Review: Roy Ayers at his most transcendent. 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' is more than a summertime anthemiit's a spiritual moodboard that's shaped jazz-funk, soul, r&b and hip-hop for nearly 50 years. Ayers, born in Los Angeles and raised in its fertile fusion scene, places the vibraphone at the music's heart, coaxing heat-haze tones from sparse chords, synths, and that honeyed chorus. Flip it over and the instrumental version unlocks a deeper layer: stripped of vocals, it becomes a pure groove, drifting and hypnotic. What lingers is the balanceibetween melancholy and bliss, rhythm and release. A rare track that feels entirely unhurried yet quietly radical, now preserved in a limited pressing that looks as golden as it sounds.
Review: This orange 7" is a miniature monument to one of soul's most quietly influential figures. Roy AyersiLos Angeles-born, jazz-schooled, funk-mindedicrafted 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' not to dazzle but to dissolve. It moves with a drowsy clarity: shimmering synth, near-whispered vocals, and a lazily tumbling bassline that never quite lands. Released during a golden run of Ayers' mid-70s material, the track has since become shorthand for warm-weather introspection, equal parts ease and ache. The instrumental version on the reverse keeps the spirit intact, offering a meditative glide through the same terrain. Limited to 300 copies, this orange pressing pairs a low-lit groove with a deepening sense of legacyiAyers' influence isn't just heard, it's felt in the space he leaves behind.
Review: Few recordings capture the easy intensity of a summer afternoon like 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine'. Released in 1976 and wrapped in slow-drifting synths and soft falsettos, the track became a touchstone not just for Roy Ayers, but for 70s soul and beyond. Born in Los Angeles, Ayers helped define the jazz-funk crossover, placing the vibraphone at the centre of a sound both hazy and sharply detailed. The original vocal take on the A-side still melts under its own warmth; the instrumental on the flip uncovers the careful architecture beneath. Issued here on 7" black wax following Ayers' recent passing, this reissue feels like both a keepsake and a quiet honouring of an artist who shaped a whole way of listening.
Review: A double dose of dancefloor bliss is administered (subversively without doctor's orders) by Kent Soul. These two numbers have been faved by fans from several scenes and the world over: first, there's The Cheques' 'In The Groove', a longingly upbeat homage to a groovin' place by the obscure Louisianan organists. Lead organist Tony Nardi, would later go on to form the Thai funk group Salt & Pepper, famously recording 'Man Of My Word', but for then and now, this 60s manoeuvre would serve to transcend its mod origins, attracting the Northern soul crowd in the years to come. After, 'Arabian Jerk' by The Merits rehears a Goldwax production out of Memphis: mod and exotica collide in a steaming instrumental excitation of backbeat accents and parping 2-4 guitars, making a mod belly dancer's anthem.
Review: The new soul project by ex-members of Silver Skylarks, Dorrington Drive, hears lush productions and distinct melodies channelled into the self-revelatory spirit of early 70s AM pop and soul. This cut could've easily been heard on one such radio station, a staple of the time. With the track named after the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Brooklyn, we find ourselves embarking on a thoroughly enjoyable Atlantic coastline jaunt here, through bombastic funk bass and slapping toms.
The Way You Love Me (Dim TSOP version - Dimitri From Paris Glitterbox retouch) (8:14)
The Way You Love Me (Tom Moulton Philly Re-Grooved remix) (12:54)
Review: Some may argue that Dimitri From Paris and Tom Moulton have already provided the definitive remixes of Ron Hall, the Muthafunkaz and Marc Evans' 2006 gem "The Way You Love Me". This Glitterbox 12", which features alternative versions of those two legendary reworks, proves that they're wrong. Dimitri's "Glitterbox Retouch" of his Philadelphia International-inspired TSOP Version is a little more focused and tightly edited than its predecessor, but naturally incredibly similar. It's Moulton's "Philly Regrooved Mix", though, that's the real stunner. A near perfect example of Moulton's classic mixing skills, it sees the original disco mixer give space to each instrumental solo before unleashing the now oh-so-familiar vocal. The result is 13 minutes of unashamed disco bliss.
Barbara Lewis - "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do" (2:36)
Tony & Tyrone - "Please Operator" (2:48)
Review: US American soul singer and songwriter Barbara Lewis had a smooth style that very much influenced rhythm and blues during her 60s heyday. She began writing songs at the age of just nine and as a teen, recorded with producer Ollie McLaughlin. Her best known tunes club high in Billboard charts and include 'Hello Stranger' and 'Baby I'm Yours' but here it is the swinging sounds and swooning stings of 'Baby What Do You Want Me To Do' which gets pressed up alongside Tony & Tyrone's Northern Soul gem 'Please Operator' which is more raw and urgent soul.
Review: Junior Scaife delivers two ensouled sides, produced and co-written by Penrose mainstay Anthony Masino. One of the most gifted vocalists in the soulscape of today, Scaife infuses every note with a shrill sprechgesang, a longing, heaving intonation heard between the runs. 'Nobody Gets My Love' is an ode to tensions of love and pride, wielding the late-60s Hestor and Wylie Detroit sound as a listless instrument for impudence. On the B, 'Too Much Too Soon', offers a slow-burning ballad laced with wah guitar and a comparatively elegance, marking a standout for the lowrider soul crowd.
Review: West Coast soul outfit Thee Baby Cuffs keep the slow-burning romance alive with 'There Ain't Enough Roses', a tender ballad drenched in harmonised falsettos and vintage charm. Now composed of Joe Narvaez and Reality Jonez, the group channels classic lowrider soul, working once again with Finnish production outfit Cold Diamond & Mink. Their signature downtempo style remains intactilush instrumentation, delicate grooves, and a melody built to sway. Previous Timmion singles like 'My My Baby' and 'You're My Reason' cemented their status as torchbearers of group soul, and this latest offering only deepens that legacy. On the flip, a flute-led instrumental nods to Steve Parks, sealing the track's timeless appeal.
Review: New York soul quartet The Topics never found the spotlight they deserved during their short run across the 60s and early 70s, but this sharp 7" reissue offers a long-overdue glimpse at their brilliance. Both cuts originally surfaced in 1973 via Mercury, the only major label to back the group before they vanished into obscurity. 'Booking Up Baby' is a slick, string-laced dancer co-produced by Dennis Williams, best known for work with Teddy Pendergrass and the O'Jays. On the flip, Van McCoy's 'Giving Up' gets an opulent, emotionally rich treatmentidelivered with the polish and pain of top-shelf crossover soul. Both tracks ooze sophistication, driven by harmony-led vocals and lush instrumentation. Given the scarcity of original pressingsione recently went for L850ithis reissue is not only a collector's dream but a chance for wider ears to catch up with two underrated gems from the golden era of American soul.
Review: South London's Trambeat return with a double punch of funk and soul on LRK Records 13 years after first being formed by Graham Potter and Des James. The Croydon-based band brings classic Northern Soul energy with sharp modern flair to their latest 7", featuring 'Blow Up The Groove' and 'All Killer, No Filler'. Both channel dancefloor euphoria with turbocharged horns, breakneck grooves and bold vocals over strutting basslines and all-nighter anthems. Trambeat's shift from DIY collective to stage-commanding soul machine is great, and if their debut 'Don't Hold Back' teased their potential, this release kicks the doors wide open.
Review: Famously featured on NY Style Vol. 46 by DJ Masaru, Tranzit's 'Necessary Love' is a rare boogie gem from the 1980s that deserves more shine - and will not get it with this reissue. Smooth and soulful to its core, it delivers a mid-tempo groove wrapped in dreamy chords, lush textures and heartfelt vocals. With its romantic message and mellow energy, it's perfect for slow dancing or late-night reflection and is more than just a love song. It captures the emotional essence of 80s modern soul, so if you love overlooked r&b treasures, 'Necessary Love' is a crucial pick up.
Dopus No 1 (Aka The Grifter, Aka Mr Holland's Dopus) (4:15)
Review: On 'Good Weed And Red Wine', Seattle funk and soul group True Loves let on as to their favourite substantive combo. It's a potent pairing indeed. Their first release since 2021's album Sunday Afternoon finds the band revitalised and funky as ever, with leading saxophonist Skerik providing pleated heat, embossing his signature brass instrument over a Morricone-ish funk maunder. The legendary Nigel Hall joins on keys, impressing both whites and blacks with warm-bodied but firm fingertip hammerings. Mature, at peak, and munchy, without either a hint of paranoia or gone-offness, this unlikely fusion of vint and splint sure doesn't turn up skint!
Albert Washington & The Kings - "I'm The Man" (2:40)
Albert Washington - "Case Of The Blues" (2:55)
Review: Kent Soul continue in their efforts to 100% faithfully replicate the works of old soul greats from the 60s and 70s, sustaining the everlasting flame of Northern soul and its various splinter hubs across the UK. Now Cincinnatian blues legend Albert Washington gets his due: a highly productive recording artist, active from the 60s all the way through to the 90s, Washington's 'I'm The Man' seizes the a short window moment in which a new spinster might be met with an opportunistic proposition after a bad breakup. "You don't have nobody to call your own / darlin', I'm the man / I share your pain, I do / I can make all your dreams come true / now, come on / yessir, you need me..."
Review: Greg Wilson and The Reynolds first teamed up in 2015 for 'Summer Came My Way' as a vocoder-topped summer twinkler, backed up by sweltering handclaps and gutting electric pianistic held notes. The Merseyside DJ and producer is alleged, at least as far as Discogs bios go, to have pioneered the UK electro scene, though his collaborative sensibility with twins Katherine and Carmel Reynolds here proved otherwise downbeat but munificent in emotion, compared to electro's later superlatively harsh, snappy, two-step snarings. The Balearic soul of 'Summer Came My Way' as deserving of its new ambient version, and it is the real highlight here, manifesting before us dazzlingly with its scatted lyrics and acid torsions.
Review: In 1970, soul icon Carla Thomas recorded a full album at Memphis' American Sound Studio for Stax Records. While two tracks were released as a single, the complete project was shelved and remained unreleased until it surfaced in a 2013 compilation. Now, 55 years later, the long-lost album finally sees its vinyl debut. Featuring songs penned by songwriting legends such as James Taylor, The Bee Gees and the duo Goffin and King, this record offers a long-overdue spotlight on a hidden gem from one of Stax's most beloved voices and captures a soulful moment in time that nearly slipped through the cracks.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.