A motherlode of great funky tracks – one of the earliest of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats titles, filled with classic funk tracks that had a huge influence on the sound of early hip hop. And come to think of it, lots of these are still having a huge influence today! This fourth volume in the set has the red cover with the familiar logo on it. 6 tracks in all, the first 3 with edited/extended breaks: "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson, "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd, "I Think I'd Do It" by Z.Z. Hill, plus "Sing Sing" by Gaz, "Breakthrough" by Isaac Hayes, "Looking Out My Window" by Tom Jones, and "Funky Music Is The Thing" by Dynamic Corvettes in the original versions. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is a landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance by KRS-One. Importance aside, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang". CD

The classic opening salvo from The Jam! In The City finds the band in prime form right out of the, already blending their love of 60s beat and R&B with fast, infectious energy of first wave punk rock. They stood out from the pack tremendously back in the day, and that uniqueness kept the best of their records from ever aging a day – it's as incredible as ever! Includes "In The City", "I've Changed My Address", "Slow Down", "I Got In Time", "Away From The Numbers", their mod punk riff on Neal Hefti's "Batman Theme", "In The City", "Sounds From The Street", "Non-Stop Dancing", "Time For Truth" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Some Of My Best Friends. . .finds Kid Koala at the most wildly busy, farthest reaching, and all around craziest we've ever heard from the kid. Although he shares characteristics with other well known turntable wizards like Prince Paul, Cut Chemist, Mix Master Mike and the other cats, we've always got the feeling that KK was far more into the densely layered, found object artistry of the work than the actual club beat science part. This effort CERTAINLY gives that vibe – with lots of cut & paste sampled sounds and beats, wild style-straddling brilliance. Tracks include "Basin Street Blues", "Radio Nufonia", "Stompin' At Le Savoi", "Space Cadet 2", "Skanky Panky", "Flu Season", "Robochacha", "Annie's Parlor" and more. The CD also includes a 50 page comic book written and designed by Kid Koala! CD

An overstuffed collection of hip hop cuts from the west coast scene – one that brings together a big batch of classic cuts in a nicely extended space – all for a price that's mighty nice too! There's not too many obscure moments here – although there might be one or two tracks that are harder to find of late – but the collection more than delivers what it promises in the title, with a batch of 33 tracks from the catalogs of Jive, RCA, Epic, and Sony. Titles include "Ghetto Stardom" by Mac Mall, "G Slide" by Ka Nut, "Aww Sh*t" by The Alkaholiks, "Strap On The Side (street rmx)" by Spice 1, "Back Up Off The Wall" by 2nd II None, "Just Another Day" by Too Short, "Criminal Set" by Xzibit, "LIQ" by E-40, "Jeeps N Benzos" by Smooth, "Summer Breeze" by DJ Quick, "Hits From The Bong" by Cypress Hill, "Kalifornia" by Above The Law feat Kokane, "Get That Cheese" by Too Short with Roger Troutman, "All For The Money" by MC Eiht with CMW, "Bermuda Triangle" by Tash, "Growin Up In The Hood (Big OG Hood funky beat rmx)" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Get At Me" by The Comrads, "Hood Took Me Under" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Times Ain't Fair" by Souls Of Mischief, "Lost In Thought" by Funkdoobiest, and "X" by Xzibit with Snoop Dog. CD

A jazz soundtrack double-header – one that features both the small combo and larger band version of the soundtrack to The Sweet Smell Of Success! Part of the CD features the Chico Hamilton Quintet's album of music – a wonderful bit of cinematic jazz from the 50s. The combo was a key part of the LA scene at the time, but are oddly featured as a regular club act in the movie's New York setting – but we'll gladly forgive that geographic error, given that the music on the set is so great. The quality's a bit like some of the Hamilton Quintet work on World Pacific – but there's a slightly freer, more urgent feel here too – work that's sometimes somewhat driving, and beautifully blended from the guitar of John Pisano, clarinet of Paul Horn, cello of Fred Katz, piano of Carson Smith, and drums from Chico. Side one features a lot of short incidental cuts – like "Susan", "Cheek To Chico", "Jam", and "Night Beat" – and side 2 is an extended "Concerto Of Jazz Themes From The Soundtrack Of Sweet Smell Of Success". The second half of the CD features the full orchestral version of the Sweet Smell Of Success soundtrack – but done in a style that's almost as jazzy and swinging as the small combo one! Elmer Bernstein's at the helm here – and the music's a wonderful pastiche of modes that's right up there with his sublime score for The Man With The Golden Arm – done in a similar blend of driving jazz, somber moments, and some slightly more raucous touches! As with that album, the players are all great – and soloists on the album include Pete Candoli, Ted Nash, and Shelly Manne – west coast players despite the New York setting of the film, and playing here with a fair bit of grit in their groove. Titles include "The Street", "Hot Dogs & Juice", "Toots Shor's Blues", "Nite Spot Rock", "Love Scene", and "Out Of Darkness". CD

Def Jam must've been as high on Fishscale as the rest of the hip hop heads – as here's an official end of '06 addendum LP to the one of the better LPs from a Wu Tang alum in years! More Fish brings in a few more appearances by Ghost's Theodore Unit roster – with production by J-Live on the stellar opener "Ghost Is Back", plus more work by production work by MF Doom, Fantom Of The Beat, Hi Tek and Anthony Acid. Other tracks include "Miguel Sanchez" feat Trife Da God & Sun God, "Outta Town S**t", "Good" feat Trife & Mr Maygreen, "Street Opera" feat Sun God, "Block Rock", "Pokerface" feat Shawn Wigs, "Greedy Bi*ches" feat Redman & Shawn Wigs, "Blue Armor" feat Sheek Louch, "You Know I'm No Good" feat Amy Winehouse, the previously vinyl & download-only "Back Like That (rmx)" feat Kanye West & Ne-Yo and more! CD

One of the most street-worthy tracks ever issued by New Order – a record that's as much an important part of the Factory Records legacy as it is the early days of hip hop! There's a strongly breaking quality to the rhythms – given help from Arthur Baker – and the tune's got its own catchy vocal version, plus some instrumental and beat mixes too – plenty for the early DJs on the scene to cut and mix! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Not the first album from Too Short, but his first on a big label, and a set that undeniably set the tone for years of west coast hip hop to come! The record was a surprising Bay Area entry in a scene that was mostly rising up from LA – and although Too Short was always a bit more tied to his personal interest than a larger political stance, the overall approach definitely marks a certain spirit on the Cali scene! There's a nicely lean approach that sounds so great – drum machine beats, basslines, and the occasional cut or scratch – all the better to allow Too Short's street tales and profane rhymes pave the ground with singular power and charisma! Titles include "Freaky Tales", "Partytime", "You Know What I Mean", "Dope Fiend Beat", "Little Girls", "The Universal Mix", and "Playboy $hort II". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, maybe Breakin wasn't the most accurate, most faithful portrait of life on the streets in the early 80s – but the film was a great breakout moment for hip hop culture in the mainstream, and also helped sell the new style with a heavy dose of soul! The real stars here are Ollie & Jerry – who deliver two of the album's best tracks – "Breakin There's No Stoppin Us" and "Showdown" – but the set's also got some other great 80s soul and funk tracks – including "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Freakshow On The Dance Floor" by The Bar-Kays, the smooth club hit "99 1/2" by Carol Lynn Townes, "Body Work" by Hot Streak, "Street People" by Fire Fox, "Heart Of The Beat" by 3V, and "Reckless" by Chris "The Glove" Taylor – featuring vocals by a young Ice T! LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, maybe Breakin wasn't the most accurate, most faithful portrait of life on the streets in the early 80s – but the film was a great breakout moment for hip hop culture in the mainstream, and also helped sell the new style with a heavy dose of soul! The real stars here are Ollie & Jerry – who deliver two of the album's best tracks – "Breakin There's No Stoppin Us" and "Showdown" – but the set's also got some other great 80s soul and funk tracks – including "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Freakshow On The Dance Floor" by The Bar-Kays, the smooth club hit "99 1/2" by Carol Lynn Townes, "Body Work" by Hot Streak, "Street People" by Fire Fox, "Heart Of The Beat" by 3V, and "Reckless" by Chris "The Glove" Taylor – featuring vocals by a young Ice T! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance, courtesy the lyricism and delivery of KRS-One. Importance aside, though, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang". LP, Vinyl record album

A Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis classic – and key proof that their pairing with singer Cherrelle was a mighty good thing! Cherrelle's got a voice that's perfect for the beat-heavy approach of the pair – light enough to dance around the rhythms, but bold enough with a presence all its own, too – a quality that helps keep most of these tunes pretty darn catchy, while still staying in front of some of the blander mainstream soul of the time. The groove here is practically early new jack at times – with some great influences from hip hop and electro in the mix – and titles include "Looks Aren't Everything", "Affair", "Discreet", "Everything I Miss At Home", "Keep It Inside", "My Friend", and "What More Can I Do For You". Includes the bonus tracks "Affair (street dub - hip hop mix)" and "What More Can I Do For You (dub 2)". CD

A psych masterpiece – expanded! Count Five only ever recorded one album – the legendary 1966 Psychotic Reaction, an instantly powerful blend of fuzzy guitars, burn-out organ, and urgent rhythms – as important to the sound of Northern California as early Love records were to the sound of LA! The record alone is more than worth revisiting, but this tasty reissue package ups the ante to 24 tracks from the original 12 – including non-LP singles, unissued tracks, and even some early bits and demos. Plus, the whole thing's packaged with a huge booklet of notes on the group – getting way past the myths spread about them by Lester Bangs, and letting the members of the group tell their own short-lived story. Titles include "Double Decker Bus", "Contrast", "You Must Believe Me", "Psychotic Reaction", "The World", "She's Fine", "The Morning After", "Mailman", "Enchanted Flowers", "Revelation In Slow Motion", "Out In The Street", and "People Hear What I Say". CD

A huge package of work from one of the first true superstars in hip hop – amazing DJ Grandmaster Flash, his MCs in the Furious Five, and a few other surprising guests along the way! Rather than look at the work of Flash on an album-by-album basis – which would quickly take you into some of the lesser-tier material from later years – this package follows his development over the course of key singles – which are then presented with all sorts of rare mixes from various formats as well! There's also two full albums – the early Sugarhill releases The Message and the UK-only Work Party – but the other seven CDs in the collection are brilliant dissections of the singles – with 99 titles in all, that run through cuts that include "Super Rappin", "It's Nasty", "Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash", "Flash To The Beat", "White Lines", "Beat Street", "Step Off", "We Don't Work For Free", "The Message", "The Message II", "Scorpio", "Showdown", "New York New York", "Jesse", "World War III", "We Don't Work For Free", and lots lots more! CD

That's right, count 'em – 88 keys on the piano in all, and Ahmad does a pretty good job of hitting them all in this early album of piano virtuosity! The album's amazing – set the pace for a whole new generation of piano expressiveness, with a cool and earthy approach that also still has quite a bit of poise. The group features Walter Perkins on drums and Israel Crosby on bass – fantastic rhythm players both of them, giving the album a pulsating live that goes way beyond the simple format of the tunes! Titles include "Beat Out One", "Jim Love Sue", "Maryam", "Volga Boatman", and "Green Dolphin Street". LP, Vinyl record album

The mid 80s... when a song like this passed for politics in music! Forget the stupid message lyrics, though, and remember that Hardcastle cracked a lot of scenes with the cut – forging kind of a pop-political-street beat kind of groove. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Leave it to Soul Jazz to assemble another fine selection of grooves, bringing together a great batch of slick, jazz-inflected British disco tracks! It's the mid 70s and disco's four on the floor beat is starting to invade every part of the world, including the UK. The set's a wonderful cross section of songs, with nice less-heard nuggets by groups that hit it big in the charts like Heatwave's "Put The Word Out" and Imagination's "Burning Up", to loft classics like Atmosfear's "Dancing In Outerspace" and smooth soulful cuts like the Real Thing's "Children Of The Ghetto/Stanhope Street". A baker's dozen of crisp, modern jazz funk is included, with Soul Jazz's great attention to detail in every aspect of the package, including a nice set of liner notes that really puts everything in perspective. Other tracks include Hi Tension "British Hustle", the Olympic Runners "Solar Heat", Kandidate "What Are You Gonna Do?", a pre-Arthur Baker track from Freeez, "Southern Freeez", Central Line "Don't Tell Me", Gonzalez's fusion-y "Saocco", Light Of The World "London Town", Beggar & Co "Somebody Help Me Out" and FbI's "Talking About Love" with a few nice disco breaks in it! CD

Christmas classics sung by the stars of 77 Sunset Strip, Bronco, Lawman, Hawaiian Eye, and Bourbon Street Beat – including Connie Stevens, Poncie Pone, Eddie Cole, and Roger Moore! CD

A really wonderful Chess/Cadet session from the 60s – not the bop-styled record you might expect from the 52nd Street reference in the title! Instead, the whole thing's more of a cool Chicago take on soul jazz – with these great large arrangements from Richard Evans, backing strong solos in the lead from guitarist Kenny Burrell – sounding wonderful here, almost in a Verve Records 60s mode – floating over the top of a variety of material, both mellow and upbeat, all very groovy! Side one features the extended "Suite For Guitar & Orchestra" – and side two features "I Want My Baby Back", "Soulero", "Con Alma", and "Blues Fuse". LP, Vinyl record album

Beats by Evidence and The Architect. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Four incredible albums from Hammond legend Brian Auger – a key link between jazz and the headier sounds of the UK scene at the end of the 60s! First up is Open – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". Definitely What is a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Streetwise is filled great funky grooves by the legendary Trinity group – featuring excellent keyboard work by Brian Auger, recorded during the period when he was really beginning to stretch out a bit, and hit a much more open-ended kind of sound. Julie Driscoll is still on vocals, singing in her raw sound, but Brian's Trinity group gets a fair number of nice instrumental moments on the set – which are greatly appreciated! Titles include the classic and sample laden "Light My Fire", "Czechoslovakia", "Finally Found You Out", "In Search Of The Sun", "Ellis Island", "I've Got Life", and "Save The Country". Befour is the third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity – and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before – a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s – pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond organ, and featuring (this time around) some male lead vocals, which seem to give the album an even deeper feel than earlier work! Auger's included some great covers of American tunes like "I Want To Take You Higher", "Listen Here", and "Maiden Voyage" – all redone with some great Brit beat group touches – and the album also features a great take on Faure's "Pavane", and Auger's own "Just You Just Me". CD

Joyous 80s grooves from Charles Amoah of Ghana – a set that's maybe got all the same electro soul elements as indie sides from New York at the same time! Charles definitely has his ear to the streets with the beats – and the mix of those and the basslines is very much in the best old school hip hop and breakin modes – spare and focused use of drum machine lines, then warmed up by live basslines, keyboards, and guitars – plys Charles' own vocals in the lead! There's a really celebratory vibe to the whole thing – almost like some party on a block where the streets are shut down – and titles include two versions of "Shake Your Body To The Beat", plus "Sweet Vibration", "Our Love's On Fire", "Jungle Rock", "Scratch My Back", and "Fighting Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

Streetwise raps from Freddie Gibbs, backed by inventive production from Madlib – here on one of the best records yet on 'Lib's own Madlib Invazion imprint! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra riveting about Madlib's production work for straight shooting, street lingo slinging, no nonsense MCs. The freewheeling inspiration and bottomless depth of unpredictable sample funk is there, as always. It's leaner, tighter and with a thicker backdrop of beats. Gibbs is sharply on point throughout here, and if it seems like an oddball pairing at first glance, rest assured, these guys work GREAT together. Guests include Danny Brown – who drops some top shelf wordplay of his own on "High" – plus the Wu legend Raekwon on "Bomb", Domo Genius & Earl Sweatshirt on "Robes", Domo Genius, G-Whiz, Mac Miller and more on the title cut, and more. Other titles include "Supplier", "Scarface", "Deeper", "Harold's", "Thuggin'", "Real" and "Uno". LP, Vinyl record album

Streetwise raps from Freddie Gibbs, backed by inventive production from Madlib – here on one of the best records yet on 'Lib's own Madlib Invazion imprint! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra riveting about Madlib's production work for straight shooting, street lingo slinging, no nonsense MCs. The freewheeling inspiration and bottomless depth of unpredictable sample funk is there, as always. It's leaner, tighter and with a thicker backdrop of beats. Gibbs is sharply on point throughout here, and if it seems like an oddball pairing at first glance, rest assured, these guys work GREAT together. Guests include Danny Brown – who drops some top shelf wordplay of his own on "High" – plus the Wu legend Raekwon on "Bomb", Domo Genius & Earl Sweatshirt on "Robes", Domo Genius, G-Whiz, Mac Miller and more on the title cut, and more. Other titles include "Supplier", "Scarface", "Deeper", "Harold's", "Thuggin'", "Real" and "Uno". LP, Vinyl record album

Uncut, full version Jay Love Japan – one of the best of the early posthumous Dilla releases – originally slated exclusively for the Japanese market! This is Dilla in a mostly uptempo vibe, with soulful strings and vocal samples and blunt, snapping beats. There are a couple vocal appearances from Detroit fellows – Baatin of Slum Village and Ta'Raach – plus additional scratch work in a couple spots by Exile and and Ricci Rucker. Includes a short intro, "Yesterday", "Say It" feat Ta'Raach and scratches by Exile, "Oh Oh", "First Time" feat Baatin and scratches by Tha Ruckazoid, "In The Streets", "Feel The Beats", "Believe In God", "Can't You See" and "Say It". 2016 CD version includes 11 tracks in all! CD

The Little Brother knob twirler gives tracks from Nas's God's Son LP a remixed, instrumental makeover. The result is really only related to the Nas album in name and inspiration. 9th Wonder's production is all about jazzy mellow soul, not at all the tough-as-nails street hop Salaam Remi and others produced on God's Son. Stepson is much more akin to the kind of soul beats you heard on the Little Brother album. Nice! Includes "Get Down", "Made You Look", "Ether", "The Cross", "Hey Nas", "Warrior Song", "I Can" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A Def Jam classic from Tashan – and a record that really helped bridge the gap between male soul and hip hop in the 80s! The style's still as warm and soulful as most of Tashan's contemporaries, but the record definitely shows a bit of street soul in the rhythms too – often just a bit gentle, but prefacing the changes that would come more strongly in the next decade – an aspect that really made this one stand out from the rest! Tashan's vocals are in a classic romantic mode, but often set to beats that provide a nice contrast and a good sort of punch – a definite Def Jam mode that's famously heard on the title track. Titles include "Ooh We Baby", "So Much In Love", "I Don't Ever", "Love Is", "Read My Mind", "If Words Can Express", "Chasin A Dream", and "Strung Out On You". CD

Sweet keyboard grooves from Nkono Teles – a Nigerian musician who first got his start in the band of Tony Allen, but who sounds very different here on his own! Nkono's image on the cover gives you plenty of insight to the sound of the record – as the cuts are heavy on keyboards played by Teles, who also throws in some basslines and drum machine bits as well – all to serve up a lean take on Nigerian funk styles that would have been served up by a fuller band a few years before. Teles' style is great – warmer and more soulful than some of the colder synth pop from the South African scene – still very much in the best tradition of Nigerian grooves – and the set pulls together six tracks from his rare albums of the time – titles that include "Love Vibration", "Martin Street Special", "Love Got Hold On Me", "Hometown Weather", "Party Beats", and "Martin Street (new version)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of their great early collaborations – with titles that include "Streets Of Paradise", "The Poor Boy Is Taken Away", "Dimming Of The Day/Dargai", "Hard Luck Stories", "Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair", and "Beat The Retreat". CD

Ursula 1000 are unabashed lovers of all things mod and groovy – and the group are one of the most retro-fitted sets on the 18th Street Lounge label! The feel of this set should be obvious from the track titles alone – as tunes like "Boogaloop", "Beatbox Cha Cha", "Jackie Go", "Smokebomb", "Mucho Tequila", and "Samba 1000" groove together with a wash of bossa beats, Hammond riffs, and lots of Latinized touches! A bit cartoony, but very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is a sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is a sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

An early 90s classic from Naughty By Nature – still very much at the top of their game, and representing the New Jersey scene with that new sort of vibrancy that made Garden City hip hop rival some of the best NYC material for a few short years! The album's the group's third, and features unified production throughout from Kay Gee – and key guest appearances from Queen Latifah, Heavy D, and Freddie Foxxx. Titles include the classic anthem "Hip Hop Hooray" – plus "Ready For Dem", "Written On Ya Kitten", "It's On", "The Only Ones", "The Hood Comes First", "Daddy Was A Street Corner", "Hot Potato", and "Sleepin On Jersey". Lots of great bonus tracks too – including "Hip Hop Hooray (Pete Rock rmx)", "Hip Hop Hooray (ext mix)", "Written On Ya Kitten (Q Funk mix)", "Written On Ya Kitten (Shandi's smooth mix)", "It's On (Beatnuts rmx)", and "It's On (Sunship edit)". LP, Vinyl record album