An 80s groove classic – and a killer bit of Captiol Records soul from High fashion! Of all US major labels, Capitol was probably putting out the best soul in the early 80s – and this is a tight modern batch of up-tempo tracks, right up there with other contemporary classics on the label, like work by BB&Q Band, Taste Of Honey, and TS Monk! The tunes all manage to have a great groove without sounding cheesy – thanks to some nice jazzy touches in the arrangements, good hooks in the songs, and some great soulful vocals. Very, very nice – and nearly every cut's a winner! Tracks include "Feelin Lucky Lately", "Next To You", "Hold On", "When The Lover Strikes", "I Want To Be Your Everything", and "You're the Winner". LP, Vinyl record album

A set from the early 80s, but still totally great – a record that has the Average White Band stepping along in smooth jazzy style – still with all their best 70s roots intact! The group are tight, yet still far from commercial – beautifully suited to the warmly soulful sounds they'd reached by this point – less of the hard funk of before, but in its place a mature groove that's totally great. Titles include "You Wanna Belong", "Cupid's In Fashion", "You're My Number One", "Love's A Heartache", "I Believe", and "Easier Said Than Done". 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

Killer R&B from one of the hippest singers on postwar Aladdin Records! Titles include "Chicken Shack Boogie", in two versions – plus "Amos Boogie", "Johnson Rag", "Sax Shack Boogie", "House Party", "Roll Mr Jelly", "Jitterbug Fashion Parade", and his classic "Bad Bad Whiskey". LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

Larry Graham and crew are definitely going for a fuller sound on this set – starting off the record with a funky marching band, in Tusk-like fashion – then rolling into some bass-heavy funk that tops even their previous records for tightness! The groove is a key element in the growth of west coast funk in the 70s – bass in the lead, but keyboards percolating in all over the place, in a style that's almost got touches of jazz – and which sets the stage for many of the Zapp-sounding projects of the future. Titles include "Love", "Mirror", "Entrow", "Do Yah", "Save Me", and "I Got A Reason". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty nice later work from Grace! Although we prefer the percolating disco meets reggae records Grace Jones cut with Sly & Robbie to this later effort – but there's no denying that on a couple of numbers she really clicks with producer Trevor Horn's slick sheen. With "Ladies & Gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones", "Jones The Rhythm", "The Fashion Show", "The Frog & The Princess" and "Slave To The Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

Jackson 5, move over – because the folks at Numero Records have uncovered a whole host of rare kid soul acts from the 70s – most of them a fair bit funkier than their Motown contemporaries! The tracks here all clearly follow the lead started by Michael and his brothers at the end of the 60s – but the music is way more than just a simple copycat of Jackson modes – as each of these artists have a really individual approach, and a heck of a lot of personality in their music – despite their youthful years. In true Numero fashion, most of the cuts here are from tiny little labels – issued only as singles back in the day, but produced with a great deal of enthusiasm for the music – and a confident, competent sound that's quite striking, given the age of the performers. The package comes with complete notes on the music – opening up a whole world of lesser-known kid soul acts – and titles include the amazing "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy, plus "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "One Is Enough For One" by Jack & the Mods, "Now That School Is Through" by Cindy & The Playmates, "Jersey Slide (part 1)" by 3 Stars, "You Are My Dream" by 3 Simmons, "Can't Let You Break My Heart" by Quantrells, "If You're Looking For Love" by Triads, "Yellow Ribbons" by Atons, "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown, "Time After Time" by Step By Step, "Time" by Otis The 3rd, and "Little Girl" by Michael Washington. LP also contains a bonus track – part 2 of "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy! (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

If you'd told us years ago we'd be digging this sort of late 80s commercial soul, we'd have laughed in your face. But nostalgia has taken hold, and we can't argue with the songcraft here, even if the production (and band's fashion sense) is a bit dated. Not a classic, by any means, but not as objectionable to us as it once was. Includes "Pull Over", "Just Coolin" and "Let's Get Romantic". LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the girl group sound of the 60s – served up here in a collection that's a lot more soulful than some of the more pop-oriented packages on the market – but that's no surprise, given that the whole thing was put together perfectly by Ace Records! Ace and their related Kent label have given us so much great soul records over the years, and it's clear they really know where to dig deep for a set like this – getting past the overplayed hits and overdone cliches – and really exploring this explosive moment of female expression in pop music! The package features detailed notes on all the tracks that are included – and the set features 14 numbers in all – with titles that include "Boy Trouble" by The Rev-Lons, "Street Dance" by Bonnie Jean, "Lonely Girl" by The Lovettes, "You Really Never Know Till It's Over" by The Vel-Vetts, "Heart For Sale" by The Fran-Cettes, "I Can Tell I'm Losing Your Love" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "Boy You Move Me" by Joan Moody, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by The Darlings, "Surfers Memories" by The Fashions, and "My Heart Tells Me So" by The Del-Phis. LP, Vinyl record album