Stirring sounds from the start of the 60s – all pulled from that magical moment when soul was first coming into place – brought together out of different strands of grooves that were rumbling around in the 50s! The set mixes R&B, vocal group, and even a bit of pop – but all with a sound that's plenty soulful throughout – and really uncovers some lesser-known gems in the process! These Outta Sight collections are always great for Northern Soul – and this one shows the roots of the genre – and really illustrates the way that so many 21st Century collectors are turning back to the generation before Motown. Titles include "I Say Hello" by Jimmy Breedlove, "Darling I Know Now" by The Mystics, "Because Of You" by The Dreamers, "Boss Bossa Nova" by Bellino, "Summertime" by Barbara D'Orleans, "Hi Fi Baby" by Teddy McRae, "Humdinger" by Little Marie Allen, "Please Don't Go" by Johnny Acey, "Baby Oh Baby" by The Shells, "Oh What A Fool" by Big Jay McNeeley, and "I Walk On" by Little Tommy & The Elgins. (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

Sweet 70s grooves, and a few key contemporary cuts too – a really wonderful set that's full of overlooked modern soul gems and a great mix of mellow groovers! The package really serves up some of our favorite sounds from the 70s – tracks that are upbeat, yet never uptempo – and find a way of stepping along a midtempo groove that leaves plenty of room for the vocalist to really soar in the lead – hitting these rich, righteous lines that sparkle strongly throughout! The set list is superb, and features even a few surprises to our ears long-trained on modern soul – and tracks include "There I Go" by The Notations, "I Hate Hate" by Razzy, "Pour Your Little Heart Out" by The Drifters, "Daylight" by Bobby Womack, "Got To Find Ms Right" by Buddy Miles, "Tripping Out (Featurecast 2013 re-edit)" by Curtis Mayfield, "What Do You See In Her" by Inell Young, "You Made A Believer Out Of Me" by Betty Lavette, "This Side Of Heaven" by Gavin Christopher, "Spoiled Like A Baby" by Mystique, "If You Really Need A Friend" by Bobby Foster, "Smoothie Pie" by Sky Hi, and "I Don't Know" by Glen Anthony Henry. CD

Not just cool jazz – despite what the title might say – and instead a whole host of soulful jazzy styles from the late 50s and early 60s – pulled forth from the kind of singles that once boomed from backroom jukeboxes in taverns on the south side of town! The collection is great – very much in the spirit of some of the Mod Jazz compilations on Ace, but maybe even a bit more farther-reaching too – and the tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal jazz numbers, put together with the same great ear as the soul collections on the Outta Sight label. Titles include "Like Young" by Ann Henry, "I Walk The Streets" by Lyn Avalon, "Scenes In The City (edit)" by Charles Mingus, "Comin Home Baby" by Dave Bailey, "Johnny With The Gentle Hands" by Cootie Williams & Wini Brown, "Baby Do You Ever Think Of Me" by Sonny Stitt, "Goodbye Old Girl" by Art Farmer, "Wayning Moments" by Wayne Shorter, and "Sack O Woe" by Ray Bryant. CD

A great entry in one of our favorite series for rare soul tracks these days – a really special sort of collection that brings together tracks with a vibe that's very much all its own! The set definitely serves up the "real side" that it promises in the title – tunes that aren't showy or full of fuss – and instead, these easygoing soul tracks that hit their mark, right from the start – then go long with tremendous staying power, and a sense of warmth that has us returning to the set again and again for repeated listenings! The choice of cuts is sublime – a few familiar numbers mixed with overlooked tracks from artists we know, but haven't heard from in this way before – served up on 20 tracks that include "Never Set Me Free" by Continental Showstoppers, "I'm Coming Home" by Gerald Taylor, "I Can Remember" by The Whispers, "I'd Believe Him" by Deniece Chandler, "What Does It Take" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "If You Decide" by Bull & The Matadors, "Try Something New" by Eddie Billups, "When" by Joe Simon, "Lover Come Back" by Jackey Beavers, "Nobody But You" by Willie Hightower, "I Hate Hate" by Razzy Bailey, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "Grooving With My Thing" by The DeVons, and "Smooth Sailing" by Three Shades Of Soul. CD

A great entry in this wonderful series – a set that's full of rare 7" singles from the late 60s and early 70s, but with a vibe that's very different than other collections of this nature! As with previous volumes, the sound is warm and uplifting – not heavy funk or deep soul, but tunes that soar and glide on soulful energy – showcasing a few early modern soul elements that were years ahead of their time, and often using just the right sort of production and arrangements to really expand the sound of a singer or harmony vocal group! The whole thing's wonderful – fantastic rare soul listening all the way through – and titles include "Can't Forget About You Baby" by Marian Love, "I Believe In Miracles" by Mark Capanni, "Standing In The Way" by Charles Williams, "The Game Is Over" by Brown Sugar, "Too Late" by Tavares, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Bettye Swann, "How Can I Go On Without You" by Corey Blake, "Reason To Survive" by Rance Allen Group, "You Had It Made" by Freddie Terrell & Blue Rhythm Band, and "Oh Mama" by CM Lord. CD

A great entry in this wonderful series – a set that's full of rare 7" singles from the late 60s and early 70s, but with a vibe that's very different than other collections of this nature! As with previous volumes, the sound is warm and uplifting – not heavy funk or deep soul, but tunes that soar and glide on soulful energy – showcasing a few early modern soul elements that were years ahead of their time, and often using just the right sort of production and arrangements to really expand the sound of a singer or harmony vocal group! The whole thing's wonderful – fantastic rare soul listening all the way through – and titles include "Standing In The Way" by Charles Williams, "Reason To Survive" by Rance Allen Group, "Consider The Source" by Leon Haywood, "Oh Mama" by CM Lord, "Thank You Girl For Loving Me" by Enchantment, "The Game Is Over" by Brown Sugar, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "Too Late"b y Tavares, and "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Bettye Swann. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard soul galore – a killer batch of upbeat vintage soul tunes – all pulled together from the wide range of many projects the Numero Group has handled over the years! This is the label's way of answering back to some of those overseas collections of American soul from the 60s – showing that Numero is every bit as well-tuned to the needs of Northern Soul clubbers and collectors as imprints like Ace/Kent, Outta Sight, and some of the other British labels! The package features a whopping 20 tracks in all – sock-soul groovers that you might have missed between the overstuffed track listings of other Numero compilations – sounding really great here together in the company of each other. Titles include "Wait A Minute" by Eddie Ray, "You Are My Sunshine" by Jerry Townes, "I'm Ready For Love" by Otis Brown, "Little Girl Blue" by The Webs, "Demanding Man" by The Sensations, "You're Not Loving A Beginner" by Jessie Fisher, "Do You Know What Love Is" by Syl Johnson, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Stubborn Heart" by Earnest Mosley, "Look Around" by Two Plus Two, "Just Fun" by Brown Bombers & Soul Partners, and "Do The Pearl Girl (part 2)" by Matta Baby. CD