The One-deful! Collection: Mar-v-Lus Records

In their second of six volumes of the One-derful collection, Secret Stash is upping the bar once again with a compilation of soul and funky soul sides for your listening pleasure. This time they visit Mar-V-Lus Records, part of the One-derful Chicago record family that features such artists as Johnny Sayles, Alvin Cash, The Du-Ettes, Madeline & The Young Folks, Josephine Taylor, the Blenders, and the Ultimations. Hitting sweet soul, dance floor fillers, and funky gospel twinged soul sides, Secret Stash are setting the pace quite fast and furious with this volume of the series. If you thought the first was good, you’re in for a treat. These records just keep getting better and better. The six: One-derful Records, Mar-V-Lus, M-Pac!, Halo, Midas, and Toddlin’ Town respectively, are seeing proper reissues for the first time since the 1970’s. With over two years of research, extensive interviews with surviving musicians, these beautifully packaged cd and records come chock full of liner notes, rare photos and information about this storied family of record labels and the music that was released from 1962-1971. Many of the music released in this series is virtually unknown to the record buying public, with most of these sides staying regionally in Chicago and its population. Rare record collectors and dealers have been on this series of labels for years, and now Secret Stash are opening it up for the rest of the public to catch on to decades later. For those of you who are fans of soul music, these compilations are for you. This is the real deal, and takes an inside look at the Leaner brothers and the contribution they made to not just the city of Chicago and its music, but to soul music worldwide. This family of labels released 180+ records, and after hearing many of these, you will be trying to get as many of them as you can. Good luck! You may be able to score “Twine Time” cheap, but that may be about it. This collection goes deep, and is just as important historically as it is musically. If you’ve dealt with Secret Stash before, you know the precision and detail they put into their releases, and this project may be the best thing they have done so far. Looking forward to more of these, keep your eye out for the next release schedule for the end of March. This hot slab of vinyl will be available in a double LP on February 3rd. Hear a track from the record here.