A gospel singer, but with a great ear for soul – the mighty Rance Allen was one of the key figures to bridge the spiritual and secular worlds in the 70s! This excellent set features Rance Allen gems from his early 70s years at Stax Records – tunes that burn with all of the deep soul styles of other work on the Memphis label, but which also seem to get an extra push deep down inside, thanks to Allen's spiritual leanings. Most cuts have excellent piano and keyboards alongside the vocals – and titles include "Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul", "Ring My Bell", "Up Above My Head", "Lying On The Truth", "Joy", "What Is This", "I Belong To You", "Ain't No Need Of Crying", "That Will Be Good Enough For Me", "What A Day", and "The Painter". (Soul, Gospel) CD

Rance Allen was one of the greatest singers on Stax who never made it during the 70s – probably because he labored in obscurity on Stax's subsidiary Truth label, a gospel imprint where Allen was unjustly stuck because of his roots in the music. Truth is, his work had as much soul as it did gospel – probably even more so as the years wore on and he started to get more secularized. The tracks on this set are as good an introduction to Allen's work as you'll find – and they're filled with great piano work (acoustic and electric), plus loads of tracks sung in Allen's rich soulful style. Titles include "That Will Be Good Enough For Me", "There's Gonna Be A Showdown", "Ain't No Need of Crying", "I Belong To You", "Smile", "I Know A Man Who", and "I Got To Be Myself". (Soul, Gospel) CD

An excellent album by Rance Allen – one of the most overlooked talents in Stax's early 70s roster, and a real genius for blending his gospel roots with influences of the soul and funk scene of his time. Proof of this is the album's great remake of "There's Gonna Be a Showdown", done in a style that's more rootsy than other Philly versions, but which uses that good Philly bounce to push Rance's deep baritone into a whole new groove. Other good tracks include "To the Other Man", "If I Could Make the World Better", and "That Will Be Good Enough For Me". (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of spacey soul – and an amazing collaboration between the Mizell Brothers and vocalist Rance Allen! The set's quite different than Rance's earlier, rootsier work for Stax – and instead has the soaring, joyous quality of some of the other great Mizell productions from the time on albums by Gary Bartz, Bobbi Humphrey, and Johnny Hammond! The best cuts here soar along with a really jazzy feel – that trademark Mizell groove, supported with excellent production that somehow manages to fuse a wide range of keyboards, rhythms, and string together with a really lean sound. Rance's spiritual vocals are wonderful throughout – and the whole album's essential for both Mizell fans, and any lover of righteous 70s soul! Titles include the sublime classics "Truth Is Marching On", "Reason To Survive", and "Peace of Mind" – plus "I'm Gonna Make It After All", "Got To Be Ready", and "You're My Everything". (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous package of work from this overlooked soul and gospel legend – four classic albums, plus other rare material too – all packaged with detailed notes in the wonderful Numero Group style! First up is Like A Ship Without A Sail – a gospel album from Pastor TL Barrett, but one that's gone on to legendary status among funk and soul collectors over the years! Barrett works here with his Youth For Christ Choir – a south side ensemble that's filled with genuine spirit and passion, aimed towards lofty ideals – but set up with some deep secular soul production touches and instrumentation that keep things razor sharp throughout! The album was supervised by Chess Records sax player and arranger Gene Barge – with other Chess players Richard Evans and Phil Upchurch on the sessions too – and the music is filled with raw drums, heavy bass, and lots of great organ lines! Next is Do Not Pass Me By Vol 1 – an album that's got a nice balance between intimate soul numbers and larger tracks that have the whole Mount Zion Baptist Church along for support! The set's definitely got the strongly soulful vibe of Barrett's Like A Ship album – a strong ear for the best secular elements of the time, which are used liberally in the instrumental backing – to really send home the message in the music! Most tunes really soft-pedal the religion, and instead go for an overall feel that really crosses over to regular soul music. Next is the great second volume of Do Not Pass Me By – like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy City in the early 70s! The set does a great job of alternating strong lead singers with the rest of the group – a bit like Voices Of East Harlem, but with more of a larger ensemble feel – and there's some really wonderful moments on the record throughout – even a bit of funk amidst the more righteous soul-styled tunes. I Found The Answer is one of the biggest-circulating albums from this fantastic figure in Chicago gospel – a unique set done for the Gospel Truth subsidiary of Stax Records, but a set served up in the same blend of soul-based inspirations as some of TL Barrett's indie label releases back home in the Windy City! Plus, the package features a full album of Singles & Sermons – rare non-LP material by this seminal figure in both soul and spiritual music. CD

A rare funk gem from Stax Records – a strange mix of rock and funk, originally recorded for the label's Gospel Truth subsidiary, which is why it's kind of gotten lost in the cracks over the years! The group's got a very heavy ensemble funk sound – a blend of organ, sax, and percussion – all coming together in a loose studio jam style on the best cuts, as you might guess by the name "Round Robin"! Tracks include "Life Is Funky", "Alpha", "Peace of Mind", and "Dreamers". (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest work ever from The Staple Singers – early gospel recordings for Vee Jay Records, mostly recorded in a spare vocal group mode that's greatly different from their later fame at Stax! The style here is quite traditional and earthy – near-acapella vocals often just supported by a bit of guitar to underscore some of the bluesier elements of the tunes. The approach is great, and perfectly recorded – in a way that's still gospel, but which shows plenty of early soul leanings too – a style that's different than most of the group's contemporaries, and which certainly hints at their later direction. (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest work ever from The Staple Singers – early gospel recordings for Vee Jay Records, mostly recorded in a spare vocal group mode that's greatly different from their later fame at Stax! The style here is quite traditional and earthy – near-acapella vocals often just supported by a bit of guitar to underscore some of the bluesier elements of the tunes. The approach is great, and perfectly recorded – in a way that's still gospel, but which shows plenty of early soul leanings too – a style that's different than most of the group's contemporaries, and which certainly hints at their later direction. CD features 17 tracks that include "Swing Low", "Uncloudy Day", "I Know I Got Religion", "Low Is The Way", "I'm Coming Home (parts 1 & 2)", "The Day Is Passed & Gone", "This May Be The Last Time", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "Too Close", "Let's Go Home", and "Sit Down Servant". (Soul, Gospel) CD

Rootsy material recorded for Epic in the 60s, before the group went over to Stax and started cutting secular soul! These sides are much more in a traditional gospel quartet mode – but the group's powerful vocals and strongly soulful approach makes the tracks rock with the strength of some of their secular material. Titles include "It's Been A Change", "Waiting For My Child", "Pray On", "John brown", "The Tramp On The Street", and "How Great Thou Art". (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare nugget from the Voices Of East Harlem – an obscure second album of material for Elektra Records, issued after their debut on the label – but only as an overseas release! The album follows strongly in the righteous blend of gospel and soul on Right On Be Free – and the set seems to feature material that may well have been recorded at those sessions, plus some other unreleased tracks too – all pulled together in a style that could have made these guys as big as The Staple Singers on Stax! There's actually a deeper vibe here – and a sound that's even deeper than on their two later albums for the Just Sunshine label – as the group take on work by some rock acts, like Bob Dylan or Creedence Clearwater Revival – and mix the music with their own soulful music to create something really amazing. Titles include "Nation Time", "Oxford Town", "Sit Yourself Down", "No No No", "Hey Brother", "I Want To Be Free", "Proud Mary", "Freedom", and "Kind Woman". (Soul, Gospel) CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this first volume include "God's Going To Blow Out The Sun" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "I Feel Like Flying Away" by The Joy Of Memphis, "When I Looked" by The Traveling Stars, "The Reason I Love Him" by The Kingdom Airs, "Where You Gonna Run" by The D-Vine Spiritualettes, "One River To Cross" by The Seven Brothers, "Look At Your Life" by Evelyn Taylor, and "I'm A Soldier In God's Army" by The Southern Sons. CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this first volume include "God's Going To Blow Out The Sun" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "I Feel Like Flying Away" by The Joy Of Memphis, "When I Looked" by The Traveling Stars, "The Reason I Love Him" by The Kingdom Airs, "Where You Gonna Run" by The D-Vine Spiritualettes, "One River To Cross" by The Seven Brothers, "Look At Your Life" by Evelyn Taylor, and "I'm A Soldier In God's Army" by The Southern Sons. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this second volume include "The Lord's Prayer" by The Dynamic Hughes Singers, "I've Got To Tell It" by The Southern Bells, "My Time Ain't Long" by The Shaw Singers, "It's A Shame How This World Has Changed" by The Gospel Wymics, "Stand By Me" by The M&M Singers, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "Jesus He's A Miracle Worker" by The Gospel Six, "I Know I've Been Changed" by Sister Jessie M Sherley, and "I Got Jesus" by The Angelic Five. CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this second volume include "The Lord's Prayer" by The Dynamic Hughes Singers, "I've Got To Tell It" by The Southern Bells, "My Time Ain't Long" by The Shaw Singers, "It's A Shame How This World Has Changed" by The Gospel Wymics, "Stand By Me" by The M&M Singers, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "Jesus He's A Miracle Worker" by The Gospel Six, "I Know I've Been Changed" by Sister Jessie M Sherley, and "I Got Jesus" by The Angelic Five. LP, Vinyl record album