A dancefloor classic from Diana Ross – with Chic production! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Early solo work by Diana – mostly in a mode that steps off nicely from her late work with the Supremes, thanks to some expansive production by the Ashford & Simpson team (who also wrote most of the cuts), and arrangements by Paul Riser that mix strings and soul into the sophisticated pre-disco diva mode that Diana was forging. Titles include "Remember Me", "Surrender", "I'm Still Waiting", "Didn't You Know", "All The Befores", "I'm A Winner", and "Did You Read The Morning Paper?" LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Diana Ross gets some great assistance on this set – the club classic team of Ashford & Simpson, who help give Diana a groove that's very much like their own great work of the time! Tunes are long and clubby, but never throwaway pop disco – and with Ashford & Simpson at the helm, Diana Ross sounds better here than on most of her other late 70s work! There's a tight-stepping groove to most numbers – never too fast, and exploding with that fuller soulful undercurrent we love so much in Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "No One Gets The Prize", "The Boss", "All For One", "I Ain't Been Licked", "It's My House", "Sparkle", and "Once In The Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a solo album from Diana Ross – one that has her working beautifully with the team of Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson – really taking off here into some wonderful new territory! The Ashford & Simpson sound is very much in place here – a soaring, joyous approach to the music that comes across with a bit more depth and maturity than Ross' earlier music with The Supremes – a great springboard for her solo years in the 70s, although without some of the overindulgence of later recordings. Paul Riser handled the arrangements – with that tight mix of strings and soul that made him one of Motown's greatest assets in the early 70s – and he still leaves plenty of space for Diana's vocals to come across with a breathy, personal sort of quality. Almost all tunes were penned by Ashford & Simpson – and titles include "Surrender", "I Can't Give Back The Love I Fell For You", "And If You See Him", "I'm A Winner", "Didn't You Know", "I'll Settle For You", "Remember Me", and "All The Befores". LP, Vinyl record album

Diana and the ladies recorded live at London's Talk Of The Town nitespot – with arrangements conducted by Jimmy Garrett, and a set of tracks that includes a number of medleys of standards and late 60s pop tunes. Titles include "Mame", "Reflections", "In & Out Of Love", "Without A Song", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Michelle", "You Keep Me Hangin On", "The Lady Is a Tramp", and "The Happening". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising hit for Diana Ross – a record that really helped the singer shine brightly in the 80s, but with a vibe that's quite different than her years at Motown! The album's got plenty of star power on board – production work from Arthur Baker, Richard Perry, Daryl Hall, Lionel Richie, and Bernard Edwards – and a musical lineup that features half those artistes, plus work from Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, and the Brecker Brothers too! Diana's vocals aren't as over the top as during the disco years – and find a nice place to percolate within the warmer 80s grooves – mostly rhythms that have a nice sort of crossover potential, but not in a way that's as clunky or commercial as some of her contemporaries. Title sinclude "Missing You", "It's Your Move", "Swept Away", "Telephone", "All Of You", "Touch By Touch", "Nobody Makes Me Crazy", and "Rescue Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Motown's two slickest and most successful groups match up perfectly in this surprisingly nice album from 1968! It might be easy to write this off as a mistake or inessential session – but thanks to some great arrangements by HB Barnum, Paul Riser, and Gene Page, plus great vocals by the groups, the record shines as much as any other Motown set from the time! The vocals are traded back and forth nicely between the groups – with the guys dominating some moments, the gals others, but never in a kitschy way. Includes a lot of Motown standards redone – like "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", "Try It Baby", "I Second That Emotion", and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" – but also includes a tasty version of "Funky Broadway", which has some great fuzzy guitar work! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Ashford & Simpson recorded plenty of great work on their own, but they were also a tremendous pair of songwriters – and had a way of penning can't-miss work that sounded great in just about anyone's hands! This collection is great testament to that fact – as it starts with gems the duo first wrote back in their early Motown days, then quickly moves up to their late 70s fame, and the way they had a major impact on the dancefloor. The tracks here are often quite familiar, but the actual recordings are sometimes obscure – lesser-known takes on some of Ashford & Simpson's best numbers, laid out back to back as proof of their genius talent for a groovy soul tune. Titles include "Top Of The Stairs" by Collins & Collins, "Keep It Coming" by Tata Vega, "Rough Times" by Angela Bofill, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw, "Bourgie Bourgie" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Have You Ever Tried It" by The Main Ingredient, "I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is" by Blinky, "It's In There" by Jennifer Holiday, "Clouds" by Chaka Khan, "Over & Over" by Sylvester, "Hit & Run Lover" by The Dynamic Superiors, "The Boss (ext club)" by Diana Ross, "Is It Still Good To Ya" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Keep It Coming" by Tata Vega, and "Keep Away Girls" by Stephanie Mills. CD

A fantastic collection that looks at the relationship between American soul and reggae in a very unique way – not the early crossovers of soul and rocksteady in the 60s, but a big wave of disco-inspired sounds in the 70s! The set brings together some great Jamaican and British versions of American club tracks from the late 70s and early 80s, plus some soul cuts from earlier years – often done with rhythms that are slower and more bad-stepping, in a true reggae mode – but with songs and lyrics that are lifted right from bit hits by artists like Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and others! The mix of modes is wonderful – and maybe comes across even better than on some of the Afro disco records of the period – thanks to a great track selection, in the usual Soul Jazz standard. Titles include "I'm Every Woman" by Latisha, "In The Rain" by rRnest Ranglin, "Reggae Beat Goes On" by Family Choice, "Ring My Bell" by Blood Sisters, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" by Derrick Laro & Trinity, "Do It Nice & Easy" by Chariot Riders, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Upside Down" by Carol Cool, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Sharon Forrester, "Rappers Delight" by Xanadu & Sweet Lady, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by Risco Connection, "Am I The Same Girl" by Charmaine Burnette, and "Be Thankful For What You Got" by One Blood. LP, Vinyl record album

The Mojo Club posse is at it again – turning out a sublime set of older groovers – a brilliant collection of classic soul, funk, jazz, and Latin cuts! The set's one of the most soulful in the Mojo series, and like the rest, it's filled with obscure gems that you might have passed by over the years – not only rare cuts from singles, but a number of great tunes that have lain hidden on 70s albums that were otherwise worth passing over. Titles include "Strung Out" by Gordon Staples & The String Thing, "Tema Pro Luis" by Rosinha De Valenca, "State Of Mind" by Puzzle, "That's What You Say" by Gloria Scott, "The Woo Pee" by Sugarpie De Santo, "Ooh Ooh The Dragon" by Marvin Holmes, "He's My Sunny Boy" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "Things We Said Today" by London Jazz Four, "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" by Rose Royce, "I Wouldn't Change A Thing" by Coke Escovedo, "Boss Tres Bien" by Quartette Tres Bien, "Barra Limpa" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Lady Rain" by Lexia, "Elephant's Trunk" by Steve Pepper & Sir Shree, and "Mabusso" by Ambros Seelos. 20 tracks in all! CD

An amazing package – one that comes in a tiny replica of the original home of Motown Records in Detroit! As you'd guess from the title, the 11CD set features every single Motown track that ever hit #1 on the charts – almost 200 classic songs, running from the early 60s right up through the 90s – with work by The Temptations, Four Tops, Diana Ross, Boyz II Men, The Contours, Rockwell, The Originals, Marvin Gaye, The Marvelettes, Stevie Wonder, High Inergy, The Dazz Band, Rick James, Commodores, and lots more! The package also includes a photo book with classic images and notes – but man, what we dig most of all is that tiny house of hits packaging – a really amazing thing! Plus, this version of the set also features a bonus CD that wasn't in the original version – with 12 more tracks whose cover versions charted at #1! CD

A treasure trove of rare Motown from some of legendary label's most classic acts – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes, The Originals, Bobby Taylor, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye & The Jackson 5 – prime vintage late 60s to early 70s recordings that have barely if ever seen light of day! Motown recording artists put a lot of work into the recording side of their artistry back in the day, so there was a lot classic level material that didn't come out right away, some finding release on later compilations or on box sets, some STILL just now seeing release. Half of this dozen song collection have never come out in any form until now – including "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" by The Originals and stereo mixes of "For Once In My Life" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl" by The Temptations and "Touched By Love" by Bobby Taylor and more – plus the rarities "You're Walking Out With My Heart" by Brenda Holloway, "Which Way Is The Sky" by the Four Tops, "Let's Have A Party" by the J5, "The Boy From Crosstown" (Version 1) by The Marvelettes and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Brenda Holloway – one of the first strong female singers to work for Motown – even if she never stayed with the label long enough to get the same sort of fame as Diana Ross, Mary Wells, or some of her other contemporaries! Holloway had already recorded a bit before Motown – and she leaps into these cuts with a fully-formed style – a deep, rich vocal approach that rivals Maxine Brown at the same time – sometimes mixed with the same sort of strings and soul approach that Brown was using over at Wand Reocrds. The set features key tracks by Brenda that were issued at the time, plus some great rare numbers too – a total of 18 cuts that include "Operator", "When I'm Gone", "Who's Lovin You", "Where Were You", "Every Little Bit Hurts", "You Can Cry On My Shoulder", "I've Got To Find It", "Together Till The End Of Time", "I've Been Good To You", "I'll Be Available", "Starting The Hurt All Over Again", and "Hurt A Little Every Day". CD

One of the best-ever albums by the Supremes – and filled with stone classics, to boot! As the title states, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard team up with Holland Dozier Holland – and they really to create the sound that would put them and Motown on the map. A couple of the biggest hits are laid down, but album also features tracks that are arguably even better to hear these days – as they spin out that quintessential Motown sound but aren't hampered by the ubiquity of the oldies radio staples! Titles include "You Keep Me Hanging On", "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone", "I Guess I'll Always Love You", "I'll Turn To Stone", "It's The Same Old Song", "Love Is In Our Hearts", 'There's No Stopping Us Now" and "Love Is Like A Heatwave". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic pairing of two of Motown's biggest acts of the 60s – brought together at the start of the 70s in an effort to give them both a new push! On the one hand, it's easy to dismiss this as one of Motown's crass commercial moves, but if you did, you'd miss some nice collaborations between some of their most talented singers, given a generally strong set of tracks to work with, though all the tunes here are remakes of other group's successes. By this point Diana Ross had left the Supremes, but Jean Terrell does a fine job, and the Tops are still going strong too. With "Knock On My Door", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", "River Deep Mountain High", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", "Everyday People" and "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool UK album – a different version of the Sing Holland Dozier Holland record! One of the best-ever albums by the Supremes – and filled with stone classics, to boot! As the title states, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard team up with Holland Dozier Holland – and they really to create the sound that would put them and Motown on the map. A couple of the biggest hits are laid down, but album also features tracks that are arguably even better to hear these days – as they spin out that quintessential Motown sound but aren't hampered by the ubiquity of the oldies radio staples! Titles include "You Keep Me Hanging On", "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone", "I Guess I'll Always Love You", "I'll Turn To Stone", "It's The Same Old Song", "Love Is In Our Hearts", 'There's No Stopping Us Now" and "Love Is Like A Heatwave". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little solo set from Jean Terrell – a singer who's probably best known for her work as the leader of The Supremes after Diana Ross left the group, but who sounds even better here on her own! The album's still got the strong-voiced sound that Jean brought to her Motown years – but the production is smoother and more in a Philly mode, thanks to production and arrangements from Bobby Martin – who pushes Jean into the more sophisticated style that worked perfectly for the hipper ladies of the late 70s. The songwriting on the record is really great too – with plenty of adult soul numbers by Hanks & Grey, who really push the level of the lyrics up a few notches more than usual. Titles include "I Had To Fall In Love", "Rising Cost Of Love", "Change Up", "How Can You Live Without Love", and "No Limit". CD

Great work from Brenda Holloway – one of the first strong female singers to work for Motown – even if she never stayed with the label long enough to get the same sort of fame as Diana Ross, Mary Wells, or some of her other contemporaries! Holloway had already recorded a bit before Motown – and she leaps into these cuts with a fully-formed style – a deep, rich vocal approach that rivals Maxine Brown at the same time – sometimes mixed with the same sort of strings and soul approach that Brown was using over at Wand Reocrds. The set features key tracks by Brenda that were issued at the time, plus some great rare numbers too – a total of 18 cuts that include "Operator", "When I'm Gone", "Who's Lovin You", "Where Were You", "Every Little Bit Hurts", "You Can Cry On My Shoulder", "I've Got To Find It", "Together Till The End Of Time", "I've Been Good To You", "I'll Be Available", "Starting The Hurt All Over Again", and "Hurt A Little Every Day". CD

Great second-chapter work from Lonnie Mack – brought together here with his 1963 debut as well! That album is the first – The Wham Of That Memphis Man – a killer blend of southern soul and rockabilly grit from Lonnie Mack – his first album and a really incredible effort that fuses soul, country, and rock roots in a really brilliant way! Lonnie was later known as more of a country boy-electric bluesman, but the blues on this early LP feels like a blue-eyed Bobby Bland – but maybe with a lot more guitar in the lead! The horns burst, and the organ & bass really steep the overall vibe in the two Steps From The Blues style, but the fiery guitar and vocals keep more of a early rock vibe – twang next to soul, in a really unique mode. Tracks include "Wham!", "Down And Out", "Why", "Down In The Dumps", "Memphis", "I'll Keep You Happy", "Suzie Q", "Satisfied", and "Farther On Down The Road". Glad I'm In The Band is a slow-burning charmer from the great Lonnie Mack – a set that has him in a slightly different setting than his debut, but one that's equally soul-drenched overall! The group here features some especially great work from David Byrd – who plays these organ lines that almost set the whole thing in Muscle Shoals territory – as do the strong horn arrangements from Maxwell Davis, who sounds a lot more southern here than his Cali soul norm. Lonnie's also turned into an even better singer than before – blue-eyed deep soul at its best – on titles that include "Sweat & Tears", "Let Them Talk", "Why", "Old House", "Save Your Money", "Stay Away From My Baby", and "She Don't Come Here Any More". Whatever's Right is a comeback album of sorts for Lonnie Mack, recorded for Elektra with a really down-home sound that's almost verging on southern soul at points! In a way, the set's kind of a nod to the sorts of genres in rock that Mack's music first helped unlock in earlier years – done at a time when it was a bit more acceptable to cross boundaries and reference roots that weren't actually yours in your music! The execution here is surprisingly strong and without hoke – a few notches up from Leon Russell – and Mack's guitar is in fine fine form, supported by a good deal of organ in the backings. Titles include "Gotta Be An Answer", "Untouched By Human Love", "I Found A Love", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Mt Healthy Blues", "What Kind Of World Is This", and "Things Have Gone To Pieces". Hills Of Indiana is a real charmer – and the last Elektra album by Lonnie Mack! We don't normally think of Indiana in such poetic terms – but leave it to Lonnie Mack to find the hidden beauty in roughness – a quality that seems to emerge more and more in his music as the 70s moved on! This Elektra album from 1971 is a real overlooked gem – quite different than anything you might have expected from Mack at the start of his career, and a record that really shows him blossoming as much as a singer as he was a guitarist – heartfelt and personal, but still with all the grit that his reputation would entail – with strong currents of both southern soul and rock, but some nice roots elements too. The set was recorded in Nashville, Muscle Shoals, and LA – and titles include "Bicycle Annie", "Asphalt Outlaw Hero", "The Man In Me", "Rings", "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye", and "Lay It Down". CD

A rare soul treasure from the duo of Estrus and Lester Patterson – a pair who recorded in virtual obscurity during the late 70s, but managed to come across with the strengths of the bigger soul acts of the time! The album was recorded in Nashville and Fort Wayne, Indiana – but has a vibe that's maybe like the better Cali soul of the period – not the indie sides, but the bigger label sets – with really well-formed songs penned just for the date, and instrumentation that moves easily between upbeat groovers and slower-stepping tracks that really fit the vocals nicely! These guys manage to pack in plenty over the course of the album – and in addition to the catchy title cut "Let Me Be Your Lover", and the funky "Funk Machine", other cuts include "A Good Thing", "Disco Dream", "Gonna Find A True Love", "You Give Me Someone To Love", and "He's A Loser". CD

A rare soul treasure from the duo of Estrus and Lester Patterson – a pair who recorded in virtual obscurity during the late 70s, but managed to come across with the strengths of the bigger soul acts of the time! The album was recorded in Nashville and Fort Wayne, Indiana – but has a vibe that's maybe like the better Cali soul of the period – not the indie sides, but the bigger label sets – with really well-formed songs penned just for the date, and instrumentation that moves easily between upbeat groovers and slower-stepping tracks that really fit the vocals nicely! These guys manage to pack in plenty over the course of the album – and in addition to the catchy title cut "Let Me Be Your Lover", and the funky "Funk Machine", other cuts include "A Good Thing", "Disco Dream", "Gonna Find A True Love", "You Give Me Someone To Love", and "He's A Loser". LP, Vinyl record album

Classier than usual for the girls – as they move over to Broadway for a set of tracks penned by the Rodgers & Hart team, done up in a smooth Motown style that was probably designed to crossover, but which did so less than some of their straighter soul work. Still, even though the idea's flawed, the album gives Diana and the girls a good chance to show off their jazz chops – and tunes include "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Mountain Greenery", "This Can't Be Love", "Lover", "My Romance", "Dancing On The Ceiling", and "Falling In Love With Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-swinging trad jazz from the Polish scene of the postwar years – in a style that was as revolutionary to the Soviet-controlled culture as its later modern jazz and fusion moments! The group here is led by pianist Zygmunt Wichary, and works with a frenzied spirit that's a lot more intense than most American trad recorded during the same period – maybe this urgency to get the message across, or just the kind of outside presence that graced some of the American jazz world in its early years. The group also features Piotr Kott on cornet, Bruno Buczek on trombone, Bronislaw Gesikowski on guitar, and Miroslaw Wojcik on clarinet – and there's also a female singer on a few tracks too. Titles include "Sing Sing Sing", "There'll Be Some Changes Made", "Somebody Stole My Gal", "Struttin With Some Barbecue", "Miala Baba Koguta", "Diana", "Piano Blues", "Memphis Blues", "Talizman", "Tema Jazzowy", "Parafraza Na Tematy Z Opery Bizeta", "Fokstrot", and "Czarna Kawa". CD