A bit late in the classic Hi years, but Ann's still going strong – in a smooth southern style that recalls the best 70s work by singers like Millie Jackson or Shirley Brown. In fact, Ann takes a hit at the "Shirley/Barbara" answer song cycle that kept going on after Shirley's "Woman To Woman" – and throws her own version of "You've Got The Papers (I've Got The Man)" into the ring as proof! The rest of the record is in a similar man-leaving, man-stealing vein – and titles include "Bip Bam Thank You Mam", "Old Man With Young Ideas", "Livin In, Lovin Out", "Handwriting Is On The Wall", and "I Didn't Take Your Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". CD

Classic Hi material from Ann Peebles! If This Is Heaven is a few years later than the much loved early 70s material, but she's still working in a killer groove – and with sweet. warm arrangements from Willie Mitchell. Ann's voice is teeming with emotion and strength, and track here highlight that vibe, but she and producer/arranger Mitchell bring in a few more dancefloor ready soul numbers, too. Titles include "You Gonna Make Me Cry", "When I'm In Your Arms", "If This Is Heaven", "I'm So Thankful","Games" and "Boy I Gotta Have You". CD

A great litle early album from Ann Peebles – rawer than most of her more familiar stuff, with a gutbuckety soul quality that really keeps things fresh! We always love Ann's work, but in these early years she has a deep soul vibe that few other singers can touch – a level that easily rivals Aretha Franklin, but has more real southern roots – and which is handled here by the Hi Records sound. Willie Mitchell produced and arranged (of course!), and the record's got some sweet backing vocals by Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes – very much in a Sweet Inspirations mode, but again maybe a bit deeper too. Tracks include a funky remake of The Isleys' "It's Your Thing", plus "Solid Foundation", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Generation Gap Between Us". CD

Titles include "Bouncin' Back", "Fear No Evil", "I Miss You", "Read Me My Rights", "He's My Superman", and "Nobody But You". CD

Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". LP, Vinyl record album

A great litle early album from Ann Peebles – rawer than most of her more familiar stuff, with a gutbuckety soul quality that really keeps things fresh! We always love Ann's work, but in these early years she has a deep soul vibe that few other singers can touch – a level that easily rivals Aretha Franklin, but has more real southern roots – and which is handled here by the Hi Records sound. Willie Mitchell produced and arranged (of course!), and the record's got some sweet backing vocals by Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes – very much in a Sweet Inspirations mode, but again maybe a bit deeper too. Tracks include a funky remake of The Isleys' "It's Your Thing", plus "Solid Foundation", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Generation Gap Between Us". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". CD

Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album we've ever seen by Johnny Robinson – a rare non-Hi Records set produced by Willie Mitchell, with a sound that's as deeply soulful as some of the best indie work coming out of the Memphis scene in the 60s! Willie's style here is rougher than that used with Al Green or Ann Peebles – and Robinson comes off wonderfully in a nice mix of funk, deep soul, and slower burning backings – all handled with a sense of poise, but also enough of a down-home sense to keep all the raw edges nicely intact! The album's a rare Memphis gem from an unusual source – and titles include "God Is Love", "We Are Gonna Make It", "Slip Away", "Reconsider Me", "Funky Feet", "Lady Doctor", and "Don't Take It So Hard". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early work from Candi Staton – recorded for Rick Hall's famous Fame studios in Muscle Shoals! The tracks here are quite different than some of Candi's later, more famous work – very much in the best deep soul tradition of singers like Ann Sexton, Betty Harris, or Ann Peebles – really drenched in emotion and feeling, and recorded with rootsy backings that really bring out the best in her vocals. And sure, lots of folks love Candi for her later disco work – but honestly, this is the stuff that really moves us, and we're really happy to finally have some of it on CD! Plus, this set is the first time most of this work has been legitimately reissued – a fact that makes us even happier – and the CD features 26 tracks in all, with titles that include "Love Chain", "The Best Thing You Ever Had", "Evidence", "I'm Gonna Hold On", "The Thanks I Get For Loving You", "Freedom Is Beyond The Door", "In The Ghetto", "Sure As Sin", "How Can I Put Out The Flame", "Too Hurt To Cry", "Do Your Duty", and "What Would Become Of Me". CD

A special celebration of the long-running Southern Music issue of Oxford American – one that pulls together some of the best articles from the 20+ years of the special issue, adds in new articles on southern music icons – and comes with a bonus playlist that lets you stream 15+ hours of curated southern music classics! Most years, the Southern Music issue focuses on contributions from a single state – but this issue is a pan-southern panoply, edited by Brittany Howard – with new features that include Roseanne Cash on Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Harmony Holiday on Florence Price, Gwen Thompkins on Ellis Marsalis, Elizabeth Nelson on Charlie Daniels, David Ramsey on Brother Claude Ely, and Alice Randall on LaVern Baker! Vintage articles include Amanda Petrusich on Bessie Smith, Peter Guaralnick on Skip James, Tiana Clark on Nina Simone, Andria Lisle on Ann Peebles, Kiese Laymon on Outkast, and Sam Stephenson on Thelonious Monk. Plus, the many playlists include intros by Brittany Howard and other contributors – with special playlist codes for each one! Magazine

The first album in decades from Memphis soul legend Don Bryant – a singer who hardly even gave us any recordings back when he was in his prime! Don was one of the lesser lights at the famous Hi Records – not as successful as Ann Peebles or Al Green, but steeped in the same wonderful sound as those great artists – and still going wonderfully strong after all these years! In fact, the album almost feels more like some lost Hi tapes from Bryant's glory days than a contemporary set – as his voice is wonderful, the songs are tight, and both the production and instrumentation have just the right sort of classic approach – soulful, but without overstating things in any sort of cloying "resurrection" mode. Instead, Don's just right on top, and right in the pocket – doing his thing wonderfully on titles that include "Don't Give Up On Love", "I Got To Know", "First You Cry", "It Was Jealousy", "Something About You", "Can't Hide The Hurt", "One Ain't Enough", and "A Nickel & A Nail". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection, and a very unique look at the legendary Hi Records – one that goes way past the big hits on the label, and which features the rare singles and unusual cuts that remind us what an important player Hi was on the Memphis scene during the Stax generation! The package features over 75 minutes of music, hand-selected by Japanese DJ/collector Daisuke Kuroda – a 25 track set that features rare singles by Veneice, Africano, Majik, Bobby McClure, George Jackson, Phillip Michell, Jean Plum, Iota, Odyssey, Larry Gordon, and Donna Rhodes – plus more by Al Green, Syl Johnson, OV Wright, Willie Mitchell, and Ann Peebles – including one track that has both Ann and Don Bryant! LP, Vinyl record album