We're alright. . .don't nobody worry 'bout us, we're smiling like fools at the sounds of this most classic of lowbrow 80s comedies – the unimpeachably hilarious Caddyshack – with we-don't-care-how-uncool-you-think-they-may-be pop anthems by Kenny Loggins and original music by Johnny Mandel! The Loggins tunes blend a masterful ear for the pop & soul hits of the previous couple decades, they're undeniable fun and catchy (if profoundly unhip, boo and hoo) and the cheeky bits of score by Mandel co-opting classical compositions in the interest of toilet humor are just as boisterous. Titles include "I'm Alright", "Make The Move" and "Mr Night" by Kenny Loggins, "There She Goes" by The Beat, "Divine Intervention", "Marina" and "The Big Bang" by Johnny Mandel and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Reflex never had much of a long recorded legacy – but they certainly made their mark with this classic album of 80s electro pop! The tunes follow somewhere in the territory of contemporaries like Human League or Ultravox, but also maybe have a quirkier vibe that's more in the spirit of the indie scene – especially in the ways the keyboard lines and vocals take on all these odd inflections – maybe a nod towards soulful styles, but also a mode that quickly fell out of favor overseas – but which is also what makes the whole thing so completely charming! Titles include the big title hit "The Politics Of Dancing" – and "Hitline", "Hurt", "Couldn't Stand A Day", "Jungle", "Sensitive", "Keep In Touch", "Praying To The Beat", and "Pointless". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from the legendary Buddy Rich – one of his Pacific Jazz albums from that stretch when Buddy was opening up his bag, and getting very groovy in his music! The album's a live one – and as with the rest from the decade, really has the Buddy Rich sound moving forward, thanks to some great younger players – in this case the up and coming Bobby Shew on trumpet and Ernie Watts on alto – plus the lesser-known Chuck Findley on trumpet and Jay Corre on tenor. Arrangements are by some older west coast talents – including Bill Holman and Shorty Rogers – but the feel is very 60s, and very groovy throughout. Cathy Rich sings on the album's funky version of "The Beat Goes On" – and other titles include "Wack Wack", "Norwegian Wood", "Monitor Theme", "Big Swing Face", and "Mexicali Nose". LP, Vinyl record album

A drum-heavy spectacular that returns Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich to their big band roots – thanks to some hard-swinging arrangements from George Williams! The tracks are a bit shorter and done with a larger group than on some of the other Rich or Krupa sides for Verve – but there actually seems to be even more drum pyrotechnics here, possibly because the players' efforts are compressed into such a tight space! Production is a bit odd – with the drums so high in the mix that they sometimes come across with more treble than bass – but that really highlights some of the most inventive moments on the top of the kit as well. Titles include "Duet", "Perdido", "Evolution", "Night Train", and "Hawaiian War Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice stuff! After coming out of the box as a heavier funk outfit in the early 70s, Ripple changed their tune for the disco years – stretching their groove into a warm clubby sound that's stayed classic for years and years! "Beat Goes On & On" is one of their greatest cuts from this time – a strident groover that had a big influence on the house scene in Chicago! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A 70s issue of 2 seminal sides from George Russell, originally recorded in the 50s. The first, New York New York is a wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". And don't let the title of the second, Jazz In The Space Age, mislead you into thinking it's a record of bachelor pad musi. The set's one of Russell's finest recordings of the 50s, and it features some wonderful work in odd tones and scales, executed by another awesome cast of players, including Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Hal McKusick, Bob Brookmeyer, and David Young. An essential chapter in Russell's career, and nice to have in any form. Titles include "Chromatic Universe (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Dimensions", "Waltz From Outer Space", and "The Lydiot". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic to end all classics – and the record that showed the world that the kung fu genre could be every bit as funky as American crime and action films! Lalo Schifrin's at the height of his powers on this set – working in a blend of raw guitars, rolling bass, and choppy rhythms that groove about as fast as Bruce Lee's hands move on the screen in the film – and the album's a real standout in the 70s soundtrack scene, well worth all the hype and attention that's been given to it over the years! The record's one you'll dig if you're a fan of funk, or a student of Schifrin – and even after the passage of decades, it's still a tough soundtrack to beat. Titles include the classic "Theme From Enter The Dragon", plus "Bamboo Bird Cage", "The Monk", "Han's Island", "The Big Battle", and "The Human Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

The title on this one says it all – Mojo Rocksteady Beat! The Brentford Road big timers come correct on this explosive Soul Jazz revisitation of their 100% Studio One dynamite tracks! The names of the heavies that rotated through this bunch are already well known: Jackie Mittoo, Vin Gordon aka Don D Junior, Deadly Headly Bennet, Ernest Ranglin, Leroy Sibbles, and more, and the jams here are no less well known, whether it is on their own, or as the mad, soulful rhythm foundation for any of Coxsone's top numbers. 18 earth shaking blasts of Jamaican soul, including "Rockfort Rock", "Funky", 'Real Rock", "Reggae Time", "Mojo Rock Steady", "Drum Song", "Ironside", "Heavy Rock", "In Cold Blood", "Jamaica Underground", "Reggae Time", "Great Mu Ga Ru Ga", and of course, "Mojo Rock Steady". LP, Vinyl record album

A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album

Swinging big band exotica stuff recorded for Mercury as part of their 35mm film series. Includes "Baby Elephant Walk", "Afrikaan Beat", "Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)", "Botha-Botha", "Jolly Jika", "The Call Of The Jungle", "Skokiaan", "African Waltz", "Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba (Valley Of A Thousand Hills)", "King Kong", "Tsetse Fly", and "Tiana-Tche (The Jungle Roars)". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from the lyrical king – the mighty T La Rock, one of the key mid 80s MCs who helped introduce a whole new level of sophistication to hip hop! T La Rock maybe never hit the heights of KRS-One, Rakim, or other contemporaries – but this set has all the sharp fire and intensity that made that moment of new creativity so great – from the edgey production work and scratches by Louie Lou, to the extra help from Mantronik, and even the album's early appearances by Special K and MC Serch – which further the sense of collaboration from the streets that made some of the Fresh Records sets so great. Titles include "Lyrical King", "Back To Burn", "Three Minutes Of Beat Box", "Bust These Lyrics", "This Beat kicks", "Big Beat In London", and "It's Time To Chill". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible first album from Traffic – a record that was already way ahead of the pack, and would set the tone for so many other sounds and modes from others in years to come! At some level, the group were just coming off the big beat group years in the UK – that time of strong inspiration from American soul, jazz, and R&B – but they're already pushing all these elements in very different ways – certainly psychedelic, as you'd guess from the image on the cover – but also still holding onto a lot of the soul and jazz that first inspired them! To our ears, the reed work of Chris Wood is as important to the record as the Hammond from Steve Winwood, guitar from Dave Mason, and drums from Jim Capaldi – plus the vocals from all three – and in addition to the classic title cut "Mr Fantasy", other tunes include "Dealer", "House For Everyone", "Berkshire Poppies", "No Face No Name No Number", and "Coloured Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A lesser-known groover by Young-Holt – but a great one! "Doin The Thing" begins with this incredible bass part from Eldee Young – rolling, pounding, and echoing with a soulful beat that gets you going long before the drums even kick in! "The Beat" is a cover of Sonny Bono's big hit – done with some complicated piano riffing over funky grooves! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible album – one of the greatest rock albums of the 60s, and a record we'd place right up there on the shelf next to Pet Sounds or Forever Changes! The arrangements are sublime – proof that the Zombies were growing way past just a simple Brit Invasion style, into a world of complicated orchestrations, subtle songwriting, and some of the most baroquely beautiful vocals ever recorded in the service of pop music! The whole thing's amazing – the kind of essential record we never tire of – and tracks include "Changes", "Care of Cell 44", "Rose For Emily", "Hung Up On A Dream", "Friends Of Mine", and "Butcher's Tale". LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of killers that played big in the Carolina scene – including "Te Ta Te Ta Ta" by Ernie K Doe, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "39 21 46" by Showmen, "Thank You John" by Willie Tee, "Quiet Place" by Garnett Mims, "You Keep Telling Me Yes" by Cannonball, "Would You Believe" by Tempests, "Ms Grace" by Tymes, "Shaggin" by Band Of Oz, "Hey Hey Baby" by Swinging Medallions, and "Summertime's Callin Me" by Catalinas. LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking record – and one that set a whole new standard for guitar funk in the 70s! By the time of this set, Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene for many years – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and is a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style – instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real world street violence with a darkly comic sensibility, redefined usage of the word "blunt" forever more, and simply delivered one of the most influential rap (or rock, considering the astonishing crossover success) albums of the decade. Titles include "How I Could Just Kill A Man", "Hand On The Pump", "Hole In The Head", "Real Estate", "Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk", "Phunky Feel One", "Pigs", "Latin Lingo", "Something For The Blunted", and "Psychobeatbuckdown". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really "the best", but a pretty nice collection of Denny's early work for Liberty – with a groovy photo on the back that shows him working with the group in action, beating on a big conga, while the rest of the band plays exotic percussion! Titles include "The Enchanted Sea", "Ruby", "Bali Hai", "China Nights", "Moonlight & Shadows", "Ebb Tide", and "Harbor Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

DJ Jazzy Jeff returns – with a top shelf roster or MCs doing justice to his Philly soul reared, bedrock beatcraft – including Big Daddy Kane, Method Man, Rhymefest, Jean Grae, Kardinall Offishall, CL Smooth, Pos of De La Soul and more – underground spitters and mic icons alike! We don't know if Jazz tailors his beats for the chosen MCs – or if he seeks out the appropriate MCs for his ready-made material – but whatever his methods, they're still working well. Return Of The Magnificent is a standard bearing effort! Titles include "Hip Hop" feat Twone Gabz, "Let Me Hear U Clap" feat Pos from De La Soul, "Run That Back" feat Eshon Burgundy & Black Ice, "Jeff N Fess" feat Rhymefest, "Practice" feat J Live, "Supa Jean" feat Jean Grae, "The Garden" feat Big Daddy Kane, "Hold It Down" feat Method Man, "My Soul Ain't For Sale" feat Raheem DeVaugh, "Cone On feat Dave Ghetto, "Brand New Funk 2K7" feat Peedi Peedi and more1 LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lamont Dozier's biggest albums of the 70s – a sweet debut for Warner Brothers, but one that still keeps all the best elements of his ABC albums firmly intact! Arrangements are still by Lamont and McKinley Jackson – who really know how to help Dozier find that tightness brewed up in the Detroit scene, while also pushing things further with some upbeat grooves that really find new territory too! Dozier's vocals are great – that slightly less than perfect style that always makes his work sound so personal and meaningful next to some of his slicker 70s contemporaries – a really appealing style that always has his 70s records at the top of our listening stack. Titles include "Joy", "Groovin On a Natural High", "Right There", "With A Little Bit Of Mending (We Could Be As Good As New)", "Ain't Never Loved Nobody", and a great remake of "It's the Same Old Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A great back to basics set from Edo G and Insight Innovates – part of a recent run of records on the scene that really seem to redirect hip hop to more straightforward modes – not at a retro level, but in a style that reminds us that at the core, the music is best when it's got a strong focus on beats and quality rhymes! Neither artist is out to change the world, but together they've got a way of uniting hip hop history with a contemporary sensibility – no fuzz or fluff, just tight at the core, and all the way through. Titles include "Just Listen", "Unite & Let's All Get Down", "It Takes Progress", "Good In Goodbye", "Never Too Late To Correct Mistakes", "Choose Your Path", and Set It Off", a tribute to Big Daddy Kane! LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy little live album from The 5th Dimension – not nearly as smoothly polished as their studio albums, in a way that really makes the set stand out nicely! The vocals are still completely top-shelf – a heavenly sound that's hard to believe comes from five mere mortals – but the musical backings are a bit more rough-edged and soul-based – a harder groove than the group gets on their full albums, in a way that provides a great contrast to the harmonies on the lyrics! There's also a great sense of "liveness" to the set – patter from the group before the tunes, and some upbeat medleys of some of their bigger hits – strung together in ways that are a lot nicer than just simple live remakes of familiar songs. Titles include "I Just Want To Be Your Friend", "Eli's Coming", "Never My Love", "Shake Your Tambourine", "Ode To Billie Joe", "I Want To Take You Higher", and two longer medleys of hits! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing debut from pianist Clare Fischer – an artist who went onto have a subtle, but immediate influence upon both the American and Brazilian jazz scenes of the time! Fischer's got a lyrical approach to rhythm that's simply amazing – modern, but never cold and academic – and instead always freely dancing around, in a way that gives equal melodic roles to the bass and drums in his trio. There's a clear bossa nova inspiration here, but keep in mind that Fischer's sensibility was also a big influence on the bossa players of the time. The whole session sparkles with a fresh genius that still beats the work of most players still recording today – and Fischer's piano is accompanied by equally free-thinking work on bass by Gary Peacock and drums by Gene Stone. Most titles are originals, and tunes include "Toddler", "Stranger", "Nigerian Walk", "Afterfact", "Free Too Long", "Piece For Scotty", and "Blues For Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the biggest singers who ever worked for Verve Records – captured perfectly at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! Ella Fitzgerald steps out with a strong, lively groove on the first half of the set – swinging things with a looser, more upbeat quality than on some of her mellower Verve studio sets of the late 50s – really grooving it up with small combo backing from the trio of pianist Don Abney! Billie Holiday also gets some small combo backing too – a hip trio with Mal Waldron on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Jo Jones on drums – often a bit more laidback than the group on Ella's sides, but in a great way that helps Holiday hit a very intimate sound, even before this large audience. Ella sings "This Can't Be Love", "Body & Soul", "April In Paris", "I Got A Crush On You", and "Airmail Special" – and Billie sings "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "My Man", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Lady Sings The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A really joyous groove from Michel Fugain and his Big Bazar group – a sound that's a bit hard to describe, but which really grabs us right away! There's definitely some groovy rhythms going on in the set – and the style is kind of an updated French pop mode from the late 60s – swinging in a way that absorbs plenty of influences from the outside scenes, particularly some Brazilian ones – but with a sound that's definitely French all the way through. Fugain's vocals are in the lead, often supported by a chorus – and the backings by Jean Bouchety have this really cool soundtrack feel at points – especially when the rhythms are upbeat and grooving. Titles include "Allez Bouge-Toi", "Attention Mesdames Et Messieurs", "Notre Societe", "Les Gens Irremplacables", "Leda Leda", and "L'Arche De Noe". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic boogie groover from the early 80s – the one and only album from Gemini, and one of the few albums issued on the tiny M&M label! Although an indie effort, the album's got a tightness that matches the best 80s groove on bigger labels from the time – especially the excellent work coming out of Capitol, which would be a good match for the upbeat rhythms and well-crafted grooves going on here. Production is right on the money – very together without sounding slick – and the album's got a wonderfully soulful charm, served up by two male vocalists who sound great on both the upbeat and mellower tunes in the set. Titles include "Everytime I See A Pretty Lady", "You've Got Something Special", "Ain't No Love", "My Love For You Keeps On Growing", "The Power Of Your Love", and the great mellow soul ballad "I Don't Want To Lose You". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the first-ever rock and roll full-length albums – with Bill Haley's big title cut – plus "Shake Rattle & Roll", "Two Hound Dogs", "Razzle Dazzle", "ABC Boogie", "Burn That Candle", "Rock A Beatin Boogie", "Birth Of The Boogie", "Dim Dim The Lights", and "Mambo Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

A swinging sex comedy score from the legendary Neal Hefti – not as well-known as some of his big 60s hits, but a wonderfully groovy record throughout! The film itself is a pretty silly farce – and Hefti definitely matches that action in his music – by mixing up jazzy, upbeat numbers with some sweeter tunes that have that lush, laidback style we always love in his orchestrations! Things are never too heavy, and the whole thing's got a lightness that really stands out from other work of this nature by Hefti's contemporaries – especially on a few of the tracks that make some great use of groovy wordless vocals. Titles include "Prologue (Main Theme)", "Suspicion", "Virna", "Here's To My Lover", "Stag Party Blast", "Bash Brannigan", "How To Murder Your Wife", "Scene Of The Crime", "Cartoon Capers", and "Requiem For A Bachelor". LP, Vinyl record album

An 80s classic from Howard Hewett – just the kind of set that made the singer one of the freshest voices in soul at the time! Hewett's vocals are lean and right on the money – perfectly suited to fit the 80s groove mode of the backings – especially the bubbly, bouncy kind of cuts that were always Howard's catchiest numbers – and which, honestly, should have had him crossing over much bigger at the time! Beats and keyboards glide along nicely throughout – and titles include "Stay", "Say Amen", "I Got 2 Go", "Last Forever", "I Commit To Love", "Love Don't Wanna Wait", and "Let's Try It All Over Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most dynamic, most on-fire blues albums recorded during the 60s by Delmark Records – a set that bursts right out of the Chicago clubs with the guitar of JB Hutto firmly in the lead! Hutto's a killer right from the start – singing and playing with a ferocity that easily matches, if not beats, the bigger 60s names on Chess Records – and his style of inflection leaves us wondering how often he must have to change the strings, or maybe even his entire guitar! The album's got some great help in the small combo too – with Sunnyland Slim on organ and piano, and the unlikely Maurice McIntyre on tenor sax – blowing very well in a bluesy mode, before rising to later avant territory as Kalaparusha. Titles include "If You Change Your Mind", "Speak My Mind", "What Can You Get Outside That You Can't Get At Home", "20% Alcohol", "Hip Shakin", and "Send Her Home To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Early crossover work as a solo act from James Ingram – and a set that features some stellar production from Quincy Jones! The album's one of the best of Q's pop-styled efforts of the time – and although it played big at the time, it's got a sound that's much better than we remember, especially on the more upbeat numbers – rock-solid vocals from Ingram, sung with a youthful quality that's nicely shies away from some of his more clunky commercial modes. Titles include the big hit "Yah Mo B There", plus "She Loves Me", "Try Your Love Again", "Party Animal", "Whatever We Imagine", "One More Rhythm", and "There's No Easy Way". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Rick James' classic early run for Motown – a set that maybe didn't chart as big as some of his other records for the label, but which stands strongly today as a well-crafted batch of mellow funky soul! James has a bit less of the bass-heavy riffs here than you'd expect – and instead, the record has kind of a laidback, almost dreamy feel at times – still upbeat, but with the kind of relaxed, glowing vibe you'd be more likely to find from Teena Marie around this point – a really nice contrast with the more familiar hit sounds you'd know from Rick! We actually really like these mellower groovers – which are almost like some of Johnny Watson's Caribbean-tinged grooves – and the production augments the tunes with a bit of sound effects, which really furthers the paradise garden feel of the tunes. Titles include "Mary Go Round", "Summer Love", "Big Time", "Don't Give Up On Love", "Getting It On In The Sunshine", and "Island Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Kanye's tightest, most heavily synth soaked set yet – and possibly the best – a leap ahead for his evolving sound! Graduation gleams and shines more than it bounces on the bottom end, and if his LP titles to date overtly suggest that this caps off a trilogy – it really goes beyond the title – it's POST Graduation! By the end of Late Registration Kanye was dabbling in hip hop symphonies (for the better) with a few too many skits, but this one's all laser beam efficiency with a human heartbeat. Kanye's moved on, well past our expectations anyway, and he better not call the next one Class Reunion. A bunch of these cuts could rule several radio formats, and they sound great in the headphones, too. To tell the truth, any modern hip hop record with a big fat (and surely expensive) Steely Dan sample is going get an automatic recommendation from us, but Graduation works for us for many more reasons than that alone. Well done, Kanye! "Good Morning", "Champion", the Daft Punk-ed hit "Stronger", "I Wonder", "Good Life", "Can't Tell Me Me Nothing", "Barry Bonds" with Lil Wayne, "Drunk And Hot Girls" with Mos Def, "Flashing Lights" with Dwele, "Everything I Am" with DJ Premier, "Homecoming" and "Big Brother". LP, Vinyl record album

Evelyn King's still gliding high here – working with that upbeat, catchy style that really helped her hit big during the early 80s – a perfect fit for the hook-heavy sound of her vocals! The mode's a bit like Denise Williams at the time, although maybe a bit less commercial – and King brings in a host of different producers to help give different shape to different tracks in the set – almost in a way that tries to reach out towards a number of (then) contemporary soul modes – some mellow, some upbeat and grooving. Titles include "I'm So Romantic", "Till Midnight", "Out Of Control", "Just For The Night", "Heartbreaker", and "Talking In My Sleep". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s sounds from the legendary Kool & The Gang – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". LP, Vinyl record album

It takes a record like this one to remind us just what a magical crossover time the post-disco, post-punk days of the early 80s could be! Take two white guys from Denmark – Tim Stahl and John Guldberg – give them a drum machine and some funky beats, and out comes the breakdance classic "White Horse", which was one of the more sinister dancefloor numbers of its time. Sure, it's super-kitschy, but it hit pop-and-break crowd bigtime, and had kids from The Bronx to Bed-Stuy ripping up linoleum everywhere, and dragging it out into busy sidewalks where they could block off traffic! The other tracks on the album aren't as great, but ok electro pop – and titles include "Sunshine Reggae", "Elevator Boy", "Slowmotion Girl", and "Walking In The Sunshine". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of Latiny tunes from Henry Mancini – played by a very hip lineup of west coast jazzmen! The rhythms have a great mix of Latin influences and Mancini magic – the kind of grooves you'd hear on his 60s soundtracks at the time, played by a lineup that includes Bud Shank and Tom Scott on reeds, Buddy Childers and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Ray Brown on acoustic bass, Max Bennett on fender bass, Larry Bunker on percussion, and Shelly Manne on drums. The vibe is nice and relaxed – a bit more upbeat than bossa, but not as all-out as other RCA Latin sessions – thanks to Mancini's nice sense of warmth and space in the arrangements. Titles include some pretty darn cool takes on "Mission Impossible", "Fistful Of Dollars", "Magnificent Seven", "Touch Of Evil", and "Springtime For Hitler", from the film The Producers. Other titles include "Patricia", "Zacatecas", and "Las Cruces". LP, Vinyl record album