... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A pair of charmers from legendary producer Lloyd Charmers – served up here with lots of bonus tracks too! First up is the classic Sweet Bitter Love from Marcia Griffiths – a set that helped cement her reputation as one of the most soulful female singers in Jamaican music at the time – and one that really helps bridge worlds by serving up some great reggae-styled takes on American soul music! Marcia serves up sublime takes on tunes by Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Roberta Flack, and others – completely reworked by Charmers' instrumentation – which also includes some wonderful keyboards! Titles include "Play Me", "Gypsy Man", "Sweet Bitter Love", "Green Grasshopper", "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", and "Everything I Own". Far & Distant features wicked guitar work from Willie Lindo – spun out here over an all-instrumental set that almost feels more like Jamaican records of the late 60s than you'd guess from the mid 70s date of the album! The grooves are definitely more 70s – certainly with a strong reggae current – but the spare, stripped-down manner of presentation takes us back more to some of the instrumental rocksteady records – especially in the way the production allows for lots of focus on the core musician – which means you really get to hear all the wicked, trippy currents of Lindo's instrument – used in a heady style that almost makes him come across like the Phil Upchurch of the Jamaican scene! Lloyd Charmers produced, and also plays piano and organ – and titles include "Drum Song", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Midnight train To Georgia", "Samba Pati", "Chopper", "Hear I Am Baby", "Charmers Mood", "Mystic Mood", "Breezing", and "Holly Holy". 2CD edition features 20 more bonus tracks – 17 of which are new to CD – a full alternate mix of the Marcia Griffiths album, the tune "Midnight & You" by Willie Lindo, and more Lloyd Charmer productions from rare 7" singles – work by Big Youth, Drifting Blenders, Bob Andy, BB Seaton, Errol Thomas, and others. CD

Music from Jackie Wilson & Lavern Baker, Snatch & the Poontangs, Mack Vickery, Chick Willis, Boozoo Chavis, the Blenders, Dinah Washington, the Clovers, Amos Milburn, Roy Brown, and others – a great collection of really raw material! Maybe worth it alone for "The Rotten C***sucker's Ball" by The Clovers! CD

Music from The Nobletones, The Plurals, John Lester, The Mello-Queens, The Uniques, Gene Day, The Nobletones, Lee Richards, John Lester, The Mello-Queens, the Blenders, Arthur Johnson, and more - 30 songs in all. CD

31 songs from Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls, Little Worley & The Drops, The Tads, The Dots, Butch McGhee, The Hornets, The Four Dimensions, The Vice-Roys, The Versatiles, Brother Zee And The Decades, Danny & The Velaires, and Lon Rogers & The Soul Blenders. CD

Includes 30 songs by the Larks, Pyramiders, Tommy Cullins, Joe Musengale, Ralph Jerome, the Tone Blenders, Etta & Amelia, Ray Williams & the Mastertones, the Sandettes, and more! CD

Includes tracks by Mac Burney & Four Jacks, Earl Curry & The Blenders, The Biscaynes, The Youngsters, Gene Forrest & Four Feathers, Ray Frazier & The Sharps, and Denise Mills & The Satinettes. CD

Featuring Jimmie Grissom, The Blenders, and TB Watson. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Music from Lulu Reed & The Teeners, Ron & The Motions, Joe Caldwell, The Velps, The Rollettes, Lillian Brooks & The Moroccos, The Nobles, Shirley Ross, The Twilighters, The Toneblenders, Chris Powell & Five Blue Flames, and more - 26 tracks in all. CD