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

A catchy little groover from one of our favorite side-spots in the 80s Prince universe – a cut that's arranged and produced by Clare Fischer, but surprisingly funky overall! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Funky genius galore – a massive package that brings together both the complete studio and live recordings by the Average White Band – plus some great surprises as well! The group are the stuff of legend – an overseas combo, but one with a groove so tight they were able to get plenty of play on American soul radio stations back in the 70s – and continued to live on long and strong for decades afterwards, thanks to heavy samples of their music by other generations, and a longtime love of their groove by fans of classic funk and soul! And even into the 80s, the group continued to sound great – shifting to a cool, compressed groove that made for some excellent steppers – while still sticking to the funk at their core. The box set contains all of that work, and more – all studio albums, and their double-length live set – plus a full bonus CD of mixes and rarities too. Titles include the CD debut of On The Strip – plus the albums Show Your Hand, Average White Band, Put It Where You Want It, Cut The Cake, Soul Searching, Person To Person, Benny & Us, Warmer Communications, Feel No Fret, Shine, Volume 8, Cupid's In Fashion, and Selected 12" Mixes & Rarities. 133 tracks in all – with a bonus book of images and text, including reflections on the music from the group's Hamish Stuart and Alan Gorrie. CD

Put aside all the brick and stone references in the title, as these guys have a wonderfully warm and welcoming vocal approach – one that mixes their rich-ranged harmonies with some gentle beats on the bottom – all at a level that never shakes things up too much, and really just lets the group find that sort of flow that works best with their harmony style! Many tracks have the lead really soaring out, with the other two voices flowing nicely behind, as all three wrap together in wonderful ways – on titles that include "That Honey", "Darlin Darlin", "Say U Like", "Old Fashion Love", "I'll B Your River", "Heaven Help Us All", "Special Way", and "I Wanna B Good". CD

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". CD

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

Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group – and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out – with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums – and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of jazz rock jamming! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but overall most of the set is instrumental – in a really right on and progressive style that we totally love. This is the kind of record that always got passed by in the 80s when everyone was looking for hard James Brown grooves, but which is very much in fashion now with the blunted funky crowd. Cuts include "Hymn To Mother Earth", "Another Country", "Disillusioned Man", and "Mercy (Variation No. 1)" – plus bonus tracks "Fuzz Oriental Blues", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Message To Mankind". CD

Rare 70s funky soul from The Equatics – just the kind of record that keeps us digging and still excited after all these years – resurrected by the like minded diggers at Now Again! You know the kind of album we're talking about, the ones you come across with enigmatic cover art, no names on the back you recognize or even anything indicating where or when it's from. Then you take a spin and it's the real thing from the get go! The production is nice and raw but not ragged, and a funky vibe that groups today emulate but just can't recapture. This set's mid 70s R&B, mostly instrumental but with a few vocal numbers, all nicely done up in a very groovy, funky fashion. There's a couple of nice covers, like their Isaac Hayes-ish take on "Walk On By" and a nice rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine", but the rest of the set's mostly originals, like "Merry-Go-Round" and some nice raggedy instrumentals like "What They Doin?", "Santana" done up in parts 1 and 2 (maybe on a 45 somewhere. . .), "Cisco Fare" and the jazzy "The Touch Of You". Amazing! CD

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! A surprisingly great little record – and one we like almost better than the first few! Titles include "Love", "Mirror", "Entrow", "Do Yah", "Save Me", and "I Got A Reason". CD

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". CD

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

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

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". CD

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

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

Rainbow Team, where have you been all our lives? You're a heck of a great little group – and we love the sound you've got on this second album! Sure, we know you're wearing a bunch of silly day-glo costumes on the cover – and that's probably what's made this record slip by our crates in the past – but one listen to the tightness of your grooves, and we're more than willing to forgive you for any bad fashion choices! The sound of the set is totally great – soaring along in the best sort of 80s groove mode – with tight snapping rhythms at the bottom, and a full set of arrangements that bring in some added horns and just the right amount of sweetening strings. And although Rainbow Team are Italian, the record's got a stone American soul sound – very much like the best of the Capitol Rare generation in the US. Titles include "A Song For You", "Let Em Be", "Please Let's Go", "Bite The Apple", "Hope He Wants", "Let's Forget", and "Don't Cry For Me". CD features the bonus track "Stay". CD

An incredible collection of work – way different than any blues material of the time, and beautifully brought together here in the best Mosaic fashion! Features material for the Imperial, Comet, and B&W labels, plus unissued tracks – 144 titles in all! (Blues, Soul) CD

The Detroit soul scene at the start of the 60s – music from a time before Motown was dominating the city's reputation, and a whole host of other great labels brought the motor city sound to the masses! The work here is quite a surprise if you're only thinking in terms of Northern Soul and some of the more uptempo Detroit groovers – as the work here burns on so many different levels – often with a style that reflects some of the nascent soul coming out of Chicago on labels like Chess and Vee Jay, the latter of whom is featured here amidst a range of other imprints that include Wand, Atlantic, Scepter, Time, Old Town, and Brent – all of whom released some of these early Detroit soul tracks as singles back in the day. In true Ace/Kent fashion, the set also features a few unreleased gems, plus a wonderful set of notes on the city's soul scene – alongside tracks that include "Nosey Folk" by The Del-Phis, "Answer Me" by Vivian Collins, "Can't We Get Together" by Harry Reid, "Here I Am" by Betty Lavette, "Shakin Fit" by The Pyramids, "That's No Way To Spend My Time" by The Pen Ettes, "Wedding Bells" by Melvin Davis, "You Lied" by Marva Josie, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "Just One More Time" by JJ Barnes, "My Letter" by Priscilla Page, "I Know How It Feels" by Laura Johnson, "I'm A Lonely Guy" by Timmy Shaw & The Sternphones, "Come Back To Me" by La Wanda William, "I Cried For My Last Time" by The Sonnettes, and "Tears Running & Falling From My Eyes" by James Lately. CD

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. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

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

Eddie Bo cut plenty of classic funk on the New Orleans scene, back in the day – and this set has Eddie returning to some of the glories of those years – thanks to help from the Soulciety label, at a time when they were doing plenty to revive older soul styles of the 60s and 70s! The record's got a fuller, funkier vibe than some of Bo's work of the previous decade – and the overall production and larger arrangements support his vocals, piano, and organ in a great way – with larger horns on many tracks that provide plenty of punch! The set features guest work from Bo Dollis, Johnny Adams, and Earl King – and titles include "The Anchor", "Old Fashioned Sookie", "Every Dog's Got A Day", "O'Lady", "Kick It On Back", "Shoot From The Root", and "Groove In My Soul". CD

The title definitely gets it right on this one – as the set's about as perfect a collection of Eartha Kitt's work as you could ever hope to find – a surprisingly huge batch of music that not only includes familiar hits and holiday classics, but also some unusual rare bits as well! At 22 tracks, the package is hardly an accidental collection of Kitt's music for RCA – and instead, it's really well-chosen, and thoughtfully put together – with remastering from the first generation session masters, and some liner notes that offer great insight to Eartha's music. Titles include "Je Cherche Un Homme", "I Want To Be Evil", "Mink Schmink", "Let's Do It", "C'Est Si Bon", "Just An Old Fashioned Girl", "Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell", "Thursday's Child", "Angelitos Negros", "Lovin Spree", "The Blues", "The Heel", "Santa Baby", "Proceed With Caution", "Uska Dara", "Under The Bridges Of Paris", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "Monotonous", "I Wantcha Around", "Lilac Wine", and "Annie Doesn't Live Here Any More". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

You might know the sound of Jacci McGhee's voice from her previous work backing up Keith Sweat – but this set really gives her a great showcase in the spotlight, and presents the sort of fuller exposure that lets the world hear all her talents at their best! A few cuts have a nicely hard sort of approach – almost a hint at the hip hop influenced world of female soul to come in the 90s – but Jacci also balances things with plenty of sweeter elements too – never letting a sense of attitude get in the way of her craft. Keith Sweat helps out on one cut, but Bobby Wooten seems to be the studio talent here who brings out the most in McGhee – on titles that include "Skeeza", "Gold Old Fashioned Love", "The Closer I Get To You", "Been A Long Time", "Something's On My Mind", "It Hurts Me", "That's How Much I Love You", and "The Other Woman". CD

An overlooked gem from the early 80s Malaco catalog – a set that's got more of a mid 70s funky soul feel overall, with just the right mix of upbeat cuts and ballads! These guys can actually harmonize wonderfully on the mellow numbers – with a compelling approach that's right up there with the best male groups of a few years before – but they're also tight enough to step out strongly on the groovers, all without losing their sharpness on the vocal tip – with a warm feel that's more indie club from the 70s than you'd guess from the label or the date. Titles include "Hott", "Groovin", "Old Fashioned Girl", "Betcha Didn't Know That", "I Can't Stop", and "My World". CD features two bonus tracks – DJ and instrumental versions of "Play It Again Sam". CD

Starpoint's getting a bit loose and free with their fashions on the cover of this one – but the grooves themselves are tighter than ever! If anything, Starpoint seems to be a lot more confident than before – working in a mode that's completely free from late 70s trends, but which also doesn't fall into the traps of others of their generation – a sound that's electric and funky, yet also plenty darn soulful too. Renee Diggs' vocals are completely great on the album – bringing in a depth that's really appreciated, and giving the group a much more well-rounded sound than so many other all male ensemble funk acts of the time. Ballads and mellower numbers are every bit as great as the groovers too – and titles include "All Night Long", "Get Your Body Up", "Bring Your Sweet Lovin Back", "Show Me", "I Can Give You Love", and "It's You". CD

Rare tracks from one of the greatest soul labels ever – Detroit's legendary Westbound Records, the famous home of Funkadelic – but a source for countless many more grooves! This set features really rare singles and unreleased tracks from Westbound – a flurry of great soul tracks that's surprised even our Westbound-raised ears – with tracks that run from righteous soul to heavy funk, to great group harmonies, and more! There's nary a big name in the set – and instead, the whole thing really focuses on the hinterland of the Westbound scene – including some especially rare gems that were issued as singles by the even-smaller Eastbound label, who did some wonderfully groovy work in the early 70s. Titles include "Admit Your Love Is Gone" by Damon Shawn, "Old Fashioned Woman" by Unique Blend, "I'm Falling In Love" by Fantastic Four, "Tender Moments" by AC Tilmon & Denise LaSalle, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "More Love" by Emanuel Laskey, "What Am I Gonna Do" by Houston Outlaws, "I Don't Know How" by The Superlatives, "Trying Real Hard" by The Magictones, "You Can't Take This Love For You From Me" by Bob & Harold, "I'm Loving You You're Leaving Me" by The Magictones, "Does He Treat You Better" by Unique Blend, and "Rosetta Stone" by AC Tilmon & Detroit Emeralds. CD

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

Music from the Teardrops, the Savoys, the Destinaires, the Versailles, the Five Sharks, the Zircons, Chris & Cytations, the Five Fashions, and more – 20 tracks total. CD

A set with "modernity" as the title, but a batch of tracks that sound plenty old all the way through – mostly the kind of upbeat soul tracks that played big with the 60s mod scene in London! Yet this isn't the usual collection of mod classics – as the work here is very obscure, and served up in the mix of rare singles and unreleased material that we totally love on other Ace/Kent Records collections – presented with great sound, and very detailed notes that are as fun to read as the songs are to hear! All the artists are American, and look very different than the dapper British gents on the cover – soaring out in a set list that includes "Deuces Wild" by Gary & Gary, "Just Can't Help Myself" by Birdlegs & Pauline, "Oh Lady Be Good" by Charles Hodges, "The Hawg (part 2)" by Eddie Kirk, "See See Rider" by Byrdie Green, "Walk Home With Me" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Sundown" by The Merced Blue Notes, "Go Away With Me" by Hollis Dixon & The Keynotes, "I Found A Little Girl" by Eddie Bo, "The Bounce" by Jackie Lee, "Earthquake" by The Fashionettes, "Air Travel" by Ray & Bob, "That's All I Want" by King Carl, "The Warm Up (part 1)" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Soul Grabber" by Willis Jackson, and "Who Knows" by Willie Tee. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Christmas is funky here, and in more ways than you might expect – as the package covers a great range of sources and styles, and even includes a few funky gospel numbers from the season! There's plenty here that we haven't seen on other Holiday sets – and the 25 track collection features tunes that include "Sleigh Ride" by Lord Invincible & The Tropical Spades, "Merry Christmas Baby" by The C-Quents, "Black Christmas" by Rose Graham, "Every Year We Say Merry Christmas" by Salem Travelers, "The Christmas Song" by John Edwards, "Christmas Time Again" by Tiny Powell, "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Willis Jackson, "Blue Christmas" by The Meditation Singers, "Silent Night (live)" by Solomon Burke, "Christmas Is Gone" by Al King, "Merry Christmas Baby" by The Poets, "Old Fashioned Christmas" by Kenny Williams, "Xmas Done Got Funky" by Jimmy Jules & The Nuclear Soul System, "Christmas Greeting" by The Velvelettes, and "Silent Night" by Brother Joe May. (Holiday Music, Soul) CD