Back catalogue: 50s/60s

Review: In 1961, producer David Rick discovered Vito and The Salutations, a Brooklyn harmony group of Italian, Irish and Jewish teenagers. Their energetic doo-wop take on 'Unchained Melody' became a hit until the British Invasion shifted the music scene. 'Hey There' remained unreleased until Rick's 1981 double album which compiled their singles and rare collector cuts after years of misrepresentation and a court battle with a copycat group. In 2020, Monster Mike unearthed The Long Island Sound's unreleased 1969 demo of 'Hey There' which was recorded before the band dissolved. Now, Oracion Records drops this forgotten gem on 45.

Review: The Fallout: Soothing Sounds of the Apocalypse vinyl is a nostalgic journey through iconic hits of the 1930s, 40s and 50s that beautifully contrasts the dark, post-apocalyptic setting of Amazon's Fallout series. This 12-song collection includes unforgettable tracks by legends like Johnny Cash, Nat King Cole, The Ink Spots, Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald, evoking a haunting yet charming atmosphere for fans of the show and the beloved video game franchise. Songs like 'I Don't Want To Set the World on Fire' by The Ink Spots and 'Orange Colored Sky' by Nat King Cole capture the eerie beauty of a world grappling with survival amidst ruins, while tracks such as 'Crawl Out Through The Fallout' by Sheldon Allman add a touch of dark humour.This soundtrack brings together timeless music that has helped shape the unique atmosphere of the series.

Review: Bite-sized, and of an incalculable carat value, we're served a plate of Singaporean ear foods, with releasing label Akenaton homing in on the music scene of the 60s and 70s. Coinciding with the British invasion of ye-ye pop and beat music, which the Southeast Asian nation ate up with glee, we hear many singer-porean ladies backed by both duos and ensembles here, following up a scrumptious first edition. So recline, and let the fuzzy guitar tones and trebly songs of Li Li Wong, Lena Lim, Fung Po Po and Nancy Sit help you weather the worst of personal storms.

Review: Eccentric Soul: The Cobra Label unearths a fascinating collection of soul and r&b from the obscure Cobra label, offering a unique blend of raw energy and heartfelt emotion. Opening with the infectious 'Wooleh Booleh' by Sonny Ace & The Twisters, the compilation quickly sets a vibrant, foot-tapping tone. Tracks like 'Buscando (Searchin')' by Mike & The Belairs showcase smooth, silky vocals and catchy grooves, while 'Funny Funny Funny' by Henry & The Kasuals introduces a more playful, upbeat rhythm. The diversity of sounds is clear, with everything from the introspective 'Someone Who Cares' by Royal Five to the funky 'Summer Rain' by Freddie Martinez. The compilation's eclecticism is a testament to the variety and depth of Cobra's catalog, making it an essential listen for soul enthusiasts.

Review: Chicago's soul scene in the early 60s thrived on a dynamic blend of raw emotion and polished craft, and this collection is a testament to that unique balance. The arrangements burst with tight, syncopated rhythms, uplifting brass, and smooth vocal harmonies, capturing the essence of a city reshaping soul music. There's a raw edge to the production that keeps the energy unfiltered, while the melodies radiate warmth and storytelling depth. Each track contributes to an atmosphere of heartfelt resilience, showcasing Chicago's role as a powerhouse of innovation during this pivotal era.

Review: Few labels in the 80s embodied such a distinct and artful vision as El, the short-lived yet profoundly influential London stable founded by Mike Alway in 1984. The Rubens Room compilation serves as both an introduction and a tribute to the label's uniquely curated aestheticieschewing rock conventions for a sophisticated blend of chamber pop, 60s bubblegum, European chanson, Latin rhythms and cinematic soundscapes. Alway's hands-on approach shaped El's musical direction, working with songwriters like Nicholas Currie (Momus) and Philippe Auclair (Louis Philippe), whose compositions helped show the label's meticulous pop craftsmanship. Simon Turner (The King of Luxembourg), Dean 'Speedball' Brodrick, and producer Richard Preston contributed to a sound that was deliberately theatrical and often satirical, evoking a world of elegance and artifice. This was pop that borrowed from the pastiechoing Ennio Morricone's film scores, Gainsbourg's wit, and the romanticism of forgotten music hallsiyet remained forward-thinking in its stylistic fusions. Among the label's defining artists were the Would-Be-Goods, Anthony Adverse, and Bad Dream Fancy Dress, whose narratives often explored themes through a distinctly un-macho, female gaze. Unlike much of the indie scene of the era, El's output was a celebration of refinement, wit and melodrama. The influence of this approach extended far beyond the UK, particularly in Japan, where it directly inspired the rise of Shibuya-kei artists like Pizzicato Five, Kahimi Karie, and Cornelius. While El never achieved mass commercial success, The Rubens Room reaffirms its legacy as one of Britain's most inventive labels, where pop was not just music but a world of sound, style and storytelling.

Review: Unearthed after 63 years in the Lou-Mood Pictures vault, this long-lost soundtrack captures the lush elegance of pop's post-war heyday. Call Me Old Fashioned blends sugar-voiced divas with bold big bands, and a playful "zoo be zoo be zoo" flair, and is then topped with a Latin jazz twist. With its cocktail of vintage sophistication and cinematic intrigue, this 40-minute stereo escapade is tailor-made for fans of spy-fi glamour and is yet another sonic treasure from Numero that invites you to sip and savour the golden age of sound.

Review: For Quentin Tarantino, music is as integral to his films as the visuals and dialogue. Fans can't imagine Reservoir Dogs without 'Stuck in the Middle with You' or Pulp Fiction without 'Misirlou' and now they can relive that magic as often as they want: The Tarantino Experience Reloaded celebrates his musical genius with remastered sound and stunning artwork. Tarantino explains his process saying, that "when I start a film, I go through my record collection to find the spirit of the movie," often discovering the perfect song for key moments. His soundtracks are just as exciting and groundbreaking as his films, creating unforgettable moments like Kill Bill's final showdown or Reservoir Dogs' torture scene. Many of them and more feature here.

Review: We bloody love the Death Is Not The End label. It's the sort of outlet that vinyl lovers fawn over because it only deals in fascinating sounds from lesser-known musical worlds. Enter this latest project: Shidaiqu, meaning "songs of the era," emerged in 1920s Shanghai as a fusion of Western pop, jazz, blues and Hollywood soundtracks with traditional Chinese elements. This hybrid genre shaped a golden age of Chinese popular music and film during the pre-Communist interwar period. This record anthologises shidaiqu's evolution, from Li Jinhui's pioneering 1927 song 'Drizzle' sung by his daughter Li Minghui to polished 1930s-40s works by the Seven Great Singing Stars, including Zhou Xuan and Bai Guang. A wonderful trip into the unknown.

Review: The early Cold War years had quite a lot to be envious of. Clearly defined lines of partisanship and international allegiances, rather than this 'each-country-for-itself' end game we seem to be setting up to play right now. Then there was the sexy, swoon-y, seductive and thoroughly intoxicating pop sounds emanating from teenage bedrooms, shopping malls, concert halls and anywhere else you can think of. Call Me Old Fashioned hits the nail on the latter's head. Squarely. The soundtrack to the first part of Louis Wayne Moody's spy trilogy, this is all about those tunes that make you want to sip Manhattans while gazing at some red-lipped diva cast in the low-lit spots of a late night cabaret restaurant. Or lose yourself in the rhythm of a live Latin jazz ensemble, or the bombast of big band. Picture painted, it's a transportive release, even if you've never seen or heard of the movies.

Review: This is a wonderful collection of Phleng Thai sakon, a style of Thai popular song that fuses local and Western influences. Recorded from the end of WWII to the early 1960s, these tracks are part of the Luk krung genre which contrasts with rural Luk thung. Following the 1930s Thai cultural revolution, Western elements like jazz were incorporated into Thai music and transformed folk melodies into dances like ramwong. This compilation showcases the polished, urbanized Luk krung style, though some tracks touch on rural themes. Despite Western influences, many tracks retain strong ties to traditional Thai music and create romantic, beguiling arrangements.

Review: Since the release of Make Mine Mondo in 2018, fans have eagerly awaited a follow-up - and the second instalment is a thrilling collection of wild instrumentals, rockabilly, garage rock and energetic r&b. This compilation collects some rare music that helps the collection of obscure tracks be a blend of the quirky, the rebellious and the heartbroken. It's a fascinating mix of the mad, the bad and the dangerous, each song oozing raw energy and a sense of urgency. Volume 2 proves just as captivating as its predecessor, delivering an exhilarating ride through the fringe of musical history. Expect the unexpected.

Review: The 11th and 12th editions of this celebrated series, a bestseller for Stag-O-Lee, continue to capture the sultry and atmospheric charm of Melbourne's underground music scene. These compilations transport listeners to the shadowy ambiance of a monthly club night where vintage music lovers and enigmatic figures gather in a smoke-filled, dimly lit room to sway to decelerated r&b, soul and exotica grooves. Curated by Ritchie1250, the mastermind behind SGF and its insightful liner notes, these volumes feature a carefully selected lineup of tracks from legends like Dinah Washington, Harry Belafonte and Charles Brown, alongside hidden gems from lesser-known artists like Jeri Simpson, The Rockbusters and Hirao Masaaki. The soulful strains of 'I Left My Baby' by Count Basie All-Stars and the exotic flair of 'Caravan' by Dinah Washington deliver timeless appeal, while tracks like 'Gee Gee Baby' by Lenny Johnson and 'Danger Theme' by Tony Mottola add intrigue. With each track, these compilations create a vivid soundscape, blending the moody nostalgia and rhythmic allure that will transport listeners to another era.

Review: This third part in an ongoing series of records to focus on the music of the films of Quentin Tarantino continues where Reloaded left off by offering a double album packed with iconic tracks. Featuring gems like Jose Feliciano's 'California Dreamin',' Bobby Womack's 'Across 110th Street' and The Brothers Johnson's 'Strawberry Letter 23,' it celebrates Tarantino's unparalleled ability to pair music with storytelling. Songs from Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood all feature here on hello w and red vinyl and create a sonic tribute to one of cinema's greatest visionaries. With stunning artwork and remastered sound, this is a superb document of some of film's most famous musical moments.

Review: The twelfth volume in Slow Grind Fever delves deep into the soul of rhythm and blues, unearthing tracks that have long been forgotten. Each song feels like an intimate portrait, capturing the raw energy of late-night clubs where the beat flows as freely as the heart. The compilation blends old-school charm with a gritty edge, introducing a fresh generation to the subtle brilliance of these artists. With restraint at its core, the collection allows the music to speak for itself, never needing to rely on flashy nostalgia to leave its mark. It's pure, soulful and compelling.

Review: Paul Weller is perhaps one of the best non-soul musicians to ask to compile a rare soul compilation. Rather than documenting soul music as it proliferated in the 1960s, Ace Records' soul aim was to capture a genre, fashion and style as one man saw it in retrospect, in light of his involvement in the mod revival of the mid 1970s. Weller would later go onto form and front The Jam, but in late 1974, shortly before his involvement in the punk movement, he was about none of that business at all. Punk partly grew on febrile tissues of mod, which was in turn an offshoot of 60s soul; and it is true that we may hear a foetal form of the sound in the brasher cuts on this record, be it Billy Stewart's 'Summertime' or James Carr's 'Pouring Water'. Also clock Brother To Brother's 'In The Bottle', a super-early drum machine blues gem perfect for the house heads.