Later work from Xavier Cugat, and done with a groovy 60s vibe – more in the Mercury hi fi mode of the time than his earlier tracks! Japanese pressing – plays at 45rpm for added fidelity! LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think "pop", and forget any staid conceptions you might have about something "continental" – and focus on the fact that this sweet little gem is early in the great funky 70s run of the Tele Music sound library – served up through the tight drums and musical imagination of Pierre Alain Dahan! Dahan did work in other funky French groups and jazz combos – but here, he really lets his imagination run wild – creating strong grooves for each track on the drums, then layering them with a shifting array of organ, guitar, electric piano, and more! Titles include "Phasing Drums No 1", "Latin Pop Sound", "Slowrama", "Rock Extra", "Islam Blues", "Carmel Beach", "VSOP Rock", and "Pacific Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from this legendary Brazilian saxophonist – and one that's way different than the usual instrumental reading of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The setting is less of a bossa-inspired one than a post-Coltrane mode – as Victor Assis Brasil blows alto sax, and a bit of soprano – on long, stretched out versions of Jobim compositions – often given a bit of modal energy, thanks to the group's strong piano and organ performances by Dom Salvador. The rest of the players are all great, too – Helio Delmiro on guitar, Edson Lobo on bass, and Edison Machado on drums – all players who grew up in the bossa jazz years of the 60s, but who here are set free to explore new territory by producer Roberto Quartin. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Bonita", "Wave", "Quartiniana", and "Dindi". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as Verocai creates all these ambitious grooves that are very much in the best territory of some of the funky Marcos Valle work at the start of the 70s – basslines dipping under strings, all topped with Celia's wonderful vocals – which have a power here that we've never heard on other records – almost a Gal Costa sort of touch! Tracks include tunes by Valle, Verocai, and others – and titles include "Em Familia", "Mia", "Vida De Artista", "Dominus Tecum", "Ay Adelita", "Toda Quarta Feira Depois Do Amor", "A Hora E Essa", "E Preciso Dizer ADeus", and "Badalacao". LP, Vinyl record album

Olivia Hime sings vocals on a number of tracks that were written with music by Manuel Bandeira, in collaboration with other Brazilian artists like Toninho Horta, Ivan Lins, Wagner Tiso, and others. The highlight of the album is a great reading of Joyce's "Berimbau", done with all the tight jazzy changes of the original, and with some great vocal scatting by Olivia. Other titles include "Belo Belo", "Tema E Voltas", "O Impossivel Carinho", and "Desencanto". LP, Vinyl record album

Gentle, breezy, and wonderful – a rare 1974 album by Osmar Milito, a Brazilian arranger of the post-bossa era, and a mad talent with a bit of a dark edge! The record takes all the airy brilliance of the previous Brazilian generation, and moves it forward with a different sense of space and sound – almost a transformation of the Deodato or Jobim style of arranging in the 60s, but with a much moodier feel overall. Miltio plays piano on the set – working in front of larger orchestrations in a mode that's not unlike the late 60s albums of Burt Bacharach, but fitted with some different touches that give the set a bit more of a groovy 70s sound. Titles include "Bonita", "Sangue Latino", "Viagem", "Eu Bebo Sim", and "Planalto Geral". LP, Vinyl record album

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Moody instrumental magic from Hareton Salvanini – an artist with an Italian sounding name, and an approach that reminds us of some of the hippest composers of the sound library and film score scene in Italy during the 70s! The album's all instrumental, and is almost a soundtrack for a film that never existed – as Salvanini mixes his own piano lines with these moody strings and dark-tinged instrumentation – all with a vibe that's maybe a bit warmer than David Axelrod or Johnny Harris, but in the same sort of territory as their important albums of the time! Weird reeds color in some moments, offbeat strings some others – and there's a suppressed sense of emotion that lingers with lots of blue currents on the record – really fitting Hareton's look on the cover. Titles include "Salamandras", "Viver", "So, "Primitivo", "Irracional", "Papa Mama", "Yelris", and "Preludio Em Si Bemol Menor". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key records that helped cement the Tom Ze legacy back in the day – a set that's unlike any other work of the period from other Brazilian artists – including some of Ze's earlier contemporaries in the Tropicalia scene! There's a great mix of styles going on ranging from some spare percussive tracks, to others that have a smoother production style – and throughout it all, Ze's got that crazy approach to lyricism that marks his vocally striking work from this time. Arrangements are directed by Otavio Basso, with lots of work on both acoustic and electric instruments – keyboards mixed with cavaquinho, guitar mixed with percussion and cuica – on titles that include "Amor De Estrada", "Carta", "Morena", "Menina Jesus", "Na Parada De Sucesso", and "Pecado Rifa E Revista". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with "samba" in the title, but a set that hardly sounds like samba at all – given that the record is one of the groundbreaking 70s albums from the legendary Tom Ze! Ze first rose to fame as an experimentalist in the Tropicalia scene – but here, he's years past that movement, yet still one of its most creative proponents – working in a mode that takes older Brazilian rhythms and infuses them with all the new sounds, styles, and sense of poetry that Tom was bringing to his music – often quite playful, but at a level that's quite moving as well. The whole thing's got the subtle "beyond language" power of some of the best by Caetano Veloso – even though Tom Ze is completely his own man throughout. The set features arrangements from Jose Briamonte, production from Heraldo Do Monte, and titles that include a rootsy take on "A Felicidade", plus the nutty instrumental "Tom", and the original tracks "So", "Ma", "Vai", "Ui", "Indice", "Hein", and "Mae". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most legendary albums from groundbreaking Brazilian music pioneer Tom Ze – and a record that introduces itself with an equally legendary cover image! (Hint: that's not an eyeball on the front.) Ze had already been recording a bit by the time of this record – but this set is easily his most experimental album ever – a record that even makes the work of the late 60s Tropicalia generation sound a bit more catchy and tuneful – as Tom's drawing here from all sorts of strands of avant poetry and instrumentation. The vibe is almost like some of the most experimental Saravah Records albums of the period – unusual songwriting served up in an approach that mixes hard percussion, spare production, quirky guitar, and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil. Titles include Complexo De Epico", "A Noite Do Meu Bem", "Dodo E Zeze", "Brigitte Bardot", and "O Riso E A Faca". LP, Vinyl record album

The great second album from Ghana's K. Frimpong – backed by the group Vis-a-Vis (though billed in the title as his Cubano Fiestas) – a stunning blend of Ghanian Highlife music and rawer Afro Funk & soul! A few K. Frimpong numbers appeared on some of our favorite African compilations of the late 90s & 00s – but this original album from 1977 has remained rare. K. Frimpong sings and he's backed up by the fairly large Vis-A-Vis players, but they deliver a pretty tight groove – drums, congas and other percussion, trumpet and sax, some really soulful electric guitar, some piano, and occasional waves of spacey synth. Amazing stuff! Includes "Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena", "Asaase Yi So", "Awisa" and the side-long "Adama Nana (Medley)". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 70s pop from Martinha – a Brazilian singer with a wonderfully breathy voice! The album's a bit like some lost French session from the time – string-laden, but never in a cloying way – and often put together with a sliding sort of feel in the background, so that Martinha's vocals glide nicely across the tunes. The style's a bit different than other Brazilian female pop of the time – not really MPB, nor post-bossa either – and really with more of a European influence overall. Titles include "Minha Casa", "Erros E Defeitos", "Eu Era Voce", "Como Antigamente", "A Noite Combinamos", "Eu Quero", "Elementar", and "Dream A Little Dream Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 70s album by Os Novos Baianos – a wonderfully youthful group that was one of the bright spots in Brazilian music after the Tropicalia years. The band had a style that mixed folksy percussion with honest personal songwriting, plus occasional touches of elements gleaned from the larger influences in Brazilian rock at the time. The album has a sound that's a lot more intimate than later work, with some especially great work on guitar and bandolim, and great production on the band's vocals. Titles include "Sorrir E Cantar Como Bahia", "Dagmar", "Vagabundo Nao E Facil", "Cosmos E Damiao", "Com Qualquer Dois Mil Reis", and "Os Pingo Da Chuva". LP, Vinyl record album

A Brazilian rock classic! The band had a very sophisticated sound that mixes nice vocal production with spare arrangements supported by guitar, piano, and bass. The sound is difficult to describe – but the record has some extremely compelling songwriting, and great vocal work that carries the strength of the tracks, whether or not you understand Portuguese. Titles include "Sangue Latino", "O Vira", "Primavera Nos Dentes", "Amor", "Assim Assado", and "As Andorinhas". Nice cover, too – with the band's heads on a table! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost batch of pop arrangements from 60s Brazil! Erlon Chavez was one of the country's more unusual musical talents – and although he did straighter work for big singers like Elis Regina, his own albums are filled with nicely off-kilter jazz and bossa tunes, and plenty of nice grooves that make his rare vinyl worth digging for! This gem from the mid 60s features Chavez leading a crack group of Brazilian jazz players – including trombonist Raulzinho and alto player Hector Costita – through a groovy set of tunes that includes "Balanca Zona Sul", "Batucada", "Sabadabada", "Bafafa", "Primavera", and "Opiniao". Very nice, and with a cool cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Magoado", "Abismo De Rosas", "Adelita", "Tristesse", "Uma Valsa E Dois Amores", "Sonata Ao Luar", and "Ruas De Espanha". LP, Vinyl record album

An early album by this groovy Brazilian rock group that featured Ney Matogrosso on vocals! The record has a haunting sound that mixes nice vocal production with spare arrangements supported by guitar, piano, and bass. The sound is difficult to describe – but the record has some extremely compelling songwriting, and great vocal work that carries the strength of the tracks, whether or not you understand Portuguese. Titles include "Flores Astrais", "Nao Nao Digas Nada", "Tercer Mundo", "Angustia", "O Doce E O Amargo", and "Delirio". LP, Vinyl record album

Breezy genius from 70s Brazil – a set that has some fantastic harmonies over really groovy instrumentation – but all at a level that's very different than other Brazilian groups of this nature! Aquarius often use both male and female voices, layered in ways that are more complex than the 60s work of Tamba Trio or Quarteto Em Cy – and warmed up with just the right touches of keyboards, guitar, and percussion – all given some sweet production elements that maybe make the whole thing feel as if one of those acts from the earlier Brazilian generation wandered into the 70s studios at MPS! Titles include "Tamanco No Samba", "Falsa Baiana", "Carolina", "Pink Bar", "Tibidabo", "Europenema", and "So Tem Lugar Pra Voce". LP, Vinyl record album

Lively instrumentals with lots of cool twists and turns – mostly upbeat, and packaged with a very cool vintage photo of Rio on the cover! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most legendary albums from groundbreaking Brazilian music pioneer Tom Ze – and a record that introduces itself with an equally legendary cover image! (Hint: that's not an eyeball on the front.) Ze had already been recording a bit by the time of this record – but this set is easily his most experimental album ever – a record that even makes the work of the late 60s Tropicalia generation sound a bit more catchy and tuneful – as Tom's drawing here from all sorts of strands of avant poetry and instrumentation. The vibe is almost like some of the most experimental Saravah Records albums of the period – unusual songwriting served up in an approach that mixes hard percussion, spare production, quirky guitar, and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil. Titles include Complexo De Epico", "A Noite Do Meu Bem", "Dodo E Zeze", "Brigitte Bardot", and "O Riso E A Faca". LP, Vinyl record album

A title that seems to take off from Chubby Checker's bit trademark hit, but the overall groove is a lot better than you might expect – set for twisting, sure, but in a nicely rough and ready style that's almost equal parts soul and R&B! Some tunes are familiar, but twist-ified – and others are standout originals that really make the album sparkle. Titles include "The Ray Charles-ton", "Dance A Long", "Takes Two To Tango", "Continental Walk", "The Jet", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and "Peanut Butter". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early example of the genius of mixing guitar with the piano of Oscar Peterson – a move that might have been inspired by the success of Ahmad Jamal, but which works equally well for Peterson's sound on the keys! The tracks here feature either Herb Ellis or Irving Ashby on guitar – plus the always-solid bass of Ray Brown, and some slight extra work on drums by Louis Bellson. Most of the focus is still on Oscar's incredible work on piano, but the dancing colors of the guitar are a great addition that really flesh out the sound without slowing down Peterson's groove. Titles include "Pompton Turnpike", "Alone Together", "Soft Winds", "The Continental", "Love You Madly", and "Simple Life". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by Ernie Wilkins as a leader – despite his presence as an arranger on countless jazz sessions of the 50s and 60s! Ernie's got a real flair for a tight bounce at the bottom and unusual horn formations at the top – a style that reminds us a lot of Oliver Nelson at his best, and which, like Nelson, often comes across with a more soulful approach than most of his contemporaries! The Wilkins groove is often playful, but never over-indulgent – joyously reveling in its own sharpness, but open enough to let the strong talents in the group do their own thing. Titles include "The Continental", "Broadway", "Gone With The Wind", "Baubles Bangles & Beads", "Somebody Loves Me", "All Of You", and "Gone With The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Mixed compilation featuring tracks by Andrea True Connection, Salsoul Orchestra, Ritchie Family, Gwen McCrae, Kool & The Gang, Walter Murphy, KC & The Sunshine Band, George McCrae, Crown Heights Affair, Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids, and Ecstasy Passion & Pain. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible later record from Herb Alpert – working in a soulful funky fusion mode that really is well beyond the style that made him famous in the 60s! We love the easy breezy 60s sound of Herb & The Tijuana Brass too, but he really stepped up his game in exciting ways on records like Rise, and he takes some even further, previously unexplored creative steps on Beyond, this aptly titled set! Plenty of smoothed out funky fusion grooves, especially on the first half of the record, but by the midway point he's also dabbling in Spanish guitar inflected melodies, bringing in some spacey electronics and sequencing, and other daring twists – but never compromises on the consistently groovy feel overall. Includes "Kamali", "The Continental", "Reach For The Stars", "Red Hot", "Beyond", "Keep It Goin'", "The Factory" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Silly title – but a great album, with Cugie playing relatively straight Latin versions of 60s pop hits. A few of the tunes are a bit silly, but there's less of the goofiness that "caricatures" might imply. Titles include "Papa Loves Mambo", "Night Train", "Fly Me to The Moon", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Desafinado", "The Continental", "Witchcraft", and "I've Got The World On A String". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent small group work from vibist Terry Gibbs – just the kind of set that shows why he was one of the best known players on his instrument in the 50s! Gibbs has a clear, clean style here that's never too laidback, nor too prone to over-done flourishes – a style that was born in swing, informed by bop, and carried off beautifully by a quartet on the date that includes Terry Pollard on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Bert Dale (aka Nils Bertil Dahlander) on drums. The sound is nicely straight ahead – no gimmicks, no schtick, just nicely grooving work on vibes and piano – with tracks that include "Seven Come Eleven", "Lonely Dreams", "Dickie's Dream", "Imagination", "King City Stomp", "Pretty Face", "The Continental", "Bless My Soles", and "Nutty Notes". LP, Vinyl record album

An early entry in the classic Mood Mosaic series – a set of compilations that were crucial in helping to bring rare European tracks over to our American ears, especially in a pre-internet world! There's a real 90s sample head vibe to the record – 70s vintage tracks that have just the right sort of beats, basslines, and keyboards to appeal to a later scene – with a set list that includes "Coming and Going" and "Go Down Dying" by Ray Brown, plus "Caribbean Sunrise" by Clay Pitts, "Vixen & The Constable" by Ingo Kantor, "Le Train Fou" by Jacques Denjean, "Amame" and "Dr No Piano" by Claudia Vita, "Good Time" by Dan Seepers Soul, "Pazuzu" by Tony Sylvester, "Continental Exchange" by Sounds Nice, and "Sado Maso" by De Giafferi. LP, Vinyl record album

A Fuego Vivo is a live septet set with the latin vibes master out front of Mark Levine on keys, the great percussionist Panco Sanchez on congas, and Gary Foster on alto and flute. It's a pretty atypically frenetic set for such a late date – with wonderfully tight, yet still quite jamming takes on "Serenita", "Ponco Con Dos Amigos", "Mindanao", "Tesoro", "Santo Domingo", "Naima" and "The Continental". LP, Vinyl record album

Chess compilation of some popular dance tunes of the time. The Vibrations are featured the most with such songs as "The Watusi", "The New Hully Gully", "Let's Pony Again", and "Continental With Me Baby". Other tracks include "The Madison" by Al Brown's Tunetoppers featuring Cookie Brown, "Mashed Potatoes" by Ned Kendricks & The Swans, "The Walk" by Jimmy McCracklin and "Popeye" by Lamont Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of rare gems from the headiest days of the Texas scene – with selections by Blox, Murphy & Mob, Ninth Street Bridge, Brothers & Sisters, The Chants, Continental V, Barons, The Undertakers, The Visions, The Mods, The Shades Of Night, Circus, Shivas Head Band, Sweet Smoke, Minds Eye, and The Stereo Shoestring. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky Nigerian gem from this lost 70s group – a combo who have a way of folding Afro Funk styles with some of the leaner West African styles of the time! There's horns in the group, and lots of bold percussion – but the guitars are really the key to the whole set – mixing together and ringing out with all sorts of cool chromatic elements alongside the vocals! The approach hints at highlife, but has a vibe that's all its own – and a nicely rough around the edges sort of quality that really keeps things spontaneous! Side one features the long "Drunkard" – and side two features "Matine Yanzoni" and "Herve". LP, Vinyl record album

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Weird and wild novelty numbers from the glory days of the 7" single – tunes that are mostly rockers, but which also show all the cool and unusual ways that folks were experimenting with new styles and studio modes, then putting the results on a two to three minute 45rpm chunk of vinyl – getting the gags and goofs out there in the years before social media and the internet! There's a wonderfully offbeat selection of cuts here – comedic intentions mixed with inventive instrumentation, odd arrangements, and hip production – on tracks that include "Ho Ho Rock & Roll" by Sid Ramin, "You Tickle Me Baby" by The Royal Jokers, "Your Wiggle & Your Giggle" by Lue Renny, "Breakin Up" by The Fabulous Continentals, "Hey Lulu" by Hank Marvin, "The Mad Scientist" by The Zanies, "Good For A Laugh" by The Paollos, "Lafin Gas" by Adolphus Bell & The All Starts, "The Giggler" by Pat & The Wildcats, "Scrub" by Jim Doval & The Gauchos, and "Laffin Beatnik" by Johnny Beeman. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally cool collection of songs, sound effects, and vintage movie trailers – all pulled from the glory days of the American horror film! The package is a tribute to the old time monster shows that used to travel the theater circuit – a mix of horror movies and live action activity – revived by by the folks at Something Weird in live performances, a great counterpart to all the great films they've given us on DVD over the years! This set brings together the kind of deep knowledge that only fans of these lost b-movie gems could discover – a massive 32 track package that features the songs "The Morgus Creep" by The Daringers, "Cemetary Stomp" by The Essex, "Count Dracula" by The Rockin Continentals, "Haunted House" by Oscar & The Majestics, "The Giggler" by The Pot & The Wildcats, "The Guillotine" by The Executioners, "Transylvania" by The Mysterians, and "Night Beat" by The Night Beats – plus a huge host of film trailers, radio spots, and more! Also features a bonus DVD of the live Something Weird Spook Show. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Five Satins, Kodaks, Baltineers, Continentals, Videos, Cherokees, Capris, Charts, El Dorados, Sonny Gordon & The Angels, Silhouettes, Spaniels, Scarlets, and Skylarks. LP, Vinyl record album