Earth Wind & Fire touch the world with this sweet batch of grooves – a set of tracks that has them firmly embracing the electric sound of 80s soul, yet still bringing in some light spiritual touches of their own! The beats are pretty heavy at points – making for plenty of groovers – but the group almost seems to shine most on the ballads, which continue to provide a perfect showcase for the vocals of Philip Bailey and Maurice White. A few cool studio touches reference the group's earlier history – a nice reminder amidst the more contemporary sounds – and titles include "You & I", "System Of Survival", "Every Now & Then", "Money Tight", "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Victim Of The Modern Heart", and "Thinking Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Less of a jazz album than some of Eddie's other records – but that's ok with us! As a soul album, the record's actually pretty darn great – arranged and produced by Richard Evans with a late Chicago soul approach that has Eddie's funky sax stepping amidst some larger orchestrations and some occasional female vocal choruses. There's still plenty of cool Harris touches on the material – like odd instrumentation that creeps in from time to time, making for an exotic feel – and titles include "The Loneliest Monk", "Theme For The Foxy Ladies", "You Stole My Heart", "I'm Tired Of Driving", "You Are The One", "Two Times Two Equals Love", and "What's Wrong With The World Today". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by Laurnea – recorded during a brief stint on Sony, before taking things into her own hands on her own label! The album's got a sound that's a bit more mainstream than her later work, but still pretty darn great – a smoothly soulful approach with some nice jazzy touches, and a real soul bright spot in the mid 90s scene! 12 tracks in all, including "Happy", 'Infatuation", "Can't Let Go", "Superstar", "Today", "Have You Ever", "Been A Long time" and "Betta Listen". (Neo Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by one of the archetypal funky soul bands of the 70s – and a group whose impact is still being felt today! Of course, one of the reasons for that is Chaka Khan's incredible vocals – caught here at a prime early point, and very nicely set against some warm electric keyboards and tight groovy guitars – which provide a groove that's live and spontaneous, and never too forced – just the right kind of energy to work perfectly with her approach to the lyrics, without any of the too-polished modes you'd fine from copycat groups trying to fake a sound like this. Rufus had been with Chaka for years by this point – fusing together a sublime blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock – a sound they forged woodshedding in Chicago in the early days, let loose in perfect studio territory on the west coast of the 70s. The whole thing's a classic – and titles include "Jive Talking", "Sweet Thing", "Fools Paradise", "Circle", "Everybody Has An Aura", and "On Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A pop dancefloor classic – built around Shannon's killer club hit "Let The Music Play", as guilty a guilty pleasure as there ever was for us, and a tune that we can't help liking even today! Other tracks on the set have a similar punchy electro groove – lots of beats popping underneath, and sweetly soulful vocals from Shannon over the top. Electro programming is by Rob Kilgore and Chris Barbosa – and titles include "Let The Music Play", "Sweet Somebody", "My Heart's Divided", and "One Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years – lots of funky fusion in the instrumentation, but all directed towards a tighter, more soul-based style – that perfect contribution that Fantasy Records made to the world in the 70s – after labels like Blue Note and Columbia first started setting things down. Whatever the chronology, though, this set's a standout no matter how you slice it – damn catchy tunes, incredible vocals, and a set of rhythms that are every bit as hip today as they were back when first recorded – really genre-defining grooves that you'll definitely recognize in the album's classics "Always There" and "Keep That Same Old Feeling" – and will go on to love in the cuts "Life Is What You Make It", "Changes", "I Know You Can", "SOS", "Time Has No Ending", "Finally Found Someone", and "Honky Tonk Scat". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early material from this Pittsburgh vocal group – unique in that they had four guy singers and one gal! Titles include "Since I Don't Have You", "It Happened Today", "I Can Dream Can't I", "Lorraine From Spain", "I'll Be Seeing You", and "This I Swear". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Johnnie Taylor – a set that not only gave his career a giant boost, but which also helped shift southern soul into hip new territory in the late 70s! The music's a great change from Taylor's previous work at Stax – and the set features warm production from Don Davis that brings a new level of smoothness to Johnnie's music – a quality that unlocks the soulful undercurrent always lurking in his bluesier work, and which pulls him out of the indie soul ghetto to the modern soul mainstream. The album features the massive "Disco Lady" – a record that's probably still paying Johnnie's bills today – and a cut that's much more groovy soul than you might guess from the title. Other tracks are great too – and include "Running Out Of Lies", "I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You", "Pick Up the Pieces", and "Somebody's Gettin It". LP, Vinyl record album

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 the set in the record shops, the record's got lots of other nice cuts, including many that have that complicated jazzy feel of Stevie's work on the Inner Visions album. Titles include "Ngiculela – Esa Una Historia", "Ordinary Pain", "Black Man", "Village Ghetto Land", and "Love's In Need Of Love Today". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff – and still sounding pretty fresh today! This is the first e.p. of tracks from Art of Noise, a groundbreaking set of sound collage tracks that mixes samples, beats, and dada instrumentation into a groove that definitely set the tone for the next 10 years. The record includes the original mix of their spacey stepper "Moments In Love", plus the hard funky "Beat Box", and the cuts "Comes & Goes", "The Army Now", and "Battle". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the many projects handled by AVI's Rinder & Lewis team – a jazz-inflected, keyboard-heavy duo that should be getting wider recognition with the club kids today! Side one of the album features an extended 2-parter of the great groover "Cocomotion" – done here with lots and lots of strings, catchy grooves, and great spacey keyboard work! Other tracks include "I'm Mad As Hell", "Got That Feeling", and "We Call It Disco" (they certainly do!) LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased gems from Marvin Gaye's Motown years – issued after his death in something of a cash-in effort, but a pretty great little record overall! There's a bit of overdubbing here that tries to "modernize" some of the tracks – which we remember not liking that much at the time, but which from today's perspective actually adds a bit of charm – kind of a mixed 60s/80s mode that still makes for plenty of great Marvin moments all the way through! Loads of great unreleased performances – including the sublime "The World Is Rated X" – plus "Lonely Lover", "No Greater Love", "Dark Side Of The World", "Baby Don't You Leave Me", "I'm In Love With You", "Just Like A Man", and "That's The Way It Goes". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Isleys from the mid-70s! The record has the group dropping their heavy funk style (which was sounding a bit tired by this point), and picking up a strident soul groove that buoyed their tracks with a spiritual sound that reminds us of some of the best moments from the Brother Brother Brother album! This one includes the incredible song "Harvest For The World", one of the most anthemic soul songs of the 70s – and a monster groover that mixes message-driven vocals with some tight guitar work. Other tracks include "You Still Feel the Need", "Let Me Down Easy", and "People of Today" – and the whole album's one of the group's best from the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

Bass pedals, midtempo rhythms, and a sublime early 80s groove – a cut that crossed over big but still sounds great today – and a wonderful mix of styles that's easily one of the standouts from the time! The keys are electric, but never too cold – and Junior's vocals on the hook really keep the tune burning brightly! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best solo records from Harvey Mason – best known as the drummer on some really monster 70s funky fusion sessions (such as Johnny Hammond's Gears album) – but a surprisingly well-rounded R&B artist overall! As with Norman Connors, another fusion drummer gone soul star, Harvey's working here in a style that mixes jazz influences with modern soul – grooving things for a more mainstream audience, but still keeping things real underneath. The record's filled with guest appearances by fusion greats – like Bob James, David Spinozza, Richard Tee, Lee Ritenour, and others – and Jim Gilstrap sings vocals on a cut or two. Titles include "The Race", "Groovin You", "Wave", "We Can", and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Lou Rawls on Capitol – one of his fine fine albums produced by David Axelrod, with that snapping tight groove that works amazingly well with his vocals! The arrangements are super-tight – jazzy backings that have Lou shifting between that monologue style that he virtually patented at the time, and straighter swinging tunes that have a heck of a lot of soul. Titles include "Problems", "When Love Goes Wrong", "Ear Bender Monologue", "What Are You Doing About Today", "The Love That I Give",a nd "Hard To Get Thing Called Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Rotary Connection albums for Cadet – with an incredible baroque spacey soul sound that still feels very fresh today! The group's vocals are especially eerie – and float around these wild arrangements by Charles Stepney, peppered with strings, soul, fuzzy guitars, and even slight bits of electronics. The album features their incredible cut "Memory Band" – the one that begins with those cool sitar riffs that have been sampled by Tribe Called Quest and The Fugees. Other tracks include "Ruby Tuesday", "Soul Man", "Amen", "Rapid Transit", and "Black Noise". LP, Vinyl record album

A hip set of live tracks from Nina Simone – very dark and moody, with backing by only a small combo that includes two guitars, bass, and drums by Montego Joe! Nina handles all the arrangements herself – with a quality that really shows her stepping forward from straight jazz, and finding that special, unique sound that really set her apart from all other singers of the 60s! The songs are incredibly spare, with an approach that's intimate and emotional – almost stunningly so, considering the size and scope of the venue – and titles include a 7 minute reading of "The Other Woman/Cotton Eyed Joe" – plus "Black Swan", "If You Knew", "Theme From Sayonara", and "Will I Find My Love Today". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

You can never get too much Luther Vandross! Never Too Much is his debut album for Epic, and even here in the early 80s, a time when things were getting a little too glossy in a lot of the major label soul sessions, Luther skips it nice and truly soulful here, and managed to ride that realness to huge mainstream popularity. Luther produced, and his style's changed nicely from uptempo clubby to sophisticated soulful, with plenty of warm touches that still sound good today. Titles include "She's A Super Lady", "Never Too Much", "Don't You Know That?", and "A House Is Not A Home", "You Stopped Loving Me" and title title track. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the things we love best about Angela Bofill is how she exemplifies what was so great about late 70s commercial soul, where she and other singers like Phyllis Hyman and Patrice Rushen were infusing their music with a great jazz inflected sophistication, and just plain solid songwriting, versus the sort of crowd pleasing antics most pop soul singers employ today. This collection brings together many of her greatest numbers, including "I Try", "Angel Of The Night", "What I Wouldn't Do", "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", "Something About You", "Time To Say Goodbye", "Let Me Be The One" and "Tonight I Give In", 12 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Bunny Sigler produced this one by Carl, and it's definitely got a lot of Bunny's Philly disco influences running through it. You won't find any "Bad Mamma Jamma" tracks on here – but you will find a lot of up-tempo cuts with a dancefloor sound. Titles include "Live For Today", "Let's Groove", "Willing & Able", "Spend The Night", and "Universal Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". "A New Time, A New Day" has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking record – and one that set a whole new standard for guitar funk in the 70s! By the time of this set, Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene for many years – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and is a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style – instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

Eternal soul from Marvin Gaye in both its classic form AND in a contemporary light – on a nice little 10-inch single! Side 1 features the original 7-inch single mono versions of "What's Going On" and "God Is Love" – both as mindblowing today as ever – not only just because it documents the incredible moment Marvin moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was innovating an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. Side 2 features new versions of "What's Going On" with contemporary hip hop soul hero BJ The Chicago Kid and a remix – both of which are surprisingly solid given the historical heft of the originals, but we really gotta hand it to BJ The Chicago Kid for approaching the contemporary remodel/"duet" with the utmost care and respect! 12-inch, Vinyl record

An amazing little album from the Isley Brothers – one in which the group manage to explore their growing love of the electric guitar, yet somehow sound even more soulful than before! The music is slinky and seductive, with a wonderful style that's never too overly funky – just laidback and flowing, with a vibe that's sometimes mellow, sometimes a bit more upbeat – but never too over the top or rocking. Titles include the group's the monster cut "That Lady" (parts 1 & 2) – a totally righteous groover, even if it has been in a million commercials over the years – and their cover of Seals & Croft's epic "Summer Breeze", which is ten times doper than the original! Other tracks include "Listen To The Music", "If You Were There", "What It Comes Down To", and "Sunshine (Go Away Today)". LP, Vinyl record album

An all-star soundtrack to this comedy film from the 70s – starring Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby, and a very young Harvey Keitel! Most of the tracks on the set are from other A&M albums, but there's a few tunes that are original to the set – including the vocal track "No Love Today" by Michelle Phillips, served up in an instrumental reading by Pete Jolly. Paul Jabara also contributed the tune "Dance", in 2 versions – and other cuts, from other albums, include "Mellow Out" by The Crusaders, "Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin Licks" and "Get The Funk Out Ma Face" by The Brothers Johnson, "My Soul Is A Witness" by Billy Preston, and "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton. (Soundtracks, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Rick James' classic early run for Motown – a set that maybe didn't chart as big as some of his other records for the label, but which stands strongly today as a well-crafted batch of mellow funky soul! James has a bit less of the bass-heavy riffs here than you'd expect – and instead, the record has kind of a laidback, almost dreamy feel at times – still upbeat, but with the kind of relaxed, glowing vibe you'd be more likely to find from Teena Marie around this point – a really nice contrast with the more familiar hit sounds you'd know from Rick! We actually really like these mellower groovers – which are almost like some of Johnny Watson's Caribbean-tinged grooves – and the production augments the tunes with a bit of sound effects, which really furthers the paradise garden feel of the tunes. Titles include "Mary Go Round", "Summer Love", "Big Time", "Don't Give Up On Love", "Getting It On In The Sunshine", and "Island Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Eddie certainly was the "hit man" on this one – a tight album of hard stepping soul tracks, mostly cut in Eddie's famous "boogie" mode of the mid 70s! The cuts mix wonderful soul vocals with some tight jazzy instrumentation – laid down by players like Wah Wah Ragin, Harvey Mason, Ray Parker, and Leonard Caston, who produced the album with Frank Wilson. The record's got swirling strings around harder instrumentation – in a mode that's perfect for Eddie's sweet vocal style – and the sound is right up there with classic work by Marvin Gaye or Barry White. Includes the nice long cut "Body Talk", plus "Happy", "If Anyone Can", "Fortune Teller", "I've Got To Be", and "Skippin' Work Today". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Kool & The Gang – from a period when they were pushing past their tight early funky sound, into a super-dope mix of electronics and spacey jamming that is still pretty darn revolutionary today! Although you might think the album would be a bit disco by the date, it's not – and instead has the group moving more towards a style of cosmic righteousness that was undoubtedly influenced by the early work (and success) of Earth, Wind, & Fire. The album has a few live cuts - including an amazing 8 minute long live version of "Summer Madness", with an extended keyboard solo that's just great! Other titles include "Cosmic Energy", "Do It Right Now", "Universal Sound", and a remake of "Hollywood Swinging". LP, Vinyl record album

Bold, boozy work from Carmen McRae – a wonderfully mature album from that great time when her style was equal parts jazz and soul – put together here by arranger/producer Arif Mardin, a perfect choice for the record! There's a care to the overall presentation not heard in some of McRae's albums from a few years before – not just jazz vocals with a backing group, but a really rich presentation of some hip, modern, all-adult material that somehow sounds even better in Carmen's hands than anyone else. Titles include the sublime title tune "Just A Little Lovin" – plus"Goodbye Joe", "I Love The Life I Live", "Carry That Weight", "Something", "I Want You", "More Today Than Yesterday", and "Didn't We". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". LP, Vinyl record album

War became so popular on their own in later years that it's easy to forget how they first sprung onto the soul charts – here, in an album of many styles that was put together by the wayward Eric Burdon after the dissolution of The Animals. We have to admit that Burdon was a genius to hook onto the rich talents of this LA combo – even though he really didn't know what to do with them on this record. Part of the album's an homage to Roland Kirk, part is an extended reworking of "Tobacco Road", and part is an overly-long bluesy passage called "Blues For Memphis Slim". Fortunately, the record also includes the monster groover "Spill The Wine", one of the first big crossover tracks to popularize the Chicano funk sound of LA – and a great little groover that still hooks us in today. LP, Vinyl record album

The liner notes say that this record has a "true love beat ... It's funky, it's romantic and the newest and best of the now disco sounds today". The band plays alto & tenor sax, trumpet, drums, bass, piano and guitar and is lead by vocalist Winfield Parker. The tracks include "Anyway The Wind Blows", "I Want The World To Know", "Invisible Flowers", "Greedy Green", "Lost In A Shuffle Of Love", "Momma Bakes Biscuits", and "Naked Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant later work by Bobby Blue Bland – done with backings that are much fuller than on his earlier albums – a mixture of strings and horns that really expand the sound! That doesn't keep things from being soulful, though – as Bobby's in incredible form vocally, really rising to the occasion of the session with some of his best vocal performances of the decade. Great throughout – and one of his few true classic sessions after the early Duke years. Titles include "Today I Started Loving You Again", "I Take It On Home", "I Hate You", "If Fingerprints Showed Up On Skin", and "Too Far Gone". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Al Capps arranged and conducted this disco record featuring songs from the soundtrack to Guys and Dolls. The notes on the back cover credit Capps for his "tasteful, happy, 'today' treatments of the much loved score". Songs include "A Bushel and a Peck", "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat", "Luck Be A Lady", "If I Were a Bell", and "The Oldest Established". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest blue-eyed soul albums ever on Motown – featuring early work by British singer Kiki Dee, better known for her later hit with Elton John! Kiki here sounds much more like a Motown soul act than on later work – singing with a wonderfully smooth style that fits the motor city mode perfectly, yet which also has some nice baroque soul touches, in the mode of other female UK singers of the time. She's accompanied by arrangements from Tom Baird, Paul Riser, and David Van DePitte – all very much in the best swinging style of late 60s Motown. A surprising gem, with a wonderful array of tunes that includes "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You", "More Today Than Yesterday", "The Day Will Come Between Sunday & Monday", "Johnny Raven", and "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album