Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
Some of our favorite work ever from the legendary Hank Ballard – a key figure in early R&B, and a singer who cut some big hits with his group The Midnighters – but one who also continued to do some wonderful work for King Records long after his hits – most of which is included ... (Soul) read moreCD
James Brown —
Christmas Songs ... CD King/Universal (Japan), 1966. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
One of the few rare Christmas albums that James Brown recorded in the 60s – all really wonderful, really memorable records that go way past the usual Holiday fare! Sure, there's a few sentimental tracks that have the familiar spirit of the holiday, but there's also some funky moments too ... read moreCD
James Brown —
Funky Christmas ... CD King/Universal, Late 60s. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Excellent funky Christmas – essential for any soulful holiday celebration! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s – thre albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great collection brings together ... read moreCD
James Brown —
Hey America ... CD Polydor/Elemental (Spain), 1972. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A really fantastic album from James Brown – and an unusual one, too – as it was only ever issued overseas back in the early 70s! The album's got a title that's similar to one of James' Christmas albums, but it's a completely different record – kind of a condensation of some of ... (Soul) read moreCD
The last, and most obscure of James Brown's Christmas albums of the King years – and quite possibly the hippest too! Given that James is shouting "Hey America" in the title, he's clearly going for a righteous and semi-political tone on the set – singing Holiday tunes, but ... read moreCD
Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling ... (Soul) read moreCD
(Part of the Rare Groove Funk 1000 Best Collection!)
James Brown recorded a few different Christmas records back in the 60s – but this stunner may well be the best of the bunch – a killer record that not only fills the need for James Brown Holiday tunes, but which also more than lives up to his non-Christmas gems for King Records too! ... read moreCD
Funky funky Hammond – a rare late 60s album from organist Bill Doggett, done with some help from James Brown – and a set that's unlike anything Doggett ever recorded before – or since! There's a blasting groove to the record right from the start – thanks to help from The ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Champion Jack Dupree —
Sings The Blues ... CD King/Gusto, Early 50s. New Copy ...
$3.999.99
Early King Records material by Champion Jack Dupree – a hell of a pianist, and a heck of a great singer too – working almost as a raconteur on some of the best songs on this collection! The music has deep roots in New Orleans, where Jack must have really honed his piano skills – ... (Blues) read moreCD
The legendary Charlie Feathers is best known as one of the rawest rockers on the Memphis scene of the 50s – but during the decade, he cut some of his best work for King Records in Cincinnati – a label who captured the dynamic energy of Charlie with the same skill they brought to their ... (Rock) read moreCD
A killer album of soul jazz piano instrumentals – produced by James Brown! The Dee Felice Trio were a groovy combo from Cincinnati, and James Brown took a shine to them at some point in the late 60s. They backed James on one record, but their big moment was this album – which had ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A stone killer from the legendary 5 Royales – one of the greatest groups to ever record for King Records in the 50s, and a key force in helping move things forward from doo wop to soul! The balance between Lowman Pauling's lead and the harmonies is amazing – a big inspiration on the ... (Soul) read moreCD
Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo —
Okinawa ... CD King (Japan), Late 70s. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A groovy little record from the Count Buffalos group – an ensemble we know mostly for their heavier funk of the early 70s and late 60s – but who here step out in a clubbier mode with some sweet touches of disco! The group's still a jazz one at its core – but they've also added in ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Early 80s trio material from pianist Fumio Karashima – a splendid set of extended original compositions, played with a sense of grace and majesty that few other players can match! The trio on the set is beautifully balanced – with regular member George Ohtsuka on drums and guest player ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Drummer Elvin Jones joins the Fumio Karashima Trio for this great late 70s outing – no surprise, really, given that Karashima played with Jones on some of his Japanese recordings – and it's clear that Elvin's just happy to return the favor! The tracks here are long and spacious – ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Yoshiyaki Masuo —
Sailing Wonder ... CD Electric Bird/King (Japan), 1978. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A great one from guitarist Yoshiyaki Masuo – a record that seems to have all the cool glide promised by the cover and title! Yoshiaki plays guitar, but the album features loads of great contributions from other American fusion musicians too – including Dave Grusin, Richard Tee, and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
If the cover image of a Akira Miyazawa fishing in a trout stream wasn't already enough to make us love this one, the music on the disc certainly is – as the album's a real shining jewel in the Japanese jazz scene of the 60s, the kind of record that really set a whole new standard for the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
An incredible late 50s set for King by singer Lula Reed – and a pretty unique blend of R&B and bluer and moodier material – but a lot more upbeat than you'd expect from the title! Lula's voice is a genuine vessel for the bluesy material, but it's also light and lovely, and works ... (Soul) read moreCD
Bossa jazz from 60s Japan – a set recorded right around the same time that Verve first started hitting bossa grooves in the US! The sound here is sharper than a Verve bossa album, though – with some of the same hardbop inflections you'd hear on other Hideo Shiraki albums from the time ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(SHM-CD pressing!)
Kunihiko Sugano & Isao Suzuki —
Sincerely Yours ... CD King (Japan), 1980. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A sublime set of piano and bass duets – one that comes across with a depth of feeling and richness of expression that takes it way past the usual! The presence of Isao Suzuki is an instant indication that things are going to be pretty darn fresh – as the bassist always has a way of ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Isao Suzuki/Tsuyoshi Yamamoto —
Samba Club ... CD King (Japan), 1981. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A wicked wicked set of tracks from Japan – one that blends together jazzy riffing and Brazilian rhythms, all played with a surprisingly soulful bent! Suzuki's on bass and piccolo bass, and Yamamoto plays not only electric piano but also a bit of electric harpsichord – which adds a cool ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of the greatest records ever from Japanese drummer Masahiko Togashi – a rare European session that features the talents of Don Cherry on trumpet and Charlie Haden on bass! The session's one of Cherry's most compelling performances from the time – a really loose and free date that ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Is that barock or baroque? Whatever the case, the album's a pretty darn groovy affair – twin flutes from Sadao Watanabe and Akira Miyazawa – two of Japan's best reedmen at the end of the 60s – working here with some sweet arrangements that mix classical roots with mod ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Incredible work from the Japanese scene of the end of the 60s – a record that mixes together traditional instrumentation, bossa rhythms, and groovier jazz touches – all in a sublime blend that would have been a feather in the cap of A&M or Verve Records at the time! The work here ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Stomu Yamash'Ta & The Horizon —
Sunrise From West Sea ... CD King/We Want Sounds (UK), 1971. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
The Japanese scene of the 70s had plenty of experiments that blended contemporary and traditional instrumentation – but this album-length jam from percussionist Stomu Yamashta may well be one of the most striking from the time! You'll no doubt know Stomu from some of his later records that ... (Rock) read moreCD
Rare dancefloor soul on King Records – and another crucial look at a side of the label that's beloved by the most devoted of 60s & 70s soul seekers – but it's deeply overlooked by the mainstream! Volume 3 is the best yet in the series – partly because they're found some ... (Soul) read moreCD
A deep deep dig into the vaults of King/Federal Records – initial home to James Brown and a host of other R&B acts in the 50s – lots of whom are featured here! The collection includes many tracks never reissued before – all hand-picked by vintage 45 expert Mr Fine Wine, and ... (Funky Compilations) read moreCD
Raw, raunchy sounds – all pulled together from a time before soul and rock even existed! Most of the work here is from the classic catalog of King Records – a killer imprint in the postwar R&B market, and a company who wasn't afraid to do what it took to make a knockout record! In ... (Soul) read moreCD
The legendary King Records is known as an important label for R&B and hillbilly music – but the label also has a surprisingly strong legacy in the early years of rock as well – maybe in part because it did such a good job of keeping its ear to the ground with those other important ... (Rock) read moreCD
Allstar Records was a great Texas indie back in the day – and although not as well-known as Sun or Starday, the company issued some killer singles in the late 50s! As you might guess from their location in Houston, Allstar often has a bit of country in the mix – and this collection is ... (Rock) read moreCD
Killer cuts from the glory days of King Records – material from that second generation of the label, when their earlier blend of hillbilly and R&B made King a perfect platform for the new sounds of rockabilly and rock and roll! The package does a great job of digging in deep to the King ... (Rock) read moreCD
A great collection of work from the underside of the Chicago recording scene of the 60s – tracks from the rougher, bluesier west side scene of the time! The work on the set comes from the Federal/King catalog, and not from Chicago labels – and most of it was produced by Sonny Thompson, ... (Soul) read moreCD