Soul -- In Stock -- LPs  

Segments Of Time were apparently a Detroit soul combo -- but they've got a righteous heavy sound that's more like some of the slightly-political east coast groups from the same generation, like True Reflection or The Modulations. The band's got a strong vocal style -- with a compelling raspy lead... read more

A heck of a great little guitar funk album -- one of two rare sides cut by the amazing Eddie Senay! The record's all-instrumental -- and Eddie's fuzzed-out guitar takes center stage over tripped-out arrangements that recall the best psychedelic funk of the early 70s -- bubbling along with just... read more

The second smoking Sussex album from guitarist Eddie Senay -- and arguably even better than the first! The tracks here are all instrumentals -- played with a style that's tight, right, and very on the money -- mixed with keyboards from Rudy Robinson, who also arranged the numbers on the set. ... read more

The second smoking Sussex album from guitarist Eddie Senay -- and arguably even better than the first! The tracks here are all instrumentals -- played with a style that's tight, right, and very on the money -- mixed with keyboards from Rudy Robinson, who also arranged the numbers on the set. ... read more

An early 80s groover from Motown -- produced by Anna Gordon Gaye, with a title that's quite possibly a reference to her divorce settlement from Marvin! The style of the work has touches of some of the rock that was creeping into Motown at the time -- some heavier guitar, a bit of fuzz around the... read more

Big fun for the vocal trio of Shalamar -- who are taking it to the bank big time by this one! The record's got a number of songs written by Leon Sylvers, who also produced the record -- with pop/soul radio hits like "The Second Time Around", plus "Girl", "The Right Time... read more

A key album in the legendary 80s run of Shalamar -- and a set that gets a tremendous amount out of a very stripped-down sound! The sound of Shalamar builds from a bit of bass, some snapping drums, waves of keyboards, and especially great vocals -- warm and sweet, but never too commercial --... read more

8 songs total including "Amnesia", "Dancing In The Sheets", "Don't Get Stopped In Beverly Hills", "Melody (An Erotic Affair)" and more.... read more

Although she's always known for her 60s soul classics like "Woman of the Ghetto", we think Marlena Shaw's 70's work is unjustly overlooked. This album's a smooth batch of soul tracks that has her moving pass the jazz-base styles of earlier Blue Note albums, into a tight modern soul... read more

A near-lost indie soul effort from Marlena Shaw -- recorded for the tiny South Bay label in the years after leaving bigger fame at Columbia, but still working here with producer Johnny Bristol, who makes for a surprisingly professional sound. Marlena's still trying to crack the clubs with some... read more

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw -- and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip -- a mixture of jazz and... read more

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks -- and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time -- but digging deeper, you'll find... read more

Not as funky as some of her early stuff, but a nice move into modern soul by this great jazz diva, and a record that was arranged and produced by Bert DeCoteaux. The record's got a great remake of her classic "Go Away Little Boy", and it's got an excellent spoken part in which she kicks... read more

One of the coolest covers we've ever heard of "Jungle Fever" -- supported by a bunch of Latin tracks that are also pretty darn great too! The set's something of a knockoff album, designed to cash in on Chakachas' big title hit -- but like most of the best albums of this nature, there's... read more

The political overtones of Shirley's hit "Shame Shame Shame" are made clear on the album's cover -- a drawing that shows her wagging a finger at Nixon. Other tracks include "Cry Cry Cry", "Jim Doc Kay", "Love Is", "Disco Shirley", "Keep... read more

For a group who never broke big, Shotgun sure got a chance to cut a lot of albums at the end of the 70s -- almost all of them with the group's name as the title! This set's their fourth, and it's got an upbeat, bass-heavy groove -- one that's still filled with the warmer ensemble funk touches of... read more

Amazing is right -- as the album features Nina caught at a great early point in her career, delivering a mix of ballads and folkish tunes -- all with the kind of emotion that has kept us listening to her over the years. The approach is simple, but legendary, and filled with righteous power even at... read more

A great little album cut by Nina Simone during the time she was working with Weldon Irvine -- a live album that really has the lady stretching out, and showing off all the cool, complicated grooves she brought to a concert setting! Weldon did the arrangements, and they've got a very righteous feel... read more

Wonderful work by Nina -- the kind of record that once made purists turn up their noses, but which is now being rediscovered as a unique jazz/soul crossover album, filled with loads of nice moments! The instrumentation's pretty darn interesting -- and includes sitar, harp, Spanish guitar, and... read more

A landmark album from Nina -- one that broke down countless barriers with the classic tune "Four Women" -- a righteous portrait of 4 different women and their struggles, unique for its time, and a key part of the early Women's Liberation movement! The rest of the album has a smiliar... read more

Given that this one was produced by Ashford & Simpson, we're guessing that Ray had some relation to Valerie -- which you can certainly hear on the album's great mix of smooth vocal tracks and modern soul numbers. The album sounds a lot like some of Ashford & Simpson's best work at Warner... read more

A masterpiece of early Detroit disco -- the debut album by Sins of Satan, and a club classic all the way through! The group have a great sound that really belies their Motor City roots -- one that's not afraid to use heavier guitars and funkier elements, but which also rolls along in a tight... read more

When the boys meet the girls, the hair gets pretty frizzy -- but the music's still plenty darn great! Sister Sledge are back again with producer Nile Rodgers for this mid 80s effort -- getting that trademark Rodgers groove that really helped the sisters pick up some new energy at the time! The... read more

The first-ever full length collection of work by The Sisters Love -- an ultra-hip female soul group who cut some incredibly funky singles, but never issued a full album -- finally given their due in this amazing batch of singles from the late 60s and early 70s! The Sisters Love sound is a great... read more

A pretty nice one from Skool Boyz with a good mix of slower tempo ballads and some good dance tunes. There are some funky keyboards and a good groove to the dance tracks that include "Jam Beneath The Groove", "Can We Do It Again" (which has little bit of rapping) and "You... read more

One of the most legendary funk albums of the 70s -- a real gem through and through, and filled with the best range of sounds the east coast scene had to offer at the time! The Skull Snaps only ever cut this one album during the early 70s -- and it's a masterful blend of hard funk, sweet soul, and... read more

Skyy are soaring high at this point -- they've dropped the space suits, but still have the heavy bass, and all those cosmic production touches that put them at the forefront of the new sound of 80s funk. The album's prehaps not as strong as some of their others for Salsoul, but still keeps... read more

The Skyy posse is at it again -- crafting that ensemble funk groove that was the group's trademark sound at the time, pushing things to the top in a blend of disco, 80s groove, and bass-heavy funk. The silly costumes are still in place -- and the 8 member group's pretty darn tight on the... read more

A key early classic from Slave -- as the set features the group's first work with drummer Steve Arrington, who not only opened up their rhythmic concept, but also gave them a great new sound on lead vocals! Arrington's approach here is very much in the spirit of Slave's first 2 records -- a lean,... read more

Tight bass-heavy funk from Slave -- still working here in that excellent compressed style that was their unique contribution to soul music. There's probably a bit more of a vocal-heavy sound here than on other albums, but the groove's still strong, and is reaching a bit towards an 80s club sound. ... read more

We couldn't think of a better way to describe the sound of Slave than "stone jam"! The band's got a bass-heavy groove, mixed with a lot of soul, in a style that was often copied by many groups in the 80s, but never equalled. The real strength in the band was their songwriting -- always... read more

Seminal work from one of Atlantic's best soul singers of the late 60s! Features Percy's huge hit "When A Man Loves A Woman", plus "Out Of Left Field", "Warm & Tender Love", "Cover Me", "Sudden Stop", "You're All Around Me", "My... read more

Sly Stone's definitely back on the right track here -- returning to the heights of his earlier powers in this late 70s comeback album for Warner Brothers! The record's got a lot of touches of the old Sly funky sound, but it's done in a slightly tighter style too -- a bit more polish than before,... read more

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone -- hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock -- perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly... read more

Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums -- one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist -- forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to back in... read more

Sly's still doing pretty nice for himself in 1974 -- with a sound that's perhaps a bit warmer than on the early records, but still nice and soulful -- and peppered with a good dose of funk! The groove is really great on the set -- bubbling with a more "deep down" feel than the skittish... read more

A wonderful album from Sly and crew -- moving way past the straight funk approach of earlier records, into a complicated crossover soul style that's filled with warmth and righteousness. Despite the political tone implied by the "riot" in the title and the co-option of the American flag... read more

A fantastic LP that has Jimmy attempting a groove that's similar to the one that Johnny Hammond hits on his famous Gears album! The album's a mixture of funky jazz and smooth R&B, with production by Eugene McDaniels that's very much in the Skip Scarborough and Larry Mizell camp. A few cuts... read more

Quite possibly the most celebrated album ever from keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith -- a groove-heavy classic that's burned up many a dancefloor in its day, yet also a record that features some great mellow moments as well! The title track "Expansions" is virtually a blueprint for the... read more

Obscure soulful folk from the same Chicago scene that produced Terry Callier and Oscar Brown Jr. Smith's a bit rootsier than either of those two artists, but he's got some nice jazzy backing here from a small combo that includes Richard Evans on bass, Ronald Wilson on flute, Roland Faulker on... read more

The second album from The Sons Of Champlin -- a record that actually has the group shortening their name to The Sons, but expanding their sound past the jamming bluesy roots of their debut! The record's got a tightness that brings a bit of jazz into the mix -- not much, in a way that's blended... read more

Following on the success that they had with the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced numbers on the preceding album, the SOS Band teams up with the hot production pair again on this 80s groove LP. There's not as many standout gems on this set as on the previous Jam/Lewis produced effort, but overall... read more

Almost a consummate 80s groove band -- with that tight ensemble funk sound that permeated soul music so strongly at the beginning of the decade. Lots of harmony vocals on the tracks, with a compressed smooth sound that's very slick on the mellow tracks -- and which is subjugated to the funky bass... read more

The SOS Band's second album -- and a masterpiece of 80s groove! The key word here is "tight" -- as the whole thing holds together like a pile of money dipped in honey -- keyboards, bass, percussion, and vocals all sweetly grooving with that post-70s funky feel that the group virtually... read more

Quite possibly the best album ever from this fantastic funky combo! The band grooves hard and funky -- with incredible drum work from Paul Stubblefield, tasty guitar from Walter Winston, and some famous funky flute and sax work from Gus Hawkins. Tracks on the album are rough and raw -- with... read more

One the all time great funky albums of the 70s -- a mad little record with a sense of rhythm and timing that was years ahead of its time! The Soul Searchers (along with Chuck Brown) later became known for their heavy-hitting Go Go work at the end of the decade -- but here, they're a really free-thi... read more

A great little album of Christmas tunes -- handled by this heavenly group of Chicago soul studio musicians! The great Richard Evans heads up the group -- and as usual, he brings a sound to the recording that pushes the material way past its roots, using the string-heavy instrumentation of the... read more

One of the better albums by this great Chicago soul studio group -- but all of them are pretty nice! The great Richard Evans is still at the head of The Strings, and the album features solo work by Charles Stepney and Lennie Druss, in a cool breezy Chess/Cadet soul jazz kind of mode. The group... read more

One of the grooviest albums ever cut by Richard Evans' Soulful Strings, and a tasty batch of tracks written by Gamble & Huff, years before they started the Philly International label. The tracks are great, with the kind of arrangements that made Evans a legend in the Chi soul scene -- and most... read more

A rare album of classic doo wop -- from one of Chicago's greatest harmony groups! In contrast to labelmates The El Dorados, The Spaniels were a bit smoother, and added more of a sweet harmony sound to their style -- as you'll know from tracks like "Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite", "Bab... read more

Genius work from one of the strongest vocal groups to ever come out of the Chicago scene! The Spaniels burst upon the scene in the mid 50s recording for the Vee Jay label with a sophisticated harmony sound that was a lot stronger than some of their contemporaries on the east coast. The group had... read more

Eight Atlantic albums, and The Spinners are still going strong -- sounding really wonderful here, thanks to Philly backings from the great Thom Bell! The album's not filled with hits, but that's a big part of its charm -- as the group still sounds great, with smoother than smooth vocals -- and the... read more

An early 80s record from the Spinners who at this time included Henry Fambrough, John Edwards, Billy Henderson, Pervis Jackson, and Bobbie Smith. Luther Vandross shows up doing background vocals and the tracks include "Can't Shake This Feelin", "Knack For Me", "You Go Your... read more

There's plenty of lovin here, but even more dancin too -- thanks to production and arrangements from disco maestro Michael Zager! The album's a real standout club effort from The Spinners -- one that grooves along with a fair bit of energy from the start, yet which is also still quite strong on... read more

The group's past the true glory of their early Philly days, but they are still working here with Thom Bell -- who's keeping up the strident groove approach that always worked well with the group's harmonies. Includes the tracks "One Man Wonderful Band", "Once You Fall In Love",... read more

Totally great -- and a record you probably know nothing about! The album's one of the greatest ever to come out of the Hotlanta scene of the 70s -- a tight batch of funk tracks with a heck of a lot of guitar. The set was produced by Tommy Stewart, of "Bump and Hustle" fame -- and it's... read more

Nice bit of tight jazzy funk, recorded in Belgium, and released in the states by Shadybrook. Lots of tight grooves with good guitars, nice drums, and not too many vocals -- a bit disco, but also more in a funky club kind of mode. Tracks include "Tonight's The Night", "Funky... read more

Great stuff from this legendary Chicago soul group! Although the band was trying to break out of their sweeter image as a young group (the cover has them looking pretty dope and wearing these wild pimpin' outfits), they're still pretty darn sweet and soulful here, with only a hint of the later... read more

A nice one from the Five Stairsteps -- and even if the cover has them looking like a bunch of gangsters, the music's still sweet sweet soul, with a good Chicago groove! The band are clearly trying to grow up here -- dropping the "five" from their name, and trying to look all tough and... read more

Classic work by one of the greatest gospel/soul groups ever! A very righteous vibe pervades, and the harmonies soar right out of church into the neighborhood -- on tracks that include "Respect Yourself", "Heavy Makes You Happy", "Oh La De Da", "Long Walk To... read more

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Probably the best record the Staple Singers ever cut during the 70s -- as it makes a genius move by taking their rich vocal style and laying it over some excellent tracks written by Curtis Mayfield! The record's quite different than their usual Stax numbers, and has a Curtom groove that's hip and... read more

A sweet little soundtrack from Gordon Staples -- and one that really takes off from his String Thing work for Motown! Like those recordings, this one's got Gordon leading a string-heavy group with a nice funky bottom -- almost a 70s take on the Soulful Strings sound of Cadet, but one that's done... read more

A lost funky soul LP by Starfire, billed here as "The Baddest Five Stars in the Galaxy", and hailing from Richmond, VA! This is a silver-covered repressing of the band's second album -- done on the obscure Dynamic Artists label in Virginia -- and it's a great collection of the group's... read more

A bit tighter and more conventional soul than earlier work by Starpoint, but still pretty darn great too -- and great proof that the group were more on top of their bag than other funky combos of the type! Renee Diggs is strongly out front on vocals throughout -- lending her sweet sound to the... read more

Massive work from Starpoint -- the kind of all-great record that few other groups of their era could hope to match! The set's got way more going on than usual the usual 80s groove (although that's very firmly in place too) -- and steps out with a tightness and sense of presence that makes the... read more

An excellent blacksploitation soundtrack -- and every bit as funky as any of Willie Hutch's work for other Motown soundtracks at the time! Larry Mizell and Dennis Coffey help out on the instrumentation -- giving the album an extra funky instrumental edge, one that takes it way past Edwin Starr's... read more

A pretty tasty batch of electro soul from Starr -- the producer behind early 80s groove hits like "Candy Girl" and "Pac Jam Fever". Those cuts aren't on here -- but the album's got a wikki-wikki sound that's right in keeping with them, no surprise since it was co-produced with... read more

A groovy little gem from early 80s RCA -- a set that sparkles with the same sort of energy as the label's work with Keni Burke at the time! Steven & Sterling are a hip duo who trade vocals back and forth nicely -- working over rhythms that are mellow and midtempo, often with a hip undercurrent... read more

A great collection of Billy Stewart's work for Chess -- issued in this "memorial" package slightly after his untimely death. The album's mostly a "greatest hits" set, and is filled with some of Stewart's best-remembered songs -- like "Secret Love", "Summertime&quo... read more

Early stuff by Sly -- and pretty nice! The mix of styles is mostly hard soul, a bit jazz, and tiny roots of Sly's later funky style -- and the record has a lot of cuts that may not be as great as Sly's Epic recordings, but which would sound pretty darn nice if they were on an obscure 45! Includes... read more

More bass-heavy funk from Rick James' Stone City Band -- working here on an album that was produced, arranged, and written by Rick -- who also plays a lot of percussion on the set too! Titles include "In N Out", "Little Runaway", "Party Girls", "Strut Your... read more

A great album of jazzy club tracks -- put together by John Usry Jr, who'd done some work with other 70s club acts like Three Degrees, Love Committee, and First Choice. Most of the tracks on the record feature female backing vocals -- in the style of work by those other groups -- but the real... read more

Not to be confused with the Street People funk group who had one album out on Vigor, these guys are more of a rock/soul outfit -- one who probably only existed in the studio for this one-off Pickwick project! The set compiles "spiritual" soul and rock tunes from the late 60s and early... read more

Excellent work -- and a surprisingly great album of modern soul tracks from this old Motown singer! Barrett arranged, produced, and wrote most of the tracks on this second album for Capitol -- and although a few tracks have a sound that's a bit too much in the fast-dance mode, there's some really... read more

An gem of a later album from early Motown hero Barrett Strong -- a set recorded back in Michigan, but with the same warm modern soul groove of his album on Capitol! The album's surprisingly great -- with loads of original tunes that showcase a side of Strong's writing skills that we wouldn't have... read more

Surprisingly nice album of modern soul grooves cut by the man who's best known for the classic Motown track "Money". Barrett sings in a nice smooth style different from his older work, and he's playing with a nice LA group that has a smooth groove to it, and which features Wah Wah Watson... read more

Titles include "I Am With You", "Adios My Desert Love", "Gee I Hate To See You Go", "Remember Me", "Since I Fell For You/Rockin Robin", and "Is This Really Real".... read more

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A mid 70s album from the Stylistics which is not a great one but is has some moments. Some of the song titles are just plain goofy -- "Funky Weekend", "The Day The Clown Came To Town" and "To Save My Rock 'N' Roll Soul" but there are a couple of nice slower tempo songs... read more

An overstuffed double-length set from Donna Summer -- one that features some of the live material promised in the title, plus some even better studio work as well! The first 3 sides of the album feature Donna recorded live -- putting over tunes with a bit more personality and almost a sense of... read more

Bill's snapping along in a tight 80s groove on this one -- leaving behind the funky fusion of his earlier years, and really developing the stronger soul side that showed up in his later Fantasy albums. The groove is really great overall -- proof that there was more than a bit of jazz in the best... read more

Bill Summers' London Style here is one that's definitely influenced by the changes on the dancefloor coming from the UK in the early 80s -- and the groove is a slightly more electrified take on the rhythms that Bill was laying down on previous albums for MCA! Overall, though, the sound's still... read more

One of the last albums in a great run of records cut by Sun for Capitol -- none of which ever had great success at the time, but all of which became a key force in defining the sound of 80s groove! Sun's got less of the Earth Wind & Fire touches of their early years here, and are sliding into... read more

A pretty great trio of female vocalists -- taking that 60s Motown sound into a deeper vein, like the work of the Sweet Inspirations for Atlantic during the same time. The album's got a nice rootsy sound -- despite its LA roots -- and the girls alternate between singing harmonies and taking solo... read more

The one and only album from Sunrize -- a cool little group who get some heavy help on production and arrangements from the Isley Brothers and Chris Jasper! The groove here is a nice extension of the Isley vibe of the time -- a bit more bassy at points, clearly going for the ensemble funk style of... read more

A massive 3LP set that brings together most of the best work recorded by Diana Ross & The Supremes for Motown -- done in the lavish style that Motown used in these deep Anthology series in the 70s! Each side of each record has a different theme, and the package also features dates for most of... read more

One of the biggest charting LPs by The Supremes -- and one of the best, too! The girls are opening it up a bit here -- getting in on some of The Miracles Go Go action of the period, and laying down tunes that have a bit more of a northern groove to them -- relying a bit more on a more steady... read more

Heavenly soul from the lovely Sweet Inspirations! The record was the group's first secular album for Atlantic -- after recording one gospel album, and doing the backings on a number of fine Aretha Franklin sessions -- and it's a gem of a female soul record, with the same classic sound you'd hear... read more

How old was Foster Sylvers when he cut this record? Seven? Eight? Whatever the case, the little tyke forever changed the face of funky music with the incredible cut "Misdemeanor" -- one of those chunky funky numbers that sounds like nothing else we've ever heard, and which has been in... read more

An overlooked gem from Sylvester's years on Fantasy Records -- a set that has him working strongly with soul maestro Harvey Fuqua, in a really great blend of disco and more laidback modes! There's a balance here that's like early Luther at his best -- a way of being proudly poised, yet never in an... read more

Beautiful spacey soul from Syreeta -- and proof that she was one of Motown's great lost talents of the 70s! Leon Ware did the production, and Syreeta's high Minnie Riperton-esque voice is backed by a smooth set of mellow grooves with lots of cool electronic bits and weird moogy parts that remind... read more

Excellent early 70s work from jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo -- a super-dope album that's one of the best he ever recorded! Part of the success of the record has to do with the presence of Bobby Womack -- normally a soul singer, but also a heck of a guitarist, playing here alongside Szabo in a very... read more

Although their later albums are a bit too disco for us, we've always loved this first funky effort by the Miami soul group T-Connection. The tracks are fast and funky, with lots of choppy guitar, funky basslines, and a tight snapping Miami sound. Includes the long "Do What You Wanna Do"... read more

A near-lost 80s groover from T-Connection -- recorded after their more famous albums for TK, but every bit as nice! By this point, the group have really sweetened their sound in a nice way -- and are working in a Capitol Rare-styled 80s groove that's filled with rolling basslines, spacey keyboards... read more

Take 6's first LP -- a return to harmony vocalizing for the 80s, soft-pedalling gospel themes with a smooth finish that shows that the boys can really sing! Titles include "Gold Mine", "Spread Love", "Get Away Jordan", "He Never Sleeps", and "A Quiet... read more

A great album of grooves from Taste Of Honey -- arguably their best record, thanks to some super production by The Mizell Brothers! Larry and Fonce really know how to make the girls work -- using all the talents they honed in the jazz funk years, and working up a groove that's catchy, yet still... read more

Probably the most successful album the Mizell Brothers ever produced, and a fine set of uptempo groovers from this female soul duet! There's some nice jazzy moments underneath the catchy lyrics, and in a way, the album's style is sort of a blueprint for the sound that would emerge over the next... read more

One of Tavares' earliest albums -- and a sweet modern group soul record produced by Johnny Bristol -- one that hinted at the promise of greater soul that Capitol Records would deliver later in the decade! Tavares have a warmly sweeping sound that's a nice change from some of their contemporaries... read more

A stone 70s classic from Tavares -- quite possibly the group's biggest album, and a masterpiece of LA vocal group soul! The album's biggest claim to fame is the massive hit "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", recorded by the group for this set, but blown to the heights through it's huge... read more