Soul — In Stock — LPs  

Tight Latin Funk from El Chicano – a bit slicker than some of their earlier albums, and with tracks that are a tad weak, but there are still plenty of fine moments. The title track "Pyramid" is a wonderful Latin groover – all instrumental, and in a slow Chicano funk mode... read more

A lost gem from Donnie Elbert – and a record with some really unusual touches! The style here has a bit of the spareness of some of Stevie Wonder's work from the time, but it's also got a skittish kind of groove that seems to have picked up a bit of a Jamaican influence – all of which... read more

A nice collection of early work by The Emotions – pulled from their 2 early albums for Volt, as well as a few singles for the label. The set came out in 1979, and is clearly designed to catch the eye of late 70s customers hopped up on the group's disco hits – but the tracks were all... 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

Some slightly disco-ish tunes sung by Linda Evans and produced by David Williams and James Jamerson Jr. There is an array of musicians involved including Earl Van Dyke on keyboards and Eddie Bongo Brown on congas and bongos. Songs include "You Control Me", "You Got Me Dreaming"... read more

A plenty groovy little record – an obscure indie soul set from the Detroit scene of the early 80s, served up in a nice blend of modern grooves and mellower moments! The vocals are really great on some numbers – with soaring harmonies that really bring a lot out of the tunes, especially... 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

A classic killer from The Fabulous Rhinestones – a group with a plenty soulful approach to their music, even if the group was probably more of a rock outfit than a funk-based one! There's some heavy rhythms on most of the tracks – kind of a gentle funky groove that's mixed in with... 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

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

A landmark album – one that has the Fania All-Stars playing in a Latin club style that greatly influenced dance music for years to come! The title "Cross-Over" might make you think of this one as a sell-out attempt, but it's not – it's a brilliant effort by the New York Latin... read more

As the title implies, the Fantastic Four get a bit funky on this one – stepping up the bass in the way that a lot of other ensemble groups were using at the time – almost a shift to pre-80s groove modes from the more disco sound of the Alvin Stone set. The overall approach isn't bad,... read more

A key transitional record from Fatback – one that sits nicely between their earlier funk and later club years! The record clearly knows this aspect about itself – as side one is titled "Vintage – House Party", and features more longer-jamming takes on the grooves that... read more

Fatback flying like the Phoenix – but hardly rising from the ashes, given that the group's always on top! The sound here is a bit different – slightly leaner than before, but in a good way – with lots of core keyboards from Bill Curtis, who also handles most of the lead vocals... read more

A sweet set of street soul from Fatback – delivered with a bit more electro influences than some of their classic funk, but a groove that's still always right on the money! Bill Curtis is at the helm of the group, laying down most of the rhythms via DMX – but even with the electronics,... read more

It's the group's 12th album, but they're still going strong – working in a sweet mix of bassy funk that really expands their original sound! The album's got a nice clubby feel overall – not really disco, but bumpin soul that still shows the group as a mostly funk act, but one with an... read more

A key turn in the groove for The Fatback Band – one that has the group getting a good dose of "night fever", and smoothing out their funk for the 70s disco crowd! Yet although clubby, the record's still plenty funky – a refinement of the groove first started on Yum Yum,... read more

A well-titled album from one of the funkiest New York groups of the 70s – and proof that Fatback could still hit a heavy groove, even when tightening things up a bit! The style here is still firmly in the live jamming mode of their roots – captured well in the studio, in a style that's... read more

A spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh... read more

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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

An incredible batch of Brazilian fusion – cut by keyboardist Manfredo Fest, and one of the few records he ever waxed in the US during the 70s! The record mixes Fest's soaring Brazilian groove with a tight soulful set of arrangements by Jerry Peters – a bit club-oriented, with a similar... read more

An early 80s classic from Richard Dimples Fields – one of the most unique talents in soul music of his generation – with an appeal that's both down home, and smoothly sophisticated at the time! In a way, Fields' music represents many changes his audience was going through at the time... read more

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Their classic second record, and a pivotal album in defining the east coast uptempo sound of the mid 70's. Rochelle Fleming and the gals sing in soulful harmony style, while Norman Harris and Vince Montana lay down some heavy uptempo grooves. Includes their classic "scolding" songs... read more

A classic doo wop side, but perhaps more famous for the hard to get cover of the first edition, than the music, even though the grooves are about as great as you can get, whether it's smooth ballads or more up tempo rocking numbers! A dozen numbers in all, including "Just For A Thrill",&q... read more

Mindblowing work from Roberta Flack – an album that should be in the collection of any fan of righteous soul music! Forget all the wimpier modes of Flack's later years – because here, the young Roberta is a vision of positive power and spiritual soul – a singer with roots in jazz... read more

What can we say? We've heard this one a million times, it sold over a million copies – but it's still incredible! The record is Roberta's first, and it features her in a mellow trio format, augmented by some occasional larger arrangements by William Fischer. At most points, though, the... read more

A split LP, but a seminal full length album in the doo wop genre – one that was issued on Vee Jay in the early 60s, but brought together some key earlier work by The Flamingos and The Moonglows! Both groups here are at the height of their early powers – singing in a stripped-down and... read more

Flashlight is a sweet little disco combo – one who are working here with prime Philly maestros Norman Harris, Ron Kersey, Arnold Coley, and Bobby Eli – all of whom give the group's tracks a warmly soulful quality, and a sound that's more in the mode of early/mid 70s vocal groups like... read more

Their classic, with the great long version of "Float On", which is a monster soul cut that stands tall with steppers and rappers alike. It's probably the best track they ever did, and it's all here in a version that's nearly 12 minutes long – with loads of samples that you'll... read more

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Wicked late 70s work from Ronnie Foster – a rare Columbia outing that's arguably better than his earlier sides for Blue Note! There's more of a soul vibe than before in the music – but in a way that's really foregrounded, and without some of the back/forth wavering that Foster had in... read more

A massive 70s 2LP set! Titles include "Something About You', "It's All In The Game", "Still Water", "7 Rooms Of Gloom", "Shake Me Wake Me", "Reach Out I'll Be There", "I'll Turn To Stone", "If I Were A Carpenter", "Walk... read more

Really nice work from The Four Tops – proof that they were still going quite quite strong after Motown! The album's got a hip sound that shows the group moving through a wider range of emotions than we ever remember – crafting rich deep harmonies that still stand apart from the big... read more

Possibly the last big hit that the Four Tops ever cut for Motown – and proof that they could still turn out strong material, as was later proven by their work at ABC. The title cut – "Still Waters (Run Deep)" – is one of those always enjoyable, surprisingly... read more

A mix of pop and soul – but in the hands of the Four Tops, just about any song takes on a new soulful life! The record features their minor hit "Yesterday's Dreams" – plus groovy versions of "Sunny", "Never My Love", "Daydream Believer", and... read more

Mellow sexy Aretha – with warm arrangements by Arif Mardin, and plenty of nice electric piano by the great Richard Tee. Includes a great version of Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You", plus the tracks "You Move Me", "You'll Never Get To Heaven"... read more

A long spoken set, produced by Pepsi, with a style that's kind of like a radio show – narration, plus sound effects, and some dramatized passages as well. The whole thing's a bit hokey and dated – but that's also part of its charm.... read more

Tremendous work from Rodney Franklin – one of our favorite soulful fusion players from the end of the 70s! The album's a keyboard delight through and through – and Rodney plays both acoustic and electric piano, often on the same track – which creates this nicely expanded sound... read more

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Nice bit of early slow jam material, with a heavy 80s vibe, and some deep soulful vocals by the enigmatic Frederick. We know little about Fred or the real source of this album, but the sound is top-notch, and tracks like "Gentle", "Somebody Won't Sleep Tonight", and "I... read more

An obscure vocal jazz trio – one that features LA Bopper Augie Johnson, pianist/singer Lorraine Fender, and Charlotte Crossley.... read more

No hangin out here – because these guys are tighter than ever, and right on the money from the very first note of the set! A snapping drum break opens up the album – followed by a wickedly stepping bassline, a rolling conga part, and a vamping dance between Hammond and tenor sax –... read more

An instant classic the day it was released – and a perfect blending of the group's older freaked-out style with a slick late 70s funk sound that started showing up in the work of many other groups. "One Nation Under A Groove" is a monster cut with a hook that won't quit, and the LP... read more

An oft-overlooked gem by Funkadelic – the group's last album for Westbound, and a record that really has them growing into a great new groove! Bootsy and Eddie Hazel have stepped aside for the set, but that gives Bernie Worrell plenty of room to work his magic on keyboards – in a way... read more

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Titles include "Do Ya Wanna Go Dancin", "Rock Around The Clock", "Let's Make Love Tonight", "Round & Round & Round", "Spirits", "The Little Rock Dancer From Dallas", "Dance With Me", and "Midnight Fever."... read more

Marvin Gaye's last album for Motown – and a wonderful cap to a great run of sexy soul for the 70s – filled with great mellow grooves that rival the genius of his earlier work in the decade! There's a glowing, slow-burning feel to some of the best numbers here – a vibe that's... read more

A classic boogie groover from the early 80s – the one and only album from Gemini, and one of the few albums issued on the tiny M&M label! Although an indie effort, the album's got a tightness that matches the best 80s groove on bigger labels from the time – especially the excellent... read more

Although she's best remembered for the title track to this one – a solid hit if there ever was one – Barbara's also a pretty darn good interpreter of original and standard material, with a style that shows roots that stretch back deeper than some of her other 60s soul contemporaries. ... read more

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Nikki lays down some of her righteous poetry over a backing provided by the Sweet Inspirations and a host of Atlantic studio musicians. The groove is pretty soulful, and this is probably one of her most successful albums that blend poetry and music. Titles include "A Certain Peace",... read more

A pretty great record issued in conjunction with the cartoon version of the Harlem Globetrotters – an Archies-like Don Kirshner's co-production in which a studio band is used to provide a groove to the cartoon. A number of cuts on here are in Kirshner's straight late 60s pop mode, but there's... read more

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Larry Graham hits the slow jam generation – stepping aside from his funkier groove for this classic album – a record that gave the world a huge crossover cut in the title track! The main focus here is on Larry's vocals, not his basswork – and he does a surprisingly good job as a... read more

A motherlode of Al's classic soul hits from the early and mid 70's, with essential tracks like "Love & Happiness", "L-O-V-E", "Livin For You", "Full Of Fire", and "Take Me To The River". Great stuff, all sung with Al's perfect voice and great... read more

Beautiful early work by Al! The record is a haunting mix of tender soul tracks filled with love, warmth, and Al's sexy soul. It's hard to distinguish this one from other records of his at the time, because they're all so good – but we can tell you that the album features Al's stone classic... read more

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Smooth 80s soul from Billy Griffin – formerly of The Miracles, but emerging here as a solo artist on his own, with a strong bid for stardom, dressed in a slick narrow-tie linen-jacket-with-collar-turned-up 80s stab at crossover fashion! Billy's voice is a lot better than his choice of outfit... read more

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes... read more

A killer debut from Curtis Hairston – an overlooked 80s soul singer who should have made it big, given the strength of this set! The album's got a tight groove, but is never too commercial – a bit away from other Atlantic soul of the time, thanks to some solid studio help from Kae... read more

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African grooves meet European club – in a totally sweet session with a very unique feel! Sandra Hallvey sings in French, sometimes with a breathy Euro style – but arrangements are by Jo Tongo, and have lots of funky undercurrents – offbeat grooves that electrify some deeper... read more

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Later stuff, but a pretty unique album from Herbie! The sound's a bit smoother than some of the groundbreaking electric albums, but the playing's top-shelf, and the record features a number of jazz funk numbers with soulful vocals – including work by Gavin Christopher and The Waters. Think... read more

Afro Funk meets 80s groove – and the band's not a bad extension of some of the Afro Funk jams of the 70s. Sipho Mabuse produced, and sings lead vocals. Tracks include "Soul Fire", "Dance", "Liven Up", "Get Funky", and "Party".... read more

Easily one of the best albums by Sugarcane Harris – thanks largely to Johnny Otis, who produced and arranged the set with the same messed-up, genre-crossing style of his own work! Given that Harris both played electric violin and sung in a raunchy bluesy style, it would take a genius like... read more

Perhaps Donny Hathaway's greatest album from the 70s, and certainly the one with the most amazing arrangements! The record was Donny's last studio session, and it's got him working at a level that's far advanced from even his groundbreaking earlier work – using complicated rhythms and... read more

Titles include "Here Comes The Sun", "Some Will Wait", "Patient Lady", "Missing Train", and "End Of The Seasons".... read more

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Wonderful later work from Isaac Hayes – a gem from his Polydor years that has a good mix of mellow cuts and more upbeat numbers! The record has 3 long "quiet storm" tracks that take off on Ike's earlier expanded ballad style (forged on tracks like "Walk On By") –... read more

After leaving Stax, Ike seemed to be trying to turn himself into more of a Barry White-style artist – with more emphasis on original tracks about love and loving, instead of his older method of transforming pop hits into little baroque symphonies. On a record like this, the approach meant... read more

Amazing stuff from Isaac Hayes! Although Ike had first appeared on LP with the album "Introducing", this was the first record to really expose his true soul genius – and it was also the first release on Ike's successful sub-label at Stax, Enterprise Records. The record shows that... read more

Stellar soul from Isaac Hayes – just the sort of overblown masterpiece that made his early solo work on Stax Records so great! The record features only 4 long tracks – all of which go on in that slow-building style that Ike forged at the time – a mode that takes a few simple... read more

One of the funkiest Isaac Hayes albums for Stax – thanks mostly to the extended title cut! The tune "Joy" is a monster – running for nearly 16 minutes long, and starting with a killer drum break on the intro – then full, proud, bad-stepping Isaac Hayes grooves... read more

One of Isaac Hayes' richest soundtracks – deeper and more complicated than the groove of Shaft and Truck Turner, and filled with some great tunes that glow with color, life, and imagination – showing an Isaac Hayes that almost seems to be moving beyond the usual blackploitation groove! ... read more

Don't hold the "disco" in the title against Isaac – because the album's still a pretty nice one, and by no means a cheap sell-out affair! The set was recorded in Memphis, with backings by the classic Movement combo – and although the tunes do have a "sweetened"... 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

The second album by this legendary 70s funk combo – best known as Herbie Hancock's backing band, but sounding great here on their own. The album's much more of a solid soul effort than the first one – which was great, but felt more like Herbie had stepped out of the studio for a minute... read more

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give... read more

A US compilation – with cuts that include "Penthouse & Pavement", "Play To Win", "Let Me Go", "The Height Of The Fighting", "We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time", "I'm Your Money", and "Fascist Groove Thang".... read more

Heaven 17 soften up their politics a bit with this second album (yet still address class inequality issues with the title!) – but they also manage to replace their Marxist agenda with some groovier, more soul-based tunes – just the kind of material that helped push them out of import... read more

Excellent work from this smooth Chicago vocal group! The album may well be the best the group ever recorded – and it features some stellar ballad work produced with a nice spacey tone, almost in a Rose Royce mellow mode – by Jerry Butler's Fountain Productions team and by Clarence... read more

Classic jazzy soul from the great bassist/vocalist who worked most of the greats of the 70s – from Miles Davis to Norman Connors. This album's one of Henderson's best, and has a beautiful mix of mellow soul and jazzy instrumentation. Includes the nice sample cut "Let Me Love You",... read more

One of Wayne Henderson's best albums as an artist from the 70s – next to countless excellent work he handled as a producer! The set's got a gentle jazz funk groove overall – similar to Henderson's best At-Home productions for other groups, and performed with a host of great talents... read more

Nice one! This obscure blacksploitation soundtrack features a hip Monk Higgins score for a Pam Grier film that's supposedly "Hotter than Coffey and meaner n' Foxy Brown". Having seen the film, we don't know if we'd totally agree with that assessment, but the music's strong enough, and... read more

Eddie's masterpiece LP of late sixties soul, with the classic "Hey There Lonely Girl", the title cut, and a lot of other great original compositions. The sound on here is perfect, and nearly every cut shines. There's almost no filler, and Eddie's voice is strong, beautiful, and has a... read more

A brilliant early set from Honey Cone – and a perfect illustration of the way the trio really moved past simple girl group modes of the 60s! There's a bold, proud, righteous tone to the record right from the start – thanks to these soaringly soulful vocals from the girls, and these... read more

An overlooked gem from 70s soul singer Eddie Horan – an artist we only know from this great little record – which is a sweet mellow soul classic! There's a mix of tightness and easygoing soul here that's mighty nice – as Eddie sings in this confident, yet laidback style that's... read more

One of the more obscure stars in the TK Records constellation – a one-off club project, featuring the writing and production talents of Oscar Llord, and the vocals of Bobby Bushe – hence the title! The set's got a rough take on the Miami disco style of the time – a bit less... read more

Thelma's one of those singers who must have been waiting years for disco to come around and help her find a reason to sing! Her career was slightly ill-timed in the beginning, coming along with a baroque soul beginning that was great, yet somewhat out of place in the early 70s. But enter a record... read more

A bold little set from Thelma Houston – produced with a strong disco finish, in a way that makes the best of her fierce diva vocals! The album's got a unity that's nicely appreciated – especially since some of Houston's other records could be a bit too unfocused or overblown –... read more