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A landmark album from the New York Community Choir – a gospel group at heart, but one who've ended up in plenty of 70s soul collections – thanks to the strength of this sweet little set! The vocals are tremendous – proud and righteous, with a power that's undeniable – and... read more

One of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite the fact that most people know little about the group! Newban have a sound that's almost a jazzier take on the Earth Wind & Fire groove of the time – a style that's warm... read more

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite... read more

Yep, it's the same Next Movement assembled by Lucky Cordell, who recorded a couple of great hard to find soul LPs. This later single features arrangements from Tom Tom and mix help from future house star Mickey Oliver on an excellent mid tempo 80s groove track!... read more

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Catchy club tracks from the team of Johnny Dorazio and Tony Bentivegna – recorded in the Montreal scene of the early 80s, a place where disco burned a lot longer than in the US! Most of the numbers have a sound that's almost like some of the European work of the previous decade, particularly... read more

An obscure jazzy stepper from Chicago! The album was cut for the tiny Windsong label in the mid 80s – and it's a great mix of mellow soul with jazzier undercurrents – all served up with a very classy approach, in keeping with some of the hipper sides of sophisticated soul at the time! ... read more

One of the sweetest little jazz funk albums of the early 70s – and a masterful blend of vibes, guitar, and organ from this legendary Indianapolis combo! The group are probably best known for their backing work behind Grant Green on some of his funky Blue Note sides – or for vibes... read more

A classic album of jazzed-up funk – the one lasting legacy by this oft-sampled group – reissued here with its original title and cover art! 9th Creation originally hailed from west of the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and this album was recorded in Oakland with the same sweet jazzy... read more

A great record of jazzy soul by this oft-overlooked west coast group! The record has a tight sound that works well with the band's slightly funky style – and the groove leans a bit towards the Wayne Henderson side, and is similar to his At-Home productions work for Fantasy or Mercury. ... read more

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and... read more

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary little funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part... read more

One of the best albums of funky instrumentals by the legendary Nite Liters – and probably their hardest to find! The record's got loads of nice cuts that hit their classic funky groove in a way that brings to mind The Meters or The JBs – but which also has the Nite-Liter's own unique... read more

Cold, hard, and funky! This might be the greatest album ever by this legendary 70s funk band – and it's got a killer sound that has the tightness of the JBs, the rawness of the early Meters, and the frenzy of a rare funky 45! Includes the incredible "Afro Strut" – worth the... read more

A great album filled with hard breaks, tight choppy guitars, and a deep funky sound. This is one of the best early albums by the Nite Liters, and it's filled with great grooves like "Funky-Doo", "Stinkin Charlie", and "K-Jee" – but just about every track is a... read more

Stone funky funky! This is an excellent reissue of the Nite Liters' classic first album, and a monster batch of funky instrumentals that we'd put up there with the great Meters records on Josie, or the classic JBs LPs on People! There's lots of hard drums, choppy guitars, and good funky grooves. ... read more

One of the best records ever from Don Nix – a legendary figure whose work on the Memphis scene of the 60s touched countless of rock and soul artists – recording here with a nicely tight sound at Muscle Shoals! Like some of his contemporaries, Nix made the move from Memphis to Muscle... read more

A funky instrumental classic – with a groove that was copied by a huge amount of other groups! Cliff and crew take the funky 45 sound into the mainstream – vamping and comping in tight choppy grooves that were perfect for dances like The Horse, The Jerk, and some of the other harder... read more

The first few notes of this one are enough to send chills down our spine – slow stepping bass pedal lines that slide into some cool vocoded choruses – very electric and very downtempo, and surprisingly hip given the catchy crossover feel of the tune! The American mix has a bit more... read more

Laura Nyro's first album ever – originally issued by Verve/Forecast in the mid 60s, but brought back out on the market by Columbia, during the height of Nyro's early 70s fame for the label! Even at this early point, Nyro sounds wonderful – a fair bit more soulful than most other female... read more

A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's... read more

Mellow O'Jays galore – a great set of some of the group's more mature ballads from later years – served up with a harmony sound that's mighty darn nice! The trio really sparkle here – taking on subjects with the all-adult approach that made them last a lot longer than most of... read more

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Amazing early work from The O'Jays – tracks recorded a decade before their big fame at Philly International – with a heartbreaking harmony feel all the way through! Even at the start, The O'Jays were a cut above – and as you'll hear here, they come across with an especially deep... read more

A dozen classics from Alexander O'Neal's legendary run on the Tabu label – nearly all of them produced by the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, in that catchy yet soulful mode that made them the kings of chart soul at the time! The material is nearly all from the mid 80s, and the set list... read more

The start of a legendary run for vocalist Alexander O'Neal – and a set that really helped redefine the sound of male soul in the 80s! O'Neal got his start in an early version of The Time, and he's working here with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – but the sound of the record is way deeper... read more

The start of a legendary run for vocalist Alexander O'Neal – and a set that really helped redefine the sound of male soul in the 80s! O'Neal got his start in an early version of The Time, and he's working here with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – but the sound of the record is way deeper... read more

One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's... read more

One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's... read more

The overlooked collaboration between Human League singer Philip Oakey and producer Giorgio Moroder! The duo initially worked together on the outstanding "Together In Electric Dreams" single – a surprise hit from Moroder's soundtrack for a forgettable movie – and given The... read more

Excellent early albums from Billy Ocean – 1975's Billy Ocean and 1980's City Limit – back-to-back with some solid bonus tracks, too! Billy Ocean is his first, and probably best album ever – a mix of uptempo anthemic r&b tunes and sophisticated ballads that are truly Motown... read more

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that... read more

By this point the Players had moved into a smooth, polished territory that never betrayed their roots in a funkier sound, yet hitting a more gliding groove overall. Includes "Angel", "Merry-Go-Round", "Don't Fight My Love", "Body Vibes" and "O-H-I-O&quo... read more

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Fuzzy funk from some of the all-time greats – one of the key Westbound Records classics from the mighty Ohio Players! This album's got the Players working at their all-time best – a bit jazzy, with a more sophisticated undercurrent than some of their contemporaries – a righteous... read more

It's the mid 70s, and the Ohio Players were certainly turning out a lot of gold! Their move to Mercury Records from the smaller indie Westbound was a real winning move – as it gave them a smoother soul feel that only expanded their groove, not restricted it! This tasty "best of"... read more

A massive batch of stoned-out funk from the Ohio Players – recorded here during their legendary years at Detroit soul powerhouse Westbound Records! At this point, the band have a style that's a mix of psychedelia, funk, and harmony soul – similar to labelmates Funkadelic, but perhaps... read more

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates... read more

A true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz... read more

Great work from the Ohio Players – and proof that moving to a big label could be a good thing for a funky group! This was the band's first album for Mercury – and although one might have the temptation to say that the label cut down the radical funk sound of the trippy Westbound years,... read more

A landmark album for the O'Jays – a set that moved them from the indie ranks to 70s megasoulstatus! After years of bumping around on a variety of labels, and in a variety of styles, the group really exploded with this wonderful set – an album that has them soaring along in the... read more

Origianlly issued in the late 70s as a double LP retrospective of some of the best O'Jays tracks from their Philly years, this disc includes 14 tracks in all, including "Darlin' Darlin' Baby", "Love Train", "Back Stabbers", "I Love Music", "Give The... read more

10 tracks from one of the biggest vocal groups of the 70s! The O'Jays had been knocking around other labels for some time during the mid and late 60s, but when they hooked up with the Gamble & Huff team at the burgeoning Philadelphia International label, things really started taking off! ... read more

Fantastic early O'Jays! The album's the first to feature the group meeting up with the Gamble/Huff team – a significant shift from their earlier work on Imperial, with a style that still retains all the vocal hardness of those days, but which makes a shift into a sweeter soaring soul groove!... read more

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul... read more

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul... read more

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul... read more

A killer bit of crossover pop from the mid 60s – and the kind of groover that brought the Carolina beach sound to the top 40 charts! Includes the group's classic hit "Girl Watcher", a groover that we always enjoy hearing, plus other nice ones like "The Soul Clap", "Lo... read more

A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatunde Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion... read more

Babatunde Olatunji's two classic percussion ensemble albums for Columbia collected in one set. The first LP was recorded in New York with a mix of drums, chants, and afro grooves. Olatunji's joined by Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion, and they're backed by a large group of... read more

Oliver Cheatham sounds wonderful here – in that best bouncy style that made him a big favorite on the dancefloors in the early 80s – a groove that's still pretty darn great all these years later! The set features key songwriting help from Al Hudson and Kevin McCord, both of whom help... read more

A great batch of harmony vocal tracks – nearly all of them with an upbeat, kind of silly approach – similar to The Coasters at their best! The Olympics owed a lot to the late 50s Atco recordings The Coasters did with Lieber & Stoller – and they had a similar tight-lipped... read more

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Classic mid 80s house music from one of the architects of the style, Marshall Jefferson, and mixed by the late, great Ron Hardy!... read more

A stone burner from 100 Proof Aged In Soul – a group who really take off with this tight second record! The album's a classic from the days when soul music ruled AM radio on both sides of the tracks – and the rest of the album is equally great – packing that tight post-Motown... read more

Lost grooves from Spanish Harlem – an incredible set of Latin Soul from The 107th Street Stickball Team! With a name like that, the group certainly aren't as well-remembered as contemporaries like Joe Bataan or Willie Colon, but they've got a soulful groove that definitely fits the style of... read more

A dancefloor soul classic – one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves – popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for... read more

A dancefloor soul classic – one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves – popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for... read more

One of the greatest albums ever from Al Hudson and One Way – a set that still has the group bristling with loads of funky energy – yet also hitting a groove that's wonderfully smooth as well! One Way were really one of the top of the larger funk combos of the time – and this set's... read more

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A slow burning monster of a late night jam from Al Hudson & One Way! The cut pumps along in a mellow mode, with a completely infectious synth line floating underneath the haunting vocals – no syrupy ballad here!... read more

Damn, One Way never lets us down – and although the group cut many albums back in the day, all of them have some great standout moments! The groove here seems even tighter than ever, but never slick or commercial – a very important distinction, given that so many of One Way's... read more

A sweet set of remix tracks from Alexander O'Neal – and a package that takes the already-great soul vibe of his Hearsay album, and helps give it some deep new energy for the dancefloor! The album's different than the US version of All Mixed Up – with a different cover, title, and track... read more

Side one of this record is mainly some disco dance tunes which were mostly written by Sam Hamlin, one of the lead singers. The other side contains mellower tunes that are ultimately more engaging and interesting, most of which were written by one of the other lead vocalists, Victor Burks. Titles... read more

Heavy funk, all the way through – a brilliant batch of cuts from The Original Black Sheep Of The Family – and one of the only true testaments we've ever seen to their obscure funky work! The set begins with the massive "In The Forest" – a wicked, wangly groove that... read more

A weirdly great little record! At first glance, you might think that this album's just another version of the super-huge moog hit "Popcorn" – but it's a lot more than that! The group has sort of a sing-song funky feel – hard piano, some nice drums, and grooves that remind us... read more

The Originals are hitting more of a dance-oriented groove here – a mix of disco, soul, and uptempo funk arrangements, but still maintaining their harmony sound, in the manner of other Detroit groups at the time, like The Fantastic Four or Detroit Emeralds. Titles include "Call On Your... read more

The Orlons recreate the sound of yesteryear – singing a dozen older doo wop and R&B hits, but taking the tunes in their own sweet mixture of male and female voices! The backings are a bit sparer than on other Orlons albums of the 60s – and really allow the vocals to come forward... read more

An Orlons smoker from South Street in Philly – a perfect example of the way the city was becoming a major soul power in the early 60s! The set's got The Orlons taking on a host of other hits of the time – romping rockers, mellow ballads, and socking soul – all wrapped together in... read more

A Philly soul treasure trove – two rare albums from The Orlons, back to back on a single CD! First up is Wah Watusi – a soulful classic from The Orlons – a wonderful vocal group that mixed together the sweet harmonies of three female singers, and one bass-heavy male! The result... read more

Munich disco, retooled for the Salsoul Sound – thanks to some great remixing for this US version by Tom Moulton! ORS aren't nearly as cold or cheesy as some of their Munich contemporaries – making them a great choice for Salsoul through their tight use of stripped-down rhythms, rolling... read more

A stone classic from Jeffrey Osborne – and a real standout in mainstream soul at the start of the 90s! Osborne's legendary vocals have never sounded better – as there's a warmth in the production that returns him to the grace and power he had when first going solo – a style that... read more

A really wonderful third album from Osibisa – and a record that really crystallizes the group's sound into a trademark blend of African roots and more progressive-styled jamming! There's a mode here that's perfect for the cross-cultural London of the post-colonial 70s – a style that... read more

Although Osibisa were one of the most successful of the London-based Afro-funk groups, they were also one of the best. This cool first album is filled with (as the label says) "criss cross rhythms that explode with happiness". Translated, that means that the record's got lots of nice... read more

Some of the greatest funky work you could ever hope to find by Johnny Otis! The package brings together tracks recorded by Johnny in his fantastic post-R&B years – the late 60s and 1970s, when he was scrappling around a variety of small labels, but also getting the chance to use that... read more

The second album from Shuggie Otis – a wild and wooly batch of grooves that really stretches out the sound from the first! Shuggie's got much more of a hand in the arrangements here – and the tunes are grooving in a sweet blend of funk, rock, and soul – really drenched in the... read more

The second album from Shuggie Otis – a wild and wooly batch of grooves that really stretches out the sound from the first! Shuggie's got much more of a hand in the arrangements here – and the tunes are grooving in a sweet blend of funk, rock, and soul – really drenched in the... read more

A classic album of bluesy funk – one that features the guitar of Johnny Otis' young son Shuggie, in a slightly tighter setting than he'd been getting on some of Johnny's own LPs! Shuggie here is still very much under the guidance of his dad – working in a mode that really emphasizes... read more

An insanely wonderful album! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s,... read more

A treasure trove of rare funk – a massive package that not only includes the legendary Inspiration Information album by Shuggie Otis, but which also adds in four bonus tracks to that classic – plus a full other album of unreleased vintage work! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis... read more

A great compilation of classic Shuggie – with 10 of the best tracks from the Here Comes Shuggie Otis, Freedom Flight and Inspiration Information records – all pressed up beautifully, with heavy wax and a great cover too!... read more

Sublime southern soul from The Ovations – a group with a really unique approach to their music! Unlike other southern groups of the time, The Ovations had a somewhat sweet style overall – one that was informed by their great love of the older music of Sam Cooke, and turned onto a... read more

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A pair of killers from Ozone – back to back on a single CD! Jump On It is filled with jumping grooves from Ozone – a smoking little set that's tight and right – and completely wonderful throughout! The set's got that perfect blend of funk and groove that always made Ozone so... read more

The first two albums from Ozone – back to back on a single CD! Walk On is the great debut of Ozone – a group who'd worked previously as the backing band for Billy Preston – which should give you an idea of how great they are! The group have a razor-sharp way of putting things... read more

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Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah wah tunes... read more

Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah-wah tunes... read more

Kind of an all-star session put together by arranger Gene Page – one that features work by hip studio instrumentalists Joe Sample, David T. Walker, Tom Scott, and George Bohannon, plus guest vocalists like Merry Clayton, Edna Wright, and, Jim Gilstrap. Tracks have kind of a smooth studio... read more

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With Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.... read more

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Blacksmith handled the remix and extra production work for this single – giving the track a nice strong London groove, circa 1990, which is about the best vintage we can think of!... read more

A completely unique little set from singer Steve Parks – a set cut in the Bay Area scene of the early 80s – but done with a righteous 70s vibe that mixes jazz, soul, and bits of Latin influences as well! The overall approach is definitely soul, but there's plenty of jazz inflections in... read more

An amazing album that's probably one of the most unified albums that George Clinton ever recorded! The band's rawer style has been firmed up and economized – but a lot of the best elements are still in place, including a strange approach to vocals that has male and female voices interacting... read more

An oft-overlooked gem from Parliament – released during the year 1976, and sometimes hidden between monster LPs like Funkentelechy and Mothership Connection – but every bit as great as those two classics! The album's got that tightened-up P-Funk sound that was working so perfectly at... read more