Barbara Acklin's first album – and a landmark of Chicago soul that firmly established Acklin as one of the city's best writers and new female singers! Acklin had a classy sound that was different than some of her raw soul sisters in the city – but although she was classy, she also didn't have any of that little girl stuff that you might hear from singers like Denice Chandler or Barbara Mason. Instead, she had an approach that mixed a real soul vocal with more sophisticated material, in a manner that worked well with the evolving blueprint for the Brunswick Chisoul sound. Carl Davis and Eugene Record do a perfect job producing Barbara's songs, all forged nicely into the loping soul groove that set Chicago apart from other cities in the late 60s. Includes the big title track "Love Makes A Woman" – plus "Be By My Side", "Your Sweet Loving", "Come and See Me Baby", and a great cover of "The Look of Love"! LP, Vinyl record album

The Pointer Sisters show plenty of rockish influences here – drawing tunes from folks like Ian Hunter, Bruce Springsteen, Graham Parker, Jagger & Richards, and Robbie Robertson – and fusing their compositions with the trio's own soulful energy! Richard Perry produced, and the album's one of his ultimate efforts for the group – filled with plenty of guitar leads from Waddy Wachtel and Dan Dugmore, which fuzz things up nicely underneath the girls' vocals. Titles include their hit reading of "She's Got The Fever" – plus "Who Do You Love", "Turned Up To Late", "Don't Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart", "The Shape I'm In", "Dreaming As One", and "All Your Love". Also includes the bonus track "Nothin But A Heartache". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice selection of classic 60s soul numbers, focusing on women who like to exercise their pipes, and while we had remembered this set hewed close to the mainstream, there's a few nice little nuggets on here that they dug a little deeper for. 14 tracks in all: "The Nitty Gritty" by Shirley Ellis, "Tell Mama" by Etta James, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Bold Soul Sister" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Lee Cross" and "You Send Me" by Aretha Franklin, "Heartbeat" by Gloria Jones, "Stay With Me" by Lorraine Ellison, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" by Barbara George, "Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass, "Hypnotized" by Linda Jones, "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" by the Sweet Inspirations, and "Ask Me" by Maxine Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

A great step into the 80s for The Pointer Sisters – a record that has them bringing in themes that are a bit more soulful than some of their previous efforts! The album's still got all the big crossover potential of their other hits – but the groove's got a solidly soulful vibe overall – plenty catchy, and with some great 80s elements bubbling underneath – more than enough to freshen up their sound, and give the trio great new territory to work through! Titles include the mega-hit "Slow Hand" – plus "Sweet Lover Man", "We're Gonna Make It", "What A Surprise", "Got To Find Love", "Fall In Love Again", "Should I Do It", and "Someday We'll Be Together". LP, Vinyl record album

No opera here – but a really unique early live show by The Pointer Sisters, one that shows the Bay Area quartet to be one of the most diverse soul acts of their generation! The double-length set features the girls singing a mix of older jazz tunes and a few newer tracks – scatting in vocalese one minute, and singing straighter soul the next – all with larger group backing from an orchestra directed by Tom Salisbury. There's a real "show" feeling to the album – as it was recorded even with the group's introduction on stage, as well as plenty of crowd response and an overall format that gets at the highly-entertaining mode of the Pointers in their early years. Titles include "Yes We Can Can", "Jada", "Black Coffee", "Cloudburst", "Let It Be Me", "Hands Up/Wang Dang Doodle", "Steam Heat", "Fairytale", "Shaky Flat Blues", "Love In Them There Hills", and "Salt Peanuts". LP, Vinyl record album

The great first album from the Yates family – a set that mixes family funk energy with bits of southern soul and club – in a really well-rounded groove that's way more than just a gimmicky brother and sisters set! The album was recorded both in Alabama and on the west coast – and there's a sound here that shows traces of both locales in the groove – the warmth of southern soul on the vocals, but a more modern, more sophisticated approach overall on the music – a style that's not really disco or club, but which has some of the best elements of styles that would flower more strongly in the 80s. Titles include "The World Makes The World What It Is", "Mama Said", "Stick In The Mud", "Just Can't Fight The Feeling", "I Could Love But One Boy", "What Goes Around Comes Around", and "Disco Drummer". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's no breakout for the Pointer Sisters, as the trio were already at the top of the charts when the set was released – but the whole thing does find a great way to keep the grooves coming in the group's lasting relationship with producer Richard Perry! There's plenty of 80s elements here – basslines, beats, and keyboards – moving the group way past some of the club and pop modes of the 70s – and keeping them perfectly poised for long-term crossover fame for years to come! Case in point is the album's long-running hit "Jump (For My Love)", nestled alongside other cuts that include "Automatic", "I'm So Excited", "I Need You", "Neutron Dance", "Easy Persuasion", "Baby Come And Get It", "Telegraph Your Love", and "Operator". LP, Vinyl record album

Greg's definitely showing off all his chops on this one – working with help from a huuuge array of famous guest stars – including The Pointer Sisters, James Ingram, Howard Hewett, Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and others. And while the bulk of the record really shows the influence of these mainstream 80s soul artists – and not always in a good way – the record also sports a brilliant tune done with Donald Fagan of Steely Dan, the sweetly grooving "Lazy Nina", which sounds like the best work off Fagan's Nightfly, and has Greg and Don duetting on vocals! Titles include "Behind The Mask", "Signals", "Shake It", "Countdown To Love", "Come As You Are", and "Playin With Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Diana Ross – a set that's got a great mix of smooth grooves and tight soul numbers – all handled by 70s superproducer Richard Perry – and set to arrangements from Gene Page! Ross has this confident way of serving up the vocals, but an approach that's not nearly as diva-centric as some of her other work of the period – this almost relaxed style at times, which is even more captivating than usual, and some of her most compelling material on record from the time. The title track "Baby It's Me" actually is a pretty funky number – almost in the funky Pointer Sisters mode – with heavy bass popping a break on the intro, and some nice Hotel Sheet work by Jack Ashford – and other titles include "Too Shy To Say", "You Got It", "Getting Ready For Love", "Top Of The World", "All Night Lover", and "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge hit for Aretha Franklin – and a record that brought her famous vocals to a whole new generation of listeners! The sound is definitely different than before – a change from both the deep soul of Atlantic years, and the initial classy approach of her time at Arista – and working with lots of help from Narada Michael Walden, Aretha gets an 80s groove that turns out to be a perfect platform for her sound – one that lets her vocals really take off, while still getting plenty of great hooks as well – all in a mode that somehow sounds far less commercial than we remember at the time. Includes the massive hits "Freeway Of Love" and "Who's Zoomin Who" – plus "Ain't Nobody Every Loved You", "Push", "Integrity", "Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves", and "Sweet Bitter Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly any "recycling" going on here – as Taj Mahal takes bluesy roots and turns them in a whole new direction for the 70s, evolving the music way past the level most other bluesmen were working in at the time! At some level, Mahal's style is far more rootsy than most early 70s blues artists – often more acoustic guitar and percussion than you'd expect – but there's also a looser, freer presentation of the material – opened up a lot more than any delta bluesman from many years back, and often touched with some jazzier inflections on some of the phrasing. Plus, the music here features some unusual elements from time to time – including kalimba, tuba, banjo, and even some backing vocals by The Pointer Sisters. The album was recorded live, with a nicely organic feel – and titles include "A Free Song", "Corinna", "Conch Close", "Kalimba", "Bound To Love Me Some", "Richochet", "Gitano Negro", "Cakewalk Into Town", and "Texas Woman Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of only two albums cut by the Four Souls group of drummer Lenny McBrowne – a really cooking combo that should have gotten greater exposure back in the day! The west coast group were clearly one of the hippest acts working on their scene at the time – as they've got a unique blend of soul jazz and modernism – one that cooks with Jazz Crusaders-like energy at points, but also has some sharper edges too – a bit in the vein of the wonderful JFK Quintet from the DC scene. Players in the group include Terry Trotter on piano, Don Sleet on trumpet, Daniel Jackson on sax, and Herbie Lewis on bass. Jackson's a real standout in the group – a player with a great edge and real sense of feeling, and one we'd love to hear more of. Titles include "Soul Sisters", "Invitation", "Dearly Beloved", "Lazinka's Tune", "Cerise", and "McBrowne's Galaxy". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of early 60s soul tracks from South Africa – issued here in the US by Mercury! The record's got some amazing stuff – including at least 2 tracks that seem to be directly ripped off later by Hugh Masekela for "Grazing in the Grass". Titles include "Brown Pepper" by Cassius The Great, "Ice Cream & Suckers" by Soweto Stockvel Septette, "Mr Bull No 4" by Mr. Bull, "Sweetie Love" by Jabulani Quads, "School In" by SDV Swing Band, and "Lindi" by TV Sisters. Great stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

The standout classic from Curtom disco diva Linda Clifford – and an album that showed that Chicago could rival Philly in the clubby groove department! Linda has a proud presence that really matches that of her better-known sisters in the City Of Brotherly Love – and she's singing here with a strong sense of personality that really sets the album apart from other female disco albums of the era. One of the greatest examples of this is her stunning "Runaway Love" – which has a bad-rapping, almost Marlena Shaw-esque monologue in the middle – but other tracks are equally nice, and include "Gypsy Lady", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Broadway Gypsy Lady", "You Are You Are", and "I Feel Like Falling In Love Again". Arrangements are by Gil Askey – who also produced the set in collaboration with Curtis Mayfield! LP, Vinyl record album

An interesting little record from Geraldine DeHaas – a Chicago-based jazz vocalist who's probably best known to Dusty Groove customers as Geraldine Bey, which was her name when she was part of the legendary Andy & The Bey Sisters! This record bears few traces of her earlier work, and is more in kind of a "classy jazzy soul" mode, ala 70s work by Marlena Shaw. The arrangements are by Tom Washington, who did a bunch of Chicago soul work for Brunswick, and Bob Perna. The set list leans heavily to Paul Anka numbers, but Geraldine actually makes them sound pretty decent. Titles include "Keep On Walkin", "Wheels Of Life", "Everything's Been Changed", "We Made It Happen", and "Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

This successful late 70s outing from Walden is one of his most all-star records – stuffed with great guest appearances by singers and musicians that include Bobby Lyle, Greg Phillinganes, The Brecker Brothers, Carlos Santana, Hiram Bullock, The Pointer Sisters, and Angela Winbush! The sound's a bit tighter and more professional – in keeping with the sound you'd expect from such an elite bunch – but Walden's jazzy approach to smooth soul is still nicely in place on the best cuts. Titles include "Listen To Me", "The Awakening", "They Want The Feeling", "Love Me Only", and "Will You Ever Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-hitting early work from Ike & Tina Turner – raw, unbridled, and surprisingly tight – yet without any of the cliches or overdone righteousness that marred their later years! Tina's still singing here often as part of the backing group, stepping out for a soulful lead at times, but also very much in touch with her supporting sisters – and there's a number of tunes that have a really nice focus on Ike's raw and raspy guitar work, which we always like a lot! All tunes are Ike Turner originals – freshly voiced tracks, and none of the crossover covers that the pair later included in their work – and titles include "Hard Times", "I Don't Need", "Chicken Shack", "Gonna Have Fun", "It's Crazy Baby", "Am I A Fool In Love", "Don't You Blame It On Me", and "Hurt Is All You Gave Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic blend of gospel and modern soul – and a set that definitely hangs more towards the latter, given the superb backings on the set! The great Horace Ott produced, after years in the secular soul world – and he definitely gives the tremendous voice of Shirley Finney the kind of soaring energy that really pushes her over the top – in a mix of modes that includes some great clubby numbers that have Shirley very much in the same territory as the Clark Sisters at the same time! Titles include "Give Your Best To The Master", "God Is Real", "Go On There's Something Telling Me To Go On", "Pray Again", "Lead Me Guide Me", and "Lovely Day Just A Little Talk With Jesus". LP, Vinyl record album