Soul -- In Stock -- LPs  

Rough and raw classics from Louis Jordan -- served up with a bit more of an R&B tinge than some of his work from the late 40s! There's a searing quality here that really hits hard on the instrumentation -- guitar parts and saxophone riffs that clearly mark the space that Jordan helped allow in... read more

Margie Joseph's really hitting on all burners here -- thanks to sublime production from Lamont Dozier, working at the height of his mid 70s powers! Joseph's earlier deep soul vocals are given a nice sense of focus and righteous energy from Dozier's production -- a fullness that somehow makes her... read more

Margie Joseph gets a hipper treatment than on earlier records -- a mix of east coast styles that adds in some Philly and early modern mellow arrangements, both of which provide a great contrast to Margie's southern-tinged vocals! The approach here is great -- a fulling up and fleshing out of... read more

One of the greatest blacksploitation soundtracks of the 70s -- and one of the rarest too! The album's a crowning achievement for the mighty Don Julian -- an artist who's best known for his earlier LA soul with The Larks, but who steps out here with a hip, hard-grooving sound that's really amazing -... read more

Karma was a group made up of some of the better west coast studio jazz players of the 70s -- including Oscar Brashear, Ernie Watts, and George Bohanon -- but despite the strength of their individual members, the group never really put things together all that strongly. They're not bad, but it's... read more

Kasandra's 4th LP for Stax under the ostensibly gospel Respect imprint, though this is no gospel album. Like his other albums, the set's a bit of a high-concept affair, with lyrics and presentation that veer too far from the sort of rough, raw southern soul that was Stax's stock in trade, coming... read more

An 80s soul classic from Kashif -- the guy who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself -- cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of the decade... read more

A massive exploration of the music of Kashmere Stage Band -- the legendary Texas funk combo whose work has been pushed heavily over the years by Wax Poetics, Stones Throw, and many others! The set goes even deeper than any of the previous vinyl reissues of work by the group -- and features some... read more

Classic 70s work from KC & The Sunshine Band -- a record that's not as hit-heavy as previous efforts, but still a plenty great set that's filled with catchy dancefloor funk! KC's clearly feeling the heat of the disco fire he helped to ignite a few years before -- and there's definitely an ear... read more

One of Kelly's last records of the 70s -- a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still quite strong overall, with some excellent vocals on most tracks. Gene Page handled the arrangements and production -- and he gives Kelly some nice backgrounds to work with, ones that have a bit less... read more

One of Eddie's classic dancefloor groovers for Tamla, with production and arrangements by the hit team of Frank Wilson and Leonard Caston! The album keeps Eddie's hit "boogie" groove going strong -- grooving mostly in a midtempo smooth soul style that would become a dominant approach to... read more

A classic LP that forever transformed the sound of dancefloor soul! Eddie scored big big big with the hit "Keep On Truckin", which was a huge huge stormer back in the day, and which still grooves hard today -- with it's midtempo boogie mode of grooving. Eddie's great on the mellow cuts... read more

Sublime groovers from Eddie's boogie period -- a time when he revived his career brilliantly, by hooking a groove and helping to take Motown back onto the dancefloors! The set's filled with classic uptempo numbers -- with 10 tracks in all: "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind (part 1)", "... read more

A beautiful masterpiece of soul, and one in which Eddie defined and predicted styles that would shape the music significantly in the 70's. Includes the massive 7 minute original version of "Girl, You Need A Change Of Mind", plus the excellent "Date With The Rain", "I'm On... read more

It's nearing the end of the 70s and Eddie's still goin' strong, with another LP of sophisticated soul. By this point, Eddie's already shown he can groove smooth and mellow, or pop along nicely with a dancefloor oriented groove, which he manages to do in stride here, his light voice meshing nicely... read more

Titles include "Soul Talkin", "Sticky Wicked", "The End Of A Love Affair", "Make It Last", "I'll Be Around", and "Signed Sealed Delivered".... read more

Plenty of blues power here -- a searing live set recorded by Albert King before a very enthusiastic crowd at the Fillmore in the late 60s! The album's filled with lots of King's sharp-edged guitar lines -- searing with a bit more soul than your usual bluesman, possibly in part because the backing... read more

One of the greatest female soul albums of the 60s -- an obscure session cut by singer Anna King, produced to perfection by James Brown! The sound here is very much in keeping with James' best work of the time -- deep deep deep soul, with a solid grounding in the indie traditions of the time, and... read more

Ok, so you might be sick of hearing "Stand By Me" over and over on oldies stations, but Ben's one of the greatest soul singers of the 60s, and checking out this greatest hits set, you'll be surprised at how many great songs he sung that you might not know! Nice ones include "That's... read more

Wonderfully smooth soul from Evelyn Champagne King -- one of her real standouts from the early days, and a tremendous collaboration with producer/arranger T Life! The sound here is upbeat and catchy, but never too poppy -- done with a slight hint of that groove that King would hit more famously in... read more

Classic Motown album of two of Dr. King's speeches -- "Drum Major Instinct Sermon", from 2/4/68, and "I've Been To The Mountain", from 4/3/68. The latter is especially significant in that it was the last speech King ever made, delivered on the night before he was assassinated. ... read more

A 1970 re-titled version of the earlier album The New Scene Of King Curtis -- one of his best from the time! The "new scene" of King Curtis here is a jazz one -- as Prestige takes him into the studio, and backs up his tenor with accompaniment from Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Oliver... read more

A classic King Curtis LP, and the one that includes his stellar cut "Memphis Soul Stew", a nice slow groover that has some excellent drums and basslines, and which has been sampled at least a handful of times! The other cuts are mostly covers of late 60s pop and soul tracks -- like "... read more

King Floyd's first album for Cotillion, cut under the Chimneyville subsidiary that would become the main Atlantic imprint for the projects to come out of the Malaco Studios in Jackson, Mississippi. Includes King's big cut "Groove Me", plus a lot of other nice tracks that are perfect... read more

What's with these guys and the triple "e" anyway? We think it's got plenty to do with that "wheeet" sound they get out of their keyboards -- which incidentally, are played pretty heavily on this album by Deodato. The vocals are the real strength of the set, though -- as they... read more

The group's third release -- and although they've dropped the space suits, they're still grooving nicely in a slightly electric mode! The sound here is heavy on keyboards and bassy bits -- a very catchy 80s groove that's topped by shifting male/female vocals from the members of the trio! 10 songs... read more

Given the work that must have gone into the doos on the cover of this one, it's no surprise Klymaxx are in the Ladies Room -- most likely still waiting for their hair to dry! The album's a batch of tightly-crafted mid 80s crossover soul -- as much pop as it is the kind of female group material you... read more

Crazy funk from a crazy-costumed geezer with an equally crazy name! Boobie Knight led an obscure 70's funk outfit that was somewhere between Sly & The Family Stone and The Jimmy Castor Bunch. His group has a definite guitar-heavy sound that's a bit blunted, and a bit fuzzed out at times --... read more

One of our favorite albums by Gladys Knight -- a set that seems to have a lot more edge than some of her later work, thanks to some rumbling production from the legendary Norman Whitfield! In a way, Norman's almost applying the Temptations sound to Gladys here -- using fuller bass at the bottom... read more

A great album from Kool & The Gang! The set's designed to focus on the jazzier side of the group -- and it sifts through the first few albums to come up with some of the more sophisticated (yet still totally funky!) numbers by the band, giving a good picture of the many sides of their talents,... read more

It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts -- like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" -- sound a... read more

One of the greatest Kool & The Gang albums ever -- a monster live session that almost blows away their studio classics! The groove here is far more freewheeling and complex than some of their singles from the 70s -- longer, tripped-out tunes with a definite undercurrent of jazz amidst the funk... read more

Fantastic live stuff from the classic early period of Kool & the Gang! The set swings mightily with a sound that's hardly matched on some of their studio albums, and the band proves that their tightness isn't just a batch of studio tricks as they blow away the crowd at the Sex Machine night... read more

A pivotal album in the career of Kool & The Gang! This album has the band operating at the top of their early 70s funky powers -- and it also shows them dabbling a bit with electronics, which would become a big part of their sound a few albums later. The best example of this is the totally... read more

Sure, this one's got "boogie" in the title -- but don't let that scare you off! The album's carved in the same hard funky style as mid 70s hits like "Hollywood Swinging" or "Jungle Boogie" (both from earlier albums) -- and in fact, the "boogie" in the title... read more

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses -- with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the... read more

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Solid 80s grooving from Kwick -- a group who were almost to the Capitol/EMI world what Switch were to Motown -- a tight outfit, capable of warm old school harmonies -- but also one who were happy to work with some of the tighter rhythms of the time! Titles include "I Want To Dance With... read more

The last record we've ever seen by this funky vocal combo -- and every bit as tasty as their early work for Fantasy Records! Part of the reason for that is because the group's getting production here from Augie Johnson -- who picked up plenty of funky jazz touches through his work with Wayne... read more

Sweet jazzy funk -- from the cornbelt of Omaha! The LA Carnival are one of those rarer-than-rare funk groups who not only never got their due back in the day -- but also recorded a heck of a lot of great material that never even got issued! They have a totally great sound that bubbles in jazzy... read more

A sweet 70s set that has the trio of Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash teaming up with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint -- who brings the group some of the chunkier grooves he'd been using in his own great 70s work! The album's got a nicely romping sound throughout -- a surprisingly... read more

A hit set from the end of the 80s -- one that showed Patti still going strong in her third decade in soul music! The set's got a style that's decidedly more modern than some of the classic work we know from Patti -- but her vocals are still very strongly in place, and if anything, the overall... read more

Smooth early 80s work from Patti -- a bit over the top at times, but nicely restrained at others. Despite the fact that Patti's in the hands of top Philly International talents like Gamble & Huff, and Dexter Wansel -- the effort's still very much her own, in full diva mode over a range of... read more

A bit one for Patti Labelle in the 80s -- a set that crossed over big at the time, but which still has the lady in very soulful territory! Patti seems to sparkle most here on the mellower cuts -- the gentle groovers and laidback ballads that helped open her up to a whole new audience, and which... read more

A fantastic bit of Afro funky soul -- one of a few albums recorded by the legendary Lafayette Afro Rock Band! The set has an incredible blend of American funk, African rhythms, and European production -- recorded in the heady cross-cultural scene of early 70s Paris -- with a sound that's often... read more

Ahhh . . . It takes a record like this one to remind us just what a magical crossover time the post-disco, post-punk days of the early 80s could be! Take two white guys from Denmark -- Tim Stahl and John Guldberg -- give them a drum machine and some funky beats, and out comes the breakdance... read more

Denise is shaking off some of the rougher edges of earlier recordings, working here in that modern Detroit style that would show up occasionally on some of these mid 70s ABC soul releases. Arrangements are by David Van DePitte, who gives Denise a smooth soaring sound that pushes her a lot vocally -... read more

A tasty collection of some of the best work the Last Poets ever recorded -- their early sides for Douglas records, a perfect blend of jazz, percussion, and poetry -- hence the very apt "Jazzoetry" title! The album mostly features tracks from the albums Last Poets and This Is Madness --... read more

The first album by the second group to call themselves the last poets -- comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja. The album's as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find -- bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a... read more

The first album by the second group to call themselves the last poets -- comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja. The album's as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find -- bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a... read more

The first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets -- comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja. The album's as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find -- bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a... read more

One of the grooviest groups of the Latin Soul scene -- but they'd have to be, given their name! The Latin Souls are a vocal group with a really soulful feel -- a great link between the earlier harmony sounds that were bubbling under in Spanish Harlem, and some of the hipper rhythms that were... read more

Killer Latin soul! This record is one of the hardest to find from the late 60's boogaloo era, and it's a massive stormer filled with tasty grooves! The band is small and tight, with a 2-sax frontline, for an extra-soulful sound. Vocals are in English and Spanish, and the album wails away like a... read more

The long-overdue return of Bettye Lavette to Muscle Shoals -- the scene of her ill-fated album for Atlantic Records from the early 70s -- hence the title of this album! The style here is certainly classic, and very old school -- with backings provided by The Drive-By Truckers, whose member... read more

The second album by this hip funky rock combo -- with a flanged out 70s groove that reminds us a bit of Average White Band, a bit of Hot Chocolate (the British group). The best cuts have funk in the forefront -- with plenty of basswork and wah wah guitar. The rest of the album's more of an AOR... read more

8 tracks of mostly drums and drum machine -- with no titles -- from Vincent Lawrence aka Virgo. Pretty much put together as tool for house and club DJs in it's day, this set is equally appealing on its own, as an excellent snapshot from the heyday of Chicago house.... read more

An excellent bit of modern soul by Debra Laws -- really her only album, but an instant classic nonetheless! The set's an impeccable batch of smooth tracks -- recorded with production by brothers Ronnie and Hubert -- and Debra's vocals have a sophisticated jazzy touch that sets the record strongly... read more

A great little set of soulful fusion -- played by one of the artists who helped invent the genre! Ronnie's mixing soul and jazz easily here -- hitting a sweet groove that's a bit more electric than ever, but which still has all the warmth and depth of his 70s work. A few tracks feature Ronnie... read more

An excellent batch of smooth jazz funk -- with production by Wayne Henderson in that tight At-Home Productions mode, snapping rhythms underneath the grooves to give them enough of a kick to still be funky, and some nice smooth finishes on the top to give the set a bit of class! Ronnie's solos are... read more

A wicked little soundtrack that's about as badass as you can get for the 70s -- the obscure score for the black answer to Warren Beatty's famous Shampoo! The music on the set is really great -- sparer than usual for a blacksploitation soundtrack, with lots of nice instrumental tracks that riff on... read more

Essential reissue of this great mellow grooving soul LP from the late 70s! All the tracks are very deep, in the vein of Leroy Hutson, but with a club-tinged groove that makes the music even more solid for groovers. Includes the classic cut "Give Me the Sunshine", and the original... read more

Luv N Haight has done it again! This totally cool reissue of a very very lost funky LP is a real monster, and another reissue feather in the cap of the great Luv N Haight catalog. The hot and funky Johnny Lewis Quartet recorded this massive slab of jazz in the early 70's, when the group's lineup... read more

A strong 70s set from Linda Lewis -- her first for Arista, and a date that has her picking up a fuller style than before! The arrangements here are by Bert DeCoteaux, who brings in plenty of soul -- and Linda's working in modes that run from the simple, personal style of her Warner years to some... read more

Genius jazzy soul from Webster Lewis -- one of his amazing late 70s sets for Epic Records! By this point in his career, Lewis had honed his keyboard craft to perfection -- and on albums like this one, he laid down some excellent smooth soulful fusion that soared in a righteous way that few other... read more

The earliest work we've ever heard from keyboardist Webster Lewis -- and a set that's quite different than his late 70s groovers for Columbia Records! The music here is equal parts jazz, soul, and funk -- spun out of over a set of long tracks recorded in Oslo at the start of the 70s -- and done in... read more

Long before there was any talk of gangster rap, Jalal of the Last Poets recorded this album of gamblin', pimpin', and hard double dealin'. It's a fantastic album-long ride through the dark side of the black underworld, and is the aural equivalent of a blacksploitation flick. Music by Kool and the... read more

Soulful disco from Lime -- long tracks with that Montreal club approach, a mixture of New York beats and Euro disco gloss. Titles include "Guilty", "Angel Eyes", "On The Grid", "Give Me Your Body" and "Rendez-vous On The Dark Side Of The Moon".... read more

A bit less clubby than other Lime work, but still with a nice sense of groove throughout! There's almost a bit of crossover energy going on in the set -- trying for the sort of hit that might have grabbed them fame back in the early 80s, but which sounds a bit out of place by the time of this set.... read more

A mixture of tinny fusion and soul -- with some hard-jamming tracks that overshadow the vocals, and others with a simpler pop soul approach. Paul Jackson Jr plays a bit of guest guitar with the group -- and Ollie E Brown drums a bit and produces a few of the tracks. Titles include "Together... read more

These guys were ostensibly more of a throwaway disco act than anything else -- with a silly name, strange costumes, and trashy white boy disco look -- but despite all that, there's a pretty nice track on this album! The set kicks off with the extended groover "C'Mon & Dance" -- a... read more

Brilliant soul from the Detroit underground of the late 60s -- a full set of work by vocalist Little Ann, issued here for the first time ever! You might recognize Ann's name from her appearance on a few of the Ace/Kent Records issues of material by Detroit producer Dave Hamilton over the years --... read more

Incredible funky guitar -- an all-instrumental gem from the legendary Little Beaver -- quite different than his other vocal albums of the 70s, and a fair bit funkier too! The sound here is amazing -- lots of snakey compressed guitar parts, nice wah wah moments, and a dope laidback groove that's... read more

Nicely done US reissue of one of the few really fantastic albums to come out of the Miami scene of the seventies! The great Little Beaver lays down some righteous guitar and heavy vocals over a cool spare backing groove on cuts like "I Can Dig It Baby", "Money Vibrations",... read more

Tight and soulful blues from Little Milton -- just the sort of record that helped him cross over to bigger audiences back in the day, and a set that still sounds plenty great all these many years later! The set was done in Chicago -- arranged by James Mack, with backing vocals from Kitty & The... read more

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A mindblowing set from Little Richard -- a stunning comeback session from the start of the 70s -- recorded at Muscle Shoals with a heavy funk component in the mix! Richard arranged and produced the record himself -- and it's a beautiful illustration of his genius -- hardly dimmed at this point in... read more

The Jeff Lorber group makes a move into R&B with a few tracks on this set -- adding in vocals to their core sweet fusion approach, but in a style that totally makes sense! Lorber's always had a great way with a soulful tune -- working with both electric and acoustic keys in a style that's... read more

One of the greatest harmony soul albums to ever come out of Chicago -- a sublime batch of tracks that showed that the mighty talents of The Lost Generation could easily match the best vocal group work coming out of the east coast at the time! The sound here is somewhere in the moody, mellow... read more

An excellent funk party all the way through! Preston was Johnny Otis' tenor star in the late 60s -- and this album has him grooving hard with members of Johnny's band, including a young Shuggie Otis, who's really wailing with some acid licks on guitar! The overall feel is very much in the funky... read more

One of many projects headed up by Alec Costandinos -- a briefly successful producer/arranger during the late 70s, with a real penchant for overly complicated disco! Given the huge amount of instruments in this project (strings, brass, percussion, guitar, and lots more), Costandinos must have blown... read more

Second pressing of the classic first album by Love Unlimited, with a cover that makes things a bit clearer than the original one. As we're sure you know, Barry White produced this little gem, and the record was a key proving ground for many of his stone cold soul production ideas before he went... read more

Classic 70s female soul -- and one of the best albums ever recorded by Love Unlimited -- a trio of ladies recording with Barry White during his glory years! The album's got a really incredible approach -- partly in the mode of older female group soul, but also done with a hipper, more righteous... read more

Excellent instrumentals from The Maestro! Barry's in fine fine form here -- and he's just about the only one who could make a record with so many strings sound so funky! The album includes the excellent groover "Bring It On Up", which has a tightly snapping rhythm underneath soaring... read more

Late stuff -- but one of the best Barry White-related albums from the 70s! The record has the Orchestra moving at a much slower pace than usual -- perhaps in an answer to all the too-fast too-orchestrated disco that took a cue from Barry's earlier work -- and the record bravely hits a mellow and... read more

Excellent solo work by Lowrell Simon -- once a singer with Lost Generation, but opening up a whole new style of Chicago soul here on his own! The album's a tasty batch of smooth soul tracks with a midtempo club groove -- not disco, but with the kind of large production and loping groove that you'd... read more

One of Carrie's crossover gems from the late 70s -- the smoother side of the Solar Records groove -- definitely aimed at the clubs, but with a nicely soulful undercurrent overall! Production is by Dick Griffey, but the key studio help is from folks like Tom Tom, Gene Page, and Lakeside -- the... read more

Music beyond description or definition -- one of Jon Lucien's legendary albums for RCA -- a true pinnacle in the generation of sophisticated 70s soul! The sound here is a unique blend that's never been heard before -- and hardly ever since, even though many have tried -- a complicated tapestry of... read more

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien -- and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul -- bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most compelling... read more

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien -- and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul -- bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most compelling... read more

Original pressing of this weird bluesy soul album for Invictus, featuring the oddball talents of Eugene Smith. Smiths' vocals have sort of a squeaky Bay Area blues sound to them, and the tracks he writes are kind of off-kilter, and with a bit of a rock break feel. The record's a good indication... read more

Massive work from the great Cheryl Lynn -- and a key bridge between late 70s disco and the newer grooves of the 80s club scene! The album's a mix of midtempo groovers with a few mellower tracks -- and it's got a tight, slightly jazzy sound that was very fresh at the time, and which still holds up... read more

One of Gloria Lynne's classic sides for Everest -- a mix of soul jazz and R&B balladeering, in a style that was quite popular at the time, and which laid the groundwork for so many other sophisticated soul singers in years to come. Players on the set include Harry Edison, Wild Bill Davis, and... read more

A holy grail of funky music -- the one and only album ever cut by Marie Queenie Lyons, a heck of a hard soul single who's best known for her rare funky 45s! The album is stunning -- every bit as great as any of Marie's singles, and with an incredibly unified sound that should have made the album... read more

An all-star session from percussionist Ralph MacDonald -- featuring work by Grover Washington, Richard Tee, and Eric Gale! Unlike Ralph's earlier two recordings, The Path and Sound Of A Drum, this is a fairly slick affair -- soul with a jazzy influence and the percussion pushed up front, grooves... read more

Fantastic album of hardcore funky cuts, with a great jazzy tip on the righteous solos laid down by Maceo and the band. Recorded in the time that Maceo was away from James' band, with a crack lineup of players including Melvin Parker, Jimmy Nolan, Bernard Odom, and L.D. Williams. Nearly every cut... read more

A rare gem from Maceo Parker -- the second album cut with his King's Men group in the short time he was away from James Brown in the early 70s! The set was done for the Excello southern soul label, and it's got a bit of a different groove than his work for House Of Fox with the same group -- a... read more

One of two albums produced by Rudy Ray Moore -- the other being The Sensuous Black Man -- which define the art of making love from a gender-based perspective. Like Rudy's Sensuous Black Man, The Madam's version features one side of "instructional" dialogue -- very XXX-rated, in bitchy... read more

Hard, raw, righeous group funk -- one of the hardest-hitting early albums ever produced by Patrick Adams! The set's got a feel that's much more like the Detroit work on the Westbound label than other records on the Today label -- no surprise, given that group leader Mudbone later worked with... read more

One of the most righteous albums ever cut by this 70s soul group -- and a record that was the last to feature vocalist Donald McPherson, as he died shortly after the album was recorded. The record includes the massive cut "Black Seeds Keep On Growing", which has a great message feel and... read more

Rene Hall did the arrangements on this mid 70's release by the Main Ingredient -- and the sound's a bit smoother than some of their earlier records, but their vocals are still crystal clear, and right out front in the arrangements. "Rolling Down A Mountainside" is a wonderful spacey soul... read more