The lone album from the Bubble Puppy – a monumental effort of late 60s hard grooving psychedelia – and one of very best albums to come out of the original Texas psych scene! A couple of the Pup's labelmates at United Artists get a lot of revelry all these years later, and rightfully so – who would argue the importance of The Red Krayola and 13th Floor Elevators – but Bubbly Puppy deserve to be on that top shelf, too. The sound is tight and hard hitting, with trippy lyricism and groovy group harmonies, while the guitars range from cathartic fuzz to some surprisingly pretty melodicism. Not as far out as some of their peers, but the groove is absolutely killer. Titles include the benchmark single "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass", plus "Todd's Tune", "I've Got To Reach You", "Lonely", "Hurry Sundown", "Elizabeth", "It's Safe To Say", "Beginning" and much more. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic first album of avant noise and psych from the Texas underground, featuring seminal early work by Mayo Thompson, and a mind-blasting set of tracks that mixes straight songs with the group's trademark "free form freak outs". Essential to anyone with even the slightest affinity for the true psychedelic 60s – and especially so for true lovers of the influential psych forbears! Titles of the songs include "Hurricane Fighter Plane", "Transparent Radition" (an all-time classic), "War Sucks", "Former Reflections Enduring Doubt", and "Pink Stainless Tail" – and each track is separated by a freakout! LP, Vinyl record album

CD

The lone album from the Bubble Puppy – a monumental effort of late 60s hard grooving psychedelia – and one of very best albums to come out of the original Texas psych scene! A couple of the Pup's labelmates at United Artists get a lot of revelry all these years later, and rightfully so – who would argue the importance of The Red Krayola and 13th Floor Elevators – but Bubbly Puppy deserve to be on that top shelf, too. The sound is tight and hard hitting, with trippy lyricism and groovy group harmonies, while the guitars range from cathartic fuzz to some surprisingly pretty melodicism. Not as far out as some of their peers, but the groove is absolutely killer. Titles include the benchmark single "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass", plus "Todd's Tune", "I've Got To Reach You", "Lonely", "Hurry Sundown", "Elizabeth", "It's Safe To Say", "Beginning" and much more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums on the legendary International Artists label – a set that's as psychedelic and experimental as most of the others in the imprint, but also pretty darn tuneful as well! Golden Dawn have a nicely stretched-out approach to their music – one that lets the songs build up slowly, then really pack a punch as their catchier hooks come into play. There's a bit of a late 60s SF rock quality to the record – especially when the vocals get a bit wild – and the guitars ring out nicely with a great rough-edged sound. Titles include "Starvation", "This Way Please", "Evolution", "My Time", "A Nice Surprise", "Tell Me Why", "Reaching Out To You", and "Seeing Is Believing". LP, Vinyl record album

Raw early genius from the 13th Floor Elevators – cut back at a time when the Texas combo were one of the hippest things going in the late 60s American underground! There's lots of sounds here that other cats would copy over the decades – but the record has a gritty brilliance that's way better than any of its many imitators – that kind of unique burst of new ideas and young energy that made psych so wonderful when it first emerged in remarkable moments like this! Roky Erickson is wonderful – and the record will definitely illustrate his genius way better than any later efforts to bear his own name in the lead – and the production is just the right blend of studio tricks and homegrown oddness to make the whole thing electrified throughout. Tracks include "Slip Inside This House", "Slide Machine", "Dust", "Earthquake", "Levitation", "Postures", "Baby Blue", and "Nobody To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure sides of work from the legendary Alton Ellis – but one of the best as well! The set features some cuts issued by Alton on his own Ellis label – and many of the numbers here feature the singer acting as a producer too – a surprisingly strong side of his talents, as he's able to craft just the right sort of laidback rocksteady grooves for his wonderfully soulful voice! Alton never broke as big on an international scale as artists like Peter Tosh or Jimmy Cliff – but hearing these tracks, you'll definitely feel the way in which the paths Ellis took were clearly roads that allowed much bigger reggae grown in years to come! Titles include "My Time Is The Right Time", "I Love You Girl", "Again". "Dedication", "Baby Talk", "Past Time", "Soul Train Is Coming", "Bam Bye", "If I Had The Right", and "Big News". LP, Vinyl record album

A record cut at a time when Brazilian singer Ivan Lins was enjoying a great wave of international fame – a moment that resulted in music that almost had him reaching out as a majestic singer, able to inspire the whole world at once, rather than just the mainstream audiences back home in Brazil! The set's got this quality that's very positive and uplifting – almost as if Lins is borrowing a bit from the production and arrangements that Milton Nascimento was using, but giving it a more personal twist with his excellent songwriting. And the whole thing's tight, but never slick – that careful balance that Brazilian artists could always reach, at a time when American singers would always sound too clunkily commercial. Ivan's voice is wonderful throughout – able to communicate volumes, even if you can't understand his language – and titles include "Pontas Cardeias", "Leva E Traz", "Clareou", "Awa Yio", and "Cru Cre Corroro". CD

A record cut at a time when Brazilian singer Ivan Lins was enjoying a great wave of international fame – a moment that resulted in music that almost had him reaching out as a majestic singer, able to inspire the whole world at once, rather than just the mainstream audiences back home in Brazil! The set's got this quality that's very positive and uplifting – almost as if Lins is borrowing a bit from the production and arrangements that Milton Nascimento was using, but giving it a more personal twist with his excellent songwriting. And the whole thing's tight, but never slick – that careful balance that Brazilian artists could always reach, at a time when American singers would always sound too clunkily commercial. Ivan's voice is wonderful throughout – able to communicate volumes, even if you can't understand his language – and titles include "Pontas Cardeias", "Leva E Traz", "Clareou", "Awa Yio", and "Cru Cre Corroro". CD

A landmark blend of gospel spirit and 70s soul – and one of the greatest moments ever from The Mighty Clouds Of Joy! Like so many other soul artists before them, these guys have voices that are steeped in the best traditions of gospel – but rather than giving up their roots and going secular, they just cut this set with the best Philly soul help of the time – arrangements from Wade Marcus, and a smoking Sigma Sound lineup that includes work from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, Bobby Eli, Ronnie Baker, and Earl Young – all of whom give the record the vibe of the best Philly International material from the time! Dave Crawford produced, but the set almost feels more Gamble & Huff than anything else – as the quintet's vocals really soar on tracks that include "Stoned World", "Time", "Mighty Cloud Of Joy", "The Master Plan", and "Heart Full Of Love". CD

Wicked work from Dexter Wansel – a funky classic for Philly International, put together with just the sort of care he brought to his albums for other artists! The album's a bit more straight Philly than some of Dexter's earlier records – a bit less of the cosmic funk from before, but in its place are some amazing jazzy backings – modern soul galore, with key adult touches – completely sublime throughout, and wrapped up with more great keyboards than you're likely to find on other Philly albums! The album features a killer cut – "The Sweetest Pain", a smooth stepper with some subtle keyboard grooving behind warm female vocals by Terri Wells – and other great tracks include "Funk Attack", "New Beginning", "One For the Road", "It's Been Cool", and "I'll Never Forget My Favorite Disco". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost soul from a massively overlooked source – the mighty LA indie Double Shot Records, best known for their fuzzy rock classics, but also a hotbed of tripped-out soul! Given that Double Shot's 2 biggest artists of the late 60s were Count Five ("Psychotic Reaction") and Brenton Wood ("Oogum Boogum Song"), you can imagine that the label would be equally well suited to handle mod 60s guitars and sweet soul vocals – and on most of the tracks on this set, you'll be hearing them at the same time! The set's a really massive batch of tunes – a wonderful discovery to our ears, as we'd only ever heard the odd rare single on the label, and had no idea that there was so much great work – nor that it would sound so great! The CD features a total of 26 tracks in all, pulled from the Double Shot singles of the late 60s – with tracks that include "Push Me Baby" and "Jelly" by The Bagdads, "What Is Soul" and "The International Love Song" by The Real Thing, "Four Piece Funky Nitty Gritty Junky Band" and "Everybody's Got A Hang Up" by Bobby Freeman, "Gotta Keep Talkin" and "Coming In Out Of The Rain" by Maurice Rodgers, "The Neck" and "Trouble" by Kent & The Candidates, "Sugar Sugar" by Shirley, and "Trouble" by Foxy. CD

Lost soul from a massively overlooked source – the mighty LA indie Double Shot Records, best known for their fuzzy rock classics, but also a hotbed of tripped-out soul! Given that Double Shot's 2 biggest artists of the late 60s were Count Five ("Psychotic Reaction") and Brenton Wood ("Oogum Boogum Song"), you can imagine that the label would be equally well suited to handle mod 60s guitars and sweet soul vocals – and on most of the tracks on this set, you'll be hearing them at the same time! The set's a really massive batch of tunes – a wonderful discovery to our ears, as we'd only ever heard the odd rare single on the label, and had no idea that there was so much great work – nor that it would sound so great! The CD features a total of 26 tracks in all, pulled from the Double Shot singles of the late 60s – with tracks that include "Push Me Baby" and "Jelly" by The Bagdads, "What Is Soul" and "The International Love Song" by The Real Thing, "Four Piece Funky Nitty Gritty Junky Band" and "Everybody's Got A Hang Up" by Bobby Freeman, "Gotta Keep Talkin" and "Coming In Out Of The Rain" by Maurice Rodgers, "The Neck" and "Trouble" by Kent & The Candidates, "Sugar Sugar" by Shirley, and "Trouble" by Foxy. CD

Classic work from Jamaican producer Gussie Clarke – a talent who's still going strong after changing the face of reggae for decades – starting out with the flurry of work featured on this set! Clarke's productions were already bubbling under in the early 70s, but definitely came into their own during the roots generation – a stretch that saw Gussie's work in the studio hit great fame on UK shores, and reach a fairly bit international audience here too. Clare's mode is an easygoing one – still with some of the emphasis on bottom sounds that was prevalent in Jamaican music during the period, but also maybe more of a spontaneous presentation of the artists too – as if Gussie was stepping back a few steps, at least in comparison to other Jamaican producers. As the 80s moved on, Clarke also helped lay the groundwork for some of the new sounds of the digital generation – evolving his style a bit, but still allowing the artists the main focus. The result is some excellent work by a range of key talents – including a few variations on some of Clark's bigger cuts – all wrapped up in one overstuffed package! Titles include "Pride & Ambition" by Leroy Smart, "The King & The Pauper" by I Roy, "Loving Pauper" by Gregory Isaacs, "The Higher The Mountain" by U Roy & Big Youth, "To The Foundation" by Dennis Brown & Lennie Hibbert, "Party Time" by Lenny Hibbert, "Pass The Kouchie" by The Mighty Diamonds, "Raggamuffin" by Freddie McGregor & Dennis Brown, and "Pirates' Anthem" by Home T, Cocoa Tea, & Shabba Ranks – and three versions of "Strickly Rockers" – by Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, and both of them together! 2CD set features 34 tracks in all – plus a bonus DVD documentary on Gussie Clarke – From The Foundation! CD

The British scene of the 60s was filled with some tremendous work from a huge range of female artists – not just the bigger international names, like Lulu or Petula Clark, but also a host of even cooler, even groovier gals – like the artists collected on this set! There's a special sound to UK girl pop of the time – often a strong influence from soul music, which makes for some excellent rhythms throughout – that mod love of American R&B, moved into some even hipper territory during the beat years that span most of this collection. And amongst British labels, Decca was maybe the one with its ear most to the ground – able to pick up some great overlooked talents and get them onto singles, even if they never cut a full album – with a continued legacy of tracks that could even cross over to the Northern Soul scene at times. This package serves up a stunning array of these Decca label gems – with titles that include "Hey Boy" by Barry St John, "Little Boy" by Goldie & The Gingerbreads, "Poor Old Johnny" by Twinkle, "Love Hit Me" by The Orchids, "I'm In Love With You" by Billie Davis, "No No No" by Dana Gillespie, "That's Right Baby" by Marianne Faithful, "Where The Good Times Are" by Beverley, "Something Beautiful" by Adrienne Poster, "I Wanna Go Back There Again" by Truly Smith, "I'll Come Running Over" by Lulu, and "I Stand Accused Of Loving You" by The Satin Bells. 24 tracks in all. CD

The British scene of the 60s was filled with some tremendous work from a huge range of female artists – not just the bigger international names, like Lulu or Petula Clark, but also a host of even cooler, even groovier gals – like the artists collected on this set! There's a special sound to UK girl pop of the time – often a strong influence from soul music, which makes for some excellent rhythms throughout – that mod love of American R&B, moved into some even hipper territory during the beat years that span most of this collection. And amongst British labels, Decca was maybe the one with its ear most to the ground – able to pick up some great overlooked talents and get them onto singles, even if they never cut a full album – with a continued legacy of tracks that could even cross over to the Northern Soul scene at times. This package serves up a stunning array of these Decca label gems – with titles that include "Hey Boy" by Barry St John, "Little Boy" by Goldie & The Gingerbreads, "Poor Old Johnny" by Twinkle, "Love Hit Me" by The Orchids, "I'm In Love With You" by Billie Davis, "No No No" by Dana Gillespie, "That's Right Baby" by Marianne Faithful, "Where The Good Times Are" by Beverley, "Something Beautiful" by Adrienne Poster, "I Wanna Go Back There Again" by Truly Smith, "I'll Come Running Over" by Lulu, and "I Stand Accused Of Loving You" by The Satin Bells. 24 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the usual Nigerian funk collection you might expect – as the music here is from the years before Fela Kuti and other artists exploded onto international 70s fame – and instead, come from a time where the Nigerian scene was busy drinking up influences from a range of other cultures too! As a result, there's a fair bit of Latin and Caribbean elements at play – a bit of that Cuban influence that touched West African music so strongly in the 60s, and other post-colonial elements too – all mixed with regional styles that provide a very particular flavor – on tracks that are heavy on rhythms, jazzy inflections, and lots of great work on electric guitar and horns! The package is the first we've really seen to give this period its due – and the set is presented with the usual stunning Soul Jazz Approach – very detailed notes, and a superb track list that includes "Ariwo" by Chris Ajilo & His Cubanos, "Lumumba Calypso" by EC Arinze, "Save For A Rainy Day" by Sammy Akpabot & His All Stars, "You Cheat Me" by Godwin Omobuwa & His Soundmakers, "Omo Alara" by IK Dairo & His Blue Spots, "Owo Ni Fari" by Heavy Haruna Ishola & His Group, "Cool Cats Invitation" by Victor Ola-Lya & His Cool Cats, and "Baby I Tire" by Charles Iwegbue & His Archibogs. CD

Not the usual Nigerian funk collection you might expect – as the music here is from the years before Fela Kuti and other artists exploded onto international 70s fame – and instead, come from a time where the Nigerian scene was busy drinking up influences from a range of other cultures too! As a result, there's a fair bit of Latin and Caribbean elements at play – a bit of that Cuban influence that touched West African music so strongly in the 60s, and other post-colonial elements too – all mixed with regional styles that provide a very particular flavor – on tracks that are heavy on rhythms, jazzy inflections, and lots of great work on electric guitar and horns! The package is the first we've really seen to give this period its due – and the set is presented with the usual stunning Soul Jazz Approach – very detailed notes, and a superb track list that includes "Ariwo" by Chris Ajilo & His Cubanos, "Lumumba Calypso" by EC Arinze, "Save For A Rainy Day" by Sammy Akpabot & His All Stars, "You Cheat Me" by Godwin Omobuwa & His Soundmakers, "Omo Alara" by IK Dairo & His Blue Spots, "Owo Ni Fari" by Heavy Haruna Ishola & His Group, "Cool Cats Invitation" by Victor Ola-Lya & His Cool Cats, and "Baby I Tire" by Charles Iwegbue & His Archibogs. LP, Vinyl record album

A breakout solo moment from the great Edwin Birdsong – an artist who participated in some of Roy Ayers great albums of the 70s, and who cut some great underground records of his own – but who finally got the chance to step into the limelight on this set for Philadelphia International! Birdsong's always been his own man – one of the quirkiest funk artists you'll ever find – and the set's got a very different vibe than anything else from the Gamble & Huff house of hits – mostly because Edwin produced and arranged the whole thing on his own. There's a few slight Roy Ayers touches at times – we sometimes think of Edwin as the Bootsy to Roy's George Clinton – and the rhythms have a nicely romping groove that's more Bohannon than the usual disco tracks. There's also some mellower numbers – like the great "Autumn Eyes" and "Lollipop (Slow)", both of which have a mellow Ayers steppin' groove – and other more upbeat titles include"Cola Bottle Baby", "Phiss Phizz", "Kunta Dance", "Goldmine", and "Freaky Deaky Sities". CD features lots of 12" single bonus tracks – "Phiss Phizz (12" disco)", "Lollipop (12" disco)", "Goldmine (12" disco)", "Freaky Deaky Sities (12" disco)", and "Kunta Dance (part 1)". CD

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". Great reissue too – in a gatefold LP-styled cover, with bonus insert notes, including the artwork from the original 1972 pressing on Hemphill's Mbari label! CD also features a bonus track – "Hard Blues" from Hemphill's Coon Business album! CD

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". LP, Vinyl record album

The roots of the 70s sound of Philly International – served up here in a host of earlier tracks that have a wickedly funky sound! All numbers here are instrumentals – and all are played by some formation of players who'd later end up working for Philadelphia International Records in the MSFB studio group – but who record here under a variety of names used for obscure funky 45s! Much of the work here was cut at Sigma Sound Studios back when the label was first cutting Philly soul – and the collection features early work by artists who include Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, Earl Young, Vince Montana, Ronnie Baker, Leon Huff, Larry Washington, Ron Kersey, and others – all jamming in a way that's more hard-edged and funk-based than the Philly hits of the 70s. Titles include "Nickol Nickol" by Brothers Of Hope, "Vibrations" and "Bo Did It" by Hidden Cost, "Trippin" and "Jason Pew Mosso (part 2)" by Interpretations, "Egg Foo Wa Wa" by Race Street Chinatown Band, "Squeeze Your Knees" by Cupit, "I Can Dig It" by Daley Diggers, "Cupid's Holding" by Alliance", "Ambassador's Theme" & "Jimmy Bishop Theme" by Sam Reed Band, "Keem O Sabe" by Electric Indian, "Monte Carlo" by French Connection, and "Ando's Theme" by Ando Orchestra. CD

A seminal album from the great Patti Labelle – a set that allowed the singer to mature strongly and find her own voice away from the funky, rockish style of Labelle – this sophisticated style that marked a whole new level of the singer's career! The Philly International label turned out to be a perfect setting for Patti – as they too were also growing past some of their earlier styles – moving past the chart soul of the 70s, and some of their bigger disco hits – and finding just the right place to allow their artists to keep on growing strongly over the years. The album's an all-adult affair – no clunky commercial moments at all, and instead this great blend of jazzy currents and sophisticated soul – all handled with the excellent second generation Philly International approach! Titles include "I'm In Love Again", "Love Lives", "Love Need & Want You", "I'll Never Never Give You Up", "If Only You Knew", "Body Language", and "When Am I Gonna Find True Love". CD features bonus tracks – 7" versions of "I'm In Love Again", "If Only You Knew", "I'll Never Never Give You Up", and "If You Only Knew". CD

Mary Wells has come a long way from Motown by the time of this sweet early 80s set – really changing up her style to go for a mature, sophisticated groove – that best side of modern soul at the time, put together with superb production by the great Greg Perry! The sound is warm, and plenty darn groovy – a mode that's almost in the same style that some of the hippest Philly International artists were hitting at the same point – really refining their sound, but still holding onto the best soulful elements of years before! But there's still a nice Detroit legacy going on too – that undercurrent of Motown togetherness that you might find in later work by Lamont Dozier – no surprise, since McKinley Jackson's helping Perry arrange the rhythms on the record. Titles include the great groover "These Arms", plus "Spend The Nights With Me", "You Make Me Feel So Good Inside", "Gigolo", "I'm Changing My Ways", and "I'm Not The One". Beautiful Reel Music reissue, too – loads of detailed notes – and bonus tracks that include 12" versions of "Gigolo" and "These Arms". CD

Classic work from Jamaican producer Gussie Clarke – a talent who's still going strong after changing the face of reggae for decades – starting out with the flurry of work featured on this set! Clarke's productions were already bubbling under in the early 70s, but definitely came into their own during the roots generation – a stretch that saw Gussie's work in the studio hit great fame on UK shores, and reach a fairly bit international audience here too. Clare's mode is an easygoing one – still with some of the emphasis on bottom sounds that was prevalent in Jamaican music during the period, but also maybe more of a spontaneous presentation of the artists too – as if Gussie was stepping back a few steps, at least in comparison to other Jamaican producers. As the 80s moved on, Clarke also helped lay the groundwork for some of the new sounds of the digital generation – evolving his style a bit, but still allowing the artists the main focus. The result is some excellent work by a range of key talents – including a few variations on some of Clark's bigger cuts – all wrapped up in one overstuffed package! Titles include "Pride & Ambition" by Leroy Smart, "The King & The Pauper" by I Roy, "Loving Pauper" by Gregory Isaacs, "The Higher The Mountain" by U Roy & Big Youth, "To The Foundation" by Dennis Brown & Lennie Hibbert, "Party Time" by Lenny Hibbert, "Pass The Kouchie" by The Mighty Diamonds, "Raggamuffin" by Freddie McGregor & Dennis Brown, and "Pirates' Anthem" by Home T, Cocoa Tea, & Shabba Ranks – and three versions of "Strickly Rockers" – by Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, and both of them together! 2CD set features 34 tracks in all – plus a bonus DVD documentary on Gussie Clarke – From The Foundation! CD

Get ready to throw away your jukebox – because this tasty set has all the grooves you'd ever want, all packed in one tasty CD! The sound of Mod Jazz is the sound of the 60s – a blistering blend of Hammond organ, soulful vocals, swinging rhythms, and a finger-snapping assortment of various instrumental modes – all brought together from unlikely sources into one hip-stepping, bad-walking collection! As with previous volumes, the set list here is really outta sight – and blends together a few familiar numbers with overlooked gems from rare singles and obscure LPs – many by artists that we know and love, but who we didn't know could cook up a groove this nicely. There's a real speaker-blowing quality to the whole thing, too – the kind of soulful, thumping styles that would have made this CD feel right at home in a southside jazz lounge back in the day! 24 tracks in all – with titles that include "Beaver" by Clarence Armstrong, "Banana Peels" by Johnny Otis, "Hide Out" by The Hideaways, "Bell Bottoms" by Joe Swift's Internationals, "East Side" by Hank Jacobs, "Have Some Boogaloo" by Timmy Thomas, "El Pussy Cat" by Mongo Santamaria, "Summertime" by George Benson Quartet, "Sack O Woe" by Ray Bryant, "Them Blues" by Billie Poole, "Sweet Lover No More" by Gene McDaniels, "Wild Bird" by Googie Rene, and "Get It" by The Swinging Tomatoes. CD

A great little follow-up to one of our favorite compilations ever from Kent Records – a motherlode of under-discovered soul from 70s powerhouse Spring Records! Spring is best known for its big hits with Joe Simon during the decade – but at the same time, the label also issued countless great singles by lesser-known artists – great little gems that run the gamut from southern soul to heavy funk, harmony soul, and disco – all with a quality level that matches or beats most of the other indies of the time! This wonderful set brings together some of the best from those years – and includes work issued not only on Spring, but also on the related Event and Posse labels – served up here as a whopping 24-track package that's supported by great notes on all the music. Titles include "It's So Good To Know" by Mayberry Movement, "I'm A Lover" by Vernon Brown, "You & I Go Good Together" by Garland Green, "Turn Yourself Around" by Clare Bathe, "Walk All Over God's Heaven" by Jackie Verdell, "Baby There's Nothing You Can Do" by The Joneses, "I'm On My Way" by Winfield Parker, "Ain't It Amazing" by Prince Harold, "Dry Bones In The Valley" by The Internationals, "Mr Everything" by Little Eva Harris, "It Takes Both Of Us" by Act One, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Sherry Washington" by Ray Godfrey, and "Just Can't Say Hello" by Ronnie Walker. CD