... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic ballad soul from one of the greatest groups from the east coast 70s scene! Black Ivory may not have scored as big as some of their contemporaries on the charts – but to fans of harmony soul, they'll always be kings, and this record is the sort that forever gave them keys to the kingdom! They're working here with writer/arranger/producer Patrick Adams – back when his main talents were for ballads, not disco – and Adams perfectly crafted a set of songs to bring out the best side of the group's heavenly vocal talents. Includes loads of wonderful ballads, like "Wishful Thinking", "No Ifs, Ands, Or Buts", "It's Time to Say Goodbye", "Time is Love", and "Baby, Won't You Change Your Mind". Features the bonus track "We Made It". CD

A garage pop monster from The Knickerbockers – a set that smokes from the start with their super-huge hit "Lies" – then grooves into a rowdy batch of groovers that almost have the feel of the early fab four at their best! Like The Beatles, the group definitely has a way of harmonizing along with their tunes – bringing in a sweetly melodic quality, even when rough around the edges – which makes for a great mix of sounds we can really endorse. Titles include "Lies", "Just One Girl", "Can't You See I'm Trying", "Wishful Thinking", "You'll Never Walk Alone", and "I Can Do It Better" – This version features 4 bonus tracks including a short interview with Beau & John Charles! CD

A great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "The Reel Of Time", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". Also features a great medley of "Something" and "Something You Got". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Tears On My Pillow", "Two People In The World", "So Much", "The Diary", "It's Not For Me", "Wishful Thinking", "A Prayer And Juke Box", "I'm Alright", "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop", "My Empty Room", "I'm Taking A Vacation From Love", "Please Say You Want Me", "Traveling Stranger", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Goin' Out Of My Head", "Hurt So Bad", "Take Me Back", and "I Miss You So". CD

Four classics from this legendary Motown group – including 2 albums on CD for the first time ever! First up is What Love Has Joined Together – excellent work by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his sweeter 60s work! The record has an amazingly large conception of arrangements – mostly handled by Smokey, and done in a complicated baroque harmony style that points forward towards his later Quiet Storm sound – but which isn't as laidback and compressed. Most tracks are covers, but they're redone fantastically – with better vocals than you could imagine – and titles include "What Love Has Joined Together", "My Cherie Amour", "If This World Were Mine", "This Guy's In Love", and "And I Love Her". Pocket Full Of Miracles is a great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "The Reel Of Time", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". Also features a great medley of "Something" and "Something You Got". One Dozen Roses is an early 70s set from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – and a set that mixes great new material with a few older gems from the previous decade too! The new cuts are fantastic – and have Smokey and the group continuing that mellower, more laidback harmony style that really knocks it out of the park – almost as if The Miracles were trying to challenge some of the younger sweet soul acts who were coming onto the scene. Titles include the older cuts "Tears Of A Clown" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" – plus "I Don't Blame You At All", "That Girl", "I Love You Dear", "No Wonder Love's A Wonder", and "When Sundown Comes". Flying High Together is excellent 70s work by Smokey and crew – sort of their way of showing the emerging east coast vocal stars how much talent they still had! The record has a sweet, slightly modern sound – with an approach that hints at Smokey's later Quiet Storm sound, but maybe a bit more laidback overall – set up with really great arrangements from both David Van De Pitte and HB Barnum. Titles include a killer reading of Stevie Wonder's "We Had A Love So Strong", plus "Got To Be There", "You Ain't Livin 'Till You're Lovin", "Flying High Together", "It Will Be Alright", and a cover of "Betcha By Golly Wow". CD features bonus tracks "You've Got Me Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" and "Paper People". CD

A very cool look at the UK Ember label – with a special focus on their contribution to female pop in the 60s! This package is a lot more focused than other Brit girl pop collections on the market, and has a slightly different vibe as well – given that each of the three singers included had a style that was very much their own! The set features a handful of tracks from Twiggy, the famous model – maybe not the strongest singer, but a surprising presence with the right production – on titles that include "Over & Over", "Beautiful Dreams", and "I Need Your Hand In Mine". Next, there's a good batch of material from Linda Thorson – best known for her role in The Avengers on TV, but a decent singer who can capture some of the slight soul currents of the time – on tunes that include "Wishful Thinking", "Here I Am", "I'll Just Pick Up My Heart", "A Bad Time To Stop Loving Me", and "You Will Want Me". Last up is a good batch of work from the really great Julie Rogers, including most of her album Once More With Feeling – on titles that include "Baby Don't You Leave Me", "Come Tomorrow", "Children Of My Mind", "This Is Me", "But You Know I Love You", and "You Better Sit Down Kids". CD

A great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". LP, Vinyl record album