Soul Music.com Records

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1987 album from the Jazz/Funk pioneer. "I'm the One (For Your Love Tonight)" was his final set for Columbia Records. Unlike it's predecessors for the label, Roy produced the album himself working with his then-bassist David Metcen who co-produced and contributed five songs to the nine-track set. Other Ayers' band members playing on the album included William Allen and Dennis Davis with long-time friend James Bedford contributing his songwriting talents on three songs. Standout tracks include a cover of the Isley Brothers' 'I Once Had Your Love,' the soulful slow jam, 'Let Me Love You' (featuring singer Chandra Currelley, formerly of the S. O. S. Band), the funky 'Crack Attack' and the vibes-dominated instrumental, 'Blue Summer. ' This expanded edition includes an extended dance mix of the title track. Notes by renowned U. S. writer Lewis Dene (former contributor to the UK's Blues & Soul magazine) include quotes from a 2011 interview with Roy.

"You Name It" is the 3rd album by The Dynamic Superiors released on Motown Records in 1976. The album was arranged by Arthur G. Wright, Gene Page, Dale Warren and Mel Bolton. The cover photography was by Anthony Loew. In 2012, this album was released on CD for the first time, not by Motown, by Universal Records' Soulmusic.com imprint.

This reissue from Cherry Red/Soul Music features a pair of LPs by singer Esther Phillips, You've Come a Long Way, Baby and All About Esther Phillips, originally issued in 1977 and 1978. Highlights among the 17 tracks include "Into the Mystic," "You Think of Him (You Think of Her)," and "If I Fall in Love by Morning." Casual listeners who enjoy this era of Esther Phillips' recordings should keep an eye open for Home Is Where the Hatred Is: The Kudu Years 1971-1977 on Raven.

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.

"Madam Butterfly" is the 7th album by American soul/R&B group Tavares, produced by Bobby Martin and released in 1979 on the Capitol label. By this stage in the group's career, they had become known as a disco act due to successful singles such as "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel", "Whodunit" and "More Than a Woman." However, Madam Butterfly is noted for its lack of anything approaching disco material, and, as such, is considered to be more akin in style to the group's 1973-'75 albums than to their '76-'78 Freddie Perren-produced output.

"Give & Take" is the 4th album from The Dynamic Superiors, and their last on Motown Records. Released in 1977, it includes covers of Martha and the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run" and Stevie Wonder's "All In Love Is Fair". On May 14, 2012, The Dynamic Superiors' "Give & Take" album was released on CD, not by Motown, but by Universal Records' "Soulmusic Records" imprint.

"Just a Matter of Time" is an album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded in 1976 and released on the Blue Note label. The song "Be For Real" was covered by Leonard Cohen on his 1992 album "The Future".

"Joy Ride" is the 7th studio album from American R&B group The Dramatics, released in 1976 via ABC Records. The album peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200 and at #11 on the Billboard R&B chart. Three singles were released from the album: "Finger Fever", "Be My Girl" and "I Can't Get over You". "Be My Girl" was the most successful single from the album, peaking at #53 on the Billboard Hot 100.

With few exceptions, greats who established themselves during soul's golden era were not well served by the disco era, when arrangements and material often poorly suited their abilities. Such was the case with the final two albums by Esther Phillips, Here's Esther…Are You Ready (1979) and Good Black Is Hard to Crack (1981), here combined onto one CD with historical liner notes.