Unsung is a documentary series that examines the lives and careers of once well-known R&B and soul artists and groups who achieved national chart success and fame but have become under-appreciated by later generations.

Note: This title comes on two discs.

UNSUNG 70s SOUL GROUPS - Volume 1

THE CHI-LITES
Four friends from the tough South Side of the Windy City created a sound made of tight harmonies and a visual-appeal highlighted by eye-popping stage costumes. Like many popular soul groups of the 60s and 70s, the Chi-Lites met in their teens, singing in various groups in their native Chicago until joining together as the Hi-Lites in the mid 1960s. By the time they signed with Brunswick in 1968, they added a "C" to become the Chi-Lites.

The Chi-Lites stormed to the top of both the R&B and pop charts with 1970s mega hits like "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl." Underrated songwriter Eugene Record effortlessly churned out the hits, while co-leader Marshall Thompson drove the band to a standard of performance that became legend among their peers. But financial scandals, drug addictions, and violent tragedies would ultimately take their toll.

THE OHIO PLAYERS
The Ohio Players are one of the most successful soul/funk groups of all time, scoring monster crossover hits in the 1970s like "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster." They took funk into uncharted territory, bringing a jazzy, free form feel to chart-toppers like "Skin Tight," "Heaven Must Be Like This," and "Sweet Sticky Thing."

Along the way, the group—with monikers like Sugarfoot, Diamond, and Rock—lived up to their names, with risqué album cover art that got nearly as much attention as their songs, and by lifestyle excesses that led to a drug bust. Their notoriety was so extreme that the group was rumored to have killed someone during a recording session with the dying screams mixed into the grooves of a track.


UNSUNG 70s SOUL GROUPS - Volume 2

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE
Among the most influential groups in the history of popular music, Sly and the Family Stone fused funk, soul, rock, and R&B to create a sound that resonated well beyond the charts. Led by the brilliant and charismatic Sly Stone, it was a sound that reflected the idealism of the 60s, and the fracturing of those ideals in the 1970s. The band's performance at the Woodstock festival in 1969 showed a group at the height of their powers, while suggesting a future of unlimited musical possibilities.

But even while crafting great music, the group steadily collapsed, torn apart by drugs, personality clashes, and the glare of the public spotlight. Sly Stone himself became reclusive, his recordings increasingly sporadic and refusing to grant interviews. In this documentary Sly Stone emerges to tell his story—a unique and remarkable musical journey.

THE DRAMATICS
Detroit R&B quintet, the Dramatics, recorded some of the top hits of the 1970s including "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain" and "In The Rain," making them one of the most distinct R&B groups of all time. After performing at the Fox Theater in 1967, they found themselves witness to the Detroit Riots.

While being sheltered at the Algiers Motel, Dramatics members Rod Davis and Larry Reed were terrorized and bloodied by police, and friend and valet Fred Temple was shot to death along with two other teenagers. The groups' trials and triumphs are revealed through insights from family, friends and group members.

Note: This title comes on two discs.

UNSUNG 70s SOUL GROUPS - Vol. 1 & 2 on DVD

Our discs are guaranteed for life.
If a disc ever stops playing correctly
tell us and we'll replace for free.