A killer rare gem from the 70s – served up in this warm mellow take on funky soul, with plenty of jazzy licks in the mix too! The production is great – cool and compressed, so that the vocals are folded nicely onto the grooves – which are mostly in this midtempo mode that chugs along in a really unified pace throughout the record – almost making the whole thing feel like some funky suite of tracks that work together as a unit! The vibe is almost a bit in the Sugar Billy mode – indie funk that's nicely away from the mainstream, and with a groove that's more pre-disco overall – on a great set of tracks that include "You Must Be From Heaven", "Rainbow Men", "Freeway", "Love Rope", "Super Love", and "Save The Young Ones". CD

One gal, three guys, and a sublime album of harmony soul – one of those fantastic early 70s sets from the Independents – a Chicago group we'd stack right up there next to the best from the east coast! Maurice in the title is Maurice Jackson – who'd earlier recorded the track "Lucky Fellow" – later done by Leroy Hutson, and recorded here by the group in a fantastic version too! Chuck in the title is Chuck Jackson, who co-produced the set with Marvin Yancey – an early effort from the soul production duo who'd later help Natalie Cole and others hit great fame – working here at the start of his career, to guide singers Helen Curry and Eric Thomas to great heights. The whole record is wonderful – a definite "cut above" harmony soul set with all the sophisticated styles that the Chicago scene had to offer at the start of the 70s – thanks also to arranging genius on the set from Richard Evans, Tom Tom Washington, and Floyd Morris. In addition to "Lucky Fellow", other titles include "It's All Over", "No Wind No Rain", "I Found Love On A Rainy Day", "The Same Old Way", "It's All Over", and "In The Valley Of My World". CD features three bonus tracks – "Let This Be A Lesson To You", and two versions of "Arise & Shine". CD

A great set that may well be Big Maybelle's best record ever – really rare work that's quite different than her famous work of the 50s! The set was recorded in the Criteria studios in Miami – and it's got a cool southern soul sound that's part Bobby Blue Bland bluesy soul, and part Muscle Shoals funk – fused together wonderfully by arranger Eric Knight – who really has a great ear for giving Maybelle a wicked new groove! Maybelle's vocals are a bit deeper than usual – much more soul than the blues of a decade before – and tracks include "This Bitter Earth", "How It Lies", "Old Love Never Dies", "My Mother's Eyes", and "Love Careless Love". CD

A rare Japanese-only session – one that has vocalist Salena Jones joining the fusion supergroup Stuff – in a set that's easily one of the most soulful outings from both artists involved! Although Jones mostly worked overseas, she's got a slinky style here that really fits the groove of the American group – a slow-stepping approach that wraps nicely around keyboards from Richard Tee, and twin guitars from Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree. Steve Gadd's drums keep a nice undercurrent of funk, even when things are mellow – and Tee's arrangements are tight, but never slick or overdone. Titles include "Loving Arms", "My Love", "Everyday", "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", and "Lately". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. (Jazz, Soul) CD

A special 50th Anniversary set of the legendary Wattstax Concert in 1972 – a magical music moment that had the Memphis soul powerhouse Stax Records filling the Los Angeles Coliseum with some of its best artists – all to celebrate the pride and power of the community in Watts! This set features a distillation of the much longer concert, along with one never-issued track – titles that include "Baby" by Carla Thomas, "Old Time Religion" by The Golden 13, "I've Been Lonely For So Long" by Frederick Knight, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "I'll Take You There" by Staple Singers, "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays, "Hearsay" by Soul Children, "The Breakdown" by Rufus Thomas, "Ain't That Loving You" by David Porter, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Explain It To Her Mama" by The Temprees, "Precious Lord Take My Hand" by Deborah Manning, "I Am Somebody" by Jesse Jackson, and "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes – plus the never-issued "I Shall Not Be Moved" by Eric Mercury. CD

A stunning selection of work from the legendary Stax records – a package of rare material that includes 11 tracks that appear here for the first time ever! We've been fans of the legendary Memphis soul label for a mighty long time – and, as with Motown, we're always amazed at how much wonderful work that Stax recorded, but never issued at the time – a surprise to many, but of the best sort possible! And the "groove" in the title is a reference to the fact that most of the cuts here are upbeat and funky – all done in the years before disco, and in a mix of styles that moves between uptempo 60s soul and some of the 70s funk that the label was turning out in their final years – served up here in a superb collection of cuts that will only deepen your love of the Stax label. Titles include "Bad Water" by Little Milton", "Can We Talk This Over" by Eddie Floyd, "Burning On Both Ends" by The Nightingales, "How Can I Be A Witness" by RB Hudmon, "Soul Groove" by Art Jerry Miller, "Don't Fight The Feeling" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Three's A Crowd" by The Temprees, "Helping Man" by Jean Knight, "True Love Don't Grow On Trees" by Veda Brown, "Leaning On Your Undying Love" by Shack, "The Natural You" by Ollie & The Nightingales, "Ain't Enough Hours" by The Emotions, "Passing Thru/World Keeps Turning (extended)" by Frederick Knight, "You Ain't Playing With No Toy" by Soul Children, "Love Is Taking Over" by Eric Mercury, and "I Got To Be Myself" by The Rance Allen Group. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Two rare compilations from Trojan Records – back to back in a single set, with an insane number of bonus tracks too! Both records capture that time when the groove was moving from rocksteady to early reggae – still yet to hit global fame, which makes for a really nice mix of music from an array of lesser-knowns who were getting circulation outside of Jamaica by Trojan. The set really digs deep, way past the bigger tracks and hits – and there's a fair bit of artists here who might be new to anyone but the more serious reggae collectors. Plenty of work here resonated strongly with the growing UK reggae market for reggae at the end of the 60s – and alongside soulful vocals, there's a nicely laidback groove on most numbers – never too overproduced, and filled with plenty of surprises along the way! The set features the full tracks from both records in the title, plus 31 bonus tracks – and most cuts are new to CD – a massive lineup of work from The Slickers, GG All Stars, Maytones, Keeling Backford, Lloyd & Robin, Gladstone & The Followers, Charlie Ace, Trevor & Keith, Vernon Buckley & Alvin Ranglin, and Eric Monty Morris. (Reggae, Soul) CD

A treasure trove of soul from LA's mighty Money Records – home to some of the best indie singles on the west coast at the end of the 60s! The work here really runs the gamut of hip styles from the time – and includes group soul, Northern groovers, and even a bit of funk too – packaged together beautifully by the folks at Kent Records, who make this third volume sparkle every bit as strongly as other volumes in their Money Records series! There's an equal mix of male and female singers on the set, and the package features not only rare 45s on Money and related labels, but also a few unissued cuts as well – making the whole thing essential to own, even if you've got a pile of rare Money singles at home. Titles include "Girl You're So Fine" by Bobby Angelle, "Give Back Your Lovin" by Don Trotter, "The Skate" by The Larks, "If She Wants To Go" by Choice Of Colors, "I'll Give My Love To You" by Eric Williams, "You Got Me Dizzy" by Bobby Angelle, "Don't Take My Mind" by Bettye Swann, "Put Your Weight On It (part 2)" by Filmore Street Soul Rebellions, "Doin The Thing" by Question Marks, "Open Up Your Eyes" by The M&Ms & The Peanuts, "Why'd You Put Me On" by Bobbi Row & The Englishmen, "Sad & Blue" by The Mysteries, "Speak To Me In Your Soulful Way" by Hank Jacobs & The TKOs, and even "Hard Times Are Coming" by an Unknown Duo! CD

A huge collection of rare singles from the vaults of the legendary Treasure Isle label – a company who was home to some of the hippest tracks from the early days of ska – and also did a great job of getting the music to the UK scene as well! This package goes past the familiar Treasure Isle hits, as the 7" singles feature previously unreleased tracks and rare alternate versions – all packaged up in a great box set with a mighty sharp look. The whole thing is great – nice and raw, and very different than ska revival material of later years – and this 3CD set features all the material that was on the 7" box set done a few years back, plus 74 more bonus tracks! Core cuts include "You Wish Me Bad (take 6)" by The Spanishtonians, "Love Me Or Leave Me (take 1)" by Owen & Leon Silvera, "I'm All Alone (take 1)" by Frank Cosmo, "Oh Misery (take 2)" by The Duke Reid Group, "Thinking Of The Future" by Stranger Cole, "Fooling Around" by The Rio Grandes, "Renegade (take 1)" by The Zodiacs, "Smokey Ska (take 1)" by The Baba Brooks Band, "Practice What You Preach" by Owen & Leon Silvera, "My True Confession (take 1)" by The Silvertones, "Til My Dying Day" by Winston & Slim, "Road To Nowhere (orig mix)" by Lyn Taitt & The Baba Brooks Band, "What A Bailing (take 1)" by Duke Reid Group, The Army Is Searching (take 2)" by Basil Caral & Group, "Storm Warning (take 1)" by Lyn Taitt & the Boys, "Want Me Cock (take 1)" by Owen & Leon Silvera, and "How Know Your Friend (take 1)" by Derrick Morgan – with bonus material by Duke Reid, The Movers, Justin Hinds, Tommy McCook, Froggy, Lynn Tait, Eric Morris, Baba Brooks, Lloyd & Glenn, Derrick & Naomi, The Miracles, The Zodiacs, The Melodies, Sensations, and many many more. (Reggae, Soul) CD

A treasure trove of classic New Orleans-styled soul tracks from Dr John – all the early singles for Atlantic Records that helped him forge his legendary sound – served up here with some surprising non-LP moments as well! If you don't know Dr John's groove, this is a great place to start – and even if you already dig his messed-up blend of funk, soul, and trippier currents, you'll love the way these shorter singles focuses his energy in ways that are different than some of the longer LP tracks – still very groovy, but packing even more punch! The set's got 26 tracks in all – including "A Man Of Many Words", done with Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton – plus "I Walk On Guilded Splinters (parts 1 & 2)", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Cold Cold Cold", "Traveling Mood", "Mos Scocious", "Let's Make A Better World", "Me - You = Loneliness", "Rite Away", "Such A Night", "Right Place Wrong Time", "Loop Garoo", "Jump Sturdy", "The Patriotic Flag Waver (mono short version)", and "Mama Roux". CD

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes the bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"! CD

Wendy and Lisa really break out of earlier modes here – and hit a style that showcases a more sensitive, singer-songwriter orientation that's a welcome change from some of their too funky modes! The groove here is a little hard to pin down exactly – but there's a great sense of textures in the sound that almost echoes the image on the cover – a style that has the lyrics of the tunes really taking center stage in front of the rhythms, and which features instrumentation that's often nicely abstracted from its source – kind of shimmering and glowing behind the vocals. Titles include "Mother Of Pearl", "Strung Out", "Rainbow Lake", "Porch Swing", "Why Wait For Heaven", "Valley Vista", and "Staring At The Sun". 2CD version is bursting with bonus material – tracks that include "Eric's Ghost", "Stones & Birth", "Balance", "Minneapolis #1", "C-Ya", "Strung Out (g-strung 7")", "Rainbow Lake (12 into 7 rmx)", and "Don't Try To Tell Me (alt version)". CD

Beautiful duo soul from the all-time great Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway – released right around the time of Donny's tragic passing! The set was co-produced by Eric Mercury and Flack – and it has a lot of great vocals from Roberta, with as masterfully paired with Donny as always – plus guest vocal appearances by Luther Vandross, Gwen Guthrie, and Eleanore Mills, and even Mercury, who sings a bit on one track! Titles include couple of nice Stevie Wonder tunes – "You Are My Heaven" and "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long" – plus "Stay With Me", "God Don't Like Ugly", "Only Heaven Can Wait", and "Disguises". CD

A big album for Chaka – as her hits of the late 70s and 1980s are remixed into new club versions for the 90s – although oddly, those versions, which were "fresh" at the time, sound almost a bit dated next to some of the originals! Remixers include Hank Shocklee & Eric Sadler, Winston Jones, Paul Simpson, Clivilles & Cole, Frankie Knuckles, Tony Humphries, and David Morales – and titles include "Life Is A Dance", "I Know You, I Live You", "This Is My Night", "Ain't Nobody", "Clouds", "I Feel For You", "Slow Dancin", "I'm Every Woman", and "One Million Kisses". CD

Subtitled "New Directions In Garage Music", this was the second album of Prince-blessed funky instrumental tracks from Eric Leeds and the Madhouse combo. The sound is pure 80s Paisley Park, with a groove that's more enduring than you'd expect, and some horn and keyboard solos that rock out wildly on top of the electro rhythms of the backing tracks. Titles include "9", "10", "11", and so on! CD

5CDs, and a set that's overflowing with classic tracks from the legendary Stax Records – with an especially heavy emphasis on the label's genius moments from 1968 to the mid 70s! There's way too much here to list, but some of the more unusual tracks include "What A Man" by Linda Lyndell, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Funky Robot (part 1)" by Rufus Thomas, "Circuit's Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Sweetback's Theme" by Melvin Van Peebles, "Help" by David Porter, "Starting All Over Again" by Mel & Tim, "I Could Never Be President" by Johnnie Taylor, "How Can I Be A Witness" by RB Hudmon, "What Goes Around Must Come Around" by Sons Of Slum, "Harlem Heaven" by Rance Allen, "Mother's Day" by 24 Carat Black, "Bump & Boogie (part 1)" by The Wrecking Crew, "Chains Of Love" by Jimmy Hughes, "Itch & Scratch (part 1)" by Rufus Thomas, "What's Usual Ain't Natural" by Eric Mercury, "Lovin You Lovin Me" by Sandra Wright, "What Do You See In Her" by Hot Sauce, "The Creeper Returns" by Little Sonny, and "It's Worth A Whippin" by Shirley Brown. CD