Millie Jackson's feelin bitchy – and letting a whole new side of her talents show! After the sweet southern soul sound of her early recordings, the Jackson style takes a sharp shift here – letting a bitchier side show up more strongly, and really setting the tone for the next great chapter of her music! Some of the set still features the older style production work by Brad Shapiro – but that's also pushed out by a smoother more modern soul feel on most of the record – one that has Millie emerging with a lot more pride, presence, and power than ever – all-woman, and all in control! Titles include the 10 minute Latimore cut "All The Way Lover", which has a great monologue that would even make Latimore blush – plus the tracks "A Little Taste Of Outside Love", "Feelin Like A Woman", "Angel In Your Arms", and the great "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday". LP, Vinyl record album

A record from a pianist we totally love, but one who also seems to have really unfurled a bold new chapter in his life as well – with music that's very different than some of the previous albums that Spike Wilner's given us, full of joy, life, and this boundless sense of optimism that comes as a real surprise! Spike's never been one to be lazy on the keys – but here, he feels like he's bursting forth with all this fresh imagination – as if he's seen some sort of life that's driving him onward, and which is also shared by trio members Paul Gill on bass and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – a group who seem to move effortlessly, driven by the vision of the leader. Titles include "Contrafactus", "Happy Ending", "Cognitive Dissonance", "At First Blush", "Kinetic Neurosis", and "Ants Go Marching". CD

One of the best-remembered moments of music from the enigmatic Vangelis – a set that's maybe a bit darker and more moody than some of his other records of the time – thanks to the Blade Runner setting provided by director Ridley Scott! Vangelis works plenty of familiar early 80s soundtrack elements here – lots of keyboards and electronic wash, plus even a bit of almost-cheesy sax at times – but he makes the whole thing sound nicely off-kilter at most moments, with just the sort of awkward replication that fits perfectly with the narrative theme of the film. There's some beautiful exotic currents that are maybe even more captivating here on record than you might remember from their use onscreen – and titles include "Memories Of Green", "Tales Of The Future", "Rachel's Song", "Blush Response", "Lone More Kiss Dear", and "Tears In Rain". CD

A much-needed look at the Mercury years of Hamilton Bohannon – and a treasure-trove of unreissued funky dancefloor tracks! Bohannon first sprang onto the scene with his early funky work for Brunswick – chunky numbers that showed a very unique approach to rhythm, and an odd heavily-repetitive style that clearly had a huge influence on house music in the 80s, and much of modern dance in years to come. In 1977, he made the switch to the Mercury label, where the extra cash helped him tighten things up in the studio – pushing his hypnotic groove to a whole new level with a host of amazing tracks! The really amazing thing about these tunes is the way in which Bohannon has the band working in complete unison – grooving at a tightness that would make even James Brown blush, as they craft fast snapping dancefloor numbers without the use of any samples or programming. We'd honestly always overlooked these years, but the 14 tracks on this set have really caught our ear – as they're the best funky club tracks from Bohannon's Mercury years, and include such gems as "Me & The Gang", "The Hammer", "The Funk Walk", "Git On Up", "Disco Symphony (single version)", "Just Doing My Thing (single version)", "Let's Start The Dance", "Summertime Groove", "Come Dance With Me", "I Got To Stay Funky", "Mighty Groovy", and "The Beat". CD

Some of the greatest, most influential rhythm & blues ever recorded – the seminal R&B recordings the great Wynonie Harris cut for King Records – plus a second CD of rare alternate takes! Wynonie paved the way for a huge number of artists to come, but even if we're going to sidestep his trailblazing legacy, the recordings are jaw-droppingly great – really raw, full of fire, and often with a gritty lyrical approach that made Harris one of the key figures in the development of rock – with an attitude towards sex and drinking that could still make your grandmother blush! The backdrops are largely made up of a piano, horns, and the thumping bass and drums rhythm section – a perfect foil for Wynonie's voice, which is always front and center – seizing your attention in full, whether the cut is a bluesy lament or sly come on. Plus, the package pulls all the music from the original acetates – essentially the "master tapes" used by King Records in the pre-tape years – with titles that include "Love is Like Rain", "Rose Get Your Clothes", "I Like My Baby's Pudding", "Baby Shame On You", "Blowin' To California", "I Want My Fanny Brown", "Wynonie's Boogie", "Blowin' To California", "All She Wants To Do Is Rock", "Oh Babe", and "Teardrops From My Eyes" with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra. 48 tracks on 2CDs! CD

Millie Jackson's feelin bitchy – and letting a whole new side of her talents show! After the sweet southern soul sound of her early recordings, the Jackson style takes a sharp shift here – letting a bitchier side show up more strongly, and really setting the tone for the next great chapter of her music! Some of the set still features the older style production work by Brad Shapiro – but that's also pushed out by a smoother more modern soul feel on most of the record – one that has Millie emerging with a lot more pride, presence, and power than ever – all-woman, and all in control! Titles include the 10 minute Latimore cut "All The Way Lover", which has a great monologue that would even make Latimore blush – plus the tracks "A Little Taste Of Outside Love", "Feelin Like A Woman", "Angel In Your Arms", and the great "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Lovin Your Good Thing Away (alt vocal)", "Angel In Your Arms (alt vocal)", and "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday (alt vocal)". CD

A really unusual record from early 70s Japan – one that features vocals from erotic actress Reiko Ike – done in a mode that's very similar to her sexy appearances on screen! And in fact, when we say "vocals", maybe "vocalizations" should be more the case – as many of these tracks are sexy grunts, groans, and exclamations – mixed with a bit of more conventional singing – set to instrumentation that's groovy and jazzy, and which has some nice soundtrack modes in the styles – all almost like an audio equivalent of softcore porn, with a quality that's enough to make Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin blush! LP, Vinyl record album