A key album in the career of Louis Armstrong – one that helped him forge the fourth or fifth great comeback in his career! As you'd guess by the title, the album's built around Louis' hit version of "Hello Dolly" – sung in a mode that at one level stretches back to his roots in trad jazz, but at another kind of peps the whole thing up with a mod 60s/20s retro sort of swing – more syncopated than before, with a choppy little groove that pushed Louis right back onto the charts. Backing is by a small group that includes Billy Kyle on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Joe Darensbourg on clarinet – and the album's filled with other great numbers that include "A Kiss To Build A Dream On", "Moon River", "You Are Woman I Am Man", "Blueberry Hill", and "Be My Life's Companion". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Fred Asataire – surprisingly well-crafted, with jazzy arrangements from Marty Paich and Pete King! LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Paddy Lightfoot on banjo, Vic Pitt on bass, Ron Bowden on drums and Ron Weatherburn on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of uptown soul – the only full length record cut by Freddy Butler, a heck of a great singer with a really unique voice! Freddy hails from Detroit, and like the best of Detroit singers of the 60s – such as JJ Barnes or Darrell Banks – he's got a style that's got some rootsy touches, especially on the vocals, mixed with production that's tight and focused – which really gives the album a lot of swing! Instrumentation includes some nice use of vibes and piano, and the album also features some great early compositions by Nick Ashford. Titles include "This Thing", "You'd Better Get Hip Girl", "Never Let Love Go", and "I Fell In Love". CD

With special guest star Ruby & The Romantics! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and the beginning of a strong tradition of west coast funky Latin groups! El Chicano were one of a number of groups to emerge from LA of the 60s – rising forth on a wave of Mexican American pride to come up with a west coast version of the Latin Soul sound that had been emanating from Spanish Harlem a few years earlier. The group had an organ-heavy sound that first scored big on their rendition of Gerald Wilson's "Viva Tirado" – done as a single by the group with a stepping jazz beat that was missing from the earlier version, which worked great with their bubbly organ sound. The album was recorded to follow up the hit – done as a live set after hours at the Kabuki Sukiyaki Restaurant in south LA, and filled with tight jazzy covers 60s groovers like "Cantaloupe Island", "Eleanor Rigby", "Hurt So Bad", and "Coming Home Baby". The record's also got an amazing version of "Quiet Village" – and while it may not be as Latin as some of the group's later work, it's the beginning of a great tradition, and has a sound that was copied endlessly – but rarely matched! LP, Vinyl record album

Jack Jones at the pinnacle of his early fame! Wives & Lovers is a gem of a set – issued hot on the heels of Jones' famous recording of the Burt Bacharach title hit – and presented with some great arrangements from Marty Paich, Glenn Osser, Pete King, and Ralph Carmichael! The style's a great mix of light strings and jazz – often spare enough to let Jack's vocals dominate strongly, but always in a way that's beautifully poised, balanced, and never overly indulgent. There's a slight hint of iciness in Jack's voice, but it's only a thin one – a slight layer of manner that holds back the depth of emotion lurking right below the surface. Titles include the classic "Wives & Lovers", plus "Charade", "I Wish You Love", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Angel Eyes", "I'm Moody", "Summertime Promises", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "Nina Never Knew". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic score from Ennio Morricone – maybe better this time around than the images on the screen for some of his other westerns of the period – more proof that the maestro was always willing to rise above, and give his best no matter what the setting! The music begins with some already-fantastic elements – mule-like noises that mark the theme and title of the film – carried out with that fantastic sense of western flourish that Morricone could do so well – a use of space in the music that evokes the landscape, even without images to view – as subtle orchestrations mix with occasional guitar, and a fair bit of the sorts of unfamiliar sounds that the maestro was always able to create! Titles include "The Braying Mule", "The Battle", "The Cool Mule", "La Cueva", "Night On The Desert", and "Time For Miracles". This massive 2CD edition features the original 11 track album from 1970 – plus a full bonus CD of songs from the film score, most of which appear here for the first time ever – 21 more tracks, and a bonus hour's worth of music! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

AA groundbreaking set from The Silver Apples – one of those records that almost didn't get fully appreciated until many decades later! The sound here is quite unique, even for the late 60s psych rock underground – and The Apples work in a blend of spacey electronics, driving percussion, and simple, stark guitar parts – a sound that's almost to their generation what the music of Suicide was to the underground of a decade later. Most tunes pulsate with an almost organic sort of quality, and the lyrics of the songs are often quite tuneful at times – a nice contrast to some of the colder styles of the instrumentation. The album's had a huge influence on countless groups in the past decade or so – for good reasons – and titles include "Oscillations", "Lovefingers", "Velvet Cave", "Whirly-Bird", "Dust", "Misty Mountain", "Program", and "Dancing Gods". CD

The one and only album by The Unifics – and a beautiful precursor to the solid group sounds of the east coast early 70s. The group's got some wonderful harmonies – still raw, but showing the strength of smooth production to hit some very strong moments. Arrangements are by Richard Rome, Bert De Coteaux, and a very young Donny Hathaway – and the lead singer of the group is Al Johnson (although we're not sure he's the same Al Johnson that went onto greater fame as a solo act.) Includes "Sittin In At The Court Of Love", which was a minor hit – plus a number of other originals, including "Which One Should I Choose", "Tables Turned", and "Toshi Sumasu". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A weird, lost record that Wills cut for Kapp after the Liberty years and while his health was in decline – and another testament that the guy was incapable of sounding anything but completely great! Here Wills conducts a studio full of Nashville vets on a bunch of country standards and an oddball choice or two (Ray Charles' "Talkin' 'Bout You" for one) done up Western swing style. Other tracks include "Shame On you", "Milk Cow Blues", "Song Of The Wanderer", "Pan Handle Rag", the upteenth version of "San Antonio Rose" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Stone Latin Soul – from one of the greatest groups of the genre! In the late 60s, New York was on top of the Latin Soul sound – blending together bits from Puerto Rican and African-American roots to come up with a whole new sound. But by the time of the early 70s, LA had taken over the groove – and nobody did it better than El Chicano! The combo had a really wonderful sound that was Chicano soul at its best – lots of jazzy stepping rhythms topped off with fuzzy guitars, sweet keyboard bits, and some warm and wonderful west coast soul-styled vocals. There were plenty of Latin influences in the rhythms, but the sound itself was pure LA – done with a really righteous groove throughout! This set brings together a dozen of the group's best tracks for the Kapp and MCA labels from the early 70s – and tracks include "Cubano Chant", "Viva Tirado", "El Cayuco", "The Latin One", "Tell Her She's Lovely", "Sabor A Mi", "Ahora Si", "Cantaloupe Island", and "Juntos". CD

One of the grooviest groups of the Latin Soul scene – but they'd have to be, given their name! The Latin Souls are a vocal group with a really soulful feel – a great link between the earlier harmony sounds that were bubbling under in Spanish Harlem, and some of the hipper rhythms that were hitting the scene in the late 60s – particularly the two dance modes pushed strongly in the title of the record! Many of the cuts have a nicely dark undercurrent – a bit like the best work of Ralph Robles – but the harmonies give the record a somewhat more sincere feel too, with echoes of Joe Bataan in the mix. The whole thing's great – with production from Pancho Cristal that's right up there with his other great Latin sides of the 60s. Titles include "Guajira Controversial", "Que Va", "Hey Lulu!", "The Party Is Over", "Place In the Sun", "La Banda", and the slammin' "Latin Souls Descarga"! LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible second album from Silver Apples – even more mad, more trippy, and more space rock than the first! The tunes are all awash in fuzziness – mad guitars, distorted vocals, and rough electronics coming into play with a bit of banjo and some stark, stiff percussion that makes the whole thing have a bit of a groove at times! The sound is otherworldly and incredible – hugely influential upon a generation of 90s popsters, but even better than any of the imitations they've spawned over the years! Titles include "You & I", "Water", "Ruby", "I Have Known Love", and "Confusion". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking set from The Silver Apples – one of those records that almost didn't get fully appreciated until many decades later! The sound here is quite unique, even for the late 60s psych rock underground – and The Apples work in a blend of spacey electronics, driving percussion, and simple, stark guitar parts – a sound that's almost to their generation what the music of Suicide was to the underground of a decade later. Most tunes pulsate with an almost organic sort of quality, and the lyrics of the songs are often quite tuneful at times – a nice contrast to some of the colder styles of the instrumentation. The album's had a huge influence on countless groups in the past decade or so – for good reasons – and titles include "Oscillations", "Lovefingers", "Velvet Cave", "Whirly-Bird", "Dust", "Misty Mountain", "Program", and "Dancing Gods". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by reedman Gato Barbieri – and a very sharp-edged session that's quite different than his better-known work in the 70s! Barbieri's tenor here has an incredible tone – as deeply soulful as Pharoah Sanders or late John Coltrane, and blown with a great sense of freedom – really stretching out on the album's long tracks. Gato never lets himself get too unfocused, though – and the album's an illustration of a side of his talents that was perhaps only shown this well on his recordings with Don Cherry. Players include Calo Scott on cello, Sirone on bass, and Bobby Kapp on drums – and the album's got a vibe that easily matches other ESP sets from the time by Charles Tyler or Sonny Simmons. Titles include "In Search Of The Mystery", "Obsession No 2", "Michelle", and "Cinematheque". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning soul from the Detroit underground of the late 60s – a treasure trove of gems that literally grew up in the shadows of Motown – given that the work here was spearheaded by the Pied Piper Productions team of Jack Ashford, Mike Terry, Joe Hunter and Herbie Williams of the legendary Funk Brothers! There's a tighter, more energetic vibe to the material than on some of the more grandly soaring sounds of Detroit's bigger hits of the time – and we really love the unfussy, driving soul essence at play here – a gritty, groovy, and really hard-burning sound that makes just about every number here a gem – and a real change, if you only know the bigger hits from Motown! The track selection is wonderful – and even includes a number of never-issued tracks from the time, plus singles issued on Kapp, RCA, and some smaller labels too. Titles include "Voodoo Mademoiselle" and "You Better Know Why" by September Jones, "He'll Be Leaving You" by Nancy Wilcox, "Could It Be You" by Sharon Scott, "I Need Your Love" by The Dynamics, "Lost Without You" by Lorraine Chandler, "See My Heart At Ease" by Mikki Farrow, "It's Right Now" by The Metros, "Hold To My Baby" by The Pied Piper Players, "Give Me Lots Of Lovin'" By Freddy Butler, and lots more! 24 tracks in all. CD

Stunning soul from the Detroit underground of the late 60s – a treasure trove of gems that literally grew up in the shadows of Motown – given that the work here was spearheaded by the Pied Piper Productions team of Jack Ashford, Mike Terry, Joe Hunter and Herbie Williams of the legendary Funk Brothers! There's a tighter, more energetic vibe to the material than on some of the more grandly soaring sounds of Detroit's bigger hits of the time – and we really love the unfussy, driving soul essence at play here – a gritty, groovy, and really hard-burning sound that makes just about every number here a gem – and a real change, if you only know the bigger hits from Motown! The track selection is wonderful – and even includes a number of never-issued tracks from the time, plus singles issued on Kapp, RCA, and some smaller labels too. Titles include "Voodoo Mademoiselle" and "You Better Know Why" by September Jones, "He'll Be Leaving You" by Nancy Wilcox, "Could It Be You" by Sharon Scott, "I Need Your Love" by The Dynamics, "Lost Without You" by Lorraine Chandler, "See My Heart At Ease" by Mikki Farrow, "It's Right Now" by The Metros, "Hold To My Baby" by The Pied Piper Players, "Give Me Lots Of Lovin'" By Freddy Butler, and lots more! 24 tracks in all. CD

Essential compilation of Burt's original recordings for the Kapp label from the mid 60's. The production's got vocal choruses, large orchestrations, and lots of cool tinkly piano – and the groove is 100% Bacharach, with lesser-known versions of tracks that were bit hits for other pop stars. A fair bit of the stuff's instrumental, but some tracks have voices singing lead. Our fave is the recording of "My Little Red Book", with great soul vocals by Tony Middleton – but there's loads of goodies like "Wives & Lovers", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "What's New Pussycat?", "The Last One To Be Loved", "Saturday Sunshine", and "24 Hours From Tulsa". CD

An east coast harmony classic from Jimmy Briscoe & The Little Beavers – a sweetly-voiced young soul group with a really positive sound! Jimmy and the group have a groove that's more mature than some of the other young soul acts to emerge in the wake of the Jackson Five – and the tracks on the set are a great balance of gentle ballads and more forceful numbers, done in modes that share a lot with some of the best New Jersey groups of the time, particularly those on the All-Platinum label. Production is full and rich – never too much so overpower the vocals, but with some wonderfully chosen instrumental touches from maestro Paul Kyser – but it's Jimmy's heartbreaking vocals that really drive the set. Titles include "My Ebony Princess", "I Only Feel This Way When I'm With You", "Theme From Forever", "Where Were You", "Pack Up", "My Fallen Angel", "Together", and "Country to the City". CD