Soul — In Stock  

A wonderful early album from soul singer Al Wilson – a well-crafted mix of modes that really stands out in late 60s pop – and which showed that Al was quite different than most of his contemporaries! The album's got some very hip production by Johnny Rivers – who was really... read more

A classic bit of LA crossover soul, with the huge hit "Show & Tell" that broke Al Wilson from being a strange showy performer into a brief standard on 70s AM radio. Arrangements are by H.B. Barnum, so you can expect a nice bit of soul in with Al's more theatrical performance style... read more

One of the landmark albums of 70s mellow soul! Bobby Wilson hasn't left behind much of a recorded legacy, but he did come up with this godlike album that should be in any collection of classic soul. The record is a perfect blending of the styles of soul that were running through the east coast... read more

Beautiful work from Cassandra Wilson – a record that's every bit as great as some of her best from previous years – and one that also has a new sort of vibe, too! There's a quality to the set that's nicely laidback – a feeling that comes from the album's strong use of acoustic... read more

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Excellent sounds from Charlie Wilson – aka "Uncle Charlie", the former lead singer of The Gap Band! Wilson's great here, and really finds a comfortable space that works well right from the start – never trying to be too young or too contemporary, and instead stretching out in... read more

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A post-Supremes disco effort from Mary Wilson – but one that comes off relatively well, especially considering how a session like this could flop if done poorly! Mary's getting some top-shelf help on the album – Hal Davis on production, Art Wright on arrangements, and a set of original... read more

A real sweet soul gem from Nancy! The record has her working with arrangements and production by Gene and Billy Page – who give the record a great smooth 70s soul finish, and a feel that's a lot more unified than some of her other efforts from the decade. Nancy sings some great versions of... read more

A sweet set of soulful numbers from Nancy Wilson – tracks that offer up a perfect fusion of her jazzy roots and soul-based styles of later years – wrapped up in lush arrangements from Japanese jazzman Masahiko Satoh! The record follows a similar approach to Wilson's Keep You Satisfied... read more

A pair of stunners from Nancy Wilson – back to back in a single set! Music On My Mind is an overlooked gem from Wilson's excellent 70s run on Capitol Records – a set that goes way beyond the spirit of some of her earlier records, and features a very unified vibe overall! The set was... read more

Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson – an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his... read more

A bit of soul, a bit of jazz, and some nice funky touches at the bottom – a killer little set from the great Spanky Wilson! Wilson's got a really unique place in music – at one level a soul singer with enough sophistication to rival the sound of Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – but... read more

Spanky Wilson really takes off here – hitting some of her boldest soul modes to date – and serving up a few funk-heavy classics in the process! Production and arrangements are by HB Barnum – who draws on his own rich legacy of soul projects for the set, and finds a way to let... read more

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she... read more

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An amazing legacy in soul music – the legendary run of records that Bill Withers cut for the Sussex and Columbia labels – each of them a masterpiece in their own way! The early hit sound of Withers is the stuff that dreams are made of – a unique blend of acoustic instrumentation,... read more

A beautiful album by Bill Withers – filled with incredibly well written songs, and an amazing instrumental technique that blended folksy elements with smoother 70s soul, in a sound that would put Bill at the top of the charts for many years, yet still give him cred with soul fans for decades!... read more

The fourth album from Bill Withers and an overlooked gem recorded for Sussex – and a great bit of funky soulful stuff in the best Withers tradition – a record that's sadly kind of withered in relative obscurity for far too many years! The soul in Withers voice is in as fine of form as... read more

One of Bill Withers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that has hip stepping off the acoustic sound of his Sussex records, into a warm and jazzy style that we like every bit as much as his earlier work! The album's got a wonderfully sophisticated jazzy vibe, and includes the excellent cut... read more

An incredible set from Bill Withers – a record that's part of his "second chapter" of 70s soul, when he was working for Columbia Records, and dropping a bit of the acoustic vibe of his start – yet still sounding completely sublime, and head and shoulders above most of his... read more

A sweet little package – with three classic albums from Bill Withers, each in a tiny LP-styled cover! Still Bill is Bill Withers' second album – even more wonderful than the first! The record's a perfect summation of all that made Bill so great – warm raspy vocals, sweet soulful... read more

Bill Withers' second album – even more wonderful than the first! The record's a perfect summation of all that made Bill so great – warm raspy vocals, sweet soulful production, mature songwriting, and just the right use of acoustic guitar to accent all the best elements in the music! ... read more

Bill Withers' second album – even more wonderful than the first! The record's a perfect summation of all that made Bill so great – warm raspy vocals, sweet soulful production, mature songwriting, and just the right use of acoustic guitar to accent all the best elements in the music! ... read more

Bill Withers' second album – even more wonderful than the first! The record's a perfect summation of all that made Bill so great – warm raspy vocals, sweet soulful production, mature songwriting, and just the right use of acoustic guitar to accent all the best elements in the music! ... read more

Mail music to someone you love – thanks to this totally cool postcard format – with space for a message on the back, and an actual record on the front! The card spins at 33rpm, and features the song promised in the title – supported by a cool little graphic too. And while we can'... read more

Arguably one of the greatest albums ever cut by Jimmy Witherspoon – recorded live at an early Monterey Jazz Festival, and done in a style that shows the strong link between jazz and blues in Jimmy's work! The group on the set includes Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, and Woody... read more

A pretty silly little album, cut by border radio DJ Wolfman Jack, with funky soul and rock backing from southern California! Wolfman talks his way through most cuts – even when he's doing a cover of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" – but the instrumentation is pretty nice on... read more

One of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of... read more

A great late-life effort from Bobby Womack – hardly the kind of record he would have recorded back in the day, and a tremendous testament to his undeniably soulful talents! The album was done with production help from Damon Albarn and Richard Russell – and definitely has a contemporary... read more

Bobby's first two albums on one CD – like a dream come true to our ears! Both records are incredible stuff – with Bobby hitting hard on every level! The vocals are incredible – fresh, and raw, and with that warm little rasp that made him stand out so strongly from other singers... read more

The legendary Bobby Womack embraces 80s grooves fully on Last Soul Man – his gritty vocals bringing real, gritty soul to backdrops centered by keyboards, synth and programmed beats – and live instrumentation from some exceptional players. Womack brings more depth to the proceedings... read more

Perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer... read more

A great album from Bobby – different than his earlier albums for United Artists, but in a good way – one that revives his whole career, and takes his sound into a whole new direction! The album's got a smooth soul finish with some touches of synth funk – produced by Bobby and... read more

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! ... read more

A bit smoother and more focused than some of Stevie's earlier work from the 70s – perhaps because he'd been having some chart success with his slicker numbers, but still a pretty groundbreaking batch of grooves that must have been awesome to hear when it first came out! The record includes... read more

Excellent work from Stevie Wonder – and a record that really has him emerging strongly as an adult soul singer! The set's got a joyous power that's undeniable – a sense of pride and place that really points the way at the Stevie of the 70s, and which has Wonder stretching out... read more

One of the best Stevie Wonder albums ever! Stevie's moving into god-like territory here – handling a multitude of styles, all well, and crafting some of the most sophisticated soul of his generation. The album's got the same jazzy references you'll find on the best work by Donny Hathaway... read more

One of the best Stevie Wonder albums ever! Stevie's moving into god-like territory here – handling a multitude of styles, all well, and crafting some of the most sophisticated soul of his generation. The album's got the same jazzy references you'll find on the best work by Donny Hathaway... read more

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A mega-hit for Stevie Wonder – an album that features a killer title cut, plus lots of other wonderful tunes that show the world that a full-formed adult soul star had arrived on the market! There's a depth here that's really great – not the totally heady, righteous sound of Stevie in... read more

A sweet little double LP – one that had some folks saying that Stevie should have stayed away from the "2LP syndrome", but for us a real treasure with lots of hidden gems. Besides the hits "Isn't She Lovely" and "Sir Duke", which were more than enough to carry... read more

Pivotal work from Stevie Wonder – an album with a depth and darkness that never would have been expected from his records of the 60s! In a way, the album's almost Stevie's What's Going on – as it's a self-penned, self-produced effort that really steps off from previous efforts –... read more

Pivotal work from Stevie Wonder – an album with a depth and darkness that never would have been expected from his records of the 60s! In a way, the album's almost Stevie's What's Going On – as it's a self-penned, self-produced effort that really steps off from previous efforts –... read more

Wonderful! This is a lost bit of New Jersey funk on the Turbo label, featuring a group that includes Doug Wimbish and Skip McDonald before they became part of the Sugarhill house band, and then part of the On-U Sound collective. The album's a great mix of warmly soulful instrumental grooving... read more

A rare solo effort from Danny Woods – a record cut away from Chairmen Of The Board during a stretch when the group had temporarily disbanded – and an excellent showcase for Danny's strength on his own! Woods is really wonderful here – with a proud, righteous quality that really... read more

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One of the greatest soul groups from the UK in the 80s – a real bright spot in the years before Soul II Soul and the rise of acid jazz – and a set we'd rank right up there with Sade's best work of the time! Working Week have a very jazzy sound at their core – acoustic rhythms,... read more

A masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist Bernard Wright! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk players that includes Bobby Broom, Dave Grusin, Marcus Miller, and Don Blackman, whose funky style is very similar to Wright's... read more

Betty's classic live recording from the mid 70's, and one of her best LPs from the time. She does a whole bunch of cool monologues and routines, many of which she's still using in her live sets today! Includes her 11 minute version of "Clean Up Woman", with impersonations of many famous... read more

Massive music from Betty Wright – an album that really has her coming into her own – and showing the world how great Miami soul can be, when it's done this right! The album's overflowing with key help from TK legends like Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, Steve Alaimo, and KC – all... read more

Betty Wright explodes with soul on this sweet 70s classic – really stretching out past the simpler grooves of her roots, and showing the world she's got more than enough talent to be one of the standout soul divas of her generation! The record's also a great illustration of the way that... read more

A deep soul classic from Betty Wright – one of her earliest albums of the 70s, and a Miami soul landmark that was one of the greatest female southern soul records of the time! Although Betty was well known for her earlier hit "Clean Up Woman", she didn't give into that fame –... read more

A breakout album by Betty Wright, the record that spawned the cut "Clean Up Woman" – the choppy funky track that really pushed her over the top in a big way, and which has remained fresh for years –thanks to a strong sample history in hip hop! That cut's more than enough... read more

A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for... read more

One of the most unique albums to ever come out of the Miami soul scene of the 70s – a sublime set of work that we'd easily rank right up there with the best material of the time from Donny Hathaway or Stevie Wonder! Milton Wright has a really jazzy groove to his music – and he mixes... read more

Great work from OV Wright – one of the few singers who was still strongly carrying the Hi Records torch at the end of the 70s! Although Wright had sometimes been bluesier in the past, his late 70s Hi sides have a much mellower, mature sort of feel – a ripening of the seeds in his... read more

A stone killer from OV Wright – a record that's got all the raw, deeply soulful vocals we love in his early work – mixed with some wicked 70s Hi Records production from Willie Mitchell! Imagine an Al Green record, but with rawer vocals, and you've got a good idea of the feel of this... read more

Incredibly beautiful work from Willie Wright – an album of folksy soul with a slight island spirit – one that nicely nestles Willie's music in a space somewhere between the best 70s work of Terry Callier and Jon Lucien! The sound is wonderful – lean, stripped-down, and... read more

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A seminal classic from vocalist Michael Wycoff – thanks to some killer help from Webster Lewis – who not only produced the album, but also plays keyboards on the set! The album's got a bounce and bubble that's right up there with Lewis' best from the late 70s – but thanks to some... read more

It's a shame that Paul Winley ended up making some bucks off the late great one – especially as other issues of this famous speech gave royalties to Betty Shabazz. Still, the work's an essential one – and the package is pretty nice looking. The vinyl's also banded, and divided into... read more

Probably one of the best Malcolm X releases ever, due in large part to respectful production by Alan Douglas. The record features a number of short excerpts from famous speeches, all identified by the famous quotes that come from them. Words of wisdom include "The House Negro/The Field... read more

One of the strongest albums of recordings we've heard by Malcolm X – issued on the Douglas Records label, and featuring shorter snippets of longer speeches. The package is put together with a strong focus on Malcolm's true charisma as a speaker – his incredible ability to deliver... read more

One of the earliest issues of the words of Malcolm X – featuring speeches on the topics "The Ballot Or The Bullet", "Black Nationalism", "Birmingham Sunday School Bombing", "Human & Civil Rights", and "Violence & Non Violence".... read more

One of the coolest of the Malcolm X albums we ever get in stock. The set's got 3 records of speeches, plus a great book with photos and wisdom. The record's got bracing live speeches, including "Black United Front", "Unwed Mothers", "Nation Within Nation", "Polic... read more

A standout set from the duo of Calvin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples – sounding great on this set of mid 80s grooves! The production of the set has all the hallmarks of Lonnie Simmons' Total Experience style – bouncy rhythms and sweet keyboards, wrapped up in that mix of catchy and funky... read more

An important early record from Yello – only a 4 track ep, but one that had a huge influence on modern dance! The standout cut here is "Bostich" – a great little track that's spare, electronic, and has snapping beats, catchy vocals, and this dark sound that fit perfectly with... read more

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The first rumblings of the pop genius in Yello's music – a record that still has all the best quirky electronics of their first two sets, but which also focuses that energy into a sound that's often more direct and oddly hook-oriented on the best numbers! There's a really percussive vibe... read more

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An electronic pop masterpiece! YMO's first US release, and their best LP of quirky techno pop, bubbling over with video game noise, synthesized beeps and a stew of futuristic noises all glued together with infectious rhythms. Includes "Computer Game (Theme From The Circus)", "Comput... read more

An excellent bit of spacey funk – and one of the most obscure Gamble/Huff records ever recorded! Yellow Sunshine are a hip funky jazz group, very tight in the riffing department, with a sound that would be more at home on Fantasy Records than Philly International. Dexter Wansel's in the... read more

Quite possibly the greatest Larry Young album of the post-Blue Note years – and a massive bit of funk that totally redefines his sound! Larry's working here with his hip group Fuel – an ensemble that features Laura Logan on lead vocals, giving the tunes a real focus through her lyrics... read more

Quite possibly the greatest Larry Young album of the post-Blue Note years – and a massive bit of funk that totally redefines his sound! Larry's working here with his hip group Fuel – an ensemble that features Laura Logan on lead vocals, giving the tunes a real focus through her lyrics... read more

Excellent work from this oft-overlooked southern soul singer – the beautiful Tommie Young! Tommie's a lady (in case you didn't know it), and she's got deep deep style that'll knock you flat out – with a soaring female southern soul sound on many of the tracks here – including a... read more

Deep soul from deep in Louisiana – a killer collection of work from the great and overlooked Tommie Young! Tommie only cut a handful of singles and one full album for the small Soul Power offshoot of Jewel Records – but those tracks have earned her a place in our hearts for years... read more

Young & Company were an obscure New Jersey group who struck big momentarily with the single "I Like What You're Doing To Me", and got a brief chance to cut this one and only album for Brunswick as a follow-up. The album's an interesting one, because it came at a time when the last-gas... read more

Wicked electric funk from Young Holt Unlimited – and a real departure from the sound of their 60s albums, and a step into a groove that's very 70s-styled overall! The album's heavy on Fender Rhodes – played not just by group member Ken Chaney, but also by a young Bobby Lyle –... read more

Fantastic! Young and Holt lay down a monster set of grooves from Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack (all the good ones – like "Freddie's Dead", "Give Me Your Love", "Pusher Man", and "Superfly"), and they also get into some funky tracks of their own... read more

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A sweet tribute to Jimi Hendrix – served up by older soul legend Lonnie Youngblood – who actually recorded with Jimi in his early days! The set here is a very faithful presentation of the Hendrix aesthetic – maybe a bit more funk than rock, which is a good thing for us –... read more

A really stunning little record – way more than we expected – and our expectations were already pretty darn high! The album's contemporary – and features legendary Delfonics lead singer William Hart working with younger studio whiz Adrian Younge – who gives the whole thing... read more

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A great later project from Zulema – one done in the years after her fame on bigger labels, but still pretty darn great overall! The groove here is quite different than the records she did back in the 70s – much more in the street soul mode you'd expect from the TSOB label – with... read more

Bootsy and Roger went all the way to the bank with this one – a classic electro funk groover without which, most of west coast late 80s/early 90s hip hop would not exist! The cut's a monster – and still sounds wonderful whatever the context.... read more

The classic first album by this legendary funky combo – a group who not only went onto change the sound of funk in the 80s, but also went onto have a huge impact on generations of hip hop as well! The album burns from the very first note – the wicked snapping funk of "More Bounce... read more

The classic first album by this legendary funky combo – a group who not only went onto change the sound of funk in the 80s, but also went onto have a huge impact on generations of hip hop as well! The album burns from the very first note – the wicked snapping funk of "More Bounce... read more

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Wild! This is, supposedly, "electronic boogie and blues composed and played on the moog" – but the sound is more like tripped-out funky computer music, with a good fuzzy edge, and none of the hokiness you'd think of from the "boogie" tag in the title. Paul Beaver is part... read more

A great groover from the early 90s – crossover party sounds, served up here in lots of mixes!... read more

Early 80s funky soul from Zoom! Saturday, Saturday Night is crafted to be a good natured, party starting set – and it succeeds with charm to spare. It's a mix of uptempo club cuts and mellow modern soul ones with excellent harmonies by the group, and some nice hooks in all the right places!... read more

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A crucial look at the Chicago scene in the 1980s – and the first collection to really get at the roots of that city's legendary house music scene! Although later labels – like Trax or DJ International – became known as global forces for dance music in the 80s, the big wave of new... read more

A crucial look at the Chicago scene in the 1980s – and the first collection to really get at the roots of that city's legendary house music scene! Although later labels – like Trax or DJ International – became known as global forces for dance music in the 80s, the big wave of new... read more

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A rich tribute to one of the greatest indies of the south – especially back in the 50s – Jackson's mighty Ace Records – home to a rich array of R&B, early rockers, and rootsy music too – all served up here in a mightily overstuffed compilation! The set brings together a... read more

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club... read more

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club... read more