Deep soul from the glory days of the Memphis scene – not the better-known work recorded at Stax, but material from the smaller American Sound Studio – a new game in town during the late 60s, and a place that forged it's very own legacy in Memphis music! American recorded a variety of styles – a bit like Muscle Shoals – but this collection not only focuses most strongly on the soul music cut at the studios, but also work by "The Memphis Boys" – the superb in-house session group that included top-shelf talents like Reggie Young and Tommy Cogbill on guitar, Bobby Emmons on keyboards, and Chips Moman at the head of the group. The great Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham also did plenty of work for American – on material that was issued on a variety of labels – Atlantic, Cameo, Bell, Sound Stage 7, Smash, and others – all collected here with a deep set of notes that really gets at the special vibe going down at American. Titles include "Burning Fire" by Arthur Conley, "Someone To Take Your Place" by Bobby Marchan, "I Don't Want To Have To Wait" by James & Bobby Purify, "Ain't That True Love" by Oscar Toney Jr, "There's A Heartbreak Somewhere" by Roscoe Shelton, "Comin To Bring You Some Soul" by Sam Baker, "It Ain't Fair" by Ben E King, "Don't Take Your Love" by The Blossoms, "So Much Love" by Dusty Springfield, "Broadway Walk" by Bobby Womack, "Holdin On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "On The Other Side" by Lee Jones & The Sounds Of Soul. (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

Includes music by Parliament, Chakachas, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, Sound Experience, Cameo, Salsoul Orchestra, Marva Whitney, Leon Huff, the Jones Girls, and more – 30 tracks total. CD

Includes tracks by Jesse Johnson, Klique, Angela Winbush, Rick James, Ready For The World, Bobby Brown, Oran "Juice" Jones, Gwen Guthrie, Cameo, and Joyce Kennedy & Jeffrey Osborne. (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

There's a huge amount of early Philly soul here – lots of tracks from the classic years of the Cameo/Parkway label, plus a few other choice bits too – all wrapped up in a Northern Soul collection that owes almost nothing to the style of Detroit! The package features great tracks by obscure artists, and obscure tracks by bigger singers – brought together with the kind of top-shelf track selection that makes us love releases on the Outta Sight label so much. There's plenty here that goes way past the obvious – and titles include "Heartaches Away My Boy" by Christine Cooper, "Night Owl" by Bobby Paris, "Country Girl" by Vickie Baines, "Envy" by The Orlons, "You Didn't Say A Word" by Yvonne Baker, "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" by Bunny Sigler, "Packing Up" by Damon Fox, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Dee Sharp, "My Heart Your Heart" by Janie Grant, "Picture Me Gone" by Evie Sands, "Comin Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, and "It's Rough Out There" by Jerry Jackson. (Soul, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Killer club cuts from the 70s and 80s, chosen by the Compost crew – all in support of their long-running Maiden Voyage club night! The Maiden Voyage vibe is quite different than the usual Compost groove – much more soul-based, and often in a mellow or midtempo mode – just the right balance of jazz and funk in the rhythms, with plenty of space for a soulful singer to take over the lead – and with a style that's much more sophisticated than mainstream disco! There's plenty of cuts on here from the best late 70s modern soul years – and even when the names are familiar, the tracks are often a bit more obscure – lesser-known gems brought together with a beautiful flare, in a package that's easily one of the best groovers we've heard in a long time! Titles include "Love Is On The One" by Xavier, "Love You Anyway" by Cameo, "Lihue" by Nohelani Cypriano, "Believe In Yourself" by Roy Ayers, "Georgy Porgy (disco)" by Toto, "Lovin Fever" by High Inergy, "She's Gone" by Norman Conners, "Very Special" by Debra Laws, "I Want Your Love" by James Mason, "I Want To Thank You" by Alicia Myers, and "Tenderness" by Diana Ross. LP, Vinyl record album