Great later work by Isaac Hayes – working here in a post-Stax, post-ABC mode that has him forging a smooth soul sound that's really great! The Polydor years saw Ike extending the baroque style that he started on earlier work – taking it into a modern soul vein with strings, keyboards, and smooth production that had a lot of Philly soul touches. This 12 track set features some of Ike's best from the years – including winners like "Moonlight Lovin/Menage A Trois", "Out Of The Ghetto", "Lifetime Thing", "It's Heaven To Me", "Zeke The Freak", "Wherever You Are", "You Can't Hold Your Woman", "A Few More Kisses To Go", and "What Does It Take". CD

What can we say? This is one of the greatest soul soundtracks ever! In a market that was dominated by the big-selling Shaft and Superfly albums, Roy slipped in this masterful blend of jazzy vibes and wah wah funk that's easily one of the best-composed records of the blacksploitation genre! The album's much more unified than your average funky soundtrack – and each track moves between styles that you'd hear on any of Roy's great albums from the time. There's heavy funk on the track "Brawling Broads", cool vibes and electric piano on "Aragon", off-beat jazz on "Coffy Sauna", and great soul on cuts like "Coffy Is The Color" and "Coffy Baby". Wonderful all the way through – and another jewel in the already-big crown of the great Roy Ayers! CD

Stellar sounds from the great Roy Ayers – an early 80s album for Polydor, but a set that's still got the wonderfully tight, wonderfully groovy feel of his late 70s albums for the label! Roy's really perfected his sense of balance by this time – and does a great job of balancing groovers with sweet mellow steppers – the kind of cool, compressed, jazzy numbers that we love so much! Ayers heads for the clubs one minute, the bedroom the next – and draws us in beautifully whichever direction he takes – thanks to some sublime vibes and electric piano – and great lead vocals from Roy, and other singers who include Terri Wells, Vivian Prince, John King, and Ricky Williams. Titles include "Ooh", "Let's Stay Together", "Feeling Good""Knock Knock", "Turn Me Loose", "Stairway To The Stars", and "Our Time Is Coming". CD

A great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, which means lots of fresh material – and which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time! The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album. Other cuts include "I Wanna Feel It", "Leo", "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", and "Simple & Sweet" – all nice too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Roy Ayers albums of all time – and an overlooked gem from Roy's late 70s years at Polydor! This set's a bit more laidback and less clubby than some other Ayers work of the period – which means it's got this wonderful jazzy groove throughout – a sweet mix of midtempo modern soul and the vibes-based style that Roy kept on perfecting at the time. Tracks are longer than usual, and they really open up in a way that fits the title – slinky and seductive, but never soppy or commercial at all – that really special blend of warmth and wisdom that's always made Roy Ayers so great. Titles include the sublime title track "Love Fantasy", which begins with Roy chatting up some girl in the intro, then sliding into a nice smooth jazz funk tip on the chorus – plus the great cut "Sigh", a sweet little bubbling number with a wonderfully breathy quality! Other titles include "Believe In Yourself", "Betcha Gonna", "Baby Bubba", and "Rock Your Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

Doobie-doo doobie-doo! One of the catchiest Roy Ayers dancefloor tracks ever – a bassy bumping thumper that wonderfully skirts the line between clubby and funky! The track's got female vocals singing along with the hook – all in a mode that's quite similar to the most uptempo work by Ramp – and the tune may well be best known for it's famous sample use by Tribe Called Quest on their classic "Description Of A Fool"! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Not a classic from the early years of James Brown – but a later greatest hits package that's gone onto have legendary status – given all the key cuts it includes! Most numbers here are the shorter single versions – and together, they pack a hell of a punch – showing an especially strong focus on the best soul and funk years of the legendary Godfather Of Soul! Titles include "I Got You", "Sex Machine (part 1)", "I Got The Feelin", "Mother Popcorn (part 1)", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (part 1)", "Think", "Get Up Offa That Thing", "Hot Pants (part 1)", "Superbad (parts 1 & 2)", "Papa Don't Take No Mess (part 1)", "Payback", "Get On The Good Foot", and more! CD

James Brown gets even better than before – working here in the setting of a blacksploitation soundtracks – which makes the album a doubly funky outing from the 70s! James is a master throughout – beating Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield at their own games – as he works with super-tight work from the JBs, plus a bit of vocals from Lyn Collins – all in a massive batch of tracks that further expand his funky palette! Unlike other blacksploitation soundtracks, which usually have one or two key funky tunes, this one's almost entirely overflowing with gems – including Lyn Collins on a version of "Mama Feelgood" that's worth the price of the record alone! The whole thing's great, though – and titles include the classic "Down & Out in New York City", plus "Blind Man Can See It", "Sportin' Life", "The Boss", "Dirty Harri", and "Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

Here you go! Killer material from James' first version of The JBs – starring Bootsy Collins, Bobby Byrd, and Jabo Starks. Includes the 9 minute version of "Super Bad", an unreleased live version of "There Was A Time (I Got To Move)", the 12 minute version of "Soul Power", the 14 minute version of "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothin", the 10 minute version of "Sex Machine", and even a cool Public Service Announcement that has James rapping on Drug Abuse! Plus, there's some nice notes, with full session information and rare photos! CD

A really great double-length set from James Brown – maybe slightly less iconic than some of his other classics from the early 70s, but a record that really shows the man stretching out and finding his groove! The whole thing is a great example of the new freedoms that Brown was experiencing away from King Records – and the approach not only recreates the mix of funk and soul that you'd find on Hell, but also echoes some of the People Records style to come too – in part because there's a few tracks that have the vibe of a funky 45, and also because James lets the newly-revived Hank Ballard com in and do a 5 minute recitation about how great James has been to his career. Titles include the long numbers "Funky Side Of Town" and "Please Please" – plus "Your Love Was Good For Me", "The Whole World Needs Liberation", "Nothing Beats A Try But A Fail", "My Part/Make It Funky (parts 3 & 4)", "I Got A Bag Of My Own", "Dirty Harri", "Recitation by Hank Ballard", "Ain't It A Groove", "I Know It's True", "Get On The Good Foot (parts 1 & 2)", and "Cold Sweat", in a new arrangement by Dave Matthews! LP, Vinyl record album

Reissue of JB's wildest album, with a crazy cover that shows him running away from the devil, and great gatefold inner photo with him standing amidst a bunch of declarations of "Hell". The record was originally a double album filled with lots of different styles from James' funky bag. Nicer bits include "My Thang", "Hell", and "A Man Has To Go Back To The Crossroads" – but the real highlight is the epic 13 minute version of "Papa Don't Take No Mess", as tight and jamming as any cut from Doin' It to Death or The Payback! CD

JB's wildest album, with a crazy cover that shows him running away from the devil, and great gatefold inner photo with him standing amidst a bunch of declarations of "Hell". The record is a double album filled with lots of different styles from James' funky bag. Nicer bits include "My Thang", "Hell", and "A Man Has To Go Back To The Crossroads" – but the real highlight is the epic 13 minute version of "Papa Don't Take No Mess", as tight and jamming as any cut from Doin' It to Death or The Payback! LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from James Brown – and an unusual one, too – as it was only ever issued overseas back in the early 70s! The album's got a title that's similar to one of James' Christmas albums, but it's a completely different record – kind of a condensation of some of his best funky moments from the start of the 70s – with a track list that's overflowing with hard funk killers! A good number of the tracks here are two-parters – showing Brown and the group stretching out in the way that the JBs would take even further in years to come – working through "Make It Funky (parts 1 & 2)", "My Part/Make It Funky (parts 3 & 4)", "I'm A Greedy Man (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hey America (parts 1 & 2)". The set also features the socking classic "Soul Power" – plus "Let It Be Me", "I Cried", and a 1967 live Apollo version of "Kansas City" – plus takes on "Let It Be Me" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" that later had applause added on the Super Bad album. CD

A really fantastic album from James Brown – and an unusual one, too – as it was only ever issued overseas back in the early 70s! The album's got a title that's similar to one of James' Christmas albums, but it's a completely different record – kind of a condensation of some of his best funky moments from the start of the 70s – with a track list that's overflowing with hard funk killers! A good number of the tracks here are two-parters – showing Brown and the group stretching out in the way that the JBs would take even further in years to come – working through "Make It Funky (parts 1 & 2)", "My Part/Make It Funky (parts 3 & 4)", "I'm A Greedy Man (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hey America (parts 1 & 2)". The set also features the socking classic "Soul Power" – plus "Let It Be Me", "I Cried", and a 1967 live Apollo version of "Kansas City" – plus takes on "Let It Be Me" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" that later had applause added on the Super Bad album. LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown really opens up on this early 70s classic – really showing the world the amazing groove he was crafting with his band – who were let loose to jam in the studio, spinning out some really long grooves – which were then cut down to make this sweet little record! The title cut was a big single for James at the time, but it's presented here in its full 9 minute version – a monstrous jam that's equal to anything on the Payback record, or the JBs albums too – and the album also includes the long two-part take of "Escapism", and another funky gem – "Blues & Pants", which snaps along for a solid 9 minutes too! The album's filled with heavy funk, and the longer tracks allow for plenty of instrumental flourishes from Fred, Maceo, and the other JBs – and honestly, the record is more of a People Records session than a Polydor record from James. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum. CD

Massive – and one of the best James Brown compilations ever, filled with rare and unreleased material! This completely essential set features tracks pulled from James' best years ever – the mighty early 70s, when he was working with the JBs, and laying down tracks that would forever change the face of funk! The tunes on the album are right up there with the best work on classic albums like The Payback, Doin It To Death, Hot Pants, and any of the other killer Polydor funk albums by James – and most of them were pulled from sessions for those records, and brought together in this format for the first time in the late 80s. The centerpiece of the set is a 9 minute version of "Funky Drummer", and other highlights include new versions of "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose (remix)", "Soul Power (mono re-edit)", and "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothin (remix)". The set's also got bonus beats of "Funky Drummer", a long single take of "Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)" (8:42 minutes long!), and the nice rare track "I Got To Move" – previously unreleased, and nice and long! Plus, this new version features the previously unissued extended mix of "Blind Man Can See It". CD

Uptempo funky James from the end of the 70s – aimed at the discos, but with that funky sound of earlier days still pretty much in place! In other words, there's plenty of funky instrumentation in the cuts – a bit faster than in earlier years, but still quite nice – plus occasional flourishes of strings, to give the cuts a bit more of a disco approach. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rare lost treasure from James Brown – the full, unedited version of a live concert that was cut up and butchered for the Sex Machine album – presented here for the first time ever, with a huge amount of never-issued tunes! Sex Machine was one of those "fake" concert albums from James – some original live recordings, other studio tracks tricked out – and put together in a way that never really made much sense. This set is something completely different altogether – a James Brown concert from start to finish, complete with some wickedly sharp patter from the stage – and long tunes that really show his group hitting on all burners! The lineup of musicians include three drummers at once – Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Stars, and Melvin Parker – alongside Fred Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto, Jimmy Nolen on guitar, and Charles Sherrell on bass. James himself plays a bit of organ at instrumental moments – and tracks include the never-released "Lowdown Popcorn", "World", "Spinning Wheel", "Try Me", "I Got The Feelin/Lickin Stick Lickin Stick", and "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" – next to versions of "There Was A Time", "Say It Loud", "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing", "Mother Popcorn", and "I Can't Stand Myself". CD

A rare lost treasure from James Brown – the full, unedited version of a live concert that was cut up and butchered for the Sex Machine album – presented here for the first time ever, with a huge amount of never-issued tunes! Sex Machine was one of those "fake" concert albums from James – some original live recordings, other studio tracks tricked out – and put together in a way that never really made much sense. This set is something completely different altogether – a James Brown concert from start to finish, complete with some wickedly sharp patter from the stage – and long tunes that really show his group hitting on all burners! The lineup of musicians include three drummers at once – Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Stars, and Melvin Parker – alongside Fred Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto, Jimmy Nolen on guitar, and Charles Sherrell on bass. James himself plays a bit of organ at instrumental moments – and tracks include the never-released "Lowdown Popcorn", "World", "Spinning Wheel", "Try Me", "I Got The Feelin/Lickin Stick Lickin Stick", and "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" – next to versions of "There Was A Time", "Say It Loud", "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing", "Mother Popcorn", and "I Can't Stand Myself". LP, Vinyl record album

A soulful gem from reedman Daoud Abubakar Balewa – head of the Ambiance Fusion Ensemble, who cut a few really great albums back in the day! This set is definitely one of them – and it's got a unique approach that's rooted in spiritual jazz, but delivered with some fusion touches too – guitar, keyboards, and electric bass giving some of the tunes a bit of a groove – a bit like that shift that Oneness Of Juju made in the late 70s too! There's a really great female singer on a few tracks – who has this vibe that's a bit like Jean Carn singing on an early Doug Carn record, or maybe like female vocals on some of the Roy Ayers albums for Polydor – and the whole album is as soulful as it is groovy, with some nice cosmic touches throughout. Titles include a killer version of Walter Bishop's "Turnaround", plus the original numbers "Ebun", "Camouflage", "After June", "OFC", and "Bossa Monife". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic lost chapter in the career of genius soul/jazz/funk maestro Roy Ayers – a set that was only ever issued in the UK, and which is a great second part to his Lots Of Love album on the Uno Melodic label! This album features a few tracks from that gem, but in longer versions – mixed with other cuts that were never issued in the US at the time – all with that return to perfection that Roy found on Uno Melodic – which was his own label, and one of the few times in the 80s when he matched the brilliance of his 70s recordings on Polydor! Like those albums, the style here is tight and right in the pocket, but also full of meaning and message too – beautiful songs that are catchy, but far from commercial – funky, but never dance music in a conventional way. The set kicks off with a 7:20 minute version of "Chicago" – one of our favorite Roy Ayers songs ever, natch – and other cuts include "Smiling With Our Eyes", "Good Good Music", "Keep On Movin", "Silver Vibrations", "DC City", and "Lots Of Love". CD

A fantastic lost chapter in the career of genius soul/jazz/funk maestro Roy Ayers – a set that was only ever issued in the UK, and which is a great second part to his Lots Of Love album on the Uno Melodic label! This album features a few tracks from that gem, but in longer versions – mixed with other cuts that were never issued in the US at the time – all with that return to perfection that Roy found on Uno Melodic – which was his own label, and one of the few times in the 80s when he matched the brilliance of his 70s recordings on Polydor! Like those albums, the style here is tight and right in the pocket, but also full of meaning and message too – beautiful songs that are catchy, but far from commercial – funky, but never dance music in a conventional way. The set kicks off with a 7:20 minute version of "Chicago" – one of our favorite Roy Ayers songs ever, natch – and other cuts include "Smiling With Our Eyes", "Good Good Music", "Keep On Movin", "Silver Vibrations", "DC City", and "Lots Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

It's like a dream come true – 13 previously unissued recordings by Roy Ayers, all from the height of his glory years on Polydor! Roy's work from this time is some of our favorite ever – a burning blend of jazz, soul, and funk – handled with impeccable charm, and a level of soul that few other artists of the time ever matched. Roy's genius was strongly documented at the time by a series of excellent Polydor albums – but there was also a heck of a lot of great material that never saw the light of day, and which is every bit as great as the classics that we've come to know and love over the years. Hearing this set is incredible – like upping our already-massive appreciation of Roy's talents, and like finding a lost corner of soul music history that nobody's ever heard before. The tunes are all amazing – a great blend of jazzy soul, mellow soul, and dancefloor groovers – and the package is only the tip of the iceberg, from what we've been told! The full album does a great job to not cross over too much with the 12" singles previously issued in this "Virgin" series – and titles include "What's The T", "I Really Love You", "Sugar", "Mystery Of Love", "Green & Gold", "Brand New Feeling", "I Did It In Seattle", "I Just Wanna Give It Up", "Together Forever", "Boogie Down", "I Am Your Mind", and a great alternate version of "Mystic Voyage"! CD