You might be familiar with the first Disco Gold set on Scepter, a great collection of wonderful underground disco from the mid 70s before the scene broke really big, and they followed it up with this second set, again mixed by the disco pioneer Tom Moulton. Aside from the great tunes, this collection's a great piece of history, with an exhaustive thank you list and a listing of clubs across the nation inside the gatefold! Includes "Chinese Kung Fu" by Banzai, "El Bimbo" by Bimbo Jet, "Breakaway" by Ernie Bush, "Undecided Love" by the Chequers, "Waterbed" by LTG Exchange, "Mud Wind" by the Southside Movement, "(Baby) Save Me" by the Secrets and "Call Me Your Anything Man" by Bobby Moore". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just disco nights, but some great mellow moments too – a wonderfully well-rounded classic from this great quartet – as tight and groovy as it is cool and classy! By the time of this debut, the group had already had plenty of 70s soul experience as The Rhythm Makers – a previous name for the lineup, and a combo with a great reputation for dancefloor grooves that were tight, but never too uptight – kind of the best funky soul styles of the time! This album definitely continues that tradition, with a sound that's leaner than most mainstream disco of the time – and really well put-together, in a way that also has them slowing down to hit some great ballads and mellower steppers too. The album features the massive disco title cut – "Disco Nights" – and a beautiful reworking of Billy Stewart's classic "I Do Love You" – with a sound that's faithful to the original, but a sweet stepping groove that's made it a favorite for years! Other cuts include "Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Spirit", "Make My Dreams A Reality", "It's Your Love", "I Do Love You", and "Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

And a disco party it is – with 14 groovers from the TK/Marlin catalog, featuring some of the best Miami groovers of the mid to late 70s! Titles include "Gimme Some" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me" by Peter Brown, "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae, "Love Chant" by Eli's Second Coming, "Get Down Tonight" by Kool & The Gang, "Get Off Your Ahh & Dance" by Foxy, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T Connection, "Superman" by Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch, "Where Is The Love" by Betty Wright, and "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph MacDonald. LP, Vinyl record album

German grooves from the 70s got some pretty big global circulation – especially the huge wave of disco records from Munich in the second half of the decade! Yet in the following years, the nation continued a strong soul groove – but one that never fully got its due on this side of the Atlantic – quite possibly because the sounds here are a lot more soulful and subtle – cooler, classier, and with a much deeper vibe! The guys on the cover of the collection might look a bit goofy, but don't let that put you off – as there's a strength to these tunes that maybe reminds us of some of our favorite Bay Area funk of the 70s – a nice criss-crossing of influences from jazz, funk, and soul – but always trying to do something new as well. There's definite 80s elements in the mix – beats, basslines, and keyboards – but there's also a fair bit of live instrumentation that's extremely well-played, and mostly mixed with English language vocals. Titles include "Get Up" by Squish, "Backstreetboy" by Bernie L, "Funky Feeling" by Publicity, "Don't Stay For Breakfast" by Stroer, "You're Just Yourself" by Upstairs, "You Are Not The One For Me" by Peter Patzer, "Strawberry Wine" by Imagination, "Dancing Shoes" by JD Lewis, "Keep On Lovin" by The Poptown Syndicate, and "It's Not Over" by Trust. LP, Vinyl record album

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards that are some of his most enigmatic on record! The track "Disco 3000" is an incredible workout on synthesizer, with a tiny bit of drum machine, a little "Space Is The Place" breakdown, and all of the wild sound you'd expect from a Sun Ra album. The cut goes on for quite some time, and is really fantastic. Side two of the record features three more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number; "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion; and the track "Third Planet". LP, Vinyl record album

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An intriguing bit of Italian disco – one that has some of the sweet porno touches of the genre's earliest years, but which also picks up some of the more interesting progressive elements that started to surface in the early 80s! There's some really nice percussion and guitars on the set, and a few bits have these nice dark keyboard parts that sit somewhere between Kraftwerk and electro – but the whole thing's also warmed up a bit – in a way that goes along with the cover image of a nude woman coming out of a tube of toothpaste! Includes the extended hit "San Salvador", the moody "Exalt Exalt", and the tracks "Fire Fly", "Soft Emotion", and "Anytime Or Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A follow-up to the legendary Magic Disco Machine Disc-O-Tech LP on Motown – and while not as over the top funky as that one, still a nice bit of longer club tracks done in a sweet early disco mode of the time! Arrangements are by William Goldstein, James Carmichael, and Paul Riser – and tunes are all longish, with a mostly instrumental feel that's sometimes supported by chorus vocals. Tracks on the set are all originals, and tunes include the great clavinet-heavy groover "Bend A Little", plus "Midnight Rhapsody", "Back To Bach", "Get Cute", "Second Avenue" and "Wait Like A Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

This very hip series just got a whole lot hipper – thanks to the selection talents of Brazilian soul legend Ed Motta – who serves up a huge host of rare tracks from Brazil! Ed's always had a deep love of the AOR sound of the 70s – and he's not only a great soul singer on his own records, but also a hell of a record collector too – one whose knowledge of rare grooves goes way beyond most other folks we've ever met! This set opens up a huge amount of Brazilian soul we'd never heard before – music that takes off from the late 70s territory of Azimuth and Banda Black Rio, and soars with sweet jazzy grooves that are completely sublime – most from the 80s, and most by artists who've never gotten their due on the reissue market. Killer all the way through – with titles that include "Pra Voce" by Carlinhos & Soninha Querioz, "Acordes E Sementes" by Gelso Oliveira & Luiz Ewerling, "Joia Rara" by Brylho, "Rota Mar" by Zeca Do Trombone, "Clarear" by Roupa Nova, "Quero Pouco Quero Muito" by Filo Machado, "Guarde Minha Voz" by Sandra Sa, "Debora" by Altay Veloso, "Copacabana Suite" by Junior Mendes, "Renascendo En Mim"b y Don Beto, "Toda Manha Brilha O Sol" by Lucinha Turnbull, "Coisas Do Brasil" by Guilerhmes Arantes, "Mare" by Carlos Bivar, "Leao Ferido" by Biafra, "Mais Uma Chance" by Santa Cruz, "Rio Best Seller" by Cassiano, and "Se Eu Te Pego De Jeito" by Jane Duboc. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer batch of classic Salsoul from the dawn of the 80s – leaner, tighter and more dancefloor geared club soul than the song the more string-laden and sing-a-long chorus style of the late 70s oeuvre, but way more lively than the synth-soaked and streamlined digital era boogie sound to come later on! 12" mixes of benchmark tracks by Skyy, Rafael Cameron, Aurra, Leroy Burgess, Edwin Birdsong, Funk Deluxe and more, including "First Time Around (Larry Levan Canadian 12" Mix)" by Skyy, "Boogie's Gonna Get Ya (Francois Kevorkian 12" Instrumental Mix)" by Rafael Cameron, "Checking You Out (Shep Pettibone Mix)", "Win Tonight (12" Mix)" by Edwin Birdsong, "Heavenly (12" Mix)" by Leroy Burgess, "This Time (12" Mix)" By Funk Deluxe, "Falling In Love (12" Mix)" by Surface and "On The Phone" by Civil Attack. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Disco Spectrum series of compilations – a run of records that first burst forth at the end of the 90s, and showed the world that there was a huge amount of underground music to discover from the mainstream disco years! Disco Spectrum cuts aren't the ones you'll know from Saturday Night Fever – or from K-Tel compilations of the time – and instead, they represent the much deeper current of groove that was still burning bright away from the limelight, even while the more commercial disco crumbled into dust – music that was sometimes cut by artists who disappeared quickly, sometimes by older masters, and sometimes by talents who never fully got the respect they deserved. Both Joey Negro and Sean P have given us some great sets before, but this one is right at the top of their talents – filled with gems that include "Let Me Down Easy" by Rare Pleasure, "Spread Love" by Al Hudson & The Soul Partners, "Can't Shake Your Love (Larry Levan 12" mix)" by Syreeta, "Trinidad (special disco mix)" by John Gibbs & US Steel Orchestra, "Isabelle & The Rain" by Jo Boyer, "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By (club 12" mix)" by Cloud One with Margo Williams, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" by Idris Muhammad, "I Don't Want You Back" by Ramona Brooks, "Hot To Trot" by Alfredo De La Fe, "Out Of My Hands" by Omni, "Under The Skin" by The Brothers, "Let Me Love You" by Bunny Mack, "Can You Get Down" by Universe City, and "I Want You For Myself" by George Duke with Lynn Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funky club from the late 70s underground – a set of tracks that are as groovy as they are rare – all hand-picked by Faze Action! The set's one of the best in this excellent series – as Faze Action goes for a slightly different vibe, one that's got a sharper crackle around the edges – almost a precursor to elements that would be more familiar in contemporary underground work, but still often served up with all the warmth of the disco and boogie generation! A few cuts feature special Faze Action edits for the set, and all titles are ones that you probably don't have in your collection already – a lineup that includes "We All Need One Another" by Stylus, "Body Movements" by Oscar Perry, "Hot Summer Madness" by Spats, "I'm In Love With You" by Carol Dionne, "Mixed Up (Faze Action edit)" by Space, "Let Love Begin" by Galaxy, "Africa Africa (Faze Action edit)" by Songhoi Band, "Set It Out (Faze Action edit)" by Midway, "In The Bush" by Michele Claire, "All Nite Tonight (mix)" by Leston Paul, and "Dance Lover (Faze Action edit)" by Mikki featuring Starz. LP, Vinyl record album

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Fantastic grooves from the UK scene – most of them created during the better-known punk and post-punk years of the country – which might be why so many of them have remained so obscure over the decades! Yet taken together, these cuts represent a fantastic legacy in soul – upbeat grooves created by British artists who were clearly inspired by the hippest American jazz funk of the late 70s – working hard to create magical music with their own sort of voice, one that also occasionally borrowed elements from the unique post-colonial scene that was having an impact on other sides of English music. Many of the productions here are a bit less slick or smooth than American work of a similar nature – almost like some of the indie funky club 12" singles of the post-disco years – which is also when many of these cuts were created. As with the first fantastic volume, there's a great choice of cuts going on here – music that really illuminates the funkier side of the UK scene in the years before acid jazz, drum n bass, and other bigger global waves of grooves. Titles include "Non Stop Boogie" by Ritual, "Jazzin & Crusin" by Cache, "You Gotta Get It" by Congress, "Show Me You Care" by The Hudsons, "I've Got To Have You" by The Antilles, "Starlight" by Index, "All Night Long" by Cloud, "Ease Your Mind" by Touchdown, "Love Time Machine" by AD 2000, and "Stop & Think" by Paradise. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic grooves from the UK scene – most of them created during the better-known punk and post-punk years of the country – which might be why so many of them have remained so obscure over the decades! Yet taken together, these cuts represent a fantastic legacy in soul – upbeat grooves created by British artists who were clearly inspired by the hippest American jazz funk of the late 70s – working hard to create magical music with their own sort of voice, one that also occasionally borrowed elements from the unique post-colonial scene that was having an impact on other sides of English music. Many of the productions here are a bit less slick or smooth than American work of a similar nature – almost like some of the indie funky club 12" singles of the post-disco years – which is also when many of these cuts were created. As with the first fantastic volume, there's a great choice of cuts going on here – music that really illuminates the funkier side of the UK scene in the years before acid jazz, drum n bass, and other bigger global waves of grooves. Titles include "Potion" by Rick Clarke, I Can't Turn Away" by Savanna, "We're Funkin'" by Proton, "Pacific Dream" by The Oceans, "Girls Girls Girls" by Kandidate, "Take A Walk In The Moonlight" by The Paul Bailey Sound, "Eternally Grateful" by Janet Kay, "Sexy Lady" by Veira Krew, "Closer To Your Love" by Rare Moods and "Watching You" by Powerline. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an interesting little album – issued by RCA Global Communications, and featuring upbeat groovers from RCA labels around the world! As you'd imagine, half the set is dominated by American soul – but the other half features tracks from Brazil, France, Italy, and Japan! Our favorite is "Dance Do Dia" by Banda Black Rio, and other tracks include "Qui Est In Qui Out" by Laurent Voulzy, "Presto" by Rita & L'Anonima Ragazzi, and "Hidecki Disco Special" by Hidecki. Other tracks include "Dancin" by Grey & Hanks, "Shame" by Evelyn Champagne King, "Contact" by Edwin Starr, and "I Got My Mind Made Up" by Instant Funk. LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty tribute to the days before iPods and headphones – when the only option for portable music was the boombox – a sonic powerhouse that ruled the streets and the subways, and seemed to create an instant party whenever it arrived! The tracks here are underground gems from back in the day of the boombox – the kind of cuts that should never, ever be played on earbods – and instead need to be rocked out of speakers that are as big as you could hope to find – preferably with the bass turned up as high as it will go! Music is mostly old school hip hop, but also has that mix of rhymes and vocals that was coming into play as the parties moved from the streets and parks into the recording studio – all to create the kind of cuts that would always sound best on the boombox! Titles include "Another One Bites The Dust" by Sugar Daddy, "Thumpin" by Brothers Disco, "Class A" by Majestics, "On The Move" by Mifflin Ensemble, "Get Fly" by TJ Swann & Company, "Low Rider Rap" by Poor Boy Rappers, "Teen Machine Rap" by Teen Machine, "Ms DJ Rap It Up" by She, "Rhythm Rock (part 1)" by The Caution Crew, "Smooth Talk" by Mr Fox, "Gigolo Rapp" by Disco Daddy & Capt Rapp, "Wack Rap" by Solid C Bobby D & Kool Drop, and "Rhapazooty In Blue" by Sicle Cell & Rhapazooty. LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty sweet little set – not just Hong Kong disco, but also a fair bit of soul and AOR tracks too – all of which we've never heard before! Much of the music here shows a strong American influence – right down to the English language lyrics that top almost all the tracks – and the instrumentation is often tight and funky, and put forward without the slicker production you'd find on US work of the time! In fact, a number of these groups were working big in HK clubs during the time – which was still a relatively small world – which almost makes some of the music feel like indie disco from the American underground, the kind of small label cuts that have been favorites for modern soul collectors over the years. You might want to consider this package to be an addition to that world, rather than a set of truly Chinese material from the 70s – and if you dig funky 70s soul as much as we do, you should find plenty here to love! Titles include "Hurt So Bad" by Tracy, "Take It To The Bossman" by The Reflection, "Swearin To God" by Charing Carpo, "This Is No Horse" by AJL Band, "Day Dreamin" by Julie Sue, "You're The Love" by Louie Castro, "Gotta Be The One" by The New Topnotes, "Lovin You" by Rita Kwong, and "Make Me Believe In You" by Oscar & His Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

The Nigerian groove of the 70s – way past the familiar modes of Fela Kuti, and served up here in a range of artists who followed on a huge second wave of soul that soared from Lagos and beyond in the second half of the decade! The music here opens up in a sweet range of different styles – including bits of club and boogie that have come into the scene to open up Nigerian funk in more global modes for the dancefloor – blending African roots with American currents, in a sound that's completely unique – and which is way better than some of the Afro-disco modes that were coming from Europe a the time! As usual with the folks at Soul Jazz, the set's an ear-opening work of genius – from the superb track selection, to the very thorough notes and research – which really do a great job of presenting this side of Nigerian funk that's always been a bit eclipsed by some of the bigger names on the scene. Liner notes are by dancefloor historian Bill Brewster – and titles include "Do The Funkro" by Joni Haastrup, "You Can't Change A Man" by Christy Essien, "Afrikana Disco" by Akin Richards & The Executives, "Ocheche" by Don Bruce & The Anges, "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" by Tee Mac, "Get Up & Dance" by Benis Cletin, "Enoviyin" by Colomach, "Nwaeze" by Jimmy Sherry & The Musik Agents, "Wake Up Your Mind" by Joni Haastrup, "Disco Dancing" by Angela Starr, "Mr Been To" by Arakatula, "Living Every Day" by Tee Mac with Marjorie Barnes, "Wake Up Africa" by Arakatula, and "Soul Fever" by Benis Cletin. LP, Vinyl record album

Great cuts from the old school – pulled together from the earliest days of hip hop – at a time when the boundary lines in the music weren't so fully formed! These days, the difference between hip hop and club cuts is huge – but back in the South Bronx scene at the start, there was a lot more interplay between styles – as 70s funk served as the blueprint, disco singles expanded the format, soul vocals gave some structure, and live rhymes and DJ work provided all of the spontaneous elements that made the music so unique – coming together with amazing energy that really reflected the street-level sounds of the New York scene! This ultra-hip collection brings together all those amazing strands from the early years – in a set that's one of the best historically important Soul Jazz titles we've seen in years – from the excellent track selection right down to the very detailed notes. There's plenty of rare cuts here you're not likely to have in your collection – and titles include "Body Rock" by Neil B, "Positive Life" by Love Bug Starski & The Harlem World Crew, "At The Place To Be" by Mr Sweety G, "New Rap Language" by Spoonie G & The Treacherous Three, "We Are People Too" by Master Jay, "Equidity Funk" by Mistafide, "And You Know That" by TJ Swan, "Searching Rap" by Bon Rock & The Rhythm Rebellion, "Willie Rap" by Willie Wood & The Willie Wood Crew, "Rhythm Rap Rock" by Count Coolout, "On The Go" by Black Bird & Kevski, "Philosophy Rappin Spree" by Super 3, "Move Your Body" by Bramsam, and "One More Time" by Sugar Daddy. LP, Vinyl record album

We've had some great trips on Africa Airways in recent years – and this sweet fourth set proves once again that the fun lies in the journey, not the destination! As before, the cuts here share a lot more with American funk than you might think – especially the tight late 70s style with lots of basslines at the bottom, and some warmly jazzy currents in the instrumentation – which often serve to provide a superb setting for the vocals over the top – sometimes just sing-song chorus bits, but merged perfectly with the grooves! Tracks here come from French labels like Fiesta and Sonodisc, and there's definitely some of that criss-crossing between West African and Parisian modes going on – on titles that include "Sun Explosion" by Manu Dibango, "Nassa Nassa" by Uta Bella, "Nimele Bolo" by Charly Kingson, "Africain" by Momo Joseph, "Biram" by Kemayo & K-System, "Soul Magabe" by Pierre Didy Tchakounte, "Funny Saga" by The Monsters, and "Tinini Yanana" by Jake Sollo. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the straight disco you might expect from the title – and instead a whole host of weird and wonderful grooves from the later years of the Lollywood film scene! These Pakistani tracks follow a bit of the style of Bollywood work of the time, but often have a tighter, more compressed approach – sharper electric instrumentation, especially keyboards, mixing with bold acoustic lines on horns and plenty of percussion – all in support of singers who soar out over the top with this really other-worldly style! Overall, there's a bit less of the sentiment you'd find in Indian film music, and instead this oddly angular, offbeat approach that really keeps things interesting – and more than trippy enough to match the slight psychedelic currents in the production. Titles include "Tere Saath Mulaqaat Ek Raat Ki" by Tafo Brothers & Nahid Akhtar, "Tere Mere Larr Gaye" by Kamal Ahmed & Mehnaz, "Oh My Darling" by Nisar Bazmi & Runa Laila, "Badal Aur Bijli" by Sohail Rana, "Happy New Year" by Tafo Brothers & Noor Jehan, and "Disco Dildaar Mera" by M Ashraf & Noor Jehan. Compiled by Andy Votel & Chris Menist too! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice little record! Although the album looks like a throwaway album of faceless disco music – it's actually a pretty good batch of strange funky tracks, many with weird little arrangements and strange instrumentation. The highlight is the break classic "Scratchin", which has good hard drums and some very strange horns! Other tracks include the moogy "Trying To Get Over", plus "Window Shopping", "Control Tower", "Jumbo Sam", and "Love Pains". Features work by James Carmichael, The Sisters Love, Freddie Perren, and Clayton Ivey. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think "disco", think "funky jazz" – because this sweet South African group from the 70s is filled with lots of groovy twists and turns – all in a mode that's quite different than any of the American or European jazz albums we know from the time! The lineup here includes reed heavyweight Basil Coetzee on both flute and tenor sax – working in a quartet with some sublime organ lines from Pops Mohamed – who plays in this snakey sort of way that's a bit like South African jazz piano, but maybe even more flowing and moody. The grooves are sometimes funky, sometimes more modal – but always forward moving in a really great way, but again with a very fresh approach to rhythm! Titles include "Super Natural Love", "Yasmeen's Blues", "Night Express", "Odd's On", and "Echo On The Delay". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge discovery in music – most of which we've never heard before, and which shows that the Boston scene was getting pretty busy during the classic club years – even if the city's grooves never reached the same fame as cuts from New York, Philly, and other points south! The package is definitely a labor of love – put together by DJ/collector Serge Gamesbourg – who's clearly done a hell of a lot of work to unearth these rare singles and small label releases – records that maybe didn't even make it down to New York City back in the day, and which were probably crowed out of the record racks, even if they did! Most of these cuts are nicely rough around the edges – sometimes in more of a fast funk mode, other times with all the cool offbeat touches of indie label club cuts – and almost all numbers get a special Serge Gamesbourg edit, in order to bring out the grooviest elements of the tracks. Titles include "No More Games" by Larry Wedgeworth & Clique, "All In Good Time" by Wildlife featuring Vi Taylor, "Play It By Ear" by Cojo, "Get Up & Dance Don't Want No Party Poo Pershere" by Carrie Mims & Herbe Lee River Junction, "Feel The Music" by Dreamflight, "I Want Your Body" by Royale, "Free For All" by Second Wind, "I'm Gonna Get You (Meeow)" by Carrie Mims & Herb Lee River Junction, "You Make Me Happy" by Christopher Michael Band, "Keep It Comin On" by Gypsy, and "Fire Funk" by Hypnotics. LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie – as the set's filled with super rare boogie and disco – yet the music here isn't just obscure, it's also totally great – really wonderful sounds from the farther reaches of the American club underground! The grooves here are fantastic – and many numbers are more in an uptempo soul mode than just a standard disco style – served up with warm instrumentation, soulful vocals, and lots of inventive touches in the arrangements that really keep things interesting! The collection brings together rare 12" singles and unusual records from the US and overseas – and titles include "This Party's Just For You (12" version)" by Special Touch, "There's No End To Our Love" by Leprechaun, "Never Leave Me & I'll Never Leave You" by Philadelphia Brite, "What'Em Doing Is My Business" by Gregory Jolly, "Party Track (12" mix)" by Mr Fox, "Music Freak (12" mix)" by Contagious, "Dance" by Ashanti, "Sweet Maryline" by Christian Gaubert, "When I Come Knocking" by Poncho C Saint Fingers, "Doin It Cause It Feels Good" by Chuck Strong, "Disco Spells Love" by Pure Love, and "Freex (7" mix)" by Aura. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible compilation of dancefloor soul & disco from the early 80s – rare, extended and previously unreleased mixes by NYC legend John Morales – featuring essential material from Logg, Universal Robot Band, Tony Adderly, Class Action, Inner Life and more! Morales was a part of the DJ remix scene that made club ready soul gems out of a bunch of the pop and soul hits of the day, but this compilation on BBE goes deeper than that for the cream of the crop of the post disco grooves of the day, most running on the long side for that unstoppable dancefloor approach, while keeping the song based soul sound fully in place. Essential! 3LP version includes 9 long tracks, with a couple versions extended and longer or otherwise alternate versions than the CD mixes, including the 17+ minute A-side opener "Ain't No Mountain High Enough Parts I & II" (JM extended 4AM mix), "Breaking Down (Sugar Samba)" (JM extended After-Session M&M mix) by Julia & Company, "Barely Breaking Even" (demo version) by Universal Robot Band, "I Ain't Mad At You" (JM extended After-Session M&M mix) by Tony Adderly, "Never Can Say Goodbye" (demo version) by La-Rita Gaskin, "Move To The Groove" (JM After-Session M&M mix) by Margie Joseph, "You Got (That Something)" (JM After-Session M&M mix) by Logg and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from The Trammps – and a record that broke the group firmly out of the Philly ghetto, yet still carried all the best touches of the Sigma scene! Sure, the title track was a super-huge hit – thanks to a plug in Saturday Night Fever – but the record itself is Philly club soaring high, with key arrangements and production from the team of Norman Harris, Ronald Baker, and Earl Young – all of whom provide tremendously mighty grooves to soar the multi-voiced sound of the group well over the top of the clubs! Titles include an 11 minute version of "Disco Inferno", plus "Starvin", "Don't Burn No Bridges", "You Touch My Hot Line", and "I Feel Like I've Been Livin (On The Dark Side Of The Moon)". LP, Vinyl record album

The kind of record that makes us mighty proud to live in the Windy City – and a long-overdue look at the wealth of rare club, disco, and soul cuts bubbling in the Chicago underground at the end of the 70s! During the early part of the decade, the city was widely known for some super-huge soul acts – and in the 80s, house would raise Chicago to international fame – but in the space between, the city kept on putting out some really wonderful music – wicked little cuts issued on small indie labels, most of which never got any circulation outside the midwest! The Mr Peabody crate-digging team's collected together the best of the best from these overlooked years – and also threw in a few of their own edits too – furthering the dancefloor potential of some of the best rare nuggets. 2LP version features 8 cuts – including "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" by Carmen Amez – plus seven Mr Peabody edits – versions of "Too Far Gone" by LaJohn & Sheela, "The Challenge" by Billy Hinton, "The Composer" by Fantasie, "Running To A Disco" by Lonnie Givens, "Bass Come Back" by The Moore Brothers, "Disco Ball" by Brighter Side Of Darkness, and "Your Love Is In The Pocket" by Premonition. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Disco Spectrum series of compilations – a run of records that first burst forth at the end of the 90s, and showed the world that there was a huge amount of underground music to discover from the mainstream disco years! Disco Spectrum cuts aren't the ones you'll know from Saturday Night Fever – or from K-Tel compilations of the time – and instead, they represent the much deeper current of groove that was still burning bright away from the limelight, even while the more commercial disco crumbled into dust – music that was sometimes cut by artists who disappeared quickly, sometimes by older masters, and sometimes by talents who never fully got the respect they deserved. Both Joey Negro and Sean P have given us some great sets before, but this one is right at the top of their talents – filled with gems that include "Let Me Down Easy" by Rare Pleasure, "Spread Love" by Al Hudson & The Soul Partners, "Can't Shake Your Love (Larry Levan 12" mix)" by Syreeta, "Trinidad (special disco mix)" by John Gibbs & US Steel Orchestra, "Isabelle & The Rain" by Jo Boyer, "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By (club 12" mix)" by Cloud One with Margo Williams, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" by Idris Muhammad, "I Don't Want You Back" by Ramona Brooks, "Hot To Trot" by Alfredo De La Fe, "Out Of My Hands" by Omni, "Under The Skin" by The Brothers, "Let Me Love You" by Bunny Mack, "Can You Get Down" by Universe City, and "I Want You For Myself" by George Duke with Lynn Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the biggest moments of Grace Jones' career – the records that really helped her cross over big as a singer, and find a great home on the dancefloors of the disco generation! First up is the album Portfolio – a landmark little record from Grace Jones – a set that started off as one of those "hey, let's see if this model can sing" sort of records – but which has gone onto become an enduring classic! Most of the tunes are older ones, but they're remade with a soaring Sigma Sound groove by the best in Philly – taking sometimes-cloying lyrics and pushing them into hipper disco territory for the 70s – all with that odd wink and subtle sense of irony that would emerge more clearly in Jones' later records. Tom Moulton produced and mixed, and titles include "I Need A Man", "La Vie En Rose", "Sorry", "Tomorrow", "What I Did For Love", and "Send In The Clowns". Fame is a classic disco stormer from Grace Jones – recorded at Sigma Sound with a real Philly groove, thanks to arrangements from John Monster Davis – and produced with a full, soaring sound from the legendary Tom Moulton! The set may well be Grace's true club classic from the late 70s – a record that works both on the quirky levels of her early rise to fame, and on the more soulful expectations mainstream clubgoers had at the time – a beautiful balance that owes plenty to the input from Davis and Moulton! Titles include "Do Or Die", "Pride", "Fame", "Below The Belt", and "Am I Ever Gonna Fall In Love In New York City". Muse has Grace Jones still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer". Box set also features a full bonus album of all the rare mixes from singles – including "Sorry (disco mix)", "That's The Trouble (disco mix)", "I Need A Man (disco mix)", "La Vie En Rose (7" mix)", "Do Or Die (12" disco)", "Comme Un Oiseau Qui S'Envole (12" disco)", "On Your Knees (12" disco)", and "Don't Mess With The Messer (12" version)". Also features a booklet of notes, new mastering, 180 gram vinyl, and a great box! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by Made In Brasil – a great San Francisco combo from the 70s, with a flair for jazzy Brazilian tunes that's every bit as great as groups from Rio or Sao Paulo at the time! The group at this point features keyboardist Claudio Medeiros – who really adds a lot to their sound with his tight work on organ, clavinet, and electric piano! The tracks have a much more expansive sound than before – jazzily grooving in the Brazilian fusion mode of the 70s, touched with all the brightness of the west coast scene. Titles include "Circles", "A Briza", "Slick", "Madalena", "Salt Song", "Carinhoso", and "Ponteio/Asa Branca". LP, Vinyl record album

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Not the throwaway disco you might expect – and instead, an excellent album in the 70s run of Brazilian soul giant Tim Maia – and one that provides a bit of a link to the legacy of his nephew Ed Motta in later years! The album's filled with uptempo tunes – as you'd expect from the title – Tim dropping his heavier funk style of his earliest records, to go for a spirited clubby groove – but one that really brings out some great moments in his vocals – really soaring with notes he never would have hit before! The feel of the record is really pretty darn great – as great as the best American club and disco work of the time – with the added bonus of Tim's great singing, and a few electric funky touches on the best numbers. Titles include "All I Want", "Sossego", "Acenda O Farol", "Jhony", "Murmurio", and "Pais E Filhos". LP, Vinyl record album

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A tight little snapshot of the late 70s legacy of the TK Disco label! This set has both standout staples and gems from deeper in the vaults, here in nice, long, re-worked & re-edited versions that celebrate the soul sound at the core of the tracks, while highlighting the dancefloor aspects. Very nicely chosen, with impeccable material by Gwen McCrae, Timmy Thomas, Jimmy Bo Horne, Ted Taylor and more, subtly reworked by the great DJs/producers Danny Krivit, Todd Terje, Dimitri From Paris and Kon! 8 long groovers on 2LPs: "Spank (Dimitri From Paris Classic Re-Edit)" by Jimmy Bo Horne , "Ghetto Music" by Ted Taylor, "I'm Your Boogie Man" & "I Get Lifted" by KC & The Sunshine Band (both are Todd Terje edits), "Do What You Wanna Do (Kon's Keep It Moving Mix)" by T-Connection, "Why Can't We Live Together (Late Nite Tuff Guy No More War Rework)" by Timmy Thomas, "Move Me Baby (Danny Krivit Edit)" by Gwen McCrae and "Jam On The Groove (Danny Krivit Edit)" by Ralph MacDonald. LP, Vinyl record album

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A cool collection of funky tracks from the Fantasy Records catalog of the 70s – the kind of hip cuts that were often better than mainstream disco – and which sometimes used a bit of jazz in the instrumentation as well! There's a few spacey themes here, but maybe not as much as you'd guess from the cover and title – but that's OK with us, because we can totally dig these down to earth grooves! Titles include "Let's Get Crackin" by Shock, "I Like It" by Players Association, "Funky Force" by Larry Williams, "Space Is The Place" by Pleasure, "Close Encounters Of A Funky Kind" by Fat Larry's Band, "Space Bass" by Slick, "Messages From The Stars (long wave mix)" by Rah Band, "Do It 4 U" by Starship Connection, and "Sparkle (single edit)" by Fat Larry's Band. LP, Vinyl record album

The sound is electric, but also pretty darn funky – not the colder electro disco that would dominate the European scene in the 80s, but the earlier mode that often had lots of live instrumentation at the core – then augmented by sweet touches on moog and other keyboards! The instrumentation is nice and tight throughout – and the whole thing is very much in the best moogy disco modes of the underground – maybe a bit more offbeat than a record on P&P, but with a similar appeal at times. Not much is known about the original group – but titles include "Space Ship", "Briskness", "To Squeeze Through", "Fancy Good", "Disco Fashion", and "Off The Track". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the "disco" in the title, because the album's not really disco – or at least not in a way that any disco fan would agree to – just more of a dancefloor-oriented approach to the heavy funk that James had always been cutting in the 70s! Tracks are longer and more uptempo than on earlier albums – with stronger basslines, and a punchier overall sound that goes for catchy hooks and the kind of shouted, striking lyrics that made James stand out from the pack. Production and arrangements are by Brad Shapiro, of southern soul fame – and that fact gives the album a deeper feel than you'd expect from a disco cash-in set. Titles include "It's Too Funky In Here", "Star Generation", "Still", "The Original Disco Man", "Let The Boogie Do The Rest", and "Women Are Something Else". LP, Vinyl record album

Released in 1975, this greatest hits comp of Bohannon's really does feature some of his best stuff – as it's culled from his first five albums, which are always our favorites. Loads of great up-tempo funky dancefloor tracks, including "Bohannon's Beat", "The Pimp Walk", "Stop & Go", "South African Man", "Truck Stop", and "Keep On Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funky club from one of the hippest soul labels of the 70s – Detroit powerhouse Westbound Records – home to Funkadelic, The Counts, and some other very hip artists! Westbound disco isn't the same as the grooves you'd hear from Philly and New York – because the label started out in funk, and many of these tracks have an approach that's more fast funk than soaring strings – often recorded by groups who were hitting a funky 45 style in the earlier part of the 70s, then taking off with longer grooves with the rise of the club scene in the second half of the decade. As usual with Ace Records, the choice of cuts is great – and the package is as illuminating as it is groovy – with titles that include "Devil's Gun" by CJ & Co, "Wings Of Fire" by Dennis Coffey, "High On Mad Mountain" by Mike Theodore Orchestra, "You Brought The Sunshine (12" version)" by The Clark Sisters, "Beat Your Feet" by Eramus Hall, "Freaky People" by The Crowd Pleasers, "Feel The Need" by Detroit Emeralds, and "BYOF" by Fantastic Four. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Morricone from his golden years – features "Giu La Testa", "Chi Mai", "Buona Fortuna Jack", "Paura Sulla Citta", "C'Era Una Volta Il West", "Il Segreto", and "Il Mio Nome E Nessuno". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the son montuno track "La Equivocada", the guapacha "Humo", and the mambo "Sin Pensar En Ti". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from the Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra – a group with family ties to Azymuth and Incognito, and who work here in the best blend of Brazilian and soulful elements that might imply! The ensemble is a crowning achievement for the Far Out label – a summation of all the great work they've done from the London scene, including their reintroduction of key Brazilian musicians of the 70s – all soaring to the skies here, with a richly collaborative energy! The group features lots of keyboards from Jose Roberto Bertrami, guitars from Alex Malheiros, and keyboards and rhythms from Daniel Maunick – plus great contributions from many others, including some help from the legendary Arthur Verocai. Most tunes groove in a mighty nice way – not vintage disco, but a soaring, righteous 21st Century version of club – on tunes that include "Step Into My Life", "Flying High", "Black Sun", "The Two Of Us", "Walking Bass", "Give It To Me", and "Where Do We Go From Here". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection that looks at the relationship between American soul and reggae in a very unique way – not the early crossovers of soul and rocksteady in the 60s, but a big wave of disco-inspired sounds in the 70s! The set brings together some great Jamaican and British versions of American club tracks from the late 70s and early 80s, plus some soul cuts from earlier years – often done with rhythms that are slower and more bad-stepping, in a true reggae mode – but with songs and lyrics that are lifted right from bit hits by artists like Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and others! The mix of modes is wonderful – and maybe comes across even better than on some of the Afro disco records of the period – thanks to a great track selection, in the usual Soul Jazz standard. Titles include "I'm Every Woman" by Latisha, "In The Rain" by rRnest Ranglin, "Reggae Beat Goes On" by Family Choice, "Ring My Bell" by Blood Sisters, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" by Derrick Laro & Trinity, "Do It Nice & Easy" by Chariot Riders, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Upside Down" by Carol Cool, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Sharon Forrester, "Rappers Delight" by Xanadu & Sweet Lady, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by Risco Connection, "Am I The Same Girl" by Charmaine Burnette, and "Be Thankful For What You Got" by One Blood. LP, Vinyl record album

An intriguing bit of Italian disco – one that has some of the sweet porno touches of the genre's earliest years, but which also picks up some of the more interesting progressive elements that started to surface in the early 80s! There's some really nice percussion and guitars on the set, and a few bits have these nice dark keyboard parts that sit somewhere between Kraftwerk and electro – but the whole thing's also warmed up a bit – in a way that goes along with the cover image of a nude woman coming out of a tube of toothpaste! Includes the extended hit "San Salvador", the moody "Exalt Exalt", and the tracks "Fire Fly", "Soft Emotion", and "Anytime Or Place". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky disco music, and a lot more too – all served up in this rare 70s set by Eko Roosevelt from Cameroon! The leadoff track is a long groover that runs for more than 10 minutes in length – and has that mix of modes that you'd often find in some of the Parisian Afro tracks recorded in the late 70s – but that number's then followed by a number of other tunes that change things up nicely – with some currents of other West African rhythms and instrumentation, all bubbling together in a lively way next to Eko's vocals. One track seems to be trying a bit for a crossover vibe, but the rest are all nice and groovy – and titles include "Funky Disco Music", "Doi Da Manga", "Me To A De Try My Own", "Emen Ango", "Bowaa Mba Ngebe", and "Esele Mba Musango Na Ndol'Am". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of clubby cuts from the Finnish scene – maybe not the biggest hotbed of disco sounds at the end of the 70s, but a nation that's certainly given us some great funk in recent years! Turns out, the funky Finnish legacy goes way back to the 70s – where some of the groups on this collection were tuning out well-crafted cuts that are often arguably a lot warmer than most Euro disco – maybe inspired in part by the strong Finnish fusion scene of a few years before, and turned out here with lots of jazzy elements next to the vocals and familiar grooves. If you dig underground club and rare disco, you'll find plenty to love here – even if some of the cuts are a bit offbeat – and titles include "Discofiilis" by Ernos, "Flying High" by Dance, "Ota" by Pirtta, "Raju Yo Stomp" by Karma, "Queen Of The Night" by Nisa Soraya, "Dancing In The Night" by Caron, "Dance For Your Life" by Bjorninen Band, and "Walking Under Moonlight" by Solar. LP, Vinyl record album

The third volume in this wonderful series – and like the other volumes, a record that really lives up to its name! The groove here mixes together 70s roots in disco and reggae – and comes up with a cool contemporary blend that's mighty nice – held together through top-shelf production from key French talents who include Mato and Patchworks – in a groove that's nicely unified throughout! Many tunes are covers and remakes – the set includes great versions of songs by Herbie Hancock, Rolling Stones, Donna Summer, and others – but all done in these very fresh new ways that are completely unique. Titles include "Feel Like Makin Love" by The Dynamics, "Disco Illusion" by Taggy Matcher, "Melt The Night (Mato reggae rmx)" by Lucas Arruda, "Miss You (ext disco version)" by The Dynamics, "Shake It Dub (ext 12" version)" by 7 Samurai, "Cantaloupe Island" by Taggy Matcher, "Movin In The Right Direction" by Mato, and "Loev To Love You Baby" by Rosemary Martins. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky disco from 70s Spain – a wonderful collection of upbeat, hard-grooving titles that owe plenty to the sound of New York and Philly – but which also have their own sort of groove too! There's elements here that take off from the early 70s Spanish rumba mode of blending flamenco roots with more soulful elements – as many of these tunes have strong guitar flourishes, and these soaring vocals that are certainly inspired by the older modes – but also set to the kinds of rhythms, basslines, and strings that you'd hear from the American disco indies at the time – which makes for a fantastic blend of sounds that's completely unique! The only thing that might come close is Charo's record for Salsoul, but all this work is way better than that album – and titles include "Ahora Que" and "Ya Estoy Parao" by Rumba Tres, "Yo Me Siento Muy Feliz" and "Esta Noche Te Perdi" by Sangre Gitana, "Estrella" by Los Gachos, "Oye Chiquilla" by Tobago, "Puedes Buscarte Un Nuevo Amor" by Barracuda, and "Mala" by La Marelu. LP, Vinyl record album

Well, they've definitely got the "disco" in the title right – but there's a lot more going on here too – including some nice post-punk touches that are augmented by guest work from Mark Stewart and Liquid Liquid! The album's tuneful, catchy, and nicely distilled – heavy on the keyboard and rhythm tip, but not in the smoother style of some of the retro 80s acts on the market – instead with a vibe that hearkens back more towards the DIY vibe of the wave of indie labels that sprung up in the years after punk – particularly some of the hipper British or Benelux imprints! These guys almost feel like that moment when Factory records started to go from darkness to warmth, but also have a special spirit that's all their own – as you'll quickly learn to love on tracks that include "Cause For Concern", "Smarter Harder Darker", "These Are Some Of The Things That I Think About", "875 Dollars", "Stratosphere Girl", and "Music Snob". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare club cuts from a few different generations – all brought together here in a really wonderful collection! The set's supposed to tip us off to the influences on the music of DJ Marky – but even if you don't care about him at all, you'll find plenty here to love – as the package shows the way that great funky tracks can span the globe and space of decades – yet still manage to come together with a really unified feel! Tracks start in the club underground of the late 70s, then move through points overseas to incorporate some great modes that work together wonderfully – in a set of rare grooves that includes "Got To Get Your Love" by Clyde Alexander & Sanction, "Futebol De Bar" by Manuel Azevedo Quartet, "Jungle Kitten" by Manfredo Fest, "Cosa Nostra" by Pasito All Stars, "Meant Love" by Influx Datum, "Dream Come True (Joey Negro reality mix)" by Brand New Heavies, "This Is Acid (K&T dance mix)" by Maurice, "Last Night Changed It All" by Esther Williams, and "Truly One (rmx part 1)" by Origin Unknown. LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the hokey concept of this one, and dig the grooves! The record is a sublime batch of spacey disco cuts – played with more than a bit of funk in the mix, and some really solid Philly instrumentalizing, all directed by Vince Montana, who arranged, produced, and conducted the whole album! Titles include "Warp Factor II", "Love Star", "VM IV", and "It's Peaceful Out There" – plus the title track, which runs for all of side one! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of southern soul from Loleatta Holloway! The record was her last in the mode – and it's a gem that should have made her as big as her later disco records. The record was produced by Floyd Smith, and it's got some of the most sophisticated production we've heard on a southern diva album from the 70s – with instrumentation that still boggles us with its brilliance. Case in point is the amazing cut "Cry To Me", which has these insane banks of "weeping" guitar that send chills down our spine! The cut was written by Sam Dees, who also penned some other fine material for the album – and titles include "I Know Where You're Coming From", "Just Be True To Me", "Something About The Way I Feel", and a cover of Ruby Andrews' "Casanova". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set from One Way – post disco Detroit dancefloor soul of the first order! There a crisp, tight bubbling sound that's pretty wonderful – and warm in the spots where so many records of the period and cold and mechanical. The tunes bounce along nicely with production from Al Perkins, and some nice bass work by Kevin McCord. The album includes the nicely snapping funky tune "Hold It" – plus "Pull Fancy Dance/Pull". "Burn It", "Your Love Is All I Need", "He Is My Friend", "Get Up", and "Show Me" – plus bonus track "Let's Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

A rock-solid groove machine from The JBs – an album that's a bit different than their earlier sides for People Records, yet still pretty wonderful overall! The approach is more club than funk – yet the grooves are still mostly live ensemble playing – kind of a ratcheted-up version of the JBs' style, and very similar to the groove that James Brown himself was hitting at the end of the 70s! Given the already-sharp sound of the group, you can bet that the music here is light years better than most other studio disco groups of the period – and although James Brown produced, most of the tracks are instrumental – save for one with vocals by Maxxi. Titles include "Rock", "Georgia Peach Disco", "Just Wanna Make You Dance", "Rock Disco #1", and "Rock Groove Machine". LP, Vinyl record album