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For the Northern Soul collector few places rival Detroit as a source for quality, rare records. But Philadelphia comes pretty close and it is the city of brotherly love that produced America's number one independent record label... the mighty Cameo-Parkway. Here, for the first time, we present the very best that that iconic company has to offer.From the Wheel to Wigan, to the Weekender and beyond, the sound of Cameo-Parkway has packed the dance floors across the UK for over 50 years. From the opening bars of Dee Dee Sharp's driving cover of Mel Tormé's Comin' Home Baby' it's easy to see why the label is so highly prized by collectors and dancers alike and why this unique vinyl tribute will touch the hearts of the faithful! All of the classics are here: Chubby Checker, Christine Cooper, Bobby Paris, Yvonne Baker, Bunny Sigler, Jerry Jackson etc etc. The difficulty has been in deciding what to leave out, not what to include, maybe a second volume later in the year One thing is for certain, 1.2 million YouTube viewers just love Cameo-Parkway!

The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, a collection of 15 new tracks featuring a stellar list of artists and collaborators. Jamie Hewlett’s album artwork captures the four much-loved animated band members - Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D – in a series of beautifully intricate, hand-drawn illustrations.

The Mountain is Gorillaz 9th studio album. The album is a collection of 15 new tracks featuring artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, Idles, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, Remi Kabaka Jr. and Bizarrap (Orange County), The Mountain was recorded in London, Devon, Miami, Jaipur, Mumbai, New Delhi and Rishikesh; and features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba. The artwork for The Mountain sees Jamie Hewlett’s distinct, yet ever-evolving, style illustrate the world of Gorillaz with an ever more detailed and beautiful intricacy across a series of hand-drawn illustrations. Circumstances find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, where our heroes are immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.

Gospel melts into Soul in this dazzling collection of sides originally released by the Chess subsidiary.


Devised by the same team supporting the likes of Muddy Waters and Etta James at Chess, the vintage of Checker Gospel celebrated here is distinguished by its expertly raw, rugged, live feel — thumping bass and pounding drums, bluesy guitar and horns — and its keen engagement with contemporary realities and politics, with an underlying, unwavering commitment to the Civil Rights movement. Not forgetting its sheer, startling, richly diverse soulfulness.

Key architects of the Chicago Sound and Motown are amongst the scores of contributors: Charles Stepney, Gene Barge, Eddie Kendricks, and Leonard Caston Jr. are in the house… Morris Jennings, drummer on Curtis’ Superfly and Terry Callier’s What Color Is Love… Louis Satterfield from The Pharaohs and Earth Wind & Fire… Ramsey Lewis’ guitarist Byron Gregory… Phil Upchurch… Laura Lee…

Producer Monk Higgins joined Checker in 1967, bringing his experience of R&B and Gospel hit-making for the labels One-derful and Satellite, together with a loyal cohort of musicians. A protege of Willie Dixon, engineer Malcolm Chisholm set up the Ter Mar studio as if preparing for a live gig, carefully teasing measures of bleed into the microphones. With Ralph Bass from King Records running A&R, they knew exactly what they were after. ‘I’m using horns and an R&B sound in gospel recordings,’ said Bass. ‘We have no charts. All the musicians are given the chord changes. I want the cats to think when we’re cutting. I want spontaneity, and that’s what we’re getting.’ And: ‘There is more to gospel than just finding solace in the church. This follows the same message of Martin King, who was fighting for a new way of life. Kids are tired of hearing Jesus Give Us Help. They want a positive message.’

Focussed on the late sixties and early seventies, the twenty-five recordings here are all killer no filler, but try these four, random entry points: the heavy funk ostinato of the Violinaires’ Groovin’ With Jesus, working itself up into a post-James-Brown brass frenzy, sure to knock your socks off; Cleo Jackson Randle’s title track, for those who like their Gospel straight-up and hard-core; Eddie Kendricks’ achingly timely choral call-to-arms, Stand Up America, Don’t Be Afraid; the East St Louis Gospelettes’ heart-stopping, fathoms-deep rendition of Bobby Bland’s I’ll Take Care Of You.
A beautiful gatefold sleeve; a full-colour booklet with excellent notes by Robert Marovich; top-notch sound. Another knockout selection by Greg Belson and David Hill.

A shoo-in for soul compilation of the year.

180G BLACK VINYL

Since Outlaws in 2020, Ludivine Issambourg's flute has not cooled down. How could it have, when with that album of Hubert Laws covers, it had reached incandescence? Still panting, burning despite the lid of its case left wide open, it awaited the opportunity to continue the adventures that Master Laws himself had praised.

A continuation? Above The Laws isn't quite that.

Although his name still appears, Hubert L. is no longer the sole guide in exploring the vast galaxies of jazz-funk. Through covers but especially as an enhancer of her own compositions, Ludivine has invoked the spirit and intangible presence of Jeremy Steig, Ronald Sneijder, and Bobby Humphrey—the legends of the flute.

Guided by an unescapable groove, with a musical dial set to the late 70s and early 80s, Ludivine has enlisted the help of a brass section this time, a true propulsion engine for funk that can also shift to a soulful breath if the moment calls for it. Supporting the keyboards, there's a Moog laying down its rich layers or twisting tones.

The flutes are used like levers to stabilize the flight or, conversely, to make it soar even faster through the measures. The alto version, which Ludivine had previously used sparingly, adds the necessary velvety note when it’s time to embark on smoother destinations. Speeding up the tempo to make passengers rise from their seats as if danger were imminent; calming the atmosphere to put them in a reassuring cocoon where they can let their thoughts and spirits wander, the improvisations find their place in the compositions observed from the porthole. Detached from gravity, yet still very much in tune with the vibe of cities marked as hot spots on the current jazz scene radar, it's the scent of these streets that permeates some tracks of Above The Laws.

Directed from the control tower by Eric Legnini, Chassol, Alex Finkin, and Michaël Lecoq, Above The Laws benefits from a few stops along the way where precious connections are established. Nils Landgren and his trombone in the colors of the Swedish flag, Laurent De Wilde for a chase between flute and Fender Rhodes, Céline Bonacina’s saxophone for an Afrobeat detour.

But it's at the edge of a journey where organic intensity has continued to assert itself without losing power that Ludivine connected with Brian Jackson for a cover of "Angel Dust," a track from the era when he and his partner Gil Scott-Heron were creating soul masterpieces. One of them featured a flutist by the name of Hubert Laws.

The starting point of Ludivine's latest jazz-funk explorations also becomes the endpoint. Elevated by the ten tracks of Above The Laws, Ludivine Issambourg closes a loop where she has placed her flute and its flourishes in an undeniably leading role. Opening the doors to ambitious orchestrations, unexplored horizons, she weaves into her compositions the experiences, places, and encounters that have shaped her.

By 1968, Soul music is fully in the ascendant, with some of the tracks getting funkier and funkier - no Blues or R & B any more. So this album of music from the Lone Star state continues the tradition of mixing up big star artists with lesser known singers - plenty of uptempo dancers and a few delicious ballads for a change of pace. Definitely the best of Texas ‘68!

The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, a collection of 15 new tracks featuring a stellar list of artists and collaborators. Jamie Hewlett’s album artwork captures the four much-loved animated band members - Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D – in a series of beautifully intricate, hand-drawn illustrations.

The Mountain is Gorillaz 9th studio album. The album is a collection of 15 new tracks featuring artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, Idles, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, Remi Kabaka Jr. and Bizarrap (Orange County), The Mountain was recorded in London, Devon, Miami, Jaipur, Mumbai, New Delhi and Rishikesh; and features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba. The artwork for The Mountain sees Jamie Hewlett’s distinct, yet ever-evolving, style illustrate the world of Gorillaz with an ever more detailed and beautiful intricacy across a series of hand-drawn illustrations. Circumstances find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, where our heroes are immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.

Mutant, in partnership with Sony Masterworks, is proud to present the soundtrack to this spring's runaway sensation - the Various Artists soundtrack to Ryan Coogler's SINNERS

The album is executive produced by the film’s composer Ludwig Göransson (who also serves as an executive producer on the movie), Coogler & Serena Göransson and features original songs and recordings by Miles Caton, Rod Wave, James Blake, Don Toliver, Brittany Howard, Raphael Saadiq, Hailee Steinfeld, Rhiannon Giddens, Buddy Guy, Cedric Burnside, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jerry Cantrell, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Lola Kirke, Bobby Rush, Peter Dreams, OG DAYV, Jack O’Connell, Sharde Thomas-Mallory & others. 

The soundtrack is available digitally from Sony Masterworks (visit Amazon or any other major digital music services to stream/download). 

Mutant, and Sony Classical will also release a second album featuring original score by Academy Award® winning composer Ludwig Göransson.

SINNERS is written and directed by Coogler and stars Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Omar Benson Miller, Jayme Lawson and Delroy Lindo. The Proximity Media production will be released in theaters nationwide on April 18 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Five sisters Jacqueline, Lyn, Pat, Rae and Gennie Jackson were from Compton, California. “I Believe In Miracles” was written and originally recorded by Mark Capanni. The musical tracks were the work of the late Gene Page (string arranger for Barry White). The vocals were produced by Pete Moore of the famous Smokey Robinson & The Miracles along with Bobby Taylor, who also had a group called Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers. “When I Believe In Miracles was first released in 1973 the sisters were nominated for best new vocal group for the Black Image Awards and best new female artist by Record World Magazine in 1974-1975 which was announced on Soul Train an aired Feb. 22, 1975. However the song did not take off until the UK ‘rare groove’ scene of the 80s, after which an extended version was created which appears for the first here time on 7”

When considering the jazz vibraphone giants of the 20th century, seven stand out: Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, Milt Jackson, Terry Gibbs, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, and Bobby Hutcherson. Bobby Hutcherson (1941-2016), originally inspired by Milt Jackson, emerged from Los Angeles in the late 1950s. After a stint with the Billy Mitchell-Al Grey sextet in 1962, Hutcherson moved to New York, becoming the house vibraphonist for the Blue Note label. His foundation in hard bop did not limit him, as he also played in avant-garde sessions with artists like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean. On December 11, 1983, the 42-year-old Hutcherson performed seven standards with a stellar group. Pianist George Cables, consistently excellent throughout his career, had been working with Hutcherson since 1977. Bassist Herbie Lewis, a versatile musician, had collaborated with Hutcherson since 1966. Drummer Philly Joe Jones, known for his work with Miles Davis, also contributed to the session. The recording of the Four Seasons album features seven standards, starting with Thelonious Monk’s “I Mean You,” which showcases each musician. Hutcherson’s solo on Cole Porter’s “All Of You” is particularly adventurous. “Spring Is Here” receives a beautiful interpretation, and “Star Eyes” is taken uptempo. Hutcherson’s introduction on “If I Were A Bell” is notable, as is Jones’s solo. The session spotlights Cables on “Summertime” and concludes with a vibrant version of “Autumn Leaves.” Decades later, the music remains a timeless classic. Four Seasons is available on black vinyl, celebrates its 40th Anniversary, and includes an insert with newly written liner-notes by Scott Yanow

Soul4Real returns to the south with a selection of eleven songs from Malaco, Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and Alarm Records.
There is no doubt that in the 1970s and 1980s, Malaco in Mississippi and Muscle Shoals Sound in Alabama were both highly significant in defining the southern soul sound. Malaco’s Studio had opened in 1967, while Muscle Shoals Sound Studio opened its doors for business in 1969, when four musicians left nearby Fame Studios to go it alone. Alarm Records, meanwhile, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, provides us with four of the tracks on this album.
Independent producers and major record companies sent their artists south to record, taking advantage of both Malaco and Muscle Shoals Sound’s talented array of musicians, writers and producers. Muscle Shoals Sound, in particular, started to receive artists from Atlantic Records from the get-go; R.B. Greaves, Baby Washington, Sam & Dave and Solomon Burke led the way, along with Scotland’s Lulu. The first relesase on their own record label was the timeless “It Hurts So Good” by Katie Love. Meanwhile, Stax (amongst others) sent some of their artists to record at both studios, and Malaco would also lease some of its own productions out to Atlantic. Alarm Records was a smaller set-up which also produced some wonderful records.
This album opens with the only female singer featured – Dorothy Moore. Her exquisite “Girl Overboard” has been justifiably popular on the soul scene for decades. The other ten tracks showcase an array of fine male singers, most of whom (Bobby Bland and King Floyd aside), sadly and perhaps unjustly, never really made the big time. It is the first showing on vinyl for three of the tracks here (previously having only been issued on CD), and Jimmy Jules’ reading of “Having A Little Talk With Love” has never appeared anywhere before. As always, sit back and savour the music!

Re-mastered from original mono master tapes.

Limited edition 1000 copies.

180 gr vinyl pressed by Pallas in Germany.

Deluxe high-gloss flipback album jacket.

Facsimile reissue using the original cover art.

Double insert using an original photo by JP Leloir from 1955.

Each record has been visually checked to prevent defects.

Recorded December 27 and 29, 1955 at the Pathé Magellan studio, Paris.

Original LP issue: Barclay 84.023.

After hitting Paris in 1950, saxophonist Bobby Jaspar enthralled jazz fans and jazzmen alike with his smooth, elegant playing, with the lyricism of his tranquil phrases heavily influenced by Stan Getz in particular. So when Jaspar began regularly performing with a small ensemble at the Club St-Germain five years later, he adopted the same instrumentation as that of his idol’s illustrious quintet, with Sacha Distel on guitar and René Urtreger on piano in the roles of Jimmy Raney and Al Haig, respectively.

Contrary to what its title might suggest, ‘Modern Jazz au Club St-Germain’ was actually recorded in the studio. It features compositions by Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis along with a handful of standards, in which the angular aridity of bebop gives way to the generous and yet sensitive idiom of cool jazz.

Jaspar’s premature death in 1963 robbed the jazz world of a promising talent; this record is among his best efforts as a leader. Bobby Jaspar is in top form here !!!

Text – Pierre de Chocqueuse

Bobby Jaspar (Tenor Saxophone & Flute)
Sacha Distel (Guitar)
René Urtreger (Piano)
Benoit Quersin (Bass)
Jean-Louis Viale (Drums)

Bobby Hutton is from Detroit, Michigan. In 1971 he performed on the very first nationally aired Soul Train TV programme. He recorded with Phillips (the in-demand “Come See What’s left Of Me” now a separate 7” release), then ABC where her recorded his LP “Piece Of the Action” (released by Expansion on LP/CD) including “Lend A Hand”, the other separate 7” side on Expansion). The two tracks on this 7” (which feature as bonus tracks on the Expansion CD reissue of “Piece Of The Action”) were first released back-to-back in 1974 on the ABC label. Both songs are co-written and produced by McKinley Jackson, key to songs for Lamont Dozier, Freda Payne and The Four Tops at ABC in the early to mid-70s. The other co-writer is the Grammy Award winning Reggie Dozier, brother to Lamont Dozier. This 7” has not been reissued for 40 years, and an original copy on Discogs will set you back £200 in the UK.

This is the first reissue of the “Piece Of The Action” LP since 1973, and the CD has bonus tracks with everything Bobby Hutton recorded between 1969 and 1974. Everything taken from the original master stapes and restored.

Bobby Hutton is from Detroit, Michigan and began his career after winning a talent show at the 20 Grand nightclub. In 1971 he performed on the very first nationally aired Soul Train TV programme. He cites Jackie Wilson as his biggest influence. He began writing under his real name Harold Hutton, then Billy Davis at Chess Records persuaded the change to Bobby Hutton. He had decided not to pursue a career at Motown, and after one single for Checker, then another at Blue Rock (a subsidiary of Mercury) he moved to the Philips label for the huge Northern Soul favourite, “Come See What's Left Of Me" which was first played at the Stafford All-Nighters back in1985, covered up as Casanova Brown. Talents that produced and arranged for Bobby during those Blue Rock/Philips sessions include Donny Hathaway and Joshie Jo Armstead, and in fact it was with Jo that Bobby co-wrote that Northern Soul classic.

The Philips tracks are all on the CD as bonus tracks to the Piece Of The Action” album for ABC Records in 1973.

Produced by Dee Ervin, there are several fine tracks to enjoy but surely none better than the Gary Wright-penned “Lend A Hand” which became one of the biggest 'modern' Northern Soul tracks of all-time after spins at venues like the Highland Room at the Blackpool Mecca and Wigan Casino. The track was first championed by DJ Colin Curtis in 1974.

The album is beautifully produced with vocal accompaniments from artists including Patti Hamilton of The Lovelites, Jean Plum, Mikki Farrow and Frankie Karl. It received great reviews at the time and that persuaded ABC to release a non-album follow-up 45 produced by the brilliant McKinley Jackson and Reginald Dozier credited “Loving You, Wanting You, Needing You, Wanting You”/'Watch Where You’re Going” which is an elusive, highly sought-after single by soul collectors worldwide (now an Expansion 7” reissue).

In 2007, Bobby was honoured as he was voted the best singer in Chicago, quite an achievement and something that Bobby is quite rightly very proud of

Plush, the 1982 studio album by the Eighties synth-boogie band Plush, is a standout in the genre. The band, consisting of Siedah Garrett, Tony Phillips, and Ambrose Price, was known for their smooth blend of R&B, funk, and synth-driven melodies. Garrett, who later gained fame as a solo artist and songwriter, brought a distinctive vocal presence to the band. Not long after the band broke up, she was discovered by Michael Jackson, for who she later provided backing vocals and co-wrote ""Man In The Mirror"" with. The album was produced by Bobby Watson, René Moore and Angela Winbush. It features catchy tracks like ""Free and Easy"" and ""We’ve Got the Love,"" showcasing their polished production and soulful harmonies. Despite not achieving major commercial success, Plush has garnered a cult following for its authentic early Eighties sound. It's a significant work within the disco boogie genre, reflecting the transitional period of early Eighties music and is one of the rare and sought-after albums from that era. Plush is available on coloured vinyl for the first time as a limited edition of 500 copies on red coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Most southern soul fans will tell you that that the music produced in Memphis in 1967 and 1968 was the pinnacle of quality. So following on from our look at the River City’s soul output in 1967, we now turn our attention to an album covering the next year. As before, the singers here are a heady mixture of local Tennessee talent and welcome soulful guests who journeyed down south hoping that a little of the famous Memphis magic would rub off on their songs. There are soul genres to suit all tastes here – from the deepest ballads to upbeat tracks that will rock your socks off. Soul doesn’t get much better than the artists and their tunes on this LP!

Whatever condition your condition is in, Soul4Real have huddled together a team of the finest soul physicians to make you feel good.

We scoured all the shelves in the soul pharmacy and discovered some potions that were only just through the trial stage. Just one listen to the brilliant Aretha, Gladys, Walter Jackson and the Purify’s tracks convinced us not to wait for FDA approval, so we took the plunge and shared them with the world on vinyl for the very first time.
Recorded in 1968, Arthur Alexander‘s magnificent “I Need You Baby” reached legendary status during the tape-swapping epidemic of the late 70s/early 80s. The first traces of Alexanderitus were linked back to a tape dispensed by a north London mod by the name of Randy Cozens, which went viral. Even today, the mere mention of the title to any of those C60-swap-survivors can cause severe heart palpitations.
Down in Memphis, they tend to practice the holistic approach to heartaches. Southern folk understand it’s about the voice and its natural healing powers, especially when it’s being administered by the likes of the Soul Children and Shirley Brown, who instinctively inject the perfect amount of ache, warmth and emotion to hit just the right spot. May we prescribe at least two listens a day, taken with or without food.
Helping with recovery we have included tracks by our care team Maxine, Gil Scott-Heron and the Isleys, whose gentle grooves will help nurse you back onto the dance floor in record time.
And finally, my personal favourite, Dr Johnnie Taylor. Frankly, it beats me how someone who delivers the lines "she don’t break no records when it comes to good looks” and “she burns up the food when she cooks" to his girlfriend manages to avoid a trip to A&E. We decided such foolish bravery should be rewarded by having his picture on the album cover.

12 tracks, all great examples of real soul music, a mix of well known classics, overlooked gems, and 4 original unreleased songs.

Reggie Soul real name Reginald Stone is just one of many illusive recording artists who had a very limited recording career for a handful of small independent Chicago labels then disappeared into obscurity, Reggie reputedly left Chicago in the mid 1970’s for the lone star state of Texas never to be seen or heard from again!

Reggie’s recording legacy is the sum total of 3, 45 singles two of which he recorded under the supervision of respected Chicago songwriter and producer Clarence Johnson., firstly the funk outing “I Got Jody” backed with the soulful “I Feel So Bad” for Red Balloon Records, “I Feel So Bad” was composed by Lee Sain who recorded his own version under the title of “Baby Don’t Leave Me” for the Broach label. Reggie Soul’s “I Got Jody” also came out as a B-side on Nation Time Records, the A-side was a version of the James Brown song “Soul Walkin’ but this side was credited under the mis-credited artist name of Reggie Smith?

Finally, Reggie’s third release “My World Of Ecstasy/Mighty Good Loving” was released on the Scott Brothers own Capri Records label in 1968. Both sides of the 45 were written by Reggie with Charles and Walter Scott, arrangements were provided by John Jackson and Bill McFarland who provided the horn section to many of the Scott’s future productions. The Scott Brothers of which there were several (all musicians) had begun their own careers during the late 1950’s recording under the group name of The Masquerades on the Formal label. Often referred to as The Scott Brothers Orchestra with Howard Sephus Scott at the head of their growing musical dynasty they formed their own company Capri Productions circa 1968, their initial recording productions were Fred Johnson (Shi-Lush Records) and the aforementioned Reggie Soul & The Soul Swingers. The Scott’s were also the house band in one of Chicago’s Southside’s most popular night clubs ‘The Bonanza Lounge on 7641, South Halsted. The Scott’s often used the Bonanza as a source of finding future artists for their labels, such as The Soul Majestics, Judson Moore, Bobby Jones & Duke Turner amongst others, they even recorded a live performance on The Bonanza Lounges’ resident comedian Randolph Browner which gained a release on the Shi-Lush label.

“My World Of Ecstasy” like several Capri 45 releases were heavily imported into the UK, often sold in soul packs before finding favour with aficionados of the Crossover Scene in the late 1980’s with it’s popularity still remaining high to the present day.

Soul Junction through their licensing deal with Scot-Tees Publishing would like to present the first release of their Capri Records series.

Johnnie Taylor was an accomplished soul artist despite having little instrumental skill and he rarely wrote any of his own material. He was known variously as the ‘Blues Wailer’ and the ‘Philosopher Of Soul’ and recorded over 30 albums and 120 singles throughout a career that cemented his status as one of the leading male soul vocalists during the late sixties and throughout the seventies.

He started his recording career mid-50s with the doo-wop group The Five Echoes and gospel groups The Highway Q.C.’s and then in 1957, The Soul Stirrers, replacing Sam Cooke who had left the group for a solo career. Taylor followed that path a few years later signing for Cooke’s SAR label. and had a minor hit in 1962 with “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day”.

in 1964 he moved to Stax Records where he started as a blues artist enjoying many fruitful years, most notably with “Who’s Making Love” selling more than a million copies. Following the unfortunate demise of Stax in 1976 he moved to Columbia Records where he went platinum with the hit “Disco Lady” (ironically not a disco track at all) and the album from which it came ‘Eargasm’ (1976) was a commercial peak he would never scale again. However, he continued with many collectable releases before moving to Beverly Glen Music in the early eighties and then Malaco Records in 1984, where his style became the more soul-blues based sound that was synonymous with the label. He remained with them until he died of a heart attack in Dallas aged 66 in 2000.

“Let’s Get Back On” Track comes from the CD ‘Gotta Get The Groove Back’ (1999) produced (and co-written with Charlie Brooks) by Frederick Knight, who also used the same backing track some 7 years later with his production of the David Sea track “Stay In My Arms” which was a modern soul favourite and will help to register the significance of this earlier production. It is now available as a vinyl release for the first time. It was taken from his final album although Malaco released ‘There’s No Good In Goodbye’ posthumously in 2003.
Robert Calvin Brooks, known professionally as Bobby “Blue” Bland spent his early career in Memphis, developing a sound that mixed gospel with blues and R&B and was known as the ‘Lion Of The Blues ‘and the ‘Sinatra Of The Blues’. His father abandoned the family not long after his birth and he acquired his name from his stepfather, Leroy Bland. His formative musical years were centered around the Beale Street scene and he was scouted by Ike Turner for Modern Records.

His progress was interrupted by a two year stint in the US Army and when he returned to Memphis he signed for Duke Records, run by Don Robey. Bland was illiterate and Robey helped him sign his contract which only gave him half a cent per record sold instead of the industry standard of 2 cents. He had his first hit in 1957 and continued a successful run of R&B chart entries without breaking through into the mainstream markets and was ranked number 13 of the all time chart-topping artists in Joel Whitburn’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995”.

Duke Records sold out to ABC and with them he managed to return to the R&B charts but he still couldn’t succeed in the pop charts. In 1985 Bland signed for Malaco who were specialists in the Southern black music sound and he recorded many albums and toured for them, frequently with B.B. King, and was inducted into the ‘Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’ in 1992.

Whilst “Heart Open Up Again” was a vinyl release in 1985 it was not chosen to be the single release from the Tommy Couch & Wolf Stephenson produced album Members Only (1985). This beautiful ballad, penned by George Jackson/Robert Miller/Michael Wooten, was never before released as a single and is a fabulous pairing with the topside – two of the best from two of the all-time greats.

auchen Sie ein in die aufregende Welt des Rock‘n‘Roll . Unsere neue Vinyl-Serie “Rock’n’Roll Hits“ enthält eine sorgfältig ausgewählte Sammlung von 20 originalen Rock‘n‘Roll-Hits aus den 1950er Jahren, die die Ära des Rock‘n‘Rolls in seiner Blütezeit einfangen.

Mit legendären Künstlern und unvergesslichen Songs bietet diese Schallplatte ein Stück Musikgeschichte zum genießen. Mit dabei sind: Guy Mitchell, Frankie Avalon, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino uvm. Erleben Sie die Energie und den Spaß der 1950er Jahre Rock‘n‘Roll-Szene auf dieser hochwertigen Vinyl-Schallplatte. Perfekt für Liebhaber der Musikgeschichte und Fans zeitloser Hits.

Ebalunga!!! is thrilled to announce the first official reissue of the self-released, self-produced, and self-titled 1985 LP Scott Seskind. The album is a lo-fi singer-songwriter jewel. Don’t miss it.
“Authentic and personal, at times it reminds this writer of luminaries such as Jackson C. Frank, PF Sloan, Skip Spence, and Phil Orchs while never feeling derivative.

The songs are melodic and haunting, fueled by existential woes, political angst, and good ol’ fashioned love. Scott’s rich voice has an unpretentious gravitas, his simple-yet-effective guitar playing ranging from delicate fingerpicking to angry bashing.
Created at home on a Tascam 4-Track Portastudio, the recording features few frills and is all the better for it. Unlike most mid-80s records it sounds like it could have come from any time since the late ’60s onwards. As a testament to its greatness, and despite the late recording date, it even gets a nod on Patrick Lundborg’s “Acid Archives” compilation website, Lysergiawhere it’s described thus: “Late phase downer-loner folk and singer-songwriter trip, mostly acoustic, some tracks with a small band.” – Andrew Ure for Ugly
Things.Read a long story about the album in the upcoming Shindig! issue: Story about Scott Seskind in Shiding Mag.
The reissue is available on vinyl with a lyric insert.
Mastering (as always) by Jessica Thompson.

Feedbacks and reviews:
“Almost totally inheralded singer-songwriter Scott Seskind gets the reissue treatment, and I couldn’t be happier. About a year ago I pulled Seskind’s sole vinyl release out of the used bin of a Boulder record store, and with its almost Wallace Berman-esque cover art, could immediately suspect it was something special. The first listen didn’t dispel that notion one bit; here was an impressively captivating and moving collection of four-tracked bedroom folk of the highest order, with an out-of-time vibe that didn’t really snyc with its 1984 recording date. Definitely on the loner-ish end of the folk spectrum, with some aspects of the album harkening back to Skip Spence’s iconic Oar, while other moments revealed the urgency of the ’80s lo-fi revolution. But most importantly, the songs were just really, really great and managed to remain haunting long past their leaving.

Here, I thought, is an album that needs to be heard by more people, NOW. I asked around amongst some record collecting friends and discovered it was pretty highly rated by a small circle of people in the know, and that it had even managed to garner a mention in the Acid Archives despite its late recording date, and most excitingly that there was talk that the digital reissue label Yoga had managed to track Seskind down and secure the rights to his LP. (…) So here we have it, the best songs from Seskind’s eponymous LP. (…) I really hope this release continues to garner the listeners that it deserves.” – Michael Klausman

“The one that struck us the most this year was the almost totally unheralded work of singer-songwriter Scott Seskind, who recorded an impressively captivating and moving collection of four-tracked bedroom folk of the highest order, with an out-of-time vibe that doesn’t really sync with its original 1984 release date. Definitely on the loner-ish end of the folk spectrum, with songs that are really, really great and which manage to remain haunting long past their leaving. Truly an album that deserves to be heard by more people immediately. ” – Other Music

Great compilation of soul tracks that have been sampled by artists such as Massive Attack, Kendrick Lamar, Cypress Hill, and others.



















s D2. Marva Whitney - It's My Thing (You Can't Tell Me Who To Sock It To) [Album Version]

Strut continue their deep dive into the archives of Black Fire Records with a new reissue of Oneness Of Juju’s Bush Brothers & Space Rangers, showcasing the band at the peak of their powers in 1977.

Oneness had enjoyed two fruitful years with Black Fire prior to these recordings, breaking through with the African Rhythms and Space Jungle Luv albums. “When we recorded African Rhythms we didn’t use a guitar,” explains bandleader Plunky Branch. “So, when vocalist Jackie Eka-Ete and guitarist Ras Mel Glover came in in around ‘75, that moved our sound into a more soulful direction. The drummer on this album, Tony Green, was the drummer with Gil Scott Heron and he added a little more sophistication to our soulfulness. African percussionist Okyerema Asante was also fully incorporated into the band after joining in 1976. By 1977, we were in full production mode recording songs; one or two of the tracks here also feature Brian Jackson, known for his work with Gil.”

Primarily recorded at Arrest Studios in Washington DC, the album is packed with landmark Oneness tracks including ‘Be About The Future’ (“possibly the first ecology-themed song that I know of”) the George Clinton-influenced ‘Plastic’, an acoustic alternative version of ‘African Rhythms’ and strong covers of Caiphus Semenya’s ‘West Wind’ and Bobby Womack’s ‘Breezin’’. Plunky continues,

The California based Tito Jackson is supported on his debut Blues album 'Under Your Spell', now in 180 Gram, cream coloured limited quantity vinyl, by an array of superlative special guests, including George Benson, Joe Bonamassa, Marlon Jackson, Eddie Levert, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush and Stevie Wonder, who all add their special talents to the proceedings

"Love One Another" is the perfect antidote for today's times of doubt and trepidation, as the vocals of Tito, along with Marlon Jackson, Bobby Rush and Kenny Neal soar above the musical bed of melodies that feature the sweet sound of Stevie Wonder's signature harmonica style.

Song-writing duo and Hall of Famers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who penned worldwide hits for The Jacksons and the O'Jays, came out of retirement to write "All In The Family Blues" for Tito. The track features Hall Of Fame legend, Eddie Levert.

As a friend and admirer of BB King, Tito plays tribute in his cover of King's classic, "Rock Me Baby" honored with BB's daughter Claudette King joining in. Tito Jackson's innate abilities as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and arranger shine through brilliantly, creating a spectacular record that is destined for airplay and rave reviews in a number of formats. Continuing on the path set for Jackson when he broke into the music business as a member of the legendary Jackson 5, Tito continues to grow as a musician and performer.

UK Independent Record Stores Only Tracks: Checkered Flag / Smash Up On Highway One / Stack My Money / Drip Drop / The Cat With 9 Wives / Turn You On, Turn Me On / Rockabilly Riot / Off Your Rocker / Who Cares? / Rockabilly Banjo

A desperate, desert-baked Midnight Highway of Lost Souls, Cuckolds, Wastrels, blistering Righteous Anthems and delirious Apocalyptic Fever-Dreams. This sublime collection of knowns and unknowns, battered Nashville legends and forgotten backwoods-poets features tales of Grisly Barroom Homicides, Jilted Lustmords, Grim Divorcees in Bedlam and Fiery Suburban Infanticides. Often originally waxed and distributed in unrewarding amounts, these Troubled Troubadours sing of Cowardice, Infidelity, Spurned Lover's Suicide Pacts, Tortured Jailbirds, Vengeful Inebriates and dubious Parenting Skills.
Years in the making – ‘Hillbillies In Hell’ (Volume XII) presents 16 timeless tribulations - Sinful Seductresses, Grinding Poverty, Nihilistic Murderous Horrors, Satan's Eternal Maze of Hardships and Temptations and God's blazing Light of Redemption.
A dank yet at times uplifting stash of marginal 45s - some of these sides are impossibly rare and are reissued here for the very first time. All for your prurient listening pleasure…

. Elton Britt - Lost Highway
, Porter Wagoner - Fairchild
, Justin Tubb - The Great River Road Mystery
, Sanford Clark - It's Nothing To Me
, Johnny Paycheck - You'll Recover In Time
, Stonewall Jackson - Somebody's Always Leaving
, Porter Wagoner And Dolly Parton - The Party
, Buddy Starcher - When Payday Comes
, Tommy Curtis And Bill Taylor - Devil's Stumbling Block
, Jody Reynolds - Devil Girl
, Henson Cargill - Going Backwards
, Lorrie Collins - Another Man Done Gone
, Bobby Braddock - Revelation
, Stonewall Jackson And The Brentwood Children's Choir - That's All This Old World Needs
, The Speer Family - You Can't Run Away From God
, The Singing Rambos - When Payday Comes",Witness...

Various Artists ‘In Bed With Marina’
Classic Indie/Chamber-Pop
2LP MA90 (Marina Records) £15.50
Deal: B/C: 4015698905656

THIS ONE MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR THE OFFICIAL RSD LISTINGS BUT WILL BE AN **UNOFFICIAL RSD DROP 2 ** RELEASE...LIMITED +NON-RETURNABLE..

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this classic Marina compilation from 1996 makes its first appearance on vinyl. Packaged in a deluxe gatefold cover, In Bed With Marina features track-by-track notes, lots of photographs, two vinyl-only bonus cuts and a gorgeous poster.
Enjoy 24 stunning tracks on two groovy LPs incl. many unreleased cuts and exclusive contributions by Edwyn Collins, Shack, Teenage Fanclub, The Pearlfishers, Cowboy Mouth, The Bathers, Harpers Bizarre, Sugartown, Paul Quinn & The Independent Group, Jazzateers, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Malcolm Ross, The Secret Goldfish, and many others.

Houston’s reputation for developing first-class jazz acts is well-established, as a stream of young players have been distinguishing themselves for decades…among those musicians and mentors who stood tallest, Bubbha Thomas was no exception (and a major key-player) in this long tradition of talent.

Before becoming an artist and educator, Bubbha Thomas (born 1937) was a Fourth Ward kid who grew up in a music-filled household. In High School he divided his time between music & basketball (he excelled at both) and studied with jazz legend Conrad “Prof” Johnson. “Prof” would later bring jazz glory to Texas with the Kashmere Stage Band, the group of teenagers who would win the “Best High School Stage Band In The Nation” prize in Mobile, Alabama in 1972 and who were anthologized in 2006 on Now-Again’s ‘Thunder Soul’ (which led to the 2010 Jamie Foxx documentary of the same name).

After finishing college, Bubbha got drafted in the service (he was a Korean War veteran) and would return to Houston in the early 1960s where he found work as a session drummer for the Duke and Peacock labels. Thomas drummed on recordings by O.V. Wright, Buddy Ace and the Mighty Clouds of Joy. He was playing his own stuff and backing luminaries such as R&B singer Chuck Jackson and homegrown legends like Lightnin’ Hopkins. Bubbha Thomas also teamed up with some of his equally legendary peers (like guitarist Melvin Sparks & organist Leon Spencer) and eventually established his own group, the Jazz Merchants.
Bubbha learned every style that was thrown at him and he played straight-ahead jazz with renowned artists before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane and Sun Ra…the result of these new found influences was the incredible spiritual jazz ensemble ‘The Lightmen’, who released four incredible recordings in the 1970s. Their first album ‘Free As You wanna be’ predates the deep-set, maverick jazz issued by the likes of Tribe and Strata East and is a harbinger of some of the best in the 1970s jazz underground. The Lightmen albums eventually fell out of print until 2017 when the Now-Again record label brought them back into circulation and generated new interest in Bubbha Thomas’ work.
Thomas had a storied career as a drummer and bandleader, but perhaps his most enduring work is that as founder of Houston’s Summer Jazz Workshop, a remarkable program that nurtured upcoming talent for generations...we can’t begin to count the number of young people who benefitted from the exposure to music-arts because of Bubbha Thomas and what he meant to the Houston music community. In his career he earned five Grammy nominations and authored a pair of books. Next to this he was also a writer/editor for several local newspapers, ran one of the first Houston African American Television shows and he hosted a radio program on KYOK. Impressive to say the least!

Bubbha Thomas passed away in March 2020 at the age of 82. It was obvious he was a principled, fiery & wise person…and any anger he felt at America’s (and the world’s) injustices he met with music, intellect, activism and unity!

Next to his work with ‘’The Lightmen’’, Bubbha also released the fantastic (solo) album ‘Life & Times’ in 1985. ‘Life & Times’ (which we are proudly presenting you today) is particularly interesting to boogie-enthusiasts because of its high doses of funky twerks, solid grooves, crazy synth work, soulful vocals and excellent drum-beats courtesy of Mr. Thomas himself. You’ll quickly find yourself shaking hips the moment the needle hits the first track! The whole album is backed by a fantastic cast of all-star players and includes Howard Harris (Ruth Copeland), Dwight Sills (Bobby Lyle - TLC), Jerry McPherson (Donna Summer), Leo Polk (Kashmere Stage Band), John Gordon (Strata East) and Jackie Simley (Queen Latifah - Lionel Richie). All of the above makes this LP an essential purchase for any self-respecting fan and collector.

Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the FIRST ever vinyl reissue of this fantastic album (originally released in 1985 on Lightin’ Records). This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork.

2 track vinyl compilation featuring the roots of modern dance music, on 180g heavyweight double LP. P&P was producer and Harlem hustler Peter Brown’s production company. He created some of the greatest moments in underground African American dance music, across a handful of labels in the 70s and 80s.

Due to his independent ethos his releases on imprints such as Heavenly Star, Sound Of New York, La Shawn, P&P and others would often disappear after a single low numbered pressing making them incredible hard to find on original pressing.

Tracks such as Mary Clarke’s ‘Take Me I’m Yours’, and the Fosters Jackson Group’s ‘Feel The Spirit’ have been championed by DJs such as Floating Points and Dimitri from Paris. Whilst the sheer rarity of some singles such as Clyde Alexander and Sanction’s ‘Got To Get Your Love’ and Louise Murray’s ‘Let’s Just Stay Away’ would set you back multiple hundreds of pounds to buy on original copies.

This unique set brings together a treasure trove of R&B rarities enshrined by the $3,000 Lookin' For My Baby', recorded by The Nightriders in 1959 for Juggy Murray's Sue imprint.
Murray had co-founded Sue Records two years earlier with fellow New Yorker Bobby Robinson whose Fire label provides us with the equally compelling Keep A'Calling' by Paul Perryman (side 1, track 1), a snip at only $300!
The set bursts into life with Vernon Harrell's hot dance ticket Slick Chick', currently commanding a cool $400 on its original Lescay label. Northern Soul fans will be interested to know that Harrell co-wrote Seven Days Too Long' with J R Bailey (aka Chuck Wood) and Sweet Sweet Lovin'' for The Platters. 
Mike Robinson ( Lula') also has a tenuous Northern Soul connection, he was originally in Bobby Thomas' Vibranaires before joining the Orioles alongside the legendary Sonny Til. 
BOTH Earl King's make the playlist: Earl Connelly' with his hard Every Whicha Kinda Way' and the New Orleans native Earl King with Darling Honey Angel Child', an early prototype of the standard Come On'.
Look out too for rare soul sweetheart Baby Washington, Medicine Man'.
A Collection to Treasure...

Legendary James Brown's protégée Martha High teams up with mighty Japanese Osaka Monaural to pay homage to "JB's Funky Divas" in her new album "Tribute to My Soul Sisters".

Original Funky Diva Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. She was his backing vocalist, hair stylist, payroll master and his always loyal and reliable confidant.

The idea for this project was hatched back in 2014, when Martha was visiting producer DJ Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and manager of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. While reminiscing about tours with her fellow James Brown veterans, Martha felt that a tribute to the great soul sisters of the JB Revue, better known as "James Brown's Original Funky Divas," was very much needed.

"I looked up to these ladies of soul," says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas, would mean a lot to Mr. Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage. They were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari's advice, Martha partnered up in Tokyo with one of the hottest names of the new funk renaissance: Japan's Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under their belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad's, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

This unique collaboration gives new life to 13 soulful pearls, masterfully interpreted as only an Original Funky Diva can do. To name a few: "Think (About It)", made famous by the female preacher Lyn Collins, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", Anna King's answer to Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "This Is My Story", of which Martha recorded the original version with The Jewels, and the soul classic "Answer to Mother Popcorn" by Vicki Anderson.

Born in Victoria, Virginia, and discovered by rock 'n roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha started her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group The Four Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the James Brown Revue in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King's assassination. She was by his side when he performed at renowned "Rumble in The Jungle" event in Zaire. Mr. Brown produced several of Martha's singles on his own People label such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime." Meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for Salsoul Records. Since, she has released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working women in show business", she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker's legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

Throughout her career Martha has shared stages worldwide with iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true soul sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.