A definite wild safari of grooves – an unusual batch of tracks that mix together 70s disco modes with other global touches – all served up in a mighty groovy style! Electric and acoustic instruments run side by side here – congas next to keyboards, riffing guitars next to chanted vocals – and the tracks often remind us of some of the coolest work coming out of the French scene during the late 70s club years – although it's clear that these tracks come from a wide variety of sources. Titles include "Ayala Red" by The Mighty, "Simbora" by Simbora Orchestra, "Safari Love" by Resonance, "Sunara" by Crispy & Co, "Bilboa Dance" by Sweet Bananas, "Ramses Theme" by Ramses Ballet, and "Mayaguana" by Antillas Mayores. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from this obscure Portland group – a combo who definitely deliver the disco fantasy of the title, but in ways that are more funk-based overall! Transport has ties to the Gangsters and Nu Shooz, and the vibe here is more that of a local funk group picking up the pace a bit for the late 70s generation – but still keeping things lean with tight combo instrumentation that's heavy on basslines and keyboards – topped with playful vocals that give things a clubby vibe, but which also have a much deeper execution than the usual disco chorus mode! Maybe it's the lack of strings or commercial production, but the whole thing feels much hipper than you'd expect – nicely righteous currents running through tunes that include "Move Your Body To The Music", "Disco Fantasy Land", "Stay With Me", and a nice remake of "Always There". LP, Vinyl record album

Beat digging heroes Kon & Amir return with a diverse, funky treasure trove of rare dancefloor anthems, rarer disco soul and African boogie cuts – possibly the best yet in their Off Track series for BBE! The east coast duo have dedicated each title in the series to an NYC borough, and Brooklyn is honored this time out – but there's a world of rare and underground club funk & soul presented here! Includes African disco & soul records with all regions dancefloor appeal, raw percussion and bass accented numbers that are tight and punchy and others with a more soaring approach, all of it totally wonderful and hard-to-find – including some we've seen or heard before! The vinyl version features 2LPs with unmixed tracks, with Kon's selections on 2 sides and Amir's on 2 sides – some featured on the mixed 2CD versions plus alternate tracks! Kon's selections include "Burnin Up" (Kon's edit) by SFB, "From The Heart" (Kon's Multi rmx) by Donny McCuillough, "Rock Don't Stop" by Taxie, "More Power To You" by Mazyck Project, "Lost In Space" by Shake and "EOD" by Edge Of Daybreak. Kon's selections include "Enjoy Your Life" by Oby Onyioha, "Disco Power" by Bomp, "You Can't Change A Man" by Christy Essien Igbokwe, "Sexy Dancer" by Harry Mosco and "Don't Ask Me" by Goddy Oku. 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

The genius sound of the TK Records label, taken to a whole new level – as some of the coolest club classics from that legendary Miami label are served up here in a host of new edits by contemporary talents! The sound is great – all the funk and soul of the originals, but kicked up a bit here and there on the rhythms – and often edited in ways that the grooves are really expanded too! Titles include "Spank (Dimitri From Paris Classic Re-Edit)" by Jimmy Bo Horne , "Ghetto Music" by Ted Taylor, "I'm Your Boogie Man (Todd Terje edit)" and "I Get Lifted (Todd Terje edit)" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "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

... 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

Fierce funk from behind the iron curtain in the 70s – a huge selection of tracks from the Yugoslavian record label Jugoton – most presented here to the western work for the first time ever! The music here isn't the usual American funk and soul of the decade – even though the tracks show plenty of influence from that scene, but work the funky modes through a range of jazz, pop, sound library, and rockish modes – all with a really cool vibe that makes these tracks stand out strongly from the other sorts of music you might have in your collection. Some cuts have elements that are similar to other Eastern bloc funk of the period – like work from Poland or Czechoslovakia – but the label was based in Croatia, and also had more Mediterranean vibes running through the grooves – especially in the latter half of the 70s. Titles include "Zaznamovan" by Mladi Levi, "Tema IV" by Oko, "Blue Jeans" by Rok Hotel, "Lezaj Od Suza" by Josipa Lisac, "Ja Te Uzlaud Ljubim" by Soul Sound Band, "Alfa" by Igor Savin, "Ideja" by Marijan Kasaj, "Puno Parom" by Arsen Dedic, "Ljetne Skice" by Plesni Orkester RTZ, DAvni Zivot" by Dalibor Brun, and "Novinar" by Alfi Kabilijo. 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

The real sound of the old school, and the best beats from the streets – the kind of early underground hip hop tracks that still sound wonderful after all these years! These are tracks from the earliest years of the style – when funk was as much a part of the music as lyrics – and tracks were often surprisingly long, and spun out in the best sort of party mode – with an excellent focus on funky drum breaks and basslines, matched by lyrics from youthful crews and MCs that set the standard for countless artists to come! As with the first volume, the track selection here is wonderful – a mix of key classics from the Harlem and South Bronx scenes, plus some overlooked gems that are well-worth discovering – all wrapped up with the usual top-shelf attention to detail we've come to expect from Soul Jazz Records! The package features loads of great notes and photos – and titles include "Maximus Party" by TJ Swann & Pee Wee Mel, "Death Rap" by Margo's Kool Out Crew, "Lookin Good" by Eddie Cheba, "One Time Two Time Blow Your Mind" by MC Rock Lovely, "Let's Rock" by Harlem World Crew, "School Days" by Busy Bee, "Ah That's The Joint" by Kool DJ AJ, "Dancin Party People" by Little Skarsky, "Young Ladies" by Lonnie Love, "Rappin Partee Groove" by Rappers Rapp Group, "The People's Message Take Two" by Terry Lewis & Wild Flower, "Shake Your Body" by Manujothi, "Dr Ice Rap" by Zoot II, and "Rock The Message Rap" by Grand Master Chilly T & Stevie G. LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful Latin disco grooves – with a mixture of funky rhythms, and some sweet electric keyboards. Lyrics appear to be in Portuguese only – but the main thing here is the groove, which is very nice, and a perfect realization of the disco samba sound. Side one features the killer disco cut "Que Tal America", plus a medley of Brazilian pop hits done in the Two Man style. Side two has shorter cuts like "Djinn Djinn", "Americano", and "Samba Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A completely obscure disco session from the New York scene of the 70s, and a great one too – long, well-crafted tracks that clearly draw inspiration from both the work of Salsoul Orchestra and MFSB – and which have a sound that's every bit as great as work from those two famous groups! Like the others, the approach here is mostly instrumental first, with vocals added in second – sometimes as chorus, sometimes as a lead – sung by an unnamed singer who's got a great range, and really soars with the mix – maybe a bit like Eddie Holman on some of the work that he did for Salsoul Records – and there's also a few occasional moogy moments that are pretty great too! The original album was only ever circulated as a promo, which makes this version long overdue as a proper release – with titles that include "Reverie", "It's True", "Get It Up & Dance", "Love In Motion", "Version", and "Untitled". 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

A fantastic set from 70s South Africa – and a record that maybe has a lot more of an American funk vibe than you'd expect! The style is nice and lean, and is often in a mode that echoes some of the cooler underground disco of the late 70s on the east coast – almost as if these cuts could have come from one of the P&P family of labels, instead of South Africa's big Gallo imprint – save for some especially nice moments that almost recall the early 70s electric funk of Hugh Masekela! All tunes are nice and long, all instrumentals – and the "disco specials" are original tunes that mix clubby rhythms with a variety of different sounds and styles – really cool, very fresh, and not even in the same territory as some of the West African/Paris hybrids of the time. Titles include the ten minute classic "Disco Stomp" – plus "We Did It", "Barney's Moaning", and "GG Is Talking". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in this late 70s "Best Of The West" series produced for Japan by Lew Tabackin – a series in which Lew uncovered some of the best (then) current work on the west coast, in an unusual and creative mix of classic and under-discovered players! This session is led by alto saxophonist Dick Spencer, but also features Conte Candoli on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a really well-balanced group that makes for a great depth of feeling that's hardly the west coast revival mode you might expect from the date! Spencer's tone on alto is really great – quick-footed, but also full of feeling – and Candoli's got some very nice later lines on trumpet, warmed up a bit by Cedar Walton's piano. There's a somewhat informal feel to the session – a bit boppish at times – and titles include "Invitation", "Minor March", "Lament For Sonny", "Barbados", and "Shining Hour". LP, Vinyl record album

Possibly not as righteous as you might expect from the title or queen images on the cover – but a pretty nice little album nonetheless, and maybe the best so far from the Ritchie Family! The trio are working with disco maestro Jacques Morali here – and side one features the extended "African Queens" suite – a long track that tells the tales of Nefertiti, Cleopatra, and Sheba – all set to lush disco rhythms! Side two features some shorter numbers – one of which is a great remake of "Quiet Village", given some great disco rhythms and lyrics – plus "Summer Dance" and "Voodoo". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than the disco cash-in some folks thought at the time – and a surprisingly classic set that perfectly sums up the late 70s Stones ethos – and, in a way, the vibe of a changing New York! Titles include "Miss You", "Beast Of Burden", "Shattered", "Imagination", "Lies", "Far Away Eyes" and "When The Whip Comes Down". LP, Vinyl record album

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked nugget from the New York scene of the 70s – a set you might not catch as a soul album, given the simple design of the cover – but which stands as the lone calling card of the strong singer Robert Cotter! Cotter's got roots in gospel, which really shows in his strong vocal range and magnificent inflections – and in the very positive, uplifting spirit in his songs – more secular overall, but with a really great vibe – maybe somewhere in the territory of DJ Rodgers on RCA! Instrumentation is nice and lean – funky soul in the best sense of the word – and the set features work from a young Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on two tracks too. Titles include "Missing You", "Teddy Bear", "Love Rite", "Saturday", "Uncle Sam", "Come On With It", "Good Bless The Soulfire People", and "Disco Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet campy disco classic – and a record that's been close to our hearts for years! Celi Bee may have had white hair and a hokey kind of look, but she won us forever with her incredible "Superman" – a five minute homage to the man in red and blue, and the leadoff track on this debut set! "Superman" is a sweet disco number with lots of strings, heavy rhythms at the bottom, and an erotic vocal that seems to offer the big guy more action than Lois Lane ever did. The rest of the tracks follow in a similar sleaze disco mode, and titles include "Smile", "It's Sad", "Hurt Me Hurt Me", "One Love", and "Closer Closer". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice later work from Ruby Andrews – better known for her indie work on the Chicago scene, but getting a shot here on a major label! The set features arrangements by David VanDepitte and McKinley Jackson, who do a good job of getting the best out of Ruby – and the great Earl Van Dyke plays keyboards too! Tracks include "A Change Is Gonna Come", "A Love Feeling", "A Little Fixin Up", "Queen Of The Disco", "Let's Make Every Second A Memory", and "I Wanna Be Near You". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by Honey Cone – and the one that really broke them out of the box! The record's got a groove that gets going right from the start – a sense of upbeat, soulful energy that really shows why the Honey Cone approach was so different than most of the girl groups who came before them – a groovier, more righteous style that shows that the ladies are very much in charge – and able to send things over the top with their unified energy! Production is great – very rumbling and bold, which further helps the groove – and titles include the huge hit "Want Ads" – a pre-disco cut that pointed the way towards future female soul groups of the mid 70s – plus "Deaf Blind Paralyzed", "Sunday Morning People", "My Mind's On Leaving", "We Belong Together", and "Blessed Be Our Love LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working here at a new level for 70s jazz fusion! Sure, it's as slick as it can be – with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the Brecker Brothers – but thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! There's more than enough interesting jazz funk numbers on here to keep you happy if you dig a soulful fusion groove, and with Steve Gadd and Lenny White on drums, the beats are heavy enough in the right places. Titles include "Tabula Rasa", "Finger Lickin Good", "Funky Sea, Funky Dew", "Squids", "Petals", and "As Long As I've Got Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of club from Lipps Inc – an album that's got the group nicely stretched-out and extended – taking them way past the simpler sounds you might know from their hit single work! Tracks here are all quite long, and feature lots of instrumental workouts over very tight rhythms – almost a mix of Casablanca disco with some of the freer modes you'd get from labels like Prelude or Salsoul – served up with lots of guitar and heavy basslines from group leader Steven Greenberg! Vocals are by Cynthia Johnson – who helped Lipps Inc become one of the first standout soul acts from the Twin Cities – and in addition to a great extended take of "Funkytown", titles include "All Night Dancin", "Power", and "Rock It". LP, Vinyl record album

The Ebony Godfather is grooving here with a set of fuller backings – sweet clubby funk, arranged and conducted by Brad Baker (of B Baker Chocolate Company fame) – all as a showcase for Joe's sweet work on flute and tenor sax! There's a fair bit of keyboards on the tunes – played by Pat Rebillot and Barry Miles – and Steve Gadd's playing the drums on the date, which helps the rhythms keep a bit of an edge, even amidst the larger backing. Some cuts have backing chorus vocals, in a style used on other Thomas albums – and although definitely touched by a bit of disco fever, the album's still got a jazzy element too – like some of the crossover club sessions on the Kudu label from the 70s! Titles include "Funky Fever", "Feelins From Within", "Polarizer", "Coco", "Galaxy Dreamin", and "Venus". LP, Vinyl record album

Raising Hell indeed – as Fatback were really burning up the dancefloor by the time of this set, well earning the demonic sexy image on the cover! All the sharp funk elements of the group's roots are still in place, but they're also given more focus for the rising club scene of the east coast underground of the mid 70s – not in a slick disco way, but with a style that shows just how much the tight instrumentation of these earlier funk groups had an impact on the direction of soul in the late 70s! The set's brimming over with great funky disco numbers – and includes the group's two classics "Do The Bus Stop" and "Spanish Hustle" – plus the excellent numbers "Party Time", and "Groovy Kind Of Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky sounds old and new – a great collection of cuts that are hand-picked by Jasper The Vinyl Junkie, and which have a way of bridging the best modes of the 70s and some of the best sounds from recent years! The work here all sounds very classic, even if some of it is contemporary – rhythms that are mostly upbeat, but not really house, disco, or club – just upbeat funky nuggets that are filled with plenty of elements from jazz and soul! Titles include "Funky Cookie" by Exile One, "JB's Latin" by Spitting Image, "Safari" by Ashantis, "Berlin 1 (Hot Pants Road)" by Tihomir Pop Asanovic, "Nobody Else But You (Opolopo rmx)" by Steve Arrington, "Black Hole" by Stato Brado with Fred Wesley, "Crusien" by Thomas Siffling Trio, "Flotational Device" by E Live, "Let The Drums Speak (Harvey Lindo edit)" by Bah Samba with The Fatback Band, "Trippin High" by Eric Legnini Trio, "Painful Pleasure" by Hubert Eaves, and "Stay Cool" by Jaki Whiren & John Cartwright. Also includes a bonus 7" single – with the cuts "Sonor Tropical" by Mankoora and "Stockport Carnival" by Mr Scruff. LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment for the Philly soul scene of the 70s – and the first album to feature the MFSB backing group as a solo act on their own! The ensemble were responsible for key sounds on countless soul singles of the time – yet also find a way to soar beautifully on their own – in a sweet instrumental groove that matches the strength of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra, and which was definitely a key inspiration for the sound of the Salsoul Orchestra! There's definitely a bit of early disco in the mix, but the style's more uptempo east coast overall – that pre-disco groove that was going down in the clubs – with larger strings added to a core group of funky rhythm players. Gamble & Huff production make the whole thing sparkle, and arrangements are by Vince Montana, Bobby Martin, and Jack Faith – on titles that include "Love Is The Message", "Cheaper To Keep Her", "TSOP", "Zack's Fanfare", "Touch Me In The Morning", and "My One & Only Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A Chicago group who never hit the big time during their short run at the start of the 80s – but one who definitely know how to groove! There's a vibe here that really lives up to the "togetherness" in the group's name – a way of coming together with a tight, sharp sound throughout – but one that's never too slick, just surprisingly strong for such an underground funk group from the Windy City! And although the music is upbeat, the style is less disco than it is the kind of faster funk that percolated strongly in the underground scene in the pre-house years – almost more akin to some of the best indie club work coming out of the east coast, but with a very unique vibe too. As usual with Numero, the set does way more than just bring this lost music to light – it also tells the tale of the Universal Togetherness Band, and their never-flagging sense of energy and inspiration during their short but important run. Titles include "Ain't Gonna Cry", "Try Try Try", "My Sentiment", "Real Thrill", "Once In A Lifetime", "Call For Love", "I Want You", and "Taken By Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite monster from Herbie Hancock – one of those great records from Hancock's second chapter at Columbia Records – a time when he was really evolving as an artist, and able to take on the world of soul as well as he did with jazz and fusion! The groove is a great fusion of the funky elements that Herbie created on some of his wilder earlier records, and the tighter style of funky soul at the time – a mode that's much hipper than disco, with almost a CTI current at times – but qualities that are even groovier in the hands of Herbie! The set's got some vocals – leads by Gavin Christopher, and backup by The Waters – and there's plenty of sweet keyboard lines as well – at a level that still blows away all the younger cats who were trying to horn in on Herbie's action. Includes the funky classic "Stars In Your Eyes" – which has a bassline that just won't quit – a sweet stepper called "Making Love", and the cuts "It All Comes Round", "Don't Hold It", and "Saturday Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Not to be confused with the group Pleasure, or the ex-Police leadman Sting – this group are a pretty darn sweet disco trio with a really nice groove! The sound's a bit different than other disco references we might use – not really New York, European, or Canadian – and done with a bit more soul than you might think. The vocals are silly at times, but also pretty darn catchy – and sung with a good sense of the hook, so that they're not as buried in the mix as on other disco tunes. A few tracks also get nice and mellow, making for a good variety in the set – and titles include "Do It In The Shower", "Winning Number", "Best Friend", "Pleasure", "Love Is The Answer", and "Without Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A double album set of classic & contemporary Camp Lo – the solid Get Down Brothers on the contemporary tip and the bonus On The Way Uptown LP on the classic tip! Get Down Brothers finds working nicely in modern, but not at all trend hopping effort with straight up hip hop and some clubbier sounds that don't weigh down the veteran rhyme craft. Titles includes "Genie Alert", "Crocket & Tubs" with YahZarah, Love Is Love", "Strings", "Black Connection", "What They Know", "This Is Lo" and more. On The Way Uptown features early 90s era demos from their uberclassic Uptown Saturday Night plus some nice pre-Uptown Saturday Night material! 12 tracks including "Sugar Streets", "Coolie High Is Life", "Short Eyes", "World Heist", "Sparkle (110th St Demo)", "Superfly", "Hollywood At The Disco" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked gem from the JBs – their last album for People Records, and a stone funk classic that's every bit as essential as the others! The band is still in fine fine form – with none of the fast-funk or proto-disco of some later recordings – and they're working here in some really tight song formats that almost go back to the early days of the group's first few singles. The album's filled with great playing, wonderful grooves, and Fred Wesley's keen sense of humor – which sparks the whole set with a sense of warmth and creative play that show why the JBs are still the greatest funk band ever. Includes the excellent "Little Boy Black", which begins with some tasty James Brown vocals; the oft-sampled "Rockin' Funky Watergate"; plus "Step Child", "Makin Love", and "Rice & Ribs". Not as drawn out as Doing It To Death, but more complicated than Food For Thought, and still a totally essential bit of funk! LP, Vinyl record album

A great new chapter for Donna Summer – a set that has her working with the legendary Quincy Jones as producer – who gives the whole album a very different sound! There's still plenty of the catchy, bouncy styles you'd know from Summer's late 70s work – but Jones also brings in some jazzy flair from time to time – using elements like keyboards from Greg Phillinganes or tenor from Ernie Watts to create a broader palette of color and sound than some of Donna's disco records. The rhythms change things up nicely too – reaching for a bit more than before – and titles include "Protection", which has a guitar solo from Bruce Springsteen – plus "Livin In America", "Love Is In Control", "State Of Independence", "Lush Life", and "Love Is Just A Breath Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A super huge hit for Donna Summer – a disco classic as well as a pop crossover smash! The album was produced by disco powerhouse Giorgio Moroder, and featured the hits "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and "Dim All The Lights". Plus the songs "On My Honor", "Our Love", "Lucky", "There Will Always Be A You", "Sunset People", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album