The Swap Meet

Campbell's session always comes a week early in May, but it's always worth testing your knowledge and taste to the East Coast's finest. Hour one one digs deep in that smooth soul and boogie pocket, with London flavour running through it, such as Incognito's Latin Project rework of Can't Get Out of My Head alongside Elisabeth Troy and The Cool Notes, that whole mid-80s to early-90s Brit-funk and lovers rock axis.

Gwen McCrae's rough mix from '93 is a lovely find, and Dana Andrews reaching back to '76 keeps keeps it classic. Citispeak and David Ganpot both land in that '83 sweet spot where funk was getting slicker and the dancefloor was leaning into what would become boogie.

A hip-hop pivot kicks off hour two with The Pete Rock & CL Smooth, before the set opens up into the Latin and African section with Paquito D'Rivera, Ahmed Fakroun's Libyan soul, Sonny Fortune, and a run of late-70s Afro-Latin and hustle 45s that you know are the result of many hours of digging in grubby basements.

The final stretch is all connected dots. Two Switch cuts back to back, the Detroit funk royalty, into the deeper soul selections with Ten City, George Duke, and Linx's You're Lying, a blueprint in UK soul.

From there Fruit, Sonlight, and Jeroboam keep that warm slightly obscure spiritual funk energy going, and the Tim Gant Project MDZ mix from '98 is a nice nod to how that sound got reprocessed through the late-90s underground. Mr Ngata bringing it home!

D’Nell – This thing (2003)

Citispeak – Rock to rock (1983)

Gwen McCrae ft Music & Mystery – Does it matter (Rough mix, 1993)

David Ganpot – Love’s secret (1983)

Incognito – Can’t get out out of my head (Latin Project, 2003)

Jodesha – Star ride (1980)

Bobby King – Lovers by night (1981)

Dana V Andrews – Mr. Justice (1976)

Elisabeth Troy – Second time around (1994)

Ben White – Give me love always (1980s)

The CJP Band – World gone crazy (2026)

The Cool Notes – Spend the night (remix, 1985)

Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Escape (1994)

Andy Novell – Full moon (1979)

Paquito D’Rivera – Estamos ahi (1983)

Ahmed Fakroun – Nisyan (1977)

Spectrum – First wave (1979)

Hot Pepper – Cancion ritual (1978)

Lou Perez – Afro hustle (1977)

Pride – Come on get dancing (1975)

Sonny Fortune – Theres nothing smart about being stupid (1977)

Afronaught & 6th Sense – Paradise (2003)

Switch – Fallin’ (1979)

Switch – Get back with you (1980)

Jeroboam – See the light (2025)

Fruit – If you feel it say yeah (1978)

George Duke – Secret rendezvous (1984)

Sorokas – Gentle touch (1984)

Zan – Follow my heart (808 mix, 2024)

Tedi – I wanna get to know you (1980/2026)

Linx – You’re lying (1980)

Sonlight – Get together (1978)

Tim Gant Project – Party lites, party nites (MDZ mix,1998)

Ten City – I should learn to love you (1990)

The Swap Meet is a market-stall sprawl of finds from across the spectrum of black music, where the logic is curatorial rather than chronological. Pass go at the Chicago soul continuum: Jerry Butler's Gamble & Huff productions sitting near Terry Callier's folk-tinged melancholy and Jill Scott's 21st century soul interpretation - alongside the Philly institution of MFSB's "Love Is the Message," one of those eternal records. Rufus and Chaka comes from their mid-70s peak on ABC, Campbell revisits Jhelisa's "Friendly Pressure" part of the '94 Acid Jazz scene (on Dorado) before switching to Brothers Johnson's jazz-funk alongside Spyro Gyra and The Crusaders.

Further afield Gilberto Gil's "Maracatu Atômico" and the Aposento Alto gospel cut sit in the same programme as Tapper Zukie's Kingston pressure, Area Code 615's Nashville session-player funk, and a clutch of contemporary releases demonstrate that the search ain't over; sampling Chuck Bynum, The Mighty Tiny & The Many Few, and Glenn Meinecke. The modern soul pocket is well covered: Odyssey, Two Tons of Fun, Steve Parks, the Dianne Reeves track from her pre-Blue Note years. 

That's the blurb - now it's time to listen.

Dexter Story - Underway (Love Is) Reprise (2012)
Goldie Alexander – Go back (1981)
Jerry Butler – I’m your mechanical man (1974)
Jerry Butler – One night affair (1972)
Jhelisa – Friendly pressure (1994)
Fresh 4 – Wishing on a star (1989)
Odyssey – Don’t tell me, tell her (1980)
DON-E – Fakin’ the funk (Album mix,1995)
The Mighty Tiny & The Many Few – Young world (2025)
Steve Parks – Everything’s gonne be OK (1981)
Rufus ft Chaka Khan – Stop on by (1974)
Two Tons Of Fun – I been down (1980)
Jill Scott – Whatever (2004)

Terry Callier – You don’t care (1972)
Dianne Reeves – Mi vida (1982)
Brothers Johnson – Caught up (1981)
The Crusaders – Snowflake (1978)
Spyro Gyra – Heliopolis (1979)
George Duke – Yeah, we going (1978)
Gilberto Gil – Maracatu atomico (1979)
Aposento Alto – El vendra (He’s coming) (1978)
Area Code 615 – Stone fox chase (1970)
Ian Martin – Family (2005)
Junior Byron – Trying to hold on (1985)
Tapper Zukie – Freak (1979)

MFSB – Love is the message (1974)
Sunrize – You are the one (1982)
Sherrick – Do you baby (1987)
Tony Owens – Woman I got to leave you (1978)
Chuck Strong – Doin’ it cause it feels good (1982)
Cornell – Hot nights (1980)
Chuck Bynum – You worked your miracle (2025)
Agent K – Ride away, getaway (2002)
Tom Youms – Being a man (1980, edit)
Spencer Jones – How high (Garage mix, 1982)
Dianne Marie – I’ve waited much too long (1982)
Glenn Echo, Glenn Meinecke – I need somebody to love tonight (2025)