Soul — All Formats  

The only album ever from Allspice – but a hell of an incredible soul record – and one that's kept the group's name strong with collectors and rare groove fanatics for years! The album's on of the best Fantasy Records productions by Wayne Henderson and his At Home team – and like... read more

Although he's best known for his albums on Capitol, David Axelrod cut this great record for Fantasy during the mid-70s, and it features Cannonball Adderley producing Axelrod's work (instead of the other way around, as on Cannonball's albums from the time). The tracks here are a bit more jazz funk... read more

A great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm... read more

Not as funky as some of the earlier Blackbyrds albums, but one in which they've still got a pretty nice modern soul sound, of the sort that was being pushed on other Fantasy albums of the time. George Duke produced the record, and titles include "Do It Girl", "Love Don't Strike... read more

A fantastic album from this legendary jazz funk combo – a bit smoother than their first, but that's the great thing about it! The record has the band getting even tighter than before – coming up with an amazing jazz-inflected funk groove that still leaves us breathless after all these... read more

One of the greatest sides of The Blackbyrds' music – their mellower, more chilled-out tunes – all tracks that we like almost as much as their funkier classics! Although the combo first earned their name for upbeat, sharp-edged funky fusion, they also had a wonderful way with a laidback... read more

There's nothing unfinished about this business – as The Blackbyrds are at the top of their game here – working in a sweet blend of jazz, funk, and soul – all produced to perfection by their mentor Donald Byrd! The groove is quite similar to some of Byrd's best from the time... read more

A killer little soundtrack – and one that's quite different than the usual blacksploitation set, but still pretty funky overall! The film Black Girl was a surprisingly sensitive movie directed by Ossie Davis in the early 70s – not as much about action as it was about the everyday life,... read more

A killer collection of work by The Dramatics – featuring their greatest tracks from the early Stax years – seminal work that helped redefine the group soul sound of the 70s! There's a great blend of southern and east coast harmony modes here – and the package is filled with the... read more

A killer instrumental album of hard organ grooves and funky basslines! This was the album that broke Funk Inc out of their Indianapolis scene, and made them a force to be forever reckoned with in the history of funky jazz. The album grooves hard in the same sound as some of the classic work by... read more

The only album we've ever seen by Janice – aka Janice Barnett – a set that's got some great smooth production from the legendary Harvey Fuqua! The set's got a sound that's almost in a Salsoul mode at times – not totally disco, but with some uptempo elements – mixed in with... read more

The only album we've ever seen by Janice – aka Janice Barnett – a set that's got some great smooth production from the legendary Harvey Fuqua! The set's got a sound that's almost in a Salsoul mode at times – not totally disco, but with some uptempo elements – mixed in with... read more

Very righteous work from Esther Marrow – a soul sister who sings with a hell of a lot of power! The set's an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the 70s, and it's one of only two secular soul albums cut by Marrow – and quite possibly the best of the bunch, too! Esther's got some... read more

One of the hippest albums ever cut by Letta Mbulu – a perfect mix of her Soweto roots and the funky styles of her adopted California home! The album's the only one that Mbulu ever recorded for Fantasy Records – and the style brings together those great sing-song vocal modes perfected... read more

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

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

Quite possibly the funkiest album ever from Pleasure – and that's saying a heck of a lot! The album grooves from the very first note – and moves through some of the group's tightest, most rock-solid numbers – all of which use their trademark blend of funky and soul, but which... read more

Fantastic jazz funk by one of the best bands in the genre! This is probably Pleasure's most sought-after album, and it includes the classic breakbeat cut "Bouncy Lady", which begins with a nice hard drumbreak, and ends the same way! The record has a tight, smooth, soulful feel –... read more

A wonderful album from Pleasure – one of the few jazz funk bands who actually seemed to get better and better the more they recorded! Unlike some of their contemporaries, who kind of lost their edge when the production got slicker, Pleasure actually picked up more of a beat, and tightened up... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Pleasure – a record that definitely lives up to the lean, clean image on the cover – as it's got the group honing their funky skills even more strongly than before! Wayne Henderson's at the helm, finding the group hit this razor-sharp groove that comes... read more

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,... read more

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,... read more

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years –... read more

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years –... read more

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years –... read more

One of the many Philly-based, club-oriented projects that centered around Butch Ingram and the Ingram family during the late 70s – Slick have an approach that takes long grooves, builds them out instrumentally, adding in a fair bit of keyboards and moog, like some of the Canadian groups of... read more

Promo-only single, featuring this later Fantasy club groover! "I Don't Know" is one of the few lasting tracks from Spiders Webb – but it's a tasty fast funk number that still holds up to a jazz dance crowd.... read more

A great little set from Sylvester – 3 sides recorded live in San Francisco, one more recorded in the studio! All the sides have a complicated approach to the groove – larger orchestrations that really show Syl pushing his conception of soul to the max, sounding really wonderful, and... read more

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An overlooked gem from Sylvester's years on Fantasy Records – a set that has him working strongly with soul maestro Harvey Fuqua, in a really great blend of disco and more laidback modes! There's a balance here that's like early Luther at his best – a way of being proudly poised, yet... read more

Sylvester's definitely heading for the sound he would embrace more in the 80s – working here with more electronic-driven rhythms, in a stretched-out clubby mode that's more in keeping with the style of Giorgio Moroder than his earlier work for Fantasy. Given his great vocals, though, Syl... read more

A great little album of jazz funk – and the only record we've ever seen by this group! The 3 Pieces may not have lasted long in the record business, but this rare album from 1975 has made them legends on the rare groove scene for years. The record was cut during the height of the jazz funk... read more

A hip split single from the club years at Fantasy Records! "I Got The Feeling" is a really soaring number from Two Tons – soulful, buoyant, and grooving – with some electro touches from Patrick Cowley on this mix! "Space Bass" is a warmer number overall –... read more

An excellent selection of Johnny Guitar Watson's wonderful mid 70s numbers, combining a laid back, funky approach with some more sophisticated arrangements and production touches. Most of the tracks have a mellow mid tempo feel, with some a nice spacey vibe and Watson's bluesy phrasing. 10 tracks... read more

A rare funk album from west coast legend Larry Williams – very different than his heavy R&B of the late 50s, or the brief soul comeback he had with Johnny Guitar Watson in the 60s – and instead a heavy groover with a trippy Cali sound! The record's got a sharp groove right from the... read more