Her first LP, produced by R Kelly. 11 tracks, plus the intro and a bonus remix of the single "Back & Forth", also includes the title track, "No One Knows How To Love Me Quite Like You Do", 'Street thing", "Old School" and "I'm Down". CD
Swingin Brazilian soul from Eduardo Araujo – a late 60s groover that's steeped in the styles of Memphis and Muscle Shoals, but which also has a unique twist that's all its own! Eduardo's definitely in the "boogaloo" mode referred to in the title, as the album's a blend of the hard ... (Brazil, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print and sealed.)
Joan Armatrading —
Track Record ... CD A&M, Late 70s. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
An excellent CD that brings together some hard to find tracks recorded by two of the few vocal groups to record for the legendary Stax label! The Astors recorded during the mid 60's, and their work has a sound that's similar to some of the classic Stax recordings during the Atlantic years, but ... read moreCD
Havana Candy, indeed – as singer Patti Austin's in her sweetest mode of the 70s – stepping off of years of background vocals for others, and really emerging as a great soul star on her own! Patti got the chance to cut some soul singles back in her early days – but work like this ... read moreCD
Includes "Hold Me", "Ability To Swing", "Givin' In To Love", "We Fell In Love Anyway", "The Heat Of Heat", "You Brought Me Love", "Love Is Gonna Getcha", "I'll Keep Your Dreams Alive", and more. CD
Polygram's totally cool 2 CD anthology of some of Roy's best work for the label, featuring tracks that run from the early 70's through the early 80's, with such stellar cuts as "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", "Coffy is The Color", "Pretty Brown Skin", "Africa, Center ... read moreCD
Always classy soul from Anita Baker – her first album in years, wrapped up in a lush and laidback style that's perfect for her Blue Note debut! There's lots of jazzy undercurrents in the mix, and if anything, Anita's letting her vocals up even more – at times scatting with a tone and ... read moreCD
Bessie Smith by LaVern Baker – a great blend of modes that really comes off great! Instead of sounding like a throwback blues album, the set comes across with a nice degree of contemporary class – thanks in part to a jazzy presentation that's a bit different than some of Baker's other ... read moreCD
Plenty of fire here – a killer batch of R&B classics from the 50s, all sung by the pre-soul powerhouse Lavern Baker! Baker's material was some of the best Atlantic Records cut back in the day – the kind of genre-defining singles that forever changed the sound of the female voice in ... read moreCD
Dave Bartholomew —
In The Alley ... CD Charly (UK), Early 50s. Used ...
$4.99
With 20 tracks including "Golden Rule", "Basin Street Breakdown", "Country Boy", "Messy Bessy", "Mr. Fool", "Nickel Wine", "High Flying Women", and "My Ding-A Ling". CD
A great great group who never lost their groove – featured here on a set that's the first-ever label-spanning collection of their genius! The set begins with a huge amount of tracks from the Atlantic Records years of Archie Bell & The Drells – records that start with their raw ... read moreCD
Classy soul from Regina Bell – a mellow, mature set that's filled with seductive charms! Titles include "Take My Time", "Someone Who Needs Me", "La Da Di", "Let Me Hold You", "Oooh Boy", "What If", "Gotta Go Back", and ... read moreCD
Sweet stepping soul from George Benson – a batch of tracks that wraps up his wonderful vocals and guitar with some great contemporary rhythms! The vibe here is nicely laidback – never too smooth, nor some of the more commercial territory that Benson was trying for a decade before ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print, punch through barcode and booklet.)
Smooth righteous soul from Brooklyn-based singer Karen Bernod – done here in a great blend of styles that mixes a sweet modern approach with bits of older jazz elements, giving the set strong crossover appeal without losing any of the positive energy that inspires the music. The keyboards ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound ... read moreCD
The grand dame of hip hop soul returns – and it's hardly a growing effort, it's got some of her best work of the decade! Growing Pains is a restless set of tracks that roll from hard hitting funky soul, to laidback sophisticated jams – working with a number of producers who are all ... read moreCD
The landmark debut of Mary J Blige – a record that not only did a great job of blending underground hip hop and mainstream soul sensibilities – but maybe also opened the door for the Neo Soul revolution to come! Mary comes on here with a fresh new vision in female soul – one that' ... read moreCD
A dozen tracks from one of the greatest east coast harmony groups of the 70s! Blue Magic came onto the scene a bit later than some of their other hit making geographical neighbors – like The Stylistics or The Moments – but their sound was pure 70s harmony all the way, and the group had ... read moreCD
An interesting historical document, and a pretty decent live set – in the same soul mixed-bag style as the Wattstax live albums. This one was recorded at the Watts Jazz Fest in 1973, and it features two great tracks by Willie Bobo – one a mellow reading of Jobim's "Dindi", ... read moreCD
A great little album from Booker T & The MGs – recorded in the post Green Onions years, at a time when the group was really coming together – with a tightness that perfectly illustrates their sublime Memphis instrumental groove! The album's heavy on guitar and organ, as you'd ... read moreCD
Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves. The group has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label ... read moreCD
The lovely and soulful Hadda Brooks was one of the great talents on the LA scene of the postwar years – a vocalist and pianist with a style that blended blues and jazz, in a manner that was like some of her male counterparts on the scene at the time, such as Nat King Cole or Charles Brown. ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Features 50 tracks on two CDs – including "Think", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Prisoner Of Love", "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud, Pt 1", "Ain't It Funky Now, Pt 1", "Super Bad, Pt 1", and ... read moreCD
(Small cutout hole through rear case and tray card.)
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
James Brown lets it loose – exploding with a funkier, groovier sound here than in previous years, and really starting the extended groove that would blossom even more fully at the end of the 60s! The titles here are all pretty great – and given the strength of James at the time, the ... read moreCD
James Brown's funky singles from the mid-to-late 70s – Volume 10 in the complete singles series by The Godfather on Hip-O Select – and he's still killing it, one cut after another! This is a fascinating period for JB, in which the Godfather was still working hard, and more often than ... read moreCD
A strong live set from 1980, recorded in Tokyo, and better than most of James' studio recordings from the time! The group is super-tight, super-fast, and the whole set has that train running out of control sort of feel that James first cut on wax with his live sets starting at the Apollo Theater. ... read moreCD
James Brown's great second album recorded live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem – a set we like even better than the first famous volume – because it's much more stretched-out, harder-hitting, and full of fire! You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of Brown's showmanship on ... read moreCD
A fantastic collection – really well-done, and featuring on James Brown's bluesier material – including some nice organ work! Includes a number of unissued tracks, too! CD
(Out of print, BMG music club pressing.)
James Brown —
Payback ... CD Pazzazz (Germany), 1980. Used ...
$3.99
Recorded live at Studio 54. Titles include "Gonna Have A Funky Good Time", "Body Heat", "Get Up Offa That Thing", "Try Me", "Get On The Good Foot", "Cold Sweat", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Please, Please, ... 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
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
The only full-length collection of early Impressions work for Vee Jay – mostly singles recorded in the late 50s for the label, brought together as a "with Jerry Butler" album during the early 60s! The set's not only Impressions numbers, but also features a few of Jerry's early solo ... read moreCD
(Out of print, artwork is wrinkled from some light water damage.)
Essential material by this funky soul legend – even if you've got his one and only album! This is an excellent compilation of the very hard to find work of this James Brown partner and singer, with a track list of 22 cuts that includes lots of cool rare funky 45 tracks, and a number of ... read moreCD
An essential bit of 70s jazz funk – one of the key Blue Note collaborations between trumpeter Donald Byrd and producer/arranger Larry Mizell – the man who helped set a whole new standard for soulful sounds at the time! The approach here is quite similar to the pair's work on Places ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Classic Latin-tinged fusion on Capitol – recorded with a smooth soulful style that's right up there with the best of the Capitol Rare generation! Caldera mixes together nice jazzy saxes with guitars, percussion, and some great keyboard work by Eduardo Del Barrio – all produced by the ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Terry Callier —
Timepeace ... CD Verve/Forecast/Talkin' Loud (UK), 1998. Used ...
$9.99
Terry Callier's first album in nearly 2 decades – and a return to the folksy glory of his roots! The set was put together by the British Talking Loud label – no surprise, given that although back home, Callier had fallen into obscurity – but his star was still riding very high on ... read moreCD
A huge collection of work from funk and soul legend Jimmy Castor – an artist who cut a big number of incredible records for a variety of different labels – almost all of which are in this set! In truth, Jimmy's got a huge legacy in soul that goes back to early years in vocal groups ... read moreCD
Includes their classic "Rang Tang Ding Dong (I'm The Japanese Sandman)" – plus "Girlie That I Love", "The Be Bop Mouse", "Under Your Spell", "Juicy Crocodile", and "What's The Matter For You" – plus a few unreleased tracks! CD
A mad mix of Latin and funky rhythms – a 70s classic from the Belgian group Chakachas! The album's best known for its title hit "Jungle Fever" – an insane cut that features heavy drums, choppy guitar, and a stop/start action that's peppered with sounds of female pleasure! ... read moreCD
All the best bits from The Chambers Brothers' excellent run on Columbia Records – easily the group's high point, and a time when they really got all the best elements in their music totally right! They still have the bluesy roots of the early years, but things are given a lot more soulful ... 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
You know, over the years, you get exposed to so many cliches about Ray Charles that it's easy to forget how great he is – but you won't after hearing this set! This totally essential box pushes way past any other collection to pull together the raw early R&B sides by Ray – much ... read moreCD
(Out of print, small cutout hole through case.)
Ray Charles —
Blues + Jazz ... CD Atlantic/Rhino, 1950s/Early 60s. Used 2 CDs ...
$2.99
Includes 40 tracks on 2 CDs. CD
(CONDITION NOTE: this copy is missing the rear tray card and is priced accordingly. CRC pressing.)
We might argue with the mathematics in the title – or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton – but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones ... read moreCD
A stunning standout from Ray Charles' years on ABC Records – and a set that brings in a bit of hard-swinging jazz to the country-styled groove Ray was hitting at the time! Backings are by Ralph Burns, who keeps things pretty hip – not as modern as some of his 50s charts for other ... read moreCD
Featuring duets with Natalie Cole, Elton John, Norah Jones, BB King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Michael McDonald, Johnny Mathis, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, and James Taylor. CD
Tracks include "Hit The Road Jack", "Busted", "Them That Got", "I'm A Fool To Care", "Ruby", "Baby It's Cold Outside", and "Eleanor Rigby" – 20 tracks total. CD
(1987 DCC pressing – remastered by Steve Hoffman with Ray Charles.)
A classic! What seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius, and the result was the most successful album of his career – and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the charts for years and years! Ray's voice works perfectly with the material, and thanks to soulful ... read moreCD
Two Chubby Checker groovers – back to back on a single CD! It's Pony Time is a romper that shows Chubby Checker at his best – a groove that's possibly less familiar than his twisting hit, spun out over a whole range of hip early 60s dance modes! There's a surprising amount of early ... read moreCD
A long-overdue look at one of the greatest vocal groups of the 50s – an quartet with a sound to rival that of The Drifters or The Dominoes at their best! That comparison is no accident, as The Checkers featured members from both groups – although the overall strength of the vocal work ... read moreCD
Maybe the crowning moment of genus from the great Neneh Cherry – a record that's a huge evolution from her post punk funk of just a few short years before – and one that really helped her bridge the Atlantic and find a huge following over here at the time! There's a great mix of hip ... read moreCD
11 tasty numbers by Chic, all filled with the lively guitar work and tight production of Nile Rodgers – and the group's own strong talent for delivering a hook that won't miss. Sure, it's pop disco for the masses, but most of these cuts still sound surprisingly good these days. Includes the ... read moreCD