Soul — In Stock — All Formats  

Some rare early Memphis soul material by this legendary Stax combo! The sound of the recording is a bit rawer than most of the stuff we know by them, but their harmonies are great all the way through, with that hard Memphis soul sound that always made them so great! It features the earliest... read more

One of two albums produced by Rudy Ray Moore – the other being The Sensuous Black Man – which define the art of making love from a gender-based perspective. Like Rudy's Sensuous Black Man, The Madam's version features one side of "instructional" dialogue – very XXX-rated... read more

Excellent little small combo record, cut by this obscure funky jazz group for 20th Century – and probably the only thing they ever did! The album's got a number of tight short cuts, played by organ, vibes, and guitar – and titles include "Soul Samba", "Mad Hatters... read more

... read more

... read more

An early Madonna single, with production from Reggie Lucas and Jellybean Benitez.... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

Titles include "Over & Over", "Into The Groove", "Holiday", "Everybody", and "Physical Attraction".... read more

Freaky spandex and a mighty nice groove – a record that sounds a lot better than you might guess from the group's outfits on the cover! Magic Lady are a trio of funky females – grooving in a style that's a bit like the Brides Of Funkenstein, but a lot more stripped-down – an 80s-t... read more

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that... read more

A classic bit of indie blues from the Chicago scene – featuring some great players from the second generation after Chess Records stopped picking up the younger local talents! Magic Sam leads the group on vocals and guitar, and he's working here with Mighty Joe Young on guitar, Odie Payne on... read more

... read more

A definite treasure from Taj Mahal – especially for fans of his excellent early work for Columbia Records! The first CD in the package features unreleased studio tracks recorded during the glory days for Columbia – not rough cuts or demos, but well-finished gems that offer up the same... read more

A bit hipper and less bluesy than some of Taj's other work for Columbia – recorded with his Intergalactic Soul Messengers Band, and a sound that's slyly soulful – and flavored with reggae or otherwise Caribbean influenced rhythms! Music Keeps Me Together has a fairly loose feel, but... read more

Beautiful harmony soul! Skip and the Casuals were one of the great lost groups of the 70s – and they had a classic style that was very much in keeping with groups like Soul Generation or The Whatnauts. The band hailed from Washington DC, making them one of the southernmost outposts of the... read more

Two of our favorite albums by The Main Ingredient – back to back on a single CD! Euphrates River is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still... read more

A killer set from a group that never lets us down – stepping out here in a sound that's more modern, more mature than their hit work of the 70s – yet still filled with all the sublime harmony soul we'd expect from the trio of Tony Silvester, Cuba Gooding, and Luther Simmons! Wade... read more

A pair of great early albums from Main Ingredient – Tasteful Soul from 1970 and Bitter Sweet from 1971 – in a single set! Tasteful Soul is one of the groups earliest records, with a great set of Bert DeCoteaux arrangements, and a totally sweet soul harmony sound! The arrangements are... read more

One of the few non-hip hop singles on Pop Art, and a mellow modern soul number by Major Harris.... read more

A great debut from The Malemen – a short-lived group in the recording studio, but one who spent many years on the southern scene as a well-travelled showband! The group have a more modern vibe here than they might on the stage – a sweet 80s groove approach that features plenty of tight... read more

A great debut from The Malemen – a short-lived group in the recording studio, but one who spent many years on the southern scene as a well-travelled showband! The group have a more modern vibe here than they might on the stage – a sweet 80s groove approach that features plenty of tight... read more

One of the last groups to get the Norman Whitfield touch in the studio – and a surprisingly nice one too, even if they didn't reach the heights of The Temptations or Undisputed Truth! Mammatapee have kind of a clunky name – possibly the reason for their lack of success – but the... read more

A late Norm Whitfield production from the 80s, with a slick commercial soul groove, that's a bit more lean than a lot of his other work. A bit of an odd sidebar sort of record, but not without a few nice moments. Includes "Dance With Me, Baby", "What You Gonna Do", "Easier... read more

The last album ever issued by the enigmatic studio collective Mandigo – a batch of British musicians, but recording here in the best Afro Rock mode of the 70s sound library scene! As with some of the best British projects of this nature, there's a lot of different elements at play in the mix... read more

We have to admit we've passed this album up for years and years, as it seems to be rather ubiquitous in these parts, and boy were we mistaken! Side one is mostly instrumental, and sounds like a lost Dexter Wansel album, with sophisticated, spacey post-fusion arrangements and a quasi-futuristic... read more

Although some of the albums that Mandrill made were a bit weak, and had too much hippy-dippy stuff, this one is one of their best albums, and has a nice hard funky sound that they didn't always match. The album includes the funky break classic track "Fencewalk", plus other groovers like... read more

One is one of their best albums, and has a nice hard funky sound that they didn't always match. The album includes the funky break classic track "Fencewalk", plus other groovers like "Hang Loose", and "Don't Mess with People".... read more

Mandrill's first album of funky Latin jazz and soul – a landmark in crossover styles that still sounds remarkably fresh today! Unlike later records, which feature a tighter funk sound, this one has the band jamming out in a Latin-inflected mode that sounds like some of the best Chicano bands... read more

A tasty set from Mandrill – one of their first records away from the Polydor label, but every bit as great as later efforts for that company, especially Mandrilland. The overall sound is a bit smoother than some of their full-out funky albums – but in a way that really helps blend... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Mandrill – a real standout from the years at Arista – and a set that seems to take all the key instrumental energy of the Polydor years, and focus it on a soulful groove that's even more soaring than before! The energy is wonderful – very much like the... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Mandrill – a real standout from the years at Arista – and a set that seems to take all the key instrumental energy of the Polydor years, and focus it on a soulful groove that's even more soaring than before! The energy is wonderful – very much like the... read more

... read more

... read more

An insanely wonderful album of Latin percussion – the only album we've ever seen from Cuban percussionist Lazaro Pla, aka Manteca – a date recorded in Miami in the 70s, and filled with lots of raw percussion jams! There's a massive amount of bongo work here, mostly in a very spare... read more

Wonderful sounds from Teena Marie – the last album she ever recorded before she left us way too soon – and a beautiful set that has us missing her more than ever! The vibe is even tighter than the Congo Square album, but there's also a classic sensibility and depth that takes us back... read more

Teena Marie on Stax Records – something we never thought we'd see, but which we're happy to applaud, given the strength of this set! Teena's arranging and producing herself here – and the record has some of the best tight soul modes of other recent sets in the Stax revival – an... read more

Maybe the greatest album that Teena Marie ever cut – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of the lady's work for Motown! The set's got this bright, positive bounce that grabs you right from the start – but also moves into a depth that's way different than other funk albums of... read more

Maybe the greatest album that Teena Marie ever cut – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of the lady's work for Motown! The set's got this bright, positive bounce that grabs you right from the start – but also moves into a depth that's way different than other funk albums of... read more

Teena Marie steps out strongly on her own – really knocking it out of the park on this initial album for CBS – entirely written, arranged, and produced by Lady T! The grooves are as funky as before, but possibly have a leaner quality overall – a tighter 80s groove approach to the... read more

A definite breakout from Louisa Mark – a set of smooth-stepping rhythms with plenty of Jamaican elements in the mix – yet served up in a warm London vibe that's plenty soulful too! The mix of modes is great – and makes the record a lovers' rock classic right from the get-go... read more

Vintage Memphis instrumentals from The Mar-Keys – a record cut at a time when the group were still rising up with the same power as Booker T & The MGs! There's a very similar vibe going on here – tight rhythms and no-nonsense combo instrumentation that's heavy on organ and tenor,... read more

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group... read more

The birth of the Memphis instrumental sound – a classic album from The Mar-Keys, who were one of the leading early groups on Stax! The group was a unique assemblage of musicians from both sides of the Memphis tracks – coming together in the studio with a hard-wailing mix of soul, rock,... read more

Two great Memphis instrumental groups, back to back on one CD – in a smoking little live set that keeps the Stax Records sound strong – even away from the studio! The set's actually heavier on work by Booker T & The MGs than it is cuts by The Mar-Keys – as Book and crew... read more

Very righteous work from Esther Marrow – a soul sister who sings with a hell of a lot of power! The set's an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the 70s, and it's one of only two secular soul albums cut by Marrow – and quite possibly the best of the bunch, too! Esther's got some... read more

An offshoot of the 4AD rock scene from the UK, this number sampled Rakim from "Paid In Full" to great effect – and it made quite a bit of sense that the track was issued on 4th & Broadway in the US (probably also a legal move, so that the label wouldn't sue 4AD for copping a... read more

One of the first full albums on Motown – and a rockin batch of soul tracks from Martha Reeves and The Vandellas! The title cut – "Come & Get These Memories" – is a stone winner that virtually defines the sound of early Motown – and other tracks are all pretty... read more

A sweetly stepping mid tempo disco groover with a hypnotic, stripped down Euro-disco feel that never veers too heavily into the pulsating sequencer mode or cheesy over-synthesized excess!... read more

Percussionist Sabu Martinez is one of the all-time greats of Latin music – and this record is probably the rarest he ever cut! The album came out of Sweden, where Sabu was residing during the 70s – enjoying some success as an expatriot jazz player in the European scene. The album... read more

One of the first great group albums on Motown – and a set that really paved the way for later albums by The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas, and other Motown girl groups! The Marvelettes were easily one of the most perfectly-formed acts on the label at the start – and this smoking... read more

A sweet groover from the Marvelettes – and a record that completely re-casts their sound for the Motown of the 70s! The group's still got the great soprano harmonies that made their early hits so wonderful, but the arrangements on the set are deeper and more sophisticated – taking them... read more

The great first album from The Mary Jane Girls – easily their best, and an 80s pop soul delight all the way through! Rick James is firmly at the helm of the quartet for this release – and although the sound has elements of James' own crossover funk of the time, there's also an approach... read more

A lasting classic from the funky female foursome who were one of the biggest acts on Motown in the mid-80s – working here with super tight production and arrangements from Rick James – who also wrote all the songs on the record too! The girls' look is a bit dated, but their sound has... read more

A lasting classic from the funky female foursome who were one of the biggest acts on Motown in the mid-80s – working here with super tight production and arrangements from Rick James – who also wrote all the songs on the record too! The girls' look is a bit dated, but their sound has... read more

A late 70s dancefloor soul set from Mascara – an album and group that's notable for a number of reasons – most importantly for being a pre-solo star showcase for the great Luther Vandross! Mascara is an interesting international joint effort – with instrumental tracks recorded in... read more

A decade's worth of magic from the mighty Hugh Masekela – a sweet little set that brings together some of his most groovy tracks of the late 60s and early 70s – in a collection that's overflowing with goodness! Hugh's got a style here that's unlike anyone else – an approach that's... read more

One of Hugh's more poppy efforts, but still a nice batch of instrumentals with a good Afro soul groove to them, and the jaunty trumpet sound that was Hugh's stock in trade at the time. Tracks include "Actin' Like A Fool", "If I Needed Someone", "Sounds Of Silence",... read more

Sweet South African soul from Hugh Masekela – a set that shows that Hugh's greatness certainly hasn't dimmed with time! There's a warm, captivating sound to the record that draws us in right away – a maturity to Masekela's approach – a depth that not only stretches back to his... read more

Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of "Grazin In The Grass", a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that... read more

Overall, the sound on this album's very 80s, with lots of electro and synth moments poking through, and a very disco base to the rhythm. The best example of that is the big single, "Don't Go Lose It Baby", an awesome club track, popular with the deep house heads and loft scene here in... read more

A pivotal album for Barbara Mason – one in which she takes the little girl soul sound of earlier albums, and turns it into a sophisticated range of emotions that foreshadows later Philly work by singers like Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman! Despite the Philly arrangements by Ronnie Baker, Norman... read more

A pivotal album for Barbara Mason – one in which she takes the little girl soul sound of earlier albums, and turns it into a sophisticated range of emotions that foreshadows later Philly work by singers like Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman! Despite the Philly arrangements by Ronnie Baker, Norman... read more

Transition is right, as the cover has Barbara floating above a Curtis Mayfield-ish scene of drugs, war, gambling, and Satan. The music isn't nearly as dope as the cover, but the album does include the odd track with a political message, like "World in a Crisis", "Trigger Happy... read more

We'll be honest, we like Barbara Mason more as an adult artist than we do as a younger one – especially the way she sounds on sets like this! The album's got a great gentle groove at times – Butch Ingram production that brings in modern, mature elements – but also somehow unlocks... read more

One of the best solo records from Harvey Mason – best known as the drummer on some really monster 70s funky fusion sessions (such as Johnny Hammond's Gears album) – but a surprisingly well-rounded R&B artist overall! As with Norman Connors, another fusion drummer gone soul star,... read more

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's... read more

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's... read more

... read more

... read more

A nice little party number – one that has the band tightly grooving on the rhythms, riffing away while there's lots of silly patter over the top. Kind of like a P-Funk number, but looser – and with a good sense of humor!... read more

Two gems from Johnny Mathis' mid 60s years at Mercury Records – one classic album, and another previously unreleased session! First up is Love Is Everything – an album that's got Johnny working with arranger Glenn Osser – who always seemed to set the right tone to unlock the best... read more

A pair of gems from Johnny Mathis' years at Mercury Records – back to back on a single CD! First up is So Nice, an album that definitely lives up to its title – with a sound that extends strongly from the lushness of Mathis' early 60s recordings, but which also has a bit of a nod to... read more

A sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a... read more

Two Johnny Mathis gems from his years at Mercury Records – back to back on a single CD! Sweetheart Tree is a unique album – in that it represents some unusual London sessions from Johnny Mathis – material recorded in the UK with different arrangers than usual – including... read more

A pair of Mercury Records albums from Johnny Mathis – on CD for the first time ever! Tender Is The Night is tremendous work from Johnny's short years on Mercury – a set that has the singer hitting a new level of maturity in his music – thanks in part to arrangements from Don... read more

A pair of Mercury Records albums from Johnny Mathis – back to back on a single CD! First up is This Is Love – a record that really sparkles, thanks to backings from Allyn Ferguson, done in that perfect mix of soft strings and shimmering brass that seems to work best for the vocals of... read more

The one and only album from Detroit underground legend Ronn Matlock – but a modern soul classic through and through! By the time of this late 70s set, Matlock had spent nearly a decade working under Motor Town legends like Norman Whitfield and the Holland-Dozier-Holland team – and he... read more

Two albums recorded a bit later than the initial 60s hit run for easy maestro Paul Mauriat – both with a more pronounced approach to the groove! Overseas Call was recorded in New York, and has Mauriat bringing in plenty of disco elements throughout – using soaring strings with tighter... read more

... read more

An excellent album of hard electric funk, with tight Betty Davis-ish vocals over the top, and lots of heavy guitar-driven funky backings underneath! Maxayn was a real nutter, and never cut many records – but this one's probably the best version of her stoner funk sound from the early 70s. ... read more

A really messed-up blend of soul, rock, and blues – done in a style that's very much in keeping with the genre-busting Fillmore scene of the late 60s! Maximillian are a trio who run through Hendrix-like guitars, deep soul styled vocals, and bluesy riffing – often in the course of the... read more

Pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents,... read more

Nicely priced US reissue of this classic! This was Curtis Mayfield's first solo album after leaving the Impressions, and it's a firey album of political soul that shows just how much he was holding back when he was with the group. The tracks are longer, angrier, more experimental, and a lot more... read more

We think this may be his best album ever! Caught live at a small club, with a tight band, Curtis delivers extended, intimate versions of some of his best work, like "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue" and "Stare and Stare". We can't recommend this highly enough, and there'... read more

A great album that's often overlooked amidst the flurry of early 70s releases on Curtom, but which stands as one of Mayfield's greatest from the 70s! In fact, we'd say that the album's one that we enjoy putting on more than most – because the songs are less familiar, and not nearly as played-... read more

A real dancefloor set from Curtis – recorded with some sweet Philly production from the likes of Norman Harris and Bunny Sigler – in the sweeping, soaring, strings-heavy mode of the Philly disco records of the time! And yes, this isn't classic Curtis from the righteous years –... read more

A great album of mellow soul tracks from Curtis Mayfield – laidback, slinky, and almost to his earlier work what Let's Get It On was to the early 70s career of Marvin Gaye! The album's got a warm, soulful vibe that's totally great – not as all-out funky or politically righteous as... read more

Seminal solo sounds from the great Curtis Mayfield – a perfect package that sums of everything that's great about his early years at Curtom Records! The music here is as revolutionary today as it was back in the early 70s – proud, righteous songs that are filled with power and politics... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

A wonderfully wicked album from Curtis Mayfield – one that's not nearly as famous as his Superfly set, but which is every bit as great! The groove here is lean, mean, and totally righteous – a bit more stripped-down than some of the rumbling funk of other Curtom efforts, and served up... read more

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps... read more

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps... read more

... read more