(White label promo in a Starday-King sleeve. Labels have some light aged spots.)
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
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
An excellent James Brown single, and a rare one too! Vicki Anderson, for some strange reason recording under the name Myra Barnes, gives her answer to James' "Super Bad". The track's nice and funky, with a good stretched out groove, and backing by the James Brown band. (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
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.)
A strange but great single from James Brown! The cut has a slow vamping "honky tonk" kind of groove – and James raps over the top about America, how great it is, and how much opportunity the country offers. The whole thing's got a very positive message – and the monologue is ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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.)
Classic funkiness! This is a monster groover by The Godfather – and one of those tracks you've got to take in 2 parts, because there's just too much sheer raw power for 1! (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
A great little soul number from James! "Don't Be A Drop Out" begins with these riffing horns, going high then dropping low, almost in a "Monkey Time" mode. James comes in with a great little vocal, a bit moralistic, perhaps, but also an admission of his own loss of a good ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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
Beautiful soul from The Godfather, recorded in the period immediately after he discovered the choppy choppy guitar riff on the downbeat! Both parts swing hard hard hard, and the band is as tight as a pair of trousers after Thanksgiving! (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
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
"Give It Up Or Turnit Loose" is far and away one of the best James Brown singles of all times! The bassline on the intro is amazing – one of those moments where you sit up and go "DANG! That sound is incredible!" – good reason why the cut's been sampled countless ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of James Brown's undisputed classics! "I Got You" begins with a very famous scream and an oof – and then rolls into a great little groove that's been used a gazillion times in ads, but which still sounds pretty darn great. The flip's a nice one too – a bit mellower, but ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Blue label pressing. In a King sleeve with light wear & staining. One label has some wear.)
An early one from James – with a raw R&B groove on both tracks, and shouted vocals that strike right at the core of the songs! "Crazy" has kind of a "Night Train" beat to it – and "Lost Someone" is slower, with a bluesy slow vamp kind of approach that ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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.)
Killer funky work from James! "Let A Man Come In" is a stone-cold funky number – with great raw popping grooves, very much in the Popcorn vein! Hard to find on vinyl in any form – and sounds great on the hot funky 45 mix! "Sometime" is nice, too – with a ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Groundbreaking early work from James! We're not sure when "Let Yourself Go" was released – but it's got these fantastic guitars on the beat, very much in the "Papa's Brand New Bag" or "Out Of Sight" mode, although a bit rawer and rootsier. Proof though, that ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
An undisputed groover! The track's a killer uptempo one from James' later years on King – and it's got this amazing beat that snaps along at a full deep stride. Very nice stuff, and the kind of tight grooving that would show up later in his work with the JBs – done here earlier, with ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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
(180 gram early 00's reissue. Cover has a tiny top seam split, mild corner bend.)
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.)
Not to be confused with "Popcorn" – this is the hard funky cut "Mother Popcorn", a real killer with a chanting vocal that goes "You've Got to Have a Mother for Me"! Served up here on a gorgeous original King 45, with a photo of The Godfather on the label! (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
Nice one by JB! "Nobody Knows" is a bit standard soul, but "Bring It Up" is a nice groover with a different sound, and features a rolling conga groove, with James shouting "Bring It Up" over the top! (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
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 interesting single from James – featuring his super-huge hit of the mid 60s, but issued on a late 60s King label! The tune's a stone winner as always – and the flip is "mostly instrumental", with a vamp that virtually invented the funky vamp! (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
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
A monster – and one of the most anthemic cuts that James ever cut! Begins with a monster drumbeat, kicks into a stone groove with loads of guitar, horn, and funky bass – while James shouts the whole thing through without faltering! The track became the motto of a generation – ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Blue label pressing.)
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.)
Enough soul power to run a whole generator! James is in stunning form with the JBs – and the whole thing grooves with a choppy guitar riff that you'll recognize immediately from a million 80s hip hop samples. The whole band has "Got the Feelin!", and the track jams nicely with ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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
Killer James Brown! This late King classic is done up in 3 parts – and weren't there only 2 parts on the LP? Even more of a reason to buy this funky 45. It's so hot, it goes all the way to part 3! That third part is the super-duper killer – done in a fast funk style that's so ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A great deep soul tune from James! The track's a holiday number – and the sweet little baby boy is ol' JC himself – but with James singing the vocals, the whole thing sounds like some great southern soul number, with Christmas only a deep memory away. Nice and slow and soulful – ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
This is the kind of killer hard soul material that made James' late 60s years so incredible! "There Was a Time" is one of our favorite-ever tracks by him, and it's got a massive kind of soulful energy that's sometimes missing from other tracks at the time. "I Can't Stand ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two long titles, both of them nice! "Tit For Tat" has a great back-forth kind of groove – not really funky, but pretty darn catchy, and with some raw soulful vocals from brother James! "Believers" is an instrumental with some very nice organ work – James on the ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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
Nice stuff from the early days, and 2 cuts that have a decidedly R&B feel to them. "This Old Heart" is James at his soulful best, with heartbreaking vocals, and excellent raw backing behind him. "How Long Darling" is a sweet bluesy ballad – sung by James in duet with ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Really early work from Bobby Byrd – a single that's produced by James Brown, but without the funky touches of later years! "I Found Out" has stepping strings next to Bobby's deep soul vocals – and "I'll Keep Pressing On" is similar – again with strings, but ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
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
Some of Bobby Byrd's best work ever! "If You Don't Work" is a hard funky killer – done in a tight James Brown way, with lots of choppy guitar, and Bobby's vocals coming off at breakneck speed, just to keep up with the band. Nice simple message, too! "You've Got To Change ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Although the Dapps were best known for their funky "Bring Up the Guitar", they're represented here on two slower soul cuts that feature their bluesy harmonies. Jame Brown still produced the whole thing, though, and it's from the period of his best work on King. (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
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
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.)
The single's a great lost pre-People single by The JBs – and it's sort of an introduction to the group, as James shouts "These Are The JBs" at the beginning, then the band launches into a nice sinister loping funky groove that's quite different from some of their later work. A real ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Little Esther (Esther Phillips) —
Bad Baad Girl ... LP King/Charly (UK), Early 50s. Near Mint- ...
$14.9919.99
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
Original 78rpm pressing of Little Willie John's most famous song! (78 RPM) 78 RPM, Vinyl record
(Label has a sticker.)
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.)
One of Little Willie John's greatest cuts! "Talk To Me" is a sublime early soul number – and was the inspiration for countless singers in years to come, all beating Willie's time while he was in jail! "Spasms" has more of a hard R&B feel – and that's a-ok with ... (78 RPM) 78 RPM, Vinyl record
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.)
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
A very obscure James Brown-produced single for King – and one that showcases this little-known female vocal group. The track's kind of an easy soul weeper, with a mellow loping groove, and vocals that are in the Dee Dee Warwick camp. (Funky 45's) 7-inch, Vinyl record
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 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!)
Jackie Wilson with Billy Ward & The Dominoes —
14 Hits – Vol 3 ... LP King, Mid 50s. Very Good+ ...
$1.99