... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Remixes by David Morales and DJ Funk. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the most comprehensive collections of work we've ever seen on Eddie Bo – a really well-done set that finally gets at the full range of his massive funky talents – including a host of rare singles done for a variety of other artists as well! Despite the dates in the title, most of the music here is from the 60s and 70s – music from those glorious years of New Orleans soul and funk – when it seemed like the Crescent City groove could never stop, thanks to the efforts of Eddie and some of his contemporaries! There's a massively heavy groove to most of the numbers here – an emphasis on the funkiest side of Eddie Bo's sound, especially when he's working in the studio with other singers in the lead – and even if you've got some other Eddie Bo reissues in your collection, there's plenty fresh stuff here that makes this one well worth owning. LP notes are great too – a full history of Eddie's long career and all its different chapters. 30 tracks in all – including "Funky Yeah" and "Shelly's Rubber Band" by Curley Moore & The Cool Ones, "What's Good To You (part 1)" and "The La La Man (part 1)" by Oliver Morgan, "Horse With A Freeze (part 1)" by Roy Ward, "Timber (parts 1 & 2)" by Candy Phillips, "Can I Be Your Main Squeeze" by Chuck Carbo, "I'm A Carpenter (part 1)" by David Robinson, "Garden Of Our Trees" by The Explosions, "Reborn" by Marilyn Barbarin, "Live It Up" by James K-Nine, "Mama Here Comes The Preacher" by Doug Anderson, ""Something You Got" by Barbara George" – and the tracks "Chained", "When The Fingers On The Funk", "Rubber Band", "Getting To The Middle", "Check Your Bucket", "Lover & Friend", "Can You Handle It", "Fallin In Love Again", "Gotta Have More", and "We Like Mambo" all by Eddie Bo. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the cuts that veered a bit more towards the mainstream than some of the earliest work by the Heavies, off their breakthrough Shelter album, with a post P-Funk/80s groove hook, that gets a tougher remix courtesy Ski, the man behind many of Jay Z's big hits. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Completely sublime! Shuggie Otis first wrote and recorded "Strawberry Letter 23", but it took The Brothers Johnson, and some smooth Quincy Jones production to make it a hit! The track loses none of it's original trippy soul in this version – and if anything, the better vocals really take it over the top! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Excellent early work from Cameo, with a sublime approach they'd lose once they hit the big time – tightly funking, but not too fast, though still accessible! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Early 80s spiritual disco from Charlie Clemons And The Mighty Power Band – which purportedly included members of Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band – recordings Clemons made in 1980 at Warner Brothers Studios – remixed by Tom Noble! Noble adds no new instrumentation, but ratchets up the spacey disco elements of the drums heavy A-side and the more bass driven B-side. 12-inch, Vinyl record

2 tracks off their Secrets album that really helped put them over, with a slick commercial funk sound on the a-side filled with pop bass and cascading horn lines, and some nice jazzy touches on the instrumental b-sidewith a bit of a Dexter Wansel-ish vibe. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Funky genius from Con Funk Shun – working here under the production helm of Skip Scarborough, who seems to give them an even sharper edge than usual! The album's filled with those tightly compressed rhythms that Skip was so great in producing back in the 70s – grooves that seem to make more out of doing less – and which have a sense of space and timing that's totally impeccable. There's a few light jazzy touches at times too – bits of flute, sax, and organ that bring in a nice sense of depth, and which takes it far past easily classified funk! Titles include "So Easy", "Shake & Dance With Me", "When The Feelings Right", "I Think I Found The Answer", "Wanna Be There", "Can't Go Away", "So Easy", and "Magic Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK". LP, Vinyl record album

A stellar bit of boogie from Con Funk Shun – produced to perfection by Skip Scarborough, and done in a style that has lots of jazzy elements! The album was recorded well into the group's time on the Mercury label, but it's a real standout from the rest – thanks to an extremely well-written batch of tunes, and a mode of bass-heavy funk that avoids the cliches of other groups at the time – and goes for a more laidback style that sounds especially nice on the mellower numbers. Michael Cooper's great on lead vocals – and titles include "By Your Side", "Early Morning Sunshine", "Curtain Call", "Happy Face", "Juicy", "Lovestruck 1980", and "Honey Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from Con Funk Shun – one of the few mainstream funk groups who actually managed to sound better and better with each new record – and on this set, they really seem to come into their own! The group's sound was always suited better to a smoother groove than a rougher one – and for the set, their tight brand of funk is topped off by vocals that seem even better crafted than before – harmonizing surprisingly well at the funkiest moments, then stepping back to let Michael Cooper take the lead on the ballads. There's also some great moogy keyboard bits that keep things interesting, but which never go over the top in an electro way – and titles include "Too Tight", "Lady's Wild", "Give Your Love To Me", "Kidnapped", "Welcome Back To Love", "Touch", and "Play Widit". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 80s post disco groove – featuring Sylvester on vocals, with a nice, electronic synth sound to the track! You might know Cowley's remix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" or "Megatron Man", which have the same feel as this club cut. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Remix by Armand Van Helden. 12-inch, Vinyl record

With a remix of "Ego Trippin (Part 2)" from the Buhloone Mindstate album plus two 12-inch only bonus tracks – "Ego Trippin (Part 3)" and "Lovely How I Let My Mind Float" featuring Biz Markie, both produced by Prince Paul. And if the music wasn't nice enough, the cover is done up in the style of one of those early 80's hip hop flyers. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Wonderful work from this obscure funky group – a combo who hailed from Indy, only issued two albums back in the 70s, but also left behind this wicked batch of unissued cuts that were recorded up in Chicago! The group have a vibe that's every bit as great as their warmly collaborative look on the cover – clearly an ego-less funky combo who are able to shift singers and moods from track to tracks – trading leads between singers Anthony Joseph Roberts and Pamela Tanner, and also bringing lots of jazzy instrumentation into the mix too! These guys had been together for a number of years before recording the set, and are clearly at the top of their game – woodshedding hard away from the limelight, but knocking it out of the park with cuts that include "69 Cents", "I'm In A Hurry", "Shell Of A Man", "Where You Lead", "That Is Why", "Love So Strange", and vocal and instrumental versions of "See The Light". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Ebony Rhythm Funk, and much funkier than their later stuff – which actually isn't that funky at all! The record's got a driving righteous message – kind of imploring the listener to get up and go get what they want! Wayne Henderson produced, too – with a sweet electric funk groove that's like early 70s work by The Crusaders on Chisa! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A hard bluesy soul number – with a punchy funky sound that feels like it was recorded right off the west side! The best cut is actually the instrumental – as Ernest's vocals are dropped out, leaving more room for vamping guitars and a Hammond organ to take a solo. Backing is by The Pipes Of Peace, a groovy little Chicago combo – with lots of horns on this one! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wicked bit of Nigerian funk from the start of the 80s – served up in a very hip blend of Afro Disco and leaner street soul modes! The groove's got some sweet keyboards alongside the catchy sing-song lyric – very uncomplicated, which really lets the focus stay on the rhythms – which are almost in a Tom Tom Club or "Rapture" sort of style! The flipside is equally catchy, too – a cool cut with a stark approach to the groove that's almost influenced by South Bronx party music – but served up here in a unique Afro style too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great take on the funky styles of the 80s – as Dead End Boogie work here with a spare drum machine rhythm on "New Tires", sewn together with a wicked bassline, then given all these light guitar and keyboard touches along the way – but all with production that's a lot more lo-fi than any 80s groove – and we mean that in a really great way! The flipside has a similar approach – but is slower, murkier, and moodier too. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A moody little funk track from the production genius of Misha Panfilov – whose work seems to be moving more and more into a category of its own! "The Rays" has a strange, spare vocal chorus that's abstracted and echoed in the production – used wordlessly alongside an echoey guitar line and a very moogy keyboard – all grounded with romping drums! The drums romp even more on the flipside – moving quickly to keep the energy up – while the guitar and other elements seem to get even weirder and waterier in the mix! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A beautiful cut, with a nicely deep feel – funky drums at the core, but some great slow-moving Fender Rhodes, and a flute solo that's completely wonderful – a bit blue, and nice and raspy – almost like old school Roland Kirk or Harold McNair! "Seabass" is mighty nice too – with lots more flute from Oliver Bill, a musician we'd like to hear a lot more from in the future! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A groove that's way different than the disco you might hear on this side of the Atlantic in the late 70s – more a tight Afro Funk approach, served up here with riffing guitars and lots of tight horns that descend in a really cool way with the vocals! "We Like To Party" follows in a similar groove – almost echoing the rhythm of the main cut, but with some more playful chorus lyrics too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Jan Akkerman did plenty of unusual projects in the 70s, and this album may well be the best of them – an outing with vocalist Kaz Lux, whose unique phrasing really helps give the music a lot of focus! Akkerman's still hanging nicely between rock, funk, and jazz – but the use of vocals means that some of his guitar lines are a bit more spacious in ways that we really love, especially when they mix in these cool cosmic passages with the MPS-like keyboards of Jasper Van't Hof. The album's hardly a straight fusion album, but it's also not really a rock one either – more like a fusion set with vocals in all the right places – on titles that include "Guardian Angel", "Tranquilizer", "Can't Fake A Good Time", "Naked Actress", "Wings Of Strings", and "Strindberg". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice bit of funky blues, and a very strange record to appear on Motown! The production style and presentation are very rootsy – right down to the photo of Luther on the front cover, who's smoking a cigarette, but trying to pretend it's a joint! The style is electric blues of the Chicago school, but given a bit more of a country funk kind of sound. Titles include "Bad News Is Coming", "Dust My Broom", "Evil Is Going On", "Rock Me Baby", and "Raggedy & Dirty", which actually has some very nice drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A great comeback for tenor legend Gene Ammons – not just in a musical sense, but also because Jug had spent most of the past few years in prison – as part of the usual trumped-up drug charges that were filed against musicians at the time! At the time of this album, Ammons had 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 – a precursor to this fantastic return to form, which has Gene hitting more of a jazz funk mode, in the best Prestige style at the end of the 60s! Case in point is the presence of Bernard Purdie on drums on a number of cuts – in a lineup that also features some organ from Sonny Phillips, piano from Junior Mance, and electric bass from Bob Bushnell – plus congas from Candido for a nice extra kick! Titles include the funky cuts "Tastin' the Jug" and "Jungle Boss" – plus "Madame Queen" and "Feeling Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Late great work from Ammons – an album done at the time of his funk sides for Prestige, but recorded in the style of his earlier years in Chicago! The session's a laidback set of soulful solo-heavy work – recorded as part of a hip series of shows at the North Park Hotel, with a local rhythm trio that includes Jodie Christian on piano, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. James Moody joins Ammons in the frontline, and the set's got the best electric feel that you'd hear if you were lucky enough to catch either player in a small club date in the early 60s. Loads of very imaginative solo work in the best Chicago tenor tradition – with titles that include "Work Song", "Jim Jam Jug", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "C Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

AWB's first for Atlantic – and a nice slice of funk that proves that they can mix it up with the best groups of the 70s! The record's got plenty of sweet electric keyboards over smooth funky basslines – and as the years go by, the band's white boy vocals don't sound nearly as bad as we remember them. And besides, when they play their instruments so nicely – how can you hold the singing against them? Includes the killer classic "Pick Up The Pieces", sampled more times than we can remember – plus "You Got It", "Just Wanna Love You Tonight", "Person To Person", and a nice remake of the Isley Brothers' "Work To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album by Roy Ayers – and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first up-tempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A great return to form for the legendary Sidney Barnes – known best as a onetime member of both Rotary Connection and the P-Funk universe – but working here with great small combo backing from the Speedometer combo! "Best Thing" is an original by Barnes – sung in this sweet raspy style that gets great support from the funky group – who even thrown in a sweet Hammond solo in the middle! The flipside is a remake of Nolan Porter's "If I Could Only Be Sure" – a midtempo burner that has Sidney sounding even better on vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Sweet and laidback fusion from guitarist Walt Barr – a record that's got some pretty nice drum work from the virtually unknown Jack Turchin! Turchin propels the group with a really solid sound on the kit – hitting some snapping beats that make for a nice undercurrent of funk, and which keeps things from taking off too far into space. The album also features keyboards by Ron Braverman – and tracks include "Mystery To Me", "Free Flight", "Turbulent Sky", "First Visit", "Easy", and "Girl I Once Knew". LP, Vinyl record album