A later Warner label compilation – with material by Tin Huey, Alice Cooper, Michael Franks, The Roches, Chaka Khan, Mary Russell, Gary Wright, Bob Marley, George Harrison, Rickie Lee Jones, Osiris, Ashford & Simpson, Lowell George, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Santa Claus gets plenty of lovin here – in a sweet set of tracks that spans the worlds of soul, gospel, and blues – bringing together some key classics from the season, plus some more unusual material too! There's a total of 26 tracks on the set – and titles include "The Sound Of Christmas" by The Violinaires, "Christmas In Viet Nam" by Johnny & Jon, "Santa's On His Way" by Ad Libs, "It's That Time Of Year" by The Manhattans, "Doing The Santa Claus" by Huey Smith & The Clowns, "You Better Be Good World" by Shirley Ellis, "White Xmas" by Los Angeles Angels, "Merry Christmas Baby" by Vernon Garrett, "Silent Night" by Liz Lands, "Marshmallow World" by Darlene Love, "I'll Stay Home" by The Creators, "White Christmas" by Rance Allen, "Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday" by Leon Haywood, "Merry Christmas Baby" by Ike & Tina Turner, and "It's Been A Long Bad Year" by Lonnie Hewitt. CD

Classic breaks – all the way through – the kind of sharp funky nuggets that have had a rich new life, thanks to their use in hip hop and club tracks in recent years! This may not be the most underground stuff in the world to those out there who've been digging through crates for funk and soul for the past ten years, but it is an exquisite compilation that features some of the best funky tracks used as samples by hip hoppers, nearly every one of them a famous cut that you'll probably recognize in a minute! Titles include "I Like It" by The Emotions, "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Hard Times" by Baby Huey, "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth" by 24 Carat Black, "Kool Is Back" by Funk Inc, "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines, "Heaven & Hell" by 20th Century Steel Band, "Unhooked Generation" by Freda Payne, "Papa Was, Too" by Joe Tex, "Just A Groove In G" by Wilbur Bascomb & The Zodiac, "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William De Vaughn, and "You're Getting A Little Too Smart" by The Detroit Emeralds. 18 cuts in all! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest box sets we've ever seen – and amazingly issued by an American major label! The 4CD package is a treasure trove of funky work from a decade of Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records, and related labels – tunes pulled both from mainstream album releases and much more obscure 45s – all expertly collected here into a whopping batch of 91 tracks, all packaged in a cool little box with an 80 page booklet! This one goes way past some of the silly "decade" sets from Rhino, and really displays a new level of cool and connoisseurship – one that finally appreciates the rich depths of funky work at their fingertips, most of which has not been properly reissued in the US! Titles include "Almendra" by Macondo, "Goin Down" by Allen Toussaint, "Wah Wah Man" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Spinning Wheel" by Wade Marcus, "Hard Times" by Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters, "What's So Never The Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by Houseguests, "8 Days On The Road" by Howard Tate, "Getting Uptown" by United 8, "Wanoah" by Black Heat, "Let It Crawl" by Society's Bag, "Flute Thing" by Seatrain, "Try It Again" by Bobby Byrd, "Funky To The Bone" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters, "Improve" by Darrow Fletcher, "Rien Ne Va Plus" by Funk Factory, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Spreadin Honey" by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Stoned Soul" by Artie Christopher, "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belaires, "Tampin" by The Rhine Oaks, "Jan Jan" by The Fabulous Counts, "Sing A Simple Song" by The Noble Knights, "It's All In Your Mind" by Soul Angels, "Funky John" by Johnny Cameron, "Don't Come Around Here Any More" by Mark Putney, "Keep On Dancing" by The Commodores, "Right On Brother (part 1)" by South Shore Commission, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, and "The Deacon" by Brute Force. CD

The title here is the name under which Dr John was later known during his Atlantic Records years – but the tracks here were recorded immediately before – nicely gritty work done for the Crazy Cajun label – way up in the Louisiana swampland, which must have provided plenty of inspiration for the sounds within! All the later charms of the Doctor are here – but the tunes are maybe a bit shorter, with an excellent vibe that's never overdone – yet which still has that blend of trippiness and voodoo soul that nobody else can do this well. Huey P Meaux produced, and titles include "Go Ahead On", "Don't Want No Monkey In My Business", "Loser For You Baby", "The Ear Is On Strike", "I Pulled The Cover Off You Two Lovers", "Chicky Wow Wow", and "I Got Lonesomeitis". LP, Vinyl record album

Crucial cuts in the development of New Orleans soul – served up here by a singer who was instrumental in setting up the new sound of the city in the 60s! Bobby Marchan's a singer who really got his start during the soul years, unlike some of the R&B contemporaries that moved into New Orleans soul – and right from the start, he had a lean, raw style that was perfect for the new groove that was setting the world on fire – presented here on rare recordings for the Ace label in Mississippi, where he worked with Huey Smith as well – and on tracks recorded up in New York for the legendary Fire Records label of Bobby Robinson – but which were every bit as crucial as material recorded in the Crescent City to the legacy of the Nola groove! The package features 36 tracks in all, including some rare alternate takes – and titles include "Booty Green", "Snoopin & Accusin", "You're Still My Baby (parts 1 & 2)", "I Need Some One", "Yes It's Written All Over Your Face", "Things I Used To Do (parts 1 & 2)", "Look At My Heart", "Give A Helping Hand", "Chickee Wah Wah", "Quit My Job", "Loberta", "Tiddley Wink", "Rockin Behind The Iron Curtain", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Little Girl Of Mine", and "Hush Your Mouth". CD

Some of the most righteous recordings ever issued – a rich batch of soul, funk, rock, and spoken word tracks from the boldest era of African American empowerment! The set does a great job of mixing together classic cuts and overlooked nuggets – all of which bring forth the message of the times with energy that's far more direct, and far more powerful than some of the more easygoing songs of the Civil Rights era – a musical shift that follows the cultural one documented in the book of the same title! The collection and notes are done by Pat Thomas – who wrote the Listen Whitey book – and he's done a really amazing job of picking just the right selections, and finding a way to make them all resonate together beautifully – in ways that only increase the focus and strength of their message. Titles incude "Free Bobby Now" by The Lumpen, "I Ain't Black" by Kain, "Free Huey" by Stokely Carmichael, "Invitation To Black Power (parts 1 & 2)" by Sahid Quintet, "Woman Of The Ghetto (live)" by Marlena Shaw, "Who Will Survive America" by Amiri Baraka, "Winter In America (solo version)" by Gil Scott Heron, "I Hate The White Man" by Roy Harper, "Dem Niggers Ain't Playing" by The Watts Prophets, "Tim Leary" by Eldridge Cleaver, and "Angela" by John Lennon & Yoko Ono. CD