Marlena Shaw : Spice Of Life (LP, Vinyl record album) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Enlarge       Note

Spice Of Life

LP (Item 7314) Cadet, 1969 — Condition: Very Good
Also available
Marlena Shaw — Spice Of Life (SHMCD pressing) ... CD 14.99
An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one!  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.

Very Good

  • Vinyl can have some dirt, but nothing major.
  • May not shine under light, but should still be pretty clean, and not too dirty.
  • May have a number of marks (5 to 10 at most), and obvious signs of play, but never a big cluster of them, or any major mark that would be very deep. Most marks should still not click under a fingernail.
  • May not look near perfect, but should play fairly well, with slight surface noise, and the occasional click in part of a song, but never throughout a whole song or more.
  • This is clearly a copy that was played by someone a number of times, but which could also be a good "play copy" for someone new.

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.



You might be interested


Cadet, 1969. Near Mint-
More than a usual greatest hits comp – this LP brings together a very tasty batch of Dells tracks from the late 60s, a number of which were either not on LP, or are very tough to find on wax. Titles include "Hallways Of My Mind", "O-O, I Love You", "There Is", ... LP, Vinyl record album
Cadet, 1972. Very Good
Forget Dionne Warwick, and think Burt Bacharach – because on this sublime little set, The Dells are singing some of Burt's greatest tunes ever – all set to impeccable arrangements by the legendary Charles Stepney! The album's more wonderful than you might even expect – a true ... LP, Vinyl record album

Minnie Riperton

Perfect Angel
Epic, 1974. Near Mint-
Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest female soul stars! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix ... LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown

Bodyheat
Polydor, 1976. Very Good+
An enduring classic from James Brown – quite possibly the strongest of his late 70s albums, and a record that nicely balances the harder funk of the early part of the decade with a more sophisticated style that almost gets slightly jazzy at times! The vocals are planted strongly at the top ... LP, Vinyl record album

Isaac Hayes

Shaft
Enterprise, 1971. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold
A landmark album that hardly needs any introduction – as it's one of the most famous soundtracks, if not soul records, of the 70s! Isaac Hayes had already surprised music fans with the sophistication of his first few solo albums, which had been issued before this one – but with Shaft, ... LP, Vinyl record album

Vanity 6

Vanity 6
Warner, 1982. Near Mint-
The only record from this group that would sort of morph into Apollonia 6, one of many Prince vehicles during the 80s. As you'd hope from a Prince side project, the tracks here bubble with his new wave/pop/funk crossover, though really the hit "Nasty Girl" is pretty much the only ... LP, Vinyl record album

O'Jays

Ship Ahoy
Philadelphia International, 1973. Very Good+ Gatefold
A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul ... LP, Vinyl record album
A&M/CTI, 1968. Sealed
Fantastic work from Tamiko Jones – one of the more enigmatic soul singers of her generation! Tamiko could always handle a number of styles – and on this set, she moves between jazz and deep soul, working through a set of tracks that were recorded at either Sam Phillips in Memphis, or ... LP, Vinyl record album

Brothers Johnson

Right On Time
A&M, 1977. Near Mint-
A funky classic from the Brothers Johnson – sweet funky soul, done with a polish few could match! The pair are still working with Quincy Jones at this point, and the record's filled with lots of tight jazzy grooves that certainly show Quincy's touch – and which set the record apart ... LP, Vinyl record album

Gil Scott-Heron

Free Will
Flying Dutchman, 1972. Near Mint- Gatefold
A really tremendous album from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that stands as one of his greatest statements from the 70s! The record is a wonderful example of Gil's work in two different styles – sweet mellow jazzy soul, and harder heavier protest poetry – the latter ... LP, Vinyl record album
Kent, Early 70s. Near Mint-
Rudy Ray Moore's second album, and almost hipper than the first – thanks to some key musical backings from The Fillmore St Soul Rebellion! The vibe here is as rough and raw as you'd expect – a no-holds-barred version of party records, with Rudy using plenty of language hardly heard ... LP, Vinyl record album
Candid, 1960. Near Mint-
One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by ... LP, Vinyl record album
 



⇑ Top