2018

Edition of 300. With folded poster.

Eighties Ladies comprise Denie Corbett, Marva Hicks, Susan Beaubian, Sylvia Striplin and Vivian Prince. They recorded one album with Uno Melodic Records, a label created and run by the legendary Roy Ayers at the height of his career. The group are best known for “Turned On To You”, one of the most iconic ‘rare groove’ tracks from the early 80s. It was sampled numerous time in the 90s, most notably by A Tribe Called Quest (“Buttter-Hip Hop Mix”), and more recently bu Nujabes featuring C.L. smooth (“Sky Is Falling”). This 7” is an exclusive edit of the 12” version, while the instrumental version of “Ladies of The Eighties” appears here on 7” for the first time.

Since the recent reissue of Sylvia Striplin’s one album for Uno Melodic Records, demand has been building again for two of the key tracks back together again on 12” single. Huge on disco, rare groove, two step scenes these track capture the essence of the period of music and genius of producer Roy Ayers. First released in 1980, both tracks became signature tracks for Roy’s Uno Melodic label. Sylvia previously sang with Roy at Polydor, sang lead momentarily with Aquarian Dream and one album with Eightes Ladies.

Alongside Expansion’s release of Leon’s two iconic Elektra albums, back to back on one CD, two super rare 12” tracks are hereby reunited. The first issue of this 12” came in 1982 and was only ever intended to be for promotional use. Original pressings have sold for over £300. Leon Ware wrote and produced for an impressive array of other artists, most notably Marvin Gaye on “I Want You”, and his own work continues to be as in demand as ever. “Why I Came To California” (also on Expansion 7”) is one of his signature tracks and features guest co-vocalist Janis Siegel, a nine time Grammy winner and seventeen time Grammy nominee from Brooklyn, New York.

Creating songs of both eulogy and revolution, the expansion of 21st century black consciousness is felt in waves through Ohio’s Mourning [A] BLKstar. A force that has deep conviction, purpose, and weight, songs are voiced through the a lens of chopped up drum grooves, stark melodies, washed-out synth tones, and historic sample pulls. On The Garner Poems, the group traffics their signature gritty strain of DIY Afrofuturist soul music, balancing hip-hop production techniques with lo-fi experimentation to create a sonic suite that eulogizes victims of police brutality, including Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, as well as bringing forth a conversation that aligns with the political and emotional state of this world. The Garner Poems are modern day spirituals of reverence and despair that serve as both a force of light and a schematic for hope, survival, and independence.

Jazz, funk, disco and boogie from the unlikely city of Houston, Texas: the definitive issue, with bonus tracks, mastered from the original tapes.Drummer, bandleader and activist Bubbha Thomas had toured America with R&B revues, served as a session musician for Peacock and Back Beat Records, and played straight ahead jazz with legends before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane. Country Fried Chicken, his fourth LP with his Lightmen band is his most accessible, a mixture of funk and spiritual jazz.Contains second disc with bonus tracks: alternate, synth-lead mixes of songs from his first two LPs as well as rare and unreleased disco and boogie tracks. Extensive booklet, download card for WAV files and footage of live performances included.

Kalita Records are proud to announce the first ever official reissue of the four choice tracks from Randolph Baker's privately pressed elusive 1982 disco album " Reaching For The Stars"Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first ever official reissue of the four choice tracks from Randolph Baker's privately pressed elusive 1982 disco album 'Reaching For The Stars', plus an unreleased instrumental take of 'Party Life' sourced from the original 24-track analogue master tapes.Originally recorded at Jim Morris and Rick Miller's Tampa-based Morrisound Studios, 'Getting Next To You' features a mixture of both local Florida talent plus jazz superstar Nat Adderley and bassist John Lamb at their finest. Originally pressed in a run of just one-thousand copies, with limited distribution, original copies have long been sought-after by both collectors and DJs alike, acknowledged as a true disco masterpiece and deservedly demanding extortionate figures to those lucky enough to find their own.Here, in collaboration with Randolph, Kalita Records offer the four in-demand tracks from the album: ‘Getting Next To You’, ‘Jazzman’, ‘Callin’ Me’ and ‘Party Life’. The former is an in-demand horn and chant-filled disco masterpiece, which, as Randolph explains, concerns unity and “everyone on the same level… in other words, everyone just loving life”. It is arguably the song that Randolph is most well-known for in the disco and funk scene and perfect for the modern discerning dance floor. ‘Jazzman’ is an instrumental track with prominent trumpet and saxophone solos working with funky basslines to produce a truly great jazz-funk groove. ‘Callin’ Me’ is a soulful disco number featuring the lead vocals of Laurie Erickson and is “about being on the road and ensuring loved ones that you will always come back home no matter what. It was like a promise to ensure loved ones they didn't have to worry”. Lastly, ‘Party Life’ is a joyous disco track with a strong funk bassline and horns. Here, with access to the 24-track master tapes we have been able to include the original version plus an unreleased instrumental take, allowing us to focus on the infectious bassline and make it even more ready for the modern dance floor.'Getting Next To You' is to be released in July 2018, accompanied by interview-based liner notes and never-before-seen photos.- First ever official reissue of the four choice tracks from Randolph Baker's sought-after 1982 disco album 'Reaching For The Stars'- Includes an unreleased instrumental version of 'Party Life' remixed from the original 24-track analogue master tapes- Accompanied by extensive interview-based liner notes and never-before-seen photos

Having remained continuously active since 1971, the Yoruba Singers are the longest-running musical group in Guyana. Emerging from a music scene mostly dominated by slick, commercial entertainment, the Yoruba Singers brought a new dimension to Guyana popular music, cooking up a potent stew of afrocentric vibes, steeped in a committed invocation of the country’s African heritage. The Yoruba Singers released several recordings during their imperial period in the nineteen seventies and eighties, but what is broadly regarded as the group’s magnum opus is the 1981 album Fighting for Survival. The album sums up the group’s first decade of operation, serving up a heavy mix of calypso, jazzy funk, reggae and afrobeat. Initially released on the short-lived Interculture label and later reissued on a Guyana-only compact disk, the album has long been more talked about than actually heard. But thanks to Cultures of Soul a new edition is now available in wide release, and with it comes the opportunity to experience some of the deepest grooves the Caribbean has to offer!