A great posthumous release from the mighty Marvin Gaye – a set that's half comprised of material that Marvin was working on before his early death, and half pulled from rare personal recordings he'd entrusted to his mother! The cover carries a message that some of the material might be "offensive to some listeners" – and the music is kind of an 80s extension of the sensual themes that Gaye first opened up in the 70s – taken to some slightly more sexual territory here. But other tracks are even more sophisticated than you might expect – very ambitious material that almost hint at a return to the greatness of early 70s Motown and its more complicated presentation of themes – and which offsets the love songs nicely. Together, the work makes for a surprisingly nice addition to Gaye's catalog – possibly not as essential as some of his classics, but still way better than the work of most – and proof that Marvin hardly ever missed at all! Titles include "Sanctified Lady", "Savage In The Sack", "It's Madness", "Ain't It Funny (How Things Turn Around)", "Symphony", "Life's Opera", and "Dream Of A Lifetime" CD

An incredible record – quite possibly our favorite ever by Marvin Gaye! The album is quite unique – written by Leon Ware, and recorded in collaboration with him – done as a "suite" of tracks based on themes of passion, joy, and new love – all of which were very much on the mind of Marvin during his troubled years of the mid 70s. The whole thing's beautifully put together – superbly orchestrated with just the right funky touches, and even a sweet bit of electronics to give the set a nice edge. An amazing album – one of those soul records that goes deeper and deeper than you ever thought pop music could go – filled with great tracks that include "I Want You", "After the Dance", "Come Live With Me", and "Since I Had You". Genius – pure genius! CD

An incredible record – quite possibly our favorite ever by Marvin Gaye! The album is quite unique – written by Leon Ware, and recorded in collaboration with him – done as a "suite" of tracks based on themes of passion, joy, and new love – all of which were very much on the mind of Marvin during his troubled years of the mid 70s. The whole thing's beautifully put together – superbly orchestrated with just the right funky touches, and even a sweet bit of electronics to give the set a nice edge. An amazing album – one of those soul records that goes deeper and deeper than you ever thought pop music could go – filled with great tracks that include "I Want You", "After the Dance", "Come Live With Me", and "Since I Had You". Genius – pure genius! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – quite possibly our favorite ever by Marvin Gaye! The album is quite unique – written by Leon Ware, and recorded in collaboration with him – done as a "suite" of tracks based on themes of passion, joy, and new love – all of which were very much on the mind of Marvin during his troubled years of the mid 70s. The whole thing's beautifully put together – superbly orchestrated with just the right funky touches, and even a sweet bit of electronics to give the set a nice edge. An amazing album – one of those soul records that goes deeper and deeper than you ever thought pop music could go – filled with great tracks that include "I Want You", "After the Dance", "Come Live With Me", and "Since I Had You". Genius – pure genius! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful post-Atlantic album from Nikki Giovanni – much more intimate and personal than her better known work, with only Nikki's voice throughout the album – heard on a number of shorter poems! At some level, Giovanni seems to have left behind the more righteous themes of before, and is going for a mode here that's a bit more everyday – but still touched with the deeper reflections that make her so great. The titles of the poems tell enough about the subject matter – and they include "Parent's Never Understand", "Mommie's Daddies", "Ego Tripping", "James Shell's Snowball Stand", "Knoxville Tennessee", "Winter Poem", "The Drum", and "Kidnap Poem". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing setting for the righteous words and message of Nikki Giovanni – as the set has the poet working with backing vocals by the New York Community Choir, who also recorded a great soul album on RCA around the same time – and an overall approach that elevates Nikki's poetry into a very spiritual realm! There's definitely some gospel currents to the music, but Givoanni's words and spoken passages have much more down to earth concerns – the mix of political and personal themes that made her one of the most important young black poets of her generation. The whole thing is fantastic – very powerful throughout, with titles that include "My Tower", "Poem For A Lady Of Leisure Now Retired", "Second Rapp Poem", "Great Pax Whitey", "Poem For Aretha", and "Ego Tripping". CD

An amazing setting for the righteous words and message of Nikki Giovanni – as the set has the poet working with backing vocals by the New York Community Choir, who also recorded a great soul album on RCA around the same time – and an overall approach that elevates Nikki's poetry into a very spiritual realm! There's definitely some gospel currents to the music, but Givoanni's words and spoken passages have much more down to earth concerns – the mix of political and personal themes that made her one of the most important young black poets of her generation. The whole thing is fantastic – very powerful throughout, with titles that include "My Tower", "Poem For A Lady Of Leisure Now Retired", "Second Rapp Poem", "Great Pax Whitey", "Poem For Aretha", and "Ego Tripping". LP, Vinyl record album

A massively tripped-out set of guitar-based funk – played to perfection by the legendary Eddie Hazel, best known for his work in the George Clinton P-Funk empire! The album offers a different side of Eddie's talents – one that's produced with a smoothly compressed California groove, in a mode that's almost an extension of some of the themes explored by Shuggie Otis on his own 70s albums – taken with a bit more of a P-Funk style. George Clinton produced the set with Eddie – and the tunes have a nice slow-stepping groove that really opens up the guitar solos wonderfully. The record kicks off with a massive cover of "California Dreamin" – but the whole thing's great, with a wonderfully unified feel throughout! Other titles include "Frantic Moment", "What About It?", "So Goes The Story", "Physical Love", and a great cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". LP, Vinyl record album

A massively tripped-out set of guitar-based funk – played to perfection by the legendary Eddie Hazel, best known for his work in the George Clinton P-Funk empire! The album offers a different side of Eddie's talents – one that's produced with a smoothly compressed California groove, in a mode that's almost an extension of some of the themes explored by Shuggie Otis on his own 70s albums – taken with a bit more of a P-Funk style. George Clinton produced the set with Eddie – and the tunes have a nice slow-stepping groove that really opens up the guitar solos wonderfully. The record kicks off with a massive cover of "California Dreamin" – but the whole thing's great, with a wonderfully unified feel throughout! Other titles include "Frantic Moment", "What About It?", "So Goes The Story", "Physical Love", and a great cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". LP, Vinyl record album

Sparkling modern soul from the lovely Phyllis Hyman – and an album that has the singer picking up the wonderfully smooth groove that had become the Philly International sound of the mid 80s. This format works surprisingly well for Phyllis – quite possibly more so than it did even for longer-running artists on the label – as it gives her a great showcase for the more sophisticated and adult sort of themes that were really emerging in her music, the kind of classy soul that Hyman helped forge strongly at the time. Titles include the great numbers "Old Friend", "Ain't You Had Enough Love", "If You Want Me", "Living All Alone", and a nice version of "What You Won't Do For Love". CD

Sparkling modern soul from the lovely Phyllis Hyman – and an album that has the singer picking up the wonderfully smooth groove that had become the Philly International sound of the mid 80s. This format works surprisingly well for Phyllis – quite possibly more so than it did even for longer-running artists on the label – as it gives her a great showcase for the more sophisticated and adult sort of themes that were really emerging in her music, the kind of classy soul that Hyman helped forge strongly at the time. Titles include the great numbers "Old Friend", "Ain't You Had Enough Love", "If You Want Me", "Living All Alone", and a nice version of "What You Won't Do For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more. (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more. (Jazz, Soul) CD

Wonderful work from Ty Karim – a singer who definitely lives up to the "soul goddess" promised in the title! Ty might not be the biggest name in California soul, but she's a hell of a great talent here – starting out in the 60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers – then moving into the 70s with material that's even deeper, and a bit more sophisticated – laidback numbers that really show a maturation in style, and which are filled with wonderful twists and turns! Ty's vocals have a burning quality that's quite surprising, given her kittenish look on the cover – and as the themes get hotter, her singing gets even more righteous – making the whole package a really wonderful journey in soul. And although most of these numbers were issued (or recorded, but unissued) by tiny indie labels, they often have a very full, spacious approach to production – one that's really trying to hit the heights of Detroit or New York at the time. A good number of these cuts weren't issued at the time, and together with the rare singles, they really go a long way towards filling in the gaps in Ty's too-short career on record – further illuminated in the detailed notes from Ady Croasdell. Titles include "Lighten Up Baby", "Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again", "Only A Fool", "All At Once", "Lightin Up", "I Ain't Lying", "You Just Don't Know", "Natural Do", "I'm Leavin You", "All In Vain", "After Your Love Has Gone", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", and "Don't Make Me Do Wrong". CD

We've never been sure if the title's supposed to indicate that Stacy Lattisaw's finally celebrated her 16th birthday, but the album's definitely a key bit of teen pop from the 80s – filled with catchy crossover tunes and a bouncy approach to soul! The record's a bit more unified than some of Lattisaw's earlier albums – and shakes off some of the ballads of before for a range of tunes that playfully deal with themes in a young girl's life. There's a few numbers that get a bit more mature and grown up, but as usual, Stacy actually sounds best on the catchier pop numbers – titles that include "Million Dollar Babe", "16", "Black Pumps & Pink Lipstick", "What's So Hot Bout Bad Boys", and "Johey". LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's still very firmly on track with this set – recording in his new hometown of Atlanta, but also working with Chicago talents like Rich Tufo and Morris Jennings – all in a warm mellow groove that's totally great! The style's a bit more contemporary than the Curtom years, but never too much so – and there's more than enough warmth in the instrumentation to match Mayfield's still-great vocals on the lyrics. The tunes are decidedly less political – more about love and romance – but that's ok with us, because they're the sort of themes that Curtis first started with back in the early years of his career. Titles include "Summer Hot", "Still Within Your Heart", "Hey Baby", "Nobody But You", and "If You Need Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. This edition includes the bonus track "Don't Leave Me This Way (Tom Moulton Mix)". CD

A pair of 70s gems from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes! Black & Blue is classic Philly soul from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a killer batch of studio tracks, despite the live image of the group on the cover! The album's got a slightly more expansive feel than some of the other Teddy Pendergrass-era albums by The Blue Notes – almost a mini-symphony of soul, and one that takes arrangements from Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana – and wraps the vocals up in a soaring, righteous sort of feel! The rougher, more personal Teddy Pendergrass style of I Miss You is folded a bit more into the harmonies of the rest of the group here – and the result is a powerful wave of soul that pushes The Blue Notes right to the top of the pack. The album features classics like "The Love I Lost" and "Is There A Place For Me" – plus other nice material like "Concentrate On Me", "It All Depends On You", and "I'm Weak For You". On Wake Up Everybody, Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. CD

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the only 12" single we've ever seen from Ennio Morricone! Features two very groovy themes. (Soundtracks, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

A huge crossover album of the 70s – one that took an east coast disco groove, and introduced influences from a wide variety of classical themes – best summed up in the title hit "A Fifth Of Beethoven", which was a surprisingly successful radio tune at the time! The effort's a strange one, but was part of a larger movement at the time that was introducing many older musical modes – such as standards or showtunes – onto the dancefloor in an effort to give the less underground clubgoers something to sink their teeth into. And while the approach seemed like a bit of a gimmick, it was also probably inspired by Deodato's big hit with "Zarathustra" and a few other classical themes – echoed here by Murphy's great keyboard work on a few other numbers. The album features the classical tracks "Flight 76", "Night Fall", "Fifth Of Beethoven", and "Russian Dressing" – plus the non-classical Murphy originals "California Strut" (with vocals by Angie Bofil), "Be Your Own Best Friend", "Suite Love Symphony", and "Midnight Express". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice Philly work by the O'Jays – one of their key "second period" albums, and a lost little gem filled with great harmony soul tracks. The political agenda of early 70s Philly albums is mostly gone, and the group's returned to themes of love and romance – often done in a strident uptempo groove, but sounding best on the mellower numbers. Titles include "We're All In This Thing Together", "Let's Spend Some Time Together", "Work ON Me", and "So Glad I Got You Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A mini-LP, but one that packs more punch than most full length sets – thanks to a top-shelf lineup all the way through! The set's a project put together by Sly & Robbie, and recorded at Compass Point Studios – all with a groove that's kind of a dubbier take on the sound of New York dancefloors a the time – nicely bassy, slightly beaty, and topped with some really wonderful vocals from Gwen Guthrie! Larry Levan mixed the whole thing to perfection, giving it a real Paradise groove – and instrumentation is by Wally Badarou on synth, Harry Whitaker on keyboards, Darryl Thompson on guitars, and Jimmy Maelin on percussion. The set's kind of a mini-suite, based around a few key musical themes – and titles include "Padlock", "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Peanut Butter" and "Getting Hot". CD also features 6 more bonus tracks – "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", "Getting Hot (original 12" version)", "Padlock (album mix of Portrait)", "Seventh Heaven (album mix of Portrait)", "Hopscotch (album mix of Portrait)", and "Peanut Butter (original 12" version)". CD

A great step into the 80s for The Pointer Sisters – a record that has them bringing in themes that are a bit more soulful than some of their previous efforts! The album's still got all the big crossover potential of their other hits – but the groove's got a solidly soulful vibe overall – plenty catchy, and with some great 80s elements bubbling underneath – more than enough to freshen up their sound, and give the trio great new territory to work through! Titles include the mega-hit "Slow Hand" – plus "Sweet Lover Man", "We're Gonna Make It", "What A Surprise", "Got To Find Love", "Fall In Love Again", "Should I Do It", and "Someday We'll Be Together". LP, Vinyl record album

The Ritchie Family continue the exotic themes of their disco work started on the Brazil album – and step out here with a surprisingly righteous look on the cover! The mighty Jacques Morali gets some studio help from old Philly soul talent Ritchie Rome – and the pair of them create these soaring grooves that are perfect for the soulful vocals of the trio! Side two features the extended "Arabian Nights Medley" – which features disco-fied takes on older tunes "Istanbul", "Lawrence Of Arabia", and "In A Persian Market" – and side one features more conventional cuts that include "Best Disco In Town", "Baby I'm On Fire", and "Romantic Love". CD features bonus tracks – 1979 remixes of "The Best Disco In Town", "In A Persian Market", "Istanbul", and "Romantic Love" – plus the 7" single mix of "Best Disco In Town (parts 1 & 2)". CD

A really compelling little set from Satisfaction Unlimited – a group we only know from this one corker of a record on the Hot Wax label! The style's a bit in some of the harmony modes of the east coast scene of the time – yet like most Hot Wax/Invictus work, there's also a bit of an odd twist too – a quality that's hard to peg in words, but which is sometimes slightly trippy, other times warmly soulful – almost a Cali indie sort of vibe – with a bit of sunshine that breaks through amidst some of the darker, heavier themes of the record. There's plenty of great numbers with a catchy vibe that could have almost gotten these guys the radio play of some of the RCA groups of the time – and titles include "Time For Us", "Think of The Children", "Bright City Lights", "Let's Change The Subject", "Come On Back", and "Why". CD

A rootsy exploration of themes from the Civil Rights movement by Mavis Staples – getting the Anti treatment here with some real back-to-basics production from Ry Cooder! The sound is possibly even more down home than any of Mavis solo work from years back – certainly more so than her classy 70s soundtrack efforts, and even her earliest work for Stax – almost in an imagined place that jumps backwards to the sound of the earliest Staple Singers albums on Vee Jay, then brings in a bit of Cooder-esque soul to fill things up. Backing vocals on some tracks are by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and by a trio of backing singers on others – and titles include "Down In Mississippi", "Eyes On The Prize", "99 & 1/2", "This Little Light Of Mine", "On My Way", "I'll Be Rested", and "My Own Eyes". CD

Landmark harmony soul from The Stylistics – a set that's every bit as wonderful as their debut, with the kind of sweet, soulful sound that got played over and over and over and over again back in the day! The album's got a subtle sort of power, though – one that lies not only in its classic cover image, but also in the way that the group mix up the fragile themes of love with some deeper aspects of the human condition – heard to best effect on the classic "Children Of The Night" – a massive 7 minute number that stands nicely next to the shorter singles. Thom Bell produced and arranged the whole thing to Philly perfection – with lots of help from Linda Creed on the songwriting – and titles include "Children of the Night", "Break Up To Make Up", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", "Stone In Love With You", "It's Too Late", "If You Don't Watch Out", and "Peek A Boo". LP, Vinyl record album

Take 6's first LP – a return to harmony vocalizing for the 80s, soft-pedalling gospel themes with a smooth finish that shows that the boys can really sing! Titles include "Gold Mine", "Spread Love", "Get Away Jordan", "He Never Sleeps", and "A Quiet Place". CD

An amazing musical discovery – the lost second album from 24 Carat Black – recorded right after the band's legendary debut for Stax Records, but unissued for over 30 years! All the righteous styles of the group's famous Ghetto Misfortune's Wealth classic are fully in place here – and if anything, the record has an even headier feel overall – really complicated sounds that are often deeply spiritual, but still have that snaking, bassline-driven, slow funk quality that we love in the group! The tunes each feel like mini-symphonies in soul – and although the themes center more around love than politics, they're done in a way that goes way past any sexy soul cliches of the time. The group is amazingly laidback – slow-stepping into each tune with a care and confidence that's amazing – and letting the cuts come into their own organically, but always with a mystical sense of order. Numero have done a wonderful job excavating this work – remastering the tapes for great sound, and telling the full story of the group and their too-short career. Titles include "The Best Of Good Love Gone", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Gone The Promises Of Yesterday", "I Begin To Weep", "I Want To Make Up", and "I Don't Love You". CD

The first three albums by Undisputed Truth – finally on CD, with bonus tracks too! First up is the amazing debut of Undisputed Truth – one of the coolest new Motown groups of the 70s – and one of the few that really continued the experimental legacy of the label in the late 60s! As with the Temptations during their psychedelic years, Undisputed Truth are handled by superproducer Norman Whitfield – who does a fantastic job of mixing deeper ideas and righteous themes with some of the soaring soul that was the Motown stock in trade – a wonderful blend that made these guys one of the best groups poised to push the label into the new decade! Titles include the huge hit "Smiling Faces Sometimes", plus lots of covers of cool tracks like "California Soul", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Ball Of Confusion", and "You Got The Love I Need". Law Of The Land is an unstoppable groove from The Undisputed Truth – a group who worked with Norman Whitfield in the same psychedelic soul territory as The Temptations – and who arguably got the sound across even better than them! This set's not as much of a bit hit as the group's other records from the time – but that makes it sound even fresher and more fierce – loads of those hard-rolling basslines you'd expect from Whitfield's production – and some soaring arrangements from Paul Riser and David Van DePitte, both of whom give the album a sense of majesty to match its inherent righteousness. Titles include "Law of The Land" and "Mama I Got A Brand New Thing" – plus covers of Temps tunes "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Just My Imagination" – and other covers that include "Love & Happiness", "If I Die", "Feelin' Alright", and "Killing Me Softly", done in the full soul mode of the group. Down To Earth features Undisputed Truth at the height of their powers – still working in the psychedelic soul style they forged with Norman Whitfield at the end of the 60s – but with a groove that's tighter and sharper than ever before! We might well call the record the funkiest the group ever cut – as Whitfield's production really brings the rhythms into strong focus, while still letting the righteous message in the lyrics shine through in the group's strong sense of interplay – that back/forth between male and female vocals that really helps the group create a sense of social conversation. Titles include the Whitfield originals "Help Yourself", "Big John Is My Name", "Save My Love For A Rainy Day", and "Law Of The Land" – but the best tracks might be their covers, like "Love & Happiness" and "Our Day Will Come", both totally remade here into great new versions! CD features 6 more bonus tracks – including "Let's Go Back To Day One" and "Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love" – plus single edits of "What's Going On", "What It Is", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", and "Law Of The Land". CD

A great overview of one of Motown's hippest soul groups! The Undisputed Truth were the brainchild of Norman Whitfield – and the group were the perfect platform for the "right on" soul that Whitfield was starting to craft in Detroit at the end of the 60s. Whitfield mixed the group's male/female vocal style with a wealth of work on heavy bass, echoey drums, and fuzzy guitars – often having them sing songs with hipper, more contemporary themes, in the same mode as the political conscious soul he'd been working on with The Temptations. This 19 track set is a wonderful collection of the best Motown moments by The Undisputed Truth – with a strong selection of tracks that includes "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Girl You're Alright", "Law Of The Land", "Help Yourself", "Higher Than High", "Let's Go Back To Day One", "You Got The Love I Need", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "What's Going On", "I'm A Fool For You", "Spaced Out", and "UFO's". CD

The funkiest record ever issued by this 70s group best known for clubbier work – a set that foregrounds the badass vocals of female singer Samaki, who kicks it nicely over a host of short tracks that mix political messages with a few personal themes! The whole thing's every bit as righteous as you might guess from the cover – with plenty of influences from bigger names on labels like Curtom or Westbound during the early 70s – but handled with a nice approach that's got some rough edges too! Titles include "Help The Poor", "Daddy Could Swear", "Ticket On The Ark", "Sayin It Doin It", and "I Got Stronger". CD

Quite an unusual album for Dionne Warwick – a late 60s effort that has her returning to her gospel roots, and singing with backing from The Drinkard Sisters – a group originally founded by Dionne's mother, and which featured a young Cissy Houston! The sound here isn't as strictly gospel as you might expect – and in a way, it's almost an exploration of some of the more spiritual themes that echoed on some of Dionne's earlier hits written by Burt Bacharach – those slow-building and soulful moments that were themselves a reflection of Warwick's earlier roots. The arrangements aren't credited here, but they're also not as "churchy" as you might expect – and still have some of the sophistication of Bacharach backings from previous albums. Titles include "Somebody Bigger Than You & I", "The Magic Of Believing", "Steal Away", "Grace", and "In The Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

Can't get enough of Barry White at this key point in his career – a time when he was stepping from the shadows as one of the most sensuous soul stars of the 70s! The album's a near-perfect effort throughout – a great blend of the soaring strings and funkier rhythms that always made Barry's work so great – topped with vocals that are both sung and spoken, all in a voice that's deeper than deep! Tracks intertwine nicely – almost sharing similar themes at points – and although not penned as a "soul symphony", the album certainly comes across like one. Titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Mellow Mood (parts 1 & 2)", "You're The First The Las, My Everything", and "I Can't Believe You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson – an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his "Cost Of Living" group – a combo who only recorded this one album, and which includes Richard Tee on keyboards, Bad Bascomb on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and both Houston Person and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor sax! Most cuts have some sort of vocals – sung by either Sammy Turner or Kenny Williams, both of whom really fit the badass spirit of the record, and bring in a nice range of deeper themes from the 70s. There's almost a blacksploitation funk feel to the record at times, although the set's also got more of a soul album focus too – a rare move for Reuben, but one that's made the album a favorite for years! Tracks include the rare groove classics "Got To Get Your Own" and "Tight Money" – plus "Together", "Stoned Out Of My Mind", "What The People Gon Say", "Back Rub", and "In The Booth In The Back In The Corner In The Dark". (Jazz, Soul) CD

A fantastic 70s classic from Stevie Wonder – part of a great run of records in which he broke completely from his earlier Motown sound – and showed the world that he was one of the true musical visionaries of the decade! The righteous currents of his previous few albums are fully in place here, taken with a bit more focus that helped the record gain Stevie a few new followers in the crossover market, while still offering up plenty to please all the minds that had already been blown by is initial work of the 70s! There's some fantastic themes here, and so many new ideas too – and titles include the slow-funk moog classic "Creepin", which has these wonderful washes of sound throughout, weird vocals by Stevie, and some drums that bump around in off-kilter little patterns just at the right moments. The album also includes the hit "Boogie On Reggae Woman", plus "Too Shy To Say", "You Haven't Done Nothin", "It Ain't No Use", "Bird Of Beauty", and "Please Don't Go". LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal work from Stevie Wonder – an album with a depth and darkness that never would have been expected from his records of the 60s! In a way, the album's almost Stevie's What's Going on – as it's a self-penned, self-produced effort that really steps off from previous efforts – moving into mature, sophisticated, and socially conscious territory that was steeped in the new freedoms of the time. Stevie gets some great help on the set from a young Syreeta, who co-wrote most of the tracks and sings a bit of backup vocals – and who may well be responsible for some of the mature and slightly pained themes that were beginning to emerge in Wonder's love tunes. The whole thing's great – an amazing transformation throughout, and filled with great tunes that include "If You Really Love Me", "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer", "Do Yourself A Favor", "Take Up A Course In Happiness", "Sunshine In Their Eyes", "Look Around", and "I Wanna Talk To You". CD

Excellent early work by Zulema – high-minded and righteous soul, with a really expansive sound that's in keeping with the best on Sussex at the time! The arrangements are nicely complicated – arranged by Bobby Taylor and Gene Page with a good blend of funk, righteous soul, and some heavier themes – and even Zulema herself throws in some "special arrangements" for a few tracks. The tunes are mostly originals, sung in a heartfelt and rich style – and titles include "Giving Up", "Tree", "I Was There", "I'm Watching You", "Love Train", "You Changed On Me", and "Telling The World Good Bye". CD

Southern soul galore – a wonderful range of tracks that are done in that best deep soul mode that borrowed heavily from country music – but also really transformed things to fit their own righteous needs! Make no mistake, the collection is all soul music all the way through – but the songs also echo some of the more heartbreaking themes and local needs you'd find in country music – and also use some isolated elements in the instrumentation and production too! The best way to think of the package is as a collection of southern soul, but one that shows a surprising lack of color barrier when it comes to musical styles – and as always with Ace/Kent, the notes and overall conception of the whole thing is really wonderful. 24 tracks in all – including "Easy Loving" by Bo Kirkland & Ruth Davis, "Big Blue Diamonds" by Little Johnny Taylor, "I Hang My Head & Cry" by Arthur Alexander, "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road" by Percy Sledge, "Touch Your Woman" by Margie Joseph, "Who Will The Next Fool Be" by Bobby Bland, "Stand By Your Man" by The Mirettes, "Till I Get It Right" by Bettye Swann, "Another Man's Woman Another Woman's Man" by Laura Lee, and "Jambalaya" by Ralph Soul Jackson. CD

Think The Beatles only had an impact on rock and pop fans in the America of the 60s? Think again – because their music had an undeniable impact on soul as well – as you'll here from this wonderful range of remakes of classic cuts from the Fab Four! The work here is a real surprise if you don't know the legacy – but it also really makes sense once you're reminded of the mind-expanding, ear-opening territory the group hit in the latter half of the 60s – and working with themes of social change, alienation, and personal longing – of the sort that turn out to be perfect for new interpretations in soul! Most of these cuts are way more than standard cover versions, too – as the arrangements are really inventive, and take off in bold new directions that make the songs very much new properties overall. Most of the work here is from the late 60s and early 70s – and as always with Ace Records, the notes and presentation really put the music in context! Titles include "The Fool On The Hill" by The Four Tops, "Dear Prudence" by The Five Stairsteps, "For No One" by Maceo & The King's Men, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Mary Wells, "Lovely Rita" by Fats Domino, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Undisputed Truth, "Savoy Truffle" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Let It Be" by Bill Withers. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Fantastic soul from Mainstream Records – an imprint that's normally best-known for their work in the field of jazz, but a label that also cut some killer soul singles in the early 70s! Mainstream soul artists almost never got a chance to record a full-length album – so over the years, this soul legacy has been somewhat lost in the shifting sands of time (and shifting piles of funky 45s) – which makes this collection a much-needed resurrection of that material – especially when given the ultra-hip, extra-level presentation of the Kent label! The CD features 23 great tunes from these years – some of them in the modern soul mode promised in the title, lots more in kind of a hip funky soul approach – very early 70s New York, with righteous themes mixed with more familiar soul styles – all set to impeccable instrumentation. Titles include "Oh My Love" by Almeta Latimore, "Come Back With Your Love (part 1)" by Special Delivery, "Grass Ain't Greener" by Charles Beverly, "Love Bug" by Sugar Billy, "You'll Do It" by Calvin Arnold, "I'll Never Trust Love Again" by McArthur, "You've Got A Lot To Give" by Chocolate Syrup, "I'll Never Be The Same (part 1)" by Chapter Three, "I've Been Trying To Love You" by Lenny McDaniel & The Last Nikle, "Slow Down World" by Charles Colbert, "Everyone Has Someone" by Linda Perry, "Your Love Is Like A Rising Sun" by Steptones, "Let Her Know" by Bobby Earl Williams, "Please Don't Set Me Free" by Jeany Reynolds, and "Today Or Never" by Eleventh Commandment. CD

A great little set, even if it's not what you might expect – not the kind of cuts that heralded the early years of country soul – and instead an even cooler batch of tracks from those years when R&B and hillbilly records often crossed paths on the postwar scene! Many of the small indie labels of the 50s recorded both country and blues, sometimes even having different artists take on the same songs, but in different ways – which meant that there was often a lot of cross-pollination going on in the farther reaches of the music business! The cuts here definitely show that approach – as a good many of them were originally country hits for other singers, but sound great and very different in the hands of R&B artists – and are mixed with a few others that follow similar themes, and really fit into the set in a great way. As always with Bear Family, the whole thing is presented with great notes and details on the music – in a set list of 29 tracks that include "Steel Guitar Rag" by Earl Hooker, "Sixteen Tons" by BB King, "Lovesick Blues" by Sonny Knight, "Big Mamou" by Smiley Lewis, "Ghost Riders In The Sky" by Scatman Crothers, "It'd Surprise You" by The Griffin Brothers with Margie Day, "Indian Love Call" by Hal Singer, "No Help Wanted" by Bob Gaddy & His Alley cats, "Cherokee Boogie" by Moose Jackson, "It Makes No Difference Now" by Piano Red, and "You Can't Stay Here" by Pearl Reaves & The Concords. CD