Her first LP, produced by R Kelly. 11 tracks, plus the intro and a bonus remix of the single "Back & Forth", also includes the title track, "No One Knows How To Love Me Quite Like You Do", 'Street thing", "Old School" and "I'm Down". CD
Smoking grooves from an incredible group – the amazing Afro Blues Quintet, a combo with a sound like no other! These guys were never one for stardom, but during the mid and late 60s, they burned up the west coast scene with an incredible blend of vibes, piano, and reeds – often kicked ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
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, Soul)read moreCD
West coast r&b, doo wop and all around fantastic numbers from the mid 50s to the dawn of the 60s – fantastic stuff from Tony Allen – not the Afrobeat legend, but the unjustly overlooked singer! Tony had a bunch of excellent singles on the important r&b labels of the day, but ... read moreCD
Rare funk from the Indy scene of the early 70s – the long-overdue release of material recorded by a really hard-jamming, horn-heavy combo! Amnesty have a sound that's awash in the best large group influences of the time – a bit of Earth Wind & Fire, a bit of Parliament/Funkadelic, ... read moreCD
Nathaniel Leslie Anderson —
Mixed Bag ... CD Canaan, Used ...
$1.99
A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that ... read moreCD
A third great chapter in the career of the mighty Steve Arrington – a solo debut, after work in the groups Slave and Hall Of Fame – and a set that has Arrington maybe shining even more than ever in the spotlight! Rhythms are a bit more mid 80s than his previous work – but Steve's ... read moreCD
Cesar Ascarrunz —
Cesar 830 ... CD Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1975. New Copy ...
$8.9914.99
Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a ... (Latin, Soul)read moreCD
Darn solid work from Ashford & Simpson – one of the duo's biggest albums for Capitol Records, and a great set from their 80s run for the label! The groove here is a bit more heavy on keyboards and beats than before, but the pair still keep things plenty soulful with their positive, ... read moreCD
An excellent CD that brings together some hard to find tracks recorded by two of the few vocal groups to record for the legendary Stax label! The Astors recorded during the mid 60's, and their work has a sound that's similar to some of the classic Stax recordings during the Atlantic years, but ... read moreCD
A mid 80s classic from Atlantic Starr – at the height of their catchy commercial fame – bouncing along with rhythms that crossover nicely to the mainstream, yet still keep a bit of their previous funky edge intact! The groove here is almost in the style that Atlantic Starr inspired in ... read moreCD
One of the biggest albums in the great early 80s run of Atlantic Starr – the group who mastered a mean, lean style of funk for the decade – with plenty of basslines, snapping beats, and sweet keyboards to send the whole thing home! Barbara Weathers joins the group here on lead vocals ... read moreCD
The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the ... read moreCD
Atlantic Starr —
Yours Forever ... CD A&M/PTG (Netherlands), 1983. New Copy ...
$11.9919.99
A groovy little classic from Atlantic Starr – and a great example of the group's wonderfully catchy way of hitting a groove! The music's never pop, but has some captivating hooks all the way through – sweet little bits mixed in with the funky soul approach of the ensemble – made ... read moreCD
Havana Candy, indeed – as singer Patti Austin's in her sweetest mode of the 70s – stepping off of years of background vocals for others, and really emerging as a great soul star on her own! Patti got the chance to cut some soul singles back in her early days – but work like this ... read moreCD
Includes "Hold Me", "Ability To Swing", "Givin' In To Love", "We Fell In Love Anyway", "The Heat Of Heat", "You Brought Me Love", "Love Is Gonna Getcha", "I'll Keep Your Dreams Alive", and more. CD
David Axelrod —
Heavy Axe ... CD Fantasy/BGP (UK), 1974. New Copy ...
$8.9914.99
A great back-to-basics solo album from the legendary David Axelrod – cut in the mid 70s for Fantasy Records, after higher-concept projects like The Auction and Messiah! This set gets right to the core – and focuses on the funk currents that were always part of Axelrod's larger ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Roy's so great, we'd be hard pressed to sum up his genius in a simple greatest hits set – but we love his work so much, that any sort of collection is always a treat! The set brings together 15 of Roy's hippest numbers for Polydor – including some early funk tracks that have now become ... read moreCD
Roy's so great, we'd be hard pressed to sum up his genius in a simple greatest hits set – but we love his work so much, that any sort of collection is always a treat! The set brings together 15 of Roy's hippest numbers for Polydor – including some early funk tracks that have now become ... read moreCD
Polygram's totally cool 2 CD anthology of some of Roy's best work for the label, featuring tracks that run from the early 70's through the early 80's, with such stellar cuts as "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", "Coffy is The Color", "Pretty Brown Skin", "Africa, Center ... read moreCD
(Does not include slipcase or oversized booklet.)
Roy Ayers —
Feeling Good ... CD Polydor/PTG (Netherlands), 1982. New Copy ...
$11.9919.99
Stellar sounds from the great Roy Ayers – an early 80s album for Polydor, but a set that's still got the wonderfully tight, wonderfully groovy feel of his late 70s albums for the label! Roy's really perfected his sense of balance by this time – and does a great job of balancing ... read moreCD
An excellent live set by Roy Ayers – recorded back in 1988, but with a sound that's right up there with his classic work! Roy's working here in front of a very appreciative crowd at London's Ronnie Scott's night club – and there's clearly plenty of British rare groovers in the audience ... read moreCD
A fantastic lost chapter in the career of genius soul/jazz/funk maestro Roy Ayers – a set that was only ever issued in the UK, and which is a great second part to his Lots Of Love album on the Uno Melodic label! This album features a few tracks from that gem, but in longer versions – ... read moreCD
Rare Bacharach galore – an assortment of under-reissued tracks all penned by the mighty Burt – most of which are from the heyday of 60s uptown soul! Despite the 1952 in the date range on the title, almost all the tunes here are from the mid 60s – that time when Bacharach was ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreCD
Erykah Badu —
Live ... CD Universal, 1997. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A surprising second album from Erykah Badu – a live recording, coming right on the heels of her first studio set – and showing that the girl's equally great without any added production work! The feel is warm, earth, and wonderful – intimate, and richly spiritual – as ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Always classy soul from Anita Baker – her first album in years, wrapped up in a lush and laidback style that's perfect for her Blue Note debut! There's lots of jazzy undercurrents in the mix, and if anything, Anita's letting her vocals up even more – at times scatting with a tone and ... read moreCD
Fantastic solo work from Ginger Baker – a musician who only seemed to get better and better the farther he moved away from Cream and Blind Faith! A set like this really gives Ginger a chance to open up and explore all the many musical currents that were grabbing his interests – served ... (Rock, Soul)read moreCD
Bessie Smith by LaVern Baker – a great blend of modes that really comes off great! Instead of sounding like a throwback blues album, the set comes across with a nice degree of contemporary class – thanks in part to a jazzy presentation that's a bit different than some of Baker's other ... read moreCD
Plenty of fire here – a killer batch of R&B classics from the 50s, all sung by the pre-soul powerhouse Lavern Baker! Baker's material was some of the best Atlantic Records cut back in the day – the kind of genre-defining singles that forever changed the sound of the female voice in ... read moreCD
Really great later work from Mickey Baker – a guitarist who first rose to fame during the 50s years of R&B, but who just kept on maturing over the years, and really opened up a much stronger blues style in his music! Here, Mickey sings and plays guitar – the latter with a voice ... read moreCD
A great overview of the guitar talents of Mickey Baker – an artist who's maybe best remembered during this time for an album on Atlantic, or his duets with the young Sylvia Robinson (as Mickey & Sylvia) – but a player who also worked on countless sessions during the years of R&B ... read moreCD
Hank Ballard was one of the greatest singers in the pre-soul generation – the kind of vocalist who provided inspiration for so many others to come in the 60s – a raw lead singer who really drove his group to great heights – as you'll hear here in this hard-rocking collection of ... 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 ... read moreCD
An incredible package from the great Darrell Banks – a set that brings together his sublime Stax Records album, plus lots of rare bonus tracks too! The core record – Here To Stay – is incredible work from the great Banks – one of the few albums this genius Detroit soul ... read moreCD
Bar-Kays —
Dangerous ... CD Mercury/Universal (Japan), 1984. New Copy ...
$12.9914.99
A tighter sound than before for The Bar-Kays – that lean approach to funky grooves that some of their contemporaries were hitting as the 80s moved on – yet still served up here by the full ensemble with a relatively fresh feel overall. Amidst the beats and keyboards, there's still lots ... read moreCD
2 killers from The Bar-Kays – a heavy funk spectacular all the way through! First up is Gotta Groove – amazing work from the new version of The Bar-Kays – a group who reformed to become a combo as heavy as any of the best funky groups from Detroit, LA, or New York at the time! ... read moreCD
A pair of Mercury Records gems from the Bar-Kays – back to back in a single set! First up is Too Hot To Stop – a pivotal album from The Bar-Kays – a key post-Stax set, but one that's still very firmly grounded in Memphis funk! The groove definitely shows a bit more polish than ... read moreCD
It must have cost Barrabas plenty to make the heart-shaped manhole on the cover of this album – but given the sound of the grooves, the money was well worth it! The set's a fair bit tighter than their earliest work from Spain – but also a great direction for their styles – one ... read moreCD
Pastor TL Barrett & Youth For Christ Choir —
Do Not Pass Me By – Vol 2 ... CD Universal Awareness/Numero, 1973. New Copy (reissue)...
$7.99
The even more obscure second volume to the great soul/gospel classic Do Not Pass Me By – and like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy ... (Gospel, Soul)read moreCD
Nathan Bartell —
Nathan Bartell ... CD Athens Of The North (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ...
$6.9916.99
Fantastic funky soul from a very mysterious figure – Georgia's Nathan Bartell, a singer with a deep soul style, and an under-exposed legacy that mostly involves a few indie label singles, and countless work in the smaller clubs of his state! The blend of music here is a bit different than ... read moreCD
Dave Bartholomew —
In The Alley ... CD Charly (UK), Early 50s. Used ...
$4.99
With 20 tracks including "Golden Rule", "Basin Street Breakdown", "Country Boy", "Messy Bessy", "Mr. Fool", "Nickel Wine", "High Flying Women", and "My Ding-A Ling". CD
Fontella Bass —
New Look ... CD Checker/Monkey Dog (Austria), 1965. New Copy ...
$5.9916.99
With that whip in her hand, we're not gonna argue with Fontella Bass about her New Look in the photo – and we can definitely say that the whole classic album definitely lives up to her hip, powerful stance on the cover! Fontella's a singer who started in gospel, later sung jazz, but who ... read moreCD
Joe Bataan working in a pronounced dancefloor soul mode! While the legendary Bataan was no stranger to the fusion of Latin, soul and funk, this some of the most club soul oriented sounds from Joe we've ever heard – and the sessions are seeing official release for the first time ever! The ... (Latin, Soul)read moreCD
The last true classic from the masters of the 80s groove genre – a post-Capitol effort for Elektra, but one that's still awash in great keyboards and snapping electro beats! Some of the jazzier sound from the past is gone here, but in its place is a leaner, cleaner sound that's still a fair ... read moreCD
The cover looks a bit vintage, but the set features more contemporary tracks from this legendary UK soul group – the combo who gave birth to Incognito at the end of the 80s, and touched a fair bit of other acts as well! Over the decade, Beggar & Co have kept going strong – with a ... read moreCD
Maybe the greatest record we've ever heard from Beggar & Co – a set that sparkles strongly from a host of excellent guest work – not just from Incognito, but also from some key American musicians as well! The groove is tighter than ever – and very much in the 70s-inspired ... read moreCD
A great collection – the rare two albums by Beginning Of The End, plus bonus tracks too! First up is the classic Funky Nassau – s monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – ... read moreCD
All By Myself is Regina Belle's debut, a nice mix of dancefloor soul and ballads. The blend of period production touches – keys & synths, in particular – with live instrumentation is excellent, in part thanks to great studio players like Dexter Wansel and Pablo Batista – but ... read moreCD
Classy soul from Regina Bell – a mellow, mature set that's filled with seductive charms! Titles include "Take My Time", "Someone Who Needs Me", "La Da Di", "Let Me Hold You", "Oooh Boy", "What If", "Gotta Go Back", and ... read moreCD
Sweet stepping soul from George Benson – a batch of tracks that wraps up his wonderful vocals and guitar with some great contemporary rhythms! The vibe here is nicely laidback – never too smooth, nor some of the more commercial territory that Benson was trying for a decade before ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
(Out of print, punch through barcode and booklet.)
Smooth righteous soul from Brooklyn-based singer Karen Bernod – done here in a great blend of styles that mixes a sweet modern approach with bits of older jazz elements, giving the set strong crossover appeal without losing any of the positive energy that inspires the music. The keyboards ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Big Maybelle's got a new bag – and we like it! This tasty set was cut for the tiny Rojac label in between Maybelle's earlier years at Savoy and later albums on Brunswick – and it's got a swinging, 60s mod sort of style that's pretty darn groovy, baby! The arrangements are by Bob Gallo ... read moreCD
(In a very cool Japanese-styled, LP-like cardboard sleeve cover!)
A great set that may well be Big Maybelle's best record ever – really rare work that's quite different than her famous work of the 50s! The set was recorded in the Criteria studios in Miami – and it's got a cool southern soul sound that's part Bobby Blue Bland bluesy soul, and part ... read moreCD
(In a very cool Japanese-styled, LP-like cardboard sleeve cover!)
Rupa Biswas —
Disco Jazz ... CD Numero, 1982. New Copy ...
$13.9916.98
A record that's got to be one of the coolest recorded in Calgary during the early 80s – as it offers up a really unusual blend of modes that definitely lives up to its title, and which also borrows a bit from Indian music as well! Singer Rupa Biswas fronts a group that's equally strong on ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreCD
Black Hippies —
Black Hippies ... CD Academy, 1977. New Copy Gatefold ...
$6.9915.98
Hardly the kind of hippies that were always hanging around when we were growing up – as these guys are super tight, super funky, and right on the money throughout – grooving hard in one of the most searing styles of Afro Funk we've ever heard! Older psych modes are turned towards the ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreCD
One of Bobby Blue Bland's best albums ever – a stunning mix of blues and soul that's the kind of killer stuff that will make you a fan of his forever! There's no beating Bland at this point in his career – and the record is one of the finest illustrations of the power he brought to his ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
The grand dame of hip hop soul returns – and it's hardly a growing effort, it's got some of her best work of the decade! Growing Pains is a restless set of tracks that roll from hard hitting funky soul, to laidback sophisticated jams – working with a number of producers who are all ... read moreCD
The landmark debut of Mary J Blige – a record that not only did a great job of blending underground hip hop and mainstream soul sensibilities – but maybe also opened the door for the Neo Soul revolution to come! Mary comes on here with a fresh new vision in female soul – one that' ... read moreCD
Sweet 80s soul from Peggi Blu – an artist who recorded this gem for Capitol Records with hardly any fanfare at the time, but who's gotten plenty of play from the set over the years! Peggi's got a style that's nicely unassuming – a voice that still has all the range and power of the ... read moreCD
A dozen tracks from one of the greatest east coast harmony groups of the 70s! Blue Magic came onto the scene a bit later than some of their other hit making geographical neighbors – like The Stylistics or The Moments – but their sound was pure 70s harmony all the way, and the group had ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Willie Bobo & the Bo-Gents —
Do What You Want To Do ... CD Sussex/Octave (Japan), Early 70s. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
Incredible work by Willie Bobo – a slamming record of hard funky instrumentals, one that sounds different than any of his other albums! The record's a killer all the way through – a mixture of Latin and deep 70s funk, one of the few perfect fusions of the styles, held up beautifully ... read moreCD
An interesting historical document, and a pretty decent live set – in the same soul mixed-bag style as the Wattstax live albums. This one was recorded at the Watts Jazz Fest in 1973, and it features two great tracks by Willie Bobo – one a mellow reading of Jobim's "Dindi", ... read moreCD
A killer bit of early funk from the great Hamilton Bohannon – and quite possibly his greatest album ever – a really unique approach to funky rhythms, with a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The album's got a slower funk sound than Bohannon's later disco groove a few ... read moreCD
One of the biggest and best albums ever for Hamilton Bohannon – filled with quirky rhythms and really unusual grooves! Bohannon was one of the key forces in setting the scene for disco in the early 70s – and by the time the rest of the country was hitting the dancefloor in the middle ... read moreCD
An early 80s gem from Booker T – and continuing proof that he made some mighty nice music after he split from the MGs! This set's got Book grooving in a sweet Cali mode all the way through – a vibe that's warm, yet never sleepy at all – and blended with just the right touches of ... read moreCD
A treasure trove of tight, organ-driven grooves from Booker T & The MGs – a quartet who really helped transform the sound of soul music in the 60s – even if they never sang on any of their records! The combo instrumental record had existed before Booker and the group, but working ... read moreCD
A sublime second chapter of work from Booker T & The MGs – pulled from a time when Stax Records was stepping out of the influence of Atlantic, and really opening the door to a wide variety of new soul sounds! That approach is definitely in place here – as the tracks really evolve ... read moreCD
Booker T & The MGs —
Green Onions ... CD Stax/Atlantic, 1962. New Copy ...
$14.9915.99
A legendary album of Memphis soul – and a full length set that helped redefine the sound of instrumental music in the 60s! The record's a monumental follow-up to Booker T & The MGs' huge hit single "Green Onions" – an extremely seductive organ-based instrumental that the ... read moreCD
Booker T & The MGs —
Soul Party ... CD Stax/Wounded Bird, 1970. New Copy ...
$6.9911.98
A rare European-only collection of work by Booker T & The MGs – and one that features a fair bit of live material, too – 7 of the album's 12 tracks – which almost makes the whole thing stand out like some obscure live record from the group! There's a definite sense of sear to ... read moreCD
A sweet sweet set of electric 70s funk – recorded by Booker T during a brief, but well-needed reunion with the MGs! The sound here is quite different than Stax-era MGs – as Booker plays a range of keyboards, not just organ – and the grooves have these great jazz funk touches at ... read moreCD
Sublime second generation soul from Brenda & The Tabulations – a sweet set of Philly grooves, recorded at Sigma sound with help from Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, and John Davis! The album's every bit as groove-heavy as you'd expect from work by those dancefloor heavyweights – and the ... read moreCD
Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves. The group has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label ... read moreCD
Trina Broussard —
Inside My Love ... CD Expansion (UK), Late 90s/2008. New Copy ...
$7.9919.99
The long-overdue release of Inside My Love – a sublime little set recorded by Trina Broussard in the late 90s – originally planned for the So-So Def label, but never properly issued at the time! The album's years ahead of most soul of the time – a great precursor to the Neo Soul ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
Features 50 tracks on two CDs – including "Think", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Prisoner Of Love", "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud, Pt 1", "Ain't It Funky Now, Pt 1", "Super Bad, Pt 1", and ... read moreCD
(Small cutout hole through rear case and tray card.)
Killer work from James' late 60s period – the time when he was working with the Pee Wee Ellis/Maceo James Brown Band, and developing some of his most crucial conceptions of funkiness. The 2 CD set is filled with nice extra bits – like extended versions of tracks you might already know, ... read moreCD
A rare lost treasure from James Brown – the full, unedited version of a live concert that was cut up and butchered for the Sex Machine album – presented here for the first time ever, with a huge amount of never-issued tunes! Sex Machine was one of those "fake" concert albums ... read moreCD
James Brown lets it loose – exploding with a funkier, groovier sound here than in previous years, and really starting the extended groove that would blossom even more fully at the end of the 60s! The titles here are all pretty great – and given the strength of James at the time, the ... read moreCD