Funk | Soul 265 Items

This is essential for all rare groovers, so get your hands on these two indian disco classics and fill the dancefloor!

"Jimmi Jimmi Jimmi Aaya", the indian version of Ottowan's "T'es OK!", made "Disco Dancer" to a legendary Bollywood movie and was later sampled for M.I.A.'s "Jimmy". "Come Closer" is a sentimental merry-go-round groove used in the movie "Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki" and got sampled by the likes of Onra, Guts, Masta Ace, Dabrye & AG and many more. Tip!

Side A's cover of "Tearz" is as much an homage to the Wendy Rene sample as it is to the Wu-Tang Clan track. The song starts as a glazed over cover of "after laughter, comes tears" with Shannon Wise of The Shacks singing Wendy Rene's timeless mantra. Halfway through, the mood dramatically shifts and the drums and organ that drive the original RZA sample take over. A dubbed out Lee Fields taps in like only he can, and the song spirals into outer space.Side B finds EMA dipping into the deeper side of the Wu catalog with Raekwon's "Verbal Intercourse." Mixing the grimy, gritty production aesthetic of the original with elements of dubbed out reggae, El Michels Affair once again pushes the definition of a "cover" and truly makes it a tune of their own.

Limited vinyl edition!

Pittsburgh-born Phillip Ballou’s earliest years were spent in the gospel field; after he moved to New York City in the ‘70s, he teamed up with Bennie Diggs and Arthur Freeman, founding members of The New York Community Choir and singer Arnold McCuller to form the group Revelation. The quartet recorded for RSO Records, scoring some R&B success in the US with tracks like “Get Ready For This” and “You To Me Are Everything,” touring the Bee Gees among others. Phillip also sang on albums by NYCC recorded for RCA Records and continued with Revelation until 1982. Frequently hired for sessions in and around New York, Phillip teamed up with UK soul music journalist David Nathan (who he’d met in 1974 during Nathan’s first US visit) and John Simmons, formerly a member of The Reflections, another New York vocal group to write a series of songs for his own proposed solo record deal. Although a contract did not materialize, one of the songs – “Ain’t Nothing Like The Love” – got some interest from famed Philadelphia producer Thom Bell who presented it to The O’Jays. Ultimately, the tune was turned down by Kenny Gamble and John Simmons, by then musical director for Stephanie Mills, recorded his own version for a small independent label in 1981. Phillip continued his own musical journey, touring and recording with James Taylor and Todd Rundgren. In addition, Phillip’s name graced recordings by George Benson, Billy Ocean, Kashif, Nona Hendryx, Jonathan Butler, Teddy Pendergrass and Melba Moore; in 1981, he began recording with Luther Vandross and became a part of Luther’s touring band for many years, as well as singing on productions by Luther on Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and others, continuing his association with him until Luther’s 2003 stroke. Phillip returned to his gospel roots in 2004 as Minister of Music at a Brooklyn church and passed away in March 2005, aged 55. Thanks to renewed interest in the John Simmons’ 1981 recording on YouTube, David Nathan has uncovered several tracks from the 1978 and 1979 he did with Phillip and John including Phillip Ballou’s original version of “Ain’t Nothing Like The Love,” gaining its first ever worldwide release as a 7” single on Nefer Records in association with Super Disco Edits

Classic big bucks Northern Soul sides on nice lookalike label reissue 45!

A Super rare disco / modern Banger to end the year. Star Quake came out ofColumbus,Georgiaand that's about as far as they got. 'Don't you know I love you' is A Relatively recent spin with O.G copies easily going for over $1000 and with good reason. A disco floater over some brilliant bass, I also edited the B side to remove the fade in so it can now be dropped easily in a club. Happy new Year.

In 1980, during her run on Broadway in the musical, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and before being cast in “Dreamgirls”, singer, actress and Detroit native Roz Ryan teamed up with the legendary team of Dennis Coffey And Mike Theodore on a six song album that wound up being unreleased.

Recently, the folks at Super Disco Edits released this 45 featuring Roz’ taking on Preston Glass’ “Keep Shining / Put Love Back” composed by Eric McClinton.

Both tracks were from the Theodore and Coffey sessions and make their debut for lovers of dancin’ (“Keep Shining”) and romancin’ (“Put Love Back”). Enjoy!

“Superbacana” marks the return of S-tone Inc., an EP that anticipates a new album due to release in autumn 2017. Produced by Stefano Tirone, who co-wrote all the tracks with Tomaz Di Cunto - alias Toco - it contains four tracks (one in two different versions) wi th a funky Brazilian flavour, inspired by the Black Rio sound that represents the encounter between sa mba and the American soul funk music since the ’70s. An outstanding groovy effort that raises the expectations on what S-Tone Inc. will produce in the nearby future...

Following up on the success of Lady Wray’s solo debut album Queen Alone, we are
proud to give you another 45 offering, this time showing another side of Nicole.
Known worldwide for her early career as a Hip Hop / R&B singer, then more recently
for her more matured Soul inspired writing, the A side of this one “Underneath My
Feet” shows just how hard it is to put Lady Wray in a box. If you haven’t seen her live
show, you may have no idea that she has a healthy bad ass Rock and Roll side to her,
commanding crowds with a raucousness that likens Betty Davis. Underneath My Feet
is a tough blend of glam rock drums and guitar stabs that Nicole takes to like a fish to
water. A self proclaimed voodoo woman, putting a spell on the listener, warning all of
her unbridled power.
The B side is the heart wrenching Guilty, a song Wray wrote to cope with the
incarceration of her brother. One listen and it is impossible to doubt the sincerity,
again showing Cole’s songwriting prowess with imagery of no one to cheers with, and
not wanting to experience the comforts of home knowing her brother was locked up in
a cell. A solid 2 sider showing a different side of Lady Wray than she is typically known
for all wrapped up in a beautiful picture sleeve cover.

Mastered and cut at 45rpm for high quality and loud sound, these 7"s are packaged in lovingly produced Brazil45 sleeves. Dancefloor essentials for all DJs and collectors!

The 7" comes with a free Funky Chimes 45rpm adapter.

Check out this essential garage Zamrock/Soul/Funk single as the first official reissue of the celebrated band’s one and only album!

The musical style that became known as Zamrock came to embody the economic despair that followed the 1973-1974 oil crisis, which flung Zambia into recession and exacerbated a wide range of social tensions. Much of Zamrock also captured the controversy of wider politics in Africa and the world. Perhaps the finest example of this is Black Power by The Peace. - The Guardian The Boyfriends, from Kitwe’s Chamboli Mine Township, supplied the founding members for Zamrock’s most famous band, Witch, and kick started one of Zamrock’s best bands, Peace. Their sole Zamrock entry, “Black Power”, recorded at Malachite Film Studio circa 1973/4 and issued circa 1975, sounds like nothing else in the Zamrock canon: a lost message drifiting from the flower power era, imbued with a fiery Zambian voice.

Check out this official pressing from Record Shack of this Soul classic!

Limited vinyl edition!

Although best known in the global music world for his four years (1984-1988) as the music director and bandleader for Whitney Houston, John’s tenure in the soul music field began when he was a member (with his brother Edmund ‘Butch’ Simmons) of The Reflections, a New York City-based quartet who toured from 1972-1975 as the backing group for the legendary Melba Moore. In 1975, The Reflections had a Top 10 R&B hit with “Three Steps From True Love.”

In 1978, John began touring with Stephanie Mills, at the same time collaborating with Phillip Ballou, a member of another New York-based vocal group, Revelation and UK soul music journalist David Nathan (who he met when Nathan did an interview with The Reflections for Britain’s “Blues & Soul” magazine in 1975). The trio wrote a number of songs for Ballou’s demo as a solo artist and while nothing transpired in that regard, John recorded his own version of one of the tunes, “Ain’t Nothing Like The Love” for a small independent Michigan label, Sabrina Records in 1981. John had worked with Cissy Houston at New Hope Baptist Church in New Jersey where she was the minister of music was asked by her to do some initial promotional dates with her daughter Whitney after Arista Records released her first single in 1984; he continued doing world tours with Houston until he passed away at the age of 45 in March 1989.

The Ballou sessions (held mostly in Montclair, New Jersey) expanded into recording dates for both Nathan and Simmons. None of the original recordings were released commercially – until now. In the wake of the interest among rare groove collectors in John’s version of “Ain’t Nothing Like The Love,” Nathan – himself a recording artist since 2003 – has uncovered the tapes of all the material he, Phllip and John recorded in 1978 and 1979.

Gaining its first-ever release now on Nefer Records via Super Disco Edits is the coupling of John’s solo composition, the upbeat gospel-infused “Safe” and the midtempo, “I Wanna Be Closer,” another one of the songs also recorded (and thus far unissued by both Ballou and Nathan).

Having had access to the longer version of the Northern classic ‘Gone With The Wind Is My Love’, this Kent 45 of Rita & the Tiaras’ masterpiece is the first time we have issued the Doré single as it was originally put out. We’ve added the glorious instrumental to the flip for lovers of that LA soul orchestral sound.

It is fitting to have Eddie & Ernie on both sides of a Deep Soul single as they were original label founder Dave Godin’s ultimate Deep Soul act. Both tracks were recorded in the late 60s but first came out on our Eddie And Ernie CD in 2002. It is a tribute to their excellent quality that we release them on this vinyl series now.

Back around the early 1970's Bell Telephunk was formed around the New Jersey area. Some members moved to Clevleand Ohio where the group performed in these early days at bars and clubs. The band disbanded early on and the name lie dormant for a few years. Around 1975/76 Michael Calhoun and a few others decided to rejuvenate the name again. They played often at the Kinsman grill located in Kinsman road Cleveland where they cut their teeth! They ventured into the studio just once to record a series of 6 songs. We are now pleased to bring them to light the newly formed Kinsman Record label. Once you hear these you will fall in love instantly with Ron Thatch's amazing vocals skills. This is crossover ghetto soul of the highest order...

Big Crown Records presents another killer two sider pulled from Lee Fields & The Expressions instant classic "Special Night". With Lee touring the world from sold out show to sold out show supporting his album, we give the DJs and collectors another must have 45.

The A side "Never Be Another You" finds Lee & The Expressions taking another turn on the formula their success has been built on. An unorthodox track to find on a soul album made to fit perfectly, once again pushing the aesthetics of analog soul further into the present. Lee confesses his love and appreciation for his woman walking the fine line of vulnerability and strength.

The B- side "Lover Man" is equal parts rough and smooth. The production and the band come off with a thunderous backing track that takes it's time to get to full sail while Lee lays down some tell it like it is lyrics. Fields comes to the microphone with the confidence only a man with his track record could putting down what life is like with him if the woman he is after just let's it be that way.

The 7" comes with a free Funky Chimes 45rpm adapter.

The 7" comes with a free Funky Chimes 45rpm adapter.

Mastered and cut at 45rpm for high quality and loud sound, these 7"s are packaged in lovingly produced Brazil45 sleeves. Dancefloor essentials for all DJs and collectors!

The Tibbs return with with their new 7inch "Lies".

The two songs included in this 7-inch, “Spooky” and “Hurt So Bad”, directly come Andrea Balducci debut album “Bloom” (Schema Records, 2012, SC 459): two evergreen standards modernized and rearranged in a smooth, refined groovy soul key; a voice ins pired by crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Jamie Cullum and Michael Bublé, over music played by an exceptional team of musicians. These are songs that speak to the heart.

Pantaleon Perez Prado is the younger brother of the “King Of The Manbo” who came in Europe in the 50s and recorded some albums with Unifunk. Taken from “Escandalo” (sceb919lp) “Circle” was written by Mario Rusca and has been performed by some amazing musicians such has Tullio De Piscopo, Hugo Heredia and Pino Presti. “Circle” is a strong track with a killer groove – on the B side we have an unique version edited by Gerardo Frisina

As our label is celebrating its ten years anniversary in 2017 it's about time for an appraisal. we asked LUTZ KRAJENSKI - an exceptionally gifted Jazz arranger and more than talented keyboarder who is also based in our homecity Hannover - to re-interpret some songs from our catalog. They have been recorded with the help of various guest musicians stemming from Krajenski's inner circle of friends in the music scene as well as the singer ALANA ALEXANDER who played an important role in shaping the sound of the album.

the full album will be released in early 2018, but here we go with a first taste: "I Got Hope" is originally written and recorded by THE HI-FLY ORCHESTRA and a special bonus to this 7" Single is the cover version of TIMMY THOMAS' classic tune "Cold, Cold People".

Super sweet soul from Seattle. This is our first release with The Dip that features lead vocals and we couldn't be prouder. Super soulful, great production, and super catchy!

Here's a fine 7-inch by the Danish soul/r&b band, rooted in Copenhagen's garage rock underground. 'Soul Sound System' was mixed by Gabe Roth, co-founder of Daptone Records.

After a strong debut in 2016, Durand Jones & The Indications are
hitting the road this spring with a new 45 from their debut LP. The
lead album cut, “Make A Change” is powerful message soul at its
fnest! Never more powerful and never more relevant! Meanwhile,
the B-side is a cookin’ lowrider soul jam featuring the sweet falsetto
of drummer Aaron Frazer. A two-sided burner.

More raw funk from Saint-Petersburg via Detroits very own FNR!

St. Petersburg gets funky again!

Instrumental … more sweet funk from Detroit!

Classic big bucks Northern Soul sides on nice lookalike label reissue 45!

"Fire Walker" is Jungle Fire's sophmore single that's blazin' up dancefloors around the world!

This might be the Gil Scott-Heron track next to 'The Bottle' that lights up dancefloors everywhere. Now reissued on a handy 45!

Mystery-music from the strange and ancient-modern California fringe … thats what the press release says. Kinda fitting!

As one of the most enigmatic figures of the 1970s Italian soundtrack and library music network Emma De Angelis and her short recording career provides thirsty fans of speedball psychedelic rock and drum heavy instrumental funk with a tight discography rivalling many of the long-standing bastions of the otherwise male-orientated business.
Born in Rocca di Papa, near Rome, into a flourishing musical environment, Emma was the younger sister of future award winning composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, a duo who, under names like Oliver Onions and Dream Bags, would write chart-topping lyrical theme tunes for a wide range of Italian crime, Giallo and Spaghetti Western films featured alongside full scores by Ennio Morricone and the Magnetic System composers (Bixio Frizzi Tempera).
With encouragement from her brothers, Emma, who would also write music under the pseudonym of Juniper, would record a tight clutch of solo-penned material and seldom credited studio contributions to Guido And Maurizio’s film commissions, such as the score for Giuliano Carnimeo’s ‘Simone e Matteo: Un gioco da ragazzi’ (aka ‘Convoy Buddies’). While simultaneously pursuing a career as an illustrator and set designer the De Angelis family contacts would lead Emma to the offices of Romano Di Bari, whose up-and-coming Flirt label was finding success providing custom-built mood music for use in TV and film. Alongside important composers like Alessandro Alessandroni, Gerardo Iacoucci and A. R. Luciani, the young Emma Di Angelis would record a small number of tracks for a compilation called ‘Underground Mood’ (credited in the small print to E De Angelis - not to be confused with Italian singer Edoardo De Angelis). It is from this rare LP that the record you are now holding is compiled. Within the Flirt family of labels Emma De Angelis would also share schedules with other important female composers such as Daniela Casa and Giulia ‘Kema’ De Mutiis - both of whom have appeared on dedicated Finders Keepers releases.
The tracks on this record provide us with a rare glimpse into Emma De Angelis’ short musical career before she became a full time visual artist. With an unknown personnel or studio date it is easy to speculate a potential family jam in Piero Umiliani’s Sound Workshop studio in 1972. One only has to take a listen to Guido And Maurizio’s instrumental theme ‘Gangster Story’ from Enzo G. Castellari’s 1973 thriller ‘High Crime’ (which later appeared on Tarantino’s ‘Death Proof’ soundtrack) or the trippy title theme to Paolo Poeti’s kinky 1976 drama Inhibition to spot the family resemblance.

The Afro Soul Prophecy project welcomes the Spring of 2017 with a series of two exclusive 7-inch records, for a total of four fully instrumental new compositions. This second 45rpm of the series consists of the main track “Daddy’s Groove”, a catchy funky song with wah-wah guitars and a long middle sax solo part, paired with the romantic slow-paced “Let Me Be Your Lover”. Once again Alex Puddu has lent his creativity and put his music signature on these tracks, for an exciting and charming result!

Another big retro-soul-money anthem!

The Afro Soul Prophecy project welcomes the Spring of 2017 with a series of two exclusive 7-inch records, for a total of four fully instrumental new compositions. This first 45rpm consist consists of the main track “Red Light District”, a rare groovy funk effort tinged with catchy brass melodies, backed with the slower, mellow and sensual “The Game of Love” – yes, the title says it all! Once again Alex Puddu has lent his creativity and put his music signature on these tracks, for an exciting and charming result!

Truth & Soul & Magnetic recordings is proud to present the re-issue of this long forgotten gem that was released in 1973 by Satara, a tiny label in Portland, Oregon. Only 500 copies were originally released.Now select Rojac (and sister label Tay-Ster) singles are once again available for a limited time. This reissue series comes to a close on a big, funk-filled high note with the release of Chico & Buddy's 7" masterpiece on the Tay-Ster imprint. "A Thing Call The Jones"