LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

A real departure in the career of Brian Hyland – and light years away from his earlier fame as a teen pop singer! The Hyland of this record is a brooding one – mature, sometimes slightly folksy – but also able to draw on a wealth of soul, blues, and other musical references that were never part of his earlier music. The album unites Hyland with another older 60s star – Del Shannon, who wrote some of the songs, played guitar, and also produced the album. Shannon, like Hyland, was at a similar head-searching point in his career – and was a perfect foil for the new ideas that were bubbling around in Brian's head. There's a strangely somber feel to the set – handled partially by intimate guitar work, but also by some large, but gentle arrangements that use strings sparingly to create the same sort of sad, evocative sounds that you might expect from a Tim Hardin album. Hyland actually scored a hit with the album's great remake of "Gypsy Woman", but the original tunes are really the best – and include "On The East Side", "Mail Order Gun", "I'm Without You", "Driving Me Crazy", and "You & Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest things to ever come out of Hugh Masekela's association with Uni Records – an album of instrumental tunes that recalls the older sound of the South African scene, yet which also has more of that modern and slightly funky groove that Hugh was bringing to his own work in the 60s! The drums here are a lot heavier and fuller than they would be on older South African tunes – and instead of using penny whistles and more folksy instrumentation, the horn work here has a hipper LA-styled approach that's really quite nice – almost like The Crusaders teaming up with Hugh for the album's tracks. Titles include the incredibly dark groover "Thimlela", a sonic treat that's worth the price of the album alone – plus "What's The Matter Zulu", "Special Branch", "No Passport", "Letter To Prospect Township", "Isangoma", and "Foyi Foyi". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful early record from Elton John – recorded live in the studio, and with a freer, more open vibe than some of his other albums! Titles include a very long version of "Burn Down The Mission" – plus "Bad Side Of The Moon", "Take Me To The Pilot", "Sixty Years On", "Can I Put You On", and "Honky Tonk Women". LP, Vinyl record album

Elton back when he was genius, and unlike anyone else – with titles that include "Ballad Of A Well Known Gun", "Son Of Your Father", "Burn Down The Mountain", "Love Song", and "Where To Now St Peter". LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of "Grazin In The Grass", a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that Hugh copped from his roots. The group's a tight little quintet with Al Abreu on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Chuck Carter on drums, and Henry Franklin on bass. The whole thing's great – and tracks include "Stop", "Bajabula Bonke", "There Are Seeds To Sow", "Vuca", "Almost Seedless", and "No Face, No Name, and No Number". LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

Hugh's first album for Uni – and one that really lets him open up his groove! The record moves way past the short trumpet instrumental sound of earlier albums – into a complex groove that mixes Afro soul, LA funk, and loads of nice jazzy bits! The record's got a sound that's nicely messed up – and which shows the crossroads of modern music that passed through Hugh during his best moments. Includes a great version of "What Is Wrong With Groovin?" (different than the Letta Mbulu version!), plus "Sqo", "Child Of Earth", "Ha Lese Le Di Khanna", "Chisa", and "Why Are You Blowing My Mind?". Great stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut LP by a near-forgotten act that blossomed briefly at the end of the 60s folk-rock boom – and deserve more than sidebar status in the book of modern music history! Earth Opera incorporated many styles into a sound that may not seem uncommon today, but was idiosyncrastic and unique in it's day, and still sounds great! The group was born from the collaboration of Peter Rowan and a young David Grisman, who recruited the rest of the members from the Boston Be-In and built an east coast take on the sounds that were sweeping California in the mid and late 60s. There's some nice jazzy influence creeping in to the bands singer/songwriter-plus vibe, with 10 songs in all, including "The Red Sox Are Winning", "As It Is Before", "Dreamless", "To Care At All", "Home OF The Brave", "The child Bride", "Close Your Eyes & Shut The Door", "Time & Again", "When You Were Full Of Wonder", and "Death By Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Tougher to find than his classic on UNI, believe it or not. Leon Haywood produced this, and it's got a much smoother feel than Garland Green's UNI hits, which is a great way to hear the smooth soul of Chicago's second (or third) Iceman. Lots of nice ones here, like "I've Quit Running the Streets", "Moody Woman", and the great title cut, plus "I Found Myself When I Lost You", "Lovin You Baby" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Main Ingredient's great early albums, and the one that includes the big hit "Everybody Plays the Fool", one of the all-time great AM radio soul classics! Nice east coast group soul throughout, with that slightly heavy production style the band was hitting at the time. Packaged in a nice uni-pack cover, and with the tracks "No Tears", "Fly Baby Fly", "You've Got to Take It", and "I Can't See Me Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of funky grooves put together by Bill Cosby, and featuring some of his funky friends from LA, like Stu Gardner, Gildo Mahones, Mel Brown, Willie Bobo, Monk Montgomery, and Paul Humphrey! The set's not to be confused with the similarly titled album on Uni – but is equally great – and it features 3 looooong funky tracks – "Abuse", "The Blues", and "Bunions" – all with a lot of silliness, plus two shorter ones, including "I Love You Camille", written for his wife to stop her getting mad at all of his philandering! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Dutch scene proggy & jazzy rockers Alquin! Mountain Queen, like their previous gem, has an eclectic vibe – from heat generating organ, bass & drum funk rock dynamics, to more moody and dramatic textures. The rhythms hit pretty hard, with lots organ, nice flute, guitars, sax and some electric violin. Titles include "The Dance", "Soft-Eyed Woman", "Convicts Of The Air", "Mountain Queen", "Don And Dewey" and "Mr Barnum Junior's Magnificent And Fabulous City (Part One)". LP, Vinyl record album

In "back", the title is pointing to the fact that Gene Ammons is back on the scene, after being released from 7 years of a tragic 15 year narcotics sentence in prison. The album marks a proud return for Jug – who'd not recorded since a very successful flurry of sides recorded in 1961, done for a number of labels, and issued slowly during his time off the recording market. The album's a nice groover in a Prestige funky mode – with Bernard Purdie on drums on a number of cuts, plus work by Sonny Phillips, Candido, and Junior Mance. Includes the funky cuts "Tastin' the Jug" and "Jungle Boss" – plus "Madame Queen" and "Feeling Good". LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever from this unique 50s group – not just for the presence of drummer Osie Johnson, who's the "plus one" in the title – but also for the range of interesting material in the set! Side one features the extended "Jazz In D Minor" suite – penned by Bill Holman, and a great showcase for the group's creative reed work from Dick Healey and Errol Buddle – the latter of whom plays some bassoon at a level that's a lot more swinging than you might expect. And as on other albums, the real highligh comes from the enigmatic piano of Bryce Rhode and vibes of Jack Brokensha – who shade things in wonderfully, and create a sense of color that's hard to match. In addition to the large suite on side one, other tracks include "Cubano Chant", "Star Eyes", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

Listen, forget every cliche you've ever heard about this film, because this soundtrack is amazing! Gato Barbieri knocked himself out for this one, and came up with an insanely wonderful batch of "modern jazz tango" tracks that mix out soloing, pounding bandoneon rhythms, and lush romantic scoring – and the result is a score that still never fails to send chills down our spines. Includes many versions of the "Last Tango" theme, plus the tracks "Girl In Black", "Jeanne", "Why Did She Choose You?", "It's Over", and "Fake Ophelia". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly groovy soundtrack that's also one of the best-ever scores written by John Barry – a masterpiece of jazzy scoring that never gets old! There's some wicked use of Hammond in the main theme – played by Brit jazzer Alan Haven – a catchy little groove that dances nicely as the record unfolds – over rhythms that feature a snapping snare that's equally great! Barry brings in just a touch of the James Bond boldness, then mixes it with these warmer jazz leanings – all in a blend that's quite unique, and which easily makes the score one of our favorites of the 60s. A young Michael Crawford sings a great vocal version of the theme – "The Knack" – and other tracks include "Photo Strip", "Doors & Bikes & Things", "Ecstasy", "Three On A Bed", and "Blues & Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully percolated grooves from Basic Soul Unit – spare and electronic, yet still surprisingly soulful too – almost like some of the gentler sounds that came around in the second generation of Chicago house, but informed by a 21st Century soul vibe as well! Most numbers have keyboards moving around beats in a really great way – and there's some acid electric touches that are subtle, but which bring a nice sort of retro energy to the set – some moogy brilliance that only gets better and better as the record moves on – almost with a Larry Heard feel in some of the best moments! Titles include "Let Go", "Backseat Lover", "Mind Forest", "Intersection", "All Over Me", "This", "Across The Room", and "Clouds". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent gimmick – and yet another way that United Artists was trying to push its "Bond" catalog in the 60s! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players, like Al Grey, Eric Dixon, and Freddie Green – as well as Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger". LP, Vinyl record album

A serious British session arranged and conducted by Arthur Greenslade – done in a mood that's often mellow, and which has more dark corners than we'd expect from Shirley – a sad-tinged sound that often features a bit of organ brewing down in the low range of the sound spectrum. Bassey's vocals are surprisingly well suited to the setting, and there's a restraint here that really helps her take one of her best new steps in years – one that's perhaps a bit too late in her career to really make a difference, but which would have really done wonders at the start of the 70s! Titles include "Alone Again Naturally", "Midnight Blue", "Isn't It A Shame", "What I Did For Love", "Born To Lose", "The Hungry Years", "The Way I Want To Touch You", and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

LP, Vinyl record album

Funky Shirley Bassey! This is a great set of Shirley's groove-happy work cut in the late 60s – hip tunes arranged by UK easy maestro Johnny Harris, best known for his fantastic work on the Stepping Stones record under his own name, forever a beathead classic! Features the great, funky big band version of "Light My Fire" – one of Shirley's best tunes ever, and a cut that's been sampled and remixed often in recent years! Also includes the breakbeat version of "Spinning Wheel", and the cuts "My Way", "Sea & Sand", "What About Today?", "You & I", "Easy To Be Hard", "Life Goes On" and "Yesterday I Heard The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing crossover moment of the 70s Latin scene! During the 60s Joe Bataan had been experimenting with the many different mode of Latin Soul – crossing over styles in a way that not only reflected his complicated roots, but which also tried to break Latin music out of the small uptown market it was getting locked into. On the album before this one, Joe coined the term Salsoul, which he used to describe his unique mix of salsa and soul – which on this record also gets a bit of an infusion of disco, which was a brilliant move by Joe, and broke the album out of the ghetto, onto dancefloors around the world. The centerpiece of the record is Joe's funky cover of Gil Scott-Heron's classic "The Bottle" – but just about every track is great, and there's loads of excellent titles like "Chico & The Man", "Women Don't Want To Love Me", "X-Rated Symphony", "When You're Down (Funky Mambo)", and remakes of older Latin Soul tunes "What Good Is A Castle" and "Ordinary Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

Beach Boys karaoke – or kind of a "music minus one" album – but whatever the case, the set's a pretty unique outing in the field of 60s pop! The record's exactly what the title promises – a "stack o tracks" from the group's earlier records – rhythm parts, some instrumental bits – all laid out with key guitar parts missing and no vocals at all – so that you can pick up your instrument and play along with the record – and maybe get your friends to harmonize too! At the time, the approach seemed somewhat crazy – but after spending decades tracking down Smile-era bootlegs of Brian Wilson studio tracks just like this, the record's got a surprising sort of brilliance – almost as if Brian had guessed there's be a market for his "studio progress" sort of material. Titles include "Darlin", "Salt Lake City", "Wild Honey", "Catch A Wave", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Surfer Girl", "God Only Knows", "Little Honda", and "Let Him Run Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Tony's greatest full LPs, an extremely coherent effort that's tied together with a single theme – very unique for his career at the time! The "Hometown" element is a tribute to New York – and the album's a sophisticated suite of tracks set to jazz backings by Ralph Burns, filled with washes of color and emotion that go far beyond what you'd hear on a regular Tony Bennett album. Titles include "The Skyscraper Blues", "Penthouse Serenade", "All By Myself", "Love Is Here To Stay", and "The Party's Over". LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s classic from Tony Bennett – a record that sported a huge title hit, but which also stands strongly as a really unified album! Tony's at his maturing best here – still working with core jazz inspiration from the Ralph Sharon Trio, but also getting fuller strings from George Siravo – who colors in the tunes with a sense of adult emotion and sophisticated melancholy that shows that Bennett's way more than just a simple singer of hits. The material here is all pretty darn great – with a strong jazz influence on tunes like "Autumn Leaves", "Waltz For Debby", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", and "Got The Gate On The Golden Gate" – and more deeply sensitive style on "Who Can I Turn To", "Listen Little Girl", and "There's A Lull In My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Japanese collection of work by these two rare groups – all material recorded for the United Records label, and featuring a few unissued tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

Philly soul magic – recorded in New Jersey! This unique little set offers a wonderfully different look at the hit Philly sound that was bubbling strongly on Atlantic Records during the 70s – as it features 3 of the label's best acts in the genre, caught live in a special performance at New Jersey's Latin Casino – often singing together on the same songs, in really special combinations that make the album way more than just a typical live set! Although backings were handled by Vince Montana, and production is by Norman Harris, the overall sound of the record is much earthier, more open, and spontaneous than any of the artists' work coming from Sigma Sound studios – and the album's a great illustration of the "real" world in which these singers lived and performed, which is somewhat different than the near-perfect Sigma studio albums. Blue Magic, Major Harris, and Margie Joseph join together on a version of "I Love Music" at the start – then Margie steps off for solo versions of "Ridin High", "My Love", and "Feelings" – followed by a duet with Major Harris on "You're A Special Part Of Me". Harris then sings solo on "Loving You Is Mellow", "Love Won't Let Me Wait", and "I Got Over Love" – and Blue Magic take over with a great run of tunes that includes a few medley numbers of other 70s soul hits, plus versions of "Haunted", "Bad Luck", "Sideshow", and "Chasing Rainbows". Margie Joseph then comes back to duet with the group on the numbers "What's Come Over Me", "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", and "Funny Guy Funny Girl Funny Love". Phew! That's a heck of a lot of music – and all of it great! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet sweet set of electric 70s funk – recorded by Booker T during a brief, but well-needed reunion with the MGs! The sound here is quite different than Stax-era MGs – as Booker plays a range of keyboards, not just organ – and the grooves have these great jazz funk touches at the bottom – almost a CTI vibe at times, but packed with the tighter energy you'd expect from the group! Steve Cropper's guitar is great – super-fine, and razor-sharp – really helping cut a nice edge on the cuts – over bass from Donald Duck Dunn and drums from Willie Hall, who's the only new member of the group. In a way, the album feels like mid 70s efforts from Johnny Hammond or Jimmy Smith – sweetly soaring on a let-loose 70s vibe. Titles include the funky break track "Grab Bag", plus "Sticky Stuff", "Moto Cross", "Tie Stick", and "Space Nuts". LP, Vinyl record album

David Bowie back in costume at the end of the 70s – but informed enough from his Berlin trilogy that he's coming at things quite differently here! The album's a great summation of the sounds on Low, Heroes, and Lodger – taken almost back to some Ziggy Stardust and Space Oddity territory, but in ways that are a bit leaner, and more focused. Even more impressive, though, is the near-complete absence of other 1980 elements in the set – hardly any influences from punk or new wave, no post-disco dancefloor elements – just deeply unique Bowie all the way through, and proof that he could always find his own space in music when he wanted! Titles include "Up The Hill Backwards", "Teenage Wildlife", "Scream Like A Baby", "Because You're Young", "Scary Monsters", "Ashes to Ashes", "Fashion", and "Kingdom Come". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that first made us fall in love with the music of Billy Bragg – a really unique set of tunes, especially for its time – music that's both personal and political, and delivered with just a voice and electric guitar! Billy's spare style was a stark contrast to the bolder modes of the punk and post-punk years – but it carried its own special power, too – as unfettered, Bragg is able to come across clearly and powerfully – at a level that really hammers home the strength and sentiment of his tunes. Titles include "To Have & Have Not", " A New England", "The Man In The Iron Mask", "Lovers Town Revisited", "The Milkman Of Human Kindness", and "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty". LP, Vinyl record album