A searing set of vintage soul cuts – brought together in honor of the legendary Wigan Casino – one of the most important clubs in the UK Northern Soul scene of the 70s! For the uninitiated, Wigan was a hotbed of upbeat rare soul cuts – overlooked American goodies from both the previous decade and more recent years – often with a strong focus on deeper soul vocals, which meant some strong entries from the southern scene as well! This well-done package comes with a heavy book-style cover, notes on the club and its music – and a whopping 28 tracks in all – including "I Can't Hide It" by The Appreciations, "Baby What Has Happened To Our Love" by The Ringleaders, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "I'm A Teardrop" by The Jerms, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Watch Yourself" by Tony Hester, "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is" by Copper & Brass, "Can I Be Dreamin" by The Young Savages, "She's Fire" by The CODs, "Could It Be" by Mikki Farrow, and "Your Wish Is My Command" by The Inspirations. LP, Vinyl record album

There's a huge amount of early Philly soul here – lots of tracks from the classic years of the Cameo/Parkway label, plus a few other choice bits too – all wrapped up in a Northern Soul collection that owes almost nothing to the style of Detroit! The package features great tracks by obscure artists, and obscure tracks by bigger singers – brought together with the kind of top-shelf track selection that makes us love releases on the Outta Sight label so much. There's plenty here that goes way past the obvious – and titles include "Heartaches Away My Boy" by Christine Cooper, "Night Owl" by Bobby Paris, "Country Girl" by Vickie Baines, "Envy" by The Orlons, "You Didn't Say A Word" by Yvonne Baker, "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" by Bunny Sigler, "Packing Up" by Damon Fox, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Dee Sharp, "My Heart Your Heart" by Janie Grant, "Picture Me Gone" by Evie Sands, "Comin Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, and "It's Rough Out There" by Jerry Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

Sunset issue of some of the sides that the O'Jays cut for Minit in the mid 60s – sounding quite different here than on their later Philly hits! They're working here in a more rough soul harmony style – sung with an incredible depth, and recorded with backings that really let the vocals come to the forefront of the tracks. Some of the cuts are in a deep soul mode, others are more upbeat and Northern soul-styled – but the whole thing's great, and the album's about as classic a set of 60s soul as you can get! 10 numbers in all: "Lipstick Traces", "Think It Over Baby", "Lonely Drifter", "Hold On", "Working On Your Case", "A Blowing Wind", "Stand Tall", "It Won't Hurt", "I'm Gonna Make It" and "Oh How You Hurt Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early work by Leon Haywood – recorded way back in the mid 60s, when he was knocking around the LA indie scene with a very soulful groove! Back in those years, Leon wasn't singing as much, just playing piano and organ in a mixture of soul and jazz instrumental modes – all hard-stepping with a very strong northern soul groove, and some of the heaviest production ever to come out of the west coast in the 60s! The whole album's a killer – extremely grooving, and with a blend of styles that keeps things fresh all the way through. Titles include "Ray's Theme", "Soul Cargo", "Fat Fish", "The Sidewinder", "Spice Of The Blues", "River's Invitation", and "The Preacher". LP, Vinyl record album

It's the early 70s, and Mose is still going strong – grooving with a unique blend of New Orleans soul and Northern jazz influences, his own particular brand of music, timeless from the day it was born! The setting here is a live one, and Mose is playing with a trio that includes Clyde Flowers on bass and Eddie Charlton on drums. The album features a number of strong originals – including "Look What You Made Me Do", "Powerhouse", "I Don't Worry About A Thing", and "Don't Forget To Smile" – plus versions of "The Seventh Son" and "Fool's Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Chicago soul from Mamie Galore! "It Ain't Necessary" has a rolling party groove that fits Mamie's husky vocal style really well. Monk Higgins is leading the arrangements, and the tracks' got a soaring northern groove that's very nice! "Don't Think" shows off Mamie's work on a ballad number – with slow horns vamping behind her, and some additional femal vocals on the chorus. 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the most beautiful albums that Charlie Haden ever recorded – and if he only ever appeared on one record in his life, we'd still love him tremendously for this one! The album has a feel that's very much in keeping with both the "liberation" and "orchestra" in the title – "liberation", in that the music is filled with inspiration from South American sources, and has a strongly political feel at times; and "orchestra" because the group here is somewhat large, and filled with a tremendous array of expressive players – including Gato Barbieri on tenor, Dewey Redman on alto and tenor, Don Cherry on cornet and flutes, Michael Mantler on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Robert Northern on French horn, Paul Motian and Andrew Cyrille on percussion, Carla Bley on piano, and Perry Robinson on clarinet. Haden leads these disparate talents through a set of tremendously focused music – filled with as many ideas as it is with a sense of humanity and soul – all to brilliantly point the way forward for the new sound of Impulse Records in the years after Coltrane's death! Titles include the classic "Song For Che", plus Ornette's "War Orphans", Carla Bley's "The Interlude", and "Song Of The United Front", by Hans Eisler, and with words by Brecht! LP, Vinyl record album

Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. LP, Vinyl record album

Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, "Searchin" and "Zing Went The tings Of My Heart" by the Coasters, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "CC Rider" by Chuck Willis, "Money Honey" and "Honey Love" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, "Walking Up A One way Street" and "Thank You John" by Willie Tee,"There Goes My Baby" by the Drifters, "Just One Look" by Doris Troy and "Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee" by Stick McGhee. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of rare 60s soul – very different than you might expect from the title and cover! Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "Searching For My Love" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Teasin' You" by Willie Tee, "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, "May I" by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" by Clyde McPhatter, "Idol With The Golden Hand" by the Coasters, "The Entertainer" by Tony Clarke, "Nip Sip" by the Clovers, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E King. LP, Vinyl record album

A key early record for the Edwin Hawkins Singers – issued right after the group had changed their name from the less-catchy Northern California State Youth Choir! The record contains Hawkins' huge hit "Oh Happy Day" – done with soloist Dorothy Morrison, a voice that was strong enough to push this one from the gospel market right onto the pop charts! Other tunes follow in a similar style, really hitting hard for the soul generation – and tracks include "I'm Going Through", "Early In The Morning", "Joy Joy", and "To My Father's House". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest pop soul singles of all time! Even though we hear it lots of times on oldies stations, we still get a thrill from the great raw sound of "But It's Alright" – especially the great choppy guitar bit on the intro! Plus, this original Calla pressing of the track also features an amazing b-side – the hard storming "Boogaloo Baby", which is an incredible Northern Soul track with a groove that just won't quit! Pounding piano, great crowd sounds on the chorus, and a runaway groove that never stops! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A perfect pairing of Candi Staton and producer Dave Crawford – that key southern soul talent who helped Candi and a few select others really step into the American soul mainstream at the end of the 70s! Candi's still got all the deep roots in her vocals – including that incredible range that's continued to thrive in gospel in recent years – but Dave helps push things into a modern soul style that works equally well on Northern dancefloors as it would in the clubs down south. Arrangements are perfectly balanced – sophisticated and adult, but never too smooth or commercial – thanks mostly to Candi's wonderful handling of the lyrics. Titles include "Victim", "Yesterday Evening", "So Blue", "Honest I Do Love You", and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals, but the overall approach also had plenty of elements of smoother Northern Soul, and wasn't afraid to use strings or uptown arrangements when they were needed. This album's their best, and features 10 tracks written by Eddie Cornelius, plus a great little cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Tracks include the sublime easy soul number "Too Late To Turn Back Now", choppy odd groover "Treat Her Like A Lady", and the cuts "Gonna Be Sweet For You", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Lift Your Love Higher". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from The Flirtations – originally an American group, but one who made a hip step to the UK in the mid 60s – where they began backing a lot of big artists, and also recorded this rare gem on their own! The sound is a wonderful blend of American soul and 60s UK girl pop – arranged beautifully by maestro Johhny Harris, who was easily one of the most soulful studio talents on the UK scene of the time. There's strong echoes of Detroit and New York soul in the record, but the sound is almost more majestic too – pushed strongly forward with some great backings over Northern soul rhythms – in ways that probably give the vocals even more support than they might have gotten in the US. Titles include the classic "Nothing But A Heartache" – plus "Stay", "Need Your Loving", "Momma I'm Coming Home", "Love Is A Sad Song", and "How Can You Tell Me?" LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album from the great Eddie Kendricks – a set that not only has the singer soaring on the kind of sublime old school vocal numbers he always did so well – but one that also has Eddie stepping out into some great dancefloor modes that would have a huge impact for years to come! Kendricks really scores big with the classic "Keep On Truckin" – a tune that's virtually the blueprint for boogie, and which is echoed here by a few other great numbers that really stand out – tunes that preface disco to come, but which also still bear a very strong link to the richest styles of Motown soul! Northern soul legend Frank Wilson had a great hand in the record – penning some of the best cuts, co-producing with Leonard Caston, and handling arrangements with Caston and James Carmichael – and in addition to "Keep On Truckin", other titles include "Darling Come Back Home", "Not On The Outside", "Any Day Now", "Where Do You Go (Baby)", "Each Day I Cry A Little", and "Only Room For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

A really breakout set from Jonathan Butler – a double-length album that really has the singer/songwriter taking off! Butler's really finding his best groove here – that mature blend of soul, jazzy bits, and a good ear for a hook – all done in that crossover careful style that helped Jonathan find a huge new audience up here in the Northern Hemisphere – and which continues to make this set one of Butler's best-remembered moments. Titles include "Lies", "Love Songs Candlelight & You", "Holding On", "I Miss Your Love Tonight", "One More Dance", "Barenese", "Overflowing", "Loving You", "Say We'll Be Together", and "Give A Little More Loving". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of group soul – recorded by indie label favorites The Jive Five, and just about their only album for a big label. Horace Ott produced and arranged, and he nicely takes the group's earlier doo wop style into a 60s harmony groove – adding in some arrangements that have a bit more of a kick and a northern groove, and helping the group come up with some tasty little numbers filled with hooks and riffs that let them still show off their vocal skills. Titles include "I'm A Happy Man", "Prove Every Word You Say", "I Remember When", "Hang On The Corner", "A Bench In The Park", "Falling Tears", and "Ha Ha". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer Northern Soul single from the Volcanos – a group who definitely earn their explosive name with "Gotta Be A False Alarm"! The tune runs off tight right from the start – with this mighty Detroit-styled groove, and rock-solid vocals that have the lead singer trading lines beautifully with the harmonies from the group! "Movin & Groovin" does exactly what the title promises – and kicks into gear with this wonderful horn part over triple-time drums – all instrumental, and delivered at a level that hardly makes you miss the vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A set of classic groovers from Dee Dee Sharp – cut during her early stretch at Cameo/Parkway, at a time when Dee Dee was one of the hardest hard soul singers on the Philly scene! As you'd guess from the title, most of the tracks here have an upbeat groove that's aimed at the dancefloor – that best side of romping Philly 60s soul that's had such an influence on the Northern scene over the years – sung with that raspy, hard-edge sound that some of the Philly singers had going on a lot more than others from Detroit or Chicago. Titles include "Mashed Potato Time", "Hurry On Down", "Gravy", "Eddie My Love", "Gee", "Be My Girl", and "Slow Twistin". LP, Vinyl record album

An early treasure from a great tradition in soul music – one of the first few compilations from Ace/Kent Records – issued way back in the early 80s, and still a treasure trove of great 60s soul after all these years! As you'd guess from the title, the tracks here are all upbeat and uptempo – numbers brought together for the Northern Soul audience in the UK, but which also represent a great sampling of underground soul from the US in the 60s! Many of these numbers mix rough-edged vocals with more tightly-crafted instrumentation – and the collection features a total of 16 tracks that include "Lay This Burden Down" by Mary Love, "You Just Cheat & Lie" by ZZ Hill, "Good Taste Of Love" by Danny Monday, "Wanting You" by Jimmy Bee, "Can It Be Me" by Mel Williams, "Hole In The Wall" by The Other Brothers, "Talkin Woman" by Lowell Fulsom, "What Kind Of Man Are You" by Jackie Day, "Country Girl" by The Johnny Otis Show, "Everybody Needs Love" by Willie Gauff & The Love Brothers, and "My Baby Needs Me" by Yvonne Baker. LP, Vinyl record album

An early Northern Soul collection from the UK, done before Charly and Ace really started hitting the record racks – and with a great batch of 16 tracks from American soul singers, including work from Barbara Mills, The Showstoppers, Dobie Gray, Johnny Bragg, Gloria Jones, Sandy Wynns, The Carstairs, Ann Sexton, Eloise Jaws, The Jelly Beans, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work from one of our favorite funky scenes! Way up in Scandinavia, where the winters are 360 days long (or something like that!) they've got to do something to warm themselves up – so they take to their instruments, and jam like mad to come up with some great funky jazz – as you'll hear in this incredibly well-done collection of early 70s gems from Funky Finland, Swinging Sweden, and Nonstopjamming Norway! The package is a brilliant introduction to the lost gems lurking in the icy lands of Northern Europe – and is incredibly well-timed, given that in recent years, some of this under-issued music is finally getting back out to the public again, and inspiring a whole new generation of funky listeners. There's loads of great keyboard work on the set – cool in tone, but warm and soulful in approach – and even if you're the type that's got some non-American funk biases, you'll be more than happy to place this one on the shelf next to your favorite 70s albums on labels like CTI or Kudu. Titles include "Grandma's Rocking Chair" by Olli Ahvelahti, "Bluegaloo" by Ablution, "Mr Minor" by Staffan Ableen Quintets, "Equinox" by Pop Workshop, "Karakorum" by Mamba, "6 Down" by Eero Koivistoinen Music Society, "Watusi Dance" by Pop Workshop, "Afro Temple" by Sabu Martinez, and "Batucada Por Favor" by Bob Azzam. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic live albums! First up is Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall – a unique large group effort from Thelonious Monk – but one that bristles with all the angular energy of his other great work for Riverside! The group here is a tentet – filled with excellent players who include Donald Byrd, Phil Woods, Pepper Adams, Eddie Bert, Robert Northern, and Charlie Rouse – all supported by rhythm from the team of Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums, possibly one of the key factors for the success of the record! The album's comprised of Monk classics like "Little Rootie Tootie", "Thelonious", "Friday The 13th", "Off Minor", "Crepuscule with Nellie" and "Monk's Mood" – all arranged by Hall Overton, a little-remembered modernist from the 50s, but one with a keen dedication towards pushing new sounds from old formats! Overton really keeps the spirit of Monk's music intact here – penning charts that allow for plenty of solo space and the kind of cross-trading lines you'd hear in some of Monk's best multi-horn small group sides for Riverside! Next is Thelonious Monk Quartet Plus Two At The Blackhawk – a stunning pre-Columbia session from Thelonious Monk – a really great live date that has Monk's familiar quartet augmented by west coast players Joe Gordon on trumpet and Harold Land on tenor! Given that Charlie Rouse is already in the group on tenor, the addition of Land's horn makes for a very soulful set – and Gordon's one of those players we love whenever we get a chance to hear him on record, which isn't that often, given how few sessions he cut! Other players include John Ore on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – and titles include "Four In One", "Let's Call This", and "Worry Later". LP, Vinyl record album