A set that really digs deep into the British scene of the early 70s – a package pitched around the idea of opening acts for supergroups at a rock festival, and one that serves up a whole host of groups who never fully got their due on our side of the Atlantic at the time! These aren't underground or experimental groups – and most recorded for major labels – but they also weren't chart-topping acts, or those that have gone into the classic rock pantheon – which makes for a really great discovery to most ears not fully acquainted with this moment in UK rock! The set was put together by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – who've given us other seminal sets of UK music from the 70s, and groovy 60s compilations too – and they really do a great job here of setting the scene, and picking the best cuts from groups who are top-shelf in their effort and execution. As always with the pair, the notes with the set are as illuminating as the music – and titles include "Taken All The Good Things" by Stray, "Out Demons Out" by Edgar Broughton Band, "One Way Glass" by Manfred Mann Chapter Three, "Hold On To Your Mind" by Andwella, "Big Boobs Boogie" by Slowload, "Third World" by Paladin, "For Mad Men Only" by May Blitz, "Met Pies Ave Come" by Stack Waddy, "Ricochet" by Jonesy, and the surprising inclusion of some rocking KPM sound library tracks – including "Hot Pants" by Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw, "Led Balloon" by Steve Gray, and "Confunction" by Dave Richmond. (Rock, Funky Compilations) CD

A set that really digs deep into the British scene of the early 70s – a package pitched around the idea of opening acts for supergroups at a rock festival, and one that serves up a whole host of groups who never fully got their due on our side of the Atlantic at the time! These aren't underground or experimental groups – and most recorded for major labels – but they also weren't chart-topping acts, or those that have gone into the classic rock pantheon – which makes for a really great discovery to most ears not fully acquainted with this moment in UK rock! The set was put together by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – who've given us other seminal sets of UK music from the 70s, and groovy 60s compilations too – and they really do a great job here of setting the scene, and picking the best cuts from groups who are top-shelf in their effort and execution. As always with the pair, the notes with the set are as illuminating as the music – and titles include "Taken All The Good Things" by Stray, "Out Demons Out" by Edgar Broughton Band, "One Way Glass" by Manfred Mann Chapter Three, "Hold On To Your Mind" by Andwella, "Big Boobs Boogie" by Slowload, "Third World" by Paladin, "For Mad Men Only" by May Blitz, "Met Pies Ave Come" by Stack Waddy, "Ricochet" by Jonesy, and the surprising inclusion of some rocking KPM sound library tracks – including "Hot Pants" by Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw, "Led Balloon" by Steve Gray, and "Confunction" by Dave Richmond. (Rock, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant funky instrumentals from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – a company who could sometimes recorded more staid music, although that certainly wasn't the case with the gems on this collection! The music is by a handful of British studio talents of the time – most of whom come from the jazz scene in earlier years – and provide a great update of their earlier talents with some very sweet electric touches! Many of these tunes have some really great keyboards – Fender Rhodes or even moogier elements – and many also have wicked basslines next to the funky drums, which really make things kick throughout. These tunes are vastly undiscovered – at least in comparison to better-known sound library funk from companies like KPM or DeWolfe – but we'd put these grooves right up there with the best of that bunch too. This second volume is full of wonderful tracks that go even farther past the first volume – funky, but jazzy too – with a lot of work by Dennis Farnon, including the cuts "Night Walk", "Soul Type Blues", "Shanghai Caper", "Cocoanut Cocktail", "Bass Bits", "Chameleon", "Crazy Legs", "Blues For Boo", "Baltic Caper", "Test Drive", and "Nuremberg Ring" – plus "Funk" and "Rock" by Chris Barron, "Equation" and "Mad Mendoza" by Trevor Duncan, "Leagueliner" by Ray Davies, "Diraffe" by Bob Adams, and "Self Deception" by Tany Turens. (Sound Library, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant funky instrumentals from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – a company who could sometimes recorded more staid music, although that certainly wasn't the case with the gems on this collection! The music is by a handful of British studio talents of the time – most of whom come from the jazz scene in earlier years – and provide a great update of their earlier talents with some very sweet electric touches! Many of these tunes have some really great keyboards – Fender Rhodes or even moogier elements – and many also have wicked basslines next to the funky drums, which really make things kick throughout. These tunes are vastly undiscovered – at least in comparison to better-known sound library funk from companies like KPM or DeWolfe – but we'd put these grooves right up there with the best of that bunch too. Titles include"Milky Way" and "Star Voyage" by John Scott, "Two Bars" and "The Scape Goat" by Pete Moore, "The Big Score" by John Cacavas, "One Way Trip" by Sam Fonteyn, "Smile Of A Stranger" by Dominic Sands, "Riff Raff" by Geoff Bastow, "Come Cuban" by Edward White, "Kaleidoscope" by Tony Kinsey, "Funk" and "Rock" by Chris Barron, "Equation" and "Mad Mendoza" by Trevor Duncan, "Leagueliner" by Ray Davies, "Diraffe" by Bob Adams, and "Self Deception" by Tany Turens – and lots of titles by Dennis Farnon that include "Night Shade", "The Rally", "Southbound", "Snowmobile", "Night Driver", "The Trackers", "Lady Killers", "Soul Type Blues", "Shanghai Caper", "Cocoanut Cocktail", "Bass Bits", "Chameleon", "Crazy Legs", "Blues For Boo", "Baltic Caper", "Test Drive", and "Nuremberg Ring". (Sound Library, Funky Compilations) CD

Big deal, indeed – as this excellent set looks at a really under-tapped source of sound library funk from the 70s – a small British company who was turning out glorious grooves in the same classic years as KPM or DeWolfe! The players here are mostly British, and many are more obscure than the other UK sound library musicians who worked for the bigger labels – and often had soundtrack and jazz studio recordings as well. These guys are fresh names, with fresh sounds, and some heavy grooves that have hardly seen the light of day after their limited 70s circulation on non-commercial albums. You've got a taste of a few Weinberger tracks on the Bosworth Library Sessions from Strut many years back – but these are all different grooves, chosen with the great ear for jazzy funk we expect from the Sonorama label. Titles include "Integration" by Trevor Bastow, "Rhythm Rhythm Rhythm" by Reginald Wale, "Over & Out" by Toni Campo, "Big Deal" by Midals Touch, "Santaren" by Vick Flick, "Focus On The Middle East" by Ishfahan Farid, "Knock On Wood" by Sid Dale, "Make No Bones" by Midals Touch, "Centrefold" by Toni Campo, "Soul Punch" by Piet Van Meren, and "Gone Gone Gone" by Reginale Wale. (Sound Library, Funky Compilations) CD

Very cool cuts from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – all very much in the best funky Brit tradition of work from the KPM and DeWolfe sound libraries that we first fell in love with many years ago! Much of the work here is done by the great Dennis Farnon – a jazz arranger from earlier years, but one who developed a great ear for mixing in just the right balance of electricity in the rhythms with warmer, jazzier horns – a style that's followed by the other talents on the set too – all to form a really great bridge between more sophisticated jazz and soundtrack modes of the time, and some of the tighter elements of blacksploitation funk. Titles include "Pardon", "South Bound", "Border Incident", "Tournament", "Snowmobile", and "The Trackers" by Dennis Farnon – plus "You Were Right I Was" and "Wheeler Dealer" by Trevor Duncan, "Secret Mission" and "Monomania" by Ray Davies, and "Two Bars" by Pete Moore. (Sound Library, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album