A hard bluesy soul number – with a punchy funky sound that feels like it was recorded right off the west side! The best cut is actually the instrumental – as Ernest's vocals are dropped out, leaving more room for vamping guitars and a Hammond organ to take a solo. Backing is by The Pipes Of Peace, a groovy little Chicago combo – with lots of horns on this one! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", "Too Young", "Red Sails In The Sunset", "Portrait Of Jennie", and more. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Sublime soul from Anna King – a James Brown-produced sock-soul diva who predated Marva Whitney and Lyn Collins! "Get These Memories" is done in a wonderful way – tight snapping drums underneath, and some really hard-wailing raw vocals from Anna over the top – making the tune sound like you've never heard it before! "If Somebody Told You" is a slower blusier number – one that has Anna really going over the top on vocals – blowing away Etta James, Fontella Bass, and all other comers! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

"King Heroin" is one of James' most enduring songs of the 70s – and although it's not as funky as some of the others, it's got an incredibly soulful political message that's still extremely compelling today. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Really early work from Bobby Byrd – a single that's produced by James Brown, but without the funky touches of later years! "I Found Out" has stepping strings next to Bobby's deep soul vocals – and "I'll Keep Pressing On" is similar – again with strings, but plenty deep on the vocals! Both very nice, and in a mode that's similar to some of James' work from the time. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

"Give It Up Or Turnit Loose" is far and away one of the best James Brown singles of all times! The bassline on the intro is amazing – one of those moments where you sit up and go "DANG! That sound is incredible!" – good reason why the cut's been sampled countless times over the years! But the whole thing is great too – with tight, sharp, shouted vocals by James – and some razor-sharp work by the rest of the band . The flipside's a nice rare instrumental! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Not to be confused with "Popcorn" – this is the hard funky cut "Mother Popcorn", a real killer with a chanting vocal that goes "You've Got to Have a Mother for Me"! Served up here on a gorgeous original King 45, with a photo of The Godfather on the label! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Killer James Brown! This late King classic is done up in 3 parts – and weren't there only 2 parts on the LP? Even more of a reason to buy this funky 45. It's so hot, it goes all the way to part 3! That third part is the super-duper killer – done in a fast funk style that's so incredible you'll be hard pressed to believe that the group's actually playing the instruments without help from tapes or overdubs – and James shouts along with the whole thing, driving the tune into a frenzy! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of James Brown's undisputed classics! "I Got You" begins with a very famous scream and an oof – and then rolls into a great little groove that's been used a gazillion times in ads, but which still sounds pretty darn great. The flip's a nice one too – a bit mellower, but still deeply soulful! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Killer funky work from James! "Let A Man Come In" is a stone-cold funky number – with great raw popping grooves, very much in the Popcorn vein! Hard to find on vinyl in any form – and sounds great on the hot funky 45 mix! "Sometime" is nice, too – with a deep soul sound that's mellower than the a-side, but still very nice. 7-inch, Vinyl record

An undisputed groover! The track's a killer uptempo one from James' later years on King – and it's got this amazing beat that snaps along at a full deep stride. Very nice stuff, and the kind of tight grooving that would show up later in his work with the JBs – done here earlier, with a great raw groove. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A monster – and one of the most anthemic cuts that James ever cut! Begins with a monster drumbeat, kicks into a stone groove with loads of guitar, horn, and funky bass – while James shouts the whole thing through without faltering! The track became the motto of a generation – and it's a heck of a lot funkier than "We Shall Overcome"! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great deep soul tune from James! The track's a holiday number – and the sweet little baby boy is ol' JC himself – but with James singing the vocals, the whole thing sounds like some great southern soul number, with Christmas only a deep memory away. Nice and slow and soulful – with strings and piano backing up the vocals. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Some of Bobby Byrd's best work ever! "If You Don't Work" is a hard funky killer – done in a tight James Brown way, with lots of choppy guitar, and Bobby's vocals coming off at breakneck speed, just to keep up with the band. Nice simple message, too! "You've Got To Change Your Mind" is a great duet between Bobby and James. It's got a totally catchy hook, and a nice rolling groove that's extremely satisfying. James beats Bobby in the vocal department, but Bobby adds a nice bit of soul in the mix. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A strange but great single from James Brown! The cut has a slow vamping "honky tonk" kind of groove – and James raps over the top about America, how great it is, and how much opportunity the country offers. The whole thing's got a very positive message – and the monologue is one of James' more compelling ones! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Classic funkiness! This is a monster groover by The Godfather – and one of those tracks you've got to take in 2 parts, because there's just too much sheer raw power for 1! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great little soul number from James! "Don't Be A Drop Out" begins with these riffing horns, going high then dropping low, almost in a "Monkey Time" mode. James comes in with a great little vocal, a bit moralistic, perhaps, but also an admission of his own loss of a good chance earlier in life! "Tell Me" is a frenetic screamer – one that begins with a strange spoken introduction, crowd noise, then a rising volume on the band's instrumentation before they rip loose with James like they're the Dead Kennedys or something! The cut's totally insane – sounds as if it was dropped from space to drive the youth of America crazy – and really wild, even for James! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Beautiful soul from The Godfather, recorded in the period immediately after he discovered the choppy choppy guitar riff on the downbeat! Both parts swing hard hard hard, and the band is as tight as a pair of trousers after Thanksgiving! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An early one from James – with a raw R&B groove on both tracks, and shouted vocals that strike right at the core of the songs! "Crazy" has kind of a "Night Train" beat to it – and "Lost Someone" is slower, with a bluesy slow vamp kind of approach that lets James get all sad and mellow on the vocals. 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the funkiest cuts ever from reedman Harold Alexander – served up here in the 45rpm single version, which is short, tight, and really concentrates on the funky drums at the core – although still also topped with plenty of fierce funky flute from the man himself! Speaking of funky drums, Pretty Purdie is on the flipside with "Heavy Soul Slinger" – a cut that definitely earns its name, as the funky drums mix with great conga, massive bass, and this warm organ line that really sends the whole thing home! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stunning bit of sweet soul from this very obscure Ohio group – done in a soaring harmony style that would have made the late 60s Impressions proud – but given this nicely stark backing and production that's maybe more in the New Jersey mode of the time! The Aswads are backed by the Naturall Band on the vocal cut – and the flipside is a searing take on the territory explored by James Brown in "There Was A Time" – moving nicely quick, and with all sorts of riffing guitar and electric piano! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A really romping single from the lesser-known Connie Austin – a cut that's as funky as is soulful, with a set of backings that comes down right on the money, while a little conga line kicks things right back over the top! The approach allows Connie's vocals to really soar – giving the whole thing an unexpectedly righteous vibe! Charles Spurling steps out on the flipside – a storming Northern Soul number recorded in the 60s, but which appears here on a 45 for the first time ever! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Classic soul from Chicago! The 300-pound Baby Huey was one of the city's premier party acts in the old days, and this single – his cover of the rollicking Curtis Mayfield tune (which was later done by Chicago soul descendents Earth, Wind & Fire) – is one of his best! The two-part track has a rolling party funk groove, with production by Curtis, and arrangements by Donny Hathaway! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great return to form for the legendary Sidney Barnes – known best as a onetime member of both Rotary Connection and the P-Funk universe – but working here with great small combo backing from the Speedometer combo! "Best Thing" is an original by Barnes – sung in this sweet raspy style that gets great support from the funky group – who even thrown in a sweet Hammond solo in the middle! The flipside is a remake of Nolan Porter's "If I Could Only Be Sure" – a midtempo burner that has Sidney sounding even better on vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Contemporary funk singer Rickey Calloway owes plenty to James Brown's work of the 60s – and he makes that connection very clear here, by serving up a totally smoking version of James' classic "There Was A Time"! Rickey takes the track at a clip that's amazing – even faster than some of The Godfather's live recordings – and his group keep things lean and funky throughout – even on the instrumental! 7-inch, Vinyl record