Ashford & SimpsonHits, Remixes and Rarities: The Warner Brothers YearsReview

As songwriters, Nickolas and Valerie Simpson should be considered up there with the great partnerships: Goffin & King, Bacharach & David and Holland-Dozier-Holland. Straddling four decades, their work has been interpreted by everyone from Diana Ross (Ain't No Mountain High Enough) to Chaka Khan (I'm Every Woman) and Amy Winehouse (they penned Tears Dry On Their Own). As performers, they're perhaps less well known, save for the monster hit Solid in 1984.

This lavish collection sidesteps such triumphs, however, delving into the years 1973-1982 and their recordings for Warner Brothers. It comes up trumps too – unearthing some pearls of the era, including six tracks issued as promo-only 12-inches. Originals have fetched upwards of $2000 on eBay, So, if you plan on recreating the heady sounds of Studio 54 or The Loft, simply skip on to the Disco mix of Found A Cure which builds and breaks down with consummate ease, or the bump and grind of Love Don’t Make It Right. Not an ounce of energy is wasted and amidst more familiar fare - the US hits Send It and Top Of The Stairs - glorious instrumental Bourgie Bourgie is wonderfully evocative. All remain important stage posts in dance music’s history; all sound remarkably fresh today.

In fact, the need for a bonus disc of latter day reinterpretations from the likes of Tom Moulton, Joey Negro and Dimitri From Paris is arguably surplus to requirements. Most tinker respectfully rather than overhaul, although Dimitri’s One More Try blends a contemporary edge with the honeyed original.

All in, this is a quality package representing the dynamic duo's forgotten era. For rare groove aficionados it doesn’t get any better than this, but the uninitiated will find much to treasure too.