With selections by Billy "The Kid" Emerson, Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley, Earl Hooker, Ray Harris, Little Milton, Johnny Cash, James Cotton, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Orbison, The Miller Sisters, Rosco Gordon, and Charlie Rich. (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Features classic New Orleans work by Professor Longhair, The Party Boys, Robert Parker, Eddie Lang, Irma Thomas, Bobby Mitchell, and Paul Marvin. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Wand Records, a real powerhouse in 60s soul – featuring not hits, but nicely obscure tracks by Nella Dodds, The Gentlemen Four, The Ivories, Darryl Stewart, Clarence Reid, Wally Cox, the Charts, Ed Bruce, Billy Thompson, Walter Wilson, and The Masqueraders – plus two by Maxine Brown! LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Hard and heavy Memphis soul from Don Bryant – a great singer who recorded for Hi Records in its early years, but who was never as well-remembered as Al Green or Ann Peebles, because the label wasn't cutting full LPs on many of its soul acts in the 60s. Don's got a rough style that's part Memphis, part New Orleans, with nice bluesy touches, and a slightly rough style that reminds us of James Carr or other singers on the Goldwax label. The set's got a total of 15 tracks in all – all recorded between 1964 and 1969 – with titles that include "I'll Go Crazy", "Doing The Mustang", "What Are You Doing To My World", "There Is Something On Your Mind (part 1)", "The Call Of Distress", "Is That Asking Too Much", "Clear Days & Stormy Nights", and "Can't Hide The Hurt". CD

A 2CD set of Candi Staton – the complete Fame masters recorded by the female southern soul great and producer Rick Hall at the fabled Muscle Shoals studios – including a dozen previously unreleased tracks! It's one heartbreaking, soul stirring masterpiece after another on this set – some of best southern soul by anyone in this period, if you're asking us! Candi's voice brings grit and grace, sweetness and gruff truth. Includes the great late 60s/early 70s material plus some previously unreleased number cut before here mid 70s move to Warners – and that stuff is wonderful, too! 48 tracks in all: "Someone You Use", "Mr And Mrs Untrue", "Do Right Woman", "In The Ghetto", "Love Chain", "I'll Be Here", "Jolene", "It's Not Love", "Stand By Your Man", "For You", "Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man", "Where Were You", One More Hurt", "Do Right Woman" and many more. CD

A killer collection – served up in a unique cardboard binder style – with 53 rare soul and R&B tracks from Aladdin Records! CD

Includes singles by the Hollywood Argyles, Uptones, Arrogants, Monorails, Bishops, Starlets, Starr Sisters, Ty Tyrell, and Steve Wale. CD

Music from Willie Mitchell, Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, Al Green, Ann Peebles, Al Green, Quiet Elegance, George Jackson and OV Wright. CD

Very cool 2 CD compilation featuring 53 tracks from one of the greatest soul labels of the 60's. There's loads of great stuff here, including some unreleased tracks, and the artists include The Younghearts, The O'Jays, Gene Dozier, Bobby Womack, The Showmen, Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, Benny Spellman, Eskew Reeder, and Calvin Lee. Also includes a great booklet, and comes in a cool little package! CD

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own – a wonderful mix of album cuts and rare singles – some you'll recognize from famous hip hop samples, some you'll discover here for the first time ever! The triple-length package is overflowing with greatness – and titles include "I Could Never Be Happy" and "I Like It" by The Emotions, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by The Mad Lads and another "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Children Don't Get Weary" by Judy Clay, "All It Takes Is You & Me" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Poverty's Paradise" by 24 Carat Black, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Albert King, "Why Marry" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Steal Away" by Johnnie Taylor, "Hang On Sloopy" by David Porter, "Ike's Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes, "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness" by The Soul Children, "Packed & Took My Mind" by Little Milton, "Sing A Simple Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter, "LA Jazz Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes, and "Keep The Faith" by Mel & Tim. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Includes 41 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

A fantastic selection of work from one of the hippest girl groups of the 70s – the mighty Love Unlimited trio, three singers who all worked under the genius of Barry White in his prime! Unlike other girl trios of the time, who often used an older soul mode refitted with disco grooves – sometimes acting more like a chorus than a lead act – Love Unlimited always brought their full vocal strengths to play, and do a fantastic job here working in modes that rival some of the best male harmony groups of the early 70s – especially the sweet soul groups from New Jersey, New York, and Philly. And yes, Barry does kick up the groove a bit at times, but even then things are usually more in a midtempo mode, not a disco one – which makes for tremendous sounds throughout. This is the first-ever proper collection of the girls' singles from the early 70s – and titles include "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Fragile Handle With Care", "Are You Sure", "I Should Have Known", "Is It Really True Boy Is It Me", "Walkin In The Rain With The One I Love", "Under The Influence Of Love", "It May Be Winter Outside", "I Love You So Never Gonna Let You Go", "I Belong To You", "So Nice To Hear", "People Of Tomorrow Are The Children Of Today", and "Share A Little Love In Your Hear LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had been established already for Sly & The Family Stone's work-to-date, there was a brief period when he and manager David Kapralik set out make Stone Flower an official management and production house – and recorded some great tunes with female vocal trio Little Sister, funky soul singer and harmonica player Joe Hicks and funk rock sextet 6ix – as well as some gems sung by Sly himself. Sly & The Family Stone were soon to take off in a really huge way, his business relationship with Kapalik was becoming strained, and other factors behind-the-scenes made it impossible for Stone Flower Productions to really take root, but this brief period is fantastic. We're so glad it's been dug up and collected here! The cuts are primarily written and produced by Sly Stone – with Sly out front on "Just Like A Baby", "Africa", "Spirit" and "Scared" – and other great tracks include "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Home Sweet Home (Part 2)" and "I'm Going Home (Part 1)" by Joe Hicks, "Trying To Make You Feel Good", "You Can, We Can" by 6ix and more. 18 tracks in all – with a nice booklet of notes by Alec Palao, and an interview with the elusive Sly Stone himself! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Dick Lee, Kay Brown, Richard Barrett, Buck Griffin, Augie Rios, Russ Tamblyn, Ronnie Isle, The Chords, Darby Sisters, Melvin Smith, and more - 29 tracks in all. CD

... CD

Music from The Nobletones, The Plurals, John Lester, The Mello-Queens, The Uniques, Gene Day, The Nobletones, Lee Richards, John Lester, The Mello-Queens, the Blenders, Arthur Johnson, and more - 30 songs in all. CD

Features music by Tarheel Slim, Wilbert Harrison, Buster Brown, Elmore James, Sam Myers, Lee Dorsey, King Curtis, Dr. Horse, Joe Haywood, Dee Dee Ford, and more! CD

A wonderful look at the later years of Chicago soul – a collection that brings together work from Chi-Sound Records, the imprint formed by producer Carl Davis after years of working with Windy City artists on labels like Okeh and Brunswick! Both Davis and the Chicago scene were reaching a new level of sophistication by the time Chi-Sound got its start – and the label took a keen cue from the Philly scene, and had its artists move into a broader range of work than just chart-bound singles – much more adult-oriented material that reflected the maturity of the artists, and the growth of an older middle class market for contemporary soul. As you'll hear on this set, Davis had a great way with a smooth tune – taking many older artists and allowing them to either re-record classic hits, or move towards material they wouldn't have been allowed to touch in earlier years. And as before, Davis also had a good ear for up-and-comers too – and exposed a few key acts on Chi-Sound during the short time the imprint was around. Titles on Volume 2 include "Maybe I'm Mistaken" and "Come To My Party" by The Impressions, "Hot On A Thing" and "Oh Girl" by The Chi-Lites, "Does She Have A Friend" and "Tomorrow I May Not Feel The Same" by Gene Chandler, "Passionate Breezes" and "I Touched A Dream" by The Dells, "It's All Over" and "And If I Had" by Walter Jackson, "Especially For You" by Manchild, and "I Still Love You" by Windy City. CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this first volume include "God's Going To Blow Out The Sun" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "I Feel Like Flying Away" by The Joy Of Memphis, "When I Looked" by The Traveling Stars, "The Reason I Love Him" by The Kingdom Airs, "Where You Gonna Run" by The D-Vine Spiritualettes, "One River To Cross" by The Seven Brothers, "Look At Your Life" by Evelyn Taylor, and "I'm A Soldier In God's Army" by The Southern Sons. (Gospel, Soul) CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this second volume include "The Lord's Prayer" by The Dynamic Hughes Singers, "I've Got To Tell It" by The Southern Bells, "My Time Ain't Long" by The Shaw Singers, "It's A Shame How This World Has Changed" by The Gospel Wymics, "Stand By Me" by The M&M Singers, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "Jesus He's A Miracle Worker" by The Gospel Six, "I Know I've Been Changed" by Sister Jessie M Sherley, and "I Got Jesus" by The Angelic Five. (Gospel, Soul) CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this second volume include "The Lord's Prayer" by The Dynamic Hughes Singers, "I've Got To Tell It" by The Southern Bells, "My Time Ain't Long" by The Shaw Singers, "It's A Shame How This World Has Changed" by The Gospel Wymics, "Stand By Me" by The M&M Singers, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "Jesus He's A Miracle Worker" by The Gospel Six, "I Know I've Been Changed" by Sister Jessie M Sherley, and "I Got Jesus" by The Angelic Five. (Gospel, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A host of southern soul tracks – all presented here in versions that have never been issued before – as they're all the original takes of the tunes that were first tone for Ace Records of Mississippi! You'll recognize a few of these tunes, which sound different in the earlier takes – and there's also plenty of other more obscure numbers you won't know at all – served up in modes that bridge the New Orleans soul and deeper Mississippi music that Ace did so well at the end of the 50s. CD features 24 tracks in all – and titles include "I Was Wrong" by Roland Cook, "Can't Let You Go" by Albert Scott, "Heaven Came Down" by Calvin Spears, "Mr Blues" by Joe & Ann, "I Know" by Bobby Marchan, "Blessed Are These Tears" by Joe Tex, "Gee Baby" by Joe & Ann, "Yes I Got You" by Chuck Carbo, "Honey Honey" by The Supremes, "Teenage Rock" by Little Booker, and "My Love Is Strong" by Earl King. CD

A great groovy take on the sound of the legendary Hi Records – the Memphis soul powerhouse that gave us so many wonderful records in the 70s! The sound of Hi here is a bit different than you may know from the hits – as the label is seen through the great filter of the Free Soul series – which focuses on mellow groovers and midtempo tracks that have a bright, bubbly approach to soul – all work that still has all the deep soul roots of Hi at its best, but which also features rhythms and grooves that are less familiar in the label's catalog! There's some very choice singles here, next to overlooked album cuts by artists who got to issue full length sets for Hi – and as always with Free Soul, you get plenty of music for your money. Titles include "Little Things" by Phillip Mitchell, "Got To Find My Baby" by James Gadson, "Roots Of Love" by Quiet Elegance, "Too Much Mystery" by Otis Clay, "Look At The Boy" by Jean Plum, "I Don't Do Windows" by OV Wright, "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Willie Mitchell & Don Bryant, "Somebody's On Your Case" by Ann Peebles, "Save The Last Dance For Me" by Henry She, "Let Them Know You Care" by George Jackson, and "I'm So Thankful" by Al Perkins. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

The funky side of Hi Records – music that goes way past the mellow burning soul you might normally know from the label – served up here in a wealth of rare singles from the Memphis powerhouse of soul! Hi had a lot more going on in the 70s than just the big hits and classic albums that most people know – and the cuts here show a version of the label that was working every bit as hard as Stax to come up with fresh grooves and unusual ways of mixing southern soul and funk for the new generation! The set list is huge – 25 numbers, many of which should be pretty fresh to your ears – and titles include "Sweet Thing" by Willie Walker, "Slidin In & Out" by The Memphians, "Got To Find My Baby" by James Gadson, "Fried Chicken" by Rufus Thomas, "Everybody Got Soul" by Gene Miller, "Disco Hustle" by Heinsight, "If You Can't Please Your Woman" by Tuxedo, "Love Map" by Lyndon, "You Made Me What I Am" by Erma Coffee, and "Patricia" by George Jackson. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Music by Bill Black's Combo, Ace Cannon, Murry Kellum, Willie Mitchell, Gene Simmons, Charlie Rich, Jerry Jaye, Ann Peebles, Al Green, George Jackson, Otis Clay, Quiet Elegance, Syl Johnson, Phillip Mitchell, Jean Plum, and OV Wright – 24 tracks total. CD

A treasure trove of rare and unusual gospel recordings from the Memphis scene – work done for the tiny JCR imprint of the also-tiny D-Vine Records label – a real wellspring of under-discovered talent from the south! JCR was kind of the bush league for D-Vine – a custom label that let gospel acts press their own records, some of which were then pulled up to record for the main imprint – some of whom never fully got their due – a great assortment of soulful groups collected here for the first time ever! There's some really wonderful material here – and the set really shows that embrace of deeper soul styles that the gospel world was making in the late 60s on labels like Chess or Peacock, carried over strongly here with a very special Memphis sort of vibe. Titles include "Rock My Soul" by The Masonic Travelers, "Too Late Too Late" by The Chosen Wonders, "You Can't Hurry God" by The QCs, "In The Last Day" by The Hewlett Sisters, "Keep On Pushing" by The Calvary Nightingales, "Call On Him" by The Silver Wings, "Someone Who Cares" by The Dixie Wonders, "I Want To Move A Little Higher" by The Seven Souls, "Sinner Man" by The Bible Tones, "Every Knee Must Bow" by The Southern Nightingales, and "Just Over The Hill" by The Spiritual Harmonizers. (Gospel, Soul) CD

A sweet collection of grooves from the legendary Salsoul label – easily one of the hippest imprints on the New York scene of the 70s! Salsoul's grooves go way beyond the usual disco – crafted with roots that go back to soul and salsa of the earlier part of the decade – and often mixed to perfection with a sound that holds up strongly, even on a crowded dancefloor! This package features ten of the best-remembered gems from the label – most in long mixes that echo their strong popularity as 12" single – titles that include "Doctor Love" by First Choice, "Runaway" by The Salsoul Orchestra with Loleatta Holloway, "Jingo" by Candido, "Dreamin" by Loleatta Holloway, "By The Way You Dance" by Bunny Sigler, "Love Is You" by Carol Williams, "Dance A Little Bit Closer" by Charo, "I Love New York" by Metropolis, and "Rio De Janeiro" by Gary Criss. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Not just soul, but lots of R&B too – work by Betty Wright, Joe Turner, Joe Tex, Sam & Dave, Stick McGhee, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown, The Chords, Solomon Burke, and lots of others! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections from General Johnson & The Chairmen, Band Of Oz, Poor Souls, Showmen, and Tempest. LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of grooves from the legendary TK Records label – and one that goes way past the obvious hits that topped the charts back in the 70s! The package is less the overall story of TK, than it is a great reminder that there's some really funky nuggets lurking deep in the label's mighty catalog – killer tunes that show that the Miami club sound of the late 70s was firmly rooted in funk and deep soul of the earlier part of the decade – at a level that still stayed pretty funky, even well into the disco generation! There's some great gems here – and titles include "Lady Fingers" by Tony Middleton, "Plato's Retreat" by Joe Thomas, "Funk Reaction" by Lonnie Smith, "Harlem Nocturne" by Wildflower, "Don't Turn Away" by Midnite Flite, "Star Cruiser" by Gregg Diamond, "Funk Machine" by Funk Machine, "Hey Sexy Dancer" by Rocky Mizell, "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly & Life, and "Do What You Wanna Do" by T Connection. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

R&B, gritty blues, and some killer tenor talents – a wicked collection of vintage masters from legendary indie United Records! Musically, the package is very much on a par with Ace/Kent collections of this type – the sort that might feature material from King or Modern/RPM Records from the same vintage – and our hat's off to Delmark for doing such a great job of bringing back these crucially overlooked sounds from Chicago! Titles include "Cool Leo" by Leo Parker", "Cut That Out (alt)" by Junior Wells, "Organ Grinder" by Jimmy Coe, "Walking Home" by JT Brown, "Let's Get High" by Morris Pejoe, "Crazy Walk" by Tab Smith, "In The Dark" by Grant Jones, "Nona" by Paul Bascomb, "Goodbye" by The Pastels, "Tiny's Boogie" by Tiny Grimes, "Sophisticated Lady (alt)" by Jimmy Forrest, and "Come In The Room" by Robert Anderson. CD

... CD

Storming soul from Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford – one of the hardest-hitting duos of the early 60s, and a pair who set the tone for countless other acts to come! The style here is definitely soul, but steeped in plenty of R&B too – partly from Dee Dee's smoking work on Hammond, and the way her vocals come together with Don's – almost more live than any other studio work of its type – with a spontaneous vibe that always kept the Gardner/Ford singles mighty interesting! Don had worked previously with Jimmy Smith and Groove Holmes as the organist in his group – but when Dee Dee hit the mix, the sound really took off – as Gardner's rich vocals found their perfect counterpart in the energy of the young keyboardist and singer. The set's one of the best we've ever seen to bring together their work for the Fire label – and features their full album I Need Your Lovin, plus 18 more bonus tracks from singles – titles that include "You Said", "Make The Girl Love Me", "I Need Your Lovin", "I Left There Crying", "This Lonely Place", "Dog Eat Dog", "The Quicker The Better", "Bad Luck", "TCB", "Forever In Your Lover's Arms", "Everybody Needs Love", "Lead Me On", "Let's Go To The Party", and a rare complete unedited version of "I Need Your Lovin". CD

Less funk than the title might imply, but still plenty darn great – thanks to a strong helping of work from Ann Peebles legendary years at Hi Records! Back in the 70s, Ann's work for Hi was second only to labelmate Al Green – and like Green, she worked in a similar slow-burning style that set a whole new sound for southern soul – one that updated an older Memphis mode into a more sophisticated, more adult groove that made tremendous use of Peebles' magnificent vocals! This 21 track package features some of the best tunes from those years – a great overview that includes "I Can't Stand The Rain", "99 LBs", "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down", "Come To Mama", "Beware", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", and "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home". CD

A hefty book on the great Otis Redding – one of the best soul singers of all time, even though he left this planet all too soon! Redding's career on record was less than a decade long, but marked by a huge amount of work – not just time in the studio, with the legendary Stax Records – but also countless hours on the road, where Otis honed his talents and perfected his craft – while additionally putting both himself and his talents at risk. Author Mark Ribowsky looks at these years in wonderful depth – mostly with a focus on Redding, but also a strong look at Stax as well – as the partnership between the two was one of the most important in soul music at the time, and continues to have an impact all these many years later. Book is 366 pages, with copious notes at the end – hardcover, and with some black and white images. (Books, Soul) Book

Music from the Originals, Dickey Lee, the Cupcakes, the Bobbettes, Ten Broken Hearts, Joan Baker, the Violets, Nancy Baron, Frank Reno, the Del Satins, and more – 31 songs in all. CD

20 tracks from Lonnie & The Crisis, Teddy & The Continentals, The Continettes, The Versatones, The Adapters, The Montels, The Sinceres, Johnny And The Dreams, and Frankie & the C Notes. CD

Includes 28 tracks by the Twin Tunes, Revels, Lionel Robinson, Gloria Mann, Billy Duke & the Dukes, Doc Stark & the Nite Riders, and Carter Rays. CD

Incredible sounds from the Chess Records catalog – not the blues that you might know the label for, but a huge range of funk, soul, and jazz tracks from the headiest years of the 60s and 70s – a time when the Chicago scene was really turning out some incredible musical hybrids! As you'd guess from the title, all the cuts here have had a new life in recent years – thanks to samples by hip hop artists or other producers – but the original grooves are even better than the tracks that used them, and come together here to make one of the most mindblowing collections of Chess material we've ever heard! The package is nicely heavy on sounds from the Cadet/Concept years of the label – with more than a few contributions from producers Charles Stepney and Richard Evans – and the package features 42 wonderful tracks – including "Fonky Thang Diamon Ring" by The Dells, "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Dorothy Ashby, "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Rotary Connection, "Jelly Jam" by Jack McDuff, "The Getaway" by Alvin Cash, "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler, "Cross Country" by Archie Whitewater, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "Go Go Power" by Sugar Pie DeSanto, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "Bad Moon Rising" by Bo Diddley, "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Be Do Da Day" by Eddie Fisher, "Humpin Bumpin & Thumpin" by Andre Williams, "Who Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Walk On By" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Chocolate Candy" by Soulful Strings, "Got To Get Your Own (7" version)" by Reuben Wilson, "Hanky's Panky (7" version)" by Shirley Scott, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Look Of Love" by Monk Higgins, and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & The Organizers. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Includes selections by Al Johnson, Lenny Capello, Eddie Bo, Johnny Adams, Joe Jones, Martha Nelson, Tommy Ridgley, Edgar Blanchard, and The Velvetiers. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Donna Summer, Village People, Love & Kisses, Lipps Inc, Meco, Parliament, Pattie Brooks, Michael Sembello, Giorgio Moroder, Brooklyn Dreams, Cher, Teri Desario and Captain & Tennille. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

25 songs from the Carnations, the Serenaders, the Sunsets, Freddie Scott & the Symphonics, Little Pattie Russo & group, the Revelations, Tony Rice & the Overtones, the Butanes, the Shallows, Popular Five, and more. CD

54 tracks from this rare Chicago blues label – including some unissued material! Music from Otis Rush, the Clouds, Shakey Horton, Sunnyland Slim, Little Willie Foster, Harold Burrage, Magic Sam, Betty Everett, Shakey Jake & Willie Dixon Band, Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm, Buddy Guy, and more. (Blues, Soul) CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this first volume include "God's Going To Blow Out The Sun" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "I Feel Like Flying Away" by The Joy Of Memphis, "When I Looked" by The Traveling Stars, "The Reason I Love Him" by The Kingdom Airs, "Where You Gonna Run" by The D-Vine Spiritualettes, "One River To Cross" by The Seven Brothers, "Look At Your Life" by Evelyn Taylor, and "I'm A Soldier In God's Army" by The Southern Sons. (Gospel, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

(Gospel, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the Coeds, the Class Notes, the Paramounts, the Jades, Eddie Curtis, the Scholars, Ray Johnson, the Daylighters, Jeff Stevens, the Scholars, Brian Davis, and more – 25 tracks in all. CD

The second half of the Ebb Records Story – featuring late 50s work from this groundbreaking LA label! The focus here is on R&B and bluesy material – and the style is thrown pretty far, from urban blues to rootsier work – and there's a total of 29 tracks, with titles that include "What Is Life" by Floyd Dixon, "Chicken Baby Chicken" by Tony Harris, "No Buts No Maybes" by Professor Longhair, "Cha Cha Cha" by Jerry Hawkins, "She's My Witch" by Kip Tyler, "Don't You Know" by Tony Allen, "Come Back" by Tony Allen, and "When The Deal Go Down" by Ray Agee. CD

Includes 25 tracks by The Ad Libs, Dixie Cups, Ellie Greenwich, The Butterflys, Evie Sands, Bessie Banks, The Jelly Beans, Shangri-Las, Roddie Joy, Cathy Saint and The Goodies. CD

Classic Memphis soul! This nifty 22 track compilation brings to light some excellent material recorded for the legendary Hi label – most of which was not issued on albums, by far the most-reissued part of the label. The set combines material from some of the label's bigger stars, and some of it's lesser-known treasures. Titles include "Is it Over?" by David Duke, "It Was Jealousy" by Otis Clay, "Still Around" by James Fry, "I Can't Let You Go" by Ann Peebles, "She's My Woman" by Bobo Mr. Soul, "Hey Little Girl" by Norm West, and "What Made You Change" by Eddie McGhee. CD

Long before Al Green and Ann Peebles, Hi Records was already booming out of Memphis with a great blend of soul, R&B, instrumental, and rockabilly – really capturing the spirit of the city on both sides of the fence! This collection is overflowing with obscure work from those great early years – a sound of Hi that's not as often compiled, but which we find every bit as compelling as the more famous work from later years. 29 tracks in all – with titles that include "26 Miles To Joliet" by Darlene Wallace, "Your True Love" and "Teddy Bear" by Gene Simmons, "Tootsie" and "Daydreamin" by Carl McVoy, and "Please Please" by Kimball Coburn LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the west coast – and a motherlode of tracks that you've probably never heard! Inner City Records was a small time funk powerhouse – owned and run by organ player George Semper, who cut some mighty fine records on his own! The label's not to be confused with the New York-based jazz label Inner City – because this one was a much more down-n-dirty funky one – and cut some killer work in a deep deep mode, much of which was never issued before – and is making a long-overdue first appearance here! The tracks have some seriously fine jazzy work in them – snapping funk, with a hard and dirty edge, played by performers that include Charles Owens, Rodney Franklin, and James Gadson – all of whom would later go onto become superstars in their own right. A number of tracks have vocals, too – and titles include "Plastic Situation" by Ron & Candy, "In One Peace" by In One Peace, "Funkorgy" by Funkafreek, "Tenderness" by Funkhouse with Candy, "Thank U" by The R&B Classic Funk Band, "It's Insane" by In One Peace, "Spread The News" and "Hands Of Time" by Perfect Circle, "Sticky Boom Boom" by United Soul Association, and "Funktime" by Funkproof. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Rare gospel gems that go way past the usual – tracks recorded for the small JCR label in Memphis during the 70s, but done with a stripped-down vibe that's much more like postwar gospel overall! Most of the acts here are pretty darn obscure – groups that were inspired by the spirit and burning with a message – driven to take their amazing vocal skills to the JCR/D-Vine studios, where they got a chance to immortalize their music on wax – even if bigger national sales didn't necessarily follow! The rootsiness of this music is wonderful – usually just vocals, a lead and harmony associations, backed by an instrument or two – but also handled with much more modern soul-based phrasing than work of this sort might have had a few decades before. As with the first volume, the quality level is amazing – the kind of killer gems that make digging for more obscure gospel music so rewarding – served up in a set list of 17 tracks that include "Man On The Moon" by The Breckenridge Singers, "I Thank You Lord" by The Stars Of Faith, "Be So Glad" by The Chosen Wonders, "Until My Days Are Done" by The Masonic Travelers, "Leaning On The Lord" by The Canton Spirituals, "Save Me Jesus" by The Sons Of Harmony, "Stand By Me" by The Dixie Wonders, "Little Wooden Church" by The Silver Trumpets, and "Never Grow Old" by The Bible Tones. (Gospel, Soul) CD

Igloo Records was a teeny tiny label on the LA scene of the early 70s – but all of its releases turned out to be killers – most handled by the hip-looking Leon Gardner on the cover! The music is often heavy with the kind of deep funk you'd expect from rare singles at the time – but Gardner also has an ear for more complex sounds at times, and brings in some jazz moments that really give the Igloo titles a unique vibe – always with plenty of grit in the grooves, as befits a small indie label – but with an ear for the music that also makes us wonder what Gardner could have done, had someone given him the keys to a bigger label and studio for his productions! We'd love a bit more in the way of notes – but that's to be expected, as Leon was somewhat of a mysterious figure – and the music is more than great enough on its own, with titles that include "Farm Song", "Be There", "My Love Is Growing", "Who Are You", "Beef Jerky", "Tuff Lover", "Wonderful World Of Children", "You Gonna Cry", and "You Don't Care" by Leon Gardner himself – plus "You're My Love" by Eddie Lewis, "I've Cried" by The Jhamels, and "Petty Cash" and "Ropeokra" by Wallace Petty Combo. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A lost side of work from 70s funk powerhouse Mainstream Records – a company best known for its jazz albums of the early 70s, but one that also cut some great soul and club material too! Most of the work here came out only as singles, and wasn't nearly as well-circulated as the albums on Mainstream – and much of it was much more underground too, from a time when funk groups were picking up the pace a bit for the new styles of dance on the scene – yet still nicely far from the more slickly produced disco that would top the charts at the end of the 70s! Most tracks appear here on vinyl for the first time since the 70s – and titles include the unissued "Disco Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Three Ounces Of Love – plus "Get Down Get Down" by South Side Coalition, "Music Is Fun To Me" by The Grand Jury, "We've Got To Get Together" by Chocolate Syrup, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Crystal Image, "Nothing Between Us" by Electric Ladies, "Whatever's Your Sign You've Got To Be Mine" by Prophecy, "Hundred Pounds Of Pain" by Lenny Welch, and "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think Sun Records here – think SSS International – as most of this work comes from the late 60s efforts of producer Shelby Singleton, whose soul labels were bought by Sam Phillips and folded into Sun International! There's lots of great Tennessee soul grooves here – most of them pretty rare – and titles include "Wait Until Tomorrow" by The United Notions, "All I Want Is You" by Betty Harris, "I Can't Be All Bad" by Johnny Adams, "How Much Can A Man Take" by Big John Hamilton, "You Better Get Gone Baby" by The Jesters, "Hanging Heavy In My Mind" by Doris Allen, "You See Me" by Robert Parker, "Mama's Baby" by Marilyn Haywood, and "There's A DJ In Your Town" by Samson & Delilah. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 22 tracks from the Electras, Cherios, Younghearts, Penny Rae, Betty Turner, Billy Storm, the Debs, Shad Prinder, and the Ring A Dings! CD

31 songs from Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls, Little Worley & The Drops, The Tads, The Dots, Butch McGhee, The Hornets, The Four Dimensions, The Vice-Roys, The Versatiles, Brother Zee And The Decades, Danny & The Velaires, and Lon Rogers & The Soul Blenders. CD

An amazing collection of obscure 45 material and rare album tracks from the archives of the legendary Money/Cash labels! Money Records was a huge beacon for somewhat rough-edged driving soul, when it found its niche on the LA scene in the early 60s. Amazing artists that never fully got their due – stars like Bettye Swann, the Larks (aka Pretenders), the Question Marks, King Solomon, Sonny Herman, and tons of others – many with roots in late 50s doo wop and r&b, recorded endearingly rawer singles for the label in the 60s, and stayed as it progressed into more of a smooth, slightly more polished and groovy sound in the early 70s. 24 tracks – most of which are pretty darn hard to track down on vinyl! Includes "Too Much For You" by Bobby Angelle, "What About Me" by Sonny Herman, "Temptation Walk" by the Larks, "Separation" by King Solomon, "You Gave Me Love" by Bettye Swann, "Baby" by Ted "Soul" Hawkins, "Lil' Valley" by M&M and the Peanuts, "Dancing With My Baby" by the T-K-O's, and tons more. Includes an excellent booklet with great photos, bios, and notes on the production and arrangements! CD

Famous tracks from the legendary Miami Soul powerhouse TK Records – famous not because they were hits in the 70s, but because they were used in later years as hip hop samples – dug from the deep well of music that TK recorded back in the day, to lay the blueprint for a whole new generation! The set brings together 15 gems that are not only funky, and which have key elements that you'll know from hip hop songs – but which also stand pretty darn strongly on their own, as a fantastic overview of the care of creation that TK brought to its work in the studio. Titles include "Groove To Get Down" by T-Connection, "Dedicate All My Love" by Raw Soul Express, "Sweet Thang" by The 13th Floor, "Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart" by Clarence Reid, "Good Good Lovin" by Charles Johnson, "To Touch You Again/Lady Blue" by John Tropea, "Givin Me Your Love" by Facts Of Life, "Dance With Me" by Peter Brown, "Why Can't We Live Together" by Timmy Thomas, and both versions of "90% Of Me Is You" – one by Gwen McCrae, one by Vanessa Kendrick. Also features some J Rocc mixes – "I Get Lifted (J Rocc edit)" by George McCrae, "Keep It Up (J Rocc edit)" by Milton Wright, "I Love The Way You Love (J Rocc dub)" by Betty Wright, and "Clean Up Woman (J Rocc edit)" by Betty Wright. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Includes tracks by the Opals, the Sparks Of Rhythm, the Gentlemen, the Casanovas, the Cellos, the Vocaltones, the Larks, the Romeos, the Keynotes & more. CD

Music from the Desires, the Heartbeats, the Monotones, Jackie & the Starlites, the Avons, Shep & the Limelites, the Elegants, the Pastels, the Sparks, the Legends & more. CD

Includes music from Claudine Clark, Johnny Rivers, Jodie Sands, Frankie Avalon, the Fabulous Four, Bell Sounds, Johnny Burnette, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and others – 50 tracks total. (Rock, Soul) CD

Sublime 70s work from Darrow Fletcher – a singer we mostly know for his early soul singles in Chicago – but one who really hits his stride on these rare sessions from LA! The music was mostly recorded for Ray Charles' Crossover label – although a few singles also appeared on Atlantic too – and the work has Fletcher's wonderful sweet soul vocal approach coming into play with these warmly flowing grooves that are mighty nice – almost a west coast take on the style that Leroy Hutson was doing in Chicago on Curtom! In the setting, Fletcher's even more appealing than before – a mature singer with a hell of a balance between class and soul, poise and swing – more than enough to rival his hippest contemporaries. Production on most tracks was done by Joel Webster – who also recorded for Crossover – and titles include "The Rising Cost Of Love", "Honey Can I", "Try Something New", "Secret Weapon", "Let's Get Together", "It's No Mistake", "Election Day", "Improve", and "Wind Up Toys". CD

Most folks know The Foundations for one big crossover hit that still gets a lot of oldies radio play – but the group have a heck of a lot more to offer than that, as you'll hear in this wonderful collection that not only features all their 7" single releases from the UK, but also includes later solo material from the group's lead singer, Clem Curtis! The group were initially a bunch of British lads inspired by the sound of Motown, and they hooked up with Curtis, a singer from Trinidad – who really gave them the sound they wanted in the lead, and helped further the important identity of the group as a mixed-race act. Their sound is wonderfully tight – kind of a small group take on the larger studio majesty of Detroit soul – but with some nice British touches too, and a great sense of songwriting that gave the group plenty of original material along the way – a good deal of which you'll hear on this set. The 2CD package features 39 single tracks by The Foundations – including "Back On My Feet Again", "Come On Back To Me", "I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving", "Am I Grooving You", "New Direction", "Jerking The Dog", "Baby Now That I've Found You", "In The Bad Bad Old Days", "Born To Live Born To Die", "Solomon Grundy", "Till Night Brought Day", "Waiting On The Shores Of Nowhere", and "Build Me Up Buttercup". Also includes mid 70s solo work by Clem Curtis – five more tracks that include "Point Of No Return", "Time Alone Will Tell", "Mountain Over The Hill", and "I've Never Found A Girl". CD