Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound, the studio referenced in the title of the album, and presented in a wonderful cover image that has Cher standing outside the tiny facility with a host of legendary studio players that include Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Beckett, and Roger Hawkins! Sonny's also standing in the crowd in the photo, but he's as in the background as he is on this set – as Cher's singing alone in a soul-styled mode that's befits the setting of the album. Titles include a funky take on "I Walk On Guilded Splinters", plus "For What It's Worth", "Cry Like A Baby", "Save The Children", "Do Right Woman", and "Dock Of The Bay". Plus, the 2LP set features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 11 more numbers from a whole second Muscle Shoals album, but which was never issued – with titles that include "Momma Look Sharp", "Chastity's Song", "It Gets Me Where I Want To Go", "Easy To Be Hard", "I Believe", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "The First Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Risque is a massive classic from Chic – a record that's worth it alone for the classic cut "Good Times" – a buoyant groover that was instantly timeless upon release, and went on to transform the sound of disco, hip hop, and many other styles to come! The whole thing's great, though – full of that perfect Nile Rodgers studio genius – with just the right sort of bass, beats, and riffing guitars – all peppered with vocals that really do a heck of a lot with just a little. In addition to "Good Times", other cuts include "A Warm Summer Night", "My Forbidden Lover", "What About Me", "My Feet Keep Dancing", and "Can't Stand To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of unreleased recordings that was issued after John Coltrane's death, but which stands as an essential chapter in his groundbreaking body of work for Impulse! The album features 2 tracks recorded at the Newport Jazz fest in 1963 – both with Roy Haynes on drums, plus the usual McCoy Tyner/Jimmy Garrison lineup. One of these cuts is a very long reading of "My Favorite Things" – with a sweet loping modal groove, but soloing that is quite a bit more "out" than the famous studio version. The 3rd track on the album – "Selflessness" – was recorded in LA in 1965, and it features Raphael Don Garrett on bass clarinet, adding some nice Dolphy-esque touches. LP, Vinyl record album

On this one, the Crusaders definitely crossed from jazz into funk – but who cares, because the album's so darn great! The record's got a tight LA groove, with some excellent electric keyboards, sweet sax solos, and tight drumming throughout. True proof that sometimes a lot of money can be put to good use to improve a band's sound in the studio – and with the tracks to back it up, like "Creole", "Chain Reaction", "Rainbow Visions", "Hallucinate", and "Soul Caravan". This is album is to jazz funk what Steely Dan's Aja was to 70s rock! LP, Vinyl record album

Two fantastic American players – both coming together here on a rare European session for the Saba/MPS label in Germany! "Carmell's Black Forest Waltz" features not just great saxophone from leader Nathan Davis, but also a strong trumpet solo from Carmell Jones – blowing over this excellent modal groove from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! "B's Blues" is a bold soul jazz number – stunning work from both horn players, with Davis on a soprano sax for his solo! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Sweet funky fusion from one of the hippest drummers of the 70s – the mighty Les DeMerle, a player who's given the world plenty of samples over the years! The grooves on the set are some of Les' best – tightly snapping in a warm mix of electric and acoustic playing – with tight bass work that matches Les' drums perfectly, and lots of snaking horn solos from the great Don Menza. Josh Hanna sings on a few cuts, giving the record a more soulful feel than any of Les' other albums – and the whole thing's smoking at a level that really almost surpasses the best of DeMerle's studio work. Titles include "San Quenti Quail", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Sambandrea Swing", "Quetzal", "Ambidextrous", and "Island Winds". LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Earth Wind & Fire knows no bounds – and even on this double-length set, the group keep up their groove tremendously! The 2LP scope of Faces might make it seem like an ambitious enterprise, but it's really just an overstuffed package that tries to contain all the genius the group was capable of at the time – a flurry of well-written, nice-grooving, and still-righteous soul tracks that have the EWF sound glowing brightly at the end of the 70s – always seeming to re-ignite itself with its own bold sense of power. A few tracks get a bit mellow, and almost adult – but the best numbers here are the groovers – still done with plenty of jazz in the mix, and a sublime mix of guitar, horns, and percussion that few other groups could carry off this well! Titles include "Pride", "Let Me Talk", "Turn It Into Something Good", "Sparkle", "And The Love Goes On", "Sailaway", "Take It To The Sky", "Song In My Heart", and "Win Or Lose". LP, Vinyl record album

Earth Wind & Fire touch the world with this sweet batch of grooves – a set of tracks that has them firmly embracing the electric sound of 80s soul, yet still bringing in some light spiritual touches of their own! The beats are pretty heavy at points – making for plenty of groovers – but the group almost seems to shine most on the ballads, which continue to provide a perfect showcase for the vocals of Philip Bailey and Maurice White. A few cool studio touches reference the group's earlier history – a nice reminder amidst the more contemporary sounds – and titles include "You & I", "System Of Survival", "Every Now & Then", "Money Tight", "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Victim Of The Modern Heart", and "Thinking Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most electric albums on the legendary Black Jazz label – a hip set of funky fusion tracks from bassist Cleveland Eaton, with a vibe that's similar to his album for the Gamble label, and his funky 45 work with The Kats! The record's a good extension of Eaton's roots in the Cadet studio scene working with Ramsey Lewis – and as proof of those roots, the record contains work by loads of key Chicago players – including Ari Brown on tenor, Odell Brown on keyboards and Hammond, Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on percussion! There's a wicked groove on most cuts, and the set was also recorded at the Chess studios – which furthers the Chicago vibe – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Chi-town Theme", "Keena", "Moe Let's Have A Party", "Kaiser 405", "All Your Lover, All Day, All Night", and "Hamburg 302". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great soul albums on the Westbound label – the Detroit funk powerhouse known for famous records by Funkadelic, The Counts, and the Detroit Emeralds! Eramus Hall have a vague P-Funk connection – and according to legend, the band were given their name by George Clinton, who had seen a building in Chicago named Eramus Hall – but the sound is a lot smoother than any of the P-Funk projects of the time, and the group's strongest point is their smooth soul groove, augmented by a tight jazz funk style on the best cuts. In a way, they're sort of like a morphed version of late Parliament – with a funk sound that's nicely compressed, but still a lot more true than any of the countless other bands on the market who were aping P-Funk at the time. Highlights include the groovers "Your Love Is My Desire" and "She Shined A Light", both with nice sample moments – and other tracks include "Stuck In The Mudd", "Funk Permit", and "Think Positively". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the trippiest records we've ever heard from Ilhan Erashin – very different than some of the groove-oriented work he gave us years before, and a rich array of sounds we never would have expected! The album's a trio effort – Erashin on saxes and electric piano, Dave Harrington on guitar, organ, moog, melotron, electronics, and percussion – and Kenny Wollesen on drums, percussion, and vibes – the last of whom might be a good reference point here, as the set's got some of the more open qualities of work that Kenny has done for Tzadik, but with a warmer, more organic layering of elements that really makes the best of the multi-instrumental talents of all the artists involved. Titles include "The Long Goodbye", "Dusty Village", "Invite Your Eye", "And It Happens Everyday", "Wreck The Study", "Even As You Smile", and "What All The Books Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Another dynamite effort from The Ex! By 1985 the Dutch collective had their jackhammer guitar and sharp, intelligent lyrical roar honed to a precise, tense science – and it's at this point that they really started allowing the tribal, earthy percussion that would later help define the groove pound its way to the surface. Truly amazing stuff – a pivotal moment in the Ex's career and an easy choice as one of their finest. Tracks include "Nurse!", "Soviet Threat", "MMM Crisis", "Rock", "White Liberals", "Everything We Never Wanted", "Hit The Headlines", "Friendly Neighbours" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A second set of psychedelic folk grooves from Fat Mattress – featuring bassist Noel Redding, back working again with drummer Pete Kircher, a bandmate from The Lonely Ones before Noel went on the to massive popularity with the Jimi Hendrix Experience! Fat Mattress II has a couple of fuzzier jams, but for the most part sticks with the more breezy folk psyche sound of the debut. Really fine stuff, worth checking out! Titles include "The Storm", "Anyway You Want", "Leafy Lunes", "Naturally", "Roamin", "Happy My Love", "Childhood Dream", "She", "Highway", "At The Ball" and "People". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. 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 great one from Sonny Fortune – done with the fusiony sound he was working so well with at the time, and still filled with a tight conception and an incredible group of musicians who bring depth and deliver some really great solos! The title track is an incredible 10 minute cut that breaks into a beautiful modal groove about 4 minutes into it – and that groove is completely wonderful. It's far from the only high point of a set filled with them. Players include Kenny Barron on Fender Rhodes, Woody Shaw on coronet & flugelhorn, Gary King on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Sammy Figueroa on congas, Rafael Cruz on percussion, and Sonny doing his thing on flute, piccolo and sax. Other tracks include "Bacchanal", "Never Again Is Such A Long Time", "There's Nothing Smart About Being Stupid" and "The Afro-Americans". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential work by Aretha Franklin – one of her best albums for Atlantic in the late 60s, with tracks that virtually define the sound of hard soul during the late 60s! The album's filled with excellent material – featuring 2 killer tracks recorded in Muscle Shoals ("Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "I Never Loved A Man"), plus lots of other great hard soul groovers done with Aretha's guiding light, Arif Mardin, in Atlantic's New York studios – including the tracks "Respect", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Save Me", and "Dr. Feelgood". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Aretha's own interaction and strong sense of personality. Ray Charles makes a surprising guest appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

No baby pop here, as France Gall is all-woman throughout – one of the best of the French female pop singers of the mid 60s, working here with an upbeat, groovy sound throughout! Backings are by the great Alain Gouraguer, who gives the record a tightly jerking kind of feel – a sound that's the Paris contribution to the same sort of mod grooves that were coming out of the London scene at the time. The album's filled with classics by Gall, all sung in a sweet voice that's a great contrast to the music – wonderful stuff throughout, with titles that include "Baby Pop", "Cet Air La", "L'Amerique", "Mon Bateau De Nuit", and "Deux Oiseaux". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of a very successful run for Gloria Gaynor – a seminal bit of crossover 70s soul – one that perfectly linked the dancefloor with the airwaves, and managed to take on more than a few living rooms as well! Gloria's not entirely in full blown disco-diva mode yet, and works here with a soaring Philly-styled groove – of the sort you'd hear with groups like First Choice or Three Degrees – almost grounded a bit in earlier female soul, especially in the vocals and overall changes in the grooves – yet sparkled up plenty with some fuller, richer 70s arrangements. Those are handled by Norman Harris and Harold Wheeler – who do plenty to warm up the production by Meco – and the set includes the stunning 6 minute version of Gloria's big hit "Never Can Say Goodbye", plus "All I Need Is Your Sweet Lovin", "We Belong Together", "Real Good People", "Honey Bee", and "Reach Out I'll Be There". LP, Vinyl record album

Revelatory sounds from Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – an Ethiopian nun, but one who had a secret side life as a pianist and composer – stepping out here on a selection of solo tracks that have a wonderfully captivating vibe! Gebru's music first got wider exposure in the Ethiopiques series, but the sounds within are hardly the better-known grooves from that nation in the 70s – and instead, the tracks are beautifully intimate, and almost have a pastoral sort of quality – minimal piano lines sometimes touched with spiritual vocals – but with a spirituality that's much more universal and secular than you might guess from Gebru's work in the church – almost 4AD at times, but in a lo-fi way. The music is very hard to describe in words, but has a stunning presence that will grab your ears right away – on titles that include "Aurora", "Quand La Mer Furieuse", "Have You Seen Assayehegn", "Farewell Eve", "The Pilgrim Song", "Famine Disaster 1974", and "The Home Of Beethoven". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure we've ever seen many computers at the disco – but after hearing this sweet little set from the 80s, we're tempted to bring our laptops along the next time we go clubbing! The tracks are all spare instrumentals with an electro soul core – tunes that are upbeat and rhythmic enough to warrant the "disco" in the title – but which also feature mostly electronic elements, beats, and keyboards – cooked up in a sound library studio, far from the dancefloor – as almost a clearer, starker take on the cosmic vibe of the Italian scene of the time. The set features eight instrumentals – numbered "Disco 1", "Disco 2", "Disco 3", and so on. LP, Vinyl record album

The start of funky funky Herbie Hancock! This album's the first to feature Herbie really breaking away from his straight jazz work – moving into a groove that's nice and funky, using electric piano along with acoustic, to forge the sound that he'd develop famously over the 70s. The album's got a harder, heavier sound than some of his straight electric ones – and it features a larger group with soloists that include Johnny Coles on trumpet and Joe Henderson on tenor – plus some sweet basslines from Buster Williams – all led by Herbie into a tight soul jazz flurry of excellent tracks! Includes the cuts "Fat Mama" and "Wiggle Waggle", both sample favorites, plus "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and "Lil Brother". Classic stuff, and one of his best records ever! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime genius from funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey – a record we'd rank right up there with her classic Blacks & Blues set – and like that one, another fantastic collaboration with producer Larry Mizell! The groove here is tremendous throughout – a heady mix of Bobbi's flute, Larry's keyboards, and some additional work from Jerry Peters, Skip Scarborough, and other 70s funky jazz legends – all coming together in a large lineup that works together with an amazingly tight and stripped-down groove – a sound that seems to flow effortlessly from the breeze, but which was the long result of careful work in the studio by Larry Mizell and his brother Fonce, who also helped on arrangements. Humphrey is in excellent form – blowing with a tone that's hard, crisp, and very soulful – and the spacey keyboards and gentle grooves lift her flute way out into the cosmos, yet never push things too far! Every cut's a winner – and titles include "You Make Me Feel So Good", "Please Set Me At Ease", "Uno Esta", "The Trip", "Fancy Dancer", and "Mestizo Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

The Ingram Family tighten things up nicely with this follow-up to their first funky album – and they get a slicker sound that points the way towards their excellent modern soul sides of the 80s. Tracks are written by James, William, Butch, and John – and although the album was excecutive produced by the H(ugo) & L(uigi) Records team, the Ingrams handled most of the production and arrangements, and give the record a much more sophisticated sound than other work on the label. Filled with loads of great moments that bridge the gap between 70s harmony soul and modern 80s groove. Titles include the moogy space soul classic "I Don't Want To Be Alone", plus "Mi Sabrina Tequana", "I Just Wanna Testify", "Music Has The Power", "Get Your Stuff Off", and "That's All". LP, Vinyl record album

The a-side's a familiar classic, but the b-side's our real favorite! "I Turned You On" has a nice slow sexy groove, with the kind of hook and power that made the Isleys so great in the early 70s! Wonderful stuff – and not easy to find on vinyl! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of our favorite-ever keyboard albums – a rare lost session from pianist Pete Jolly – one of his only electric dates, and a completely improvised set of grooves! Pete plays electric piano, organ, and even a bit of musette – jamming in the studio with help from Chuck Berghofer on bass, Paul Humphrey on drums , John Pisano on guitar, and Milt Holland and Emil Richards on percussion – all of whom bring in some sly, subtle touches to the grooves that are totally great! The album's much more open than other keyboard dates from the time – almost in the territory of some of Herbie Hancock's most experimental work, but a fair bit more groove-based too – given that the album's filled with short, funky tracks all the way through. There's some echoes of Bob James work to come – and given the 1970 date of the record, it could almost be said that Jolly predates a whole host of 70s keyboard talents – setting his mark with this uniquely laidback set of tracks. Titles include the classic "Plummer Park", plus "Rainbow", "Seasons", "Indian's Summer", "Pete Jolly", "Leaves", "Springs", "Bees", and "Sand Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever keyboard albums – a rare lost session from pianist Pete Jolly – one of his only electric dates, and a completely improvised set of grooves! Pete plays electric piano, organ, and even a bit of musette – jamming in the studio with help from Chuck Berghofer on bass, Paul Humphrey on drums , John Pisano on guitar, and Milt Holland and Emil Richards on percussion – all of whom bring in some sly, subtle touches to the grooves that are totally great! The album's much more open than other keyboard dates from the time – almost in the territory of some of Herbie Hancock's most experimental work, but a fair bit more groove-based too – given that the album's filled with short, funky tracks all the way through. There's some echoes of Bob James work to come – and given the 1970 date of the record, it could almost be said that Jolly predates a whole host of 70s keyboard talents – setting his mark with this uniquely laidback set of tracks. Titles include the classic "Plummer Park", plus "Rainbow", "Seasons", "Indian's Summer", "Pete Jolly", "Leaves", "Springs", "Bees", and "Sand Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard live work from the legendary Junie Morrison – a funky legend who worked both in the Ohio Players and in the P-Funk empire of George Clinton – heard here in a smoking live setting in Michigan, right around the time of his classic solo records for Westbound! The format is great – really open and freewheeling, and nicely different than some of Junie's records in the studio – as Junie works with the Crowd Pleasers group, in a blistering blend of funk, soul, and jazz – with solos that evoke some of the latter, and which remind us of the unearthed Lyman Woodard concerts from around the same time! Tracks are mostly nice and long, very jamming – and the small combo vibe is a really different change from some of the arena funk of the period. Titles include a great version of Junie's classic "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce" – plus "Super J", "Tight Rope/Super Groupie", "Shakey Ground", "Fopp", "Musical Son", "Oh Me Oh My", "Surrender", and an Ohio Players medley of "Pain/Cookies Will Get You/Pleasure/Ecstasy". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked bit of funk from Ghana – a record that's as amazing and wonderful as it is rare! The set's one of the best African 70s rarities we've ever heard – filled with massive grooves that offer up a take on funk that's far different than American grooves – but which also comes across with instrumentation that's not as familiarly Ghanian either! There's lots of nicely fuzzy organ in the mix, tight rhythms, and a trippy production style that no doubt comes from the quality of the original studio – but which serves to give some of the best cuts a really sinister edge – a bit like Cymande at their best. Titles include "Dracular Dance", "No Man Is Born To Suffer", "Moving World", "Groovy Love", "Wale Fobite", "Kelenkye Beat", and "Jungle Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of body, and even more soul – a great little groove on the record at points, in that slinky, vampy sort of mode that Julie London picked up in the 60s! The album's got Julie taking on a fair bit of R&B and bluesy numbers – still singing in her more jazz-based style, but getting a nice groove on most numbers from Kirk Stuart – balancing out some piano-led grooves with more brassy backings, all very much in the style of Peggy Lee over at Capitol in the early 60s – yet completely different too, given London's vocal approach. Titles include "Romance In The Dark", "I Got A Sweetie", "The Comeback", "Come On By", "If You Want This Love", and "Treat Me Good". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of rare 80s soul albums from the Windy City – presented here as a double-length collection, given that the groups were essentially the same act! First up is the debut of Maxx Traxx, an excellent 80s groove combo from Chicago – one of the city's last great indie acts in the years before the house generation – and an outfit who comes across with an incredibly tight sound that should have made them huge! The set cooks along in a really great way – bubbling with bass and keys like a BB&Q band album, but also sporting some really strong vocals from the group – coming together in great harmonies at surprising moments – which makes for a set that's a lot deeper than you might think at first. The ballads are as great as the groovers – and titles include "Time Has Come", "Tell Me", "You & I", "Let's Have A Party", "Don't Touch It", "To Be With You", and "Living Without You". Next is the album Reachin For It by Third Rail – a real lost group from the early 80s Chicago scene – but a great one! It's our guess that these guys never made it bigger because they were stuck on a tiny indie in the years after the big companies departed the Windy City – the sound is almost in the Omni mode, in that the group's a larger ensemble funk outfit, given an 80s groove spin, with some great post-Earth Wind & Fire styled instrumentation supporting the rhythms, and sweet compressed vocals that step out nicely. Titles include "Reachin For It", "If You Want It", "Just Had To Tell You", "Let Me Love You", and "Living Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus, this set also features a whole bonus LP – one that brings together extra tracks, unreleased cuts, alternate versions, instrumental versions, and even some cool radio promotional spots – with the "Check Out Your Mind" instrumental studio jam, the full-length version of the instrumental "Junkie Chase", the demo version of "Ghetto Child", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

A great Latin groove from the mighty Les McCann – a smoking set that adds in extra percussion from Willie Correa – who gives the record a sound that's quite a change from the usual McCann groove! The percussion is wonderful throughout – and given that the great Paul Humphrey is already playing drums in the trio, the whole thing's got a rhythmic zest that never lets up – way different than just the usual "with conga" style you'd hear on a Prestige Records piano trio record – and instead a groove that's definitely dedicated to the boldest Latin piano modes of the time! The track list includes a lot of originals, such as "McCanna", "Zulu", "Bastuto Baby", "Shaam-Pu II", and "Narobi Nights" – plus versions of "Que Rico" and "It Had Better Be Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind". LP, Vinyl record album

The moog wizard Hugo Montenegro takes on the music of Stevie Wonder – in a blend that maybe makes the record one of the coolest that the studio maestro ever recorded! Hugo had already proven that he could groove in the 60s, and he picked up the moog at the end of the decade and started really working magic with the electronics – and here, the songs of Stevie Wonder provide an extra-special setting for his talents – as Hugo mixes in a range of keyboards, including some Arp, with tight studio work from Carol Kaye on bass, Hal Blaine on drums, and Larry Carolton on guitar. Titles include great versions of "Living For The City", "Too High", "Superstition", "Higher Ground", "You've Got It Bad Girl", and "All In Love Is Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

With grooves this great, the house must have been full – and the album's a gem of an early live date by Wes Montgomery, recorded in Berkeley with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The tunes have a nicely cooking feel throughout – even when they're more gentle ones – and the record's a good reminder that outside of the studio, Wes could sometimes play with a bit more force on the strings – raspily hitting notes that explode off the guitar with tremendous precision and a good deal of feeling. Titles include the Montgomery originals "Full House", "SOS", and "Cariba", plus the tunes"Blue N Boogie" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a bit of a split personality, a combination of slick modern reggae, and crisp 80s groove soul numbers. While the reggae numbers aren't much to write home about, the soul tracks are an outstanding example of the best of the 80s groove style, with horn lines punctuating Morgan's slightly rootsy vocal delivery, a fat bass pedal chugging along over chirping rhythm guitar and occasional synth flourishes. Includes the classic club groover "I'll Do Anything For You", plus the also excellent "Never Give Up" and "Come Together", and "Sweet Tender Love", and "Who Knows What". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that really took Philly soul to the next level back in the 70s – a set that works amazing magic with the already-great harmonies of the O'Jays – pointing them even more strongly towards groove-heavy territory, while still keeping all the fragile, personal qualities of their earlier work! The title cut is a righteous anthem that never gets old – a perfect blend of subtle politics and homegrown soul – all polished to perfection in the Philly studios. And the rest of the record is equally mindblowing – a set where even the ballads have as much power as the upbeat numbers – as you'll hear in the lineup of tracks that includes "Message In The Music", "Darlin, Darlin, Baby", "A Prayer", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Let Life Flow", and "Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing bit of lost soundtrack/sound library grooves from Alan Parker – a KPM/DeWolfe library composer and player whose work has appeared on obscure film and television projects, legendary recordings such as Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire De Melody Nelson and so much more! This great little Finder's Keeper's soundtrack EP features his theme and other bits recorded for the 1983 TV series One Summer – with strains of melodious folk guitar arpeggios, to a jittery post-punk action vibe, to forlorn harmonica and more. Really cool stuff! 6 short tracks including "One Summer (Billy & Icky)", "Billy & Jo", "The Tollbooth", "Southport", "Roller Coaster", "Lime Street (End Titles)" and "Please Close The Gate". 7-inch, Vinyl record

As perfect a summation of the Teddy Pendergrass genius as you'll ever hope to find – a magnificent maturation of that incredible sound he first forged with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, set forth in even more confident, sophisticated soul territory! As with the Melvin albums, there's a nice mix here of sultry ballads and groovers – the latter of which are changing with the Philly modes of the time, but still very much at the top of their game – light years from clunky commercial work, or easy dancefloor fodder. The album's stunner is "Love TKO" – a killer mellow soul track that's not only one of Teddy's best, but which has enjoyed recent popularity due to a heavy bit of sampling by hip hoppers – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Take Me In Your Arms Tonight", "Let Me Love You", "Girl You Know", "Is It Still Good To Ya", "I Just Called To Say", and "Can't We Try". LP, Vinyl record album

Insane! This is a totally weird album of messed-up funky grooves, played by the enigmatic Pool-Pah rock group, with arrangements by Rupert Holmes (of "Pina Colada" fame!) The music is a weird mix of spare moogy instrumentals and flanged-out vocal tracks designed to accompany a strange film called The Flasher – and although the general concept of the film and music seem incredibly stupid, the overall sound is pretty darn great! The album includes the monster slow-moving break track "Sour Soul", plus other nice funky and moogy tracks, like "Flight", "Two Way Road", and "Flasher Theme". Incredibly obscure, and the kind of rare break record you dig for for years! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic batch of Bay Area Brazilian grooves – recorded in the sweet breezy electric style of the Fantasy studios, and featuring the vocals of the lovely Flora Purim in the lead! The session's got a great mix of Brazilian and American fusion players – including Airto (of course!), Ron Carter, George Duke, Egberto Gismonti, Alphonso Johnson, Robertinho Silva, Hermeto Pascoal, and Ndugu Leon Chancler. Pascoal's reed work is a very nice treat, especially over the warm keyboards of George Duke. Purim's voice is as wonderful as ever, and the album's got lots of nice numbers, like "Ina's Song", "Andei (I Walked)", "Time's Lie", and "Open Your Eyes You Can Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album from Sun Ra – a set that's got some of the same soulful focus as Space Is The Place, and a really surprising sense of groove on many moments! The record's actually a bit funky – if you can believe it – and was recorded with electric keyboards, bass, and guitar (played by the mysterious Disco Kid) – at the studios of Bob Blank, at a time when he was really able to capture the many strands of music that would come together in a performance, then find just the right way to put them over on record! The album was originally dismissed by many Sun Ra fans for being a funk sell-out album – but over the years, it's become a prized album for its cosmic sense of soul and great focus of the group's more far-reaching ideas – and at some level, it's probably the sound that most people imagine the Arkestra to have when they're first starting out, rather than the more avant material that dominates most of their catalog. The whole thing is wonderful – and titles include "That's How I Feel", "Where Pathways Meet", "Twin Stars of Thence", and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". LP, Vinyl record album

A one of a kind record that still sparkles as brightly today as it did back in the late 60s – an amazing collaboration between Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Scandinavian jazzman Toots Thielemans – done in a style that easily makes it one of the best records ever from both artists! Elis is at the height of her jazzy late 60s powers here – working in a soaring, breezy sort of style – but one with a lot more depth and soul than some of her contemporaries. She brings a great deal of feeling to the tunes, but always without doing too much – and this leaves plenty of space for Toots to add his touches – on harmonica, guitar, and even a bit of whistling – which really sits in nicely with the grooves. The production and overall sound is sublime – one of those never matched again sort of studio dates – and titles include great versions of "Canto De Ossanha", "Wave", "Voce", "Wilsamba", "Five For Elis", "Volta", and "O Sonho". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible set of low rolling, hypnotic dub genius from true reggae Revolutionaries – a batch of amazing tunes centered around the amazing drums of Sly Dunbar – cut in the mid-to-late 70s height of the Channel One groove! This might be the strongest collection of dubs that Pressure Sounds has ever compiled – benchmark work all the way – from the chugging, echoey guitar groove, to the heavy bass lines, to the sublime vocals. Amazing stuff mined from singles on the Channel One, Well Charge and Disco Mix labels. The set starts out with the incredible "Kunta Kinte Version One" – one of the most legendary dub plates ever, and other titles include "Hotter Fire Version", "Rootes Dub", "Pride & Ambition Version", "Dunkirk", "War Version", "Jah Creation Version", "Rude On Marchus Version", "Swell Headed", "Catonine Version", "Tivoli Skank", "Plantation Heights Version" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lionel Richie's biggest records ever! Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "All Night Long", "Penny Lover", "The Only One", "Running With The Night", "Hello", "The Groove", "Love Will Find A Way" and "Stuck On You". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by one of the archetypal funky soul bands of the 70s – and a group whose impact is still being felt today! Of course, one of the reasons for that is Chaka Khan's incredible vocals – caught here at a prime early point, and very nicely set against some warm electric keyboards and tight groovy guitars – which provide a groove that's live and spontaneous, and never too forced – just the right kind of energy to work perfectly with her approach to the lyrics, without any of the too-polished modes you'd fine from copycat groups trying to fake a sound like this. Rufus had been with Chaka for years by this point – fusing together a sublime blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock – a sound they forged woodshedding in Chicago in the early days, let loose in perfect studio territory on the west coast of the 70s. The whole thing's a classic – and titles include "Jive Talking", "Sweet Thing", "Fools Paradise", "Circle", "Everybody Has An Aura", and "On Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Canadian funk from the 70s – played by a hip little group who've also got a jazzy flavor too! The Sidewinders are a bit like American ensemble funk acts of the time – in that they can have an upbeat, tight approach to the groove when they want – but they also have a great ear for some gentler moments too, and sparkle almost even more on some of the ballad numbers on the set. Even the fuller groovers have some great standout elements – including sax bits that soar nicely out of the larger horn section – and overall, the album's got a great sense of character and personality, and is far more than just a few cats from up north trying to copy an American groove. Titles include "I Like Your Stuff", "A Voyage", "I Like To Dance", "Time For Loving", "Flat Foot Hustlin", "Can't You Feel The Fire", and "Gift To The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A delightful little jukebox EP from one of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", and "I Wanna Be Around". 7-inch, Vinyl record

The mighty Lonnie Liston Smith live – sounding every bit as great as he did on his famous studio sessions from the 70s – and maybe even more freewheeling too! The feel of the record is really tremendous – extremely soulful, with Lonnie jamming away on keyboards as the band grooves up these cool spacey rhythms – stepping out in territory that's definitely the more cosmic side of jazz funk, with those righteous currents that always made Lonnie so great. The whole thing's wonderful – with loads of great electric work, and an overall spiritual vibe that's every bit as great as his albums for Flying Dutchman – and players include Donald Smith on flute and a bit of vocals, Dave Hubbard on tenor and soprano sax, and Lonnie himself on Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and Arp. The set includes a nice extended take on "Visions of A New World", plus the tracks "Watercolors", "Sorceress" – which isn't on any of his studio albums, "Prelude", and the classic "Expansions". LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty Lonnie Liston Smith live – sounding every bit as great as he did on his famous studio sessions from the 70s – and maybe even more freewheeling too! The feel of the record is really tremendous – extremely soulful, with Lonnie jamming away on keyboards as the band grooves up these cool spacey rhythms – stepping out in territory that's definitely the more cosmic side of jazz funk, with those righteous currents that always made Lonnie so great. The whole thing's wonderful – with loads of great electric work, and an overall spiritual vibe that's every bit as great as his albums for Flying Dutchman – and players include Donald Smith on flute and a bit of vocals, Dave Hubbard on tenor and soprano sax, and Lonnie himself on Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and Arp. The set includes a nice extended take on "Visions of A New World", plus the tracks "Watercolors", "Sorceress" – which isn't on any of his studio albums, "Prelude", and the classic "Expansions". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the best album ever from this fantastic funky combo! The band grooves hard and funky – with incredible drum work from Paul Stubblefield, tasty guitar from Walter Winston, and some famous funky flute and sax work from Gus Hawkins. Tracks on the album are rough and raw – with plenty of breakbeats, and some very tasty funky basslines that work perfectly with their choppy instrumental groove. A few tracks have vocals, but even those boast a real strength in the instrumental department – and very nicely keep up with the rest of the material. Titles include "Down In The Ghetto", "Burning Spear", "Express Yourself", "Soul", "Memphis Underground", and "Message From A Black Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from the early days of The Supremes – and way more than you'd guess from the "hits" in the title! The record's not really a roundup of the hit singles already out on 45 – and is actually just an apt title for what the album was destined to be – a stone hit that really put these Motown legends on the map! Production is by the Holland/Dozier/Holland team – with a marvelous wall of sound-style groove that really pushes the vocals forward tremendously – that brilliant all-in Motown mode of the best early years, where the Detroit studio was working overtime to make things sound amazing. Titles include the massive hit "Stop! In The Name Of Love" – but the whole thing's a solid effort with no filler, and other cuts include "I'm In Love Again", "He Holds His Own", "Whisper You Love Me Boy", "The Only Time I'm Happy", "Nothing But Heartaches", "Honey Boy", and "Back In My Arms Again". LP, Vinyl record album

It's impossible to simmer down with a groove this great – a wicked blend of African funk and fuzzier psych touches – all served up by Nigeria's legendary Survival! The set was recorded at Ginger Baker's Arc Studios, and has his own blend of rootsy elements, complicated rhythms, and more straightforward touches on guitar and vocals – all delivered with a mode that's a bit more freewheeling than Zamrock material of the time – nicely tripped-out in all the best ways! The vocals and instrumentation have the same sort of sinister edge you'd expect from the cover – and the mix of offbeat and groovy is somewhere in the same territory as the legendary 70s recordings by Blo. Titles include "Ripples", "Emotions", "Simmer Down", "Everybody's Got His Own Kind Of Trouble", "Jungle Justice", and "Chewing Dust". LP, Vinyl record album

Probably THE album you truly need to own from Koko Taylor – and a completely great one, recorded way before she'd become a cliched fixture paying the bills on the frat boy tourist blues scene! The tracks here were recorded over a few years in mid-to-late 60s Chicago – mostly with production from Willie Dixon, who also co-wrote most of the tunes on the set! The groove is nice and gritty – electric Chess Chicago blues at it's finest, but also with a good sense of soul in the mix – and tracks include the fiery hit "Wang Dang Doodle", plus "Fire", "29 Ways", "I Don't Care Who Knows", "Nitty Gritty", and "Love You Like A Woman". Amazing stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

Consciousness-stretching grooves from Tonto's Expanding Head Band – one of the earliest avant electronic rock records we can think of – and certainly one of coolest of the early 70s! Zero Time is way ahead of the curve when it comes to instrumental electronics – with a sort of pulsing progressive sound that's like the best stuff by Tangerine Dream – and with a cool bubbling feel to it. Tracks include "Cybernaut", "Jetsex", "Timewhys", "Riversong", and "Aurora". Very groovy, very moogy, and a nice bit of tripped out electronic atmosphere! LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of a change for Allen Toussaint – the kind of an album that makes good use of all the connections he was making during the early 70s, when he was becoming the darling of the Warner Brothers scene in LA. Overall, Allen's getting pretty smooth by this point – so smooth that even some rootsy production by Jerry Wexler still makes it hard to remember that he got his start in the raw New Orleans soul scene – but at its heart, the album's still got a good talent for the kind of rolling groove that Toussaint brought to his own work, and that of so many other artists, in earlier years. This album features lots of LA studio backing, with players like Richard Tee, Victor Feldman, Paulinho Da Costa, Larry Carlton, and others of that ilk. Titles include "Motion", "Night People", "Just A Kiss Away", "Declaration Of Love", and "Viva La Money". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover looks gothic, but the sound is plenty darn groovy – a sweet set of sound library instrumentals from the 70s scene in Paris – most of them served up with an upbeat, clubby sort of vibe! Yan Tregger may not be one of those names that immediately comes to the lips of underground club collectors – but there's plenty of great clubby moments here, with grooves that bubble on tight basslines, swing with sweet keyboards, and often get lots of riffing guitar in the mix! Yet there's also some nicely weird touches too – as you might expect from a record that was cut far from the mainstream, as part of a studio library set – the kind of weird funky elements you might find on some of the more obscure 12" singles from the late 70s underground. Titles include "Carry On", "Gimmicky", "Sunny Wing", "Light Heart (parts 1 & 2)", "Riff On", "Lyric Soul", "Slow Zoom", and "This Time". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no mistake – both in its pluralization and its acclaim for Kai Winding – as the leader here is working with a brace of additional trombones, all in a groove that's one of his most fluid on record to date! The style builds nicely from the sound that Kai and JJ Johnson forged in the 50s – but it's served up here with a sound that's slightly more modern, filled with colors and tones that really deepen the sound of Winding's music! Other trombonists include Jimmy Knepper, Tony Studd, Paul Faulise, and Johnny Messner – playing differently pitched trombones – and rhythm players include Ron Carter on bass, Bill Evans on piano, and Al Beldini on drums – plus some guest conga by Olatunji. Titles include "Speak Low", "Love Walked In", "Mangos", "Michie", "Impulse", and "Black Coffee". LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty of popping here – great little grooves, recorded with the jazzy finish that makes the 70s material of Tatsuro Yamashita so great! The vibe here has all the warmth and sophisticated groove of Fantasy Records in the late 70s – maybe a bit of Wayne Henderson/At Home influence in the way that jazzy elements are used next to soulful vocals from Tatsuro – and presented in a way that's never too overdone, too polished, or commercial. Yet the set, which is a live one, also has all the careful precision of Yamashita's studio work – that quality that also marks the 70s live work of Earth Wind & Fire, who are every bit as great on stage as behind the glass. Titles include "Hey There Lonely Girl", "Space Crush", "Windy Lady", "Paper Doll", "Candy", "Marie", "Circus Town", and "Solid Slider". LP, Vinyl record album

A great sampler of 60s Detroit soul produced by the fantastic Ollie McLaughlin! Includes "Jan Jan" by the Fabulous Counts and the unbelievable "Almost" by Jimmy Delphs, one of our favorite soul tracks from the period, and a real heartbreaker with an uptempo groove. Lots more great stuff here too, including both well known and hard to get cuts, 15 tracks in all, including by "Cool Jerk" and 'We Got A Thing That's In The Groove" by the Capitols, "Ain't Gonna Give You Up" by the Volumes, "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by the Counts, "You Better Move" by the Gambrells, "Sing a Sad Song" by Percy & Them, and "Am I Losing You", "Don't Sign The Papers" and "I've Been Fooled Before" by Jimmy Delphs. LP, Vinyl record album

A very mysterious compilation – so much so that none of the tracks are listed with artists names – which is maybe a testament to their obscurity, at least to our American ears! And while the title says "disco", the groove is different than the soaring strings and female vocals you'd hear at Studio 54 – as these tracks have an earthy groove that's often very heavy on percussion, with guitar work that echoes earlier Arabesk rock, mixed with other stringed instrumentation and occasional reed passages that give the whole thing a very cool sound! Nothing here is ever too commercial or overproduced – there's a very spontaneous, down to earth sound throughout – in an assortment of nine rare tracks from back in the day! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic productions from the legendary Augustus "Gussie" Clarke – all work recorded at Channel One and King Tubby's – and done in this laidback, soulful groove that's completely sublime! The music here never goes too far over the top – just sweet and subtle rhythms that have this gentle-stepping quality that works perfect with the vocals – which are delivered by some of the most soulful singers on the scene at the time. All horn arrangements are by Tommy McCook and Bobby Ellis, but also have this mellow vibe too – very different than some of the earlier material, often with snakey elements that really work great with the vocals. Album features 11 killers – including "The Right Track" by Tommy McCook", "Guiding Star" by Leroy Sibbles, "How Can I Love Someone" by Delroy Wilson, "Born To Dub You" by Augustus Pablo, "Their Own Way" by Dennis Brown, "Girl Don't Come" by Jacob Miller, and "Love You To Want Me" by Horace Andy. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare funk from one of the greatest labels in the business! King Records is known to many for its classic work with singers like James Brown, Hank Ballard, and Wynonie Harris – but during the later years of the label, they also pressed up a great amount of excellent funky 45s, including many that are some of the rarest you'll ever try to find. This 24 track set is the first to really try to document King's rich funk legacy – and it's got some amazing tracks that blend together raw southern soul, hard northern rhythms, and sweet James Brown-produced grooves. Any one of these tunes would set you back at least $50 on a single – not just because they're rare, but because they're some of the best funk cuts ever recorded. Titles include "Mr Tuff Stuff" by Toby King, "Gold Walk" by The Presidents, "Butter Your Popcorn" by Hank Ballard, "Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters, "Don't Get Funky" by Gloria Walker, "Funky Lady (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul East, "From The Back Side (parts 1 & 2)" by The Sons Of Funk, "Camelot Time" by J Hines & The Fellows, and "Papa's Got The Wagon" by Gloria Walker. LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite kind of funk is Super Funk – and this fab entry to the long-running series definitely keeps up the groove! As before, there's plenty of rare tracks here – most pulled from obscure singles of late 60s/early 70s vintage – and some even from rare studio tapes that were never issued at the time! Most tracks are short, with a nicely gritty groove – the kind of funky 45 madness that will always keep us digging for rare 7" singles – put together by the BGP crew with a real understanding of the groove! There's some especially nice female singers in the mix – almost creating a mini Sister Funk focus on the package – but there's also great guy singers and groups too. 20 tracks in all – with cuts that include "The Sneak" by The Douzer, "Queen Of Losers" by Eleanor Rigby, "Groovy Baby" by Kim Tamanga, "It's Mookie Time" by Cleveland Eaton & The Kats, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Moving Woman" by 87th Off Broadway, "Bad Bad Woman (part 1)" by Marie Franklin, "He Say She Say" by Chet Ivey, "Cold Sweat" by Julio Zavalla, "Shakin Up The Nation" by The Radiations, "One Sweet Song" by Gloria Lucas, and "I'm Moving Home" by Mary Alice McCall. LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of late 70s French disco funk – actually sound library material from the Tele Music archives – featuring positively killer bass lines, keys and drums, with a warmth and a groove that just slays so much of the better known dancefloor material of the era! Includes great stuff by Spatial & Co, Disco & Co, Voyage and Arpadys – should be classic cosmic disco all the way! The vinyl version features 7 tracks: "Bass Power", "Electric Maneges", "Exotic Guide", "Future Vision" and "All The Bass" by Spatial & Co, ""Phantom Rock" by Disco & Co, and "I Love You Dancer" (instrumental version) by Voyage. LP, Vinyl record album

A great mix of mellow soul and sweet disco – and a lost treasure from the 70s Twin Cities soul scene! There's a groove here that almost sounds like east coast group soul in the early pre-mainstream disco years – hitting some uptempo tunes for the clubs, but also kicking back into some mellower harmony tracks that are equally great. The production and arrangements are all totally top shelf – thanks to help from sound library studio maestro Herb Pilhofer – and the group's got a solid sound that easily matches bigger groups of the time! Titles include "Sweet Lady", "City Slicker", "A New Day", "Call On Me", "My Story", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "In The City", and "I Need You". LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed groover! The track's a killer uptempo one from James' later years on King – and it's got this amazing beat that snaps along at a full deep stride. Very nice stuff, and the kind of tight grooving that would show up later in his work with the JBs – done here earlier, with a great raw groove. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A real jammer of a record from Billy Cobham – almost a summation of all the work he'd done in earlier years, smoothed out with a sweet funky late 70s fusion groove! The sound on the set is really tight – still plenty hard on the instrumentation, but also with a focus that we really appreciate – one that's aimed as much at the soul-based jazz crowd as it is the headphone groovers who'd dug some of Cobham's trippier records in years past. Players on the set include Mark Soskin and Joachim Kuhn – both of whom add in some mighty nice keyboards – as well as guitarist Pete Maunu, whose jamming riffs make the best tunes crackle with electricity! Titles include "AC/DC", "Leaward Winds", "Puffnstuff", "Antares The Star", "Magic", and "On A Magic Carpet Ride". CD also adds in 2 bonus tracks – "Indigo" and "Guernica". LP, Vinyl record album