Nice UK 2-fer reissue of two of the best Flamingo's albums ever! Both are classic albums recorded for the End label, done at a time when the group were forging their rougher doo wop style into a sweet harmony sound that would go onto influence a generation of singers – and the production, ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Billy Foster —
Portrait ... CD Equistar, 2005. New Copy ...
$6.99
An overlooked set from the Gary scene – one of a handful of albums by pianist Billy Foster – a musician, radio host, and educator – with a legacy that almost makes him the Ramsey Lewis of his hometown! Billy cut some more keyboard-heavy albums in the 80s, but this record's a ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Four Tops —
Nature Planned It ... CD Motown/Elemental (France), 1972. New Copy Gatefold ...
$14.99
Why did Motown ever let the Four Tops get away? This album was their last for the label – and it's an excellent one, filled with soul, sweetness, and some of the best arrangements the group had in their later years! The soul component is super-high – with tight group instrumentation ... read moreCD
A stunning batch of tracks from a very unusual LA group of the early 70s – a funk combo at the core, but one that was also equally comfortable with bits of psych and redneck rock as well! The music here was all recorded within a short span of years, and mostly issued on the small Alpha label ... read moreCD
Way more than disco, a bit different than funk, and a lot cooler than you might guess from the image on the cover – a stone classic from Miami groovers Foxy, and easily one of their best records ever! The set's nice and tight right from the start – not really disco, but more of a ... read moreCD
One of the greatest groups to ever hit the Baltimore scene – and one who've never fully gotten their due, given that they recorded for a variety of different labels, on a career that never saw them issuing a full length LP! This set nicely corrects that fact, as it brings together cuts by ... read moreCD
A long-overdue look at the 45rpm legacy of Aretha Franklin at Atlantic Records – a set that brings together all the great singles she cut during her early years at the label – some of which you'll know as the cornerstones of her albums from the time, others that are maybe a bit more ... read moreCD
Aretha Franklin —
Lady Soul ... CD Atlantic/Rhino, 1968. New Copy ...
$4.996.99
One of Aretha's undisputed classics – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group ... read moreCD
An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka ... read moreCD
Tracks include "Rock Steady", "Spanish Harlem", "Spirit In The Dark", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Brand New Me", "Angel", "Oh Me Oh My", "Until You Come Back To Me", and more – 16 cuts in all. CD
Four soulful fusion classics from keyboardist Rodney Franklin – all together in a single set! First up is In The Center – wonderful keyboard work from the amazing Rodney Franklin – a player who sounds equally great on acoustic and electric piano! This album does a wonderful job ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Michael Franks has always had a special way with Brazilian-tinged material – as you'll hear here on titles that include "Scatsville", "Samba Do Soho", "The Critics Are Never Kind", "Songbirds", and "Under The Sun". (Vocalists, Soul)CD
(Out of print. Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Free Life —
Free Life ... CD CBS/PTG (Netherlands), 1978. New Copy ...
$11.99
One of the great late 70s Columbia sets from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the universe – the one and only album by this obscure west coast group, who get some strong help in the studio from Phillip Bailey! Bailey co-produced, and wrote some great songs for the record – and the ... read moreCD
Very nice work from Lowell Fulsom – strongly in the mode of his Tramp album for Kent, with a mix of blues and 60s soul, coming together in a sock-hard style that's much better than a lot of Fulsom's other work for other labels! Arrangements are by Rene Hall and Maxwell Davis – the ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
The title gets it right here – as the album's as much a soul effort as a blues one – and is a nice change from the sound of Lowell's earlier years! There's still plenty of grit in the grooves here – and even with the front cover proclamation, the album's still one that's best ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
One of THE all time classics of funky blues – a record built around Lowell's huge single "Tramp" – a massive tune that spawned a whole generation of answer tunes! "Tramp" kicks off the set with a stone break that's worth the price of the album – then Lowell ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Lowell Fulson —
Back Home Blues ... CD Night Train International, Late 40s/Early 50s. Used ...
$1.99
Includes the previously unissued track "Day Is Passing On (Instrumental)" and two alternate takes. (Blues, Soul)CD
(Out of print, booklet has some small light stains.)
The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – ... read moreCD
Massive music in a wonderful package – three funky classics from The Gap Band! First up is the group's self-titled album from 1979 – the start of the legendary second chapter for the Gap Band – the point when the group had reemerged as the tight funky trio of the Wilson Brothers, ... read moreCD
Gap Band —
Gap Band III ... CD Mercury/Universal (Japan), 1980. Used ...
$11.99
A great one from the Gap Band – funky gems and sinister groovers – the best of both worlds for the group! Tunes like "Burn Rubber On Me (When You Want To Hurt Me)" and "Humpin" packed 80s dance floors for good reason, and put the band in steady rotation, while ... read moreCD
The Gap Band are definitely Jammin on this sweet little set from the early 80s – hitting that fierce funk mode they do so well, with lots of snapping lines at the bottom of the rhythms! The style is trademark Gap all the way through – a percolated approach to funk that's tight, but ... read moreCD
Electro-steeped funky soul from The Gap Band – a pair of mid 80s classic LPs in a 2CD set with bonus tracks! They're already past the "V" in their classic run of 80s albums at this point, and still very much at the top of their game. The core trio work with sweet production from ... read moreCD
A rare lost modern soul gem, which we too rarely come across! Recorded in 1985 for the Philly World label as Gardner's debut LP, the story as we understand it is that this record never really hit the shelves – for some reason it was pulled at the last minute by the label. We can't figure ... read moreCD
A clubby classic from the enigmatic Gary's Gang – a group who scored a big disco hit with the title track of this album, a unique groove that features some weird keyboard and synth touches – alongside some surprisingly great percussion at the bottom! The group effortlessly mix electric ... read moreCD
In our humble opinion, just about every track that Marvin recorded for Motown is "great" – but since this set's focused on the hits, we're happy to accept their track selection, and admit they do a pretty good job of covering most of the big bases – early solo gems, duet ... read moreCD
Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a ... read moreCD
Marvin Gaye —
Love Songs ... CD Columbia/Legacy, Early 80s. Used ...
$2.99
Two lesser known albums by Marvin – but both great ones, not reissued on CD before and ones that we've always treasured on vinyl! There's a total of 24 cuts in all, and Marvin's really pushing the envelope of his 60s style here – on cuts that include "You", "Tear It On ... read moreCD
A tremendous live performance from Marvin Gaye – recorded at the Kennedy Center in 1972, and based around his classic album What's Going On – yet handled in a completely different way! The set's not just a straight reading of the record – as the song order is different, and the ... read moreCD
Gonzalez —
Gonzalez ... CD Soul Brother/Expansion (UK), 1974. New Copy ...
$9.99
Sweet funky jazz from the 70s! Gonzalez were an obscure UK combo – probably known a lot better over in England, but pretty darn hard to find over here in America – and they've got a tight style that reminds us of some of the more well-produced jazz funk coming out on labels like Blue ... read moreCD
Graham Central Station —
Mirror ... CD Warner (Germany), 1976. Used ...
$2.99
Larry Graham and crew are definitely going for a fuller sound on this set – starting off the record with a funky marching band, in Tusk-like fashion – then rolling into some bass-heavy funk that tops even their previous records for tightness! The groove is a key element in the growth ... read moreCD
The second album by Larry Graham and his Graham Central Station – and as powerful a batch of LA 70s funk as you'll ever find! Graham's bass is in the lead, giving the record the same deep punch he gave the work of Sly Stone back when he was in the Family Stone – but the whole group's ... read moreCD
(Out of print Warner pressing. Tray card has a crease.)
What can we say? Most of the biggest hits, and many of the very best tracks cut in the prime of Al Green's career – which is to say some of the very best Memphis soul ever recorded! It's just one of these Greatest Hits packages of pure, inarguable perfection – with "Call Me" ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Al Green —
Call Me ... CD Hi Records/Fat Possum, 1972. New Copy ...
$9.9914.99
Al Green, 1973 – what could be better? The king of Memphis soul is at the height of his powers here – working in a setting that yielded less chart hits than some of his other albums for Hi Records, but which is still as sublime as the rest – thanks to an undeniable studio magic ... read moreCD
Al Green explores your mind – then moves onto your heart, your soul, and everything in between! The album's a classic in the best Hi Records tradition – and features Al moving into a style that's even more spiritual than before – serving up the sublime tracks "Take Me To The ... read moreCD
Warm wonderfulness from the great Al Green – a record that may have a pale-looking cover, but a set that's one of Green's most deeply soulful albums ever! There's a grace and a glow to the set right from the very first note – that really unique presentation and performance that makes ... read moreCD
Al Green —
Livin For You ... CD Hi Records/Fat Possum, 1973. New Copy ...
$9.9915.98
Hard to go wrong with Al Green at this point – 1973, when the mighty one was at the height of his secular soul powers – and when the sweetly compressed production style of Willie Mitchell just couldn't miss! There's a homey, earthy feel to the record that's really great – a sound ... read moreCD
A windy city hero – the amazing Garland Green, a singer who makes us mighty proud we hail from Chicago! Garland's got an incredible style that few others can touch – partly schooled in the 60s iceman modes of Jerry Butler and Walter Jackson, with all the sophistication that might imply ... read moreCD
Vivian Green's one of those singers who may never get the gold or the glory, but who always brings her best to a record like this – that great style of vocal inflection that set her apart in the earlier years of the neo soul scene, still very much her key calling card as she makes her way ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Marcia Griffiths —
Naturally/Steppin ... CD Sky Note/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 70s. New Copy ...
$12.99
A pair of albums from Marcia Griffiths – the well-titled queen of reggae at the end of the 70s! First up is Naturally, a fantastic album from Marcia Griffiths – very much the kind of material that made her one of the best female singers on the Jamaican scene in the 70s! The set's got ... (Reggae, Soul)read moreCD
Gwen Guthrie's first album for Island Records – a unique little soul set from the early 80s, recorded in Nassau with backing from Sly & Robbie – in a groove that's totally great! The rhythms here are really at the heart of the set – not in a way that eclipses Gwen's vocals, ... read moreCD
A mini-LP, but one that packs more punch than most full length sets – thanks to a top-shelf lineup all the way through! The set's a project put together by Sly & Robbie, and recorded at Compass Point Studios – all with a groove that's kind of a dubbier take on the sound of New York ... read moreCD
Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes ... read moreCD
The best work by Guy – one of those soul groups that showed up on the scene just when we'd lost faith in soul groups, and breathed whole new life into the harmony format! The trio was a key part of Teddy Riley's new jack sound – but they had a deeper quality that's helped them last ... read moreCD
A catchy slice of mid 80s soul from Randy Hall – an excellent musician who handles quite a bit of the instrumentation, on top of being a charismatic singer – and this one's produced by Ray Parker Jr, whose ear for catchy hooks is in top form! Hall spins a lot of plates on his own ... read moreCD
An overlooked gem from the equally-overlooked Clay Hammond – a sweet 70s groover that offers up a great mix of modern and deep soul modes! Clay's vocals are still every bit as great as on some of his earlier soul singles, but the arrangements push things into tighter territory that's mighty ... read moreCD
One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A classic album of all-out soul from Herbie Hancock – done in close collaboration with Rod Temperton of Heatwave – in a jazzy-styled version of that group's own great groove! Temperton handled arrangements and a lot of songwriting, and most cuts have lead vocals from Wayne Anthony ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A great little soul album from Herbie Hancock – but one that's often lost in the valleys between his bigger hits of the time! The record was cut in the space right before Herbie's big "Rockit" success – and it's a sweet bit of funky fusion that has a good dose of R&B in ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Herbie Hancock —
Treasure Chest ... CD Warner/Wounded Bird, 1974. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
Seminal sides from Herbie Hancock – amazing material recorded for Warner Brothers in the years between his time at Blue Note and his big fame at Columbia Records – all sides that definitely show Hancock as one mighty righteous cat! Herbie's really stretching past his more conventional ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A legendary album – and for good reason too – a set that's as mysterious as it is funky, and a record that's stayed at the top of our crates for years! The album features a really unusual collective of musicians, pulled together under the guidance of producer Paul Winley – a ... read moreCD
(In a very cool Japanese-styled, LP-like cardboard sleeve cover!)
Harrison has a mixture here of jazz, New Orleans R&B and Mardi Gras with the help of Dr John, Cyrus Chestnut, and Donald Harrison Sr – titles include "Indian Blues", "Uptown Ruler", "Cherokee", "Hu Taa Nay", "Shallow Water", and "India ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
The biggest collection of work we've ever seen from early southern soul star Wilbert Harrison – a set that goes way past the early hits that usually make up his tiny greatest hits features on the market – to include a whopping 70 titles that takes the Harrison journey all the way ... read moreCD
All classics – with 15 cuts that include "The Ghetto", "Where Is The Love", "Giving Up", "Someday We'll Be Free", "To Be Young Gifted & Black", "This Christmas", "You've Got A Friend", "Back Together Again", ... read moreCD
Perhaps Donny Hathaway's greatest album from the 70s, and certainly the one with the most amazing arrangements! The record was Donny's last studio session, and it's got him working at a level that's far advanced from even his groundbreaking earlier work – using complicated rhythms and ... read moreCD
A pair of wonderful albums from the young Lalah Hathaway – plus bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Lalah Hathaway – the first album from Donny Hathaway's soulful daughter – an album that began a legacy that's lasted plenty strongly on its own – even without such ... read moreCD
This is the real deal for Screamin Jay Hawkins – the seminal 50s recordings done for the Okeh label, all of which are a lot harder and heavier than some of his later work! The format is simple R&B, but Screamin Jay brings a heck of a lot of himself to the sessions – singing in a ... read moreCD
With 17 tracks including "This Is All", "Little Demon", "Just Don't Care", "You Made Me Love You", "Yellow Cat", "Frenzy", "Feast Of The Mau Mau", and "I Put A Spell On You". CD
Includes "Theme From Shaft", "Cafe Reggio", "Walk On By", "Ain't That Lovin' You", "Do Your Thing", "I Don't Want To Be Right", and "I Stand Accused". CD
Amazing stuff from Isaac Hayes! Although Ike had first appeared on LP with the album "Introducing", this was the first record to really expose his true soul genius – and it was also the first release on Ike's successful sub-label at Stax, Enterprise Records. The record shows that ... read moreCD
Hardly the disco set you might guess from the title – and instead, a surprisingly soulful gem from the post-Stax years of Isaac Hayes! There's certainly a bit of uptempo grooving in the mix – but, as on Ike's Polydor years, the approach is still handled with the deeper sounds that ... read moreCD
A landmark album that hardly needs any introduction – as it's one of the most famous soundtracks, if not soul records, of the 70s! Isaac Hayes had already surprised music fans with the sophistication of his first few solo albums, which had been issued before this one – but with Shaft, ... read moreCD
An incredible tribute to the genius of Memphis Soul legend Issac Hayes – one that's overflowing with unreleased material, and presented in a totally cool package! The set's shaped like a 7" single box – and is book-like, with very detailed notes by Stax historian Robert Gordon, ... read moreCD
A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give ... read moreCD
Killer classics from Heatwave – one of the few UK groups who managed to score big with a US soul market back in the 70s! The album's filled with gems from the group – from mellow slow jams to bumping groovers – including some of those tightly compressed numbers that the group ... read moreCD
A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul ... read moreCD
Heaven & Earth —
Fantasy ... CD Mercury/PTG (Netherlands), 1979. New Copy ...
$11.99
A crowning moment from the Chicago scene of the late 70s – the second Mercury album from Heaven & Earth, and a stunner all the way through! The set's an undisputed groover right from the start – thanks to the massive arrangements from the great Floyd Morris – an artist who ... read moreCD
Excellent work from this smooth Chicago vocal group! The album may well be the best the group ever recorded – and it features some stellar ballad work produced with a nice spacey tone, almost in a Rose Royce mellow mode – by Jerry Butler's Fountain Productions team and by Clarence ... read moreCD
A stone classic from Ron Henderson and his excellent Choice Of Colors group – maybe one of the hippest soul acts in North Carolina during the 70s – and one who are certainly different than the groups of that scene who were trying more for a groove that would please vacationers on the ... read moreCD
Mighty nice work from an overlooked soul group – a combo from the 90s who released a handful of records at the time, but who have a vibe that's much more like some of our favorite groups from the end of the 60s! There's a nicely bubbling vibe to some cuts – kind of the groove that you ... read moreCD
A really great set of later southern soul from Eddie Hinton – recorded at Muscle Shoals with a nice 70s take on the classic 60s style of the genre – with powerful vocals from Hinton! The record's surprisingly rootsy for the time – and Eddie sings in a wonderful mode that has ... read moreCD
The classic first album from Hiroshima – a group who took the 70s experiments in Japanese fusion right into the American mainstream – with a wonderful blend of jazz and soul, and a production style that was never too polished or commercial! The group's led by reedman Dan Kuramota ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print, small sticker remnant on booklet cover.)
Pre-Motown work from Brenda Holloway – a host of rare west coast sides recorded for indie labels like Class, Donna, and Era! The package offers up an amazing look at this early point in Holloway's career – and shows a sound that's surprisingly right in line with her better-known Motown ... read moreCD
Landmark club grooves from the great Loleatta Holloway – and a record that definitely has her at the top of the disco game for the 70s! Holloway's working here with a nice variety of arrangers and producers – including Bobby Womack, Norman Harris, Dan Hartman, and Tom Washington – ... read moreCD
(Part of the Salsoul Records Original Master Collecion!)
0 classic tracks from Loleatta's years at Salsoul – some of the heaviest female disco ever cut to wax! This set features a number of remixes of famous tunes, and titles include "Love Sensation (Tom Moulton mix)", "Mama Don't, Papa Wont (Double J/Silk Hurley rmx)", "Go ... read moreCD
American soul, recorded in France – some of the first work of the 60s by singer Nancy Holloway, who'd made a key relocation to Paris at the time! Much of this work is a cross between pop and soul – with strong influences from the New York Brill Building scene of the time, but also some ... read moreCD
A really amazing package – not just for fans of John Lee Hooker, but for anyone who loves postwar blues in general! The work here is all from the tiny Sensation Records label in Detroit – the label to first record John Lee Hooker in the late 40s, and who continued to do sessions with ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
With 43 tracks including "Big Mama Jump", "LA Blues", "Katie May", "Thinkin & Worryin", "Sugar On My Mind", "Moon Rise Blues", "Howling Wolf", and "See See Rider". (Blues, Soul)CD
Stunning Miami grooves from the legendary Jimmy Bo Horne – one of the key figures in the southern club scene of the 70s! Jimmy's got a groove that's very much his own on the set – a snapping, almost clapping sort of rhythm picked up from the George McCrae and KC camps at TK Records ... read moreCD
A killer classic from Jimmy Bo Horne – one of the sharpest male singers to work for the TK family of labels in the late 70s – and one who could really summarize all the greatness of Miami soul with a record like this! The album's got all the funky fullness of some of the larger TK ... read moreCD
A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly ... read moreCD