Amazing work by one of the greatest lost soul bands of the late 60s! As the name would imply, Art and the group are a gospel outfit – but when they worked on Capitol, they got some great hip production that put them in an LA pop soul groove, similar to Friends of Distinction or other mixed vocal groups of the time. The tracks are not really so religious as they are spiritual, and the album's got a wonderfully progressive sound to it – very righteous, with none of the cliches you'd expect. These guys are a bit like the Staple Singers, but to our ears, they've got a style that's even fresher, and usually a lot tighter. Tracks include "My Possessions", "I've Made Up My Mind", "Go For What You Know", "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)", "Face The Day", and "Land Of Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare soul from the Detroit underground at the end of the 60s – most of it pretty darn funky too! The work here all comes from the hands of the legendary Dave Hamilton – a key Motor City talent who turned out a stunning array of music on many different labels back in the day – then also managed to come up with some equally great work that never even got released at the time! Kent/Ace Records have been digging deep into Dave's vaults for the past decade or so, and we've loved all those other previous collections – but we've also gotta say that we're really stunned by this one – as there's a darker, funkier vibe to some of these cuts than we might have heard previously – almost a Westbound Records vibe at times, with great guitar and these nicely trippy grooves – especially on the earliest cuts in the set. There's a few numbers from later years – Dave kept woodshedding all through the 70s into the 80s – but most tracks are late 60s/early 70s vintage, and supported by the usual top-shelf notes that make each Kent collection way more of a history lesson than just a pile of funky 45s! Titles include "Party Time" by Chico & Buddy, "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "My Sweet Baby" by JT's Rhythm Band, "The Dreamer" by Felecia Johnson, "Showdown (part 1)" by Simon Barbee & The Barbabes, "I Gotta Have You (alt take)" by Little Ann, "When I Say Groove" by Dave Hamilton, "Guess I'll Go To Packin" by Carolyn Franklin, "Four O'Clock Blues" by Glemie Derrell, "Moving On" by Little Stevie & The Sensational Reynolds Singers, "It Takes Two" by Del-Phis, and "Somebody is Wrong" by Presberry. CD

An assortment of tracks from those years when a lovely face on the cinema screen might also lead some work in the recording studio too – served up here in a mix of tracks from female singers you'll know as jazz artists, plus others you'll remember as movie stars too! The sounds are all lovely, certainly deserving of the pin-up promise in the title – and this volume features 20 tracks that include "Why Try To Change Me Now" by Connie Stevens, "Teach Me Tiger" by April Stevens, "Hit The Road To Dreamland" by Betty Hutton, "Let's Do It" by Jayne Mansfield, "The Thrill Is Gone" by Mitzi Gaynor, "Oh Oh Cheri" by Francoise Hardy, "I Used To Be Color Blind" by Ginger Rogers, "Am I That Easy To Forget" by Debbie Reynolds, and "The Party's Over" by Judy Holliday. LP, Vinyl record album