JOHNNIE TAYLOR –EARGASM CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Johnnie Taylor was one of the greatest soul singers of all time and this 1976 release was one of his biggest albums., brilliantly produced by Don Davis. 'Disco Lady' was a massive hit , the first single to ever be certified Platinum , has an incredible rhythm feat Bootsy on bass, and it still sounds fresh today. The grittier funkier 'mid tempo 'Somebody's Getting It' is a real gem with its compulsive grove and punchy horns. Johnnie always excelled on ballads and 'Please Don't Stop' , 'Running Out oF Lies' and his version of 'Pick Up The Pieces' . The modern soul dancer 'You're The Best In The World' is a delightful uplifting track and the upper mid tempo 'It Don't Hurt ME Like It Used To' is also strong. Outstanding mid 70's soul.



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WAR –DELIVER THE WORD CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
At the time of it's release in 1973 War were one of the most popular bands in the USA, it predessor 'World Is a Ghetto' had topped the pop album charts, and Deliver The Word' went on to sell 1.8 million copies. The incredible 'Gypsy Man' starts as an atmospheric instrumental then develops into a struttin groove with great vocal harmonies and Lee Oskar's harmonica coming to the fore towards the end of its 11 minutes. The funky 'Me And Baby Brother' has an incessant groove and is a party anthem. 'Southern Part of Texas' has a latin-funk groove, whilst the instrumental H2Overture' has some great string arrangements. Sometimes overshadowed by 'Ghetto' is album is a masterpiece in its own right.


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DENICE WILLIAMS –THIS IS NIECY CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Classic 1976 album produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney and backed by the might Earth Wind And Fire who were near their pinnacle at this time. Deniece's gospel trained sweet soulful voice is delight throughout. Includes her massive hit and often covered uplifting classic 'Free' in both 6 min album and 3 min single versions. The mid tempo 'That's What Friends Are For' , 'Cause You love Me Baby' , the 2-stepper 'How'd I Know That Love Could Slip Away' and the ballad 'If You Don't Believe' are also highlights.



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STEVIE WONDER – SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE DBL CD £13.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
Stevie made some great albums in the 70's , but 'Songs In The Key' is rightly regarded as the pinnacle of his career. Many of the songs contained on this album have become classics and have been covered by numerous artists for example 'Another Star', 'As' , 'Pastime Paradise' , 'I Wish' and 'Isn't She Lovely'. But this double album needs to be heard in its entirety to fully appreciate its genius. Tracks like 'Have A talk With God', 'Knocks Me Off My Feet', the more edgy 'Black Man' and instrumental 'Contusion' are also great. An all time masterpiece.




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JEAN CARN – WHEN I FIND YOU LOVE CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Possibly Jean's best album dates from 1979, recorded for Philadelphia international label. It includes her big anthem 'Was That All It Was' an incredible slice of philly dance soul. The gorgeous 'My Love Don't Come Easy' starts off slow then builds into another great Philly dancer, and them ore disco oriented 'Whats On Your Mind' is another floor filler. The mid tempo 'Start The Fire' and 'Lonely Girl In A Cold Cold World' and the ballad 'When I Find You Love' don't disappoint. Jean's voice is magnificent throughout.
CD is paired with her 1981 album 'Sweet And Wonderful'.



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BRENDA RUSSELL – BRENDA RUSSELL CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
One of America's most successful songwriters, Brenda Russell recorded this album in1979. At the time, it was a breath of fresh air. Brenda's delicate vocals suited the mood of the album and the set became famous for the gorgeous song 'In The Thick Of It'. Other strong cuts include 'Way Back When', the opener 'So Good So Right' and 'You're Free'. Brenda also wrote 'If Only For One Night' later covered by Luther Vandross – it is a fine song. The album was rejuvenated by the sample of 'A Little Bit Of Love' and became a 2 Step classic partly as a consequence.




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HERBIE HANCOCK – MANCHILD CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Herbie's 1975 album is a jazz funk masterpiece. 'Hang Up Your Hang Up's' has to be on his most intense and funky tracks ever., with great improvisation over a super tight multi-layered rhythm taking you on a journey whilst your feet cant stop moving to the groove .. sheer brilliance. 'The Traitor' , 'Steppin In It' and 'Heartbeat' keep the funk groove going whilst the melodic 'Sun Touch' and 'Bubbles' are breathtakingly beautiful. The album features some great musicians incl The Headhunters, Wah Wah Watson, Louis Johnson, Wayne Shorter and ever Stevie Wonder, but it is Herbie who is the real star.




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QUINCY JONES – MELLOW MADNESS JAPANESE CD £22.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
From 1975, 'Mellow Madness' introduced the Brothers Johnson and Paulette McWilliams to the world. Possibly Q's strongest albums, the Brothers Johnson soar on the hit 'Is It Love That We're Missin', 'Just A Little Taste Of Me' and 'Listen'. Leon Ware and Minnie Riperton duet beautifully on Stevie's 'My Cherie Amour', whilst the psychedelic 'Paranoid' is sung by Leon alone. 'Tryin To Find Out About You' is funky Fusion cut, whilst The Watts Prophets 'Beautiful Black Girl' is beguiling poetry over Ralph MacDonald's full percussion which builds into a funky climax.



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BILLY PAUL – 360 DEGREES OF BILLY PAUL CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Classic Philly Soul Album 1972 produced by Gamble And Huff. Billy started his career as a jazz singer and his phrasing shows his roots on this soul album. The Brilliant 'Me And Mrs Jones' was a No1 pop hit and is a recognised classic. 'Brown Baby' is a nice upper mid tempo floater. 'Am I Black Enough For You' is a struttin funky Philly groove with a typical G&H message. His version transforms Elton John's 'Your Song' into a jazzy soul sztepper and there's also interesting interpretations of 'Lets Stay Together' and 'It's Too Late'. One Of The First great Philly albums.



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PHYLLIS HYMAN – YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE ME CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Phyllis breakthrough album from 1979 was brilliantly produced by Mtume And Lucas., and was an R&B top 10 hit. 'You Know How To Love Me' is a soul and club anthem a great slice of shuffling uptempo soul.
'Under Your Spell' was another club hit and 'Heavenly' is another uptempo track. 'Give A Little More' has become a big 2 step track is certainly a highlight, 'Some Way', 'But I Love You' and 'Complete Me' are good ballads. Phyllis' distinctive vocals are great throughout this one of the best albums from a great singer who is sadly missed.




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DONNY HATHAWAY – EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING CD £9.95 Vinyl LP £18
Donny is rightly heralded as one of the greats, his soul drenched voice really touches you and his rhythmic keyboard playing is outstanding throughout. This is his debut album from 1970 and contains some of his finest work. The really groovy 'The Ghetto' has become a classic and really shifts along nicely. 'Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)' has a great groove and hookline that draws you in. The bluesier 'Je Vous Aime ( I love You)' , 'I Believe To My Soul' , 'Trying Times' and 'To Be Young Gifted And Black'
highlights Donny's soulful voice. An amazing debut album. .




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METERS – REJUVENATION CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £40
The New Orleans funk band were at their peak on this 1974 album considered to be their best, which features the stripped down sound of the quartet but with horns on top arranged by Wardell Quereque. 'People Say' and 'Africa' are great bass led funk tracks with a compulsive groove. 'Just Kissed My Baby' is even funkier and became a rare groove classic. 'Hey Pocky-a-Way' continues in a similar way and the 12 min opus 'Ain't No Use' goes through many changes but is full on throughout. The semi instrumental 'Loving You Is On My Mind' has a more soulful feel . Classic Funk album.
highlights Donny's soulful voice. An amazing debut album. .




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GROVER WASHINGTON JR – WINELIGHT CD £9.95
Widely considered to be the first Smooth Jazz album, if not the major inspiration to a generation of smooth saxmen like Richard Elliot and Boney James. The album has several quality tracks like the wonderfully fluent 'Let It Flow' with Grover in fine style. The title track, 'Take Me There' and the gorgeous 'Make Me A Memory (Sad Samba)' are fine instrumentals dominated by the sax playing genius. Bill Withers adds his distinctive vocals to the grammy winning 'Just The Two Of Us'. Also check the instrumental original version of 'In The Name Of Love'.



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TERRY CALLIER – FIRE ON ICE CD £9.95
From 1977, this is possibly Terry's most consistent album. 'African Violet' is slow burner of a tune – Eddie Harris' sax is so soulful - and an absolute classic. Try the inspirational 'Be A Believer' with its uplifting vibe and message. 'Holdin On' is a 2 stepper with a political slant to the lyrics. Check also the semi-acoustic and totally beautiful 'Butterfly', the mellow 'Love Two Love' or the subtle riff laden 'Be Alright'. 'Disco In The Sky' is a wicked groove/ beat. Classic.




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O'JAYS –BACKSTABBERS CD £12.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
Gamble and Huff produced this 1972 album that really put the O'Jays and Philadelphia International on the map. 'Backstabbers' is a classic shuffling mid tempo groover which along with the more uptempo 'Love Train' were both Top 3 R&B and Pop hits. '992 Arguments' and 'Time To Get Down' are also good Philly dancers, and punchy mid tempo 'Shiftless Shady Jealous Kind Of People' is also strong. The brilliant 'Sunshine' , 'Who Am I' and 'Listen To The Clock On The Wall' are good ballads. Great lyrics, production and singing from Eddie Levert and co . Fantastic Album.



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LTD – LOVE TO THE WORLD CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £20 (sealed)
Excellent 1976 album written and produced by the Mizell Brothers with strings arranged by Wade Marcus and featuring Jeffrey Osborne's deep and brilliant vocals backed by the then 20 piece LTD band. Skip Scarborough's 'Love Ballad' is a fantastic atmospheric ballad that was their big hit. 'Love To The World' is a great uptempo semi-funky stormer with great arrangements and strings. 'Time For Pleasure' and 'Get You It Together' are horn backed groovers , 'The Word' an orchestrated mid tempo that has many changes and 'Let The Music Keep Playing' a nice ballad. Classic 70's soul.



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LENNY WILLIAMS – SPARK OF LOVE JAPANESE CD £23.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Classic Lenny Williams album released in 1978. 'You Got Me Running' is the perfect Disco orientated Soul record – groove! 'Midnight Girl' is a wonderful, infectious Soul track, as is the driving 'I Still Reach Out'. The seven minute ballad 'Cause I Love You Baby' is a great vehicle for Lenny's Soul drenched vocal and strangely has been much sampled. Check also the riff laden 'Half Past Love'. The arrangements are classy with both the rhythm and horn sections on fire.




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CHAKA KHAN – WHATCHA GONNA DO WITH FOR ME CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Chaka's third solo album was released to critical acclaim in 1981 especially for the Soul re-working of Dizzy Gillespie's 'Night In Tunisia'. Bu this album delivers gem after gem. The title song, the crisp 'I Know You I Live You' and the Robbie Vincent favourite 'Any Old Sunday'. 'Fate' is a popular Rare Groove track; 'Need Moods', the title song, 'Heed The Warning' and the duet 'We Got Each Other' are fine Soul tunes. Musically this was Chaka at her peak, vocally and song selection, this is a masterpiece.




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GATO BARBIERI – CALIENTE CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Gato Barbieri's first foray into Jazz Funk remains his strongest set. The Argentinean sax player never sounded more soulful on Marvin's 'I Want You'. Latin tinged funky grooves such as 'Fiesta' and 'Fireflies' glow brightly. 'Behind The Rain' is a wonderfully atmospheric piece – check the bass/ percussion. The moody 'Los Desperados' builds slowly to a crescendo, in part due to brilliant orchestrations courtesy of Jay Chattaway. The band that includes Eric Gale, Gary King (awesome bass playing) and Ralph MacDonald are superbly tight and gel perfectly.




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CRUSADERS – SOUTHERN COMFORT CD £9.95 Original Vinyl DBL LP £15
Excellent Crusaders album from 1974, introduced Larry Carlton as a fully fledged member of the group. Originally double vinyl, the album included the funky hit single 'Stomp And Buck Dance' and the Jazz Funk groove 'Greasy Spoon'. It is however the four elongated pieces that mark this album out as truly sublime. The haunting 'Ballad For Joe (Louis)' was a popular Crusaders tune back in the day, 'Whispering Pines' is wonderfully expressive and is just beautiful. 'Lillies Of The Nile' and 'When There's Love Around' are also strong instrumentals. These four tracks illustrate how eloquent they were at painting pictures with their music.




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BOB JAMES – THREE CD £12.95Original Vinyl LP £15
Probably, Bob's finest album from 1976, 'Three' includes the all-time Jazz Funk classic 'Westchester Lady'. This track is one of the most sampled tracks ever and its simple melody is so mesmerizing. Grover Washington Jr adds his soulful sax to this tune as he does on the equally strong 'Storm King'. Bob's reaches new heights on the stunningly evocative 'Women Of Ireland'. Interpretations of 'One Mint Julep' and 'Jamaica Farewell' complete this superb set.




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TEDDY PENDERGRASS TEDDY PENDERGRASS CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Teddy's debut solo album from 1977 has to be one of finest ever produced in Philadelphia, having Gamble and Huff's trademark sound, topped by that fantastic voice. The uptempo Philly dancers 'You Can't Run From Yourself', 'I Don't Love You Anymore' and 'The More I Get The More I Want' are pure magical uplifting soul at its best. The ballads 'Whole Town's Laughing At Me', 'Somebody Told Me' and 'And If I Had', give Teddy's voice the space to really shine through. The more mid tempo 'Be Sure' and 'Easy Easy are equally smooth and soulful. CD is paired with his 1978 album 'Life IS A Song Worth Singing' inc 'Close The Door' and 'Only You'. Another Essential soul album for any collection.



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EARTH WIND AND FIRE THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £7
Soundtrack to a 1975 that featured the band. This was the album that really put EWF into the soul mainstream and to go to become probably the most popular band of the 70's. The beautiful mid tempo stepper title track is still one of their best ever with great vocal harmonies. 'Happy Feelin' is a vibrant horn backed dancer with nice instrumental sections, 'Africano' a kicking jazz funk instrumental, 'Shining Star' a funky dancer, and 'See The Light' a mystical track with many musical changes later covered by Eddie Russ. 'All About Love' and 'Reasons' are great soul ballads. CD features some unreleased demo versions.



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STEVIE WONDER INNERVISIONS CD £9.95 180GM LP £11.95
Stevie's classic 1973 album which is high on many peoples top soul albums of all time. Includes the jaunty 'Too High', the gritty 'Living For The City' and the struttin funky 'Higher Ground', which are all highlights. 'Golden Lady' is a really uplifting beautiful track with great melodies. The groove ridden message song 'Jesus Children Of America' and the sing-a-long 'Don't You Worry About A Thing' which has a soft samba beat are also great and the more laid back 'Visions' and 'All In Love Is Fair' retain your attention. Great album.




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TOWER OF POWER TOWER OF POWER CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Oakland's finest Tower Of Power had one of the tightest rhythm sections and of course the incredible five piece horn section ,that put together and topped by Lenny Williams soulful vocals created one of the all time great soul bands. On this 1973 album they really excelled on the brassy funky soul uptempo grooves like 'What Is Hip', 'Soul Vaccination' and 'Get Yo Feet Back On The Ground'. The more soulful 'This Time It's Real' is a great soul dancer. The ballads 'So Very Hard To Go' , 'Clever Girl', 'Will I Ever Find A love' and 'Both Sorry Over Nothin' are also excellent. Great album from a great band.




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ANITA BAKER RAPTURE CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £7
This 1986 album really shot the diminutive but so soulful Antia to fame, and was one of the best of that decade. The ballads 'Sweet Love', 'You Bring Me Joy' , 'Caught Up In The Rapture' , 'Mystery' , 'No One In The World' and slightly faster 'Been So Long' and 'Same Ole Love' are soul personified. 'Watch Your Step' has more tempo but retains overall feel of the album. Anita's smokey and slightly jazzy soulful vocals are a delight throughout and the all star band provide the perfect platform for her to build upon.
Quality 80's Soul.




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GEORGE BENSON IN FLIGHT CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Brilliant 1977 album featuring great orchestration from Claus Ogerman and production from Tommy Lipuma. George excels on the vocal covers of 'Nature Boy' and 'Gonna Love You More' which chugg along nicely and the ballad 'Everything Must Change'. The instrumentals 'Wind And I' and Donny Hathaway's 'Valdez In The Country' show off his guitar playing. The killer track though is the cover of War's 'World Is A Ghetto' which really grooves along throughout its 10 mins whilst retaining its melody.
Superb album to relax to.




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RONNIE LAWS – PRESSURE SENSITIVE CD £12.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Ronnie's debut remains probably his best album (though the follow-up 'Fever' runs it close). Ex Earth Wind & Fire sax player leads a scorching path through this Jazz Funk selection that includes the all-time Fusion classic 'Always There'. The much sampled 'Tidal Wave', Stevie's 'Tell Me Something Good' and the slick 'Nothing To lose' are also strong. Produced by Wayne Henderson and featuring guest appearances from Joe Sample and Wilton Felder, there is a Crusaders feel to the overall feel.




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CURTIS MAYFIELD CURTIS CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £30.
Curtis amazing solo debut album from 1970 is an absolute classic. His song writing and social commentary lyrics give an extraordinary insight of what it was to be an Afro American at that time, accompanied by some great music orchestration and grooves and topped by his exquisite vocals. 'Move On Up' is an all time soul classic and is featured here in its 8 min full length brilliance. 'If There's A Hell Below' is a percussive groove driven 7 min opus. The mid tempo 'The Other Side Of Town' has a heavy message, and the poignant string laden 'We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue' starts as a ballad shifts into a punchy percussive groover and then back again. 'Makings Of You' and 'Give It Up' are great ballads and the string laden 'Miss Black America' is also great. Essential album for a soul collection.




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DONNY HATHAWAY EXTENSIONS OF A MAN CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
This album is a real masterpiece one of the most essential soul albums of all time. The songs, lyrics, vocals, Musical arrangements and Arif Mardin's production are magnificent. The Orchestral 'I Love The Lord He Heard Me Cry' featuring 45 musicians topped by Donny's keyboards is incredible. 'Love Love Love', 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know', 'I Know It's You' and the emotive 'Someday We'll All Be Free' are classic midtempos and ballads. 'Flying Easy' is a bright and breezy floater, 'Valdez In The Country' a great driving instrumental. CD bonus track 'Lord Help Me' is a great uplifting gospel inspired soulful prayer. Fantastic album essential for every soul collection.



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ARETHA FRANKLIN LET ME LIVE IN YOUR LIFE CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
The Queen Of Soul's 1974 album produced by Jerry Wexler and co-produced by herself was recorded lie in the studio giving more spontaneity with the multi talented band and her. The big hits 'Until You Come Back To Me' an R&B No 1/Pop No3 single is simply a magnificent mid tempo track, one of her greatest, and on her version of Womack's ballad 'I'm In Love' Aretha's voice really shines. There are also good covers of Bill Withers title track, 'Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing' , the great ballad 'With Pen In Hand' the standard 'The Masquerade Is Over' and an incredible version possibly the definitive one of Leon Russell's 'A Song For You'. Not one of her most heralded but one of Aretha's best albums.


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RICK JAMES STREET SONGS CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Rick at the pinnacle of his career on this 1981 classic funk album which topped the US R&B chart for 5 months. The horn backed 'Give It To Me Baby', 'Ghetto Life' and 'Below The Funk (Pass the J)' are super funky dancers. The more striped down 'Super Freak' and 'Call Me Up' heralded what was in store the 80's. The brilliant soul ballad 'Fire And Desire' a duet with Teena Marie is breathtaking and the string laden mid tempo 'Make Love To Me' ft Gerald Albright on Sax is also great. The album is backed by Stone City Band, Punk Funk Horns and numerous backing vocalist incl Teena Marie, Temptations, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. One of the best albums from the early 80's.



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HERBIE HANCOCK THRUST CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Herbie and the Headhunters are at their peak on this incredibly funky jazz album from 1974.
Herbie's keyboard playing is fantastic; Paul Jackson's bass line's really innovative whilst Mike Clark holds the rhythm together. This album was a major Jazz, R&B and Pop chart hit at the time. 'Palm Grease','Actual Proof, and 'Spank-A-Lee' are as funky as it gets with real improvisation from all players on the top. 'Butterfly' is a beautiful mid tempo with a haunting melody, an absolute classic on which Bill Summers percussion and Bennie Maupin's sax are to the fore. Another must have album.


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ROY AYERS UBIQUITY MYSTIC VOYAGE CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £30
This 1975 album was the one that really put Roy Ayers into the limelight. Kicking off with the funky vocal track 'Brother Green' and the vibrant 'Evolution' are outstanding slabs of jazz funk. The cover of Ronnie Foster's 'Funky Motion' also grooves along and Chicas puts some nice soulful vocals on the popular 'Life Is Just A Moment (pt2)' which has a great bass line and on the mid tempo cover of 'Take All The Time You Need'. The atmospheric brilliant 'Mystic Voyage' and 'Black Five' really show off Roy's Vibe playing. Classic Jazz Funk.



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DONALD BYRD BLACKBYRD CD £12.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
Ground breaking album from 1973, one of the first jazz-funk albums and the biggest seller on Blue note at that time. Produced by Larry Mizell this introduced a new sound featuring an all star cast Inc Harvey Mason, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder etc topped by Donald's brilliant trumpet playing. 'Flight Time', 'BlackByrd', 'Love's So Far Away' and 'Mr Thomas' have that 'Mizell' stamp all over them, and are brilliant early jazz funk groovers. The mellow 'Sky High' and 'Where Are We Going' are equally good. One of the all time great jazz funk albums.


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JOHNNY HAMMOND GAMBLERS LIFE CD £12.95 Original Vinyl LP £20)
A Mizell Brothers production, 'Gamblers Life' preceded the more famous 'Gears'. Every bit as strong, this record was released on a subsidiary of CTI in 1975 and has an edgier feel. Cuts like 'Rhodesian Thoroughfare' and the much sampled 'Gamblers Life' and 'Back To The Projects' allow the Mizells to show off their crisp, funky sound. 'Yesterday Was Cool' is a driving Jazz Funk tune, whilst 'Starborne' is a 70's Donald Byrd like cut that really works on the dancefloors.. On the jazzier tip check 'Virgo Lady'. The rhythm section of Harvey Mason (drums) and Chuck Rainey (bass) are on fire and Melvin Wah Wah Watson (Ragin) is all over the album with his distinctive rhythm guitar. The CD has 4 bonus cuts from his Kudu albums. Killer album !



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DEBRA LAWS VERY SPECIAL CD £13.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
This Elektra album from 1981 was Debra's only album from back in the day. It is hard to understand why? 'On My Own' (an ironic title given the contribution of her brothers) was a popular early 80's groove in London, whilst the gorgeous 'Very Special was a top 20 R&B hit in the US. 'Be Yourself' and 'Meant For You' grew in popularity during the Rare Groove era. 'How Long' (Grey and Hanks penned) is a wicked 2 Step paced groove (notably recorded by Thelma Jones) and oft overlooked from this set. Her distinctive vocals suit the era's sound.



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SIDE EFFECT EFFECTIVE CD £12.95 LP £12.
Side Effect's first and most soulful album recorded in 1973 but unreleased at the time. It features Jim Gilstrap, Lamita Johnson and Augie Johnson on lead vocals and some really nice vocal harmonies from the group. It incl the string laden northern dancer 'Run Run Run' , 'Spend it On Love' a beautiful shuffling mid tempo , 'Do Your Thing' and 'Unless You're Wearing Your Emotions' nice deep soul ballads. The outstanding track is 'Do You Believe' which starts off slow then builds into a semi funky groover that really kicks. The ballads 'Tree Of Love' , 'Sylvia' and 'Wash Your Troubles Away' are also really good.



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CONYA DOSS A POEM ABOUT MS DOSS CD £13.95
One of the best 'Organic Soul' albums ever made, this 2002 album produced by Myron and Josh Hoginstock and Tony Nicholas put Conya on the map and is available again.
'Good Good' , 'Coffee' and 'Feelin You' are strong Organic dancers . 'One More Try' and 'All Because Of You' are great organic mid tempo tracks. 'So Fly' 'Meantime' and the duet 'Heaven' are beautiful hypnotic mid tempo tracks and 'Starship' is the best cover of Norman Connors classic that I've heard.
Conya has made some great tracks since but has never bettered this fantastic debut.


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ANTIONIQUE INTRODUCING CD £15.95
This was one of the albums of 2003/4 and another of the greatest of the decade. This wonderfully warm album was Recorded in Philadelphia with strings from Larry Gold, Antoinique's unique sultry soulful vocals are fantastic throughout. 'Blackwater'and 'Phenomenon' are mid tempo dancers, 'Fell In love' a catch organic dancer and 'good Love' a catchy horn backed mid tempo. 'Someday' is an atmospheric mid tempo that takes you on a journey, 'Blue' a moody keyboard accompanied track that goes through many changes and 'Sunshine' an uplifting floater. Fabulous album.


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N'DAMBI TUNING UP AND COSIGNIN CD £12.95
Incredible album from 2002 from former Erykah Badu backing singer that has to be one of the best jazzy soul albums of the decade. Recorded live in the studio with a full band in one take this album has an incredible energy and warmth that few albums recorded after the 70's can compare to. N'dambi's deep Texan tones are captivating throughout. 'Daydreamer' a funky soul dancer with great Clavinet, and the struttin 'Lonely Woman/Eva's song' have a strong Rufus influence. 'Call Me' is a soulful dancer that really swings. Some of the tracks like 'See You In my Dreams' , 'Whats Wrong With You', 'Soul From The Abyss' and 'Picture This' are jazzier recuts of tracks from her debut album that are taken to new heights with great musicianship. On 'Ode2Nina' a dramatic tribute to the high priestess Ndambi's voice has space to really stretch. A modern day masterpiece, a genre defining album.


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KINDRED SURRENDER TO LOVE CD £9.95
This fantastic 2003 album featuring husband and wife duo like a modern day Ashford And Simpson seamlessly combines old school influences and Y2K soul to best effect with hard hitting lyrics, great musicianship ,strings from Larry Gold (again) and great vocals. 'Surrender To Love' is a hard hitting funky soul groover, 'Rhythm Of Life' , 'Far Away' 'Stars', 'I Am' and 'We' (ft Ursula Rucker) are beautiful mid tempo grooves. 'Meant To Be' is slightly faster and 'Spread The Word' is a great funky soul dancer sampling War's River Niger', and 'Don't Wanna Suffer' is more hard hitting using Soul Searchers '1993'riffs . Wonderful album not to be missed.


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REBIRTH THIS JOURNEY IN CD £14.95 DBL LP £17.95
L.A. based band (some member descendants of 70's band New Birth) created a unique funky soul sound for this energetic 2005 album, featuring great vocals and musicianship. In many ways their sound could be compared to the funkier end of Maze. 'This Journey In' is surely one of the best tracks of the decade with great textures that is extremely listenable and danceable. 'Straw Away', 'Shake It', and 'Everybody say yeah' and good funky soul dancers, 'Common Ends' is a catchy mid tempo whilst ''Got Your Madness', 'Mark Of His Ways' and and 'Sinkin' are atmospheric mid tempo tracks. 'Walk Talkin Mizell' is a semi instrumental tribute to the Mizell brothers'. Great album that sounds fresh each time you hear it.



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FRANK MCCOMB THE TRUTH VOL 1 CD £13.95 LP £13.95
Frank has been one of the greatest singer/songwriter/keyboardists in our music over the past decade and has reached an iconic status like a modern day Donny Hathaway. This 2003 album produced by Steve' The Scotsman' Harvey at Malibu studios with an all star cast inc Bobby Watson (ex rufus) , EWF Horns, Billy Preston and Paulhino Da Costa etc is his masterpiece. 'Shine' is a breezy catchy dancer that is delightful, 'Whatcha Gonna Do' an upper mid tempo feel good groover ft Ledisi on BV's. The atmospheric 'Never Letting Go', mid tempo floater 'Cupid's Arrow' the slow acoustic piano accompanied 'When You Call My Name', the mid tempo 'Action Speaks Louder Than Words' and slinky 'Better Off Without You' highlight the Hathaway comparisons. Another of the best album's of the decade.



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ANTHONY HAMILTON AIN'T NOBODY WORRRYING CD £13.95
Anthony has established himself as THE male soul singer of the decade, his deep rich southern soul voice is soul personified. This 2005/6 album is his finest to date, great lyrically strong songs backed by fantastic musicianship and sung by that Voice. 'Aint Nobody Worryin' (prod by Raphael Saadiq) and 'The Truth' are brilliant mid tempo tracks, 'Preachers Daughter' ft his wife Tarsha McMillian is dramatic and hard hitting, the gospel tinged mid tempo 'Pass Me Over' is beautiful, the ballads 'Never Love Again' and 'I Know What Love's All About' are really good and 'Sista Big Bones' is a southern funky soul dancer. But ever better is 'Change Your World' (prod by James Poyser) a fantastic Philly ballad with strings arranged by Larry Gold , another of the tracks of the decade. Unmissable.

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CURTIS MAYFIELD -SUPERFLY CD £12.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Probably the best blaxploitation soundtrack ever, and one of Curtis finest albums.His destinctive production creates one of soul music's Iconic albums, whose influence on our music shouldnt be under estimated.
Curtis whistful vocals, his lyrics, Johnny Pate's arrangements and Orchestration created a gold album that even topped the US pop charts for a month in 1972/3. 'Superfly', 'Freddies Dead', 'Little Child Running Wild', 'Pusherman' and 'No Thing On Me' are all great anti drug use songs with great grooves. 'Give me Your Love' is a classic love song that was covered by Barbara Mason and Sisters Love ,but Curtis version is outstanding with a great funky soul backing. The instrumental 'Junkie Chase' is classic blaxploitation theme with wah wah guitars and lots of brass that works as well as a track as a movie backdrop. Absolute classic , a must have.



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ANITA BAKER -THE SONGSTRESS CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
Anita's great debut from 1983 produced by Patrcik Moten and Otis Smith for the alters short lived but revered Beverley Glen label. Anita was to achieve commercial success with her Elektra material most notably 'Rapture' and to become arguarbly the top female soul singer from the mid 80's to early 90's by keeping classic soul values at a time when it was out of vogue. It was this album that brought her to the attention of soul fans with her great vocal range and sultry voice. The ballad 'Angel' still rates amongst her best songs and performances, a classic. 'Youre The Best Thing Yet' , 'No More Tears' and 'Sometimes' are also good ballads.The horn backed 'Feel The need' and 'Will You be Mine' are great 2 stepper and the slightly faster 'Do You believe in me' are also highlights. Classic Soul from the 80's.



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RUFUS FT CHAKA KHAN - RUFUSIZED CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
This 1974 album really put Chaka Khan on the map. Rufus had their own distinctive funky soul sound, Chaka's incredible vocals backed by Tony Maiden and Bobby Watson, this was their classic album. 'Once You get Started' a storming uptempo number kicks it of, the riff laden mid tempo 'Somebody's Watching You', 'Please Pardon me' a great melodic string laden horn backed mid tempo and 'Stop on By' thier hit cover of Womack's song a mid tempo classic are the standout tracks. 'Pack'd My Bags' a fairly slow melodic mid tempo track that builds was covered on Chaka's recent album, 'Your Smile' a melancholy ballad, 'Rufusized' a clavinet led semi instrumental and 'I'm A Woman (I'm a Backbone)' funky soul showing Chaka's gritty vocals are also good tracks that complete this Incredible album from a great band at the top of their game.

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PARLIAMENT -MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
This 1975/6 album founded and gave the P-Funk genre its name, featuring George Clinton, Bootsy and co at their most creative and sapced out funky.Supported by Bernie Worrell on surreal keyboards, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Michael and Randy Brecker and Joe Farrell on horny horns, Bootsy's stridding Bass with background vocals by soulsters inc Taka Khan (boom), Debra Wright and Sidney Barnes, the complete sound was unprecendented and fantastic. The album not only appealed to Clinton's underground audience, but right across the board and was a massive Soul and Pop Chart hit, and founded a new movement. 'P-Funk' with its spoken commentary and rousing chorus immediately differented from anything that had come before, 'Mothership Connection (Starchild)' still kicks today with some great riffs and melodies and 'Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)' the albums most conventional groove even became a US top 15 pop hit. 'Unfunky UFO', 'Handcuffs' and 'Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication' keep the funk groove going. One of the most classic funk albums of all time.



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DONALD BYRD- PLACES AND SPACES CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £45
The Mizell brothers produced some great jazz funk albums in the early to mid 70's and were most associated with Donald Byrd and this classic 1975 album in particular. Their joyful heavily orchestrated backing tracks framed the lead instrument to create a total sound. Trumpetter Donald had recorded many great albums for Blue Note in the previous 10 years this one was probably his most accessible.The supporting cast of musicians incl Harvey Mason, Chuck Rainey, Skip Scarborough and King Erricson play note perfect. The uptempo 'Change' sets the tone, the beautiful mid tempo 'Wind Parade' , 'Dominoes' and 'Places And Spaces' are all time classics. The upper mid tempo 'You And Music' , the more gentle 'Night Whistler' and the great cover of 'Just my immagination' complement them to make this one of the best jazz funk albums of all time, that still sounds fresh each time you hear it. Essential.



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GEORGE BENSON - BREEZIN CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £12
This 1976 album became the first jazz album to go Platinum , was a two time grammy winner and topped Jazz, R&B and Pop charts. Brilliantly produced by Tommy Lipuma with orchestra arranged by Claus Ogerman and features an all star cast Ronnie Foster, Phil Upchurch, Jorge Dalto, Stanley Banks, Ralph MacDonald and Harvey Mason. Five of the six tracks are delightful laid back instrumentals highlighting Benson's guitar playing. 'Breezin' a cover of a Womack song, the mid tempo 'Affirmation', the heavily orchestrated 'So This Is Love' and 'Lady' slightly faster 'Six To Four' with a driving beat.The vocal cut 'This Masquerade' shows off Benson as a fine soulful singer and is a truly great track. Classic album an ideal backdrop to a summer's day.




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MARLENA SHAW ANTHOLOGY CD £13.95
16 Classic songs from one of the great female singers. The hard hitting 60’s vibes of ‘Woman of The Ghetto’ , ‘Liberation Conversation’, ‘Mercy Mercy Me’, ‘Wade In The Water’ and her anthem ‘California Soul’ still sound very fresh. Her Smoother 70’s tracks like ‘Feel Like Making Love’ , ‘Loving You Is Like A Party’ , ‘Back For More’ ‘Look At Me Look At You’ , ‘Rhythm of Love’ and her epic Yuma-Go Away Little Boy’ with its spoken intro and early 80’s ‘Without You In My Life’ prod by Gary Taylor and masterpieces. Classic Marlena, Classic Soul.




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ESTHER PHILLIPS ANTHOLOGY CD £13.95
18 of the best tracks from one of the most distinctive female singers of the 70’s. The CTI sides incl the poignant ‘Home Is Where The Hatred Is’ , funky ‘Use Me’ , the floater ‘Brother Brother’ , the dancer ‘I’ve Never Found A Man’, the bluesy funk of ‘Black Eyed Blues’, the funkier ‘All The Way Down’ , her hit ‘What A Difference A Day Made’ and the spine chilling ‘From A Whisper To A Scream’.Her Mercury material incl the modern dancer ‘Changing’, the disco ‘Native New Yorker’ , and the 2-steppers ‘SOS’, ‘Bedtime Stories’ , ‘You Think Of Him’ ‘We’ve Got A Good Thing Going’ and ‘I Hope You’ll Be Very Unhappy’ alonfg with the jazzier ‘There You Go Again/Stormy Weather’. Great songs from a great singer.



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ANN SEXTON ANTHOLOGY CD £13.95
The complete recordings from one of the 70's great female soul singers. Check the modern/crossover tracks 'Color My World Blue', 'Use What You Got' and 'I Had A Fight With Love', the northern fav 'You've Been Gone Too Long' and the in demand funky 'You're Losing Me'. Also listen to two step 'You've Been Doing Me Wrong' and the classic mid tempo ballads 'I'm Your Wife', 'Come On Home'and 'Keep Holding On' and the 70's dancer 'You Cant Lose With The Stuff I Use'. Classic 70's Southern Soul.


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SHIRLEY BROWN - SHIRLEY BROWN CD £12.95
Fantastic soul album from 1977 , her career best. 'Blessed Is The Woman' is an exceptional ballad allowing Shirley's powerful voice to soar . 'When You Really Love Somebody' , 'I Need Somebody To Love Me' , 'the inspirational 'Giving Up', 'Midnight Rendezvous' and 'I'll Be Right Here Lovin You' are all great soul ballads. 'Mighty Good Feeling' is a string laden upper mid tempo dancer, and the bonus tracks are also good especially 'Honey Babe' another good dancer and the modern dancer 'Cant Move No Mountains' which has a great hook. Classic Soul with a Capital S. Unmissable.



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JEAN TERRELL - I HAD TO FALL IN LOVE CD £12.95
First time on CD for this 1978 solo album from the former Supreme. It is a heavily in demand album featuring the outstanding two-steppers 'How Can You Live Without Love' and 'Rising Cost Of Love', both written by Grey and Hanks. They also wrote the modern soul favourite 'No limit' a great string laden dancer. Also worthy of note are the mid tempo ballad 'Change Up', the dancers 'That's The Way Love Grows', 'No One Like My Baby' and 'You've Been So Good To Me'. Remastered to a high standard this under rated album is classic 70's soul and worthy of any soul collection.



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VICKI ANDERSON ANTHOLOGY CD £13.95
17 tracks from James Brown's favourite female singer. Inc her funk classics 'Message From The Soul Sisters' , 'Supergood', 'I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff', 'Answer To Mother Popcorn', 'I Want to Be In The Land Of Milk And Honey' and ‘If You Don’t Give Me What I Want’. Also check the mid tempo duet with Bobby Byrd 'You're Welcome Stop On By', the 2-step 'Wide Awake In A dream' and her version of 'Home Is Where The Hatred Is' with Bossa Nostra. Awesome stuff featuring Vicki’s powerhouse vocals. Awesome.



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MARVA WHITNEY - ITS MY THING CD £12.95 DBL LP £14.95
James Brown production albums from the late 60's is enhanced by adding most of Marva's 45's. 'Its My Thing' , 'Unwind Yourself', Things Got To Get Better' 'What Kind Of Man',' 'Im Tired Im Tired', 'You Got To Have A Job', 'I Made A Mistake', 'What Do I Have To Do', 'Hes The One' and the instrumental 'In The Middle' are all funk classics with Marva's almost screamed vocals soaring over the Famous Flames backing and have been sampled numerous times. The great versions of 'This girls In love With You' and 'Sunny' (with James Brown)show a more melodic side to powerhouse Marva's vocals.




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LEON WARE MUSICAL MASSAGE CD £12.95
Leon's classic and best album , a masterpiece recorded in 1976 for Motown , just after he wrote and produced Marvin's 'I Want You' album. This is in a similar style, and was over shadowed at the time by Marvin's classic but if anything this is actually a better album. The sensual mood of the album is epitomised by the heavily orchestrated mid tempo 'Learning How To Love You', 'Instant Love' (ft Minnie Riperton) 'Body Heat' (Leon co-wrote and sang on Quincy's original a year earlier) , 'Journey Into You' , and the slower 'Holiday' (ft Marvin and Womack) , 'Phantom Lover', 'Musical Massage' and 'Turn Out The Light'. Amongst the five unreleased bonus tracks on the CD are the outstanding 'Comfort (Come live With Me Angel0 (ft Minnie), and 'I Wanna Be Where You Are' which Marvin featured on his album. This is another fantastic Soul album that deserves greater recognition, perfect for unwinding to.




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TOWER OF POWER BACK TO OAKLAND CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
From 1974, this was the last Tower Of Power album that featured Lenny Williams on vocals. Lenny is in top gear on tracks like the beautiful ballad 'Just When We Start Makin It' and the equally strong 'Time Will Tell'; Greg Adams' horn arrangements are a delight on both. No one did horns on ballads like ToP. Try also the mid-tempo 'Man from The Past', 'Don't Change Horses' and the funkier 'Cant You See'. Lovers of the band's funkier side with love the jazzy instrumental 'Squib Cakes' written by organist Chester Thompson and the amusingly titled 'I Got The Chop'. 'Back To Oakland' is one of the most soulful 70's Power albums and testifies to a band at the pinnacle of their career.



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MASTERPIECE GORDY CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £15
Masterpiece is an appropriate title for this album as it is precisely that. The penultimate album that Norman Whitfield produced for the Temps illustrates Norman's writing, producing and Paul Riser's arrangements skills perfectly. The 14 minute funky title cut epitomizes the 70's Whitfield sound (quasi Blaxploitation soundtrack theme) and is almost classical in its construction of the horns and strings. 'Hey Girl' is a delicate semi Doo Wop ballad that shows the vocal skills of possibly the finest Soul vocal group of all-time. 'Law Of the Land', 'Ma' and 'Plastic Man' are archetypal strong Whitfield cuts. In my opinion, the best collaboration that Whitfield and the Temptations made. The CD is paired with their '75 album 'Song For You' produced by Jeffrey Bowden which features their great cover of Leon Russell's title track, the slow 'Memories', 'Firefly' and 'I'm A Batchelor' along with the funkier 'Happy People' and 'Shakey Ground'.


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AL GREEN I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU CD £12.95
Classic 1972 album produced by Willie Mitchell and Al. By this time Al was one of soul music's biggest stars and had crossed over to a worldwide audience, with his understated silky soulful vocals over a strong rhythm section that featured Booke T drummer Al Jackson. The mid tempo 'I'm Still in Love With You' was a no1 R&B hit. 'Look What You Done For Me' with its punchy horn riffs was another big hit. However the most memorable track the classic 'Love And Happiness' was hold back for several years , but is a magnificent upper mid tempo belter with great Organ and Horn Riffs and Al at his best vocally. The really slow ballads 'Simply Beautiful', 'For The Good Times', 'One Of Those Good Old Days' and the haunting mid tempo 'I'm Glad Your Mine' are also great. This Is AL at the pinnacle of his career.



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GIL SCOTT HERON PIECES OF A MAN CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £45
Gil's first collaboration with Brian Jackson recorded in 1971 featuring an all star line up inc Ron Cater, Bernard Purdie, Hubert Laws and Johnny Pate providing the perfect backing on this seminal album.
'Revolution Will Not Be Televised' and 'Home Is Where The Hatred Is'are acknowledged classics.
The beautiful 'Save The Children' and 'I'll Think I'll Call It Morning' have great melodies. The more uptempo 'Lady Day And John Coltrane' and 'When You Are Who You Are' have shuffling rhythms and the down tempo 'Pieces Of A Man', 'Sign Of The Ages' and 'The Prisioner' are compelling. The Lyrics are thought provoking, Gil's story telling voice powerful yet vulnerable, the music outstanding. This is an album you really need to listen to. A Classic.



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LONNIE LISTON SMITH EXPANSIONS CD £9.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
This magically album recorded in 1975 has to be one of all time great Jazz Funk albums ever recorded. Lonnie successfully combined electric instruments on the jazz funk tracks with acoustic ones on the jazzier tracks. The all time classic 'Expansions' defines the genre, built around Cecil McBee's incredible B line, a shuffling rhythm, Lonnie's keyboard textures and brother Donald's sublime vocals and flute playing making one of the most instantly recognizable jazz funk tracks. 'Voodoo Woman' and the mystical 'Shadows' paint pictures in the mind and are a journey of discovery. The more acoustic tracks like 'Desert Nights' , the shuffling 'Summer Days' and the beautiful 'My Love' are delightful and the version of Doug Carn's 'Peace' as relevant in today's world as it was in the early 70's. The four man percussion section keep the rhythms flowing and are inspired throughout and Dave Hubbard's sax and flute enhances the overall feel. An Absolute classic that still sounds fresh each time you hear it.



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GROVER WASHINGTON JR LIVE AT THE BIJOU CD £14.95/ Original Vinyl DBL LP £15
This was the last recording for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint the label which propelled Grover to superstardom. Grover had released a series of brilliant Jazz Funk albums (esp 'Mister Magic' and 'Feels So Good'). His band Locksmith were tight and together and Grover 'live' combined his tuneful sax playing with improvisation and ferocity at times that is breathtaking. 'Bijou' includes 2 cracking Jazz Fusion classics 'Sausalito' and 'Summer Song'. Cuts like 'On The Cusp','Lock It In The Pocket' the jazzy 'You Make Me Dance' and 'Juffure' reflect a legend at the top of his game. Theirs also a 20 min version of 'Mr Magic'. This one of the best 'live' sets' ever and a must for Grover and Jazz Funk fans alike.




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WAR –WORLD IS A GHETTO CD £9.95
War were at the top of their game when they released 'World Is A Ghetto'. Their previous set 'All Day Music' that included the awesomely funky 'Slipping Into Darkness' broke through into the mainstream. 'World Is A Ghetto' hit Number 1 on Billboard and was apparently the biggest selling album of 1973! War's mix of Funk, Latin and Blues was (still is) intoxicating. The single 'The Cisko Kid' remains the archetypal Latino Funk cut, whilst the dirge like 'World Is A Ghetto' resonates with the feel of urban America that we can still recognize today. War were also the masters of funky Jazz and the 13 minute opus 'City County City' is a potent mix of Jazz, Funk and Latin check the bass and the percussion. Along with its follow-up 'Deliver The Word', 'World Is A Ghetto' is War at their most powerful a timeless classic.




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O'JAYS SHIP AHOY CD £12.95
The O'Jays were the voices of Philly Soul's social conscience in the 1970's and this magnificent 1973 Gamble And Huff Produced ablum was the pinnacle of their efforts. Lyrically strong, backed by MFSB at their peak and superbly sung by Eddie Levert and co. It includes the hit single the stomping 'Put Our Hands Together' and the incredible distinctive much sampled bass led 'For The Love Of Money'. The original version of 'Now That We Found Love' is taken at a slightly slower pace than Third World's hit but it is its equal. The slower tracks are especially poignant ; the powerful 'Ship Ahoy' (a slave ship anthem), and 'Don't Call Me Brother' (hyprocity) and the more mellow 'You've Got Your Hooks In Me' gives some contrast. This essential album is one of few Philly 'Concept' albums and probably the greatest the City Of Brotherly Love made.



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SLAVE – SLAVE Original Vinyl LP £15
When the track ‘Slide’ was released as a single in 1977, the Funk hit the fan. This heavy duty number complete with growling bass, burning guitar and syncopated horns, Slave had arrived. This was Funk with a capital F. Slave reached their commercial pinnacle with the softer ‘Just a Touch Of Love’ and ‘Watching You’ sound of the 80’s but at this time they were up there with the iconic Funk groups like Ohio Players Parliament etc. Cuts like ‘Screw Your Wig On Tite’, ‘Party Hardy’, the thumbed bass led ‘Love Me’ and the flowing ‘You And Me’ (a UK favourite) are killer Funk cuts. Hard as nails, which even the sleeve reflects.




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HERBIE HANCOCK – HEADHUNTERS CD £9.95 LP £11.95 Original Vinyl LP £15/REISSUE VINYL £9.95
Probably the most influential fusion of Jazz and Funk, this million selling album from 1973 'crossed Herbie over to a much broader and wider audience. The hit single 'Chameleon' has inspired Jazz Funk artists, Hip Hop producers and music fans alike. This 15 minute cut driven by Harvey Mason's drums and Paul Jackson's growling bass mutates into so many segments that it sounds like 3 or 4 tracks in one. The tribute cut 'Sly' and 'Vein Melter' are more intense pieces but maintain the Funk. With 'Headhunters' Herbie re-invented himself after the post 'Bitches Brew' heaviness of his albums like 'Sextant' and Mwandishi and thus crossing Jazz over to an entire new audience. 'Headhunters' is the work of genius and it sounds more contemporary than ever and of course the famous Headhunters group were born.



(REISSUE)

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FREDDIE HUBBARD –BACKLASH CD £9.95 180 GM LP £11.95 Original Vinyl LP £20
Freddie Hubbard's Atlantic debut is a joyful explosion of mid 60's Soul/Jazz. The album kicks off with two exuberant cuts 'Backlash' and 'Return Of The Prodigal Son' that combine a finger popping Motown groove with a righteous Baptist Beat. 'On The Quee Tee' and 'Up Jumped Spring' offer more challenging time signatures and show the jazzier side to Freddie. Standout is however the original version of Freddie's 'Little Sunflower' that is one of the most beautiful pieces in recorded Jazz. Hubbard's restrained solo is complimented by James Spaulding's flute to evoke the feeling of coming across a flower in the desert wonderful. Freddie was at his creative peak at this time and establishing the reputation as the finest trumpet player of his generation. 'Backlash' is man in his musical prime



(REISSUE)

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JAMES MASON RHYTHM OF LIFE CD £12.95 REISSUE LP £19.95
This 1977 album from Roy Ayers guitarist James is one of the best rare groove jazz funk album ever. Featuring an all star liune up inc Narada Michael Walden, Gene Torres and Roy Ayers sidemen Justo Almerio and Phillip Woo with the distinctive vocals of Clarice Taylor. 'Sweet Power Your Embrace' is an anthem that has all the hallmarks , driving rhythm, phat beats, eerie keyboards and those vocals ! The more urgent and percussive 'Free', 'I've Got My Eye On You' and 'Rhythm Of Life' and the mid tempo dancer 'Slick City' are also popular tracks. Also check the great mid tempo tracks 'Good Thing' 'Dreams' 'Mwebe' and 'Funny Girl' on this consistently good classic album.





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JAMES BROWN THE PAYBACK CD £9.95 Original Double Vinyl LP £40
Quite simply James finest album, a double vinyl recorded just after the death of his son in 1973, every track is worthy of its place. The hypnotic funk anthem title track with its driving bass line and funky guitar riffs has been sampled many times as is regarded as a classic. The punchy shuffling 10 min epic 'Stone To The Bone', the social consciousness of the 12 min 'Mind Power' another funk anthem. The horn backed super funky semi instrumentals 'Shoot Your Shot' and 'Time Is Running Out Fast' are essentially JB's tracks. The ballads 'Doin The Best I Can' and 'Forever Suffering' are also very good. This is James at the top of his game both vocally and lyrically and the JB's at their tightest and freshest. Probably the best funk album ever made, An all time classic.




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LEROY HUTSON HUTSON CD £12.95
Leroy is a cult underground Soul hero who has perhaps unfairly never achieved the mainstream acclaim of Curtis, Marvin and Stevie. He made many classic tracks throughout the 70's but never made an album as great as this one. 'All Because of You' and 'Lucky Fellow' are rightly regarded as classics and are still a delight to listen to great 70's Chicago soul with strings and horns and full production. But this album is fantastic throughout , the mellow 'I Bless The Day' , 'It's Different' , 'So Much Love' , 'Cant Stay Away' and the instrumental 'Cool Out' complete the listening experience ideal for chillin out. One of the best soul albums of all time, a classic.




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TOM BROCK I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE CD £12.95 LP £12.95
Great Barry White produced album from 1974. Best known now for the Jay Z sampled orchestrated mid tempo 'There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me', and the modern soul title track. But check out the ballad 'Have A Nice Weekend Baby' ,and the mid tempo 'If We Don't Make It Nobody Can' , but this is a total album where its good from start to finish. Classic 70's Soul.



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J.R. BAILEY JUST ME N YOU CD £12.95
Fantastic 1974 soul album, from the prolific songwriter, was made in the shadow of and musically the same vein as Marvin's 'Whats Going On'. Highlights are his original of 'Love Love Love', 'After hours' , 'Heaven On Earth' the fantastic title track and 'I'll Always Be Your Lover', but this album is strong throughout. JR's lyrics and vocals are great throughout and the arrangements and production compliment perfectly. It is a classic, up there with Lou Courtney, Leroy Hutson, Tom Brock and the other great albums we have reissued. This album should be in every soul collection.




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LOU COURTNEY IM IN NEED OF LOVE CD £12.95 LP £12.95 ORIGINAL VINYL £50
One of the all time great 70's soul albums made in 1974 , every track a killer. Best known for the 2-step/modern soul 'What Do You Want Me To Do' and 'I Don't Need Nobody Else' but there's also the dancers 'I Will If You Will' , 'Somebody New Is Lovin On You' and the title track. The ballads are equally good 'Common Broken Heart' 'Since I First laid Eyes On You', 'Best Thing a Man Can Ever Do' and 'I'm Serious About You' . Essential Classic 70's Soul.


(reissue)


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LEE McDONALD SWEET MAGIC CD £12.95 LP £12.95
Another great rare soul album recorded for a small NJ label in 1981 , although in places in sounds like it was recorded earlier in Philly. The Modern soul dancer 'I'll Do Anything For You' has been popular for many years and is top notch, 'Slow Down' and 'Lets Play Luck' are also Philly style dancers of note.
There's a really good 2 step cover of 'We've Only Just Begun' which takes it a million miles away from the Carpenters original. On the mid tempo stepper 'Gotta Get Home' Lee sounds similar to Teddy P as he rips it up, and the ballad 'Show Me' is also nice. Classic Rare soul.





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LOU RAGLAND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER CD £12.95 REISSUE VINYL LP £14.95
Another great rare soul album from Cleveland Ohio made in 1977. The beautiful modern soul mid tempo title track has great lyrics, and the modern/northern dancers 'Since You Said You'd Be Mine' and 'What Should I Do' are solid floor fillers. The ballad 'Its Got To Change' and the 'Hi' sounding 'What Happened to The Feeling' and 'Just Being For You' are well worth checking.
This album was quoted by BBC Financial News website recently as being ‘The Best soul album you’ve never heard’ .




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BENNY JOHNSON VISIONS OF PARADISE CD £12.95 LP £12.95
Benny's gutsy voice is similar to Syl Johnson, Johnnie Taylor and at times Al Green.
This his only record from 1973 has been long in demand on both the modern and two step scenes. 'I Just Got To Know' is as two step classic, the title track, 'Second To None', ’and 'Stop Me' are modern favourites and there's lots of great mid tempo tracks and ballads like 'Absolutely Positively', 'Please Come Back' and 'Wont You Stay'. The full band led by Julius Brockington are on point throughout with great horns and organ . This is a great overlooked classic 70's soul album available widely for the first time.




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