Soul — In Stock — All Formats  

A lost soul treasure – never-issued recordings from the legendary Phillip Mitchell – one of the greatest songwriters of the 70s southern soul scene! Mitchell only ever issued a rare few albums under his own name – which makes this collection of early 70s work even more valuable,... read more

An obscure later effort from Prince Phillip Mitchell – at least compared to his classic Atlantic albums of the 70s – but a set that also proves that even in these later years, Mitchell was still one of the best artists working in southern soul! Even on a label like Ichiban, and even... read more

The long-overdue full length debut from Phillip Mitchell – an artist who cut some great singles over the course of the 70s, and also wrote a fair bit of classics for other, bigger name acts! Phillip did some of his earlier work of the decade in both Memphis and Muscle Shoals – but he... read more

A classic set of smooth 70s soul from an under-recognized genius! Phillip Mitchell is a bit like his Atlantic Records contemporary Sam Dees – in that he wrote a lot of material for other singers, recorded a handful of singles, and worked mostly in the southern scene – but he also had a... read more

A mod little record from trumpeter Willie Mitchell – a set that's as groovy as it is soulful, with a vibe that's somewhere between 60s instrumental outings on Verve and Atlantic Records! Tunes are a mix of soul and pop numbers, handled by Mitchell's combo with some mighty tight drums and... read more

A smoking selection of work from Memphis giant Willie Mitchell – some of the funkiest tracks he ever recorded, stuffed together in one mighty set! Willie's probably best know for his famous studio work for Ann Peebles and Al Green – but on his own, Mitchell can carve out a cooker like... read more

Willie Mitchell's definitely on top with this smoking little set – a record that seems to allow even freer interplay between the members of his group – in ways that make the album one of Mitchell's jazziest efforts of the 60s! The players of the group are getting a bit of credit on the... read more

They definitely got the title right on this one – as the set's a solid batch of soulful instrumentals all the way through – one of our favorites from the great Willie Mitchell! Willie's got a lot more bite here than on some of his famous warmer productions in the 70s – a gritty... read more

Willie's Soul Bag is pretty darn deep – a tight mixture of trumpet-heavy originals – all given sock-solid Hi Records soul production! The album's one of Mitchell's most smoking – and in addition to a few well-chosen covers, the set's also got some great originals –... read more

A killer from Willie Mitchell – harder, funkier, and a lot more soulful than most of his other records from the 60s! The groove here is sock-soul, and most cuts have a hard and tight funky 45 approach. Willie was really cut loose on this one – freed from his usual standard of... read more

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique... read more

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique... read more

Massive Miami grooves from Robert "Rocky" Mizell – not one of the Mizell brothers from the west coast, but a Florida artist with a sound that's equally nice! The album's the only one we've ever seen from Rocky, and it's got a sweet TK Records groove all the way through –... read more

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on... read more

The one and only album by Moment Of Truth – a short-lived group with a mighty east coast club groove! The set soars with a sound that's in the mode of the best Philly work of the mid 70s – clubby, but not too caught up in disco cliches, and handled with plenty of soul on the vocals and... read more

Sublime soul from Moment Of Truth – an incredible number from Salsoul's glory days! The tune's clubby, but it's also overflowing with soul – with male vocals on the lead, female backing harmonies, and a catchy hook that should have made this one a massive crossover cut! 8 minutes long... read more

Sweet sweet sweet soul from The Moments, and one of their rare early albums for the Stang label! The tracks are all beautiful New Jersey harmony soul, of the sort that The Moments and others put on the charts in a large way during the early 70s – and the band's smoothing their act up a bit,... read more

... read more

Seminal Afro Funk from Monomono – a killer combo from singer/percussionist Joni Haastrup, with a groove that's right up there with the best acts on the Lagos scene of the 70s! There's a nice degree of warmth in the music – thanks to some complicated guitar and basslines, which don't... read more

Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards... read more

Stunning – an overloaded set of grooves by one of the greatest Philly soul talents ever! Vince Montana's probably had a hand in more records than you'd think – either playing vibes, which he did on countless Philly classics, or arranging and producing, which he did with a freewheeling... read more

Harmony soul heaven – and the only full album from The Montclairs! The group were a sublime vocal group from the 70s – one with a sound to rival The Whatnauts or The Moments, but which also had a bit more of the super-dope touches you'd expect from their look on the cover of the record... read more

Much funkier than most grooves we'd associate with the Montreal scene of the 70s – and a thinly-veiled disco remake of "Soul Finger", complete with strutting trumpet! The sound here is a lot more club based than the Bar-Kays original hit, and the tune also has chorus vocals –... read more

A wonderful album of southern soul – and the only full-length LP cut by Bobby Moore and his long-lived Rhythm Aces combo! The group's the sort that slaved away endlessly in live shows all over the south – playing on their own, or providing extra backup for countless big stars touring... read more

One of Jackie Moore's best albums ever – and a tight batch of deep soul tunes produced by 70s maestro Brad Shapiro! Jackie's vocals are wonderful – full of feeling, and delivered with an honest, upfront quality that really ranks with some of the best southern soul singers of the time! ... read more

A classic set of 70s crossover deep soul – recorded in the mode of similar work by Betty Wright or Laura Lee, and done with a similar mix of raw southern vocals and tighter production! About half the work was handled by the team of Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro – working in the... read more

An amazingly soulful set of folk tunes from the late 60s – the only album we've ever seen from singer Jerry Moore, and a real rarity from the ESP label! Moore's got a style that's somewhere between Terry Callier and Tim Buckley – earthy and acoustic one minute, but stepping out with... read more

A album of club tracks, as you might guess from the title, but every bit as strong as Melba More's other work from the late 70s! The album's got some top-shelf club help throughout – including production from Van McCoy and McFadden & Whitehead, the latter of whom also contributed a few... read more

Melba Moore's still very much in command of her stage presence here – working with the kind of positive, powerful energy that first got her noticed many years back! The setting is a relatively professional one – with a full band on stage providing accompaniment, and even taking over a... read more

Soaring soul from Melba Moore – a singer who really came into her own with this sweet 70s album! Melba always had a great voice, right from the start – but here, she's working with arrangements and production by Van McCoy – updating her sound with a bit of a clubby groove, in a... read more

An early 80s classic from Melba Moore – best known for one of her biggest hits, "Love's Comin' At Ya", an enduring number that's got an irresistible groove! Like many of Melba's other albums, this one does a wonderful job of delivering radio-friendly pop soul and still hitting us... read more

A peach of a record from Melba Moore – one that's produced by Eugene McDaniels, who helps find a tight funky sound that unlocks some of the most righteous elements in Moore's vocals! Like some of McDaniels' best productions of the time, there's a good sense of balance here – a way of... read more

The vocals of Melba Moore, and some great Philly soul rhythms – put together with tight arrangements from McFadden & Whitehead, who give Moore a similar approach to some of the best Philadelphia International records of the time! There's a really nice sense of balance to the record... read more

An excellent early Rudy Ray Moore album – with tasty musical backing on just about every number, and some great routines that are extremely tight. The backing's not totally funky, but it does give Rudy's party humor a really strong approach – especially on his classic presentation of... read more

Classic stuff – Rudy's first album, and a fitting launch to his famous career of party records and live club performances! The cover's got Rudy in front of a nude black model, laying back on the couch, and encouraging him to do the thing that's implied by the title – but the record... read more

One of Rudy's best from the time – featuring some incredibly raw shouted party dialogue, backed by some great soulful instrumentation. The music makes the whole thing groove nicely, even though it's a bit more buried in the mix than on albums like Sensuous Black Man. A few tracks have guest... read more

Rudy Ray Moore's classic LP of funky drum breaks and very very explicit descriptions of "the proper way to make love to a lady". The music is slammin', and Rudy Ray Moore's at his worst as he describes different positions, techniques, and approaches to the art of love. This record was... read more

Quite possibly THE mother of all funky soundtracks – the legendary score to Rudy Ray Moore's classic first Dolemite film! The record's been referenced for years, and all the hype is totally right – because the whole thing's overflowing with funky tracks both vocal and instrumental... read more

Quite possibly THE mother of all funky soundtracks – the legendary score to Rudy Ray Moore's classic first Dolemite film! The record's been referenced for years, and all the hype is totally right – because the whole thing's overflowing with funky tracks both vocal and instrumental... read more

A Capitol classic from Meli'sa Morgan – filled with sweet 80s grooves, and delivered with a style that's nicely lighter than some of her contemporaries! Morgan can still manage a nice hook when she wants, but the album's also got her working as a richer soul artist overall – eschewing... read more

Meli'sa Morgan doing what she does best – pushing the envelope for mainstream soul, but often in really subtle ways! There's a majestic sweep to these tunes that's a real surprise – a class and care that takes Morgan's music past some of her poppier contemporaries, and which always... read more

Uptempo funky soul, from this short-lived combo who recorded briefly for United Artists during the mid 70s. The group aren't exactly at the Kool & The Gang level, but they're sort of trying, although their sound's a bit slicker. Titles include "Bite Your Granny", "Le Joint"... read more

A pretty straight album of vocal jazz – featuring arrangements by Mercer Ellington, and a hip group of hornmen like Jerome Richardson, Harold Ashby, Phil Woods, and Joe Wilder. Most of the material is in an Ellington-ish mode – with Azie singing fine, but not spectacularly in front of... read more

A great solo effort from Mose Davis – best known for his earlier work in The Counts, but still sounding pretty darn hip here with a new combo of his own! The feel here is kind of an extension of the later Counts work on Aware Records – funky at the core, but with some smoother touches... read more

A really unique album from funky drummer Alphonse Mouzon – a set that has him putting away some of the guitars used heavily on other Blue Note records, in exchange for a keyboard-heavy groove that almost sounds a bit like Gene Harris a the time! In addition to drums, Alphonse solos a fair... read more

... read more

Proof that the move to soul was actually a great thing for James Mtume – because although the set's miles from his spiritual jazz work of the 70s, it more than makes up for that shift with a sophisticated approach to 80s soul! The group's a small one, with lots of keyboards from Mtume, and a... read more

A huge crossover album of the 70s – one that took an east coast disco groove, and introduced influences from a wide variety of classical themes – best summed up in the title hit "A Fifth Of Beethoven", which was a surprisingly successful radio tune at the time! The effort's a... read more

One of the more unusual records on Sue from the 60s – an all-instrumental outing, recorded by Juggy Murray in tribute to the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr! The music is done in a larger orchestral mode that's much more soundtrack-oriented than Juggy's other work – with less (or none)... read more

One of the last great funk albums from King Records! People Are Together was cut in the early 70s, but it's done with a crackling sharp sound that's very much in the mode of the best late 60s James Brown albums for the label! Mickey Murray is from Augusta, GA – James Brown's hometown –... read more

One of the last great funk albums from King Records – a set recorded in the early 70s, but done with a crackling sharp sound that's like the best late 60s James Brown albums for the label! Mickey Murray is from Augusta, GA – James Brown's hometown – and his approach is similar to... read more

Clearly riding on the success of the Memphis Horns' LPs of the mid 70s – but not a bad bunch of funky tracks! The famous horn section from Muscle Shoals takes the helm – or is at least taken to the helm by Barry Beckett, who played keyboards, produced, and arranged the LP. The tracks... read more

Two excellent Patrick Adams produced numbers get a little extra mixing help from Francois K on this nice little dance 12".... read more

A great little album – even if it tries to promise too much! The set bills itself as "the swinginest Hammond organ album since the birth of psychedelia" – and while that sort of a claim is so high that nobody could ever match it, the album is a great batch of offbeat soul... read more

A funky session headed up by wayward P-Funkster Jerome Brailey – a cooking little record with a quality that's right up there with some of the other George Clinton projects of the time! George didn't have anything to do with this one – at least not from what we can tell from the notes... read more

The amazing legacy of Alicia Myers – two classic MCA albums, back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Alicia – a set that's right up there with Myer's recordings with the group One Way, but with some deeper, more personal touches as well! Production is by Kevin McCord... read more

A great record by east coast funky soul group Mystic Merlin – and a diverse one, with some jazzy uptempo club tracks, and others on the funkier edge of that style – excellent work from this oft-overlooked band on Capitol! There's a bit of that nice, smoothed out group soul sound that... read more

A standout classic from one of the all-time overlooked greats – the sublime Mystic Merlin, a group who cut a handful of killers in the early 80s! The group's biggest claim to fame is a young Freddie Jackson on vocals – but they're honestly much more an ensemble act than a backup for a... read more

Mystic Merlin runnin' at Sixty Thrills A Minute! It's a sweet ride, too, piloted by one of the best of the funky soul groups on Capitol. This one! As you might guess from the title, the record's got a bit more uptempo stuff than on their earlier album, and the band works incredibly well in this... read more

A fantastic bit of spiritual jazz funk – and one of the rarest 70s albums on Fantasy Records! The group's headed up by Nat Adderley Jr (son of the famous Nat Sr) on keyboards and vocals – and the ensemble is a hip, young collective with an approach that reminds us of work by Oneness Of... read more

Amazing harmony soul – two massive albums, plus bonus cuts too! Natural Four's first self-titled album on the Curtom label has an amazing "rough with the smooth" quality that really sets them apart from east coast groups of the time! Part of the strength of the set has to do with... read more

... read more

Nothing secret about The Sunburst Band – they're a group we've loved for years – and one that we love to rave about on these pages! This album's a tremendous effort – one that proves that our faith in the group has never let us down – and that they're one of the few acts... read more

A vivid visual follow-up to Aaron Neville's album of the same name – a sweet set in which he takes on classics from the 60s soul generation, all with a different vibe than any older music Aaron ever made! The live performance features a guest appearance by Paul Simon on one track, but... read more

A classic album by this righteous soul collective – and one that shows them taking a strong step away from their work at RCA with Harvey Fuqua. This one has the group (ever-enormous as always!) absorbing some of the other elements of modern soul that were floating around at the time –... read more

One of the nicest early albums by this great 70s soul collective – featuring a strong mix of funk and mellow soul tracks, with backing by the Nite Liters on some tracks, and production by the great Harvey Fuqua throughout! Titles include "Wild Flower", "It's Been A Long... read more

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar... read more

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar... read more

A poppy record, but a great one too – and a surprisingly enduring pleasure from the Streetwise scene of the 80s! This is the album that started it all – the wave of younger groups that would come into play in 80s soul strongly by the latter half of the decade – New Edition with... read more

... read more

Something new, and something great from New Horizons – the group's second album, and even tighter than the first! Roger Troutman had a very big hand in the record, lending the group some very Zapp-ish touches in their grooves – a great blend for the catchy vocals of the group, in ways... read more

... read more

A dark classic that broke out of the underground and forever transformed the world of dance music! "Blue Monday" has this infectious bass/keyboard riff that you'll recognize immediately – and which you've heard emulated a million times in electro house tracks from later on in the... read more

A breakin' classic – and the record that almost got Arthur Baker into a lot of trouble! This is the US issue of New Order's classic electro-driven "Confusion" – offered up here on Baker's Streetwise label in a semi-legit release, with some extra mixes that take the tune past... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

... read more

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

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

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

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

... read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

... read more