The hits of 77 here aren't the big American chart hits of 1977 – but instead are some key cuts from the Jamaican scene in Kingston – served up here in versions produced by the legendary Sonia Pottinger! And in fact, it might be a stretch to call all these cuts hits – but that's OK with us, because the set works best as a musical snapshot of evolving 70s reggae from Pottinger's perspective – which, as always, represents the more soulful side of the spectrum – that move forward from earlier rocksteady inspiration, served up with more of a late 70s reggae vibe. Titles include "Anywhere You want To Go" by Calman Scott, "Without Love" by Hell & Fire, "Up Park Camp" by Turnel McCormack & The Cordells, "I'm Still In Love" by Maureen Pearson, "Run For Your Life" by Earth & Stone, and "Ghetto Girl" by The Fantells. PLUS, this 2CD version features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 34 more numbers added to the original album, most unavailable since the 70s – all Pottinger-produced tracks by Jimmy Riley, Delroy Wilson, Earth & Stone, Reggae George, Bobby Ellis & The Revolutionaries, Al Brown, Astley Bennett, The Prince Brothers, U Roy, Owen Gray, Soul Syndicate, and others. CD

Lux and Ivy have given us plenty of great music in plenty of great styles – but the duo are probably closest to the raw spirit of the early rockabilly years – a sound that was instrumental in their music as The Cramps! Here, the duo dig through some of their favorite rare singles from way way back – the kind of obscure cuts that even go past some of the better-done European compilations in recent decades – and which remind us that Lux and Ivy were out in the field digging for rare records back in the early 70s – when some of these impossible-to-find numbers might still have been around. As with other titles in this series, the scope of subject matter is great, and the tunes are plenty wild – 52 tracks that include "Date On The Corner" by Don Feger, "Bip Bop Boom" by Mickey Hawks, "Sweet Rockin Mama" by The Hi Tombs, "Don't Bug Me Baby" by Milton Allen, "Did We Have A Party" by Billy Brown, "Chicken Rock" by Fat Daddy Holmes, "Blast Off" by Alden Holloway, "Lonely" by Bobby McDowell, "Here Kitty Kitty" by Jimmy Murphy, "I'm A Madman" by Willie Ward & The Warblers, and "Woodpecker Rock" by Nat County & The Braves. CD

A huge array of soul tracks from the Mainstream label – an imprint that was probably best known for its jazz work of the early 70s, and as the launching pad for a few key rock groups – but one who also cut some killer soul tracks in the best New York and Philly styles of the period! Mainstream only ever issued most of its soul material as singles – 45s issued on their own label, and under the IX Chains, Brown Dog, and New Moon imprints too – spread out in an array of under-circulated, poorly-distributed releases that never fully got their due at the time – partly because much of the music was years ahead of its time! There's a groove here that reminds us of the hippest sounds from bigger labels – including Philly International or All-Platinum – with a similar blend of sweetness, honest vocal performances, and some top-shelf studio work that gives the lyrics a hell of an instrumental push, but all without ever sounding slick or commercial. The package is a much-needed look at this scattered legacy – and brings together 24 rare cuts that include "These Memories" by Almeta Lattimore, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by JG Lewis, "Come Back (part 1)" by The Fantastic Puzzles, "I Can't Give You Up" by Linda Perry, "It Ain't Like It Used To Be" by Randolph Brown & Company, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "You're A Friend Of Mine" by Words Of Wisdom, "Satisfy My Woman" by Calvin Arnold, "Plain Out Of Luck" by Nia Johnson, "We're Not Too Young To Fall In Love" by Jackey Beavers Show, "Let The People Talk" by The Steptones, "To Whom It May Concern" by Ellerine Harding, "It's So Real" by McArthur, "Stop & Think A Minute" by Charles Beverly, and "That's The Way She Is" by Bobby Earl Williams. CD

A treasure trove of rare Motown from some of legendary label's most classic acts – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes, The Originals, Bobby Taylor, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye & The Jackson 5 – prime vintage late 60s to early 70s recordings that have barely if ever seen light of day! Motown recording artists put a lot of work into the recording side of their artistry back in the day, so there was a lot classic level material that didn't come out right away, some finding release on later compilations or on box sets, some STILL just now seeing release. Half of this dozen song collection have never come out in any form until now – including "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" by The Originals and stereo mixes of "For Once In My Life" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl" by The Temptations and "Touched By Love" by Bobby Taylor and more – plus the rarities "You're Walking Out With My Heart" by Brenda Holloway, "Which Way Is The Sky" by the Four Tops, "Let's Have A Party" by the J5, "The Boy From Crosstown" (Version 1) by The Marvelettes and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Although we always wince at the idea of a JBs reunion album (and there have been a bit too many in the past 10 years), this one isn't as bad as you might think. Fred Wesley is handling production, and the group includes Jabo Starks, St Clair Pickney, Bobby Byrd, Clyde Stubblefield, and Wesley himself. The overall sound is more Horny Horns than JBs – and with vocals on many cuts, the record feels a bit like Wesley's House Party album from 1980. In fact, the main problem is really the vocals – as the group really needs someone like James Brown to sing lead on most tracks! Tracks include "Soul Men", "Tag Along", "Born To Groove", "Do The Doo", "What About The Music", "Carry On", and "Dynaflo". CD

Tracks include "Get Back", "#1 Spot", "Put Your Money" feat DMX, "Virgo" feat Nas & Doug E Fresh, "Hopeless" feat Trick Daddy, "Blueberry Yum Yum" feat Sleepy Brown, "Two Miles An Hour", "Pimpin' All Over The World" feat Bobby V, "Spur Of The Moment" feat DJ Quik & Killi J and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Two ultra-hip albums from Billy Paul – back to back in a single set! First up is 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul – a record that features Billy Paul at the height of his powers – able to capture the ears of the crossover audience, yet still stay very strongly on message – all with this righteous power that maybe makes Billy one of the hippest mainstream soul stars of the 70s! Gamble & Huff are at the helm, and arrangements at Sigma Sound are by Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, and Bobby Martin – but throughout the whole thing, it's Billy's delivery that really sends the record over the top – the new sense of maturity he brings to the huge hit "Me & Mrs Jones", the funky vibe of "Am I Black Enough For You", and the wealth of great work on tracks that include "I'm Gonna Make It This Time", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Brown Baby", and "Let's Stay Together". A masterpiece of sophisticated soul that not only had Billy crossing over big, but which opened whole new doors in the market for black male singers! War Of The Gods is a stone treasure from one of the greatest soul singers of the 70s – and a set you'll regularly find in the coolest of record collections from back in the day! Billy Paul was always one of the hippest talents on Philly International – mixing together soul and jazz influences with a deeper sense of spirituality, and long experience as a sophisticated vocalist. This album's one of his most sublime efforts – kind of a quasi-spiritual record with a similar high-concept approach to some of Marvin Gaye's work from the same time – really righteous, in ways that the Philly label didn't always hit – and which really goes past even most of Billy's already hip previous efforts. Gamble and Huff produced and wrote most of the record – including the two long tracks that make up side one, "I See The Light" and "War Of The Gods", the latter of which starts out slow and moody, then breaks out into a club groove. Other titles include the more standard soul tune "The Whole Town's Talking", plus "Thanks For Saving My Life" and "Peace Holy Peace". CD

A beautifully sensitive session from Leo Smith – recorded live at the Kitchen, right at the end of the loft jazz years – with all the open, creative styles of the New York scene in the late 70s! The tunes here really seem to find their own sort of space – supposedly composed by Smith, but coming across with the organic richness of a group improvisation – especially the sort the AACM was best at creating a decade or so before. Smith plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and atenteben flute – and other quartet members include Dwight Andrews on tenor and soprano sax, Bobby Naughton on vibes, and Wes Brown on bass and odurogyaba flute. The vibes give the record a really unique sound – and titles include "Go In Numbers", "The World Soul", "Changes", and "Illumination The Nguzo Saga". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really lives up to its title – thanks to some mighty bluesy playing from all players involved! The core of the album's a lot more relaxed than the usual Pablo date – long, stretched-out tracks that are simply titled "Alternate One", "Alternate Two", and so on – played by a rhythm section that features Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Joe Pass on guitar, and Bobby Durham on drums – topped with trumpet and flugelhorn work from Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, and Dizzy Gillespie! The set also features two more standard tracks – but still very open and bluesy – versions of "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" and a "Ballad Medley". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Stanley Turrentine, Lee Morgan, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderley with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Pete LaRoca with Joe Henderson, Clifford Brown, Ike Quebec, and McCoy Tyner. CD

A collection from several sessions in 1972 and 1973, with Barney Kessel and Ray Brown, Joe Pass and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Herb Ellis, Sam Jones and Bobby Durham, and George Mraz. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a record – the first-ever album by The JBs, never issued back in the day – and lost for years until it recently resurfaced on a test pressing! The set features a leaner, more stripped-down version of the group – one that features Bootsy Collins on bass, and which doesn't rely as much on the horns as it does some very upfront playing by the rhythm section – who really set fire to the extended instrumental solos on the album's very long tracks! Group members include Robert McCullough on tenor, St Clair Pickney on flute and baritone, Bobby Byrd on piano, Catfish Collins on guitar, and James Brown himself on organ – and the mighty Clyde Stubblefield handles drums, as well as Frank Kash Waddy. All tracks are very long – quite different than the shorter single-type cuts on Pass The Peas – and the record features the first recording of "The Grunt", plus the long jams "I'll Ze", "These Are The JBs (parts 1 & 2)", and "When You Feel It Grunt If You Can". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure it's not the Blue Note years, but this is an excellent late set by Byrd that shows he was still one hell of a leader! Byrd's at the head of a strong group that includes Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Joe Henderson on tenor, Donald Brown on piano, and Rufus Reid on bass – and the tracks are a blend of modal and soul jazz styles, awash with color and warmth, really stretching past earlier work by Byrd. Lorice Stevens sings soprano vocals on two tracks – "A City Called Heaven" and "Remember Me" – and the other tracks include "Del Valle", "King Arthur", "Not Necessarily The Blues", and "Buck Down In Lu Easy Anna". CD

Key years in the Bert Berns story – that magical mid 60s period when Berns was coming up with some killer soul sides, and a few famous rockers too! The sound here is tremendous – kind of a "wall of sound" to New York soul – that marvelous style that's also known as uptown soul, for its careful production and sense of class. Some of the most important Berns moments are collected here, alongside lesser-known gems that really round out the sound – including 8 tracks appearing on CD for the first time, which should be plenty to peak the interest of any 60s soul collectors (as if the great Ace notes and package weren't enough!) Production is wonderful throughout, and the set list features some killer Atlantic/Atco singles – plus other gems from smaller indies of the period – cuts that include "Mojo Mama" by Don Varner, "No One Could Ever Love You" by Freddie Scott, "Show Me Your Monkey" by Kenny Hamber, "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" by Solomon Burke, "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" by Garnett Mimms, "I Went Out With My Baby Tonight" by Moses K & The Prophets, "Run Mascara" by The Exciters, "Cry No More" by Ben E King, "Mr Success" by Bobby Harris, "Gone Gone" by Roy C, "Better Not Believe Him" by Barbara Lewis, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, "I Got To Go Back" by Otis Redding, "If I Would Marry You" by Tammy Montgomery, and "Come On Girl" by The Knight Brothers. CD