Various Artists - Chartbusters USA: Sunshine Pop / Various - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Three CDs. Opening the collection with feel-good hits 'Lovely Day' from Bill Withers and 'I Can See Clearly Now' from Johnny Nash, CD1 sets the ultimate summery mood with timeless favourites from Bonnie Tyler, Blondie, Roxy Music, 10cc and Althea & Donna with 'Uptown Top Ranking'. Nostalgic gems including 'Seaside Shuffle' from Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs and 'Seasons in the Sun' from Terry Jacks lead into huge hits from Billy Ocean, John Denver, Dolly Parton, and Tammy Wynette. The disc rounds off with a run of sun-drenched upbeat tunes from Glen Campbell, Pussycat, The New Edition and Sylvia Vrethammar with the ultimate early '70s holiday smash 'Y viva Espana'. CD2 kicks off with the iconic movie medley, 'The Grease Megamix' from John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, followed by an array of bright dancefloor fillers from Chic, Sister Sledge, Hot Chocolate and The Drifters with 'Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies'. Baccara's Eurovision Song Contest entry 'Parlez-vous francais?' flows into a mix of warm disco grooves from George McCrae and The Hues Corporation, as well as soulful sounds from The O'Jays, The Temptations and Minnie Riperton, before closing the disc with the legendary vocals of Marvin Gaye with 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)'. CD3 begins with relaxed, sun-kissed tunes from the Commodores, Diana Ross, The Isley Brothers and The New Seekers with the massive feel good #1 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)'. Next up, playful chart smashes from Dawn feat. Tony Orlando, Middle Of The Road and The Wombles with 'The Wombling Song'. Pure '70s pop, glam and rock drive the rest of the disc including from Sweet, Sailor, Mud, Meat Loaf and Peter Shelley. Completing this sunshine inspired compilation are a trio of the decades' greatest ballads; 'Never Let Her Slip Away', 'The Air That I Breathe' and Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' signing off your 70'

A few years after the success of her album crossing Baroque music with folk, Love I Obey, the Franco-American singer Rosemary Standley visits Schubert, this time with the complicity of the Ensemble Contraste InchWe all have a few notes of Schubert buried deep inside us,Inch say the artists, who have got together around his music and brought it to an original sound texture, the result of their varied influences- classical, pop, jazz, folk. They have picked some of the best-known lieder and universally loved instrumental pieces, incorporating in them rhythms from other countries and instruments unusual in this repertory the jazz trumpet of Airelle Besson, the guitar of Kevin Seddiki, the percussion of Jean-Luc Di Fraja join forces with the viola of Arnaud Thorette, the piano, cello and double bass of Ensemble Contraste- not forgetting the exceptional participation of the soprano Sandrine Piau, who joins Rosemary Standley for several duets. The arrangements are by Johan Fariot.

2015 collection. Big Beat makes a long overdue foray back into the copious vaults of maverick pop personage Gary S Paxton, this time focusing on late 60s production pop. The workaholic engineer/arranger/producer left a tremendous cache of such material in his vault, all bearing his unique and idiosyncratic trademark of quality. Happy Lovin' Time celebrates this overlooked aspect of Paxton's capabilities, with a remarkable selection of his production work in the genre between 1966 and 1970. Most tracks employ the same crack session team that appeared on Paxton-engineered hits by the Association, Tommy Roe and others and some feature familiar names. Among Paxton's collaborators was popmeister Curt Boettcher, who is showcased on here on two rare demos. Paxton also produced the influential vocal quartet the Four Freshmen, dragging them into the 60s with records such as the groovy 'Nowhere To Go. ' The producer's secret weapon in the later 1960s was writer Kenny Johnson, who contributed a wealth of strong material to visiting acts including the Canadian groups the Jay Bees, New Wing and Privilege, as well as his own recordings under such various guises as the Bogart Cult, Homogenized Dirt and Bakersfield Poppy Pickers. Detailed liner notes by compiler Alec Palao explain the manner in which much of the contents came to be recorded, and overall, Happy Lovin' Time is a fun-filled, eminently listenable package that will delight any fan of 60s sunshine pop.