This record was produced by Henry Jerome and orchestrated and conducted by Joe Renzetti. It features 12 songs and they include "I've Gotta Be Me","To Remind You","This Room", "I'm Never Gonna Be The Same", "Here I Am Again", "Games People Play", "Where Am I Going", "My Little Boy", and "The Worst That Could Happen". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime swamp rock from the great Tony Joe White – one of his groundbreaking albums cut for the Monument label at the end of the 60s – a killer blend of southern rock steeped in funky soul! The backings are heavy in Hammond and fuzzy guitars – underscored by some really mighty drums, and just a bit of horns – giving the set a vibe that's somewhere between Memphis and Muscle Shoals, but with a definite detour into the garagey underground too! The grit in the grooves is totally wonderful – able to play on both sides of the fence – and titles include the funky "Woodpecker" – plus "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Elements & Things", "For Le Ann", "Old Man Willis", "Woman With Soul", and "The Migrant". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure soul set on the legendary Sun Records label – raw vocals from Frank Ballard, done in a style that still has a few older R&B currents in the mix, but which is definitely pointed strongly towards a 60s groove! Backings are by the band of tenorist Phillip Reynolds, and the sound here is a lot more in the King Records mode than you'd expect from Sun – plenty of grit in the grooves, and with some great work on piano, guitar, and tenor next to the vocals! Frank earlier sung with tenor man Curtis Amy, but he's really at the top of his game here – and titles include "Trouble Down The Road", "Rollin In", "After Hours", "Do Wa Diddi", "Is Anybody There", and "Just Leave It With Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A mid-70s message from the legendary Fela Kuti – a record whose title and cover image are a commentary on the wrong directions the Nigerian elite were heading in at the time – served up here with all the fantastic frenzied grooves that Afrika 70 can deliver! "Ikoyi Blindness" begins with quick-stepping percussion and riffing guitar, then soon opens to a great keyboard part as the horns come in, and the whole thing flowers beautifully in both an instrumental and vocal level! The flipside also features the equally-great "Gba Mi Leti Ki N'Dolow" – translated as "Slap Me Make I Get Money", an attack on the way that the rich bend the system of justice to their own needs – and really set fire by Fela and the group. (Global Grooves, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

That's Andre Gibson sitting at an electric piano on the cover – an image that will give you very much an idea of the record – as the music here is more personal and intimate than previous recordings by the Universal Togetherness Band – and tracks that actually seem to show a lot more depth and soul overall! The mixture of Gibson's voice and Rhodes is like hearing some demo material from the Donny Hathaway side of the spectrum – definitely more 70s-styled than you'd guess from the date range in the title, but a bit more gritty overall – and mostly with electric piano and vocals, on all numbers, with occasional added instrumentation thrown in from time to time. Titles include "Bring Me Home", "Love Changes Life's Changes", "All My Pals", "Thankful For You", "Say I Will", "Stuck On A Thrill", "Don't It Feel Good", "I Wanna Take You Away", "Breakaway", and "I'm Falling". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic chapter in the career of the great Muddy Waters – a set that was initially dismissed as "inauthentic", but which has gone on to much-deserved fame over the years! Part of the genius here is the great Charles Stepney – that hip Chicago arranger who did so many wonderful things in the Chess/Cadet Records studios at the end of the 60s – which he definitely does here, as the gritty blues of Muddy Waters is mixed with a righteous current of 70s funky – with added guitar from Phil Upchurch and Pete Cosey, bass from Louis Satterfield, and organ from Stepney himself! The vibe is similar to the best funk blues sessions on Chess at the time by Bo Diddley and Etta James – and titles include "I'm A Man", "I Just Want To Make Love to You", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Same Thing", "She's All Right", and "Tom Cat". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare bit of hardcore poetry by the Watts Prophets – the legendary LA group who were kind of a west coast answer to the Last Poets! The group have a sound that's as striking as the best early work by The Last Poets – a hard-hitting blend of poetry, rhythms, and righteous energy – all recorded in a style that's stripped down, proud, angry, and in stark contrast to the rest of the work coming out in the soul music industry at the time. The album's not only important as a precursor to the west coast hip hop style, but it's a heck of a powerful statement that's as chilling now as it was back in 1971! Titles include "Amerikkka", "Dem N****** Ain't Playing", "A Pimp", "Hello N******", and "The Prostitute". LP, Vinyl record album

(Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A massive album by Lamont Dozier – probably his best ever! Every cut's a winner, and the LP shines with a sharpness and tightness that's missing from some of Lamont's other LPs from the 70s. The songwriting is impeccable – and as the album progresses, you get that eerie "deja vu" feeling you can have when discovering a landmark work for the first time. There's a hint of funk in the mix, but the strongest point is the production – which bowls over the top with a mix of strings, piano, and Lamont's wonderfully honest vocals. Includes the wonderful soul anthem "Don't Leave Me", which comes up again in a very tight instrumental version – plus the tracks "The Picture Will Never Change", "Why Can't We Be Lovers", and "Slipping Away". Great all the way through, and a stunning bit of seventies soul that will have you returning again and again! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous record from one of the hippest soul singers ever – and an album that has Gil Scott-Heron really pushing forward after his initial classics for the Flying Dutchman label! There's less spoken material here and more sung passages – as Gil's really discovering his confidence as a singer, moving effortlessly between jazz and soul – and getting superb accompaniment from Brian Jackson, who plays both acoustic and electric piano next to Gil's electric. Backings are spare – just bass and drums – and it's no surprise that the album was released on the legendary Strata East label, as it rivals the rest on that imprint for righteous spiritual power! Titles include Gil's classic "The Bottle" – which went on to become a huge hit in many versions – plus the beautiful "Your Daddy Loves You", heard here in the original version – and the tunes "Peace Go With You Brother", "Back Home", "Rivers Of My Fathers", and "A Very Precious Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful swirling instrumental LP that features the classic "Love's Theme", the cut that made Barry a multi-millionaire, and which firmly established his sophisticated orchestral soul style as one of the trademarks of the 70s! This is the ultimate in 70s soul class – from the cover that features Barry standing with ladies by the pool, to the complicated rhythms and sweet patterns of sound that made the record an instant classic. Includes some nicely funky cuts, like "What a Groove", "Baby Blues", and the sweet "Midnight and You". LP, Vinyl record album

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 groundbreaking first album from The Time – a set that very firmly put the Minneapolis soul scene on the map, served up by a lineup that was maybe even more of a supergroup than Prince's band at the time! And while most folks credit Prince with helping The Time get their start, these guys already have plenty of fantastic power of their own – no surprise, given that this early version of the group still featured Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, before they went off to become production giants on their own – plus wicked guitar from Jesse Johnson, and beautifully dynamic vocals from the great Morris Day! Titles include "Get It Up", "Girl", After Hi School", "The Stick", "Oh Baby", and the 10 minute jam "Cool", one of our favorite cuts of the early 80s! Great 2LP pressing – with bonus single cuts that include "Cool (parts 1 & 2)", "After Hi School (single edit)", "The Stick (single edit)", and "Get It Up (single edit)". LP, Vinyl record album

If you never went to Skippy White's record store in Boston, you really missed a hell of a shop – a surprisingly great outlet for rare and underground soul, located way up in New England – and a place that was giving the world wonderful music over the course of many decades! Back in the early days of the store, Skippy really had his ear to the scene – and managed to capture all sorts of great artists who were working very underground on the Boston scene – mostly soul acts, but a bit of blues and gospel too – all featured here in the first-ever collection to look at White's work at this level. The package was put together by Eli Paperboy Reed, and has notes from Boston contemporaries Peter Guaralnick and Peter Wolf – yet it's far hipper than any of those references might imply – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Do The Thing" by Earl Lett, "I Love What I Found In You" by The Precisions, "I've Been Lifted Out Of Sin" by Sons Of David, "Evil Woman Blues" by Guitar Nubbit, "Treason" by The Precisions, "Holy Ghost & Fire" by The Lord's Messengers, "Skippy White (parts 1 & 2)" by Junior Washington, "I Was Standing" by Lynn Harmonizers, and "Now Is The Time" by Earl Lett. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue second full length albums from the SSS International years of the great Johnny Adams – tracks that were mostly issued as singles by the label, and which come together here with a punch that's even harder than the work on his Heart & Soul album from the time! Adams has a voice that's definitely trained in the deep soul modes of the south, but also gets some groovier help that's more in keeping with the SSS approach – a bit funky at times, nicely gritty at others – on titles that include "South Side Of Soul Street", "Give Me A Chance", "Release Me", "Proud Woman", "I Won't Cry", "In A Moment Of Weakness", "You Made A New Man Out Of Me", "I've Got Too Much To Lose", and "Living On Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful set of modern soul – and one of the few excellent albums on the Handshake label! Karin's a singer we know nothing about, but she's got a great approach for this boogie-styled set – one that's upfront and belting on the more uptempo numbers, but also wonderfully soulful on the mellower tracks – which actually stand out as some of our favorite on the record! There's a proud, full sound to the album – post-disco soul at its best, and handled with enough depth to match the best of the better-known modern soul of the time! Arrangements are by Dunn Pearson and Dennis Williams – always with a warm sound – and titles include "So Right", "Here I Go Again", "Under The Influence Of Love", "Ooh Baby Don't", "Last Night In My Dreams", and "Ready Ready Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of funky instrumental tracks from Barry White – often overlooked because of the "greatest hits" association you could make with the "gold" in the title. The record's got that perfect Love Unlimited sound – heavy beats underneath, and the orchestra soaring over the top in tight rhythmic washes of strings and keyboards! Tracks include "Spanish Lei", "Barry's Love", "Satin Soul", "Power Of Love", "You Make Me Feel Like This", and "Dreaming". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from Barry White – the one and only album recorded by Danny Pearson, one of the few singers that Barry did as "special projects" during the 70s! Like Gloria Scott and Tom Brock – two other White-produced singers of the time – Pearson's got a wonderful approach that's quite different than Barry's own work – a fragile, sensitive, sweet soul style that's a lot like indie work from the New Jersey/Philly scene of the early 70s, produced with a bit more of the Barry White flair. The sound is sublime – with magical orchestrations by White and Gene Page, wrapped lovingly around Pearson's great vocals. Titles include "Honey Please, Can't You See?", "What's Your Sign Girl?", "Is It Really True Girl", and "Walkin In the Rain With The One I Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". LP, Vinyl record album

A Bad Boy classic from the 90s – the tight debut of Total, a trio who were one of the strongest proponents of hip hop-influenced soul at the time! There's plenty of production talents on hand to keep the sharp edges in the music running strong – including Sean Puffy Combs, Raphael Saadiq, Chucky Thompson, and Pharrell – and the strong mix of funky samples, beats, and cut-up arrangements really help kick a lot of life into the grooves – as do some key guest appearances from Notorious BIG and Da Brat! Titles include "No One Else", "Kissin You", "Do You Know", "Someone Like You", "Can't You See", "Do You Think About Us", "Tell Me", Don't Ever Change", "Love Is All We Need", "Tell Me", "When Boy Meets Girl", and "Spend Some Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A little bit funk, a little bit soul – Mickey Murray was one of the underrated talents working in the SSS label during the company's glory years, and had a sock-hard southern soul style that was really outta site! Mickey first hit big with the tune "Shout Bamalama" – originally recorded by Otis Redding in his earliest years in the studio, but pushed to much bigger fame by Mickey with his classic late 60s recording. This tasty little set is done in a great mix of upbeat sockin-soul and mellower southern burners – all carried off with a depth and level of quality that should have made Mickey a bigger star at the time! Titles include the massively funky "Hit Record", plus "How many Breaks Can One Heart Take", "Got You On My Mind", and the eerie "Lonely Room". LP, Vinyl record album

If you never went to Skippy White's record store in Boston, you really missed a hell of a shop – a surprisingly great outlet for rare and underground soul, located way up in New England – and a place that was giving the world wonderful music over the course of many decades! Back in the early days of the store, Skippy really had his ear to the scene – and managed to capture all sorts of great artists who were working very underground on the Boston scene – mostly soul acts, but a bit of blues and gospel too – all featured here in the first-ever collection to look at White's work at this level. The package was put together by Eli Paperboy Reed, and has notes from Boston contemporaries Peter Guaralnick and Peter Wolf – yet it's far hipper than any of those references might imply – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Do The Thing" by Earl Lett, "I Love What I Found In You" by The Precisions, "I've Been Lifted Out Of Sin" by Sons Of David, "Evil Woman Blues" by Guitar Nubbit, "Treason" by The Precisions, "Holy Ghost & Fire" by The Lord's Messengers, "Skippy White (parts 1 & 2)" by Junior Washington, "I Was Standing" by Lynn Harmonizers, and "Now Is The Time" by Earl Lett. LP, Vinyl record album

(Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from one of the greatest R&B vocalists ever! Willie sounds wonderful on tracks that include "Talk To Me Talk To Me", "Uh Uh Baby", "Drive Me Home", "Tell It Like It Is", "Person To Person", "Until You Do", and "I'll Carry Your Love Wherever I Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album by Barry White – a bit later than some of the early 70s hits, but one of his most satisfying records overall! The perpetual favorite on the album is the great groover "Strange Games & Things", a slow sly funky track that's been sampled often over the years, and which is a perfect summation of the mix of heavy drums and orchestra that made Barry's records so great. The album's also got a lot of other very nice groovers, most of which have a more uptempo sound than "Strange Games", but all of which are very nice. Titles include "Brazilian Love Song", "My Sweet Summer Suite", and "You, I Adore". LP, Vinyl record album

An album of theirs that you don't see that often – with Barry White's takes on popular movie hits. Some of this veers a little to close to the cheesy side of things, but it's worth it for the "Theme From King Kong" alone, an uptempo funk number that has a great almost afro-funk guitar, way up front in the mix. There's also a great take on the theme from Shaft, and "People of Tomorrow Are the Children of Today" from the Together Brothers soundtrack. LP, Vinyl record album

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that has roots in the same scene as Syl Johnson, whose modes definitely creep into the groove at times! Sam's combo here is mighty nice – with Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano, and Mighty Joe Young on guitar – and titles include "Stop You're Hurting Me", "Easy Baby", "What Have I Done Wrong", "It's All Your Fault", "You Belong To Me", "You Don't Love Me Baby", and "San Jose". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment for the Philly soul scene of the 70s – and the first album to feature the MFSB backing group as a solo act on their own! The ensemble were responsible for key sounds on countless soul singles of the time – yet also find a way to soar beautifully on their own – in a sweet instrumental groove that matches the strength of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra, and which was definitely a key inspiration for the sound of the Salsoul Orchestra! There's definitely a bit of early disco in the mix, but the style's more uptempo east coast overall – that pre-disco groove that was going down in the clubs – with larger strings added to a core group of funky rhythm players. Gamble & Huff production make the whole thing sparkle, and arrangements are by Vince Montana, Bobby Martin, and Jack Faith – on titles that include "Love Is The Message", "Cheaper To Keep Her", "TSOP", "Zack's Fanfare", "Touch Me In The Morning", and "My One & Only Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A very big crossover moment for the Philly sound, and one of the biggest hits by the studio combo that drove the big Gamble/Huff hits of the 70s! The record's a great batch of smooth Philly instrumentals – not really disco, although the tracks certainly crossed over there – more uptempo soul, with the same bouncy sound heard on the vocal hits of the label – a majestic Philly International groove, carefully classy, but still damn soulful too! Includes lots of familiar cuts – like "Zach's Fanfare", "Get Down With The Philly Sound", "Brothers & Sisters", and "South Philly". LP, Vinyl record album

Rudy Ray Moore takes the White House – or at least tries to – in this cool 1972 album that must have been a great antidote to the campaigns of Richard Nixon and George McGovern! The set starts with Rudy running his way through a whole bunch of campaign issues – including "Free Love" and "Mary Wanna" – all delivered in faux politico mode, with a crowd cheering him on, and an introduction that features music from "Exodus"! The rest of the set is a bit more typical Dolemite material – almost even more raunchy than the presidential mode – and other titles include "Dance Of The Freaks", "Bulldaggers", "Good Pussy Lil", and "Sit In Your Mama's Lap". Language is raw – so be warned! LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful fusion set from guitarist Lee Ritenour – one that expands his sound a bit more than usual by adding in vocals on a number of tracks – but in a way that really gets at the mainstream soul influences that bubble through his jazz work! The set features key vocal appearances from Patti Austin, Tom Baylor, and Bill Champlin – all singers who really know how to respect the instrumental side of a tune, too – which is great, given that the record also features keyboards from Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen too. Titles include "That's Enough For Me", "Sugarloaf Express", "What Do You Want", "Matchmakers", "Morning Glory", and "The Storm". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from the mighty DJ Rogers – one of the most positive, powerful voices in 70s soul music! The set's a sublime Rogers showcase all the way through – as DJ wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record – in partnership with the Earth Wind & Fire Kalimba Productions imprint – which is perfect placement for the set, as it shares all the best righteous energy with that famous group at its height! DJ's vocals are trained in the church – both technically and spiritually – but they soar out here in some secular lyrics that really help bring a sense of warmth and love to the universe – a really rare blend of modes from both sides of the fence that rivals the best 70s work by Rance Allen or Donny Hathaway. Backings are perfect – maybe even more focused and moving than on some of Rogers' previous albums – and titles include "Hold Me", "Sold On You", "When Love Is Gone", "Changed", "You Take Me Higher (Brazilian Lover)", "All My Love", and "Love Brought Me Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring Italian disco from the end of the 70s – a set arranged and conducted by Rudy Trevisi, with superb polished production from Jacques Fred Petrus! The style here is very commercial, but still pretty great – long tunes that spin out with gimmicks that might appeal to a crossover club scene – including catchy pop vocals that might have you humming some of these tunes more than others as you're riding home in a cab from Studio 54! Titles include a cover of "White Room", plus "Just Take My Body", "Thank You Baby", and "Can You Stop Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Slow slinking soul from Sam Salter – a mainstream set, but a pretty nice one too – thanks to a no-apologies approach to the ballads and mellow tracks that keeps the record firmly in check whenever it might falter! Sam's not the kind of singer who's going to change the world, but he does a pretty great job of what he does – and this album's a good reminder that there was some decent soul laying around at the bottom of the mainstream in the pre-Neo Soul years. Titles include "After 12 Before 6", in both regular and Ghetto Fabulous remixes – plus "It's On Tonight", "I Love You Both", "Give Me My Baby", "Thinkin & Trippin", "It Took A Song", "On My Heart", "Show You That I Care", and "Every Time A Car Drives By". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Bunny's earliest, and one of his best. Although some of the tracks have an uptempo pre-disco feel, there's none of the excesses of his later albums for Gold Mind. Instead, there's a solid Philly soul groove, and great production by Bunny, with arrangements by Norman Harris and Ronnie Baker. Tracks include "Keep Smilin", "Picture Us", "Love Train", "Things Are Gonna Get Better", and "Your Love Is Good". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty tasty album of instrumentals – all Motown, as you'd expect by the title, and all played by the Soultown Symphony, a side project of Wes Farrell and Joe Renzetti. The band have a similar style to the Jazz Rock Symposium – another Renzetti group on Anvil – with driving rock-heavy instrumentation set amidst larger orchestrations with strings and Motown-esque arrangements. The record's not totally funky – but there's a nice hard soul sock on many tracks, more so than on the original versions of some of the songs it covers. Titles include "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted", "Love Child", "Stop! In The Name Of Love", "A Place In The Sun", and "My Whole World Ended". LP, Vinyl record album

Disco 9000 is Johnnie Taylor's 3rd release for Columbia – a great batch of smooth soul tracks with a lot less of the "disco" that you'd expect from the title! Johnnie produced the session himself – and the album was recorded as a soundtrack (to a film that was later retitled Fass Black), but works well on its own as a straight soul release. Most tracks are relatively long, in that smooth midtempo groove that Johnnie was using at the time – and the combination of his bluesy vocals and modern soul production really makes the set sparkle! Titles include "I Love You Woman", "Right Now", and "I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure 7 track EP from Johnnie Taylor – almost a 12" single, but with more than enough going on to make us think of it as a full album! Johnnie's in prime Columbia Records form here – and the tunes are a mix of the "Disco Lady" style of his earlier hit for the label, plus some of the mellower southern soul of his roots! The set was recorded in both Detroit and Muscle Shoals – with Don Davis at the helm in the former, and Brad Shapiro in the latter – both of whom really help Taylor hit the heights with effortless ease here, all in a new sense of sophistication that he might never have found in his music, had he stayed at Stax! Titles include "She's Killing Me", "Pulling The Train", "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone", "Play Something Pretty", "The Users", and "Love Account". LP, Vinyl record album

They may be Teenagers, but this is hardly teen pop – as the album's a key step in the direction towards soul music for the 60s – thanks to the mighty power of the tragic Frankie Lymon! There's a sense of darkness to the album right from the start – even in the hit that kicks things off – and Lymon's heartbreaking quality never lets up – with a deep soul sensibility that may well top the group leads of Clyde McPhatter or Jackie Wilson in the same generation. Even some of the more playful moments have an undeniable power – and titles include the classic "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", plus "I'm Not A Juvenile Deliquent", "I'm Not A Know It All", "Love Is A Clown", and "Please Be Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A wild and weird early soundtrack work from the great Melvin Van Peebles – a set of songs composed by the man himself, and put together for an early directorial effort about a white man who wakes up one morning and finds himself black – and has to discover the real version of society from an African-American perspective! The music and politics are very similar to Melvin's early albums for A&M – songs that borrow from a few different styles, and aren't just straight soul and funk – handled with some larger arrangements from Bob Matthews, who amplifies some of the wildness in the tunes! Tracks include "Love, That's America", "Great Guy", "Eviction Scene", and "Where Are The Children". LP, Vinyl record album