... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

You might know Malaco Records as a hotbed of deep soul during the 70s – but as the decade progressed, the southern label also really opened up to some of the warmer, more sophisticated styles that were brewing up north – all to create a magnificent sort of hybrid that really helped move its music forward! The vibe is a bit hard to describe, but maybe imagine late 70s Philly soul with some deeper soul vocals – warm, but never too polished or commercial – and still very close to the best traditions of earlier soul music, while sounding a bit more mature. Artists here include some older southern soul acts from the 60s, mixed with up-and-comers in the 70s, and a few special acts that Malaco helped discover themselves – in a great set of 20 tracks that include "Sweet Life" by Frederick Knight, "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "Trust In Me" by Natural High, "Sara Smile" by Latimore, "Let Me Be" by The Duncans, "Show Me" by Mosley & Johnson, "Come To Bed" by Denise Lasalle, "So In Love" by Freedom, "Groovin" by Power, "I Wonder Where The Love Has Gone" by Shirley Brown, "I Need Your Love" by Patterson Twins, "Just To Love Someone Like You" by Sho Nuff, "Take A Chance On Me" by Eddie Floyd, "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me" by Jewel Bass, and "When Can We Do This All Over Again" by ZZ Hill. CD

Stax Records turned out plenty of hits in the 60s – but the Memphis label was also a non-stop powerhouse of recording, and cut countless sides that were every bit as great as their hits, but never fully got their due! This collection brings together a huge amount of those gems – 24 rare Stax singles, none of which have ever been reissued – which makes this package a treasure trove of under-discovered Memphis soul, even if you've got some other Stax/Volt sets in your collection! A number of these tracks are early numbers by artists who'd break bigger on Stax later in the 60s – and others are by singers you might not know at all, but who were key to helping the label form its sound at the time – as their top-shelf team of writers and studio talents made these obscure singles every bit as great as their work for bigger artists. Titles include "I Need Somebody" by Johnny Daye, "Separation" by Carla Thomas, "Under My Nose" by Eddie Floyd, "Here I Am" by Lynda Lyndell, "Bashful Guitar" by Johnny Jenkins, "I Gotta Have My Baby's Love" by Sir Mack Rice, "Sweet Thing" by Gorgeous George, "The Big Dipper" by Sir Issac & The Do Dads, "Uh Oh I'm In Love Again" by Eddie Jefferson, "Beach Bash" by The Mar-Kays, "You Belong To Her" by Barbara & The Browns, "Strange Things" by Johnny Taylor, and "This Kind Of Woman" by Ivory Joe Hunter. CD

A pretty unique take on the rich world of 60s soul – a set that brings together tracks that are all live recordings from the time – maybe no surprise, given that soul music was one of the first genres to really explore the use of concert-based recordings – thanks to early 60s albums by James Brown, Etta James, Gene Chandler, and many others! The work here is from a variety of sources, and really holds up to some of the classic live soul records on labels like Stax, King, and Motown – and the music here spans the space of most of the decade, spread out over a full 4CDs, with 100 tracks in all, by a lineup that includes Eddie Floyd, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, The Delfonics, Drifters, Garnett Mimms, Freddie king, Major Lance, Lee Dorsey, Kim Weston, Arthur Conley, Betty Harris, Maxine Brown, The Meters, Mitty Collier, Sam & Dave, Sly & The Family Stone, Joe Tex, and many more. CD

A set that's overflowing with greatness from the legendary Stax Records – a set that features both early material later owned by Atlantic, as well as later hits from the Fantasy empire – making for a package that truly runs the scope of the legendary label, and which features 20 of their biggest hits. Titles include Sam & Dave "Hold On, I'm Coming", The Staple Singers "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There", Carla Thomas "B-A-B-Y", Shirley Brown "Woman To Woman", The Soul Children "I'll Be The Other Woman", Eddie Floyd "Knock On Wood", Johnnie Taylor "Cheaper To Keep Her" and "Who's Making Love", Little Milton "That's What Love Will Make You Do", William Bell "I Forgot To Be Your Lover", Jean Knight "Mr Big Stuff", Booker T & The MGs "Green onions", Rufus Thomas "(Do The) Push & Pull", Mel & Tim "Starting All Over Again", the Dramatics "In The Rain", the Emotions "So I Can Love You", Otis Redding "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", Frederick Knight "I've Been Lonely" and Isaac Hayes "Theme From Shaft". CD

The title might be Blues For Christmas, but lots of these tunes are pretty bright and jumpy, too – a nice mix of 50s R&B and early soul styles, served up here in a mighty sweet little package that's a great antidote to some of too-familiar Christmas collections on the market! Most of the artists are names you'll know already – especially if you've got some 50s blues in your collection – but the setting is mighty fresh, and the tunes together spin out for a nicely extended batch of Holiday listening that goes way past the obvious! Titles include "Oh Holy Night" by The Blue Notes, "Christmas Letter" by La Fets & Kitty, "Christmas In Jail" by The Youngsters, "Christmas Time (part 1)" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Can This Be Christmas" by Eddie Floyd & The Falcons, "Rock & Roll Santa Claus" by Huey Smith & The Clowns, "Christmas Celebration" by BB King, "Christmas Tears" by Freddy King, "Rock & Roll Santa Claus" by Babs Gonzales, "When Was Jesus Born" by Marian Williams, "After New Years Eve" by The Heartbeats, "It's Christmas Time" by Marvin & Johnny, and "Santa" by Lightnin Hopkins. CD