One of our favorite soul singers of the 60s – represented here in a collection that includes both sides of all of his singles for the United Artists and Veep labels – including a fair bit of tracks that have never been on CD before! Garnet Mimms is really something special – a singer who's got a deep soul sort of range to his vocals, but who can also work in a mode that's a bit sweet soul too – often blended with east coast arrangements that start out very spare at the beginning of the collection, then get increasingly groovy as things move on! If you've never heard Mimms before, you're in for a lifelong treat – and even if you've been a fan as long as we have, you'll really appreciate the track selection and overall presentation of the material. Titles include "One Girl", "I'll Make It Up To You", "Prove It To Me", "My Baby", "Keep On Smilin", "The Truth Hurts", "As Long As I Have You", "Tell Me Baby", "So Close", "Welcome Home", "A Little Bit Of Soap", "Don't Change Your Heart", and the tremendous "Thinkin" – one of our favorite soul tracks ever! CD

Two early 70s albums from Shirley Bassey – back to back in a single set! Never Never Never is a warmly-crafted 70s album from the great Shirley Bassey – a set that continues that great move she was making at the end of the 60s – shaking off some of the bolder, brassier styles that famously got her going at the start, but which were maybe sounding a bit dated after the James Bond soundtracks got too much play! Instead, Bassey's opening up in a nicely mature mode – maybe making the same sort of shift between soul and adult modes that Johnny Mathis was hitting during the same period – and working with great UK maestros Johnny Harris and Arthur Greenslade, both able to balance strings and soul on titles that include "Never Never Never", "Make The World A Little Younger", "No Regrets", "Going Going Gone", "Somehow", "I Won't Last A Day Without You", "The Old Fashioned Way", and "Someone Who Cares". On Good Bad But Beautiful, Shirley Bassey is at her mellow best – sounding very different than the brassy vocalist who first rose to international fame with "Goldfinger" – yet still able to work through all the rich aspects of her great vocal range! Arthur Greenslade handles the backings, and the style is mature, and updated in maybe the way that Frank Sinatra was hitting at the time – both in the choice of songs, and in the way that Greenslade sets Shirley up for the best reading of the lyric. Titles include "I'll Be Your Audience", "Emotion", "Good Bad But Beautiful", "Jesse", "Run On & On & On", "Feel Like Makin Love", and "I'll Be Your Audience". CD

A massive set, and one that features way more material than this legendary group released back in the day – all the full albums from Brinsley Schwarz, plus unissued studio material and other rarities too! The group were named after their guitarist, Brinsley Schwarz – but the group also featured key work from a young Nick Lowe, sounding wonderful here before going out as a solo act – and, with Schwarz, really helping to craft that smaller group, pub rock-styled approach that was such a strong antidote to prog and classic rock excesses of the period! There's a very down to earth vibe on many of these cuts – not entirely the roots rock of the US scene, but not far off – and also already echoing some of that tunefulness that Lowe would continue in his own recordings and productions – almost a secret evolution of a mod aesthetic, but hidden amidst other 70s trappings. Maybe we're pitching it wrong – but the records don't lie, and have plenty to tell here – full albums Brinsley Schwarz, Despite It All, Silver Pistol, Nervous On The Road, Please Don't Ever Change, The New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz, and It's All Over Now – plus dozens of bonus tracks, both live and studio – including work as The Brinsleys, The Hitters, and Limelight. 132 tracks on 7CDs, with very detailed notes! CD

A compelling album of twin-piano lines – one in which Bill Evans and Bob Brookmeyer play head-to-head, in a spiraling modernist style that brings out the best in each player! Although Brookmeyer's best known as a trombonist, he's pretty great here on piano – and the album's a real treasure from his legendary late 50s years – a time when Bob was really opening up tremendously in his music! The album separates out the players via stereo – with Bill Evans in the right channel and Brookmeyer in the left – and the format usually has one player in a rhythm groove while the other solos over the top. The bass of Percy Heath and drums of Connie Kay complete the group – and titles include longish versions of "As Time Goes By", "I Got Rhythm", "The Man I Love", and "The Way You Look Tonight". CD

Soaring grooves and mellow moments – a perfect blend of 70s soul styles, summed up here beautifully by Enchantment! The album's one of the group's greatest – and certainly one that's been very well-remembered around these parts – thanks to some rock-solid arrangements from Johnny Allen, who almost brings an indie soul vibe to the whole set – while still putting the whole thing together at a totally top-shelf level too! The harmonies are wonderful – especially on the ballads, like "Gloria" and "Sunshine" – and other tracks include "Sexy Lady", "Come On & Ride", "Thank You Girl For Loving Me", and "Dance To The Music". CD features 7 more bonus tracks – "Hold On (original 12" disco version)" – plus original single versions of "Call On Me", "Come On & Ride", "Hold On", "Gloria", "Dance To The Music", and "Sunshine". CD

A record that has Family very much at the top of their game – and working in a format that some of their contemporaries were trying on record at the time – serving up one side of live material, and one set in the studio! Although the group are sometimes linked to the prog scene of the time, there's a quality here that's often more hard rock overall, especially on the live material – very thunderous drums and heady guitar work, and vocals from Roger Chapman singing at the rawer side of his spectrum! Titles include "Part Of The Load", "Willow Tree", "Good News Bad News", "Holding The Compass", "Anyway", and "Normans". 2CD edition is overflowing with bonus material – the cuts "Normans (US LP edit)", "Hung Up Down (1970 single)", "Strange Band (studio)", and "The Weavers Answer (1970 single)" – plus a bonus CD with a dozen more tracks from a BBC Top Gear session in September, 1970! CD

The final studio album from Family, and a set that really has the group coming down strongly on all the best elements they crafted together on previous records! The vocals of Roger Chapman, as always, are a real charm – some of the most distinct of his generation, and perfectly at home in rootsier modes and more hard rocking passages – which are balanced out nicely on the record, and given a lean push forward with great guitars and keyboards – but never in a style that's too polished or commercial. In fact, given the lack of huge chart success for the group – at least on our side of the ocean – it's a strong testament to the quality of their work that they kept on going this strongly. Titles include the instrumental "Banger", plus "Sweet Desiree", "Suspicion", "Leroy", "Buffet Tea For Two", "Boom Bang", and "It's Only A Movie". 2CD edition features lots of bonus tracks – the single cuts "Drink To You" and "Stop This Car" – and early versions of "Boom Bang", "Suspicion", and "Stop This Car" – plus 14 more live tracks all recorded for the BBC in 1973! CD

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". CD

A rare treasure from Thad Jones – a unique one-off session for United Artists, cut right around the same time as his classic 50s dates for Blue Note! The format is very laidback and open-ended – not really a blowing session, but kind of a relaxed studio outing – one that has Jones working with some players from his Detroit hometown, laying solos in the cut over some warmly soulful rhythms! Tracks are all nice and long, which gives plenty of room for solos – and in addition to Jones on cornet and flugelhorn, the set also features trombone from Al Grey, tenor from Billy Mitchell, piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from Elvin Jones. Mitchell is always amazing in a set like this – and the album's one of his few small group sets of the time – worth it alone for his excellent playing. Titles include "Like Old Times", "Minor On Top", "Let's Play One", and "No Refill". CD

A set that begins with a fantastic solo album from Reg King – the singer best known as the lead vocalist in mod heroes The Action, stepping out here in a very different mode on his own! The record's got a headier vibe than before – songs that are more personal, most penned by King himself – and backed with sophisticated sounds from BB Blunder, in a lineup that includes the great Brian Godding on guitar, plus some organ work from Brian Auger too! The production almost has the sort of touches Vertigo would put on its more soulful, less progressive singers – which works great for Reg – on titles that include "Savannah", "You Go Have Yourself A Good Time", "In My Dreams", "Little Boy", "Gone Away", "Down The Drain", and "10,000 Miles". CD also features bonus single tracks "Nobody Knows Where We Are" and "You Go Have Yourself A Good Time". CD2 features 16 more tracks that are all much more obscure non-album demos – and CD3 features 13 more tracks, all album demos and outtakes. As usual with the label, the package is great, and there's detailed notes throughout! CD

2 brilliant albums from Garnet Mimms – one of the greatest soul singers of the 60s, and an artist you can never have enough of! Garnet's albums from the 60s are all great – and unlike his contemporaries, he always recorded full LPs with all great songs, a wealth of original material, and not a bit of filler. This means that the set's got 26 tracks that may well be a "best of" for Garnet – as each track sparkles as much as the next, with Garnet's roughly-hewn vocals stretching out over sweet uptown arrangements by Jerry Ragovoy and Garry Sherman. We couldn't hope for a better batch of 60s soul tunes – and titles include "Don't Change Your Heart", "Looking For You", "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "One Girl", "Baby Don't You Weep", "So Close", "Anytime You Want Me", "There Goes My Baby", "A Little Bit Of Soap", "Quiet Place", "Cry To Me", "Until You Were Gone", "Anytime You Want Me", "Thinkin", and "Prove it To Me". CD

A stunning early album from modern piano giant Cecil Taylor – a set that hides under a surprising cover that's a heck of a lot more cheesy than anything else that's ever appeared on a record by Cecil! Yet don't let the cover fool you, or the familiar tracks on the set – as Taylor's already starting to really open up his sound and get very free on some familiar standards – working with a core trio that includes Buell Neidlinger on bass and Dennis Charles on drums – then opening the door to work on the second half from the great Ted Curson on trumpet and Bill Barron on tenor – working here on one of their first pairings together on record! The set begins with some completely wild reworkings of Cole Porter tunes – "Get Out of Town", "I Love Paris", and "Love For Sale" – then moves into original material that includes "Little Lees" and "Matie's Trophies". Features the bonus track "Carol/Three Points". CD

It's a little-known fact that Memphis had a huge influence on the sound of late 50s/early 60s soul jazz – probably because most of the city's best players had to leave and go either to Chicago or New York to make their name. This set's a great reminder of that fact, as it brings together an important batch of players, most of them only freshly departed from Memphis at the time of the session – an assemblage that includes Frank Strozier, Phineas Newborn, Booker Little, Louis Smith, George Coleman, and Calvin Newborn. The tracks are long open-ended blowing session tunes – very different than the usual format for just about every player involved, which also makes for quite a striking record. Titles include very long takes on "Blue N Boogie", "Star Eyes", "After Hours", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". CD

Sublime sounds from Clarence Carter – wonderful work from his second wave of singles for Fame Records – a wealth of great music from a time when Carter was really coming into his own! Clarence was great right from the start, but here you can really hear him finding his own voice – that all-knowing, storytelling approach that could make even a simple lyric spin out in a way that was totally captivating – with a quality that set Carter apart from some of his more tear-jerked southern soul contemporaries, into a space of class and confidence that would serve him well for years to come! Every number here was recorded at the Fame Studios, with the kind of killer backings you'd expect from the Muscle Shoals team – and although the singles were initially issues over a few different labels (Fame, Atlantic, and United Artists) – they're brought together here in complete order, for a massive 22 track set. Tracks include "I'm The One", "I Hate To Love & Run", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", "Say It One More Time", "It's All In Your Mind", "Sixty Minute Man", "Heartbreak Woman", "Love's Trying To Come To You", "I Found Somebody New", and "Put On Your Shoes & Walk" – plus "If You Can't Beat Em", which is a duet with Candi Staton! CD

A beautiful collection of all the great and rare material Eddie Holland cut as solo singer in the late 50s and early 60s – including the incredible early Motown material, plus tracks he cut for Mercury, Kudo, Tamla and United Artists! Of course Eddie Holland is best remembered for uber-legendary work as producer, composer and arranger with the Holland-Dozier-Holland super soul unit – for damn good reason, but it's his early work as singer is way too strong to be considered a mere footnote to his greater legacy. Many of the cuts were written and produced by Berry Gordy, along with numbers written and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, some recorded more famously by later acts, so what you truly have here is the foundation for great things to come – it's beautiful stuff that shines brightly in its own light. Eddie's a solid singer and the songs are terrific, formative stuff that's a pivotal bridge from earlier R&B to massive soul. 56 tracks on 2CDs: "Little Miss Ruby", "Will You Love Me", "Just A Few More Days", "It's Not Too Late", "Just Ain't Enough Love", "Brenda", "Baby Shake", "Magic Mirror", "If Cleopatra Took A Chance", "Action Speaks Louder than Words", "Bashful Kind", "Too Late To Cry", "Happy Go Lucky", "Pretty Little Angel Face", "Day Dreamer", "Rain And Thunder", "I Like Everything About You", "Happy Days" and many more. This set goes deeper than any compilation we've seen of Eddie's recordings, too, with a number of previously unissued Mercury recordings. CD

One of the boldest, most righteous 70s statements from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his previous body of work! The set's cast in the same large ensemble mode as Hannibal's Children Of The Fire album – and like that one, it features an array of all-star players, all united in the trumpeter's rich vision – artists who include Deirdre Murray on cello, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochrane on piano, Art Webb on flute, and Pat Peterson on vocals! Tracks are long, and build with energy that's very much in the Strata East mode – a vibe that Hannibal didn't seem to have down this well in the earlier part of the 70s, but which he more than made up for at the end of the decade with a record like this. Titles include "Now Stand", "A Sacred Multitude", "Returning To The Ways", "Of Live & Love & God", and "The Tribe". CD

Athur Baker was a producer with a slightly bumpy path in the 80s, but there's no denying his impact on music at the time – particularly the way he had of funneling sounds from the streets to the dancefloors in the mainstream! Baker was one of the first to really have an ear for both hip hop and other styles of grooves – super-sharp on the right electro elements, yet with a richer understanding of soul, R&B, and club – all of which he brings to work here, on versions of tracks that have all the excitement of a special take on the tune from the clubs back in the day! This 4CD set comes in a huge book-style package, with plenty of notes – and features 43 classic mixes by Baker, with titles that include "Big Love (ext rmx)" by Fleetwood Mac, "Sun City (last rmx)" by Artists United Against Apartheid, "Running Away (Arthur Baker rmx)' by The Colourfield, "C'Est La Vie (ext rmx)" by Robbie Nevil, "Out Of Touch (club version)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates, "Living In A Box (dance mix)" by Living In A Box, "IOU (mega mix)" by Freeez, "Walking On Sunshine (12" version)" by Rockers Revenge, "Soweto (rmx)" by Jeffrey Osborne, "A Love Supreme (jazz in the house rmx)" by Will Downing, "Message Is Love (cupid mix)" by Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples with Al Green, "Ever Fallen In Love (club senseless)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "Buffalo Stance (1/2 way 2 house mix)" by Neneh Cherry, and "Planet Rock (12" voc version)" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. CD