Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett certainly have some heavy friends here – a stunning host of guest help on the record, who make the whole thing come together with a sweet blend of southern rock and soul! The duo were always almost more of a soul act than a rock one, and that quality really shows through here – as they tear it up with help from The Memphis Horns, plus Duane Allman on slide guitar, Bobby Whitlock on organ, Charlie Freeman on guitar, and even a bit of guest help from King Curtis on tenor and Little Richard on piano! Tunes include some great originals that show why the Bramlett's were the premier roots rock act of the time – mixed with a few nicely-chosen cuts by other folks – in a lineup that includes "Lay Down My Burden", "God Knows I Love You", "Hard Luck & Troubles", "Soul Shake", "Miss Ann", "Living On The Open Road", "Free The People", "The Love Of My Man", and "Living On The Open Road". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Aretha's own interaction and strong sense of personality. Ray Charles makes a surprising guest appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking funky set from early 70s Stax Records – the only album we've ever seen from Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers, and a stone cooker all the way through! The sound is hard and heavy on most numbers – with loads of funky 45-styled riffs – and the core group is a nicely self-contained unit, with a lot of focus on the rhythm section – but they also get some great help here from the Memphis Horns, who blow over the top beautifully, and add a nicely soulful vibe to the record! Drums are nice and hard – and titles include the killer "The Dryer (parts 1 & 2)", plus "Razorback Circus", "Robot", "Midnight At Riley's", "Don't Tell Me Nothing About My Woman", "Patch It Up", and "I'll Be Your Doctor Man". 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

Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett certainly have some heavy friends here – a stunning host of guest help on the record, who make the whole thing come together with a sweet blend of southern rock and soul! The duo were always almost more of a soul act than a rock one, and that quality really shows through here – as they tear it up with help from The Memphis Horns, plus Duane Allman on slide guitar, Bobby Whitlock on organ, Charlie Freeman on guitar, and even a bit of guest help from King Curtis on tenor and Little Richard on piano! Tunes include some great originals that show why the Bramlett's were the premier roots rock act of the time – mixed with a few nicely-chosen cuts by other folks – in a lineup that includes "Lay Down My Burden", "God Knows I Love You", "Hard Luck & Troubles", "Soul Shake", "Miss Ann", "Living On The Open Road", "Free The People", "The Love Of My Man", and "Living On The Open Road". CD

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – massively expanded here – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Ac appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". Plus, the CD features full versions of 2 tracks that were originally edited on the album – as well as 13 more bonus tracks on CD2, alternates and unused songs that include "Call Me", "Mixed Up Girl", "Share Your Love With Me", "Don't Play That Song", and "You're All I Need To Get By". Lots of great notes, excellent photos, and a much-improved version of the original album! CD

Hi Records perfection from the mighty Al Green – slightly later than some of his key early hits, but a record that shows Green still taking fire on all burners! Production is by the team of Al and Willie Mitchell – in a mode that's slightly fuller and more updated than before, but still very much that original mode the pair pioneered during Green's first years at Hi – a smooth, rich sound that's never slick, never poppy, and never cloying – and a mode that never falls into disco or pop temptations other singers were trapped in at the time. Backings are by the Memphis Horns and Memphis Strings – with some occasional backup vocals from Rhodes Chalmers & Rhodes or The Duncan Sisters – and titles include "I'd Fly Away", "That's The Way It Is", "Glory Glory", "Always", "Full Of Fire", "Together Again", "Soon As I Get Home", and "Let It Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the most successful record Otis Clay ever cut – and a wonderful little set that recasts his bluesy Chicago vocals with a sweeter Memphis soul approach! Willie Mitchell is very firmly in the house for the record – and the approach he uses here with Otis is similar to that he used with Al Green on his biggest hits – slow-burning, slinkily soulful – in a way that infuses older modes of singing with a new level of sophistication and adult appeal! Backing is by the Memphis Horns – shimmering nicely in a trademark Hi sort of way – and titles include the classic "Trying To Live My Life Without You", plus "I Love You, I Need You", "Holding Onto A Dying Love", "I Die A Little Each Day", and "That's How It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

Steve Cropper's looking a lot more loose and upfront than he ever did on albums he cut with Booker T & The MGs – and maybe that's because he's emerging here as a more more of a lead artist as well – singing next to his classic work on guitar, while still letting his strength on that instrument carry most of the vibe of the set! There's still plenty of classic Cropper elements in place here, including backing by the Memphis Horns – and at some level, Steve's vocals are always a lot more understated than his guitar – as if he knows that's what we really came for. The set's got a number of original titles – including "Give Em What They Want", "Playin My Thang", "Fly", "With You", "Ya Da Ya Da", and "Why Do You Say You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Aretha's own interaction and strong sense of personality. Ray Charles makes a surprising guest appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". CD

The King Curtis combo in all of its glory – really grooving hard here in a set of instrumental performances recorded at the same time as Aretha Franklin's famous live date at the Fillmore West! King backed Aretha up on her own record from Fillmore, but this set features all the instrumental grooves laid down by Curtis and his group before Aretha took the stage – very tight and funky numbers that showcase King's work on alto and soprano sax, as well as organ from Billy Preston, guitar from Cornell Dupree, electric piano from Truman Thomas, and funky drums from Bernard Pretty Purdie! The Memphis Horns get into the action a bit – blasting out when the tunes require it – and as with the Franklin album, the recording style here is totally great – very "live", but still with the best focus of Atlantic studio soul! Titles include a smoking 7 minute version of King's funky classic "Memphis Soul Stew", plus long takes on "Changes", "I Stand Accused", and "Soul Serenade" – as well as shorter versions of "A Whole Lotta Love" and "Ode To Billy Joe"! LP, Vinyl record album

Baaad bluesy work from Little Milton – one of his killers for Stax, and a record that's equally heavy on the soul tip too! There's a strong Memphis vibe going on here – thanks to arrangements from James Mitchell, and backings from the Memphis Horns – who really do a good job of filling in the sound, to take things past the straighter blues mode of Milton's guitar. The vocals are great – raspy, and almost southern soul more than blues – and titles include "You're No Good", "Woman Across The River", "Behind Closed Doors", "Worried Dreamer", and "Hard Luck Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of later albums from Stax Records' guitar genius Steve Cropper! On the cover of Playin My Thang, Steve Cropper's looking a lot more loose and upfront than he ever did on albums he cut with Booker T & The MGs – and maybe that's because he's emerging here as a more more of a lead artist as well – singing next to his classic work on guitar, while still letting his strength on that instrument carry most of the vibe of the set! There's still plenty of classic Cropper elements in place here, including backing by the Memphis Horns – and at some level, Steve's vocals are always a lot more understated than his guitar – as if he knows that's what we really came for. The set's got a number of original titles – including "Give Em What They Want", "Playin My Thang", "Fly", "With You", "Ya Da Ya Da", and "Why Do You Say You Love Me". Night After Night is a surprisingly nice later set from Stax guitarist Steve Cropper – a record that definitely has some of the modern elements you'd guess from the image on the cover, but which also has a huge amount of contributions from the Memphis scene – from session musicians, to backup vocalists, to all sorts of other elements that give the record a vibe that's very much in keeping with Cropper's legacy from the MGs onward! In other words, forget the slickness of the package, and be surprised at the more soulful, roots-based sound on most numbers – a set of cuts that include "Sad Eyes", "Hold Your Fire", "Can't Break The Habit", "Heartbeat", "Make You Feel Love Again", and "Night After Night". CD

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Aretha's own interaction and strong sense of personality. Ray Charles makes a surprising guest appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". CD

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound that comes straight from the heart, and avoids any of the easy tricks that could mar such a session – proof that music like this could really sparkle in the hands of Stax Records – especially when the backing instrumentation features The Bar-Kays and Memphis Horns! Titles include "High Cost Of Loving", "Little Brother", "I'll Play The Blues For You (parts 1 & 2)", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Angel Of Mercy", and "I'll Be Doggone". CD

Quite possibly the most successful record Otis Clay ever cut – and a wonderful little set that recasts his bluesy Chicago vocals with a sweeter Memphis soul approach! Willie Mitchell is very firmly in the house for the record – and the approach he uses here with Otis is similar to that he used with Al Green on his biggest hits – slow-burning, slinkily soulful – in a way that infuses older modes of singing with a new level of sophistication and adult appeal! Backing is by the Memphis Horns – shimmering nicely in a trademark Hi sort of way – and titles include the classic "Trying To Live My Life Without You", plus "I Love You, I Need You", "Holding Onto A Dying Love", "I Die A Little Each Day", and "That's How It Is". CD

The street feet here are pretty funky ones – maybe more so than you'd guess from the relatively "stock" look of the cover image – as the album's got the kind of sharp instrumental core that you'd be likely to find on some of the best Bay Area groovers from late 70s Fantasy Records! The record's mostly instrumental, and has excellent guitar, keyboards, and strong coloring from the Doo-Ragg Horns – almost a west coast equivalent of Memphis or Muscle Shoals Horns, but with an even leaner groove overall. Kumunnukate sings a bit on the record, but most is instrumental – and titles include "Help Yourself", "Satisfied Sity", "The Search Goes On", "Holdin On", "Livin It Up", and "The Hassle". CD

Tower Of Power move down to Memphis for the recording of this great second album – and almost pick up a bit of Stax Records vibe in the process! The Memphis location is a key hint to the groove going on down here – a sound that's steeped in southern elements, even though the group themselves hail from the Bay Area – carried off with a quality that's a wonderful blend of funky rhythms, jazzier horns, and even a bit of fuller touches from the Memphis Strings. Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper helps the group out a bit on the session – and the album's got a sweet southern funky groove that sits nicely with the Bay Area groove of the group. Titles include "You Got To Funkifize", "Flash In The Pan", "Down To The Nightclub", "You Strike My Main Nerve", and "Of The Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky funky Philly! Not only is this single one of the most obscure on Philadelphia International, it's also one of the hardest – as Johnny sounds more like a Memphis or Macon soul singer than anyone who ever recorded in the city of Brotherly Love. "Slow Motion" begins with pounding tribal drums, and Johnny shouting out in kind of an Otis Redding mode – before organ and horns come in and make the whole groove nice and funky. Really nice stuff – and we wish we knew more about him! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Four heavy classics from Buddy Miles – all together in a single set! First up is Expressway To Your Skull – a super tripped-out blend of rock, funk, and soul – easily one of Buddy Miles' most mindblowing albums – and a classic that never lets up at all! Buddy's leading the whole group on drums – really kicking things large from behind the kit – while the rest of the group jams in a heavy style that's got plenty of fuzzed-out guitar and jazzy horn riffs – virtually a blueprint for countless other rock funk groups that copped Buddy's style in years to come. The drums alone are worth the price of admission – but the whole album's so right, tight, and outta sight that it's been a favorite in our crates for years! Titles include "Train", "Let Your Lovelight Shine", "Don't Mess With Cupid", "Funky Mule", and "Wrap It Up". Electric Church is filled with bluesy soul from Buddy Miles – an album that was half-produced by Jimi Hendrix, and which showcases the really crowd-pleasing side of Miles' sound! Tracks are a mix of soul covers and original numbers – done in a mode that puts plenty of guitar out front in the mix, and which uses Buddy's screaming vocals a bit more than his heavier drums. Horns are used on most numbers to give them a bit of southern soul inflection, and titles include a great live jamming take on "Wrap It Up", the funky "Destructive Love", and the cuts "Cigarettes & Coffee", "Miss Lady", "Texas", and "My Chant". Them Changes is a landmark album of crossover funk – fuzzed out rock, soul, and jazzy licks all coming into play together – held totally tight by drummer Buddy Miles, the undisputed king of his scene! Buddy's drums are super-heavy – holding down his Freedom Express group with a heavy jazz-rock sound that would soon have a huge influence on other groups. Includes Buddy's original version of "Them Changes" – a tune that was instantly covered by everyone at the time – plus the cuts "Memphis Train", "Your Feeling Is Mine", "Dreams", and "Down By The River". Last up is We Got To Live Together – pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy". CD