Two Latin funk classics – back to back in a single set! First up is the self-titled Azteca album – a crowning moment for the west coast Latin scene in the 70s – a wonderful Bay Area set that brings together some of the best talents working on that scene at the time! The set's ... (Latin, Soul)read moreCD
A big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – ... read moreCD
(2011 Blu-spec CD pressing – in great shape with obi!)
A trio of solo albums from Phillip Bailey – presented here with bonus material too! First up is Continuation – an 80s soul classic from Philip Bailey – stepping out here from Earth Wind & Fire in a set that has him sparkling strongly as a solo act! The vocals still have that ... read moreCD
It's a long long way from Destiny's Child – as Beyonce comes on here with a righteous power she's never had before – much more message-oriented, and with larger agenda than the catchy pop of her youth! The album got quite a buzz before release, and definitely lives up to that promise ... read moreCD
(Includes a DVD with the Lemonade film!)
Leon Bridges —
Good Thing ... CD Columbia, 2018. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A soaring set from Leon Bridges – a full length second album that's every bit as classic as his debut, but in a completely different way! Where Coming Home was maybe Leon's answer to the generation of Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, Good Thing is more of a nod to the era of Maxwell and D'Angelo ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Trend-setting vocal work from Oscar Brown Jr – one of the hippest singers of his generation, and a vocalist who really took things to the next level in the 60s! Brown's got a sound that's partially influenced by the vocalese of Eddie Jefferson, Jon Hendricks, and other singers of the 50s ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
2 of Oscar Brown's classic Columbia albums – back to back on one CD! Tell It Like It Is is a great early album by Oscar – one that focuses on his own compositions, and a few other hip tunes written by other jazz players, with new vocals added by Oscar! These kind of tracks are the ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Heavy funk and super-tight horns – all wrapped up in the kind of a groove that made BT Express one of the hottest club acts of the 70s! The group are at the height of their powers here – working with excellent arrangements from Carlos Ward – a jazzman at heart, and a talent who ... read moreCD
Mariah Carey —
Daydream ... CD Columbia, 1995. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A wonderful set of funky Latin grooves from Chakachas – an album that was recorded around the same time as their classic Jungle Fever record, but which is much more obscure overall! The set was originally only issued in Europe, and has a groove that's very similar to Jungle Fever – a ... read moreCD
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
A funky fusion classic from superdrummer Billy Cobham – a set done in collaboration with producer Wayne Henderson, who helps give the whole thing a soulful focus you might not find on Cobham albums from a few years before! The drums are strong, but never too jamming – and instead, they' ... (Jazz, Soul)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
James D-Train Williams' first album for a major label – and a really great follow-up to the indie success of his initial recordings for Prelude Records! The style here is very similar to the clubby grooves of D-Train's earlier sides – thanks to strong keyboards, production, and ... read moreCD
Destiny's Child —
Survivor ... CD Columbia, 2001. Used ...
Out Of Stock
... CD
Willie Dixon —
Big Three Trio ... CD Columbia, Late 40s/Early 50s. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Very early pre-Chess work from bassist Willie Dixon – heard here in his cool Big Three Trio – a hip jump blues group with almost a west coast vibe at times – presented here on some rare 78rpm material recorded for Columbia, including a few unreleased tracks! (Blues, Soul)CD
A long-overdue recognition of the blues contributions of Willie Dixon – a set that pulls him out of the indie ghetto and pushes him firmly into the mainstream with this key release on Columbia Records! Yet despite that placement, the style is nicely down home – a strong recreation of ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Ned Doheny —
Prone ... CD Columbia/Sony (Japan), 1977. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Maybe our favorite record ever from 70s mellow rock maestro Ned Doheny – thanks to production from Steve Cropper and arrangements from Jimmie Haskell – both of whom give the record a super-soulful sound! Ned's always had this blue-eyed style that's gotten him equal play on both sides ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
(2017 Japanese pressing, part of the AOR City 1000 collection – includes obi!)
Excellent 70s soul from the great Ronnie Dyson – first famous as a singer in the original cast of Hair, but later a soul star in his own right, with a few massive hits that brought him big fame! The arrangements here are by Thom Bell, who gives Ronnie's vocals a fragile quality that works ... read moreCD
A great little album of tracks by one of the 70s greatest soul groups – featuring material from mostly their late 70s years at Columbia, plus a few other ringers thrown into mix it up a bit. Features the slow jam classic "After The Love Is Gone", the disco groover "Boogie ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Earth Wind & Fire —
Faces ... CD Columbia, 1980. New Copy ...
$6.99
The genius of Earth Wind & Fire knows no bounds – and even on this double-length set, the group keep up their groove tremendously! The 2LP scope of Faces might make it seem like an ambitious enterprise, but it's really just an overstuffed package that tries to contain all the genius the ... read moreCD
Earth Wind & Fire —
Gratitude ... CD Columbia, 1975. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Great stuff! Although a live album, Gratitude is one of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest from the mid 70s – a very tight batch of grooves that proves that Maurice White & Co. could play just as well on stage as they could in the studio – and the noise of the crowd going wild is ... read moreCD
Five classic albums from Earth Wind & Fire – all packaged together in cool LP-styled sleeves – with some great bonus tracks too! First up is That's The Way Of The World – Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences ... read moreCD
A pair of classics from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on a single CD! First up is Spirit – a big hit for the group – and a great album of smooth funky soul! Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real ... read moreCD
(Hybrid Super Audio CD pressing – also works on standard CD players!)
Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – ... read moreCD
Emotions —
New Affair ... CD Columbia/PTG (Netherlands), 1981. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Post-disco work from The Emotions – breaking free a bit here from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick ... read moreCD
Some of the best of the best of The Fania All Stars – magical music from that short stint when the combo were recording for Columbia Records in the late 70s! While at Columbia, the group grew even more than the styles of their roots at the Fania label – picking up some hipper touches ... (Latin, Soul)read moreCD
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
A pretty amazing batch of early Aretha Franklin – before she was known as the Queen Of Soul, and had the big, soaring and emotional voice to bring flight to songs from the Great American Songbook – classics by the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin and more! You certainly could ... read moreCD
Brilliant soul from the Columbia Records years of Aretha Franklin – exactly the kind of collection you need to hear if you only think she sounded great on Atlantic! The styles here are somewhat more varied than in the late 60s, but that's only proof that Aretha could handle just about ... read moreCD
Nnenna Freelon —
Heritage ... CD Columbia, 1993. Used ...
$1.99
A great posthumous release from the mighty Marvin Gaye – a set that's half comprised of material that Marvin was working on before his early death, and half pulled from rare personal recordings he'd entrusted to his mother! The cover carries a message that some of the material might be " ... read moreCD
Marvin Gaye's last album ever – and a sensuous batch of grooves that almost return him to the sound of Let's Get It On! The style here is a bit more modern, but the sound is still great – a smoother approach to soul than most of Gaye's contemporaries at the time, recorded in a way that ... read moreCD
A fantastic album from tenor legend Benny Golson – one in which he reinvents his sound for the 70s, but still keeps all the tight sense of arrangement we loved in his earlier work! Benny's going for a funky jazz groove on most cuts – a bit clubby, in a Kudu Records mode – with a ... (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
A stone 70s classic from the Isley Brothers – a set recorded right at the height of their glory days – at a time when their sound was completely on the money! The cover has the group on stage – a photo taken during their run of arena concerts at the time – but the album's a ... read moreCD
Kimiko Kasai with Herbie Hancock —
Butterfly ... CD Columbia (Japan), 1979. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
AC Kelly —
Slammer ... CD Columbia, 1989. Used ...
$12.99
The only album we've ever seen from Khemistry – but a heck of a sweet little set, and one that's always been dear to our hearts! The trio features two gals and one guy, all working with a great sing-song approach on the vocals – and a snapping 80s groove on the rhythms! There's a ... read moreCD
(In a very cool Japanese-styled, LP-like cardboard sleeve cover!)
Titles include "Landlord", "Taste Of Bitter Love", "Hero", "Friend Of Mine", "My Time", "You're Number One", "Save The Overtime", and "When You're Far Away". CD
Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
A mighty nice collection of work from the second chapter in the career of piano legend Ramsey Lewis – work that he recorded for Columbia Records in the 70s and 80s, after his initial run at Chess – and with a sound that's even groovier and more soulful than before! Ramsey in the 70s ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
An 80s pop soul classic from Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force – insistent and irresistible to this day – and a solid album full of tunes that stand up strongly with their unstoppable hit singles of the period! Yes, the sound would get a bit too cutesy and played out by the end ... read moreCD
Massive work from the great Cheryl Lynn – and a key bridge between late 70s disco and the newer grooves of the 80s club scene! The album's a mix of midtempo groovers with a few mellower tracks – and it's got a tight, slightly jazzy sound that was very fresh at the time, and which still ... read moreCD
Massive work from the great Cheryl Lynn – and a key bridge between late 70s disco and the newer grooves of the 80s club scene! The album's a mix of midtempo groovers with a few mellower tracks – and it's got a tight, slightly jazzy sound that was very fresh at the time, and which still ... read moreCD
Plenty real soul here – a killer collection of Columbia grooves by Cheryl Lynn – a set that runs right from the clubby start to the more commercial finish of her time at the label! The package is a great illustration of Cheryl's ability to rise to the occasion in just about any setting ... read moreCD
Taj Mahal —
Taj Mahal ... CD Columbia, 1968. Used ...
Out Of Stock
The first album in a mighty legendary run from Taj Mahal – one of the first generation of blues musicians to really learn to recast their sound for the younger crossover generation! By that, we don't mean that Taj is commercial at all – it's just that he's kind of reclaiming the blues ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Philly soul classics from The Manhattans – the mid 70s self-titled gem and After Midnight from the dawn of the 80s! The Manhattans album is one of their best of the 70s, and a record that showed that they were firmly out of the indie ghetto, and totally on top of their game! The record ... read moreCD
Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Four fantastic records from a time when Johnny Mathis was really evolving his sound! On Me & Mrs Jones, Johnny Mathis takes on the sophisticated soul modes of the 70s, and also adds in a few other styles too – on an album that shows just how much the singer had changed in nearly 20 years ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Three full albums from Johnny Mathis in one single set – the last of which was actually issued originally as a 2LP set! First up is Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head – great magic from Johnny Mathis at the start of the 70s – a set that has Johnny working through some groovier ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
A superb set of duets between Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams – a set that's a key part of Johnny's rise into soul music during the 70s, and one that also forms a cornerstone of the early career of Deniece Williams too! Williams' soaring vocal range is a great match for the trademark ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
It's taken us a bit longer than expected to get this second installment in Maxwell's Black Summers' Night series – but it's been well worth the wait, given the greater depth in the music! All that we love about Maxwell's previous records is alive and well here – but there's also kind ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
A massive return to form for Maxwell – his first album in many years, but definitely well worth the wait! The set's supposedly the start of a trilogy – but hell, we're more than happy to have it all on its own – a wonderful reminder of the deeply soulful sound that first made us ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Amazing rare soul from Gwen McCrae – little-known material recorded for Columbia records in the years before her later 70s fame at TK! The style here is nice and rootsy – very southern soul in its approach, even more so than Gwen's earliest work at TK – thanks, perhaps, to less ... read moreCD
Junior Mendes —
Copacabana Sadia ... CD Columbia/Athens Of The North (UK), 1982. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Great modern soul from Brazil – a tight little set that's got a similar vibe to some of the work that Marcos Valle and Leon Ware were doing together in the early 80s! The groove here is nice and jazzy – arranged by Lincoln Olivetti in a style that's funky, but laidback too – a ... (Brazil, Soul)read moreCD
Two post-Motown albums from The Miracles – back to back on a single CD! On Love Crazy, The Miracles move to Columbia Records – and pick up a whole new groove in the process – a much richer sound than previous records on Motown, with a soaring style that really works great for the ... read moreCD
Laura Nyro's second album in her legendary early run for Columbia Records – and an effort that's a bit more dramatic than the first! Laura's handling all arrangements herself this time, and they're conducted by Jimmy Haskell – but the overall sound is almost as spare as if Nyro were ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatunde Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreCD
An amazing package – two full albums of work from Olatunji, plus bonus tracks, notes, and vintage photos! The original Drums Of Passion is a classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreCD
A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatuned Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreCD
Pockets —
So Delicious ... CD Columbia/Expansion (UK), 1979. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Wonderful work from Pockets – a group who started out more in a jazzy mode, but who here have emerged as a fully-formed, soaringly soulful group that's a perfect fit for the Kalmiba Productions style of the late 70s! As you probably know, Kalimba's the production arm of the Earth Wind & ... read moreCD
It's been 8 years since Sade's last album, but rest assured, she's still pretty much the same! Her vocals are as lovely as ever – with that indescribable floating quality that always sends us, no matter how many times we've heard her songs on the radio. The production is slightly different ... read moreCD
(BMG Direct pressing.)
Sade —
Promise ... CD Columbia/Portrait, 1985. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Sade's second album, and while it's not totally sublime as the first, it's still a damn great set with a smooth jazzy vibe that will have you coming back again and again! Includes the lovely "The Sweetest Taboo", plus "Is It A Crime", "War Of The Hearts", "Mr ... read moreCD
Boz Scaggs —
Middle Man ... CD Columbia/Sony (Japan), 1980. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A pair of early Boz Scaggs albums – back to back on a single set! My Time is Boz Scaggs at the height of his early powers – still very much in the best blue-eyed soul style that first got him noticed by CBS, but also working with a stronger, richer, prouder sound that's really great! ... read moreCD
Boz Scaggs —
Silk Degrees ... CD Columbia, 1976. Used ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Blue-eyed soul from Boz Scaggs, with a decidedly Philly influenced sound to the production, which we'd hazard a guess comes more from the Hall & Oates side of town than the Sigma Sound axis. Still, this is a solid album with the irresistible hit "Lowdown", still a favorite around ... read moreCD
Blue-eyed soul from Boz Scaggs, with a decidedly Philly influenced sound to the production, which we'd hazard a guess comes more from the Hall & Oates side of town than the Sigma Sound axis. Still, this is a solid album with the irresistible hit "Lowdown", still a favorite around ... read moreCD
A huge breakout moment for disco in the 70s – the first album from Silver Convention, a very early example of the European power on the club scene! The group's the brainchild of arranger Sylvester Levay and producer Michael Kunze – who come up with some great German disco rhythms for ... read moreCD
There's nobody at all like Phoebe Snow – and on a 70s album like this, she more than earns her place in pop music history! The set's a great criss-crossing of so many styles – the jazzy inflections of Snow's vocals, the warm production of mid-70s Columbia Records, and the nice ... read moreCD
A huge disco cash-in moment of the 70s – but a great one too, and a strong illustration of the power that Casablanca Records had in both the clubs and charts at the time! The movie and record were both a bit over-pressed upon release, but they nonetheless stand as a great snapshot of the way ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
Luther Vandross —
Any Love ... CD Columbia, 1988. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Lean, clean work from Luther Vandross – an album of gentle grooves and warmly romantic tones – offered up as part of Luther's hit run in the 80s! The sound is quite electric at times, but Vandross' vocals provide enough human warmth to offset the beats and keyboards – and given ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Luther Vandross —
Busy Body ... CD Columbia, 1983. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Classic 80s work from Luther Vandross – the kind of record that catapulted him from the soul music shadows into the major mainstream of the time! The style here is a fair bit more electric than some of Luther's music of the 70s, but the sound is still silky, soulful, and sensuous – ... read moreCD
Luther Vandross at the top of his game – sitting right at the height of that crossover space in soul he virtually owned back in the mid 80s! The work here is certainly more commercial than Vandross albums of the past, but the soul is no less deep – thanks to Luther's amazing vocal ... read moreCD
The power of love, and the power of Luther – working here with all of his hitmaking talents in place! The album's possibly a bit more commercial and crossover than some of the earlier work from Vandross – but there's no denying Luther's amazing vocal talents, which shine and shimmer ... read moreCD
Bouncy soul from Grover Washington – a set that returns to his earlier roots in a space between soulful fusion and R&B! The slinky Washington soprano sax gets plenty of space in this set – blown with those seductive notes that always made Grover one of the most distinctive players ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Wah Wah Watson —
Elementary ... CD Columbia/Get On Down, 1976. New Copy ...
$6.9914.98
A funky fusion classic from guitarist Wah Wah Watson – his only album as a leader, despite countless appearances as a sideman on 70s soul, jazz, and pop sessions! The album's got a really wonderful sort of west coast groove – one that takes bits of spacey fusion, bassy funk, and ... read moreCD
An amazing evolution in sound – a set that brings together the shifting styles of Deniece Williams during her Columbia years – a stretch when she started out as a righteous-voiced singer with an almost Minnie Riperton-like sound, then moved into much more chart-topping territory for the ... read moreCD
A sweet set of soulful numbers from Nancy Wilson – tracks that offer up a perfect fusion of her jazzy roots and soul-based styles of later years – wrapped up in lush arrangements from Japanese jazzman Masahiko Satoh! The record follows a similar approach to Wilson's Keep You Satisfied ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Nancy Wilson —
Nancy Now ... CD Columbia, 1988. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Titles include "Power & The Glory", "If I Could", "Quiet Fire", "Rise & Fall Of Paradise", "Ebb Tide", and "Don't Be An Island". (Vocalists, Soul)CD
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
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