Soul — In Stock — LPs  

A great debut from The Malemen – a short-lived group in the recording studio, but one who spent many years on the southern scene as a well-travelled showband! The group have a more modern vibe here than they might on the stage – a sweet 80s groove approach that features plenty of tight... read more

One of the last groups to get the Norman Whitfield touch in the studio – and a surprisingly nice one too, even if they didn't reach the heights of The Temptations or Undisputed Truth! Mammatapee have kind of a clunky name – possibly the reason for their lack of success – but the... read more

A late Norm Whitfield production from the 80s, with a slick commercial soul groove, that's a bit more lean than a lot of his other work. A bit of an odd sidebar sort of record, but not without a few nice moments. Includes "Dance With Me, Baby", "What You Gonna Do", "Easier... read more

We have to admit we've passed this album up for years and years, as it seems to be rather ubiquitous in these parts, and boy were we mistaken! Side one is mostly instrumental, and sounds like a lost Dexter Wansel album, with sophisticated, spacey post-fusion arrangements and a quasi-futuristic... read more

Although some of the albums that Mandrill made were a bit weak, and had too much hippy-dippy stuff, this one is one of their best albums, and has a nice hard funky sound that they didn't always match. The album includes the funky break classic track "Fencewalk", plus other groovers like... read more

One is one of their best albums, and has a nice hard funky sound that they didn't always match. The album includes the funky break classic track "Fencewalk", plus other groovers like "Hang Loose", and "Don't Mess with People".... read more

Mandrill's first album of funky Latin jazz and soul – a landmark in crossover styles that still sounds remarkably fresh today! Unlike later records, which feature a tighter funk sound, this one has the band jamming out in a Latin-inflected mode that sounds like some of the best Chicano bands... read more

A tasty set from Mandrill – one of their first records away from the Polydor label, but every bit as great as later efforts for that company, especially Mandrilland. The overall sound is a bit smoother than some of their full-out funky albums – but in a way that really helps blend... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Mandrill – a real standout from the years at Arista – and a set that seems to take all the key instrumental energy of the Polydor years, and focus it on a soulful groove that's even more soaring than before! The energy is wonderful – very much like the... read more

Maybe the greatest album that Teena Marie ever cut – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of the lady's work for Motown! The set's got this bright, positive bounce that grabs you right from the start – but also moves into a depth that's way different than other funk albums of... read more

Percussionist Sabu Martinez is one of the all-time greats of Latin music – and this record is probably the rarest he ever cut! The album came out of Sweden, where Sabu was residing during the 70s – enjoying some success as an expatriot jazz player in the European scene. The album... read more

A sweet groover from the Marvelettes – and a record that completely re-casts their sound for the Motown of the 70s! The group's still got the great soprano harmonies that made their early hits so wonderful, but the arrangements on the set are deeper and more sophisticated – taking them... read more

One of Hugh's more poppy efforts, but still a nice batch of instrumentals with a good Afro soul groove to them, and the jaunty trumpet sound that was Hugh's stock in trade at the time. Tracks include "Actin' Like A Fool", "If I Needed Someone", "Sounds Of Silence",... read more

Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of "Grazin In The Grass", a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that... read more

A pivotal album for Barbara Mason – one in which she takes the little girl soul sound of earlier albums, and turns it into a sophisticated range of emotions that foreshadows later Philly work by singers like Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman! Despite the Philly arrangements by Ronnie Baker, Norman... read more

Transition is right, as the cover has Barbara floating above a Curtis Mayfield-ish scene of drugs, war, gambling, and Satan. The music isn't nearly as dope as the cover, but the album does include the odd track with a political message, like "World in a Crisis", "Trigger Happy... read more

An excellent album of hard electric funk, with tight Betty Davis-ish vocals over the top, and lots of heavy guitar-driven funky backings underneath! Maxayn was a real nutter, and never cut many records – but this one's probably the best version of her stoner funk sound from the early 70s. ... read more

A really messed-up blend of soul, rock, and blues – done in a style that's very much in keeping with the genre-busting Fillmore scene of the late 60s! Maximillian are a trio who run through Hendrix-like guitars, deep soul styled vocals, and bluesy riffing – often in the course of the... read more

Pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents,... read more

Nicely priced US reissue of this classic! This was Curtis Mayfield's first solo album after leaving the Impressions, and it's a firey album of political soul that shows just how much he was holding back when he was with the group. The tracks are longer, angrier, more experimental, and a lot more... read more

We think this may be his best album ever! Caught live at a small club, with a tight band, Curtis delivers extended, intimate versions of some of his best work, like "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue" and "Stare and Stare". We can't recommend this highly enough, and there'... read more

We think this may be his best album ever! Caught live at a small club, with a tight band, Curtis delivers extended, intimate versions of some of his best work, like "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue" and "Stare and Stare". We can't recommend this highly enough, and there'... read more

A real dancefloor set from Curtis – recorded with some sweet Philly production from the likes of Norman Harris and Bunny Sigler – in the sweeping, soaring, strings-heavy mode of the Philly disco records of the time! And yes, this isn't classic Curtis from the righteous years –... read more

A great album of mellow soul tracks from Curtis Mayfield – laidback, slinky, and almost to his earlier work what Let's Get It On was to the early 70s career of Marvin Gaye! The album's got a warm, soulful vibe that's totally great – not as all-out funky or politically righteous as... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

A wonderfully wicked album from Curtis Mayfield – one that's not nearly as famous as his Superfly set, but which is every bit as great! The groove here is lean, mean, and totally righteous – a bit more stripped-down than some of the rumbling funk of other Curtom efforts, and served up... read more

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps... read more

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps... read more

It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade. This one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in New Orleans. The tracks retain all the charm of... read more

An amazing debut album from Frankie Beverly and Maze – as perfect as the group would ever sound, with an impeccable approach to both funk and ballads that put them at the top of the stack immediately! Of course, Frankie had been knocking around in indie soul obscurity for a number of years... read more

Titles include "Can't Get Over You", "Silky Soul", "Just Us", "Love's On The Run", "Mandela", and "Songs Of Love".... read more

Nice groovy Afro soul, recorded by Letta with some hip arrangements by Hugh Masekela. This record grooves much more nicely than her Capitol sessions, and includes some nice tracks that mix African rhythms with 60's LA pop soul production. Titles include "Qonqoza", "Macongo",... read more

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks, and maybe Van's best record of the 70s! The record shows Van sitting at the piano in an intimate setting – ala Barry White – and it's got a similar Love Unlimited Orchestra approach, with much large backing behind Van's voice, and a very full... read more

The record that forever put George McCrae on the map – and a crossover bit of Miami soul from the 70s with all the key elements of the TK sound firmly in place! George's vocals are nicely flanged out in that cool production mode that TK was using with its big acts of the time (an approach... read more

A landmark album from the Miami soul scene of the 70s – the record that put Gwen McCrae on the map, and showed to the world that the TK sound was about to dominate the charts! There's a really unique groove to the set – part older southern soul, part percolated electric modes –... read more

Sexy soul from the great Gwen McCrae – a key follow-up to her massive Rockin Chair, and an album that showed that she could go a lot deeper than just pop soul! Given Gwen's contribution to the early disco years, the record's got a surprisingly laidback feel – classic female southern... read more

Sexy soul from the great Gwen McCrae – a key follow-up to her massive Rockin Chair, and an album that showed that she could go a lot deeper than just pop soul! Given Gwen's contribution to the early disco years, the record's got a surprisingly laidback feel – classic female southern... read more

An obscure second soundtrack for The Mack – one that's not nearly as well known as the classic Motown score by Willie Hutch, but which features some great work from Eugene McDaniels – and funky backings from Alan Silvestri! Eugene sings sweetly on the title theme "In The... read more

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Obscure batch of jazzy pop originals by this obscure singer from Indianapolis. Jimmy's clearly trying for a Lou Rawls Capitol sort of style, but he's also got a voice that's a bit raspier and blusier than Lou. Most of the tracks are originals by Jimmy, and titles include "Searching",... read more

Great stuff from this famous Philly team – not nearly as well-known as their work on Philly International, but a strong batch of modern soul tunes and 80s groover that stands with the other excellent work coming out on Capitol at the time. McFadden & Whitehead wrote, arranged, and... read more

Sweet funky blues from the team of Junior Parker and Jimmy McGriff – coming together here in a way that's even groovier than some of their previous work! Junior's got a sweet approach to the lyrics that grooves nicely with Jimmy's Hammond – and the set's got some full and soulful... read more

Forget the "honky tonk" in the title – because this girl knows how to groove! Ellen McIlwaine's got to be one of the most unique talents of the past 50 years – a skilled guitarist, and great singer – working in a blend of folk, jazz, and soul that lies somewhere between... read more

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A sweet album of modern soul on Fantasy – with a sophsticated style that reminds us a bit of Phyllis Hyman in parts, especially on the album's mellower tracks. A few numbers are done in an uptempo groove – and Paulette's not really that great at these, as her subtle vocals tend to get... read more

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Titles include "Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk", "The Last Battle", "Cantina Band", "Throne Room & End Title", and "Other Galactic Funk".... read more

A non-Philly International, non-Teddy LP for the group – but still recorded in the City of Brotherly Love, with a classic 70's sound that's pretty similar to their work with Gamble & Huff. Titles include "Hostage", "He Loves You And I Do Too", "Stay Together"... read more

Nice! US reissue of one of the better post-Josie albums by the Meters, with a groove that's a little New Orleans, and a little 70's funky soul. Not all cuts are great, but there's some nice funky tracks on here that make this one worth having, and which keep it from being a disappointment, like... read more

Seminal work from The Meters – and an album that's essential for just about any collection of old school funk! The record's a blueprint for grooves that have been copied for generations to come – yet nobody does it better than these Crescent City kings – working here with a sound... read more

One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funk records to come! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced... read more

Brilliantly funky! This is the greatest album they cut for Warner Brothers – and it's one of the few that ever really approaches the genius of their early work for Josie. The record features the incredible breakbeat cut "Just Kissed My Baby" – worth the price of the album... read more

The rarest Meters record ever! This is one of the 3 classic funky albums they cut for the Josie label in their early years – and it's about as hard and heavy and funky as you could get! The group's trademark scratchy guitar funk sound is firmly in place, and the rhythm section is nice,... read more

Excellent work from Gamble & Huff – with a strong Philly groove on just about every track, and good instrumental moments that really keep the groove fresh and strong. Many tracks have background female vocals on the choruses, and the record's got good percussion by Leroy Bell and synth... read more

A seminal bit of funk rock from this well-connected group who bubbled under considerably during the late 60s and early 70s, but never seemed to cross over big. The best cuts on the album have a heavy funk sound, similar to the group's funky 45s – with the sax of leader George Patterson Jr... read more

One of THE psychedelic funk masterpieces of the early 70s – a guitar-heavy set with a very fuzzed up feel – one that's halfway between the work of Fugi and some of the best early sides on Westbound Records! But more than just guitar-heavy funk, Midnight Movers also have a fair bit of a... read more

Real 80s groove soul – with polished sound that's got a bit of a jazzy flavor in it, thanks mostly to the competent instrumentation of the band. Titles include "You Satisfy Me", "Just A Little Bit", "Heavy Rotation", "Start It Up", "Sweet... read more

Mike's come a long way from his early soul days with Dennis Coffey – working here to lay down a set of spacious disco tunes with a dreamy finish – really stretching out with the same sort of glide you'd find in the best Philly club at the time! The record's actually quite strong on the... read more

A dramatic disco classic from Detroit legend Mike Theodore – stepping out here with all the force you'd expect from the title! "High On Mad Mountain" is a symphonic disco classic – using strings, congas, and lots of percussion to set up the groove – as guitar and... read more

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One of the most soulful sets ever recorded by the Buddy Miles Group – a really searing set of live performances from 1971, often done in a way that has the band stretching out and jamming heavily! The core group seems a bit bigger than usual – with a lineup that includes guitar and... read more

Bluesy soul from Buddy Miles – an album that was half-produced by Jimi Hendrix, and which showcases the really crowd-pleasing side of Miles' sound! Tracks are a mix of soul covers and original numbers – done in a mode that puts plenty of guitar out front in the mix, and which uses... read more

A super tripped-out blend of rock, funk, and soul – easily one of Buddy Miles' most mindblowing albums – and a classic that never lets up at all! Buddy's leading the whole group on drums – really kicking things large from behind the kit – while the rest of the group jams in... read more

A masterpiece from SF rocker Steve Miller – and a perfect summation of the years of blues, soul, funk, and rock he'd been soaking up in the Bay Area scene! The album crossed over instantly with the massive cut "Fly Like An Eagle" – already great on its own, but supported here... read more

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A great, rare early album by The Miracles! The album features the group back when they still had a female member, who gives the band a beautiful high harmony sound in tandem with Smokey Robinson's falsetto vocals. The reissue includes the great original cover – and loads of nice original... read more

Jackson soul from McKinley Mitchell – more polished than his earlier work, but still with that Chimneyville/Malaco late 70s southern style that was the best heir to 60s work in Memphis and Muscle Shoals. Tracks include "Open House At My House", "You're So Fine", "The... read more

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on... read more

Sweet sweet sweet soul from The Moments, and one of their rare early albums for the Stang label! The tracks are all beautiful New Jersey harmony soul, of the sort that The Moments and others put on the charts in a large way during the early 70s – and the band's smoothing their act up a bit,... read more

Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards... read more

Melba Moore is on fire here – eschewing ballads altogether for the first time – and lighting up a scorching late disco vibe! Burn is a tight, club-ready soul set from '79 that finds Melba with more input on the songwriting than she had on previous records. It's also a nice step in a... read more

Classic stuff – Rudy's first album, and a fitting launch to his famous career of party records and live club performances! The cover's got Rudy in front of a nude black model, laying back on the couch, and encouraging him to do the thing that's implied by the title – but the record... read more

Quite possibly THE mother of all funky soundtracks – the legendary score to Rudy Ray Moore's classic first Dolemite film! The record's been referenced for years, and all the hype is totally right – because the whole thing's overflowing with funky tracks both vocal and instrumental... read more

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Early 70s ensemble funk from Mugo – a DC group made up of students from McKinley Tech High School – combining tightly energetic, fairly sprawling instrumentation and soulful vocals – a number of unreleased tracks from the sessions that also produced their rare 70s single, newly... read more

A self-titled set from the mighty Music Machine – a studio ensemble who were as important to the sound of European club music in the 70s as Instant Funk and MFSB were to the Philly scene in the US! The Machine features a host of players who'd previously backed Donna Summer and other Giorgio... read more

One of the more unusual records on Sue from the 60s – an all-instrumental outing, recorded by Juggy Murray in tribute to the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr! The music is done in a larger orchestral mode that's much more soundtrack-oriented than Juggy's other work – with less (or none)... read more

One of the last great funk albums from King Records – a set recorded in the early 70s, but done with a crackling sharp sound that's like the best late 60s James Brown albums for the label! Mickey Murray is from Augusta, GA – James Brown's hometown – and his approach is similar to... read more

Clearly riding on the success of the Memphis Horns' LPs of the mid 70s – but not a bad bunch of funky tracks! The famous horn section from Muscle Shoals takes the helm – or is at least taken to the helm by Barry Beckett, who played keyboards, produced, and arranged the LP. The tracks... read more

A super-huge hit for Musique – quite a soulful group of singers, despite the strange and cheesy cover of the album – which makes them look like a bunch of roller disco porn stars caught in the studio! The group actually features great vocals by a young Jocelyn Brown, and the record's... read more

A great little album – even if it tries to promise too much! The set bills itself as "the swinginest Hammond organ album since the birth of psychedelia" – and while that sort of a claim is so high that nobody could ever match it, the album is a great batch of offbeat soul... read more

A funky session headed up by wayward P-Funkster Jerome Brailey – a cooking little record with a quality that's right up there with some of the other George Clinton projects of the time! George didn't have anything to do with this one – at least not from what we can tell from the notes... read more

A fantastic bit of spiritual jazz funk – and one of the rarest 70s albums on Fantasy Records! The group's headed up by Nat Adderley Jr (son of the famous Nat Sr) on keyboards and vocals – and the ensemble is a hip, young collective with an approach that reminds us of work by Oneness Of... read more

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A classic album by this righteous soul collective – and one that shows them taking a strong step away from their work at RCA with Harvey Fuqua. This one has the group (ever-enormous as always!) absorbing some of the other elements of modern soul that were floating around at the time –... read more

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite... read more

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A classic album of jazzed-up funk – the one lasting legacy by this oft-sampled group – reissued here with its original title and cover art! 9th Creation originally hailed from west of the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and this album was recorded in Oakland with the same sweet jazzy... read more

Cold, hard, and funky! This might be the greatest album ever by this legendary 70s funk band – and it's got a killer sound that has the tightness of the JBs, the rawness of the early Meters, and the frenzy of a rare funky 45! Includes the incredible "Afro Strut" – worth the... read more

A great album filled with hard breaks, tight choppy guitars, and a deep funky sound. This is one of the best early albums by the Nite Liters, and it's filled with great grooves like "Funky-Doo", "Stinkin Charlie", and "K-Jee" – but just about every track is a... read more

Stone funky funky! This is an excellent reissue of the Nite Liters' classic first album, and a monster batch of funky instrumentals that we'd put up there with the great Meters records on Josie, or the classic JBs LPs on People! There's lots of hard drums, choppy guitars, and good funky grooves. ... read more

A funky instrumental classic – with a groove that was copied by a huge amount of other groups! Cliff and crew take the funky 45 sound into the mainstream – vamping and comping in tight choppy grooves that were perfect for dances like The Horse, The Jerk, and some of the other harder... read more

One of the biggest moments of the New York club scene of the early 80s! The Peech Boys cut their teeth at the Paradise Garage during the classic Larry Levan years – and this album has them working with Levan to forge a record of crossover club grooves filled with linn drum beats and DMX... read more

A really beautiful little album from NYCC – the name-shortened version of the New York Community Choir, stepping out here with a sound that's even better than their RCA debut! NYCC draw on a strong secular/spiritual tradition of work by The Art Reynolds Singers or Voices Of East Harlem... read more

Groundbreaking work from Laura Nyro – exactly the kind of record that sums up the unique genius in her music! The record's not folk, not pop, not soul, nor jazz vocals – but a new sort of style that draws a bit from all those genres, and comes up with a bold new approach that opened... read more

Laura Nyro's first album ever – originally issued by Verve/Forecast in the mid 60s, but brought back out on the market by Columbia, during the height of Nyro's early 70s fame for the label! Even at this early point, Nyro sounds wonderful – a fair bit more soulful than most other female... read more

A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's... read more