A massive set, and one that features way more material than this legendary group released back in the day – all the full albums from Brinsley Schwarz, plus unissued studio material and other rarities too! The group were named after their guitarist, Brinsley Schwarz – but the group also featured key work from a young Nick Lowe, sounding wonderful here before going out as a solo act – and, with Schwarz, really helping to craft that smaller group, pub rock-styled approach that was such a strong antidote to prog and classic rock excesses of the period! There's a very down to earth vibe on many of these cuts – not entirely the roots rock of the US scene, but not far off – and also already echoing some of that tunefulness that Lowe would continue in his own recordings and productions – almost a secret evolution of a mod aesthetic, but hidden amidst other 70s trappings. Maybe we're pitching it wrong – but the records don't lie, and have plenty to tell here – full albums Brinsley Schwarz, Despite It All, Silver Pistol, Nervous On The Road, Please Don't Ever Change, The New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz, and It's All Over Now – plus dozens of bonus tracks, both live and studio – including work as The Brinsleys, The Hitters, and Limelight. 132 tracks on 7CDs, with very detailed notes! CD

Seminal work from Dandy – one of the key figures in the Jamaican musical community in London during the second half of the 60s, and an artist who was really important in helping the UK forge its own version of music from Kingston! The set begins with Dandy's classic album for the Giant label – a masterpiece of well-done rocksteady, with production and instrumentation that are nice and lean – shifting the groove from the previous ska generation, while also allowing for some great horn work, especially on saxes, to flesh things out next to Dandy's great vocals! There's a nicely different vibe to the set than most Jamaican material, but also none of the cliches that might later mark some London recordings – a really fresh vibe that's totally great, served up on tracks that include "Keep Them Fretting", "Turn Your Wheel", "You're No Hustler", "Rhythm Of The Rain", "Sock It To Me", "Soul Power", "Play It Cool", "People Do Rock Steady", and "Turn On Your Lovelight". This massive 2CD set adds in 31 bonus tracks, for a total of 43 tracks in all, 32 of which appear here on CD for the first time ever – with great notes, sound, and a wonderful package! CD

One of the most starkly beautiful recordings in Paul Horn's career – with spiritually resonant, almost spine tingling solo flute and some chants, all recorded in the Taj Majal one day in April of 1968! It's really all about the atmosphere, as it would have to be given the location – with Horn playing of the amazing echo in a completely wonderful way, never feeling anything less than wholly authentic and genuinely inspired! Titles include "Vibrations", "Akasha", "Jumna", "Shah Jahan", "Mantra II/Duality", and "Unity". Paul Horn follows up his Inside The Taj Majal set – in someways leaving behind the stark, spare initimacy of that set for a more layered and tailored approach – and also leaving behind his more pronounced jazz roots for a more earthy and nature themed mode! Like Inside, it's a solo flute record and a spatial exploration – this time handled with a number of different flutes, and also dabbling in overdubbing – with wind and other nature sounds, up to and including some live dolphin sound effects! Titles include "The Mahabhutas" suite, plus "Centaur", "Morning Song", "Haida", and "Mass: Kyrie". CD

A beautiful collection of all the great and rare material Eddie Holland cut as solo singer in the late 50s and early 60s – including the incredible early Motown material, plus tracks he cut for Mercury, Kudo, Tamla and United Artists! Of course Eddie Holland is best remembered for uber-legendary work as producer, composer and arranger with the Holland-Dozier-Holland super soul unit – for damn good reason, but it's his early work as singer is way too strong to be considered a mere footnote to his greater legacy. Many of the cuts were written and produced by Berry Gordy, along with numbers written and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, some recorded more famously by later acts, so what you truly have here is the foundation for great things to come – it's beautiful stuff that shines brightly in its own light. Eddie's a solid singer and the songs are terrific, formative stuff that's a pivotal bridge from earlier R&B to massive soul. 56 tracks on 2CDs: "Little Miss Ruby", "Will You Love Me", "Just A Few More Days", "It's Not Too Late", "Just Ain't Enough Love", "Brenda", "Baby Shake", "Magic Mirror", "If Cleopatra Took A Chance", "Action Speaks Louder than Words", "Bashful Kind", "Too Late To Cry", "Happy Go Lucky", "Pretty Little Angel Face", "Day Dreamer", "Rain And Thunder", "I Like Everything About You", "Happy Days" and many more. This set goes deeper than any compilation we've seen of Eddie's recordings, too, with a number of previously unissued Mercury recordings. CD

This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70's, but somehow got lost in the shuffle between all the Isaac Hayes LPs. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community about 10 years ago, and it's been at the top of everyone's playlist (and want list) ever since! This is sort of a politically conscious mini-opera, or suite, with 8 tracks of spiritual funk and soul, all strung together in a righteous package that's as perfectly-conceived as you could imagine for an independent soul release from the 70s. You've probably heard at least one sample from this LP – maybe from the cuts "Brown-Baggin", "Food Stamps", or the title cut "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth", a great sample cut – but the whole album's great, and it totally deserves its massive reputation! LP, Vinyl record album

The one-time obscure, now straight-up classic funky soul record by 24-Carat Black! This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70s, but somehow got lost in the shuffle. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community in the years to come, and it's been at the top of everyone's playlist (and want list) ever since! This is sort of a politically conscious mini-opera, or suite, with 8 tracks of spiritual funk and soul, all strung together in a righteous package that's as perfectly-conceived as you could imagine for an independent soul release from the 70s. You've probably heard at least one sample from this album – maybe from the cuts "Brown-Baggin", "Food Stamps", or the title cut "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth", a great sample cut – but the whole album's great, and it totally deserves its massive reputation! LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy transatlantic vibrations selected by Don Letts! As the principle architect of the connection between the brash UK punk scene of the 70s and the Jamaican music community, you know Letts is especially qualified to assemble a massive set of reggae pulled from the vaults of Greensleeves! Bouncing back and forth between rollicking dancehall and dee jay cuts, earth shaking dubs and hardcore roots, on up through bubbling modern digital numbers, this is one excellent set of cuts that haven't been anthologized over and over again as you hear so often! 30 tracks spread out over two discs, including "War" by the Wailing Souls, "Wa Do Dem" by Eek A Mouse, "Mary Long Tongue" by Barrington Levy, "How The West Was Won" by Toyan, "Love Tickles Like Magic" by Junior Delgado, "Poor & Humble"by Wayne Wade, "None Of Jah Jah Children No Cry" by Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus, "Let's Get Started" by Tetrack, "Pirate's Anthem" by Home T, Cocoa Tea and Shabba Ranks, "Mind Yu Dis" by Gregory Isaacs, "Heads High (Kill 'Em With It rmx)" by Mr Vegas, "Under Mi Sensi" by Alozade & Hollow Point, "No Letting Go" by Wayne Wonder, "Sufferer" by Bounty Killer and "Love Is Divine" by Sizzla.c CD

One of the most unique compilations we've ever heard – a set that gets at the really unique way that soul music came across on the British scene of the 60s – as American influences were mixed with local interpretations, which themselves drew plenty of influences from related scenes in the West Indies and South Africa at the time! The scope of expression here is hugely different than any American soul collections from the time – and while there's definitely a few Americans in the mix from time to time, they're mostly represented by recordings done in England, amidst a huge amount of artists who never get reissued on our side of the Atlantic! Usually, a set like this would be put together to show that Northern Soul created some upbeat music on the British scene – but with this gem of a collection, the scope is much wider, and really open to the influences that were running through black communities in England during these key post-colonial years. The package has a massive amount of music – 115 tracks in all, with a very cool book-styled package that's got superb notes and plenty of images – to support work by Lorraine Child, Peter Straker, Maxine Nightingale, Cy Grant, Cab Kaye, Dimples & Eddie, Ronnie Jones, Ernest Ranglin, Norma Lee, Jimmy Tomas, Jackie Edwards, Madeline Bell, Oliver Norman, The Fantastics, Root & Jenny Jackson, Ram John Holder, Simon K & The Meantimers, Caleb, The Foundations, The Soul Brothers, Blue Beaters, Seven Letters, Joe's All Stars, Sonny & The Daffodils, Tony Washington & The DCs, Davy Jones, Geoff Love, Ray Ellington, Emile Ford & The Big Six, Millie, Rico, Black Velvet, and many others! CD

Massively heavy rock from the Long Island scene – but with lots of tasty Memphis touches! The Hassles are clearly influenced by the mod crossover sound of mid 60s R&B – and they use a lot of organ on the set, mixed with trippy fuzzy guitars, and some occasional vocals in a Traffic-styled mode – white boy rock/soul, with the best sound that that tag implies! The group's noteworthy for a young Billy Joel – who sings and plays organ on the set – but there's little of Joel's later sound on the record, and the group's got more to offer than that! Features a great cover of "You've Got Me Hummin", plus "Giving Up", "I Can Tell", "Coloured Rain", "Warming Up", and "Just Holding On". LP, Vinyl record album

Plainsong were a short-lived group who are best known for one album – but they had a heck of a legacy, and recorded way more work than was issued at the time! The set kicks off with their classic In Search Of Amelia Earhart album – a wonderfully warm, wonderfully solid set of rootsy rock from this group headed by Ian Matthews! The set moves past some of Matthews' earlier efforts – a bit tighter at times, yet still far from any country rock cliches at all – definitely done at a time when this mixing of modes was still a very fresh concept for musicians like Ian, who were more than willing to find a lot of paths of their own. Some of the headier moments really make great use of the darker guitar corners of Andy Roberts – who works in subtle, but great ways – and the set also features a nice mix of acoustic and electric elements, served up sparely, and recorded in a really great way. Titles include "Yo Yo Man", "Louise", "Call The Tune", "Raider", "Side Roads", "I'll Fly Away", and "For The Second Time". Given the already-huge legacy in music that Matthews had by the time of 1972, it's no surprise that there was a lot more recorded during the time – including the group's originally-unissued second record, Now We Are 3 – included here with an insane amount of other material too! CD1 features the Amelia Earhart album with bonus tracks and 1973 concert material. CD2 features Now We Are 3, with bonus tracks and added Dance Goes On tracks. CD3 features BBC sessions with John Peel – and CD4 features more BBC with Bob Harris, and Old Grey Whistle Test material. CD5 features a reunited version of the group recording live in 1993, 1997, and 2012 – and CD6 features more later material, billed For The Second Time – including some re-recordings of the original debut tracks. Over 50% of the box set has never been issued before – and there's a massive amount of material! CD

One of the most unique compilations we've ever heard – a set that gets at the really unique way that soul music came across on the British scene of the 60s – as American influences were mixed with local interpretations, which themselves drew plenty of influences from related scenes in the West Indies and South Africa at the time! The scope of expression here is hugely different than any American soul collections from the time – and while there's definitely a few Americans in the mix from time to time, they're mostly represented by recordings done in England, amidst a huge amount of artists who never get reissued on our side of the Atlantic! Usually, a set like this would be put together to show that Northern Soul created some upbeat music on the British scene – but with this gem of a collection, the scope is much wider, and really open to the influences that were running through black communities in England during these key post-colonial years. The package has a massive amount of music – 115 tracks in all, with a very cool book-styled package that's got superb notes and plenty of images – to support work by Lorraine Child, Peter Straker, Maxine Nightingale, Cy Grant, Cab Kaye, Dimples & Eddie, Ronnie Jones, Ernest Ranglin, Norma Lee, Jimmy Tomas, Jackie Edwards, Madeline Bell, Oliver Norman, The Fantastics, Root & Jenny Jackson, Ram John Holder, Simon K & The Meantimers, Caleb, The Foundations, The Soul Brothers, Blue Beaters, Seven Letters, Joe's All Stars, Sonny & The Daffodils, Tony Washington & The DCs, Davy Jones, Geoff Love, Ray Ellington, Emile Ford & The Big Six, Millie, Rico, Black Velvet, and many others! CD