A really fantastic album from James Brown – and an unusual one, too – as it was only ever issued overseas back in the early 70s! The album's got a title that's similar to one of James' Christmas albums, but it's a completely different record – kind of a condensation of some of his best funky moments from the start of the 70s – with a track list that's overflowing with hard funk killers! A good number of the tracks here are two-parters – showing Brown and the group stretching out in the way that the JBs would take even further in years to come – working through "Make It Funky (parts 1 & 2)", "My Part/Make It Funky (parts 3 & 4)", "I'm A Greedy Man (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hey America (parts 1 & 2)". The set also features the socking classic "Soul Power" – plus "Let It Be Me", "I Cried", and a 1967 live Apollo version of "Kansas City" – plus takes on "Let It Be Me" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" that later had applause added on the Super Bad album. CD

The last, and most obscure of James Brown's Christmas albums of the King years – and quite possibly the hippest too! Given that James is shouting "Hey America" in the title, he's clearly going for a righteous and semi-political tone on the set – singing Holiday tunes, but also slipping in a larger message from time to time. A few tracks seem familiar from other JB holiday sets, and titles include the funky "Hey America", the rollicking "Go Power At Christmas Time", and the cuts "Christmas Is Love", "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay", "My Rapp", "I'm Your Christmas Friend Don't Be Hungry", and "Merry Christmas Baby & A Very Happy New Year". (Holiday Music, Soul) CD

(Funky 45's, Soul) 7-inch, Vinyl record

A massive double length set from Funkadelic! As if the group's vision wasn't already expansive enough in their early Westbound years, they really make incredible use of the space of this 2LP set to show off their talent for funky invention, fuzzed-out guitar, and mind-bending look at the world around them – taking off into a heady array of topics and settings that are even more chilling than before. If Maggot Brain can be taken as a document of Detroit after the apocalypse, this set should be read as a wider statement on the climate in America that was leading up to it – all served up with some of the group's funkiest rhythms on record to date! Titles include "You Hit the Nail On the Head", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Call My Baby Pussycat", "Biological Speculation", "Philmore", "We Hurt Too", "Everybody Is Going To Make It This Time", "Miss Lucifer's Love", and "If You Don't Like the Effects Don't Produce the Cause". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive double length set from Funkadelic! As if the group's vision wasn't already expansive enough in their early Westbound years, they really make incredible use of the space of this 2LP set to show off their talent for funky invention, fuzzed-out guitar, and mind-bending look at the world around them – taking off into a heady array of topics and settings that are even more chilling than before. If Maggot Brain can be taken as a document of Detroit after the apocalypse, this set should be read as a wider statement on the climate in America that was leading up to it – all served up with some of the group's funkiest rhythms on record to date! Titles include "You Hit the Nail On the Head", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Call My Baby Pussycat", "Biological Speculation", "Philmore", "We Hurt Too", "Everybody Is Going To Make It This Time", "Miss Lucifer's Love", "and "If You Don't Like the Effects Don't Produce the Cause". And even though the CD presents the full 2LP set on one disc, it's still got room for 2 bonus tracks – 45 rpm versions of "Loose Booty" and "A Joyful Process"! CD

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A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps even more so, as the message is a bit subtler than on other albums, and laid out in this stoner mellow funk vein that's very tasty throughout, and which makes for an extremely unified album! The album includes a version of the cut "Hard Times", which was done earlier by Baby Huey, plus "Blue Monday People", "Love To The People", and "When Seasons Change". Also includes the great sweet love song, "So In Love"! CD

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps even more so, as the message is a bit subtler than on other albums, and laid out in this stoner mellow funk vein that's very tasty throughout, and which makes for an extremely unified album! The album includes a version of the cut "Hard Times", which was done earlier by Baby Huey, plus "Blue Monday People", "Love To The People", and "When Seasons Change". Also includes the great sweet love song, "So In Love"! LP, Vinyl record album

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With the extended mix of "America" clocking in at over 20 minutes! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A really fantastic album from Prince – recorded in 2010, and unreleased at the time – but clearly one of the greatest things he gave us in the final decade of his life! This isn't uncooked demo material, or under-thought studio tracks – and instead, the whole thing is a fully-formed record with a message that really comes through in the title – more political Prince than usual, with an eye for our nation that rivals Sign O The Times! It may be that back when Prince recorded the set, the time wasn't right for the message – but these tracks definitely hit home now – and are often delivered in this sinister slow funk mode that really fits the lyrics – almost as if Prince were trying to give the world his version of a righteous 70s album on Curtom Records. Titles include "Running Game", "Born 2 Die", "Welcome 2 America", "Check The Record", "Hot Summer", "Stand Up & B Strong", "Same Page Different Book", and "One Day We Will All B Free". CD

A really fantastic album from Prince – recorded in 2010, and unreleased at the time – but clearly one of the greatest things he gave us in the final decade of his life! This isn't uncooked demo material, or under-thought studio tracks – and instead, the whole thing is a fully-formed record with a message that really comes through in the title – more political Prince than usual, with an eye for our nation that rivals Sign O The Times! It may be that back when Prince recorded the set, the time wasn't right for the message – but these tracks definitely hit home now – and are often delivered in this sinister slow funk mode that really fits the lyrics – almost as if Prince were trying to give the world his version of a righteous 70s album on Curtom Records. Titles include "Running Game", "Born 2 Die", "Welcome 2 America", "Check The Record", "Hot Summer", "Stand Up & B Strong", "Same Page Different Book", and "One Day We Will All B Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from Prince – recorded in 2010, and unreleased at the time – but clearly one of the greatest things he gave us in the final decade of his life! This isn't uncooked demo material, or under-thought studio tracks – and instead, the whole thing is a fully-formed record with a message that really comes through in the title – more political Prince than usual, with an eye for our nation that rivals Sign O The Times! It may be that back when Prince recorded the set, the time wasn't right for the message – but these tracks definitely hit home now – and are often delivered in this sinister slow funk mode that really fits the lyrics – almost as if Prince were trying to give the world his version of a righteous 70s album on Curtom Records. Titles include "Running Game", "Born 2 Die", "Welcome 2 America", "Check The Record", "Hot Summer", "Stand Up & B Strong", "Same Page Different Book", and "One Day We Will All B Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous record from one of the hippest soul singers ever – and an album that has Gil Scott-Heron really pushing forward after his initial classics for the Flying Dutchman label! There's less spoken material here and more sung passages – as Gil's really discovering his confidence as a singer, moving effortlessly between jazz and soul – and getting superb accompaniment from Brian Jackson, who plays both acoustic and electric piano next to Gil's electric. Backings are spare – just bass and drums – and it's no surprise that the album was released on the legendary Strata East label, as it rivals the rest on that imprint for righteous spiritual power! Titles include Gil's classic "The Bottle" – which went on to become a huge hit in many versions – plus the beautiful "Your Daddy Loves You", heard here in the original version – and the tunes "Peace Go With You Brother", "Back Home", "Rivers Of My Fathers", and "A Very Precious Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous record from one of the hippest soul singers ever – and an album that has Gil Scott-Heron really pushing forward after his initial classics for the Flying Dutchman label! There's less spoken material here and more sung passages – as Gil's really discovering his confidence as a singer, moving effortlessly between jazz and soul – and getting superb accompaniment from Brian Jackson, who plays both acoustic and electric piano next to Gil's electric. Backings are spare – just bass and drums – and it's no surprise that the album was released on the legendary Strata East label, as it rivals the rest on that imprint for righteous spiritual power! Titles include Gil's classic "The Bottle" – which went on to become a huge hit in many versions – plus the beautiful "Your Daddy Loves You", heard here in the original version – and the tunes "Peace Go With You Brother", "Back Home", "Rivers Of My Fathers", and "A Very Precious Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous record from one of the hippest soul singers ever – and an album that has Gil Scott-Heron really pushing forward after his initial classics for the Flying Dutchman label! There's less spoken material here and more sung passages – as Gil's really discovering his confidence as a singer, moving effortlessly between jazz and soul – and getting superb accompaniment from Brian Jackson, who plays both acoustic and electric piano next to Gil's electric. Backings are spare – just bass and drums – and it's no surprise that the album was released on the legendary Strata East label, as it rivals the rest on that imprint for righteous spiritual power! Titles include Gil's classic "The Bottle" – which went on to become a huge hit in many versions – plus the beautiful "Your Daddy Loves You", heard here in the original version – and the tunes "Peace Go With You Brother", "Back Home", "Rivers Of My Fathers", and "A Very Precious Time". CD

A tremendous record from one of the hippest soul singers ever – and an album that has Gil Scott-Heron really pushing forward after his initial classics for the Flying Dutchman label! There's less spoken material here and more sung passages – as Gil's really discovering his confidence as a singer, moving effortlessly between jazz and soul – and getting superb accompaniment from Brian Jackson, who plays both acoustic and electric piano next to Gil's electric. Backings are spare – just bass and drums – and it's no surprise that the album was released on the legendary Strata East label, as it rivals the rest on that imprint for righteous spiritual power! Titles include Gil's classic "The Bottle" – which went on to become a huge hit in many versions – plus the beautiful "Your Daddy Loves You", heard here in the original version – and the tunes "Peace Go With You Brother", "Back Home", "Rivers Of My Fathers", and "A Very Precious Time". Plus, this US reissue has 4 bonus cuts, including live versions of "Winter In America", "Your Daddy Loves You", and "The Bottle/Guan Guanco" – and an alternate take of "Song For Bobby Smith". CD

A bit smoother than Ben's earlier albums – but a great little set all the way through – and about as classic as you can get for Sidran in the 70s! The album's got a bit more soul in the mix, but still has some jazzy elements in the backings – and where things were sometimes messed up in the past, they're much more straightforward here – in ways that make the record really sparkle nicely! Ben's voice is still really compelling, and as on his best albums, there's some nice funky grooves in the mix that keep things fresh. Players include Phil Upchurch on bass and guitar, Woody Shaw on trumpet, David Newman and Sonny Seals on saxes, and Richard Tee on organ. Titles include the great instrumental "Let's Make A Deal" – a fast groover with guitar and keyboards riffing away, sounding like some lost jazz funk gem from the Fantasy Records catalog – plus "Beg For It", "Cuban Connection", "Free In America", "New York State Of Mind", and "Feel Your Groove". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of righteous classics issued on Motown's Black Forum imprint in the early 70s – and a set that's maybe even more righteous than the rest – as it features a whole host of message-oriented tracks put together by the poet Amiri Baraka! The set was recorded live at the Apollo – and features both artists who have become legends in African American expression, and others who've not gotten their due over the years, but who are preserved wonderfully here in the setting of the performance – which bristles with a raw energy that's very different than some of the more good time records recorded at the legendary venue the decade before. Titles include "Black Is" and "What's Happening To The Heroes" by Kali, "A Folk Fable For My People" by Johari Amini, "Boppin" by David Henderson, "The Poet The Dreamer" and "Brothers The Struggle Must Go On" by Norman Jordan, "Notes From A Guerilla Diary" by Aski Mohammad Toure, "See Her Image In The River" by the Original Last Poets, "Pimp's Last Mack" by Stanley Crouch, "One Thousand Nine Hundred & Sixty Eight Winters" by Jackie Early, "Hip Men" by Amus Moore, and "Holy Days by Larry Neal. (Spoken Word, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The influence of Sam Cooke runs deep in American soul music – not just because Sam was one of the first great soul singers of the 60s, but also because he had a really special way of putting over a message of hope and pride! This wonderful collection really shows that influence at its best – spun out over a host of great singles, most of which were issued in the years after Cooke's untimely early death – with music that doesn't just copycat Sam's style, but embraces his inner fire, and relights the torch for a generation to come! Some tracks are covers, some are real reworkings of Cooke tunes, and others almost stand as memorial tributes to the great one – on titles that include "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" by Johnnie Taylor, "Shake" by Otis Redding, "Cupid" by RB Greaves, "I'm Gonna Forget About You" by Bobby Womack, "Pow You're In Love" by The Falcons, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Brenton Wood, "The Smile" by The Simms Twins, "Ain't That Good News" by The Supremes, "Soothe Me" by Sam & Dave, "Wonderful World" by Johnny Nash, "The Sound Of My Man" by Theola Kilgore, "Bring It On Home To Me" by Eddie Floyd, and "Meet Me At The Twistin Place" by Johnnie Morisette. CD

Baldwin speaks on his thoughts, his writings, and art in general – in a rare recorded performance that goes beyond the scope of his usual fiction. There's no other backing, and the LP is a nice intimate moment with Baldwin, whose voice is as beautiful and haunting as his writings! (Spoken Word, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A strong, if un-dated, speech by Dr King – one that breaks down the history of integration and race relations in America – offering extreme insights on all points, of the sort that really gets at the power of his word back in the 60s. (Spoken Word, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal funk by one of Brazil's greatest groups! Earth Wind & Fire had nothing on Banda Black Rio – as the Brazilian combo mixed together smooth jazz funk, soulful vocals, and great production, into a sound that rivaled any of America's best mainstream funk acts of the 70s! This album's easily their best – and is filled with tight jazzy groovers that we come back to again and again over the years, digging them for their great rhythms and tight instrumentation, never noticing the fact that the lyrics aren't in English! Includes the cuts "Chega Mais", "Tico Tico No Fuba", "Danca Do Dia", "Vidigal", "Gafiera Universal", and the totally great "Cravo e Canela", one of the sneakiest guitar groovers you'll ever hear! (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record that's as powerful as the political message of the title – the hippest record ever cut by Amiri Baraka, and that's saying a heck of a lot! Baraka delivers a long and complex set of poetic reflections on the state of Black America, spiritual awakening, and political redemption – set to musical backings that shift from funky, to jazz, to avant, and back again. Players on the set include Gary Bartz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Idris Muhammad, and Reggie Workman – and there's a host of additional players, percussionists, and vocalists that join Amiri in the delivery of his message. Titles include "Answers In Progress", "Peace In Place", "Bad News For Your Highness", "Was Gon Happen", "All In The Street", "Pamoja Tutashinda", and "Pull The Covers Off". One to listen to when you get past your Last Poets records! (Spoken Word, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A definite renaissance for Beyonce – and a set that continues the surprisingly strong run she began with Lemonade! This set's the first in a planned trilogy, but is already more than enough of a step forward on its own – as Beyonce carefully mixes pop pleasures and more thoughtful moments, mainstream inclinations and more underground inspirations – all at a level that we never would have guessed when she first got started many years back! Titles include "America Has A Problem", "Alien Superstar", "Break My Soul", "Virgo's Groove", "All Up In Your Mind", "Church Girl", "Pure/Honey", "Move", "Heated", "Thique", "Cuff It", "Cozy", and "Summer Renaissance". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent funky Christmas – essential for any soulful holiday celebration! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s – thre albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great collection brings together some of the best material from those years – and nearly all the tracks are originals, with a quality level that's just as great as James' non-Christmas recordings! No kidding, The Godfather put his heart and soul into these recordings – and the stuff on here's great if you dig his King albums and singles from the late 60s, you'll find plenty to love here too. Titles include "Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay", "Hey America", "Soulful Christmas", "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year (parts 1 & 2)", "Go Power At Christmas Time", and the perennial favorite "Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto". 17 cuts in all – and a really great collection. (Holiday Music, Soul) CD

A bit of a comeback for James Brown – a mid 80s outing recorded with Dan Hartman, who gives the record a "contemporary" sound that's definitely a great way to slide James in with the younger crowd at the time! The style's still funky, but has more street soul elements too – and the record sports guest appearances by Alison Moyet, Steve Winwood, and Stevie Ray Vaughan – and although the production is a bit stiff at points, there's some undeniable quality in James that still makes some nice moments shine through! Titles include "Gravity", "Let's Get Personal", "How Do You Stop", "Living In America", "Goliath", "Repeat The Beat", and "Return To Me". CD

An amazing James Brown live set from the crucial year of 1968 – the show that marked the debut of "Say It Loud I'm Black & I'm Proud" – a cut that would become an anthem for much of America in the years to come! The feel here is somewhat similar to Brown's famous Boston show of the same year – a mix of blistering uptempo funk tracks, played by the band at a clip that's even faster than their studio sides, mixed with a few more stripped-down, personal cuts that feature James getting a bit more intimate with the audience. The production quality of the set is wonderful – and it leaves in all the hip spoken bits between tracks, really preserving the liveness of the concert, and packaging the whole thing with some great notes and photos too! Titles include "I Guess I'll Have To Cry Cry Cry", "Say It Loud", "If I Ruled The World", "There Was A Time", "Maybe The Last Time", "I Got The Feeling", "Cold Sweat", "Please Please Please", "Tighten Up", "Licking Stick", and lots more! CD

Soaring grooves from DD Sound – short for Disco Delivery Sound – a group with European origins, but remixed in America here for the US market! Side one of the album features the side-long title track "Cafe" – a very long number that builds beautifully from percussion, keyboards, and strings – all without vocals! Side two features three shorter numbers – "She's Not A Disco Lady", "Back Street Baby", and "Show Me Your Love" – the first of which has a nice vocoder bit! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant and overlooked gem from the glorious post-disco years of the New York scene – the first album recorded by Lizzy Mercier Descloux, a French native who'd relocated to America in the late 70s, and soaked up a huge array of influences from the scene at the time! The album's a really unique blend of funk, punk, reggae, and disco – done in the playful, genre-crossing spirit of the best Ze Records projects of the period – moving full steam ahead in a blend of infectious rhythms and dancefloor grooves, with nary a care for genre or classification! Titles include great versions of "Fire" and "Mission Impossible", plus "No Golden Throat", "Torso Corso", "Jim On The Move", and "Wawa". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly swayin' stuff from the early 60's years, and loads of great lesser-known tracks like "Mexican Divorce", "Loneliness or Happiness", "She Never Talked To Me That Way", "Rat Race", and "Another Night With The Boys" – plus the unreleased tracks "Beautiful Music" and "Only In America" – and two Rudy Lewis solo tracks! 20 cuts in all. CD

They certainly got the title right on this one – because it definitely is the ultimate collection of Funkadelic goodies! The 2CD set pulls together 29 tracks from the group's classic years at Westbound – and shows them starting out as a messed-up, guitar-growling rock funk act – filled with the unique crossover spirit of Detroit – then turning into a tighter, funkier soul act with the power to really rock the charts! All the good funky tunes are here – and the set seems to have a special focus on tracks by the group that have been sampled strongly in recent history! Titles include "Red Hot Mama", "Funky Dollar Bill", "Hit It & Quit It", "Cosmic Slop", "Loose Booty", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "America Eats Its Young", "Maggot Brain", "I'll Stay", "Nappy Dugout", "I'll Bet You", "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody's Got A Thing", "A Joyful Process", "Be My Beach", "Undisco Kidd", "Biological Speculation", "Take Your Dead Ass Home", and "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". CD

A legendary record – and one that's well worth all the anticipation it's gotten over the years! The set features rare, previously unreleased material done by Funkadelic during their classic years at Westbound Records – some songs, and some studio jams – of the sort the group were famous for, especially during their time at Westbound! The songs are totally great – massively funky numbers that rank right up there with classics of the Cosmic Slop years – and the jams are almost even better, a rare opportunity to hear the genius collective at work in the studio – without any edits at all to get in the way! We'd easily rank this set right up there with Free Your Ass or America Eats Its Young – and after years of waiting, it's great to have this wonderful collection finally out for the masses! Songs include "Heart Trouble", "Talk About Jesus", and "The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg" – and jams include "Vampy Funky Bernie" and "Slide On In". LP, Vinyl record album

The Gap Band are definitely Jammin on this sweet little set from the early 80s – hitting that fierce funk mode they do so well, with lots of snapping lines at the bottom of the rhythms! The style is trademark Gap all the way through – a percolated approach to funk that's tight, but never too slick – in a groove that's different than some of their other mainstream counterparts at the time – hard to describe accurately, but almost with a touch of jazz in the mix! Charlie Wilson handles most of the lead vocals, with support from brothers Robert and Ronnie – and Ronnie produced most of the set. Titles include "Where Are We Going", "Shake A Leg", "Jam The Motha", "Someday", "You're Something Special", "I'm Ready", "You're My Everything", "Smile", and "Jammin In America". CD also features the bonus track "Party Train (special dance mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

Giacomo Gates affectionately and effectively steers the work of the toughest and most sharply unique songwriters of our time and into straight-forward jazz vocal territory – and it's works really well! The backing is done by a stripped down combo who lay down guitar, bass, drums and piano – with sax and flute on a couple. Gates' husky baritone is well suited to the material and the it's well chosen set list, which includes "Show Bizness", "Lady Day And John Coletrane", "Winter In America", "Is That Jazz", "New York City", "It's Your World", "Madison Avenue" and "Legend In His Own Mind". 10 tracks in all. (Vocalists, Soul) CD

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". This great version includes a full LP of bonus tracks – including "Turn Out The Lamplight", "Special Offer", "Slip Your Disc To This", "Boogie Nights (12" disco version)", "Ain't No Half Steppin (single version)", and "Always & Forever (single version)". LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

A righteous underground soul classic from Del Jones – message-oriented funk at its best! Jones is working here in the spirit of some of the best locally-crafted indie outings of the time – like work by Mike James Kirkland, Oneness Of Juju, The Pharoahs, and other important righteous regional acts of the 70s. The lyrics are extremely progressive, and deal with hard themes of African-American life at the time – stated clearly enough by titles that include "Soul of Black Folks", "Court Is Closed", "Needle & Spoon", "Prelude Ta Hell", "Needle N Spoon", and "Inside Black America" – and backed up by some great arrangements that throw a lot of fuzzy funky guitars into some tight, jazzed-up grooving. The album also includes the massive "Vibe-Ing Theme" – and the whole thing's a treasure that we'd rank with the best of its sort! And this very cool pressing brings together two different versions of the record – an original stripped-down presentation that was titled Court Is Closed – plus the better-known mix that ended up on the Positive Vibes album – all in a great package with detailed notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Man, these guys just keep on getting better – and this time around, Durand Jones & The Indications deliver a record that's way more than just another funk band with a lead singer! Instead, there's a depth and complexity to this set that takes us back to our favorite indie soul albums at the start of the 70s – particularly ultra-hip work from the Philly and New Jersey scenes, where sweet and funky soul modes could exist in equal space – and come up with results that are every bit as great! The core funky instrumentation from the group is still in place - but there's also larger arrangements with a bit of strings and vocals – really opening up the tunes, and somehow underscoring their more righteous currents in a way that smaller instrumentation would never do. Jones sounds better than ever – as if he's been waiting for a chance like this to really take off – and titles include "Morning In America", "Circles", "True Love", "Walk Away", "Long Way Home", "Sea Gets Hotter", "How Can I Be Sure", "Listen To Your Heart", and "Court Of Love". (Deep Funk, Soul) CD

Man, these guys just keep on getting better – and this time around, Durand Jones & The Indications deliver a record that's way more than just another funk band with a lead singer! Instead, there's a depth and complexity to this set that takes us back to our favorite indie soul albums at the start of the 70s – particularly ultra-hip work from the Philly and New Jersey scenes, where sweet and funky soul modes could exist in equal space – and come up with results that are every bit as great! The core funky instrumentation from the group is still in place - but there's also larger arrangements with a bit of strings and vocals – really opening up the tunes, and somehow underscoring their more righteous currents in a way that smaller instrumentation would never do. Jones sounds better than ever – as if he's been waiting for a chance like this to really take off – and titles include "Morning In America", "Circles", "True Love", "Walk Away", "Long Way Home", "Sea Gets Hotter", "How Can I Be Sure", "Listen To Your Heart", and "Court Of Love". (Deep Funk, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A dozen soulful tracks from Etta Jones – a unique singer who managed to straddle the worlds of jazz and blues, without giving short shrift to either! The selection brings together tracks that Etta recorded for the Prestige label in the 60s, some of which were released as singles – none of them really crossover or chart singles, but some of Etta's strongest work of the decade, the sort that got spun over and over again on jukeboxes in smaller jazz lounges in America's cities. Titles include "Old Folks", "Don't Go To Strangers", "If You Are But A Dream", "If You Were Mine", "Reverse The Charges", "Fine & Mellow", "My Gentleman Friend", "Funny", "Love Is The Thing", and "I Miss You So". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album