Long before Al Green and Ann Peebles, Hi Records was already booming out of Memphis with a great blend of soul, R&B, instrumental, and rockabilly – really capturing the spirit of the city on both sides of the fence! This collection is overflowing with obscure work from those great early years – a sound of Hi that's not as often compiled, but which we find every bit as compelling as the more famous work from later years. 29 tracks in all – with titles that include "26 Miles To Joliet" by Darlene Wallace, "Your True Love" and "Teddy Bear" by Gene Simmons, "Tootsie" and "Daydreamin" by Carl McVoy, and "Please Please" by Kimball Coburn LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Willie Mitchell, Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, Al Green, Ann Peebles, Al Green, Quiet Elegance, George Jackson and OV Wright. CD

Includes tracks by The Everly Brothers, Eddie Hodges, Bill Hayes, The Chordettes, Eddie Hodges, Lenny Welch, and others. CD

A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

26 tracks in all – blues, soul, and more – with work by Roscoe Gordon, Jerry Butler, The Dells, Jimmy Reed, The Spaniels, Little Richard, Fred Hughes, and more! CD

A heady helping of rare singles from the farther reaches of the indie scene in early reggae – labels that include Duke, Grape, Splash, High Note, Explosion, and JJ – all tiny companies that are now part of the larger Trojan Records empire! The work here is nicely varied – as many styles as promised in the title, but with maybe the soulful edge of rocksteady at the core – a strong focus on the kind of late 60s singles that had more than enough depth to cross the Atlantic and get plenty of play on the London scene too! Titles include "Old Time (dub)" by GG All-stars, "Black Power" by Dave Barker, "Wondering" by The Hippy Boys, "Let My People Go" by The Rulers & The Carib Beats, "It's Too Late" by Chosen Few, "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars, "Love Brother" by Herman, "Rim Bim Bam" by The Ethiopians, "Fire Fire (take 3)" by Tony & His Group, "Night Of Love" by Ansel Collins, "Pony Ride" by Winston Groovy & Pat Rhoden, "Dee's Special" by Lynn Taitt & The Jets, and "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Groove Armada, Tutto Matto, Cousin Grizzly, Los Chicharrons, Organic Audio, Crackpot, and Patrick Dawes. CD

A great assortment of rare jazz and soul – and a set that you can totally dig, even if you don't know the meaning of Klinkhamer! The title's a reference to a Dutch record shop, whose owners compiled these tracks – but the music here has a very universal appeal, especially if you dig your music on the deeper side of the spectrum – as the cuts are mostly late 70s/early 80s numbers, served up in a blend of spiritual and funky jazz styles, with just a bit of vocals in the mix. Almost all the cuts here are pretty darn hard to track down on vinyl, which makes for a very essential set – and titles include "Kweenie" by Don Jules Pules Band, "Offshore Sounds" by Rene Van Heldingen, "Epitaph" by Gianno Basso, "Don't Let Love" by Oasis Band, "Funky Blues" by Sergio Coppotelli, and "Holy Ghost" by Eddie Holman. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the west coast – and a motherlode of tracks that you've probably never heard! Inner City Records was a small time funk powerhouse – owned and run by organ player George Semper, who cut some mighty fine records on his own! The label's not to be confused with the New York-based jazz label Inner City – because this one was a much more down-n-dirty funky one – and cut some killer work in a deep deep mode, much of which was never issued before – and is making a long-overdue first appearance here! The tracks have some seriously fine jazzy work in them – snapping funk, with a hard and dirty edge, played by performers that include Charles Owens, Rodney Franklin, and James Gadson – all of whom would later go onto become superstars in their own right. A number of tracks have vocals, too – and titles include "Plastic Situation" by Ron & Candy, "In One Peace" by In One Peace, "Funkorgy" by Funkafreek, "Tenderness" by Funkhouse with Candy, "Thank U" by The R&B Classic Funk Band, "It's Insane" by In One Peace, "Spread The News" and "Hands Of Time" by Perfect Circle, "Sticky Boom Boom" by United Soul Association, and "Funktime" by Funkproof. CD

A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! 2LP set features great notes on this special time in Latin music – and many titles are presented in their rare 45rpm single mixes. The set comes with 26 gems that include "Geronimo" from Bobby Valentin, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Hey Girl" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Ungawa" by Ali Baba, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Let's Get Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Soul Drummers" by Ray Barretto, "Micro Mini" by Harvey Averne, "Mess Around" by Larry Harlow, "Juicy" by Monguito Santamaria, "Johnny's No Good" by WRLC, "Just A Little While" by Ralfi Pagan, "Shaft" by Joe Bataan, and "Just Try A Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! These are all the mixes from the rare 45rpm singles issued by Fania back in the day – and although the songs are wonderful, the collection together is even cooler as a whole – dozens of tracks, including some really rare ones – all bound up in a 7" book-styled cover, with 60 pages of notes, and a bonus funky 45! Titles include "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Micro Mini" and "Make Out" by Harvey Averne, "Too Much Lovin" and "So Fine" by Joe Bataan, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Soul Drummers" and "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Geronimo" and "Funky Big Feet" by Bobby Valentin, "Mercie" by Ralph Robles, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Who Is The Girl For Me" and "Look At Her" by Ralfi Pagan, "New York Soul" by Ray Barretto, "Some Lonely Heart" by ronnie Marks, "Let's Get It Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Shaft" and "If I Were A King" by Joe Bataan, "Johnny's No Good" and "Blonde Latin Blues" by WRLC, and "Today" and "Try Just a Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. Lots more too – and the bonus 7" single features two promo tracks recorded for DJ Symphony Sid – one by Joe Bataan, the other by Bobby Valentin! CD

Fantastic sounds from the years before reggae became the international sound of Jamaica – music from the island nation's jazz scene, which was at the crossroads of so many different styles of music – jazz from the north, Latin rhythms from Cuba and Puerto Rico, and a fair bit of other Caribbean sounds too – all of which filter through the wonderful collection of music on the set! The title breaks down the different genres featured – but there's often a surprisingly unified feel to the whole record too – one that stands partly as a testament to the musical strengths of all the performers involved! In the days before Trojan and Studio One, Federal Records was an important Jamaican label – and did an especially great job of capturing some of the sounds that were part of that nation's club culture and resorts in the 60s. Titles include "Angelima" and "Like Falling In Love" by Ernest Ranglin, "Profile Cha Cha" and "Rhumbina" by Cecil Lloyd & The Starline Troubadors, "Estrellita" and "I Love Paris" by The Lennie Hibbert Combo, "Tis Wonderful" by Eric Grant, "Linstead Market" by Baba Motta & Ernest Ranglin, "Wheel & Turn Me" by Bertie King, "Go Fife Go" by Count Owen, "Mango Walk" by Bertie King & Ernest Ranglin, "String Of Pearls" by Auldey Williams & His Orchestra, "Solas Market" by Baba Motta, and "Monday Monday" by Winston Turner Quintet. LP, Vinyl record album

A guided tour of one of the grooviest club labels ever – all at the hands of the legendary Kenny Dope! This limited edition 2LP set features all the unmixed tracks that appeared on the 2CD set – a batch of killer club tracks from one of the most legendary string of labels on the 70s east coast scene. Package includes 13 numbers in all, 4 of which have never been reissued, and others of which are presented here in rare edits for the set! Titles include "Dance Dance Dance" by Martin Acuna, "African Rock" by Licky, "Dance To The Beat Freakout" by Wayne Ford, "Roller Rink Funk" by Shift, "Got To Get Your Love (Kenny Dope edit)" by Clyde Alexander & Sanction, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "Feel The Spirit (re-work)" by Foster Jackson Group, "It's So Good To Know" by Best Friend Around, "Game Of Life (re-edit)" by Lavaba & E Mallison, "The Groove I'm In" by Florence Miller, and "Shout At The Disco" by Little Scotty. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic west coast blues from the 60s, none of issued at the time – collected together here in a set that really shows the continuing evolution of the sound of LA! During the 60s, the city's blues took on some of the transformations that were happing in Chicago – with similar roots in a southern scene that moved into a hipper, more urban environment – where blues phrasing was more electrified, and mixed with influences from soul and jazz – often with some funky hybrids along the way! All the cuts here were recorded by Kent Records – the clear black music powerhouse of the west coast at the time – and half were issued on rare Japanese CDs in the 90s, the other 12 appear here for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the presentation, notes, and sound quality are wonderful. Titles include "Mama Said" and "Hey Baby" by Willie Headen, "Address In My Hand" and "Soul Blues" by Willie Garland, "Christine" and "Baby Don't Tear My Clothes" by Model T Slim, "Blues Pain" by Lowell Fulson, "You Told Me A Lie" by Smokey Wilson, "Before Day" by Big Mama Thornton, and "Rocks In My Pillow" and "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Long Gone Miles. CD

An overdue look at the great range of sounds that came from Inner City Records at the end of the 70s – a hip American indie with a strong specialty in soulful fusion, hip vocalists, and a range of other great styles too – all brought together here by London DJ Kev Beadle! Inner City's often a bit overlooked – as the label flourished most strongly in the years after some of the better-known soulful imprints of the 70s – and the label always had a great ear for new sounds, fresh ideas, and the kind of compelling global elements that often led them to license key tracks from overseas, and bring them to the US market. This collection's heavy on singers – the kind of cool, underground jazz vocalists that Inner City captured so well – and it's also got a nice mix of funky fusion, modal numbers, and spiritual currents – on titles that include "The Other World" by Judy Roberts, "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukumura, "Vera Cruz" by Helen Merrill, "Lucky Southern" by Tom Lellis, "Quickie Nirvana" by Kellis Ethridge, "Samba De La Cruz" by Terumasa Hino, "So High" by Janet Lawson, "The Samba" by Jeff Lorber, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Shenkansen" by Urszula Dudziak, "To An Elfin Princess" by Charlie Mariano, "Pandora" by Carlos Franzetti, and "Jennine" by Eddie Jefferson. LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy goodness galore – a set of really well-chosen tracks that we're not sure we've ever seen reissued before – mostly from obscure sources that might well have remained underdiscovered otherwise! Jazz is at the key, but there's also some soulful vocal moments too – and most tracks are long, and have a vibe that's a nice change from funky jazz or spiritual modes – even though there's still plenty of soulful energy throughout the set! Instrumentation is both electric and acoustic, and styles change up nicely – in ways that make each new track a great discovery, even if you've got ears that are well-trained on years of record digging. Titles include "On Dit" by Sara Alexander, "On A Winder's Day" by Afrodisax, "For You" by Dave Plaehn, "Pre-Stretch Warm Up" by Rick Panzer, "Du Ar Frisk" by Roger Ekman, "Philosophy" by Anne Marie Giortz, "Sengakuji" by Urban Hansson, and "Alcohol" by Rene Van Helsdingen. LP, Vinyl record album

Features multiple tracks from Sippie Wallace, Julia Lee, Dinah Washington, Alma Mondy, Joyce Jackson, Ella Johnson, Violet Hall, Zilla Mays, Myra Taylor, Vivian Green & Helen Humes – that's 57 songs on two CD's! CD

A treasure trove of rare and unusual gospel recordings from the Memphis scene – work done for the tiny JCR imprint of the also-tiny D-Vine Records label – a real wellspring of under-discovered talent from the south! JCR was kind of the bush league for D-Vine – a custom label that let gospel acts press their own records, some of which were then pulled up to record for the main imprint – some of whom never fully got their due – a great assortment of soulful groups collected here for the first time ever! There's some really wonderful material here – and the set really shows that embrace of deeper soul styles that the gospel world was making in the late 60s on labels like Chess or Peacock, carried over strongly here with a very special Memphis sort of vibe. Titles include "Rock My Soul" by The Masonic Travelers, "Too Late Too Late" by The Chosen Wonders, "You Can't Hurry God" by The QCs, "In The Last Day" by The Hewlett Sisters, "Keep On Pushing" by The Calvary Nightingales, "Call On Him" by The Silver Wings, "Someone Who Cares" by The Dixie Wonders, "I Want To Move A Little Higher" by The Seven Souls, "Sinner Man" by The Bible Tones, "Every Knee Must Bow" by The Southern Nightingales, and "Just Over The Hill" by The Spiritual Harmonizers. CD

Rare gospel gems that go way past the usual – tracks recorded for the small JCR label in Memphis during the 70s, but done with a stripped-down vibe that's much more like postwar gospel overall! Most of the acts here are pretty darn obscure – groups that were inspired by the spirit and burning with a message – driven to take their amazing vocal skills to the JCR/D-Vine studios, where they got a chance to immortalize their music on wax – even if bigger national sales didn't necessarily follow! The rootsiness of this music is wonderful – usually just vocals, a lead and harmony associations, backed by an instrument or two – but also handled with much more modern soul-based phrasing than work of this sort might have had a few decades before. As with the first volume, the quality level is amazing – the kind of killer gems that make digging for more obscure gospel music so rewarding – served up in a set list of 17 tracks that include "Man On The Moon" by The Breckenridge Singers, "I Thank You Lord" by The Stars Of Faith, "Be So Glad" by The Chosen Wonders, "Until My Days Are Done" by The Masonic Travelers, "Leaning On The Lord" by The Canton Spirituals, "Save Me Jesus" by The Sons Of Harmony, "Stand By Me" by The Dixie Wonders, "Little Wooden Church" by The Silver Trumpets, and "Never Grow Old" by The Bible Tones. CD

Igloo Records was a teeny tiny label on the LA scene of the early 70s – but all of its releases turned out to be killers – most handled by the hip-looking Leon Gardner on the cover! The music is often heavy with the kind of deep funk you'd expect from rare singles at the time – but Gardner also has an ear for more complex sounds at times, and brings in some jazz moments that really give the Igloo titles a unique vibe – always with plenty of grit in the grooves, as befits a small indie label – but with an ear for the music that also makes us wonder what Gardner could have done, had someone given him the keys to a bigger label and studio for his productions! We'd love a bit more in the way of notes – but that's to be expected, as Leon was somewhat of a mysterious figure – and the music is more than great enough on its own, with titles that include "Farm Song", "Be There", "My Love Is Growing", "Who Are You", "Beef Jerky", "Tuff Lover", "Wonderful World Of Children", "You Gonna Cry", and "You Don't Care" by Leon Gardner himself – plus "You're My Love" by Eddie Lewis, "I've Cried" by The Jhamels, and "Petty Cash" and "Ropeokra" by Wallace Petty Combo. CD

With selections by King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers, Red Nicols & His Five Pennies, Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, Jelly Roll Mortion, Pine Top Smith, James P Johnson, Elmer Schoebel's Friar Society Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti, and Duke Ellington. LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual soul and spoken word with instrumental inflections – a perfect illustration of the righteous sound of the Flying Dutchman label at the start of the 70s! The imprint was famously home to Gil Scott Heron, Lonnie Liston Smith, Leon Thomas, and other hip cats at the time – but also recorded a fair bit of work that was even more progressive and political – including key records from forces helping to carry the legacy of Civil Rights well into the 70s! This package offers up a perfect blend of those modes – great jazz tracks that carry the legacy of John Coltrane forth even further, and political records that were often more powerful than anything in the press at the time. Titles include "Sais" by Lonnie Liston Smith", "Nevertite" by The Esoteric Circle, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong and Leon Thomas, "Lament For John Coltrane" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Friends & Neighbors" by Ornette Coleman, "Sit Down" by Carl B Stokes with Oliver Nelson, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "The Giant Is Awakened"b y Horace Tapscot, "Gonna Get Some Right Now" by Chico Hamilton", and "We're Threatening The Oppressors" by Angela Davis. CD

Tracks from Soul Swingers, Wayne McGhie, Stereolab & High Llamas, Bernard Purdie, Madlib, Danger Mouse & Murs, Clarence Mack Express, Free Design, Last Poets, Sharpshooters, Manitoba, Black On White Affair. CD

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. LP, Vinyl record album

A reverent snapshot of the spiritual & soul jazz emanating from the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a well curated set featuring great numbers by Frank Foster, Blue Mitchell, Hadley Caliman, Roy Haynes and other giants of the scene! The material comes from a time in Mainstream label history when it was essentially relaunched as a jazz label, following some the psyche era rock albums of the previous few years. Soulful jazz sounds from a spiritual realm as well as some in a jazz funk mode, and excellent material all the way! 12 great tracks in all: The sprawling opener "The Loud Minority" by Frank Foster, "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell, "Up And Down" by Harold Land, "Watercress" by Hadley Caliman, "Kamili" by Buddy Terry, "Senyah" by Roy Haynes, "EW Beautiful People" by Frank Foster, "Little One" by Hadley Caliman and "Petits Machins" by Johnny Coles/ CD

Music from George Shearing, Eastern Rebellion featuring Cedar Walton, Anita O'Day & Paul Smith Trio, Terry Gibbs Quartet, Pillars Of West Coast Jazz and Les McCann. CD

A lost side of work from 70s funk powerhouse Mainstream Records – a company best known for its jazz albums of the early 70s, but one that also cut some great soul and club material too! Most of the work here came out only as singles, and wasn't nearly as well-circulated as the albums on Mainstream – and much of it was much more underground too, from a time when funk groups were picking up the pace a bit for the new styles of dance on the scene – yet still nicely far from the more slickly produced disco that would top the charts at the end of the 70s! Most tracks appear here on vinyl for the first time since the 70s – and titles include the unissued "Disco Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Three Ounces Of Love – plus "Get Down Get Down" by South Side Coalition, "Music Is Fun To Me" by The Grand Jury, "We've Got To Get Together" by Chocolate Syrup, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Crystal Image, "Nothing Between Us" by Electric Ladies, "Whatever's Your Sign You've Got To Be Mine" by Prophecy, "Hundred Pounds Of Pain" by Lenny Welch, and "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics. LP, Vinyl record album

25 songs from the Eagles, the Eastmen, the Griffins, the Epics, Maureen Gray, and Joe & Embers. CD

Music from the Viscounts, the Cashmeres, the Del Vikings, the Dreamers, Tina Robin with group, the Medallionares, the Admirations, the Paramours, the Blenders, Eddie Holland with group, and more – 25 songs in all. CD

25 songs from the Chanteers, Desires, Cadillacs, Voxpoppers, Spirals, and many others. CD

Very cool 2 CD compilation featuring 53 tracks from one of the greatest soul labels of the 60's. There's loads of great stuff here, including some unreleased tracks, and the artists include The Younghearts, The O'Jays, Gene Dozier, Bobby Womack, The Showmen, Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, Benny Spellman, Eskew Reeder, and Calvin Lee. Also includes a great booklet, and comes in a cool little package! CD

Genius work from one of the most soulful production teams ever – brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell, a pair who really helped transform the sound of funky jazz in the 70s! The Mizell touch is a tricky thing to sum up adequately – a sublime blend of keyboards, splashy rhythms, vocal choirs, and fuller backings – all set in a way that still allows plenty of space for a main jazz soloist to do their thing. And even if you don't know the brothers' work by itself, we can bet you've heard its influence in a range of modern hip hop, electronica, and dance music over the past few years – because the Mizell influence is still burning strong, many long decades after their initial work in the studio. This excellent collection really goes out of its way to bring together some of the best Mizell-produced tracks for Blue Note and Capitol from the mid 70s – in a way that sits classics alongside some lesser-remembered numbers, and which nicely excludes a few tracks that have already been over-compiled in recent years. Titles include "Wind Parade", "Dominoes", "Change", and "Design A Nation" by Donald Byrd, "Reason To Survive" by Rance Allen, "Uno Esta" and "Black & Blues" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Funked Up" by Gary Bartz, "N R Time" by Mizellstory, and "Think Twice (Mizell Brothers 2005 rmx)" by Donald Byrd. CD

Includes tracks by the Souvenirs, Ricky Reynolds, the Gaynotes, Little Bev, Randy Palmer, the Carollons, and Nicky Como. CD

Twenty years of music from this cruical Chicago label – one of the few Windy City imprints to continue to fly the flag of house music in the years since the early days of the 80s! When Cajmere first served up "Percolator" back in the early 90s, we were a bit unsure – almost thinking it was the end of Chicago house, with its frenzied rhythm and gimmicky vocal. Yet over the past two decades, we've come to realize that Cajmere and his Cajual imprint have come to be the saviors of the music that's made our city great – still keeping house music in its core, basic elements – without any of the too-commercial modes that seeped in at so many other corners! The Cajmere groove is always dead-on, straightforward, and plenty darn soulful – proof that great house music continues to flourish if you know where to look. 2CD set features a massive 22 long tracks – with cuts that include "Percolator (orig mix)" by Cajmere, "Brighter Days (Louie's Masters At Work mix)" by Cajmere with Dajae, "Feelin Kinda High (voc)" by Cajmere with Terence FM, "Beyond" by Glenn Underground, "Le Fusion" by Gemini, "Midnight (orig mix)" by Cajmere with Walter Philips, "U Got Me UP (Danny Tenaglia's club version)" by Dajae, "I Can't Take It" by Andre Harris, and "Say U Will (orig mix)" by Cajmere. CD

A mindblowing tribute to one of the most important indie rock labels of the early punk years – New York's Ork Records – an imprint that was almost as important to the music as CBGB! The label only lasted a few short years, but had an uncanny ear for capturing the best new sounds of the time – that genre-crossing, style-blending mode that distinguished American punk from its early UK partner – and which sometimes had surprisingly strong ties to earlier scenes too. Ork was surprisingly open-minded, and maybe not as narrowly cast as punk labels would become a few years later – but that's also not surprising, given the scene in which they worked – which is captured here beautifully in a very lavish boo, well over 100 pages – not only filled with notes, details on the music, and the history of the label – but also countless photos from the early years of punk in New York too. But hell, the music is more than enough to make this set great – as the package features a wealth of excellent titles that include "Let It Blurt" by Lester Bangs, "Little Johnny Jewel" by Television, "Fa Ce La" by The Feelies, "I Won't Give Up" by Erasers, "All Of The Time" by Alex Chilton, "I Thought You Wanted To Know" by Chris Stamey & The DBs, "You" by The Idols, "Christmas Weather" by The Student Teachers, "Everytime I Close My Eyes" by Prix, "You Gotta Lose" by Richard Hell, "Fire & Smoke" by Marbles, "Connection" by Richard Lloyd, "Play With Fire" by Mick Farren & The New Wave, "Funky Kinky" by Kenneth Higney, and lots lots more! CD

With selections by Alvin Robinson, Bettye Lavette, Johnny Adams, Mickey Murray, Doris Allen, Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, Soul Suspects, The Rugbys, Randy & The Radiants, The Tikis, The Twiggs, Sam Dees, Evie Sands, and US Apple Corps. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think Sun Records here – think SSS International – as most of this work comes from the late 60s efforts of producer Shelby Singleton, whose soul labels were bought by Sam Phillips and folded into Sun International! There's lots of great Tennessee soul grooves here – most of them pretty rare – and titles include "Wait Until Tomorrow" by The United Notions, "All I Want Is You" by Betty Harris, "I Can't Be All Bad" by Johnny Adams, "How Much Can A Man Take" by Big John Hamilton, "You Better Get Gone Baby" by The Jesters, "Hanging Heavy In My Mind" by Doris Allen, "You See Me" by Robert Parker, "Mama's Baby" by Marilyn Haywood, and "There's A DJ In Your Town" by Samson & Delilah. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible funk from an almost-unlikely source – the legendary P&P family of record labels, mostly known for their groundbreaking disco work – but also home to some excellent funky tracks in the late 70s! Given that most of the focus on P&P reissues has often been on the label's club tracks, nearly all the tunes on this CD are reissued here for the first time – offering a completely fresh look at the sound of P&P – making the collection a totally essential set, and long overdue! Many of the tracks are instrumental, and have touches that clearly mark them as coming from the hands of Peter Brown or Patrick Adams – nice spacey bits in the keyboards, wickedly snapping rhythms at the bottom, and an overall sense of groove that's always yearning for something new. Titles include "I've Been Working" by Wild Honey, "Hooker (parts 1 & 2)" by Peter Brown, "I'm Gonna Fool" by Ella Hamilton, "Do The Funky Donkey" by Otis Turner, "Hitch Hike One More Time" by King David, "Long Time Ago" by Smokey Brooks, "New York Apple Jack" by Scott Davis & The Movements, "Solid Funk" by Flame & The Sons Of Darkness, and "Determination" by Eddie Owen. CD

Way more than just "hits" – given that this hip box set features tracks from every single 12" released by the legendary P&P family of labels – a massive amount of underground dancefloor work from the late 70s and early 80s, and a set that gives new meaning to the word discography! If you know even just a bit of the P&P sound, you'll know you've got a revolutionary listening experience in store – music that goes way beyond conventional club and disco, with lots of weird little twists and turns – in both the instrumentation and production, which often use these cool little homemade spacey touches! Vocals are often right in synch with the offbeat grooves – and just about every cut on here is massively funky, too. Package features work by Cloud One, Milton Floyd, Sons Of Darkness, Jesse Gee, Scoopy, Rudy Stuart, Little Scotty, Henry Brooks, Fly Guy, Ahzz, Super Jay, Otis Turner, Sherod, The Destiny Orchestra, Bobby Mann, and many others – from singles that originally appeared on labels like Queen Constance, La Shawn, Land Of Hits, Golden Flamingo, Heavenly Star, Clarence, Destiny, Mr Brown, P&P, Sound Of New York, and others. 185 songs, on 15 CDs, packaged in cool slim sleeves in a tight box set – over 18 hours of music, and all of it great! CD

An early 80s set from Cherry Red Records, and one that shows just how important the British label was to the world of post-punk music at the time – as you'll hear from an assortment of tracks that's more than enough to give labels like Factory or Rough Trade a run for their money! Cherry Red always had a way of thinking outside of the norm – mixing experimental sounds with more tuneful moments, and sometimes showcasing artists who weren't afraid to put their feelings on the line – at a level that other British indies would pick up more strongly a few years later. There's plenty of formative sounds here – and titles include "Plain Sailing" by Tracy Thorn, "My Face Is On Fire" by Felt, "No Noise" by Eyeless In Gaza, "Don't Blink" by The Nightingales, "Some Things Don't Matter" by Ben Watt, "Modi 2 (extract)" by Piero Milesi, "All About You" by Thomas Leer, "Portrait" by Five Or Six, "Eine Symphonie Des Grauens" by The Monochrome Set, "Lazy Ways" by The Marine Girls, "I Unseen" by The Misunderstood, and "On My Mind" by Everything But The Girl. This massive 3CD version of the collection is overflowing with great material – a whopping 72 tracks in all, 17 of which are unreleased, presented in a book-style package with plenty of notes! Added material includes work from The Nightingales, Kevin Coyne, The Passage, Monochrome Set, Jane, Five Or Six, Thomas Leer, Martyn Bates, Creation Rebel, The Reflections, Swallow Tongue, Bodhi Beat Poets, and even Patrick MacNee & Honor Blackman of The Avengers! CD

A masterclass in early rap from Sugar Hill Records – touchstone classics that thumped dancefloors from the early days to today, inspired the scene's kings and queens to follow, and helped pave the way for the sounds and styles to come! Bookended by the long versions of the good-natured party rocking namesake Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel equally iconic "White Lines (Don't Do It)", the rest of the tracks really find the sweet spot between always welcome familiarity and underappreciated gems – and it's great to have them all in a top notch package! Includes The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (single version), "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 Plus One, " Break Dance-Electric Boogie" (single) by West Street Mob, "Funk You Up (Long Version)" by The Sequence and more, LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 22 tracks from the Electras, Cherios, Younghearts, Penny Rae, Betty Turner, Billy Storm, the Debs, Shad Prinder, and the Ring A Dings! CD

Music from Woody Guthrie, Norman Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, David Bromberg, Etta Baker, Alison Krauss & the Cox Family, Roy Book Binder, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Boozoo Chavis, Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, Ted Hawkins, Ted Lundy, Don Stover, Boone Creek & much more. CD

With selections by Howlin' Wolf, Ma Rainey, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm, Lou Sargent, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Carl Perkins, Billy Love, James Cotton, and Frank Frost. LP, Vinyl record album

Music by Killybilly, Mojo Nixon & the World Famous Blue Jays, Surreal McCoys, Courtney & Western, Jean Caffeine's All-Nite Truckstop, Joe Flood, Will Rigby, and others – 20 tracks total. CD

Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, Problem feat Snoop Dogg and Freddie Gibbs, Innanet James feat Pusha T and Kallitechnis, Biz Markie, Mike Taylor, Brevin Kim, Rockie Fresh and more. LP, Vinyl record album

50 songs from The '4' Deuces, Billy Grammer, Gloria Lynne, The Baysiders, The Curls, The Lexingtons, Patsy Cline, Jimmy Isle, King Curtis, Doris Payne, The Renowns, Randy Lee, The Boulevards, The Supertones, and more. CD

A sweet collection of grooves from the legendary Salsoul label – easily one of the hippest imprints on the New York scene of the 70s! Salsoul's grooves go way beyond the usual disco – crafted with roots that go back to soul and salsa of the earlier part of the decade – and often mixed to perfection with a sound that holds up strongly, even on a crowded dancefloor! This package features ten of the best-remembered gems from the label – most in long mixes that echo their strong popularity as 12" single – titles that include "Doctor Love" by First Choice, "Runaway" by The Salsoul Orchestra with Loleatta Holloway, "Jingo" by Candido, "Dreamin" by Loleatta Holloway, "By The Way You Dance" by Bunny Sigler, "Love Is You" by Carol Williams, "Dance A Little Bit Closer" by Charo, "I Love New York" by Metropolis, and "Rio De Janeiro" by Gary Criss. CD

Tremendous work from the mighty Sam Records – a New York indie that was born in the disco generation, but continued to keep great sounds going long after the crash! Sam started in the underground, and always kept a great ear to that scene, even when scoring big with hits – and the label's work often had all the polish of bigger companies, but a bit more bite as well – with all the right elements in all the right places, which has kept its music mighty strong over the years! There's no throwaway trash here, or easy dancefloor cuts – and instead the sound of Sam stays plenty strong from the earliest burst of disco through the big wave of indie club and old school in the early 80s. This massive 3CD package is shaped like a 7" single – and features 36 classic 12" singles and album cuts from Sam – titles that include "Kojak Theme" by John Davis Monster Orchestra, "Dreamin" by Greg Henderson, "Love Magic (disco version)" by John Davis Monster Orchestra, "Woman Of The Ghetto (UK 12" mix)" by Doris Duke, "Just A Groove" by Glen Adams Affair, "Come On Back To Mama" by Wardell Piper, "Begging For More" by Monica Neal, "Gotta Get Outta Here" by Lucy Hawkins, "I Found Love In You" by Rhyze, "Hold On (Jellybean mix)" by Kreamcicle, "This Best Is Mine" by Vicky D, "You Can't Stop (Shep Pettibone mix)" by David McPherson, "Don't Let Go Of Me (Shep Pettibone mix)" by Mike & Brenda Sutton, "Free (disco version)" by Rhyze, "Let's Love Dance Tonight (disco version)" by Gary's Gang, "Behind My Back" by Underground, "Just Let Me Dance (Jim Burgess mix)" by Scandal, "Don't Stop" by KID, "Can You Really See Me" by Sound Troupe, "Keep On Dancing" by Gary's Gang, and "Don't Give Your Love Away (Shep Pettibone mix)" by Steve Shelto. CD

A Holiday greeting from the folks at Atomicat Records – served up in the sort of collection they do with other music during all the other seasons of the year! The set's overflowing with gems from the 50s and 60s – a total of 28 obscure holiday tunes, plus a few better-known tracks – all to make a very fresh collection of Christmas goodies! Titles include "Rockin Bells" by Bill Robbin, "Born In Bethlehem" by Famous Blue Jay Singers, "Christmas Here Christmas There" by Ray Pettis, "Christmas Kisses" by The Bookends, "Cowboy Santa Claus" by Bill Lacey, "The Robin" by The Holidays, "The Bells Of St Mary's" by Lynn Taylor, "Does It Have To Be Christmas" by Ray Pettis, "Happy New Year To You" by The Qualities, "Come On Santa" by Kay Martin, "Christmas In Japan" by Paul Anka, "Merry Twist Mas" by Jay Matty, and "Santy's Movin On" by Homer & Jethro. CD

31 songs from Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls, Little Worley & The Drops, The Tads, The Dots, Butch McGhee, The Hornets, The Four Dimensions, The Vice-Roys, The Versatiles, Brother Zee And The Decades, Danny & The Velaires, and Lon Rogers & The Soul Blenders. CD

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own – a wonderful mix of album cuts and rare singles – some you'll recognize from famous hip hop samples, some you'll discover here for the first time ever! The triple-length package is overflowing with greatness – and titles include "I Could Never Be Happy" and "I Like It" by The Emotions, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by The Mad Lads and another "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Children Don't Get Weary" by Judy Clay, "All It Takes Is You & Me" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Poverty's Paradise" by 24 Carat Black, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Albert King, "Why Marry" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Steal Away" by Johnnie Taylor, "Hang On Sloopy" by David Porter, "Ike's Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes, "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness" by The Soul Children, "Packed & Took My Mind" by Little Milton, "Sing A Simple Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter, "LA Jazz Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes, and "Keep The Faith" by Mel & Tim. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Really special sounds from a short-lived label – Tumbleweed Records, a company that was conceived in LA, and born in early 70s Denver – perfectly suited to focus on the hipper strands of singer/songwriter material of the time! The vibe here is a bit like the best work on the early Asylum Records, with maybe more of the diversity of Blue Thumb – and, like both of those special imprints, there's an above-the-usual level of quality going on here – great songwriting, understated production, and artists who really feel free to do their thing in the best way possible! Many of the tracks have kind of a homespun vibe, but top-shelf presentation – tight, but never slick – and the occasional twang really brings the right sort of humanity from time to time. Titles include "Turn Of The Century" and "Abyss" by Robb Kunkel, "Colorado" and "Hick" by Danny Holien, "Rosewood Bitters" by Michael Stanley, "Sweet As Spring" and "Do On My Feet" by Dewey Terry, "Late Letter" by Pete McCabe, "Plain Talk" by Arthur Gee, and "Sunday Sherry" by Arthur Gee Whizz Band. CD

An amazing collection of obscure 45 material and rare album tracks from the archives of the legendary Money/Cash labels! Money Records was a huge beacon for somewhat rough-edged driving soul, when it found its niche on the LA scene in the early 60s. Amazing artists that never fully got their due – stars like Bettye Swann, the Larks (aka Pretenders), the Question Marks, King Solomon, Sonny Herman, and tons of others – many with roots in late 50s doo wop and r&b, recorded endearingly rawer singles for the label in the 60s, and stayed as it progressed into more of a smooth, slightly more polished and groovy sound in the early 70s. 24 tracks – most of which are pretty darn hard to track down on vinyl! Includes "Too Much For You" by Bobby Angelle, "What About Me" by Sonny Herman, "Temptation Walk" by the Larks, "Separation" by King Solomon, "You Gave Me Love" by Bettye Swann, "Baby" by Ted "Soul" Hawkins, "Lil' Valley" by M&M and the Peanuts, "Dancing With My Baby" by the T-K-O's, and tons more. Includes an excellent booklet with great photos, bios, and notes on the production and arrangements! CD

A treasure trove of soul from LA's mighty Money Records – home to some of the best indie singles on the west coast at the end of the 60s! The work here really runs the gamut of hip styles from the time – and includes group soul, Northern groovers, and even a bit of funk too – packaged together beautifully by the folks at Kent Records, who make this third volume sparkle every bit as strongly as other volumes in their Money Records series! There's an equal mix of male and female singers on the set, and the package features not only rare 45s on Money and related labels, but also a few unissued cuts as well – making the whole thing essential to own, even if you've got a pile of rare Money singles at home. Titles include "Girl You're So Fine" by Bobby Angelle, "Give Back Your Lovin" by Don Trotter, "The Skate" by The Larks, "If She Wants To Go" by Choice Of Colors, "I'll Give My Love To You" by Eric Williams, "You Got Me Dizzy" by Bobby Angelle, "Don't Take My Mind" by Bettye Swann, "Put Your Weight On It (part 2)" by Filmore Street Soul Rebellions, "Doin The Thing" by Question Marks, "Open Up Your Eyes" by The M&Ms & The Peanuts, "Why'd You Put Me On" by Bobbi Row & The Englishmen, "Sad & Blue" by The Mysteries, "Speak To Me In Your Soulful Way" by Hank Jacobs & The TKOs, and even "Hard Times Are Coming" by an Unknown Duo! CD

The Soul Party here is a soul jazz one – pulled from Blue Note albums of the late 60s and early 70s, most of them surprisingly funky! The set's got some very tight little numbers that are heavy on the Hammond and electric guitar – that great sound that started to show up on the Blue Note label as the 60s drew to a close. Titles include "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Grant Green, "Soul Limbo" by Candido, "Hold On I'm Coming" by Reuben Wilson, "Shake" by Stanley Turrentine, "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky" by Lou Donaldson, "Think" by Lonnie Smith, and "Ain't That Peculiar" by John Patton. CD

Not just soul, but lots of R&B too – work by Betty Wright, Joe Turner, Joe Tex, Sam & Dave, Stick McGhee, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown, The Chords, Solomon Burke, and lots of others! LP, Vinyl record album

Famous tracks from the legendary Miami Soul powerhouse TK Records – famous not because they were hits in the 70s, but because they were used in later years as hip hop samples – dug from the deep well of music that TK recorded back in the day, to lay the blueprint for a whole new generation! The set brings together 15 gems that are not only funky, and which have key elements that you'll know from hip hop songs – but which also stand pretty darn strongly on their own, as a fantastic overview of the care of creation that TK brought to its work in the studio. Titles include "Groove To Get Down" by T-Connection, "Dedicate All My Love" by Raw Soul Express, "Sweet Thang" by The 13th Floor, "Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart" by Clarence Reid, "Good Good Lovin" by Charles Johnson, "To Touch You Again/Lady Blue" by John Tropea, "Givin Me Your Love" by Facts Of Life, "Dance With Me" by Peter Brown, "Why Can't We Live Together" by Timmy Thomas, and both versions of "90% Of Me Is You" – one by Gwen McCrae, one by Vanessa Kendrick. Also features some J Rocc mixes – "I Get Lifted (J Rocc edit)" by George McCrae, "Keep It Up (J Rocc edit)" by Milton Wright, "I Love The Way You Love (J Rocc dub)" by Betty Wright, and "Clean Up Woman (J Rocc edit)" by Betty Wright. CD

A great little set with music from Ahmed Abdullah, Charles Gayle, Michael Bisio, David S. Ware, Dennis Charles, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Other Dimensions In Music, Rob Brown, and Charles Brackeen! CD

An essential look at the spiritual jazz legacy of Impulse Records – a set that's maybe a bit overdue in this series, given that Impulse first opened the door to these modes with their recordings of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders in the 60s! For some reason, Impulse had a perfect ear for this music – able to let players stretch out and be free, but also work some of the earlier modal jazz impulses into longer-form tunes that still had a pulse of rhythm – and which were often a bit different than the freer jazz styles on a label like ESP. Make no mistake, there's plenty of improvisation going on here – but it's also part of the larger, unified spirit of the tunes – a real message in the music, on selections that include "Sister Mamie" by Yusef Lateef, "Three Flowers" by McCoy Tyner, "7th Day" by Freddie Hubbard, "Half & Half" by Elvin Jones, "Groove Waltz" by McCoy Tyner, "The Blessing Song" by Michael White, "Turiya & Ramakrishna" by Alice Coltrane, "A Taste Of Honey" by Phil Woods, "Constant Trob (part 1)" by John Klemmer, "Hum Allah Hum Allah Hum Allah" by Pharoah Sanders, "Maimoun" by Marion Brown, "Lonesome Lover" by Max Roach, "Fantszm" by Elvin Jones, "Acknowledgement" by John Coltrane, "Thembi" by Pharoah Sanders, and "Journey In Satchidananda" by Alice Coltrane. And let us say that even if you have some of these tracks on other records, there's something completely sublime about the way the whole thing is put together – and the way the tracks sound next to each other! CD

Music from the Desires, the Heartbeats, the Monotones, Jackie & the Starlites, the Avons, Shep & the Limelites, the Elegants, the Pastels, the Sparks, the Legends & more. CD

Music from Lee Andrews & the Hearts, the Videos, the Del Knights, the Avalons, the Quills & the Casinos – 16 tracks in all. CD

Includes music from the Crows, the Buccaneers, the Valentines, the Continentals, the Harptones, the Heartbeats, the Joytones, the Wrens, Jimmy Jones & the Pretenders & the Rainbows. CD

Features work by Madness, Lena Lovich, Nick Lowe, The Adverts, Wreckless Eric, The Yachts, The Belle Stars, Elvis Costello, Richard Hell, and many others! CD

A deep dive into the work of a wonderful record label – the Strata imprint from Detroit at the start of the 70s – a company who served up some very spiritual sounds in the short time they were issuing records! Don't confuse Strata with Strata East – although the labels do have some similarity – as Strata also brought in a bit more electricity on some of its cuts, and some slight touches of funk as well – a very special brew in which the Detroit jazz underground of the time were mixing things up in so many different ways – really given a lot of freedom to explore styles that are still ahead of their time all these many years later! Key albums on Strata have been reissued in recent years, but the set also features some overlooked gems by more obscure artists too – titles that include "Maiden Voyage" by Ursula Walker, "Salsa (part 1)" by Fito Foster, "Time Is Wasting" by TJ, "Joy Road" by Lyman Woodard Organization, "All But Blind" by Mixed Bag, "Island Song" by Kenny Cox, "Face At My Window" by Sam Sanders, "People We Got To Do Better" by The Soulmates, "You're The One" by TJ, "Noh Word" by Contemporary Jazz Quintet, "Tune For LN" by Larry Nozero, "Where Is The Place" by Maulawi, "Saturday Night Special" by Lyman Woodard, and "Beyond The Dream" by Kenny Cox. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes music by the New Jungle Orchestra, Ibrahim Electric, Horace Parlan Trio, Marilyn Mazur, Andrew Hill, Kresten Osgood Quartet with Sam Rivers, and Lars Moller with Geri Allen. CD

Classics from the vaults of Sun Records – not just bit rock hits, but some more obscure blues and country as well! Titles include "Bear Cat" by Rufus Thomas, "Baker Shop Boogie" by Willie Nix, "Red Velvet" by The Kirby Sisters, "Oh Red" by Howlin Wolf, "Ooby Dooby" by Roy Orbison, "Drinkin Wine Spodee O Dee" by Malcolm Yelvington, "Call Me Anything But Call Me" by Big Memphis Ma Rainey, and "Feelin Good" by Little Junior's Blue Flames. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Billy "The Kid" Emerson, Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley, Earl Hooker, Ray Harris, Little Milton, Johnny Cash, James Cotton, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Orbison, The Miller Sisters, Rosco Gordon, and Charlie Rich. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections from General Johnson & The Chairmen, Band Of Oz, Poor Souls, Showmen, and Tempest. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Johnnie Strickland, Jimmy Bowen, Billy & Don Hart, Johnny Rivers, Roc LaRue, Joe Tate, The Shades, Mack Vickery, Vince Maloy, Jimmy Lloyd, Bob Davies, Rock-A-Teens, and more - 36 tracks in all. CD

Music from Jimmy Patton, Donnie Bowser, Lonnie Barron, Jack Morris, Whitey Pullen, Patsy Clark, Goldie Fields, Chuck Howard, Eddie Dean, Wally & Don, Tex Atchison, and more! CD

A totally great entry in this always-great series – and one that looks at a slice of raunchy rock that's a bit different than usual! The Warner Brothers label started up right at the end of the 50s – after most of the other rock powerhouse imprints – and they also had more of an ear for pop and mainstream sounds, given their Hollywood home. Yet they also quickly found a way to turn out some really remarkable 45s – music that was maybe even just recorded with leftover studio time, or between the bigger projects on the label – funded by bigger money from films, and often done in a top-shelf studio setting! This legacy of Warner isn't nearly as well-known as their 60s pop and vocal material, but it's equally groovy – if not more so – and gets fantastic treatment here from Bear Family, who not only present a whopping 30 tracks, but also accompany the whole thing with a wonderful booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images. The set even includes some surprising rockers by unlikely sources – and titles include "Shimmy Shake" by Billy Land, "The Swing" by Johnny Carroll, "Teen Beat" by Don Ralke, "Road Hog" by Johnny Zorro, "Hanna Lee" by Shelly Dane, "The Fool" by Bob Luman, "Lucille" by The Everly Brothers, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Troyce Key with Eddie Cochran, "Drum Twist" by Buddy Harman, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Eddie & Betty, and "Forbidden City" by John Buck & His Blazers. CD

One of the smaller labels to get featured on this excellent series of rockabilly gems – and a collection that also shows that the music could quickly take off in points that were far from Tennessee and other southern scenes! All the cuts here are from the catalog of the tiny Crest Records label in LA – and they've all got the kind of hard-edged, raw-ripping quality that we love on other volumes in this legendary series – one that's been a constantly rewarding one over the years, and a great antidote to all the dodgy, poorly-done CDs that usually focus on music like this! There's a few names here who broke big later on other labels, and the set also maybe has a bit of Bakersfield influence – but of the pre-country, hillbilly boogie variety – on a set of 32 titles that include "IOU" by Jack Lewis, "Let's Coast Awhile" by Bo Davis, "Stack A Records" by Tom Tall & His Tom Kats, "Do I" by Bill Great Dane, "What I Like Most Of All" by Don Thomson & The Desert Stars, "Can You Bop" by Tom Wilson, "Spotlight" by Frank & Ernie, "The Grave" by Tony Casanova, "Ummm Kiss Me Goodnight" by Buddy Love, "Night Shift" by Norm Skyler, and 'You Bet Your Little Life" by Marty Cooper. CD

Lots of older record companies got in on the action during the early days of rock and roll – but few folks did it as well as RCA Records – home, of course, to Elvis Presley – and also to all the great lesser-known gems featured in this set! Some tracks are by artists who would break big on later labels, or others who might have stepped over a bit from country – but the bulk of the collection represents all the great singles that RCA cut during the late 50s and early 60s – including some on its sub-labels, where the company was going strong in the worlds of underground styles! Given that this excellent series already looked at RCA once before, it's a further testament that there's an additional 35 rocking gems to be pulled from the label's catalog – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Wild Child" by David Hill, "Get On The Right Track" by Joe Clay, "Rainbow Doll" by Jimmy Dell, "Welcome To The Club" by Jean Chapel, "Wolf Boy" by Sammy Salvo, "Hoebe Snow" by Benny Martin, "Never Been Kissed" by Marlin Greene, "Chicken House" by Dave Rich, "Heart Of A Fool" by Lee Denson, "Almost Eighteen" by Roy Orbison, "That Weepin Willow Tree" by Ray Griff, and "Dumb Bunny" by Bill Carlis. CD

Rare rockers from a very obscure source – material pulled from two different California labels of the 50s – both companies that grew up in the recording boom of the big move west from all points south at midcentury – and which were close to the ground, and very well poised to capture some of the best up-and-coming sounds on the scene! The work here is the sort that came about from a label being more open to new ideas than having some sort of larger plan to conquer the world of pop music – as these companies might have recorded hillbilly and R&B equally well, which often shows in the approach to the music – nicely free, open, and almost genre-hopping at times – very different than the house styles of some of the more iconic labels. As with other volumes in the series, the set list is great, and supported by very detailed notes – a whopping 33 tracks in all, with work by The Empala Six, The Fretts, Linda & The Epics, The Downbeats, Chuck Royal & The Sharpsters, Gradie O'Neal & The Bella Tones, Pat LaRocca, The Martells, Shorty Joe, and others! CD

A totally wonderful batch of cuts from the early years of Liberty Records, and related labels – cuts that really bristle with the kind of energy that was exploding in all sorts of styles on the LA scene at the end of the 50s! Liberty may not have the cred as Sun or Chess Records, but the company was really at the crossroads of music on the west coast, and had both the ears and the studio talent to really turn out some great singles at the time – often the sort of material that was very different than the vocals and mood music on its full length LPs. If you don't know this side of Liberty's legacy, you'll really in for a surprise – and even if you do, you'll still discover some overlooked gems in this 37 track set – presented complete with detailed notes on all the artists too. Titles include "Lies" by Lee Ross, "Buddy" by Jackie Dee, "Willa Mae" by Al Casey, "Little Bit" by Bobby Lonero, "You've Done It Again" by Andy & The Live Wires, "Sweet Baby Doll" by Johnny Burnette, "Ain't That Somethin" by Larry O'Keefe, "She's So Fine' by Andy Caldwell, "Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down" by Johnny Olenn, "Billy Billy" by Dee Dee Dorety, and "Hey Baby" by Bill Lawrence. CD

A mighty deep look at one of the hippest labels on the rockabilly scene – and one that was quite a surprise, too – given that Dot Records not only served up a fair bit of instrumental pop, but also recorded some of the "fake" rockers of the time as well! Yet all the work here is the real deal – tracks from the farther reaches of the Dot catalog, and related Hamilton imprint – work that was only ever issued as 7" singles, and quickly lost in the shuffle – only to be rediscovered in later generations by the kind of cats who were always digging for the coolest, rawest tracks from back in the day! As with other volumes in this groundbreaking series, the package presents a heck of a lot of music with very detailed notes – 37 titles that include "When The Sin Stops" by The Nighthawks, "Bad Boy" by robin Luke, "Honky Tonk Song" by Leroy Van Dyke, "Cool It Baby" by Dick Lory, "Mail Train" by Billy Joe Tucker, "My Babe" by Ronnie Smith, "Nancy Lynne" by Dick D'Agostin & the Swingers, "Love Charms" by Sanford Clark, "Jeopardy" by Ned Costner, "Whatcha Gonna Do" by Earl Henry, "I'm Hypnotized" by Don Johnson, and "Steelworker Blues" by Keith Courvale. CD

The legendary King Records is known as an important label for R&B and hillbilly music – but the label also has a surprisingly strong legacy in the early years of rock as well – maybe in part because it did such a good job of keeping its ear to the ground with those other important styles! King never got the chart-topping hits of a label like Sun Records, but it did manage to draw together an equally impressive array of talents – some still underground names after all these years, others now elevated in the secret history of rock and roll through their work for the label! The set brings together 30 tracks from King and related Federal and DeLuxe labels, all with the detailed notes and well-chosen cuts that continue to make this series so important, even after many years and dozens of releases – a legacy that's really supported here by cuts that include "Say So" and "If I Had A Woman" by Mac Curtis, "Stop The World" by The Bon Aires, "You're Gonna Like My Baby" by Bill Beach, "Haulin Freight" by Bob Newman, "Jungle Rock" by Hank Mizell, "Top Ten Rock" by Fuller Todd, "Put The Chain On The Door" by Boyd Bennett & His Rockets, "No Good Robin Hood" by Delbert Barker, "One Hand Loose" by Charlie Feathers, "Your Kind Of Lovin" by Donnie White, "Bip A Little Bop A Lot" by Joe Penny, "I'm Mad With You" by Moon Mullican, "Midnight Blues" by The Town Three, and "Good Good Good" by Ken McDonald. CD

The legendary King Records is known as an important label for R&B and hillbilly music – but the label also has a surprisingly strong legacy in the early years of rock as well – maybe in part because it did such a good job of keeping its ear to the ground with those other important styles! King never got the chart-topping hits of a label like Sun Records, but it did manage to draw together an equally impressive array of talents – some still underground names after all these years, others now elevated in the secret history of rock and roll through their work for the label! The set brings together 30 tracks from King and related Federal and DeLuxe labels, all with the detailed notes and well-chosen cuts that continue to make this series so important, even after many years and dozens of releases – a legacy that's really supported here by cuts that include "Say So" and "If I Had A Woman" by Mac Curtis, "Stop The World" by The Bon Aires, "You're Gonna Like My Baby" by Bill Beach, "Haulin Freight" by Bob Newman, "Jungle Rock" by Hank Mizell, "Top Ten Rock" by Fuller Todd, "Put The Chain On The Door" by Boyd Bennett & His Rockets, "No Good Robin Hood" by Delbert Barker, "One Hand Loose" by Charlie Feathers, "Your Kind Of Lovin" by Donnie White, "Bip A Little Bop A Lot" by Joe Penny, "I'm Mad With You" by Moon Mullican, "Midnight Blues" by The Town Three, and "Good Good Good" by Ken McDonald. CD