A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best Joe Lee Wilson album you can ever get! Joe Lee Wilson's got a spiritual jazz vocal style that's in the vein of Leon Thomas, but which often falls short of Thomas' greatness on other recordings – yet here, though, he's totally great – hitting a beautifully soulful vein that's totally righteous, and which really delivers on the promise you'll hear on his other records. The group's quite tight – the Bond Street combo, which includes Fielder Floyd on trumpet, Monty Waters on alto and soprano, and Shiroh Mori on guitar – and the session was released by the hard-to-find Why Not imprint of the Japanese label Trio, making it one of the more obscure records in Wilson's catalog. The set steps off with an amazing take on Billy Gault's "Mode For Trane" – and other titles include "Song For My Father", "One ", "Four", and "Sophisticated Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Jackie Wilson, Len Barry, The Chiffons, Shirley Ellis, Music Explosion, Roy Head, The Surfaris, Isley Brothers, Dion, The Champs, The Kingsmen, Ikettes, Four Pennies, Jarmels, and The Shirelles. LP, Vinyl record album

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A classic album in the mode of soul jazz piano grooviness that put Les on the map, even back in the early days! The album was recorded live at The Bit, on the Sunset Strip, in LA – and it features Les' classic group with Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums. Tracks are short and groovy – and titles include "The Shout", "Set Call", "Jubilation", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

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A little bit funk, a little bit soul – Mickey Murray was one of the underrated talents working in the SSS label during the company's glory years, and had a sock-hard southern soul style that was really outta site! Mickey first hit big with the tune "Shout Bamalama" – originally recorded by Otis Redding in his earliest years in the studio, but pushed to much bigger fame by Mickey with his classic late 60s recording. This tasty little set is done in a great mix of upbeat sockin-soul and mellower southern burners – all carried off with a depth and level of quality that should have made Mickey a bigger star at the time! Titles include the massively funky "Hit Record", plus "How many Breaks Can One Heart Take", "Got You On My Mind", and the eerie "Lonely Room". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few great sides cut for Okeh by the legendary Vibrations – and one of the hardest! The group has a nice strong Northern sound on most of the cuts, with storming vocals that alternate harmony parts and raw hard solos. Uptempo groovers include "End Up Crying", "Talkin 'Bout Love", "Watusi Time", "Ain't Love That Way", and "Sloop Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last full recordings from Johnny Guitar Watson – and a surprisingly great little set that still stands strongly with some of his last funky records from the early 80s! The vibe is slightly contemporary – with some touches of 90s R&B in the production – but Watson's vocals still have that wonderful sense of charm that glides along with his sweet guitar lines – in ways that are plenty great, even amidst the changed-up rhythms. Titles include "Bob Wow", "Johnny G Is Back", "My Funk", "Time Change", "Hook Me Up", and "I Don't Think So". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album of Memphis soul – and a full length set that helped redefine the sound of instrumental music in the 60s! The record's a monumental follow-up to Booker T & The MGs' huge hit single "Green Onions" – an extremely seductive organ-based instrumental that the band cooked up while just messing around in the studio – and it's filled with other organ-heavy grooves played by this tight Memphis quartet – a group who were just starting out at this point, but already had a sound that's unlike anyone else! The work of Booker T is especially nice – Hammond with a bit more punch than other combos of this nature – backed by some wicked guitar from Steve Cropper, bass from Lewis Steinberg, and drums from Al Jackson. The set features a nice mix of covers and original tunes – with titles that include "Green Onions", "I Got A Woman", "Twist & Shout", "Lonely Avenue", "Comin Home Baby", "Mo Onions", "Behave Yourself", and "Rinky Dink". LP, Vinyl record album

The Drawbars definitely work here with more than just one finger – and they deliver a really great groove, with a style that's a nice change from some of their contemporaries! Part of the trio's uniqueness lies in the vintage keyboards handled by Chris Haertel – who has a way of going for tones that are nicely less familiar, and sometimes delivered with a spacious approach that's a cool change from just jamming work on organ or piano! The rhythms are often equally laidback, yet still tight and funky – served up with bass from David Nesselhauf and drums from Julian Gutjahr – on titles that include "Art Form", "Shout", "Two Face", "Cat Call", "One Finger Only", "Let's Do It Again", "Skyline", and "One Twenty Five". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Question Mark & The Mysterians – even more obscure than the first, and harder and heavier too! There's an energy and brashness here that's undeniable – like the group have really gotten their isht together – and found a way to push past the simple melodic groove of their debut! All the best elements from that set are still in place – the cool organ, Question Mark's almost-conversational vocals – and the garagey production that makes the guitars sound great. But there's also a focus that comes through strongly – like the combo were really finding the right way to interact – no doubt after a string of club performances on the strength of their singles! Titles include a long take on "Shout", plus "Do You Feel It", "Smokes", "Hangin On A String", "Got To", "I'll Be Back", and "Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A very wild album from Ricardo Ray – sort of a mix of Latin soul styles in the mode of work by Mongo Santamaria, but a lot more messed up! The album's got a number of 60s soul covers – but they're done here by Ricardo in kind of a party Latin mode, touched with a bit of garage soul vocals, in a way that makes the whole album quite upbeat and playful throughout – filled with non-stop groovers that keep on delivering the goods! Our favorite cut is the original "Soul Mexico", which has this storming chanting verse, that then unwinds into a totally catchy chorus with overlapping melodic lines – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "Ya Ya", "I Want You To Be My Girl", "Mony Mony", "Shout", and "Soul Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great session from Sonny Stitt – and one with a slightly different vibe than usual! That vibe comes from the work of two Latin percussionists – Marcelino Valdez on congas and Osvaldo Martinez on bongos – both of whom really a a lot to the groove next to the drums of Herbie Lovelle – a rich bottom end that's maybe more Afro-styled than conventional Latin jazz! The mighty Ronnie Mathews is on piano, Herbie Lovell plays bass, and Stitt blows tenor throughout – on great titles that include "Blue Blood Ritual", "Slave Maidens", "Island Shout", and "Barefoot Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Fantasy Records soundtrack – put together to accompany the Ralph Bakshi feature-length cartoon Heavy Traffic! The feel is similar to the Fritz The Cat soundtrack – in that the movie features some original music penned for the film, plus a fair bit of other tracks by better-known artists – all slipped into the movie as a sort of pop culture pastiche! As you might guess, we're partial to the original tracks – penned mostly by Ed Bogas, and featuring some organ and keyboards by Merl Saunders. These tunes include "Angie's Theme", "Carol's Theme", "What You Sow", "Heavy Traffic", "Cartoon Time", and "Scarborough Street Fair". Other titles include "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck, "Maybelline" by Chuck Berry, "Twist & Shout" by The Isley Brothers, and "Scarborough Fair" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of 60s work by James – one that goes way past the hits, to show the birth of the funky style that would forever be James' calling card in the 70s! The package starts in the earlier King R&B years – with tracks that are hard and soulful, yet which also have a unique approach to rhythm that was the beginning of Brown's experiments in funk. As the set moves on, it runs through an assortment of 60s hard soul styles – with touches of soul jazz, sock-boogaloo, and more – all coming together to serve up a great portrait of James' early genius! The package has a number of wonderful vocal cuts, some instrumental bits, and even some rare studio dialogue – and it features tracks pulled from a number of rare singles and long out of print LPs, complete with a killer booklet too! Titles include "Fine Old FoxySelf", "Doodle Bug", "This Old Heart", "You've Got The Power", "I Want You So Bad", "I Don't Care", "Shout & Shimmy", "Mashed Potatoes USA", "Maybe The Last Time", "Oh Baby Don't You Weep (parts 1 & 2)", "Just Won't Do Right", "And I Do Just What I Want", "Hold It", "Begging Begging", "That Dood It", and "Chonnie On Chon". 32 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic double-live set from Kiss – issued almost hot on the heels of their Kiss Alive album, and equally great! The group are at the height of their 70s power here – searing through versions of "Detroit Rock City", "I Stole Your Love", "Beth", "God Of Thunder", "Calling Dr Love", "Christine Sixteen", "Hard Luck Woman", "Makin Love", "Love Gun", "King Of The Night Time World", "Ladies Room", "Any Way You want It", "Larger Than Life", and "Shout It Out Loud". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Kiss – the set that really broke them out of the hard rock underground and firmly put them on the rock and roll map – thanks to an all-great set list, and overall presentation of the group at their best! Maybe it's the cover image, but there's a rock-solid quality to the record that seems to make this set stand out just a bit more from the group's 70s classics – a balance between hard rockers, crossover cuts, and even the album's lone ballad, "Beth" which certainly won over a few fans who might have been holding out a bit – nestled alongside other tunes that include "Detroit Rock City", "King Of The Night Time World", "God Of Thunder", "Flaming Youth", "Shout It Out Loud", "Sweet Pain", and "Do You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An early American release on Capitol – kind of a "catch up" album that brings together material before the label had rights for US issue of their records! Titles include "Twist & Shout", "Love Me Do", "Anna", "Chains", "Ask Me Why", "Please Please Me", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "PS I Love You", and "Baby It's You". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "D.O.A.", "Bustin Out (On Funk)", "The Get Fresh Crew", "Back In The Dayz", "If I Was Your Man", "Come In From The Rain", "I Need My Woman Tonight", "Check It Out", "The History", "Imagine Me Just Pumpin It Up", "You Make Me Wanna Shout", "The Money Grip", "There's Nothing Better", "I Love Myself", "No", "Vida Mia", and "Peace To New York". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky soul classic from the Fantastic Johnny C – a hard and heavy Philadelphia winner from the end of the 60s, and the kind of record that really gave Stax and Atlantic a run for their money! Johnny C's working here with some great hard soul production from Jesse James – grooving in a way that's heavy on the back beat – following in the style of similar late 60s work from Wilson Pickett and Dyke & The Blazers. Like Dyke, Johnny's album has a rolling groove that's a great precursor to funk in years to come – and like Wilson, Johnny's vocals are very on top of the mix – shoutin' and beltin' all the way through, in a really solid sock-soul groove! Titles include the hit "Boogaloo Down Broadway", plus "Cool Broadway, "Got What You Need", "Baby I Need You", "Shout Bamalama", and "The Bounce". LP, Vinyl record album

Teddy Pendergrass follows up the style of Lou Rawls' double live album for Philly International – and goes for a very similar mix of modes that showcases all his charm and soulful spirit! The 2LP set features material recorded in both Philly and LA – with a fair bit of Teddy's working the audience along with the tunes. And as an added bonus, side 4 of the album also features radio interview material with Teddy, plus a few new studio tracks for the set – a nice addition, but one that also makes us wonder why, after 2 locations of live recording, they couldn't get together enough concert material for the record! Titles include "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Only You", "Turn Off The Lights", "Do Me", "Close The Door", "Come Go With Me", "Where Did All The Lovin Go", "Get UP Get Down Get Funky Get Loose", "When Somebody Loves You Back", "Shout & Scream", "It's You I Love", and "LA Rap". LP, Vinyl record album

One of AK Salim's far-reaching "jazz suites" from the late 50s. This one focuses on the bluer side of jazz, and features some excellent soloists – like Seldon Powell on flute and tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Phil Woods on alto – all playing long soulful passages on Salim originals like "Payday", "Joybox", "Full Moon", and "Blu-Shout". The set's not as modernist oriented as similar work by some of Salim's contemporaries – still with an overall conception, but somewhat more looser swinging – and like some of AK's best other sessions from the time, has a feel that's quite like some of Slide Hampton's leaner, more soul jazz moments. LP, Vinyl record album

Jack Teagarden sings and swings on trombone – that unique groove that was a key updating of his trad style in these later years! As you might guess from the title, the album's made mostly of tunes from spiritual sources – swung in tighter jazzy styles by arranger Van Alexander, who brings in some occasional vocal chorus bits from time to time – sung by doo wop legends The Five Keys! But Jack's almost always in the lead – hitting a crackling, honest sort of warmth, whether on vocals or trombone – on titles that include "This Train", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Sing & Shout", "Deep River", and "Goin Home". LP, Vinyl record album

That's "bards" of prey, not birds of pray – a great selection of country singers, really doing their best on a well-chosen batch of unusual material! There's some of the slight doom/gloom themes going on here that you'll find in other material from the Hillbillies In Hell series – but there's also maybe a more expansive ear for the music too, maybe more thoughtfulness for the quality of the vocals instead of the oddness of the tune – an effort that we can wholeheartedly endorse! Titles include "Afraid To Rock The Boat" by Roy Clark, "The Little Bird" by John D Loudermilk, "Hell Walks The Street" by Shirl Milete, "Ballad Of Black Mountain" by Mac Curtis, "These Boots Are Made For Walkin" by Hayden Thompson, "Sing & Shout" by T Tommy & The Chanters, "Hell Bound Train" by David Rodgers, "Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down" by Slim & Zella Mae Cox, and "Listen To The Devil Laugh" by Dave Baker. And oddly, a few tracks here are repeated in other versions, by other singers too! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren, "Bring The Noise" and "The Public" by Public Enemy, "You Gots To Chill" by EPMD, "Sally" by Stetsasonic, "Big Mouth" by Whodini, "Top Billin" by Audio Two, "I Got A Good Thing" by Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, "Jenifa" by De La Soul, and "Twist & Shout" and "Shake Your Thing" by Salt N Pepa. LP, Vinyl record album

A darn hard to find album by James – one with a tight soulful R&B groove that just about never lets up! Even on these early albums, James had a great raw sound, with a kind of funk that wasn't his trademark 70s sound, but which is still nice and tasty. Titles include "Shout & Shimmy", "Dancin Little Thing", "It Was You", "Come Over Here", "Begging, Begging", and "Tell Me What You're Gonna Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Purely classic 60s gems from Tommy James & The Shondells – kicking off with the all time great pop title track – and featuring loads of tunes that are nearly as wonderful! The group were hit radio kings at the time, and they cover some great ones by others, too, like "California Sun" and " Shout" – and the set's filled with excellent, head of the pack pop tunes like "Trust Each Other In Love", "Baby Let Me Down", "I Like The Way", "Gone, Gone, Gone", "Mirage", "Let's Be Lovers" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Nice lively set of soul jazz tracks, recorded with much more of an open-ended groove than some of Les' other 60s sessions. The whole thing was caught live in DC in the mid 60s, a fact that's nicely emphasized by a groovy image of Les on the cover, with the Capitol tower coming out of his head, and by the photo of Les and LBJ shaking hands on the back! Nice tracks include "The Shout", "Colonel Rykken's Southern Fried Chicken", and "Goin Out Of My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy lost relic of the Chicago studio jazz scene of the 60's. Trombonist Dave Remington leads a groovy pop jazz band that includes Les Hooper on drums, John Klemmer on tenor, and Irene Kral on vocals. There's a number of nice tracks that have a cool soundtrack sound to them, especially cuts like "Unlit Room" and "Without Rhyme Or Reason", which have very swingin' vocals by Kral. Kind of a mix between Hugo Montenegro and the Clarke/Boland Big Band – and with a very groovy groove. Other cuts include "Lonly Pircus", "Here's Hoyle", "March Winds", and "Last Summer's Spell". LP, Vinyl record album

Shoutin is right – as the album's a wailer all the way through, one of the few jazz albums cut by Texas tenor giant Don Wilkerson – best known to crowds at the time for his work with the Ray Charles group, but really stepping out here in a different way for Blue Note! The album has Don blowing in a freely gutsy style – working with a crack soul jazz quartet that includes Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on organ, and Ben Dixon on drums – all key players that help Wilkerson get past any of the hoke of the Ray Charles sound, and into a groove that's made the record a standout Blue Note classic for years! Tracks are all longish, and titles include "Blues For J", "Cookin With Clarence", "Movin Out", "Happy John", and "Sweet Cakes". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy dig through the vaults of Savoy Records – with great material by Nappy Brown, Chicago Carl Davis, Eddie Mack, H-Bomb Ferguson, and Gatemouth Moore! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of 60s Basie – one that focuses on the writing and arranging talents of the great Neal Hefti! Hefti's one of our favorite soundtrack composers of the decade, but in the years before his film fame, he was a frequent partner of Basie – and this album marks one of their greatest collaborations together. The tunes are very much in the "loud, then soft, then loud" mode that Hefti pioneered with Basie's angular group of the 50s – but they've also got some of the warmer, more whimsical touches that Neal would explore more fully in his later soundtrack work too. The result is a classic Basie session, but with plenty of surprises – featuring a fresh batch of tunes that includes "Jump For Johnny", "Ducky Bumps", "Rose Bud", "Shanghaied", "Together Again", and "Eee Dee". LP, Vinyl record album

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A British art rock jam session, more or less, pulled together by Soft Machine bassist Kevin Ayers, who recruited Eno, John Cale and Nico, former bandmate Robert Wyatt, the enigmatic Rabbit (John Bundrick) on keyboards – more well known for his work with the Who – plus Mike Oldfield on guitar and a number of other guests and co-conspirators. A nice document of the scene a the time, with concise performances and a much tighter feel than you might imagine given the circumstances of the recording. 9 numbers in all, including "Driving Me Backwards", "Baby's On Fire", "Heartbreak Hotel", "The End", "May I?", "Shouting IN A Bucket Blues", "Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes", "Everybody's Sometime And Some People's All The Time Blues" and "Two Goes Into Four". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums in the career of Chico Buarque – and one of the best-remembered too! Os Saltimbancos is a children's play adapted by Buarque from original text by Sergio Bardotti – set to music by Luiz Enriquez Bacalov, and recorded in both Rome and Rio! Most of the album is spoken, with narration by Magro from MPB-4 – and the story is about some unhappy animals that are on their way to the big city to become musicians! The donkey (played by Magro) gets tired of doing hard labor and meets a dog (played by Ruy, another of the MPB-4 guys), a cat (played hilariously by Nara Leao), and a hen (Miucha, the sister of Chico Buarque). The music is pretty strange, and some of the tracks have a sound that's actually kind of avant-poetry, with lots of strange sounds, shouts, and whispers – in a manner that's almost as experimental as it is whimsical. Titles include "Minha Cancao", "Bicharia", "O Jumento", "Todos Juntos", and "A Batalha". LP, Vinyl record album

Earlier Stax work recorded by The Emotions, not issued at the time and packaged together into a pretty great album during the time of the girls' bigger fame on Columbia! The work here is surprisingly great – not really filler at all, and in a style that's almost hipper than any of the material that appeared on the trio's two full albums for the label. There's a definite 70s current running through most of the tracks – soul that's less sweet and more sophisticated than other older sides, and which really shows that the leap from Stax to Columbia wasn't a very big one at all. Titles include a great version of "Put A Little Love Away", plus "Shouting Out Love", "Anyway You Look At It", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Running Back & Forth", and "Baby I'm Through". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from one of the funkiest leaders on the Chicago scene – the mighty mighty Willie Henderson, force behind some of the city's greatest soul tracks and funky 45s! This album's like a stack of lost funky nuggets laid back to back – with lots and lots of bass-heavy grooving from the band, and plenty of instrumental riffing on guitar and horns! Most tracks are instrumental, but often feature some nice shouted or spoken bits – and the whole thing's stuffed to the rafters with great breaks, beats, and grooves! Titles include "Funky Chicken (parts 1 & 2)", "Off Into A Black Thing", "Soulful Football", "Sugar Sugar", "Can I Change My Mind", and "Is It Something You Got". Also includes two very funky bonus tracks – "Loose Booty" and "Break Your Back". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing step forward for the young Etta James – a singer who was delivering a raw, shouting form of R&B just a few years before – but who here ascends into soul music heaven with her famous work on the album! The title cut is the stuff of legend – played and played, again and again over the years – but the whole record's wonderful, and handled with this new level of soul sophistication by arranger Riley Hampton – the great Chicago talent who'd reach similar heights in his charts for singers that include Lorez Alexandria and Walter Jackson. Hampton's dark use of strings brings out a whole new side of James' brilliance – a quality that raised Etta James up out of the R&B ghetto, and forever put her into the legions of legendary 60s soul stars! Titles include the perennial classic "At Last", plus "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Tough Mary", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Anything To Say You're Mine", and "Trust In Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul, but with deeper roots too – a killer set from Matata – a group from Kenya, but one who arrived on the London scene in the 70s – where their blend of African roots and American soul really took the group by storm! There's a fantastic influence here from James Brown – not just on the vocals, which have a raw, shouting, completely soulful style – but also on the rhythms and instrumentation – which have this sharp riffing guitar with the bass, ala James Brown Band of the late 60s – topped with equally great horn work to match! The whole thing's fantastic – as appealing to a fan of American early 70s funk as one of 70s African grooves – and titles include "I Wanna Do My Thing", "Return To You", "Getting Together", "I Believed Her", "I Don't Have To Worry", "I Want You", "Love Is The Only Way", "Gimme Some Lovin", and the classic "Talking Talking". LP, Vinyl record album

An East Bay classic from Spice 1 – and a great little record from that time before the west coast became a bit too much West Coast! There's a thuggish, early gangsta vibe that runs through the whole set – but as with some of the more enduring Cali hip hop of the time, the set's got a stripped-down vibe that is maybe more down to earth – a focus on core elements that help shape each track in a slightly different way, in a set that's very song-focused, and doesn't lose its way too much in a mix of shouts, skits, and samples. Production help comes from Ant Banks, Too $hort, and others – and there's some nice guitar in the mix from Rob Bacon too. Titles include "Dumpin Em In Ditches", "187 He Wrote", "Don't Ring The Alarm (The Heist)", "Smoke Em Like A Blunt", "I'm The Murderer", "The Murda Show", "RIP", "Clip & The Trigga", and "Trigga Gots No Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A fantastic document of the lost funk legacy of 70s Japan – music that's often different than the jazz and pop work of the decade that sees greater reissue, and which shows a very strong influence from the American scene! The rhythms here are wonderful – sometimes in the best funky soundtrack mode, other times with maybe even a bit of psych added in – and some of the cuts feature lyrics, either in English or Japanese, also with a very soulful vibe – but much more of an edge than the polished sound of the city pop generation! Titles include "Yumura No Obaba" by Akira Yasuda & Beat Folk, "Jikokeno No Samba" by Kan Mikami, "Singer Lady" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Devil Woman" by Bread & Butter, "I Hope It's Fine" by School Band, "Watashi No Beatles" by Fujio Tokita, "Bad Junky Blues" by Hiroshi Sato, "Theme Of Doberman Cop" by Mieko Hirota, and "The In & Outer Stomp & Shouter" by Sammy with Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media. LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty compilation that features 16 of Ray's best rhythm & blues sides cut for Atlantic records during the 60s! The record's a rare chance to pick up some of the harder cuts by Ray on vinyl – and it includes hard-shoutin' gems like "Greenbacks", "It Should've Been Me", "Talkin Bout You", "Lonely Avenue", "Mess Around", "This Little Girl of Mine", "I Got A Woman", "Losing Hand", and "That's Enough". Great notes, and 16 killers all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most classic Blue Note sessions ever – and for good reason too! From the cover, to the title, to the hardbopping grooves of the set, this Sonny Clark late 50s smoker is one of the label's best – as pianist Clark is working here at the height of his powers – leading an all-star group that includes Art Farmer on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Hank Mobley on tenor, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – all coming together magically on open-ended tunes that tighten up from the blowing session format, and really send the groove home! Plus, Sonny's writing is also great – as the set's got a number of great originals by Clark – and titles include "Bootin' It", "Sonny's Mood", "Shoutin On A Riff", and "Dial S For Sonny". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic little album of Latin Soul – a perfect example of why Pete was known as the "King Of The Boogaloo" during the 60s! The group's having a non-stop party on the album – breaking it hard with heavy piano lines, rumbling bass underneath the grooves, tight timbales, and some shouted lyrics in English that are always very catchy. The title cut, "I Like It Like That", is the sort of groover that you'll be singing for years – even after hearing it only once – and the album's filled with other great cuts, like "Pete's Madness", "Micaela", "Si Quires Bailar", "Soiy El Rey" and "3 and 1". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing step forward for the young Etta James – a singer who was delivering a raw, shouting form of R&B just a few years before – but who here ascends into soul music heaven with her famous work on the album! The title cut is the stuff of legend – played and played, again and again over the years – but the whole record's wonderful, and handled with this new level of soul sophistication by arranger Riley Hampton – the great Chicago talent who'd reach similar heights in his charts for singers that include Lorez Alexandria and Walter Jackson. Hampton's dark use of strings brings out a whole new side of James' brilliance – a quality that raised Etta James up out of the R&B ghetto, and forever put her into the legions of legendary 60s soul stars! Titles include the perennial classic "At Last", plus "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Tough Mary", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Anything To Say You're Mine", and "Trust In Me". Includes 4 bonus tracks – "My Heart Cries", "Spoonful", "It's A Crying Shame", and "If I Can't Have You". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter seques between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more. LP, Vinyl record album