Mindblowingly baroque funk from Brother Jack McDuff – an album that takes the initial Blue Note tripped-out groove of Moon Rappin, and pushes it to a whole new level! Jack's working here with arranger Ray Draper to come up with some tunes that are miles away from the earlier McDuff albums on Prestige – very far-reaching and free-thinking, and using a blend of rock and soul-inspired rhythms to push McDuff's organ work very firmly into the 1970s! The group on the set's a largeish one – filled with hip players that include Joe Beck on guitar, Mike Manieri on percussion, Randy Brecker and Olu Dara on trumpets, Paul Griffin on piano, and Draper himself on percussion and tuba. The set features the tightly-stepping funky number "Who's Pimpin Who", which features some great vocalizations from Ray and Jack; the tripped-out "Classic Funke", which has McDuff really burning up the keyboard; the down-n-dirty "Wank's Thang", which also has some nice vibes; and the cuts "Y'All Remember Boogie", "Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya", and "Who Knows What Tomorrow's Gonna Bring". LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect cloth for cleaning records – a great accompaniment for the Groovy Record Cleaner we stock! The fabric is thin and lint-free – way better for wiping down vinyl than a dirty ol' dishrag, and a bit more scientifically designed too. The package contains three 8" x 9" cloths – great for assembly-line cleaning if you can get your friends to help! Record Care

One of their best! After a tumultous tour for Tim, Bob Stinson left the band and they essentially recorded Pleased To Meet Me as a trio as far as the core band goes, but went down to Memphis to record with Jim Dickinson, and too our ears, that little bit of southern swagger, as paired with The Replacements still evolving blend of classic rock and punk influences and Westerberg's angry and weary songs makes this a helluva record – there are some days it's our favorite! Includes the totally great "Alex Chilton", plus "IOU", "I Don't Know", "Nightclub Jitters", "Never Mind", "Valentine", "Shooting Dirty Pool", "Skyway", "The Ledge" and "Can't Hardly Wait". CD

One of their best! After a tumultous tour for Tim, Bob Stinson left the band and they essentially recorded Pleased To Meet Me as a trio as far as the core band goes, but went down to Memphis to record with Jim Dickinson, and too our ears, that little bit of southern swagger, as paired with The Replacements still evolving blend of classic rock and punk influences and Westerberg's angry and weary songs makes this a helluva record – there are some days it's our favorite! Includes the totally great "Alex Chilton", plus "IOU", "I Don't Know", "Nightclub Jitters", "Never Mind", "Valentine", "Shooting Dirty Pool", "Skyway", "The Ledge" and "Can't Hardly Wait" – plus 11 bonus tracks including rare demos and am alternate version of "Can't Hardly Wait" CD

A solidly soulful session from Stanley Turrentine – one of his few Blue Note dates in the company of organist Shirley Scott, and possibly the hardest-hitting of the bunch! The album's got a great added element in the front line – the trumpet of Blue Mitchell, which really rounds out the sound alongside Stan's tenor and Shirley's Hammond – making for a really full approach, even though the group's a quintet – almost in the mode of some of Turrentine's dates with his brother Tommy, but a bit more lown-down and dirty! There's a definite Basie influence going on but the sound is much leaner overall – and other players include Earl May on bass and Al Harewood on drums. Titles include "One O'Clock Jump", "Midnight Blue", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", and "Cherry Point". CD

A rare soul jazz session from alto saxophonist Leo Wright – a player that we mostly know from his bossa work of the early 60s! The session's extremely noteworthy as being one of the few to feature female organist Gloria Coleman – a player with whom Wright worked on her classic 1963 date Soul Sisters, and who returns here in a very similar hard-wailing sax-and-organ mode! Wright's work on alto is incredibly deep – with a sharper bite than much of his other 60s sessions, and a gutsy down-n-dirty quality that makes the record feel like one of the best organ jazz albums at the time from Prestige. Coleman's approach to the Hammond is great too – freely skipping around with a liberated sense of rhythm, in a way that matches Wright's every twist and turn with ease – and throws a few of its own into the mix as well! The group's completed by Kenny Burrell on guitar (also sounding harder here than usual!) and Frankie Dunlop on drums – and titles include some fresh originals "Poopsie's Minor", "State Trooper", "Blue Leo", "Blues Fanfare", and "Soul Talk". CD

They may look goofy on the cover, but the young B-52s are incredible here – working with this spare sense of power that almost makes us think that we didn't need most of what happened in rock and roll during the 70s – given the way these guys can distill a mood or moment down to just a few deft instrumental turns and offbeat lyrics! The record's not punk, but it's also not new wave either – at least in the conventional way – and there's a darkness here that goes way past any simple cliches you may have associated with the band – a haunting feel that transcends most of what they were ever capable of in later years. We might even say this one tops their debut – and titles include "Party Out Of Bounds", "Dirty Back Road", "Runnin Around", "Give Me Back My Man", "Private Idaho", "Devil In My Car", "Quiche Lorraine", "Strobe Light" and "53 Miles West Of Venus". LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown gets even better than before – working here in the setting of a blacksploitation soundtracks – which makes the album a doubly funky outing from the 70s! James is a master throughout – beating Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield at their own games – as he works with super-tight work from the JBs, plus a bit of vocals from Lyn Collins – all in a massive batch of tracks that further expand his funky palette! Unlike other blacksploitation soundtracks, which usually have one or two key funky tunes, this one's almost entirely overflowing with gems – including Lyn Collins on a version of "Mama Feelgood" that's worth the price of the record alone! The whole thing's great, though – and titles include the classic "Down & Out in New York City", plus "Blind Man Can See It", "Sportin' Life", "The Boss", "Dirty Harri", and "Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from the great Roy Brown – pulled from his groundbreaking years at King/Deluxe Records – and featuring very pure sound taken from original acetates in the vault! Brown is one of our favorite R&B singers ever – a vocalist with the range and skill of a jazz singer, but able to get down and dirty at a level that was a huge influence on later soul – and rock and roll as well. The package is way more than a greatest hits set, or just another Roy Brown collection – as it features close examination of his recordings in the years 1949 and 1950 – including work recorded in Texas, New Orleans, and Atlanta – and a good number of songs we'd never heard before. In the early years, King recorded directly to acetate discs, not tape – so these recordings are the purest, strongest versions of Brown's music you'll ever hear – served up with power that really beats some of the lower-end collections on the market – none of which feature this intense of a track selection either. Titles include "Fanny Brown's Wedding Day", "Special Lesson #1", "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Dreaming Blues", "Sweet Peach", "New Rebecca", "Butcher Pete (parts 1 & 2)", "End Of My Journey", "I Feel That Young Man's Rhythm", "Miss Fanny Brown", "China Blues", and "Cadillac Baby". CD

As the title implies, Harris plays his own compositions – in an intimate setting with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Leroy Williams. The tracks show a good range of Harris' styles – from straight bop, to gentle lyricism, to down and dirty soul jazz. Titles include "Inca", dedicated to the famous Nica De Koenigswarter (of "Nica's Tempo" fame), "Father Flanagan", "Apache", and "Even Tempered". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid electric blues from the great Earl Hooker – a great guitarist who played this weird double-neck electric, making for lots of weird sounds and wobbly bits on the record! There's not as much funk as we know it on the set, but the whole thing's got the down and dirty feel of other sides on the Blues On Blues label – rootsy and indie, and a good indication that the Chicago scene still had some quality to it in the 70s. Titles include "Ball Game On A Rainy Day", "Wa Wa Blues (parts 1 & 2)", "Soul Cookin", and "Hooker Cooker". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic! This is one of the rarest of the rare of all Blue Note albums – and it's the only-ever session cut as a leader by the great tenor player Fred Jackson! The album's a really heavy burner – an all-out organ/tenor assault with the kind of gutbuckety soul groove that only peaked on a rare few Blue Note sessions! Earl Van Dyke plays organ on the session, and it's one of the few jazz albums he appears on, apart from the "soul instrumental" sessions he cut later for Motown. The whole thing's down-n-dirty and mighty nasty – with a feel that's much more like some of the Prestige soul jazz cookers of the time than the usual Blue Note set! Tracks include "Preach Brother", "Dippin In the Bag", "Hootin N Tootin", and "Easin' On Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff from the Converted Mind of Bishop Manning and his family! Manning was a former down & dirty blues singer who was changed forever byThe Good Word in the early 60s – and the lived in realness of these recordings certainly suggests a blues pedigree. It's completely wonderful, with Manning and Family singers backed perfectly with organ, guitar and drums. 28 tracks in all: "Manning Family Theme Song", "Back In St Matthews Days", "I Am A Pilgrim", "Don't Let Satan Ride", "The Jealous Man And The Jealous Woman", "The Last Step", "Back In Slavery Days", "I Want To Shout At The Meeting", "Going Off Theme", "Sit Down Servent" and many more. CD

One of the records that put a young Brother Jack McDuff on the map – and a perfect example of the rougher R&B roots that first emerged in his early work on the Hammond! The session's got a much more down-n-dirty feel than some of McDuff's tighter 60s quartet work – and offers a nice bridge between 50s use of the organ in R&B, and the growing soul jazz take on the instrument that McDuff was helping to forge at the time. The group's a real cooker too – with some great work on guitar by a young Grant Green, smoking tenor from Jimmy Forrest, and lyrically dancing drums from the great Ben Dixon. Titles include the great original "Whap!", plus versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "The Honeydripper" – and an excellent reading of Henry Mancini's "Mr Lucky", virtually worth the price of the record alone! LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing first album from The Nite-Liters – the instrumental combo who were part of the larger New Birth family of soul on RCA, but who cut work that was a lot more funky overall! The group are right up there with The Meters or JBs for pure instrumental brilliance – able to serve up short, tight cuts that are filled with heavy drums, riffing guitars, and mighty nice horns – all at a level that easily make them one of the best soul instrumental groups of the early 70s – a killer combo, even though they don't always get their due! The whole album's a gem – like a pile of rare funky 45s – and titles include "Itchy Brother", "Snap Your Twig", "Down & Dirty", "The Heckler", and "Stuff N It". LP, Vinyl record album

One of their best! After a tumultous tour for Tim, Bob Stinson left the band and they essentially recorded Pleased To Meet Me as a trio as far as the core band goes, but went down to Memphis to record with Jim Dickinson, and too our ears, that little bit of southern swagger, as paired with The Replacements still evolving blend of classic rock and punk influences and Westerberg's angry and weary songs makes this a helluva record – there are some days it's our favorite! Includes the totally great "Alex Chilton", plus "IOU", "I Don't Know", "Nightclub Jitters", "Never Mind", "Valentine", "Shooting Dirty Pool", "Skyway", "The Ledge" and "Can't Hardly Wait". LP, Vinyl record album

Four albums from this wonderful group – all brought together in a single set! First up is the self-titled Spanky & Our Gang – the first, and perhaps the most conventional album by the group, but still pretty darn insane! Spanky & Our Gang are a strange mix of 60s styles – with bits of We Five, bits of Harpers Bizarre, bits of The Association – but a totally strange and totally fun approach to pop that's very much their own. Cuts on the album are a mix of originals and covers – and highlights include the incredible "5 Definitions Of Love" by Bob Dorough, "Distance" by Joe Renzetti, "Commercial" by the band, and the track "It Ain't Necessarily Bird Avenue". Great groovy stuff – and with arrangements by Renzetti, Dorough, and Stuart Scharf. Like To Get To Know You is a tiny little pop masterpiece was produced and arranged by Stuart Scharf and the great Bob Dorough, and is filled with one of the grooviest approaches to pop we've heard in ages. The album includes the sublime hit "Like To Get To Know You", set in a very different LP setting – plus great versions of "Suzanne" and "Everybody's Talkin", and the cuts "Stardust", "The Swingin Gate", and "My Bill". Anything You Choose is the third movement in the fantastic pop symphony that is Spanky & Our Gang! The record's perhaps their oddest to date – and mixes groovy vocal stylings with some fairly advanced production approaches that work perfectly with the incredible songs written by Stuart Scharf and Bob Dorough. The voices swirl about in a mad rush – interweaving lines of melody and poetry, punctuated by strange sounds, spacey airy instrumentation, and wonderful little rhythms. Titles include "Anything You Choose", "1-3-5-8", "Without Rhyme Or Reason", "Give A Damn", and "Nowhere To Go". Live is an unusual album from this groovy group – especially given that most of their famous work was in the studio – and done with really inventive arrangements and production! Yet those qualities still come through here, even in a live setting – as the record's got this stripped-down approach that shows just how much of the group's own inventive vocal interplay and harmonies were part of their fantastically groovy style! Titles include "Wasn't It You", "Dirty Old Man", "The Klan", "Nagasaki", "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight", and "That's What You Get For Lovin Me". CD

Late 60s compilation of highlights from the first couple (and best) albums by Them – the British (by way of Belfast) psych soul powerhouses that managed to snap down on West Coast psychedelia, hard soul, and adventurous guitar driven pop in a single bound! The original 11 LP tracks are here, including "Time Out For Time In", "She Put A Hex On You", "Bent Over You", "Waltz Of The Flies", "Black Widow Spider", "Market Place", "Young Woman", "But It's Alright" and more. The real highlight, though is the wealth of bonus tracks and rare single versions of the tunes: "Square Room", "Dirty Old Man", "Corinna", "Dark In The Shadows", and others. 19 tracks in all, with nice fold out notes and photos, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sock-hard early soul from the team of Ike & Tina Turner – a great little batch of tracks recorded back in their early years on Sue Records, when the duo was just starting to come on strong, and really came across with a heck of a lot of power! There's none of the simple tricks or fake soul of some of the pair's later recordings – just down and dirty R&B-styled 60s soul – recorded when Ike was at the height of his bandleading power, and Tina was singing in a mode that blew away most other female singers at the time. Titles include "It's Gonna Work Out Fine"," Gonna Find Me A Substitute", "Sleepless", "A Letter From Tina", "Worried & Hurtin Inside", "You Should've Treated Me Right", and the instrumentals "Prancin" and "The Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

A solidly soulful session from Stanley Turrentine – one of his few Blue Note dates in the company of organist Shirley Scott, and possibly the hardest-hitting of the bunch! The album's got a great added element in the front line – the trumpet of Blue Mitchell, which really rounds out the sound alongside Stan's tenor and Shirley's Hammond – making for a really full approach, even though the group's a quintet – almost in the mode of some of Turrentine's dates with his brother Tommy, but a bit more lown-down and dirty! There's a definite Basie influence going on but the sound is much leaner overall – and other players include Earl May on bass and Al Harewood on drums. Titles include "One O'Clock Jump", "Midnight Blue", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", and "Cherry Point". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really started getting down and dirty, and hitting on all burners in the funk department. This tasty set features 21 tracks from those exiting years –many of them only ever issued on singles, and a few of them by some of the label's more famous LP artists – but all of them with a nice Memphis funky groove! Titles include "Turn Your Damper Down" by Rufus Thomas, "Broadway Freeze" by Harvey Scales, "Life Is Funky" by Round Robin Monopoly, "The Dryer" by Roy Lee Johnson, "She's My Old Lady Too" by Lee Sain, "Slipped & Tripped" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Brothers & Sisters" by Kim Weston, "Movin Dancer" by Bobby Holley, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "A Man Never Knows" by Chris & Shack, "Grab A Handful" by Art Jerry Miller, "I'll Kill A Brick (About My Man)" by Hot Sauce, "Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone" by Inez Foxx, "Sock Soul" by The Bar Kays, and "Getting Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty! CD

If Paul's Boutique was the Beasties heavily mind-blown Dust Brothers dusted psychedelic hip hop Sgt Peppers, then Check Your Head is their down and dirty back to basics raw funk run at something like Never Mind The Bollocks. Their first outing without the guidance of an outside producer, though the trio did bring in ringers like Money Mark and Mario Caldato Junior, this set's a ride into a whole other mindset, still fueled by sunny So Cal vibes and the Beasties own take on rhyme science. It's hard to imagine an album that would produce so many anthems for true heads and the Lollapalooza crowd alike, but this is it. Includes "Jimmy James", "Pass The Mic", "Gratitude", "Finger Lickin' Good", "So Whatcha Want", "Time For Livin'", "Something's Got To Give", "Groove Holmes" and "Professor Booty". CD

A stunningly soulful setting for the magnificent voice of Kurt Elling – set up here in a lean trio with Nate Smith on drums and Fender Rhodes, and Charlie Hunter on guitar – or rather, his own unique "hybrid guitar" variation of the instrument! Elling just seems to get better and better in his mature years – using that trademark rasp in his vocals in ways that are even more expressive and soulful, especially in this setting – where the Superblue presentation and production treat him in very different ways than some of his straighter jazz records – letting Kurt really knock it out of the park on a set of surprisingly great covers that include "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Sticking To My Guns", "Baby Hold On", "Bounce", "Boogie Down", and "Wrap It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Their first LP, foretelling the shape of things to come out of Atlanta, alongside Southernplayalistic. . .with "Cell Therapy", "Blood", "The Coming", "Free", "Dirty South", "Thought Process", "Soul Food" and "Goodie Bag". LP, Vinyl record album

Great vintage recordings from Lightning Hopkins – initially recorded by producer Bob Shad on his trips to the south in the early 50s, then later issued on Shad's label Mainstream in the 60s! The style here captures Hopkins at his best – very spare and lowdown, with gritty guitar alongside Lightning's wonderful vocals – both intertwined in a snakey mode that's extremely compelling. There's no other instrumentation on the tracks at all, but there's a presence and personality that's extremely full – maybe more so than most other Hopkins material of this vintage. Titles include "Coffee Blues", "Hello Central", "Long Way From Texas", "Gotta Move", "Dirty House Blues", "Freight Train", and "Everybody's Down On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work by Laura Lee – a singer who's best known for her 70s hits on the Hot Wax label, but who sounds equally great here on her earlier sides for Chess! Lee's deep soul approach was a perfect match for Chess at the end of the 60s – and the work here often has her coming across with a hard and heavy approach that rivaled the best female soul coming out of Stax or Atlantic during the same era – no surprise, considering that most of the material here was recorded down in Muscle Shoals, far from the Chicago studios and sweeter production styles of most other artists on Chess! Rick Hall handled the Muscle Shoals material – in a real Fame Records mode – and other cuts were put together by Gene Barge and Cash McCall. The sound is great throughout – with a deeper soul groove than in her early 70s recordings, and vocal power that she hardly ever matched again! Titles include "Mama's Got A Good Thing", "That's How It Is", "Dirty Old Man", "She Don't Love You", "Another Man's Woman", "I Need to Belong To Someone", and "Love More Than Pride". LP, Vinyl record album

Da mouf of da souf returns! This one boasts "100% natural beats/rhymes/lyrics and chicken." Needless to say, 'Cris's Dirty South roots are waved loudly and proudly on this follow up to his mega-breakthrough Word Of Mouf, with appearances by Chingy, Snoop, Lil' Flip and members of the Disturbing Tha Peace clique. Ya gotta love the album, if for nothing else, 'Cris's frequent and relentless badgering of gaseous windbag Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly seems to think 'Cris's belligerent drunken rudeness (quite obviously a SATIRICAL ACT) is ruining America more than any other element. Let's all write "The Factor", Fox News and the other babysitters and thank them for looking out for the kids, and all of us brainless monkeys who would do nothing but drink, smoke, and beat women if they weren't there to protect us from the evil rappers! (Sheesh.) Tracks include "Blow It Out", "Stand Up", "Splash Waterfalls, "Hard Times", "Diamond In The Back", "Screwed Up", "P-Poppin'", "Hoes In My Room", "Teamwork", "We Got", "Eyebrows Down", "Hip Hop Quotables" and more. CD

Both of the rare albums on the tiny Tuba label, cut by jazz vibist Johnny Lytle in the 60s! The Loop is one of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". New & Groovy is one of Johnny Lytle's great recordings for the Tuba label, and probably one of the albums that shows his funky jazz vibes style at its best! The whole thing is very nicely stripped down - and the focus of the album is on down-and-dirty groovers, perfect for the jazzy stepper set that still digs Lytle loads! Lots of short groovy ditties on here which match Lytle's vibes and Milt Harris' organ. The group also includes Wynton Kelly on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Montego Joe on conga and percussion. Tracks include "The Snapper", "Selim", "The Pulpit", and "Screamin' Loud", "Too Close For Comfort" and more. CD

One of the hippest Jimmy Smith albums of the early 70s – a lean and mean, down and dirty, back to basics session for Verve – one that's got plenty of grit in the grooves! L:ike the Root Down album, this set is recorded live with a very stretched out feel – tracks that take Jimmy Smith back to the more open-ended styles of his roots, and get past some of the slicker notes of later years. There's not as much heavy funk as on Root Down, but the sound is still equally great – with plenty of sharp edges on the instrumentation, which includes Jimmy's Hammond alongside bass from Leroy Vinnegar, tenor from Teddy Edwards, guitar from Ray Crawford, drums from Donald Dean, and congas from Victor Pantoja. One title – "Blues For 3 + 1" – hits a great little groove that's almost bossa-funky – and other tracks include "Absolutely Funky", "Lolita", "Bluesmith", and "Mournin Wes". CD

Candi Staton returns to a great secular soul sound for Who's Hurting Now – her second album of new material for the Honest Jons label in the late 00s – and a solid, assured and irresistible one than we love even more than the previously winning His Hands LP! Candi's voice has a rawness to it and a grit that's paired masterfully with kind of loose, country soul tinged arrangements – timeless sounds that are relevant to Candi's earlier triumphs for Fame Records without attempting to replicate them, and very much of the here and now. Producer Mark Nevers continues to be a key figure behind the boards on excellent modern sets by pivotal figures in classic and cult classic country and soul, but this is Candi's show all the way! Titles include "Breaking Down Slow", "Who's Hurting Now?", "I Feel The Same", "Cry Baby Cry", "Dust On My Pillow", "Mercy Now", "Get Your Hands Dirty", "Lonely Don't", "I Don't Know" and "I Don't Want For Anything". CD

A huge set from the glory days of the southern hip hop scene – a trio of voices from the Three 6 Mafia of Memphis, coming together here in a set that's got a nicely raw, ragged sound throughout! This is definitely one of those sets where there's no reason at all to seek out a clean version – as the lyrics of DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Lord Infamous can't really be served up in any other way at all – supported here by guest work from a huge list of allies, including Too Short, Twista, Big Tymers, and Crucial Conflict – a list of names that definitely give you a feel for the vibe of the set. Titles include "Smoked Out", "Who The Crunkest", "Wet Party", "Elbow A Nigga", "Get Buck Get Wild", "Hell Naw", "Hypnotize Cash Money", "Slob On My Nob", and "All Dirty Hoes". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning, funny, and truly great collection of ultra-rare female tracks from the mid 50s – lots of honky tonk and rockabilly stompers – cut for labels like Fraternity, King, Sandy, and even Sun Records, all pulled together in one wonderfully-themed collection! You'll probably never see this primordial, sludgy early rock and underground country next to those great early Wanda Jackson albums in the bins – but these tracks are all cut from the same cloth, and emote the same pith and vinegar, if not the same innate ability to let loose with sheer early rock power! Great stuff – dug from even deeper reservoirs than the Nuggets compilers dare to look – and the set list will show you that there's plenty to discover in the early years of female rock and roll. Tracks include "Skull & Crossbones", "Killer" and "Tiger" by Sparkle Moore, "Everlasting Love" by Barbara Pittman, "Ten Cats Down" by the Miller Sisters, "Dirty Dishes" by Jeani Mack, "I'm Leaving" by Linda Brannon, "Wille Joe" by the Mystery Trio, "Sugar Baby" by Helen Bozeman, "Three Young Chicks" by the Star Sisters. CD

Funky soul from the west coast – and a motherlode of tracks that you've probably never heard! Inner City Records was a small time funk powerhouse – owned and run by organ player George Semper, who cut some mighty fine records on his own! The label's not to be confused with the New York-based jazz label Inner City – because this one was a much more down-n-dirty funky one – and cut some killer work in a deep deep mode, much of which was never issued before – and is making a long-overdue first appearance here! The tracks have some seriously fine jazzy work in them – snapping funk, with a hard and dirty edge, played by performers that include Charles Owens, Rodney Franklin, and James Gadson – all of whom would later go onto become superstars in their own right. A number of tracks have vocals, too – and titles include "Plastic Situation" by Ron & Candy, "In One Peace" by In One Peace, "Funkorgy" by Funkafreek, "Tenderness" by Funkhouse with Candy, "Thank U" by The R&B Classic Funk Band, "It's Insane" by In One Peace, "Spread The News" and "Hands Of Time" by Perfect Circle, "Sticky Boom Boom" by United Soul Association, and "Funktime" by Funkproof. 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. 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

Heavy heavy funk from the Louisiana scene of the late 60s and 1970s – and a great collection that really gets past the dominance of the New Orleans sound! The set moves way past the Crescent City to uncover a wealth of great bits recorded in smaller studios located in Shreveport, Lake Charles, and a variety of tiny scenes in the southwest side of Louisiana – and the result is a great batch of tunes with a really gritty, down-n-dirty sound! There's a wealth of great funky styles in the set – including James Brown-inspired jammers, southern soul burners, and some other great modes that show that Louisiana's got a heck of a lot more to offer than just New Orleans funk. Titles include work from the Anla, Murco, Soul International, Goldband, and Tic Toc labels – a total of 22 cuts that include "Soul Time" by Ernest Thomas, "Soul Feeling (parts 1 & 2)" by Eddy G Giles, "Soul Brothers Testify (part 1)" by Chester Randles Soul Senders, "Soul Power" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Put It On" by Count Rockin Sidney with The Dukes, "Fix It" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Miss Hard To Get" by Dennis Landry, "No Sad Times" by Johnny Truit, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, and "I Got A Groove" by JJ Callier. CD

Heavy heavy funk from the Louisiana scene of the late 60s and 1970s – and a great collection that really gets past the dominance of the New Orleans sound! The set moves way past the Crescent City to uncover a wealth of great bits recorded in smaller studios located in Shreveport, Lake Charles, and a variety of tiny scenes in the southwest side of Louisiana – and the result is a great batch of tunes with a really gritty, down-n-dirty sound! There's a wealth of great funky styles in the set – including James Brown-inspired jammers, southern soul burners, and some other great modes that show that Louisiana's got a heck of a lot more to offer than just New Orleans funk. Titles include work from the Anla, Murco, Soul International, Goldband, and Tic Toc labels – a total of 22 cuts that include "Soul Time" by Ernest Thomas, "Soul Feeling (parts 1 & 2)" by Eddy G Giles, "Soul Brothers Testify (part 1)" by Chester Randles Soul Senders, "Soul Power" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Put It On" by Count Rockin Sidney with The Dukes, "Fix It" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Miss Hard To Get" by Dennis Landry, "No Sad Times" by Johnny Truit, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, and "I Got A Groove" by JJ Callier. LP, Vinyl record album

A mountain of funk from one of the greatest soul labels of all time! Stax is known round the world over for their soulful work – by singers like Otis Redding or Carla Thomas, and instrumental tunes by Booker T & The MGs – but the label was also quite a funky powerhouse – especially as the 60s drew to a close, and the management of the company got a lot hipper, and a heck of a lot more musically open-minded! This killer batch of tracks features 21 numbers from those days – including many obscure and funky tunes that only ever came out on singles, or which were recorded by artists that never made it as big as Stax stars from earlier years. The result of all that obscurity is an extremely fresh selection of tracks – plenty of down-n-dirty funky 45 numbers, played by hip Memphis combos, and featuring some really deep soul vocals. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Sir Mack Rice, "Ain't No Sin" by John Kasandra, "Bump & Boogie" by The Wrecking Crew, "Shame On The Family Name" by Calvin Scott, "Cool Strut" by Bernie Hayes, "Bump Mean" by Sir Mack Rice, "Soul Machine" by Reggie Milner, "How Can You Mistreat The One You Love" by Katie Love, "Cold Blooded" by The Bar Kays, "Do The Side Saddle" by Rufus Thomas, "Stay Away From That Monkey" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Devil In A Man" by Stu Gardner, "Circuits Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "From Toys To Boys" by The Emotions, "Got It Together (parts 1 & 2)" by Rudy Robinson & The Hungry Five, and "Crosscut Saw" by Albert King. CD

A mountain of funk from one of the greatest soul labels of all time! Stax is known round the world over for their soulful work – by singers like Otis Redding or Carla Thomas, and instrumental tunes by Booker T & The MGs – but the label was also quite a funky powerhouse – especially as the 60s drew to a close, and the management of the company got a lot hipper, and a heck of a lot more musically open-minded! This killer batch of tracks features 21 numbers from those days – including many obscure and funky tunes that only ever came out on singles, or which were recorded by artists that never made it as big as Stax stars from earlier years. The result of all that obscurity is an extremely fresh selection of tracks – plenty of down-n-dirty funky 45 numbers, played by hip Memphis combos, and featuring some really deep soul vocals. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Sir Mack Rice, "Ain't No Sin" by John Kasandra, "Bump & Boogie" by The Wrecking Crew, "Shame On The Family Name" by Calvin Scott, "Cool Strut" by Bernie Hayes, "Bump Mean" by Sir Mack Rice, "Soul Machine" by Reggie Milner, "How Can You Mistreat The One You Love" by Katie Love, "Cold Blooded" by The Bar Kays, "Do The Side Saddle" by Rufus Thomas, "Stay Away From That Monkey" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Devil In A Man" by Stu Gardner, "Circuits Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "From Toys To Boys" by The Emotions, "Got It Together (parts 1 & 2)" by Rudy Robinson & The Hungry Five, and "Crosscut Saw" by Albert King. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever recorded for Impulse – and the debut set by guitarist Mel Brown! Mel has a really down-and-dirty style that's quite unusual for the label at the time – a rootsy approach to guitar that's steeped in equal parts jazz, soul, and R&B – and which comes across with a raw power and tasty feel that's perfectly summed up by titles like "Chicken Fat", "Greasy Spoon", "Home James", "Slalom", and "Shanty"! The album features some rare organ work by Gerald Wiggins, drums by Paul Humphrey, and outta-site soul arrangements by Oliver Nelson on a few tracks – but through the whole thing, Brown's the main focus – laying down some deeply funky work on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album

A real heavy-hitter – one of the few albums of hardbop that Gryce cut for Prestige, done in a more relaxed, more soulful, more down-n-dirty style than some of his more arranged work from the 50s. The groove's still pretty modern on the set – thanks to a great group that includes Richard Williams on trumpet, Richard Wyands on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – all of whom play together with the comfortable ease of a hardbop blowing session. Titles include "Back Breaker", "Blues In The Jungle", "Jones Bones", and "Down Home". CD

A massive bit of funk – and from 70s France, no less! These guys clearly come from a jazz-based background – and have absorbed some of the best electric influences of their time – working in a keyboard-heavy mode that's clearly inspired by Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, and George Duke – yet also kicking up a groove that's a bit more down and dirty, and more in the instrumental funk mode overall. The sound of the set's incredible – really raw, riffy, and filled with plenty of snapping hard grooves – and the used of the keys is sublime throughout, changing mood from track to track, but always staying funky! Titles include "Penwick", "Marathonic", "Ergocentric", "La Moto Verite", "Psychocross", "Ring Modulator", "Plongee Synthetique", "Kayak", and "Cache Catch". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of the best albums by Sugarcane Harris – thanks largely to Johnny Otis, who produced and arranged the set with the same messed-up, genre-crossing style of his own work! Given that Harris both played electric violin and sung in a raunchy bluesy style, it would take a genius like Otis to make the sound work – and work he does, shifting the mood of the album from track to track, in an effort to showcase all the messed-up, down-and-dirty sides of Sugarcane's style! Includes the tracks "A Little Soul Food", "Funk & Wagner", "Do It Yourself", "I'm Unconscious", and "Take It All Off". LP, Vinyl record album

A live recording that reworks Mondo Grosso's Next Wave album – and adds in a lot of extra bits! The set's got the feel of a spacious amphitheater concert, but is filled with new mixes of Mondo Grosso's soulful club work – interspersed with a few additional tunes, all mixed together live in this unusual setting! Titles include "Motormouth", "Tornado", "Next Wave (live breaks)", "Anger (Norman Cook club)", "Star Suite (Shelter voc)", and "Everything Needs Love" – as well as "Porcelain" by Moby, "Down & Dirty (main voc)" by Richard F, and "Thrill Me Such A Thrill (Junior Jack club)" by Junior Jack. CD

The amazing first album from The Nite-Liters – the instrumental combo who were part of the larger New Birth family of soul on RCA, but who cut work that was a lot more funky overall! The group are right up there with The Meters or JBs for pure instrumental brilliance – able to serve up short, tight cuts that are filled with heavy drums, riffing guitars, and mighty nice horns – all at a level that easily make them one of the best soul instrumental groups of the early 70s – a killer combo, even though they don't always get their due! The whole album's a gem – like a pile of rare funky 45s – and titles include "Itchy Brother", "Snap Your Twig", "Down & Dirty", "The Heckler", and "Stuff N It". CD

An excellent bit of soul jazz – completely rare in the original pressing, and one of the few early albums ever cut by organist Melvin Rhyne! Rhyne first came to prominence as the organist with Wes Montgomery – and he hailed from Montgomery's hometown of Indianapolis, and had the distinction of appearing on an early trio album with Wes. This rare side as a leader has Rhyne heading up an all-star cast that includes Blue Mitchell, Johnny Griffin, Andy Simpkins, and Albert Tootie Heath – plus fellow Indiana resident Gene Harris, who plays piano on the session, which makes for a very unusual combination next to the organ! The tracks are all quite long – and the session's a lot more down-and-dirty than the usual work that was recorded on the Jazzland and Riverside labels, stretching out at an open-ended soul jazz pace that was much more the territory of Prestige Records. Tracks include "Blue Farouq", "Shoo Shoo Baby", and "Barefoot Sunday Blues". CD

Material that was recorded in the early 60s, but not issued by Blue Note until later in the decade – when they were pulling out any Jimmy Smith session they had, in order to compete with the bigger hits on Verve. The record features 8 extended tracks, with an all-star jam session lineup that includes Blue Mitchell, Jackie McLean, and Ike Quebec. Down and dirty organ jazz, played in the open jam style that Blue Note was using with Jimmy after the initial trio sides. Titles include "Sista Rebecca", "Open House", "Plain Talk", "Time After Time", and "Old Folks". CD

The early 90s debut of UGK and early triumph for Pimp C & Bun B, even if it was a little bit ahead of its time! Given a massive platform by Jive at the time, UGK proved a little Too Hard To Swallow for the mainstream early on, finally breaking out with Ridin' Dirty a few years later, but this is a solid set with the dope production and gritty, but on point rhymes. A tight 12 tracks in all: "Cramping My Style", "Feel Like I'm The One Who's Doin' Dope", "I'm So Bad", "Trill Ass Ni**a", "976-Bun B", "Something Good (Pimp C's rmx)", "Something good (extended version)", "Use Me Up", "Pocket Full Of Stones", "Short Texas", "Cocaine In The Back Of The ride" and "It's Too Hard To Swallow". LP, Vinyl record album