What the what?!? Soul sides so great they'll blow your mind – even though none of them have ever been issued before! George Jackson is one of the great lost talents of southern soul – an artist who often stayed in the background, lending his talents to others in the studio, or as a writer – but a hell of a strong artist on his own – as you'll hear in this package of 24 recordings done at the legendary Fame Studios! Jackson's vocals are great – nice and gritty, plain and honest, and with just the right sort of focus to perfectly serve up the poetry of his lyrics. And the backings are wonderful, too – that simple, soulful groove that Fame did so well – often slow-burning on the rhythm tip, with production that lets George shine right out front in the mix. Why these cuts were never issued at the time is a mystery to us – as they could have made George and a few other folks a nice little fortune and a good deal of fame. But as with most discoveries like this, the obscurity of the tracks also makes for a freshness that we love too – as if we've taken a time machine back to a period we love, and found a way to hear the "real deal" right up close! Special LP version – featuring a dozen tracks from the Fame CDs – including "Greedy Over You", "Double Lovin", "Don't Count Me Out", "Save Me", "That From The Heart", "Add A Little Sunshine", "Let The Best Man Win", "I Bit Off More Than I Can Chew", and "Bite The Hand That Feeds You". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous discovery in soul music – previously unreleased demos from the legendary Dan Penn – one of the key songwriters in the Fame Studios/Muscle Shoals scene of the 60s! Dan's tunes had an undeniable impact on southern soul for decades to come – yet Penn hardly issued any singles himself – just sang on these in-house recordings as a way of demonstrating the strength of his songs! Yet Penn's vocals are amazing – as raspy and soulful as any of the big names who recorded his work – and backed here by superb Fame support by the core combo of Spooner Oldham on piano and organ, Jimmy Johnson on guitar, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Oldham co-wrote most of the tunes with Penn, and really gives them a slow-burning, all-soul feel with his keyboard lines – and although demo recordings, the production here is every bit as great as commercially-released material from Fame – making the collection sparkle like the lost album (or albums!) that Dan Penn never had at the time. Titles include "Keep On Talking", "Feed The Flame", "Strangest Feeling", "I Do", "It Tears Me Up", "Uptight Good Woman", "Far From The Maddening Crowd", "The Puppet", "Long Ago", "Slippin Around With You", and "Do Something". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of work from one of the greatest soul labels ever – a tiny Alabama imprint that helped bring the Muscle Shoals sound to the masses – thanks to the work of producer Rick Hall, and his crack band of session players! The music here set a whole new standard for soul in the south – and really helped bridge older 50s modes and the new wave of more expressive, more sophisticated singers – served up here in a special vinyl-only package that mixes big Fame classics with some real gems that never got their due back in the day – and even come cuts that appear here on vinyl for the first time ever! Titles include "She Ain't Gonna Do Right" by Clarence Carter, "Fortune Teller" by The Del-Rays, "That Kind Of Lovin" by Otis Clay, "Back In Your Arms" by George Jackson, "Feed The Flame" by Billy Young, "Almost Persuaded" by June Conquest, "A Piece of My Heart" by Art Freeman, "I Worship The Ground You Walk On" by Jimmy Hughes, "Blind Can't See" by Richard Earl & The Corvettes, "Come On Home" by Hrman Moore, "I'm Gonna Forget About You" by Arthur Conley, "Long Ago" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Dan Penn, and "Don't Make Me Hate Loving You" by Jeanie Greene. LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous early work from the great Candi Staton – coming across here as much more of a deep soul singer than on her later club and disco tracks – thanks to rock-solid production from Muscle Shoals legend Rick Hall – probably the best producer ever to work with Candi's voice! The style's a bit smoother than on some of Candi's first few recordings – but still very much in a deep soul mode, with a sophisticated approach to southern soul that's really outta site – and which has Staton really evolving past earlier southern soul styles, bridging worlds in the same way that Millie Jackson was beginning to do with some of her excellent 70s material too! Tracks include "Do It In The Name Of Love", "The Best Thing You Ever Had", "The Thanks I Get For Loving You", "I'll Drop Everything & Come Running", and "Wanted Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius early work from Candi Staton – one of her first few gems recorded at Fame Studios with producer Rick Hall – and a set that packs the punch of some of the best female soul of the time! The groove here is stripped-down, raw, and ready – at a level that even Aretha Franklin's classic work for Atlantic in the late 60s couldn't even match. And unlike Aretha, Candi's work here is largely undiscovered – not nearly as filled with cliched, and stepping out nicely on a fresh set of tracks written by George Jackson, Clarence Carter, and others – all sung by Staton in a heartbreaking voice that should have been one of the biggest forces in 70s soul. Titles include "Evidence", "Get It When I Want It", "Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man", "I'm Just A Prisoner", and "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful early work from deep soul singer Candi Staton – early southern work, and done with a very different vibe than the clubbier cuts she'd deliver at the end of the 70s! Fame Records giant Rick Hall produced, and the whole thing was recorded with the kind of raw hard sound that Muscle Shoals was built on – deep, heartfelt, rootsy, and incredible! Candi's voice is remarkably emotional, and doesn't have the diva polish of later sides – which is a great thing for us, as the album shows her as a sort of singer we never expected. Titles include "Too Hurt To Cry", "How Can I Put Out The Flame", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Sweet Feeling", "He Called Me Baby", and "Freedom Is Just Beyond The Door". LP, Vinyl record album

An early album as a leader from the great Roy Ayers – a set that captures the vibes man at a time when he'd been working on the west coast soul jazz scene, and was stepping into even greater fame in the group of Herbie Mann! Yet this set is definitely Roy's own – kind of an introduction to the more righteous sounds he'd pursue in the 70s, set up in an instrumental mode with great help from Herbie Hancock on piano, Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, and Hubert Laws on flute – all ultra-hip players who really bring a lot to the record! And despite the colorful cover, and its reference of a pop hit, there's a much deeper vibe going on here – on titles that include a great version of Jobim's "Wave" – done like we've never heard it before – plus the original cuts "What The People Say", "Lil's Paradise", and "A Rose For Cindy". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Almost a "greatest hit" of "greatest hits" collection – given the importance of this album to the David Bowie catalog! Sure, it compiles tracks from other releases – but it also was the album that gave the world the killer cut "John I'm Only Dancing" – one of the key cuts in Bowie's gender revision in the 70s – and a title that was previously only out as a single! Alongside that gem, you also get a fantastic run of greatness from Bowie's first chapter of recording – the kind of cuts that would make other singers weep – including "Space Oddity", "Changes", "Ziggy Stardust", "Suffragette City", "Jean Genie", "Diamond Dogs", "Rebel Rebel", "Young Americans", "Fame", and "Golden Years". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the same Candido that you might know from Salsoul Records or 50s Latin fame – and instead a younger percussionist who cut this legendary album for Joe Bataan's Ghetto Records label! The set's got a rootsy vibe that's mighty nice – right up there with the best of the Fania salsa scene at the start of the 70s – and Candido plays timbales in a group that also features two trumpets, tenor, and trombone – plus lots more piano, bass, and percussion! You might have heard Candido's percussion in the groups of Ricardo Ray or Randy Carlos, but here he's a hell of a leader on his own – on titles that include the mellow soul "Baby Doll", the jazzy "Something Smooth", and the cuts "Palos De Fuego", "Bochinches", "El Lobo", and "Mi Ritmo Cubano". (Latin, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime soul from the great Otis Clay – early material done on the Chicago scene in the years before he hit bigger fame in the 70s – and tracks that may well be some of our favorite material ever by the singer! Otis already has that impeccable deep soul approach going on here – vocals that rival those of Otis Redding or any of the greats at Stax or Atlantic – often set to that gently grooving style that marked the Chicago vibe in the mid 60s – nicely sophisticated, but never too polished – and presented here so that Clay really shines in the lead! The choice of cuts is great, and the package is one that's a great introduction if you've not heard Clay at this point in his career – or a great addition to your collection if you've only got some of his singles from this non-album stretch. 16 tracks in all – including "I'm Satisfied", "Thank You Love", "I Lost Someone", "A Lasting Love", "Tired Of Falling In & Out Of Love With You", "Show Me What You Say", "Show Place", and "I Got Problems". LP, Vinyl record album

Soul legend Sam Cooke left our planet all too soon – but during his short time in the business, and during the height of his fame, he managed to start his own record company too – a really groundbreaking imprint that issued some great singles of his own, and helped to showcase a small group of well-chosen artists that Cooke really got behind! The date range here is a bit longer than the actual recording history of SAR – as Sam died in 1964, and was overseeing most of the artistic and creative direction of the label – along with help from partner JW Alexander – and the material here showcases both sides of Cooke's legacy, both secular and spiritual – with a focus on some great soul singers and groups, and a bit of gospel music too. The collection is nicely tight – not as wide-ranging as bigger label compilations, in part because of the elite group of artists who recorded for SAR – which makes for a sharp lineup of tracks, from artists who include Johnnie Taylor, The Valentinos, The Womack Brothers, Soul Stirrers, The Simms Twins, Billy Preston, Johnnie Morisette, RH Harris & His Gospel Paraders, and Sam Cooke himself! LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous soul, and the only record ever cut by East Coast – a group led by Larry Blackmon of later Cameo fame – and featuring vocals from a young Gwen Guthrie – heard here for the first time on LP, long before her later hits! The style is very hip – a mixture of funk and progressive grooving, all held together with a sound that's young, proud, and which moves easily between influences from a number of different camps. In a way, the group's almost a cross between early Earth Wind & Fire and The Voices Of East Harlem – with a style that's got some nicely soulful jazz elements, but served up with a dose of sweeter soul. Gregory Johnson plays some great keyboards on the set, and titles include "I've Got To Reclaim You", "Something Deep Inside", "Any Thing You Have In Mind", "Miss Gigi", "Keep On Trying", "I Found You", and "You Can't Let It Get You Down". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few rare albums recorded as a leader from bassist Cleveland Eaton – a player who first rose to fame with Maurice White in the second Ramsey Lewis trio – and one who gave the world some amazingly hip records on the Black Jazz label in the 70s! This set is a unique effort for the label of Philly soul team of Gamble & Huff – yet the set was recorded in Chicago, and has a wickedly funky vibe that's very much like the coolest Chess/Cadet material of the period – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and some righteous soul currents too! There's plenty of great Chicago players on the session – Odell Brown on Fender Rhodes, Artee Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on drums – on titles that include "Keep It Funky", "Slipping Into Darkness", "Here Comes Funky Lou", "Day Dreaming", "Ah Movin On", and a nice cover of "People Make The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Marcia Griffiths – the Jamaican singer who first rose to fame in the duo of Bob & Marcia – but who already sounds very much her own woman on this classic set from the 70s! The groove is as much funky soul as it is reggae – in fact maybe more the former than the latter – and Marcia's got this proud, righteous approach that's very different than her style of just a few years before – set to great grooves that have sharp core instrumentation with Lloyd Charmers on piano and organ, and Willie Lindo on guitar. Almost more of a female funky soul record on most cuts – with tracks that include "Here I Am Baby", "Children At Play", "I'd Rather Be Lonely", "Sweet Bitter Love", "There's No Me Without You", "Everything I Own", "Green Grasshopper", and "Gypsy Man". Also features a full album of rare bonus tracks – including "Play Me", "The First Cut Is The Deepest", "Melody Life", "Don't Let Me Down", "Band Of Gold", "I See You My Love", "It's Too Late", "Baby If You Don't Love Me", "Love Walked In", and "Working To The Top". (Reggae, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The classic first LP by this stellar Chicago harmony group – and a monster! Heaven & Earth had a wonderful falsetto harmony sound that reminds us a lot of east coast winners like Blue Magic or The Stylistics – and like some of the best east coast groups, this group's vocals work equally well on slow ballads or faster uptempo numbers, both of which are handled extremely well on the record by producer Clarence Johnson. The bulk of the arrangements on the record were done by Tom Tom 84 – one of Chicago's true soul geniuses, and in perfect form on this record. The whole thing's amazingly well put together for an indie soul group album – and is a sure indication of the group's later fame on Mercury. Titles include "Nature's Miracle", "The Message", "I'll Always Love You", "Let Me Back In", and "I Can't Seem To Forget You". LP, Vinyl record album

Stellar work by Jimmy Hughes – one of those southern soul talents whose name you've heard, but can't always find on record! Jimmy's best known for his classic Muscle Shoals tune "Steal Away" – and that great number, plus many other similar ones, are presented on this obscure Vee Jay release – issued at a time when both that label and Chess were licensing a number of titles from Rick Hall's Fame studios. The sound is great – a key link in the southern scene of the 60s, and one that's often lost because it wasn't recorded for a bigger label, like Atlantic. Titles include "Steal Away", "Try Me", "I Want Justice", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Neighbor Neighbor", "I'm Getting Better", and "I'm Gonna Rise Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark early work from the legendary Weldon Irvine – recorded way back when he was first coming to fame with Nina Simone, but done as an obscure indie effort for his tiny Nodlew label! The set's a wicked batch of keyboard-heavy funk – at a level that's similar to some of the best titles on Black Jazz or Strata East at the time, but also filled with an even richer array of colors and musical ideas. Weldon's work on electric piano is worth the price of admission alone – often spare, spacious, and perfectly placed – especially on the funky classics "Homey", "Mr Clean", and "Sister Sanctified" – a tune later cut by Stanley Turrentine, but heard here in Weldon's original version! Other cuts include "Gloria", "Juggah Buggah", "Blues Wel-Don", and "Liberated Brother". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Gladys Knight & The Pips – proof that they already had a great thing going long before their later fame on Motown and Buddah! The tracks here were recorded in the early 60s for the Fury record label – and they show the group coming on strong with a very sharp edge – a style that's still got some traces of R&B at points, but which really sets a new standard for mixed male/female soul groups for the 60s! Gladys' lead vocals are nice and bold – and a lot less cliched than later – and The Pips do their thing with a wonderfully harmonic flair in the background. Titles include their big early single "Letter Full Of Tears" – plus "Operator", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Room In Your Heart", "Stop Running Around", "What Shall I Do", "Morning Noon & Night", and "I Can't Stand By". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet bit of funk from Hawaii – and a legendary bit of free soul that's been winning global fame for decades! Lemuria is the brainchild of Kirk Thompson – who plays piano, bass, keyboards, and vibes on this very spiritual set of tracks. Master Henry Gibson was one of the executive producers, and he also plays conga on the set – which recalls some of the more spiritual collective funky projects from the early 70s Chicago scene, given a bit of a tropical twist. Many tracks feature vocals by "The Ladies Of Lemuria" – a lovely trio that's got a bit of an Emotions sort of sound – but the jazziness of the tracks is a lot freer than the backings the Emotions ever got, with more of a west coast Fantasy Records kind of approach, touched with some Stevie Wonder-like warmth. Really great all the way through – and impeccably put together, despite the indie origins of the record. Titles include "Get That Happy Feeling", "Hunk Of Heaven", "Dreams", "Mister U", "The Making Of You", and "Mystery Love". Features a full record of rare bonus tracks – including "Don't Say There Ain't No Heaven", "Somebody's Talkin", "Who Do You Love", "All I've Got To Give (alt)", and "Mister U (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from the legendary soul singer Curtis Mayfield – even though it's different than most of the rest as well! Curtis is captured here in a small club, with a tight band, spinning out these extended readings of some of his best tunes – both tracks he sang with The Impressions, and as a solo act – completely transformed here in the righteous energy of the setting! The vibe is similar to the classic Donny Hathaway Live album from the same time – save for the fact that this set is double-length, and maybe even more powerful as Curtis sings and plays guitar in a small group with additional guitar, bass, and drums – and some very hip percussion from Master Henry Gibson, of Pharoahs fame. Tracks include "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "Stare and Stare", "Check Out Your Mind", "Stone Junkie", "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go", "Mighty Mighty", and "The Makings Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

A really rare slice of work from the funky genius Janko Nilovic – not the sound library grooves which have gained him fame over the decades – but instead a batch of rare cuts from his own short-lived record label, which he formed in 1968 with soul singer Davy Jones! Nilovic and Jones wrote all the tunes on the set, and they're presented by a variety of different artists – but have a unified feel that certainly comes from the strong instrumentation provided by Janko! The tunes are in a mix of mod 60s styles – some soul, some Hammond-heavy groovers, and some with a more expansive vibe that's almost a psychedelic take on the spirit of French pop during the period. The set features every a and b-side of the six singles issued by the label – plus four more bonus remixes – and titles include "Voodoo Juju Obsession (parts 1 & 2)" by K Ptyacunthapuserectus, "Lover's Summer Song" and "Moon Man" by Bobby Cannon, "Restless Gringo" and "The Lost & The Lonely" by Spiritus M, "Groovy Kinda Samba" and "The Juju Is The Thing" by Abra K Dabra, "Treasure Lee" and "Voodoo Juju" by Killer Steen, and "Tinka Bell" and "There's A Little Old Lady" by Tinka Bell. (Sound Library, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from The Ohio Players – the only live performance ever issued by the group, and a set that captures them right at the height of their mid 70s fame! The sound here is every bit as tight as on their classic studio albums for Mercury Records, but the music has a lot more bite, too – a sharpness that really comes through in the live setting, where the bass, drums, and other instruments come across with a raw power that's really incredible – a great reminder that groups like this could do everything they did, long before ever walking into a studio. Titles include "Alone", "Who'd She Coo", "Love Rollercoaster", "Skin Tight/Fopp", "Drum Solo", "Sweet Sticky Thing", and "Fire (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from The O'Jays – done before their huge rise to fame in the early 70s on Philadelphia International, but issued in a super-pimp cover that has a image of all these hot chicks with guns, standing in a very blacksploitation pose! Clearly, this was an issue that was put on the markets to cash in on the group's early 70s fame – but the record contains mostly material from the late 60s early 70s indie years, most issued as singles, with production by Bobby Massey and HB Barnum – and a rawer sound that really highlights their great vocal interplay. The work's actually pretty great, despite the cheap trick of the cover – and the album includes lots of nice numbers like "Little Brother", "Now He's Home", "Gotta Get My Broom Out", "Never Gonna Say Goodbye", and "Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the best-remembered album by Labi Siffre – thanks to some well-used sample tracks over the years! But over and above the fame of the funky tunes "The Vulture" and "I Got The", the record's a key part of Siffre's 70s catalog – a record that's as great for its complex songwriting and deeply personal lyrics as it is for its Fender Rhodes lines, and tight musical backings from the combo of Big Jim Sullivan. All titles here are originals, and even when the groove slows down there's a depth that clearly marks Labi as one of the best singer/songwriters of the 70s – a talent who's been finally rediscovered in recent years, although sometimes only remembered for a few jazzy hooks from these tunes, and not the strength of the whole magilla! Here's your chance to dip into the Siffre sound at its fullest – on tracks that include "The Vulture", "I Got The", "Another Year", "Down", "Old Time Song", "Sadie & The Devil", "Remember My Song", and "Turn On Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album