Massively beautiful work from the great Donny Hathaway! After two studio albums that had firmly put him on the map as one of the 70s best soul talents, Atco had the genius to have Donny record this live album before very enthusiastic crowds in Hollywood and New York. The result is one of the best soul albums ever – one that shows a totally different side of Donny, and which has him jamming with a smaller, hipper, jazz-oriented group in long versions of some of his best tracks. Features a massive 12 minute version of "The Ghetto", which has loads of excellent instrumental breakdowns, a 13 minute version of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", a superior version of the track "Little Ghetto Boy", which was only ever on a soundtrack, and covers of "What's Going On" and "Jealous Guy" that really transform them from the original versions. Very similar to the classic Curtis Mayfield 2LP live set on Curtom – and with a similar "Chicago studio soulster goes jazzy and intimate" feel. LP, Vinyl record album

Dang, who is this guy? Jimmy's got a really wonderful voice (the title wasn't kidding!), with the mix of rootsiness and intensity that you'd find in the best mid 60s sides by Ben E King, inflected by some of the harder soul sound of the Minit label. Calvin Carter's producing the set here – working during the post Vee Jay years in LA – and arrangements are by Rene Hall and Jimmy Gordon. The set's a treasure, the kind of lost soul album that keeps you hitting these pages every week – and it's filled with great tracks like "I'm Gonna Move To The City", "The Turning Point", "In The Eyes Of My Girl", "I Don't Want To Hear It", and "I've Got To Live While I Can". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Cissy Houston – arguably her deepest set ever, and put together with a wonderful balance of New York class and southern soul modes! There's no denying that Houston's vocals are great – especially given her family pedigree – but she really gets a chance to shine strongly here – stepping out as a bold, righteous lead – and one with a mature, all-adult feel throughout! Arrangements are by Bert DeCoteaux – who balances things wonderfully – really letting Cissy stand by herself in the front of the arrangements, but also creating just the right sort of swell in the orchestrations when needed. Titles include "I'll Be There", "Any Guy", "This Empty Place", "Didn't We", "Be My Baby", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", and "He/I Believe". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Cissy Houston – arguably her deepest set ever, and put together with a wonderful balance of New York class and southern soul modes! There's no denying that Houston's vocals are great – especially given her family pedigree – but she really gets a chance to shine strongly here – stepping out as a bold, righteous lead – and one with a mature, all-adult feel throughout! Arrangements are by Bert DeCoteaux – who balances things wonderfully – really letting Cissy stand by herself in the front of the arrangements, but also creating just the right sort of swell in the orchestrations when needed. Titles include "I'll Be There", "Any Guy", "This Empty Place", "Didn't We", "Be My Baby", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", and "He/I Believe". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 11 more titles that include "I'm So Glad I Can Love Again", "Darling Take Me Back", "Making Love", "It's Not Easy", "Only Time You Say You Love Me", and "I Love You". CD

A heartbreaking classic from Terry Huff and his Special Delivery group – a hip 70s harmony soul ensemble who deliver some wonderful backup on the set! The record's a stone east coast classic from way back – arranged and conducted by Al Johnson, with a vibe that's a slightly more polished take on the harmony modes used by George Kerr over at All-Platinum – still never slick or commercial, but that great indie blend of heartbreaking vocals and deeper male sensibilities. Terry Huff has a high-end vocal approach that's great – never cloying or too-sweet, but nicely crackling and almost in a Ralfi Pagan mode at points. Huff wrote most of the songs, and titles include "Poochie", "The Lonely One", "When You're Lonely", "I Destroyed Your Love", "That's When It Hurts", and "Why Doesn't Love Last". (In case you didn't notice, this guy's pretty broken up about love!) LP, Vinyl record album

A heartbreaking classic from Terry Huff and his Special Delivery group – a hip 70s harmony soul ensemble who deliver some wonderful backup on the set! The record's a stone east coast classic from way back – arranged and conducted by Al Johnson, with a vibe that's a slightly more polished take on the harmony modes used by George Kerr over at All-Platinum – still never slick or commercial, but that great indie blend of heartbreaking vocals and deeper male sensibilities. Terry Huff has a high-end vocal approach that's great – never cloying or too-sweet, but nicely crackling and almost in a Ralfi Pagan mode at points. Huff wrote most of the songs, and titles include "Poochie", "The Lonely One", "When You're Lonely", "I Destroyed Your Love", "That's When It Hurts", and "Why Doesn't Love Last". (In case you didn't notice, this guy's pretty broken up about love!) CD also includes the bonus tracks "Come Back With Love (parts 1 & 2)", plus instrumental and 45 versions of "The Lonely One". CD

The smashing debut of Van Hunt – a smoky-voiced singer with a really great sound! The album's one of those "instant classics" that grabs us right away – put together with a sweet and seductive feel that's got roots that stretch back past D'Angelo into the 70s work of Al Green – and which has some really great touches on the instrumentation and production, giving the set a nicely trippy feel! Think of this one as neo-psychedelic soul – and get ready to be hearing a lot more from Van Hunt in years to come – because with a sound like this, the guy's gonna break out big! There's loads of compelling little tunes on the set, and titles include "Highlights", "Dust", "Seconds Of Pleasure", "Hello Goodbye", "Down Here In Hell (With You)", "Out Of The Sky", "Hold My Hand", and "Her December". Features bonus material exclusive to this vinyl version! (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An instant classic from Ronald Isley – soulful readings of tunes by Burt Bacharach, arranged, conducted, and produced by Burt himself! The album has a surprisingly gentle feel – lots of room and space for Ronald to open up vocally, in a mode that's clearly got respect for the classic Bacharach sound, but which also pushes the range of these tracks in a really nice way. The mixture of two sorts of sweet is a lot more appealing than you might guess from the commercial nature of the set – and we're surprised at how much we find ourselves enjoying the album's versions of tunes that include "Windows Of The World", "Make It Easy On Yourself", "A House Is Not A Home", "Count On Me", and "This Guy's In Love With You". CD

A different groove than usual from The JBs – but still pretty darn nice, and way better than just about all the other funky combos on the market! It's the late 70s, and James Brown's head is a bit addled – he thinks he's the guy who invented disco, and he starts turning his extended funky sound towards the clubs. By this point, Fred and Maceo had left him, so he's working here with a new version of the JBs, one that still includes Jimmy Nolan on guitar and Sinclair Pickney on sax – and although the new band's not the same as the old, they're a surprisingly good funk band nonetheless, and the album's still more of a funk album than you'd guess from the title. In fact, if the record didn't have JBs in the title, most folks would probably thing it was some great lost band! Lots of uptempo funk tracks, similar to those on James' albums from the time – and Martha & The Lazers sing vocals on a few tracks. Titles include "JBs Disco", "Night Train Disco", "A Little Bit Of Disco", and "Soul Of The Disco". CD

An incomparable soul vocalist finally gets his due – in a beautiful collection of work by the overlooked Lou Johnson! Johnson recorded in the same New York scene as Chuck Jackson and other smooth make singers in the mid 60s – but working on the relatively small Big Top label, his contributions to music haven't gotten nearly the exposure of others over the years – which is a damn shame, because Lou's got one hell of a fantastic vocal approach! His style's definitely a bit like that of Jackson – and not too far from Jerry Butler, Walter Jackson, Garland Green, and a few other sophisticated male singers of the 60s we can think of – soul music that's definitely a cut above, sung with careful class that you'd be hard-pressed to find in many other vocalists of the period. Lou's still got a nice sort of bite in his approach – which means that he's never too smooth, and certainly never poppy – and this full-length collection is really the first time that his incredible singles have ever been collected together in one place. Titles include "This Night", "Just Be A Woman", "Park Avenue", "Magic Potion", "The Panic Is On", "Reach Out For Me", "Time To Love A Time To Cry", "If I Never Get To Love You", "Unsatisfied", "No Other Guy", "Love Build A Fence", and "Little Girl". CD

One of Grace Jones' best albums – recorded at a point when she was really beginning to stretch the boundaries of club music, crossing over with the early 80s post-punk/post-disco crowd through a melange of sounds that was all her own. The oveblown diva mode of her disco years is gone by this point – and in its place is a wonderfully stripped down sound that bubbles with influences from reggae, post-punk, and elsewhere! The set was recorded in Nassau, with rhythm from Sly, Robbie, and Wally Badarou – and titles include a fair bit of original numbers penned with Barry Reynolds. Tracks include "Nipple To The Bottle", "My Jamaican Guy", "The Apple Stretching", "Cry Now, Laugh Later", and "Inspiration". CD

One of Grace Jones' best albums – recorded at a point when she was really beginning to stretch the boundaries of club music, crossing over with the early 80s post-punk/post-disco crowd through a melange of sounds that was all her own. The oveblown diva mode of her disco years is gone by this point – and in its place is a wonderfully stripped down sound that bubbles with influences from reggae, post-punk, and elsewhere! The set was recorded in Nassau, with rhythm from Sly, Robbie, and Wally Badarou – and titles include a fair bit of original numbers penned with Barry Reynolds. Tracks include "Nipple To The Bottle", "My Jamaican Guy", "The Apple Stretching", "Cry Now, Laugh Later", and "Inspiration". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from Junie Morrison, plus bonus tracks too – all to document the genius of the guy who really helped the Ohio Players find their groove! First up is When We Do – the solo debut of Junie – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves between a number of styles, all with a great degree of wit – still keeping things funky in all the best ways, but also really experimenting with larger sounds and unusual arrangements – which come into play here in a really wonderful way! The album's an overlooked funk treasure from the 70s – far too sophisticated for its own time – and titles include "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Johnny Carson Samba", "Anna", "Loving Arms", "Married Him", and "The Place". Freeze is a wonderful set from Junie – a record that has all the offbeat funk he was crafting with the Ohio Players during their Westbound years – and the same sort of heady sound that would make Morrison a perfect match with the P-Funk empire! The record contains the legendary track "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", which features a meeting between the Funky Granny (a near folklorish character from the early 70s, who'd appeared on records by Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players) and an alien, who tells urges to "buy this record, buy this record, buy this record" in a very silly voice! The funky comedy of this track is nicely matched by a range of other odd numbers and straighter soul cuts – and titles include "Freeze", "Super J", "Musical Son", "Junie II", "World of Woe", and "Cookies Will Get You". Suzie Super Groupie is a funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a concept album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those records, there's a pre-Prince approach to funk that draws heavily from Ohio Players and P-Funk elements – but which really gets a sharper, more sinister focus with Junie in the lead – at a level of soulful stardom that could have made him another Bootsy Collins, if folks were ever smart enough to figure out what he was doing at the time! Titles include the funky classic "Suzie Thundertussy" – plus "Super Groupie", "Surrender", "Junie III", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Stone Face Joe", "Suzie", and "If You Love Him". Set also features rare Junie cuts – including "Junie's Ultimate Departure", "Walt's Second Trip", "Tight Rope (single)", "Loving Arms (mono)", "If You Love Him (single)", "Super J (single)", and "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce (mono)". CD

The only album we've ever seen from Khemistry – but a heck of a sweet little set, and one that's always been dear to our hearts! The trio features two gals and one guy, all working with a great sing-song approach on the vocals – and a snapping 80s groove on the rhythms! There's a warmth here that you don't always find in sets of this type – a simple, straightforward feel that keeps the whole album humming along nicely – even through some of the mellower numbers. Production is never too commercial, and the instrumentation's never too electric – and the album's got a simple charm that's kept it a favorite on rare soul lists for decades. Titles include "Can You Feel My Love", "There's No Me Without You", "I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use", "Sucker For The Boogie", "I Got A Feeling", and "Walking Papers". CD

A wide-ranging look at the talents of August Darnell – an artist who's probably best known to the world as Kid Creole, but who also had a hand in a number of other dancefloor acts of the late 70s and early 80s! All tracks here have that trademark August Darnell groove – a good ear for jazzy, playful rhythms – often with styles borrowed from previous decades in the 20th century, retooled with hipper, leaner styles for the time! Darnell was one of the first to actively reach back into the past for ideas to use on the dancefloor – and although the practice is quite common now, the tracks here have a sound that few contemporary artists could ever hope to match. And when he wanted to, Darnell could also hit a club groove as great as any other artists on the New York scene of the late 70s – a pulsing, hypnotic approach to rhythm that was probably best know from his side projects on Ze Records. The tunes go way beyond familiar Kid Creole hits – and titles include "Goin To A Showdown" and "I'm An Indian Too (12" mix)" by Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, "Is That All There Is" by Cristina, "Paradise" and "Emile (Night Rate)" by Aural Exciters, "There But For The Grace Of God Go I (12" version)" by Machine, "Don't Play With My Emotions" by Ron Rogers, "On A Day Like Today" by Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9, "Pharoah (Can't Take It To The Grave" by Coati Mundi, "Sunshower" by Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, and the Kid Creole tracks "He's Not Such A Bad Guy After All (12" version)", "Double On Back", "Off The Coast Of Me", and "Going Places (Zemix version)". CD

Duets with Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Etta James, Lowell Fulson, Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, Ruth Brown, Irma Thomas, and others. (Blues, Soul) CD

Little Richard doing his much imitated, never bettered thing on the Fabulous Little Richard LP – released near the end of the 50s and featuring emotive r&b numbers he cut in earlier sessions – not all as wild-eyed and fiery as some of his 50s recordings but a soulful thrill! The album does feature a few of the more blazing classics, but all in all, this one demonstrates Richard's versatility more than some of his 50s work. Fabulous tracks from true legend! Includes "Shake A Hand", "Chicken Little Baby", "All Night Long", "Lonesome & Blue", "Kansas City", Maybe I'm Right", "I'm Just A Lonely", "Whole Lotta Shaking Going On", "I'm Just A Lonly Guy" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown's always cited Little Willie John as one of his biggest vocal influences – and on this CD, you'll definitely hear why! In a world of R&B shouters and screamers, Willie had a talent for subtle soul that was quite unique. He still had as much vocal power as some of his contemporaries, and could use it when he wanted to – but at the drop of a hat, he could also shift into a sadder, mellower mode that was extremely compelling, and which showed a sophistication in R&B that was normally the province of jazz singers. This nicely-done 20-track set pulls together loads of gems from Willie's classic years at King – including his famous version of "Fever", plus "All Around The World", "Spasms", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Talk To Me, Talk To Me", "My Nerves", "Person To Person", "Sleep", "Home At Last", "My Baby's In Love With Another Guy", and "I Like To See My Baby", a nice duet with Hank Ballard. CD

A bit jazz, a bit R&B, and swingin all the way through – the great Nellie Lutcher was one of the better singers of her generation, and it's a darn shame that she's not as well remembered as some of her other postwar musical contemporaries. This set was cut for Capitol during the early 50s, sort of a collection of singles based around her hit "He's A Real Gone Guy"; a nice little retrospective of Nellie's career that finally gives her her due. Titles include "Hurry On Down", "Come & Get It, Honey", "Do You, Or Don't You Love Me", "Fine Brown Frame", and "The Lady's In Love With You". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever". (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A bristling, crackling, completely charming set from Bruno Mars – and a record that lives up to all the best promise he has to offer! We don't know the man personally, but Bruno seems like a hell of a guy – warmly confident, upbeat, and positive – all qualities that really come through here – on tunes that are already pretty darn catchy at the start, then just keep growing on you the more you give them a spin! Instrumentation is very much in an 80s mode – with some sweet keys on most tracks, and a backing vocals that really flesh out the lyrics in a great way – unabashedly 1982, but maybe at a level that's better than most of the mainstream soul from the time. Titles include "Calling All My Lovelies", "Versace On The Floor", "That's What I Like", "Chunky", "24k Magic", "Finesse", and "Straight Up & Down". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A bristling, crackling, completely charming set from Bruno Mars – and a record that lives up to all the best promise he has to offer! We don't know the man personally, but Bruno seems like a hell of a guy – warmly confident, upbeat, and positive – all qualities that really come through here – on tunes that are already pretty darn catchy at the start, then just keep growing on you the more you give them a spin! Instrumentation is very much in an 80s mode – with some sweet keys on most tracks, and a backing vocals that really flesh out the lyrics in a great way – unabashedly 1982, but maybe at a level that's better than most of the mainstream soul from the time. Titles include "Calling All My Lovelies", "Versace On The Floor", "That's What I Like", "Chunky", "24k Magic", "Finesse", and "Straight Up & Down". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet groover from the Marvelettes – and a record that completely re-casts their sound for the Motown of the 70s! The group's still got the great soprano harmonies that made their early hits so wonderful, but the arrangements on the set are deeper and more sophisticated – taking them into hipper adult soul territory that we really love. Smokey Robinson produced, and wrote a lot of tracks for the set – and the backings are the work of Wade Marcus and David Van De Pitte – both well matched, and giving the album a fully unified sound. Titles include "So I Can Love You", "Marionette", "A Breathtaking Guy", "Uptown", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "Our Lips Seem To Rhyme Everytime". LP, Vinyl record album

"She's Got The Papers" is a much later entry in the Shirley Brown/Barbara Mason song cycle started way back at the beginning of the 70s – that tug-of-war about a shared man and all the things bought and bills paid – hence the title! Barbara may not have the papers on all the stuff the guy owns, but she's got the guy in the end – and she sings it mellow and sweet, in a great blend of southern and modern soul styles – all produced with a gentle sort of edge by Butch Ingram! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Later mellow magic from Curtis Mayfield – a set that has something of a quiet storm feel at times, which is a surprisingly great setting for Curtis' famous voice! The album's got a relatively laidback feel – never trying too hard for a hit, or to keep up with commercial soul of the time – and instead, Curtis just slides nicely into some sweetly stepping grooves that really bring out some of the best gentler sides of his groove. A few cuts get a bit uptempo, but never in a cloying way – almost with more of an early 80s club vibe at times – and titles include "Homeless", "Got To Be Real", "Do Be Down", "I Mo Git U", "Sucka", and "He's A Fly Guy". CD

2 later albums from Curtis Mayfield – both recorded in the post-Curtom years! We Come In Peace is a set that originally got small indie circulation, yet one that shows that Curtis was still going strong into the 80s! Half the set echoes the upbeat dancefloor modes of the late Curtom years – the club-oriented groovers that Mayfield picked up during the disco years, but still managed to deliver with a surprising degree of soul, thanks to his classic vocals. Other tunes have a bit more of an 80s groove at points, but still a lot more warmth than chart soul of the time – minimal beats and keys, and rhythm that's never too stiff. The set's got a few gentler moments too – like the great "Baby It's You", and the cuts "This Love Is True" and "Everybody Needs A Friend" – both of which continue the warmer side of Mayfield's late 70s years. The set also features a remake of "We Got To Have Peace", and the cuts "Body Guard", "We Come In Peace", and "Breakin In The Streets". Take It To The Streets is later mellow magic from Curtis Mayfield – a set that has something of a quiet storm feel at times, which is a surprisingly great setting for Curtis' famous voice! The album's got a relatively laidback feel – never trying too hard for a hit, or to keep up with commercial soul of the time – and instead, Curtis just slides nicely into some sweetly stepping grooves that really bring out some of the best gentler sides of his groove. A few cuts get a bit uptempo, but never in a cloying way – almost with more of an early 80s club vibe at times – and titles include "Homeless", "Got To Be Real", "Do Be Down", "I Mo Git U", "Sucka", and "He's A Fly Guy". CD

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". LP, Vinyl record album

80s electro soul from Marcus Miller – nicely grooving in a mix of beats, keyboards, and vocals – all handled by Marcus himself! As with his other work from the decade, there's a jazzy flair to much of the record – a style that goes a bit deeper than just the simple soul that you might guess from the album's cover – but which also has an unabashed feel for a tight groove and a nice little hook! Marcus gets a bit of help on the set from guests that include David Sanborn and Fonzi Thornton – but most of the album's a one-man affair, made possible by the advances in studio technology at the time. Titles include "Unforgettable", "Is There Anything I Can Do", "Superspy", "Juice", "I Could Give You More", and "Perfect Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

Three girls and a guy – and one of the greatest 60s soul groups to ever come out of Philly! Although they started out mostly in a girl group mode, The Orlons soon expanded their sound into a harder range of soul-based work – really picking up steam on the Philly scene, and pushing their once sweet style into a deeper groove that went onto have a big influence on lots of other local soul groups for years to come. Rosetta Hightower's lead vocals are especially great on these tunes, and she's got a rougher, rumbling sort of quality that almost pushes some tracks into Exciters territory. CD does a great job of presenting the material with notes on each track – and titles include "Wah Watusi", "Spinning Tog", "Mr Twenty One", "South Street", "Crossfire", "Not Me", "The Conservative", "Don't Hang Up", "Everything Nice", "Shimmy Shimmy", "Rules Of Love", and "Envy". CD

A wicked soul set from Output/Input – a project spearheaded by Melvin Lee Davis, who worked behind Chaka Khan for years – experience that definitely shows in the warmth and richness of this set! The record's got a great classic/contemporary vibe, one that almost takes us back to the sound of Incognito in their glory days – but with a spin that's nicely different too – maybe more soul at the core than jazz funk, as Davis opens the door to vocals from a range of different singers – Antonio McLendon on most of the core cuts, but also work from O'Bryan, Audrey Wheeler, and Brent Carter too. Titles include "Don't Be Scared", "Doin Alright", "Time Of Our Lives", "I'm In Love", "Really No Chance", "Love Of Another Guy", "Here We Go Again", and "True Love" – plus the CD bonus track "Every Time You Touch Me". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

A wicked soul set from Output/Input – a project spearheaded by Melvin Lee Davis, who worked behind Chaka Khan for years – experience that definitely shows in the warmth and richness of this set! The record's got a great classic/contemporary vibe, one that almost takes us back to the sound of Incognito in their glory days – but with a spin that's nicely different too – maybe more soul at the core than jazz funk, as Davis opens the door to vocals from a range of different singers – Antonio McLendon on most of the core cuts, but also work from O'Bryan, Audrey Wheeler, and Brent Carter too. Titles include "Don't Be Scared", "Doin Alright", "Time Of Our Lives", "I'm In Love", "Really No Chance", "Love Of Another Guy", "Here We Go Again", and "True Love" – plus the CD bonus track "Every Time You Touch Me". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased work by one of the greatest soul music songwriters of the 60s – the mighty Dan Penn, a key force in the Fame Records studio scene – heard here on a batch of mostly unreleased cuts from his best years! The package has Dan singing in the lead on all cuts – performing his own lyrics with backings from the same Fame Studios lineup that worked with soul greats like Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, and dozens of others who came to Muscle Shoals to record in the 60s and 70s – and Penn's vocals have this raspy, soulful charm that's years ahead of its time – a huge inspiration on male singers of the 70s, even though Dan never full got his due. His songs are the stuff of legend, but the man's equally great as a singer – and this collection really shows a light on his genius that should have gotten much more exposure back in the 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – only 2 of which were ever issued before – and titles include "Trash Man", "Without A Woman", "Reaching Out For Someone", "I Need You", "Little Girl", "Destroyed", "Diamonds", "I Dig A Big Town", "I Love Everything About You", "So Many Reasons", "We're Swinging", "It Hurts", "She Ain't Gonna Do Right", "Do You Need It", and "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy". (Rock, Soul) CD

Early work from Robert Ponger – the guy who gave Falco such a strong groove in the 80s, but who's heard here on a cool late 70s album that's heavy on disco! The music here has a sweet electronic groove – a bit like Munich disco of the time, but more stripped-down and personal – and with spacey qualities that resonate well with the Italian cosmic scene that would burst forth even more strongly in the 80s! Most tracks are heavy on keyboard lines, and feature guitar bits as well – and the usual disco warmth comes into the mix as well, with occasional strings and backing vocals. Titles include "Nights In The City", "Johnny's Discothek", "Love Train", "Jodel Funk", "Starbird", "You Are My Yesterday", and "Firewalk". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Joe Lovano, and Houston Person – plus arrangements by Hank Crawford and Benny Golson. (Cassettes, Soul) Cassette

Features Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Joe Lovano, and Houston Person – plus arrangements by Hank Crawford and Benny Golson. CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his sweeter 60s work! The record has an amazingly large conception of arrangements – mostly handled by Smokey, and done in a complicated baroque harmony style that points forward towards his later Quiet Storm sound – but which isn't as laidback and compressed. Most tracks are covers, but they're redone fantastically – with better vocals than you could imagine – and titles include "What Love Has Joined Together", "My Cherie Amour", "If This World Were Mine", "This Guy's In Love", and "And I Love Her". LP, Vinyl record album

Four classics from this legendary Motown group – including 2 albums on CD for the first time ever! First up is What Love Has Joined Together – excellent work by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his sweeter 60s work! The record has an amazingly large conception of arrangements – mostly handled by Smokey, and done in a complicated baroque harmony style that points forward towards his later Quiet Storm sound – but which isn't as laidback and compressed. Most tracks are covers, but they're redone fantastically – with better vocals than you could imagine – and titles include "What Love Has Joined Together", "My Cherie Amour", "If This World Were Mine", "This Guy's In Love", and "And I Love Her". Pocket Full Of Miracles is a great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "The Reel Of Time", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". Also features a great medley of "Something" and "Something You Got". One Dozen Roses is an early 70s set from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – and a set that mixes great new material with a few older gems from the previous decade too! The new cuts are fantastic – and have Smokey and the group continuing that mellower, more laidback harmony style that really knocks it out of the park – almost as if The Miracles were trying to challenge some of the younger sweet soul acts who were coming onto the scene. Titles include the older cuts "Tears Of A Clown" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" – plus "I Don't Blame You At All", "That Girl", "I Love You Dear", "No Wonder Love's A Wonder", and "When Sundown Comes". Flying High Together is excellent 70s work by Smokey and crew – sort of their way of showing the emerging east coast vocal stars how much talent they still had! The record has a sweet, slightly modern sound – with an approach that hints at Smokey's later Quiet Storm sound, but maybe a bit more laidback overall – set up with really great arrangements from both David Van De Pitte and HB Barnum. Titles include a killer reading of Stevie Wonder's "We Had A Love So Strong", plus "Got To Be There", "You Ain't Livin 'Till You're Lovin", "Flying High Together", "It Will Be Alright", and a cover of "Betcha By Golly Wow". CD features bonus tracks "You've Got Me Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" and "Paper People". CD

Motown's second pairing of its two biggest groups of the late 60s – a massive 7-voiced meeting in soul music, with results that are surprisingly great! Frank Wilson produced the whole set, and he does a good job of keeping all players in check – never letting the whole thing get too gimmicky, and managing to convey a sound that brings the best of both groups to the table. Titles include "Sing A Simple Song", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Why", "For Better Or For Worse", "I'll Be Doggone", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and a great Motown remake "My Guy My Girl", which features both versions of the hit coming together! LP, Vinyl record album

There's enough chest hair on the cover of this one to carpet the inside of any custom van – but the record's a fair bit better than you might guess from its image! The set's an outing as a leader by disco maestro Paul Sabu – one that features plenty of the riffing guitar he brought to other disco sessions of the late 70s – spun out over some relatively extended tracks that step along in a very clubby mode! Other instrumentation includes keyboards, bass, and lots of the percussion that made Sabu productions great for other artists – and even though Paul sings a bit, his vocals are mostly compressed down into the rhythms pretty strongly. Titles include "You're Mine Forever", "Loose Lucy Is On The Loose", "I Wanna Feel It In My Heart", "We're Gonna Rock", and "Rocking Rolling Disco King". And note: this isn't the same guy as Sabu Martinez, the conga player! CD

One of our favorite 80s club cuts – a track with a quick-stepping bassline on the bottom, some nicely snapping beats, and a lightly sung vocal that almost hits the same DJ-conscious territory as work by Indeep! There's some female chorus vocals behind the guy – which also makes the tune great! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great record from the mid 70s – one that has Marlena Shaw further developing her style as a sophisticated soul diva with a sharp modern edge! Although already great in the 60s, Shaw emerges here as an all-adult, all-woman singer – dealing with issues that never would have gotten touched in the decade before, all with a directness and sensitivity that's totally great. A great example of this is the leadoff track "You Me & Ethel" – a hilarious monologue in which Marlena strings along some guy who's trying to pick her up in a bar – really holding it in until it launches into the jazz funk groover "Street Walkin' Woman"! Arrangements throughout the album shift from mellower soul to hipper jazz with ease – taking Shaw into a wide range of territory that clearly shows that no areas were off limits to an artist of her stature in the 70s! Tracks include "Feel Like Makin Love", "You", "You Been Away Too Long", and "Loving You Was Like A Party". CD

Sister Sledge finally takes over the production booth for 82's Sisters LP – and while their commercial peak had long passed, their uptempo, catchy post disco groove is in still in fine form! The Sisters take some risky moves towards straight up funk and early rap on the lead track "Super Bad Sisters" – and endearingly handle both tasks – and then roll out some sophisticated string-laden bits, neon dancefloor grooves, and winning slow jams later on in the set. One of the most diverse batches of tunes from Sister Sledge, with some real gems! Other tracks include "My Guy", "Lightfootin'", "My Special Way", "Everybody's Friend", "All The Man I Need", "Jacki's Theme – There's No Stopping Us" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early material from this Pittsburgh vocal group – unique in that they had four guy singers and one gal! Titles include "Since I Don't Have You", "It Happened Today", "I Can Dream Can't I", "Lorraine From Spain", "I'll Be Seeing You", and "This I Swear". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more. CD

About as classic as you can get for the early Supremes – a set that has the group really hitting hard on all levels, thanks to production from the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, plus a bit of help from Smokey Robinson – all of whom really help push the Supremes out of simple girl group soul – into the realm of Motown genius they would nearly rule for years to come! Tunes are by HDH, Norman Whitfield, and Smokey – top-shelf songwriting that further enforces the strength of the set – with that mix of poise and class, yet soul and feeling that always graced the group at their best. Titles include the sublime "When The Love Light Starts Shining Through His Eyes", plus the classics "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Baby Love", and the tracks "Come See About Me", "I'm Giving You Your Freedom", "Your Kiss Of Fire", "Ask Any Girl", and "A Breath Taking Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from Johnnie Taylor – a set that mixes tight core grooving with some larger arrangements from Bert Keyes and Rudy Robinson – a perfect blend that shows why Taylor easily stood out from some of his bluesy contemporaries! It's clear that Johnnie's just the right guy to handle a setting this hip – and since he's got Marvell Thomas on keyboards, Steve Cropper on guitar, Donald Duck Dunn on bass, and Al Jackson on drums, there's more than enough kick at the bottom to keep things grooving. Titles include the great originals "I Had A Fight With Love", and "Separation Line" – plus hip takes on "Testify", "It's Your Thing", "Games People Play", and "Love Is A Hurtin Thing". CD

With 23 tracks including "Cry On", "I Done Got Over It", "While The City Sleeps", "Hittin' On Nothing", "Straight From The Heart", "He's My Guy", and "Nobody Wants To Hear Nobody's Troubles". CD

Titles include "I'm In Love", "Her Love", "That Guy (Could Have Been Me)", "Sexy Girl", "Downtown", and "Put Your Foot Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Livin' the "Bon Bon Vie", with this classic uptempo groover from T.S. Monk! You'd hardly guess that this guy was Thelonious Monk's son – but who cares about his roots when the album grooves so hard? This Monk plays drums, not piano, but the best tracks on the record have a tight keyboard funky soul sound that's virtually a blueprint for 80s groove – lots of jazzy elements that warm things up nicely, and a catchy rhythmic pulse that never quits! The standout cut is the classic "Bon Bon Vie", a dancefloor groover that will never die, and a huge sample for Public Enemy – but the album also includes many other great cuts, like "House Of Music", "Hot Night In The City", and "Last Of The Wicked Romancers". LP, Vinyl record album

A wild and weird early soundtrack work from the great Melvin Van Peebles – a set of songs composed by the man himself, and put together for an early directorial effort about a white man who wakes up one morning and finds himself black – and has to discover the real version of society from an African-American perspective! The music and politics are very similar to Melvin's early albums for A&M – songs that borrow from a few different styles, and aren't just straight soul and funk – handled with some larger arrangements from Bob Matthews, who amplifies some of the wildness in the tunes! Tracks include "Love, That's America", "Great Guy", "Eviction Scene", and "Where Are The Children". LP, Vinyl record album

White Boy reggae recorded at the height of the genre's climb to fame – at a time when a guy like Eric Clapton, or even worse, the silly-looking Johnny Wakelin, could put out a reggae record with confidence. Fortunately, Johnny's real claim to fame is the great novelty number here – "Black Superman" – a huge worldwide hit, and a pretty great little number about Muhammad Ali. The rest of the record's in a similar vein – not really bad, just pop reggae sounding, or proto disco grooving. Titles include "You Got The Bug", "Cream Puff", "In Zaire", "Me I'm A Capricorn", and "Sleep On Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

The stuff of legend – the complete 7" single output of Dionne Warwick during her early years at Scepter Records – a time when she was transforming the sound of 60s pop, with help from songwriter/maestro Burt Bacharach! In fact, the set's as much of a tribute to Burt's genius as it is to Dionne's – even though there are some non-Bacharach moments in the mix too, yet served up at a level that just shows how much potential Warwick had at the start, honed even more strongly in the hands of the maestro. The massive package features 74 tracks in all, and includes some great cuts past the hits – including "Amanda", "Who Gets The Guy", "Walk The Way You Talk", "I'm Your Puppet", "Window Wishing", "Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets", "Walk Little Dolly", "Let Me Be Lonely", "Who Is Going To Love Me", "Another Night", "As Long As There's An Apple Tree", "Slaves", "Whoever You Are I Love You", "Only The Strong", and "Let Me Go To Him". CD

The stuff of legend – the complete 7" single output of Dionne Warwick during her early years at Scepter Records – a time when she was transforming the sound of 60s pop, with help from songwriter/maestro Burt Bacharach! In fact, the set's as much of a tribute to Burt's genius as it is to Dionne's – even though there are some non-Bacharach moments in the mix too, yet served up at a level that just shows how much potential Warwick had at the start, honed even more strongly in the hands of the maestro. The massive package features 74 tracks in all, and includes some great cuts past the hits – including "Amanda", "Who Gets The Guy", "Walk The Way You Talk", "I'm Your Puppet", "Window Wishing", "Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets", "Walk Little Dolly", "Let Me Be Lonely", "Who Is Going To Love Me", "Another Night", "As Long As There's An Apple Tree", "Slaves", "Whoever You Are I Love You", "Only The Strong", and "Let Me Go To Him". CD

A seminal album by Muddy – recorded in a style that's rootsier, and more down to earth than a lot of his other chess sides! Muddy's playing acoustic guitar, and the rest of the group features Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, and Clifton James. The sound is really spare, and very moody – and tracks include "You Gonna Need My Help", "Cold Weather Blues", "Feel Like Going Home", and "My Home Is In The Delta". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album by Muddy – recorded in a style that's rootsier, and more down to earth than a lot of his other Chess sides! Muddy's playing acoustic guitar, and the group features Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, and Clifton James. The sound is really spare, evocative, and true – the album was quite probably titled to perk up the appeal to the strident college kids of the time, but the songs and performances are pure, honest, and rawly excellent. Tracks include "You Gonna Need My Help", "Cold Weather Blues", "Feel Like Going Home", and "My Home Is In The Delta" – and this CD edition has a 2 bonus tracks from slightly later session: "The Same Thing", and "You Can't Lose What You Never Had". (Blues, Soul) CD

A seminal album by Muddy – recorded in a style that's rootsier, and more down to earth than a lot of his other Chess sides! Muddy's playing acoustic guitar, and the group features Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, and Clifton James. The sound is really spare, evocative, and true – the album was quite probably titled to perk up the appeal to the strident college kids of the time, but the songs and performances are pure, honest, and rawly excellent. Tracks include "You Gonna Need My Help", "Cold Weather Blues", "Feel Like Going Home", and "My Home Is In The Delta" – and this CD edition has a 5 bonus tracks from slightly later session: "The Same Thing", "You Can't Lose What You Never Had", "My John The Conqueror Root", "Short Dress Woman" and "Put Me In Your Lay Away". (Blues, Soul) CD

2 Muddy Waters classics! On the first record, the Big Bill in the title is Big Bill Broonzy – a key influence on midcentury bluesmen all over the US, and paid tribute to nicely here by Muddy Waters! Given this tribute approach, the sound's a bit rootsier than some of Waters' other work for Chess at the time – a bit more emphasis on some of the acoustic elements in the instrumentation, and a recording style and approach to rhythm that's sometimes a bit more down home than postwar Chicago. Many titles are Broonzy originals, and titles include "Tell Me Baby", "Southbound Train", "Just A Dream", "Double Trouble", "I Feel So Good", "I Done Got Wise", and "Mopper's Blues". Folk Singer is a seminal album by Muddy – recorded in a style that's rootsier, and more down to earth than a lot of his other chess sides! Muddy's playing acoustic guitar, and the rest of the group features Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, and Clifton James. The sound is really spare, and very moody – and tracks include "You Gonna Need My Help", "Cold Weather Blues", "Feel Like Going Home", and "My Home Is In The Delta". (Blues, Soul) CD

Maybe the best album that Johnny Watson cut during his DJM years – a totally tight, totally soulful set that avoids any fake funk cliches! The record's got some wonderful trippy numbers – cut in that slow g-funky mode that was Johnny's huge legacy to the west coast scene – best of these is the classic "Superman Lover", a great little cut with a very catchy hook, and just the right dose of humor. But you'll also catch the same vibe on "I Want To Ta Ta You Baby", "Ain't That A Bitch", and "I Need It". Johnny's sitting on the cover, surrounded by ladies and a dog – and the back cover says "My apologies to Freddie, my guitar, for forgetting to bring him to the photo session." What a guy! CD

Maybe the best album that Johnny Watson cut during his DJM years – a totally tight, totally soulful set that avoids any fake funk cliches! The record's got some wonderful trippy numbers – cut in that slow g-funky mode that was Johnny's huge legacy to the west coast scene – best of these is the classic "Superman Lover", a great little cut with a very catchy hook, and just the right dose of humor. But you'll also catch the same vibe on "I Want To Ta Ta You Baby", "Ain't That A Bitch", and "I Need It". Johnny's sitting on the cover, surrounded by ladies and a dog – and the back cover says "My apologies to Freddie, my guitar, for forgetting to bring him to the photo session." What a guy! LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album from Junior Wells – and one that really opens up that more soulful side of his talents that was becoming a Chicago hallmark at the time! The set was produced by Samuel Charters, but has none of the rootsy vibe of his earlier work on Folkways – and instead matches the harmonica and raw vocals of Wells with a bit of horn backings on a few tunes by the great Ed Bland (of previous Sun Ra cinema fame, and later funk arrangements) – blown by the unlikely mix of Tom McIntosh on trombone, with trumpets by Clark Terry, Wallace Davenport, and Jimmy Owens! The core group has the mighty Buddy Guy on guitar, with Walter Williams on rhythm guitar and Douglas Fagan on tenor – and Junior knocks it out of the park, on tunes that include "So Sad This Morning", "When My Baby Left Me", "Stop Breakin Down", "Somebody's Tippin In", "You Don't Love Me", "Little By Little", and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". (Blues, Soul) CD

Junior Wells was already a rising star when he cut this album for Delmark in the mid 70s – but the session's got a great back to basics vibe, one that's dedicated to Junior's home turf at Theresa's Tavern on the south side! The groove is great – with twin guitar work, by Sammy Lawhorn in one channel, and Phillip Guy in another – creating this feel as if you're sitting in the small club, hearing the guitarists trade licks back and forth while Junior sings and really wails on harmonica! Other players are great Chicago talents too – and include AC Reed on tenor, Charles Miles on alto, and Johnny Walker on organ and piano. Titles include "The Train I Ride", "What My Mama Told Me", "Key To The Highway", "Watch Me Move", "Someday Baby", "You Gotta Love Her With Feeling", and "Junior's Thing". CD features the unissued bonus track "Goin Down Slow". (Blues, Soul) CD

An incredible slice of Chicago blues – and maybe one of the most important contributions Delmark ever made to the Windy City scene! The album captures Junior Wells in all his rough and raw brilliance – working in territory that's quite similar to the Chess Records vibe of the early 60s – in a group that has Buddy Guy on guitar, Otis Spann on piano, and Louis Myers on a bit of extra guitar! Guy sings a bit, but Junior does most of the vocals – and also plays harmonica too – on titles that include "Blues For Mayor Daley", "Stop Breaking Down", "You Say You Love Me", "Trouble Don't Last Always", and "Baby Please Lend Me Your Love". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the 1983 album of re-recorded hits I'm a Lady – The Old, New & Best Of Mary Wells along with several bonus tracks. An early 80s comeback set from Mary Wells – put together with a mix of newer tracks and remade older classics – as you might guess from the title! Production is by Wayne Henderson, with a relatively contemporary feel – a style that has plenty of 80s mainstream soul touches at times, particularly on the catchier numbers – but with more than enough room for Wells to still hang in there vocally, although with a somewhat more mature vocal style than in earlier years. Titles include "My Guy", "Two Lovers", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Oh Little Boy What Did You Do To Me", "Bye Bye Baby", "You Lost The Sweetest Boy", "Old Love Let's Try It Again", and "What Love Has Joined Together". CD