Prince got tagged to do the music for the big breakout Batman film from Tim Burton – and the performances here are definitely not the stuff of The Dark Night – and in fact, maybe nothing like you'd expect from Batman at all – even though the music does make a nod or two towards the cowled crusader with some samples! It's clear that Prince just had a fun time putting the whole thing together – and like many other star soundtracks from the 90s, the feel of the music is very much its own thing – which is probably why the record was such a hit, and maybe has had a lot more endurance than the film! Titles include "The Future", "Electric Chair", "Vicki Waiting", "Partyman", "Scandalous", and "Batdance". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince got tagged to do the music for the big breakout Batman film from Tim Burton – and the performances here are definitely not the stuff of The Dark Night – and in fact, maybe nothing like you'd expect from Batman at all – even though the music does make a nod or two towards the cowled crusader with some samples! It's clear that Prince just had a fun time putting the whole thing together – and like many other star soundtracks from the 90s, the feel of the music is very much its own thing – which is probably why the record was such a hit, and maybe has had a lot more endurance than the film! Titles include "The Future", "Electric Chair", "Vicki Waiting", "Partyman", "Scandalous", and "Batdance". CD

The last full album recorded by Minnie Riperton before she left our planet all too soon – and a killer batch of work that really has us wondering how great the world of soul music would have been, had Minnie stuck around to keep on growing into the 80s and 90s! The set's filled with the kind of all-star help that Riperton always seemed to attract over the years – strong contributions from Minnie's longtime fan/friend Stevie Wonder, plus work from Phil Upchurch, Jose Feliciano, Hubert Laws, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, and many others – all helped out by Minnie and her partner/producer, the great Richard Rudolph – whose connection to Riperton can always be felt in the music. Titles include the great track "Memory Lane", which gets endless airplay here in Chicago, plus the beautiful ballad "Never Existed Before", and the cuts "I'm A Woman", "Lover & Friend", and "Return To Forever". CD

A big one for Norman Whitfield – who found in Rose Royce what he'd been lacking for years – a hit group ready to handle a number of styles, all well, and all with an adventurous style that would break them past the legions of lackluster funky soul groups of the late 70s. The record blends the band's more famous funky styles with smoother jazzy soul that's almost in a Minnie Riperton mode – and which is made even more so by the sweet lead vocals of Rose Norwalt. She's heard to best effect on the cuts "Wishing On A Star" and "Ooh Boy" – and other funkier numbers include "Do Your Dance", "Funk Factory", and "It Makes You Feel Like Dancing", which are all filled with great keyboards and nice spacey grooves. LP, Vinyl record album

You know, these guys were so big that we sometimes forget how great they really were. This compilation's a great reminder, and it's filled with some killer 70's soul tracks like the totally sublime original version of "Love Don't Live Here Any More", a cut that still sends shivers down our spines, even if Madonna totally ruined it a few years ago. Other nice ones include "Ooh Boy", "Wishing On A Star", "You're On My Mind", "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight", "First Come First Serve", "Is It Love You're After", and the obligatory "Car Wash". LP, Vinyl record album

A big package of work – all the albums recorded by The Weather Girls, plus solo material and bonus tracks too! First up is Success – maybe the greatest moment ever from The Weather Girls – a long-running duo who started out as backing singers for Sylvester in the 70s, then recorded as Two Tons O Fun, and finally got the chance to cut this classic for a major label in the early 80s! Both Martha Wash and Izora Armstead are great singers – and work here with previous disco maestro Paul Jabara, who has a great way of shifting the groove to 80s club, while still allowing all the playful elements of the decade before! In a way, this was definitely one of those records that showed the world that in the right corners, disco wasn't dead – heard to best effect on the classic "It's Raining Men" – alongside other cuts that include "Success", "Hungry For Love", "Dear Santa", "Hope", and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair". Next is Big Girls Don't Cry – soaring vocals from The Weather Girls, set to bouncy grooves that are equal parts soul and pop! Martha Wash and Izora Armstead have mighty vocal chops throughout – that bold duo approach they first crafted as Two Tons O Fun, and pushed even more strongly as The Weather Girls – set here to keyboard-heavy backings from Leon Pendarvis, who knows just where to put the best hooks in the grooves! Titles include "Well A Wiggy", "Lock Me Up", "No One Can Love You More Than Me", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "You Can Do It", "Laughter In The Rain", and "March". Next is the self-titled Weather Girls album – the last album in the original run of The Weather Girls – and a set that's full of well-produced tracks from Reggie Lucas and Full Force, balanced out nicely as a way of pushing the duo's sound strongly past the disco years from which they emerged! Sylvester makes a guest appearance on the cut "Love's On The Way" – and other titles include "Why Can't We Show Our Love", "Burn Me", "Love You Like A Train", "Opposite Directions", "Something For Nothing", and "Land Of The Believer". Last up is a super-huge solo set from Martha Wash – made a number of years after her fame in The Weather Girls, and at a time when she had really emerged as an important voice in dance music after a big cut with C&C! By this point, Wash had plenty of recording experience under her belt – and she knocks it out of the park with vocals that are disco-trained, but much richer in soul content overall – certainly more so than some of her other contemporaries on the early 90s club scene. The album features help from a huge amount of studio talent, but it's clear that Wash is the shining star in the lead – really blowing away so much of the work from the "sound system with singer" generation of club – on cuts that include "Leave A Light On", "Give it To You", "Runaround", "Things We Do For Love", "So Whatcha Gonna Do", "Someone Who Believes In You", "Just Us", "Hold On", "When It's My Heart", and "Carry On". 4CD set features bonus tracks on every CD – 22 more bonus mixes and more! CD

Some of the first recordings ever from Chicago legend Junior Wells – made for the small States label in the Windy City, many years before Wells exploded out with much greater national fame! The music here has Junior stepping into the same early electric space that Chess Records was cutting at the time – and given the presence of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon on some of these sides – the group's also not far off either! Wells is the main star throughout, though – alternating bold young vocals and razor-sharp harmonica lines – in the company of players who include Louis Myers, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters on guitar, Johnnie Jones and Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Odie Payne on drums. Titles include "Hoodoo Man", "Tomorrow Night", "Eagle Rock", "Junior's Wail", "Throw This Poor Dog A Bone", "So All Alone", "Blues Hit Big Town", and "Lovin Blues". CD features six previously unissued tracks! (Blues, Soul) CD

Some of the first recordings ever from Chicago legend Junior Wells – made for the small States label in the Windy City, many years before Wells exploded out with much greater national fame! The music here has Junior stepping into the same early electric space that Chess Records was cutting at the time – and given the presence of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon on some of these sides – the group's also not far off either! Wells is the main star throughout, though – alternating bold young vocals and razor-sharp harmonica lines – in the company of players who include Louis Myers, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters on guitar, Johnnie Jones and Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Odie Payne on drums. Titles include "Hoodoo Man", "Tomorrow Night", "Eagle Rock", "Junior's Wail", "Throw This Poor Dog A Bone", "So All Alone", "Blues Hit Big Town", and "Lovin Blues". (Blues, Soul) CD

A fantastic explosion of funk, soul, and club – put together at a level that may well even top the first Supafunkanova collection! As before, the cuts here are all super-rare and obscure – but all kick heavy ass when it comes to tight rhythms and catchy clubby grooves – never straight disco or mainstream boogie – but borrowing plenty from the mainstream to turn out cuts with a really raw, underground vibe! There's a slight touch of hip hop in the mix – more that old school skating mode – and the whole thing definitely shows Joey's decades in cutting great cuts for the dancefloor – and his big love of the best groups from the hinterlands. 2LP set features the titles "Drive Me Insane" by Airplay, "Betcha Got A Dude On The Side" by Star Quality & Class, "Cool Out" by Magnum Force, "Spunk In The Funk" by Blue Denim Band, "Walk" by Sam Culley Band, "Sound Reason (Joey Negro edit)" by Splash, "Making Love Will Keep You Fit" by Brenda Harris, "Let's Get High" by Nice & Tight Band, "Easton Assassin" by Sunburst Band, and "Super Stimulus" by Stimulus. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Soul legend Sam Cooke left our planet all too soon – but during his short time in the business, and during the height of his fame, he managed to start his own record company too – a really groundbreaking imprint that issued some great singles of his own, and helped to showcase a small group of well-chosen artists that Cooke really got behind! The date range here is a bit longer than the actual recording history of SAR – as Sam died in 1964, and was overseeing most of the artistic and creative direction of the label – along with help from partner JW Alexander – and the material here showcases both sides of Cooke's legacy, both secular and spiritual – with a focus on some great soul singers and groups, and a bit of gospel music too. The collection is nicely tight – not as wide-ranging as bigger label compilations, in part because of the elite group of artists who recorded for SAR – which makes for a sharp lineup of tracks, from artists who include Johnnie Taylor, The Valentinos, The Womack Brothers, Soul Stirrers, The Simms Twins, Billy Preston, Johnnie Morisette, RH Harris & His Gospel Paraders, and Sam Cooke himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Tyrone Davis' last albums for Dakar – and a great one too – issued in 1976 before the demise of that label, and Tyrone's big move to Columbia Records! Tyrone's still working strongly here in that great Chicago mix of smooth and rough – a sound first forged on his early Dakar hits, and carried through strongly here by arrangers Tom Tom and James Mack – who still keep a lot of the indie elements that made Davis' music for Dakar great right from the start. The centerpiece of the album is the title track "Turning Point", and it's situated in a set of other nice tunes, a number of which have that smoothed-out feel that Tyrone brought to his work in the late 70s. Includes a remake of "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" (done at a nice ballad tempo), plus "It's So Good (To Be Home With You)", "Saving My Love For You", and "I Can't Bump" (parts 1 & 2). LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest records ever from Deele – thanks to the presence of LA and Babyface – who were a key part of the group at the time! The heavier funk styles of previous records are left behind – and the group have realized that they really shine best in mellower modes – the kind of ballads and love songs that still had a nice punch at the bottom, thanks to the LA/Babyface style – but which also really made the best use of Dee's sweet vocal approach! The shift tuned out to be a great one for the group – the start of bigger soul trends to come – and titles include "Two Occasions", "Shoot Em Up Movies", "Eyes Of A Stranger", "Can U Dance", "She Wanted", "So Many Thangs", and "Hip Chic". CD

Was there ever such a great run of records as the legacy of Earth Wind & Fire at Columbia in the 70s and 80s? It's hard to imagine a better one – as the strength of this collection will attest! Earth Wind & Fire didn't start their career at Columbia, but they really took off at the label right away – finding new heights of pride, power, and righteous energy – and a way of combining all their best soul, funk, and jazz roots into something completely new – reaching a much wider audience with their message, yet still staying true to themselves as well – an amazing balance that never wavers throughout the set. The package is filled with classic albums – including Last Days & Time, Head To The Sky, Open Our Eyes, That's The Way Of The World, Gratitude, Spirit, All N All, I Am, Faces, Raise, Powerlight, Electric Universe, Touch The World, and Heritage – and also features the Best Of CD, with single mixes of bigger hits, and the bonus Constellations album too – with rare tracks, live tracks, and some Maurice White productions too. Every album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and the box has a booklet of notes as well! CD

A long-overdue look at the mighty mid 60s work of The Falcons – a group who are usually only covered during their early doo wop years, but who went onto do some tremendous group soul as well! The work here features many of the group's excellent recordings for the Big Wheel label with vocalist Sonny Munro in the lead – a really great singer who more than carries on the strong traditions started in the group by earlier singers who include Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett! The Big Wheel work is really great – often a bit Northern and upbeat, but with a very deep vocal style overall that's totally great. Added to the set is some additional material that Sonny Munro cut in later years – showing him to be an equally great solo act, working in some more sophisticated modern soul modes – briefly recording for Epic in the 70s, but represented here on some previously unissued tracks from the time. CD also features two tremendous Falcons-backed cuts on Big Wheel with singer Sandy Hollis in the lead – "I'm Tempted" and "Tables Will Turn" – plus the cuts "Good Good Feeling", "Standing On Guard", "Love You Like You Never Been Loved", "I Can't Help It", "Love Love Love", "In Time For The Blues", and "Standing On Guard" by The Falcons – as well as "Don't Leave Me Alone", "On The Other Side Of Pride", "Why Do I Let You Do The Things You Do", and "I'm Tired Of Being Your Play Thing" by Sonny Munro. CD

A landmark album – one that has the Fania All-Stars playing in a Latin club style that greatly influenced dance music for years to come! The title "Cross-Over" might make you think of this one as a sell-out attempt, but it's not – it's a brilliant effort by the New York Latin scene to reach a much larger audience, and at the time, it really really worked! The album's actually got a surprisingly strong jazz basis to a lot of the playing – mixed with soul, disco, and funk influences that helped make this one a big album in the crates of plenty of non-Latin listeners. Features work by Eric Gale, Ruben Blades, Louie Ramirez, and Johnny Pacheco – and includes the cuts "You Want It You Got It", "Brazilian Paradise", "What A Big Thing", "Los Bravos", and "Prepara". (Latin, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from 5000 Volts – one of the first pop disco groups to come onto the 70s scene in the UK – and a quartet with the lovely Tina Charles in the lead! The style here is a bit like Charles' solo work – but more funky overall, and more electrified too – with plenty of Euro disco styles that remind us of the best work from Munich, yet still produced with some of that cool British production that bigger chart stars were getting at the time. The style is occasionally cheesy, but in a good way – and titles include "I'm On Fire", "Look Out I'm Coming", "The Late Late Show", "Thunderfire", "By Love", "One Stop Baby", and "Light The Flame Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A double album from Roberta & Peabo – with some nicely recorded tracks from a gig at The Holiday Star Theater in Merrillville, IN (not too far south of Chicago) in the dawn of the 80s – and some tight studio material, too! It's got a some terrific live versions of some of the biggest hits from both singers – plus their great duets. Titles include "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", a nice version of "Back Together Again" – which was originally done by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, "Killing Me Softly", "God Don't Like Ugly", "Feel The Fire", and "Only Heaven Can Wait/You Are My Heaven". 14 tracks on 2LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

The only full length album cut by singer Taana Gardner – quite a surprise, given how much impact she had on the clubs with her 12" singles at the start of the 80s! The album's got Gardner as a much richer singer than you might expect – able to lay back on a mellow track as well as step out on a groover – always with that higher range of vocals that really made her a standout at the time, but in ways that are never gimmicky or poppy at all. And in fact, there's a lot more depth to the record than you'd guess from the dated exercise cover image – a classic soul approach that's also quite a surprise for the mostly disco West End label too. Tracks are all nice and long – and backings are by Sunship, with Bernard Wright on Fender Rhodes. Titles include "Work That Body", "We Got To Work It Out", "When You Touch Me", "Paradise Express", and "Just Be A Friend". CD features the previously unreleased "That's The Word (12" club)", plus "Heartbeat (12" club)", "Heartbeat (12" party)", "No Frills (12" club)", and "No Frills (12" party)". CD

The start of a very successful run for Gloria Gaynor – a seminal bit of crossover 70s soul – one that perfectly linked the dancefloor with the airwaves, and managed to take on more than a few living rooms as well! Gloria's not entirely in full blown disco-diva mode yet, and works here with a soaring Philly-styled groove – of the sort you'd hear with groups like First Choice or Three Degrees – almost grounded a bit in earlier female soul, especially in the vocals and overall changes in the grooves – yet sparkled up plenty with some fuller, richer 70s arrangements. Those are handled by Norman Harris and Harold Wheeler – who do plenty to warm up the production by Meco – and the set includes the stunning 6 minute version of Gloria's big hit "Never Can Say Goodbye", plus "All I Need Is Your Sweet Lovin", "We Belong Together", "Real Good People", "Honey Bee", and "Reach Out I'll Be There". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not normally ones to rave about electric blues albums, but this one's a lot nicer than you might think – recorded with plenty of deep soul touches, and even a dose of funk in the right places! We hate to admit it, but a big part of the credit here goes to Eric Clapton – who produced most of the record and gives Buddy and Junior a tightness that's missing from some of their other records of the time. There's almost a post-Cream sort of groove to the record – that "hipper than rock" sensibility that colored many of Clapton's old group members' projects for Atlantic in the years after Cream disbanded. But of course, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells are the real stars of the set – and the record's good enough to make even jaded Chicago residents like us appreciate their talents here! Titles include "A Poor Man's Plea", "My Baby She Left Me", "A Man Of Many Words", "I Don't Know", and "This Old Fool". (Blues, Soul) CD

We're not normally ones to rave about electric blues albums, but this one's a lot nicer than you might think – recorded with plenty of deep soul touches, and even a dose of funk in the right places! We hate to admit it, but a big part of the credit here goes to Eric Clapton – who produced most of the record and gives Buddy and Junior a tightness that's missing from some of their other records of the time. There's almost a post-Cream sort of groove to the record – that "hipper than rock" sensibility that colored many of Clapton's old group members' projects for Atlantic in the years after Cream disbanded. But of course, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells are the real stars of the set – and the record's good enough to make even jaded Chicago residents like us appreciate their talents here! Titles include "A Poor Man's Plea", "My Baby She Left Me", "A Man Of Many Words", "I Don't Know", and "This Old Fool". (Blues, Soul) 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

Mid 70s genius from the Isley Brothers – a record that has them firmly hitting their superstar mode with a fantastic blend of mellow soul and guitar-heavy funk! The record's got a sense of class, care, and poise that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries – an ability to rock out one minute, then slow things down for a beautiful ballad the next – all while maintaining enough credibility to still hold onto older fans, yet also reach out to a much bigger audience in the mainstream. Titles include the sublime "Ain't I Been Good To You (parts 1 & 2)", a long track with a sinister bassline and a dark groove that really makes it great, a great cover of "Hello It's Me" that's even better than the original, and the key mellow cuts "Lover's Eve" and "Brown Eyed Girl" – plus "Live It Up (parts 1 & 2)", "Need A Little Taste Of Love", and "Midnight Sky (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Ty Karim – a singer who definitely lives up to the "soul goddess" promised in the title! Ty might not be the biggest name in California soul, but she's a hell of a great talent here – starting out in the 60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers – then moving into the 70s with material that's even deeper, and a bit more sophisticated – laidback numbers that really show a maturation in style, and which are filled with wonderful twists and turns! Ty's vocals have a burning quality that's quite surprising, given her kittenish look on the cover – and as the themes get hotter, her singing gets even more righteous – making the whole package a really wonderful journey in soul. And although most of these numbers were issued (or recorded, but unissued) by tiny indie labels, they often have a very full, spacious approach to production – one that's really trying to hit the heights of Detroit or New York at the time. A good number of these cuts weren't issued at the time, and together with the rare singles, they really go a long way towards filling in the gaps in Ty's too-short career on record – further illuminated in the detailed notes from Ady Croasdell. Titles include "Lighten Up Baby", "Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again", "Only A Fool", "All At Once", "Lightin Up", "I Ain't Lying", "You Just Don't Know", "Natural Do", "I'm Leavin You", "All In Vain", "After Your Love Has Gone", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", and "Don't Make Me Do Wrong". CD

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

A sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great back to basics set from Denise LaSalle – returning to her deep soul roots after some bigger, clubbier records for major labels! There's a nicely down-home vibe to the record – the start of LaSalle's presence on the bluesier underground of the aging chitlin circuit – but still not as fully bluesy as she's be a few years later. The album draws a bit from Miami soul modes of the previous decade, but also really lets that Malaco approach grow into its own with a strong singer like Denise – finding new confidence as the label was fast becoming one of the last soul labels left in America! Latimore does a great guest appearance on the title cut "Right Place Right Time" – and other tracks include "Bump & Grind", "Good Man Gone Bad", "He's Not Available", "Why Does It Feel So Right", "Love School", and "Your Husband Is Cheating On Us". LP, Vinyl record album

Raw New Orleans soul from Overton "Smiley" Lewis – one of the city's big stars in the 50s R&B years, and a singer who arguably set the stage for later deep soul to come! A few years before, and Lewis might have been more of a blues singer – but here, he's working with some strong Nola piano lines and lightly loping rhythms – in a mode that's vaguely in the Fats Domino side of the universe, but a lot more raw and stripped-down too – from the performance to the production! Tracks include Smiley's classic "I Hear You Knocking", plus loads of other nice ones – including "Bumpity Bump", "Bells Are Ringing", "Blue Monday", "Lost Weekend", "Real Gone Lover", and "One Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of overlooked female soul gems – back to back on a single CD! The first album is It Must Be Love – sweet late 70s modern soul from Alton McClain & Destiny – a great little female vocal trio with a sound that ranges from lightly funky with jazzy flourishes, to soaringly soulful! The group kind of follow in a tradition started by Honeycone and First Choice, and improved upon by The Emotions – and like that latter group, the girls move from the easier disco tracks that you'd normally expect, into a range of soulful styles that all come off equally well with their vocal technique. Webster Lewis handled some of the nice string arrangements – and players include Wah Wah Watson on guitar and Lee Ritenour on keys. titles include "Crazy Love", "Sweet Temptation", "Taking My Love For Granted", "My Empty Room", "Push & Pull", and "The Power Of Love". More Of You is one of the best records by this great little modern soul trio who should have gone onto bigger and better things. The session's got a strong mellow groove, typical of some of the non-hit soul coming out of labels like Polydor and Capitol at the end of the 70s – and tracks include "Stares & Whispers", "Love Waves", "More Of You", "99 1/2", "You Bring Me To My Morning Light", and "Thank Heaven For You". CD

Bubbling 80s soul from Stephanie Mills – a set that has the singer's vocals really working strongly with some catchy rhythms that nicely balance between the clubs and the charts! Stephanie's almost in Deniece Williams territory here – working with a groove that's got plenty of potential to cross over to bigger markets – yet still marked by the really rich, full vocal approach that made her a winner right from the start! The backings definitely have that hook-heavy quality you'd hear in mainstream 80s soul – but Mills' approach more than makes the songs her own – even when things are grooving. Titles include "In My Life", "The Medicine Song", "Edge Of The Razor", "Undercover", and "Rough Trade". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album from The Ohio Players – a set that's famous not just for its sexy cover, but for the way the group managed to set a whole new standard for mainstream funk at the time! The group started out in the farther reaches of the Midwest underground, and previously had brought some nice psychedelic elements to their music – which here are more focused and folded into a sound that's wonderfully tight, yet still filled with plenty of imagination – a sense of funk that would be beaten down into a more formulaic mode by groups in years to come, but which here is still wonderfully fresh! Most folks go for their big hit "Love Rollercoaster", but we've always been partial to the smooth, mellow funky track "Sweet Sticky Thing", served up here in the cool long version, which has a groove that builds and builds – a completely sublime journey in sound! The whole album's great, though – and other cuts include "Honey", "Fopp", "Let's Love", "Ain't Givin' Up No Ground" and "Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from this funky Nigerian cat – a set that offers up a key mix of James Brown funk and home-grown elements – all in a blend that's totally unique! The 1970 album mixes together equal parts African highlife and American soul – making for a style that's heavy one minute, lighter the next – and always changing things up in a really dynamic way! Percussion plays a big role on the funkier cuts, and guitar is on most numbers too – used with a lyrical, rhythmic style on the highlife numbers – and a much more hard-vamping approach on the funkier ones. Includes killer versions of "Mother Popcorn", "Let Yourself Go", "There Was A Time", "I Feel Alright", and "Cold Sweat" – plus the tracks "Okere Gwonko", "Everybody Needs Love", "Onuro", and "Magic Feet". (Global Grooves, Soul) CD

Three girls and a guy – and one of the greatest 60s soul groups to ever come out of Philly! Although they started out mostly in a girl group mode, The Orlons soon expanded their sound into a harder range of soul-based work – really picking up steam on the Philly scene, and pushing their once sweet style into a deeper groove that went onto have a big influence on lots of other local soul groups for years to come. Rosetta Hightower's lead vocals are especially great on these tunes, and she's got a rougher, rumbling sort of quality that almost pushes some tracks into Exciters territory. CD does a great job of presenting the material with notes on each track – and titles include "Wah Watusi", "Spinning Tog", "Mr Twenty One", "South Street", "Crossfire", "Not Me", "The Conservative", "Don't Hang Up", "Everything Nice", "Shimmy Shimmy", "Rules Of Love", and "Envy". CD

A nice live snapshot of a later P Funk incarnation, circa 1983 – with players like Dennis Chambers and Michael Hampton aboard the mothership with Clinton's family of funk all stars! The rest of the crew includes includes stalwarts Bernie Worrell, Eddie Hazel, Blackbird McKnight, Maceo Parker, Mudbone Cooper and George Clinton working hard to extend their legendary style of live funk into the 80s. There's a slow build up of energy that's works well – kicking off slowly but surely with a laidback intro and band intro before busts open in a big way, and from there it's one exciting classic after another 'til the very end! Includes lengthy live riffs on P-funk classics like "Cosmic Slop", "(Not Just) Knee Deep", "Maggot Brain", "Atomic Dog"and "Flashlight", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Do That Stuff", "Cosmic Slop" plus a medley of "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Mothership Connection (Starchild)" and "I Call My Baby Pussycat" in a nearly 100 minute set! CD

The very first album from Pacific Gas & Electric – the hard-wailing west coast group who later recorded more famously for Columbia Records, but who are completely on fire here! The set was done for the Bright Orange subsidiary of Kent Records – that LA imprint who did such a great job with blues, soul, and R&B in the 50s and 60s – and who really let the group here stay close to their blues inspirations, while also letting their freak flag fly with some very cool Cali elements too! As with so many of the other groups of their time who maybe started out in blues, PG&E are quickly moving into territory that's all their own – taking off with psychedelic elements and strongly soulful touches – served up with some great lead guitar work from Glenn Schwartz, some heavy fuzz bass by Brent Block, and raw vocals from Charlie Allen. Tracks include a great remake of the Bobby Blue Bland Tune "Cry Cry Cry" – plus"Wade In The Water", "The Motor City Is Burning", "The Hunger", "Long Handled Shovel", "Jelly Jelly", "Stormy Times", and "Live Love". (Rock, Soul) CD

The start of Ray Parker's big hit run of the 80s – a set that has the Raydio group stripped down to just a duo behind Ray, and Parker very firmly out in the lead on vocals! The title hit's a smooth standard that's kept on going for many years – just the kind of cut that crossed Ray over to a big audience that would hang on for most of the decade – but the record still has plenty of the funkier soul touches that bear the Raydio name, including some tight rhythms from drummer Ollie E Brown, who also co-produced part of the set with Ray. Some tunes are a bit softer than before, but never too mellow – and titles include "A Woman Needs Love Just Like You Do", "So Into You", "It's Your Night", "Still In The Groove", "That Old Song", "Old Pro", and "You Can't Fight What You Feel". LP, Vinyl record album

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version! CD

Seminal work by one of the biggest gospel crossover stars of the 80s – the mighty mighty David Peaston, a man with a truly god-like voice! Production on the album occasionally has too much of that 80s slickness, but even so, David's voice cuts through the whole thing with a spiritual warmth and majesty that's simply wonderful. Titles include "Take Me Now", "Tonight", "Two Wrongs", "In This Together", "Can I?", and "Eyes Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Esther Phillips' biggest comeback albums from the 70s – a classic set that takes her deeply soulful vocal approach, and sets it to some sweet jazz funk backings – served up by guitarist Joe Beck, who almost gets equal credit on the album cover! The rest of the lineup is equally great – with alto from David Sanborn, more horns from The Brecker Brothers, and even a bit of work from Steve Khan – all fusion superstars in their own right, but who never eclipse Esther's lead. Titles include a good version of Grover Washington's "Mr Magic" – with the same funky undercurrent as the original – plus the tracks "One Night Affair", "I Can Stand A Little Rain", "Hurtin House", "Turn Around Look At Me", and a semi-hit version of "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Raydio set from guitarist Ray Parker – an artist who'd worked on countless session gigs by the time of this album, which gave him more than enough chops to get things right from the start! The sound is tight and definitely aimed at the charts, by Ray also brings his own sort of groove to the set too – kind of a mainstream funk approach that found a very big audience at the time! As the years pass, this one sounds better and better to our ears – with titles that include "Jack & Jill", "Let's Go All The Way", "Is This A Love Thing", "Honey I'm Rich", "You Need This (To Satisfy That)", "Betcha Can't Love Me Just Once", "Me", and "Get Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-selected batch of work from one of the greatest soul singers of all time – and cuts that are presented here in rare mono mixes, all taken from the original mono tapes! The work includes important early sides that Redding cut at Stax Records – where he was the reigning star – plus a few issued after his untimely early death by Atlantic Records, who got their hands on Redding material that was still unreleased – and which gave Otis some of his biggest chart success in the years after he left the planet. The set list is fantastic throughout – the blueprint for so much deep soul to come from later generations – and the package features 16 titles that include "Mr Pitiful", "Stand By Me", "Pain In My Heart", "These Arms Of Mine", "That's How Strong My Love Is", "Respect", "My Girl", "Satisfaction", "Dock Of The Bay", "Hard To Handle", "I've Got Dreams To Remember", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Shake", and "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)". LP, Vinyl record album

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest female soul stars! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too – not credited with production, due to contractual reasons, although he helped put most of the album together. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons". LP, Vinyl record album

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest female soul stars! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too – not credited with production, due to contractual reasons, although he helped put most of the album together. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons". This legendary album finally gets its proper treatment – with very detailed notes from Minnie's husband/co-creator Richard Rudolph – and 11 bonus tracks from the vault – including "Lovin You (single version with countdown)", "Reasons (ext version)", "It's So Nice (ext version)", "Take A Little Trip (duet with Stevie Wonder)", "Seeing You This Way (acoustic)", "Edge Of A Dream (ext version)", "Perfect Angel (ext version)", "Every Time He Comes Along (ext version)", "Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down (Perfect Angel version)", "Lovin You (alt band version)", and "Our Lives (ext version)". Really fantastic – great sound and the bonus tracks are beautiful! CD

Perhaps the rarest of all Jimmy Scott albums – and perhaps the best, too! Jimmy cut this one for Ray Charles' Tangerine label (it was the label's first) – a fact that's driven home on the front cover, where a lounging sexy couple is reclining in front of a fire with a bottle of wine and two of Ray's albums from the time! The real star here, though, is Jimmy – who lays down some of the best vocals of his career over totally sympathetic arrangements by Marty Paich and Gerald Wilson, carefully crafting sad lonely versions of standards like "There Is No Greater Love", "They Say It's Wonderful", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". Jimmy makes these tunes all his own, singing the songs in that wispy fragile gender-bending way that's always been both his biggest strength and greatest curse! (Vocalists, Soul) CD

A real treasure of sweet harmony pop from the late 60s – and the kind of record that broke big on the blue-eyed soul scene! The title hit – "More Today Than Yesterday" – is a familiar number that still sounds great to our ears. And the rest of the records got a similarly great style – arranged by Al Capps with some warm and jazzy undertones – a bit like Sunshine Pop of the time, but with styles that also seem to borrow a lot from late 60s Philly soul. Titles include "Sweet Little Thing", "More Today Than Yesterday", "The Thought Of Loving You", "Since I Don't Have You", "Our Day Will Come", and "Broken-Hearted Man". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album from Starvue – a late 70s Chicago group who were part of that overlooked scene in the city once the bigger labels had moved on! In truth, if Starvue were working on the coasts, they could have been huge – as they've got a really sharp, focused approach to ensemble funk that rivals some of the best modes of groups like Brass Construction or Con Fun Shun – with soaring lyrics and instrumentation over well-crafted fast funk grooves – clubby, but not disco at all – and instead just this amazing display of the group's instrumental dexterity! Production is wonderful – handled by Clarence Johnson, who'd given Chicago some great indie soul records in previous years – and titles include "Upward Bound", "Love Affair", "Body Fusion", "Put The BS Aside", "Starvue", and "Love Struck". CD

The only full album from Starvue – a late 70s Chicago group who were part of that overlooked scene in the city once the bigger labels had moved on! In truth, if Starvue were working on the coasts, they could have been huge – as they've got a really sharp, focused approach to ensemble funk that rivals some of the best modes of groups like Brass Construction or Con Fun Shun – with soaring lyrics and instrumentation over well-crafted fast funk grooves – clubby, but not disco at all – and instead just this amazing display of the group's instrumental dexterity! Production is wonderful – handled by Clarence Johnson, who'd given Chicago some great indie soul records in previous years – and titles include "Upward Bound", "Love Affair", "Body Fusion", "Put The BS Aside", "Starvue", and "Love Struck". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album from Starvue – a late 70s Chicago group who were part of that overlooked scene in the city once the bigger labels had moved on! In truth, if Starvue were working on the coasts, they could have been huge – as they've got a really sharp, focused approach to ensemble funk that rivals some of the best modes of groups like Brass Construction or Con Fun Shun – with soaring lyrics and instrumentation over well-crafted fast funk grooves – clubby, but not disco at all – and instead just this amazing display of the group's instrumental dexterity! Production is wonderful – handled by Clarence Johnson, who'd given Chicago some great indie soul records in previous years – and titles include "Upward Bound", "Love Affair", "Body Fusion", "Put The BS Aside", "Starvue", and "Love Struck". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". CD

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful early sounds from the legendary Sylvester – very different than the later hits, especially the disco ones – and a set that was recorded before all the big records of the 70s! The approach here is jazz, and intimate enough to warrant the "private" in the title – as Sylvester sings on most numbers with just piano backing, but in a way that really has the vocals soaring high – driven to heights of expression without the urging of any other instruments – and a great document of the soulful genius that Sylvester had right at the start! Titles include "Big City Blues", "Stormy Weather", "Carioca", "Viper's Drag", "Indian Love Call", and "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" – and at points, other singers join into the mix as well. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of work from the great Howard Tate – a stunning soul singer who recorded mostly during an initial decade in the studio, then briefly returned to fame in the few short years before his death – always with a depth and vibrancy that set him apart right from the start! Tate was born in the south, but raised in Philly – and as such, has this unusual blend of deep soul vocals and more sophisticated modes – heard most famously in his early work with producer Jerry Ragovoy, but carried on strongly in his 70s records too – all of which are sampled here, in a collection that includes material from Howard's sessions for Verve, Atlantic, Epic, HT, and Turntable Records! CD features a massive 29 tracks in all – and titles include "My Soul's Got A Hole In It", "Shoot Em All Down", "Stop", "Strugglin", "Keep Cool", "She's A Burglar", "It's Too Late", "Can You Top This", "Brand New Me", "Get It While You Can", "The Bigger End", "Ain't Got Nobody To Give It To", "Half A Man", "You're Looking Good", "Question", "Have You Ever Had The Blues", and "Baby I Love You". CD

A stone 70s classic from Tavares – quite possibly the group's biggest album, and a masterpiece of LA vocal group soul! The album's biggest claim to fame is the massive hit "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", recorded by the group for this set, but blown to the heights through it's huge use in the film Saturday Night Fever. But although that hit might mark them as a disco group, Tavares are still very much in the strongest style of their best early vocal group sets – coming together magically as a group, even when the rhythms are a bit uptempo, and sounding great on tracks that include "To The Other Man", "The Mighty Power Of Love", "Bein With You", "Ridin High", "Wonderful", and "Guiding Star". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album from Allen Toussaint – his first big move as a solo act, and the start of some great fame that would blossom even more strongly in the 70s! This indie effort has a rougher edge than Allen's later albums at Warner Brothers – a sly, wicked slow funk approach that's a real transformation of the older New Orleans groove for a hipper, more contemporary 70s audience. The instrumentation is relatively lean – with lots of nice organ and piano lines alongside slow-stepping and vamping rhythms – and the set was actually recorded in LA, but still has very strong roots in New Orleans! Titles include the classic "From A Whisper To A Scream", plus "Working In A Coal Mine", "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky", "What Is Success", "Either", "Louie", and "Number Nine" – a few of which are hip piano instrumentals! Features two bonus tracks. CD

Some of the greatest work ever recorded by Allen Toussaint – his legendary Toussaint album for Scepter (aka Whisper To A Scream) – plus some rare late 60s singles that have never been on CD before! The core album is amazing – Allen Toussaint's first big move as a solo act, and the start of some great fame that would blossom even more strongly in the 70s! This indie effort has a rougher edge than Allen's later albums at Warner Brothers – a sly, wicked slow funk approach that's a real transformation of the older New Orleans groove for a hipper, more contemporary 70s audience. The instrumentation is relatively lean – with lots of nice organ and piano lines alongside slow-stepping and vamping rhythms – and the set was actually recorded in LA, but still has very strong roots in New Orleans! Titles include the classic "From A Whisper To A Scream", plus "Working In A Coal Mine", "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky", "What Is Success", "Either", "Pickles", and "Louie" – a few of which are hip piano instrumentals! 17 track CD completes the genius of this point in Toussaint's career – by adding in some killer funky singles – including "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Gotta Travel On", "We The People", "I've Got That Feelin Now", "Tequila", and "Hands Christiananderson". CD

A pair of classic albums from The Undisputed Truth! First up is Method To The Madness – a gem from the second chapter of the group – that time when they stepped away from Motown, and followed producer/creator Norman Whitfield to his own label in California! The shift of record companies also marks a cool shift in styles too – an approach that still has all the bold, bassy elements you'd know from the earlier hits – but one that also has some fuller, more cosmic elements too! The set begins with a weird electronic spoken number that's almost experimental – then brings up the bass for a bit of heavy funk, while also using electric elements in a way that really points the way to sounds that other big funk groups would cop at the start of the 80s – but which really sound fresh here. Titles include "Sunshine", "Take A Vacation From Life (And Visit Your Dreams)", "Life Ain't So Easy", "You + Me = Love", "Cosmic Contact", "Hole In The Wall", and "Let's Go Down To The Disco". Smokin has them still going strong with Whitfield, in a groove that's every bit as wonderful as their early years! There's a killer mix of funk and deeper soul here that few other acts could handle this well – a way of hitting the flashy funk of Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station – but also not falling into any showbiz traps, either – in a mode that really his the group not only respecting the role of each member, but also working together in a very cohesive way on the album. The result is a great little set that balances funky grooves with some excellent cosmic soul cuts – supported by great session work from giants like Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford. Titles include "Show Time", "Space Machine", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Misunderstood", "Sandman", "Atomic Funk", and "Talkin To The Wind". CD