We're not normally ones to rave about electric blues albums, but this one's a lot nicer than you might think – recorded with plenty of deep soul touches, and even a dose of funk in the right places! We hate to admit it, but a big part of the credit here goes to Eric Clapton – who... read more
The classic jazz vibes of Lionel Hampton meets the soulful arrangements of the Chicago Brunswick studios – and the result is a great batch of funky instrumentals that have a similar sound to some of the classic Cadet albums from the same time! Willie Henderson and Tom Tom Washington did most... read more
All classics – with 15 cuts that include "The Ghetto", "Where Is The Love", "Giving Up", "Someday We'll Be Free", "To Be Young Gifted & Black", "This Christmas", "You've Got A Friend", "Back Together Again",... read more
Isaac Hayes —
To Be Continued ... CD
Enterprise/Stax,
1970. Used ....
$7.99Just Sold Out!
One of Isaac Hayes early 70s classics for Stax Records – a perfectly conceived masterpiece of baroque soul that builds and builds as the set goes on! Ike heads up the instrumentation on electric piano, vibes, and plenty of percussion – but he's also getting strong support here from the... read more
Leon Haywood's best album from the 70s! After working as a keyboardist and sometimes vocalist for a number of years – making some strong and some tentative entries into the soul genre – Leon really exploded with this album, an electric funk classic that gave the world his fantastic... read more
A second chapter of excellent jazzy soul from the HE3 (Herman Eberitzch III) Project – killer stuff recorded from 1974 to 1977 at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco – with a sound that blends intense, yet sultry disco era live soul with both jazzier and funkier sounds! HE is on... read more
Smooth mellow soul by Michael Henderson – taking up where he left off with his work with Norman Connors, and proving that he was an even better vocalist than guitarist. The overall sound of this one's perhaps a bit slicker than his first 2 albums on Buddah – but there's still some... read more
Ron Henderson & Choice Of Colour —
Gemini Lady ... CD
Grapevine/Soul Junction (UK),
Early 70s. Used ....
$10.99
A 70s soul genius – even if you've never heard of the guy! Ron Henderson's a real enigma – a totally great soul artist who recorded throughout the 60s and 70s, but never really cracked the big time – thanks to the fact that his work was spread out over a number of different... read more
Prime Vee Jay blues from the mighty Lightnin Hopkins – a real back-to-basics session that features more acoustic guitar than electric, in a style that's quite spare and down-home – a real difference from most of the other work of this type on the label! Often, Hopkins is singing along... read more
Amazing stuff – an already-great album on CD, but with bonus cuts from singles, and a dozen unissued tracks! The core album is Something Special – the only Stax album cut by singer Jimmy Hughes – an artist with a huge impact on southern soul in the 60s, but one who never got the... read more
Seminal southern soul from Jimmy Hughes – a classic Fame production from the early days of the Muscle Shoals scene – and definitely the kind of work that set the tone for countless imitations to follow! Jimmy Hughes sounds even better here than in his first batch of recordings for Fame... read more
Sparkling modern soul from the lovely Phyllis Hyman – and an album that has the singer picking up the wonderfully smooth groove that had become the Philly International sound of the mid 80s. This format works surprisingly well for Phyllis – quite possibly more so than it did even for... read more
Above all else, Phyllis Hyman brought a level of class to soul music that few other artists could ever match in her day. And as the tracks on this set show, this classiness was best expressed in Phyllis' love songs and ballads, beautifully handled numbers that had at once an adult sensuality and a... read more
The Isleys sure aren't out to prevent teen pregnancy with the title of this set – but given the strength of the album, we can easily forgive them for any lack of social consciousness! In an era when countless young artists are copping the Isley groove of the 70s, the Brothers are back to... read more
Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better... read more
Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better... read more
Michael Jackson —
Bad ... CD
Epic,
1987. Used ....
$4.99
The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too... read more
One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but... read more
Well, it's HIS story, actually – a bit overblown in concept, and probably execution – but a record that's got some nice nuggets underneath, if you know where to look. The first half is the backstory – gems from Michael's earlier years on Epic – including "Remember The... read more
Etta James —
At Last ... CD
Chess/MCA,
1960. Used ....
$3.99
Wonderfully sophisticated soul from Etta James – a real departure from the raw shouting R&B of earlier years, and perfectly set to sparkling arrangements by the great Riley Hampton (who'd had similar success with Walter Jackson, Lorez Alexandria, and other Chicago soul stars.) Hampton's... read more
The great Jesse James – still going strong! We've loved Jesse for decades – from his great 60s album on 20th Century, through his important 70s underground singles, and even into his later bluesy years – a great place for James' talents in the later generation! This album's... read more
An 80s soul classic from Kashif – an artist who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself – cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of... read more
29 tracks in all, with quite a few guest appearances by rappers such as Keith Murray, Jay Z, Nas and others. Includes "Home Alone", "Did You Ever Think", "Ghetto Queen", "We Ride", "OnlyThe Loot Can Make Me Happy", "If I'm Wit You", "... read more
19 tracks in all, including "TP-2", "R&B Thug", "The Greatest Sex", "Like A Real Freak", "Fiesta", "I Wish", "I Wish (rmx – To The Homies That We Lost)" and"Feelin' On Yo Booty".... read more
The number of dope female vocalists who've left the group they started with only to lose direction is many. Fortunately, Lauryn Hill is not one of them. Amazing production and lyrics that steer clear of all the jiggy nonsense. In our opinion, even after all the Grammy's, etc, still the classic... read more
The amazing second album from the Lijadu Sisters – and even more amazing than the first! Like their debut, there's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of from the 70s African scene – but the groove is even more complex, and has a truly unique quality that's almost... read more
A well-titled set – as the album features some of the best early sides that Little Walter recorded for Chess – records that went on to set a whole new standard both in blues vocals and harmonica! There's tightness here that's a bit different from some of the other Chess blues at the... read more
Bobby Lyle —
Joyful ... CD
Three Keys Music,
2002. Used ....
$6.99
Although this set was recorded early in the history of the Main Ingredient's career, it also compiles tracks from their strongest period – which means that nearly every track's a winner, and all are graced by smooth uptown soul arrangements by Bert DeCoteaux. Includes their seminal AM radio... read more
A short set, but a great one too – filled with some of the best-remembered numbers from the early years of The Main Ingredient – all recorded during that early 70s stretch when they were one of the hottest groups going! The mix of falsetto lead and deeper harmonies here is great –... read more
The Manhattans were one of those groups who knocked around for years in the indie soul world – cutting some fantastic material early on, but then losing direction for a number of years until they sprung forth as a huge act for Columbia during the early 70s. By that time, the band had more... read more
Groundbreaking work, and a killer piece of Philly groove! MFSB were a large conglomeration of studio players who graced some of the first big Philly hits in the 70s, and here they break out on their own in a remarkable set of pre-disco tunes that form the blueprint for the rest of the 70s... read more
Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth... 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
A dozen classics from Alexander O'Neal's legendary run on the Tabu label – nearly all of them produced by the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, in that catchy yet soulful mode that made them the kings of chart soul at the time! The material is nearly all from the mid 80s, and the set list... read more
Alexander O'Neal —
Hearsay ... CD
Tabu,
1987. Used ....
$11.99Just Sold Out!
One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's... read more
Origianlly issued in the late 70s as a double LP retrospective of some of the best O'Jays tracks from their Philly years, this disc includes 14 tracks in all, including "Darlin' Darlin' Baby", "Love Train", "Back Stabbers", "I Love Music", "Give The... read more
10 tracks from one of the biggest vocal groups of the 70s! The O'Jays had been knocking around other labels for some time during the mid and late 60s, but when they hooked up with the Gamble & Huff team at the burgeoning Philadelphia International label, things really started taking off! ... read more
A dancefloor soul classic – one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves – popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for... read more
A stone classic from Jeffrey Osborne – and a real standout in mainstream soul at the start of the 90s! Osborne's legendary vocals have never sounded better – as there's a warmth in the production that returns him to the grace and power he had when first going solo – a style that... read more
A sweet set of Earth Wind & Fire-inspired grooves from Poison – an obscure 70s funk combo that hailed from Richmond, VA! The group's outfits, righteousness, and instrumentation clearly show a strong debt to EWF – but there's also a roughness to some of the tracks that belies their... read more
A sprawling classic from Prince – that tracks that perfect the pop, funk & soul kaleidoscope of his best 80s jams, and adding a remarkable, previously unexplored depth and breadth of styles! A lot of folks tried to designate Prince's massive, fearless, beginning-of-the-end-of-the-80s... 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
Rene & Angela —
Wall To Wall ... CD
Capitol (France),
1981. Used ....
$24.99
Wall To Wall grooves from the team of Angela Winbush and Bobby Watson – easily one of the duo's best records ever, and a masterpiece of jazzy 80s groove! The sound here is clean, lean, and very bouncy on the bottom – that best blend of keyboard riffs and jazzier basslines that Capitol... read more
Lionel Richie —
Back To Front ... CD
Motown,
Late 70s/1980s/Early 90s. Used ....
$2.99
One of Lionel Richie's biggest records ever! Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "All Night Long", "Penny Lover", "The Only One", "Running With The Night", "Hello", "The Groove", "Love Will Find A Way" and "Stuck On... read more
Lionel Richie —
Coming Home ... CD
Island/Def Jam,
2006. Used ....
$3.99
Nice 17 track compilation of Minnie's classic work for Capitol! The selection is excellent, and the CD features most of the stuff you'd ever want to have by her, including "Perfect Angel", "Memory Lane", "Lovin You", "Stick Together", "Inside My... read more
Eric Roberson —
Mr Nice Guy ... CD
Blue Erro Soul/Purpose,
2011. Used ....
$9.99
Eric Roberson is back – and all we can say is "Damn"! Eric's better than ever – working here with a power and confidence that surpasses even his previous records – and if you know how much we loved those, you know that's saying a lot! That undeniable flow is still... read more
A very mellow overview of Smokey's later solo work – the post-Quiet Storm period, when he was easily slipping from classic soul into adult contemporary territory – and really crossing over big at the time! And while we could probably say that most of this stuff is far watered down from... read more
Includes the tracks "Shop Around", "My Love For You", "Get Ready", "If You Can Wait", "After All", "I Second that Emotion", and "For Once In My Life".... read more