The second anniversary of Gladys Knight & The Pips on Buddah Records – an album that really shows the new level of depth the group were able to hit at the label! A key factor on the album is work by Eugene McDaniels – who produced the record, and wrote a good number of tracks too – really pushing Gladys and the group into righteous territory they wouldn't have touched a few years before – a deeper groove that really matches some of their best soundtrack material of the mid 70s! Gladys really stretches out wonderfully with her leads – and the Pips provide just the right sort of warm backdrop to hold things together. Titles include "Street Brothers", "At Every End There's A Beginning", "Summer Sun", "Feel Like Making Love", and "Money". After hitting big as a singer on the soundtrack for Claudine, Gladys Knight finally got her chance in front of the camera for Pipe Dreams – a record that featured her both as the star on film and on the soundtrack! The styles here are a bit more wider-ranging than the usual 70s soundtrack of this type – a bit of ballad soul, mellow numbers, and more – arranged by Dominic Frontiere and Michael Masser in styles that are a bit like some of Knight's own albums of the time. We like especially the jazzy vocalesey number "Pot Of Jazz", a nice number that deserves further discovery on a compilation – and other cuts include "Find A Way", "Follow My Dreams", "So Sad The Song", and "Alaskan Pipeline". CD

Solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is 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". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

A huge breakthrough from Levert – the group's third album, and a record that's filled with some really top-shelf R&B for the time! The tracks are a great transition in soul styles – classic harmony vocal sounds, produced with a slowjam style that's totally great – a bit like quiet storm of the 80s, but with more of a street edge overall! The mellowest moments are the best ones – and titles include "Casanova", "Throwdown", "My Forever Love", "In N Out", "Temptation", and "Don't U Think It's Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare slices of work from Little Richard – both from more unusual periods in his career! The set begins with some early 60s tracks from a time when Richard wasn't with any big label, and was doing some tracks on his own – four titles that he licensed to Atlantic Records for issue on 7" singles – none of which did well, which makes these some of his most obscure tracks of the 60s! The rest of the work here is from Little Richard's great comeback stretch on Warner Brothers – best known for three great funky albums with production from Bumps Blackwell – and presented here with single versions of those album tracks, plus one non-LP release too! Titles include "Hole In The Wall", "Travelin Shoes", "It Is No Secret", "Freedom Blues", "Greenwood Mississippi", "Shake A Hand", "Money Is", "Nuki Suki", "Dancing In The Street", "Green Power", and "Somebody Saw You". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, working here with the young Chicago group Manchild – a funky soul outfit that was one of the city's last big new acts of the 70s. The band never really broke the charts that strongly – and on their funky cuts, they sound a bit too much like a copycat version of other successful 70s funk groups. However, they really do a nice job on the ballads – like most of the Chi-Sound groups from the late 70s – and they come off with a nice compressed vocal approach that reminds us of the best work of Switch during the same time. Includes a surprisingly good version of "Takin It To The Streets", plus "Especially For You", "We Need We", and "These Are The Things That Are Special To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s pop from Nu Shooz – the group's first really big record, and a set that definitely crossed them over strongly at the time! There's plenty of street soul elements in the mix here – lots of drum machine bits, basslines, and the sort of keyboard elements you'd find in electro – but upped with some tighter production that really emphasizes the catchier hooks in the tunes! Vocals are by Valerie Day – but the singer's really more part of the overall groove of the record – one more element that fits in tightly with the rhythms – on tracks that include "Lost Your Number", "You Put Me In A Trance", "Goin Through The Motions", "Point Of No Return", "Don't You Be Afraid", "Don't Let Me Be The One", "Secret Message", and "I Can't Wait". CD features lots of bonus tracks too – "I Can't Wait (long Dutch mix)", "Point Of No Return (long voc mix)", "Don't Let Me Be The One (voc ext)", "Make Your Mind Up (7" mix)", "I Can't Wait (voc American mix)", "I Can't Wait (Dutch voc mix)", and "Point Of No Return (voc special mix)". 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 killer of an album – a real corker from Lloyd, one of those singers who kept on growing tremendously after his early big hits! The album was recorded in Muscle Shoals, but it's got a smooth modern sort of finish – all compressed and slightly funky, in a manner that's partially inspired by Philly, partially by Marvin Gaye's mid 70s hits. The whole thing's extremely great – with lots of hip modern numbers that bear no resemblance whatsoever to Lloyd's early work, and which will have you going "Hey, who's that? He's really great!" A bit like Sydney Joe Qualls, Johnny Bristol, or Prince Phillip Mitchell – and with tracks that include "N'Sele", "Uphill Peace Of Mind", "Street Love", "Mr & Mrs Untrue", "What Did You Do With My Love", and "Music Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice collection of rootsy New Orleans music with a dozen tacks in all, including Professor Longhair "Go To The Mardi Gras" and "Big Chief (parts 1 & 2)", Al Johnson "Carnival Time", the Hawketts "Mardio Gras Mambo", the Wild Magnolias "Handa Wanda (parts 1 & 2)", "New Suit" and "(Big Chief Like Plenty Of) Fire Water", Stop, Inc "Second Line (parts 1 & 2) and Earl King "Street Paradise". CD

A set recorded late in the career of Millie Scott – given that she contributed vocals to some hip girl groups in the 70s – but a standout solo moment too, and one that showed she could make some big waves on her own! The album's got a nice early urban sort of feel – echoes of street soul in the mix, but never as much as you might find on some of the indie efforts of this sort on labels like Next Plateau or Sutra – just the right amount to keep things away from the mainstream cliches of the time. Most numbers have a fair bit of beats at the bottom, but they're often well done, and never dominate Millie's vocals too much – and tracks include "Automatic", "Prisoner Of Love", "Love Me Right", "Let's Talk It Over", "2 Hot 2 Handle", and "One Stop Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest breakout albums for Shakatak – an album that brought them strongly to US audiences with a sweet British blend of jazzy instrumentation and sultry soul! The album really holds up well over the years, and has a lot more legs than some of the other smooth fusion sets of the time – thanks to well-spaced keyboard lines from Bill Snarpe, and vocals from Jill Saward, which seem even stronger than before. The tunes are catchy, but never too commercial – and titles include "Summer Sky", a sweet jazzy instrumental, and the cuts "Don't Blame It On Love", "Hypnotised", "Photograph", "Lady", "Fire Dance", and "Holding On". CD features bonus tracks – "Down On The Street (dance mix)", "Down On The Street (ext mix)", "Holding On (ext mix)", and "Don't Blame It On Love (ext mix)". CD

Fairly mainstream disco influenced grooves from poducer/session musician Gino Soccio. This album's got his big hit "Try It Out", plus five other stretched out grooves, in the same vein: "Street Talk", "(It's Been) Too Long", "Hold Tight", "Love Is" and "Closer". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweetly grooving set from The Spinners – one that moves along nicely at the midtempo clip the "trippin" in the title might imply – thanks to production and arrangements from Michael Zager! Zager nicely puts aside some of his more disco-oriented modes here – keeping plenty of respect for the group's excellent vocals, and allowing them some really great space on a number of warmly-crafted tunes. John Edwards gets in some great lead vocals on the album – most famously on the record's medley of "Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time" – which went onto become a fairly big radio hit. Other tracks include "Streetwise", "I Just Want To Fall In Love", "Now That You're Mine Again", "Split Decision", "I'm Takin You Back", "Heavy On The Sunshine", and "Love Trippin". LP, Vinyl record album

2 swingers from Nancy – 2 of her first albums, back to back on one CD! Both sides feature jazzy arrangements from Billy May – backings that put Nancy in prime vocal mode, with less of the pop soul touches of her late 60s work – and more of the strong Capitol singer mode that May forged with Sinatra and other big acts during the 50s. Nancy, as always, really shines in the setting – working wonderfully through a mixture of older standards and some fresher tunes – on a set of 24 titles that include "Something Happens To Me", "He's My Guy", "I Wish You Love", "Teach Me Tonight", "Night Mist", "You Leave Me Breathless", "On The Street Where You Live", "If It's The Last Thing I Do", and her sublime reading of "Guess Who I Saw Today". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

A great 30-track set that spans the breadth of Nancy Wilson's years at Capitol – and which includes many of her big hits, plus some of those excellent label cuts from the early 70s that have never made it onto other anthologies. In fact, even the hits from the 60s can sometimes be elusive – especially when looking over old LPs, since they were always more readily available as singles. Whatever the case, the set finally fills in some holes in the reissue market – and includes loads of nice numbers, like "You'd Better Go", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Streetrunner", "Life, Love, & Harmony", "Love Has Smiled On Us", "Come Get To This", "All In Love Is Fair", "Face It Girl, It's Over", "Save Your Love For Me", "Peace Of Mind", "The Greatest Performance Of My Life", and "Don't Misunderstand". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Athur Baker was a producer with a slightly bumpy path in the 80s, but there's no denying his impact on music at the time – particularly the way he had of funneling sounds from the streets to the dancefloors in the mainstream! Baker was one of the first to really have an ear for both hip hop and other styles of grooves – super-sharp on the right electro elements, yet with a richer understanding of soul, R&B, and club – all of which he brings to work here, on versions of tracks that have all the excitement of a special take on the tune from the clubs back in the day! This 2LP package features 14 classic mixes by Baker, with titles that include "Big Love (ext rmx)" by Fleetwood Mac, "Sun City (last rmx)" by Artists United Against Apartheid, "Running Away (Arthur Baker rmx)' by The Colourfield, "C'Est La Vie (ext rmx)" by Robbie Nevil, "Out Of Touch (club version)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates, "Living In A Box (dance mix)" by Living In A Box, "IOU (mega mix)" by Freeez, "Walking On Sunshine (12" version)" by Rockers Revenge, "Soweto (rmx)" by Jeffrey Osborne, "A Love Supreme (jazz in the house rmx)" by Will Downing, "Message Is Love (cupid mix)" by Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples with Al Green, "Ever Fallen In Love (club senseless)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "Buffalo Stance (1/2 way 2 house mix)" by Neneh Cherry, and "Planet Rock (12" voc version)" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Athur Baker was a producer with a slightly bumpy path in the 80s, but there's no denying his impact on music at the time – particularly the way he had of funneling sounds from the streets to the dancefloors in the mainstream! Baker was one of the first to really have an ear for both hip hop and other styles of grooves – super-sharp on the right electro elements, yet with a richer understanding of soul, R&B, and club – all of which he brings to work here, on versions of tracks that have all the excitement of a special take on the tune from the clubs back in the day! This 4CD set comes in a huge book-style package, with plenty of notes – and features 43 classic mixes by Baker, with titles that include "Big Love (ext rmx)" by Fleetwood Mac, "Sun City (last rmx)" by Artists United Against Apartheid, "Running Away (Arthur Baker rmx)' by The Colourfield, "C'Est La Vie (ext rmx)" by Robbie Nevil, "Out Of Touch (club version)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates, "Living In A Box (dance mix)" by Living In A Box, "IOU (mega mix)" by Freeez, "Walking On Sunshine (12" version)" by Rockers Revenge, "Soweto (rmx)" by Jeffrey Osborne, "A Love Supreme (jazz in the house rmx)" by Will Downing, "Message Is Love (cupid mix)" by Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples with Al Green, "Ever Fallen In Love (club senseless)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "Buffalo Stance (1/2 way 2 house mix)" by Neneh Cherry, and "Planet Rock (12" voc version)" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

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

A totally cool little record – and one that was so rare, it was initially only pressed up to give to the singers and performers who worked on its grooves! The music here is all from a talent show in Brooklyn, circa 1968 – headed by the Youth In Action charity, and filled with very strong performances by soulful, youthful talents right from the streets! The whole thing's got a very raw feel – like the funkiest of the funky 45s from the time – and the recording is also live, with an audience that's getting pretty darn wild as the set moves on. Tracks mix great group soul performances with gritty funk and soul instrumentation – and tracks include "I Want To Be Sweeter To You" by The United Souls, "Love Makes A Woman" by Carla & The Carlettes, "I Wish It Would Rain" by Channels 4, "Come & Get These Memories" by Sharon Seabrook & The Starlettes, "Cowboys To Girls" by The Destinations, and "Thrillers Band" by The Thrillers Band. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Great group soul from the wonderful Brunswick Records – and a sweet selection that goes way beyond the hits and the bigger groups who recorded for the label! Sure, Brunswick is known for its big groups from Chicago – who were some of the best of their time – but the label also recorded a lot of up-and-comers who were totally great too – but who never got to put together a full album for the label! Lots of those groups are collected here – in a wonderful collection that's filled with soaring harmonies, deep soul leads, and some totally groovy arrangements that are in the best Brunswick ultra-hip style of the early 70s. Titles include "Chickens" by Complaments, "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & King Casuals, "Lonely Street" by The Admirations, "I'll Take You Just As You Come" by The Nialations, "Until You came Along" by The Visitors, "I Think I'll Cry Out Loud" by The Realistics, "The Sweetest Thing" by Channel 3, "Sing A Ling" by The Cooperettes, "Don't Fail Me Now" by The Symphonics, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Don't Take It Out On This World" by Adam's Apples, "Cowboys To Girls" by Jalynne Sound, "He's Got Your Number" by The Demures, and "Stay With Me Baby" by BW & The Next Edition. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

The story of one of the most legendary soul clubs in the UK – home to the great wave of Northern Soul enthusiasm that burst big in the 60s – plus a fair bit of hanky panky as well! This collection shows a decidedly raw side of the club's roots – American soul from the 60s, plus a fair bit of R&B as well – a groove that's rougher than you might find on other Northern Soul collections – which often tend towards some of the tighter Detroit productions of the period. The CD features a whopping 28 tracks in all – with lots of tracks from Chicago and the Motor City – and titles include "Road Runner" by Bo Diddley, "Good Times" by Gene Chandler, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Do The 45" by The Sharpees, "Get Down With It" by Bobby Marchan, "I Spy For The FBI" by Jamo Thomas, "And Get Away" by The Esquires, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "Searchin" by Alvin Robinson, and "You Shot Me Through The Grease" by Alvin Cash. CD

A treasure trove of rare soul from Detroit – rare material from the hands of producer/guitarist Dave Hamilton, a good deal of which was never issued back in the 60s! As you may know from Dave's own recently reissued work, the Hamilton sound is nice and hard – a version of Detroit soul that's got a bit more beat on the bottom than the better known Motown groove – and which was a perfect setting for some of the excellent lesser-known singers that Dave chose to record. Few of the artists here ever broke big on their own, but that doesn't stop the work from being totally great – and the 25 track set is overflowing with great work that shows a whole new side of the almost-infinite Detroit scene of the late 60s. Some material was issued on 45s for the TCB, Topper, and Palmer labels – but much more of the work here is previously unissued in any form – and totally great all the way through! Titles include "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "The Two Of Us" by Danny Cobus, "Who Are You Trying To Fool" and "One Way Street" by Little Ann, "You Got Me Turned Around" and "That's Enough" by OC Tolbert, "I'll Give You My Love" by Sue Ann Jones, "We're In Love" by The Additions, "Ain't That Groovy" by The Dave Hamilton Band, "All I Want Is You" by JT Rhythm, "Tears Running & Falling From My Eyes" by James Lately, and "My Sweet Baby" by The Mark-Keys. CD

A doo wop Christmas party, but one that doesn't mind moving past the usual run of bigger groups from the 50s – as the set also brings together some pop and harmony work in other styles too – so that the package goes way past some of the over-collected doo wop hits from groups like The Drifters! The set features 30 tracks in all, and while the harmonies rule the scene, the real charms lie in the choice of material – as there's a cool blend here of unusual tunes and reworked Holiday hits – definitely keeping things fresh, especially if you look for unusual Christmas tunes! Titles include "Santa Santa" by The Rocky Fellers, "Christmas Time For Everybody But Me" by The Midnighters, "My First Christmas Without You" by The Eligibles, "Silver Bells" by The Four Aces, "White Christmas" by The Precisions, "Stompin Around The Christmas Tree" by The Stompers, "Merry Christmas One & All" by The Rhythm Kings, "A Very Special Birthday" by The Cashmeres, "Christmas In The Congo" by The Marquees, "Rockin Santa Claus" by The Martels, "Winter Wonderland" by The Ames Brothers, "I'll Stay Home" by The Creators, "A Merry Christmas" by The Unknowns, "Jingle Bell Twist USA" by Johnny Mendell, "Early Christmas" by The Classic Four, and "Santa Twist" by Tommy Regan. (Holiday Music, Soul) CD

If we had a shop like this in our neighborhood – we'd be broke! Fatback are (of course) the legendary 70s funk group whose records we've loved for decades – but what's not as well known is that they also ran a little storefront office known as the House Of Fatback, located in Queens, and home to some really funky music! The office not only served as headquarters for the group, but was also a place where they caught new talent, and kept one ear to the street for other artists to work with. In the years before Fatback themselves broke big, the group ran a label – also called Fatback – and recorded some excellent local talent on the New York scene – a mix of soul and early funk acts, handled with a level of quality that ranks right up there with the best indie soul of the late 60s. This great set features 16 tracks from the Fatback label, along with great notes that really get at their story – and contains a wonderful range of tunes that are all winners all the way through! Titles include "The Cat Walk" and "Little Bit Of Soul" by Gerry & Paul & The Soul Emmisaries, "You're My Everything" and "Who Will It Be" by Mary Davis, "Right Or Wrong" and "I Need You" by The Puzzles, "Why Don't You Let My Love Go" and "Got To Find A Way" by Jimmy Williams, "Put It In" and "Keep On Brother Keep On" by Johnny King & Fatback Band, and "Quiet Waters" by GP & The Soul Emissaries. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Detroit finally gets its funky due – stepping out from the shadows cast by endless Motown and Northern Soul compilations, and fixing its funky wagon to a great batch of rare indie groovers! The package brings together some real gems from labels that have barely, if ever, been reissued in the past – Sport, Big Hit, and Northern – and features tunes that run in vintage from the late 60s through the mid 70s. There's a really fierce funky 45 sort of feel going on here – with lots of deep deep bass on the best cuts, plenty of snapping drums, and vocals that have lots of raw and rough southern-styled touches! The set's got 17 tracks in all – with titles that include "Party On 4th Street" and "Mama Didn't Lie" by Black Nasty, "Going To Get It" by Calvin Williams, "Don't Leave Me To Be Lonely" by The Dramatics, "Funky Soul" by Dynamic Walton Brothers, "You Better Get Yourself Together" by Timmy Shaw & Chuck Holiday, "Keep On Stepping" by Black Nasty, "Bit Off More" by Lynn Day, and "Uncle Tom" by Herbie Thompson. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

16 songs from Jimmy Soul, Tommy Facenda, Gary U.S. Bonds, Garland Owens, Jimmy Soul, The Sheiks, The Church Street Five, Barbara Redd, Daddy G & The Church Street Five, Jimmy Soul, The Rockmasters, Bill Deal & The Big Deals, and Lenis Guess. CD

A great look at one of our favorite sub-genres of 60s soul – tunes that deal with the ins and outs of big city life, most of which were recorded as uptown soul tunes with really great production! It's hard to describe the charm of this work accurately, but the tunes are almost mini-movies, or sound snapshots of urban life at the time – often penned by Brill Building songwriters with a slight fantasy of life in the farther-flung boroughs of the city. Some of the tunes here are well-known, but lots more are obscure – really compelling tracks by singers who bring great life to the songs, and manage to make these little musical moments live on wonderfully over the years! Titles include "Nights In New York City" by Jan Bradley, "Street Talk" by The Tymes, "No Butterflies" by Walter Jackson, "I Love New York" by Marva Josie, "In My Apartment" by Dee Clark, "Big New York" by Chuck Jackson, "On Broadway" by The Cookies, "Concrete Jungle" by Arthur Alexander, "I Don't Want To Hear It Any More" by Jerry Butler, "Second Window Second Floor" by Clyde McPhater, "I Found A Daisy In The City" by Barry Darvell, "Song Of The Street" by Donald Height, "Strange Neighborhood" by The Imaginations, "Up In The Streets Of Harlem" by The Drifters, "City Of Fools" by Colette Kelly, and "That Old Neighborhood" by Eric Williams. CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Boogie, electro, and 80s groove – all sorted out nicely in this killer collection of ultra-rare cuts! As with previous volumes, this edition of Nighttime Lovers shows a side of the 80s that hardly got any play at the time – the more underground work by lesser-known artists, much of which was issued on the bigger labels, but failed to crack the charts! You'll recognize a few familiar names here, but even those are represented by under-discovered corners of their work – and in true early 80s spirit, most tracks here are heavy on beats and keyboards – yet still leave plenty of room for real soul vocals. Titles include "So Delicious" by Point 3 FM, "What Am I Gonna Do" by Streetlife, "Never Gonna Give You Up (12" version)" by Gwendolyn Lassic, "Make It Easy" by Cross-Phyre with Demetrius, "You're My Doll Baby" by Norfolk, "Special Part Of Me (12" version)" by Charles Blackman, "The Same For Me" by California Executives with Ronald Dudley, "Magic Touch" by Gang's Back, "Love I Thought I Never Would Find Love" by James Govan, "Seconds Of Your Love" by Johnny Taylor, and "I Got My Game Plan Working Baby" by Arlene Bailey. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

The roots of British mod, served up here in a fantastic package that's overflowing with soulful, jazzy, and groovy gems that we might never have heard otherwise! The big British Invasion love of American sounds is no secret to anyone – but the cuts here are all from a moment before on the London scene, and represent some really wonderful experiments in ways of mixing together elements of jazz, soul, and blues – and coming up with something really fresh and unique! Tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal modes – and as usual with Ace, they're supported by detailed notes that really open up our understanding of both the music, and this point in time. Titles include "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "A New Kind Of Lovin" by Eden Kane, "Christine" by Miss X, "Sugar Baby (parts 1 & 2)" by Jimmy Powell, "When You Walked Out" by Alex Murray, "Chicago Calling" by Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues All Stars, "King Of Kings" by Jimmy Cliff, "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Duffy Power, "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Moanin" by Lynn Cornell, "I'm Just A Baby" by Louis Cordet, "Orange Street" by The Blue Flames, "Strawberry Fair" by Anthony Newley, "Sounds Like Locomotion" by Sounds Inc, and "Air Travel" by Chris Farlowe. (Rock, Soul) CD

The roots of British mod, served up here in a fantastic package that's overflowing with soulful, jazzy, and groovy gems that we might never have heard otherwise! The big British Invasion love of American sounds is no secret to anyone – but the cuts here are all from a moment before on the London scene, and represent some really wonderful experiments in ways of mixing together elements of jazz, soul, and blues – and coming up with something really fresh and unique! Tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal modes – and as usual with Ace, they're supported by detailed notes that really open up our understanding of both the music, and this point in time. Titles include "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "A New Kind Of Lovin" by Eden Kane, "Christine" by Miss X, "Sugar Baby (parts 1 & 2)" by Jimmy Powell, "When You Walked Out" by Alex Murray, "Chicago Calling" by Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues All Stars, "King Of Kings" by Jimmy Cliff, "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Duffy Power, "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Moanin" by Lynn Cornell, "I'm Just A Baby" by Louis Cordet, "Orange Street" by The Blue Flames, "Strawberry Fair" by Anthony Newley, "Sounds Like Locomotion" by Sounds Inc, and "Air Travel" by Chris Farlowe. (Rock, Soul) CD

A massive overview of Shelby Singleton's SSS family of labels – a key force in the sound of southern soul at the end of the 60s! Singleton first came to fame for his production work at Mercury – but by the time of these recordings, he was stepping out on his own in a great blend of styles that brought together the growing sound of 60s soul with some of the rootsier and more down-home influences in the south at the time. Shelby was based in Nashville, and offered up an approach to southern soul that was a bit different than that coming out of Memphis or Muscle Shoals – one that allowed for a bit of freedom in the way things were played out, and which often featured some nice country elements coming into the mix. The set features work from the SSS, Minaret, and Silver Fox labels – a great assortment of rare singles and album tracks that includes "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" by Betty Lavette, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Everybody's Clown" by Johnny Dynamite, "Cummins Prison Farm" by Calvin Leavy, "I Can't Use You" by Double Soul, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Blue Diamonds" by Double Soul, "I'm Getting It From Her" by Big John Hamilton, "Mama's Got The Wagon" by Mickey Murray, "A Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Crying In The Streets" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, and "So Deep In Love" by Eddy Giles. CD

Funky nuggets galore – and a fair bit of righteous numbers too – all brought together in celebration of one of the hippest record labels of the early 70s! Flying Dutchman was around for just a bit over five years – yet during that time, the label recorded all sorts of really wonderful music – a mixture of jazz, soul, funk, and other styles that really helped push the envelope at the time – as it took the torch from older labels like Impulse or Prestige, and really continued a big wave of new sounds and groovily experimental music! You'll no doubt recognize some of the cuts here – but the collection does a great job of digging deeper past the Flying Dutchman hits – bringing together some real surprises that showcase the way that the company was trying so many cool things at once, and creating music that's still the stuff of legends many years later. Titles include "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Peaceful Man" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Pretty Purdie, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Bolivia" by Gato Barbieri, "125th Street & 7th Ave" by Oliver Nelson, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Lament For John Coltrane (take 1)" by Bob Thiele. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Funky nuggets galore – and a fair bit of righteous numbers too – all brought together in celebration of one of the hippest record labels of the early 70s! Flying Dutchman was around for just a bit over five years – yet during that time, the label recorded all sorts of really wonderful music – a mixture of jazz, soul, funk, and other styles that really helped push the envelope at the time – as it took the torch from older labels like Impulse or Prestige, and really continued a big wave of new sounds and groovily experimental music! You'll no doubt recognize some of the cuts here – but the collection does a great job of digging deeper past the Flying Dutchman hits – bringing together some real surprises that showcase the way that the company was trying so many cool things at once, and creating music that's still the stuff of legends many years later. Titles include "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Peaceful Man" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Pretty Purdie, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Bolivia" by Gato Barbieri, "125th Street & 7th Ave" by Oliver Nelson, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Lament For John Coltrane (take 1)" by Bob Thiele. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The final volume in this fantastic collection of rare female soul from the 60s – and one that's maybe even better than the earlier entries in the series! The tracks here are totally great, and totally well-chosen – not big girl group hits of the time, but instead a treasure trove of under-appreciated singles on labels that include Excello, Dionne, Cameo/Parkway, Fairmount, Musicor, and other indies of the time – mix with a few 60s gems that weren't even issued back in the day! As always with Ace/Kent, the track list is superb – completely wonderful music that we never would have discovered otherwise – track after track of new discoveries for our ears, all presented with fantastic sound, very detailed notes, and enough tracks to make the whole thing a hell of a deal for the price. Many of these cuts have much more of a deep soul vibe than the lighter style you might be expecting for 60s female soul – and titles include "This Heart Is Haunted" by Kelly Garrett, "Hot Spot" by The Bronzettes, "Top Twenty" by The Delicates, "He's My Hero" by The Avons, "It's The Loving Season" by The Vareeations, "Just A Little Touch Of Your Love" by Saundra Franklin, "Sir Galahad" by The Elites, "That's How It Goes" by Jackie & Gayle, "That Guy Of Mine" by The Sherrys, "Everybody South Street" by The Taffys, "I Would If I Could" by The Sweet Three, "That Kind Of Love" by Diana King, "Nothing Can Go Wrong" by The Beas, and "False Alarm" by Tari Stevens. CD

A great set of groovers from the Cameo/Parkway label – a company that gave the world the biggest twist record of the 60s, but which also was perfectly poised to deliver all sorts of other upbeat tracks as well! The label was in Philly – a huge dance town in the early days of soul and rock – and the set list here is filled with the kind of cuts that were Philadelphia's answer to the rising sound of Motown – the roots of the Northern Soul sound that would be followed by soul collectors for decades! These aren't novelty hits, but upbeat cuts that groove plenty – most by soul artists, a few by pop singers – but all given the kind of tight instrumentation and strong studio handling that made the Philly scene such a standout. 22 tracks in all – including "Shimmy Shimmy" and "The Wah Watusi" by The Orlons, "Bristol Stomp" and "You Can't Sit Down" by the Dovells, "Mashed Potato Time" and "Do The Bird" by Dee Dee Sharp, "The 81" by Candy & The Kisses, "The Mash" by Tony Young & The Hippies, "Mexican Hat Rock" by The Applejacks, "Baby Do The Frog" by The Dardenelles, "The Swim (part 1)" by The Marlins, "Slow Twistin" by Chubby Checker & Dee Dee Sharp, "The Third House" by Bobby Rydell, "When You Dance" by The Turbans, "Everybody South Street" by The Taffys, "The Popeye Waddle" by Don Covay, and yes, "The Twist" by Chubby Checker. LP, Vinyl record album