Recorded in the early hours of the morning, ‘Baby I Need Your Loving’ was nothing but sweet soul music that put Four Tops on the map.
Among the best Stax vocal groups, you’ll find some of the finest soul singers of the 60s and 70s, letting you know how it felt to be young, gifted and black.
Endlessly funky, the best James Brown samples reveal why the hardest working man in show business became the most-sampled artist in history.
Presenting a view of life and love that still resonates, ‘Phases Of Reality’ – and William Bell – should be better remembered.
A live recording of ‘No Woman, No Cry’ helped make Bob Marley a global star. The song remains a celebration of life in the face of hardship.
‘Walking The Dog’ might seem like an album about dancing. And animals. But Rufus Thomas’ influence spread far further than many people realise.
The Temptations were at a crossroads with 1966’s ‘Gettin’ Ready’: producing dancefloor hits of the highest order while heading towards the future of soul.
With the Black Forum label, Motown founder Berry Gordy created a place where African-American spoken-word artists could make their voices heard.
The relationship between Motown and politics runs deep. At the heart of it was great music and a commitment to changing the world.
Seeing the connection between jazz and disco, the Vanguard and Fantasy labels made sophisticated dancefloor music that still sounds fresh and thrilling.
In taking reggae to the world, Bob Marley put Jamaica on the map. His legacy reaches beyond music, spreading messages of love and unity.
The Sting and Shaggy collaboration ‘44/876’ might have taken many by surprise, but the rock icon and reggae legend have more in common than you think.
Resonating as strongly as ever, ‘Three Little Birds’ was slow to take flight, but now stands as one of Bob Marley’s most affecting songs.
For the ravenous Northern soul collector, one label consistently brought the goods: Chess Northern soul classics continue to epitomise the sound today.
In the way its music was presented and the universal themes its artists sang of, Motown broke racial barriers to move everyone, no matter their skin colour.
