Joyous

The 1970s saw a plethora of great funk and jazz albums that for somewhat mystifying reasons have failed to be reissued. Sitting at home one night it occurred to me that we had better get a move on and get them out. With this in mind we are launching BGP Funk and Soul Classics: long out-of-print albums on CD featuring the very best mastering, great packaging and some nifty sleeve notes to let you know where the album fits into the scheme of things. Our first batch of releases come from the extensive catalogue of Fantasy Records and feature a host of albums that are sought after by collectors the world over.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, this eight piece jazz funk outfit should have been the next in line for multi-platinum success after Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool & The Gang. It seems unfair that they didn't make a big impact on the charts, because over six albums recorded for Fantasy Records they mixed jazz and funk to perfection. Their legacy really is something special.

Their very finest LP is Joyous, whose title track has been an instant and ongoing club classic since it was first issued, but marvelous instrumental grooves, stoned freak outs and an amazing slice of dance soul in Let Me Be The One.