Soul -- In Stock -- LPs  

A brilliant set of jazzy Latin fusion -- one of Willie Bobo's best of the 70s, and a seminal crossover LP! The album takes the heavy Latin soul of Willie's earlier work, and gives it a sweet 70s twist -- adding in larger arrangements, impeccable production, and plenty of space to let the jazzy... read more

Incredible work by Willie Bobo -- a slamming record of hard funky instrumentals, one that sounds different than any of his other albums! The record's a killer all the way through -- a mixture of Latin and deep 70s funk, one of the few perfect fusions of the styles, held up beautifully all the way... read more

Sweet jazzy soul from Angie Bofil -- recorded in 1979 with Dave Grusin, who gives the album a smooth edge that really works perfectly with her vocals! The set's a perfect blend of the more soulful elements in the fusion scene of the late 70s, combined with Angie's warm vocal style and some... read more

Angela Bofill's 3rd album for Arista -- a tight set of 80s modern and pop soul tunes, arranged and produced by Narada Michael Walden with some jazzy touches in the right moments! Angie's taking things to a sophisticated soul level with this one -- stepping out on a few ballads with a proud and... read more

An album that further cements Angela Bofill's relationship with Narada Michael Walden -- as Walden produced almost every track in the set, and does a fair bit of songwriting too! The style is electric 80s soul, with a fair bit of keyboards and beats in the mix -- but as usual with Bofill, there's... read more

An Arista winner from Angela Bofill -- one that has her working strongly with Narada Michael Walden -- who helps Bofill on production and songwriting for part of the album, and really helps bring a nicely solid feel to the set! The tunes are more in an 80s soul mode than before for Angie, but... read more

A wonderful early record from Bohannon -- and with a very different feel than usual! Although most of Bohannon's work from the time is up-tempo and funky, side two of this album has some amazing slow spacey cuts -- done with a drum sound that's still quite hard, but just slower than usual, in a... read more

A killer bit of early funk from the great Hamilton Bohannon -- and quite possibly his best album! The album's much better than some of his later LPs -- with a slower funk sound than Bohannon's fast disco of the late 70s, and a wild approach to rhythm that mixed together scatter-shot drums with... read more

An excellent album of 70s funk, recorded by Booker T during a brief by well needed reunion with the MGs! Steve Cropper's guitar is still super fine, and Booker's picked up some more keyboards than usual, giving the record an excellent spacey jazz-funk groove that's similar to some of the more well-... read more

Bootsy Collins' first solo album as a leader -- and a masterpiece of slow bassy funk that set the tone for countless other groups to come! Bootsy steps into the spotlight with a tremendous amount of confidence and personality on the record -- emerging as the one real star that could shine brightly... read more

Bootsy's still keeping the P-Funk flag flying high at the end of the 70s -- arguably stepping out here with a sound that's got more of the Parliafunkadelicment elements intact than some of George Clinton's other spinoff groups! The tracks are long, and plenty jamming -- still with plenty of star... read more

One of the hippest records ever to come out of Chicago -- the sole recording by Boscoe, a group who was even more obscure and experimental than contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Like those groups, Boscoe has a very unique, very visionary approach -- one that's not... read more

Lost bit of funky soul on Gordy, with a definite "bottom" sound in the heavy use of funky bass, but also with some good straight soul, thanks to production by Clayton Ivey, who gives the record a classic Muscle Shoals sound in its best moments. Titles include "Do You Wanna Do A... read more

Great stuff from this super, but frequently forgotten, modern soul group. The record's a nice mix of mellow tracks with more up tempo ones -- and in its best moments, the production by Jerry Peters hits a nice spacey edge. Includes the singles "Wake Up & Be Somebody" and "Loving... read more

Sweet 80s grooves from Brass Construction -- still with Randy Muller at the helm, but with a sound that's a bit more bassy than before! Trademark Brass Construction horns still make an appearance on the set, but there's almost more focus on the keyboards -- which, along with the bass, help give... read more

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Nice record by Brass Fever, and a one that was recorded before their more disco-y Time Is Running Out LP. The band includes a host of great horn players like George Bohannon, Jerome Richardson, Oscar Brashear, and John Handy -- plus some good solos by Odell Brown on keyboards. Five long cuts,... read more

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums -- but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul -- a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the... read more

No splashdown here -- as Breakwater are every bit as soaringly soulful as they were on their debut set! The groove here is that perfect blend of jazz and soul that only a few groups in the 70s really got right -- maybe Pleasure, or The Blackbyrds -- and most certainly Breakwater, who were one of... read more

Brenda moves from girl group soul and hits a tight 70s Philly groove -- working here with production by Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, and John Davis. The style suits Brenda's voice well -- and the smoothness of the groove has her growing up a lot from earlier years. Tracks include "Superstar"... read more

The first record of what proved to be a very successful run for this seminal group from the Hotlanta scene of the 70s. As with other Atlanta groups, Brick took a harder soul style, and mixed it with the bourgeoning disco sound that was hitting the Peachtree city. The results scored pretty darn... read more

Bang are smoothing out their act a bit here -- going for more of that bass-heavy funk sound that worked a lot in the early 80s, a sound that they helped inspire in no small part, thanks to their first few records! There's still some great little numbers on the set, though -- done with a smoothly... read more

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time -- and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) -- and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite... read more

This one's a real shift from her earlier jazz-based work, or her recent recordings for Verve -- and a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion sound that's not that different than his own work of the... read more

A tremendous bit of harmony soul from Chicago -- one of the few cases where the Windy City really gave the east coast a run for its money -- and the landmark album from teen soul quartet Brighter Side Of Darkness! Although young, Brighter Side managed to bring a depth to their work that was way... read more

Great stuff from one of the unsung heroes of 70s soul! The record's a bit rawer than some of Johnny's earlier work -- and it's got a sexy cover that puts him more in the camp of Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson, at least from a visual perspective! The whole album was written and produced by Johnny --... read more

Very obscure work from singer Johnny Bristol -- an artist that we know best from his post-Motown work in the 70s, but who sounds great on this sweet album of early 80s soul! The record's got a feel that's a bit smoother than some of Johnny's albums for MGM and Atlantic -- and it goes for a mellow... read more

Sweet blue-eyed club from Brooklyn Dreams -- a trio who take some of the stronger vocal harmonies of mainstream 70s pop, and fuse them with some upbeat grooves for the dancefloor! The group's sound is pretty great -- compressed, warm, and quite soulful -- without any too-commercial overtones --... read more

Rough and raw work from Big Bill Broonzy -- well-done sides that feature Bill on vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded in Paris in the early 50s, and issued here in a US package on the Scepter label! There's a pretty earthy feel to most of the tracks -- a real "crossroads" feel that... read more

The second album by this lost East Coast funk act -- and although not as totally excellent as their first, still a very nice record that's filled with choppy up-tempo grooves, and some nice dancefloor soul. There's plenty of funky keyboards in the mix -- moog, clavinet, and Arp -- and the ablum's... read more

A very cool promo-only radio special -- pressed up in support of the Brothers Johnson album Blam! The set features both music from the pair's three albums to date, plus dialogue structured together to make a show -- divided up into 5 different segments, with full cue notes on the cover! Jim... read more

Smooth jazzy soul from the Brothers -- still sounding wonderful at this point, producing themselves for the record, and using the best parts of all those lessons they learned from Quincy Jones! The bass is a bit down in the mix for this album -- a good move, considering that 1981 was kind of... read more

Not the great older Christmas songs Brown recorded for King, but still a nice R&B holiday record, made years later. 9 great Christmas numbers in all: "Coming Home To Mama For Christmas", "Peace At Christmas", "What A Christmas For Me", "No friend This... read more

A surprisingly cool collection of tracks that hides under the "Merry Christmas Baby" title of Charles Brown's big postwar Holiday hit -- but which instead includes a fair bit of later soul, blues, and gospel numbers recorded for Jewel and Paula Records! The package mixes things up nicely... read more

An 80s collection of some of James' best King funk singles from the late 60's -- with a monster set list that includes "I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me", "Don't Be A Drop Out", "Let Yourself Go", "Bring It Up", "Lickin Stick", "Give It... read more

Damn, is this a great record! The album's not only one of the best blacksploitation soundtracks ever recorded, it's also one of James Brown's funkiest outings of the early 70s! Nearly every cut's a winner, and James gets some very funky help from The JBs, who groove hard on the best instrumental... read more

A stone classic from Brother James -- a wonderful 60s album build around the incredible track "Cold Sweat", served up here in a massive two-part version, and surrounded by a good range of material that really show James in a great variety of styles! The Godfather's vocals burst out... read more

One of James Brown's last great funky records! The record's got a number of nice cuts -- like the stone cold funky cuts "Your Love", which has a great break at the beginning, and "Superbad, Superslick". There's a few duds, like the remake of "Papa's Got a Brand New... read more

A great double-length album from James -- filled with a wide range of cuts that are brought together only by his genius, creating an insane mix of grooves that's totally entertaining throughout! Features a long version of "Get On The Good Foot", plus other excellent bits like "The... read more

A great little album by James Brown -- and very different than his other work! He cut this one with the groovy Dee Felice Trio -- a jazz-based combo that he recorded on their own for King, on another very rare, very excellent record. The band's in similar form here, although not necessarily as... read more

Reissue of one of the grooviest of the James Brown instrumental albums recorded for Smash. Unlike some of the other weaker albums on Smash, this one's got a great batch of material, most of which are originals, and not weak covers of pop stuff. Plus, the tracks are longer than usual, which gives... read more

One of the best of Brother James' instrumental records for Smash, and a record that has him out front, wailing at the organ. While James has never been one of the true virtuosos of the instrument, he plays with a sense of style and adventure that make his best LPs sing with energy. This one's got... read more

A real killer from James Brown -- and one of his most open-ended LPs of the early 70s! The record's got tracks that kind of go a lot further than those on many of James' other albums (except maybe Payback, which has loads of long cuts) -- and it includes an extended 9 minute reading of "Hot... read more

Funky funky funky! A nice one on King that shows the direction James Brown would take in the 70s -- a bit harder and more funky than before, with even more of a focus on the instrumental talents of the ensemble! The band here is super-sharp -- playing with that tightly focused, highly funky... read more

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s -- a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos -- but which never... read more

Massive -- and one of the best James Brown compilations ever, filled with rare and unreleased material! This completely essential set features tracks pulled from James' best years ever -- the mighty early 70s, when he was working with the JBs, and laying down tracks that would forever change the... read more

A definite mother from James Brown -- the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert -- and the stretched-out grooves... read more

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s -- a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums -- longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here... read more

Forget the "disco" in the title, because the album's not really disco -- or at least not in a way that any disco fan would agree to -- just more of a dancefloor-oriented approach to the heavy funk that James had always been cutting in the 70s! Tracks are longer and more uptempo than on... read more

A masterpiece of funky soul -- and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one -- funk, soul, politics, and production -- and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the... read more

Smoking stuff -- and a tasty album of organ instrumentals that has James on the Hammond, and Pee Wee Ellis leading the band behind him. The record's got a lot of cuts that are longer than the usual James Brown instrumentals from the time -- which means more solo work, more interesting grooves, and... read more

A tremendous turning point in the career of James Brown -- and an album that points the way strongly to the even deeper funk of the 70s! The album's a hard-wailing batch of instrumental tracks played by the legendary James Brown Band of the late 60s -- the pre-JBs ensemble that's gone onto have... read more

One of the last great albums from James Brown! Not as totally sublime as Payback or some of the others from the 70s -- but James is still working here with Fred Wesley and Dave Matthews -- and many of the cuts retain the funk of a few years past. Case in point is the sublime "Funky... read more

Subtitled "Live At the Apollo Vol 3", but waaay better than any of the earlier volumes, this monster 2LP live set has James and the JB's wailing away in a freewheeling live set of hard hard hard funky grooves. Excellent work by the band, and a great way to see how sharp they were out of... read more

A bomb! The title of this one says it all -- a burning anthem of pride and power, issued in 1969, at the end of one of the most troubling decades in America. James answers all the Uncle Tom cries from his critics -- and comes up with "Say It Loud", an instant chant that was taken up... read more

James Brown cooking it live -- recorded (as the cover says) "live at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self"! The groove here is a nice extension of earlier Apollo modes -- one that shows the increasing funkiness of the James Brown Band, captured with a raw power that few other... read more

One of the wilder James Brown instrumental LPs from the late King period. The James Brown Band is fronted by a heavy fuzzy guitar sound, which gives the LP a sort of rock-break feel, with nice fuzzy electric tones. All tracks are by James and Dave Matthews, and the record is sort of a second... read more

Super Bad is right! This is hard-hitting funky James -- from the badass cover right down to the extended tracks on the record, which point the way towards the hard live jamming of the classic Payback years! Everything wonderful is in place on the set -- from the band's grooves at the bottom to... read more

One of James Brown's earliest full albums for King Records -- and a set that kicks off with his monstrous reworkin of the tune "Think" -- originally recorded by the Five Royales, but recast here by James as the blueprint for all the funky goodness in years to come! That track really sets... read more

Mel's a long way here from the dirty funk of earlier years -- in a richly-arranged style that has some of the touches of the disco years, but which also nicely sets up Brown's vocals in a few gentler ballads that are the real winners of the set. These numbers have a honest, almost earthy feel --... read more

Great arrangements from Alan Hawkshaw!... read more

One of Oscar Brown's 70's efforts for Atlantic, when he was stretching his groove a bit, and trying to give it more of an soulful feel, and less of a theatrical one. Oscar's longtime accompanist Floyd Morris is on piano, and other musicians include Seldon Powell, David Spinozza, Chuck Rainey, and... read more

A super-huge moment for Miami funk guru Peter Brown -- a record instantly recognized by the silhouetted cover image of a perky nude in a window on the front, and for the very famous title hit, "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me?" Despite its hit status, the record's actually a pretty nice... read more

The second album from disco superstar Peter Brown -- and a batch of tracks that's a bit less clubby than before! Brown's emerging here more as a fully-fledged pop singer in his own right -- showing at least a bit of confidence by putting himself on the front cover this time around, even though his... read more

Excellent work from Randy Brown -- a great singer with a massive talent for being both smooth and deep at the same time, something we'd reserve for a rare few, like Frankie Beverly or Teddy Pendergrass during their best periods. This album featuers Randy singing tracks written by Homer Banks and... read more

Like Esther Phillips, during the early 70s, Ruth Brown moved away from the hard R&B vein, and cut a few nice albums in a more stripped-down jazzy style. This session features Ruth with Richard Tee on organ, David Spinoza on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums -- and it includes a number of... read more

A wonderful album of breezy jazzy soul from the sweet voiced Sheree Brown! The record is one of two that Brown cut for Capitol, and it was produced by Richard Rudolph -- husband and collaborator of the late Minnie Riperton -- in the immediate years after Minnie's death, leading us to wonder if... read more

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne -- still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove -- kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom... read more

The one and only album by this righteous funky combo from Ohio! Although Brute Force were an American group of the late 60s, they've got a sound that brings in traces of the African rhythms that were bubbling under at the time -- similar to some of the best London groups of the post-colonial years... read more

The monumental debut of BT Express -- and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally -- in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty... read more

Great later work from BT Express -- a record with a sound that's cleaner, leaner, and more stripped-down than some of their earlier records! The style here is still the same as before -- mostly soul aimed at the dancefloor, served up with a tremendous sense of bottom rhythm -- but the overall... read more

A killer blend of African roots and American rhythms -- and a set that definitely lives up to the disco promised in the title! Buari's working here with a host of New York musicians -- jazzy players who include Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis on trumpet, Barry Rogers on trombone, and Michael Brecker... read more

An 80s classic from guitarist Hiram Bullock -- a fusion set with a lot more smooth edges than the gritty surface of Hiram's well-played guitar on the cover! The set's quite polished, but still pretty great -- never too overdone, and still based mostly around instrumentation by a core combo on most... read more

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke -- an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album -- a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and... read more

An album of stunning beauty, and one of Solomon's best-ever! He's recording here in a vein that's more in keeping with the smoother Southern soul sound that began to dominate later in the generation -- with weeping guitars, soaring strings, and smooth keyboards -- and the sound is a perfect... read more

Fantastic bit of solid soul from Jerry's Mercury period. Includes the great title cut, plus a lot of other originals like "Lost", "Beside You", "The Way I Love You", and more. This has the Gamble/Huff Mercury sound, but the feel's a lot like his great Vee Jay albums,... read more

Perhaps the greatest record Jerry Butler made in the 70s, and a very tight bit of baroque Chicago soul with arrangements and production by Samuel F. Brown III. The tracks are a good mix of originals and covers, and they all show Jerry going way past his Gamble & Huff/Mercury years -- into the... read more

One of Jerry's more heartfelt efforts, and a strange attempt to get inside the mind of the 70's "single girl" -- right down to the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover. Includes the title cut, plus "Music In Her Dreams", "Only Pretty... read more

Nice compilation of tracks that features some of Jerry's finest (and famous) moments for the Vee Jay label. Lots of this stuff is darn hard to find on vinyl, and although the packaging's kind of boring, the music is excellent. Tracks include "Find Another Girl", "Make It Easy On... read more

One of Jerry Butler's funkiest moments of the 70s -- served up in a fantastic soundtrack co-penned and arranged by the great Jerry Peters! Peters is best known for his hip work with a variety of soul acts in the studio, but he really steps out here for the score to Melinda -- a lesser-known... read more

An insanely wonderful bit of Latin funk! The groove is super heavy, and falls somewhere in between NuYorican soul and Chicano Power rock -- with a sound that's pretty close to Black Sugar, but a little bit more psychedelic, due to the heavy guitars and keyboards in the grooves. Hard congas take... read more

An incredible record that was one of the highest points of Donald Byrd's career! The album's the third one he cut with producer/arranger Larry Mizell -- and of all Byrd's work with Mizell, this one's the funkiest, the tightest, the most soulful, and the most perfectly realized vision of the smooth... read more

Funky electric groove from Donald Byrd -- a post Mizell effort that's still burning in a crisp groove similar to his classic 70s Blue Note work -- one that's absolutely dripping with keys! Isaac Hayes produced this one, and also played a lot of those keyboards on the session with Byrd's 125 St... read more

Bobby was one of the more unlikely soul acts of the late 70s -- but thanks to some skillful keyboard playing and smooth vocals, he scored huge with the track "What You Won't Do For Love", a nicely compressed mellow soul cut that almost feels like ballad-style Earth, Wind & Fire circa... read more

A nice little album from vocalist Bobby Caldwell -- with a totally smooth compressed soul sound that's sort of in the same mode as the best soul work by Hall and Oates (which is a compliment in our book!) Production and songwriting are both very tight -- and there's some good acoustic... read more

One of the best albums that Terry Callier ever recorded -- and a masterpiece of the baroque soul crossover style that was going down at the Chess/Cadet label at the time! Terry's own folksy singing and playing would be more than enough to make this record great -- but it's given an amazing edge by... read more

Terry Callier's first album -- recorded in 1964 when he was a wee teen hanging around Chicago's folk scene! As the title indicates, the album's definitely got a folk-styled sound -- but also as the "new" implies, it's got a sound all it's own, fresh and free -- and that sound is the... read more

Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary Chicago soul singer Terry Callier! Terry's rich mellow voice is mixed with superb arrangements from the Cadet studio team, with Charles Stepney at the head, and the result is completely sublime. The songs are longer than on earlier albums -- and... read more

Full-on frenetic funk from Cameo -- one of the group's tightest albums, yet still without any of the too-slick sounds of later years! The sound here is amazing -- and we always find ourselves wondering how a group of guys can hit such perfect grooves with just a bunch of basses, guitars, and... read more

Cameo are going for more of an 80s groove here than on earlier albums -- adding in slicker bass parts and more keyboards, but also still keeping a nice soulful finish on the best cuts. These include great vocal tracks like "Feel Me" and "Is This The Way", which have a sweetly... read more

Great work from Cameo's best period -- moving into a smooth groove that shows that they've still got their hooks in the funk (as you'll hear on cuts like "The Rock" and "Energy"), but also showing a great talent for more sophisticated modern soul numbers, like the stellar "S... read more

Captain Sky is sort of a bargain-basement version of Bootsy Collins. He plays lots of heavy bass riffs, lays down long funk tracks with wicked vocals and trippy space funk lyrics -- but somehow he's never worthy of a ride on the mothership. The record's not a bad one, and it's an interesting... read more

A massively soulful album from legendary producer Patrick Adams -- and a key transitional set that bridges his earlier work on the east coast harmony scene, and his later club classics for P&P! Caress have a sweetly breaking vocal style that's simply wonderful -- as great as any of the older... read more

A bit of a hit for the young Carl Carlton -- as the record features his version of "Everlasting Love", done in a mode that has a strident Stevie Wonder groove, with a few more touches of pop orchestrations in the background. The rest of the record has a similar feel, mixing older tunes... read more

Jean Carn was one of the best-ever singers to hit the Philly International label -- a sophisticated diva with a style that would strongly influence soul music for the next 10 years, and a downright compelling voice that crafted some of the best modern soul of her generation. Although Jean started... read more

Sublime smooth soul from Jean Carn -- who by this point has really honed her act into a polished one, perfect for the rising modern soul groove of late Philly. The record features production by Jerry Butler, Dexter Wansel, and Eddie Levert -- but Jean unites the whole thing with her mature sense... read more

An incredible bit of southern soul -- one of two classic albums cut by James Carr for the Goldwax! At the time of release, this album virtually died in the racks -- but thanks to the work of countless music writers over the past few decades, Carr has finally achieved legendary status in the annals... read more

Although this one's the bane to Clarence's earlier reputation, it's also the album that has him earning waaaaay more money than most of his late 60s southern soul contemporaries! The record snuck onto the market in 1986, one of the many so-so releases of bluesy southern soul on the Ichiban label... read more

A great little album from Clarence -- recorded after his years at Atlantic, but still with the Fame Studios team, and very much in a warm Muscle Shoals groove! Clarence is stretching out a bit more here -- sounding more confident, and less self conscious than on some of his earlier albums -- a... read more

Late Philly Soul from Cashmere -- a trio who get some great production help here from Bobby Eli, Bunny Sigler, and Ron Dean Miller -- all in a snapping 80s groove, but with some really warm touches! There's a softer feel to the vocals than you might hear in other groups of this nature -- kind of... read more