One of THE classic double live albums of the 70s – with titles that include "Black Diamond", "Watching You", "Deuce", "Strutter", "Hotter Than Hell", "Got To Choose", "Firehouse", "Nothin To Lose", "She", "Parasite", "Rock N Roll All Nite", "Let Me Go Rock N Roll", and "Rock Bottom". CD

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10 tracks in all including "Rock Bottom", "She", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Room Service", "Two Timer", "Anything For My Baby" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Features work from Bobby Watson on alto, Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Steve Turre on trombone, and Jeff Hamilton on tenor! CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Great work from a later chapter of the Great Jazz Trio of pianist Hank Jones – a time when the group had shifted to include Mads Vinding on bass and Billy Hart on drums – a rhythm duo who really make a difference in the sound! Hank is still wonderful on piano – able to mix round, warm tones with a nice sort of punch on the left hand – but the presence of Vinding brings an especially strong quality to the date – that really tuneful approach to basswork that's always made Mats such an essential part of any trio, and way more than just a timekeeper. Hart seems to really recognize this, and is very open with his own work too – sometimes just letting Jones and Vinding interact, then coming in to punctuate things in just the right way. Titles include "Prelude To A Kiss", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "The Summer Knows", "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing", and "The Man I Love". CD

Classic! Although folks had been saying for years that Prince was funky, "Kiss" was the first tune to really have him going to town on the instruments – in a way that we always expect from a true funk act, but not so much for the pop charts – reason alone to adore this one! The track snaps along with an intensity that makes it an instant classic groover – and flip side "Love Or Money" is a pretty nice track too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

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Was there a bigger dancefloor track than this at the end of the 80s? We'd be hard pressed to think so – as Louis' uniquely grooved slow/then fast/then slow/then slower style really made the track an instant classic – loved by house fans and chart kids alike, and still actually monumentally striking today! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A fantastic collection of work from those years when singer Ann-Margret first popped up on the American market – young, fresh, and sexy – and willing to do whatever it took to make her music stand out from the pack! Ann-Margret's got a vocal range that's maybe deeper than most of her contemporaries – a lusty growl that makes you feel like she's singing from way down in her toes – with odd bluesy currents mixed with jazzier backings – all in a mode that has really blows away the sultry tones of previous singers like Peggy Lee or Julie London. This 30 track package is a very well-chosen array of tunes from the early RCA years – and includes lots of solo numbers, plus work with Elvis Presley and Al Hirt – on titles that include "Man's Favorite Sport", "Next Time", "Madrid/The Pleasure Seekers", "Mack The Knife", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Teach Me Tonight", "The Lady Loves Me", "You're The Boss", "Mr Wonderful", "That Old Black Magic", "Everything Makes Music When You're In Love", "Let Me Entertain You", "Take All The Kisses", "Something To Think About", and "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". CD

Pure magic from the height of Roy Ayers' classic 70s run on Polydor – a record that's filled with warm, jazzy grooves – all served up in that unique style that Roy was forging at the time! The album perfectly balances dancefloor tracks with mellower numbers – stepping out one minute with a funky groove on the bottom, then sliding into some slinkier laidback styles that are equally great. William Allen handles the arrangements with Roy, and does the strings himself – and also plays some monstrous bass on most numbers, which really brings up the rhythms from the bottom! Titles include the killer groovers "Sweet Tears", "When Is Real Real", "Let's Do It", and "Freaky Deaky" – and the warm mellow cuts "You Came Into My Life", "Kiss", and "Melody Maker". LP, Vinyl record album

A millennial classic from Erykah Badu – a record that came along right as the current century was starting up, to show a soulful path that would keep things strong for many years to come! The album grabbed a bigger audience than Erykah's first, but still kept things strong – really focusing in on that amazing vocal style that made the singer such a unique talent – and which always had edges that were sharper, and runs that were deeper, than some of her contemporaries who might be able to trick a phrase with a bit of spirit, but never deliver the whole thing in the way that Badu can! Themes are both personal and hinting at her political turns to come – and titles include "Kiss Me On My Neck", "Didn't Cha Know", "My Life", "AD 2000", "Bag Lady", "In Love With You", and "Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 80s genius from Dalek I – aka Dalek I Love You – one of the leading lights of the Liverpool scene at the start of the decade – and a duo with almost as much dark electronics as some of their contemporaries in other North England cities! There's a slight tunefulness to most tunes, but the sound is still really stripped down and quite far from commercial – almost a blueprint for 80s pop, turned in as a rough sketch – which makes for plenty of charming elements, and an almost home-grown feel to the overall record – even when things are still pretty darn catchy! Loads of great analogue keyboards – and titles include "The Kiss", "Trapped", "A Suicide", "8 Track", "Destiny", "Freedom Fighters", "Mad", "We're All Actors", and "Missing 15 Minutes". LP, Vinyl record album

Dreamy vocals from Matt Dennis – a set of Rodgers & Hart numbers, performed in a sweetly swaying style that has plenty of warm touches. Unlike some of Matt's smaller combo records, this set's got larger backings from the orchestra of Harry Geller – using some light strings and woodwinds to give the set a darker sort of finish that works nicely with Matt's fragile vocals. The approach is unique for a male singer at the time – fitting, given that Matt's such a uniquely talented vocalist! Titles include "Have You Met Miss Jones", "This Funny World", "Give Her A Kiss", "Mimi", "Nobody's Heart", and "I Married An Angel". CD

Mookish bombast from The Dictactors – heavy rock, fist clenching anthems, poker-faced parodies of love songs and keyboard peppered songs about a body covered in scabs. No sir, there will never be another Dictators! These guys should have been on kid's lunchboxes and Kiss should been dropped by their labels and consigned to cult infamy, that's what we think. Includes the world's first heavy metal cover of Iggy & The Stooges "Search & Destroy" that we know of, plus "Exposed", "Heartache", "Science Gone Too Far!", "Sleepin With The TV On", "Hey Boys" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique record from Peven Everett – very different than most of his other work, but equally great! The "My Brazil" reference in the title hints at the style of the work – a bossa-inspired session that has Peven singing gently and soulfully, with mostly just acoustic guitar and percussion to back him up. The sound is incredible – kind of a cross between Joao Gilberto and D'Angelo – with a mellow, laidback style that's immediately infectious. The CD's only got 5 tracks – priced nice and cheap – but every track's a winner, and the album's a pure expression of genius from one of the richest living artists we stock! Titles include "Colored Culture", "Brazilian Lovers", "Innocense", "One Kiss", and "The One I Want". CD

Stunning early work by one of the best vocal groups of the 50s – raw harmony sides by The Flamingos, recorded for Chess Records in the years before their smoother later tracks for End! The style here is much closer to the streets – heavy on vocal interplay, with usually just a bit of guitar, sax, or percussion as a backing groove – leaving the group's amazing harmonies to hold the lead with a wonderful sense of complexity and soul. The ballads are sublime, the groovers are amazing – and titles include "Would I Be Crying", "Whispering Stars", "The Vow", "A Kiss From Your Lips", "Chickie Um Bah", "Dream Of A Lifetime", and "Chick A Boom That's My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Kiss On My List", "Gotta Lotta Nerve", "Hard To Be In Love With You", "Everytime You Go Away", "You've Lost That Lovin Feelin", "Diddy Doo Wop", and "You Make My Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring batch of rare tracks from the early years of Hawkwind – unissued titles and unusual versions – all of which stand strongly next to the work on their classic albums from the time! Titles include "Be Yourself (alt mix)", "Hog Farm", "Seven By Seven (alt voc mix)", "Kiss Of The Velvet Whip (1971 version)", "The Reason Is (alt version)", "You Know You're Only Dreaming (1970 version)", "Brainbox Pollutions (full length version)", "Take What You Can", "It's So Easy (orig studio version)", "Wind Of Change (alt version)", and "You'd Better Believe It (Rockfield Studios version)". LP, Vinyl record album

5 late albums from Billie Holiday – all collected in one sweet set, in tiny LP-styled sleeves, too! First up is Solitude – classic Billie Holiday for Verve – sad, blue-tinged, and recorded with great small combo backing – in a mode that really updates the sound of her initial recordings while still keeping the best elements intact! Players include Oscar Peterson, Alvin Stoller, Barney Kessell, and Ray Brown on the core group – plus bits of added solo work from Flip Phillips on tenor and Charlie Shavers on trumpet. Titles include "Solitude", "Moonglow", "Tenderly", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "East Of The Sun", "You Turned The Tables On Me", and "Easy To Love". Recital is not really a recital in the "live" sense, in that the album's a studio session – but a great batch of classic Verve sides by Billie Holiday! The care and quality of the record definitely demonstrate that the Verve years are some of Holiday's best – and for the session, Norman Granz has backed up Billie with a great batch of musicians – including Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Flip Philips on tenor, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Oscar Peterson on piano. Tracks include "Remember", "Yesterdays", "He's Funny That Way", "Stormy Weather", "My Man", and "Lover Come Back To Me" – and the cover has a portrait of Billie by David Stone Martin! Velvet Mood is a record with a velvet mood, but one with a bit of an edge – as you might expect from Billie Holiday in the 50s, hardly the stuff of a too-soft vocal date! The album's got Holiday working in wonderful small combo mode – getting some key Verve backup from players who include Sweets Edison on trumept, Benny Carter on alto sax, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Jimmy Rowles on piano – a warmly intimate group who really fit the sad-tinged vocals from Billie. Tracks are longish – maybe a bit more so than usual for a Holiday Verve session – and the set list includes beautiful renditions of "What's New", "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". Next is Lady Sings The Blues – possibly one of the most essential Billie Holiday albums for Verve – a set that carries the same title as her famous autobiography, and which also features many key numbers from her songbook at the time! The feel here is quite easygoing and relaxed – with small group backing behind Billie's vocals, which themselves are recorded cleanly and clearly throughout. One side features backing by a combo that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Paul Quinichette on tenor – and the other features a group that includes Bobby Tucker on piano, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and the great Willie Smith on alto sax. Titles include plenty of classics – including "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Lady Sings The Blues", "No Good Man", "Good Morning Heartache", "I Must Have That Man", and "Trav'lin' Light". All Or Nothing At All is beautiful Billie from the last years of her life. The material was recorded in 1956 and 1957 in Hollywood, featuring Barney Kessel, Ben Wesbster, Harry Edison, and Jimmy Rowles – all grooving nicely in small group formation. The tracks have a wonderfully fragile quality – and although standards, are still some of Billie's nicest work for Verve. Titles include "April In Paris", "All Or Nothing At All", "We'll Be Together Again", and "But Not For Me". Great David Stone Martin cover, too! CD

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but she delivers it with a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "So Strange", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)". CD

Classic 60s Impressions material, with the legendary lineup firmly in place, and the great Johnny Pate handling all arrangements – really giving them that sense of righteous power that pushed their music past a lot of the previous group soul sounds of the Chicago scene – with a sophistication in both the instrumentation and harmonies that's completely sublime! The album mixes Curtis Mayfield compositions – like "Lonely Man", "Just One Kiss From You", "Falling In Love With You" – with special Impressions' takes on tunes that include "My Prayer", "Without A Song", "Answer Me, My Love", "I Want To Be With You", and "Nature Boy", which the group does incredibly well. Proof that the Impressions could shine, whatever the setting! LP, Vinyl record album

2 classic albums from the ABC Records years of The Impressions – back to back on a single CD! One By One is classic 60s Impressions material, with the legendary lineup firmly in place, and the great Johnny Pate handling all arrangements – really giving them that sense of righteous power that pushed their music past a lot of the previous group soul sounds of the Chicago scene – with a sophistication in both the instrumentation and harmonies that's completely sublime! The album mixes Curtis Mayfield compositions – like "Lonely Man", "Just One Kiss From You", "Falling In Love With You" – with special Impressions' takes on tunes that include "My Prayer", "Without A Song", "Answer Me, My Love", "I Want To Be With You", and "Nature Boy", which the group does incredibly well. Proof that the Impressions could shine, whatever the setting! Riding High is a record in which the title and cover say it all – because The Impressions are at the top of their game – riding high on a tremendous wave of soul, and soaring forth with a sense of pride and power few other groups could match! Maestro Johnny Pate is on board to handle the arrangements and production – and he helps Curtis Mayfield and the group reach a sound that's sophisticated throughout, but still retains a deeply personal sensibility. The harmonies are tremendous – never too sweet or too smooth, and always with that slightly fragile quality that made The Impressions one of the most human soul groups of their era. Nearly all the tunes are originals from Curtis – and titles include "Riding High", "Too Slow", "Man's Temptation", "I'm A Telling You", and "I Need To Belong To Someone". CD

This may not be Milt Jackson's purest album – but oh how we love it! Milt's working here more in a Verve pop jazz mode than a highbrow third stream one – with bossa backings on about half the album, and good small combo work on the rest. The first half features Jimmy Heath on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – all grooving nicely next to Milt's vibes on tracks like "Blues For Juanita", "Gingerbread Boy", and "Big George". The real charmer, though, is the second half – which has Milt playing with the same group, minus Flanagan, plus 2 guitarists for that bossa sound. Lillian Clark sings vocals on 2 cuts – "Jazz N Samba" and "Kiss & Run" – and the side also features the great groover "Jazz Bossa Nova", and the incredible "The Oo-Oo Bossa Nova", which features Joe E Ross from Car 54 going "Oo Oo!" on the breakdowns! CD

A pair of the best tracks from the instant classic, mainstream attention seizing I Learned The Hard Way – "Better Things" and "Window Shopping on a 45 – as they should be, because these are neo jukebox classics of the highest caliber! "Better Things" is a perfect kiss off track, with Sharon convincing us she has "Better Things", and making it clear that no one's better than she is contemporary funky soul! "Window Shopping" is a slower cooking gem, keeping the groove at a funky simmer. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A full set of Louis Jordan's excellent work for Mercury Records in the mid 50s – material that often reworks his older songs, but with a lean, mean vibe that's got a lot more early rock and R&B touches! The instrumentation is razor-sharp – often with searing sax solos from the man himself, and a groove that has all the other players hitting hard on the rhythms – romping in a way that definitely lives up to the rock and roll of the title, but with a quality that reminds us that Jordan was one of the originators, and not just some older talent trying to cash in on the new scene! CD features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Run Joe", "Salt Pork West Virginia", "Beware Brother Beware", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", "The Jamp", "Ella Mae", "Saturday Night Fish Fry", and "Morning Light". CD

Great double album live set with Roland leading a tight group through a long and varied set of material, all of which showcases the odd goofy sound of his music, and his offbeat approach to more familiar tracks. He talks a bit, makes the odd joke about being blind, and never ceases to amaze with his playing. A bit of vocals too, but sung in such a heartfelt way that you've gotta love 'em! Tracks include "Pedal Up", "Clickey Clack", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Bright Moments Song", "If I Loved You", and "Jitterbug waltz". CD

Johnny Mathis' self-titled debut from 1956 – an all-jazz album that's quite different than most of his other work! Mathis here is working in a decidedly modern style – none of the smooth, mellow pop of his hits – and instead awash in sharp edges, rich colors, and modern sounds served up by the charts of arrangers Gil Evans, Teo Macero, and John Lewis! Johnny's vocals have that familiar warm and smooth quality, but also a subtle sense of tension and drama too – one that really makes the tunes, even the familiar ones, come alive as miniature little portraits in sound – painted with a brush that's confident, but youthful enough to be fresh! Players include Phil Woods, Art Farmer, JJ Johnson, Tony Scott, Hal McKusick, and John Lewis – and titles include "Street Of Dreams", "Caravan", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Star Eyes", "Autumn In Rome", "Babalu", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Angel Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost funky soul from Toronto – receiving a proper release for the first time! Vocalist, guitarist and bass player Wayne McGhie recorded rock steady sessions with Studio One vets like Jackie Mittoo before pushing forward as a leader on this rare funk and soul album. It features six McGhie originals and a number of loose, hard soul/funk workouts of hits from the time. The standout track here is McGhie's centerpiece masterpiece "Dirty Funk" – a straight up instrumental funk monster – with these loose, funky guitar chordings, deeply grooving organ and tight, hard hitting drum breaks! Other tracks run the gamut from funk numbers, to loose, heavy soul covers. 12 musicians are credited, with back up horn section, piano and harpsichord and the ever present organ (Ike Bennet and L. Delpratt) and walloping drums (J. Joseph and Everett Paul). The large group never gets in the way of the loose, steady groove – a style surely learned during McGhie's days playing calypso and rock steady. Nice stuff – finally unearthed! Tracks include "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", "When I Think Of Home", "Take A Letter Maria", "Woman Be Good", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Cool It" and more. CD