Some serious slammin from The Pointer Sisters – still going strong here, near the end of an amazing run of records done with producer Richard Perry! The late 80s vibe is definitely in place – as the beats are a lot more upfront than previously for the trio – a bumpin, thumping... read more
Some serious slammin from The Pointer Sisters – still going strong here, near the end of an amazing run of records done with producer Richard Perry! The late 80s vibe is definitely in place – as the beats are a lot more upfront than previously for the trio – a bumpin, thumping... read more
A sweet one from The Pointer Sisters – with an opening track that's permanently tattooed to the memory of just about anyone who lived through the era, but better than that, a bunch of great songs that are comparably slept on all these years later! So Excited is a great example of a very... read more
A surprisingly pleasing little set from The Pointer Sisters – a lot more soul than pop, and really held together with some solid production and songwriting! Despite the hit cut "He's So Shy", with its over-heard catchy chorus, the rest of the album has the trio moving in a somewhat... read more
Incredibly messed-up funk – a 70s instrumental classic that's delighted our ears for years! The set's got a cosmic sound that mixes together conventional guitar-based funky with some weird electronic touches at times – going for a fuzzed-out moogy quality that really deepens the groove... read more
What a weird group! Port Authority were all members of the US Navy – and the Navy evidently supported them big, because they released this album themselves! The group's got a funky sound that mixes up soul and rock – mostly soul on the instrumentation, with some occasional bad white... read more
A great groove from singer Gregory Porter – the first tune that really brought him to our attention – making a debut appearance here on vinyl! The original of "1960 What" is plenty great – running for over 12 minutes, and building in this jazzy groove that's really... read more
One of the coolest, grooviest cats who ever cut a record – an an artist with a really unique conception at the time of these recordings! Roy Porter got his start as a drummer during the bebop years, and worked hard on the LA scene of the R&B and soul scenes of the 50s and 60s – but... read more
The early 70s sweet soul masterpiece by The Presidents – a great album that kicks off with a title track of that was a huuuuuuuge hit back in the day, but the full length album by the group just about never shows up! It's just beautiful stuff, with lots of tasty harmony soul tracks with... read more
Billy Preston —
Kids & Me ... CD
A&M (Japan),
1974. New Copy ....
$26.99
Billy Preston right in the middle of a classic 70s run – hitting a trademark blend of soul, jazz, and other groovy influences – all with a sound that's very much his own, and which puts him in the same company as Sly Stone or Stevie Wonder! Preston's market was a bit more mainstream... read more
Billy Preston & Syreeta/David Shire —
Fast Break ... LP
Motown,
1979. Sealed ....
$3.99
Billy Preston & Syreeta handled the music for this slightly-lame, kind of strange Gabe Kaplan vehicle from the late 70s. The music is relatively fine, although the album lacks any totally funky moments. Instrumentals include "Books & Basketball", "Half Time", "The... read more
The title says funky, but this one's more of a batch of soul jazz tracks – largely instrumental numbers, handled in a swinging style that's got traces of soul and R&B, and which matches the backings you might have heard on Lloyd's albums from the late 50s or early 60s. The record's quite... read more
Lloyd Price, Sam Cooke, Larry Williams, & Little R —
Our Significant Hits ... LP
Specialty,
Late 50s. Very Good ....
$33.99
A cool Specialty Records compilation – with three cuts each by the four stars on the cover!... read more
Sweet keyboards and loads of wonderful 80s grooves – a great little set that perfectly balances jazzy riffing, funky rhythms, and warm soulful vocals! The cover's a bit slick, but there's a lot more depth here than some of Prime Time's contemporaries – an ear both for the mainstream... read more
A mad bit of soul psychedelia from Prince – a record that sounds better and better over the years, and which stands out from most of his 80s work thanks to some really unique production and songwriting! After Purple Rain, Prince did anything but wince in the face of living up to such a... read more
UK import 12" of what was released as a B-side in the US around the release of his Controversy LP, followed by by two of his hits from 2 previous albums, in the red tiger stripe cover.... read more
Prince in near-peak form in the mid 80 – creatively, anyway! Parade is a brilliant stand-alone album, tough it doubles as a soundtrack to a film that flopped – standing today as one of our favorite Prince albums from the 80s! Includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest... read more
Prince —
Prince ... LP
Warner,
1979. Very Good+ ....
$12.99
An overlooked record in the grand scheme – which is unforgivable in our book! This self-titled album Prince's second LP, and already his vision is becoming a little more focused, and you could really hear the seeds of his later efforts – and really remarkable, unique, and fascinating... read more
One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly... read more
A second set of Time-like groovers from Process & The Doo Rags – a near-lost mid 80s harmony group, produced and arranged by Rick James, with a sound that's clearly going for the Morris Day groove! The overall sound is actually quite nice, though – hardly the weak copycat sound... read more
Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey... read more
Funky big band work from Bill Pursell – a set that's got some of the disco charm you'd expect from the image on the cover – but one that also has some other jazzy elements too! There's not really a Nashville sound to the record – at least not in country music terms – and if... read more
Funky big band work from Bill Pursell – a set that's got some of the disco charm you'd expect from the image on the cover – but one that also has some other jazzy elements too! There's not really a Nashville sound to the record – at least not in country music terms – and if... read more
Push —
Push ... CD
BBQ (Japan),
Late 70s. New Copy ....
$34.99
Wonderful grooves from Push – a funky ensemble who flourished in the Seattle scene at the end of the 70s – turning out some really massive sounds in the clubs, and in the studio! This collection's the only one we've ever seen of their work – a much-needed testament to their stone... read more
A full album of Canadian disco from the mighty Suzy Q – an album that follows nicely on her hit of the same name! The tunes here almost have a slightly new wave feel at times – still disco mostly, but with some angular touches that almost hint at the artier side of the clubs –... read more
Sidney Joe Qualls —
Windy City Wailer ... CD
Dakar/Harmless (UK),
1974/1979. New Copy ....
$9.99
A brilliant collection of work from this overlooked Chicago soul singer – a set that brings together his whole 1974 album for Dakar, plus bonus singles from his late 70s years at Chi-Sound Records! First up is the sublime I Enjoy Loving You – one of a rare few albums cut by Sidney Joe... read more
Latinized crossover club from the enigmatic Quando Quango – one of our favorite groups from the Factory Records import years! "Atom Rock" is a catchy New York styled number, remixed here by Mark Kamins with the trebley guitar, conga and electro bits all ducking in and out of the... read more
An undisputed funk classic – even back in the days before anyone ever said the phrase "funk classic"! This album must have been deleted the day it came out – because even though it's attained legendary proportions with groovers worldwide, it's always been hard to find –... read more
An undisputed funk classic – even back in the days before anyone ever said the phrase "funk classic"! This album must have been deleted the day it came out – because even though it's attained legendary proportions with groovers worldwide, it's always been hard to find –... read more
Quartz —
Quartz ... CD
Marlin/Henry Stone,
1978. New Copy ....
$10.9912.99
Sweet spacey disco from Quartz – and a set that definitely lives up to the icy image on the cover! The set's in the best mode of the French club scene of the 70s – a groove that certainly draws complex instrumentation from the progressive moments of a few years before – but which... read more
Tight funky soul from Quazar! This relatively overlooked group is one of the lesser-remembered P-Funk-linked acts of the late 70s – which is a shame, as it's a great little side project from the team of Glenn Goins and Jerome Brailey. It's got a with a bass and drums-heavy party groove all... read more
An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the... read more
A fantastic tune from Patrick Adams – a strident disco number, with much tighter production than the P&P years of the late 70s, but still the same funky soul edge that always makes his club work so great! Rainbow's vocals are great – and there's a monster hook that keeps this one... read more
Amazing sounds from Ram Jam Holder – an artist unlike anyone else we can think of! Black London Blues is a brilliant British set from Holder – not really blues at all, but a cool kind of crossbreeding of styles in the 60s London scene – almost the same mad mix of modes you might... read more
Rare Earth —
Get Ready ... LP
Rare Earth,
1969. Very Good ....
$6.99
The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another... read more
Rare Earth —
One World ... LP
Rare Earth,
1971. Very Good+ Gatefold ....
$3.99
An obscure bit of Chicago jazz – featuring vocalist Luba Raushiek, kind of a self-styled spiritualist, with an approach that hits both traditional modes, and more far-out soulful ones – running through styles that range from Leon Thomas to Billy Eckstine, as was typical for a small club... read more
A monster of a rare funk album – recorded by a tight little combo who should have been huge! Raw Soul Express have a touch of jazz in their playing – coming off here with a sound that reminds us of Wood Brass & Steel, and a rare few other funk acts of the time who knew how to do... read more
A pretty great little live set – recorded in Central Park in the late 60s, before a very large crowd! Lou sounds great, as always – and the Ramsey Lewis material is very much in the spirit of the live mid 60s Cadet recordings. Maxine Brown is the real treat, though, as the live... read more
One of the coolest club projects of the 70s – a set of tracks based around the keyboards of Don Ray, but handled with lots of electronic disco touches from Cerrone! The pair are great arrangers on their own, but together they really make some magic – kind of a leaner take on the... read more
Ray & His Court —
Ray & His Court ... LP
Sound Triangle,
1973. New Copy (reissue)....
$9.99
Some of the tightest funky 70s jamming ever – a lost gem from Ray & His Musical Court, a group that perfectly fuses JB/Horny Horns funk with beat-heavy Afro-Cuban groove! Ray and the group are one of the more obscure funky combos of the era, and it's a damn shame, because the group's... read more
Sweet silky harmony soul from the trio of Harry Ray, Billy Brown, and Al Goodman – the group's first album under a new name – after some previous indie work as The Moments! The album's got the group really stepping up with a rich new sound – drawing on all the best elements of... read more
Probably the best album Ray, Goodman, and Brown cut after they dissolved The Moments, and moved to Polydor. Despite some more modern soul production than their classic recordings, their harmonies are excellent, and their voices are in totally top form. The LP includes their classic "Happy... read more
Raydio —
Rock On ... LP
Arista,
1979. Very Good+ ....
$2.99
Not much rock here, but a definite guitar-driven groove – that Ray Parker vamp cooked up in a long legacy of work for other artists – really sparkling here in the frontline of Raydio! The bass is pretty strong too, with that mainstream funk sound that was popping strongly from the west... read more
An excellent album by Isaac Redd Holt – one half of the incredible Young-Holt rhythm team, bursting out nicely here on his own! This is Redd's second album – first for Paula, as the other one was a jazz effort on Argo back in the 60s – and it's a wild blend of jazz, funk, and a... read more
Some of the last recordings ever made by Otis Redding – produced by Steve Cropper in mid 1967, but not issued by Atlantic until after Otis' tragic early death! The style of the tracks is very much in keeping with Redding's classic Stax work – and it seems that even more of the tunes on... read more
One of Otis Redding's greatest LPs! Unlike some of his others – which either had some filler, some gimmicks, or were collections of material released after his death – this one is a totally solid batch of southern soul tracks that ranks with some of the best work to come out of Memphis... read more
A stone classic from Jimmy Reed – and one of the first few albums on the Vee Jay label! The sound is spare, rootsy, and bluesy – the kind of tunes that made Jimmy an instant favorite, and which were a key force in the Chicago blues sound of the 50s. The set features material recorded... read more
Not just Jimmy Reed – as the album features work by Phil Upchurch on bass and Al Duncan on drums, plus some great uncredited organ too – but the album's still a great chance to hear the great one at all his stripped-down best! Jimmy really dominates on vocals and guitar, and some... read more
Della swings it hard this live set from the 60s – with backing from John Cotter, in a style that's jazzy, bouncy, and swinging! Even the mellower tracks are done in a tightly snapping style that's every bit the best approach that Della brought to vocals – a bit of soul in the... read more
Della Reese —
Right Now ... LP
Avco,
Mid 70s. Very Good+ ....
$6.99
Arranged by Peter Myers and Sammy Lowe – with cuts that include "Daydream City", "Something", "Simple Song Of Freedom", "Leftover Wine", "Billy My Love", "Skip A Rope", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life".... read more
A seminal late 80s techno track from Kevin Saunderson, in the days before he adopted the Inner City name. Overall the sound is a bit less dark, and a bit less electro than what would become the genre's mainstay sound, but in a late night-driving vibe with a soulful undercurrent that still sounds... read more
Martha's lost the Vandellas for this one, but that's fine with us – as she's stepping out as a hip soul diva, laying down a mixture of mellow and upbeat tunes, in a style that's somewhere between Marlena Shaw and Gladys Knight. Production (and we assume arrangements) are by Tony Silvester,... read more
A massive batch of music from Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – not just the 52 singles they issued for Motown, but a full bonus 28 tracks that are previously unreleased, and two rare Spanish singles too! The group's playful style of vocals was a huge hit right from the start – and... read more
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas —
Anthology ... LP
Motown,
1960s/Early 70s. Very Good+ 2LP ....
$6.99
Martha and the girls' entry into Motown's well-done series of 70s multi-LP collections – this one only a double-length set, but still filled with plenty of great bits by the group! The set features a solid decade's worth of work – material from the trio's 1962 start at Motown, up to... read more
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas —
Black Magic ... LP
Gordy,
1972. Very Good+ ....
$6.99
Sure, it's the 70s – but this album's still got some excellent moments on it, like the amazing track "Bless You", which is worth the price of the album alone! The cut was written by The Corporation, and it's got this incredible wall of sound arrangement, with Martha singing verse... read more
A great bit of soul from Clarence Reid – otherwise known as Blowfly – and a key album in the Miami scene at the end of the 60s! Clarence is working here in a very classic Atlantic records style of soul – with all the rootsy southern elements of the previous southern work at... read more
A great bit of soul from Clarence Reid – otherwise known as Blowfly – and a key album in the Miami scene at the end of the 60s! Clarence is working here in a very classic Atlantic records style of soul – with all the rootsy southern elements of the previous southern work at... read more
The magnificent return of The Relatives – the group's first new recording since the 70s – hot on the heels of their rediscovery on the Don't Let Me Fail compilation! The lineup features some younger members alongside leader Reverend Gean West – but the sound here is very much in... read more
Massive soul from Wendy Rene – one of the lesser-known talents from the Stax Records scene of the 60s, and an artist who's finally getting her due! We're not sure why Wendy never hit bigger at the time – because her singles here are wonderful – excellent female soul that not only... read more
The first full length from Rene & Angela for Capitol – a tight batch of modern soul that sounds great to this day! There's a mixture of sweet duet soul with the best kind of 80s grooving – clearly inspired by Ashford & Simpson, but also with a strong sound of its own. Skip... read more
Jeannie Reynolds —
One Wish ... LP
Casablanca,
1975. Near Mint- ....
$29.99
A solid smoker from the lesser-known Jeannie Reynolds – a hell of a 70s soul singer, and one who should have been huge – especially given the rich vocals on this set! Jeannie's brother LJ Reynolds handles production this time around, and he brings in a nice sharper edge to the set... read more
A killer album of modern soul from ex-Dramatics singer LJ Reynolds! The album's in a modern Detroit mode all the way through – with top-shelf production by Reynolds, Don Davis, and Ronnie McNeir – and Ronnie, who'd been lost to the industry for a few years, also re-emerges as a writer... read more
A pair of classic early 80s soul albums from ex-Dramatics singer LJ Reynolds! The self-titled '81 set is killer material in a modern Detroit mode all the way through – with top-shelf production by Reynolds, Don Davis, and Ronnie McNeir/ Ronnie, who'd been lost to the industry for a few... read more
LJ Reynolds' sounding great on his own here – stepping strongly away from his work with The Dramatics, and emerging as one of the best male soul acts of the early 80s! The groove here is a nice extension of his earlier group work – still produced by Don Davis in a mode that's... read more
The third in a really great run from Rhythm Heritage – a group who continued to hold up a strong level of instrumental quality, despite the fact that they'd topped the charts, and were smack right in the middle of the LA studio scene at the time! Part of the credit goes to producer/arranger... read more
One of the heaviest funk records ever to come out of Indy in the 70s – a super-dope batch of ensemble grooving with plenty of odd twists and turns! At one level, the group work in a familiar Earth Wind & Fire-styled vibe – mixing heavy bass, funky rhythms, and lots of great horns... read more
One of the heaviest funk records ever to come out of Indy in the 70s – a super-dope batch of ensemble grooving with plenty of odd twists and turns! At one level, the group work in a familiar Earth Wind & Fire-styled vibe – mixing heavy bass, funky rhythms, and lots of great horns... read more
A great mix of symphonic disco and Latin hustle – one of the more compelling moments from The Rice & Beans Orchestra, served up with some tight arrangements by Hector Garrido! There's a nice blend of New York and Miami modes going on here – and the proceedings are largely... read more
Lionel Richie —
Coming Home ... CD
Island/Def Jam,
2006. Used ....
$3.99
Sweetly stepping funk from The Rimshots – here moving from their rawer early sound into a tighter mode that was much more in keeping with the Philly scene of the time! The set's got a really full ensemble group feel – similar to other All Platinum classics by Brand New Funk and Wood... read more
Rimshots —
Soul Train ... LP
All Platinum,
1972. New Copy (reissue)....
$9.99
Probably the funkiest record ever by this landmark soul combo! The Rimshots are one of these groups that you always find their later work, but in their early days they were an absolutely killer combo – with a hard funky groove that virtually defined the funky 45 sound. In fact, their... read more
Rinder & Lewis —
Warriors ... LP
AVI,
1979. Very Good ....
$16.99
An excellent bit of spacey club grooves from the enigmatic Rinder & Lewis team! The record has a sweet jazzy vibe that's different than some of their other records – and which seems to share equal parts influence from Kraftwerk, Larry Mizell, and Tangerine Dream. Includes the great... read more
After Minnie Riperton's heavenly first LP on Cadet – the sublime Come To My Garden – this one's got to be her most perfectly realized full LP. The album's sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow... read more
After Minnie Riperton's heavenly first album on Cadet – the sublime Come To My Garden – this one's got to be her most perfectly realized full LP! The album's a sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow... read more
The last album ever from the amazing Minnie Riperton – and one of her greatest records as well! The album was sadly issued after Minnie's untimely early passing from this planet – but it's a heavenly batch of tunes that definitely shows that her love of music lives forever –... read more
Minnie's last LP – or at least the last LP released while she was alive – and a wonderful batch of jazzy modern soul cuts that gives a good indication of the direction that Minnie might have gone in the 80s. The album's got plenty of great guest players – including Minnie's... read more
Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest soul divas! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of... read more