Great stuff by Betty – and light years away from her work at Vee Jay! The album was recorded for Fantasy during their golden year of 1975, and it's a smooth batch of sexy soul tunes with arrangements by Gene Page that are very much in a Barry White mid-70s mode. Betty's lyrical stylings are ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A damn great bit of work from the legendary Al Green – maybe one of his best records ever – and in fact, maybe one of greatest soul albums of all time! The set's got a style that's really genre-defining – not the previous southern soul of a few years before, but also not the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original Hi pressing. Cover has cutout hole, surface wear, and a half split spine.)
Commodores —
Machine Gun ... LP Motown, 1974. Very Good ...
Just Sold Out!
Lionel Richie come back! All is forgiven! We'd said bad things about you for years until we heard this funky groover – The Commodores' first album, a tasty bit of funk that almost makes us want to forgive you for all of your later crimes! The whole thing's pretty funky all the way through ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Great stuff – the beginning of the Love Unlimited dynasty! As we're sure you know, Barry White produced this little gem of a record, and the record was a key proving ground for many of his stone cold soul production ideas before he went off and started doing the lead vocals himself. The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
What can we say? Most of the biggest hits, and many of the very best tracks cut in the prime of Al Green's career – which is to say some of the very best Memphis soul ever recorded! 10 essential tracks in all, and it's just one of these Greatest Hits packages of pure, inarguable perection ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Various —
Heavy Soul ... LP Atlantic, 1972. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
20 heavy tracks of soul from Atlantic's early 70s roster: King Floyd "Groove Me" and "Baby Let Me Kiss You", Brook Benton "Shoes", Little Sister "Somebody's Watching You", Jackie Moore "Precious Precious", Wilson Pickett "Don't Let The Green ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums – one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist – forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label Epic pressing.)
Isaac Hayes —
Hotbed ... LP Stax, 1978. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
We used to pass this one up, because it was later, and hence not as good as the other Stax stuff. But then we discovered the nice extended version of "Feel Like Makin' Love", which is a nice solid groover. Also includes the tracks "Use Me", "I'm Gonna Have to Tell ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A rare little set from The Meters – recorded in their home turf of New Orleans in the mid 70s, but with a groove that's as raw as their Josie Records albums of the 60s! The vibe here is a great change from the polished production the group were getting over at Warner Brothers – and the ... read moreCD
A classic from the electro maestro – arguably the greatest American album from Giorgio Moroder! The set's got a great mix of disco and electronics that was years ahead of its time – and is surprisingly fresh and edgey, despite Moroder's fame over the years. Electronics are really at ... read moreCD
A long-overdue recognition of the blues contributions of Willie Dixon – a set that pulls him out of the indie ghetto and pushes him firmly into the mainstream with this key release on Columbia Records! Yet despite that placement, the style is nicely down home – a strong recreation of ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A seminal bit of crossover disco from the mid 70s – and a record that broke big on its title reworking of The Animals' earlier hit! Leroy Gomez heads the group on vocals and alto sax – and brings a slight Latin flourish to the album – mixing strings with some brassier "Spanis ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the greatest albums to ever sum up the genius of Lou Rawls in the 60s – a brilliant live set put together with the talents of David Axelrod! The record perfectly captures the easy-going soul of Rawls in the early years – a natural approach to his music that made him one of the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Rainbow label stereo pressing. Cover has light wear.)
An amazing record from the team of Flack & Hathaway – one of the hippest duos in soul! Individually, each had taken the music to new heights and new audiences, through the use of jazzy phrasing and sophisticated lyrics, while never selling out in the way that earlier pop soul acts had ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic funky jazz from the Crusaders! The set includes some of their best cuts from their years at Blue Thumb – when they were slicking things up a bit, but still staying pretty true to their soul jazz roots. There's a lot of nice electric funky numbers, and more than a few hip hop ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A classic! What seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius, and the result was the most successful album of his career – and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the charts for years and years! Ray's voice works perfectly with the material, and thanks to soulful ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo black label pressing. Cover has some wear. Vinyl plays with a click on "Bye Bye Love".)
In the early 70s, Quincy Jones surrounded himself with some of the best young soul and jazz talent he could find, plus a few older pros – and the result was a great series of albums that spanned genres and created a whole new approach to modern R&B. This gem of a record was put together ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light wear.)
An excellent batch of hard soul grooves from the great Laura Lee! This one was her first for the Hot Wax label – and it's got the raw quality of her earlier singles for labels like Chess, with a hard vocal style that's very much in the Aretha Franklin/Fontella Bass camp – plus some ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A posthumous collection of work from Freddie King – material recorded in a variety of different sources, but all of it with Freddie's well-honed guitar sound in the lead! Some tracks were done down at Criteria Studios in Miami, and have a warmly southern sort of glow – others were done ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Hardly the disco set you might guess from the title – and instead, a surprisingly soulful gem from the post-Stax years of Isaac Hayes! There's certainly a bit of uptempo grooving in the mix – but, as on Ike's Polydor years, the approach is still handled with the deeper sounds that ... read moreCD
(Barcode has a mark.)
Chuck Higgins & The Mellotones —
Pachuko Hop ... CD Specialty, Early 50s. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Fantastic work from the mighty Chuck Higgins – a searing tenorist from the LA scene of the early 50s – and a hornman to match the talents on the other scenes around the US! This package features rare material recorded for Specialty Records – much of it unreleased – ... read moreCD
Essential! The Natural Four were one of the greatest soul harmony groups of the 70's – and their work on the Curtom label has always been some of the strongest soul to come out of Chicago during the same period. This new 2CD set brings together all of their work for the legendary label ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Teena Marie —
Robbery ... CD Epic, 1983. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Teena Marie steps out strongly on her own – really knocking it out of the park on this initial album for CBS – entirely written, arranged, and produced by Lady T! The grooves are as funky as before, but possibly have a leaner quality overall – a tighter 80s groove approach to the ... read moreCD
Essential stuff, whether you're a fan of roots reggae, Jamaican soul or the otherworldly antics of the Upsetter! Though you might not know it from some of the bitter rebukes Scratch later laid to wax against him, Romeo was clearly his favorite son when it came to vocalists, and got the prodigal ... (Reggae, Soul)read moreCD
The first two albums by Cold Blood – a Bay Area collective of soul and rock players, with a sound that's a jamming tribute to the harder soul of the late 60s. Lydia Pense's the lead singer – with a style that's kind of a sweeter take on the Tina Turner sound – and the mixed band ... read moreCD
Sam's greatest hits from the RCA years – including "Twistin The Night Away", "Having A Party", "Good Times", "Another Saturday Night", "Cupid", "Wonderful World", "When A Boy Falls In Love", "Only 16", "Chain ... read moreCD
Often overlooked amidst the bigger early albums by Kool & The Gang – but a totally solid record of funky stuff that's right up there with their best work! The band is super-tight at this point, grooving along in a hard drum, heavy bass, wah wah guitar frenzy – and even the vocals ... read moreCD
2 of the best records ever by The Jackson 5! Diana Ross Presents is the fantastic first record from the Jacksons – who were totally great, even at this early stage of their career. Proof enough is their big hit, the always-wonderful "I Want You Back", one of those tunes that we've ... read moreCD
An incredible record that was one of the highest points of Donald Byrd's career! The album's the third one he cut with producer/arranger Larry Mizell – and of all Byrd's work with Mizell, this one's the funkiest, the tightest, the most soulful, and the most perfectly realized vision of the ... (Jazz, Soul)read moreCD
Perhaps Donny Hathaway's greatest album from the 70s, and certainly the one with the most amazing arrangements! The record was Donny's last studio session, and it's got him working at a level that's far advanced from even his groundbreaking earlier work – using complicated rhythms and ... read moreCD
Larry and the group are definitely going to Boogie Town with this tasty single – a tight-stepping groover that crackles with their best electric funk touches! "Space Lady" is almost even better – with some male/female traded vocals that have a nice edge – almost in a ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Always-great work from the 5th Dimension – one of their biggest albums ever, built around the group's hit version of "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In", and featuring some other psychedelic pop soul gems like "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Blowing Away", "The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A seminal set from Vicki Sue Robinson – arguably her biggest album ever, thanks to the leadoff hit "Turn The Beat Around"! That groove really sets the tone for the rest of the record – a tight blend of disco rhythms and crossover soul – all delivered by Vicki with a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An instant classic the day it was released – and a perfect blending of the group's older freaked-out style with a slick late 70s funk sound that started showing up in the work of many other groups. "One Nation Under A Groove" is a monster cut with a hook that won't quit, and the LP ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing, missing the bonus 45. Cover has a cut corner.)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes —
Black & Blue ... LP Philadelphia International, 1973. Very Good Gatefold ...
$4.99
Classic Philly soul from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a killer batch of studio tracks, despite the live image of the group on the cover! The album's got a slightly more expansive feel than some of the other Teddy Pendergrass-era albums by The Blue Notes – almost a mini-symphony ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light ring wear.)
Dells —
Musical Menu ... LP Cadet, 1969. Very Good Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
One of The Dells' best albums from this period – and a real Cadet studios masterpiece, thanks to some incredibly groovy arrangements by Charles Stepney! The sound's a bit like some of the Rotary Connection albums put together under Stepney's supervision – but given that the group is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Crisply popping grooves from Roger – a great solo record from the voice of Zapp! The Saga Continues finds Roger still rocking his trademark effects laden vocals and vamping guitar work into the middle of the decade – with even tighter syncopated percussion, funky keys, and sharp synth ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light wear and a cutout notch.)
An excellent set that features some rare sides by Louis! The vintage of the tracks is the mid 50s – and these sides appear to have been recorded for RCA at the time with good small group backing. Titles include "Bananas", "Slow Smooth & Easy", "It's Been ... read moreCD
Music from Bird Rollins, Jamie Van Loan, Roy Brown, Betty Brown, Joe McCoy, Bobo Jenkins, Young Jessie, Mary Coleman, Georgia Lane, Louis & Frosty, the Night Riders, Harold Burrage Mabel Franklin & more. CD
20 tracks from Sax Kari, Frank Linkenberg, Hank Moore, Mojo Watson, Albert Washington, Lord Lebby, Jesse Thomas, Harmonica Fats, Leon & the Hi Tones, Tony Allan, Big Daddy, Otis Riley & more. CD
An obscure little soul set from 80s Chicago – featuring songwriting, arrangements, and production by the enigmatic Bandit – on titles that include "Playing In The Water", "Amber's Song", "Modern Day Lover", "Chasing My Dream", "Lady D", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really nice little album from J Blackfoot – one that's recorded with a few 80s touches, but in a way that mostly preserves the sweetly crackling style that makes his vocals so wonderful! There's plenty of mellower tunes here that echo with the rich contribution that Blackfoot brought to ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great little concept album – and one that really shows the continuing sophistication and growth of Jerry Butler's music in the 70s! The record is dedicated to the "single girl" of the 70s (portrayed with the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover) ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout notch and surface wear.)
O'Jays —
Ship Ahoy ... LP Philadelphia International, 1973. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A brilliant double live album by Bill Withers – different than his studio work, and every bit as essential! The album's similar to Curtis Mayfield's double live album around the same time – in that it's got Bill in front of a very enthusiastic crowd, playing in a stripped down way that ... read moreCD
A remix album, issued at the height of Bobby Brown's solo career – and featuring new takes on older material, mostly done by Babyface and Larry Blackmon – and all in a style that's partially dance-based, but also mostly just in that sweet mainstream soul mode that Bobby already did so ... read moreCD
Legendary sounds from the Staple Singers – a set of albums for Stax Records that really helped push the group from the gospel folk underground into the soul music mainstream – and which also helped transform the rest of the scene in the process! The Staple Singers had recorded ... read moreCD
A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreCD
Raw, raunchy sounds – all pulled together from a time before soul and rock even existed! Most of the work here is from the classic catalog of King Records – a killer imprint in the postwar R&B market, and a company who wasn't afraid to do what it took to make a knockout record! In ... read moreCD
Raw, raunchy sounds – all pulled together from a time before soul and rock even existed! Most of the work here is from the classic catalog of King Records – a killer imprint in the postwar R&B market, and a company who wasn't afraid to do what it took to make a knockout record! In ... read moreCD
Champion Jack Dupree —
Sings The Blues ... CD King/Gusto, Early 50s. New Copy ...
$3.999.99
Early King Records material by Champion Jack Dupree – a hell of a pianist, and a heck of a great singer too – working almost as a raconteur on some of the best songs on this collection! The music has deep roots in New Orleans, where Jack must have really honed his piano skills – ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
Prince —
Prince ... LP Warner, 1979. New Copy (reissue)...
$18.9920.98
An overlooked record in the grand scheme – which is unforgivable in our book! This self-titled album Prince's second album, and already his vision is becoming a little more focused, and you can really hear the seeds of his later efforts – a really remarkable, unique, and fascinating ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A brilliant mix of soul and jazz from the legendary Norman Connors – a key album in breaking Norman out back in the 70s – and a record that's still pretty darn perfect all these many years later! You can hear Connors' deep roots throughout the set – but they're often used towards ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul ... read moreCD
Aretha Franklin —
Lady Soul ... CD Atlantic/Rhino, 1968. New Copy ...
$4.996.99
One of Aretha's undisputed classics – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group ... read moreCD
Two wonderful albums from Loleatta Holloway – both a strong full-length document of her early genius in the Atlanta studios! First up is the Loleatta album from 1973 – and if you only know Loleatta Holloway as a disco singer, you'll be really amazed at this debut album – because ... read moreCD
A beautiful tribute to the deep roots of the Jamaican homeland of Zara McFarlane – but a set that sounds unlike any Jamaican music we've heard before! This isn't dub or reggae – but sounds that delve much more deeply into past musical traditions of the island – styles collected ... (Neo Soul, Soul)read moreCD
A fantastic tribute to a fantastic record – one that takes all the core lyrical creations of Gil Scott Heron from I'm New Here, then adds in a wide array of new music from drummer/genius Makaya McCraven! The approach is similar to some of Makaya's own albums – which are both performed ... read moreCD
One of the most compelling Fela albums of the 70s – and one that's got a very different feel than some of his others. The album features one long track – "Coffin For Head Of State" – and although the track still has the usual Fela staples of horn riffs, chopping vamps, ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 ... read moreCD
Maybe the coolest record ever put out by the Luaka Bop label – and that's really saying a lot, given all the amazing albums they've given us over the years! The set's a perfect musical tonic for the times – a set of underground singles from the 70s, most of which fall in a space ... (Gospel, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Includes music from The Nurons, Joyce Hopson, Papa & The Utopians, Monique, The Vee Gee's, Sounds Of Blackness, Ray & Dave, Smokey Brooks, and more – 25 tracks in all! CD
Raw, raunchy sounds – all pulled together from a time before soul and rock even existed! Most of the work here is from the classic catalog of King Records – a killer imprint in the postwar R&B market, and a company who wasn't afraid to do what it took to make a knockout record! In ... read moreCD
Killer early material from Freddy King – a blues album, but one that's also got a strong resonance with instrumental soul and early funk! The record is "Strictly Instrumental" – as the cover says – and a nice batch of short bluesy groovers that feature Freddy's great ... (Blues, Soul)read moreCD
An incredible late 50s set for King by singer Lula Reed – and a pretty unique blend of R&B and bluer and moodier material – but a lot more upbeat than you'd expect from the title! Lula's voice is a genuine vessel for the bluesy material, but it's also light and lovely, and works ... read moreCD
Killer work from Tower Of Power – captured live in the studio, and with a frenetic funky groove that's even tighter than some of their studio material from the time! At their core, these guys were always first and foremost a live, lively ensemble with a razor-sharp approach to funk – ... read moreCD
A stone killer from the legendary 5 Royales – one of the greatest groups to ever record for King Records in the 50s, and a key force in helping move things forward from doo wop to soul! The balance between Lowman Pauling's lead and the harmonies is amazing – a big inspiration on the ... read moreCD
Not as well-known as James Brown's live albums from the Apollo, but a really cooking set from the 60s that keeps up a plenty hard groove all the way through! As with most of James' live dates, the tracks here move at a clip that's often even faster than the studio work – played to perfection ... read moreCD
A classic testament to the genius of Stevie Wonder – a collection that brings together some of his most important work of the 70s, plus a few new tracks too – all graced with a back cover note that proudly states "written, arranged, and produced by Stevie Wonder"! That note ... read moreCD
The title's got it right – because the Man is definitely back, although in a completely different way than before! Barry White works here in a setting that's nice and lean – those soul changes that came about during them more electric 80s years, but also given that start-of-90s spin ... read moreCD
Both rock and soul – and features tracks by The Counts, George Washington & The Cherry Bombs, Liberty Party, The Dynamics, City Limits, Don & The Goodtimers, The Bandits, Sonics, and Mr Lucky & The Gamblers! (Rock, Soul)LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner.)
Zan —
Zan ... LP WB, 1989. Very Good+ ...
Just Sold Out!