Search "Stone" 23 Items

2 stone cold classics - finally back in!

Japanese pressing with OBI and insert.

This release heralds the launch of a new 7” series from Mr Bongo. In partnership with London-based DJ and digger, Miche, the series will feature his latest discoveries, as well as choice cuts, taken from his 'With Love' compilations. For the inaugural offering, we take a trip to hazy San Francisco, California, in 1977. Smoke, Inc. were an emerging band in the Greater San Francisco Bay area and a regular fixture in the buzzing live music scene. They had a strong following and were in rotation in most of the Bay area clubs, as well as opening for numerous prestigious acts such as Sly & The Family Stone, Taj Mahal, The Pointer Sisters and Toots and The Maytals. Members of the group worked with Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, and many others considered the cream of the crop of the music world.

Smoke, Inc. featured Roy Schmall on keyboards and vocals, Stan Terry on lead vocals and harmonica, Michael 'Ollie' Schotka, on bass and vocals, Keith Stafford on drums and vocals, and Archie Williams Jr on guitar. They went on to release one 12" EP and two 7" singles. One of those 7’s included 'Waitin' For Love’. It was first released in 1977 and came out on the band's own self-titled imprint. It has gone on to become their rarest and most sought-after recording, now fetching up to an astonishing £2,500 on Discogs. It is a breezy, feel-good, modern/crossover soul beauty, with an infectious sing-along chorus, floaty flute solo, and packed with pure, uplifting dancefloor energy. The B-side features a cover version of the Holland Dozier & Holland-penned classic 'It's the Same Old Song’, made famous by the Four Tops.

Miche enthuses, “I included this gem on my first ‘With Love’ compilation and knew that it deserved its own dedicated reissue complete with original artwork. I’m delighted to get the chance to make that happen for this incredible, soulful AOR glide from a band that is well due another round of appreciation. It’s very rare, and consequently very expensive, so here it is for you all to spin and add to your record collections.”

46 years since its original release, it is our privilege to help Roy and the gang’s light shine once again and let a whole new audience relish the beautiful sounds of 'Waitin' For Love'.

Recorded in the infamous Stone Castle Studio in Carimate (Como) by the two brothers Alberto & Gianni Tirelli, this is the last album recorded before the passing of Alberto. (Gianni is also known for certain Italo Disco masterpieces such as “Magic Dance” by Loui$.) Amore Mandarino is An act of bold and improvised genius, being entirely recorded in one night with little to no preparation. What resulted will be forever immortalized in your record collection with this exploration of exquisite fraternal expression throughout a multitude of genres. “Marzia Non C'e” is a 6 minute long downtempo dreamy soundtrack to the deepest of summer balearic sunrises. “Dimmi Per Chi” an Italian Reggae not-Reggae excursion served with ultra smooth spoken word lyrics. “Un Colpo Al Cuore” channeling nuances of Italian bastard cousin of Dire Straits in captivating danceable rock form. Arrangement and production standards running high, clearly a product of a golden age in Italian studio recording and session musicianship. Can't go wrong. Includes insert with letter from Gianni to Alberto, R.I.P..

Two years after his debut album Stone Free, Chicago-native Cecil Lyde followed up with a second album of mesmeric modern soul and boogie with his group Home Boy And The Col. Released in 1982, this album possesses the same jagged and electric playfulness of the original while developing a taste for electronic production - his flirtations of a digital kind fill the air in instrumental moments like the electro floor-filler “Time to Change”. Make no mistake though, Lyde’s rich vocals are the highlight on many of the tracks here, and kick into motion the timeless hits “I’ll Make It On My Own” and “Love Was The Cost”. P-vine is thrilled to be reissuing the album for a world first limited edition LP pressing with an iconic Japanese obi strip attached.

New York boogie royalty right here, the holy trinity of The Fantastic Aleems, Leroy Burgess and John Morales. ‘Get Down Friday Night’ is a stone-cold classic, the Aleem twins taking care of the music, the legend Leroy behind the mic and mixed by the master Morales. Reissued for the first time since it’s 1982 release, it’s been a perennial underground club hit for 40 years and rightly deserves a home in every collection for that reason alone. Limited edition Green vinyl Green label version

Come Away With ESG is the classic genre-busting debut album by the Bronx sisters ESG. The sample-friendly opus that's the inspiration for hip-hop, house and post punk. Music that falls outside of the no wave, new wave and post punk library, it's for the dance floor but it's not funk, there's no horns, no driving organ; it's the opposite of Sly And The Family Stone but no less cool and no less groovy. "A lasting document of their unique brand of minimal funk that would influence subsequent post-punk, hip-hop, and dance music acts. Stripped down to the most basic of drumbeats and rudimentary bass lines, `Come Away' confirms the notion that the real rhythm is what happens between the beats. - AllMusic

South African production duo of Emil Zoghby and John Galanakis were responsible for a string of high-quality disco singles in the early 80s, typically cover versions of international hits — Klein & MBO’s ‘The Big Apple’, Sly & the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’ & David Joseph’s ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’ — backed with their own compositions. When Starlight hit the market with an album in 1983, it featured only one cover, the local hit ‘Picnic’, along with five of the duo’s original compositions, including their similarly styled response, ‘Picnicing’, which replaces the original’s sax with spaced-out synth stabs. Then there’s ‘Jah Jah Love’, an ecstatic disco sermon of dancefloor dynamite weighing in at over eight and a half minutes. Other tracks on this landmark album — ‘Let’s Go Dancing (Boogie Boogie)’, ‘Keep On Moving’ and an eponymous instrumental — offer a similar fusion of classic disco with newer Italo and proto-house influences: machine music with a human touch! Remastered from the original master tapes and reissued for the first time, Starlight will be available on vinyl and digital platforms from early 2023 (40 years after its initial release) via Afrosynth Records.

The Emotional Rescue reissue series of Noel Williams aka King Sporty working with other artists and singers on the Konduko label's roster comes to completion with the deep funk disco of The Prolifics' Boy Child.

Formed in 1970 as part of "Senator" Nolan Jones' New Orleans soul and funk label Hep' Me Records, the bands early deep southern soul saw them release a series of 7"s for Hep' Me and Avco, plus an Xmas single for EMI and the minor hit A Place Called Home, recorded at the infamous Musle Shoals studios, backed by the Rhythm Section band who, from the early 60s, turned out hit after hit, from When A Man Loves A Women to Brown Sugar.

Landing on the newly inked Drive label, set up in '72 by Henry Stone as a sub label of his burgeoning T.K Records empire, their developing move in to funk saw them featured alongside Funky Nassau, Jimmy Castor and Peter Brown. It is here the connection with Noel Williams was formed. While putting together the "Konduko Six Pack" showcase album, the band were invited to the Miami Sound Studios for sessions that brought us both title cut Boy Child and the accompanying You Got Me.

All brass and claps, Boy Child is as funky as Williams got, backing the groups soul vocals, a story of first born's energetic path in life and a mothers love. The backing from Deep Rockers band bring the swing, the trippy keys and wide bottom end has made this a secret drop for many. You Got Me on the other hand is true King Sporty, a driving 9-minute disco boogie cut, where the warm harmonies lay down this uplifting, killer dance floor stop.

To close, the flip is again given over for reinterpretation, welcoming back Felix Dickinson to expertly cut, loop and dub. A special personal song for Dickinson, his subtle extension teases the intro for DJ play, before letting things fly - "the little show-off" as the song notes. With a near 30-year DJ and production career in place, his Discomix is a fitting way to complete this cycle of reissues of this benchmark label, for now.

Maurice Fulton's outrageous remix of "The Fall" by Rhye has been cherished as a stone-cold masterpiece for the past decade. Out of print almost immediately, its legend has only grown and for too long it's been impossible to find a copy without parting with considerable cash. We've wanted to remedy this situation for years so we're delighted to announce that we've finally given it the Be With treatment.

The word ‘genius’ is bandied about liberally but it's fair to anoint Maurice Fulton with such lofty praise. Sheffield’s king of oddball disco, Fulton is one of our favourite artists, an outerspace-minded producer with roots in Baltimore club music who has no problem injecting dank interplanetary funk into the smoothest of acts. And so it goes with his remix of "The Fall". Rich and typically off-kilter, this is spellbinding disco par excellance. Fulton arms the track with a juddering electro-funk synth-bassline before shifting to a twanging disco reverb and conga-led, crash-cymbal-elevated groove.

Essential doesn't even cover it; it's just astonishingly good.

The gorgeous original, situated here on the flip, is a sublime serenade, all twinkling strings and sweet, sumptuous vocals over smooth, jazzy piano styles. It earned comparisons to Sade, Air and the xx upon initial release and it's still easy to understand why; it's warm and buoyant yet deeply melancholy. Elegantly downlifting, you could say.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after masterpiece finds a home in many more DJ boxes this and every year.

The second single from the Cultures of Soul compilation, Boogie Breakdown: South African Disco 1980 to 1984, Benjamin Ball's "I Just Keep Dancing" is a synth and drum machine-fueled track that also reveals Ball as one of South Africa’s earliest rappers.
Boston-bred DJs, Soul Clap provide an excellent rework of the track adding some big room club flavor to the track for DJs around the world. Soul Clap are the globe trotting DJ duo of Eli Goldstein and Charles Levine who've done everything from headlining clubs in Ibiza to creating DJ mix albums for Fabric and DJ Kicks to making records with George Clinton, Sly Stone, and Robert Owens. Licensed directly from the artist and housed in a custom disco sleeve this edit won't be available anywhere else.

Two all-time George Duke greats, ‘I Want You for Myself’ & ‘Brazilian Love Affair’, get the official remastered, reissue treatment. First up, ‘I Want You For Myself’ Duke’s 1979 jazz funk, R&B tinged gem has got all the ingredients of classic from his illustrious catalogue. A funked up guitar and exuberant percussion, compliment Lynn Davis’ fabulously soulful vocals perfectly to make this a love song that’s sweeter than most. A Duke classic wouldn’t be complete without a killer, keys solo and ‘I Want You For Myself’ shows off his talents in abundance. The infamous Tom Moulton takes on edit duties splicing it into a 10-minute exploration of this fusion powerhouse, extending and enhancing elements in the mix, alongside adding an epic breakdown in a way that only he knows how. On the B side, the stone-cold killer ‘Brazilian Love Affair’ is a Latin American, jazz funk classic. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Duke drafted in a host of greats to guest on the track, each bringing something unique to the table. From Airto Moreira’s expert latin drumming, to Byron Miller’s heavyweight bass and Roland Bautista’s overdriven guitar. Duke supplements this to a tee with his blissful vocals and an otherworldly Rhodes solo. Much sampled, much loved, this is a masterpiece that needs a place in the collection.

Harbans, Steve and Mark met and recorded library music a few times prior. Steve and Mark were from Coventry and Harbans, Frank and Jaki were in Birmingham. Everyone was involved with the scene at the time playing jazz/funk and soul music with various acts.
Harbans had played with the popular disco/funk band The JALN Band. Frank played with the Cissy Stone Band who had a great following. Steve and Mark were in a popular jazz/rock/funk outfit called Pzazz. Jaki was singing in various bands and drawing a great deal of attention, of course we all know she went on to some great pop success. These songs were recorded sometime around the 1980's, during that explosive time of uk jazz funk, where it had a massive following up and down the country.

The debut album from the legendary Brazilian group, Os Novos Bahianos. Official Mr Bongo reissue.
Originally released by RGE in 1970 in Brazil, ‘É Ferro Na Boneca!’ features 13- songs composed by Luiz Galvão and Moraes Moreira. This record shows the roots of the group, moving through psychedelics, edgey pop, rock and Tropicália.
After writing ‘É Ferro Na Boneca!’ their music began to move towards MPB due to the influence of João Gilberto, who began working with the group. In 1972 they released their incredible ‘Acabou Chorare’ LP, which came top of Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Brazilian Records (published in 2007).

Two stone cold Roy Ayers classics, get the South Street Disco official reissue treatment, one side the feel-good disco-tinged, jazz funk fire ‘Running Away’ and the other the smooth groove, love letter funk bomb ‘Love Will Bring Us Back Together’. Melting hearts, melting minds, is there a better Valentines gift out there then two slices of joy from Roy? From hip hop to house, ‘Running Away’ has been a favoured sampling treasure since it came out in 1977. Co-produced alongside Edwin Birdsong and William Allen, joyous vocal harmonies dance around grooving basslines, strutting guitar riffs and Roy’s warm soothing tones. Top it off with some trademark vibes and it’s a one-way ticket to happiness, pure sunshine smiles all round. Flip it to find ‘Love Will Bring Us Back Together’. Straight up seductive business co-produced by Carla Vaughn. It’s silky, it’s smooth, it’s everything you want it to be and more. Clavinet wizardry, buttery Rhodes layers and fiery vocals. Loved up funk at it’s best.

Originally released on Greenback Records, a label from New Jersey consisting of George Greene & Gary D. Jackson, two producers who scouted local talent to record at George's home studio and independently distribute. The duo had a string of releases before Jackson relocated to Goldsboro, NC in the late 70s to establish a string of non-musical related business', when he met recent high school graduate, Karen Scott. Jackson enabled the potential of Scott's talent by searching for a group to write & record with. Satin Finish started out as a trio of Goldsboro musicians, Donald Oliver (keys), Joe Exum (drums) & Dennis Kornegay (bass) who came together for the recording project. Scott didn't write music so the group were tasked with coming up with an albums worth of material to take to the studio. Jackson had hired additional musicians for the session, three horn players & a guitarist, which would take place at Greene's home studio in Durham, NC. Three tracks were laid down for the purpose of a 7" single, the A side being Scott's calling card 'I Don't Want To Lose Your Love', written by Oliver, arranged by Kornegay & sang by Scott. Penned for the flip was 'I Didn't Know Funk Felt So Good', a song dropped due to being beyond 6 minutes in length, which made way for 'Took A Chance On Love', a song written & sang by Kornegay. The single had local success, however shortly after the release of the single Scott went to college to pursue her education whilst the group engaged new members and continued for another couple of years before disbanding. Another slice in time that we're proud to present to you. Shout out Kool Hersh for introducing us to Dennis & making this happen.

Presenting a collection of deep spatial gems mined from the ever impressive TK Disco vaults for your playback listening pleasure!

The TK Disco music empire has blessed our ears and minds with an endless stream of music since it's late 1960's inception. Countless soul and funk sides were produced, cut and released by label founder Henry Stone and his associates, in turn changing the face of contemporary black music in the USA and across the world forever. It is true that the TK story originated on America's 'Space Coast', the modern frontier of lunar exploration and galactic travel, the home of NASA and countless missions beyond the stars nestled on the East Coast of the United States.

'Moon Ride' - The compilation you hold in your hands, is merely one strand of the incredible music that was beamed out of Hialeah, FL over the decades. The focus on this collection is the idea of the 'cosmic' from the Disco era. These are records that emit a spacey vibe, either from their lyrical content or equally from their sonic qualities, imbibing synths and electronics to create otherworldly grooves. These records were big hits on underground music scenes such as Daniele Baldelli's cosmic movement in the 70's and 80's in Lake Garda, they were vehicles of escapism and hedonism on the discerning dancefloors of NYC in the hands of progressive DJs like David Mancuso and Nicky Siano and they were also essential building blocks in the creation of House and Techno music in the Midwestern cities of Chicago and Detroit, inspiring legendary artists such as Mr Fingers and Jeff Mills and countless others. An essential collection of music for listening, dancing, loving and travelling!

TK Disco's influence is still felt today and this carefully curated selection of tracks showcases some absolute classics, overlooked nuggets and rarities from the label's huge output. Mastered with love by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK. Brought to you by TK Disco / Henry Stone Music & Above Board Distribution 2021.

In 2021, Los Angeles trio Gabriels arrived in a whirlwind with the loose-limbed vintage soul jam of ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’, a song that could have dropped in almost any era. A stone-cold classic, it introduced a band so much more than just the sum of their supremely talented parts. For the first time, ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’ is now getting a special 7 Inch release with a previously unreleased live version of ‘Spanish Harlem’ recorded at BBC Maida Vale studios for a Gilles Peterson 6 Music session. Just a handful of live shows deep, the spotlight swings and lands squarely on vocalist Jacob Lusk. A man who demands attention with a presence and voice of a gospel choir. That rich vocal swoops and soars through the pitches effortlessly matched by an on-stage persona that’s intensely likeable. A bonafide star by anybody’s reckoning. Two acclaimed EPs deep and yet barely out of second gear, Gabriels have moved beyond mere promise to become one of 2022’s most essential new acts.

The 1980 space disco hit you probably never heard of. Now officially remastered including new stunning edits by Peaking Lights and Korkut Elbay. Picture sleeve with an outstanding painting by Antonia Freisburger.

'Inside' with loads of synths and some vocoder on top is a wild jam that is propelling more and more into a frenzy during its course.

Following the orginal is a dancefloor-edit by Korkut Elbay which puts the vocal part into focus. Korkut Elbay, part of the Cómeme camp and an integral part of Cologne's electronic music scene for over 20 years, crafted an edit in its purest form.

On the flipside Aaron Coyes of the California-based duo Peaking Lights stretches out the original and reaches higher grounds with his stomping rework. He gently adds some more keys and puts you into a trance with his soothing melodies. Now dance!

But what's the story behind this unearthed gem stone? In the late 1970s a marketing company owner faced an increasing competitve market and wanted to work indepently from the professional studios which were charging high rates for commercials back then. The solution was to build his own sound studio. So he set one up in the basement of his company in Saarbrücken, Germany. He hired a studio operator and a composer that got quite a reputation in the local scence back then and besides daily job routines 'Inside' was created.