They may be Teenagers, but this is hardly teen pop – as the album's a key step in the direction towards soul music for the 60s – thanks to the mighty power of the tragic Frankie Lymon! There's a sense of darkness to the album right from the start – even in the hit that kicks things off – and Lymon's heartbreaking quality never lets up – with a deep soul sensibility that may well top the group leads of Clyde McPhatter or Jackie Wilson in the same generation. Even some of the more playful moments have an undeniable power – and titles include the classic "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", plus "I'm Not A Juvenile Deliquent", "I'm Not A Know It All", "Love Is A Clown", and "Please Be Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with maybe the most famous album cover ever used by Ike and Tina Turner – and a set that's maybe one of the rawest they ever cut as well! The material was done at a time when the couple were really riding high – but instead of going for a commercial or polished sound, they instead go deeply into the blues – maybe even more so than their earliest work from the days when Tina was just a singer in Ike's revue! The approach is one that's great for Tina's voice, and which has maybe a bit more of the electric blues of the Chicago scene than the usual sound that Ike might give a record – all put together in the studio with help from Bob Krasnow too. Titles include "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Mean Old World", "3 O'Clock In The Morning Blues", "Five Long Years", "Dust My Broom", "I Am A Motherless Child", "Crazy 'Bout You Baby", "Reconsider Baby", "Honest I Do", "Please Love Me", "My Babe", and "Rock Me Babe". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of darkness here from Phil Upchurch – those great tones and notes he worked so well back in the 70s – all with that near-perfect quality that made him one of the most in-demand players of his day! The style here is a bit different than some of Phil's previous work in Chicago – as the set was recorded on the west coast with support from players who include Joe Sample on piano, Arthur Adams on rhythm guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. But that shift of locale hasn't dampened Phil's sound at all – and he's still getting a bit of hometown help from Donny Hathaway, who arranged a few tracks and also plays a bit of electric piano on the record. Other arrangements are by Nick DeCaro, and titles include "Love & Peace", "Darkness, Darkness", "Cold Sweat", "Fire And Rain", "Please Send Me Someone To Love" and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Usher comes home strong on his first album in nearly a decade –with his ageless voice, overall presence, and almost unrivaled way of fitting right in while also slyly transcending the reigning sounds of pop, soul and R&B of any given day! It's a 20 track set that's surprisingly strong throughout, giving him plenty of space to do just about everything he does so well – tight collaborations, tender balladry, dancefloor ready jams and all. He's still a king! Includes "Keep On Dancin'", "Good Good" with Summer Walker & 21 Savage, "Kissing Strangers", Risk It All" with with HER, "Big", "On The Side", "I Am The Party", "Luckiest Man", "I Love U", "Please U", "Room In A Room", "Bop", "Stone Kold Freak", "Coming Home" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Muddy Waters makes a classic appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival – playing a folksy set of blues in the years before the festival had turned more strongly towards that sort of music! The performance is surprisingly well-recorded – at a level that's similar to Waters' earlier studio dates for Chess, but with a clarity that's impressive, given the live setting – and which captures just a bit of the open space in which the group was working. Waters' vocals and guitar are supported by harmonica from James Cotton and piano from Otis Spann – who also sings on one number too. Titles include "I Got My Brand On You", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Soon Forgotten", "Tiger In Your Tank", "I Feel So Good", and "Goodbye Newport Blues". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including "Meanest Woman", plus different versions of songs on the LP! (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible slice of Chicago blues – and maybe one of the most important contributions Delmark ever made to the Windy City scene! The album captures Junior Wells in all his rough and raw brilliance – working in territory that's quite similar to the Chess Records vibe of the early 60s – in a group that has Buddy Guy on guitar, Otis Spann on piano, and Louis Myers on a bit of extra guitar! Guy sings a bit, but Junior does most of the vocals – and also plays harmonica too – on titles that include "Blues For Mayor Daley", "Stop Breaking Down", "You Say You Love Me", "Trouble Don't Last Always", and "Baby Please Lend Me Your Love". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Two dozen tracks from the great Jackie Wilson, documenting some of his finest work for the Brunswick imprint,spanning nearly two decades! Includes "Reet Petite", "To Be Loved", "Lonely Teardrops", "That's Why I Love You So)", "I'll Be Satisfied", "Talk That Talk", "Baby Workout", "Please Tell Me Why", "Doggin' Around","Passin' Through", "A Woman, A Lover, A Friend", "You Don't Know What It Means", "Night", "The Tear Of The Year", "You Better Know It", "I Just Can't Help It", "I'm Comin' On Back To You","Danny Boy", "Am I The Man", "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)", "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher & Higher)", "No Pity (In The Naked City)", "She's All Right" and "You Got Me Walking". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic soul from Jackie Wilson! The record's an original Brunswick collection of some of his best singles – including quite a few that were penned by Berry Gordy back in Jackie's early soul days. 12 tracks in all, with titles that include "Baby Workout", "Doggin Around", "Baby Get It (And Don't Quit It)", "Shake! Shake! Shake!", "My Heart Belongs Only To You", "Am I The Man", "Alone At Last", "Please Tell Me Why", and "(You Were Made For) All My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow blues with a touch of jazz – a really great session cut by Jimmy Witherspoon, with backings by Bob Florence – played by a smallish group that includes Gerald Wilson, Herbie Harper, Earl Palmer, Gerry Wiggins, and Teddy Edwards! The sound here is nicely subdued – not that hokey, overdone blues-based mode used already as a "revival" of the genre in the early 60s – and instead a smokey, adult, sophisticated approach that was very much in keeping with Witherspoon's best talents, and that sound of his that paved the way for bigger crossover names in the 60s. Titles include "Blues Serenade", "Music Maestro Please", "Don't Worry Bout Me", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me", and "Just One More Chance". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A great late-life effort from Bobby Womack – hardly the kind of record he would have recorded back in the day, and a tremendous testament to his undeniably soulful talents! The album was done with production help from Damon Albarn and Richard Russell – and definitely has a contemporary bent in some of the backings – nothing too overly-modern, nor commercial at all – but a freshness that seems to really set Womack's vocals free – in a format that has Bobby sounding better than we've heard in a long, long time! Russell contributes some beats and effects to the set – but these almost always have a nice earthy sort of crispness – one that makes for music that's quite warm overall, and really fits the rootsy feel of Bobby's vocals – an approach that's not unlike some of the final Gil Scott-Heron recordings, with equally successful results. Titles include "Deep River", "Dayglo Reflection", "Stupid", "If There Wasn't Something There", "Love Is Gonna Lift You Up", "Jubilee", and "Please Forgive My Heart". CD

A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of soul groove – and were working with larger backings and a nice deal of extra bass! The pianist in the group is the super-dope Ken Chaney – a player who uses space as much as he uses notes – providing a cool counterpoint to the funky and jazzy riffing of the Young/Holt bass/drum combo. The album includes the landmark track "Soulful Strut" – with tinkling piano over funky backings mixed with sweetened strings – and other tracks include "Funky Is As Funky Does", "Baby Your Light Is Out", "Who's Making Love", "Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy?", "Be By My Side", and "Please Sunrise". A high point in the Chicago soul scene – with backings by Willie Henderson! CD

A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of soul groove – and were working with larger backings and a nice deal of extra bass! The pianist in the group is the super-dope Ken Chaney – a player who uses space as much as he uses notes – providing a cool counterpoint to the funky and jazzy riffing of the Young/Holt bass/drum combo. The album includes the landmark track "Soulful Strut" – with tinkling piano over funky backings mixed with sweetened strings – and other tracks include "Funky Is As Funky Does", "Baby Your Light Is Out", "Who's Making Love", "Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy?", "Be By My Side", and "Please Sunrise". A high point in the Chicago soul scene – with backings by Willie Henderson! LP, Vinyl record album

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 3 is overflowing with amazing sounds from the heart of the 60s – rare 45rpm tracks by Atlantic stars, Stax artists, and a few lesser-knowns too. Titles include "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Ray Sharpe, "Long Distance Love" by Ted Taylor, "Lonely Soldier" by Mike Williams, "How Can You Babysit A Man" by Ned Towns, "Keep Looking" by Solomon Bourke, "I'm Sorry" by Fred Lowrey, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Share What You Got" by William Bell, "Reputation" by The Four Shells, "Me & My Baby" by Mary Wells, "Got No One" by The Delcardos, "Weak Spot" by Ruby Johnson, "Good Love Bad Love" by Eddie Floyd, "Bingo" by Ned Towns, "I Had A Dream" by Johnny Taylor, "I Can't Take It" by Ray Sharpe, "You Can't Love Them All" by The Drifters, "Believe It Or Not" by Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers, "Patch My Heart" by The Mad Lads, "She's The One I Love" by The Delcardos, "Find Me Somebody" by Bobby Womack, "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "So Much Love" by Ben E King, "Help The Bear" by Ted Taylor, and "I Feel A Sin Coming On" by Solomon Burke. CD

This series keeps on getting better and better – and this fourth installment may well be the best illustration to date of the birth of soul music! As hinted by the title, the collection features tracks from the late 50s and early 60s that marked a key transition from earlier R&B and blues into soul music – work that pulled a bit more strongly from the church than some of its predecessors, and which also put over a groove that was a bit more sophisticated, sometimes a bit more polished – all to set the stage for the huge soul music explosion to come later in the 60s! A number of the artists here are familiar from R&B years, but they're represented by tracks that show a real change in their styles – and others are known from later successes, but stand out here with early work that's a lot more formative – making them a perfect choice for the collection. CD features 24 tracks in all – including "Come On & Stomp" by Marv Johnson, "Lil Valley" by The MMs & The Peanuts, "Bossa Nova Baby" by Tippie & The Clovers, "Irresistible You" by Bobby Peterson, "Take Your Heart" by Betty Willis, "Puff" by Kenny Lynch, "Jack Be Nimble" by The Intruders, "A Clock That's Got No Hands" by Della Reese, "I Came Running" by Wade Flemons, "You'd Be Crying Too" by The Matadors, "The Gypsy Said" by The Fiestas, "Please Don't Cry Anymore" by Ketty Lester, "Pretty Little Girl Next Door" by Bobby Day, and "Trouble I've Had" by Clarence Ashe. CD

Serving time has never been this groovy – thanks to a whole host of prison-themed tunes from the postwar years, presented here in a package that's especially strong on blues and R&B! Sure, most folks know "Folsom Prison Blues", but this package digs much deeper to come up with two dozen near-lost tracks that also echo the legacy of incarceration that frequently interacted with the music business during years when even the most minor infraction might get a singer or instrumentalist locked up. We're not saying that all these artists have experience behind bars, but the set does resonate strongly as a showcase of the too-common theme of jail and prison in American music. Titles include "Jailbird" by Smiley Lewis, "But Officer" by Sonny Knight, "Hey Mr Warden" by Danny Cobb, "Prisoner's Song" by Fats Domino, "Please Mr Jailer" by Wynona Carr, "Ball & Chain Blues" by Josh White, "Jail Bird" by El Pauling & Royal Abbit, "Prisoner's Plea" by Billy Boy Arnold, "Jailhouse Blues" by Ottille Patterson, "When I Leave These Prison Walls" by The Larks, and "I'm A Prisoner" by Eddie Boyd. (Rock, Soul) CD

Foxy R&B, and a fair bit of soul as well – wonderful work from the previously-untapped Paso and Foxy record labels – headed up by legendary Chicago DJ Richard Stamz! Stamz was a key early force in African-American broadcasting in the Windy City – an important DJ not just in blues and soul, but also a TV figure as well – one who really helped get a heck of a lot of great music started in the early days of soul! This package features some real killers by artists who do a great job of skirting the rough line between blues and soul in Chicago in the 60s – some of whom would record more famously on other labels, like One-Der-Ful, but who really sound great here. The package was put together by the folks who've researched and recounted Stamz colorful life in print – and has a great array of rare music, plus stories of the DJ as well. Titles include "Say You Love Me" by Harold Burrage, "The Buzzard" by Freddie Robinson, "What's The Matter With You Sam" by The Ideals, "Just One More Time" by Loretta Branch, "You Gonna Cry" by Flora D, "I'm Trying" by Lee Shot Williams, "Gittin Along" by Willie Williams with the Howlin Wolf Band, "Goin Home" by Mary Johnson, "Please Love Me" by Harold Burrage, "Romeo Joe (part 1)" by Robert & The Rockin Ravens, and "Garlen's Mambo" by Ze Majestics. CD

First New Orleans, then Houston, now Baton Rouge – leave it to the folks at Tuff City to make any southern city funky funky funky! The album actually only features work by 4 artists – but all of them are pretty darn great, the kind of obscure funky acts that first put us in business years back! The groove is hard and heavy – quite a different slice of LA than the New Orleans groove – with lots more hard drums and rumbling bass, and an overall sound that's very much in the east coast indie funk sound of the early 70s. And honestly, this is one of the freshest and strongest compilations that Tuff City ever put out – filled with great tracks that include "Joy & Affection", "Funky Black Man", and "Hogwash" by Earnest Jackson; "I Never Found A Girl" by Underground Express; "That's Henry", "Mississippi Mud", and "Angela" by Black Blood & The Chocolate Pickles; and "Ooh Wee Baby I Love You", "What The Deal Is", and "Groove Making" by George Perkins. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The funky third volume of the Living In The Streets series – and easily the best in this great series – a really hard and heavy batch of rare funk tunes that pushes past the cliches of the title to come up with an all-solid batch of tracks that's sure to please any fan of deep funk. Loads of great little groovers from a range of different labels – organ jazz meets heavy soul vocals meets dancing bassline funk, hard drums, heavy riffing, and beyond – all wrapped up together with a sound that never lets up. Tracks include "Mary Jane" by Bobby Rush, "Bustin Outta The Ghetto" by Carlos Malcolm, "I'm A Good Woman" by The Generation, "Dance Girl" by The Mighty Tom Cats, "Peace Love Not War" by Johnny King with The Fatback Band, "The Truth Shall Make You Free" by King Hannibal, "I'm Wishin" by Lorez Alexandria, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, "Viva" by Jade, "Seeds Of Life" by East LA Car Pool, "Starvin" by Winfield Parker, and "He Called Me Baby" by Spanky Wilson. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

An excellent collection of obscure jazz and R&B instrumental sides from the great Okeh label of the 50s – including some excellent stormers from Chicago! Little Johnny Griffin checks in with "For Dancers Only", "Flyin Home", and "Chicago Riffin", and the first two cuts feature vocals by Babs Gonzales! Other tracks include "Money Is Honey" and "I Want A Big Butter & Egg Man" by Mary Ann McCall; "Dig This Menu Please" and "Red's Mambo", two fantastic R&B tunes from trumpeter Red Rodney; and "Smooth Sailin", "Walkin Home", and "Whispering", all by Arnett Cobb, and included here with some other nice tunes that rank with some of Cobb's best work. (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Essential 2LP set of rare R&B material from the legendary Okeh label – known to many as one of the 50's best labels for the genre! Sure, you'll find a few hits on here – like Screamin Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On Your" – but the real nice bits are the obscurer tracks, like "Please Say You Want Me" by The Schoolboys, "Dumplins" by Doc Bagby, "Peanuts" by Little Joe, "Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)" by The Treneirs, and "Baby You're My Only Love", a real early one from Billy Stewart. Great stuff throughout, and a nice set of notes. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful look at the 60s scene in East LA – filled with cuts from some of the underground groups who made the area one of the hippest hotbeds of music at the time! There's a great blend of soul, R&B, and Latin elements bubbling under in most of these tracks – echoes of east coast modes, but touched with some of the styles that would show up more strongly in later Chicano rock – still at a very early level here. Harmony soul modes get plenty of play – and titles include "Come Swim With Me" by Little Ray, "My Heart Cries" by The Romancers, "Get Your Baby" by The Premiers, "Nau Ninny Nau" by Cannibal & The Headhunters, "Hector (part 1)" by Village Callers, "Rainbow Stomp (part 1)" by The Mixtures, "Please Answer" by The Heartbreakers, "One Like Mine" by The Salas Brothers with The Jaguars, "My Girl" by Phil & Del with The Mixtures, and "Destiny" by Larry Tamblyn. CD

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". This newly remastered edition features five bonus tracks/single mixes of original LP tracks! CD

An amazing James Brown live set from the crucial year of 1968 – the show that marked the debut of "Say It Loud I'm Black & I'm Proud" – a cut that would become an anthem for much of America in the years to come! The feel here is somewhat similar to Brown's famous Boston show of the same year – a mix of blistering uptempo funk tracks, played by the band at a clip that's even faster than their studio sides, mixed with a few more stripped-down, personal cuts that feature James getting a bit more intimate with the audience. The production quality of the set is wonderful – and it leaves in all the hip spoken bits between tracks, really preserving the liveness of the concert, and packaging the whole thing with some great notes and photos too! Titles include "I Guess I'll Have To Cry Cry Cry", "Say It Loud", "If I Ruled The World", "There Was A Time", "Maybe The Last Time", "I Got The Feeling", "Cold Sweat", "Please Please Please", "Tighten Up", "Licking Stick", and lots more! CD

A hip little set from Ruth Brown – miles away from her earlier R&B for Atlantic, and much more in the adult, righteous, and contemporary mode you'd expect from the title! The session's one of the key sides from the late 60s Skye Records catalog – and like others on the label, it features Gary McFarland production, and some great small group backings by a group that includes Richard Tee on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Herbie Lovelle on drums. Ruth's trials and tribulations are listed in detail inside the notes – and the record was one of the first re-discovery efforts that Brown undertook – a session that was trying to help her pay her dues, and expose her to the same sort of audiences that were lapping up Aretha Franklin at the time, but not giving as much attention to older singers. Tracks are a mix of (then) contemporary numbers and updated older tunes – with titles that include "Yesterday", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", "Lookin Back", "Try Me & See", "Miss Brown's Blues", "My Prayer", and "This Bitter Earth". 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

A fantastic pairing of soulful talents – the legendary John Lee Hooker on the mighty Stax Records – in a set that's a real standout in the career of both! The vibe here is different than the usual sound of Stax – not a Memphis-ized John Lee Hooker, but instead the kind of stripped-down session that the singer had done for other labels in his early years – given a very faithful presentation here by producer Henry Stone (who himself might well be the third important force at work on the set!) Tracks are mostly short – apart from one eight minute jam – and Hooker's got that raw, raspy bite that still makes him one of the all-time greats. Titles include "Teachin' The Blues", "Goin To Louisiana","I Need You", "My Love Comes Down For You", "Please Don't Go", "I Just Don't Know", "Slow & Easy", "Two White Horses", "Feel So Bad", and "Grinder Man". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The first of six "comeback" albums that this great Chicago soul singer cut during his second wave of recording during the late 70s! Walter had originally done some amazing work with the great Carl Davis at the Okeh label during the mid 60s – and this album marks a return to their collaboration – this time at Davis' own Chi-Sound subsidiary of 20th Century Records. Jackson here takes all the smooth sophistication of his early days, and transforms himself into an adult singer of soul songs – taking a route similar to that travelled by singers like Jerry Butler or Lou Rawls at the same time. Like Rawls, the style doesn't always work – but when it does, it's great. Titles include "Love Is Lovelier", "Words", "Too Shy To Say", "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)", "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", and a remake of "Welcome Home". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

BB King live at the Cook County Jail in Chicago – and given the amount of great live shows going on in the institution during the early 70s, the jail must have been one hell of a place to be incarcerated! This classic features BB King entertaining the prisoners with a wickedly sharp blues set – done, like most prison live shows, with an edge that's often missing from more conventional concerts – plenty gritty, both on the vocals and guitar, with a sound the Chicago audience must have loved! Titles include "How Blue Can You Get", "Worry Worry", "Sweet Sixteen", "The Thrill Is Gone", "Please Accept My Love", and "Every Day I Have The Blues". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little live set from BB – rawer than some of his studio work at the time, and with a bit freer playing. Titles include "Please Love Me", "Sweet Little Angel", "Let Me Love You", "Rock Me Baby", "3 O'Clock Blues", and "Woke Up This Morning". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Tears On My Pillow", "Two People In The World", "So Much", "The Diary", "It's Not For Me", "Wishful Thinking", "A Prayer And Juke Box", "I'm Alright", "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop", "My Empty Room", "I'm Taking A Vacation From Love", "Please Say You Want Me", "Traveling Stranger", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Goin' Out Of My Head", "Hurt So Bad", "Take Me Back", and "I Miss You So". CD

Big blues from Little Milton, recorded with a mighty big sound as well – thanks to the cool criss-crossing of soul and blues that was going down at Chess Records in the 60s! Milton's got this raw, raspy style in his voice – a nasty edge that mixes perfectly with his own sharp guitar lines – and which gets an extra kick from the production and arrangements of Gene Barge, who still knows how to keep the core combo sound that makes the album cook! Sonny Thompson plays piano on most tracks, and Phil Upchurch adds in a second guitar at times – but the real star of the show is always Milton – shining more brightly here than on most of his later records! The album includes versions of "Please Please Please", "Have Mercy Baby", "Fever", "Sneakin Around", and "Reconsider Baby". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

2 albums recorded by Esther in the years before she broke into big fame on the Kudu label. Burnin is a stunning live set that marked Esther's move from being a loud young R&B singer into an older, more mature interpreter of material in a more jazzy style. She's backed here by a good group that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – and she moves through a heartbreaking set of material that heralds her later 70's recordings for Kudu. Tracks include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". Confessin points back at Esther's earlier career in R&B, but has a nice jazzy finish – thanks to players like Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, and Herb Ellis – and the record also features a few more sides from the Burnin sessions at Freddie Jett's Nightclub in LA. Titles include "Romance In The Dark", "I Wonder", "I'm Getting Long Alright", "In The Evenin", and "I Love Paris". Due to time limit restrictions, the CD excludes the cuts "I'm Getting Long Alright" and "It Could Happen To You" from the LPs. CD

A great little live set – recorded overseas, but with a really classic 60s southern soul sound overall! Stax always did a pretty good job of shopping its big artists overseas – where they met with extremely enthusiastic response, as you'll hear in this classic live album recorded by Otis Redding! The basic structure of the songs is very similar in time and presentation to the studio versions – but the band is very lively, many numbers are taken at faster tempos, and Otis is working himself to death to please the screaming crowd. Titles include "Day Tripper", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Respect", "Can't Turn You Loose", "My Girl", and "Shake". CD

A great little live set – recorded overseas, but with a really classic 60s southern soul sound overall! Stax always did a pretty good job of shopping its big artists overseas – where they met with extremely enthusiastic response, as you'll hear in this classic live album recorded by Otis Redding! The basic structure of the songs is very similar in time and presentation to the studio versions – but the band is very lively, many numbers are taken at faster tempos, and Otis is working himself to death to please the screaming crowd. Titles include "Day Tripper", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Respect", "Can't Turn You Loose", "My Girl", and "Shake". LP, Vinyl record album

Funk, soul, jazz, and plenty more – all wrapped up into this 70s masterpiece from Rufus – the kind of record that not only never gets old, but which still has folks wondering how the group could have gotten things this perfect all these many years later! Chaka Khan and the group are in sublime formation here – tight, but never slick – sublimely soulful, but never in a way that sounds like they're trying to copy anyone else at all – always in this unique blend of all the best elements from all their favorit styles, fused into a fresh new sound that's completely Rufus-like all the way through! Titles include the incredible track "Stop On By", plus the instrumental "Rufusized", "I'm A Woman", "Somebody's Watching You", "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)", and "Right Is Right". LP, Vinyl record album

A Philly soul legend finally gets his time in the spotlight – as drummer Earl Young played on countless classic sessions back in the day, but rarely even got his name in the liner notes! That lack of recognition is corrected here – in a great package that puts Young's face on the cover, details his genius on the drums in the notes, and then presents a motherlode of killer soul tunes from the late 60s through the 70s! Young's maybe best known for his work at Sigma Sound Studios, and on famous sessions for the Philadelphia International label – but here, he's heard on an even wider range of cuts – including late 60s Northern Soul numbers, and great album work by artists you might not normally associate with Philly. Titles include "Storm Warning" by The Volcanos, "Silly Silly Fool" by Dusty Springfield, "Hit & Run" by Loleatta Holloway, "I Just Can't Say Goodbye" by Philly Devotions, "Please Give Me One More Chance" by Clyde McPhatter, "Do The Hand Jive" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Penguin At The Big Apple/Zing" by The Trammps, "I Can't Fight Your Love" by The Modulations, "Touch & Go (12" mix)" by Ecstasy Passion & Pain, "I Like To Live The Love" by BB King, "I'm Doin Fine Now" by New York City, "Ain't Got The Love Of One Girl" by The Ambassadors, "Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind" by The Spinners, "Do It Again" by Charles Mann, and "Be Truthful To Me" by Billy Paul. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Magnificent stuff – an a treasure trove of lost harmony soul! This is the kind of compilation that really gets us going – 24 super-mellow soul tracks from the late 60s and early 70s, all of them done by male harmony groups with a stellar vocal approach. Some of the groups are ones you'll know, singing in a style that you may not recognize from their earlier years – and others are obscure ensembles, the kind we treasure even more on a set like this! Vocals are wonderful throughout – smooth, yet deeply soulful – and often with the kind of sad and honest quality that we look for in harmony soul. Titles include "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Mayberry Movement, "I've Been Trying" by Reggie Saddler Revue, "Friends Or Lovers" by Act One, "Hearts Were Made To Love" by The Pretenders, "Please Don't Leave" by Tuxedo, "Baby It's You" by The Masqueraders, "You Send Me" by Ponderosa Twins Plus One, "I Am So Glad I Took My Time" by the Floaters, "Let Your Heart Be The Judge" by Gods Gift To Women, "What Am I Guilty Of" by The New Cymbals, and "Maybe So Maybe No" by The New Holidays. CD

One of the coolest collections ever put out by The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the hipness of the label! Downriver Revival chronicles the story of a unique studio in Michigan – Double U Sound, a custom recording spot that captured a wonderful range of soul, funk, gospel, and other sounds from the local community – beautifully presented here in a full CD, plus a bonus DVD that features the near-complete 200 song archive of the studio! The DVD's really unique – so we'll talk about it first: Done with an interactive menu that lets you literally comb through the boxes of tapes in the Double U vault – selecting each reel recorded by the studio, and sampling the rich array of wonderful sounds from this untapped Michigan scene – a huge amount of music, far more than you'd ever find on a CD compilation. The DVD also features a documentary on the studio and Downriver Revial project – and that alone would be worth the price of admission – but the CD then features 24 key numbers pulled from the vaults – tracks that were either issued on rare 45s, or never issued at all – and which represent a wonderful array of soulful sounds that definitely lives up to the Numero standard! Titles include "There's A Light" by Shirley Ann Lee, "Take Care Of Us" by The Revelations, "Untitled Jam" by Bobby Cook & The Explosions, "Foot Stumping (alt)" by Organics, "While You Were Gone" by Combinations, "Heaven" by Deliverance Echoes, "Untitled" by Burgess Band, "Round N Round" by Junior Mays Group, and "Walk With Me" by Calvin Cooke. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Easily the best-ever collection we've seen of the work of Fontella Bass – and one that really goes past her oft-remembered hit, to feature the full scope of her mid 60s work for Chess Records! To most folks, Fontella's remembered for a few reasons – her Aretha Franklin-styled hit "Rescue Me" (often mistaken for Aretha herself), or the fact that she married Art Ensemble member Lester Bowie. But back at the start, Fontella was a heck of a great little soul singer – capable of a wide variety of modes, all of which are included here! The 25 track package really shows an evolution in music – and Bass sings in styles that include deep soul ala Atlantic, sweet soul ala Motown, uptown soul ala Wand, soaring soul ala Brunswick, and tight duet soul, in the mode of some of the more famous duets coming from Detroit or New York. CD really digs deep and brings back a full range of singles, plus some unreleased tracks – and the sound here is totally great. Titles include "Oh No Not My Baby", "Our Day Will Come", "Free At Last", "I Surrender", "I Can't Rest", "Leave It In The Hands Of Love", "You've Lost That Lovin Feelin", "The Soul Of A Man", "Joy Of Love", "Don't Mess Up A Good Thing", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Come & Get These Memories", "Rescue Me", "Since I Fell For You", "I'm A Woman", "How Glad I Am", "Impossible", and "Lucky In Love". CD

A hip little set from Ruth Brown – miles away from her earlier R&B for Atlantic, and much more in the adult, righteous, and contemporary mode you'd expect from the title! The session's one of the key sides from the late 60s Skye Records catalog – and like others on the label, it features Gary McFarland production, and some great small group backings by a group that includes Richard Tee on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Herbie Lovelle on drums. Ruth's trials and tribulations are listed in detail inside the notes – and the record was one of the first re-discovery efforts that Brown undertook – a session that was trying to help her pay her dues, and expose her to the same sort of audiences that were lapping up Aretha Franklin at the time, but not giving as much attention to older singers. Tracks are a mix of (then) contemporary numbers and updated older tunes – with titles that include "Yesterday", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", "Lookin Back", "Try Me & See", "Miss Brown's Blues", "My Prayer", and "This Bitter Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of killers from Cameo – back to back on a single CD! Cameosis is full-on frenetic funk from Cameo – one of the group's tightest albums, yet still without any of the too-slick sounds of later years! The sound here is amazing – and we always find ourselves wondering how a group of guys can hit such perfect grooves with just a bunch of basses, guitars, and keyboards – a totally on-the-money style that vamps, leaps, and jumps with energy throughout. The vocals are great too – bubbling up in the mix almost like another instrument – and the album's got a depth that so many other copycat funk records from the time just couldn't touch. Wonderful throughout – with tracks that include "Shake Your Pants", "Cameosis", "On The One", "We're Goin Out Tonight", and "Please You". Also features a bonus 7" mix of "Shake Your Pants". Feel Me is a great 80s groove from Cameo – but one that's still done in the group's best early funk ensemble mode! There's maybe a bit more emphasis on the basslines and keyboards than before, but the sound of the music is still wonderfully full and spontaneous – very much in keeping with the warmly collaborative look of the group on the cover, who really sound like they're having a hell of a lot of fun making the record! The rhythms have a razor-sharpness that just about nobody else can touch – and there's all these cool little instrumental flourishes that sneak into the mix and really keep things interesting – odd sounds on familiar instruments, moogy moments on keyboards, and even some vocal inflections that come as a nice surprise. There's two nice mellow cuts – "Feel Me" and "Is This The Way", which have a sweetly compressed harmony sound on the lyrics – and funky numbers include "Better Days", "Keep It Hot", "Roller Skates", and "Is This The Way". CD

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". LP, Vinyl record album

(Rock, Soul) CD

Killer work from one of the hippest cats of the postwar years – including tracks recorded under his own name, plus Wynonie Harris vocals on recordings by Oscar Pettiford, Johnnie Alston, Todd Rhodes, and Lucky Millinder! Titles include "I Gotta Lyin Woman", "Playful Baby", "Rebecca's Blues", "Lollipop Mama", "Night Train", "Do It Again Please", "Married Women Stay Married", and "Good Mambo Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

2 massive Isaac Hayes soundtracks in one set – both from the magical cinematic year of 1974! Truck Turner is a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". Tough Guys is deeper and more complicated than the groove of Shaft and Truck Turner, and filled with some great tunes that glow with color, life, and imagination – showing an Isaac Hayes that almost seems to be moving beyond the usual blackploitation groove! The album sports 2 really classic tunes – the title theme "Tough Guys", and the classic "Hung Up On My Baby" – both of which have a solidly funky feel that will more than please the usual soundtrack beathead crowd. But overall, the other tunes twist and turn in a delightful mix of modes – expanding on the soulful territory Ike first explored in his original soundtracks, and offering up a great range of moods and emotion. The album's got some especially great chromatic guitar work – and other titles include "Joe Bell", "Randolph & Dearborn", "Buns O Plenty", "Run Fay Run", and "Red Rooster". CD

One of Isaac Hayes' richest soundtracks – deeper and more complicated than the groove of Shaft and Truck Turner, and filled with some great tunes that glow with color, life, and imagination – showing an Isaac Hayes that almost seems to be moving beyond the usual blackploitation groove! The album sports 2 really classic tunes – the title theme "Tough Guys", and the classic "Hung Up On My Baby" – both of which have a solidly funky feel that will more than please the usual soundtrack beathead crowd. But overall, the other tunes twist and turn in a delightful mix of modes – expanding on the soulful territory Ike first explored in his original soundtracks, and offering up a great range of moods and emotion. The album's got some especially great chromatic guitar work – and other titles include "Joe Bell", "Randolph & Dearborn", "Buns O Plenty", "Run Fay Run", and "Red Rooster". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". (Blues, Soul) CD

A surprisingly tasty album of funky rock tracks – and the only one that we've ever seen from this obscure Bay Area group! The record's mostly sought-after for the funky cut "Can I Dedicate" – a 9 minute instrumental jam that starts with a great piano-heavy break, and rolls into great drums and fuzzy guitar. But the other tracks are all pretty great too – almost in the mode of some of the work on the San Francisco label at the time, with a genre-blending approach that mixes together rock, soul, and funk! Titles include "No More Tears", "The Bells", "Kali Yuga-Loo", "Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead", "I Can't Please You", and "Don't Lose Control". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Great pre-Columbia album by The Manhattans, originally recorded in the early 70s for the King-related DeLuxe label! The set features a stellar set of harmony soul tracks that show the transition from the group's early Carnival sides to their modern Columbia ones – and the Manhattans are in a dope east coast Super Fly mode – like contemporaneous indie groups like The Modulations, The Montclairs, or Soul Generation. There's sort of a mix of material, with some sweet soul tunes, and some heavier tracks, but there's plenty of good cuts to make this one worth searching out. Tracks include "I Can't Stand for You To Leave Me", "Do You Ever?", "Back Up", "Million to One", "Fever", "The Picture Became Quite Clear", "With These Hands", "If My Heart Could Speak", "It's The Only Way", "Rainbow Week", and "Cry If You Wanna Cry". 22 cuts in all! CD

An excellent comeback album from the great Clyde McPhatter! The record was recorded in 1970, after Clyde had spent some time in Europe, kicking about and getting his head together. Clyde's vocals are as great as ever – and the backings are sublime, some of the best he ever received! The album's produced by the team of Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Earl Young – and the trio also handled most of the arrangements, in that sweet late 60s style that was working such magic with Archie Bell & The Drells over at Atlantic. The standout cut on the album is "The Mixed Up Cup", a great soul number that begins with an excellent drumbreak that then goes into the sound of a cup being filled with water! Apart from that sound effect, though, the real strength is Clyde's voice, which is sweet, soulful, and honest on just about every track. Titles include "I'll Belong To You", "If You Only Knew", "Mr Heartache", "A Mother's Love", "Book Of Memories", "Someone To Believe In", and "Please Give Me One More Chance". LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the career of Esther Phillips – and a record that really has her shaking off the rougher bluesy styles of the earlier years, and pointing the way towards strong jazz success in the 70s! The album's definitely burnin, but with a sophisticated vibe too – as Esther works with backing from a small combo that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – a lineup that almost hits the same vibe as her later work on CTI/Kudu – and which brings out a new depth in Esther's vocals that's simply amazing! There's a heartbreaking quality to most of the numbers – a mix of roots and class, depth and poise – all served up in a style that's unlike any other singer before or since. Titles include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", "I'm Getting Long Alright", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A hugely expanded version of this dancefloor classic from Diana Ross! The original album Diana was a big one for Ross – produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers of Chic, and done with a snapping disco groove that pushed Ross into some new territory in the clubs and the charts. The original 8 track album is presented here in both the standard mixes of the tunes, and the "Chic" mix – which has never been issued before, and has a bit more of a snap than the regular tracks. Plus, there's also a second bonus disc, featuring 13 dancefloor tracks – including some previously unissued mixes, and bonus 12" cuts! Titles on the original album include "Upside Dopwn", "I'm Coming Out", "My Old Piano", "Now That You're Gone", "Friend To Friend", and "Give Up" – and bonus tracks include "Love Hangover (ext alt mix)", "You Were The One", "No One Gets The Prize/The Boss (12" re-edit)", "Fire Don't Burn", "Sweet Summertime Livin", "Your Love Is So Good To Me (12" mix)", "Top Of The World", and "Lovin Livin & Givin". CD

A fantastic 70s classic from Stevie Wonder – part of a great run of records in which he broke completely from his earlier Motown sound – and showed the world that he was one of the true musical visionaries of the decade! The righteous currents of his previous few albums are fully in place here, taken with a bit more focus that helped the record gain Stevie a few new followers in the crossover market, while still offering up plenty to please all the minds that had already been blown by is initial work of the 70s! There's some fantastic themes here, and so many new ideas too – and titles include the slow-funk moog classic "Creepin", which has these wonderful washes of sound throughout, weird vocals by Stevie, and some drums that bump around in off-kilter little patterns just at the right moments. The album also includes the hit "Boogie On Reggae Woman", plus "Too Shy To Say", "You Haven't Done Nothin", "It Ain't No Use", "Bird Of Beauty", and "Please Don't Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost southern soul album from the 70s – recorded down at Muscle Shoals by singer Sandra Wright, and originally intended for release on Stax Records – but never issued at the time! Sandra's a great singer – deep soul, but with a touch of class, too – and the approach here shows that maturing Muscle Shoals sound, recorded at the Broadway Studio by David Johnson – at a level that's a bit in the Ann Sexton side of the spectrum – a sparkling, sophisticated feel that almost reminds us of the best female soul coming from Detroit or Chicago at the time, but with a slightly deeper range. Stax issued a few singles, but never issued the full album – which makes this one even more of a treasure for collectors of that time! Titles include "Wounded Woman", "The Sha-La Bandit", "Midnight Affair", "I Come Running Back", "I'm Not Strong Enough To Love You Again", "Please Don't Say Goodbye", and "A Man Can't Be A Man". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A great package – with 85 vintage singles from King Records, plus some interesting spoken bits by label boss Syd Nathan. 36 page booklet, too! (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Like finding a time machine – one that takes you back to the glory days of the New York club scene at the end of the 70s! Much has been written about Larry Levan – the genius DJ behind the Paradise Garage, and a leading force in club music who pulled the genre from the ashes of disco cliches and cold pre-programmed throwaway tracks. Levan not only had an ear for picking the most soulful tunes of the underground, buy he also had an extremely good talent for putting tracks together – a talent that got him plenty of work as a remixer in the early 80s, but which is also heard here exactly as you'd have heard it at the Paradise Garage back in 1979! The set is a magical document – a live mix performed by Levan at the Paradise, recorded with excellent sound, and spread over 2 CDs! Levan comes up with killer groovers we've never heard, and other monsters that we'd forgotten about, and which sound even better in this stunning mix of music. Titles include "It's Magic" by Damon Harris, "Put Your Body In It" by Stephanie Mills, "By The Way You Dance" by Bunny Sigler, "Right In The Socket" by Shalamar, "Here We Go Again" by Peoples Choice, "Bad Mouthin" by Motown Sounds, "Let Yourself Go" by The Supremes, "Angel In My Pocket" by Change, "Smack Dab In The Middle" by Janice McClain, "Sun Sun Sun" by Jacki, and "Erucu" by Jermain Jackson". 20 tracks in all – and all expertly mixed! (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Fantastic soul from Mainstream Records – an imprint that's normally best-known for their work in the field of jazz, but a label that also cut some killer soul singles in the early 70s! Mainstream soul artists almost never got a chance to record a full-length album – so over the years, this soul legacy has been somewhat lost in the shifting sands of time (and shifting piles of funky 45s) – which makes this collection a much-needed resurrection of that material – especially when given the ultra-hip, extra-level presentation of the Kent label! The CD features 23 great tunes from these years – some of them in the modern soul mode promised in the title, lots more in kind of a hip funky soul approach – very early 70s New York, with righteous themes mixed with more familiar soul styles – all set to impeccable instrumentation. Titles include "Oh My Love" by Almeta Latimore, "Come Back With Your Love (part 1)" by Special Delivery, "Grass Ain't Greener" by Charles Beverly, "Love Bug" by Sugar Billy, "You'll Do It" by Calvin Arnold, "I'll Never Trust Love Again" by McArthur, "You've Got A Lot To Give" by Chocolate Syrup, "I'll Never Be The Same (part 1)" by Chapter Three, "I've Been Trying To Love You" by Lenny McDaniel & The Last Nikle, "Slow Down World" by Charles Colbert, "Everyone Has Someone" by Linda Perry, "Your Love Is Like A Rising Sun" by Steptones, "Let Her Know" by Bobby Earl Williams, "Please Don't Set Me Free" by Jeany Reynolds, and "Today Or Never" by Eleventh Commandment. 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

Brian Auger's first album away from singer Julie Driscoll – and a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans & Rice", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Great stuff, and the kind of Brian Auger material that will convince you of his talents! Includes the bonus track : "What You Gonna Do?". (Jazz, Soul) CD

An amazing slice of music from the legendary David Axelrod – quite different than his better-known sides for Capitol and Reprise Records – and plenty darn funky overall! Axelrod is at his studio best here – stepping off the funky jazz modes he produced for Cannonball Adderley, and taking a shot at that territory on his own! In a reversal of modes, Cannonball actually handles the production – with help from Jimmy Bowen – which leaves Axelrod alone to compose, arrange, and direct the group on the set. The album's got a fair bit of electricity in the mix – heavy keyboards from Joe Sample, and some really fuzzy guitars – plus lots of choppy reed work from Joe Sample and Ernie Watts, all wrapped up with some monstrously funky drums from Ndugu Chancler. There's a very bottom-heavy groove to the record – one that makes for a few completely amazing breaks, and a very funky sound overall – and Axelrod does an amazing job of controlling the players here – so that nobody jams too much, and the grooves are always right on the money! The whole thing's great – a sublime symphony of instrumental funk all the way through – and titles include "Reverie", "Miles Away", "Go For It", "Ken Russell", "1000 Rads", and "One". First time ever on CD – a seminal reissue from Dusty Groove! (Jazz, Soul) CD

An amazing set of tracks from one of our favorite artists ever – a whopping 33 track, 2CD compilation of some of the best of Roy's work for Polydor! Given the title, you can expect a very hip bent to the tracks picked for the set – lots of righteous politics and hip cultural themes bubbling underneath the funky and jazzy grooves that were Roy's forte during the 70s. And while we treasure just about every single track that Roy recorded for Polydor (re-release all the albums – please!), we also have to say that we probably couldn't have come up with a better 33 tracks if we'd picked them ourselves! Titles include "The Old One Two", "Life Is Just A Moment (part 2)", "The Memory", "Hey Uh What You Say Come On", "Running Away", "Searching", "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", "Coffy Is The Color", "Sweet Tears", "Red Black & Green", "No Deposits No Return", "The Third Eye", "Sweet Tears (disco)", "Africa Center Of The World", "Our Time Is Coming", "Destination Motherland", "Fever", "What You Won't Do For Love", "Thank You Thank You", "Can't You See Me (12" mix)", "Baby You Give Me A Feeling", "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", and "Love From The Sun". CD

One of those King Records collections that manages to pack a heck of a lot of tunes on a single LP – yet manages to make the whole thing still sound great! The work here is all from the early years of Hank Ballard's career – the kind of hard rocking and R&B tunes that first brought him to fame, right up to the early soul sides he was cutting before leaving King for the first time – including some danceable numbers that are pretty great. Titles include "Baby Please", "Give It Up", "The Twist", "The Float", "I'm Young", "Move Move Move", "The Coffee Grind", "Finger Poppin Time", "Daddy Rolling Stone", "No It Ain't", "Cute Little Ways", and "Ooh Ooh Baby". CD

A landmark album from Boyz II Men – and a set that shows that the classic harmony style was alive and well into the 90s! Although the production and rhythms here are somewhat contemporary, the vocals have a classic approach all the way through – maturing masculine soul styles that are totally great, and which have aged beautifully over the years – way past the chart-reaching cliches of other groups of the time, and well deserving of attention as a great later Motown moment! Most production is by Dallas Austin – who structured the album beautifully into "adagio" and "allegro" sections – and titles include "Please Don't Go", "Lonely Heart", "Little Things", "Motownphilly", "Under Pressure", "Sympin", "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday", and "Uhh Ahh". CD

A killer double-length album from James Brown – a smoking set that stands strongly right next to similar packages like Get On The Good Foot and Payback! The album's a bit different than the latter, in that the tracks are mostly shorter, and there's some mellower cuts too – but they also work together like some sort of cool stack of funky 45s, which then ends in the massive track that ends the record – a killer 13 minute take on "Papa Don't Take No Mess", every bit as anything from the JBs own albums. And Fred Wesley and the rest of the group are backing up James – on other titles that include "My Thang", "Coldblooded", "I can't Stand It 76", "Please Please Please", "Sayin & Doin It", "Don't Tell A Lie About Me", "Sometime", "Hell", and "A Man Has To Go Back To The Crossroads". CD

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". CD

James Brown's great second album recorded live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem – a set we like even better than the first famous volume – because it's much more stretched-out, harder-hitting, and full of fire! You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of Brown's showmanship on record – as James urges the band through these triple-time takes on some of his classics, and turns in some amazing work in the process! The set includes a killer long version of "There Was A Time" – almost the blueprint of the James Brown funk sound to come – and other titles include "Bring It Up", "Let Yourself Go", and a wonderful duet version of "Think" – plus "Prisoner Of Love", "Out Of Sight", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Lost Someone","Thanks", "Cold Sweat", "I Feel Alright", and "Please, Please, Please". Features 30 minutes of extra material, with remixed tracks, set in the original running order, and lots of great notes! CD

Some of the most unique vocal work ever recorded – a stunning collection of Columbia sides by Oscar Brown Jr, a singer who mixed together equal parts jazz, soul, and folk – and came up with a sound that was all his own! Oscar bubbled out of the hip Chicago scene of the early 60s – and had a much more righteous approach than most of his contemporaries – not only writing his own lyrics for most of the tunes, but working in a genre-blending style that crossed over to a variety of difference audiences. Oscar could groove with the best in a southside club, but also appeal to the northside intellectuals – opening doors wherever he went with a fresh approach to jazz vocals! The set features work from all 4 of his Columbia albums – including a number of tracks on CD for the first time – and features arrangements by Quincy Jones, Floyd Morris, and Ralph Burns – on 23 tracks that include "All Blues", "Work Song", "Excuse Me For Living", "The Snake", "Mr Kicks", "Afro Blue", "Signifying Monkey", "Dat Dere", "Hazel's Hips", "Jeannine", "Opportunity Please Knock", "The Tree & Me", "Elegy (Plain Black Boy)", "Tall Like Pine", and "But I Was Cool". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". "A New Time, A New Day" has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Gene Chandler wasn't scoring nearly as big in the 80s as he was in the 60s, he was still a great vocalist, and could turn out some good material when he wanted to. This album's more than enough proof of that – and it features some good mellow tracks that have Gene singing in a sophisticated quiet storm sort of style. The best number is "Haven't I Heard That Line Before" – and other tracks include "You'll Never Be Free Of Me", "Lucy", and "Please You Tonight". The record's got some uptempo numbers that fall flat, so stick to the ballads and mellow cuts. LP, Vinyl record album

The Crystals twist uptown, and take their groove to a whole new region in the process! The album's title is very apt, as the whole thing is a real blueprint for the uptown soul sound of the 60s – swirling strings, soulful vocals, and rhythms that have enough punch to keep things moving – even on the mellower moments – all crafted perfectly by the young Phil Spector! There's hardly any real twist tunes on the record – which is great by us, as it means that instead of gimmicky dance numbers, The Crystals really get to sparkle in the kind of heartbreaking soul numbers they've always done so well! Titles include the chilling "Please Hurt Me" – a classic from the Goffin/King team – plus "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen", "Frankenstein Twist", "Gee Whiz", "Another Country Another World", "Uptown", and "I Love You Eddie". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Blueberry Hill", "Please Don't Leave Me", "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday", "I'm In The Mood For Love", "Whole Lot Of Loving", "Jambalaya", and more. LP, Vinyl record album