The slyly insinuating groove of "Spreadin' Honey" opens Varese Vintage's new collection dedicated to Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, and it's a more than appropriate choice. Beginning with that 1967 single for the small Keymen label, Wright has spread his brand of musical honey over tough funk grooves to create a small but still beloved, and frequently sampled, catalogue. The Best of Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band is a vivid overview of the group's
Check Out Your Mind: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Collect Complete Recordings of Soul-Funk Band Maxayn
Cherry Red's SoulMusic imprint has recently delivered a heaping helping of rare R&B with a powerful 3-CD box set collecting the albums of Maxayn, the band fronted by vocalist Maxayn Lewis. Reloaded: The Complete Recordings 1972-1974 presents the three albums recorded by Maxayn for Capricorn Records, all of which pushed the envelope of soul, funk, and rock. The Oklahoma-born, prodigiously gifted singer born Paulette Parker joined the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in 1967. Upon "graduation"
Release Round-Up: Week of January 26
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! ABBA: The Album - 40th Anniversary Edition (Polar/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) ABBA revisits its fifth studio album (released in December 1977 in Scandinavia and January 1978 in the U.K.) - a tie-in to ABBA: The Movie - as a deluxe 2-LP, 45 RPM, half-speed mastered set. Featuring "The Name of the Game," "Take a Chance on Me," and "Thank You for the Music," the chart-topping LP has been a favorite of the band's discography.
I'm So Glad You're Back: Stax Plans Fourth Volume of Singles Box Set Series
Craft Recordings has been doing great things with the Stax Records catalogue in honor of its 60th anniversary (check out our most recent review of the new Isaac Hayes box set for proof!) - and now, they're continuing a beloved box set series with a new collection of the label's singles. Continuing the trend established by The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (released in 1991 and reissued by Rhino in 2016), The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971 (1993, reissued 2014) and
Reservations for Two: SoulMusic Adds Kashif, Tom Browne to "Anthology" Series
Earlier this year, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint continued its series of artist anthologies with another two titles in the series, this time spotlighting the late singer-songwriter-musician-producer Kashif, and jazz fusion artist-trumpeter Tom Browne. Help Yourself to My Love: The Arista Anthology collects 30 tracks on 2 CDs from Kashif, the artist born Michael Jones, whose smooth grooves helped define the sound of eighties R&B. A native New Yorker, Kashif first rose to fame as
Willie's Boogie: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Reissue Two From Motown's Willie Hutch
Willie Hutch ensured his place in Motown history with his era-defining soundtracks to the blaxploitation films Foxy Brown and The Mack. But the singer-songwriter's C.V. was much deeper and more all-encompassing, both at Motown and elsewhere; he provided The 5th Dimension with memorable songs like "California My Way" and recorded as a solo artist for labels including RCA, Soul City, and Whitfield Records. SoulMusic and Cherry Red, hot off a recent rarities anthology for Motown's Brenda
Party Is a Groovy Thing: People's Choice Philly Soul and Funk Collected by BBR
Philadelphia International Records, home of The Sound of Philadelphia, wasn't always the most hospitable label for bands. After all, the label's "house band" MFSB featured some of the finest musicians anywhere, so self-contained units such as Instant Funk, Force of Nature, or even the venerable Soul Survivors inevitably played second fiddle to the vocal groups supported so deftly by MFSB. But of all the Philly International bands, one rose above the rest. People's Choice scored an R&B
Oh, Honey: Big Break Celebrates 40 Years of Delegation with Two New Releases
Over the course of just four albums released between 1977 and 1982, Delegation established a reputation and a following that continues to this very day based on the group's sleek brand of soulful, dance-infused R&B. The trio, still active today as led by founding member Ricky Bailey, has long been a mainstay of Cherry Red's Big Break Records label. That association which has recently culminated in a pair of potent releases: the definitive, double-disc anthology In Love's Time: The
Hot Fun: Cherry Red's Robinsongs Collects Stanley Clarke's Epic Years
Bassist Stanley Clarke has long been one of jazz's leading lights. The Philadelphia-born musician and composer's career, which flourishes to the present day, has recently been anthologized by Cherry Red's Robinsongs label. The Definitive Collection concentrates on the period of 1975-1990 during which time he was recording for the Nemperor and Epic labels as a solo artist. Philadelphia-born Clarke first rose to prominence showcasing his bass wizardry as part of Chick Corea's fusion jazz
SoulMusic Spotlight Part One: New Anthologies Arrive For Esther Phillips, Levert, and Mtume
Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records label has added another quintet of releases to its rapidly-growing Anthology series, and this batch is among the most eclectic yet, blurring the lines of jazz, pop, and R&B with Esther Phillips, Levert, Tom Browne, Kashif, and Mtume. As the premier vocalist on CTI Records' Kudu imprint, Esther Phillips (1935-1984) played a key role in producer Creed Taylor's "Cool Revolution" at CTI. A gifted vocalist, Phillips nonetheless struggled with personal demons
Review: Prince and The Revolution, 'Purple Rain: Deluxe Expanded Edition'
Dearly Beloved It exists. It really exists. That may be the most astounding thing about the deluxe expanded edition of Prince's masterpiece Purple Rain (Warner Bros./NPG Records 547374-2). And believe me, there's a lot to be astounded by. This set features the first remaster of any Prince album in the compact disc era, a fully-stocked disc of officially unreleased tracks from the vault, a complete offering of sides (edits, remixes and B-sides) from all five singles released from the
'Til You're Satisfied: Big Break Collects The Best of B.T. Express On New 2-CD Set
Big Break Records has just boarded the B.T. Express - destination: the crossroads of funk, soul, and disco. Give Up the Funk: The B.T. Express Anthology 1974-1982 is a comprehensive, career-spanning 2-CD, 31-track chronicle of the band that scored ten U.S. R&B chart entries (including two No. 1s) and five on the Pop chart (two top 5s). B.T. Express was formed by Richard "Rick" Thompson on guitar, Bill Risbrook (tenor saxophone), Carlos Ward (alto saxophone), Louis Risbrook (bass), Dennis
Masters of Their Craft: Concord Assembles New Reissue Label
Concord Bicycle Music has been an aggressive recent player in catalogue music. The indie giant has succeeded with a variety of jazz, soul and rock titles, controlling such labels as Fantasy, Stax and Wind-Up Records; elsewhere, they've brought the Traveling Wilburys discography back into print and signed a bold deal with R.E.M. to distribute their Warner Bros.-era masters, from 1988 to their final bow in 2011. With all this activity, Concord's latest step was inevitable: they announced last
Shining Stars: SoulMusic Anthologizes The Manhattans, Mother's Finest, Norman Connors
Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has continued its collection of artist-focused anthologies with another batch of releases drawn from the Sony Music family of labels. This group includes 2-CD sets for the smooth vocal group The Manhattans, jazz/R&B soul man Norman Connors, and funk band Mother's Finest. Though they were named The Manhattans, their story is actually a tri-state one. The group came together in Jersey City, New Jersey, took their name from the city across the Hudson
Keep On Movin': Robinsongs Reissues Funky Jazz from Deodato and Fuse One
Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint has recently released a pair of two-fers sure to excite jazz fusion fans. Keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Eumir Deodato began his career as a major proponent of the bossa nova scene in his native Brazil, and soon became a sought-after arranger for the likes of Roberta Flack, George Benson, and even The Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra. Although he had been a solo recording artist since the early 1960s, Deodato's solo career took off at Creed
Feelin' Good: Real Gone's Record Store Day 2017 Offerings Feature Cheap Trick and The Meters
We've been taking you through many of the releases to come for this year's 10th anniversary Record Store Day on April 22, and now it is time to turn our attention to the offerings from Real Gone Music who will be releasing two titles for the event. (Just click on the "Record Store Day" tag below to access all of this year's RSD coverage!) Both of these are limited edition vinyl versions of previous Real Gone CD favorites - and one has a very special "golden ticket" incentive! Cheap Trick -
Warner Music Plans Record Store Day Bonanza
Record Store Day has been an institution for a decade now, so leave it to this year's 10th anniversary event to be one of the biggest! We've already shone the spotlight on releases by David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Prince, Omnivore Recordings and Legacy Recordings; now, it's time to take a look at Warner Music's incredibly generous lineup. Over 30 titles will be featured from the label group at independent record stores on Saturday, April 22. There's really something for everyone: vintage 12"
You Got to Funkifize: SoulMusic, Cherry Red Reissue Tower of Power, Graham Central Station, Starpoint
Over the years, Tower of Power's rip-roaring horns have enlivened a host of recordings from artists as diverse as Elton John, Grateful Dead, Poison, Neil Diamond, Santana, and Aerosmith, but the group also has had a long career as one of the most smoking outfits in R&B. Now, Bump City and Tower of Power, the group's first two Warner Bros. Records releases, have been collected as one expanded 2-CD set from SoulMusic Records and Cherry Red. 1972's Bump City marked the Warner debut of the
Let's Go Crazy! Prince Comes to Streaming, "Purple Rain" Reissue Due in June
Dearly beloved, we R gathered here 2day to announce that Prince's classic Warner Bros. Records catalogue is finally back on streaming services. As previously expected, 18 studio albums, six compilations and a handful of digital singles and EPs are available on Spotify, with all platforms expected to feature the offering by the 5 p.m. Pacific start time of the 59th annual Grammy Awards. But that's not all: in a press release, Warner Bros. announced the first details of the long-awaited
Doin' It: Cherry Red Reissues, Expands Three Fusion Classics From Herbie Hancock
Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint recently paired Herbie Hancock's 1978 and 1979 albums Sunlight and Feets Don't Fail Me Now on one 2-CD set. Now, Robinsongs has looked back to bring three original Hancock albums for Columbia Records together as one 2-CD package: 1974's Thrust, 1975's Man-Child, and 1976's Secrets. All three of these albums were Jazz No. 1 records; these reissues sweeten the deal by adding rare single versions to the track line-ups. Thrust was the American follow-up to
This Is It: SoulMusic Collects Melba Moore, Ramsey Lewis, George Duke On New Anthologies
SoulMusic Records, in association with Cherry Red, has recently launched a series of new 2-CD anthologies designed to give a comprehensive look at one period of an artist's career. The initial group of releases is dedicated to three artists whose talents span multiple genres - Melba Moore, George Duke, and Ramsey Lewis. Melba Moore's Standing Right Here: the Anthology - The Buddah and Epic Years devotes one disc to each one of those labels. Moore's first major-label contract was actually
You Bet Your Love: Robinsongs Reissues Funky Sets From Herbie Hancock, Zapp
Today, we're spotlighting a pair of funk-drenched new releases from Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint! When Herbie Hancock's The Joni Letters received an Album of the Year Grammy Award in 2008, it became the first jazz album to take the trophy since 1965 - underscoring the legendary pianist's enduring relevance in his fifth decade as a recording artist. Since Takin' Off in 1962 with his Blue Note debut of the same name, Hancock had pushed the envelope of jazz, including a period in the late
Release Round-Up: Week of October 28
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Roy Orbison, The Ultimate Collection (Roy's Boys/Legacy) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Legacy Recordings and Roy's Boys, LLC deliver a newly-remastered, career-spanning anthology for the late Roy Orbison. The Ultimate Collection has 26 tracks drawn from The Big O's halcyon years at Monument and MGM as well as his final solo recordings and collaborations with The Traveling
Towering Twosome: Robinsongs Reissues Jazz-Disco Classics From Lalo Schifrin, Brick
In a career now in its seventh decade, there's little that Lalo Schifrin hasn't accomplished. The four-time Grammy-winning Argentinean composer-arranger-conductor created one of the most memorable television themes of all time with his "Mission: Impossible," worked with Count Basie, Cannonball Adderley and Sarah Vaughan, scored innumerable films (racking up six Oscar nominations in the process) and released a variety of solo albums for labels including Verve, Tabu and CTI. Two of his LPs for
They Say It's Wonderful: Real Gone September Slate Includes Robert Goulet, Porter Wagoner and The Meters
Even though summer has just begun, Real Gone Music is already looking toward the end of the season with its September releases. As per the label's norm, the artists represented span a wide range of styles and genres. We've already told you about the Second Disc Records/Real Gone release of The Isley Brothers' lost Groove With You...Live! album. Joe has also written the liner notes for another of Real Gone's September offerings: Robert Goulet's 2-CD The Definitive Collection. Joe put
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