guitar step out nicely with psychedelic soul undercurrents! Tracks include "In The Hole", "Funky Thang", "Grab This Thing", "Street Walker", "Humpin", and "Don't Stop Dancing To The Music (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure bit of late 60s Stax! Steve Cropper's working away from the MG's here, in a mode that's slightly similar, but which has his guitar upfront in the mix on a batch of Memphis-style instrumentals – kind of his own take on the groove he was laying down with Booker T, but with a lot less organ in the mix! There's no mad funk on the album, but the whole thing's pretty darn nice – and is proof that Cropper was the key element in more than just a bit of the Stax sound at the time – a really strong artist who could more than stand on his own. Titles include "Crop Dustin", "Land Of 1000 Dances", "Rattlesnake", "Funky Broadway", and "Boogaloo Down Broadway". CD

An obscure bit of late 60s Stax! Steve Cropper's working away from the MG's here, in a mode that's slightly similar, but which has his guitar upfront in the mix on a batch of Memphis-style instrumentals – kind of his own take on the groove he was laying down with Booker T, but with a lot less organ in the mix! There's no mad funk on the album, but the whole thing's pretty darn nice – and is proof that Cropper was the key element in more than just a bit of the Stax sound at the time – a really strong artist who could more than stand on his own. Titles include "Crop Dustin", "Land Of 1000 Dances", "Rattlesnake", "Funky Broadway", and "Boogaloo Down Broadway". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from The Dramatics! "Devil Is Dope" is this amazing slow funky track about a guy who goes to Hell – and it begins with this hard rumbling bass, and some great sound effects of flames buring the guy! "Hey You" is fantastic, too – and shows the group at their pure harmony best! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic early work from The Dramatics – an amazing blend of sweet soul harmony vocals, Memphis soul production, and some other-worldly songwriting that far surpasses later work of the group. This album's one of the band's most righteous, with a mixture of Curtom-type message cuts and sweeter love songs – and it includes the cuts "The Devil is Dope", "Beware of the Man (With The Candy In His Hand)", "Jim, What's Wrong With Him?", and "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain". Stellar soul sound, with a vibe that's unlike a lot of other stuff on the Stax/Volt label! LP, Vinyl record album

2 great tracks from their Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get LP. "In The Rain" is a haunting harmony cut that sounds like it was lifted from the vaults of The Whatnauts, and "Good Soul Music" is a nice rollicking number with a good groove. 7-inch, Vinyl record

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A fantastic album by The Dramatics – with a harder funkier sound than you'll find on most of their other records of the time – a gritty gem from the group's early years, and a record that really deserves its placement on the Stax label! The record has the group moving into a post-Temptations style of righteous soul – grooving hard with a really heavy bottom on funky numbers like "Get Up and Get Down" and "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get", and even dropping a bit of a drug reference on the cut "Marry Don't Cha Wanna" – one of those messed-up lyric numbers we'd expect from a Latin Soul group! But the album's also got a sweet side too – as it features the amazing ballad cut "In The Rain", which has some of the most amazing production you'll ever find on the Stax label – harmony work that rivals the greatness of the east coast scene of the time. Other tracks include "Gimme Some", "Thank You For Your Love", and "Hot Pants In The Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

"Whatcha See" is one of The Dramatics' best cuts ever! It's got a dope rolling groove, a hard righteous message, and a hook that just won't quit. The track's more than a bit funky, and it's one of those tunes that you've heard for years – and will smile upon catching again! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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A really classic album from The Emotions – much harder and grittier than their earlier singles from Chicago, and quite different than their later sounds in the Earth Wind & Fire generation! The style here is almost funk – and definitely gets pretty close on a few cuts – thanks to sharp production from David Porter and Ronnie Williams, who dredge up some of the deeper sounds of the Stax label at the time, and match them with the trio's impeccable vocals! The record's got a down-looking vibe that really lives up to the cover image – a kind of subtle pride that really comes through in the music, and which may well make this album the greatest the girls ever cut. Titles include the stellar cut "Blind Alley" – a famous sample from years back, and a wonderful funk tune on its own – plus "Boss Love Maker", "Love Ain't Easy Onesided", "Show Me How", "Love is The Hardest Thing To Find", and "Boy I Need You". LP, Vinyl record album

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An album with a very fitting title – as the whole set is practically a dictionary of soul music, for anyone who needs an understanding of the genre! The cover alone tells you that the set is something special – and the sounds within are even better – classic Otis Redding on Stax Records, at a time when he'd already gotten his initial groove going, and was really pushing into that later, more sophisticated style that had him crossing boundaries and opening up the music for a whole new generation! Key proof of this is his remake of "Try A Little Tenderness" – a standard that had been knocking around for years, but which is exploded with a whole new emotion in Otis' version – as are tunes like "Day Tripper" and "Tennessee Waltz", with results that are maybe not as completely sublime – but which still illustrate the way that Redding was reaching way beyond the indie soul scene with his appeal. But even better are the cuts intrinsic to the album – beautiful originals that include "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)", "My Lover's Prayer", "Ton Of Joy", "I'm Sick Y'All", and "She Put The Hurt On Me" – which really demonstrate Redding's growing strengths as a songwriter. LP, Vinyl record album

A very important crossover soul album – a huge hit for Otis Redding that was released after his tragic death in December 1967 – but it's also hard to say if it would have had the impact it did had Redding not passed while the LP was still in production. In a way, the record sort of set the stage for the mythologies of pop stars that would surround the tragedies in the coming years of the late 60s – with liner notes on the back by Jon Landau about the impact of Redding's work and passing on the rest of the music industry, which would be even more charged with meaning to folks buying the album at the time, who certainly knew that Redding had cut "Dock of the Bay" a few days before his death, and had missed its meteoric rise to #1 after his passing. And in fact, the album itself is more of a loose collection of tracks pulled from singles and other sources to cash in on Redding's passing – and includes odd numbers like "The Huckle Buck", which had previously appeared on a Stax promo album, or "Tramp", his famous funky duet with Carla Thomas. Other titles include "I'm Coming Home", "Ole Man Trouble", "Open The Door", and "Let Me Come On Home". CD

A very important crossover soul album – a huge hit for Otis Redding that was released after his tragic death in December 1967 – but it's also hard to say if it would have had the impact it did had Redding not passed while the LP was still in production. In a way, the record sort of set the stage for the mythologies of pop stars that would surround the tragedies in the coming years of the late 60s – with liner notes on the back by Jon Landau about the impact of Redding's work and passing on the rest of the music industry, which would be even more charged with meaning to folks buying the album at the time, who certainly knew that Redding had cut "Dock of the Bay" a few days before his death, and had missed its meteoric rise to #1 after his passing. And in fact, the album itself is more of a loose collection of tracks pulled from singles and other sources to cash in on Redding's passing – and includes odd numbers like "The Huckle Buck", which had previously appeared on a Stax promo album, or "Tramp", his famous funky duet with Carla Thomas. Other titles include "I'm Coming Home", "Ole Man Trouble", "Open The Door", and "Let Me Come On Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Not necessarily a complete "history" of the man – but a classic "best of" compilation that includes some of his greatest tracks ever! Titles include "Security", "Mr Pitiful", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Shake", "My Lover's Prayer", "Pain In My Heart", and "These Arms Of Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

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Damn great work from The Dramatics – a group who never seemed to miss at all during their massive 70s run – and one who really knew how to hold onto an edge in their vocals, and most of their grooves as well! The main maestro here is Don Davis – one of the few late 70s producers who could still balance things this well – really keeping all the strengths of the group's work for Stax/Volt, and avoiding any of the then-current tendencies to go for easy chart or dancefloor play – a mode that results in a rock-solid album that's a joy to behold with each new track! Michael Henderson helps out the group on a few cuts – and Tony Hester wrote a few tracks as well – really giving Ron Banks, LJ Reynolds, and crew some great material to work with – just the right tunes that mix sublime harmonies with a great balance of funky numbers and mellow moments. Tracks include "She's A Rainmaker", "Things Are Changing", "Treat Me Like A Man", "You're Fooling You", "Just Shopping", and "Come Out Of Your Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

An amazing bit of soul – and one of the rarest funk records of the 70s! This masterpiece was recorded by The Jackson Sisters, a semi-gospelly soul group that has a sound that's a bit like The Voices of East Harlem, but that's a lot harder, and that has a deeper soul sound overall! At times, the group is funky – as on their incredible track "I Believe In Miracles", a rare groove classic if there ever was one, and one of the most in-demand tracks we've ever stocked. At other times, the girls have a mellower soul sound, with great raw harmonies that remind us of the Volt work by The Emotions, but with much rougher instrumental backing. This album's the only one they ever cut – and it's just about impossible to find in the original pressing (and in fact, we've never seen a copy!) Apart from the amazing cut "Miracles", this one includes loads of gems like "Rockin' On My Porch", "Shake Her Loose", "(Why Can't We Be) More Than Just Friends", and "Boy, You're Dynamite"! LP, Vinyl record album

That's Loos/Armstrong, not Louis Armstrong – a late 90s Dutch group who improvise freely on both electric and acoustic elements – with a style that makes the record one of the most offbeat albums ever released on the Okka Disk label! In some ways, the combo almost tie together Dutch traditions of free jazz and electronic experimentation – with a lineup that features Gerald Bowhuis on piano, Huib Emmer on guitar, Johan Faber on drums, Patricio Wang on bass and guitar, and Dennis Rudge on voice – plus leader Peter Van Bergen on tenor, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, and some mighty cool electronics! At times, the use of voice adds almost a no wave element to the set – and on the set, Rudge reads from Sun Ra's "Endless Realm" , and "Amooooore", a 1916 text from Volt – on titles that include "FTE 1", "FA5 1", "FA 3", and "FL 1". CD

A great set of early-to-mid 60s soul sides from Bobby Marchan – recorded at Stax, Fame and American Studios – singles released on Dial, Cameo and Volt back in the day and put together beautifully by Kent UK! Marchan is beloved for a slew of more rockin' rhythm & blues he cut from the mid-to-late 50s, but his 60s work is underappreciated – and we can't think of any good reason for that to be the case! His voice is just incredible throughout, on numbers that are natural next soulful step from the rhythm & blues years to others that are clear precursor to more famous southern soul to come later in the decade. Includes "Funny Style", "Just Be Yourself", "You Won't Do Right", "Hooked", "What Can I Do" (Pts 1 & 2), "You Better Hold On", "Sad Sack", "Help Yourself", "Don't Worry About It", "Get Down With It" and more. CD

One of the best-remembered albums from the moog pop generation – a record that's definitely a cut above the rest, thanks to the top-shelf talents of pianist Mike Melvoin! Melvoin is a name you'll recognize from countless other great LA sessions of the 60s – and Mike was always able to shift and move into the best sorts of styles when he wanted – jazz, soul, funk, and here, the new world of moogy instrumentals – served up here with some nice electronic effects that really keep things interesting! The record also features groovy help from Paul Humphrey and Earl Palmer on drums, and Dennis Budimir on guitar – and Beaver and Kraus were the "moog consultants" on the record too. There's some nice originals – including "One Man One Volt", "Plastic Cow", and "Medicine Man" – plus covers of "Born To Be Wild", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Spinning Wheel", and "Ballad Of John & Yoko". LP, Vinyl record album

A timeless jangly country rock album from a band that didn't sound like it was setting out to reinvent the wheel, even if they ultimately almost did! At the time, pressure was pretty high to live up the preceding legacy of the Uncle Tupelo and contemporaneous debut of Son Volt, but in hindsight, this is just a straight up, no bs, solid, tuneful batch of songs that don't sound at first like they're among best of their kind until you realize you're humming and singing them to yourself days, years and decades later! Includes "I Must Be High", "I Thought I Held You", "Dash 7", "Blue Eyed Soul", "Shouldn't Be Ashamed", "It's Just That Simple", "Casino Queen" and more. CD

Legendary work from Goldwax Records – pulled from a stretch when the Memphis imprint was really going strong! By the time of these tracks, Goldwax was really coming into their own – picking up some of the best soul currents of the Memphis scene – and rivaling the Stax/Volt powerhouse in terms of quality – especially on the deep soul tracks that Goldwax seemed to do better than anyone else! This 2CD package is a wonderful overview of these golden years for the label – and it features every single single, both a and b-sides intact – presented with detailed notes on each release. Some of the work is the stuff of Memphis soul legend – mixed in with some more unusual, lesser-known bits from the scene – including a few rock, blues, and country numbers as well. 54 tracks in all – with titles that include "Anything You Do Is Alright" by Spencer Wiggins, "Don't You Believe Him" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "Cry Me A Hand Full" by The Terrys, "Say You Need It" by Barbara Perry, "Lovable Girl" by James Carr, "When You Look In The Mirror" by Eddie Jefferson, "What Time Ye Got" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "Little Things" by Jeannie Newman, "Forgetting You" by James Carr, "Hello Daughter" by Leroy Daniel, "I Can't Forget You" by The Yo Yos, "Good Times" by George & Greer, "Walking Out On You" by Spencer Wiggins, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "Liquid Mood" by Timmy Thomas, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "Me & My Imagination" by The Ovations, and "The Wife Of The Life Of The Party" by Kathy Davis. CD

A heavenly set of southern soul – a package that pulls together a wealth of rare and unreleased singles from the Malaco label – that important Jackson, Mississippi imprint that took on the deeper sounds of the 70s – after the Memphis and Muscle Shoals scenes were losing steam! Some of the artists here are ones who would have ended up on Stax or Volt, had the labels still been going at the time – and instead found a great home on Malaco, a company who also had a great legacy of work in southern blues, and really knew how to bring out the best in a strong-voiced singer! Yet despite that side of the label, the music here is all-soul all the way through – not some of the soul/blues hybrids that Malaco could do well, and instead amazing deep soul, handled with a new sort of sophistication for the 70s! The sound is wonderful throughout – and the set features loads of cuts we'd never heard before – 18 titles that include "Overflowing" by Jewel Bass, "Ain't No Love For Sale" by Tommy Tate, "Sour Love Bitter Sweet" by Joe Wilson, "Lovin On Borrowed Time" by Anita Mitchell, "Got To Find The Nerve" by Hank Sample, "Two Of A Kind" by Dorothy Moore, "Once Upon A Love Affair" by Chuck Brooks, "That's How Much I Love You" by Eddie Houston, and "Talkin About Love" by George Soule. CD

An incredible package – and one that goes way farther, and way deeper than any of the previous volumes of Stax/Volt Records singles! This 4th volume is kind of a correction/addition to territory covered by the previous three – as CDs 1 to 3 of the collection go back to bring together all the wonderful b-sides for the singles that didn't appear on the other packages – really incredible work that's often more amazing than the bigger-name cuts on the a-side – as the tracks are often rougher, rawer, and a fair bit more edgey too! Then, CDs 4 & 5 do a great job of looking at some of the rock and other non-soul material cut by the Stax labels – with a focus on material that came out on the Hip, Enterprise, and Ardent labels – followed by CD 6, which features all the excellent gospel material issued by Stax on the labels Gospel Truth and Chalice. The whole thing's got a hell of a lot of music in one sleek package – 145 tracks on 6CDs, with a big booklet of notes. Artists include Shirley Walton, Linda Lynell, Jeanne & The Darlings, Soul Children, Shack, The Nightingales, John Gary Williams, Hot Sauce, Ilana, Lee Sain, Green Brothers, Prince Conley, The Astors, Gorgeous George, Karen Casey, The Caboose, Clark Sullivan, Chuck Boris, Connie Eaton, Paris Pilot, The Goodees, The Cheques, Poor Little Rich Kids, Lonnie Duvall, Dixie Nightingales, Louise McCord, Rance Allen, Stars Of Virginia, and many more! CD

More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of funky cuts, even though this is their 3rd dip into the crates! If anything, perhaps they dipped even deeper this time – especially as some of the once-trusted sources for breaks, like the famous Ultimate Breaks & Beats series, are now disappearing from the market. Titles include "Soul Pad" by The Coasters, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by The Mad Lads, "The Rose" by 50 Foot Hose, "Holy Ghost" by The Bar Kays, "No Strings Attached" by The Mad Lads, "After Laughter Comes Tears" by Wendy Rene, "River's Invitation" by Freddie Robinson, "This House Is Smokin" by BT Express, "Music Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Pleasure Web, and "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter. CD

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Recorded May 1, 1966 at Slug's Saloon, NYC. Features themes and variations on "Bells" and "Ghosts". CD

A great little live set from Maria Bethania – one recorded with the lighter, looser sound she was using in the early 80s – and which stands as a nice contrast to her more dramatic concert performances of the 70s! The music director for the show is Gilberto Gil, and there's a bit of the warmer overtones that Gil was using in his own music at the time – not really the soulful modes, but stronger use of electric keyboards and flowing rhythms that bring in a bit of jazz and a nice sense of fullness. Titles include "Prenda", "Luzes De Ribalta", "Gas Neon", "O Que E O Que E", "Cantico Negro", "Cancao Da Volta", "De Noite E De Dia", and "Nossos Momentos". LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack for the film version of Chico Buarque's famous opera Malandro – and quite possibly the best recording of the music we've heard! The style here really benefits from the tighter studio production of the film – and the tunes are put together with strong arrangements that have a bit more force than some of the live recordings of the music we've heard, but in a way that still also allows for plenty of up-close intimacy in the vocals. All performances here are great, and really bring a lot out of the tunes – and Gal Costa sings "O Ultimo Blues", Paulinho Da Viola sings "Aquela Mulher", Zizi Possi sings "Sentimental", Bebel Gilberto sings "Rio 42", Elba Ramhalo sings "Palavra De Mulher", Os Muchachos sing "Tango Do Covil", Ney Matogrosso sings "Las Muchachos De Copacabana", and Chico Buarque sings "A Volta Do Malandro". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of layers of sound here – that raw electronic style of early Cabaret Voltaire, mixed with an increasing interest both in found sound samples, including some cool spoken bits – and in elements from a growing global soundscape as well! There's some unusual undercurrents to the music that almost reflect the Brian Eno/David Byrne experiments of the time – with elements that are much more exotic than before. And there's also occasional points that get a bit more tuneful – as if Mallinder or Kirk have finally decided they need a bit of vocals to hook folks into the music – although still at a level that's far from the electro pop of some of their contemporaries. Titles include "Over & Over", "Why Kill Time When You Can Kill Yourself", "Haiti", "Crackdownh", "Animation", and "In The Shadows". LP, Vinyl record album

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A totally cool chapter in the early career of Cabaret Voltaire – a stark soundtrack done for a film that's even more obscure than this record! If you dig the creepy, dark early sound of the Cabs, you'll love this one – as the music's got plenty of moody Sheffield electronics, some spare and pulsing with a basic sense of rhythm, some quite noisy at points! We totally love the extended "Taxi Music" – which shows up for most of the first side, and as a dub on the flip – it's a wicked post-punk electronic number that still blows us away time and time again. Other cuts include "DTs", "Cold Turkey", "The Quarry", and "Title Sequence". CD

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Cabaret Voltaire at a perfect point in their career – a time when their overall sound was still pretty raw, and awash in these dark analogue electronics – but also getting a focus it never had before, the kind of rhythmic intensity that would make the group a huge influence on other acts for years to come! The album's a perfect portrait of the Northern UK scene at its best – moodiness that never falls into goth cliches, electronics that distill the experiments of the 70s with post-punk energy, and rhythms that point to the dancefloor but never in a way that's really dance music at all – just pulsatingly hypnotic, in a way that somehow makes the other qualities even more eerie! The whole thing's wonderful – one of our favorite albums ever by the Cabs – and titles include "Landslide", "A Thousand Ways", "Red Mask", "Split Second Feeling", and "A Touch Of Evil". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the pre-bossa years in Brazil – a set that's not just noteworthy for rich vocals from Elizeth Cardoso, but also for some early arrangements by Antonio Carlos Jobim! Jobim scored the whole set – and while the style is quite different than his later bossa material, there's still a wonderful sensitivity to sound – that richness that Jobim discovered strongly in later years, and a perfect fit for the soulful vocals of Elizeth. The pair at this point went onto have an undeniable influence on Brazilian music for years to come – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Caminha", "Linda Flor Yaya", "So Voce Mais Nada", "Nunca Mais", and "Cancao Da Volta". CD features 6 bonus tracks that include "Ocultei", "Zanguei Com Meu Amor", "Nao Tenho Lar", and "Velha Praca". CD

Titles include "A Chuva Cai", "Voce Pensa Que Eu Me Apaixonei", "Chorando Pela Natureza", "Consideracao", "Cancao De Esperar Nenen", "O Sonho Nao Acabou", and "Voltei". CD

One of our favorite projects from the early years of Chris & Cosey – music done for a video release, but still very much like their own studio records of the time – yet with less vocals, and more sonic elements in the mix – so that the whole thing feels like a rare nugget from the farther reaches of the cold wave years! As with Cabaret Voltaire and some of their other contemporaries, music for videos and films always really seemed to open up different sides of the electronic artists of the period – elements that sometimes brought in a richer sense of feeling, but also a greater sense of freedom too – as they were shifting their sounds for the images, not the confines of a vocal tune. That's definitely the case here – served up on tunes that include "Wellspring Of Life", "The Final Calling", "Dancing Ghosts", "Meeting Mr Evans", "Temple Bar", and "Invisible Spectrum". LP, Vinyl record album

2 CD set with a motherlode of great tracks by Gal Costa from the late 60s and early 70s! 28 cuts in all, including "Bom Dia", "London, London", "Assum Preto", "Antonico", "Volta", "Meu Nome E Gal", "Que Pena", "Sebastiana", "Candeias", and "Tuareg". Very cool stuff, with a mix of bossa grooves, weird guitars, wild electronics, and lots of pretty singing by Gal. We've got some of these cuts on other CDs – but most of the rest are currently out of print in any format, and at this price, the CDs a great way to track some of them down! 28 tracks in all – you can't beat that! CD

One of the richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio Duprat and Arthur Verocai – and the album's got the lofty feel you'd expect from all three talents – a rich blend of all the modern developments in Brazilian music that had taken place in the 60s, but infused with a newly rootsy sense as well – one that takes the whole thing back to a personal, expressive territory that's really wonderful. Instrumentationincludes work on keyboards by Wagner Tiso and Tenorio Jr, plus a bit of guitar from Roberto Menescal – and Gal does a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Relance" – alongside other tracks that include "Passarinho", "Da Maior Imortancia", "India", "Volta", and the funky "Pontos De Luz". The whole thing's incredibly beautiful – and it's got Gal in a wild bikini cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

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Despite the title of the album, the group's a sharp-edged fusion combo – one that hails from late 70s Japan, and who works here in the best mainstream fusion mode of the time! The tunes are mostly jazz funk with a bit of polish – heavy on guitars from Kazuo Takeda, who also takes off on some pretty nice solos – and also featuring keyboards from Hisao Sakurai and tenor from Mitsuru Kanekuni. The record is never too jamming, nor too smooth – but one number does feature some unfortunate blues vocals from Takeda. Titles include "Spinning Toe Hold No 2", "No Problem", "Wild Cat", "Swamp Boy", and "Fou Fou Gun Gun". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most jazz-based work we've ever heard from keyboardist Mark De Clive-Lowe – continuing a progression that's been taking place over the past decade or so – to a point where the musician is turning out a record to rival the classics of some of the 70s giants who influenced his sound in the first place! Mark plays Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards in the company of bassist Andrea Lombardini and drummer Tommaso Cappellato – on live tracks that are full of energy and life, driven with strong rhythms, and have lots of strong solos over the top. Titles include "Birds Of Prey", "Strolling Down Degnan", "Volta Ao Mundo", "Dreamweavers", "Kodama Shade", and "In Answer To Your Question". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most jazz-based work we've ever heard from keyboardist Mark De Clive-Lowe – continuing a progression that's been taking place over the past decade or so – to a point where the musician is turning out a record to rival the classics of some of the 70s giants who influenced his sound in the first place! Mark plays Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards in the company of bassist Andrea Lombardini and drummer Tommaso Cappellato – on live tracks that are full of energy and life, driven with strong rhythms, and have lots of strong solos over the top. Titles include "Birds Of Prey", "Strolling Down Degnan", "Volta Ao Mundo", "Dreamweavers", "Kodama Shade", and "In Answer To Your Question". Features Japanese-only bonus tracks – "Masina's World" and "Mizugaki". CD