Soul — All Formats  

Brian Auger's first album with The Oblivion Express – a harder-rocking ensemble than his initial Trinity trio, but one who also really pushed things with a really jazzy edge! Like many of Auger's contemporaries on the UK scene, Brian was making the shift from Brit beat group jazz and soul,... read more

A great later sleeper from Brian Auger – a record that's much deeper and more soulful than some of his earlier work – and done in a soaring style that's really great! Alex Lighterwood sings as much as Auger plays the keys here, but that's ok with us – because he fuses his voice... read more

A brilliant soul album! That's right, we said SOUL album! Bowie was at the height of his Ziggy Stardust fame when this one was recorded – a drastic left-turn in styles, forged during a point in his American tour when he could take a break, head to Philly, plug in at the Sigma Sound Studios,... read more

A tasty batch of instrumentals for the club set! The "Brothers" appear to be little more than a New York set of studio players, led by Bhen Lanzaroni – but they do a good job of replicating a Philly instrumental sound, with plenty of heavy bass at the bottom of the arrangements,... read more

Surprisingly nice work from Peter Brown – a groover who still managed to hit on all burners after his early years at TK Records! Brown's definitely got a crossover feel here – clubby rhythms, but topped with vocals that belie his look on the front – and which, along with the... read more

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A spacey Patrick Adams/Greg Carmichael dance classic – and very much in the P&P disco mode! The record's filled with extended club cuts that have a lot of keyboards and electronics, and although the lyrics are a bit silly at times, the groove is rock solid – with that amazing funky... read more

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all... read more

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all... read more

A wicked lost album of righteous funk and poetic knowledge from the great Gary Byrd! Gary began his life as a soul DJ in New York, but by the early 70s, he was using his rich voice to create recordings designed to educate as much as entertain. That said, the album is as funky as it is strident,... read more

Wickedly fuzzy funk! Jimmy Castor recorded in a lot of different styles during the 70s – but the one he used on this album is still his best! The record's a non-stop guitar-heavy batch of classic funk tracks – and it features the storming break track "It's Just Begun", the... read more

Wickedly fuzzy funk! Jimmy Castor recorded in a lot of different styles during the 70s – but the one he used on this album is still his best! The record's a non-stop guitar-heavy batch of classic funk tracks – and it features the storming break track "It's Just Begun", the... read more

A killer album of 70s New Orleans funk! Chocolate Milk were an amazing funk group in their best moments – and this album is certainly one of those moments – a blistering batch of tracks that set a whole new style for the Crescent City scene, and which showed that producers Allen... read more

One of the best later albums by Chocolate Milk – a bit different than their earlier work with Allen Toussaint, but still bouncing along in a sweet 80s groove, with more than enough traces of their roots as a funky combo! Leo Nocentelli's sitting in on guitar, adding some nice licks to keep... read more

This is the second album of hard funky soul by this great New Orleans band – and it's one of their best! The record's a nice one, with great production by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, and a nice rolling funk groove that never lets up. Loads of great deep funky cuts, including "N... read more

No friction here, as the groove is mighty tight, and plenty smooth – a great example of the way that Chocolate Milk found a whole new sound in the 80s! Gone are the heavier modes of the 70s, and in their place are some wicked keyboards and bass-heavy rhythms – snapping and popping with... read more

No friction here, as the groove is mighty tight, and plenty smooth – a great example of the way that Chocolate Milk found a whole new sound in the 80s! Gone are the heavier modes of the 70s, and in their place are some wicked keyboards and bass-heavy rhythms – snapping and popping with... read more

Quite different than the group's earlier work – but still pretty darn nice! By this point, Chocolate Milk had left their New Orleans roots behind, were recording in LA, and had turned their bass-heavy funk sound into an 80s groove approach that actually worked quite well for the group. The... read more

An overlooked funky classic from Chocolate Milk – and a set that still preserves the tight grooves of the group's earliest work! Allan Toussaint is still on hand this time around to help with both production and songwriting – and his touches can definitely be felt on the record –... read more

A legendary run of music from the late, great Sam Cooke – almost all of his recordings for RCA Records, packaged here in one sweet little package! The scope of the set is wonderful – and almost something of a revelation, given that a number of these titles have never appeared on CD in... read more

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One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued... read more

If there's anyone who earns the name "Mr Soul", it's gotta be Sam Cooke – given that records like these were crucial to getting the term of soul music out to the public in the 60s! The set's a great illustration of the way that Sam cooks up soul, too – as it mostly features... read more

A self-titled set that features a nice batch of lesser-known gems from Sam Cooke's early 60s years on RCA! Lots of the material here is a nice contrast to some of the hit-heavy Cooke sets on the market – not that those aren't great, but it's just good to hear some of the other sides of Sam's... read more

A great early RCA set from Sam Cooke – issued with the odd tag "Folk Favorites" in the corner – but done with that unmistakable soul vibe that Sam helped invent at the time! True, many of the tunes have folk music roots – but they're re-swung by Sammy Lowe with some... read more

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that... read more

Collection of Sam Cooke's wonderful soul for RCA, compiled just after his untimely death. The set's divided into more uptempo numbers on the first side, and Sam's great ballads on the flip, all with his rich voice ringing clearly on top. Features "Shake", "Yeah Man", 'Win... read more

A posthumous collection of material that Sam recorded for RCA before his untimely death – not really a greatest hits collection, but a lot better than the usual "house cleaning" type of record that gets issued in this sort of situation! Arrangements are by Stan Applebaum, Jimmie... read more

Lou returns to his uptempo dance roots with this album – a mix of funky soul and uptempo tracks that differs from his mellower album on Epic from 1974. The material is still pretty great, though, and even on the more throwaway cuts, Lou's soulful vocals ring out loud and clear, keeping... read more

A beautiful bit of funky rocking soul – and the one and only album by the Deirdre Wilson Tabac – a group whose name is as strange as their grooves are funky! The group are best known for their well-compiled track "I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes" – an uptempo jazzy... read more

Very unique work from Dr Buzzard's Savannah Band – a set that bears all the unmistakeable touches of group leader August Darnell! The set's definitely got the older aesthetic that Darnell brought to his work at the time – possibly even more so than the group's first album – and... read more

One of the coolest club combos of the 70s – the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – a group with a sound that's a lot tighter than their name! The group's probably best known for giving exposure to August Darnell in his pre-Kid Creole years – but they've also got a sound... read more

One of the coolest club combos of the 70s – the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – a group with a sound that's a lot tighter than their name! The group's probably best known for giving exposure to August Darnell in his pre-Kid Creole years – but they've also got a sound... read more

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Incredible work by The Exciters – material we totally love to death, most of which is a lot harder-hitting than the group's earlier hits in the 60s! The package pulls together their post-UA recordings for the Bang, Shout, and RCA labels – the first to of which are represented by... read more

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA,... read more

Sparklingly soulful work from Jose Feliciano – a key early 70s effort, and one that shows the growing sensitivity in his music – the move way past simple covers of other people's songs, even though those were pretty great too! Jose's voice has gotten even more compelling in the process... read more

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good – but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. ... read more

Nice mid 80s UK pop soul from Five Star – sweet family act that's kind of in the mode that's a bit of an unofficial British answer to the cheery family pop soul vibe of groups like DeBarge and New Edition at the time – and a sweet one! Lean, lightly thumping synth soul backdrops and... read more

Massive work from Aretha Franklin's ultra-hip sister – singer Carolyn Franklin, a soul artist that we'd gladly trade for Aretha any time! Carolyn got her start in deep soul modes that were somewhat similar to Aretha's work on Atlantic – but she also worked with production that was a... read more

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!... read more

One that we heard way too much when it was out, but which we kind of love now! The album's part of H&O's great comeback years in the early 80s – a time when they were mixing their white boy soul with some nice 80s groove and electro touches, often going for a spare mix of groove and... read more

We don't know if this still qualifies as blue-eyed soul, but we can say we do have an un-ironic appreciation for this stuff in retrospect.... read more

What can we say? We winced at this one back when it came out, but over the years, it's got a real "Free Soul" appeal to us – with vocals that are surprisingly soulful in parts, some nice 80s mellow soul instrumentation, and even a few hooks that are real guilty pleasures. Includes... read more

Although Brass Ring head man Phil Bodner arranged and conducted this whole set, it's actually got a great funky soul instrumental sound, with some very nice tracks, and a good hard groove – even if it is played by a bunch of RCA studio musicians. The set's an hommage to Isaac Hayes, and the... read more

Arguably the group's biggest album in terms of sales – thanks to a mega-hit on the sublime tune "Rock The Boat" – one of those tracks that crossed over big on both sides of the charts! The production is less 70s soul than crossover pop – but the mode works well with the... read more

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Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some... read more

Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some... read more

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters... read more

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters... read more

Massive music from the legendary Weldon Irvine – three albums in a single set! Cosmic Vortex is a genius bit of work from the legendary Irvine – a mightily righteous effort that more than lives up to its heady title and cover! Keyboards are very much at the forefront of his sound... read more

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Early early early work by The Isley Brothers – an album built around their huge rock and roll hit "Shout" – one of those numbers you've heard a million times, in a million versions, and which you've probably forgotten came from the first trio of Isleys way back before they... read more

Kind of a retro-disco project – featuring new versions of older pop tunes like "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White", "Tenderly", "Old Devil Moon", and "Mister Sandman". Bernard Purdie is on drums, and both the TSOP and TSONY groups participate –... read more

Excellent work by Glenn Jones – even if the record is only a 5 track EP! The set is one of those strange little records issued in the early 80s, when the music industry was trying to figure out a way to make money between the ever-escalating cost of the LP and the less-popular 12"... read more

Excellent work by Glenn Jones – even if the record is only a 5 track EP! The set is one of those strange little records issued in the early 80s, when the music industry was trying to figure out a way to make money between the ever-escalating cost of the LP and the less-popular 12"... read more

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Kashif penned this catchy little tune for Evelyn Champagne King – really helping her find her groove in the 80s with a sweet flurry of electric beats, keyboard parts, and plenty of bass! The vocals are totally great – right in pace with the rhythms, but warmer overall – all... read more

Wonderfully smooth soul from Evelyn Champagne King – one of her real standouts from the early days, and a tremendous collaboration with producer/arranger T Life! The sound here is upbeat and catchy, but never too poppy – done with a slight hint of that groove that King would hit more... read more

One of the real standouts in Evelyn King's career – a sharply focused album that's filled with catchy 80s styled tunes – and which benefits from some great help from a young Kashif! Lots of the tracks have that great flair for a catchy hook that mark's Evelyn's best work – an... read more

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A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – and who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision... read more

A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – and who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision... read more

A tremendous little record from Love Peace & Happiness – a great vocal trio from the early 70s, and one who really shine with this overlooked gem for RCA! The trio were part of the New Birth/Nite Liters universe that producer Harvey Fuqua brought to the label at the time – and they'... read more

A tremendous little record from Love Peace & Happiness – a great vocal trio from the early 70s, and one who really shine with this overlooked gem for RCA! The trio were part of the New Birth/Nite Liters universe that producer Harvey Fuqua brought to the label at the time – and they'... read more

Amazing work from the great Jon Lucien – and probably his best-ever record! The album has Jon hitting a totally unified vision of spacey soul – bringing in elements of Brazilian music and touches of his Carribean roots, fusing them together with a sweet jazzy style and one of the most... read more

A great little album from Pat Lundy – an enigmatic talent who crops up a number of times over the years – but always on different record labels, and always with a slightly different sound and style! This album's one of Pat's best – and has her working in a sophisticated soul... read more

Incredibly great work from Machine – an album of disco tunes, but with a hipper, message-oriented feel than most of its contemporaries! The group will forever be known for their classic hit "There But For The Grace Of God Go I" – an infectious groover with a wild lyric about... read more

Although the Main Ingredient were best known for their early 70's singles, this album from '74 is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still arranging, but... read more

Although the Main Ingredient were best known for their early 70's singles, this album from '74 is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still arranging, but... read more

Two of our favorite albums by The Main Ingredient – back to back on a single CD! Euphrates River is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still... read more

A killer set from a group that never lets us down – stepping out here in a sound that's more modern, more mature than their hit work of the 70s – yet still filled with all the sublime harmony soul we'd expect from the trio of Tony Silvester, Cuba Gooding, and Luther Simmons! Wade... read more

A great step forward for The Main Ingredient – a record that's still got all the harmony soul charm of their earlier work for RCA, but with a tighter feel overall – one that has them moving into the same mature group soul mode as The Manhattans over at Columbia! Production and... read more

Some of the greatest work ever by The Main Ingredient – a selection of their singles for RCA records from the late 60s and early 70s – but one that goes way past just the hits, in order to fully trace the evolution of their heavenly vocal style! The trio started out as an already-great... read more

A pair of great early albums from Main Ingredient – Tasteful Soul from 1970 and Bitter Sweet from 1971 – in a single set! Tasteful Soul is one of the groups earliest records, with a great set of Bert DeCoteaux arrangements, and a totally sweet soul harmony sound! The arrangements are... read more

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The amazing debut of Ronnie McNeir – a 70s soul maestro we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware – but one who's possibly even more impressive, given that he cut this record when he was only 22 years old! The album's quite heavy on keyboards –... read more

A pair of killers from this legendary group! High On Music is one of the funkiest albums ever from The Memphis Horns – that super-tight instrumental combo headed by Andrew Love on tenor and Wayne Jackson on trumpet! Both players had years in the Memphis soul scene under their belt by the... read more

Little-known Chicago funk group who recorded briefly for RCA. This LP's got production by old Brunswick Chicago soul talents Carl Davis, Eugene Record, and Sonny Sanders, the groove is sort of uptempo and funky, like some of the late Brunswick club work. Tracks include "Volcanic Voodoo"... read more

One of those cool RCA 12" singles from the mid 70s – cuts recorded by groups who never made a bigger wave on the label! This is a great Canadian disco cut with a quick-stepping sort of groove – produced by Tony Green at a level that's a nicely lean take on styles that would... read more

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and... read more

Excellent album that Harvey Fuqua put together with his old band during the time that he had emerged as a successful soul producer at RCA working with bands like The Nite Liters and The New Birth. The album features the group reprising some of their classic doo wop tracks, and giving them a 70's... read more

2 long-overdue classics from New Birth – back to back on a single CD! Ain't No Big Thing captures the group near the beginning of their career – when they were sort of a funky soul army, featuring the instrumental talents of The Nite-Liters, the vocal strength of a number of excellent... read more

Excellent early album by New Birth – with a good straight ahead soul style, and some nice arrangements by Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua, and Bert De Coteaux. The tracks are a mix of originals and covers, and the band is great throughout – grooving hard in a souful way that makes the... read more

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar... read more

Disco breaks! 2 great late 70s disco tracks, with more than a little dose of a funk, nice production courtesy Leon Pendarvis, and a great choral vocal approach that really sets them apart!... read more

A landmark album from the New York Community Choir – a gospel group at heart, but one who've ended up in plenty of 70s soul collections – thanks to the strength of this sweet little set! The vocals are tremendous – proud and righteous, with a power that's undeniable – and... read more

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and... read more

Cold, hard, and funky! This might be the greatest album ever by this legendary 70s funk band – and it's got a killer sound that has the tightness of the JBs, the rawness of the early Meters, and the frenzy of a rare funky 45! Includes the incredible "Afro Strut" – worth the... read more

A great album filled with hard breaks, tight choppy guitars, and a deep funky sound. This is one of the best early albums by the Nite Liters, and it's filled with great grooves like "Funky-Doo", "Stinkin Charlie", and "K-Jee" – but just about every track is a... read more

Stone funky funky! This is an excellent reissue of the Nite Liters' classic first album, and a monster batch of funky instrumentals that we'd put up there with the great Meters records on Josie, or the classic JBs LPs on People! There's lots of hard drums, choppy guitars, and good funky grooves. ... read more

A really beautiful little album from NYCC – the name-shortened version of the New York Community Choir, stepping out here with a sound that's even better than their RCA debut! NYCC draw on a strong secular/spiritual tradition of work by The Art Reynolds Singers or Voices Of East Harlem... read more

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that... read more

Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah wah tunes... read more