Titles include "S Beat", "The Runaway", "Love Is", "I Wanna Take You There", "Heartbreaker", and "Rhythm Of The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A great moment in chart soul – when the legendary Soul II Soul were restoring our faith in modern music again! This US 12" single features 2 Teddy Riley new jack remixes (to pop into the charts), plus the Caron Wheeler 12" version and that Nellee Hooper 7" version. All that and extra beats, too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes tracks by Fontella Bass, Otis Redding, Supremes, Shangri-La's, Joe Tex, Byrds, Yardbirds, Marvin Gaye, Kinks, Martha & The Vandellas, Beach Boys, Miracles, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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 "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, "Searchin" and "Zing Went The tings Of My Heart" by the Coasters, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "CC Rider" by Chuck Willis, "Money Honey" and "Honey Love" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, "Walking Up A One way Street" and "Thank You John" by Willie Tee,"There Goes My Baby" by the Drifters, "Just One Look" by Doris Troy and "Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee" by Stick McGhee. LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of killers that played big in the Carolina scene – including "Te Ta Te Ta Ta" by Ernie K Doe, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "39 21 46" by Showmen, "Thank You John" by Willie Tee, "Quiet Place" by Garnett Mims, "You Keep Telling Me Yes" by Cannonball, "Would You Believe" by Tempests, "Ms Grace" by Tymes, "Shaggin" by Band Of Oz, "Hey Hey Baby" by Swinging Medallions, and "Summertime's Callin Me" by Catalinas. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Drifters, The Globetrotters, The Futures, Jerry Butler, Jim Gilstrap, The Trammps, The Platters, Chairmen Of The Board, Benny Spellman, The Ravens, The O'Jays, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, The Tams, and The Intruders. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Featuring artists Elmore Jones, Buddy Guy, T Bone Walker, Joe Turner, Tampa red and others. 25 tracks total! (Blues, Soul) CD

A dream of a set from the folks at Numero Group – a special package that digs through all their many collections and archive projects, and comes up with some of the funkiest cuts in the bunch! Unlike some of their other compilations, this one focuses on the groove first – and the groove is nice and funky, hard and gritty, and feels like you're sitting next to the turntable, playing a stack of rare funk 45s, one after the other! Titles include "Function Underground" by We The People, "Jungle" by Young Senators, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Iron Leg" by Mickey & The Soul Generation, "Get It Right" by Soul President, "First Thing I Do In The Morning" by Joyce Williams, "Party Time" by Black Soul Express, "Money Won't Save You" by Boscoe, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Robert Moore, "You Made Me Suffer" by Andrew Brown, and "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Music from The Honeycombs, The Supremes, The Dixie Cups, Don Covay, The Murmaids, Roy Orbison, The Kingsmen, The Shangri-Las, The Impressions, Maxine Brown, The Beach Boys, The Searchers, The Reflections, and more - 22 tracks in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music fromBarry McGuire, Fontella Bass, Len Barry, The Beach Boys, The Beau Brummels, The Miracles, The Kinks, Martha And The Vandellas, Roy Head, The Ad Libs, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Hammering stuff! This is one of the hardest of the Goldmine compilations – with a heavy-duty garagey mix of soul, R&B, and beat-heavy tunes that fit perfectly together. The overall sound is super-mod, with the kind of grooves you'd expect to find at some wonderful underground party in London during the late 60s – where original soulboys are dancing all night long to a color-blind mix of storming chunes. Titles include "The Snake" by Al Wilson, "Jump & Dance" by Carnaby, "Exus Trek" by Luther Ingram, "Alligator Boogaloo" by Sandy Nelson, "These Boots Were Made For Walkin" by The Happy Cats, "Charley" by The Soul Runners, "Coffee Pot 2" by Bo Junior, "Crawling Up A Hill" by John Mayall, "Wobble Legs" by Tommy Dark, "Chain Gang" by The Powerhouse, and "Baby You Got It" by The Truth. 20 cuts in all – and all hardcore! (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow soul heaven – and one of the greatest compilations of this style we've ever heard! This is exactly the kind of laidback, tripped-out soul we totally love – a host of rare ballads and love songs pulled from the 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – sometimes by groups who are better known for funky tracks, other times by overlooked harmony groups and solo singers who rival the greatness of east coast artists like The Moments or Whatnauts! Titles include "I Don't Think I'll Ever Love Another" by Darling Dears, "Slippin Around" by Thomas East, "Since You've Been Gone" by Little Janice, "Love" by Black Conspirators, "What Am I Waiting For" by Black Exotics, "Who Do You Think You're Fooling (part 1)" by Symphonic Four, "I'll Find A True Love" by Lee Bonds, "Young Girl" by Jazzie Cazzie & The Eight Sounds, and "Is It Me You Really Love" by Black Velvet. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A batch of rare Northern Soul – featuring a whole bunch of numbers we've never seen before – floor shaking numbers by solo singers & groups such asJesse Davis, Jimmy Holiday, Brenton Wood, The Hytones, The Gypsies, The Tiaras and many more! You probably don't need us to tell you that Kent Records UK has been digging deep for the mightiest and most sought after Northern Soul singles they could find for their impeccable series of compilations – and they go above and beyond once again with this one. Great stuff with solid notes and put together with care and affection! 24 tracks in all: "Hang On In There Girl (Inst)" by The Jesse Davis Band, "Try My Love" by Troy Dodds, "Black Mother Goose" by Sam Nesbit, "Queen Of Losers" by Eleanor Rigby, "Hook, Line And Sinker" by San Greer, "Deeper" by The Cheques, "There's Room For Me" by Jesse Davis, "Just A Fool" by Jerry Ganey and more. CD

Excellent compilation of Disco Not Disco style new wave tracks, on the awesome Ze imprint, with a great meeting of downtown new wave and disco sensibilities. 6 tracks in all: material "Busting Out", Was (Not Was) "Wheel Me Out", Christina "Drive My Car", Gichy Dan "Cowboys & Gangsters", Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rumba Band "Deputy Of Love" and Coati Mundi "Que Pasa/Me No Pop I". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of spiritual soul classics – the rare early Warner Brothers albums from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on a single CD! Earth, Wind & Fire's first album was recorded at a time when the group recently had ties to the Chicago soul and jazz scenes, and a range of experience that ran the gamut from work with Sun Ra, the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, The Pharoahs, Ramsey Lewis, and countless other influential groups. Headed up by Maurice White on drums and percussion, the group forged an amazing blend of all these influences, creating a future soul sound that pushed black music to the next level – taking a wealth of previously underground modes of expression, and fusing them into a soaring sound that would soon put them at the top of the charts. This album's a lot looser and freer than their Columbia albums – with plenty of raw funk and some nice off-beat jazz soling. Includes the classic break track "C'Mon Children", plus "Fan The Fire", "Bad Tune", and "Moment Of Truth". Need Of Love is one of the two early Earth Wind & Fire LPs recorded for Warner – and the one that shows their amazing roots in the avant-garde jazz scene in Chicago! At the forefront, the record's a righteous soul album with an ensemble funk sound – but deeper in, there's a lot of jazz-based playing, and a number of moments that almost get "out" in the solos! Surely this one couldn't have been made without the spiritual advancements in jazz made by the AACM – and EWF couldn't have helped rubbing shoulders with those players, considering that they all often gigged together in the Chicago studio scene, and that they'd also shared some time together in groups like The Pharoahs and Phil Cohran's Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Titles include "Energy", "Beauty", and a nice remake of Donny Hathaway's "Everything is Everything". CD

The Powerlight is burning bright – Maurice White, Philip Bailey, and the rest of the group still very much in classic formation! Even on a post-70s set like this, Earth Wind & Fire still manage to come up with tracks that beat the rest of the ensemble funk groups that grew up in their wake – groovers that still set a new level for the boogie generation, and mellow tracks that cross over beautifully without ever getting to soppy or adult contemporary. The balance is a tricky one, but the group always manage to pull it off – and guide the whole presentation of work here with enough class and care to show that the whole thing's the result of genius planning, and not just some happy accident! Titles include "Something Special", "Miracles", "Fall In Love With Me", "Straight From The Heart", and "Spread Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-romping soul from the great Shirley Ellis – a singer most folks know for a single crossover hit – but an artist who's got a hell of a lot more to offer than just that novelty number! This excellent package is a long-overdue look at one of the queens of raw soul in the 60s – a singer who could belt it out with a hell of an edge, even when the music was moving at a mighty fast clip – which it does often here, as Shirley works with superb guidance from arranger Lincoln Chase – whose ears for a groove are outstanding at this point in his career! The package brings together early singles for the Congress label, plus even more obscure work a few years later for Columbia Records – and as always with Ace, the whole presentation is wonderful – light years away from just a simple greatest hits or public domain package. Titles include "The Nitty Gritty", "Bring It On Home To Me", "Get Out", "Takin Care Of Business", "The Clapping Song", "Sugar Let's Shing A Ling", "Back Track", "Yes I'm Ready", "Ever See A Diver Kiss His Wife", "You Better Be Good World", "Ka Ta Ga Ta Boom Beat", "The Name Game", "I Never Will Forget", "Such A Night", "That's What The Nitty Gritty Is", and "One Sour Note". CD

A great little electro groover from Fatback – less funky and more beat-heavy than the group's other work – but a great crossover tune with a heck of a pretty hook! Dance version has a nice mix by Francois K, too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great double-length set that collects 2 rare sessions from late in Fela's career! Don't be put off by the date, though, because the material's great – and has that tight hard Afro Beat groove that you'll know from Underground System, another session from around the same time. "ODOO" is over 30 minutes long, with a tight choppy groove, and a very nice hook! "CBB – Confusion Break Bones" is a nice groover too, and is also nearly 30 minutes long! (Global Grooves, Soul) CD

Some of the best R&B you could ever buy! Wynonie Harris was one of the all-time greats – a raw, raunchy, hard-rockin singer who was getting into more trouble with the law, ladies, and booze than most 70s rock groups combined! Wynonie's songs for King are the stuff that kick-started rock and roll – and even from today's perspective, they're still gosh darn hard-rolling, filled with subject matter like drinkin, gamblin, and sleepin around that you'll be hard-pressed to beat in most gangster hip hop albums. And on top of it all, Wynonie's got one hell of a sense of humor, put over the top perfectly by his great swinging vocal style. 18 tracks in all, and nearly all of them are gems! Titles include "Grandma Plays the Numbers", "I Feel That Old Age Coming On", "All She Wants To Do Is Rock", "Bloodshot Eyes", "Don't Take My Whiskey Away From Me", "Lovin Machine", "Good Morning Judge", and "I Like My Baby's Pudding". 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". 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

Heavenly soul from the start of the 80s – a sweet little indie set that's done as a tribute to Minnie Riperton and Kenneth Armstrong! The overall format doesn't have that much to do with Minnie, but the record's still pretty darn great – and the style is a mix of modern, mellow, and boogie – all served up with a real sense of earnestness that matches the cover of the album, and which makes the record stand strongly next to some of the bigger releases of the time. A number of tracks feature vocals by the lovely Pamela Morrison, and the group hails from the Oakland scene of the time – working here under the direction of Barbara J Trotter, who also wrote a good number of the titles on the set too. Titles include the dancefloor jammer "Sho Nuf Funky Beat", plus "We're Together Again", "I See Heaven", "Satisfaction To The Bone Nitty Gritty Naked Bone", "I'm A Lady", "Rapping With My Subconscious Mind", and "We're Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A much earlier set of tracks than the first volume of Real Folk Blues from Howlin Wolf – mostly material recorded in the mid 50s, both in Chicago and Memphis – all with a really nitty gritty sort of feel! There's a rough and rootsy mode going on here – one that has Wolf's raspy vocals right up front in the lead, often supported by just a bit of electric guitar to emphasize the more sinister notes in the tunes. All tracks are originals by Wolf (aka Chester Burnett) – and titles include "Just My Kind", "I've Got A Woman", "Work For Your Money", "I'll Be Around", "You Can't be Beat", "You Gonna Wreck My Life", "I Love My Baby", "Neighbors", "I'm The Wolf", "Rocking Daddy", "Who Will Be Next?", and "I Have A Little Girl". (Blues, Soul) CD

The other single from one-hit-wonders Indeep. The cut has almost the same feel as "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life", with an insistent beat and a propulsive bass pedal, and a sort of chirping funky guitar line, but at a slightly slower tempo. The scratch versions don't actually have scratching on them, but are more like striped down bonus beats. 12-inch, Vinyl record

The soundtrack to This Is It – the celebratory release of the King Of Pop's rehearsal footage from the days before his untimely death – which also serves as sort of a best of Michael's years at Epic/Sony! It does a fine job of touching on the each of the diverse styles Michael handled in his Epic years, the pioneering guitar accented pop soul magic to the more tender numbers, but, the boon for This Is It is the title track. It's a previously unreleased number with backing harmonies by the Jackson's, a fairly gentle and memorable tune, plus some disc 2 demos. Titles include "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Jam", "They Don't Care About Us", "Human Nature", "Smooth Criminal", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Beat It", "Black Or White", "Earth Song", "Billie Jean", "Man In The Mirror" and "This Is It" (main and orchestra version). Disc 2 includes demos for "She's Out Of My Life", "Wanna Be Startin Somethin" and a "poem" version of "Planet Earth". CD

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! LP, Vinyl record album

Michael Jackson's last album with his famous family – a set of electric 80s soul that's a bit different than Jackson's well-known solo work! In a way, the later Jacksons albums almost feel like a place where Michael can try out some ideas that don't fit as tightly into the overall sound of his own records – and there's definitely more diversity here than before – a shift between gentle ballads, beat-heavy tunes, and even a few rockish/poppish moments. Of course, we should probably be crediting the other Jacksons for their help in the sound here too – as they're certainly credited on the cover – but there's also less of the "many parts as one" sound than before, so it's hard to tell how they're working together. Titles include "The Hurt", "Wait", "Torture", "One More Chance", "Body", "We Can Change The World", and "State Of Shock", the big single, which features a guest appearance by Mick Jagger. LP, Vinyl record album

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

A killer 2CD set of funky grooves by one of the best backing bands ever! The JBs were James Brown's legendary combo during his monster funk years of the early 70s – and this well-selected compilation brings together 30 rare tracks from their best years! The set's got a great set of notes – and it stretches beyond work by the JBs alone to include cuts from other groupings of the band, like Maceo & The Macks, The Last Word, The First Family, and The New JBs. Titles include "Rockin Funky Watergate", "Keep On Bumpin Before You Give Out Of Gas", "Soul Power 74", "My Brother (parts 1 & 2)", "The Grunt (parts 1 & 2)", "Dirty Harri", "More Peas", "Watermelon Man", "Givin Up Food For Funk (parts 1 & 2)", "JB Shout", "Blessed Blackness", "Same Beat (parts 1, 2, & 3)", and "Gimme Some More (Very Live)". Nice nice nice – and with a fair number of non-LP tracks! CD

The Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". CD features bonus tracks – the unreleased instrumental "Let's Boogie", the unreleased disco version of "My Favorite Song", and the tracks "You've Got To Keep On Bumpin (parts 1 & 2)", "Hustle Wit Every Muscle (orig single)", and "Hustle Wit Every Muscle (disco version – original single)". CD

A wicked bit of funk from Ghana – a record that's as amazing and wonderful as it is rare! The set's one of the best African 70s rarities we've ever heard – filled with massive grooves that offer up a take on funk that's far different than American grooves – but which also comes across with instrumentation that's not as familiarly Ghanian either! There's lots of nicely fuzzy organ in the mix, tight rhythms, and a trippy production style that no doubt comes from the quality of the original studio – but which serves to give some of the best cuts a really sinister edge – a bit like Cymande at their best. Titles include "Dracular Dance", "No Man Is Born To Suffer", "Moving World", "Groovy Love", "Wale Fobite", "Kelenkye Beat", and "Jungle Music". (Global Grooves, Soul) CD

A wicked bit of funk from Ghana – a record that's as amazing and wonderful as it is rare! The set's one of the best African 70s rarities we've ever heard – filled with massive grooves that offer up a take on funk that's far different than American grooves – but which also comes across with instrumentation that's not as familiarly Ghanian either! There's lots of nicely fuzzy organ in the mix, tight rhythms, and a trippy production style that no doubt comes from the quality of the original studio – but which serves to give some of the best cuts a really sinister edge – a bit like Cymande at their best. Titles include "Dracular Dance", "No Man Is Born To Suffer", "Moving World", "Groovy Love", "Wale Fobite", "Kelenkye Beat", and "Jungle Music". (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most unique soul music you'll ever hope to hear – recorded by a pair of artists who mostly worked in Buffalo, New York during the 70s – with a very odd style that's completely their own! We'd quickly place the duo of Jesse Key and Sylvester Cleary in territory that would include Shuggie Otis or Terry Callier – artists who are almost a genre to themselves, and who manage to make their message mean even more by standing apart from the pack! In this case, Key & Cleary work with very early use of a drum machine – often used at levels that are slower and gentler than the beat-heavy 80s – and given these lightly folksy guitar touches that underscore some of the more righteous currents in their music, and which make the more personal songs sound even better. Maybe imagine if Bill Withers teamed up with the very young Timmy Thomas – but recorded at home on an 8 track studio – and you'll get part of the picture of what's going on here. Titles include "There Are Troubles", "A Man", "Dog's Delight", "Turn Me On", "Storm Of 77", "Help Build Buffalo", "Salamanca", "What It Takes To Live", and "The Secret". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collection of rare work from the legendary BB King – a selection of 25 tracks from the vaults of RPM and Kent Records, 23 of which appear here for the first time ever! Some cuts are alternates, some are different versions of other recordings – and all are pretty darn wonderful – that sharp-edged BB King sound right at the start, before the famous Memphis powerhouse was recording for bigger labels in a more commercial setting! Lots of these cuts have a jazzy backing alongside BB's sweet guitar and raspy vocals – a mode that's similar to the mix of bigger band and bluesy elements you'd get on early work from Bobby Blue Bland – that great Memphis mix of modes that always makes us love this stretch in King's career so much. Titles include unusual versions of "Sweet Little Angel", "Catfish Blues", "Early In The Morning", "I Wonder Why", "Goin Down Slow", "Whole Lotta Meat", "Loving You In Vain", "Long Nights", "The Woman I Love", "Soul Beat", "Don't You Want A Man Like Me", "Be Careful With A Fool", and "Whole Lot Of Lovin". (Blues, Soul) CD

Amazing early work from Gladys Knight & The Pips – proof that they already had a great thing going long before their later fame on Motown and Buddah! The tracks here were recorded in the early 60s for the Fury record label – and they show the group coming on strong with a very sharp edge – a style that's still got some traces of R&B at points, but which really sets a new standard for mixed male/female soul groups for the 60s! Gladys' lead vocals are nice and bold – and a lot less cliched than later – and The Pips do their thing with a wonderfully harmonic flair in the background. Titles include their big early single "Letter Full Of Tears" – plus "Operator", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Room In Your Heart", "Stop Running Around", "What Shall I Do", "Morning Noon & Night", and "I Can't Stand By". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit one for Patti Labelle in the 80s – a set that crossed over big at the time, but which still has the lady in very soulful territory! Patti seems to sparkle most here on the mellower cuts – the gentle groovers and laidback ballads that helped open her up to a whole new audience, and which really give her a different sound than her 70s Labelle years. Titles include the Bacharach/Carol Bayer Sager title "On My Own" – sung as a duet with Michael McDonald – plus "Oh People", "There's A Winner In You", "Finally We're Back Together", "Beat My Heart Like A Drum", "Kiss Away The Pain", "Something Special", and "You're Mine Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer stuff from this legendary Philly soul instrumental combo – with funky soul horns, unstoppable dancefloor ready rhythms and those soul-stirring strings – and right up there with their best ever! Bobby Martin arranged almost every track – and the record's a great example of the kind of lean and mean Philly groove that he had going at the time, a sound that was hard to beat, and hard to copy without sounding silly and overblown. Top shelf soul instrumentals from Philly International in the mid 70s – what more could we ask for? Includes classics like "K-Jee", "MFSB", "TLC" and "Let's Go Disco" – plus the equally great "Sexy", "Love Has No Time Or Place" and "My Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet beats and plenty of grooves – an 80s funk classic from Midnight Star, and one that seems to have the group picking up a bit of energy from the hip hop scene as well! The album's still got the electro soul vibe of previous records, but maybe is even beat-heavier overall – almost showcasing a style that would later emerge as new jack in the hands of some younger artists within the next few years – but still perfect for the kind of playful interplay that made the Midnight groove so great! Titles include "Midas Touch", "Stay Here By My Side", "Close To Midnight", "Searching For Love", "Close Encounter", "Dead End", "Get Dressed", "Engine No 9", and "Headlines". CD

Brilliant early sounds from Jimmy Jam – rare late 70s material that has a very different sound than his slicker 80s work with Terry Lewis! The style here is a wonderful blend of sweet soul and righteous jazzy funk – a lot warmer than Jimmy's later beat-heavy style – and served up with loads of sweet keyboards alongside the soaring harmony vocals! Jimmy himself plays Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and other keys – but what we really love about the record is the vocals – these harmonies that are as fragile as New Jersey soul from the early part of the decade, but often turned towards more complicated cuts that have lots of jazzy riffing in the rhythms! The work's never been issued before, and is one of the greatest discoveries we've heard so far from the Numero Group – that's really saying a lot, given all their other releases. The vibe is almost like the Moments or Whatnauts recording for Black Jazz records – and titles include "I Don't Know Why", "My Love Is Like A Fire", "The Wonder Of It All", "No One Else Can Do It To Me Baby", "Virgin Lady", and "When You're Touching Me". CD

Brilliant early sounds from Jimmy Jam – rare late 70s material that has a very different sound than his slicker 80s work with Terry Lewis! The style here is a wonderful blend of sweet soul and righteous jazzy funk – a lot warmer than Jimmy's later beat-heavy style – and served up with loads of sweet keyboards alongside the soaring harmony vocals! Jimmy himself plays Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and other keys – but what we really love about the record is the vocals – these harmonies that are as fragile as New Jersey soul from the early part of the decade, but often turned towards more complicated cuts that have lots of jazzy riffing in the rhythms! The work's never been issued before, and is one of the greatest discoveries we've heard so far from the Numero Group – that's really saying a lot, given all their other releases. The vibe is almost like the Moments or Whatnauts recording for Black Jazz records – and titles include "I Don't Know Why", "My Love Is Like A Fire", "The Wonder Of It All", "No One Else Can Do It To Me Baby", "Virgin Lady", and "When You're Touching Me". CD

Brilliant early sounds from Jimmy Jam – rare late 70s material that has a very different sound than his slicker 80s work with Terry Lewis! The style here is a wonderful blend of sweet soul and righteous jazzy funk – a lot warmer than Jimmy's later beat-heavy style – and served up with loads of sweet keyboards alongside the soaring harmony vocals! Jimmy himself plays Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and other keys – but what we really love about the record is the vocals – these harmonies that are as fragile as New Jersey soul from the early part of the decade, but often turned towards more complicated cuts that have lots of jazzy riffing in the rhythms! The work's never been issued before, and is one of the greatest discoveries we've heard so far from the Numero Group – that's really saying a lot, given all their other releases. The vibe is almost like the Moments or Whatnauts recording for Black Jazz records – and titles include "I Don't Know Why", "My Love Is Like A Fire", "The Wonder Of It All", "No One Else Can Do It To Me Baby", "Virgin Lady", and "When You're Touching Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Ah for the mid 80s, when a song like this passed for politics in music! Forget the stupid message lyrics, though, and remember that Hardcastle cracked a lot of scenes with the cut – forging kind of a pop-political-street beat kind of groove. 12-inch, Vinyl record