A stunning set – and one of our favorite modern soul albums ever! The set was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in 1980, and it's one of the best-ever records to come out of that hallowed hall of grooves – a one-off debut from the team of Tonee & Bill Collins, set to impeccable arrangements from the mighty John Davis! The set's not really disco – more a blend of mellow soul and midtempo club – with a sound that evokes artists like Barry White, Leon Ware, and Leroy Hutson – but which also grooves with a feel that's all its own. Nearly every cut's fantastic, and although you may know the duo's classic "Top Of The Stairs" from other collections, there's loads of other nice tracks here too – like "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good", "Can't Turn Down Love", and "You Made Me Believe". LP, Vinyl record album

The Commodores tenth album – as you might guess from the big X on the cover – and a set that features some of the last great moments of Lionel Richie with the group! The album's a bit overlooked, but has a really great groove – kind of a middle ground between The Commodores' heavier funk and mellower ballads – served up here with the tight instrumentation that always made the group a self-contained standout – and arranged and produced to perfection by the great James Anthony Carmichael. Richie's lead is strong, but understated too – and titles include "Old Fashion Love", "Heroes", "Sorry To Say", "All The Way Down", "Wake Up Children", "Mighty Spirit", and "Celebrate". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that definitely lives up to the title promised by The Commodores – a record that takes all their raw funky energy of the early years, and fuses it into a new groove that would catapult the sextet to superstardom! The sound is commercial, but still has a pretty fresh sort of feel too – that quality the group brought to their work when breaking down so many boundaries in mainstream music – and finding fans in corners that few other funk groups might have touched! There's plenty of upbeat funk tracks in the mix, and even the mellower moments are still balanced nicely enough to avoid any of the cliches that Lionel Richie might have had during his solo years. Titles include "Why You Wanna Try Me", "This Love", "Been Loving You", "Lucy", "Saturday Night", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Oh No". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of Midnight Magic from The Commdores – still nice and funky at the start of the evening, but also chilling out in the wee hours too – really finding a great way to follow the trajectory of the night with the tracks in this set! The album sparkles with strong arrangements and production from James Carmichael – who furthers the vibe perfected on Natural High, yet continues to avoid most of the cliches that would slow down the group in later years. Lionel Richie's given room to step forth on the ballads "Still" and "Sail On" – but the group feel is still nicely maintained on the rest of the record – which also features the tracks "Getting It", "You're Special", "Wonderland", "Sexy Lady", and "Might Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

The continuing lost legacy of Patrick Cowley – the San Francisco 80s club maestro who made some famous records with Sylvester – but who also did a huge amount of underground sounds for porno films at the time! This set digs deep into that legacy – by featuring music that Cowley did for the 1982 film Afternooners, as well as a few other tracks from the time – material that's a great 80s extrapolation of the sorts of slinky funk you'd know from 70s porn! The sounds here are heavy on beats and keyboards – a much more slowed-down take on territory that Cowley explored on his club singles of the period – and the basslines are plenty heavy, and very seductive – as you might imagine, given the images they were used with on the screen. We should tell you that the package does include a few nude images inside – so be warned if you're offended by that sort of thing. Titles include "Love Come Set Me Free", "Big Shot", "Surfside Sex", "Hot Beach", "The Runner", "One Hot Afternoon", "Leather Bound", and "Bore & Stroke". (Soundtracks, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure bit of late 60s Stax! Steve Cropper's working away from the MG's here, in a mode that's slightly similar, but which has his guitar upfront in the mix on a batch of Memphis-style instrumentals – kind of his own take on the groove he was laying down with Booker T, but with a lot less organ in the mix! There's no mad funk on the album, but the whole thing's pretty darn nice – and is proof that Cropper was the key element in more than just a bit of the Stax sound at the time – a really strong artist who could more than stand on his own. Titles include "Crop Dustin", "Land Of 1000 Dances", "Rattlesnake", "Funky Broadway", and "Boogaloo Down Broadway". LP, Vinyl record album

The third album in an amazing early run from The Delfonics – the kind of work that set a whole new standard for group soul in the 70s! A number of the tracks here had already risen to fame before the album's release as singles – and these are mixed with some additional tracks that are woven together in a near-perfect symphony of sound! The mighty Thom Bell arranged most of the numbers here – save for 2 by Anthony Dorsey – and the group's heavenly harmonies are in amazing form on both mellow ballads and a few more righteous numbers. Titles include "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", "Funny Feeling", "Over & Over", "Baby I Love You", "When You Get Right Down To It", "Delfonics Theme", "Trying To Make A Fool Of Me", "I Gave To You", "Down Is Up Up Is Down", and "Think About Me". CD

Bass-heavy funk from Ebonee Webb – one of the more all-out funk acts of the Capitol 80s groove scene – but a group who could also sound great on some of their mellower numbers! The group really put the bass and guitar work upfront in the tunes – and about half of the tracks on the record really foreground this element, and have a focus that seems more intent on the frenetic basswork than the vocals. Not that that's a problem, though, because at the group's best, they've got a repetitive focus on rhythm that almost places them more in the Zapp generation style. Titlesinclude "Gonna Get Cha", "Anybody Wanna Dance", "Woman", "Throwdown", "Keep On Steppin", and "Do Me Right". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Fame Gang finally gets their due – in this CD that's overflowing with tight funky instrumentals, most of which have never been issued at all! The "best" in the title is certainly well-put – given the quality of the music – but don't think "hits", as 18 of the CD's 25 tracks have never been issued before – which makes the whole collection way more of a discovery than you might expect! Back in the late 60s, the Fame Gang were the house rhythm section at Fame Records down in Muscle Shoals – as important as the Mar-Keys, Bar-Kays, or MGs were over at Stax Records – and graced with not only an impeccable sense of groove, but also a really bold, soulful flair on their horns! There's no vocals here at all – and the cuts feature loads of tenor, guitar, and organ solos over rhythms that are easily some of the funkiest ever cut at Fame studios. We're not entirely sure why these gems weren't released at the time – but they're all tremendous, and we're plenty happy to have them out now! Titles include "Smokestack Lightning", "Hey Joe", "Soul Stutterin", "Sunrise", "Walk Tall", "Rang's Thang", "Stand", "Cannonball", "Muscle Soul", "Shufflin", "Sax Appeal", "Crime Don't Pay", and "Groove Killer". CD

A spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! CD

A trio of funky classics from Faze-O – collected here with bonus tracks too! First up is their debut, Riding High – a spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! The second album is a definite Good Thang from Faze-O – easily the masters of snakey funk at the end of the 70s! The set's got loads of great elements that echo the group's Riding High debut – a groove that never goes too far over the top, and which kicks back at a pace that so many others would copy a few years later – a vibe that's a bit Ohio, a bit Cali, yet crafted here with a vision that's totally unique to the band! Horns are a bit heavier than before, but there's still plenty of great keyboards too – and the vocals definitely recognize that they're the second star of the record, and usually defer to the rhythms on most numbers. Tracks include "Good Thang", "Party Time", "Space People", "Who Loves You", and "Funky Lady". Breakin The Funk is wicked funk from Faze-O – a group who seem even tighter than before on this smoking album – yet still hold onto all the laidback modes that made them so great in the first place! There's a lean quality here that really prefaces the direction so many funk acts would take a few years later – a way of compressing everything down on the rhythm, to get past some of the excesses of too-large funk groups, or some of the overblown qualities of the disco generation! Faze-O were definitely out front with this approach, and continue to craft it strongly here – and the album's got a few great mellow tracks too – a great illustration of the claim made in the liner notes – that "Faze-O music is carefully built in panels of melodic phases, to sensuously put you in a funky but heavenly mood of time and rhythm." Titles include "See You Through The Night", "I'm Thankful", "I Still Love You", "Let's Rock", and "Ya Ba Da Ba Duzie". Features bonus tracks – 7" single mixes of "Riding High", "Breakin The Funk", "Good Thang", and "Who Loves You". CD

A smoking lost Afrobeat LP! According to the notes EMI turned this album down when it was recorded in 1971, and we can't imagine what they were thinking – as the set features two lengthy tracks that follow in the best Africa 70s mode! The title track "Why Black Men Dey Suffer" rolls along at a nice midtempo groove – with lots of great Fender Rhodes before the horns come in and blow things over the top! The flipside features "Ikoyi Mentality Versus Mushin Mentality" – which picks up the pace a bit, but still with plenty of room for syncopated percussion, crisp guitar, and electric piano lines – all topped with bold horn lines that urge the tune onto greatness! (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little live album from Jose Feliciano – recorded in London at the end of the 60s, with a sound that's often more stripped down than his studio work of the time! Jose's on vocals and guitar, backed by only a bit of bass and percussion – so the record's almost got the intimacy of a solo effort, which is quite astounding – given the obvious size of the concert setting! The double-length nature of the record allows Jose to stretch out a bit more than usual – and take on a nice variety of material that really show his growing talents at the time. Titles include "High Heel Sneakers", "Mama Don't Allow It", "La Entrada De Bilboa", "The Comedy Bit", "Malaguena", "No Dogs Allowed", "Day Tripper", "Black Orpheus Medley", "California Dreamin", "Light My Fire", "Day In the Life", and "El Voh". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare gem from keyboardist Hilton Felton – and one of the few albums issued on his own Hilton's Concept label! The set's got a super-sweet stripped-down feel – Hilton on organ and electric piano, backed by drums, bass, percussion, and some slight guitar – in a lineup that shifts slightly from track to track, but always keeps things lean and groovy! The album's got some killer funky numbers – like the chunky "Here Comes David", which has a nice rattling groove, and the extended mellow soul cut "Dream Come True", which blends keys and guitar with a bit of vocals, making for a nice tripped out soul style! Other tracks include "Your Analysis", "Music Shall Never Die", and "Maybe You'll Come Back To Me". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare gem from keyboardist Hilton Felton – and one of the few albums issued on his own Hilton's Concept label! The set's got a super-sweet stripped-down feel – Hilton on organ and electric piano, backed by drums, bass, percussion, and some slight guitar – in a lineup that shifts slightly from track to track, but always keeps things lean and groovy! The album's got some killer funky numbers – like the chunky "Here Comes David", which has a nice rattling groove, and the extended mellow soul cut "Dream Come True", which blends keys and guitar with a bit of vocals, making for a nice tripped out soul style! Other tracks include "Your Analysis", "Music Shall Never Die", and "Maybe You'll Come Back To Me". (Jazz, Soul) CD

A lost early chapter in the career of Roberta Flack – material recorded during the sessions for her legendary First Take album, but unissued at the time – and presented here with an amazing demonstration of the depth of her young talents! All the genius of First Take is in place here – that groundbreaking territory between jazz and soul that set Roberta apart from the pack, right from the start – but there's also a wider range of currents going on – maybe some more jazz-based numbers, mixed with other soul-referenced titles too – a wider span that furthers the role that Flack plays as a bridge between the 60s innovations of Nina Simone and a host of others to follow. The group is just a trio – Flack on piano with Marshall Hawkins on bass and Bernard Sweetney on drums – but the tunes have a very wide-open vibe that's very visionary, and every bit as great as Roberta's debut! Titles include a stunning version of "Afro Blue", plus "It's Way Past Suppertime", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Groove Me", "To Sir With Love", "The Song Is Love", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out", "The House Song", and "Hush A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth stepping grooves from The Floaters – still very much in the nicely compressed mode of their more famous debut, and getting some nice production help here from Eugene McDaniels! There's a righteous punch to the record that really shows the influence of McDaniels – a way of keeping things hip, even when hovering near the mainstream – and although the groovers are great, we actually think that the best cuts are the mellow ones – tunes that move in a lightly gliding, almost spacey way – one that has the group's voices crackling nicely with an honest approach that we really love! There's a warmth to these tunes that's undeniable – and titles include "Levitation", "Woman Love/You Are My Lady", "Brand New Lite", "Made Up My Mind", "The Best Of Our Love", "Go Down To The Disco", and "Sweet Lady September". LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha Arrives in great style – and a mixture between her earlier vocal jazz years at Columbia, and her later southern soul sides of the 60s! Arif Mardin is already arranging Aretha's work at this point, and the backing group includes southern soul studio giants like Spooner Oldham, Tommy Cogbill, and Roger Hawkins – but there's also a number of tracks that have mellow strings and horns by Ralph Burns, very much in the lush style of Burns' work for other vocalists – and a bit different than some of Franklin's other Atlantic work. The Sweet Inspirations back up Aretha on "Ain't Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around)", and a few other tracks feature backings by sisters Erma and Carolyn – who are always a welcome addition! Titles include "Prove It", "Never Let Me Go", "I Wonder", "Going Down Slow", and "Night Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Is it Fulsom or Fulson? We're not going to try and present ourselves as the authority, but what we can tell you is this collection features 27 tracks from the man, mostly raw blues, though a number of cuts are more produced, with full horn section and piano complementing Fulsom's guitar and vocals, and mostly issued as 45s, though many of the numbers were previously unreleased at the time this collection was put together in the mid 70s. The best numbers are stripped down, lean and raw – and titles include "I Want To Know", "Lonely Hours", "It's A Long Time", "Rollin' Blues", "Love 'N Things", "Love Grow Cold", "Hung Down Head", "Someday Baby", "I Want To Make Love To You", "Rock This Morning", "Rock 'Em Dead", 'Worry Worry", "I'm Glad You Reconsidered", "Blue Shadows", "Why Don't You Write Me" and "Blue Soul", plus loads more! (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The moods of Marvin Gaye are many, even at this early point in his career – as the set has the young Marvin really taking off strongly – hitting hard on classic Motown groovers, but also showing a sensitive side at times too! The album kicks off with some killer rhythms on cuts like "I'll Be Doggone", "Little Darling", and "Take This Heart Of Mine" – really setting the stage for a batch of cuts that makes the album one of Gaye's strongest from the early years, thanks to some bold song writing from Smokey Robinson and other mighty Motown talents. Other cuts include the classic "Ain't That Peculiar", and side two slows things down a bit, showing mellow moods on cuts like "Night Life", "You're The One For Me", "I Worry Bout You", and "One For My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just disco nights, but some great mellow moments too – a wonderfully well-rounded classic from this great quartet – as tight and groovy as it is cool and classy! By the time of this debut, the group had already had plenty of 70s soul experience as The Rhythm Makers – a previous name for the lineup, and a combo with a great reputation for dancefloor grooves that were tight, but never too uptight – kind of the best funky soul styles of the time! This album definitely continues that tradition, with a sound that's leaner than most mainstream disco of the time – and really well put-together, in a way that also has them slowing down to hit some great ballads and mellower steppers too. The album features the massive disco title cut – "Disco Nights" – and a beautiful reworking of Billy Stewart's classic "I Do Love You" – with a sound that's faithful to the original, but a sweet stepping groove that's made it a favorite for years! Other cuts include "Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Spirit", "Make My Dreams A Reality", "It's Your Love", "I Do Love You", and "Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Slim Harpo – an album that kicks off with one of his biggest hits ever, and follows with plenty of great tunes as well! Things here are pretty rootsy and stripped-down – lots of spare, slowish rhythms (but a few funkier ones too!) – and instrumentation that's dominated by guitar and harmonica alongside Slim's vocals – all in a mode that's maybe a bit more vintage than his funky soul of the late 60s, but still equally powerful too! There's some great echoey production at points – almost taking a Bo Diddley tip, which makes for some really great sounds – and titles include "Snoopin Around", "Buzz Me Baby", "I'm A King Bee", "Moody Blues", "My Home Is A Prison", "Dream Girl", "Blues Hangover", and "Rainin In My Heart". (Blues, Soul) CD

One of our favorite Isaac Hayes albums from the post-Stax years – a wonderful late 70s set that has the man returning strongly to the mellow roots of his early solo years! Ike sounded great on his disco tracks at the time – but we really love his mature, laidback way of laying down a tune on this sweet set – mostly longer numbers that feature lots of the spoken, soulful passages that Hayes delivered on his first few albums of the 70s. The record does have two great groovers – a remake of "Shaft" – called "Shaft II" – one that really follows the format of the original, but extends the length of the tune significantly, throwing in lots of instrumental fills for the disco crowds – and the quirky "Zeke The Freak". But the mellower cuts are our favorites here – and include "Believe In Me", "Just The Way You Are", "If We Ever Needed Peace", and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

The very first album from Michael Henderson – but a set that already finds him very much at the top of his game – thanks to previous work with Miles Davis and Norman Connors! Both artists gave Henderson a chance to do different things with his music, and by the time of this record, Michael's got both an ear for a funky bassline and a way of laying down a mellow vocal, too – a great blend of techniques that really helps give the record a lot more depth than some of Henderson's contemporaries! Unlike other bassists-turned-singers of the period, Michael never lets his core instrument take off too much and get in the way of the vocals – and instead, he shows a great sense of restraint for compressing down all the best elements into one mighty sweet groove. Titles include a version of "Valentine Love" that is different from the one recorded with Connors – plus the great original "Treat Me Like a Man", which is a nice nice sample cut from years back! Other gems include "Make Me Feel Better", "Let Love Enter", "Solid", "You Haven't Made It To The Top", and "Stay With Me This Summer". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album from the great John Lee Hooker – done for the mostly-soul Wand Records label, and with a feel that's quite different than some of Hooker's other records! There's a distinctly jazzy undercurrent running through the record at times – sometimes with some moody, soulful elements bubbling underneath John's lead vocals and guitar on the mellow tracks – or at other times with a fuller sense of arrangements, a bit like you might find on 60s work on the Duke/Peacock label blues sessions. Hooker's in fine form throughout – and seems to open up nicely in the setting – and a few tracks are a bit more stripped-down, with a slightly rootsy feel. Titles include "Don't Want Nobody Else", "Crazy Mixed Up World", "Little Dreamer", "Seven Days", "Don't Be Messing With My Bread", "Storming On The Deep Blue Sea", and "Lost Everything". (Blues, Soul) CD

A fantastic pairing of soulful talents – the legendary John Lee Hooker on the mighty Stax Records – in a set that's a real standout in the career of both! The vibe here is different than the usual sound of Stax – not a Memphis-ized John Lee Hooker, but instead the kind of stripped-down session that the singer had done for other labels in his early years – given a very faithful presentation here by producer Henry Stone (who himself might well be the third important force at work on the set!) Tracks are mostly short – apart from one eight minute jam – and Hooker's got that raw, raspy bite that still makes him one of the all-time greats. Titles include "Teachin' The Blues", "Goin To Louisiana","I Need You", "My Love Comes Down For You", "Please Don't Go", "I Just Don't Know", "Slow & Easy", "Two White Horses", "Feel So Bad", and "Grinder Man". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked set of groovers from Jimmy Bo Horne – produced with a snapping KC & The Sunshine Band groove, and proof that the Miami sound could still burn strong at the end of the 70s! The tunes are a mix of mellow numbers and funkier tracks that have a snapping "spank" sort of rhythm – that percolated approach to rhythm that TK first started laying down in the mid 70s, but which was given a bit more of an open-ended sound here. Jimmy's vocals are much better than the usual singer for this sort of set – sweetly crackling on the mellow tunes, but hitting with a deeper soul on the groovers. Titles include a long remake of "I Get Lifted", "You Get Me Hot", "Goin Home For Love", "Spank", and "Without You". CD

A killer album of funky blues – recorded by Howlin Wolf during the period when Chess/Cadet was backing its older artists up with some of the newer funk musicians it had working in its studios! The overall sound works quite well – and although purists at the time moaned at the way artists like Wolf, Etta James, and Bo Diddley were being handled (especially with a "we know better than them" message on the cover like this!), the funky blues records from this time actually seem to be some of the most enduring from Chess – especially with younger listeners in the 21st Century! A big part of the success here goes to producers Charles Stepney and Gene Barge – who helped bring together a younger batch of players for Wolf's backing – including Pete Cosey and Phil Upchurch on guitars, Louis Satterfield on bass, and Morris Jennings on drums. Titles include "Spoonful", "Tail Dragger", "Smokestack Lightning", "Red Rooster", "Evil", and "Down In The Bottom". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

2 blues classics from the great Howlin Wolf – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Howlin Wolf – a record that has Wolf tightening it up a bit from his earliest years at Chess, and moving into a groove that would forever make him one of the key artists to record for the label! The raspy, rootsy feel of earlier years is still in place – but the recording quality's a bit better, and the tunes have a more unified feel – thanks partly to some classic compositions from Willie Dixon, whose work makes up a very big part of the album! Tunes were recorded between the years 1959 to 1962, and brought together for the record – and titles include "Shake For Me", "Spoonful", "Going Down Slow", "Down In The Bottom", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Red Rooster", and "Tell Me". On Moanin In The Moonlight, a set filled with raspy vocals, Wolf sings in a way that definitely lives up to his nickname! The sound here is spare and stripped down, with very little accompaniment – usually just a bit of guitar, piano, bass, and drums – and sometimes not even all that much! Wolf's vocals are wonderful throughout – archetypal, but not nearly as cliched as some of his contemporaries came to sound – with a timeless feel that really holds up throughout. Titles include "Smokestack Lightnin", "No Place To Go", "All Night Boogie", "Evil", "I Asked For Water", "Forty Four", and "Somebody In My Home". (Blues, Soul) CD

Freddie Hubbard makes a sweet splash for the 80s in this great little set – one of his last electric outings before a return to more acoustic modes! The vibe's a bit leaner than some of his late 70s albums, with most of the electricity coming from the bass, and from the keyboards by Chester Thompson or Louis Small – but the record's definitely got that soaring sense of flow that Freddie brought to his best work of this nature – that new sound he unlocked during the 70s, which finally seemed to find the right voice for that mighty horn of his! Jeanne Tracy sings a bit of vocals on the set, bringing in a touch of soul to the album – and titles include the stepping classic "Touchdown" – plus "Splash", "Mystic Lady", "I'm Yours", "Jarri", "You're Gonna Lose Me", and "Sister Stine". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The other single from one-hit-wonders Indeep. The cut has almost the same feel as "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life", with an insistent beat and a propulsive bass pedal, and a sort of chirping funky guitar line, but at a slightly slower tempo. The scratch versions don't actually have scratching on them, but are more like striped down bonus beats. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

The first breakaway effort from the trio of Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper, and Marvin Isley – a set that's got an even leaner groove than some of the Isley Brothers material from years before! The group really hit their stride right away – stepping out in a sweet array of funky rhythms that have some definite 80s touches on the beats, yet which still share all the best Isleys elements overall! Guitar parts are especially sharp – that carved in soul sound that showed up in most Isleys projects from the early 70s onwards – and the vocals have a great sense of warmth and soul, especially on the mellower tunes in the set, which turn down some of the more hook-heavy rhythms heard on other tracks. Titles include "Serve You Right", "Sex Drive", "Love Is Gonna Last Forever", "Kiss & Tell", "I Can't Get Over Losin You", "Look The Other Way", "Break This Chain", and "Broadway's Closer Than Sunset Blvd". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

An excellent bit of raw funky southern soul from Johnny Jenkins – recorded in Macon, GA, and one of the last relics of the relations that Atlantic Records had with all of the little local scenes in the south! Ton-Ton Macoute is one of those records that manages to blend funk, blues, and southern rock & soul way, way better than so many pretenders from the time – just a damn near perfectly realized set ! Johnny Jenkins sings, stomps, plays guitar and blows harp (with some extra help from Duane Allman on the guitar front), and he runs through tracks like "Blind Bats & Swamp Rats", "Sick & Tired", "Voodoo In You", "Rollin' Stone", "Bad News", "Down Along The Cove", and the absolute classic, classic breakbeat track "I Walk On Guilded Splinters". LP, Vinyl record album

The long-anticipated second album from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings is a stunner – undoubtedly stronger than the group's fantastic debut – and a record that not only transcends the late model funk revival genre, but stands on footing as solid as the best hard funky soul of the late 60s and early 70s! If you're expecting a rehash of the heavy funk jams that burned on the Dap Dippin' album you won't be disappointed, but get ready for a deep, natural (hence the title) soulfulness that not only caught us off guard, but really forms the big, hard-beating heart of the album. The frothing, frenetic funk is as tight as ever, and in spots just as furious, but the attention to songcraft this time out is just as searing and indelible. The eight piece Dap Kings continue to be the best band in the land – with El Michels on baritone sax, Neal Sugarman on tenor, Homer Steinweiss on drums, not-so-secret weapon Bosco Mann on bass, vibes and piano. Guest appearances include fellow Daptone powerhouse vocalist Lee Fields on the the duet "Stranded In Your Love", and strings courtesy of the Bushwick Philharmonic, but make no mistake, this is the band's album. Amazing stuff from in indispensable group – an album that'll keep spinning in our circles for as many years as the great albums by the gritty soul forefathers do! Tracks include "How Do I Let A Good Man Down?", "Natural Born Lover", "My Man Is A Mean Man", a soulful reading of Woodie Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", "Your Thing Is A Drag", "Fish In A Dish" and "All Over Again". (Deep Funk, Soul) CD

The only album we've ever seen from Khemistry – but a heck of a sweet little set, and one that's always been dear to our hearts! The trio features two gals and one guy, all working with a great sing-song approach on the vocals – and a snapping 80s groove on the rhythms! There's a warmth here that you don't always find in sets of this type – a simple, straightforward feel that keeps the whole album humming along nicely – even through some of the mellower numbers. Production is never too commercial, and the instrumentation's never too electric – and the album's got a simple charm that's kept it a favorite on rare soul lists for decades. Titles include "Can You Feel My Love", "There's No Me Without You", "I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use", "Sucker For The Boogie", "I Got A Feeling", and "Walking Papers". CD

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront, but also set amidst arrangements that have a bit more soul than the average Chicago blues session from the same time. The set features a number of originals by Stax regulars like Booker T and David Porter – and titles include "The Hunter", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw", "Down Don't Bother Me", "Laundromat Blues", and "Personal Manager". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collection of rare work from the legendary BB King – a selection of 25 tracks from the vaults of RPM and Kent Records, 23 of which appear here for the first time ever! Some cuts are alternates, some are different versions of other recordings – and all are pretty darn wonderful – that sharp-edged BB King sound right at the start, before the famous Memphis powerhouse was recording for bigger labels in a more commercial setting! Lots of these cuts have a jazzy backing alongside BB's sweet guitar and raspy vocals – a mode that's similar to the mix of bigger band and bluesy elements you'd get on early work from Bobby Blue Bland – that great Memphis mix of modes that always makes us love this stretch in King's career so much. Titles include unusual versions of "Sweet Little Angel", "Catfish Blues", "Early In The Morning", "I Wonder Why", "Goin Down Slow", "Whole Lotta Meat", "Loving You In Vain", "Long Nights", "The Woman I Love", "Soul Beat", "Don't You Want A Man Like Me", "Be Careful With A Fool", and "Whole Lot Of Lovin". (Blues, Soul) CD

Mad funky soul from King Hannibal – a down and dirty singer from the Atlanta scene of the 70s! The notes on the back say "He's black, he's proud, he's arrogant – the combination is powerful" – and we've gotta say that we agree with that assessment, because King really grabs his groove from the very first note on the set! Backings are hard and funky – lots of fuzzy guitar work from Herman Hitson and Lee Moses – and the tunes come across with a gritty mode that sometimes rolls into mellower southern soul styles, but still never lose their edge. Bits of politics creep into the lyrics nicely, but never get in the way of the groove – and tracks include a long version of Hannibal's classic "Hymn No 5", plus "Party Life", "I Got That Will", "The Truth Shall Make You Free", "Wake Up", "Black Girl", and "It's What You Do". CD

A surprisingly wonderful set from deep soul diva Bettye Lavette – a record that's actually as good as most of her older work, and that's something we didn't expect! We'll be honest in saying that we're always pretty darn suspicious of comeback albums by older soul singers – and usually, we find them lacking in spirit compared to the older work, thanks to bad production and song selection choices. Here, though, Lavette actually seems to sound even stronger than before – stepping out on some numbers with especially raw backings that have guitar ripping alongside her heartfelt vocals – in a groove that almost recalls 70s work by Betty Davis. Other tunes are sparer, or mellower – but Bettye's vocals burn strongly throughout – and the album's easily set a new standard for this sort of session! Titles include "Down To Zero", "The High Road", "On The Surface", "Little Sparrow", "Just Say So", "How Am I Different", and "Only Time Will Tell Me". CD

A really great underground groover from the 70s – an album that hardly got any circulation at the time, but which has gone onto become the stuff of legend over the years! The album's a bit unusual, in that it almost feels like an expanded package of 12" singles – as the a-side features four vocal tracks that are all great club numbers – then the b-side has all the same songs, but presented as instrumentals! There's a nicely sophisticated feel to most numbers – almost in the Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson side of the spectrum – more midtempo mellow club than any sort of disco – and the set includes the classic cut "Give Me the Sunshine", and the original recording of "I'm Back for More", which was the big hit for Al Johnson a few years later. The other two tracks are "Madam Butterfly" and "Get Down People" – and all four of these are also done as instrumentals. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Some of the most righteous sounds we've ever heard from Houston legends The Lightmen – recorded at a time when the group was at their most spiritual, and very firmly following a cosmic path set down by drummer Bubbha Thomas! The music here owes nothing to the hippest sounds coming from the coastal cities – and even the undergrounds of Chicago and Detroit in the early 70s – and in fact, there's a vibe here that would be right at home with the Tribe Records spirit of the motor city, as the group balance their freewheeling inclinations with a nice sense of rhythm as well! Players include Doug Harris on some excellent soprano, tenor, and flute – plus Virgil Solomon on flute and alto, James Hensley on trumpet and light whistle, Joe Singleton on trombone, and Marshia Frazier on electric piano. Titles include "Sorrow Bitterness & Revolution", "Hope", "Blue Tip", "On The Road Home", "Song Of Praise", and "Ujimma". 2CD version features the standard stereo mix and the unissued mono version – plus a great booklet of notes! (Jazz, Soul) CD

Great work from Little Bob – aka Lil Bob, aka Camille Bob – a New Orleans soul singer with a nicely funky edge! The album's almost got more of a mid 60s James Brown inspiration than some of Bob's southern contemporaries – with backing from the super-tight Lollipops, who really know how to make all the instruments come down on the groove – but also still leave room for one of the horn players to step out with a smoking solo from time to time! Bob's got a mellow, heartbreaking vibe on some of the more laidback tracks – but then can really soar on the more upbeat numbers – showing an emotional range that's really wonderful, and which makes the album as much a deep soul treasure as it is incredibly rare. Titles include "I Got Loaded", "The Way It's Got To Be", "Nobody But You", "My Heart's On Fire", "Are You Ever Coming Home", "So In Need", "With These Hands", and "Look Out Mr Heartache". LP, Vinyl record album

A diverse batch of rare soul singles by singer and guitar player Barbara Lynn – the complete Tribe, Jet Stream, Copywrite and Starflight singles – wonderful stuff cut from the mid 60s to late 70s! All of these labels are parts of the empire South Texas musical force Huey P Meaux – and Barbara delivers beautiful throughout the years with material the evolved with the times. It ranges from classic level mid 60s stripped-down guitar, bass, drums & handclap- backed soul tunes, to more horn heavy uptempo numbers, to mellow funk, bluesier soul and a bit of disco as the years went by. This set focuses on the Meaux material, but Barbara also cut some incredible material for Atlantic during this period – and a couple of stellar singles from that run are included, too. Includes "I'm A Good Woman", "Running Back", "Until I'm Free", "Club A Go-Go", "Movin' On A Groove", "Disco Music", "Take Your Time", "Sugar Coating Love", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Call My Bluff Baby", "Takin' His Love Away (Ain't Gonna Be Easy)", "You Better Quit It", "You Finally Got Your Good Thing Back" and more. 24 tracks in all. CD

A black tie affair, but a set that's still got all the great vocal touches of The Manhattans firmly in place – thanks to careful Chicago production from Leo Graham and arranger James Mack! The set's smooth, but never in a sloppily commercial way – and instead, the pair find a way to continue to elevate The Manhattans way past their roots – that rich new territory they plumbed while working at Columbia Records, on albums like this which really helped the older vocal group tradition find a new groove for the 80s. Mellow moments mix nicely with a few midtempo groovers – and titles include "Just One Moment Away", "You Stand Out", "Let Your Love Come Down", "Honey Honey", "I Wanta Thank You", "Deep Water", and "When I Leave Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A clubbier album than usual from Curtis Mayfield – a mid 70s attempt to move onto the dancefloor, but a set that's still got the undeniable Mayfield charm! Half the tracks here were done in collaboration with disco maestro Gil Askey – and these numbers are longer tracks that soar and sway on waves of rhythms and subtle strings – all in a mode that's clearly going for a Philly-styled groove, and which manages to come pretty close in the end! The second half of the album, though, is quite different – mellower numbers that follow through on some of the more personal soul styles that Curtis was laying down on other Curtom albums from the time – a great blend of gentle rhythms, warm instrumentation, and those always-sweet Mayfield vocals – a sound that almost reminds us of some of the best mellow soul of the time from labelmate Leroy Hutson. Clubby tracks include "Do It All Night", "No Goodbyes", and "Party Party" – and mellow tracks include "Keeps Me Loving You", "In Love In Love In Love", and "You Are You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

2 later albums from Curtis Mayfield – both recorded in the post-Curtom years! We Come In Peace is a set that originally got small indie circulation, yet one that shows that Curtis was still going strong into the 80s! Half the set echoes the upbeat dancefloor modes of the late Curtom years – the club-oriented groovers that Mayfield picked up during the disco years, but still managed to deliver with a surprising degree of soul, thanks to his classic vocals. Other tunes have a bit more of an 80s groove at points, but still a lot more warmth than chart soul of the time – minimal beats and keys, and rhythm that's never too stiff. The set's got a few gentler moments too – like the great "Baby It's You", and the cuts "This Love Is True" and "Everybody Needs A Friend" – both of which continue the warmer side of Mayfield's late 70s years. The set also features a remake of "We Got To Have Peace", and the cuts "Body Guard", "We Come In Peace", and "Breakin In The Streets". Take It To The Streets is later mellow magic from Curtis Mayfield – a set that has something of a quiet storm feel at times, which is a surprisingly great setting for Curtis' famous voice! The album's got a relatively laidback feel – never trying too hard for a hit, or to keep up with commercial soul of the time – and instead, Curtis just slides nicely into some sweetly stepping grooves that really bring out some of the best gentler sides of his groove. A few cuts get a bit uptempo, but never in a cloying way – almost with more of an early 80s club vibe at times – and titles include "Homeless", "Got To Be Real", "Do Be Down", "I Mo Git U", "Sucka", and "He's A Fly Guy". CD

A trio of classic albums from The Muscle Shoals Horns – with bonus tracks too! First up is Born To Get Down, by a group who were definitely born to get down – as they'd proved before on countless funk and soul sessions in the south – and as they prove once again with this masterful album on their own! The style here is surprisingly well-formed – not just horn players getting to shine in the lead, but a soul group with a tightness that matches some of the hippest, most sophisticated groups of the time – working here with really well-crafted rhythms that often hit an excellent midtempo groove, and avoid any disco-era cliches. Muscle Shoals legend Barry Beckett helps the group out on keyboards, arrangements, and production – and trumpeter Harrison Calloway turns out to be a surprisingly great singer in the lead. Titles include "Born To Get Down", which has a nice keyboard break in the middle, plus "Bump De Bump Yo Boogie", "Give It To Me", "Open Up Your Heart", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Break Down". Doin It To The Bone is a killer album from the Muscle Shoals Horns – and way more than just a set of studio players stepping out for some time in the spotlight! Sure, the MSH had worked on hundreds of sessions by this point – but there's also a sense of ownership and leadership they never had before – a real sense of trying something fresh, and really making the album all their own! To that respect, they certainly use their horns – but also work in plenty of vocals, too – and definitely emphasize the rhythms, which often have this cool compressed vibe that's very much in the best Earth Wind & Fire style – especially on the midtempo numbers that really make the album a killer. Production is by Barry Beckett, who goes for a nicely modern soul approach – and of all the horns, Harrison Calloway is probably the lead talent here – handling most of the arrangements, songwriting, and vocals. Titles include "What's Goin Down", "Dance To The Music", "I Just Wanna Turn You On", "Addicted To Your Love", "Beware Of The Rip Off", and "Keep On Playing That Funky Music". Last up is Shine On – an early 80s set from the mighty Muscle Shoals Horns, but one that cooks every bit as much as their funk classics from the 70s! At some level, this album may well be the group's funkiest – but in a style that's got some of the best 80s qualities in the grooves – the kind of tight basslines and sweet keyboard lines that marked some of the best work of the time – mixed with the group's sublime horn lines, which provide these jazzy inflections that really warm things up in a brilliant way! Most of the rhythms are nicely right in the middle – neither too uptempo, nor too head-noddy – and the whole thing's a really overlooked gem that's a standout funky set from the time. Titles include "Celebrate Recreate Participate", "She Was Once My Woman", "Shoalin", "More Than Ever Now", and "Don't Bust Yo Bubbles". 2CD set features bonus tracks – 7" mixes of "Born To Get Down", "Bump De Bump Yo Boodie", "Where I'm Coming From", and "She Was Once My Woman" – plus "I Just Wanna Turn You On (12" mix)". CD

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

2 Ohio Players classics – back to back on one CD! Skin Tight is the band's first album for Mercury – and although one might have the temptation to say that the label cut down the radical funk sound of the trippy Westbound years, the move also taught the band to sharpen up their act, and get out of the repetitive sloppy groove into which they'd been lapsing during the past few years. The record's a lot smoother than earlier work – with a polished funky sound that would soon push the band right up there with Earth Wind & Fire at the top of the soul charts. And although there's familiar funky numbers like "Skin Tight", "Jive Turkey", and "Streakin Cheek To Cheek" – the best moment on the entire album is the wonderful spacey soul number "Heaven Must be Like This", a seven minute mellow groover that's got a sophisticated jazzy soul style, with voices and piano soaring into the heavens, in a way that always still sends chills down our spine! That cut shows the band's tremendous growth – and it's one of their best-ever! Fire is one of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free". CD

A landmark album for the O'Jays – a set that moved them from the indie ranks to 70s megasoulstatus! After years of bumping around on a variety of labels, and in a variety of styles, the group really exploded with this wonderful set – an album that has them soaring along in the righteous Philly groove of the early 70s – a sound that turned out to be a perfect foil for the trio's sublime, yet earthy harmonies. Arrangements are by some fo the best of the core Philly scene – Thom Bell, Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Bobby Martin – and the album's overflowing with great tunes that completely redefine the sound of group soul in the 70s! Includes megahits "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train" – plus "Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People", "When The World's At Peace", "Time To Get Down", "Who Am I" and more! CD

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

A fantastic bit of female funk from the 70s – and a set that was recorded in Germany by a very exotic singer! The album is Asha Puthli's first – and includes some unusual interpretations of work by JJ Cale, John Lennon, Bill Withers, and George Harrison – plus a great tune of her own – set to these cool backings that have lots of spacey electric modes blended with smoother funk passages – kind of a precursor to later Munich disco modes, but with a slower, slinkier feel. Asha's voice is very weird – a bit in the "love to love you baby" mode, and with a range of sounds that moves up and down the scale almost as much as Minnie Riperton. The record's got a nice mix of jazzy arrangements, and Asha's unique high-pitched vocals work great on tracks like "Lies", "Right Down Here", "I Dig Love", "Truth", "I Am A Song", "Let Me In Your Life", and "This Is Your Life". CD

One of Lou's excellent Capitol sessions produced by David Axelrod! The record's not an outwardly funky one, but Axe gives the set a nice loping groove on the best tracks – the sound that he brought to his best work with Rawls, and which really put him over the top back in the 60s. Titles include "Mean Black Snake", "Walking Proud", "Trouble Down Here Below", "A Woman Who's Woman", and "Something Stirrin In My Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo moment from Eugene Record – the singer who'd rose to fame with The Chi-Lites, and who still sounds pretty darn great here on his own! The album follows strongly from the best late styles of Record's previous group – and the tunes are a mix of ballads that Eugene could always do very well, and a few more contemporary groovers used to bring a modern soul vibe to the record! Eugene produced the whole thing himself, but gets great Chicago soul help on arrangements from Tom Tom 84 and James Mack – and some of he best cuts have that loping, midtempo groove that was always a perfect fit for Record's standout vocals. Titles include the great "Here Comes The Sun" and "Overdose Of Joy" – plus "Laying Beside You", "Trying To Watch The Wind", "Mother Of Love", "Love Don't Live By Sex Alone", and "Putting it Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Otis Redding Sings Soul – plenty of truth in that – but on this sweet little set, he somehow does it even better than before! The album's got a tightness that's totally great – but it's light years from the smoother soul of Motown, and still has plenty of the gritty Memphis edges that helped Otis rise to the top in the 60s – that burning-under sort of groove that pushes up from the earth along with his vocals, and gives the album a push that most other singers never got! Redding's vocals are as perfect as usual – deeply personal, and free from cliche – even from all of those laid down by Otis' copycats of the time. Titles are a near-perfect mix of numbers too – and include the raw groovers "Respect", "Shake", and "Satisfaction", then hits a wonderfully warm soulful ballad style the classic "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and really sparkles on southern soul tributes like "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Down In The Valley". Very solid stuff all the way through – and one of the best-conceived albums of his career! LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost record from Clarence Reid – one of the most multi-talented artists on his scene, stepping out here with the depth and sensitivity of some of his best southern soul contemporaries of the 70s! Despite the fact that at the time of the record, Reid was simultaneously recording as the goofy raunch-soul act Blowfly, the cover of this set features him sitting alone at a grand piano, looking all sensitive and serious – like he's Billy Joel or somebody! The style of the album, fortunately, doesn't match the cheesy singer/songwriter presentation – and it's a strong batch of Miami soul tracks that roll along with the classic TK groove of the mid 70s, yet without any of the too-pop or disco modes that were holding back some other artists. Reid's vocals are more heartfelt than ever – really soaring out at a level that almost matches Latimore – and all tunes were written by him, with a bit of help from Steve Alaimo, who also produces the record. Tracks include "The Best Part Of A Man", "The Only Time She Loves Me", "Caution! Love Ahead", "Down Where The Love Is", "Nappy-Haired Cowboy", and "Sleep With Me". Hmmm...kind of sounds like a Blowfly album after all! CD

One of Lionel Richie's biggest records ever! Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "All Night Long", "Penny Lover", "The Only One", "Running With The Night", "Hello", "The Groove", "Love Will Find A Way" and "Stuck On You". CD

One of Lionel Richie's biggest records ever! Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "All Night Long", "Penny Lover", "The Only One", "Running With The Night", "Hello", "The Groove", "Love Will Find A Way" and "Stuck On You". CD

One of Lionel Richie's biggest records ever! Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "All Night Long", "Penny Lover", "The Only One", "Running With The Night", "Hello", "The Groove", "Love Will Find A Way" and "Stuck On You". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record