A killer from Nancy – very different than most of her earlier work, and proof that she was still growing as an artist on Capitol! The record's arranged and produced by Larry Farrow – who gives the session a jazz funk feel that brings Nancy into a whole mode, a smooth modern one that's ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Early proof that Nancy Wilson was definitely on the right track with her career – a tremendous little live date recorded without any of the schmaltz or overdone showmanship of her contemporaries! Although the setting is the Cocoanut Grove, Nancy often makes us feel like she's putting over ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Nancy Wilson sings lots of familiar tunes and is accompanied by Gerald Wilson and his big band orchestra. Tracks include "The Song Is You", "Satin Doll", "Bewitched", "Suffering With The Blues", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "The Best Is Yet To ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Reuben Wilson & The Cost Of Living —
Got To Get Your Own ... CD Cadet/Dusty Groove, 1975. Used ...
$9.99
Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson – an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A bit of soul, a bit of jazz, and some nice funky touches at the bottom – a killer little set from the great Spanky Wilson! Wilson's got a really unique place in music – at one level a soul singer with enough sophistication to rival the sound of Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – but ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition!)
BeBe Winans —
Dream ... CD Still Waters, 2005. Used ...
$0.99
Great work from an overlooked 80s group – one who mixes moogy keyboards with a warmer soul vibe – all in a style that's totally sweet! Windjammer have a lot more warmth than some of their contemporaries – a sound that's deep in older soul touches from the 70s – classy club ... read moreCD
Windjammer were one of the few 80s soul groups to ever sport a nautical theme – but their music is every big as great on dry land, and served up with a tight, bouncy groove that really stands out from most of the mainstream pack at the time! The group have roots in New Orleans, but work here ... read moreCD
A (sadly) posthumous release from Amy Winehouse – a voice we loved for a couple good years before knowing how troubled she was in real life and now lament the loss of – and this set, largely put together by producer Salaam Remi turned out surprisingly well! It'd be pretty easy to bow ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
A brilliant double live album by Bill Withers – different than his studio work, and every bit as essential! The album's similar to Curtis Mayfield's double live album around the same time – in that it's got Bill in front of a very enthusiastic crowd, playing in a stripped down way that ... read moreCD
Damn! Bill Withers can never do wrong in our book – and this album is definitely case in point! The set marks Bill's big move from Sussex Records to Columbia, and it's the start of an amazing run in the late 70s – completely sublime soul that wraps up all Withers' roots from the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of Bill Withers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that has hip stepping off the acoustic sound of his Sussex records, into a warm and jazzy style that we like every bit as much as his earlier work! The album's got a wonderfully sophisticated jazzy vibe, and includes the excellent cut ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(With hype sticker!)
Bill Withers —
Still Bill ... CD Columbia/Legacy, 1972. New Copy ...
$4.996.99
Bill Withers' second album – even more wonderful than the first! The record's a perfect summation of all that made Bill so great – warm raspy vocals, sweet soulful production, mature songwriting, and just the right use of acoustic guitar to accent all the best elements in the music! ... read moreCD
A great batch of raw R&B vocals from Jimmy Witherspoon – along with backing by an excellent group that includes the great Clifford Scott on tenor, the always-great T-Bone Walker on guitar, and the little-known Bert Kendrix on organ. Tracks are short, and have a bit more fire than some of ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bobby's so great, it's hard to fit all of his good stuff on one LP – but this set does a pretty darn good job, and includes 12 tracks from his legendary years on United Artists! Hearing this set, we're stunned to realize just how many great tracks Bobby turned out over the years – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A completely sublime first album from the great Bobby Womack – and a set that already has him sounding quite different than any of his contemporaries! Bobby's got a southern soul vibe at the start, to be sure – but he also works things in this amazingly fresh way, too – a bit of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original stereo pressing, with deep groove. Cover has a split bottom seam and staining on the back.)
The legendary Bobby Womack embraces 80s grooves fully on Last Soul Man – his gritty vocals bringing real, gritty soul to backdrops centered by keyboards, synth and programmed beats – and live instrumentation from some exceptional players. Womack brings more depth to the proceedings ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of Bobby's biggest albums of the 80s – and a smooth soulful set that features some nice guest work from the likes of George Benson, Patti Labelle, and Wilton Felder. We're a bit more partial to Bobby's earlier work, but his voice is always a treasure, with a raspy soulful edge that never ... read moreCD
Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! ... read moreCD
A pretty great project from the Janelle Monae side of the universe – a set that features Janelle on vocals on one track, and also helming the set as executive producer – along with key creative talents Rocket Wonder and Chuck Lightning! The album's got a very unified feel, but is a ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
A great set of Stevie's best tracks for Motown! 3 LPs deep, with 40 tracks in all, mostly from the late 60s, with a handful of numbers from the early 70s, including a few goodies that are getting tougher to find on wax. Includes "Hey Love", "Angie Girl", "Yester-Me, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Missing booklet. Cover has light ringwear and a cutout notch.)
The title tune on this one should be enough – as it was a key track in the transformation of Stevie Wonder from a younger novelty act at Motown to the adult powerhouse that would take the world by storm in the 70s! The album's got a soaring, almost righteous quality that grabs you from the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Reissue pressing. Cover has a large stain, a cutout notch, and some light wear.)
A fantastic 70s classic from Stevie Wonder – part of a great run of records in which he broke completely from his earlier Motown sound – and showed the world that he was one of the true musical visionaries of the decade! The righteous currents of his previous few albums are fully in ... read moreCD
A fantastic 70s classic from Stevie Wonder – part of a great run of records in which he broke completely from his earlier Motown sound – and showed the world that he was one of the true musical visionaries of the decade! The righteous currents of his previous few albums are fully in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A bit smoother than early days, but still very nice and soulful – and did we expect any less from Stevie? The record's got a nicely flanged-out soul groove – with a style that kind of expands on the vocal and keyboard production of the early 70s, taking the groove towards a sound that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light wear.)
Very high concept work from Stevie Wonder! The record is, in fact, about the "secret life of plants" – partially used as a soundtrack for a film of the same name, but also acting as kind of a storybook in itself! Stevie's exploring a wide range of plant life and plant themes on ... read moreCD
A sweet little double LP – one that had some folks saying that Stevie should have stayed away from the "2LP syndrome", but for us a real treasure with lots of hidden gems. Besides the hits "Isn't She Lovely" and "Sir Duke", which were more than enough to carry ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the booklet, but missing the 45. Cover has an unglued top seam.)
A killer collection of 60s Stevie Wonder work for Motown – almost a greatest hit of the label's greatest hits series – given how wonderful most of the tunes are! The set does a great job of moving through the full range of Stevie's 60s talents – from instrumental groovers heavy ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the stupid cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world – and he's honing the sophisticated experiments ... read moreCD
One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the kind of silly cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world as well he should – and he's honing the ... read moreCD
Stevie Wonder —
Talking Book ... LP Tamla, 1972. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$14.99
One of the classics, and an album that's filled with a sense of majesty and power that will knock you dead – despite the kind of silly cover of Stevie sitting on a hill, playing in the dirt! By this point, Stevie knows he's on top of the world as well he should – and he's honing the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(In the non=braille cover, with light wear and bent corners.)
Stevie Wonder's tribute to MLK, backed with some nice bits from the two sets of speeches Motown released, Free At Last and The Great March To Freedom: "I Have A Dream", "Drum Major Instinct Sermon", "Dr King's Desired Eulogy" and "I've Been To The ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has a cutout notch, a split bottom seam, and some wear.)
Another great early house record on Trax, by Mickey Oliver, one of the original Hot Mix 5 who's built a reputation more on mixing than on his records, though this one's no slouch. Who'd have thought you could build such an irresistible groove with just a drum machine, bass synth and 8 bit sampler? 12-inch, Vinyl record
The incredibly rare second album from Wood Brass & Steel – the mighty funk group we've loved for years for their landmark debut from the mid 70s! This sophomore set is from a few years later, and has the group honing their groove even more – working with these righteous currents in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Lyman Woodard Organization —
Dedicacion ... CD Corridor/Uuquipleu, 1985. New Copy ...
$9.99
A great little set from keyboardist Lyman Woodard – and one that's definitely got some of the Latin flavor promised by the spelling in the title! Woodard's still playing some mighty nice organ and electric piano lines, but the group here also has some added Latin percussion at the bottom ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A rare live performance from the legendary Lyman Woodard Organization – captured here at the height of their powers in the 70s! The Organization has a really unique approach to their groove – one that starts in jazz, but moves quickly into funk – with a spirit that you'd find in ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A recent live set from the legendary Lyman Woodard – and a record that's every bit as great as his killers from the 70s! Woodard's lost none of his funky touch on the organ – and really burns amazingly well throughout – as does his group, which is less of an "orchestra" ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Rare work from one of the true powerhouse performers on the Detroit jazz scene – organist Lyman Woodard, famous for a few funk records in the 70s – but a musician who also gigged non-stop for decades in the Motor City! This double-length set features two performances, almost 20 years ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Late work from Detroit organ legend Lyman Woodard – and sounds that are still very much at the top of his game! The set's a trio date, with drummer Leonard King – who was on the classic Woodard Organization Records – and Lyman's still got that lean, slinky groove on the Hammond ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Jamila Woods already blew us away with her debut – but this second set has the singer ready to take on the world with a huge step forward in her style! Jamila caught us almost by surprise when she first emerged – a Chicago soul singer who wasn't on our radar, and who already had this ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Jamila Woods already blew us away with her debut – but this second set has the singer ready to take on the world with a huge step forward in her style! Jamila caught us almost by surprise when she first emerged – a Chicago soul singer who wasn't on our radar, and who already had this ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Working Week —
Working Nights ... LP Virgin (UK), 1985. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$14.99
One of the greatest soul groups from the UK in the 80s – a real bright spot in the years before Soul II Soul and the rise of acid jazz – and a set we'd rank right up there with Sade's best work of the time! Working Week have a very jazzy sound at their core – acoustic rhythms, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Maybe not the funk of ages, but a mighty nice solo set from Bernie Worrell – done at a key stretch when he was working away from George Clinton and the P-Funk universe! The set's got Bernie opening up in a blend of jazz and funk – and some tracks feature lead vocals, in a style that ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Cover artwork differs from that shown. Booklet has a cutout hole.)
A very unusual moment from the mighty Bernie Worrell – the keyboardist that most folks know for his work as part of the P-Funk universe of George Clinton – stepping out here on an early 90s album done in collaboration with producer Bill Laswell! Like most of Laswell's other projects ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 500 – with a silkscreened D side!)
The second album by the band that would go on to become the shining jewel in Teddy Riley's New Jack crown! We thought the whole thing was a bit weak when it came out, but now we're surprised to hear how much it stands the test of time – but maybe that just means that we're getting old and ... read moreCD
Two souped-up electro groovers from Bernard Wright – produced by Marcus Miller & Lenny White, with more than enough breaks and pops to make a factory of linoleum groover! "Yo Nard" is probably the best – as it's over the top electro with a poppy edge. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Promo copy. Label has some marker.)
Bernard Wright —
Nard/Funky Beat ... CD Arista/GRP/Robinsongs (UK), 1981/1983. New Copy ...
$12.99
Early 80s greatness from Bernard Wright – the benchmark Nard from '81 and his Funky Beat from '83 – in a single set! Nard is a masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk ... read moreCD
A pretty great number from Bernard Wright – much smoother and more R&B than some of his work on GRP/Arista, but a great track with a wonderful 80s groove hook! The vocals are surprisingly nice, augmented by a female singer on the chorus – and the tune's still got some nice jazzy ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
A pretty great number from Bernard Wright – much smoother and more R&B than some of his work on GRP/Arista, but a great track with a wonderful 80s groove hook! The vocals are surprisingly nice, augmented by a female singer on the chorus – and the tune's still got some nice jazzy ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Massive music from Betty Wright – an album that really has her coming into her own – and showing the world how great Miami soul can be, when it's done this right! The album's overflowing with key help from TK legends like Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, Steve Alaimo, and KC – all ... read moreCD
A breakout album by Betty Wright, the record that spawned the cut "Clean Up Woman" – the choppy funky track that really pushed her over the top in a big way, and which has remained fresh for years –thanks to a strong sample history in hip hop! That cut's more than enough ... read moreCD
Betty Wright always keeps it real – as the singer's one of the sharpest talents to emerge from the southern scene at the start of the 70s – a badass vocalist who always tells it like it is! This album has Wright at the height of her early powers – working in that growing Miami ... read moreCD
Betty's got a smoother sound here than on some of her chunkier, funkier earlier records – but the approach is still a nice one – and we've gotta give Betty credit for pushing her sound into a whole new direction! The album follows nicely in the spirit of the live set issued a few years ... read moreCD
Two beautiful tunes from Bobby Wright, both recorded in the mid 70s with a subtle righteous power that's taken many years for the rest of the world to fully appreciate! "Blood Of An American" is a slow-moving track that mostly features the lead vocals over slow-drifting guitar – ... (Funky 45's, Soul)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Comes with a 16 page Melodies International zine!)
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band —
Express Yourself ... CD Warner (UK), 1970. New Copy ...
$6.99
A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for ... read moreCD
OV Wright —
Bottom Line ... CD Hi Records/Fat Possum, 1978. New Copy ...
$6.9914.99
Great work from OV Wright – one of the few singers who was still strongly carrying the Hi Records torch at the end of the 70s! Although Wright had sometimes been bluesier in the past, his late 70s Hi sides have a much mellower, mature sort of feel – a ripening of the seeds in his ... read moreCD
Great work from OV Wright – one of the few singers who was still strongly carrying the Hi Records torch at the end of the 70s! Although Wright had sometimes been bluesier in the past, his late 70s Hi sides have a much mellower, mature sort of feel – a ripening of the seeds in his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout hole and a small split on the top seam.)
Not just singles from the great OV Wright – but also a few live tracks and rare demo titles as well! OV's a hell of a singer – one with a voice that matches all the best on the southern scene of the time – and a great companion to some of the best deep soul material on the Hi ... read moreCD
A stone killer from OV Wright – a record that's got all the raw, deeply soulful vocals we love in his early work – mixed with some wicked 70s Hi Records production from Willie Mitchell! Imagine an Al Green record, but with rawer vocals, and you've got a good idea of the feel of this ... read moreCD
OV Wright —
Live In Japan ... CD Hi Records/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980. New Copy ...
$13.99
OV Wright at the end of the 70s – working live in front of a very enthusiastic Japanese crowd, and in a groove that's right up their with his best work from earlier in the decade! In fact, there's a rawness here that you won't always find on Wright's other records – great live backing ... read moreCD
Early work from OV Wright – and some of his best recordings ever! The album's right out of the deep soul scene of the 60s – and has a warm, bubbling feel that's partly rootsy, but also a bit more sophisticated than a lot of other singers in Wright's camp at the time. Production is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
OV Wright's getting a bit smooth, but still sounding great – working here with really full backings from Willie Mitchell, at a level that's a bit more upbeat than his previous album at Hi Records! There's a bit more of a groove on these tunes, but most are still miles from the dancefloor ... read moreCD
An obscure 80s groover on Prelude! The record has a choppy funk style, with vocals that might be called "rap", but which are more in that sharp spoken style that you find on some New York slick funk records from the time. Most interesting is that James Mason co-produced and wrote the ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Majestic music from the mighty Popcorn Wylie – the Detroit soul legend best known for his work in the 60s, but an artist who really shines on this rare 70s set for ABC! The album was done during the same stretch as Lamont Dozier's ABC work – and like those records, this set features ... read moreCD
Camille Yarbrough —
Iron Pot Cooker ... CD Vanguard/Ace (UK), 1975. New Copy ...
$9.9914.98
One of THE spoken word classics of the 70s funk years – an amazing album based around the poetry of Camille Yarbrough – set to some amazing funky backings! The sound here is incredibly righteous – almost a more sophisticated version of Betty Davis – done with a stark, spare ... read moreCD
A set of African-American folk from Chicago, from the city's racially integrated scene that spawned talents like Oscar Brown Jr. and Terry Callier. Martin Yarbrough's got a nice lively style, and he plays here in a style that's sort of a mix between Callier and Brown, with a lot of short folksy ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label Argo pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear.)
2 darkly rhythmic numbers by Yello, mixing early samples, analogue electronics, and Dieter Meier's always-great vocals into a sound that's still fresh after all these years! (Rock, Soul)12-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has a cut corner, a large name in marker, and heavy wear on the spine. Label has some pen.)
A nice stripped down bit of early Chicago house, super raw drum machine house beats with just a touch of vocals and synth thrown into the mix here and there, by Farley. 12-inch, Vinyl record
A more pop oriented release from YMO. 10 tracks in all including "Expected Way", "Focus", "Lotus Love", "Kai-koh", and "Wild Ambitions". (Rock, Soul)CD
The second album from Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, not as much of an electro groove filled affair as the first, but still a great batch of quirky techno-electro Asian pop with lots of great bubbling synth touches! 8 tracks in all including "Behind The Mask", ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Avery R Young —
Tubman ... CD FPE, 2019. New Copy ...
$13.9915.99
A career-defining record from Avery R Young – a Chicago poet, educator, and a hell of a singer too – working here with a larger ensemble of vocalists to redefine a space between gospel, funk, and soul – but all with a revolutionary quality that will set a whole new standard for ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Avery R Young —
Tubman ... LP FPE, 2019. New Copy Gatefold ...
$15.9917.99
A career-defining record from Avery R Young – a Chicago poet, educator, and a hell of a singer too – working here with a larger ensemble of vocalists to redefine a space between gospel, funk, and soul – but all with a revolutionary quality that will set a whole new standard for ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Modern electric blues from Chicago, featuring Mighty Joe on guitar and vocals, plus backing by a tight rocking band. There's some electric keyboards in the group, which gives it less of a rootsy sound than you'd expect – but the album's still pretty spare. Titles include "Takes ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A lost little gem from the Rick James camp – a bit obscure, despite the fact that Val's a former Bride Of Funkenstein! Val's not as well known as some of the other artists that Rick James worked with back in the 80s – but given her resume, she's got a solidly soulful sound that works ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the lyric sleeve. Cover has a cutout notch.)
An excellent groover from the late Brunswick years – and the standout classic from this youthful club ensemble! The track's got a great snapping groove that's almost in the rollerskating mode – guitars riffing along with the groove, and vocals falling right into place with an ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Fantastic work from one of the funkiest rhythm sections ever – the team of bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac Redd Holt! Young and Holt first came to fame working with Ramsey Lewis on a string of classic Chicago soul jazz outings for Chess – but by the mid 60s, the duo took off on ... read moreCD
Solid sounds from Young Jessie – a onetime member of the famous Flairs, but a hell of a singer on his own! Jessie's got a raw power here that lives up to the best of the 50s R&B scene in California – and the set features work that the singer recorded for Capitol, Modern, Mercury, ... read moreCD
Young Rascals —
Young Rascals ... LP Atlantic, 1967. Very Good ...
Just Sold Out!
Amazing stuff from bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac "Red" Holt! At the time of this release, the pair had already risen to great fame as the rhythm backing for Ramsey Lewis in his first trio – but broke out on their own as a solo act, with a real focus on rhythmic piano ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Young-Holt Unlimited —
Soulful Strut ... LP Brunswick, Late 60s. Very Good+ ...
$7.99
A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing. Cover has a cutout hole, light wear, and some aging.)
Fantastic! Young and Holt lay down a monster set of grooves from Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack (all the good ones – like "Freddie's Dead", "Give Me Your Love", "Pusher Man", and "Superfly"), and they also get into some funky tracks of their own ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Standout work from The Younghearts – one of the best harmony soul groups of the 70s to record away from the east coast. The group's vocals are the strongest thing about the record – but they get a great extra push from Vernon Bullock, who produced and conducted the record with a nice ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Amazing is right! Timi's one of the great under-rated Uptown Soul talents of the 60s, and this is one of her best records. The album features stunning production, in the best Mercury pop soul style of the 60s – with Quincy Jones at the controls, and Bobby Scott arranging and conducting. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Later Mercury/Wing pressing in the large photo cover.)