Hey, don't hold Wayne Cochran's hair against him – because he's one massively soulful dude, despite a high white pompadour – and really knew how to rock the clubs back in the 60s! Cochran's a really unique figure – working with a look that was whiter-than-white, but coming across with a groove that was right up there in the best funky soul mode of the time! Wayne played for the same sort of crowds that went to see Baby Huey & The Babysitters – blending together soul and R&B influences with a really party-oriented groove laid down by his legendary CC Riders backup group – and crossing countless borders along the way, all in pursuit of a socking soul sound! This wonderful set is the best we've ever seen on his music – and features tracks pulled from his sessions for King, Chess, and Mercury – plus a full never-issued live album for King, titled The Wayne Cochran Show. There's more than a few covers here of other 60s soul tunes, but Wayne somehow manages to make most of them sound even better than the originals – bringing in funky arrangements that weren't even used on the hits, and making us wish we'd had a chance to catch his cooking show back in the day. 38 tracks in all – with titles that include "Dance To The Music", "Hold On I'm Coming", "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Hard To Handle", "Chopper 70", "Everybody", "Let Me Come With You", "My Machine", "Get Ready", "Which One Should I Choose", "I'm In Trouble", "The Peak Of Love", "Somebody Please", "I'm Leaving It Up To You", and "Big City Woman". (Soul, Rock) CD

Maybe one of the most authentic records ever cut by John Berberian – an American musician, but one who delivered great work on the oud during the 60s – including some projects that were often a bit psychedelic in nature! This set's a bit more straightforward, but equally great – really hard-driving and surprisingly earthy, without any attempts at all to touch up the sound with rock or pop elements – quite a surprise, given that the set was issued on Roulette Records, home to more mainstream rock and soul! Instrumentation includes lots of percussion, plus saxes and guitar – as well as a host of great oud solos from Berberian, on titles that include "Samra Ya Samra", "Dale Dale", "Chifte Telli", "Gamavor Zimfor", "Tamiko", and "Oud Solo". (Global Grooves, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A record that may have never hit the radio city it wished for in the title – but a classic that's gone onto have an undeniable influence on so many scenes and styles over the years! This sublime second set from Big Star is even leaner and more focused than the first – a record that has the group losing Chris Bell, yet still retaining a lot of his influence – while the main focus moves over to Alex Chilton, whose ability to sing and write is simply mindblowing! The tunes have these dark, melancholy moments that are unlike anything either Chilton or rock had given the world up to the time – and really almost feel much more like work from a decade later in terms of execution and production. There's no easy labels, no easy terms you could ever hope to ascribe to the record – and that's fine, because it stands majestically well on its own. Titles include "O My Soul", "Life Is White", "Way Out West", "You Get What You Deserve", "Mod Lang", "She's A Mover", "Morpha Girl", "I'm In Love With A Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

The longest album ever from The Clash – a stunning triple LP set that really shows the group bristling with new ideas and energy throughout! There's a hell of a lot going on here – some cuts that are every bit as strong as the previous records, others that offer a few mis-steps but in a wonderfully playful way – and a few more that really hit this sort of unique mix of genres and politics that could only be summed up as Clash-like at its best! Bits of hip hop, reggae, new wave, funk, and more mix together beautifully – and the album's got a hell of a lot of charm and character, even if you're skipping past a few of the cuts you don't like as much as the others. 36 tracks in all – and titles include "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", "Junco Partner", "The Leader", "Police On My Back", "Midnight Log", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Broadway", "Rebel Waltz", "Look Here", "The Crooked Beat", "Somebody Got Murdered", "Lose This Skin", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Kingston Advice", "Corner Soul", "Let's Go Crazy", "The Sound Of Sinners", "Living In Fame", "Silicone On Sapphire", and "Career Opportunities". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those rock records that shouldn't have worked – Elvis ditched the pounding pop of his earlier post punk years for this one, replacing it with 80s synthesizer soul production and hired back up singers – but it works, thanks to Costello's pen being nearly as sharp as it ever was. Titles include the mega hit single "Everyday I Write The Book", plus "Let Them All Talk", "Love Went Mad", "Charm School", "King Of Thieves", "Pills And Soap", "The World And His Wife" and more. CD

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

Some of the first work ever recorded by a young Jackie DeShannon – early singles from her first years at Liberty Records – a label she definitely helped put on the map during the 60s! Right from the start, Jackie's got something special – a style that's quite different from some of the other female pop acts of her generation – a bit more grounding, maybe, and certainly a lot more soul – not to mention a great way with a tune, as you'll hear on some of the early compositions featured on the package. The set features both a and b-sides of the early singles, plus an unreleased track – with production and arrangements by the likes of Snuff Garrett, Clyde Otis, Bert Keyes, Jack Nitzsche, and Dick Glasser. Titles include "Just Like In The Movies", "Guess Who", "Faded Love", "Dancing Silhouettes", "I Wish I Could Find A Boy", "Baby", "The Prince", "That's What Boys Are Made Of", "I'll Drown In My Own Tears", "Should I Cry", "I'm Gonna Be Strong", "When You Walk In The Room", "500 Miles", "Did He Call Today Mama?", and "Ain't That Love". CD

An amazing shift for Family – the group's first album after Rick Grech left for Blind Faith – and a set that has the group really reinventing their sound! The vocals of Roger Chapman are maybe even more dynamic and upfront than ever before – really finding that special sort of spirit that made him one of the most unique talents on the British scene of the time – but maybe the most unusual aspect of the record is the presence of new group member Poli Palmer – who brings in all these cool new sounds on keyboards, flute, and vibes! Those elements create a richness in the sound that wasn't there before – one that seems to give the vocals of Chapman even more focus than usual – on titles that include "Drowned In Wine", "Some Poor Soul", "Love Is A Sleeper", "The Cat & The Rat", "A Song For Me", "Wheels", "Stop For The Traffic Through The Heart Of Me", "Hey Let It Rock", and "93's OK J". LP, Vinyl record album

A key late 60s country crossover set, but one that also inspired a fair bit of funk as well! The title cut's a well-known gem – one that's been covered instrumentally in some break-heavy versions, but which sounds even more amazing here in Bobbie's original version – one of the moodiest pop tunes we've ever heard, with lyrics, and a way of presenting them, that still leaves us breathless all these many years later. There's also some other funky bits here too – Gentry's raspy "Mississippi Delta" – an original number that almost seems to unseat Tina Turner for down-home soul – and the groovy "Sunday Best", "Niki Hoeky", "Papa Won't You Let Me Go To Town With You", and "Chickasaw Country Child", all numbers that echo the same lilting acoustic guitar grooves of "Billie Joe". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever from this hip Australian soul singer – a vocalist who was as important to her scene in the 70s as Chaka Khan was in the US! That comparison may seem like a strong one, but Renee Geyer's got a hell of a voice – and she really sounds wonderful here working in a live setting with her very tight group! Titles include her classic funky version of "Really Really Love You" – plus the great "Hard Head" and "Shakey Ground". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer classic from Iron Butterfly – a group who always had way more to offer than their hits, as you'll find out when dipping into this full length set! The album's worth it alone for the organ lines – which kind of take off from the territory of The Doors, but are often more unusual – and mixed with vocals that can have an eerie sensibility, but without ever sounding indulgent! The music's not pop psych, but it's also never too full of itself – and titles include "In The Crowds", "In The Time Of Our Lives", "Soul Experience", "Lonely Boy", "Belda Beast", and "Filled With Fear". LP, Vinyl record album

Dave Mason's first solo album – and a pretty a great one! Alone Together wasn't a huge hit back in the day, but man is a ever a pleasing set. It's rich with blues & soul steeped lead vocals and sweet backing harmonies and bed of acoustic guitars at the core of most of the tunes – sometimes with a driving intensity, others with a lightly gliding pace. The production is a nice mix of blue-eyed blues and southern skewing wah wah rock – with great musicians in the mix, from Leon Russell to Eric Clapton. Tracks include "Only You Know And I Know", "Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving", "Waitin' On You", "Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave", "World In Changes", "Sand And Deep As You", "Just A Song" and "Look At You, Look At Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Dave Mason's first solo album – and a pretty a great one! Alone Together wasn't a huge hit back in the day, but man is a ever a pleasing set. It's rich with blues & soul steeped lead vocals and sweet backing harmonies and bed of acoustic guitars at the core of most of the tunes – sometimes with a driving intensity, others with a lightly gliding pace. The production is a nice mix of blue-eyed blues and southern skewing wah wah rock – with great musicians in the mix, from Leon Russell to Eric Clapton. Tracks include "Only You Know And I Know", "Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving", "Waitin' On You", "Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave", "World In Changes", "Sand And Deep As You", "Just A Song" and "Look At You, Look At Me". CD

Fantastic work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s – the amazing Mina, a vocalist who hardly made waves on this side of the Atlantic, but who served up a wealth of wonderful material from the Italian scene at the time! You might know Mina from a few key soundtrack contributions she made over the years – her vocal range is stunning – and arrangements here are often by important forces from the Italian cinema scene – like Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Augusto Martelli, and Bruno Canforna – all of whom give Mina these full, rich backings that really match the vivid quality of her voice! But there's also groovy elements at the core, too – styles that are similar to French or British female pop of the period – especially with some of the soul currents of the latter – but shaped differently, given both Mina's style, and the Italian language and the way it comes across in song. The package is long overdue – maybe the first-ever done for the international market on Mina's music – and as with all work on Ace, the presentation is great, with very detailed notes that will teach you plenty while you enjoy the songs – a lineup that includes "Se Telefonando", "E L'Umo Per Me", "Io Sono Quel Che Sono", "No", "Citta Vuota", "Tu Farai", "Beve Amore", "Addio", "Insensatez", "Se C'E Una Cosa Che Mi Fa Impazzire", "TA Ra Ta Ta", and "La Banda". (Vocalists, Rock) CD

Very cool grooves from Tony Palkovic – an artist who's kind of a one man soul band in himself – playing keyboards and guitar over drum machine riffs – on these tracks that are laidback, soulful, and instrumental – almost serving up a smoother take on the territory of 80s electro soul! All the elements gel together beautifully – nothing's too forced, or ever stiff – and Tony clearly likes to find a groove in the studio, then spin it out with just a few key elements – which almost seems to underscore the quality of the songs even more. Titles include "Day To Day", "Hoping For A Better World", "Born With A Desire", "Breath Of Sound", "Electric Heart", and "Better Than Before". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased work by one of the greatest soul music songwriters of the 60s – the mighty Dan Penn, a key force in the Fame Records studio scene – heard here on a batch of mostly unreleased cuts from his best years! The package has Dan singing in the lead on all cuts – performing his own lyrics with backings from the same Fame Studios lineup that worked with soul greats like Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, and dozens of others who came to Muscle Shoals to record in the 60s and 70s – and Penn's vocals have this raspy, soulful charm that's years ahead of its time – a huge inspiration on male singers of the 70s, even though Dan never full got his due. His songs are the stuff of legend, but the man's equally great as a singer – and this collection really shows a light on his genius that should have gotten much more exposure back in the 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – only 2 of which were ever issued before – and titles include "Trash Man", "Without A Woman", "Reaching Out For Someone", "I Need You", "Little Girl", "Destroyed", "Diamonds", "I Dig A Big Town", "I Love Everything About You", "So Many Reasons", "We're Swinging", "It Hurts", "She Ain't Gonna Do Right", "Do You Need It", and "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy". CD

The first ever career-spanning look at the music of legendary vocalist Asha Puthli – a singer who's maybe best known for her 70s club work on the European scene, but who also has a much wider range of expression – which you'll discover here! There's definitely some of the soul-based work that's made Asha a favorite with the rare groove scene over the years – but the set also includes early work with rock bands, and even a few experimental jazz numbers that predate her recordings for the discos! The double-length set is a delight throughout – a package that's really opened our eyes to sides of Asha's music we never knew – and titles include performances with Ornette Coleman on "What Reason Could I Give" and "All My Life", work with Charlie Mariano on "Mirror", vocals with The Surfers on "Sound Of Silence" and "Sunny", and with The Savages on "Pain" – plus solo tracks that include "Lies", "Right Down Here", "We're Gonna Bury The Rock", "Mister Moonlight", "1001 Nights Of Love (reprise)", "Music Machine", "Peek A Boo Boogie", "Devil Is Loose", "Space Talk", "I'm Gonna Dance", and "One Night Affair". (Soul, Rock) CD

The first ever career-spanning look at the music of legendary vocalist Asha Puthli – a singer who's maybe best known for her 70s club work on the European scene, but who also has a much wider range of expression – which you'll discover here! There's definitely some of the soul-based work that's made Asha a favorite with the rare groove scene over the years – but the set also includes early work with rock bands, and even a few experimental jazz numbers that predate her recordings for the discos! The double-length set is a delight throughout – a package that's really opened our eyes to sides of Asha's music we never knew – and titles include performances with Ornette Coleman on "What Reason Could I Give" and "All My Life", work with Charlie Mariano on "Mirror", vocals with The Surfers on "Sound Of Silence" and "Sunny", and with The Savages on "Pain" – plus solo tracks that include "Lies", "Right Down Here", "We're Gonna Bury The Rock", "Mister Moonlight", "1001 Nights Of Love (reprise)", "Music Machine", "Peek A Boo Boogie", "Devil Is Loose", "Space Talk", "I'm Gonna Dance", and "One Night Affair". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. CD

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. CD