Hip indeed, with covers by Christopher Scott, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Bryant, the Dells, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Plummer, Woody Herman, Shirley Scott, Gabor Szabo, the Soulful Strings, the New Direction, and more! (Jazz, Soul)CD
A wonderfully intimate set from Allen Toussaint – one that features Toussaint at the piano, working in a live setting, and serving up new versions of his own famous compositions – often with some great pre-song patter that gives a bit of background on the tunes! The performance is a ... read moreCD
Beautiful grooves from the Nigerian scene of the 70s – a set of really unique grooves, and the only-ever album from the enigmatic Mebusas! There's kind of a tripped-out feel to some of these tracks – Afro Funk, but taken left of center from the style of Fela – thanks to some ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Includes 34 tracks on 2 CDs and features duets with Tammi Terrel and Kim Weston, plus two previously unreleased tracks! Titles include "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", "Pride And Joy", "It Takes Two", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Trouble Man", " ... read moreCD
Spiritual, soulful, and oh, so beautiful! This record captures Earth Wind & Fire at a perfect transition moment – when they've still got some of their avant jazz roots, but are leaning towards the smooth soulful funk sound that put them on the charts a few years later. The whole thing's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s Japanese pressing – with insert and inner sleeve! SOPM 120)
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band —
You're So Beautiful ... LP Warner, 1971. Near Mint- ...
$34.99
The last album recorded by Charles Wright with the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – and a set that's even more stretched out and trippy than their other albums! Gone are the tight short cuts of earlier days, and in their place are longer messed-up funky numbers that have more of a jamming ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing – a great copy! Cover has a very small cut corner.)
The only album we've ever seen from this hip Detroit group of the 70s – a harmony soul act who mix sweet vocal styles with a more badass approach – very much at the level of the best Philly or New Jersey acts of the time! Production gets funky and fuzzy at times – with a very ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light ringwear, some edge wear, lightly bent edges, and is bent at the top left corner.)
25 tracks from the Chorals, the Tangiers, the Barons, Gene Allison, the Cupids, Gloria Mann, Dorian Burton, the Singing Wanderers, the Buddies, Dorian Burton, Larry Birdsong, Mel Williams and more. CD
An amazing step forward for the young Etta James – a singer who was delivering a raw, shouting form of R&B just a few years before – but who here ascends into soul music heaven with her famous work on the album! The title cut is the stuff of legend – played and played, again ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(80s pressing. Cover has light ringwear and a scrape in front.)
Raw Spitt —
Raw Spitt ... CD Canyon/Alive, 1970. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A lost treasure from the Swamp Dogg universe of the early 60s – and one of the first albums to ever feature the vocals of Charlie Whitehead too! Charlie works here as a Swamp Dogg protege – and Swamp arranged, produced, and wrote most of the tracks on the record – with that great ... read moreCD
A tremendously beautiful album – and a righteous anthem of power and growth that seems to open itself up to us more and more over the years! Earth Wind & Fire are at their height here – mixing together soul and funk with a set of influences that includes African percussion and ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
An overlooked album from the legendary Nina Simone – recorded in Paris in the early 80s, and not circulated as much as some of her records from the 60s and 70s – but every bit as compelling in its own sort of way! Nina's working here with a greater array of global elements than on ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Includes music from the Crows, the Buccaneers, the Valentines, the Continentals, the Harptones, the Heartbeats, the Joytones, the Wrens, Jimmy Jones & the Pretenders & the Rainbows. CD
The beautiful early-to-mid 60s girl group sound of the 60s – immaculately arranged by Jack Nitzche and others, and grandly produced by Phil Spector and his Wall Of Sound – possibly the sweetest vocal group that Spector ever produced! Best known for "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "T ... read moreCD
A great second album from The Foundations – one that's got the group working with a really strong batch of unusual material, and sounding every bit as great as before with their new lead singer Colin Young! At times, there's maybe even more of a soul vibe here than before – and Young's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(In the Unipak cover, with a small cutout hole and price sticker remnants.)
Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas & Tracy Nelson —
Sing It! ... CD Rounder, 1998. Used ...
$3.99
Although Roy Brown had a slightly softer edge than some of his R&B contemporaries – he could definitely rock and wail when he wanted to, as you'll hear on this set! The set does good job of digging through Roy's work from the late 40s and early 50s, pulling together 15 tracks that mix ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
With 23 tracks including "Cry On", "I Done Got Over It", "While The City Sleeps", "Hittin' On Nothing", "Straight From The Heart", "He's My Guy", and "Nobody Wants To Hear Nobody's Troubles". CD
A surprisingly nice set from Irma Thomas – recorded in a spare and stripped down way, but without any of the "too earnest" cliches that can sometimes mar other recent albums by classic soul stars! The feel here is almost gentle and easygoing at times – still in the powerful ... read moreCD
Michael Jackson —
Bad ... CD Epic, 1987. Used ...
$2.99
The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too ... read moreCD
A fantastic track – grooving along at a rich soulful midtempo pace that owes a heck of a lot to Soul II Soul, but which also is the perfect showcase for Lisa's wonderfully soulful vocals. And sure, it got played to death when it came out – but that's what makes it a classic, and just ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Includes tracks by The Ermines, The Gems, The Evergreens, The Revels, The 5 Bluenotes, The New Yorkers, The Imperials, The Ramblers, and The Four Bells. 27 tracks in all! CD
One of our favorite Curtis Mayfield albums ever – a massive early 70s effort that's filled with wonderful songs all the way through, and quite possibly one of the most perfect realization of the righteous vibe of the early 70s Curtom years! Curtis is in fine form throughout – as a ... read moreCD
(Out of print Rhino pressing with 4 bonus tracks.)
Heaven 17 —
How Men Are ... LP Arista/Virgin, 1984. Very Good+ ...
$5.99
The last moment of greatness from Heaven 17 – and a set that continues the trend towards more soulful expression the group began with their previous record! This time around, the production is warmly touched with many soul-based elements that nicely offset the colder electro pop of their ... (Rock, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has a hype sticker, some ring & edge wear, cut corner.)
A nice little collection of Dee Dee Sharp's early 60s sides for the Cameo label – issued here in a well-done UK package – noteworthy because it's one of the few legit reissues of Dee Dee's work over the years, issued for the UK Northern Soul market, who were always huge fans of her work! ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s issue. Cover has minimal wear and is very lightly bent at the top right corner.)
Donald Byrd & 125th Street, NYC —
Love Byrd ... LP Elektra, 1981. Very Good+ ...
$19.99
A sweet funky 80s set from trumpeter Donald Byrd – a record done after his 70s run at Blue Note with producer Larry Mizell, but in a groove that's equally great in its own sort of way! Isaac Hayes is the producer on the set, and also plays a lot of Fender Rhodes, plus piano, vibes, and ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Textured cover has a drip stain and light surface wear.)
T Bone Walker —
Good Feelin' ... CD Verve/Polydor (France), 1968. Used ...
$7.99
A rare gem from T Bone Walker – one of the few hip sides he cut in Europe at the end of the 60s – and very different than his more traditional work! The set was put together by Robin Hemmingway – who also handled the hip Hal Singer record from the same time – and the ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print and sealed with a mark through the barcode.)
A much earlier set of tracks than the first volume of Real Folk Blues from Howlin Wolf – mostly material recorded in the mid 50s, both in Chicago and Memphis – all with a really nitty gritty sort of feel! There's a rough and rootsy mode going on here – one that has Wolf's raspy ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s French blue fade label pressing. Cover has light wear and is bent a bit at the edges.)
If it were up to us, every song Bo recorded would have been a hit – because they're all so great! This album does a pretty good job of sorting out the best numbers, though – picking 16 tracks from his all-great albums for Chess – with a focus on the tightest and most groove-heavy ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(60s checker piece label pressing. Cover has some surface wear and aging.)
A stone classic from Percy Sledge – and a set that really put southern soul on the map! Along with the familiar title hit – one of those tunes you'll recognize instantly – the album's a treasure trove of deep soul numbers – done under the supervision of Quin Ivy, in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono red & purple label pressing. Includes the Atlantic inner sleeve. Cover has a small cutout hole.)
A crowning achievement from Lakeside – one of the key albums to link Ohio funk roots with a smoother LA groove – all served up in a way that had limitless influence for years to come! Bass is definitely at the head of these arrangements, but there's plenty of great guitar too – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has some light edge wear.)
A rawly beautiful set from Mavis Staples – produced by Jeff Tweedy, and we think it's her best of the past decade! There's a roomy, lived in vibe that's achingly effective on this one – the core group is her road band, with additional players including Tweedy, Patrick Sansone, Mark ... read moreCD
After issuing a strangely silly remix project of George Clinton's Capitol work from the early 80s, the folks at EMI have finally corrected their mistake by putting together this straight set of Clinton's jammers for the label – all offered in their original versions! The set's not prime P-Fun ... read moreCD
(Out of print and sealed with a thin cutout through the spine.)
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
An unforgettable album from Natalie Cole – a record that came at a time when her R&B career was faltering slightly, and a set that not only helped Natalie reach a new level of sophistication in her music – but also find a huge new audience too! If the title sounds familiar, it's ... read moreCD
A killer 2CD set of funky grooves by one of the best backing bands ever! The JBs were James Brown's legendary combo during his monster funk years of the early 70s – and this well-selected compilation brings together 30 rare tracks from their best years! The set's got a great set of notes ... read moreCD
(Complete with slipcase and large booklet. Slipcover has minor edgewear.)
The a-side hardly needs any introduction from us, an uplifting disco cut, with soaring, string-laden Gamble & Huff production, and the sort of mainstream appeal that's kept it in constant roatation for years and years! "Fancy Dancer" is from the Comodores heavier funk years, off the ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Music from Eddie Clearwater, The Del Vikings, Ruth Brown, Harold Burrage, Charles Clarke, The Searchers, Jackie Wilson, John Fred, Clyde McPhatter, Bunker Hill, and more - 28 songs in all. CD
Classic blues harp and raw vocals from Sonny Boy Williamson – material recorded for Chess during the early 60s, and issued after his death, with a title that's certainly designed to catch the attention of the college kids looking for the "real" thing! The work here is really great ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Late 80s Original Chess Masters pressing.)
Billy Larkin & The Delegates —
Blue Lights ... LP Aura, Early 60s. Near Mint- ...
Just Sold Out!
An excellent early album by organ player Billy Larkin, and his first version of the Delegates, which included drummer Mel Brown. As an added bonus, the great tenor player Clifford Scott joins them on most of the tracks here, and the recording is one of his best sessions away from Bill Dogget. The ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label stereo pressing, with deep groove. A nice copy!)
Chaka Khan steps off her smoother sets from the early 80s here – into a groove that's a bit chunkier, funkier, and with some key 80s groove touches! Arif Mardin's still in charge of the whole project here, but he's opened the door to a host of other producers to update Chaka's sound for the ... read moreCD
(Japanese Target pressing. Tray card has a light stain in one corner.)
Yes, it was a mega-hit – and yes, it was one of those records that everyone who lived through the 70s seemed to own at one time – but after all these decades, you can't deny the power of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – especially for the way that it mixed club soul classics ... read moreCD
Includes 62 tracks by the Spaniels, Sheppards, Impressions, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Major Lance, Dobie Hicks, Mitty Collier, McKinley Mitchell, Betty Everett, Harold Burrage, the Radiants, Dutones, Jerry Butler, and more – plus notes by Robert Pruter, who quite literally wrote the book on Chicago ... read moreCD
A pretty compelling record issued on Motown's MoWest subsidiary. Tom Clay creates these groovy tracks that mix popular soul instrumentals (arranged by Gene Page and Artie Butler) with recitations that have a very righteous political feel. The single on the record, "What The World Needs ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear, aging, and is bent a bit with staple holes at the top left corner.)
Lonnie Johnson with Victoria Spivey —
Idle Hours ... CD Prestige/Bluesville, 1961. Used ...
$4.99
Beautiful late work from Lonnie Johnson – recorded decades after his bigger years on record, but handled with great care by Prestige Records, during the brief run of its Bluesville imprint! Like most of the rest of the sides at the time, the approach here is to make an older mode live again ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Some of the first recordings ever from Chicago legend Junior Wells – made for the small States label in the Windy City, many years before Wells exploded out with much greater national fame! The music here has Junior stepping into the same early electric space that Chess Records was cutting ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
With 20 tracks including "Juke", "Sad Hours", "Blues With A Feeling", "It Ain't Right", "Tell Me Mama", "Mean Old World", and "You're So Fine". (Blues, Soul)CD
(Still sealed!)
Jimmy McGriff —
Tailgunner ... CD Lester Radio Corporation/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1977. Used ...
$11.99
Jimmy McGriff in a very cool 70s mode – hitting some of the fuller, more soul-based styles that Johnny Hammond and Jimmy Smith were exploring in the middle of the decade – while still also displaying a hell of a talent on the organ as well! The album has extra keyboards from Pat ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
With selections by Love, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Earl Hooker, Robbie Basho, Aynsley Dunbar, Albert Collins, Ike & Tina Turner, Fred McDowell, Bossa Rio, Southwind, and more! (Rock, Soul)LP, Vinyl record album
Almost a "greatest hit" of "greatest hits" collection – given the importance of this album to the David Bowie catalog! Sure, it compiles tracks from other releases – but it also was the album that gave the world the killer cut "John I'm Only Dancing" ... (Rock, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label pressing, AFL1 -1732. Cover has a mostly split spine, and some light wear.)
An early moment of vocal strength from Aretha Franklin – a set in which she takes on the music of the recently-departed Dinah Washington, and really transforms it into her own! If you know other Aretha records on Columbia, you'll know that the label did a great job of opening up the jazzier ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s pressing. Cover has ring & edge wear, bumped corners.)
As with many of the Chuck Berry full LPs for Chess, this one's filled with some great obscure material that always gets eclipsed by Chuck's big hits. Despite the idea that these would be "new jukebox hits", the material has an approach that was probably a bit too hard for radio, but that' ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(80s pressing in a barcode cover, with an X imprint at the bottom right corner.)
Includes tracks by The Five Crowns, The Flaming Hearts, The Plants, The Blenders, The Seniors, The Dandevilles, The Brooklyn Boys, and The Pirates. 28 tracks in all! CD
Bee Gees, Tavares, Yvonne Elliman, & Others —
Saturday Night Fever ... LP RSO, 1977. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ...
$6.99
Yes, it was a mega-hit – and yes, it was one of those records that everyone who lived through the 70s seemed to own at one time – but after all these decades, you can't deny the power of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – especially for the way that it mixed club soul classics ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeves. Cover has light surface wear.)
Really sweet later work from The Chi Lites – proof that the group were still going strong long after their initial chart hits! The sound here is less Brunswick Chicago soul than before – and the group step along in warm and sophisticated backings that sparkle in the best Chi-Sound ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Classic! Tight modern funk, with Jesse Johnson and crew keeping things in the great Prince Minneapolis pop-funk sound, including some nice dance numbers like "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" – and Morris just being Morris on cuts like "My Drawers", "Chili ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Quite possibly the first truly great Lou Rawls album for Capitol – an all-out swinging jazz session done with arrangements by Onzy Matthews, in a mode that firmly helped put the Lou Rawls sound on the map! The tracks are mostly older numbers from a long lineage of blues and R&B – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono rainbow label pressing. Cover has clear tape on the top & bottom seams, small spine split, light wear & aging.)
Ashford & Simpson don't need to ask at this point – their in full 70s soul stride here, and it's not good, it's great! By this point in the late 70s, Nick and Valerie are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has a promo stamp and is nice.)
THE lasting classic from Gloria Gaynor – the record that contains her tremendous hit "I Will Survive", and a great batch of disco grooves overall! The album's got a simple, honest sort of approach, despite its release in an era of overblown dancefloor sets – and arranger ... (Soul, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An obscure late 60s session that has R&B genius Roy Milton fronting a small group led by Johnny Otis, and featuring a young Shuggie Otis on guitar! The set's packaged in a "roots of rock" sleeve to cash in on the kids, but it's a pretty nice little set with a stoner R&B sound. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Killer stuff – as Jerry's getting the full early Philly treatment here, with arrangements by Thom Bell, Bobby Martin, and Roland Chambers, and production by a young Gamble and Huff! The sound isn't nearly as icy as the old Vee Jay days – but that's fine with us, as Jerry is nice and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Rudy Ray Moore's second album, and almost hipper than the first – thanks to some key musical backings from The Fillmore St Soul Rebellion! The vibe here is as rough and raw as you'd expect – a no-holds-barred version of party records, with Rudy using plenty of language hardly heard ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Green label Comedian Series pressing. Cover has light ring impression.)
Impressions & Jerry Butler —
Vintage Years ... LP Sire, Mid 60s/1976. Sealed 2LP Gatefold ...
$7.99
Nifty 2LP set that brings together a motherlode of the Impressions' best material from their ABC years – plus some of Jerry Butler's nice solo material for Mercury from the same time, and a few Curtis cuts from the early 70s. Too much to mention here, but titles include "Keep On ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like " ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited RSD issue on 150 gram vinyl, still sealed with hype sticker.)