One of the earliest soul collections from the legendary Kent Records UK – a package that was originally released way back in 1982, but which set the scene for decades of great reissues to come! Even at this early state, the Kent approach was something different – and the package shows a great ear for under-discovered 60s soul gems – most of which have a sock-solid Northern Soul approach! Most of the work here is from the US Kent/Modern label – obviously an inspiration for the UK imprint – and the tunes are a mix of Detroit-styled soul numbers and a few deeper soul tracks. 15 tunes in all – including "You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet" by Mary Love, "I'm So Thankful" by The Ikettes, "In The Sunshine" by The Marvellos, "Before It's Too Late" by Jackie Day, "Your Love Has Made Me A Man" by Willie Hutch, "Baby Without You" by Danny Monday, "Gimme Gimme" by ZZ Hill, "Dancing Fast Dancing Slow" by The Intentions, "Let Me Know" by Mary Love, "I've Been Taken For A Ride" by The Intentions, "I Can Feel Your Love" by Felice Taylor, and "Come Back Baby" by Tami Young. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of rare soul tracks from the west coast scene of the 60s – one that has the Ace/Kent label returning to the territory of some of their earliest compilations, but with lots of fresh and unreleased material in the mix! The Kent and Modern labels trace their roots back to the initial outpouring of postwar R&B on the Los Angeles scene – and by the time of the 60s, the companies were in a great position to pick the hippest, coolest cats from their city's soul underground – often recording so much music, only a portion of it was ever released back in the day! That's definitely the case here – as 8 of the 14 tracks on the collection never saw release in the 60s – making the collection a fantastic mix of rare and released Northern Soul from the city of angels. Titles include "Wanting You (alt)" by Jimmy Bee, "Lay This Burden Down" by Arthur Wright & His Orchestra, "Love Is Gonna Get You" by Peggy Woods, "Can It Be Me" by Mel Williams, "Baby Without You" by Gene & Gary, "Nobody But Me" by The Other Brothers, "Make Me Yours" by ZZ Hill, "Hey Stoney Face" by Mary Love, "No Puppy Love" by Johnny Copeland, "This Man Wants You" by Wally Cox, and "Get To Steppin" by Jackie Day. LP, Vinyl record album

A great full length collection of work by Memphis singer Barbara Brown – a vocalist who appeared both as a solo act, and with her sisters – on a variety of singles for labels like Cadet, Atlantic, Tower, and MGM in the late 60s and early 70s! Barbara's got a deep, rich voice that's clearly schooled in gospel, but pointed towards more secular ends – an approach that's very much in keeping with the best late 60s wave of soul from Atlantic Records, and which is carried off here with a sharpness and precision that's simply mindblowing! Why Brown never scored bigger is a real mystery to us, because these tunes come off like the cream of the crop of southern soul at the end of the 60s – not just obscurities for obscurity sake, but some of the highest level of soul a female soul singer could hope for at the time! Titles include "Can't Find No Happiness", "Plenty Of Room", "A Great Big Thing", "Things Have Gone To Pieces", "Man Around The House", "Play Thing", "I'm Gonna Start A War", "I Don't Want To Have To Wait", "It Hurts Me So Much", "Got To Be Somebody", "There's A Look On Your Face", and "If I Can't Run To You I'll Crawl". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary James Carr – a singer that those in the know place at the same level as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, or any of the deep soul greats of the 60s! Like Otis, James recorded heavily on the Memphis scene at the time – not for Stax or Atlantic, but for the smaller Goldwax label – who really hit magic with the sounds you'll hear on this set – a perfect blend of the richness of James' voice with the kind of slow-burning soul sounds that the scene was really hitting during its golden years! The songwriters alone here are enough to sell the set to any fan of classic southern soul – as tunes include contributions from Chips Moman, Dan Penn, Quinton Claunch, William Bell, and Spooner Oldham – writers who maybe never had a better interpreter of their work than Carr – who knocks it out of the park here on tunes that include "Dark End Of The Street", "You've Got My Mind Messed Up", "I'm A Fool For You", "A Lucky Loser", "Let's Face Facts", "Your Love Made A U Turn", "Freedom Train", "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man", "You Hurt So Good", "Love Attack", and "A Man Needs A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Sam Dees was one of the greatest unsung talents in 70s soul music – an important writer, arranger, and general background talent who helped so many other singers hit the heights – but who hardly ever issued much work under his own name! Apart from key singles and an important album on Atlantic, the recorded legacy of Dees isn't what it should be – given his impact on music, especially deep soul – but fortunately, sets like this have come along to correct that lack! As part of Sam's creative process, he would often record songs first on his own – not as rough demo tracks, but as surprisingly well done studio versions to illustrate the material – tracks that were often better than later versions of his tunes, and most of the other commercial soul on the market. This sweet set brings together 12 of those tracks – private recordings from Sam, of songs he'd later give to singers like Loletta Holloway, Ben E King, and others – an essential record from the great Dees, pressed up on super-heavy vinyl! Titles include the previously unissued "Married But Not To Each Other" – plus "Good Guys Don't Always Win", "Who Are You Gonna Love", "Con Me", "Only Lonely People", "False Alarms", "Standing In The Wings Of A Heartache", "The World Don't Owe You Nothing", and "Black Tattler". LP, Vinyl record album

Doris Duke's no loser at all – certainly not with a record this great – a killer set of deep soul tracks that may well stand as the singer's finest moment ever! Doris works here at a level that rivals all the best southern-tinged singers of her generation – Aretha Franklin, Ann Peebles, and others – and also gets some key help from Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams in the studio – who helps give the record a raw undercurrent, linking it to the best Stax Records material of the time. Duke sometimes brings a sophisticated twist to the vocals, which is nicely appreciated – and which keeps everything far from the realm of cliche – on titles that include "I Don't Care Anymore", "He's Gone", "To The Other Woman (I'm The Other Woman)", "Divorce Decree", "We're More Than Strangers", and "The Feeling Is Right". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums cut by this oft-overlooked southern soul diva – and one that mixes Muscle Shoals production with some nice uptown touches! Produced by Jerry Williams, Jr., aka Swamp Dogg! While the title comes of a bit flamboyantly, in truth, this record is an honest, personal, and earthy southern soul should-be classic. It's not only a personal triumph for Doris Duke, it's also one of greatest Swamp Dogg-produced records! Includes "I Wish I Could Sleep", "It Sure Was Fun", "He's Everything I Need", "Since I Fell For You", "Let Love Touch Us Now", "Bad Water", and a cool cover of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous soul from late 60s Chicago – a killer collection of early singles from the great Darrow Fletcher – only a youngster at the time, but already working at a level that's as strong as most of his older contemporaries! Darrow's got this soaring voice that really sends us every time we hear him sing – a style that's possibly a bit like Jackie Wilson, but both deeper and lighter at the same time – very unique, especially in these early years – and perfect for helping Fletcher stand out from the pack! The grooves here are nice and deep – socking hard in the best Chi-town styles of the time, with the sort of punch you'd get on the best One-Der-Ful/Mar-V-Lus recordings – with arrangements by Mike Terry, Phil Wright, Burgess Gardner, and others. Tracks were originally issued on a variety of labels – Groovy, Jacklyn, and Genna – and titles include "The Pain Gets A Little Deeper", "Hope For Love", "No Limit", "Now Is The Time For Love (part 1)", "My Judgement Day", "Little Girl", "What Have I Got Now", "What Good Am I Without You", "That Certain Little Something", and "Gotta Draw The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE all time classics of funky blues – a record built around Lowell's huge single "Tramp" – a massive tune that spawned a whole generation of answer tunes! "Tramp" kicks off the set with a stone break that's worth the price of the album – then Lowell slides into some tunes that have a bit more of a conventional bluesy approach, mixed with a few other nice cuts that get a bit funky too! A rough-edged classic that really stands out – and which has made Fulsom one of the better-collected bluesmen of the beathead crowd. In addition to "Tramp", other tracks include "Two Way Wishin", "Back Door Key", "Year Of 29", "Pico", "Goin' Home", and "Black Nights". LP, Vinyl record album

Stellar work by Jimmy Hughes – one of those southern soul talents whose name you've heard, but can't always find on record! Jimmy's best known for his classic Muscle Shoals tune "Steal Away" – and that great number, plus many other similar ones, are presented on this obscure Vee Jay release – issued at a time when both that label and Chess were licensing a number of titles from Rick Hall's Fame studios. The sound is great – a key link in the southern scene of the 60s, and one that's often lost because it wasn't recorded for a bigger label, like Atlantic. Titles include "Steal Away", "Try Me", "I Want Justice", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Neighbor Neighbor", "I'm Getting Better", and "I'm Gonna Rise Again". LP, Vinyl record album

What the what?!? Soul sides so great they'll blow your mind – even though none of them have ever been issued before! George Jackson is one of the great lost talents of southern soul – an artist who often stayed in the background, lending his talents to others in the studio, or as a writer – but a hell of a strong artist on his own – as you'll hear in this package of 24 recordings done at the legendary Fame Studios! Jackson's vocals are great – nice and gritty, plain and honest, and with just the right sort of focus to perfectly serve up the poetry of his lyrics. And the backings are wonderful, too – that simple, soulful groove that Fame did so well – often slow-burning on the rhythm tip, with production that lets George shine right out front in the mix. Why these cuts were never issued at the time is a mystery to us – as they could have made George and a few other folks a nice little fortune and a good deal of fame. But as with most discoveries like this, the obscurity of the tracks also makes for a freshness that we love too – as if we've taken a time machine back to a period we love, and found a way to hear the "real deal" right up close! Special LP version – featuring a dozen tracks from the Fame CDs – including "Greedy Over You", "Double Lovin", "Don't Count Me Out", "Save Me", "That From The Heart", "Add A Little Sunshine", "Let The Best Man Win", "I Bit Off More Than I Can Chew", and "Bite The Hand That Feeds You". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous early work from the great Candi Staton – coming across here as much more of a deep soul singer than on her later club and disco tracks – thanks to rock-solid production from Muscle Shoals legend Rick Hall – probably the best producer ever to work with Candi's voice! The style's a bit smoother than on some of Candi's first few recordings – but still very much in a deep soul mode, with a sophisticated approach to southern soul that's really outta site – and which has Staton really evolving past earlier southern soul styles, bridging worlds in the same way that Millie Jackson was beginning to do with some of her excellent 70s material too! Tracks include "Do It In The Name Of Love", "The Best Thing You Ever Had", "The Thanks I Get For Loving You", "I'll Drop Everything & Come Running", and "Wanted Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius early work from Candi Staton – one of her first few gems recorded at Fame Studios with producer Rick Hall – and a set that packs the punch of some of the best female soul of the time! The groove here is stripped-down, raw, and ready – at a level that even Aretha Franklin's classic work for Atlantic in the late 60s couldn't even match. And unlike Aretha, Candi's work here is largely undiscovered – not nearly as filled with cliched, and stepping out nicely on a fresh set of tracks written by George Jackson, Clarence Carter, and others – all sung by Staton in a heartbreaking voice that should have been one of the biggest forces in 70s soul. Titles include "Evidence", "Get It When I Want It", "Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man", "I'm Just A Prisoner", and "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful early work from deep soul singer Candi Staton – early southern work, and done with a very different vibe than the clubbier cuts she'd deliver at the end of the 70s! Fame Records giant Rick Hall produced, and the whole thing was recorded with the kind of raw hard sound that Muscle Shoals was built on – deep, heartfelt, rootsy, and incredible! Candi's voice is remarkably emotional, and doesn't have the diva polish of later sides – which is a great thing for us, as the album shows her as a sort of singer we never expected. Titles include "Too Hurt To Cry", "How Can I Put Out The Flame", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Sweet Feeling", "He Called Me Baby", and "Freedom Is Just Beyond The Door". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from Spencer Wiggins – a late 60s Memphis singer who travelled in the same circles as James Carr, Percy Sledge, and Otis Redding, but who hardly ever got his due – despite talents that were clearly equal to his contemporaries! This beautifully-done set brings together 14 tracks that Wiggins recorded for Goldwax Records in the late 60s – a label that was also home to Carr's best work, and who does an equally great job with Spencer's deep-burning vocals on these sides. Many of the tracks on the set were written by the cream of the crop of southern soul writers at the time – George Jackson, Quinton Claunch, Isaac Hayes, and others – and backings are often spare and subtle, really letting Wiggins' vocals take center stage! Titles include "I'm A Poor Man's Son", "Lonely Man", "Sweet Sixteen", "He's Too Old", "Anything You Do Is Alright", "I Never Loved A Woman The Way I Love You", "Old Friend", "Up Tight Good Woman", "Take Me Just As I Am", "Once In A While", "The Power of A Woman", "I'll Be True To You", and "Lover's Crime". LP, Vinyl record album

A special vinyl-only collection of tracks from the legendary Dave Godin Deep Soul series – a set that's kind of the best of the best – given the strength of those all-great soul collections! All the cuts here offer a perfect definition of the deep soul groove at its best – a rich, heartfelt approach to the genre that's heavy on sounds from the southern soul scene of the 60s, but which also features a few inflections from other styles too! Vocals are always at the forefront, sung in a mindblowing way that may well even surpass some of the bigger names of the period – like artists on Atlantic or Stax – and titles include "Like It Stands" by Robert Ramsey, "These Four Walls" by Irma Thomas, "Losin Boy" by Eddy Giles, "Just Loving You" by Ruby Andrews, "You Got Me" by Jaibi, "Try Love" by Dori Grayson, "I'm Sorry I Hurt You" by Nat Phillips, "I Don't Cary Anymore" by Doris Duke, "Who Are You Gonna Love" by Rozetta Johnson, "You Make Me Feel Good" by Jawrence & Jaibi, and "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas. LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty sounds from a legendary Detroit soul producer – the great Dave Hamilton, a talent who issued a number of key singles back in the day, but who's left behind an even larger legacy of excellent unreleased work! This collection draws from both sides of that spectrum – and features upbeat Northern Soul gems that were issued on small labels like Topper and Demo-Ristic – mixed with other tracks that lay in Dave's vaults until their discovery at some point in the 90s! Together, the tracks are a wonderful illustration of the deep deep trove of material that lurked in the Detroit scene far in the shadows of Motown – artists who were eclipsed by the big names at the time, but who sound mighty darn fresh all these many years later. Titles include "What Should I Do", and "Who Are You Trying To Fool" by Little Ann, "Sweep It Out The Shed" and "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "Love Friends & Money" by James Lately, "You Won't Miss The Water" by Chico & Buddy, "Talkin About My Baby" by Dottie & Millie, "You Got Me Turned Around" by OC Tolbert, "Shoop Doop" by Dave Hamilton, and "You Did" by Priscilla Page & Rony Darrell. LP, Vinyl record album

A whole host of rare cuts from the original Kent Records label in LA – the 60s follow-up to the famous Crown/Modern/RPM imprint of the postwar years – a set of labels that gave the world plenty of amazing R&B tracks in the 50s! Here, Kent is going more for a 60s groove overall, but with qualities that still echo the nice edge of their older material – all in a package that pays tribute to a famous collection of Kent songs done by Ace Records forty years before – the start of a long love affair that's had Ace issuing plenty of tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 50s and 60s! That's definitely the case here – as rare cuts stand next to others making their vinyl debut – on a soaring soul lineup that includes "I Got Love" by The Other Brothers, "Long As I Got My Baby" by Jackie Day, "Down In The City" by The Marvellos, "The Sun Don't Shine Everyday" by The Saints, "I've Got To Win Your Love For Me" by The Simms Twins, "Stand Up Straight & Tall" by Jackie Shane, "Walk The Chalk Line" by Aaron Collins & The Teen Queens, "I'm Tired" by Billy Watkins, "That's It" by ZZ Hill, "Tobacco Road North" by Tommy Youngblood, and "I Was Born To Love You" by Johnny Copeland. LP, Vinyl record album

Ultra-hip soul from the 70s – a brilliant collection of underground tunes that represents some of the best of the decade's indie scene! The title says "modern", but the groove here is also pretty darn deep – as many of the tracks on the set have nice touches of southern soul, despite the smoother 70s production overall. Vocals are extremely heartfelt, and most tracks are in a mellow or midtempo pace – making for a really wonderful batch of tunes that moves away from the more uptempo and clubby sounds you might hear on other modern soul compilations. This special LP pressing brings together tracks from the CD series – a number of which were never issued on vinyl, even back in the day – and two unreleased tracks appear here for the first time ever! Titles include "Gotta Be Loved (part 2)" by Herman Davis, "Never Felt This Way Before" by The New Experience, "Go Away" by The Hestitations, "Momma Had A Baby" by Street People, "Do You Really Love Me" by Darondo, "I Don't Play Games" by Nightchill, "Just A Little Ugly" by Gail Anderson, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right" by The Mayberry Movement, "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups & The CCCs, and "If There Were No You" by The Natural Resources. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from one of the smokinest soul labels of the west coast scene of the 60s – mighty Mirwood Records, a company that's kept the Northern Soul scene humming for decades! Mirwood wasn't one of the biggest, or most chart-topping labels – but the company came up with some incredible work in the uptempo mode that's really held strongly over the years. The label boasted some great singers with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach – often working with tight rhythms and rolling piano lines to send the tunes home with a solid sort of punch! This special vinyl-only set features some of the most crackling cuts from the Mirwood catalog – 14 titles that include "Do The Temptation Walk" by Jackie Lee, "That Beatin Rhythm" by Richard Temple, "My Little Girl" by The Bob & Earl Band, "I Wanna Do Everything For You Baby" by The Mirettes, "I Can't Get Away" by Bobby Garrett, "Is She In Your Town" by Curtis Lee, "Mine Exclusively" by The Olympics, "Where There's A Will" by Jimmy Thomas, "I Can't Stop You" by The Performers, "Stubborn Heart" by The Sheppards, and "Don't Pretend" by The Belles. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the usual old school R&B – but a sweet batch of cuts from a time when the music was taking on a new style in the soul generation – as older artists and younger singers moved gritty vocals into a range of great new grooves – much of which were a real precursor to the Northern Soul scene in the UK! Years later, we'd probably call these cuts deep soul – although the grooves are more upbeat than the usual numbers of that style, and often romp around in ways that have stronger ties to funk or boogaloo soul – with mighty strong vocals that really sock a heavy punch. Tracks include "I Say I Love You" by Johnny Guitar Watson, "Oh Baby Don't You Weep" by Luther Ingram, "Man Is A Mean Thing" by Barbara Perry, "Double Locks" by Johnny Gosey, "Long Gone Baby" by BB King, "You're Supreme" by Sterling Magee, and "I'm The Man" by Albert Washington & the Kings. LP, Vinyl record album

By this point in his career, Ray Barretto certainly was Indestructible – one of the biggest Latin leaders of his day, working at the forefront of new trends and new sounds! This fact is wonderfully displayed by the front cover, which shows Ray unbuttoning his shirt and taking off his Clark Kent-styled glasses to reveal a Superman costume underneath – and apart from this easy gimmick, the album itself is a straight ahead Latin jammer, with no tricks, no silliness – just a perfect early 70s salsa sound! Arrangements are by Eddie Martinez, Louie Cruz, and Louie Ramirez – and titles include "Ay No", "La Orquesta", "El Hijo Do Obatala", "Indestructible", "La Familia", and "El Diablo". LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased work from the glory days of the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet – a legendary free jazz ensemble that's playing here at the height of their powers! The group have a vibe here that's wonderful – both as playful and as sinister as the title might imply – stretched out to a performance that's almost 20 minutes in length, and which almost has a sort of cinematic sense of dynamism at times – although still with all the unscripted energy that made the group so great. Brotzmann is in the lead on tenor, with Mars Williams on tenor and soprano, Ken Vandermark on baritone, Mats Gustafsson on alto, Joe McPhee on valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. The first-ever issue of this music comes in a limited one-sided record – with music on side a, and a silkscreen of Peter Brotzmann artwork on side B! LP, Vinyl record album

Das EFX's third album finds them holding down a more jam-packed approach than ever before – longer by half than their previous LPs and with a strong sense of purpose! Das EFX appeared with such a unique rhyme style, by this point they really needed to balance the tasks of being recognizable as as the hard-hitting duo with the distinctive approach to rhymes, without relying on it as a gimmick, and here they largely succeed – with production from Premier, Showbiz, Easy Mo Bee, Klark Kent, DJ Scratch and more. Tracks include "No Diggedy", "Represent The Real" with KRS, "Microphone Master", "Hold It Down", "Bad News" with PMD, "Real Hip Hop", "40 & A Blunt", "Ready To Rock Rough Rhymes", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

A second great set of work from improvising genius Steve Lacy – working here in both solo formation, and in a trio with Andrea Centazzo on drums and Kent Carter on bass – all on material recorded by the Ictus label in the 70s, but unissued at the time! The solo pieces are beautiful – very much on a par with some of Lacy's better-known recordings in that mode at the time, but maybe also more lyrical too – and the trio improvisation gets nicely unbounded, with all three players really pushing themselves in pursuit of new sonic ideas! Titles include "Name", "The Way", and "Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

A really nice side project from the excellent Mourning A BLKstar collective – spare sounds with a different vibe than the work of the larger group, but which comes across with an equally righteous sound overall! LaToya Kent handles the vocals, and the backings are often very spare – electronics, tapes, beats, and touches of guitar and keyboards – creating a much moodier soundscape, and one that almost shows a darker future than the larger group have given us in their music. Titles include "Crawl On Yer Belly", "Burns", "Sugamilk", "Git Ready", "Portabelly", "Dirt", "Gimlet", and "The Current History Of Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Smokey Wilson – a southern bluesman by birth, but one who relocated to the LA scene in the postwar years, where he really started to groove! This 70s album is a great example of the way that Wilson merged his roots with some of the soulful currents of the Cali scene – and like some of the other records on the short-lived Big Town label, an offshoot of Kent, the set's got a tight groove and a nicely urban take on earlier modes, but all without hitting any of the more commercial cliches that were creeping into electric blues at the time. Titles include "Go Go Train", "Tell Me Baby", "Straighten Up Baby", "I'm Gonna Put You Down", "I'm Gonna Leave You Baby", "Teach Me How To Love You", and "I Wanna Do It To You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the girl group sound of the 60s – served up here in a collection that's a lot more soulful than some of the more pop-oriented packages on the market – but that's no surprise, given that the whole thing was put together perfectly by Ace Records! Ace and their related Kent label have given us so much great soul records over the years, and it's clear they really know where to dig deep for a set like this – getting past the overplayed hits and overdone cliches – and really exploring this explosive moment of female expression in pop music! The package features detailed notes on all the tracks that are included – and the set features 14 numbers in all – with titles that include "Boy Trouble" by The Rev-Lons, "Street Dance" by Bonnie Jean, "Lonely Girl" by The Lovettes, "You Really Never Know Till It's Over" by The Vel-Vetts, "Heart For Sale" by The Fran-Cettes, "I Can Tell I'm Losing Your Love" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "Boy You Move Me" by Joan Moody, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by The Darlings, "Surfers Memories" by The Fashions, and "My Heart Tells Me So" by The Del-Phis. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic tracks from two ultra-rare labels from the New York scene – the Latin Soul empire Speed Records, and the super-tight Fonseca label – which provided a real mainline to Puerto Rican grooves at the time! Both labels cut some of the hardest-hitting Latin tracks of the time – music that was often rawer and more unbridled than material for other indies, like Tico or Fania – and the tracks here are from some of the obscure albums issued by both imprints, and some even-rare 7" singles – all with an upbeat groove, and a sound that's much more the Latin groove of the streets uptown, instead of the bigger ballrooms down in midtown. Titles include "Descarga Los Bravos" by Kent Gomez, "Asi Asi Descarga" by Mike Hernandez & Su Sonora Casino, "El Bembe" by Terrible Frankie Nieves, "Milton's Jala Jala" by Milton Zapata, "Palos Bravos De St John" by Orquesta Oliveri, "Yemaja" by Kent Gomez, "Palacio Descarga" by Danny Palacios, and "Melao Melaito" by Orquesta Oliveri. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 2 features five full records – all with lots of space for the tracks to stretch out – and titles include "My Number's Up (Tee Scott rmx)" by The Salsoul Orchestra, "The Love Bug Done Bit Me Again (David Todd rmx)" by Skyliners, "LA Sunshine (Robert Ouimet rmx)" by Aura, "Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Tony Valor Sound Orchestra, "Handsome Ma (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Sparkle Tuhran & Friends, "Love Thang (Tee Scott rmx)" by First Choice, "Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez edit)" by Kay Gees, "Love Is The Message (Tee Scott rmx)" by Brooklyn Express, "Changes (Jellybean Benitez rmx)" by Chain Reaction, "J'Ouvert (Frank Sestito rmx)" by John Gibbs & The Jam Band, "By The Way You Dance (Bobby DJ Guttadaro rmx)" by Bunny Sigler, "It's Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons disco madness version)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of unusual female soul and pop from the 60s – a package that features rare singles, unreleased tracks, and other gems we never would have heard otherwise! Few folks know 60s music as well as the folks at Ace/Kent Records in the UK – which means that you can really trust them to serve up the best when it comes to a collection of girl group music – the sort of tracks that go way past the obvious, and really get at the fantastic range of sounds that were transforming the female side of the spectrum in the US! The package features 16 tracks in all, and spans a nice mix of artists and styles – with titles that include "Too bad He's Bad" by Beverly Williams, "Cupid's Got A Hold On Me" by The Belles, "Whirlwind" by The Rev-Lons, "First Love Baby" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "So In Luv" by Othello Robertson, "You Are My First Love" by Pat Hunt, "I Need A Guy" by The Lovettes, "He's All Right With Me" by The Mirettes, "Mr Everything" by Little Eva Harris, "Sing Me A Love Song" by Felice Taylor, "Sir Galahad" by The Elites, "I Say Yeah" by The Pets, "Summertime Is Surfin Time" by The Surf Bunnies, and "It's Better To Live Or Die" by Mary Saxton. LP, Vinyl record album

Funk from Belgium? Believe it or not, stranger things have happened – and we can promise that if you played these tracks back to back with more familiar grooves from other 70s sources, you'd quickly find that these Belgian grooves are right up there with the best of the bunch! The set's maybe a more sophisticated follow-up to the excellent Funky Chicken collection, which documented some grittier Belgian 70s material a few years back – and this one shows off a wickedly sharp batch of tunes that include funky fusion, sweet sound library numbers, and lots of really inventive cuts that are plenty funk, but often take some great chances too – in ways that almost make us think that the nation's scene was so small that musicians from different genres were often hanging out together, and breaking down lots of musical boundaries in the process! As with the other set, the presentation here is wonderful – not just fantastic music we'd never have discovered otherwise, but also very detailed notes and an overall punch that few other funky compilations can match. Titles on this second vinyl volume include "Guess We'd Better Break Up Now" by Etta Cameron, "Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose" by Philip Catherine, "Riff For Peggy" by Roland Thyssen, "We Love The Policemen" by Hearts Of Soul & Shampoo, "Smoke Signal" by Indian Sound Of Blackfoot, "Inner City Blues" by Leslie Kent, "Chewing Gum Delirium" by Free Pop Electronic Concept, "Akkerwinde" by Lieven, "Concerto For Right Foot & Orchestra" by George Hayes & His Philarpopic Orchestra, "Punktowiec" by Skleroptak, and "Soul Melody" by R Dero. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic live material from a very unique group – the instantly-legendary meeting of reedman Peter Brotzmann with the leading lights of the Chicago avant jazz scene in the 90s – brought together into a tremendous tentet that's maybe even better than the sum of its parts! The group features Brotzmann on tenor and clarinet, Ken Vandermark on tenor and bass clarinet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lomberg-Holm on cello and violin, Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums, Kent Kessler on bass – and "honorary Chicagoan" Mats Gustafsson on tenor and flutophone, plus Toshinori Kondo on trumpet and electronics, and William Parker on bass. Phew, that's one heck of a lineup – the kind that rivals some of the European or British improvising ensembles of decades past – but one that has its own very specific flavor, and a sound that's brimming over with youth – so much so that the non-Chicago guests really seem to gain inspiration from the core. This Okka disc set captures the band live at the 16th Victoriaville Festival in 1999. LP, Vinyl record album

Mars Williams presents a great installment in this surprisingly long-running series – a really unusual mix of Christmas songs with the avant jazz inspiration of Albert Ayler – served up here in two different performances – one recorded in Chicago, the other in New York! As with the previous volumes, there's a stunning mix of sounds going on – some of the sentiment you might get in a Holiday tune, which seems to open up the more human corners of Ayler music – which includes snippets of "Spirits", "The Truth Is Marching In", "Omega", and "Change Has Come" – folded together with Christmas themes on these beautiful long improvisations! The Chicago group features Williams on saxes and toy instruments – plus Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Kent Kessler on bass, Brian Sandstrom on bass and guitar, and Steve Hunt on drums – and the New York group features Steve Swell on trombone, Hilliard Greene on bass, Chris Corsano on drums, Nels Cline on guitar, and Fred Lonberg Holm on cello. Vinyl version features two side-long tracks – two versions of "Noel Omega Change Has Come For The Three Kings Who Lit The Tiny Candles" – one by each group! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-ever compilations of funky work from BGP Records – and even better than their other Super Breaks sets! This one features some totally rare killers – not only from hard-to-find funky 45s, but also from obscure studio tapes that have never been properly issued! The set's a funky fanatic's dream, and pushes past the usual Ace/BGP line, into territory more reserved for the likes of Keb Darge and Ian Wright, on smaller labels. A large number of the tracks are from the catalogs – released and unreleased – of Westbound and Kent – and titles include "Gotta Get Me A Job" by Ann Alford, "Here Comes The Judge" by Larry & Tommy, "Soul Power" by The Houston Outlaws, "Freedom & Justice" by The Pace-Setters, "I Got To Have You" by Little Ann, "Soul Funk" by Chico & Buddy, "Skunk Juice" by The Pazant Brothers, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "Hook & Boogit (parts 1 & 2)" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Motor City" by The Counts, and "Groove" by Dave Hamilton. 20 cuts in all! LP, Vinyl record album

Here's a summer house we'd really like to visit on our next vacation – a legendary spot in Sweden, where Don Cherry created freely with some of the hippest players on the local scene in 1968! The tracks here were all recorded for later commercial release, which never ended up happening – and they represent a key bridge in Cherry's career between his important American work of the mid 60s, and his growing global consciousness to come – maybe a first chapter in the sound that would become the Organic Music Society! The set features work from an array of musicians that includes Cherry on pocket trumpet and flute, Bernt Rosengren on tenor and flute, Gunnar Lindqvist on reeds, Tommy Koverhult on tenor and a variety of flutes, Jacques Thollot and Leif Wennerstrom on drums, Torbjorn Hultcrantz and Kent Carter on bass, and percussion from Bulent Ates – plus other members of the group! There's no vocals, but there's a strong sense of rhythmic cohesion throughout – freewheeling jazz, but not entirely free either – and filled with a global inspiration that makes the whole thing come off with an organic sense of beauty. Titles include "The Machine Age", "Sir Charles Brackeen A", "Mao", "Samba", "Plotslight", and "Human". LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty to love here, and the groove is way more than just the disco promised in the title – and instead this sublime array of funky soul, modern soul, and lots other soul styles too! The tunes are definitely upbeat, but they're not slavishly tied to disco – and instead really represent the great array of groove-centric work that was bubbling in the American underground in the late 70s and early 80s – as soul singers worked with a variety of different rhythms to come up with the kind of cuts that still sound plenty fresh all these many years later! Legendary collector/DJ Al Kent put the package together – and also contributed a few re-edits to a few tracks, to help extend their best elements. Titles include "I Found Love" by Lee Edwards, "Call Me" by Symbol 8, "If It Feels This Good" by Barbara Jean English, "Things Got To Get Better" by Genobia Jeter, "I'd Rather Leave On My Feet" by Emanuel Lansky, "Prophesy" by Betty Everett, "A Slong For You" by Fresh Fruit, and "Looking Over My Shoulder" by Marva Hicks – and the set also features Al Kent re-edits of "Equal Love Opportunity" by Clear, "Love Is Gone" by Mary Mundy, "I Wanna Give You Everything" by Hazel Rambaransingh, "Running Away From Love" by Skip Mahoaney & The Casuals, and "Keep On Loving You" by Perfect Touch. LP, Vinyl record album