Green Vinyl!

Boz Scaggs classic ‘Lowdown’ makes a long awaited return to 12 Inch, appearing for the first time on green vinyl. Originally released in 1976 as part of the album ‘Silk Degrees’. The track ‘Lowdown’ showcases Scaggs’ smooth vocals and the songs captivating bassline. This comes as a triple threat, backed with JoJo and What Can I Say, three of the most renowned Blue Eyed Soul anthems for the price of one.

Cutting his teeth alongside Steve Miller in the Steve Miller Band, this EP captures Boz Scaggs at the peak of his powers. This new pressing serves as a perfect introduction to new listeners as well as replacing worn out copies for longtime fans. Copies on the second hand market are scarce, if you’re lucky enough to find one it will set you back in the region of £80, so not one to be missed.

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Bill Withers' 'Lovely Day' is a quintessential soul masterpiece that radiates warmth and positivity. The track stands out as a magical single, encapsulating the essence of a perfect, sunny day with its beautiful strings, uplifting background vocals and a delightful horn arrangement that adds depth to its feel-good vibe. This song effortlessly lifts the spirits, making it a timeless anthem of joy. On the flip side, 'It Ain't Because Of Me Baby' shows a funkier side of Withers' artistry. Its rhythmic groove and engaging melodies provide a captivating contrast to the uplifting nature of the title track, demonstrating Withers' versatility as a songwriter and performer. Together, these tracks create a delightful listening experience that highlights the genius of Bill Withers.

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Repress!

Taken from his 'You Might Be Surprised' album from 1985 and produced by James Mtume with additional help from Tawatha & Philip Fields (of Aurra & Mtume) as well as David Frank (of The System), this 12 inch has long been sought after by Roy Ayers fans with the release changing hands for over £100 regularly on Discogs.

This mid tempo joint with forward thinking lyrics, a great 808 beat and beautiful chords is sophisticated, yet hood. Reissued for the first time, don't miss this opportunity to own this slice of mid 80's Roy Ayers.

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Tyrone Davis was a hugely prolific Blues & Soul singer who was born in Mississippi in 1937. He started his career as Blues legend Freddie King's personal chauffeur and valet and cut a few Soul 45's that didn't make too much noise at the time. A few years later things had turned around for young Tyrone and he'd caught the ear of Chicago music impresario Carl Davis who had just set up his own label - Dakar Records. Having worked with legendary outfits including The Chi-Lites, Bohannon, Jackie Wilson and many more, Carl Davis was exactly the link that Tyrone needed to gain more exposure for his music. After a very successful career with Dakar and almost 25 singles with the label across 7 years, Tyrone signed to major Columbia which is where, in 1978, this much sought after promo-only Disco jammer came from. Released in limited quantities and only available as a Columbia white-label DJ promo 'Get Up (Disco)' is a total mid-tempo burner, raw funked-out Soul of the highest degree! True underground Disco flavour here, one for the freaks, smooth, but heavy enough to cause some serious damage in the dance. Featured here in it's original promo 12" mix, untouched and backed with the equally dope 'In The Mood' from 1979. Some of you will undoubtedly recognise 'In The Mood' as a jam that was heavily sampled by The Beatnuts, Faith Evans, MC Eiht, Redman and more! This one's a low slung, lights down lovers jam and the perfect foil to the A-side. Two heavyweight jams on one 12", remastered from the original source material and 100% legit, reissued with the full consent of Sony / Columbia Records. Essential for all Disco / Soul / Funk fans.

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Lifted from Hubbard's lauded 1979 LP 'The Love Connection', this sublime piece of melodic, deep, Soul / Jazz will have ears and minds open with it's instantly recognisable opening string sequence. Used to devastating effect on Pepe Bradock's all-time 1999 deep-House classic 'Deep Burnt', those sweeping strings capture us and lead us into a epic journey with the wondrous vocal stylings of the legendary singer Al Jarreau. This is prime early morning music, pushing all the right buttons and spreading light wherever it is played, a beautiful beautiful record indeed. What is essentially an extended and rearranged version of Hubbard's 1967 original, the '79 version of 'Little Sunflower' boasts a sumptuous arrangement and production from the mighty Claus Ogerman (Ben E King, Mel Torme, Bill Evans, Antonio Carlos Jobim & more). A truly wondrous piece of music, reissued on a single side in it's full 12" length of 9+ minutes from the source archive audio. Fully legit, licensed and reissued with love by Above Board distribution and Columbia Records / Sony BMG for Record Store Day, 2019.

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'Use Your imagination' by 'blue-eyed' Funky rock combo Kokomo is a deep cut from the pre-Disco era of 1975. A time when uptempo R&B and Rock records like this were de rigueur with DJ's and dancers on the dancefloor's of clubs across NYC and all major cities where 'proper' dance music was appreciated and taken seriously. The years leading up to the Disco boom blessed us with some fantastic records like this that carried over into that late 70's era, 'classics' that still got love from the DJ's and were sequenced alongside the hits and anthems of the day. Featuring members of Joe Cocker's Grease Band, Kokomo had a few hits and were widely known, 'Use Your imagination' though, was their nightclub classic, a breezy, jazzy and funky jam that rolls just right and is incredibly rare and sought after on promo 12". Backed here with an exclusive unreleased edit on the flip you know this is an essential if you're a true Disco-head! This repress of the original Columbia promo from 1975 is backed with a brand new re-edit from one of NYC's Disco kings - Mr.K aka Danny Krivit. With almost half a century spent behind the turntables in NYC and beyond he surely understands records like 'Use Your Imagination' intrinsically, he was, after all, there when it all happened!

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Major Keys is a brand-new audiophile label focusing on fully licensed reissues of jazz classics, pressed on 12” for a fuller, louder version compared to the original album cut. What better way to kick of the series than housing Herbie Hancock’s imitable ‘Chameleon’ and ‘Watermelon Man’, loud and proud on either side of a 12”.
They don’t get much more iconic than ‘Chameleon’. Nestled on the incredible 1973 ‘Head Hunters’ album it’s a 16-minute exploration of legendary jazz funk – having all the sensibilities and solos of a jazz record, yet grounding its rhythms in funk, soul and R&B. Even, as its title suggests, morphing from a low slung slow jam into a full-on, fast paced spiritual gem. Lock in for one of the most iconic basslines around courtesy of Paul Jackson, alongside some of the sweetest synth and Rhodes playing you’re likely to hear from Herbie, all tied together with Harvey Mason’s mythical drumming. Sampled the world over by the biggest and the best this is a truly timeless and hugely influential piece of music.
On the B side, the equally intriguing ‘Watermelon Man’. This version, again taken from the Head Hunters LP, differs from the Blue Note bop ’62 original, with Hancock developing it into a jazz fusion expedition. Bill Summers top and tails the track with a style of beer bottle blowing imitating a type of whistle playing found in Central African Pygmy music, giving a unique flavour to Hancock’s jazz funk stylings that focus on the rhythmic interplay between each instrument. From Dilla to Digable Planets, Madonna to Massive Attack it’s a classic that’s sampled time and time again for good reason.


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Finally, Marlena Shaw’s timeless cover of Diana Ross’ ‘Touch Me In The Morning’ gets the official, remastered, reissue treatment alongside the downtempo, slow jam - ‘Shaw Biz / Suddenly It’s How I Like To Feel'. ‘Touch Me In The Morning’ is as iconic a track as you’ll ever hear, becoming a huge anthem of discotheques the world over. A tale of lost love, capturing the emotions and exposed honesty of a separation, contrasted with those intrinsically uplifting string and horn sections. It is a truly epic embodiment of strength and courage that Shaw’s vocals summon from your very soul. Hunee melted hearts by dropping ‘Touch Me In The Morning’ to close out the main stage of Dekmantel 2017 - a spine-tingling moment of inclusion, hope and emotional outpouring, bringing a whole festival that little bit closer together. This is a 7-and-a-half-minute journey to completely lose yourself in and few have done it better than Marlena Shaw. On the B side is ‘Shaw Biz/Suddenly (Its How I Like To Feel)’ - Marlena’s cautionary account of the emptiness and loneliness that can come with success and material possessions, before finding true love just when it was needed. It’s slow, sultry and passionate, much to do with Shaw’s voice bringing a pure outpouring of the soul that she duly became famous for.

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'You got the stuff' is not 'Lovely day' - that much is true. This one's a wigged out, extended, trip into deep space from 1978 that is truly baffling. Of course, it features Bill singing for the first half of the track but then all of a sudden we're launched into a cosmic wormhole as everything just falls back and the track is stripped of any earthly qualities. People find themselves asking 'this...... this is Bill Withers?' as lazer guided synths and rock solid drums pull us into the sonic vortex. Truly amazing. Obviously a nugget like this has not gone unnoticed and has been edited and chopped and sampled deftly by the more sarcastic, left-field oriented crate diggers out there but it has never been reissued legitimately - Until now! A hugely sought after and collectible gem right here, backed with the wistful slow jam 'Look To Each Other For Love' as per the original 1978 Columbia promo 12" version. This left-field, cosmic classic has been legally reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with the legal rights holders - Sony Music Entertainment. This high quality repress features original Columbia pink label Disco 12" artwork and has been remastered from Sony's original sources by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.

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Jackie Moore's 1979 Disco bomb 'This time baby' is one of the biggest tracks of the genre. A total classic that found fame on the dancefloors via DJ's like David Mancuso, Larry Levan and Ron Hardy it is the epitome of a roof-raiser. Produced by Philly legend Bobby Eli (MFSB, Salsoul Orchestra, Stylistics, Barbara Mason) and mixed by underground Disco legend John Luongo this is an essential 12". Originally performed by The O-Jays Jackie's version ramps the energy right up to the max and cranks the heat up to 100. Everything is here, killer driving drums and percussion, THAT bassline that drops, the cowbells, horns, strings and of course...... Jackie! This is a straight repress of the '79 pressing on Columbia and features the sweet b-side 'Let's go somewhere and make love', another breezy Philly number courtesy of Mr. Eli yet again. All round quality. This classic has been legally reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with the legal rights holders - Sony Music Entertainment. This high quality repress features original Columbia pink label Disco 12" artwork and has been remastered from Sony's original sources by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.

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Philadelphian Jazz legend Benny Golson has had a long and storied career, he's played with luminaries such as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey just to mention a small handful. Obviously his credentials are rock solid and his skills as a tenor sax legend are undisputed. 'I'm always dancin' to the music' from 1978 is taken from Benny's LP of the same name. Released on the mighty Columbia imprint as a mono & stereo promo-only white label it's status among underground soul, funk & jazz aficionados is heavyweight, a true 'rare groove' indeed. Produced by George Butler (whose credentials are no less than impressive!) this one has been a hugely popular dance record that has never been easy to track down in 12" form, often topping 'most expensive' record lists it's a record that certainly won't appear in your local second hand spot anytime soon. Due to it's scarcity and the fact that 'I'm always dancin' to the music' is such a stellar, uplifting piece of jazz-funk-disco goodness it's no surprise that the bootleggers have tried their hand at replicating this masterful release, often resulting in some fairly shoddy facsimiles. Fear not, this beautiful, legit repress comes to you via the combined forces of Above Board distribution and Sony Music, utilising their superior and original master sources and lovingly remastered and repressed just as the 1978 promo 12" was released. No messing around here. Essential, rare and beautiful - Another amazing nugget from the vaults!

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Repress!

Earth, Wind & Fire are obviously one of the greatest bands of all-time and both of these remixes are works of art in their own right. On the A side we have the much in-demand Blaze 'Shelter' remix of "Fantasy" which stretches this classic to 8.55 and finishes with an unbelievable Phillip Bailey acappella. As though that wasn't enough we've put the much sought-after Masters At Work remix of "Can't Hide Love"
a staple record since its debut in 2002.



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Originally released on a promo-only limited edition special 12" mix in the U.S., "Anung Anunga" was pressed in extremely limited quantity, making it one of the rarest Columbia 12" releases ever - a mint copy will currently set you back around £100. Produced by veteran dance music producer Bert Decoteaux, "Anung Anunga" is the perfect fusion of red-hot Cuban musicians with a contemporary dance production. The result is simply stunning and continues the tradition of artists like Candido and Joe Bataan crossing over into the Dance Music world. As though that's not enough, on the flip we've provided the equally stunning "Baila Mi Ritmo" - the other outstanding dance track from their only Columbia studio
album which now makes its debut on 12" for the first time ever. All in all, this is an exceptional double-sided slab of 12" vinyl which could almost be a fresh new find for many since the original 12" disappeared without a trace.



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Welcome to the brilliant Herbie Hancock with the always in-demand slinky groover Stars In Your Eyes on the much coveted 11.21 "special disco remix". This is quite simply one of the smoothest Disco rides you will ever take with a production made in heaven and a vocalist supreme with Gavin Christopher taking it to another level. Find an original U.S. promo of this if you can. There's lookalikes about which are inferior quality! As if that wasn't enough, we've only gone and paired it with the hugely rare U.S. promo-only 12" "special disco remix" of the scintillating Saturday Night.
This is as rare as hens teeth and you'd be lucky to find a mint one for less than £50. Featuring an extended percussion break from the fantastic Sheila E, this a very different mix to the original album version and was never widely circulated at the time. So another nice rare gem. As double-siders go, this really takes some beating. Order with confidence because this will still be selling for years to come.



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In a whirlwind of sex, independence, honesty and darkness, rising star Bebe Black is set to release ‘The Deathwish EP’ on Jan 21st. Citing Courtney Love, old-school Madonna, Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush as her influences, the singer-songwriter from Dorset, a former fashion student who looks as if she’s just stepped off the set of This Is England, writes about love and pain on the release with the candour of someone who’s seen it too many times before. Remixes by up and coming Ejeca (Needwant / Wolf Music) & Subb-An (One Records).


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