Socking soul from Dee Dee Sharp – one of the hardest acts on the legendary Cameo/Parkway label! Dee Dee's got a rough, gospelly tone in her vocals that makes for a really nice change from sweeter 60s girl singers – a gutsy approach to the lead that stands out wonderfully, and which really marks her as one of the key females in the move to deep soul at the time. This 24 track set is easily the best collection we've ever seen of her work for the Cameo label – and it's a well-done, remastered package that also features details for each individual tune – tracing Sharp's early work with arranger Dave Appell, up to later recordings with the soon-to-be-famous team of Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble, the latter of whom would later become Dee Dee's husband! Titles include "Mashed Potato Time", "Never Pick A Pretty Boy", "Rock Me In The Cradle Of Love", "Slow Twistin", "Ride", "Do The Bird", "Baby Cakes", "Why Doncha Ask Me", "There Ain't Nothin I Wouldn't Do For You", "Deep Dark Secret", "I Really Love You", "To Know Him Is To Love Him", and "It's A Funny Situation". CD

A nice little collection of Dee Dee Sharp's early 60s sides for the Cameo label – issued here in a well-done UK package – noteworthy because it's one of the few legit reissues of Dee Dee's work over the years, issued for the UK Northern Soul market, who were always huge fans of her work! The Dee Dee heard here is quite different than that of the smoother 70s soul years – as the tracks are mostly uptempo groovers in a storming early Philly mode. The LP features 20 tracks in all – including "Mashed Potato Time", "Wild", "He's No Ordinary Guy", "Lover Boy", "Do The Bird", "Ride", "Baby Cakes", "Standing In The Need Of Love", "I Really Love Him", and "Willyam Willyam". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of classic groovers from Dee Dee Sharp – cut during her early stretch at Cameo/Parkway, at a time when Dee Dee was one of the hardest hard soul singers on the Philly scene! As you'd guess from the title, most of the tracks here have an upbeat groove that's aimed at the dancefloor – that best side of romping Philly 60s soul that's had such an influence on the Northern scene over the years – sung with that raspy, hard-edge sound that some of the Philly singers had going on a lot more than others from Detroit or Chicago. Titles include "Mashed Potato Time", "Hurry On Down", "Gravy", "Eddie My Love", "Gee", "Be My Girl", and "Slow Twistin". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by Dionne Warwick's soulful sister! Dee Dee is one of the great unsung heroes of 60s soul – and although she cut a fair bit of work back in the day, much of it is yet to be properly reissued. That situation has changed for the better with this excellent set – a 26 track compilation of Dee Dee's work for the Mercury/Blue Rock label, recorded during the years 1965 to 1973, and including the bulk of her rare albums Foolish Fool and I Want To Be With You, plus a number of even rarer singles! Arrangements are by the likes of Ed Townsend, Horace Ott, and others – and Dee Dee's approach is a hard soul take on the uptown groove, handled with an equal balance of poise and raw energy. Titles include "Locked In Your Love", "We're Doing Fine", "Next Time You Fall In Love", "Ring Of Bright Water", "All The Love That Went To Waste", "Don't You Ever Give Up On Me", "Girls Need Love", "It's Not Fair", "Foolish Fool", "Another Lonely Saturday Baby", and "You Don't Know What You Do To Me". CD

Songs tracks and radio shows from dee jays of the past. Jocko Henderson, Gus Gossert, Clay Cole, Dick Biondi, the Escorts, the Five Satins, the Youngtones, and more. CD

A really incredible spiritual jazz treasure from the New Orleans scene – one that features a student group led by legendary Nola musician Alvin Batiste, but delivered in a style that's much more like some of the hipper jazz collectives in cities like Detroit, Chicago, or Philly at the time! The tracks are long and flowing – filled with rhythm progressions that run deep, often with some modal energy – and almost all tracks have these really great vocals from Eddie Perkins, a soulful singer with a style that's in the territory of Andy Bey or Joe Lee Wilson – which, as you can imagine, makes for a really great addition to the music! Other players include Batiste on clarinet, James McElroy on soprano, Ernest Nation on trumpet, Alphonso Rodriguez on guitar, Richard Hunter on percussion, and a young Charlie Singleton on bass – and this rare set was only originally given away as a souvenir for the group's trip to West Africa in 1973. Titles include "Clean Air", "Holdin Meetin", "Nanigo", "Samba Dee", "Ah Je Gu Da Ba", and "Music Came". This reissue also features two rare bonus instrumentals – "Samba Dee" and "Music Came". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classic funk records from the 70s – a set that grabs you with the very first note, and lets you know that you've really stumbled onto something groovy! South Side Movement have a sinister groove that's very much their own – not like James Brown, The Meters, or just about anyone else – cooked up on the south side of Chicago at a time when the city was a real hotbed of creative activity in all sorts of different ways – and served up with the sort of sophistication that often marked some of the best Windy City groups of the time! Jimmy Van Leer produced, and the whole thing's got a mix of sophisticated instrumentation and straightforward funk that's wonderful – heard to great effect on the classic leadoff track "I Been Watching You" – and followed by so many other great gems that include "Mud Wind", "Superstition", "Can You Get To That", "La Dee Da", and "You're Gonna Lose My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classic funk records from the 70s – a set that grabs you with the very first note, and lets you know that you've really stumbled onto something groovy! South Side Movement have a sinister groove that's very much their own – not like James Brown, The Meters, or just about anyone else – cooked up on the south side of Chicago at a time when the city was a real hotbed of creative activity in all sorts of different ways – and served up with the sort of sophistication that often marked some of the best Windy City groups of the time! Jimmy Van Leer produced, and the whole thing's got a mix of sophisticated instrumentation and straightforward funk that's wonderful – heard to great effect on the classic leadoff track "I Been Watching You" – and followed by so many other great gems that include "Mud Wind", "Superstition", "Can You Get To That", "La Dee Da", and "You're Gonna Lose My Love". CD features bonus tracks – the previously unissued "Done Got Good To Me", and the single mix of "Mud Wind". CD

Jazzy soul all the way through – and a great little album from Lenny White and the Twennynine combo – a group that features some especially great keyboards from the great Don Blackman! The style here's a bit like some of Blackman's own work – rooted in fusion, but focused towards soul – with vocals on all tracks, but lots of tightly crafted riffs and grooves underneath! Keyboards and guitars are in the forefront on top of Lenny White's drums – but tunes also feature some EWF horn work, and an occasional vocal chorus arranged by Blackman, and featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and Googie Coppola! Tracks include the classic 80s groover "Peanut Butter", plus "Tropical Nights", "Best Of Friends", "Take Me Or Leave Me", "Citi Dancin", and "Betta". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from the Young/Holt combo – a debut outing under their own name, done before their music on Brunswick Records! Before they went off to record on their own – or maybe as a prediction that they would – Eldee Young and Red Holt cut this album of jazz tracks during the time that they were working with Ramsey Lewis! Since the album's a piano trio record, with Lewis on piano, it's sort of the same thing as the records they cut with him, but since they're on the marquee over his name, there's a little bit more focus on Young's bass and Holt's drumming. Tracks include "Dee's New Blues", "Travel On", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Swamp Girl", and "Peace & Tranquility", and the album grooves with a good Chicago soul jazz sound. (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 4 is filled with 50 rare tracks – loads of uncommon Atlantic singles, including some from their 50s partners – with cuts that include "Bye Bye Baby" by Ella Washington, "Sleep Good Tonight" by Sam & Dave, "What Am I Gonna Do" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Book Of Memories" by Percy Wiggins, "I've Got That Feelin" by Darrell Banks, "Let's Go Steady" by Arthur Conley, "Let Me Down Slow" by Bobby Wilson, "These Simple Reasons" by The Mad Lads, "Cool Pearl" by The Capitols, "Happiness" by The Ambassadors, "That Man Of Mine" by Jean & The Darlings, "One Plus One" by William Bell, "Left Over Love" by Mable John, "Get Down" by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, "All On A Sunny Day" by Deon Jackson, "Sentimental Reasons" by Percy Wiggins, "Feels Good" by Bobby Wilson, "Bigger & Better" by Mable John, "I'll Be Loving You" by Soul Brothers Six, "Greasy Spoon" by Rufus Thomas, "Don't Say Maybe Baby" by The Capitols, "I'm So Proud Of My Baby" by The Ambassadors, "She Knows What To Do For Me" by Ben E King, "I Gotta Have My Baby's Love" by Sir Mack Rice, "Loveitis" by Harvey Scales, "Love Comes & Goes" by Arthur Conley, "The Grass Always Seems Greener" by Ella Washington, and "Behind Every Great Man There's A Woman" by Percy Sledge. CD

A killer tribute to the 60s songcraft of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart – who are probably best-known as the songwriters behind many songs by The Monkees – but they're terrific performers in their own right, on top of penning tunes for the creme of the 60s crop! This set goes a long way towards demonstrating their range. It's got all great songs by legendary groups and singers – including veterans like Fats Domino and Chubby Checker – who were seeking fresh heat at the time – plus great stuff by Boyce & Hart themselves, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Dino, Desi & Billy, The Shangri-Las, The Ikettes, The Standells, The Honeybeats and more! Includes "Valleri" by The Monkees, I Can't Get Him Out Of My Mind" by Sandra Dee, "(He's Gonna Be) Fine Fine Fine" by The Ikettes, "She" by Del Shannon, "Lazy Elsie Molly" by Chubby Checker, "Too Many Teardrops" by Bobby Hart, "Be My Guest" by Fats Domino, "Beverly Jean" by Curtis Lee and more. 26 in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from Dee Dee Sharp, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, the Dovells, the Orlons, the Dovells & Jo Ann Campbell. (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 30 tracks by the Vocalteens, Little Jimmy & The Tops, Ferris & Wheels, the Vibrations, Billy Stewart, the Jewels, Bees, Channels, Monerays, Nutmegs, Johnny Dee, Jesse Belvin, and more! CD

A stunning array of rare soul from the Atlanta scene of the 70s – almost all of which appears here for the first time ever! The tracks were recorded for the great but short-lived family of labels that included GRC, Aware, and Hotlanta – but were never issued in the label back in the day, in part because of its need to close down quickly – no reflection at all on the quality of music, as the cuts here are superb throughout! Many of the numbers have that unique blend of Chicago talents and Atlanta roots that made the labels' recordings so unique – especially on this set, which is very heavy on mellower deep soul numbers that really transform the southern modes of years before, and push them into territory that's much more like laidback mellow soul from the east coast scene! The package has very detailed notes on all the cuts, and speculations on the cuts and their recording and release histories too – in a smoking set list that features 24 titles that include "Paper Man" by Alpaca Phase III, "Con Me" by Miss Louistine, "Love Making" by Jean Battle, "Keep On Walking" by The Steppers, "Is There Someone Else" by Deep Velvet, "When Will I Stop Loving You" by Lorraine Johnson, "Fight Fire With Fire" by King Hannibal, "I Need Me Some More Of You" by Dee Ervin, "My Peaceful Forest" by Dee Clark, "There'll Always Be Forever" by Lomita Johnson, "Loneliness Hurts Just A Little Bit" by Joe Graham, "Talk's Cheap" by The Surprise Sisters, and "Sure Could Do With Some You" by Shirlean Fant. CD

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! Tracks include "Lowe Groovin", "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere", & "Applejack" by Joe Morris, "That Old Black Magic", "Annie Laurie", & "Midnight Special" by Tiny Grimes, "Cole Slaw", by Frank Cully, "So Long", "I'll Get Along Somehow", "Daddy Daddy", & "5-10-15 Hours" by Ruth Brown, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" & "Drinkin Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" by Stick Mcghee, "The Chill Is On", "Chains Of Love", & "Sweet Sixteen" by Joe Turner, "Hey Little Girl" & "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" by Professor Longhair, "Fool Fool Fool" & "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, and "The Midnight Hour" by Ray Charles. LP, Vinyl record album

Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, "Searchin" and "Zing Went The tings Of My Heart" by the Coasters, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "CC Rider" by Chuck Willis, "Money Honey" and "Honey Love" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, "Walking Up A One way Street" and "Thank You John" by Willie Tee,"There Goes My Baby" by the Drifters, "Just One Look" by Doris Troy and "Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee" by Stick McGhee. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Jimmy Reed, Gene Chandler, the Spaniels, the Capiers, the Dells, Dee Clark, the Staple Singers, the Kool Gents, the Lyrics, Donnie Elbert, Jerry Butler and more. CD

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis. CD

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis. CD

Music from Little Richard, Dee Clark, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Lloyd Price, Chuck Berry, Big Al Downing, Otis Redding, Johnny Otis, LaVern Baker, Mister PT, and more CD

With music from Buster Brown, Jimmy Jones, Dee Clark, Ray Bryant, Irma Thomas, Etta James, Bobby Marchan, The Shirelles, Marv Johnson, Gary U.S. Bonds, Sugar Pie DeSanto, and many more – 31 tracks in all! CD

Music from Chubby Checker, the Dovells, Dee Dee Sharp, the Orlons, Charlie Gracie, the Rays, the Tymes, ? & the Mysterians & more. CD

Features music by Tarheel Slim, Wilbert Harrison, Buster Brown, Elmore James, Sam Myers, Lee Dorsey, King Curtis, Dr. Horse, Joe Haywood, Dee Dee Ford, and more! CD

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it previously unreleased! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The work that was issued here came out on the TCB, Tayster, and New Day labels – and although the artists are often not well known, the work's got a really unified feel – thanks to the funky vision of Dave Hamilton. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Brand New Girl (part 1)", "You're Wasting My Time (parts 1 & 2)", and "I Got Some (parts 1 & 2)" by Billy Garner; "The Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Going To The Moon" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Just A Mistake" by The Barrino Brothers, "Hunchin" by Gip Roberts, "Bump With Me" by The Webb People, "Sweet Thing (part 1)" by Bobby Dee, and "Can You Dig It" by Chico & Buddy. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Rare Detroit soul from the archives of Dave Hamilton – the vast majority from the fertile late 60s period, plus a couple of later cuts – soulful Hamilton productions and featuring wonderful numbers by Bobby Dee, Priscilla Page, The Moderations, Frenchy & The Chessmen, Harry Reid, Charmaine, Sue Ann Jones, Emanuel Taylor, Billy Soul and more! Hamilton may not be one of the best known names in the soul music canon, but his imprint is massive – both as a producer and performer. This great Ace comp of rare singles is a fine document and it's filled with excellent tracks. A treasure trove! 25 tracks in all: "Take Care Of Your Own Business" by Dave Hamilton, "Sweet Thing Part 1" by Bobby Dee, "I'm Pretending" by Priscilla Page, "I'm Begging You" by Chicago Pete, "All Because Of You" by The Moderations, "You Gotta Show Me" by Billy Soul, "Won't You Come On Home by Harry Reid, "Don't You Listen" by Charmain, "Missing You" by Sue Ann Jones and more. CD

Funky soul from Detroit – the second foray into the uber-rare and unreleased funk treasures recorded at Dave Hamilton's Motor City studio – and an even deeper look at what's turning out to be one of the greatest long-buried funk catalogs to come to light in recent years! The collection includes some singles released on Hamilton's own TCB and other imprints, some that were licensed to other labels, plus a wealth of unreleased material. There's straight ahead funk vocals and instrumentals, and numbers that have more of a freewheeling, adventurous vibe – albeit with a raw funk backdrop! Includes numbers by The Deacons, Prophet & His Disciples, Chico & Buddy, Billy Garner, OC Tolbert, Little Ann, Dave Hamilton himself, The Webb People, The Pepper and more. 22 tracks in all: "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "You Fool, You Fool Pt 1" by Prophet & His Disciples, "A Thing Called The Jones" by Chico & Buddy, "The Bad Things (You Said To Me)" by The Barrino Brothers, "Ghetto Stride" by Dave Hamilton, "Who" by Jackie Dee, "Love Bandit" by OC Tolbert, "Simon Says' by The Future Kind, "Clap Your Hands" by The Tokays, "I'm Sending Vibrations" by The Webb People and more. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Funky soul from Detroit – the second foray into the uber-rare and unreleased funk treasures recorded at Dave Hamilton's Motor City studio – and an even deeper look at what's turning out to be one of the greatest long-buried funk catalogs to come to light in recent years! The collection includes some singles released on Hamilton's own TCB and other imprints, some that were licensed to other labels, plus a wealth of unreleased material. There's straight ahead funk vocals and instrumentals, and numbers that have more of a freewheeling, adventurous vibe – albeit with a raw funk backdrop! Includes numbers by The Deacons, Prophet & His Disciples, Chico & Buddy, Billy Garner, OC Tolbert, Little Ann, Dave Hamilton himself, The Webb People, The Pepper and more. 22 tracks in all: "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "You Fool, You Fool Pt 1" by Prophet & His Disciples, "A Thing Called The Jones" by Chico & Buddy, "The Bad Things (You Said To Me)" by The Barrino Brothers, "Ghetto Stride" by Dave Hamilton, "Who" by Jackie Dee, "Love Bandit" by OC Tolbert, "Simon Says' by The Future Kind, "Clap Your Hands" by The Tokays, "I'm Sending Vibrations" by The Webb People and more. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A soaring collection of dancefloor classicsw from the late 70s and early 80s – true gems from the years when disco was really going strong – with many tracks presented on full length album or 12" versions! We'll be honest and say that the cover and title don't look like much on the front – but the CD's very well put-together, and features a detailed book of notes, with a fair bit on each tune included in the set! The collection's pulled from a variety of different labels – and titles include "With Your Love" by Donna Summer, "Dance Disco Heat" by Sylvester, "Star Love" by Cheryl Lynn, "Haven't Stopped Dancin' Yet" by Gonzalez, "Heaven Must Have Sent You" by Bonnie Pointer, "Wear It Out" by Stargard, "Everybody Get Up" by Ren Woods, "#1 Dee Jay" by Goody Goody, "Saturday" by Norma Jean, "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore, and "I Got the Feeling" by Two Tons O Fun. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Rerecorded hits from Bobby Vee, Jackie Wilson, the Earls, Dee Clark, the Charts, Dion, the Turbans, Hank Ballard, the Moonglows, Del Shannon, the Tymes, Ben E King, and more. CD

Not much of a cover photo, but one of the most amazing collections so far from the Numero Group – a richly archival project that finally brings to light the lost efforts of the short lived Tap Records label! Tap was the brainchild of Jeremiah Yisrael – an ambitious producer, and legendary perfectionist – so much so that he often put more effort into these indie productions than you'd find at bigger label projects of the time! Most material here dates from the years 1981 and 1982, and the music is a mix of club, modern soul, boogie, and a bit of hip hop – nearly all of which hardly got any exposure at the time. The booklet not only tells the tale of the label and Yisrael's career, but also Numero's efforts in resurrecting these lost tapes from a very moldy near-death experience – a narrative that's almost as exciting as the music in the package. And the package is pretty great too – not only because of the 24 page, full color booklet – but also because of the supplemental book that reproduces lost sheet music and studio notes from the Tap sessions. Amazing stuff throughout – well worthy of another deep bow for the Numero team – with a total of 14 tracks that include "Breakout" and "We've Had Enough" by Arnie Love & The Lovettes, "Invisible Wind" and "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "Missy Missy Dee" by Missy Dee & The Melody Crew, "So Nice" by Annette Denvil, "Rub A Dub Dub" by The Fabulous 3 MCs, "Don't Stop Dancin" and "Run Away Hide From Love" by Jackie Stoudemire, and "Breakout" by Magnetism. Also features two tracks from 1971 – "Does He Really Mean It" and "Love Which Way" by Bonnie Freeman. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Not much of a cover photo, but one of the most amazing collections so far from the Numero Group – a richly archival project that finally brings to light the lost efforts of the short lived Tap Records label! Tap was the brainchild of Jeremiah Yisrael – an ambitious producer, and legendary perfectionist – so much so that he often put more effort into these indie productions than you'd find at bigger label projects of the time! Most material here dates from the years 1981 and 1982, and the music is a mix of club, modern soul, boogie, and a bit of hip hop – nearly all of which hardly got any exposure at the time. The booklet not only tells the tale of the label and Yisrael's career, but also Numero's efforts in resurrecting these lost tapes from a very moldy near-death experience – a narrative that's almost as exciting as the music in the package. And the package is pretty great too – not only because of the 24 page, full color booklet – but also because of the supplemental book that reproduces lost sheet music and studio notes from the Tap sessions. Amazing stuff throughout – well worthy of another deep bow for the Numero team – with a total of 14 tracks that include "Breakout" and "We've Had Enough" by Arnie Love & The Lovettes, "Invisible Wind" and "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "Missy Missy Dee" by Missy Dee & The Melody Crew, "So Nice" by Annette Denvil, "Rub A Dub Dub" by The Fabulous 3 MCs, "Don't Stop Dancin" and "Run Away Hide From Love" by Jackie Stoudemire, and "Breakout" by Magnetism. Also features two tracks from 1971 – "Does He Really Mean It" and "Love Which Way" by Bonnie Freeman. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Music from Robin Wilson, the Escorts, the Hy Boys, Kiki Dee, the Tricks, Kenny & the Accents, the Righteous Brothers, Maria Dallas, Denny Belline, the Teardrops, the Louis Brothers & more. CD

16 tracks from the Jones Girls, Jean Carn, Dee Dee Sharp, Patti Labelle, Frantique, Dexter Wansel, Phyllis Hyman, Shirley Jones, and MFSB. CD

Music from Michael Parks, Tommy Dee, Dale Hawkins, Connie Stevens, Fabian, Russ Hamilton, JoAnn Campbell, Johnny Maddox, Ed Townsend, Don Rondo, and more. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from the Intruders, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Ebonys, Jacksons, Futures, Lou Rawls, Dee Dee Sharp, O'Jays, Three Degrees, and more. CD

Music from Sharon Tandy, Dana Gillespie, Dee King, Peanut, Mally Page, Dodie West, Tawney Reed, Martha Smith, Britt, Julie Grant, the Paper Dolls & more. CD

There's a huge amount of early Philly soul here – lots of tracks from the classic years of the Cameo/Parkway label, plus a few other choice bits too – all wrapped up in a Northern Soul collection that owes almost nothing to the style of Detroit! The package features great tracks by obscure artists, and obscure tracks by bigger singers – brought together with the kind of top-shelf track selection that makes us love releases on the Outta Sight label so much. There's plenty here that goes way past the obvious – and titles include "Heartaches Away My Boy" by Christine Cooper, "Night Owl" by Bobby Paris, "Country Girl" by Vickie Baines, "Envy" by The Orlons, "You Didn't Say A Word" by Yvonne Baker, "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" by Bunny Sigler, "Packing Up" by Damon Fox, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Dee Sharp, "My Heart Your Heart" by Janie Grant, "Picture Me Gone" by Evie Sands, "Comin Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, and "It's Rough Out There" by Jerry Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Second volume of nice, nice radio soul from the 60s put together by Bay Area radio station KSOL. As you'd imagine, there's some bigger hits, but there's some nice nuggets of almost forgotten R&B and soul too. 21 numbers in all, including "I Really Love You" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Baby Scratch My Back" by Slim Harpo, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "Sad Girl" by Jay Wiggins, "Turn On The Love Light" by Bobby Bland, "Am I Grooving You" by Freddie Scott, "Why Do I Do These Foolish Things" by the Magicians, "Something I Want To Tell You" by Johnny & The Impressions, "The Richest Girl" by Little Helen, and "Send My Baby Back" by Freddie Hughes. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes music by the Cleftones, Nino & the Ebbtides, Big Dee Irwin, the Dreamers, Belmonts, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Billy Stewart, Sam Cooke, Vito & the Salutations, and more – 21 tracks total. CD

A fantastic entry in this excellent series – in part because more than half of the music here appears for the first time ever! Yet despite the unreleased status of the tracks, they definitely live up to the "masterpieces" promised by the title – great grooves from a time when more sophisticated production was coming into soul music, but never in a way that was too commercial or chartbound! Instead, these tracks mix all the raw vocals and righteous energy of the early 70s with some more sophisticated styles of arrangement and production – really taking soul music to a new level for the growing generation of the time – with results that were so ahead of their time, even the cuts here that got pressed on wax hardly got much circulation back in the day! The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Have A Good Time" by Maggabrain, "Don't Play Me Cheap" by Foxfire with Johnny E Adams, "I Want You" by Cynic, "Bedroom Eyes" by Betty Everett, "Happy Times" by Ramona King, "Higher Than High" by Joe Graham, "Let's Make A Move" by Ronnie McNeir, "Second Time Around" by The Exportations, "Must Have Had Company" by Elayne Starr, "Hobody" by Margie Joseph, "You Could Have Tried" by Karen Sanders Group, "I'll See You In Hell First (alt take)" by Phillip Mitchell, "You Done Let The Daylight Catch You" by Second Resurrection, "You & Me Baby" by Joe Hinton, and "Doo Doop Dee Deep Doot Doo" by George Semper. CD

Some great Northern soul, pulled together from the wide array of labels currently handled by Universal/Spectrum – including Motown, MGM, Philips, and Chess. There's more than a few great cuts on here that we haven't seen reissued elsewhere – and although the price of the set is cheap, it's got a fortune's worth of rare soul sides! Titles include "6x6" by Earl Van Dyke, "The Boogaloo Party" by The Flamingos, "He Who Picks A Rose" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Worth Every Tear I Cry" by Dee Dee Warwick, "Learning To Trust My Man" by Sisters Love, "Landslide" by Tony Clarke, "The Way You've Been Acting" by Al Kent, "Do I Love You" by Frank Wilson, "Baby Hit & Run" by The Contours, and "Love Love Love" by Bobby Hebb. 17 tracks in all! CD

A half dozen great soul and dance cuts from the label that dominated commercial R&B throughout the latter half of the 70s: "Love Is The Message" and "Mysteries Of The World" by MFSB, "For The Love Of Money" by the O'Jays, "Breaking & Entering" by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice and "Music Is My Way Of Life" by Patti Labelle. CD

Sublime soul from the great Thom Bell – one of our favorite arranger, producer, songwriters of all time – and a talent who really helped push the Philly soul scene much farther than most during the 70s! Bell was trained as a classical pianist as a kid – which might explain part of his ear for a special sort of tune – but by the time of this work, he was neck-deep in the soul scene – and working with a fantastic track record for bringing the best out of a very wide variety of artists! Bell was especially great with groups – he helped more than a few really stretch out their wings and grow – but as you'll hear here, Thom also handled a fantastic range of music in Philly studios – all with magnificent touches that really set the tunes apart from the rest – French horns, harpsichord, and especially that twangy sitar sound that worked so well with a harmony ballad. The set's got 23 tracks in all, and a massive set of notes on the man and his music – with titles that include "What I See" by Three Degrees, "Here I Go Again" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Moody Woman" by Jerry Butler, "Something For Nothing" by MFSB, "One Man Band" by Ronnie Dyson, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Life Is A Song Worth Singing" by Johnny Mathis, "Look The Other Way" by Lesley Gore, "What Kind Of Lady" by Dee Dee Sharp, "It's The Same Old Love" by The Courtship, "Do You Remember Yesterday" by The Intruders, "Track Of The Cat" by Dionne Warwick, and "I Wanna Be A Free Girl" by Dusty Springfield. CD

22 tracks from Tippie & The Clovers, Leola & The Lovejoys, Bessie Banks, Dee Dee Warwick, Alvin Robinson, Lovejoys, Vic Donna, Cathy Saint, Bob Moore & The Temps, Tams featuring Little Floyd, and Moody & The Deltas. CD

Christmas means love, but it also means plenty more too – given that there's a whole host of different themes covered in this collection – a batch of soulful Christmas numbers that goes way past the obvious! There's a few here you might know, but lots more that we're not sure have been compiled elsewhere – in a collection of 27 tracks that includes "Merry Christmas My Love" by Ray Agee, "Yule Tide Love" by Change Of Pace, "A Letter For Christmas" by Salem Travelers, "Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday" by The Groovers, "Santa Came Home Drunk" by Clyde Lasley & The Cadillac Baby Spirituals, "All I Want For Christmas Is Your Love" by Dee Irwin & Mamie Galore, "Tis Yuletide" by Roscoe Robinson, "All I Want For Christmas" by the C-Quents, "It's Christmas Time & I'm Still In Love With You" by Bird Rollins, "Merry Christmas" by Sister Lucille Pope & The Pearly Gates, "Christmas Greeting" by Duke Fakir, "At Christmas Time" by George Grant, "Christmas Means Love" by The Soul Stirrers, and "Just Another Winter" by Betty Everett. (Holiday Music, Soul) CD

Music from Del Shannon, Chris Kenner, the Shirelles, Gary Bonds, the Tokens, the Capris, the Marcels, Bobby Lewis, the Miracles, the Jive Five, Dion, Dee Clark, the Marvelettes & more. (Rock, Soul) CD

Includes 11 tracks from Carl Simms, Randy Brown, Bobby McClure, Marshall & Babb, Main Ingredient, Jimmy Bo Horn, Bobby Marchan, David Dee, and J Blackfoot. CD

Saint Etienne have brought us a number of wonderful compilations over the years – both in this format for Ace Records, and their work on their own great Croydon Municipal label – yet as much as we've loved all those others, we may well love this one the best – as it's a sublime blend of 60s soul, tear-stained pop, and cool numbers with a New York sort of sound! The focus is mostly on tracks from the mid 60s – and the work here often feels like the special sort of tracks the Brill Building talents might have been working on into the night, before stepping down to the Carnegie Deli for a snack – the kind of special songs that were often too sophisticated to make the charts, but which stand out all these many years later as true moments of genius from the 60s. As usual with a Saint Etienne set, there's a huge amount here we've never heard before – all given proper presentation by Ace Records, along with a full booklet of notes. Titles include "Night Hawk" by The Valli Boys, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Sharp, "Up On The Bridge" by The Chiffons, "Don't" by Marva Josie, "I'm Your Man" by Chuck Jackson, "Boy You Love Me" by Joan Moody, "Catch Me In The Meadow" by The Tradewinds, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Let's Stop Fooling Ourselves" by Eddie Jones, "Is This The Way To Treat A Girl" by The Hesitations, "Summer's Comin In" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, and "Park Avenue" by Lou Johnson. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Not just soul music lovers – as the set's got plenty to offer for fans of funk and jazz too – a wonderful assortment of cuts from the golden years of the music, all put together here with a really great ear for a groove! The cuts are sourced from a number of different labels – including Groove Merchant, De-Lite, Sussex, and Brunswick – and because of that, they come together with a great sense of variety – not a confused approach to a compilation, but one that really knows how to play different cuts off one another – introducing you to rare gems, and making you love familiar cuts all over again in a different way! There's a total of 23 tracks and almost 80 minutes of music – and titles include "Mr Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers, "Loving Explosion" by The Eliminators, "The Fly" by The Kinfolks, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "Come Back To Me" by Cheyenne Fowler, "I Won't Be Around" by Jeanette Holloway, "Chick A Boom" by The Pazant Brothers, "In The Moog" by Harold McKinney, "Gold Smoke" by Everyday People, "There Was A Time" by Dee Felice Trio, "April" by Bobby Knight, and "No Trouble On The Mountain" by Richard Groove Holmes. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Not just soul music lovers – as the set's got plenty to offer for fans of funk and jazz too – a wonderful assortment of cuts from the golden years of the music, all put together here with a really great ear for a groove! The cuts are sourced from a number of different labels – including Groove Merchant, De-Lite, Sussex, and Brunswick – and because of that, they come together with a great sense of variety – not a confused approach to a compilation, but one that really knows how to play different cuts off one another – introducing you to rare gems, and making you love familiar cuts all over again in a different way! There's a total of 23 tracks and almost 80 minutes of music – and titles include "Mr Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers, "Loving Explosion" by The Eliminators, "The Fly" by The Kinfolks, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "Come Back To Me" by Cheyenne Fowler, "I Won't Be Around" by Jeanette Holloway, "Chick A Boom" by The Pazant Brothers, "In The Moog" by Harold McKinney, "Gold Smoke" by Everyday People, "There Was A Time" by Dee Felice Trio, "April" by Bobby Knight, and "No Trouble On The Mountain" by Richard Groove Holmes. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Music from Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Clarence Carter, the O Jays, the Persuaders, the Spinners, Carla Thomas, the Delfonics, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Dee Clark and more. CD

Music from Aretha Franklin, The Honey Cone, Ike & Tina Turner, Ann Peebles, Denise LaSalle, Mitty Collier, Dee Dee Warwick, Mable John, Bettye Swan, Laura Lee, Barbara Mason, Inez Foxx, Millie Jackson, and Etta James. CD

The brilliant return of one of our favorite funky series ever – filled with top-shelf rarities that represent the best of 70s rare groove and break tracks! It's been a long time since we last saw a volume of Strange Games, but this set shows that it's been more than worth the wait – as BBE have come up with a batch of tunes so great, they must have been working on this one for years! As with other volumes, the names are familiar, but the cuts are all surprisingly hard to find – and they're all hand-picked for their resonance with modern use of the material in hip hop and remix culture – an aspect that makes even obscure tunes echo with a strong familiarity because of a bassline or drum break! And as an added treat, the CD and vinyl both have the same number of tracks – an increasingly rare phenomenon these days – with titles that include "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "LA Night" by Yasuko Agawa, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "You Are What I'm All About" by The New Birth, "Loving You" by Donald Byrd, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Strange Funky Games & Things" by Jay Dee, "Do It Baby" by The Miracles, "California Dreaming" by Eddie Hazel, and "Reflections" by Bill Conti. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Funk, soul and funky soul from the Bay Area – fantastic early-to-mid 70s numbers from the scene sprung from Ray Dobard's Music City Record Shops and label – numbers by Darando, Chucky Thurmon, Houston Outlaws, Kevin Burton, Benida Madison, Dry Ice, Victor Green, Love Uprisers, Soul Messengers and more! The artists nail a number of funky modes here – from raw, rumbling stripped down numbers to more grooving organ backed gems, both tightly snapping and loosely lumbering numbers, a bit of jazz funk and more – usually with powerhouse vocals. 17 tracks in all: "Just A Man" by Chucky Thurmon", "The Rock That Killed Goliath" by Al Tanner, "Is It Right" by Kevin Burton, "Time Flies" by Benida Madison, "A Lonely Place" by Bob Carson, "Eddie Boogaloo" by Love Uprisers, "Ruby Dee" by The Cookin' Bag, "Gimme Some (Version 1)" by Darando and more. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD