Working Week —
Working Nights ... LP Virgin (UK), 1985. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$14.99
One of the greatest soul groups from the UK in the 80s – a real bright spot in the years before Soul II Soul and the rise of acid jazz – and a set we'd rank right up there with Sade's best work of the time! Working Week have a very jazzy sound at their core – acoustic rhythms, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Maybe not the funk of ages, but a mighty nice solo set from Bernie Worrell – done at a key stretch when he was working away from George Clinton and the P-Funk universe! The set's got Bernie opening up in a blend of jazz and funk – and some tracks feature lead vocals, in a style that ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Cover artwork differs from that shown. Booklet has a cutout hole.)
A very unusual moment from the mighty Bernie Worrell – the keyboardist that most folks know for his work as part of the P-Funk universe of George Clinton – stepping out here on an early 90s album done in collaboration with producer Bill Laswell! Like most of Laswell's other projects ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 500 – with a silkscreened D side!)
Two souped-up electro groovers from Bernard Wright – produced by Marcus Miller & Lenny White, with more than enough breaks and pops to make a factory of linoleum groover! "Yo Nard" is probably the best – as it's over the top electro with a poppy edge. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Promo copy. Label has some marker.)
Bernard Wright —
Nard/Funky Beat ... CD Arista/GRP/Robinsongs (UK), 1981/1983. New Copy ...
$12.99
Early 80s greatness from Bernard Wright – the benchmark Nard from '81 and his Funky Beat from '83 – in a single set! Nard is a masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk ... read moreCD
A pretty great number from Bernard Wright – much smoother and more R&B than some of his work on GRP/Arista, but a great track with a wonderful 80s groove hook! The vocals are surprisingly nice, augmented by a female singer on the chorus – and the tune's still got some nice jazzy ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
A pretty great number from Bernard Wright – much smoother and more R&B than some of his work on GRP/Arista, but a great track with a wonderful 80s groove hook! The vocals are surprisingly nice, augmented by a female singer on the chorus – and the tune's still got some nice jazzy ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Betty Wright always keeps it real – as the singer's one of the sharpest talents to emerge from the southern scene at the start of the 70s – a badass vocalist who always tells it like it is! This album has Wright at the height of her early powers – working in that growing Miami ... read moreCD
Betty's got a smoother sound here than on some of her chunkier, funkier earlier records – but the approach is still a nice one – and we've gotta give Betty credit for pushing her sound into a whole new direction! The album follows nicely in the spirit of the live set issued a few years ... read moreCD
Two beautiful tunes from Bobby Wright, both recorded in the mid 70s with a subtle righteous power that's taken many years for the rest of the world to fully appreciate! "Blood Of An American" is a slow-moving track that mostly features the lead vocals over slow-drifting guitar – ... (Funky 45's, Soul)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Comes with a 16 page Melodies International zine!)
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band —
Express Yourself ... CD Warner (UK), 1970. New Copy ...
$6.99
A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for ... read moreCD
OV Wright —
Bottom Line ... CD Hi Records/Fat Possum, 1978. New Copy ...
$6.9914.99
Great work from OV Wright – one of the few singers who was still strongly carrying the Hi Records torch at the end of the 70s! Although Wright had sometimes been bluesier in the past, his late 70s Hi sides have a much mellower, mature sort of feel – a ripening of the seeds in his ... read moreCD
OV Wright —
Bottom Line ... LP Hi Records, 1978. Very Good ...
Just Sold Out!
Great work from OV Wright – one of the few singers who was still strongly carrying the Hi Records torch at the end of the 70s! Although Wright had sometimes been bluesier in the past, his late 70s Hi sides have a much mellower, mature sort of feel – a ripening of the seeds in his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout hole and a small split on the top seam.)
Not just singles from the great OV Wright – but also a few live tracks and rare demo titles as well! OV's a hell of a singer – one with a voice that matches all the best on the southern scene of the time – and a great companion to some of the best deep soul material on the Hi ... read moreCD
A stone killer from OV Wright – a record that's got all the raw, deeply soulful vocals we love in his early work – mixed with some wicked 70s Hi Records production from Willie Mitchell! Imagine an Al Green record, but with rawer vocals, and you've got a good idea of the feel of this ... read moreCD
OV Wright —
Live In Japan ... CD Hi Records/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980. New Copy ...
$13.99
OV Wright at the end of the 70s – working live in front of a very enthusiastic Japanese crowd, and in a groove that's right up their with his best work from earlier in the decade! In fact, there's a rawness here that you won't always find on Wright's other records – great live backing ... read moreCD
Early work from OV Wright – and some of his best recordings ever! The album's right out of the deep soul scene of the 60s – and has a warm, bubbling feel that's partly rootsy, but also a bit more sophisticated than a lot of other singers in Wright's camp at the time. Production is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An obscure 80s groover on Prelude! The record has a choppy funk style, with vocals that might be called "rap", but which are more in that sharp spoken style that you find on some New York slick funk records from the time. Most interesting is that James Mason co-produced and wrote the ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Majestic music from the mighty Popcorn Wylie – the Detroit soul legend best known for his work in the 60s, but an artist who really shines on this rare 70s set for ABC! The album was done during the same stretch as Lamont Dozier's ABC work – and like those records, this set features ... read moreCD
Camille Yarbrough —
Iron Pot Cooker ... CD Vanguard/Ace (UK), 1975. New Copy ...
$9.9914.98
One of THE spoken word classics of the 70s funk years – an amazing album based around the poetry of Camille Yarbrough – set to some amazing funky backings! The sound here is incredibly righteous – almost a more sophisticated version of Betty Davis – done with a stark, spare ... read moreCD
A set of African-American folk from Chicago, from the city's racially integrated scene that spawned talents like Oscar Brown Jr. and Terry Callier. Martin Yarbrough's got a nice lively style, and he plays here in a style that's sort of a mix between Callier and Brown, with a lot of short folksy ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label Argo pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear.)
2 darkly rhythmic numbers by Yello, mixing early samples, analogue electronics, and Dieter Meier's always-great vocals into a sound that's still fresh after all these years! (Rock, Soul)12-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has a cut corner, a large name in marker, and heavy wear on the spine. Label has some pen.)
A nice stripped down bit of early Chicago house, super raw drum machine house beats with just a touch of vocals and synth thrown into the mix here and there, by Farley. 12-inch, Vinyl record
A more pop oriented release from YMO. 10 tracks in all including "Expected Way", "Focus", "Lotus Love", "Kai-koh", and "Wild Ambitions". (Rock, Soul)CD
The second album from Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, not as much of an electro groove filled affair as the first, but still a great batch of quirky techno-electro Asian pop with lots of great bubbling synth touches! 8 tracks in all including "Behind The Mask", ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Avery R Young —
Tubman ... CD FPE, 2019. New Copy ...
$13.9915.99
A career-defining record from Avery R Young – a Chicago poet, educator, and a hell of a singer too – working here with a larger ensemble of vocalists to redefine a space between gospel, funk, and soul – but all with a revolutionary quality that will set a whole new standard for ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Avery R Young —
Tubman ... LP FPE, 2019. New Copy Gatefold ...
$15.9917.99
A career-defining record from Avery R Young – a Chicago poet, educator, and a hell of a singer too – working here with a larger ensemble of vocalists to redefine a space between gospel, funk, and soul – but all with a revolutionary quality that will set a whole new standard for ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Modern electric blues from Chicago, featuring Mighty Joe on guitar and vocals, plus backing by a tight rocking band. There's some electric keyboards in the group, which gives it less of a rootsy sound than you'd expect – but the album's still pretty spare. Titles include "Takes ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A lost little gem from the Rick James camp – a bit obscure, despite the fact that Val's a former Bride Of Funkenstein! Val's not as well known as some of the other artists that Rick James worked with back in the 80s – but given her resume, she's got a solidly soulful sound that works ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the lyric sleeve. Cover has a cutout notch.)
An excellent groover from the late Brunswick years – and the standout classic from this youthful club ensemble! The track's got a great snapping groove that's almost in the rollerskating mode – guitars riffing along with the groove, and vocals falling right into place with an ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Fantastic work from one of the funkiest rhythm sections ever – the team of bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac Redd Holt! Young and Holt first came to fame working with Ramsey Lewis on a string of classic Chicago soul jazz outings for Chess – but by the mid 60s, the duo took off on ... read moreCD
Solid sounds from Young Jessie – a onetime member of the famous Flairs, but a hell of a singer on his own! Jessie's got a raw power here that lives up to the best of the 50s R&B scene in California – and the set features work that the singer recorded for Capitol, Modern, Mercury, ... read moreCD
Amazing stuff from bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac "Red" Holt! At the time of this release, the pair had already risen to great fame as the rhythm backing for Ramsey Lewis in his first trio – but broke out on their own as a solo act, with a real focus on rhythmic piano ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic! Young and Holt lay down a monster set of grooves from Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack (all the good ones – like "Freddie's Dead", "Give Me Your Love", "Pusher Man", and "Superfly"), and they also get into some funky tracks of their own ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Standout work from The Younghearts – one of the best harmony soul groups of the 70s to record away from the east coast. The group's vocals are the strongest thing about the record – but they get a great extra push from Vernon Bullock, who produced and conducted the record with a nice ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Amazing is right! Timi's one of the great under-rated Uptown Soul talents of the 60s, and this is one of her best records. The album features stunning production, in the best Mercury pop soul style of the 60s – with Quincy Jones at the controls, and Bobby Scott arranging and conducting. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Later Mercury/Wing pressing in the large photo cover.)
A gem of a record from the great Timi Yuro – a set that's done in a style that's more mature and sophisticated than some of her earlier singles, but equally soulful too! The album was partly recorded in the UK – with arrangements from Les Reed and Ian Green, who almost give Yuro this ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Great work from Zapp! "Heartbreaker" is a sweet little funky tune with a groove that's right up there with the "More Bounce" sound, and some vocoded vocals to boot! "Tut Tut" is even better – a jazzy groover with smooth dope guitar, and a catchy mellow groove ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(Promo. Labels have some marker.)
Zapp —
Zapp ... LP Warner, 1980. Very Good- ...
Just Sold Out!
The classic first album by this legendary funky combo – a group who not only went onto change the sound of funk in the 80s, but also went onto have a huge impact on generations of hip hop as well! The album burns from the very first note – the wicked snapping funk of "More Bounce ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The true heroes of mainstream funk in the early 80s – the legendary Roger Troutman and Zapp – key heirs to the sounds of P-Funk in the 70s, with a groove that stretched all the way from their native Ohio to make a huge impact in LA! This collection features most of the group's key ... read moreCD
A stone classic from Zhane – a duo who maybe never had the longest life in soul music, but who made a massive impact with this gem from the 90s! The record was part of a new urban generation that was grounded both in hip hop production and deeper soul modes – territory maybe opened up ... read moreCD
A killer overview of the RCA years of Zulema Cusseaux – a heck of a great singer, and one who worked with some excellent styles during her 70s years in soul! Zulema's got a slightly righteous approach to her music – a style schooled in the deep soul of her Floria roots, but focused on ... read moreCD
A great collection of group soul singles on King Records – with work by The Chanters, Strangers, Van Dykes, The Royals, Checkers, Hurricanes, and Swallows! LP, Vinyl record album
(Heavy black label pressing! Cover has silver tape on the top and bottom seams.)
Few folks did 50s R&B better than the legendary King Records – and when it came to Christmas music, the label was pretty darn great at that, too! This cool package brings together a range of King Records Christmas gems from back in the day, mixed with a few choice cuts from other indie ... (Holiday Music, Soul)read moreCD
Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles ... read moreCD
Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles ... read moreCD
Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles ... read moreCD
Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles ... read moreCD
28 tracks from the Kingsmen, the Coasters, Gene Chandler, the Champs, the Beach Boys, the Dells, Tommy Roe, Jerry Butler, the Shirelles, Lee Dorsey, the Crests, DJ Thomas, Tommy Tucker, Gene Pitney & more. CD
A treasure trove of 50s blues and R&B – all great tracks that go way beyond the ordinary, and which are packaged here at a very nice little price! The set provides a great look at the kind of high-quality reissue work Ace has been doing in the realm of R&B – a genre that the ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreCD
The third entry in the Ace Records Story – raucous and rumbling New Orleans R&B, proto rock and all around rambunctious groovers from legendary singers and groups – the original 70s LP compilation expanded greatly by the reverent revelers at Ace UK! It features late 50s and early ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has some light wear.)
Various —
Acid ... LP Hot Mix 5, Mid 80s. Very Good- ...
$11.99
8 great acid house tracks, all of which are pretty hard to get in any format these days: "Dream Girl" by Pierre's Fantasy Club, "Can You Feel The Boss?" and "Jiggerwatts" by Phortune, "151" by Armando", 'The Juice" and "Ecstasy" by Fingers ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(NOTE: MISSING COVER. COMES IN A PLAIN SLEEVE. Label has marker on both sides.)
Various —
Acid LP ... LP Hot Mix 5/Still Music, 1988. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$27.99
A killer classic from a time when the Chicago house scene was really taking off – that second generation of underground productions that was tagged with the "acid" term, because of the way they were using older riffs and keyboards to change things up! The Brits got that all wrong, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Compilation of tracks from Phonogram affiliates in Nigeria – mostly straight African stuff, but with a good heavy 70's sound. Titles include "Mo Fe Mu Yan" and "Ewa" by Dr. Victor Olaiya, "Ekassa 24" and "Five Days A Week Love" by Sir Victor Uwaifo, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A beautiful overview of the early years of American soul music – put together as a set that easily moves between deep soul, northern soul, and some of the other hard-burning modes of the time! The package is a great effort from the folks at Mississippi Records, to kick off their Cairo ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(2LP set with cool embossed cover and heavy booklet!)
Features work by Muddy Waters, Memphis Slim, John Lee Hooker, Little Walter, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, and other Chess Records artists! (Blues, Soul)LP, Vinyl record album
(In shrinkwrap with title sticker. Cover has a cutout hole.)
Paul Simon wrote some really fantastic songs in the 60s – and while most of them received big exposure in his duo with Art Garfunkel, many were other recorded by other artists in versions that were pretty great too – as you'll hear in this excellent collection of rock, pop, soul, and ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
A sweet set of vintage American blue eyed soul from the 70s & early 80s – a diverse and deep set of it, too – featuring sunny and soulful numbers by Breakaway, 1619 Bad Ass Band, Society Of Seven, Lil' Albert, Jay P Morgan, Life Force and more! There's a pretty broad range styles, ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A masterful set of old school funk & soul put together by DJ Andy Smith – who also worked some magic a few years back for the BGP label on the Northern Soul tip – this time out doing his thing with prime funk from the late 60s & early 70s! Smith does a excellent job of mixing ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An incredible session of soul – tracks recorded live at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, featuring some of the hippest Stax and Atlantic artists in a very raw setting! The album's got a feel that's a lot less forced than other famous live Apollo sets of the time – very relaxed, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Ashford & Simpson recorded plenty of great work on their own, but they were also a tremendous pair of songwriters – and had a way of penning can't-miss work that sounded great in just about anyone's hands! This collection is great testament to that fact – as it starts with gems the ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreCD
Music from the Drifters, Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Barbara Lewis, Doris Troy, Chris Kenner, Esther Phillips, Joe Tex, Willie Tee, Barbara Lewis & more. CD
Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 18 tracks inall, including "The Ghetto" by Donny Hathaway, "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" by Tyrone Davis, "Compared To What" by Les McCann & ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the deepest digs into the 60s girl group scene we've ever seen – a package that not only gets way way past the big hits of the time, but also provides much better sound and way more context than the sorts of dodgy CDr collections that have spotted the market for years! It's great to ... (Rock, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Music from the Showmen, the Coasters, Bob & Earl, the Drifters, the Platters, the King Pins, Barbara Acklin, the Formations, Bill Deal & the Rhondells, Eddie Floyd, the Mob & more. CD
Music from the Rooftop Singers, Kyu Sakamoto, Paul & Paula, the Chantays, the Cascades, Bobby Vinton, the Singing Nun, Dale & Grace, the Jaynetts & the Surfaris. (Rock, Soul)CD
Music from Kool & the Gang, Jermaine Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Rick James, Earth Wind & Fire, Dazz Band, Rockwell, Freddie Jackson, Jody Watley, Cameo, the O Jays, SWV, R Kelly, Luther Vandross & more. CD
Incredible sounds from the Chess Records catalog – not the blues that you might know the label for, but a huge range of funk, soul, and jazz tracks from the headiest years of the 60s and 70s – a time when the Chicago scene was really turning out some incredible musical hybrids! As you'd ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreCD
The title might be Blues For Christmas, but lots of these tunes are pretty bright and jumpy, too – a nice mix of 50s R&B and early soul styles, served up here in a mighty sweet little package that's a great antidote to some of too-familiar Christmas collections on the market! Most of the ... (Holiday Music, Soul)read moreCD
There's been plenty written about the music of New Orleans – but this great little set pays tribute to the rich legacy of blues music just a bit west of the Crescent City – the hotbed of postwar material that flowed from the city of Baton Rouge! There's a really special vibe to this ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Music from Tarheel Slim, Professor Longhair, Ruth Brown, Piano Man Walls, Floyd Dixon & his band, Joe Liggins & his Honeydrippers, Young Jessie, LaVern Baker, Bobby Charles, Big Maybell, Piano Red & more. (Vocalists, Soul)CD
(Out of print.)
Various —
Blues Vol 2 ... LP Argo/Chess, 1950s/1960s. Very Good+ ...
$6.99
Includes performance by Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Jimmy Witherspoon, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush! (Blues, Soul)LP, Vinyl record album
(Orange label pressing. Cover has light wear and a cut corner.)
Music from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Fontella Bass, Al Green, Bobby Womack, Latimore, Joe Tex, Percy Sledge, Etta James, the Staple Singers, Joe Simon & more. CD
Music from Lionel Richie, Aretha Franklin, DeBarge, Natalie Cole, the New Birth, George Benson, Raydio, GQ, Johnnie Taylor, Smokey Robinson, SWV & more. CD
A huge discovery in music – most of which we've never heard before, and which shows that the Boston scene was getting pretty busy during the classic club years – even if the city's grooves never reached the same fame as cuts from New York, Philly, and other points south! The package is ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Contemporary Christmas tracks from the Philly scene – all put together by modern soul maestro Butch Ingram, with backing from the whole Ingram Family! The style here is similar to some of Butch's non-holiday productions in recent years for the Society Hill label – kind of an update of ... (Holiday Music, Soul)read moreCD
The cover's a bit creepy, but the set's a great one – way more soulful than the image of a dummy might make you expect! The collection follows strongly in the same territory as the funk titles on the Tramp Records label – and like those, digs deep in the American underground to find a ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreCD
The cover's a bit creepy, but the set's a great one – way more soulful than the image of a dummy might make you expect! The collection follows strongly in the same territory as the funk titles on the Tramp Records label – and like those, digs deep in the American underground to find a ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A killer collection of upbeat soul and dancefloor grooves – and one that goes way way deeper than even the hippest collections of disco rarities! The Tramp label has given us plenty of great funk collections over the years – and with this set, they turn their well-trained ear towards ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreCD
A really great look at a special side of the Chess Records soul catalog of the 60s – tracks that were very big on Chicago airwaves in the label's home town, yet which hardly got much play at all in the rest of the country! The collection's put together by Robert Pruter – the man who ... read moreCD
9 tracks in all: Frankie Knuckles "Baby Wants To Ride", Adonis "Do It Properly", Farley "Let's Get Busy On The House", Evie "Stay The Night", Kevin Irving "Children Of the Night", Dalis "Rock Steady", Phuture "Your Only Friend", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Christmas Motown in all of its glory – a huge collection that features a whopping 46 tracks in all – most of them Holiday classics from the earliest years of the label, plus just a few important Christmas tunes from more recent years too! Almost all the work here is by Motown ... (Holiday Music, Soul)read moreCD
54 tracks from this rare Chicago blues label – including some unissued material! Music from Otis Rush, the Clouds, Shakey Horton, Sunnyland Slim, Little Willie Foster, Harold Burrage, Magic Sam, Betty Everett, Shakey Jake & Willie Dixon Band, Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm, Buddy Guy & ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print, outer box has some light edgewear.)
Hard-grooving R&B from a host of hip talents from the 50s – music that's a bit blues, a bit jazz, and which goes past the obvious tunes you'd usually find on a collection like this! The cuts were chosen by the folks at the Cole Slaw Club in Germany – a specialist spot to step to ... read moreCD