VA - Smooth Grooves - Sophisticated 80s Philly Soul (2011)

Since the introduction of the range under the Harmless label, the Backbeats series have been released at regular intervals and have showcased the talents of some of the best compilers in the world and experts in their respective areas.

The Backbeats series was designed to offer some of the best music in the world from some of the greatest independent labels over the last 50 years. We only use the full original 12 or album versions from the original artists, plus, with over 75 minutes of music on each Backbeats album, you can be assured of getting maximum musical value for relatively minimal outlay. Extraordinary on the ear, exceptional on the eye and easy on the pocket!

Most Philly Soul heads would consider the 1970s as the genre's peak period. By the 1980s, dancefloor tastes had changed, with the driving rhythms and sumptuous strings of disco replaced by a heavier reliance on synthesizers and electro-boogie flavours. Yet many of Philly Soul's greatest artists continued to favour classic sounds and production techniques, cranking out a mix of simmering slow jams, comforting dancefloor grooves and dewy-eyed arrangements. This sumptuous collection from Harmless revisits that period, offering up a bumper selection of little-known ballads. Of particular interest is Instant Funk's "So Glad I'm The One", a classic Philly Soul production that doesn't neatly fit with their usual electrofunk-heavy discography.