BGP

Gil Scott-Heron never had a pop hit single; he was more important than that. With ‘Johannesburg’, ‘Home is Where The Hatred Is’ and ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ he wrote songs that resonated beyond the world of disposable chart-toppers. That’s n

Gil Scott-Heron’s second album, “Pieces Of A Man”, showed that his collaboration with musical partner Brian Jackson was very special. The record contained some of Gil’s most revered songs, including ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’, ‘Home Is Where T

Gil Scott Heron’s brilliant 1971 Flying Dutchman album ‘Pieces Of A Man’ was his debut studio album coming a year after the live ‘Small Talk On 125th And Lennox’ and marked a shift from the spoken word format of that record into more song based work. Gil

In 1969 Miles put the phrase “Directions In Music By Miles Davis” on the front cover of his “In A Silent Way” album. The phrase denoted a new way of working where Miles and producer Teo Macero took an overarching view of the music recorded in the studio a

So, why is DJ Andy Smith putting out a Northern Soul mix? Well, that's what a lot of people ask me and the answer would have to be that - it's fantastic music that I've been collecting for a long time. People that go to my gigs will know that I like to in

In the late 60s there was a panic going on at jazz record companies. Records just weren't selling - sure Ella or Miles were shifting units, the big international stars, but new acoustic talent was having a hard time. Soul and funk was what was being dance

The film 'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown' is trying its best to reinstate one of the oldest music history myths, namely that Detroit died a sudden musical death at about the time that Berry Gordy's eye was caught by the Californian sun and a beckoning

I’m sitting have dinner with Bobby Marin – who has spent nearly 50 years in music, making scores of Latin records across every sort of style – and we’re talking about gigs. Bobby grew up on 107th Street Spanish Harlem and was a teen in the 50s. ‘Did you s

So Super Funk Is Back and I would venture to say that it is the best so far.

Now of course, I would say that, wouldn’t I! Just in case you are not convinced by my good word alone, let us run through some of the super rare, unreleased and classic funk t

Mighty Superfunk is the newest release in our flagship compilation series. Since we opened with volume 1 in February 2000 we have followed the ups and downs of the worlds of funk clubbing and collecting. We have been digging deep into tape vaults, hunting

I love this album!

Yes I know we should really be giving you some unbiased run-down of the merits of the tracks on this here slab of shiny disc (or slightly larger two-piece vinyl alternative), but I thought I'd get that unfettered love for the produc

The boogaloo is an infectious and little-defined dance that dominated American dance records in the mid-60s. It was the joyous place where young black and Latin youths met and made sweet music. All previous Boogaloo compilations have focused on the Latin

Various: Let's Do the Boogaloo LP

Eddy E Giles – Soul Feeling (Part 1)
Chester Randle’s – Soul Brothers Testify (Part 1)
Abraham & The Casanovas – Soul Power
Dynamic Adam & His Excitements – Be A Man
Camille Lil Bob – Stop
Dennis Landry – Miss Hard To Get
Freddie Love – Everbody’s D

Every one of us has a favourite record label. I think for many of us at Ace towers, Stax is pretty much at the top of the pile. The independently owned Memphis label recorded soul for 15 years, both up-tempo and impassionately down. It scored hits in the

Memphis never really recovered from losing Stax. If you want to make music in the southern states of America these days you go to Atlanta. But maybe it wasn't all bad, there's a fair chance that Rick Dees' awful Disco Duck would have ended up on the legen

There is sometimes an element of giggling and laughing involved in putting together an Ace compilation. Not condescending or rude laughter, but more the sort that you get when you are young and Santa Claus has been with a large pile of presents. It's an u

Howard Williams (check his amazing Japan Blues show on NTS radio!) has assembled a compilation of Japanese funk, soul and disco for Ace Records offshoot BGP International.

From mavericks like Haruomi Hosono of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, with his low-d