An undiscovered gem from Dayton, Ohio’s rich soul and funk legacy, Free Your Mind brings together the complete recordings of Record Player—a short-lived but immensely talented outfit that only managed to release one rare 45 during their time together. Originally issued in 1979 on their own Gem City Records imprint, Record Player’s lone single hinted at bigger things. They had a catalog of unreleased songs and were close to signing with a major label before internal changes and industry setbacks brought the project to a halt in the early 1980s. Decades later, the band’s principal member, Charles Jackson, resurfaced with the original master tapes in hand. Only two of their songs had previously seen light as part of the Soul Cal series—now, for the first time, their full body of work is compiled on Free Your Mind, accompanied by detailed liner notes by Bret Sjerven that tell the full story of this lost Dayton treasure. A must-have for fans of deep disco, modern soul, and the private press era, this release sits proudly alongside works by artists like Luther Davis, Edge of Daybreak, Tomorrow’s People, and Split Decision Band. Soulful, hopeful, and filled with groove—Free Your Mind is Record Player’s long-overdue moment in the sun. Tracklist: Free Your Mind – 3:50 Your Fantasy – 5:06 Nursery Rhymes – 4:08 Magic – 5:06 Funky Bone – 2:52 Backup N Funktown – 3:40 Bump-a-rump Ability – 3:38 Crisis – 3:51 Brass Tacks Boogie (Bonus Track) – 3:28 Sweetest Thing (Bonus Track) – 5:35 Go (Bonus Track) – 3:29
