Soul -- In Stock -- LPs  

A great one by Michael Henderson, with a smooth mix of soul and jazziness that sounds similar to the stuff he was doing with Norman Connors. Includes a version of "Valentine Love" that is different from the one recorded with Connors -- plus the great original "Treat Me Like a... read more

After working for years in the Crusaders, then honing his production skills with excellent work for Fantasy and Mercury, Wayne Henderson put out this album of his own, which drew on a lot of the work he'd been doing during the mid 70s. The album's a showcase for his At Home productions team, and... read more

The mighty Wayne Henderson never lets us down -- and even on a record like this, with a cheesy cover and a slightly confused image, his wicked studio talents still come through plenty strong! The album's a great example of the At-Home Productions mode at its best -- a warmly collaborative effort... read more

Killer work from one of the funkiest leaders on the Chicago scene -- the mighty mighty Willie Henderson, force behind some of the city's greatest soul tracks and funky 45s! This album's like a stack of lost funky nuggets laid back to back -- with lots and lots of bass-heavy grooving from the band,... read more

A killer bit of funky soul from Hidden Strength -- an uptempo 70s group with a very tight groove! The group are clearly in the mode of Earth Wind & Fire -- extremely proficient instrumentally, grooving together in a righteous style that has plenty of jazz, but which is also going for a more... read more

A beautiful early album by Loleatta, and one that was recorded shortly before the Hotlanta Sound turned into a stone disco groove. The record's proof that Loleatta was as great a soul singer as she was a disco diva, and the arrangements by Mike Terry do a great job of bringing out all the emotion... read more

A turning point for Loleatta Holloway -- as she makes the move from dreamy southern soul diva to club queen of the late 70s! Norman Harris is producing, and the record has a soaring Philly disco sound that proves to be just as great for Loleatta's soulful vocals as the stripped-down southern modes... read more

Rare DJ-only double vinyl version of one of the harder to find of the later Loleatta Holloway LPs, and a record that's got her working with a number of different arrangers, including Bobby Womack, Floyd Smith, and Tom Washington. The set's mostly uptempo, as you'd expect from a record on the Gold... read more

An excellent record of smooth soulful instrumental grooves -- done by Cecil Holmes with a bit of vocalizing, and a deep subdued funk sound that's a bit like Barry White -- but a fair bit funkier! Cecil could be a hokier arranger on other albums -- but for this record, he's really on the money,... read more

A killer little indie soul set from singer/guitarist Marvin Holmes -- one that's quite different than his better known work for the Uni label -- and done in a great blend of jazz, soul, and funk styles! The album's got that great genre-crossing sound that was going down heavily in Holmes' Bay Area... read more

Nicely messed up funk from Marvin Holmes & The Uptights -- the kind of southern-styled party group that would play plenty big on the live scene in the late 60s! The main focus of the group is the instrumentation -- a very tightly crafted showband type of groove, with fast riffing guitars,... read more

One of their early albums of uptempo 70's girl group soul, with a sound that would have been disco had they recorded it a few years later, but instead has a good AM radio soul feel to it. Tracks include "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", "Want Ads", "All the Kings... 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

Tracks include "My Friend", "Come Share My Love", "Love Will Find A Way", "Imagination", "Come Back To Me Lover", and "Do You Want My Love".... read more

A great little album of up-tempo soul from Al Hudson -- recorded in the years before he formed his One Way group, but with a similar approach that's kind of an answer to disco, putting a bit more funk into the mix for the dancefloor. His group benefits from the talents of Kevin McCord, who plays... read more

Classic work from Al Hudson -- pre One Way, but in the same uptempo soul vein. Al's working here with arrangements by Kevin McCord, Rudy Robinson, and Dave Roberson -- in a mix of club-heavy tunes that are augmented by a few welcome mellower numbers. Titles include "I Don't Want You To Leave... read more

Excellent early work from Al Hudson -- a soulful talent who stood his own in the late 70s, forging an up-tempo funk sound that lived long past disco, and which was sort of a platform for groups of the 80s to build a new dancefloor sound. Hudson relied heavily on bass-y funk to hit his groove, but... read more

The Hues Corporation may forever be remembered for their one hit "Rock The Boat", but the trio were actually a pretty great little pop soul outfit -- very much in the best mode of the RCA approach to the genre at the time! This set brings together some of the group's best work for RCA --... read more

No blues here -- just some great dope 70s material from Willie! The record's got a great stone-heavy soul sound -- with some funky numbers, and some great mellow soul material, all arranged & produced by Willie. Includes the single "Party Down", plus "Baby Come Home",... read more

A monster! Foxy Brown is Willie Hutch's magnificent soundtrack for Foxy Brown -- a Pam Grier blacksploitation film from the early 70s -- and it's pure genius all the way through, a record filled with some of the best funky soundtrack cuts of the era! Willie's got a real Curtis Mayfield sound here... read more

Long-overdue reissue to Willie Hutch's classic score about pimpin' & mackin'! The album (and film) is virtually a handbook for junior grade hoods, and we can remember back around '90 when the first wave of candy-ass hardcore hip hoppers were coming up, and this was sort of a holy grail. Still... read more

Fantastic stuff -- and one of the greatest albums ever by Chicago soul maestro Leroy Hutson! The set was recorded hot on the heels of the massive Hutson and Hutson II albums -- and is done in a very similar style -- with Leroy pushing 70s mellow soul to new heights through his masterful vocals,... read more

One of the lesser-known Leroy Hutson LPs, but still a damn good one. There's a number of tracks that are a bit more uptempo, and aimed at the dancefloor, like "It's The Music" and "Feel The Spirit", but there's also some great cuts that are in his more standard Chicago style,... read more

An amazing record -- quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare -- a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like Marvin Gaye,... read more

An amazing record -- quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare -- a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like Marvin Gaye,... read more

One of our favorite soul albums ever -- a complete masterpiece from the mighty Leroy Hutson, easily one of the greatest soul singers of the 70s! The album's got a warmth that's amazing, yet also still manages to groove all the way through -- hitting a subtle, almost mellow vibe that's like Marvin... read more

One of our favorite soul albums ever -- a complete masterpiece from the mighty Leroy Hutson, easily one of the greatest soul singers of the 70s! The album's got a warmth that's amazing, yet also still manages to groove all the way through -- hitting a subtle, almost mellow vibe that's like Marvin... read more

Killer early soul by Leroy Hutson -- and a record that really shows him opening up as a vocalist and songwriter! Leroy's style is not as smooth and polished as on later albums, and the record's got a bit of a rougher soul edge and a strong early 70s radio sound. Includes the wonderful soul... read more

Killer early soul by Leroy Hutson -- and a record that really shows him opening up as a vocalist and songwriter! Leroy's style is not as smooth and polished as on later albums, and the record's got a bit of a rougher soul edge and a strong early 70s radio sound. Includes the wonderful soul... read more

A great little set from Leroy Hutson -- proof that he was still going strong through all his years at Curtom! For years we passed this one by, wrongly thinking "it's late, it can't be that good" -- but the album's a real winner, with a blend of clubby uptempo cuts and some super-great... read more

Far and away our favorite album by Phyllis Hyman -- her first, and with lots of the same smooth jazzy soul touches you'd find in her work with Norman Connors! Phyllis is still as sophisticated as she is on later albums, but there's a bit freer style to the record -- and Phyllis breaks a bit from... read more

A classic 1979 album from Phyllis Hyman! Hyman was one of the few female singers who started in the pre-disco years and managed to move through the disco years with a good groove -- but never get totally swamped by the production styles of the day. She stuck close to her roots as a jazzy soul... read more

One of the two albums issued in the US by Ice, also known as the Lafayette Afro Rock Band. As you probably know from the compilations on the group, the material by Ice is a bit more up-tempo than some of the slower Afro Funk material by the band -- but it's also still got a lot of their same... read more

A fantastic album of bad-rapping spoken material from Iceberg Slim -- one of the hippest 70s sets of its type, and a great audio tribute to the man who wrote the books Pimp, Trick Baby, and Mama Black Widow! Slim reads his own work in a very laidback style, but one with a slinky, pimpish feel too -... read more

Imagination were one of the few groups who could manage to take silly costumes, electronic rhythms, and goofy covers -- and some how manage to come up with a surprisingly soulful set! This album's great proof of that fact -- as it's initially got an off-putting look, but really opens up nicely in... read more

A great album by Impact -- one of those groups who came in on the second wave of East Coast group soul during the 70s, but who deserved to be as big as their precursors. The album's arranged by John Davis, who might have added a bit too much disco to the mix, but who instead wisely chooses to let... read more

Hardly the first album by The Impressions, despite the title -- but a wonderful batch of modern soul tunes that proves that the group could groove long after Curtis Mayfield was gone! As with other Curtom gems from the 70s, the album has the group working with some really top-shelf help in the... read more

The Ingram Family tighten things up nicely with this follow-up to their first funky album -- and they get a slicker sound that points the way towards their excellent modern soul sides of the 80s. Tracks are written by James, William, Butch, and John -- and although the album was excecutive... read more

Brilliant stuff -- and one of the group's first albums! The tracks are incredible -- well-written, well produced (by Gamble & Huff), and sung with one of the most compelling harmony soul sounds of the time, a key bridge between the 60s group approach and some of the smoother 70s groups. Cuts... read more

A cheesy cover, but a rock-solid record -- kind of a later version of the Five Stairsteps, heard here in groove that's much more grown up! The album's got a feel that really shows the evolution of the Burke family -- way past their kiddie soul roots, and even some of their offshoot projects of the... read more

A wonderful album from the Isley Brothers -- and a real departure from their funkier sound of the 70s! The album has the group operating in a wonderful smooth soul mode -- just what you'd expect from the "between the sheets" in the title, and the silky bedclothes on the cover! The... read more

An amazing record! This one's probably our favorite Isley Brothers album of all time -- and it's a perfect blend of all the styles they were into at the time -- heavy funk, sweet soul, folksy rock, and rolling uptempo grooves! The Brothers handle all styles equally well, and the album's a real... read more

A stone cold funk album that forever changed the face of soul music -- a bold shift in styles by the Isley Brothers at the end of the 60s, really setting the scene for their megafame of the next decade! The album's a follow up to the landmark It's Your Thing set -- and it starts in the same space... read more

Best-of compilation containing tracks that the Isleys recorded during their mid 60s stint at Motown. Includes big hits like "This Old Heart Of Mine" and "Take Me In Your Arms", plus other nice stuff like "Take Some Time Out For Love", "There's No Love Left",... read more

Here's the side of 70s Isleys that we like the best -- the mellow side! This tasty little collection features some hits by the group, but the best part about it is that it's got a focus on some of the more soulful ballads and laidback material, with less of the harder funky stuff. Tunes include... read more

It's the end of the 70s, and the Isleys are still going strong -- keeping it real by dropping some of the fake funk of a few years before, and going for a smooth soul sound that would be one of their biggest strengths during the early 80s. This sound can be heard to perfection on the tracks "S... read more

An excellent collection of work by The Isley Brothers -- featuring some of our favorite smooth funky tracks from the 70s by the group! The set's a nice one because it includes a lot of good tracks that are on albums that aren't that great all the way through, so you get a good LP of all high-qualit... read more

Excellent collection on T-Neck that brings together the best of the Isley's 70's funk tracks for the label, including "Pop That Thang", "I Know Who You Been Socking It To", "Keep On Doin'", "I Turned You On", "Vacuum Cleaner", "Lay Away",... read more

A stone classic from the Isleys -- the album that kicked off their successful T-Neck label, and established that mighty Isleys sound that would have such a huge influence in the 70s! The title cut of the set -- "It's Your Thing" -- is a well-known classic that really sets the tone for... read more

One of the few LPs that the Isleys recorded during their short stay at Motown, and a nice batch of mid-60s soul tracks that makes good use of the boys' fantastic voices. The groove's a mix of the harder R&B of earlier years, and some of the smoother sounds of Motown -- and the record, while... read more

Classic Motown work by the Isleys -- caught here in a key transitional period between their harder rocking sound of the early 60s, and their smoother funky soul one of the 70s. The record has a great pop soul groove, and includes the massive hit "This Old Heart Of Mine", plus "Take... read more

A key album in the Isley Brothers "extended funk" mode of the 70s -- a style in which the group approached nearly every tune by adding in a "part 2" in order to stretch out the groove! The style here is bass-heavy funk, but less of the sort that other groups were using at the... read more

Sublime stuff from Chuck -- a mix of iceman soul and New York uptown production, crafted in a heartbreaking mode that was hardly ever matched by other singers of his day! This is a perfect one to bookshelf next to your Jerry Butler and Walter Jackson albums -- and it includes Chuck's spooky hit... read more

We love Chuck Jackson -- especially in the early years! This one was his fifth for Wand Records -- but it's still in that great "iceman" soul style they used on his earlier hits for the label. Chuck's right up there with Jerry Butler for deep heartbreaking emotion -- and the album... read more

Lost bit of soul by Chuck Jackson, recorded in LA in the early 70s, between his Wand hit years, and his later stuff on All Platinum. The sound is sort of a rootsy studio soul sound, if that makes any sense -- but some of the tracks are also a bit funky. There's a great sample on the cut "Talk... read more

Pretty much what the title says: Chuck Jackson pays tribute to the history of Rhythm & Blues by running through a set of tracks that includes "Sonny", "Blowing In The Wind", "6345789", "Where Did She Stay", "Hold On I'm Coming", and "My... read more

Great stuff! We love Deon Jackson -- we love his voice, we love his songs, and we love the great production he gets from the legendary Ollie McLaughlin! This set features 14 of Deon's great soul work recorded with Ollie for the Detroit-based Carla label from the 60s -- and they're picture-perfect... read more

Freddie Jackson in full effect -- stepping out in a set of smooth, mellow, and midtempo numbers -- all very much in that 80s male soul sound he helped forge in the first years of his career -- still very much in place at the time of this set! The record's not one to rewrite the pages of soul music... read more

Freddie Jackson was certainly one of the biggest new soul stars of the 80s -- and this debut LP is still a treasure! Freddie's got a skill that transcends his age -- with an approach that's decidedly 80s, but classic enough to last for years and years. The songs on the record are all extremely... read more

Jermaine's going the way of most of Motown at this point -- popping the bass pretty heavily, and grooving in a smooth funky mode. The cuts that go too over the top with the funky stuff definitely lose us -- but there's a few decent mellow soul tracks that redeem the album, and which keep Jermaine... read more

Jermaine's out to show that he's clearly the more laidback, mellower Jackson of the family here -- and steps out nicely on this mature album of mostly ballads and love songs, done with some slight jazzy inflections! The move's a good one for Jermaine at the time -- setting some space from his... read more

A classic speech by Jesse Jackson -- one that became quite a hit for Stax's Respect subsidiary, and which was one of the better selling albums of its type in the early 70s. The album was recorded back in the days before Jesse had become a bit of a cliché, when he appeared to be emerging as... read more

One of our favorite albums of all times -- and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time -- and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the... read more

One of our favorite albums of all times -- and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time -- and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the... read more

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career -- a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world -- and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones -- in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat... read more

The first of six "comeback" albums that this great Chicago soul singer cut during his second wave of recording during the late 70s! Walter had originally done some amazing work with the great Carl Davis at the Okeh label during the mid 60s -- and this album marks a return to their... read more

It's an unfortunate fact that within a few years of stating the reincarnation-oriented title of this record, Walter would sadly have passed away, making the issue of "coming back as a song" even more pertinent. This record's one of his best of the Chisound years -- and features a modern... read more

The last studio album from Chicago soul legend Walter Jackson -- recorded shortly before his untimely death, and offered posthumously as a loving "portrait" to his talents, with a special message on the back written by Jesse Jackson! The feel here is similar to Walter's other Chi-Soul... read more

Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful! Did we say that enough? We hope so, because we love Walter Jackson to death, and we can think of no finer treat than listening to this great batch of soul cuts that he cut for the Okeh label during the mid and late 60s in Chicago. The... read more

With ABC, the boys are expanding their sound with the club-oriented grooves of the time -- using Holland, Dozier, and Holland on many cuts, trying for a similar strident groove as some of the trio's work on their own Invictus label. The move's actually a great one -- as the maturing group has a... read more

An amazing bit of soul -- and one of the rarest records of the 70s! This masterpiece was recorded by The Jackson Sisters, a semi-gospelly soul group that has a sound that's a bit like The Voices of East Harlem, but which is a lot harder, and that has a deeper soul sound to it. At times, the group... read more

Not our favorite album by Rick James, but like all of his albums, with a couple of great tracks. Perhaps the drugs were getting to him by this point, or maybe he was spreading himself too thin and giving away a lot of the good material to groups he was producing, but after the first couple album's... read more

Kind of a middle of the road effort between the raw earlier albums and the super polished hit machine that made Street Songs. Still, it has the trademark funky pop bass sound that was James' signature, and a couple of decent nuggets of late 70s commercial funk, like "Love Gun" and "F... read more

Rick James hits a smoother sort of style here -- one that's almost a compressed take on the mainstream version of funk first crafted on his earlier records, fused into a more radio-friendly approach for the Prince generation! The sound's actually not that bad -- and the record has an appeal... read more

Kind of a "best of plus" set from Rick James -- featuring some of his older work for Motown, plus a few new numbers to round out the set! As usual, the whole thing's written, arranged, and produced by the Super Freak himself -- with that bass-heavy pop-funk groove that Rick virtually... read more

It would have been tough to follow up Street Songs with just about anything, so we guess James just figured he wasn't going to try all that hard anyway, or perhaps he was a little distracted when he was working on this album. While it's not the modern funk monster that it's predecessor was, this... read more

The only album we've ever seen by Janice -- aka Janice Barnett -- a set that's got some great smooth production from the legendary Harvey Fuqua! The set's got a sound that's almost in a Salsoul mode at times -- not totally disco, but with some uptempo elements -- mixed in with some warmer... read more

An oft-overlooked gem from the JBs -- their last album for People Records, and a stone funk classic that's every bit as essential as the others! The band is still in fine fine form -- with none of the fast-funk or proto-disco of some later recordings -- and they're working here in some really... read more

An incredible album -- quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit -- rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" -- showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves... read more

An incredible album -- a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s -- and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing... read more

The classic first album by The JBs -- James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the... read more

The classic first album by The JBs -- James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the... read more

The classic first album by The JBs -- James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the... read more

One of the most fantastic albums by the JBs -- a masterpiece of funky jamming, tight instrumentation, and that free yet tight style of the James Brown 70s years! The tracks are longer than on some of the earlier singles -- especially the 8 minute jammer "(It's Not The Express) It's the JBs... read more

This one hardly needs an introduction -- and it's a record that set the cause of corporal punishment back 100 years! Tracks include "Spank Your Blank Blank", "To Spank With Love", "Spank A Little Bit", and "Spank Your Thang". More proof that the Chicago... read more

An 80s crossover classic -- a set that's probably a bit more dated than some Holiday albums you might own, but which still got plenty of spins in plenty of houses back in the day! The Jets sing with just the style you'd expect from their curls -- sweet, soulful, and a little bit poppy too. There's... read more

Wonderful work by Al Johnson -- one of the unsung heroes of mellow 70s soul, finally getting his shot on a major label after many years as a songwriter and arranger for other aritsts. Norman Connors brought Al to Columbia -- and as he did with other talents in earlier years, like Phyllis Hyman and... read more

Early Detroit soul -- by the great Marv Johnson, one of the first talents to be supervised by a young Berry Gordy! In fact, it could be said that everything Berry put into his work with Marv led to the formation of Motown -- as Marv's mixture of smooth vocals and swinging soul really prefaces a... read more

A bit of a comeback for Chicago soul legend Syl Johnson -- a set initially recorded for the smaller indie Erect, but picked up for bigger distribution by Boardwalk thanks to a catchy title hit! The sound here is quite different from Syl's Twinight or Hi Records years -- still a bit bluesy overall,... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones -- a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help from Sly... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones -- a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help from Sly... read more

A wonderful set of modern soul -- and one of the few excellent albums on the Handshake label! Karin's a singer we know nothing about, but she's got a great approach for this boogie-styled set -- one that's upfront and belting on the more uptempo numbers, but also wonderfully soulful on the... read more

A wonderful selection of work by Linda Jones -- one of the greatest female soul singers ever! Linda had a very short career, due to a tragic early death -- but her work on record is simply astounding -- a rich tapestry of deep soul, well-placed emotion, and masterful handling of just about any... read more

Juice's classic album of 80s new classic soul -- a mixture of quiet storm styles for the hip hop generation, with production work by Russell Simmons on most of the record, and Kurtis Blow on the track "It's Yours". Other titles include "The Rain", "Here I Go Again",... read more

A sweet little soundtrack by Quincy -- to an early 70s heist film that starred Robert Redford, George Segal, and Zero Mostel! The album's got a feel that's very much in the mode of Quincy's best cop show/crime work of the time -- with some nice jazzy touches, handled by a host of quality players... read more

This set is divided into three parts -- new songs recorded with a vocal group called Wattsline, the Award Winning Jones and the Grammy Winning Jones. The personnel involved with all of these songs is huge and they include George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Preston, The Johnson Brothers, Toots... read more

An excellent set of 70s soulful fusion from Quincy -- recorded during his legendary A&M years, when he was working with some of the best new singers in the soul business, like Leon Ware, Patti Austin, Luther Vandross, and James Ingram. The album leans towards the smoother soulful side of... read more

An excellent Quincy Jones score that stands head and shoulders above the soundtrack to the first film in this series, In The Heat Of The Night. Q is in fine fine form with this material -- adding in a lot more funk than before, to fit the uptown theme of the film. There's lots of nice jazzy... read more

Sweet funky Q for the 70s -- easily one of the coolest albums ever from Quincy Jones! The album's got a very heavy electric vibe -- one that's kind of a laidback take on the styles that Jones was forging in some of his 70s soundtrack work -- served up with massive work on the keyboards from Dave... read more

Wild Quincy Jones score for this lost film starring Sidney Poitier. There's a wide mix of material on here -- with some soul tracks by The Mirettes and Ernestine Anderson, some bluesy stuff by Nate Turner, and a few groovy instrumentals by Quincy, including "Slum Creeper" and "Up... read more