Soul — In Stock — LPs  

An obscure record with a silly title – but a seminal batch of southern soul instrumentals, recorded at the height of the Muscle Shoals scene! The record's a really odd one in the Chess catalog – because it's got the feel of a record that should have come out on Atlantic or Capitol, or... read more

Heavy soul with a good dose of rock – the trademark sound of The Chambers Brothers, heard here during the height of their Columbia Records years! Although previously more of a folksy sort of combo, the group really took off during their time with Columbia – hitting whole new strides in... read more

We're not normally the biggest fans of The Chambers Brothers, but this album's a cracking winner from the mid 70s. Shouldn't be so, given the date and the label, but there's a really funky track on here that's one of their best – the great break cut "Stealing Watermelons", which... read more

A wonderful treasure from the early 80s soul scene – the first album from Champaign, and an instant winner right from the start! The group may not have been one of the bigger names of their time, but they really won a lot of favor with soul listeners over the years – and this album's... read more

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time –... read more

An obscure later album from west coast soul group Chapter 8 – recorded after Anita Baker had left the group to move out on her own, but done for the mid 80s Beverly Glen indie, where Baker had also gotten her start as a solo act! The set's got a feel that's smooth and sophisticated –... read more

Some of Ray's biggest tracks for Atlantic, including many remakes of standards like "Just For A Thrill", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin", "Am I Blue", and "It Had To Be You". You've heard it all a million times, but it's still beautiful stuff – and... read more

Easily one of the best Ray Charles albums on ABC – if not one of the best Ray Charles albums of all-time. Ray's in his C&W mode here, but it's a bit more restrained than on other LPs, and is replaced here by a sophisticated style that works perfectly with his heartbreaking voice. Proof... read more

One of their nice albums for RCA, with a sound that's a mix of ballads and up-tempo cuts, in the same style as a lot of other East Coast groups from the time. Van McCoy arranged and produced, and the LP includes their single "Hey, What's That Dance You're Doing", plus "Two Different... read more

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Titles include "Freddy Blue Eyes", "Party Lights", "Foxy", "Dancin Party", "Disappointed", "Party Time", "What Kind Of Party", and "My Turn To Laugh".... read more

One of Doug Clark's bawdy frat rock-soul party LPs on the Gross label – with his trademark "blue" material for adult listeners, backed up by raunchy R&B riffing! The general style's a bit dated, but it's also the kind of album that paved the way for Rudy Ray Moore in the 70s. ... read more

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Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track.... read more

Otis Clay recorded live in Japan – working before a very appreciative audience, and hitting grooves that are right up there with his best 70s work on Hi Records! The sound is a bit looser than Hi – which is a nice change – and Clay's really in command on the set, leading the... read more

Linda's first effort for Curtom, and a record that's got a bit more soul than some of her later more disco-oriented albums. Unfortunately, it's also got a bit more schmaltz – but if you stay away from the sillier cuts, you'll get some tasty mellow soul that's a good bridge between Linda's... read more

We kept hoping and hoping throughout the 80s that Clinton would get back into the funk of things, but it seems he never quite hit his stride, with the exception of the "Atomic Dog". And though we can't hold this up anywhere near his best work, it's a reasonably solid effort, given that... read more

While little of Clinton's work under his own name in the 80s compares favorably with the best of the Parliament-Funkadelic years, it's still fairly solid compared to a lot of the other commercial R&B dreck that was being peddled at the time. With the sort of fat bass, loads of synthesized... read more

A landmark LP of guitar-based funk! Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene by the time this album came out – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be... read more

Arranged by Leroy Holmes and Arnold Goland – and titles include "Two Strangers In The City", "The Same Old You", "Strangers In The Night", "The More I See You", and "The Wishing Doll".... read more

A pivotal album for The Commodores – still very funky here, with a sound that stays true to their roots – yet also able to reach out into some of the mature mellow ballads that would make them a huge crossover act in years to come! James Carmichael arranges and produces here –... read more

One of Norman Connors' first true soul albums – a real shift from his earlier work in the spiritual jazz mode, and a sublime blend of styles! The record still shows plenty of traces of Norman's earlier roots – as he blends together jazzy influences with smoother mid 70s production... read more

Excellent funky jazz material from Norman Connors! The record's a key link between his earlier spiritual stuff, and his later smooth R&B material – and it features a lot of strong players like Dom Um Romao, Reggie Lucas, Hubert Laws, Carlos Garnett, and Gary Bartz. The cut "Slew... read more

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated... read more

A great early RCA set from Sam Cooke – issued with the odd tag "Folk Favorites" in the corner – but done with that unmistakable soul vibe that Sam helped invent at the time! True, many of the tunes have folk music roots – but they're re-swung by Sammy Lowe with some... read more

A 2LP set that brings together earlier Sam Cooke titles for RCA – some remastered and made into stereo titles, others just cleaned up a bit. There's a total of 20 tracks in all – with hits like "Twistin The Night Away", "You Send Me", "Chain Gang", "Ha... read more

Why do we love these Sesame Street records so much? Is it because they send us back to our childhood with fond memories, or because they're filled with such groovy music? This original Sesame Street recording is a great time with the Cookie Monster's voice singing children's songs over a variety... read more

Although not as funky as sides he later cut for T-neck, this albums got that nice, bluesy 60's R&B organ combo feel to it – if you can imagine the sort of jams that were part and parcel on the chitlin' circuit or in small tavern deep on the south side here in Chicago any Friday night. ... read more

A bit silly at times, but still pretty great! Bill Cosby teams up with old LA cronie Stu Gardner to do a set of tracks that are parodies of other big soul artists of the early 70s – and thanks to Stu's good work with the music, most of the tracks work a lot better than you'd expect! The... read more

A funky masterpiece from Bill Cosby – hardly the sort of record you might expect from all of his years on mainstream TV! This set was cut back when Bill was a much hipper cat on the LA scene – and it was the start of a brief all-instrumental run with his Badfoot Brown ensemble –... read more

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Their first album of funky soul, and still a major classic from the early 70s! Creative Source were way more than just a regular soul vocal group from the start – as they had some superior vocal arrangements from Skip Scarborough, who really gave the group a unique approach that mixed jazz,... read more

Forget the "funk" in this album – because the best bits are the mellow ones! Crème D'Cocoa are one of those groups pushing slick bass-heavy funk when they should stick to the mellower cuts – which they do nicely on this album, in a smooth male/female harmony style that... read more

A sweet and smooth batch of modern soul tracks – arranged and produced by Tony Camillo, and the only album we've ever seen by this obscure east coast group! The set's got a really nice jazzy flourish – part New York club, part mellow studio soul – and the overall presentation of... read more

They certainly got the title right on this one – as the album's one of THE soul/gospel crossover albums of the 70s – a masterpiece of majestic soul that's right up there with similar work from the time by Rance Allen and The Mighty Clouds Of Joy. Crouch's vocals are wonderful –... read more

Uptempo soul from Europe, of the sort that would soon turn into Euro-disco, but which at this point was still a melding of different musical influences showing up in the Euro clubs, a fair number of them percussive funky ones. Tracks are short, and titles include "Love To Dance This One With... read more

The best of a handful of albums that the one-time Prince bassist put out in the early 80s – a record that made a splash via the great Prince-penned "The Dance Electric" – possibly a blessing and a curse for AC, as Prince was so huge at the time that the record going public was... read more

It's easy to survive the 80s when you've got an army of future-suit cats behind you – and given the groove here, it's clear that Andre Cymone was doing way more than just surviving back in the day! The set's a super-tight batch of 80s grooves – with a sharp sound that comes from lots... read more

One of the indie soul killers of the early 80s – one of the few early albums cut for Prelude by James "D Train" Williams, one of the best male vocalists of his time! All the tracks were produced and arranged by keyboardist Hubert Eaves – and that aspect is one of the main... read more

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Prime symphonic disco from the mighty John Davis and his well-named Monster Orchestra! The set's got a dramatic flourish that still mixes in plenty of live instrumentation – including keyboards and flute from John, plus some nice congas from Larry Washington! John sings lead vocals on most... read more

A pretty great record from Sammy – one that has a groovier feel than most of his other work from the time! The cover has Sammy hanging out with a bunch of hippies, and that feel is certainly carried through to the music – arranged by Billy Strange and George Rhodes, with bouncy... read more

A late 70s gem from Tyrone's years on Columbia Records – one that shows both sides of his talents for the label! The set starts out with an extended clubby groover called "Get On Up (Disco)" – a bumping sort of number that's clearly trying to push him into Johnnie Taylor... read more

Another stone winner from Tyrone Davis – cut during his classic stretch on the Dakar label! During the Dakar years, Tyrone just kept turning out great little soul songs – filled with that raspy emotion that was his unique vocal trademark, and touched with a bit of the blues from his... read more

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Obscure bit of spiritual soul by Wayne Davis, who also recorded another record for the Black Fire label (home of Oneness of Juju). Roberta Flack guests on this album, and gives him the thumbs up in the notes on the back, and the whole thing's got the same sort of jazzy soul feel of her first album... read more

An excellent EP – featuring only 3 tunes, but all very soulful! Davis Import sounds more like a disco group, but the label bills the group as Davis Brothers – which is much more in keeping with the sound of the record, as it's got a warm and mellow harmony feel. There's a great late... read more

Smooth soul from Cliff Dawson – a singer as classy as his look on the cover, and definitely a cut above most of the mainstream soul artists of his time! The album's an overlooked gem that's very nicely put together – well recorded, arranged with a subtle flair, and usually done with a... read more

A surprisingly great album from DeBarge – proof that the group really had something great at the start! Much as we'd like to dismiss DeBarge for their dated costumes and silly covers, the group still stands as one of the strongest pop acts from early 80s Motown – and have an undeniably... read more

The first album by DeBarge – and a surprisingly great batch of harmony soul that updates the "family" sound of 70s groups like The Sylvers, Five Stairsteps, and others! The record is a bit less ambitious than the later ones, in a good way – one that focuses more on the vocals... read more

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A groundbreaking album of vocal group soul – right from the first note! The record kicks off with the sublime "Ready Or Not, Here I Come" – which starts with fierce stepping strings that are actually funky, then soars into some of the best harmonies the group ever put to... read more

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A key record in Deodato's move from funky jazz in the 70s to modern soul in the 80s – and one that showcases the best of his talents in both genres! The approach here is more tightly arranged and produced than that of his earlier CTI sides – but in a mode that's still plenty nice to... read more

Like many of their Detroit contemporaries, the Detroit Emeralds made a move to up-tempo club sounds towards the end of the 70s – but also like some of the better groups in the city (like the Fantastic Four), the Emeralds had the vocal strength to make the move and still keep a bit of soul in... read more

While we have more or less dismissed a lot of the Celluloid world music productions from the 80s in the past, we look back now and realize that was pretty much just purist snobbery. This Laswell produced album of funky afro grooves doesn't have the same hard African funk that we dig so much about... read more

You might need to be a Diddley diehard to know it, given the pretty hokey early 60s Beach Party cover photo – get past that and what you'll find is a rowdy, rumbling and completely incredible live album from Bo! It features material captured on a 2 night stand at The Beach Club in Myrtle... read more

Lost clubby soul with great production by Patrick Adams on half the LP and Leroy Burgess on the other half. Five great late 70s disco numbers laden with sweet jazzy arrangements, Adams' modern touch, and Burgess' funky vibe, helping to really set this album apart from the rest of the crowd. ... read more

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If this is the New Lee Dorsey – we forgot all about the old one! The album's one of Lee's best early records – a killer batch of soul tracks that struts out of the New Orleans scene with some amazingly jagged production from Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, very much in the best... read more

One of the hottest locker rooms in town – thanks to sublime Salsoul grooves from the always-great Double Exposure! The album's got a bouncy groove that's topped by the quartet's wonderfully warm harmonies – easily some of the best from the disco generation, served up in a careful... read more

Carol's at the top of her game in this set of full-sounding disco numbers arranged and conducted by John Davis – singing with that heartfelt tone that still has plenty of great traces of AM radio soul, but which also slides nicely into the smoother, sophisti-club arrangements of the set. ... read more

Hard to find, but some great work by Lamont Dozier – emerging here from the 70s as a strong modern soul talent, still with a great sense of songwriting, and capable of handling ballads and uptempo material equally well, in a manner that reminds us of Leon Ware on his albums from the same... read more

Fantastic soul from Lamont Dozier – his first LP as a solo artist, and one of the best debuts of the 70s! The record has a quality that's impossible to describe accurately – but it's kind of a post-Motown full-on approach to soul that mixes strings, piano, and that wall of sound groove... read more

Dr. John's second record, cut back in the days when there was a lot more freakiness to his bag – as you'll notice by his eyeballs in the photo on the back cover! The tracks are wild, funky, and messed-up New Orleans R&B filtered through a heavy dose of psychedelics – a unique... read more

Titles include "Don't Stop", "It's Only A Dream", "Plain As Black & White", "Star", and "It's On Me".... read more

Ron Banks, L.J. Reynolds, and crew deliver up a set of tracks that probably aren't their strongest work of the 70's – but which still have a nice mellow soul sound, thanks to great Detroit production by Don Davis. Tracks include "She's A Rainmaker", "Things Are Changing",... read more

One of their best, and a real masterpiece of 70's group soul. The arrangements are sweet, but the group is as hard as they ever were, but free to soar in their singing with the massive arrangements provided by the Detroit Groovesville crew. Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds are in perfect form, and this... read more

Sweetly smooth grooving from The Dramatics – tighter than their years at Stax, but still tremendous stuff vocally – with a sound that mixes the rough and the sweet like nobody else! The album features works by a number of different producers – including group members Ron Banks... read more

Sweet Chicago soul from this ex-lead singer of the Drew-Vels! The tracks are arranged and conducted by Phil Wright, and they have a pretty nice groovy soul feel – in the Capitol mode of the late 60s. The record's got a fair number of covers, like "I, Who Have Nothing", "What... read more

The aura here is spreading wide – as George Duke really grows his sound strongly from the early years, and takes hold of a whole host of cosmic influences! The record's one of Duke's biggest for MPS – a beautiful balance between jazzy fusion and spacey soul – served up with help... read more

Ian Dury takes his spastic rhythm style to Jamaica, where he adds in Sly & Robbie to the mix, and gets produced by Chaz Jankel. Not his classic stuff, but pretty nice anyway. Tracks include "Spasticus (Autisticus)", "The (Body Song)", "Lonely (Town)", and "Fu... read more

A strong debut of more commercially oriented material from Coke Escovedo's daughter, hooking up with Prince and Jesse Johnson after stints with George Duke and others. The vibe here, as you probably well know, is very Prince influenced, but infused with a wonderful Latin vibe that really set it... read more

Strong work in Charles' post-Prestige mode – the style in which he turned his keyboard skills to other non-Hammond instruments, like Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and mini-moog. Tracks are a mix of smooth soulful numbers and more jazz funk oriented ones – and the whole thing's got a... read more

Classic club jazz from Charles Earland – one of the best LPs from his late 70s, post-Hammond period – when he was really opening up and exploring the use of a variety of keyboards! The set was done in conjunction with Randy Muller – who arranged, produced, and wrote the tracks... read more

Genius, pure genius! It was hard for Earth, Wind & Fire to go wrong at this point – and the album's a stellar blend of jazz, funk, and soul, all done in that perfect style they'd hit by the mid 70s. And even though this one was a monster album, of the type that you see in everyone's... read more

A tremendously beautiful album – and a righteous anthem of power and growth that seems to open itself up to us more and more over the years! Earth Wind & Fire are at their height here – mixing together soul and funk with a set of influences that includes African percussion and... read more

Classic work from female disco trio Eastbound Expressway – an Ian Levine project done in a mode to rival the great female club trios from Philly – and one that comes off surprisingly well! The work was recorded in UK, but has a style that reminds us a bit of some of the Canadian disco... read more

Who'da thought the great jazz vocalist would end up recording for Motown late in his career? Still, the album's not a bad one in a pop vocal sort of way, and includes Billy doing versions of 60s hits like "Once In A Lifetime", "My Way", and "Talk To Me". Other nice... read more

Gail Smith sings lead vocals on this one – a tight batch of funky club numbers with the early 80s groove of some of Taana Gardner's work! The tracks have a tight snap and a conservative approach that makes them far better than your average disco record – and although Gail's not the... read more

Coke Escovedo's best album and a nice bit of groovy soul from the mid 70's. Patrick Gleeson produced, Harvey Mason plays drums, and the whole thing's got a nice laid back spacey soul sound. Includes covers of Lamont Dozier's "Why Can't We Be Lovers" and Leon Ware's "If I Ever Lose... read more

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Spacey Euro disco, released in the US by Mercury. The vocals are no standout, but the oddball science fiction theme from the cover carries over a bit into the production with some cool electronics that have a speeded up Kraftwerk sound. The best cuts – like "Explosion Of A Planet"... read more

A lively bit of soca from Explainer – bubbling, jumpy, and a good version of the music that escapes many of the cliches that crept in later in the 80s. Titles include "Rasta Chick", "Not Tonite", "Heroes", "Getting Down", and "Panorama".... read more

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Dang, who the heck are these guys? They're great! The Exportations seem to have only popped up for this one album, but they've got a solid harmony soul sound that's right up there with the best groups of the 70s – and which in fact feels a lot more like indie work from the early part of the... read more

Heavy heavy funk from the mighty Yvonne Fair – a 70s bad soul sister that we'd rank right up there with Betty Davis! Yvonne got her start working with James Brown in a sweeter mode, but by the time of this mid 70s debut, she'd hit a really hard-wailing sort of style – one that had the... read more

Arranged by Van McCoy – with tracks that include "I'm Ready For A New Love", "Keep Me Baby", "Don't Pity Me", "You Never Were My Friend", "Find What You Need", and "People In Love Oughta Be Together".... read more

Faith Hope & Charity were one of those soul combos that were ripe for the disco years. They didn't have much of a strong presence on their own, and had already worked a lot with Van McCoy – so when Van made his "hustle" move in the mid 70s, their male/female harmony style... read more

Good album by this female-male-female soul trio, with a lot of tracks written and arranged by Van McCoy, with the good New York soul sound that he was laying down with groups like this in the days before he hit the disco. Zulema's on vocals, and she also wrote a few tracks. Cuts include "God... read more

One of Ike Turner's solo projects after the departure of Tina – and a pretty nice batch of funky instrumentals with a good mix of styles. The groove isn't as raw as in the Tina days – as there's more horns than guitar – but that doesn't stop the tracks from coming together well,... read more

One of the proudest moments of the New York Latin underground – a time when some of its best players wound up playing for Columbia, through a brief affiliation between Fania and the larger label! And although you might think that the album would totally sell out the group's best points, it's... read more

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A beautiful little live album from Jose Feliciano – recorded in London at the end of the 60s, with a sound that's often more stripped down than his studio work of the time! Jose's on vocals and guitar, backed by only a bit of bass and percussion – so the record's almost got the... read more

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA,... read more

A great little record from this little-known singer! The record was recorded in New Jersey with arrangements by Tony Camillo, but the sound often has strong echoes of the south – not in a gritty way, but in the warmer, more sophisticated modes that were creeping into southern soul at the end... read more

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