A pretty wild set from Elephants Memory – one that's as trippy as you'd guess from the group's image on the cover – and equally collaborative too! There's a strong mix of male and female vocals here – over guitar and rhythms that move effortlessly between blues rock and psych – all with a pretty loose, freewheeling sense of production – but enough tightness to make some of the chorus moments snap out nicely! Wes Farrell produced, but seems to really let the band do their thing – and in addition to songs written by group members Stan Bronstein, Michal Shapiro, and Richard Sussman – there also seems to be some song contributions from Tony Visconti too. Titles include "Hot Dog Man", "Talkin A Walk", "RIP", "Jungle Gym At The Zoo", "Don't Put Me On Trial No More", "Crossroads Of The Stepping Stones", "Band Of Love", and "Brief Encounter". LP, Vinyl record album

Emanuelle goes east, and picks up some cool exotic touches to add to her more familiar funky grooves! The soundtrack's a really nice change of flavor from Nico Fidenco – still every bit as groovy as his other Emanuelle scores, but mixed with some earthy percussion, haunting flute lines, and cool sonic elements that definitely echo the eastern setting of the movie – all while foregrounding the Euro sex that's clearly the main item on the menu! This mix of sounds easily makes the album one of the most sophisticated Emanuelle soundtracks in the series – one that's sure to appeal to more serious soundtrack collectors, as well as lovers of the cheese that the series came to stand for. Titles include "Red Hot Wax", "Unavoidable", "Of Your Body", "Thailand Sweet Sound", "Like A Sailing Ship", "Orient Riders", "Body To Body", "Bellies Orient Dance", and "Sudden Ride". 21 tracks – all remastered, and presented here in a limited package with a poster, too! CD

The second album of funky fusion from this all-star CTI group that included Stanley Turrentine, Stanley Clarke, Ndugu, Tom Brown, Eric Gale, Ronnie Foster, and George Benson! The ensemble come together for a great set of laidback fusion tracks that groove with a nice soulful undercurrent – surprisingly fresh, and not nearly as slick as you'd expect from the date of the session – showing that the original open-ended CTI vibe could still be strongly alive on the right records! Tracks have a great mix of acoustic and electric touches – and although Stanley Clarke was the musical director of the album, the whole thing's clearly a group effort. Titles include "Silk", "Hot Fire", "Sunwalk", and "In Celebration Of The Human Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". This great version includes a full LP of bonus tracks – including "Turn Out The Lamplight", "Special Offer", "Slip Your Disc To This", "Boogie Nights (12" disco version)", "Ain't No Half Steppin (single version)", and "Always & Forever (single version)". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant early set from Honey Cone – and a perfect illustration of the way the trio really moved past simple girl group modes of the 60s! There's a bold, proud, righteous tone to the record right from the start – thanks to these soaringly soulful vocals from the girls, and these fuzzy arrangements from Tony Camillo – who seems to borrow a bit from the more righteous modes of Norman Whitfield at Motown, then give things a bit more of a girl soul twist! The combination is amazing, and the album's rock-solid all the way through – filled with great original tunes that really keep a unified feel throughout – and titles include "Are You Man Enough", "Take Me With You", "Girls It Ain't Easy", "While You're Out Looking For Sugar", "The Feeling's Gone", "Sunday Morning People", and "Take My Love". CD features a bonus 7" mix of "While You're Out Looking For Sugar". CD

A wicked set of groovers from Jimmy Bo Horne – produced with a snapping KC & The Sunshine Band groove, and proof that the Miami sound could still burn strong at the end of the 70s! The tunes are a mix of mellow numbers and funkier tracks that have a snapping "spank" sort of rhythm – that percolated approach to rhythm that TK first started laying down in the mid 70s, but which was given a bit more of an open-ended sound here. Jimmy's vocals are much better than the usual singer for this sort of set – sweetly crackling on the mellow tunes, but hitting with a deeper soul on the groovers. Titles include a long remake of "I Get Lifted", "You Get Me Hot", "Goin Home For Love", "Spank", and "Without You". CD

Strutting guitars, stomping rhythms, and a great mix of glam and soul – the trademark groove of the UK's classic Hot Chocolate! The album's filled with great tunes that resonate with their trademark compressed sound – vocals wrapped on guitars and set to sweetly stepping rhythms – all produced to perfection by the mighty Mickie Most, with a sound that so many other current groups try to go for, but can never reach this right! Errol Brown's on lead vocals, and wrote a good deal of the tunes – and titles include "Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac", "Living On A Shoe String", "Sugar Daddy", "Man To Man", "You Could've Been A Lady", "Seventeen Years Of Age", and "Sex Appeal". LP, Vinyl record album

Hot mustard mix deep funk instrumentation with hip hop inspired beats – really linking together two generations of funky sounds with a very unique approach! The core of the group is Nick Carusos on bass and Jack Powell on guitars – yet the later also serves up all these breakbeats throughout – the spare, lean kind that people where first pulling from records in the early years of hip hop – then layered with live instrumentation from the pair, plus work from others on trumpet, trombone, and a whole host of cool organ and keyboard lines! Alanna Royale sings on the final track – "The End Of Time" – and all other cuts are instrumental, and include "Whole Grain", "Stono Hustle", "Gravy Boat", "Butcher Block", "Low Boy", and "The Golden Beet". CD

Hot mustard mix deep funk instrumentation with hip hop inspired beats – really linking together two generations of funky sounds with a very unique approach! The core of the group is Nick Carusos on bass and Jack Powell on guitars – yet the later also serves up all these breakbeats throughout – the spare, lean kind that people where first pulling from records in the early years of hip hop – then layered with live instrumentation from the pair, plus work from others on trumpet, trombone, and a whole host of cool organ and keyboard lines! Alanna Royale sings on the final track – "The End Of Time" – and all other cuts are instrumental, and include "Whole Grain", "Stono Hustle", "Gravy Boat", "Butcher Block", "Low Boy", and "The Golden Beet". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early 70s debut LP from a then 20 year old, Halifax-reared Catherine Howe – produced and arranged by US jazz pianist Bobby Scott in a mode that manages to feel lush and opulent while never belying Catherine's warmth, intimacy and maturity! The sound is warmly baroque, and Catherine's lovely vocals and evocative songwriting style is sheerly natural – recorded in a fairly stripped down setting and fleshed out with strings by the London Symphony Orchestra. The mix of intimacy and grandeur makes the record a bit of stylistic cousin to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter – we take our Drake seriously and we don't throw that comparison out lightly! Released by a doomed Reflection Records, which closed up shop the same year – the album was almost instantly relegated to obscurity, but has become the stuff of legend over the years – thanks to reissues, and interest in Howe's music from younger generations. Titles include "Up North", "On A Misty Morning", "Nothing More Than Strangers", "My Child", "The Innocence Of A Child", "It Comes With The Breezes" and more – plus the bonus demo "In The Hot Summer" – which led to the next phase of Catherine's career at RCA. CD

An even tighter album than Debbie Jacobs' first for MCA – really wrapped around the strutting club guitar sound of producer Paul Sabu, and filled with tracks that bounce along with a tight little bottom! Debbie's vocals really push the range of the tracks a lot – belting out with the force of Loleatta Holloway one minute, but also coming across with a sound that's a lot colder than the Salsoul groove – almost a darkness that points the way towards more post-disco work to come. Titles include "Lovin Spree", "High On Your Love", "What Goes Up", "Make It Love", and "I Can Never Forget A Friend". CD also features a bonus mix of "Hot Hot". CD

Jay Z's second LP, the one right before he adopted the "hot"/Swizz Beats sound. Like the first LP, there's a good mix of more hip hop tracks like "Streets Is Watching", "Friend Or Foe '98", "Rap Game/Crack Game" and even the more radio friendly are still kinda dope, like "A Million & One Questions" and "Who You Wit". Plus a few nice old school samples, like Funky 4+1's "Rockin' It" on "Always Be My Sunshine". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant batch of funk – featuring every single chart hit by the JBs, the best of their hot funky singles for the People label, all recorded during the early 70s, under the supervision of James Brown! All tunes are offered here in their shorter single versions (save for "It's The JBs Monaurail", which runs for over 8 minutes) – in tight edits that sum up the funk perfectly, and put it over the fence with some amazingly hard rhythms! Tracks include "The Grunt (part 1)", "Hot Pants Road", "Doing It To Death (part 1)", "Breaking Bread", "If You Don't Get It The First Time, Back Up & Try It Again", "Blow Your Head", "Gimme Some More", "Pass The Peas", "Same Beat (part 1)", and "Damn Right I Am Somebody (part 1) (7 inch single mix)". CD

Blistering funk rock and raw, tightly grooving psych soul from small town Victoria, TX – trailblazing material from Kool & Together. This is an amazing anthology from Heavy Light/Light In The Attic that pulls together material from private press 45s the group put in the early-to-mid 70s and previously unreleased tracks recorded by Texas music legend Huey P Meaux. There's a raw soul, funky drums & percussion core to Kool & Together's style that's really great! Singer Tyrone Sanders doubles as the group's conga player, which is a great touch! There's a demonstrable level of gritty psych soul and rock in the mix, too – wah wah guitar, in particular – but they're much more into a tight, heady groove than the kind of lumbering heft and solo-heavy styles of other Hendrix disciples. It's a family band – the earliest tracks on the set feature Charles Sanders Sr on vocals, with Charles Jr on guitar, Tyrone on conga and Joe Sanders on drums – with the boys trading lead vocals and instrumentation on other later recordings, along with additional players. A great discovery from Heavy Light Records! 19 tracks in all: "Sittin' On A Hot Red Stove", "I Know", "If You Can", "Wino Man", "Magic Words", "Peace Is At Hand", "Better Days", "Fly So High", "Electronic Funk", "Reaching Out", "Hooked On Life", "Blow It Out Your Mind", "Get Your Feet Off The Ground" and more, plus 4 demos: "Escapism Beat", "Hot Pants", "Nassau Beat" and "Wino Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A great combination of remixes old and new – a set that features some of the 12" single remixes of Kraftwerk tracks from the early 80s onward, plus some new mixes by the group themselves – more than enough to make the album a great testament to their electronic genius, and the impact they've had on other artists and producers over the decades! Despite the range of work, there's a nicely unified vibe – maybe in part because Kraftwerk were always years ahead of their time – so that the current cuts resonate nicely with the forward-thinking ones from years back. Titles include "Home Computer (2021 single edit)", "Expo Remix (Francois K & Rob Rives mix)", "Radioactivity (William Orbit hardcore rmx Kling Klang edit)", "Robotronik (Kling Klang mix)", "Expo Remix (DJ Rolando mix)", "Aero Dynamik (Kling Klang dynamix)", "La Forme (king of the mountains mix by Hot Chip)", "Tour De France (etape 2)", "Expo Remix (Orbital mix)", "Radioactivity (Francois Kevorkian 12" remix)", "Non Stop", "Robotnik (Kling Klang mix)", and "Aero Dynamik (Alex Gopher/Etienne De Crecy dynamik mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer stuff! This is one of Billy's earliest albums, and it's a monster batch of funky organ tunes with a much harder groove than on later works! The group is Billy's early Delegates trio – with Hank Swarn on guitar and Mel Brown on drums – and bad, bad grooves abound: including the legendary "Pigmy", plus "Foxy Little Ghoul", "Grooveyard", "The Peeper", with a few jazz standards and cool blues numbers thrown in to mix things up. Very hot hard heavy and funky! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent batch of hard soul grooves from the great Laura Lee! This one was her first for the Hot Wax label – and it's got the raw quality of her earlier singles for labels like Chess, with a hard vocal style that's very much in the Aretha Franklin/Fontella Bass camp – plus some arrangements that have that bouncing soulful quality that the Staple Singers were using on Stax at the time! There's lots of horns in the mix, and some congas as well, which gives the album a bit of a different twist – kind of an earthy undercurrent that works great with the vocals. Includes the great title cut "Women's Love Rights" – plus "I Don't Want Nothin' Old (But Money)", "Wedlock Is a Padlock", "Her Picture Matches Mine", and "Two Lovely Pillows". CD features a bonus track – "Since I Fell For You (mono commercial single edit)". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Quite possibly our favorite album from MFSB – the legendary Philly instrumental group from the 70s! The record's completely sublime all the way through – and is perhaps the most perfect illustration of that subtle blend of funk, soul, and disco that makes the group so great – a sound that was copied by others like Salsoul Orchestra or Instant Funk, but almost never done as perfectly as on this sweet little set! The album's got some chorus vocals on a few cuts, but mostly hangs out in an instrumental mix of Philly rhythms, jazzy solo moments, and some soaring strings that really help fill up the groove. There's a definite summer theme going on – and titles include the great McFadden & Whitehead "Summertime And I'm Feelin Mellow", plus "We Got The Time", "Hot Summer Nights", "Picnic In the Park", and "Sunnin & Funnin". LP, Vinyl record album

Two post-Motown albums from The Miracles – back to back on a single CD! On Love Crazy, The Miracles move to Columbia Records – and pick up a whole new groove in the process – a much richer sound than previous records on Motown, with a soaring style that really works great for the harmonies! Billy Griffin's vocals are really coming into their own – as is his songwriting, too – evidenced by some of the more complicated elements in the mix, and the blend of full arrangements and tight rhythms that almost have a Philly feel overall! The change is a great one for the group – and not only helps them beat some of their best late Motown moments, but also points the way towards a heck of a lot of 80s soul too. Titles include "Too Young", "The Bird Must Fly Away", "Love Crazy", "Spy For Brotherhood", "A Better Way To Life", "Women", and the Isley-like "I Can Touch The Sky". The self-titled Miracles set is an overlooked groover from The Miracles – a late 70s set for Columbia Records, and one that's got a sparkling sound throughout! The album really has the group hitting some great modern soul modes for the set – arrangements by David Foster that push them forward even more, and which work equally well on the uptempo tunes as they do on the few mellower numbers too. The style is lush, but never overdone – just right for the vocal interplay of the group, with a quality that's a bit like late 70s Jacksons – but better. Titles include "Love Doctor", "I Can't Stand It", "Hot Dance", "Mean Machine", "Sad Rain", "Reach For The Sky", and "The Magic Of Your Eyes". CD

The last train to skaville, and a record that should be the first in line when you're digging for rare instrumental ska – as the collection offers up a mix of the mighty Hammond skills of Jackie Mittoo and the searing rhythms of the Soul Brothers – who also serve up great solos on tenor, trumpet, and trombone! This isn't the sleepy ska of the revival years – and is instead the kind of hard-burning music that was strongly inspired by American instrumental soul in the late 60s, and really made waves on both the scenes in London and Kingston! All cuts are from the original run of gems from Studio One – and titles include "Voodoo Moon", "Ska Shuffle", "Dr Ring Ding", "Got My Boogaloo", "Home Made", "Hot & Cold", "One Stop", "James Bond", and "Mr Flint". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest entries in the Starday Records series of truck-themed collections in the 60s – partly because this one features material by just a small core of artists, and also because there's a fair bit of bluegrass in the mix as well! The tunes still have the truck-heavy tones of the other work of the time – but the vibe here is much more bluegrass than country (although we love country truck records too!) – and showcases some of the excellent artists who were being recorded by Starday at the time, with a very lean, respectful sound that holds up wonderfully over the years! Titles include "Truck Driver's Queen", "Hot Rod Kids & Women Drivers", "Truck Driver's Woman", and "Long White Line" by Moore & Napier; "Little Mountain Road", "Crossroads", and "Brand New Road" by Reno & Smiley; and "Gear Jammer" and "Truck Drivin Daddy" by Jimmy Logsdon. CD

An early 90s classic from Naughty By Nature – still very much at the top of their game, and representing the New Jersey scene with that new sort of vibrancy that made Garden City hip hop rival some of the best NYC material for a few short years! The album's the group's third, and features unified production throughout from Kay Gee – and key guest appearances from Queen Latifah, Heavy D, and Freddie Foxxx. Titles include the classic anthem "Hip Hop Hooray" – plus "Ready For Dem", "Written On Ya Kitten", "It's On", "The Only Ones", "The Hood Comes First", "Daddy Was A Street Corner", "Hot Potato", and "Sleepin On Jersey". Lots of great bonus tracks too – including "Hip Hop Hooray (Pete Rock rmx)", "Hip Hop Hooray (ext mix)", "Written On Ya Kitten (Q Funk mix)", "Written On Ya Kitten (Shandi's smooth mix)", "It's On (Beatnuts rmx)", and "It's On (Sunship edit)". LP, Vinyl record album

A mini-LP, but one that packs more punch than most full length sets – thanks to a top-shelf lineup all the way through! The set's a project put together by Sly & Robbie, and recorded at Compass Point Studios – all with a groove that's kind of a dubbier take on the sound of New York dancefloors a the time – nicely bassy, slightly beaty, and topped with some really wonderful vocals from Gwen Guthrie! Larry Levan mixed the whole thing to perfection, giving it a real Paradise groove – and instrumentation is by Wally Badarou on synth, Harry Whitaker on keyboards, Darryl Thompson on guitars, and Jimmy Maelin on percussion. The set's kind of a mini-suite, based around a few key musical themes – and titles include "Padlock", "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Peanut Butter" and "Getting Hot". CD also features 6 more bonus tracks – "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", "Getting Hot (original 12" version)", "Padlock (album mix of Portrait)", "Seventh Heaven (album mix of Portrait)", "Hopscotch (album mix of Portrait)", and "Peanut Butter (original 12" version)". CD

Two rare Charlie Parker albums in a single set! First up is Bird On 52nd Street – one of the more obscure Charlie Parker sessions of the 40s – at least in the original release! The material was recorded in 1948, on a home tape recorder, but not issued until after his death – part of a huge wave of Charlie Parker material that hit the market at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s! The sound here is quite raw – made even more so by the recording quality – but it also offers up a good illustration of the sheer power of Bird back in the day, the kind of bold, bracing energy that made even more than the regular jazz world sit up and take notice. The group's a quintet – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Duke Jordan on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Max Roach on drums – and there's been a few tape tricks in the mastering, in order to come up with a better version of some of the recordings. Tracks are short – in true bebop format – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Out Of Nowhere", "My Old Flame", "How High The Moon", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Hot House", and "Chasin The Bird". Next is Bird At St Nicks – a posthumous issue of an early 50s live set by Charlier Parker – one of the many that were rushed to the public in the years after his early death. The set, like many of the other live ones from the time, isn't recorded that well – but the music is still pretty wonderful. There's a real focus on Bird in the way the microphone was set up – so although you hear the rest of the band comping in the background, the album almost works like a session of solo sax work by Parker – as his alto is right out front in the mix, playing with a faltering style at times – but in a way that only seems to deepen our vision of his genius. Players include Red Rodney on trumpet and Al Haig on piano – and titles include "Ornithology", "Star Eyes", "Visa", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "Confirmation". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". CD

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without bass overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

A legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – and this is the quintet material, with titles that include "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", and "Hot House". CD

The music of Sun Ra, taken into very different territory – every bit as cosmic as before, but maybe also a bit more down to earth in its presentation! Sun Ra classics are reworked here by a mix of different Brazilian musicians, with contributions from a few key American artists who really enrich the soulful qualities of the proceedings – with results that are tremendous, and which make the record one of the real standout projects in the long legacy of Red Hot recordings! The sounds here are all original, created for the project – and the Brazilian artists include some of our favorite underground talents of the past decade, mixed with a few who are more well-established, yet still very much on the left side of the spectrum! Titles include "Astroblack Orunmila" with Jazzmeia Horn & Orquestra Afrosinfonica, "Interstellar Low Ways" with Hamilton De Holanda Trio, "When There Is No Sun (Intergalactic version)" with Xenia Franca & Tigana Santana, "Eu Sou Um Instrumento" with Fabricio Boliveira & Jazzmeia Horn, "O Codigo" with Fabricio Boliveira & Edbrass Brasil, "Nature's God" with Meshell Ndegeocello & Munir Hossn, and "Nine Rocket For The Planet" with Meta Meta & Edgar. LP, Vinyl record album

Definitely a set to make you hallucinate – as the grooves are quite groovy, but in a really trippy way! The album's a bit like the classic Psicodelico set by Luiz Carlos Vinhas – a mix of older samba modes and wigged-out 60s sounds – sometimes odd production, sometimes offbeat instrumentation – really running through a variety of different sounds as the album moves on, almost with a party sort of feel! Some numbers have female vocals – used almost in a Brasil 66 way at points, or in a solo bossa diva mode at others – and the few instrumental tunes take nice advantage of the group's soulful piano, guitar, sax, and trombone. Titles include "Somos Todos Irmaos", "Poema Ritmico Do Malandro", "Sou Feliz Aqui", "Isn't A Dream", "Adeus Amor", "Hert", and "Bye Bye". CD

Definitely a set to make you hallucinate – as the grooves are quite groovy, but in a really trippy way! The album's a bit like the classic Psicodelico set by Luiz Carlos Vinhas – a mix of older samba modes and wigged-out 60s sounds – sometimes odd production, sometimes offbeat instrumentation – really running through a variety of different sounds as the album moves on, almost with a party sort of feel! Some numbers have female vocals – used almost in a Brasil 66 way at points, or in a solo bossa diva mode at others – and the few instrumental tunes take nice advantage of the group's soulful piano, guitar, sax, and trombone. Titles include "Somos Todos Irmaos", "Poema Ritmico Do Malandro", "Sou Feliz Aqui", "Isn't A Dream", "Adeus Amor", "Hert", and "Bye Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Diana Ross' 80s years – a record that's quite different than her Motown music of the 60s and 70s, but in a way that really shows the singer stepping out and trying something new! The album's maybe more soulful than some of Diana's previous albums – thanks to work from producer Tom Dowd – and the material is a surprising mix of songs, from sources as varied as Leonard Cohen, Luther Vandross, and Mick Hucknall! Ross does nice a nice job in reworking older soul classics – like Jackie Ross' "Selfish One" and The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" – nestled in nicely next to more contemporary tracks that include "Dirty Looks", "Shockwaves", "Tell Me Again", "Shine", "Summertime", and "It's Hard For Me To Say". CD

An overlooked gem from Diana Ross' 80s years – a record that's quite different than her Motown music of the 60s and 70s, but in a way that really shows the singer stepping out and trying something new! The album's maybe more soulful than some of Diana's previous albums – thanks to work from producer Tom Dowd – and the material is a surprising mix of songs, from sources as varied as Leonard Cohen, Luther Vandross, and Mick Hucknall! Ross does nice a nice job in reworking older soul classics – like Jackie Ross' "Selfish One" and The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" – nestled in nicely next to more contemporary tracks that include "Dirty Looks", "Shockwaves", "Tell Me Again", "Shine", "Summertime", and "It's Hard For Me To Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare funky gem from the Chicago scene in the pre-house years – but a set that also might be a crucial bridge between the city's 70s soul and the underground clubs that would soon give the world a new groove! The group have plenty of funk elements in the mix – kind of a tightened-up version of P-Funk at times, with lots of bass in the mix – and all these cool moogy keyboard touches – topped by vocals from the group – who often have a call to action sort of vibe, really urging on the groove! The record's definitely too hardcore to have gotten much national radio play – sharper and more wicked than the major label funk of the time – and the use of female vocals in the mix also have a very different vibe than in disco, too – a quality that's hard to describe, but which really stands out. The set features some arrangements by Floyd Morris and Tom Tom 84 – two mighty legends in the Chicago soul scene – and titles include "Doin' It To Def", which has sort of a "We Will Rock You" intro, plus "Hot Spot", "Grab Your Sexy Baby", and "Funk Power". LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded late in the career of Millie Scott – given that she contributed vocals to some hip girl groups in the 70s – but a standout solo moment too, and one that showed she could make some big waves on her own! The album's got a nice early urban sort of feel – echoes of street soul in the mix, but never as much as you might find on some of the indie efforts of this sort on labels like Next Plateau or Sutra – just the right amount to keep things away from the mainstream cliches of the time. Most numbers have a fair bit of beats at the bottom, but they're often well done, and never dominate Millie's vocals too much – and tracks include "Automatic", "Prisoner Of Love", "Love Me Right", "Let's Talk It Over", "2 Hot 2 Handle", and "One Stop Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly groovy musical based on the film Some Like It Hot – one of the better of a slew of 20s-set musicals that played big on Broadway in the 60s! The music and lyrics are by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, respectively – but the thing that really makes the soundtrack itself work is the lead performances by Robert Morse and Tony Roberts – the former always a charming presence on the stage, the latter a surprisingly good straight man. Elaine Joyce handles the Marilyn Monroe character – and the music sports some nicely jazzy arrangements by Elliott Lawrence. Titles include "It's Always Love", "Hey Why Not", "Sugar", "November Song", and "Sun On My Face". 2CD version features a full bonus mix of the score – remixed just for this release, with better sound than the original album! CD

A huge run of music from the legendary Dionne Warwick – all of it very different than her early work with Burt Bacharach, and brought together as a strong testament to her ability to change and grow over the years! Although Dionne started as a sweeter singer in the 60s, and had a few great Warner Brothers moments during the 70s – she really reemerged strongly on Arista at the end of that decade – thanks to strong help from a label that really knew what to do with a top-shelf female singer, and help them move past some of the pop and disco pitfalls that brought down some of their contemporaries in the decade! Warwick really returned to the American consciousness with these records, then kept on growing and maturing – really able to shift through a range of styles as the 80s moved into the 90s, even ending up with a bit of jazz in the mix – as you'll hear on this long run of records. The box set features twelve full albums, a great value for the price – records that include Dionne, No Night So Long, Hot Live & Otherwise, Friends In Love, Heartbreaker, How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, Finder Of Lost Loves, Friends, Reservations For Two, Sings Cole Porter, Friends Can Be Lovers, and Aquarela Do Brasil. CD

A double-length collection of remixes from the first two albums by Amy Winehouse – a set of tracks that take all the funk of the originals, and add in some elements of hip hop and club as well! A few tracks here get multiple mixes, but with a nice sense of variety – and titles include "F*ck Me Pumps (MJ Cole rmx)", "In My Bed (CJ mix)", "Rehab (Hot Chip rmx)", "Stronger Than Me (Harmonic 33 rmx)", "You Know I'm No Good (Ghostface UK version – with Ghostface Killah)", "Tears Dry On Their Own (Al Usher rmx)", "Love Is A Losing Game (Kardinal Beats rmx)", "F*ck Me Pumps (Mylo rmx)", "Back To Black (Rumble Strips rmx)", "Love Is A Losing Game (Truth & Soul rmx)", "You Know I'm No Good (Skeewiff mix)", and "Rehab (rmx with Jay Z)". LP, Vinyl record album

By the mid 80s, Bernard Wright had dropped some of his jazz funk sound, and moved towards more of a smoother R&B sound – although the mix proved out to work surprisingly well, and has made this album a bit of a classic in the 80s groove mode. Includes the cut "Who Do You Love", which is still quite popular here in Chicago, plus "Too Damn Hot", "Killin' Me", "Yo Nard", and "Love You So". Lenny White and Marcus Miller produced. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – often with Pete Wiggs, or as Saint Etienne – and this set continues the very special vibe of those sets, by bringing together cuts that we never would have thought would work so well otherwise – a sublime mix of soul, rock, and pop – all glowing together with the warm vibe of the summer of 1976! Titles include "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC, "Walking So Free" by Spike Janson, "Sugar Shuffle" by Lynsey DePaul, "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron, "Not On The Outside" by Sylvia, "You Are My Love" by Liverpool Express, "You're The Song" by Hollywood Freeway, "Discover Me" by David Ruffin, "Stoned Out" by Simon Park, "Montreal City" by Azimuth, "Stay With Me" by Blue Mink, "Music" by Carmen McRae, "Rock N Roll Star" by Barclay James Harvest, "Fallin In Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis, and "Miss My Love Today" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Imagine the mixtape from Guardians Of The Galaxy, but done by a much hipper ear, and you'll get a good idea of this one! CD

Single track mix with music from De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Special Ed, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, Whodini, DXT, Funk Inc., Treacherous Three, Davy DMX, Herbie Hancock, The Mean Machine, Grandmaster Flash, Pumpkin And The Profile All-Stars, Sugarhill Gang, Hot Day, Z-3 MC's, Mantronix, and more. CD

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Disco Spectrum series of compilations – a run of records that first burst forth at the end of the 90s, and showed the world that there was a huge amount of underground music to discover from the mainstream disco years! Disco Spectrum cuts aren't the ones you'll know from Saturday Night Fever – or from K-Tel compilations of the time – and instead, they represent the much deeper current of groove that was still burning bright away from the limelight, even while the more commercial disco crumbled into dust – music that was sometimes cut by artists who disappeared quickly, sometimes by older masters, and sometimes by talents who never fully got the respect they deserved. Both Joey Negro and Sean P have given us some great sets before, but this one is right at the top of their talents – filled with gems that include "Let Me Down Easy" by Rare Pleasure, "Spread Love" by Al Hudson & The Soul Partners, "Can't Shake Your Love (Larry Levan 12" mix)" by Syreeta, "Trinidad (special disco mix)" by John Gibbs & US Steel Orchestra, "Isabelle & The Rain" by Jo Boyer, "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By (club 12" mix)" by Cloud One with Margo Williams, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" by Idris Muhammad, "I Don't Want You Back" by Ramona Brooks, "Hot To Trot" by Alfredo De La Fe, "Out Of My Hands" by Omni, "Under The Skin" by The Brothers, "Let Me Love You" by Bunny Mack, "Can You Get Down" by Universe City, and "I Want You For Myself" by George Duke with Lynn Davis. CD

The hippest side of the late 60s Latin Soul years – work from a number of tiny little New York labels – all of which are a good deal rarer than some of the bigger indies of the time! The collection here is totally great, and totally fresh – filled with numbers that were not even hits back in the day, and which are almost the Latin counterpart to funky 45s! Most work is from the Speed and Ghetto labels, with a few more bits thrown into the mix as well – and tunes are both vocal and instrumental numbers, all put together with a heck of a lot of Spanish Harlem soul! Titles include "Heavy Together" by The Real Thing, "Hot Buns" by Willy Baby, "Spanish Maiden" by Tony Middleton with Chuito & The Latin Uniques, "Oye Tomasito" by Joe Pappy & His Combo, "Fishin With Sid" by Dave Cortez & The Moon People, "Shake It Don't Break It" by Pijuan, "Sweet Soul Music" by Milton Zapata, "The Four Corners" by Frankie Nieves, and "African Guajira" by Orquesta Olivieri. LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack for one of the most popular John Hughes films of the 80s, and the soundtrack for a generation as well – a mix of songs that were partly pulled from other sources, but which went on to make the idea of a compilation soundtrack every bit as important as a full original film score! The set kicks off with the massive hit "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds – the virtual theme of the film – then moves through tunes that include "Fire In The Twilight" by Wang Chung, "Waiting" by Elizabeth Daily, "We Are Not Alone" by Karla DeVito, "Didn't I Tell You" by Joyce Kennedy, and "Heart Too Hot To Hold" by Jesse Johnson & Stephanie Spruill. And the set also features a few instrumentals – "I'm The Dude", "Dream Montage", "The Reggae", and "Love Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn great work from the early 80s Nigerian scene – music that's evolved strongly past the Afro Funk of the 70s, and often has the same electro soul sound as work from the US at the time! These cuts are unabashedly upbeat, and aimed at the dancefloor – full of the kind of basslines and keyboard lines that folks treasure in rare American boogie singles – and topped with English language lyrics that give these tunes a really universal appeal! There's a nicely offbeat vibe to the cuts at times – almost a P&P club sort of style – which makes the whole thing a real treasure for any fan of funky club music, not just Nigerian sounds. Titles include "Only You" by Steve Monite, "Don't You Know" by Peter Abdul, "Fellas Doing It In Lagos" by Hotline, "Too Hot" by Rick Asikpo & Afro Fusion, "Funk With Me" by Danny Offia & The Friks, "Don't Give Up" by Willy Roy, "Groove I Like" by Veno, "Don't Stop That Music" by Sony Enang, "Where Is The Answer" by Burnis Moleme, and "Enjoy Your Life" by Oby Onyioha. The LP version includes detailed booklet and bonus 45 with "On The Air (rap mix)" by Lexy Mella and "Burning Jungle" by Ofege! LP, Vinyl record album

An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who were around on the New York scene to issue plenty of soul and funk during the 70s – then made the move into hip hop at the end of the decade, yet in a way that also brought some of their funky currents forward! Where other labels were maybe using a lean approach and more records as the basis for cuts, Spring already had access to some great groups to back up the MCs – and the result is a batch of funky cuts that are already primed for a party crowd in the South Bronx! As the 80s move in, the cuts use more beats and electro elements – yet that older ear for funk is still nicely in place, and really keeps things moving throughout. Titles include "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All) (long version)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "The Beach (long vocal)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, "Go For What You Know" by The Bally Boys, "Tearin It Up" by D4, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The Crew, "I'm Hot" by The Rangers, "Magic's Message" by Mr Magic, "To Whoever It May Concern" by DJ Hollywood, "Cars (Zulu club mix)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, and "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback – a cut that some folks call the first-ever hip hop single! CD

An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who were around on the New York scene to issue plenty of soul and funk during the 70s – then made the move into hip hop at the end of the decade, yet in a way that also brought some of their funky currents forward! Where other labels were maybe using a lean approach and more records as the basis for cuts, Spring already had access to some great groups to back up the MCs – and the result is a batch of funky cuts that are already primed for a party crowd in the South Bronx! As the 80s move in, the cuts use more beats and electro elements – yet that older ear for funk is still nicely in place, and really keeps things moving throughout. Titles include "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All) (long version)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "The Beach (long vocal)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, "Go For What You Know" by The Bally Boys, "Tearin It Up" by D4, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The Crew, "I'm Hot" by The Rangers, "Magic's Message" by Mr Magic, "To Whoever It May Concern" by DJ Hollywood, "Cars (Zulu club mix)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, and "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback – a cut that some folks call the first-ever hip hop single! LP, Vinyl record album

The archive here appears to be Volcov's own record collection – but that's A-OK with us, because he's got some wonderfully groovy, wonderfully soulful, wonderfully under-discovered records he wants to share with us! The set's got a wicked blend of obscure tracks from decades back, and some contemporary cuts that share a similar vibe – music that's in a really special place between soul, jazz, and fusion – often with a cosmic vibe that gives the whole collection a very righteous sound! Liner notes are by Patrick Forge, who points out how obscure most of these tracks are, and what a special collection this is – and we definitely agree with his words, as most of these tracks are new to us, too. Titles include "Keep The Same Old Feeling" by Hot Quisine, "Do The Right Thing" by JOB, "Go (Chez Damien classic mix)" by The Urban Cru, "The Sound Of The Memory Of Many Living People" by Are & Be, "Arigo (Volcov edit)" by Manfredo Fest, "Turning On To Me" by Oneness Of Juju, "Footprints On The Sand (Shannon Harris Urbanicity reinterpretation)" by Chanan Hanspal, "Sophisticated Disco (Volcov edit)" by O'Donel Levy, "Simon's Melody" by The Antilles, "Part 4" by Shakazulu, and "Sun On My Back" by Bembe Segue. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection that's maybe the opposite of the long-running tradition of "desert island discs" – in that the music here is hardly essential, but would be plenty of fun to hear if you were trapped alone with nowhere else to go! Think of the set as the darker side of exotica at the end of the 50s – a spot where tropical sounds mix with Latin rhythms and some rockish touches too – material from the years before surf guitars were really hitting the mainstream, but older modes were being infused with a bit of electricity and new modes of production – all in ways that make for some very cool cuts collected in the set! The package brings together rare singles from a variety of sources – and titles include "Jivaro" by Harvey Anderson, "Babalu" by Phyllis Branch, "The Lonely Sea" by Rick & Trisha, "Strictly Polynesian" by Davy Jones & The Dolphins, "Midnight" by Hank Levine, "Bongo Heat" by Coral & The South Seas, "Martinique" by Ty & Ed, "Atlantis" by Blue Bells, "Rumba Rhapsody" by Hector Cari & The Dancing Strings, "Ho Ba La La" by Dariel Kay, and "Miserlou" by Vitin Aviles Y Su Orquesta. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning collection of deep house tracks – with a classic sound all around, and a very soulful groove that never lets up! Dr Bob Jones and Lofty put this one together, and the set features tracks from their own work with East West Connection, plus some of the best modern house groups in the business. Lots of jazzy acoustic touches, and titles include "Feel It (East West feel mix)", "The More I Get, The More I Want (Teddy's house groove)", and "East West (club)" by East West Connection; "Fiesta De Disfraces (all the way live mix 98 edit)" by H Man, "Ivory (Tyler's Tireless mix)" by Star Child, "Soothe Your Soul" by DSL, "After Ours (Restless Soul samba Phreek mix)" by Restless Soul with Nathan Haines, "Suspicious (piano mix)" by Ten City, "Live Cantina" by No Tenshun, and "Hustler (orig)" by Factory Family. CD

The second great batch of tracks from Chilli Funk Records – and like the first, a warm soulful selection of modern house tracks, with plenty of acoustic jazz in the mix, and a really strong sound all the way through. Titles include "Que Calor" by Soul Camp, "Kurage (daylight mix)" by Su Paka Pooh, "Mint Sauce" by East West Connection, "Surgical Spirit" by East West Connection, "Mundo Latino" by Ghetto Swing, "Never Lost Faith (deep mix)" by UC Heights with Anthony Flanagan, "Off & On (bush shuffle mix)" by Lacarno & Burns, "Waiting On The Corner" by Man Alive, and "Loca Blue" by DSL & Nate Juan. CD

One of the best-ever compilations of GoGo music we've ever seen – all hand-selected by legendary funk DJ Snowboy! Snowboy's been digging for GoGo for years, and he's managed to put together a compilation that avoids all the cliches and mistakes of others like it – going for an all-winning lineup that really gets at the funky funky power of GoGo at its best! Heavy percussion abounds – as congas, cowbells, and drums snap out long and acoustic rhythms – while the band vamps, calls, and even throws in a bit of electro and DJ trickery! The set's got 11 tracks in all, with some nice notes – and a list of titles that include "Scratchin To The Funk" by Doctor Funkenstein, "All We Want Is Go Go" by AM FM, "Give It Here" by Rare Essence, "Take It To The Top" by Ski Bone, "All Wrapped Up In One" by TTED All Stars, "We Need Some Money" by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, "It's In The Mix" by Slim, "Meet Me At The Go Go" by Hot Cold Sweat, "Arkade Funk" by Tilt, "E Flat Boogie" by Trouble, and "Let's Get Small" by Trouble Funk. CD

Country music Christmas in all its glory – served up here in a whole host of tracks that mix bigger names with lesser-knowns, familiar songs with some unusual numbers that really keep things interesting! The themes here have a lot more to do with just daddy and drinking – and the package features a massive 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Twisting Santa Claus" by Del Reeves, "Christmas At The Opry" by George Owens, "We Must Be Having One" by Tammy Wynette, "Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons" by Hank Thompson, "Christmas Doll" by Reno & Smiley, "One Of You" by Marty Robbins, "Truckin Trees For Christmas" by Red Simpson, "Nuttin Fer Christmas" by Homer & Jethro, "It Won't Seem Like Christmas" by Loretta Lynn, "Merry Christmas Anyway" by Louise Johnson, "Mr & Mrs Santa Claus" by George Jones & Tammy Wynette, "Lonely Christmas Call" by Tamm Wynette, "Jingle Bells" by Johnny Paycheck, and "Christmas Greeting" by Liz Anderson, CD

We're not sure if Santa makes the best dance instructor, but he definitely gets plenty of help from this groovy collection – a batch of 26 Christmas tunes that run the spectrum of soulful styles! Most numbers here are from our favorite stretch of Holiday soul – and although there's some tracks here you might have on other collections, there's plenty more unusual ones in the mix as well! Titles include "Santa Soul" by Rocki Lane & The Gross Group, "Christmas Joy" by The Soul Stirrers, "Santa Bring My Baby Back" by Joe Johnson, "Happy Birthday Jesus" by Sam Sweetsinger Bell, "Christmas Round The Corner" by Smuggy Williams, "Santa Teach Me To Dance" by Debbie & The Darnells, "Christmas In Viet Nam" by Charles Bowens & Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Spirit Of Christmas" by The Gospel Heavyweights, "Presents For Christmas" by Solomon Burke, "Christmas Time Is Coming" by The Storytellers, "Christmas Greeting" by The Elgins, "Christmas Time Baby" by The Organics, "Mama's Gift" by Stormy Weather, and "Alone On New Yers Eve" by The Manhattans. CD

The final volume in this fantastic collection of rare female soul from the 60s – and one that's maybe even better than the earlier entries in the series! The tracks here are totally great, and totally well-chosen – not big girl group hits of the time, but instead a treasure trove of under-appreciated singles on labels that include Excello, Dionne, Cameo/Parkway, Fairmount, Musicor, and other indies of the time – mix with a few 60s gems that weren't even issued back in the day! As always with Ace/Kent, the track list is superb – completely wonderful music that we never would have discovered otherwise – track after track of new discoveries for our ears, all presented with fantastic sound, very detailed notes, and enough tracks to make the whole thing a hell of a deal for the price. Many of these cuts have much more of a deep soul vibe than the lighter style you might be expecting for 60s female soul – and titles include "This Heart Is Haunted" by Kelly Garrett, "Hot Spot" by The Bronzettes, "Top Twenty" by The Delicates, "He's My Hero" by The Avons, "It's The Loving Season" by The Vareeations, "Just A Little Touch Of Your Love" by Saundra Franklin, "Sir Galahad" by The Elites, "That's How It Goes" by Jackie & Gayle, "That Guy Of Mine" by The Sherrys, "Everybody South Street" by The Taffys, "I Would If I Could" by The Sweet Three, "That Kind Of Love" by Diana King, "Nothing Can Go Wrong" by The Beas, and "False Alarm" by Tari Stevens. CD