One of those funk classics that was a funk classic even back in the days when nobody was talking about funk classics! Ripple were an obscure little group of southern players, and although they later went onto cut a disco record for Salsoul, this first album is still their most enduring legacy. The record combines a sound that's a bit Meters, a bit Average White Band – with plenty of funky guitars, choppy riffs, and kine of a white boy soul vocal sound. Includes some stone classics – like "A Funky Song" and "I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky" – both of which were sampled more than a few times over the years – plus "Get Off", "Ripplin", "Willie Pass The Water", and "Dance Lady Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

A really rich second album from Ripple – a group who took awhile to return to the studio, but really developed a lot in the process! The combo started out as a straight funk act – but here, they really take off with a tight approach to their instrumentation – razor-sharp work on guitar, keyboards, bass, and percussion – soaring off into the clouds with energy that more than matches the image on the cover! Given their Atlanta roots, there's a vibe here that's a bit like some of the best Tommy Stewart material of the time – and Floyd Smith produces the group on the record, really finding a great way to blend everything together, but without ever losing an edge! Titles include the club classic "The Beat Goes On and On" – plus "Sons of The Gods", "Do What You Wanna Do", "Here I Stand", "Call Me Traveling Man", and "Victorious". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice stuff! After coming out of the box as a heavier funk outfit in the early 70s, Ripple changed their tune for the disco years – stretching their groove into a warm clubby sound that's stayed classic for years and years! "Beat Goes On & On" is one of their greatest cuts from this time – a strident groover that had a big influence on the house scene in Chicago! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tremendous little record from a time when whole new ideas of righteous pride and power were hitting the record racks – a moment that's perfectly summed up in a treasure like this! Poet Nikki Giovanni had already gotten some acclaim for her words on paper – and here, the message of her writing is blended with stunning work from the New York Community Choir – a very hip gospel group with lots of secular elements in their rhythms and arrangements – handled here wonderfully by director Benny Diggs. Nikki speaks her own words in between sung passages by the group – for a set that's got a very deep spirit, and strong secular appeal too. Titles include "Conversation", "Prison Poem", "Mothers", "Straight Talk", and the great "Scrapbook", set to Duke Pearson's "Christo Redentor". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful set of old school funk & soul put together by DJ Andy Smith – who also worked some magic a few years back for the BGP label on the Northern Soul tip – this time out doing his thing with prime funk from the late 60s & early 70s! Smith does a excellent job of mixing sample classics that helped build golden age hip hop, many deeper tracks – funk nuggets from The Blackbyrds, Billy Garner, Funk Inc, Spanky Wilson and many more! Vinyl version is not a continous mix like the CD – and works as a straight up, excellent funky compilation. Titles include "Cracklin' Bread" by Dave Hamilton, "It's My Thing"by Betty Moorer, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Ripple, "I Got Some" by Billy Garner", "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Of Broadway, "Skunk Juice" by Pazant Brothers, "I'm A Good Woman" by The Generation", "Tighten Up" by Roosevelt Matthews and more. 24 tracks on 2LPs. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from one of the less-discovered scenes in the south – the hotbed of small labels that were making some mighty great grooves in Atlanta during the 70s! The Peachtree city isn't nearly as well-cited as a soul music source in comparison to places like Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even Miami – but back in the mid 70s, there was something really special going on – and for a strong moment, a few different labels really gave the city some great music! Much of the work here represents the changing character of Atlanta itself – deep soul vocals that were forged in a longer southern tradition, mixed with well-crafted grooves that show all the modern elements coming into play as the city grew and matured. Most of this work has a pre-disco vibe – with rhythms that are similar to the early work of Fatback or Kool & The Gang – with the difference that the singers in the lead are all pretty darn great on their own. BGP did an excellent job of choosing the tracks for the set, and the notes, as always, are great – and the package features 22 titles that include "Let's Dance" by Family Plann, "Seeds Of Life" by East LA Car Pool, "Down At The Disco" by Maggabrain, "Ain't It Funky" by Johnny Jacobs, "The Bump" by Floyd Smith, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Archie Russell, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Ripple, "Funk Pump" by The Counts, "Claim Jumpin" by Bill Brandon, "Checkmate" by The Ebony Godfather, "Shouldn't I Be Given The Right To Be Wrong" by Joe Hinton, "Husband In Law" by CL Blast, "Only A Fool" by Loleatta Holloway, "When I Build My World" by Jimmy Lewis, and "Complain To The Clouds" by Deep Velvet. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Music by Leroy Hutson, Terry Callier, the Meters, Logg, Chain Reaction, the Futures, Skull Snaps, Ripple, Funkadelic, Bobby Byrd, and others – 30 tracks total. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A masterful set of old school funk & soul put together by DJ Andy Smith – who also worked some magic a few years back for the BGP label on the Northern Soul tip – this time out doing his thing with prime funk from the late 60s & early 70s! Smith does a excellent job of mixing sample classics that helped build golden age hip hop, and many deeper tracks – funk nuggets from The Blackbyrds, Billy Garner, Funk Inc, Spanky Wilson and others! The CD version is a continuous mix, with some scratches and nods to the hip hop era – and it's a great one! Titles include "Cracklin' Bread" by Dave Hamilton, "It's My Thing"by Betty Moorer, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Ripple, "I Got Some" by Billy Garner", "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Of Broadway, "Skunk Juice" by Pazant Brothers, "I'm A Good Woman" by The Generation", "Tighten Up" by Roosevelt Matthews and more. 24 tracks in all. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

OV Wright at the end of the 70s – working live in front of a very enthusiastic Japanese crowd, and in a groove that's right up their with his best work from earlier in the decade! In fact, there's a rawness here that you won't always find on Wright's other records – great live backing from a cool combo of American players, really rich in Memphis soul elements – and served up with funky touches that really work wonders with OV's presentation of the music. So instead of being a throw-off record for the overseas market, the set's instead a key piece of Wright's catalog at the time – seminal work that really stands strongly next to his studio classics. Titles include "Precious Precious", "I'd Rather Be Blind Crippled & Crazy", "Love & Happiness", "Eight Men & Four Women", "Into Something", and a great long "Medley" track. CD