Forget Dionne Warwick, and think Burt Bacharach – because on this sublime little set, The Dells are singing some of Burt's greatest tunes ever – all set to impeccable arrangements by the legendary Charles Stepney! The album's more wonderful than you might even expect – a true high point in the career of all parties involved – and a tremendous recasting of Bacharach's original brilliance – taking his key compositions into the most sophisticated styles of the Chicago soul scene in the 70s! There's a sense of timing and phrasing here that's quite unique – hardly simple covers of Dionne Warwick's approach to these hits – and Stepney's backings feature his own Fender Rhodes, guitar from Phil Upchurch, percussion from members of The Pharoahs, and some fuller horns, harp, and strings. The Dells are equally great too – and serve up some of the best vocals of their career – really magnificent harmonies, and soaring solo parts that seem to even go beyond their best-known hits. Titles include "Walk On By", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "I Say A Little Prayer", "Wives & Lovers", "Close To You", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "This Guy's In Love With You", "Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head", and "A House Is Not A Home". CD

One of The Dells' best albums from this period – and a real Cadet studios masterpiece, thanks to some incredibly groovy arrangements by Charles Stepney! The sound's a bit like some of the Rotary Connection albums put together under Stepney's supervision – but given that the group is the Dells, the vocals are much much better, with a much stronger soul component – and fused with some incredible musical arrangements! The whole thing's wonderful – and graced by an incredible gatefold cover that has pictures of miniaturized Dells members being served with eggs and bacon as part of a "musical menu"! Tracks include "Believe Me", "Always Together", "Hallways of My Mind", and the trippy "Agatha Van Thurgood". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "A Heart Is A House For Love", "I Touched A Dream", "Whatever Turns You On", "Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before)", "Slow Motion", "Stay In My Corner", "All About The Paper (12" Version)", "God Helps Those (Who Help Themselves)", "Passionate Breezes", "You Don't Care", "Wasted Tears", "Could It Be", "Private Property", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", and "All Your Goodies Are Gone". CD

Damn great work from The Dells – and further proof that the group always sounds great, no matter what the setting! Most of the instrumentation and production are contemporary, but that doesn't stop the quintet from opening up with harmonies just like in the old days – soaring vocal lines that are completely sublime, and which seem to take on a life of their own, despite the structures of the tunes! Production is mostly by Preston Glass and Fred Pittman, who also wrote many of the tunes – and titles include "Here 4 U", "Corner Cafe", "Say That You'll Stay", "Reminiscing", "I Need You", and "Where Do We Go From Here". CD

18 tracks by one of the greatest soul vocal groups ever – the Mighty Mighty Dells! The set brings together tracks from both The Dells' years on Chess and Mercury – taking them from the early doo wop-inspired soul of the 60s, through the baroque righteous styles of their years with Charles Stepney, into their still-incredible smoother sides from the late 70s! The set includes some of the group's best singles – some of which have oddly been missing from other collections – and the set list includes "I Touched A Dream", "Super Woman", "Our Love", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue", "Oh What A Day", "Open Up My Heart", "Always Together", "There Is", "My Pretending Days Are Over", and "I Miss You". Also features their surprisingly great track from the film The Five Heartbeats – "A Heart Is A House For Love". CD

The Dells meet the Dramatics in this nice set of tracks that sound more like the Dramatics' stuff on Volt than it does the Dells' stuff on Cadet (even though the LP is on that label). The tracks are mostly sung by the groups separately – with the Dells singing "I Wish It Was Me You Loved", "Playin The Love Game", and "Strung Out Over You"; and the Dramatics singing "Tune Up", "Door To Your Heart", and "Choosing Up On You". But both groups join together, and sing two tracks – "Love Is Missing From Our Lives" and "I'm In Love". CD

An album of The Dells that has them moving away from their baroque soul recordings in the Chicago studios with Charles Stepney, and moving towards a sound that's both a little more rootsy (with production by Don Davis in both Muscle Shoals and Detroit), and a little more smooth (with arrangements by Wade Marcus). The tracks are nice and long, with that good mix of deep soul and easygoing songwriting that marks the best Dells recordings from the time. Cuts include "Let The Feeling Talk To You", "Don't Make Me A Storyteller", "I Hear Voices", and "I Miss You". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget Dionne Warwick, and think Burt Bacharach – because on this sublime little set, The Dells are singing some of Burt's greatest tunes ever – all set to impeccable arrangements by the legendary Charles Stepney! The album's more wonderful than you might even expect – a true high point in the career of all parties involved – and a tremendous recasting of Bacharach's original brilliance – taking his key compositions into the most sophisticated styles of the Chicago soul scene in the 70s! There's a sense of timing and phrasing here that's quite unique – hardly simple covers of Dionne Warwick's approach to these hits – and Stepney's backings feature his own Fender Rhodes, guitar from Phil Upchurch, percussion from members of The Pharoahs, and some fuller horns, harp, and strings. The Dells are equally great too – and serve up some of the best vocals of their career – really magnificent harmonies, and soaring solo parts that seem to even go beyond their best-known hits. Titles include "Walk On By", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "I Say A Little Prayer", "Wives & Lovers", "Close To You", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "This Guy's In Love With You", "Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head", and "A House Is Not A Home". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible combination of the two sides of The Dells – a set that has them presenting older tracks and newer material – all with sublime arrangements from the fantastic Charles Stepney, who'd really been transforming their sound from the There Is album onward! Stepney brings in a wonderful blend of funk and strings – similar to the modes he was using with Ramsey Lewis and Rotary Connection – and The Dells respond wonderfully by really setting their vocals free – soaring to the skies with the kind of tremendous harmonies that have always made them one of our favorite soul groups of all time – and also mighty proud that we came up in the same Windy City scene as them! Even the older material sounds very hip in this context – and titles include "Nadine", "Darling Dear", "Come Out Come Out", "Off Shore", "Open Up My Heart", "Oh, What A Day", "Long Lonely Nights", and "I'm Not Afraid Of Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A big move to Mercury for the Dells, after a pretty successful run at Cadet in the late 60s and early 70s – but the group's still in fine form vocal-wise, and on many of these they're still working with the great Don Davis, who gave the band a strong 70s soul groove, similar to his work with The Dramatics. Charles Stepney produced the great "Love Is Missing From Our Lives", which features guest work by The Dramatics, and a great sound that's very much in the classic 70s group tradition. Other nice cuts include "Overnight", "We Got To Get Our Thing Together", "Thank God You're My Lady", and a version of Terry Callier's "You Don't Care". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of tracks recorded during the late 60s and early 70s – when the Dells were at their peak, recording at Cadet with arrangers and producers like Charles Stepney, Bobby Miller, and Don Davis. Titles include "Love Is Blue (I Can Sing A Rainbow)", "There Is", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind", and "My Pretending Days Are Over". 11 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

One thing about The Dells – they were always great! Even here, at the end of the 70s, in settings that are less perfect than their classic work for Cadet or Vee Jay, the group still sound wonderful – more daring vocally than most other harmony groups at the time, cutting through some smoother arrangements with a sublime approach to the material that's all-soul all the way! Arrangements get a bit uptempo and modern, but they're still in a strong Chicago groove – with backings by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders, and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record, making for a late 70s update of the classic Brunswick soul approach. Titles include "Look At Us Now", "All About The Paper", "So You Are Love", "Passionate Breezes", and "I Touched A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

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Nice compilation of some of The Dells' classic Chicago soul tracks recorded for Chess in the 60's, including a number of cuts that were only singles, and which haven't showed up on some of the LP reissues. Tracks include "Glory Of Love", "Be For Real With Me", "Long Lonely Nights", "Sweeter As The Days Go By", "Bring Back The Love Of Yesterday", and "Strung Out Over You". Heavenly soul, heavenly harmonies, and 14 heavenly cuts. CD

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A later effort from the Dells, cut around the time ABC was having some great luck with the Detroit soul of The Dramatics – and also recorded in Detroit, with production work by the likes of Al Perkins, Rudy Robinson, and Calvin Carter, the Dells' old boss at Vee Jay. The tunes have a smoother approach than the group's work at Chess/Cadet – but their vocals are still top notch, with that raspy soul quality that has made them sound consistently strong over the years, no matter what the setting. Includes "Face To Face", "Thought I Could", "Face To Face", "Hooked On Loving You", "Love Me", "Wrapped Up Tight", and "Changed Man". Lots of nice ballads! LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the great groups of the Detroit soul scene at the end of the 60s – but an act who never got the full fame of contemporaries like The Four Tops or Temptations! That didn't stop the Detroit Emeralds from being a hell of a vocal act, though – as they've got a mixture of tight harmonies and raw soul that's completely wonderful – and which finally gets full exposure here in a well-done selection of all their singles for the Westbound label! The imprint might be best known as the home for trippy soul by Funkadelic and Ohio Players – yet during the same classic stretch, Westbound also handled this hip Detroit trio to perfection – taking their 60s-schooled harmonies, and giving them a more sophisticated spin for the 70s – really letting the vocals take off as the group demonstrates their Dells-like power, and moving the arrangements of the tunes past overdone Motown styles of the decade before. The result is some of the hippest harmony soul you'll ever hope to hear – all presented here with the wonderfully deep Ace/Kent Records presentation – with 23 tracks that include "If I Lose Your Love", "Things Are Looking Up", "Lee", "Wear This Ring With Love", "Feel The Need In Me", "Whatcha Gonna Wear Tomorrow", "I Think Of You", "Rosetta Stone", "Set It Out", "Til You Decide To Come Home", "I'll Never Sail The Sea Again", "There's Love For Me Somewhere", "You're Gettin A Little Too Smart", and their classic "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms". CD

A great follow-up to the Soldier's Sad Story collection on Kent – and like that one, a mindblowing collection of soul music from the Vietnam era! The CD is like finding a few lost pages in the history books on the war – as it represents a lesser-heard voice from the time, and a really unusual take on the conflict that strained America in the 60s and the 70s. While some of the songs are quite explicit in their meaning, the more unusual thing about the collection is the way that many of the tunes present their opinions in a more submerged way – as general themes of loss, disenfranchisement, and longing that take on whole new meaning when brought together in a collection like this. The quality of the set is really great, with full notes on the material to document their selection and connection – and the CD features a total of 23 tracks that include "Don't Cry My Soldier Boy" by Thelma Houston, "Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again" by The Sweet Inspirations, "I Should Be Proud" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Vaya Con Dios/Fellows In Vietnam" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Open Letter To The President" by Roy C, "Welcome The Boys Back Home" by Bill Moss & The Celestials, "War" by The Temptations, "Soldier's Goodbye" by William Bell, "A Soldier's Prayer 1967" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Please Mr President" by King Solomon, "Does Anybody Know I'm Here" by The Dells, and "A Letter From My Son" by Melverine Thomas. CD

With selections by Lonnie Donegan, Brian Hyland, The Ran-Dells, The Hollywood Argyles, Ray Stevens, The Trashmen, Allan Sherman, Bobby Boris Pickett, Larry Verne, Napoleon XIV, Dr West's Medicine Show & Junk Band, Rusty Warren, Tiny Tim, and Tom Lehrer. LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow-up to the Soldier's Sad Story collection on Kent – and like that one, a mindblowing collection of soul music from the Vietnam era! The CD is like finding a few lost pages in the history books on the war – as it represents a lesser-heard voice from the time, and a really unusual take on the conflict that strained America in the 60s and the 70s. While some of the songs are quite explicit in their meaning, the more unusual thing about the collection is the way that many of the tunes present their opinions in a more submerged way – as general themes of loss, disenfranchisement, and longing that take on whole new meaning when brought together in a collection like this. The quality of the set is really great, with full notes on the material to document their selection and connection – and the CD features a total of 23 tracks that include "Don't Cry My Soldier Boy" by Thelma Houston, "Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again" by The Sweet Inspirations, "I Should Be Proud" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Vaya Con Dios/Fellows In Vietnam" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Open Letter To The President" by Roy C, "Welcome The Boys Back Home" by Bill Moss & The Celestials, "War" by The Temptations, "Soldier's Goodbye" by William Bell, "A Soldier's Prayer 1967" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Please Mr President" by King Solomon, "Does Anybody Know I'm Here" by The Dells, and "A Letter From My Son" by Melverine Thomas. CD

Music from the Orioles, the Ravens, the Crows, the Velvets, the Teenagers, the Clovers, the Willows, the Dells, the Pastels, the Monotones, the Shields, the Crests, the Elegants, the Bosstones, the Passions, the Edsels, the Regents, the Halos, and more – 101 tracks in all! CD

Soulful Philly! Wait, we know what you're thinking: "But I already have a compilation of the Best Of Philadelphia International." Forget about that! This one's a gem, and since it's compiled by the trainspotting mellow soul experts at Passion/Expansion, it's bound to have a bunch of great cuts that you didn't even know existed! This set moves way past the hits, way past the disco, and aims for a great lost side of Philly – the label's smooth modern soul tracks, most of which were among the best in the business! There's 14 cuts – including "I Can't Stop (Turning You On)" by Silk, "You're Leavin" by The Stylistics, "Baby Don't Go Away Mad" by The Dells, "Summertime & I'm Feelin Mellow" by MFSB, "When I Give My Love (This Time)" by Phyllis Hyman, "Tell Me Why" by MFSB & Carla Benson, "Lovin' You" by The O'Jays, and "The Sweetest Pain" by Dexter Wansel & Terri Wells. CD also features the bonus cut "Was That All It Was" by Jean Carn, offered up here in the hard-to-find full mix! CD

Music from Barry White, Love Unlimited, the Dells, Billy Preston, Fred Wesley & the JB's, Bloodstone, Don Covay, the Pointer Sisters, Ann Peebles, Eddie Kendricks, and others! CD

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one! CD

Music from the Dells, Patti LaBelle, After 7, U.S. Male, Bird & the Midnight Falcons, Flash & the Five Heartbeats, Eddy & Baby Doll, Flash & the Ebony Sparks, and the Five Heartbeats. CD

A really great look at a special side of the Chess Records soul catalog of the 60s – tracks that were very big on Chicago airwaves in the label's home town, yet which hardly got much play at all in the rest of the country! The collection's put together by Robert Pruter – the man who (literally) wrote the book on Chicago soul – and it's a wonderful portrait of soul in the Windy City of the 60s, with strands of music that nicely differ from the overplayed hits in later years. The collection also stands as a super-strong tribute to the never-ending genius of Chess Records – a label that never seems to let us down whenever we uncover a soul single we've never heard before! Titles include "Shy Guy" by The Radiants, "No Faith No Love" by Mitty Collier, "I Can't Help Myself" by The Gems, "Love Is A 5 Letter Word" by James Phelps, "A Thousand Miles Away" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Selfish One" by Jackie Ross, "Strange Feeling" by Billy Stewart, "The Creeper" by Freddy Robinson, "Peak Of Love" by Bobby McClure, "Lonely Girl" by Andrea Davis, "This Heart Of Mine" by Tony Clarke, "Bossa Nova Bird" by The Dells, and "Only Time Will Tell" by Etta James. CD

Music from the Dells, Patti LaBelle, After 7, U.S. Male, Bird & the Midnight Falcons, Flash & the Five Heartbeats, Eddy & Baby Doll, Flash & the Ebony Sparks, and the Five Heartbeats. CD

Music from Sly And the Family Stone, Mel And Tim, Jerry Butler, Diana Ross & the Supremes, theOriginals, Booker T & the MGs, the Impressions, Aretha Franklin, Junior Walker & the All Stars, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Dells, Edwin Starr, Tyrone Davis, and more 22 songs in all. CD

Includes tracks by Curtis Mayfield, Lloyd Price, James Bornw, Georgie Fame, Betty Everett, Lee Dorsey, Meters, Bobby Womack, Gene Chandler, Dells, Sugar Billy and more – 30 tracks in all! CD

Some of our favorite sorts of soul tracks from the 70s – those mellow groovers that never get too over the top, and have a great slow-burning energy that goes on and on through the night! The tracks here are the sort that bubbled under during the disco generation – more laidback tracks that often used the same arrangers, producers, and studios – but came up with a groove that was much more gentle, and which was perfect for the soulful, sensual lyrics of the tunes! Thanks to efforts by the two-step scene in 80s London, and Chicago steppers in the 90s, lots of these tracks have had great staying power for years – and are perfectly put together in this sublime little compilation. Titles include "Take It Slow" by The Notations, "Trying To Get Next To You" by Arnold Blair, "Ain't It A Shame" by The Dells, "This Feeling's Killing Me" by The Jones Girls, "Sweet Music Soft Lights & You" by Ken Williams, "Love Sounds" by Intimate Strangers, "Let's Do It Again" by The Staple Singers, "Try Love Again" by Natural Four, "Lucky Fellow" by Leroy Hutson, "How Glad I Am" by Joyce Cobb, and "We Got Some Catching Up To Do" by Jean Carn. CD

Legendary compilation album of 60s soul tracks, put together by the staff of Chicago radio station WVON, in loving tribute to Leonard Chess, of Chess Records, who owned the station. The package has nice photos of the station's DJs on the back – including Herb "Kool Gent" Kent, E. Rodney Jones, and Don "Soul Train" Cornelius. The titles are darn nice, too – and include "Sophisticated Cissy" by The Meters, "But It's Alright" by JJ Jackson, "Hypnotized" by Linda Jones, "Uh Uh Boy That's A No No" by Candy Love, and "Stay In My Corner" by the Dells. LP, Vinyl record album

Later work by The Dramatics – but a set that's still got their modern Detroit groove in place on most of the tracks! The album's definitely got a vibe that's contemporary – at least for the 1990 date of the recording – but the group's vocals get plenty of space to hit those great harmonies we've always loved – in a way that's similar to some of The Dells' later recordings – a core genius, no matter what the setting. Production and arrangements are by Dave Roberston, LJ Reynolds, Don Davis, and Ron Banks – and titles include "She's Stone Cold", "Just A Little Bit", "If You Love Me", "Get On Up", "Candy", "Let's Make Luv 4 Ever", and "No Place To Live". CD

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one! CD

Music from The Tren-Dells, The Silvertones, The Carnations, Dale Hawkins, Paul Penny, The Tren-Dells, Cosmo & The Carnations, The Sultans, Cosmo, The Hayden Sisters, and more - 25 songs in all. CD

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis. CD

A huge amount of material from Tommy James & The Shondells – a group that most people know for a string of jingle-jangle gems in the 60s, but who kept on making some really wonderful music over the course of the 11 albums included in this set! The group at the start were already pretty darn amazing – able to create the kind of catchy, groovy tunes that really exploded out of AM radio in the mid 60s – but as the years went on, Tommy moved into headier territory, and started to stretch out from the pop psych sound of "Crimson & Clover" – one of his last great hits, but also the gateway to all the wonderful music heard here in the second half of the set! The collection is a real ear-opener – and includes lots of music that hasn't been on CD in any form for years (or vinyl for that matter too!) – plus bonus tracks on most of the records, and other rare material – all bundled up with a heavy booklet of notes. 140 tracks in all – and the albums Hanky Panky, It's Only Love, I Think We're Alone Now, Gettin Together, Mony Mony, Crimson & Clover, Cellophane Symphony, Travelin, Tommy James, Christian Of The World, My Head My Bed & My Red Guitar – and bonus tracks and singles too! CD

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Pretty cool and groovy work from Tommy James! Includes the instrumental psychedelic masterpiece "Cellophane Symphony" – an expansive 10 minute Moog-accented trip to the outer reaches of the cosmos! Other titles include "Papa Rolled His Own", "Sweet Cherry Wine", "Evergreen", "On Behalf Of The Entire Staff & Management", and "The Love Of A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime pop psych classic from Tommy James & The Shondells – a record that's quite different than some of the janglier work the group was issuing a few years before – and a perfect example of the way that just a few slight studio tricks can really transform a record! The tunes are all short and focused, but produced with lots of cool reverb, echo, and fuzzy touches on the sides – never overindulgent, and still plenty tuneful – but with so many weird little edges that they come through with a sound that's still pretty darn fresh after all these years – even if you think you know these guys from their hits. Titles include "Kathleen McArthur", "Do Something To Me", "I Am A Tangerine", "Smokey Roads", and "Breakaway" – plus the classic hits "Sugar On Sunday", "Crystal Blue Persuasion", and "Crimson & Clover". LP, Vinyl record album

Two groovy records by The Hondells – a group who definitely love their Hondas! Go Little Honda's the first set – and although it's hard to believe there was a day when the word "Honda" referred exclusively to a motor bike – but that was the case, at the time the Hondells hit big with their groovy little title hit on this LP! As the album's cover attests, the group are all over the (then) popular bike – not entirely a motorcycle, not a scooter either – just perfect for jetting around the youthful scene of the early 60s! Tunes all have a strong surf-ish quality – great guitar work, catchy vocal hooks, and a presentation that owes plenty to The Beach Boys – but hey, that's more than OK with us! Titles include "Little Honda", "Haulin Honda", "Hot Rod High", "Rip's Bike", "Ridin Trails", and "Mean Streak". The Hondells has the group stretching out their vibe just slightly – still sticking strongly in the "I Get Around" territory of their other singles, but also taking on a few more themes, too – all with beautiful Beach Boys-esque charm! There's some great guitar instrumentals next to the vocal numbers – and titles include "The Rebel", "My Little Bike", "Night Rider", "Black Denim", "You're Gonna Ride With Me", "My Buddy Seat", and "Honda Holiday". CD

A nice one from Tommy James & The Shondells from the start of the 70s – after they started taking stylistic detours away from massively approachable pop with strains of psychedelia and otherwise weirder sounds – the group doesn't get the kind of late cult love for that as groups like The Monkees, but they deserve it! The songs still work as pop, there's a tunefulness in the sound even in long passages that shun vocals in favor of heavy drums and washes of organ, but there's plenty of big choruses and sing-a-long potential throughout. Titles include "Travelin", "Gotta Get Back To You", "Moses & Me", "Kelly Told Anne", "Bloody Water", "Candy Maker", "Talkin & Signifyin" and more. CD

Fantastic freaky sounds from The Standells – a group who perfectly bridge the garage and psych worlds with their music, and who still sound years ahead of their time – even after the passage of decades! Sure, lots of other folks traveled in this territory in the 60s – but few folks could mix their modes together so well – garagey guitars, bluesy undercurrents, heavy fuzz, and this sneering kind of energy that was punk rock way before anyone even thought of coining that term! The set's probably best known for the group's massive hit "Dirty Water" – but the whole thing's wonderful, and is a jam-packed record of excitement from start to finish – with cuts that include "19th Nervous Breakdown", "Little Sally Tease", "Rari", "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White", and "Medication". LP, Vinyl record album

We're sure you know the group from their mega-hit oldie title cut – a garagey tune with a very catchy hook – but you might also appreciate them for the soulful finish they put on other tracks on this set, clearly inspired by groups on Atlantic, and going for a blue-eyed soul approach that they're not always known for. Titles include "Soul Searchin Baby", "Lots Of Pretty Girls", "Shake A Tail Feather", "Good Lovin", "The Lover", and "Love Makes The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

With tracks by The Shames, Long John & The Silvermen, The Keggs, The Beaux Jens, The Savoys, The Abandoned, The Barracudas, The Ascots, The Golden Catalinas, Billy & The Kids, The Shandells, The Treytones, The Bryds, and The Trojans Of Evol. LP, Vinyl record album

Garagey grooves from the scene way up north – so far so, we hope that they had some heat in those garages! The work here is from deep in the archives of the legendary Kay Bank studios – a spot where some of the coolest work in the Twin Cities scene was recorded in the 60s – including some big national hits, and a lot more lesser-known gems! Kay Bank material has every bit as much grit as garage rock from the Pacific Northwest in the 60s – and as you'll hear here, there seems to be no end to the amount of youthful energy present when these up-and-coming groups were given a chance to record! The set's another great one from the Sundazed/Beat Rocket team – who are more archival now than ever – and features tracks that include "Gorilla" by The Shandells, "It's Alright With Me" by The High Spirits, "Wine Wine Wine" by The Nightcaps, "That Feelin" by The Kinetics, "Don't You Love Me Baby" by The ICC, "It Must Be Love" by Little Caesar & The Conspirators, and "Baby I Need Your Love" by The Swingin Canadians. LP, Vinyl record album

Wild sounds from the early years of rock and roll – a heady brew of guitar-heavy instrumentals, soulful stompers, and more – all pulled from the hinterland of the rare 45 underground! The tunes here go way past familiar oldies – and even past the sorts of sounds that usually show up on surf compilations – because, as he does with funk records, Keb Darge has a great ear for the unusual – the sorts of odd platters that have always show up in his best record digging and DJ gigs – laid out perfectly here in a really overstuffed collection! Keb turns in nice notes on each track – and titles include "Honey Bun" by Larry Donn, "Ghost Train" by The Swanks, "I Don't Wanna Leave" by Deacon & The Rock & Rollers, "Gorilla" by The Shandells, "She's The One That Got It" by Allen Page, "Madness" by Rhythm Rockers, "Woodpecker Rock" by The Braves, "Let's Dance" by The Excels, "Bad Bad Boy" by Bobby Lollar, and "Lobo Jones" by Jackie Gotroe. CD

The ultra-cool Two Piers label has been quietly revolutionizing the art of the compilation – bringing together songs from a surprisingly wide range of sources, often in ways that aren't tied to a specific scene, label, or sound – yet somehow finding a way to resonate together in the space of a single record! This set's a great example of the label's unique approach – as it features cuts from different decades and different styles, all working together in a really wonderful blend that's greater than the sum of its parts! Titles include "1968" by Bill Frisell, "Fragments Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "City Scenes" by Bob Lind, "Drum Song" by Earth Wind & Fire, "There's A New Day Coming" by Menahan Street Band, "Rainy Night In Georgia" by Tony Joe White, "Out In The Woods" by Leon Russell, "Spin Spin Spin" by HP Lovecraft, "Dancing Ghosts" by Chris & Cosey, "Another Lonely City" by The Asphodells, "Twinkling Stars" by Nine Circles, "Goin Back" by The Byrds, "Hey Who Really Cares" by Linda Perhacs, and "South Bound Amtrack 716" by Edward Hollcraft. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little follow-up to the first Night Train To Nashville set – and like that one, a great collection of R&B and soul from the Nashville scene of the postwar years! Nashville's certainly better known as a source for country music, but the city's location at the crossroads of the south, along with its top-level recording facilities, also made it a key site for soul and blues at one time. And while the Nashville sound isn't as unified as that of Memphis or Muscle Shoals, that also makes for a good deal of variety on the set – especially given that the tracks included span a period of 25 years. 2CD set features a total of 38 tracks that include "Boogie Woogie Jockey" by Jimmy Sweeney, "31 E Blues" by Billie McAllister, "I'm Coming Home" by The Neptunes, "She Can Rock" by Little Ike, "OK So What" by Freddie North, "You Better Change" by Hal & Jean, "Don't Pity Me" by Herbert Hunter, "Next To Me" by Clyde McPhatter, "Soldier Of Love" by Arthur Alexander, "Don't You Forget That You're My Baby" by The Spidells, "Screamin & Shoutin" by The Fabulettes, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by Joe Simon, and "Right On Time" by Jimmy Church. CD

Includes 18 tracks by Chocolate Watchband, The Easybeats, The Troggs, The Seeds, The Syndicate Of Sound, The Count Five, The Standells, The Nazz, and more. CD

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

A cool Capitol collection – with work by The Stone Poneys, The Standells, Peter & Gordon, Davie Allan & The Arrows, The Sounds Of Our Times, and The Human Beinz! LP, Vinyl record album

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

A whole host of very groovy groups from the southwest scene in the 60s – very much the kind of material that the Cicadelic label does such a great job of digging up and releasing to the world! Some of the groups here were actually recorded in Nashville, which fits a bit with the sound – as there's definitely some echoes of earlier southwest sounds, from The Crickets to the guitar style of some of the bigger instrumental groups – but served up here by smaller, more obscure artists who only ever issued rare singles! There's 10 unreleased tracks on the set, and an interview with the Lewallen Brothers too – who served up a few tracks here, next to The Marsades, The Rocks, Shandells Inc, Shadows, and The Feathers. CD