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A lesser-remembered gem from Brass Construction – and a tight bit of 80s groove that builds nicely on the group's ensemble funk work of the 70s! The group's still quite large, with a brassy finish that befits their name – but there's also a nice undercurrent of funky guitar, bass, and... read more

A excellent album of southern funk – and darn rare, too! We know almost nothing about the Brothers, but they're a 14 piece combo with a tight ensemble funk sound that clearly shows roots of both the Memphis and Muscle Shoals scenes where the album was recorded! There's a lot of fuzzy guitar... read more

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A wonderful album of breezy jazzy soul from the sweet voiced Sheree Brown! The record is one of two that Brown cut for Capitol, and it was produced by Richard Rudolph – husband and collaborator of the late Minnie Riperton – in the immediate years after Minnie's death, leading us to... read more

An excellent biker soundtrack – very different than the usual bag! For this one, Tony Bruno has come up with some great instrumentals – many of them jazzier than you'd think, and a few with some nice funky Capitol instrumental touches – not so much studio fuzz guitar, as they are... read more

Heavy ballads from Peabo Bryson – a perfect sampling of the style he did so well back in the day, including a few of his famous duets with Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole as well! The set's overflowing with mellow jams from Peabo – the kind of laidback numbers that really helped him... read more

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A weird batch of groovy instrumental tracks and schmaltzy vocal ones, all composed as part of the score of this creepy 70's film about college that conducts experiments in contemporary sexual values. A very young Don Johnson sings lead vocals on the throwaway tracks "It's Not Over" and... read more

Sweet and funky organ work from the great Henry Cain – a little known player who recorded on some excellent sides for Capitol in the 60s, including some of the albums by Howard Roberts! This set is Cain's one full album for the label – and it's a tight and jumpy set of instrumentals,... read more

Classic Latin-tinged fusion on Capitol – recorded with a smooth soulful style that's right up there with the best of the Capitol Rare generation! Caldera mixes together nice jazzy saxes with guitars, percussion, and some great keyboard work by Eduardo Del Barrio – all produced by the... read more

Classic Latin-tinged fusion on Capitol – recorded with a smooth soulful style that's right up there with the best of the Capitol Rare generation! Caldera mixes together nice jazzy saxes with guitars, percussion, and some great keyboard work by Eduardo Del Barrio – all produced by the... read more

Classic Latin-tinged fusion on Capitol – recorded with a smooth soulful style that's right up there with the best of the Capitol Rare generation! Caldera mixes together nice jazzy saxes with guitars, percussion, and some great keyboard work by Eduardo Del Barrio – all produced by the... read more

The pairing of Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb is probably one of the greatest ideas ever in the history of pop music – as you'll hear on the album's title track, "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". Glen's original hit version of the song – written by a wee Jimmy at a young age... read more

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Classic Capitol jazz session, and one that pairs Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff with an LA rhythm section that has Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The album's a perfect example of Chaloff's legendary (and short-lived) talents on the baritone... read more

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Mystically grooving psychedelia from Chocolate Watch Band – a heady mix of the psyche sounds of the era with some really groovy Eastern inspired spirals of sound! The band doesn't skimp on the hip shaping and head nodding rock vibes – with some Stones-y swagger, especially in the... read more

A mix of spiraling psychedelia and grittier garagey rock from Chocolate Watch Band! No Way Out has a bit more grit than the more mystical follow up LP, but we wouldn't complain about that – the mix of more tripped out organ and atmospheric touches paired with harder hitting, sweaty r&b... read more

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Fantastic stuff by one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century! The album is filled with haunting vocal tracks, twisted by arranger Pete Rugolo into complicated arrangements, and sung by Christy with a deep sense of sorrow and loneliness, masked by a weak smile that only seems to further... read more

Fantastic stuff by one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century! The album is filled with haunting vocal tracks, twisted by arranger Pete Rugolo into complicated arrangements, and sung by Christy with a deep sense of sorrow and loneliness, masked by a weak smile that only seems to further... read more

Always brilliant work from the great June Christy – an album that's got a lot more darkness than you might think from the title and the bright-colored cover! The style is very booze-soaked and sad – with plenty of echoes of the classic Something Cool album – and like that set,... read more

One of June's all-time classics – and perhaps her most famous album, next to the sublime Something Cool. The set, like that one, was arranged and conducted by Pete Rugolo – whose icy and modern touches are the perfect foil for June's sad and dark voice. Familiar tunes are completely... read more

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an... read more

A great one from June – on a par with the Something Cool album, and featuring arrangements by the great Pete Rugolo! Like that one, this one's a pretty dark effort – filled with some great boozed-up late night vocals. Titles include "Saturday's Children", "I Wished On... read more

A great one from June – on a par with the Something Cool album, and featuring arrangements by the great Pete Rugolo! Like that one, this one's a pretty dark effort – filled with some great boozed-up late night vocals. Titles include "Saturday's Children", "I Wished On... read more

Great post-Curtom work from Linda Clifford – an album that has her nicely shaking off the excesses of the disco years, and going for a warmer, more sophisticated sound! The style here is almost a bit like the Jones Girls at the time – full modern soul, often grooving in a midtempo mode... read more

Great post-Parliafunkadelicment work from George Clinton – surely the biggest hit of his albums for Capitol – especially since it features the singles "Atomic Dog" and "Loopzilla"! We'll be honest in saying that at the time this one came out, as die-hard Detroit... read more

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Loopzilla is from the same species as Atomic Dog – both of them funky enough animals, with post Parliament/Funkadelic P-Funk groove!... read more

"Nubian Nut" is more of the Atomic Dog formula – kind of a popping bass groove that was the inherited legacy of P-funk that every other band was ripping off at the time, and rap-like vocals that George would probably never claim were rap! "Free Alterations" is the real... read more

We kept hoping and hoping throughout the 80s that Clinton would get back into the funk of things, but it seems he never quite hit his stride, with the exception of the "Atomic Dog". And though we can't hold this up anywhere near his best work, it's a reasonably solid effort, given that... read more

While little of Clinton's work under his own name in the 80s compares favorably with the best of the Parliament-Funkadelic years, it's still fairly solid compared to a lot of the other commercial R&B dreck that was being peddled at the time. With the sort of fat bass, loads of synthesized... read more

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Sublime instrumentals from Nat – his tinkling piano lines over lush arrangements – all in a sweet 50s Capitol mode!... read more

A classic from Nat King Cole – one of his greatest albums of the 50s, and a mature batch of ballads that show he had really developed into a heck of a singer! Arrangements are by Gordon Jenkins, and the set features a rich array of moody material – including "When I Fall In... read more

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Sublime instrumentals from Nat – his tinkling piano lines over lush arrangements – all in a sweet 50s Capitol mode!... read more

Wonderful stuff by Nat – truly one of his greatest Capitol vocal albums, and set to great arrangements by Nelson Riddle, very much in a classic mode. Tracks include heartbreakers like "Dinner For One, James" and "There Goes My Heart" – plus more lively standards... read more

Titles include "To The Ends Of The Earth", "Forgive My Heart", "Annabelle", "Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow", and "Dreams Can Tell A Lie".... read more

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A nice 12" LP issue from the 50s of sides originally released as 10" LPs – early work that Cole recorded for Capitol, during the years 1943 to 1949, when he was an up and coming talent from the Hollywood scene, blending together jazz, swing, and a touch of blues – to craft one... read more

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A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time,... read more

Great earlier stuff from Natalie Cole – actually her third great album in a row – a tremendous early creative and commerical winning streak for Natalie! Thankful has her sweet, soulful voice out from of prodcution by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of the Independents, and they give her... read more

Great earlier stuff from Natalie Cole – actually her third great album in a row – a tremendous early creative and commerical winning streak for Natalie! Thankful has her sweet, soulful voice out from of prodcution by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of the Independents, and they give her... read more

One of Cy Coleman's best records from the 60s – a swinging little soundtrack that's awash in all his best jazzy tendencies – the modes first honed up at the Playboy Penthouse, and expanded even more on a range of 60s scores! The film's a bit forgotten – a goofy 60s comedy... read more

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A very hip LA ensemble – featuring Gary Pack and Steve Spiegl on trumpets, and Tom Baker on trombone – directed by Jack Wheaton.... read more

One of the lesser-known groups of the early 80s funk scene in Ohio – but a killer combo with a groove that's as good as their contemporaries! The album's got production and arrangements from Ranhi Harris of Dayton, who also plays a bit on the record as well – and the groove is kind of... read more

An excellent album of jazzy rock material from Detroit! The Corporation were definitely one of the hipper groups ever to record for Capitol during the late 60s, as you'll hear on their incredible version of John Coltrane's "India", done as a progged-out slightly funky instrumental, and... read more

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... read more

One of the greatest albums of Latin Jazz ever recorded on the west coast during the 50s – and a landmark session from Jack "Mr Bongo" Costanzo! The album well earns its "fever" claim – as the set smokes from the very first note – Jack's bongos calling the pace... read more

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Surf guitar hits the drag strip – as Dick Dale makes the same move as most of his Cali contemporaries of the 60s – shifting his groove from waxed boards and woodies over to the world of hot rods! The sound's still pretty much the same, though – smoking instrumentals filled with... read more

Classic guitar from one of the all-time greats – a smoking selection of rare Capitol and Deltone Records singles from the legendary Dick Dale – and virtually a blueprint for generations of surf guitar to come! Sure, there were loads of other great players up and down the Pacific coast... read more

Classic guitar from one of the all-time greats – a smoking selection of rare Capitol and Deltone Records singles from the legendary Dick Dale – and virtually a blueprint for generations of surf guitar to come! Sure, there were loads of other great players up and down the Pacific coast... read more

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Legendary work from Miles Davis – large group sessions that virtually define the "cool" in cool jazz! The work's quite different from Davis' earlier bop sides with Charlie Parker – and show a distinct influence from modernists like Gerry Mulligan (who is on the recordings)... read more

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable –... read more

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable –... read more

A hard to find later album from Dayton – and a set that still has the group riding high at Capitol Records! Production and arrangements here are by Rahni Harris of the group – and there's a bit more of a chunky/funky sense of rhythm than before – that kind of jaunty way of... read more

A really unusual chapter in the career of Jackie DeShannon – an obscure early 70s album done for Capitol Records! The core album is done at a level that mixes both Jackie's soul and post-folk leanings of the late 60s – a style that's sophisticated and often a bit righteous, but also... read more

One of the more obscure chapters in David Axelrod's years at Capitol – a record featuring comeback vocals from singer Ann Dee – a talent from earlier years, getting a bit of an update here from Ernie Freeman on arrangements and Axelrod on production. There's no standout funky numbers,... read more

Sure, it was silly stuff when we were kids – but once De La Soul sampled "Three Is The Magic Number", this record became one of the most prized in our possession! And thanks to that hip hop reintroduction, we've really fallen in love with the music again over the years –... read more

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The Dramatics hit a new dimension here on Capitol Records – a new home for the group, but also one for many other great groups at the time! The placement's no surprise, given that LJ Reynolds was also working for Capitol during the early 80s too – and the sound here's a bit different... read more

Sweet Chicago soul from this ex-lead singer of the Drew-Vels! The tracks are arranged and conducted by Phil Wright, and they have a pretty nice groovy soul feel – in the Capitol mode of the late 60s. The record's got a fair number of covers, like "I, Who Have Nothing", "What... read more

A classic soulful fusion album on Capitol, recorded and released during the crucial years of the "Capitol Rare" sound! Gene Dunlap is a jazz drummer at heart – but he's got a flair for the modern soul song – and in the same style as Norman Connors or Harvey Mason before him,... read more

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Bass-heavy funk from Ebonee Webb – one of the more all-out funk acts of the Capitol 80s groove scene – but a group who could also sound great on some of their mellower numbers! The group really put the bass and guitar work upfront in the tunes – and about half of the tracks on... read more

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One of Duke's most popular albums of the 50s – but we won't hold that against him! The session's one of a number of 50s outings that revisit older classics with the new level of quality offered in the studio – and it's got a similar feel to some of Duke's work for Bethlehem around the... read more

Titles include "West Side Story Medley", "Funky Night", "Without You I'm Nothing", "Teacher's Blues", and "Taunting Scene".... read more

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A cool 60s Capitol psych album – with organ from Tony Scott and flute from Paris Sheppard – and nice long tracks that include "I Just Thought Of The Moon", "The House Of Saturn", and "The Happening".... read more

A classic doo wop side, but perhaps more famous for the hard to get cover of the first edition, than the music, even though the grooves are about as great as you can get, whether it's smooth ballads or more up tempo rocking numbers! A dozen numbers in all, including "Just For A Thrill",&q... read more

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An earnest, often largely orchestrated gospel-ish album This Lusty Land is his earliest inspirational foray. If you only know ol' Ern from "Sixteen Tons" and the Davy Crockett theme, or from his appearance as a Branson, MO dwelling ghost on the Simpsons, you're really missing out on a... read more

A masterpiece – and possibly the greatest record ever by the Four Freshmen! The album is arranged by Kentonite Pete Rugolo, who gives it a very dark feel – similar to his amazing work on June Christy's Something Cool album (which is a perfect complement to this one) – and he's... read more

A rare one from The Four Freshmen – an album that never turns up on vinyl, and is some of their best work of the 60s! The group is working in a tight jazzy mode – layering their harmonies with arrangements that are a bit more sophisticated than some of their earlier pop, but which also... read more

Very groovy work from the Four King Cousins – a sweet quartet of lovely voices peeled off of the larger King Family ensemble, singing here in a spare and syncopated groove with lots of late 60s Capitol touches! Maestro Lex De Azevedo produced, arranged, and conducted – and the album's... read more

A wacko Kim Fowley solo album – released on Capitol in the mid 70s featuring recordings he made in '69 & '70 – and we must say, it's aptly titled! It's wild stuff in which Fowley shrieks, barks and occasionally sings on material that ranges from feral freakouts (including one tune... read more

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