One of the coolest, grooviest tunes we've ever heard from Jimmy McCracklin – a cut that begins with this totally awesome "uh-huh" vocal chorus – but recorded in a very echoey space, so that it sounds almost out of this world! Jimmy's own lead vocals are tremendous too –... read more
Gwen's biggest hit ever! "Rocking Chair" probably blared out of more AM radios during the 70s than every Dickie Goodman single combined – but it's still a great track. The flipside's a mellow soul number, and almost seems to be an answer to Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand The... read more
Nice obscure one by this lost girl soul group from the 70's! The Jackson 5 wrote and produced "What's Your Game", and it's got a very tight mellow 70's soul groove, with almost a Curtom sound, and a feel that's surprisingly deep for The Jacksons at the time. Gene Page arranged the flip... read more
A sweet little single from Menahan Street Band! "Lights Out" has this slow funk brilliance that's almost lifted off a rare 70s soundtrack – beats that are hard, but mellow too – topped by these snakey horns that really bring in a blue sort of feel to the music – almost... read more
Madly tripped-out grooves from the Menehan Street Band! "Wolf" is a number with a lot of Ethiopian elements in its groove – a cut that feels like it came from one of Mulatu's famous albums of the 70s – with lots of odd-stepping rhythms, offbeat horn parts, and this spacey bit... read more
A very cool version of "Purple Haze" – and one that sounds nothing like the original! The tune's handled here with some weird bubbling beats that kind of sway back and forth, and instead of guitar, the tune uses a very thin keyboards – while a female voice sings the lyrics in... read more
Classic funky soul from The Meters! "Sophisticated Cissy" was a follow-up to "Cissy Strut", and it's got the same tight grooves as that one – and some great Meters guitar! "Sehorns Farms" is another Meters classic – and the single's the kind of double-head... read more
A killer cut by The Metros – one of Detroit soul's best secrets in the 60s! The track is amazing – dipping, turning, and soaring with this groove that even knocks out most Motown classics – and it's backed here by an equally great number, making for one hell of a 45!... read more
A sweet rarity from the lovely Mina – a great replica of one of her best singles from the early 70s – featuring the kind of amazing vocals that have always made her work unlike anyone else!... read more
The Mocambo combo gets the Kenny Dope treatment – in a wicked cover of the hip hop classic "The Message"! The tune's an instrumental here, and the groove is played live – but it's got a nice similarity to the Grandmaster Flash original, complete with that vamping bit on the... read more
A rocksteady gem from Hemsley Morris – produced by Clancy Eccles! "Stay Loose" has a nice mood, with steady rhythm and some soulful, deceptively simply lyrics that sneak into your conciousness and really sink in! Joe Higgs is backed by The Dynamites on the flip "Don't Mind... read more
The first single from Mr. Day's Dry Up The Sun set! "Forgotten Realms" is a nice one, with some retro R&B touches, but it's got a really unique vibe. Gritty lead vocals and nice chorus back up, handclaps on the beat, some really nice use of organ and an all around insistent groover!... read more
An obscure single from the Houston scene – a loving ode to roller disco, sung by a male singer over a groove that's almost a bit too complicated for the usual skating moves!... read more
Chicago's brass-heavy Mucca Pazza – remixed by Greenwood Rhythm Coalition and Jon Kennedy! GRC's remix of "Tube Sock Tango" is very nicely reworked here – given some tropical percussion flavor – with some otherworldly keyboards adding kind of an eerie vibe, without... read more
The two best cuts from Idris' first Prestige album, edited down to hot 45 takes, with tight funky drums, and an excellent instrumental groove! "Express Yourself" bounces the groove even more than the original Charles Wright version – and "Super Bad" punches the beat with... read more
The funky soul everlasting "Popstopper" from Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins! Georgia Anne's singing is leading light on "Popstopper", with Dudley Perkins back in MC mode with the assist. The song's got a timeless vibe and while it certainly isn't a pop song, it's... read more
Tight-stepping soul from the well-named Hank "Soulman" Mullen – a great groover that moves at a Northern pace, but has a deeper soul feel overall! Hank's vocals are totally great – warm and raspy, almost in the best Memphis tradition – and the rhythms of the track are... read more
A nice blend of gritty old school funk and breakbeat hip hop production on Cold Busted! "Blessing Da Funk" is a blessing, indeed – raw beats, irrepressive bass line, funky guitar grooves and sampled bits of party rockin' vocals. "Mr Scream" is another winner – with... read more
Great work from the British kings of the funky 45 – they turned out another doozy! "Nervous" grooves like a heavy duty funk track – drums kicking it up all over the place underneath, while guitar strings out the riff in a "I Know You Got Soul" mode, and horns blast... read more
Nothing dixie about this classic groover from The Newports – as the tune's got a jagged rhythm on the bottom, and some sweet harmonies over the top – almost a jukebox mambo vibe, with maybe a slight touch of Crescent City – not to mention a sweet tenor solo near the end! "Don... read more
A great little soul track by Frankie! The track has a loping sing-song groove – with Frankie singing righteous and a bit like Stevie – and lots of guitar riffing along some heavier basslines and percussion grooving. All quite nice – a real party cut that mixes soul and funk in a... read more
Sahr Ngaujah Vs Superhuman Happiness —
Gravity/String Theory ... 7-inch
Electric Cowbell,
2010. Near Mint- (pic cover)....
$1.99
A really cool avant single that's unlike anything else! It's from Sierra Leone-born vocalist Sahr Ngaujah and collaborator Stuart Bogie of Antibalas – both of whom work in the Broadway production Fela! – but Sahr Ngaujah Vs Superhuman Happiness has in otherwordly approach that's more... read more
Nickodemus brings his Global Minute series to Beirut – Middle Eastern MCs and regional funk sounds fused masterfully with timeless, universal hop hop – a brilliant, uncompromising track! Here Nickodemus is joined by MCs Edd Fareeq L'Atrash, Yaseen, Malikah & Ram6 Al Hamorabi on the... read more
Take it from us, a record with "chicken" in the title is always worth checking out – because it usually means a nicely strutting groove! That's definitely the case with "Chicken Grabber" – a cool cut with mambo percussion, vamping sax, and some great chicken calls... read more
Nothing chilly about Nightchill – as the group's a great late Dave Hamilton project from Detroit – working in a style that echoes older soul modes, but set to a more modern stepping groove! Romeo & Juliet are from more than a decade before – but get great production from Dave... read more
Tom Noble and Matt Rex serve up two totally sweet grooves – both numbers that feel like they've been resurrected and reconstructed from someone's collection of rare club and boogie! "Relax Your Mind" has this snapping clave and dipping bassline – often moving with a... read more
Includes "It's Tight Like That", "My Daddy Rocks Me", "Sweet Lorraine" , "Sweet Sue, Just You" , "Oh Sister Ain't That Hot", and "King Joe".... read more
Includes "Birmingham Bertha", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Wake Up Chillin Wake Up" , "I Got A Misery" , "Chicago Rhythm", and "St Louis Blues".... read more
Includes "El Rado Scuffle", "He's Not Worth Your Tears", "After You've Gone" with Helen Savage, "Trav'lin All Alone" with Mildred Bailey, "My Melancholy Baby", and "Deep Trouble".... read more
Beautiful early work from the Notations! "At the Crossroads" is a sad, slow harmony number – of the sort the group were great at in their early years, and done with that sad, rasping tone that always makes their work sound so great. "It's A New Day" is a bit more upbeat... read more
A killer single from The Notations – one that has all the sublime harmonies of their Twinight work, but a slightly groovier feel overall! "That Girl" has this wicked guitar part that really gets the groove going – and the group's vocals more than step into line too, by... read more
A brilliant package that brings back two classic grooves from Kenny Dope and Louie Vega! First up is the legendary "Nervous Track" – a tune that's got this wonderfully syncopated snare – snapping along with break-like energy alongside some more house-heavy bass – all... read more
Betty O'Brien belts out beautifully on "She'll Be Gone" – a tune with a bad-stepping groove and lots of R&B overtones – plus these offbeat strings that sneak along the heavier groove, and really give things a sharp edge! Kitty Ford steps in on "Blue Diamond Ring"... read more
A sweet later groover from The O'Jays – warm, mellow, and moving at a great midtempo clip – a groove that lets the harmonies soar out beautifully over the top! The hook is wonderful, with a slight undercurrent of righteousness – and "My Favorite Person" follows with an... read more
Great stuff! "Love Rollercoaster" was the Ohio Players massive mid 70s hit – a tune that hit pop charts, discos, and car radios alike – all with a joyously romping groove!... read more
Old Metropolitan Jazz Band/Dave Harris Trio —
Summertime ... 7-inch
Giraffe (Germany),
Early 70s. New Copy ....
$7.99
Two wonderful versions of the Gershwin classic "Summertime" – both of them very offbeat! The Old Metropolitan take has lots of horns, and a brooding bassline that really creates a lot of darkness – initiating the track for the first minute or so along with the vocals, before... read more
A sparkling debut – and a whole new side of Truth & Soul! The Olympians feature Toby Panzer on keyboards and vibes – and work here with a laidback groove that's totally great – kind of a combination of slow funk and instrumental sweet soul, with mellow beats, El Michels horns... read more
On the spot, and in the pocket – a tight trio with a wickedly funky feel – one that serves up plenty of Hammond organ over heavy drumlines! "Suction" doesn't suck at all – as it's a great groover with a really upbeat feel – and "Critically Acclaimed" is... read more
Smoking soul from the Ones & Nines – recorded in Jersey, and topped off in Memphis – making for an intra-state pedigree that's mighty nice! The group have a feel that's different quality than most other funky soul combos out there – with a nicely garagey quality on "Tell... read more
"Somebody's Been Sleeping" is a stone cold 70's soul classic! It starts with a nice high-pitched choppy bit, then rolls into a groove that has a great AM radio soul sound. Nice catchy hoo, too!... read more
Heavy funk, all the way through – a brilliant batch of cuts from The Original Black Sheep Of The Family – and one of the only true testaments we've ever seen to their obscure funky work! The set begins with the massive "In The Forest" – a wicked, wangly groove that... read more
Stormin Philly soul from The Orlons – a stepping groover that's got some great interplay between the female lead and the harmony vocals! There's a proud strut that makes the tune one of the Orlons' standout numbers – and "No Love But Your Love" has these great vibes that... read more
A haunting, funky samba instrumental, a sweeter vocal tune and spacey bonus track to close – cool stuff from Os Magrelos! "Luz Negra" is quite killer – with funky drums and heavy bass, plus a really thick layer of organ! "Seja Como For" is shows a different side,... read more
Rare French work from American pianist Errol Parker – 3 cool tunes used as the soundtrack for a film! "Des Garcons Et Des Filles" features a trio led by Parker, who plays some great piano, and also scats vocally with singer Rozaa Wortham – in this cool, catchy way that makes... read more
Al's an obscure singer – but one with an excellent voice, very much in the "iceman" tradition of Garland Green or Jerry Butler. It's no surprise that he sings Butler's classic "I Stand Accused" on this one, done in a version that's more updated and a bit nicer than the... read more
2 funky sample classics - back to back on one 45! "EVA" is one of the greatest tracks ever by Jean Jacques Perry – a mad mix of snapping beats, spacey moog, and these cool bell tones – sampled famously by Gang Starr, but even funkier straight up in this original mix! "Ta... read more
Although James Phelps has a deep raw soul voice – he's matched here with some nice uptown arrangements courtesy of Phil Wright, for a sound that's a lot like some of the best solo Ben E. King solo stuff for Atlantic! "Love Is A 5-Letter Word" is a nice slowly-rolling track with a... read more
Previously undiscovered 80s soul from Cali – "Cherri Snow" by Pierre and "So In Love" by Veronica – well paired on this debut single for Rysque Records! "Cherri Snow" is a tight little cosmic jam with a raw beat, funky bass line, synth grooves and laidback... read more
Killer funky cuts, back to back! "Thoughts Of Old Flames" is slower than the usual Pleasure groove – but that doesn't stop it from being a killer – slowly stepping with a marvelous groove, and some of the most hook-heavy vocals the group's ever used! "Glide" is... read more
A stone killer – filled with funky riffing, mad keys, and a wicked groove that's always made this one a favorite! The track begins with some off-kilter electric piano – then slowly backs into a soulful vocal that expands the groove – then the flipside breaks out with a funky... read more
Mostly a funk track, but with some nice Afro-styled horns on top – a rapid-fire blur of guitar riffs, basslines, and drums – all sewn together with an instrumental tightness that's impeccable! "Moon Cabbage" is mighty cool too – a slow funky stepper, with almost a "... read more
A solid stormer from Benny Poole! "I Can Dig It" has this rumbling Hammond down at the bottom, and some killer sax right up on top – coming across like some great Pee Wee Ellis riff from the JB years! "That's All Right" is another great instrumental – with some... read more
Mighty funk & hip hop from Buffalo's Pseudo Intellectuals and Scott Down & DJ Cutler! "No Money Mo Problems" is a rugged & raw hip hop number from Pseudo Intellectual – with a jazz funk bass groove at the heart of it, and a conversational flow from the MCs. The funky... read more
Killer funk from the glory days of the Prestige Records scene! "Got Myself" is one of the catchiest numbers ever ecorded by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – a barrage of bouncy beats, peppered with jaunty piano, and completed by a frenetic funky flute line over the top! "... read more
One of the funkiest tunes ever from Clarence Reid – served up here with a Kenny Dope edit that kicks up the beats even more! The track does a great job of mixing southern soul with a harder, heavier groove – one that's got a famous vamp on the break – which is taken to extremes... read more
A monster! "Smokey Joe's La La" is a hard-dancing, heavy-stepping, piano-driven instrumental that we never tire of! The pianist has this heavy left hand that really works the go-go groove of the cut wonderfully – taking into sock-boogaloo heaven! The flipside features a killer... read more
Late 70s funky French grooves from Resonance! "OK Chicago" is a roaring, screeching exercise in cinematic funky exploitation – heavy drums, Euro disco synth and a slew of sound effects – ricocheting gunshots, squealing car tires and more. A hard-sought, should-be classic! ... read more