A really seminal set from the legendary Richie Havens – one that perfectly illustrates his famous blend of folk, rock, and soul – on a set of tunes that have continued to inspire listeners for many years to come! The record's a great bridge between the 60s and 70s – showing some of the hipper modes of the east coast folk scene as it moved way past traditional styles in the latter half of the 60s – and prefacing some of the use of acoustic instrumentation that would later come in soul music – in the work of artists like Bill Withers. Tracks are mostly originals, and feature a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric guitar, piano, and plenty of rootsy percussion that really sends the whole thing home – and titles include "Here Comes The Sun", "Some Will Wait", "Patient Lady", "Missing Train", and "End Of The Seasons". LP, Vinyl record album

Stomping organ instrumentals from Dave Baby Cortez – a great little batch of work for the Clock label at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s, all of which helped to really find a place for the organ in American pop and soul! Cortez brought a style to the instrument that was as wild as some of the guitarists and saxophonists of his time – a mode that wasn't really jazz, was a bit R&B, and which helped give the organ a much leaner sound than some of its "skating rink" uses in pop during the decade before. Dave's clean style is a great fit for the jaunty, leaping rhythms of these tunes – with a dozen numbers in all, and titles that include "Piano Shuffle", "The Happy Organ", "Catnip", "Mardi Gras", "The Whistling Organ", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "Hurricane". LP, Vinyl record album

Stomping organ instrumentals from Dave Baby Cortez – early singles done for the Clock label at the end of the 50s! Cortez brought a style to the instrument that was as wild as some of the guitarists and saxophonists of his time – a mode that wasn't really jazz, was a bit R&B, and which helped give the organ a much leaner sound than some of its "skating rink" uses in pop during the decade before. Titles include "The Happy Organ", "Hey Hey Hey", "Fiesta", "Riffin", and "Come On & Stomp". LP, Vinyl record album

Stomping organ instrumentals from Dave Baby Cortez – early singles done for the Clock label at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – all of which helped to really find a place for the organ in American pop and soul! Cortez brought a style to the instrument that was as wild as some of the guitarists and saxophonists of his time – a mode that wasn't really jazz, was a bit R&B, and which helped give the organ a much leaner sound than some of its "skating rink" uses in pop during the decade before. Dave's clean style is a great fit for the jaunty, leaping rhythms of these tunes – and other instrumentation includes tenor, guitar, and even a bit of piano, which is featured on a few tracks instead of organ. CD features 25 tracks in all – with titles that include "Piano Shuffle", "The Happy Organ", "Cat Nip", "Hey Hey Hey", "Mari Gras", "Fiesta", "Love Me As I Love you", "The Whistling Organ", "Do The Slop", "You're Just Right", "Riffin", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", "Dave's Special", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "Hurricane". CD

The Whispers are probably best known for their later work in the 70s – when the group picked up the pace and got a bit more clubby – but this set features them in their early days, when they were a sweet sounding harmony combo with a sound that was right up there with the best east coast groups of the time! If you dig harmony soul, but have shied away from The Whispers in the past, this set will completely change your mind – the album's filled with great mellow soul cuts, some of the best we could hope to recommend! Titles include "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong", "You Must Be Doing All Right", "I'm The One", "Creation Of Love", and "Needle In A Haystack". LP, Vinyl record album

The best-ever collection of work we've seen by Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set more than corrects that problem – by presenting the 20 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label, along with full notes on players and sessions, as well as a nice essay on Johnny's music and all-too-short career! Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Burley Cutie", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "No Money", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "Please Forgive Me", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". CD

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". CD

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty cheesy stuff from Barrabas – not that they weren't always cheesy to begin with, but this one's going over the top! The record is in a tinny 80s dance mode – still with the jungle/tropical themes of earlier records, but also with a kind of Miami Vice-ish style on the guitars and keyboards. We suppose it represents sort of a sophistication for the ensemble – but we'd make this the last one to buy of all their records. Titles include "Sex Surprise Big Surprise", "Lovers In The Rain", "Stop The Horse", "Inside Of Me", and "Hollywood Ten O'Clock At Night" – and those titles should say it all! CD

Titles include "Do Ya Wanna Go Dancin", "Rock Around The Clock", "Let's Make Love Tonight", "Round & Round & Round", "Spirits", "The Little Rock Dancer From Dallas", "Dance With Me", and "Midnight Fever." LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record from the southern scene of the 70s – a really unique set that's filled with righteous soul touches, and which really stands out from most other southern soul of the time! The feel here is often in a cosmic mode with plenty of jazz at the bottom – a sound that's influenced by Earth Wind & Fire, but which is also carried off here in a more laidback mode that seems to get equal inspiration from soulful fusion of the mid 70s. The group has both male and female singers trading things back and forth nicely and sometimes coming together on the choruses – creating an overall feel that's almost like Roy Ayers at times. And as with Ayers' best work, there's a tightness and focus to the whole record that's really wonderful – a cohesive groove that's way more than just a few ensemble funk tracks cut in the studio, and which really displays a wide musical vision! Titles include "My Queen", "Clock In", "Fantasy Garden", "Clap Song", "Love & Affection", "My Dreams", and "Magnificent Choo Choo". CD

An incredible record from the southern scene of the 70s – a really unique set that's filled with righteous soul touches, and which really stands out from most other southern soul of the time! The feel here is often in a cosmic mode with plenty of jazz at the bottom – a sound that's influenced by Earth Wind & Fire, but which is also carried off here in a more laidback mode that seems to get equal inspiration from soulful fusion of the mid 70s. The group has both male and female singers trading things back and forth nicely and sometimes coming together on the choruses – creating an overall feel that's almost like Roy Ayers at times. And as with Ayers' best work, there's a tightness and focus to the whole record that's really wonderful – a cohesive groove that's way more than just a few ensemble funk tracks cut in the studio, and which really displays a wide musical vision! Titles include "My Queen", "Clock In", "Fantasy Garden", "Clap Song", "Love & Affection", "My Dreams", and "Magnificent Choo Choo". CD

A nice little live set from BB – rawer than some of his studio work at the time, and with a bit freer playing. Titles include "Please Love Me", "Sweet Little Angel", "Let Me Love You", "Rock Me Baby", "3 O'Clock Blues", and "Woke Up This Morning". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s meeting of two seminal blues talents from the Memphis scene – singer Bobby Blue Bland, and legendary guitarist BB King! The pair were both working for ABC at the time – major label fame after years woodshedding in the indies – and hitting well-deserved fame for their huge talents – still as fresh here as they were a decade before, and unmarred by any studio sanitization in this great live set! The record does an especially good job of bringing together the artists verbally – letting Bobby and BB open up and rap a bit during the songs – yet still having plenty of space to go into their own thing musically, too. Titles include "It's My Own Fault", "I'll Take Care Of You", "I'm Sorry", "3 O'Clock Blues", "Goin Down Slow", and a great long Medley track. (Blues, Soul) CD

The complete recordings of Bo Kirkland & Ruth Davis – a great west coast duo who should have been huge! The core of the CD is the self titled Bo & Ruth record – a killer album of smooth soul – done with a bit of a southern tinge, and a great indie production approach that really makes the best of the duet-style vocals! Bo Kirkland is actually the great Mike James Kirkland – who you may know from killer indie soul albums issued before this gem – and these duets with Ruth Davis really expand his previous sound, and make the best use of his warm, mellow style of singing – a groove that's somewhere between Marvin Gaye, Stax Records, and maybe some of the best soul duo styles of the time. Bob Kirkland was the creative force behind the set – and has a great way of wrapping the vocals together in a mellow mode – often with Bo's vocals in the lead, as Ruth comes in to give him great support. The whole thing's wonderful – an overlooked gem that rivals some of the bigger southern soul albums of the time, especially those with a modern vibe – and titles include "Can You Feel It", "Grandfather Clock", "Easy Loving", "You're Gonna Get Next To Me", "To Make You Love Me", and "Train Of Desire". CD also features bonus tracks from singles – "Lost In A Love Zone", "That's A Bet", "Stay By My Side", "That's The Way The Wind Blows", and "Loving Arms". CD

An unusual set from Kracker – a record that's possibly more rock/pop at the core, but one that definitely shares some of the soulful touches of other albums on the Dash label too! The group dress like a funk band on the album's flipside photo – and they've got vocal interplay that's not unlike some of the blue eyed soul groups on the east coast – set to rhythms here that are sometimes disco, sometimes a bit more flamboyant pop – and titles include "Woman", "Lucky Are Those", "Lady Of My Life", "Alarm Clock Blues", "Back In My Arms Again", and "Gentleman Of Men". CD

A pretty great anthology of recordings by New Orleans vocal legend Aaron Neville produced by Allen Toussaint – one CD featuring great early work from Aaron, singles from his early days recording for the Minit label on one disc – and some great, badly overlooked Sansu recordings from the late 60s and right on up to the mid 70s, leading to the formation of the Neville Brothers group! We've long loved the early 60s Minit recordings, which range from little regional R&B numbers, to really beautiful ballady numbers with Crescent City piano and Aaron's uniquely soulful phrasing. The Sansu sessions are just as great and more stylistcally varied, with organ-drenched southern soul numbers, many in a slower grooving style that really makes beautiful use of Aaron's voice – which had matured greatly by this point! Minit tracks include "Over You", "Sweet Little Mama", "Don't Cry", "Let's Live", "I've Done It Again", "Ticks Of The Clock", "Humdinger", "Don't Cry", "Wrong Number (I'm Sorry, Goodbye)", "For Every Boy There's A Girl" and many more, plus 7 bonus alternate takes. Sansu sessions include "You Can Give But You Can't Take", "All These Things", "The Greatest Love", "Performance", "She's On My Mind", "Baby, I'm A Want You", "Speak To Me", "All These Things" and many more, plus 8 bonus tracks from the period. 47 tracks on 2CDs! CD

Warm thoughts, and equally warm vocals – thanks to the legendary Smokey Robinson, who's still sounding great here at the start of the 80s! The record's surprisingly charming – and has the laidback, mellow-going sort of sound that Robinson first crafted on Quiet Storm – but delivered here with a style that's even more personal and intimate, too. Things are quite stripped-down, especially given the overblown styles other singers were reaching for at the time – and titles include "Let Me Be The Clock", "Into Each Rain Some Life Must Fall", 'Wine, Women & Song", 'What's In Your Life For Me", and "I Want To Be Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more. CD

A record with maybe the most famous album cover ever used by Ike and Tina Turner – and a set that's maybe one of the rawest they ever cut as well! The material was done at a time when the couple were really riding high – but instead of going for a commercial or polished sound, they instead go deeply into the blues – maybe even more so than their earliest work from the days when Tina was just a singer in Ike's revue! The approach is one that's great for Tina's voice, and which has maybe a bit more of the electric blues of the Chicago scene than the usual sound that Ike might give a record – all put together in the studio with help from Bob Krasnow too. Titles include "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Mean Old World", "3 O'Clock In The Morning Blues", "Five Long Years", "Dust My Broom", "I Am A Motherless Child", "Crazy 'Bout You Baby", "Reconsider Baby", "Honest I Do", "Please Love Me", "My Babe", and "Rock Me Babe". LP, Vinyl record album

A very hip collection of work from the great Joe Turner – material that hasn't been easily issued elsewhere, and which fills in a key chapter of Joe's career! CD1 features vintage material, and is heavy on work from the postwar years, but before Turner rose to a second wave of fame on Atlantic Records – raw tracks recorded for labels that include Freedom and Stag, often with a style that's heavy on the jazzy arrangements that other jump blues artists were using at the time. CD2 features a variety of live recordings – from 1955, 1969, 1971, and 1985 – showing how strongly Turner held onto both his vocal powers over the years, and his ability to command a concert audience. Vintage cuts include "Still In The Dark", "Adam Bit The Apple", "Just A Travelin Man", "Jumpin At The Jubilee", "Around The Clock (part 1)", "Wine O Baby Boogie", "Christmas Date Boogie", and "Baby Won't You Marry Me". Live tracks include "Call The Plumber", "Chicken & The Hawk", "Honey Hush", "Mad Blues", "Chains Of Love", "Cherry Red", "Low Down Dog", and "Flip Flop & Fly". (Blues, Soul) CD

Rough-edged blues from the Chicago scene – recorded at the end of the 70s, but with a sound that's gritty enough to be from years past! The group's a small one – with Hayes Ware on guitar and vocals, Billy Branch on harmonica, and additional bass and drums – and the tunes are short and to the point, with a small club sort of approach. Titles include "Ghetto Woman", "Blues Rock", "Sound Of The Clock", "Searching For Love", "Gold Mine", and "Fishing". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Think you know everything there is to know about Stax Records? Think again – because this series serves up an incredible batch of material that was either unissued back in the day, or hardly ever got much circulation at the time! The project comes from the years after the initial Stax Singles box sets – and tracks here include numbers found during that process, but unissued – and others that were only discovered after digging through vaults of tape – and realizing just how much music the label recorded, but never even pressed onto wax! Yet that result is not surprising – given that the famous Memphis studio was always hopping around the clock – with groups like Booker T & The MGs, Mar-Keys, or Bar-Kays jamming in the studio, then making way for a range of singers and other guests as well – an all-star lineup who turn out some top material in this set. Titles on this first volume include "Hide Away" by Booker T & The MGs, "Don't Worry About Tomorrow" by Bobby Marchan, "Cupid" by Otis Redding, "Don't You Like To Me" by Albert King, "Hippy Dippy" by The Mar-Keys, "I've Got Dreams To Remember (alternate)" by Otis Redding, "Never Let Me Go (alternate)" by William Bell, "Cloudburst" by The Mad Lads, "Sweet Devil" by Mable John, "When My Love Comes Down" by Ruby Johnson, "Floyd's Beat" by Floyd Newman, "Run Around" by Carla Thomas, "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay" by Booker T & The MGs, and "Just Enough To Hurt Me" by The Astors. CD

This series keeps on getting better and better – and this fourth installment may well be the best illustration to date of the birth of soul music! As hinted by the title, the collection features tracks from the late 50s and early 60s that marked a key transition from earlier R&B and blues into soul music – work that pulled a bit more strongly from the church than some of its predecessors, and which also put over a groove that was a bit more sophisticated, sometimes a bit more polished – all to set the stage for the huge soul music explosion to come later in the 60s! A number of the artists here are familiar from R&B years, but they're represented by tracks that show a real change in their styles – and others are known from later successes, but stand out here with early work that's a lot more formative – making them a perfect choice for the collection. CD features 24 tracks in all – including "Come On & Stomp" by Marv Johnson, "Lil Valley" by The MMs & The Peanuts, "Bossa Nova Baby" by Tippie & The Clovers, "Irresistible You" by Bobby Peterson, "Take Your Heart" by Betty Willis, "Puff" by Kenny Lynch, "Jack Be Nimble" by The Intruders, "A Clock That's Got No Hands" by Della Reese, "I Came Running" by Wade Flemons, "You'd Be Crying Too" by The Matadors, "The Gypsy Said" by The Fiestas, "Please Don't Cry Anymore" by Ketty Lester, "Pretty Little Girl Next Door" by Bobby Day, and "Trouble I've Had" by Clarence Ashe. CD

Rare soul from the Detroit underground at the end of the 60s – most of it pretty darn funky too! The work here all comes from the hands of the legendary Dave Hamilton – a key Motor City talent who turned out a stunning array of music on many different labels back in the day – then also managed to come up with some equally great work that never even got released at the time! Kent/Ace Records have been digging deep into Dave's vaults for the past decade or so, and we've loved all those other previous collections – but we've also gotta say that we're really stunned by this one – as there's a darker, funkier vibe to some of these cuts than we might have heard previously – almost a Westbound Records vibe at times, with great guitar and these nicely trippy grooves – especially on the earliest cuts in the set. There's a few numbers from later years – Dave kept woodshedding all through the 70s into the 80s – but most tracks are late 60s/early 70s vintage, and supported by the usual top-shelf notes that make each Kent collection way more of a history lesson than just a pile of funky 45s! Titles include "Party Time" by Chico & Buddy, "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "My Sweet Baby" by JT's Rhythm Band, "The Dreamer" by Felecia Johnson, "Showdown (part 1)" by Simon Barbee & The Barbabes, "I Gotta Have You (alt take)" by Little Ann, "When I Say Groove" by Dave Hamilton, "Guess I'll Go To Packin" by Carolyn Franklin, "Four O'Clock Blues" by Glemie Derrell, "Moving On" by Little Stevie & The Sensational Reynolds Singers, "It Takes Two" by Del-Phis, and "Somebody is Wrong" by Presberry. CD

Authentic 80s grooving from the Isleys – mostly an album of upbeat, electro-grooving numbers that change up the style a bit more from their 70s funk work! The grooves are nice and upbeat at times, but as usual for this period, they actually sound best on the ballads – clocking in with the sweet slow tune "All In My Lovers Eyes", and sounding even nicer on the anthemic "I'll Do It All For You" – a great little track with a bubbling, steppish groove. Other tracks include "The Real Deal", "Stone Cold Lover", "Are You With Me", and "Under The Influence". LP, Vinyl record album

With the extended mix of "America" clocking in at over 20 minutes! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Get Ready, the first really major album from Rare Earth, is a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed". Ecology is some blue-eyed soul from Detroit's Rare Earth. The most popular track from this record was "Born To Wander" but there are some other good ones like "(I Know) I'm Losing You" by the Temptations – Norman Whitfield produced the track for this album and it clocks in at over ten minutes long. Other titles include "Long Time Leavin", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Nice Place To Visit", "No 1. Man", and a version of "Eleanor Rigby". (Rock, Soul) CD

30 tracks from The Teen-Kings, Universals, Four-Kings, Clocks, Drakes, Cor-Don's, Little Marcus & The Devotions, The Termites, Avalons, Masters, Moniques, Cool-Gents, and more. CD