Freestyle HHV Records 40 Items

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Hard Times / If You Want My Love

Chequers

7" | 1983 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

£ 11.58*

LP | 2023 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 1983 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Chequers' ultra-rare 1983 electro-boogie 45 'Hard Times', backed with the equally stellar 'If You Want My Love', sees it's first ever reissue courtesy of Freestyle Records!

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Menagerie

The Shores Of Infinity

Release: 2023 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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12" | 2022 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Sonja Ryshard

Step Back

£ 14.89*

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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7" | 2022 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Omar

The Man Refix

£ 12.41*

The Brian Auger Piano Trio

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Fresh from beginning his stint on Eastenders, the ridiculously multi-faceted Omar Lyefook MBE drops a new refix of 2013's The Man.

Originally forming the title track of his standout album of the same name - his first album for the Freestyle label - the infectious melodies and low-slung beats of The Man represented some of the UK icon's best work to date, not to mention some of the funkiest use of a bass clarinet ever. This fresh and contemporary take uses the final few bars of the original track as its starting point in a "part 2" style - and though retaining its gloriously sun-soaked & laid-back groove, Omar somehow manages to simultaneously pull off a speaker rattling banger to boot. It should come as no surprise that Omar continues to surprise us, and this is no exception.

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Full Circle - Live At Bogie's

LP | 2018 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 19.03*

Release: 2018 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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12" | 2014 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Kalbata & Mixmonster

Congo Beat The Drum

£ 9.10*

Release: 2014 / UK – Original

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Only You Know What I Like

Eddie Capone's Treatment

12" | 2024 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

LP | 1988 | WW | Reissue (Freestyle)

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Freestyle Records drop another UK boogie 12" rarity from Eddie Capone's Treatment, this time the previously white label-only "Only You Know What I Like" from 1985. Limited to 300 copies worldwide.
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A mainstay of the UK's reggae, soul, funk & rock circuits since the early 1970s, Eddie Capone has played with a diverse and revered collection of acts; Chairmen of the Board, The Foundations, Black Velvet, The Elgins, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Arthur Lee's Love, Billy Preston and Edwin Starr to name but a few. Eddie was also part of short-lived group Casablanca, with David Costa & Barry Clarke of early 70's folk-rockers Trees, signed to Elton John's Rocket Record Company.
Eddie founded the Treatment band in the early 1980s bringing in a revolving cast of singers and players, and created the Treatment Records imprint out of his own Black Rock studio in South East London in 1982. Releasing a string of singles - with efforts from Eddie Capone's Treatment, a side-project with singer Beryl Marsden as Salt & Pepper, and a single from Norwegian group Wave - Treatment Records then followed this up in 1985 with the 12" release of "I Won't Give You Up" with Diane Jones brought in on vocal duties. This received solid support amongst DJs and radio at the time, and was quickly followed with this solid slice of white label-only UK boogie-funk that has since become a favoured deep cut on the selectors circuit.
Treatment Records continued through the 1980s through to early 1990s releasing Eddie's music, both as a solo artist and as part of collaborative side-projects, and Eddie has continued to write, perform and produce music from his home studio right through to the present day. As a committed community figure & activist in South East London, Eddie has since 2014 re-started Treatment Records under the name of 3G Treatment - bringing together three generations of people from the local area to ensure young artists & musicians have access to the expertise and experience of their elders for support and encourage successful careers in the industry.

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Rick Clarke

Time Keeps Moving On

£ 23.99*

Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Release: 1988 / WW – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Freestyle Records drop a killer UK soul/early street soul reissue LP from 1988, in the form of Rick Clarke's hard to come by 'Time Keeps Moving On' album.

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Sharon Forrester

12" | 2022 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 12.41*

12" | 2024 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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"Good music never dies!" - This was Diane Ellis' mantra when she set out to produce this, her first record, in 1979. She recalls hearing the Rose Royce classic Love Don't Live Here Anymore on the radio and instantly thinking it would make for a great reggae cover, immediately envisioning the sound she was looking for. Drafting in the legendary Boris Gardiner and vocalist Sharon Forrester they created this timeless version of a perennial classic - now available here in it's full extended discomix glory for the first time on 12" since it's original outing, and backed with hornsman cut placing Dean Fraser's sax front row center.

The record was made when Ellis was studio manager for the world-famous Tuff Gong studios, but wanted her outing as a record producer to be a totally independent venture - gaining the great Bob Marley & the TG team's blessings in the process. And so Aquarius Studio in Half Way Tree was where it was all laid-down. Diane credits the Legendary owner and pioneering producer, Herman Chin Loy, as also being of great help on the record, providing a guiding ear throughout the process.

Despite this the evident strength of this first production, Ellis would follow up with only one other production, Junior Tucker's cover of "One of the Poorest People" (this time one recorded at Tuff Gong studios, and releasing the 56 Hope Road subsidiery). While both records performed well on local radio and charts, Diane exited the music industry shortly after. Now 43 years later, Diane is overjoyed her production is having a comeback, saying that "the support and love felt during the project can never be replicated, and I give thanks to all who supported then and now".

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Roy Hamilton & Capiche

Turn Up The Music

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Front Line / Saving All My Love

Midnight Energy

12" | 2023 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 9.92*

Release: 2023 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 1983 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

Gloria Weems

Lovelight

Release: 1983 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2010 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

The Apples

Kings Remastered Edition

£ 23.16*

Release: 2010 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Preorder shipping from 2025-03-28

12" | 2023 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Chartz

Girls World

£ 13.23*

Release: 2023 / UK – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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12" | 1982 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

T.J. Johnson

Pretty Lady

£ 14.89*

All That I Wanted Was You / Fantasy

Release: 1982 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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One more drop from the Switch label vaults - another killer UK disco-boogie gem from T.J. Johnson, originally released in in 1982 and recorded at the legendary Landsdowne Studios!

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Private Funk-Shun

7" | 2022 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 12.41*

Dancing Inner Space, 1982-1984

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Another brit-funk single excavated by Freestyle Records, Private Funk-Shun's super-rare All That I Wanted Was You / Fantasy 7" originally released in 1986 has been officially licensed, remastered and pressed up in a limited 45 run for all those who can't jive with dropping hundres of pounds on an OG copy!
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Private Funk-Shun were a band formed in 1984 originating from the Loughton and Tottenham areas of north east London & Essex, and featured the vocal talents of Maxeen Edman-Messam - who would later go on to find fame in the early 1990s as key street soul artist Maxeen.
Originally performing under the name of Slipstream, but changing to Private Funk-Shun in 1985 after finding out another group were operating under with the same name, they toured around London & South East bringing a dedicated brit-funk following with them. Despite writing approximately 20 original tracks in their time, this self-released two-track 7" from 1986 was their only official output and has since become a certified rare groove, fetching upwards of £250 on the secondhand market.

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Contact-U

LP | 2022 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 35.58*

Clap Hands / Double O One Disco

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Freestyle Records drop an unmissable LP of foundational UK dance music made between 1982 to 1984, in the form of the collected output of Contact-U - aka Rick de Jongh and Andy Sojka's stripped-back electro boogie project.

At the turn of the 1980s Challenge Records was founded on North London's Holloway Road - formed by Andy Sojka & Rick de Jongh to act as a sister-label to Sojka's seminal soul & boogie-focused Elite imprint. Initially releasing a smattering of lovers rock singles, Challenge would quickly begin to focus-in on the emerging sounds of Hi-NRG & electro - with Contact-U, an alias for Rick & Andy's own stripped-back productions, becoming Challenge's first act in this vein.

Recording the sublimely wonky spaceage funk of 'Inside You' in November of 1982, de Jongh & Sojka followed this up over the next 2 years with three 12" releases for Challenge before hanging up the moniker. Providing infectious synth-based melodies & basslines with killer drum-machines & minimal but effective live percussion - and in a couple of instances (see "Inca Sacrifice" and "Breaking Point') crucial dub re-versions on their B-sides - these tracks are some of the strongest electro-funk records to come out of the UK during this period. Dig in!

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Highway Motion

7" | 1980 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

£ 13.23*

You Gotta Shout / Love And Romance

Release: 1980 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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**7" vinyl in printed house-bag w/ Postcard insert**
Freestyle dig out another rarity in the form of a DIY brit-funk 7" from Highway Motion aka David Humphrey (a session drummer who played with Sparks, and with PiL on the iconic Metal Box LP & Death Disco 12"). Tinged with raw post-punk edge and 70s library music-style synth leads, this 45 is quite simply massive amounts of fun.
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David Humphrey's professional career as a drummer began aged 19 with Public Image Ltd, providing some of the drum tracks on their iconic Metal Box album and Death Disco single. Humphrey would then go on to work with Mike Oldfield and then Sparks, playing with the latter on their Number One Song in Heaven tour, Top of The Pops and recording sessions for Beat the Clock and Tryouts for the Human Race (those sessions were included and featured in Edgar Wright's recent film 'The Sparks Brothers).
In 1980, Clap Hands and Double O One Disco were recorded under the name 'Highway Motion' - intended by Humphrey as "raw experimental tracks" they were both laid down on a 4-track and subsequently released on the DIY Star Records imprint. Rough, grooving, candid and playful; these two tracks seem to somehow simultaneously meld the burgeoning brit-funk sound of the early 80s with a riotous post-punk edge, along with a good dollop of synth-led library music.
Following it's release David formed the group Reflex, recording and releasing the Funny Situation 7" in 1981 - forming the only other title in the Star Records catalogue. A more straight-up brit-funk dancer yet still pressed and sold in small quantities, Funny Situation became a sought-after record on the second hand collector's market, and finally saw reissue last September 2020 on the start-up Paint A Picture label - garnering plays from from Gilles Peterson on BBC 6 Music and Worldwide FM, StreetSounds radio and reaching No 1 in Juno records Chart. David has now started to working on new music using the name Davey H, and released his first new material in decades recently on Six Nine Records.

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Spoilsports

7" | 1980 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

£ 11.58*

2LP | 2021 | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 1980 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Freestyle Records reissue a DIY 7" from 1980 by short-lived all-female group Spoilsports. Existing at the intersection of post-punk, jazz-rock and modern soul - these two political yet playful numbers were laid down by a band formed from a range of players active in London's feminist and improvised music scenes at the time, and represent the groups only recordings.

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Spoilsports began in 1979 with the aim of having an all-female band that could be actively feminist and playful at the same time, with an eye toward gaining an appeal beyond that of the wider women's lib movement of the time. The line-up originally consisted of Carole Nelson on keys, Angele Veltmeijer on saxophone, Sheelagh Way on drums, Lesley Shone on bass, Isabel on congas and with Laka Koq providing vocals. After a short while this would become just Carole, Angele & Sheila - with Ruth Bitelli being brought in on bass, and Barbara Stretch topping things off on vocals. The band played at Gay Pride '79 in Hyde Park, a Women's Music Festival in Neimegen, Holland; lots of benefits, and maintained a weekly residency at The Earl of Aberdeen in Mile End (now sadly demolished).

Unfortunately the group lasted only 18 months or so all in all, and this is their first and last record - in fact, they intentionally laid it down to tape in order to provide a memory of the group before they called it a day, and we are so glad they did! Recorded in Pimlico's Archipelago Studios in the same year that Elvis Costello would record his album Get Happy there, the original 7" gained a review in the NME, whom dubbed it "a cross between Steely Dan and The Joy of Cooking".

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Omar

The Anthology

£ 27.30*

Kinky Fly / Sweet Loving Love

Release: 2021 / Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Omar Lyefook MBE is without doubt, one of the greatest soul music talents the United Kingdom has produced in the last 40 years. If anyone has doubts about that, then they might want to consider the list of legendary artists who happily line up to collaborate with him musically, or simply sing his praises - from Stevie Wonder, the late Leon Ware, Erykah Badu, Common, through to Carleen Anderson, D'Angelo, and Soul II Soul's Caron Wheeler, Angie Stone and U.K. artists Courtney Pine, Rodney P, Kele LeRoc, Natasha Watts and Estelle, all appreciate his truly original and unique voice, musicianship and songwriting talent.

When asked to reflect on his long, successful, critically acclaimed and deeply influential career that shows no signs of slowing up, Omar said "I feel blessed. I try to keep things moving and evolving, and when I finish an album, I always put my heart and soul into it. I'm looking at it from an outsider's point of view, because I never really see myself making the music. It's like I'm the vessel and somebody's controlling what I do, I just happen to be the one that gets the praise for it".

That modest statement just re-enforces the fact that Omar is simply a one off, a genuinely unique artist. That is a bold claim, but his sound is so immediately identifiable, that you will know you are hearing an Omar track within seconds - and that is the stamp of true originality.

This collection features many of his classic collaborations, from his evergreen worldwide anthem There's Nothing Like This, It's So, the dancefloor destroying banger inspired by the amalgam of sounds Omar heard at The Notting Hill Carnival.

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Bunny Scott

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Freestyle)

£ 9.92*

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Freestyle Records mark the recent passing of the great Lee "Scratch" Perry with this gem of 45 showcasing 2 of his stellar early Black Ark-era productions - plucked from the To Love Somebody LP reissue project from earlier this year, which unearthed the Perry-produced debut from Bunny Scott (aka Bunny Clarke aka Bunny Rugs, later of Third World).

The Blaxploitation-influenced funk track 'Kinky Fly' features members of The Chi-Lites' backing band (passing through the infamous studio whilst in Jamaica for a series of shows) - their horn section and Chinna Smith's wah-wah guitar shine through with synth overdubs adding to the mood, underpinned by the ghostly click tracks of the Conn Rhythm Unit (constituting one of Scratch's earliest experiments with drum machines). On the flip, the upbeat 'Sweet Loving Love' boasts a jaunty synthline high up in the mix and a stellar rhythm section augmenting Bunny's soulful tenor.

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Bunny Scott

To Love Somebody

£ 20.68*

Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Freestyle Records are proud to present the first ever reissue of this rare Black Ark-era Lee "Scratch" Perry production on LP & CD w/ bonus tracks. Both formats feature liner notes from author of the acclaimed People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae, David Katz.

The late Bunny Rugs was best known as the frontman for legendary reggae band Third World, but prior to that he completed an apprenticeship at Lee Perry's Black Ark resulting in this solo LP, originally released in 1975 and credited to Bunny Scott.

The album captures the laid-back sessions of the early Black Ark, with a few surprising innovations lurking amongst the soul covers and love ballads. Highlights include the sought after Blaxploitation-influenced funk track 'Kinky Fly' featuring members of The Chi-Lites' backing band, passing through Perry's infamous studio whilst in Jamaica for a series of shows - their horn section and Chinna Smith's wah-wah guitar give the track its outstanding difference as synth overdubs add to the moody feeling, underpinned by the ghostly click tracks of the Conn Rhythm Unit - one of Perry's first times experimenting with drum machines.

Breakup track 'Second Avenue' shows how suited Rugs' powerful, deep tenor was suited to a soul framework, the Chi-Lites' horns again making a striking difference. The Bee Gees' evergreen 'To Love Somebody' takes James Carr's soulful rendition as its reference and 'Big May' re-works the 'Return Of Django'/'Sick And Tired' rhythm, with a new drum part. while the broken-hearted 'What's The Use' was cut at the request of Sonia Pottinger, who ultimately failed to release it.

Somehow the sublime rendition of William DeVaughans' 'Be Thankful', recorded during the same session, was left off the LP - but appears here as a bonus track on the CD along with I Never Had It So Good & Hip Harry + it's version track.

Looking back on the sessions documented on this LP, Rugs said that Perry's creativity taught him that music could be limitless. As he explained, 'It was so simple that it became complex. The approach he has to music and to recording, I think the music nowadays lack that kind of intuition. He's somebody that would use pliers and a screwdriver to create percussion; he wouldn't hesitate to experiment. He was a little...not crazy, but somebody with that kind of thinking must be somewhere else, in another zone sometimes.'

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Mi Watusi

LP | 2011 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 45.51*

LP | 2018 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 2011 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Used Vinyl

Medium: VG, Cover: VG+

Cover has slight wear. Vinyl with light scuffs and hairlines

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Jessica Lauren

Almeria

£ 22.34*

7" | 2017 | EU | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 2018 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Since the early 1990s, keyboard player Jessica Lauren has been a familiar part of London's alternative music scene. Jessica's keyboard skills have augmented the live performances and studio recordings of world renowned artists such as Jean Carne, Tom Browne, Dexter Wansel and James Mason, Japan's United Future Organisation, and UK soul diva Juliet Roberts.

Her previous Freestyle album 'Jessica Lauren Four' (2012) highlighted Jessica's minimalist approach, something rare and refreshing in the jazz world: she instills her compositions and playing with a refined sense of space which makes her music as much about what she doesn't play as what she does.

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Courtney Pine & Omar

Butterfly

£ 9.10*

LP | 2009 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 2017 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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No musician embodies more the dramatic transformation in the British jazz scene over the past thirty years than Courtney Pine. His debut album, Journey To The Urge Within in 1987, was the first serious jazz album ever to make the British Top 40, notching up sales to qualify for a silver disc.
Aside from being the preeminent figure in the resurgence of British jazz, Courtney became a renowned presenter and broadcaster, best known for his long running radio show for BBC Radio 2, 'Jazz Crusade'. He was also awarded an O.B.E in the 2000 New Year's Honours, and was also made a C.B.E in 2009 for services to Music.
As an artist always looking to work outside of and across established musical genres, it is easier to list the musicians and artists he hasn't worked with, but now in 2017 Courtney releases brand new music featuring another British music legend of equal repute, his Freestyle Records label mate and an artist also honoured for his own creative endeavours; Omar Lyefook M.B.E.
Both tracks of this single are taken from Courtneys' forthcoming album Black Notes From The Deep - the 19th of his stellar career. The exciting and fresh interpretation of Herbie Hancocks' Butterfly demonstrates straight away that this is a dream team combination. With Alec Dankworth laying down the bass, Rod Youngs' drumming underpinning the groove, the song also gives the outstanding keyboards of Robert Mitchell space to stretch out - Omars fantastic vocal performance rides sweetly on top of the dreamy backing vocals of Charleen Hamilton - and of course Courtneys' flowing, imaginative and creative solo perfects this modern version of a much loved classic.
Rules is a brand new, collaborative composition by Courtney & Omar - the punchy drums and bass line patterns hints simultaneously at classic jazz and funkier club-centric sounds. Courtney cooks on tenor saxophone and also the organ - whilst Omar marinades the super catchy melody with that unmistakable voice.
As an introduction to the forthcoming albumÂ Black Notes From The Deep this single points the way to what 2 British legends, both exemplary in their own right - can come up with when joining forces.

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Cookin' On 3 Burners

Soul Messin'

£ 32.27*

12" | 2010 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Release: 2009 / UK – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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Used Vinyl

Medium: VG, Cover: VG

Vinyl with scuffs and hairlines. Cover closer to VG+

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V.A.

Fresh Out The Box 1

£ 6.61*

Release: 2010 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Used Vinyl

Medium: VG, Cover: Generic

12" | 2023 | UK | Reissue (Freestyle)

T. J. Johnson

Pretty Lady

£ 7.44*

Lance Ferguson's Rare Groove Spectrum Vol. 2

Release: 2023 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Used Vinyl

Medium: VG, Cover: Generic

Record is slightly warped but still enjoyable.

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Lance Ferguson

CD | 2022 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

£ 10.75*

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Used Vinyl

Medium: Near Mint, Cover: Near Mint

LP | 2024 | UK | Original (Freestyle)

Sam Nobrega

Ponta De Dois Lados

£ 24.82*