Funk | Soul 312 Items

Southern soul singer Z.Z. Hill was Kent/Modern’s main artist in the latter half of the 60s. In 1967 the company recorded him on an LP of soul classics and rightly chose Bettye Swann’s hit from only a few months before as one of the tracks. The label may have missed a commercial trick as his male-angle on the marvellous song gave it a new dimension and would surely have fared well as a 45. The UK licensors Action Records spotted the song’s potential and it was well received, although the much smaller UK soul market of the time could rarely achieve big sales. Since its release more soul fans have become aware of its quality and at last it is available again for discerning collectors.

Peggy Woods’ classic Northern Soul stomper was first on 45 in 1988 as a 100 Club anniversary single. With only approximately 400 pressed it was inevitable this and other such singles would become sought-after. Here is Peggy in her original glory singing her Kent/Modern masterpiece.

The latest mash up from AMERIGO GAZAWAY is a scorcher! You loved FELA SOUL and BIZARRE TRIBE, now YASIIN GAYE: 13 tracks that perfectly blend MOS DEF and MARVIN GAYE. Features TEDDY PENDERGRASS, KANYE WEST, TAMII TERRELL,TALIB KWELI and BLACK ASTRONAUTS. Full picture sleeve, double vinyl!

It's been a while since we last heard fresh music the New Orleans heavy weight Willie West, even though his latest tracks "Give It Back" and "I'm Still a Man" have been popping up in funk sets and an odd Jim Jarmusch movie soundtrack. "I Can't Leave You Alone" is Willie in his favorite zone of atmospheric deep soul.

But there is nothing safe about Willie's excursion here, as The Soul Investigators take the mood bravely towards cinematic folk soul. Jimi Tenor's flute lead wraps a thick air of mystique all over the performance as the groups develops it into a standout track in WIllie's catalogue.

These lamentations of love going off-tracks seem dime a dozen in this world, but few tell the story with the same authority as Mr. West. So, quiet down, have a drink, and sink deep into this miserable bliss.

One Of The Finest And Most Collectable Rca Single From 1967, The Former Just Brother Delivering A Mega-Classic Stomper Backed By A Slick Finger-Clicker

The overlooked 2018 boogie masterpiece from Detroit maestro Amp Fiddler and jazz/funk virtuosos Will Sessions is finally back on vinyl! "The One" transports you to a time when rich arrangements and big-studio production values didn’t mean sacrificing the funk! Fronted by powerhouse lead vocals from Amp, "The One" features everything you want out of a roller disco classic: analog synths, snappy guitars, air-tight percussion, Fender Rhodes & Clavinet mastery, and plenty of slap bass. Sprinkle in some lush string and horn arrangements, and the cherries on top are supreme background vocals from the unstoppable female trio Dames Brown.

/ Gifted Oh No Remix ... Lead single from the "Earthology" album with an extra gifted Oh No remix on the B.

Limited Edition for Record Store Day 2018! Remastered and resissued double A sider for soul aficionados, B Boys and jazz funk lovers.
Both instantly recognisable across the generations, the A side sees a reissue of one of the most feel good records out there in – ‘Express Yourself’. Most famously sampled by the mighty N.W.A. in '89…. ‘Whatever you do, do it good’.
On flip you get pure funk destruction in the form of The Meters – Just Kissed My Baby. An insatiable, groove laden intro which has been prime sampling material throughout the years - most notably in Public Enemy’s ‘Timebomb’. Here’s a chance to own two gems on one limited green Colored Vinyl, with a large / dinked centre hole.

For almost 45 years a complete album of Vic Pitts & The Cheaters tapes has been forgotten, waiting to be released until now. In the late 1960s, Vic Pitts & The Cheaters were one of Milwaukee’s top R&B bands. They had their own TV show, played some of the city’s biggest clubs, and backed up big name acts. Between 1969 and 1970 they recorded over a dozen songs with producer Andre Williams at Chess’ Ter-Mar Studio. The results show why they were such a popular live act; some tracks reveal their roots as James Brown fanatics, others relate the happening sounds of Sly & The Family Stone and Chicago’s first record.

Japan import! Better don't sleep!

Celebrating its 50th birthday this year, Westbound Records is the Detroit institution that discovered Funkadelic and the Ohio Players, with a rich catalogue that is probably amongst the most sampled in the world.

Our “Super Breaks” series makes a welcome return, throwing the spotlight on the records which have been sampled on both Westbound and its Eastbound subsidiary. These come not only from the more obvious names such as the Detroit Emeralds, Denise LaSalle, Junie Morrison, Funkadelic and Ohio Players, but also the lesser-known Pleasure Web and the Magictones.

The list of artists who have sampled these records reads like a Who’s Who of the hip-hop and dance worlds. These tracks will be recognised from well-known records by Kanye West, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Fatboy Slim, and many more.

The double vinyl comes with extensive sleeve notes and a breakdown of where each track has been sampled.

Repress! Sixteen never-before-reissued R'n'B and early soul stompers, compiled by Jordi Duro. Killer!

New Series Reflecting Soul Togeterness' Love For 70s Northern Inspired Crossover & Modern Soul Inc. Loads Of Currently In Demand Dancefloor Fillers

Studio One Freedom Sounds is the new collection from Soul Jazz/ Studio One focussing on the intense period in the second half of the 1960s when Studio One’s vast and unbeatable output of ska, soul, rock steady and reggae made it literally one of the hottest musical empires in the world.
During this highly successful period, Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd released hundreds and hundreds of superlative singles seemingly on an almost daily basis, in the process making huge stars out of Jamaican singers such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, The Wailers, Slim Smith, Jackie Opel and many more.
Powered by the finest in-house musicians working in Jamaica, whether it was The Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo’s Soul Brothers, The Sounds Dimension or The Soul Vendors, Studio One functioned as hit factory on the scale of Motown in the USA, shaping and defining reggae music for decades to come.
Singlehandedly Studio One’s founder Clement Dodd was able to create the most successful vertically-integrated record company that Jamaica had ever known with pressing plant, printers, studio, shops, and sound systems all running at once, with over 50 employees and hundreds of artists working with Studio One during this time.
Studio One Freedom Sounds tells the story of Studio One in the 1960s with a stunning set of ska, soul, rock steady and reggae killer tunes as well as informative sleevenotes and track-by-track info by Noel Hawks. The album is released as heavyweight double vinyl (+ free download code), deluxe CD and digital album.

The release comes in a gatefold cover. Duke Ellington once said that there are 2 kinds of music: the good one and the bad one. With the compilation series “Shaolin Soul” we are always certain to be on the right side of the line since its 1st episode released in 1998 and which compiled two dozens of tracks sampled by RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan. Following a second episode in 2001 and a third one in 2014, the famous curator Uncle O is back to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Shaolin Soul series with a fourth episode compiling 22 tracks among the rarest and finest treats of soul music, because “everybody’s talking about the good ol’ days !”.

Saigon Supersound Continues… to present more interesting tunes of a musical era that has long been obscured. With the well-received Volume 1, we are very delighted to dig deeper and share with you the beautiful music of a short but significant period in Vietnam‘s history.
Much like the country itself, the music of Vietnam has endured many twists. As the result of the Geneva Accords in 1954, Vietnam was divided into two. From the North, the Nationalist forces fought to reunite Vietnam as a Communist State, while the American troops backed the government of the South. This caused a mass migration of Northerners to the South, which includes many Tân Nhạc (Modern Music) singers and songwriters. Often characterized by its emotive, poetic and prolific personality, Tân Nhạc continued to freely develop in the South and progressively vacating from the influences of its main inspiration, French music. In the North, the Resistance music, or the so-called Nhạc Đỏ (Red Music), which promoted socialism, patriotism and anti-capitalism was the only genre allowed on national radio. Tân Nhạc was something new to the South Vietnamese repertoire. Between 1954–1960, the theme of hometown (quê hương) was a main inspiration for many songwriters such as Hoàng Thi Thơ, Lam Phương and Nguyễn Hữu Thiết. The 9th title of the compilation, “Thôn Trăng Mở Hội Trăng Tròn” showcases a variety of images that were often described in this genre: the harvest moon, playful children, old mother…
Every recording made in this era is then an organic combination of human experiences, communications and uniqueness. In 1965, the first American troop landed in Vietnam, bringing with them the musical influences of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley… The Vietnamese people quickly integrated it into the repertoire with hope to further diversify the music of Vietnam. Constantly changing and learning from different cultures, the modern music of Vietnam cuts a window into the soul of a Vietnamese person and the country’s history as a whole. With that, we hope that Saigon Supersound Volume 2 would take you on a trip back to the unique atmosphere of Saigon through the many different palettes of music that this beautiful place offers.

Saigon Supersound Continues… to present more interesting tunes of a musical era that has long been obscured. With the well-received Volume 1, we are very delighted to dig deeper and share with you the beautiful music of a short but significant period in Vietnam‘s history.
Much like the country itself, the music of Vietnam has endured many twists. As the result of the Geneva Accords in 1954, Vietnam was divided into two. From the North, the Nationalist forces fought to reunite Vietnam as a Communist State, while the American troops backed the government of the South. This caused a mass migration of Northerners to the South, which includes many Tân Nhạc (Modern Music) singers and songwriters. Often characterized by its emotive, poetic and prolific personality, Tân Nhạc continued to freely develop in the South and progressively vacating from the influences of its main inspiration, French music. In the North, the Resistance music, or the so-called Nhạc Đỏ (Red Music), which promoted socialism, patriotism and anti-capitalism was the only genre allowed on national radio. Tân Nhạc was something new to the South Vietnamese repertoire. Between 1954–1960, the theme of hometown (quê hương) was a main inspiration for many songwriters such as Hoàng Thi Thơ, Lam Phương and Nguyễn Hữu Thiết. The 9th title of the compilation, “Thôn Trăng Mở Hội Trăng Tròn” showcases a variety of images that were often described in this genre: the harvest moon, playful children, old mother…
Every recording made in this era is then an organic combination of human experiences, communications and uniqueness. In 1965, the first American troop landed in Vietnam, bringing with them the musical influences of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley… The Vietnamese people quickly integrated it into the repertoire with hope to further diversify the music of Vietnam. Constantly changing and learning from different cultures, the modern music of Vietnam cuts a window into the soul of a Vietnamese person and the country’s history as a whole. With that, we hope that Saigon Supersound Volume 2 would take you on a trip back to the unique atmosphere of Saigon through the many different palettes of music that this beautiful place offers.

Having noticed that Christmas tends to be an annual event and that vinyl is suffering a resurgence, we here at Ace have put the two together and extracted 14 blues, R&B and doo wop sides from our Christmas R&B compact disc and turned them into a seasonal platter.

A mostly upbeat selection that will certainly help you and yours get through these fraught times.

Blues stars like B.B. King and Lowell Fulsom, with their ripping up-beat guitars join forces with the mellower mistletoe sounds of Hadda Brooks and Jesse Belvin.

This positive view of seasonal goodwill was probably down to the fact that all these sides were cut in Los Angeles in the warm California sun.

26 early Rock'N'Roll songs by Ike & Tina Turner, Ruth Brown, Bo Diddley, John lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, etc.

14 tracks of the absolute crème de la crème!

Founded in early 70s by historical Rai TV trumpeter and composer Cicci Santucci (Looking Around, On The Underground Road etc.), New Tape grown up during the golden period of Italian music production and was dedicated to experimentation of new forms of sound, always hailing from the solid Jazz basis of the musicians and theme music inspiration. Andrea Galtieri aka Cavalier Piscopo sequenced the very best shots from the whole label production including exclusive liner notes, with an explosive mix of Jazz-Rock, Bossa, spellbinding groove and raw Experimental stuff.
"A leading figure in the Italian Jazz scene, Francesco 'Cicci' Santucci worked as trumpeter in the legendary Rai TV orchestra for over 20 years. He was renowned for collaborations with such international jazz legends as Lionel Hampton, Gato Barbieri, and Kenny Clarke – that is until his foray into the avant-garde progressive experience of The Living Music, a project founded by his brother Umberto. During these same years, he took part in important Italian jazz sessions like "Looking Around", "Mondo Operaio", and "On The Underground Road", with his close colleague Enzo Scoppa.
It was just around this period of great music production and experimentation that Cicci founded his own label, the NEW TAPE, in the very early '70s. His goal was to dedicate himself to composing library music with a new expression of music, less linked to hard bop or American standards, but rather more focused on the new sounds of the time that brought the listener closer to modern vibes, like jazz-rock and avant-garde music.
"Mixed Grill" opens this series, composed by the maestro's alias, 'Girosan', along with Lesiman (a.k.a. Paolo Renosto) who added a more esoteric and captivating atmosphere, closer to English progressive rock. "Rengran Mix" and "Tropical" follow, with music by Paolo Renosto and the old avant-garde connoisseur, Romolo Grano. This work gave way to electronic instrumentation and weird experimentation, and was built on a rich rhythmical carpet – tropical percussions, rock and blues inspired vibes, sleazy psych, and jazz improvisations. Music from “Rengran Mix” was also used as the soundtrack for the TV programme "Futili Motivi", and also featured the great backing sound of I Marc 4 with the accompaniment of Nora Orlandi's warm vocals.
The trademark of the label, and the most important production, is the fourth album, "Mirage" by Cicci Santucci and Enzo Scoppa themselves. This record is an explosive mix of elegant jazz, funk, and psychedelia, where every instrument finds its expressive space. We can clearly hear the connection on both the 'On the Underground Road' and 'Looking Around' albums, recorded that same year, bringing that unmistakable underground jazz dopeness typical of the magical duo of Santucci and Scoppa.
The last album of the series is "Appunti Di Guerra" by the mysterious 'Ruscigan' – a very obscure alias which probably belongs to Renosto and Guido Baggiani. This work features complex and dramatic sounds properly composed for war scenes and gloomy atmospheres, with a large assortment of percussion, distorted effects, and tape manipulation – an album that foreshadowed what would become industrial music.
With a ridiculously small pressing of only 100 copies per title, NEW TAPE is among the most interesting discoveries to date in terms of original production library music, and as a result, a very respectable journey begins inside the creative underground jazz of 1970s."
Andrea Galtieri

The LP Italian library "Music Is My Life" is a new collection of songs never printed in LP of the 70s and early 80s used in the sound commentaries of newsreels, films, TV and documentaries. Many of you (now aged forty) will have surely felt them in the background, now we want to present them in their great musical fullness and to delight your ears.S. Brugnolini - A. Alessandroni - A. Trovajoli - E. Morricone - L. Zito - M. Guantini - Teimar - B. Pisano - G. Tommaso - T. Schipa

We at Now-Again unearthed so much information about the bands that recorded the definitive disco and modern soul contained in our Soul Cal anthology that we decided we had no choice but to release this album at the same time. With that, Loving On The Flip Side was concieved. Loving On The Flip Side offers the enthused a chance to listen to and reflect on another great burst of black American creativity: the creation of the sublime genre we like to call "sweet funk." It seems laughable to skip past Thomas East’s "Slipping Around" 7' for the cheesy funk of "Just A Trip," or to listen obsessively to Lou Ragland’s instrumental funk on the Hot Chocolate LP and ignore his indolent-yet-stirring "We Had True Love." Yet we did just that, until we first heard the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s beautiful two-sider. This was the record that set Loving On The Flip Side in motion, as the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s two songs precipitated the sweet funk genre: the dichotomy of Funky Heavy’s skull snapping rhythm section and the teenage Dears’ angelic harmonies didn’t sound like anything we’d heard before. That discovery set off a decade long search for the band and culminated in their discovery, the documenting of their stories, the emergence of their master tapes and the inclusion of their songs on Loving On The Flip Side. The excitement we felt while listening to the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s masterworks forced us back into the field, in search of other sweet funk swooners and beat-heavy ballads to round out this anthology. The opportunity to present anew such wondrous soul music made the exhaustive process that produced Loving On The Flip Side worthwhile, and allowed us to collect one-offs that escaped prior investigations into the deep funk and sweet soul genres.

A Fortuna-selected compilation for Tel-Aviv restaurant "The Brothers". Only available locally except for a few limited export copies. Fortuna describe this compilation as "A set of ten killer tunes we licensed especially for the restaurant. One-off tracks from the golden Jaffa, dancefloor certified bangers, and all-time personal favorites!"

Raw gospel stuff! Most of the recordings included here were published in 45's or 78's for less known independent companies, some by tiny local labels and sometimes paid by the church congregation itself.

It's finally repressed. This 180g heavy weight vinyl comes in a gatefold cover with liner notes. Funky Chicken brings together some of the best Belgian dance tracks from the early seventies.

It's finally repressed. This 180g heavy weight vinyl comes in a gatefold cover with liner notes. Funky Chicken brings together some of the best Belgian dance tracks from the early seventies.