A much more rock-based album than some of Baker's other post-Cream work – but still with some nice grooves that appeal plenty to our ears! The weaker tracks on the album are sort of in a quirky rock mode – but the better ones feature some snapping percussion from Baker and the group, and some nice Afro-styled touches that recall the best Air Force sounds. Titles include "Pampero", "N'Kon Kini N'Kon N'Kon", "Don Dorango", "High Life", and "Don't Stop The Carnival". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

(Rock, Soul) CD

Nifty 2LP set that brings together a motherlode of the Impressions' best material from their ABC years – plus some of Jerry Butler's nice solo material for Mercury from the same time, and a few Curtis cuts from the early 70s. Too much to mention here, but titles include "Keep On Pushin", "Gypsy Woman", "Need To Belong To Someone", "Woman's Got Soul", "Amen", "You've Been Cheatin", "Mr. Dream Merchant", "We're A Winner", "Moody Woman", and "Only The Strong Survive". LP, Vinyl record album

Ha! This one really takes us back! The set was a massive breakthrough for August Darnell – one of his biggest hits since his day with Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, with an equally appealing approach to the dancefloor. Tracks mix early 80s New York club styles with Darnell's mad retro/exotic take on the world – coming out with a sound that's slightly hokey, but equally catchy! Includes the hits "Annie (I'm Not Your Daddy)", "I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby", and "Stool Pigeon" – plus the cuts "Imitation", "I'm Corrupt", "No Fish Today", and "Loving You Made A Fool Out Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

It takes a record like this one to remind us just what a magical crossover time the post-disco, post-punk days of the early 80s could be! Take two white guys from Denmark – Tim Stahl and John Guldberg – give them a drum machine and some funky beats, and out comes the breakdance classic "White Horse", which was one of the more sinister dancefloor numbers of its time. Sure, it's super-kitschy, but it hit pop-and-break crowd bigtime, and had kids from The Bronx to Bed-Stuy ripping up linoleum everywhere, and dragging it out into busy sidewalks where they could block off traffic! The other tracks on the album aren't as great, but ok electro pop – and titles include "Sunshine Reggae", "Elevator Boy", "Slowmotion Girl", and "Walking In The Sunshine". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet electro classic from Telex – one of those records that had the Euro trio years ahead of their time, and working with a sound that went onto influence a fair bit of American club, dance, and hip hop in the decade to come! The record is awash in all sorts of great electronics – maybe no surprise, given that the trio features earlier experimenters Marc Moulin and Dan Lacksman, both of whom work with Michel Moers to come up with a cool and groovy style that mixes keyboards, beats, and really playful lyrics – some of which are run through vocoders to really sound great! Titles include "Lakele", "Dance To The Music", "Euro Vision", "Realite", "Cliche", "Tour De France", "My Time", and "A/B". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal bit of pre-electro crossover – featuring the cold hard vocals of Alison Moyet, and also Vince Clark of Erasure. Some very tasty keyboard work! Includes the post-disco club smashes "Don't Go" and "Situation", plus "Goodbye Seventies", "Winter Kills", "Midnight", "In My Room", and "Bad Connection". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by The Tom Tom Club – a group that started out as a side project by Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz – but which went onto have a surprising life of its own! Like the Talking Heads at the start of the 80s, Tom Tom Club were very open to pulling together rhythms from the soulful underground – bits of Caribbean influence and certainly some sounds from hip hop too – but used in these cool sing-songy tunes that also had ties to the same New York underground scene that gave the world ESG and Liquid Liquid! Yet there's also a nicely complex set of textures, too – thanks to work on the record by Adrian Belew and Steve Stanley – both of whom can balance out funky elements and more interesting textures. The record took off immediately with the track "Genius Of Love" – inspired by hip hop, and respected by that scene too – as was the album's classic "Wordy Rappinghood". The whole thing's great – an excellent document of the moment, but more timeless too – and other titles include "L'Elephant", "As Above So Below", "On On On On", "Lorelei", and "Booming & Zooming". LP, Vinyl record album

(Rock, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

(Rock, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

(Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Ice T's cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic. (Hip Hop, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

Brilliant work from one of the most unsung talents of the disco age – arranger Bebu Silvetti, the man with the magical strings! Silvetti's few albums of the time really shine in a style that should otherwise flop – blending together just the right mix of Barry White-inspired strings, keyboards, funky rhythms, and chorus vocals – into a swirling blend that was at the top of the Euro disco sound all the way! Titles on this gem include "Sky Lab", "Love Secrets", "Velvet Hands", "Sun After The Rain", and "One Note Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by the Tom Tom Club – showing this Talking Heads spinoff project as way more than a fluke! The sound here is similar to the first – a sing-song blend of rhythms that's got one foot in the island and one in the street, peppered with a quirky approach overall that makes for some very nice tunes. Wally Badarou gets in some nice work on the album, and tracks include "Pleasure Of Love", "Never Took A Penny", "On The Line Again", "This Is A Foxy World", and "The Man With The 4 Way Hips". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent compilation of rare southern soul tracks, put together by Peter Guaralnick to accompany his book of the same name. The selection's great, and the album features many many tracks from small labels from Memphis and other points south. Titles include "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road" by Percy Sledge, "Rainbow Road" by Arthur Alexander, "Crying In the Streets" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "I Paid For The Party" by The Enchanters, "Losing Boy" by Eddie Giles, "Hold On" by James Carr, and lots more that you'll only ever find on original 45s! CD

A groundbreaking bit of work from Telex – the Belgian trio that features earlier electronic experimentalists Marc Moulin and Dan Lacksman – both artists who really refine their sound for a groovier, clubbier style that really takes off! At a time when most UK electronic outfits were still pretty cold and experimental, Telex had a more upbeat, catchy sort of approach – yet one that also was filled with all the sorts of cool twists and turns you might also find in Japanese work of the time, especially music from YMO – another trio who might be a good comparison to these guys! The set includes their classic "Moskow Diskow" – plus "Cafe De La Jungle", "Some Day Un Jour", "Victime De La Societe", "Twist A Saint Tropez", and a nice remake of "Ca Plane Pour Moi". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Badass work from Martha Velez – a rock singer at the core, but one with some plenty soulful touches! The album's a UK effort with help from a host of top-shelf talents at the time – but the groove is pretty gritty, and almost has that key rock/funk crossover mode that female singers were hitting in the US – a somewhat colorblind groove that often worked better for a singer like Velez than it did for male vocalists trying for a similar groove. Drums are nice and heavy on some cuts, and the album sports organ from Brian Auger, guitar from Eric Clapton, and heavy bass from Jack Bruce. Titles include "Swamp Man", "I'm Gonna Leave You", "Drive Me Daddy", "Feel So Bad", "Tell Mama", "Very Good Fandango", "A Fool For You", and "Come Here Sweet Man". (Rock, Soul) CD

One of the more new wave-oriented moments from Ava Cherry – a singer we know best from her solo work in soul, but who also has a pretty strong pedigree on the rock side of the spectrum as well! The instrumentation is heavy on keyboards – played by Mark Isham, in a way that sometimes echoes his best soundtrack work of the decade, but more focused too – at a level that brings a deeper sound to the music than you might expect! Tunes are upbeat and catchy, yet trying for a bit of an edge at times – and Ava serves up the lyrics with a subtle sense of drama in her voice. Titles include "Fast Lover", "Love To Be Touched", "Techno Love", "Having Been Far", "I Guess It's Love", "Awkward Situation", and "Streetcar Named Desire". CD features two bonus tracks – 12" remixes of "Awkward Situation" and "Streetcar Named Desire". CD

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Starve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". CD

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Starve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Starve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great soul albums on the Westbound label – the Detroit funk powerhouse known for famous records by Funkadelic, The Counts, and the Detroit Emeralds! Eramus Hall have a vague P-Funk connection – and according to legend, the band were given their name by George Clinton, who had seen a building in Chicago named Eramus Hall – but the sound is a lot smoother than any of the P-Funk projects of the time, and the group's strongest point is their smooth soul groove, augmented by a tight jazz funk style on the best cuts. In a way, they're sort of like a morphed version of late Parliament – with a funk sound that's nicely compressed, but still a lot more true than any of the countless other bands on the market who were aping P-Funk at the time. Highlights include the groovers "Your Love Is My Desire" and "She Shined A Light", both with nice sample moments – and other tracks include "Stuck In The Mudd", "Funk Permit", and "Think Positively". CD

One of the last great soul albums on the Westbound label – the Detroit funk powerhouse known for famous records by Funkadelic, The Counts, and the Detroit Emeralds! Eramus Hall have a vague P-Funk connection – and according to legend, the band were given their name by George Clinton, who had seen a building in Chicago named Eramus Hall – but the sound is a lot smoother than any of the P-Funk projects of the time, and the group's strongest point is their smooth soul groove, augmented by a tight jazz funk style on the best cuts. In a way, they're sort of like a morphed version of late Parliament – with a funk sound that's nicely compressed, but still a lot more true than any of the countless other bands on the market who were aping P-Funk at the time. Highlights include the groovers "Your Love Is My Desire" and "She Shined A Light", both with nice sample moments – and other tracks include "Stuck In The Mudd", "Funk Permit", and "Think Positively". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete solo Capitol singles and Motown recordings by Patrice Holloway – the latter of which are seeing light of day for the first time ever! Patrice has a wonderful voice and tje material throughout this set, both mid 60s Capitol numbers and the sadly overlooked Motown recordings, is top notch and hit worthy to say the least. Patrice may be overshadowed by her sister Brenda, but the little we've been lucky enough to hear over the years suggested that she was just a twist of fate away from stardom – and this excellent set certainly confirms that! 25 tracks in all: "Stolen Hours", "Lucky, My Boy", "Evidence", "Black Mother Goose", "For The Love Of Mike", "Stevie", "Come Into My Place" (Brenda & Patrice Holloway), "All That's Good", "Love Walked Right In", "Crying", "Face In The Crowd", "(He Is) The Boy Of My Dreams", "The Go Gang" and more. CD

Very cool grooves from Tony Palkovic – an artist who's kind of a one man soul band in himself – playing keyboards and guitar over drum machine riffs – on these tracks that are laidback, soulful, and instrumental – almost serving up a smoother take on the territory of 80s electro soul! All the elements gel together beautifully – nothing's too forced, or ever stiff – and Tony clearly likes to find a groove in the studio, then spin it out with just a few key elements – which almost seems to underscore the quality of the songs even more. Titles include "Day To Day", "Hoping For A Better World", "Born With A Desire", "Breath Of Sound", "Electric Heart", and "Better Than Before". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool grooves from Tony Palkovic – an artist who's kind of a one man soul band in himself – playing keyboards and guitar over drum machine riffs – on these tracks that are laidback, soulful, and instrumental – almost serving up a smoother take on the territory of 80s electro soul! All the elements gel together beautifully – nothing's too forced, or ever stiff – and Tony clearly likes to find a groove in the studio, then spin it out with just a few key elements – which almost seems to underscore the quality of the songs even more. Titles include "Day To Day", "Hoping For A Better World", "Born With A Desire", "Breath Of Sound", "Electric Heart", and "Better Than Before". LP, Vinyl record album

A really massive package – one that features six full albums from Starpoint, plus 34 bonus tracks as well! The group began as a more conventional funk outfit, but by the time of these records, they'd really found a sound that was strongly their own – a way of taking older ensemble modes forward to the 80s generation, yet without losing any of the warmth and beating heart that made them so great in the first place! There's so many different elements that come into play that make these records great – including key lead vocal performances from Renee Diggs, and well-crafted production that kept things fresh from record to record. The package features loads of classics amidst the full albums within – including the cuts "It's So Delicious", "Don't Be So Serious", "Breakout", "Am I Still The One", "Let Go", "Restless", "Object Of My Desire", "He Wants My Body", "DYBO", "Another Night", "Touch Of Your Love", "Say You Will", "I Want You You Want Me", "Midnight Love", and "One Step Closer To Your Love" – and each album is expanded with bonus tracks that include all the rare single mixes issued at the time. CD

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Starve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". CD

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Starve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit late in the game for Rene & Angela, though they're still pumping out some classic 80s groove numbers, with Angela Winbush's flair for great songs. There's a few numbers here that are moving a bit too far into the commercial radio slow jam territory for our tastes, but there's a couple of nice sleepers too. Includes "Save Your Love (For #1)", "I'll Be Good", "No How-No Way", "You Don't Have To Cry", "Street Called Desire", "Your Smile", 'Who's Foolin' Who" and "Drive My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of solo albums from Phillip Bailey – presented here with bonus material too! First up is Continuation – an 80s soul classic from Philip Bailey – stepping out here from Earth Wind & Fire in a set that has him sparkling strongly as a solo act! The vocals still have that trademark Bailey sound – a wonderful range that's never overdone, and which seems to shine especially well on the mellow and midtempo tunes in the set! Production is by George Duke, who does a lot to preserve the jazzier warmth of Bailey's previous settings – and although there's a bit more crossover potential here, the sound is still never too commercial or aimed at the charts. Titles include "It's Our Time", "Trapped", "I Know", "I'm Waitin For Your Love", "Desire", "The Good Guy's Supposed To Get The Girls", and "Your Boyfriend's Back". Next is Chinese Wall – a big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – in ways that push the Kalimba aesthetic even more into mainstream modes. Yet the album's still got some solid soul grounding, too – thanks to arrangements by Tom Tom and Arif Mardin – which is a nice contrast to the production by Phil Collins, who also guests on the hit "Easy Lover". Other cuts include "Time Is A Woman", "Go", "Walking On The Chinese Wall", "Photogenic Memory", "I Go Crazy", and "Children Of The Ghetto". Last is Inside Out – a set that has Philip Bailey working with Nile Rodgers, who gives him a lean, clean sound that works perfectly with his vocals! The sound is a nice change from the direction Bailey was heading in previously – a return to the focused soul of the later Earth Wind & Fire years, with his amazing lead opening up in ways that few other singers can match. Tunes are pretty well-penned too – catchy, but never cloyingly commercial – and titles include "State Of The Heart", "Welcome To The Club", "Special Effect", "Because Of You", "Take This With You", "The Day Will Come", "Back It Up", and "Echo My Heart". 3CD set features nice bonus material – "I Know (ext dance mix)", "Love Is Alive", "Easy Lover (with Phil Collins)", "Walking On The Chinese Wall (single)", "State Of The Heart (dub mix)", "Twins (with Little Richard)", "Twins (club mix)", and "Easy Lover (ext dance mix)". CD

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long". CD

A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's not funky, but James' vocals are plenty darn soulful – and the album is proof that he could be a huge talent in just about any mode that he chose – shining with a brilliance that was irrepressible! James covers a few of his older tracks on the album, and sings a few other pop standards – and titles include nice versions of "It's Magic", "The Man In The Glass", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "That's My Desire", and "I Need Your Key (To Turn Me On)". LP, Vinyl record album

A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's not funky, but James' vocals are plenty darn soulful – and the album is proof that he could be a huge talent in just about any mode that he chose – shining with a brilliance that was irrepressible! James covers a few of his older tracks on the album, and sings a few other pop standards – and titles include nice versions of "It's Magic", "The Man In The Glass", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "That's My Desire", and "I Need Your Key (To Turn Me On)". CD features the previously unissued bonus track "There Was A Time" – plus the full, unedited versions of 4 other tracks – appearing here for the first time ever! CD

Fantastic work by Chicago Iceman soulster Jerry Butler! Jerry's moving past the harmony formula of his earlier years with The Impressions, into a sophisticated style that would forever change the sound of male vocal soul. Jerry's a wonder with this material – delivering heartfelt tearjerkers in a mature style that had hardly ever been explored in the R&B market, yet still swinging with a good raw quality wherever the nature of the material called for it. Titles include "How Beautifully You Lie", "Such A Feeling", "Isle Of Sirens", "You Can Run But You Can't Hide", "Make It Easy On Yourself", "Message To Martha", "You Can Run (But You Can't Hide)", "Giving Up On Love", and "Whatever You Want". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique record, and one with a very unusual pedigree – as the group features key members of some acts from the Ivory Coast in the late 70s, mixed with various Motown session players in the studio – all in a way that offers up a completely different take on Cali soul from the time! The African artists contribute a lot of vocals and work on kora that's especially beautiful – and the other players are led by Gregg Middleton on bass, who also does all the arrangements – and the combo features Ernie Fields on saxes, Nolan Smith on trumpet, and Fred Wesley on trombone! Every song has a nicely different flavor – and titles include "Fasso", "Sing A Happy Song", "Desire", "I Love All", and "Mogofindeou Sopeunte". (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of harmony soul – easily one of the best you could ever hope to find! The Four Mints were an obscure group, but they sound really wonderful here – just as great as some of the bigger proponents of the genre in the early 70s – with an especially great talent for heartbreaking ballads! The album was the only one ever issued by the tiny Capsoul label – probably best known for their volume in Numero's Eccentric Soul series – and it features all of the group's singles for the label, plus one rare track – all wrapped up in a beautiful little cover. The sound is wonderful – a must-have set for any fan of group soul from the 70s – and titles include "You're My Desire", "In A Rut", "Row My Boat", "Why Did I Go", "Do You Really Love Me", and "Keep On Loving You". Plus, the CD also features 3 bonus tracks – rehearsal takes of "Too Far Gone" and "In A Rut", plus an instrumental of "In A Rut". CD