Chaka Khan on Warner Brothers – a fantastic second chapter in the career of the singer who already took the 70s by storm with her work in Rufus! Here, Chaka emerges as an even more powerful solo singer on her own – often getting treatment from Arif Mardin in the studio, who elevates Chaka in the same way he did Aretha Franklin during the generation before – with modes that are at once sophisticated and soulful, and instantly classic in a way that few other soul singers in the 80s would ever sound. Titles include "I'm Every Woman", "Papillon", "Hot Butterfly", "I Know You I Live You", "I Feel For You", "Tell Me Something Good (live)", "Through The Fire", "And The Melody Still Lingers On", and "What Cha Gonna Do For Me". CD

An 80s quiet storm classic from Stephanie Mills – one of her best-remembered sides from the time, and a real hit-making set of ballads and mellow numbers! The title track's a great remake of Gladys Knight's classic of the same name – updated with some nice 80s production touches that modernize the tune without losing the core of its soul. Stephanie's vocals are great throughout – even when the instrumentation tends to overwhelm things a bit – and titles include "If I Were Your Woman", "I Feel Good All Over", "Jesse", "A Rush On Me", "Running For Your Love", "Can't Change My Ways", and "Secret Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm thoughts, and equally warm vocals – thanks to the legendary Smokey Robinson, who's still sounding great here at the start of the 80s! The record's surprisingly charming – and has the laidback, mellow-going sort of sound that Robinson first crafted on Quiet Storm – but delivered here with a style that's even more personal and intimate, too. Things are quite stripped-down, especially given the overblown styles other singers were reaching for at the time – and titles include "Let Me Be The Clock", "Into Each Rain Some Life Must Fall", 'Wine, Women & Song", 'What's In Your Life For Me", and "I Want To Be Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his sweeter 60s work! The record has an amazingly large conception of arrangements – mostly handled by Smokey, and done in a complicated baroque harmony style that points forward towards his later Quiet Storm sound – but which isn't as laidback and compressed. Most tracks are covers, but they're redone fantastically – with better vocals than you could imagine – and titles include "What Love Has Joined Together", "My Cherie Amour", "If This World Were Mine", "This Guy's In Love", and "And I Love Her". LP, Vinyl record album

Four classics from this legendary Motown group – including 2 albums on CD for the first time ever! First up is What Love Has Joined Together – excellent work by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his sweeter 60s work! The record has an amazingly large conception of arrangements – mostly handled by Smokey, and done in a complicated baroque harmony style that points forward towards his later Quiet Storm sound – but which isn't as laidback and compressed. Most tracks are covers, but they're redone fantastically – with better vocals than you could imagine – and titles include "What Love Has Joined Together", "My Cherie Amour", "If This World Were Mine", "This Guy's In Love", and "And I Love Her". Pocket Full Of Miracles is a great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "The Reel Of Time", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". Also features a great medley of "Something" and "Something You Got". One Dozen Roses is an early 70s set from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – and a set that mixes great new material with a few older gems from the previous decade too! The new cuts are fantastic – and have Smokey and the group continuing that mellower, more laidback harmony style that really knocks it out of the park – almost as if The Miracles were trying to challenge some of the younger sweet soul acts who were coming onto the scene. Titles include the older cuts "Tears Of A Clown" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" – plus "I Don't Blame You At All", "That Girl", "I Love You Dear", "No Wonder Love's A Wonder", and "When Sundown Comes". Flying High Together is excellent 70s work by Smokey and crew – sort of their way of showing the emerging east coast vocal stars how much talent they still had! The record has a sweet, slightly modern sound – with an approach that hints at Smokey's later Quiet Storm sound, but maybe a bit more laidback overall – set up with really great arrangements from both David Van De Pitte and HB Barnum. Titles include a killer reading of Stevie Wonder's "We Had A Love So Strong", plus "Got To Be There", "You Ain't Livin 'Till You're Lovin", "Flying High Together", "It Will Be Alright", and a cover of "Betcha By Golly Wow". CD features bonus tracks "You've Got Me Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" and "Paper People". CD

A great little album that's often overshadowed by its hit – the 15 minute "B-Movie", which was sort of an overly-wrought protest piece about how the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 was going to turn America into a bad b-movie. Not that that track's bad – although its politics have certainly dated by now – but the real strength of the album are the jazzy numbers, written in Gil's beautiful righteous style forged in the soul jazz underground of the 70s. These include the stellar "Is That Jazz?", a contemplative track about the future of the art form, a mellow version of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", the moody "Storm Music", and "Gun", a good groover with a message about the right to bear arms. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the records that first put Al on the map – a smooth soul set that really revised male soul standards from the 80s by shedding some of the coldness of the quiet storm generation, and going for a bit of the deeper vibe from years before! Instrumentation and production still have a bit of a late 80s feel, but Al's way of inflecting his vocals really bring a lot to the tunes – and create a sense of warmth that's really great. Titles include "Sure Thang", "Shades Of Grey", "Touch You", "So Special", "I Want To Know", "No Matter What You Do", "Channel J", and "Had Enuf". LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album ever cut by Benny Troy – a blue-eyed soul talent who's right at home in the Philly club setting of the album! Sure, Benny looks a bit cheesy on the cover – but the set's a great example of the way that the Philly scene was able to take an older singer and find a new way for them to soar in the right soulful setting – thanks to production from Billy Terrell, who also wrote most of the songs – with help from arrangers John Davis and Joe Renzetti in the studio. The best cuts are some of the funky clubby ones – and titles include Benny's classic "I Wanna Give You Tomorrow", which soars along with this wonderful electric sitar and a soaring east coast vibe – plus "Put Some Music In Your Soul", "Tearin Me To Pieces", "I've Always Had You", and "Ecstasy Passion & Pain". CD features bonus tracks - "Calm Before The Storm", "Stranger In Paradise (7" version)", "I Wanna Give You Tomorrow (7" version)", and "I Wanna Give You Tomorrow (disco 7" version)". CD

An amazing collection of 70s soul tracks – sweet, mellow, laidback, and including loads of numbers that have been buried for years! The focus here is not on obscure groups, but on lesser-known album tracks by bigger names – including many chillout numbers that have a sweet jazzy feel, and which might have gotten eclipsed by some of the artists' bigger hits. ?uestlove of the Roots put the set together, and the whole set's got the deep soulfulness of his own work with that group – track after track of mellow 70s soul, jazzy riffs, spacey instrumentation, and warm vocals effortlessly sliding together! Titles include "Star Of The Story" by Heatwave, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "Clover" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Before The Dawn" by Patrice Rushen, "Can We Pretend" by Bill Withers, "That's What Friends Are For" by Deniece Williams, "Next To Nature" by Jean Claude Toran, "Glowin" by The Rationals, "Magic In Your Eyes" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers, "Sienna" by Stanley Cowell, "Quiet Storm" by Smokey Robinson, "Wheels Of Life" by Gino Vannelli, and "Gotta Find A Lover" by Roy Ayers. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Late Philly Soul from Cashmere – who get some great production help here from Bobby Eli, Bunny Sigler, and Ron Dean Miller – all in a snapping 80s groove, but with some really warm touches! There's a softer feel to the vocals than you might hear in other groups of this nature – kind of an echo of quiet storm male vocal leads (sung by Dwight Dukes), mapped onto more beat-heavy numbers that have a pretty catchy groove overall. Titles include "Can I", "Cutie Pie", "Don't Keep Me Waiting", "We Need Love", "Fascination", and "You're All I Need". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Gene Chandler wasn't scoring nearly as big in the 80s as he was in the 60s, he was still a great vocalist, and could turn out some good material when he wanted to. This album's more than enough proof of that – and it features some good mellow tracks that have Gene singing in a sophisticated quiet storm sort of style. The best number is "Haven't I Heard That Line Before" – and other tracks include "You'll Never Be Free Of Me", "Lucy", and "Please You Tonight". The record's got some uptempo numbers that fall flat, so stick to the ballads and mellow cuts. LP, Vinyl record album

A super-funky set – two vintage albums from Con Funk Shun – back to back on a single CD! The self-titled Con Funk Shun album is quite different than their later, better known hits! The group sure knew how to slap that bass, even back on this first album for Mercury – but then again, they – along with other big Mercury groups like The Ohio Players – were pioneering the bass-heavy sound that would influence countless bands over the next decade in soul. This first album's actually one of the group's best, with some nice rough edges that we like even more than the smoother sound of later albums. And oddly, some of our favorite cuts are the mellower ones – like the smooth jazzy instrumental "Foley Park", which has a nice moogy solo in the middle. Other good mellow cuts include "Another World", which almost has a "Summer Madness" quality to it, plus "Forever Just Ain't Long Enough" and "Never Be The Same". Secrets is a great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK". CD also features a bonus track – "Ffun (12" version)" – a clubby killer! CD

A great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut solo album from El DeBarge – issued after a strong run of group records with the other members of his family, and a set that really let him take the lead with his warmly flowing vocal style! El's still a bit young at this point, but carries himself off like a real professional – that higher-ranged male soul singer who was really setting a new style for the late 80s scene – at a level that seems to work equally well on quiet storm ballads and more upbeat tunes. Titles include the hits "Who's Johnny" and "Love Always" – plus "Don't Say It's Over", "Thrill Of The Chase", "Private Line", "Someone", "When Love Has Gone Away", "I Wanna Hear It From My Heart", and "Secrets Of The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 80's quiet storm vocal harmony. The House of Love Medley is a 10 minute medley of hits from Gamble & Huff and others material. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Rick James fires it up at the end of the 70s – stepping out at full star power that has him rivaling the strength of Bootsy Collins at Warner, and paving the way for the rise of Prince in the early 80s! As with Prince, James' version of funk here is a bit offbeat – lots of riffing guitars in the mix, and a bad-strutting groove that's still conventional mainstream funk of the time, yet with some edgier elements that led Rick to label his music as "punk funk" (or was it "funk punk"?) Given the end-of-70s spirit, you might also say that some of the cuts were aimed at the dancefloor – although James was never really one to storm the discos as much as others. Titles include "Love Gun", "Fire It Up", "Come Into My Life", "Lovin You Is A Pleasure", and "Stormy Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic quiet storm material from Glenn Jones – smooth, mellow, with a snaking drum machine laying down the groove on most of the cuts, hitting hard with splashy beats that envelop Glenn's sweet lyrical approach. Titles include "All I Need To Know", "Oh Girl", "That Night Mood", "Living In The Limelight", "At Last", "We've Only Just Begun", and "It's All In The Game". Lots of classics given the 80s slow jam treatment! LP, Vinyl record album

A crossover classic from Level 42 – a set that catapulted the soulful British group into international stardom! The tunes are catchy, filled with electro bits, and produced with some great bubbling touches from Wally Badarou – whose hand in the studio really keeps things from ever getting too cheesy, despite the commercial fame of the set. There's a balance here that's hard to describe, but it's one that's allowed the record to hold up well over the years – almost waiting to be rediscovered by a younger generation who'd appreciate whole other aspects in the music. Titles include "World Machine", "Physical Presence", "It's Not The Same For Us", "Lying Still", "Coup D'Etat", "Dream Crazy", and "Good Man In A Storm". CD

A crossover classic from Level 42 – a set that catapulted the soulful British group into international stardom! The tunes are catchy, filled with electro bits, and produced with some great bubbling touches from Wally Badarou – whose hand in the studio really keeps things from ever getting too cheesy, despite the commercial fame of the set. There's a balance here that's hard to describe, but it's one that's allowed the record to hold up well over the years – almost waiting to be rediscovered by a younger generation who'd appreciate whole other aspects in the music. Titles include "World Machine", "Physical Presence", "It's Not The Same For Us", "Lying Still", "Coup D'Etat", "Dream Crazy", and "Good Man In A Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Later mellow magic from Curtis Mayfield – a set that has something of a quiet storm feel at times, which is a surprisingly great setting for Curtis' famous voice! The album's got a relatively laidback feel – never trying too hard for a hit, or to keep up with commercial soul of the time – and instead, Curtis just slides nicely into some sweetly stepping grooves that really bring out some of the best gentler sides of his groove. A few cuts get a bit uptempo, but never in a cloying way – almost with more of an early 80s club vibe at times – and titles include "Homeless", "Got To Be Real", "Do Be Down", "I Mo Git U", "Sucka", and "He's A Fly Guy". CD

The Diamond Touch here is from Gregg Diamond – who brings a real Bionic Boogie feel to this album for George McCrae – a sound that shifts slightly from the Miami soul approach of earlier records, moving George up to New York for the session, and coming up with a strong disco groove overall! The approach is a bit smoother and more polished than some of McCrae's earlier work, but still manages to keep a similar rhythmic focus – and although George never steps out too strongly on any tracks, the Diamond Touch keeps the overall sound pretty strong throughout. Titles include "Givin Back The Feeling", "Nothing But Love", "Love In Motion", "Loved & Lost", "Dance In A Circle", "Cut The Rug", and "Dancin Through The Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

A Capitol classic from Meli'sa Morgan – filled with sweet 80s grooves, and delivered with a style that's nicely lighter than some of her contemporaries! Morgan can still manage a nice hook when she wants, but the album's also got her working as a richer soul artist overall – eschewing the obvious chart territory of other 80s female singers, and stepping back to hit some great midtempo modes that really let her open up with amazing vocals! The mode's almost a female take on the quiet storm style at its best moments – and titles include "Now Or Never", "Lies", "Fool's Paradise", "Heart Breaking Decision", "Do You Still Love Me", and "I'll Give It When I Want It". LP, Vinyl record album

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set from the 70s run of Motown albums from Rare Earth – an album that's sometimes overlooked, but which still has the group very much at the top of their game! Here, they're working with production from Stewart Levine – who handled the wonderful Adventures In Paradise album for Minnie Riperton – and the sound has a way of being more sophisticated than their roots, but nicely lean too – never cluttered, and always focused – at a level that's great when things are funky, and equally wonderful when they're more directly soulful! Titles include "Walking Schtick", "City Life", "Keeping Me Out Of The Storm", "It Makes You Happy", "Let Me Be Your Sunshine", "Boogie With Me Children", and "Happy Song". (Rock, Soul) CD

Sweet soul from Smokey – featuring early work with The Miracles, and some later tunes from his solo years at Motown. The set features 11 tracks in all – and includes the tracks "Ooo Baby Baby", "More Love", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Quiet Storm", "Tracks of My Tears", "Oh Girl", and "Blame It On Love". CD

The last in Beau Williams' great run of albums for Capitol Records in the mid 80s – and a sweet little set that equally balances quiet storm ballads with more uptempo groovers! Williams is one of the great unsung male vocal acts of his generation – and he's got a great way here of putting over a mellow track with a level of care and sensitivity that weren't always that common in mainstream soul at the time – a approach that reminds us more of Marvin Gaye or The Isley Brothers in years before, than you might guess from the date of the album. Production is by William Reinhart, McFadden & Whitehead, Williams, and others – and titles include "I Found A Love", "All Because Of You", "There's Something About You", "Give Me Up", "Don't Be Gone To Say", "No More Tears", and "Been Too Long". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from The Hippies, Billy Storm, Ben Sherwin, Billy Borlynn, Bobby Diamond, Dan Folger, Deanna Kimball, Jimmy Borges, Vic Dana, Jamie Coe, Danny Wilson, and more - 34 tracks in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Includes 22 tracks from the Electras, Cherios, Younghearts, Penny Rae, Betty Turner, Billy Storm, the Debs, Shad Prinder, and the Ring A Dings! CD

Pastor Wiley Champion is a gospel singer with a hell of a voice – the sort that could have instantly made him a huge soul singer, if he ever chose to leave his faith – but which is maybe even more powerful here directed towards a spiritual sort of setting! The album's a very lean effort, especially for a contemporary album – recorded to two track analog tape in a church in Oakland, but with crisp fidelity that lets the vocals really come to life once the songs begin – as Champion sings with light backings from his own guitar, plus a bit of keyboard, bass, drums, and tenor. The whole thing is wonderfully without any sense of cliche – and has none of the slavish attempt to sound "authentic" that you might fear from a contemporary record like this – just the pure, unadulterated power of a singer who's worked in obscurity for decades, finally getting his due. Titles include "To Be Used By You", "Storm Of Life", "I Know That You've Been Wounded", "He'll Make A Way", "I Just Want To Be A Good Man", and "Who Do Men Say I Am". (Gospel, Soul) CD

Far and above the best album by sweet soul vocalist Major Harris! Harris had knocked around for years in vocal groups during the 60s, and had even sung for a bit with The Delfonics in the early 70s – but this album is his crowning achievement, a landmark of sweet Philly soul with some wonderful ballad work that he'd never be able to match again! Bobby Eli wrote, produced, and arranged most of the material – and although he had a bit of help from Norman Harris and Ron Kersey on some of the record, the core of the album is that perfect ballad style that Eli could do when he wasn't working on groovers. The centerpiece of the album is the stellar "Love Won't Let Me Wait" – a killer quiet storm soul number – and the record also features a great remake of "Sideshow", which Eli also cut with Blue Magic. Other tracks include "Loving You Is Mellow", "After Loving You", and "Each Morning I Wake Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A great look at the post-Motown work of Teena Marie – her 80s years on Epic Records, a time when she was charting big with a wonderfully seductive approach to soul! Marie's definitely in charge of her groove here – writing, arranging, and producing most of the work on the set – making her as much of a studio whiz as a female soul singer, a rare distinction in her field – and another layer of Teena's talents that always helped set her apart from the rest. The vibe here is a bit different than the Motown years – a bit more beats and 80s keyboards – and we especially love the mellower cuts, which gave Marie some great quiet storm play back in the day. Titles include "My Dear Mr Gaye", "Just Us Two", "Ooo La La La (12" version)", "Sugar Shack (ext club)", "If I Were A Bell", "Stop The World", "Fix It (12" version)", "Stop The World", "Shadow Boxing", and "Casanova Brown". CD

A late bit of new jack from Jeff Redd – a singer who later rose to greater fame behind the scenes in the music biz, but who's great here as a lead artist on his own! The tunes are full of the catchy hooks and beats that mark the best new jack work of the time – and as with some of the best album-length efforts, Redd balances out the upbeat numbers with some great laidback tracks that update an 80s quiet storm mode in a really great way! Titles include "Sex Ain't The Only Thing", "Show You", "You Called Told Me", "Dreamer", "Take It Off", "Let's Spend The Night", and "Why". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few records ever cut by James Robinson – a smoothed-voiced singer who should have been one of the bigger ballad stars of his time! Robinson's got a deep range to his style – and works here in some gently-stepping numbers that really stand head and shoulders above most of the soul music love songs of the time – almost at a level that recalls the poise and class of the quiet storm generation, but a bit more contemporary too. Titles include "Can We Do It Again", "Guilty", "Just What I've Been Missing", "You're The One I've Been Dreaming Of", "When You'll Be Mine", and "Seems So Long". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of solo classics – including the classic "Quiet Storm" – plus "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "I Am I Am", "Tell Me Tomorrow", "Being With You", "Ebony Eyes", "Everything You Touch", "One Heartbeat", "Baby That's Backatcha", and "Open". CD

A new album from the great Willie West – an artist we love for his rare vintage New Orleans work of the 60s and 70s – still sounding surprisingly wonderful all these many years later! Willie's vocals have this raspy, honest charm that's totally great – and like Lee Fields during his revival years, West gets superb backing from a small combo of younger players who really appreciate the best roots of the music – tight but unpretentious grooves that feel just like a vintage 45, and suit Willie West to a T! The style is less New Orleans than it is a more righteous, sophisticated version of funky soul – one with some nice dark corners that really raise our opinion of Willie's talents – again with the sort of deeper vibe we love in the recent work by Lee Fields. Titles include "Slow & Easy", "Cold In The Storm", "She's So Wise", "The Devil Gives Me Everything", "Getting Down", and "I'm Aware Of What You Want". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the Spring Records label in New York – a company that had a few big crossover hits in the 70s, but also issued a lot more rare and obscure material over the years – with a long legacy that even hit the early years of the old school scene! One of Spring's great contributions was finding a way for fast funk groups to shift into a disco mode when the earliest years of the clubs got going – but there's also a lot more going on here too – including some great deep soul ballads, warm midtempo steppers, and cuts that point the way towards the modern soul generation on the rise. The package also features six never-issued cuts, alongside some well-chosen and overlooked Spring Records gems – all put together with the usual strong notes and excellent sound we love from Ace/Kent! Titles include "If We Get Caught I Don't Know You" by Prince Philip Mitchell, "Falling In Love" by Victor Tavares, "Save The Best For Me" by The Determinations, "Do You Feel Me" by Act I, "I'm The Other Half Of You" by Maxine Weldon, "If You Could Turn Into Me" by The Fatback Band, "Magic's In The Air" by Ronnie Walker, "Hold On" by Ray Godfrey, "If You Say You Love Me" by Us, "The Storm Is Passing Over" by Jackie Verdell, "Beauty" by The Joneses, "Kill The Monster" by Flower Shoppe, "I Ride Alone" by The Internationals, "Get Right" by Richard Barbary, "Daddy's Coming Home" by Prince Harold, and "Of Your Life" by Vernon Brown. CD

A nice little collection of Dee Dee Sharp's early 60s sides for the Cameo label – issued here in a well-done UK package – noteworthy because it's one of the few legit reissues of Dee Dee's work over the years, issued for the UK Northern Soul market, who were always huge fans of her work! The Dee Dee heard here is quite different than that of the smoother 70s soul years – as the tracks are mostly uptempo groovers in a storming early Philly mode. The LP features 20 tracks in all – including "Mashed Potato Time", "Wild", "He's No Ordinary Guy", "Lover Boy", "Do The Bird", "Ride", "Baby Cakes", "Standing In The Need Of Love", "I Really Love Him", and "Willyam Willyam". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest tracks ever recorded by Marlena Shaw – served up in one groovy package! The set begins with her romping 7" version of "California Soul" – totally righteous, with a mix of funky clapping rhythms and soaring strings in the best Cadet/Concept mode! "Liberation Conversation" is in the LP version – all sorts of funky guitar, and this very cool "gang gang" scatting vocal in the middle! The set also includes the storming "Wade In The Water" – an earlier soul jazz number that plays well with the Northern Soul crowd – and the whole thing ends with the 45rpm version of "Woman Of The Ghetto" – one of Marlena's most righteous tunes ever! (Funky 45's, Soul) 7-inch, Vinyl record

30 cuts of the classic doo wop sides that the Spaniels cut for the Vee Jay label in Chicago, during the late 50's. In contrast to labelmates The El Dorados, The Spaniels were a bit smoother, and added more of a sweet harmony sound to their style – as you'll know from tracks like "Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite", "Baby It's You", and their version of "Stormy Weather". But the big list of tracks on here also includes a number of uptempo tracks that have a rawer sound, like "Automobiles", "Play It Cool", "Bounce", and "Crazee Baby". Great stuff, and just about the most complete collection of their work! CD

Beautiful early sounds from the legendary Sylvester – very different than the later hits, especially the disco ones – and a set that was recorded before all the big records of the 70s! The approach here is jazz, and intimate enough to warrant the "private" in the title – as Sylvester sings on most numbers with just piano backing, but in a way that really has the vocals soaring high – driven to heights of expression without the urging of any other instruments – and a great document of the soulful genius that Sylvester had right at the start! Titles include "Big City Blues", "Stormy Weather", "Carioca", "Viper's Drag", "Indian Love Call", and "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" – and at points, other singers join into the mix as well. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". CD

A sweet funky set from the mighty T-Bone Walker – a record that still includes loads of his wickedly sharp guitar lines, but which also gives him a tight groove with electric bass and great drums from the legendary Paul Humphrey! The bottom end here kicks as much as Walker's work on the top – which gives the record a cool crossover mix of blues, soul, and funk – not that different from some of the funky blues experiments going on over at Chess Records at the time, but with more of an LA twist. A young Tom Scott plays some great tenor lines on the record – and titles include "Vietnam", "T Bone Blues Special", "Sail On", "For BB King", "Cold Cold Feeling", and "Shake It Baby". CD features two bonus tracks – live versions of "Sail On" and "Stormy Monday Blues". (Blues, Soul) CD

A classic set by the incomperable Nancy Wilson! The wonderful tunes here are set to really sweet arrangements by Billy May. It features mostly an assortment of standards, done with Wilson's pitch perfect, sophistisoul touch! The real standout here is the impeccable "Guess Who I Saw Today", one of those tunes that Nancy takes from the ordinary into the sublime! Other tracks include "Teach Me Tonight", "Something Happens To Me", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "He's My Guy", Call It Stormy Monday", "The Great City", and "If Dreams Come True". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles include "Dirty Mother For You" by Roosevelt Sykes, "So Glad You're Mine" by Arthur Big Boy Crudup, "Everybody Must Suffer/Stone Crazy" by Luther Allison & The Blue Nebulae, "Help Me" by Junior Wells, "I Wonder Why" by Jimmy Dawkins, "Too Much Alcohol" by JB Hutto & His Hawks, "So Many Roads So Many Trains" by Otis Rush, "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. (Blues, Soul) CD

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles on this second volume include "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A glorious batch of unearthed soul and funk from the early 70s central Ohio scene – the storming singles of Prix label – culled from ultra rare 45s plus previous unreleased gems! Prix was the imprint started to release work captured at Columbus's Harmonic Sounds studios commercially – pummeling funk, uptempo harmony soul, some heavy organ groovers and beyond – work by the Royal Esquires, Eddie Ray, Joe King, Marion Black and others. Most of the tracks were cut in the first few years of the 70s – at a time when when central Ohio was producing soul and funk as mighty as the bigger midwestern cities of Detroit, Memphis and Chicago – standing just as tall even if it didn't get over as well in the marketplace! 19 tracks in all – 11 of which were issued as Prix 45s in the early 70s, plus 8 more tracks that were never officially released – culled from finished masters, demos and other studio material that was only recently discovered! Titles include "Wait A Minute", "You Got Me" and more by Eddie Ray, "Mystic" and "Mister Kidneys" by OFS Unlimited, "Speak On Up" and "Your My Everything" by Joe King, "Ain't Gonna Run" by Royal Esquires, "Listen Black Brother" by Marion Black, "Melon Jelly" by Soul Ensemble, "I'm Gonna Gitcha" by Chip Willis & Double Exposure and more, plus 4 "extended play" bonus tracks by Eddie Ray, Harmonic Sounds Band and Penny & The Quarters. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Northern Soul from a surprising source – and a killer batch of rare material from the mighty Memphis powerhouse of soul! Goldwax is probably best known for its deep soul work – most famously with James Carr – but in the mid 60s, the label cut some killer groovers that really match the vibe that was coming out of Detroit or Philly at the time – upbeat, uptempo singles that bristle with energy, yet also have some of the deeper tones you might expect from the label! Some tunes have a bit of a Memphis sound – depending on the singer – but the rhythms and production mostly recall modes from up north, and offer up a really surprising new chapter of this label that already won our deep respect many years ago. The folks at Kent have put together the package with some really wonderful notes – and the CD features two dozen numbers that will really open up your ears – tracks that include "Let's Talk It Over" by Spencer Wiggins, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "They Say" by The Ovations, "So Hard To Get Along" by The Lyrics, "What'Cha Gonna Do" by Phillip & The Faithfuls, "You Gotta Have Soul" by George Jackson, "A Man Is A Mean Thing" by Barbara Perry, "The Well's Gone Dry" by Dorothy Williams, "That's What I Want To Know" by James Carr, "I Slipped A Little" by Percy Milem, "Now Girl" by The Lyrics, "It's My Life" by Timmy Thomas, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "To Me It's Storming" by George & Greer, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Wee Willie Walker, and "If You Love Her" by Phillip & The Faithfuls. CD

Hammering stuff! This is one of the hardest of the Goldmine compilations – with a heavy-duty garagey mix of soul, R&B, and beat-heavy tunes that fit perfectly together. The overall sound is super-mod, with the kind of grooves you'd expect to find at some wonderful underground party in London during the late 60s – where original soulboys are dancing all night long to a color-blind mix of storming chunes. Titles include "The Snake" by Al Wilson, "Jump & Dance" by Carnaby, "Exus Trek" by Luther Ingram, "Alligator Boogaloo" by Sandy Nelson, "These Boots Were Made For Walkin" by The Happy Cats, "Charley" by The Soul Runners, "Coffee Pot 2" by Bo Junior, "Crawling Up A Hill" by John Mayall, "Wobble Legs" by Tommy Dark, "Chain Gang" by The Powerhouse, and "Baby You Got It" by The Truth. 20 cuts in all – and all hardcore! (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The Houseplant series really takes off with this killer triple-LP set – a massive batch of funk and soul, both old and new – presented here in a really great assortment of modes! There's some great deep tracks from the 70s here, alongside some well-chosen contemporary cuts from the international funk underground – plus a few other assorted surprises along the way – keeping the label's strong reputation for serving up a record that's way different than the standard funk compilation! Titles include "Short Stopping" by Veda Brown, "What's Good For You" by Harvey Scales, "Little Saddy" by Andre Ethier, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Slide" by Adesse Versions, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Town Called Nowhere" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Blah Blah Blah" by Saun & Starr, "Gotta Let Me Know" by Breakestra, "Jamaica Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Legend In My Own Mind" by The Stepkids, "Lament 1" by Dustin Laurenzi, "Trouble" by Frederick Knight, "The Echo" by Epsilons, "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Who Who Song" by Jackie Wilson, and "Don't Stop" by The Bar Kays. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Stormin soul – and a killer set of upbeat 60s numbers! The package was put together for the UK mod scene, but it's a great batch of American tracks from the classic years of soul – not really Northern, not really southern – but kind of a hard-swinging approach to the music that makes for a really lively package overall! The set's got 20 tracks in all, all thumpin, bumpin, and gruntin-type numbers – with titles that include "Do The Whoo Pee" by Sugar Pie Desanto, "Lay This Burden Down" by Mary Love, "Make Me Yours" by Bettye Swann, "I Keep Forgetting" by Chuck Jackson, "I've Got Papers On You Baby" by BB King, "Hole in The Wall" by George Stone, "Have Love Will Travel" by Richard Berry & The Pharoahs, "Keep My Woman Home" by Danny White, "Mama Julie" by Terry & Jerry, and "I Got A Woman" by Billy Hawks. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A deep look at a blues scene that doesn't always get its due – music not from Chicago, Memphis, or various points south – but some nicely gritty tracks that were cut in New York during the postwar years! Despite New York's fame as a hub of jazz, soul, and other styles – the city also had a surprisingly strong blues scene in the 50s and 60s, which is when most of these tracks were recorded – music that's both in the electric modes that were showing up in other urban centers at the time, and also in some more traditional modes that were sometimes left behind in other cities – but which got a nice revival in New York, thanks to an interest in folk blues from the underground! Material here was originally recorded by a range of different labels – Old Town, Atlantic, Mercury, Prestige, Fire, Apollo, King, and Chess – and as you'd expect from Ace, there's also some unreleased material on the set, all presented with a great assortment of notes and details on every single track. 26 titles in all – with cuts that include "Bad Blood" by Champion Jack Dupree, "Step It Up & Go" by Blind Boy Fuller, "The Guy With A 45" by Allen Bunn & His Trio, "Stormy Monday Blues" by Bob Gaddy, "Kansas City March" by Wild Jimmy Spruill, "Four Women Blues" by Larry Johnson & Hank Adkins, "Idle Hours" by Lonnie Johnson with Victory Spivey, "Hard Times" by Noble Thin Man Watts, "Believe Me Darling" by June Bateman, "Security" by Tarheel Slim & Little Ann, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, and "Goodbye Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison. (Blues, Soul) CD

An excellent collection of obscure jazz and R&B instrumental sides from the great Okeh label of the 50s – including some excellent stormers from Chicago! Little Johnny Griffin checks in with "For Dancers Only", "Flyin Home", and "Chicago Riffin", and the first two cuts feature vocals by Babs Gonzales! Other tracks include "Money Is Honey" and "I Want A Big Butter & Egg Man" by Mary Ann McCall; "Dig This Menu Please" and "Red's Mambo", two fantastic R&B tunes from trumpeter Red Rodney; and "Smooth Sailin", "Walkin Home", and "Whispering", all by Arnett Cobb, and included here with some other nice tunes that rank with some of Cobb's best work. (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Storming old school R&B, simmering southern soul, stirring gospel soul, and some tender balladry – prime ingredients of some of the best material ever recorded by the incalculably iconic Aretha Franklin! This great collection of tracks cut in the 50s & 60s for Atlantic, Duke, Coral, Scepter, Savoy, Roulette, Mercury and other labels is easily imaginable as the source of inspiration and influence of the Queen Of Soul. Includes tracks by pivotal singers and soul stars, and some lesser known (but hardly lesser in quality) numbers – each and every one top notch and worthy of any conscientious collector of prime soul, and most importantly, it all works well together in the set, sequenced thoughtfully with a deep depth of styles. 24 tracks in all: "Respect" by Otis Redding, "The House That Jack Built" by Thelma Jones, "Sit Down And Cry" by Jean Walls, "Soulville" by Dinah Washington, "Try A Little Tenderness" by Little Miss Cornshucks, "Prove It" by Mary Wheeler, "Let Me Me In your Life" by Bill Withers, The Day Is Past And Gone" by Clara Wind and much more – with notes on each track in the nicely done booklet. CD