Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves – absolutely killing it early on with this self-titled second album! Brick has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label – and their style of slicking up funky licks into a tightly compressed sound was obviously a big hit with the kids of their generation. Includes the sample classic "Dusic", plus "Living From The Mind", "Happy", "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody", "Honey Chile", Fun", "Hello" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The Latin Rascals add some 80s flavor to this clasic number from Brick. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A killer debut from Brick – the start of a massive run at the end of the 70s, a time when the group was easily one of the biggest acts to come out of the up-and-coming Atlanta scene! Like some other Atlanta acts of the time, Brick had a way of fusing older funky soul on a tighter modern groove – coming up with a sound that was nice and lean – perfect for these key transitional years of funk – with influences that were felt for years, in places as far away as the west coast! Case in point is the album's classic "Dazz" – one of those cuts that never gets old – nestled nicely in a lineup that also includes "Music Matic", "Here We Come", "Good High", "That's What It's All About", "Brick City", and "Sister Twister". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive double-header from Brick – two Columbia albums back to back on a single CD! First up is smoking Summer Heat from Brick – an 80s outing that furthers the tight tight groove they started back in the 70s! Given that Brick were one of the groups who really set the sound for the next generation, they're right at home here – working with some production help from Ray Parker Jr, in a style that bubbles over nicely with tight rhythms and warmer vocal bits – all balanced out nicely, in ways that are better than most of the group's contemporaries! Titles include "Sweat", "Sea Side Vibes", "Sure Feels Good", "Summer Heat", "The Happening", and "Wide Open". After 5 has a classy title, and is a record with grooves that are even classier than usual for Brick – thanks to a style that seems to bring up a jazzy vibe a bit more on some cuts, while still keeping things in the tightly funky mode of their roots! There's definitely a prime Brick sound going on here – that wicked wrapping of bass, keyboards, and drums the group laid down on their debut – but the whole thing's also taken a bit further, too – almost echoing some of the more complicated changes of the 80s groove generation! Titles include "Stick By You", "Let It Roll", "It's A New Day", "Peace Of Mind", "When You Believe", "Free Dancer", and "Wild & Crazy". CD

Put aside all the brick and stone references in the title, as these guys have a wonderfully warm and welcoming vocal approach – one that mixes their rich-ranged harmonies with some gentle beats on the bottom – all at a level that never shakes things up too much, and really just lets the group find that sort of flow that works best with their harmony style! Many tracks have the lead really soaring out, with the other two voices flowing nicely behind, as all three wrap together in wonderful ways – on titles that include "That Honey", "Darlin Darlin", "Say U Like", "Old Fashion Love", "I'll B Your River", "Heaven Help Us All", "Special Way", and "I Wanna B Good". CD

Includes "Oh No", "Sail On", "Lady", "Machine Gun", "Easy", "Riding High", "Three Times A Lady", "Painted Picture", and "Brick House". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic self-titled set from The Commodores – not their debut album, but a record that really broke them out of the box and exposed the group to a huge new audience! The album hits perfectly on both sides of the group's strengths – the tight ensemble funk on which they were raised, and some of the sweeter aspects that were showing up as Lionel Richie emerged as the solo male singing star – not nearly as cheesy here as in later years, and a surprisingly nice element to offset the heavier funk. Titles include the funky classic "Brick House", the mellow hit "Easy", and the cuts "Squeeze The Fruit", "Zoom", "Funky Situation", "Won't You Come Dance With Me", "Funny Feelings", "Heaven Knows", and "Patch It Up". CD

A well-timed Greatest Hits set for The Commodores – because it came out in 1978, and captures the group at their best early prime! This is the stuff that made the group great long before they lapsed into cliches and soft adult contemporary pap – and a number of tracks here have a fair bit of funk in the mix, something that will come as a surprise if you only know the group's later hits. Titles include "Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Slippery When Wet", "Machine Gun", "Just To Be Close To You", "Too Hot Ta Trot" – and yes, ok, the record does include "Three Times A Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly badass group who sported great lead vocals from Rhonda Washington – a singer who really knew how to stay on the groove and send the whole thing home! The work on this set is a great evolution of the Stax groove – and shows where the label might have gone in terms of 70s funk, had they stayed the course – and although the album's long overdue to get released, we're plenty happy to finally have it out after all these years. Many tracks were issued over the years as singles, and the set also features a few tracks not intended for the album too – titles that include "Stop Dogging Me", "Funny", "Mama's Baby", "I'll Kill A Brick", "Good Woman Turning Bad", "I Can't Let You Go", "Echoes From The Past", and "I Can't Win For Losing". CD

Not just disco cuts from the 80s – as the title might imply – but a great range of work from the mid 70s onward, including a fair bit of funky numbers that are nicely different from more familiar disco! As with other volumes in the series, the approach here is maybe more towards upbeat soul – bits of boogie, 80s groove, and even some jazz funk styles too – brought together on tracks that include "It's Too Late" by Delight, "Do You Really Love Me" by Janice Bullock, "Touch Me In The Morning" by Marlena Shaw, "I Felt You Glancin" by Kimiko Kasai, "Lookin For A Lovin" by Dorothy Moore, "You're Lying (12" mix)" by Linx, "You're Number One" by Devarne, "Do You Love Me" by Marlene, "Girl You Are The One" by Alfonzo, "The Good Life" by Bobbi Humphrey, "We Belong Together" by Tony Valor, "Rejoice" by The Emotions, "Carnival" by Splendor, "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" by Brick, "Be With Me (12" mix)" by Billy Griffin, "This Time" by Chocolate Jam Co, and "ASAP" by The Jones Girls. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Continuous disco mix compilation, with tracks by Wild Cherry, Andrea True Connection, Tavares, Eddie Kendricks, Norman Connors, Addrisi Brothers, Rose Royce, Melba Moore, Supremes, Timmy Thomas, Salsoul Orchestra, Brick, KC & The Sunshine Band, Wilton Place Street Band, T-Connection, Miracles, Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch, Sylvers, George McCrae, Bebu Silvetti, Diana Ross, Kebekelektrik, and The Originals. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, War, the Chakachas, the Jimmy Castor Bunch, the JBs, New Birth, Cymande, Tower of Power, the O Jays, BT Express, Kool & the Gang, George McCrae, the Ohio Players, the Isley Brothers, Brick, Brass Construction, Rick James, Fatback, the Gap Band & more. 55 tracks in all, plenty of funk essentials, and detailed notes – all in a fuzzy book-style cover! (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Warm and wonderful tunes from the mighty TK Records – the famous Miami label best known for its disco hits of the 70s, but a company that recorded a whole heck of a lot more great music at the time! Most of these tracks are turned down a few notches from disco or club – still relatively upbeat, but maybe more in a modern soul mode overall – with lots of warm touches that work perfectly with the vocals and instrumentals, and which seem perfectly tuned to set things up with just the right sort of catchy hook! The vibe here is almost more in the mode of some of the Japanese Free Soul collections than others with a Light Mellow tag – and titles include "Tell Me That You Love Me" by Steve Gibb, "All I Know Is That I Have You" by Milton Wright, "I Got Love" by Cheese, "Soul Searchin Lady" by Spats, "I've Got To See You Tonight" by Timmy Thomas, "Rhythm Of Love" by Brandye, "Jolie" by Latimore, "Brick Grits" by Betty Wright, "Elayne" by Freddy Henry, and "Shades Of September" by Obatala. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A great entry in this really wonderful series – one that's shifted a lot over the years, and in the best way possible! "Classiest" may be a tough word to peg down – but here, it refers to tracks that are well-done, and completely put-together – yet which have the kind of groove you'd expect from vintage Northern Soul of the 60s! There's a Motown influence felt throughout, but many tunes are nicely varied – a spectrum of acts from different US scenes, and a mix of arranging styles that match the well-penned songs – all handled in the usual Ace/Kent tradition, which means you'll find lots of rare singles, some unissued tracks, and great sound and notes throughout. Titles include "I Need Your Love" by Brothers Of Soul, "Girl Come On Home" by Major Lance, "I've Got To Come In" by Jean Battle, "So Glad" by The Lyrics, "Ready Or Not Here I Come" by Carolyn Crawford, "The Intruder" by Melvin Hicks & The Versatiles, "She's Supreme" by The Lovers, "I Wish I Knew" by Joe Buckner & Major IV, "I'll Fly To Your Open Arms" by The Family Brick, "Soul Kind Of Love" by The Hesitations, and "I Need A True Love" by Ray Gant & The Arabian Knights. CD

Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really started getting down and dirty, and hitting on all burners in the funk department. This tasty set features 21 tracks from those exiting years –many of them only ever issued on singles, and a few of them by some of the label's more famous LP artists – but all of them with a nice Memphis funky groove! Titles include "Turn Your Damper Down" by Rufus Thomas, "Broadway Freeze" by Harvey Scales, "Life Is Funky" by Round Robin Monopoly, "The Dryer" by Roy Lee Johnson, "She's My Old Lady Too" by Lee Sain, "Slipped & Tripped" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Brothers & Sisters" by Kim Weston, "Movin Dancer" by Bobby Holley, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "A Man Never Knows" by Chris & Shack, "Grab A Handful" by Art Jerry Miller, "I'll Kill A Brick (About My Man)" by Hot Sauce, "Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone" by Inez Foxx, "Sock Soul" by The Bar Kays, and "Getting Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty! (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Allen Toussaint's complete recordings for Warner – a trio of classic albums from one of the greatest forces in Crescent City soul, plus rare live tracks – in a perfect 2CD set! Includes the complete Life Love & Faith, Southern Nights and Motion albums – from a creatively fruitful 70s period when Toussaint was mixing a bit of funk into the heavy soul mix, and even some mellow LA soul touches – coming up with a blend of styles without ever betraying his New Orleans roots! New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, Zig Modeliste, Art Neville and George Porter Jr factor in to the Life Love & Faith and Southern Nights sessions, along with LA sessions all stars like Richard Tee, Victor Feldman, Paulinho Da Costa, Larry Carlton and producer Jerry Wexler on the Motion sessions – this this excellent Rhino CD anthology also include 10 previously unreleased live records! Titles include Soul Sister", "Victims Of The Darkness", "Am I Expecting Too Much", "Out Of The City", "Goin Down", "Electricity", "Fingers & Toes", Southern Nights", "Basic Lady", "Last Train", "Worldwide", "You Will Not Lose", "When The Party's Over", Motion", "Night People", "Just A Kiss Away", "Declaration Of Love", "Viva La Money" and more from the studio recordings, plus "Touch Of Love", "Brickyard Blues", "What Is Success", "Shoo-Ra", "Last Train" and more live tracks! CD