A key comeback moment for Arthur Alexander – arguably one of the first great soul talents to rise from the south at the start of the 60s, but an artist who'd fallen far from fame by the time of this early 90s set! The record was cut at a time when Alexander had all but given up music, and ... read moreCD
Titles include "Rainbow Road", "You Got Me Knockin", "Go Home Girl", "Down The Backroads", "Burning Love", "Call Me Honey", and more – 15 tracks total. CD
A classic album from one of our favorite jazz singers ever – a set that really set a whole new standard for a generation! Even at this early stage, Lorez Alexandria was an amazingly accomplished vocalist – as you'll hear on this excellent selection of tunes from the Lester Young ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Ernestine Allen —
Let It Roll ... CD Tru Sound, Early 60s. Used ...
$3.99
Tasty R&B material, recorded on Prestige's short-lived Tru-Sound subsidiary. Ernestine had some earlier fame under the name Anisteen Allen, and this record's got a similar sound to her late 40s work – with lots of smoky vocals, touched by a warm jazz sensibility that gives the material a ... read moreCD
An amazing album of spacey dancefloor tunes – and the first-ever proper reissue of work by the legendary UK outfit Atmosfear! Atmosfear had a revolutionary electronic disco sound that's probably best compared to the Patrick Adams or Cloud One work for the P&P label in the US – and ... read moreCD
It's like a dream come true – 13 previously unissued recordings by Roy Ayers, all from the height of his glory years on Polydor! Roy's work from this time is some of our favorite ever – a burning blend of jazz, soul, and funk – handled with impeccable charm, and a level of soul ... read moreCD
The pinnacle of classy crossover soul at the end of the 80s – and a landmark album that's probably still helping Anita pay her bills! The feel is mellow and laidback without being too cheesy or too adult contemporary – drawing from mellow soul traditions of the 70s, and filtering it ... read moreCD
Anita Baker —
Songstress ... CD Beverly Glen/Elektra, 1983. Used ...
$5.99
From the female singer in the obscure group Chapter 8, Anita went onto become one of the biggest selling soul music acts during the 80s – and this album's her first effort as a solo act. The record's a smooth sophisticated batch of soul tunes, with lots of nice jazzy touches, and a classy ... read moreCD
Atlantic's great early soul singer delivers 2 sides of fairly traditional material – both in her own gutsy R&B style. Precious Memories features LaVern singing 12 gospel tunes like "Didn't It Rain", "Too Close", "Without A God", "Touch Me, Lord ... read moreCD
Bar-Kays —
48 Hours ... CD Basix, 1994. Used ...
$18.9922.99
Wonderful early work from the great Jesse Belvin – one of the key singers on the way to soul, heard here in some great recordings before his smoother sounds for RCA! CD
Jessie Belvin's often talked about in reverent tones as a bridge between a number of different styles of 50's R&B and vocal soul, but it's not until you hear a great compilation like this one that you realize how fantastic his stuff really is. This excellent Ace set compiles tracks from his ... read moreCD
Raucous, rumbling and hard-charging Chess rhythms, rock and roll by Chuck Berry – his legendary After School Session – and possibly his greatest album ever! It features not only some of Chuck Berry's most famous material, but some of the best early rock songs, period –particularly ... read moreCD
Two classic Chess albums from Chuck Berry – issued here on a single CD! First up is One Dozen Berrys – the fresh fruits of the labors of a young Chuck Berry – heard here at his raw, early best! The sound here is stunning – a version of Chuck that gets way past any oldies ... read moreCD
Although titled after one of their early albums, this "golden classics edition" features 13 cuts from different releases that Black Ivory did for the Today label in the early 70s. Nearly all tracks feature heavenly east coast soul production from the great Patrick Adams, and the tracks ... read moreCD
Otis Blackwell takes back his songs – providing his own new versions of tunes that were recorded famously by a host of rock, pop, and R&B artists back in the 50s! The 70s session is definitely done as part of the generation that was "giving back" to the roots of rock and roll ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
One of the greatest soul groups of the 70s – finally given their due on this double-length set! Bloodstone may not have charted as strongly as some of their contemporaries back in the day, yet they always delivered top-shelf work that was filled with incredible harmonies, deft vocal leads, ... read moreCD
(2008 pressing with mark through slipcover barcode. Inner barcode has a cutout hole, booklet has a gold promo stamp.)
The second comeback effort from Booker T Jones for Anti-! All around, it's a more sharply-honed and classics-steeped set than its solid, but more southern rock-inflected predecessor – one the finds the Stax organ titan backed by co-producers ?uestlove & Rob Schnapf, Dennis Coffey and ... read moreCD
A great little record from Booker T and group – often overlooked amidst the range between Green Onions and Melting Pot, but a very strong album of soulful Memphis instrumentals all the way through! Book's organ is bubbling hot, and the band's tight rhythm style works in a perfect laid-back ... read moreCD
Toni Braxton —
Secrets ... CD LaFace, 1996. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
The second smash hit record in a row by Toni Braxton, and one of biggest and best of the mid 90s – the secret was out by this point to say the least! If the pressure was high to match the sales and creative strengths of the self-titled solo debut, Toni, composer/producer Babyface and ... read moreCD
Fantastic work from the great Charles Brown – an equal mix of jazz and blues, delivered with a smooth, sophisticated touch that really helped move things forward in the postwar years! 20 classics from his years at Aladdin Records. CD
Not a classic from the early years of James Brown – but a later greatest hits package that's gone onto have legendary status – given all the key cuts it includes! Most numbers here are the shorter single versions – and together, they pack a hell of a punch – showing an ... read moreCD
Killer work from James' late 60s period – the time when he was working with the Pee Wee Ellis/Maceo James Brown Band, and developing some of his most crucial conceptions of funkiness. The 2 CD set is filled with nice extra bits – like extended versions of tracks you might already know, ... read moreCD
A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that ... read moreCD
James Brown going strong into the 90s – and almost hitting a mode that's a bit like some of his first few records of the 80s! James is firmly at the helm here – producing, arranging, and writing most numbers – and while the sound is definitely more contemporary than on his ... read moreCD
Killer 2 CD set that focuses on the funky sound of James from the 70s – and which includes great material that was never issued at the time, alternate funky takes, rare singles, and other great bits! There's a wealth of incredible material on here that makes the set essential – even if ... read moreCD
An amazing James Brown live set from the crucial year of 1968 – the show that marked the debut of "Say It Loud I'm Black & I'm Proud" – a cut that would become an anthem for much of America in the years to come! The feel here is somewhat similar to Brown's famous Boston ... read moreCD
A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's ... read moreCD
A rare TK Records effort from James Brown – very much in the best uptempo funk mode of the later Polydor years! The groove here is quite similar to those better-known efforts – grooves that are a bit quicker than a few years before, but still played in a core JB funky style – ... read moreCD
72 tracks – and a fantastic overview of the music of James Brown – from the gritty R&B years to his classic moments of 60s soul, to his mindblowing 70s funk and beyond! CD
An unusual slice of work from the James Brown Family – material from three different periods – early 60s cuts for Dade Records, early 70s material for Brownstone, and late 70s tracks for TK Records! The collection features some especially rare Dade material – tracks from artists ... read moreCD
One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Killer 50's R&B – of the sort that will blow your mind if you never knew that the music could get this raunchy! Wynonie Harris' material alone is worth the price of the album – as it includes insane drunken hard-loving tracks like "Bloodshot Eyes", "Loving ... read moreCD
A nice set from the recent comeback years of Solomon Burke – a record that has him taking on tunes from Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison – plus other bits from more soul-based sources! The material's recorded with a heavy emphasis on roots, but produced with a partly ... read moreCD
Nice compilation of tracks that features some fine (and famous) moments from one of our favorite Chicago soul singers, recorded for the Vee Jay and Mercury labels. Most of these songs are pretty hard to get a hold of on vinyl any more, and though the package is a bit low budget, this is still a ... read moreCD
Jerry Butler —
Singles ... CD Vee Jay/Charly (UK), Late 50s/1960s. Used 2 CDs ...
$9.99
A totally killer collection of work from the early solo years of Chicago soul genius Jerry Butler – a package that features his singles for the Vee Jay label, but at a level that's way more than hits – as the whole thing features lots of unusual tunes, and even rare b-sides too! Jerry ... read moreCD
A label-spanning look at the music of Terry Callier – one that starts with his folksy roots, runs through his sublime soul at Chess, and ends with some of his overlooked modern soul numbers from the early 80s! There's been a few other Callier collections on the market, but this one's got the ... read moreCD
Jazzy folk soul survivor Terry Callier returns to Mr Bongo with Hidden Conversations – with Terry's soul searching lyricism, warm vocals, and mood setting acoustic guitar paired with laidback production by trip hop pioneer Robert Del Naha of Massive Attack! The styles work pretty well ... read moreCD
A legendary funk set from late 70s Chicago – served up by our own Captain Sky, aka Daryl Cameron – an imposing figure who often worked in the same space-themed territory as the P-Funk empire in the mid 70s! The difference here, though, is that Cameron wrote, produced, and put the whole ... read moreCD
An odd collection of tracks, but they're all great, and the set's an excellent batch of some of Chandler's harder-to-find material from the mid and late 60s! The tracks are pulled from his years at Chess, Brunswick, and Mercury (one of the advantages of the recent Universal/Polygram merger!) ... read moreCD
Much later than classic vintage for Chic, but still pretty darn great – and a record that was relatively overlooked at the time! The style here steps off strongly from the Chic sound of the early 80s – and the team of Edwards and Rodgers still definitely have their funky sense of ... read moreCD
(Out of print, small cutout hole through case spine.)
Post Funkadelic and Parliament work from George Clinton – an assortment of tracks from a variety of Columbia and Sony-related albums by artists who include Sweat Band, Mutiny, Junie, Bootsy Collins, Mico Wave, Philippe Wynne, and the P-Funk All-Stars! Most of the material here has an early ... read moreCD
(Out of print, BMG direct pressing.)
George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars —
TAPOAFOM ... CD Sony, 1996. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
We have to be honest, by this point we'd all but given up on George. But the truth is, Clinton and crew have pulled off a decent job of turning the tables on the whole G-funk scene, and taking a page or two out of their book, after they'd done the same to him for years! While we'd never claim ... read moreCD
What's Bootsy Doin'? He's delivering quality late 80s style party funk, that's what! Bootsy in a real 80s funk groove, and this is among is best solo records – lots of post electro and early rap influences in his production, but there's still some old school-ed craft – with Fred, ... read moreCD
Although The Contours will be forever known for their perpetual oldie "Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)", they're also an excellent soul group with a hard raw sound, and a lot more to offer than you'd expect! This 25 track compilation of the group's sublime Motown work really ... read moreCD
A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that ... read moreCD
Stomping organ instrumentals from Dave Baby Cortez – early singles done for the Clock label at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – all of which helped to really find a place for the organ in American pop and soul! Cortez brought a style to the instrument that was as wild as some ... read moreCD
One of the biggest records ever from Deele – thanks to the presence of LA and Babyface – who were a key part of the group at the time! The heavier funk styles of previous records are left behind – and the group have realized that they really shine best in mellower modes – ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Delfonics —
Delfonics ... CD Buddah/Philly Groove, 1970. Used ...
$4.99
The third album in an amazing early run from The Delfonics – the kind of work that set a whole new standard for group soul in the 70s! A number of the tracks here had already risen to fame before the album's release as singles – and these are mixed with some additional tracks that are ... read moreCD
Way more pop than jazz from Deodato – a record that has the keyboardist working with a trio of younger vocalists who alternate lyrics on each track in the set! The approach here takes off from Deodato's strong soul production and arranging work of earlier years, but has a bit more of a ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
(lease note that the outer box and large booklet are not included – just the CD's, packaged in one jewel case. Priced accordingly.)
Disco Circus —
Disco Circus ... CD Lollipop/Hot, 1978. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A classic set of French disco tunes – one that blends electric and acoustic, in a style that really foreshadowed the current sound of the Paris scene! The singles on the set were a cover of "In A Gadda Da Vida" – almost unrecognizable compared to the heavy original, and ... read moreCD
A rich collection of work from this legendary Chicago bluesman – 36 tracks on 2 CDs, plus an oversized booklet with nice photos and notes! (Blues, Soul)CD
(Please note that the outer box is not included – CD's are packaged in a double CD case and is priced accordingly.)
Excellent middle period work by the Dramatics – recorded after their years at Stax, with a slightly smoother groove, and featuring some great tunes that really sparkle! By this point, the group were hitting a Detroit modern mode – with less of the rough edges of the Stax work, which ... read moreCD
Heavenly sweet soulful stuff from the Ben E. King years, including "Hey Senorita", "Lonely Winds", "Oh My Love", "Sweets For My Sweet", "Room Full of Tears", and more – plus the unreleased cuts "Sometimes I Wonder" and "Night ... read moreCD
Titles that include "Baltimore", "Sometimes I Wonder", "Oh My Love", "This Magic Moment", "Some Kind Of Wonderful", "Up On The Roof", "Stranger On The Shore", "On Broadway", "Under The Boardwalk", and more ... read moreCD
Quite a soul-based set from the great George Duke – a set that not only features his strong keyboards, but also a fair bit of vocals from singers Phil Perry, Jeffery Osborne, and James Ingram – all of whom are a great fit for Duke's evolving sound! Duke had worked heavily with singers ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
13 love songs from this fantastic group – titles that include "Blessed", "Flowers", "Key To My Heart", "Don't Ask My Neighbors", "God Will Take Care Of You", "Special Part", "The Movie", and "Ain't No Doubt About ... read moreCD
The cover's a silly one, but the record is rock-solid all the way through – a wonderful blend of funky jazz and warmer soul, and a real lost treasure from the 70s TK Records empire! Fat is Fats Gallon – who plays drums on the record, and also sings lead vocals a bit too – with ... read moreCD
(Out of print, includes obi.)
Maynard Ferguson —
New Vintage ... CD Wounded Bird/Columbia, 1977. Used ...
$14.99
Maynard really grooves it up on this one – playing with a group that's even larger than some of his early 70s funk sessions, in a style that's got traces of disco and R&B-styled fusion! The set was arranged, conducted, and produced by Jay Chataway – who's going for a nice smooth ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
With 41 tracks including "Help Me Somebody", "Thirty Second Lover", "I Like It Like That", "School Girl", "Right Around The Corner", "Miracle Of Love", "Messin' Up", and "I'd Better Make A Move". CD
An incredible album of harmony soul – easily one of the best you could ever hope to find! The Four Mints were an obscure group, but they sound really wonderful here – just as great as some of the bigger proponents of the genre in the early 70s – with an especially great talent ... read moreCD
A pretty darn big collection of work from the 4 Tops – one that spans both their Motown and ABC years, and which also throws in some surprising bits that we wouldn't have expected! The set's got a few previously unreleased mixes, but overall, all the material has been out before – just ... read moreCD
Norman Fox & the Rob-Roys —
One Last Ride ... CD Crystal Ball, Late 1950s/Early 1960s/2009. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Aretha Franklin has a really classic sort of look on the cover – which is quite fitting, as the album's maybe one of her most classic records in years! The album has Franklin taking on songs by other famous female singers, but reworking nearly all of them in a style that's all her own – ... read moreCD
Aretha Franklin —
Aretha's Best ... CD Atlantic/Rhino, Late 60s/1970s/1980s. Used ...
$3.99