Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have
some signs of use (although not major ones).
May have slight surface noise when played.
Additional Marks & Notes
If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially
if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record.
This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip,
cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.
A classic from Donald Byrd – a wonderful number done in collaboration with Larry Mizell – and a mad mix of Latin and jazz funk grooving! Simply sublime – with a soulful feel that grabs you from the first note! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Two sides of straight soul bop by this Chicago tenor legend from the south side! This is the kind of jazz that still gets played in tiny lounges all over the city – not cutting edge, or totally funky, but with a nice deep bottom, and a lot of soul. A great peek at a lost tradition in ... 7-inch, Vinyl record
Tight tight tight choppy choppy choppy and funky funky funky! An undisputed classic, with a riff so fast you'd think it was played by a machine! 7-inch, Vinyl record
One of Alvin's funkiest tracks ever, and a killer groove put together at the end of the 60's with the funky Scott Brothers Orchestra backing him up. The track's got a razor-sharp guitar that chops through the whole thing with amazing precision – and the instrumental side has some nice funky ... 7-inch, Vinyl record
Beautiful! "Fool Like Me" has everything you'd want in a sweet soul track from the 70's: a nice spoken intro, cool spacey production (by James VanLeer), and a very nice track about heartbreak and shame. Great stuff, and a track that should have been more of a classic! 7-inch, Vinyl record
Despite his proclaimed hatred of the Latin Soul genre, Tito Puente managed to score big with "Fat Mama", this tight little groover that has a totally catchy boogaloo riff. "Work Song" is a nice soulful Latin version of the Nat Adderley hit, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record
This is the reason you buy rare soul singles! "Almost" is one of the best 45-only soul tracks we've ever heard. It's got fantastic vocals, amazing production, and a hook that just won't quit. Jimmy's a really incredible singer, and Detroit genius Ollie McLaughlin produced the track ... 7-inch, Vinyl record
Two funky groovers from Johnny C! "Cool Broadway" takes up where "Funky Broadway" left off – dancing along at a similar beat, but slightly more restrained, or "cool", if you will. "Hitch It" vamps along in that Cliff Nobles "Horse" groove ... 7-inch, Vinyl record
A great little number from Arthur Conley! "Funky Street" isn't really funk, as you'd expect – but it is an excellent hard soul number that's one of Art's best cuts from the time. It's propelled by some very tasty drums, and has a strong party groove that really pushes his vocals! ... 7-inch, Vinyl record
A real killer from the Detroit Emeralds – Westbound soul at its best! "You Want It You Got It" has a wonderful little groove – the kind of hook you can't deny, wrapped around some great group vocals, with some nice slightly psychedelic touches on production! 7-inch, Vinyl record