A lost legacy of work from Black Jazz Records – the important 70s imprint that's best known for its groundbreaking albums of spiritual and funky jazz – and a company who also issued some rare 45s back in the day! The cuts here represent some of the coolest, funkiest tracks these artists recorded for Black Jazz – all originally issued as 7" singles, some with a two-part approach that has both parts of a longer track spread out over both sides of the wax. The presentation here is as top-shelf as the other Black Jazz reissues handled by Real Gone – complete with notes by Pat Thomas – and titles include "Little B's Poem" and "Peace" by Doug & Jean Carn, "Chi Town Theme" by Cleveland Eaton, "Soul Daddy" and "Be All Your Own" by Kellee Patterson, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Me & Mrs Jones" by Gene Russell, "Coral Keys (parts 1 & 2)" by Walter Bishop, "Moon Child (parts 1 & 2)" by Doug Carn, "Mr TJ (single edit)" and "Devon Jean" by Rudolph Johnson, "Gee Gee (parts 1 & 2)" by Calvin Keys, and "Powerhouse (parts 1 & 2)" by Chester Thompson. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic tracks from one of the greatest songwriting teams in soul music during the 60s and 70s – the legendary trio of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland – two of whom started out as soul singers, and all three of whom left behind a huge legacy on the Detroit scene! And while the trio were a famous part of Motown before moving off to start their own HDH family of labels, the work here also expands past those roots and includes some other gems that really show the wide reach of their music – including some non-soul titles that stack up here as a real surprise! As always with Ace Records, the notes tell the huge story behind the music, along with a great set of vintage images – and the package features 24 tracks in all, with titles that include "Band Of Gold (unedited alt version)" by Freda Payne, "There's A Ghost In My House" by The Fall, "New Breed Kind Of Woman" by Lamont Dozier, "Come & Get These Memories" by Laura Nyro, "Leaving Here" by Eddie Holland, "Come See About Me" by Barbara Mason, "Helpless" by Kim Weston, "A Love Like Yours" by Dusty Springfield, "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Vanilla Fudge, "This Old Heart Of Mine" by Bettye Swann, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Isley Brothers, "Don't Do It" by The Band, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "How Sweet It Is" by Brenda Lee, and "Where Did Our Love Go" by Donnie Elbert. CD

A really wonderful collection – an important re-investigation of the unusual mix of sounds and styles on the New York scene in the years after disco – a time when funk, punk, hip hop, and art were all colliding at once – providing a really fresh antidote to the staid sounds of Studio 54! The "disco" in the title should be taken lightly – as these cuts didn't play at the slick uptown dance spots – but were instead the soundtrack for the cool spots happening downtown, as the previous loft culture morphed into clubs, in this very special blend of the energy of CBGB and the underground soulful dancefloors. The set list is filled with classics from this time – and titles include "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, "Tell You Today (voc)" by Loose Joints, "Walking On Thin Ice (re-edit)" by Yoko Ono, "Over & Over" by Material, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players, "Kiss Me Again (original edit)" by Dinosaur, "Move" by Nicky Siano, "School Bell/Tree House" by Indian Ocean, "I Walk" by Don Cherry, "Voices Inside My Head" by Common Sense, and "Wheel Me Out" by Was Not Was. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Oh No", "Sail On", "Lady", "Machine Gun", "Easy", "Riding High", "Three Times A Lady", "Painted Picture", and "Brick House". LP, Vinyl record album

The great one blows in a sweet 50s modern harbop mode – in a group with Red Rodney on trumpet, Albert Dailey on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. Titles include "Little Chico", "Social Call", "Half Nelson", "Greenhouse", "Darn That Dream", and "Casbah". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from one of our all-time favorite producers in soul music – the legendary Norman Whitfield, the man who helped some of Motown's artists pick up a new sort of righteous sound at the end of the 60s, before moving on to start his own Whitfield label in the 70s! If you don't know Norman, you definitely know his work – as he's the cat responsible for adding heavy basslines and fuzzy guitars to Detroit soul – picking up on some of the wider musical changes in the Motor City, and using them to push more message-oriented tracks into the scene! Yet Norman wasn't just a 60s powerhouse – as when the 70s approached, he found a way to expand and refine that sound, keeping it fresh in so many different ways – as you'll hear here in this really well-done collection of his best recordings, supported by very detailed notes as well. Tracks include "I Saw You When You Met Her" by The Undisputed Truth, "Ooh Boy" by Rose Royce, "And All Hell Broke Loose" by Willie Hutch, "I've Been Waitin (single version)" by Spyder Turner, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Come With Me (single version)" by Rare Earth, "Just One Love" by Stargard, "Wishing On A Star" by Jr Walker, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Rose Roce, "Love Is What You Make It" by Masterpiece, "Good Lovin" by Mammatapee, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone (single version)" by The Temptations, "War" by Edwin Starr, "It Should Have Been Me" by Yvonne Fair, "Me & Rock & Roll Are Here To Stay" by David Ruffin, and "Psychedelic Shack (single version with intro)" by The Temptations. CD

Diana Ross gets some great assistance on this set – the club classic team of Ashford & Simpson, who help give Diana a groove that's very much like their own great work of the time! Tunes are long and clubby, but never throwaway pop disco – and with Ashford & Simpson at the helm, Diana Ross sounds better here than on most of her other late 70s work! There's a tight-stepping groove to most numbers – never too fast, and exploding with that fuller soulful undercurrent we love so much in Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "No One Gets The Prize", "The Boss", "All For One", "I Ain't Been Licked", "It's My House", "Sparkle", and "Once In The Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

The Supremes take on the classy Copa nightclub – and really bring down the house with a stunning mix of warmth, charm, and soul! The record's perhaps one of the "livest" of Motown live albums from the time – done in a spread-out style that features a lot more songs than some of their other live records, really giving the full scope of the show at the club. Plus, there's lots of crowd noise, bits of speaking from the girls, and an overall approach that's fluid and natural – very much a concert on record! Titles include "The Boy From Ipanema", "Put On A Happy Face", "I Am Woman", "Baby Love", "Sam Cooke Medley", "Queen Of The House", and "Back In My Arms Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul from the house of Holland-Dozier-Holland – some of the best bits from their Invictus powerhouse label of the early 70s – definitely a scene-setting imprint at the time! Invictus had some of the deepest grooves ever recorded by the trio – heavy, rumbling bottom sounds – soaring vocal passages – and production that took the Motown lessons of the late 60s to a whole new level. The package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Crumbs Off The Table" by The Glass House, "Band Of Gold" and "Bring The Boys Home" by Freda Payne, "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and "Everything's Tuesday" by The Chairmen Of The Board, "You've Got To Crawl" and "She's Not Just Another Woman" by The 8th Day, and "I Had It All" by The Barrino Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album

A real classic from Chip E with a wonderfully soulful vibe! Female lead vocals make the tune a fuller, richer one than it might be from just the stark handclap beats and basslines – and Lidell Townsell handles the house remix, which is superb – and really shows his strong ear for a vamping trancing groove! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A classic self-titled set from The Commodores – not their debut album, but a record that really broke them out of the box and exposed the group to a huge new audience! The album hits perfectly on both sides of the group's strengths – the tight ensemble funk on which they were raised, and some of the sweeter aspects that were showing up as Lionel Richie emerged as the solo male singing star – not nearly as cheesy here as in later years, and a surprisingly nice element to offset the heavier funk. Titles include the funky classic "Brick House", the mellow hit "Easy", and the cuts "Squeeze The Fruit", "Zoom", "Funky Situation", "Won't You Come Dance With Me", "Funny Feelings", "Heaven Knows", and "Patch It Up". CD

A well-timed Greatest Hits set for The Commodores – because it came out in 1978, and captures the group at their best early prime! This is the stuff that made the group great long before they lapsed into cliches and soft adult contemporary pap – and a number of tracks here have a fair bit of funk in the mix, something that will come as a surprise if you only know the group's later hits. Titles include "Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Slippery When Wet", "Machine Gun", "Just To Be Close To You", "Too Hot Ta Trot" – and yes, ok, the record does include "Three Times A Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

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! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 12" single with one of Willie Hutch's greatest tracks! The driving funky groove of "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" was one of the best things about the film The Mack – and the cut's been a classic for years with just about everyone, from funk fans, to hip hoppers, to early house folks, who played the track like mad! "In & Out" is less good, but still decent enough. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A nice mid 90s collection of Diana Ross tunes, all done up in house versions by Frankie Knuckles, Satoshi Tomiie, David Morales, E Smoove, Steve Silk Hurley, Maurice Joshua and others. 7 tracks in all: "The Boss", "Love Hangover", "Upside Down", "Soeday We'll Be Together", "Chain Reaction", "You're Gonna Love It" and "I'm Coming Out". CD

Some of the most compelling grooves the Talking Heads ever recorded – a set that sparkles with imaginative touches, and railroads forward on a wave of complicated rhythms! The sound is brilliant throughout – a genre-less approach that sheds the group's earlier art nerd aesthetic for one that's clearly influenced by late 70s funk and club – but takes that influence in a whole new direction! The whole thing's even fresher than some of the artier downtown moments that bubbled around at the time – as David Byrne and the group actually managed to cross over big with the record – hitting not only urban markets, but also getting some play from the classic rock crowd too. Brian Eno produced, and co-wrote the songs with the group – and some great Green World-esque electronics bubble through the mix, and hold the whole thing together beautifully. Titles include "Houses In Motion", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Great Curve", "Crosseyed & Painless", "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)", "Listening Wind", "Seen & Not Seen", and "The Overload". CD

Some of the most compelling grooves the Talking Heads ever recorded – a set that sparkles with imaginative touches, and railroads forward on a wave of complicated rhythms! The sound is brilliant throughout – a genre-less approach that sheds the group's earlier art nerd aesthetic for one that's clearly influenced by late 70s funk and club – but takes that influence in a whole new direction! The whole thing's even fresher than some of the artier downtown moments that bubbled around at the time – as David Byrne and the group actually managed to cross over big with the record – hitting not only urban markets, but also getting some play from the classic rock crowd too. Brian Eno produced, and co-wrote the songs with the group – and some great Green World-esque electronics bubble through the mix, and hold the whole thing together beautifully. Titles include "Houses In Motion", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Great Curve", "Crosseyed & Painless", "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)", "Listening Wind", "Seen & Not Seen", and "The Overload". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most compelling grooves the Talking Heads ever recorded – a set that sparkles with imaginative touches, and railroads forward on a wave of complicated rhythms! The sound is brilliant throughout – a genre-less approach that sheds the group's earlier art nerd aesthetic for one that's clearly influenced by late 70s funk and club – but takes that influence in a whole new direction! The whole thing's even fresher than some of the artier downtown moments that bubbled around at the time – as David Byrne and the group actually managed to cross over big with the record – hitting not only urban markets, but also getting some play from the classic rock crowd too. Brian Eno produced, and co-wrote the songs with the group – and some great Green World-esque electronics bubble through the mix, and hold the whole thing together beautifully. Titles include "Houses In Motion", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Great Curve", "Crosseyed & Painless", "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)", "Listening Wind", "Seen & Not Seen", and "The Overload". LP, Vinyl record album

A tightly funky set from The Temptations – a record that has the group still standing strong in the post-Norman Whitfield years – working here with producer Jeffrey Bowen in a groove that's almost got some P-Funk touches at times! Things are somewhat polished, but still in the best mainstream funk mode of the time – and in a way, the record's almost a blueprint for the style that so many California groups would pick up in the next few years – upbeat grooves, often driven with some heavy bass at the bottom, but still with enough room for well-crafted vocals on the top. Arrangements are by James Carmichael on most tracks – and the backing group includes Wah Wah Ragin and Eddie Hazel on guitar, both of whom get plenty of space to work out on the set. Tracks include the instrumental "Happy People" – plus "Glass House", "Shakey Ground", "The Prophet", "A Song For You", "Firefly", and "I'm A Bachelor". CD

An overlooked Motown nugget from the early 80s – the smoking debut of Gene Van Buren! Gene's a fully-formed artist right from the get-go – writing and producing the set with a rich, mature groove that's totally great – some of the upbeat funky soul tracks that were Motown's biggest asset in the early 80s, mixed with some even better mature moments that are especially wonderful – that sort of all-adult soul approach the label would take on more strongly later in the decade, showcased beautifully here by Van Buren's talents. The groovers have a bit of electro touches – usually some mini-moog keyboards – and the mellower ones have a warmer sound that really rounds things out nicely. Titles include "When Is My Turn", "Enjoy Yourself", "I Love You More", "Rock The House", "One", "I Give Good Love", "What's Your Pleasure", and "Action". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie – as this sweet little set features 101 Northern Soul classics – a treasure trove of upbeat soul from the 60s – with lots of rare cuts, obscure groovers, and the kinds of tracks that always got more play on UK dancefloors than back home here in the US! For the price, the set is a hell of a collection – and features killer classics from labels that include Motown, Chess, Philips, MGM, and other vintage imprints – with a nice degree of overlooked cuts that have only been discovered by the northern scene in more recent years. Titles include "Til You Were Gone" by Frank Wilson, "Love Love Love" by Bobby Hebb, "Stop Her On Sight" by Edwin Starr, "What More Could A Boy Ask For" by The Spinners, "Can't Satisfy" by The Impressions, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by Darrell Banks, "Why Am I Lovin You" by Debbie Dean, "The Night" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, "I Got A Feelin" by Barbara Randolph, "Heaven Must Have Sent You" by The Elgins, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, "Trampoline" by Spencer Davis Group, "Nothing Left To Give" by Thelma Houston, "Baby I Miss You" by Tommy Good, "I've Been Blessed" by Bobby Taylor, "Look What You Done Boy" by The Lollipops, "Friday Night" by Johnny Taylor, "Baby I Love You" by Howard Tate, "Helpless" by Kim Weston, "Moody woman" by Jerry Butler, "There's A Ghost In My House" by R Dean Taylor, "Ordinary Joe" by Terry Callier, "Wade In The Water" by Marlena Shaw, "Drop In The Bucket" by Mary Wells, "Baby A Go Go" by Barbara McNair, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "Run For Cover" by The Dells, "Battened Ships" by Odyssey, "Nothing But A Heartache" by The Flirtations, "Sure Is A Lotta Woman" by The Isley Brothers, and "Keep On Lovin Me" by Francis Nero. CD

A stunningly soulful Holiday set – one that goes way past the overplayed Christmas soul tunes of the 70s and 80s, and which has a lot fresher feel than a Christmas Slow Jams set as well! Most of the numbers here are contemporary, and are a mix of Neo Soul artists from the underground, and a few favorite voices from years past – all represented in a batch of tracks that are mighty darn great, and will help your December listening get way past "This Christmas" and Motown Holiday records! Titles include "Give Me A Star" by Bebe & Cece Winans, "Christmas At My House" by Rahsaan Patterson, "Thank You" by Ledisi, "Christmas Day" by Frank McComb, "It's Not Really Christmas" by Trina Broussard, "A Love Letter Christmas" by R Kelly, "Christmas Time Is Here" by Jeffrey Osborne, "Cold Winter In The Ghetto" by Lonnie Hill, "December 25th" by Rosie Gaines, "Christmas Love & You" by Will Downing, "A Kiss For Christmas" by Luther Vandross, and "Christmas Of Emotions" by Eddie Sea with Shauntia Toussaint. CD

Incredibly fluid work from the Gordon Beck trio of the late 60s – and powerhouse ensemble that featured Tony Oxley on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass. The tunes are all originals by Beck, and played in a style that has lots of the free and introspective styles that were percolating in the European piano underground at the time – almost like the work of Steve Kuhn, in that Beck opens up nicely, but never seems to go too far outside – and is as concerned with weaving tapestries of tone and color as he is with exploring new sounds and space. Great stuff all around, and a key look at an oft-overlooked player! Titles include "Miss T Fying", "Gyroscope", "Clusters", "Suite No 1", and "Sincerity". CD

A triumphant return for The Gorillaz – as improbably (impossibly!?) brilliant as ever! Much like the real life post-millennium culture we all inhabit, The Gorillaz exist in a world both virtual and physical – with artist and conceptualist Jamie Hewlett, singer/guiding force Damon Albarn, producer Twilite Tone and others providing a mood and aesthetic framework for an amazing roster of guest singers, rhymers and musicians on this one, who all really contribute a lot – especially to the lyricism and writing. Given the stylistically sprawling guests – both prominently billed and even more further behind the scenes – it's really impressive how well it holds together so cohesively from beginning-to-end. Way more than a cartoony supergroup, but you knew that already! Guests include Peven Everett, Mavis Staples, Danny Brown, Grace Jones, De La Soul and more, with an overall vibe Titles include "Ascension" with Vince Staples, "Strobelight" with Chicago indie soul legend in-the-making Peven Everett (and honestly one of the standout tracks, we're not just saying that out of hometown pride), "Momentz" with De La Soul, "Carnival" with Anthony Hamilton, "Let Me Out" with Mavis Staples & Pusha T, "Charger" with Grace Jones, "Submission" with Danny Brown & Keleta, "We Got The Power (Version 2:18:482) with Jehnny Beth (of Savages) and many more. 2CD deluxe edition includes a bonus CD with extra tracks – including "Halfway To A Halfway House" with Peven Everett, "Ticker Tape" with Carly Simon (!!!) & Kali Uchis and more. CD

A classic set from Christopher Williams – one of the richest-voiced singers in his generation of mainstream R&B – with a sensual warmth that goes back to the glory days of the 70s, but tuned a bit more towards that new jack aesthetic! Williams is also an actor – known for his work in New Jack City – and maybe that quality brings a bit more emotional depth to his presentation here – as Christopher's clearly a vocalist who's not going to sit back and let the rhythms do all the work for him! Titles include "Please Please Please", "Dreamin", "Every Little Thing U Do", "Don't U Wanna Make Love", "Where Is The Love", "Let's Get Right", "All I See", and a duet with Mary J Blige on "Good Luvin". CD features bonus tracks – "Every Little Thing U Do (Doug House mix)" and "Dreamin (crazy hip hop version)". CD

An incredible album from Amy Winehouse – even way better than her fantastic debut! Although a contemporary soul album, this one's steeped in tradition – soul styles that run the gamut from Detroit down to Kingston, and which are carried off here with a rougher, sharper-edged sound than before! The instrumentation on here is really mindblowing – almost at a Motown level, with isolated instruments really crackling out from the fuller backings – all set to rhythms that snap and bounce, and are almost a bit funky at times. Credit is definitely due to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi – but Amy's vocals are really tremendous too – classic, but really personal and fresh! Titles include "Rehab", "Just Friends", "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", "He Can Only Hold Her", "Some Unholy War", and "Me & Mr Jones". CD

An incredible album from Amy Winehouse – even way better than her fantastic debut! Although a contemporary soul album, this one's steeped in tradition – soul styles that run the gamut from Detroit down to Kingston, and which are carried off here with a rougher, sharper-edged sound than before! The instrumentation on here is really mindblowing – almost at a Motown level, with isolated instruments really crackling out from the fuller backings – all set to rhythms that snap and bounce, and are almost a bit funky at times. Credit is definitely due to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi – but Amy's vocals are really tremendous too – classic, but really personal and fresh! Titles include "Rehab", "Just Friends", "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", "He Can Only Hold Her", "Some Unholy War", and "Me & Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

The Houseplant series really takes off with this killer triple-LP set – a massive batch of funk and soul, both old and new – presented here in a really great assortment of modes! There's some great deep tracks from the 70s here, alongside some well-chosen contemporary cuts from the international funk underground – plus a few other assorted surprises along the way – keeping the label's strong reputation for serving up a record that's way different than the standard funk compilation! Titles include "Short Stopping" by Veda Brown, "What's Good For You" by Harvey Scales, "Little Saddy" by Andre Ethier, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Slide" by Adesse Versions, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Town Called Nowhere" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Blah Blah Blah" by Saun & Starr, "Gotta Let Me Know" by Breakestra, "Jamaica Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Legend In My Own Mind" by The Stepkids, "Lament 1" by Dustin Laurenzi, "Trouble" by Frederick Knight, "The Echo" by Epsilons, "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Who Who Song" by Jackie Wilson, and "Don't Stop" by The Bar Kays. LP, Vinyl record album

Sheesh, Howard Rumsey sure knew how to stick his name on a lot of records! (He must have been trying to give Norman Granz and Leonard Feather a run for their money!) Fortunately, most of them were also great – like this one, which features flute duets between Bob Cooper and either Bud Shank or Buddy Collette, over rhythms by Sonny Clark or Claude Williamson on piano, Max Roach or Stan Levy on drums, and Howard Rumsey on bass (actually making a rare appearance on wax here!) Titles include "Aquarium", "Still Life", "Bag's Groove", "Hermosa Summer", "Albatross", "Night In Tunisia", "Warm WInds", and "Happy Town". LP, Vinyl record album

Eternal soul from Marvin Gaye in both its classic form AND in a contemporary light – on a nice little 10-inch single! Side 1 features the original 7-inch single mono versions of "What's Going On" and "God Is Love" – both as mindblowing today as ever – not only just because it documents the incredible moment Marvin moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was innovating an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. Side 2 features new versions of "What's Going On" with contemporary hip hop soul hero BJ The Chicago Kid and a remix – both of which are surprisingly solid given the historical heft of the originals, but we really gotta hand it to BJ The Chicago Kid for approaching the contemporary remodel/"duet" with the utmost care and respect! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Filled with those soulful-oriented grooves that make the band sound a lot better to our ears than most other rock acts from the time. Titles include "Man Woman Child", "Reincarnate Nation", "Be Here Now", "White Buffalo", "Going Down Town", and "Mighty Waters". LP, Vinyl record album

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A beautiful collection of work by funky soul diva Spanky Wilson – a set that features her full Westbound album Specialty Of The House, plus a nice array of even harder-hitting singles! Spanky first rose to fame as a gritty singer mixing jazz and soul on a series of late 60s/early 70s sides with HB Barnum, but during her Westbound years she cleaned things up a bit – taking her already-rich vocals, and turning them towards fuller backings and more soaring soul that almost hit the heights of soul singers like Marlena Shaw or Motown artists of the time. Backings penned by David Van DePitte, Paul Riser, and others gave Wilson a nicely mature sound that was a good change from her aging style of previous years – but other singles still maintained a grittier, funkier groove too – allowing for a nice range of modes during these short years at Westbound Records. This CD's the first to give full due to these overlooked years in Spanky's career – and it breaks up the core album and intersperses some of the funkier singles, plus unreleased tracks – in a blend that sounds even better than the original records! 18 tracks in all – including the break classic "Kissing My Love", plus "Shake Your Head", "Non Stop Flight", "He Called Me Baby", "Easy Lover", "Spend The Night With Me", "Missing Pieces", "I Think I'm Gonna Cry", "Standing Room Only", "Love Song", "The Downer I Get", and "I'll Stake My Life On You Boy". CD

An incredible album from Amy Winehouse – even way better than her fantastic debut! Although a contemporary soul album, this one's steeped in tradition – soul styles that run the gamut from Detroit down to Kingston, and which are carried off here with a rougher, sharper-edged sound than before! The instrumentation on here is really mindblowing – almost at a Motown level, with isolated instruments really crackling out from the fuller backings – all set to rhythms that snap and bounce, and are almost a bit funky at times. Credit is definitely due to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi – but Amy's vocals are really tremendous too – classic, but really personal and fresh! Titles include "Rehab", "Just Friends", "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", "Addicted", "He Can Only Hold Her", "Some Unholy War", and "Me & Mr Jones". CD

An incredible album from Amy Winehouse – even way better than her fantastic debut! Although a contemporary soul album, this one's steeped in tradition – soul styles that run the gamut from Detroit down to Kingston, and which are carried off here with a rougher, sharper-edged sound than before! The instrumentation on here is really mindblowing – almost at a Motown level, with isolated instruments really crackling out from the fuller backings – all set to rhythms that snap and bounce, and are almost a bit funky at times. Credit is definitely due to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi – but Amy's vocals are really tremendous too – classic, but really personal and fresh! Titles include "Rehab", "Just Friends", "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", "He Can Only Hold Her", "Some Unholy War", and "Me & Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

Extended long play club versions of 12 tracks by Black Box, Soul II Soul, Cece Peniston, Snap, Technotronic, Cathy Dennis, Crystal Waters, Lidell Townsell, Lil' Louis, Sybil, Gwen Guthrie, and Joyce Sims. CD

One of the greatest talents in mainstream soul – recorded live, and sounding wonderful! Raphael Saadiq's been burning on the left side of the R&B mainstream for the past decade or more – really catching our ears with his work with Tony Toni Tone, and living up to his promise even more with his great solo work. But with an artist like this, we're always never sure how much of their talent comes from the studio – which is why it's really great to hear him live! The set's a wonderfully tight one – Raphael working with a live band in front of a tremendously enthusiastic crowd – getting help from famous friends that include D'Angelo, Joi, Ledisi, Goapele, and the rest of Tony Toni Tone. Titles include "Anniversary", "Loving You", "Let's Get Down", "Charlie Ray", "Excuse Me", "Faithful", "Ask Of You", "Just A Man", "Copy Cat", "Missing You", "Still A Man", and "It Never Rains". Plus, this CD features a bonus disc – with 7 more tracks that include "Be Here", "Uptown", "Different Times", "Still Ray", and "Blind Man". CD

The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! CD

Tremendous work from This Mortal Coil – only the second album by the 4AD Records collective, but one that doubles the length of the first – and explores some even deeper territory in the process! The group take songs that had been forgotten from previous generations – beautiful nuggets of 60s and 70s rock, folk, and underground music – and weave them together in a moody soundscape that's full of echoey piano, rich cello, edgey oboe, and all these other elements that were never used in the original songs. Add to that some original material, and the spacious 4AD production style, and you've got an instant classic – full of gems that include "Tarantula", "The Jeweler", "My Father", "Morning Glory", "Inch Blue", "Drugs", "Red Rain", "I Want To Live", "Come Here My Love", and "Fire Brothers". LP, Vinyl record album

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring set from the later years of Detroit funk powerhouse Westbound Records – a record that has the label moving into clubbier territory, but with all the sharpness they brought to their earlier releases! Detroit producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey are at the helm of the record – and although the set has disco elements that include chorus vocals and upbeat rhythms, the approach is maybe more in a fast funk style than more commercial work of the time – which keeps things nice and lean throughout, at a level that's similar to early work from T Connection and some of the hipper groups of their scene! Both Motown legend Earl Van Dyke and Dennis Coffey play on the album – and tracks include "We Got Our Own Thing", "Free To Be Me", "Get A Groove In Order To Move", and "Sure Can't Go To The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Their first album – on 4AD! LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring set from the later years of Detroit funk powerhouse Westbound Records – a record that has the label moving into clubbier territory, but with all the sharpness they brought to their earlier releases! Detroit producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey are at the helm of the record – and although the set has disco elements that include chorus vocals and upbeat rhythms, the approach is maybe more in a fast funk style than more commercial work of the time – which keeps things nice and lean throughout, at a level that's similar to early work from T Connection and some of the hipper groups of their scene! Both Motown legend Earl Van Dyke and Dennis Coffey play on the album – and tracks include "We Got Our Own Thing", "Free To Be Me", "Get A Groove In Order To Move", and "Sure Can't Go To The Moon". CD

Socking soul, and a key album in the career of Detroit powerhouse Edwin Starr – one that had him stepping forth with a proud, loud groove all the way through! Starr's work was always a bit harder than the regular Motown bag – no doubts because of his more indie soul roots – and on this set, Edwin comes clean with a punched-up style that's heard to famous effect on the anthemic title hit "25 Miles", and which is nicely followed up by a great batch of tracks that includes "Gonna Keep on Tryin", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Soul City", "Strugglin' Man", "Mighty Good Lovin", and "Backyard Lovin Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Hip stuff, and a great mix of soul, funk, jazz, and hip hop. Ursula Rucker sings vocals on a number of tracks, and the record spans a number of styles without stretching itself too thin. In fact, the real appeal of the set is its fresh ability to move around through a number of influences – keeping the groove alive on tracks like "Getting Into It", "Season's Change", "The Reason", "Jimmy Leans Back", "Uptown", and a remake of "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life". CD

A record that some might call the last truly great Peter Gabriel album – and a key cap to his excellent initial solo run! The album's got a deeper feel than before – slightly richer colors, more spiritual themes, and arguably more of a sense of majesty – almost an echo of some of the Native American modes explored by Laurie Anderson, who was then a recent collaborator of Gabriel! Instrumentation builds a bit more than before – with less guitars in parts, more percussive bits, and some funkier elements at the bottom that aren't exactly funky – more just a punch in force from the ground up. Gabriel's definitely feeling a sense of power here – and titles include "Lay Your Hands On Me", "Shock The Monkey", "San Jacinto", "I Have The Touch", "The Family & The Fishing Net", and "The Rhythm Of The Heat". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout classic from Kashif – one of those key 80s albums that brought him to light as a tremendous powerhouse in mainstream soul! Thanks to the wonders of recording science, Kashif was able to write, produce, arrange, and perform everything on the album himself – a great trick that probably saved him a lot of studio costs – but which also really helps him bring his music here into tight focus – even more so than on projects he'd been doing for other artists at the time. There's a super-catchy groove to the best numbers, and even the rest have that tight punch that makes Kashif one of the standouts of the time – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart", "Edgartown Groove", "Call Me Tonight", "Love Has No End", and "Send Me Your Love" – plus the duet with Whitney Houston on "Are You The Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s! CD

A strange one – but a relatively famous album of wine instruction – and one that's got a great presenation of the material! The record has been famously sampled by the Beastie Boys, on that part of "Check Your Head" where they talk about being in the townhouse of the guy in New York. The sample jumps right out at you, and there's a lot of other goofy passages in here that might be ripe for sampling, too. Plus, you can learn a lil' "culture"! LP, Vinyl record album

Socking soul, and a key album in the career of Detroit powerhouse Edwin Starr – one that had him stepping forth with a proud, loud groove all the way through! Starr's work was always a bit harder than the regular Motown bag – no doubts because of his more indie soul roots – and on this set, Edwin comes clean with a punched-up style that's heard to famous effect on the anthemic title hit "25 Miles", and which is nicely followed up by a great batch of tracks that includes "Gonna Keep on Tryin", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Soul City", "Strugglin' Man", "Mighty Good Lovin", and "Backyard Lovin Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Swan Records was a real powerhouse of Philly Soul back in the 60s – a label whose efforts really set the scene for countless more Philly achievements to come! Swan was primarily a pop label – with some big hits (including early US release of Beatles singles) to its name – but the company was also on the scene to cut some of the best soul in Philadelphia as the 60s got going – a great deal of which is brought together on this set! Swan's sides often have a Northern Soul vibe that rivals the best of Detroit, especially labels away from Motown – and the pop experience gave the label a quality of production and professionalism that few other labels could match! Yet there's also no pop commercialism here, either – as these sides often step back and really let the artist do their thing – as you'll hear on 26 tracks that include "Everybody Crossfire" by Sammy Stevens, "Gotta Draw The Line" by The Three Degrees, "Have Faith In Me" by Sugar & Spice, "Put Yourself In My Place" by Azie Mortimer, "In Love" by Tony Galla & The Rising Sons, "Misery" by Eddie Carlton, "Run Run" by The Persianettes, "You're Everything" by The Showmen, "Put That Woman Down" by John Leach, "Who Do You Love" by The Sapphires, "Handsome Boy" by The Ladybirds, "Trying To Find My Baby" by Troy Dodds, and "Two Steps Ahead" by Herb Johnson. CD

One of the funkiest box sets we've ever seen – and amazingly issued by an American major label! The 4CD package is a treasure trove of funky work from a decade of Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records, and related labels – tunes pulled both from mainstream album releases and much more obscure 45s – all expertly collected here into a whopping batch of 91 tracks, all packaged in a cool little box with an 80 page booklet! This one goes way past some of the silly "decade" sets from Rhino, and really displays a new level of cool and connoisseurship – one that finally appreciates the rich depths of funky work at their fingertips, most of which has not been properly reissued in the US! Titles include "Almendra" by Macondo, "Goin Down" by Allen Toussaint, "Wah Wah Man" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Spinning Wheel" by Wade Marcus, "Hard Times" by Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters, "What's So Never The Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by Houseguests, "8 Days On The Road" by Howard Tate, "Getting Uptown" by United 8, "Wanoah" by Black Heat, "Let It Crawl" by Society's Bag, "Flute Thing" by Seatrain, "Try It Again" by Bobby Byrd, "Funky To The Bone" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters, "Improve" by Darrow Fletcher, "Rien Ne Va Plus" by Funk Factory, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Spreadin Honey" by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Stoned Soul" by Artie Christopher, "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belaires, "Tampin" by The Rhine Oaks, "Jan Jan" by The Fabulous Counts, "Sing A Simple Song" by The Noble Knights, "It's All In Your Mind" by Soul Angels, "Funky John" by Johnny Cameron, "Don't Come Around Here Any More" by Mark Putney, "Keep On Dancing" by The Commodores, "Right On Brother (part 1)" by South Shore Commission, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, and "The Deacon" by Brute Force. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. CD