... 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

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

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

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Two top trumpet talents – coming together beautifully on this groovy late 70s set! Both Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela had a big rise to fame in the 60s – Herb, for his Tijuana Brass albums on A&M – and Hugh, for the way that he brought South African jazz currents to the American soul mainstream! Given that both had strong presence on the Cali scene in their time, the pairing here is a great one – and works well with some larger jazz backings that color things out in a mix of soul, fusion, funk, and some slight South African touches. Other players on the set include Lee Ritenour and Arthur Adams on guitars, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion, James Gadson on bass, and Hotep Cecil Bernard on piano – and titles include "Skokiaan", "Moonza", "Lobo", "African Summer", "Ring Bell", and "Happy Hanna". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice one from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – working with arranger Quincy Jones! You Smile – The Song Begins comes at a pretty interesting point in which Herb was still working in the Spanish-inflected, jazzy instrumental groove of earlier years – but in a fresh way after a few quiet years. He's also starting to bring in the tighter, soul-based rhythmic sensibility he would more fully explore in the years to come! Bright, wonderful work – with a Bacharach arrangement on "I Might Frighten Her Away", Lani Hall vocals on "Save The Sunlight", and loads of great tunes including "Fox Hunt", "Legend Of The One Eyed Sailor", "Promises, Promises", "Last Tango In Paris", "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Dida" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

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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! 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

... LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great electric session by Chet Baker from the 70s – and a record that's got a bit more force and power than most of his other sets at the time! The format here is a bit tighter and more focused than Baker's recordings for CTI from the period – with electric piano from Kenny Barron or Richie Beirach on all tracks, plus guitar on 3 of the album's 4 tracks, and a fair bit of other horns to flesh out the overall sound. The approach isn't exactly funky, but it's quite driving at times – and Baker's work on trumpet is more sharply pronounced in the setting – a bit bolder and less sorry for itself, with a majesty that rises above the potentially-cluttered feel of the set to take its own at the top. Titles are all long – and include "Love For Sale", "Un Poco Loco", "You Can't Go Home Again", and "El Morro". CD

2 CD set of the albums "You Can't Go Home Again" and "The Best Thing For You", as well as 9 bonus tracks! A surprisingly great electric session by Chet Baker from the 70s – and a record that's got a bit more force and power than most of his other sets at the time! The format here is a bit tighter and more focused than Baker's recordings for CTI from the period – with electric piano from Kenny Barron or Richie Beirach on all tracks, plus guitar on 3 of the album's 4 tracks, and a fair bit of other horns to flesh out the overall sound. The approach isn't exactly funky, but it's quite driving at times – and Baker's work on trumpet is more sharply pronounced in the setting – a bit bolder and less sorry for itself, with a majesty that rises above the potentially-cluttered feel of the set to take its own at the top. Titles are all long – and include "Love For Sale", "Un Poco Loco", "You Can't Go Home Again", and "El Morro". Lost material by Chet Baker – recorded for his late 70s album You Can't Go Home Again, and released in this special package after his untimely death in 1988. As with the album that did get released, there's a focus here that's a nice change from some of Baker's looser European material of later years – a sense of Chet's presence and phrasing that comes through quite strongly, and which is supported here by a sensitive group of top-shelf accompanists who include Paul Desmond, Kenny Barron, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter. The set features a great 17 minute take on "El Morro" by arranger/producer Don Sebesky – plus the tracks "Oh You Crazy Moon", "If You Could See Me Now", "The Best Thing For You", and "You've Changed". CD

Includes the songs "I Want You", "Fiesta", "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)", "Poinciana (Song Of The Tree)", "Theme From Firepower", "She Is Michelle", "Ruby", and "Speak Low". 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". CD

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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

Their greatest moment ever – with the classic "Love Will Keep Us Together", and surprising versions of "Disney Girls" and "God Only Knows" – showing the surprising links the pair had to the LA hipster scene through Dennis Dragon's early work. Also features the cuts "I Write The Songs", "Gentle Stranger", "Honey Come Love Me", and "The Good Songs". LP, Vinyl record album

The second LP from Vancouver groove rockers and slyly experimental combo Chilliwack – also their second self-titled album, and a mix of southern Americana inflected rock, and more tripped out acoustic psyche folk sounds! Some of the tunes have a pre Big Star catchiness, with some acoustic guitar and drum led parts that really generate a lot of heat, and more with a free wheeling, experimental sensibility with languorous soundscapes, and bits of sax and flute. Titles include groovers like "Lonesome Mary", "Eat", "Rosie", "Ride-Out", "Always", "Changing Wheels", "Night-Morning" and the multi-part, moody and elemental "Music For A Quiet Time". CD

A sweet AOR charmer from Randle Chowning – a singer you might know from his work in Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and who works here in a smoother take on the groove of that well-known group! The Daredevils always used a cool, compressed style on their vocals – and that approach sounds even better here, amidst warm and jazzy instrumentation – all produced by Paul Leka with a nice LA vibe, which really fits the gently-tripping groove of the tunes. Titles include "Black Leather", "Within A Dream", "Crazy Over You", "Sweet Love", "So Close To The Feeling", "Gettin Higher", and "Outside The Law". CD

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A landmark album from Joe Cocker – and a set that took blue-eyed soul in a whole new direction at the end of the 60s! The album's a surprising stunner all the way through – one that really gets past some of the overdone Cocker cliches that held on a bit too strongly in later years – served up here in relative simplicity, with core backing by Chris Stainton and The Grease Band, plus some key LA help from Leon Russell, and a bevy of backup singers that includes Merry Clayton, Bonnie Bramlett, Rita Coolidge, and Patrice Holloway. Russell co-produced the set, and his soulful touch definitely helps do a lot for Cocker's already-amazing vocals – adding in an undercurrent of funk that wasn't heard on Joe's first album. Titles include a classic remake of "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", plus "Delta Lady", "Something", "That's Your Business Now", "Hitchcock Railway", "Dear Landlord", "Darling Be Home Soon", and "Hello Little Friend". CD