Twenty of his earliest solo sides, from the late '50s, a few of them previously unissued. A lot of this New Orleans R&B is derivative of Fats Domino and Lloyd Price, but the harder-rocking, funkier sides point to his more individual work of later decades. "Cha Dooky-Doo," "Arabian Love Call," and a previously unreleased duet with Larry Williams on "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu" are typically fun and infectious New Orleans R&B novelties; "I'm a Fool to Care" gives us a taste of hi...   [ read more ]

CD $14.23

Label-owner Art Rupe was a savvy businessman who knew the black jukebox industry and what made it tick when he started his Specialty label in the late-'40s. This sumptuous five-disc box set contains a bevy of highlights from this seminal R&B/rock & roll label. Over the years, Rupe recorded a little bit of everything; early big band jump (the Liggins brothers), down-home blues and zydeco (Guitar Slim, Frankie Lee Sims, Clifton Chenier), gospel (early Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers), an...   [ read more ]

CD $71.23

They were known as the Soul Stirrers when they did the 1951-1957 recordings on this three-CD, 84-song collection. It's billed to Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers, though, as it's the ultimate collection of sides he recorded as a member of the group for Specialty Records, along with seven tentative secular pop/rock sides he did for the label as a solo singer in 1956. Cooke doesn't sing lead on all of the Soul Stirrers' tracks, though there are plenty of his leads to hear throughout the ...   [ read more ]

CD $28.48