Calling all Disco Freaks!

‘The great South African tenorist Mike Makhamalele was a graduate of the key early-seventies group The Drive (alongside Bheki Mseleku and Kaya Mahlangu); and a mainstay of the scene centred on the Pelican nightclub in Soweto. From 1975, he began to record under his own name, developing a sophisticated fusion sound in a musical lane which few of his contemporaries were travelling.
‘Always attuned to other global fashions in Black dance and pop music, under numerous studio aliases he cut 45rpm covers of Fela’s Shakara and the Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight; and in 1979 he entered the Gallo studios with producer Peter Ceronio to respond to the ascendant sound of disco. Named after a township dance craze, Kabuzela was the result: four extended tracks of bouncing, upful disco jazz. Perfectly calibrated for dancing, heavy on the bass and drums, the album is set off by a gleaming centre piece, Disco Freaks — a joyous paean to the weekend and true lost gem of global disco, perfect for the most discerning dancefloors.’

All fifteen A-sides, along with nine B-sides, by one of the 1960s very greatest soul singers.

The bees-knees in heart-broken, close-harmony, symphonic soul; up there with the very best of The Delfonics, The Stylistics and co. Nearly all ballads, with Billy Brown’s falsetto in devastating form, though that’s Harry Ray leading their all-time-classic To You With Love — as sampled by Dilla at the end of Donuts — in all the straight-up glory of its original setting.

A highly collectible, 1978 one-away by a group of high school friends in St Louis, featured on the recent Private Wax compilation. ‘A fantastic example of the Modern Soul sound which bridged the gap between Northern and Disco, introducing synthesisers alongside incredibly tight vocal harmonies and lush instrumental arrangements.’

Wicked, stinging sister-funk self-penned by the mighty soul singer, before more celebrated sojourns at Atlantic and Columbia. The flip is previously unreleased; also terrific.

Stylishly reined-in, Southern-flavoured, churchy soul — same neck of the woods as Aretha — half recorded in Memphis by Jackie’s cousin Dave Crawford, including her smash hit Precious, Precious, with the Memphis Horns in full effect (and Dr. John, on Time); and half at Sigma, with Earl Young, Bobby Eli and co.
(Jackie Moore is well-known but under-rated. Try to track down the CD set The Complete Atlantic Recordings for a bunch of killer previously-unreleased sides.)

Superb disco boogie. A deeply soulful song, expertly sung. Killer, bare-bones break-downs, soaring strings, resplendent horns, with composers McFadden and Whitehead rocking the controls.
Plus an unmissable version of Curtis’ Make Me Believe In You! Fabulous, epic, Van McCoy drama, with a meaner Melba, thumping bass, and stomping kick-drum.

The long awaited follow-up to the superb compilation Loving On The Flipside, from ten years ago.
‘Contained within this anthology are some of the greatest soul ballads that go sweet with a beat. Most of these songs have never been compiled. Some have never been issued in any form. Some, like the Ledgends entry here, have been sampled to great success (in that case for Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s Deeper). Some haven’t been sampled, but, like Herb Johnson’s entry, are patiently awaiting their day.’