A really fantastic groove from this Bay Area group – one with this swing-step sort of style that's maybe more like southern beach grooves from a few years before – nice and spare, and topped with these really wonderful vocals that are every bit as playful as the rhythms! "Ooh Baby ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A totally great slice of 70s work from Pharoah Sanders – a rare Japanese single that offers radio edits of two tracks from his sublime project for India Navigation! "Harvest Time" is wonderful – this hypnotic bassline, watery light guitar lines, and a raspy, soulful tenor ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Although he doesn't always get the same sort of coverage as Otis Clay, Johnny Sayles was another one of the great underground deep soul singers of the Chicago scene of the 60's. This excellent single on Mar V Lus features two nice ones – the bluesy "You Told A Lie", with screaming ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A great bit of funky blues from Chicago! "Lilly Mae" burns with a nice heavy bottom – horns and bass blaring together underneath Johnny's great vocals – hard, rough, and with a west side groove produced by Monk Higgins and Cash McCall. "I'm Just" is a sad sweet ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Fast and funky from Harvey! "Broadway Freeze" is a sock-soul number that begins with a rolling drum approach and Harvey stating that the band's from Milwaukee – then rolls into a storming groove that's pure Alvin Cash, with Harvey shouting "sockit sockit" along with the ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of the most fantastic tracks ever written by Gil Scott Heron – a mellow but majestic tribute to the fragility of existence, and the kind of material that has him really putting himself out there – at a level that so few other singers can ever match! On the flipside, "I Think I' ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
2 early hits by The Sensations – an early Chess vocal group that featured one female and three male singers! The style made for a playful interchange of vocals that was almost pop, but still retained enough R&B touches to be soul – and the tunes on the single are catchy enough that ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(70s Blue Chip Series reissue, in a Chess Blue Chip sleeve, with a bit of pen and small tears at the top edge.)
2 classics from The Sensations – both topped off by the belting vocals of singer Yvonne Baker! "Let Me In" is the group's standout classic – a snapping, snare-heavy tune that kicks along at a catchy little clip – and "Oh Yes I'll Be True" is deeper, mellower ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of those electro groovers that's a real guilty pleasure for us! The cut's sure a bit silly – with popping linn drums and bass pedals, and the lyrics are even sillier – but the whole thing's got that great post-punk/post-funk sound that we've always grooved to, and Shannon's sincere ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two great sides by one of the best harmony groups to come out of Chicago! "Steal Away" is a beautifully swingin' version of the Jimmy Hughes track, with prime production by Bill "Bunky" Sheppard. "Island Of Love" is a reprise of an earlier track, done with a classic ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A rare Cali outing for The Sheppards – and a single that soars with all the amazing vocal as their other Chicago work! There's nothing stubborn about the groove on the a-side – as the tune has this stepping vibe that's totally great, one that's offset by really dynamic vocal work from ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
For our money, Side Effect's version of "Same Old Feeling" is still the best. It's got some great vocal harmonies, and the jazzy stepping groove comes in just right! "Life Is What You Make It" is no slouch either, with a pumping bottom heavy funk boogie vibe keeping the track ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A great remake of one of the biggest cuts ever from the legendary Roy Ayers – done here with a version that's got even more vibes than the original! In fact, the core groove is very much like the Ayers recording, but the cut soon moves into loads of jazzy vibes – and also has a great ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Excellent psychedelic soul from the Chicago scene that circulated around Gene Chandler at the end of the 60s. Gene produced this one for his Mister Chand label, and Richard Evans provided some nice deep bass-y arrangements – while Simtec & Wylie shout and groove along in their best style! 7-inch, Vinyl record
A delightful little jukebox EP from one of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has half split top & bottom seams, light surface wear & aging.)
A very obscure James Brown-produced single for King – and one that showcases this little-known female vocal group. The track's kind of an easy soul weeper, with a mellow loping groove, and vocals that are in the Dee Dee Warwick camp. 7-inch, Vinyl record
Great stuff from Slave! "Slide" is a monster – tight electric funk, nicely compressed so that it's not too silly, which is why Tribe Called Quest snagged it early for a key sample! "Son Of Slide" is every bit as great – and in fact, the single's probably got the ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
"Watching You" is a tight little pop tune from Slave – perhaps less of a full funk workout than some of their other tracks, but with some sweetly compressed vocals that give the number a nice nice hook! Even nicer is "Dreamin" – a bit more subdued, with a sly ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A real classic – with a sound that never gets old! "Family Affair" is one of those landmark tracks that forever changed the sound of soul, and which opened a door that everyone had to pass through, and could never return! Great stuff, great sound, and a really great hook! The ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Dang, is this great Chicago soul! We don't know much about Marvin other than the odd single here and there, but it's gems like these that will keep us looking for his work. Both sides are wonderful – loping along in a Carl Davis groove, with vocals that are as great as any from the time by ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two amazing tracks from underground Chicago jazz legend Paris Smith – back to back on a limited 45! "Thought Seeds" is this amazing blend of vibes, alto sax, and haunting female vocals – a very righteous tune, and one with a spirit that's unlike anything else we can think of ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Smith is Marietta Smith, whose soulful vocals really send both cuts here over the top! "Shadows" has a great mix of soaring horns and funky drums – this kind of quick strutting groove that's pumped up in all sorts of cool ways by the vocals, which also do great things on a ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A super-rare sound library gem from the Italian scene – a wonderful tune that's got this midtempo bassline that steps along in a very groovy way – easygoing, but funky too – as harp, strings, and some mighty nice flute come into the mix to warm things up! "Since I Lost ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Original pressing with "Sold Brothers" misprint. Labels have stickers obscuring the company logo. Vinyl plays with light noise and has a few marks that click.)
The a-side's a great Stax Records groove from the excellent Soul Children – a track that mixes their wonderful male/female harmonies with warm electric piano lines, and a midtempo groove that really lets the vocal solos soar! "Put Me In The Mood" is a piano-driven romper with an ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Incredibly memorable stuff – and one of the greatest moments in Atlantic soul history! The Soul Clan is an assemblage of Atlantic's biggest male singers at the time – Joe Tex, Ben E King, Don Covay, Arthur Conley, and Solomon Burke – and the team trade lines back and forth in ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Incredibly memorable stuff – and one of the greatest moments in Atlantic soul history! The Soul Clan is an assemblage of Atlantic's biggest male singers at the time – Joe Tex, Ben E King, Don Covay, Arthur Conley, and Solomon Burke – and the team trade lines back and forth in ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A rare gem on the tiny Shiptown label – issued here in a very cool pic sleeve for the very first time! "Just A Sad Xmas" is a beautifully slow-burning bit of soul – plenty of organ next to the heartbreaking vocals – as the tune steps along nicely, the builds up as ... (Holiday Music, Funky 45's)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A very mellow, very dope verson of the famous Doors song! The cut is all instrumental – with a slowly meandering guitar groove, and the kind of slow funk rendition that always makes the cut great as an instrumental! Right up there with the best Johnny Harris version, and with some cool ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Red and tan label pressing. Vinyl has some oxidation.)
A excellent stretched-out groover from the Soul Searchers! The cut is the title cut from their first album – which we never ever see anymore – and it's got some very nice open-ended drumwork that makes it kick around in a great funky way! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Blue eyed soul doesn't get any better than this! "Expressway" is one of those tunes that you've heard a gazillion times – but it's still an amazing soul song, and hearing this original 45 is like cracking open a fresh new version. "Hey Gyp" has a bit more of a garagey ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Killer stuff – and the kind of work that made people start hunting down funky 45s in the first place! Nice choppy funk grooves, with a great sound, and a totally inspired groove. 7-inch, Vinyl record
A funky funky bit of wax – one of the first releases on the Luv N Haight label, a long out of print reissue of these two funky sides by the Soul Toronadoes! Both cuts bristle with a JBs type groove – nice and tasty! 7-inch, Vinyl record
(Original pressing with typo labels and ARP stamp.)
Classic work from this heavy funky combo! "Blow Your Mind" certainly does – as it's got a full brace of loud brassy horns hitting hard on top of fuzzed-out guitar. After the intro, the track kicks back into an easy groove that's really good – slow and trippy, one of the ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A bona-fide club classic – and the standout classic of the South Shore Commission! The tune's got a stepping soulful approach that's early Philly club at its best – the early days of disco, when there was still plenty of soul in the mix! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Like a lot of the Wand singles from this period, this one's got two versions of a single track – one disco and one soul. One of the bigger tracks from the South Shore Commission, with production by Bunny Sigler. 7-inch, Vinyl record
A warmly glowing tune from Spice – a track that's got this very rich lead vocal over the top, which works perfectly for the midtempo groove of the tune! The cut's a few notches back from being club material, but in a good way – as that allows some nice harmonies to come into play once ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Wonderful! "It's A Shame" is one of the Spinners' best cuts! It's got a totally groovy hook, great strident arrangements, and a harmony soul feel that goes waaaay over the top! Tough to find on vinyl, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record
"Wireman" has a groove that owes plenty to The Meters, but in the best way possible – as Harbans takes a mix of funky drums, organ, and riffing guitar – then makes it his own with a nicely jazzy sax solo, which has almost a laidback Stanley Turrentine CTI sort of vibe! "B ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two of the best numbers from the soundtrack to Let's Do It Again! Curtis Mayfield wrote both tracks – and although you're probably familiar with the funky favorite "Let's Do It Again", you'll also totally dig the spacey soul classic "After Sex"! The cut's got a spare ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Groovy Chicago soul group single! "Exterminator" is a sort of Temps-ish track about bugs – kind of a political number about the vermin in the ghetto! "What More" is even better – a fantastic group harmony track with a deep feeling, sweet vocals, and great ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Obscure girl group soul from Chicago – with Charles Stepney arrangements on both sides! "Loving You" is a loping midtempo number, with a sing-song sound that you'd probably guess from the title. "My Baby's Real" is deeper – slower and with a sad sound that reminds ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A Northern Soul classic – and one of Edwin's greatest cuts ever! The tune's got a hip, high stepping dancefloor beat, with lyrics by Edwin that are really cool, a soul take on James Bond, with a lot of twists and turns in the lyrics that are nice and clever, and which give the track a mod ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Yellow label pressing with black text. Label has a spot of sticker remnant.)