Here’s a steamy gumbo of blues, soul and funk from Louisiana to suit the last day of sultry summer weather, from Bobby Rush. (more…)

RIP Lamont Dozier – Motown songwriting legend, one-third of the hitmaking trio Holland-Dozier-Holland. (more…)

Here’s a sweet slice of classic country heartbreak from a brand new band called Plains – a duo of Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson. (more…)

If anyone remembers Diane Renay’s brief 15 minutes of fame, it’s as the teenage one-hit wonder who sang Navy Blue. (more…)

The opening chant of Vivian Jackson’s debut single in 1972 is what gave him his nickname of Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U). (more…)

The Toys were a teenage trio who formed at high school in New York in 1961. They sold two million copies of their only hit single. (more…)

Antony Szmierek comes from Manchester: he’s a rapper with a relaxed, conversational delivery and an emotional flow. Unlike a lot of spoken word music – and there’s loads around now – this one makes me want to listen again and again.

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The TV drama The Offer is the inside story of the making of The Godfather. This is the theme music by Isabella Summers (aka Florence’s “Machine”).
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I just couldn’t make up my mind which version of this sweet soul song to post. It was recorded and released by two Texans named Bobby only a few months apart in 1973. (more…)

Here’s another slice of classic soul from Detroit’s Soulhawk label, written and produced by Popcorn Wylie. (more…)