A cool Japanese-only package – with titles that include "Back Stabbers", "992 Arguments", "Love Train", "Give The People What They Want", "Survival", "Unity", "I Love Music", "Livin For The Weekend", "Time To Get Down", "Put Your Hands Together", and "For The Love Of Money". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

The O'Jays keep on going strong – hitting a smooth mellow Philly vibe that takes them away from the style of their mid 70s hits! The sound here is a bit more uptempo than on the previous album So Full Off Love – but the group are still also really using the time to explore their mellower side – kicking back in a warm and sophisticated mode that really shows the Philly sound growing up at the end of the 70s. Ballad highlights include the mellow stepper "Hurry Up & Come Back", plus "Forever Mine" and "I Want You Here With Me" – and more uptempo cuts include "So Nice I Tried It Twice", "One In A Million", and "Sing A Happy Song". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that really took Philly soul to the next level back in the 70s – a set that works amazing magic with the already-great harmonies of the O'Jays – pointing them even more strongly towards groove-heavy territory, while still keeping all the fragile, personal qualities of their earlier work! The title cut is a righteous anthem that never gets old – a perfect blend of subtle politics and homegrown soul – all polished to perfection in the Philly studios. And the rest of the record is equally mindblowing – a set where even the ballads have as much power as the upbeat numbers – as you'll hear in the lineup of tracks that includes "Message In The Music", "Darlin, Darlin, Baby", "A Prayer", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Let Life Flow", and "Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice Philly work by the O'Jays – one of their key "second period" albums, and a lost little gem filled with great harmony soul tracks. The political agenda of early 70s Philly albums is mostly gone, and the group's returned to themes of love and romance – often done in a strident uptempo groove, but sounding best on the mellower numbers. Titles include "We're All In This Thing Together", "Let's Spend Some Time Together", "Work ON Me", and "So Glad I Got You Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A great sense of righteousness and groove – the key mix that made the O'Jays so great back in the day – and which really helped put the Philly International enterprise on the map! The album's miles from the group's simple harmony soul roots – even though those were pretty darn great – and it blends together soaring backings with a sweet Gamble/Huff finish, and really makes some magic in the way the whole thing comes off. Titles include the great mellow ballad "Stairway To Heaven", the party groovers "Livin For The Weekend" and "I Love Music" – and the cuts "Unity", "You & Me", and "She's Only A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Sunset issue of some of the sides that the O'Jays cut for Minit in the mid 60s – sounding quite different here than on their later Philly hits! They're working here in a more rough soul harmony style – sung with an incredible depth, and recorded with backings that really let the vocals come to the forefront of the tracks. Some of the cuts are in a deep soul mode, others are more upbeat and Northern soul-styled – but the whole thing's great, and the album's about as classic a set of 60s soul as you can get! 10 numbers in all: "Lipstick Traces", "Think It Over Baby", "Lonely Drifter", "Hold On", "Working On Your Case", "A Blowing Wind", "Stand Tall", "It Won't Hurt", "I'm Gonna Make It" and "Oh How You Hurt Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic early O'Jays! The album's the first to feature the group meeting up with the Gamble/Huff team – a significant shift from their earlier work on Imperial, with a style that still retains all the vocal hardness of those days, but which makes a shift into a sweeter soaring soul groove! The move had been taken with similar success by Jerry Butler and Archie Bell & The Drells – and although the sound's a lot different than the group's later work for Philly International, it's a sign that they're really finding their voice, and a style that would push them to the top! Titles include "I Should Be Your Lover", "One Night Affair", "Deeper", "Just Can't Get Enough", "I've Got The Groove", and "You're The Best Thing Since Candy" – and arrangements are by Bobby Martin, Thom Bell, and Richard Rome. LP, Vinyl record album

We know what you're thinking: "These guys were best in the 70s." Hold that thought for a moment and check out this great album – because unlike a lot of their other chart-topping contemporaries from 1972 and 1973, the O'Jays actually continued to mature as a group, and managed to turn out some really fantastic material during the 80s. This album is really quite nice – and feature the band's great harmony stylings set to some beautiful modern soul arrangements, with a really sweet mellow groove throughout. With "To Prove I Love You", "The Answer's In You", "Once Is Not Enough" and "You're The Girl Of My Dreams (Sho'nuff Real)". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for the O'Jays – a set that moved them from the indie ranks to 70s megasoulstatus! After years of bumping around on a variety of labels, and in a variety of styles, the group really exploded with this wonderful set – an album that has them soaring along in the righteous Philly groove of the early 70s – a sound that turned out to be a perfect foil for the trio's sublime, yet earthy harmonies. Arrangements are by some fo the best of the core Philly scene – Thom Bell, Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Bobby Martin – and the album's overflowing with great tunes that completely redefine the sound of group soul in the 70s! Includes megahits "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train" – plus "Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People", "When The World's At Peace", "Time To Get Down", "Who Am I" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that the O'Jays fire can never die – because even though the instrumentation is slightly dated at times, this set sill has the group shining strongly on the vocal tip – hitting some great harmonies on the mellow cuts, and stepping out boldly on the more upbeat ones. Things are very much still in the Philly family here – with production by Thom Bell, Eddie Levert, and Gamble & Huff – and titles include "Lovin You", "Undercover Lover", "Cause I Want You Back Again", "Don't Take Your Love Away", "Let Me Touch You", "No Lies To Cloud My Eyes", "Don't Let The Dream Get Away", and "I Just Want Somebody To Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums from the legendary Philly International run by the O'Jays – recorded in a style that clearly shows influences from the 80s modes of the time, but which also still lets the group sparkle nicely on trademark harmonies! Even though Love Fever starts out a bit clunky – with a few cuts that have those 80s drums that bang at the bottom a bit too much, and almost obscure the vocals– as the set moves on, the voices really dominate, and start to shine on a nice batch of lesser-known later numbers. Titles include "Can't Slow Down", "Dollar Bill", "All Eyes On Africa", "We're Still Together", "What A Woman", "Love Fever", "What Good Are These Arms Of Mine", and "I Wanna Be With You Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul (ala The Temptations), fused with the warmer more sophisticated styles of the Philly sound! The blend is perfect – and has a way of getting the message from the underground right into the living room – and a bit onto the charts as well! From the image on the cover – which features the group in a slave ship setting – to politics of tracks like "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money", "Put Your Hands Together", and "This Air That I Breathe", the record's an extremely unified effort – kind of to the O'Jays what What's Going On was to Marvin Gaye. Other titles include "You Got Your Hooks In Me", "Now That We Found Love", and "People Keep Tellin Me". LP, Vinyl record album

2LP set of some of the best O'Jays tracks from their Philly years, including "Darlin' Darlin' Baby", "Love Train", "Back Stabbers", "I Love Music", "Give The People What They Want", "For The Love Of Money", and lots lots more! The sound of a generation, and nearly every cut's a winner! LP, Vinyl record album

13 great early O'Jays numbers: "Lonely Drifter", "Oh, How You Hurt Me", "Whip It On Me Baby", "How Does It Feel", "I'll Never Forget You", "Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette)", "Stand Tall", "I Cried My Last Tear", "Think It Over Baby", "Working On Your Case", "Hold On", "Crack Up Laughing" and "Stand In For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from The O'Jays! They've been around forever, but they still have a way with harmonies that few newer groups can match. Includes "No Can Do", "Somebody Else Will", and "Heartbreaker". LP, Vinyl record album

Far from the 70s years for the group, but they're still going strong – thanks to some excellent harmony work that really shines through, no matter what the setting! The record's still very much a Gamble/Huff effort – as the pair wrote a number of the songs on the set, handled some arrangements, and even a lot of the production. The standout track is the smooth classic "Summer Fling", a perfect example of Philly modern at its best – and other titles include "I Really Need You Now", "I'm The Kind Of Man", "Let Me Show You", and "Give My Love To The Ladies". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album in the development of Philadelphia International – who seemed to be taking a cue from Motown and Stax in the 60s, by bringing their biggest act to a European audience! The set features the O'Jays working as beautifully in a live setting as they had in the Sigma Sound studios – singing to arrangements by Dennis Williams, but still getting enough production by Bobby Martin to keep the sound in line with their better known studio work from the time. There's a bit of a deeper soul sound overall here – especially on the vocals, which crackle nicely with a live sense of spontaneity. Titles include "Back Stabbers", "Sunshine", "Love Train", "When The World Is A Peace", and "Put Your Hands Together" – plus a few vocal introductions! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from The O'Jays – and the kind of record that shows that they never lost their touch! The set sparkles beautifully from the very first note – and the trio hit a warm, smooth groove that's a perfect summation of later Philly at its best – still tuned for the clubs at one level, but in a way that gets past disco and goes for more of a laidback, steppers sort of vibe. Harmonies are as sublime as always – and titles include "When Will I See You Again", "Put Our Heads Together", "Ain't Nothin Wrong With Good Lovin", "I Can't Stand The Pain", "Nice & Easy", and "Ain't Nothin' Wrong With Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Although they didn't have as big of chart success as in earlier years, the O'Jays managed to do alright as the 80s moved in on them. Their sweet vocal style was a perfect match for Philly International's move to more modern soul production, and this album has them nicely set up by McFadden & Whitehead, still recording at Sigma Sound. The record includes the classic "My Favorite Person", one of the group's best later cuts, and a really catchy number – plus "Out In the Real World", "Don't Walk Away Mad", and "One On One". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Drifters, The Globetrotters, The Futures, Jerry Butler, Jim Gilstrap, The Trammps, The Platters, Chairmen Of The Board, Benny Spellman, The Ravens, The O'Jays, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, The Tams, and The Intruders. LP, Vinyl record album

Hmmm...we've never heard of the film, but this "soundtrack" is actually a nice Ronco compilation with a lot of groovy 70's soul cuts by both American and UK artists. Titles include "Girls" by The Moments & Whatnauts, "Dance With Me" by The Real Thing, "Living On the Dole" by The Cimarons, "Lonely I" by Lee Vanderbilt, "Darlin Darlin Baby" by The O'Jays, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and "When Will I See You Again" by the Three Degrees. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by O'Jays, Mel Carter, Slim Whitman, Cher, Jackie De Shannon, Johnny Rivers, and Billy J Kramer. LP, Vinyl record album

A great early collection on Ace/Kent Records – with soulful tracks by Timi Yuro, Jimmy Holiday, Exciters, Showmen, Bobby Sheen, Garnet Mims, O'Jays, Patrice Holloway, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

Although Archie Bell & The Drells had recorded earlier with Gamble & Huff on Atlantic, this is their first album for the team's own label – and it's a killer! In a way, Archie and group were sort of responsible for getting Gamble & Huff their own famous imprint in the first place – because their work with the team on Atlantic yielded some instant hits that really pointed the way towards the hit Gamble & Huff style of the 70s, and that sound is brought up-to-date nicely on this LP. The record really retains the strong vocal sound of earlier years – and has some of the best harmonies the band ever recorded, very much in the mode of The O'Jays or Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. McFadden & Whitehead and Bunny Sigler wrote most of the material, backing is by the Instant Funk group, and the Gamble & Huff team handled production on all cuts. Titles include "Let's Groove", "I Won't Leave You Honey, Never", "Let's Groove", "The Soul City Walk", "Dance Your Troubles Away", and "I Love You (But You Don't Even Know It)". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great set from The Four Tops – hardly the throwaway effort you might expect from some of the other Casablanca projects of the time – and instead a really solid effort that follows strongly from the sound of the group's best moments during their ABC Records years! The vocals are sublime – just what you'd expect from the maturing group – and Levi Stubbs gets some really great moments to shine, especially on a few of the mellower tracks. But the harmonies are the key here, and they cascade with a smooth-stepping sophistication that's not unlike the groove The O'Jays were hitting around the same time too – a classy update of their older mode that really opens the Tops up to a new audience, but hardly in a way that's commercial at all. Titles include "When She Was My Girl", "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over", "Who's Right Who's Wrong", "Let Me Set You Free", "From A Distance", "Something To Remember", and "I'll Never Leave Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most soulful records ever recorded by Joe Bataan – a sweet blend of harmony soul and east coast styles, done in a mode that's a bit less Latin than some of his earlier records – but really wonderful overall! The style here is almost late 60s Philly soul – particularly that of the Intruders, O'Jays, or other harmony-heavy groups – and the production has a rootsy edge that really gets at the honesty in Joe's approach. And given Joe's wonderful approach to these heartfelt tunes, we hardly miss the Latin rhythms at all – as we're really in love with his soul tunes here! Titles include "Ordinary Guy", "Unwed Mother", "Young Gifted and Brown", "Under the Street Lamp", and "I'm No Stranger". LP, Vinyl record album

Two nice ones from the Ebonys' rare years at Philly International. "Nation Time" is an O'Jays-esque political soul groover – of the "stand up and be counted" vein. "I Believe" is a reworking of the old Frankie Laine pop hit, transformed here into a surprisingly successful soul number. 7-inch, Vinyl record

The Levert bloodline runs mighty strong – with roots in the harmony sound of the O'Jays, reworked here to a beautiful new mode for the 80s – in a style that helped the group really revive vocal soul for the decade! At a time when so many other groups were just letting the beats and keyboards guide their vocals, Levert returned to the best sort of older soul modes – bringing back that classic east coast care with the lyrics to sit alongside backings that still have plenty of 80s electro soul elements. The blend is great, and clearly an inspiration for a generation of copycat acts to come in the 90s – but never handled by any of them this well. The upbeat tracks are catchy, but the mellow moments are our favorites – and titles include "Fascination", "Pop Goes My Mind", "Kiss & Make Up", "Grip", "Let's Go Out Tonight", "Looking For Love", and "I Start You Up You Turn Me On". LP, Vinyl record album

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't like getting your fingers dusty? No problem, the folks at Strictly Breaks work hard so you don't have to! The next installment in their now famous "as sampled by . . ." series, this compilation of 31 tracks and 3 drum breaks covers a gang of material used by Nas (well, his producers actually). Loads of classic soul, jazz and funk, and each track is notated as to which song it was used in. Includes Gong "Babooji", Chris Barber "Petit Fleur", Vicki Anderson "Land Of Milk & Honey", Ahmad Jamal "I Love Music", Joe Chambers "Mind Rain", Heath Brothers "Smilin Billy Suite Pt 2", Eddie Floyd "Check Me Out", 24 Carat Black "Mommas Coming", Japanese Hair "Dead End", Love Unlimited "I'll Move You No Mountain", Blue Jays "What Do You Want", Bob James "The Sponge" and The Soul Children "Move Over". LP, Vinyl record album

K-tel style compilation with a note in the corner of the sleeve that says "As Seen On TV", with a bunch of short versions of hot soul tunes that were making the rounds every Saturday afternoon on Soul Train. Nothing hard to find here, but a nice piece of the past loaded with familiar but still great tracks, 20 of them in all,and a great cover with photos of Don Cornelius and a number of the artists from their appearances on the show. With Barbara Mason "Give Me Your Love", James Brown "Good Foot", Curtis Mayfield "Super Fly", Archie Bell& The Drells "Dance To your Music", The O'Jays "Back Stabbers", Cymande "The Message", Timmy Thomas "Why Can't We Live Together", Dennis Coffey "Scorpio", Al Green "Guilty", Brighter Side Of Darkness "Love Jones" and The Dells "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", plus a bunch more. . . LP, Vinyl record album

Nice collection of early 70's Gamble and Huff stuff, with a number of tracks that aren't too easy to find otherwise, like "Regina" by Bunny Sigler, "Stay With Me" by The Futures, "Super Groover" by Talk of the Town, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, and "It's Forever" by The Ebonys – cuts that were more likely singles on the label. Also includes some more well known hits: O'Jays "Love Train", the Intruders "I'll Always Love My Mama", Billy Paul "Me & Mrs Jones", Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and MFSB "Family Affair", 10 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarer JBs singles on People, and one that has 2 great tracks that weren't on any of the LPs by them. "Back Stabbers" is their funky cover of the O'Jays' hit, and "JB Shout" is a good instrumental, with a stunning solo by Fred Wesley. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Not a bad little soundtrack – filled with sleazy 70s soul tunes! Given that the movie features Diane Keaton trawling her way through the singles underground of the time, the music goes pretty darn well with the film – and in fact is almost better, as it keeps a sunny optimism, without the darker turn of the narrative. Titles include "Don't Ask To Stay Until Tomorrow" by Marlena Shaw, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston, "She Wants To Get On Down" and "She's Lonely" by Bill Withers, "Prelude To Love" and "Could It Be Magic" by Donna Summer, "Backstabbers" by The O'Jays, "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, "Machine Gun" by The Commodores, and "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs. LP, Vinyl record album

A UK-only collection with an unusual mix of material – titles that include "Cool Jerk" by The Capitols, "What's Going On" by Willis Jackson, "Just To Be With You" by The O'Jays, "I Can't Help Myself" by Donnie Elbert, "Barefootin" by Robert Parker, "In The Midnight Hour" by Geno Washington, "I Ain't Got Nobody" by Sly Stone, and "Iko Iko" by The Dixie Cups. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Coopers, Big Wheel, Sandra, Los Piratos, Bobby Green Selection, and Jay Jays. LP, Vinyl record album

This one was kind of Motown's answer to the Wattstax albums – a double live set, recorded in Chicago during the Push Expo, headed by Jesse Jackson. The tracks here are more of a mixed bag than some of those on the deeper soul Wattstax albums, but there are some nice moments overall, buried in the large mix of music and artists – many of whom didn't normally record for Motown. The tunes are familiar, but they're presented here in some nicely different live takes. Titles include "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, "Country Preacher" by Cannonball Adderley, "This Child Of Mine" by Zulema, "Everybody Plays The Fool" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Curtis Mayfield, "I've Gotta Be Me" by Sammy Davis Jr, "I Wanna Be Where You Are" by The Jackson 5, "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, "Close To You" by Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager, "On A Clear Day/Killer Joe" by Roberta Flack & Quincy Jones, and "Sunshine" by The O'Jays. Also features some dialogue by Jesse Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer beat group set – with some nice psych touches, but still very raw at the core! LP, Vinyl record album