
In his new series, music and vinyl expert Claude Lemaire highlights essential recordingsโand the best pressings to seek outโfor your LP collection, indexed by year of release.

Joe Cocker’s career nearly derailed in 1970 until Leon Russell hastily assembled the raucous โMad Dogs & Englishmenโ tourโtransforming a PR crisis into a legendary, if chaotic, rock caravan that launched Russell to solo stardom.

Mike Vosse helped spark one of rockโs greatest musical intersections: Elton Johnโs rise in America, Leon Russellโs breakout, and the moment they collided at the Troubadourโfueling a creative surge that would echo for decades.

George Harrisonโs enthusiasm for Delaney & Bonnieโs Accept No Substitute nearly landed the duo on Apple Recordsโuntil label politics and Delaneyโs double-dealing derailed the deal, sparking industry drama and setting off a ripple through rock history.

Booker T. & the M.G.โs timeless grooves from โ62โโ74 shine anew on Real Gone Musicโs vibrant red and blue vinyl collections, delivering cherished hits and rare singles in pristine sound, a perfect gift for soul lovers and collectors alike.

Discovering Booker T. & the M.G.โs McLemore Avenue as a Beatles-ignorant 12-year-old, Wayne E. Goins recalls how the soul-streaked tribute became a personal classicโlong before he realized it echoed Abbey Road note for note.

From jump blues and Ray Charlesโs boundary-breaking โWhatโd I Sayโ to the polished hits of Motown and gritty grooves of Stax, this sweeping history traces soul musicโs riseโand discoโs rootsโin a racially and musically transformative America.