Titles include 'Certainly (Flipped It)', 'Next Lifetime (radio)', 'On & On'. Tracks and uptempo numbers – setting a new Philly standard with the album, and one. That scene – including Harold Ousley on tenor, Caesar Frazier on Hammond,.
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You can try using the. You may try to continue using the Dusty Groove website, and if you have any trouble placing your order online we suggest you make a list of the items you wish to buy order by phone at Monday through Friday, 10am–4pm, Central Time. A killer batch of rare funky tunes – pulled from a host of tiny labels, and put together with a quality level that would blow away a crate full of of funky 45s! This third volume in the Super Funk series seems to dig even deeper than the first two – and it also includes few incredible little nuggets that were never officially released in any format – which makes the whole thing essential, even if you've got a mountain of rare 45s back at your crib! Includes 'The Tramp (From Funky Broadway)' by The Showmen Inc, 'Put It In' by Johnny King And The Fatback Band, 'Cissy Popcorn' and 'Funky Chicken' by Preston Love, 'Soul Livin' by Everyday People Unlimited, 'Brother Brown' by Camille Bob, 'At The Soul In' by Count Yates And The Rhythm Crusaders, 'Cat Scream' by Li'l Buck, 'Bending Soul' by the Soul Blenders', 'Ain't It A Groove' by Chico & Buddy, 'Soul Brothers Testify' by Soul Senders, 'Fat Man' by TKOs, 'Sweet Potato Gravy' by Maurice Simon And The Pie Men, and lots more!
20 tracks in all. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation!
We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of 'Twine Time' by Alvin Cash, plus 'Home Brew' by Miles Grayson, 'Just Sitting' by Smithstonian, 'Can't Get Enough' by 87th Off Broadway, 'Hi Off Life' by Eternal Flames, 'Give Me Another Chance' by The Uniques, 'Hold On' by Lorenzo Holden, 'Free The Soul Man' by La May & Company, 'Little Boy Blue' by The Phillips Brothers, 'You'd Be Good For Me' by Jeanette Jones, 'Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?' By Big Daddy Green, 'Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)' by Smokey Wilson, 'Can't Buy Soul' by Hebrew Rogers, 'Shake A Leg' by Jackie Wilson, 'Face To Face' by The Explosions, and 'Turn Around & Go' by Lee Bernard. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. A fantastic collection of mellow 70s soul – one that's even better than you might guess from the cover or title!
The tracks here are all pretty rare – hence the 'wants list' title – but even more than that, they're a spectacular example of the best sort of sophisticated, mature soul music that took roots in the 70s – tracks that are well put-together, but never in a slick or commercial way – and which have an approach to the groove that's nicely laidback, and quite far from both chart soul or dancefloor material. A huge festival of 70s soul – not the big hits of the time, but a wealth of underground gemes that show us there's still plenty to discover in that magical decade! The artists here are all big, but the tunes are sometimes more obscure – lesser-known gems from familiar names – mixed with other rare singles, and presented together in this soaring wave of soul that's completely sublime! Many cuts have a warm modern soul groove, but there's also some funkier numbers too – and the package has all the care, class, and quality we've come to love from the Expansion label over the years. Titles include 'Never Felt Love Before' by Felix Cavaliere, 'Free & Easy' by Satyr, 'Spoiled Like A Baby' by Mystique, 'Are We Ready For Love' by Patti Austin, 'Can We Share It' by Rick Sheppard, 'You're My Main Squeeze' by Crystal Motion, 'What's Your Name' by Leon Ware, 'Funny How We Change Places' by Dede Schwartz, 'You'll Never Be Sorry' by Gerald Sims, 'March Across The Land' by Linda Clifford, and 'Temptation's Bout To Get Me' by Ed Robinson. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album.
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, but also a grittier, more guitar-based groove at times too – one that rumbles heavily at the bottom of the rhythms, with a sound that's like Norman Whitfield-era Motown, taken to much greater extremes! There's actually a lot more Detroit going on in the work than Indy – but the horns also have a jazzier, more open-ended quality too – not just parts penned for simple funky rhythms, but ones that show some influence from the more righteous side of the jazz spectrum. The material was all recorded on two dates in 1973 – but only issued here for the first time – and together, the tracks are a great example of a hip group from the underground, really letting loose with a great sense of freedom.
There's some vocals on the record, but almost more of a focus on the instrumentation overall – and titles include 'Can I Help You', 'Love Fades', 'Trouble Will Remain', 'We've Come A Long Way', 'Liberty', 'Mister President', 'Free Your Mind', 'We Have Love', and 'Lord Help Me'. LP, Vinyl record album. A wicked little set from Carl Anderson – a singer who first found fame on the state, later sung in a spiritual world, but does an especially great job here! Anderson's got some really mighty pipes on the date – a vocal approach that's bold, robust, and plenty proud – stepping out with a bit more strength than some of his mainstream contemporaries in the early 80s – almost at a level that's in Luther Vandross territory, and we mean that in a good way. Production is by Richard Rudolph, who brings in the hip mix of sophisticated soul and jazz touches he used while working with Minnie Riperton in the 70s – especially near the end of her too-short life – and titles include the nice groover 'Buttercup', plus 'C'est La Vie', 'Fooled Myself Again', 'Lose That Girl', 'AWOL', and 'Amour'. LP, Vinyl record album. This is an amazing rare album from Roy Ayers, and one that, we believe, was only ever issued in Japan!
The whole session is made up of 4 tracks, and they were recorded during the time when Roy was playing with Herbie Mann, and recording on Atlantic. This session was cut Direct-To-Disc, and the record plays at 45 rpm for extra high fidelity! The quartet includes Sonny Sharrock on guitar, and Miroslav Vitous on bass. Cuts include 'Comin' Home Baby', 'Man & A Woman', and 'Scarborough Fair'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album.
One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – and one of the rarest! The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP – a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground – all wrapped up beautifully, but never in a way that's like commercial soul of the time. There's a few instrumental tracks on the album, plus some vocal ones that show that off-beat male/ female style that Roy would use more famously in later tracks like 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' or his work with Ramp. Players include Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Edwin Birdsong on organ, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Jumma Santos on congas – and titles include a version of Nat Adderley's 'Hummin', done as 'Hummin In The Sun', and very much in the Ramp vein. Also features instrumental cuts 'The Fuzz', which has Roy's vibes toned way up, and the cool mellow 'The Painted Desert', a really offbeat slow jazz number.
The group also does a great job with Edwin Birdsong's 'Pretty Brown Skin', picking up the song as a really anthemic groover that gives the record a nice kick! LP, Vinyl record album. A landmark debut from the mighty Erykah Badu – a record that really set the world on fire when it first appeared – and which continues to blow our minds all these many years later! There's a simple, straightforward grace to the album that comes through immediately – as Erykah tries to forge new ground for soul music, but does it by taking a few steps backwards – not into retro modes, but more in a way that focuses on the core vocal, songcraft, and right instrumentation that can make a special soul record such a standout.
She does a great job of both avoiding easy commercial paths, or some of the temptations to embrace other then-contemporary genres – which has made the work of some of her colleagues seem a bit dated. The record defines a whole new style of expression – 'Baduizm', if you will – one in which Erykah sings with a depth that stretches back through a century's worth of jazz, soul, and gospel influences – but works a groove in a stripped-down and forward-thinking mode that sets the pace for countless Neo Soul singers to come! Titles include 'Certainly (Flipped It)', 'Next Lifetime (radio)', 'On & On', 'Appletree', 'No Love', '4 Leaf Clover', and 'Sometimes (mix #9)'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. A millennial classic from Erykah Badu – a record that came along right as the current century was starting up, to show a soulful path that would keep things strong for many years to come! The album grabbed a bigger audience than Erykah's first, but still kept things strong – really focusing in on that amazing vocal style that made the singer such a unique talent – and which always had edges that were sharper, and runs that were deeper, than some of her contemporaries who might be able to trick a phrase with a bit of spirit, but never deliver the whole thing in the way that Badu can! Themes are both personal and hinting at her political turns to come – and titles include 'Kiss Me On My Neck', 'Didn't Cha Know', 'My Life', 'AD 2000', 'Bag Lady', 'In Love With You', and 'Booty'.
(, ) LP, Vinyl record album. 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 music of the time – and which sports reeds from Sahib Shihab, tenor from Paul Quinichette, trumpet from Buck Clayton, and trombone from Jimmy Cleveland!
Baker's voice is in fine form in this comfortable setting – and really works magic with tracks that include 'After You've Gone', 'Preaching The Blues', 'Empty Bed Blues', 'Back Water Blues', and 'Gimme A Pigfoot'. LP, Vinyl record album. A tasty bit of political funk by one of the best groups on Stax! The record's got that heavy guitar-driven funk sound that was the group's calling card at the time – but it's also infused with a righteous sense of social consciousness, clearly influenced by Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone. The mix of grooves with a message works better for The Bar-Kays than it did for a lot of their contemporaries – and the approach makes the record stand out nicely from the rest of their catalog. Titles include 'Love Pollution', 'Do You See What I See?'
, 'You're Still My Brother', and 'People Unite To Save Humanity'. There's also a cover of 'I Was Made To Love Her', with a heavy guitar groove! LP, Vinyl record album. One of the few rare albums on the Maple label – a 70s imprint that's known for some incredible funk and soul!
Despite the title, the set's a record that sounds a lot more down-home than uptown – thanks to hard-wailing vocals from Gloria Barnes herself, and a nicely rough-edged quality to the instrumentation overall – supposedly handled by Lee Moses and The Ohio Players – the latter of whom wrote a few of the songs too! The album's one of the few on Maple – and in a way, it's almost a female soul counterpart to the Lee Moses record on the same label – done in a similar mix of rootsy modes and east coast indie soul – occasionally sweet at points, but mostly deep soul overall. Titles include 'Gotta Get Away', 'I Found Myself', 'Old Before My Time', 'I'll Go All The Way', 'She Wants A Stand In', and 'You Don't Mean It'. LP, Vinyl record album. 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 bit more compelling than most work by the group's contemporaries! Nearly all tracks snap along with rhythms that are nicely placed between the street and the dancefloor – never gimmicky and never too cloying, and tightly focused enough to make the most of the hooks in the vocals.
Lots of DX7 on the album, and more than a few numbers have a great sort of breakdance vibe. Tracks include 'Riccochet' and 'Dreamer' – both remixed by Shep Pettibone –'On The Shelf', 'Genie', 'Main Attraction', and 'Don't Force It'. LP, Vinyl record album. Chuck Berry is definitely on top with this classic Chess Records set – an album that shows that Berry always had a lot more to offer than some of his oldies rocker contemporaries! Sure, there's a few hits here, but the overall quality of the music is more in the mode of Chess blues of the time – lots of raw backings that are as heavy on piano lines and romping rhythms as they are Chuck's own searing lead guitar – a sound that definitely sets the tone for generations to come, and which is always heard best here in its early hoke-free setting. The whole album's wonderful, and even familiar hits sound newly brilliant in this context – a smoking lineup that includes 'Jo Jo Gunne', 'Around & Around', 'Hey Pedro', 'Anthony Boy', 'Sweet Little Rock & Roller', 'Almost Grown', 'Roll Over Beethoven', and 'Maybellene'.
LP, Vinyl record album. Fantastic ballad soul from one of the greatest groups from the east coast 70s scene! Black Ivory may not have scored as big as some of their contemporaries on the charts – but to fans of harmony soul, they'll always be kings, and this record is the sort that forever gave them keys to the kingdom! They're working here with writer/ arranger/ producer Patrick Adams – back when his main talents were for ballads, not disco – and Adams perfectly crafted a set of songs to bring out the best side of the group's heavenly vocal talents.
Includes loads of wonderful ballads, like 'Wishful Thinking', 'No Ifs, Ands, Or Buts', 'It's Time to Say Goodbye', 'Time is Love', and 'Baby, Won't You Change Your Mind'. LP, Vinyl record album. Heavy drums and a good dose of soul – both of which make Black Pearl stand out a bit from many of their late 60s contemporaries!
There's a definite bluesy undercurrent to the group's music, but the riffs are also pretty hard and fast too – almost a bit funky at times, and delivered with a starker sort of groove than the usual blues rock combo. The musicianship is super tight throughout – really at a superstar level, but without sounding slick or commercial – and the album alone is worth it for the sharp drums and guitar leads, but also sports some pretty great vocals too – with almost a garagey soul sort of feel. Titles include 'White Devil', 'Mr Soul Satisfaction', 'Thinkin Bout The Good Times', 'Crazy Chicken', 'Forget It', 'Climbing Up The Walls', 'Reach Up', 'Bent Over', and 'Endless Journey'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. A spiritual jazz classic – one of the rarest albums of its type from the 70s!
This legendary session was recorded by Roy Ayers' keyboardist Harry Whitaker – working here as the leader of the Black Renaissance group, a one-shot ensemble that featured Woody Shaw on trumpet, Azar Lawrence on saxes, Buster Williams on bass, and Mtume on percussion. The session was cut in New York in 1976, but only issued on a rare album that came out briefly in Japan. Yet somehow, the quality of the work and the depth of soulfulness have created a strong aura about the session – making it an oft-cited influence by a generation of DJs and soul jazz listeners.
The album only features 2 long tracks – both of them strong ensemble numbers that build modally searching grooves in a Strata East-like style, peppered with voices, both sung and spoken, in a hip, socially conscious mode. Both tracks – 'Black Renaissance' and 'Magic Ritual' are excellent, on a par with the best 70s spiritual soul jazz! (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. A previously-unreleased sweet soul treasure – now finally getting its due! Bob & Gene were an obscure duo from Buffalo at the end of the 60s – recording briefly together under the guidance of Bob's father, who recorded the young pair in his home studio with the help of some great funk and soul musicians from the local scene – with a sound that's fresh, fragile, and deeply personal. Many numbers have a slow, sad quality that's right up there with some of the best harmony soul of the time – a wispy late nite kind of sound that's captured perfectly here, with just the right balance of roughness and sweet.
Other numbers get a bit more upbeat, and almost a bit funky – showing the pair to have a bit more punch than some of their contemporaries, and a sometimes sunny sound that really sparkles amidst the darkness. Most of the work here was recorded in the late 60s, but never released – making this the first-ever album by the group. And as a bonus note of trivia, Bob here is none other than Bobby Nunn – who went onto record under his own name, and did a lot of great work in the LA scene of the 70s! Titles include 'Gotta Find A Way', 'Your Name', 'It Won't Go', 'I Can Be Cool', 'Sailboat', 'Interlude', 'Which Love', 'Don't Leave Me Girl', 'You Gave Me Love', and a great cover of 'If This World Were Mine'.
Includes the bonus tracks 'It's Not What You Know' and 'I Really Love You'. LP, Vinyl record album. A great set of clubby tunes from Bohannon – a bit discoey, to be sure, but still with plenty of the odd rhythms and odd touches of his earlier work! The tracks here are all long and chunky – made up of strutting drum bits that are far from conventional, often topped by oddly riffing guitar that percolates in the tunes with a rough-edged quality that's far from mainstream disco. A few cuts feature bits of keyboards too, and some weird processing on the vocals – but the main groove here is really from the interplay of beats, bass, and guitar!
Titles include 'Cut Loose', 'The Beat (part 2)', 'Mighty Groovy', 'At Night Fall', and 'That's The Way It Goes' – all tremendous work even for a major label effort! LP, Vinyl record album. Damn amazing work from Charles Bradley – an instant soul classic for all generations, as you'll hear from the very first note! Not only are Bradley's vocals incredible – the kind of once-in-a-long-time approach he brought to his debut – but the backings and production are completely sublime too – magical music from the Menahan Street Band, who sound here like some lost combo from 60s Memphis, but without any of the hoke that reference might imply – instead that really unique approach that you'd only find on one of your few favorite vintage soul albums – maybe Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, or Jesse James on his 60s album for 20th Century! Yet the sound here isn't just vintage for vintage sake, either – as there's an intensity that's very present, contemporary, and urgent – a sound that doesn't die – and which just gets better and better with each new listen.
Tremendous stuff – even from the Daptone universe we've been loving for years and years – with titles that include 'Strictly Reserved For You', 'You Put The Flame On It', 'Dusty Blue', 'Love Bug Blues', 'Hurricane', 'Through The Storm', 'Confusion', and 'Where Do We Go From Here'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. Brass Construction's fifth album, and the group's still grooving harder than most of their contemporaries! The legendary Randy Muller is still fully in charge here – serving up his trademark lean, mean arrangements that compress all elements of the music firmly on the beat – all in a way that creates one of the funkiest grooves you'll ever hear in mainstream late 70s club! There's plenty of great little touches to keep each tune interesting – bits of strings, keyboards, or other elements that burst out of the mix playfully.
Titles include 'It's Alright', 'Watch Out', 'I Want Some Action', 'Right Place', 'Music Makes You Feel Like Dancing', and 'Shakit'. LP, Vinyl record album. A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks!
And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – 'Popcorn With a Feeling' and 'Top of the Stack' – plus 'Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)', 'Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)', 'Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)', 'Any Day Now', 'You're Still Out Of Sight', and 'I'm Shook' – as well as the great mellower number 'If I Ruled The World' – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power! LP, Vinyl record album. Excellent work from Randy Brown – a great singer with a massive talent for being both smooth and deep at the same time, something we'd reserve for a rare few, like Frankie Beverly or Teddy Pendergrass during their best periods.
This album featuers Randy singing tracks written by Homer Banks and Chuck Brooks – who also produced the album – and the tunes are great little love songs with compelling but uncomplicated structures, in a manner that's similar to mid 70s work by Lou Courtney or Ronnie McNeir. The whole album's pretty darn solid all the way through – and titles include 'Use It', 'I Wanna Baby You', 'I Thought of You Today', 'I Was Blessed (The Day I Found You)', and 'It Scares Me So'. LP, Vinyl record album.
The first album in decades from Memphis soul legend Don Bryant – a singer who hardly even gave us any recordings back when he was in his prime! Don was one of the lesser lights at the famous Hi Records – not as successful as Ann Peebles or Al Green, but steeped in the same wonderful sound as those great artists – and still going wonderfully strong after all these years! In fact, the album almost feels more like some lost Hi tapes from Bryant's glory days than a contemporary set – as his voice is wonderful, the songs are tight, and both the production and instrumentation have just the right sort of classic approach – soulful, but without overstating things in any sort of cloying 'resurrection' mode.
Instead, Don's just right on top, and right in the pocket – doing his thing wonderfully on titles that include 'Don't Give Up On Love', 'I Got To Know', 'First You Cry', 'It Was Jealousy', 'Something About You', 'Can't Hide The Hurt', 'One Ain't Enough', and 'A Nickel & A Nail'. LP, Vinyl record album. Rare work from a Bay Area group of the late 70s – but one who never issued any of their music at the time! Two of these cuts appeared in recent years on a PPU 7' single release – but this is the first and only album these guys have ever given us – great funk with some nicely complicated touches, and the kind of deeper, richer ideas that the Bay Area scene always seemed to bring to its music during the glory days of Fantasy Records and some of the bigger acts in Oakland and San Francisco! Lead singer Jerry J Johnson has a style that can soar high at all the right moments, but go nice and deep too – almost a DJ Rogers sort of vibe – and backings are nicely understated, and round the album out with some key mellow moments. Not surprisingly, the whole thing was recorded at the Fantasy studios – and titles include 'On Our Own', 'Got To Be Loved', 'California Flight', 'Looking Back On Yesterday', 'God Gifted', and 'Do You Feel My Love' LP, Vinyl record album.
Sublime southern soul from one of the greats! James Carr is right up there with the best of the 60s – Otis Redding, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, and others – but he never made it as big as them because of personal troubles and bad planning on the part of his label and management. Fortunately, his genius has been kept alive by record collectors everywhere – for whom this rare gem is a holy grail! The album features 11 tunes that sum up the best of the south in the 60s – all sung by James with his unbelievably heartbreaking voice. Titles include 'The Dark End Of The Street', 'You've Got My Mind Messed Up', 'A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend', 'I'm A Fool For You', 'Stronger Than Love', 'More Love', and 'Sowed Love & Reaped A Heartache'. LP, Vinyl record album.
Probably the rarest of all albums by The Chairmen Of The Board – and also the last! The album was cut after the band re-formed briefly, and it's got a fuzzed-out heavy soul sound that's quite different from some of the group's earlier work. There's heavy guitar on many tracks – riffing away in a psychedelic mode that dominates most tracks, but which almost buries the group's vocals. The album's a great one if you dig the funk side of the Chairmen – and at times, it almost reminds us of The Politicians, who were kind of labelmates of the group.
Includes the excellent two-part funk track 'Life & Death' – plus 'Love At First Sight', 'Everybody Party All Night', 'Let's Have Some Fun', 'Finder's Keepers', 'Skin I'm In', and 'White Rose (Freedom Flower)'. LP, Vinyl record album. Maybe the only album ever issued under the name of trumpeter Gary Chandler – but a smoking little set that rivals some of the best jazz funk records at the start of the 70s – including heavyweight classics on Prestige by Melvin Sparks, Leon Spencer, and Boogaloo Joe Jones!
The feel here is very similar to those – given that the short-lived Eastbound label not only featured production work from Bob Porter, who handled the best Prestige funk sets – but also because the lineup here is filled with some of the top contemporaries from that scene – including Harold Ousley on tenor, Caesar Frazier on Hammond, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Dick Griffin on trombone, and the mighty Idris Muhammad on drums! Idris keeps things nice and funky, and tracks are long, and filled with smoking solos – the most famous of which is the album's cover of 'Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms', with an excellent break intro – which has been sampled heavily over the years – alongside the tracks 'The Jet Set', 'Blues Dues', and 'Kaleidoscope'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. Razor-sharp funk from The Chapparrals – an Atlanta group from the 70s, and one with a great balance of ensemble grooving and deeper soul roots! There was really something special in the Atlanta scene at the time – an approach to large group funk that was different than most northern scenes, and which could still come across with a lean sort of energy, even when hitting tight on the money for the dancefloor! These guys are a perfect summation of that groove – and the album's a blistering blend of bassy rhythms and tight instrumentation – including some mighty sweet keyboards that snake wonderfully alongside the guitar and horns, sometimes with some wild moogy touches that are almost P&P funk. The whole thing's great – one of those albums that's rare, but mighty satisfying too – and titles include 'Juicy Fruit', 'Shake Your Head (parts 1 & 2)', 'Stop Cheating On My Lady', 'Country Girl', 'Hittin It', 'Jam Around The World', and 'The Brew'.
LP, Vinyl record album. Not a bad record of smooth and funky 70s soul – but not really a standout effort either. It's a hard record to get a hook on, even though it's pretty well put together overall. Gavin wrote most of the songs, produced the album, and also handled the arrangements – which are played by a tight group of studio artists that include Harvey Mason, Cash McCall, Lee Ritenour, Tower Of Power horns, and The McCrary's on vocals. The tracks are a bit in an early 70s Stevie Wonder mode – with Gavin's vocals produced in that flanged-out mode that Stevie often used – but that still doesn't help, and the album's lacking a lot of bite. Titles include 'Mirror Mirror', 'Good Stuff', 'Sightings', and 'Paradise Is In Your Mind', done in a vocal version and an instrumental reprise which has a decent percussion break.
LP, Vinyl record album. Righteous and rocking soul from Merry Clayton – a record that really helped put the singer on the map during the 70s! Merry had roots in a few different strands of music, and was always a bit different than some of her straighter soul contemporaries – a quality that really comes through here in the album's great arrangements from heavyweights Jerry Peters, Carole King, and Billy Preston – each of whom bring some slightly different flavors to Clayton's vocals!
The Crusaders and jazz legend Curtis Amy provide instrumental support – with a nicely varied vibe that has occasional rock currents mixed in with deeper soul. Some of our favorite tracks include a hip Leon Ware tune called 'Whatever', a nice cover of Bill Withers' 'Grandma's Hands', and Jerry Peters 'Love Me Or Let Me Be Lonely' – and other titles include 'Southern Man', 'Same Old Story', 'Walk On In', and 'A Song For You'. LP, Vinyl record album. Soaring vocals from Angela Clemmons – a set that really has an amazing range, and a depth of sound that goes way past the usual from Epic Records at the time! Angela's got a way of stretching out right from the start – inflecting the lyrics with a rich power that easily matches or beats some of her bigger-name contemporaries at the time – and which really help give an extra something special to the record.
Production is by Paul Leka, and a number of songs were written by Michael Brown – and the pair really help give the whole thing a personal feel, and keep the set from being just another run of the mill mainstream soul album from the early 80s. Titles include 'Giving It Away', 'Fill You Up', 'Uneasy', 'When You're Through I'll Be Waiting', 'Mine', and 'Sure Thing'. LP, Vinyl record album. Heavy funk from the Peruvian scene – the massive first album from Cosa Nostra, and a burning blend of soul, Latin, and psychedelic influences! Cosa Nostra clearly come from the rock end of the spectrum, but have picked up plenty of funky grooves along the way – and hit a genre-blending style that rivals some of their contemporaries on the South American scene!
Guitars are mixed with conga, keyboards, and some especially great vocals that are often in English – and titles include a few covers – the best of which is a nice take on Pete Rodriguez' 'I Like It Like That' – and a number of nice originals, like 'Get Down & Do It', 'Squeeze It Tight', 'Cosa Nostra', and 'Change Of Mind'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album. Modern soul magic from Carolyn Crawford – a set that's got some of the older soul modes of other releases on the Motorcity label, but one that also crackles with the more contemporary vibe you might expect from Crawford's other records!
There's definitely an upbeat feel to the set, one that matches Carolyn's previous work on clubbier tracks – and the rhythms are strongly soulful, in this kind of late 80s British way – with just the right echoes of classic instrumentation to avoid sounding too clunky or commercial. Titles include 'Which Way Do I Turn', 'Break The Ice', 'Hypnotised', 'Cry To Me', 'Timeless', and 'My Smile Is Just A Frown Turned Upside Down'. LP, Vinyl record album. An incredible bit of Afro Funk and soul jazz! Marius Cultier has a unique sound that's 50% 70s Afro Funk, 25% Latin, and 25% bits of breezy jazz – similar to some of the best European players of the mid 70s, or to some of the Blue Note work of Moacir Santos! This rare album from 1977 features Cultier running through a number of different vibes – all pretty darn great, and highly appealing to an ear that's finely tuned for an interesting groove. The album begins with a strange sound effect, and rolls into the heavy funk of the cut 'Zouk', includes two great mellow soul numbers 'The Way It Should Be' and 'Qui Coule Manman-Ou', and features some excellent Latin numbers with a nice touch of funk, like 'Piano A Marius Cultier', 'Ce Roule Man Ka Roule', and 'Easy'.
A great little album with a very fresh sound – and one that we won't find again that easily! (, ) LP, Vinyl record album.
A mindblowing debut from Cybotron – one of the most unusual groups to ever hail from Detroit – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given the musical legacy of the city! Cybotron have a sound that's starkly electronic, and a huge influence on later electro, hip hop, techno, and house – served up here as a spare, fuzzy approach to funk – but with lots of the colder touches you'd find from post-punk imports at the time! The blend is quite unique, and even more unusual given the fact that the trio were working in virtual obscurity on the Detroit scene – as an early project from the legendary Juan Atkins, with guitarist Jon-5, and the mysterious electronician 3070! There's more funk here than most of the group's electro contemporaries – but the sound is still nicely cold in all the right parts too – and titles include the seminal 'Clear', which was years ahead of its time – plus 'Cosmic Cars', 'Cosmic Raindance', 'Industrial Lies', 'The Line', and 'Alleys Of Your Mind'. LP, Vinyl record album. Sweet and gritty soul from D'Angelo – who takes a huge step into deeper territory on Voodoo – and it's one of the most monumental records of its time!
On one level, Voodoo works as a nicely stripped-down session with a very classic soul feel. Gone are the overzealous flourishes that sometimes overwhelmed his earlier songs, and in their place are some sweetly crafted vocal parts with a classic Marvin Gaye/ Al Green feel. That warmth is probably what made Voodoo a massive popular success – but what makes it such a creative triumph are the darker undercurrents – which hint at a troubled soul struggling for spiritual truth. One of the rare cases in popular music when great art became music for the masses! Titles include 'Left & Right (feat Method Man & Redman)', 'The Line', 'Spanish Joint', 'Africa', 'Feel Like Makin Love', 'The Root', 'Playa Playa', 'Devil's Pie', and 'Greatdayndamornin/ Booty'. (, ) LP, Vinyl record album.
The lasting testament of the mighty Geater Davis – a really incredible southern singer with a deep soul sound that few others can match! Although Davis didn't record nearly as much as his contemporaries, he's got a sound that matches or beats them – a raw, raspy quality that's a bit like Bobby Blue Bland, touched with the depth of feeling we love in James Carr, peppered with elements of other Memphis singers – all produced to perfection with a sound that's as classic as anything on Stax or Goldwax. This album is the only full length set that Davis issued back in the day – released on the small label of producer Allen Orange, an overlooked genius in the southern studio scene of the 70s – with production in Little Rock and Birmingham – on titles that include his great 8 minute reading of 'For Your Precious Love', plus 'Wrapped Up In You', 'My Love is So Strong for You', and 'Don't Marry a Fool'. LP, Vinyl record album.
Tyrone Davis never seems to miss – and even on an overlooked Brunswick album like this, he still sounds better than most of his contemporaries! Davis is really able to blend both deep soul roots and more sophisticated phrasing – at a level that helped transform the sound of southern soul in the 70s! Even though Tyrone himself hailed from Chicago, he has a vibe here that clearly informs new modes from singers like George McCrae, Johnny Taylor, and many others who'd move in the same direction that Davis had been handling this well for years. Arrangement and production are by the cream of the Brunswick stable – talents that include Carl Davis, Willie Henderson, Monk Higgins, and Otis Leavill – and titles include the great cut 'Homewreckers', written by Sam Dees and Tyrone – plus 'Was I Just A Fool', 'How Could I Forget You', 'It Aint' Me No More', 'This Time', and 'After All This Time'. LP, Vinyl record album.
Tyrone Davis never seems to miss – and even on an overlooked Brunswick album like this, he still sounds better than most of his contemporaries! Davis is really able to blend both deep soul roots and more sophisticated phrasing – at a level that helped transform the sound of southern soul in the 70s! Even though Tyrone himself hailed from Chicago, he has a vibe here that clearly informs new modes from singers like George McCrae, Johnny Taylor, and many others who'd move in the same direction that Davis had been handling this well for years.
Arrangement and production are by the cream of the Brunswick stable – talents that include Carl Davis, Willie Henderson, Monk Higgins, and Otis Leavill – and titles include the great cut 'Homewreckers', written by Sam Dees and Tyrone – plus 'Was I Just A Fool', 'How Could I Forget You', 'It Aint' Me No More', 'This Time', and 'After All This Time'. LP, Vinyl record album. Amazing stuff – and the beginning of a strong tradition of west coast funky Latin groups! El Chicano were one of a number of groups to emerge from LA of the 60s – rising forth on a wave of Mexican American pride to come up with a west coast version of the Latin Soul sound that had been emanating from Spanish Harlem a few years earlier. The group had an organ-heavy sound that first scored big on their rendition of Gerald Wilson's 'Viva Tirado' – done as a single by the group with a stepping jazz beat that was missing from the earlier version, which worked great with their bubbly organ sound. The album was recorded to follow up the hit – done as a live set after hours at the Kabuki Sukiyaki Restaurant in south LA, and filled with tight jazzy covers 60s groovers like 'Cantaloupe Island', 'Eleanor Rigby', 'Hurt So Bad', and 'Coming Home Baby'. The record's also got an amazing version of 'Quiet Village' – and while it may not be as Latin as some of the group's later work, it's the beginning of a great tradition, and has a sound that was copied endlessly – but rarely matched!
(, ) LP, Vinyl record album. Fatback are very firmly in an 80s mode here – using a bit more keyboards, beats, and electro touches than before, but still staying true to their funky inspirations! The style's somewhat more contemporarily commercial than a few of the group's previous records – clearly trying for a hit on a few numbers – but the rhythms and production are still a lot more real than most other hitbound bands of the era, and we can more than forgive the group for the few added hooks they bring into a few of the tunes! Titles include 'He's A Freak, Undercover', 'I Found Lovin', 'Wide Glide', and 'Please Stay'. LP, Vinyl record album. Incredible stuff – a never-issued funky soul record from the 70s – but one that you'll proudly stack next to your rare classics from Ramp, 24-Carat Black, and James Mason!
Like work by all three of those acts, this early set by Father's Children is massive righteous – filled with deep soul and strong social messages, while also coming across with a hell of a groove, too – thanks to some wickedly funky backings, and production that keeps the whole thing burning along beautifully! The set is amazing – quite different than the later Mercury Records album by the band – and more like the kind of record you'd expect to hear from Curtom or early 70s Stax – a perfect choice for the folks at Numero to bring to light after all these years – and another reason why their efforts are always worth checking out. As usual for the label, there's a full set of notes and photos that tell the story of the group and this lost treasure – but even if it came out with no artwork at all, the music would still have us raving – as you'll hear on cuts that include 'Universal Train', 'Everybody's Got A Problem', 'Linda', 'Dirt & Grime', 'Who's Gonna Save The World', and 'Kohoutek'. LP, Vinyl record album.
A rare and beautiful early album by Jose Feliciano – one recorded in Argentina largely for the Spanish speaking market, and featuring a wonderful batch of tracks with a very different feel than his US pop hits. As the title implies, there's a nicely dark vibe to the set – the shadows promised in the title, as well as Jose's voice and guitar – which are as heavenly as ever, and which have the same sense of soul here as on his later mainstream classics. Titles include 'Mis Noches Sin Ti', 'Corazon De Acero', 'Camino Verde', 'Amor Gitano', and 'Sombras'. LP, Vinyl record album. Ella gets groovy – and we love it! This album's one of a rare few that has Ella Fitzgerald breaking the mode of her more traditional vocal sessions – a surprising groover that features Gerald Wilson backing Ella with a great blend of soul, jazz, and bossa styles! By the time of the session, Wilson had honed his craft on a strong run of 60s albums for Pacific Jazz – creating a trademark groove that pushes all instruments in the group tightly together, while allowing just the right breakout modes for soloists like Dennis Budimir or Harold Land to spice things up alongside Ella's vocals.
Nearly every track on the album has a nice little bounce at the bottom, and even older chestnuts are strongly transformed into a much later, groovier sound for the set. Titles include 'Sunny', 'Mas Que Nada', 'Man & A Woman', 'Manteca', 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', and 'Days Of Wine & Roses'.
(, ) LP, Vinyl record album. Stunning work from The Flamingos – part of the group's incredible second chapter at End Records, where they really transformed their sound from their years at Chess! The group were already great before, but at End, they found this way of making even more heaven with their harmonies – finding this sublime space that really blew away most of their contemporaries, especially on the ballads – with the lead soaring out, the harmonies gliding alongside, and the production this pillowy, breathy sort of brilliance. The album's one of the best illustrations of this genius at its best – and titles include the sublime hit 'I Only Have Eyes For You', plus 'Love Walked In', 'But Not For Me', and 'Time Was'. Spooky, heavenly, and totally wonderful!
LP, Vinyl record album. Rodney Franklin's learning to love – and he's learning to groove, too – by adding in just a bit more vocals to his music than before, but still holding onto all the best keyboard strengths of the past! Franklin was really one of the leading lights of the Columbia Records jazz scene of the time – an exceptionally strong artist, and very much his own spirit – yet sadly not as remembered these days as contemporaries like Lonnie Liston Smith or Herbie Hancock. Yet Rodney's got all the range of both of those artists – the same ability to mix jazz, funk, fusion, and soul – the last of which he does here wonderfully, with help from singers Jim Gilstrap, Howard Smith, and Darryl Phinnessee.
Yet at the heart of all the tracks are Rodney's nice soulful keyboards – which have the same smooth feel as Bobby Lyle's from the same time – and the same ability to blend wonderfully with lyrics and other instrumentation. The record was produced by Stanley Clarke – and titles include the great 'Enuff Is Enuff' – the theme from the early 80s blacksploitation flick One Down Two To Go – plus 'Sonshine', 'Learning To Love', 'Don't Wanna Let You Go', 'Sailing', and 'That's The Way I Feel Bout Your Love'.
(, ) LP, Vinyl record album. The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label.
A near-lost album of 80s soul from Rosie Gaines – produced, arranged, and mostly written by Rosie with help from a few key associates – and done in a nicely mellow style that has a deeper feel than most other work from her contemporaries! Instrumentation is definitely in the 80s mode – with a fair bit of electric percussion and keyboards – but Rosie's vocals aren't content with just sliding along with the rhythms, and have a deeply soulful range that we really like a lot, and which totally makes the record great.
We've always been surprised that this set didn't push her onto bigger fame – but over and above that mystery, the record's a great one that holds together beautifully over the years. Titles include 'I've Gone Too Far', 'Skool-ology', 'Caring', 'Frustration', 'Wake Up', 'Good Times', and 'What Are We Coming To'. LP, Vinyl record album. Marvin Gaye's last album for Motown – and a wonderful cap to a great run of sexy soul for the 70s – filled with great mellow grooves that rival the genius of his earlier work in the decade! There's a glowing, slow-burning feel to some of the best numbers here – a vibe that's right out of the I Want You era, with touches of Let's Get It On too. But there's also a slightly more mature approach too – a bit more cautious, even when confident – no doubt informed by the struggles of his Here My Dear album, which also echoes somewhat in this set. The record's more proof that even when not coming across with a classic hit, Marvin's still very much at the top of his game – an artist that stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries – with none of the too-commercial or too-dated modes that held other folks back!
Titles include 'Life Is For Learning', 'Praise', 'Funk Me', 'Far Cry', 'Love Party', and 'Love Me Now Or Love Me Later'. LP, Vinyl record album. An unusual album in the Atlantic career of Donny Hathaway – and a unique collaboration with the legendary Quincy Jones! The music here is Hathaway's sole entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack genre of the 70s – penned for film version of a Chester Himes novel, and scored in a mix of funky 70s modes and other more standard jazz styles. Quincy's on board as the 'musical supervisor' – and clearly helps Donny focus his energies towards the hipper side of the soundtrack spectrum, especially on the more contemporary styled tracks. And although most of the work here is instrumental, Hathaway also sings a bit too – most famously on the classic 'Little Ghetto Boy' – which is easily one of Donny's greatest tracks ever!
Other titles include 'Come Back Charleston Blue', with vocals by Margie Joseph, plus 'Bossa Nova', 'Tim's High', 'Hearse To Graveyard', 'Harlem Dawn', 'String Segue', 'Furniture Truck', and 'Liberation'. LP, Vinyl record album. An unusual album in the Atlantic career of Donny Hathaway – and a unique collaboration with the legendary Quincy Jones! The music here is Hathaway's sole entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack genre of the 70s – penned for film version of a Chester Himes novel, and scored in a mix of funky 70s modes and other more standard jazz styles.
Quincy's on board as the 'musical supervisor' – and clearly helps Donny focus his energies towards the hipper side of the soundtrack spectrum, especially on the more contemporary styled tracks. And although most of the work here is instrumental, Hathaway also sings a bit too – most famously on the classic 'Little Ghetto Boy' – which is easily one of Donny's greatest tracks ever!
Other titles include 'Come Back Charleston Blue', with vocals by Margie Joseph, plus 'Bossa Nova', 'Tim's High', 'Hearse To Graveyard', 'Harlem Dawn', 'String Segue', 'Furniture Truck', and 'Liberation'. LP, Vinyl record album. 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, he did the inconceivable, as the album was one of the first times a pop musician had scored, not just sung on, an entire soundtrack. Plus, the soundtrack's super-huge – running as a double-length batch of tracks that was a rarity for the often-slim soundtrack market. Includes many great funky numbers – both vocal and instrumental – including 'Theme from Shaft', 'Cafe Regio's', 'Walk from Regio's', 'Bumpy's Lament', and 'Do Your Thing', in the nice 19 minute long version! LP, Vinyl record album.