Soul — LPs  

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".

What can we say? This is one of the greatest soul soundtracks ever! In a market that was dominated by the big-selling Shaft and Superfly albums, Roy slipped in this masterful blend of jazzy vibes and wah wah funk that's easily one of the best-composed records of the blacksploitation genre! The album's much more unified than your average funky soundtrack – and each track moves between styles that you'd hear on any of Roy's great albums from the time. There's heavy funk on the track "Brawling Broads", cool vibes and electric piano on "Aragon", off-beat jazz on "Coffy Sauna", and great soul on cuts like "Coffy Is The Color" and "Coffy Baby". Wonderful all the way through – and another jewel in the already-big crown of the great Roy Ayers!

Quite an unusual record from New Orleans R&B legend Dave Bartholomew – arranger, producer, and trumpeter – coming off here with more of a jazz sound than on his usual records! Despite the "New Orleans" and "House Party" in the title, the album's actually set of complicated larger group arrangements – wonderful stuff with some strongly pronounced solos, blowing forth in styles that almost evoke some of the best crime jazz soundtracks of the time. Wardell Quezerque joined Bartholomew in putting together the album, and titles include "Sultan's Dream (parts 1 & 2)", "Concerto For Alto Sax (parts 1 & 2)", "Portrait Of A Drummer", and "A Cool One".

A dancefloor classic! The album's the second by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie, and head and shoulders above the rest – a sublime blend of soul and club that's hardly been matched again! Diamond manages to make things groove, but never loses sight of the soulful styles that make the record so great – and works here with key contributions from a young Luther Vandross, who gives the album some of the same strong vocal arrangements he brought to his own first two albums on Atlantic! Luther sings lead on the album's legendary track "Hot Butterfly", and works in a group with Cissy Houston on other tracks – sweetly soaring with vocals that go far beyond most disco efforts of the time. Simply sublime, and with classics that include "Hot Butterfly", "Paradise", "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)", "Chains", and "When The Sh*t Hits The Fan (Rocket Pocket)".

Soaring work from guitarist Michael Boothman – a record that's probably more in a soul instrumental mode than a jazz one – but which is plenty darn great, thanks to help from a variety of top-shelf talents! Boothman's working here with Leon Pendarvis – who plays keyboards on the record, and arranged the fuller backings for the record – ones that mix Boothman's guitar with some especially great wordless vocals from singers who include Lou Courtney and Edna Holt – singing alongside the strings with a sweetly scatting mode that's pretty great! There's a slightly tropical feel to some of the tunes here – which, mixed with a bit of jazz and the sophisticated backings from Pendarvis, almost puts the record in the territory of Jon Lucien – although obviously with less of a lyrical focus overall. Titles include "Heaven", "Song For My Soul", "Saying It With Music", "Diego Shuffle", and "Scorpio Stew".

Smooth ensemble funk – somewhere between Earth Wind & Fire and Average White Band – not bad on the vocals, which are mostly sung harmony style, but lacking a bit of an edge on the grooves, which never really seem to catch. Titles include "Top 40 Band", "Soul Power", "Funk Footin", "Cindy", "Mean Child", and "Let It Live".

Easily one of the top 5 female southern soul albums of the 70s – a landmark record that Shirley Brown never matched again! The record's got an open, honest quality that's far deeper than even other work from the time on Stax Records – a style that's partly Memphis, but which also has some of the rougher edges of other southern indies – not just in the way the songs are put together, but also in the open-handed emotion that Shirley brings to her work. The standout track is the classic "Woman To Woman", which begins with a great monologue that started off a whole slew of answer songs at the time! (In case you don't remember it, it's the one that goes "Girl, I was diggin' through my old man's pockets last night, and I came across your number...") Other tracks include "Stay With Me Baby", "Long As You Love Me", "Between You And Me", "So Glad To Have You", and "Passion".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic".

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and produced by Burke – who also played a fair bit of the music on the set as well! The tunes are upbeat and grooving – often with a rhythm that goes nicely right down the middle, and never tries to be too funky or clubby. This groove is epitomized by Burke's classic "Risin' To The Top" – a tune that's been sampled heavily over the years, to great fame – and which is probably the lasting legacy of this set. But the whole album's totally great – sophisticated 80s groove at its best – with other cuts that include "Who Do You Love", "Changes", "All Night", and "Hang Tight".

Surprisingly nice work! Like the rest of Solomon's post-Atlantic LPs, this one has a sound that's different than his classic work, but which also exposes a whole new side of his talent, and range of vocals that didn't always show up for Atlantic. Solomon arranged and produced here, and the sound is mellow and a bit modern, but still with excellent southern soul touches. Most of the tracks are new, and are dedications to Martin Luther King Jr., who was the inspiration for the album. The stuff's a lot more political than most of Solomon's work, as you might guess by titles like "I Have A Dream", "Now Is The Time", "Social Change", and "Mountain Top".

A bit over the top – and the kind of record that might have bankrupted Curtom in its later years! Linda's very much in full-disco mode, singing to long clubby arrangements by Gil Askey that have more strings and less soul than previous efforts. The one saving grace of the album is the cut "Don't Give It Up", a hip follow-up to "Runaway Love", which has a similar bad talkin' approach, with Linda doing a bit of a monologue in the middle. Other tracks include "Let Me Be Your Woman", "Hold Me Close", "Sweet Melodies" and the pairing of "One Of Those Songs" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which takes up all of the 2nd disc in the 2LP set.

A landmark LP of guitar-based funk! Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene by the time this album came out – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and it was a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style, instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel".

What can we say? Bootsy's on top of the world here – not only The Player Of The Year, but also the most soulful artist in the P-Funk stable, and a master of the smooth, sly, slinky groove that would forever be taken up by bands from LA – both in the immediate soul years and in later sampling hip hop ones. The record's got a sophisticated soul approach that moves the music way past slapped basslines and funny glasses – and thanks to top-line musicianship, including some help from Fred Wesley, Bootsy avoids any cliches that might have buried this one under the mountain of P-Funk albums hitting the market at the same time. Includes the monster track "Hollywood Squares" – plus "May The Force Be With You", "Very Yes", "Bootsy?", and "Bootzilla".

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated modern soul style, fused with a bit of a quiet storm vocal approach, to create a wonderfully mature album of silky soul tracks. Part of the strength comes from the vocalists – who include Eleanor Mills and Jean Carn – and Norman also does a bit of singing on the record, and comes across surprisingly well. Tracks include "Stella", "This Is Your Life", "Wouldn't You Like To See", "Butterfly", "Captain Connors", and a wonderful jazzy soul reworking of "The Creator Has A Master Plan".

Great early work from Andrae Crouch & The Disciples – just the kind of soulful set that made the group a big crossover act at the time! Although gospel at heart, the record's got a nicely secular feel in approach – a style that's a bit like some of the other larger group soul of the time – particularly the 5th Dimension, whose bright, sunny sound Crouch seems to be reaching for here! But there's also a slightly groovier feel too – that undercurrent of hip that was bubbling under on some of the best Light Records productions in the 70s. Titles include "I'm Gonna Keep On Singing", "I'm Coming Home Dear Lord", "Take A Little Time", "What Ya Gonna Do", "My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)", and "I've Got Confidence".

A killer start to the 80s for the Dazz Band – with great tunes in a funky mode as well as more measured group soul numbers – and it all adds up one of their best albums ever! Tunes like the opener "Shake It", plus "Shake It Up" and "Magnetized" bring the funkier vibes – with a vamping guitar, thumping bass groove, punchy horns, and top notch vocals from the group – while tunes like the title track and "Beyond The Horizon" have a more soaring arrangement of horns and some strings,still with an impeccable core groove. It's not as smoothed out in the production booth as some of their later grooves of the 80s – a total gem! Other titles include " Skate Lovers", "Carry On", "Do It Again", "Do It Again", "Sooner Or Later" and "Beyond The Horizon".

Fantastic soul from Lamont Dozier – his first LP as a solo artist, and one of the best debuts of the 70s! The record has a quality that's impossible to describe accurately – but it's kind of a post-Motown full-on approach to soul that mixes strings, piano, and that wall of sound groove that was one of Dozier's biggest contributions to the Motor City. Surprisingly, the album's produced by McKinley Jackson – leader of The Politicians, who provided regular backing for Dozier's HDH productions of the time. The real strength, though, is Dozier's voice – which is produced here in a compressed way that brings up the better raspy qualities of his style, juxtaposing them with the tightness of the arrangements in a mode that's similar to Bobby Womack's work of the time. However, Dozier's songwriting is way way better than Womack's by this point – and the album's filled with anthemic soul cuts like "Fish Aint' Bitin", "Out Here On My Own", "Take Off Your Make Up", "Trying To Hold Onto My Woman", and "Let Me Make Love To You".

A big hit for the group – and a great album of smooth funky soul! Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real – holding onto the deeply spiritual side that first made them great – but also focusing their energy towards a wider audience that showed their influence for years! Of course, with Charles Stepney helping out on production, it's hard to miss – and he's one of the few cats who could handle a blend like this so well. The compression in the band's playing is impeccable – with just the right mix of spacey spiritualism, sophisticated jazzy playing, and a straight ahead love of the soulful hook. Includes the instrumentals "Biyo" and "Departure", plus the vocal tracks "Earth Wind & Fire","Burnin Bush", "Spirit", "Imagination", and "Getaway", all produced to perfection by Maurice White and Charles Stepney!

A lost gem from Donnie Elbert – and a record with some really unusual touches! The style here has a bit of the spareness of some of Stevie Wonder's work from the time, but it's also got a skittish kind of groove that seems to have picked up a bit of a Jamaican influence – all of which makes for a great setting that brings out the best in Donnie's paper-thin vocals. Unlike other records, which seem to overwhelm him sometimes, this one's got a floating feel that glides Donnie nicely along! Titles include "Stop In The Name Of Love", "My Cherie Amour", "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "Never Can Say Goodbye", and "We Got A Good Thing Going".

A key transitional record from Fatback – one that sits nicely between their earlier funk and later club years! The record clearly knows this aspect about itself – as side one is titled "Vintage – House Party", and features more longer-jamming takes on the grooves that group was beginning during their Event years – a tightening up of the rougher initial Fatback groove, with plenty of bass driving the bottom of the tracks and lots more guitar work over the top. Side two shifts the focus to the "Tasty – Disco Party" mode – a style that's not that different from the first, but which has some smoother touches overall. Great Fatback all around, and titles include "Funk Backin", "Master Booty", "The Man With The Band", "Mile High", "I Gotta Thing For You", "Midnight Freak", and "Zodiac Man".

Fatback flying like the Phoenix – but hardly rising from the ashes, given that the group's always on top! The sound here is a bit different – slightly leaner than before, but in a good way – with lots of core keyboards from Bill Curtis, who also handles most of the lead vocals – although as with most Fatback sets, there's plenty of sharing on that front with the rest of the group members – a bit of harmony here, a switched lead there – all keeping things nice and fresh! And this time around, there almost seems to be more of a focus on the mellower cuts, which we like a lot – because we've always enjoyed the more laidback numbers tucked in amidst the group's funkier sets – so this album's a real treat, with plenty of mellow and midtempo groovers. Titles include "The Drum Song", "Lover Man", "Call Out My Name", "You've Got That Magic", "Big Brother", "Jump Up Baby Jump Up", and "I Love You So".

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA, and picking up a host of more righteous soul influences in the process – really coming up with a great sound for the 70s! The record is filled with surprising gems – the kind of cuts that will make you go "damn!", and have you digging for other Feliciano records from the same time. Highlights include an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady", with loads of jazzy changes – plus the originals "Virgo", "Hard Times In El Barrio", and his classic theme to "Chico and the Man" – a cut that sounds especially great on this album, in ways we never appreciated when watching the show. Other numbers include "Essence Of Love", "Stay With Me", "You're No Good", and "I've Got To Convince Myself".

Nice bit of soulful late 60's pop recorded under the baton of Clyde Otis. She sang with Walter Wanderley for a bit before this recording, and some of this stuff has a sort of bossa Latiny feel to it. Other tracks are more 60's soul sounding, but with a pop diva twist. Tracks include "Look at Me", "The Magic Door", "On Top of the World", and "We Could Learn Together".

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".

Nice bit of early slow jam material, with a heavy 80s vibe, and some deep soulful vocals by the enigmatic Frederick. We know little about Fred or the real source of this album, but the sound is top-notch, and tracks like "Gentle", "Somebody Won't Sleep Tonight", and "I Love You" rank up there with some of the best slow jam material from this period!

No hangin out here – because these guys are tighter than ever, and right on the money from the very first note of the set! A snapping drum break opens up the album – followed by a wickedly stepping bassline, a rolling conga part, and a vamping dance between Hammond and tenor sax – all to set the scene for a batch of grooves that's easily one of the finest ever from this Indy combo! The album's got a sharpness and tightness that balances beautifully between funky jazz and instrumental soul – a territory that's a bit like Kool & The Gang at times, but which has a much more jazz-based approach on the solos. The big cuts include "Smokin' At Tiffany's" and "Dirty Red" – and other tracks include a sweet cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love", plus "We Can Be Friends", "I Can See Clearly Now", and "I'll Be Around".

An oft-overlooked gem by Funkadelic – the group's last album for Westbound, and a record that really has them growing into a great new groove! Bootsy and Eddie Hazel have stepped aside for the set, but that gives Bernie Worrell plenty of room to work his magic on keyboards – in a way that really increases the spacier elements of the set, and almost trades a messed-up moogy sort of feel for the heady guitars of earlier years – a slippery kind of Funky Worm groove that we totally love! The set is self-described as "delightfully putrid" on the Pedro Bell cover – and we couldn't agree more! Titles include "Undisco Kidd", "Let's Take It To The People", "How Do Yeaw View You", "Butt-to-Butt Resuscitation" and "Take Your Dead Ass Home!".

Marvin Gaye's last album for Motown – and a wonderful cap to a great run of sexy soul for the 70s – filled with great mellow grooves that rival the genius of his earlier work in the decade! There's a glowing, slow-burning feel to some of the best numbers here – a vibe that's right out of the I Want You era, with touches of Let's Get It On too. But there's also a slightly more mature approach too – a bit more cautious, even when confident – no doubt informed by the struggles of his Here My Dear album, which also echoes somewhat in this set. The record's more proof that even when not coming across with a classic hit, Marvin's still very much at the top of his game – an artist that stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries – with none of the too-commercial or too-dated modes that held other folks back! Titles include "Life Is For Learning", "Praise", "Funk Me", "Far Cry", "Love Party", and "Love Me Now Or Love Me Later".

Nikki lays down some of her righteous poetry over a backing provided by the Sweet Inspirations and a host of Atlantic studio musicians. The groove is pretty soulful, and this is probably one of her most successful albums that blend poetry and music. Titles include "A Certain Peace", "The Women Gather", "The Way I Feel", "Just An NY Poem", and "My House".

Smooth 80s soul from Billy Griffin – formerly of The Miracles, but emerging here as a solo artist on his own, with a strong bid for stardom, dressed in a slick narrow-tie linen-jacket-with-collar-turned-up 80s stab at crossover fashion! Billy's voice is a lot better than his choice of outfit, though – and he's got a smooth style that mixes in a bit of falsetto with deeper vocals, keeping things pretty real on top of the synth/bass pedal grooves that make up the backing. Tracks include "Respect", "Serious", "So Many Ways", "Don't Ask Me To Be Friends", and "Dreaming".

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair".

Later stuff, but a pretty unique album from Herbie! The sound's a bit smoother than some of the groundbreaking electric albums, but the playing's top-shelf, and the record features a number of jazz funk numbers with soulful vocals – including work by Gavin Christopher and The Waters. Think of the record as work by Lonnie Liston Smith from the same time, and you'll really come to appreciate the funky grooves of "Don't Hold It" and "Saturday Night", and the spacey soul of "Making Love" and "Stars In Your Eyes".

Nice one! This obscure blacksploitation soundtrack features a hip Monk Higgins score for a Pam Grier film that's supposedly "Hotter than Coffey and meaner n' Foxy Brown". Having seen the film, we don't know if we'd totally agree with that assessment, but the music's strong enough, and the soundtrack's right up there with the best of its kind. Barbara Mason sung the title track and a few more vocal numbers – like "I'm In Love With You", "Good Man Is Gone", and "Sheba Baby" – all in the mode of her hipper work during the time, but the best cuts are the instrumentals, of course! Check out "The Shark", "Speedboat", "Heavy Shot", and "Breast Stroke", a necessary theme in any Pam Grier film!

An overlooked gem from 70s soul singer Eddie Horan – an artist we only know from this great little record – which is a sweet mellow soul classic! There's a mix of tightness and easygoing soul here that's mighty nice – as Eddie sings in this confident, yet laidback style that's right up there with the best male soul modes of the east coast scene – set here to these great arrangements that are full, but never overwhelming – just moving at this sweet pace that's perfect for the vocals! The set's got loads of midtempo gems that are mighty nice – some smooth steppers that have made the album a treasure for years – despite Eddie's lack fo great fame. Titles include "Love The Way You Love Me", "The Dancer", "Can't Do Without You", "Love So Easy", and "Man Without His Woman".

Funky blues work from Howlin Wolf – his key entry into the funked-up genre that Chess Records was cutting at the end of the 60s with other blues artists like Etta James, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters! As on records with those artists, Wolf's older modes are updated here for a hipper, younger audience – backed up with a bouncing batch of electrified backings arranged by Sonny Thompson, and conducted by Thompson and Cash McCall, the latter of whom is most likely playing a bit of guitar here. Tracks are a bit longer than usual, and filled with plenty of heavy guitar bits next to the vocals – and titles include "I Smell A Rat", "Miss James", "If I Were A Bird", "She's Lookin Good", "Turn Me On", and "Message To The Young".

A killer early album by the great Leroy Hutson! Hutson had originally been a later member of The Impressions – replacing Curtis Mayfield briefly after he'd gone solo – but he also had spent a fair bit of time noodling around the Chicago soul studio scene of the late 60s and early 70s. This album is kind of a "bustin' out of the studio" album in it's presentation of Hutson's material. The record features a number of great sweet soul cuts – like "Ella Weez" and "Can't Say Enough About Mom" – mixed with nice funky tracks, like "The Ghetto '74", which is a remake of "The Ghetto", a tune that Hutson wrote with Donny Hathaway. The record's a prime example of the genius of Chicago soul in the 70s – with great arrangements that have a lot of space for Leroy's singing, yet still come down hard and nasty in parts, like some of the funkier stuff on Curtom.

A great mix of heavy funk and sweeter ballads from the Isley Brothers – and a record that's filled with two-part tracks that really let them stretch out and groove! The tunes have a bit more bass and keyboards than before – an approach that's even more electric than Isley funk of a few years back, and which steps out in some tightly vamping rhythms that still crackle with plenty of warmth and soul – especially on the mellower numbers, which dominate side two of the record, and really make this one worth having! Mellow tracks include "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)", "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)", and "Make Me Say It Again (parts 1 & 2)" – and funkier numbers include "Fight The Power (parts 1 & 2)", "The Heat Is On (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hope You Feel Better Love (parts 1 & 2)".

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon".

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 harmonies provided by Janice and a group, of the sort you might find on records by Double Exposure – although with the obvious female difference, of course. A nice little album – we wish she made a whole bunch more of them! Titles include "Goody Two Shoes", "I Should Have Left You", "Love On The Line", "Take Me Away", "If I Had Known", and "Wake Up Smiling".

One of the strangest albums ever issued on Philly International – a set of tunes by Dick Jensen, who was part blue-eyed soul singer, part easy male vocalist – sounding here as if he'd almost hit the market about 5 years too late to make a difference. The record's the kind that would be more at home on late 60s Capitol than early 70s Philly – but they must have had big plans for it, as all the tracks are originals by Gamble & Huff, who also do the production with Thom Bell and Bunny Sigler. Bobby Martin, Vince Montana, and Norman Harris all arrange, so the backings are top-shelf too – it's just that Dick can't seem to figure out what he wants to be from track to track on the record. Titles include the funky "Fat Mama", plus "Peace Of Mind", "Going Up To The Mountain", "I Don't Want To Cry", "32nd Street", and "Tamika".

A great little set from this solo member of the Jones Girls – and one of the strongest new sets on Philly International in the 80s! Shirley delivers a warm set of sparkling modern soul tracks that really show the growth and the maturity of the Philly sound in the 80s – getting way past the simple club of the early years, and moving into a more adult mode that's helped along strongly by top-shelf production from Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Reggie Griffin, and Gamble & Huff. Titles include "She Knew About Me", "Breaking Up", "Do You Get Enough Love?", and "Always In The Mood".

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 American music at the time – moved into nicely by the group here on their renditions of classic tracks from the Jordan book! Titles include "Run Joe", "Early In The Morning", "Caldonia", "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby", "Beware, Brother, Beware", and "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens".

The first album by this sweet little Hawaiian band from the 70s – a great mix of jazzy rock and smoother AOR styles, with a soulful finish that made the group one of the best of the islands! Titles include "Going Going Gone", "The Hurt", "Nightbird", "Naturally", "All I Want", "Kona Daze", "To Be True", "When The Morning Comes", and "Everything Is Love".

Sure, they were one hit wonders – but oh what a hit! We totally love the title track "Dancing In The Moonlight" – a magical number that begins with this excellent electric piano riff, then rolls into some totally captivating blue eyed soul lyrics that really send the whole thing over the top! Raspy lyrics, hippie soul, and a wonderful tune that's always tops in our book! The rest of the album's not bad either – and has a similar soulful feel.

An amazing blend of raspy vocals, rumbling backings, and hip late 60s Motown soul – proof that Gladys Knight's move to the label was one of the smartest of her career! Thanks to top-shelf production here from Norman Whitfield, Gladys gets a newer sound that's ultra-hip – a bit deeper soul at times, but also with some of the more righteous overtones that Whitfield was bringing to other Motown acts at the time – a more pronounced sense of rhythm that really lets the lady and her backing group do their thing! Titles include "The End Of Our Road", "That's The Way Love Is", "I Know Better", "Don't Let Her Take Your Love From Me", "It Should Have Been Me", "Your Old Standby", and "What Good Am I Without You".

Funky 70s Little Richard – very much in the spirit of his Rill Thing album, although a bit more polished! The album features production and arrangements from New Orleans soul legend Bumps Blackwell – who first handled Richard way back when – and the record's sort of divided half and half between tracks that have a 70s funky feel, and others that are going back for more of an older styled retro rocking groove – yet not nearly as much so as on Richard's previous Reprise album. Titles include "Nuki Suki", "The Prophet Of Peace", "Thomasine", "Second Line", and "It Ain't What You Do It's The Way How You Do It".

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 into hipper adult soul territory that we really love. Smokey Robinson produced, and wrote a lot of tracks for the set – and the backings are the work of Wade Marcus and David Van De Pitte – both well matched, and giving the album a fully unified sound. Titles include "So I Can Love You", "Marionette", "A Breathtaking Guy", "Uptown", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "Our Lips Seem To Rhyme Everytime".

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 Hugh copped from his roots. The group's a tight little quintet with Al Abreu on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Chuck Carter on drums, and Henry Franklin on bass. The whole thing's great – and tracks include "Stop", "Bajabula Bonke", "There Are Seeds To Sow", "Vuca", "Almost Seedless", and "No Face, No Name, and No Number".

A great step forward for The Bar-Kays – an album that actually has them taking on a few mellower moments, amidst the heavy funk you might expect – yet all without softening their groove at all! The album's very much in the best spirit of the group's Mercury debut – still recorded in Memphis, with production that's tight, but never uptight – enough to firmly put the group at the top of the funk superstar scene of the mid 70s, yet never sell out the rich Memphis groove that first got them going! Titles include "You Can't Run Away", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Can't Keep My Hands Off You", "Whatever It Is", and "Shut the Funk Up".

Chicago "party" comic Tommy Brown lays down a second volume of his first hit LP of comedy "I Ain't Lying". Uncensored stuff, "For Adults Only".

An incredible batch of Brazilian fusion – cut by keyboardist Manfredo Fest, and one of the few records he ever waxed in the US during the 70s! The record mixes Fest's soaring Brazilian groove with a tight soulful set of arrangements by Jerry Peters – a bit club-oriented, with a similar sound to some of the other records on the Tabu label at the time, but always sensitive to Fest's playing and writing – especially his Brazilian roots! The record features wonderful vocals by Roberta Davis – a very soulful singer who had a hip wordless style that was similar to Tania Maria's at the time – breezy, scatting, and very nice. Her work really makes the record sparkle, working perfectly with Fest's jazzy electric keyboards in a perfect way! Titles include "Jungle Kitten", "Koko & Leeroe", "Arigo", and "Who Needs It".

Al takes over the whole deal with this one – as the record features him writing, producing, arranging, and even playing lead guitar! Of course, he gets a bit of help – from Fred Jordan and Reuben Fairfax, whose names are hidden in smaller type, under the message on the back that says that the record is "something new". Well, it doesn't have Willie Mitchell, that's for dang sure. Al's voice is always nice and pretty, and the record's still got some really nice moments! Titles include "All N All", "Belle", "Loving You", "Georgia Boy", "Feels Like Summer" and "Dream".

Leon Haywood's best album from the 70s! After working as a keyboardist and sometimes vocalist for a number of years – making some strong and some tentative entries into the soul genre – Leon really exploded with this album, an electric funk classic that gave the world his fantastic "I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You" (a track that had new life years later when Dr Dre sampled it to great fame.) The rest of the record holds up nicely, too – and is a mix of smooth soul and wicked funk, with tracks that include "Consider the Source", "Who You Been Giving It Up To", and "This Feeling's Rated Extra". Classic!

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 members of the group are all really great singers – one gal and three guys who come together in well-inflected harmonies on the mellow and mid-tempo numbers, but focus on a tighter lead for the funkier numbers. One member of the group here seems to have the range of Luther Vandross – although from the notes, we can't tell who it is – and titles include "Girl I Wanna Get Right Up Next To You", "Rock Across The Nation", "Caught Up In The Race", "Good Lovin", "Long Distance Love", "We'll Be Waiting", and "Something On Your Mind".