A great 2LP set featuring some of Hutson's finest Curtom recordings from 1972 to 1976 on 1LP – plus a bonus LP with 8 previously unreleased tracks from later in the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic! The lost link in the Chicago soul scene of the 60s was Baby Huey – and he was a pretty darn big link too, if you've ever seen him in pictures! Weighing in at about 300 pounds, Baby Huey was sort of a rockin' soul star who played clubs on both sides of the city, to audiences of all types – working in a party-styled blend of funk, rock, and soul that was one of the most powerful grooves going down in the Windy City at the time! Huey sadly passed away at a very young age, leaving only this full album as his legacy – a great batch of hard-hitting soul tracks that are among some of the funkiest work ever recorded for the legendary Curtom label! The set includes Huey's classic version of "Mighty, Mighty", a club favorite from the live shows – plus the excellent Curtis Mayfield tune "Hard Times", famous as an oft-used sample track! Other titles include "A Change Is Going To Come", "California Dreamin", "Running", and "Mama Get Yourself Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic! The lost link in the Chicago soul scene of the 60s was Baby Huey – and he was a pretty darn big link too, if you've ever seen him in pictures! Weighing in at about 300 pounds, Baby Huey was sort of a rockin' soul star who played clubs on both sides of the city, to audiences of all types – working in a party-styled blend of funk, rock, and soul that was one of the most powerful grooves going down in the Windy City at the time! Huey sadly passed away at a very young age, leaving only this full album as his legacy – a great batch of hard-hitting soul tracks that are among some of the funkiest work ever recorded for the legendary Curtom label! The set includes Huey's classic version of "Mighty, Mighty", a club favorite from the live shows – plus the excellent Curtis Mayfield tune "Hard Times", famous as an oft-used sample track! Other titles include "A Change Is Going To Come", "California Dreamin", "Running", and "Mama Get Yourself Together". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Unabashed diva work from Linda Clifford – and a record that brings together the best midtempo soul of her earlier Curtom work, with the stronger, fuller disco groove that she was hitting as her career progressed! The album features some production work by Norman Harris and Curtis Mayfield – both of whom seem to bring out the best in Linda, especially Harris – who could work magic by adding a strong Harris Machine groove to just about any singer. The rest of the tracks feature production by Juergen Koppers – and titles include "King For A Night", "Bailin Out", "Repossessed", "Lonely Night", "Never Gonna Stop", "I Just Wanna", and "Here's My Love". CD features bonus tracks – "King For A Night (12" mix)" and "I Just Wanna (single version)". CD

The standout classic from Curtom disco diva Linda Clifford – and an album that showed that Chicago could rival Philly in the clubby groove department! Linda has a proud presence that really matches that of her better-known sisters in the City Of Brotherly Love – and she's singing here with a strong sense of personality that really sets the album apart from other female disco albums of the era. One of the greatest examples of this is her stunning "Runaway Love" – which has a bad-rapping, almost Marlena Shaw-esque monologue in the middle – but other tracks are equally nice, and include "Gypsy Lady", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Broadway Gypsy Lady", "You Are You Are", and "I Feel Like Falling In Love Again". Arrangements are by Gil Askey – who also produced the set in collaboration with Curtis Mayfield! CD features the bonus tracks "Runaway Love (12" mix)", "Gypsy Lady (12" mix)", and "If My Friends Could See Me Now (12" mix)". CD

A killer early album by the great Leroy Hutson – the first set that has him stepping out as a true soul genius for the 70s! Hutson had originally been a later member of The Impressions – replacing Curtis Mayfield briefly after he'd gone solo – but he also had spent a fair bit of time working around the Chicago soul studio scene of the late 60s and early 70s, lending his talents to other singers – and this album is kind of a "bustin' out of the studio" album in it's presentation of Hutson's material. The record features a number of great sweet soul cuts – like "Ella Weez" and "Can't Say Enough About Mom" – mixed with nice funky tracks, like "The Ghetto '74", which is a remake of "The Ghetto", a tune that Hutson wrote with Donny Hathaway. The record's a prime example of the genius of Chicago soul in the 70s – with great arrangements that have a lot of space for Leroy's singing, yet still come down hard and nasty in parts, like some of the funkier stuff on Curtom. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set from Leroy Hutson – proof that he was still going strong through all his years at Curtom! The vibe here is a bit different than his first few records, and you might be suspicious with Leroy wearing a disco shirt on the front – but the sound is wonderful, and only shows Hutson blossoming into a more sophisticated singer, songwriter, and producer – one with a great ear for the careful balance needed for the modern soul generation! The shift is a bit like Roy Ayers on his late 70s work for Polydor – and Hutson is definitely on a par with Ayers in our book – we'd always put the two side by side for the strength of their work in the 70s. Seminal tracks include "So Nice" and "Right or Wrong" – both of which are amongst some of his best work ever – and other tracks include "Unforgettable", "Funk In My Life", and "Lonely Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album by The Impressions – possibly their best of the 70s! The record's got a very solid harmony soul approach, and Lowrell Simon wrote and produced a number of tracks with Rich Tufo – giving the album the same sweet sexy sound that he brought to his best solo records, and his late work with The Lost Generation! The best example of this is the fantastic soul cut "We Go Back A Ways", a sweet mellow groover in the Leroy Hutson vein, and one of their standout cuts in the post-Curtis days. Ed Townsend worked on a number of other cuts, too, and he brings a real tightness to the songwriting – especially on the cuts "Guess What I Got", "Try Me (One More Time)", and "I'm A Changed Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing solo set from Curtis Mayfield – a record that not only foregrounds all the subtle politics he'd been forging in the Impressions during the 60s – but one that also really has Mayfield exploding as a force to be reckoned with in the studio! The album's a personal masterpiece – to the career of Curtis what the early solo albums of Issac Hayes were to his own genius – a bold, unfettered statement of pride and power – of the sort that would both make Mayfield and the Curtom Records label forces to be reckoned with in the 70s. Every cut is a classic – and titles include "Move On Up", "If There's a Hell Below We're All Gonna Go", "Miss Black America", "Wild & Free", "Give It Up", "The Makings Of You", "The Other Side Of Town", and "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from the legendary soul singer Curtis Mayfield – even though it's different than most of the rest as well! Curtis is captured here in a small club, with a tight band, spinning out these extended readings of some of his best tunes – both tracks he sang with The Impressions, and as a solo act – completely transformed here in the righteous energy of the setting! The vibe is similar to the classic Donny Hathaway Live album from the same time – save for the fact that this set is double-length, and maybe even more powerful as Curtis sings and plays guitar in a small group with additional guitar, bass, and drums – and some very hip percussion from Master Henry Gibson, of Pharoahs fame. Tracks include "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "Stare and Stare", "Check Out Your Mind", "Stone Junkie", "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go", "Mighty Mighty", and "The Makings Of You". CD

A massive package of greatness – the first four solo albums from Chicago soul genius Curtis Mayfield! First up is Curtis – a record that not only foregrounds all the subtle politics he'd been forging in the Impressions during the 60s – but one that also really has Mayfield exploding as a force to be reckoned with in the studio! The album's a personal masterpiece – to the career of Curtis what the early solo albums of Issac Hayes were to his own genius – a bold, unfettered statement of pride and power – of the sort that would both make Mayfield and the Curtom Records label forces to be reckoned with in the 70s. Every cut is a classic – and titles include "Move On Up", "If There's a Hell Below We're All Gonna Go", "Miss Black America", "Wild & Free", "Give It Up", "The Makings Of You", "The Other Side Of Town", and "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue". Roots is one of our favorite Curtis Mayfield albums ever – a massive early 70s effort that's filled with wonderful songs all the way through, and quite possibly one of the most perfect realization of the righteous vibe of the early 70s Curtom years! Curtis is in fine form throughout – as a singer, composer, and producer – but he's also got some excellent Chicago soul help from arrangers Riley Hampton and Johnny Pate – both key talents on the 60s Windy City scene, still able to come up with a deeply soulful groove here – and both able to blend together strings and funk in the way that Curtis was going for at the time. Titles include the massive "We Got to Have Peace" – a tune that never gets old – plus "Underground", "Keep On Keepin On", "Now You're Gone", "Get Down", "Love To Keep You In Mind", and "Beautiful Brother of Mine". Back To The World is pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents, and far-reaching arrangements that still always manage to groove! And Curtis' vocals are great too – echoing out with a newfound presence that far surpasses the raspy quality of his early work with The Impressions. Arrangements are by Rich Tufo, production is by Mayfield, and titles include "Future Song" (aka "Future Shock"), "Keep on Trippin", "Can't Say Nothin", "Back To The The World", and "Right On For The Darkness". Sweet Exorcist is a wonderfully wicked album from Curtis Mayfield – one that's not nearly as famous as his Superfly set, but which is every bit as great! The groove here is lean, mean, and totally righteous – a bit more stripped-down than some of the rumbling funk of other Curtom efforts, and served up with a fluid groove that makes the album a killer from start to finish! As with Superfly, there's a nice blend here between uptight funky tracks and some more laidback soul – showcasing both sides of the Curtis Mayfield sound of the 70s – the brash society-changing soul, and the mellower, more fragile voice that first came to prominence in The Impressions. Titles alone tell you the vibe of the record – and they include "Ain't Got Time", "To Be Invisible", "Kung Fu", "Suffer", "Power to the People", and "Make Me Believe In You". All albums newly remastered – in sleeves with the original artwork too! CD

A massive package of greatness – the first four solo albums from Chicago soul genius Curtis Mayfield! First up is Curtis – a record that not only foregrounds all the subtle politics he'd been forging in the Impressions during the 60s – but one that also really has Mayfield exploding as a force to be reckoned with in the studio! The album's a personal masterpiece – to the career of Curtis what the early solo albums of Issac Hayes were to his own genius – a bold, unfettered statement of pride and power – of the sort that would both make Mayfield and the Curtom Records label forces to be reckoned with in the 70s. Every cut is a classic – and titles include "Move On Up", "If There's a Hell Below We're All Gonna Go", "Miss Black America", "Wild & Free", "Give It Up", "The Makings Of You", "The Other Side Of Town", and "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue". Roots is one of our favorite Curtis Mayfield albums ever – a massive early 70s effort that's filled with wonderful songs all the way through, and quite possibly one of the most perfect realization of the righteous vibe of the early 70s Curtom years! Curtis is in fine form throughout – as a singer, composer, and producer – but he's also got some excellent Chicago soul help from arrangers Riley Hampton and Johnny Pate – both key talents on the 60s Windy City scene, still able to come up with a deeply soulful groove here – and both able to blend together strings and funk in the way that Curtis was going for at the time. Titles include the massive "We Got to Have Peace" – a tune that never gets old – plus "Underground", "Keep On Keepin On", "Now You're Gone", "Get Down", "Love To Keep You In Mind", and "Beautiful Brother of Mine". Back To The World is pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents, and far-reaching arrangements that still always manage to groove! And Curtis' vocals are great too – echoing out with a newfound presence that far surpasses the raspy quality of his early work with The Impressions. Arrangements are by Rich Tufo, production is by Mayfield, and titles include "Future Song" (aka "Future Shock"), "Keep on Trippin", "Can't Say Nothin", "Back To The The World", and "Right On For The Darkness". Sweet Exorcist is a wonderfully wicked album from Curtis Mayfield – one that's not nearly as famous as his Superfly set, but which is every bit as great! The groove here is lean, mean, and totally righteous – a bit more stripped-down than some of the rumbling funk of other Curtom efforts, and served up with a fluid groove that makes the album a killer from start to finish! As with Superfly, there's a nice blend here between uptight funky tracks and some more laidback soul – showcasing both sides of the Curtis Mayfield sound of the 70s – the brash society-changing soul, and the mellower, more fragile voice that first came to prominence in The Impressions. Titles alone tell you the vibe of the record – and they include "Ain't Got Time", "To Be Invisible", "Kung Fu", "Suffer", "Power to the People", and "Make Me Believe In You". All albums newly remastered – in sleeves with the original artwork too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Curtis Mayfield albums ever – a massive early 70s effort that's filled with wonderful songs all the way through, and quite possibly one of the most perfect realization of the righteous vibe of the early 70s Curtom years! Curtis is in fine form throughout – as a singer, composer, and producer – but he's also got some excellent Chicago soul help from arrangers Riley Hampton and Johnny Pate – both key talents on the 60s Windy City scene, still able to come up with a deeply soulful groove here – and both able to blend together strings and funk in the way that Curtis was going for at the time. Titles include the massive "We Got to Have Peace" – a tune that never gets old – plus "Underground", "Keep On Keepin On", "Now You're Gone", "Get Down", "Love To Keep You In Mind", and "Beautiful Brother of Mine". Plus four bonus cuts – "Underground (demo)", "Get Down (single version)", "We Got to Have Peace (single version)", and "Beautiful Brother of Mine (single version)"! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus 2 bonus tracks, the single mix of "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly". CD

Former Impressions singer Ralph Johnson heads up this Chicago soul quartet from the 70's, and the album shares the production talents of Jerry Butler, Bunny Sigler, Rich Tufo, Lowrell Simon, and Eugene McDaniels. The sound is a mix of mid 70's Curtom funk and Chicago soul vocal stylings, and the track list includes "If You're In Need", "Is It Really You", "Keep On Playing the Music", "Fill You Up", and "All Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet and mellow soul from Chicago – two cuts written, arranged, and produced by Leroy Hutson – perfect for the style of the Natural Four! "Love That Really Counts" builds slow and warm with some nice electric piano – and "Love's Society" is even better, bouncing along and a gentle pace, with a flute over the quiet drums, matched by a tenor lead that floats on air! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A very strange release on Curtom – and we're not sure if we should call it a rock album or a soul album! Bobby Whiteside produced and arranged, and he's got sort of a 70's AM radio sound, with lots of pop harmonies, and catchy overproduced hooks. Titles include "Pen Of A Poet", "Vallery", "Easy With You", "Up On Living", "Piano Man", and "Footprints". For Curtom completists only, and definitely not another Superfly or Hutson II! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic! The lost link in the Chicago soul scene of the 60s was Baby Huey – and he was a pretty darn big link too, if you've ever seen him in pictures! Weighing in at about 300 pounds, Baby Huey was sort of a rockin' soul star who played clubs on both sides of the city, to audiences of all types – working in a party-styled blend of funk, rock, and soul that was one of the most powerful grooves going down in the Windy City at the time! Huey sadly passed away at a very young age, leaving only this full album as his legacy – a great batch of hard-hitting soul tracks that are among some of the funkiest work ever recorded for the legendary Curtom label! The set includes Huey's classic version of "Mighty, Mighty", a club favorite from the live shows – plus the excellent Curtis Mayfield tune "Hard Times", famous as an oft-used sample track! Other titles include "A Change Is Going To Come", "California Dreamin", "Running", and "Mama Get Yourself Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A mellow soul classic from Chicago – and one of the last great records to come out of the city's hip 70s soul scene! We know very little about Crystal Winds – save for this excellent record, one of the few titles issued on the short-lived Cash Ear label, a south-side imprint in the tradition of 70s powerhouse labels like Curtom or Chi-Sound. The work's got a wonderfully polished feel – lots of jazzy harmonies on the vocals, and a smooth midtempo groove that reminds us of some of the best work on Fantasy Records, especially those handled by Wayne Henderson and At Home Productions. Includes a great jazzy stepper called "Signs of Winter's Time", plus other great tracks like "So Sad", "Love Ain't Easy", and "It's A Wondrous Thing". CD

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little soul group from Chicago – and one who work in the sort of legacy that makes us mighty proud to be a part of the Windy City! Most of the tracks here are original, but the group also do a nice version of one of our favorite tunes by Leroy Hutson – and it's clear that there's a nice Hutson/Curtom inspiration in the music, but one that's stripped-down a bit more than in the commercial studios of the 70s – more homegrown, and set to the very down to earth vocals of Mathew Aijarapu. Titles include a remake of Hutson's "So In Love With You" – plus "Blood Red Blues", "Ain't That A Man For You", "Long Goodbye", "Think I'm Falling In Love", "Green Light", and "Come Back". CD

A nice little soul group from Chicago – and one who work in the sort of legacy that makes us mighty proud to be a part of the Windy City! Most of the tracks here are original, but the group also do a nice version of one of our favorite tunes by Leroy Hutson – and it's clear that there's a nice Hutson/Curtom inspiration in the music, but one that's stripped-down a bit more than in the commercial studios of the 70s – more homegrown, and set to the very down to earth vocals of Mathew Aijarapu. Titles include a remake of Hutson's "So In Love With You" – plus "Blood Red Blues", "Ain't That A Man For You", "Long Goodbye", "Think I'm Falling In Love", "Green Light", and "Come Back". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump". CD

Massively beautiful work from the great Donny Hathaway! After two studio albums that had firmly put him on the map as one of the 70s best soul talents, Atco had the genius to have Donny record this live album before very enthusiastic crowds in Hollywood and New York. The result is one of the best soul albums ever – one that shows a totally different side of Donny, and which has him jamming with a smaller, hipper, jazz-oriented group in long versions of some of his best tracks. Features a massive 12 minute version of "The Ghetto", which has loads of excellent instrumental breakdowns, a 13 minute version of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", a superior version of the track "Little Ghetto Boy", which was only ever on a soundtrack, and covers of "What's Going On" and "Jealous Guy" that really transform them from the original versions. Very similar to the classic Curtis Mayfield 2LP live set on Curtom – and with a similar "Chicago studio soulster goes jazzy and intimate" feel. CD

A soulful classic from The Heptones – easily one of the greatest trios to emerge from the Jamaican scene in the late 60s – and one of the few who were really able to evolve their style as the years went on! The style here is to earlier Heptones material as the early 70s Impressions records on Curtom were to their 60s albums on ABC – more righteous in content, and hipper in overall expression – with this beautiful interplay between the vocals of Leroy Sibbles, Barry Llewelly, and Earl Morgan – all captured with this warm glow in the Harry J Studio! Players on the date include Cedric Im Brooks on tenor and Leslie Butler on organ – and titles include "Suffering So", "Peace & Harmony", "Book Of Rules", "Black On Black", "Do Good To Everyone", "Wah Go Home", and "Over & Over". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-remembered tunes from this Curtom funk legend – a track that begins witht his famous break made from drums and fluttering flute – then rolls into a super-righteous lyric that's delivered with all the majesty that Baby Huey had to offer! "Listen To Me" is also great – one of his funkiest tracks ever, with a massive bass break at the start – then the kind of full-on vocalizations that made Huey a legendary live draw during his few short years on the planet! 7-inch, Vinyl record

LaRombe Baker hails from Philly, but he's best known for his late 70s work on the LA scene – a place where he was continually bubbling under, but never fully got the chance he deserved! Hearing this set, it's clear that LaRombe was one of the great almost-rans of his generation – an artist with the chops to record great soul material without the supervision of any major label or big producer – yet one without the savvy to get such music into the hands of a force that would give it the place it deserved! According to the notes, Baker came to close to working with Motown, Solar, and Curtom – but maybe the fact that those labels passed on tracks as great as these is what makes them so special – a beautifully balanced album of boogie numbers and mellow soul tracks – well-written, beautifully arranged, and topped with great vocals from the man himself. The set's one to put next to your gems from Leon Ware and Ronnie McNeir from back in the day – and titles include "It's All In Your Mind", "Sweet Sensation", "Spread My Wings", "In The Light", "U R The 1", "The Ultimate", and an alternate take of his one issued single "You're The Best". CD

LaRombe Baker hails from Philly, but he's best known for his late 70s work on the LA scene – a place where he was continually bubbling under, but never fully got the chance he deserved! Hearing this set, it's clear that LaRombe was one of the great almost-rans of his generation – an artist with the chops to record great soul material without the supervision of any major label or big producer – yet one without the savvy to get such music into the hands of a force that would give it the place it deserved! According to the notes, Baker came to close to working with Motown, Solar, and Curtom – but maybe the fact that those labels passed on tracks as great as these is what makes them so special – a beautifully balanced album of boogie numbers and mellow soul tracks – well-written, beautifully arranged, and topped with great vocals from the man himself. The set's one to put next to your gems from Leon Ware and Ronnie McNeir from back in the day – and titles include "It's All In Your Mind", "Sweet Sensation", "Spread My Wings", "In The Light", "U R The 1", "The Ultimate", and an alternate take of his one issued single "You're The Best". LP, Vinyl record album

A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit more professional – but that change only brings Tim into even more heavenly soul territory – with a mix of grooves and strings that lays somewhere between the best early 70s work on labels like Curtom or Motown! Tim's got a new sense of majesty on the album – and also sings in English in a few spots – at a level that makes us wonder why he was never able to crack the American soul market at the time. An essential record from the man who brought American soul music to Brazil – with tracks that include "Over Again", "New Love", "O Balanco", "Reu Confesso", "Preciso Ser Amado", "Amores", and "Do Your Thing Behave Yourself". CD

Soulful sounds from Mr Day – the first full full length as Mr Day from the singer of Metropolitan Jazz Affair and Dynamics, plus a go-to vocalist for Boozoo Bajou, Patchworks and other club producers and combos that need that extra touch of soul reverence! Mr Day has less of a club groove vibe and more of a neo classic soul & funk sound – lots of love for classic Curtom here, with Curtis indebted vocals on some numbers but also some tunes with more of a Northern Soul vibe. Still, it feels of the here and now rather than a retro revival exercise, and it's a strong record that more than lives up to the potential of the handful of singles we heard in the run-up! Titles include "Tears Of Joy", "Small Fry", "If I Can't Love You", a nice cover of "Spooky", "Get Your Point Over", "Soul On Wax", "Straggler", "That's How I Feel About You", "Heaven Knows", "No Time", "Get It On", "Both Sides" and "Don't You Stay Outside Tonight". CD

A fantastic second album from Rasputin Stash – a group who started out on Atlantic Records as a big ensemble with a pretty freaky, fuzzy sound – but one who emerge here with a sweet mix of funk and soul that's perfect for their placement on this mid-70s offshoot of Curtom Records! The quartet have a reach that they never had before – able to unite their voices and soar with harmonic brilliance that rivals the best of their labelmates – the Impressions or Natural Four – always with the kind of badass currents that both of those groups picked up in the 70s! Yet they can also get a lot funkier, too – picking up some of the best currents from the Curtis Mayfield side of the spectrum, but fusing them into a leaner small group mode – heard to wonderfully effect on the classic "Devil Made Me Do It", and the killer JB's-ish track "Hit It and Pass It". The whole album's wonderful, though – and titles include "I Can Feel Your Jones", "Ooh Baby", and "The Devil Made Me Do It". CD

Fantastic funk from Sons Of Slum – a 70s Chicago combo with a sound that's as heavy as their name! You might know the group from some killer singles they cut for Stax in the early 70s – but this set features unreleased material from later in the decade, showing an even cooler band than on those earlier records! Instrumentally, these guys have the tightness of the young Earth Wind & Fire, maybe mixed with some of the righteous currents of 24 Carat Black – and the vocals are often sung in this style that has edgey harmonies that remind us of The Notations, especially when they hit their more sinister style at Curtom. The whole thing's tremendous – one of those funk records that should have been issued back in the day, and which would have been on collector and DJ lists for decades if that was the case – which makes it a hell of a discovery all these many years later. Titles include "Show Me Tell Me", "Spirit", "Save The Children", "Music Is The Message", "Funky Music (parts 1 & 2)", "Breakout", "Running", and "Get Your Thing Together". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from The Staple Singers – and that's really saying a lot, as they cut a huge amount of really great records! The album's an unusual collaboration between the group and Curtis Mayfield – one that forges the great vocal styles they were developing at Stax Records with some of the hip soundtrack modes that Curtis had created for Superfly – a blend that's served up perfectly in the best style of Mayfield's legendary Curtom Records! The Staples sound maybe even more righteous in the setting – with great grooves that are hip and funky at times, deeply soulful at others – arranged by Gil Askey and Rich Tufo in the same manner as Curtis' work from the time. Includes the hit title cut "Let's Do It Again", plus other nice ones like "After Sex", "Chase", "Big Mac", and "Funky Love". CD also features bonus tracks – single edits of "After Sex", "New Orleans", and "Let's Do It Again". CD

The Staple Singers and Curtis Mayfield – working together here in a very Curtom groove! This great little set picks off where the group's work on the Let's Do It Again soundtrack left off – taking The Staples far past their Memphis sound of the Stax years, into a hipper, more adult kind of mode – one that has plenty of modern soul and light funk touches. Arrangements are by Curtom maestro Rich Tufo, and the album's got some very full backings that seem to urge the group's vocals on even more than ever. Titles include "Making Love", "Pass It On", "Love Me Love Me Love Me", "Sweeter Than The Sweet", "The Real Thing Inside Of Me", and "Precious Precious". CD also features bonus tracks – single edits of "Love Me Love Me Love Me" and "Sweeter Than The Sweet". CD

Amazing work from The Voices Of East Harlem – a group with roots in gospel, but working here in a wonderfully soaring secular soul style – complete with arrangements and production from the legendary Leroy Hutson! The style here is similar to some of Leroy's best work, and that of his contemporaries on Curtom – a sound that's righteous and often funky, but able to hit some sweeter, warmer notes as well. Individual voices step out from the larger ensemble and take key leads on some tracks – and the overall style is simply mindblowing, at a level that makes us easily rank this as one of our favorite soul albums of all time! A must-have album, and one we've treasured for years – with tracks that include "Just Got To Be Myself", "So Rare", "March Across This Land", "Amazing Love", "Take A Stand", and "Can You Feel It". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of sweet group soul! This was the first secular record cut by The Voices Of East Harlem – a group who'd had an earlier gospel-tinged album on Elektra, but who are soaring out here in a brilliant mix of righteous mainstream soul styles – courtesy of the Curtom power team of Rich Tufo, Leroy Hutson, and Curtis Mayfield! The album's an unusual non-Curtom effort by the Hutson and Curtom – who collaborated in producing the record with Tufo, who himself did most of the arrangements with Hutson – in a mode that's wonderfully in the same spirit as Leroy's seminal work for Curtom in the mid 70s. There's a depth here that makes the album one of our favorite-ever soul records from the 70s – brilliant not just for the overall sound, but also for the pointed lyrics and really personal feel of the songs. Lead vocals shift between the different tunes – but are mostly handled by Gerri Griffin and Monica Burress, with warm support by the rest of the group. Titles include "Giving Love", "Cashing In", "Could This Be Love", "New Vibrations", and "Wanted Dead or Alive". CD

An incredible record from the Chicago scene – issued on a tiny little label from deep on the south side – and done with a much richer vibe than you might expect! "Attitude Belief & Determination" is a track that's almost got a righteous, spiritual sort of flavor – but a vibe that's funkier overall – somewhere in that classic James Mason mix of message and groove, with wonderful paired vocals in the lead, and a stepping bassline under Fender Rhodes, which really sends the whole thing home! The track is nice and long, and backed by by "Nonstop To The Top" – a tune with a bit more boogie in the bassline, but still this spacious sort of groove overall. Both cuts were recorded at Curtom – with production that's definitely a cut above the usual indie 12" single! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Incredible stuff – a never-issued funky soul record from the 70s – but one that you'll proudly stack next to your rare classics from Ramp, 24-Carat Black, and James Mason! Like work by all three of those acts, this early set by Father's Children is massive righteous – filled with deep soul and strong social messages, while also coming across with a hell of a groove, too – thanks to some wickedly funky backings, and production that keeps the whole thing burning along beautifully! The set is amazing – quite different than the later Mercury Records album by the band – and more like the kind of record you'd expect to hear from Curtom or early 70s Stax – a perfect choice for the folks at Numero to bring to light after all these years – and another reason why their efforts are always worth checking out. As usual for the label, there's a full set of notes and photos that tell the story of the group and this lost treasure – but even if it came out with no artwork at all, the music would still have us raving – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Universal Train", "Everybody's Got A Problem", "Linda", "Dirt & Grime", "Who's Gonna Save The World", and "Kohoutek". LP, Vinyl record album