Another volume in the '45rpm single collection' series. 20 tracks representing a wide selection of rare grooves, covering genres like modern soul, jazz-funk, deep soul, disco, and heavy funk.

Behind the Mask is the fifteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 9 April 1990. It was the first album released by the band after the departure of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham (although he did play acoustic guitar on the album's title track). He was replaced by Billy Burnette and Rick Vito, both guitar players, singers and songwriters. Fleetwood Mac thus became a six-piece band with four singer/songwriters. The album was not as successful as its predecessor, Tango in the Night, nor did it spawn any big hit singles, although "Save Me" made both American and Canadian Top 40, while "Love Is Dangerous" and "Skies the Limit" enjoyed some airplay.

WHEN GUITARISTJohn Norum left Europe in 1986, at the very height of their popularity, the news was met with shock and incredulity. It was a stunning decision considering that he had been a founding member of the band (and its predecessor Force) for seven years and seemed so musically at ease with their exciting and successful brand of melodic rock. There was a lot of head scratching and amazement that someone with his fortitude and talent could turn his back on mass adoration and financial security by leaving Europe to follow his own muse. But all was not lost as John’s game plan was simple and deftly executed, setting course for a well received solo career. Recruiting a new backing band of long-time musical friends (including Marcel Jacob, a former Europe member, on bass) and continuing his relationship with Swedish executives at the Sony label he redefined his ambitions away from the lighter pop rock path of Europe. This time around the music was harder, heavier and full of serious conviction, allowing John to unleash full on guitar work, woven within leaner and meaner songs. Whilst his soloing had always been impressive, this time around the playing was simply out of this world.

Tigermoth Records are proud to release the new Christmas EP from Les Penning (Mike Oldfield) and Robert Reed (Sanctuary/Magenta/Cyan) The title track is a re-working of the classic song from The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, ‘Fairytale of New York’ and also features four new recordings, including 2 Christmas carols and a new track written by Les and Rob.

One of the most popular funk groups of the 1970s, War were also one of the most eclectic, freely melding soul, Latin, jazz, blues, reggae, and rock influences into an effortlessly funky whole. Although War's lyrics were sometimes political in nature (in keeping with their racially integrated lineup), their music almost always had a sunny, laid-back vibe emblematic of their Southern California roots. The band kept the groove loose, and they were given over to extended jamming; in fact, many of their studio songs were edited together out of longer improvisations. Even if the jams sometimes got indulgent, they demonstrated War's truly group-minded approach: no one soloist or vocalist really stood above the others (even though all were clearly talented), and their grooving interplay placed them in the top echelon of funk ensembles.

Having emerged from the post-new wave scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of post-punk and progressive rock, Marillion would become the most commercially successful neo-prog band of the 1980s. Marillion's recorded studio output since 1982 is composed of twenty albums and generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original lead singer Fish in late 1988 and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve Hogarth in early 1989. The band achieved eight top ten UK albums between 1983 and 1994, including a number one album in 1985 with Misplaced Childhood, and during the period the band were fronted by Fish they had eleven top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart. They are best known for the 1985 singles "Kayleigh" and "Lavender", which reached numbers two and five respectively, with "Kayleigh" also entering the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. This new triple CD set focuses on the era during which Fish fronted the band, and features a selection of previously unreleased live broadcast and demo recordings from the years 1979 to 1988.

This deluxe set with the optical discs features a brand new stereo remix by Steven Wilson, the original 1994 mix by Dave Meegan, and two CDs of Live At La Cigale performance from ’94. The audio has been newly remixed by Michael Hunter, and features a performance of Brave in its entirety. This is now the complete performance as it has been expanded with nine unreleased tracks.
Rebounding from the inconsistent Holidays in Eden, Marillion retreated to the studio for 15 months to write and record the concept album Brave. Telling the story of an abused girl wandering on Severn Bridge, the album is a solid mix of symphonic tracks with a pronounced rock edge…

Want the most definitive collection of all those one off smash hits you loved in days gone by?? Well look no further because here is 101 One Hit Wonders, and you won't find a collection of tracks better than this! Get down to MC Hammer, Chumbawamba, The Knack, Vanilla Ice, Kriss Cross, Meredith Brooks, Scatman John, Nena, Katrina & The Waves, Wilson Phillips and many, many more!

Sure, the Keith Jarrett Trio of the '80s and '90s recorded way too much music for the casual fan to absorb. But one's reservations fade when confronted with the sheer creativity and empathy that the trio displayed in this gorgeously recorded live date at New York's Town Hall. As in several albums before, the emphasis for Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette is on standards, save for a sole ostinato-based Jarrett original (the title track). "Bemsha Swing" finds Jarrett at very nearly his best, transforming standard material completely in his own funky manner. In addition, there is a really beautiful rendition of Oscar Levant's "Blame It on My Youth," and an eloquently harmonized "Body and Soul" with generous solo space for Peacock. There is some squeaky vocalizing by Jarrett over some of his solos, but not enough to deter anyone from enjoying this 77-minute outpouring of first-class improvisational jazz.

For the first time ever, on the occasion of the group's 50th anniversary of their first hit, every single from Martha Reeves & the Vandellas is now in one package-the 3-CD box set 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1962-1972, featuring all A- and B- sides, and much, much more. Featured among the set's 82 tracks are the group's 10 top ten Pop and R&B hits, including the everlasting "Come And Get These Memories," "Dancing In The Street," "Heat Wave" and "Nowhere To Run"; also included are the Vandellas' Spanish language versions of "I'm Ready For Love" and "Jimmy Mack." Martha Reeves first arrived at Motown to audition; she ended up becoming the company's first A&R secretary, and then a star, when she filled in to sing at a session and brought her background singers along. Along with the Miracles and the Marvelettes, she and the Vandellas were Motown trailblazers, who helped develop what was to soon become the world-famous "Motown Sound."

Songs of Rapture and Redemption: Rarities & Live is a 2018 compilation album of American folk musician Judee Sill.
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Thom Jurek writing that Sill "was able to sing without artifice, allowing the full weight of her songs to arrive at the listener clearly with enviable restraint" and in terms of this compilation, "the true gift here is the warm, rich, thoroughly remastered sound that should make even fans who have all of Sill's wondrous material seek it out in this format"; the site chose this as Best of 2018 in Compilations and Reissues. Jim Wirth of Uncut also rated this compilation 4.5 out of 5 stars, writing of the demos, "even in their unfinished form they are ruggedly perfect".

The astonishing Judee Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen’s Asylum Records, and Judee Sill the first album released on the label. Sill’s music is intensely spiritual, redolent of both mysticism and divine imagery, yet grounded by great songwriting and a pure but powerful singing talent. Her songs impart incredible intimacy that is enhanced and not diminished by her sometimes complex string/orchestral arrangements (remarkably Sill arranged and conducted the strings/orchestra on her albums!). Sill’s life was tragic personally and professionally. Her father and brother were killed when Sill was young, and her tempestuous relationship with her alcoholic (and remarried) mother resulted in her leaving home at 15. She committed robberies and began a battle she was destined to lose against drug addiction. When stardom didn’t follow the critical acclaim of these two albums her career never recovered. Sill was dead in 1979 at just 35. The brevity of Judee’s musical legacy is vastly outweighed by the emotional power in these two extraordinary albums. Judee Sill and Heart Food are Mastered DIRECT-TO-DSD from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at CoHEARent Audio. The master tapes are in fine shape, and listeners will be blown away by the increased inner detail and three-dimensionality of these achingly gorgeous recordings.

The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin kickstarts their Handel trilogy with this recording of the first six concerti grossi op. 6. Originally designed as attractive interludes to English oratorio performances, Handel’s concerti grossi soon gained fame as the most appealing orchestral music of the baroque era. Written in London in 1739, towards the end of his career, Handel paid tribute to the immensely popular concerti grossi of Corelli while simultaneously proving his mastery incorporating all musical styles of his times. Led by their concertmaster Bernhard Forck, the players of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin demonstrate why many consider them the best baroque ensemble of today. This first installment will be followed by the last six concerti grossi op. 6, as well as a recording of the concerti grossi op. 3.

Solti’s recording of Elgar 1 blew across the face of British music in the early Seventies like a blast of fresh air. Immersing himself in Elgar’s own brisk interpretations, Solti forced us to reassess the provincial tradition of Boult and Barbirolli. Hearing it again now, one is struck, if anything, by the lavish attention to detail and by a sense of loving devotion to the music; the slow movement is positively reverential. More recent readings (Slatkin, Davis, etc) show how things have developed, and Hurst’s Naxos account is a strong budget contender. But Solti’s version is deeply felt and gloriously played.

For his first solo project after replacing Dickie Betts in the Allman Brothers Band, 23-year-old Derek Trucks pushes the stylistic envelope even further than on his last diverse release. Prodding into Latin, Indian, and fusion jazz, this stylistically varied effort exudes enough blues and funky R&B to keep the Allman Brothers Band fan's attention while expanding their boundaries – sometimes radically – beyond what the typical Southern rock fan might expect or even tolerate. It's a brave and largely successful experiment, due in part to the vocals of his guest stars, since Trucks himself does not sing. Opening with the title track, a funky Meters-style bubbler that employs a gospel chorus to frame Trucks' searing slide work, it sounds like the guitarist is working within borders he established on his two previous albums.