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Plenty of great tracks – work from Toussaint McCall, Eddie Giles, Jerry Butler, Betty Harris, Joe Simon, Gene Allison, Betty Lavette, Bobby Patterson, Gene Chandler, Jimmy Hughes, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

The story of one of the most legendary soul clubs in the UK – home to the great wave of Northern Soul enthusiasm that burst big in the 60s – plus a fair bit of hanky panky as well! This collection shows a decidedly raw side of the club's roots – American soul from the 60s, plus a fair bit of R&B as well – a groove that's rougher than you might find on other Northern Soul collections – which often tend towards some of the tighter Detroit productions of the period. The CD features a whopping 28 tracks in all – with lots of tracks from Chicago and the Motor City – and titles include "Road Runner" by Bo Diddley, "Good Times" by Gene Chandler, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Do The 45" by The Sharpees, "Get Down With It" by Bobby Marchan, "I Spy For The FBI" by Jamo Thomas, "And Get Away" by The Esquires, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "Searchin" by Alvin Robinson, and "You Shot Me Through The Grease" by Alvin Cash. CD

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A wealth of rare funky 45 and album cuts – served up here in a selection that really lives up to the "rare soul" promise of the title! Some of these cuts are rare groove classics from back in the day – the big years when UK DJs first started playing older 70s cuts – and some of them are numbers that have been discovered in more recent years, showing that the field for rare soul collectors is always wide open, if you know where to dig! Titles include "Smooth Sailing" by Three Shades Of Soul, "Look What You've Done For Me" by Al Jarreau, "Every Day's A New Day" by Teresa Graves, "Take My Best Shot" by Liberation, "Be Your Man" by The Harmonics, "If We Don't" by 94 East with Prince, "You Put A Hurtin On Me" by Mary Mundy, "I'm Walking Away" by Gene Townsel, "I'm Crazy About You" by Brief Encounter, and "I Love You Pretty Baby" by Touch Of Class. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of 27 blues and R&B tracks that inspired the Stones. Includes music by Irma Thomas, Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Buster Brown. CD

A fantastic collection of work from the legendary Terry Callier – pulled from his key years on Chess/Cadet Records! These tracks were recorded in the Cadet studios, with great Chicago production and session players, and feature a sweeping mix of folky soul sounds and large complex orchestrations – most by the great Charles Stepney, who also produced most of the work too. Massive! With the cuts "Dancing Girl", "You're Going To Miss Your Candyman", "Ordinary Joe", "What Color Is Love", "I'd Rather Be With You", "Occasional Rain", "Until Tomorrow", "I Just Can't Help Myself", "I Don't Want Nobody Else", "Can't Catch The Trane", and "Alley Wind Song". CD

Wonderful work from an important 1963 tour of Europe – a series of concert dates that all seem tremendous, from what we've heard on record – and which offer up killer material from the quartet that included McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums! CD

20 tracks by the great Aaron Neville – and two LPs worth of material, some from Aaron's classic 60s years in New Orleans, some from his smoother days in the late 70s! The first 11 tracks have that classic feel – with a spare, soulful sound that's perfectly defined by Aaron's big early hit "Tell It Like It Is", which is included on the CD along with the cuts "Over You", "Show Me The Way", "Get Out Of My Life", and "Wrong Number". The later stuff is mostly smooth and mellow, but the set includes the excellent "Hercules", a great number with a heavy bass sample on the intro – and a tasty slow funk sound all the way through. Other late tracks include "Make Me Strong", "Performance", "All These Things", and "One Fine Day". CD

Amazing! This lost Roy Ayers-produced gem from the early 80s has not only been one of the biggest sample records of all time, but it's also become one of the holy grails of the groovy record collecting scene! It's a stellar bit of jazzy soul with the same production vibe that's characterized Roy's best work – but made all the more sublime thanks to Sylvia Striplin's beautifully fragile and soulful vocals, which sound a bit like Minnie Riperton's at times – but also has a fuller, richer quality too. The record's got arrangements by Sylvia, Roy, and James Bedford (who also recorded for Uno Melodic), and it includes classics like "Give Me Your Love", "You Can't Turn Me Away", "Look Towards The Sky", "All Alone", and a great cover of Roy Ayers' "Searchin". CD

Raw early genius from the 13th Floor Elevators – cut back at a time when the Texas combo were one of the hippest things going in the late 60s American underground! There's lots of sounds here that other cats would copy over the decades – but the record has a gritty brilliance that's way better than any of its many imitators – that kind of unique burst of new ideas and young energy that made psych so wonderful when it first emerged in remarkable moments like this! Roky Erickson is wonderful – and the record will definitely illustrate his genius way better than any later efforts to bear his own name in the lead – and the production is just the right blend of studio tricks and homegrown oddness to make the whole thing electrified throughout. Tracks include "Slip Inside This House", "Slide Machine", "Dust", "Earthquake", "Levitation", "Postures", "Baby Blue", and "Nobody To Love" – plus 10 extra bonus tracks! CD

A killer collection of Joe Bataan's Latin Soul work for Fania Records – all groundbreaking stuff recorded in the years before his bigger fame on Salsoul! The tunes are incredible – blending together sweet soul, Latin rhythms, and an occasional bit of funk – all served up by one of the most pointedly personal talents in both soul and Latin music! Joe really breaks our hearts on tunes like "What Good is a Castle", "Uptown", "My Opera", and "Special Girl" – but also grooves his way into our soul on the jammers "Puerto Rico Me Llama" and "Aguanta La Lengua". Other tracks include "Mambo De Bataan" and "Muneca". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice stuff from one of our favorite R&B bandleaders of the 50s! These excellent tracks pop along with a tight rolling groove and a lively sense of rhythm that was often unmatched by some of the other sleepier groups of the time – and Bradshaw did a good job of recruiting some of the better saxophone talents of the time, which means that some of these numbers are filled with wails, screams, and pops that are right out of an Albert Ayler session! 16 numbers in all, including "Mailman's Sack", "Well Oh Well", "Train Kept A-Rollin", "Breakin Up The House", "Walk That Mess", "Bradshaw Boogie", "Snaggletooth Ruth", "Rippin & Runnin", "Two Dry Bones On The Pantry Shelf" and "One, Two, Three Kick Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Chicago blues, with a dose of soul – and a smoking set of early Jewel label recordings by George "Wild Child" Butler – most of which were produced by the legendary Willie Dixon! The tunes here have that gritty groove you might know from Chicago electric work on Chess – particularly by Jimmy Reed – a chugging, funky style that's mighty nice – and which works wonderful to help draw out the best inflections from Butler's bold vocals. Titles include "Gravy Child", "Axe & The Wind", "Open Up Baby", "Harmonica Player", "My Forty Year Old Woman", "She Walks Like My Mary Ann", and "Do Something Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

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Sublime soul from the great Otis Clay – early material done on the Chicago scene in the years before he hit bigger fame in the 70s – and tracks that may well be some of our favorite material ever by the singer! Otis already has that impeccable deep soul approach going on here – vocals that rival those of Otis Redding or any of the greats at Stax or Atlantic – often set to that gently grooving style that marked the Chicago vibe in the mid 60s – nicely sophisticated, but never too polished – and presented here so that Clay really shines in the lead! The choice of cuts is great, and the package is one that's a great introduction if you've not heard Clay at this point in his career – or a great addition to your collection if you've only got some of his singles from this non-album stretch. 16 tracks in all – including "I'm Satisfied", "Thank You Love", "I Lost Someone", "A Lasting Love", "Tired Of Falling In & Out Of Love With You", "Show Me What You Say", "Show Place", and "I Got Problems". LP, Vinyl record album

2 seminal sessions from avant soul trombonist Grachan Moncur III – back to back on 1 CD! New Africa features Moncur hitting an Archie Shepp-ish, spiritual vein in his playing – recorded in Paris with a group that includes Shepp, Roscoe Mitchell, Dave Burrell, and Andrew Cyrille. Side one's mostly the long suite "New Africa", but it also includes the great composition "Space Spy" – and side two features the tracks "When" and "Exploration". The whole album's incredible – much more soulful than some of Moncur's "new thing" recordings, and equally compelling! One Morning I Woke Up Very Early is every bit as great – almost better, in fact – with a warm, flowing style that has traces of the spiritualism of Shepp and Pharoah Sanders, and more of an Africanist influence than you'd expect to hear in Moncur's work from his earlier recordings. The title track is wonderful – with a soulful vocal on the introduction, and a majestic building modal approach – and other tracks follow that groove with a spiritual sound that's more rhythmic, and more inside than some of Moncur's other work of the period! Titles include "Ponteio", "Osmosis", "Tiny Temper", and "One Morning I Woke Up Very Early". CD

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Music from two 1960 sessions – both with Clifford Jordan on saxophone! Other musicians include Wynton Kelly, Eddie Higgins, Paul Chamber, Art Davis, and Art Blakey! CD

A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records. Backing is by a small combo, and tracks include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". Plus, this whole thing's very nicely packaged – in a gatefold cover, and with 4 bonus tracks, including the excellent groover "African Mailman"! CD

22 tracks with Kings Of Rhythm, Billy Gayles, Jackie Brenston, and The Gardenias. CD

One of our top ten jazz albums of all time! Honest! This stunning session from 1960 not only coined the term "young lions" in jazz, but offers up a pack of them that any modern players would be hard-pressed to beat. Trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorist Wayne Shorter, and pianist Bobby Timmons take a break from the Jazz Messengers to join altoist Frank Strozier in the frontline on this fantastic set of tracks that ring with a lyrical beauty hardly surpassed by any other hardbop album. Shorter wrote nearly all of the tracks, and the set list includes some of his best-ever work, like "Seeds Of Sin", "Scourin'", and "Peaches & Cream" – all beautiful tracks that are completely sublime. The group's completed by Bob Cranshaw on bass and Albert Heath on drums – and other titles include "Fat Lady", and "That's Right". If you buy one jazz album this year, let it be this one! CD also features alternate takes of "Seeds Of Sin", "Scourin", and "Fat Lady". CD

A massive amount of rare funk – all pulled from the glory days of the funky 45, at a level that really takes us back to the sort of groundbreaking funk collections that Charly Records gave us many years back! The set's heavy on cuts from the deep and southern soul side of the spectrum – and there's a lot of gems here that we haven't seen reissued in quite a long time – including a few Chicago tracks that are very near and dear to our hearts! Titles include "Itch & Scratch" by Toby King, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "What Do You See In Her" by Inell Young, "I Don't Dig No Phoney" by Moody Scott, "You Move Me (part 2)" by Roy Roberts Experience, "Hunk O Funk" by The Scott Brothers Orchestra, "Searchin (part 1)" by The Ambassadors, "Stick It In Your Ear Hole" by Eddie Mobley, "Let The Groove Move You" by Gus Lewis, "Never Gonna Let You Go" by Dynamic Desires, "My Heart Would Never Lie To Me" by Sandy Cleveland, "SGB" by Eddie Bo, "Bad Thing" by Thomas East & The Fabulous Playboys, "Get Up" by McKinley Sandifer, "Double Determination" by Liz McCall, "Hot Funky & Sweaty" by The Soul Lifters, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, "Son Of A Son Of A Slave" by Larry Darnell, and "Gossip Gossip" by Diamond Joe. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that definitely lives up to the promise of its title – with 18 rare gems, including "Hung Up On Your Love" by The Montclairs, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "That's Enough" by Roscoe Robinson, "You Gotta Pay The Price" by Gloria Taylor, "Breakaway" by The Valentines, "Getting' Mighty Crowded" by Betty Everett, "You've Been Gone So Long" by Ann Sexton, and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Buddy Holly, Big Joe Williams, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, Bobby Womack, Muddy Waters, Ike & Tina Turner, Robert Johnson, and more. CD

There's a flurry of rare Jamaican singles on the cover, and that's definitely what you'll hear on the album – but presented in a great format that really makes these ska and rocksteady nuggets come alive with better sound than in their original pressings! The package features key tracks recorded by Treasure Isle, at a time when the imprint was one of the most important on the Kingston scene – and definitely tuned to the sorts of singers who would bring a lot more soul to Jamaican music in years to come! There's a total of 16 cuts in all – and titles include "Penny Reel" by Eric Monty Morris, "Rough & Tough" by Stranger Cole & The Skatalites, "Perfidia" by Phyllis Dillon, "The Tide Is High" by The Paragons, "Everybody Bawling" by U-Roy & The Melodians, "Ali Baba" by John Holt, "Carry Go Bring Come" by Justin Hinds, "Rock Steady" by Alton Ellis, "Baba Boom" by The Jamaicans, and "Angel Of The Morning" by Joya Landis. LP, Vinyl record album

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2 classics by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – back to back on one CD! At the time they were taking Paris by storm, the Art Ensemble recorded these brilliant albums – both of which are some of their strongest early work, far more well-formed than any of their individual expressions recorded earlier in Chicago! The CD features the group at their best – playing very tightly, but also with a sense of whimsy and imagination, and the kind of free-thinking exploration that informed a whole generation of jazz musicians, offering a different mode of expression than the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane years. Includes "A Brain For The Seine", a real classic by the band – plus "Jackson In Your House", "Get In Line", "Song for Charles", "Dexterity" and "Old Time Religion", and "Rock Out". CD

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A great live set from Azymuth – recorded in Rio in 1979, with a harder, more open feel than most of their studio work of the time! The set takes off with the intensity of a classic 70s fusion set – led by the majestic keyboards of Jose Roberto Bertrami, really kicking out here with a sound that's not nearly as restrained as on the group's studio albums for Fantasy. Aleuda joins the trio on vocals on a few cuts, and titles include "Jazz Carnival", "Partido Alto", "Light As A Feather", "Montreux", "Dona Olimpia", "Voo Sobre O Horizonte", and "Existe Isto". CD

Bang proves once again that he's one of the few jazz players who can make the violin work without being too flowery or too overindulgent – in a manner that almost makes you forget the instrument he's using, because you're so caught up in the waves of sound! The group features some prime NYC loft jazz players – including Frank Lowe, Wilbur Morris, Charles Tyler, David Murray, and Sunny Murray – and titles include "Conception", "Seeing Together", and "Outline No 12". CD

Way more than just another Eddie Bo compilation – as the set features lots of rare singles from the Seven B label, plus a few previously unissued tracks as well! LP, Vinyl record album

Live At Topanga Corral. CD

A solo piano set from Strata East mainman Stanley Cowell – but a record that's got enough soul and spirituality to rival a full group recording! Although working alone here, Cowell's touch on the keys is astounding – often flowing and highly rhythmic, with a pulsating sense of energy that makes even the mellower tracks sparkle with soulful imagination. A number of tracks are intimate explorations of themes heard more famously on albums done with Charles Tolliver – but which come alive in a whole new way here in Stanley's solo setting! Most work here is on acoustic piano, but Cowell also picks up the electric keys for the tune "Travelin Man" – done here as an overdubbed "duet", and one of the hippest tunes on the entire record! Other titles include "Abscretions", "Equipoise", "Prayer For Peace", "Departure No 2", "Sweet Song", and "Emil Danenberg". CD

Bluesy work from the London scene of the 60s – featuring Gary Farr on vocals and harmonica, in his group with Vince Weatherall on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful record! Back in the day, we remember that we didn't like these later P-Funk albums because they weren't as druggy, trippy, or guitar heavy as the early stuff. Now, though, they sound pretty darn sweet to our ears – especially this one, which has lots of cool pre-electro grooves with sweet keyboards, vocoder vocals, and spacey basslines that blow out in deep rich waves of funky soul. The whole thing's an amazing evolution of the George Clinton groove – and titles include "Electric Spanking Of War Babies", "Funk Gets Stronger", "Shockwaves", "Icka-prick", "Brettino's Bounce", and a bonus instrumental version of "Electric Spanking Of War Babies". Nice Pedro Bell cover, too! CD

A set that definitely lives up to its title – as it brings together some of the best funky work from that second generation of Funkadelic – that time when the group were really stretching things out and finding their groove! This material has none of the fuzzy guitars and psychedelic elements of their early work – and instead has a rhythm-centric approach that's filled with all sorts of incredible instrumentation from the group – soaring forth with a unified energy that showcases the P-Funk style at its best! Titles include "Uncle Jam (full length LP version)", "Grooveallegiance", "You Scared The Lovin Outta Me", "Freak Of The Week", "Into You", "If You Got Funk You Got Style", "One Nation Under A Groove", "Oh I", "Electro Cuties", and "Funk Gets Stronger (killer millimeter longer version)/She Loves You". CD

One of the sweetest Funkadelic albums from the middle period, and a good batch of tracks that often gets overlooked in the haze of similar Pedro Bell covers! Don't miss this one, though – because it is a very strong album – key in the shift from more guitar-based funk to more groove-oriented rhythms – and a record that's got more than a few tasty numbers. Includes nice ones like "You Scared The Lovin Outta Me", "Comin Round The Mountain", and "If You Got Funk, You Got Style", plus a live version of "Cosmic Slop" that's totally great! CD

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". CD

Hard-wailing soul from Wilbert Harrison – 16 tracks in all, most cut for the Fury Records label! LP, Vinyl record album

Vee Jay Records material from some of John Lee Hooker's greatest years – with titles that include "Everybody's Rockin", "I'm Goin Upstairs", "Maudie", "Want Ad Blues", "I'm So Excited", "Trouble Blues", "Every Night", "Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine", "Unfriendly Woman", and "Crawlin Black Spider". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful heartbreaking soul in the "iceman" style that was pioneered by Jerry Butler, and taken up by Chuck in his early years at Wand Records! This set features 16 tracks from those glory days, when Chuck was one of the most compelling singers on the charts – and when his deep rich voice just couldn't miss! Titles include "I Don't Want To Cry", "I Wake Up Crying" (we wonder if Chuck wasn't just a big cry baby!), "Any Day Now", "Tell Him I'm Not Home", I'm Your Man", "Forget About Me", "I Keep Forgettin", and "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself". CD

From two sessions, the first from 61 in New York with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wendell Marshall on bass, Ray Lucas on drums, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. The second from 61 in West Peabody Massachusetts with Milt Buckner on organ and Alan Dawson on drums. CD

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A really unusual album from the mighty Ohio Players – their first full length set, and a record that's very different than their better-known work on Westbound and Mercury – but every bit as great! The band is tight and funky, but in a sort of deep soul 60s way – with arrangements and playing that have a hard edge, and with nice guitar rhythm tracks – a bit trippy and fuzzy at times, but also with a style that's got more of a 60s vintage than the headier styles they hit at Westbound. The group are great in this format – and the album includes lots of great original tracks – like "Bad Bargain", "Lonely Street", and "Street Party" – plus very cool covers of "Summertime" and "Mother In Law". Other titles include "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Stop Lying To Yourself", "Over The Rainbow", "Find Someone To Love", "Cold Cold World", and "The Man That I Am". 2LP version is brimming over with great bonus tracks from 45s – including "Alabama Soupbone (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A Crying Shame", "A Little Soul Party", "A Thing Called Love", and "Neighbors". LP, Vinyl record album

An unlikely pairing – but a great one! The set documents an unusual live date by Charlie Parker – recorded at the Trade Winds in Inglewood in June of 1952 – and featuring a group that includes Sonny Criss on alto, Al Haig on piano, Harry Babasin on bass, Lawrence Marable on drums, and a young Chet Baker on trumpet – blowing with a tone that's quite different than a lot of his studio sides of the time. As with many Bird live dates of the period, the recording quality's a bit flat, but the solo work is amazing – and most tracks on the set stretch out nicely, and feature lots of trading back and forth on the solo parts. Titles include "The Squirrel", "Irresistible You", "Indiana", and "Liza". CD

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Really fantastic material from the young Soft Machine – tracks recorded as demos before the release of their seminal debut album – but which really seem to capture a special spirit of the group! There's moments here that almost have the fragile brilliance of solo work by Robert Wyatt or Kevin Ayers – mixed with other harder, sharper passages that have their fantastic instrumental interplay already in place – captured with a mix of tuneful ideas that rivals the first album or two by Pink Floyd. Both Wyatt and Ayers sing – with Wyatt on drums and Ayers on bass – and the group also features Daevid Allen on lead guitar and Mike Ratledge on piano and organ. Titles include "Save Yourself", "Memories", "When I Don't Want You", "She's Gone", "You Don't Remember", "I'd Rather Be With You", "That's How Much I Need You Now", and "Jet Propelled Photograph". CD

A really cool little record – one that features four classic slices of New Orleans soul – all handled by the funky genius Allen Toussaint! The title cut is a mighty groovy remake of the Herb Albert tune – done by the obscure group The Stokes – and it's followed by the fantastically romping "Here Come The Girls" by Ernie K Doe! Lee Dorsey follows with his classic "Working In A Coalmine" – and Benny Spellman caps things off with the Northern Soul classic "Fortune Teller". 7-inch, Vinyl record

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Seminal soul from one of Chicago's greatest labels in the 60s – the One-Der-Ful/Mar-V-Lus imprints, plus tracks from related Toddlin Town too – home to some of the best indie work at the time! The quality here is right up there with the best you'd hear from Chess, Okeh, or Brunswick in the 60s – no surprise, since the pair of labels shared lots of similar talents with the bigger companies – as well as session men, songwriters, and producers too! The full scope of Chicago soul is really covered here – upbeat groovers for the dancefloor, heartfelt ballads with great harmonies, and some of the harder-edged bluesy numbers that really helped put One-Der-Ful on the map! There's also some key early examples of funk – proof that in the 60s, Chicago was one of the hippest scenes in the world – and the set comes with 2 CDs, nestled in a hardback booklet of notes and photos – with a whopping 50 tracks in all. Titles include "Tired Of Being Lonely" by The Sharpees, "Without You" by The Ulti-Mations, "That's How It Is" by Otis Clay, "Keep On Dancin" by Alvin Cash, "The Funky Judge" by Bull & The Matadors, "I Get A Groove" by Thomas East & The Fabulous Playboys, "Damper Down" by Bobby Davis, "The Town I Live In" by McKinley Mitchell, "Come Back Home" by Beny Turner, "Master Key" by Harold Burrage, "If I Could Live My Life All Over" by Dorothy Prince, "You Told A Lie" by Johnny Sayles, "New Girl" by The Accents, and "Don't You Worry" by Joe & Mack. CD

The first of the great Argo/Cadet series of comps, and one that really reflects the London obsession with jazz funk and soul jazz grooves in the early 90s. There's 10 hard instrumentals here, most of them by folks that we have a hard time turning up in the original. Monster cuts include "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "The Aquarian" by Harold Land, "Milestones" by The Three Souls, and the fantastic "Feel" by Buck Clarke, which is a massive stepping conga/vibes track, and is worth the price of the CD alone! CD

A set that definitely lives up to the promise of its title – with 19 rare gems, including 'I'm A Tear Drop" by The Jerms, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "I'm Your Love Man" by The Lost Souls, "Unwanted Love" by The Montclairs, "Make Up Your Mind" by Barrett Strong, "I'd Think It Over" by Sam Fletcher, "Nothing Worse Than Being Alone" by The Ad Libs, "Til I Get It Right" by Willie Hobbs, and "You're Gonna Need Me" by Ted Ford. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Lee Dorsey, the Meters, the Dixie Cups, Fats Domino and others. CD

A searing set of vintage soul cuts – brought together in honor of the legendary Wigan Casino – one of the most important clubs in the UK Northern Soul scene of the 70s! For the uninitiated, Wigan was a hotbed of upbeat rare soul cuts – overlooked American goodies from both the previous decade and more recent years – often with a strong focus on deeper soul vocals, which meant some strong entries from the southern scene as well! This well-done package comes with a heavy book-style cover, notes on the club and its music – and a whopping 28 tracks in all – including "I Can't Hide It" by The Appreciations, "Baby What Has Happened To Our Love" by The Ringleaders, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "I'm A Teardrop" by The Jerms, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Watch Yourself" by Tony Hester, "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is" by Copper & Brass, "Can I Be Dreamin" by The Young Savages, "She's Fire" by The CODs, "Could It Be" by Mikki Farrow, and "Your Wish Is My Command" by The Inspirations. CD

One of Maria Bethania's best albums of the 80s – a set that has the singer almost hitting a more personal, more intimate mode – working with music from Caetano Veloso that helps bring in a closeness that Bethania was sometimes missing in her sound! The approach is a bit jazzy at times – with warm keyboard currents that allow Maria to trip lightly on the vocal tip, while still moving with the kind of sophisticated songwriting that serves her best – and Caetano also sings a bit on the record, as does Milton Nascimento. Titles include "Anos Dourados", "Doce Espera", "Yorubahia", "Gostoso Demais", "Tranchan", "Errei Sim", and "Cancoes E Momentos". CD

A raw early classic from Sun Records – a tune that's a fantastic illustration of the way the label could really capture the fire of an artist like Sonny Burgess! Instrumentation is spare, but right on the money – riffing guitar and echoey vocals from Burgess – with a piano solo at one point, and a great guitar bit too – all set to rhythms that never stop! The flipside follows nice – and the echo in the production really makes the whole thing sound wonderful! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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With Vernon Martin on bass, Jerome Cooper on drums, Joe Texudor on percussion & Ron Burton on piano. CD

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Classic Clyde McPhatter work from the post-Drifters years – 16 great Atlantic recordings! Tracks include "Thirty Days", "Treasure Of Love", "Just To Hold My Hand", "Come What May", "A Lover's Question", "You Went Back On Your Word", and "Deep Sea Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of rare blues material originally recorded in the Sun Records studio – one side of pre-Duke material from Junior Parker – another of even more obscure work from singer/pianist Billy Red Love! LP, Vinyl record album

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Featuring Billie Holiday. CD