Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Experience Unlimited, Little Benny & The Masters and Rare Essence get together on this posse cut with a message, from around the time that the capitol city's murder statistics were raging out of control. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the many Roger side projects recorded during the height of the Zapp era – an album of longer vocal tracks produced by Roger, and featuring singer Dick Smith, with backings by the usual suspects from the larger Zapp posse. 4 of the album's 6 songs are remakes of older hits, given a smooth slick 80s groove – and titles include "Tobacco Road", "Sunny", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Stay With Me Baby", and "Over & Over Again". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible full length album from The Spaniels – one that's mostly still in the group's older doo wop mode, but which also shows them picking up a bit of the Atlantic Records group sound of the early 60s! Many tracks make strong use of The Spaniels' classic vocal approach – especially the great lead vocals of Pookie Hudson – but there's also a number of tunes that change the rhythms up a bit, and seem to show the light influence of Latin and Brazilian rhythms that were showing up in east coast doo wop during the time, most notably in the work of The Drifters. The blend is really great – and makes the record far more than just a straight set of doo wop from Chicago – and instead, the record's a great precursor of Chi-town group soul to come from The Impressions and others – a 60s legacy from which The Spaniels were sadly excluded! Titles include "I Know", "Bus Fare Home", "Heart & Soul", "Crazy Baby", "Everyone's Laughing", "Little Joe", "The Posse", "I Lost You", "Baby Sweets", and "So Deep Within". LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the most amazing debut records of all time – not only the record that first exposed the world to Roberta Flack, but a set that heralded so many changes to come in the following decade! Flack's genius here is almost impossible to put into words – part jazz, part soul, and completely righteous from the very first note – possessed of a sense of pride and power that belie both her understated image on the front cover, and her relatively young age – and delivered with a timelessness that still makes the record as vital today as it was so many years back. The set features Flack playing piano and singing with her trio – sometimes augmented by larger arrangements by the very hip William S Fischer, but often in a setting that's very spare yet incredibly moving – instantly putting Roberta at the same level as Nina Simone, and maybe even past the territory of Aretha Franklin at the time. Titles include her seminal reading of "Compared To What" – an instant anthem for the time – plus the tracks "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Or Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the most amazing debut records of all time – not only the record that first exposed the world to Roberta Flack, but a set that heralded so many changes to come in the following decade! Flack's genius here is almost impossible to put into words – part jazz, part soul, and completely righteous from the very first note – possessed of a sense of pride and power that belie both her understated image on the front cover, and her relatively young age – and delivered with a timelessness that still makes the record as vital today as it was so many years back. The set features Flack playing piano and singing with her trio – sometimes augmented by larger arrangements by the very hip William S Fischer, but often in a setting that's very spare yet incredibly moving – instantly putting Roberta at the same level as Nina Simone, and maybe even past the territory of Aretha Franklin at the time. Titles include her seminal reading of "Compared To What" – an instant anthem for the time – plus the tracks "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Or Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking work from Laura Nyro – exactly the kind of record that sums up the unique genius in her music! The record's not folk, not pop, not soul, nor jazz vocals – but a new sort of style that draws a bit from all those genres, and comes up with a bold new approach that opened the door for countless other female singers in years to come. Despite the fame of the record, and many attempts to copy its genius over the years, Nyro is completely without cliche here – unique in her approach and presentation of the material, and as personally possessed as she is fragile and introspective. Arrangements are by Charlie Calello, and really get the spirit of the tunes right – and titles include "Luckie", "Lonely Women", "Emmie", "Timer", "Eli's Comin", "December's Boudouir", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Woman's Blues", and "Once It Was Alright Now". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Unabashed diva work from Linda Clifford – and a record that brings together the best midtempo soul of her earlier Curtom work, with the stronger, fuller disco groove that she was hitting as her career progressed! The album features some production work by Norman Harris and Curtis Mayfield – both of whom seem to bring out the best in Linda, especially Harris – who could work magic by adding a strong Harris Machine groove to just about any singer. The rest of the tracks feature production by Juergen Koppers – and titles include "King For A Night", "Bailin Out", "Repossessed", "Lonely Night", "Never Gonna Stop", "I Just Wanna", and "Here's My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work by one of the greatest lost soul bands of the late 60s! As the name would imply, Art and the group are a gospel outfit – but when they worked on Capitol, they got some great hip production that put them in an LA pop soul groove, similar to Friends of Distinction or other mixed vocal groups of the time. The tracks are not really so religious as they are spiritual, and the album's got a wonderfully progressive sound to it – very righteous, with none of the cliches you'd expect. These guys are a bit like the Staple Singers, but to our ears, they've got a style that's even fresher, and usually a lot tighter. Tracks include "My Possessions", "I've Made Up My Mind", "Go For What You Know", "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)", "Face The Day", and "Land Of Freedom". (Gospel, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Obscure disco work from Doris Jones – a good fit here for the upbeat arrangements of the tunes! Pip Williams handled most of the arrangements here – and all tracks were written and produced by Ian Levine – done in that sparkling style of some of his other US disco work of the late 70s. Titles include "No Way Out", "Possessed", "Time On My Hands", "Suddenly I'm Alive", and "Can't You See The Smile On My Face". LP, Vinyl record album