... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Classic CTI material including "California Nights", "Yesterday", "Butterfly", "A Day In The Life", "When A Man Loves A Woman", "Know It All (Quem Diz Que Sabe)" and "My Favorite Things" – 20 cuts in all. CD

John Morales has a wonderful talent for taking a funky track and making it sound even funkier – which he does beautifully here in this killer collection of old school tunes! Many of the numbers are vintage clubby soul from the late 70s and early 80s – and Morales has this great way of crystalizing all the best elements in the songs, and pulling them to the forefront – but all without ever ruining the integrity of the tracks that sounded so great in the first place! In other words, the work here isn't the imprint of some young DJ trying to overstate his presence – but a true music maestro who really knows what makes a club track great – a vibe that takes us back to the brilliant edits of the early NYC scene. All titles here are previously unreleased – and this 2LP set features four titles that include Morales mixes of "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby" by Barry White, "You Got Me Running" by Lenny Williams, "Mind On You" by Level 42, and "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" by Dan Hartman. LP, Vinyl record album

With 15 tracks including "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Share My Love", "Kickin' Back", "Stranger", "Make Someone Smile, Today", and "Shine On" – plus their classic groover "Back In Love Again"! CD

The title's a bit of a joke, but it points the way towards the nature of this very special project – as the "S" is the San Francisco Symphony, working with the "M" of Metallica – all in a very special blend of their own sounds with some larger orchestrations conducted by Michael Kamen! Unlike older classic rock albums of this nature, which were usually done when the core group had really run out of steam – Metallica are still very much in their prime here, and working to serve up strong versions of tunes that include "Enter Sandman", "No Leaf Clover", "Nothing Else Matters", "One", and other Metallica classics! LP, Vinyl record album

John Morales has a wonderful talent for taking a funky track and making it sound even funkier – which he does beautifully here in this killer collection of old school tunes! Many of the numbers are vintage clubby soul from the late 70s and early 80s – and Morales has this great way of crystalizing all the best elements in the songs, and pulling them to the forefront – but all without ever ruining the integrity of the tracks that sounded so great in the first place! In other words, the work here isn't the imprint of some young DJ trying to overstate his presence – but a true music maestro who really knows what makes a club track great – a vibe that takes us back to the brilliant edits of the early NYC scene. All titles here are previously unreleased – and the massive 4CD set features titles that include Morales mixes of "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby" by Barry White, "You Got Me Running" by Lenny Williams, "Mind On You" by Level 42, "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" by Dan Hartman, "Lovergirl" by Teen Marie, "Standing Right Here" by Mannix, "Love Is The Message" by MFSB, "Let The Music Play" by Barry White, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Funkin For Jamaica" by Tom Browne, "All Night" by Katzuma, "Hi Tension" by Hi Tension, "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" by Eddie Kendricks, "Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly, "Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, "Star Love" by Three Ounces Of Love", "You Stepped Into My Life" by Melba Moore, "Life Is A Song Worth Singing" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Walk Away From Love" by David Ruffin, "Life Goes On" by The Jones Girls, "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore, "Turn Me Up" by Keith Barrow, "Circles" by Atlantic Starr, "Joy & Pain" by Maze, "Stay" by The Controllers, "Take Me Home" by Cher, and "Can't Live Without Your Love" by Tamiko Jones. CD

Dennis Brown's endearing trio of albums for A&M – Four Play, Love Has Found Its Way and The Prophet Rides Again – nicely anthologized on this great 2CD set! By the time the 80s came around, Dennis was, deservedly, a huge star in both Jamaica and the UK, but hadn't reached that level of fame in the US. It couldn't have made more sense for a major label in the States to sweep in and try to change that situation – and if the fame didn't quite come on our side of the pond, it wasn't for a lack of great music. The Professionals lay down the instrumentation and each of the 3 A&M records feature excellent production by Joe Gibbs, along with Willie Lindo, Dennis Brown and Errol Thompson. Titles include "On The Rocks", "I Need Your Love", "Come On Baby", "The Existence Of Jah", "The Cheater", "Your Man", "Love Has Found Its Way", "Get High On Your Love", "Blood, Sweat And Tears", "Any Day Now", "Why Baby Why", "Get Up", "Out Of The Funk", "Jammin' My Way To Fame", "Too Hot", "The Prophet Rides Again", "Historical Places (Ethiopia)", "This Love Of Mine", "Storms Are Raging". CD

... CD

Radiant grooves indeed from Atlantic Starr – a group who really make things sparkle throughout this magnificent set! The group are at the height of their powers here – skirting a perfect line between mainstream soul and upbeat club – never falling too much into one style or the other, and never sounding as commercial as some of their contemporaries! There's a relaxed, easygoing feel to most of the grooves on the set – never too much fake bass, nor too many electric touches – and the vocals shift a bit from track to track, taking good advantage of singers Wayne Lewis, David Lewis, and Sharon Bryant. Titles include "When Love Calls", "Think About That", "Mystery Girl", "Under Pressure", "My Turn Now", "Does It Matter", and "Send For Me". CD

A groovy little classic from Atlantic Starr – and a great example of the group's wonderfully catchy way of hitting a groove! The music's never pop, but has some captivating hooks all the way through – sweet little bits mixed in with the funky soul approach of the ensemble – made even better by the great way the vocals get traded back and forth! There's a careful approach to the whole set – a way of putting things together with a good degree of class – and definitely avoiding most of the cliches that would make a similar project sound a lot more clunky. Great stuff throughout – and titles include "Who Could Love You Better", "Second To None", "Touch A Four Leaf Clover", "Tryin", and "Island Dream". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Forget everything you know about "Raindrops Are Falling On My Head", and give Burt kudos for this gem of an album! Sure, "Raindrops" shows up here a few times – instrumentally, and in 2 BJ Thomas vocal versions – and it's not a bad tune at all. But the real gems are some of the instrumentals – which have Burt almost doing a Tijuana take on his classic A&M sound – in a style that's really wonderful! Our favorite cut is the amazing "South American Getaway" – a breezy vocal scatting number that seems to take the best of the Swingle Singers and I Cantori Modern and roll them into one groovy tune that soars, dips, turns, twists, and holds our dear heart close for 5 minutes and 13 seconds! It's a real gem, and worth the price of the album alone – but you'll also get a few other nice ones, like "The Old Fun City", "The Sundance Kid", "Come Touch The Sun", and "Not Goin Home Anymore". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work by maestro Burt Bacharach – subtle genius, and an album that offers more to us every time we listen to it! Burt's work has been recorded by many – but few ever gave it the kind of treatment that he did – as you'll hear in this brilliant array of sweeping strings, sly syncopation, and well-placed instrumental solos! The sound is breathtaking throughout – a new level of maturity and majesty for 60s instrumental pop – and the record's an enduring classic that deserves a place in every sensitive record collection. Includes the amazing cut "Pacific Coast Highway", plus great versions of other classics, like "Wanting Things", "She's Gone Away", "Knowing When To Leave", and "This Guy's In Love With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic! We love Burt Bacharach in so many ways that it's easy to forget the genius of these early A&M sides – but going back to them is always a treat, and it's wonderful to hear the way that Burt lays down his own work when given the chance! You know the tracks – "House Is Not A Home", "Bond Street", "Reach Out For Me", "Are You There", "Windows Of The World" – but you may not know the arrangements, which are superb – quite different than the more famous vocal versions you've probably heard ad infinitum, and recorded at a level that brings a whole new magic and majesty to 60s pop! An essential record for any fan of all things groovy – and an album of new pleasures each time we hear it! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

12 tracks. CD

A far reaching late 70s set from Gato Barbieri – a record that blends fusiony jazz funk, lush stings, and Latin rhythms and fluid solos on a varied batch of tunes! One of the more interesting things about the production is that those varied approaches often come into play within the same tunes – with clean, lean fusiony bass and percussion underneath swelling string accents, showing Barbieri was unafraid to intermingle myriad influences at the time. Titles include a take on Caetano Veloso's "Odara", plus "Poinciana (Song Of The Tree)", "Latin Lady" (which guest Carlos Santana trading solos with Gato over tropical jazz funk backing), "She Is Michelle", "Where Is The Love", "Evil Eyes" and "Bolero". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Features Mick Abrams on lead vocals and guitar – and titles that include "Variations On Nainos", "San Francisco Sketches", "Toys", "Send Your Son To Die", "The Squirreling Must Go On", and "Meanie Monday". LP, Vinyl record album

If you've never heard Anthony Braxton play straight jazz, you owe it to yourself to check out this performance – it's a delight, like some of his few straight sets! With Hank Jones on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. Titles include "Moment's Notice", "Groovin High", "Ruby My Dear", "Yardbird Suite", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

More hit magic from the Brothers Johnson – still working with Quincy Jones at this point, and virtually setting up the blueprint for jazzy soul in the 80s! Backings are by an all-star team, and Rod Temperton's helping out Quincy with arrangements – going for that snapping groove approach he worked to best effect with Heatwave. The sound is tight, but never too slick – and The Brothers keep a nice funky undercurrent on the bottom of most tracks. Titles include "Smilin On Ya", "You Make Me Wanna Wiggle", "Light Up The Night", "Stomp", "This Had To Be", and "Closer To The One You Love". CD

An all-star soul affair produced by Quincy Jones, and featuring the talents of studio greats like Harvey Mason, Billy Cobham, Toots Thielmans, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, and many others – not to mention the Brothers themselves! We'll be honest, though, in saying that we really think it's the great jazzy backing and the tight arrangements by Quincy that make this record so great. The Brothers' bass and vocal work is fine – but it's the non-bass instrumental moments that really make this album great, as you'll hear on cuts like the moog-heavy "Tomorrow", or the timbales/keyboard/flute groover "Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin Licks". Great stuff if you dig mid 70s work by Q – and featuring the tracks "I'll Be Good To You", "Land Of Ladies", "Free & Single", "Get The Funk Out Ma Face", and "The Devil". LP, Vinyl record album

No stomping here, and instead a sweetly soaring groove – very much in the best Brothers Johnson mode! Quincy Jones produced, and the track is a great one from the Light Up The Night album – bouncing, soulful, and with a great boogie bottom – topped off with some nice basswork and keyboards that even get a bit moogy! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

A classic – with titles that include "Baby It's You", "We've Only Just Begun", "Reason To Believe", "Close To You", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Mr Guder", and "Another Song". CD

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