A fantastic collection of work from one of the coolest, classiest soul singers of the 60s – one that we'd rank right up there with Jerry Butler or Walter Jackson for the way that he pushed the genre forward strongly with his music! Chuck Jackson had a few hits back in the day, but underneath those classics is an even more amazing body of work – soul music taken to new levels of adult expression, openly emotive but never in a cliched way – already reaching way beyond roots in gospel and blues for a whole new way of expressing soul and identity! Chuck's had more than a few hits collections issued over the years, but this might be the first set to really get at his genius – fully offering up the wonderful range of tracks he handled for the Wand label back in his early years – including a dozen recordings that were never issued at the time, most of which appear here for the first time ever! Even if you're a Jackson fanatic, like us, and already own his albums for Wand – there's still plenty here to discover, even some rare singles beyond the unissued tracks – all presented in the wonderful Kent Records way. Titles include "Little By Little", "Things Just Ain't Right", "Heed To Belong", "King Of The Mountain", "Big New York", "The Silencer", "Why Some People Don't Like Me", "Why Why Why", "In Between Tears", "All About You", "Forget About Me", "Meet Me Half Way", and "What You Gonna Say" – plus a duet with Dionne Warwick on "Anymore". CD

10 of Chuck's best soul cuts, originally recorded for the Wand label. This stuff virtually defines the male side of the NY uptown soul sound, as you'll hear in tracks like "Any Day Now", "I Don't Want To Cry", "I Wake Up Crying", "Tell Him I'm Not Home", and "Any Other Way". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure album of southern funky soul from Chuck Armstrong – an artist we know from his earlier funky 45 work in Chicago, but who sounds quite different on this set! The album was produced by George Kerr in New Jersey, but it's got a rolling, vamping approach on most cuts – a sound that's somewhere between Muscle Shoals and the nascent Jackson style of the 70s – a bit smoother than 60s deep soul, but still with a mighty nice edge – and handled perfectly by Kerr! Chuck's vocals are well-suited to the set, and a few numbers bear traces of his earlier more northern sound – and the whole thing's the kind of rare soul killer that only turns up once in a blue moon. Titles include "Sweet Foxy Woman", "You Got To Deal With It", "Shackin Up", "Goodness Gracious", "I'm A Lonely Man", "She Had The Right", and "Nightmare". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from that period when Chuck Mangione was mixing his sublime flugelhorn sound with some well-crafted larger ideas – served up with a core combo that features Chuck on Fender Rhodes as well as his horn, plus Chip Jackson on bass, Joe LaBarbera on drums, and Gerry Niewood on soprano, tenor, and flutes! The great Esther Satterfield sings a bit, Kathy Moses guests on flute, and there's some nice larger arrangements at times. LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Natalie Cole – part of a tremendous early creative and commercial winning streak for the young singer – of the sort that really set her apart from the famous legacy of her father! The album's got her wonderfully sweet vocal style set up with superb production from Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of the Independents – who open up the more sophisticated currents of her music, and even bring in a slightly jazzy vibe too! Richard Evans and Gene Barge arranged, which probably had something to do with that, too – but Natalie truly deserves most of the credit of the strength of this set – on titles that include the standout groovers "La Costa" and "Annie Mae" – plus "Lovers", "Our Love", "Be Thankful", "Just Can't Stay Away", and "Keeping A Light". CD

A fantastic selection of work from the great Tommy Hunt – a male singer who cut some incredible work in the 60s, but never fully got his due! Ace/Kent Records already helped bring Tommy's genius to the forefront with a previous collection – and this second set brings together even more rare, obscure tracks recorded for the Scepter and Dynamo labels – including unissued material – plus rare early singles for Atlantic and Capitol Records too – a wealth of work that will come as a fresh discovery to even big fans of Tommy's music! If you don't know Hunt at all, he's totally fantastic – part of a new wave of mature male soul singers in the 60s who could hit the depths of emotion, while also holding things together – work that's very much in the best spirit of Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson at the time – but often has a bit more punch, too – and the impeccable New York presentation you might expect from the album's title. The set features 25 tracks in all – and titles include "The Complete Man", "What's The Matter Baby", "I Don't Want To Lose You", "Hold On", "The Clown", "I'll Make You Happy", "Lonely For You", "The Pretty Part Of You", "Never Love A Robin", "I Believe", "Who You Gonna Thrill Tonight", "One Of These Days", "Human", "And I Never Knew", "Born Free", "Son My Son", "The Door Is Open", "Girls Are Sentimental", "I Need A Woman Of My Own", "Searching For My Baby", and "You're So Fine". CD

Phyllis Hyman's nicely balanced here between the two key sides of her early career at its best – working with straight soul production from Chuck Jackson, and slightly more complicated grooves handled by Norman Connors! The pair really bring a nice sense of balance to the record, and in a way the set may well be one of the deepest that Hyman cut during the 80s – a set that avoids some of the too-classy or too-contemporary modes that later held back her vocals a bit – and which instead goes for all the warmth and sensual soul that first made Phyllis rise to fame during the 70s! There's a gentle glow to the record that really shines through – a sense that even in the studio, working for a label like Arista, Phyllis Hyman could work with the same deep spirits as the more righteous albums of her youth. Titles include "Can't We Fall In Love Again", "I Ain't Asking", "Sunshine In My Life", "Don't Tell Me, Tell Her", and "Just Another Face In The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

Two full albums from one of the most popular jazz singers of his day – back to back on the same CD, with bonus material too! First up is the album I Worry About You – fantastic work from Arthur Prysock – a singer who really helped redefine the role of the male singer in the 60s, even though he's hardly remembered today! The title cut is one of his anthems – the kind of song that's heartfelt, yet masculine at the same time – almost a different twist on territory that singers like Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson would explore in their work. Great arrangements – with a mix of strings and jazz – and titles include "I Worry Bout You", "My Everything", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "You Loved Me Yesterday", and "Keep A Light In The Window For Me". Next is Sings Only For You – a beautiful record from a hell of a great singer – one who established a genre that was all his own, and set a whole new standard for male jazz singers in the 60s! Arthur Prysock's got some of the depth of the Billy Eckstine generation that came before him – but he's also got a mode that's more personal, almost conversational too – sophisticated, but never stand-offish – just this hip cat that really knows how to deliver a tune and make it his own! The arrangements here really fit that style too – nicely understated, but again with all these modern elements that really make things great – as Prysock makes his way through tunes that include "Only For You", "Let Her Wonder", "When I Fall In Love", "Imagination", "Don't Quit Me Now", and "Time After Time". CD features four bonus tracks – "Do You Believe", "Good Rockin Tonight", "One More Time", and "Pianissimo". CD

A nice batch of classic New Jersey soul singles from one of our favorite labels of the 70s! 16 tracks in all "Pillow Talk" and "Sweet Stuff" by Sylvia, "Hey There Sexy Lady" by Hank Ballard, "In The Bottle" by Brother To Brother, "I'll Erase Away Your Pain" by The Whatnauts, "Sexy Mama" and "Look At Me" by The Moments, "Hey Girl" by George Kerr, "Where Did Our Love Go?" by Donnie Elbert, "(Sending Out An) SOS" by Rhetta Young, "More Shame" by Seldon Powell, "I'm Needing You, Wanting You" by Chuck Jackson, "Your Precious Love" by Linda Jones, "Shame, Shame, Shame" by Shirley & Company, "Beautiful Woman" by Derek Martin and "7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)" by the Rimshots. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Chuck Jackson, Maxine Brown, Mel & Tim, Dionne Warkwicke, Isley Brothers, King Curtis, Shirelles, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

1975 was a crucial year in the history of disco music – the moment when sounds that had been bubbling under on the east coast in the early part of the decade finally hit both the radio and the record racks in a really massive way! And while the music might soon be bogged down in commercialism and cash-in recordings, the cuts here represent a key moment when all sorts of different artists were picking up the pace, learning the lessons of some of the super-sharp funk groups of the underground scene, and blending those modes with soaring vocals and impeccable production! The collection offers a really great overview of styles here – not just some big hits of the time, but also some overlooked gems, and a number of tracks that feature older artists sounding surprisingly strong in the new disco modes – mixed with just a few very unusual tracks that we're not sure we've ever seen on CD before. The 3CD box features a massive 55 tracks in all – with cuts by Seldon Powell, Armada Orchestra, Black Stash, Doris Duke, Herbie Mann, Moses Dillard, Rhythm Makers, Frankie Valli, Major Lance, Jesus Alvarez, Gene Page, Seeds Of The Earth, Chuck Jackson, Calendar, Rhetta Young, Joe Bataan, Derek Martin, Sylvia, The Reflections, Pat Lundi, Moments & Whatnauts, Glitter Band, Banzai, Brother To Brother, Al Matthews, Universal Mind, Johnny Otis, Soul Train Gang, Beeeny Groy, Juggy Murray Jones, Dooley Silverspoon, and many others! CD

Sublime sounds from the songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King – a tremendous little package that features some of their biggest hit singles, and a fair bit of unusual work as well! The package is the second set from Ace to feature the Goffin/King magic – and it's proof that the pair had plenty of greatness to offer back in the 60s – a never-ending flow of wonderful music, recorded here by an array of soul, rock, and pop artists of the time. The songs originally appeared on a variety of different labels, but have been collected together here – presented with tune-by-tune notes that not only tell the story of the songs, but the particular recordings as well. Titles include "A Long Way To Be Happy" by Carolyn Daye, "Honey & Wine" by The Hollies, "I Happen To Love You" by The Myddle Class, "So Goes Love" by The Turtles, "No Easy Way Down" by Nancy Wilson, "Oh No Not My Baby" by Maxine Brown, "Go Away Little Girl" by Bobby Vee, "Brand New World" by Bobby Scott, "Not Just Tomorrow But Always" by Bertell Dache, "Tell Daddy" by Ben E King, "I Need You" by Chuck Jackson, "Stage Door" by Peter James, "He Hit Me & It Felt Like A Kiss" by Jody Miller, "Don't Forget About Me" by Barbara Lewis, "Take A Giant Step" by The Rising Sons, and "Is This What I Get For Loving You" by Marianne Faithful. CD

Stormin soul – and a killer set of upbeat 60s numbers! The package was put together for the UK mod scene, but it's a great batch of American tracks from the classic years of soul – not really Northern, not really southern – but kind of a hard-swinging approach to the music that makes for a really lively package overall! The set's got 20 tracks in all, all thumpin, bumpin, and gruntin-type numbers – with titles that include "Do The Whoo Pee" by Sugar Pie Desanto, "Lay This Burden Down" by Mary Love, "Make Me Yours" by Bettye Swann, "I Keep Forgetting" by Chuck Jackson, "I've Got Papers On You Baby" by BB King, "Hole in The Wall" by George Stone, "Have Love Will Travel" by Richard Berry & The Pharoahs, "Keep My Woman Home" by Danny White, "Mama Julie" by Terry & Jerry, and "I Got A Woman" by Billy Hawks. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Motown galore – and one of the best installments in the mighty Soul Satisfaction series! The set really opens up the Motown vaults – coming up with rare bits that move way past the hits and over-done oldies, into territory that sounds like nothing we remember from the mighty Detroit powerhouse of soul! There's a tremendous selection of work on this set – 24 tracks that include obscure singles from artists we never knew recorded for Motown, plus other work by artists who were bigger, but are represented here by some great lesser-known tunes! Titles include "Music Talk" and "Love A Go Go" by Stevie Wonder, "Time Is Passing By" by The Monitors, "My Kind Of Love" by The Satintones, "Who Wouldn't Love A Man Like That" by Mable John, "So Long" by Marvin Gaye, "Oh Lover" by Sheri Taylor & Sammi Ward, "Gonna Find A True Love" by Bottom & Co, "The Stranger" by Gladys Knight, "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone" by Chuck Jackson, "I'd Be A Fool Right Now" by Stevie Wonder, "I Love You" by Chris Clark, "I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again" by Fantastic Four, "Can't Seem To Get You Out Of My Mind" and "Then" by Four Tops, "I Have Faith In You Baby" by Edwin Starr, and "The Chaperone" by La Brenda Ben & The Beljeans. CD

A Capitol killer from Natalie Cole – a really great record from the time when she really seemed to be starting out her career with a bang! As with other gems on Capitol, the record features some great production work from Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson, getting a bit of help here from Gene Barge too – all wrapped up with a strong, sophisticated sound that shows plenty of Chi-soul touches in the music – a great approach for Natalie's maturing vocals. The sound is wonderfully balanced, and really stays away from easy hit modes – leaving the lady in a space that's all her own, on tracks that include "The Winner", "I Love You So", "Oh Daddy", "Sorry", "Stand By", and "Who Will Carry On". LP, Vinyl record album

Electric 70s work from Lalo Schifrin – with a tight uptempo funky sound that's similar to his strong "cop show" soundtrack themes of the time! This album's a pretty great testament to Lalo's durability as one of the great composer arrangers – sublime stuff from the late 70s, and a record that really works nicely alongside Schifrin's music for films. Lalo's got a great crew for the set, too – including Joe Farrell and Jeremy Steig on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Anthony Jackson on bass, Steve Gadd and Andrew Smith on drums, accompaniment on keys by Chuck Spangler and a host of others! Titles include "Eagles In Love", "Macumba", "Theme From Most Wanted", "Theme From King Kong", and "Roller Coaster". CD

Mod jazz and socking soul – a wicked little collection of 60s groovers, put together by the folks at London's 6T's Rhythm & Soul Society! The sound here is quite different than that of compilations by UK Northern Soul clubs and DJs – with an overall groove that's rougher, deeper, and more open to tracks from a variety of different genres. If we had to come up with our own tag, we'd almost call the sound here "early mod" – that keen British appreciation of all things American soul and R&B, but in the years before that love of the music had become too easily stereotyped. But whatever the genre, the set's a really great one – with a sweet Soul Cargo sort of groove that's presented with high fidelity and great notes on the club and its music! Titles include "Two Stupid Feet" by Chuck Jackson, "Zig Zag Lightning" by Little Johnny Taylor, "All About My Girl" by Jimmy McGriff, "Tell Me What You're Gonna Do" by James Brown, "Opportunity" by The Jewels, "Forget About Me" by Carolyn Crawford, "It's Me" by Johnny Copeland, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Chica Boo" by Googie Rene Combo, and "The Hoochi Coochi Coo" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. CD

Mod jazz and socking soul – a wicked little collection of 60s groovers, put together by the folks at London's 6T's Rhythm & Soul Society! The sound here is quite different than that of compilations by UK Northern Soul clubs and DJs – with an overall groove that's rougher, deeper, and more open to tracks from a variety of different genres. If we had to come up with our own tag, we'd almost call the sound here "early mod" – that keen British appreciation of all things American soul and R&B, but in the years before that love of the music had become too easily stereotyped. But whatever the genre, the set's a really great one – with a sweet Soul Cargo sort of groove that's presented with high fidelity and great notes on the club and its music! Titles include "Two Stupid Feet" by Chuck Jackson, "Zig Zag Lightning" by Little Johnny Taylor, "All About My Girl" by Jimmy McGriff, "Tell Me What You're Gonna Do" by James Brown, "Opportunity" by The Jewels, "Forget About Me" by Carolyn Crawford, "It's Me" by Johnny Copeland, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Chica Boo" by Googie Rene Combo, and "The Hoochi Coochi Coo" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. CD

Way more than just a "cellarful" of Motown – a wealth of great tracks, all of which are previously unreleased! This incredible 2CD set is a landmark in the history of both Motown and Northern Soul – as it brings together 40 tracks that were recorded in the glory days of the Detroit scene, but never issued at the time. A number of cuts on the set have risen to fame over the years as bootlegs floating around the UK club scene, and they're issued properly here for the first time ever, along side other lost gems that will soon become new classics to a generation of soul fans – all wrapped up in one great package filled with notes on the music, and listing the origins of the tunes! Titles include "My Sugar Baby" by Frank Wilson, "Baby A Go Go" by Barbara McNair, "How Can I" by Brenda Holloway, "He Was Really Sayin Somethin" by Earl Van Dyke, "Until You Came Along" by Carolyn Crawford, "Before It's Over" by Sammy Ward, "Long Gone Lover" by Velvelettes, "If You Ever Get Your Hands On Me" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Lucky Lucky Me" by Jimmy Ruffin, "I Wish I Liked You" by Marvin Gaye, "You Made Me Feel Like" by Syreeta, "Don't Let Me Down" by Kim Weston, "Don't Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do Today" by The Monitors, and "It Must Be Love Baby" by Chuck Jackson & Yvonne Fair. Lots lots more, and filled with wonderful tunes! CD

Mmmmmmmotown – a collection of rare singles and hard-to-find numbers that make the set an essential one for any fan of the Motor City sound in the 60s and 70s! Like other volumes in the Soul Satisfaction series, there's a depth here that goes way past mainstream soul collections – a range of work by soul singers you might not know as Motown artists, plus other rare bits from more familiar names – represented here by some great rare slices of their career at the label. The package features 24 tracks in all – a great deal at this price, especially compared to buying a bigger Motown box set – and titles include "Life Beats" by The Supremes, "Nowhere To Run" by Earl Van Dyke, "A Need For Love" by The Marvelettes, "Need Someone" by Marvin Gaye, "You Knows What To Do" by Barrett Strong, "We'll Find A Way" by Chuck Jackson, "I See A Rainbow" by Blinky & Edwin Starr, "Good Lovin Is Just A Dime Away" by The Originals, "Don't Send Nobody Else" by The Dynamic Superiors, "Contract On Love" by Stevie Wonder, "I Will Never Let You Go" by Jimmy Ruffin, "My Baby Changes Like The Weather" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, "A Man & A Book" by Earl King, and "Then You Changed" by Sammy Ward. CD

20 songs from Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Sir Mack Rice, the Ikettes, Chuck Jackson, Bobby Parker, the Marvelettes, Otis Redding, Kim Weston, the Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Tyrone Davis, Ann Peebles, Herbie Hancock, Sly & the Family Stone, Parliament, Donny Hathaway, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band, Joe Simon, Maceo & the Macks, and Eddie Harris. CD

A tremendous singer – finally getting his due! Brooks O'Dell may not be one of the best-known names in 60s soul, but he's got a really incredible voice – one we'd rank right up there with Walter Jackson, Garnet Mimms, and other shining stars of that generation. His approach often has the same mixture of sweet and sad that you'll find in the work of Walter Jackson – but with some of the rougher edges that you might hear in the music of that other 60s Jackson named Chuck – and like both of those singers, O'Dell's backings often blend full strings with tighter rhythms, in a mode that's top-shelf professional, but still deeply personal and soulful. This much-needed CD pulls together Brooks' 60s singles for labels that include Gold, Scepter, Bell, Columbia, and Valentine – then adds in a full album recorded for Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams in the early 70s, most of which was never issued at the time! These later tracks have a bit more of a southern soul approach, but still all the maturity and class of before – and as usual for Kent, the CD comes with a huge booklet of notes that finally tells the full story of O'Dell's career. 26 titles in all – including "I'm Your Man", "Walk On By", "Shirley Remember Me", "Soul Serenade", "If I Had You", "You Better Make Up Your Mind", "The Lively Ones", "Standing Tall", "I Got What It Takes (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Now You Are Gone", "Nothing's The Same Without You", "Everybody's Friend Nobody's Lover", "Predicament #2", "Is It Real", "Got To Travel On", "Don't Want To Hear It Anymore", and "Turn My World Around". CD