A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". CD

A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". (Soundtracks, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy folk soul survivor Terry Callier returns to Mr Bongo with Hidden Conversations – with Terry's soul searching lyricism, warm vocals, and mood setting acoustic guitar paired with laidback production by trip hop pioneer Robert Del Naha of Massive Attack! The styles work pretty well together – Terry's way with a song and his performances are built ready to soar, even at their most stripped down and spare, and his voice and guitar are leading lights of the production, over spacey keys and trippy beats. Terry sings, speaks, scats, and tells stories wonderfully, and we're as proud as ever to have him as our Chicago-to-the-cosmos soul sage! Titles include "Wings", "Sunset Boulevard", "Hidden Conversations", "The Hood I Left Behind", "Once I Dreamed Of Heaven", "Fool Em I Fool R U", "Rice And Beans – Grace", "Jessie And Alice", "John Lee Hooker" and "Live With Me". CD

A great early 80s 2-fer – with a pair of killer albums from Chic! First up is Real People – wonderful work from Chic, and a record that maybe didn't include any super-huge hits, but which is maybe even better because of that – a sometimes-overlooked gem that has the team of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in perfectly sharp formation! The group have already moved past disco, yet maintain that core funk that always makes their work so tremendous – rock-solid basslines from Edwards, ripping guitars from Rodgers, and unified vocals with help from Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin – who both really help the tunes soar! Titles include "Chip Off the Old Block", "Open Up", "26", "I Loved You More", "Real People", and "Rebels Are We". Tongue In Chic is damn funky work from Chic – one of those early 80s records that has the group freed from any need to cross over to the disco dancefloor – which only seems to bring out a deeper groove from the duo of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards! Basslines and guitar are razor-sharp – and there's some jazzy horns brought into the mix, which emphasize the great 80s groove in the music – a soaring quality that has the twin vocals of Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin really soaring over the top! Titles include "I Feel Your Love Comin On", "When You Love Someone", "Sharing Love", "Chic (Everybody Say)", "Hangin", "Hey Fool", and "City Lights". CD

A funky fusion classic from superdrummer Billy Cobham – a set done in collaboration with producer Wayne Henderson, who helps give the whole thing a soulful focus you might not find on Cobham albums from a few years before! The drums are strong, but never too jamming – and instead, they're used here in the best sort of funky soul way – alongside keyboards from Bobby Lyle, and some occasional vocals too – in that best mix of jazz and soul that you'd find in other Wayne Henderson/At Home productions of the time! We honestly love Cobham even more in such a setting as this – as he can sometimes take things too far on his more rock-oriented records, but always sticks right on the money with gems like these! Titles include "Oh Mendocino", "Dana", "What Is Your Fantasy", "The Lonely Bull", and "Bring Up The House Lights". CD features a bonus 12" mix of "What Is Your Fantasy". (Jazz, Soul) CD

Great early work from the enigmatic Wayne Cochran – a whiter-than-white cat who's most famous for his late 60s run of surprisingly great funk and soul records for Chess and King – heard here on the complete tracks recorded for a variety of different labels in the runup to those years! Some of these tracks have Cochran coming across with more of the rockabilly style you'd expect from his famous coiffure – but there's also plenty of early strands of soul music too – served up in that special blend that always made Wayne Cochran such a popular live act on a variety of different stages throughout the south! The package does great justice to these early years of Cochran – complete with a huge illustrated booklet of notes and details on the singles – material originally issued on labels that include Gala, Confederate, Bethlehem, and Scottie – plus key material recorded for King and Mercury as well. The 2CD package features 42 tracks in all - and titles include "No Return", "Liza Jane", "Think", "You Left The Water Running", "The Coo", "Harlem Shuffle", "Last Kiss", "Little Orphan Annie", "Dreams", "Linda Lu", "Cindy Marie", "Funny Feeling", "Money", "Lights Out", "A-Ok", "Get Down With It", "Somebody Please", and "To Make Me A Man". (Rock, Soul) CD

If there's one thing we know about funk legend Dennis Coffey, it's that we can never get enough of his early work – especially when he's working in his trio with the mighty Lyman Woodard on Hammond! The pair together are fantastic – and have this Detroit-bred version of jazz funk that's even grittier than anything coming out on Prestige Records in the 60s – a vibe that reflects the ties both musicians had to the local soul scene, and also hits at Coffey's great wave of records to come on Sussex in the 70s! But the groove here is even deeper and more open – captured live on long tracks that really take off – so that even if the trio is playing familiar songs, they come out completely unique in the hard-jamming style of the group. The mighty Melvin Davis is on drums – and tracks include very long takes on "Eleanor Rigby", "Cissy Strut", and the great Richard Evans' tune "Burning Spear" – plus "Groovin", "It's Your Thing/Union Station", "Big City Lights", "Mindbender", and "I'm A Midnight Mover" – all previously unreleased! CD

A bit of a change for Dr John, but a nice one too – a set that's somewhat more mature than some of his Atco albums, but in a really nice way! The album features fuller backings from Claus Ogerman, but a core groove that's still nice and soulful – jazzy leanings from a combo that includes Dr John and Richard Tee on keyboards, John Tropea on guitar, Will Lee on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom kicks in a nice groove at the bottom of most numbers, making a subtle undercurrent of older funk amidst the smoothness. Ogerman's backdrops are never too excessive, and help the Dr break out of some of his older modes in a good way – not rehashing the same New Orleans ideas, but taking them instead to cooler California territory – a bit in the way that Allen Toussaint was doing on his best mainstream work of the 70s. Titles include "Dance The Night Away With You", "Rain", "Wild Honey", "Street Side", "Snake Eyes", "Fire Of Love", and "City Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest British funk albums of the 70s – if not all time! FBI may have an American reference in their name, but back in the day, they were the leading lights of the London soul scene – and one of the few groups who could blend together jazz, soul, and funk influences with the same sort of depth and tightness you might get from Kool & The Gang at their best! As with that group during their crucial mid 70s years, there's a style here that's really stretching out – not just copycat funk, but a really deep, personal approach to the groove – such that the mellow tracks have rhythms that are as infectious as the uptempo ones – and the whole record has this sense of righteous soul and almost spirituality – really tying things together beautifully, and making this classic way more than just a typical 70s soul album! A true treasure throughout – well worth all the praise its received over the years – with cuts that include "Love Love Love", "Talking About Love", "FBI", "The Time Is Right To Leave The City", "Bad Deal", and "Let Me Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive music in a wonderful package – three funky classics from The Gap Band! First up is the group's self-titled album from 1979 – the start of the legendary second chapter for the Gap Band – the point when the group had reemerged as the tight funky trio of the Wilson Brothers, with a groove that would really set them up nicely for the 80s! This first album in the new format has a wonderfully tight feel – still plenty of sharp edges that echo their earlier groove, but a leaner quality too – one that's got the bass and drums snapping together wonderfully, really setting the tone for the heaviest grooves. There's also a few mellower cuts too – which really sound great, and give the record the same sort of balance you might hear on work by Heaven & Earth at the time. War's Lonnie Simmons produced – and held the cash bag all the way to the bank! Titles include "I'm In Love", "Got To Get Away", "Messin With My Mind", "Shake", "Baby Baba Boogie", "Open Your Mind Wide", and "I Can Sing". Gap Band II features mean, lean grooves from The Gap Band – a legendary batch of mainstream funk from the end of the 70s – and a record that really has the trio working at the top of their game! There's a wonderful balance here between funky numbers and mellow ones – the latter of which really help pace the record nicely, giving it a depth that takes the group way beyond the cliches of some of their contemporaries, and firmly establishing the Gap Band as one to watch for the 80s! Titles include the massive "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up & Dance" – with its classic "Oops Upside Your Head" refrain – plus "Who Do You Call", "No Hiding Place", "Steppin Out", "You Are My High", and "Party Lights". Gap Band III is sagreat one from the Gap Band – funky gems and sinister groovers – the best of both worlds for the group! Tunes like "Burn Rubber On Me (When You Want To Hurt Me)" and "Humpin" packed 80s dance floors for good reason, and put the band in steady rotation, while numbers like "Yearning For Your Love" showed the band could drop the tempo, stretch out a bit, and deliver the mighty mellow. This one's certainly at the top of the heap of 80s groovers, as far as we're concerned – a record that really took the Gap Band over the top! Other tracks include "Nothin' Comes To The Sleepers", "Are You Living", "The Way", "Gash Gash Gash" and more. CD

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

Tracks include "Tired Of Being Alone", "Love TKO", "Take Me To The River", "Turn Of The Lights", "Call Me", "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Close The Door", and "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)". CD

Tracks include "Tired Of Being Alone", "Love TKO", "Take Me To The River", "Turn Of The Lights", "Call Me", "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Close The Door", and "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)". CD

A flawless batch of classics from Millie Jackson in the heart of her early years on Spring Records – maybe sounding better than ever here! Millie's raunchier style would come later on, but here she's working in styles that are a perfect mix of gritty and sweet – arrangements tailored perfectly to those characteristics in her sultry, smoky voice – and equally at home in sessions in Muscle Shoals, Philly or NYC. Covers the bases from moody southern soul, to tender ballads, to lightly soaring strings – and the mixes by Steve Levine really bring out the vibe of the original sessions, as closely as possible to the spirit and vision of the original recordings – a restoration as opposed to a revision. Includes "Sweet Music, Soft Lights & You" featuring Isaac Hayes, "House For Sale", "I'll Continue To Love You", "My Man, A Sweet Man", "I Cry", "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Wanna Be Right)" and "It Hurts So Good" – plus "Kiss You All Over", "Bad Risk", "Never Change Lovers In The Middle Of The Night" and more. 12 tracks on the CD. CD

A massive collection of work from Lakeside – one of the leading lights of the Solar Records label in the early 80s, and one of the label's key groups in helping to redefine funk in the decade! Lakeside take the large ensemble funk format of the late 70s, and give it a leaner, cleaner groove – really winnowing things down so that everything's right on the money, and the grooves come out great – while still also holding on to enough soul music energy in the vocals, songwriting, and presentation to set themselves apart from some of the more facile groove groups of the time. This 3CD set features 42 killers from Lakeside's glory days, pulled from their full range of recordings for Solar – titles that include "Rough Rider", "One Minute After Midnight", "Fantastic Voyage", "From 9:00 Until", "I Need You", "Strung Out", "Your Wish Is My Command", "The Urban Man", "Back Together Again", "We Want You", "Raid", "Turn The Music Up", "Real Love", "Untouchable", "Show You The Way", "Tinse Town Theory", "Money", "Party Patrol", "Still Feeling Good", "Bullseye", "U Got It Goin On", "All For You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "If You Like Our Music", "I Can't Get You Out Of My Head", "Shot Of Love", and "Your Love Is On The One". CD

An excellent early album by organ player Billy Larkin, and his first version of the Delegates, which included drummer Mel Brown. As an added bonus, the great tenor player Clifford Scott joins them on most of the tracks here, and the recording is one of his best sessions away from Bill Dogget. The tracks are short, hard, and very in-the-pocket – like the tracks on the group's Pigmy album, which is also from the same time. This is the kind of stuff that was played to death over and over on south side jukeboxes in the 60's. Check out cuts like "Sticky Wicket", "Transfusion", and "The Cooker", and it's easy to see why! (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set – as the album features some of the best early sides that Little Walter recorded for Chess – records that went on to set a whole new standard both in blues vocals and harmonica! There's tightness here that's a bit different from some of the other Chess blues at the time – a quality that's almost a be pre-soul at moments, despite the obvious blues bent of the set. The album features some great liner notes from Studs Terkel – really getting at the scene of which Walter was a part – and titles include "My Babe", "Sad Hours", "Can't Hold Out Much Longer", "Blues With A Feeling", "Juke", "Mean Old World", "Blue Lights", "You Better Watch Yourself", and "Tell Me Mamma". CD features 3 bonus tracks – alternates of "Last Night", "Juke", and "Off The Wall". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A comprehensive look at some great recordings from Little Walter – sides recorded for Chess Records from 1953 to 1963 – offering up a decade's worth of evolution in his style! But even at the start, Walter was better than most of his generation – a heck of a great harmonica player with a lean, clean sound that roared out with a nice sort of edge, and could almost be called a precursor to funk. His vocals are great too – bluesy, but with some slight gospel inflections too – a bit wider vocal range than some other bluesmen of the 50s, and almost a precursor to soul to come in the 60s. The album was done after Walter's untimely early death, and features some great notes on his career – plus titles that include "It Ain't Right", "Rocker", "Confessin The Blues", "I Got To Go", "Crazy Mixed Up World", "Temperature", "Crazy Legs", "Lights Out", "One More Chance With You", and "Rock Bottom". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty nice little 2LP set – put together in the early 70s, and featuring material that Walter recorded for Chess during the 60s. As the title would imply, there's a lot of harmonica on the album – but Walter's vocals should also be given their due, as they're a bit more in the soul mode than some of his Chicago blues contemporaries. Titles include "Last Night", "My Babe", "Sad Hours", "Blues With Feeling", "Off The Wall", "Juke", "Mean Old World", "I Got To Go", "Shake Dancer", "Thunderbird", "Ah'W Baby", "Too Late", "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights", "You Better Watch Yourself", and "Blue Lights". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A live set by Roy – and pretty darn nice! The album was recorded live at London's Ronnie Scotts in 1990 – but given that Roy was playing for a British crowd that was keen on his classic work of the 70s, the set's got a very 70s-styled feel – and really takes us back to the glory days of Roy's recordings for Polydor! The live setting really lets Roy and the group open up on the tunes – taking some of them into very long versions that feature some great keyboards, vibes, and vocals. Highlights include a 12 minute take on "Searchin", a 9 minute jam on "Spirit Of The Do Do", and a 10 minute reading of the sublime "Mystic Voyage"! Other tracks include "You Send Me", "Yes", "Can You See Me", and "Love Will Bring Us Back Together". CD

Excellent raw live set from the early 70s – featuring a host of artists from the RCA stable, all paying tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King. The best stuff on here is by Jimmy Castor, and the album includes a totally funky remake of "Hey Leroy" that's got little bits of "Trogolodyte" style funk – plus a version of "Trogolodyte" itself, and more. Other highlights include The Main Ingredient doing "Spinning Around", "Everybody Plays The Fool", and the Isley's great "Work To Do". Lots more by Flip Wilson, Jose Feliciano, Friends of Distinction, and others – plus some words of wisdom by Coretta King! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums the Four Tops ever issued on Motown – but also one of the best, and a set that really has the group taking off in a strong new direction for the 70s! Frank Wilson's at the production helm, and the set has all these cool little twists and turns that work perfectly with the magnificent harmonies of Levi Stubbs and the group – a mode that draws on all their vocal highlights from older years, but also refits them with a more spacious, more mature sort of sound! The approach is different than that used with the Temptations at the same time – less political, but still flowing with plenty of new ideas – handled by arrangers Jerry Long, Jimmy Roach, and David Van DePitte. The title cut – "Still Waters (Run Deep)" – is a perfect example of this – as the tune's got weirdly wonderful production, almost as watery as the cover image, and a bit of moog buried in there – which comes forward even more on the reprise of the song at the end of the record. Other titles include "Love Is The Answer", "Reflections", "I Wish I Were Your Mirror", "Bring Me Together", "LA (My Town)", and "Everybody's Talkin". 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

Seminal 70s southern soul from Millie Jackson – a record that's head and shoulders above most of what she recorded in later years! Before she got all naughty and raunchy, Millie Jackson was one of the best female soul singers to come out of the south – and this album's a work of understated brilliance that brings a new level of emotion and feeling to the music. The whole thing's conceived as a bit of a concept album – one in which Millie's a bit fragile at the start, due to unfulfilled love – then regains her confidence by confronting those around her, and eventually steps forth boldly as a proud, new woman. Jackson put together the record with producer Brad Shapiro – and the overall style is Muscle Shoals, but with a more sophisticated twist – thanks to inventive use of strings alongside the more standard soul rhythms. Highlights include a great remake of "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" (complete with a nice bit of spoken dialogue!) – plus "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "It's Easy Going", "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "Summer (The First Time)", and the great "It's All Over But The Shouting". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including alternate "live vocal" versions of "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", and "Feel Like Making Love" – and an instrumental called "A House For Sale" by The Muscle Shoals Swampers! CD

A fantastic update of earlier soul duo modes – served up here by two of the most badass soul singers of the 70s! The album's got the smooth flow of Isaac Hayes' late 70s work – a bit of clubby rhythms at times, some soaring orchestrations at others – all in a mode that opens up into tunes that allow plenty of vocal interplay between Millie and Ike – who beautifully balance their deep soul roots and growing shift into modern soul modes. Brad Shapiro and Millie produced – giving the album some of the flavors of Jackson's late 70s work on Spring – but the Isaac Hayes presence really makes the record his own, too – as if we could imagine anything less! Titles include "Sweet Music, Soft Lights, & You", "Do You Wanna Make Love", "If I Had My Way", "Love Changes", and "You Needed Me". CD

Eddie Kendricks, vintage 1978 – and still very much in the great grooving mode he brought to his earlier solo material for Motown! Even in this giant dancefloor generation, Eddie's got something very special and unique – a voice that can still sound as heartbreaking on a groover as it can on a ballad – and which has a way of linking an earlier generation of fragile male soul vocals with a new sense of 70s masculinity – of which Kendricks was one of the leading lights in soul! There's moments here that might well match some of the best late 70s work by artists like Marvin Gaye or Leroy Hutson – and the strong arrangements are by Andrew Louis Smith – a name we don't really know at all, but who should be thanked for helping the record avoid any disco cliches. Titles include "How's Your Love Life Baby", "One Of The Poorest People", "Love Love Love", "The Best Of Strangers Now", "Don't Underestimate The Power Of Love", "Ain't No Smoke Without A Fire" and "Maybe I'm A Fool To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange one for Motown – for a number of reasons: The group's European, for one, and they're more of a spacey rock group than a soul outfit. The vocals are a bit lackluster, but the group does have a wonderfully jazzy sound to their playing – and on the best cuts, they hit some strident grooves that really take off nicely, with a bit of a funky prog feel. Highlights include "Keepsake", "Pollution", "Words & Music", and "Time Is A Good Friend". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from The O'Jays – done before their huge rise to fame in the early 70s on Philadelphia International, but issued in a super-pimp cover that has a image of all these hot chicks with guns, standing in a very blacksploitation pose! Clearly, this was an issue that was put on the markets to cash in on the group's early 70s fame – but the record contains mostly material from the late 60s early 70s indie years, most issued as singles, with production by Bobby Massey and HB Barnum – and a rawer sound that really highlights their great vocal interplay. The work's actually pretty great, despite the cheap trick of the cover – and the album includes lots of nice numbers like "Little Brother", "Now He's Home", "Gotta Get My Broom Out", "Never Gonna Say Goodbye", and "Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Teddy Pendergrass follows up the style of Lou Rawls' double live album for Philly International – and goes for a very similar mix of modes that showcases all his charm and soulful spirit! The 2LP set features material recorded in both Philly and LA – with a fair bit of Teddy's working the audience along with the tunes. And as an added bonus, side 4 of the album also features radio interview material with Teddy, plus a few new studio tracks for the set – a nice addition, but one that also makes us wonder why, after 2 locations of live recording, they couldn't get together enough concert material for the record! Titles include "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Only You", "Turn Off The Lights", "Do Me", "Close The Door", "Come Go With Me", "Where Did All The Lovin Go", "Get UP Get Down Get Funky Get Loose", "When Somebody Loves You Back", "Shout & Scream", "It's You I Love", and "LA Rap". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime stuff! When Teddy left Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, he was making one of the best moves of his career – as you'll hear on these amazing tracks, totally perfect bits of modern soul that moved the career of Teddy up about a zillion notches, and which also had a profound effect on the overall development of male soul vocals. Includes "Turn Off The Lights", "Close the Door", "Love TKO", "I Don't Love You Anymore", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", and the amazing "Come Go With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Minnie Riperton – her first solo album, cut at the end of the 60s, after a number of years of work with the group Rotary Connection. The album builds off the now famous sound of Rotary Connection – but takes it to the next level, with arch-baroque production by the great Charles Stepney – who couches Minnie's fantastic vocals in a suite of shimmering soulful tracks that mix strings, horns, jazzy piano, and slight touches of bouncing rhythms. The overall sound is impossible to describe – sort of a cross between Burt Bacharach on A&M, Scott Walker's 3rd album, and the sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On. The album's pure genius all the way through – one of the highlights of the Chicago scene of the 60s – and proof that Riperton, Stepney, and crew were shooting for the outer limits of soul music! Titles include "Les Fleur", "Only When I'm Dreaming", "Rainy Day In Centerville", "Memory Band", "Expecting", "Whenever Wherever", and "Oh, By The Way". CD

Mindblowing work from Minnie Riperton – her first solo album, cut at the end of the 60s, after a number of years of work with the group Rotary Connection. The album builds off the now famous sound of Rotary Connection – but takes it to the next level, with arch-baroque production by the great Charles Stepney – who couches Minnie's fantastic vocals in a suite of shimmering soulful tracks that mix strings, horns, jazzy piano, and slight touches of bouncing rhythms. The overall sound is impossible to describe – sort of a cross between Burt Bacharach on A&M, Scott Walker's 3rd album, and the sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On. The album's pure genius all the way through – one of the highlights of the Chicago scene of the 60s – and proof that Riperton, Stepney, and crew were shooting for the outer limits of soul music! Titles include "Les Fleur", "Only When I'm Dreaming", "Rainy Day In Centerville", "Memory Band", "Expecting", "Whenever Wherever", and "Oh, By The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Minnie Riperton – her first solo album, cut at the end of the 60s, after a number of years of work with the group Rotary Connection. The album builds off the now famous sound of Rotary Connection – but takes it to the next level, with arch-baroque production by the great Charles Stepney – who couches Minnie's fantastic vocals in a suite of shimmering soulful tracks that mix strings, horns, jazzy piano, and slight touches of bouncing rhythms. The overall sound is impossible to describe – sort of a cross between Burt Bacharach on A&M, Scott Walker's 3rd album, and the sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On. The album's pure genius all the way through – one of the highlights of the Chicago scene of the 60s – and proof that Riperton, Stepney, and crew were shooting for the outer limits of soul music! Titles include "Les Fleur", "Only When I'm Dreaming", "Rainy Day In Centerville", "Memory Band", "Expecting", "Whenever Wherever", and "Oh, By The Way". This album's a 2nd pressing of the album Come to My Garden, from 1982, with one less track. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of psychedelic soul from this fantastic 60s group! The record is one of the groundbreaking albums the Temps cut with producer Norman Whitfield – and it's a landmark session that perfectly showcases what Whitfield's full-on, guitar-heavy, bassy-bottom style could do for the group! A few mellow cuts hearken back to earlier days – but there's some excellent moments that really let the new sound shine – soaring out with trippier touches that are totally great! Highlights include the storming cut "I Can't Get Next To You", a trippy remake of "Hey Jude", the original "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down", and the haunting "Message From A Black Man" – one of the most righteous moments ever in late 60s Motown! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost bit of funky soul! The Turner Brothers were an obscure Indianapolis combo who played hard funky instrumental grooves – similar to hometown contemporaries like the Nineteenth Whole or Funk Inc – and they mixed up tight ensemble playing with good jazzy soloing on sax, keyboards, and guitars. They also sang pretty well, too – and different members of the group take over lead vocals on about half of the tracks on this debut release by the band. The style of singing ranges from sweet to deep, but it's pretty good overall, and is always a great match for the style of instrumentation used on each track. Highlights include the killer drum breakbeat at the beginning of "Sweetest Thing In The World", the spacey keyboards of "Sound Of The Taurus", the tight ensemble grooves of "Running In The Rain", and the strident soulful feel of "Cause I Love You". Very nice – and one that we never see on the original vinyl! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost bit of funky soul! The Turner Brothers were an obscure Indianapolis combo who played hard funky instrumental grooves – similar to hometown contemporaries like the Nineteenth Whole or Funk Inc – and they mixed up tight ensemble playing with good jazzy soloing on sax, keyboards, and guitars. They also sang pretty well, too – and different members of the group take over lead vocals on about half of the tracks on this debut release by the band. The style of singing ranges from sweet to deep, but it's pretty good overall, and is always a good match for the style of instrumentation used on each track. Highlights include the killer drum breakbeat at the beginning of "Sweetest Thing In The World", the spacey keyboards of "Sound Of The Taurus", the tight ensemble grooves of "Running In The Rain", and the strident soulful feel of "Cause I Love You". CD

Sublime stuff from The Whispers – a record that features some wonderfully easy-drifting harmony vocals, put together in a careful way that preserves the smooth mellow tip that always made the group sound best! There's a maturity to the record that takes the quintet far past their early harmony soul roots, and even past some of the more clubby styles they were using during the 70s – almost the mix of sophistication that some of the hipper groups at Philly International would reach during the same stretch. The set's definitely got a few groovers, but the mellower steppers are the most wonderful – including the fantastic cut "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out", a sweet little groover with a hook that's undeniably catchy. Other tracks include "The Planets Of Life", "Disco Melody", "Children Of Tomorrow", "All The Way", and "You're A Special Part Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of wonderful albums from The Whispers – with a bit of bonus tracks too! First up is One For The Money – one of our favorite Whispers albums of the 70s – thanks to wonderful work from Philly soul maestro Norman Harris! Harris produced the record, and also played guitar on the set – giving the group this Sigma Sound-styled backdrop that almost puts the west coast harmony quintet in the territory of Gamble & Huff's work for Philly International! There's plenty of grooves on the set, but also plenty of deeper soul elements too – balanced beautifully with a richness that makes this Whispers album every bit as rewarding as work by some of their east coast contemporaries. Tracks include the sublime mellow cut "Living Together (In Sin)" – plus "One For The Money", "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are", "Sounds Like A Love Song", and "In My Heart". On Open Up Your Love, The Whispers are really riding high on the Soul Train – perfectly set up with production help from the team of Don Cornelius and Dick Griffey – who really help the group make the best of their harmonies, both on mellow cuts and upbeat groovers! The latter cuts are what The Whispers are sometimes remembered most for at this time in their career – but we really love the more laidback cuts too – as they seem to have an even more magical approach, with this floating style that really does wonders for the vocals. Titles include "Open Up Your Love", "You Are Number One", "I'm Gonna Make You My Wife", "Love Is A Dream", "I Fell In Love Last Night", and "Chocolate Girl". Headlights is sublime stuff from The Whispers – a record that features some wonderfully easy-drifting harmony vocals, put together in a careful way that preserves the smooth mellow tip that always made the group sound best! There's a maturity to the record that takes the quintet far past their early harmony soul roots, and even past some of the more clubby styles they were using during the 70s – almost the mix of sophistication that some of the hipper groups at Philly International would reach during the same stretch. The set's definitely got a few groovers, but the mellower steppers are the most wonderful – including the fantastic cut "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out", a sweet little groover with a hook that's undeniably catchy. Other tracks include "The Planets Of Life", "Disco Melody", "Children Of Tomorrow", "All The Way", and "You're A Special Part Of My Life". CD features bonus tracks – "Sounds Like A Love Song (7" version)" and "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are (7" version)". CD