The fab second album by the Free Design – one that has them moving confidently into the realm of groovy pop – magically touching songs with their unique innocent harmony approach, and completely transforming them in the process! The set includes wonderful versions of groovy 60s pop hits like "Windows Of the World", "Eleanor Rigby", and "California Dreamin" – but stands out even more for Chris Dedrick's original compositions – like "Quartet No 6 In D Minor", "A Leaf Has Veins", "An Elegy", "I Found Love", "You Could Be Born Again", and "Ivy On A Windy Day". Sublime throughout – and as the cover says – "The Freshest Sounds You've Ever Heard!" LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff! If you're not familiar with The Free Design, they were a cool easy/jazzy vocal group from the late 60s/early 70s, and they had a sound that was somewhere between The Four Freshmen and The Carpenters, and which also owed a lot to some of the Brazilian vocal groups of the 60's, like Grupo Manifesto or the Quarteto Em Cy. But over and above cool easy vocal harmonies, the group also wrote some pretty keen tracks that had a weird slightly-psychedelic bent to them. We're not saying that they were dropping acid or anything, but imagine what would happen if Karen and Richard Carpenter got their hands on Brian Wilson's stash, and spend the afternoon messing around in his studio – and you'll begin to get part of the picture. Loads of groovy cuts, including "I Found Love", "Bubbles", "2002 – A Hit Song", "My Brother Woody", "You Could Be Born Again", and a cool version of "A Man & A Woman". CD

The very first album from Free Design – and the start of a mini-legend that's seen the group really growing in fame as the years move on! The group borrow some harmonies from earlier pop and jazz vocal groups, and work in a style that certainly nods to the sunshine pop generation – but with a more down to earth approach that's really wonderful and a lot more intimate – really unlocking the hip yet naive quality that's always made the group so unique. The original tunes here are maybe the most compelling – including "Kites Are Fine", "My Brother Woody", and "The Proper Ornaments" – but the group also does a nice job on remakes of "A Man & A Woman", "Michelle", and "Feelin Groovy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the wildest of the classic Free Design albums, and one that will leave you scratching your head – thinking that these guys were either the biggest acid freaks around, or the most simplistic kiddie-minded adults you'll ever meet! We don't know what got into the water in the studio on this one, but the group are really expanding their minds here – taking on some groovy-as-groovy can be material – all with the sweet mixture of harmony vocals, easy instrumentation, and hippie-era naivete! The titles alone state the case – with tunes that include "Stay Off Your Frown", "Bubbles", "Kije's Ouji", "That's All, People", and "Butterflies Are Free" – plus a great cover of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". LP reissued on nice heavy vinyl, with a sweet gatefold cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Massively beautiful pop tunes by this incredibly harmony group! The Free Design have a sound and approach that's like nobody else – and at the end of the 60s, they looked over their shoulder, saw dozens of harmony groups who'd been working before them, and decided to strip the sound down and recraft it with child-like innocence. No wonder they've been a huge influence on loads of today's groovy bands – and on you too, we're sure, after you hear such dreamy tunes as "Butterflies Are Free", "Kites Are Fun", "You'll Be You & I'll Be Me", "Stay Another Season", "Happy Together", "Time & Love", "Like To Love", and "When Love Is Young". CD

Sunny wonderfulness from one of the grooviest vocal groups of all time! This is Free Design's legendary album for children – referred to in the title as "very important people" – and it's a strangely hip set of tracks designed to get the kids to open up in a groovy late 60s kind of way. Given that the Free Design always sounded like a bunch of hippy kids, the setting is perfect for them – and they dreamily make their way through a great set of nearly all original tracks that sparkle with an innocent charm that's slyly deeper than you'd guess from the kid-orientation of the set! Original titles include "Love You", "Kites Are Fun", "Daniel Dolphin", "Ronda 'Go Round", "Bubbles", "Little Cowboy", and "Scarlet Tree". CD features 2 bonus tracks – both outtakes from "For The Love Of Your Lips", a Chapstick commercial! CD

Sunny wonderfulness from one of the grooviest vocal groups of all time! This is Free Design's legendary album for children – referred to in the title as "very important people" – and it's a strangely hip set of tracks designed to get the kids to open up in a groovy late 60s kind of way. Given that the Free Design always sounded like a bunch of hippy kids, the setting is perfect for them – and they dreamily make their way through a great set of nearly all original tracks that sparkle with an innocent charm that's slyly deeper than you'd guess from the kid-orientation of the set! Original titles include "Love You", "Kites Are Fun", "Daniel Dolphin", "Ronda 'Go Round", "Bubbles", "Little Cowboy", and "Scarlet Tree". CD features 2 bonus tracks – both outtakes from "For The Love Of Your Lips", a Chapstick commercial! CD

Formica may seem like an everyday surface to some – but at the time of its creation, it was a pretty revolutionary development – one that allowed household and business spaces to step free from longer-term care – giving the workers and residents lots more time to pursue their hopes and dreams! That bright promise of Formica is presented beautifully here – in a lovely history of the product, complete with dozens of vintage images that range from magazine ads to promotional flyers – to some higher-end projects in Formica from the art world! The book's beautiful – as stylish as an interior design magazine from the 60s – with a special color by color section in the middle, including writings by John Updike, Margarate Atwood, and others – on pages that are also perforated and can be folded! The first half of the book is in English, and awash with these images and text – and the second half offers more images, and text in six other languages. 408 pages, softcover, and beautiful color throughout! Book

The sweet image really gets at the wonderful sound of this record – a Japanese pop gem from the end of the 60s, and one that seems to mix together elements of bossa nova and European grooves – all in this way that really fits the way that the male and female vocals come together! The singers unite at points, separate at others – and they sound wonderfully dreamy amidst the well-penned arrangements that make the album a treasure throughout – especially if you dig innocent soft pop, ala Free Design! Lyrics are all in Japanese – and songs translate as "Beautiful Misunderstanding", "A Wonderful Bus Trip", "Suddenly One Day", "Lover's Talk", and "Beautiful Garden In My Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those super-rare albums that never went beyond the stage of being a demo, yet which has gone on to be the stuff of legend over the years – maybe in part because it was later discovered to be an obscure side project by the legendary Wrecking Crew of LA 60s studio fame! The approach here is sunshine pop at its best – mixed male/female vocals, working with really well-crafted backings that were all arranged by Allyn Ferguson, who also penned all of the tracks! The vibe is maybe somewhere between Free Design and the Alan Copeland Singers – and the set is every bit as groovy as our favorites from both groups. Titles include "Playtime", "Calico Bus", "Time", "Come Out In The Sun", "Ride A Pink Horse", and "Candy Egg". LP, Vinyl record album

Kinsman Dazz are even funkier here than before – showing off their Ohio roots, and pointing the way towards the classic Dazz Band sound they'd forge in the 80s! Rhythms are very tight throughout – but still often touched with the jazzy elements that made the group so great in their early years – echoing a bit of an Earth Wind & Fire sound, as Philip Bailey's on board to help a bit with arrangements and background vocals. The whole thing's great – a super-tight record without any filler at all – and titles include "I Searched Around", "Love Design", "Keep On Rockin", "Can't Get Enough", "Dancin Free", and the wonderful "Catchin Up On Love", a spacey harmony track with a really anthemic sound! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks from Soul Swingers, Wayne McGhie, Stereolab & High Llamas, Bernard Purdie, Madlib, Danger Mouse & Murs, Clarence Mack Express, Free Design, Last Poets, Sharpshooters, Manitoba, Black On White Affair. CD

Slightly easy, slightly baroque, and with a sound that's somewhere near Free Design, The Mamas & The Papas, and other groups of the time – The Clique were one of the many groovy lost pop bands that came out of the west coast during the 60s. The record boasts the original version of the track "Superman", which went to become a big hit for R.E.M. about 20 years later. There's lots of other nice groovy original material, like "Sugar On Sunday", "Shadow Of Your Love", "Judy, Judy, Judy", and a cool version of the Bee Gees "Holiday". 17 tracks, with extra cuts, and good liner notes on the band. CD

A wonderfully groovy set of Christmas tracks – one done in a style very similar to the Get Easy Snow compilations – as you might guess from the title! The selection here is great – with a few perennial favorites, a few rare gems, and a great middle stretch of wonderful bits from some of the grooviest artists of the 60s and 70s – a great antidote to some of the too-played holiday music you might hear during the 12th month of the year! Titles include "Santa Claus Is Definitely Hear To Stay" by James Brown, "Close Your Mouth It's Christmas" by Free Design, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy McGriff, "Snow" by Claudine Longet, "Black Christmas" by The Emotions, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by The Temptations, "Christmas Gift" by Margie Joseph, "Winter Warm" by Bob Crewe Generation, "Snow Flakes" by The Ventures, "Winter Symphony" by The Beach Boys, "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway, "Children Go Where I Send Thee" by Kenny Burrell, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" by Ray Anthony & His Bookends, "Swinging Christmas" by Helmut Zacharias, and "Jingo Jango" by Bert Kaempfert. CD

Quite possibly the grooviest album ever from Enoch Light – a trippy blend of many 60s styles, all put together with sublime Project 3 Sound! The album's billed as featuring "exploratory trips through the music of Bach, Bacharach, the Beatles – Integrating the Moog, the Guitar Scene, Electronic Harpsichord, Flugelhorns, etc" – and it definitely lives up to that bill, given the range of songs included! Rhythms are strong, and the use of sweetly compressed horn parts is very much in an A&M mode – as is the backing vocals, which are light and wonderful – a bit like Free Design, but more towards the territory of Singers Unlimited, although even groovier. The Beatles and Bacharach material is especially great – but even the Bach tunes come out wonderfully, given that most are re-arranged with a hip 60s soundtrack sort of groove – classical roots, but contemporary execution – especially when there's a bit of moog or electric harpsichord. Titles include "Walk On By", "Norweigan Wood", "What The World Needs Now", "Get Back", "Bond Street", "Petite Paulette", "My Silent Song", and "Lover's Concerto". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Hapshash & The Coloured Coat – a group with a sound that's every bit as freewheeling as their name! The set's a unique collaboration between DJ/producer Guy Stevens and psych poster designers Michael English and Nigel Weymouth – and has this loose, unfettered feel that's almost more like a "happening" in the studio instead of some road-jamming band cutting its music to vinyl – a really hair-down party with instrumentation on trippy percussion, jangly guitar, and other odd sounds that step in and out of the mix – showing a larger studio sense of manipulation for the whole record. There's an odd groove to the record at parts – almost a chaos theory return of the eternal – and titles include "H-O-P-P Why?", "A Mind Blown Is A Mind Shown", "The New Messiah Coming 1985", "Aoum", and the epic side two jam "Empires Of The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect cloth for cleaning records – a great accompaniment for the Groovy Record Cleaner we stock! The fabric is thin and lint-free – way better for wiping down vinyl than a dirty ol' dishrag, and a bit more scientifically designed too. The package contains three 8" x 9" cloths – great for assembly-line cleaning if you can get your friends to help! Record Care

One of Ornette Coleman's most groundbreaking albums – a set that takes his best free jazz energy of the 60s, and expands it out into the space of a longer suite – all originally designed as a film soundtrack, then never used in the movie at all! Yet even without the film placement, the album's one of Coleman's greatest – a unique blend of his best small combo 60s energy with some larger orchestrations that really go way out – mixing tones and modes from the soloists against a larger backdrop of woodwinds and strings. The result is mindblowing – very open-ended and freewheeling, yet filled with soul too – thanks to great alto and trumpet from Ornette, and raw tenor from Pharoah Sanders – working in the core quartet with David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums. The set features one long double-length piece – four sides' worth of amazing music! CD

One of Cheryl Lynn's early killers for Columbia – an album of tight, bouncy, joyous soul all the way through – free from any of the too-commercial touches that sometimes slowed Cheryl's later work! Ray Parker Jr produced the set – and he as well is free from the slicker sounds of his hits – keeping things warm, personal, and real on most of the album's best tracks – and balancing Cheryl nicely between heartfelt mellow tracks and a few more uptempo tunes designed to keep her on the minds of the dancefloor scene. Titles include "In The Night", "Baby", "What's On Your Mind", "Hurry Home", and "With Love On Our Side". LP, Vinyl record album

A real classic from one of our favorite artists of the 60s! Fred Neil is best known to the world as the man who wrote "Everybody's Talkin", which was used excessively in the film Midnight Cowboy (although his version in the film was sung by Nilsson) – but he's a hell of a great artist on his own, a real revolutionary that we'd rank right up there with someone like Tim Hardin or Nick Drake. This Capitol album has Fred playing in a very relaxed studio vibe – with some spare backing, and edgey playing that opens up a side of him that we've rarely heard elsewhere – all in a session that was largely improvised, and designed to recreate the feel of his legendary live shows. The tracks are fairly long, and include titles like "Felicity", "Send Me Somebody To Love", "Looks Like Rain", and "Fools Are A Long Time Coming". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely complicated little record – and one of the funkiest albums on the legendary Invictus label! The 8th Day group was a loosely-conceived batch of Detroit soul talents designed to cash in on a concept of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team – and they weren't just a studio project, as they included some wonderful talents that could make some great music when they wanted to! One of these was the amazing Detroit organist Lyman Woodard – who contributed the fantastic track "Cheba" to the album, an incredible organ groover that's unlike anything you've ever heard, rolling on with this pinched Hammond sound over congas, all-instrumental, and completely seductive! Another was Melvin Davis, who had recorded the song "Good Book" as a solo artist – but which was released here as if it was by the group. There's also a great guitarist in the group – unnamed due to the lack of liner notes – but who really shines on the funky tracks "Anythang", "Rocks In My Head", and "Heaven Is There To Guide Us", all with a fuzzed-out Detroit 70s groove! CD features the bonus tracks "Just As Long (single)", "I'm Worried (single)", "It's Instrumental To Be Free", and "You Made Me Over". CD