Two great tracks from Paolo Achenza – one of the first artists to open our ears to the sound of the Italian scene back in the 90s! The single features a great remake of the Brazilian funk classic "A Vida Em Seus Metodos Diz Calma" – done here in a sweet groove that mixes lots ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
"Country Preacher" was the title track to the album of the same name, but the real winner here is "Hummin"! The cut's an amazing groover by Nat Adderley – with a funky riff on the intro, nice drums, and a cool electric horn sound that's prime Cannon all the way! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Fantastic Hawaii funk from the end of the 70s – two great tracks by a group you shouldn't confuse with the Aurra group on Salsoul! "Magic Lover" has a blend of jazz and funk underneath the soulful lyrics – horns bursting and bubbling, and a tight bassline that almost gives ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A warm mix of funk, reggae, and a bit of hip hop – served up in a tune that comes across with a crackling sort of freshness overall! Lyrics are a mix of sung chorus and spoken verses – and the groove has a rising/falling horn passage that really underscores the meaning of the tune! ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A wicked set of funky steel drums – a bad-stepping number from the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, and just the kind of hard funk cut we're always digging for on steel drum records! We hardly ever find gems this good though – as "Pimp" has these slow-snapping drums that make ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two fantastic tracks from Bags – a sweet soul group who recorded briefly for the GSF label at the start of the 70s! "Hey Girl" is prime east coast group material – with this sweetly-flowing lead that feels like some of the best Larry Sanders work of the time – warm, but ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two of the coolest cuts from Andrea Balducci's excellent album on Schema – a slow, slinky version of "Spooky", with sweet Fender Rhodes under the lyrics – and a super-dope funk remake of "Hurt So Bad" – with even more Rhodes, and a groove that really beats the ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Floorshaking sounds from Chicago's Bama Lama's with guest singer Gabrielle Sutton – paying tribute to the glorious dawn of the 60s guy/girl rocking rhythm & soul singles of Tarheel Slim & Little Ann with the songs – while paying homage to the groovy style pre-Ye Ye French rock ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two fantastic funky cuts from this legendary Brazilian group! "Maria Fumaca" has fast-changing funky jazz rhythms that are completely outta sight – almost more a 70s Bay Area jazz funk groove overall, complete with great horns and keyboards! "Mr Funky Samba" is another ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two killer slices of Brazilian funk! The instrumental "Miss Cheryl" is one of the trademark tunes of Banda Black Rio – a cut with these sharp, jazzy changes that are completely amazing – and which easily have BBR rivaling the sound of Earth Wind & Fire at their best! The ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine brings some soaring spacey vocal atmosphere to "Wild Season", with the non-album track "Daze" on the flip. 7-inch, Vinyl record
An underground classic from Chicago! Barbara & The Uniques were one of the city's great under-recorded groups – and they had a sound that's very much in keeping with bigger work on labels like Brunswick. No surprise, though – because Eugene Record wrote "There It Goes", ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Red label pressing. Labels have small stickers and some marker.)
A sweet bit of GoGo funk from the early 80s – a tune that's nice and lean overall, with a vibe that almost mixes in some electro soul as well – thanks to some heavy beats at the bottom, sweet bassline in the middle, and nice keyboard washes on the top! All instrumental, with a good ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Very nice obscure material by this classic east coast vocal group. The tracks were arranged by Vince Montana and Norman Harris, respectively, and were issued after their early albums on Today. "What Goes Around" is an uptempo groover, but our fave is "No One Else Will Do", an ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Funky drums and some mighty nice horns – a real killer from Black Market Brass, and maybe one of their most intense tracks to date! There's almost an Afro Funk vibe here, but the style is even more freewheeling – fast grooves and horns that are incredibly deft, but also have lots of ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A great single by this legendary jazz funk group! "Happy Music" is a killer uptempo track – with these wild spacey guitars going back and forth on the intro in a way that still leaves us stunned. "Love So Fine" is great, too – and has a fantastic jazzy intro with a ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A sweet take on this tune by Bob & Gene – given a Jamaican groove on both sides, thanks to help from The Inversions! The main cut bubbles along with a bit of a rocksteady vibe next to the duo's vocals – still very much the main song at the core, but augmented with a Kingston soul ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A fantastic track from this ultra-hip Chicago group – very spiritual in terms of the lyrics and soulful vocals, but also given a very cool crackle, thanks to some killer work on drums and percussion! Those elements get even more exposure on the flipside – which is a really great way to ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A classic single – and a really incredible snapshot of the more experimental side of Bowie's Berlin era, with electronic accompaniment by Brian Eno and guitar by Robert Fripp! "Beauty & The Beast" is the first track on Heroes and that albums second single, after the more ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of the greatest songs ever from David Bowie – a fantastic tune from his years in Berlin, and maybe one of the best-remembered tracks of that time! "Heroes" is anthemic statement of hope – quite a surprise, compared to Bowie's earlier music – but still delivered with ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Scorching raw soul from Charles Bradley – backed by the tight Menahan Street Band! "World (Is Going Up In Flames)" might be the best track yet from Bradley – an incredible groover with a heavy theme – but the apocalypse never sounded so sweet! The groove is raw and ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Rare 60s work from Brenner's Folk – a Spanish group who later changed their name to Pic Nic, and had a lot more success in that format! The style here is a bit folksy, but also recorded with a garagey style too – a nicely dark current that makes the male singer sound especially nice, ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Hardly the corporate record you'd guess from the name – and instead a fantastic funk track from the 70s underground! There's a cool descending vibe to the rhythm – which contrasts nicely with the soaring vocals of the group! "Doin It Our Way" follows with an equally upbeat ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A compellingly tuneful track from the free jazz power trio of Peter Brotzmann, Fred Van Hove, and Han Bennink – the group's rendition of a Hanns Eisler tune, "Einheitsfrontlied", done in a way that has the melody started strongly with rhythm – before letting the three group ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Ahh . . . For the days of the streaking single! Arelean was an obscure blues singer from Chicago's west side – but she's forever famous among funk fans for this groovy little number. The cut's got a slow bluesy feel – but Arlean keeps it going with some great lines about what a good ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Nice stuff from James! "Public Enemy" is a wonderful track, with a long spoken monologue that shows a great side of James' progressive ideas. Nice message about heroin, and a good backing with a mellow feel. Even better is "My Thang", a nice hard funky track that's James' ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
2 killers by James! Both tracks are from the soundtrack to Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and "Sexy Sexy Sexy" is a stone cold winner that always gets overlooked in surveys of James' funky singles from the time. Very nice! 7-inch, Vinyl record
One of James' best, and a killer funky track with a great riff by the JBs! Both parts are excellent, and the track never stops grooving! The 45 mix is different than the LP, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Killer funky stuff from JB, and just about everything you'd want from him: hard grooves, heavy politics, and lots of nice funky playing by the band! Also the inspiration for the great Talkin' Loud label! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Gritty modern funk with an impeccably dusty vibe – the first thing we've heard from Lucky Brown –and hopefully not the last! "Don't Go Away" is a tight, heavy number the wholly belongs to the killer early 70s school of funk – a modern jam that exudes all the dust and ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of the headiest cuts we've ever heard from Lucky Brown – mostly because The SGs have hit this righteous blend of funk and spiritual jazz – almost exotic in parts, but still very grooving overall – but with lots of room for great solos from the group members! "Justice" ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A nice one from Mel – with lots of guitar, lots of bluesy licks, and organ going "wah wah" in the background. Kind of a slow stoner funk number, with a weird wobbly slow groove! 7-inch, Vinyl record
(Orange label pressing. Labels have some faded spots.)
There's a great fuzzy groove going on here – maybe a bit more distorted than the usual Brownout sound – but still equally funky! "Evolver" has this lyric and an overall vibe that maybe places it in the territory of War during their glory days – and "Things You ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of the earliest singles from the great Chico Buarque – and both sides are great! "A Banda" is served up here in a moody version that feels lighter than the one we know – acoustic guitar alongside Chico's vocals in the lead – all with that undeniably catchy lyric in ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A pair of aural psych funk severe weather events from the mighty Budos Band! "Maelstrom" kicks off with swirling bit of organ, presaging the funky onslaught to come – with soulful horn blasts and and impeccably rhythmic sensibility that keeps it from flying out of control. "Aval ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
One of those funky 45s you can tell will be great – just by looking at the surface of the grooves! The tune starts out all compressed and trebly at the start – with fuzzy guitar over a spare rhythm, which then gets full and funky once the cut gets going – but then takes this ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Perhaps the greatest record Jerry Butler made in the 70s, and a very tight bit of baroque Chicago soul with arrangements and production by Samuel F. Brown III. The tracks are a good mix of originals and covers, and they all show Jerry going way past his Gamble & Huff/Mercury years – into ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Sleeve has some aging and a small tear in the opening.)
Fierce funk from this Crescent City duo! "Fox In A Mini Skirt" romps along at a wickedly sharp pace – bumping full-on with this downturning groove that's perfect for the badass lyrics over the top! "Bad Luck" just features Hank on his own – and the track has even ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two of the greatest songs ever by the legendary James Carr – served up here on a Goldwax replica 45! Many folks sang the classic Dan Penn tune "Dark End Of The Street" in the 60s – but few folks ever did it as well as James Carr – working here in an original arrangement ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two rare tracks by a combo who worked in the hinterlands of Illinois during the 70s! "Peter In Or Out" has a strange title, but a groove that's right on the money – super-sharp bass, drums, and horns coming together – with the promised organ in the middle – getting a ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
What can we say? "Twine Time" is one of the all-time classics – and it's still the best-remembered track by this legendary funky 45 artist. "The Bump" is pretty darn nice, too – and this one's not a 70s bump track, but a harder, 60s one! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Two funky Brazilian numbers from the lovely Celia – both of them great! "Zozoi Como E Que E" has a very fast-moving acoustic bassline that sets the whole thing on fire – while Celia's vocals soar over the top, and are tightly punctuated by a great horn section too! "Para ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Believe it or not, "Booty Butt" is a stone cold funky 45 – and it's got a monster groove that's just right for the format, and which sounds nothing at all like Ray Charles. The cut's a great one, and well worth being stocked by any funky 45 completist! 7-inch, Vinyl record
"Double Cookin" does just that – rolling along at a tight tempo, mixing guitar comping, strings, and a pounding Northern beat that's finished off with some great brassy horns and really sweet strings! The cut's all instrumental and all killer! "Is It Love Baby" pushes ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Suzanne Ciani —
Fish Music ... 7-inch Finders Keepers (UK), 1977. Near Mint- (pic cover)...
$14.99
An electronic music record that's very near and dear to our hearts – as the sounds within were composed by Suzanne Ciani on her Buchla Board synthesizer – and designed for use in the Woodfield Mall in the suburbs of Chicago – a place we spent countless time as kids! We don't ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Single-sided "aquatic clear" vinyl limited to 100 copies. Includes a copy of the original press release as well as a press cutting from the time.)
A mighty sweet groove from Chuck Cissel – a singer who's got a way of soaring with the groove – which is an approach that works perfectly here! "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry" has this vibe that's maybe a bit more upbeat than the message of the lyrics – but that's a-OK ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Elbernita 'Twinkie' Clark —
Awake O Zion/Power ... 7-inch Athens Of The North (UK), 1981. New Copy (reissue)...
$13.99
Sweet soaring gospel from Elbertina Clark – a track that has a swirling mix of upbeat rhythms, strings, and soul – all with a groove that's almost clubby at times – and which really helps Clark's vocals rise to the skies! "Power" is great too – a cut that has a ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Two rare tracks by this great Chicago group from the 70s! "I Don't Want" is a great harmony number that starts off with a nice break – then leaps into this soaring groove that's much more upbeat and positive than you'd guess from the title! "I've Got To Space" is tighter ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
The lovely Claudia serves up to very groovy numbers here! "Deixa O Morro Cantar" has this soaring mix of samba rhythms and horns – and is topped by Claudia's bold lead – in a style that's nicely different than some of the softer female bossa singers of her scene, and which is ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Lost material from Otis Clay! Both tracks take Otis way way south from Chicago – as "I'm Qualified" features production by Rick Hall, and "Is It Over" features work by Willie Mitchell. Both tracks are stronger than Otis later work, and are great transitional cuts from ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Some of the deepest soul ever to be cut in Chicago. "That's How It Is" has stunning vocals by Clay, with production that sounds more like it's from Memphis than from the south side. "Show Place" is a pretty good hard uptempo groover, too. 7-inch, Vinyl record
One of our favorite tracks ever from Chicago soul singer Linda Clifford – a mellow bit of funk written and produced by Leroy Hutson – and quite different than any of Linda's later clubby work! In fact, the whole thing's got a righteous, positive vibe – one that really feels ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record