Soul — In Stock  

An amazing evolution in sound – a set that brings together the shifting styles of Deniece Williams during her Columbia years – a stretch when she started out as a righteous-voiced singer with an almost Minnie Riperton-like sound, then moved into much more chart-topping territory for the... read more

Deniece Williams is hot on the trail of an 80s groove here – working with lots of tight keyboards and contemporary rhythms, yet still staying true to that amazing vocal approach she first worked out in the Chicago scene of the 60s! The style is a great mix of crossover soul and deeper lines... read more

An album that crossed over for Deniece in a big way – and it's a great one, with crisp, lean pop soul production that's as gratifying as any of the era – with a few ballads that are totally top notch, too! This is definitely the best of her more pop oriented records, with hooks galore... read more

My Melody from Deniece Williams and it's definitely one of here most beautiful albums of the early 80s – the more we think about it, it may be one of her best ever from beginning-to-end! It's lush and beautifully produced set Thom Bell, providing such a lovely backdrop for Deniece's... read more

A pretty sweet late 70s set from Deniece Williams – produced by Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire – and it sounds like it! The set ranges from catchy, crossover ready funky soul sweetened ever more by Deniece's amazing voice, to more stripped down and intimate numbers. There's a... read more

Genius work from Denice Williams – a singer who'd cracked the charts a bit as Denice Chandler, with a little girl soul sound, way back in the 60s – but who's grown up considerably by this essential 70s set! Chandler's voice is still a bit high – almost in a Minnie Riperton sort... read more

A massive blend of funk, soul, and gospel – from a small side label in the TK Records universe of the 70s! The sound is like some of the best soul LPs on TK from the time, and the arrangements have a nice warm feel – plenty of sweet Miami elements in the music, especially in the... read more

A rare funk album from west coast legend Larry Williams – very different than his heavy R&B of the late 50s, or the brief soul comeback he had with Johnny Guitar Watson in the 60s – and instead a heavy groover with a trippy Cali sound! The record's got a sharp groove right from the... read more

Neither country, nor disco – despite what the cover might make you think – and instead a wonderful batch of southern soul that's even rootsier than most of the work from the 70s on the TK label! The album was actually recorded in Chicago with arrangements by Gene Barge – who used... read more

... read more

Raw blues from Sonny Boy Williamson – harmonica, guitar, and some rough drumming underneath the vocals – all in a mode that has plenty of early Chess Records grit! And despite the "down and out" title and cover image, Sonny's got a heck of a lot of punch here – an... read more

Chuck Willis is billed as "the king of the stroll" on the cover of this classic Atlantic album – but that title only gets at just a small part of his genius! The set's one of a rare few Chuck cut in his too-short life – and it may well be his greatest, as it's really got... read more

... read more

An excellent bit of lost funky piano and a tough album to find! Larry Willis was mostly a jazz pianist, and he's best known to the world for his work on Jackie McLean's Blue Note albums of the 60's. Here, though, he's playing in a hard-hitting funky group, with nice hard drums on a lot of tracks... 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

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

A wonderful little album from Jackie Wilson – one that helped him redefine his sound and save his career! Jackie's earlier work for Brunswick was a mish-mash of styles that ranged from raw R&B to smooth supper-club jazz to silly novelty numbers, all of which had gotten pretty stale by... read more

A pretty darn great album – way better than some of the snoozier 60s work by both of the artists involved! Basie's group gets hard and soulful on the record – and even a little funky on the best cuts – and Jackie's in a raw bluesy vocal style that recalls the best moments of his... read more

A wicked album of dancefloor jazz funk – featuring the vocals and keyboards of Lesette Wilson, an excellent player who's worked on dozens of albums as a studio musician, but only ever got to cut a few sides under her own name! The album's got a warm soulful finish – right up there with... read more

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 pair of great Nancy Wilson albums from the mid 70s in a single set! All In Love Is Far is a sophisticated album of soul tracks arranged and produced by Gene Page, in a string-heavy, slightly-funky style that reminds us of Gene's work with Barry White at the time. The tracks are all pretty hip... read more

Overlooked genius from Nancy Wilson – a pair of gems, back to back on a single CD! Can't Take My Eyes Off You is a really great album from Nancy Wilson – a set that still has her working with the jazzy undercurrents of her best 60s work for Capitol Records – yet also moving into... 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

... 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

A wonderfully groovy album from Nancy – filled with the kind of hip soul that was her best stuff during the 60s! The LP's got a nice jaunty groove – not exactly in the David Axelrod funky Capitol mode, but with that tight sound that graced the best of Capitol's crossover country albums... read more

A very groovy set of standards and 60s pop tunes – all done by Nancy in her great soulful swinging style! The record's got far more to offer than you'd guess from the track list, as Nancy's at the height of her early career here – and she's getting backing from a very sympathetic west... 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 beautiful collection of work by funky soul diva Spanky Wilson – a set that features her full Westbound album Specialty Of The House, plus a nice array of even harder-hitting singles! Spanky first rose to fame as a gritty singer mixing jazz and soul on a series of late 60s/early 70s sides... read more

A (sadly) posthumous release from Amy Winehouse – a voice we loved for a couple good years before knowing how troubled she was in real life and now lament the loss of – and this set, largely put together by producer Salaam Remi turned out surprisingly well! It'd be pretty easy to bow... read more

... read more

The one and only album ever cut by The Winstons – an obscure mixed-race soul combo who had roots in Otis Redding's touring band, and who hit big with a soul Grammy in 1969 for the title track to this one, "Color Him Father". The cut's an amazing document of its time, a sweet little... read more

Beautifully smooth soul from Robert Winters & Fall – a great mix of 80s groove and modern mellow – handled with lots of warm touches that make Winters' vocals come off wonderfully! The feel here is a bit like some of the smoother sets from DJ Rogers – as Winters' voice has a... read more

... read more

One of Wither's most underrated sets, a nice effort from the latter part of his Columbia career. The set has the sort of modern soul polish throughout that separates these CBS sides from his earlier grittier work for Sussex, and though the sound has a little more commercial and mainstream appeal... read more

Bill Withers' second "best of" collection for Columbia – and like the other one, this set features tracks from his earlier years at Sussex, plus some numbers cut for Columbia. Great stuff throughout – from the more recent smooth mellow soul of "Just The Two Of Us"... read more

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

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

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

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

Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the... 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

One of Bobby's biggest albums of the 80s – and a smooth soulful set that features some nice guest work from the likes of George Benson, Patti Labelle, and Wilton Felder. We're a bit more partial to Bobby's earlier work, but his voice is always a treasure, with a raspy soulful edge that never... 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

Incredible work – 2 of Bobby Womack's best albums ever in one set! Understanding is killer 70s work from Bobby – 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. The result... read more

... 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

A pivotal album from Stevie Wonder – one of his first really heady records, and a tremendous little set from start to finish! The Wonder heard here is light years from the simple pop of the early days – really stretching out both as a songwriter and musician – coming up with a... read more

A sweet little double CD – 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

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

... 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 live performance from the legendary Lyman Woodard Organization – captured here at the height of their powers in the 70s! The Organization has a really unique approach to their groove – one that starts in jazz, but moves quickly into funk – with a spirit that you'd find in... 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

... read more

Rare material from Indianapolis vibesman Billy Wooten – previously unreleased tracks that start with his years in The Wooden Glass, then stretch out into even more obscure territory! The first 3 tracks on the set are all live jams with plenty of heavy vibes from Billy – tracks that... read more

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 great little boogie groove from Wrecking Crew – not the west coast group, but one of the few midwest acts to work on the Erect label! "Chance To Dance" bounces along with a nice sort of ensemble funk mode – male vocals in the lead, but mixed vocals in support –... 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

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

Early 80s greatness from Bernard Wright – the benchmark Nard from '81 and his Funky Beat from '83 – in a single set! Nard is a masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk... 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

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

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

... read more

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

A soaring solo effort from the great Philippe Wynne – a vocalist who's probably best known for his hit 70s work with The Spinners, but one who also turns out to be a hell of talent on his own! Wynne's sweet raspy vocals click into place right from the start – stretching out over a host... 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

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 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

... 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

... read more

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

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

Karen's big cut, the only one we'll remember her for, and a big campy track in its day. Served up here on an original West End single, with vocal and instrumental versions both stretching past the 8 minute mark.... 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

Amazing stuff from bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac "Red" Holt! At the time of this release, the pair had already risen to great fame as the rhythm backing for Ramsey Lewis in his first trio – but broke out on their own as a solo act, with a real focus on rhythmic piano... 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

A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of... 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

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