How old was Foster Sylvers when he cut this record? Seven? Eight? Whatever the case, the little tyke forever changed the face of funky music with the incredible cut "Misdemeanor" – one of those chunky funky numbers that sounds like nothing else we've ever heard, and which has been in demand on the groove scene for years and years. The cut's simply amazing, and it kicks off a record that's pretty darn tasty all-around. Young Foster's singing in kind of a Jackson Five mode – but he's got some great arrangements by Jerry Peters, David Crawford, and King Errison that keep things pretty funky on many tracks, and nice and soulful on the rest. A good portion of the numbers are covers, but even those are done nicely. Titles include the classic "Misdemeanor", plus "I'm Your Puppet", "Hey Little Girl", "Mockingbird", "I'll Get You In The End", "Swooperman", "More Love", "Happy Face", "Lullabye/Uncle Albert", and "Only My Love Is True". LP, Vinyl record album

TThe first album by The Sylvers – a soulful band made up of youngsters from the Los Angeles scene, but who had a lot more going on than some of the other kiddie-soul bands of the early 70s! The group's a sextet at this point, with four male voices and two female ones – coming across as a sweet blend of tenor and soprano harmonies, in a similar mode to the Five Stairsteps – but maybe with a deeper, grittier vibe overall! The record has a solid sound and a funky groove that gives you a hint at what stars the kids would grow up to be – as not only The Sylvers would go on to crack the charts big, but members Leon and Foster would do some pretty great soul work on their own. Jerry Peters did arrangements on the best cuts – with that slightly messed-up groove that he brought to his best 70s work. The record includes the great funky sample cut "Fool's Paradise", which has a great intro that steps along with a fierce bongo sample! Also includes some nice mellower soul material – like "Wish That I Could Talk to You", "I Know Myself", and "Chaos". All that, and Jerry Butler production too! LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by The Sylvers – a soulful band made up of youngsters from the Los Angeles scene, but who had a lot more going on than some of the other kiddie-soul bands of the early 70s! The group's a sextet at this point, with four male voices and two female ones – coming across as a sweet blend of tenor and soprano harmonies, in a similar mode to the Five Stairsteps – but maybe with a deeper, grittier vibe overall! The record has a solid sound and a funky groove that gives you a hint at what stars the kids would grow up to be – as not only The Sylvers would go on to crack the charts big, but members Leon and Foster would do some pretty great soul work on their own. Jerry Peters did arrangements on the best cuts – with that slightly messed-up groove that he brought to his best 70s work. The record includes the great funky sample cut "Fool's Paradise", which has a great intro that steps along with a fierce bongo sample! Also includes some nice mellower soul material – like "Wish That I Could Talk to You", "I Know Myself", and "Chaos" – with bonus cuts "I'm Just A Lonely Soul", "Time To Ride", and "Come On Give Me A Chance". All that, and Jerry Butler production too! CD

A totally charming record from the wonderful Foster Sylvers – a set recorded back in the days when he was just a kiddie soul phenomenon in the Michael Jackson mode – with some great support from his sisters Pat and Angie! The set's got some of the same blend of sweet soul and sharper grooves as the best early Pride Records material by The Sylvers – thanks to beautiful arrangements from HB Barnum and Jerry Peters – both cats who know how to keep things interesting, so that even the mellowest vocal finds a way of coming out nice! Foster takes the lead on most tracks, but gets lots of harmony support from the girls – and although there's no hip hop sample here, as on his first solo record, the whole thing's got a very similar vibe – at a level that makes us wish he'd recorded a lot more as a kid. Titles include a great funky version of "Montego Bay" – plus "Hang On Sloopy", "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", "123", "I Fall In Love Every Day", "Caress Me Pretty Music", "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and "When I'm Near You". CD

The last in a trio of legendary early records by The Sylvers – a very hip group from the LA scene of the early 70s – and one that would go much greater fame in later years, but who maybe never sounded as great as on their first few records! There's a sharpness, a freshness here that gets way past most conventional group soul styles of the time – especially those used with younger acts – and The Sylvers already have a very keen ear for taking those special new changes in west coast soul, and working them to their best advantage – a mode they'd pursue even more strongly in later years, when they got some time of their own in the control booth with other artists. Here, though, they're a great vocal powerhouse upfront – serving up a lot of their own original material, and working with Michael Viner, of Incredible Bongo Band fame, on production. Titles include the excellent track "I Aim To Please", which has a good breakbeat intro, plus "TCB", "Love Over Mind", "Be My Love", "Am I Truly Yours", and "Could Be You". CD

The first album by The Sylvers – a soulful band made up of youngsters from the Los Angeles scene, but who had a lot more going on than some of the other kiddie-soul bands of the early 70s! The group's a sextet at this point, with four male voices and two female ones – coming across as a sweet blend of tenor and soprano harmonies, in a similar mode to the Five Stairsteps – but maybe with a deeper, grittier vibe overall! The record has a solid sound and a funky groove that gives you a hint at what stars the kids would grow up to be – as not only The Sylvers would go on to crack the charts big, but members Leon and Foster would do some pretty great soul work on their own. Jerry Peters did arrangements on the best cuts – with that slightly messed-up groove that he brought to his best 70s work. The record includes the great funky sample cut "Fool's Paradise", which has a great intro that steps along with a fierce bongo sample! Also includes some nice mellower soul material – like "Wish That I Could Talk to You", "I Know Myself", and "Chaos". All that, and Jerry Butler production too! LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing rough about these riders – as the album's a sweet second effort from Lakeside – Ohio funk given a sweet LA glow, thanks to the Solar Records power duo of Leon Sylvers and Dick Griffey! The Midwest/Cali bridge is perfect here – as there's lots of raw roots given a tight focus on the record – that move that not only made groups like Lakeside a key force in the evolution of funky soul at the end of the 70s, but also helped pave the way for a decade of music to come – and lots of later influence on hip hop as well! Titles include the super-funky "If You Like Our Music" – plus "Pull My Strings", "I Can't Get You Out Of My Head", "From 9:00 Until", "I'll Never Leave You", and "All In My Mind". CD

A trio of classic funky albums from Lakeside – with bonus tracks too! First up is Shot Of Love – Lakeside's first album for Solar – and the beginning of a very fruitful relationship for the band and the label! The record's a great one – cut long before the Solar funk sound had gotten cliched – and it includes a key early hit in the Solar sound, the band's "It's All The Way Live", a seven minute funky workout in the tight LA ensemble funk mode. Other tracks include "Given In To Love", "Time", "Visions Of My Mind", and "Shot Of Love". Rough Riders is a sweet second effort from Lakeside – Ohio funk given a sweet LA glow, thanks to the Solar Records power duo of Leon Sylvers and Dick Griffey! The Midwest/Cali bridge is perfect here – as there's lots of raw roots given a tight focus on the record – that move that not only made groups like Lakeside a key force in the evolution of funky soul at the end of the 70s, but also helped pave the way for a decade of music to come – and lots of later influence on hip hop as well! Titles include the super-funky "If You Like Our Music" – plus "Pull My Strings", "I Can't Get You Out Of My Head", "From 9:00 Until", "I'll Never Leave You", and "All In My Mind". Fantastic Voyage is a crowning achievement from Lakeside – one of the key albums to link Ohio funk roots with a smoother LA groove – all served up in a way that had limitless influence for years to come! Bass is definitely at the head of these arrangements, but there's plenty of great guitar too – riffing and scratching in a way that percolates the tunes wonderfully – keeping plenty of funk in the mix without falling into the too-uptight traps that sometimes mired other groups. But almost even better are the vocals – which are tight and well-placed – never an afterthought, but always a key part of the groove, thanks to plenty of great hooks that really send the tunes home! Titles include "Eveready Man", "Say Yes", "Strung Out", "Fantastic Voyage", "I Need You", and "Your Love Is On The One". CD package features bonus 7" mixes of "It's All The Way Live", "Pull My Strings", "From 9:00 Until", "Fantastic Voyage", and "Your Love Is On The One". CD

A wonderfully well-rounded set from superstar arranger Gene Page – quite possibly his most fully-formed album as a lead act on his own! The set's got some great standout groovers – the kind of club cuts that have the vibe that Gene was doing well for so many others – and it's also got some mellow moments served up with a depth that's almost unexpected – thanks partly to some great vocals from Merry Clayton, Phyllis St James, and Charmaine Sylvers – all of whom help the album shine. Tracks are penned by Leon Ware, Leon Sylvers, Ray Parker Jr, and Joe Sample – and titles include "With You In The Night", "Second Time Around", "Put A Little Love In Your Lovin", "Love Starts After Dark", "You Are The Meaning Of This Song", and "I Wanna Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Love for Love, but still a pretty groove-heavy set too – one that continues the mix of "dancin and romancin" The Whispers served up on their previous album! Side one is heavy on "dancin" – and features some bass-heavy tunes that are very much in the best mainstream LA soul modes of the time – production by the group and Leon Sylvers, all in a sound that's heavy on basslines and keyboards, but which still has harmonies that are way ahead of most of the group's younger contemporaries! These harmonies come into play even more strongly on the "romancin" side of the record – a batch of ballads that have The Whispers in the mellower territory that first got them started – updated slightly here with an early 80s soul vibe, but sung with proof that the quintet were still at the top of the harmony game. Titles include "Tonight", "Keep On Lovin Me", "This Time", "Had It Not Been For You", "Try It Again", "Lay It On Me", and "Keep Your Love Around". CD features bonus tracks – "Tonight (single)", "Keep On Lovin Me (single)", and "This Time (single)". CD

The sound's not entirely mellow – as LA's Solar Records was a label that was pretty dedicated to a groove – but the set does mix in some of the label's great midtempo cuts alongside its better-remembered groovers – all in a great summation of the sound and style that made the company a real powerhouse of west coast soul! The collection covers a good range of the label's strongest acts, and there's some nice surprises along the way, not just the Solar hits – as tracks include "Shine The Light" by Collage, "A Song For Donny" by The Whispers, "Call Me" by Bill Wolfer, "Charlie" by Carrie Lucas, "Two Occasions" by the Deele, "Computer Love" by Cat Miller, "Groovin" by Collage, "I Want To Love You Tonight" by Klymaxx, "Personality" by Dynasty, "Floating With The Tide" by Ralph Butler, "Come Back Lover Come Back" by The Sylvers, "Slow Jam" by Midnight Star, and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by Lakeside. CD

A solid smoker from the SOS Band – maybe one of the group's best-remembered albums, and for good reason too! The set's got a groove that's beautiful right from the start – 80s funk that's really a cut above, and touched with just the right mix of jazzy elements and warmer moments too – giving the whole record a much more balanced feel than similar efforts of the time! Production is from Ricky Sylvers and Gene Dozier – the latter of whom we especially love, and who no doubt helps bring his years of soulful experience into the great sound of the set. Titles include "You Shake Me Up", "Have It Your Way", "Your Love", "High Hopes", "Good & Plenty", and "Groovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funk from a legendary label – even if it was just sort of an offshoot imprint at the time! Pride issued a handful of albums back in the early 70s, most in partnership with MGM – but nearly every one of the company's records is a well-remembered gem with funk collectors all these many years later – as Pride had a great way of keeping the grooves sharp, even when the tunes had sweeter vocals over the top! This 20 track set is a fantastic selection of tunes from the short years of Pride – both vocal and instrumental numbers, with titles that include "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby" by Jimmy Smith, "Kiburi (part 1)" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Misdemeanor" by Foster Sylvers, "Melinda Latino" by Jerry Butler, "If You Can't Satisfy" by Hetti Lloyd, "Fool's Paradise" by The Sylvers, "Simple Things" by Lady Lee, "Why Can't We Live Together" by Jimmy Smith, "Only One Can Win" by The Sylvers, "Whatever's Fair" by Billy Butler & Infinity, "Part 3" by Jerry Butler & Jerry Peters, "Grief Sorry Pain & Woe" by Hetti Lloyd, "More Love" by Foster Sylvers, and "We Can Make It If We Try" by The Sylvers. CD

A solid smoker from the SOS Band – maybe one of the group's best-remembered albums, and for good reason too! The set's got a groove that's beautiful right from the start – 80s funk that's really a cut above, and touched with just the right mix of jazzy elements and warmer moments too – giving the whole record a much more balanced feel than similar efforts of the time! Production is from Ricky Sylvers and Gene Dozier – the latter of whom we especially love, and who no doubt helps bring his years of soulful experience into the great sound of the set. Titles include "You Shake Me Up", "Have It Your Way", "Your Love", "High Hopes", "Good & Plenty", and "Groovin". Great reissue – with bonus tracks that include "High Hopes (edit)", "Good & Plenty (7" version)", "Good & Plenty (12" version)", "Groovin (special version)", and "Your Love (US 12" version)". CD