Mr Pitiful at his most powerful, with the MGs in 1965.

A testament to the impeccable taste of the greatest soul singer of all time — mostly big names and classics, rounded off by gospel giant Clara Ward, and the song Aretha sang at her funeral.

Killer deep soul from Louisiana.

A Now Again labour of love: the complete works of this legendary guitarist-singer-songwriter from Atlanta. His earliest work for the Tuska label, through his more mature releases for Shout, and smaller regional labels like Note, Free Spirit and RSC, at the most subterranean and fertile interface of Southern soul and funk. CD presented in a fifty-six-page, saddle-stitched book, with extensive essays on Marks’ career and never-before-seen photos and ephemera. Great stuff.

Terrific, grooving Black History from the Roy Ayers camp.
‘Remember to remember, to never forget. How long… how long… how long will it take?’

Top-notch, neglected southern soul, plenty deep, produced by Willie Mitchell at Hi in 1970.

Two exclusives: Erykah Badu’s irresistible do-over of the euphoric album instrumental There, with Malian synth-freak Tidiane Seck; and a dub by Mark Ernestus. Lovely silk-screened sleeve.

Three deep funk instrumentals — HBE on the opener. Sound-wise, doubly lethal, as alive as vinyl gets. Silvered, silk-screened sleeve.

Dazzling, smash-hit, fully-fledged blend of flamenco, reggaeton and post-Timbaland r&b, with a Middle Eastern flavour to the singing. It’s the re-telling of a medieval story about a woman locked in a tower by her husband, and her escape. There’s even an Arthur Russell sample.
Lost in the Christmas rush here, but so nice we’re serving it twice.