You might know Ace Records as home to a fair bit of jazz, funk, and soul reissues over the years – but right from the start, the label's also had a keen ear for rockabilly – and can boast a decades-long devotion to the music, with releases that have really blown us away! This set digs back over material that Ace has reissued in previous decades – cuts that are both rare original singles, or unissued tracks – from important labels like Starday, Chess, Goldband, and Meteor – all hand-picked by Keb Darge – another British force in turning us on to great music over the years! The vinyl-only collection is full of gems – and titles include "All Dressed Up" by Jimmy Johnson, "Let's Go Bopping Tonight" by Al Ferrier & His Bopping Billies, "Nuthin But A Nuthin" by Jimmy Stewart & His Nighthawks, "Blue Jeans & A Boy's Shirt" by Glen Glenn, "The Woman I Love" by Gene Terry & His Kook Kats, "Jello Sal" by Benny Ingram, "Lonesome Baby Blues" by David Ray, and "Do Me No Wrong" by Pat Cupp & The Flying Saucers. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes themes from "To Serve Them All My Days", "Bouquet Of Barbed Wire", "Onedin Line", "The Agatha Christie Hour", "The Deer Hunter", ""Tales Of The Unexpected", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record – and one that's well worth all the anticipation it's gotten over the years! The set features rare, previously unreleased material done by Funkadelic during their classic years at Westbound Records – some songs, and some studio jams – of the sort the group were famous for, especially during their time at Westbound! The songs are totally great – massively funky numbers that rank right up there with classics of the Cosmic Slop years – and the jams are almost even better, a rare opportunity to hear the genius collective at work in the studio – without any edits at all to get in the way! We'd easily rank this set right up there with Free Your Ass or America Eats Its Young – and after years of waiting, it's great to have this wonderful collection finally out for the masses! Songs include "Heart Trouble", "Talk About Jesus", and "The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg" – and jams include "Vampy Funky Bernie" and "Slide On In". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a great girl group from the 60s – one who never got much play on our side of the Atlantic, but who were one of the most unique UK groups of the time! For one thing, the quartet didn't just sing to studio backings – they also played their own instruments too – which made them more in the mode of some of the mod male British acts of the time than some of the more polished Brit pop female singers! Not that they didn't get great help in the studio, though – as some of these cuts feature top production efforts from giants like Alan Price and Shel Talmy – both of whom never get in the girls' way, and just find a mode to let their sound shine even more strongly on record! Goldie & The Gingerbreads never got the full fame they deserved – save for a few singles issued on Decca and smaller labels – but they did record plenty for a brief stretch, as you'll hear here in a selection of 16 tracks that includes a few unissued tracks done for Atlantic Records as well. Titles include "That's Why I Love You", "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", "Look For Me Baby", "The Skip", "VIP", "Bye Bye Baby", "What Kind Of Man Are You", "Something Beautiful", "Chew Chew Fee Fi Fum", "Little Boy", and "Sporting Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Early soulful work from the Memphis scene – all tracks recorded during the early days of Sun Records studios, but issued by the Modern/RPM label in LA! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early European performances by this tenor giant, with George Van Helvoirt, Marcel Thielemans, Wim Poppink, Andrew Vanderouderaaa, Theo Uden Masman, Nico De Rooy, Jacques Pet, Tonny Limbach, Toon Diepenbroek, and Kees Kranenburg in 1935 and 1937, and with a smaller band including Freddy Johnson and Frits Reinders in 1937. LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from Isaac Hayes – a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". LP, Vinyl record album

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The long-overdue return of a southern soul legend – as the great Willie Hightower returns to the Muscle Shoals scene that gave him some of his best music of the 60s! Hearing the sound of the record, it's as if nothing's changed at all – and we mean that in the best way possible – as Willie's vocals are still wonderful, and the backing has that right mode of easygoing soul to really let the singer flow – which he does wonderfully under the production guidance of equal southern soul legend Quinton Claunch, with backing from all star players who include Travis Wammack on guitar and Clayton Ivey on Hammond. The whole thing's better than you might even expect – like lost tapes from the mid 70s, with a warm glow that shows Willie in perfect for all the way through! Titles include "Everybody Wants My Girl", "No Gettin Over Me", "You Can't Love", "I Found You", "Raining All The Time", "Somewhere Dry", "Tired Of Losing You", and "Easy Loving". LP, Vinyl record album

Boogie, indeed – as the tracks here are filled with the kind of skittish guitar lines that made John Lee Hooker one of the real standouts of the 50s scene – maybe one of the most rhythmic bluesmen of his generation, next to Bo Diddley! Like Diddley's classic records for Chess, most of these tracks are filled with deft work from Hooker on guitar – chuggingly rhythmic, but often breaking out into great solo moments too – the roots of electric modes that would break bigger in the 60s, handled here by one of the early masters! Titles include "Hoogie Boogie", "Boogie Chillen 2", "House Rent Boogie", "Jump Me", "Huckle Up Baby", "Shake Holler & Run", "Momma Poppa Boogie", and "Hastings Street Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of early Howlin Wolf material – long out of print! LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of Elmore James' 50s recordings for the RPM label – including unissued tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early work from Etta James – material cut during the late 50s for the west coast Modern Records label, most of it a lot harder-hitting than Etta's more famous music for Chess in the 60s! Given the raw power of Etta James at Chess, that's saying a heck of a lot – and you'll definitely hear an unbridled James at work here – a younger singer working in territory that echoes Lavern Baker or Ruth Brown on Atlantic, but with a grittier nod to the R&B underground on labels like King or Savoy. The package features a few great answer songs – Etta's contribution to the "Henry" song cycle – and some other great stompers too – a selection that includes "Tough Lover", "Good Rockin Daddy", "Woman", "The Wallflower", "Dance With Me Henry", "Hickory Dickory Dock", "Strange Things Happening", and "Hey Henry". LP, Vinyl record album

With Buck Clayton, Eddie Durham, Freddy Green, Walter Page, and Joe Jones on the 1938 sessions, and Bill coleman, Dicky Well,s Joe Bushkin, John Simmons, and joe Jones on the 1944 sessions. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Ty Karim – an LA singer from the 60s, just waiting to be rediscovered! 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. Titles include "Lighten Up Baby", "Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again", "Only A Fool", "All At Once", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", "Wear Your Natural Baby", and "Don't Make Me Do Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

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An amazing debut from Mighty Baby – a group that grew out of 60s mod rockers The Action – but who have a very different sound overall! In a way, the shift here is a more vivid step forward than some of the other British acts who slowly evolved from mod to prog – as the group work here in a freewheeling blend of guitars, drums, and some specially nice sax and organ lines – with with this swirling vibe that really moves past some of the straighter American jazz and soul elements that got them going! Ian Whiteman handles the vocals, saxes, and keyboards – and there's this soaring quality that's maybe somewhere between early Yes and some of the Brian Auger shifts at the start of the 70s – with a touch of the vocal warmth of CSNY – all held down by some great drumming from Roger Powell, in a group that also features Martin Stone on some mighty nice lead guitar. Titles include "Egyptian Tomb", "Trials Of A City", "Same Way From The Sun", "I've Been Down So Long", and "A Friend You Know But Never See". LP, Vinyl record album

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Don't think "rock n roll" – as the set features early New Orleans soul from Art Nevill – a host of tracks recorded for the Specialty label in the late 50s! LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy funk from some of the all-time greats – one of the key Westbound Records classics from the mighty Ohio Players! This album's got the Players working at their all-time best – a bit jazzy, with a more sophisticated undercurrent than some of their contemporaries – a righteous vibe that's light years ahead of the 45 crowd – with plenty of space on the album to try out a wide variety of ideas in their music! Junie Morrison did the arrangements for the record, and the album's a great blend of light and dark moments throughout – sometimes a sweet vocal, sometimes a heavy piano line – all wrapped up with a sense of focus, but still enough freedom to let the group do their thing! Features the incredible title cut "Ecstasy", the great instrumental "Not So Sad And Lonely", and the tracks "Do You Feel It", "Black Cat", "Sleep Talk", "Food Stamps Y'All", and "Short Change". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous discovery in soul music – previously unreleased demos from the legendary Dan Penn – one of the key songwriters in the Fame Studios/Muscle Shoals scene of the 60s! Dan's tunes had an undeniable impact on southern soul for decades to come – yet Penn hardly issued any singles himself – just sang on these in-house recordings as a way of demonstrating the strength of his songs! Yet Penn's vocals are amazing – as raspy and soulful as any of the big names who recorded his work – and backed here by superb Fame support by the core combo of Spooner Oldham on piano and organ, Jimmy Johnson on guitar, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Oldham co-wrote most of the tunes with Penn, and really gives them a slow-burning, all-soul feel with his keyboard lines – and although demo recordings, the production here is every bit as great as commercially-released material from Fame – making the collection sparkle like the lost album (or albums!) that Dan Penn never had at the time. Titles include "Keep On Talking", "Feed The Flame", "Strangest Feeling", "I Do", "It Tears Me Up", "Uptight Good Woman", "Far From The Maddening Crowd", "The Puppet", "Long Ago", "Slippin Around With You", and "Do Something". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard work from the legendary Rodion GA – an artist who barely issued any material during the 20th century, but who's become a real electronic music legend in more recent years! Rodion hails from Hugary, where he worked underground recording all these cool cuts from the 80s onward – material that's a blend between cold wave grooves and more synth-based sound library material – usually instrumental, and with some dark currents on most tracks that really make for some striking sounds throughout! All the cuts here are from Rodion's archive, and even the later ones have an analog vibe that feels like lost cassette culture electronic nuggets from the early 80s – brought forth here with great treatment and detailed notes from Ace Records! The package features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Vine Iarna", "Tu Rea Ce Esti", "Halou Cosmic", "Aminitiri", "The Final Farewell", "Catacombe", "Acolo Unde E Mister", "Punct", "Balkan", "Stele Si Lumini", and "Intervale". LP, Vinyl record album

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Classic early material from this Pittsburgh vocal group – unique in that they had four guy singers and one gal! Titles include "Since I Don't Have You", "It Happened Today", "I Can Dream Can't I", "Lorraine From Spain", "I'll Be Seeing You", and "This I Swear". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic New Orleans soul from the early days of the Crescent City scene – and the set also features work by Junior Gordon, Frankie Ford, Joe & Ann, Bobby Marchan, and Jimmy Clanton! LP, Vinyl record album

The Teen Queens were a hip R&B duo who deserve a lot more credit than their silly name might make you think. They had a style that was part raw R&B, and part 60s girl group, years before the girl group format was around long enough to become a cliche! LP, Vinyl record album

The funkiest man? Could well be – and this set will more than support that case! By the time of these recordings, Rufus Thomas was already a legendary figure in the Memphis scene – an aging R&B star that also worked on radio and did a fair bit of promotion for other artists, including daughter Carla. At the end of the 60s, Stax brought him into the studio with the idea of pumping up his sound a bit – adding in some of the newer funky styles, which proved to be a perfect fit for Rufus' rough-hewn style of vocals. Tracks on the set feature a number of classic singles from these years, plus a few unissued numbers – with an all funky track list that includes "Funkiest Man Alive", "Give Me The Green Light", "Itch & Scratch", "Turn Your Damper Down", "Funky Hot Grits", "I'm Getting Better", "Sophisticated Sissy", "Funky Mississippi", "Git On Up & Do It", "The Breakdown (part 1)", "Push & Pull (part 1)", "Do The Double Bump", "Funky Robot (part 1)", "Memphis Train 75", and "Funky Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A key collection of work by Larry Williams – the 50's R&B artist who's too-often written off as a rocker, but who actually went onto have a key influence in the early years of soul! Like Johnny Guitar Watson, another contemporary with whom Larry sometimes recorded, Williams had a style that took the bluesy sounds of the 50s, and brought them into a slower, deeper groove – often with an approach that had a lot of deep soul overtones. LP, Vinyl record album

A great Ace Records collection of early work by this formative singer in soul music – titles that include "Doggin Around", "Come Back To Me", "It's So Fine", "Shake Shake Shake", "Reet Petite", "If I Can't Have You", and "So Much – plus duets with Linda Hopkins on "Do Lord" and "Shake A Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

The thunderous, chaotic buzzsaw rumble of the great Link Wray – a batch of the amazing earlier pulp guitar stormers from one of most legendary rock instrumentalists of all time! Early Recordings was released as an LP compilation in 1978 – comprised of his best early material. With that in mind, it's hardly worth mentioning that this is one of the best long playing collections of the great Wray ever put together – featuring many of his signature instrumental gems! Tracks include an exceedingly pulpy take on Neal Hefti's "Batman Theme" plus a bunch of tracks penned or co-penned by Wray, including "Ace Of Spades", "Cross Ties", "Jack The Ripper", "I'm Branded", "Fat Back", "Run Chicken Run", "Turnpike USA", "Mr Guitar", the immortal "Rumble", Willie Dixon's "Hidden Charms" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

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A host of raw rockers that were originally served up as 7" singles – all blasting out together with a tremendous amount of power – as if you're enjoying a night with choice cuts all stacked up in the jukebox pictured on the cover! The set's way more than any sort of oldies collection – as the music here is heavy on guitars, and effortlessly moves between blasts of fuzz and cleaner lines – sometimes instrumental, sometimes vocal – all with a sense of urgency that's delivered in the short space of the few minutes that would fit on a vintage 45! Richard Hawley curated the set, but even if you're not hip to his name, you'll find plenty here to dig if you love rare cuts of this sort – and as usual, Ace did a superb job with the presentation, sound quality, and notes! Titles include "Neb's Tune" by Ahab & The Wailers, "Cuttin Out" by The Pirages, "Feels Like A Woman" by The Troggs, "Buzzzzz" by Jimmy Cordon, "Bawana Jinde" by Al Duncan, "Dead End (part 1)" by The Executioners, "Where You Gonna Go" by Art Guy, "Long Line Rider" by Bobby Darin, "It's Nothing To Me" by Sanford Clark, "Jungle Walk" by The Dyna Sores, "Nasty" by The Timekeepers, "Quasimoto" by The Road Runners, "Swinging Drums" by Ronny Kae, and "Honky" by The Ho-Dads. LP, Vinyl record album

Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby Gillespie's own music – and the set brings together bits of country, roots rock, and soul – really special tracks that have a perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, well-penned lyrics, and the kind of arrangements and production that really send the whole thing over the top! The best thing about the collection is that it brings together songs we never would have thought to combine like this – a masterful set list that includes "I Don't Want To Talk About It" by Crazy Horse, "Wait & See" by Lee Hazlewood, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" by Thin Lizzy, "The Coldest Days Of My Life" by The Chi-Lites, "Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat, "Magnolia" by JJ Cale, "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" by Willie Nelson, "Love Sick" by Bob Dylan, I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "Strong As Death" by Al Green, "Kind Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Dark End Of The Street" by Ry Cooder, "I Feel Like Goin Home" by Charlie Rich, "When My Mind's Gone" by Mott The Hoople, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Nick Cave. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic French femmes from the 60s – and a great illustration of the way that girl power really took over the sound of the Parisian scene at the time! These tunes have a punch that few American or British tracks of the period could ever hope to match – a way of staying sweet, yet really hitting hard with a groove – sometimes with fuzzy guitars or organ, sometimes with a fuller blast of orchestrations – always completely charming and immediately appealing – even if you can't understand the lyrics! Most numbers feature work by some top-shelf arrangers from the tight Parisian scene – including Alain Goraguer, Jacques Denjean, Michel Colombier, and Ivan Julien – and titles include "Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doights" by Jacqueline Taieb, "Laisser Tomber Les Filles" by France Gall, "Voila" by Francois Hardy, "Il Suffit D'Un Jour" by Liz Brady, "L'Adorable Femme Des Neiges" by Christie Laume, "Impatiente" by Les Gams, and "Les Filles C'Est Fait Pour Faire L'Amore" by Charlotte Leslie. LP, Vinyl record album

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. LP, Vinyl record album

Great groovy pop from the Italian scene of the 60s – a wealth of rare singles from female singers, almost all of whom we've never heard before! We'll confess to a long love and deep knowledge of female French singers from the time – but also admit a strong ignorance about most Italian pop, which always seems a bit harder to find – especially collected together in sets like this for the English-speaking world. And while we totally love the French sets from Ace Records, we almost dig this one even more – as the whole thing's so fresh, so groovy that each new tune is a real delight – as bold orchestrations mix with mod rhythms, rockish instrumentation, and some totally cool Italian lyrics sung by a batch of female singers who've definitely got us already digging for more. Titles include "Baluba Shake" by Brunetta E I Suoi Balubas, "Il Mio Posto Quale" by Ornella Vanoni, "Sono Qui Con Voi by Caterina Caselli, "Un Amore Inutile" by Isabella Ianetti, "La Notte E Fatta Per Rubare" by Catherine Spaak, "Il Geghege" by Rita Pavone, "Ragazzo Triste" by Patty Pravo, "Se Telefonando" by Mina, and "Questa Sinfona" by Carmen Villani. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. LP features two bonus tracks – "Case Of The PTA" by Leaders Of The New School and "What's Up Doc (K-Cut's fat trac rmx)" by Fu Schnickens. LP, Vinyl record album

A special vinyl-only collection of tracks from the legendary Dave Godin Deep Soul series – a set that's kind of the best of the best – given the strength of those all-great soul collections! All the cuts here offer a perfect definition of the deep soul groove at its best – a rich, heartfelt approach to the genre that's heavy on sounds from the southern soul scene of the 60s, but which also features a few inflections from other styles too! Vocals are always at the forefront, sung in a mindblowing way that may well even surpass some of the bigger names of the period – like artists on Atlantic or Stax – and titles include "Like It Stands" by Robert Ramsey, "These Four Walls" by Irma Thomas, "Losin Boy" by Eddy Giles, "Just Loving You" by Ruby Andrews, "You Got Me" by Jaibi, "Try Love" by Dori Grayson, "I'm Sorry I Hurt You" by Nat Phillips, "I Don't Cary Anymore" by Doris Duke, "Who Are You Gonna Love" by Rozetta Johnson, "You Make Me Feel Good" by Jawrence & Jaibi, and "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas. LP, Vinyl record album

The new sound of the European scene at the end of the 70s – music that carries plenty of inspiration from post-punk modes, but which also carries forth some key elements of prog as well – all at a level that's quite a surprise if you only know more iconic material of the time! The artists here aren't all British or European, but the sound within definitely showcases the way that later electronic experiments of the 70s were thinning down in the work of underground UK and German labels – and also showing the way that the instrumental excesses of the earlier part of the decade were being packed down into more economical packages, but all without losing any sense of freshness or experimentation! The set takes its title from a song on the last Bowie Berlin album – a great reference for the music – and titles include "Tight As A Drum" by Thomas Leer, "Silent Command" by Cabaret Voltaire, "Theme For Great Cities" by Simple Minds, "White Car In Germany" by The Associates, "Nite Flights" by The Walker Brothers, "3,000,000 Synths" by Chaz Jankel, "Nightcrawler" by Patrick Cowley, "Riot In Lagos" by Ryuichi Sakamoto, "Silicon Chip" by Basil Kirchin, "Ode To Perfume" by Holger Czukay, "Do Weit So Gut" by Harald Grosskopft, "The Farther Away I Am" by Daryl Hall (with Robert Fripp), and "Patriarcat" by Areski & Brigitte Fontaine. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of modern mellow music – served up in a set that features very different territory than the usual sorts of compilations given to us by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – not the older music that they put together so well, but work from an early 90s moment when the duo were a rising part of the British scene as Saint Etienne! Yet despite that connection, they nicely provide a generous overview of a slightly different vibe – mellow tracks that followed in the wake of the big Brit dance explosion of the late 80s – not entirely the downtempo modes that you might expect, at least in the way that "downtempo" has come to mean instrumental hip hop over the years – and instead, some nicely kicked back tracks from some of the more creative studio talents of the time! Titles include "Never Get Out The Boat (flying mix)" by The Aloof, "Spiritual High (moodfood megamix)" by Moodswings, "Floatation" by The Grid, "Afrika (love & laughter rmx)" by History, "Cascades (hypnotone mix)" by Sheer Taft, "It Could Not Happen (essential trance hall mix)" by Critical Rhythm, "Higher Than The Sun (higher than the Orb ext mix)" by Primal Scream, "Snappiness (7" edit)" by BBG, "I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You (Marshall Jefferson symphony mix)" by Soul Family Sensation, "Temple Head (Pacific mix airwaves)" by Transglobal Underground, and "Speedwell (radio edit)" by Saint Etienne. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes Charlie Feathers, Glen Glenn, Hal Harris, Don Cole, Johnny Todd, Ray Scott, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool compilation featuring a whole mess of great lost funk tracks from the legendary Westbound label – including a few unreleased cuts! There's a number of tracks on here that we just about never see, and some more that you'll only find on rare funky 45s. Tracks include "Getting It Off", an instrumental by Fuzzy Haskins, "Super Funk" by Erasmus Hall, "In The Pocket" by Boots, "Funk It Down" by Caesar Frazier, "Just Us" by Crowd Pleasers, "Funky Beethoven" by Gene Anderson, "Be What You Is" by U.S. Music & Funkadelic, and "Funky World (parts 1 & 2)" by Silky Vincent. Very cool stuff, and with a good set of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Not girl pop, not chart hits, and instead a whole host of hard-burning tracks from the underground – a well-done collection that showcases a huge range of positive, powerful female musical expressions from the mid 70s onward! The set begins during the heyday of the early punk years, and focuses on a few key acts who were offering a great antidote to some of the more testosterone-fueled work of the time – then picks up some especially great pos-punk tracks, before making a brief stop in the early 90s, and ending up with a few key grrrl power cuts from the current century! As always with Ace records, the presentation is as great as the music – very detailed notes that tell as much of a store as the songs themselves – in support of a set list that includes "Survive" by The Bags, "Iama Poseur" by X-Ray Spex, "Kray Twins" by Mo-Dettes, "Popcorn Boy" by Essential Logic, "It's About Time" by The Pandoras, "Shakedown" by Au Pairs, "Das Ah Riot" by Bush Tetras, "Earthbeat" by The Slits, "Come On Now" by The Pussywillows, "Rules & Regulations" by We've Got A Fuzzbox, "What's Wrong With You" by Bratmobile, "Rebel Girl" by Bikini Kill, "I Gave My Punk Jacket To Rickie" by Mary Monday & The Bitches, "You're A Million" by The Raincoats, and "Expert" by Pragvec. LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the girl group sound of the 60s – served up here in a collection that's a lot more soulful than some of the more pop-oriented packages on the market – but that's no surprise, given that the whole thing was put together perfectly by Ace Records! Ace and their related Kent label have given us so much great soul records over the years, and it's clear they really know where to dig deep for a set like this – getting past the overplayed hits and overdone cliches – and really exploring this explosive moment of female expression in pop music! The package features detailed notes on all the tracks that are included – and the set features 14 numbers in all – with titles that include "Boy Trouble" by The Rev-Lons, "Street Dance" by Bonnie Jean, "Lonely Girl" by The Lovettes, "You Really Never Know Till It's Over" by The Vel-Vetts, "Heart For Sale" by The Fran-Cettes, "I Can Tell I'm Losing Your Love" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "Boy You Move Me" by Joan Moody, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by The Darlings, "Surfers Memories" by The Fashions, and "My Heart Tells Me So" by The Del-Phis. LP, Vinyl record album

Compiled for Louisiana World's Fair in New Orleans in 1984, with selections by Huey Piano Smith, Frankie Ford, Dr John, Jimmy Clanton, Earl King, Bobby Marchan, Joe Tex, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Compiled for Louisiana World's Fair in New Orleans in 1984, with selections by Jimmy Clanton, Frankie Ford, Bobby Marchan, The Supremes, Dr John, Roland Stone, The Silhouettes, The Emeralds, Lloyd Price, Johnny Adams, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy guitars, analog electronics, moody production, and slightly sinister vocals – all elements you'll find in abundance here, in this well done look at UK work from a generation when the US scene was dipping into modes that were later dubbed "post-rock" – and helped to define the style of a generation! The British take on this territory is nicely different from American work of the time – and there's maybe a larger, wider palette of approaches going on – elements borrowed from other styles and generations, but woven into these wonderful waves of sound that made for a great farewell to the 20th century! The collection is in a slightly newer range than we're used to hearing from Ace Records, but they do an equally great job with the material – as the choice of cuts is superb, and the detailed notes provide plenty of direction throughout the musical journey. Titles include "City Poison" by Moonshake, "Second Language" by Disco Inferno, "Darling Effect" by Insides, "Starry Night" by Laika, "Every Day Shines (D mix)" by Earwig, "Play Away" by Electric Sound Of Joy, "Through You" by Seefeel, "Loose Threads" by Pram, "In The Light Of Time" by Flying Saucer Attack, "The Weight" by Hood, "A Street Scene" by Bark Psychosis, "Naturally Occurring Anchors" by Spoonfed Hybrid, In The Event Of Just Looking" by Appliance, "Sun Drawing" by Movietone, and "A Cherry Wave From Stranded Youngsters" by Mogwai. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really digs deep into the British scene of the early 70s – a package pitched around the idea of opening acts for supergroups at a rock festival, and one that serves up a whole host of groups who never fully got their due on our side of the Atlantic at the time! These aren't underground or experimental groups – and most recorded for major labels – but they also weren't chart-topping acts, or those that have gone into the classic rock pantheon – which makes for a really great discovery to most ears not fully acquainted with this moment in UK rock! The set was put together by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – who've given us other seminal sets of UK music from the 70s, and groovy 60s compilations too – and they really do a great job here of setting the scene, and picking the best cuts from groups who are top-shelf in their effort and execution. As always with the pair, the notes with the set are as illuminating as the music – and titles include "Taken All The Good Things" by Stray, "Out Demons Out" by Edgar Broughton Band, "One Way Glass" by Manfred Mann Chapter Three, "Hold On To Your Mind" by Andwella, "Big Boobs Boogie" by Slowload, "Third World" by Paladin, "For Mad Men Only" by May Blitz, "Met Pies Ave Come" by Stack Waddy, "Ricochet" by Jonesy, and the surprising inclusion of some rocking KPM sound library tracks – including "Hot Pants" by Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw, "Led Balloon" by Steve Gray, and "Confunction" by Dave Richmond. LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of rare early swamp rock here – tracks by Lee Martin & The Velvetones, Phil Bo, Clint West, Rob & The Rhythm Aces, Johnny Bersin & The Dialtones, Margo White, and Prentice Thomas! LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – all bursting out with plenty of energy – maybe a brightened up take on street soul from the early 80s, but usually with a younger female singer, which helps the music bubble along in a really great way! The package is new territory for Ace Records, but they've done a great job of bringing together both key cuts and overlooked gems – all hand-picked by Bob Stanley, with a set list that includes "Two Of Hearts (12" version)" by Stacey Q, "Don't Be Shy (radio voc)" by Janelle, "Lover Girl" by Meg, "Let's Go (radio)" by Nocera, "Funky Little Beat" by Connie, "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, "Together Forever (radio)" by Lisette Melendez, "Dreamin" by Will To Power, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Lil Suzy, "Thief Of Hearts" by Cynthia, "Fascinated (12" version)" by Company B, and "Baby Talk" by Alisha. LP, Vinyl record album

The world of girl groups might seem cliched to some – but if you know where to look, you'll find a host of really amazing material – and that's definitely the case in this well-chosen set, a superb Ace Records package that's overflowing with material that goes way past the obvious! At some level, Ace are approaching the style in the reverse way of more mainstream collections – not starting with hits, then trickling down to obscurities – and instead pulling together unusual bits from a variety of indie labels that might have gotten otherwise overlooked, including a few cuts that were never issued at the time, mixed here with rock and soul gems from singles on labels like Keetch, Challenge, Bang, Mira, and Etiquette. As with their CD-length dips into the music, the quality here is superb – with 14 titles that include "Chu Sen Ling" by The Bermudas, "My Little Baby" by The Witches, "Tossin A Ice Cube" by The Hollywood Chicks, "Chico" by Linda Laurie, "A Dumb Song" by The Delicates, "Baby That's Me" by The Carolines, "Don't Worry About Me Baby" by Mayalta Page, "You May Be Holding My Baby" by The Pussycats, "I Wanna Know Right Now" by Carol Slade, "Sweet Kind Of Loneliness" by The Darlettes, and "My Baby Looks But He Don't Touch" by Carol Connors. LP, Vinyl record album

Disco grooves from a source you might not expect – the Japanese scene of the 70s, which was home to a surprisingly strong array of records that were perfect for the clubs! In retrospect, maybe the music's not such a surprise – given that 70s Japan was also a hotbed of electric fusion, and the kind of sharp instrumentation that provides the core to most of these tunes – wicked basslines, sweet keyboards, and funky drums that propel these tracks along in a wonderful way – even if you can't understand some of the Japanese lyrics over the top! In fact, many of these numbers are even more in the fusion or funk-inspired side of disco – less the crossover cuts with strings and big production, and more like the kind of American club tracks you might hear from Kudu Records or some of the other fusion labels. The package is proof that great sounds can be truly universal – and comes with detailed notes on the artists and scene at the time. Titles include "By By Session Band" by Lily, "Summer Champion" by Yuko Asano, "Dancin" by Junko Ohashi, "Rainbow Parade" by Masayoshi Takanaka, "Uragiri" by Mari Natuski, "Maboroshi No Hito" by Miyako Chaki, "Banana" by Kay Ishiguro, "Yashow Macashow" by Ebonee Webb, "Lovin Mighty Fire" by Nayoya Matsuko & Minako Yoshida, "Sentimental Hotel" by Rie Nkahara, and "Barato Yajuu" by Haruomi Hosono. LP, Vinyl record album

There have been lots of Lowrider soul compilations on the market over the years – documenting the great of of mellow cuts on the LA scene of the 60s – particularly the kind that could move slow, but with a heavy groove at the bottom – perfect for chilling out in the back of a car on an endless summer night! Yet few have ever done the job as well as this collection – because in the hands of Ace/Kent Records, the music finally gets proper historical context – moved past the jargon of the East LA in crowd, and presented with great sound, and the kind of detailed notes that really get at the special qualities that made the west coast soul scene so different than the east in the 60s! The set list is superb – fantastic mellow soul tracks that are perfect, even if you don't care about this history – and the set features 14 titles that include "Someone" by The Lovers, "Here It Comes" by The Persians, "That's The Way Our Love Is" by The Radiations, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "No Doubt About It" by The Esquires, "What Am I Going To Do" by the Houston Outlaws, "So Much In Love" by The Exceptions, "Please Say It Isn't So" by Lee Williams & The Cymbals, "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "Someone" by The Lovers, "Follow Your Heart" by The Manhattans, and "Settle Down" by Little Ben & The Cheers. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally fresh take on French sounds of the late 60s – served up here with a sound that's as revolutionary as the image on the cover! This isn't the dreamy strings of familiar Paris in the Spring – but instead, the sound of change that happened in and around 1968 – as a whole new generation of younger French musicians, singers, artists, and intellectuals were really making themselves known in bold new ways! You'll recognize a few names here – like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Fontaine – but the collection goes way beyond those bigger names, and features loads of obscure artists from the scene that will be a real revelation. The collection was done by the same Saint Etienne team that gave us the excellent English Weather and Songs For The Carnegie Deli compilations on Ace – and titles include "L'Elu" by Ilous & Decuyper, "La Metaphore" by Jacques Dutronc, "Looking For You" by Nin Ferrer, "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver" by Cortex, "Couleurs" by Leonie, "Leslie Simone" by William Sheller, "Litanies" by Triangle, "Baleines" by Francois De Roubaix, "Lileth" by Leonie, "Ystor" by Ys, "Chanson Pour Que Tu M'Aimes U Peu" by France Gall, "Le Victime" by Karl Heinz Schafer, "Les Adventures Extraordinaires D'Un Ballet De Banque" by Bernard Lavilliers, "Helicoptere" by Mireille Darc, "Les Garde Violent Au Secours Du Roi (alt version)" by Jean Claude Vannier, and "La Chanson D'Helene" by Romy Schneider & Michel Piccoli. LP, Vinyl record album

A UK-only set, featuring rare female soul from the Duke/Peacock label – with work by Mildred Jones, Gwen Johnson, Olive Brown, Bonita Cole, Gladys Hill, and Bettye Jean Washington! LP, Vinyl record album