A very cool shoulder bag with the legendary Motown Records logo – one that's great for toting your vinyl around town, but also works with plenty of other gear as well! The bag's got a shoulder strap, to be worn like a messenger bag – and the main flap is as big as the body, so that anything inside is tucked away and safe – but easy to reach the minute you spin the bag around and open the flap! Holds up to 25 records, and made in a very durable style. Bag

A cool flight-styled record bag with the legendary Motown Records logo on the front – done in a lean, compact style that echoes vintage bags for TWA and other 60s airlines – but with more than enough durability to carry your records all around town! The bag zips on the top, and has a handy shoulder strap – and holds up to 35 pieces of vinyl at once. Bag

A great little record bag – one that holds up to 50 records, in a very versatile style that works both as a shoulder bag and a backpack – with extra carrying handles as well! If you've ever taken a bag out when digging, you'll know that versatility is key – as you fill things up, and shift the load as things get heavier – which they'll definitely do when you've got a bag like this to handle all your vinyl. And yes, the classic Motown logo is emblazoned on the front! Bag

A stunning look at the great Mary Wells – one of Motown's first female acts of the 60s, and one of the decade's most important early soul figures as well! Mary's work on record is very well-known, but the story behind the music is completely different, and surprisingly dark at times – a tale of a talented artist often caught between larger corporate forces, and personal antagonists as well – not to mention her own personal demons. Peter Benjaminson does a great job of getting at all these details without being overly sensational – and he works in lots of wonderful personal recollections from friends and colleagues who really help illuminate the more private moments. The book is over 300 pages, hardcover, with some black and white photos. Book

A fantastic collection of work from Sondra "Blinky" Williams – a hell of a soul singer who recorded a fair bit for Motown Records at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s – but an artist whose music ended up mostly spending the next few decades in the label's vaults! Yet Blinky never let the lack of success stop her from giving her best – as she's a fantastic vocalist, and one with an expressive range that easily matches some of the Motown greats of her generation – a list that would include Martha Reeves or Gladys Knight – but who also has these deeper, more righteous currents that make her a perfect singer for a Motown move into the 70s! Blinky only saw one full album issued at the time – a duo with Edwin Starr titled Just The Two Of Us – but this package features a fully conceived, yet never-released album – plus other singles, unissued tracks, live material, and lots more – a wealth of fully-cooked, powerfully-produced singles that finally give the singer her due. The whole thing is an amazing Motown discovery – 46 tracks in all, 28 of which appear here for the first time ever – with titles that include "Don't Leave Your Baby", "Heart Full Of Soul", "How Can I Go On", "Inside", "I'll Make It Up To You", "One Half Of Love", "Shine On Me", "For Once In My Life", "I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "People Make The World Go Round", "T'Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do", "I've Gotta Get You Back", "Mr Soul Brother", "You're The Loser Now", "One Half Of Love", and lots lots more. CD

The legendary unreleased Motown recordings by The Contours – material that should have been issued as a full length LP in 1964 – but all but a couple tunes have languished in the vaults until now! The group simply kills on on these dancefloor ready stormers, with raucous, charismatic lead vocals and tight harmony backup – on a set of numbers that were no doubt ready and set to slay live audiences. We're sure The Contours were unbeatable live, but these recordings really should have made it out at the time. Better late than never, to say the very least! Includes the 60s singles "Can You Do It" and "Can You Jerk Like Me", plus the unreleased "Do The See Saw", "Foot Stomping Time", "Party Groove", "Okey Dokey", "Love Is Uncertain", "Wanted", "Boy Meets Girl", "You Hurt Me So", "Throw You Out Of My Mind", "Giant Steps", "Let's Do The Uncle Willie", "Tonight", "Nobody Fine As Dinah", "Somebody's Daughter Outta", "Let's Do The Uncle Willie" and more. 26 tracks in all! CD

A stunning collection of work from Kiki Dee – a British singer that most folks only discovered in the US in the mid 70s, thanks to a duet with Elton John – but one who gave her homeland some fantastic music in the 60s! The set's the first to fully dip into this part of Kiki's career, and bring all the best bits together – early singles and an album for the Fontana label, plus European material too – then her full album for Motown from the end of the 60s, plus nine more bonus tracks recorded for Motown too! The whole thing's a massive book-styled package – with loads of notes and photos – and the music shows just what a groovy singer Kiki was back in the day – the kind of powerhouse female vocalist that England always seemed to do better than us at the time. The set features 60 tracks in all – the albums I'm Kiki Dee and Great Expectations, plus rare tracks and singles – a set list that includes "Runnin Out Of Fools", "There He Goes", "The Day Will Come Between Sunday & Monday", "My Whole World Ended", "I'll Have You You'll Have Me", "Oh Be My Love", "Mr Loneliness", "You're My World", "While They Watch", "On A Magic Carpet Ride", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", "Hungry Heart", "Now The Flowers Cry", "I'm Going Out", "Don't Destroy Me", "Why Don't I Run Away From You", "Sunshine", "Patterns", "With A Kiss", "That's Right Walk On By", and "Senza Te". CD

In our humble opinion, just about every track that Marvin recorded for Motown is "great" – but since this set's focused on the hits, we're happy to accept their track selection, and admit they do a pretty good job of covering most of the big bases – early solo gems, duet classics, and some of the sublime 70s numbers that really made Marvin's music sparkle! Titles include "What's Going On", "Inner City Blues", "Trouble Man", "Let's Get It On", "Distant Lover", "Got To Give It Up", "Heard It Through The Grapevine", "That's The Way Love is", and "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You". CD features 15 tracks in all. CD

A real lost gem from Motown – and a whole lot more! Greetings! We're The Monitors is the only full album ever cut by The Monitors – a 3-man, 1-woman vocal group who were in a popular Motown mixed harmonies mode. The quartet had a wonderfully strong vocal presence – blasting away at most tracks with a strength that groups like The Miracles or Gladys Knight & The Pips could never match – and like those groups, they bridge that key period between late doo wop-oriented harmonies, and tighter 60s group soul. The LP brings together singles the Monitors cut for Motown during the previous few years, but it also works extremely well as a unified album – and it's a refreshing change from some of the oft-heard Motown material. Titles include "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)", "Number One In Your Heart", "Bring Back The Love", "Step By Step (Hand In Hand)", and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music". This incredible anthologogy from Kent starts off with that album and includes 12 unissued tracks – a whole album's worth – plus 2 B-Sides. Unissued tracks include "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" , "The Letter", "Poor Side Of Town", "Anything", "Guilty" and more. 26 tracks in all! CD

The complete Tamla and Motown singles of The Satintones – the soul, R&B & popular music juggernaut's first male vocal group – and a treasure trove of rare post doo wop from the end of the 50s/beginning of the 60s! It's fascinating for the history herein – the group is hugely under-anthologized in a world of myriad Motown compilations – which is a real shame, as you'll hear in this sweet set – with numbers that rely on the doo wop influences as well as tunes more devoted to lead vocals – with a slew of early Berry Gordy productions and compositions. The set includes the then legally challenged Shirelles knockoff/answer song "Tomorrow and Always" plus "Motor City", "Going To The Hop", "Sugar Daddy", "A Love That Can Never Be", "Foot Stomping Time", My Kind Of Love", "Boogie Woogie Heart", "Because I Love You", "You Can't Beat My Lovin" and many more. 26 tracks in all. CD

An incredible treasure trove of Motown soul – more recordings than we could have imagined by the legendary Velvelettes! The group were one of Motown's first girl groups in the early days – and although they never broke as big as The Supremes or Vandellas, they've got a great sound that's almost a rougher take on the female sound of Detroit at the time. The Velvelettes are best remembered by a few key singles, but as this set shows, the girls recorded an incredible amount of music for Motown – working surprisingly often in the studios during the mid 60s, on a large number of tracks that have never been released! This extremely well-done collection features a whopping 48 titles in all – including 5 numbers from a rare live show from 1964, 4 rare French singles, and a huge batch of previously unissued tunes, alternate mixes, and obscure singles! Titles include "Selfish Lover", "Should I Tell Them", "Needle In A Haystack", "Let You Live A Little Bit Longer (alternate)", "I'm The Exception To The Rule", "Why Must You Go", "The Boy From Crosstown (alternate)", "He's The One", "Ain't No Place Like Motown", "Your Heart Belongs To Me", "Seasons Greetings From Motown 1966", "The Monkey Time", and "Le Hokey Pokey". CD

6 Motown albums from Jr Walker & The All Stars – all long overdue for reissue! First up is A Gasssss – a gas of a record from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that has the magical Johnny Bristol producing – giving the group this really warm, soaring sound that's totally great! Walker still serves up plenty of strong tenor solos, but there's also some vocal currents in the mix – strong leads at times, but also some nice backups too – all of which really helps to keep things soaring! Titles a nice mix of Motown covers and original material – and titles include "I Was Made To Love Her", "Do You See My Love", "And When I Die", "Honey Come Back", "Holly Holy", "Riding High On Love", "At A Saturday Matinee", and "Groove & Move". Next up is Rainbow Funk – a record that definitely has Jr Walker & The All Stars picking up a bit of funk – but in a groove that still mixes things with that warmly soulful glow the group had right from the start! The basslines are definitely up a bit from before – although not rumbling in Norman Whitfield territory – and the sax solos get a bit more space to stretch out and bite on the longer numbers, but often with a bit of backing vocals to warm things up around the edges! Jr is great all the way through – Motown's very strong answer to King Curtis – and titles include "Right On Brothers & Sisters", "Way Back Home", "Feeling Alright", "Psychedelic Shack", "Pieces Of A Man", and "Teach Them To Pray". Moody Jr is a sweet early 70s groover from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that reunites the group with producer Johnny Bristol, who always has a great way of helping them set fire to their sound! Walker and company may have shot from the gate with a mix of R&B tenor and Motown soul – but the sound here is much more in the latter, more matured mode of the label – with strong deep soul lyrics on a number of cuts, which are balanced out nicely by Bristol's fuller production. There's plenty of sax solos too, of course – and titles include "Way Back Home", "Bristol's Way", "Don't Blame The Children", "Me & My Family", "Still Water Medley", and "Groove Thang". Peace & Understanding is a record that has Jr Walker and the group stepping out with some of the righteous touches promised in the title – partly in the choice of songs on the set, which are all nicely tucked into that strong mix of deep soul vocals and saxophone lines that had become the Jr Walker groove! The set features work from a number of different arrangers – all the hipper side of Motown in the early 70s, as the list includes, Willie Hutch, Gene Page, and James Carmichael – and tunes include two great originals, one by Hutch, one by Leon Ware. Tracks include "It's Alright Do What You Gotta Do", "Soul Clappin'", "Gimme that Beat (parts 1 & 2)", "It's Too Late", and "Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find". The self-titled Jr Walker & The All Stars album is maybe the rarest in the bunch – an obscure UK-only record from 1974, and one that has the group's usual approach warmed up by some more ambitious arrangements – a bit like the direction some of the vocal acts of the 70s were taking at the time! The production on most of the set is by Clarence Paul – and there's mostly a focus on the saxophone, not any vocals at all – which makes the set feel a bit like some of the Willis Jackson or Lou Donaldson work for Atlantic around the same time – or maybe even a bit like Hank Crawford on Kudu. Titles include "Boogie Down", "All In Love Is Fair", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Break Down & Sing", and "Dancin Like They Do On Soul Train". Hot Shot is a mid-70s stormer from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that glides along on a fuller set of backdrops than before, with Holland-Dozier-Holland production from Brian Holland returning to Motown – but in a hip 70s style that has strings and funk dancing along in a great way beneath the strong sax solos in the lead! There's a bit of vocals on the record, but the real strength lies in the instrumentation – especially some of the weirder, fuzzier guitar lines and keyboards. Titles include "Why Can't We Be Lovers", "Hot Shot", "Probe Your Mind", "I Need You Right Now", and "You Ain't No Ordinary Woman". CD

A stunning selection of female soul from Motown – all of it rare, and much of it previously unreleased! The set is a great reminder not only of how much we still have to learn about the biggest soul label in the motor city – but also of the exceptional quality that Motown brought to their recordings – so much so that even long-unissued tracks like these can easily stand with the biggest hits from other 60s soul labels! The package is wonderful if you dig female soul – and maybe even if you just like vintage soul in general – and in addition to rare cuts by big Motown names, you'll also hear some lesser-knowns that show the way the company was always trying to reach out for new talent in the fertile world of Detroit music. As usual, Ace has provided very detailed notes that offer as much history as information on the music – and the CD features 24 titles that include "It's Been A Long Time Happenin" by Rita Wright, "There Are Things" by Ann Bogan, "It's Crazy Baby" by Liz Lands, "Baby I've Got It" by Brenda Holloway, "Honey Don't Leave Me" by The Lewis Sisters, "It's All Right" by LaBrenda Ben, "When Someone's Good To You" by Oma Page, "In My Heart I Know It's Right" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Sweet Talkin Guy" by The Marvelettes, "Cookie Boy" by Thelma Brown, "I Up & Think Of You" by Kim Weston, "There Was" by The Lollipops, "Keep Away" by Little Lisa, "Playboy (first version)" by The Marvelettes, "I Know You Don't Love Me No More (orig mix)" by Yvonne Fair, "In Your Heart" by Patrice Holloway, "You've Got Possibilities" by Barbara McNair, and "Bad News" by LaBrenda Ben. CD

A long-overdue fifth entry in this amazing series – and like the previous volumes, a double-length set of rare material from the Motown vaults! 20 of the 43 tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and all of the material here goes way past the hits – to really show the full amazing scope of music that Motown was recording back in the day – with obscure cuts from the big names on the label, and some equally great tracks from artists who never fully got their due! The groove is upbeat on most tracks – very much in the Northern Soul spirit of the label – and titles include "Whisper You Love Me Boy" by The Lewis Sisters, "True Fine Boy" by The Funk Brothers, "A Toast To The Lady" by Frank Wilson, "I Want A Love I Can See" by The Underdogs, "Don't Be Too Long" by Anita Knorl, "All I Have Left Are Memories" by Sammy Turner, "Hold On To Me Darling" by Ann Bogan, "Determination" by Ivy Jo Hunter, "I Don't Want You Anymore" by Chris Clark, "There's No Love Left" by Eddie Holland, "Then" by The Temptations, "A Miracle Happened" by Johnny Bristol, "All I Want Is A Little Bit Of Love" by Barbara McNair, "In Your Heart" by Patrice Holloway, "Tomorrow's Child" by Terry Johnson, "It" by Little Lisa, "When Someone's Good To You" by Oma Page, "Too Much To Hope For" by Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston, "I Wish I Liked You" by Connie Haines, "The Truth Does Hurt" by Funk Brothers, "I Don't Know What You Got" by Edwin Starr, "Only You" by Brian Holland, and "I Found My Love In You" by Tommy Good. CD

Female Motown, way past the hits – a wonderful selection of rare cuts from the 60s, including a dozen previously unissued tracks! The collection is a real discovery, even for Motown fans – and the set is filled with gems that go way past the obvious – some real Detroit soul treasures that make the whole thing a delight! Lots of the work is from that key early Motown stretch, when the label was really coming into its own, but still trying out a lot of new ideas too – and as such, were really willing to move past some obvious hit modes of the time. And make no mistake – these cuts aren't leftovers, or half-baked – as all of them have top-shelf production and arrangements – further proof that the Motown approach never dimmed at all. Titles include "Do You Know What I'm Talkin About" by LaBrenda Ben, "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" by Brenda Holloway, "Build Him Up" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Like A Nightmare" by The Andantes, "Dance Yeah Dance" by Thelma Brown, "When Somebody Loves You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "My Black Belt" by Hattie Littles, "It's Too Soon To Know" by Kim Weston, "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" by Liz Lands, "If Wishes Came True" by Anita Knorl, and "So Let Them Laugh At Me" by Linda Griner. CD

An overdue look at the lost Lamp Records – a crucially important indie soul label on the Indy scene of the late 60s and early 70s – a company that was never as big as Chess or Motown, but did a similar job of documenting its city's musical scene! Indianapolis was always a very diverse city – and gave the world bigger funk and jazz luminaries like Wes Montgomery or Funk Inc – but like most cities of its size, Indy also sported a rich underground of great singers and bands who were really trying to make it big – all really great artists who were captured in deep detail by the Lamp Records label! Now Again/Stones Throw have given us a slight look at this scene in the past – most notably with their reissues of work by Ebony Rhythm Band – but this is the first really detailed dig into the label, with a huge amount of material that's only ever circulated on very rare original pressings. The work is a great mix of group soul, funky cuts, sweet harmony, and even a bit of gospel – and titles on this 2LP set include "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "You Made My Everything" by Words Of Wisdom Truth Revue, "Hum Bug" by Diplomatics, "I Didn't Know" by Funder Cooper, "Go To Work" by Revolution Compared To What, "Everybody Who Wants To Be Free" by Amnesty, "Can I Call You Baby" by The Pearls, "Take Me" by Fabulous Souls, "High On The Hill" by Squidd, "Soul Heart Transplant" by Ebony Rhythm Band, "See The Lord" by Mighty Indiana Travelers, "Huh" by Tony Black & Revolution Compared To What, "I'm Only Human" by Embers, "It Swells My Desire" by The PHDs, and "More Than I Can Stand" by Moonlighters. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Music from the Contours, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, the Miracles, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Junior Walker, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, the Isley Brothers & more. CD

Music from the Marvelettes, Martha & the Vandellas, Mary Wells, the Temptations, the Supremes, Jr Walker & the All Stars, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, the Jackson 5 and more – 26 tracks in all! 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

An incredible debut – and the birth of a genre! India Arie burst upon the Neo Soul scene with this sweet little set a few years back – and her career's been burning up ever since! The set's got all the best elements of some of the best indie soul of recent years – sweet beats, honest vocals, and warm instrumental touches – but the best aspect is the "acoustic soul" use of guitar to give some tracks a slightly folksy feel – one that sets India apart from some of her contemporaries with a really personal approach! The whole thing's great – overflowing with wonderful tracks that include "Video", "Brown Skin", "Back To The Middle", "Part Of My Life", "Always In My Head", and "Nature". CD also features a bonus Stevie Wonder dedication – "Wonderful"! CD

Badu takes the proud, righteous style of her underrated Mama's Gun album to an even deeper level on "Danger", the first single from her hugely-anticipated Worldwide Underground! In a NuSoul world that is so proudly and deeply rooted in rich soul traditions, Erykah continues to innovate and grow as both a writer and a vocalist, and it's that growth that makes her so compelling. "Danger" has her fragile, yet extroverted vocals way out front of some moody, staccato keys, a pulsing bass line, and sharp horns – all over programmed beats and soul claps that still manage to sound earthy and organic. There's nothing like this on the radio, OR in the underground right now – here's hoping Badu continues to nurture the global underground she's named her new album after! 12-inch, Vinyl record

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An amazing record that's as powerful as the political message of the title – the hippest record ever cut by Amiri Baraka, and that's saying a heck of a lot! Baraka delivers a long and complex set of poetic reflections on the state of Black America, spiritual awakening, and political redemption – set to musical backings that shift from funky, to jazz, to avant, and back again. Players on the set include Gary Bartz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Idris Muhammad, and Reggie Workman – and there's a host of additional players, percussionists, and vocalists that join Amiri in the delivery of his message. Titles include "Answers In Progress", "Peace In Place", "Bad News For Your Highness", "Was Gon Happen", "All In The Street", "Pamoja Tutashinda", and "Pull The Covers Off". One to listen to when you get past your Last Poets records! LP, Vinyl record album

BJ The Chicago Kid's second full length for Motown! BJ has a way of recalling classic Chicago soul in the earnest, emotional realness of his lyricism and relatively mellow style, which is a nicely grounding anchor given the modern overall aesthetic. It's a contemporary sound with a timeless soul at the center. BJ's years as a guest vocalist himself makes him such a great host for guest singers, MCs and producers on his own records, too – and this one features Anderson.Paak, Rick Ross, Afrojack and others with production by Danja, Cool & Dre, Karriem Riggins and more. Includes "Feel The Vibe" feat Anderson.Paak, "Champagne", "Get Away" feat JID, Buddy & Kent Jamz, "Tome Today", "Can't Wait", "Playa's ball" feat Rick Ross, "Too Good", "Close", "Rather Be With You", "Worryin' Bout Me" feat Offset, "Reach" feat Afrojack and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great later album from Bloodstone – recorded after their initial classics for London, but in a sweet and mellow soul mode that's totally outta site! Part of the strength of the set is the mighty Al Johnson – who provides arrangements here that push the group firmly into a more modern take on harmony soul, and which have a gentle groove that makes for plenty of sweet steppers and mellow midtempo groovers. The vocals are every bit as great as on the earlier albums – just given a brighter setting in which to shine. Titles include "Just Wanna Get The Feel Of It", "She Wants To Hear The Words", "It's Been A Long Time", "Throw A Little Loving My Way", "It's All Been Said Before", and "Don't Stop". CD

The Commodores tenth album – as you might guess from the big X on the cover – and a set that features some of the last great moments of Lionel Richie with the group! The album's a bit overlooked, but has a really great groove – kind of a middle ground between The Commodores' heavier funk and mellower ballads – served up here with the tight instrumentation that always made the group a self-contained standout – and arranged and produced to perfection by the great James Anthony Carmichael. Richie's lead is strong, but understated too – and titles include "Old Fashion Love", "Heroes", "Sorry To Say", "All The Way Down", "Wake Up Children", "Mighty Spirit", and "Celebrate". CD

A really mixed bag of grooves from the Crusaders – but still an album that's quite tasty if you dig their work on the Chisa label! The disc appears to be a greatest hits collection – with the "best" in the title – but it's more a summation of the styles they'd been digging on previous records, as some tracks feature a tight funky groove, others have a mellower electric one, and still others have a straight jazz approach. Highlights include the African-sounding "Time Has No Ending", the Sly Stone cover "Thank You Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin", and a nice reading of Wilton Felder's "Way Back Home". CD

A killer start to the 80s for the Dazz Band – with great tunes in a funky mode as well as more measured group soul numbers – and it all adds up one of their best albums ever! Tunes like the opener "Shake It", plus "Shake It Up" and "Magnetized" bring the funkier vibes – with a vamping guitar, thumping bass groove, punchy horns, and top notch vocals from the group – while tunes like the title track and "Beyond The Horizon" have a more soaring arrangement of horns and some strings,still with an impeccable core groove. It's not as smoothed out in the production booth as some of their later grooves of the 80s – a total gem! Other titles include " Skate Lovers", "Carry On", "Do It Again", "Do It Again", "Sooner Or Later" and "Beyond The Horizon". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer start to the 80s for the Dazz Band – with great tunes in a funky mode as well as more measured group soul numbers – and it all adds up one of their best albums ever! Tunes like the opener "Shake It", plus "Shake It Up" and "Magnetized" bring the funkier vibes – with a vamping guitar, thumping bass groove, punchy horns, and top notch vocals from the group – while tunes like the title track and "Beyond The Horizon" have a more soaring arrangement of horns and some strings,still with an impeccable core groove. It's not as smoothed out in the production booth as some of their later grooves of the 80s – a total gem! Other titles include " Skate Lovers", "Carry On", "Do It Again", "Do It Again", "Sooner Or Later" and "Beyond The Horizon". CD includes the bonus track single version of "Invitation Of Love". CD

Dazz Band keep it plenty live on this early 80s gem – a killer set from the group's hit run for Motown! The set's got a bouncy groove that's very much in the best Motown funk style at the time – lots of bass at the bottom, and plenty tight on production – but never as smooth or commercial as work from a few years later. The group balance things out well with a few mellower cuts – numbers that still have some sort of a groove, but one that's a bit more laidback, and which shows they're not just a funk-driven outfit. Titles include the massive hit "Let It Whip" – plus "Gamble With My Love", "Just Can't Wait 'Till The Night", "Shake What You Got", "Keep It Live", and "Let Me Love You Until". CD also features the bonus track "Let It Whip (12" version)". CD

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Why did Motown ever let the Four Tops get away? This album was their last for the label – and it's an excellent one, filled with soul, sweetness, and some of the best arrangements the group had in their later years! The soul component is super-high – with tight group instrumentation that reminds us of the best Philly backing combos of the same time, but leaner too – as Dennis Coffey and Wah Wah Ragin are on guitars, Jack Ashford handles percussion, and Leonard Caston adds some nice funky keyboards. The real talent, though, is the group – and Levi Stubbs is in fine fine form on cuts like "She's An Understanding Woman", "I Am Your Man", "If You Let Me", "Nature Planned It", "Walk With Me, Talk With Me Darling", and "Happy (Is A Bumpy Road)". Even includes a great version of Todd Rundgren's wonderful track "We Gotta Get You A Woman"! CD

Beautiful baroque soul from the Four Tops – and proof that the group could take any material and make it sound great! This Frank Wilson-produced set features a few Motown numbers by the group, but the real gems are actually the more familiar 60s pop hits – remade by the Tops in a style that works surprisingly well, thanks to some sparkling arrangements and the great vocals of Levi Stubbs! Arrangers include Wade Marcus, Gene Page, and Paul Riser – and the set features great versions of "Got To Get You Into My Life", "This Guy's In Love With You", "Light My Fire", and "California Dreamin" – plus the tracks "Look Out Your Window", "Nothing", and "Stop The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a divorce, watch out!) Although the album was thought of as a no-brainer quickie at the time – and predicted to fail so that Anna wouldn't get any cash from it – the record is an extremely well-crafted one, filled with extremely personal songs that also have a warm soulful finish, in the style of Marvin's work on the LP I Want You (which is kind of a nice bookend to this one – as it was an extended love poem to the young girlfriend that caused him to split up with Anna!) Hard and soulful, the record's a searing testimony to the relationship between Marvin and Anna, and a painful document of the troubles between them – set to some mellow grooves that are easily some of Marvin's greatest of the 70s! The set's filled with great "lost" Marvin Gay songs, too – like "Sparrow", "When Did You Stop Loving Me", "Anger", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You", and "Time to Get it Together". CD

Two lesser known albums by Marvin – but both great ones, not reissued on CD before and ones that we've always treasured on vinyl! There's a total of 24 cuts in all, and Marvin's really pushing the envelope of his 60s style here – on cuts that include "You", "Tear It On Down", "Chained", "You're What's Happening In The World Today", "One For My Baby", "Night Life", "I'll Be Doggone", "Take This Heart Of Mine", "Ain't That Peculiar", and "Hey Diddle Diddle". CD

Marvin Marvin Marvin – just when we thought you couldn't impress us any more, you took it to the next level! Trouble Man is a heck of a wonderful surprise from an artist that most folks really only knew as a singer – a fantastically funky blacksploitation soundtrack, conceived and composed by Marvin himself – and served up with some occasional vocals that work beautifully with the album's cool instrumental grooves! The set's easily one of Gaye's most righteous records ever – almost a second chapter to What's Going On, but more instrumental – and like that classic set, it really shows the whole new range of vision that Marvin was able to work in the studio. Gaye gets a bit of arranging help on some tracks from Gene Page and JJ Johnson – and the album's filled with great cuts – including the landmark "T Plays It Cool", plus other gems like "Don't Mess With Mister T", "Main Theme From Trouble Man", "The Break In", and "T Stands For Trouble". Very funky, very sophisticated, and very soulful! CD

A tremendous live performance from Marvin Gaye – recorded at the Kennedy Center in 1972, and based around his classic album What's Going On – yet handled in a completely different way! The set's not just a straight reading of the record – as the song order is different, and the presentation is unusual too – with Marvin at the piano, bringing a more intimate style to some of the songs – while also opening them up with looser, more fluid backings – all in ways that show us just how much was going on in his ever-fertile mind during this high point of creativity! The material was issued originally as a bonus CD of the deluxe release of the core album – but it stands proudly here on its own, in a new package that also offers up an even better mix of the music than before. Titles include "Wholy Holy", "Save The Children", "Right On", "Inner City Blues", "What's Going On", "Flyin High", and "God's Love" – plus a very cool 13 minute "Sixties Medley", which offers changed-up takes on Marvin Gaye tunes from the earlier years of Motown. CD

A tremendous live performance from Marvin Gaye – recorded at the Kennedy Center in 1972, and based around his classic album What's Going On – yet handled in a completely different way! The set's not just a straight reading of the record – as the song order is different, and the presentation is unusual too – with Marvin at the piano, bringing a more intimate style to some of the songs – while also opening them up with looser, more fluid backings – all in ways that show us just how much was going on in his ever-fertile mind during this high point of creativity! The material was issued originally as a bonus CD of the deluxe release of the core album – but it stands proudly here on its own, in a new package that also offers up an even better mix of the music than before. Titles include "Wholy Holy", "Save The Children", "Right On", "Inner City Blues", "What's Going On", "Flyin High", and "God's Love" – plus a very cool 13 minute "Sixties Medley", which offers changed-up takes on Marvin Gaye tunes from the earlier years of Motown. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest albums on Motown – and the only one ever cut by Eddie Holland! Eddie's best known as a producer, arranger, and songwriter – part of the holy Holland-Dozier-Holland trinity – but back in his early days, he was a soulful tenor, with a sound and style that was a bit like Jackie Wilson or Sam Cooke – high in range, but full of depth in feeling too – with a quality that makes this rare album a real treasure! The set's got a great early Motown feel all the way through – that perfect bridge between R&B and sou, but nice and tight, too – really moving forward through the strength of Holland's musical vision. Eddie produced along with William Stevenson – and titles include "Take A Chance On Me", "If Cleopatra Took A Chance", "Last Night I Had A Vision", "What About Me", and "Jamie", which was a relatively big single. LP, Vinyl record album