Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Germany is no place where you can find funk 45s. Even more unlikely it is to find a funk 45 which has been produced, recorded and released in Germany in the 1970s. And we talk about proper funk, not the cheesy-catchy euro funk stuff which most people have in mind when thinking of european funk records. There are a few exceptions though, and this one is certainly one of them. Still under the radar and not being played on neither the current soul nor funk scene, Milton Bowser's The Ride could be a future hit within both scenes. No matter how other people rate it, we like it quite much and are just proud to present this historical peace of german funk.

Wah Wah 45s' summer of dub gets into full swing with this foot- friendly12-inch package from The Gene Dudley Group, remixed by a trio of our favourite producers on the planet.

First up, Russian man-of-the-moment Alexander Lay-Far re-moulds brassy tropical jam, Do The Cookie Dough Throw, for the discerning modern dance floor. Lay-Far delivers the kind of trademark beats that have helped him become one of the most sought after DJs and producers on the planet, whilst keeping the dub feel that runs throughout this release.

Then its time for the man like WrongTom to step up to the plate. No stranger to Wah Wah 45s, and a prolific recording artist for Tru Thoughts Records where he delivers reggae and dub outings with a plethora of collaborations including Deemas J and The Ragga Twins, Tom comes through here with a classy digital dub version of Gene Dudley's laid back slice of Island soul, Tiger Jaw.

Last, but certainly not least, BJ Smith (one half of the legendary Smith & Mudd) takes mid-tempo funk nugget Jackpot, featuring the vocals of Miss Anne Frankenstein, and flips it on its head! His re-work is nothing shot of an epic Balearic masterpiece - perfect for both those sunrise and sunset moments on the beach this summer!

The original versions of all of these tracks can be found on The Gene Dudley Group's sophomore LP, Zambidoose - and don't forget to look out for Gene's live band at a festival near you soon!

In the great tradition of Count Ossie, four new grounation furies — hypnotic, thunderous, urgent, mystical — with dubwise repeta, funde and bass drums embedding the Light Of Saba veteran's gorgeous trombone classicism.
The opener is a rocking kumina rhythm, with ring-the-alarm metal percussion and exhortatory brass; Free The People swirls some apocalyptic reasoning into the foggy, thumping mix. Universe In Crisis is another emergency call, chuffing headlong down the grooves... before the beautiful, anthemic Chant takes a step back from the fire, closing with a sense of thankful, spiritual reconciliation, the expert drumming and lyrical bone-work in full effect.

'Que Vida É Essa' is a certified samba-rock classic from 1973, taken from one of Wal's sought after 7"'s. Uptempo for the dancers, with percussive grooves, chic and even some wave sounds for extra sunshine vibe.

'Atôa Atôa' is a samba-jazz-fusion classic by Ronald 'Ronie' Mesquita, featuring Burnier & Cartier. Taken from the sought after 'Ronie & Central Do Brasil' LP on Tapecar. Previously unreleased on 7".

Featuring the hip hop legend Erick Sermon (EPMD).This vinyl single includes three cuts of pure uncut funk, side A is "Salí" featuring hip hop legend Erick Sermon (EPMD) and the B-side includes tracks "Roger" (Dedicado para tí) and "Sali" (Groove).

Killer funk compilation full of highlights from the music archives of Josef Weinberger Ltd. in London, pulled from the most famous library albums on labels like JW (Josef Weinberger/ Theme Music), IA (Impress) or PM (Programme Music). First selection of 16 lost tracks by Toni Campo, Midas Touch, Trevor Bastow, Sidney Dale or Vick Flick, oscillating between jazz-funk, soul music, proto techno and eastern-tinged disco, with open drum breaks, fat bass lines and plenty of horns/ wah wah/ organs/ vibes/ flutes/ electronic effects. Recorded from the master tapes, restored and mastered 2016 for 6-Page-Digipack-CD and limited vinyl LP, comparable to the best works of KPM, De Wolfe or Bosworth.

Giant 45 returns with 2 more tasty reworks.
A side takes a blue eyed soul gem and reworks it for today's floors.On the flip we have a much sought after Japanese boogie classic reworked in the same way.Limited 7 inch pressing so act fast.

Funk... This is the sound of the Universe, the sound of outer space, inner space and in-between space. We are talking about the whole galaxy here. I would like to dedicate this project to the owners and entire staff at Traffic Entertainment Group. I would also like to thank God, my children and grandchildren and especially Patricia Gilyard one of the founders of the P&P movement. This has been a dream of mine, from my days in the juvenile halls, chain gangs and Georgia penitentiaries in the 50s all the way up until now... it's truly been a dream. Thank you all.' That quote is straight from the legend himself, Mr. Peter Brown. The one and only. He's talking about the 7x7' = Funk box set that is going to blow your funking mind. Seven super funky 45s, all packaged in one beautiful and funky box. You know P&P Records is the king of disco and after hearing these tracks, you'll wonder how they'll be able wear two crowns at the same time.

Mellow Mellow Right On return with two splendid re-edits of much sought after boogie and modern soul classics.

Flowers 'For Real' is a midtempo killer that has filled dance floors across the globe for the past thirty years with its rich soaked strings and warm hearted lead vocal, while the flip features the in demand up-tempo killer 'Dance Your Blues Away' by Ivan Neville.

Insurgently crossing Philly Soul, Cape Jazz and bump jive in 1976, the same year as the Soweto Uprising, poignantly shot through with Timmy Thomas' Why Can't We Live Together.
'It was so important for us to play a kind of crossover then, to weave in touches of Motown, Philadelphia soul and Teddy Pendergrass that the coloured community appreciated, and Basil's Cape Town sound, and Sipho's sound that was legendary in the black community, and make music that people could all enjoy together... The regime divided us: people classified coloured had identity documents, black people had the dompas. We didn't accept that separation. Sipho, although he was born in KZN, could play any feel. Sometime he'd joke, Does my bass line feel coloured enough'
Another landmark Matsuli. The title track is killer.

BUNDLED WITH A 22'x 22' POSTER OF THE COVER ART.

Maceo Parker was one of the most revered and loved members of James Brown's famed J.B.'s band from the late '60s to the mid-1970s. Alongside his instantly-recognizable alto saxophone solos, he occasionally performed as comedian before James Brown shows, in addition to playing MC. He was a true renaissance man. And while other members of The Godfather of Soul's inner circle - most notably trombonist Fred Wesley - had solo albums at the advent of Brown's People Records, Maceo had to wait his turn for a couple years. By the time 1974 rolled around, this talented musician and personality could not be denied, and he burst onto the scene as a group leader with one of the most impressive albums in the People catalog: the simply titled, but deeply felt, Us. Maceo's group (occasionally called The Macks) and Fred Wesley's J.B.'s were essentially the same unit - including guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Hearlon Cheese' Martin, drummer John Jabo' Starks, saxophonist St. Clair Pinckney and of course Fred Wesley on trombone. Unsurprisingly, the material here is never-endingly funky. But as shown in the song selection (presumably by Parker, with heavy-handy assistance from the Godfather himself), there are as many ballads and soul groovers as there are straight-up funk workouts. Cases in point include the mellow, Gamble & Huff-penned Drowning In The Sea Of Love' (with organ, most likely played by James Brown, slithering in the background) and the syrupy Show and Tell.' The album's closer is also on the slower side, going very deep and striking a chord, as Maceo and Brown talk about conditions in the Black American landscape of the day over the course of 10-plus minutes. And there is, of course, plenty of diesel funk here as well: singles like Soul Power 74' and Parrty' are downright nasty grooves, known well by James Brown fans old and new. Soul Power 74' additionally features very early proto-sampling, with a baby's cry as well as Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous I Have Been To The Mountain Top' speech. And Maceo's take on the J.B.'s classic Doing It To Death' is a unique version, more muted and of course featuring Maceo's gorgeous horn front and center. Appearing at the apex of both James Brown's and People Records' power, Us is a treasured jewel in the J.B. catalog, and rightfully so. This 150 gram vinyl LP comes in a Stoughton Jacket, housed in a custom People Records poly bag, and includes 24' x 24' poster.

Reissue of an ultra-rare Afro-Funk album by KENI OKULOLO.

First and rare album from the famous bass player and band leader of MONOMONO Nigerian band. 3 amazing tracks recorded in 1974 at EMI studio, taken from his ultra-rare and so hard to find Talkin' bass experience masterpiece album plus an extra track that we decided with the artist to include here. His funky gem 'Funky People' was produced during the famous 'Mixed Grill' sessions in Lagos.Fully Licenced with one of a few living Nigerian musicians with roots in both traditional village music and funky West-African popular genres, five times voted Nigeria's best bassist by the Nigerian Association of Music journalists. The original album is so hard to find and cost more than thousand euros, so don't hesitate to listen to this remastered Afro-Soul gem.

This September UMGI release the third in their series of highly desirable, limited edition 7' box sets with 14 superb tracks from Motown vaults. Seriously soulful dance delights, the numbers on offer here have only previously been hidden away on albums or CD collections and all feature high on any 'Hitsville' collectors' list of must-haves. Moreover, all 14 masterpieces are making their first ever, worldwide appearance on 45rpm singles.

Compiled by BBC radio DJ and journalist Richard Searling, the artists featured include the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, The Marvelettes, David Ruffin, The Spinners, The Monitors, Barbara Randolph and Kim Weston. An exclusive appears in the form of Show Me The Way by J.J. Barnes - an absolute floor-filler, pulled from the Motown vaults and previously unreleased. Only recently available on CD, Jimmy Ruffin's version of The 'In' Crowd also sees its debut on vinyl and for a seriously cool delivery of hip soul look no further than Marvin Gaye's rendition of the Tom Jones classic It's Not Unusual.

Highly anticipated by collectors worldwide, this box set is a must for Motown and Northern Soul fans alike. Packaging comes complete with Back to Black download card.

* 180 gram audiophile vinyl
* Feat. John Abercrombie, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson

Known for housing a famous Beastie Boys sample, the reissue of the 1975 funk and fusion classic Funk Factory brings peerless Polish and American players together for a groovy, eccentric journey.

It was an album cut from this LP that captured a particular corner of the music-geek imagination for more than 40 years: "Rien Ne Va Plus," from the self-titled 1975 album, had its reckoning with the canon when the Dust Brothers sampled major chunks of it for Beastie Boys' "Car Thief." "Rien Ne Va Plus" is a banger, all post-Head Hunters springy synth-bass.

As for the rest of the album, Funk Factory can stray pretty far into the cheerier excesses of prog-jazz. It emphasizes the alluring strangeness of its more experimental moments, like the hallucinogenic haunted-house tour of "Lilliput" or the banshee James Brown vocal riffs on "Horsing Around." "Rien Ne Va Plus" remains the top highlight. This album is proof that a core of musicians schooled in jazz but culturally steeped in the folk and classical traditions of Eastern Europe could, at least once, put out something that fit well with the crossover sound of the times while being unafraid to dive into freeform weirdness.

Deluxe triple vinyl gatefold edition pressed on colour vinyl with printed inners.

Medium Medium's debut album, The Glitterhouse, was originally released on Cherry Red in October 1981. This reissue also features the Hungry, So Angry,' single version which was produced by Adrian Sherwood at Berry Street Studio in London.

In Sound International magazine Dave Henderson wrote prophetically, It could be one of the most important records of the type to emerge this year and will doubtlessly be revered as a classic after the group have long since departed.'

Also included is a selection of tracks from Cherry Red's 2001 Hungry, So Angry retrospective compilation album, the B-side of the band's debut single on Apt and a previously unreleased demo version of a song from the 1982 Sound-Products EP. It includes a bonus EP featuring previously unreleased tracks from the 2008 Village recording session. All of the various lineups of Medium Medium are represented.

Formed at the end of 1978 Medium Medium's self-described extreme dance music' had reviewers scrambling to draw comparisons with the band's contemporaries and find a label for its post punk sound.

Medium Medium's solid dance rhythms and chaotic, chiming guitar were superficially reminiscent of the Gang of Four and Talking Heads, but Rees's tangential sax playing and Graham's tape and keyboard interjections from the front-of-house mixing desk took Medium Medium in another direction.

Free-blown dubbed-up white funk' was how Max Bell described the sound in England's New Musical Express (NME). At the forefront of the post punk funk movement,' raved Cashbox in the U.S. Billboard magazine opined that this was post punk and post disco dance music.'

Brit Award-winner and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer, music legend Rick Astley has left an indelible mark on pop-culture since his emergence into the limelight nearly thirty years ago. He has sold over 40 million records, had the UK's biggest selling single of 1987, is the first male solo artist to see his first eight singles reach the UK Top Ten, and in 2002, saw his "Greatest Hits" compilation album go gold. On his 7th album - and first studio record released in over a decade 50' (BMG), Astley returns to his musical roots with mighty force. He plays every instrument on the album and penned each track. His key influences and complex understanding of different musical genres are evident in his song writing, which draws from his life and inspirations. At times it's reflective and vulnerable, at others it's uplifting and progressive, but his distinctive, soulful voice remains familiar, enriched by the last decade of increasing time spent touring. Focus tracks on the new album include "Keep Singing", "I Like The Sun", "Angels On My Side" and "This Old House".

The list of musical highlights for Vincent Williams aka DJ Spinna are too numerous to list, from his seminal hip hop duo Jigmastas and DJ sets across the globe, to his iconic solo productions and
remixes. But if you ask him, it's the relationship he's forged with personal hero Stevie Wonder that Spinna considers to be his single greatest achievement. As with most artists of a soulful persuasion, Stevie's music influenced Spinna from the outset,
dictating everything from his approach to writing to his use of Fender Rhodes and Moog bass-lines on his productions. Having gained so much from the great man, Spinna decided to pay tribute in the form of 'Wonderfull', a series of parties celebrating the Wonder of Stevie. This is where the story became somewhat surreal for Spinna, suddenly finding himself joined onstage in
Washington D.C. by none other than Stevie himself, a spine-tingling moment even when viewed on YouTube. An extension of the Wonderfull parties, this album represents a celebration of the life, music and cultural impact of Stevie Wonder. Few compilers can boast Spinna's understanding of Stevie's back catalogue, not to mention the large number of
songs he's written for other artists over the years. Featuring stunning cover versions you may well have never heard before alongside songs many of us had no idea he'd written, Spinna's vast knowledge of and boundless enthusiasm for
Stevie's music shines with every selection. As both a super-fan and a close friend, surely there is nobody better placed to compile this wonderful document of Stevie Wonder's music, inspiration
and influence.

Remastered and limited edition reissue of 1971 Brazilian Samba/Jazz rarity, for fans of Cartola and Bezzera Da Silva, Caetano Veloso, Joao Donato. Jorginho Gomes Pessanha (1931-1981) released two solo albums in the 1970s. Born and raised in the Parada De Lucas suburb of Rio De Janiero, Jorginho Pessanha aka Jorginho' was the son of the founder of the United Samba School Chapel. Jorginho ultimately joined the hugely influential Imperio Serrano School of Composers under the tutelage of Imperian President Moacyr Rodrigues, who was part of Brazil's delegation to the First Black Arts Festival in Senegal in 1966. This is a hard-to-find piece of 1st-tier Samba, recorded in 1970, which will appeal to fans of Brazilian Funk and Jazz, easily the rarest and best work by one of Imperio Serrano's major figures.

MICHAEL 'CRAZY' CAMPBELL and RAYMOND MONETTE first caught our attention as singer/songwriters Mike & Ray on their debut 45 'If Only You Knew', recorded in Detroit in 1966. A year later they struck gold, well at least in Wigan, with their self-penned, Northern Soul anthem 'Man Without A Woman' featured here. A name change to The Abstract Reality found them on Shelly Harris' Sport label with 'Love Burns Like A Fire Inside'. The pair teamed up with Bob Babbitt and Andrew Smith to form the psych band Scorpion and released one, eponymous album for Tower Records. Mike went on to become a Hollywood actor scoring parts in Beverly Hills Cop and Total Recall and now lives with his family in Wyoming selling cars. Ray joined the Motown group Rare Earth with whom he still performs today.
Our chosen B-side features the monumental instrumental 'Interplay' written and performed by the unlikely soul duo Derek Smith and Ray Cohen.

THE GLORIES were formed in New York in 1966 by lead singer Frances Yvonne Gearing and producer Bob Yorey. They were a trio - Gearing, Mildred Vaney and Delores Brown - and signed to Date Records in '67. Only their debut disc, the uptempo 'I Stand Accused', saw any chart action, peaking at No. 74 in the Hot 100. Our chosen side, 'I Worship You Baby' was released to little acclaim in July 1968 but remains a Northern Soul anthem. The group were signed to Hi Records in '72 and became Quiet Elegance.
THE OPALS were another trio - Rose Addison, Myra Tillison and Tootsie - signed to Okeh Records in 1963 by Carl Davis. They released only 4 singles during their brief tenure and we spotlight their superb version of 'You're Gonna Be Sorry' from Aug '64, recorded a year later by label mate Billy Butler.

There is funk, and there is Funk. This here is of course the latter. Struttin' is the third studio album by the funk group The Meters, originally released in 1970. The first single was the song Chicken Strut'. It reached #11 on the U.S. R&B Singles chart.

It may not appear to be drastically different than its predecessors, at least not on the surface. After all, the title of the lead single Chicken Strut' intentionally recalls their previous biggest Cissy Strut,'and it has the same basic Meters groove.

And if the essential sound remains unchanged, that's because that organic, earthy funk is The Meters' signature.

Other groups have tried to replicate it, but nobody ever played it better.

It was on this album The Meters introduced vocals to their style as well, with Art Neville's leads on covers of Ty Hunter's soulful uptown shuffle Darling, Darling, Darling,' Jimmy Webb's groovy ballad Wichita Lineman,' and Lee Dorsey's Ride Your Pony' (the Meters provided support on the original recording).

Contains all 4 of Karl Hector's limited edition EP's: Tamanrasset, Ngugna Yeti Fofa, Coomassi and Ka Rica-Tar. Following their deft handling of musics from Eastern and Northern Africa alongside Western psychedelia, jazz and funk on Unstraight Ahead, Karl Hector & The Malcouns combine the previously available only on vinyl tracks from four EP's - Tamanrasset, Ngugna Yeti Fofa, Coomassi and Ka Rica-Tar — into an album as Krautrock as Afro Beat, as Multi-Culti-Psychedelic as Deep Funk.







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People Records was the revered funk/soul imprint of the legendary James Brown, who throughout the 1970s curated and made it home to an array of top-tier deep funk artists, singers, and songwriters. It was during this time that the label hosted a variety of "funky divas" like Marva Whitney, Vicki Anderson, and Myra Barnes. Unquestionably the greatest of them all was Lyn Collins, whose R&B hit, the frequently-sampled "Think (About It)" is one of the most enduring singles to emerge from Brown's People label. Get On Down now presents here, an unearthed gem from the famed "Female Preacher." "We Want To Parrty, Parrty, Parrty" was previously unavailable on any Lyn Collins full-length release, and has never been reissued as a standalone 7" single until now. The track is a rollicking funk burner, produced by James Brown himself, and has sampled its way into tracks by Eric B. & Rakim, The Prodigy, De La Soul, and Big Daddy Kane among others, and comes on a large hole 45 with freshly re-mastered audio. "You Can't Beat Two People In Love", the funky soul-ballad B-side, is not to be missed either, featuring additional backing vocals by Brown

Big Crown records is proud to present Max Shrager's debut EP Thoughts Of You'. This is a collection of songs Max recorded over the past 7-8 years, at the ripe young of 20, it's clear Max was born for this. Now dedicated to his band The Shacks, he spends most of his time focusing on writing and recording for their upcoming full length due out on Big Crown in 2017. These songs are what he calls the best of everything he has recorded up to that point'. 6 songs on a beautiful 10 picture sleeve EP, another Big Crown sureshot.

From Max: Each song on this record represents a period of my life. Listening to them brings me back to the experiences that inspired them, like a smell that causes a flood of memories. "Sophia" I wrote "Sophia" in a piano rehearsal room at my high school. It started with those first two chords, and I just kept going because the harmonic movement was making sense. I came up with the chorus a few minutes before we cut the rhythm track. Tom Brenneck got excited about this one early on, which was very encouraging. "Thoughts of You" This one was written the summer I moved to New York City. I thought of it as a country ballad as I was writing it. It ended up having some interesting rhythms and flavors. My grandmother came downstairs to my parent's basement as I was recording the guitar, and she was in to it. "Silver" I bought a 12 string Martin guitar at First Flight music and brought it to school. I ended up skipping class and sitting in the park, working on a song idea that came to me the night before. My new girlfriend had given me a silver ring, which I put in my pocket. It got all scratched up, among the coins, which made me feel guilty and provided the inspiration for this song. "Girls of the Galaxy" This one was really fun to record. It's very much about the production for me, which I did with Homer Steinweiss. Listen closely for the Spanish radio crosstalk at the end. "Train Song" This tune is about the train ride from New Jersey to New York City that I must've taken a thousand times. There's also some stuff about a trip to Las Vegas, where my dad and I walked miles out of the city on a dusty highway and ended up at a nuclear testing museum. "You're Still There" This is a love song that was inspired by a specific feeling I had one night in Atlantic City. The feeling was so deep and unique that this song just poured out of me at the piano. The drums were recorded by putting the microphone under a ceramic pot.

Big Crown Records is proud to present a reissue of the highly sought-after, very rare, and only release by Texas funk band, The Soul Explosives. Active in 1971 and 72, The Soul Explosives were a high school group from Kingsville, TX led by high school senior Skip Frazier. Their main goal was to play a neighborhood know as the"The Cut" in nearby Corpus Christ, where there were a number of Soul & R&B clubs. They paid for the recording and pressing of the 45 which was done by a tiny local Tejano studio/label, Bormeh. Copies of the record were given to friends and sold at shows. In '72 Skip decided to leave the group to pursue his college studies and they disbanded not long after. The A Side Tryin To Get Down' is a lo-fi funk gem with all the makings of an underground classic. Driving drums and blown out vocals somewhere between encouraging and liberating are sure to peak funk fans ears. The B Side, a absolutely smashing cover of Ain't No Sunshine', is nothing short of a must have. The Soul Explosives nearly instrumental cover might just be the toughest version on a 45. Another Big Crown sureshot.

All Saints melden sich zurück und läuten das Comeback des Jahres ein. Die britische Erfolgsband der 2000er veröffentlicht mit Red Flag ihr neues Studioalbum. All Saints haben 12 Millionen Alben verkauft, allein in Großbritannien fünf #1-Hits gelandet (u.a. Pure Shores, Never Ever und Black Coffee), dazu zwei BRIT Awards gewonnen, und zwei ihrer Alben wurden gleich mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnet. In Deutschland landeten die Alben allesamt in den Top 15 der offiziellen Charts. 19 Jahre nach ihrem gleichnamigen Debütalbum sind sie zurück - und definieren den Pop-Zeitgeist mit - Red Flag ein weiteres Mal neu. Die erste Single-Auskopplung des Albums "One Strike" ist bereits veröffentlicht. Das erste Konzert seit Jahren im Londoner KoKo am 4. April war innerhalb weniger Minuten ausverkauft. Das Album erscheint als Standard CD mit 12 Tracks.
Jetzt auch als Vinyl erhältlich!

Light of Love Wax Co. is honoured to release Gloria Jones and The Tiara's Gone With The Wind is My Love' Mastered specifically for vinyl by Grammy®-award winning engineer Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering in Los Angeles.

Paired with the Tiaras B-side, You're My Man', Gone with The Wind Is My Love' is available as a limited edition pressing. Issued in a custom tri-color sleeve evocative of the Dore imprint the record was originally released on in 1967. Gone With The Wind Is My Love' is the latest release on Gloria Jones' Light of Love Wax Co. imprint. Ms Jones set up the Light of Love Wax Co. as a vehicle to help support Music & Film schools in West Africa. Proceeds from every Light of Love Wax Co. sale helps support this cause.

REPRESSED !!

Two more slices of official dance floor dynamite from the Disco Fuentes catalogue get unleashed on the strictly vinyl only, singles only Mukatsuku Record label for autumn 2013.

First up is an unreleased version of the popular Wganda Kenya club favourite 'Tipit Hayed' which Blundetto had done a few years ago for his own DJ sets but never surfaced commercially.

On the flipside a bona fide salsa funk monster which a piano intro to die for from Fruko Y Sus Tesos.

Ocote Soul Sounds is Martin Perna, founder of the New York-based group Antibalas. together with Adrian Quesada, co-founder of the Grammy-winning Latin music powerhouse Grupo Fantasma. This 7" is their debut on Wonderwheel Recordings and features more of the same hazy, psychedelic Latin funk that they've become known for, featuring Chico Mann providing vocals on the "A" side, alongsided Quantic on guitar and accordian. Quantic is also featured on the "B" side instrumental cut "Not Yet"

When Lorraine Chandler's dramatic 'You Only Live Twice' was discovered in RCA's tape library in the 90s, it was recognised as the forerunner to Yvonne Baker's 'You Didn't Say A Word, with the powerful James Bond theme tune motif. Chandler and Baker's intertwined late 60s career also shared versions of 'Mend The Torn Pieces' and 'I Can't Change'.

It was exciting to then hear an earlier, rawer Pied Piper take of 'You Only Live Twice' and though that original RCA tape made it on to a 100 Club anniversary 45, this is the first single release for the original version. The instrumental mix of the Cavaliers' 'Hold To My Baby' is an adrenalin rush for dancers who want to revel in the maestros who made this music so memorable.