Soul singer Ruby Johnson never recorded a full album back in the day – and this set nicely corrects that fact, by bringing together some of her rare singles as a wonderful ten track album! Ruby's got a richness that's in the best southern soul mode of the time – a voice that would fit easily right next to the best Chess material by Etta James, but occasionally giving a slight uptown pitch in the backings – maybe a bit like Maxine Brown at moments too! Yet whatever the case, Johnson's a wonderfully expressive singer – and really knocks it out of the park on this set of heartbreaking gems – titles that include "No No No", "If I Ever Needed Love", "It's Not That Easy", "I'll Run Your Heart Away", "Let Me Apologize", "I'd Better Check Myself", "Come To Me My Darling", and "How Strong Is My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The Grasso Brothers definitely know how to boogie – and they more than prove themselves with a wicked selection of rare tracks from the deepest years of the underground! The set's a killer collection right from the start – pulled from vintage 12" singles, albums, and even some funky 45s – with a groove that begins in the best boogie modes of the indie club scene, then soars to the skies in a range of fresh, creative styles – new variations on funky club modes of the 70s, taken to newer heights in the freedom of the post-disco years. There's some wicked cuts here we never would have discovered otherwise – and titles include "A Better Day" by Sharon Johnson, "Done Been" by Kenny Pierce, "We Know How To Boogie" by Those Good Intentions, "Dance To Freedom" by Sherman Hunter, "Stone Luv" by Roller Disco, "Plastic People (G&D edit)" by Living Color, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Gospel Seekers, "Love Ain't Just A Physical Thing" by Carol Meriwether, and "Ain't No Doubt About It" by William Barlak. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic compilation gets upgraded in a mighty nice way – as a huge tribute to the many years of soul and funk we've gotten from the Ace/Kent label in London! Back at the start of the 80s, the company was one of the first to properly repress rare American soul, and do it the right way – not only with top-shelf sound quality, but also a strong sense of history that has had us learning as much about 60s and 70s soul from their compilations as we've found ourselves loving the music! The original On The Soul Side album was one of the first Kent titles from the early years – but here, it's expanded to a whopping 26 titles, with great sound and detailed notes – all to present over two dozen tracks that really show the farther reaches of 60s soul beyond Motown and the big chart hits. Titles include "Boy Watcher" by Ginger Thompson, "Baby I Love You" by Jimmy Holiday, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, "Love & Desire" by Patrice Holloway, "A Lot Of Love" by Homer Banks, "It's What's Underneath That Counts" by June Jackson, "Point Of No Return" by Gene McDaniels, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" by Garnet Mimms, "The Record" by HB Barnum, "Love Is A Hurtin Thing" by Lou Rawls, "Nothing Left To Do But Cry" by Merry Clayton, "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love" by Marv Johnson, "What You Gonna Do" by Bobby Womack, "Nobody Treats You The Way I Do" by The Magnificent Men, "Gonna Fix You Good" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "What's A Matter Baby" by Timi Yuro, "Ready Willing & Able" by Jimmy Holiday & Clydie King, and "Trick Bag" by Earl King. CD

A stunning array of rare soul from the Atlanta scene of the 70s – almost all of which appears here for the first time ever! The tracks were recorded for the great but short-lived family of labels that included GRC, Aware, and Hotlanta – but were never issued in the label back in the day, in part because of its need to close down quickly – no reflection at all on the quality of music, as the cuts here are superb throughout! Many of the numbers have that unique blend of Chicago talents and Atlanta roots that made the labels' recordings so unique – especially on this set, which is very heavy on mellower deep soul numbers that really transform the southern modes of years before, and push them into territory that's much more like laidback mellow soul from the east coast scene! The package has very detailed notes on all the cuts, and speculations on the cuts and their recording and release histories too – in a smoking set list that features 24 titles that include "Paper Man" by Alpaca Phase III, "Con Me" by Miss Louistine, "Love Making" by Jean Battle, "Keep On Walking" by The Steppers, "Is There Someone Else" by Deep Velvet, "When Will I Stop Loving You" by Lorraine Johnson, "Fight Fire With Fire" by King Hannibal, "I Need Me Some More Of You" by Dee Ervin, "My Peaceful Forest" by Dee Clark, "There'll Always Be Forever" by Lomita Johnson, "Loneliness Hurts Just A Little Bit" by Joe Graham, "Talk's Cheap" by The Surprise Sisters, and "Sure Could Do With Some You" by Shirlean Fant. CD

One of the coolest collections of music we've ever heard from the legendary TK Records in Miami – a company that was a powerhouse of 70s hits and disco classics – but which also cut some wonderful underground soul at the time! This sublime set looks at that great lesser-known legacy of TK – the hipper, more sophisticated music they cut in between the chart numbers and boogie singles – often by soul artists who had some involvement with bigger acts, but who really got a chance here to shine on their own! There's a surprising amount of funk in the mix – that deeper current that made Miami a key heir to 60s funky styles from Memphis and New Orleans – and there's some equally great modern soul, but served up with a complexity that goes way past the usual – both in the songwriting and arrangements. If you've only heard TK hit collections, you'll find plenty to love here – and even for deeper diggers like us, there's still plenty of new bits to be discovered! Titles include "Confusion" by Leno Phillips, "You Knock Me Out" by Wildflower, "Hey There Jim" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Tears Of The World" by Robert Moore, "I Got Bills To Pay" by Johnny K, "I Want To Be Loved" by Stevens & Foster, "Sleep On Dream On" by Raphael Munnings, "Life Is A Beautiful Feeling" by Formula 1, "Bahama Soul Stew" by Funky Nassau, "Lay It On Me" by Willie Johnson, "The Silence That You Keep (version 1)" by Milton Wright, and "There Must Be Something" by Friday Saturday & Sunday. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Tight funky instrumentals from Brother Jack McDuff – an Atlantic groover that's probably closer to his late 60s gems for Cadet Records than it is his earlier work for Prestige! The solos are shorter, but they're packed nicely around the rhythms – played by a combo that features a young Melvin Sparks on some mighty nice guitar – plus Leo Johnson on tenor and Ray Appleton on drums! The groove is tight and choppy, with little bits of funk, and McDuff's usual sense of humor and warmth – and for the record, Jack wrote loads of original tracks, including "Mush Melon", "Snap Back Jack", "Strolling Blues", and "Do It Now". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

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

A huge array of soul tracks from the Mainstream label – an imprint that was probably best known for its jazz work of the early 70s, and as the launching pad for a few key rock groups – but one who also cut some killer soul tracks in the best New York and Philly styles of the period! Mainstream only ever issued most of its soul material as singles – 45s issued on their own label, and under the IX Chains, Brown Dog, and New Moon imprints too – spread out in an array of under-circulated, poorly-distributed releases that never fully got their due at the time – partly because much of the music was years ahead of its time! There's a groove here that reminds us of the hippest sounds from bigger labels – including Philly International or All-Platinum – with a similar blend of sweetness, honest vocal performances, and some top-shelf studio work that gives the lyrics a hell of an instrumental push, but all without ever sounding slick or commercial. The package is a much-needed look at this scattered legacy – and brings together 24 rare cuts that include "These Memories" by Almeta Lattimore, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by JG Lewis, "Come Back (part 1)" by The Fantastic Puzzles, "I Can't Give You Up" by Linda Perry, "It Ain't Like It Used To Be" by Randolph Brown & Company, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "You're A Friend Of Mine" by Words Of Wisdom, "Satisfy My Woman" by Calvin Arnold, "Plain Out Of Luck" by Nia Johnson, "We're Not Too Young To Fall In Love" by Jackey Beavers Show, "Let The People Talk" by The Steptones, "To Whom It May Concern" by Ellerine Harding, "It's So Real" by McArthur, "Stop & Think A Minute" by Charles Beverly, and "That's The Way She Is" by Bobby Earl Williams. CD

A really great entry in the excellent Super Funk series – one that offers up cuts that are every bit as strong on their soulful vocals as they are their funky grooves! The track selection is wonderful – rare cuts from 45s, of the sort that funk diggers have been trading for years – plus some of those extra-special unreleased tracks, which the folks at Ace/BGP always seem able to dig up through their access to the vaults! The notes are filled with rare photos, label scans, and loads of information on the cuts – showing that their selection here wasn't just a random process – and despite the title, most tracks here are 70s numbers from the heavy funk years. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Billy Cee, "Love Highjacker" by George Jackson, "You Bring The Tears" by Sampson & Delilah, "Born To Live With Heartache" by Mary Lvoe, "Sweet Thang" by William Bostic, "Foolish Man (part 2)" by The Huck Daniels Co, "Work It Out" by Marcene Harris, "Jodine" by Earl Harris, "Funky Kingston" by Tribe, "Brother Jack" by The Funky Kids, "Forgotten" by Lamont Johnson, "Daddy Please Stay Home" by Obrey Wilson, and "So Fine" by Chet Ivey & His Fabulous Avengers. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

An amazing collection of funky nuggets – one that's overflowing with hip soul, funk, and break tracks! The set's the second in a series put together by the staff of London's Soul Brother Records – and like the first, it features some of the most sought-after rare grooves and sample tracks from the 70s – a rich array of titles from a variety of different labels, all collected with a keen ear for the older tracks that are still breaking big well into the 21st Century! And since these guys also run a record store themselves, they've gone way past the obvious – and have chosen an all-essential batch of tunes that aren't easily available on the market, including some killer tracks from major labels that we've been waiting years to see reissued. Titles include "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright, "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More" by Kellee Patterson, "Sho Nuff" by Sly Slick & Wicked, "All I Want Is You" by Four Flights, "Live For Love" by GC Cameron, "I Feel So At Home Here" by Michelle Wiley, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "My Music" by Samuel Jonathan Johnson, "Heaven" by Ruth Copeland, "It's Got To Be Mellow (1976)" by Leon Mellow, "Making Room For Love" by Alton McClain & Destiny, and "When We're Makin Love" by Denise LaSalle. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Music from The Belvederes, The Parliaments, Jessie Johnson & Group, The Popsicles – 28 tracks total! CD

Saint Etienne have brought us a number of wonderful compilations over the years – both in this format for Ace Records, and their work on their own great Croydon Municipal label – yet as much as we've loved all those others, we may well love this one the best – as it's a sublime blend of 60s soul, tear-stained pop, and cool numbers with a New York sort of sound! The focus is mostly on tracks from the mid 60s – and the work here often feels like the special sort of tracks the Brill Building talents might have been working on into the night, before stepping down to the Carnegie Deli for a snack – the kind of special songs that were often too sophisticated to make the charts, but which stand out all these many years later as true moments of genius from the 60s. As usual with a Saint Etienne set, there's a huge amount here we've never heard before – all given proper presentation by Ace Records, along with a full booklet of notes. Titles include "Night Hawk" by The Valli Boys, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Sharp, "Up On The Bridge" by The Chiffons, "Don't" by Marva Josie, "I'm Your Man" by Chuck Jackson, "Boy You Love Me" by Joan Moody, "Catch Me In The Meadow" by The Tradewinds, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Let's Stop Fooling Ourselves" by Eddie Jones, "Is This The Way To Treat A Girl" by The Hesitations, "Summer's Comin In" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, and "Park Avenue" by Lou Johnson. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Smooth jazzy soul from the Brothers – still sounding wonderful at this point, producing themselves for the record, and using the best parts of all those lessons they learned from Quincy Jones! The bass is a bit down in the mix for this album – a good move, considering that 1981 was kind of drowning in bass-heavy soul – and the Brothers are wonderfully concentrating on their strong talent for a jazzy harmony vocal! The set's polished without ever sounding too slick – a balance that the Brothers seemed to do better than most – and titles include "The Real Thing", "Dancin Free", "In The Way", "Caught Up", "Daydreamer Dream", and "Hot Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A set that definitely lives up to its title – as it's kind of an extra dose of soulful tracks from the vaults of the many reissue projects handled by the Numero Group over the years! The collection brings together upbeat soul groovers, warm modern soul gems, and a few funkier cuts – in a mix that really rewrites any understanding that you might have of uptempo soul in the 70s – underground grooves that are quite far from the slicker disco of the charts, and which together make for a set that could easily pack the dancefloor! Titles include "Deep In Your Heart" by Young Divines, "I Love You" by Karriem, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "Love Explosion" by Donnell Pittman, "Love Is On The Way" by Bill Spoon, "Try My Love Again" by Syl Johnson, "Lift This Hurt" by Elvin Spencer, "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dyson's Faces, "No Matter" by La'Fez, "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "I Think It's Time" by Alice Swoboda, "I'll Never Say No" by The Summits, "Cosmos Third Eye" by Cosmos Universal Band, and "Standing By Love" by Eula Cooper. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

The aura here is spreading wide – as George Duke really grows his sound strongly from the early years, and takes hold of a whole host of cosmic influences! The record's one of Duke's biggest for MPS – a beautiful balance between jazzy fusion and spacey soul – served up with help from an array of great singers and players from the west coast scene. Duke's still stretching out plenty on keyboards – but never in a too-jamming, too-indulgent way – always sensitive enough to never mess up the groove, and always with a sense of space and timing that never showed up this well in his later records. Players include Airto on percussion, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Ndugu Chancler on drums, and Duke himself on more keyboards than we could ever hope to list here! Vocals are by Sylvia St James, Gee Janzen, and Kathy Woehrle – as well as Duke himself – and titles include "Foosh", "For Love", "Uncle Remus", "Fools", "The Aura", "Enchinda's Arf", "Floop De Loop", and "Dawn". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

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

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD