Following on from the previously released Volume One and Two, Marvin Gaye Volume Three: 1971-1981 is a collection of his last seven Motown studio albums on 180g vinyl in one fantastic box. Commonly referred to as the ‘Prince of Soul’, Marvin Gaye helped to shape the sound of Motown Records and was one of the greatest voices to emerge from the label.

Face Up is Lisa Stansfield's first offering for the new millennium, and on this disc she treads similar waters as on previous albums, except for a few more adventurous outings. The album's first single, "Let's Just Call It Love," incorporates the British garage 2step beats introduced to Americans and popularized earlier in 2001 by fellow Brit Craig David, and makes for an unusual but interesting leadoff single. The album's opener, "I've Got Something Better," is classic, funky Lisa Stansfield at her best, and the song gets more and more fun with each repeated listening. Other standouts include the Burt Bacharach-ish show-stopping ballad "How Could You?," the pleading "Don't Leave Now I'm in Love," and the set's most obvious hit, the breezy, disco-laced anthem "8-3-1."

Larry Blackmon and his Cameo mates ruled funk's domain for over a decade. Cameo evolved from its origins as a horn-based and dominated ensemble into a synthesizer-oriented group that still featured sturdy basslines and exuberant vocals, but was in tune with urban and black America's new sensibility. These 14 selections range from the formative cuts "Rigor Mortis," "Shake Your Pants," and "It's Over" to the definitive "Word Up," "Candy," and "Back and Forth." Blackmon's alternately sneering, defiant, and aggressive vocals were the constant from Cameo's beginnings in the 1970s to their emergence as funk's reigning champions in the 1980s.

Delegation was formed in the United Kingdom in 1975 by Ricky Bailey, Len Coley and Roddy Harris.In 1979, Delegation released Eau De Vie, on the Ariola label and had international hits with "Heartache #9", "You And I" and the "Put A Little Love On Me". By 1980, Coley and Harris were replaced by Ray Patterson and Bruce Dunbar, and group continued on with lesser success.

Delegation was a British soul musical group with a lengthy career, and an amount of international success. They are generally viewed in the U.S. as a one-hit wonder, based on the crossover hit, "Oh Honey" (1978). Their biggest UK success came in 1977, with the Top 30 hit single, "Where Is The Love (We Used to Know)" This 12-track album featured the soul classics "You've Been Doing Me Wrong" and "Oh Honey" and the disco tunes "Back Door Love", "Soul Trippin'", "The Promise of Love", and "Where is the Love We Used to Know".

Digitally remastered edition of this second album from the Soul/Funk act. 1981 would see the release of Delegation II, which created such hits as the single 'I Wantcha Back', a low tempo, funky bass line driven Disco single. ' In The Night' stepped up the heat, again driven by the incredible talents of Jon Plotel on bass and the Lynton Naiff arranged string section. 'Singing' losed out the single releases, a big production number with some great performances by Jon Plotel, Lynton Naiff, Robert J. Ahwai on guitar and Kofi Aivor on percussion and of course the incredible horn section that feature throughout the album.

Gil Scott-Heron - Village Gate New York 1976 (2014) {Klondike Records KLCD5009}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 228 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 94 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2014 Klondike Records | KLCD5009
Jazz / Funk / Spoken Word / Soul / Fusion

New York's VIIIVR-FM captured a treasured broadcast by Gil-Scott Heron. A highly-revered artist whose work has remained headily influential over many respected hip hop contemporaries. His appearance alongside Brian Jackson and the Midnight Band at the Village gate in 1976 has since garnered widespread affection and admiration amongst collectors, fans and critics alike.

Flash was the DJ and the Furious Five were the best multiple rappers around, moving from the music's low-rent dance origins (it was Flash who began cutting in repeated portions of other records) and party spirit to the "message" approach that took over in the mid 80s, prefigured in "The Message." Much of what came later, started here.

On the Corner is yet another excellent Blue Note U.K. compilation of absolutely killer cuts from Blue Note's prime jazz-funk years in the wake of the soul-jazz explosion of the 1960s and Miles Davis' electric innovations in the late '60s and '70s. Typical of Blue Note in the period, these tracks all came from albums that were, in one sense, birds of a feather. In other words, whatever was "happening," Blue Note recorded it almost exclusively and forced even established artists to fit into that mold. While there were some mixed results, obviously, there is also a wealth of great material to choose from, as this funk-centric compilation makes very clear. One can already judge where the set is headed when it begins with Gene Harris' truly grooving "Losalamitoslatinlovesong." Harris cut three terrific electric jazz-funk sets for the label in the 1970s, only one of which has ever been available on CD. But other selections – such as Eddie Henderson's "Kumquat Kid," Ronnie Foster's "Cheshire Cat," Ronnie Laws' "Always There," and Moacir Santos' "Route" – offer funky fusion delights as well. There are 20 tunes on two discs, each of them jam-packed with gems.