Kind of a confused effort by The Originals – with a mix of styles that has the band running through material that includes some mellow countrified soul, plus sweeter ballads that are more in line with the group's better work. Arrangements are by Stevie Wonder, Paul Riser, James Carmichael, David VanDePitte, and others – and the record feels more like a collection of loose material than a fully concerted LP effort. Titles include "I Remember When", "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me", "You're My Only World", "Be My Love", "Supernatural Voodoo Woman", and "Game Called Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A massively tripped-out set of guitar-based funk – played to perfection by the legendary Eddie Hazel, best known for his work in the George Clinton P-Funk empire! The album offers a different side of Eddie's talents – one that's produced with a smoothly compressed California groove, in a mode that's almost an extension of some of the themes explored by Shuggie Otis on his own 70s albums – taken with a bit more of a P-Funk style. George Clinton produced the set with Eddie – and the tunes have a nice slow-stepping groove that really opens up the guitar solos wonderfully. The record kicks off with a massive cover of "California Dreamin" – but the whole thing's great, with a wonderfully unified feel throughout! Other titles include "Frantic Moment", "What About It?", "So Goes The Story", "Physical Love", and a great cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s classic from jazzy funk master George Duke! Master Of The Game is an excellent mix of jazz, smooth soul, and Latin riffing – really a perfect blend of styles that shows not only how far George's sound had progressed throughout the 70s, it also charts the development of the California scene during the late 70s. George has musical help from Ray Obeido, Roland Bautista, and Sheila E – plus vocals by Lynn Davis, Josie James, and Napoleon Brock. The tracks have a smooth sound that works perfectly with Duke's best keyboard approaches – subduing his tenency to "rock out" a bit, but bringing forward his classic ability to hit a stone mellow groove. Titles include "I Want You For Myself", "Every Little Step I Take", "Look What You Find", "I Love You More", "Dog Man", and "Games". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

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The continuing evolution of the great Jess Roden – an lesser-known 70s talent who emerged from the jazz rock scene in the UK at the end of the 60s – but who's working here in a much more sophisticated mode! Jess always had a lot of soul in his style right from the start – that 60s London love of R&B and American roots – and here he fuses it with some hip arrangements from Leon Pendarvis, who takes the older Roden groove into sweet New York territory that comes across with a surprising degree of modern soul at times. There's lots of jazz in the instrumentation – including sax solos from Harold Vick and Scott Hamilton – and Jess has honestly never sounded better – extremely expressive, even on the mellower moments. Titles include "The Hardest Blow", "Drinking Again", "Sensation", "Misty Roses", "Woman Across The Water", and "The Quiet Sound Of You & I". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

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A slammin' set of heavy R&B numbers from James Brown – combined in here with some other nice tracks from King Records artists of the time! The set almost has the same feeling as some of the James Brown Show albums – in that James is presented with other hard-hitting artists of his time – yet the difference here is that the others are King Records giants in their own right. The album features about 50% material by James – all hard hitters that include "Suds", "Hold It", "Scratch", "Night Train", "Cross Firing", and "Night Flying" – nearly all of which are instrumentals, in the best early King tradition! These are followed up by other tunes, mostly instrumental, from other artists – including "Doin Everything" and "Switch A Roo" by Henry Moore, "Tonk Game" by Hank Marr, "Bushy Tail" by Clifford Scott, "The Wobble" by The Wobblers, and "Just A Little Bit Of Everything" by Herb Hardesty'. LP, Vinyl record album

Yes indeed – a mighty early classic from the great Ray Charles – one of his first full length albums, and a set that brings together the searing sort of work he was doing for Atlantic Records in the 50s! Ray's completely confident and at the top of his game here – and a lot more raw than if you only know him from his later country-tinged material. Tracks include "What Would I Do Without You", "It's All Right", "Get On The Right Track", "Blackjack", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Heartbreaker". LP, Vinyl record album

The Dramatics hit an 80s groove mood here – and as on their clubbier sides from the end of the 70s, the vocals are still wonderful – and more than anything, the set's a strong soul-based set that still has the group at the top of their game! Ballads actually sparkle the best here – and showcase that wonderfully full mode that was the best side of The Dramatics harmonies – but the uptempo tunes are good, and have breakout moments that sparkle nicely. Production is by Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds, but Don Davis still oversees the whole thing – and titles include "It Ain't Rainin", "Wecome Back Home", "Love Is Here", "Be With The One You Love", and "Music Is The Peoples Choice". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning batch of tracks from a very unusual LA group of the early 70s – a funk combo at the core, but one that was also equally comfortable with bits of psych and redneck rock as well! The music here was all recorded within a short span of years, and mostly issued on the small Alpha label as a handful of funky 45s – but the style is surprisingly spacious, and shows a strong sense of musicianship from the members of the group – so much so that they seem equally comfortable and right on top of their game, no matter what direction they choose to take! And don't think that this multi-style description means that these guys are too all over the map, because there's a really unified sense of soul that holds the whole thing together – so that when they get a bit rootsy, the result is country soul – or when they get a bit trippy, they hit some Funkadelic-styled sounds. The collection includes great notes on the setting that produced these tracks – penned by Egon, who put the set together with help from Malcolm Catto, DJ Shadow, and others. Titles include "Don't Let Him Take Away Your Mind", "Strange Things", "Heaven & Earth", "Take Time", "We Got Love", "Waterloo At Watergate", "Why Don't You Trust In Me", "Cruising Central Ave", "The Dead Don't Die Alive", and "You're My Precious Someone". LP, Vinyl record album

An early hummer from one of the hardest male/female soul acts next to Ike & Tina Turner, but listed here under Inez's name. Inez & Charlie scored super big with their hit "Mockingbird" – the tune that kicks off this LP for a subsidiary of the Sue label – but they also had a style that could get them through a wide variety of material, grooving long past their hits, with great vocals up front, and plenty of hot guitar licks to keep the grooves rough! A dozen great numbers hee, including the title track and "Sitting Here", "Jaybirds", "The Ball Game", "Tom & Jim", "I See You My Love", "The Angels Got Together", "Broken Hearted Fool", "The Angels Got Together", "Searching For My CC", "Love Me Today" and "Talk With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Very interesting soul material from this enigmatic singer. Ralph had a righteous approach that mixed larger arrangements with a folksy style – in an overall effect that was a few parts Terry Callier, a few parts late Jerry Butler, and a few parts Grady Tate – but which had an approach that was really all its own. The record is almost heading into the folk-funk realm, but the orchestrations are a bit too lush – although nice! Some tracks were produced by Clayton Ivey, and titles include "Stay On The Good Side", "Differently", "I Don't Want To Play This Game", "My Love Goes With You", and "Ain't No Need". LP, Vinyl record album

A Hollywood Party, recorded in New Jersey – with a groove that's every bit as tight as any of Odyssey's best records, but with a slightly jazzier vibe as well! The set's a great example of the way the trio pushed the 70s soul game further – taking the early 70s RCA AM radio style, and moving it forward with some elements from the club generation – but all at a level that was never throwaway disco either! The record's got a really rich feel from the start – and uses some great jazzy session players to flesh out the group's vocals in a wonderful way. Arrangements are by Sandy Linzer, who co-produced with Charlie Calello – and although there's some obvious disco fullness here, the main focus is on midtempo tunes that glide along in a slightly mellow way – almost like work by Side Effect from the time. Titles include "Lucky Star", "Single Again", "I Dare Ya", "Comin Back For More", "Hey Bill", and "What Time Does The Balloon Go Up". LP, Vinyl record album

As perfect a summation of the Teddy Pendergrass genius as you'll ever hope to find – a magnificent maturation of that incredible sound he first forged with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, set forth in even more confident, sophisticated soul territory! As with the Melvin albums, there's a nice mix here of sultry ballads and groovers – the latter of which are changing with the Philly modes of the time, but still very much at the top of their game – light years from clunky commercial work, or easy dancefloor fodder. The album's stunner is "Love TKO" – a killer mellow soul track that's not only one of Teddy's best, but which has enjoyed recent popularity due to a heavy bit of sampling by hip hoppers – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Take Me In Your Arms Tonight", "Let Me Love You", "Girl You Know", "Is It Still Good To Ya", "I Just Called To Say", and "Can't We Try". LP, Vinyl record album

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from Prince – recorded in 2010, and unreleased at the time – but clearly one of the greatest things he gave us in the final decade of his life! This isn't uncooked demo material, or under-thought studio tracks – and instead, the whole thing is a fully-formed record with a message that really comes through in the title – more political Prince than usual, with an eye for our nation that rivals Sign O The Times! It may be that back when Prince recorded the set, the time wasn't right for the message – but these tracks definitely hit home now – and are often delivered in this sinister slow funk mode that really fits the lyrics – almost as if Prince were trying to give the world his version of a righteous 70s album on Curtom Records. Titles include "Running Game", "Born 2 Die", "Welcome 2 America", "Check The Record", "Hot Summer", "Stand Up & B Strong", "Same Page Different Book", and "One Day We Will All B Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, which means lots of fresh material – and which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time! The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album. Other cuts include "I Wanna Feel It", "Leo", "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", and "Simple & Sweet" – all nice too! LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Ode To A Kudu", "We As Love", "Lady Blue", "Windsong", "Weekend In LA", "It's All In The Game", and his classic take on "On Broadway". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A set that definitely lives up to its title – a stone stormer from Brainstorm – one of the tightest funky ensembles of their generation, and one of the few who could go deep while still laying down a groove! The set's got a perfect balance of modes – enough of the appeal of bigger mainstream funk acts of the time, but also some righteous undercurrents that really show the group's roots – both in the approach of the lyrics, and in the jazzy instrumentation of the backings – which often show a righteous side of the group that's mighty surprising! The record's one that just grows and grows with each new listening, and is put together with some great sharp-edged production by Jerry Peters – who has a way of showcasing all the most interesting elements, while still keeping things focused too. Titles include the classic "Wake Up & Be Somebody" and "Loving You Is Really My Game" – plus "Waiting For Someone", "We Know A Place", "Hangin' On", "Easy Thangs", and "This Must Be Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from this obscure funky group – a combo who hailed from Indy, only issued two albums back in the 70s, but also left behind this wicked batch of unissued cuts that were recorded up in Chicago! The group have a vibe that's every bit as great as their warmly collaborative look on the cover – clearly an ego-less funky combo who are able to shift singers and moods from track to tracks – trading leads between singers Anthony Joseph Roberts and Pamela Tanner, and also bringing lots of jazzy instrumentation into the mix too! These guys had been together for a number of years before recording the set, and are clearly at the top of their game – woodshedding hard away from the limelight, but knocking it out of the park with cuts that include "69 Cents", "I'm In A Hurry", "Shell Of A Man", "Where You Lead", "That Is Why", "Love So Strange", and vocal and instrumental versions of "See The Light". LP, Vinyl record album

Mean, lean grooves from The Gap Band – a legendary batch of mainstream funk from the end of the 70s – and a record that really has the trio working at the top of their game! There's a wonderful balance here between funky numbers and mellow ones – the latter of which really help pace the record nicely, giving it a depth that takes the group way beyond the cliches of some of their contemporaries, and firmly establishing the Gap Band as one to watch for the 80s! Titles include the massive "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up & Dance" – with its classic "Oops Upside Your Head" refrain – plus "Who Do You Call", "No Hiding Place", "Steppin Out", "You Are My High", and "Party Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

A Philly soul classic from The Manhattans – one of their best 70s albums, and a record that showed that they were firmly out of the indie ghetto, and totally on top of their game! The record features arrangements and production by Bobby Martin and Bert DeCoteaux – bubbling along in that soaring style that you'd recognize best from Philly International albums of the time, but which also has some nice traces of the mellower ballad work that first put the group on the map. Every tune is perfect – the kind of sublime soul that easily explains why a record like this could be found in every single record collection of every single soul listener of the time – and titles include "La La La Wish Upon A Star", "We'll Have Forever To Love", "Take It Or Leave It", "Reasons", "Wonderful World Of Love", "Searching For Love", and the incredible "Kiss & Say Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly catchy tunes that are still delivered with a nice funky undercurrent. The whole Prince family is at the top of their game at this point – and titles include "Darling Nikki", "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die 4 U", "When Doves Cry", "Baby I'm A Star", and "Purple Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic funkiness from Sly & The Family Stone – an album that really pushed them to the top of their game, and exploded on the late 60s scene like a righteous funky bomb! The title cut's a mega-hit that you'll recognize right away – but the whole album's great, and is filled with the simple, joyous energy that made Sly's groove one of the freshest of his generation – and which helped foist all the great work going on in the 60s underground firmly into the light of a much wider mainstream audience. The messages are subtle here, but the group are already doing their part to change the world bit by bit – and the funky rhythms at the bottom assure that they'll be doing it ass by ass on the dancefloor! Titles include "Dance to The Music", "Ride The Rhythm", "Higher", "Don't Burn Baby", and the 12 minute "Dance To The Medley", with the groovy "Music Lover" passage! LP, Vinyl record album

Always-great work from the team of Ashford & Simpson – the kind of a record that has them at the top of their game, even though they'd changed their overall sound over the years! The vibe here is more in an 80s groove mode than some of the duo's Warner albums, but they've still got an undeniable talent for a massive hook – the kind that makes even the simplest tunes really go over the top. Plus, they're just about one of the only male/female duo teams that you can hear on record and actually believe that both singers are on the same page! Titles include "Side Effect", "Experience", "It's A Rush", "High-Rise", "Still Such A Thing", "It's Much Deeper", "I'm Not That Tough", and "My Kinda Pick Me Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a different sound than usual for Blue Magic – but quite nice too! This album's an obscure effort from the end of the 80s – recorded years after the group's initial hits in the 70s, but still with some tremendous harmonies that are very much at the top of their game! The set was done in collaboration with Rush Management, and has that bottom-beat slowjam feel that mellower soul often had at the time – but even such a mode can't stop the group from being great, as their vocals really sparkle and soar, regardless of the setting! There's a sweetness here that few other groups were showing at the time – that heartbreaking quality that always made a Blue Magic ballad so great, and which is amazingly still preserved here. Titles include "Secret Lover", "From Out Of The Blue", "Romeo & Juliet", "The More I Get", "Tuesday Heartbreak", "It's Like Magic", "We Ain't New To This", and "There's A Song In My Head". LP, Vinyl record album