The hit sounds of Stax in the post-Atlantic years, and a great compilation featuring a good mix of soul singles from the label's still-strong output! Includes the funky funky "Son Of Shaft" by The Bar Kays, plus "The Look Of Love" by Isaac Hayes, "The Breakdown" by Rufus Thomas, "I Don't Wanna Lose You" by Johnnie Taylor, "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers, "Starting All Over Again" by Mel & Tim, and "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by The Dramatics. LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield is a hell of a singer – as most folks know from his work in the Impressions, and his later solo classics of the 70s – and he's also a hell of a songwriter too, one who was very generous with his magical material, right from the start! Back in the 60s, Curtis was sharing his songs with other up-and-coming soul singers on the Chicago scene – some of whom he was also producing in the studio, as well – and as the decade moved into the 70s, others were soon picking up Mayfield's tunes – both for their ability to deliver a personal message, and for the larger political agenda that was always in the music too! This really well-done collection brings together two dozen of Curtis' best songs, handled by other folks – mostly from the 60s and early 70s, but with a few surprises from later years too – all supported with a really great collection of notes and other information too. Titles include "Man's Temptation" by the Jackson 5, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, "Rainbow (alt)" by Gene Chandler, "Monkey Time" by The Miracles, "I'm So Proud" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "That's What Love Will Do" by The Gaylads, "Never Stop Loving Me" by Keni Burke, "I've Been Trying" by Jerry Butler, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's All Over" by Walter Jackson, "Mama Didn't Lie" by The Orlons, "He Will Break Your Heart" by Freddie Scott, "People Get Ready" by Dionne Warwick, "Need To Belong" by Isaac Hayes, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "Let's Do It Again (single edit)" by The Staple Singers, "Look Into Your Heart (single edit)" by Aretha Franklin, and "The Makings Of You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. CD

It's Wu-Tang's world, and we just live in it – as we're reminded again by this great series of older funky cuts sampled by the group! As with other volumes, most of these numbers emerged at some point or another in Wu-Tang and related productions – but this set presents the full original songs, unmixed – a pretty damn great blend of 70s funky soul on its own, even if you've never had an ear for hip hop! Artists are a great mix of soul stars and underground legends – and titles include "What The World Needs Now" by Carla Thomas, "I Get High" by Freda Payne, "Get Myself High" by The Dynamics, "That's All Right With Me" by Esther Phillips, "Intimate Friends" by Eddie Kendricks, "Ain't Got The Love Of One Girl" by The Ambassadors, "Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do" by Betty Wright, "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines, "I'm Your Mechanical Man" by Jerry Butler, "Have Mercy On Me" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Here I Go Again" by Jean Plum, "Let's Do It Again" by Staple Singers, "Only One Can Win" by The Sylvers, "Don't Make The Good Girls Go Bad" by Della Humphrey, "Dead" by Carolyn Sullivan, "Trouble" by Brenton Wood, "Float On (single edit)" by Floaters, "I Wish You Were Here" by Al Green, and "A Good Man Is Gone" by Monk Higgins & Alex Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from The Staple Singers, Eric Clapton, Al Green, The Doobie Brothers, Argent, The Chi-Lites, Three Dog Night, The Hollies, The O'Jays, Elton John, Alice Cooper, Bill Withers, Raspberries, and more - 19 songs in all. CD

One of the most iconic rock and roll shows of all time – the late 70s farewell to The Band, captured by Martin Scorcese in a famous film of the same name – and presented on record in a package that really lives up to the majesty of the moment! In the world of 2LP live sets of the 70s, the 3LP presentation gave the group even more space to stretch out and say their goodbyes to the world – while also opening the door up for a large lineup of guests who include The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, Ron Wood, Van Morrison, Dr John, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, and other well-chosen artists who allow the group to show off their roots and inspirations while also wrapping things up. Robbie Robertson produced, and the whole thing is pretty darn iconic from start to finish – on titles that include "The Last Waltz", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Shape I'm In", "Down In South New Orleans", "Forever Young", "I Shall Be Released", "Rag Mama Rag", "Further Up The Road", "Dry Your Eyes", "Evangeline", and "The Weight". LP, Vinyl record album

A special 50th Anniversary set of the legendary Wattstax Concert in 1972 – a magical music moment that had the Memphis soul powerhouse Stax Records filling the Los Angeles Coliseum with some of its best artists – all to celebrate the pride and power of the community in Watts! This set features a distillation of the much longer concert, along with one never-issued track – titles that include "Baby" by Carla Thomas, "Old Time Religion" by The Golden 13, "I've Been Lonely For So Long" by Frederick Knight, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "I'll Take You There" by Staple Singers, "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays, "Hearsay" by Soul Children, "The Breakdown" by Rufus Thomas, "Ain't That Loving You" by David Porter, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Explain It To Her Mama" by The Temprees, "Precious Lord Take My Hand" by Deborah Manning, "I Am Somebody" by Jesse Jackson, and "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes – plus the never-issued "I Shall Not Be Moved" by Eric Mercury. CD

A great tribute to the songwriting skills of Laura Nyro – presented here in a package that features key covers from some of Nyro's contemporaries, and which also includes a surprising amount of soul music too! Laura's one of those key 60s talents who started writing for others, then got the chance to spread her wings on her own – and while her own recordings have really continued to reach new audiences over the decades, it's great to have a package like this to remind us of Nyro's songwriting roots! The set's mostly heavy on material from the late 60s and early 70s – with a fair bit of female soul tunes in the mix – and it also includes a few more contemporary numbers that come as a nice surprise. Like others in Ace's "songwriter" series, the production and packaging is great – and titles include "Stoney End" by The Blossoms, "Time & Love" by The Supremes, "Wedding Bell Blues" by Bobby Gentry, "Captain St Lucifer" by Melba Moore, "Save The Country" by Thelma Houston, "Lazy Susan" by Liane Carroll, "He's A Runner" by Mama Cass, "Buy & Sell" by Nnena Freelon, "Lonely Women" by Linda Hoyle, "Eli's Coming" by Friends Of Distinction, and "Stoned Soul Picnic" by Staple Singers. CD

Muusic from the Dramatics, Bill Withers, Laura Lee, the Dells, the Persuaders, the 8th Day, the Free Movement, Isaac Hayes, Lou Rawls, the Staple Singers, and more. CD

A landmark double-live album that was easily one of the most important soul record moments of the 70s! The concert was an all-star event held in LA to celebrate the anniversary of the Watts riots – but it features a killer lineup of talent from the roster of Stax Records – by then a proud independent with more than enough power to spread a nationwide message from Memphis to Los Angeles without any trouble! The record is nicely segmented – so that it offers up mini "sets" by each artist – really recreating the feel of the event, at a level that lived on in countless living rooms long after the concert was over. Titles include "Son Of Shaft/Feel It" and "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays; "Ain't No Sunshine" by Isaac Hayes, "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" and "Hearsay" by The Soul Children, "I Like What You're Doing To Me" and "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas; "The Breakdown" and "Do The Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas, "Killing Floor" and "Angel Of Mercy" by Albert King"; "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers; and "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd. Also includes 2 studio tracks recorded after the show – "Oh La De Da" by The Staple Singers, and "Lay Your Loving On Me" by Eddie Floyd. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD