Steven & Sterling —
One Magic Night ... CD RCA/PTG (Netherlands), 1982. New Copy ...
$11.99
A groovy little gem from early 80s RCA – a set that sparkles with the same sort of energy as the label's work with Keni Burke at the time! Steven & Sterling are a hip duo who trade vocals back and forth nicely – working over rhythms that are mellow and midtempo, often with a hip ... read moreCD
Cat Stevens —
Izitso ... CD A&M, 1977. Used ...
$11.99
Cat Stevens' most soulful moment! Long before he changed his name – and started setting his sights on Salman Rushdie – Cat Stevens decided to atone for the wrongdoings of previous A&M albums with this album! The record still contains a number of Cat's soporific folksy numbers ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
Dancer and pop soul sensation Jermaine Stewart's bright, thumping and 80s dancefoor R&B that busted out huge on the pop charts for a moment! Jermaine was a dancer on Soul Train and background singer before busting out with some catchy R&B hits and the massive pop smash "We Don't Have ... read moreCD
A trio of second-period Sly Stone albums – all brought together in a single CD set! On Small Talk, Sly's still doing pretty nice for himself in 1974 – with a sound that's perhaps a bit warmer than on the early records, but still nice and soulful – and peppered with a good dose of ... read moreCD
That's a young Sly Stone on the cover – looking mighty slick, but not nearly as flashy as during the years of his bigger funk fame – which kind of sums up the excellent sound of this set! The collection features the earliest years of Sly Stone on record – a time long before The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had ... read moreCD
(Out of print, digipack case has some light edgewear.)
The Stormers are a group who rose from the ashes of the legendary Lagos funk combo Aktion – and they step out here with a really storming sound that definitely earns them their name! The groove is funk of the tightest form possible – especially for the start of the 80s – and the ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Rare Tap Recordings material from Jackie Stoudemire – including two tracks appearing here for the first time ever! Tap's singles are all pretty darn rare, and like most of the world, we first discovered Jackie's work on the Don't Stop compilation from Numero – which offered up rarities ... read moreCD
Stroke —
Stroke ... CD Mirage/FTG (France), 1985. Used ...
$9.99
The bass gets plenty of stroke on this mid 80s set – a record that hangs somewhere between 80s groove and Prince-era funk – but with a bit of quiet storm feel at times too! The tunes are pretty lean, not nearly as excessive as they could be – and often, a key instrumental element ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Tony Strong —
Philly Style ... CD Society Hill, 2020. New Copy ...
$11.9914.99
You may not know the name of Tony Strong – but the singer's been part of the Philly scene for years, and has worked in classic groups that include The Perfections, Blue Magic, Ebonys, and Intruders – as well as a reformed version of People's Choice! Tony brings all that experience to ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
A bluesy update on the older style of Nolan Struck – a singer with more of a pedigree in soul, but who'd made a move to a more down-home style by the time of this set. Production is a bit modern, but still pretty strong – and there's a nice focus on Nolan's vocals, which have a well-cra ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a top left corner with waviness, stains and peeling.)
A rare set issued on a tiny label from Arkansas – but a set that's got all the charm, poise, and sparkle of some of the best deep soul on late 70s Columbia Records! Stuckey's got a touch of southern soul in his voice, with a sweet cracking sound – and that honest approach is mixed with ... read moreCD
A rare set issued on a tiny label from Arkansas – but a set that's got all the charm, poise, and sparkle of some of the best deep soul on late 70s Columbia Records! Stuckey's got a touch of southern soul in his voice, with a sweet cracking sound – and that honest approach is mixed with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really great album from 70s supergroup Stuff – one that shows that the group could sparkle just as much in a live setting as they could in the studio – really opening up with a sense of spontaneity that shows that their sublimely tight music wasn't just he product of some clever edits ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Stuff —
Live Stuff ... LP Warner (Japan), 1978. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.99
A nice little live set from Stuff – one that's recorded in Tokyo, with a groove that's a bit more open than their better-known New York live album from a few years later! The sound's somewhat rougher than the Stuff studio sessions, but in a good way – one that shows that the combo can ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An overlooked later moment from The Stylistics – proof that a great vocal group never gets old! The set has the quartet reinventing themselves for a new generation – recording for Arthur Baker's Streetwise Records, and getting production and arrangements from Maurice Starr – who ... read moreCD
Stylistics —
Special Style ... CD Streetwise/Octave (Japan), 1985. New Copy ...
$13.99
A whole new sound for The Stylistics – one that has the group working here with Maurice Starr in a sweet 80s street soul style! The approach is a surprisingly good one – and given that Starr's backings are always on the lighter side of the spectrum, the group's trademark harmonies are ... read moreCD
A classic indie cooker from Sugar Billy – a bit funky, a bit clubby – and a really great batch of grooves done in a pre-disco mode! The tracks are all pretty darn upbeat – somewhat warmer than the funk of Fatback or Kool & The Gang, but still with a nicely rough-edged feel ... read moreCD
Donna Summer's in the hands of 80s pop superproducers Stock/Aiken/Waterman this time around – and the trio give her music just the kind of catchy, bouncy feel of some of their bigger hits for other artists at the time! The approach is surprisingly strong for Summer, and almost returns her ... read moreCD
(30th Anniversary deluxe edition in a hard bound book with 2CDs of extra content!)
Bill Summers —
Feel The Heat ... CD Prestige/BGP (UK), 1977. New Copy ...
$8.9914.99
Masterful funky soul jazz from the mid 70s – and one of the best solo albums recorded by Headhunter Bill Summers – a sunny batch of Bay Area funk that really grooves with the best of Fantasy Records from the time! The set was produced by Skip Scarborough, and has that great bubbling, ... read moreCD
Masterful funky soul jazz from the mid 70s – and one of the best solo albums recorded by Headhunter Bill Summers – a sunny batch of Bay Area funk that really grooves with the best of Fantasy Records from the time! The set was produced by Skip Scarborough, and has that great bubbling, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first-ever full length collection of work from Sun Palace – the enigmatic duo who cut some great underground club work on the early 80s New York scene! The set's broken into two halves – titled "Raw Movements" and "Rude Movements", after the famous instrumental ... read moreCD
Sunny & The Sunliners —
Little Brown Eyed Soul ... LP Key Loc/Big Crown, Late 60s. New Copy (reissue)...
$18.9922.98
One of our favorites ever cut by Tex-Mex soulsters Sunny & The Sunliners – largely because it's got some really nice funk tracks! The album features a set of all English language tracks – with Sunny Ozuna singing in his best sweet soul style on the ballad tracks, and hitting a raw ... (Latin, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Superb soul from The Superbs – a great group from the LA scene of the 60s – and one who never cracked the charts as much as their contemporaries! The group mixes a female voice in with the male harmonies – in a style that doesn't always have the female singer in the lead, but ... read moreCD
Funky soul covers from a host of hit blacksploitation films – played in fresh new versions by the mysterious Super Dudes! Most of the tracks here follow the originals pretty closely, but have some different elements that we really appreciate – slight changes in rhythms or ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Cover has some edge wear, with a small torn corner in the back paste-on.)
Two rare tracks recorded in New Orleans in the late 70s – both appearing here for the first time ever! "Freaky With You" is an extended ensemble funk number – riffing guitar with the groove, monstrous bass driving the train, and lots of offbeat vocals on the lyrics – ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Sublime soul from Superior Movement – an overlooked Chicago group of the 80s, but one that's every bit as wonderful as any of the bigger acts we can think of from the time! The group definitely put harmonies first in their music – and although the album's a bigger-label effort, the ... read moreCD
Supreme Jubilees —
It'll All Be Over ... CD S&K/Light In The Attic, 1980. New Copy ...
$6.9915.98
A gospel album from the end of the 70s, but a set that works equally well as a soul album too – thanks to the beautiful presentation of the grooves and the vocals! The vibe here is often laidback – more in a mellow Marvin Gaye sort of mode – surprisingly slinky and sexy for such ... (Gospel, Soul)read moreCD
Supremes —
Floy Joy ... LP Motown, 1972. Very Good+ ...
$3.99
One of the group's best post-Diana Ross albums – thanks to some wonderful help from Smokey Robinson! Smokey produced the whole set, and contributed a batch of great original tunes – making for a really solid, completely unified approach that was sometimes missing from other Supremes ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Symphonic soul from The Supremes – a set that still has the trio working with the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland team, but with a full set of orchestral backings that help them hit even more class and sophistication than before! The ballads have these really lush arrangements – never ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Deep groove stereo pressing. Cover has light wear.)
One of the biggest charting LPs by The Supremes – and one of the best, too! The girls are opening it up a bit here – getting in on some of The Miracles Go Go action of the period, and laying down tunes that have a bit more of a northern groove to them – relying a bit more on a ... read moreCD
One of the greatest Supremes albums of the 70s – a rare live Japanese session that wasn't even issued in the US at the time! The album follows strongly in the spirit of the other Motown Japanese live sets of the time – with really tight backings behind the group on stage, and a ... read moreCD
A strange twist for the girls – not really because the material's country, but because the tunes selected are the kind of country tunes that would often be done in kind of a deep soul mode. There's still a sparkling quality on the album – and the girls' approach to the tunes is less ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Taiwanese pressing, in aa slightly different cover.)
Post-Diana Ross work by The Supremes, but a really great little album – and one that possibly even draws more on a harmony style without the famous diva in the lead! The sound here is rich and full – arranged by Jerry Long and David Van DePitte – and produced by Frank Wilson with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A follow-up to 1970s pairing of The Supremes and The Four Tops – titled The Magnificent Seven (hence the title on this one!) – and done in a very similar mode. Back in the Diana Ross days, the Supremes had paired up with The Temptations on 2 great sets – and now, at a time in the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has edge wear and a promo stamp.)
Surprise —
Believe Me ... LP Beau Monde (France), 1983. New Copy ...
$29.99
A wicked bit of 80s electro soul – one that's heavy on Yamaha keyboards and beats, but which was also recorded in Gabon – which gives the whole record a very different sound than New York material of the time! The rhythms are definitely in the funky soul side of the spectrum, but have ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mike & Brenda Sutton —
Don't Hold Back ... CD SAM/P-Vine (Japan), 1982. New Copy ...
$22.99
A great set of duet soul from Mike and Brenda Sutton – done very much in the best Ashford & Simpson mode of a few years before, and following a similar career path themselves – given that the Suttons had also written songs for bigger Motown acts in the 70s! There's a warm glow to ... read moreCD
One of Swamp Dogg's roughest and rawest albums of the 70s – a real down-home affair that's probably one of the clearest expressions of what Jerry Williams was trying to do with his character! The album was produced by Jerry in collaboration with Miami soul maestro Steve Alaimo – and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An obscure group from the Michigan scene of the 70s – but one who work with a breezy vibe that feels a lot more like some of the Bay Area material we know from the time! These guys bring together a bit of jazz, touches of folk, and even some Brazilian currents – all in a mode that's ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An obscure group from the Michigan scene of the 70s – but one who work with a breezy vibe that feels a lot more like some of the Bay Area material we know from the time! These guys bring together a bit of jazz, touches of folk, and even some Brazilian currents – all in a mode that's ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Switch —
Switch II ... CD Motown/PTG (Netherlands), 1979. New Copy ...
$11.99
Quite possibly the best album ever from Ohio funky soul combo Switch – and certainly proof that the hope of Motown in the 80s was in ensemble group funk! This second album holds up really well, and thanks to some sweet production by Bobby DeBarge and Jermaine Jackson, the record's got a warm ... read moreCD
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 moreCD
Even a few years out of the box, Sybil was still keeping things real – and bringing a deepness back to popular soul that makes most of her records still hold up nicely today. This one features the new jack "You're The Love Of My Life", with a strong midtempo groove, at that pace ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Roosevelt Sykes —
Honeydripper ... CD Prestige, 1960. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Sykes plays piano and sings, and the bluesy group that backs him up includes King Curtis on tenor. The overall sound is similar to other jazzy blues albums on Prestige – with sort of a rootsy R&B sound, filtered through more of a 60s soul jazz sensibility. Titles include "Jailbait&q ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
The only album ever issued by Sylk – a southern group with a sound that's tight, but never too slick – nicely indie from production to conception, and very different than other mainstream soul records from the time! The record's part of the great underground tradition of homegrown soul ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The only album ever issued by Sylk – a southern group with a sound that's tight, but never too slick – nicely indie from production to conception, and very different than other mainstream soul records from the time! The record's part of the great underground tradition of homegrown soul ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A polished bit of LA soul, with lots of jazz players (Fred Jackson, Dorothy Ashby, Bobby Bryant) in the arrangements, and a number of smooth uptempo tracks that don't really make it as well as they might in the hands of another artist. Tracks include "Time", "I Choose You", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A totally charming record from the wonderful Foster Sylvers – a set recorded back in the days when he was just a kiddie soul phenomenon in the Michael Jackson mode – with some great support from his sisters Pat and Angie! The set's got some of the same blend of sweet soul and sharper ... read moreCD
Two mid 90s grooves from this underground British duo – one who were maybe more inspired by the early sounds of Detroit techno than Chicago house – but who also work here with a wonderful way of fusing the best of both! "Daylight" has a warm glow and lean groove – ... (New Grooves, Soul)read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(Comes with a bonus zine – like other Melodies International releases!)
A late 80s electro gem from Ben Tankard – a real multi-instrumentalist here, making best use of the digital technology of the time to serve up a smooth blend of jazzy fusion, funk, and soul! Ben plays most of the instruments here – midi keyboards, wind controllers, guitar synth, drum ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Howard Tate is one of the most overlooked soul singers of the late 60's – and this is his only album from that decade! Part of the problem was probably that he recorded for Verve, a label that didn't really put its soul catalog that well (even though the label cut some excellent uptown sides ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear, a cutout hole, and some light stains on back.)
Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers —
Find My Way Back ... CD Charly/Motorcity (UK), 1990. Used ...
$9.99
A surprising reunion for Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers – part of the late 80s run of Motorcity titles that offered new recordings of famous Motown artists! The set's definitely different than Bobby's work from the group in the 60s, but still pretty great – and Taylor's lead has ... read moreCD
A stunning set of soul – and an album that will win you over right from the very first offbeat note! Some mad guitars introduce Gloria Ann Taylor's title cover version of "Love Is A Hurtin Thing" – and the whole album follows suit with these really unusual funky elements ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Killer work from Johnnie Taylor – from the amazing period in which he reinvented himself as one of the bigger selling smooth soul acts of the 70s! Johnnie got his start as a solo act at Stax, churning out some great raw bluesy tunes that earned him more than a few hit records – but ... read moreCD
Johnnie Taylor —
Raw Blues ... CD Stax, 1969. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Classic Stax stuff from Johnnie, with great arrangements that mix blues and soul, and which offer a perfect backing to his soulful voice. Al Jackson produced the session, and the track list includes "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "That Bone", "That's Where It's ... read moreCD
Pure greatness from Johnnie Taylor – two Columbia Records releases back to back on a single CD! First up is She's Killing Me, an obscure 7 track EP from Johnnie Taylor – almost a 12" single, but with more than enough going on to make us think of it as a full album! Johnnie's in ... read moreCD
Johnnie Taylor —
Wall To Wall ... CD Malaco/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1985. Used ...
$11.99
A set that's got maybe more of a contemporary crackle than some of the classic work of Johnnie Taylor – but a record that also shows the ever-evolving style of one of the greatest voices in bluesy soul! The record steps off a bit from the territory that Johnnie hit so well on Columbia – ... read moreCD
Tease —
Remember ... CD Epic/PTG (Netherlands), 1988. New Copy ...
$10.99
One of the best albums in a big 80s run from Tease – thanks to great production from Mtume! The album's got a balance of soul and style that really holds together throughout – as the group finds especially strong ways of coming across on the ballads and mellower numbers, which often ... read moreCD
A fantastic debut from The Techniques – and a set that also features a fair bit of work from Jamaican trumpet legend Baba Brooks! The vocal quartet have a great sound that's even more soulful and sharp than some of their contemporaries – maybe the difference that four voices make ... (Reggae, Soul)read moreCD
One of the only albums ever from Willie Tee – an artist who's usually known best for his funky 45s, but who really shines here in the space of a full-length record! Willie's got a killer vocal style, with a warm raspy style that reminds us a bit of Tyrone Davis – but he's produced here ... read moreCD
The Teen Queens were a hip R&B duo who deserve a lot more credit than their silly name might make you think. They had a style that was part raw R&B, and part 60s girl group, years before the girl group format was around long enough to become a cliche. This set pulls together some of their ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Temptations —
Legacy ... CD Motown, 2004. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
As with the O'Jays and the Isleys in recent years, the Temptations are coming back strong – sounding as great as they ever have in their post-70s recordings, and working here with a lineup that includes the legendary Otis Williams, as well as Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, GC Cameron, and Joe Herdon. ... read moreCD
(Out of print, barcode has a cutout hole.)
Temptations —
Number 1's ... CD Universal/Motown, 1960s/1970s. Used ...
$4.99
... CD
(Eco-friendly packaging which has some light wear.)
2 different slices of The Temptations from the 70s! A Song For You is a heavy funk-oriented effort – a bit more overdone than some of their earlier albums, but proof that the group can still sing quite strongly, even when the backings go over the top. Even better, though, is Masterpiece, ... read moreCD
The Temptations in a mellow mood, but one that's still plenty darn swinging – thanks to some jazzy arrangements from HB Barnum, Oliver Nelson, and Don Costa! The groove here is more in a vocal group mode from years past – Temptations harmonies turned more towards standards and ... read moreCD
(Out of print early Motown pressing with the tan border.)
Sweet jazzy soul from Terea – a group who never cracked the big time, but who work here with a vibe that's almost like 70s Rufus at their best! The instrumentation is wonderful – warm, but funky – just the right balance to set the scene perfectly for the lead vocals by Sharon ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Fantastic pressing – in this really heavy, gold-embossed cover – which has an almost wood-like texture!)
One of the coolest, grooviest albums of Latin Soul you could ever hope to find – one of the few records ever from the great Ray Terrace – and a set that goes even beyond some of the similar sides on Tico or Fania at the time! Ray's groove here is totally wonderful – upbeat, ... (Latin, Soul)read moreCD
This one's billed as "the rarest funk album of all time" – but even if it wasn't, we'd still love it to death because it's so darn great! Freddie hails from the Georgia scene of the late 60s – and he's got a slow-burning approach to his music that mixes in a good dose of ... read moreCD
Very early work from Joe Tex – recorded way before his boogie records of the 70s, and even his country soul classics of the 60s! Yet despite the age of these sides, the Joe Tex vocal approach is very firmly in place – that raspy mode that's undeniably human, and which might be rooted ... read moreCD
Tight early work from the great Joe Tex – whose real commercial breakthrough was to come in the southern soul scene of the mid 60s – but his early roots in jumpin' 50s cuts for the King label are pretty incredible! This set has some tight, mean little tunes that sound just as good to ... read moreCD
Joe Tex is definitely not without funk on this sweet little set – a smoking TK Records session that carries strongly from the vibe of his "I Gotcha" years! Longtime producer Buddy Killen is still on deck to keep everything tight and right – a mix of Joe's southern soul roots ... read moreCD
(Part of the Miami Sound – Original Soul/Funk/Disco Collection series!)
A dramatic disco classic from Detroit legend Mike Theodore – stepping out here with all the force you'd expect from the title! "High On Mad Mountain" is a symphonic disco classic – using strings, congas, and lots of percussion to set up the groove – as guitar and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album