Perfect Toy Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: There's not an awful lot of information about Perfect Toy's latest killer funk reissue, which appears to gather together two different recordings of 'Big' Jim Cartwright's sole single, 'Stone Born Country Boy'. At least two original pressings of the obscure, extremely hard-to-find single exist, with Cartwright recording slightly different versions each time. On this essential reissue, the (probably later) A-side version is the superior recording; tighter, heavier and blessed with female backing vocals, it's a fiery chunk of country funk from the point when the style was starting to diverge from rhythm and blues. The marginally longer flipside take is most likely an earlier recording; fuzzier and more raucous, it is closer in tone to purist rhythm and blues.

Review: Billy Gee & Whole Shabang's 'I'll Stop At Nothing' originally came on the Perfect Toy label back in May 2019, before we had ever heard of the word 'covid.' Mad huh. Anyway, it now gets pressed up to this tidy 7" and cannot fail to get you in a spin. The driving four four dumps and backed by supersized horns and impassioned male vocals with more than a little fancy flutter in the delivery. On the flip is something quite different - 'Not My Boy' lows right down and sinks into a more intimate American-slash-western sound with noodling horns and bass.

Review: Mystery might surround fuzzy soul peddlers The Penny Arcade but we know their cover of Rufus Thomas' "Funky Way" was such a strong favourite on Perfect Toy's "Deep In The Valley" collection that they've served it up on its own 45" complete with a fresh soul sojourn in the form of the hazy, light footed swooner "New Love". Penny for your thoughts?

Review: Taken from last year's immaculate excavation LP The Roy Roberts Experience, both sides here are holy grail northern soul artefacts - frequently fetching over $300 a piece. "I Know What To Do To Satisfy You" is a super-rare feel good upbeat soul gem with steel drums, big brass and keys pinned down to perfect by Roy's soft-but-firm vocals while "Got To Have Your Love" is more of a straight up northern soul floor stomper with some seriously surging organ work singing in harmony with Roy's gutsy deliver. One per customer - this won't hang around!

Review: Until its inclusion on Keb Darge's late '90s Legendary Deep Funk compilation, only a few serious record collectors had heard of Smokin' Shades of Black's sole single, 'Grease Wheels'. Original copies of the private press single are near impossible to find, so this first ever "45" reissue on Perfect Toy is undoubtedly well overdue. 'Grease Wheels' is a rambunctious and riotous affair - a rollicking, Latin-tinged deep funk romp that boasts heavyweight drum-breaks, fiery horns, heady organ riffs and some seriously good jazz-style solos. You'll naturally find original B-side 'Love Is' on the flip. If anything, this is an even heavier deep funk concoction blessed with some fine female backing vocals and sharper, more energetic instrumentation.