Excellent! The cut's a dancefloor classic – and it's got this wonderful little moogy instrumentation that's a perfect example of the genius of Patrick Adams and Greg Carmichael, who put the whole thing together, and who give the cut a real P&P funky flavor. A real killer, and one that we never tire of! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A trio of mid 80s albums from Narada Michael Walden – all together in one 2CD set! First up is Looking At You Looking At Me – an album with plenty of beats– so much so you might forget that Narada Michael Walden first rose to fame as a drummer – but all the electricity is fine with us, given the 80s groove sound of the set! There's a nice sense of energy that informs most of the tracks – a somewhat funky undercurrent that almost shows traces of the Minneapolis influence on soul at the time, but without a too-Prince sort of sound overall. There's also a few key ballads too – some gentler cuts that round out the set nicely, and which showcase the increasing confidence Walden's had with his vocals over the years. Titles include "Reach Out", "Looking At You Looking At Me", "Burning Up", "Shake It Off", "Dream Maker", and "Tina". Nature Of Things is a highly electric set from Narada Michael Walden – a mid 80s effort that's filled with catchy little tunes! The style's certainly more mainstream than we might have guessed, given Walden's early career – but it's still much better than most of the pop of its generation – thanks to Michael's strong jazz pedigree, which does seem to inform some of his arrangements and instrumental choices on the album. Most of the percussion is in the form of beats, but Walden's also credited with playing drums (roto-toms, perhaps?) – and in addition to his own lead vocals, the set also features work by Patti Austin and Marth Wash. Titles include "Live It Up", "Nature Of Things", "High Above The Clouds", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Suspicion", and "Dancin On Main Street". Divine Emotion is sweet 80s soul from Narada Michael Walden – a set that has the singer/drummer very confidently in the tight R&B territory that served him so well during the decade! As with previous records, there's a fair bit of 80s electronic elements in the mix – bursting, bubbling, and exploding with a joyful groove that really fits Walden's spirit – and serves to emphasize his ever-growing talent for penning at catchy tune! Titles include "Wild Thing", "Explosion", "Jam The Night", "Divine Emotions", "Can't Get You Outta My Head", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", and "Certain Kind Of Lover". CD

One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like "Cleo's Back", "Tune Up", "Monkey Jump", "Do The Boomerang", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and lots more! The album's one of the group's strongest for Motown – and features that tight snapping groove that helped Jr take the tenor out of the R&B sound of the 50s, and place it into a whole new mode for the soulful 60s! CD

One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like "Cleo's Back", "Tune Up", "Monkey Jump", "Do The Boomerang", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and lots more! The album's one of the group's strongest for Motown – and features that tight snapping groove that helped Jr take the tenor out of the R&B sound of the 50s, and place it into a whole new mode for the soulful 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like "Cleo's Back", "Tune Up", "Monkey Jump", "Do The Boomerang", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and lots more! The album's one of the group's strongest for Motown – and features that tight snapping groove that helped Jr take the tenor out of the R&B sound of the 50s, and place it into a whole new mode for the soulful 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like "Cleo's Back", "Tune Up", "Do The Boomerang", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and lots more! The album's one of the group's strongest for Motown – and features that tight snapping groove that helped Jr take the tenor out of the R&B sound of the 50s, and place it into a whole new mode for the soulful 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet funky set from the mighty T-Bone Walker – a record that still includes loads of his wickedly sharp guitar lines, but which also gives him a tight groove with electric bass and great drums from the legendary Paul Humphrey! The bottom end here kicks as much as Walker's work on the top – which gives the record a cool crossover mix of blues, soul, and funk – not that different from some of the funky blues experiments going on over at Chess Records at the time, but with more of an LA twist. A young Tom Scott plays some great tenor lines on the record – and titles include "Vietnam", "T Bone Blues Special", "Sail On", "For BB King", "Cold Cold Feeling", and "Shake It Baby". CD features two bonus tracks – live versions of "Sail On" and "Stormy Monday Blues". CD

A great late 70s set from Weather Report – a record that's certainly got more polish than the early years, but which still sounds plenty darn great to our ears – thanks to a really free-flowing sense of imagination! The tunes here have a wonderfully chunky sort of approach to the groove – that kind of building, pulsating quality that always marked Weather Report as organic, even when electric – and which gave their music a sense of soul, even when it was sometimes smooth. There's enough dark corners here to shake off any of the more commercial touches – and it's wonderful to hear the way that Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul have evolved the original Weather Report ethos into something new and fresh. Titles include "Punk Jazz", "Mr Gone", "The Elders", "Young & Fine", "River People", and "The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat". CD

A great late 70s set from Weather Report – a record that's certainly got more polish than the early years, but which still sounds plenty darn great to our ears – thanks to a really free-flowing sense of imagination! The tunes here have a wonderfully chunky sort of approach to the groove – that kind of building, pulsating quality that always marked Weather Report as organic, even when electric – and which gave their music a sense of soul, even when it was sometimes smooth. There's enough dark corners here to shake off any of the more commercial touches – and it's wonderful to hear the way that Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul have evolved the original Weather Report ethos into something new and fresh. Titles include "Punk Jazz", "Mr Gone", "The Elders", "Young & Fine", "River People", and "The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat". LP, Vinyl record album

A great late 70s set from Weather Report – a record that's certainly got more polish than the early years, but which still sounds plenty darn great to our ears – thanks to a really free-flowing sense of imagination! The tunes here have a wonderfully chunky sort of approach to the groove – that kind of building, pulsating quality that always marked Weather Report as organic, even when electric – and which gave their music a sense of soul, even when it was sometimes smooth. There's enough dark corners here to shake off any of the more commercial touches – and it's wonderful to hear the way that Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul have evolved the original Weather Report ethos into something new and fresh. Titles include "Punk Jazz", "Mr Gone", "The Elders", "Young & Fine", "River People", and "The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat". CD

Some of his classic 60's material, recorded live at Pepper's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago in 1966. With the tracks "It's My Life Baby", "Country Girl", and "Shake it Baby". Great Chicago blues/soul crossover stuff. CD

The Jackie Wilson style soars into the 70s – in a mode that's definitely different than Wilson's Brunswick work of a decade before – but which also show's a really bold evolution in style! Jackie's in the higher end of his range here – and really grooves greatly on some great Chicago soul arrangements from Willie Henderson – those upbeat, joyous sort of charts he seemed to save only for the best Brunswick artists – and which make the album a soaring gem that really lives up to its title! The mighty Carl Davis is at the production helm – keeping things right and tight throughout – and the level of expression in Jackie's voice hits a new sort of maturity and sophistication that really make the record a standout from his later years at the label. The title cut "Beautiful Day" is an especial gem that's really great – but the whole thing's wonderful too, and other tracks include "It's All Over", "What'cha Gonna Do About Me", "I Get Lonely Sometimes", and "Go Away". CD features three bonus tracks – "Sing A Little Song", "No More Goodbyes", and "Shake A Leg". CD

Classic soul from Jackie Wilson! The record's an original Brunswick collection of some of his best singles – including quite a few that were penned by Berry Gordy back in Jackie's early soul days. 12 tracks in all, with titles that include "Baby Workout", "Doggin Around", "Baby Get It (And Don't Quit It)", "Shake! Shake! Shake!", "My Heart Belongs Only To You", "Am I The Man", "Alone At Last", "Please Tell Me Why", and "(You Were Made For) All My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Ace Records collection of early work by this formative singer in soul music – titles that include "Doggin Around", "Come Back To Me", "It's So Fine", "Shake Shake Shake", "Reet Petite", "If I Can't Have You", and "So Much – plus duets with Linda Hopkins on "Do Lord" and "Shake A Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of work by funky soul diva Spanky Wilson – a set that features her full Westbound album Specialty Of The House, plus a nice array of even harder-hitting singles! Spanky first rose to fame as a gritty singer mixing jazz and soul on a series of late 60s/early 70s sides with HB Barnum, but during her Westbound years she cleaned things up a bit – taking her already-rich vocals, and turning them towards fuller backings and more soaring soul that almost hit the heights of soul singers like Marlena Shaw or Motown artists of the time. Backings penned by David Van DePitte, Paul Riser, and others gave Wilson a nicely mature sound that was a good change from her aging style of previous years – but other singles still maintained a grittier, funkier groove too – allowing for a nice range of modes during these short years at Westbound Records. This CD's the first to give full due to these overlooked years in Spanky's career – and it breaks up the core album and intersperses some of the funkier singles, plus unreleased tracks – in a blend that sounds even better than the original records! 18 tracks in all – including the break classic "Kissing My Love", plus "Shake Your Head", "Non Stop Flight", "He Called Me Baby", "Easy Lover", "Spend The Night With Me", "Missing Pieces", "I Think I'm Gonna Cry", "Standing Room Only", "Love Song", "The Downer I Get", and "I'll Stake My Life On You Boy". CD

The incredible solo start of the great Dwight Yoakam – presented here as three classic albums, along with a full record of bonus demo material and rarities too! Dwight burst on the scene with a freshness that was what country music really needed in the mid 80s – a style that both hearkened back to honky tonk greats of the past, but had also learned some of the leaner lessons of rock – yet all while not sounding anything like country rock of the previous decade either! Yoakam found a way to shake off all the nonsense that had been holding music back for years – and you'll hear the results beautifully on the classic albums inside – Guitars Cadillacs Etc, Hillbilly Deluxe, and Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room. Then, the set also features a great fourth record – So Forth & So On – with 1981 demos of tunes that include "Miner's Prayer", "I'll Be Gone", "You're The One", "This Drinkin Will Kill Me", "It Won't Hurt", and "Floyd County" – plus a duet with KD Lang on "Sin City", and the tracks "Christmas Eve With The Babylonian Cowboys" and "Long White Cadillac". CD

The incredible solo start of the great Dwight Yoakam – presented here as three classic albums, along with a full record of bonus demo material and rarities too! Dwight burst on the scene with a freshness that was what country music really needed in the mid 80s – a style that both hearkened back to honky tonk greats of the past, but had also learned some of the leaner lessons of rock – yet all while not sounding anything like country rock of the previous decade either! Yoakam found a way to shake off all the nonsense that had been holding music back for years – and you'll hear the results beautifully on the classic albums inside – Guitars Cadillacs Etc, Hillbilly Deluxe, and Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room. Then, the set also features a great fourth record – So Forth & So On – with 1981 demos of tunes that include "Miner's Prayer", "I'll Be Gone", "You're The One", "This Drinkin Will Kill Me", "It Won't Hurt", and "Floyd County" – plus a duet with KD Lang on "Sin City", and the tracks "Christmas Eve With The Babylonian Cowboys" and "Long White Cadillac". LP, Vinyl record album

The hippest side of the late 60s Latin Soul years – work from a number of tiny little New York labels – all of which are a good deal rarer than some of the bigger indies of the time! The collection here is totally great, and totally fresh – filled with numbers that were not even hits back in the day, and which are almost the Latin counterpart to funky 45s! Most work is from the Speed and Ghetto labels, with a few more bits thrown into the mix as well – and tunes are both vocal and instrumental numbers, all put together with a heck of a lot of Spanish Harlem soul! Titles include "Heavy Together" by The Real Thing, "Hot Buns" by Willy Baby, "Spanish Maiden" by Tony Middleton with Chuito & The Latin Uniques, "Oye Tomasito" by Joe Pappy & His Combo, "Fishin With Sid" by Dave Cortez & The Moon People, "Shake It Don't Break It" by Pijuan, "Sweet Soul Music" by Milton Zapata, "The Four Corners" by Frankie Nieves, and "African Guajira" by Orquesta Olivieri. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible sounds from the Chess Records catalog – not the blues that you might know the label for, but a huge range of funk, soul, and jazz tracks from the headiest years of the 60s and 70s – a time when the Chicago scene was really turning out some incredible musical hybrids! As you'd guess from the title, all the cuts here have had a new life in recent years – thanks to samples by hip hop artists or other producers – but the original grooves are even better than the tracks that used them, and come together here to make one of the most mindblowing collections of Chess material we've ever heard! The package is nicely heavy on sounds from the Cadet/Concept years of the label – with more than a few contributions from producers Charles Stepney and Richard Evans – and the package features 42 wonderful tracks – including "Fonky Thang Diamon Ring" by The Dells, "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Dorothy Ashby, "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Rotary Connection, "Jelly Jam" by Jack McDuff, "The Getaway" by Alvin Cash, "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler, "Cross Country" by Archie Whitewater, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "Go Go Power" by Sugar Pie DeSanto, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "Bad Moon Rising" by Bo Diddley, "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Be Do Da Day" by Eddie Fisher, "Humpin Bumpin & Thumpin" by Andre Williams, "Who Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Walk On By" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Chocolate Candy" by Soulful Strings, "Got To Get Your Own (7" version)" by Reuben Wilson, "Hanky's Panky (7" version)" by Shirley Scott, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Look Of Love" by Monk Higgins, and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & The Organizers. CD

The influence of Sam Cooke runs deep in American soul music – not just because Sam was one of the first great soul singers of the 60s, but also because he had a really special way of putting over a message of hope and pride! This wonderful collection really shows that influence at its best – spun out over a host of great singles, most of which were issued in the years after Cooke's untimely early death – with music that doesn't just copycat Sam's style, but embraces his inner fire, and relights the torch for a generation to come! Some tracks are covers, some are real reworkings of Cooke tunes, and others almost stand as memorial tributes to the great one – on titles that include "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" by Johnnie Taylor, "Shake" by Otis Redding, "Cupid" by RB Greaves, "I'm Gonna Forget About You" by Bobby Womack, "Pow You're In Love" by The Falcons, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Brenton Wood, "The Smile" by The Simms Twins, "Ain't That Good News" by The Supremes, "Soothe Me" by Sam & Dave, "Wonderful World" by Johnny Nash, "The Sound Of My Man" by Theola Kilgore, "Bring It On Home To Me" by Eddie Floyd, and "Meet Me At The Twistin Place" by Johnnie Morisette. CD

A fantastic introduction to the world of power pop – that tight, fast, catchy style of music that came about at the same time as punk – and which flourished for a few short years as a more tuneful take on the sound of the underground! Some of the artists here hit big in the years before, others were later smothered in the world of 80s chart hits and music videos – but for a brief, wonderful time, the record racks exploded with great singles and album tracks like these – tunes that almost were a back-to-basics approach after the era of AOR and classic rock, but without some of the sneering attitudes of punk. Most of the artists here are American, and there's a few gems here from the early 70s – key tracks that point the way towards the golden era – all captured beautifully by Ace/Big Beat with their usual detailed notes and history on the music. Titles include "Let Go" by Dirty Looks, "Come On Let's Go" by The Paley Brothers with The Ramones, "Baby It's You" by The Boys, "Nothing Comes Close" by Bill Lloyd, "Better Than Anyone Else" by The Toms, "Nuclear Boy" by 20/20, "Rock & Roll Is Dead" by The Rubinos, "One World" by Utopia, "Andy Please" by Van Duren & The Jody Stephens, "The Trains" by Nashville Ramblers, "Shake Some Action (first version)" by The Flamin Groovies, "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "I Need That Record" by The Tweeds, "Looking For The Magic" by Dwight Twilley Band, "Kerri" by Robert Johnson, "Radio Heart" by The Secrets, and "Teen Line" by The Shivvers. CD

A really rare side of the legendary De-Lite Records – served up here in a range of obscure 45s before the company exploded into bigger fame with the success of Kool & The Gang! The work here puts De-Lite right on the same level as important indies on the east coast at the turn of the 70s – and shows an especially strong ability to capture the best group styles of the period – from the sublime harmony styles being crafted in New Jersey and Philly, to some of the growing funky styles in the pre-disco years! The set's a much-needed look at this early part of the label – and also features titles on the related Red Coach label too – in a wonderful package of 25 tracks that includes "I'll Never Let You Get Away" by Universal Mind, "So Long Sweet Little Girl" by Reggie Saddler Revue, "I'm At The Breaking Point" by The Trumains, "Girl (part 1)" by Philadelphia Ambassadors, "Gotta Let Some Sunshine Into My Life" by The Exceptionals, "I'll Always Love You" by The New Cymbals, "So Fine" by The Fiestas, "The Story Of Our Love" by The Carstairs, "Love You Can't Shake It" by Reggie Saddler & The Jammers, "Nothing In The World" by The Electras, "Back On The Road Again" by Richmond International, and "Love Foundation" by Electrified Action. CD

The third volume in this wonderful series – and like the other volumes, a record that really lives up to its name! The groove here mixes together 70s roots in disco and reggae – and comes up with a cool contemporary blend that's mighty nice – held together through top-shelf production from key French talents who include Mato and Patchworks – in a groove that's nicely unified throughout! Many tunes are covers and remakes – the set includes great versions of songs by Herbie Hancock, Rolling Stones, Donna Summer, and others – but all done in these very fresh new ways that are completely unique. Titles include "Feel Like Makin Love" by The Dynamics, "Disco Illusion" by Taggy Matcher, "Melt The Night (Mato reggae rmx)" by Lucas Arruda, "Miss You (ext disco version)" by The Dynamics, "Shake It Dub (ext 12" version)" by 7 Samurai, "Cantaloupe Island" by Taggy Matcher, "Movin In The Right Direction" by Mato, and "Loev To Love You Baby" by Rosemary Martins. LP, Vinyl record album

The first volume in Sequel's great series of UK eazy groovy tracks! Like the other titles in the series, it has an amazing sense of production missing from some other loungey comps. It features loads and loads of great easy instrumental groups that made Britain one of the best places to go thrift store shopping in the 80's! Classics include "Staccato" by The Eliminators, "Revenge" by The Ray McVay Sound, "The Shake" by Laurie Johnson, "Walk on The Wild Side" by Alan Tew, "Mas Que Nada" by Sounds Orchestral and tons more! CD

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package is one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and really tells the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "Ain't That Sharp" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "Shake Daddy Shake" and "Try" by Eula Cooper, "Tumbling Down" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Now That I'm Wise" by Nathan Wilkes, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels. LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package is one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and really tells the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "Ain't That Sharp" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "Shake Daddy Shake" and "Try" by Eula Cooper, "Tumbling Down" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Now That I'm Wise" by Nathan Wilkes, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive collection of work from these important years in music – and even if you don't know or care about Gary Crowley, who's pictured on the cover, you'll find plenty to love here if you dig UK sounds from the late 70s and early 80s! As indicated by the title, the set focuses on new wave and punk tracks – which also means that there's plenty of post-punk too – and the package does a really great job of offering up music that stands the test of time, even though much of it never got much play on American airwaves back in the day – music that really helped set the tone for a generation, and whose effects are still resonating all these many years later. As with volume one, the presentation is great – a very nice package, with detailed notes – and the 2LP version features 28 titles – with work by The Times, Shake, The Limps, Newtown Neurotics, The Slits, Gary Valentine, Basement 5, Dolly Mixture, Liquid Stone, The Subterraneans, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, Zounds, The Cure, The City Limits, Moving England, The Barracudas, Penetration, X-Ray Spex, The Limit, Magazine, Golinski Brothers, The Clash, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive collection of work from these important years in music – and even if you don't know or care about Gary Crowley, who's pictured on the cover, you'll find plenty to love here if you dig UK sounds from the late 70s and early 80s! As indicated by the title, the set focuses on new wave and punk tracks – which also means that there's plenty of post-punk too – and the package does a really great job of offering up music that stands the test of time, even though much of it never got much play on American airwaves back in the day – music that really helped set the tone for a generation, and whose effects are still resonating all these many years later. As with volume one, the presentation is great – a very nice package, with detailed notes – and the 4CD set features 77 titles – with work by The Times, Shake, The Limps, Newtown Neurotics, The Slits, Gary Valentine, Basement 5, Dolly Mixture, Liquid Stone, The Subterraneans, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, Zounds, The Cure, The City Limits, Moving England, The Barracudas, Penetration, X-Ray Spex, The Limit, Magazine, Golinski Brothers, The Clash, and others. CD

Don't be fooled by the title, because the music here isn't really techno – but more the roots of techno – pulled from an array of older jazz, soul, house, and club recordings – brought together in a weird mix of styles by Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig! There's still a relatively dancefloor-heavy vibe on the tracks – and many of the numbers are ones that predate the use of the word techno, but feature elements that would grow to much greater importance as the genre exploded in the 90s. Part B of the vinyl version features 11 tracks that include "Journey In Satchidananda" by Alice Coltrane, "NTT DoCoMo" by Arpanet, "Sea Shake" by Drexciya, "Join In The Chant" by Nitzer Ebb, "It's A War" by Kano, "Dance Boy Dance" by Alexander Robotnick, "Bettino's Bounce" by Funkadelic, "No More Words" by Yello, "Disco Circus" by Martin Circus, and "Burning (MK club edit)" by MK. LP, Vinyl record album

Beat digging heroes Kon & Amir return with a diverse, funky treasure trove of rare dancefloor anthems, rarer disco soul and African boogie cuts – possibly the best yet in their Off Track series for BBE! The east coast duo have dedicated each title in the series to an NYC borough, and Brooklyn is honored this time out – but there's a world of rare and underground club funk & soul presented here! Includes African disco & soul records with all regions dancefloor appeal, raw percussion and bass accented numbers that are tight and punchy and others with a more soaring approach, all of it totally wonderful and hard-to-find – including some we've seen or heard before! The vinyl version features 2LPs with unmixed tracks, with Kon's selections on 2 sides and Amir's on 2 sides – some featured on the mixed 2CD versions plus alternate tracks! Kon's selections include "Burnin Up" (Kon's edit) by SFB, "From The Heart" (Kon's Multi rmx) by Donny McCuillough, "Rock Don't Stop" by Taxie, "More Power To You" by Mazyck Project, "Lost In Space" by Shake and "EOD" by Edge Of Daybreak. Kon's selections include "Enjoy Your Life" by Oby Onyioha, "Disco Power" by Bomp, "You Can't Change A Man" by Christy Essien Igbokwe, "Sexy Dancer" by Harry Mosco and "Don't Ask Me" by Goddy Oku. LP, Vinyl record album

Two groundbreaking collections in one cool package! Volume 3 is one of our favorite volumes in the London Is The Place For Me collection – and a brilliant batch of work that criss-crosses West African, West Indian, and postwar jazz styles! Most of the recordings here were done under the leadership of Ambrose Adekoya Campbell – a transplant to London from Lagos in the postwar year, and an artist who had a huge influence on the changing rhythms of his scene. Campbell mixed styles of his roots with those of the larger London community around him – in a way that let in more Latin and Caribbean influences to more traditional African styles – often using guitar in a high-life styled way, but also bringing in some key jazz phrasings as well. Titles include "We Have It In Africa", "Iku Koni Payin", "I Am A Stranger", "Lagos Mambo", "Ela Da Awa", "and "Calabar-O" by West African Rhythm Brothers; "The Wind In A Frolic" and "Unity" by Nigerian Union Rhythm Group; "Ibikunle Alakija" by Ayinde Bakare & His Meranda Orchestra; and "Late Ojo Davies" and "Geneva Conference" by West African Rhythm Stars. Volume 4 features a collection of incredible work from the postwar, post-colonial years in the UK! As with other volumes, there's an array of Carribean and African influences at work here – often highly rhythmic and performed with lots of percussion, but also served up in ways that has the original modes coming into contact with more contemporary UK styles! Most of the work here was recorded in London, but overflowing with global styles that include mentos, high life, calypso, Latin, and even a bit of jazz – played by an array of artists who all found new means of expression in the capital. Titles include "Mambo Indio" by Shake Keane, "Alphonso In Town" by Lord Kitchener, "Give Her The No 1" by Eric Hayden, "Khauleza" by Dorothy Masuka, "Chicken & Rice" by Young Tiger, "Egyptian Bint Al Cha Cha" by Ginger Johnson, "Don't You Go Away" by Cab Kaye, "Highlife Piccadilly" by The African Messengers, "Darling Don't Say No" by Nat Akins, "African Jazz Cha Cha" by Ginger Johnson, "Piccadilly Folk" by Lord Kitchener, and "Ilu Oyinbo Dara" by Victor Coker. CD

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

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

A heady batch of work from the Miami scene of the 70s – all of it from the legendary TK Records family of labels, headed up by superproducer Henry Stone! Over the years, some folks have taken Henry to task for his operational strategies – but there's no denying that he's a key figure in helping the sound of the south move from the 60s into the 70s – picking up plenty of funk and sophistication along the way! The set's overflowing with classics from Stone's empire at the time – including many cuts that have been sampled or reworked heavily in recent decades – titles that include "I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff" by Vicki Anderson, "Miami Funk" by The Funky Bunch, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "Sleep On Dream On" by Raphael Munnings, "Smokin & Drinkin" by James Brown, "Miss Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "The Rub" by George & Gwen McCrae, "Funkadelic Sound" by Little Beaver, "Future Place" by Jimmy Castor, "I Like My Birdie" by Leon Phillips, "Throwdown" by The King Tutt Band, "Back From The Dead" by Bobby Byrd, "Shake N Bump (part 1)" by Snoopy Dean, and "You're The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" by Timmy Thomas. LP, Vinyl record album

A great batch of 60s and 70s jazz dance slammers – featuring a mixture of soul jazz, Latin jazz, and hardbop that all fits pretty darn nicely together! Titles include "Jeannine" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Senor Blues" by Mark Murphy, "Mishugana Mambo" by Slim Gaillard, "Buh's Bossa" by Art Blakey, "Selim" by Johnny Lytle, "Swing 39" by Barney Wilen, "Russian Lullaby" by Jimmy Rushing, "Let's Get It On" by The Sonny Knight Quartette, "Where's My Kids" by Dominic Frontiere, and "Chega De Saudade" by Dizzy Gillespie. CD

The title's certainly got it right – as the set's overflowing with killer UK tracks from a time when the scene was heavily influenced by American soul, jazz, blues, and R&B – served up here on a host of singles that go way past the bigger names of that generation, and which really show the diversity and complexity of the underground groups who were making London hum in the mid 60s! And despite a strong influence from America, most of these acts aren't just aping music from our shores, and instead are already taking it to new and exciting places – using core elements in very different ways, at a level that would end up being a path forward for prog, psych, and other styles to come! The limited 2LP set features 34 tracks in all – and titles include "Oh Yeah" by The Others, "Unchain My Heart" by Trendbender Band, "Work Song" by James Royal, "I Still Want You" by Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, "Things She Says" by The In Crowd, "Crawdaddy Simone" by The Syndicats, "That Driving Beat" by The Favourite Sons, "I Take What I Want" by The Artwoods, "Number One" by Stormsville Shakers, "See Saw" by The Union, "Ain't Love Good" by Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound, "Gotta Brand New Man" by Barry St Loun, "Last Night" by Laurel Aitken & The Soul Men, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Wynder K Frog, "Something For Nothing" by Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, "Good Lovin Never Hurt" by The Soul Brothers, "Hold On" by Ruperts People, and "She's A Girl" by The Attraction. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky blues treasures from the late 60s & early 70s – a once-scoffed at movement from a period when aging blues stars and purist blues fans alike were hesitant to accept their beloved style modernized in a funky fashion – but the best of it stands up today as some of the coolest and most unique funk, blues and soul of the era! BGP does a terrific job here of digging a bit deeper then some the more famous blues funk fusions, with numbers by Slim Green, Al King, Icewater Slim, Little Milton, The Johnny Otis Show, Al King, Big Daddy Rucker, Buddy Guy and more. 21 tracks in all: "Shake 'Em Up" by Slim Green, "It Took A Long Time" by Finis Tasby, "I'm Not The Best" by Buddy Guy, "Tough Competition" by Ray Agee, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "Playing On Me" by Albert King, "Good Feeling" by Freddy Robinson, "Welcome Home" by Lowell Fulson, "Comin' At Ya Baby" by The Johnny Otis Show, "That's What Love Will Make You Do" by Little Milton and more. CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation! We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash, plus "Home Brew" by Miles Grayson, "Just Sitting" by Smithstonian, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "Hi Off Life" by Eternal Flames, "Give Me Another Chance" by The Uniques, "Hold On" by Lorenzo Holden, "Free The Soul Man" by La May & Company, "Little Boy Blue" by The Phillips Brothers, "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?" by Big Daddy Green, "Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)" by Smokey Wilson, "Can't Buy Soul" by Hebrew Rogers, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Face To Face" by The Explosions, and "Turn Around & Go" by Lee Bernard. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer cuts from the glory days of King Records – material from that second generation of the label, when their earlier blend of hillbilly and R&B made King a perfect platform for the new sounds of rockabilly and rock and roll! The package does a great job of digging in deep to the King catalog – and includes material from sub-labels that include Federal, Audio Lab, and DeLuxe – with lots of rare 45s that never get the sort of proper reissue that you'll find in this great Bear Family series! As with other volumes, the choice of cuts is wonderful, and the detailed notes really illuminate the music – a stunning set list of 31 titles that include "Nothing Like This" by Cecil McNabb, "All Star Boy" by Al Henderson, "Jug Band Jump" by Delbert Barker, "Whistle Of The Gravy Train" by Bobby Grove, "Pony Tail Partner" by Bing Day, "Oh Baby Dance With Me" by Gene Stewart, "Shake Shake" by The Blue Tones, "What Is Your Technique" by Ronnie Speeks & His Elrods, "Guitar Pickin Fool" by Teddy Humphries, "Gotta Make Her Mine" by Ronny Wade, "Peg Pants" by Bill Beach, "Grandaddy's Rockin" by Mac Curtis, and "Everybody's Lovin My Baby" by Charlie Feathers. CD

An amazing collection of funky nuggets – one that's overflowing with hip soul, funk, and break tracks! The set's the second in a series put together by the staff of London's Soul Brother Records – and like the first, it features some of the most sought-after rare grooves and sample tracks from the 70s – a rich array of titles from a variety of different labels, all collected with a keen ear for the older tracks that are still breaking big well into the 21st Century! And since these guys also run a record store themselves, they've gone way past the obvious – and have chosen an all-essential batch of tunes that aren't easily available on the market, including some killer tracks from major labels that we've been waiting years to see reissued. Titles include "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright, "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More" by Kellee Patterson, "Sho Nuff" by Sly Slick & Wicked, "All I Want Is You" by Four Flights, "Live For Love" by GC Cameron, "I Feel So At Home Here" by Michelle Wiley, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "My Music" by Samuel Jonathan Johnson, "Heaven" by Ruth Copeland, "It's Got To Be Mellow (1976)" by Leon Mellow, "Making Room For Love" by Alton McClain & Destiny, and "When We're Makin Love" by Denise LaSalle. LP, Vinyl record album

The title's almost redundant – as the words "Westbound" and "Funk" mean virtually the same thing! From the late 60s through the mid 70s, Westbound was one of the key record labels in the sound of raw heavy funk – working with hit groups like Funkadelic and the Ohio Players to craft a sound that laid the blueprint for countless other groups of the time, and also featuring a wealth of obscurer artists with an even harder-hitting sound! The key styles of Westbound and related jazz label Eastbound were heavy and fuzzy ones – picking up off the heady and trippy styles of the late 60s Detroit scene, mixing things up with MC5 guitars, Norman Whitfield bass, and deep underground Tribe-styled jazz touches. This 20 track masterpiece is a brilliant summation of the important Westbound sound – and includes a few hits, some funky 45 classics, and an even bigger number of tracks we might not have heard otherwise! The notes are great, the tunes are super-funky, and the whole thing's one of the best funky collections you could ever hope to purchase. Titles include "You're Messing Up My Mind" by Albert Washington, "Back To Funk" by Robert Lowe, "You Caught Me Smilin" by The 19th Whole, "Conga Man" by King Errison, "Shake Your Head" by Spanky Wilson, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Mighty Elegant, "Crazy Legs" by Donald Austin, "Stone Thing (part 1)" by Alvin Cash, "RPM" by Boots, "Funky World (part 1)" by Silky Vincent, "Get Funky Sweet A Little Bit" by Jackie Harris & The Exciters, "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic, and "Why Not Start All Over Again" by The Counts. LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of feeling here from Lurrie Bell – a Chicago bluesman who still holds onto the deepest sound of the scene from years back – especially the modes of that late 60s moment where the Chicago electric sound was really finding a wider voice! Bell's a bit too tight to be an early Chess player, but he's also got a rawer edge than some of his other contemporaries on different labels – a nice sense of grit in both his vocals and guitar work, given string support by a sweet small combo in a similar vibe. Titles include "Sinner's Prayer", "Blues Is Trying To Keep Up With Me", "Drifting", "One Eyed Woman", "Do You Hear", "Hidden Charms", and "Faith & Music". CD

A Caribbean group, but one with a much heavier groove than most – much more of a West African vibe overall, with a very heady mix of percussion, bass, and other heady elements! There's a mixed-up, dubby approach to the music that almost recalls Cymande at times – core musical ideas taken nicely far from their roots – not in a way to make them more commercial, but just to shake things up, recombine then, and come up with a sound that's wonderfully unique! The whole thing is every bit as funky as you might expect, and really criss-crosses scenes and styles with a blend of percussion, guitars, flute, kalimba, keyboards, and Arp. The production is great – nice and moody, with just the right current of echo – and all titles were penned by lead singer Oluko Imo, with tracks that include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala". This edition also features the bonus track "Imo". LP, Vinyl record album

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A record that's nicely lean and focused compared to some of the darker, moodier records from this Polish group – almost as if they've shaken out a few layers in the mix, and focused a bit more on some of the acoustic elements in their lineup! There's still plenty of the deep bass guitar lines that made previous records so bold – handled here by Wuja HZG – and Latarnik plays a range of keyboards that are both acoustic and electric – yet these are often offset by saxophone contributions from OlafSaxx, who himself brings in some keyboards too – almost using them with an understanding of how they balance his instrument. The group's completed by percussion from Cancer G, who brings in some beats as well – on titles that include "Ignorancja", "Umiar", "Chryja", "Hipokryzja", "Farmazon", and "Mitomania". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most ambitious album ever recorded by Blu – a cool collaboration with Nottz that takes the duo's work into even more righteous territory than before – as you might guess from the album's cover and title! The title's reference to the homeland is very well-pointed – as the songs have a thematic unity that links past greatness with contemporary struggles, all delivered with a sense of focus and cohesion that almost makes the whole record feel like a lost nugget from the glory days of the early 90s scene! Guests include G Kidd, Scienze, Ayun Bassa, Black Shakespeare, and many others – on titles that include "Mama", "Marcus Garvey", "Mungu", "Jina Langu", "Kuwakaribisha", "Baba", and "Matunda Marufuku". CD

Maybe the most ambitious album ever recorded by Blu – a cool collaboration with Nottz that takes the duo's work into even more righteous territory than before – as you might guess from the album's cover and title! The title's reference to the homeland is very well-pointed – as the songs have a thematic unity that links past greatness with contemporary struggles, all delivered with a sense of focus and cohesion that almost makes the whole record feel like a lost nugget from the glory days of the early 90s scene! Guests include G Kidd, Scienze, Ayun Bassa, Black Shakespeare, and many others – on titles that include "Mama", "Marcus Garvey", "Mungu", "Jina Langu", "Kuwakaribisha", "Baba", and "Matunda Marufuku". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Stomp Your Stuff", "Alley Rat", "Sweet Papa", "Shake Your Shimmy", and "Wild Man Stomp". 7-inch, Vinyl record

A percussion record, but one with a very different twist – as the set was done both in collaboration with dancer Tonny Kennybrew, and based on his sense of motion – and it was done at the end of the 80s, and features a very cool mix of both acoustic and electric instrumentation! Percussionist Jean-Pierre Boistel handles a nice array of instruments at the core – kalimba, quinto, congas, bass tambours, bells, berimbau, shakers, and many other percussion elements – and at times, he uses computer-assisted programs to help line up the acoustic sounds, but in ways that hardly make them sound like some lame drum machine beats at all. Instead, there's a richly organic quality to the record – spare and lean, but nicely focused too. Titles include "Vas Y Peter", "C'Est A Sete", "A Capucine", "Des Perce Boys", and "Dans Le Secret & Clepsydre". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio that really lives up to its name – given that the lineup features three of the most dynamic figures in free jazz over the past few decades! The set was recorded in Chicago, and has a sound that really lives up to that city's embrace of a power trio like this – with completely frenetic work on reeds by Mars Williams, next to tumultuous drums from Paal Nilssen-Love, and some boldly propulsive bass from Kent Kessler – all spun out here over the course of three very long, freely-improvised tracks! Williams plays a few toy instruments, and Nilssen-Love handles some percussion too – both of which make for some slightly more introspective passages, which are soon balanced by more dynamic energy. Titles include "Miakoda", "Lovin The Buzz", and "Echo Clang". CD

Boneshaking music from this mighty bold trio – a lineup that features lots of stunning reedwork from the late Mars Williams, alongside bass from Kent Kessler and drums from Paal Nilssen-Love – both artists who do a great job of coming on strong when needed, then laying back to allow for more sensitive sonic interplay! The vibe's a bit like some of the classic Okka Disk performances from all players, but also shows how much they've evolved as well – especially Williams, whose later work is always so amazing. Mars also plays some toy instruments as well – and titles include "Preantepenultimate", "Oculoplania", "Mallemaroking", and "Brontide". CD

Tracks include "Break Dancer", "A Fly Girl", "Do Or Die", "Shake & Break", and "Party Asteroid". 8 tracks total. LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased material from the farther reaches of David Bowie's 90s years – some surprisingly great work that really stands out! The set features two great live tracks recorded at the Shakespeare Festival in New York in 1995 – "My Death" and "A Small Plot Of Land" – plus an alternate single mix of "I Have Not Been To Oxford Town", and the early song "Johnny Downloader" – which later transformed into "I'm Afraid Of Americans". LP, Vinyl record album

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Binker Golding on saxphone, Henry Kaiser & N.O. Moore on guitar, Olie Brice on double bass, and Eddie Prevost on percussion. CD

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Put aside all the brick and stone references in the title, as these guys have a wonderfully warm and welcoming vocal approach – one that mixes their rich-ranged harmonies with some gentle beats on the bottom – all at a level that never shakes things up too much, and really just lets the group find that sort of flow that works best with their harmony style! Many tracks have the lead really soaring out, with the other two voices flowing nicely behind, as all three wrap together in wonderful ways – on titles that include "That Honey", "Darlin Darlin", "Say U Like", "Old Fashion Love", "I'll B Your River", "Heaven Help Us All", "Special Way", and "I Wanna B Good". CD

Glen Brown rhythms, King Tubby mixing, and a set of really wonderful dubs – all pulled from unreleased tapes from the vaults – and served up with a superb sound throughout! These aren't throwaway cuts – as the core elements are from the roots years of Brown's music – with instrumentation from Tommy McCook on tenor and flute, Vin Gordon on trombone, Ansell Collins and Earl Lindo on keyboards, Lloyd Willis and Jeffrey Chung on guitars, Aston Barrett and Robbie Shakespear on basses, and Glen Brown himself on melodica, percussion, guitar, and more keyboards! Tubby's touches are wonderful – really dubbing things out, yet keeping a soulful roots mode at the core – never insulting the righteous energy with too much trickery, but definitely amping things up a lot too. Titles include "The Collie Man", "Dub Happening", "Dubs Lives", "Prince On Dubs", "Hit Me Forward", "The Clean Dub", and "Trouble Not Dub". CD

Glen Brown rhythms, King Tubby mixing, and a set of really wonderful dubs – all pulled from unreleased tapes from the vaults – and served up with a superb sound throughout! These aren't throwaway cuts – as the core elements are from the roots years of Brown's music – with instrumentation from Tommy McCook on tenor and flute, Vin Gordon on trombone, Ansell Collins and Earl Lindo on keyboards, Lloyd Willis and Jeffrey Chung on guitars, Aston Barrett and Robbie Shakespear on basses, and Glen Brown himself on melodica, percussion, guitar, and more keyboards! Tubby's touches are wonderful – really dubbing things out, yet keeping a soulful roots mode at the core – never insulting the righteous energy with too much trickery, but definitely amping things up a lot too. Titles include "The Collie Man", "Dub Happening", "Dubs Lives", "Prince On Dubs", "Hit Me Forward", "The Clean Dub", and "Trouble Not Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

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