Not a classic from the early years of James Brown – but a later greatest hits package that's gone onto have legendary status – given all the key cuts it includes! Most numbers here are the shorter single versions – and together, they pack a hell of a punch – showing an especially strong focus on the best soul and funk years of the legendary Godfather Of Soul! Titles include "I Got You", "Sex Machine (part 1)", "I Got The Feelin", "Mother Popcorn (part 1)", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (part 1)", "Think", "Get Up Offa That Thing", "Hot Pants (part 1)", "Superbad (parts 1 & 2)", "Papa Don't Take No Mess (part 1)", "Payback", "Get On The Good Foot", and more! CD

72 tracks – and a fantastic overview of the music of James Brown – from the gritty R&B years to his classic moments of 60s soul, to his mindblowing 70s funk and beyond! CD

A label-spanning look at the music of Terry Callier – one that starts with his folksy roots, runs through his sublime soul at Chess, and ends with some of his overlooked modern soul numbers from the early 80s! There's been a few other Callier collections on the market, but this one's got the best vibe of all of them – as it really goes out of its way to paint the full picture of Terry's unique music – by weaving together tunes that touch on his strongest moments of genius, and mixing those with some surprising gems that haven't been reissued before! Especially rare bits include the previously unissued "Hangman" – recorded for Cadet in the early 70s; a 45 mix of "You're Going To Miss Your Candyman"; the Erect Records cuts "I Don't Want To See Myself Without You" and "If I Could Make You Change Your Mind", both only issued on 12" single; and the early soul 45 "Look At Me Now". Other tracks include "It's About Time", "Dancing Girl", "Occasional Rain", "Martin St Martin", "Until Tomorrow", "I Don't Want Nobody Else", "Turn You To Love", "Be A Believer", "What Color Is Love", and "Ordinary Joe". CD

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Includes 41 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

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Titles that include "Baltimore", "Sometimes I Wonder", "Oh My Love", "This Magic Moment", "Some Kind Of Wonderful", "Up On The Roof", "Stranger On The Shore", "On Broadway", "Under The Boardwalk", and more – 40 tracks total! CD

Excellent 70s soul from the great Ronnie Dyson – first famous as a singer in the original cast of Hair, but later a soul star in his own right, with a few massive hits that brought him big fame! The arrangements here are by Thom Bell, who gives Ronnie's vocals a fragile quality that works wonders, and by Jimmy Wisner, who hits a little bit more of a deep approach with Ronnie – and the tunes on the set are a strong example of the more sophisticated styles of east coast production during the 70s. Includes Ronnie's big hit "One Man Band", plus "I Don't Wanna Cry", "When You Get Right Down To It", "A Wednesday In Your Garden", "The Love Of A Woman", "Girl Don't Come", "Don't Be Afraid", "Fever", "Make It With You", "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You", "Give In To Love", "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", and "A Touch Of Baby". CD

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A killer 2CD set of funky grooves by one of the best backing bands ever! The JBs were James Brown's legendary combo during his monster funk years of the early 70s – and this well-selected compilation brings together 30 rare tracks from their best years! The set's got a great set of notes – and it stretches beyond work by the JBs alone to include cuts from other groupings of the band, like Maceo & The Macks, The Last Word, The First Family, and The New JBs. Titles include "Rockin Funky Watergate", "Keep On Bumpin Before You Give Out Of Gas", "Soul Power 74", "My Brother (parts 1 & 2)", "The Grunt (parts 1 & 2)", "Dirty Harri", "More Peas", "Watermelon Man", "Givin Up Food For Funk (parts 1 & 2)", "JB Shout", "Blessed Blackness", "Same Beat (parts 1, 2, & 3)", and "Gimme Some More (Very Live)". Nice nice nice – and with a fair number of non-LP tracks! CD

Valerie June's been bubbling under for almost a decade – recording work with other artists, doing a variety of projects, and finally getting her chance to shine in the spotlight with her previous debut – yet it may well be this well-crafted second album that finally puts the singer over the top! Valerie's completely her own woman here – not beholden to any sort of easy tags or cliches – including the "rootsy soul" or "folksy diva" tags that we heard batted around before – and instead, almost inventing her own genre for the record – which has a vibe that makes us guess that it's going to be the start of a huge legacy of fame to come for June. Her voice is timeless, the instrumentation is nicely understated, and the production is very easygoing – yet the whole thing comes across with a crispily compelling sound that could appeal to both hipsters and their more mainstream friends. That might sound like a dig, but it's not – just our way of illustrating the soon-to-be universal appeal of the singer! Titles include "The Front Door", "Astral Plane", "Long Lonely Road", "Just IN Time", "Slip Slide On By", "Two Hearts", and "Got Soul". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

Incredible rare work from Magic Sam – a set recorded at his home in Chicago during the late 60s, and which has Sam coming across maybe more like a soul singer than ever before! The setting is very lean – just Sam on electric guitar and vocals – and it's that laidback approach that really lets the magic flow forth – these incredible vocals that could have easily been turned towards deep soul, if Sam wanted to record for Atlantic – and maybe even more powerful here without any other studio support at all! And sure, the approach is different than the better-known Magic Sam albums – but it's also a fantastic illustration of his mighty talents, as you'll hear on titles that include "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You're So Fine", "That's Why I'm Crying", "I'm So Glad", "Baby You Torture My Soul", "What Have I Done Wrong", and "Give Me Time". (Blues, Soul) CD

A really unusual album from the young Stephanie Mills – not only because it captures the singer at a wonderful early point in her career, when she was still open to a rich range of expression – but also because the whole thing was written and produced by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David – who almost work with Mills as a 70s update of their classics with Dionne Warwick! Yet the sound here is also different – deeper in that nicely matured way that Burt had brought to his own great albums and special projects of the time – with these sensitive emotional moments that are a real surprise from Mills, especially as she could have just been phoning it in at this point. Backings are definitely Bacharach-like, but nicely subtle too – again like the direction Burt himself was going at the time – and titles include "No One Remembers My Name", "Loneliness Remembers (What Happiness Forgets)", "This Empty Place", "The Way I Fell About You", and "All The Way To Paradise". CD

A great litle early album from Ann Peebles – rawer than most of her more familiar stuff, with a gutbuckety soul quality that really keeps things fresh! We always love Ann's work, but in these early years she has a deep soul vibe that few other singers can touch – a level that easily rivals Aretha Franklin, but has more real southern roots – and which is handled here by the Hi Records sound. Willie Mitchell produced and arranged (of course!), and the record's got some sweet backing vocals by Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes – very much in a Sweet Inspirations mode, but again maybe a bit deeper too. Tracks include a funky remake of The Isleys' "It's Your Thing", plus "Solid Foundation", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Generation Gap Between Us". CD

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A classic album of raw New Orleans soul from one of the all-time greats! Huey was a key figure who bridged the gap between the rolling sound of 50s Crescent City R&B, and later funky grooves from the 60s. This album's filled with 12 original tracks by Huey – recorded by Ace Records in Jackson, Mississippi – and titles include "Rockin Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu", "Little Chickee Wah Wah", "Havin A Good Time", "Everybody's Whalin", "We Like Birdland", and "High Blood Pressure". CD

Titles include "Genevieve", "Little Liza Jane", "Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu", "Just A Lonely Clown", "Free, Single And Disengaged", "For Cryin' Out Loud", and more – 24 tracks total. CD

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Titles include "Ruler of My Heart", "Two Winters Long", "It's Raining", and of course, all the hits – 23 tracks total. CD

Music from Jackie Wilson, Ruby And The Romantics, The Impressions, Brook Benton & Dinah Washington, Martha And The Vandellas, Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters, Jimmy Jones, The Miracles, Tommy Edwards, Chuck Berry, and more - 20 tracks in all. CD

Music from Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, the Hondells, Dionne Warwick, the Searchers, the Ventures, the Marvelettes, the Drifters, Bobby Bland, and more – 22 tracks in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from The Honeycombs, The Supremes, The Dixie Cups, Don Covay, The Murmaids, Roy Orbison, The Kingsmen, The Shangri-Las, The Impressions, Maxine Brown, The Beach Boys, The Searchers, The Reflections, and more - 22 tracks in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from The Byrds, The Yardbirds, Wilson Pickett, The Miracles, The Beau Brummels, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs, Billy Joe Royal, The Beach Boys, Barbara Lewis, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from James Brown, The Zombies, Lee Dorsey, Cher, Peter And Gordon, Jackie DeShannon, Cannibal And The Headhunters, Gary Lewis And The Playboys, The Larks, The Vogues, The Kinks,and more - 23 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music fromBarry McGuire, Fontella Bass, Len Barry, The Beach Boys, The Beau Brummels, The Miracles, The Kinks, Martha And The Vandellas, Roy Head, The Ad Libs, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from The Beach Boys, The Temptations, The Young Rascals, The Standells, Donovan, Aaron Neville, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Four Tops, The Bobby Fuller Four, Percy Sledge, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from the Coasters, Dion and the Belmonts, Ritchie Valens, Bobby Darin, Frankie Ford, the Drifters, Lloyd Price, the Crests, LaVern Bakers, the Bell Notes, and more – 22 tracks in all! (Rock, Soul) CD

Includes music by the Chantays, Inez Foxx, the Impressions, Chiffons, Jaynetts, Garnet Mimms, Lonnie Mack, Ruby and the Romantics, Stevie Wonder, the Exciters, and more – 22 traks total. (Rock, Soul) CD

Don't think rock – think rhythm 'n' blues – with music from the Nutmegs, Louis Jordan, Shirley & Lee, the Five Royales, Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters, Little Walter, Joe Liggins, Nappy Brown, Johnny Ace, the Clovers, Five Keys, Billy Ward, and more! CD

Music from Pat Boone, Johnny Burnette, Fabian, Connie Stevens, Neil Sadaka, Bobby Vee, Ray Peterson, Tommy Sands, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, and more – 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

Music from Dion DiMucci, Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vee, Buddy Holly, Tab Hunter, Pat Boone, Fabian, Connie Francis, Frankie Avalon, Johnny Tillotson, and more - 22 songs in all. (Rock, Soul) CD

It's like a dream come true – 13 previously unissued recordings by Roy Ayers, all from the height of his glory years on Polydor! Roy's work from this time is some of our favorite ever – a burning blend of jazz, soul, and funk – handled with impeccable charm, and a level of soul that few other artists of the time ever matched. Roy's genius was strongly documented at the time by a series of excellent Polydor albums – but there was also a heck of a lot of great material that never saw the light of day, and which is every bit as great as the classics that we've come to know and love over the years. Hearing this set is incredible – like upping our already-massive appreciation of Roy's talents, and like finding a lost corner of soul music history that nobody's ever heard before. The tunes are all amazing – a great blend of jazzy soul, mellow soul, and dancefloor groovers – and the package is only the tip of the iceberg, from what we've been told! The full album does a great job to not cross over too much with the 12" singles previously issued in this "Virgin" series – and titles include "What's The T", "I Really Love You", "Sugar", "Mystery Of Love", "Green & Gold", "Brand New Feeling", "I Did It In Seattle", "I Just Wanna Give It Up", "Together Forever", "Boogie Down", "I Am Your Mind", and a great alternate version of "Mystic Voyage"! CD

A landmark debut from the mighty Erykah Badu – a record that really set the world on fire when it first appeared – and which continues to blow our minds all these many years later! There's a simple, straightforward grace to the album that comes through immediately – as Erykah tries to forge new ground for soul music, but does it by taking a few steps backwards – not into retro modes, but more in a way that focuses on the core vocal, songcraft, and right instrumentation that can make a special soul record such a standout. She does a great job of both avoiding easy commercial paths, or some of the temptations to embrace other then-contemporary genres – which has made the work of some of her colleagues seem a bit dated. The record defines a whole new style of expression – "Baduizm", if you will – one in which Erykah sings with a depth that stretches back through a century's worth of jazz, soul, and gospel influences – but works a groove in a stripped-down and forward-thinking mode that sets the pace for countless Neo Soul singers to come! Titles include "Certainly (Flipped It)", "Next Lifetime (radio)", "On & On", "Appletree", "No Love", "4 Leaf Clover", and "Sometimes (mix #9)". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

A mega-hit, but for good reason – as the record brought sophistication back to chart soul at the end of the 80s – proof that well-done, deeply-voiced records could still beat the schmaltz of the geri-curl generation! Anita's working here in territory that draws from the classics, but is certainly all her own – a space between jazz and soul that was hardly ever handled this well by other artists at the time. Titles include "Priceless", "Lead Me Into Love", "Giving You The Best That I Got", "Good Love", "Rules", "Good Enough", and "You Belong To Me". CD

A classic album of classy vocals – one that helped set a whole new tone in 80s soul music! Anita had already gained a bit of experience on the soul scene before this set, but with this record she emerged as a full-formed diva who could effortlessly blend jazz and soul into a magnificent new sound. The production has a few touches that date the record a bit, but there's a timelessness to the set that was apparent to listeners the moment it was released. Titles include "Mystery", "No One In The World", "Sweet Love", "You Bring Me Joy", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". CD

From the female singer in the obscure group Chapter 8, Anita went onto become one of the biggest selling soul music acts during the 80s – and this album's her first effort as a solo act. The record's a smooth sophisticated batch of soul tunes, with lots of nice jazzy touches, and a classy sound that was quite refreshing in the face of some of the overly-synthesized soul work of the time. Patrick Moten produced and wrote most of the cuts – but it's Anita's deep vocals that make the record work so well. Titles include "You're The Best Thing Yet", "Feel The Need", "No More Tears", "Will You Be Mine", and "Do You Believe Me". CD

A bit blues, a bit jazz – and a singer with a style unto her own – the amazing Big Maybelle, one of the greatest artists to record for Okeh Records in the 50s! This well-done collection pulls together every single Maybelle recorded for the R&B powerhouse back in the day – a motherlode of great work that easily puts her right up there with Lavern Baker or Ruth Brown as one of the great female singers of the 50s. The package features a whopping 26 tracks in all – including many bits that get lost between the tracks in some of the too-sifted collections of her work from the time. Titles include "Maybelle's Blues", "New Kind Of Mambo", "Hair Dressin Women", "My Big Mistake", "Ain't No Use", "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", "So Good To My Baby", "Gabbin Blues", "You'll Never Know", "The Other Night", and "Such A Cutie". CD

Otis Blackwell takes back his songs – providing his own new versions of tunes that were recorded famously by a host of rock, pop, and R&B artists back in the 50s! The 70s session is definitely done as part of the generation that was "giving back" to the roots of rock and roll – and Blackwell's performance here is possibly more tilted towards the rockers in the room than the R&B fans, given the used of heavy guitar on the record, and the cleaner style of production. Still, as a revivalist set, it's got plenty to offer – and Blackwell working with a small combo for backing, and sounding a bit Elvis-like at times – no surprise, given that Otis was supposedly a big influence on Presley. Titles include "All Shook Up", "Fever", "Daddy Rollin Stone", "Great Balls Of Fire", "Don't Be Cruel", "Searchin", "Hey Little Girl", and "Handy Man". (Blues, Soul) CD

An incredible record from Bobby Blue Bland – and quite possibly the greatest one he ever made! The set's got an amazing something special that's unlike most other material of the time – a bit blues, but a lot of soul too – still with some echoes of R&B in the jazzier charts used for the backdrop, but presented with a rock-solid style that definitely points the way towards many sounds and styles to come in the 60s. And although Bland recorded many of these tracks as separate singles, there's a way they're put together here that makes the whole thing sound completely marvelous together – a really well-conceived track list that shows that Bobby's an even greater artist in the space of a full record. The arrangements are perfect, and Bobby's rough soulful voice is blended in this amazing way with killer horn arrangements that are far more sophisticated than most stuff that ever came after this, and which never get in the way, but only back up his deep emotion. The album's a motherlode of classics by the man, with gems that include "Two Steps From The Blues", "Cry Cry Cry", "I Don't Want No Woman", "I'm Not Ashamed", "Don't Cry No More", "Lead Me On", and "I Pity The Fool". And hell, even his version of "St James Infirmary" is pretty wonderful – something we never thought we'd say about that song. (Blues, Soul) CD

One of the greatest albums ever from James Brown – even if it wasn't issued during his classic run of funk records in the early 70s! Yet the material here is all from that time – recorded by Polydor when James and the JBs were completely kicking ass in the studio – turning out these monstrous longform funk jams that often gave up too much material to fit on all of his albums – which makes this package an overdue dip into the vaults to rescue some of those treasures! The package first saw the light of day in 1988 – at a time when the genius of James was being rediscovered by younger hip hoppers and DJs – and the set is a love letter to all that James had to offer that scene – with gems that include the lost soul classic "She's The One", a duet with Bobby Byrd called "Since You Been Gone", a live version of "There It Is", an untitled instrumental and another instrumental one called "Funk Bomb" – plus a huge long 9 minute version of the great "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" from Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and the cuts "Say It Loud & Live", and "Baby Here I Come". Plus, this expanded version also features a 7 minute version of "I Got Ants In My Pants", the track "You've Changed", and a 12 minute alternate mix of "Bodyheat". CD

A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's not funky, but James' vocals are plenty darn soulful – and the album is proof that he could be a huge talent in just about any mode that he chose – shining with a brilliance that was irrepressible! James covers a few of his older tracks on the album, and sings a few other pop standards – and titles include nice versions of "It's Magic", "The Man In The Glass", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "That's My Desire", and "I Need Your Key (To Turn Me On)". CD features the previously unissued bonus track "There Was A Time" – plus the full, unedited versions of 4 other tracks – appearing here for the first time ever! CD