Tracks include "Break Dancer", "A Fly Girl", "Do Or Die", "Shake & Break", and "Party Asteroid". 8 tracks total. (Hip Hop, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A record that was an instant classic from the moment it was first released – and a set that's still pretty darn pleasing all these many years later! At a time when mainstream soul was often too smooth or too poppy, D'Angelo came along and not only found a way to return the music to the years of its power with singers like Al Green or Marvin Gaye – but also managed to bring in some of the best hip hop elements of his generation too, at a level that was far more successful than most other blends that had been tried before! Production is nice and lean, and super-crispy – at a level that so many folks are still copying all these years later – and the set's full of classics that include "Cruisin", "When We Get By", "Smooth", "Me & Those Dreamin Eyes Of Mine", "Brown Sugar", "Alright", and "Jonz In My Bonz". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s LP that compiles Julia's earlier sides for Capitol – a mixture of jump blues, swing, and R&B, recorded with players that include Red Norvo, Benny Carter, Vic Dickenson, and Baby Lovett – all killer work from the early years of the labgel! Titles include "Last Call For Alcohol", "After Hours Waltz", "King Size Papa", "Snatch It & Grab It", "You Ain't Got It No More", and "Crazy World". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet club grooving from the legendary Freda Payne – a very different album than her initial hits for Holland-Dozier-Holland, and a set that has a mature mix of disco and modern soul! Production is by Tony Camillo and Frank Wilson – and the tracks are long and nicely stretched out – getting Freda past the hooks and into territory that almost rivals the best on Philadelphia International at the time. The best cuts here are the ones that are slightly mellow, grooving in a midtempo mode – really letting Payne show off this new style to best effect. Titles include "Master Of Love", "Stares & Whispers", "Bring Back The Joy", and "I Get High On Your Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful group soul vocals effort from the Persuasions in the early 70s – working in a throwback acapella mode, but still with a fresh feel – thanks to a hip dawn of the 70s sound, and a stripped-down feel that you'd probably have never gotten back in the day! It's amazing how fresh it sounds, even today – each individual voice captured with crystal clarity, and strong genuine emotion – with an honest and real sound that's not overly polished. Wonderful! Titles include "Chain Gang", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Gypsy Woman", "Another Night With The Boys", "Let It Be", "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home", and "The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the first truly great Lou Rawls album for Capitol – an all-out swinging jazz session done with arrangements by Onzy Matthews, in a mode that firmly helped put the Lou Rawls sound on the map! The tracks are mostly older numbers from a long lineage of blues and R&B – but with hipper 60s touches by Matthews in the backings, Lou really swings the work into a whole new territory – moving older, clunky compositions into more adult, more mature modes that aren't nearly as sad or downtrodden as their roots! Titles include "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water", "Roll Em Pete", "Kansas City", "World Of Trouble", "Trouble In Mind", "Strange Fruit", and "Six Cold Feet Of Ground". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou's excellent Capitol sessions produced by David Axelrod! The record's not an outwardly funky one, but Axe gives the set a nice loping groove on the best tracks – the sound that he brought to his best work with Rawls, and which really put him over the top back in the 60s. Titles include "Mean Black Snake", "Walking Proud", "Trouble Down Here Below", "A Woman Who's Woman", and "Something Stirrin In My Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou Rawls' best for Capitol – produced by David Axelrod, and arranged by HB Barnum with a joyous, leaping, sock-soulful groove! The drums get nice and hard on the set – especially on the classic break version of "For What It's Worth", and the rolling righteous cut "My Ancestors" – and Lou's vocals are deeply wonderful all the way through! Other tunes include "I'm Gonna Use What I Got", "My Son", "Evil Woman", "Hang Ups", and "The Letter". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great ones – produced by David Axelrod, with HB Barnum arrangements, and sublime vocals by Lou, who's really at his best in this sort of setting! The album features 2 hip monologues – "Righteous Woman" and "Dead End Street" – plus the famous sung version of the latter, and the tracks "You're Takin My Bag", "I'll Take Time", "Why", and "Yes, It Hurts (Doesn't It?)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the nice moments from the days when David Axelrod was producing Lou Rawls! The record's a great mix of soul and tight LA production, and features the breakbeat cut "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)". Other nice ones include "Season Of The Witch", "It's You", "I Love You, Yes I Do", and "Trying Just As Hard As I Can". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the beautiful records from Lou's late 60's years at Capitol, and one of the ones he made with the great team of H.B. Barnum and David Axelrod. As usual, Barnum turns out some fantastically swinging soul arrangements – and Axelrod's procduction ensures that things are nice and tight, and that the drums beat extra funky and soulful! Titles include "Down Here On the Ground", "Soul Serenade", "You're Good For Me", and "I'm Satisfied" – plus the excellent "Life Time", which has a great breakbeat! LP, Vinyl record album

Another one of the really good Lou Rawls albums from the late 60's. David Axelrod produced, and the drums are nice and hard, especially on "I Can't Make It Alone", which he arranged. Other tracks include "Give Me Your Love" (not the Curtis Mayfield song), "When She Speaks", and "Your Good Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great little live set – recorded in Central Park in the late 60s, before a very large crowd! Lou sounds great, as always – and the Ramsey Lewis material is very much in the spirit of the live mid 60s Cadet recordings. Maxine Brown is the real treat, though, as the live setting is quite a contrast to her more staid sides for Wand. Maxine sings "In The Midnight Hour" and "Soul Serenade", Lou Sings "They Don't Give Medals", "Tobacco Road", and "On Broadway", and Ramsey plays "Salute To Ray Charles", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Goin Out Of My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone 70s classic from Tavares – quite possibly the group's biggest album, and a masterpiece of LA vocal group soul! The album's biggest claim to fame is the massive hit "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", recorded by the group for this set, but blown to the heights through it's huge use in the film Saturday Night Fever. But although that hit might mark them as a disco group, Tavares are still very much in the strongest style of their best early vocal group sets – coming together magically as a group, even when the rhythms are a bit uptempo, and sounding great on tracks that include "To The Other Man", "The Mighty Power Of Love", "Bein With You", "Ridin High", "Wonderful", and "Guiding Star". LP, Vinyl record album

Ed Townsend's best known as a famous songwriter and producer – whose work through the 60s and 70s made him more than a bit of green – but this early album has Ed trying his pipes as a male vocal lead, singing in a style that's smooth and mellow, a bit in the vein of Jesse Belvin, and really sounding great overall! Orchestrations are by Nelson Riddle, and the album's got a gentle swing that we really enjoy – Ed singing over some lesser known tracks, and bringing a raspy soulfulness to the more familiar ones. Titles include "What's Wrong With Me", "Golden Earrings", "I'm In Love", "Don't Ever Leave Me", and "On The Street Where You Live". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A real sweet soul gem from Nancy! The record has her working with arrangements and production by Gene and Billy Page – who give the record a great smooth 70s soul finish, and a feel that's a lot more unified than some of her other efforts from the decade. Nancy sings some great versions of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" and "Come Get To This", plus the original tracks "Houdini Of The Midnight Hour", "Like A Circle Never Stops", "Boogeyin All The Way", and "Happy Tears". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Norman Connors at the top of his game – working here with backing from his own Starship Orchestra, in a groove that's completely funky, deeply soulful, and touched with a fair bit of jazz as well! The album's a great summation of all the sounds that Connors had crafted on previous records with a wider range of players – but really comes into sharp focus here with help from lead vocalist Adaritha – a singer who's got this sublime range that rivals Minnie Riperton on Capitol Records, but which also carries some of the deeper tones of Jean Carn's previous work with Norman. The album's well-balanced between mellow moments and jazzy groovers – all handled with the classic Connors sense of sophistication and class – and titles include the great groover "Be There In The Morning", the slow jamming "Handle Me Gently", plus the tracks "Your Love", "I Have A Dream", "Disco Partido", and "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the most amazing debut records of all time – not only the record that first exposed the world to Roberta Flack, but a set that heralded so many changes to come in the following decade! Flack's genius here is almost impossible to put into words – part jazz, part soul, and completely righteous from the very first note – possessed of a sense of pride and power that belie both her understated image on the front cover, and her relatively young age – and delivered with a timelessness that still makes the record as vital today as it was so many years back. The set features Flack playing piano and singing with her trio – sometimes augmented by larger arrangements by the very hip William S Fischer, but often in a setting that's very spare yet incredibly moving – instantly putting Roberta at the same level as Nina Simone, and maybe even past the territory of Aretha Franklin at the time. Titles include her seminal reading of "Compared To What" – an instant anthem for the time – plus the tracks "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Or Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost Ohio soul treasure – the initial effort by a singer with a hell of a voice, but one who languished in obscurity after the poor response to this debut LP! Barbara Howard really knocks it out of the park here – singing like a deep soul diva with a hell of a lot of power and focus – but also moving effortlessly through material from a variety of modes, often given a bit of a jazzy twist in the backings – almost as if Howard's trying to be the southern soul answer to Nancy Wilson on Capitol Records! There's maybe a Spanky Wilson vibe to the whole thing – with a similar punch in the arrangements – and titles include "The Man Above", "Save Your Love For Me", "Light My Fire", "My Song", "I Need You", "Welcome Home", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "For Once In My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the many obscure albums of material by The Ohio Players – material that was recorded in the late 60's by Capitol, but frequently repackaged and retitled in the early 70's to cash in on the big hit status of the band. The band has elements of their funky 70s style on Westbound – but also sounds a bit rougher, with arrangements and playing that have a hard edge, and a slight southern touch. There's a lot of originals, like "A Thing Called Love", "Tell Me Why", "It's A Cryin Shame", and "Trespassin". Also includes the weird version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that was played at Judy Garland's funeral! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little Lou Rawls album from his short-lived time at Bell Records – and like most of his smaller stints at 70s labels, work that really stands out from the rest! The album was cut in LA with smooth production from Norman Ratner – but the overall sound is still pretty darn hip – a nice update of Lou's earlier style at Capitol and MGM, and almost a precursor to his late 70s fame at Philly International. The vocals are still given strong center stage – and are as magnificent as always – and the track selection is slinky smooth at times, in ways that give a subtle sophistication to the record that's really great. Titles include a great cover of "She's Gone", plus "Feel Like Makin Love", "Now You're Coming Back Michelle", "You're A Lady", "Keep The Faith", "Baby You Don't Know How Good You Are", and "Let It Be Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Disco Fever was quite a disease in the late 70s – especially contagious if you happened to be recording for Casablanca Records! In this case, it doesn't do too much damage to The Sylvers, who'd been moving that way already on their Capitol Records – and it does give them the chance to work here with Harold Faltermeyer, who handled all the arrangements on the record. All tracks are fast, done in the sing-song vocal mode that the group had been using on their pop hits from the mid 70s. The album was recorded in Munich, LA, and Milan – and titles include "Gimme Gimme Your Lovin", "Mahogany", "Dance Right Now", "I Feel So Good Tonight", and "Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, Esther Phillips and a few other 60s soul singers were recording Beatles tracks – but Mary Wells was the real deal, as she even had the support of the group itself, who made it known that she was one of their favorite American soul artists. This nice album on 20th Century features an all-Beatles set of tracks – with titles like "I Should Have Known Better", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Yesterday", "And I Love Him", and "Ticket To Ride". The arrangements are all uptown soul, and give the songs a more sophisticated sound than the original recordings. A record we don't see that often, and a nice lost gem! LP, Vinyl record album

Spanky Wilson really takes off here – hitting some of her boldest soul modes to date – and serving up a few funk-heavy classics in the process! Production and arrangements are by HB Barnum – who draws on his own rich legacy of soul projects for the set, and finds a way to let Spanky really knock things out of the park – while still also holding tight to a mighty sweet groove! The style's almost an indie soul take on the Capitol Records groove that Barnum forged with David Axelrod for other singers – with all the strong sense of space between the grooves that would imply. The set features Spanky doing nice hard grooving versions of tracks that you've heard before – like "Loveland", "Let It Be", "Gloomy Sunday", and "Perhaps" – but there's also some nice ones like "Foolish" or "Love or Let Me Be Lonely", that are less familiar, and mighty nice too! LP, Vinyl record album

A great sampler of 60s Detroit soul produced by the fantastic Ollie McLaughlin! Includes "Jan Jan" by the Fabulous Counts and the unbelievable "Almost" by Jimmy Delphs, one of our favorite soul tracks from the period, and a real heartbreaker with an uptempo groove. Lots more great stuff here too, including both well known and hard to get cuts, 15 tracks in all, including by "Cool Jerk" and 'We Got A Thing That's In The Groove" by the Capitols, "Ain't Gonna Give You Up" by the Volumes, "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by the Counts, "You Better Move" by the Gambrells, "Sing a Sad Song" by Percy & Them, and "Am I Losing You", "Don't Sign The Papers" and "I've Been Fooled Before" by Jimmy Delphs. LP, Vinyl record album