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A heady brew of sounds from Steppenwolf – a group who are maybe best known for one famous early hit, but who kept on getting better and wilder as the years went on! The group have a sound that spun out of the Summer Of Love with a vibe that showed that things weren't all sun and flowers – a more sinister blend of blues roots and psych that moved even more strongly towards the latter as the 70s moved in, and the group's instrumentation just got tighter and tighter – graced by raw vocals from John Kay that fit perfectly next to the romping rhythms, and guitars that were a key part of the formation of the hard rock generation. 8CD set features the full early years of the group – the albums Steppenwolf, Second, At Your Birthday Party, Monster, Steppenwolf Live, Steppenwolf 7, and For Ladies Only – plus the Early Steppenwolf Live At The Matrix show from 1967 – and 26 more bonus tracks added to the albums, all wrapped up in a box set with original cover art, and detailed notes too. CD

Bobby Whitlock finally gets his due – in a massive set that reissues the first two solo albums of this key player who worked on the albums Layla and All Things Must Pass! The self-titled Bobby Whitlock is a lost landmark in early 70s roots rock – the first solo album from Bobby Whitlock – an artist who'd previously played with Derek & The Dominoes, George Harrison, and Delaney & Bonnie – and who's getting a bit of help here from both Harrison and Eric Clapton in the studio! Yet the set's definitely Bobby's own – rooted in his Memphis background, and fusing together rock and soul with the same sort of core charm you might hear from Delaney & Bonnie – a quality that's almost color-blind at times, and which has the same sort of new southern appeal as music from The Allman Brothers or some of Bobby's bigger contemporaries. Titles include "Where There's A Will", "Song For Paula", "A Game Called Life", "Back In My Life Again", "Back Home In England", and "The Dreams Of A Hobo". On Raw Velvet, Bobby Whitlock really comes into his own – working in a style that's tighter and more confident than his debut – yet which is also still drenched in all the best southern styles of his roots! Production is rich, but never too commercial – and the album shows some of the growth in roots rock that was taking place with other acts of the same nature at the time – a space that's not far from The Band or Little Feat, but which also echoes more of Whitlock's Tennessee background overall. Eric Clapton plays on one track – and titles include "Tell The Truth", "Write You A Letter", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Think About It", "Satisfied", and "Dearest I Wonder". Features very detailed notes – and some great photos and recollections from Whitlock! CD

A much-needed collection of work from one of the most overlooked soul labels ever – the mighty ABC Records, home to a surprising amount of great work! Although ABC was best known for its pop and jazz recordings in the 60s, the company also had a very soulful undercurrent – and was known for releasing some incredible work on singles – including a variety of stunning tracks by artists who rarely ever got to record full LPs! The ABC sound is incredible – a blend of the best sides of Chicago and New York at the time – with surprisingly strong arrangements that still offered the singers plenty of room to really take control of the tunes. Titles include "Soul Self Satisfaction" by Earl Jackson, "Little Girl Lost" by The Sheppards, "Call Me" by Eddie Bishop, "Don't Come Running To Me" by Jean Wells, "Promised Land" by Buddy Lamp, "Your Little Sister" by The Marvelows, "Oh Baby" by Nolan Porter, "Is It Over Baby" by The Kittens, "It's More Than I Deserve" by Joey Gee, and "You Spoiled My Reputation" by Tony Middleton. CD

A treasure trove of rare soul – from a source that's greatly overlooked! This second volume of work from the ABC label is as heavy and deep as the first – offering up 22 hard-hitting soul tracks that were issued as singles by the label, and which groove with a mighty power that's as good as any indie work of the time! In fact, we might dare say these tracks are better – as ABC always brought a real tightness to their soul – keeping things rootsy and real, yet also putting things together with a professional edge that always brought out the best side of the singers on the tracks! Titles include "Open Up Your Heart" by The Mamselles, "Winner Take All" by Geraldine Hunt, "You've Been Going With Sally" by The Marvelows, "Am I Falling In Love" by Maxine Brown, "It's All Over" by Charles Mann, "Half A Cup" by Reggie Garner, "What If A Man" by Tyrone Davis, "Love Explosion" by Troy Keyes, "Playin Hide & Seek" by Eddie Regan, and "Lookie Lookie" by The Kittens. CD

Music from Ike & Tina Turner, BB King, the Crusaders, the Four Tops, the Pointer Sisters, Lamont Dozier, Nolan Porter, Bobby Bland & more. CD

Music from The Pointer Sisters, The Dramatics, Rufus & Chaka Khan, John Handy, O.V. Wright, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The Floaters, Denise LaSalle, Lenny Williams, Ald Hudson & The Partners, and Shotgun – 14 tracks in all. CD

A seminal step forward for this legendary group – easily one of the greatest albums they ever cut! With ABC, the Jacksons are expanding their sound with the club-oriented grooves of the time – using Holland, Dozier, and Holland on many cuts, trying for a similar soaring groove as some of the trio's work on their own Invictus label. The move's actually a great one – as the maturing group has a strong adult harmony sound, the one that they would lean on more heavily during their years as The Jacksons, and which calls for much smoother arrangements than before. The record's got a surprisingly righteous, joyous sort of sound – and titles include "The Love You Save", "ABC", "One More Chance", "Never Had A Dream Come True", "I'll Bet You", "I Found That Girl", "La-La Means I Love You", "2-4-6-8", and "The You Folks". LP, Vinyl record album

2 of the best records ever by The Jackson 5! Diana Ross Presents is the fantastic first record from the Jacksons – who were totally great, even at this early stage of their career. Proof enough is their big hit, the always-wonderful "I Want You Back", one of those tunes that we've heard a million times, but still love to death. Also included are a number of covers – like "Stand", "My Cherie Amour", and "Standing In The Shadows of Love" – all done in the nice Jacksons style. With ABC, the boys are expanding their sound with the club-oriented grooves of the time – using Holland, Dozier, and Holland on many cuts, trying for a similar strident groove as some of the trio's work on their own Invictus label. The move's actually a great one – as the maturing group has a strong adult harmony sound, the one that they would lean on more heavily during their years as The Jacksons, and which calls for much smoother arrangements than before. The record's got a strident righteous sound – and titles include "Forever Came Today", "Moving Violation", "You Were Made Especially For Me", "Honey Love", "Body Language", "All I Do Is Think Of You", and "Breezy". CD also features the bonus track "Oh I've Been Bless'd". CD

A great run of music – one that includes Impulse and Smash Records sessions too – titles that appeared on That's How I Feel About Jazz, The Quintessence, We Had A Ball, Birth Of A Band, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, I Dig Dancers, At Newport 61, Quincy Plays For Pussycats, Birth Of A Band Vol 2, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones Live, and Curtis Fuller & The Jazz Ambassadors – with bonus tracks too! CD

Killer Four Tops material from the early 70s – and a record that proved that they didn't need to be on Motown to still keep churnin' out the hits! The sound is sophisticated, and pushes past the standard format of the group's good-selling records for Motown – hitting a classic AM Radio soul groove that's best summed up by the album's monster hit "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)", one of those tracks that will probably be played around the world for years and years and years. The rest of the record's just as great, and includes loads of tasty numbers – like the excellent title cut "Keeper Of The Castle", plus "Love Music", "Turn On The Light Of Your Love", and "Remember What I Told You To Forget". Soulful and sophisticated, and a nice break from the Motown years! LP, Vinyl record album

One of those really unusual, almost unlikely albums that were issued by the ABC label at the end of the 60s – the kind of record that shouldn't have gotten such exposure on such a big label, which meant that it was promptly ignored in terms of promotion – yet somehow went on to become the stuff of underground legend as the years went by! Graffiti are a group who follow a similar path of some of their contemporaries – initially a more garagey outfit, but here able to not only play the hell out of their instruments, but also create a more complex sound that's stepping towards prog modes to come, yet with a down to earth vibe that has some nice Sunshine Pop touches around the vocals! The blend is wonderful, and makes for a really unique record – clearly the product of some great freedom allowed the young group in the studio, on titles that include "Father Protector", "New Life", "Girl On Fire", "Cold Water", "Love In Spite", "Ugly Mascara", "Jingle Jangle Woman", and "The Capture Of Me". CD

An excellent trippy soundtrack – to a film we'd love to see, and which starred Charles Aznavour, Ringo Starr, John Astin, James Coburn, John Huston, Richard Burton, and Marlon Brando! The crazy outing is accompanied by a great Dave Grusin score that includes lots and lots of heavy guitars – quite different from his usual bag, and a nice fit with the few vocal numbers in the film – some standout rock titles that go along nicely with Dave's sweet instrumental grooves! Includes "Rock Me" and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf, "Child Of The Universe" by The Byrds, and the excellent Grusin instrumentals "Marlon & His Sacred Bird", "Constant Journey", "Spec Ra Tac Para Comm", and "Opening Night By Surgery". LP, Vinyl record album

Slightly later than some of Isaac Hayes' biggest Stax albums – but a great little record that's filled with some excellent smooth soul material! The record shows Hayes really trying to push his style to new levels, and it's got a sophistication that you don't hear on earlier albums – a sound that hints at the Polydor years, but without as much of a disco influence. Ike's also dropped his thing of doing a lot of soul covers of pop tracks – which means that the record's got a lot more original material, served up with a new sort of focus on songwriting! Titles include "Chocolate Chip", a perennial fave on the dancefloor, in both vocal and instrumental versions – plus "I Can't Turn Around", "Come Live With Me", and "Body Language". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the disco set you might guess from the title – and instead, a surprisingly soulful gem from the post-Stax years of Isaac Hayes! There's certainly a bit of uptempo grooving in the mix – but, as on Ike's Polydor years, the approach is still handled with the deeper sounds that Hayes first forged over at Stax – a way of putting together the groove that's almost like a mini-symphony in soul – still quite complex, even when aimed at the dancefloor! But not all cuts are groovers, too – as there's some key mellow moments on the record that really help balance things out, and which we really like a lot – those slow-stepping, mature masculine numbers that always marked Hayes as one of the hippest talents of his generation. There's some key Memphis help on the record from The Movement – who handle rhythm and horns – and titles include "Let's Don't Ever Blow Our Thing", "Lady of The Night", "The Storm Is Over", "Juicy Fruit", "Thank You Love", and "Music To Make Love By". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful duet set from Ike Hayes and Dionne Warwick – one that draws on the classiest side of the Hayes spectrum, and uses his groove to help Dionne find some great new energy! Even in performance, the music has that great rich quality that Isaac always brought to his solo recordings in the 70s – with strings, backup singers, and some tight undercurrents that help keep things soulful throughout – really cutting through the schmaltz of Ike's shiny tux on the cover! Dionne really sparkles in his company – and the record features duo numbers, solo spots, and even some nice medley tracks. The band behind the pair are electric, mellow, and very soulful – and titles include "Can't Hide Love", "Chocolate Chip", "Then Came You", "Come Live With Me", "Unity", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "I Say A Little Prayer", done nicely in a medley together. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't hold the "disco" in the title against Isaac – because the album's still a pretty nice one, and by no means a cheap sell-out affair! The set was recorded in Memphis, with backings by the classic Movement combo – and although the tunes do have a "sweetened" sound that's clearly aimed at the clubs, there's actually some great instrumentation on the set that goes way past stock disco riffing – and which comes across almost like a funky cop show soundtrack. In case we haven't mentioned it yet, the album's all instrumental too – with Ike leading the Movement group, but not singing on any of the album's tracks. Without vocals, there's plenty of space for the horns to work some interesting bits into the mix – alongside funky riffing on guitar and keys, and some nice use of acoustic percussion. Ike plays a bit of sweet keys on the set, and titles include "Disco Connection", "St Thomas Square", "First Day Of Forever", "Disco Shuffle", "Choppers", "After Five", and "Aruba". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Eddie's masterpiece LP of late sixties soul, with the classic "Hey There Lonely Girl", the title cut, and a lot of other great original compositions. The sound on here is perfect, and nearly every cut shines. There's almost no filler, and Eddie's voice is strong, beautiful, and has a raspy edge that sounds great! We love this one to death, and it's a surprisingly great album all the way through by a star that you might mistake for a one-hit wonder. Titles include "I Cried", "Let Me Into Your Life", "Am I A Loser", and "Four Walls". LP, Vinyl record album

Joyous, bouncy sounds from the legendary Al Hudson – a sweet little set with his Soul Partners group, done in a mode that's right up there with the best music of his One Way combo! The grooves are uptempo, yet are much more rooted in ensemble funk than some of the disco of Al's contemporaries – and if anything, the album really shows a great evolution from the funk bands of the previous generation to a newer, more sophisticated style overall. Hudson's work at the helm is wonderful – and helps steer the group towards some nice mellow moments too – with arrangements from Kevin McCord, Rudy Robinson, and Dave Roberson. Alicia Myers serves up some great early vocals with the group – and titles include "I Don't Want You To Leave Me", "Another Love Song", "You Can Do It", "In The Basement", "Call Me", and "Rock". CD features a bonus track – "You Can Do It (disco mix)". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

The only album ever issued by this very hip Boston band of the late 60s – a group who've certainly got the psychedelic feel you'd guess from their image on the cover, but one who also wrap up all sorts of other great strands going on in their scene as well! There's some harmony vocals on a few tracks, and really striking leads from female singer Connie Devanney on the best tracks – mixed with fuzz guitar in a way that comes across with a nicely sinister vibe – different than west coast psych of the time, and maybe with this feeling of trapped urgency that really gives the whole album a nice sort of sizzle! Titles include "Hung Up Chick", "Sleep", "Full Cycle", "People Of The Night", "Dark World", "LAPD", and "Walkin & Singin" – plus a nice take on "High Flying Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Hairy Hypochondriac", "My Door Is Open", "Getting Old", "Looking For My Lady", "Madness", and "Kick Back Man". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic – and an important early album from Quincy Jones! Q's working here in some of his hippest settings of the 50s – scoring longish versions of jazz tunes for groups that include players like Lucky Thompson on tenor, Herbie Mann on flute, Art Farmer on trumpet, Phil Woods and Gene Quill on alto sax, Hank Jones on piano, and even Charles Mingus on bass! As with most Jones albums of the time, Quincy has a way of making a bigger group sound nice and lean – hitting some especially nice edges along with the rhythms, and really showing the way towards a new soulful sound for a bigger band. Titles include a sublime 10 minute version of "Walkin" that kicks off the album with a great soulful groove – plus original tunes "Evening In Paris", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Boo's Blues", as well as a version of Cannonball Adderley's "Sermonette". CD

Includes "Hummingbird", "How Blue Can You Get", "Caldonia", "Sweet Sixteen", "Ain't Nobody Home", "Why I Sing The Blues", "The Thrill Is Gone", and "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother". LP, Vinyl record album

BB King's collapsed here on the beach in California – and maybe that's because he gave so much energy to the session – which is a lot more full than some of his previous work from the 60s! The whole thing is a mix of blues and soul – some larger charts that really provide a great backdrop for BB's vocals, which dominate a bit more in the set than his guitar – although there's definitely a few tracks here that feature that trademark King magic on the strings! Titles include "Just Can't Please You", "Any Other Way", "Guess Who", "Better Lovin Man", "Five Long Years", and "Shouldn't Have Left Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Two early 70s burners from BB King – back to back as a 2CD set! LA Midnight has BB King bringing in a sweet dose of jazz to his work – just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time – maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky blues records, but definitely somewhere in that direction! Players on the date include Mel Brown and Jesse Davis on guitars, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Red Holloway on tenor, Plas Johnson on baritone, Clifford Coulter and Victor Feldman on piano, and the great Earl Palmer on drums. Titles include "Help The Poor", "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You", "Midnight", "I Got Some Help I Don't Need", "I've Been Blue Too Long", "Lucille's Granny, and "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You". To Know You is a set that has BB King teaming up with southern soul maestro Dave Crawford – an arranger/producer who helps BB find a whole new groove! Crawford's approach is wonderfully warm and soulful – almost a Hi Records sort of take on the music, which brings King's traditional blues into much fresher territory – an update of older Memphis modes, with a really great sound for the 70s. In addition to The Memphis Horns, there's also a bit of Philly help on the record too – thanks to Vince Montana's vibes, Norman Harris' guitar, Ron Kersey's keyboards, and Ronnie Baker's bass. Stevie Wonder makes a brief guest appearance on keyboards too – and titles include "Oh To Me", "Love", "Respect Yourself", "I Like To Live The Love", "Who Are You", "I Can't Leave", and "Thank You For Loving The Blues". CD

One of the first records to feature BB King's famous guitar, Lucille, in the spotlight – an instrument he'd played for years, but which took on legendary status over the decades! The guitar's handled perfectly here by King – with a tone that still holds on to all the gritty edges of his early years, but which is also captured beautifully in the studio with top-shelf production – loud and clear, but never as commercial as on later records. The whole thing's wonderfully free of hoke – the material that made King a much-deserved star in the 60s – and the record features backing from Maxwell Davis on Hammond and Lloyd Glenn on piano. Titles include "Watch Yourself", "Lucille", "I Need Your Love", "Country Girl", and "You Move Me So". CD

A mid 70s meeting of two seminal blues talents from the Memphis scene – singer Bobby Blue Bland, and legendary guitarist BB King! The pair were both working for ABC at the time – major label fame after years woodshedding in the indies – and hitting well-deserved fame for their huge talents – still as fresh here as they were a decade before, and unmarred by any studio sanitization in this great live set! The record does an especially good job of bringing together the artists verbally – letting Bobby and BB open up and rap a bit during the songs – yet still having plenty of space to go into their own thing musically, too. Titles include "It's My Own Fault", "I'll Take Care Of You", "I'm Sorry", "3 O'Clock Blues", "Goin Down Slow", and a great long Medley track. LP, Vinyl record album

An ABC classic from reedman John Klemmer – a set that was quite successful at the time of its release, but still held onto the deeper soul of Klemmer's earlier work! John's got a way of blowing his horn that always sounds great, even when the backings are a bit full and polished, as they are here – a strong edge to his reedwork that was probably only rivaled by Tom Scott in such a 70s setting, but always blown by Klemmer with a sound that was more searing, and searching in the end. Tenor's the main horn on the set, and it gets some great support from Pat Rebillot on keys – both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – and other players include Lenny White on drums, and both Airto and Alex Acuna on percussion. Titles include "Falling", "Desire", "Mardi Gras", "Arabesque", "Paradise", and "Walk In Love". CD

A great summation of the sound that John Klemmer created during his early 70s years at Impulse – served up here with a slightly warmer, slightly mellower feel for a great date on ABC! Klemmer's still playing here with a wonderful sense of tone – an approach to reeds that's nicely sharp, even at mellower moments – a depth on tenor that shows some of the best advances in jazz at the end of the 60s, yet which is delivered here with a slightly more subtle feel – a bit like some of the best Gato Barbieri work at the time. Other players on the date include Dave Grusin on electric piano, Larry Carlton on guitar, and Bernie Fischer on flutes – all of whom are nice and restrained, and a lot more laidback than the usual smooth fusion album of the period. Klemmer's clearly still interested in keeping things soulful – blowing with a warm glow and nice sense of flow throughout – on a set of mostly original titles that include "Poem Painter", "Barefoot Ballet", "Forest Child", "Talking Hands", "Rain Dancer", and "Naked". LP, Vinyl record album

The warm, sweetly grooving Eloise album from Eloise Laws – a nice bit of smoothly produced LA soul, with arrangements by Gene Page, and production by Linda Creed and Jerry Goldstein. Eloise's vocals are really wonderful here, exuding warmth something of relaxed approach to her singing that works really well with the jazzy soul accompaniment. The standout tracks have more of a laidback, lightly soaring vibe – including "Someone Who Still Needs Me", "You're Incredible", and "Love Comes Easy" – but the more uptempo cuts such as "Number One" and "Baby You Lied" acquit themselves nicely, too. Ronnie Laws lays down sax solos on a few numbers, and Lonnie Jordan plays arp – and there are other great players in the mix, including Paulinho Da Costa, Wah Wah Watson, Ray Parker and others. Other tracks include "1,000 Laughs", "Love Is Feeling" and "Forever Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy fuzzed out psychedelia from the late 60s Twin Cities scene – the wild and hard charging Emerge from The Litter – with a heft that would be just as right at home in Detroit at the time as it was in Minneapolis! A lot of that has to due to with the heft – the drums pound heavily and the vocalists wail more than sing – this is a nasty piece of business, this Litter! Still, lumbering as chose to, there's still a nice groove that comes out, particularly on the less frezious moments, and the titles include "Journeys", "Feeling", "Silly People", "Blue Ice", "For What It's Worth", "Little Red Book", "Breakfeast At Gardenson's", and "Futures Of The Past". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few full albums ever cut by The Masqueraders – a stellar vocal group who recorded some excellent singles in the 60s, and were fortunate enough to be pulled into the big time by Isaac Hayes for his Hot Buttered Soul imprint on ABC! The band mixes their smooth Memphis style with some tighter arrangements by Ike and Lester Snell – and the result is a nice batch of modern soul tracks that keeps up the groove of the Hot Buttered sound nicely! Tracks include "Be For Real", "Runaway Slave", "It's A Terrible Thing To Waste Your Love", and "Love Between A Woman And A Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soul from the husband and wife duo of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr – their second album since leaving The Fifth Dimension – and it sounds as warm and appealing as ever! Marilyn & Billy hit it pretty big right out of the gate on the preceding I Hope We Get To Love In Time – and if The Two Of Us didn't make as deep of an impact on the charts, it's ultimately just as strong of a record. Arranged and produced by Frank Wilson, it's one of those great mid-to-late 70s pop soul albums that delivers big hooks and broadly appealing sounds without compromising the soul at the heart of it! Titles include "The Two Of Us", "In My Lifetime", "Look What You've Done To My Heart", "My Very Special Darling", and "My Reason To Be Is You". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure TV score by Lionel Newman – with some cool arrangements by Marty Paich, Billy May, and Warren Baker – and titles that include "Tully's Bar", "Toast To Joanna", "Blues For Evans", "Jade Empress", "Chop Chop Waltz", "Chinese Cha Cha", and "Number One Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

Early early work from Odetta – still done in the folksy mode you'd expect from other records of the 60s, but also with a slight flavor of trad jazz too – thanks to the presence of some great musicians on the date! The group features some standout horn work from Buck Clayton on trumpet, Vic Dickenson on trombone, and Herb Hall on clarinet – all of whom bring in a New Orleans flavor to the music that's quite surprising – almost a back door link of Odetta's groove to older African-American traditions, but not in the ways that are usually foregrounded in her work. Other players include Dick Wellstood on piano, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, and Shep Shepherd on drums – and titles include "Hard Oh Lord", "Oh My Babe", "Yonder Come The Blues", "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor", "Hogan's Alley", and "Leavin This Mornin". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful little chapter in the rich, and all-too-short career of bassist Oscar Pettiford – larger group recordings done for ABC in the mid 50s! The sessions show Pettiford to be surprisingly great at such a format – leading a group through Gigi Gryce arrangements that have a nice modern jazz take on earlier bop themes of the 50s. Gryce himself plays alto on the session, and other players include Jerome Richardson, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Cleveland, Al Grey, Tommy Flanagan, and Lucky Thompson. The CD seems to include material from both Pettiford sessions for ABC – for a total of 17 tracks that include "Two French Fries", "Perdido", "Speculation", "Sunrise Sunset", "Smoke Signal", "Deep Passion", "Nica's Tempo", "Not So Sleepy", "Little Niles", and "Seabreeze". CD

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A pretty rootsy album of blues – from New Orleans, of course! Joe plays piano and sings – and backing is by guitar, bass, and drums. Titles include "Juice On The Loose", "Beggin Woman", "Chicken La La Blues", "Barefoot Boy", and "Life's A One Way Ticket". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Lloyd's biggest hits during his early years – 15 tracks that have plenty of New Orleans influences, yet which also define that unique quality that made Price one of the stand-along singers of his time! Includes hits like "Stagger Lee", "Personality", "Lady Luck", and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" – plus "You Need Love", "I'm Gonna Get Married", "Never Let Me Go", and "Have You Ever Had The Blues?". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of early albums from Tommy Roe – back to back on a single CD! First up is Sheila – the full length debut of Tommy Roe – and a set that already shows his strong ability to put over a catchy tune! The title hit is an unabashed ripoff of the Buddy Holly sound, but the overall record has a lot more going on – with some cool Nashville production handled by Felton Jarvis, and backing vocals at many points by The Jordanaires! The set is the sort that was more likely coming from Cali labels like Liberty or Imperial at the time – and the mix of west coast pop, Nashville twang, and the range of material makes for a really cool package that's full of surprises. Titles include "Piddle De Pat", "Sheila", "Little Hollywood Girl", "Look At Me", "Blue Ghost", "Think About The Good Things", and "There Will Be Better Years". Everybody Likes Tommy Roe is a re-titled version of the album Something For Everybody – issued here under it's UK cover and title. The set's got Tommy Roe furthering that Cali pop style that was showing up in his music from the start – a bit of a surprise for a singer from Atlanta, and still handled here by Nashville producer Felton Jarvis – but with lots of the jaunty guitars and groovy styles that were breaking big out of the LA studios at the time! Titles include "Switchie Witchie Titchie", "Everybody", "Katy Did", "Sensations", "Standing Watch", and "Why Do You Make Me Cry". CD

Great work by one of the archetypal funky soul bands of the 70s – and a group whose impact is still being felt today! Of course, one of the reasons for that is Chaka Khan's incredible vocals – caught here at a prime early point, and very nicely set against some warm electric keyboards and tight groovy guitars – which provide a groove that's live and spontaneous, and never too forced – just the right kind of energy to work perfectly with her approach to the lyrics, without any of the too-polished modes you'd fine from copycat groups trying to fake a sound like this. Rufus had been with Chaka for years by this point – fusing together a sublime blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock – a sound they forged woodshedding in Chicago in the early days, let loose in perfect studio territory on the west coast of the 70s. The whole thing's a classic – and titles include "Jive Talking", "Sweet Thing", "Fools Paradise", "Circle", "Everybody Has An Aura", and "On Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from Rufus and Chaka Khan – a sublime 70s set in which the group's sound totally comes together, and finds a really special sound that's all its own! The blend of elements here is perfect – the group's funky jazz instrumentation, and Chaka Khan's warm vocals – very soulful, but also inflected with plenty of jazz, too – which makes even the mellower tunes here sparkle like nothing else on the market at the time – or all these many years later! There's a strong sense of understatement to the record – the sound is neither too slick, nor too laidback – just totally perfect and on the money – on a set of gems that includes the classic hit "Hollywood", plus "Slow Screw Against The Wall", "Close The Door", "Egyptian Song", and "Everlasting Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that everyone seemed to own, back in the day – and for good reason, too – as Rufus and Chaka have a way of opening ears of folks who dig so many different styles – from soul to rock to funk and jazz – but all with a groove that's totally their own! The record's one that definitely broke the group big out of their Chicago roots – thanks to the incredible "Tell Me Something Good" – an amazing workout that's the perfect mainstream showcase for Chaka's great voice, made even better by the use of one of those cool Peter Frampton-vocoder thingies! The album also features some other excellent material that's a bit more restrained, and more in the band's usual jazz funk mode – like "Ain't Nothing But A Maybe", "You Got The Love", "Smokin Room", and "Sideways". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning work from Rufus & Chaka Khan – still very much at the height of their powers on this late 70s release – and still doing things at a level that nobody else can touch! The blend of jazz and soul is completely sublime – given a bit of extra help on arrangements by Clare Fischer and Seawind, both talents who are also at their best during this 70s stretch too – but the real power still comes from the core energy of Rufus, and the way they can effortlessly fuse these slinky, soulful grooves – and, of course, from the massive Chaka Khan – every bit the shining jewel in the group's crown, yet still not broken off as a superdiva on her own. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Street Player", "Stranger To Love", "Turn", "Change Your Ways", "Take Time", "Turn", and "Best Of Your Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime solo set from the great Joe Sample – a set recorded right at a time when his work with The Crusaders was breaking very big, and Joe was becoming one of the hottest fusion keyboardists of the 70s! This set gives Sample a nicely different focus than The Crusaders – more keyboards in the lead, with a great mix of acoustic piano and electric modes – over these really well-crafted arrangements that feature key Crusaders members, but also allow for great work from David D Walker on guitar, Fred Jackson on tenor, and some other great west coast studio talents too. The vibe is great – almost a Steely Dan jazz album, and we mean that in the best way possible – on titles that include "Rainbow Seeker", "Fly With The Wings Of Love", "In All My Wildest Dreams", and the classic "There Are Many Stops Along The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool lost group on late 60s ABC – a bit psych, with maybe a slight UK influence – able to turn out some nicely varied, but nicely focused songs throughout this debut set! The record's one of those great lost sides from the time – a group who've clearly got chops and plenty of ideas of their own – lucky enough to get some time in the studio with a label who gave them the space to try out new things – which they do to great effect here on both the lyrical and instrumental sides of the record! The set's got some larger arrangements by producer Bill Szymczyk – a name we don't know, but who also gives the record a superb sound overall – augmenting the ideas of the group in just the right way, while never burying their identity. Titles include "Custody" – a very strange song about divorce – plus "Not A Whole Lot I Can Do", "Long Haired Boy", "For All Time", "Come On Down Girl", "Walk In My Mind", "Skitzo Blues", and "Hours". CD

An undisputed masterpiece, and a record we never tire of hearing – unabashedly the inspiration for our years of jazzy exploration as adults, even though it was probably the closest thing we ever got to the genre as wee lads! Walter Becker & Donald Fagan raise their already-high bar to new heights here – creating one of those rare records that flows together so beautifully, it's hard to remember where some songs begin and others end. There's a sense of perfection in everything about the record – the sound, the songs, the instrumentation – all woven together beautifully without any sense of self-consciousness. One majestic flow that starts with "Black Cow", and runs through classics that include "Aja", "Deacon Blues", "Peg", "Home At Last", "I Got The News", and "Josie". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Born To Be Wild", "Rock Me", "Move Over", "Snowblind Friend", "Ride With Me", "Magic Carpet Ride", "The Pusher", "Sookie Sookie", "Screaming Night Hog", "Monster", "Tenderness", and "Jupiter's Child". LP, Vinyl record album

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A tripped-out batch of freedom rock tunes – pulled together to accompany Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper's famous trip across the wasteland of late 60s America! The set includes Steppenwolf's anthemic "Born To Be Wild", as well as their "The Pusher" – plus "Kyrie Eleison" by The Electric Prunes, "Don't Bogart Me" by The Fraternity Of Man, "Wasn't Born To Follow" by The Byrds, "If You Want To Be A Bird" by The Holy Modal Rounders, "It's Alright Ma" and "Ballad Of Easy Rider" by Roger McGuinn, & "If Six Was Nine" by Jimi Hendrix. LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of tracks culled from the days when War were working with Eric Burdon – during the years 1969 and 1970, when the ex-Animal tried to show the world that he actually had some real soul cred, and hooked up with this hip funky combo from LA to lay down his groove. The tracks are very much in the vein of Burdon's best early stuff with the group – and the album includes two funky rock workouts, versions of "Paint It Black" and "Day In The Life" that both run for a very long time. Other tracks include "Love Is All Around", "Magic Mountain", and "Home Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Lenny Williams – done in a smoothly jazzy mode that echoes with a real Fantasy Records groove! Lenny's clearly drawing some great inspiration here from the East Bay scene – working with older Motown producer Frank Wilson on a set of warmly modern numbers that really help him state a strong voice as a solo act. The grooves are all just perfect for Lenny's vocals – funky, but never too much so – and smooth without being slick – a rare balance, but one that comes off perfectly here, and makes the set a great one! Essential mellow soul throughout – with tracks that include "Look Up With Your Mind", "Riding The High Wire", "Choosing You", "Shoo Doo Fu Fu Ooh", "Please Don't Tempt Me", "Trust In Me", and "I've Been Away From Love For Too Long". LP, Vinyl record album

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A real classic from Lenny Williams – most likely his strongest solo album ever! By the time of this set, Lenny had been out of Tower Of Power for a few years, working on his own in the west coast scene. But the real genius here comes from producer/arranger Frank Wilson – once a key force at Motown, but here a key contributor to the album – creating a set of smooth groovers and wonderfully mellow tracks that bring out a warmly silky quality that we'd never heard in Lenny's vocals before! Includes the smooth ballads "Think What We Have" and "Cause I Love You", the latter a fantastic stretched out soul track that has Lenny in a Teddy Pendergrass mode that's miles ahead of his old work! Other tracks include "Midnight Girl", "Changes", and "You Got Me Running" – all key numbers in this excellent set! CD

Majestic music from the mighty Popcorn Wylie – the Detroit soul legend best known for his work in the 60s, but an artist who really shines on this rare 70s set for ABC! The album was done during the same stretch as Lamont Dozier's ABC work – and like those records, this set features killer arrangements and production from McKinley Jackson – who updates an older Detroit groove strongly, while still keeping all the real soul elements of Popcorn's music intact! Dozier helped a bit on some of the tunes, and the whole thing's got a soaring, joyous feel that's really wonderful – uptempo without being uptight, positive without sounding hokey, and perfectly in a unique space that's all its own. Gene Page and Paul Riser throw in a bit of soul on some tracks too – sweetening things up with just the right touches of strings and horns – and Popcorn's vocals are great, especially on some of the more hauntingly-constructed tunes. Titles include the massive "ESP", which begins with an echoey breakbeat, then rolls into a great hook – plus "Trust In Me", "How Did I Lose You", "Georgia's After Hours", "Lost Time", "I Can Take The World On With You", "Both Ends Against The Middle", and "Singing About You And Me". CD

Amazing work from Gato Barbieri's legendary exploration of Latin American sounds for Impulse Records – a set that's heavy on Cuban influences, thanks to arrangements from the mighty Chico O'Farrill! The sound is sublime – a bit fuller than some of Gato's other albums in the run, but never with any slick or commercial styles – just more of a richness from O'Farrill's backings, matched perfectly by Barbieri's amazing tones on the tenor! There's a lot of Latin percussion in the backings – courtesy of Ray Mantill, Luis Mangual, and Ray Armando – and Eddie Martinez mixes in some sweet electric piano with his acoustic lines, deepening the soul of the record in a really 70s way. Titles include "Milonga Triste", "Lluvia Azul", "La Padrida", "Viva Emiliano Zapata", and "El Sublime" – the last of which is a good description of the record! LP, Vinyl record album