There was actually more than one group working under the name of The Holidays during the golden years of soul music in Detroit – but given the strength of the tracks on this set, this trio may well have been one of the best! You might know another Holidays from Northern Soul 60s fame – but this group is much more of a 70s harmony outfit overall – working here in a range of rare singles and unreleased tracks that are totally outta sight – almost like some of the better east coast harmony soul of the period, although without some of the polish of the disco years. The work here was issued under a few variations of their name – including The Fabulous Holidays and New Holidays – and titles include "Maybe So Maybe No", "The Love We Share", "I'm So Glad That I Met You", "Too Many Times", "Love Lost", "Ego Tripping", "Procrastinate", "If I Only Knew", "Lazy Day", and "You Make Me Weak". CD

... Cassette

Bud Powell on piano with Guy Hayat on bass, Jacques Gervais on drums & Johnny Griffin on tenor saxophone on two tracks. CD

... CD

Bud Powell on piano with Guy Hayat on bass, Jacques Gervais on drums & Johnny Griffin on tenor saxophone on two tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A now-classic update of the famous Christmas album format – one done for the 21st Century crowd, but with a nice mix of older and younger artists – all serving up a blend of original tunes and holiday classics in new modes! Titles include "Green Grows The Holly" by Calexico, "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" by The Civil Wars, "The Christmas Song" by Paul McCartney, "Wonderful Christmastime" by The Shins, "Sleigh Ride" by Fun, "Baby It's Cold Outside" by Rufus Wainwright & Sharon Van Etten, "It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas" by Fruit Bats, "Senor Santa" by Y La Bamba, "Auld Lang Syne" by Andrew Bird, "May Every Day Be Christmas" by Irma Thomas, "That's What I Want For Christmas" by Holly Golightly, "The Man With The Bag" by Black Prairie with Sallie Ford, "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" by Eleanor Friedberger, and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" by The Head & The Heart. LP, Vinyl record album

The only real full length document ever issued by the Sex Pistols – an album that came out almost as the group was falling apart – yet one that's still gone on to have a hell of a place in rock and roll history! There's no denying the power of these songs, even all these many years later – and together, this mix of important singles and key album cuts offers up a bleak picture of modern life that still resonates pretty darn strongly all these many years later! The whole thing's great, and as instrumentally intense as its lyrics – with classics that include "Holidays In The Sun", "Bodies", "Anarchy In The UK", "No Feelings", "Problems", "Pretty Vacant", "God Save The Queen", "New York", "EMI", "Liar", "Submission", and "Seventeen". LP, Vinyl record album

A great volume in this really fantastic collection – a series that really reminds us that there's still so much great work to discover in the world of underground soul! As with previous volumes, this set focuses on the sweet soul style of the late 60s and early 70s – that moment when groups around the US were really maturing to a new level of vocal harmony – sometimes using a bit of funk in the mix, sometimes going for these sublime ballad modes that brought a new level of emotion and heartbreak to the music! You're sure to know bigger names like The Moments or Delfonics, but this is work that was cut at the same time, in the same mode, but which never fully got its due – pulled together by the longtime soul historians at Soul Junction – and even featuring a few never-issued tracks. Titles include "Read It & Weep" by Bobby Banks, "Give It A Chance To Grow" by The Toppiks, "Running Wild" by The Scott Three, "Lucky Guy I Am" by Delegates Of Soul, "Imitation Of Life" by Music Machine, "This Is Love" by The Holidays, "Plain As The Nose (alt unissued version)" by The Four Thoughts, "Love Song About You" by Robert Montgomery, "I'm Going To Treat You Good" by The Donations, "You Got To Steal It" by The Flairs, "Win All Your Love" by The Toppiks, "Nothin Left 2 Do" by The Coalitions, and "Stop Look & Listen" by The Jonesetts. CD

The only real full length document ever issued by the Sex Pistols – an album that came out almost as the group was falling apart – yet one that's still gone on to have a hell of a place in rock and roll history! There's no denying the power of these songs, even all these many years later – and together, this mix of important singles and key album cuts offers up a bleak picture of modern life that still resonates pretty darn strongly all these many years later! The whole thing's great, and as instrumentally intense as its lyrics – with classics that include "Holidays In The Sun", "Bodies", "Anarchy In The UK", "No Feelings", "Problems", "Pretty Vacant", "God Save The Queen", "New York", "EMI", "Liar", "Submission", and "Seventeen". LP, Vinyl record album

Magnificent stuff – an a treasure trove of lost harmony soul! This is the kind of compilation that really gets us going – 24 super-mellow soul tracks from the late 60s and early 70s, all of them done by male harmony groups with a stellar vocal approach. Some of the groups are ones you'll know, singing in a style that you may not recognize from their earlier years – and others are obscure ensembles, the kind we treasure even more on a set like this! Vocals are wonderful throughout – smooth, yet deeply soulful – and often with the kind of sad and honest quality that we look for in harmony soul. Titles include "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Mayberry Movement, "I've Been Trying" by Reggie Saddler Revue, "Friends Or Lovers" by Act One, "Hearts Were Made To Love" by The Pretenders, "Please Don't Leave" by Tuxedo, "Baby It's You" by The Masqueraders, "You Send Me" by Ponderosa Twins Plus One, "I Am So Glad I Took My Time" by the Floaters, "Let Your Heart Be The Judge" by Gods Gift To Women, "What Am I Guilty Of" by The New Cymbals, and "Maybe So Maybe No" by The New Holidays. CD

A slightly bittersweet Christmas album from The Carpenters – given that the set was issued after the too-early death of the lovely Karen Carpenter, and stands as both a Holiday record and a farewell to the charms of this legendary pop duo! The music is a nicely evolved version of their classic A&M pop from the early years – nicely free of any too cluttered 80s arrangements, and done with just the right sort of warmth to fit the sound of the season – with some instrumental tunes thrown in to space things out between the vocal cuts. Titles include "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear", "Little Alter Boy", "Do You Hear What I Hear", "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", "My Favorite Things", "He Came Here For Me", and "Home For The Holidays". CD

Two sweet sets from Hiroshima – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled first album from Hiroshima – a group who took the 70s experiments in Japanese fusion right into the American mainstream – with a wonderful blend of jazz and soul, and a production style that was never too polished or commercial! The group's led by reedman Dan Kuramota – who plays both sax and flutes, including a bit of Japanese wooden flute – which gives the record a few slight "Eastern" touches a times, although the overall vibe is strongly in the best soulful fusion of the period! In keeping with that approach, there's a bit of vocals on the record – sung in English with a soulful vibe – on titles that include "Lion Dance", "Da Da", "Taiko Song", "Holidays", "Never Ever", and "Kokoro". Odori is a wicked blend of jazz and soul from Hiroshima – a group who've got the smooth blend of styles we love in some of the import-only fusion dates that were coming from Japan in the late 70s! The group's got a few light touches that emphasize their Pacific roots – including light flute lines and touches of koto and shamisen, but often used in more subtle ways than on earlier Japanese albums that mixed these rootsy elements with jazz – and the overall vibe here is one that's got plenty of appeal to fans of crossover fusion from the time, especially the kind with a strong current of soul! There's a bit of vocals on the record, too – and titles include "Winds Of Change", "Odori", "Echoes", "Cruisin J-Town", "Fortune Teller", and "Shinto". CD

A wonderful Holiday set from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – easily one of the coolest albums you'll ever hope to spin in December! The group really recreate the vibe of a classic Christmas soul album – like records from James Brown or Stevie Wonder – and do an excellent job of moving between funky numbers, deeper soul, and some righteous message cuts that remind us that the Holidays aren't always happy for everyone on the planet. And these guys also don't just hang out at Christmas – and instead touch on other December holidays too – in a sweet mix of cuts that features Sharon in the lead on many numbers, plus some great instrumentals from the Dap-Kings too. Titles include "8 Days", "Ain't No Christmas In The Projects", "Big Bulbs", "Funky Little Drummer Boy", "World Of Love", "Got Rest Ye Merry Gents", "Silent Night", "Just Another Christmas Song", and "Please Come Home For Christmas". CD

A wonderful Holiday set from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – easily one of the coolest albums you'll ever hope to spin in December! The group really recreate the vibe of a classic Christmas soul album – like records from James Brown or Stevie Wonder – and do an excellent job of moving between funky numbers, deeper soul, and some righteous message cuts that remind us that the Holidays aren't always happy for everyone on the planet. And these guys also don't just hang out at Christmas – and instead touch on other December holidays too – in a sweet mix of cuts that features Sharon in the lead on many numbers, plus some great instrumentals from the Dap-Kings too. Titles include "8 Days", "Ain't No Christmas In The Projects", "Big Bulbs", "Funky Little Drummer Boy", "World Of Love", "Got Rest Ye Merry Gents", "Silent Night", "Just Another Christmas Song", and "Please Come Home For Christmas". LP, Vinyl record album

Nobody does the Holidays like Steve & Eydie – serving up the goods with that perfect blend of swing and schmaltz that sounds great during the eleven other months of the year, but somehow sounds especially nice at Christmas! Maybe it's the way they interact – which reminds us a lot of the kind of Holiday TV performances we grew up with – or maybe it's the way that Eydie somehow bubbles over with enthusiasm at these weirdly unexpected moments – as if she's hearing some of these seasonal classics for the very first time. Arrangements are by Don Costa, Al Cohn, and Pat Williams – and some tracks feature the pair together, some feature either Steve or Eydie on their own. Titles include "What Are you Doing New Year's Eve", "Sleigh Ride", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Let It Snow", "The Christmas Song", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". Great expanded edition – with bonus tracks that feature the pair singing "Hurry Home For Christmas" and "Baby It's Cold Outside" – plus Steve on "The First Noel", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "White Christmas", and "Twas The Night Before Christmas" – and Eydie on "My Favorite Things" and "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear". CD

Wonderful guitar work from John Scofield – awash in those warm chromatic tones that make his work from this period so great – set up in a sweet trio with Steve Swallow on electric bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums! The sound has a nice sort of focus – still some of the ethereal moments of other Scofield work of the 70s, but often a bit tighter too – grooving in ways that slightly hint at John's move towards funkier styles in the 90s, yet delivered on long tracks with plenty of open-ended playing, too. Titles include "Miss Directions", "Out Like A Light", "Holidays", "Last Week", and "Melinda". CD

Music from Kenny Vance, The Elegants, The Holidays, Fourteen Karat Soul, Georgia Harris and The Hy-Tones, The Explorers, The Eternals, Bobby And The Discounts with Nick Addeo, Sountrac, The Del Carlos, and more. CD

Your Christmas just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to a wonderful entry in this legendary series – maybe one of the coolest collections ever of hard-to-find Holiday grooves! As with previous volumes, almost all the tracks here are pulled from rare funky 45s – obscure original Christmas songs issued on 7" singles, most on very obscure labels – and together, the tracks offer up a really great way to re-think the sound of your house around the holidays – music that goes way past the overplayed tracks you always hear at the shops during December! These cuts are overflowing with new ideas, and offer a mighty fresh take on familiar spirits for the season – as you'll hear on titles that include "The Year Around Christmas" by Sam Applebaum, "Christmas Is" by Ruth Harley, "Santa Claus" by Ray Williams & The Space Men, "Christmas Strutt" by Hot & Sassy, "It's Xmas Time" by Wayne Champion, "Everybody Is A Santa Claus" by Fred Sebastian, "I Won't Be Home For Christmas" by Major Handy, "Christmas Presents" by Bobby Peterson, "It Feels Like Christmas" by Bill Deal & Pure Pleasure, and "Xmas Party" by Eddie & The De-Havelons. CD

A Holiday greeting from the folks at Atomicat Records – served up in the sort of collection they do with other music during all the other seasons of the year! The set's overflowing with gems from the 50s and 60s – a total of 28 obscure holiday tunes, plus a few better-known tracks – all to make a very fresh collection of Christmas goodies! Titles include "Rockin Bells" by Bill Robbin, "Born In Bethlehem" by Famous Blue Jay Singers, "Christmas Here Christmas There" by Ray Pettis, "Christmas Kisses" by The Bookends, "Cowboy Santa Claus" by Bill Lacey, "The Robin" by The Holidays, "The Bells Of St Mary's" by Lynn Taylor, "Does It Have To Be Christmas" by Ray Pettis, "Happy New Year To You" by The Qualities, "Come On Santa" by Kay Martin, "Christmas In Japan" by Paul Anka, "Merry Twist Mas" by Jay Matty, and "Santy's Movin On" by Homer & Jethro. CD

Incldues tracks by the Poverty 5, Riptides, Razor's Edge, Randy & the Holidays, the Ultimates, Savages, Royalites, Sound of the 7th Son, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

French space disco legend Sauveur Mallia is right in the same territory here as his work in the group Arpadys – mixing funky rhythms with cosmic touches, and serving things up with a groove that was years ahead of its time! The basslines and keyboards are great – very warm overall, with a liveness that's a nice change from the more processed modes the sound library scene would use more in the coming generation – and the rhythms move from funky to more laidback, but always with a groove that makes the record sparkle – not straight disco or club, but with a great array of more sophisticated styles! Titles include "Exotic Guide", "Loving Discovery", "Space People", "Bass Power", "Electric Maneges", and "Holidays Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

The Sex Pistols only gave the world one full album before breaking up – the monumental God Save The Queen, a set that testifies to the raw energy that made it seem inevitable that their light would burn so brightly, it would soon burn out! Yet alongside that set, the group also cut some key singles, covers, and other tracks – the best of which are brought together here next to key cuts from their sole album, to make for an expanded 20 track set that really gets at the core of the group's genius! Even from the perspective of decades, the power of this work hasn't dimmed at all – and most of the messages and politics are, almost sadly, still as important as ever. Titles include "Substitute", "Stepping Stone", "Pretty Vacant", "God Save The Queen", "Bodies", "No Feelings", "I Wanna Be Me", "New York", "Problems", "Lonely Boy", "Silly Thing", "Something Else", "Anarchy In The UK", "Submission", "No Fun", "Holidays In The Sun", "C'Mon Everybody", "Satellite", "Did You No Wrong", and "My Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 31 tracks by the Holidays, Four Seasons, La Rells, Marcy Joe, Jimmy Massey, Lugee & The Lions, and Honorable Fats Wilson. CD

25 songs from the Impossibles, the Dinos, Dave T & the Del Rays, the Matodors, the Majors, the Holidays, Adam Taylor, Mike & the Jays, the Chants, the Neptunes, and more. CD