Funk / Soul

Track List: CD ONE 01. Queen - Killer Queen 02. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star 03. Blondie - Heart Of Glass 04. Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions - Boogie Wonderland 05. The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!) 06. Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia 07. Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine 08. Ike & Tina Turner - Proud Mary 09. Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up 10. Sister Sledge - We Are Family 11. The O'Jays - Love Train 12. The Specials feat. Rico - A Message to You Rudy 13. Electric Light Orchestra - Livin' Thing 14. Billy Joel - Piano Man 15. John Denver - Annie's Song 16. Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come up and See Me) 17. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 18. Barry White - You're The First, The Last, My Everything 19. Freda Payne - Band of Gold 20. 10cc - I'm Not In Love CD TWO 01. John Lennon, The Plastic Ono Band & Yoko Ono - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) 02. Bryan Ferry - Let's Stick Together 03. The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper’s Delight 04. LaBelle - Lady Marmalade 05. McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now 06. Tina Charles - I Love to Love 07. Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones 08. Commodores - Three Times A Lady 09. The Three Degrees - Woman in Love 10. Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair 11. Harry J Allstars - Liquidator 12. R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House 13. Chairmen of the Board - Give Me Just a Little More Time 14. KC & The Sunshine Band - That's The Way (I Like It) 15. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tears Of A Clown 16. Chic - Good Times 17. Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony - The Hustle 18. Heatwave - Boogie Nights 19. Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough 20. Minnie Riperton - Lovin' You CD THREE 01. ABBA - Fernando 02. Fleetwood Mac - Don’t Stop 03. Paul McCartney - Another Day 04. Chicago - If You Leave Me Now 05. Harry Nilsson - Without You 06. Barry Manilow - Mandy 07. Patti Smith Group - Because the Night 08. Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights 09. Meat Loaf - You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) 10. Foreigner - Cold As Ice 11. Edwin Starr - War 12. The Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight 13. The Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap 14. Rod Stewart – Handbags & Gladrags 15. Terry Jacks - Seasons in the Sun 16. Ralph McTell - Streets Of London 17. Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind 18. Nazareth - Love Hurts 19. Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Parisienne Walkways 20. Eric Carmen - All by Myself CD FOUR 01. The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl 02. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him? 03. Roxy Music - Dance Away 04. M - Pop Muzik 05. The Tourists - I Only Want to Be with You 06. Mott The Hoople - Roll Away the Stone 07. Status Quo - Down Down 08. Sweet - Blockbuster 09. The Allman Brothers Band – Jessica 10. Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar 11. Justin Hayward - Forever Autumn (From Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of "The War of the Worlds") 12. Python Lee Jackson feat. Rod Stewart - In A Broken Dream 13. The Walker Brothers - No Regrets 14. Elkie Brooks - Pearl's A Singer 15. Santana - She's Not There 16. Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us 17. Madness - The Prince 18. Sham 69 – Hurry Up Harry 19. Graham Parker & The Rumour - Hold Back The Night 20. Chris Rea - Fool (If You Think It's Over) CD FIVE 01. Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting 02. Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Baby 03. Showaddywaddy - Under The Moon Of Love 04. The Rubettes - Sugar Baby Love 05. Suzi Quatro - Devil Gate Drive 06. Kiki Dee - Amoureuse 07. David Soul - Don’t Give Up On Us 08. Matthews' Southern Comfort - Woodstock 09. The New Seekers - I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) 10. Dawn feat. Tony Orlando - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree 11. The Drifters - Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies 12. Third World - Now That We've Found Love 13. Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking 14. Sailor - A Glass of Champagne 15. Racey - Some Girls 16. Alvin Stardust - My Coo Ca Choo 17. Pilot - January 18. David Essex - Hold Me Close 19. The Isley Brothers - Harvest for the World 20. Racing Cars - They Shoot Horses Don't They?

3CD SET EXPLORING THE ARRIVAL OF SYNTH POP AND THE DAWN OF A NEW MUSICAL ERA. • 58 TRACKS MARKING THE TRANSITION OF ELECTRONIC POP FROM THE OUTER REACHES OF ECCENTRICITY AND NOVELTY TO THE VERY HEART OF A MUSICAL MAINSTREAM IT WOULD QUICKLY DOMINATE. • A TREASURE TROVE OF HOUSEHOLD NAMES – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, ULTRAVOX, TOYAH, SPANDAU BALLET, KIM WILDE, PHILIP LYNOTT, THE BUGGLES – AND UNDERGROUND FIGUREHEADS – FAD GADGET, SUICIDE, M, JOHN FOXX, D.A.F., DALEK I LOVE YOU, VISAGE, THE RESIDENTS, YELLO – ALONGSIDE FORGOTTEN GEMS AND LESSER-KNOWN CURIOS. • BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE TEAM BEHIND THE CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL HITS ‘CLOSE TO THE NOISE FLOOR’ AND ‘ELECTRICAL LANGUAGE’! • SLEEVENOTES BY ‘ELECTRONIC SOUND’ MAGAZINE’S MAT SMITH

Rediscover the best selection of Funk Music! In partnership with Funk-U magazine, Give Me The Funk! is positioned as the new must-have collection for groove lovers. CD1: 1. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions 2. James Brown & the Famous Flames - Think 3. The Mar-Keys - Last Night 4. Marvin Gaye - Hitch Hike 5. Ray Charles - Unchain My Heart 6. Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want) 7. Stevie Wonder - Ain't That Love 8. Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man 9. Ike & Tina Turner - a Fool in Love 10. Little Willie John - Fever 11. Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You 12. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on You 13. Blowfly - Nobody's Butt But Yours, Babe 14. The Detroit Emeralds - Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) 15. George McCrae - I Get Lifted 16. Brother to Brother - Chance with You -- CD2: 1. Gil Scott-Heron - Home Is Where the Hatred Is 2. Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa 3. The Fatback Band - Yum Yum (Gimme Some) 4. Gwen McCrae - All This Love That I'm Givin' 5. Little Beaver - Concrete Jungle 6. Cymande - Bra 7. Bobby Byrd - Back from the Dead 8. Funkadelic - Can You Get to That 9. T Connection - Funkannection 10. The Sylvers - I Aim to Please 11. Patrice Rushen - Hang It Up 12. Joe Simon - Theme from Cleopatra Jones 13. Jerry Butler - Speak the Truth to the People - Frankie's Theme 14. Ohio Players - Funky Worm 15. Curtis Mayfield - Toot An' Toot An' Toot 16. Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes - a Chance for Peace

CD debut for “Hit After Hit” LP • 10 tracks new to CD • Includes some of Jamaica’s biggest hits from 1970 to 1975 Soon after forming in the late Sixties, the Chosen Few became widely regarded as one the most accomplished harmony groups on the Jamaican music scene, as demonstrated by a series of hits for local producers, Derrick Harriott and ‘Prince’ Tony. A subsequent collaboration with Florida-based ex-pat, Noel Williams aka King Sporty spawned the reggae-funk masterpiece, ‘In Miami’ featuring backing from leading soul outfit K.C. & the Sunshine Band. The enduring popularity of the quartet, comprising Franklyn Spence and the three Browns – Busty, Noel and Errol – was demonstrated by the release of three acclaimed long players between 1973 and 1975, all of which were issued in the UK by the country’s premier Jamaican music record company, Trojan Records. This trio of albums form the basis of this superb collection of classic soulful reggae sounds, which is further enhanced by 11 bonus tracks from the period.

Off the back of the inescapably addictive funk rattle 'n' romp 'Felony', an A-list playlist choice of BBC Radio 6 Music spun by Craig Charles, Lauren Laverne and Mary Anne Hobbs as well as BBC Radio 2 hosts Jo Whiley and Rylan, The Allergies are out to provide the soundtrack to your summer with 'Say The Word'. The Bristol duo of Rackabeat and DJ Moneyshot continue their patent blend of fat laced hip-hop and funk for the hip bone, ready and waiting to tear the ring pull off so the party can flood out. In succession to 'As We Do Our Thing', 'Push On' and 'Steal The Show' ("An action-packed funk workout that delivers dancefloor A-bombs time and time again" – Clash magazine), 'Say The Word' packs a killer punch of chunky breaks, finger licking throwdowns and soft-shoe steppers to ensure the boogie will never leave your body. The Allergies' latest dancefloor crusade lines up serial collaborator Andy Cooper of Ugly Duckling (now officially seeking official Allergies citizenship, and reaching a new astral plain on 'I Just Got That Feeling'); the honey-dipped, no-nonsense soul of Marietta Smith, of Smith and The Honey Badgers; Dynamite MC holding down the uber true skool cool of 'Hot Sensation'; and the funster Mardi Gras free for all involving The Cuban Brothers that will definitely 'Let Them Know'. A fixture on Jalapeno Records since 2015, The Allergies all-in party performance has gained Album of the Day status on 6 Music, become a bestseller on the iTunes and Juno hip-hop album charts, and received Tune of the Month gongs in Mixmag. The Allergies have also stopped by shows on Radio 2 with Dermot O'Leary and Radio 4 with Clive Anderson, and headlined the BBC 6 Music Festival in their native Bristol; all in addition to an ever energetic European itinerary, and teaming with Dr Syntax (whose dulcet tones are back to affirm 'I'm On It'), Izo FitzRoy and Uncle Frank of the group, the Fun Lovin' Criminals. In tandem with 'Felony' flying across springtime airwaves, Rackabeat and Moneyshot helmed a triumphant Trunk of Funk mix for Craig Charles' celebrated Funk and Soul show in April. It got pulses racing, as per usual, and whet the listeners' appetites for album number four. When it drops, trust us, 'Say The Word' will be on everyone's lips

Rivage was one of the records during my early days into Modern Soul I was desperate to get hold of, 'Strung Out On You're Love' is up there in my top ten and I managed to pick a copy of the 45 when in the USA in the Early 2000s for a decent price. I only found out there was a rarer LP with a longer version of the track around the same time, with the bonus of a pile of solid Funk, modern and sweet soul tracks. Fast-forward to 2019 and friend Angelo Angione hooked me up with the band who were excited to work with me on a reissue. Now those who know the LP will know it's rather odd cover, this was a marketing idea by someone at the Label, despite the band not wanting to use it that's the way it ended up. We decided to put things right and have reinstated the original cover shot of the band. This LP is simply one of the finest 70s LPs, it's mad that it has not been reissued before now…enjoy.

The elusive gemstone of 1970s Harlem soul and funk from the Ray Alexander Technique, officially reissued for the first time with bonus tracks and previously unreleased alternate mixes. Renowned for its enviable combination of musical muscle and malleability, guitarist / songwriter Raymond Alexander Jenkins’ tight four-piece unit was so revered on the uptown club circuit that it was offered the opportunity to serve as the Apollo Theater house band. Jenkins demurred, hopeful and confident in his group’s chances at making it on its own, and Let’s Talk is the sublime result of their hard work. Independently released and recorded with a distinctly lo-fi charm, it is a collection of unabashedly sincere songs that perfectly encapsulates the era’s heady milieu of Black pride and cultural awareness, and the plaintive emotion of struggling to realize dreams whilst navigating a city and neighborhood in decline. Personal tragedy coupled with Jenkins’ inability to gain traction as a musician, would haunt him for years. But Let’s Talk’s reputation would eventually spread via word-of-mouth praise amongst soul and funk connoisseurs and record collectors. Now elevated to exalted status, it may finally be more widely appreciated as a testament to Jenkins’ gifts.

Strut present a comprehensive 2CD / 3LP compilation of the seminal Oneness Of Juju, led by Plunky J. Branch. Tracing their career from the band’s earliest work in 1970 with South African exiled jazzman Ndikho Xaba in San Francisco, the compilation covers the band’s journey to New York’s loft jazz scene, forming Juju and releasing two landmark albums of hard-hitting percussive jazz on Strata-East. “I saw myself as a cultural warrior,” explains Plunky. “We studied about Africa and tried to infuse our music with an African spirit.” Moving back to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia during the mid-‘70s, Plunky drew in a superb new group of musicians and vocalists and created the band’s new incarnation, Oneness Of Juju, retaining the African influence but fusing his sound with funk and R’n’B on the classic ‘African Rhythms’ album. “We realised that, if we put a backbeat to the Afro-Cuban rhythms, people in Richmond and Washington D.C. could be drawn into it; it didn't change anything about our message.” The change would lead to a series of enduring soul-jazz classics on Jimmy Gray’s Black Fire label, including ‘River Luv Rite’, ‘Plastic’ and ‘Don’t Give Up’ and their biggest crossover international hit, ‘Every Way But Loose’ in 1982, later famously remixed by Larry Levan. The band received renewed interest in their music during the mid-‘80s as Washington D.C.’s go-go innovators cited the band as a major influence and rare groove DJs revived their albums for London dancefloors. ‘African Rhythms 1970-1982’ reprises a compilation released on Strut in 2001 and is newly remastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery. Both formats feature a 12” sized 4pp booklet featuring rare photos and a comprehensive interview with Plunky Branch within liner notes by Chris Menist

NZCA Lines, aka producer and multi-instrumentalist, Michael Lovett, releases his new album Pure Luxury via Memphis Industries. His first album since 2016’s Infinite Summer, it’s funk filled and frenetic, fizzing with electricity and teeming with invention. Written and produced almost entirely by Lovett, yet featuring a wide range of collaborators, Pure Luxury revels in both the insular – the sound of one man processing anxiety-inducing world events - and the communal. It is a record of diverse styles, voices and textures, expanding the musical universe of Lovett’s previous albums whilst cementing his own playful voice with an inescapable sense of joy and excitement. Tired of the now over-familiar sound of Big Analog Synths and words like glacial, austere, and wistful, he set out with one clear intention: to be Extra. Extra is the governing musical direction on Pure Luxury, accepting that we live in a world of dwindling attention spans whilst acknowledging that traditional notions of accessible musical form are fast becoming irrelevant in a world of online streaming. The notion of being Extra is perhaps best encapsulated by the frenetic title track. Written in New York during a freak February heatwave, Pure Luxury is a response to the notions of luxury, status, and the insanity of pursuing material wealth in the face of environmental catastrophe. Lovett takes us on a technicolour joyride dripping with sarcasm, a hyped-up version of 21st century excess where gold trim hides rotten plywood facades, muscle cars are bought with credit cards and barbed wire fences separate luxury resorts from the slums beyond their walls. Indeed, perhaps that’s what we need most when the world seems to be falling apart. Tomorrow might be scaring the hell out of us, but, as Lovett reminds us on the album’s closing track, “Tonight is all that really matters, as long as we keep dancing”

Free Nationals are best known as Anderson Paak's live band, until now. Band members Kelsey Gonzalez (Bass), Ron Tnava Avant (Keyboard/ Vocoder), Callum Connor (Drums) and José Rios (Guitar) have graced the stage at Coachella, opened for performers such as Beyoncé and completed World Tours alongside J.Cole, Bruno Mars - the list continues.

Funk, soul, dance & electronic: the many sides of Fabien (Claudio Magnani) with music & co-production by Alberto Benati! With a solid background in performing/singing (Fabien) and music production (Alberto Benati) for the dance market – especially the Japanese “eurobeat” scene, but also in other areas (Alberto has been part of soul/funk band Ridillo for a long time) the people behind “Understatement”, originally released in 2011 by Greater London Records, surely know how to put together an album, showcasing different styles: a mix of funk and soul – some of the tracks are newly arranged versions of compositions made for a previous project called SeptemberGroove – with dance and electronic elements. Kutmusic – after striking a deal with the Benati & Magnani team in 2017 – proudly re-introduces this album to a new audience!

2020 release. If you turn your ears a certain way, You Make Me Feel by soul great Don Bryant can be heard as a love letter to his wife of 50 years, Ann Peebles. That killer horn riff that kicks off the album? Think of it as a fanfare preceding the reading of a royal decree; or maybe it's a funky version of a wedding march. Written by Bryant and producer Scott Bomar, "Your Love Is to Blame" has the chorus of a good blues song: "Nothing in my life is the same/Your love is to blame." But here, "blame" gets a halo. "I tried to turn this one around," Don says with a slight grin. Then he explains, "Your love is to blame because we are together!"

Produced by Adrian Younge, Angela Munoz, a 18-year-old Los Angeles native, debuts her hypnotic voice with her new album released on Linear Labs. This prolific artist is a prodigy, writing and singing music beyond her tender years. Her captivating voice carries strength and prowess, cultivated by a myriad of first-hand experiences and training in the art of sound. At the age of 5, she discovered her distinctive voice and was considered an “Old Soul.” She began to play instruments such as guitar and piano. With practice, Munoz began to dominate singing competitions, leaving unexpected audiences in a trance. Throughout the years, she trained herself by attending a performing arts middle school and high school in the heart of Los Angeles. Many of the artists were introduced to her by her older brother (writing partner) Brandon Munoz. As an avid music collector, artists such as Nirvana, Donny Hathaway, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and Cortex began to make an imprint on her sound. A few years ago, her brother introduced her to Something About April, a record produced by Adrian Younge. The quality of the music left her intrigued. Shortly thereafter, she serendipitously found herself working with “The Midnight Hour,” a group comprised of Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (formally of A Tribe Called Quest). In 2018, they debuted her song “Bitches do Voodoo,” on their eponymously titled album The Midnight Hour; they also took Angela on tour, featuring her on NPR’s Tiny Desk. Angela Munoz is an old soul that finds solace in the sound of an orchestra, turntables, or the randomness that fuels her youthful energy; a prodigy who stands by her uniqueness, even if it doesn’t satisfy the status-quo. She believes the heart of music is emotion and this is where she finds her personal liberty and strength. With her commanding presence, she is destined to become a cannon in music for years to come.

Brownswood are delighted to present Zara McFarlane’s, Songs of an Unknown Tongue a masterful work that underlines her continuous growth as an artist. Zara’s fourth studio album pushes the boundaries of jazz adjacent music via an exploration into the folk and spiritual traditions of her ancestral motherland, Jamaica. The album is a rumination on the piecing together of black heritage, where painful and proud histories are uncovered and connected to the present. Partnering with cult South London based producers Kwake Bass and Wu-lu, Zara has created a futuristic sound palate, electronically recreating the pulsing, hypnotic rhythms Kumina and Nyabinghi – and the music played at African rooted rituals like the emancipation celebration Bruckins Party, and the lively death rites of Dinki Minki and Gerreh. These richly patterned electronic rhythms are balanced throughout by McFarlane’s distinctive, clear vocal tones, and vivid song writing. Zara’s critically acclaimed third studio album ‘Arise’ met with universal critical praise, and was supported by an impressive live tour performing at festivals such as Love Supreme, Field Day and SXSW. Zara is the winner of multiple awards including a Mobo, 2 Jazz FM Vocalist of the Year Award (2018 & 2015), an Urban Music Award, and Session of the Year at Worldwide Awards. Drawing respect from a wide range of artists, Zara has collaborated with Gregory Porter, Shabaka Hutchings, Moses Boyd and Louie Vega. These new sonic explorations signal an exciting direction of travel for this innovative founding member of the UK’s vibrant homegrown jazz scene.

New Jersey group’s debut album released on Brunswick Records, 1980 soul and disco classic. Includes the club classic ‘I Like What You’re Doing To Me’, which helped the band secure a contract with Brunswick When released the single reputedly sold over 250

LP (180g) comes with obi strip. - Originally released on Eastbound in 1973, first ever vinyl reissue since 1984. By the time singer-songwriter Albert Washington went to record the tracks that would be released on his career-defining LP, Sad and Lone

Either Light is the new album from Boston band Vundabar. It marks their first album since 2018's Smell Smoke which received wide critical acclaim from the likes of NPR, Pitchfork, FADER, Stereogum, and many more. Either Light was recorded in 2019 with producer Patrick Hyland (Mitski's Be The Cowboy, Puberty 2, Bury Me at Makeout Creek) across sessions in Philadelphia and New York City. The album sees guitarist/vocalist Brandon Hagen and drummer Drew McDonald exploring new themes and sounds throughout the collection of songs. Hagen says about the album "We delved into new sonic territory on this record as we employed the use of electronic drum sounds, guest vocals from Emily Massey (Slow Pulp), samples, loops, vibraphone, synths on synths, sub bass and extensive layering for certain songs." Themes of light and water are recurrent throughout the record. In most every situation that gave rise to the songs on the album, Hagen found myself noticing the intensity of light and how it framed the formation of memory and feeling as well as its ability to frame and establish or skew perception. Vundabar will be touring Either Light extensively across the world in 2020 behind their much talked about live show.

16 Northern Soul anthems and rarities from Detroit / First ever ‘Dynamo’ compilation / Includes three tracks unissued at the time of recording / Features Lee Moses’ super-soulful rendition of 'Pouring Water On A Drowning Man', also available exclusively f

Limited coloured vinyl