A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best-remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – but who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision – the sounds range from classic-level slow jams, to solid modern soul, to touches of electro – plus some more dancefloor-oriented groovers – coming across like work of deft scene veterans rather than a full length debut for the group! The songs were written by the band who, at that time, included Jane Eugene, Carl McIntosh and Steve Nichol – and titles include "Hangin On A String", "Choose Me", "Music Takes Me Higher", "Dial 999", "Tell Me What You Want", "A Little Spice", "So Much Love", and "Let's Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

There's a bit more sugar here than spice, but the whole thing's pretty nice Motown work from the late 60's. Martha and the rest of the group groove their way through tracks like "I Love The Man", "Taking My Love (And Leaving Me)", "Soul Appeal", "It Ain't Like That", "Shoe Leather Expressway", and more. Not a lot of filler, or the kind of weak Motown covers that can bring these albums down! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one! CD

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one! CD

Not a spice girl – as you might think from the cover – but a great male harmony soul group from the 70s, and one who are equally well skilled on ballads and groovers! The album's a lost gem from the New York scene of the disco years – and while some of the tracks definitely have the group hitting the clubs, there's also a deeper soul vibe overall – that wonderful harmony mode that was so great from New Jersey and Philly acts just a few years before! There's a slightly rough quality to the arrangements that makes the whole thing hit home way more than polished group soul of the time – a great indie vibe that reminds us of some of the best rare soul on the All-Platinum label. Titles include "Do It Nice", "Happy Music", "Everything Is You", "Fool In Love", "You've Got Me Girl", and "The Last Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Later work from Brian Auger's Oblivion Express group – really pushing the envelope from previous work with a soaring blend of fusion and soul! The keyboards are still very firmly at the front of the sound – stretching out a lot from Brian's original work on organ – and the group features Lenny White on drums, kicking things up a bit nicely, with that outerspace groove he was laying down on some of his own records at the time. Alex Lingenwood sings vocals on a few cuts, and titles include "Spice Island", "Gimme A Funky Break", "Back Street Bible Class", "Got To Be Born Again", and "Never Gonna Come Down". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful bit of Latin funk – and one of the rarest albums ever from the mighty Candido! The album's one of the first that has Candido stepping out of the straighter Latin jazz mode of earlier years – working with a funky lineup of players arranged by the mad genius Joe Cain, and going for a mixed electric/acoustic sound that reminds us of Mongo Santamaria's best work – only a heck of a lot funkier! In addition to killer conga licks from Candi, the album features some really heavy guitar and organ lines, plus some good choppy sax work – wailing away with a really solid soulful sound. Imagine Booker T & The MGs working in Spanish Harlem – and you've got part of the picture of this one! Titles include "I'm On My Way", "Tic Tac Toe", "Serenade To A Savage", and the great "Ghana Spice (parts 1 & 2)". (Latin, Soul) CD

A killer classic from grooveman Don Downing – the kind of indie disco record that really broke big in the 70s – but which hardly ever got the longer-term fame it deserved! The grooves here are straight and simple – the best early east coast club modes of the mid 70s – more tight funk than commercial disco, especially when topped by some of the deeper soul moments of Don Downing – who can come across like Johnny Taylor on his Columbia cuts in a similar setting! Backings are great – handled by studio giants like Pat Rebillot on keyboards, Bad Bascomb on bass, and Jimmy Maelen on congas – and titles include "Dream World", "Sugar & Spice", "Doctor Boogie", "Love Doctor", and "Half Past Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Marvin Gaye's last album ever – and a sensuous batch of grooves that almost return him to the sound of Let's Get It On! The style here is a bit more modern, but the sound is still great – a smoother approach to soul than most of Gaye's contemporaries at the time, recorded in a way that has the vocals soaring majestically over the top of the backings! Slight undercurrents of funk spice things up somewhat, but still avoid any mainstream 80s groove cliches – and Marvin wrote, arranged, and produced the album himself (although with a bit of help from Chicago organist Odell Brown on the hit "Sexual Healing"!) Titles include "Sexual Healing", "My Love Is Waiting", "Third World Girl", "Turn On Some Music", "Joy", and "Midnight Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Marvin Gaye's last album ever – and a sensuous batch of grooves that almost return him to the sound of Let's Get It On! The style here is a bit more modern, but the sound is still great – a smoother approach to soul than most of Gaye's contemporaries at the time, recorded in a way that has the vocals soaring majestically over the top of the backings! Slight undercurrents of funk spice things up somewhat, but still avoid any mainstream 80s groove cliches – and Marvin wrote, arranged, and produced the album himself (although with a bit of help from Chicago organist O'Dell Brown on the hit "Sexual Healing"!) Titles include "Sexual Healing", "My Love Is Waiting", "Third World Girl", "Turn On Some Music", "Joy", and "Midnight Lady". 2CD version features the bonus 74 minute "Sexual Healing sessions" – an amazing batch of tracks that show the development of different tunes on the album – with the tracks "Clique Games/Rick James", "Sexual Healing (alt 12" inst)", "I Bet You Wonder", "Baby Baby Baby", "I've Got My Music", "Turn On Some Music (alt voc mix)", "Marvin's Message To CBS Records", "Sexual Healing (rehearsal tape)", and "My Love Is Waiting (alt vocal)". CD

Excellent early work by Leon Haywood – recorded way back in the mid 60s, when he was knocking around the LA indie scene with a very soulful groove! Back in those years, Leon wasn't singing as much, just playing piano and organ in a mixture of soul and jazz instrumental modes – all hard-stepping with a very strong northern soul groove, and some of the heaviest production ever to come out of the west coast in the 60s! The whole album's a killer – extremely grooving, and with a blend of styles that keeps things fresh all the way through. Titles include "Ray's Theme", "Soul Cargo", "Fat Fish", "The Sidewinder", "Spice Of The Blues", "River's Invitation", and "The Preacher". LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". CD

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

Swan Records was a real powerhouse of Philly Soul back in the 60s – a label whose efforts really set the scene for countless more Philly achievements to come! Swan was primarily a pop label – with some big hits (including early US release of Beatles singles) to its name – but the company was also on the scene to cut some of the best soul in Philadelphia as the 60s got going – a great deal of which is brought together on this set! Swan's sides often have a Northern Soul vibe that rivals the best of Detroit, especially labels away from Motown – and the pop experience gave the label a quality of production and professionalism that few other labels could match! Yet there's also no pop commercialism here, either – as these sides often step back and really let the artist do their thing – as you'll hear on 26 tracks that include "Everybody Crossfire" by Sammy Stevens, "Gotta Draw The Line" by The Three Degrees, "Have Faith In Me" by Sugar & Spice, "Put Yourself In My Place" by Azie Mortimer, "In Love" by Tony Galla & The Rising Sons, "Misery" by Eddie Carlton, "Run Run" by The Persianettes, "You're Everything" by The Showmen, "Put That Woman Down" by John Leach, "Who Do You Love" by The Sapphires, "Handsome Boy" by The Ladybirds, "Trying To Find My Baby" by Troy Dodds, and "Two Steps Ahead" by Herb Johnson. CD

A really unique take on the familiar territory of the funky soul compilation – a set that seems to dig up music that's a genre all unto itself – with very little ties to the popular modes in the mainstream at the time! It's really hard to describe the appeal of these tunes in just a few words – some are very personal and intimate, all are very soulful – but the range of approaches is very different, and in ways that we might even dare call experimental – even though all the tunes here are straight and tuneful! A number of cuts almost seem to mix sweet soul vocals with more psychedelic inspirations, but that's only the start of the sound here – a really rich world of discovery, with titles that include "Just A Star" by Smiles, "Never Get A Chance" by Nature's Choice, "You Got That Right" by Antwans, "We Need Each Other" by Joe Walker, "Come Inside" by Stride, "Slacking Off" by Massauvians, "Swave Villi Us" by Aka Shaic, "Norfolk Sound" by Ray T Jones, "Changes" by No ID, "Just Loving You" by Small Society, and "For Old Times Sakes" by Spice. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost album from Jerry – and a key link in the hip Chicago scene that produced Terry Callier and Oscar Brown Jr! Sure, you might think of the album as a silly "cash in on the folk craze" effort – but Jerry keeps it soulful throughout, and thanks to some wonderful arrangements by Phil Moore III, the record stands out as one of the most compelling in Butler's early years. Jerry sings with a sophisticated style that turns the simple folk songs into compelling vocal numbers with a nice jazzy finish – and the backings are suitably varied from track to track, in a way that really spices up the album wonderfully. The album's got a bit of Terry Callier, a bit of Nina Simone, and a wonderfully large dose of Iceman soul! Titles include "Strawberries", "Eighteen Hammers", "Red Dress", "Who's Gonna Be Your Man", "Little Ole Lite", "When I Lost My Baby", and "Such A Feelin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a number of disco sessions that were recorded in Europe, then spiced up a bit more in the US – in this case at Sigma Sound, by Tom Moulton. The album's got the hokey disco sound you'd expect from an effort like that – but it does sport one winner, a disco update of Piero Umiliani's great "Mah Nah Mah Nah", always a favorite for us! Side one features the 17 minute "At The Discotheque" medley – and the album also has a medley of "Venus" and "Light My Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that forever put George McCrae on the map – and a crossover bit of Miami soul from the 70s with all the key elements of the TK sound firmly in place! George's vocals are nicely flanged out in that cool production mode that TK was using with its big acts of the time (an approach that was perfect for AM radio, by the way) – the backings of the tunes have the chugging electric rhythms shared by Timmy Thomas and other acts at the label, spiced up by a bit more warm guitar to give the record a deeper southern soul vibe. The record features a 6 minute version of George's super-huge hit "Rock Your Baby", plus a "Rock Your Baby Reprise" – and it's also got a great little version of "I Get Lifted", one of those Miami funk classics that sounds great no matter who does it! Other tracks include "Look at You", "Make it Right", and "I Can't Leave You Alone". CD features bonus cuts – single versions of "Rock Your Baby" and "Look At You". CD