Released in 2005 by Kent Soul, Southern Soul Showcase: Cryin' In The Streets is a magnificent 25-track anthology exploring the deep, gritty, and emotive catalog of Shelby Singleton's SSS International label group. Operating out of Nashville and recording across historic studios in Muscle Shoals, Memphis, and New Orleans, SSS International fused rich country storytelling with passionate down-home R&B. This essential collection gathers monumental deep soul masterpieces alongside obscure regional gems from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Highlights include Bettye LaVette's churning classic He Made A Woman Out Of Me, Johnny Adams' soaring Top 10 R&B hit Reconsider Me, and George Perkins & The Silver Stars' moving civil rights anthem Cryin' In The Streets Part 1. From tortured, agonizing vocal performances by Big John Hamilton, Doris Allen, and Calvin Leavy to up-tempo, stomping grooves by Mickey and Clarence Murray, the compilation offers a masterclass in raw expression. Complete with Sam Dees' rare debut recording and comprehensive liner notes, this release stands as a cornerstone document of original Southern soul history.

Originally recorded in 1981 at the famed Malaco Studios in Jackson, Mississippi, and reissued in 2014 via Solid Records, this self-titled album by Texas-born vocalist Ruby Wilson stands as a hidden gem of early 1980s southern soul and modern disco. Known affectionately as the "Queen of Beale Street," Wilson possesses a rich, commanding, and deeply expressive vocal instrument that easily bridges classic deep soul sensibilities with the uptempo dance rhythms of the post-disco era. Across eight tracks, the album seamlessly blends driving, groove-oriented club tracks with deeply emotional southern soul ballads, benefiting immensely from Malaco's signature tight horn arrangements, warm rhythm section, and polished production values. Highlights include infectious dance cuts like I Thought I Would Never Find Love alongside powerful, soulful renditions of songs penned by iconic songwriters like George Jackson and Jackie Verdell. With tracks like The Feelin's Still There and Bluer Than Blue, this collection captures a phenomenal vocalist performing at her peak, making it an essential release for aficionados of vintage soul, funk, and classic R&B.

I'm A Loser is the acclaimed 1970 debut album by Southern soul singer Doris Duke, reissued in 2013 by Alive Records (ALIVE-0152-2). Originally released on Swamp Dogg's Canyon label, the album is widely celebrated as a masterpiece of deep, gritty Southern soul. Produced by Jerry Williams Jr. (Swamp Dogg) and featuring songs co-written with Gary "U.S." Bonds, the recording highlights Duke's raw, gospel-imbued, and urgently expressive vocals backed by a tight Capricorn Studio rhythm section. The album includes her career-defining hit "To The Other Woman (I'm The Other Woman)" alongside heartbreaking tales of love, loss, and drama.

The Cream Of… Vintage Soul Volume 1 is a 36-track 3-CD compilation released in 1997 by Life On Mars Records (MARSCD2). Packed with rare, deep-cut soul cuts alongside lesser-known singles from classic artists, the set showcases the vibrant soundscapes of '60s and '70s American soul and Northern soul. Highlights include notable tracks by The Parliaments, Eddie Holman, David Ruffin, Frankie Beverly, Bobby Womack, Darrell Banks, The O'Jays, and L.J. Reynolds prior to joining The Dramatics.

Miss Sharon Jones! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a 16-track compilation soundtrack released in 2016 by Daptone Records. Accompanying the documentary directed by two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple, the album chronicles the explosive career and incredible resilience of soul powerhouse Sharon Jones during her battle with cancer and return to the stage. Featuring essential highlights spanning her career from early Daptone singles to tracks from "Give the People What They Want," the release also includes the exclusive, candid anthem "I'm Still Here."

The Soul of Designer Records is a monumental 101-track 4-CD box set released in 2014 by Big Legal Mess Records, celebrating the vital legacy of Designer Records—a crucial independent imprint operating out of Memphis, Tennessee, during the 1960s and 1970s. Capturing the intersection of raw gospel passion and secular soul groove, this collection documents regional groups and travelling quartets shaping modern gospel across the South and Midwest. Featuring extensive tracks by Gospel Songbirds, The Shaw Singers, The Jubilee Hummingbirds, Little Willie Patterson, The Foster Brothers, Sister Carrie Daniel, and Elizabeth King, this set stands as an essential archive of mid-century sacred soul and deep Memphis music history.

Here I Am Again…Plus captures Southern soul powerhouse Denise LaSalle at the peak of her mid-1970s output for Westbound Records. Originally recorded in 1974 and released in 1975, this expanded 1993 CD reissue blends hard-hitting funk, bluesy uptempo grooves, and lush disco-soul arrangements. Backed by the iconic Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the Memphis Horns with charts by Gene "Bowlegs" Miller, LaSalle showcases both her commanding vocal range and her sharp songwriting prowess. From the salacious shuffle of I Wanna Do What's On Your Mind to the deeply emotional roots-ballad Don't Nobody Live Here and the signature title track, the album remains a cornerstone of 1970s Memphis-style soul.

The Power Of Joe Simon is an expanded 18-track reissue of the classic 1973 soul LP by American R&B vocalist Joe Simon, released in 2000 by Southbound Records. Highlighting Simon's versatile, smoky baritone, the collection gathers his top-tier early 1970s recordings for the Spring label, produced by the legendary Philadelphia soul duo Gamble & Huff alongside John Richbourg and Simon himself. The album features iconic chart-topping smashes like Drowning In The Sea Of Love and Power Of Love, alongside soulful renditions of country-soul standards such as Help Me Make It Through The Night. Expanded beyond the original 10-track vinyl release, this CD edition adds eight rare non-LP B-sides and unissued tracks—including a soulful cover of Indiana Wants Me and the rare gem Weekend On The West Coast—making it an essential document of 1970s Southern and Philly soul.

Originally released in 1972 on Bryan Records and expanded/reissued in 1996 by Ubiquity's Luv N'Haight imprint, Hang On In There is a legendary masterpiece of socially conscious West Coast soul and funk by Mike James Kirkland. Taking inspiration from the politically charged, experimental soul movements led by Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, Kirkland fused deeply personal lyrics and social commentary with heavy, infectious grooves and sublime arrangements. Featuring the iconic 9-minute title track (later famously covered by John Legend and The Roots), alongside non-album 7" bonus cuts like "The Prophet" and "Together," this definitive reissue stands as an essential, high-water mark of early '70s independent soul.

Originally released in 1978, Welcome to My Room serves as the remarkable solo debut from soul vocalist Randy Brown, following his formative years with Stax recording group The Newcomers. Produced and written primarily by Homer Banks and Carl Hampton, with lush string and horn arrangements by Paul Riser, the album stands as a definitive landmark in late 1970s deep soul and romantic quiet storm. Brown unleashes his powerful, expressive vocal range across eight meticulously crafted tracks, balancing direct midtempo numbers like I Wanna Make Love to You with passionate, slow-burning ballads such as I Love You Baby and the emotionally raw I'd Rather Hurt Myself (Than Hurt You). Featuring standout deep soul storytelling on Too Little In Common and top-tier studio instrumentation, this impressive debut established Brown as a master of sophisticated urban soul.

Released in 1999 by Goldmine Soul Supply, Big Top Soul Cellar - 30 Northern, Sixties And Classy Soul Sides is an outstanding thirty-track compilation spotlighting rare and essential recordings from the iconic Big Top Records imprint and its subsidiary labels. Tailor-made for Northern Soul enthusiasts and mid-60s R&B aficionados, this comprehensive collection unearths floor-fillers, polished crossover gems, and deep soul ballads that defined the golden era of American record production. Highlights include multiple standout entries from crooner Lou Johnson, including Burt Bacharach and Hal David compositions like Reach Out For Me and Unsatisfied, alongside the driving uptempo energy of Magic Potion. Heavyweight vocal groups such as The Volumes deliver sublime harmony-laden sides like I Just Can't Help Myself and Gotta Give Her Love, while raw Detroit-style stompers from The Dynamics and soulful solos by Bobbie Smith, JoAnn Courcy, and Gerri Granger round out the set. Overflowing with punchy brass arrangements, soaring melodies, and infectious rhythms, this compilation is a treasure trove of classic 1960s soul history.

Originally released in 1975 on the obscure Grenade imprint, Going to My Baby's Place is a holy grail of West Coast deep soul and raw funk from Omaha-born, California-based vocalist Vernon Garrett. Reissued on CD by Japan's P-Vine Records as a limited paper sleeve edition in 2006, this masterpiece showcases Garrett's gritty, impassioned vocal style backed by an incandescent horn-driven band featuring musicians who would go on to form L.T.D. as well as arranger/keyboardist Rich Cason. From the mid-tempo funk title track to deep, aching ballads like I Learned My Lesson and One Man's Loss, the album stands as one of the finest rarities in 1970s southern-style West Coast soul.

Something Extra Special: The Complete Volt Recordings 1968-1971 stands as a towering, emotionally raw, and historically vital archive that preserves the definitive late-career genius of a Southern soul titan. Released in 2010 by the prestigious archival imprint Kent Soul, this comprehensive compilation serves as the premier audio document of Jimmy Hughes' historic tenure under the iconic Stax/Volt umbrella, bringing together his complete landmark 1969 LP alongside an extraordinary vault of non-album singles and unreleased master takes. Spanning nearly eighty minutes of immaculate, deep-fried Southern audio architecture, the 27-track landscape operates with a gritty, driving kinetic energy. The tracklist showcases Hughes’ legendary gospel-honed vocal delivery, moving fluidly from his definitive mid-tempo Volt hit I Like Everything About You and the driving, brass-infused groove of Let 'Em Down Baby to the agonizingly beautiful deep soul of Chains Of Love. Backed by explosive Memphis horn arrangements, stinging guitar riffs, and heavy rhythm configurations, this high-fidelity restoration remains an indispensable analog monument for classic soul purists and Stax collectors worldwide.

The Best Of Candi Staton stands as a staggering, deeply moving retrospective document that beautifully charts the stylistic evolution of one of soul music's most visceral and authentic vocal powerhouses. Released in 1995 by Warner Archives, this definitive anthology compiles her seminal mid-to-late 1970s outputs, capturing the seamless intersection where gritty Southern soul, high-flying disco, heavy street funk, and soaring gospel roots collide. The massive 14-track selection showcases Staton's unique ability to inject profound, raw emotional vulnerability into pristine commercial arrangements. The tracklist is anchored by her crowning global anthem Young Hearts Run Free, alongside the sweeping, dramatic disco-funk epics Victim and When You Wake Up Tomorrow. Yet, the collection shines equally bright on deep-fried Southern soul treasures like As Long As He Takes Care of Home and her raw, deeply devotional closing rendition of Take My Hand, Precious Lord. Powered by blistering horn arrangements, driving basslines, and her signature raspy, gospel-honed delivery, this release is an indispensable pillar of modern American soul history.

Greatest Hits is a spectacularly expressive, historically monumental, and masterfully synchronized southern soul and funk studio masterpiece collection voiced by the legendary American vocal vanguard pioneer and phrasing monarch Otis Redding, digitally preserved and released on compact disc in 1989 under the prestigious independent European archival preservation banner of Duchesse Compact Disc. Spanning over 44 minutes of breathtakingly intense, conceptually profound vocal and instrumental interactions across 16 definitive, definitive tracking alignments, this high-fidelity document serves as an absolute peak monument in mid-1960s rhythm and blues archaeology. Gathering the absolute apex definitive achievements of Redding's career, this landmark archival release executes a fierce, forward-thinking sonic blueprint that seamlessly integrates his tearing, emotionally raw vocal delivery with explosive horn unisons, cascading Stax house band grooves, and a thunderous, deeply pocketed rhythm section.