The great first entry in this overlooked series – a mix of sound library gems and other soulful delights from the European scene – most of which never got release over here on this side of the Atlantic! A good number of tracks are from the Sonoton label archives, and they're sprinkled here with a few other key cuts as well – all in a hip blend of funky fusion, electric jazz, and electronic numbers – most of which are quite different than the usual sound library bag! Titles include "The Camp" and "Don't Play That Game (part 2)" by Klaus Weiss, "Whistler On The Rocks" by Eric Vanell, "Asteroide" by Racines Synthetiques, "Integrate" by Sam Sklair, "Wall Paper Music 6" by Dave Sarkys, "Actual 39" by Georges Rodi, "Iron Wood" by Africna Voodoo, "Pop Boutique" by Fritz Maldener Trio, and "Light & Shadow" by George King Organ Sounds. LP, Vinyl record album

Older grooves, given a great remix treatment – in a style that's somewhat in the territory of the Verve Remixed series, but a lot hipper overall! Part of that quality comes from the original tracks – very obscure work from the European jazz scene of the 60s and 70s – the kind of gems that we've loved on the Sonorama label series of reissues, re-presented here by an equally well-chosen array of remix talents – DJs and producers who go way beyond the more familiar names on the global scene! Original cuts are a mix of jazz, soul, funk, Latin, and bossa – served up here in a set list of 18 titles that includes "Hang Em High (Chadeo re-edit)" by Memphis Black, "Massai (Dr Rubberfunk re-spice)" by Mombasa, "Exotic Drums (Devil McDoom rmx)" by Berry Lipman, "Sax On The Rocks (Minimatic rmx)" by Berry Lipman, "Happy Little Sunbeam (Ben Human rmx)" by The Elsie Bianchi Trio, "You And I (Rob Smith rmx)" by Gretje Kauffeld, and "Dreaming (Ben Human rmx)" by Edgar Schlepper. CD

The soulful sound of Trojan Records, mixed superbly here by Japanese DJ Holiday – who comes across with a killer blend of cuts from the rocksteady and early reggae years! A number of tracks here are Jamaican remakes of American soul tunes, and they're mixed with originals that really echo the spirit of mellow grooves that were especially strong in the early part of the 70s – served up here on a set of 20 tracks that are all pulled from the farther reaches of the Trojan catalog, including a fair bit of under-discovered nuggets! Titles include "Let's Get It On" by Lloyd Charmers, "Lean On Me" by BB Seaton, "Tears On My Pillow" by Derrick Morgan, "It's You I Love" by Merlene Webster, "Somebody's Baby" by Pat Kelly, "Pain In My Heart" by Derrick & Naomi, "Target" by The Gaytones, "Love Letters" by Phyllis Dillon & Alton Ellis, "Sitting In The Park" by Slim Smith, "Keep It Like It Is" by Louisa Marks, "Emergency Call" by Judy Mowatt, and "Our Day Will Come" by The Heptones. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) CD

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) CD

A set that's heavy on roots reggae numbers, but which also maybe predates some of the more mainstream work in the field – especially some of the more easygoing tracks that were playing bit in American dorm rooms at the end of the 70s! Instead, these are cuts from a scene where the message in the music was plenty crucial, especially amidst the early 70s turmoil in Jamaica – where Studio One was close to the streets, and able to capture the moment with the same sort of brilliance and sharpness they brought to earlier generations of rocksteady and ska! The instrumentation is great, as some of the older players evolve into more spiritual modes – and titles include "Jah Righteous Plan" by Willie Williams, "Run Babylon" by Larry Marshall, "Babylon Rock" by Vin Gordon, "Behold The Land" by Joseph Hill, "Tenor On Call" by Tommy McCook, "Sun Is Shining" by Winston Matthews, "Satta" by Cedric Im Brooks, "Message Of Old" by Ken Boothe & Joe Higgs, "Sleeping Trees" by The Saints, and "Small Garden" by Zoot Sims. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Studio One label recorded some of the hippest singers on the Kingston scene from the late 60s onward – and one of the ways they made them sound especially great was to use some of the city's coolest musicians on the sessions, and also give them some space to cut some key instrumentals of their own! The cuts here represent a time when Jamaican music was really hitting its stride with a really unique vibe – and these groups have really shifted from the sort of jazz, mento, or calypso that instrumental groups were cutting in the early part of the 60s – to work in ska, rocksteady, and early reggae modes that offer up a perfect blend of heavy rhythms and standout solo instrumentation! The package brings together 19 tracks from these glory days at Studio One – and titles include "Heavenless" by Don Drummond, "Bugaloo" by Soul Bros, "Black Up" by Karl Bryan & Count Ossie, "Still Calling" by Soul Defenders, "Namibia" by Liberation Group, "Sidewalk Doctor" by Jackie Mittoo & Brentford Rockers, "Heavy Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Money Generator" by Karl Bryan & The Afrokats, "Jericho Skank" by Jackie Mittoo & Ernest Ranglin, and "Ringo Rock" by The Soul Vendors. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

The Trojan Records label was a pivotal force in taking reggae to a larger audience at the end of the 60s – pushing a huge amount of Jamaican artists into the global scene, and forever helping the sound of music in the process! Trojan was especially heavy in the years of ska and rocksteady, and this package is filled with some of the key cuts the label helped put on the map – tracks that are classic numbers from the early reggae years, and which had a hell of a lot of power both in Jamaica, and overseas in the UK! 2CD set features 50 tracks in all – and titles include "007" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces, "Double Barrel" by Dave & Ansel Collins, "Everything I Own" by Ken Boothe, "Uptown Top Ranking" by Althea & Donna, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces, "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" by The Pioneers, "54 46 Was My Number" by the Maytals, "Monkey Spanner" by Dave & Ansel Collins, "OK Fred" by Errol Dunkley, "Girlie Girlie" by Sophia George, "Money In My Pocket" by Dennis Brown, "Black Pearl" by Horace Faith, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" by Desmond Dekker, and "To Be Young Gifted & Black" by Bob & Marcia. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) CD

The Trojan Records label was a pivotal force in taking reggae to a larger audience at the end of the 60s – pushing a huge amount of Jamaican artists into the global scene, and forever helping the sound of music in the process! Trojan was especially heavy in the years of ska and rocksteady, and this package is filled with some of the key cuts the label helped put on the map – tracks that are classic numbers from the early reggae years, and which had a hell of a lot of power both in Jamaica, and overseas in the UK! 2LP set features 28 tracks in all – and titles include "007" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces, "Double Barrel" by Dave & Ansel Collins, "Everything I Own" by Ken Boothe, "Uptown Top Ranking" by Althea & Donna, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces, "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" by The Pioneers, "54 46 Was My Number" by the Maytals, "Monkey Spanner" by Dave & Ansel Collins, "OK Fred" by Errol Dunkley, "Girlie Girlie" by Sophia George, "Money In My Pocket" by Dennis Brown, "Black Pearl" by Horace Faith, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" by Desmond Dekker, and "To Be Young Gifted & Black" by Bob & Marcia. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great run of grooves – most of which were only initially available on expensive import singles, and which together represent a fantastic stretch of music from this very cool British label! Original Gravity is the brainchild of Neil Anderson, a cat who really knows his groove – whether it be 60s mod, 70s funk, Latin soul, rocksteady, and other great sounds from the past – all classic styles that come off together strongly in this overstuffed set! Anderson had a hand in nearly all the acts here – different combos and projects that have recorded all these different tracks, in different modes, for Original Gravity over the years – finally brought together here as a demonstration of the great, and sometimes overlooked, work of this excellent imprint. The 3CD set features 69 tracks in all, all on CD for the first time ever – with work from Brentford Rd Soul Rebels, Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts, Floyd James & the GTs, Nestor Alvarez, Luchito, Junior Dell & The D-Lites, So Cal Soul Stars, Jodie, Melvin Craig, and others. (Deep Funk, Funky Compilations) CD

A set that might well also be titled "the birth of reggae" – as it pulls together some of the harder-edged cuts that were really starting to get the music going on the UK scene at the end of the 60s – work that had a leaner, meaner vibe than rocksteady and ska – with a slight uptick in the rhythms, and maybe a more sinister approach to the music overall! The tracks here are all from the mighty production talents of Bunny Striker Lee – one of the key forces in this new musical moment – and although some of the names might be familiar, the set's a nice contrast to some of the more staid presentations of the music on the market. 24 tracks in all – including "The Russians Are Coming" by Val Bennett, "Peoples Choice" by Winston Williams, "The Avengers" by Tommy McCook, "Peyton Place" by D Tony Lee & Roland Alphonso, "Drums Of Fu Manchu" by Headly Bennett, "Music House" by Roland Alphonso, "Peanut Vendor" by Tommy McCook, "Gits Brown" by Lennox Brown, "Annie Pama" by Bunny Lee All Stars, and "Dreams To Remember" by The Hippy Boys. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) CD

A killer collection of reggae remakes of famous soul and funk tunes – all served up from a later generation of the scene, which makes a nice change from some of the more ska and rocksteady collections of this nature! It's no secret that Jamaican music was initially given a strong inspiration from American soul – and even in this generation, when the Kingston scene had really found its own groove, other influences would still come into the music in a really great way – as you'll hear on these really cool reworkings of themes from Ohio Players, McFadden & Whitehead, Barry White, and others! The production of most of these cuts is great – different than some of the more disco-oriented material that would copy American work – more laidback, with some currents of lovers rock as well – and funky, but in a laidback way. Titles include "Midnight" by Willie Lindo, "Skin Tight" by Lloyd Charmers, "Strange Compulsion" by Sheila Hylton, "Moving On" by Leslie Butler, "Funky Rasta" by Ronnie Butler, "Crowded City" by The Messengers, "Chemistry Of Love" by Susan Cadogan, "Can't Stop Rasta Now" by Ras Midas, and "Deeper & Deeper" by Lloyd Charmers. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of reggae remakes of famous soul and funk tunes – all served up from a later generation of the scene, which makes a nice change from some of the more ska and rocksteady collections of this nature! It's no secret that Jamaican music was initially given a strong inspiration from American soul – and even in this generation, when the Kingston scene had really found its own groove, other influences would still come into the music in a really great way – as you'll hear on these really cool reworkings of themes from Ohio Players, McFadden & Whitehead, Barry White, and others! The production of most of these cuts is great – different than some of the more disco-oriented material that would copy American work – more laidback, with some currents of lovers rock as well – and funky, but in a laidback way. Titles include "Midnight" by Willie Lindo, "Skin Tight" by Lloyd Charmers, "Strange Compulsion" by Sheila Hylton, "Moving On" by Leslie Butler, "Funky Rasta" by Ronnie Butler, "Crowded City" by The Messengers, "Chemistry Of Love" by Susan Cadogan, "Can't Stop Rasta Now" by Ras Midas, and "Deeper & Deeper" by Lloyd Charmers. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) CD

An excellent compilation that's very much in the spirit of the 100% Dynamite sets on Soul Jazz! This time, Soul Jazz dig through the vaults of the legendary Studio One catalog – some of the most important reggae and rocksteady ever recorded, virtually all of it produced under the tutelage of Clement "Coxone" Dodd. Much of this material has been floating around over the years, but we'd be hard pressed to think of a better collection of it – especially when considering the excellent fidelity of the set, which is way better than an of Dodd's own reissues of the material. Plus, the folks at Soul Jazz have gone out of their way to put together the tracks as an extremely well-thought out introduction to the music, not just a scattered batch of tunes that happened to be available. The set also includes a recent interview with Clement Dodd, plus loads of great rocksteady and early reggae tracks. Titles include "Surfin" by Ernest Ranglin, "Real Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Feel Like Jumping" by Marcia Griffiths, "Greedy G" by Brentford All Stars, "Village Soul" by Lennie Hibbert, "Ethiopia" by Cedric Brooks, "Crabwalking" by Prince Jazzbo, "Hot Milk" by Jackie Mittoo, "Badder Dan Dem" by Lone Ranger, and "Bobby Bobylon" by Freddy McGregor. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) CD

Forget everything you know about ska music from recent years – no Mighty Mighty cliches, no retro-styled clunkers, no two-toned sounds at all – just the real deal, the roots of the style, served up here in classic recordings that go right to the source! These are the cuts that started it all – and which still sound way better to our ears than any of the countless imitations that have been crafted over the years – played with a freshness and a sharp edge that recent recordings can never hope to touch! The music here is the roots of reggae crafted in the soil of Kingston – recorded by the legendary Studio One Records, with all the soulful undercurrents you'd find in the rocksteady generation as well. It's been a few years since Soul Jazz have served up a set of Jamaican grooves this tight – but it's been well worth the wait, given the track selection and always-stellar level of presentation from the label. Titles include "Live Good" by The Ethiopians, "Mr Talkative" by The Wailers, "There's A Reward" by Joe Higgs & Roy Wilson, "Ska La Parisienne" by The Skatalites, "Don't Try To Reach Me" by The Gaylads, "Gumma" by Lee Perry, "Freedom Sounds" by Soul Brothers, "You Won't See Me" by The Clarendonians, and "Old Rocking Chair" by Jakie Opel. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set of rare club and underground disco – filled with lots of tracks we haven't seen on other collections! Andy Smith has given us many amazing compilations over the years – sets that have a special mix magic, made up of rocksteady, reggae, vintage funk, and even some rockabilly too! Yet as Andy says here in the notes, he first got hooked on music in the disco generation – and has always had a life-long love of unusual and underground grooves – which he definitely demonstrates here, in a stunning selection of cuts that focus on the funkier side of the disco generation – with a good number of tracks that have turned out to be sample cuts over the years. Titles include "For The Love Of Money" by Disco Dub Band, "Patty Duke" by Cloud One, "Times Are Tight" by Jimmy Young, "Share The Night" by World Premiere, "Is It In" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Let It Flow" by Tamiko Jones, "Main Thing" by Shot with Kim Marsh, "Give It Up" by Neddy Smith, "Groove To Get Down" by T-Connection, "Holding You Tight (ext DJ mix)" by Sure Thing, "First True Love Affair (Andy Smith & Nick Halke reach up edit)" by Jimmy Ross, "Got To Have You (Whiskey Barons re-edit)" by Joanne Wilson, "I Wanna Be Myself" by Don Laka, "Get Up & Boogie" by Freedom, and "Take Me To The Top" by Advance. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of soulful rocksteady gems – and one that really hints at its approach with the use of "cover" in the title! Many of the tunes here are reworkings of American soul tracks – most not major hits, which makes them even cooler cover versions – and shows just how deep a love of soul music influenced the Jamaican scene in the 60s! Tracks are from a variety of classic labels – Trojan, Doctor Bird, Treasure Isle, and others – and titles include "Just A Mirage" by The Uniques, "If I Didn't Love You" by Eric Monty Morris, "Whatcha Gonna Do" by The Techniques, "Something You've Got" by Lee Perry, "Trying To Reach My Goal" by Alton Ellis, "Charade" by Roland Alphonso, and even a surprising take on "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" by Harry J All Stars! (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from the legendary Studio One – and some important sounds that really show the link between Jamaican reggae and American soul! The grooves at this point draw heavily from the US soul and R&B that had been hitting Jamaican shores via radio broadcasts from up north – but they also already have a Kingston influence coming heavily into the mix – in the stepping rhythms, bubbling instrumentation, and mellow production of the cuts! The instrumentation here is wonderful – lots of special little touches on organ, tenor, bass, or drums – in that key Studio One way – and the vocals have a flow that really works well with the echoey production on most numbers too. A few tunes show some early social and political themes – and titles include "Stars" by The Eternals, "Joy In The Morning" by The Gaylads, "My Ambition" by Marcia Griffith, "Throw Me Corn" by Larry & Alvin, "Lick It Back" by Duke Morgan, "Pack Up" by The Classics, "Fancy Make Up" by John Holt, "Whisper To Me" by Cecile Campbell, "Hurting Me" by Alton Ellis, "Our Thing" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Row Fisherman Row" by Wailing Souls. (Reggae, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album