Features "Do The Funky Chicken", "Sixty Minute Man", "The Preacher & The Bear", "(Do The) Push & Pull" and more – 15 tracks in all. CD

Includes music by Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, the Mad Lads, David Porter, Wendy Rene, the Admirals, Sam & Dave, Booket T & the MGs, Barbara & the Browns, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

Music from Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, William Bell, the Mad Lads, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, the Premiers, the Astors, Booker T & The MG's, Johnnie Taylor, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

Includes music from the Mad Lads, William Bell, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas, Ruby Johnson, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T, and more – 25 tracks in all! CD

Includes music by the Mad Lads, Sir Mack Rice, Carla Thomas, the Charmels, Judy Clay, Eddie Floyd, Mable John, Booker T & the MGs, Willam Bell, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

Includes tracks by Rufus Thomas, the Charmels, Jeanne & The Darlings, Sam & Dave, Memphis Nomads, Mable John, Otis Redding, William Bell, Derek Martin, and more – 27 tracks in all! CD

A legendary live set from the 60s all-stars of Stax Records – a performance in London in the late 60s, as the label follows Motown's lead on taking its big names overseas! The lineup is legendary, and most of the tunes are familiar by the artists, but get nice fresh versions here – sometimes a bit quicker, and sometimes a bit rougher – both of which makes a nice change from the iconic classics. Titles include "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MGs, "Philly Dog" by The Mark-Keys, "Knock On Wood" and "If I Had A Hammer" by Eddie Floyd, "Hold On I'm Comin" and "I Take What I Want" by Sam & Dave, "Shake" by Otis Redding, and "Yesterday" by Carla Thomas. CD

5CDs, and a set that's overflowing with classic tracks from the legendary Stax Records – with an especially heavy emphasis on the label's genius moments from 1968 to the mid 70s! There's way too much here to list, but some of the more unusual tracks include "What A Man" by Linda Lyndell, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Funky Robot (part 1)" by Rufus Thomas, "Circuit's Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Sweetback's Theme" by Melvin Van Peebles, "Help" by David Porter, "Starting All Over Again" by Mel & Tim, "I Could Never Be President" by Johnnie Taylor, "How Can I Be A Witness" by RB Hudmon, "What Goes Around Must Come Around" by Sons Of Slum, "Harlem Heaven" by Rance Allen, "Mother's Day" by 24 Carat Black, "Bump & Boogie (part 1)" by The Wrecking Crew, "Chains Of Love" by Jimmy Hughes, "Itch & Scratch (part 1)" by Rufus Thomas, "What's Usual Ain't Natural" by Eric Mercury, "Lovin You Lovin Me" by Sandra Wright, "What Do You See In Her" by Hot Sauce, "The Creeper Returns" by Little Sonny, and "It's Worth A Whippin" by Shirley Brown. CD

Includes music by William Bell, the Mar-Keys, Carla Thomas, Prince Conley, the Veltones, Nick Charles, Rufus Thomas, the Chips, Barbara Stephens, the Del-Rios, and more – 29 tracks total. CD

A deep dive into the vaults of the legendary Stax Records – the Memphis label who helped usher in a whole new sound in soul music during the 60s, and was still going strong in the early part of the 70s! In the final years, Stax was hitting big with a number of stars, but also recording a bit more than they got the chance to issue at the time – all top-quality work, often with the key songwriters and studio talent behind the hits – some of which was lost to the sands of time, due to financial troubles in the label's last few years. Yet those rare gems live again here – as Ace/Kent do a superb job of dipping into the legacy of rare and unreleased material from this period – a good deal of which shows Stax moving the bar even further, by advancing the styles of southern soul with newly sophisticated modes. If you know the last few Soul Children records on Stax, you'll get the vibe here – spun out on a great run of 20 tracks that include "I'm Too Old To Play" by Jimmy Hughes, "How Can I Win Your Love" by Eddie Floyd, "I'm Tired" by Mavis Staples, "Come Get From Me (parts 1 & 2)" by David Porter, "You Need Love" by Chuck Brooks, "Ain't No Way" by Shirley Brown, "Did You Hear Yourself (part 1)" by Randy Brown & Company, "Ain't Nobody Like My Baby" by Lee Sain, "I'll Do Anything For Your Love (single edit)" by William Bell, "Standing In The Safety Zone" by Soul Children, "We've Got Love On Our Side" by Bettye Crutcher, "Guilty Of Loving You" by Veda Brown, "Let's Make A Deal" by Frederick Knight, and "A Smile Can't Hide A Broken Heart" by Ollie & The Nightingales. CD

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own – a wonderful mix of album cuts and rare singles – some you'll recognize from famous hip hop samples, some you'll discover here for the first time ever! The triple-length package is overflowing with greatness – and titles include "I Could Never Be Happy" and "I Like It" by The Emotions, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by The Mad Lads and another "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Children Don't Get Weary" by Judy Clay, "All It Takes Is You & Me" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Poverty's Paradise" by 24 Carat Black, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Albert King, "Why Marry" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Steal Away" by Johnnie Taylor, "Hang On Sloopy" by David Porter, "Ike's Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes, "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness" by The Soul Children, "Packed & Took My Mind" by Little Milton, "Sing A Simple Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter, "LA Jazz Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes, and "Keep The Faith" by Mel & Tim. CD

A 2CD half-century mile marker set for Stax Records – one of the most vital and popular southern soul labels ever – as if you needed us to tell you that! The set features a selection of many of the most popular and most culturally important singles from the early 60s and on through the mid 70s – in a nice little box package and a thick booklet of essays, notes and photos! 50 tracks on 2CDs: "Gee Whiz (Look In His Eyes)", "Last Night" by Mar-Kays, "You Don't Miss Your Water" by William Bell, "Candy" by The Astors, "Let Me Be Good To You" by Carla Thomas, "Soul Finger" by The Bar-Kays, "I Got A Sure Thing" by Ollie & The Nightingales, "What A Man" by Linda Lyndell, "Who's Making Love" by Johnny Taylor, "Time Is Tight" by Booker T & The MGs, "So I Can Love You" by The Emotions, "Mr Big Stuff" by Jean Knight, "Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" by The Staple Singers, "Woman To Woman" by Shirley Brown and much more! CD

A gospel singer, but with a great ear for soul – the mighty Rance Allen was one of the key figures to bridge the spiritual and secular worlds in the 70s! This excellent set features Rance Allen gems from his early 70s years at Stax Records – tunes that burn with all of the deep soul styles of other work on the Memphis label, but which also seem to get an extra push deep down inside, thanks to Allen's spiritual leanings. Most cuts have excellent piano and keyboards alongside the vocals – and titles include "Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul", "Ring My Bell", "Up Above My Head", "Lying On The Truth", "Joy", "What Is This", "I Belong To You", "Ain't No Need Of Crying", "That Will Be Good Enough For Me", "What A Day", and "The Painter". CD

This is it! A pretty darn complete document of one of the greatest soul labels of all time – put together in a wonderful box with a book on the label that's almost as great as the music on the 9CDs in the set! This one established a new standard for box sets when it was issued in 1991, and it was the first time you could really get a clear picture of the great work of Stax without spending a lifetime tracking down obscure singles. A portion of this work will be familiar to you – as it includes classic tunes by the likes of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, The Bar-Kays, Booker T & The MGs, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and others – but there's also a wealth of amazing soul by artists who recorded for Stax and Volt, yet never made it big on the charts, and never cut full albums for the label. Just a small amount of these folks include The Memphis Nomads, Jeanne & The Darlings, Derek Martin, Barbara & The Browns, Eddie Jefferson, The Tonettes, Macy Skipper, The Premiers, Sir Isaac & The Do-Dads, Ruby Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Eddie Purrell, Sir Mack Rice, and many others. A lifetime of listening in one box – and an essential set if you dig 60s soul! This is the nicely compact jewel case version – 9CDs in a box that's roughly 6" square. CD

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD

Great work by Isaac Hayes – featuring a wealth of classic tunes from his years at Stax, packaged with some bonus video material from the 70s! The music alone is more than worth the price of the set – as the collection includes big hits, choice album tracks, and even 3 never-issued tunes from Hayes' 1972 performance at Operation Push in Chicago. 33 tracks include "Chocolate Chip", "Title Theme From Three Tough Guys", "Run Fay Run", "Rock Me Easy Baby", "Walk On By", "I Stand Accused", "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic", "Ain't That Lovin You", "Theme From Shaft", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Soulsville", "The Look Of Love", "Do Your Thing", "Someone Made You For Me", and "Let's Stay Together". DVD includes tracks from Hayes' 1972 performance at Wattstax – "Rolling Down A Mountainside", "Soulsville", and "Theme From Shaft" – plus his "Chocolate Salty Balls" performance as Chef in South Park. (Could have done without that – thank you!) CD

Collects b-sides, alternate takes, plus unissued cuts from Albert King's run at Stax and features Isaac Hayes, Booker T, Steve Cropper, and others! 13 tracks total. CD

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Two beautiful albums by one of the greatest soul groups of all time! The Soul Children were a wonderful Memphis vocal group – with a two parts female/two parts male vocal style that just sounded incredible. All the members of the group were great singers, and the overall sound was a mixture of rootsy southern soul, and sweeter harmony sounds. There truly was no other group like them – and this CD brings together the band's first two, super-rare albums (which we almost never see on vinyl.) Titles include "I'll Understand", "Move Over", "The Hang Ups Of Holding On (parts 1 & 2)", "Don't Break Away", "Finish Me Off", "Doing Our Thang", "Take Up The Slack", and "Super Soul". Best Of Two Worlds is a beautiful album of Memphis soul by one of the sweetest vocal groups ever to come out of the south! The record's a bit more complicated than some of their earlier ones, and features some nice tracks with a more extended style, and more sophisticated arrangements that work great with the group's rich harmonies. Includes "The Hang Ups Of Holding On (parts 1 & 2)", "Wrap It Up", "Let's Make A Sweet Thing Sweeter", "Don't Break Away", and "Give Me One Good Reason Why". CD

Classic work by one of the greatest gospel/soul groups ever! A very righteous vibe pervades, and the harmonies soar right out of church into the neighborhood – on tracks that include "Respect Yourself", "Heavy Makes You Happy", "Oh La De Da", "The Weight", "Touch A Hand, Make A Friend", "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", and "You've Got To Earn It". CD

Classic Stax stuff from Johnnie, with great arrangements that mix blues and soul, and which offer a perfect backing to his soulful voice. Al Jackson produced the session, and the track list includes "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "That Bone", "That's Where It's At", and "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down". CD

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock lowpoint in the Beatles' career, consider how many soul and jazz artists either covered the whole album, performed songs from it, or referenced it in their album covers. This little gem is proof that the compositions already had a life of their own within a short time of the release of the record – as Book and crew take the Beatles' tunes to whole new heights, working them together into a complicated batch of grooves that really pushes past their earlier work on Stax. Who knows, perhaps The Beatles were just the kick that Book needed – we can't ever tell the whole story, but we can say that the record marks a strong turning point for the group, and is well worth having for a variety of reasons. Titles include "The End", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Because", "I Want You/She's So Heavy", and "Polythene Pam". This Stax Remasters edition has 6 bonus tracks: "You Can't Do That", "Day Tripper", "Michelle", "Eleanor Rigby" and a previously unreleased alternate take of "You Can't Do That". CD

Roots rock but with a strongly soulful undercurrent – thanks to key late 60s Stax production from Donald Duck Dunn and Don Nix, both of whom make the record sound a lot hipper than many other similar sets from the time! The record showcases the singing and songwriting talents of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett – a pair who were hyped heavily by the rock scene of their era, but who also step out here with equally soulful appeal – almost a blue-eyed soul take on the Stax sound of the late 60s! Of course, it helps that the pair get plenty of help on the record from folks like Booker T & The MGs, The Memphis Horns, Isaac Hayes, and William Bell – but their own efforts are pretty great too, as heard on tracks that include "My Baby Specializes", "Things Get Better", "We Can Love", "Just Plain Beautiful", "Everybody Loves A Winner", and "Pour Your Love On Me". CD features 6 bonus tracks – including "A Long Road Ahead", "I've Just Been Feeling Bad", "Dirty Old Man", and "Get Ourselves Together". CD

20 tracks of Eddie's classic Stax sides, with a range of material that runs from 1966 through 1974. Cuts include "Knock on Wood" (of course), "Big Bird", "Check Me Out", "Soul Street", "Blood Is Thicker Than Water", and "Baby Lay Your Head Down". Going through this, you realize how much of Eddie's stuff never made it to big-hit status, but that doesn't keep it from being great. CD

A lasting 70s classic from Frederick Knight – easily his best-remembered album, thanks to the legendary title track! The set's got a slow-burning, deeply soulful feel all the way through – one that takes Knight's high-end vocals, and backs them with some bottom-burning instrumentation that certainly owes something to the Muscle Shoals sound, but which comes off in a way that's a bit more organic, and less in the trademark style of the time. Organ features heavily on most numbers – matching Knight's vocals with a bubbling energy that cooks things up nicely – and tracks include the classic "I've Been Lonely For So Long" , plus "Trouble", "Now That I've Found You", "This Is My Song Of Love To You", "I Let Me Chance Go By", and "Your Love's All Over Me". CD

A great little live set – recorded overseas, but with a really classic 60s southern soul sound overall! Stax always did a pretty good job of shopping its big artists overseas – where they met with extremely enthusiastic response, as you'll hear in this classic live album recorded by Otis Redding! The basic structure of the songs is very similar in time and presentation to the studio versions – but the band is very lively, many numbers are taken at faster tempos, and Otis is working himself to death to please the screaming crowd. Titles include "Day Tripper", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Respect", "Can't Turn You Loose", "My Girl", and "Shake". CD

Rance Allen was one of the greatest singers on Stax who never made it during the 70s – probably because he labored in obscurity on Stax's subsidiary Truth label, a gospel imprint where Allen was unjustly stuck because of his roots in the music. Truth is, his work had as much soul as it did gospel – probably even more so as the years wore on and he started to get more secularized. The tracks on this set are as good an introduction to Allen's work as you'll find – and they're filled with great piano work (acoustic and electric), plus loads of tracks sung in Allen's rich soulful style. Titles include "That Will Be Good Enough For Me", "There's Gonna Be A Showdown", "Ain't No Need of Crying", "I Belong To You", "Smile", "I Know A Man Who", and "I Got To Be Myself". CD

Excellent work from singer William Bell – and one of the best-ever full LPs to come out of Stax Records in the 60s! At this early point in his career, Bell was simply stunning – a blend of southern soul with some of the more sophisticated touches happening up north, all summed up in the album's landmark tear-jerker track, "You Don't Miss Your Water" – one of those tracks that we never tire of hearing! The whole album's great, filled with fantastic original songs – and titles that include "Any Other Way", "You're Such A Sweet Thang", "Everybody Loves A Winner", and "Eloise". CD

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The legendary Booker T – sounding funkier and more soulful than we've heard in years – and really stepping out here in a rich new format! The set has Book soaring over the top on Hammond throughout – working on grooves that are co-crafted with the Avila Brothers, who include Bobby Ross Avila – an artist who's matured in a surprisingly nice way! Each new tune features some key guest appearance – so that the sound is really fleshed out nicely by the talents of folks like Mayer Hawthorne, Anthony Hamilton, Poncho Sanchez, Estelle, Ted Jones, Jay James, and Luke James. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis add in a bit of production, too – but in ways that are surprisingly well-tuned for Booker's music – and titles include "66 Impala", "Father Son Blues", "Can't Wait", "Sound The Alarm", "All Over The Place", "Fun", "Broken Heart", and "Gently". CD

A great little album from Booker T & The MGs – recorded in the post Green Onions years, at a time when the group was really coming together – with a tightness that perfectly illustrates their sublime Memphis instrumental groove! The album's heavy on guitar and organ, as you'd expect – that great Booker/Steve Cropper sound that can't be denied – and there's a rawness here that you don't get as much in later years – more of a funky 45 vibe that really keeps things fresh! Titles include a few nice originals – like "Soul Jam" and "My Sweet Potato" – but ever the covers sound pretty darn great, with a lot more imagination than the usual instrumental filler. As proof, there's a killer version of "Summertime", with a nice modal groove, plus nice takes on "Think" and "Working In A Coal Mine". CD

Booker T & The MGs – definitely doing their thing on this late 60s cooker – and moving their instrumental sound into a whole new range than before! The album has a very groovy feel – nice and tight, with especially great organ and guitar lines – often tuned towards 60s hits by other soul artists, but reworked strongly by the group's wonderful rhythms, and turned into a really cooking batch of Memphis soul instrumentals! There's a few key original tunes on the set – like the title track "Doin Our Thing" – and the cuts "I Can Dig It" and "Blue On Green" – but the covers are equally great, and include versions of "Ode To Billie Joe", "You Keep Me Hangin On", "Expressway To Your Heart", and "Let's Go Get Stoned". CD

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". CD

Booker T's definitely getting a bit funky with this one – stepping off with the incredible title cut, a tune which really complicates the groove from the earlier years! The sound is still solid Memphis soul, with a raw instrumental vibe – but the grooves are even better than before, and the set includes loads of great original number written by the group – the kind of cool tunes they most likely cooked up while jamming live in the studio! These gems include the seminal "Hip Hug Her" – plus "Carnaby Street", "Booker's Notion", "Soul Sanction", "Double Or Nothing", and "Slim Jenkins' Place". But the covers are groovy too – and include a version of "Pigmy", plus "Groovin" and "Sunny". CD

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock lowpoint in the Beatles' career, consider how many soul and jazz artists either covered the whole album, performed songs from it, or referenced it in their album covers. This little gem is proof that the compositions already had a life of their own within a short time of the release of the record – as Book and crew take the Beatles' tunes to whole new heights, working them together into a complicated batch of grooves that really pushes past their earlier work on Stax. Who knows, perhaps The Beatles were just the kick that Book needed – we can't ever tell the whole story, but we can say that the record marks a strong turning point for the group, and is well worth having for a variety of reasons. Titles include "The End", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Because", "I Want You/She's So Heavy", and "Polythene Pam". CD

The second comeback effort from Booker T Jones for Anti-! All around, it's a more sharply-honed and classics-steeped set than its solid, but more southern rock-inflected predecessor – one the finds the Stax organ titan backed by co-producers ?uestlove & Rob Schnapf, Dennis Coffey and others on the sessions, and allstar guest vocals on a few numbers! It's really well done and a worthy effort from a true giant! The heart of the album is the loosely grooving organ soul instrumentals – with a quite a bottom end wallop, thanks to ?uesto, and the incomparable Booker T in great form – but the handful of guest vocalists include Sharon Jones, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Lou Reed, Matt Berninger and Booker T himself. Titles include "Walking Papers", "Crazy", "Progress", "Down In Memphis" with Booker T on vocals, "Representing Memphis" with Sharon Jones & Matt Berninger, "The Bronx" with Lou Reed (weird, but it kinda works!), "The Vamp", "Harlem House" and "Rent Party". CD

Excellent middle period work by the Dramatics – recorded after their years at Stax, with a slightly smoother groove, and featuring some great tunes that really sparkle! By this point, the group were hitting a Detroit modern mode – with less of the rough edges of the Stax work, which meant that the harmonies were even tighter than ever – perfectly placed on the best cuts, with a precision you wouldn't have expected a few years earlier. Songwriting is still great – and this 16 track set features many fine numbers from their ABC LPs of the late 70s when the group were working with Don Davis. Titles include "Be My Girl", "Love Is Missing From Our Lives", "Door To Your Heart", "Stop Your Weeping", "Shake It Well", "You're Foolin You", and "Do What You Want Be What You Are", one of the greatest 70s ballad tracks ever! CD

The fourth album from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – solidifying what we learned pretty early on from the indomitable soul spirit that is Sharon and her impeccable combo the Dap-Kings – it's that this is not some retro soul revival novelty act, what they are is the greatest active embodiment of a true soul sound that will never go away! We've always loved that Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings recognize the studio and the stage as different worlds. On stage, Sharon is the possibly the most energetic, charismatic presence you'll ever see and the band brings heft and heat. In the studio, they stretch out and diversify wonderfully, bringing both raw, unpolished funky soul realness to some more stripped down numbers and a full on Stax or Hi level heaviness to the bigger ones. The songs are better and more memorable than ever on this record – with "The Game Gets Old" and "I Learned The Hard Way" (an astoundingly strong one/two punch for the opening minutes) plus "Better Things", "Give It Back", "Money". "The Reason", "Window Shopping", "I'll Still Be True", "Without A Heart", "If You Call" and "Mama Don't Like My Man". CD

Classic Stax blues by the king of the Memphis blues scene of the late 60's. Production's handled by Stax, even though the LP was released on Atlantic, and the set includes "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Overall Junction", "Laundromat Blues", "Cold Feet", and "You're Gonna Need Me". CD

Great work from one of the tightest acts of 60s soul – the always-energetic Sam & Dave, working here with an excellent batch of tracks by Isaac Hayes & David Porter! Sam & Dave had made records before this period – but the cuts here are all from the years when they were recording with Stax Records – really burning things up, thanks to the great material that was often both penned and produced by Hayes and Porter, and always given a sharp Memphis groove that took the already-great dynamics of the pair and knocked it out of the park! At the time of these recordings, Sam & Dave were so hot that James Brown refused to have them open for him – as they'd completely exhaust the energy of the crowd – and you'll be able to hear why, on titles that include "Hold On I'm Comin", "May I Baby", "Soul Man", "I Thank You", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "You Got Me Hummin", and "Wrap It Up". CD

An obscure one from Ted Taylor – a lot blusier than some of his earlier soul work from the 60s, but with some great funky touches that really make the record great! As with most of these Ronn/Jewel albums, there's no real credits, so we have trouble figuring out who helped Ted get his groove so strongly – but we can tell you that the album feels like a combination of Stax soul (ala Johnny Taylor) and west side Chicago soul (ala Tyrone Davis.) Includes the great cut "It's A Funky Situation", plus "Houston Town", "Who's Doing It To Who", "Papa's Gonna Make Love", "I Feel A Chill", and "This Is A Troubled World". CD

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 3 is overflowing with amazing sounds from the heart of the 60s – rare 45rpm tracks by Atlantic stars, Stax artists, and a few lesser-knowns too. Titles include "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Ray Sharpe, "Long Distance Love" by Ted Taylor, "Lonely Soldier" by Mike Williams, "How Can You Babysit A Man" by Ned Towns, "Keep Looking" by Solomon Bourke, "I'm Sorry" by Fred Lowrey, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Share What You Got" by William Bell, "Reputation" by The Four Shells, "Me & My Baby" by Mary Wells, "Got No One" by The Delcardos, "Weak Spot" by Ruby Johnson, "Good Love Bad Love" by Eddie Floyd, "Bingo" by Ned Towns, "I Had A Dream" by Johnny Taylor, "I Can't Take It" by Ray Sharpe, "You Can't Love Them All" by The Drifters, "Believe It Or Not" by Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers, "Patch My Heart" by The Mad Lads, "She's The One I Love" by The Delcardos, "Find Me Somebody" by Bobby Womack, "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "So Much Love" by Ben E King, "Help The Bear" by Ted Taylor, and "I Feel A Sin Coming On" by Solomon Burke. CD

A great little set that really looks at the wide range of sounds handled by Miami's TK Records powerhouse in the 70s – a label that's famous for its big disco hits, but which also had a lot more to offer, too! There's definitely some clubby cuts on the collection, but most of those are nicely past the TK hits of the time – and interspersed here with other numbers that shows the label's great commitment to deep soul, where they were flying the flag strongly after labels like Atlantic or Stax had dropped the ball. There's also some surprisingly smooth, sophisticated cuts – showing the modern soul shift the label was making – and which no doubt would have suited them very strongly into the 80s, had they kept up their 70s steam. Titles include "Secret Lover" by Paulette Reeves, "Ebony Affair" by Timmy Thomas, "That's What I Get" by Beginning Of The End, "Fly" by The Stylistics, "What Do We Do About Our Love" by Leon Debouse, "Can't Do Without You" by Eddie Horan, "Somebody's Gettin It" by Ted Taylor, "That Woman" by Wilson Pickett, "Tonight Is The Night" by Betty Wright, "Put Pride Aside" by Latimore, "People Fall In Love" by Foxy, and "Tired Of Hiding" by Jackie Moore. CD

A seminal collection of work by one of the earliest figures in southern soul of the 60s – the amazing Arthur Alexander, a key link between 50s R&B and many years of great music to come! The CD features most of Alexander's early 60s recordings for Dot Records, including previously unissued numbers – some of the first soul sides to come out of the Muscle Shoals scene, most of which were recorded by a young Rick Hall. Alexander's voice is quite different than many other southern singers in years to come – but that's the great thing about these recordings, as they allow you to hear the genre in transition – with a sound that didn't just leap out of the minds of a few talents at Stax or Atlantic. CD features 21 tracks in all – titles that include "Black Cat", "You're The Reason", "Anna", "After You", "Where Have You Been", "A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Detroit City", "Go Home Girl", "Keep Her Guessing", and "I Hang My Head & Cry". CD

A wonderful look at the Compass Point Studios in Nassau – a force that was as important to the sound of grooves in the early 80s as Stax and Fame were to soul in the 60s! Compass Point was the brainchild of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, but it offered up way more than just a reggae-styled approach to the music – and although the house band at Compass featured both Sly and Robbie, the overall sound was a groundbreaking mix of funk, punk, and post-disco elements! Compass Point was a key recording site for a number of leftfield acts in its early years – and this package does a great job of showing the way the studio left an undeniable imprint on the sound of its time. The booklet features very detailed notes on the studio, its scene, and its key players – and the CD features 13 great 80s grooves that include "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club, "Dance Sucker (Francois K rmx)" by Set The Tone, "Obsession (Nassau mix)" by Guy Cuevas, "Padlock (Larry Levan mix)" by Gwen Guthrie, "River Niger" by Sly Dunbar, "Don't Stop The Music" by Bits & Pieces, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury, "You Rented A Space" by Cristina, "Adventures In Success (dub copy)" by Will Powers, "Whisper" by Chaz Jankel, "Born Under Punches" by Talking Heads, and "My Jamaican Guy (12" version)" by Grace Jones. CD

One of the greatest southern soul talents presents a host of other great talents from his 70s generation – and also throws in a fair bit of his own tracks as well! Sam Dees is one of the all-time greats in our book – a songwriter to rival the best that Stax had to offer back in the day, and a hip, talented singer who really furthered the legacy of deep soul in the 70s – even though he never fully got the chance to hit the heights. Yet that never stopped Sam from giving his best – as you'll hear here in a set of tracks that are all original tunes penned by Dees, including a few unissued tracks, and others that came out as small label singles at the time. The set also has an unusual format – in that all tunes are presented in versions by Dees, then by other singers – so that tracks include "Tag Tag" and "Claim Jumping" done by both Sam Dees and Bill Brandon, "Who Are You Gonna Love" and "Personal Woman" by both Dees and Rosetta Johnson, "Vanishing Love" by Dees and John Edwards, "Cry To Me" and "Help Me My Lord" by Dees and Loleatta Holloway, and "I'm So Very Glad" by Dees and Phase Four. 20 tracks in all! CD

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront, but also set amidst arrangements that have a bit more soul than the average Chicago blues session from the same time. The set features a number of originals by Stax regulars like Booker T and David Porter – and titles include "The Hunter", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw", "Down Don't Bother Me", "Laundromat Blues", and "Personal Manager". CD

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by Stax Records – from the title of the record, to the cover, to the grooves laid down by the group! The album was originally issued on Truth – the gospel subsidiary of Stax – and while it does have a bit of a spiritual component, the group's also plenty darn funky too – and the record has a feel that's far more secular than most other gospel records of the time! In fact, the whole thing may well stand as one of the best mainstream examples of the funky gospel genre of the 70s – one of the few records of this type issued on a slightly bigger label, even though the set still is something of a rarity! There's plenty of fuzzy guitar and electric piano in the mix – and the religion in the song lyrics is fairly buried in most cuts, and the overall approach is more one of general spiritualism and humanity, than it is preachy and churchy. Tracks include "The Ghetto", "Son Of The Deacon", "Give It Up", "God Bless The Children", and "He's All We Need". CD

A rootsy exploration of themes from the Civil Rights movement by Mavis Staples – getting the Anti treatment here with some real back-to-basics production from Ry Cooder! The sound is possibly even more down home than any of Mavis solo work from years back – certainly more so than her classy 70s soundtrack efforts, and even her earliest work for Stax – almost in an imagined place that jumps backwards to the sound of the earliest Staple Singers albums on Vee Jay, then brings in a bit of Cooder-esque soul to fill things up. Backing vocals on some tracks are by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and by a trio of backing singers on others – and titles include "Down In Mississippi", "Eyes On The Prize", "99 & 1/2", "This Little Light Of Mine", "On My Way", "I'll Be Rested", and "My Own Eyes". CD

The complete Monument recordings of southern soul-tinged swamp rock trailblazer Tony Joe White – in a wonderful box set from the deep catalog explorers at Rhino Handmade! Swamp Rock contains everything from the Black & White, Continued and Tony Joe LPs – with dozens of previously unreleased work from the era. Unlike the most famous dude we can think of who wears the swamp rock genre tag, Tony Joe White really was reared in the swamp country of Louisiana – and genuineness shows on these fine recordings! His vocals here have a bit of that laconic storyteller vibe of a Bobby Bare type character – but the production and arrangements have a real feel for the Stax and Muscle Shoals sounds. It's a blend of styles that's quite unique – and well worth rediscovery! Includes all the tracks from Tony Joe's 3 LPs for Monument plus a swampful of great bonus numbers from those sessions and more – a whopping 81 tracks on four CDs! Disc one includes the Black & White LP and much more: "Willie And Laura Mae Jones", "Soul Francisco", "Whompt Out On You", "Wichita Lineman" and more. Disc 2 features the Continued LP and more: "Elements And Things", "Woodpecker", "Old Man Willis", "Woman With Soul" and much more. Disc 3 includes the Tony Joe LP tracks and more: "Stud-Spider", "Widow Wimberly", "Save Your Sugar For Me", "Hard To Handle" and more. Disc 4 includes a slew of previously unreleased material cut at Barclay Studios in Paris, plus live work from Tony Joe at the Isle Of Wight: titles include "Mississippi Delta", "Chain Of Blues", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" and more from the Barclay sessions, plus "Boom Boom", "I Want You", "Groupy Girl" and more from Isle Of Wight. CD

These guys just keep on digging and digging up more great soul music – and our record collections are certainly richer as a result! As with previous volumes, the focus here is on deep-burning, low-cooking tunes that are often heavily in the southern soul spectrum – the kind of tunes that lay hidden in the corners behind the bigger hits from labels like Atlantic or Stax, but which somehow strike a chord that's even richer, fuller, and less cliched than some of the overplayed styles of the genre. The set features 20 tracks in all – by the likes of Buddy Ace, Larry Davis, Richard Marks, Mavis Staples, Betty Harris and others. CD

Ike's comeback LP from the mid 90s, and his last studio album! In an almost complete return to form, he gets together with his old running mates from Stax, including David Porter, and serves up a wonderful album of silky smooth, string-laden soul that stands tight next to his mid 70s classics! Includes "Ike's Plea", "Life's Mood", "Fragile", "Life's Mood II", "Summer In The City", "Let Me Love You", "I'll Do Anything (To Turn You On)", "Thanks To The Fool", "Branded", "Soulsville" and "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic". CD

A very important crossover soul album – a huge hit for Otis Redding that was released after his tragic death in December 1967 – but it's also hard to say if it would have had the impact it did had Redding not passed while the LP was still in production. In a way, the record sort of set the stage for the mythologies of pop stars that would surround the tragedies in the coming years of the late 60s – with liner notes on the back by Jon Landau about the impact of Redding's work and passing on the rest of the music industry, which would be even more charged with meaning to folks buying the album at the time, who certainly knew that Redding had cut "Dock of the Bay" a few days before his death, and had missed its meteoric rise to #1 after his passing. And in fact, the album itself is more of a loose collection of tracks pulled from singles and other sources to cash in on Redding's passing – and includes odd numbers like "The Huckle Buck", which had previously appeared on a Stax promo album, or "Tramp", his famous funky duet with Carla Thomas. Other titles include "I'm Coming Home", "Ole Man Trouble", "Open The Door", and "Let Me Come On Home". CD

Classic Sam & Dave work for Stax – a searing batch of hard soul tracks that forever redefined the concept of a male soul duet! This was the sound that put Sam & Dave over the top hard – and which left a generation of similar acts trying to catch up. The album sports a sublime track list of Stax originals – mostly by the Isaac Hayes/David Porter team, plus a few others by Steve Cropper and other writers – all top-shelf work that really helps the pair do their best! Titles include "Hold On, I'm Comin", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "You Got It Made", "It's A Wonder", "Blame Me", "Don't Make It So Hard On Me", "I Take What I Want", "I Got Everything I Need", and "If You Got The Loving". CD

The post-Stax, Epic southern soul of the Soul Children – 1976's Finders Keepers and 1977's Where Is Your Woman Tonight back-to-back! Finders Keepers is a strong little album by the group – recorded with a very different sound than the Stax work – but one that's still totally great overall! The grooves are a bit warmer and more modern soul styled – uptempo at times, but never in a throwaway club mode – and in a way, the shift is a bit similar to that taken by The Dramatics at the same point. There's still plenty of nicely rough edges in the vocals – that raspy sense of soul that first made us fall in love with the group – and by this point, the lineup has been reduced to a trio, with more of a focus on male vocals than before. The session's filled with work by great Detroit talents who include Don Davis, Steve Mancha, and Harvey Scales – and tracks include "Finders Keepers", "A Little Understanding", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", and "I'm Just A Shoulder To Cry On". Where Is Your Woman Tonight is another Epic gem with the group going for a smoother soul sound. Some tracks are a little uptempo, in hopes of a crossover hit – but mostly, just a a solid effort with the group continuing to grow from a raw soul group into a smoother one. This session features production by David Porter at Malaco studios, with the kind of mellow slightly funky vibe that the studio was perfect at for a few years. Titles include "Take Me Make Me", "Head On Collision", "Where Is Your Woman Tonight", "There Always", and "You Don't Need A Ring". CD