Soul — All Formats  

Sure, it's not classic funky Average White Band, but the album's a great one that showcases the group's best second suit – their smooth compressed late 70s soul sound – a great evolution of their earlier groove, and one that showed them as a great mainstream soul act! The tunes are a bit mellower overall, but still have a lot of crackle and warmth – and Hamish Stuart's lost none of his vocal charm, and in fact may even sound better in a more laidback, less funky heavy setting! With the great break track "Stop The Rain" – and the cuts "When Will You Be Mine", "Please Don't Fall In Love", "Walk On By", "Feel No Fret", "Atlantic Avenue", "Ace Of Hearts", "Too Late To Cry" and "Fire Burning".

What can we say? Despite the stupid appearance of the band, "White Horse" was a classic breakdance/electro track that crossed over so big it had kids in Kansas running out to by parachute pants and squares of linoleum to play along with the kids in the Bronx. Despite that runaway hit fame, though, the cut's a compelling one – with that perfect mix of post-disco post-punk grooves, warm in just the right places, and coldly appealing in others.

A beautiful swirling instrumental album that features the classic "Love's Theme", the cut that made Barry a multi-millionaire, and which firmly established his sophisticated orchestral soul style as one of the trademarks of the 70s! This is the ultimate in 70s soul class – from the cover that features Barry standing with ladies by the pool, to the complicated rhythms and sweet patterns of sound that made the record an instant classic. Includes some nicely funky cuts, like "What a Groove", "Baby Blues", and the sweet "Midnight and You".

A great step into the 80s for The Pointer Sisters – a record that has them bringing in themes that are a bit more soulful than some of their previous efforts! The album's still got all the big crossover potential of their other hits – but the groove's got a solidly soulful vibe overall – plenty catchy, and with some great 80s elements bubbling underneath – more than enough to freshen up their sound, and give the trio great new territory to work through! Titles include the mega-hit "Slow Hand" – plus "Sweet Lover Masn", "We're Gonna Make It", "What A Surprise", "Got To Find Love", "Fall In Love Again", "Should I Do It", and "Someday We'll Be Together". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Holding Out For Love" and "What A Surprise (original edit)".

The incredibly rare underground funk of Stone Coal White – whose couple of raw, incendiary psych funk 45s have been furiously sought for years – fleshed out here with newly discovered and previously unissued tracks for this most amazing full length on DJ Shadow's Cali Tex label! Stone Coal White featured a core lineup of bassist Melvin Payne, drummer Joe Roddrick and guitarist Tommy Mundy (or is it Munday?) – busting out a hazy, raucous and fuzzed out groove that's steeped in both funk and psychedelia. It's got more of a raw edge than most of their contemporaries and the later 70s combos to come out of the fertile Dayton scene – really cool stuff that's a joy to see respectfully issued all these years later. Mucho thanks to Dante Carfagna and Josh Davis for seeing it through! There's a revolving cast of vocalists – Dennis Mundy on "You Know" and "Hell Below", King Solomon Prather on "People's", Robert "Dapp" Brown on the gritty cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" and a cat called Cookieman on "Move Your Hand". Also includes "Stone Coal White", "Warm Up" and "Free".

A rare bit of hardcore poetry by the Watts Prophets – the legendary LA group who were kind of a west coast answer to the Last Poets! The group have a sound that's as striking as the best early work by The Last Poets – a hard-hitting blend of poetry, rhythms, and righteous energy – all recorded in a style that's stripped down, proud, angry, and in stark contrast to the rest of the work coming out in the soul music industry at the time. The album's not only important as a precursor to the west coast hip hop style, but it's a heck of a powerful statement that's as chilling now as it was back in 1971! Titles include "Amerikkka", "Dem N_gger Ain't Playing", "A Pimp", "Hello N_ggers", and "The Prostitute".

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".

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".

Barry White at the height of his powers – soaring out here with that amazing groove that never lets us down! The album's a mini-soul symphony throughout – tight beats, soaring strings, and that rock-solid Barry White vocal approach – that warm, fluid sound that's instantly recognizable, and which sparkles forth to really tie the whole album together! There's less standout singles here than some of White's other albums from the time – but that's the great thing about the album, too – as it encourages you to take the whole thing together at once – as such a masterpiece should be enjoyed. Titles include "If You Know Won't You Tell Me", "Baby We Better Try To Get It Together", "I Don't Know Where Love Has Gone", and "Let The Music Play". CD features some bonus variations on the title track – a single version, instrumental b-side, "M+M throwback mix", "Funkstar's club deluxe", and alternate version of "Let The Music Play"!

Barry White was always the victim of his own success – in that he cut so many excellent records early on, that folks always over look the great stuff he did in later years. This 1979 album is a perfect example of Barry's greatness in this respect – as it's still totally on the money, with strong songwriting, and a silky smooth modern sound that perfectly showcases Barry's vocals, which are sung more strongly than ever. The record's a nice one – and it includes the spacey steppers cut "You're The One I Need", which has a mellow loping groove, and a good midtempo dancefloor groove. Other tracks include "I Found Love", "It Ain't Love, Babe", and "Love Ain't Easy".

Sheet music – as in the sheets of a bed, get it? Well, if you can't, the cover image has a picture of a bed with sheets that have musical notes on them, just so you get the hint. Despite that cheesy joke, though, the album's a great batch of tracks from Barry – who's grown nicely here since his mid 70s hits, moving into a smooth modern soul style that he undoubtedly inspired, one that's filled with rich instrumentation, yet grooves along at an unbelievably light pace. Titles include "Lady Sweet Lady", "I Believe In Love", "Ghetto Letto", "Rum & Coke", and "Love Makin Music".

One of The Maestro's true materpieces! Fragile, sexy, sinful soul, held together by interwoven strings and keyboard lines, with Barry's voice over the top like rich cream on a sweet piece of cake. Includes the long versions of "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", plus "Hard To Believe That I Found You".

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".

AWB's first for Atlantic – and a nice slice of funk that proves that they can mix it up with the best groups of the 70s! The record's got plenty of sweet electric keyboards over smooth funky basslines – and as the years go by, the band's white boy vocals don't sound nearly as bad as we remember them. And besides, when they play their instruments so nicely – how can you hold the singing against them? Includes the killer classic "Pick Up The Pieces", sampled more times than we can remember – plus "You Got It", "Just Wanna Love You Tonight", "Person To Person", and a nice remake of the Isley Brothers' "Work To Do".

If you need to own one album by Average White Band, this is it! The album features the band at their funky best – playing hard and chopping away with a strong crossover sound that put them firmly on the map during the early 70s. Loads of tight rolling basslines and hard drums – all produced with that polished funky sound that was the band's stock-in-trade during the big chart years! The record includes their funky classic "School Boy Crush", still a sampling favorite – plus loads of other nice moments, like "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", "Cloudy", "High Flyin Woman", and the hit title cut "Cut The Cake".

In case you don't get the joke, the title's a play on the fact that Atlantic Records had just been acquired by Warner Communications – now fully a major label at the end of the 70s! That fact doesn't stop the album from being a good one, though – and AWB work here with Arif Mardin on a set of tunes that still have a fair bit of the funky touches of earlier records, but which also go for a few mellower tunes too – of the sort that were becoming the group's strongest suit at the time. "She's A Dream" is a great example of this style – a nicely gliding number that still has a nice groove at the bottom – and while the set doesn't include any standout hits, it's still a great example of why AWB could pull off this sort of record a lot better than most of their contemporaries! Titles include "She's A Dream", "Warmer Communications", "Price Of The Dream", "Sweet & Sour", "One Look Over My Shoulder", "Your Love Is A Miracle", and "Same Feeling Different Song".

Ben E King joins the Average White Band for this sweet 70s set – a killer record that not only stands as one of King's best efforts of the decade, but one that also gives the group a great new frontman! Ben's not the only singer on the record, but his presence here can definitely be felt – deepening up the grooves nicely, and giving the already-great AWB sound an even more badass feel! Titles include the classic "Star In The Ghetto", a funky remake of "What Is Soul", an earlier hit for King – plus "Keepin It To Myself", "Imagine", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Get It Up For Love", and "The Message".

Loads of classic singles – 20 in all – with cuts that include "I've Got So Much To Give", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me", "You're The First The Last My Everything", "Honey Please Can't Ya See", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Love's Theme", "Satin Soul", "Oh What A Night For Dancing", "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", and "Playing Your Game Baby".

Beautiful ballads from The Man – proof that Barry White had a great way with a mellow track and a love song! Of course, Barry was always singing about love, even when grooving – but over time, he really found a great way to use all that energy, but bring it down a few notches too – laying back into a gentle groove that worked perfectly with his round, large vocal approach! This set's a nice mix of lesser-known ballads and a few key tracks – with titles that include "Love Serenade", "Of All The Guys In The World", "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing", "Dark & Lovely (radio)", "I've Got So Much To Give (single)", "Hard To Believe That I Found You", "You Turned My Whole World Around", and "Put Me In Your Mix (single)".

Later than Barry's classic years, but some nice material that often gets overlooked! As the 80s approached, Barry changed his style slightly – and hit a smooth modern soul groove that was still closely related to a lot of trends he invented in the early 70s, but which also had a slicker production sound that compressed the grooves a bit. The result may not be as popular with beatheads, but it works great for steppers – as you'll hear on the mellow cut "Ooo . . . Ahh" on this album. Other tracks include "Tell Me Who Do You Love", "You're My High", "Let Me In & Let's Begin With Love".

While not as huge a hit as some of his other 70s efforts, this is still a solid LP from White as the 70s were winding down. His signature sweeping soul style is fully in place, and the rich production complements the slower get-your-groove-on ballads nicely. Includes "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness", "September When I First Met You", "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing", "Sha La La Means I Love You" and 3 more.

Barry White's entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack genre – and it's a doozy! The record's filled with lots of tight little instrumental grooves, produced in the hard edged Love Unlimited Orchestra way – with tight funky drums at the bottom, snapping snare in the middle, and sharp sweeping strings over the top. Love Unlimited sing on a few tracks, but the cuts are mostly instrumentals with a very hard groove. Titles include "Somebody's Gonna Off The Man", "Alive and Well", "Theme From Together Brothers", "Do Drop In", and "Here Comes The Man".

Sure, as the title says, Lenny's streamlined his sound here – but to us that's a good thing, as it eliminates some of the overly-heavy jam sound that could ruin earlier records. Plus, he's working here with a pretty soulful fusion group that includes Don Blackman on keyboards and Marcus Miller on bass, both of whom give the record a similar feel to the GRP funk that would come out a few years later from Blackman, Bernard Wright, and others. A few tracks have vocals, and titles include "Struttin", "Earthlings", "Spazmo Strikes Again", "Pooh Bear", "Lockie's Inspiration", "I'll See You Soon", and "Night Games".

Sublime mid 70s work from The Average White Band – and a record that really has the group deepening their groove a bit – moving past the heavier funk of their roots, into some mellower grooves that are totally great! There's a great undercurrent of jazz in some of the playing here – a real consciousness for clever changes, hip instrumental flourishes, and some other fusion-inspired moments – although all delivered with an understated quality that's mighty nice. The feel's a bit like The Headhunters on their second album, or some of the great Wayne Henderson groups on Fantasy – a great mix of jazz funk and soul that makes the record one of our favorites by the group. Titles include "Sunny Days", "Digging Deeper", "Love Your Life", "Queen Of My Soul", and the stellar mellow "A Love Of Your Own".

A lost treasure from Barry White – the one and only album recorded by Danny Pearson, one of the few singers that Barry did as "special projects" during the 70s! Like Gloria Scott and Tom Brock – two other White-produced singers of the time – Pearson's got a wonderful approach that's quite different than Barry's own work – a fragile, sensitive, sweet soul style that's a lot like indie work from the New Jersey/Philly scene of the early 70s, produced with a bit more of the Barry White flair. The sound is sublime – with magical orchestrations by White and Gene Page, wrapped lovingly around Pearson's great vocals. Titles include "Honey Please, Can't You See?", "What's Your Sign Girl?", "Is It Really True Girl", and "Walkin In the Rain With The One I Love".

Barry White's got plenty to give here – a massive classic from his legendary early 70s years – and the first record to feature the maestro on his own as a lead act! The set's a masterpiece through and through – a sublime mix of soaring strings, soulful rhythms, and some killer compositions – a mini symphony in soul that forever set a standard for other artists to match! Barry's handing of the arrangements is great, with a bit of help from Gene Page – and when his magnificent vocals slide into the mix, things really take off – on a set of incredible cuts that includes the extended break classic "I'm Gonna Love You A Little More Baby", plus "I've Got So Much To Give", "Standing In The Shadows Of Yesterday", "I've Found Someone", and "Bring Back My Yesterday". CD features 2 bonus tracks – a killer instrumental of "Just A Little More Baby", and another instrumental of "I've Got So Much To Give".

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". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including "Life", "Life (Freedom mix)", "Adventures Of The Heart (demo)", and "Sam The Jam".

One of the best ever records from Twennynine – produced and arranged by Lenny White & Larry Dunn – jazzy modern soul at it's dawn of the decade finest! Twennynine With Lenny White is way at the front of the pack of a lot of the 80s groove elements to follow in its wake – with popping basslines, heavy bass pedals, compressed guitar riffs and a really insistent overall groove! The record's got a pretty straight R&B feel, but thanks to White's nice production, there's a lot of good fusion elements in the mix – which raises the album a step above, and makes it groove nicely. The group features keyboards by Skip Anderson, doing a great job stepping in for Don Blackman, with lead vocals by Tanya Willoughby, synths by Larry Dunn, percussion by Paulinho De Costa, guitar by Eddie Martinez, bass by Barry Johnson and others. Titles include "My Melody", "Kid Stuff", "Fancy Dancer", "Slip Away", "We Had To Break Away", and "Love & Be Loved".

The rare late 60s album by Plant And See! The record is a great mix of psych and soul released on White Whale – the adventurous label home of fellow funk rock/country soul genre buster Jim Ford – and another essential gem! Led by Native American guitarist and lead vocalist Willie French Lowery, the group is notable for it's multi-racial lineup – which was, sadly, a real anomaly at the time – but the music is their greatest selling point! There's a bit of a funky, kinda swampy rock vibe throughout, plus some straight up blistering tunes with furious drums and blazing guitars, and some sweeter moments, thanks to female backing vocals. Includes "Put Out My Fire', "Flat On My Face", "Mrs. Tree", "Henrietta", "Love & Affection", "Poor Rich Man", "Seekin' Advice", "Witches Brew" and "Leavin" (the lead vocal by backing singer Carol Fitzgerald.

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 great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, but which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time. The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album.

A really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going on – a style that brings together jazz players like Tom Harrell on trumpet, Mel Martin on saxes, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, and Flip Nunez on organ – and Latin players like Victor Pantoja on congas, Coke Escovedo on timbales, and Pete Escovedo on added percussion. In fact, the set's a key early example of the strength of the Escovedo family – and like their best later efforts, the set really stretches out and pushes the boundaries of conventional genres. There's also some great guest work from Lenny White on drums, Mike Nock on keyboards, and Neal Schon on guitars – and vocals are by a range of singers who really keep things fresh. Titles include "Red Onions", "Mazatlan", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Mexicana, Mexicana", and "Love Is A Stranger".

A pivotal album for the group – released at a time when Black Ivory, like so many other east coast vocal groups, was making the transition away from an older sweet soul style to a more sophisticated club vocal sound. The group's producing themselves here – and we're guessing that most of the real work is being done by Leroy Burgess, although Patrick Adams still appears to be working with the group on the string and horn arrangements – giving things just the right sort of underground disco twist to make things groove! The record includes the great club track "Walking Downtown (Saturday Night)", a longtime fave around Chicago – plus "White Wind", "Making Love In My Mind", "Could This Be Magic", "Longer Ride", and "Can't You See".

Brilliant work from this long-lost Barry White protege! Tom Brock was one of the leading lights in Barry's stable of sweet mid 70s soul talents – a great writer who contributed songs to the legendary Gloria Scott album, and a heck of a great mellow soul singer on his own – with a style that's right up there with work by Leon Ware, Leroy Hutson, and some of our favorite 70s soul heroes! This album's the only one that Brock ever recorded – a great blend of mellow soul tunes, ballads, and a few tracks that have a nicely kicking Barry White-styled funk sound to them. White produced and arranged with Gene Page – and the whole album's great – the kind of mellow soul treasure you'll play again and again and again over the years! Includes the massive "I Love You More & More", plus "There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You", "Shake Me Wake Me", "Naked As The Day I Was Born", "If We Don't Make It, Nobody Can", "Have a Nice Weekend Baby", and "The Love We Share".

Very raw, very rootsy stuff from Big Bill Broonzy, issued by Columbia (strangely enough) as part of their Adventures In Sound series. The packaging and the notes have the usual smug Columbia "serving up the best in roots culture for white liberals" tone – but the set's actually a pretty decent batch of material that includes nice numbers like "Texas Tornado", "Key To The Highway", "When I've Been Drinkin", and "Goobye Baby Blues".

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".

Bass heavy funk from the Brothers Johnson and Quincy Jones. This track was the heavier b-side to their "Strawberry Letter 23" single, but is issued here as a double a-side promo, and while not as completely sublime as that track, it's a mighty commercial funk groove in its own right!

One of the few James Brown 12" singles ever, and a rare promo issue that features 2 cuts from James' Jam/1980s LP. Both cuts have an uptempo funk sound, and "The Spank" is a pretty decent attempt by James to capture the modern dancefloor.

Probably the rarest of all albums by The Chairmen Of The Board – and also the last! The album was cut after the band re-formed briefly, and it's got a fuzzed-out heavy soul sound that's quite different from some of the group's earlier work. There's heavy guitar on many tracks – riffing away in a psychedelic mode that dominates most tracks, but which almost buries the group's vocals. The album's a great one if you dig the funk side of the Chairmen – and at times, it almost reminds us of The Politicians, who were kind of labelmates of the group. Includes the excellent two-part funk track "Life & Death" – plus "Love At First Sight", "Everybody Party All Night", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Finder's Keepers", "Skin I'm In", and "White Rose (Freedom Flower)". Lots of bonus tracks too – including "Finders Keepers (inst)", "Someone Just Like You", "Come On In & Dance", and "You've Got Extra Added Power In Your Love".

A weird little record from Bill Cosby – a set that's not as all-out funky as some of his other vocal albums, but still pretty nice overall! The style here is more bluesy than soul-based, but production is still by Fred Smith, of 103rd Street Rhythm Band fame – and the album has a sense of grit that's a lot stronger than you might guess. Many of the tunes are covers from an older R&B era, and Cosby takes them with an approach that's a bit tongue-in-cheek at times – kind of garbling the lyrics and muddying up the sound, even though we know he can sing a bit more clearly from other records! There's certainly a few tracks that have a nice gritty soul sound, and titles include the great "Little Ole Man" which is basically Bill doing a skit over the "Uptight" rhythm – plus "Bright Lights Big City", "Big Boss Man", "Hush Hush", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Mojo Workout", "Doncha Know", and "Place In The Sun".

A pretty great record from Sammy – one that has a groovier feel than most of his other work from the time! The cover has Sammy hanging out with a bunch of hippies, and that feel is certainly carried through to the music – arranged by Billy Strange and George Rhodes, with bouncy production by Jimmy Bowen that takes Sam way past his years at Reprise. Kicks off with a great version of "Spinning Wheel", and includes the tracks "You Better Sit Down Kids", "For Once In My Life", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "In The Ghetto".

One of the undisputed masterpieces LPs of 70s soul! William De Vaughn may never be remembered for anything else – and the poor guy will always be mistaken for Curtis Mayfield by record shoppers everywhere – but he really out-Curtised Curtis on the super-dope original version of "Be Thankful For What You Got", one of those righteous soul tunes that everybody knows, everybody loves, but which was recorded by an artist that nobody can remember. Get this one, and you'll remember William De Vaughn as a genius for the rest of your life – not only for the full 7-minute version of "Be Thankful", which has a great conga breakdown in the middle, but also for other original tunes like "Blood is Thicker than Water", "You Can Do It", and "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand". Very righteous, and with a deep soul groove that was hardly matched by other albums of the era!

An overlooked treasure from the Atlantic vaults – the first album by The Dynamics, and arguably a much greater record than the group's better-known set from the 70s! The Dynamics were a Detroit group from the late 60s, with that heavy harmony sound that was becoming a standard for the city's soul scene – and they were managed by Aretha Franklin's husband Ted White, who was probably responsible for getting them to record at Atlantic. Oddly, this session was recorded in Memphis, not Detroit – with production by Tommy Cogbill and Chips Moman – who give the group a deep soul bottom that adds a lot to their still-rough vocal style. There's a great mix of deep and smooth going on here – a style that reminds us a bit of the few great Memphis vocal groups of the period, but which also has a Detroit tightness at times too. The tracks are a great mix of originals by Don Mancha, Fred Baker, Ronnie Shannon, and others – and titles include "Ain't No Love At All", "I Don't Want Nobody To Lead Me On", "What Would I Do", "Fair Love", and "Murder In the First Degree". A killer, and the kind of record you started collecting soul for!

Earth, Wind & Fire's first album – recorded at a time when the group recently had ties to the Chicago soul and jazz scenes, and a range of experience that ran the gamut from work with Sun Ra, the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, The Pharoahs, Ramsey Lewis, and countless other influential groups. Headed up by Maurice White on drums and percussion, the group forged an amazing blend of all these influences, creating a future soul sound that pushed black music to the next level – taking a wealth of previously underground modes of expression, and fusing them into a soaring sound that would soon put them at the top of the charts. This album's a lot looser and freer than their Columbia albums – with plenty of raw funk and some nice off-beat jazz soling. Includes the classic break track "C'Mon Children", plus "Fan The Fire", "Bad Tune", and "Moment Of Truth".

A rare promo pressing of one of Earth Wind & Fire's biggest hits!

The Powerlight is burning bright – Maurice White, Philip Bailey, and the rest of the group still very much in classic formation! Even on a post-70s set like this, Earth Wind & Fire still manage to come up with tracks that beat the rest of the ensemble funk groups that grew up in their wake – groovers that still set a new level for the boogie generation, and mellow tracks that cross over beautifully without ever getting to soppy or adult contemporary. The balance is a tricky one, but the group always manage to pull it off – and guide the whole presentation of work here with enough class and care to show that the whole thing's the result of genius planning, and not just some happy accident! Titles include "Something Special", "Miracles", "Fall In Love With Me", "Straight From The Heart", and "Spread Your Love".

A soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". CD features a bonus single version of "Flowers".

A huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart".

"It Should Have Been Me" is a famous ballad track by Yvonne – done in a slow, building style, with a real weepy southern finish, one of her best tracks ever!

A Chicago house classic, taking off on the riff from the Isaac Hayes tune that's been re-edited and mixed as doubles in clubs for ages and turning it into a new club anthem!

A well-titled album from one of the funkiest New York groups of the 70s – and proof that Fatback could still hit a heavy groove, even when tightening things up a bit! The style here is still firmly in the live jamming mode of their roots – captured well in the studio, in a style that's never too slick, nor too "easy" in the choices of rhythms or arrangements. Titles like "Double Dutch", "Spank The Baby", "Duke Walk", "Cosmic Woman", and "Love Street" hint at the street funk style that first got the group going – and although the sound's a bit more professional than before, all the best elements are still very much in place! Other titles include "NYCNYUSA", "A Changed Man", and "Soul Finger".

A mighty great little record – a mixture of jazz and soul from the heavy talents of Hilton Felton – and a record that not only features some of his own great work on organ and keyboards, but some great contributions from other members of the DC scene of the 70s! In addition to help from The Blackbyrds in the core combo, and guest tenor from Andrew White, the set also features vocals from a young Angela Winbush on one track – singing backup on some others! But the core charm of the record comes from the grooves – the kind of upbeat, righteous sounds that we've always loved in Felton's keyboards – almost an extension of the Prestige Records jazz funk groove from the start of the 70s, with echoes of records by Funk Inc, Melvin Sparks, and Leon Spencer – but given a particularly hip east coast indie sort of spin! Titles include "Family & Friends", "Spreading Fever", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Family Reunion", "Clay's Way", and "The Power Of Love".

Uptempo soul album with kind of a disco feel. Produced by Don Ray, who also played synthesizers on the album, and with the single "Tumble Heat". Other cuts have a similar feel, and include "Find the Fire", "Nice and Slow", and "Where'd You Get What You Got". Great cover with Michele being embraced by a Battlestar Galactica-ish space being.

A more melodic mix of modes from Funk Inc – with some cool production by David Axelrod! The band's gritty funky is stretched out this time, and overall the sound's got kind of that mid 70s Prestige feel – but the work in a variety of styles here. Includes cooking jazzy funk & soul,bits of the gritty groove they made their name on, and a couple tunes with some emotive lead and soaring backing vocals! "Where Are We Going" and "Price to Sell". Also includes "It Ain't The Spotlight", "God Only Knows", "Gimme Some Lovin'", "Somewhere In My Mind" and "The Girl Of My Dreams".

A sweet little 80s groover – nice female vocals, a snapping bass-y kind of groove, and a very satisfying overall style that makes for a pretty nice tune!

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 more obscure stars in the TK Records constellation – a one-off club project, featuring the writing and production talents of Oscar Llord, and the vocals of Bobby Bushe – hence the title! The set's got a rough take on the Miami disco style of the time – a bit less polished than the usual TK record, with some earnest instrumentation and vocals that falter a bit at times, but which are all that much better because of that fact. In other words, the rougher edges make this one great – and a lot better than some of the too-smooth club of the time! Titles include "Rock Steady", "Get On Up", "Love Fuse", "Tell Me That You Will", "Get In The Groove", and "Flight 69".

Nice one! This is the obscure first album by Rhetta Hughes – who's probably better known to the world for her later album on Tetragrammon. The tracks are a mix of pop and soul titles, but they're given some nice arrangements by Chicago soul great Tennyson Stephens, who also sings on the album a bit. Ralph Bass produced the whole session, and it's got a beautiful sort of jazz/soul vocal style that brings to mind the great Lorez Alexandria albums on Argo. The whole thing's very different than Rhetta's later deeper soul releases – and is a beautiful vocal album in the polished Chicago jazz vocal tradition. Titles include "Come On Home", "Back Street", "Music Makes Me Dance", "Lost & Lookin'", and "When Sunny Gets Blue".

A great little set from Leroy Hutson – proof that he was still going strong through all his years at Curtom! For years we passed this one by, wrongly thinking "it's late, it can't be that good" – but the album's a real winner, with a blend of clubby uptempo cuts and some super-great mellow soul material, stuff that has Leroy stepping into a smooth modern soul vein! Seminal tracks include "So Nice" and "Right or Wrong" – both of which are amongst some of his best work ever – and other tracks include "Unforgettable", "Funk In My Life", and "Lonely Without You".

Excellent single from the godlike hands of Patrick Adams & Greg Carmichael! The record's a club-heavy update of this Motown classic that's mixed by Larry Levan!

An all-star soundtrack to this comedy film from the 70s – starring Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby, and a very young Harvey Keitel! Most of the tracks on the set are from other A&M albums, but there's a few tunes that are original to the set – including the vocal track "No Love Today" by Michelle Phillips, served up in an instrumental reading by Pete Jolly. Paul Jabara also contributed the tune "Dance", in 2 versions – and other cuts, from other albums, include "Mellow Out" by The Crusaders, "Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin Licks" and "Get The Funk Out Ma Face" by The Brothers Johnson, "My Soul Is A Witness" by Billy Preston, and "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton.

A great but overlooked bit of crossover funk from Chas Jankel – guitarist for Ian Dury & The Blockheads during the late 70s! We're pretty partial to the cut "Glad To Know You" – which is a wicked post-punk crossover tune – almost in the Human League mode, but with some of the playful qualities of Ian Dury's work!

A great little box set of Syl Johnson sides from Numero's epic, jaw-droppingly far-reaching Complete Mythology package! The purpose here was not only put together a beautiful, more portable vinyl sampler of the amazing 6LP/4CD complete set, they also did it to represent the breadth of Syl's soul genius and mastery of a range of styles over years. Honestly, we can't imagine how difficult it must have been to pick standout tracks to feature here, but however many blood-vessels in the brain they must have busted to choose the best, it delivers perfectly. Packaged in a white box that's sealed with custom Syl Johnson craft tape! "Do You Know What Love Is" b/w "The Love I Found in You", "My Funky Band" b/w "Sockin’ Soul Power", "Double Whammy" b/w "Wiggle In Your Hips", "Right On" b/w "Pt. 2", "Try My Love Again" b/w "All I Need Is Someone Like You".

A pretty odd little record from Gloria Jones – a great soul singer back in the 60s when she was pounding out the hard northern numbers, but not so great here, where she's in an odd style that mixes disco with a hard soul approach, and just doesn't work. The "Reunited" in the title refers to Gloria and Ed Cobb – her producer on earlier records, and the force behind this effort. Gloria had previously spent time working in the group T Rex and was married to the late Marc Bolan – and she dedicates the painful number "Sixty Minutes Of Making Love" to their time together. Features a remake of Gloria's original hit "Tainted Love", plus "Body Heat", "The Touch Of Venus", and "I'm Going To Run Away With Him Tonight".

One of the Last Poets greatest albums – and one of their most sophisticated as well! Gone are the rough-hewn rhymes of the group's first album, and in their place are better arranged, more thought-out tracks that mix in a wealth of musical influences – and which expand the group's verbal expression past simple protests, and into the realm of Jazzoetry that became their trademark during the mid 70s. Tracks include "Related to What", "Black Is", "White Man's Got a God Complex", "Black People What Y'All Gonna Do", and "This is Madness" – and a number of tracks are preceded by strong and forceful chants before the lyrics kick in! Reissue of the 80s Celluloid pressing – with a different cover than the original version.

Two electric killers from Ramsey Lewis – back to back in a single package! Funky Serenity is sweet electric funk from Ramsey – one of his best from the 70s, and a set with Lewis on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold".

Classic club from Webster Lewis – and much more of an all-out disco affair than some of his later work! The record introduces Lewis' all-encompassing style – as he writes, arranges, and produces the album at a level that easily matches that of Barry White – who would later emerge as a mentor for Lewis, introducing him as part of the later Love Unlimited Orchestra records. The group here is billed as "Webster Lewis & The Post-Pop Space-Rock Be-Bop Gospel Tabernacle Orchestra & Chorus" – a pretty good way to describe the soaringly full sound of the album – one that's built up from Webster's keyboards with lots of added strings and rhythms, plus occasional backing vocals from a female chorus. Most of the focus here is instrumental, though – filled with great tunes that include "On The Town", "Love Is The Way", "Do It With Style", "Song Of Joy", "Goodnight Baby Girl", "Since I've Been Gone", and "Saturday Night Steppin Out". CD features the bonus track "Let's Do It Again".

Very nice comeback album by Love Unlimited, and one that still features Barry White at the helm. The music's a nice mix of midtempo modern soul groovers, with a lot of tracks that have an excellent steppers groove to them. With the cuts "I'm So Glad That I'm A Woman", "High Steppin, Hip Dressin' Fella", "If You Want Me, Say It", "Gotta Be Where You Are", and "I'm Givin You A Love (Every Man Is Searchin' For)".

Great stuff – the beginning of the Love Unlimited dynasty! As we're sure you know, Barry White produced this little gem of a record, and the record was a key proving ground for many of his stone cold soul production ideas before he went off and started doing the lead vocals himself. The trio of lovelies that makes up Love Unlimited do a perfect job with Barry's arrangements – singing heavenly harmonies on tracks like "If This World Were Mine", "Is It Really True Boy – Is It Really Me", and the stunning "Walking In The Rain With The One I Love", which has one of the best telephone monologues you'll ever hear on a soul track!

Great stuff from the girls who first put Barry White on the map! The record is the group's second – and by this point, Barry had developed that tight snapping drum sound that made his orchestral albums work so well. You'll hear it to good effect on most songs on the LP, which have a great groove that's in the best Barry White mode of the 70s – but which kind of dominates the girls' vocals a bit. Not that anyone should complain that much, as it's the overall package that's always made Barry's albums sound so great – but we do wonder how the group felt when they had to sit out the first track, which was the instrumental "Love's Theme", a song that went onto become Barry's biggest song ever, and which probably sold the album a lot more than the vocal tracks. Still, you can hardly detect a note of disharmony – and the album soars from track to track, through titles like "Under The Influence Of Love", "Say It Again", "Yes, We Finally Made It", and "It May Be Winter Outside".

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 find in a good Barry White album – hitting all the right mellow funky moments at once! The prime example of this is the killer "Mellow Mellow Right On" – offered up here in two long parts that take up most of side two of the album. Other nice ones include a version of Lowrell's "Overdose Of Love", plus the tracks "Out Of Breath" and "Smooth & Wild".

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 find in a good Barry White album – hitting all the right mellow funky moments at once! The prime example of this is the killer "Mellow Mellow Right On" – offered up here in two long parts that take up most of side two of the album. Other nice ones include a version of Lowrell's "Overdose Of Love", plus the tracks "Out Of Breath" and "Smooth & Wild".

A cool promo-only radio record – one that features tracks from LTD's earlier albums on A&M, mixed with interview bits and dialogue – more than enough to act as a special radio show in itself! The album is divided up into five banded segments, each with a few songs, interviews with group members, and narration from Jim Maddox. Pretty cool stuff – and not issued commercially at the time!

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 instrumental sound. Van sings lead vocals, which aren't always that great – but he more than makes up for it with some great piano and keyboard work, and some wonderful soul songwriting and arranging that recall his best uptown moments of the late 60s. The record has a few uptempo hustle-type tracks, but they're all pretty darn great soul songs, and there's loads of great mellow soul moments woven in to make the record a nice album of ballads and groovers. Titles include "Before & After", "Wings Of Love", "My Favorite Fantasy", "That's The Story Of My Life", and "You're So Right For Me".

Quite possibly our favorite album from MFSB – the legendary Philly instrumental group from the 70s! The record's completely sublime all the way through – and is perhaps the most perfect illustration of that subtle blend of funk, soul, and disco that makes the group so great – a sound that was copied by others like Salsoul Orchestra or Instant Funk, but almost never done as perfectly as on this sweet little set! The album's got some chorus vocals on a few cuts, but mostly hangs out in an instrumental mix of Philly rhythms, jazzy solo moments, and some soaring strings that really help fill up the groove. There's a definite summer theme going on – and titles include the great McFadden & Whitehead "Summertime And I'm Feelin Mellow", plus "We Got The Time", "Hot Summer Nights", "Picnic In the Park", and "Sunnin & Funnin".

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 Lady", and "You Got Everything".

Two funky classics – back to back on a single CD! Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is features some of the funkiest grooves recorded in the UK during the early 70s – the wicked first album by the Olympic Runners, a group who almost got their start by accident! The combo was booked to back up bluesman Jimmy Dawkins for a one-off session in London – but worked together so well in the studio, jamming before Dawkins showed up, that they decided to make it a go with a groove of their own – and this fantastic funky album is the result! The tracks are all instrumental, mostly short and midtempo – with tight changes, lots of guitar and keyboards, and a vibe that's almost in the spirit of Average White Band – but grittier and funkier overall. The title cut – "Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is" – begins with this riffed bass part that's virtually a blueprint for the BDP generation of samples – and other cuts include "Everyone A Winner", "Do it Over", "Taco Toes", "Grab It", "Sproutin Out", "Just Once Is Enough", and "Be My Main Squeeze". Out In Front features funky, fantastic grooves from this hip UK combo of the 70s – a set that's heavy on keyboards and guitars, all produced with this cool compressed feel by the mighty Mike Vernon! The sound is kind of a mix of 70s American funk from the mainstream, and some of those great British studio styles of the period – that way of comping all instruments down on a groove that you'd find in better glam and pop – turned here towards a much more soulful style for the Olympic Runners! Tracks include "Freeze on Funk", "Dump the Bump", "Panic Button", "Exit City", "Get This Thing Down", "Coucou N Flying Fish", and "Go No Further".

A cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star".

A pair of great albums from one of the coolest soul arrangers of the 70s – back to back on a single CD! Close Encounters is a cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star". Love Starts After Dark is a wonderfully well-rounded set from superstar arranger Gene Page – quite possibly his most fully-formed album as a lead act on his own! The set's got some great standout groovers – the kind of club cuts that have the vibe that Gene was doing well for so many others – and it's also got some mellow moments served up with a depth that's almost unexpected – thanks partly to some great vocals from Merry Clayton, Phyllis St James, and Charmaine Sylvers – all of whom help the album shine. Tracks are penned by Leon Ware, Leon Sylvers, Ray Parker Jr, and Joe Sample – and titles include "With You In The Night", "Second Time Around", "Put A Little Love In Your Lovin", "Love Starts After Dark", "You Are The Meaning Of This Song", and "I Wanna Dance".

One of the greatest blacksploitation soundtracks ever – a massively beautiful record that goes beyond any cliches of the genre, and serves up a fantastically unique batch of tracks! Chisoul arranger Johnny Pate did the music for the film – and (dare we say it?) it's even greater that Issac Hayes' work for the first Shaft film – with a depth, sensitivity, and soul that's really amazing – and which has kept the record at the top of our crates for many years. The 4 Tops turn out a great later vocal on the album's theme tune "Are You Man Enough" – and Johnny himself does stellar work on the tracks "Shaft In Africa", "Headman", "You Can't Even Walk In The Park", "El Jardia", "Jazar's Theme", and "Truck Stop"!

Unlike a lot of the group's other records from the early 70s – most of which are all-acapella – this one features the group's rich harmony vocals backed by some heavier funk arrangements. Far from wrecking their sound, this approach actually makes them sound a lot better – and pulls them more into a contemporary soul vein, and away from the roots and rock crowd. Titles include "Persuasions Theme", "I Just Want To Sing With My Friends", "A Lonesome Love Song", and "Island".

Jazzy wonderfulness from Pieces Of A Dream! "Warm Weather" is definitely warm – a breezy fusion number with a midtempo groove – lots of keys flowing over gentle drums, and some great soul vocals to really send the tune home!

Joyous grooves indeed – the second album by this legendary 70s jazzy soul outfit – and a landmark album in the Fantasy Records Bay Area funk mode! The record will forever be remembered for the cut "Joyous" – a monster groover with a killer hook, strong funky playing, and a searing tenor solo that wails for about a minute before the vocals even come in! Wayne Henderson produced the record – and it's very much in the mode of work that he was doing for other groups at Fantasy, but also sounds a bit like later jazz funk groups, such as Breakwater or Smoke – tight, but never uptight – funky, but never with the kind of grit you'd find in the indie underground. The vocals are a bit in the Average White Band mode, and the instrumental playing is top-shelf all the way – a monster mix that's possibly carried off better here than on any other album by the group! The album includes 2 instrumentals, "Selim" and "Sassafras Girl", as well as the vocal tracks "Tune In", "Let Me Be The One", and "Can't Turn You Loose".

Joyous grooves indeed – the second album by this legendary 70s jazzy soul outfit – and a landmark album in the Fantasy Records Bay Area funk mode! The record will forever be remembered for the cut "Joyous" – a monster groover with a killer hook, strong funky playing, and a searing tenor solo that wails for about a minute before the vocals even come in! Wayne Henderson produced the record – and it's very much in the mode of work that he was doing for other groups at Fantasy, but also sounds a bit like later jazz funk groups, such as Breakwater or Smoke – tight, but never uptight – funky, but never with the kind of grit you'd find in the indie underground. The vocals are a bit in the Average White Band mode, and the instrumental playing is top-shelf all the way – a monster mix that's possibly carried off better here than on any other album by the group! The album includes 2 instrumentals, "Selim" and "Sassafras Girl", as well as the vocal tracks "Tune In", "Let Me Be The One", and "Can't Turn You Loose".

What a weird group! Port Authority were all members of the US Navy – and the Navy evidently supported them big, because they released this album themselves! The group's got a funky sound that mixes up soul and rock – mostly soul on the instrumentation, with some occasional bad white boy vocals. The best cuts, though, are instrumental – and they mix up hard vamping on guitar and keyboards with some firey horn solos that have a bit of a jazzy feel. The album includes the sought-after breakbeat on "Port Authority Bus Blues" – plus the tracks "UFO", "Funkophobia", "The Letter", and "Hangin".