Soul -- In Stock -- LPs  

... read more

A big move to Mercury for the Dells, after a pretty successful run at Cadet in the late 60s and early 70s -- but the group's still in fine form vocal-wise, and on many of these they're still working with the great Don Davis, who gave the band a strong 70s soul groove, similar to his work with The... read more

Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group -- and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out -- with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums -- and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of jazz rock... read more

The label says mixed and produced by the Crazy Frenchman, but Pal Joey had a big hand in this one too. 6 tracks of popping jazzy house, ealry 90s NY style: "Earth people Dance Party Mix", "Eurofunk", "Philly Mix 1891", "House Master Groove (tonight)", "2... read more

A great early album from The Detroit Emeralds! The group sings with an excellent raw harmony sound, over tight arrangements that have a good groove to them. The record includes a number of classics, like "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" (with a De La Soul sample!), "You Want It,... read more

One of the weirdest, coolest Latin Soul albums we've ever heard -- the only offering ever from the duo of Dianne & Carole -- two female singers who come off with a great deal of enthusiasm on the set! That's our way of saying that the ladies are a bit rough on the vocals -- but that's also... read more

An incredible record -- even if it was a worldwide hit! Before this one came out, Manu was a funky sax player grooving away in Cameroun, cutting tight but obscure soulful sides. In 1972, though, he exploded with the track "Soul Makossa" -- a choppy hard-riffing number that blew up on... read more

Funky Bo Diddley -- one of Bo's key early 70s sessions for Chess Records -- all of which have him stepping out in a much harder groove than years past! The sound here is relatively tight -- with Diddley guitar and vocals on top of some larger arrangements from Bob Gallo -- backings that mix... read more

Heavy funk from the legendary Bo Diddley -- one of his amazing comeback albums from the early 70s for Chess, all of which are plenty darn great! For this set, Bo's traded in the scratchy guitar mode of his classic work for a sweeter, tighter funk-based sound -- a groove that's supported strongly... read more

Forget the silly cowboy costume on the front cover -- because this is a heck of a great album! Bo might have gotten saddled (no pun intended!) with a silly gimmick for the title and image of the set -- but the album's one of his best from the early Chess years, and features a rip-roaring batch of... read more

Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley -- one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess -- produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time -- and picks up the full-on Otis funky mode... read more

Nice bit of late 70's funk, with a sound that's definitely heavier than disco, and a hard groove that works very well on the dancefloor. The album includes a nice long version of their classic "Everybody Here Must Party", plus a few other long tracks like "Boogie Man", "Not... read more

The debut of greatness from Will Downing -- an album that really sparkled in the late 80s musical galaxy, and which strongly updated an older style of richer soul from the 70s! Will's working here with equal parts influence from jazz and soul -- inflected by work from talents that include Brian... 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 period. ... read more

A sweet mellow groover from the mighty Lamont Dozier -- a set that's not nearly as well known as his earlier work of the 70s, but one that has the Motown man still riding strong! In contrast to the fuller, clubbier grooves of Dozier's ABC work, most of the tunes here are a bit more laidback and... read more

One of the most creative club acts of the 70s -- the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band! Before starting his Kid Creole & the Coconuts combo, August Darnell worked to great fame with Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band -- kind of a campy, jazzy ensemble -- one that worked with a 20s... read more

The group's third album, and although it wasn't as big of a hit as some of the others, it's a great batch of club tracks with a unique sound, and a nice jazzy approach! August Darnell wrote all the lyrics in the set and plays bass in the group -- and lead female vocals are by Cory Daye, who... read more

Very unique work from Dr Buzzard's Savannah Band -- a set that bears all the unmistakeable touches of group leader August Darnell! The set's definitely got the older aesthetic that Darnell brought to his work at the time -- possibly even more so than the group's first album -- and it's also got a... read more

Tight funky work from Dr John -- a second collaboration with producer Allen Toussaint, and a set that follows strongly on their Right Place record of the year before! The groove's not as messed-up as on the first few Atlantic records by the Doctor -- but in it's place is a sweet electric funk mode... 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 little mix that... read more

Another chapter in the excellent series of recordings made by The Dramatics at ABC -- great group soul gems that are sometimes overlooked because they didn't yield as many hits as earlier sets -- but which are stellar records nonetheless! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place --... 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

Sublime mid-period work from The Drifters -- a record cut when the group was working with the team of Lieber & Stoller, who revamped their sound into a sweetly soulful groove that really set the scene for the New York uptown sound of the 60s! The tracks here often have a lilting little rhythm... read more

Killer keyboards from the legendary George Duke -- and one of his most righteous albums for the MPS label! The album's a spectacular set that showcases both sides of Duke's genius at the time -- his spacey, soulful approach to a laidback tune -- and his more jamming styles on the harder cuts! ... read more

Smoother than before, and maybe not as much of a jazz album as some of Duke's earlier work -- but the album's also got some great smooth modern numbers that follow in an Earth Wind & Fire spiritual soul tradition. Sheila E is in the group, and joins Lynn Davis and Josie James on vocals -- and... read more

A sweet set of vocal group tunes from the Dynamic Superiors -- arranged with a bit more of a high stepping groove than some of the other Motown work of the time. Backings are handled by a range of talents that includes Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, and Horace Ott -- but the real charm is... read more

More nice soul stuff by one of the Motown bands that never got their due, and which always seems to get overlooked in retrospectives of the label. Heavenly harmony soul in a tradition that sounds more East Coast than you'd expect from Motown's LA years. Includes the long cut "I Can't Stay... read more

Sublime spiritual soul from Dyson's Faces -- a mid 70s east coast group headed by singer/songwriter Clifton Dyson, an ensemble that was equally well suited to uptempo groovers and mellow harmony soul! The vocals here are especially great -- handled beautifully by the group with an earnest, honest... read more

The second incredible album from Dyson's Faces -- one of those underground 70s groups that should have been huge! The set's got a soaring sound that's even more righteous than the group's debut -- a quality that glows wonderfully with the quartet's mix of male and female voices -- a sound that... 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 -- and it's also... read more

Fantastic stuff through and through -- and almost a "best of" best of collection from the 70s! The album's a key illustration of the genius of Earth Wind & Fire on Columbia Records -- because by the time the set was released in 1978, most of the tracks were already well-known hits --... read more

Earth, Wind & Fire's first album -- recorded at a time when the group recently had ties to the Chicago soul and jazz scenes, and a range of experience that ran the gamut from work with Sun Ra, the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, The Pharoahs, Ramsey Lewis, and countless other influential groups. ... read more

The genius of Earth Wind & Fire knows no bounds -- and even on this double-length set, the group keep up their groove tremendously! The 2LP scope of Faces might make it seem like an ambitious enterprise, but it's really just an overstuffed package that tries to contain all the genius the group... read more

Great stuff! Although a live album, Gratitude is one of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest from the mid 70s -- a very tight batch of grooves that proves that Maurice White & Co. could play just as well on stage as they could in the studio -- and the noise of the crowd going wild is enough to... 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 Brazilian... read more

Earth Wind & Fire's first album for Columbia Records -- the start of a really legendary run during the 70s! The sound here is a bit tighter than their first two for Warner Brothers -- a groove that has funk and soul taking a bit more precedence over the jazz of their roots -- but all in a... read more

One of the two early Earth Wind & Fire LPs recorded for Warner -- and the one that shows their amazing roots in the avant-garde jazz scene in Chicago. At the forefront, the record's a righteous soul album with an ensemble funk sound -- but deeper in, there's a lot of jazz-based playing, and a... read more

Spiritual, soulful, and oh, so beautiful! This record captures Earth Wind & Fire at a perfect transition moment -- when they've still got some of their avant jazz roots, but are leaning towards the smooth soulful funk sound that put them on the charts a few years later. The whole thing's a... read more

Earth Wind & Fire hits the 80s -- and never misses a beat! Turns out that the group's older style of jazzy funk was a perfect fit for the boogie-styled rhythms of the post-disco era -- heard here on the megahit "Let's Groove", and followed up by a beautiful batch of supporting... read more

A big hit for the group -- and a great album of smooth funky soul! The pop funky mode is definitely more pronounced here, but the album's also still got a lot of smooth soul numbers with the best modern style of the Way Of The World LP. The compression in the band's playing is impeccable -- with... read more

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s -- and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion -- bassy funk, mellow soul, and... read more

Righteous soul -- and the only record ever cut by East Coast -- a group led by Larry Blackmon, featuring early vocals by Gwen Guthrie! The style is very hip -- a mixture of funk and progressive grooving, all held together with a sound that's young, proud, and which moves easily between influences... read more

A perfect example of the old adage that the funkier the band's name is, the less funky their music will be! Not that the group's really that bad or anything -- they're just not the all-out party jam you'd expect from an ensemble with "ebony" and "funk" in their name. The... read more

Sweet LA Latin soul from the great El Chicano! The album's still very much in the classic mode of their early years -- with smoking organ and firey guitar chopped up by heavy timbales and percussion -- and the band grooves hard in a stone Chicano groove that's great on just about every cut! ... read more

A lovely little disco album from the duo of Elaine & Ellen -- working here with some super-soulful arrangements from producer Donald Burnside, done in an extended funky club mode that reminds us of some of the best Prelude work of the time! The vocals are ok, but the real charm is in these... read more

A huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White -- whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch -- and which takes the girls miles from... read more

Earlier Stax work recorded by The Emotions, not issued at the time and packaged together into a pretty great album during the time of the girls' bigger fame on Columbia! The work here is surprisingly great -- not really filler at all, and in a style that's almost hipper than any of the material... read more

Great grooves from Enchantment -- a set that has the group very much in their dancefloor-oriented mode, but still singing with some incredibly warm harmonies throughout! The backings are a nice blend of late 70s disco elements and softer soul modes -- just the right mix to let the group's nicely... read more

Not the group's strongest effort, faltering a bit from their United Artists albums -- but not without a few nice moments. As with some of their other work that gets a bit too over the top, the group's vocals are still quite strong, and are in there somewhere -- but it's not always easy to hear... read more

A sweet sweet groover from Enchantment -- really stepping into an 80s groove here, and growing nicely from their late 70s work for United Artists! The album's got plenty of keyboards and bass pedal work -- thumping up Enchantment's sound with a very rhythmic bottom groove, and definitely pushing... 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

Strange title for this one -- especially since nobody ever referred to Betty that way in the old days. Who cares, though -- as the set's a nice batch of tracks recorded in the old days, served up here by the Allegiance label, who managed to snatch the material during one of the many battles over... read more

An excellent bit of funk that sounds a heck of a lot like early Kool & The Gang! It's no surprise, too, because the album was produced by Gene Redd, has a few Kool & The Gang covers (like "Funky Granny" and "Who's Gonna Take the Weight"), and was issued on the related... read more

A stunner of a funk album -- a must-have for any fan of all things funky! This is the one-and-only record cut by the Fabulous Counts, a version of the Counts before they recorded for Westbound -- and nearly every cut is a funky 45-type gem! The group's got a hard and heavy sound that mixed conga... read more

A great lost album of 80s soul, and one of the best side projects that Prince ever worked on! This was the only record from the Family, a group that consisted of former members of The Time -- and it's very much in the Prince mode of the mid 80s, but also with a voice that's a bit different,... read more

Previously unreleased funk from the New Orleans scene of the late 70s -- work by an obscure combo with a great ear for the dancefloor! The overall sound is much more like music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York at the time -- a post-Earth Wind & Fire style of funk that's got lots of... 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, in a mode that's... read more

Late Philly soul -- a batch of smooth modern numbers sung by Mikki and featuring production and arrangements by Norman Harris! The centerpiece of the album is the club track "Itching For Love", which is presented here in both a long vocal and dub version -- but there's actually some... read more

We suppose it was inevitable that eventually rap would meet up with house and there's be a hybrid: hip house. 10 tracks from perhaps the most well known of the genre: "Acid Thunder", "Hip House", "I Can Dance", "Let's Go", "Keep On Dancing",... read more

We suppose it was inevitable that eventually rap would meet up with house and there'd be a hybrid: hip house. 8 tracks from perhaps the most well known artist of the genre: "Git On Up", "Work Your Body", "Just Buggin'", "I Can't Get That From You", "Mo... read more

Beats, bass, and a whole lot more -- the perfect evolution of Fatback into a street funk combo for the 80s! The sound here is more early 80s than some of the group's classic work, but it's still very much in the best mode of its generation -- almost coming across with the old school sound of the... read more

Easily the most soulful of all the albums by this legendary funk combo -- and the one that features excellent vocals by Brother Johnny King! Included here are vocal and instrumental versions of Weldon Irvine's great cut "Feeling Mellow" -- done in a version even better than the original!... read more

A key classic from the earliest years of the Fatback Band -- one of the group's funkiest albums, and part of their original trilogy for the Perception label! The groove here is mighty raw throughout -- but a bit more complicated than some of their funky 45 releases -- a mixture of funky vamps and... read more

Essential reissue of one of the greatest funk albums ever! This is the great LP of hard funky cuts that perfectly sums up the Fatback style that you've heard so much about -- but which you can't find on much of their late 70s albums! The whole album is filled to the brim with loads of great hard... read more

One of the greatest funk albums ever! This is the great LP of hard funky cuts that perfectly sums up the Fatback style that you've heard so much about -- but which you can't find on much of their late 70s albums! The whole album is filled to the brim with loads of great hard funk cuts, with cool... read more

A lost 80s groover from Bay Area soulster William "Fats" Gaines -- stepping out here with vocalist Carol Zorina London! Fats recorded a number of albums around this time -- but this album may well be his best -- thanks to Zorina's great lead vocals, which really bring a strong focus to... 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" -- a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to... read more

A surprisingly hard to find (and surprisingly great!) album by Jose Feliciano. Packaged in a beautiful gatefold cover, and with stellar LA production that gives Jose's voice and guitar a beautiful platform to speak from. The LP includes an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden... read more

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good -- but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. ... read more

A Boris Midney side project -- music by Midney, vocals by Festival, and tunes from the hit musical in the title!... read more

A never-heard soundtrack for a never-seen film -- and a record that's every bit as funky as better-known sets from the blacksploitation era! Final Solution were a small time group from Chicago's west side in the 70s, but on this wicked little soundtrack they sparkle just as brightly as Isaac Hayes... read more

One of the best moves that First Choice ever made was hooking up with the legendary Norman Harris -- the excellent Philly producer who always managed to bring a lot of soul to the dancefloor, and who works wonders here with his Harris Machine production team. Cuts include "Can't Take It With... read more

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

Madly tripped out guitar funk -- and a real turning point in the career of guitarist Eddie Fisher! Eddie began his career as a straighter guitarist on the St Louis scene -- and although his first album for Cadet was a relatively traditional soul-jazz outing, this one's a wild batch of tripped-out... read more

A classic and scarce doo wop side, about as great as you can get, whether it's smooth ballads or more up tempo rocking numbers! A dozen songs in all, including "Glory Of Love", "Oh Baby", "Hucklebuck With Jimmy", "The Foolish Things", and "Teardrops"... read more

Killer stuff -- and probably the best record ever by this Chicago soul group! The record's got a full batch of original tracks written and produced by the group's mentor, Curtis Mayfield -- including their amazing version of "Don't Change Your Love", with a breakbeat that's very popular... read more

For too long we dismissed Roberta Flack out of hand because of her currency as a soft rock radio favorite, but her mid 70s output had more than its share of sublime, soulful moments, and this album is no exception. Of course, a generous helping hand from the left reverend Eugene McD and co-producer... read more

Not classic Roberta Flack, but a surprisingly nice album -- co-produced with Ralph MacDonald, William Eaton, and William Salter -- who all give the record a nice jazzy finish! The group's a small combo with Grover Washington Jr, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, and other 70s fusion talents -- and the... read more

Great small combo work by Roberta Flack, recorded early in her career, when she was still one of the hippest things around, and hadn't fallen into becoming stuck in the "adult easy" soul style that she forged. A few tracks have some large arrangements by Arif Mardin, William Eaton, or... read more

By the time Roberta released this self titled LP in '78, she'd already established herself as one of the most important voices in soul during the 70s, alongside Donny Hathaway, with whom she cut many classics. While this album is missing some of the wonderful dynamic they shared, it's still a... read more

Over the years, the team of Flack & Hathaway became such an adult easy soul cliche that it's easy to forget what an amazing record this is! At the time of its release, Flack and Hathaway were some of the hippest forces in soul. Individually, each had taken the music to new heights and new... read more

A second set of recordings made by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway -- recorded, we think, in earlier years, but issued at the end of the 70s, after Donny's untimely passing. The set was co-produced by Eric Mercury and Flack -- and is really more of an album by Roberta, with some added vocals by... read more

Nice 80s club grooves, with a bit of a roller skate sound in the best moments. The highlight is the moogy groover "Sugar Frosted Lover", which has a good up-tempo two step sound, and a very nice hook. Other nice ones include a cover of "Hey There Lonely Girl", "Flakes... read more

Flavor's main approach seems to be towards the funky up-tempo dancefloor cuts that were showing up on a lot of group soul albums at the time -- but the male trio's vocal style seems best suited to the mellower numbers, which let them do a bit more than just struggle to keep up with the music. The... 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 recognize... read more

Hard rocking soul from the great Phil Flowers! Phil's got a rough raw vocal style -- part southern soul of singers like Arthur Alexander or Arthur Conley, with a definite Otis Redding influence in his choice of material. The backing on the record has some great drums -- with a rootsy soulful feel... read more

... read more

... read more

6 tracks including "Doctor's Housecall", "Everything", "Your Mind Is Crazy", "Nite Dance", and "Dance Forever".... read more

A very hip album from the Four Tops -- cut with kind of a political/social edge, and a heavy vibe that was similar to what the Temptations had been using on some of their important albums for Motown at the end of the 60s. In fact, this one's got so much of that righteous Temps vibe that we wonder... read more

Why did Motown ever let the Four Tops get away? This album was their last for the label -- and it's an excellent one, filled with soul, sweetness, and some of the best arrangements the group had in their later years. The soul component is super-high, with tight group instrumentation that reminds... read more

A classic 60s album by the Four Tops -- really one of their better efforts of the period -- an album that finds the group working some soulful magic on a couple of their best known tunes, as well as adding a dose of deeper emotion to some hit songs of the time! Like other Motown success stories... read more

... read more

Nothing psychedelic here, but in our book Redd Foxx is always a trip! The set's a classic batch of live material cut for the Loma label -- with Redd very much in his own element, performing before a very well-lubricated audience at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas! The album's a lot funnier than... read more

Years before Redd Foxx broke onto the TV mainstream in the 70s, he was already drawing big crowds in Vegas -- thanks to wonderfully strong material like you'll hear on this LP! Foxx's presentation here is wonderful -- careful enough on topics to reach a crossover audience, but also down to earth... read more

Redd Foxx doing is thing live in '75 at the Apollo -- his return to recording after 12 years without a comedy album! You Gotta Wash Your Ass was cut while Sanford & Son was still in production -- making this blue performance a gritty return to form for Foxx! It isn't as flamboyantly raw as... read more

A catchy piece of Miami club tracks from the late 70s -- with some nice percussive elements making their presence known in the uptempo tracks, and a sweet Latin flavor on some of the better numbers! 9 tracks in all, including "Devil Boogie", "Hot Number", "Chicapbon... read more

... read more

A great record from Aretha! She performs with James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir for two LPs worth of some super gospel material. The tracks include "Mary, Don't You Weep", "How I Got Over", "Precious Memories", "Wholy Holy", "N... read more

Includes "An Angel Cries", "He'll Come Along", "Jimmy Lee", "Jumpin Jack Flash", and "Look To The Rainbow".... read more