A very cool collection – all rare New Orleans R&B, originally issued on 50s singles by Chess Records, mostly handled by producer/arranger Paul Gayten! Features work by Al Little, Ralph Williams, TV Slim, Robert Green, Roland Cook, Sherman Jones, Charles Williams, Buddy Stewart, Virginia Darrow, Alanzo Stewart, and Gayten himself! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Al Green, James Brown, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Billy Paul, Four Tops, The Impressions, Jerry Butler, Billy Stewart, Robert Knight, Gladys Knight And The Pips, Lee Dorsey, and more. CD

Rod Stewart steals from Jorge Ben – and gets the biggest hit of his career with this Brazilian funk-influenced disco tune that crossed over big! The single features a special disco mix by Jim Burgess. 12-inch, Vinyl record

George Clinton may have pretty well disbanded Parliament and Funkadelic by the time the 80s came around, but the Mothership is still soaring highly on this first album from the P-Funk All Stars project – featuring some (but not all) of George Clinton's better players from various groups! Urban Dancefloor Guerillas his a pretty great little set of jammed-up cuts produced by Clinton, Bootsy, Gary Shider, and Sly Stewart. The flame was still burning, even in the "dark years" of the litigious early 80s – on a set that's actually a bit more stylistically diverse than some the related projects, though unified by never wavering funk! Titles include "Copy Cat", "Pumpin' It Up", "Catch A Keeper", and "Generator Pop". CD

Rare work from the early years of soul music – and a special set that focuses on sounds created in and around Los Angeles – a city that's not nearly as well known for 60s soul as Chicago, Detroit, or New Orleans! Yet during the postwar years, LA had just as much going on as those eastern cities – a huge new population influx, who'd move over from the south during the wartime years – and new labels that had cropped up to capture their sounds and serve their audience! 50s LA was already humming with R&B material, which gave the rising styles of soul plenty of places to get recorded – so much so, that there's even some work on this set that was never issued at the time! The vibe is great – similar to other Birth Of Soul sets from Ace/Kent – in that the music carries a bit of R&B and blues bite from earlier years, mixed with more romping and tighter soul styles – in a smoking set list of 24 tracks that include "But What About My Broken Heart" by Don Wyatt, "Everybody's Got A Lover But Me" by Richard Berry, "Have You Heard" by The Vows, "With These Hands" by The Wonders, "You Better Watch Out Girl" by The Imperialites, "Lose My Cool" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Let Him Walk Away" by Darlene Love, "My Pillow" by The Numbers, "Help Me With My Broken Heart" by Sylvester Stewart, "That Other Guy" by The Mandarins, "Don't Drop It" by The Question Marks, and "Young Lover" by Wilks & Wilkerson. CD

There's nobody like Billy Stewart at all – one of the first big overweight lovers in soul music, and still one of the best – and a godlike talent who was blessed with a voice that can still send us into raptures so many years later! Billy passed way to early to leave his mark in the wider annals of soul – but a record like this is more than enough of a legacy – as it's filled with just the sort of tunes that made Stewart so unique – especially the kind of slow-stepping ballads that still managed to come off with a really hard edge. The vocals are sublime – with the same reach as in his "Summertime" hit, but turned towards some more personal original material – including classics like "Sitting In The Park", "I Do Love You", "Fat Boy", "Fat Boy Can Cry", and "Strange Feeling". A treasure! CD

George Clinton may have pretty well disbanded Parliament and Funkadelic by the time the 80s came around, but the Mothership is still soaring highly on this first album from the P-Funk All Stars project – featuring some (but not all) of George Clinton's better players from various groups! Urban Dancefloor Guerillas his a pretty great little set of jammed-up cuts produced by Clinton, Bootsy, Gary Shider, and Sly Stewart. The flame was still burning, even in the "dark years" of the litigious early 80s – on a set that's actually a bit more stylistically diverse than some the related projects, though unified by never wavering funk! Titles include "Copy Cat", "Pumpin' It Up", "Catch A Keeper", and "Generator Pop". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from the Hotlanta scene of the 70s – the one and only album recorded by Tommy Stewart, a huge force in some of the greatest club tracks of the south, including the massive Spirit Of Atlanta album! The record's a stone winner all the way through – filled with upbeat, uptempo tracks that really bring some funk into the dancefloor. The rhythms are tremendous – all very catchy and snapping, with a groove that goes way past the usual disco record, and which has made the album as much of a favorite amongst funk fans as it has for fans of classic club. Includes the classic groover "Bump and Hustle", plus loads of other excellent tunes like "Get Off Your Seats", "Make Happy Music", "Riding High", "Practice What You Preach", and "Atlanta Get Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A truly unbelievable album from Billy Stewart – maybe his standout moment of the 60s, and a record that set him apart from every other singer of his time! Stewart's famous vocals break out instantly on the huge hit "Summertime" – a leadoff number that really sets the record on fire – and sets the scene for an amazing batch of tunes that follow a similar format – familiar tracks that are completely recast in a new mode by Billy – pyrotechnic soul vocals that are as filled with feeling as they are shaped by technique! Backings are great, too – full and a bit jazzy at points – and with just the right sort of energy to keep things bouncing along all the way through. Titles include "Summertime", "A Foggy Day", "Canadian Sunset", "Time After Time", "Misty", "Moon River", "My Funny Valentine", and "That Old Black Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just disco nights, but some great mellow moments too – a wonderfully well-rounded classic from this great quartet – as tight and groovy as it is cool and classy! By the time of this debut, the group had already had plenty of 70s soul experience as The Rhythm Makers – a previous name for the lineup, and a combo with a great reputation for dancefloor grooves that were tight, but never too uptight – kind of the best funky soul styles of the time! This album definitely continues that tradition, with a sound that's leaner than most mainstream disco of the time – and really well put-together, in a way that also has them slowing down to hit some great ballads and mellower steppers too. The album features the massive disco title cut – "Disco Nights" – and a beautiful reworking of Billy Stewart's classic "I Do Love You" – with a sound that's faithful to the original, but a sweet stepping groove that's made it a favorite for years! Other cuts include "Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Spirit", "Make My Dreams A Reality", "It's Your Love", "I Do Love You", and "Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

Probably the greatest album by Tamiko Jones – and one that does an excellent job of matching arrangements to her sweet seductive vocal style. Tamiko put the whole thing together herself, and the album features lots of nice keyboard work, and some arranging help from Paul Riser and Tommy Stewart. The whole thing's got a nice slinky style to it, with good tight rhythm parts, sweeping strings, and nice choppy instrumentation under Tamiko's sultry vocals. Includes a nice cover of "Creepin", plus the cuts "Make Love To Your Mind", "Feel Like Makin Love", "Cloudy", "Let It Flow", "Reachin Out For Your Love", and "Boy, You're Growin On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set from the 70s run of Motown albums from Rare Earth – an album that's sometimes overlooked, but which still has the group very much at the top of their game! Here, they're working with production from Stewart Levine – who handled the wonderful Adventures In Paradise album for Minnie Riperton – and the sound has a way of being more sophisticated than their roots, but nicely lean too – never cluttered, and always focused – at a level that's great when things are funky, and equally wonderful when they're more directly soulful! Titles include "Walking Schtick", "City Life", "Keeping Me Out Of The Storm", "It Makes You Happy", "Let Me Be Your Sunshine", "Boogie With Me Children", and "Happy Song". (Rock, Soul) CD

A killer collection of rare 60s soul – very different than you might expect from the title and cover! Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "Searching For My Love" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Teasin' You" by Willie Tee, "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, "May I" by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" by Clyde McPhatter, "Idol With The Golden Hand" by the Coasters, "The Entertainer" by Tony Clarke, "Nip Sip" by the Clovers, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E King. LP, Vinyl record album

Essential 2LP set of rare R&B material from the legendary Okeh label – known to many as one of the 50's best labels for the genre! Sure, you'll find a few hits on here – like Screamin Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On Your" – but the real nice bits are the obscurer tracks, like "Please Say You Want Me" by The Schoolboys, "Dumplins" by Doc Bagby, "Peanuts" by Little Joe, "Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)" by The Treneirs, and "Baby You're My Only Love", a real early one from Billy Stewart. Great stuff throughout, and a nice set of notes. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Wand Records, a real powerhouse in 60s soul – featuring not hits, but nicely obscure tracks by Nella Dodds, The Gentlemen Four, The Ivories, Darryl Stewart, Clarence Reid, Wally Cox, the Charts, Ed Bruce, Billy Thompson, Walter Wilson, and The Masqueraders – plus two by Maxine Brown! LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside". (Jazz, Soul) CD

A really rich second album from Ripple – a group who took awhile to return to the studio, but really developed a lot in the process! The combo started out as a straight funk act – but here, they really take off with a tight approach to their instrumentation – razor-sharp work on guitar, keyboards, bass, and percussion – soaring off into the clouds with energy that more than matches the image on the cover! Given their Atlanta roots, there's a vibe here that's a bit like some of the best Tommy Stewart material of the time – and Floyd Smith produces the group on the record, really finding a great way to blend everything together, but without ever losing an edge! Titles include the club classic "The Beat Goes On and On" – plus "Sons of The Gods", "Do What You Wanna Do", "Here I Stand", "Call Me Traveling Man", and "Victorious". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost soul group – with a mix of funk and garage rock that was pretty unique, and which calls to mind some of the mixed-race combos that were playing around the showband scene in the south during the late 60s. The strong-voiced soul singer Wilmer fronts the more rocking Dukes – and the mix is a strong one for the hard grooving soul party crowd, heard most famously in the band's classic version of "Get Out Of My Life, Woman", complete with an excellent tasty drumbreak! Other great tracks include the instrumental "Get It", a version of The Stones' "I'm Free", Billy Stewart's "I Do Love You", and the band's own "Give Me One More Chance". Also includes a version of Steve Miller's excellent "Living In The USA", one of those numbers that's a lot more funky than anyone gives it credit for! LP, Vinyl record album

A really great look at a special side of the Chess Records soul catalog of the 60s – tracks that were very big on Chicago airwaves in the label's home town, yet which hardly got much play at all in the rest of the country! The collection's put together by Robert Pruter – the man who (literally) wrote the book on Chicago soul – and it's a wonderful portrait of soul in the Windy City of the 60s, with strands of music that nicely differ from the overplayed hits in later years. The collection also stands as a super-strong tribute to the never-ending genius of Chess Records – a label that never seems to let us down whenever we uncover a soul single we've never heard before! Titles include "Shy Guy" by The Radiants, "No Faith No Love" by Mitty Collier, "I Can't Help Myself" by The Gems, "Love Is A 5 Letter Word" by James Phelps, "A Thousand Miles Away" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Selfish One" by Jackie Ross, "Strange Feeling" by Billy Stewart, "The Creeper" by Freddy Robinson, "Peak Of Love" by Bobby McClure, "Lonely Girl" by Andrea Davis, "This Heart Of Mine" by Tony Clarke, "Bossa Nova Bird" by The Dells, and "Only Time Will Tell" by Etta James. CD

A great little set from the 70s run of Motown albums from Rare Earth – an album that's sometimes overlooked, but which still has the group very much at the top of their game! Here, they're working with production from Stewart Levine – who handled the wonderful Adventures In Paradise album for Minnie Riperton – and the sound has a way of being more sophisticated than their roots, but nicely lean too – never cluttered, and always focused – at a level that's great when things are funky, and equally wonderful when they're more directly soulful! Titles include "Walking Schtick", "City Life", "Keeping Me Out Of The Storm", "It Makes You Happy", "Let Me Be Your Sunshine", "Boogie With Me Children", and "Happy Song". (Rock, Soul) CD

Rare soul galore – a set of heavenly harmony tracks from those years when a mellow cut on a 45 single was a perfect way to drift into the small hours of the evening! The music here is all pretty darn obscure, and as with previous volumes, the vibe is somewhere between the sweet soul sound of the New Jersey/Philly scene, and the kind of laidback tracks that always played big on the scene in East LA. Almost all of these tracks are new to our ears – and titles include "Love Don't Change" by Laurene Lavallis, "Crying Baby Won't Help The Hurt" by The Si-Berians, "How Far Can Our Love Go" by Delbert & The Stewart Sensation, "Cindy" by Taste Of Love", "Making Love" by The 5 Stepping Stars, "Phases Of Time" by Joe Jama, "O Lord" by The Invaders, and "What Am I To Do" by Soul Suspension. LP, Vinyl record album

Billy Stewart was one of the greatest soul singers ever to record for Chess (even though he wasn't from Chicago), and although his work for the label stretched from the early to the late 60's, he's not nearly as well-remembered as he should be. This set aims to correct that, and features 20 great tracks of some of the most unusual soul you'll ever hear. You may already know Billy's voice from his amazing crossover version of "Summertime" (which still shows up on oldies stations), but that's only the beginning of the way this stuff grooves, as the arrangements are fantastic, and have a tight punch and loping groove that will knock you off your feet. Tracks include the classic "Sitting In the Park" (later covered by GQ), "Cross My Heart", "Secret Love", "Tell Me The Truth", "Strange Feeling", "Fat Boy", and the nice version of "Every Day I Have the Blues", which begins with some tight funky drums. Great stuff throughout, and one of the truly unique voices in soul music! CD