Sam Cooke..The Man and his Music

A 28-track best-of giving conclusive proof that soul's doomed golden boy was a singer of exquisite control and grace. Opening with a couple of Soul Stirrers gospel gems, The Man & His Music packs together most of Cooke's great pop sides, from the airily lovely "You Send Me" all the way to the majestic "A Change Is Gonna Come." Some of the cuts are more twee than others--it's rare that he touches the soulful pinnacles of "Bring It on Home to Me" or "That's Where It's At," and too often he descends to dross like "When a Boy Falls in Love." Even on the more winsome hits, though, he remains a peerless vocal artist. And when you finally get to "Change," it's hard not to feel despair at Cooke's premature death. --Barney Hoskyns...Amazon.com

1. Touch the Hem of His Garment
2. That's Heaven to Me
3. I'll Come Running Back to You
4. You Send Me
5. Win Your Love (For Me)
6. Just for You
7. Chain Gang
8. When a Boy Falls in Love
9. Only Sixteen
10. Wonderful World
11. Cupid
12. Nothing Can Change This Love
13. Rome (Wasn't Built in a Day)
14. Love Will Find a Way
15. Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha
16. Another Saturday Night
17. Meet Me at Mary's Place
18. Having a Party
19. Good Times
20. Twistin' the Night Away
21. Shake
22. Somebody Have Mercy
23. Sad Mood
24. Ain't That Good News
25. Bring It on Home to Me
26. Soothe Me
27. That's Where It's At
28. A Change Is Gonna Come

Sam Cooke

                                                        

The Best of Booker T. and The MG's

These four gentlemen, Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass)(Steinberg was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1965), and Al Jackson, Jr.(drums), may have been the most important players in all of soul music. They were an interracial group before it was popular or even accepted. They formed the core of the house backing-band at Stax Records, wrote classic soul songs, and discovered and produced artists at Stax. As this compilation makes very clear, they recorded great songs in their own right. All instrumentals, the MGs wrote their own classics-"Green Onions," "Time Is Tight"--and interpreted others--"Groovin'," "Hang 'Em High." The contemporary sound and feel of these vintage tracks proves what visionaries they were. --Robert Gordon..Amazon.com

1. Green Onions
2. Mo' Onions
3. Jellybread
4. Tic-Tac-Toe
5. Soul Dressing
6. Terrible Thing
7. Can't Be Still
8. Boot-Leg
9. Summertime
10. Be My Lady
11. Red Beans And Rice
12. My Sweet Potato
13. Booker-Loo
14. Hip Hug-Her
15. Slim Jenkins' Place
16. Groovin'

Booker T and The MG's

As It All Began...The Best of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers 1964-1969

"The Father of British Blues" himself chose and annotated the 20 tracks that comprise this look at his early years, and when you consider Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Paul Butterfield, Mick Fleetwood and Mick Taylor all passed through the band during this era, the honorific is well-earned!

 1. Crawling Up A Hill
 2. Mr. James
 3. Heartache
 4. Crocodile Walk
 5. Blues City Shake Down
 6. Lonely Years
 7. Bernard Jenkins
 8. All Your Love
 9. Parchman Farm
10. Looking Back
11. A Hard Road
12. Eagle Eye
13. Double Trouble
14. Broken Wings
15. The Death Of J.B. Lenoir
16. Me And My Woman
17. Suspicions
18. Picture On The Wall
19. Miss James
20. Start Walkin'

John Mayall 

                                

The Best of Aretha Franklin

“There are singers,” said Ray Charles, “then there is Aretha. She towers above the rest. Others are good, but Aretha is great. She’s my only sure-enough sister.” Since the moment Aretha stepped to the pulpit at her father’s famed New Bethel Baptist Church as a young girl singing in the great gospel tradition, the world has recognized her as a musical miracle. Aretha Franklin's first collection of hits is represented with this CD, which was originally released in 1968. Many of her best songs from the 1960s are here: "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (#9 in 1967), "Respect" (#1 for 2 weeks in 1967), "Chain of Fools" (#2 in 1968), "Think" (#7 in 1968), and "I Say a Little Prayer" (#10 in 1968).

1. Chain of Fools
2. I Say a Little Prayer
3. Natural Woman, A (You Make Me Feel Like)
4. Think
5. Rock Steady
6. Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
7. Respect
8. Spanish Harlem
9. Dr. Feelgood
10. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
11. I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
12. Save Me

Aretha Franklin

Van Morrison...Moondance

Van Morrison went a long way towards defining his wild Irish heart with his first two classic albums: the brooding, introspective Astral Weeks (1968), and the expansive, swinging Moondance. If the first was the work of a poet, its sequel was the statement of a musician and bandleader. Moondance is that rare rock album where the band has buffed the arrangements to perfection, and where the sax solos instead of the guitar. The band puts out a jazzy shuffle on "Moondance" and plays it soulful on "These Dreams of You." The album includes both Morrison's most romantic ballad ("Crazy Love") and his most haunting ("Into the Mystic"). "And It Stoned Me" rolled off Morrison's tongue like a favorite fable, while "Caravan" told a tale full of emotional intrigue. Moondance stood out in the rock world of 1970 like a grownup in a kiddie matinee. --John Milward ..Amazon.com

1. And It Stoned Me 
2. Moondance 
3. Crazy Love 
4. Caravan 
5. Into The Mystic 
6. Come Running 
7. These Dreams Of You 
8. Brand New Day 
9. Everyone 
10. Glad Tidings 

The Doors...first album

THE DOORS, first released in January 1967, is one of rock music's most famous debuts...the Doors more than fulfilled the promise of their infamously challenging gigs around Los Angeles throughout the previous year. Whether belting out a standard like "Back Door Man" or talk-singing such originals as "The Crystal Ship" and "I Looked at You," leather-clad vocalist Jim Morrison exuded both sensuality and menace. The mixture, on the outsize album finale, "The End," helped rewrite the rules on rock song composition. None of this would have worked, though, were it not for the highly visual instrumental work of keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robbie Krieger, and drummer John Densmore, whose work on tracks such as "Take It As It Comes" and the lengthy hit "Light My Fire" virtually defined the rock-blues-jazz-classical amalgam that was acid-rock. --Billy Altman ..AMAZON

1. Break On Through (To The Other Side) 
2. Soul Kitchen 
3. The Crystal Ship 
4. Twentieth Century Fox 
5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) 
6. Light My Fire 
7. Back Door Man 
8. I Looked At You 
9. End Of The Night 
10. Take It As It Comes 
11. The End 

The Doors

 

Otis Redding...The Definitive Collection

Otis Redding was a major force in 60's soul music. His vocals were outstanding and one can not listen to this album without thinking what could have been if he had not tragically died in 1967. His lyrics are well written and have meaning without sounding trite. "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" is his signature song but there are many other tracks that are on the same level, like "Mr Pitiful", "Hard to Handle" and "Try A Little Tenderness". Many of these were revived when "The Commitments" movie was released and were featured on the soundtrack.

Otis Redding

Roy Orbison...The Golden Decade 1960-1969

Roy Orbison was best known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country and western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis. His greatest success came with Monument Records between 1960 and 1964, when 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top Forty, including "Only the Lonely", "Crying", and "Oh, Pretty Woman".

Orbison was a natural baritone, but music scholars have suggested that he had a three- or four-octave range.The combination of Orbison's powerful, impassioned voice and complex musical arrangements led many critics to refer to his music as operatic, giving him the sobriquet "the Caruso of Rock". Many of Orbison's songs conveyed a quiet, desperate vulnerability. He was known for performing while standing still and solitary, wearing black clothes and dark sunglasses which lent an air of mystery to his persona.

Golden Decade 1
Golden Decade 2
Golden Decade 3

                                                         

The Best of WILSON PICKETT

Wilson Pickett sang Southern soul straight from the bottom. He shouted the gospel, screamed the blues, all with a touch of aggressive, near-punk sneer.The hits, some of the 60s sweatiest and intense, are all here. This is R&B coming at you 90 miles an hour, and is an essential set from a soul survivor.

Wilson Pickett



The Kinks...remastered..60 classic tracks

The Kinks were as big a part of the sixties British music scene as were The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Them....etc...If you're looking for one Kinks compilation to fulfill your basic British Invasion-era Kinks needs, then this one will certainly do it......all the classics are here plus many more.

The Kinks Remastered



The Freewheelin' BOB DYLAN

After his self-titled debut album, Dylan stunned 1963 listeners with his second album, which opens with three Dylan classics in a row: "Blowin' in the Wind","Girl From the North Country" and "Masters of War".Two other tunes, "Hard Rain" and "Don't Think Twice" are among the best songs Dylan ever wrote. The Dylan of 1963 sought to tell us about the world and what was happening in it as he saw it, but he also wanted us to have a couple of laughs. "Talking World War III Blues" and "I Shall Be Free," though dated only by the characters named, are still great examples of Dylan's sharp wit.'Freewheelin'' marks the first time Dylan wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the songs on the album. ("Corinna, Corinna" is the lone exception.) This album is recognized as one of Dylan's best, alongside 'Blonde on Blonde' and 'Blood on the Tracks.'

1. Blowin' In the Wind 
2. Girl From the North Country 
3. Masters Of War 
4. Down the Highway 
5. Bob Dylan's Blues 
6. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 
7. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right 
8. Bob Dylan's Dream 
9. Oxford Town 
10. Talkin' World War III Blues 
11. Corrina, Corrina 
12. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance 
13. I Shall Be Free

for legal reasons a sample download of this album is not possible but it can be purchased through AMAZON

The Shadows...The Original Chart Hits 1960-1980...plus other classic tracks

The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) are an English instrumental rock group. They were Cliff Richard's backing band from 1958 to 1968 and on numerous reunion tours, including 2020. They have had 69 UK chart singles from the 1950s to the 2000s, 35 credited to the Shadows and 34 to Cliff Richard and the Shadows. The group, who were in the forefront of the UK beat-group boom, were the first backing band to emerge as stars. As pioneers of the four-member instrumental format, the band consisted of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums. Their range covers pop, rock, surf rock and ballads with a jazz influence.

The core members from 1958 to 2015 were Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch. Along with the Fender guitar, another cornerstone of the Shadows sound was the Vox amplifier. The Shadows, with Cliff Richard, dominated British popular music in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the years before the Beatles. The Shadows' number one hits included "Apache", "Kon-Tiki", "Wonderful Land", "Foot Tapper" and "Dance On!". Although these and most of their best-remembered hits were instrumentals, the group also recorded occasional vocal numbers, and hit the UK top ten with the group-sung "Don't Make My Baby Blue" in 1965. Two other vocal songs by the Shadows also made the charts. They disbanded in 1968, but reunited in the 1970s for further commercial success.

The Shadows are the fifth most successful act in the UK singles chart, behind Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Cliff Richard and Madonna. The Shadows and Cliff Richard & the Shadows each have had four No. 1 selling EPs.

The Shadows 1

The Shadows 2

 

alt link 1 alt link 2

 

The Rolling Stones...Hot Rocks ..The Greatest Hits 1964-1971

What can you say about the Rolling Stones that hasn't already been said except that you must have an album of theirs in your collection somewhere...this one is a good start...

                                                              

James Brown....50th Anniversary Collection

The "Godfather of Soul" may no longer be with us in body, but his SOUL certainly lives on! This collection contains 50 of his classic funky grooves and soulful ballads.....

James Brown 1

James Brown 2

                                                      

Jimi Hendrix...The Ultimate Experience

Ultimate Experience

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Despite a relatively brief mainstream career spanning four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music."

Born in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. In 1961, he enlisted in the US Army; he was granted an honorable discharge the following year. Soon afterward, he moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, and began playing gigs on the chitlin' circuit, eventually earning a place in the Isley Brothers' backing band and later finding work with Little Richard, with whom he continued to play through mid-1965. He then joined Curtis Knight and the Squires before moving to England in late 1966 after being discovered by bassist Chas Chandler of the Animals. Within months, Hendrix had earned three UK top ten hits with the Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", and "The Wind Cries Mary". He achieved fame in the US after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and in 1968 his third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, reached number one in the US. The double LP was Hendrix's most commercially successful release and his first and only number one album. The world's highest-paid performer, he headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 before dying from barbiturate-related asphyxia on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27.

Hendrix was inspired musically by American rock and roll and electric blues. He favored overdriven amplifiers with high volume and gain, and was instrumental in developing the previously undesirable technique of guitar amplifier feedback. He helped to popularize the use of a wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock, and was the first artist to use stereophonic phasing effects in music recordings. Holly George-Warren of Rolling Stone commented: "Hendrix pioneered the use of the instrument as an electronic sound source. Players before him had experimented with feedback and distortion, but Hendrix turned those effects and others into a controlled, fluid vocabulary every bit as personal as the blues with which he began."

Your collection would not be complete without at least one Jimi Hendrix album. This compilation gathers 20 of his finest moments and is certainly essential

                                                            

The Complete ANIMALS.....the Mickie Most productions

This 2CD compilation showcases The Animals at their best with a collection of their biggest hits and many outstanding Blues and R&B covers. One of the almost forgotten and underrated groups of the early British sixties scene

TCA001

TCA002

The Beatles...Early Tapes with Tony Sheridan

There are many versions of The Beatles' early recordings available, and, yes, this is another one, but worth listening to for the beginnings of not only The Beatles, but for the Beat scene in the UK from the early sixties. A good selection of rock'n'roll and R&B covers plus The Beatles' tribute to The Shadows, the instrumental track "Cry For A Shadow".

The Early Tapes



Hank Williams...40 Greatest Hits

Hank Williams, Sr. (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953), born Hiram King Williams, was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant country music artists, Williams recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that would place in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country and Western Best Sellers chart, including 11 that ranked number one.

Born in Mount Olive, Butler County, Alabama, Williams moved to Georgiana, where he met Rufus Payne, a black street performer who gave him guitar lessons in exchange for meals or money. Payne had a major influence on Williams' later musical style. During this time, Williams informally changed his name to Hank, believing it to be a better name for country music. He moved to Montgomery and his music career began there in 1937 when WSFA radio station producers hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program. He formed as backup the Drifting Cowboys band, which was managed by his mother, and dropped out of school to devote his time to his career.

When several of his band members were conscripted into military service during World War II, Williams had trouble with their replacements and was dismissed by WSFA due to his alcoholism. Williams eventually married Audrey Sheppard, who managed the singer for nearly a decade. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. In 1948 he released "Move it on Over", which became a hit, and also joined the Louisiana Hayride radio program. One year later, he released a cover of "Lovesick Blues", which carried him into the mainstream of music. After an initial rejection, Williams joined the Grand Ole Opry. He had 11 number one songs between 1948 and 1953, though he was unable to read or notate music to any significant degree. Among the hits he wrote were "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Hey, Good Lookin'", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry".

Several years of back pain, alcoholism and prescription drug abuse severely deteriorated Williams's health; he divorced Audrey and was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry, citing unreliability and frequent drunkenness. Williams died in the early morning hours of New Years Day in 1953 at the age of 29 from heart failure exacerbated by pills and alcohol. Despite his short life, Williams has had a major influence on twentieth-century popular music. The songs he wrote and recorded have been covered by numerous artists, and have been hits in various genres including pop, gospel, and blues. He has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

If you're a Country music fan you will know all about Hank Williams. If you are not, then you should. The man is a music legend and has influenced countless other artists. There are many complilations of his music available, and this is a good place to start.

Tracklist 
1-1 Move It On Over 2:43
1-2 A Mansion On The Hill 2:33
1-3 Lovesick Blues 2:42
1-4 Wedding Bells 2:53
1-5 Mind Your Own Business 2:53
1-6 You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) 2:55
1-7 Lost Highway 2:40
1-8 My Bucket's Got A Hole In It 2:31
1-9 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 2:45
1-10 I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Living 2:46
1-11 Long Gone Lonesome Blues 2:36
1-12 My Son Calls Another Man Daddy 2:32
1-13 Why Don't You Love Me 2:22
1-14 Why Should We Try Anymore 2:36
1-15 They'll Never Take Her Love From Me 2:43
1-16 Moanin' The Blues 2:22
1-17 Nobody's Lonesome For Me 2:29
1-18 Cold Cold Heart 2:42
1-19 Dear John 2:33
1-20 Howlin' At The Moon 2:41

2-1 I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) 2:22
2-2 Hey, Good Lookin' 2:53
2-3 Crazy Heart 2:25
2-4 (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle 2:24
2-5 Baby, We're Really In Love 2:30
2-6 Ramblin' Man 3:01
2-7 Honky Tonk Blues 2:09
2-8 I'm Sorry For You My Friend 2:40
2-9 Half As Much 2:41
2-10 Jambalaya (On The Bayou) 2:51
2-11 Window Shopping 2:31
2-12 Settin' The Woods On Fire 2:34
2-13 You Win Again 2:34
2-14 I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive 2:24
2-15 Kaw-liga 2:33
2-16 Your Cheatin' Heart 2:41
2-17 Take These Chains From My Heart 2:36
2-18 I Won't Be Home No More 2:43
2-19 Weary Blues From Waitin' 2:33

2-20 I Saw The Light 2:42

40 Greatest Hits #1

40 Greatest Hits #2

alternate link #1

alternate link #2

Note: this replaces original post "The Original Singles Collection" due to corrupted files.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet....Time Out

Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned "Take Five," Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with "Take Five," the album features another one of the group's signature compositions, "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck's greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band's appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band's already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. --Fred Goodman Amazon.com


1. Blue Rondo à la Turk
2. Strange Meadow Lark
3. Take Five
4. Three To Get Ready
5. Kathy's Waltz
6. Everybody's Jumpin'
7. Pick Up Sticks

Time Out

                                                      

Link Wray.....The Original Rumble plus 22 other Storming Guitar Instrumentals

Fred Lincoln 'Link' Wray, Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005), was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and vocalist who first came to popularity in the late 1950s.

Building on the distorted electric guitar sound of early records, his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray and his Ray Men popularized "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists", making possible "punk and heavy rock". Rolling Stone placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2013 he was announced as a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His musical style primarily consisted of rock and roll, rockabilly and country.

No collection is complete without an album by this man. Link Wray is the inventor of the power chord that influenced a whole generation of British and American guitarists. The Who, The Kinks and many more took the power chord to another level because of hearing Link DO IT FIRST! He was the inventor of a style of music that is such a deep part of musical history.

1. Rumble
2. The Swag
3. Batman (Theme)
4. Ace Of Spades
5. Jack The Ripper
6. I'm Branded
7. Fat Back
8. Run Chicken Run
9. Turnpike USA
10. Deuces Wild
11. Mustang
12. Blueberry Hill
13. Run Boy Run
14. The Sweeper
15. Hound Dog
16. That'll Be The Day
17. The Fuzz
18. Rawhide
19. Draggin'
20. Aces Wild
21. Bull Dawg
22. The Rumble Man
23. Copenhagen

The Original Rumble