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A rare soul treasure – previously unissued work from Little Willie John, cut for Capitol Records by the mighty David Axelrod! The pairing is quite unique, but it's a great one – and if anything, Little Willie John sparkles here even more than on his later King sides – finding a hipper 60s groove that moves way past older R&B modes! Willie's vocals are still wonderful, and they're set up here with arrangements from HB Barnum – who brings in plenty of bounce, snap, and vamp to the grooves – similar to his more famous Axelrod productions for Lou Rawls, but rougher and grittier here in the company of John. A few cuts bring in more ambitious backings – taking Little Willie into the same space as his longtime fan and supporter James Brown – at least in the way Brown hit ballads during the 60s – and given Axelrod's hand in the studio, there's a clarity here that the singer hardly would have found at King Records, who blocked the initial release of this material back in the 60s. CD features 20 tracks in all – a number of alternates, and the master takes – with tunes that include "Crying Over You", "Country Girl", "Suffering With The Blues", "Never Let Me Go", "I Had A Dream", "In The Dark", "Welcome To The Club", "I Need Someone", and "Early In The Morning". CD

One of the earliest soul collections from the legendary Kent Records UK – a package that was originally released way back in 1982, but which set the scene for decades of great reissues to come! Even at this early state, the Kent approach was something different – and the package shows a great ear for under-discovered 60s soul gems – most of which have a sock-solid Northern Soul approach! Most of the work here is from the US Kent/Modern label – obviously an inspiration for the UK imprint – and the tunes are a mix of Detroit-styled soul numbers and a few deeper soul tracks. 15 tunes in all – including "You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet" by Mary Love, "I'm So Thankful" by The Ikettes, "In The Sunshine" by The Marvellos, "Before It's Too Late" by Jackie Day, "Your Love Has Made Me A Man" by Willie Hutch, "Baby Without You" by Danny Monday, "Gimme Gimme" by ZZ Hill, "Dancing Fast Dancing Slow" by The Intentions, "Let Me Know" by Mary Love, "I've Been Taken For A Ride" by The Intentions, "I Can Feel Your Love" by Felice Taylor, and "Come Back Baby" by Tami Young. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic west coast blues from the 60s, none of issued at the time – collected together here in a set that really shows the continuing evolution of the sound of LA! During the 60s, the city's blues took on some of the transformations that were happing in Chicago – with similar roots in a southern scene that moved into a hipper, more urban environment – where blues phrasing was more electrified, and mixed with influences from soul and jazz – often with some funky hybrids along the way! All the cuts here were recorded by Kent Records – the clear black music powerhouse of the west coast at the time – and half were issued on rare Japanese CDs in the 90s, the other 12 appear here for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the presentation, notes, and sound quality are wonderful. Titles include "Mama Said" and "Hey Baby" by Willie Headen, "Address In My Hand" and "Soul Blues" by Willie Garland, "Christine" and "Baby Don't Tear My Clothes" by Model T Slim, "Blues Pain" by Lowell Fulson, "You Told Me A Lie" by Smokey Wilson, "Before Day" by Big Mama Thornton, and "Rocks In My Pillow" and "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Long Gone Miles. CD

Howlin Wolf sings the blues, and comes across in a way that influences an entire generation too – with that raw, raspy sound that made the singer a perfect blend of delta roots and contemporary sounds that were bubbling up in the postwar years! These tracks have a spare, simple, stark style that's still a lot more powerful than most of the records that tried to copy Wolf's modes in later years – mindblowing guitar work from Willie Johnson, harmonica lines that weave the whole thing together, and tremendous vocals that would shake the paint off your walls, even without any other instrumentation! Titles include "Crying At Daybreak", "Twisting & Turning", "Brown Skin Woman", "Morning At Midnight", "Backslide Boogie", "House Rockin Boogie", "Keep What You Got", and "Worried About My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Features early work by Howling Wolf, Joe Hill Lewis, Walter Horton, Bobby Bland, Willie Nix, and Junior Parker! LP, Vinyl record album

Northern Soul from a surprising source – and a killer batch of rare material from the mighty Memphis powerhouse of soul! Goldwax is probably best known for its deep soul work – most famously with James Carr – but in the mid 60s, the label cut some killer groovers that really match the vibe that was coming out of Detroit or Philly at the time – upbeat, uptempo singles that bristle with energy, yet also have some of the deeper tones you might expect from the label! Some tunes have a bit of a Memphis sound – depending on the singer – but the rhythms and production mostly recall modes from up north, and offer up a really surprising new chapter of this label that already won our deep respect many years ago. The folks at Kent have put together the package with some really wonderful notes – and the CD features two dozen numbers that will really open up your ears – tracks that include "Let's Talk It Over" by Spencer Wiggins, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "They Say" by The Ovations, "So Hard To Get Along" by The Lyrics, "What'Cha Gonna Do" by Phillip & The Faithfuls, "You Gotta Have Soul" by George Jackson, "A Man Is A Mean Thing" by Barbara Perry, "The Well's Gone Dry" by Dorothy Williams, "That's What I Want To Know" by James Carr, "I Slipped A Little" by Percy Milem, "Now Girl" by The Lyrics, "It's My Life" by Timmy Thomas, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "To Me It's Storming" by George & Greer, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Wee Willie Walker, and "If You Love Her" by Phillip & The Faithfuls. CD

Rare and previously unreleased magic from the Memphis soul scene of the late 60s & early 70s – the third release in Kent's compilation series of gems from the Sounds Of Memphis and XL labels – possibly the rarest collection to date! The numbers here have a proudly southern soul groove at the core, but there's a breadth of styles and deep well of talent at play and this set really gets at the heart of it. Many of the tracks here are on par with the best known southern soul of the era and are as effective as the biggest hits – and we're hearing most of it for the first time! Soulful numbers from singers and groups alike – great stuff by The Minits, George Jackson, The Ovations, Erma Shaw, Willie Walker and many more. We keep thinking that the vaults will empty out, but Kent keeps digging more Sounds Of Memphis treasures – here's hoping it continues! 22 tracks in all: "If You Never See Me" and "Run Around" by Willie Walker, "Hook Line & Sinker" and "Lover Boy" by The Minits, "How Can I Get Next To You" (alternate vocal) and "Love Trying To Come" by George Jackson, "You're Slipping Away" and "Take A Look At Yourself" by Dan Greer, "Guessing Game" by Jimi Hall, "The Plumber" by The Ovations and more. CD

Think you know Stax Records? Guess again – as this mindblowing collection offers up a whole new side of Stax we've never heard before. Forget the hits, forget the overplayed oldies – this set's brimming full of deep soul gems from the legendary Memphis label – including a fair bit of heartbreaking tracks that go way beyond any southern soul cliches! The music is amazing – proof that Ace still really knows how to put together a compilation – and in addition to some real rarities, there's also some killers appearing here for the first time ever – making the whole thing essential to any fan of Stax – or southern soul in general. A massive amount of music, all of it great – and titles include "Stay Baby Stay" by Johnny Daye, "I've Done It Again" by The Charmells, "Move Over" by Soul Children, "Hold On This Time" by Chuck Brooks, "Groovin' On My Baby's Love" by Freddie Waters, "Make A Joyful Noise" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Fault Is Not In Me" by Sylvia & The Blue Jays, "A Love Affair Theat Bears No Pain" by Shack, "Two Fools" by Willie Singleton, "Let Em Down Baby" by Jimmy Hughes, "Love Changes" by Charlene & The Soul Serenaders, and "Woman Across The River" by Little Milton. CD

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

A long-awaited follow-up to one of our favorite compilations of King Records soul music – a set that does a perfect job of showing the label's strong roots in R&B, and it's important force in 60s soul! The package offers up tracks with a really great sound – definitely the grittier edge than you'd expect from the R&B in the title, yet lots of "new breed" styles as well – a more mature, more soul-based approach to the grooves that offers up a great way to harness the raw energy at the core! The set's filled with rare gems from old King, Federal, and DeLuxe label singles – including some overlooked work by bigger name singers – and titles include "Two Hearts" by The King Pins, "I'm Tore Down" by Freddie King, "Send Me A Picture Baby" by Mel Williams, "Love Man" by Hal Hardy, "Geneva" by Eugene Church, "Wild Child" by Donnie Elbert, "Your Letter" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Say Hey Pretty Baby" by Lula Reed, "Let Me Walk With You" by Eddie Kirk, "Stop Talking To Your Child" by James Duncan, "It Hurts Inside" by The 5 Royales, "Let's Have A Good Time" by The Hi Tones, and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams. CD

Rare dancefloor soul on King Records – and another crucial look at a side of the label that's beloved by the most devoted of 60s & 70s soul seekers – but it's deeply overlooked by the mainstream! Volume 3 is the best yet in the series – partly because they're found some stellar proto-funk treasures that work just as strongly with the Northern Soul community – and also because there's some really great stuff here that paves the way for some of our favorite 70s soul! It's heavy with singles released from 1968 to 1971 – by Marva Whitney, Mill Evans, Charles Spurling, Mary Johnson, Royal Flush, The Presidents, Willie Hatcher, The Brownettes and many more! 24 tracks in all: "Unwind Yourself" by Marva Whitney, "Right Now" by Mill Evans, "Popcorn Charlie" by Charles Spurling, "Thunder" by Lord Thunder, "Name In Lights" by Freddie Williams, "You Have My Blessings" by Mary Johnson, "Mama's Baby" by Royal Flush, "Something You Didn't Done" by Mike Williams, "When We Get Together" by Otis Williams & His Charms and many more. CD

A set with "modernity" as the title, but a batch of tracks that sound plenty old all the way through – mostly the kind of upbeat soul tracks that played big with the 60s mod scene in London! Yet this isn't the usual collection of mod classics – as the work here is very obscure, and served up in the mix of rare singles and unreleased material that we totally love on other Ace/Kent Records collections – presented with great sound, and very detailed notes that are as fun to read as the songs are to hear! All the artists are American, and look very different than the dapper British gents on the cover – soaring out in a set list that includes "Deuces Wild" by Gary & Gary, "Just Can't Help Myself" by Birdlegs & Pauline, "Oh Lady Be Good" by Charles Hodges, "The Hawg (part 2)" by Eddie Kirk, "See See Rider" by Byrdie Green, "Walk Home With Me" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Sundown" by The Merced Blue Notes, "Go Away With Me" by Hollis Dixon & The Keynotes, "I Found A Little Girl" by Eddie Bo, "The Bounce" by Jackie Lee, "Earthquake" by The Fashionettes, "Air Travel" by Ray & Bob, "That's All I Want" by King Carl, "The Warm Up (part 1)" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Soul Grabber" by Willis Jackson, and "Who Knows" by Willie Tee. CD

With Ravi Coltrane and Javon Jackson on saxophone, Kent Jordan on flute, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Willie Pickens on piano, and Brad Jones on bass. CD

Killer soul from the 60s – a wonderfully rich array of hard soul grooves – all with a superb pedigree! The "At" here is short for "Atlantic" – as in Atlantic Records, the source of all the very groovy cuts on this set – as well as some from the early years of Stax Records too! But if you're thinking the collection's just another batch of overplayed Atlantic soul hits from the 60s, then think again – because the track selection is wonderful, and the compilation goes out of its way to pick lesser-known gems and rare singles – including some by artists we didn't even realize recorded for Atlantic! There's definitely a few familiar cuts on here, but there's lots more that were only briefly issued as 45s – as you'll hear on titles that include "Holding On With Both Hands" by Eddie Floyd, "Able Mable" by Mable John, "Walking Up A One Way Street" by Willie Tee, "At The Club" by The Drifters, "It Ain't What You Got" by Jimmy Hughes, "Help Me Get The Feeling" by Ray Sharpe, "Some Other Guy" by Richie Barrett, "I'm Gonna Run Away From You" by Tami Lynn, "Que Sera Sera" by The High Keys, "Keep Lookin" by Solomon Burke, and the amazing "Some Kind Of Wonderful" by Soul Brothers Six, a monster track that is worth the price of the CD alone! CD

Dancefloor cookers from the prime Northern Soul years – all instrumental numbers on this sharp compilation on Kent – 45 sides from a labels like Money, Villa, Swan, King, Epic and Warner Brothers! For all the wonderful Kent soul compilations we've gotten our dusty fingers on over the years, it's a wonder they're never been one devoted to instrumentals – until now! Rhythms roll along at a tight tempo, the tight guitars punch it up, some strings soar, and a pounding Northern beat keeps it all stomping! Those core elements are key, but others weave in an out, from hand claps on the beat, to organ grooves, bursts of brass and more. 24 tracks in all: "Double Cookin" by Checkerboard Squares, "Make Me Yours" by Arthur Wright & His Orchestra, "Festival Time" by San Remo Golden Strings", "The Sounds Of Lane" by Tracks To Your Mind, "Champion Pt 1" by Willie Mitchell, "The Guys From Uncle" by The Spy, "Stirrin Up Some Soul" by The Mar-Ketts, "Hey America (Sing Along)" by James Brown, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and more. CD

An absolute treasure trove of rare soul singles from Pied Piper Productions – a mid 60s Detroit soul operation that features Funk Brothers Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, and Mike Terry – laying down sounds that rival the best Motown groovers of the period! The work is amazing throughout – soul cuts heavily focused on the groove and amazing lead vocals – recorded in ways that are similar to the best of Detroit at the time, but with some rawer aspects too – which makes for a massive package of Northern Soul gems! The package features both solo singers and great groups too – artists who include Lorraine Chandler, The Hesitations, September Jones, The Cavaliers, Willie Kendrick, Nancy Wilcox, and – heard here on rare singles and LP tracks that were originally released on labels like Karate, Kapp, Ruby and Giant – plus a number of recently unearthed titles that are seeing release for the first time ever! The set features 24 tracks in all, and the usual superb Kent notes and packaging – with titles that include "I Can't Hold On" by Lorraine Chandler, "Stuttering Sam" by September Jones, "Gambler's Blues" by Nancy Wilcox, "This Heart Is Lonely" by Rose Batiste, "Just Can't Leave You" by Tony Hesher, "Could It Be" by Micki Farrow, "I Fell In Love (Can't Help It)" by Freddy Butler, "He'll Be Leaving You" by The Pied Piper Players, "If Only You Knew" by Mike & Ray, "Time Changes Things" by Willie Kendrick, and "Lonely Too Long" by The Sandpipers. CD

28 songs from Freddie Gorman, Edwin Starr, San Remo Golden Strings, Rose Batiste, JJ Barnes, Laura Lee, Fantastic Four, Al Kent, Willie G, Andre Williams & the Flaming Embers. CD

An early treasure from a great tradition in soul music – one of the first few compilations from Ace/Kent Records – issued way back in the early 80s, and still a treasure trove of great 60s soul after all these years! As you'd guess from the title, the tracks here are all upbeat and uptempo – numbers brought together for the Northern Soul audience in the UK, but which also represent a great sampling of underground soul from the US in the 60s! Many of these numbers mix rough-edged vocals with more tightly-crafted instrumentation – and the collection features a total of 16 tracks that include "Lay This Burden Down" by Mary Love, "You Just Cheat & Lie" by ZZ Hill, "Good Taste Of Love" by Danny Monday, "Wanting You" by Jimmy Bee, "Can It Be Me" by Mel Williams, "Hole In The Wall" by The Other Brothers, "Talkin Woman" by Lowell Fulsom, "What Kind Of Man Are You" by Jackie Day, "Country Girl" by The Johnny Otis Show, "Everybody Needs Love" by Willie Gauff & The Love Brothers, and "My Baby Needs Me" by Yvonne Baker. LP, Vinyl record album

Raw sounds from the American underground – a great set of twang-heavy tracks from obscure 45s – most of them with a unique blend of rock and country styles! There's lots of the spirit here of Johnny Burnette – and a few artists actually seem to pay him tribute with their work – but most of the recordings have a rougher style too, with some especially great echoey production on the guitars! Titles include "Willie Joe" by Mystery Trio, "Dark Mood" by Bartlett Brothers & The Country Paupers, "Still As The Night" by Clint Blacklaw, "Kentucky Fandango" by JP Dunn, "Misery" by Jacky Lee, "A Woman's Mind" by Jimmy Merrill, "Ghost Train" by Electro Tones, and "If You Love Me" by Johnny Fortune. LP, Vinyl record album

Stan the man, grooving in a sweet Latin mode! The paring of Kenton modernism and Latin rhythms might seem an odd combination – but it works beautifully on this session by adding in rich tones and shades of colors to the lively percussion in the set! Kenton's orchestra is augmented by a great percussion section that includes Mike Pacheco, Willie Rodriguez, and Tommy Lopez – and horn players like Don Sebesky, Charlie Mariano, and Rolf Ericson really flesh out the tunes with some fluid ensemble work. Titles are mostly originals by Roland, and include "Siesta", "Mission Trail", "Agua Marine", "Chocolate Caliente", and "Opus In Chartreuse Cha Cha Cha". Plus, added to the album are 6 bonus tracks from Artistry In Bossa Nova – recorded in 1963, and including "Artistry In Bossa Nova", "Interlude", "Jump For Joe", "Loco Nova", and "Concerto To End All Concertos". CD

The sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session – hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn section can take over most of the tunes – a beautifully-arranged ensemble who have a feel that's lighter than some of the groups of the 50s – such as the Kenton ensemble – yet one that's equally modern at times! The lineup is wonderful – with Clark Terry and Nick Travis on trumpets, Willie Dennis and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, and Gene Quill, Gene Allen, and Eddie Caine on saxes – plus guitar from Jim Hall, bass from Bill Crow, and drums from Gus Johnson. Titles include "Big City Life", "Bridgehampton South", "My Kind Of Love", "Pretty Gypsy", "Bridgehampton Strut", and "Big City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album from Johnny Richards – possibly the best he ever cut! The album sparkles with all the intensity he brought to Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire album – with bits of Latin, jazz, and some of the modernist scoring that Kenton, Richards, and Pete Rugolo were using at the time. However, the main thing about this album is that it swings like a mo-fo – moving past any tricks and gags to hit a strong jazz mode, with excelelnt solo work by players like Frank Socolow, Gene Quill, and trumpeter Burt Collins. Willie Rodriguez brings some nice Latin percussion to the set – and titles include "Cimarron", "Eyes", "Nipigon", and "The Ballad Of Tappan Zee". LP, Vinyl record album