Pama Black Is Soul

Black is Soul London-based Pama Records was founded by brothers Carl, Harry, and Jeff Palmer in 1967 and begun as a soul and R&B imprint, the label soon began waging war on Chris Blackwell's Island Records by licensing reggae and rocksteady material directly from Jamaica. In all, Pama issued 150 singles prior to its 1973 demise, all of them now much-coveted by collectors -- the first volume in the Black Is Soul series compiles many of the most legendary, spanning from sweet soul to blistering funk to lilting Caribbean grooves, and while Pama's output may not rank alongside Island, Trojan, or other likeminded labels of the era, this collection is well worth seeking out. Pama's biggest hit -- despite garnering no mainstream airplay, the record sold 250,000 copies and cracked the U.K. Top Ten. It include highlights like Bobby Patterson & the Mustangs' "Broadway Ain't Funky No More," the Milwaukee Coasters' "Oh Babe," and Roy Docker's "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday."