... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stunning bit of sweet soul from this very obscure Ohio group – done in a soaring harmony style that would have made the late 60s Impressions proud – but given this nicely stark backing and production that's maybe more in the New Jersey mode of the time! The Aswads are backed by the Naturall Band on the vocal cut – and the flipside is a searing take on the territory explored by James Brown in "There Was A Time" – moving nicely quick, and with all sorts of riffing guitar and electric piano! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An obscure later track from the Detroit scene – done by Motor City maestro Dave Hamilton in a mellow, midtempo groove that seems perfect for the slinky vocal approach of Jackie Dee! Jackie's got a slightly breathy style that seems influenced a bit by Sylvia – as does her sexy approach – and the flipside is an instrumental by Dave, done even funkier than the vocal cut – with a cool flanged guitar layered down into the mix! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two obscure 70s cuts from Darrow Fletcher – both making their debut on 45! "Hope For Love" is the kind of slow-burning tune that Darrow does so well – a perfect showcase for his unique vocal approach, and set to a gentle groove that's perfect for the later hours! "No Limit" follows with a very similar vibe – and has almost a Teddy Pendergrass sort of intro, one that really gives Fletcher a great way to slide into the tune – before things take off and the groove picks up nicely! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Obscure mid period material from Garland! "Just Loving You" is a really wonderful number – midtempo, in kind of a Spinners Philly groove, which is a perfect match for Garland's slightly breaking vocals, crackling with that warm honesty that really makes the track sparkle! The flip's nice, too, and features a very tasty spokey bluesy kind of vocal, of the sort that Garland still does in a live show. And if you've heard that voice, you know it's a killer! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two very cool, very trippy numbers – both with almost a freakbeat sort of vibe! "Look At The Lights" has superb arrangements from John Cameron – who brings in a bouncy groove with jazzy flourishes next to the more psychedelic vocals, lyrics, and guitar! "Hold On To Your Mind" is an especially unusual number – very obscure, and a track that begins with this freewheeling romp that mixes piano, percussion, and a rolling rhythm that's maybe a more condensed version of the Church Of Anthrax territory explored by John Cale and Terry Riley – then graced with wicked vocals that really send the whole thing over the top! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nice! We don't know if this is the same Love, Devotion, & Happiness that later recorded for RCA – but the single's an obscure one, on a tiny Chicago label, with arrangements by Tom Tom Washington. "Joy Sweet Joy" is a nice mellow mid-tempo track, with a dope production sound, and sweet soulful female vocals. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A pretty amazing bit of lost soundtrack/sound library grooves from Alan Parker – a KPM/DeWolfe library composer and player whose work has appeared on obscure film and television projects, legendary recordings such as Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire De Melody Nelson and so much more! This great little Finder's Keeper's soundtrack EP features his theme and other bits recorded for the 1983 TV series One Summer – with strains of melodious folk guitar arpeggios, to a jittery post-punk action vibe, to forlorn harmonica and more. Really cool stuff! 6 short tracks including "One Summer (Billy & Icky)", "Billy & Jo", "The Tollbooth", "Southport", "Roller Coaster", "Lime Street (End Titles)" and "Please Close The Gate". 7-inch, Vinyl record

An obscure one from this Chicago group – not nearly as thundering as their name might imply, but still pretty decent overall. "Hard Times" is kind of a rock funk number, with some weirdly flanged guitars that pep things up a bit – but the best cut is "Sky Blue", a good midtempo club number, with kind of a rolling east coast pre-disco groove, and some nice funky flute! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two nice funky instrumentals by the studio band for this obscure Chicago funk label! "It's Your Thing" is the famous Isleys track, and itgrooves as nicely as any cover of the track. "The Dud" has some nice weird instrumental moments, with horns chugging over equally chugging bass and drums. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Rare self-made synth grooves from TRASE – which stands for Tape Recorder And Synthesiser Ensemble – 2 versions of this obscure, should-be electro rock classic from the early 80s! The A-Side is the instrumental version from '83 – a lean, compelling mix of moody, but accessible synth that falls somewhere between Gary Numan (sans vocal) and a spacey synth soundtrack vibe. The earlier LP version on the flip has a rawer, more primitive sound and a bit of a not-so-caustic post punk/No Wave vibe – this one with vocals by Andy Popplewell – who was 17-years-old at the time and the lone member of TRASE! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The news is pretty darn jazzy here – thanks to a quick-stepping bassline, cool marimba, and snapping snare – all of which give "News" a very groovy jazz soundtrack feel – like something lifted off an obscure soundtrack from the early 60s! But halfway through, some cool electronics also come into the mix – moogy flutters that change things up and really space the tune out nicely! "Top Secret" is a wonderful blend of guitar with a hip acosutic bassline – really crafted with a lot of personal touches – hypnotic and seductive, with some nice jazzy overtones! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An obscure release – with Frank Wess on flute, Frank Foster on tenor, and Thad Jones on trumpet! 7-inch, Vinyl record

2 great tunes from Johnny Williams – an obscure Tyrone Davis-like singer who recorded briefly for Gamble & Huff at the beginning of the 70s, but never cut a full LP. Johnny's got a great voice – a bit rough, but matched here with smooth arrangements, in a style that's almost a 70s approach to the same kind of style that Gamble & Huff were using in the 60s with Jerry Butler. 7-inch, Vinyl record

2 obscure numbers from Young Holt – both pretty darn nice! "Soulful Samba" has a bit of Latin and a bit of bossa – grooving along with a jaunty finish that brings new life to their Chicago-styled soul jazz sound. "Horoscope" is even better – heavy piano with a bit of funk at the bottom, and some nice guttural vocalizations from Red Holt! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Obscure little soul single from Chicago, and one that (we think) may have a Pharoahs connection. Burny Reynolds sings some nice deep soul vocals on this 70s uptempo funky groover. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A two part groover from this obscure east coast club combo – slowly building with some nice synth at the beginning, but acoustic beats underneath, and almost more of a funk track than a disco one, given the pace and the soulful feel overall. 7-inch, Vinyl record