Soul — LPs  

The major label debut of Amuzement Park – almost more obscure than the indie set that preceded it, and kind of in a different mode altogether! There's still a boogie groove to most of the set, but the group are also funking things up a bit more – possibly following a Minneapolis influence, and bringing some new wave basslines and sharper-edged keyboards into the tunes. Tracks are catchy, and often a bit poppy – and titles include "Gotta Dance", "Music Makers", "This Love", "APB", "Didn't You Know", and "Squeeze Me".

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun".

A bit of a comeback for James Brown – a mid 80s outing recorded with Dan Hartman, who gives the record a "contemporary" sound that's definitely a great way to slide James in with the younger crowd at the time! The style's still funky, but has more street soul elements too – and the record sports guest appearances by Alison Moyet, Steve Winwood, and Stevie Ray Vaughan – and although the production is a bit stiff at points, there's some undeniable quality in James that still makes some nice moments shine through! Titles include "Gravity", "Let's Get Personal", "How Do You Stop", "Living In America", "Goliath", "Repeat The Beat", and "Return To Me".

A great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK".

What can we say? We've heard this one a million times, it sold over a million copies – but it's still incredible! The record is Roberta's first, and it features her in a mellow trio format, augmented by some occasional larger arrangements by William Fischer. At most points, though, the sound is incredibly spare – with vocals that are much more soulful than any of Roberta's other records, and a sound that hints at Nina Simone, but which has it's own jazzy groove and deep sense of feeling. Includes the classic funky version of "Compared To What", plus "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Our Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times".

After leaving Stax, Ike seemed to be trying to turn himself into more of a Barry White-style artist – with more emphasis on original tracks about love and loving, instead of his older method of transforming pop hits into little baroque symphonies. On a record like this, the approach meant that Ike was sometimes hitting a disco mode, but at the best points, he's also in more of a sweet mellow soul style. Tracks include "Rock Me Easy Baby", "Your Loving Is Much Too Strong", "We've Got A Whole Lot Of Love", and "Make A Little Love To Me".

One of the best things to ever happen to The Persuaders – a wonderfully rich album that has the group still sparkling strongly, long after their early hits! The harmonies are wonderful – very much on par with the bigger names at Philly International at the time – and recorded with sweet Sigma Sound production, and arrangements by Tony (not Thom) Bell that are a perfect blend of sweet and soulful – strings at some points, but a bassy bottom at others – so that the group manage to hit some even more righteous moments than before. Tunes are great, too – with some killer originals by Phil Hurtt – and the whole set's a no-filler gem that's kept us coming back for years! Titles include "Some Guys Have All The Luck", "Hold On (Just A Little Bit Longer)", "All Strung Out On You", "Stay With Me", "That's The Way She Is", and "We're Just Trying To Make It".

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together".

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together".

A solid smoker from the lesser-known Jeannie Reynolds – a hell of a 70s soul singer, and one who should have been huge – especially given the rich vocals on this set! Jeannie's brother LJ Reynolds handles production this time around, and he brings in a nice sharper edge to the set – touches of funk at points, which echo a Dramatics sort of groove – and which really seem to unleash some sharper sounds in Jeannie's vocals at all the right moments. A few other tunes are warmer, and remind us of the soulful charm we discovered on Reynolds' debut – creating a great sense of balance that gives the album a lot more depth than most other Casablanca sets like this from the time! LJ and Jeannie wrote all the tracks save one – and titles include "Guide Me Well", "I Know I'll Always Be In Love With You", "Sexy Man", "I Don't Want To Be Second Best", "I'm Hooked On You", "Come My Way", and "Don't Make A Fool Of Me".

One of Nina's first for RCA – a mixture of jazz and soul tunes handled with some classy arrangements by Sammy Lowe, most of which feature nice electric bass work at the bottom by Gene Taylor! Taylor's bass gives the tracks a nice "dip" that's not exactly funky, but does provide a strong kick that keeps things moving along nicely – in a way that points towards the direction Nina would take in the 70s, and which makes this album a fair bit hipper than some of her Philips work! Nina's not as over the top as on other records, but still lays it out quite hiply – and tracks include "Consummation", "Go To Hell", "Love O Love", "It Be's That Way Sometime", "Turn Me On", and "Some Say".

Great work from this famous Italian maestro – sweeping, soaring instrumentals – but also a bit funky at times too! Ettore brings a real soundtrack approach to most numbers – fitting, given that most tunes here are film themes – and he uses full strings, plus some nicely isolated instrumentation at points, especially a bit of tinkling piano. Things are mostly straight, but there's a great funky break on his version of "The Godfather (part 2)" – and some sweetly gentle funk on "Once Is Not Enough" – another great warm number. Other titles include "The Big Hunt", "The Saddest Thing Of All", "Sheila Levine", "Incontro", and Stratta's own great "The Beginning Of Our Life".

Damn great work from Allen Toussaint – a record that was cut at a time when he'd really made his way into the mainstream of American music, yet could still come across with a hard New Orleans groove! The title cut, "Southern Nights", is a perfect illustration of this fact – as it was written by Toussaint, but became a big hit for Glen Campbell, who recorded a very soppy version of the number. Yet here, Allen turns it into a weird trippy tune – produced with great Sansu production, and backing by New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, George Porter, and Art Neville – all of whom help the tune bristle with new energy, and a really sinister groove. The rest of the record continues in a similar vein – with a spacey LA mellow sound that actually works great for Toussaint's vocals, and gives them a wild flanged-out sound that's pretty amazing – and downright spooky at points! Titles include "Southern Nights", "Basic Lady", "Last Train", "Worldwide", "You Will Not Lose", "When The Party's Over", and "What Do You Want The Girl To Do".

One of the most dancefloor-oriented efforts from the Trammps – and that's saying a lot, given the sound of their other records! This set brings the beats up a bit more than before – almost a boogie groove, or an 80s-styled sound at points – but still with strong roots in the Philly club of earlier albums. Baker/Harris/Young produced – and mixes are by Ron Kersey, Ron Baker, and Earl Young – all of whom are trying to give the group a leaner, cleaner sound than in the disco years. Titles include "Hard Rock & Disco", "Music Freek", "Dance Contest", "VIP", "Wake Up From Yesterday", and "You Can Make It".

Can't get enough of Barry White at this key point in his career – a time when he was stepping from the shadows as one of the most sensuous soul stars of the 70s! The album's a near-perfect effort throughout – a great blend of the soaring strings and funkier rhythms that always made Barry's work so great – topped with vocals that are both sung and spoken, all in a voice that's deeper than deep! Tracks intertwine nicely – almost sharing similar themes at points – and although not penned as a "soul symphony", the album certainly comes across like one. Titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Mellow Mood (parts 1 & 2)", "You're The First The Las, My Everything", and "I Can't Believe You Love Me".

The only solo album ever recorded by Maurice White – an upbeat and soulful set that's right up there with his best 80s work in Earth Wind & Fire! Like that group at the time, White's hitting a rhythmic side that's more electronic at points – letting beats and keyboard bits stand in for the previously-acoustic drums and percussion – yet all in a way that still retains that great EWF style of soul! Things are tight, but never too slick or commercial – and although the songs are catchy, they're never nearly as cloying as some of the other mainstream soul from the time. There's some surprisingly sweet moments that really show a new side of Maurice's talents, and titles include "Switch On Your Radio", "Stand By Me", "Sea Of Glass", "I Need You", "Invitation", "Lady Is Love", "The Sleeping Flame", and "Children Of Afrika".

A great later project from Zulema – one done in the years after her fame on bigger labels, but still pretty darn great overall! The groove here is quite different than the records she did back in the 70s – much more in the street soul mode you'd expect from the TSOB label – with lots of tightly popping basslines, sweet-stepping keyboards, and a set of rhythms that runs mostly in the boogie and 80s groove side of the spectrum! Turns out, Zulema's vocals are a perfect fit for the style – and where she might have overdone some tunes at points in the 70s, she's really fitting right in with the stronger backings here – kicking things very nicely with group co-member Al MacDowell. (Zalmac = Z + Al Mac) Titles include "What's In It For Me", "Dreamin", "See What Your Love Has Done", "Friends", "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", "I Get Down", "Happy Feelings", and "What Am I Doing".

Funky soul from Witchita, Kansas – an unlikely locale, but home to some really great music – courtesy of the Smart brothers, and their ultra-hip club! This wonderful entry in the Eccentric Soul series from Numero really brings that lost scene to life – telling the tale of the brothers, their club, and some of the wickedly funky artists that graced their stage – a host of obscure groups, singers, and instrumentalists who really made Kansas cook, back in the day! The groove here is plenty darn hard – as raw as some of the best funky 45s you might find from points north, warmed up with occasional southern soul elements – and always produced with rough-and-ready vibe that gets to the heart of the grit right away.

A very cool update of older vocal group modes – taken into sublime 70s territory with arrangements and production from Willie Hutch! Street Corner Symphony were part of the 70s doo wop revival movement – but unlike some of their acapella contemporaries, they were always happy to let in some other sounds on their records! In this case, Willie Hutch really makes things sound great – by backing the group's older style harmonies with some grooves that are right up there with Hutch's own best records for Motown – at times almost as funky as his famous soundtracks, at other points in a nicely clubby vibe with plenty of soul. Titles include "Street Corner Symphony", "Funk Machien", "We Got A Good Thing Going", "I'll Fly Away", "Come On Baby", and "No Game To Play".

The second album from Brass Construction – heavy horns, basslines, and stellar dancefloor grooves – a stone classic! The first one was totally great, but they cast a wider stylistic claim on II – their trademark funky sound is still very firmly in place, but they bring more to the plate. The rhythms and percussion have a more globally steeped flare at points on the album, and there's a more smoldering, slightly mellower vibe on some tracks, without sacrificing the funk. The whole thing's fused together wonderfully – with the larger group moving with the energy a much smaller combo – and titles include "Sambo", "Screwed", "Get To The Point", "What's On Your Mind", and "Now Is Tomorrow".

Nothing that's too filthy here, but an album that's one of the best of Papa John Creach's 70s run – bluesy at points, but a bit funkier at others – with Creach on both vocals and violin, with support from a hip batch of younger players! Arrangements are by Papa John with Miles Grayson and Roger Hamilton Spotts – and titles include "Filthy Funky", "Mother's Day", "Walking The Tou Tou", "No More Country Girls", "Far Out", and "Time Out For Sex".

Larry Graham hits the slow jam generation – stepping aside from his funkier groove for this classic album – a record that gave the world a huge crossover cut in the title track! The main focus here is on Larry's vocals, not his basswork – and he does a surprisingly good job as a modern soul male vocalist on the set – one who's a bit more fragile and human at points than some of his contemporaries – still somewhat smooth, but not always as polished. Titles include the megahit "One In A Million You", plus "There's Something About You", "Forever Yours", "When We Get Married", "I Just Can't Stop Dancing", "I'm So Glad It's Summer Again", and "Sunshine Love & Music".

BB King soars into the 70s with this smoking little set – a record that still holds onto all the raw energy of his best 60s recordings, but which also gives the whole thing an even more soulful focus too! There's no arranger credited for the core of the record – which is attributed to "everybody" in the group, which you can definitely hear in the wickedly spontaneous playing of the combo – especially the mighty drummer Herbie Lovelle, whose work here really gives King a new sort of kick. Bert DeCoteaux adds a bit of larger backings at points, but usually very gently – in ways that are hardly noticeable at all – as BB's guitar is right out front, wailing with lots of raw energy. Titles include "Key To My Kingdom", "Confessin The Blues", "No Good", "You're Losing Me", "So Excited", and the classic "Thrill Is Gone".

Far and away the band's best record! The album's got a fresh funk sound that takes an earlier 70s ensemble style and slicks it down a bit – but thanks to some great drum work by Tim Dozier (Steve Arrington had yet to join the band), and a subtle riffing bass style by Mark Adams, the band had a groove that was quite revolutionary, and which set them apart from the legions of funk imitators that were springing up at the end of the 70s. The high points of the album is the band's seminal "Slide", which is followed up with "Son Of Slide" – and both tracks have these amazing dark repetitive grooves that have really stood the test of time (thanks in part to a famous sample by Tribe Called Quest!) Other tracks include "You & Me", "Party Hardy", "Screw Your Wig On Tite", and "Separated".

A hip bit of sound library funk from the Italian Giraffa label – a batch of tunes that's almost a mix between horror soundtracks and jazz funk – served up with all the right keyboard and guitar touches of both! There's a slight electro vibe to the record at points – almost a mode that would be right at home in the Cosmic scene – but there's also a bit more warmth too, a sensitivity that makes the longer tunes really shimmer and sparkle nicely. And although a sound library set, the tracks have a much deeper sense of composition – not just simple rhythms, but tunes that change up nicely as they roll on. Titles include "The End", "Creation", "Soft Melody", "Leaving", "Take Flight", "Drops In The Wind", and "Transvesuvian".

A fantastic bit of space age funk – and maybe one of the greatest moments ever from Philly Soul maestro Dexter Wansel! The album goes way beyond any of Wansel's other work – and blends his warm soulful styles with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s – a vibe that's every bit as electric and spacey as you'd guess from the cover! Some cuts have a bit more of a soul focus, but others have loads of jazzy keyboards from Dexter – driven on by some great drums at points too. Titles include Wansel's legendary version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus the funky "Life On Mars", and the tracks "One Million Miles From The Ground", "You Can Be What You Wanna Be", "Prophet Named KG", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer".

Excellent work from Stevie Wonder – and a record that really has him emerging strongly as an adult soul singer! The set's got a joyous power that's undeniable – a sense of pride and place that really points the way at the Stevie of the 70s, and which has Wonder stretching out wonderfully on his vocals. Titles include the stellar "I Was Made To Love Her" – a cut with a choppy groove that made it one of the more unique crossover tunes of the late 60s, and with a complicated mix of vocal and musical bits that still always blows us away. Other tracks include "Baby Don't You Do It", "A Fool For You", "I'd Cry", "Send Me Some Lovin", and the ill-titled "Every Time I See You I Go Wild".

Not just Rock N Roll, but a classic collection of doo wop, R&B, and more! The original Rock N Roll Dance Party was a key collection in the late 50s – one that helped push the best R&B artists on the Modern/Kent label to a wider audience, thanks to a more mainstream cover! Features work by Etta James, Joe Turner, Joe Houston, The Jacks, The Cadets, and Marvin & Johnny!

One of the high points of Larry Graham's career – a hard-jamming set of guitar-based funk that forever put Graham Central Station on the map! There's a virtuosity to the record that's really stunning – bass, guitar, and drums all dropping into place magically alongside one another – while still managing to come across with a relaxed soulful approach that definitely makes this one more heavy funk than later years. Titles include "The Jam", "It's Alright", "I Can't Stand The Rain", "It Ain't Nothin But A Warner Bros Party", and "Easy Rider".

Amazing stuff! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do".

A great little album from Jeannie Reynolds – and her lasting contribution to underground soul! Jeannie's vocals are nice and deep – with hints of southern diva phrasing, filtered through some of the tighter soul styles coming out of Chicago and other points north at the time! Detroit talents LJ Reynolds, Tony Hester, and Don Davis produce – save for one song by Michael Henderson – and the big highlight is the slow groover "The Fruit Song", a sly seductive stepper of a track, with rolling congas, sweeping strings, and a very catchy hook from Jeannie. That number runs for about 7 minutes long – and the album also includes a number of nice shorter cuts, like "I've Still Got My Pride", "The Feelin' Ain't There", and "You Want To Get Your Hands On A Woman" – all wonderful numbers that will have you loving Jeannie as one of your favorite new discoveries in 70s soul!

The title's a bit of a joke, given the cover image – but it's also no lie either, as The Staple Singers are definitely swinging here – taking their gospel roots into a whole new direction in righteous soul, one that countless other acts would copy at the time! The music here is upbeat, romping, and often slightly psychedelic in inspiration – traces of Sly Stone or Norman Whitfield in the rhythms, and a nicely rumbling groove that features contributions from The Bar-Kays at a few key points. Instrumentation is heavy, but never too much to to overwhelm the vocals – and titles include the hit "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)", plus "What's Your Thing", "Almost", "How Do You Move A Mountain", "Little Boy", "I Like The Things About You", "I'm A Lover", "Give A Hand Take A Hand", and "You're Gonna Make Me Cry".

A brilliant debut from Sylvester – quite different than his later disco and club work – although still pretty upbeat and groovy overall! The album's a really unique sort of effort – one that's unabashedly gender-bending, but also wonderfully solid from a musical perspective – funky at points, rootsy at others – with an odd blend of 70s soul and older R&B elements, all filtered through the genre-bending sound of the Bay Area scene of the time! Arrangements are by Sylvester and The Hot Band, but Ben Sidran produced, and we're sure that the record's offbeat qualities are partly due to his own great style of the time – that weird, slightly messed-up groove you'd find on Ben's Blue Thumb album. The set features wild covers of "Southern Man" and "My Country Tis Of Thee" – plus "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Gimme A Pigfoot", "God Bless The Child", "I'm A Steam Roller", "That Is Rock n Roll", and "Come Back Baby".

Massive – and more rare club singles than we might have hoped for in a single package! The set's proof that there's still plenty to dig for in the 12" scene of the late 70s and early 80s – as it features a huge amount of rare grooves we've never heard before – most of them perfectly balanced between boogie, disco, and funky soul modes – and often produced with the sort of raw touches that we'd usually find on the P&P family of labels! There's definitely an east coast vibe running strong in the set – but the collection also features nice contributions from points west, too – including a few especially nice club tracks from the Detroit scene that have been lost to the shifting sands of time for years. The notes feature some surprising details on each number – proving that compiler DJ Red Greg really knows his stuff – and about half of the cuts are presented in sensitive edits that do great things to expand the groove, while still respecting the structure of the original tune. 12 tracks on the 2LP version: "Love Explosion" by Donnell Pitman, "Music Madness (DJ Red Greg Edit)" by Beckie Bell, "Search For Tomorrow" by Chain Reaction, "Love Me For Real (DJ Red Greg Edit)" by Rim & Kasa, "You Don't Want My Love" by KIC, "Right Size (DJ Red Greg Edit)" by Miss Misty, "Rainbows (Jazz Mix)" by Del Richardson, "Can You Dig It" by Lafayette Street, "Why Do I Love You (DJ Red Greg Edit)" by Andy Crown and more.