Ashford & Simpson

Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946) were a husband and wife songwriting-production team and recording artists. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined an aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Good"), Maxine Brown ("One Step At A Time"), as well as the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson. The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Ashford and Simpson were also recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award in 1999, and ASCAP's highest honor, the Founder's Award, which they received in 1996.

"Diana Ross" (later reissued rarely as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough") was the debut solo album for Diana Ross. It reached #19 in the USA (#1 R&B) and sold over 500,000 copies. The album was the ultimate test to see if the former Supremes frontwoman could make it as a solo act. With the help of the songwriting-producing team of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Ross turned out a successful album. Ross did extensive work with other producers before settling with Ashford & Simpson, including Johnny Bristol, producer of her final single with The Supremes, "Someday We'll Be Together". Bristol here produces "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" (which was a UK hit when originally recorded by The Velvelettes); the rest of the LP is fully written and produced by Ashford & Simpson.

"Diana Ross" (later reissued rarely as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough") was the debut solo album for Diana Ross. It reached #19 in the USA (#1 R&B) and sold over 500,000 copies. The album was the ultimate test to see if the former Supremes frontwoman could make it as a solo act. With the help of the songwriting-producing team of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Ross turned out a successful album. Ross did extensive work with other producers before settling with Ashford & Simpson, including Johnny Bristol, producer of her final single with The Supremes, "Someday We'll Be Together". Bristol here produces "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" (which was a UK hit when originally recorded by The Velvelettes); the rest of the LP is fully written and produced by Ashford & Simpson.

"The Boss" is the 10th studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on May 23, 1979 by Motown Records. This album was written and produced by longtime Ross collaborators Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson and marked her return to Top 40 radio based on the strength of the title track, which peaked at #19 on the pop singles chart, and #12 on the US R&B Chart. In addition, all the LP tracks went to #1 on the dance charts, and the album itself peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Although the Dynamic Superiors recorded five albums for Motown in the mid- to late '70s, virtually everyone would agree that the most interesting of these were the first two. Both were produced by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who also wrote almost all of the material. This reissue puts both albums onto one CD, adding historical liner notes, and almost serves as a best-of, their later output notwithstanding.

"TP" is the fourth album by R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass. It reached #14 on the US pop albums chart and #3 on the US R&B albums chart. It spawned the top ten singles, "Can't We Try", which was also featured in the soundtrack to the film Roadie, and "Love T.K.O.". It's also his only album while at Philadelphia International Records without any input from label founders Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.

Le Edits - Dimitri From Paris' home of luxurious and beautifully crafted Disco reworkings has returned! This time a very special and thoughtful project is in the works, an extra-special collection looking back over the first offerings of this very unique contemporary Disco label. The first 5 releases, all now long gone and sold out across the globe and fetching high collectors prices in the used marketplace, will now be compiled into a very limited collected boxset for those who missed them the first time around. With such a high demand, the call for represses on all of the Le Edits titles has been loud and clear from record collectors and Disco aficionados worldwide, so it seemed only right to make something special and out of the ordinary! Dimitri, as a life-long record fiend himself, has made sure the original 12's were not repressed while presenting this extremely in-demand music in a desirable, distinctive, individually numbered package complete with a high quality Le Edits screen-printed tote bag.

Le Edits - Dimitri From Paris' home of luxurious and beautifully crafted Disco reworkings has returned! This time a very special and thoughtful project is in the works, an extra-special collection looking back over the first offerings of this very unique contemporary Disco label. The first 5 releases, all now long gone and sold out across the globe and fetching high collectors prices in the used marketplace, will now be compiled into a very limited collected boxset for those who missed them the first time around. With such a high demand, the call for represses on all of the Le Edits titles has been loud and clear from record collectors and Disco aficionados worldwide, so it seemed only right to make something special and out of the ordinary! Dimitri, as a life-long record fiend himself, has made sure the original 12's were not repressed while presenting this extremely in-demand music in a desirable, distinctive, individually numbered package complete with a high quality Le Edits screen-printed tote bag.

In 1977, 1978, and 1979, Gladys Knight & the Pips put a lot of effort into recording separately. Minus Knight, the Pips recorded two LPs as a trio (1977's At Last The Pips and 1978's Callin', both on Casablanca), while Knight provided her first two solo albums (1978's Miss Gladys Knight on Buddah/Arista and 1979's Gladys Knight on Columbia). But by 1980, the group itself was their top priority again. The R&B department at Columbia had very high hopes for this album, and they weren't disappointed. Both creatively and commercially, About Love was Gladys Knight & the Pips' most successful album since 1974's I Feel a Song. The people they can thank for the album's excellence are the husband and wife team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who wrote and produced all of the material.

Cardboard sleeve reissue from Diana Ross featuring the high-fidelity SHM-CD format. Part of a ten-album Diana Ross SHM-CD cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring albums "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Everything Is Everything", "Surrender", "Touch Me In The Morning", "Last Time I Saw Him", "Diana Ross", "Baby It's Me", "Ross", "The Boss" and "Diana".