Wow! We really grew to love southern soul singer Paul Kelly's sweet run of records for Warners in the 70s, but heard scant few of his earlier 45s – recorded for Lloyd, Dial, Phillips and the Happy Tiger label from the mid 60s into the early 70 – it's wonderful stuff! Hot Runnin' Soul collects each of these singles cuts, which run from swaggery soul with anthemic chorus and bursts of brass, to smoldering soul balladry, to some early Motown styled numbers that break the southern mode bit. Kelly wrote most of the songs, with rawly emotional and completely impressive vocals. We had no idea how strong this earlier material from Kelly is – thanks to Kent UK for the reveal! Includes "Chills And Fever", "It's My Baby", "Since I Found You", "The Upset", "Can't Help It", "Sweet Sweet Lovin'", "Glad To Be Sad", 'Sailing", "Sailing", "Hot Runnin' Soul", "Poor But Proud", "My Love Is Growing Stronger", "The Day After Forever", "Hangin On In Here" and more. CD

The third album by Black Sabbath – the album that put the heavy in metal – one of the most influential rock albums of all time and a record that finds Sabbath at absolute peak perfection! This is the one that set the Sabbath style in stone, honing in the the heavy riffs, thundering drums and eerie mood perfectly. Includes the ultra classics "Sweet Leaf" and "Children Of The Grave", plus "After Forever", "Lord Of This World", "Solitude", "Into The Void" and the instrumentals "Embryo" and "Orchid". CD

The third album by Black Sabbath – the album that put the heavy in metal – one of the most influential rock albums of all time and a record that finds Sabbath at absolute peak perfection! This is the one that set the Sabbath style in stone, honing in the the heavy riffs, thundering drums and eerie mood perfectly. Includes the ultra classics "Sweet Leaf" and "Children Of The Grave", plus "After Forever", "Lord Of This World", "Solitude", "Into The Void" and the instrumentals "Embryo" and "Orchid". LP, Vinyl record album

After cutting some pop disco crossover work for Capitol, the Sylvers finally get the chance to do the real deal here for Casablanca – grooving on tunes that burn stronger and groove longer than before – and which really set the scene for the bass-heavy funk of west coast groups to come! All the tightness of the earlier records is still in place, but the sound has matured nicely – and works well on both the upbeat cuts and the mellow ones – and sounds especially nice on those tunes that somehow manage to be a bit of both. Leon Sylvers produced, and titles include "Don't Stop Get Off", "Love Changes", "Forever Yours", "Play This One Last Record", "Diamonds Are Rare", "Come Dance With Me", and "Just a Little Bit Longer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by singer Frank D'Rone – an excellent vocalist in the Pal Joey mode! Frank hailed from Chicago, and was a second (or third) tier singer – a bargain basement Sinatra, with a rougher style that actually has a great edge, and which recalls the tougher days of barroom gigs for singers who weren't so lucky as those with their name in lights. Billy May handled the arrangements on the set, giving D'Rone a swinging, jazzy kind of feel that pushes the record a bit farther than his other Mercury album from the 50s – and the whole thing's brings a nice punchy kind of feel to tracks that include "It's You Or No One", "Warm All Over", "After The Ball", "Oh Look At Me Now", and "Why Can't This Night Go On Forever". CD

The team of Jackie & Roy have a charm that never seems to go away – even on later recordings like these which you might imagine to be suspect! The pair fit together so perfect vocally – and after decades of swinging together on a range of jazzy material they seem better equipped than ever to tackle a range of musical challenges. As usual, Jackie dominates on the gentler tunes, but the best numbers have Roy coming up with strong and warm support. Backing is by a trio led by Roy on piano, plus additional horns, strings, and guest instrumentalists that vary from track to track. Highlights include the Annie Ross tune "Music Is Forever", Jackie's own "Fred Astaire", and the lovely Fran Landesman tune "Through The Windows Of Cars" – and the album also features new versions of Jackie & Roy classics "Cheerful Little Earful" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" – and the tracks "I Know That You Know", "You Didn't Tell Me It Was Wrong", and "The Duke". CD

Philly soul classics from The Manhattans – the mid 70s self-titled gem and After Midnight from the dawn of the 80s! The Manhattans album is one of their best of the 70s, and a record that showed that they were firmly out of the indie ghetto, and totally on top of their game! The record features arrangements and production by Bobby Martin and Bert DeCoteaux – bubbling along in that soaring style that you'd recognize best from Philly International albums of the time, but which also has some nice traces of the mellower ballad work that first put the group on the map. Every tune is perfect – the kind of sublime soul that easily explains why a record like this could be found in every single record collection of every single soul listener of the time – and titles include "La La La Wish Upon A Star", "We'll Have Forever To Love", "Take It Or Leave It", "Reasons", "Wonderful World Of Love", "Searching For Love", and the incredible "Kiss & Say Goodbye". Several bonus tracks, too! After Midnight is stellar Manhattans from the start of the 80s – and proof that the group could still hold strong, even at a point when soul music was really changing up around them! The sound is somewhat smoother than before, but never in a throwaway style – and as you might guess from the title, the record's a mostly-mellow affair that really hones in on the great ballad style that the group had perfected during their time at Columbia! The vocals are superb – not nearly as fragile as in the early days, but really still filled with a great sense of warmth and humanity – the group really maturing into a special space of their own. Arrangements are by James Mack, Benjamin Wright, Bert DeCoteux, and others – and titles include the hit "Shining Star", plus "It's Not The Same", "Just As Long As I Have You", "If My Heart Could Speak", "One Life To Life", "The Closer You Are", and "Girl Of My Dream". CD

A wonderful bit of sunshine pop from the very obscure Peppermint Rainbow – a male/female harmony group with a sound that was a lot like the Mamas & Papas – blending folk rock and sweet pop into a really sunny groove! The album's worth it alone for the massive title track – "Will You Be Staying After Sunday", a tune that's got a sad undercurrent that seems to single-handedly dismantle all of the sexual freedom offered by the late 60s with a one sentence confession of the emotionality that was also attached. Other tracks are also nice – and include "Don't Wake Me Up In The Morning Michael", "Run Like The Devil", "I Found Out I Was A Woman", and "Walking In Different Circles" – most of which were written by arranger/producer Paul Leka. CD features lots of bonus tracks – 10 more numbers that include ""You're The Sound Of Love", "Good Morning Means Goodbye", and "Don't Love Me Unless It's Forever" – plus single mixes of tracks on the album. CD

A huge testament to the power of New York City in American music – especially during those 20th Century years when the city was able to foster scene after scene, style after style – serving as a launchpad for sounds that would forever transform the world! The book looks at Latin, bebop, folk, doo wop, punk, disco, and other styles from the pre-hip hop years – and traces the way that local styles became national ones, via the recording opportunities and entertainment showcases that were unique to NYC! The author has a keen knowledge of cultures in all five boroughs, and the music as well – and this softcover edition is almost 500 pages, with some sections of black and white images. Book

After working for years in the Crusaders, then honing his production skills with excellent work for Fantasy and Mercury, Wayne Henderson put out this album of his own, which drew on a lot of the work he'd been doing during the mid 70s. The album's a showcase for his At Home productions team, and it features work by Bobby Lyle, Roland Bautista, Ronnie Laws, and others. Henderson plays trombone, but he also gets in the way a bit with some hipster vocalizing that doesn't quite work. Titles include "Lady Bug", "Foot Stompin Music", "I'm Staying Forever", and a version of the great stepper "Keep On Keepin On". LP, Vinyl record album

Lionel's first solo album after leaving the Commodores – and a solid bit of mellow soul that forever merged the genres of soul music and adult contemporary! Titles include "Serves You Right", "My Love", "Tell Me", "You Are", "Truly", "Just Put Some Love In Your Heart", and "Wandering Stranger". CD

A trio of fantastic albums from Christian Scott – all packaged together! First up is Ruler Rebel – a fantastic step forward for trumpeter Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah – an artist who takes on a new name with this recording, and a vibrant new sound as well! Scott still plays trumpet, but he also works with some electronics and effects, too – in a group that mixes acoustic elements from piano, flute, and percussion with electric work on Fender Rhodes and guitar – all in a sound that's swirlingly soulful, and as enigmatic as you might expect! The music reaches back to some deeper roots, but reworks the sound completely with lots of contemporary elements – and Scott's trumpet takes on a new sort of majesty in the setting – maybe hitting the promise we first saw in his music years back, but with even more focus here. Titles include "Encryption", "The Coronation Of X A Tunde Adjuah", "The Reckoning", "Ruler Rebel", and "New Orleanian Love Song". Next is Diaspora – a set that has Christian Scott really opening with a new sense of pride and power after adopting the Atunde Adjuah name – and blowing here not just on trumpet, but also "reverse flugelhorn", sirenette, and siren – and also using some sonic architecture to open up and expand his sound! Rhythms are a compelling mix of drum programs and acoustic percussion – peppered with work on alto, Fender Rhodes, bass, guitar, and drums – in this groove that's much more sharp-edged and sonically compelling than most other projects of this nature. Titles include "Lawless", "Our Lady Of New New Orleans", "IDK", "Desire & The Burning Girl", "Completely", "No Love", and "The Walk". Last is Emancipation Proclamation – part of Scott's brilliant trilogy that has him reworking his sound even more than before – using his horn in both acoustic and electric settings, and mixing with bits of funk and deeper musical currents – all at a level that's vaguely in the territory of Don Cherry in the 70s, but served up with a vibe that's very much Christian's own! Rather than be buried in the mix of percussion, Fender Rhodes, and other horns here – Scott seems to be set free, and really opens up with both the space of his solos, and the style of his phrasing – which is even more personal than before. The other players are great, too – a shifting lineup who retain the same bristling energy throughout – on titles that include "Ashes Of Our Forever", "The Emancipation Procrastination", "AvengHer", "Cages", "New Heroes", "Videotape", "The Cypher", "Michele With One L", and "Unrigging November". CD

A classic introduction to the music of Love – put together by Elektra Records after the group's first few monumental albums! Few groups were as great at the start and changed so quickly as Love – and you can hear it all here – from the gritty, garagey Sunset Strip sounds of the start – to the sublime direction they would take on Forever Changes. Titles include "Hey Joe", "My Little Red Book", "Signed DC", "Alone Again Or", "Your Friend & Mine – Neil's Song", "You Set The Scene", "Good Times", "Andmoreagain", "Your Mind & We Belong Together", "She Comes In Colors", "7 & 7 Is", and "Orange Skies". LP, Vinyl record album

Lionel's first solo album after leaving the Commodores – and a solid bit of mellow soul that forever merged the genres of soul music and adult contemporary! Titles include "Serves You Right", "My Love", "Tell Me", "You Are", "Truly", "Just Put Some Love In Your Heart", and "Wandering Stranger". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a James Bond cash-in record – and instead an ultra-hip jazz session from the west coast scene of the 60s! The James Bond at the helm of the record is actually Jimmy Bond – the great bassist who worked on some key sessions of the late 50s and early 60s as a sideman, and who turns out to be a surprisingly great leader on this rare mid 60s date! The record is more jazz than anything else – played with a crime/spy bent, to be sure – but also flowing with really great solos and a fair bit of a bossa influence in the rhythms! The group here is more than hip enough to make the record work – with Harold Land on tenor sax, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, and Buddy Colette on flute and tenor – all working in a sextet led by Bond, with plenty of round, warm, almost modal lines on his bass – punctuated nicely by piano from Joe Parnello and drums by Joh Guarin. Arrangements are by Dick Groove – who keeps things very groovy – and many of the tracks here are actually original numbers written by Bond and Warren Baker, titled after Ian Fleming books that had not yet been made into movies at the time of this album! Titles include "Casino Royale", "Moonraker", "For Your Eyes Only", "007 Theme From Dr No", "Man With The Golden Gun", "Diamonds Are Forever", and "Live & Let Die". CD

Lesser-known work by Love – recorded immediately after the group's seminal records on Elektra, with a slightly different sound! The CD brings together tracks from the albums Out Here and False Start – both of which feature the band moving back to basics, working in a harder rocking style that has less of the baroque arrangements of albums like Da Capo or Forever Changes. Arthur Lee's still as incredible as ever – with that slightly mad vocal approach that gives even the most mundane tunes a real edge – and the guitar work's supported by an even heavier style of rhythm, one that almost gives a few tracks some nice funky moments. CD features 14 tracks in all, including "Gimi A Little Break", "Nice To Be", "Listen To My Song", "I'll Pray For You", "Love Is Coming", "Signed DC", "Gather Round", and "Love Is More Than Words Or Better Late Than Never". CD

A heavy, timeless blast from the mighty Motorhead – when they were at the absolute top of their game! Bomber came out a scant few months after their Overkill LP, and the idea was clearly to strike again while tihe iron was hot, and sure enough, it's blistering stuff. Beginning-to-end, just as strong as Ace Of Spades or Overkill, and honestly, we might revisit this one even more than those, as it's just a tad underappreciated. The band's most classic line-up of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Taylor firing on all cylinders. Includes "Don't Men Tell No Tales", "Lawman", "Sweet Revenge", "Sharpshooter", "Stone Dead Forever", "All The Aces", "Talking Head", ""Step Down", "Poison" and "Bomber". LP, Vinyl record album

Two fantastic albums from this legendary Italian group – back to back in a single set, with bonus material too! First up is the self-titled debut of Circus 2000 – a group who've got a sound that still sounds amazing after all these years, and really a kind of cut above so many of their contemporaries! One of the most distinct features of the group is their lead singer, Silvana Aliotta – a vocals with a range to maybe match Grace Slick, Julie Driscoll, or some of the more important singers to emerge in the late 60s – but very particularly tuned here towards some of the darker, moodier elements of the group's music. These guys could clearly play freewheeling prog or hard rock, but also hold back nicely and avoid overblown moments to really fit their sound perfectly around Silvana's amazing vocals – sung in English throughout, with a wonderfully edgey vibe. Titles include "I Am The Witch", "Magic Bean", "Sun Will Shine", "I Can't Believe", "Must Walk Forever", "The Lord He Has No Hands", and "Try All Day". Their second album, Escape From A Box, is a real step forward for Circus 2000 – a set that has the group stretching out a bit more on their instrumentation, with even more complexity than before – yet still never losing the focus that comes from the tremendous lead vocals of Silvana Aliotta! Aliotta seems to have matured as a singer since the first record – also really finding her own spirit in the way she expresses herself, but at a level that's no less compelling than her previous efforts – the kind of voice that would have made her a giant in the field, had the group been recording in the UK or US. Titles include "When The Sun Refused To Shine", "Our Father", "Need", "Hey Man", and "You Aren't Listening". 2CD set features great sound, detailed notes, and bonus tracks that include "L'Uomo Paese", "Dove Va La Mia Gente", "Hey Man (parts 1 & 2)", "Ho Regalato I Capelli", "Io La Strega", "I Can't Believe", "Pioggia Sottile", "Regalami Un Sabato Sera", and "Need (edited version)". CD

Features Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Lenny White on drums – on titles that include "Space Circus", "After The Cosmic Rain", "Captain Senor Mouse", "Theme To The Mothership" and "The Game Maker". LP, Vinyl record album

The second half of the recording legacy of the legendary Otis Redding – all material that was issued after his tragic death in 1968 – tracks recorded during the 60s for Stax Records, but issued by Atlantic, who'd taken over the material during the same year that Otis left the planet! When Redding died, interest in his music was at an all-time high – and his non-stop flow of creativity at Stax left behind plenty of gems that were unissued while he was around – presented here initially in four full albums in the box – including The Dock of the Bay, The Immortal Otis Redding, Love Man, and Tell the Truth – all presented with their original artwork. Then, and even cooler, the set features two more LPs' worth of material – all the mono singles that were issued during this time, a total of 24 more tracks that really complete the package. The box is beautiful, and stands as a nice complement to the complete Stax material from earlier years! LP, Vinyl record album

Poor Tony Perkins! He actually does a pretty nice job on this early album as a vocalist, and we imagine that he forever regretted having that part of his career closed down once he played the part of Norman Bates in Psycho. Still, there's a bit of a psycho feel to this album – from the cover shot of Tony walking down a wet street, to the eerie choice of material played by a small jazz group that includes Hal McKusick, Chuck Wayne, and Jerome Richardson. Titles include "The World Is Your Balloon", "Why Was I Born", "I've Got Sand In My Shoes", "You Came Along", and "Darn That Dream". CD

Sweet, smooth, and soulfully beautiful work from John Klemmer – not as all-out cosmic or trippy as some of his earlier albums for ABC, but with some really nice moments! Klemmer's really got the power of his horn in firm control here – playing with that Eddie Harris-schooled use of economy and tone – coming across with an approach that's subtle, but effective, and more deeply soulful than you might expect. Backings are by a small group on most tracks – and include keyboards from Milcho Leviev and drums by Harvey Mason. Klemmer plays a bit of echoplex and phaser alongside his usual tenor, and a few numbers are slightly sweetened by strings – but that's never a problem where Klemmer's concerned! Titles include "Caress", "Quiet Afternoon", "Tough & Tender", "Lifestyle", "Pure Love", "Purity", "Forever", and "Lovin Feelings". LP, Vinyl record album

Given the strength of Nas at this point, his lost tapes are better than most folks found ones – and although the album features cuts that didn't make it onto I Am and Stillmatic, the whole thing stands strongly more than enough on its own! The set came out in 2002, and may have seemed a bit of an afterthought at the time – but it's definitely worth hearing as a follow-up chapter to the other two albums – thanks to cuts that include "Doo Rags", "My Way", "U Gotta Love It", "Nothing Lasts Forever", "No Idea's Original", "Blaze A 50", "Everybody's Crazy", "Purple", "Drunk By Myself", "Black Zombie", and "Poppa Was A Playa". LP, Vinyl record album

Given the strength of Nas at this point, his lost tapes are better than most folks found ones – and although the album features cuts that didn't make it onto I Am and Stillmatic, the whole thing stands strongly more than enough on its own! The set came out in 2002, and may have seemed a bit of an afterthought at the time – but it's definitely worth hearing as a follow-up chapter to the other two albums – thanks to cuts that include "Doo Rags", "My Way", "U Gotta Love It", "Nothing Lasts Forever", "No Idea's Original", "Blaze A 50", "Everybody's Crazy", "Purple", "Drunk By Myself", "Black Zombie", and "Poppa Was A Playa". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of overlooked albums from saxophonist Houston Person – both recorded for Detroit's Westbound label, and presented back to back on a single CD! First up is Houston Person 75 – sweet sweet grooves from the legendary Houston Person – a set that blends his soulful tenor with some fuller backdrops than Houston used at Prestige Records – in a vibe that's somewhere between that earlier work and the style of CTI/Kudu Records! The best cuts almost have a funky soundtrack vibe – with arrangements by Ed Nuccilli and Jimmy Roach that spin out with full, rich charts – as Person's tenor carves out some meaningful solos – a bit like some of the Stanley Turrentine work of the period. The album features a number of original tunes, and sports a strongly soulful vibe throughout – on titles that include "What It Is", "Shotgun", "500 Gin Rummy", "All In Love Is Fair", "Funky Sunday Afternoon", and "A Touch Of Bad Stuff". Get Outa My Way is filled with very groovy grooves from tenorist Houston Person – a set that has him picking up a bit of a dancefloor vibe at times, as chorus vocals are mixed in to support his own strong solos in the lead! The set's got a nice warm glow overall – arrangements from Jimmy Roach that are clubby at times, but never in a too-disco style – and maybe more in the mode of some of the Kudu Records material from the period. Houston's horn is great, as always – and hits some nice moments on tracks that include "Disco Sax", "Spread It", "Forever In Love", "For The Love Of You", "Ain't Nothin But A Funky Song", and "Soul Samba". CD

Maybe not the first album by Queen, but the record that really put them on the map – as the group create a wonderful sense of interplay between all the elements that make them so great – while also using the studio in ways the group had never dared before – taking their transcendent sound to the skies, and forever changing the face of rock in the 70s! The highlight of this approach, of course, is the groundbreaking "Bohemian Rhapsody" – one of the most unlikely pop hits of the time – served up here alongside the easier hit "You're My Best Friend" – in a masterful assemblage of tracks that also includes "I'm In Love With My Car", "39", "Sweet Lady", "Seaside Rendezvous", "The Prophet's Song", "God Save The Queen", "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon", and "Death On Two Legs". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the first album by Queen, but the record that really put them on the map – as the group create a wonderful sense of interplay between all the elements that make them so great – while also using the studio in ways the group had never dared before – taking their transcendent sound to the skies, and forever changing the face of rock in the 70s! The highlight of this approach, of course, is the groundbreaking "Bohemian Rhapsody" – one of the most unlikely pop hits of the time – served up here alongside the easier hit "You're My Best Friend" – in a masterful assemblage of tracks that also includes "I'm In Love With My Car", "39", "Sweet Lady", "Seaside Rendezvous", "The Prophet's Song", "God Save The Queen", "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon", and "Death On Two Legs". CD

Maybe not the first album by Queen, but the record that really put them on the map – as the group create a wonderful sense of interplay between all the elements that make them so great – while also using the studio in ways the group had never dared before – taking their transcendent sound to the skies, and forever changing the face of rock in the 70s! The highlight of this approach, of course, is the groundbreaking "Bohemian Rhapsody" – one of the most unlikely pop hits of the time – served up here alongside the easier hit "You're My Best Friend" – in a masterful assemblage of tracks that also includes "I'm In Love With My Car", "39", "Sweet Lady", "Seaside Rendezvous", "The Prophet's Song", "God Save The Queen", "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon", and "Death On Two Legs". Cassette