Soul — All Formats  

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".

An oft-overlooked funky soul gem from the incredible Roy Ayers – taking turns with both uptempo material and more smoothed out soul sounds – all done with Roy's trademark jazzy approach to the dancefloor! No Stranger To Love is a sly, and often funky set that deserves to be mentioned with his more famous dancefloor ready work of the late 70s – and if it gets an extra point two for the incredibly cool cover photo, the slow burning grooves more than deliver on the promise! The album does a really nice job of rolling out both the sultry jazzy soul and the funkier Ayers modes, with sweet strings in spots, Roy's incomparable vibes, bass and keyboard grooving, and vocals that set the mood for both the slow jams and the funky stuff! Includes the extended mellow number "Don't Let Our Love Slip Away", one of Roy's better downtempo moments, plus great stuff like "Don't Stop The Feeling", plus "What You Won't Do For Love", "No Stranger To Love/Want You", "Shack Up, Pack Up, It's Up (When I'm Gone)", "Don't Hide Your Love".

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".

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.

A bit silly at times, but still pretty great! Bill Cosby teams up with old LA cronie Stu Gardner to do a set of tracks that are parodies of other big soul artists of the early 70s – and thanks to Stu's good work with the music, most of the tracks work a lot better than you'd expect! The record leads off with some sly slinky Barry White parodies – including "Yes, Yes, Yes" and "Shift Down"; then goes into a great James Brown funk number, "I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself". It's hard to figure out where some of the other tracks are going – but the album also features a great spacey jazz number with lots of keyboards, "You're Driving Me Crazy".

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".

Gail Smith sings lead vocals on this one – a tight batch of funky club numbers with the early 80s groove of some of Taana Gardner's work! The tracks have a tight snap and a conservative approach that makes them far better than your average disco record – and although Gail's not the strongest vocalist in the world, she does a good job of keeping things real, and the album's a strong one throughout. Arrangements are by William Anderson and Raymond Reid – and titles include "Control It", "Take Me Along", "Gonna Get Ya What You Want", "Take A Risk", and "Dyin To Be Dancin", which actually features vocals by Heidi Dudley.

"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 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".

Great work by The Heath Brothers – a lot slicker and smoother than their earlier album for Strata East, but still filled with a soulful jazzy approach that befits their rich talents! By the point of this set, Jimmy Heath, once a rougher talent on the tenor, had emerged as one of the smooth soul maestros on the instrument – ranking next to Grover Washington Jr and Stanley Turrentine for a mellifluous sound and well-timed approach to the solo. Heath's written some great tracks here that are underpinned nicely by brother Percy's strong work on bass – still acoustic amidst some added electric instrumentation on some of the tracks. Titles include "Passion Flower", "Move to The Groove", "Feelin Dealin", "Project S", "The Voice Of The American Saxophone (from Afro American Suite of Evolution)", and "A Time & A Place (There's)".

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!

A pretty cool LP – a promo-only collection of the Isley's biggest numbers on CBS, packaged up with a cover that's a parody of the famous sex self-help book of the late 60s. 8 numbers from their mid 70s prime: "That Lady", "What It Comes Down To", "Summer Breeze", "Live It Up", "Midnight Sky", "Need A Little Taste Of Love", "Fight The Power" and "Hope You Feel Better Love".

A nice disco-ish number off the Jacksons' Destiny LP, and though it's not really a skating jam, we do recall this one getting played a t the roller rink quite a bit.

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!

The first album from Thelma Jones – and a real standout set from mid 70s Columbia! The record is a sweet blend of southern and modern soul, with some fantastic arrangements by Bert DeCoteaux, who also produced the set in a wonderful way that lets Jones retain the deeper qualities of her vocals, but also glide nicely on some warmer modern touches. There's a really unified feel to the whole record, and tracks are a range of work by 70s songwriting greats that include Sam Dees, Leon Ware, Grey & Hanks, and Gamble & Huff. Features the excellent single "How Long", plus "I Can Dream", "Salty Tears", "Stay Awhile With Me", "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love", and "Now That We Found Love".

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 obscure one by this late Chicago soul combo – with a strong harmony sound that's in the best mode of some of the city's 70s groups, and a smooth 80s groove style that makes the track pop nicely with keyboards and bass.

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".

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".

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.

Some of the best male/female soul duets of the 60s! For us, Carla Thomas is in her best ever mode here with Otis, doing a wonderful job – and the two of them together hit a vibe that's a lot more raunchy and down-and-dirty than on their own records! The album is also a breezy, easygoing set in a way that's really refreshing for Otis Redding at the time – and the titles Includes the classic "Tramp", a nice funky Stax number – plus "Bring It On Home To Me", "Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis", "Lovey Dovey", and "New Year's Resolution".

Brillant work from the Salsoul Orchestra – some of their most sophisticated work ever, and right in line with a soulful orchestral style that runs back through the work of Barry White into the early experiments of the Soulful Strings! Unlike some of their other poppier efforts, this one's got a very solid batch of tracks, including the two massive Richard Evans groovers "Zambesi" and "Burning Spear", both killers that were originally performed by the Soulful Strings. A number of other tracks were written by Thor Baldursson, who also handled the arrangements on the album. Titles include "212 North 12th", "Street Sense", and "Sun After The Rain".

Brillant work from the Salsoul Orchestra – some of their most sophisticated work ever, and right in line with a soulful orchestral style that runs back through the work of Barry White into the early experiments of the Soulful Strings! Unlike some of their other poppier efforts, this one's got a very solid batch of tracks, including the two massive Richard Evans groovers "Zambesi" and "Burning Spear", both killers that were originally performed by the Soulful Strings. A number of other tracks were written by Thor Baldursson, who also handled the arrangements on the album. Titles include "212 North 12th", "Street Sense", and "Sun After The Rain".

The third album by this Leon Ware side project – and possibly the best! The album's got a tight, funky sound right from the get-go – kind of a perfect 80s groove that never showed up on the group's previous records, but which really seemed to be the sound they were waiting for! And as with some of Ware's other productions of this point, the overall approach is careful, classy, and quite far from some of the too-commercial soul of the time – a great sort of balance that references all the changes going on in the indie soul world of the time, but put together with a professionalism that really makes the album sparkle! Ware wrote some of the songs songs and produced, and the nicest cuts include "Best Lady", "Shadows in the Streets", "Clouds", and "Sinister Way". Other cuts include "Tennis Shoes", "Born To Hustle", and "Party In The Streets".

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 follow-up to 1970s pairing of The Supremes and The Four Tops – titled The Magnificent Seven (hence the title on this one!) – and done in a very similar mode. Back in the Diana Ross days, the Supremes had paired up with The Temptations on 2 great sets – and now, at a time in the 70s when both The Supremes and The Four Tops were a bit less successful on the charts, it's clear that Motown was trying to find some direction for them both. The approach isn't bad, although a bit forcedly "classy" at times, in a mode that hearkens back more to Motown 60s than some of the better directions both of these groups would take in the 70s – especially The Four Tops. Titles include "I'm Glad About It", "Let's Make Love Now", "What Do You Have To Do", "Where Would I Be Without You Baby", "I'll Try Not To Cry", and "Call Me".

A funky fusion classic from guitarist Wah Wah Watson – his only album as a leader, despite countless appearances as a sideman on 70s soul, jazz, and pop sessions! The album's got a really wonderful sort of west coast groove – one that takes bits of spacey fusion, bassy funk, and mellower soul – and wraps them up with a fresh and imaginative approach, not to mention plenty of wah wah work on guitar! Players on the set are a superstar array of the best talents in Watson's field – and include Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, Joe Sample, and The Waters, who sing vocals on a few cuts. The set includes the killer instrumental "Bubbles", one of our favorite mellow grooves ever – plus the tracks "Goo Goo Wah Wah", "My Love For You Comes & Goes", "Good Friends", "Love Ain't Somethin", and "Sunset Boulevard".

Shep Pettibone mix.

Sweet and innocent, but pretty darn soulful too – an overlooked set from the late 70s glory days of the TK Records scene – recorded down in Miami with lots of all the right touches! The backings are smooth, but a bit funky too – in that great blend TK was doing once the label really took off towards the charts – an approach that really makes the whole record shine, even before Michele's vocals come into the mix! Tim McCabe produced and wrote all the songs – and titles include "Sweet Innocent", "Good Time Lover", "My Baby's Loving", "Closer", "It's You My Baby", "Don't Go", and "Hold Me".

An overlooked, hypnotic 80s synth soul track from disco diva Carol Williams! This rare club mix of "Can't Get Away (From Your Love)" adds a dense layer of echoes and effects to Carol's vocals, and really digs deep into that early 80s synth heavy club sound of Detroit and Chicago. It's the kind of sound that later worked it's way a bit more into the mainstream, as practiced by Nile Rodgers and others, but the cut retains strains of some of the deeper soul still lingering from the 70s. Rare early 80s groove that still doesn't get its critical due!

One of Wither's most underrated sets, a nice effort from the latter part of his Columbia career. The set has the sort of modern soul polish throughout that separates these CBS sides from his earlier grittier work for Sussex, and though the sound has a little more commercial and mainstream appeal than some of the funkier folksier early albums, it's aged a lot better than we might have predicted upon its release. Overall the vibe is a lot like the excellent Menagerie album which immediately preceded this, with some nice jazzy touches, and even though it didn't produce a big hit like "Lovely Day", it does features some arrangements by Wade Marcus that contribute to the warm, polished production. Titles include "Love Is", "All Because Of You", "You Got The Stuff", "Don't It Make It Better", and "Look To Each Other For Love".

Young & Company were an obscure New Jersey group who struck big momentarily with the single "I Like What You're Doing To Me", and got a brief chance to cut this one and only album for Brunswick as a follow-up. The album's an interesting one, because it came at a time when the last-gasping Brunswick was showing a real talent for cutting underground cuts – mostly issued on 12" singles, and rarely drawn out to a full LP like this. There's kind of a strong roller skating groove on the best cuts – moving along at a good midtempo pace with compressed instrumentation on guitar and keyboards, never too over the top, and definitely not disco. You can hear that to best effect on the big hit "I Like What You're Doing To Me", but the album's got plenty of other nice cuts, like "Strut Your Stuff", "Checking You Out", "Love Me All Night", and "Mellow Mood".

A teeny-tiny Philly label, but a pretty great one too – home to just a handful of singles, but most of them the kind of rare soul sides that keep us digging over the years! The package features nearly ever key release on Lash – a mix of male soul numbers, group sides, and some sweet female numbers – all recorded over the space of a decade on the Philly scene – showing a great evolution over the years in style! All selections were originally produced by Howard Ravitsky, who owned the label, and definitely improved his chops along the way – and titles include "Get Goin" and "Tell Me" by Lee Johnson, "Here She Comes Now" by Sonny Fulton, "The Guy" by Fannie & The Varcells, "I'm Not The Only One" by Tommy White, "Don't Start That Again" by The Swans, "Inside O Me" by Honey & The Bees, "Treat Myself To A New Love" and "I'm Cuttin In" by The Inspirations, "I'm Happy Without You" by Anny Byers, "Got No Time" by Timmy Carr, "I Can Give You Love" by Benny Sigler, "Give Me What You're Givin Her" by Alfreda Brockington, and "He Brought Sunshine Into My Life" by Patty Hamilton. CD features 30 tracks in all, and full notes on the label.

Great tracks from the second generation of Philadelphia International – that time when the label moved past the clubby Philly sounds that had won them big hits in the 70s – into an even deeper range of styles overall! Most of the tracks here have a wonderfully mature sort of feel – a move past easy dancefloor modes, into more complicated mellow steppers and midtempo rhythms that are perfect for the emotive, sensual lyrics of the tunes – most of which are performed by artists who were still the greatest working for the Pilly International label at the start of the 80s! Gems throughout – with great cuts that include "I'm In Love Again" by Patti Labelle, "Easy Easy Got To Take It Easy" by Teddy Pendergrass, "When I'm Gone" by The Jones Girls, "Mine All Mine" by The Stylistics, "Start The Fire" by Jean Carn, "I Can't Stop Turning You On" by Silk, "Set A Little Trap" by Phyllis Hyman, "So Glad I'm The One" by Instant Funk, "Yes You Need Love" by Anthony White, "Your Love Is Good" by Bunny Sigler, and "I've Been Pushed Aside" by McFadden & Whitehead.

You might need to be a Diddley diehard to know it, given the pretty hokey early 60s Beach Party cover photo – get past that and what you'll find is a rowdy, rumbling and completely incredible live album from Bo! It features material captured on a 2 night stand at The Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, SC in July of 1963 – raw and rambunctious, with the band pummeling fast and furious on some numbers and taking others into more of a gutbuckety bluesy vibe that's something else. Occasionally you can hear the screams of a clearly knocked out audience – boy, if we could find a wormhole to travel back in time and take this one in for ourselves. Includes "Memphis", "Gunslinger", "Hey Bo Diddley", "Old Smokey". "Bo Diddley's Dog", "I'm All Right", "Mr Custer", "Bo's Waltz", "What's Buggin' You (aka Crackin' Up)" and "Road Runner".

The last true classic from the masters of the 80s groove genre – a post-Capitol effort for Elektra, but one that's still awash in great keyboards and snapping electro beats! Some of the jazzier sound from the past is gone here, but in its place is a leaner, cleaner sound that's still a fair bit more compelling than most work by the group's contemporaries! Nearly all tracks snap along with rhythms that are nicely placed between the street and the dancefloor – never gimmicky and never too cloying, and tightly focused enough to make the most of the hooks in the vocals. Lots of DX7 on the album, and more than a few numbers have a great sort of breakdance vibe. Tracks include "Riccochet" and "Dreamer" – both remixed by Shep Pettibone –"On The Shelf", "Genie", "Main Attraction", and "Don't Force It".

Easily one of the funkiest albums that James Brown ever recorded – and one of his few entries into the blacksploitation genre of the 70s! James really outdid himself for this one – working at a hard burning pace that had the JBs cooking up some killer funk for just about every number in the set – and which also has James himself stepping out vocally for a few key tracks. The album features the massive groover "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul" – a slamming track that beats nearly every number in the JB 70s catalog – plus other cuts that include "To My Brother", "Brother Rapp", "Sexy Sexy Sexy", "Slaughter Theme", "Transmogrification", "King Slaughter", and "How Long Can I Keep It Up".

The BT crew definitely take on a strong disco sound on this album, but their up-tempo soul still kicks it nice and live, and the record's got more solid moments than you might expect! Carlos Ward handled a lot of the arrangements and wrote a fair bit of the tunes – and tracks include "Now That We've Found Love", "Herbs", "Time Tunnel", "Energy To Burn", and "Make Your Body Move".

Funky electric groove from Donald Byrd – a post Mizell effort that's still burning in a crisp groove similar to his classic 70s Blue Note work – one that's absolutely dripping with keys! Isaac Hayes produced this one, and also played a lot of those keyboards on the session with Byrd's 125 St Band – grooving on acoustic piano and Rhodes, plus vibes and synth. Ronnie Garnett's bass is tight and funky throughout, with William Duckett on guitar, Albert Crawford, Jr on piano, keys & clavinet, Myra Walker on acoustic piano, and some groovy female chorus vocals that's to Isaac's Hot Buttered Soul Unlimited! Tracks include the great mellow "I Love Your Love", plus "I Feel Like Loving You Today", "Butterfly", "Love Has Come Around", and "I'll Always Love You".

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

A landmark first album from Exuma – one of a handful of early 70s classics that really worked hard to break down musical genres! At some level, the set's got a Caribbean feel, but at others it's quite funky – a great mix of Exuma's Bahamian roots and some of the headier sounds that Mercury Records was serving up at the time – all hinted at strongly by the rootsy psychedelia of the cover! And given Exuma's appeal to wider audiences, it's almost tempting to think of him as sort of a tripped-out Richie Havens – with similar acoustic elements, yet a lot more percussion and groove in the end. Titles include "Séance In The Sixth Fret", "You Don't Know What's Going On", "The Vision", "Mamma Loi Papa Loi", and "Dambala".

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".

A key turn in the groove for The Fatback Band – one that has the group getting a good dose of "night fever", and smoothing out their funk for the 70s disco crowd! Yet although clubby, the record's still plenty funky – a refinement of the groove first started on Yum Yum, streamlined into a sweet blend of bass, drums, guitar, and plenty of horns – but all still with a sense of liveness and jamming that plenty shows the roots of the combo from the old days. A few tracks here have a nicely sweet soul sound – sometimes with backing vocals from Donna McGhee and Phyllis Hyman – and titles include "Night Fever", "A Little Funky Dance", "The Joint", "Disco Crazy", and "The Booty".

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".

Massively beautiful work from the great Donny Hathaway! After two studio albums that had firmly put him on the map as one of the 70s best soul talents, Atco had the genius to have Donny record this live album before very enthusiastic crowds in Hollywood and New York. The result is one of the best soul albums ever – one that shows a totally different side of Donny, and which has him jamming with a smaller, hipper, jazz-oriented group in long versions of some of his best tracks. Features a massive 12 minute version of "The Ghetto", which has loads of excellent instrumental breakdowns, a 13 minute version of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", a superior version of the track "Little Ghetto Boy", which was only ever on a soundtrack, and covers of "What's Going On" and "Jealous Guy" that really transform them from the original versions. Very similar to the classic Curtis Mayfield 2LP live set on Curtom – and with a similar "Chicago studio soulster goes jazzy and intimate" feel.

A beautiful early album by Loleatta, and one that was recorded shortly before the Hotlanta Sound turned into a stone disco groove. The record's proof that Loleatta was as great a soul singer as she was a disco diva, and the arrangements by Mike Terry do a great job of bringing out all the emotion and sensitivity in her singing. Titles include "We Did It", "Mother Of Shame", "Only A Fool", "So Can I", "Our Love", and "Love Woke Me Up".

The first solo album that Eddie Kendricks cut after leaving The Temptations – and a great one! Motown genius Frank Wilson produced the whole album, and it's got a really unified feel that you don't always get on Motown albums – possibly proof that the label was really invested in starting Eddie off on a strong solo career. The record's got a wonderful sweet soul sound – with Eddie's great vocals at the center, and some complicated arrangements that work very well on the ballads, and which kick it up on a few tracks, hinting at Eddie's later successful boogie style. Titles include "Something's Burning", "Let's Go Back To Day One", "It's So Hard For Me To Say Goodbye", and "Can I".

Another big hit for Evelyn Champagne King, this time with a nice bouncing 80s groove courtesy Kashif.

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

A monster stormer from Vince Montana! The track "Heavy Vibes" is a great club track from the early 80s – with a hard rolling vibes sound that links Roy Ayers' 70s jazzy work with later programmed vibes-heavy house tracks. The club mix is especially great, and the cut's a real gem from a lost dancefloor era!

One of the greatest tracks ever by The Police – a dubby little number that riffs along on echoey guitar and a slightly skittish rhythm – with vocals really buried in the mix, and a great spacey feel over all! "When The World Is Running Down" is a great track too – a bit more conventional, but a great reminder of what the group could do at their best!

Recorded in 1987, but never officially released until 1994, when Prince was trying to get out of his Warners contract. Prince's attempt to return to his more funky side after flirting with more straight pop songs was a Holy Grail amongst collectors for a time, and though we don't like it as much as his first couple of albums, there are more than a few good moments on here, and it certainly stands up better than most of what came after. 8 songs: "Le Grind", "Cindy C", "Dead On It", "When 2 R In Love", "Bob George", "Superfunkycalifragisexy", "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" and "Rockhard In A Funky Place".

A little more disco than some of Asha Pulthi's earlier releases – but still pretty darn nice stuff, handled in that spacey European mode that made her CBS records sound so compelling. Asha's still got that unique voice – kind of a mix of porno sleaze and Munich soul – and the arrangements have enough of a funky kick in them to keep things interesting. Titles include "Mr Moonlight", "Music Machine", "There Is A Party Tonight", "Legend Of Thais", and "I'll See You Around".

Sure, it's the 70s – but this album's still got some excellent moments on it, like the amazing track "Bless You", which is worth the price of the album alone! The cut was written by The Corporation, and it's got this incredible wall of sound arrangement, with Martha singing verse after verse about the religiosity of love. It's a great pop track, and you'll get it on the album along with other cuts like "No One There", "I Want You Back", "Hope I Don't Get My Heart Broke", and "Tear It On Down".

A great summation of the best of Joe's early work – which is really some of our favorite! The set brings together Joe's best cuts for the Sound Stage Seven label – some really great tracks done in a sweet 60s southern soul mode, with arrangements by Chips Moman and Cliff Parman – in a style that has some slight country soul touches as well. Joe was really at his best in this period, and the album's a perfect testament to the work that first got him noticed. Titles include "My Special Prayer", "Farther On Down The Road", "It's Hard To Get Along", "Hangin On", "The Chokin Kind", "Yours Love", and, as an extra special bonus, the LP includes the stellar 2-part funk cut "The Moon Walk (parts 1 & 2)"!

A fitting title, as Nina's always mixed in a bit of folksy influences with her jazz – increasingly so at this point in her career, as she was opening up her bag a bit to include traditional songs of pride, protest, and despair. The album's a great precursor for her work on Philips a few years later – and includes many fine tracks like "The Young Knight", "The Twelfth Of Never", "Vanetihu", "Lass Of The Low Country", and "When I Was A Young Girl".

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".

Heavy funk from Tower Of Power – almost more back in the group's earlier mode, which might be what they mean by the title! The sound's not exactly "street", but it's got a nice sense of funk on most numbers – production by Richard Evans and McKinley Jackson that helps keep a focus on the rhythms, and also does a good job of bringing out the best qualities from vocalist Michael Jeffries. Some tracks were recorded in Chicago, and these almost show a bit more sophistication at points – that warmer Chi-soul sound of the late 70s, although still with a TOP sort of touch. Titles include "Rock Baby", "Our Love", "It Takes Two", "Heaven Must Have Made You", "And You Know It", "Something Calls Me", and "Nowhere To Run".

A modern soul classic!

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".

A massive soul/rock crossover LP, featuring the hit title cut "Groovin", which was covered by a huge amount of soul stars. Lots of other nice stuff, too, and beautiful arrangements by Arif Mardin. Tracks include "It's Love", "Girl Like You", "How Can I Be Sure", and "If You Knew". Beautiful blend of white harmony, Latin soul, and uptown production!

The 4th volume of work to appear on the UK Sue Records label in the 60s – and quite possibly the most hard-hitting so far! This set follows strongly in the soul-based sound of volume 3 – and includes a range of key singles from American labels Sue, Okeh, Vee Jay, Fire, Enjoy, and Jamie – all issued by Sue UK in England during the mid 60s, with tremendous impact on mod, mainstream, and Northern Soul scenes! But even getting past the origin or issuing label of the music, the set's a really great one – with a hard-edged groove that mixes New York uptown with some more R&B-styled numbers – a great little all-legit collection that's presented with really great notes. Titles include "The Whip" by Alexander Jackson & The Turnkeys, "Warm & Tender Love" by Joe Haywood, "I'm Dedicating My Life" by Danny White, "Goin Home" by Rosco Gordon, "Round Midnight" by Jimmy McGriff, "Lenny Goofed" by The Naturals, "Lost In A Dream" by Buster Brown, "Pork Chops" by The Dorsets, "La De Da I Love You" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Good Time Tonight" by The Soul Sisters, "So Far Away" by Hank Jacobs, and "Stepping Stone" by The Anglos.

A great track from Roy Ayers – and one that's often overlooked! The cut's a smooth mellow stepper, with a nice jazzy vibe, and a wonderful monologue from Roy at the beginning (he's trying to pick up a girl). The cut got kind of buried on the Love Fantasy LP – so it's extra nice to have on this rare original promo single!