It's the mid 70s, and The Miracles have been deserted by Smokey – but fortunately the group was extremely well trained in the harmony department, and this album's just about as good as anything they did with him on Motown! The record's got an excellent smooth harmony soul style – and reminds us a lot of some of the Philly albums coming out at the same time. Arrangements are handled by James Carmichael, Freddie Perren, and Willie Hutch – and the record's filled with slinky smooth soul grooves like "Do It Baby", "You Are Love", "What Is A Heart Good For", and "Give Me Just Another Day", one of a few great cuts on the record written by Leon Ware! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – a set that's not only one of the first great records on Motown, but a set that also really links the label to the vocal scene in the rest of the country too! Although the record features a few hits, the overall presentation is nicely free of the Motown mode that would later become quite standard – and many tracks have this very relaxed, unadorned approach that's a lot more like the group soul coming from small labels in New York, Philly, and Chicago! The group harmonize with even more soul and feeling than any of their Motown contemporaries – and the presence of Claudette Rogers gives the group a high tenor voice that really creates some amazing vocal interplay. The whole thing's stunning – a record that will really revise any simple thoughts you might have about Smokey and the group – and titles include "Shop Around", "Cause I Love You", "Don't Leave Me", "Your Love", "Depend On Me", and "Heart Like Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Two post-Motown albums from The Miracles – back to back on a single CD! On Love Crazy, The Miracles move to Columbia Records – and pick up a whole new groove in the process – a much richer sound than previous records on Motown, with a soaring style that really works great for the harmonies! Billy Griffin's vocals are really coming into their own – as is his songwriting, too – evidenced by some of the more complicated elements in the mix, and the blend of full arrangements and tight rhythms that almost have a Philly feel overall! The change is a great one for the group – and not only helps them beat some of their best late Motown moments, but also points the way towards a heck of a lot of 80s soul too. Titles include "Too Young", "The Bird Must Fly Away", "Love Crazy", "Spy For Brotherhood", "A Better Way To Life", "Women", and the Isley-like "I Can Touch The Sky". The self-titled Miracles set is an overlooked groover from The Miracles – a late 70s set for Columbia Records, and one that's got a sparkling sound throughout! The album really has the group hitting some great modern soul modes for the set – arrangements by David Foster that push them forward even more, and which work equally well on the uptempo tunes as they do on the few mellower numbers too. The style is lush, but never overdone – just right for the vocal interplay of the group, with a quality that's a bit like late 70s Jacksons – but better. Titles include "Love Doctor", "I Can't Stand It", "Hot Dance", "Mean Machine", "Sad Rain", "Reach For The Sky", and "The Magic Of Your Eyes". CD

The power of music is strong indeed for the Miracles – really opening up here with some wonderful mid 70s harmonies, and working in a smooth California soul style that brings out the best in their vocals! The tracks are mellow to midtempo – a perfect pace for the group at this point – and the production really does a great job of fleshing things out without getting in the way. Loads of spacious numbers with a slightly righteous edge – and a set list that includes the tracks "Let The Children Play", "Gossip", "Can I Pretend", "Love To Make Love", and "Street Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A real lost gem from Motown – and a whole lot more! Greetings! We're The Monitors is the only full album ever cut by The Monitors – a 3-man, 1-woman vocal group who were in a popular Motown mixed harmonies mode. The quartet had a wonderfully strong vocal presence – blasting away at most tracks with a strength that groups like The Miracles or Gladys Knight & The Pips could never match – and like those groups, they bridge that key period between late doo wop-oriented harmonies, and tighter 60s group soul. The LP brings together singles the Monitors cut for Motown during the previous few years, but it also works extremely well as a unified album – and it's a refreshing change from some of the oft-heard Motown material. Titles include "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)", "Number One In Your Heart", "Bring Back The Love", "Step By Step (Hand In Hand)", and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music". This incredible anthologogy from Kent starts off with that album and includes 12 unissued tracks – a whole album's worth – plus 2 B-Sides. Unissued tracks include "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" , "The Letter", "Poor Side Of Town", "Anything", "Guilty" and more. 26 tracks in all! CD

The debut full length from England's funkiest combo! The New Mastersounds are a current group – but they've got a deep funk approach that puts them in the same camp as 60s funky 45 combos, or that of more recent acts in the new funk underground, like those on Desco or Soul Fire records. The combo's got a core groove center of bass, drums, guitar, and Hammond organ – augmented from track to track by additional sax, trumpet, and funky flute work, plus the occasional vocal. Most tunes are instrumental, and preserve the late 60s/early 70s funky 45 sound very well – with plenty of heavy drum beats, wah wah and tightly plucked guitar lines, and fast and furious bass parts to keep the whole set bouncing around like a baby in a car seat on a bumpy road! Titles include "Nervous", "Python", "Miracles", "Bondo Samba", "Hot Dog", "So Many Pies", "The Rooster", "Coffee Providers", and "GT". (Deep Funk, Soul) CD

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite the fact that most people know little about the group! Newban have a sound that's almost a jazzier take on the Earth Wind & Fire groove of the time – a style that's warm and fluid, and which really gets past the cliches of other larger funk acts – and manages to find a space in sound that's all its own! There's lots of odd phrasings and chords on the set – creating these very blue passages even when the group's grooving in an uptempo mode – almost like the sense of sadness that creeps out from Stevie Wonder's work during his best early 70s years. The sound is totally unique, and uniquely wonderful – and the album includes the classic "Father Time", plus the cuts "Magic Lady", "Mellow Days, Easy Nights", "Fatback Sally", and "Hungry Grin". Newban 2 is every bit as great as the first album – if not better – with some excellent excellent lost material that's the kind of stuff that still keeps you diggin' for the hard ones. Includes the track "Greenburgh", with a tight funky intro and a smooth sweet soul groove, plus lots of other great cuts like "Free Your Mind", "Easin' Through", "Find a Place to Live", and "Rhythm & Rhyme". This deluxe package also features three rare bonus tracks – "Oh Wow", "Miracle Holiday", and "Bells" – tracks recorded before the first two albums! CD

A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's an incredibly hip blend of her own great songwriting and some of the more righteous strands of American soul music at the time. Most of the tracks are older soul numbers – some done relatively straight, others done with the more personal, contemplative style you'd expect from Nyro during these years. And decades before Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone started hitting territory like this, Nyro proved that a set of soul tracks like this could come off well, if handled with the right talent! Titles include "The Bells", "I Met Him On A Sunday", "Spanish Harlem", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Desiree", "The Wind", "Nowhere To Run", and "It's Gonna Take A Miracle". CD features 4 bonus tracks too – "A Natural Woman", "Ooh Child", "Up On The Roof", and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing". (Rock, Soul) CD

Sweet electric fusion from violinist Noel Pointer – a player so great, you'll forget that he's using an instrument you normally associate with sleepier music! Like others of the 70s generation, Pointer plays the violin in a way that's clearly heavily influenced by keyboards of the time – electric in amplification, and worked in a mode that uses the instrument to create waves of sound that flow out amongst the tighter fusion rhythms of the set. Dave Grusin arranged and produced the set – in his best lean soulful mode of the time – and other players include Earl Klugh, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Gadd, and Grusin himself. Titles include "Mirabella", "Night Song", "Living For The City", "Phantazia", and "Wafaring Stranger". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soul from Smokey – featuring early work with The Miracles, and some later tunes from his solo years at Motown. The set features 11 tracks in all – and includes the tracks "Ooo Baby Baby", "More Love", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Quiet Storm", "Tracks of My Tears", "Oh Girl", and "Blame It On Love". CD

Incredible work – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s! CD

... CD

Includes 97 tracks! CD

45 tracks on 2 CDs!! CD

3LPs – and a heck of a lot of wonderful tracks from The Miracles! Titles include "Ooo Baby Baby", "My Girl Has Gone", "That's What Love Is Made Of", "I've Been Good To You", "Got A Job", "Bad Girl", "Baby Baby Don't Cry", "Abraham, Martin, & John", "I Second That Emotion", "Doggone Right", "Here I Go Again", "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Tears Of A Clown", "I Can't Stand To See You Cry", "Satisfaction", "Special Occasion", "Choosey Beggar", "I Like It Like That", "A Love She Can Count On", and "You've Really Got A Hold Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent 70s work by Smokey and crew – sort of their way of showing the emerging east coast vocal stars how much talent they still had! The record has a sweet, slightly modern sound – with an approach that hints at Smokey's later Quiet Storm sound, but maybe a bit more laidback overall – set up with really great arrangements from both David Van De Pitte and HB Barnum. Titles include a killer reading of Stevie Wonder's "We Had A Love So Strong", plus "Got To Be There", "You Ain't Livin 'Till You're Lovin", "Flying High Together", "It Will Be Alright", and a cover of "Betcha By Golly Wow". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary work from Smokey Robinson and his wonderful group – a killer set from the second all-male version of The Miracles – recorded with some wonderfully soaring harmonies! The group's got a nice bite on the bottom here – a groove to go with the "go go" promised in the title – at a level that made these Miracles really take off on Motown dancefloors, yet still also have the late nite appeal of the earlier group too. The album includes the big hit dance number "Going To A Go Go", the classic ballad "Tracks Of My Tears", and loads of other wonderful numbers like "Ooo Baby Baby", "Let Me Have Some", "All That's Good", and "My Girl Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

2 classics from Smokey Robinson – back to back on one CD! Both albums feature the group grooving in that hard mid 60s "go go" mode – with insanely wonderful lead vocals by Smokey, on a lot of tracks that are less familiar than the big hits, but still really really wonderful. Backing by the group is great, too – and the overall sound is extremely sweet harmony soul, with a perfect Motown set of arrangements behind the band. Titles include "Can You Love A Poor Boy", "Tracks Of My Tears", "Going To A Go Go", "Ooo Baby Baby", "Chosey Beggar", "Let Me Have Some", "A Fork In The Road", "My Girl Has Gone", "My Baby Changes Like The Weather", "From Head To Toe", "Baby Baby", "I'm The One You Need", "Save Me", "Oh Be My Love", and "Swept For You Baby". Plus, this set includes 3 bonus tracks – the stereo mix of "It's Fantastic", the previously unissued "Goin Out Of My Head", and a live version of "A Fork In The Road". CD

Who would have thought it? Smokey's great career at Motown was just designed to be inspiration for a TV Special! Who cares, though? The set's still got some of his biggest hits for Motown, if you can get past the title – and tracks include "Mickey's Monkey", "Being With You", "I Second That Emotion", "Shop Around", "Tears Of A Clown", and "Tracks Of My Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

Like the sticker on the cover says – 2 record album, 22 hit songs! This one's got just about all you'd need from the early days of Smokey & The Miracles – perfect falsetto harmony soul that shaped a generation of singers, and which was some of Motown's greatest work in the early days. Titles include "Got A Job", "I Need A Change", "Who's Lovin You", "Would I Love You", "Mickey's Monkey", "Shop Around", "(I Need Some) Money", "Bad Girl", "I Cry", "Way Over There", "I Love Your BAby", "What's Good About Goodbye", "A Love She Can Count On", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Like It Like That", "That's What Love Is Made Of", and "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying". LP, Vinyl record album

A monster set of work by one of the greatest harmony groups ever! Smokey was one of the first singers to bring sweetness into soul – and his work with The Miracles for Motown is the stuff of legend. This 52-track, 2CD set brings together a huge amount of the group's best work – a fantastic introduction to their music, packaged with a very well-detailed booklet that has an essay on the music and rare photos! Titles include "Point It Out", "More Love", "I Second That Emotion", "Going To A Go Go", "Chosey Beggar", "Satisfaction", "When Sundown Comes", "Got A Job", "Bad Girl", "Way Over There", "Who's Loving You", "Shop Around", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "My Girl Has Gone", "I Can't Stand To See You Cry", "Tears Of A Clown", and lots lots more! CD

A great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "The Reel Of Time", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". Also features a great medley of "Something" and "Something You Got". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". LP, Vinyl record album

Smokey and the group do a great job on some lesser-known numbers – all presented with that wonderful warm polish that The Miracles brought to soul, a sound that's always great, even on a lesser-hit album like this! Titles include "Give Her Up", "Special Occasion", "Yester Love", "If You Can Want", "Just Losing You", "Much Better Off", and "You Only Build Me Up To Tear Me Down". LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for late 60s Miracles! Smokey's vocals are in perfect form, and the group still has that 60s falsetto harmony sound, with lots of fragile bits and strong group backing. Includes the huge hit "Tears Of A Clown", plus a motherlode of great originals that make this a no-filler set! Titles include "The Soulful Shack", "My Love Is Your Love", "Don't Think It's Me", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "More Love", and "It's A Good Feeling" – Part of the Motown Did It First Series! CD

About as classic as you can get for late 60s Miracles! Smokey's vocals are in perfect form, and the group still has that 60s falsetto harmony sound, with lots of fragile bits and strong group backing. Includes the huge hit "Tears Of A Clown", plus a motherlode of great originals that make this a no-filler set! Titles include "The Soulful Shack", "My Love Is Your Love", "Don't Think It's Me", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "More Love", and "It's A Good Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 25 tracks! CD

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

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

Music beyond description – a unique blend of disco, funk, avant garde, and dub – the wonderful world of the late Arthur Russell! Russell was a bass player by trade, but he was schooled in both classical and Eastern music forms – and brought an incredibly fresh vision to his work in New York in the late 70s and early 80s. To some, Russell was a groundbreaking disco pioneer – with an offbeat production style and unique conception of rhythm. To others, Russell was a performance artist and avant garde musician – working in circles that included Phillip Glass, David Byrne, and Robert Wilson. This mix of modes was very much a part of the post-disco, post-punk sound of New York at the time – and nobody summarized it (or allowed it!) better than Russell himself. This excellent set from Soul Jazz is one of the first to truly give him his due – and it brings together a large amount of his disco-related projects, plus a few more introspective numbers cut under his own name. The sound is incredible – unlike anything you could categorize – especially on the Russell-titled numbers – and as always with Soul Jazz, the whole thing's beautifully packaged, with rich notes on the music and the person behind it! Titles include "Go Bang (Francois K mix)" by Dinosaur L, "Wax The Van" by Lola, "Is It All Over My Face (Larry Levan mix)" by Loose Joints, "In The Cornbelt (Larry Levan mix)" by Dinosaur L, "Pop Your Funk" by Loose Joints, "Schoolbell/Treehouse (Walter Gibbons mix)" by Indian Ocean, and "Let's Go Swimming (Walter Gibbons mix)", "A Little Lost", "In The Light Of The Miracle", and "Keeping Up" by Arthur Russell himself! (Rock, Soul) CD

A pop dancefloor classic – built around Shannon's killer club hit "Let The Music Play", as guilty a guilty pleasure as there ever was for us, and a tune that we can't help liking even today! Other tracks on the set have a similar punchy electro groove – lots of beats popping underneath, and sweetly soulful vocals from Shannon over the top. Electro programming is by Rob Kilgore and Chris Barbosa – and titles include "Let The Music Play", "Sweet Somebody", "My Heart's Divided", and "One Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Skyy are soaring high at this point – they've dropped the space suits, but still have the heavy bass, and all those cosmic production touches that put them at the forefront of the new sound of 80s funk. The album's prehaps not as strong as some of their others for Salsoul, but still keeps essentially the same groove – with tracks that include "Miracle", "Let Love Shine", "Won't You Be Mine", "Freak Outta", "Movin Violation", and "Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of east coast vocal group soul – one of the best independent harmony albums of the early 70s! Soul Generation had a fantastic approach – a style that was both sweet and tough at the same time, done with slight gangster/pimp touches that set them apart from some of the other more fragile groups of their era. The album's produced and arranged to perfection by Stan Vincent – and nearly every single cut on the record is an instant classic. Starts out with the incredible "Super Fine" – one of our favorite harmony tracks of all time – then rolls into "That's The Way It's Got To Be (Body & Soul)", "Black Man", "Black Man", "Million Dollars", and "In Your Way". CD features 4 bonus tracks too – "Mandingo Woman", "I Wonder What She's Doin", "Key To Your Heart", and "Praying For A Miracle". CD

One of the biggest charting LPs by The Supremes – and one of the best, too! The girls are opening it up a bit here – getting in on some of The Miracles Go Go action of the period, and laying down tunes that have a bit more of a northern groove to them – relying a bit more on a more steady overall groove than the hugely catchy choruses of some of their biggest hits. A groovy record – with a tight theme! Titles include "These Boots Are Made For Walking", "I Can't Help Myself", "Get Ready", "Money", "Hang On Sloopy", "Come & Get These Memories", "Shake Me, Wake Me", and "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest charting LPs by The Supremes – and one of the best, too! The girls are opening it up a bit here – getting in on some of The Miracles Go Go action of the period, and laying down tunes that have a bit more of a northern groove to them – relying a bit more on a more steady overall groove than the hugely catchy choruses of some of their biggest hits. A groovy record – with a tight theme! Titles include "These Boots Are Made For Walking", "I Can't Help Myself", "Get Ready", "Money", "Hang On Sloopy", "Come & Get These Memories", "Shake Me, Wake Me", and "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

The big breakout record for The System – one of the key soul crossover duos of the 80s! By the time of the record, electric instrumentation and studio technology had evolved to a point where a team like Mic Murphy and David Frank could put together a whole mainstream funk record like this on their own – and audiences too were a bit more open to accepting a world of overdubs and multi-track recording, and didn't need the 10-piece lineup of some of those late 70s groups to help them find their groove! The standout number here is the huge single "You Are In My System" – a cut that's wonderful in its simplicity, and somehow even better all these many years later, which it seems like less of a commercial crossover track than it did before. Other tracks follow a similar groove, and titles include "Sweat", "It's Passion", "Now I Am Electric", "Stand Up & Cheer", and "I Won't Let Go". LP, Vinyl record album

The Temptations sing the work of Smokey Robinson – and they've even got Smokey along to help them out on production! Given the high Robinson quotient on the set – both on production and songwriting – you'd almost expect this one to be a copycat of The Miracles' music at the time. Yet The Temps really manage to bring plenty of their own greatness to play on the material – deepening some of the songs with wonderful harmonies, and creating a sound that's often a bit less sweet and a bit more soulful than Smokey's approach with his own group. Titles include "It's Growing", "Who's Loving You", "What's So Good About Goodbye", "Depend On Me", "Way Over There", and "What Love Has Joined Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet vocals, great grooves, and a wonderful overlooked album, a real heavy hitter that stands with some of the best major label soul of the time! Truth are the duo of Leo Green and Larry Hancock – both singers with a talent for hitting notes that are sometimes sweet, sometimes jazzy, and occasionally really heartfelt almost in a classic soul mode. The rhythms often step along at a nice midtempo modern pace, but sometimes cook things up a bit more – and arrangements are tight and jazzy throughout, handled by Dunn Pearson Jr. Titles include "Understanding", "Touch Me", "See You Later", "It's Gonna Take A Miracle", and "Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Christmas classics from Luther Vandross – a later album in his career, but one that's still pretty darn tremendous – and a heck of a lot more soulful than other holiday offerings from the 90s! The production's a bit modern, but that amazing Vandross voice really dominates – giving the record a fullness that grabs you from the very first note, and which makes things still seem righteous and joyous, even on the few tracks that aren't exactly Holiday numbers. CD features 10 tracks in all – including "O Come All Ye Faithful", "My Favorite Things", "What The World Needs Now", "With A Christmas Heart", "I Listen To The Bells", "Little Miracles", "Please Come Home For Christmas", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". (Holiday Music, Soul) CD

Dionne Warwick steps out strongly with some great production help from Luther Vandross – who gives the lady a groove that's possibly even tighter than on her other Arista albums, really shaking off some of her more familiar modes, and going for a powerful 80s sound. There's still some good ballads to balance out the upbeat cuts, too – and these really glow with the classy Vandross touch. Titles include "So Amazing", "Got A Date", "I Can Let Go Now", "What Can A Miracle Do", "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye", and "I Do It Cause I Like It". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Two "Ships Passing In The Night (inst)", "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye (inst)", and four mixes of "Got A Date". CD

An amazing evolution in sound – a set that brings together the shifting styles of Deniece Williams during her Columbia years – a stretch when she started out as a righteous-voiced singer with an almost Minnie Riperton-like sound, then moved into much more chart-topping territory for the early 80s! Throughout it all, though, Williams' vocals remained top-shelf – trained not only through years of gospel singing, but also through an early music career that had her recording indie singles in Chicago, and working as a backup singer for Stevie Wonder. The package does a good job of bringing together most of Williams' significant cuts from the Columbia years – 16 tracks that include "Free", "I Found Love", "Cause You Love Me Baby", "That's What Friends Are For", "God Is Amazing", "Baby Baby My Love's All For You", "When Love Comes Calling", "If You Don't Believe", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take A Miracle", "Waiting", "Do What You Feel", "Black Butterfly", "Too Much Too Little Too Late", and "Let's Hear It For The Boy". CD

Includes a disc of songs from Chuck Willis and a disc of songs written by him from Lula Reed, Ruth Brown, The Cardinals, The Admirals, LaVern Baker & The Gliders, The Five Keys, Patti Page, Eydie Gorme & Steve Lawrence, The Clovers, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Ernest Tubb, and more. CD

A special version of this excellent series – with an album by each artist in the package! Side one features a killer album by the justly described Great JJ Jackson – and one that's been a darn tough one to find over the years! The leadoff cut is JJ's amazing single "But It's Alright", a slammin' soul track that always stops us dead whenever we hear it – which isn't often enough! The rest of the material is excellent too, and there are lots of nice tracks like "I Dig Girls", "Courage Ain't Strength", "Too Late", "Try Me", "Down But Not Out", Sho Nuff (Got A Good Thing Going", and "Four Walls". He's equally adept at uptempo soul and more ballad inflected tunes – great stuff all the way! Side two features Hypnotized by Linda Jones – one of the greatest female singers on the east coast scene at the end of the 60s – heard here on a classic Warner Brothers set that includes some of her best-remembered tracks! At some level, the set's a prequel to Linda's later recordings for the Stang/All Platinum label – as it features production and arrangements by the great George Kerr – who really has a way with slow-moving soul tunes, and the kind of sad-tinged tracks that Jones always did so well! Plus, his raw production really brings out some of the deeper soul qualities in Linda's voice – a mode that's quite a surprise at times, and presented here in a way that's far beyond any of the Aretha Franklin-styled cliches of other singers. Jones is a tremendously unique talent in female soul, and this album's her lasting legacy – a true treasure with cuts that include the hit "Hypnotized", plus loads of other nice ones like "Last Minute Miracle", "Give My Love A Try", "You Can't Take It", "What've I Done", and "I Can't Stand It". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Fontella Bass, Otis Redding, Supremes, Shangri-La's, Joe Tex, Byrds, Yardbirds, Marvin Gaye, Kinks, Martha & The Vandellas, Beach Boys, Miracles, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Features songs by GQ, Ashford & Simpson, War, Grace Jones, SOS Band, Blondie, Thelma Houston, and others. CD

A dozen tracks from Alicia Bridges, Thelma Houston, Gloria Gaynor, Barry White, Andy Gibb, the Jackson 5, Bonnie Pointer, the Miracles, Peaches & Herb, the Village People, Marvin Gaye, and Yvonne Elliman. CD

Music from The O'Jays, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Looking Glass, The Sweet, Mac Davis, John Denver, Albert Hammond, Melanie, Redbone, The Main Ingredient, Vanity Fare, Johnny Nash, Paul Revere & The Raiders, and more. CD

A killer collection of rare group soul from Chess – one that not only features doo wop work by The Moonglows and Flamingos, but also lots of rare material by The Radiants, The Knight Brothers, The Marathons, The Pastels, The Gems, The Miracles, The Sensations, The Dozier Bouys, and The Four Tops! LP, Vinyl record album

Features soul classics by Marvin Gaye, The Temptaions, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and Aretha Franklin, and The Exciters, plus a few rock hits by The Rascals, Three Dog Night, and Procol Harum. (Soundtracks, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Great group soul from the wonderful Brunswick Records – and a sweet selection that goes way beyond the hits and the bigger groups who recorded for the label! Sure, Brunswick is known for its big groups from Chicago – who were some of the best of their time – but the label also recorded a lot of up-and-comers who were totally great too – but who never got to put together a full album for the label! Lots of those groups are collected here – in a wonderful collection that's filled with soaring harmonies, deep soul leads, and some totally groovy arrangements that are in the best Brunswick ultra-hip style of the early 70s. Titles include "Chickens" by Complaments, "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & King Casuals, "Lonely Street" by The Admirations, "I'll Take You Just As You Come" by The Nialations, "Until You came Along" by The Visitors, "I Think I'll Cry Out Loud" by The Realistics, "The Sweetest Thing" by Channel 3, "Sing A Ling" by The Cooperettes, "Don't Fail Me Now" by The Symphonics, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Don't Take It Out On This World" by Adam's Apples, "Cowboys To Girls" by Jalynne Sound, "He's Got Your Number" by The Demures, and "Stay With Me Baby" by BW & The Next Edition. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A massive third helping of rare Motown soul – filled with just as many obscure moments and unreleased gems as the previous two volumes! Even if you're a Motown completist enough to buy those giant Complete Singles volumes, you'll still find plenty here to love – because this UK-only series really digs deep into the Motown vaults, and proves that there's a tremendous amount of great music that never saw the light of day back in the 60s! The overall style is strongly in the Northern Soul mode – no surprise, given the British origin of the set – but even with that tight focus, the range of music here is really wonderful, and includes a great amount of work by lesser stars in the Motown galaxy. All tracks are presented with full notes on the original recording date – and the 2CD package features a whopping 43 tracks that include "You're Walking Out With My Heart" by Brenda Holloway, "This Love Will Never Die" by The Miracles, "At The Go Go" by Stevie Wonder, "I'm In Love Again" by Shorty Long, "Easier Said Than Done" by Dennis Edwards, "Never Give You Up" by Blinky & Edwin Starr, "A Chance With You" by Marvin Gaye, "Watch Your Step" by Mike Varo, "Come Back My Love" by The Temptations, "Too Young Too Long" by Carolyn Crawford, "SOS Girl In Distress" by Marv Johnson, "Thief Of Love" by Oma Page, "Loving You" by Fantastic Four, "Just Too Much" by The Monitors, "Little Girls Grow Up" by The Marvelettes, "Don't Stop Loving Me" by Ivy Jo, "Soldier Of Love" by The Four Tops, "I'm Here Now That You Need Me" by JJ Barnes, "Beware Of A Stranger" by Rita Wright, "Cindy" by Bobby Taylor, and "Too Late I Learned" by The Spinners. CD

Of all the soul labels of the 60s, Motown virtually had a lock on Christmas – jumping to the forefront with a host of classic recordings that have stood for years as some of the greatest soul Christmas tunes ever! Motown continued that tradition well into later years too – and this nice little set is a strong testament to the huge legacy of Holiday music served up by the label! The package brings together a few key cuts from the classic years, and mixes them with a lot of surprising numbers from later decades too – in a set list of 13 tracks that include "All I Want" by Asiahn, "Let It Snow" by Boyz II Men & Brian Knight, "This Christmas" by Ne Yo, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Jackson 5, "Silent Night" by Tiana Major9, "Silver Bells" by The Supremes, "Jesus Is Love" by The Commodores, "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" by Marvin Gaye, "Christmas Blues" by Njomza, "Deck The Halls/Bring A Torch" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, "Someday At Christmas" by Joy Denalane, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by India.Arie & Joe Sample, and "Give Love On Christmas Day" by Johnny Gill. (Holiday Music, Soul) CD

Music from Jackie Wilson, Ruby And The Romantics, The Impressions, Brook Benton & Dinah Washington, Martha And The Vandellas, Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters, Jimmy Jones, The Miracles, Tommy Edwards, Chuck Berry, and more - 20 tracks in all. CD

Music from The Byrds, The Yardbirds, Wilson Pickett, The Miracles, The Beau Brummels, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs, Billy Joe Royal, The Beach Boys, Barbara Lewis, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music fromBarry McGuire, Fontella Bass, Len Barry, The Beach Boys, The Beau Brummels, The Miracles, The Kinks, Martha And The Vandellas, Roy Head, The Ad Libs, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Includes music by Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, the Mad Lads, David Porter, Wendy Rene, the Admirals, Sam & Dave, Booket T & the MGs, Barbara & the Browns, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

A great selection of older Motown numbers – with a few newer tracks from the 70s! The selection of tunes is a bit strange – given that the film was film set in Chicago in the mid 60's, whick makes you think the kids would have been listening to Chicago tunes on local labels like Okeh, Brunswick, and other labels – but overall, it's still a decent set. The original tunes are pretty great – like the instrumental "2 Pigs and a Hog", which was an old sample back in the 80's – and the tracks "Haulin", "Sweet First Love", "Cold Blooded", and "Three AM", which feature music by Freddie Perren. Other older tunes include "Stop In The Name of Love" by The Supremes, "Baby Love" by The Supremes, "Fingertips" by Stevie Wonder, "My Girl" by The Temptations, "Reach Out I'll Be There" by Four Tops, "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" by GC Cameron, "Beechwood 45789" by The Marvelettes, and "Ooo Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Continuous disco mix compilation, with tracks by Wild Cherry, Andrea True Connection, Tavares, Eddie Kendricks, Norman Connors, Addrisi Brothers, Rose Royce, Melba Moore, Supremes, Timmy Thomas, Salsoul Orchestra, Brick, KC & The Sunshine Band, Wilton Place Street Band, T-Connection, Miracles, Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch, Sylvers, George McCrae, Bebu Silvetti, Diana Ross, Kebekelektrik, and The Originals. LP, Vinyl record album

A wild 70s compilation from Japan – featuring some of the clubbier work of the time on Motown – with cuts by Edwin Starr, Diana Ross, Commodores, Stevie Wonder, The Miracles, Jackson Five, and Eddie Kendricks! Not sure why most of the artists are presented here as blondes, though! LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really lives up to its title – as all these rare tracks really have a special sort of feeling – a warm spirit and positive energy that's way different than you might expect from the title! In fact, it's probably not even fair to call this work disco at all – as most of the tracks are simply upbeat and grooving – working in modes that move from faster ensemble funk to some of the better underground club styles of the late 70s – all pulled from rare 7" singles, too – a format that seems to compact and energize the music in ways that are very different than the sprawling sounds of a 12" single! All the cuts here are brand-new to our ears, but won't be soon – as we'll be playing this collection again and again over the years – thanks to a set list that includes "She Really Needs Love" by Mahana, "You Can Win" by Bileo, "These Are The Good Times" by Popsicles, "I'm Loving You" by Cloudburst, "Life Is A Miracle" by Jax Transit Authority, "We Are Here To Party (7" mix)" by Gratitude, "Love Episode" by Strivers Show Band, "Paradise's Love" by Bordeux, and "Days Gone Past" by Darrell Johnson. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the Hues Corporation, KC & the Sunshine Band, the Sylvers, Carol Douglas, Alicia Bridges, Foxy, the Village People, Candi Staton, the Jackson 5, the Miracles, and more. CD

A sprawling promotional release with 88 tracks from Marvin Gaye, Edwin Starr, The Supremes, The Miracles, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Velvettes, The Commodores, Michael Jackson, Gloria Gaynor, Tammi Terrell, Kim Weston, Syreeta and others! CD

Lots of great cuts on this UK-only collection – 16 tracks, with work from Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Supremes, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Four Tops, and Jimmy Ruffin LP, Vinyl record album

Fab Philadelphia soul on 4 CDs – a massive package of work that really serves up the best from the legendary empire of Gamble & Huff, plus a host of other great Philly numbers too! The package is a great look at the full spectrum of sound in Philly during the 70s – not just the key tracks on the Philadelphia International label, but also cuts that Gamble & Huff had produced for other artists at the end of the 60s, key Sigma Sound sessions for other labels, and some of the classic club tracks that crossed over big and inspired countless imitations! The set is immense – 4CDs, 71 songs, and a 64 page booklet of rare photos and new essays – all priced nicely enough to appeal to both Philly newcomers and longtime collectors. Plus, since Sony BMG's handling Philly International now, there's a good range of titles from a variety of labels – and titles include "Love Is Here" by The Futures, "Slow Motion (part 1)" by Johnny Williams, "Sunshine" by The O'Jays, "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" by Wilson Pickett, "Expressway To Your Heart" by Soul Survivors, "I'm Stone In Love With You" by The Stylistics, "Be Thankful For What You Got (part 1)" by William DeVaughan, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "It's Forever" by The Ebonys, "Enjoy Yourself" by The Jacksons, "Free Love" by Jean Carn, "Kiss & Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell, "Billy's Back Home" by Billy Paul, "Picture Us" by Bunny Sigler, "Then Came You" by The Spinners, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" by Deniece Williams, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A killer Motown live album – one that has the Detroit label storming the stage of the Apollo Theater, with some of its biggest 60s acts in tow! There's a really open, spontaneous feel to the record – more so than other Motown live sets of the 60s – a quality that really grabs you and makes you feel like you're in the audience, catching these artists at the height of their young powers – and the production has the kind of frenetic live album feel as James Brown's famous set at The Apollo. Titles include "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" by Marvin Gaye, "Whole Lotta Woman" by The Contours, "Strange I Know" by The Marvelettes, "Don't You Know" by Stevie Wonder, "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by The Miracles, "Two Lovers" by Mary Wells, and "Let Me Go The Right Way" by The Supremes. LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded version of this classic set of Motown Christmas tunes – one that features some of the best cuts from the individual artists' Holiday albums cut for the label, plus some harder to find tracks from singles! The set's got 24 tracks in all, with titles that include "Santa Claus Is Comin To Town" and "Give Love On Christmas Day" by The Jackson 5, "What Christmas Means To Me" and "One Little Christmas Tree" by Stevie Wonder, "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" and "The Little Drummer Boy" by The Temptations, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Jingle Bells" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and "Children's Christmas Song" and "White Christmas" by Diana Ross & The Supremes. (Holiday Music, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A compilation of Motown tunes with a strong focus on the dancefloor – still mostly soul cuts, but also with a groove that's bound to move a few feet. There's a lot of older Motown numbers, and the feel of the set is hardly disco – as you'd guess by titles like "Function At The Junction" by Shorty Long, "ABC" by The Jackson 5, "It's A Shame" by The Spinners, "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations, "Dancing In The Street" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" by Eddie Kendricks, and "Going To A Go Go" by The Miracles. LP, Vinyl record album

Second volume in this series of Motown compilations aimed at the dancefloor – and in spite of the tile, the material here is more soul than disco, but definitely more in the dance vein than the get your groove on side of things. Includes some sublime numbers like "Date With The Rain" by Eddie Kendricks and "Dancing Machine" by The Jackson 5 – plus "You Sure Know How To Love Your Man" by Willie Hutch, "No Matter Where" by GC Cameron, "Bad Weather" by The Supremes, "What Is A Heart Good For" by The Miracles, "I'm A Fool For You" by Undisputed Truth, "Chained" by Rare Earth, and "Law Of The Land" by The Temptations. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Jr Walker & The All Stars, and The Jackson 5. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Miracles, Blinky, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Four Tops, The Marvelettes, Shorty Long, and Isley Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes early selections from the Motown catalogue, with titles by Barrett Strong, The Miracles, Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Junior Walker & The All Stars, Four Tops, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Originals, and Jackson 5. LP, Vinyl record album

With classics by The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Brenda Holloway, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Four Tops, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, Jr Walker & The All Stars, The Originals, Commodores, Smokey Robinson, Rick James, Dazz Band, Jermaine Jackson, and Lionel Richie. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Brenda Holloway, Four Tops, Mary Wells, The Contours, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, and Barrett Strong. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Mary Wells, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jr Walker & The All Stars, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Four Tops, and Stevie Wonder. LP, Vinyl record album