The great keyboardist Mike Melvoin is at the top of his game here – getting a rare session as a leader, and working on Hammond, electric harpsichord, electric piano, and even ondoline! The small combo features Emil Richards on percussion, Don Peake on guitar, and Hal Blaine on drums – and the set features groovy versions of "Summer in the City" and "For No One", plus some originals, all played on a number of different keyboards. (Jazz, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-remembered albums from Greek singer Demis Roussous – a soulful 70s set that's quite a change from his early material in the group Aphrodite's Child! The set was recorded in the US, with warm soulful arrangements from Don Peake and Freddie Perren – who serve up some clubby modes at times that turn out to be a surprisingly great mix for Demis' voice, blended with some mellower moments that are in his more familiar mode as a solo singer. Titles include the great club classic "LOVE Got A Hold Of Me", plus "Life In The City", "Feel Like I'll Never Feel This Way Again", "The Other Woman", "I Just Live", "That Once In A Lifetime", and "This Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Great material from the second chapter of Del Shannon – a time when the previous pop legend opened up to trippier modes – which makes for a really great blend on this gem of an album from 1968! Even at his pop best, there was always a genuine strain of soul-searching sadness in his voice that underscored the material, going all the way back to "Runaway" and on some of the better, if lesser-remembered work after that immortal hit. He manages to carry that trait strongly into the psych era here, with a lot of lusher baroque pop elements, and some great instrumentation – all orchestrated by Don Peake. Includes "Thinking It Over", "Be My Friend", "Silver Birch", "Rover Cool", "Colour Flashing Hair", "Gemini", "Runnin' On Back", "Conquer", "Been So Long", "Magical Musical Box", and "New Orleans (Mardi Gras)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those 70s records that has everything going for it, but somehow never got a chance to get off the mark – well-written and catchy tunes, a tight approach to production that's also somehow fresh, and a sense of personality that marks this second set by the band to be one where they're really hitting their stride! The record's of the AOR generation, but it's also got a sense of individuality that really shines through – never too polished, but also not an indie effort as well – and some nice echoes of the kind of cuts that would have peaked on British radio a few years before. Titles include "Confident Man", "Coaltown", "As A Lover I'm A Loser", "Alone Tonight", "Good To Me", "Free & Easy", and "Faith In The Family". CD

An obscure UK group, and one who blend together hard rock modes with some slightly more sensitive moments – all with production and arrangements from John Weathers, in his years before more progressive sounds with Gentle Giant! The music here is a lot more down to earth, and plenty earthy too – and showcases that post-psych, post-blues rock use of guitar turned up to 11 – a quality that also comes through in the vocals of Gareth Mortimer, who sometimes sounds as if he's processed a bit to blow out the speakers with the guitars! Titles include "Eagle Song", "Where The Snow Lies Forever", "Odd Song", "Don't Want", "Mystic Mountain", and "Prelude To A Blind Man". Features the bonus track "Freedom Train (alternate)". CD

The complete recorded legacy of Idle Race – an incredible pre-ELO group that featured some amazing work from a young Jeff Lynne! In a way, the work here is almost more ELO than some of the earliest albums issued by the band a few years later – more of the pop-styled groove that Lynne would bring to the group during their mighty mid 70s run – with a great flair for catchy hooks, and a style of production that was in the same flanged-out, cross-speaker compressed mode that would become the Jeff Lynne trademark in years to come. And in fact, even though the last album on the set was done at a time when Lynne had left the group, it still retains many of his hallmarks – and has a wickedly clever approach to pop that's somewhat fuzzy, but never too trippy or self-indulgent. 2CD set features a whopping 47 tracks in all – the complete albums Birthday Party, Idle Race, and Time Is – plus 13 more non-album tracks and unreleased alternate versions! Titles include "Mr Crow & Sir Norman", "Sea Of Dreams", "Someone Knocking", "A Better Life", "End Of The Road", "The Lady Who Said She Could Fly", "Happy Birthday", "I Like My Toys", "Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree", "In The Summertime", "Alcatraz", "By The Sun", "We Want It All", "Bitter Green", "Sad O'Sad", and "Lucky Man". CD