Limited six CD set. Colosseum came together in 1968, the brainchild of virtuoso drummer Jon Hiseman and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith (who had played together in the Graham Bond Organisation and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers). Teaming with bass guitarist Tony Reeves and keyboard player Dave Greenslade, the line-up of the band was completed with the recruitment of guitarist and vocalist James Litherland. Their debut album, 'Those About to Die Salute You' was was one of the first successful attempts to fuse jazz, blues and rock reaching number 15 on the UK album chart. Their second album, 'Valentyne Suite', was the first release on the Progressive Vertigo imprint and spent nine weeks on the UK album chart, peaking at number 15. The album's focal point was the three part 'Valentyne Suite' which earned the band critical praise and is now regarded as a milestone in early Progressive Rock. In the USA and Canada the album appeared in different form in 1970 as 'The Grass is Greener' remixed and featuring new member Dave "Clem" Clempson (guitar, vocals), who replaced James Litherland in the group. The album also featured a series of songs unreleased in the UK. Released on the Vertigo in December 1970, 'Daughter of Time' heralded another line-up change within the group, featuring new recruits Mark Clarke (bass) and the distinctive lead vocalist Chris Farlowe. The album spent five weeks in UK Top 30. A series of UK concerts were recorded in 1971 and were issued in June of that year as the double LP 'Colosseum Live', a UK Top 20 hit. Colosseum dis-banded in October 1971, but were to reform in 1994. This Esoteric Recordings release also features studio bonus tracks and an additional CD of further live recordings from 1971.

The Best Of The Carpenters (1980 UK mail-order only 54-track Four LP box set, with each part housed in its own picture sleeve, all housed in a superb gold embossed 12" box with guarantee slip.

George Benson Simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, George Benson is an amazingly versatile musician whose adept skills find him crossing easily between straight-ahead jazz, smooth jazz, and contemporary R&B. Blessed with supreme taste, a beautiful, rounded guitar tone, terrific speed, a marvelous sense of logic in building solos, and, as always, an unquenchable urge to swing, Benson's inspirations may have been Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery, but his style is completely his own. Not only can he play lead brilliantly, he is also one of the best rhythm guitarists around, supportive to soloists and a dangerous swinger, particularly in a soul-jazz format; skills he first garnered attention for as a member of Brother Jack McDuff's band in the early '60s. Benson can also sing in a lush, soulful tenor with mannerisms similar to those of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. In a sense, he is the guitar-playing equivalent of Nat King Cole, a fantastic instrumentalist whose smooth way with a pop vocal helped solidify his prowess in the marketplace. It is this combination of singing and guitar playing that has garnered him numerous accolades and chart success, including most notably his 1976 breakthrough Breezin', which topped the pop, R&B, and jazz charts and took home Grammy Awards for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Record of the Year.

British rock band from Birmingham formed in 1965 and disbanded in 1972. They formed into ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) after several line-up changes and primary songwriter Roy Woods's desire to form a new band that would play orchestral as well as hard rock. The Move are perhaps best known for their string of top 5 UK chart hits, including their debut "Night of Fear" (#2), "I Can Hear the Grass Grow (#5), Flowers in the Rain (#2), Fire Brigade (#3), and Blackberry Way (#1) all between 1966 and 1968. Despite releasing 4 albums, only their 1968 debut "Move" charted, reaching #15 in the UK.

THREE DISC SET FEATURING THE BEST LIVE PANTERA BROADCAST RECORDINGS AVAILABLE Formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers - drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell - along with lead vocalist Terry Glaze, Pantera started life as a glam-metal band, releasing four albums independently during the 1980s. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Phil Anselmo in 1986 and released Power Metal in 88. In 1989, the band secured a record deal with major-label Atco. With their fifth album, 1990's Cowboys from Hell, Pantera introduced the groove metal genre, while its 1992 follow-up Vulgar Display of Power exhibited an even heavier sound.

Iconic UK indie band Flowered Up, seen as London’s answer to Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses, reissue their debut album ‘A Life With Brian’ (from 1991) via London Records. The reissue follows a BFI documentary on the video of ‘Weekender’ and it’s legendary status in UK club culture of the time. The album remastering was overseen by Flowered Up keyboard player Tim Dorney.

"El Paso" brought the country music out of Marty Robbins into the pop limelight in 1959 and this, together with all of his resonantly impressive "Gun Ballads" album of the same year and the best of the rest of his 50s recordings are all present here in a budget priced double CD pack.

"Staring at the Sun" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released by Island Records as the album's second single on 14 April 1997. The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Iceland and number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the US, it topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Alternative Songs charts. It also reached the top 10 in Finland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Norway.

"Orbital’s exploratory debut album re-wrote the rule book for rave" - DJ Mag
Originally released on September 30, 1991, Orbital’s eponymous debut album became known as “The Green Album” to distinguish it from their second album (known as “The Brown Album”) The Green Album includes the seminal ‘Belfast’ and a live version of ‘Chime’, the landmark dance track that launched their career in 1990.All audio fully remastered, overseen by Orbital

As a founding member of Stax house band Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Steve Cropper was involved in some of the most important music of the 1960s as a player, songwriter, and producer. The following decade introduced him to a new group of fans as guitarist for The Blues Brothers, appearing on both their records and film. A two-time Grammy® winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Cropper has been an integral thread in the cloth of American music, writing, playing and producing into the 21st century to this very day.

The Everly Brothers were American country-influenced rock and roll singers, known for steel-string guitar and close harmony singing, formed by brothers Don Everly (born February 1, 1937 - died August 21, 2021) and Phil Everly (born January 19, 1939 - died January 3, 2014). They had their greatest success between 1957 and 1964. They were inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 (Performer).

History of Soul Records presents the third of a series of anthologies covering the genesis of soul music. Part of the History of Soul series, this double CD presents 56 breathtaking blues and spiritual tracks and some of the most impassioned, compelling vocal performances ever to be recorded. The accompanying illustrated booklet sets out the historical background and explains some of the technical features that make these beautiful songs the precursors of soul music. The Five Blind Boys Save A Seat For Me, Dorothy Coates righteous 99 And A Half, the Soul Stirrers pop-infused yet impassioned Touch the Hem Of His Garment and the Staple Singers glowering Uncloudy Day are not mere stylistic affectations. The uncompromising emotional fire of these records directly reflects the struggles of their times. Similarly, the declamatory exuberance of Ray Charles s call and response classic I ve Got A Woman, the lived-through resilience of BB King s Ten Long Years and the forthrightness of Bobby Bland s It s My Life Baby all speak directly of a new-found African American boldness, the boldness of the self-validated and the determinedly free spirited. These are the sounds and soul of those reclaiming their seat of choice on the bus. Exuberance and rebellion, individuality and community, pain and joy, nature and spirit: this is the music of people who refused oppression.

Soft Machine are an English rock and jazz band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966, named after the novel The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs.Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer and performance artist Daevid Allen moved to Paris in 1960. Inspired by the emerging 'Beat Generation' of writer's works he'd discovered whilst working in a Melbourne bookshop he moved into a room in Paris's 'Beat Hotel' and spent time around the city's Latin Quarter. There, he rubbed shoulders with Terry Riley and William S. Burroughs, gaining free access to the area's jazz clubs. Influenced by the music philosophies of Sun Ra he formed the Daevid Allen Trio, a free-jazz outfit which performed in Burroughs' theatre pieces based on that writer's novel 'The Ticket That Exploded'.In 1961 Allen travelled to Canterbury, England, where he met 16 year-old Robert Wyatt (who was the son of his landlord). Their mutual interest in jazz resulted in a few gigs, in London in 1963, as the Daevid Allen Trio (with Hugh Hopper on bass and Mike Ratledge occasionally guesting on piano). Around the same time, Wyatt formed the Wilde Flowers with the Hopper brothers, Hugh and Brian Hopper, with Kevin Ayers on vocals.

Two studio albums and one live set featuring Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Michael Schenker from the classic, reformed ‘Strangers In The Night’ line-up of UFO.

The Everly Brothers were American country-influenced rock and roll singers, known for steel-string guitar and close harmony singing, formed by brothers Don Everly (born February 1, 1937 - died August 21, 2021) and Phil Everly (born January 19, 1939 - died January 3, 2014). They had their greatest success between 1957 and 1964. They were inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 (Performer).