Fela & Egypt 80 —
Army Arrangement ... LP Knitting Factory, 1985. New Copy (reissue)...
$21.9922.99
The original take of "Army Arrangement" – one of the greatest 80s grooves from Fela Kuti – stretched out here over the course of the entire album! The notes list side one as being the "instrumental" and side two as the "vocal" – but in truth, the ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fela & Africa 70 —
No Agreement ... LP Knitting Factory, 1978. New Copy (reissue)...
$21.9926.99
A killer from the classic years, and one of Fela's best albums! "No Agreement" is a super great groover – with a catchy hook that goes on and on, and some very tasty playing by Tony Allen and the group. The track is long, with heavy solos, and vocals that will knock you out! ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A heck of a great little guitar funk album – a rare early 70s session from the groovy Eddy Senay – an artist that we'd rank right up there with bigger names like Phil Upchurch, David T Walker, Dennis Coffey, or Eddie Fisher at the same time! Fisher's maybe the best comparison here ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The long-overdue formal presentation of the music of Doug Hream Blunt – a self-taught, self-styled San Francisco soul singer from the 80s – one who recorded a handful of tunes that never really saw the light of day! Doug's got an unusual style – almost more 70s soul in its ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bossa nova and blues? Turns out they're a surprisingly great combination – but not in a mode that's really the more mainstream conception of either – and instead more of that mix of Brazilian rhythms and soul you'd find in early 60s work by The Drifters! The record's a real standout ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful heavy vinyl mono pressing – just like an original King Records version!)
Sly & The Family Stone —
Dance To The Music ... LP Epic/Sundazed, 1968. New Copy (reissue)...
$26.9928.98
Classic funkiness from Sly & The Family Stone – an album that really pushed them to the top of their game, and exploded on the late 60s scene like a righteous funky bomb! The title cut's a mega-hit that you'll recognize right away – but the whole album's great, and is filled with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great slice of New Orleans soul from the 70s – a record that replicates the "Indian" culture in the Mardi Gras scene – and which is most notable for featuring work by The Meters as well! The groove here is kind of Meters-styled funk, mixed with some fuller New Orleans mode ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
That's "Fishman", not fisherman – and the tune's a rare b-side from the insanely funky group Beginning Of The End – presented here in a never-issued full length take that runs for nearly 12 minutes in length! Given that Beginning Of The End usually only gave us shorter funk ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
An incredible legacy in music! For years, the music of William Onyeabar has been the stuff of legend, but only accessible to a few who could get their hands on scarce original pressings – but that lack has really been corrected by Luaka Bop's revival of Onyeabar's magical music, complete ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A monster from the great John Lee Hooker – an artist who isn't usually associated with King Records, but who issued this mighty collection of sides for the label at the start of the 60s! Most of the work dates from a few years before – gritty tracks that have Hooker at his best postwar ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A group that definitely lives up to its name – given that the lineup features the Chess Records stalwarts Bo Diddley, Howlin Wolf, and Muddy Waters! The set's maybe a bit more in the mode of Wolf or Waters than some of Bo's own records – although there's a bit of that riffing spark of ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Searing stuff – easily one of Etta James' greatest albums! The set is a non-stop jam, recorded live at the New Era Club in Nashville before a small and screaming crowd – a perfect performance all the way through, one that showcases Etta as she rarely sounded on vinyl during the 1960s. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A lost treasure from James Brown & The JBs – a vintage live performance from the early 70s, and one that captures the group at the height of their powers! The format here is very similar to the excellent Revolution Of The Mind set – a totally funky, totally righteous live ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
El Rego —
El Rego ... LP Daptone/Voodoo Funk, Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy ...
$16.9917.99
Monumental Afro Soul from El Rego Et Ses Commandos – El Rego's best recordings from the late 60s to early 70s – a beautifully done compilation put together by Daptone and Frank Gossner, the deep digging West African music expert behind Voodoo Funk! Theophile Do-Rego is a legend in his ... (Global Grooves, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Sly & The Family Stone —
Whole New Thing ... LP Epic/Sundazed, 1967. New Copy (reissue)...
$26.9928.98
A Whole New Thing, indeed – the first album ever from Sly &The Family Stone – and a record that would forever change the face of pop, funk, and soul music! Even at this early point, all the group's best energy is firmly in place – a mad mix of raw funky roots with righteous ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A huge album for Kid Creole & The Coconuts – issued in America under the name Wise Guy, and reissued nicely here under its UK title! The set was a massive breakthrough for August Darnell – one of his biggest hits since his day with Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, with an ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Leon's Creation —
This Is The Beginning ... LP Studio 10/Acid Jazz (UK), 1970. New Copy (reissue)...
Just Sold Out!
A rare album of funky soul from the Bay Area scene at the start of the 70s – and a set that's every bit as righteous as you might expect from the cover! The group's the creation of singer/keyboardist/arranger Leon Pattillo – hence the name – and you might know Leon from his later ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Remastered 180 gram vinyl in original 1984 packaging design, with the poster that came with the original album!)
A funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a tribute album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A hell of a bonus for any fan of the fantastic Trouble Man soundtrack – as this sweet little set adds in a full album's worth of extra material from the original sessions – and thus doubles a record that's already one of Marvin Gaye's greatest efforts of the 70s! The set was done after ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Probably the best-remembered solo album from David Porter – one half of the famous Hayes/Porter team that ruled Stax Records in the 60s, although not as successful as an artist on his own as Isaac Hayes! Porter's style is a lot more adventurous – and this album's a wonderful ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Marvin Gaye —
You're The Man ... LP Motown, 1972. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$23.9926.99
A mindblowing collection of work from Marvin Gaye – tracks recorded in the space right after What's Going On – many of which were never issued at the time! All this incredible material from 1972 has been brought together to create a stunning double-length album – one that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A cool collection of funky tracks from the Fantasy Records catalog of the 70s – the kind of hip cuts that were often better than mainstream disco – and which sometimes used a bit of jazz in the instrumentation as well! There's a few spacey themes here, but maybe not as much as you'd ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition – on clear vinyl!)
Ernie Hines —
Electrified ... LP We Produce/Stax, 1972. New Copy (reissue)...
$18.9921.99
An underground set from early 70s Stax Records – the only set cut back in the day by Ernie Hines – a really great singer who works here with a blend of southern soul and sweet harmony modes! The album's got a pretty laidback vibe, which is great – almost in the same space as The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An amazing record that stunned the world almost as much as Marvin's previous effort, What's Going On. Like that one, this album's an amazingly unified batch of tracks – with a visionary message about sex and love that is as honest and bracing as the politics and social commentary of his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Early work from Prince – really his first full fledged masterpiece! Prince ushered the 80s in with a mix of recognizable influences, but filtered through his unique sensibility – taking taught a funk sound, layered vocals, crisp rhythms, ultra catchy songs and that unbridled, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Gaturs —
Wasted ... LP Tuff City/Funky Delicacies, Early 70s. New Copy ...
$18.99
An essential bit of funkiness from this obscure New Orleans funk combo! The Gaturs' frontman was keyboardist Willie Tee – who went on to greater fame as a jazz and session player – but we like him best at this early point, when he was wailing away on organ in a tight choppy small group ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The funkiest man? Could well be – and this set will more than support that case! By the time of these recordings, Rufus Thomas was already a legendary figure in the Memphis scene – an aging R&B star that also worked on radio and did a fair bit of promotion for other artists, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Classic breaks – all the way through – the kind of sharp funky nuggets that have had a rich new life, thanks to their use in hip hop and club tracks in recent years! This may not be the most underground stuff in the world to those out there who've been digging through crates for funk ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Incredible work from a group who've definitely earned their name! Naming a group SOUL might be suicide for a band that can't carry off the groove – but these guys are funky monsters, with a real talent for a hard heavy sound that was rarely matched by other combos. The band have a great ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
SOUL —
What Is It ... LP BGP (UK), 1971. New Copy (reissue)...
$16.9919.99
Quite possibly the best album ever from this fantastic funky combo! The band grooves hard and funky – with incredible drum work from Paul Stubblefield, tasty guitar from Walter Winston, and some famous funky flute and sax work from Gus Hawkins. Tracks on the album are rough and raw – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An oft-overlooked gem from the JBs – their last album for People Records, and a stone funk classic that's every bit as essential as the others! The band is still in fine fine form – with none of the fast-funk or proto-disco of some later recordings – and they're working here in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful pressing – heavy tip-on cover, with a nice 22" square poster!)
A stunner of a record – the first-ever album by The JBs, never issued back in the day – and lost for years until it recently resurfaced on a test pressing! The set features a leaner, more stripped-down version of the group – one that features Bootsy Collins on bass, and which ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Also comes with a great book – detailing the album and its rescue from obscurity!)
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Arguably one of the greatest concept albums of the 80s – and the only really strong full length album cut by Frankie Goes To Hollywood! At the time of the set, the group was riding high on the success and controversy of their singles "Relax" and "Two Tribes" – but ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The breakout record from Lizzo – a set that's even more musically striking than its instantly-iconic cover image! The record bristles with an energized take on contemporary R&B, mixed with just the right dose of hip hop – and although Missy Elliott guests on one track, Lizzo's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic record from Prince – a double-length set that came out at a time when the purple one was brimming over with energy and new ideas – and a step slightly in the direction of more socially conscious material! Everything that was great about Prince before the record is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic bit of female funk from the 70s – and a set that was recorded in Germany by a very exotic singer! The album is Asha Puthli's first – and includes some unusual interpretations of work by JJ Cale, John Lennon, Bill Withers, and George Harrison – plus a great tune of her ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really fantastic live moment from Prince – a set that's even groovier and funkier than the standard One Nite Alone material – as the tracks here are nice and long, feature guest work from Musiq and George Clinton, and really feature Prince jamming with a group that features Maceo ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(First time on vinyl! Limited edition purple vinyl pressing – with download!)
Dee Dee Bridgewater —
Afro Blue ... LP Trio/Mr Bongo (UK), 1974. New Copy (reissue)...
$19.9921.98
One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's ... (Vocalists, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A crowning moment in New Jack Swing – or New Jill Swing, as it were – a perfect step forward for Janet Jackson, as she continues to work with the duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with a vibe that was setting the scene for the rest of mainstream soul at the time! The album's got a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Great 2LP pressing – a lot more spacious than the original!)
Classic raspy vocals from the legendary Howlin Wolf – singing here in a way that definitely lives up to his nickname! The sound here is spare and stripped down, with very little accompaniment – usually just a bit of guitar, piano, bass, and drums – and sometimes not even all that ... (Blues, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Rhino Start Your Ear Off Right pressing. Limited edition – with the die-cut flap cover, just like the original!)
Music beyond description – a unique blend of disco, funk, avant garde, and dub – the wonderful world of the late Arthur Russell! Russell was a bass player by trade, but he was schooled in both classical and Eastern music forms – and brought an incredibly fresh vision to his work ... (Rock, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the best compilations of New Orleans funk we've ever seen! Sure, the reissue market is always filled with stuff from the Crescent City – but so many New Orleans compilations are cheapo knock-offs, designed to cash in on the drunk Jazz & Heritage crowd, or they're simplistic sets ... (Funky Compilations, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
NERD (Neptunes) —
Nothing ... LP Star Trak/Interscope, 2010. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$23.9926.99
The fourth full length set from NERD, and one that really shows the group at the top of their mainstream game – maybe more in the territory of catchy soul than before, and definitely heading in the direction that Pharrell would take in his solo work to come! There's a bit of hip hop in the ... (Hip Hop, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
James Brown —
Payback ... LP Polydor/Universal, 1973. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$28.9934.99
A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Deep deep deep soul from one of the all-time greats – and the first time that most of these tracks have ever been issued on vinyl! Betty Lavette is one of the greatest almost-rans in female soul – a hard-hitting vocalist with a really tremendous sound, and a history of recordings ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Pressing quantity based on pre-release demand – extremely limited and individually numbered!)
One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(180 gram pressing – released in advance of Record Store Day 2009.)
An unusual session recorded by Swamp Dogg for Hi Records at the start of the 70s – a bit more polished and less full-on nasty than some of the usual Dogg grooves from the 70s, but still with plenty of that heavy Jerry Williams groove at the bottom! The album's got a nice tightness that we ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Quite possibly the most successful record Otis Clay ever cut – and a wonderful little set that recasts his bluesy Chicago vocals with a sweeter Memphis soul approach! Willie Mitchell is very firmly in the house for the record – and the approach he uses here with Otis is similar to that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Raw and rumbling gospel sounds from the Designer Records vaults – real and resonant southern gospel from Reverend Douglas Bell & Th Stage Cruisers! Heavy vocals & sermonizing with swirling organ and wailing keyboards along with the impassioned vocals. As with the material on the ... (Gospel, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Soul stirring group gospel from the Singing Southern Echos Of Memphis (it's spelled 'Echos' on the spine, folks) – with soaring lead and spirited backing vocals form this Memphis combo! We're not sure of the recorded vintage, but it's wonderful stuff – ranging from slow rolling ... (Gospel, Soul)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A brilliant overview of Sam Cooke's best secular soul from the 60s – a well-done collection that contains tracks from Sam's early sessions for RCA, and which presents the material with a full set of notes by Peter Guaralnick, and complete details on all the sessions! Some of the tunes on ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Good news galore from the great Sam Cooke – maybe THE album in which he fully shows off his unique contribution to soul music in the 60s – that mix of raw and sweet, easygoing and progressive – a mode that had a huge impact at the time, and went onto become a strong influence for ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album