... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Massively solid boogie work from Jeffrey Osborne and LTD – still grooving beautifully at the end of the 70s, and working here with top-shelf production from Bobby Martin! The set's got that buoyant LTD groove that was a perfect foil for Osborne's soaring vocals – a sound that never fell into the cliches of some of Osborne's later solo work, and which was a perfect match between ensemble funk, dancefloor rhythms, and the charisma of a strong lead singer. There's a few smoother ballads on the set that point the way towards later years, but the bulk of the set is very much in the group's best boogie mode – and titles include "You Gave Me Love", "Lovers Everywhere", "Don'tcha Know", "Shine On", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Getaway" and "Lady Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist – always a pleasure for us! Titles include "In The Evening", "Sweet Lover", "Willow Weep For Me", "Stormy Monday", and "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do". CD features 3 bonus cuts – "A Little Les Of Lou's Blues", "Blues Is A Woman", and an alternate take of "Stormy Monday". CD

A great little set of groovers from LTD – both of them nice boogie numbers! We're partial to "Back In Love Again" – one of the group's best cuts in our book, a tight little groover with a great little hook! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist – always a pleasure for us! Titles include "In The Evening", "Sweet Lover", "Willow Weep For Me", "Stormy Monday", and "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

One of LTD's biggest from the 70s – a sweet mix of mellow soul and boogie, handled to perfection by the talents of Bobby Martin! Jeffrey Osborne's vocals are really running strong at this point – well-suited to both funk and ballads, with none of the cliches that started creeping into his solo work in later years. Titles include "Stranger", "Share My Love", "Say That You'll Be Mine", "One On One", and "Dance N Sing N". LP, Vinyl record album

LTD without Jeffrey Osborne, and sounding pretty darn great – moving here in a boogie-centrist groove that's heavy with bass on the bottom! In a way, the group's almost freer to work here as a funky ensemble without their former spotlight star – and the record's got a really wicked groove that's right up there with the best major label funk of the time – upbeat, romping, and very groovy throughout – never as clunky as work that was hitting the charts, and with some great horn and guitar work to keep things in warmer territory of the decade before. Rhythms are surprisingly hard at times – much harder than you'd expect, and with more of a 70s feel than the 80s groove you'd expect from the date – and titles include "Love Magic", "Kickin Back", "Burnin Hot", "April Love", "It Must End", and "Stay On The One". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever by LTD – featuring some wonderful early vocals by Jeffery Osborne, and stellar production by the team of Larry and Fonce Mizell! The Mizell Brothers sound a lot different here than they do on their Blue Note work – more deeply soulful, with a sound that's perfect for the mellow jams and boogie-inspired grooves of LTD. The album really holds together wonderfully as a whole – bridging gaps between a number of different soul styles of the time, and overflowing with great tracks like "Let The Music Keep Playing", "Time For Pleasure", "Love To The World", "The Word", "Love Ballad", and "Get Your It Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little groover from LTD – and a set that's got everything coming together perfectly in the mix! The set features arrangements from Philly Soul maestro Bobby Martin – who brings together this wonderful blend of styles – funk, smoother soul elements, and the kind of upbeat, clubby grooves that really worked well for the group – but at a level that also really set them apart from most of the disco generation. Jeffrey Osborne's vocals really shine on this one, too – and the record includes the cuts "Back In Love Again", "Stay With Me", "We Party Hearty", "Material Things", and "Age Of The Showdown". LP, Vinyl record album

Jeffrey Osborne's really emerging strongly here in the mellow soul mode – especially on the album's two great ballad cuts, "Concentrate On You" and "We Both Deserve Each Other", both of which are smooth mellow steppers with a modern soul approach that's slightly less overblown than Osborne's 80s work. Bobby Martin produced, and tracks include "Holding On", "Jam", "Don't Stop Loving Me Now", and "Let's All Live & Give Together". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of baroque soul by the Checkmates Ltd – and one of the most unusual Phil Spector productions of all time! Sonny Charles and The Checkmates were a soul group that had been knocking around for a few years before the set – singing in a strong blend of rocking styles that made them a crowd-pleaser on the live circuit of the 60s. But for this set, the group really took things to a whole new level – working with Spector in the studio to craft a complicated set of tunes that really takes them way way past their roots. Side one features some shorter, straighter soul tunes – including "Love Is All I Have To Give", "Spanish Harlem, "I Keep Forgettin", and "Black Pearl" – but side two is really wonderful – and has the group performing the "Hair Anthology Suite" – based around tracks from the Galt MacDermot score to the musical Hair – all filtered through the genius talents of Spector. Thanks should also be given to arrangers Dee Barton and Perry Botkin Jr, whose baroque arrangements further help to make the album a gem! LP, Vinyl record album

(House Music, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

A mighty deep dig into the overlooked soul scene in Virginia – put together by the same folks who gave us the fantastic Raw Soul/Ol Virginia Soul compilations a number of years back! The set focuses on the special studio productions of Lenis Guess – head of LGA Records, and a strong force in the underground scene in Norfolk – a city east of Richmond, and one that had its own great little soul scene for a number of years too! Some of the material here was issued on very small run 7" singles – but a number of others also never saw the light of day back in the 70s, yet are killers that resonate equally well with the singles – raw soul with a nicely gritty vibe, and some slight traces of the more upbeat modes that were hitting VA at the time. Titles include "Keep My Company With You" and "You Don't Believe I Love You" by Deltones Ltd, "Your Love Gave Me Peace Of Mind" by 35th Street Gang, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "How Long Have I Been A Fool" by Jato Vondel, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Jack & The Mods, "No Steps Away" by Lenis Guess & The Royal Robins, "Home Ain't Home" and "Find Yourself Another Baby" by The Symbolics, and "Sentimental Love (inst)" by Little Wink & Eddie's 25th Century Band. LP, Vinyl record album

Early solo work by Jeffrey Osborne – cut hot on the heels of his great albums with LTD! The set's got some nicely jazzy production from George Duke – never too over the top, and never as stiff as that used on some of Osborne's later work in the 80s – just nicely grooving in a mellow style, with an approach that makes the most of his deeply soulful vocals. Titles include "New Love", "I Really Don't Need No Light", "On The Wings Of Love", "Ready For Your Love", "You Were Made To Love", and "Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Jeffrey Osborne – and a record that showed the world that he could stand proudly on his own away from his old group LTD! The album was actually his second solo outing, but the first to really gel together in that hit-making blend of ballads and catchy mid-tempo pop tunes – a crossover sound that put Osborne firmly on top at the time. As with Osborne's previous set, George Duke is at the production helm, keeping things in a lightly jazzy 80s soul mode. Titles include "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All The Way", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Plane Love", "Greatest Love Affair", "Other Side Of The Coin", "When Are You Comin Back", and "Forever Mine". CD

Sam Dees is a hell of a singer, and he's a hell of a songwriter too – one who's worked not just with the southern soul stars of his roots, but also a much wider range of soul talents too! This wonderful collection really gets at the strength of Dees' amazing ability to pen a special soul tune – as it features work from a surprisingly huge array of talents from all sides of the soul spectrum – including a fair bit of vocalists we never knew worked with Sam's material. We love Dees' own records to death – and have enjoyed many of his demo recordings over the years, too – but a set like this really shows the important influence he had on soul music in the 70s – the way he touched so many folks, and helped them out with his meaningful lyrics. The set features great notes on Sam and his contribution – and 22 tracks that include "Where Did We Go Wrong" by LTD, "Vanishing Love (UK rmx)" by The Chi-Lites, "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "So Your Love Finally Ran Out" by Les McCann, "Run To Me" by Sidney Joe Qualls, "Save The Overtime" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Seconds Of Your Love" by Johnnie Taylor, "One In A Million You" by Larry Graham, "Spoiled By Your Love" by Anita Ward, "What A Way To Put It" by The Temptations, "Good Guys Don't Always Win" by Ray Crumley, and "My World" by Sam Dees himself! CD

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time – a balance of grooving rhythms and deeper feelings that's just about perfect – about at the level you might get from Maze or LTD, two other groups who both sported equally soulful lead singers! Gerald Lyles sings the male parts alongside Anita, and the blend is perfect – one that should have made the record even bigger than it was at the time, but maybe all that much better, since the lack of hit quality really keeps things fresh. Titles include the singles "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl", plus "Don't You Like It", "Let's Get Together", "Come & Boogie", "I Go Disco", and "We Need Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Jeffrey Osborne – and a record that showed the world that he could stand proudly on his own away from his old group LTD! The album was actually his second solo outing, but the first to really gel together in that hit-making blend of ballads and catchy mid-tempo pop tunes – a crossover sound that put Osborne firmly on top at the time. As with Osborne's previous set, George Duke is at the production helm, keeping things in a lightly jazzy 80s soul mode. Titles include "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All The Way", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Plane Love", "Greatest Love Affair", "Other Side Of The Coin", "When Are You Comin Back", and "Forever Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk, hand-picked by Will "Quantic" Holland – and an incredible set that's easily one of the best funk collections we've ever stocked! Will definitely knows his thing, and for the collection, he's dug through the rich catalog of Jazzman 45 reissues in recent years – pulling together some of the best bits from 7" wax, and putting them together into one completely tight collection. The package not only features tremendous tracks all around – most of which are making their CD debut here – but it also includes full liner notes on each number, scans of each label, and even a "funk 45 rarity guide" that's pretty darn handy! And sure, you may already have some of these in your collection as Jazzman or Funk 45 reissue 7" singles – but at this price, the collection's a heck of a great way to get them all together – and it's got the Quantic stamp of approval too. Titles include "Egg Roll" by The M&S Band, "Ooh Ah Ee" by Vern Blair Debate, "Ain't No Other Way" by Herman Hitson, "Tra La La" by The Great Deltas, "Just Plain Funk" by James Polk & The Brothers, "The World (part 1)" by Sandi & The Matues, "Fast Man" by PC's Ltd, "Stay Together" by Soul Excitement, "The Loneliest One" by Gene Anderson, "Boilin Water" by Tony Bowens & The Soul-Choppers, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, and "Mystery Of Black (part 1)" by Shades Of Black. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A huge collection of work from funk and soul legend Jimmy Castor – an artist who cut a big number of incredible records for a variety of different labels – almost all of which are in this set! In truth, Jimmy's got a huge legacy in soul that goes back to early years in vocal groups – but this set picks up with his late 60s Latin soul material, then rolls into his famous funk work for RCA and Atlantic Records in the 70s, and continues with great club tracks from the following decade! There's a massive 45 tracks on the 3CD set – a fitting tribute to Castor's never-ending genius – and titles include "Hey Leroy", "It's Just Begun", "Soul Serenade", "Luther The Anthropoid", "Bertha Butt Boogie", "Troglodyte", "It's Just Begun", "Southern Fried Frijoles", "Daniel", "Tribute To Jimi", "LTD", "Psych", "You Better Be Good", "Hallucinations", "Love Train", "One Precious Word", "The Everything Man", "Dracula (part 1)", "The Return Of Leroy (part 1)", "I Just Wanna Stop", "Party People", "Need Your Lovin", "E Man Par Tay", "Space Age (12" mix)", "Super Love", "Bom Bom", "Supersound", "Don't Do That", "King Kong", and lots more! CD

Music from Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, the O Jays, Marvin Gaye, Peaches & Herb, the Delfonics, Jeffrey Osborne, the Commodores, Al Green, Earth, Wind & Fire, Smokey Robinson, LTD, and more. CD