A mix of hip folk and blues – with work by John Koerner, Geoff Muldaur, Dave Ray, Danny Kalb, Ian Buchanan, Mark Spoelstra, and Eric Von Schmidt. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring tracks by Bobby McFerrin, Beach Boys, Georgia Satellites, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Starship, John Cougar Mellencamp, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Eddie Rabbitt, Mel Tillis, Charlie Rich, Hank Thompson, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive hit for Stanley Clarke – a record that has him reigning in some of his wilder elements a bit, and going for a groove that's right in the pocket! There's a definite soul fusion influence going on here – Clarke trying to hit the same groove as some of his contemporaries, and doing a pretty good job of it in the process. Still, the album's never as polished as efforts like this on Blue Note or Elektra – just a bit more focused than before, but in a really good way. David Sancious and Chick Corea both play keyboards on the set – and tracks include "School Days", "Hot Fun", "Desert Song", "The Dancer", and "Quiet Afternoon". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Country Joe & The Fish – one of those albums that brought the new psychedelic sound strongly into the mainstream – but all without softening up or commercializing it at all! There's still a very sharp edge to the record – mean organ lines, fuzzy guitar, and lots of cool production that makes the sounds weirder and more watery than before – even the vocals, which have this edge that nobody would ever refer to as Sunshine Pop! In a way, the whole set's as sinister as any of the most groundbreaking albums on Elektra from the time – and definitely shows that both Vanguard and the group were at the forefront of the new psych recording scene. Titles include "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine", "Super Bird", "Death Sound", "Sad And Lonely Times", "The Masked Marauder", "Grace", and "Bass Strings". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever release of this lost soul treasure – a rare session from a late 70s group from Tulsa, recording in LA at the studio of Sly Stone! The set's got a groove that's way more than you'd expect from any Oklahoma combo – a mature, modern soul sparkle that's totally great – almost the sort of vibe you'd find from some of the best groups of the time on labels like Elektra or Capitol, but handled here with a bit more indie charm overall! The tracks are all originals, and they balance out mellow steppers and tighter groovers nicely – which makes for an album that's amazingly deep in conception, and way more than just a slap-dash batch of tracks from the studio. We're sure that Sly would have been proud of the work here – and our hat's off to the folks at Lotus Land for finally getting this one released! Titles include "Funky Sounds", "Accept The Truth", "Keep On Smiling", "If You Dance Tonight", "I Love Everything About You", "On A Lovely Night Like This", "I Hope You'll Be", and an untitled track. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A strange album when put next to Love's Elektra records – and one that's not without its weaknesses – but the band's got a kick-ass drummer, and the record's filled with more than a few tasty moments that have a bit of funk in them. Layered with Arthur Lee's hip guitar, the sound is great – and the record's still a great one if you like the band. Tracks include "Doggone", "Instra-mental", "Gather Round", "Run To the Top", "Abalony", "Signed DC", "Stand Out", and "Love Is More Than Words or Better Late Than Never". LP, Vinyl record album

If you've ever doubted the influence of Donald Byrd on jazz, this is an album that will change your mind! Trumpeter Rahmlee covers a wide range of Byrd's styles from the 70s – from the simpler funky jazz of the early Mizell years, to the later more R&B-ish work on Elektra, to some of Byrd's more vocal-oriented recordings – and he actually does a pretty darn nice job, hitting some good funky groove that have a strong trumpet sound. He's got help on the record from hipper soul jazz players like Don Myrick, Derf Reklaw, and Ndugu – and the album's a nice bit of funky jazz that holds together well cover to cover. Titles include "Rise Of The Phenix", "Think", "Never Give Up On You", and "Heartbreaker". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent sampler of her great stuff for Prestige from the 70's, with one track from each of the great LPs Prelusion and Before The Dawn, and the rest pulled from Shout It Out, which is our favorite. Much more soul jazz and funky fusion oriented than her later crossover work for Elektra, this stuff snaps nicely and as always Patrice's touch on the keys is nice. Nearly every track's a winner: "Let Your Heart Be Free", "Let There Be Funk", "What's The Story", "Shout ItOut", "Yolon", "Traverse", "The Hump", "Roll With The Punches", "Sojourn" and "Stepping Stones". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the great Marcos Valle – a great blend of mellow grooves and upbeat tunes recorded at the same time Valle was working in the US with Leon Ware! The style here is very similar to Ware's 2 albums for Elektra – both of which feature work from Valle, and include tunes that are also done here in Portuguese versions! Marcos makes a real departure from some of his earlier work here, and emerges as a surprisingly great soul star with plenty of talents for penning two-step tunes and keyboard-heavy tracks that glisten with a sweet California groove. A few tracks recall some of Valle's Odeon work – like the baroque instrumental "Camina Grande" – but we're most partial to the soul tracks that dominate the record, and which include "Bicho No Cio", "Pecados De Amor","Garimpando" and "A Paraiba Nao e Chicago". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of sweet group soul! This was the first secular record cut by The Voices Of East Harlem – a group who'd had an earlier gospel-tinged album on Elektra, but who are soaring out here in a brilliant mix of righteous mainstream soul styles – courtesy of the Curtom power team of Rich Tufo, Leroy Hutson, and Curtis Mayfield! The album's an unusual non-Curtom effort by the Hutson and Curtom – who collaborated in producing the record with Tufo, who himself did most of the arrangements with Hutson – in a mode that's wonderfully in the same spirit as Leroy's seminal work for Curtom in the mid 70s. There's a depth here that makes the album one of our favorite-ever soul records from the 70s – brilliant not just for the overall sound, but also for the pointed lyrics and really personal feel of the songs. Lead vocals shift between the different tunes – but are mostly handled by Gerri Griffin and Monica Burress, with warm support by the rest of the group. Titles include "Giving Love", "Cashing In", "Could This Be Love", "New Vibrations", and "Wanted Dead or Alive". LP, Vinyl record album