One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funky records to come! The set marked a key moment when energy from the funky 45 underground of 7" singles was able to step forward into the space of a full LP – yet all without losing any of the intensity of the smaller format at all – with an all-killer, no-filler approach that makes the whole thing burn all the way through! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced to perfection by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn in their classic 60s New Orleans style. A blinding masterpiece of bass, drums, and scratchy guitar – with tracks that include "Cardova", "Cissy Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "6V6 La", and "Live Wire". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner from Fela – a record that really leaps right into the groove right from the very first note – then never lets up at all! Igo Chiko provides some fantastic tenor sax solos on the tunes – and both Tunde Williams and Eddie Faychum serve up some killer trumpet – while the rest of the group moves at amazing speed, driven on by the legendary drums of Tony Allen! Fela handles a bit of keyboards, with a really cool, moody sound alongside the groove – and the whole thing was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, which might have been a surprising change from some of the more staid material in the halls of EMI. Titles include "Alu Jon Jonki Jon", "Jeu Ko Ku", and "Eko Ile". (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice of New Orleans soul from the 70s – a record that replicates the "Indian" culture in the Mardi Gras scene – and which is most notable for featuring work by The Meters as well! The groove here is kind of Meters-styled funk, mixed with some fuller New Orleans mode – as the core Wild Tchoupitoulas group get a nice kick at the core – which makes their lyrics and calls come off even better than in a live setting! The album also gets kickass production from Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn – and is one of the crowning funk jewels in Toussaint's crown for the 70s. Tracks include "Brother John", "Indian Red", "Hey Hey", "Hey Mama", "Meet De Boys On The Battlefront", and a version of "Hey Pocky Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work by The El Dorados – a solid smoking vocal group from 50s Chicago, with a sound that was a key influence on 60s soul! The set brings together a number of the group's classic Vee Jay recordings – but it also goes way past the traditional "best of" styled set, in that it features some unusual numbers too, plus a few unreleased tracks! As with all Solid Smoke albums, the production's incredible – with great notes and sound quality. Titles include "I Began To Realize", "A Rose For My Darling", "Lord Knows I Tried", "Rock N Roll's For Me", "It's No Wonder", "One More Chance", "3 Reasons Why", "A Fallen Tear", "Love Of My Own", and "Bim Bam Boom". LP, Vinyl record album

The very first solo album from Chaka Khan – recorded after a great 70s run in Rufus, and an instant-classic that showed the world that she might be an even more amazing artist on her own! All those fantastic vocals from the previous albums with Rufus seem to get even more center stage action here – set up with these superb arrangements from Arif Mardin, who does the same thing for Chaka that he'd done for Aretha Franklin a decade before – pushing her immediately into the role of superstardom, but in a way that's doesn't sacrifice her art at all – and which in fact may well make it even better! Titles include the long-running classic "I'm Every Woman" – but we love even more the incredible "Love Has Fallen On Me" – a funky gem that seems to evoke the Chess/Cadet scene that was in Chicago during Chaka's early years – next to other great tunes that include "I Was Made To Love Him", "Sleep On It", "We Got The Love", "Life Is A Dance", and "Sleep On It". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic debut of The Pointer Sisters – an album that's a lot deeper than most of their crossover pop from years to come! At the time of the album's release, the trio were a badass group of female singers on the Bay Area scene – out to redefine the role of the girl group in soul – working not only with righteous power that was a real change from modes of the 60s – but also this trans-temporal quality that had them reaching back with ease for references from decades past, which also includes a surprising amount of jazz! The highlight here is the group's classic funky break version of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" – and other titles include "Naked Food", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Sugar", "Pains & Tears", "Jada", "River Boulevard", and "Cloudburst". LP, Vinyl record album

The very first solo album from Chaka Khan – recorded after a great 70s run in Rufus, and an instant-classic that showed the world that she might be an even more amazing artist on her own! All those fantastic vocals from the previous albums with Rufus seem to get even more center stage action here – set up with these superb arrangements from Arif Mardin, who does the same thing for Chaka that he'd done for Aretha Franklin a decade before – pushing her immediately into the role of superstardom, but in a way that's doesn't sacrifice her art at all – and which in fact may well make it even better! Titles include the long-running classic "I'm Every Woman" – but we love even more the incredible "Love Has Fallen On Me" – a funky gem that seems to evoke the Chess/Cadet scene that was in Chicago during Chaka's early years – next to other great tunes that include "I Was Made To Love Him", "Sleep On It", "We Got The Love", "Life Is A Dance", and "Sleep On It". LP, Vinyl record album

A great secular set from Keith Barrow – a singer who started in gospel, but who's always been best-remembered for this modern soul gem from the 70s! Keith's got a great range to his vocals – one you can hear right from the start, as he dips and soars effortlessly with a quality that's clearly inspired by the spirit – but set here to some wicked smooth soul arrangements from Johnny Allen. The album's got a mix of clubby moments and some even better laidback cuts – and the set also features a few tunes penned by Ronn Matlock, an under-credited master of modern soul. Titles include "Turn Me Up", "Physical Attraction", "You Know You Want To Be Loved", "If It's Love That You're Looking For", "Garden Of Love", and "Free To Be Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep soul take on the sound of Christmas – served up here in a range of classic Holiday cuts from the legendary Stax Records! The set's nicely different than the previous Stax Christmas set, and features some tunes from later in the label's run – some of those cool singles that they continued to issue for the 12th month of the year, at a label that maybe had them matching Motown as one of the few soul labels really dedicated to putting out a Holiday tune! The package includes a previously-unissued alternate mix of "Merry Christmas Baby" by Otis Redding", and a version of "Blue Christmas" by Carla Thomas" – plus the tracks "Season's Greetings" by Cix Bits, "I'll Be Your Santa Baby" by Rufus Thomas, "Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas" by The Staple Singers, "Winter Wonderland (take 2)" by Booker T & The Mgs, "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin" by Albert King, "That Makes Christmas Day" by Rufus & Carla Thomas, "White Christmas" by Rance Allen Group, "The Mistletoe & Me" by Isaac Hayes, "It's Christmas Time Again" by The Temprees, and "What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas" by The Emotions. (Holiday Music, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic group harmony from The Marcels – a group who scored big with the title track of this solid set, but who also have plenty more to offer! The quintet have a style of vocal interplay that was one of the most dynamic of the time – not gimmicky, but really always in search of new combinations, new inventions, and new ways of getting a lyric across – as you'll know from the hit. But they've also got a soulful cohesiveness that's really underscored by the album's great Bert Keyes arrangements – not entirely an Atlantic Records mode, but not far off either. Titles include the classic "Blue Moon", plus "Most Of All", "Teeter Totter Love", "Crazy Bells", "A Fallen Tear", "Goodbye To Love", and "Sweet Was The Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from Michael Orr – a singer you might know from his secular work in the duo of Harris & Orr – and who still sounds incredible here in a more spiritual-styled set from the start of the 80s! As with Michael's earlier music, there's a cool, cosmic vibe going on in the instrumentation – jazzy keyboard inflections and a great spacey soul conception that's quite unusual for most records of this vintage, much less the gospel setting that Orr's working in here on the Birthright label! Yet as with the hippest gospel records of the time, the religion is delivered more in a sense of universal spirit – at a level that's more on par with some of the more spiritual jazz and soul releases of the time – a mode that Orr worked in before on his previous albums. Michael plays a fair bit of Fender Rhodes on the record, and sings deeply too – and the vibe here is a lot like the best modern soul moments from Rance Allen and DJ Rogers. Titles include "Love Will Rise", "Hear The Message", "This Is A Blessing", "Spread Love", "Come Live In My Heart", and "I Don't Know You". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from New Orleans soul legend Allen Toussaint – and a set that may well be his funkiest album ever! The set features 12 tracks from the early 70s – a time when Toussaint was mixing a bit of funk into the heavy soul mix that he'd had from his early days in the Crescent City scene – coming up with a blend that's even darker, and more powerful than all his famous production and projects of the 60s! And while some of Allen's later work tended towards cliche, this record captures him right at that perfect point when all of this was totally fresh – delivered with a razor-sharp edge, and with great instrumental help from New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, Zig Modeliste, and George Porter Jr – all of whom make the album groove harder than most of the other soul albums on Warner at the time. Titles include "Soul Sister", "Victims Of The Darkness", "Am I Expecting Too Much", "Out Of The City", "Goin Down", "Electricity", "Fingers & Toes", and "On Your Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Two killers from the glory days of Afro Funk! Side one features the title cut "Excuse O" – a tune that begins with some of the most complicated rhythms Tony Allen had given the group to date – a skittish groove that has the electric piano jumping eagerly, driven onward by horns – while the tune moves into a crescendo after Fela's tremendous tenor solo in the middle! "Mr Grammarticalogy" is on the flipside, and is an equally unique groove – one that builds more slowly, and almost dubbily – really letting the bassline set the tone before an incredibly soulful saxophone solo sets the tone for Fela to then deliver a powerful message on Education. (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The Supremes pay tribute to their fallen hero, Sam Cooke, with a nice set of tracks that includes "You Send Me", "Havin' A Party", "Wonderful World", "Nothing Can Change This Love", and "Cupid". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best later albums by Chocolate Milk – a bit different than their earlier work with Allen Toussaint, but still bouncing along in a sweet 80s groove, with more than enough traces of their roots as a funky combo! Leo Nocentelli's sitting in on guitar, adding some nice licks to keep some tracks a bit more firmly grounded in a New Orleans funk tradition, alongside some more modern production touches – and the album's got a compelling vibe that's partly pointed towards the boogie generation of the 80s, but with a heavier funk component overall! Titles include "Let's Go All The Way", "Like My Lady's Love", "Honey Bun", "Running On Empty", "Blue Jeans", and a version of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover image here really demonstrates the charisma of Fela at his height – dozens of topless women, kneeling around the maestro and spelling out the number 70 – but to us, the music is what really shows the man's power – a bold, progressive statement of the new energy bubbling up on the African scene – served up here on two amazing side-long tracks! Tony Allen is at the head of the Africa 70 – and his rhythms are already incredibly complex, but always right on the money – mixed with heavy tenor from Igo Chico, great electric piano lines, and a fiercely collaborative sense of energy that makes every move of the entire group come together as one. Titles include "Lady" and "Sakara Oloje" – both completely sublime! (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Roy Ayers in a very Afro-styled mode – working here on his own after a famous collaboration with Fela Kuti – in a set that's filled with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style – but the overall influence is very much in the Afro-Funk vein, and the album's sort of a "part 2" to the Music Of Many Colors set that was cut a few years before. William Allen worked on the record with Roy – playing choppy Afro-Funk bass, and arranging and producing a lot of the material with Roy and Jaymz Bedford – and the record also features a host of extra percussion players, as well as some vocals by the lovely Sylvia Striplin. Includes the great groover "Africa, Center Of The World", plus "The River Niger", and a great remake of "Third Eye", which was on Everybody Loves The Sunshine, but is redone here with a heavier sound! Other tracks include "There's A Masterplan", "I'll Just Keep Trying", and "Destination Motherland". LP, Vinyl record album

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the same time. The band are as tight as they ever were – and they're rolling like a non-stop locomotive with a horn-heavy groove on classics like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging", while also showing hints of their strong mellow future on the cut "Wild & Peaceful". The album also includes the massive two part jammer "Funky Stuff" and "More Funky Stuff", plus "This Is You, This Is Me" and "Life Is What You Make It". LP, Vinyl record album