A tasty Latin number from the 60s – recorded as one of a small handful of excellent Latin sides cut by Decca during the Latin Soul era! The record's kind of split down the middle, with half tracks that are in a straight Latin vein, and half tracks that are in a feisty boogaloo style. The boogaloo tracks are arranged by Marty Sheller – one of the best talents of the Latin Soul years – and titles include the instrumentals "Chicken & Booze" and "Up & Down", plus the vocal number "Pow Wow". Tito Jimenez is on vocals on other cuts – and titles include "La Flauta Mulaton", "La Fresa", "Fafallota", and "Manny's Guaguanco". CD

A surprisingly nice version of Cole Porter's Can-Can, performed by Jack "Mr. Bongo" Costanzo, and a swingin band with a good mix of Latin and jazz stylings. There's lots of great conga and bongo riffs from Jack up front, and some good tight arrangements behind him, giving the whole thing a bit more swing than you'd expect. Titles include "Inch Worm", "Live & Let Live", "I Love Paris", "Allez Vous En", and "Never Give Anything Away". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Features Joe Locke on vibes and Jim Rotondi on trumpet. CD

The classic album by the DOC from the glory days of Ruthless Records – really up there in excellence with NWA in the gritty west coast canon – with timeless production by Dr. Dre! Nice mic skills paired with tight, funky production from Dre when he still hungry and on the ascent. 13 tracks including "The Formula", "It's Funky Enough", "Mind Blowin", "Lend Me An Ear", "Portrait Of A Master Piece", "Whirlwind Pyramid", "No One Can Do It Better", "The DOC & The Doctor" and "The Grand Finale" featuring Ren and Ice Cube. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Chet Doxas on saxophone, Ethan Iverson on piano, and Thomas Morgan on bass. CD

A South African jazz set from the 70s, but one with a very different vibe than most – stretched out nicely in ways that really let the tunes find their way! The group here is led by alto saxophonist H Sithole, but even more important is the work of a young Bekhi Mseleku – an artist we love for later recordings, who really adds a lot to the sound here on Hammond and electric piano – working in these long-spun lines that dance around the bass, guitar, and drums – while brothers open up on solos too – S Sithole on tenor and baritone, and D Sithole on trumpet. Titles include "Way Back Fifties", "Together", and "Can You Feel It". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely complicated little record – and one of the funkiest albums on the legendary Invictus label! The 8th Day group was a loosely-conceived batch of Detroit soul talents designed to cash in on a concept of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team – and they weren't just a studio project, as they included some wonderful talents that could make some great music when they wanted to! One of these was the amazing Detroit organist Lyman Woodard – who contributed the fantastic track "Cheba" to the album, an incredible organ groover that's unlike anything you've ever heard, rolling on with this pinched Hammond sound over congas, all-instrumental, and completely seductive! Another was Melvin Davis, who had recorded the song "Good Book" as a solo artist – but which was released here as if it was by the group. There's also a great guitarist in the group – unnamed due to the lack of liner notes – but who really shines on the funky tracks "Anythang", "Rocks In My Head", and "Heaven Is There To Guide Us", all with a fuzzed-out Detroit 70s groove! CD features the bonus tracks "Just As Long (single)", "I'm Worried (single)", "It's Instrumental To Be Free", and "You Made Me Over". CD

An obscure one, but very nice! "What's It Gonna Be" is a very unique track. Debra's a gutsy soul singer in a classic late 60s mode – but the track is a complicated number that might have been sung by Lulu or Cilla Black, which makes for some very compelling maneuvering on the vocals and a haunting sound that's very different from much other 60s soul work. "Can You Remember" is more standard soul work – but very nice, and in a mode that's kind of like Gloria Taylor, but a bit more uptown. 7-inch, Vinyl record

2 early classics by The Emotions – back to back on one CD! So I Can Love You is much rootsier than their later hit recordings at Columbia, with a raw soul groove that reaches back to the girls' roots as an indie soul act. This one's got arrangements by Isaac Hayes that work perfectly for the record – tight, deep, and soulful, with a real no-nonsense approach that opens up the vocals and sets up plenty of tasty hooks. Features the organ-heavy "So I Can Love You", the slightly-funky "Got To Be The Man", and the tracks "Going On Strike", "I Found My Man", and "The Best Part Of A Love Affair". But the best track is "I Like It" – which has this amazing intro that begins with a tight drumbreak, rolling over some descending basslines, then vamping into some horn flourishes before the vocals come in! On Untouched, the group are getting some extra heavy production from Ronnie Williams and David Porter – who bring a darker side to their sound, coming up with heavy soul grooves that really open them up. The classic example of this is the stellar cut "Blind Alley" – a famous sample from years back, and a wonderful funk tune on its own. Other tracks include "Boss Love Maker", "Love Ain't Easy Onesided", "Show Me How", "Love is The Hardest Thing To Find", and "Boy I Need You". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A record that really has Friends Of Distinction stretching out nicely – maybe moving past some of the simpler pop of their roots, and hitting some sophisticated soul styles that really fit their balance of male and female vocals! The album's loaded with some top-shelf talent in the studio – including arrangers Jerry Peters and Skip Scarborough, who both work in some hipper 70s touches to the instrumentation – often some mellow-stepping grooves that are a genius fit for the quartet – preserving their harmonic brightness, but maybe making them a bit more mature at times too. Titles include "No One's Gonna Be A Fool Forever", "Thumb Tripping", "Easy Evil", "Only Give Love", "The Way We Planned It", and "Ain't No Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

The start of a very successful run for Gloria Gaynor – a seminal bit of crossover 70s soul – one that perfectly linked the dancefloor with the airwaves, and managed to take on more than a few living rooms as well! Gloria's not entirely in full blown disco-diva mode yet, and works here with a soaring Philly-styled groove – of the sort you'd hear with groups like First Choice or Three Degrees – almost grounded a bit in earlier female soul, especially in the vocals and overall changes in the grooves – yet sparkled up plenty with some fuller, richer 70s arrangements. Those are handled by Norman Harris and Harold Wheeler – who do plenty to warm up the production by Meco – and the set includes the stunning 6 minute version of Gloria's big hit "Never Can Say Goodbye", plus "All I Need Is Your Sweet Lovin", "We Belong Together", "Real Good People", "Honey Bee", and "Reach Out I'll Be There". CD features lots of bonus tracks, too – "Honeybee (Columbia single version)", "Honey Bee (MGM single version)", "All It Took Boy Was Losing You", "Come Tonight", "Never Can Say Goodbye (single version)", "Reach Out I'll Be There (single version)", and "We Just Can't Make It". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Obscure mid period material from Garland! "Bumpin & Stompin" is a funky disco number, with a groove that's not too bad in a kind of pop soul way, but which doesn't work as well for Garland as other backing. The flip's nice, though, and features a very tasty spokey bluesy kind of vocal, of the sort that Garland still does in a live show. And if you've heard that voice, you know it's a killer! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A huge collection of work from the duo of Eddie Hardin and Pete York – both musicians who started out in the Spencer Davis Group, then went on to a surprisingly strong legacy of their own! Eddie plays piano and organ, and also sings – and Pete's a drummer who can come on strong when needed, but also lay back and let Eddie take the lead too – and the pair work here in a set of tracks that sometimes pushes forward the energy of their earlier group, but in ways that are both fiercer at times, and more sensitive at others. Yet other moments really show a developing sense of songwriting – that move of British soulfulness of the 60s into more individual territory in the sophisticated 70s. The box is overflowing with little-heard music from the pair – as it includes the full albums Tomorrow Today, World's Smallest Big Band, Hardin & York Live, For The World, and Hardin & York With Charlie McCracken – and also includes a full live set recorded at The Marquee in 1971, a 1969 Radio Session, a BBC In Concert set from 1972, outtakes from the Tomorrow Today album, and other rare radio and live material too. 63 tracks in all, very detailed notes – and a long-overdue tribute to the pair! CD

The first-ever CD issue of a range of material from this ultra-hip group – all tracks that originally appeared on vinyl-only releases, now making their CD debut in an overstuffed collection that features 24 tracks in all! The vibe here is great – that Karl Hector & The Malcouns mix of deep funk instrumentation and various global elements – almost an imagined version of 70s sounds from Africa and the Mid East, but served up with the sensibilities of a deep funk combo – which is what they are, given that the group is just the Whitefield Brothers and Poets Of Rhythm, working here under another one of their many names! Yet the instrumentation is quite different than those other acts, too – much more rootsy and filled with a lot of organic percussion and other global elements – as you'll hear on titles that include "Shangold", "Leealah", "Roads Of Otumpa", "Tamanrasset", "JB Rip", "Irtijal", "The Cave", "Orange", "Transition X", "Medium Rare (part 1)", "Beyond Squares", and "Coomassi". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Great work from John Lee and Gerry Brown – a pair of fusion stalwarts who added key help to a number of classic 70s sessions for other artists – and got to make a rare few albums like this on their own! Lee's on bass and Brown's on drums, and the pair are in perfect time throughout – working with Skip Drinkwater production, which helps them find even more focus than before, and shake off some of the more jamming aspects of their rock-fusion performances with others – a move that helps them come up with a wonderfully soulful sound in the process – very much in the best Drinkwater soul jazz style of the time! Some cuts have vocals that get nice and soulful – from Donald Smith, CP Alexander, and Tawatha Agee – and titles include the brilliant "Love The Way You Make Me Feel" – plus "Freeze It Up", "Breakin", "Rise On", "Funky Now", "Strut N Get Up", and "Down The Way". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever". CD

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

An unusual Japanese book on the music of the genius German group Can – one that's half history, half discography – including a fair bit of listings for later projects and related works by members of the group! If you can't read Japanese, there's not much for you in the first half of the book – save for a lot of great black and white photos – but the second half begins a disc guide section, with listings first for all the Can albums, then with sections on records from Irmin Schmidt, Holger Czukay, Jaki Leibezeit, Michael Karoli, Damo Suzuki, Malcolm Mooney, Rosko Gee, Reebop Kwaku Baah, and a bonus disc guide of 100 related releases! Every record has the title in English or German, with label, release date, and titles in English – plus a longer review in Japanese. Book is 230 pages, softcover, with mostly black and white images, and a few in color. Book

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Sweet soul from Carmen McRae – a great 70s album for Blue Note, and one that has the classic singer moving into some very groovy material! The feel here is much more soul than jazz – at least the jazz of the torchy style from Carmen's roots – but as you'd guess from McRae, the vocals still bring plenty of great inflections to play – personalizing even familiar tunes, and really helping to push the level of an already-great record! Arrangements are by Gerald Wilson, Dave Grusin, Johnny Mandel, and Thad Jones – and the set includes Carmen's hip cover of "Can't Hide Love" – plus "I Wish You Well", "Only Women Bleed", "Lost Up In Loving You", "Would You Believe", "A Child Is Born", and "All By Myself". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The title's a reference to a famous antacid commercial in the early 70s – but from the cover, it's obvious that Rudy Ray Moore wants you to think of it in a much nastier way! Given the sounds on the wax, it's easy to do – as the set's one of Moore's best from a time when he was the king of the party record – able to tell dirtier jokes than even most comics in the club – with very upfront, sexual-heavy dialogue – backed by some tightly soulful instrumentation! The music makes the whole thing groove nicely, even though it's a bit more buried in the mix than on some of Rudy's other records – which leaves the man himself screaming it strongly out front. A few tracks have guest vocals by Lady Reed – and titles include "That's My Watch", "The Marines", "Hit Her With A Rock Long D*ck", "As Much Ass", "Everybody Kneelin Ain't Prayin", "Sell It Girls", and "Dangerous Dan". CD

The rare lost legacy of the Music Makers Band – a funky group from Georgia who are best known under their previous incarnation as The Mighty Chevelles – who cut the superb Black Gold album the year before! The work here was never issued at the time, but represents some well-done sessions at the legendary Capricorn Studios – the group even sharper than before, and mixing in some clubby elements with their funk – but all without ever losing the edge that made them great in the first place! Kenny Dope remastered all the work here from the original multi-track masters – and each tune is presented in a well-crafted vocal version, and the set also features instrumentals, plus some extended mixes by Kenny as well. Titles include "That Look In Your Eyes", "You Can Be", "Lady In My Dream", "Shake Your Booty", "Let Me Start Lovin You", "We're The Band", and "That True Love Of Mine". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Early material from Devin The Dude! 12-inch, Vinyl record

The Opals were a great Chicago area group who never cut many records while they were at the Okeh label – so this cut is an extra-special treat, as it's an unreleased number that has the trio working in this bad-stepping mode that's really outta sight! The harmonies soar nicely with the groove – and the flipside is also an unissued cut from the same time – one with this jazzy groove that really does great things with the vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the rarest 70s albums in the Sun Ra catalog – and one of the most unique, too – given that the format here is a piano trio, of the style often used by other jazz musicians – but completely transformed here in the hands of Ra! The music is sometimes straight, but always with angles – taking off nicely from the Horo Records mode right before – and delivered by Ra with this new sense of confidence and historical imagination on the keys of the piano – with great support from Richard Williams on bass and Luqman Ali on drums. There's no spacey production or weird instrumentation – but still, as with the Horo and Improvising Artists material, Sun Ra shows us what a tremendous jazz musician he can be in a more familiar setting – a great snap back to all those who ever might have called him a pretender. Titles include "Blythe Spirit Dance", "Tenderness", "Days Of Happiness", and "Magic City Blue". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of Lionel Richie's biggest records ever! Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "All Night Long", "Penny Lover", "The Only One", "Running With The Night", "Hello", "The Groove", "Love Will Find A Way" and "Stuck On You". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of our favorite house projects of the late 80s – Todd Terry's Royal House, a name that was associated with some great singles at the time! Terry's got a simple but effective way of laying out the beats – really splashing the drums, but getting past the harder, tinnier snare of a lot of the Chicago house of the decade. Instead, there's a soulfully flowing approach to the work that borrows nicely from the late Paradise sound, and which has a great way of dropping in small sonic elements that dance along beautifully in the grooves! Most tracks are undisputed mix classics from the early days of acid – and titles include "Can You Party", "Yeah Buddy", "Key The Pulse", "A Better Way", "The Chase", and "Party People". Expanded 2CD version also features 12 extra mixes – including "Can You Party (club)", "The Chase (extended)", "Yeah Buddy (extended)", "Get Funky (Long club adub)", "Key The Pulse (club rub dub rub)", "The Texican" by Orange Lemon, and "I Love You" by Drum & Bass. CD

Great work from one of our favorite house projects of the late 80s – Todd Terry's Royal House, a name that was associated with some great singles at the time! Terry's got a simple but effective way of laying out the beats – really splashing the drums, but getting past the harder, tinnier snare of a lot of the Chicago house of the decade. Instead, there's a soulfully flowing approach to the work that borrows nicely from the late Paradise sound, and which has a great way of dropping in small sonic elements that dance along beautifully in the grooves! Most tracks are undisputed mix classics from the early days of acid – and titles include "Can You Party", "Yeah Buddy", "Key The Pulse", "A Better Way", "The Chase", and "Party People". Expanded 2CD version also features 12 extra mixes – including "Can You Party (club)", "The Chase (extended)", "Yeah Buddy (extended)", "Get Funky (Long club adub)", "Key The Pulse (club rub dub rub)", "The Texican" by Orange Lemon, and "I Love You" by Drum & Bass. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "To The Letter", "A Love Of Your Own", "Heaven", "The Key", "Fallin In Love", "I Can Make It Good For You", "It's My Life", "Keep It To Yourself", and "I Wanna Be Yours". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

Incredible work from a group who've definitely earned their name! Naming a group SOUL might be suicide for a band that can't carry off the groove – but these guys are funky monsters, with a real talent for a hard heavy sound that was rarely matched by other combos. The band have a great drummer, with a good talent for the funky break, but also a jazzy flourish that works well on SOUL's mellower numbers – and apart from the usual bass and guitar riffing, the album also features some great funky flute, in a mode that's similar to some of Jeremy Steig's excellent early work. Some tracks have vocals and some have instrumentals – and both albums are great! ACE put together both these masterpieces of heavy funky grooves and laid them back to back on one CD of super-heavy funky tracks. The set's a great deal, and both albums are winners all the way through! Tracks include "Down in the Ghetto", "Burning Spear", "Soul", "Tell it Like It Is", "Peace Of Mind", "My Cherie Amour", and "Sleeping Beauty". CD

"What Love Can Do" is from Bruce Springsteen's 2009 album Working On A Dream –and the fun, regional lore informed, and previously unreleased "A Night With The Jersey Devil" on the flip! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Nice stuff! Both sides are stormin soul numbers that have a mixed rock/soul sound, and a very powerful beat to them. This is the kind of stuff you'd want to hear streaming out of your transistor radio at the beach in the Carolinas – which is where The Tempests probably had some of their biggest shows. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Remix features Nas. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record