A wonderful chapter in the career of Ray Charles – and a key album in helping raise his respect level a notch or two in the early 60s! We might argue with the mathematics in the title – or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton – but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns handled the arrangements, and given that the record was issued by ABC a few years before they brought Ray into a country mode, it's interesting to think what might have happened had his career continued this way. There's only a small number of vocal tracks on the record, and most of the rest feature Ray at the organ, grooving away very nicely! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Moanin", "I've Got News For You", "Mister C", and "Stompin Room Only". LP, Vinyl record album

Dee Clark cracked the charts big with a few crossover hits – but he's an excellent soul singer with a raspy tone that almost set the stage for some of the deeper soul acts to come in the 60s! The style here is very much in the mode of some of Jackie Wilson's best for Brunswick from the early days – tracks recorded in a mode that's often heavy on the voice, letting Dee step out with strong flourishes that change in style from track to track – sometimes dramatic, sometimes subtle – but always impeccably phrased with Clark's stunning vocals! Titles are a nice batch of numbers that go way past Dee's hits – and include "Just Like A Fool", "What I Say", "Come To California", "24 Boyfriends", "I Just Can't Help Myself", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Gloria", and "Baby What You Want". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of UK soul from the early 90s – a set that was initially only issued as a white label promo, but which has a classic sound that takes us back to the days of Omar and Soul II Soul! The production is nice and lean – a bit in the homegrown style used on Omar's debut – and the rhythms have that nicely chunky quality that the UK was putting forth at the time, in a way that's nicely different than mainstream US R&B, especially of the new jack generation – all a perfect fit for the way that Rick Clarke can sweetly deliver a lyric in collaboration with guests who include Gina Foster, Imaani, Easton, Jill Francis, and others. The guests really help give the record that upbeat vibe from the UK soundsystem mode of the time – often way more collaborative than US soul – and titles include "Share My Love", "Do What We Gotta Do", "Fantasy", "Love Don't Strike Twice", "I Like To Party", and "Gonna Make You Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime soul from the great Otis Clay – early material done on the Chicago scene in the years before he hit bigger fame in the 70s – and tracks that may well be some of our favorite material ever by the singer! Otis already has that impeccable deep soul approach going on here – vocals that rival those of Otis Redding or any of the greats at Stax or Atlantic – often set to that gently grooving style that marked the Chicago vibe in the mid 60s – nicely sophisticated, but never too polished – and presented here so that Clay really shines in the lead! The choice of cuts is great, and the package is one that's a great introduction if you've not heard Clay at this point in his career – or a great addition to your collection if you've only got some of his singles from this non-album stretch. 16 tracks in all – including "I'm Satisfied", "Thank You Love", "I Lost Someone", "A Lasting Love", "Tired Of Falling In & Out Of Love With You", "Show Me What You Say", "Show Place", and "I Got Problems". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic soul from one of the most dynamic vocal groups ever – and a set of tunes that gets way past their obvious early hits! By this point in their career, The Coasters were beyond compare – a tightly-working vocal group pushed even farther through superb directly from the team of Lieber & Stoller – who also gave the group a brilliant set of tunes that further exploited their cartoony vocal power! There's a sense of humor here that's simply tremendous – one that has the musical tunes almost working like little audio cartoons that explode with the power of a classic short on Warner Brothers. Titles include "Girls Girls Girls", "Stewball", "The Snake & The Bookworm", "Little Egypt", "Keep A Rollin", "Just Like Me", "Run Red Run", and "What About Us". LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? Bootsy's on top of the world here – not only The Player Of The Year, but also the most soulful artist in the P-Funk stable, and a master of the smooth, sly, slinky groove that would forever be taken up by bands from LA – both in the immediate soul years and in later sampling hip hop ones. The record's got a sophisticated soul approach that moves the music way past slapped basslines and funny glasses – and thanks to top-line musicianship, including some help from Fred Wesley, Bootsy avoids any cliches that might have buried this one under the mountain of P-Funk albums hitting the market at the same time. Includes the monster track "Hollywood Squares" – plus "May The Force Be With You", "Very Yes", "Bootsy?", and "Bootzilla". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked early funk from The Commodores – a group that spent so much time on pop ballads in later years, it's hard to believe they could be this sharp and hard-edged! There's plenty of that bass-heavy style that would later dominate many Motown combos at the end of the 70s – but the group's really in control of the groove on this one, without any of the cliches that such bassery could lead them into – and production is nicely restrained, so that the whole thing has the loose, live feel of some of the best ensemble funk of the time – even some of the gems from the underground. Lionel Ritchie contributed one nice smooth soul number, "This Is Your Life", and the rest of the album includes "Let's Do It Right", "Wide Open", "The Bump", "Look What You've Done To Me", and the funk classic "Slippery When Wet". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure Bill Cosby soul albums – not nearly as "disco" as the title implies, more in a smoother soul vein, almost a bit like Barry White. Stu Gardner does the backings, and Bill either sings or talks over the top, in a deep sexy voice that's his comical rendering of some of the more sensual soul artists of the time. Titles include "Section 9", "A Simple Love Affair", "Boogie On Your Face", "Happy Birthday Momma", "That's How I Met Your Mother", and "One Two Three". Also includes the oddly-titled, but great track "What You Think About Lickin' My Chicken?" LP, Vinyl record album

A real lost chapter in the career of the great Don Covay – material done after his original funky soul on 60s Atlantic Records, and before his return to fame in the early 70s on Mercury – done in a raw vibe that has a lot more grit than you might expect! There's touches of psychedelic blues in the instrumentation, which was recorded both in Memphis and Muscle Shoals – even though the record comes across with a vibe that's unlike any of the big hits recorded in those scenes at the time! Definitely a standout in the world of soul in the early 70s – with titles that include "Standing In the Grits Line", "Sweet Thang", "Stop By", "Bad Luck", "Hitching a Ride", and "What's In the Headlines". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet and gritty soul from D'Angelo – who takes a huge step into deeper territory on Voodoo – and it's one of the most monumental records of its time! On one level, Voodoo works as a nicely stripped-down session with a very classic soul feel. Gone are the overzealous flourishes that sometimes overwhelmed his earlier songs, and in their place are some sweetly crafted vocal parts with a classic Marvin Gaye/Al Green feel. That warmth is probably what made Voodoo a massive popular success – but what makes it such a creative triumph are the darker undercurrents – which hint at a troubled soul struggling for spiritual truth. One of the rare cases in popular music when great art became music for the masses! Titles include "Left & Right (feat Method Man & Redman)", "The Line", "Spanish Joint", "Africa", "Feel Like Makin Love", "The Root", "Playa Playa", "Devil's Pie", and "Greatdayndamornin/Booty". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Sam Dees was one of the greatest unsung talents in 70s soul music – an important writer, arranger, and general background talent who helped so many other singers hit the heights – but who hardly ever issued much work under his own name! Apart from key singles and an important album on Atlantic, the recorded legacy of Dees isn't what it should be – given his impact on music, especially deep soul – but fortunately, sets like this have come along to correct that lack! As part of Sam's creative process, he would often record songs first on his own – not as rough demo tracks, but as surprisingly well done studio versions to illustrate the material – tracks that were often better than later versions of his tunes, and most of the other commercial soul on the market. This sweet set brings together 12 of those tracks – private recordings from Sam, of songs he'd later give to singers like Loletta Holloway, Ben E King, and others – an essential record from the great Dees, pressed up on super-heavy vinyl! Titles include the previously unissued "Married But Not To Each Other" – plus "Good Guys Don't Always Win", "Who Are You Gonna Love", "Con Me", "Only Lonely People", "False Alarms", "Standing In The Wings Of A Heartache", "The World Don't Owe You Nothing", and "Black Tattler". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget Dionne Warwick, and think Burt Bacharach – because on this sublime little set, The Dells are singing some of Burt's greatest tunes ever – all set to impeccable arrangements by the legendary Charles Stepney! The album's more wonderful than you might even expect – a true high point in the career of all parties involved – and a tremendous recasting of Bacharach's original brilliance – taking his key compositions into the most sophisticated styles of the Chicago soul scene in the 70s! There's a sense of timing and phrasing here that's quite unique – hardly simple covers of Dionne Warwick's approach to these hits – and Stepney's backings feature his own Fender Rhodes, guitar from Phil Upchurch, percussion from members of The Pharoahs, and some fuller horns, harp, and strings. The Dells are equally great too – and serve up some of the best vocals of their career – really magnificent harmonies, and soaring solo parts that seem to even go beyond their best-known hits. Titles include "Walk On By", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "I Say A Little Prayer", "Wives & Lovers", "Close To You", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "This Guy's In Love With You", "Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head", and "A House Is Not A Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A later effort from the Dells, cut around the time ABC was having some great luck with the Detroit soul of The Dramatics – and also recorded in Detroit, with production work by the likes of Al Perkins, Rudy Robinson, and Calvin Carter, the Dells' old boss at Vee Jay. The tunes have a smoother approach than the group's work at Chess/Cadet – but their vocals are still top notch, with that raspy soul quality that has made them sound consistently strong over the years, no matter what the setting. Includes "Face To Face", "Thought I Could", "Face To Face", "Hooked On Loving You", "Love Me", "Wrapped Up Tight", and "Changed Man". Lots of nice ballads! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the undisputed masterpieces LPs of 70s soul! William De Vaughn may never be remembered for anything else – and the poor guy will always be mistaken for Curtis Mayfield by record shoppers everywhere – but he really out-Curtised Curtis on the super-dope original version of "Be Thankful For What You Got", one of those righteous soul tunes that everybody knows, everybody loves, but which was recorded by an artist that nobody can remember. Get this one, and you'll remember William De Vaughn as a genius for the rest of your life – not only for the full 7-minute version of "Be Thankful", which has a great conga breakdown in the middle, but also for other original tunes like "Blood is Thicker than Water", "You Can Do It", and "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand". Very righteous, and with a deep soul groove that was hardly matched by other albums of the era! LP, Vinyl record album

Although not as instantly captivating as their work for Stax, this set for ABC is still a pretty darn great group soul album! The group haven't lost their touch vocally – and Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds are still incredible singers that push smooth soul to a whole new level. The album includes the sublime "Do What You Wanna Do", one of the best male soul slow jams of the 70s – plus the cuts "Jane", "Stop Your Weeping", "Why Do You Want To Do Me Wrong", and "California Sunshine". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic early work from The Dramatics – an amazing blend of sweet soul harmony vocals, Memphis soul production, and some other-worldly songwriting that far surpasses later work of the group. This album's one of the band's most righteous, with a mixture of Curtom-type message cuts and sweeter love songs – and it includes the cuts "The Devil is Dope", "Beware of the Man (With The Candy In His Hand)", "Jim, What's Wrong With Him?", and "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain". Stellar soul sound, with a vibe that's unlike a lot of other stuff on the Stax/Volt label! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the Dramatics' best albums, and a real masterpiece of 70's group soul! The style here is a bit different than the group's previous records for Stax – maybe a bit tighter, with sweet arrangements – but these fantastic vocals that cut through everything and grab you to your core – a bit like the way The Dells could always sound amazing in the 70s, no matter what the setting! The approach really takes the group up to the next level – with fantastic vocals from Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds, and superbly sophisticated sounds from the Detroit Groovesville crew. Titles include "I Dig Your Music", "How Do You Feel", "Thousand Shades Of Blue", "I Cried All The Way Home", and "Good Things Don't Come Easy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of George Duke's best albums for the MPS label – and a set that has a sound that's a little bit more soul than before! The album uses a fair bit of vocals alongside Duke's funky keyboards – but in a way that's not nearly as smooth as some of his albums for Epic, and which still retains all the best spacey and cosmic bits of his roots! The record's got a strong west coast soul feel – with elements of some of the jazzy funk of the Fantasy Records/Bay Area scene, and elements of the electric funk that was starting to come out of LA at the time – and there's a huge host of guest stars on the record, including Johnny Guitar Watson (who sings on one track), Emil Richards (who plays marimba), and Flora Purim (who does her usual thing!) Titles include "Chariot", "Someday", "That's What She Said", "Sister Serene", "Prepare Yourself", "Rokkinrowl", and "Look Into Her Eyes". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s classic from jazzy funk master George Duke! Master Of The Game is an excellent mix of jazz, smooth soul, and Latin riffing – really a perfect blend of styles that shows not only how far George's sound had progressed throughout the 70s, it also charts the development of the California scene during the late 70s. George has musical help from Ray Obeido, Roland Bautista, and Sheila E – plus vocals by Lynn Davis, Josie James, and Napoleon Brock. The tracks have a smooth sound that works perfectly with Duke's best keyboard approaches – subduing his tenency to "rock out" a bit, but bringing forward his classic ability to hit a stone mellow groove. Titles include "I Want You For Myself", "Every Little Step I Take", "Look What You Find", "I Love You More", "Dog Man", and "Games". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great ones from Ian Dury – a record that goes way beyond simple quirky rock, and explodes with some wonderful jazzy touches! The sound here is totally great – very much in the sway of Chaz Jankel's musical direction, and filled with great bits on sax, keyboards, and guitar that have a fair bit more warmth and soul than Dury's original records. There's actually less standout hits here – but that's ok, because the record has a really unified feel overall – strongly in the funky arty dancefloor mode that you might expect from some of the Ze Records camp. Titles include "Dance Of The Screamers", "Inbetweenies", "Quiet", "Sink My Boats", "Don't Ask Me", "This Is What We Find", and "Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully groovy soul from The Entertainers – a group who's recording here strongly for the beach music scene in the Carolinas, but who have an appeal that's much more universal! The tunes are mostly in an upbeat, midtempo mode – with a gentle bounce and a nice sort of step in the rhythms – that sweet groove that shows up in the best beach music classics – and which The Entertainers really have a lock on for this set! But there's also a warmer, more seductive feel going on too – a groove that fits in nicely with some of the early 80s modern soul work of the indie underground – and which helps get this album past any overdone cliches you might expect from the Carolinas – especially on some of the numbers that have a nicely compressed, almost poppish approach to the vocals. There's a depth here that makes the record way more than just a bunch of simple steppers for the dancefloor – and titles include "Hot On A Thang", "Pour Your Little Heart Out", "It's Not What You Got", "I'm Leavin", "In This Moment", "I Won't Cry Anymore", "What Are We Gonna Do", "Livin For The Summer", "Kidnapper", and "I'm In Love With You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great funky group with a hell of a lead singer – so much so, they decided to put her name on the title of this album! Precious Wilson's got a voice that might have been suited to deep soul, had she sung in the 60s – but here, she works with Eruption on a set of cuts that have kind of a funky club vibe – less disco, and more ensemble funk – with a lean, clean groove that almost points the way more towards soul styles of the 80s. Basslines and keyboards are at the core of most numbers, even though there's some added horns and larger arrangements – and there's a great sense of pacing to the album, as evidenced by Wilson's great covers of the Ann Peeble's classic "I Can't Stand The Rain", and a nice remake of The Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There". Other tracks include "Do You Know What It Feels Like", "Be Yourself", "Wayward Love", "Party Party", and "Computer Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible fusion of all the greatness that was going on in the Bay Area scene of the 70s – put together by Coke Escovedo – the brother of Pete and Sheila E, former leader of Azteca, and onetime member of Santana! Yet this set sounds like none of that previous work at all – and instead is great grooving soul, infused both with the sophistication of fusion and some of the Latin elements of Escovedo's roots – all produced to perfection by Patrick Gleeson – who most folks know for his own spacey keyboard work with Bennie Maupin and others! The mix of elements going on is really complex, but comes across with effortless ease – one of those rare fusions that could happen at a bigger label when all the right talents were brought together. The record kind of "out-Fantasys" the best of Fantasy Records in the Bay Area at the time – and makes great use of singers Linda and Calvin Tillery, plus the great Harvey Mason on drums. Titles include wonderful covers of Lamont Dozier's "Why Can't We Be Lovers" and Leon Ware's "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" – plus the tracks "What Are You Under", "No One To Depend On", "Easy Come Easy Go", and "Make It Sweet". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Roberta Flack – an album that should be in the collection of any fan of righteous soul music! Forget all the wimpier modes of Flack's later years – because here, the young Roberta is a vision of positive power and spiritual soul – a singer with roots in jazz, which helps to transform some of the album's very surprising song choices – and a depth and sensitivity that goes way past the usual female soul modes of the time. Donny Hathaway handled half the arrangements for the record – a perfect choice for Flack – and Deodato handles the other, with some large arrangements that still have just the right sort of gentleness to go with her voice. Titles include a version of "Reverend Lee", penned by Eugene Daniels – and the great "Gone Away", written by Curtis Mayfield, Leroy Hutson, and Hathaway – plus the tracks "Just Like A Woman", "Do What You Gotta Do", "Business Goes On As Usual", and "Until It's Time For You To Go". 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

Righteous soul from late 60s Chicago – a killer collection of early singles from the great Darrow Fletcher – only a youngster at the time, but already working at a level that's as strong as most of his older contemporaries! Darrow's got this soaring voice that really sends us every time we hear him sing – a style that's possibly a bit like Jackie Wilson, but both deeper and lighter at the same time – very unique, especially in these early years – and perfect for helping Fletcher stand out from the pack! The grooves here are nice and deep – socking hard in the best Chi-town styles of the time, with the sort of punch you'd get on the best One-Der-Ful/Mar-V-Lus recordings – with arrangements by Mike Terry, Phil Wright, Burgess Gardner, and others. Tracks were originally issued on a variety of labels – Groovy, Jacklyn, and Genna – and titles include "The Pain Gets A Little Deeper", "Hope For Love", "No Limit", "Now Is The Time For Love (part 1)", "My Judgement Day", "Little Girl", "What Have I Got Now", "What Good Am I Without You", "That Certain Little Something", and "Gotta Draw The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning batch of tracks from a very unusual LA group of the early 70s – a funk combo at the core, but one that was also equally comfortable with bits of psych and redneck rock as well! The music here was all recorded within a short span of years, and mostly issued on the small Alpha label as a handful of funky 45s – but the style is surprisingly spacious, and shows a strong sense of musicianship from the members of the group – so much so that they seem equally comfortable and right on top of their game, no matter what direction they choose to take! And don't think that this multi-style description means that these guys are too all over the map, because there's a really unified sense of soul that holds the whole thing together – so that when they get a bit rootsy, the result is country soul – or when they get a bit trippy, they hit some Funkadelic-styled sounds. The collection includes great notes on the setting that produced these tracks – penned by Egon, who put the set together with help from Malcolm Catto, DJ Shadow, and others. Titles include "Don't Let Him Take Away Your Mind", "Strange Things", "Heaven & Earth", "Take Time", "We Got Love", "Waterloo At Watergate", "Why Don't You Trust In Me", "Cruising Central Ave", "The Dead Don't Die Alive", and "You're My Precious Someone". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty great stuff by Aretha – despite what the pro-Atlantic Records books say! The record is one of the first she cut with John Hammond at Columbia, and although it's not in the classic soul mode of the Atlantic sessions, it's a darn nice batch of bluesy jazz tracks that would still stand the test of time well if people weren't so hung up on the propaganda that plays down the Columbia years. Backings are by Richard Wess on most tracks, and at times Aretha's voice is recorded with a nice echoey touch that gives the material almost an R&B-ish feel. Titles include "Rough Lover", "You Made Me Love You", "It's So Heartbreakin", "Nobody Like You", "I Told You So", and "Just For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet overview of the early years of Aretha Franklin's career – her formative days at Columbia Records, when she was working in a variety of styles before heading over to bigger fame at Atlantic! Even at this early stage, Aretha's one hell of a singer – and, despite what folks who listen to Jerry Wexler might say, this early Columbia work is pretty darn amazing throughout – steeped in a number of different modes, with bits of jazz, R&B, and early soul sewn together beautifully throughout. The double-length set is filled with key early moments from Aretha – and titles include "Don't Cry Baby", "Lee Cross", "Skylark", "One Step Ahead", "Evil Gal Blues", "Take A Look", "Runnin Out Of Fools", "People", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "Take It Like You Give It". LP, Vinyl record album

Early early work from Aretha's foxy sister – recorded in a mode that's similar to some of Aretha's Columbia work from the same period! Erma's singing in a bluesier style than on her Brunswick recordings – working in an approach that's almost like Ruth Brown on Atlantic – singing with larger backings that occasionally have some backing singers and strings on some tracks, and which are more in a rocking soul mode on others. Titles include "Pledging My Love", "Don't Blame Me", "Hello Again", "What Kind Of Girl Do You Think I Am", and "Each Night I Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

Is it Fulsom or Fulson? We're not going to try and present ourselves as the authority, but what we can tell you is this collection features 27 tracks from the man, mostly raw blues, though a number of cuts are more produced, with full horn section and piano complementing Fulsom's guitar and vocals, and mostly issued as 45s, though many of the numbers were previously unreleased at the time this collection was put together in the mid 70s. The best numbers are stripped down, lean and raw – and titles include "I Want To Know", "Lonely Hours", "It's A Long Time", "Rollin' Blues", "Love 'N Things", "Love Grow Cold", "Hung Down Head", "Someday Baby", "I Want To Make Love To You", "Rock This Morning", "Rock 'Em Dead", 'Worry Worry", "I'm Glad You Reconsidered", "Blue Shadows", "Why Don't You Write Me" and "Blue Soul", plus loads more! (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the funkiest work we've ever heard from Vernon Garrett – recorded in California, but with a nicely gritty southern soul sound! The tunes have some of the bluesy inflections of Vernon's more famous work – but they also come across with a groove that's tighter, especially on the drums, which snap out of the warmer backings with a kick that's a bit unusual for a record like this – and which keeps things lively throughout, even on some of the mellower numbers. Vernon's vocals are great – rich, and touched with a bit of Tyrone Davis-like styles – and female vocalist Margaret Love makes an appearance on many of the numbers on the record too. Titles include "Satisfied Woman Satisfied Man", "I Made My Own World", "Don't Do What I Do", "I Learned My Lesson", "Going To My Baby's Place", "Love Junkie", and "Something Went Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". This fantastic 50th Anniversary version features new mastering by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, an essay by Hanif Abdurraqib, and a full record of bonus material that includes "What's Going On (stripped)", "What's Going On (rhythm & strings inst)", "What's Going On (mix 1 with no strings or horns)", "Symphony (demo version)", and original mono single mixes of "What's Going On", "God Is Love", "Mercy Mercy Me", "Sad Tomorrows", "Inner City Blues", and "Wholy Holy". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic soul duets between Marvin & Tammi Terrell – a landmark pair in 60s soul music, and easily one of the best male/female duos in pop music ever! Marvin and Tammi have a way of singing together that makes you feel like they're speaking the tunes, not singing them – a personal, intimate quality that's almost as if we're sneaking in on them behind closed doors – and not hearing their voices cast out in front of full backing in the Motown studios. Even when the tunes are familiar, they're still bracingly emotive – Includes stone classics like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "If I Could Build My World Around You", plus "Hold Me Oh My Darling", "Somethin Stupid", "You Got What It Takes", and "If This World Were Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Al Green, 1973 – what could be better? The king of Memphis soul is at the height of his powers here – working in a setting that yielded less chart hits than some of his other albums for Hi Records, but which is still as sublime as the rest – thanks to an undeniable studio magic guided by Willie Mitchell! The sound is full, but never slick or smooth – and Al's vocals are tremendous throughout (but honestly, did you expect anything less?) Titles include "Call Me (Come Back Home)", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "Funny How Time Slips Away", and the beautiful "Have You Been Making Out OK?" LP, Vinyl record album

Al Green, 1973 – what could be better? The king of Memphis soul is at the height of his powers here – working in a setting that yielded less chart hits than some of his other albums for Hi Records, but which is still as sublime as the rest – thanks to an undeniable studio magic guided by Willie Mitchell! The sound is full, but never slick or smooth – and Al's vocals are tremendous throughout (but honestly, did you expect anything less?) Titles include "Call Me (Come Back Home)", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "Funny How Time Slips Away", and the beautiful "Have You Been Making Out OK?" LP, Vinyl record album

Warm wonderfulness from the great Al Green – a record that may have a pale-looking cover, but a set that's one of Green's most deeply soulful albums ever! There's a grace and a glow to the set right from the very first note – that really unique presentation and performance that makes these early 70s Green albums such enduring treasures – and so unlike anything else that's ever come since, no matter how many folks were influenced by Al's sound! The production is perfect – with Al helping Willie Mitchell at the helm, as they balance together the richness of the instrumentation with core elements in the rhythms – on titles that include Al's stone classic "Love & Happiness", plus "I'm Still In Love With You", "I'm Glad You're Mine", "What A Wonderful Thing Love Is", "Look What You Done For Me", and his great remake of Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times" – a country/soul classic if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album

NSI stands for "new sounds from the islands" – and that's definitely what you'll get here from this combo who serve up a fantastic blend of Antilles rhythms and contemporary club funk – all very much in the best spirit of the early zouk movement at the time! There's lots of great bass on the record – often used as the key core element of the tunes, with keyboards, guitar lines, and vocals layered alongside – almost with a quality that seems to echo the way that American groups were borrowing bits from the Caribbean and using it to inflect funk and soul up in the New York scene of the early 80s. The music is plenty playful, and very groovy – and titles include "Turn Your Face On Me", "Steel Ka Dance", "Oui Ce Yes Roger A Ti Wawa", and "Moin Epi Vou". (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of early Sansu Records material from Betty Harris – a fantastic funky female singer from New Orleans – and one who rose up in the same generation as greats like Lee Dorsey and Ernie K Doe! And like some of her best Crescent City contemporaries, Betty gets key help here from the young Allen Toussaint, working with his studio partner Marshall Sehorn – in a style that really creates all these tight, sharp corners on the tunes – all elements that really underscore the funky depth of Betty's vocals. Titles include "Ride Your Pony", "What A Sad Feeling", "I'm Evil Tonight", "What'd I Do Wrong", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Bad Luck", and "Mean Man". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best 70s mellow soul talents at Atlantic Records – sounding completely sublime here in a full set of Philly arrangements! The set was recorded at Sigma Sound – and is a great reminder that even during the disco years, the studio was still a great place to cut a heartbreaking ballad – the sort of number that younger Philly groups would have done for indie labels at the start of the 70s – polished up and given some real maturity here by The Major! There's also a few great groovers on the record too – but with that Philly poise that also still holds onto all the personality of the singer – and the arrangements are great throughout – handled by Norman Harris, Ron Kersey, and Bobby Eli – a perfect Philly team. Titles include "Walkin In The Footsteps", "Jealousy", "I Got Over Love", "Tynisa", "It's Got To Be Magic", and "What's The Use In The Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Ron Henderson and his excellent Choice Of Colors group – maybe one of the hippest soul acts in North Carolina during the 70s – and one who are certainly different than the groups of that scene who were trying more for a groove that would please vacationers on the coast! Instead, Henderson's a mellow soul genius – with elements in his music that maybe rivals some of the better-known work of artists like Bobby Wilson or Leroy Hutson – but which also has some Jersey/Philly elements at times, too – especially when the rest of the group harmonizes along with Ron's lead! The set features two Allen Toussaint remakes, and the rest is original material by Henderson – titles that include "I'll Be Around", "The Real Thing", "Love Is Gone", "Real Men Can't Be Wrong", "What About Love", "Mary Green", and "Problem Child". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge 80s moment for the Isley Brothers empire – a set that has Ernie and Marvin Isley stepping away from the main group with Chris Jasper – to reinvent their sound for the 80s! The record still has all the slinky soul and upbeat funk of the Isley material from the late 70s – but also pushes the groove in a slightly different way – often using leaner arrangements that are focused on beats, basslines, and keyboards – which only seem to make the warm vocals of the trio sound even more seductive in the end! There's that subtle sense of majesty that the group always had in their music at their height – an influence that might well come from the presence of Jasper – and the album's noteworthy for the wonderful "Caravan Of Love", a soulful spiritual tune that's kind of to 80s soul what The Impressions "People Get Ready" was to 60s soul! The album's got a good mellow harmony sound, and other titles include "Liberation", "I Can Hardly Wait", "Insatiable Woman", and "If You Believe In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked 60s soul killer on Atlantic Records! We love Deon Jackson – we love his sweetly honest vocal style, we love his songs, and we love the great production he gets from the legendary Ollie McLaughlin! This album is the only one he ever cut – and it's a masterpiece all the way through! Ollie's production mixes some wonderful lilting qualities with rollicking hard soul – it's a far-reaching approach that works incredibly well with Deon's unique approach to the vocals! Includes the super-hit "Love Makes The World Go Round" and a charming uptown soul take on "King Of The Road", plus "Come Back Home", "1-2-3", "You Said You Love Me", "SOS", "Love Is What You Make It" and "Hush Little Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

What the what?!? Soul sides so great they'll blow your mind – even though none of them have ever been issued before! George Jackson is one of the great lost talents of southern soul – an artist who often stayed in the background, lending his talents to others in the studio, or as a writer – but a hell of a strong artist on his own – as you'll hear in this package of 24 recordings done at the legendary Fame Studios! Jackson's vocals are great – nice and gritty, plain and honest, and with just the right sort of focus to perfectly serve up the poetry of his lyrics. And the backings are wonderful, too – that simple, soulful groove that Fame did so well – often slow-burning on the rhythm tip, with production that lets George shine right out front in the mix. Why these cuts were never issued at the time is a mystery to us – as they could have made George and a few other folks a nice little fortune and a good deal of fame. But as with most discoveries like this, the obscurity of the tracks also makes for a freshness that we love too – as if we've taken a time machine back to a period we love, and found a way to hear the "real deal" right up close! Special LP version – featuring a dozen tracks from the Fame CDs – including "Greedy Over You", "Double Lovin", "Don't Count Me Out", "Save Me", "That From The Heart", "Add A Little Sunshine", "Let The Best Man Win", "I Bit Off More Than I Can Chew", and "Bite The Hand That Feeds You". LP, Vinyl record album

The tremendous debut of the great Millie Jackson – a new standard-setting deep soul record for the 70s, and one that's quite different than some of Jackson's work from later years! The record's got a heartbreaking southern female soul approach – similar to work by underground favorites like Ann Sexton, Doris Duke, or Shirley Brown – and even though the arrangements are done north of the Mason/Dixon line (in New York by Bert DeCoteaux, and in DC by Tony Camillo), the record feels like it was lifted off the pressing plant in Muscle Shoals or Jackson! Titles include "I Ain't Giving Up", "I Miss You Baby", "Ask Me What You Want", "My Man, A Sweet Man", "I Just Can't Stand It", and "Strange Things". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet smooth soul from Walter Jackson – recording here in his later years, with a style that's a lot more modern than his classic 60s recordings for Okeh, but still surprisingly nice, and a great evolution of his "Iceman" soul sound! The set features Eugene Record's great title cut, "Tell Me Where It Hurts", plus a version of Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic", a remake of "At Last" – and the tunes "What If I Walked Out On You", "When I See You", and "Living Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

What a great idea! The classic Motown work of The Jackson 5 is remixed and remade by a host of super-hip producers! The cuts really retain a lot of their Motown soul flavor, and the remixers do an excellent job of pulling out some of the best elements – like guitar riffs, piano lines, and drumbeats – while still preserving the original vocal direction of the songs. The new versions of the tracks are equally great – like Monday Michiru's version of "I Wanna Be Where You Are", which has sweet vocals from Monday, and some great Fender Rhodes work! Titles include "It's Great To Be Here" remixed by Kenny Dope, "ABC" redone Kayoko Kimura & The Fireflys, "Hum Along & Dance" remixed by United Future Organization, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Shinichi Osawa, "I'll Be There" remixed by Small Circle Of Friends, and "I Want You Back" remixed by Kei Kobayoshi. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most unique soul music you'll ever hope to hear – recorded by a pair of artists who mostly worked in Buffalo, New York during the 70s – with a very odd style that's completely their own! We'd quickly place the duo of Jesse Key and Sylvester Cleary in territory that would include Shuggie Otis or Terry Callier – artists who are almost a genre to themselves, and who manage to make their message mean even more by standing apart from the pack! In this case, Key & Cleary work with very early use of a drum machine – often used at levels that are slower and gentler than the beat-heavy 80s – and given these lightly folksy guitar touches that underscore some of the more righteous currents in their music, and which make the more personal songs sound even better. Maybe imagine if Bill Withers teamed up with the very young Timmy Thomas – but recorded at home on an 8 track studio – and you'll get part of the picture of what's going on here. Titles include "There Are Troubles", "A Man", "Dog's Delight", "Turn Me On", "Storm Of 77", "Help Build Buffalo", "Salamanca", "What It Takes To Live", and "The Secret". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime uptown soul from the great Ben E King – and session that has him paired with a young Claus Ogermann on arrangements! Although later a maestro of the heavy strings, at this point Ogermann's got a great little bounce in his backings – that German-trained use of the electric bass in subtle ways, often used just enough here to give King's tunes a sweetly gentle groove! Even when the tunes are mellow, they've got a nicely stepping quality that moves things along nicely – a classy approach to soul that's full, but never too slick or sleepy. And King's vocals are great, as always – slightly raspy, and filled with an earnest, honest quality that makes even the familiar tunes come alive anew! Titles include "Dream Lover", "Because Of You", "What A Difference A Day Made", "He Will Break Your Heart", and "At Last". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant 70s comeback for Ben E King – a record that shows the world that his vocals are still some of the best in soul, long after his early hits – and a massively mature effort that also grooves like a mofo! King's style here is completely different than before – rich, full, and a bit clubby in parts – perfectly put together by maestro Bert DeCoteaux with a smooth-stepping groove that draws a lot from the best Philly work of the 70s – a surprisingly great fit for Ben's wonderful vocals. Gwen Guthrie co-wrote a number of the cuts on the record, too – and also sings a bit of backup – and titles include the seminal "Supernatural Thing", a perennial dancefloor fave that's offered up here in 2 parts – plus "Your Lovin Ain't Good Enough", "Do It In The Name Of Love", "Imagination", "Do You Wanna Do A Thing", and "What Do You Want Me To Do" – and a great version of Sam Dees' "Extra Extra". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Gladys Knight & The Pips – proof that they already had a great thing going long before their later fame on Motown and Buddah! The tracks here were recorded in the early 60s for the Fury record label – and they show the group coming on strong with a very sharp edge – a style that's still got some traces of R&B at points, but which really sets a new standard for mixed male/female soul groups for the 60s! Gladys' lead vocals are nice and bold – and a lot less cliched than later – and The Pips do their thing with a wonderfully harmonic flair in the background. Titles include their big early single "Letter Full Of Tears" – plus "Operator", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Room In Your Heart", "Stop Running Around", "What Shall I Do", "Morning Noon & Night", and "I Can't Stand By". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakthrough in female soul for the 70s – the initial album from Labelle – a set that's very different material than the group were doing on their girl group singles in the 60s! The trio here is legendary – Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash – three tremendous singers all working together at a level that really sets the standard for bad-rapping female soul in the 70s! We're not sure what happened with Patti and the group between their 60s material and this set – but whatever it was, it was something great – a turn towards a style that would keep them in the record racks for years! Titles include "Too Many Days", "Running Out Of Fools", "When The Sun Comes Shining Through", "Heart Be Still", and a nice version of "Time & Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost chapter in the career of Darlene Love – a soul singer who's maybe known best for her early work with Phil Spector in The Crystals – but who ended up with a long legacy in music, which is partly added to by this collection! The core of the set features some mid 60s recordings that Love made as the lead singer in The Blossoms – a great west coast female soul trio, represented here by a number of excellent singles for Reprise Records – including "That's When The Tears Start", "Good Good Lovin", "My Love Come Home", "Lover Boy", "Deep Into My Heart", and "Let Your Love Shine On Me". Those cuts are followed by two solo efforts for Reprise by Darlene – "Too Late To Say You're Sorry" and "If" – then preceded by a few other unusual sessions, including the track "TV Commercials" with guitarist Barney Kessel, and two Lee Hazlewood-related projects on "What Are We Gonna Do In 64" and "3625 Groovy Street", both issued under the name of The Wildcats. The set ends with a few cuts from later years – that time when Darlene was getting attention from a whole new generation – on the tracks "River Deep Mountain High", "He's Sure The Boy I Love", and two versions of "Mr Fix It". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an obscure one by Love – a mid 70s record that actually has quite a bit of soul in the mix! The album almost seems to be going for a Sly Stone approach – expanding the group past Arthur Lee and crew with a host of additional players that include Harvey Mandel, Bobby Lyle, and Joey Deguero. There's still plenty of bluesy and rocky tracks – but there's also a great cover of William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful For What You Got" – done in a chunky mode that really hits a great groove with us (and which is proof that people were covering the tune even back when it was first released!) Other tracks move between soulful rock, Thin Lizzy-esque compressed guitar numbers, and other styles that show a bit more soul than might be expected. Titles include "Time Is Like A River", "Everybody's Gotta Live", "You Said You Would", "Busted Feet", "With A Little Energy", and "Who Are You". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The rich 70s legacy of the Lovelites – a Chicago trio who first sprang onto the soul with some wonderfully fragile work when they were young, and who continued to record some really great music – even though they never fully got their due at the time! The music here was all done after the girls got their one shot at an LP on the Uni label – and the set features rare work for a variety of different labels, all issued only as 7" singles – plus a few tracks that were never released at the time. All the strength of their early vocals is still in place here, but guided by a sense of maturity that makes the music even more powerful – and which seems to indicate that the trio have already lived a lot of life in the time since their first records – all of which they bring to play in the music. Most tracks have a groovy vibe – midtempo and mellow, but with a gentle groove too – one that brings out the best in lead singer Patti Hamilton, in a set of 16 tracks that includes "My Conscience", "Love So Strong", "Got To Be There", "Oh What A Day", "Get It Off My Conscience", "My Baby Loves Me", "Bumpy Road Ahead", "Man In My Life", "Love Is Pretty", "I'm The One You Need", "Come & Get It", and "Cravin For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that has roots in the same scene as Syl Johnson, whose modes definitely creep into the groove at times! Sam's combo here is mighty nice – with Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano, and Mighty Joe Young on guitar – and titles include "Stop You're Hurting Me", "Easy Baby", "What Have I Done Wrong", "It's All Your Fault", "You Belong To Me", "You Don't Love Me Baby", and "San Jose". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever". (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest female soul albums of the end of the 70s – and the bold-voiced debut of the lovely Teena Marie! Even on this first album, Teena's got a depth that goes way beyond most of her contemporaries – a brashness that hits hard on the funkier cuts on the record, but also a soft smoothness that picks up cues from Minnie Riperton, and helps take that sound well into the 80s on a gentle groove. Rick James is firmly in control of the overall picture here, but what's really amazing is that the album echoes with a soulfulness that goes way beyond James' own party funk records of the era – a mature sensibility that marks out a space for Lady T right from the outset, and which marks her as a force to be reckoned with in soul music, even at the tender young age of 23! The record features 2 of Teena's greatest tracks – "I'm A Sucker For Your Love" and "De Ja Vu" – plus the titles "Turnin Me On", "Don't Look Back", and "I'm Gonna Have My Cake". LP, Vinyl record album

A bristling, crackling, completely charming set from Bruno Mars – and a record that lives up to all the best promise he has to offer! We don't know the man personally, but Bruno seems like a hell of a guy – warmly confident, upbeat, and positive – all qualities that really come through here – on tunes that are already pretty darn catchy at the start, then just keep growing on you the more you give them a spin! Instrumentation is very much in an 80s mode – with some sweet keys on most tracks, and a backing vocals that really flesh out the lyrics in a great way – unabashedly 1982, but maybe at a level that's better than most of the mainstream soul from the time. Titles include "Calling All My Lovelies", "Versace On The Floor", "That's What I Like", "Chunky", "24k Magic", "Finesse", and "Straight Up & Down". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A superb set of duets between Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams – a set that's a key part of Johnny's rise into soul music during the 70s, and one that also forms a cornerstone of the early career of Deniece Williams too! Williams' soaring vocal range is a great match for the trademark Mathis modes – and the pair take on some great tunes that are mostly in a midtempo groove, which allows for all this fantastic interplay between the vocals – at a level that really shows what the duo can do together, and how they're not just two superstars who happened to be in the same studio. Titles include "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ready Or Not", "Touching Me With Love", "Me For You You For Me", and "Until You Come Back To Me". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soul from the husband and wife duo of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr – their second album since leaving The Fifth Dimension – and it sounds as warm and appealing as ever! Marilyn & Billy hit it pretty big right out of the gate on the preceding I Hope We Get To Love In Time – and if The Two Of Us didn't make as deep of an impact on the charts, it's ultimately just as strong of a record. Arranged and produced by Frank Wilson, it's one of those great mid-to-late 70s pop soul albums that delivers big hooks and broadly appealing sounds without compromising the soul at the heart of it! Titles include "The Two Of Us", "In My Lifetime", "Look What You've Done To My Heart", "My Very Special Darling", and "My Reason To Be Is You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of mellower ballads that showcase Clyde McPhatter's richly emotional style of singing, one that's on a par with his lead vocal work in The Drifters, and recorded here in a very similar mode! And sure, they're ballads – but they've got a great deep soul edge – as you'll hear on titles that include "Heartaches", "Come What May", Love Has Joined Us Together", and "Let Me Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer stuff from this legendary Philly soul instrumental combo – with funky soul horns, unstoppable dancefloor ready rhythms and those soul-stirring strings – and right up there with their best ever! Bobby Martin arranged almost every track – and the record's a great example of the kind of lean and mean Philly groove that he had going at the time, a sound that was hard to beat, and hard to copy without sounding silly and overblown. Top shelf soul instrumentals from Philly International in the mid 70s – what more could we ask for? Includes classics like "K-Jee", "MFSB", "TLC" and "Let's Go Disco" – plus the equally great "Sexy", "Love Has No Time Or Place" and "My Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth than some of the easy come/easy go disco divas of her day! Thanks here is clearly due to the team of Reggie Lucas and Mtume – who strike strongly with the album as one of their key early productions – the sort of work that really helped push mainstream soul a bit further at the end of the 70s, and set some new tones for a lot of growth in the next decade. The keyboards on the record are almost as nice as the vocals – played by Hubert Eaves and Harry Whitaker with a nice degree of sensitivity – hardly the stronger keyboard voice of the early 80s soul scene, and often with a dose of jazziness that's really appreciated. Titles include "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'", "Deeper Inside Your Love", "Feel The Fire", "Put Your Body In It", "Starlight", and "Don't Stop Dancin". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early sounds from Jimmy Jam – rare late 70s material that has a very different sound than his slicker 80s work with Terry Lewis! The style here is a wonderful blend of sweet soul and righteous jazzy funk – a lot warmer than Jimmy's later beat-heavy style – and served up with loads of sweet keyboards alongside the soaring harmony vocals! Jimmy himself plays Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and other keys – but what we really love about the record is the vocals – these harmonies that are as fragile as New Jersey soul from the early part of the decade, but often turned towards more complicated cuts that have lots of jazzy riffing in the rhythms! The work's never been issued before, and is one of the greatest discoveries we've heard so far from the Numero Group – that's really saying a lot, given all their other releases. The vibe is almost like the Moments or Whatnauts recording for Black Jazz records – and titles include "I Don't Know Why", "My Love Is Like A Fire", "The Wonder Of It All", "No One Else Can Do It To Me Baby", "Virgin Lady", and "When You're Touching Me". LP, Vinyl record album

It's the mid 70s, and The Miracles have been deserted by Smokey – but fortunately the group was extremely well trained in the harmony department, and this album's just about as good as anything they did with him on Motown! The record's got an excellent smooth harmony soul style – and reminds us a lot of some of the Philly albums coming out at the same time. Arrangements are handled by James Carmichael, Freddie Perren, and Willie Hutch – and the record's filled with slinky smooth soul grooves like "Do It Baby", "You Are Love", "What Is A Heart Good For", and "Give Me Just Another Day", one of a few great cuts on the record written by Leon Ware! LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a bit of a split personality, a combination of slick modern reggae, and crisp 80s groove soul numbers. While the reggae numbers aren't much to write home about, the soul tracks are an outstanding example of the best of the 80s groove style, with horn lines punctuating Morgan's slightly rootsy vocal delivery, a fat bass pedal chugging along over chirping rhythm guitar and occasional synth flourishes. Includes the classic club groover "I'll Do Anything For You", plus the also excellent "Never Give Up" and "Come Together", and "Sweet Tender Love", and "Who Knows What". LP, Vinyl record album

New Edition show they're no Johnnies-come-lately on the harmony soul scene – and pay tribute to a host of older groups from the 50s and 70s – singing a mix of hits and soul classics in a laidback late nite mode that brings a real focus on their vocals. Given their age, there's a sound here that's still a bit kiddie at times – but that works well on the tunes that have a more youthful approach in the originals. Backings still have a relatively 80s sound to them, and production was handled by Freddie Perren. Titles include "Duke Of Earl", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "A Thousand Miles Away", "What's Your Name", "Tears On My Pillow", "Blue Moon", and "Bring Back The Memories", an original tune written for the set. LP, Vinyl record album

Jalen Ngonda's a hell of a soul singer, and he's working here in a stunning setting that really does justice to his fantastic voice – a larger set of arrangements than you'd usually hear on a Daptone Record, in a way that rises up with a really majestic sort of vibe! Ngonda's got a way of mixing raw and smooth that almost brings to mind Marvin Gaye – and we don't use that sort of reference lightly – yet he can also slide into more of a sweet soul style too, which creates this range of expression that really deepens the record in a great way! And speaking of vibe, there's some nice vibes in the backings – and cool strings, excellent basslines, and tight percussion – on titles that include "Just Like You Used To", "So Glad I Found You", "Rapture", "It Takes A Fool", "Come Around & Love Me", "What A Difference She Made", and "Give Me Another Day". (Deep Funk, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A cool Japanese-only package – with titles that include "Back Stabbers", "992 Arguments", "Love Train", "Give The People What They Want", "Survival", "Unity", "I Love Music", "Livin For The Weekend", "Time To Get Down", "Put Your Hands Together", and "For The Love Of Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A Hollywood Party, recorded in New Jersey – with a groove that's every bit as tight as any of Odyssey's best records, but with a slightly jazzier vibe as well! The set's a great example of the way the trio pushed the 70s soul game further – taking the early 70s RCA AM radio style, and moving it forward with some elements from the club generation – but all at a level that was never throwaway disco either! The record's got a really rich feel from the start – and uses some great jazzy session players to flesh out the group's vocals in a wonderful way. Arrangements are by Sandy Linzer, who co-produced with Charlie Calello – and although there's some obvious disco fullness here, the main focus is on midtempo tunes that glide along in a slightly mellow way – almost like work by Side Effect from the time. Titles include "Lucky Star", "Single Again", "I Dare Ya", "Comin Back For More", "Hey Bill", and "What Time Does The Balloon Go Up". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul (ala The Temptations), fused with the warmer more sophisticated styles of the Philly sound! The blend is perfect – and has a way of getting the message from the underground right into the living room – and a bit onto the charts as well! From the image on the cover – which features the group in a slave ship setting – to politics of tracks like "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money", "Put Your Hands Together", and "This Air That I Breathe", the record's an extremely unified effort – kind of to the O'Jays what What's Going On was to Marvin Gaye. Other titles include "You Got Your Hooks In Me", "Now That We Found Love", and "People Keep Tellin Me". LP, Vinyl record album

We know what you're thinking: "These guys were best in the 70s." Hold that thought for a moment and check out this great album – because unlike a lot of their other chart-topping contemporaries from 1972 and 1973, the O'Jays actually continued to mature as a group, and managed to turn out some really fantastic material during the 80s. This album is really quite nice – and feature the band's great harmony stylings set to some beautiful modern soul arrangements, with a really sweet mellow groove throughout. With "To Prove I Love You", "The Answer's In You", "Once Is Not Enough" and "You're The Girl Of My Dreams (Sho'nuff Real)". LP, Vinyl record album

What a great record! This one seems to be nothing fancy at the outset – mostly covers of soul and pop tunes, done by The Originals in an early 70s harmony soul mode – but the overall quality of the record is incredible, with a mixture of rough and sweet vocals that sends just about every tune over the top, more in an east coast indie mode than most of the other group work on Motown at the time. Arrangements are by Willie Shorter, Paul Riser, and HB Barnum – but it's the vocals that will floor you, on tracks that include "The Exodus Song", "The Rovin Kind", "Love Is Life", "I've Got A Need For You", "Make It With You", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "Lie No 2". LP, Vinyl record album