Radiant grooves indeed from Atlantic Starr – a group who really make things sparkle throughout this magnificent set! The group are at the height of their powers here – skirting a perfect line between mainstream soul and upbeat club – never falling too much into one style or the other, and never sounding as commercial as some of their contemporaries! There's a relaxed, easygoing feel to most of the grooves on the set – never too much fake bass, nor too many electric touches – and the vocals shift a bit from track to track, taking good advantage of singers Wayne Lewis, David Lewis, and Sharon Bryant. Titles include "When Love Calls", "Think About That", "Mystery Girl", "Under Pressure", "My Turn Now", "Does It Matter", and "Send For Me". CD

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A warm and wonderful collection of sweet soul cuts from the east coast scene – packaged with a cover that recalls a famous bootleg series from East LA from years back, but presented here with all the quality you'd expect from the Numero Group! These tracks are all nicely mellow and laidback – the kind of slow-stepping soul music that really lets the vocals flow, especially when the group is a harmony soul outfit – which is the case for most of the acts here! If you dig classic Philly ballads and New Jersey soul from the early 70s, you'll find plenty to love here – on cuts that include "I Almost Blew My Mind" by The Positive Sounds, "Let's Do It Over" by The Summits, "Our Love" by The Edge Of Daybreak, "Me" by The Chapells, "One Is Enough for One" by Jack & The Mods, "Gotta Go Home" by Mixed Breed, and "Till The End Of Time" by Al Glover & Gloria. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The lovely Aaliyah left our planet all too soon, and left behind a number of unissued tracks as well – material intended for a future album, and which was combined here with a few other tracks to make for a posthumous tribute to her too-short legacy in R&B! The practice is, unfortunately, a common one in the worlds of R&B and hip hop – and although the set's maybe not a standard album by Aaliyah, it's certainly a great addition to the lineup. Titles include "Miss You", "Come Over", "Rock The Boat", "Erica Kane", "We Need A Resolution", "Got To Give It Up (rmx)", "Back & Forth", "Are You That Somebody", "I Care 4 U", "One In A Million", "At Your Best", "Don't Know What To Tell Ya", "Try Again", and "All I Need". LP, Vinyl record album

AWB's first for Atlantic – and a nice slice of funk that proves that they can mix it up with the best groups of the 70s! The record's got plenty of sweet electric keyboards over smooth funky basslines – and as the years go by, the band's white boy vocals don't sound nearly as bad as we remember them. And besides, when they play their instruments so nicely – how can you hold the singing against them? Includes the killer classic "Pick Up The Pieces", sampled more times than we can remember – plus "You Got It", "Just Wanna Love You Tonight", "Person To Person", and a nice remake of the Isley Brothers' "Work To Do". CD features lots of bonus tracks – different mixes of tracks on the album, plus "McEwan's Export". CD

If you need to own one album by Average White Band, this is it! The album features the band at their funky best – playing hard and chopping away with a strong crossover sound that put them firmly on the map during the early 70s. Loads of tight rolling basslines and hard drums – all produced with that polished funky sound that was the band's stock-in-trade during the big chart years! The record includes their funky classic "School Boy Crush", still a sampling favorite – plus loads of other nice moments, like "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", "Cloudy", "High Flyin Woman", and the hit title cut "Cut The Cake". CD features bonus single mixes of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" and "How Sweet Can You Get". CD

An early album as a leader from the great Roy Ayers – a set that captures the vibes man at a time when he'd been working on the west coast soul jazz scene, and was stepping into even greater fame in the group of Herbie Mann! Yet this set is definitely Roy's own – kind of an introduction to the more righteous sounds he'd pursue in the 70s, set up in an instrumental mode with great help from Herbie Hancock on piano, Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, and Hubert Laws on flute – all ultra-hip players who really bring a lot to the record! And despite the colorful cover, and its reference of a pop hit, there's a much deeper vibe going on here – on titles that include a great version of Jobim's "Wave" – done like we've never heard it before – plus the original cuts "What The People Say", "Lil's Paradise", and "A Rose For Cindy". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes! There's a surprising spiritual undercurrent to the music – pointing the way towards jazz to come in the 70s – and titles include "Glow Flower", "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", and "In The Limelight" – plus an early take on Charles Tolliver's "The Ringer". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic albums from Clarence Carter – back to back on a single CD, with bonus tracks too! First up is the album This Is Clarence Carter – a seminal debut from the great Clarence Carter – proof that there was still a lot of genius to be heard in southern soul at the time! The 60s were just about over when Clarence appeared on the recording scene – and it seemed that most of the big names in soul had already grabbed most of the thrones in the kingdom. Clarence was a real comer, though – and his sweet style of southern soul was immediately popular, filling a void promptly after the death of Otis Redding, and setting a bit more fire than some of the other Atlantic male singers, who were waning a bit at the time. Of course, it certainly helps that that lil' ol' genius Rick Hall was behind Clarence's move – arranging and producing this album with some of the strongest, least cliched Muscle Shoals backings of the time. Titles include "Slip Away", "Funky Fever", "Thread The Needle", "Do What You Gotta Do", "Looking For A Fox", and "Slippin' Around". Next is Dynamic Clarence Carter – seminal southern soul from the legendary Clarence Carter – one of his early killers for Atlantic Records, all of which really stand out from most of his work to come in later years! There's a raw, raspy brilliance here that's undeniable – the blind singer stepping out with incredible confidence on a host of tunes that really run the gamut – numbers of love and loss, mixed with a few more contemporary pop tracks – but all given a unique Muscle Shoals twist that really transforms them. Carter wins our heart from the start with his version of "I'd Rather Go Blind" – then keeps on soaring through cuts that include "Think About It", "Steal Away", "Look What I Got", "That Old Time Feeling", "Let Me Comfort You", "Weekend Love", "Light My Fire", and "Too Weak To Fight". Includes 5 bonus tracks – "Take Me Use Me", "I'll Be Over After A While", "She Ain't Gonna Do Right", "There Won't Be Another Sunset", and "I'm Happy Go Lucky". CD

A treasure trove of classic New Orleans-styled soul tracks from Dr John – all the early singles for Atlantic Records that helped him forge his legendary sound – served up here with some surprising non-LP moments as well! If you don't know Dr John's groove, this is a great place to start – and even if you already dig his messed-up blend of funk, soul, and trippier currents, you'll love the way these shorter singles focuses his energy in ways that are different than some of the longer LP tracks – still very groovy, but packing even more punch! The set's got 26 tracks in all – including "A Man Of Many Words", done with Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton – plus "I Walk On Guilded Splinters (parts 1 & 2)", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Cold Cold Cold", "Traveling Mood", "Mos Scocious", "Let's Make A Better World", "Me - You = Loneliness", "Rite Away", "Such A Night", "Right Place Wrong Time", "Loop Garoo", "Jump Sturdy", "The Patriotic Flag Waver (mono short version)", and "Mama Roux". CD

Maybe one of the most amazing debut records of all time – not only the record that first exposed the world to Roberta Flack, but a set that heralded so many changes to come in the following decade! Flack's genius here is almost impossible to put into words – part jazz, part soul, and completely righteous from the very first note – possessed of a sense of pride and power that belie both her understated image on the front cover, and her relatively young age – and delivered with a timelessness that still makes the record as vital today as it was so many years back. The set features Flack playing piano and singing with her trio – sometimes augmented by larger arrangements by the very hip William S Fischer, but often in a setting that's very spare yet incredibly moving – instantly putting Roberta at the same level as Nina Simone, and maybe even past the territory of Aretha Franklin at the time. Titles include her seminal reading of "Compared To What" – an instant anthem for the time – plus the tracks "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Or Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost early chapter in the career of Roberta Flack – material recorded during the sessions for her legendary First Take album, but unissued at the time – and presented here with an amazing demonstration of the depth of her young talents! All the genius of First Take is in place here – that groundbreaking territory between jazz and soul that set Roberta apart from the pack, right from the start – but there's also a wider range of currents going on – maybe some more jazz-based numbers, mixed with other soul-referenced titles too – a wider span that furthers the role that Flack plays as a bridge between the 60s innovations of Nina Simone and a host of others to follow. The group is just a trio – Flack on piano with Marshall Hawkins on bass and Bernard Sweetney on drums – but the tunes have a very wide-open vibe that's very visionary, and every bit as great as Roberta's debut! Titles include a stunning version of "Afro Blue", plus "It's Way Past Suppertime", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Groove Me", "To Sir With Love", "The Song Is Love", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out", "The House Song", and "Hush A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Donny Hathaway – a 70s soul giant who burned brightly for just a few years, then was taken away from us all too soon! In our book, Donny is every bit a giant of the decade as Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield – and you'll hear work here that easily matches the best of both, topped with some of the musical complexity that made Hathaway such a budding talent in the studio – ready to give his gifts to so many, and be shared with the world! Every cut's a gem – and titles include "The Ghetto", "Giving Up", "Someday We'll Be Free", "To Be Young Gifted & Black", "A Song For You", "What's Going On", and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" – as well as Hathaway's Holiday classic "This Christmas" – maybe the tune that most people know the best. Also features famous duets with Roberta Flack on "Where Is The Love", "The Closer I Get To You", "You've Got A Friend", "Back Together Again", and "You Are My Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

A great underground soul moment from the online age – a set released as a free digital mixtape, but which quickly took the world by storm – and really helped establish Kehlani as a strong voice in contemporary soul! The set's a short one, but has a richness that goes beyond the number of songs – as a range of different producers help Kehlani open up some great territory, blending her voice very strongly into the mix, but never hiding the power at the core – on titles that include "FWU", "Get Away", "As I Am", "Deserve Better", "How We Do Us", "1st Position", and "Tell Your Mama". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Lizzo's reveling in superstardom here – even more forthright and confident than before, on titles that include "About Damn Time", "Grrrls", "I Love You Bitch", "Special", "Break Up Twice", "Naked", "Coldplay", "Birthday Girl", "If You Love Me", "2 Be Loved", and "The Sign". LP, Vinyl record album

Two contemporary soul giants – coming together in a set that's even better as a whole than their work apart! As you might guess from the name, Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak are going for a classic old school style working together as Silk Sonic – soul music that's heavy on both 70s funky modes and early 80s grooves – but presented with some contemporary flourishes from time to time, at a level that really gets at the charm that both artists have on their own – somehow magnified as they work here together as a duo! The harmonies and trading vocal leads are great – and titles include "After Last Night", "Skate", "777", "Put On A Smile", "Fly As Me", "Leave The Door Open", "Smokin Out The Window", and "Blast Off". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of mid 80s albums from Narada Michael Walden – all together in one 2CD set! First up is Looking At You Looking At Me – an album with plenty of beats– so much so you might forget that Narada Michael Walden first rose to fame as a drummer – but all the electricity is fine with us, given the 80s groove sound of the set! There's a nice sense of energy that informs most of the tracks – a somewhat funky undercurrent that almost shows traces of the Minneapolis influence on soul at the time, but without a too-Prince sort of sound overall. There's also a few key ballads too – some gentler cuts that round out the set nicely, and which showcase the increasing confidence Walden's had with his vocals over the years. Titles include "Reach Out", "Looking At You Looking At Me", "Burning Up", "Shake It Off", "Dream Maker", and "Tina". Nature Of Things is a highly electric set from Narada Michael Walden – a mid 80s effort that's filled with catchy little tunes! The style's certainly more mainstream than we might have guessed, given Walden's early career – but it's still much better than most of the pop of its generation – thanks to Michael's strong jazz pedigree, which does seem to inform some of his arrangements and instrumental choices on the album. Most of the percussion is in the form of beats, but Walden's also credited with playing drums (roto-toms, perhaps?) – and in addition to his own lead vocals, the set also features work by Patti Austin and Marth Wash. Titles include "Live It Up", "Nature Of Things", "High Above The Clouds", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Suspicion", and "Dancin On Main Street". Divine Emotion is sweet 80s soul from Narada Michael Walden – a set that has the singer/drummer very confidently in the tight R&B territory that served him so well during the decade! As with previous records, there's a fair bit of 80s electronic elements in the mix – bursting, bubbling, and exploding with a joyful groove that really fits Walden's spirit – and serves to emphasize his ever-growing talent for penning at catchy tune! Titles include "Wild Thing", "Explosion", "Jam The Night", "Divine Emotions", "Can't Get You Outta My Head", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", and "Certain Kind Of Lover". CD

After Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker came head to head with James Brown in the mid 70s, they broke off and formed the Horny Horns contingent – a tight funky backing section that's featured on a number of late 70s funk sessions, and which also recorded some extremely nice numbers on their own! This first album has the group working with George Clinton and Bootsy, who was a friend of Fred and Maceo from the old days – and who could really use the tight playing of some James Brown-trained musicians to smooth out their groove. This album was the group's first – and it's still their best – forging a massive new funk sound with the best elements of the old JBs fused through Clinton and Bootsy's P-Funk filter. Includes the monster funk cut "Fourplay" – a standout classic that features a funky break, hard solos, and all the other elements you'd need to make a great funky instrumental. Other tracks include "Between The Sheets", "Peace Fugue", and a version of "Up For The Down Stroke". CD

William Bell was one of the singers who first helped the Stax label get going at the start of the 60s – but during the second chapter of Stax, when they broke from Atlantic, his contributions were maybe even more amazing – as his voice had matured wonderfully, and he was able to handle a range of sensitive themes that went even farther than before! The music here is southern soul at its most mature and sophisticated – heartbreaking vocals, but moving past some of the more oft-tread territory of the 60s – as Bell rose in pride and power during the new generation of Stax, with results that are completely sublime throughout! This side of his work isn't nearly as well-known as the first, but is even better to our ears – presented in a string of singles, both a and b-sides, with detailed notes on this really special period in his career. Titles include "I Forgot To Be Your Lover", "Happy", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "A Smile Can't Hide A Broken Heart", "Lonely Soldier", "Let Me Ride", "Save Us", "All For The Love Of A Woman", "The Man In The Street", "Penny For Your Thoughts", "Get It While It's Hot", "Nobody Walks Away From Love Unhurt", "Getting What You Want", "You've Got The Kind Of Love I Need", "If You Really Love Him", "Lovin On Borrowed Time", "Bring The Curtain Down", and "My Whole World Is Falling Down". CD

A sublime second chapter of work from Booker T & The MGs – pulled from a time when Stax Records was stepping out of the influence of Atlantic, and really opening the door to a wide variety of new soul sounds! That approach is definitely in place here – as the tracks really evolve past the early hits of the group – with more unusual rhythmic patterns, laid down by the great Al Jackson on drums and Donald Duck Dunn on bass – while Steve Cropper provides all the riffing genius on his guitar, and Booker T pushes things over the top with completely sublime work on organ! All players are really changing up their groove, especially as the singles here progress from the 60s into the 70s – and the package features a-sides and b-sides, and even a few post-Booker T cuts by the MGs. Titles include "Kinda Easy Like", "Melting Pot", "Sunday Sermon", "Something", "Fuquawi", "Sugarcane", "Blackside", "Neckbone", "Soul Clap 69", "Slum Baby", "Meditation", "Johnny I Love You", "Time Is Tight", "Jamaica This Morning", "Over Easy", "Heads Or Tails", "Mrs Robinson", and "Soul Limbo. LP, Vinyl record album

A great full length collection of work by Memphis singer Barbara Brown – a vocalist who appeared both as a solo act, and with her sisters – on a variety of singles for labels like Cadet, Atlantic, Tower, and MGM in the late 60s and early 70s! Barbara's got a deep, rich voice that's clearly schooled in gospel, but pointed towards more secular ends – an approach that's very much in keeping with the best late 60s wave of soul from Atlantic Records, and which is carried off here with a sharpness and precision that's simply mindblowing! Why Brown never scored bigger is a real mystery to us, because these tunes come off like the cream of the crop of southern soul at the end of the 60s – not just obscurities for obscurity sake, but some of the highest level of soul a female soul singer could hope for at the time! Titles include "Can't Find No Happiness", "Plenty Of Room", "A Great Big Thing", "Things Have Gone To Pieces", "Man Around The House", "Play Thing", "I'm Gonna Start A War", "I Don't Want To Have To Wait", "It Hurts Me So Much", "Got To Be Somebody", "There's A Look On Your Face", and "If I Can't Run To You I'll Crawl". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from Bobby Byrd – the man who was literally standing in the shadow of James Brown during the 60s – given how many times Bobby appeared with James on stage, and worked with him in the studio! Yet despite that near-lifetime association with The Godfather, Bobby's a hell of a singer on his own – definitely in the JB mold, but with a voice that can sometimes sweetly crackle in a very personal style – and also open up into different themes that sometimes move his music more towards Stax or Atlantic than some of James' King Records material from the time! All that range and plenty more is presented here – in an overlooked side of Bobby's career – all the wonderfully strong solo tracks he recorded with James Brown as a producer – issued in the mid 60s by the Smash and King Records labels, and a hell of a discography on its own. In fact, had Byrd not worked with James, we'd maybe guess that he would have hit even bigger fame on his own with these singles – such is the quality in both the vocals and overall presentation. This is the first time this material has ever been pulled together like this – and most of it has never been reissued at all – and the 24 track CD is overflowing with great notes that also give Bobby his due. Titles include "Write Me A Letter", "I Found Out", "Ain't No Use", "I'm Just A Nobody (parts 1 & 2)", "Lost In The Mood Of Changes", "You're Gonna Need My Lovin", "Let Me Know", "Time Will Make A Change", "No One Like My Baby", "Funky Soul (parts 1 & 2)", "You Gave Me Heart A Song To Sing", "My Concerto", and "I'm Lonely". CD

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary James Carr – a singer that those in the know place at the same level as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, or any of the deep soul greats of the 60s! Like Otis, James recorded heavily on the Memphis scene at the time – not for Stax or Atlantic, but for the smaller Goldwax label – who really hit magic with the sounds you'll hear on this set – a perfect blend of the richness of James' voice with the kind of slow-burning soul sounds that the scene was really hitting during its golden years! The songwriters alone here are enough to sell the set to any fan of classic southern soul – as tunes include contributions from Chips Moman, Dan Penn, Quinton Claunch, William Bell, and Spooner Oldham – writers who maybe never had a better interpreter of their work than Carr – who knocks it out of the park here on tunes that include "Dark End Of The Street", "You've Got My Mind Messed Up", "I'm A Fool For You", "A Lucky Loser", "Let's Face Facts", "Your Love Made A U Turn", "Freedom Train", "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man", "You Hurt So Good", "Love Attack", and "A Man Needs A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime sounds from Clarence Carter – wonderful work from his second wave of singles for Fame Records – a wealth of great music from a time when Carter was really coming into his own! Clarence was great right from the start, but here you can really hear him finding his own voice – that all-knowing, storytelling approach that could make even a simple lyric spin out in a way that was totally captivating – with a quality that set Carter apart from some of his more tear-jerked southern soul contemporaries, into a space of class and confidence that would serve him well for years to come! Every number here was recorded at the Fame Studios, with the kind of killer backings you'd expect from the Muscle Shoals team – and although the singles were initially issues over a few different labels (Fame, Atlantic, and United Artists) – they're brought together here in complete order, for a massive 22 track set. Tracks include "I'm The One", "I Hate To Love & Run", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", "Say It One More Time", "It's All In Your Mind", "Sixty Minute Man", "Heartbreak Woman", "Love's Trying To Come To You", "I Found Somebody New", and "Put On Your Shoes & Walk" – plus "If You Can't Beat Em", which is a duet with Candi Staton! CD

Jimmy Castor's a cat who's tried many styles in music – and handled them all surprisingly well – from sweet soul to heavy funk, to Latin grooves, and even the funky club style of this late 70s album for TK Records! The set has Jimmy giving a nod to the disco generation – no surprise, given that TK was a disco powerhouse – but the overall approach is maybe tied more to his mid 70s records for Atlantic – with all the warm humor and funk of those albums! On some tracks, it almost feels like Castor's trying to be a one man answer to the P-Funk army – but other tracks are more personal overall. Titles include "Time", "The Mystery Of Me", "Sweetooth", "The Real McCoy", "Future Place", "Let It Out", and "Bertha Butt Encounters Vadar". CD

Plenty of echoes of Chess, King, and Atlantic Records here – a late 60s live performance by the Chambers Brothers – but one that's already retro-styled towards modes from earlier in the decade, and styles from the R&B years of the 50s! As with all the group's Vault LPs, the sound here is much rougher than the more psychedelic soul of their Columbia albums – a mode that's plenty darn righteous, and which is presented on live tracks for side one, but which also features more studio material and a few original compositions on side two. Titles include "Blues Get Off My Shoulder", "I Got It", "Shout", "There She Goes", "Seventeen", "Rained The Day You Left", and "So Fine". CD

Stunning live material from the great Ray Charles – a 3CD set that brings together a wealth of stage performances from May of 1962, in setting that often lets us focus as much on Ray's incredible piano work as it does his trademark vocals! Charles' talents need no introduction from us, but they're in fantastic formation here – without some of the studio trappings that he was beginning to use in the 60s, and much more of the jazzy flourishes that he was using towards the end of his time at Atlantic Records – played here by a group that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Hank Crawford on alto, and David Fathead Newman on tenor. The package features 52 live tracks – including "Blue Stone", "The Danger Zone", "From The Heart", "Margie", "One Mint Julep", "Doodlin", "Careless Love", "Hit The Road Jack", and "I Believe To My Soul". Also features a few bonus studio cuts – including work with Louis Jordan! CD

Sublime soul from the great Otis Clay – early material done on the Chicago scene in the years before he hit bigger fame in the 70s – and tracks that may well be some of our favorite material ever by the singer! Otis already has that impeccable deep soul approach going on here – vocals that rival those of Otis Redding or any of the greats at Stax or Atlantic – often set to that gently grooving style that marked the Chicago vibe in the mid 60s – nicely sophisticated, but never too polished – and presented here so that Clay really shines in the lead! The choice of cuts is great, and the package is one that's a great introduction if you've not heard Clay at this point in his career – or a great addition to your collection if you've only got some of his singles from this non-album stretch. 16 tracks in all – including "I'm Satisfied", "Thank You Love", "I Lost Someone", "A Lasting Love", "Tired Of Falling In & Out Of Love With You", "Show Me What You Say", "Show Place", and "I Got Problems". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare work from the great Sam Dees – one of the best songwriters in 70s soul music, and an artist who managed to put more recordings in the vaults than he did in the charts! Sam's known best for a handful of singles and a classic album on Atlantic Records – but during the 70s, he continued to record amazing work on his own – often a demos, but with a quality level that was the same as the best indie soul of the time – which makes these recordings such a pleasure to discover! The CD follows strongly alongside other Ace release of this nature – and includes 13 never-heard tracks, plus a few rare singles, and a handful of other Dees cuts from a Hotlanta sampler – all brought together here in one great set! Sam's vocals are wonderful – very unique, and with a badass quality that really brings an edge both to his deep soul material, and the set's few more groove-oriented cuts. Titles include "I'm Your Biggest Fan", "Singing In Poverty", "Today Is A New Day", "We've Got To Get It Together", "Married But I'm Still In Love", "Child's Play", "What's It Gonna Be (alt)", "Claim Jumping", "What Good Is A Love", and "Gimme A Little Action". CD

Sam Dees was one of the greatest unsung talents in 70s soul music – an important writer, arranger, and general background talent who helped so many other singers hit the heights – but who hardly ever issued much work under his own name! Apart from key singles and an important album on Atlantic, the recorded legacy of Dees isn't what it should be – given his impact on music, especially deep soul – but fortunately, sets like this have come along to correct that lack! As part of Sam's creative process, he would often record songs first on his own – not as rough demo tracks, but as surprisingly well done studio versions to illustrate the material – tracks that were often better than later versions of his tunes, and most of the other commercial soul on the market. This sweet set brings together 12 of those tracks – private recordings from Sam, of songs he'd later give to singers like Loletta Holloway, Ben E King, and others – an essential record from the great Dees, pressed up on super-heavy vinyl! Titles include the previously unissued "Married But Not To Each Other" – plus "Good Guys Don't Always Win", "Who Are You Gonna Love", "Con Me", "Only Lonely People", "False Alarms", "Standing In The Wings Of A Heartache", "The World Don't Owe You Nothing", and "Black Tattler". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant soul from the Columbia Records years of Aretha Franklin – exactly the kind of collection you need to hear if you only think she sounded great on Atlantic! The styles here are somewhat more varied than in the late 60s, but that's only proof that Aretha could handle just about anything that came her way – and with a hell of a lot more soul than just about any of her contemporaries! The package does a wonderful job of sorting through the Columbia sides to come up with key singles, album tracks, and even two previously unissued titles – all well-chosen by Franklin friend and fan David Nathan, who also co-wrote the notes. The booklet's got lots of history from these overlooked years, plus cover images and label scans too – and titles include "Hands Off", "One Step Ahead", "When They Ask About You", "One Room Paradise", "It's So Heartbreakin", "Rough Lover", "Here's Where I Came In", "Tighten Up Your Tie Button Up Your Jacket", "Remember Me","Deeper", "I Told You So", "When They Ask About You", "The Shoop Shoop Song", "Follow Your Heart", and "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face". CD

A very cool idea for a collection – a set that takes all the classic early Al Green material for Hi Records, and adds in some larger orchestrations – all at a level that's way better than you might expect, and with a sound that's very faithful to the originals! The larger charts are dropped in with a nicely subtle touch – so that Al's vocals aren't impinged at all, and the strings are used to sweeten up the tunes in all the right ways – very much as if the original recordings might have been given a bit of an Arif Mardin touch over at Atlantic Records, while still retaining the Memphis sound at the core. Titles include "Look What You Done For Me", "Take Me To The River", "Tired Of Being Alone", "Call Me", "Let's Stay Together", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Here I Am", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "Sha La La", "I Can't Get Next To You", and "Let's Get Married". CD

Stellar work by Jimmy Hughes – one of those southern soul talents whose name you've heard, but can't always find on record! Jimmy's best known for his classic Muscle Shoals tune "Steal Away" – and that great number, plus many other similar ones, are presented on this obscure Vee Jay release – issued at a time when both that label and Chess were licensing a number of titles from Rick Hall's Fame studios. The sound is great – a key link in the southern scene of the 60s, and one that's often lost because it wasn't recorded for a bigger label, like Atlantic. Titles include "Steal Away", "Try Me", "I Want Justice", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Neighbor Neighbor", "I'm Getting Better", and "I'm Gonna Rise Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time – and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax – and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks – "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" – plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The stunning debut as a solo act for Durand Jones – a set that's even deeper and more powerful than his work with The Indications, at a level that shows that Jones is a soul singer with a hell of a lot of potential, and not just another voice working in a funk band! There's plenty of deep soul styles going on here – tunes that are more laidback and slow-stepping than before, so that Jones can really unfurl his vocal majesty, and create a sound that provides a fresh new chapter in the legacy of southern soul – not a retro rehash of modes from Stax or Atlantic, but a real 21st Century take on the territory! Titles include "See It Through", "I Want You", "Lord Have Mercy", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Letter To My 17 Year Old Self", "Sadie", "Wait Til I Get Over", "Gerri Marie", and "That Feeling". (Deep Funk, Soul) CD

The stunning debut as a solo act for Durand Jones – a set that's even deeper and more powerful than his work with The Indications, at a level that shows that Jones is a soul singer with a hell of a lot of potential, and not just another voice working in a funk band! There's plenty of deep soul styles going on here – tunes that are more laidback and slow-stepping than before, so that Jones can really unfurl his vocal majesty, and create a sound that provides a fresh new chapter in the legacy of southern soul – not a retro rehash of modes from Stax or Atlantic, but a real 21st Century take on the territory! Titles include "See It Through", "I Want You", "Lord Have Mercy", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Letter To My 17 Year Old Self", "Sadie", "Wait Til I Get Over", "Gerri Marie", and "That Feeling". (Deep Funk, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A stellar record from Ben E King – and one of a few early 60s gems that really have him leaving a longstanding mark on soul music! There's a balance here that's unbelievable – a quality that's emotive right from the start, yet also perfectly put together too – with Ben's tremendous vocals backed by some tight Atlantic backings – in a style that's virtually the blueprint for lots more uptown soul singers to come in the 60s. The song choice is impeccable too – numbers from Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, and Phil Spector which perfectly straddle the lines of soul music at the time – tunes that include classics like "Here Comes The Night", "Don't Play That Song", "Young Boy Blues", and "Stand By Me" – plus lesser-known gems like "Brace Yourself", "I Promise Love", "Yes", "First Taste Of Love", and "Show Me The Way". LP, Vinyl record album