... LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's got to be one of the coolest recorded in Calgary during the early 80s – as it offers up a really unusual blend of modes that definitely lives up to its title, and which also borrows a bit from Indian music as well! Singer Rupa Biswas fronts a group that's equally strong on the instrumental tip, and which allow for plenty of room in the tracks to let the players stretch out and solo – in a blend of keyboards and guitar with more traditional sarod and tablas! Rhythms are mostly upbeat, but in ways that are more interesting than the "disco" title implies – especially in 1982 – and the whole thing's maybe first a funky fusion record, which then borrows a bit from Indian percussion, then adds in Rupa's vocals in the lead. Titles include "Aaj Shanibar", "Moja Bhari Moja", "East West Shuffle", and the side-long jam "Ayee Morshume/Be Reham Duniya". 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 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

A really wonderful project that was years in the making – a mix of American club and Brazilian elements – put together by a group that includes members of Azymuth and Banda Black Rio, as well as the legendary Arthur Verocai! Jose Roberto Bertrami's the strongest contributor here – and the music really echoes that great late 70s/early 80s point when the Azymuth fusion groove crossed over into tighter, funkier territory – coming off here with a sound that's got really universal appeal and a wickedly classic vibe overall – like some unusual cross-breeding of Brazilian grooves and Salsoul Records! Vocals are by Mia Mendes and Marcina Arnold, but the instrumentation is even better than the lyrics – filled with jazzy touches, blended with bits of strings, and perfectly produced all the way through. Really tremendous stuff – one of the freshest records we've heard from Far Out in years – with titles that include "Mystery", "Keep Believing", "Dead Dance", "The Last Carnival", "A Disco Supreme", "Vendetta", and "Don't Cha Know He's Alright". 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. 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 two more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number, and "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion! LP, Vinyl record album

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

A really wild album from this Indian psych group of the 70s – a set that's a bit different than their better-known first and second albums, but which is pretty darn groovy overall! The set's definitely somewhere in the "disco" of the title – but not in a slick, commercial way – as the group are working mostly as a funky instrumental combo, with some weird keyboard touches and offbeat production that might be aimed at the dancefloor, but which would have sent folks running for the doors in an American club. Singers appear in a few spots, but the real appeal is the tight, fast, and super-funky instrumentation – honestly even funkier than on their previous albums, which really transforms any tune they try to touch. Titles include "Another Star", "2001", "Life is Anew", "Devil Woman", "I Wish", "Spectrum", and "Smackwater Jack". LP, Vinyl record album

... 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

A record that's got to be one of the coolest recorded in Calgary during the early 80s – as it offers up a really unusual blend of modes that definitely lives up to its title, and which also borrows a bit from Indian music as well! Singer Rupa Biswas fronts a group that's equally strong on the instrumental tip, and which allow for plenty of room in the tracks to let the players stretch out and solo – in a blend of keyboards and guitar with more traditional sarod and tablas! Rhythms are mostly upbeat, but in ways that are more interesting than the "disco" title implies – especially in 1982 – and the whole thing's maybe first a funky fusion record, which then borrows a bit from Indian percussion, then adds in Rupa's vocals in the lead. Titles include "Aaj Shanibar", "Moja Bhari Moja", "East West Shuffle", and the side-long jam "Ayee Morshume/Be Reham Duniya". LP, Vinyl record album

That's a mighty sexy cover on the front – and the grooves inside definitely have the flavor to match! The work here is from the obscure French disco underground – a European scene that never got the same exposure as German or Italian work for clubs – which makes the whole package a really great discovery in sound! The music is surprisingly fresh, and often quite funky too – and done in modes that are arguably warmer and more soulful than most other European disco – and often a lot like the best American underground club of the period. Some tracks have breathy female vocals, while others have bolder lyrics that almost echo some of the global musical crossovers happing in 70s Paris and a few of the later tracks bring in electro elements, but in a subtle way we totally love. The collection's a follow-up to the Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds compilation – and like that one, it's really a cut above the usual! Titles include "Super Star" by Contessa, "Lady Jones" by Over Drive, "Music Madness (ext Charles Maurice version)" by Beckie Bell, "Y'A Du Blues" by Marche Noire, "Un Fait Divers & Rien De Plus (re-remix)" by Le Club, "Pour Moi Ca Va (Charles Maurice version)" by France Lise, "Polar (Charles Maurice version)" by Bernard Guyvan, and "Minuit L'Heure Du Swing" by Didier Makaga. LP, Vinyl record album

... 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

A little-heard assortment of rare funk tracks from the 70s – all music with a unique hybrid of styles, originally only issued for the small scene in Aotearoa – which most of us know as the nation of New Zealand! The music here draws on both American funk and south Pacific styles – and comes across in a way that's different than some of the more familiar Australian funk and soul of the same time – maybe more indie to that nation's major label polish – filled with the kinds of tracks that hardly need to answer to anyone in the mainstream – just the freaky folks on the dancefloor at a party! The tunes were recorded over the space of a decade, but almost all of them have a strong mid-70s vibe – pre-disco, but upbeat funk – with sharp instrumentation by musicians who'd clearly be comfortable playing other styles, but who often work here to back up a soulful singer in the lead. Titles include "A House For Sale" by Mark Williams, "You Can Dance" by Collision, "Voodoo Lady" by Dalvanius & The Fascinations, "That's The Kind Of Love I've Got For You" by The 1860 Band, "Mr Funky" by Inbetweens, "I Need Your Love" by Golden Harvest, "You Can Do It" by Tina Cross, "Disco Queen" by Mark Williams, "Don't Give Your Life Away" by The Pink Family, "There's A River" by Sonia & Skee, "Mr Music" by Ticket, "She's Knocking At My Door" by Johnny Rocco Band, "Sweet Inspiration" by The Yandall Sisters, "Total Man" by The Totals", and "Who Do We Think We're Fooling" by Larry Morris. LP, Vinyl record album

Long live disco, but not the sort that was big on the American scene of the 70s – as Tunde Mabadu serves up a nicely lean version of the music here – filled with Nigerian funk elements, and plenty of his own great work on tenor and alto sax! The tunes are jumpy, jaunty, and plenty darn catchy – maybe more Afro Funk overall, but speeded up a bit from a few years before - with Tunde at the head of a group that features lots of percussion at the bottom, plenty of riffing guitar and bass, sweet keyboard lines, and two trumpets to punctuate his own work in the lead! Tunde sings a bit, too – which response from two lovely female singers – and titles include "Disco Press Funk", "Angelina Sugar Daddy", "African Parowo", "Amupara Ko Ma Dara", and "Alabosi". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

These disco ladies are pretty darn great – a lot more deep-voice than some of their club contemporaries – at a level that makes the record way stronger than just another album of grooves! The girls work in trio format – but the record has an approach that puts the vocals first, rather than use them to augment the usual studio work in a funky style – so that there's a rich feel to the record that really knocks it out of the park – almost in an earlier female group mode! The set was recorded in California, and we don't know much else about it – but we can say that tracks include "Woman", "Our Love Is Special", "Better Than Walking Out", "Lovin You Is So Easy", and "I Second That Emotion". LP, Vinyl record album

... 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

Wonderful new work from Change – the international soul combo who made some classic cuts back at the start of the 80s – still sounding great all these many years later, but in a slightly different way! The balance between all elements here is fantastic – as the music has all the best parts of the group's earlier music, but also updates the sound a bit – in the way that a combo like Incognito or Brand New Heavies were updating older soul music back in the 90s, by grabbing all the strongest parts of the past, and fusing them into a fresh lean groove. The songs are upbeat, positive, and full of the kind of catchy hooks that Change always did so well – and titles include "Friends", "Make Me Go Cray", "How Will We", "Too Late", "Living Monday", "Love 4 Love", "All My Life", and "Hit Or Miss". Also includes some remix versions of older tracks – "Searching (Figo Sound version)", "Oh What A Feeling (Figo Sound version)", "You'll Always Be A Part Of Me (Figo Sound version)", and "It's A Girl's Affair (Figo Sound version)". 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

Sublime solo material from the great Teddy Pendergrass – the kind of record that instantly proves that his departure from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes was a great idea, as the man alone is even more of a power to be reckoned with! The set's a cornerstone in that great second wave of Philly soul from Gamble & Huff – that point when the rest of the world was picking up on the disco grooves they forged earlier in the 70s, and they went for a more adult, more sophisticated style with singers like Teddy, Jean Carn, Phyllis Hyman, and others. The whole thing's perfect – and nicely balances between mellow moments and groovers – with gems that include the always-great "Close The Door", the massive "When Somebody Loves You Back", and other cuts that include "Get Up Get Down Get Funky Get Loose", "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Cold Cold World", and "It Don't Hurt Now". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great look at the bright world of female soul in Japan during the 80s – a time when the nation was hitting some of its greatest heights of the postwar years – and was coming up with a magical musical groove to follow! While disco reigned in American clubs in the late 70s, the style really took off in Tokyo during the following decade – maybe mixed a bit with European and 80s club styles, but still unabashedly as upbeat and bubbling as American work of previous years – all to showcase a range of female singers whose style really matches the groove! The music takes off a bit from that shift into soul by Japanese jazz singers in the 70s – but is much farther than that mode overall, especially once the beats and keyboards get going. The package does a great job of being faithful to this legacy – and includes notes on each song and artist, along with album covers too. Titles include "Wanna Kiss" by Hitomi Tohyama, "Dancin" by Junko Ohashi, "Dress Down" by Kaoru Akimoto, "I'm In Love" by Aru Takamura, "Broken Eyes" by Mariko Tone, "TNT" by Rie Murakami, "Love Is A Work Of Mind" by Ra Mu, "Mystical Composer" by Kikuchi Momoko, and "Sky Restaurant" by Yumi Seino. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of grooves from Eko Roosevelt – a singer with roots in Cameroon, but a career that largely focused on the Paris scene of the late 70s and early 80s – where Roosevelt developed a superb ability to blend sounds from his roots with more contemporary club-based styles! Most of this work is in the best Afro-Disco mode – tunes that move at an upbeat pace for a modern dancefloor, yet still have live instrumentation, and a very soulful vibe throughout – one that also comes through in the vocals – which have this extra-nice quality, due to an inherently raspy approach from Eko. The collection is the first reissue we've seen to focus on his work – and titles include "Kilimanjaro My Home", "M'Ongele M'am", "Njuke Bonene", "Fly Me Back To Kribi", "Manyaka", "Fantasie Bantou", and "Osi Bakele Mba". LP, Vinyl record album

A rap record grail! The album features sharp live early performances by a whole range of classic MC's. The whole set gives you a glimpse of what hip hop was like when rocking a party was more important to an MC's reputation than what they did in the studio! LP, Vinyl record album

Yes, it was a mega-hit – and yes, it was one of those records that everyone who lived through the 70s seemed to own at one time – but after all these decades, you can't deny the power of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – especially for the way that it mixed club soul classics with new original material! Obviously, the Bee Gees cover placement make them big stars of the record – but the set's also got some great early disco gems – like "Open Sesame" by Kool & The Gang, "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps, "KJEE" by MFSB, "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph MacDonald, "Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman, "Boogie Shoes" by KC & The Sunshine Band, and "More Than A Woman" by Tavares. The Bee Gees reinvent themselves from the early days – and sing "Stayin Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love", "More Than A Woman", "Jive Talkin", "You Should Be Dancin", and "Night Fever" – and the set also features a few instrumentals by David Shire – "Manhattan Skyline", "Night On Disco Mountain" and "Salsation". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric keys from the great Richard Tee – issued on Bob James' classic Tappan Zee imprint! Tee was one of the 70s best studio keyboard players – and his talents showed up on plenty of great Atlantic soul albums, and a fair number of jazz-related dates. This album, one of his few on his own, features Tee out front, soloing keyboards, in very much a Bob James kind of way. The set's perhaps a bit disco/R&B, more so than some of James' own work at the time – but it's still got a nice jazz component, and features work by Eric Gale on guitar, Tom Scott on saxes, and the great Steve Gadd on drums. Titles include "Virginia Sunday", "First Love", "Strokin", "Jesus Children Of America", and "I Wanted It Too". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful little record from Wade Marcus – one that features Wade's great talents for soulful arranging, but with plenty of jazzy touches over the top! The set's got a decidedly disco feel at times, but also uses main soloists on all tracks – creating a strong sense of the solo moment in a lusher setting, in a style that's a bit like some of the more fully arranged albums on Kudu. The real standout is a take on "Poinciana" that runs for 7 minutes long – using great solo work from Fred Jackson and Joe Sample in an arrangement of the tune that expands off of Ahmad Jamal's version, and which has some great nods to his original touches! Other titles include "Metamorphosis", "Funk Machine", "Would You Like To Ride", and "Journey To Morocco" – and other soloists include Jerome Richardson, Lee Ritenour, Dorothy Ashby, and Bill Green. LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth than some of the easy come/easy go disco divas of her day! Thanks here is clearly due to the team of Reggie Lucas and Mtume – who strike strongly with the album as one of their key early productions – the sort of work that really helped push mainstream soul a bit further at the end of the 70s, and set some new tones for a lot of growth in the next decade. The keyboards on the record are almost as nice as the vocals – played by Hubert Eaves and Harry Whitaker with a nice degree of sensitivity – hardly the stronger keyboard voice of the early 80s soul scene, and often with a dose of jazziness that's really appreciated. Titles include "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'", "Deeper Inside Your Love", "Feel The Fire", "Put Your Body In It", "Starlight", and "Don't Stop Dancin". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare grooves from Evans Pyramid – a sweet set of cosmic disco from the end of the 70s – recorded with a lean, almost spiritual vibe – quite similar to some of the great tracks reissued in the Soul Cal series! There's a definite ear for the dancefloor here – lots of upbeat rhythms, touched with sweet keyboards riffs, and layered with vocals that are almost an afterthought – yet have their own sort of message at the right moment. The group's the brainchild of Andre Evans, an artist whose huge legacy of music business work includes stints with Dyke & The Blazers, Little Anthony & The Imperials, and Tribe – as well as a host of key album sessions as well – but the sound is unlike any of those references, and has this great stripped-down late 70s club vibe throughout. The rare album is offered here with unreleased bonus tracks – and titles include "Rubber Band", "Never Gonna Leave You", "Dip Drop", "No I Won't", "Soul Petrol", and "Dance A Thon". LP, Vinyl record album

Aquarian Dream step out on their own – working here for the first time without Norman Connors at the helm, but in a groove that's still plenty nice! The clubby aspects of the group's sound are played up by arranger/producer Jeff Lane – who'd worked often with BT Express and Brass Construction, and finds a similar groove here with Aquarian Dream – one in which all the best elements are focused strongly on the rhythms! A few mellower moments round things out nicely with a jazzy vibe – and titles include "Disco Juice", "Gettum Up And Dance", "Big Boy", "Why Can't We Do It Like We Used To", "Dirty Trick", and "Love Slave". LP, Vinyl record album

Man and machine – a perfect summation of the Kraftwerk genius, delivered perfectly on this classic late 70s set! The album's got a bit more punch than some of their previous efforts – almost a not towards the dancefloor at times, yet hardly the disco you'd get from other groups of the period – and more a prefiguring of the sounds of the future from various UK and European sources! There's some great electro moments that made the record a favorite for the New York scene in the early 70s – including some wicked vocoder bits, and tight beats on a few numbers. Titles include the excellent "The Model" – plus "The Man Machine", "Neon Lights", "The Robots", "Spacelab", and "Metropolis". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great set of Italian electronics – a set that's maybe known better to Americans than most of the generation, due to a surprising 70s release on Folkways Records! Yet this set is quite different than the more academic electronics that usually grace that label – and echo more that shift towards moogier modes that would really crest in the Italian clubs of the next decade – still here more in a sound library mode, but turned towards nice little tunes that move between spacey instrumentals and keyboard groovers! Gianni Safred plays a range of different instruments – minimoog, polymoog, Arp Odyssey, Fender Rhodes, and Roland keyboards – layering the electronics in a way that's nice and warm, and surprisingly soulful at most moments too. Tracks include "Jazz Computer", "Future City Traffic", "Electronic Brain", "Supermind", "The Life To Come", "Disco Satellite", "Autumn 2001", and "Robot Party". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty nice later work from Grace! Although we prefer the percolating disco meets reggae records Grace Jones cut with Sly & Robbie to this later effort – but there's no denying that on a couple of numbers she really clicks with producer Trevor Horn's slick sheen. With "Ladies & Gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones", "Jones The Rhythm", "The Fashion Show", "The Frog & The Princess" and "Slave To The Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of jazzy club tracks – put together by John Usry Jr, who'd done some work with other 70s club acts like Three Degrees, Love Committee, and First Choice. Most of the tracks on the record feature female backing vocals – in the style of work by those other groups – but the real standout aspect is a jazzy harp, played in a manner that makes us think of Dorothy Ashby going disco. The best cut on the album is the 8 minute "Nightfall", which has some great trumpet work by Guido Basso – and other nice moments include the mellow "Touching", and the cuts "I Got Your Love" and "Love Me", which both have some nice guitar. Recorded in Canada, and very typical of that baroque Canadian approach to disco. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album from the great Patti Labelle – a set that allowed the singer to mature strongly and find her own voice away from the funky, rockish style of Labelle – this sophisticated style that marked a whole new level of the singer's career! The Philly International label turned out to be a perfect setting for Patti – as they too were also growing past some of their earlier styles – moving past the chart soul of the 70s, and some of their bigger disco hits – and finding just the right place to allow their artists to keep on growing strongly over the years. The album's an all-adult affair – no clunky commercial moments at all, and instead this great blend of jazzy currents and sophisticated soul – all handled with the excellent second generation Philly International approach! Titles include "I'm In Love Again", "Love Lives", "Love Need & Want You", "I'll Never Never Give You Up", "If Only You Knew", "Body Language", and "When Am I Gonna Find True Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice disco record from Hamilton Bohannon. The album mainly contains uptempo dance numbers but there are a few slower songs like "Daddy's Little Son" – a dedication to his son whose picture is on the cover of the album. The other tracks are "Andrea", "But What Is A Dream", "Bohannon's Disco Symphony", "Isn't It A Beautiful Morning", "Just Doing My Thang", and "Moving Fast". Some of Bohannon's original band members like Ray Parker, Jr. turn up playing guitar on some of the songs. LP, Vinyl record album

Probably Sylvester's biggest album for Fantasy – and for good reason too! The set pushes onto the dancefloor a bit more than before – often with some slight keyboard touches that hint at the Patrick Cowley years, but with none of the coldness of those records at all. The great Harvey Fuqua's producing here with Syl, and the sound is rich and bold – an even more prideful statement than Sylvester's first album on Fantasy. Two Tons Of Fun deliver some great backup vocals, and Cowley lays down a bit of keyboards – and titles include the all-time disco classic "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real", plus "Dance (Disco Heat)", "Just You & Me Forever", "Grateful", and "I Took My Strength From You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the slickest of Dave Matthews' funk records from the 70s – but still pretty darn nice! Matthews was the mainman behind the legendary funk group The Grodeck Whipperjenny, and a key arranger in James Brown's sound of the Polydor years – but by this time, he moved into smoother club-type jazz, of the sort he'd penned for Idris Muhammad and other artists on the Kudu label. However, Matthews' always had a talent for the funky groove – and even these otherwise pop disco numbers shine with a musical intensity that surprises us – especially at moments like the funky drumbreak on "You Keep Me Hanging On", the freaky moog on "Shoogie Wanna Boogie", the funky bass solo on "California Dreaming", and the excellent keyboard work on "Gotta Be Where You Are". LP, Vinyl record album