Chet Baker —
Cool Baker Vol 1 ... LP Pacific Jazz/King (Japan), 1953. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
A great Japanese issue of this early material from trumpet genius Chet Baker – mostly featuring his quartet with Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums! The set features titles that include "Batter Up", "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Ma ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese King pressing K18P 9259.)
Chet Baker —
Four – Chet Baker In Tokyo ... LP Paddle Wheel/King (Japan), 1987. New Copy (reissue)...
About February 10, 2024 (delayed)
A set recorded in Tokyo, but one that has the great Chet Baker working with players from the Dutch and American scenes – all coming together in a quartet session that's maybe one of the strongest records from Chet's later years! The material was recorded live – and Chet's got a ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited Japanese pressing – beautiful vinyl, with obi!)
Chet Baker —
Memories In Tokyo ... LP Paddle Wheel/King (Japan), 1987. New Copy (reissue)...
About February 10, 2024 (delayed)
Late work from Chet Baker, but great work too – and sounds that have Baker returning to an incredibly strong sense of force in the final year of his life! We love some of Chet's records from earlier in the decade, but many of those are a bit laidback – kind of a beautiful exploration ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful Japanese pressing – limited edition, with obi!)
A pretty strong overview of Hank's fiercer R&B tunes for King Records – most of them cut at the end of the 50s, with that mean and lean style that actually could make Hank sound pretty darn scary! Titles include "It's Love Baby", "Sugaree", "Annie Had A Baby" ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A classic set of hard rockin R&B from Hank Ballard and the legendary Midnighters – as raw a batch of vocal group tracks you'd be hard pressed to find! The album features plenty of tunes from their "Annie" cycle of songs – including "Work With Me Annie", "Ann ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great comeback album from this postwar legend – with titles that include "Lucky Dreamer", "Too Fine For Crying", "I Don't Want Your Rambling Letters", "Come Home", "Blow Out All The Candles", "If You Don't Believe I'm Crying Take A Look ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label King pressing – a nice copy! Cover has some light wear, but no splits.)
A killer from James Brown – and one of his best instrumental albums of the King years! The record has James working with the pre-JBs James Brown Band – a tight assemblage of players who really know how to craft an off-kilter groove. The guitar's popping on the beat here as much as the ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Vinyl has a mark that clicks on the first track – but rest of record is in beautiful condition, as is cover. Cover has a small cutout mark.)
James Brown —
Cold Sweat ... LP King, 1967. Very Good- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A stone classic from Brother James – a wonderful 60s album that not only includes the incredible title track – one of James' best groovers from the time – but a set that also showcases his talents in so many other styles too! There's a few wonderful ballads – but completely ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label crown logo pressing with deep groove. Vinyl is clean, with light marks. Cover is nice.)
A darn hard to find album by James – one with a tight soulful R&B groove that just about never lets up! Even on these early albums, James had a great raw sound, with a kind of funk that wasn't his trademark 70s sound, but which is still nice and tasty. Titles include "Shout & ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great little album by James Brown – and very different than his other work! He cut this one with the groovy Dee Felice Trio – a jazz-based combo that he recorded on their own for King, on another very rare, very excellent record. The band's in similar form here, although not ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo blue label pressing with deep groove. NOTE – vinyl has an edge warp and plays with a swoosh sound on the first track on each side. Cover has ring and heavier edge wear.)
James Brown, proud and loud – a smoking 60s album that provides a great link between his earlier styles and his freer roots – with a brilliant blend of funk, soul, and a touch of raw R&B! Given the power of The Godfather at this point, there's no denying that even the older cuts ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing! Vinyl is great, but has a very short click on side two. Cover has two small marker spots, but is nice overall – no splits.)
A killer James Brown instrumental album – one that's very heavy on keyboards, supplied by the good folks at Vox – and which features much longer tracks than on some of the Smash Records instrumental albums from the mid 60s! The focus here is really on James' work on the keys, instead ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Raw soul, indeed – a term that could have been coined for James Brown's vocal approach, and which probably makes one of its first appearances here on a record! The album's kind of a grab bag of earlier sides that James recorded for King, but it's a perfect showcase for his amazing sound in ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo blue label crown label pressing – nice and clean! Cover has very light wear, and just a hint of splitting on the bottom seam – but is very nice too.)
A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mighty is right! This tasty batch of non-vocal tracks is darn hard to find, and it shows the pre-JBs James Brown group playing with a raw raw raw soul groove that show how nicely James folded his R&B roots into a 60s soul tradition. Includes lots of obscure ones – like "The ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label pressing – nice and clean! Cover has light wear, and a bit of splitting on the top seam – but this is a nice copy overall.)
Here's where things really started getting interesting for James Brown! The album was issued right around the same time as James' single "Out Of Sight" on Smash – and like that track, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" was one of the first to use that "instruments on the ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label mono pressing – a really nice copy! Cover has just a tiny bit of splitting on the bottom seam, but is great too.)
An incredible early album from James Brown – featuring 16 raw R&B tracks culled from his early years at King – and virtually the blueprint for so many other great things to follow! "Please Please Please" was James' first big hit – and as you probably already know, ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
James Brown —
Popcorn ... LP King, 1969. Very Good- ...
Out Of Stock
A tremendous turning point in the career of James Brown – and an album that points the way strongly to the even deeper funk of the 70s! The album's a hard-wailing batch of instrumental tracks played by the legendary James Brown Band of the late 60s – the pre-JBs ensemble that's gone ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
James Brown —
Sex Machine ... LP King, 1970. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
James Brown cooking it live – recorded (as the cover says) "at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self"! The groove here is a nice extension of earlier Apollo modes – one that shows the increasing funkiness of the James Brown Band, captured with a raw power that few other ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label Starday-King pressing – a nice copy! Cover has some very light wear in the corners, but is quite nice too.)
A legendary bit of fuzzy funk from James Brown – an important collaboration with the mighty Dave Matthews, who brings a more tripped-out feel to the record than some of James' other King sessions of the time! Matthews adds in lots of psych-influenced guitar – used very different than ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original black label King pressing! Cover has a small cutout hole, some light wear, and a small bit of seam splitting. Vinyl is nice.)
James Brown —
Soul On Top ... LP King, 1970. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
$24.99
A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black and orange label stereo pressing. Cover has some light wear, cutout hole.)
A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
James Brown —
Super Bad ... LP King, 1971. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
Super Bad is right! This is hard-hitting funky James – from the badass cover right down to the extended tracks on the record, which point the way towards the hard live jamming of the classic Payback years! Everything wonderful is in place on the set – from the band's grooves at the ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
James Brown & Others —
Jump Around ... LP King, Early 60s. Very Good+ ...
$48.99
A slammin' set of heavy R&B numbers from James Brown – combined in here with some other nice tracks from King Records artists of the time! The set almost has the same feeling as some of the James Brown Show albums – in that James is presented with other hard-hitting artists of his ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label King pressing – a nice copy!)
Bobby Byrd —
I Need Help ... LP King, Early 70s. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
The stunning only album ever from the great Bobby Byrd – known to many as a longtime associate of James Brown, and finally getting his chance to shine here in the spotlight! Bobby was in the game before James, and always continued to change his groove in all the right ways with The Godfather ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Stunning work from Lockjaw! The album features Eddie blowing hard and heavy – much more precisely than on some of his Prestige albums, in a mode that's inflected with more R&B tenor than you'd hear on his later sets. Backing is by his trio, and the album's got a gutsy groove that's ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label King pressing with deep groove. Vinyl has light marks, but plays very well – much more VG or VG+. Cover has light tape on two seams.)
Bill's got his groove on right for this set – quite possibly one of the greatest of his early King years, thanks to killer work from Billy Butler on guitar, Shep Shepherd on drums, and the great Clifford Scott on alto and tenor sax! Scott's raspy tone really makes these tunes groove – ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
This is it – the classic stormer by Bill Doggett that made his group a hit with all the kids! The album features the original two-part version of "Honky Tonk", plus the rarer "Honky Tonk Number Three", which as a wailing bit of vocals next to the chorus. Other tracks ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label Capitol Records pressing. Cover has clear tape on the spine & bottom seam.)
Bill Doggett —
Gon' Doggett ... LP King/Charly (UK), Late 1950s. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
Killer Hammond soul from one of the all-time greats – a smoking set of gems from his big years on King Records! Most numbers feature the legendary combo with Billy Butler on guitar and Clifford Scott on tenor – but there's also some nice instrumental variation too. Titles include ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the greatest R&B vocal groups of the 50s, featuring singer Lowman Pauling, who was a huge influence on James Brown! The tracks all have a great hard-edged sound, with little of the schmaltz that can sometimes date these songs a bit too much. The material is very rootsy soul stuff ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Happy End —
Happy End ... LP King (Japan), 1973. New Copy (reissue)...
Out Of Stock
Wonderfully folksy rock from this obscure Japanese group – an early 70s combo that included Harumi Hosono, years before his more electronic work! The sound of the album borrows a lot from the best of America's late 60s underground folk rock scene – and the production's an amazing blend ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A very early album from this legendary Japanese jazz ensemble! Titles include "Caravan", "Soft Drink", "Sharps & Flats Swing", and "Drummers Dream". (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album
(Blue and gold label pressing, in a flipback cover.)
A near-forgotten gem from Coleman Hawkins excellent late 50s period – recorded for the short-lived Felsted label, and done in a beautifully relaxed way! The tracks here are long and easy-going – at times even more open than Hawkins' work for Verve, and in the style he'd explore even ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s Japanese pressing, with insert. Cover has very light wear, and a Swing Journal seal of approval sticler.)
Haruomi Hosono —
Hosono House ... LP King (Japan), 1973. New Copy (reissue)...
Out Of Stock
A completely wonderful album from Haruomi Hosono – a real watershed not just in his own career, but in the development of mainstream Japanese music too! The set's got the sophistication of the best of the singer/songwriter underground in the US – not just in the lyrical presentation, ... (Japanese) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Nothing innocent about this record – because the groove is hard and heavy, wild and trippy – a really heady brew of funky jazz and more psychedelic influences – all recorded with some weird sounds in the background too! The album's a great one from Japanese groove pioneer Takeshi ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really cool album from the Japanese scene of the 80s – one that's much more experimental and creative than some of the city pop material of the time – with a shifting style of music that really keeps things interesting! Ryuichi Sakamoto helped with the first track on the set, which ... (Japanese) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Little Esther (Esther Phillips) —
Bad Baad Girl ... LP King/Charly (UK), Early 50s. Near Mint- ...
$19.99
A really wonderful collection of early work from the great Esther Phillips – different than her later material for Atlantic and Kudu Records – as it was done in a raw R&B style for the mighty King Records! 16 tracks in all – and detailed notes on the material, too! (Soul) LP, Vinyl record album
Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Little Willie John —
Talk To Me ... LP King, Late 50s. Very Good+ ...
$24.99
Beautiful work from one of the greatest R&B vocalists ever! Willie sounds wonderful on tracks that include "Talk To Me Talk To Me", "Uh Uh Baby", "Drive Me Home", "Tell It Like It Is", "Person To Person", "Until You Do", and "I'll ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s white label Power Pak pressing. Cover has light wear.)
Wailing organ jazz from the great Hank Marr – and possibly his greatest album! The record's got a very strong jazz feel – without as much as the R&B of some of Marr's other albums on King – and the tracks are a well-composed batch of originals that capture all the excitement ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing – in great shape. Cover has a cutout hole, but no splits – very nice.)
Minoru Muraoka & New Dimension Group —
Bamboo ... LP King/Mr Bongo (UK), Late 60s. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)...
$27.9933.98
60s jazz meets Japanese bamboo flute – all in a session with a great mix of groovy and exotic touches! The record's a unique meeting of jazz and folkloric elements – done in a style that's a bit like some of the late 60s sessions of this nature on MPS, but a fair bit groovier overall ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
There's a vampire with a flute on the cover – and that image alone is more than enough to make us drop the needle on this rare Japanese gem from the 70s! And fortunately, the sound of the music is equally cool – funky fusion with some nicely spacey currents – almost a Mizell ... (Japanese) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An excellent bit of jazz from the Chicago scene – featuring the early roots of a set of players that would go onto influence the city's soul scene in a huge way. Johnnie Pate's probably best known as the arranger behind many great soul singles – including most of the Impressions 60s ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic work by Reno & Smiley – with vocals that almost match the Stanley Brothers on the tunes with lyrics, and some incredible instrumental interplay on the others! (Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Very early work from Joe Tex – recorded way before his boogie records of the 70s, and even his country soul classics of the 60s! Yet despite the age of these sides, the Joe Tex vocal approach is very firmly in place – that raspy mode that's undeniably human, and which might be rooted ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label pressing – in great shape! Cover has some light aging, and back has a small sticker – but this is a great copy overall.)
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tokyo Cuban Boys —
Cuban Echoes ... LP King (Japan), 1962. Near Mint- ...
$14.9919.99
One of the sharpest altos of the east – heard here in a great early album! Sadao Watanabe sounds wonderful on the set – blowing in a quintet setting, with a groove that's a bit like Lou Donaldson on Blue Note at the same time – slightly modern at moments, but also laidback and ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Takeo Watanabe/Yushi Matsuyama —
Mobile Suit Gundam 3 ... LP King (Japan), 1979. Near Mint- 2LP ...
Out Of Stock
An unusual entry in this legendary anime series! (Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful copy – with obi and very cool anime booklet inside!)
A wonderfully expanded version of this classic of funky funky female soul! Marva Whitney was one of the greatest singers in the James Brown stable of stars during the late 60s – and she sang with a hard raw style worth of The Godfather himself! Brother James produced and wrote a good part ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Jackie Wilson with Billy Ward & The Dominoes —
14 Hits – Vol 3 ... LP King, Mid 50s. Very Good+ ...
$1.99
(70s white label German Gusto pressing. Cover has light wear.)
Masao Yagi —
Inga ... LP King/Lawson (Japan), 1978. New Copy (reissue)...
$42.9949.99
Great 70s work from Japanese pianist Masao Yagui – a set that's got some fusion elements, but which also holds onto some of his earlier modern energies as well! The lineup here is relatively large – with Yagui on piano and keyboards, plus Akira Miyazawa on tenor, Shigeo Suziki on alto, ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Not rock n roll, but some great King Records R&B from the 50s – work by Titus Turner, Annie Laurie, Bill Jennings, 5 Royales, Otis Williams & The Charms, James Brown, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, and others! (Soul) LP, Vinyl record album
(Black label pressing with deep groove – nice and clean, but vinyl has a click near the end of side one. Cover has lgiht wear, and a bit of splitting on the bottom seam.)
A jazz message from late 50s Tokyo – loud, proud, and proof that the Japanese scene was really coming into its own! The set's awash in great bop and swing performances from the postwar years – exclusive tracks to this set, played by four different groups that include Akira Miyazawa on ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Various —
Open Ponkikki ... LP King (Japan), 1975. Very Good- Gatefold ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Weird and wild work from this Japanese kids show of the 70s! (Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes a cool booklet inside the cover. Cover has light wear, and a small light stain – but is nice overall.)
Poll winners from the Japanese scene of the late 50s – stepping out in a special live performance from the time! The album's almost got a Verve Records sort of feel – especially from the all-star tip – and tunes are more swing than bop, although there's definitely a few modern ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s Japanese pressing, with insert – SKK 3019. Cover has some light wear, but vinyl is great!)