Soul — In Stock — CDs  

The last Honey Cone album for Hot Wax Records – and a set that's still very much at the top of their game! As with other artists from the Holland-Dozier-Holland stable of hits in the 70s, Honey Cone have a massive amount of force behind their groove – so much so, the record might still... read more

Tremendous sounds from Honey Cone – easily one of the most hard-hitting girl groups in soul music – thanks to some funky funky backings on these early 70s tracks! The trio work in a mode that was first forged by female soul groups in the 60s – yet really push things forward with... read more

Definitely a soulful tapestry here – as the trio of Edna Wright, Shellie Clark, and Carolyn Willis are at the height of their 70s powers – soaring forth in a massive trio mode, and one that really rewrites the sound of girl group soul for the 70s! There's a bouncy, upbeat groove to the... read more

The second album by Honey Cone – and the one that really broke them out of the box! The record's got a groove that gets going right from the start – a sense of upbeat, soulful energy that really shows why the Honey Cone approach was so different than most of the girl groups who came... read more

Fantastic stuff from John Lee Hooker, and a record that's unlike any other he's ever done! The groove is very hard and funky, with tight drumbreaks and excellent basslines that you'd hardly expect to find on an album by a blues artist – jamming around with a tight groove that really makes us... read more

Stunning Miami grooves from the legendary Jimmy Bo Horne – one of the key figures in the southern club scene of the 70s! Jimmy's got a groove that's very much his own on the set – a snapping, almost clapping sort of rhythm picked up from the George McCrae and KC camps at TK Records... read more

A killer set from one of the most unique acts of the 70s – the legendary Hot Chocolate, a group with a sound unlike anyone else at the time! Hot Chocolate's groove was a bit soul, a bit rock, and often nicely funky underneath – and the British group really won lots of new ears on this... read more

A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly... read more

A pretty darn amazing album from Thelma Houston – recorded during the zenith of Jimmy Webb's career, when Jimmy was not only one of the hippest songwriters in pop, but also kind of a mini-Burt Bacharach, writing, arranging, and conducting albums for a variety of stars. This little gem... read more

Thelma Houston's first album for Motown – and the start of a tremendous run of music in the 70s! The set's a great mix of modes – with vocals from Thelma that definitely show her roots in gospel – and rich, mature backings that give Houston the same sort of star treatment that... read more

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Funky blues work from Howlin Wolf – his key entry into the funked-up genre that Chess Records was cutting at the end of the 60s with other blues artists like Etta James, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters! As on records with those artists, Wolf's older modes are updated here for a hipper, younger... read more

Fantastic! This is the kind of soul that we still collect vinyl for and are all the more thrilled to see officially reissued by careful curators such as those at Kent UK! Freddie Hughes is one of the great lost voices of the 60s, and this sparkling album of soulful tunes is a real gem – ... read more

Some of Bobbi Humphrey's greatest work of the post-Blue Note years – an album that's filled with soulful fusion tunes throughout, all with a great focus on her funky flute! Bobbi also sings a bit on the set, but in a way that's pretty darn great – wonderfully sweet at times, with a bit... read more

Seminal work from the great Ivory Joe Hunter – an artist who went onto have a huge impact on the development of music well into the 70s, but who doesn't always get his due! Joe's got a really amazing way of weaving together different strands of music – jazz, blues, and R&B –... read more

Super-dope work from Willie – a great selection of laidback and electric grooves, done here with plenty of great work on hollow-body electric guitar, which adds a nice raspiness to the instrumentation, and creates the same sort of vibe you'd hear on Willie's best soundtrack work. The record's... read more

One of the nicer Willie Hutch albums on Motown – a killer batch of heavy and funky tracks that evoke some of his soundtrack work from the same time – as well as a more hard grooving album-oriented approach! Willie arranged and produced, and there's lots of nice moogy and guitary bits... read more

An excellent soul album from the great Willie Hutch! The record's got more of a vocal focus than some of Willie's other albums – and his rich voice is perfectly set up in some sweet and soulful arrangements that have a full sound and a classy finish, but still a raw edge that keeps things... read more

Sweet funky soul from the great Willie Hutch – best known to most as the composer of the fantastic soundtracks for Foxy Brown and The Mack, but a heck of a great soul artist in his own right, with a wealth of great albums from the 70s! Willie's got a sweet raspy vocal style that's really... read more

An amazing record – quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare – a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like... read more

Phyllis Hyman's nicely balanced here between the two key sides of her early career at its best – working with straight soul production from Chuck Jackson, and slightly more complicated grooves handled by Norman Connors! The pair really bring a nice sense of balance to the record, and in a... read more

Rare work by the late Phyllis Hyman – a killer collection of obscure sides from some of the best projects of her career, plus some additional titles that have never been issued before! In a world of endless "best of" collections of Phyllis' work, this set is a real gem – a... 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

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but she delivers it with a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that... read more

A heavy funk party from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – and a set that hits a lot harder than some of the smoother fusion of the time! There's a grit here that hearkens back to some of the best American jazz funk at the start of the decade – a nice edge that you often don't find... read more

Forget Tina Turner – we'll take Ike's backup singers, who sound great all the way through this collection! The Ikettes may never have had the fame of Tina, but back in the early and mid 60s, they were actually scoring a few more hits – and these recordings for the Modern label... read more

80s harmony soul from Imagination – a group who always managed to sound pretty great, despite the silly costumes they chose for their album covers! The general groove here is mostly in a catchy midtempo mode – with lots of snapping basslines and synth percussion, nicely offset by the... read more

Plenty of Impact from this great Philly group – a soaring quartet who harmonize with some great Bobby Eli arrangements – at a level that shines as strongly as the best 70s work by Blue Magic or The Spinners! Impact never broke the big time as strongly, but they're a great group in the... read more

Two of the fantastic ABC albums by the Impressions, with not a bit of filler, and 24 excellent songs from the years 1963 and 1964. Beautiful early Chicago soul that ranges from fragile ballads to swingin' party cuts. Tracks include "You've Come Home", "It's All Right", "Sa... read more

The Impressions first album for Cotillion, cut after a great 70s run on Curtom – but one that's done with a sound that still carries on the groove nicely! The more righteous tones of the earlier work are shaken loose a bit, to be replaced by a fuller approach to the music built from... read more

One of the greatest albums ever from The Impressions – and a set that takes their work to a whole new level, by bringing in an even more righteous sound! The core elements of the group's 60s genius are all in place here – compositions from Curtis Mayfield, arrangements from Johnny Pate... read more

Two early 70s gems from The Impressions – back to back on a single CD! Preacher Man is heavy soul from the early 70s version of the group – put together with all the same depth as Curtis Mayfield's work of the time! This time around, Rich Tufo is at the helm on production and... read more

A killer collection of work from one of the funkiest Japanese groups of the early 70s – billed as jazz rock in the title, but with a much deeper sound overall! Reedman Jiro Inagaki definitely comes from jazz roots, but has also picked up plenty of trippy touches from the late 60s too –... read more

A sublime second chapter in the career of Memphis soul singer Luther Ingram – one of the greatest talents of his generation, represented here by some of his best work ever! Ingram first got his start doing rougher, more fragile soul tunes – but by the time of these 70s recordings, he'd... read more

A treasure trove of overlooked Memphis soul – the earliest work of the legendary Luther Ingram – brought together here properly for the first time ever! Although Ingram's probably best known for his mega-huge hits in the early 70s, he really sounds amazing here in the early days –... read more

Maybe the third great Philly studio group of the 70s – after MFSB and Salsoul Orchestra – a killer combo who provided backing grooves to plenty of great club tracks over the years – and who step out strongly here on their own debut album! Bunny Sigler helps give the album a sharp... read more

A record that really lives up to its title, given the sweet Philly grooves of the set – a real surprise, given that the album was recorded in Germany! The session's a rare studio project in the early years of the German disco scene – and comes off with the best soulful styles that were... read more

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters... read more

A groovy little record from the Count Buffalos group – an ensemble we know mostly for their heavier funk of the early 70s and late 60s – but who here step out in a clubbier mode with some sweet touches of disco! The group's still a jazz one at its core – but they've also added in... 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

2 Isley Brothers gems from 2 different eras – back-to-back on a single CD! 1969's It's Our Thing is a stone classic – the album that kicked off their successful T-Neck label, and established that mighty Isleys sound that would have such a huge influence in the 70s! It's filled with... read more

The Isley Brothers on Motown – a really key step forward for the group, who find a whole new level of soul with help from the Holland Dozier Holland team! There's a warmth here missing from previous Isleys material – that rough edge that was more part of their rocking years, softened a... read more

A key album in the Isley Brothers "extended funk" mode of the 70s – a style in which the group approached nearly every tune by adding in a "part 2" in order to stretch out the groove! The style here is bass-heavy funk, but less of the sort that other groups were using at... read more

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Two killers from Jabula – overlooked Afro soul albums from the 70s! The set mixes up the track list a bit, but still comprises both full albums from the group – the first of which is the self-titled Jabula. Jabula is South African soul, but recorded in the UK – coming across... read more

Great stuff from one of our favorite soul vocalists of the 60s! We love Deon Jackson – we love his sweetly honest vocal style, we love his songs, and we love the great production he gets from the legendary Ollie McLaughlin! This album is the only one he ever cut – and it's a... read more

One of the greatest new male soul voices of the 80s – served up here in a beautiful batch of ballads, love songs, and mellow cuts! Freddie Jackson could number plenty of groovers amongst his hits, but he also always seemed most at home with a ballad – where the complexities of his... read more

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What the what?!? Soul sides so great they'll blow your mind – even though none of them have ever been issued before! George Jackson is one of the great lost talents of southern soul – an artist who often stayed in the background, lending his talents to others in the studio, or as a... read more

Damn! The first volume in this series of rarities cut by George Jackson for Fame Studios really blew our minds around here – and Kent has gone and somehow topped it with Volume 2! Let The Best Man Win features 2 dozen songs, most of which are originals by Fame staff writer Jackson –... read more

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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

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

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

Seminal 70s southern soul from Millie Jackson – a record that's head and shoulders above most of what she recorded in later years! Before she got all naughty and raunchy, Millie Jackson was one of the best female soul singers to come out of the south – and this album's a work of... read more

Millie Jackson's feelin bitchy – and letting a whole new side of her talents show! After the sweet southern soul sound of her early recordings, the Jackson style takes a sharp shift here – letting a bitchier side show up more strongly, and really setting the tone for the next great... read more

An excellent early album from Millie Jackson – recorded in a southern soul style in New York and Muscle Shoals, but a lot hipper than most of the rest of the female soul that was coming out of the south at the time. For one thing, Millie was a bad mamma singer – rapping hard and... read more

Ahhh . . . Great stuff! This Millie Jackson's tremendous debut album – and the work here is completely different from later records that have her more in a bitchy mode! Here, Millie's a heartbroken southern diva – right in the vein of Ann Sexton, Doris Duke, or Shirley Brown –... read more

A side of Millie Jackson that we really really love – her ballads and mellow tracks – a style that Millie did unlike anyone else back in the day! Jackson's sometimes best remembered for her sassier side, but we love it when she kicks back and moves slowly into a groove – drawing... read more

The return of a legend – or maybe more accurately, the first time this legend's ever really gotten his due! Ralph Jackson's been working in the Alabama soul underground for decades – yet this smoking album may well be the first time he's ever really gotten out front, and able to do his... read more

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice.... read more

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice.... read more

60s Chicago soul doesn't get any better than this – a sublime debut from the legendary Walter Jackson – done in a smoothly sophisticated style that set a whole new standard for the genre! The record steps off nicely from some of the earliest work by Jerry Butler and The Impressions... read more

Pure genius – like just about every other early Motown album by the Jackson 5! The vocals are sublime – almost even more perfect than on the first few records – and the group have some great help in the studio from arrangers like The Corporation, Willie Hutch, Johnny Bristol, and... read more

The cover's a bit gimmicky, but the album's a stone classic – a wicked later Motown moment from the Jackson 5 – and one that has them working with the super-grooving team of Holland-Dozier-Holland! Brian Holland handles production work for the team, and although his touches only appear... read more

An amazing bit of soul – and one of the rarest funk records of the 70s! This masterpiece was recorded by The Jackson Sisters, a semi-gospelly soul group that has a sound that's a bit like The Voices of East Harlem, but that's a lot harder, and that has a deeper soul sound overall! At times,... read more

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

An excellent Chess session by Etta, with hard Chicago soul production by Monk Higgins and Ralph Bass – and the kind of searing vocals that always made Etta a treat, whether rocking or mellow! The album's got some wonderful hard soul tracks, of the style that Etta could really cut loose with... read more

A later chapter in the career of soul singer Etta James – six full albums, plus a bonus disc of live material too! The set represents most of Etta's work from recent years – a series of albums done for the Private Music label – in styles that range a bit more than before, yet... read more

One of the few funky late Chess gems for Etta James – recorded during the period when the company was owned by the All Platinum family of labels in New Jersey – with incredible vocals by Etta! Most of the record was cut in NJ, and features Etta's bluesy style meeting some nice funky... read more

Classic Etta for Chess, yet largely overlooked In her canon! This is really strongly produced stuff – it's got its sweet moments, but there's plenty of heft and grit, too! It's the kind of material that works really well with her deep, soulful voice – and the female backing vocal... read more

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Queen of Soul is right! Heck, on these early albums, Etta practically invented soul – or at least invented a deep soul style of singing that would be taken up by countless other female singers during the 60s, but rarely matched with this kind of brilliance. Straight up beatiful stuff! The... read more

A far-reaching set of hard-to-find 60s & 70s recordings by the great Etta James for Chess/Cadet – ranging from vibrant funk to slow cooking R&B, stripped down brassy blues and string accented jazzy numbers – diverse stuff held together by all around impeccable craft and the flat... 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 incredible collection of work from Jesse James – a soul singer who's hardly ever gotten his due on the reissue market – until the release of this sweet little collection! Jesse's probably best known to our ears for his sublime album for 20th Century in the late 60s, and for a... read more

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of... read more

Rick James is massively throwing down on this classic set – tight, right, and on the money all the way through – in that trademark groove that so many others would try to cop, but never get this right! The album bristles with energy right from the start – lots of bass at the... read more

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One of the greatest records we've heard from Al Jarreau in years – a set that features his incredible vocals backed by the Metropol Orkest – a large ensemble who help the legendary singer find a whole new sort of groove! The bold backings are really wonderful – full and flowing,... read more

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An irresistible classic from Miles Jaye – possibly his best-known album, bouncing along with plenty of beats at the end of the 80s! The rhythms are plenty programmed, but Miles' vocals provide a great warm sense of contrast – soaring out with fluid, mature tones that are mighty nice,... read more

An incredible album – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. ... read more

An incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group... read more

One of the most fantastic albums by the JBs – a masterpiece of funky jamming, tight instrumentation, and that free yet tight style of the James Brown 70s years! The tracks are longer than on some of the earlier singles – especially the 8 minute jammer "(It's Not The Express) It's... read more

Pinch us, we're dreaming – a lost album from The JBs! The set's a treasure for any fans of the funky James Brown sound of the early 70s – and it features material originally recorded for release as the first full length album by The JBs in 1972 – but never issued at the time! A... read more

A brilliant batch of funk – featuring every single chart hit by the JBs, the best of their hot funky singles for the People label, all recorded during the early 70s, under the supervision of James Brown! All tunes are offered here in their shorter single versions (save for "It's The JBs... read more

Two overlooked female soul groups from the legendary Stax Records – both brought to light on this excellent CD! Neither act ever issued a full album at the time – and instead, each cut a handful of singles, and some unreleased gems – which are all brought together here, in a... read more

Smooth and sweet soul from Jeffree – an unsung 70s vocalist with a really great approach! Jeffree, aka Jeff Perry, is the brother of Greg Perry – and works in a similar style to his more famous brother – warmly grooving soul with a fluid, mellow approach – served up with... read more

A nice one from producer, songwriter, remixer and pop soul force of nature Jellybean – his first album for Chrysalis! It's actually not as out there and spacey as you'd expect from the title – but there really was no one quite like Jellybean in this planet in the 80s. Former... read more

One of the strangest albums ever issued on Philly International – a set of tunes by Dick Jensen, who was part blue-eyed soul singer, part easy male vocalist – sounding here as if he'd almost hit the market about 5 years too late to make a difference. The record's the kind that would be... read more

One of the few secular soul albums ever cut by Genobia Jeter – a gospel singer who broke into R&B with this smooth mid 80s effort – a mix of tracks handled by different producers, taking Genobia from mellow quiet storm numbers into more club-oriented groovers. Hubert Eaves handles... read more

Incredible funk, soul, jazz, post psychedelia and funk rock from the JJ Band – recorded in Brussels and featuring core players who were also integral members of Chakachas & El Chicles! The JJ Band find a hard grooving style steeped in horns, with heavy drums, bass and percussion, fuzzy... read more

A great solo album by this member of Chairmen of the Board – done with some wicked Holland Dozier Holland production, at a level that almost makes Johnson sound heavier here than in his work with his more famous group! The vocals have that same sort of crazy pinched sound that he had with... read more

A great second-chapter effort from the legendary Syl Johnson – a sweet little record in which Johnson's raw vocals come into play with the tighter, warmer sound of Hi Records – with amazing results that have made the album a classic for years! The blend here is great – as Johnson'... read more

The great Syl Johnson – doing his thing for Hi Records on a record that's more shiny diamond than it is rough – his second album for the label and a truly underappreciated gem from the Chi soul great! Diamond In The Rough is a much sweeter set of tunes than Syl's Chicago work on... read more