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Review: Last year, Freestyle Records reissued 'Tonight's The Night', the 1983 debut from West London outfit Take Three - a collaboration between production trio S.H.E (Steve Sinclair, Peter Hinds and Kevin Ellis) and lover's rock vocal harmony group Alpha (AKA Marlene Richardson and sisters Jackie and Jean Heron). 'Can't Get Enough', another gem from the band's vaults, dates from 1985 and was initially released as their final single. In keeping with the group's roots, it comes in two contrasting mixes: a gorgeously dreamy, glossy and glassy 'Soul Mix' powered forward by squelchy synth-bass, mid-tempo beats and jaunty, jazz-funk style keyboard riffs, and the 'Reggae Mix'. As the title suggests, this radically alters the tempo and groove of the track - it's basically synth-heavy, mid-80s lovers rock - whilst retaining key elements of the A-side soul version.

Review: Brit-boogie obscurity alert! You might not be familiar with La Famille - a short-lived group established by jazz guitarist Alan Weekes, whose members also included then future Soul 2 Soul singer Caron Wheeler and a pre-fame Cleveland Watkiss - but in 'Dancer', they made one of the loveliest jazz-funk/boogie crossover records of the early 1980s. Originally a white label-only release and near impossible to find since, the record has long been crying out for a reissue. It has all the ingredients you'd expect - squelchy synth-bass, soulful vocals, leisurely jazz guitars, drum machine beats and an overriding sense of musical sweetness - and is presented in equally essential vocal and instrumental mix variations.

Review: T. J. Johnson's 'Pretty Lady' is a glorious sweet spot between disco, boogie and funk that came back at the heyday for that sort of sound back in 1982. It's been dug out of the Switch label vaults which was a UK label run out of Lansdowne Studios. T.J. Johnson was a well-versed guitarist also known as T.J. Bedeau and he is still working the gig circuit today. 'Pretty Lady' is a slick and smooth groover with florid horn stabs and the sort of lush vocals that bring the love. 'Come On Let's Do It (Let's Rock)' is more upbeat and strident but just as warm.

Review: It's a damn shame Cool Runners aka the duo of Paul Tattersall and Chris Rodel and was such a short-lived group because the tunes they made are next level. This reissue proves that with their 1982 single 'Checking Out' served up on a 12" with the sought-after 'High on a Feeling' on the flip. The open is lush street soul with boogie bass and twanging funk guitar riffs topped off with a gorgeous vocal. The second offering 'High On A Feeling' has leggier drums and more of a disco feel, but still plenty of brilliant boogie in the bass. Two cult classics, then.

Review: During the first half of the 80s, Andy Sojka and Richard De Jongh wrote and produced countless UK jazz-funk, electro, soul and boogie jams, working with both obscure and relatively well-known acts (Atmosfear included). They also released a handful of singles of their own under aliases, including this one as Distance. Long out of print and finally getting a reissue courtesy of Freestyle, 'Just One More Kiss' is a superb chunk of breezy, synths-and-drum-machine driven chunk of British electrofunk featuring sweet lead vocals from Janet Halley. Over on the flip you'll find the original instrumental/dub version, 'Just One More Mix', a fine alternative take that wisely concentrates on the groove, guitars and synths and largely avoids cheesy 80s production trickery and stuttering edit effects.

Review: Once more unearthing a rare and classic electro funk piece, Candy McKenzie's 'Remind Me' gets a proper 12" reissue, homing in on her classic cover of the Patrice Rushen original. Chugging, slick and wacky, McKenzie's vocals glisten and flit over a raw electro beat, heralding offbeat and Texan funk guitar, electrics and basses alike. As much is true for the 'Different Style' dub on the flip.

Review: Street soul is one of the many short lived but vital in between genres that have emerged from the studios of the UK over the decades. Pause was an early act who excelled at the form as two incredibly rare and hard to find tunes that are both being pressed up bony Freestyle this month prove. The first one comes on this 12" in the form of 'It's Just Amazing' with various different mixes. The vocal mix pairs lo-fi drum breaks with shards of 80s synth stabs and a gorgeous vocal harmony finished perfectly by a melancholic bassline. The two instrumental mixes are even more dusty and lo-fi but the vocal version is the one that will always stand out and get the floor in a tizzy.

Review: Albert "Alchemist" Thompson's Promise Land comes courtesy of Freestyle Records and has great appearances on the mic from reggae and dancehall greats Frankie Paul, Joseph Cotton, Prince Malachi and Anthony John. It has never before been released and has had a long maturation period over the last 30 years. Albert Thompson was chief engineer at I&I Sound Recording Studio once it left LA and head to Jamaica and he saw work with greats like Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer and Gregory Isaacs. He laid down these rhythms in 1991 during some downtime and then added the vocals 16 years later in London when working with talented local and touring Jamaican artists.

Review: Yet another 12" rarity from the annals of UK funk & boogie history - this time the 1985 cut 'Sexy Lady' from VeiraKrew. Carribean-born and British-raised pianist Elvis Veira moved to England alongside his pianist and music teacher mother at the age of two, quickly becoming proficient on piano, guitar and bass by his early teens. His love for playing music and singing in choirs propelled him on this musical journey, and his late teens to 20s saw him supporting acts such Heatwave, Wham, Katrina and the Waves and more. In 1983 he started working under the alias VeiraKrew, and a couple of years later in 1985 laid down this 12", backed up with the title track's killer instrumental version and the B-side 'Welcome to a Dream'. It was self-released by Veira, quickly becoming a collector's item with clean copies changing hands for up to 150 a piece. The instrumentals are fresh and filled with life, and 'Welcome to a Dream' is an incredible mid-tempo bopper. Well worthy of a repress, and is sure to be in demand - so don't delay!

Review: Freestyle Records has got a brilliant and rather rare bit of boogie here in the form of Eddie Capone's 'I Wont Give You Up.' This is the first officially licensed reissue of this 1985 gem by the reggae, funk and soul mainstay of that decade. He played with various noted outfits such as Chairmen of the Board, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come and Edwin Starr and was also in the short-lived band Casablanca. He founded the Treatment band in the early 1980s and played with a rotating cast of musicians. The tunes included on this 7" are some of them with Diane Jones providing vocals on the A-side, which is the standout gem.

Review: Freestyle take us back to 1984 with this fully licensed 12" repress of a vital bit of intense disco heat from Midnight Energy. The New Jersey outfit really get their machines working overdrive on the A-side as they bring electro-boogie funk vibes to a tune that is something of a cult classic and rather expensive to find in OG form. 'Front Line' is a brilliantly sleazy one with lots packed in and then the flip side tune 'Saving All My Love' comes in two forms and both are full of big vocal hooks and percolating funk drums.

Review: Freestyle 'Turn Up The Music' courtesy of this new 12" from Roy Hamilton, Cosmo Bowen and Dennis Palmer. The trio worked together way back in the 80s and back then it was as part of a nine-piece outfit known as Breeze. Anyone who attended the iconic Ronnie Scott's in London back then will probably have heard them play upstairs with the likes of Hi Tension and Gonzalez. In 1984 they decided to lay down this one and only 12" on the HBS label they ran. It's a stomper but a laid-back one that is now well in demand on the funk and soul scene.