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Roy Ayers in a seductive mid 80s mode – his first for Columbia – and a record with some incredibly nice moments that blow away most of his contemporaries! The synth soul and drum machine era might seem like an odd fit for Roy's jazzy vibes, but it actually works really well here! You... read more

Roy Ayers in a tight mid 80s funk mode – commanding a modern vibe really well, especially with his vibes so prominent in the sound! Although the sound's a step or two more modern than the Polydor years, Roy still sounds great – and he grooves nicely on this batch of tracks that mix... read more

One of the original Dramatics, singer Ron Banks strikes out here on his own – a slept on gem from the early 80s! The set's in a similar modern soul mode to LJ Reynolds, who also worked with him in the group, and was having a bit of a solo career of his own at the time. It's got sort of a D-T... read more

A sweet debut from soul singer Regina Belle – a nice dose of class and sophistication in the world of mid 80s R&B! Regina's got a well-developed style right from the start – the kind of poise that you might hear from someone like Phyllis Hyman, especially on the mellower cuts... read more

Two club corkers by Black Ivory – back to back on a single CD! The self-titled Black Ivory album is a pivotal set for the group – released at a time when Black Ivory, like so many other east coast vocal groups, was making the transition away from an older sweet soul style to a more... 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

Sweet 80s disco from Peter Brown – proof that man still wants to get funky, even after most of his contemporaries had long left the dancefloor! The style here is as compellingly crossover as before – lots of lively rhythms that percolate with pop-inflected hooks – soul at the... read more

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly... read more

A bassy bassy classic from Tyrone Brunson – a heck of a great player on many other folks' albums at the time – and a darn compelling leader on his own! The set crackles with all the street soul vibe you might expect from the cover – breaking bits mixed with electro elements... read more

Bright, bubbly soul from Centerfield – the 80s soul duo of Keni Towns and Phil Jones – who both sing and play most of the instrumentation on the set! The sound's not as lean as you might expect for a duo album – thanks to the addition of some studio help too – but the... read more

A wonderful treasure from the early 80s soul scene – the first album from Champaign, and an instant winner right from the start! The group may not have been one of the bigger names of their time, but they really won a lot of favor with soul listeners over the years – and this album's... read more

A pair of great ones from this overlooked soul group from Illinois! Modern Heart is wonderful work from Champaign – a really self-contained group, and one who really rise above the rest of the early 80s soul scene! The album's got a tightness that's hard to beat – yet a sound that's... read more

Titles include "Do What You Want", "Stop What You're Doin", "Little Girl", "Runnin Around", and "Let Today Come Back Tomorrow".... read more

Soaring vocals from Angela Clemmons – a set that really has an amazing range, and a depth of sound that goes way past the usual from Epic Records at the time! Angela's got a way of stretching out right from the start – inflecting the lyrics with a rich power that easily matches or... read more

A bouncy little set from Angela Clemmons – a record that's got a bit more beats at the bottom than some of her previous outings – but in a way that seems to only make things sound even groovier overall! There's a number of catchy groovers that help the set take off right from the start... read more

A great mix of R&B and reggae – a hip early album from The Cool Notes – a UK group who never broke that big on our shores, but who have a sound that's held up well over the years! The rhythms here are often in a midtempo mode, with some Jamaican echoes – and the lead vocals... read more

A crossover classic from Deborah Cox – a record that's filled with plenty of tuneful tracks, yet sung with a surprising depth of soul! Production is top-shelf on most numbers – and is often in that great 90s mode that's reintroducing warmer sounds that had slipped out of soul music the... read more

The best of a handful of albums that the one-time Prince bassist put out in the early 80s – a record that made a splash via the great Prince-penned "The Dance Electric" – possibly a blessing and a curse for AC, as Prince was so huge at the time that the record going public was... read more

Not the same sort of new wave you'd know from the rock mainstream – but a fresh version of soul music for the 80s – very stripped-down, and performed almost entirely by Andre Cymone! The set's got a fullness that goes way past bedroom soul, though – thanks to advances in... read more

It's easy to survive the 80s when you've got an army of future-suit cats behind you – and given the groove here, it's clear that Andre Cymone was doing way more than just surviving back in the day! The set's a super-tight batch of 80s grooves – with a sharp sound that comes from lots... read more

Funky dancefloor material – with production by Norman Whitfield, and vocals by Yvonne "Taka Boom" Brumbach. The groove is somewhere near the vein of late Undisputed Truth – and although the group is wearing these silly costumes on the front the album's less disco than you... read more

A funky concept album from George Duke! Guardians Of The Light is a full-on "musical fantasy" – with the story line laid out in the liner notes, yet still a bit difficult to follow – but we can't fault him for that when it's done in his masterful R&B-fusion-funk approach!... read more

Stellar grooves from Charles Earland – a great mix of jazz, soul, and funk – put together in a way that's quite different from his previous records on Prestige or Mercury Records! The sound here is tight 80s soul – put together by Tom Tom Washington, who gives the whole thing a... read more

A great little groover from keyboardist Charles Earland – and an album that definitely lives up to its title! There's plenty of street sounds going on here – lots of modern R&B modes that echo the changing styles of early 80s soul music, especially on the east coast! And as part... read more

Great keyboard work from Rodney Franklin – an artist who was well-trained in the best 70s fusion modes, and really knew how to keep things real on an 80s groover like this! The set's got less acoustic touches than on previous Franklin albums, but the sound is still plenty soulful throughout... read more

A great example of why we always reach for our Rodney Franklin records time and time again over the years – as there's few other players who could serve up a blend of soul and jazz this well! The album's got a great balance of electric and acoustic, that instantly-warm style that Franklin... read more

Soaring soul from The Futures – a Philly group who'd already worked for years in the underground before cracking the racks with this debut LP in 1975 – schooled strongly in their best vocal modes from previous singles, and ready to unleash the best side of their sound on the world! The... read more

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Completely sublime grooves from GQ – a second set that's almost even better than their first – thanks to perfect production, and wicked rhythms that are right on the money, track after track! The group start the set with a flurry of upbeat grooves that really show the full potential of... read more

Maybe not dynamite, but an album that definitely has an explosive feel right from the start – thanks to some 80s grooves that really help re-ignite the solo career of Jermaine Jackson! Jermaine's soaring vocals are right at home in these beat-heavy arrangements – sparkling with a sense... read more

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better... read more

Titles include "It's A Thang", "An Imitation Of Love", "Hot Wild Unrestricted Crazy Love", "Love Is A Dangerous Game", and "I Fell In Love".... read more

A great set from Rebbie Jackson – a batch of 80s groovers that's way different than work from siblings Michael or Janet – and done with a percolating sort of vibe that's quite different from some of the core projects of the rest of the Jacksons universe! Wayne Henderson handled most of... read more

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice.... read more

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice.... read more

One of the few secular soul albums ever cut by Genobia Jeter – a gospel singer who broke into R&B with this smooth mid 80s effort – a mix of tracks handled by different producers, taking Genobia from mellow quiet storm numbers into more club-oriented groovers. Hubert Eaves handles... read more

One of the few secular soul albums ever cut by Genobia Jeter – a gospel singer who broke into R&B with this smooth mid 80s effort – a mix of tracks handled by different producers, taking Genobia from mellow quiet storm numbers into more club-oriented groovers. Hubert Eaves handles... 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

A tight little album from Tamiko Jones – one of the most enigmatic singers to come out of the south, stepping proud here in a sound that's almost in the Hotlanta vein! Tamiko's working with an assortment of Muscle Shoals musicians on the set – and the style of the album is a mixture of... read more

Probably the biggest album ever from the brother/sister team of Katreese and Jerry Barnes – working here as Juicy, in a sweet smooth 80s groove style that's mighty nice! Deodato produced the album, and it's similar to some of the other soul material he was handling in the 80s – slick... read more

A great later album from the Juicy duo – very much in the tightly grooving mode of their debut, thanks to continued production work by Deodato! The style's smooth, focused, and sharp-edged – but all without sounding too chart-oriented or clunky – and although the beats are... read more

A pair of funky soul sets from the early 80s by Junie – Bread Alone and 5 back-to-back in one set! Bread Alone is a nice batch of slicked up funk – not as crazy has his stoned-out albums on Westbound, but just as great overall! There's plenty of 80s bass pedal whomping in the mix, but... read more

An 80s soul classic from Kashif – an artist who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself – cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of... read more

A monumental bit of 80s soul – the first solo album from Kashif – issued hot on the heels of a few years spent penning and producing work for a range of bigger artists! Given his experience with the pros, Kashif's emerging here as a very fully-formed talent in soul – a singer... read more

Exactly the kind of record that shows why Kashif was one of the leading mainstream talents of the 80s – a set that not only has the artist really maturing as a singer, songwriter, and producer – but one that also has him reaching out to bring in a host of other talents from the time as... read more

A standout classic from Kashif – one of those key 80s albums that brought him to light as a tremendous powerhouse in mainstream soul! Thanks to the wonders of recording science, Kashif was able to write, produce, arrange, and perform everything on the album himself – a great trick that... read more

Classic 80s soul from Johnny Kemp – a sweet-voiced singer who steps out beautifully on this Columbia debut! Johnny's got a sound that's somewhat informed by some of the crossover soul of a few years back – but although his music is commercial, it's still got plenty going on at the... read more

Poppy passion from Krystol – a sweet 80s trio with a definite way with a hook! The set's got a well-balanced mainstream sound – one that helps the vocals find a fullness right away, either on the leads or harmonies – both woven together over the top of the tight, beat-heavy... read more

Bumping, bouncing soul from Krystol – one of the strongest female groups of the 80s, and one of the few who really helped push the sound further at the time! The groove here is equal parts funk and soul – and has a brashness that a girl act wouldn't have had a decade before –... read more

Cheryl Lynn follows things up nicely from her famous debut – mostly sticking in the same upbeat territory as her earliest club hits – a groove that's perfect for her bold, soaring vocals! The album sports a few mellower cuts, but it's the groovers that really keep things together... read more

Hard to believe that a preppie look could ever be associated with a soul singer, but by the time of this 1983, the preppie craze had spread so much that it actually provided Cheryl Lynn a nice way to update her style! There's nothing preppie about the music, though – and the record's a great... read more

A sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a... read more

A pair of albums from the McCrarys – back to back on a single CD, and with a bonus track too! First up is Loving Is Living – the first secular album by The McCrarys – the start of a great run for this group who started in gospel, then really blossomed even more strongly in soul... 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

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on... read more

An overlooked set from Melba Moore – an Epic session from the start of the 80s, and one that's served up with a nicely understated groove! There's a bit of disco in the mix, but the sound's never too far over the top – and in a way, Melba's working in the same sophisticated territory... read more

A album of club tracks, as you might guess from the title, but every bit as strong as Melba More's other work from the late 70s! The album's got some top-shelf club help throughout – including production from Van McCoy and McFadden & Whitehead, the latter of whom also contributed a few... read more

Soaring soul from Melba Moore – a singer who really came into her own with this sweet 70s album! Melba always had a great voice, right from the start – but here, she's working with arrangements and production by Van McCoy – updating her sound with a bit of a clubby groove, in a... read more

A peach of a record from Melba Moore – one that's produced by Eugene McDaniels, who helps find a tight funky sound that unlocks some of the most righteous elements in Moore's vocals! Like some of McDaniels' best productions of the time, there's a good sense of balance here – a way of... read more

The vocals of Melba Moore, and some great Philly soul rhythms – put together with tight arrangements from McFadden & Whitehead, who give Moore a similar approach to some of the best Philadelphia International records of the time! There's a really nice sense of balance to the record... read more

Proof that the move to soul was actually a great thing for James Mtume – because although the set's miles from his spiritual jazz work of the 70s, it more than makes up for that shift with a sophisticated approach to 80s soul! The group's a small one, with lots of keyboards from Mtume, and a... read more

Definitely the sort of album to make you feel better – given the tight, soulful sounds of Ndugu Chancler and this Chocolate Jam Company! The album's got roots in jazz – Ndugu's a drummer with work on countless other albums – but also steps out with plenty of soul, too –... 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 pair of great albums from one of the coolest soul arrangers of the 70s – back to back on a single CD! Close Encounters is a cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a... read more

Plenty of control here – as Ray Parker's at the height of his 80s hitmaking power, scoring strongly on one of his key classics from the decade for Arista! The tunes have a bit more of that catchy, rhythm-heavy sound that Parker was forging at the start of the decade – a quality that... read more

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The one and only album from Plush – an early 80s groover that features vocals from a young Siedah Garrett, and lots of help from Rene & Angela too! The group's a trio, mixing Siedah's voice with male singers Tony Phillips and Ambroce Price – a really full, focused vocal approach... read more

Bonnie Pointer sounding great in the mid 80s– on a hard-to-find album cut for Private I/CBS after a drawn out split with Motown – one that finds her in a prime, catchy dancefloor R&B mode! To our ears, If The Price Is Right holds up as well as a lot of the pop soul of the period,... read more

Patrice Rushen in a crisp 80s soul mode! Watch Out finds Patrice really cutting down the keyboards in favor of stronger vocals right out front – breaking all the rules, as the title of the second song tells it – and it works really well! Most of the arrangements, synth and drum... read more

Smooth pop-oriented R&B from the early 80s – with Alfie singing in a vibrato-heavy style that's probably designed to make you think she's an emotional vocalist. The album contains the singles "There I Go" and "A Puppet To You" – plus the tracks "Put The... read more

Late 80s boogie funk from Cameo guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Singleton & Modern Man, though Charlie himself may very well be this Modern Man, as he also wrote and produced the record – with allstar assistance from his Cameo partners, Peabo Bryson and others! Nothing Ventured,... read more

Great waves of sound here from Surface – a set that has the trio sounding even tighter and more fluid than ever – perfectly blending midtempo rhythms with their warm and sweet harmony vocals! The vibe's a bit classier than the usual mellow soul of the time – almost with a jazzy... read more

A mellow soul stunner from the mid 80s – the classic debut of Surface, a trio who bring a lot of warm jazzy elements into their unique brand of quiet storm grooves! There's a careful sense of class to the record right from the start – no easygoing commercial ballads, and instead a more... read more

A mellow soul stunner from the mid 80s – the classic debut of Surface, a trio who bring a lot of warm jazzy elements into their unique brand of quiet storm grooves! There's a careful sense of class to the record right from the start – no easygoing commercial ballads, and instead a more... read more

One of the last records Switch recorded before Philip Ingram went solo, and the rest of the guys broke off into DeBarge – and an album with some surprisingly sweet soul moments! The funky side of Switch is still stringly in place, but this record has some great little ballads ballads too... read more

A Def Jam classic from Tashan – and a record that really helped bridge the gap between male soul and hip hop in the 80s! The style's still as warm and soulful as most of Tashan's contemporaries, but the record definitely shows a bit of street soul in the rhythms too – often just a bit... read more

Lean, mid 80s pop soul and funk from Tease – funky and nicely thumping work from a group that features singer and songwriter Kipper Jones! Kipper would go on to bigger and brighter prospects as a hit songwriter for other artists, but, both of Tease's self-titled sets in the 80s – this... read more

A strange cover, but a mighty soulful set from Waldo – a really cool Columbia Records soul group with Tyrone Lester and James Brown on vocals, plus some sweet keyboards from Calvin Brunson too! The sound is tight, with the keyboards and basslines really setting the groove – with some... read more

Deniece Williams is hot on the trail of an 80s groove here – working with lots of tight keyboards and contemporary rhythms, yet still staying true to that amazing vocal approach she first worked out in the Chicago scene of the 60s! The style is a great mix of crossover soul and deeper lines... read more