After beginning life as a super fuzzed-out psychasouladelic band, Parliament emerged as one of the best pop-funk combos of the mid/late 70s – with a tight tight sound that mixed the smooth major label sound of Casablanca with the mad funk genius of George Clinton. This huge 3LP set brings together some of the band's best tracks from their glory years of the late 70s – when they were hitting the charts and selling a huge amount of albums to college kids stoned out of their mind waiting for the mothership to land. Tracks include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Testify", "Mr. Wiggles", "Bop Gun", "Up For The Down Stroke", "Theme From The Black Hole", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Flashlight", "Ride On", "Rumpofsteelskin", "Agony Of Defeet", and "Children Of Production". 25 tracksin all! CD

Often overlooked, but a very tasty album of late grooves from Parliament – not as much of a major hit as their previous records, but maybe even better because of that! The album's got the group's sound merging a bit with the Funkadelic vibe – that post-psych style of the George Clinton universe, where the groove is super-sharp, but also very long and freewheeling too – but in a way that never gets lost along its path! There's plenty of great numbers here – all with the best snapping P-Funk groove – and titles include "Agony Of Defeet", "Trombipulation", "Long Way Around", and "Let's Play House". CD

A seminal bit of crossover disco from the mid 70s – and a record that broke big on its title reworking of The Animals' earlier hit! Leroy Gomez heads the group on vocals and alto sax – and brings a slight Latin flourish to the album – mixing strings with some brassier "Spanish" horns and acoustic guitars – used here in a way that predates the Gypsy Kings' move onto the dancefloor many years later. Side one is taken up completely by an extended reading of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" – which runs into the "Esmeralda Suite", really just an extension of the first number. Side two continues the "oldies" mode of the first with a cover of "Gloria" – then rolls into the original tunes "You're My Everything" and "Black Pot". LP, Vinyl record album

A super huge hit for Donna Summer – a disco classic as well as a pop crossover smash! The album was produced by disco powerhouse Giorgio Moroder, and featured the hits "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and "Dim All The Lights". Plus the songs "On My Honor", "Our Love", "Lucky", "There Will Always Be A You", "Sunset People", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet grooves from Donna Summer – who was still a rising star at this point in the 70s! The title is an honest one – for an album with songs that look back at 60s and earlier 70s soul songcraft – and even earlier than that – mostly via the groovy backup vocals. So, Ms. Summer get's a chance to show her affection for her soulful predecessors, but that's combined with the thoroughly modern Giorgio Moroder production – which really gives this record a really unique feel. Includes "I Remember Yesterday", "Love's Unkind", "Back In Love Again", "Black Lady", "Take Me", "Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over)" and "I Feel Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An overstuffed double-length set from Donna Summer – one that features some of the live material promised in the title, plus some even better studio work as well! The first 3 sides of the album feature Donna recorded live – putting over tunes with a bit more personality and almost a sense of spontaneity that we wouldn't expect – on titles that include "Fairy Tale High", "Only One Man", "I Remember Yesterday", "I Love You", "Spring Affair", "Mimi's Song", "I Feel Love", and "Last Dance". But even better is the 4th side of the record – which features the extended "MacArthur Park Suite" – Donna's masterful reworking of the Jimmy Webb classic, stretched out to even greater length than the original! LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s classic from Donna Summer – and a follow up to her huge, chart-toppiong Love To Love You Baby – and once again produced by Giorgio Moroder! The record didn't hit the commercial heights of the preceding one, though they did utilize the same sort of Euro-disco approach – and it sounds just as great to us! The first half is a longer suite of 4 tracks – "Try Me", "I Know", "We Can Make It" and "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It", and side 2 features 4 more numbers "Prelude To Love", "Could It Be Magic", "Wasted" and "Come With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the A double-length, 4 act disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the height of their powers here – and able to keep up enough energy to make it through what was originally 2LP set! The work's a unified sort of story – kind of a disco opera of sorts – but more than the lyrics or the story, what makes the album great is the rhythms – full-on and non-stop, rolling strongly from tune after tune in a highly energized blend. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "Fairy Tale High", "Queen For A Day", "Now I Need You", "Dance Into My Life", "A Man Like You", "I Love You", and "Rumor Has It". LP, Vinyl record album

Disco Fever was quite a disease in the late 70s – especially contagious if you happened to be recording for Casablanca Records! In this case, it doesn't do too much damage to The Sylvers, who'd been moving that way already on their Capitol Records – and it does give them the chance to work here with Harold Faltermeyer, who handled all the arrangements on the record. All tracks are fast, done in the sing-song vocal mode that the group had been using on their pop hits from the mid 70s. The album was recorded in Munich, LA, and Milan – and titles include "Gimme Gimme Your Lovin", "Mahogany", "Dance Right Now", "I Feel So Good Tonight", and "Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

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A real breakout album for The Village People – thanks largely to the hit "YMCA", which had surprising play at the time – and has gone onto become one of those ballpark hits that everyone seems to sing completely un-self-consciously! The group are still working here in a New York Sigma disco mode – with backings by the Gypsy Lane group – and apart from the "YMCA" hit, other long tracks include "Hot Cop", "My Roomate", "The Women/The Cruiser", and "Ups & Downs". LP, Vinyl record album

The only "west" these guys have gone is the West Village – the home of their aesthetic, and a post-Stonewall playground that was getting very firmly noticed by the mainstream by this point! The album's their last big one for Casablanca – and features arrangements from Horace Ott, who gives the record a surprisingly soulful core in the grooves – something that's also enforced by the production at the New York branch of Sigma Sound! Titles include the massive hit "In The Navy", plus the tracks "Go West", "Citizens Of The World", "I Wanna Shake Your Hand", "Manhattan Woman", and "Get Away Holiday". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A real breakout album for The Village People – thanks largely to the hit "YMCA", which had surprising play at the time – and has gone onto become one of those ballpark hits that everyone seems to sing completely un-self-consciously! The group are still working here in a New York Sigma disco mode – with backings by the Gypsy Lane group – and apart from the "YMCA" hit, other long tracks include "Hot Cop", "My Roomate", "The Women/The Cruiser", and "Ups & Downs". CD

Iconic soundtrack in peak 80s fashion scored by Giorgio Moroder, features the title theme by Irene Cara, "Maniac" by Michael Sembello, "Romeo" by Donna Summer, "Imagination" by Laura Branigan, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great set from The Four Tops – hardly the throwaway effort you might expect from some of the other Casablanca projects of the time – and instead a really solid effort that follows strongly from the sound of the group's best moments during their ABC Records years! The vocals are sublime – just what you'd expect from the maturing group – and Levi Stubbs gets some really great moments to shine, especially on a few of the mellower tracks. But the harmonies are the key here, and they cascade with a smooth-stepping sophistication that's not unlike the groove The O'Jays were hitting around the same time too – a classy update of their older mode that really opens the Tops up to a new audience, but hardly in a way that's commercial at all. Titles include "When She Was My Girl", "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over", "Who's Right Who's Wrong", "Let Me Set You Free", "From A Distance", "Something To Remember", and "I'll Never Leave Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk", "The Last Battle", "Cantina Band", "Throne Room & End Title", and "Other Galactic Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

Buddy Miles hits the Bicentennial, and he's giving a nod to Native Americans on the cover – although a few years late of that trend in comparison to efforts by other singers of his generation! The album's also an obscure date for Casablanca – one that has Miles in smoother soul territory than before, but still with a bit more edge than other artists on the disco powerhouse label. Buddy produced himself, and the tunes are an updated version of the rock/soul vibe laid down by Miles on the early Mercury albums – taken to territory that's a bit smoother 70s, yet still with strong crossover appeal. Titles include "Inflation", "Now's The Time", "Where You Gonna Run To Lady", "Grecian Lady", "Won't You Be My Friend", and "Wake Me Shake Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Picture sleeve 45 of these two tracks from the Motor Booty Affair LP, with a nice cover that's got the same sort of cartoony fish image as on the cover of the LP! 2 funky tracks from Parliament – recorded during the glory days of P-Funk, and with a bass-heavy groove that reminds us of Bootsy Collins' best work! Very catchy – on both sides – with the same sort of "Flashlight" groove that put them over the top on "Aqua Boogie". 7-inch, Vinyl record

An amazing album that's probably one of the most unified albums that George Clinton ever recorded! The band's rawer style has been firmed up and economized – but a lot of the best elements are still in place, including a strange approach to vocals that has male and female voices interacting and counterbalancing in a similar style to that heard on some of Roy Ayers' best work from the early 70s. Clinton's begun introducing a lot of elements of Funkadelic into the group – but the tracks are still short and very tight, with a focused approach to both funk and lyrics that really makes the album stand up to repeated listenings over the years. The album begins with the sublime "Chocolate City", a surprisingly political number that has these incredible jagged piano lines that echo away madly – then it rolls into other great numbers like "Side Effects", "What Comes Funky", "If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It", and "I Misjudged You". CD

By this point, George Clinton and the P-Funk team were on top of the world! The record is a masterful dose of slick mothership jamming – perfectly woven together with that tightly compressed style that really served Clinton's production work well. The tracks are long, but never too loopy – and thanks to help from the Bernie Worrell, Jerome Brailey, Gary Shider, and the Horny Horns, the album stays very tight instrumentally all the way through! Loads of Parliament classics, including "Bop Gun", "Funkentelechy", "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk", and the massive "Flash Light", which we've heard a million times, but which never ceases to amaze us! LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked later gem from Parliament – a set that's very tight and funky, and which really picks up the groove first laid down on "Flashlight"! There's a tightly snapping approach here that rivals the best late 70s work by Funkadelic – the later P-Funk mode that's even more focused on rhythms than before, and which gets away from the sloppy stuff to really hit home with the groove! Tunes are steeped in horny horns, wah wah guitar, and lots of electric keyboards – and titles include "The Big Bang Theory", which is virtually a blueprint for the LA G-funk sound of the 80s – plus the tracks "The Freeze", "May We Bang You?", "Party People", and "(GloryHallaStoopid) Pin The Tail On The Funky". CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version! CD

A great little album from Jeannie Reynolds – and her lasting contribution to underground soul! Jeannie's vocals are nice and deep – with hints of southern diva phrasing, filtered through some of the tighter soul styles coming out of Chicago and other points north at the time! Detroit talents LJ Reynolds, Tony Hester, and Don Davis produce – save for one song by Michael Henderson – and the big highlight is the slow groover "The Fruit Song", a sly seductive stepper of a track, with rolling congas, sweeping strings, and a very catchy hook from Jeannie. That number runs for about 7 minutes long – and the album also includes a number of nice shorter cuts, like "I've Still Got My Pride", "The Feelin' Ain't There", and "You Want To Get Your Hands On A Woman" – all wonderful numbers that will have you loving Jeannie as one of your favorite new discoveries in 70s soul! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first great moments of the Munich disco scene of the 70s – an electric batch of soul served up in support of Donna Summer's landmark title hit! The set features the full 16 minute version of "Love To Love You Baby" – done as a monumental suite that dips, turns, slinks, and slides alongside Summer's sexy vocals beautifully. As with that track, Giorgio Moroder arranged the others on the set as well – along with tunes in more of a straightforward soul approach for the time. In retrospect, that was a totally brilliant approach – trailblazing on one hand, and saleable to the mainstream on the other! Other titles include "Need A Man Blues", "Full Of Emptiness", "Whispering Waves" and "Pandora's Box". LP, Vinyl record album

Ahh, the dancefloor soul perfection of the beautiful Donna Summer – and classic late 70s production by Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte – songs that are played often, even to this day, but will never be played out! Was this the one that coined the phrase "shipped gold, returned platinum?" We can't remember, but whatever the case, it's one of those sets that used to be ubiquitous, but which now we can hardly ever find in good shape! Includes shorter mixes of "Love To Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love" – plus the hits for the album "On The Radio" and "Enough Is Enough". Other cuts include "Last Dance", "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and a shortened version of "MacArthur Park". CD

A high-drama disco classic – one to rival even the power of "I Will Survive"! This classic duet was the "new" tune on Donna's 2LP Greatest Hits set at the end of the 70s – and is presented here in a super-long version that runs for nearly 12 minutes long, served up here with some nice touches from Harold Faltermeyer and Giorgio Moroder! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A huge disco cash-in moment of the 70s – but a great one too, and a strong illustration of the power that Casablanca Records had in both the clubs and charts at the time! The movie and record were both a bit over-pressed upon release, but they nonetheless stand as a great snapshot of the way that funky soul had taken over the clubs during the disco generation – giving showcase to a whole host of new young artists, and exposing lots of mainstream listeners to soul music at a level they wouldn't have touched a few years before! Donna Summer was one of Casablanca's big acts at the time – and she really dominates the record with her classic rendition of "Last Dance", plus tracks "With Your Love" and a disco remake of "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". Both other cuts are strong too – and include "Lovin, Livin, & Givin" by Diana Ross, "Too Hot Ta Trot" by The Commodores, "Disco Queen" by Paul Jabara, "Leatherman's Theme" by Wright Bros Flying Machine, "Floyd's Theme" by Natural Juices, and "Find My Way" by Cameo. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Well, it's not Jaws – but it's still pretty darn groovy – a very cool set of tracks that features some long, lush orchestrations from the great John Barry – plus some sublime disco sounds from Donna Summer! The first half of the record features Barry's extended "Return To The Sea – 2033 AD" – a side-long track that really builds nicely, and has John finding some even more expressive modes than in other mid 70s soundtracks. Then side two really lets loose with the great "Theme From The Deep (Down Deep Inside)" by Donna Summer – a tune that's got this beautifully building groove that's almost like her best early cuts, ala "I Feel Love" – a great use of Summer's vocals on a nicely funky groove. The set also features a slower Donna Summer vocal take on the cut – billed as "A Love Song" – with these cool keyboard lines that feel like they're lifted from an Italian 70s soundtrack – and Barry also turns in his own instrumental version as well. Beckett sings the funky "Disco Calypso" tune too! LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of killers from Cameo – back to back on a single CD! Cameosis is full-on frenetic funk from Cameo – one of the group's tightest albums, yet still without any of the too-slick sounds of later years! The sound here is amazing – and we always find ourselves wondering how a group of guys can hit such perfect grooves with just a bunch of basses, guitars, and keyboards – a totally on-the-money style that vamps, leaps, and jumps with energy throughout. The vocals are great too – bubbling up in the mix almost like another instrument – and the album's got a depth that so many other copycat funk records from the time just couldn't touch. Wonderful throughout – with tracks that include "Shake Your Pants", "Cameosis", "On The One", "We're Goin Out Tonight", and "Please You". Also features a bonus 7" mix of "Shake Your Pants". Feel Me is a great 80s groove from Cameo – but one that's still done in the group's best early funk ensemble mode! There's maybe a bit more emphasis on the basslines and keyboards than before, but the sound of the music is still wonderfully full and spontaneous – very much in keeping with the warmly collaborative look of the group on the cover, who really sound like they're having a hell of a lot of fun making the record! The rhythms have a razor-sharpness that just about nobody else can touch – and there's all these cool little instrumental flourishes that sneak into the mix and really keep things interesting – odd sounds on familiar instruments, moogy moments on keyboards, and even some vocal inflections that come as a nice surprise. There's two nice mellow cuts – "Feel Me" and "Is This The Way", which have a sweetly compressed harmony sound on the lyrics – and funky numbers include "Better Days", "Keep It Hot", "Roller Skates", and "Is This The Way". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

An early 80s cooker from Stephanie Mills – not exactly "without mercy", as you might guess from the title – but instead a great slow burner that really does a great job of opening up her voice! Mills moves here in a perfect space between the late disco years and commercial 80s pop – a groove that's warm and mature, and just right for pushing Mills past some of the styles of earlier years – but also without falling into any sort of "adult contemporary" cliches! Stephanie's sound is wonderful – that crisp, distinct style that is already great on a bold number, but somehow takes on even more personality on understated tracks like these – probably thanks in part to the careful instrumental balance served up by David Wolfert's arrangements. Titles include "My Body", "Pilot Error", "Do You Love Him", "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore", "Never Get Enough Of You", and "Eternal Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty tense score – especially for Lalo Schifrin, who we normally know for his groovier soundtracks! Lalo's working here in a mode that's quite like some of the best 70s Italian horror scores – lots of turgid orchestral passages moving slowly, with dramatic flourishes that are really great, and some breakout moments that are guaranteed to send chills down your spine! Quite evocative, and although not usually Schifrin's forte, a great score in the best tradition of the genre. Titles include "The Ax", "Amityville Frenzy", "Bleeding Walls", "Juke Box", "The Basement", and "The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Donna Summer also covers spring, autumn and winter here – on an incredibly groovy disco concept album – gorgeously sung by Donna Summer and produced to perfection by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte! It's got 4 long, seasonally-titled tunes and a reprise – with "Spring Affair", "Summer Fever", "Autumn Changes" and "Winter Melody" – and the numbers groove appropriately! The spring groover is breezy, summer's is nice and steamy, the dancefloor grooves shift and phase for autumn, and winter is cool and delicate. One of the finer album-oriented disco releases of the period! LP, Vinyl record album

Another great pulsating electro disco team up between Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the first great moments of the Munich disco scene of the 70s – an electric batch of soul served up in support of Donna Summer's landmark title hit! The set features the full 16 minute version of "Love To Love You Baby" – done as a monumental suite that dips, turns, slinks, and slides alongside Summer's sexy vocals beautifully. As with that track, Giorgio Moroder arranged the others on the set as well – along with tunes in more of a straightforward soul approach for the time. In retrospect, that was a totally brilliant approach – trailblazing on one hand, and saleable to the mainstream on the other! Other titles include "Need A Man Blues", "Full Of Emptiness", "Whispering Waves" and "Pandora's Box". CD

Ahh, the dancefloor soul perfection of the beautiful Donna Summer – and classic late 70s production by Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte – songs that are played often, even to this day, but will never be played out! Was this the one that coined the phrase "shipped gold, returned platinum?" We can't remember, but whatever the case, it's one of those sets that used to be ubiquitous, but which now we can hardly ever find in good shape! Includes shorter mixes of "Love To Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love" – plus the hits for the album "On The Radio" and "Enough Is Enough". Other cuts include "Last Dance", "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and a shortened version of "MacArthur Park". LP, Vinyl record album

After cutting some pop disco crossover work for Capitol, the Sylvers finally get the chance to do the real deal here for Casablanca – grooving on tunes that burn stronger and groove longer than before – and which really set the scene for the bass-heavy funk of west coast groups to come! All the tightness of the earlier records is still in place, but the sound has matured nicely – and works well on both the upbeat cuts and the mellow ones – and sounds especially nice on those tunes that somehow manage to be a bit of both. Leon Sylvers produced, and titles include "Don't Stop Get Off", "Love Changes", "Forever Yours", "Play This One Last Record", "Diamonds Are Rare", "Come Dance With Me", and "Just a Little Bit Longer". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The kind of record that probably helped sink the Casablanca empire – a 2LP set of long disco tunes, composed and arranged by Bob Esty for this instant flop film from the end of the 70s. The set does sport a few tracks by more famous artists – including "Hell On Wheels" by Cher and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth Wind & Fire with the Emotions – but most tracks are by Esty, and titles include "Rollin Up A Storm", "We Got The Power", "Elektronix", "Cunga", "Evil Man", and "Good Girls". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE classic double live albums of the 70s – with titles that include "Black Diamond", "Watching You", "Deuce", "Strutter", "Hotter Than Hell", "Got To Choose", "Firehouse", "Nothin To Lose", "She", "Parasite", "Rock N Roll All Nite", "Let Me Go Rock N Roll", and "Rock Bottom". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A landmark album from Kiss – the set that really broke them out of the hard rock underground and firmly put them on the rock and roll map – thanks to an all-great set list, and overall presentation of the group at their best! Maybe it's the cover image, but there's a rock-solid quality to the record that seems to make this set stand out just a bit more from the group's 70s classics – a balance between hard rockers, crossover cuts, and even the album's lone ballad, "Beth" which certainly won over a few fans who might have been holding out a bit – nestled alongside other tunes that include "Detroit Rock City", "King Of The Night Time World", "God Of Thunder", "Flaming Youth", "Shout It Out Loud", "Sweet Pain", and "Do You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Kiss – the set that really broke them out of the hard rock underground and firmly put them on the rock and roll map – thanks to an all-great set list, and overall presentation of the group at their best! Maybe it's the cover image, but there's a rock-solid quality to the record that seems to make this set stand out just a bit more from the group's 70s classics – a balance between hard rockers, crossover cuts, and even the album's lone ballad, "Beth" which certainly won over a few fans who might have been holding out a bit – nestled alongside other tunes that include "Detroit Rock City", "King Of The Night Time World", "God Of Thunder", "Flaming Youth", "Shout It Out Loud", "Sweet Pain", and "Do You Love Me". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s effort from Hugh Maskela, recorded in Nigeria, an excellent melding of his jazz inflected pop sound with some deeper soulful grooves. The vibe here is showing both some funk and disco influences, but with trademark South African style melodies floating over top and a dedication to Fela, you know there's some afro beat creeping in too. 6 tracks in all: "The Boys Doin' It", "Mama", "Excuse Me Please", "Ashiko", "In The Jungle" and "A Person Is A Sometime Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure 70s genius from Hugh Masekela – a record that's quite different than his earlier Afro-soul styled albums, but somehow even better! The format here is much more straightly soulful – with larger arrangements and a strong vocal groove on a number of tracks – but Masekela's trumpet is still blasting firmly over the top of the tunes, infusing them with a soaring sense of soul that's really great! Rhythms change up nicely from the early days – getting complicated at times, and matching the seriousness of the message on the best tracks – and titles include "Black Beauty", "Makonko", "You Told Your Mama Not To Worry", "Hangover", "Soweto Blues", and "The Mandingo Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly soulful club from the team of Giorgio Moroder and vocalist Chris Bennett! Giorgio's best known for a host of famous disco sets from the late 70s – and although this album might well be ranked with the best of them, it's also got a warmer, more intimate feel overall – a mode of vocal presentation that comes from Chris' longtime love of jazz, and Giorgio's joining in on duets on a few tracks! The whole approach is almost a bit more laid than some of Moroder's other work – yet the set still has plenty of those European-styled keyboards and grooves that made the man so famous – and a few tracks here are definite disco groovers. Titles include "Love's In You Love's In Me", "Keep It Together", "I Can't Wait", "Love Now Hurt Later", "Burning The Midnight Oil", and "Let This Night Go On For Days". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic dancefloor electronics from Giorgio Moroder – and the "first electronic live to digital album", which must have cost a bundle to make! Giorgio is in prime electro disco mode here – spinning out long lines of catchy synthesizer tunes – in a way that takes Kraftwerk aesthetic and turns it towards the dancefloor, and also tops it off with some nice pop-styled vocals too! According to the notes, Giorgio's working with "music programmed as bursts of energy" – but to us, it's just plain groovy disco! Tracks are long, and titles include "I Wanna Rock You", "Baby Blue", "What A Night", "If You Weren't Afraid", and "In My Wildest Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

11 tracks from one of George Clinton's loveliest groups! Parlet were clearly George's most disco-oriented group – featuring a trio of female voices in the lead (ala First Choice or Three Degrees), with backing by Parliament and the rest of the P-Funk crew. The tracks tend to be a bit longer and faster than your usual Parliament record, but there's still plenty of funk – and the overall feel of the work is very much in the P-Funk party ensemble mode. Titles include "No Rump To Bump", "Pleasure Principle", "Wolf Tickets", "Love Amnesia", "Play Me Or Trade Me", "Ridin High", and "Cookie Jar". CD

A batch of Parliament and Parliament related funk nuggets get a nice CD presentation of the original, rare, and or extended takes that were previously only available on the original vinyl! All told, more than an hour's worth of prime and/or rare P Funk! Tracks include "Aqua Boogie" (original 12" version), "Flashlight" (original 12" version), "Agony Of Defeat" (original promo-only 12" version), Parlet's "Ridin' High" (original 12" promo-only version), "Oh I" (original 12" promo-only version), "Up For The Down Stroke" (alternate version) and more. CD

An amazing album that's probably one of the most unified albums that George Clinton ever recorded! The band's rawer style has been firmed up and economized – but a lot of the best elements are still in place, including a strange approach to vocals that has male and female voices interacting and counterbalancing in a similar style to that heard on some of Roy Ayers' best work from the early 70s. Clinton's begun introducing a lot of elements of Funkadelic into the group – but the tracks are still short and very tight, with a focused approach to both funk and lyrics that really makes the album stand up to repeated listenings over the years. The album begins with the sublime "Chocolate City", a surprisingly political number that has these incredible jagged piano lines that echo away madly – then it rolls into other great numbers like "Side Effects", "What Comes Funky", "If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It", and "I Misjudged You". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked later gem from Parliament – a set that's very tight and funky, and which really picks up the groove first laid down on "Flashlight"! There's a tightly snapping approach here that rivals the best late 70s work by Funkadelic – the later P-Funk mode that's even more focused on rhythms than before, and which gets away from the sloppy stuff to really hit home with the groove! Tunes are steeped in horny horns, wah wah guitar, and lots of electric keyboards – and titles include "The Big Bang Theory", which is virtually a blueprint for the LA G-funk sound of the 80s – plus the tracks "The Freeze", "May We Bang You?", "Party People", and "(GloryHallaStoopid) Pin The Tail On The Funky". LP, Vinyl record album

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". LP, Vinyl record album

The Mothership goes under water – as George Clinton and crew groove away nicely on this water-themed set of tracks designed to raise Atlantis from the deep! The overall sound is perhaps not as totally perfect as some of the earlier albums, but the P-Funk machine is still in full effect – cranking away nice and hard on tracks like "Liquid Sunshine", "Motor Booty Affair", "Deep", "Rumpofsteelskin", and "(Your'e A Fish And I'm A) Water Sign". Plus, the album more than makes up for a lack of standout tracks with a nicely-united theme – almost a "concept album" of the funky type! CD

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. CD

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album from Parliament – one that's very very different than the freaky fuzz of their Osmium debut – and which has the tight ensemble really coming down on the money, in the best funky 70s George Clinton mode! The record features a much more stripped down sound – nice and funky, with a blueprint of the bass-driven groove that would dominate the P-Funk sound of the 70s. Bootsy's on bass, and the group features Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell, and other likely suspects – all working with a news sort of sharpness compared to earlier P-Funk material – virtually the blueprint for everything else to come. Clinton, Hazel, and Worrell produced – and titles include the monster jammer "Up For The Down Stroke", plus other goodies like "The Goose", "Testify", "Presence Of A Brain", and "All Your Goodies Are Gone". CD

An extra clubby effort from People's Choice – a record that has them moving over to Casablanca after their albums for Philly International, but still staying strongly in their groove, thanks to production from Tom Moulton at Sigma Sound Studios! Tracks are upbeat, but funky – mixing the lead vocals and keyboards of Frank Brunson with some even more soulful female backing voices, and an overall groove that's in the tight Sigma mode that was starting to show up strongly at Salsoul. Tracks are long, but less disco than funky club – and the mix of male and female vocals together often creates a slightly righteous feel that you don't always get on this sort of record. Titles include "Warm Nights Soft Lights", "Bad Dancin Rita", "My Feet Won't Move", "Special Things For You", "If I Knew Then What I Know Now", "You Out To Be Dancin", and "Sweeter Than Honey". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soul records of all time – and an album that we'd never part with! Gloria Scott only ever recorded this one full LP – but that's more than enough, as the whole thing's a masterpiece – produced by Barry White with the best of his 70s approach, and featuring songs written by lesser-known White protege, Tom Brock! Nearly every single cut's a classic – a mixture of deep soul, mellow soul, and slight traces of funk – all gliding effortlessly together with White's stone cold production, and Gloria's instantly captivating vocals. Titles include "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me, or Leave Me, Leave Me, Leave Me", "I Think Of You", "That's What You Say", and "Too Much Lovemakin" – and the whole thing's great! CD

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Spacey French disco from the late 70s – written and arranged by Didier Marouani, with plenty of keyboard work to take the record out into the heavens! Titles include "Just Blue", "Blue Tears", "Symphony", "Save Your Love For Me", "My Love Is Music", and "Secret Dreams" – and the record has a very nice sci-fi painted cover! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first great moments of the Munich disco scene of the 70s – an electric batch of soul served up in support of Donna Summer's landmark title hit! The set features the full 16 minute version of "Love To Love You Baby" – done as a monumental suite that dips, turns, slinks, and slides alongside Summer's sexy vocals beautifully. As with that track, Giorgio Moroder arranged the others on the set as well – along with tunes in more of a straightforward soul approach for the time. In retrospect, that was a totally brilliant approach – trailblazing on one hand, and saleable to the mainstream on the other! Other titles include "Need A Man Blues", "Full Of Emptiness", "Whispering Waves" and "Pandora's Box". CD

Fantastic! This is the kind of stuff that the 12-inch format was invented for. The track has loads of changes and spare passages – and the cool electronic work by Giorgio Moroder sends us over the top every time. Sure, it's a disco cliche – but this original version is still pretty darn mind boggling! 12-inch, Vinyl record

The debut of a legend – and a record that, we hate to admit it, must have actually had some political and cultural punch at the time – especially as the group had yet to go onto super-stardom, and were here stepping out with a butch camp, all-gay style that still had some power in the immediate post-Stonewall years. The approach here is similar to their later hits, but also nicely grounded in the standard disco mode of the time – thanks to some vocal arrangements from Phil Hurtt, and soulful string and horn backings from Horace Ott. Tracks are long, and as gay as you'd expect – but it's also not like the group's making fun of themselves as much yet either. Titles include "Fire Island", "Village People", "San Francisco", and "In Hollywood". CD

One of the last great moments from The Village People – an album released in conjunction with their huge screen debut in the film Can't Stop The Music – a huge media blitz from their producer Jacques Morali – and a record that also marked the first film appearance of the young Bruce Jenner, and which opened with a sexy Valerie Perinne on roller skates! The title hit was the biggest number here – and in addition to "Can't Stop The Music", the group also reprise "YMCA", and perform "Liberation", "Magic Night", "I Love You To Death", and "Milkshake". The group also features two tracks from David Landon – "The Sound Of The City" and "Samantha" – plus two more by The Ritchie Family, "Give Me A Break" and "Sophistication". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Gang Of Four, Survivor, The Flirts with Jan & Dean, Broken Edge, Commuter, Paul Davis, Shandi, St Regis, Baxter Robinson, and Joe 'Bean' Esposito. LP, Vinyl record album

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