An amazing collection of obscure 45 material and rare album tracks from the archives of the legendary Money/Cash labels! Money Records was a huge beacon for somewhat rough-edged driving soul, when it found its niche on the LA scene in the early 60s. Amazing artists that never fully got their due – stars like Bettye Swann, the Larks (aka Pretenders), the Question Marks, King Solomon, Sonny Herman, and tons of others – many with roots in late 50s doo wop and r&b, recorded endearingly rawer singles for the label in the 60s, and stayed as it progressed into more of a smooth, slightly more polished and groovy sound in the early 70s. 24 tracks – most of which are pretty darn hard to track down on vinyl! Includes "Too Much For You" by Bobby Angelle, "What About Me" by Sonny Herman, "Temptation Walk" by the Larks, "Separation" by King Solomon, "You Gave Me Love" by Bettye Swann, "Baby" by Ted "Soul" Hawkins, "Lil' Valley" by M&M and the Peanuts, "Dancing With My Baby" by the T-K-O's, and tons more. Includes an excellent booklet with great photos, bios, and notes on the production and arrangements! CD

Tremendous work from the mighty Sam Records – a New York indie that was born in the disco generation, but continued to keep great sounds going long after the crash! Sam started in the underground, and always kept a great ear to that scene, even when scoring big with hits – and the label's work often had all the polish of bigger companies, but a bit more bite as well – with all the right elements in all the right places, which has kept its music mighty strong over the years! There's no throwaway trash here, or easy dancefloor cuts – and instead the sound of Sam stays plenty strong from the earliest burst of disco through the big wave of indie club and old school in the early 80s. This massive 3CD package is shaped like a 7" single – and features 36 classic 12" singles and album cuts from Sam – titles that include "Kojak Theme" by John Davis Monster Orchestra, "Dreamin" by Greg Henderson, "Love Magic (disco version)" by John Davis Monster Orchestra, "Woman Of The Ghetto (UK 12" mix)" by Doris Duke, "Just A Groove" by Glen Adams Affair, "Come On Back To Mama" by Wardell Piper, "Begging For More" by Monica Neal, "Gotta Get Outta Here" by Lucy Hawkins, "I Found Love In You" by Rhyze, "Hold On (Jellybean mix)" by Kreamcicle, "This Best Is Mine" by Vicky D, "You Can't Stop (Shep Pettibone mix)" by David McPherson, "Don't Let Go Of Me (Shep Pettibone mix)" by Mike & Brenda Sutton, "Free (disco version)" by Rhyze, "Let's Love Dance Tonight (disco version)" by Gary's Gang, "Behind My Back" by Underground, "Just Let Me Dance (Jim Burgess mix)" by Scandal, "Don't Stop" by KID, "Can You Really See Me" by Sound Troupe, "Keep On Dancing" by Gary's Gang, and "Don't Give Your Love Away (Shep Pettibone mix)" by Steve Shelto. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Here's a compilation that's going after our hearts! As revolutionary as the oft-imitated Bo Diddley beat was in early rock & roll, he doesn't get the credit he deserves for the far reaching impact of his songwriting – having been covered by everyone from Buddy Holly, The New York Dolls, The Shadows Of Night, The Animals, The Pretty Things, Captain Beefheart, Los Lobos and so many more artists of all stripes over the years! This excellent set from Ace Records does a fantastic job of showing not only how far his influence reaches, but also how stylistically adaptable his tunes are. Swamp rock, proto punk, bluesy soul and more. Very well done and each cut is a keeper, with 24 tracks in all: "Bo Diddley" by Buddy Holly, "Crackin Up" by The Gants, "Pills" by New York Dolls, "Road Runner" by The Zombies, "Diddy Wah Diddy" by Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, "Diddley Daddy" by The British Walkers, "You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)" by The Birds, "Who Do You Love" by Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks and many more. CD

They call it Lowrider Soul on the west coast – and back east, it's maybe known more as sweet soul, or harmony soul – especially given that there's so many groups who are important to the sound! But whatever you want to call it, think of the work here as the perfect sort of slow-stepping, mellow moving soul cuts that sound even better when the lights go down – not because they're sleepy, but because the burning energy of the groups seems to work a very special sort of magic after dark! The collection is wonderful – every bit as sublime as the great first entry in this series – and it's full of the kind of laidback group soul tunes that never get old, presented here with superb sound and a great set of notes. Titles include "What Am I Going To Do" by Houston Outlaws, "A Man That Is Not Free" by Soul Sensations, "You Can't Blame Me" by Johnson Hawkins Tatu & Durr, "Trust In Me" by The Magicians, "That's The Way Our Love Is" by The Radiations, "My Sweet Baby" by The Mark-Keys, "Don't Take Your Love From Me" by The Perfections, "Here It Comes" by The Persians, "It Hurts So Much" by The Superbs, "Can't Nobody" by Brothers Of Soul, "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "Sad Sad Story" by The Ethics, and "Someone" by The Lovers". CD

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 19 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD