Funk | Soul 164 Items

"We Are King" is the debut album by R&B trio King (currently named We Are King), released on February 5, 2016. It was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th Grammy Awards, making them the first independent artists to be nominated in that category. As soon as this debut album was released in 2016, it attracted tributes from many artists, including Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Robert Glasper, Erykah Badu, Quest Love, Giles Peterson and Avicii. The original version and even the 2017 reissue of the album is currently highly priced on the second-hand market. The entire album is a neo-R&B masterpiece, with the three's endlessly beautiful and sweet chorus work dancing over a nostalgic and futuristic sound that connects soul's past and future.

Hot on the heels of their release, Crush, funk futurists Lettuce return with Mt. Crushmore, a collection of tracks that are easily some of the finest they have produced. The seven-track effort includes a mix of new songs and b-sides from the band’s Crush sessions. Though a majority of the material on their new EP is from the Crush sessions, that speaks more to the amazing quality of that album than it does to the strength of the material here. In fact, with a focus on their spacier and more open and experimental facets, this will quickly become one of the most beloved parts of the band’s already impressive catalog.

Why you'll love it...
Musical Massage is of the body, and beyond the body. Far past merely the physical or the sexual, or even the romantic—the engine of Musical Massage is a spirit, a cohesion, a rhythm, a way of life, and a shared understanding.

Originally released in 2014. Ikebe Shakedown’s powerful instrumental soul takes “big unison horns, slinky bass lines, tight little guitar licks—and blends them with tasty grooves culled from '70s-style horn-driven funk (WNYC Soundcheck).” The Brooklyn-based collective is set to follow up their well-received self-titled debut album with the heavier, more mature sound of their second full-length Stone By Stone. The self-produced album was recorded at the famed “House of Soul” Daptone Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Notes bassist Vince Chiarito, "Thinking of all the great music that has come out of the Daptone Studio really pushed us to refine our songs and grow as a band. It was really inspiring to record there." The band adds that, “Stone By Stone is a much more layered and arranged album. The self-titled debut captured the raw energy of us playing live and the new record is much more of a studio effort. Psychedelic textures weave in and out of the grooves while the horn section offers an explosive response. The songs are heavy and danceable and show our moodier, more melodic side.” The seven-piece band—named after a favorite Nigerian boogie record and pronounced “ee-KAY-bay”—formed in 2008 and has developed a mighty horn section anchored by tight, deep-pocketed grooves. Following 2009’s debut EP Hard Steppin', the band released their self-titled debut full-length LP on Ubiquity Records in 2011 that Okayplayer called “an adventurous trip through time” and “one of the best releases of the year.” Their music has also been featured on a number of television shows and commercials including HBO's Eastbound and Down, Mini Cooper and Vans.

Cosmic Chronic Records, in association with Peoples Potential Unlimited & Gangster Groove America, proudly announces Psychic Mirrors' debut LP, "Nature of Evil." Remastered for 2020 and available for a limited time..

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the C.M.R label, the third instalment of Groove Sessions is here. In 7 tracks, CHINESE MAN revives the sound that made them such a success. Classic hip-hop with South African rapper TUMI on "Once Upon A Time", or piano and mariachi trumpets on "Scatter" with rapper Ex-I.DELUXE offers 2 productions in line with the success of "The Deluxe Family Show" and the label also invites its new signings. S.O.A.P and TAIWAN MC invite Indian singer Tritha for a broken beat track combining electro bass and ragga flow.The mysterious Tomapam and LeYan invite OfNazareth on the track "Rosita", and Cyph4 on the track "A.M. Horrorscope", one of the label's best-known voices, on a track mixing traditional Turkish music and Hip Hop beat.

Orgone is one of the most exciting bands in the new generation
of funk bands; led by the powerhouse vocals of Adryon de Leon,
Orgone recalls such legendary groups as Rufus and Sly & The
Family Stone at their best! The band has backed Alicia Keys on her
As I Am album and Cee Lo Green on his Grammy-winning track Fool
for You.
Beyond The Sun is the most complete fulfillment of Orgone s full
spectrum of sound, ranging from the in the pocket funk of Don’t Push
Your Luck to the evocative balladry of No Pain to the clubby-jam
of the title track and the scorching instrumental workouts on Meat
Machine and Sabi. A highlight is a hot version of Rufus I m A Woman
(I m A Backbone).

Following a big indemand of my productions 2010 on CD & 2016 on VINYL,
this lovely LP was repressed again with another cover. This unreleased album is a project by Henry Horne from archive tapes recorded during 1982+1984

The latest mash up from AMERIGO GAZAWAY is a scorcher! You loved FELA SOUL and BIZARRE TRIBE, now YASIIN GAYE: 13 tracks that perfectly blend MOS DEF and MARVIN GAYE. Features TEDDY PENDERGRASS, KANYE WEST, TAMII TERRELL,TALIB KWELI and BLACK ASTRONAUTS. Full picture sleeve, double vinyl!

Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American neo soul singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, social issues and personal relationships. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. The album contains the single "Bag Lady", a top 10 Billboard hit, nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song.

It's finally repressed. This 180g heavy weight vinyl comes in a gatefold cover with liner notes. Funky Chicken brings together some of the best Belgian dance tracks from the early seventies.

It's finally repressed. This 180g heavy weight vinyl comes in a gatefold cover with liner notes. Funky Chicken brings together some of the best Belgian dance tracks from the early seventies.

This 2-LP album offers fans the chance to experience Otis Redding's legendary performances from 1966. Featuring highlights from the historic 3-night stand, the audio on has been newly mixed and mastered from the original 4-track tapes.

Betty Harris’ The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul collects together the steady stream of amazing soul and funk singles issued by Betty Harris from 1964 to 1969, under the musical guidance of legendary composer, musician and producer extraordinaire Allen Toussaint, a collection which truly captures the heart and soul of the city of New Orleans during this era.
Betty Harris’s powerful, fiery soulful vocals found a perfect accompaniment with the New Orleans’ players that Toussaint put together to back her, which by the time of her funk classic ‘There’s A Break In The Road’ were the legendary super-tight, super-funk New Orleans group The Meters.
With the extraordinary song-writing skills of Allen Toussaint alongside the powerful, soaring, confident and emotive singer and the groove of The Meters, you have an unbeatable combination. That Harris never in fact lived in New Orleans (she flew in from Florida for all her sessions with Toussaint’s local in-house players) seems almost an irrelevance, a geographical aside to the defining New Orleans sound captured on the recordings featured here.
All of these singles featured here were released on Allen Toussaint and his business partner Marshal Sehorn’s local New Orleans label Sansu, widely distributed in the southern city but in only limited quantities elsewhere. As a consequence, Betty Harris’ music failed to achieve the commercial success of other New Orleans artists such as Lee Dorsey (who she recorded with) and The Meters (who backed her). And so at the end of the decade she stopped recording, retired from the music business to raise her family in Florida.

This is the first ever vinyl release of Ikebe Shakedown’s debut release. The sound of the album is still as heavy as an angry herd of elephants! Recorded at Dunham Studios in Brooklyn with the help of members of The Budos Band, these tracks are rough and tough to be sure and offer a variety of different sounds from the band. Ikebe seamlessly blends the raw emotion and passion of ‘70s African Funk with the danceable horns and rhythms of American soul music! The records is housed in a heavyweight gatefold tip-on jacket and comes with a download.

Nothing New is an album by Gil Scott-Heron of stripped down acoustic versions of songs from his back catalogue, recorded in New York between 2005 and 2009.

Originally released as a limited edition vinyl only LP for Record Store Day 2014, now regularly available!

Truth & Soul is proud to present the second volume of our Fallin' Off The Reel compilation on double long playing vinyl.

"Automatic Soul, like my previously compiled Late Night Tales Music For Pleasure, is based very much on a sound. It's a sound that I feel has been overlooked: 80s R&B-infused music, with drum machines, synths and invariably brilliant vocals. It’s formed the bedrock of my rare groove sets for all the years I’ve played. It’s not the most fashionable, but to me it’s the perfect marriage of technology and soul, hence the title for this album, Automatic Soul. There are plenty of songs I could have included, and no doubt some that I shouldn’t, but I’ve tried to represent what’s best to me from this era. It’s not a classic Late Night Tales. It’s a pretty personal journey, which I hope some of you might be willing to share." Tom Findlay Groove Armada September 2014.

DaM-FunK is the kind of guy who seems like he’d make great company: laid-back, affable, personable. But to truly get the guy, to really understand him, is to know a deep love of music like no other. Dam’s contribution to the DJ-Kicks series gives you an opportunity to do just that. It’s a snapshot view into the mind of the pioneer of Modern-Funk music… DJ-Kicks invites you to get to know the man behind the shades.

Dam makes a lifetime of digging and absorbing music that feels as laid-back as the Santa Ana breeze. Years ago, he coined the term ‘Modern Funk’ to give context to his music. The elements of the synth-heavy and multi-layered style are gloriously displayed on DJ-Kicks. “Modern-Funk is a combination of all the sounds on the mix,” he explains. “Funk, Boogie, Electro, House, Modern-Soul, Ambient tones… a push and pull of nostalgia and progressiveness…”

At a satisfying 19 songs, DâM-FunK’s DJ-Kicks lets grooves breathe. This is a mix to happily get lost within; a document in vibe. Unexpected contemporary joints mingle with lost gems from unlikely places. The exclusive DâM-FunK production “Believer” makes its debut on DJ-Kicks, an extensive instrumental composition that on it’s own could only be classified as signature Modern-Funk. The mix also includes Dam’s excellent collaboration with Nite Jewel, as ‘Nite-Funk,’ on “Can U Read Me?”

Khun Narin’s Electric Phin Band initially caught the ears of music enthusiasts via a YouTube clip posted to the Dangerous
Minds blog in 2013 with the caption “Mindblowing psychedelia from Thailand”. Helped by some interpreters at his local Thai
restaurant, sound engineer Josh Marcy travelled to a small village near Lom Sak to record the band professionally. The
result was their eponymous 2014 debut.
The music Khun Narin’s Electric Phin Band plays is called phin prayuk. A phin is a 3-stringed lute, on which the band uses
a string of BOSS effects pedals, including a phaser, distortion and digital delay. The ever-rotating cast of members spans
several generations of musicians who play on hand-made instruments and take special pride in their custom mobile PA
system: an imposing tower of 8 loudspeaker horns atop a huge bass cabinet. A standard engagement sees them
performing during morning rituals, playing several low-key sets from the comfort of plastic lawn chairs. After a mid-day
banquet, they lead a parade through the community to the local temple, picking up more and more partiers along the way.
A fan of their casual yet participatory playing environment, Marcy returned to Lom Sak in early 2015 to record more. II
features covers of traditional Thai pop songs, introduces some new players including new phin players Aob and Bas while
retaining some members of the old guard

It was made the way they made electronic music in the good old days, all analog everything, right after synthesizers shrunk to a manageable size and you didn’t have to trek down to a university to use one anymore. Electronic music as practiced and developed by pioneers like Dick Hyman and Raymond Scott and Wendy Carlos is precise and intentional. In making his first electronic album, Younge took his cues from them, reminding a contemporary audience what a synthesizer, deep in its heart, really could be. “Black Noise” is men talking to men about women; “Lemonade” is a woman talking to women about men, and they both orbit around a failure we take for granted like the sun: loving you is complicated. It’s a skill; we forgot. Adrian Younge calls “The Electronique Void” an academic album, by which he means it is both instructional and informational. There’s a problem at the heart of it, a woman who’s been told that she’s loved, but she doesn’t recognize that, can’t feel it, may have heard it all before, may be worrying about the wrong things. Jack Waterson, long a guitarist in Younge’s band, plays the role of narrator, sounding professorial and rather superior as he lays out for the woman where she’s erred. That vocoder you hear is Adrian, talking to her on a subterranean level, the way an artist must. The discourse on the album is the kind of thing that happens when you go blonde and then you can’t keep ‘em off you. These truths are cold and hard, and our hero begrudges the well-meaning advice being rained down upon her as any independent woman would. The science of love, its formulas and if-then constraints, causal relationships and observable properties, is best taught experientially, but learning it hurts so, so bad. Music, especially electronic music, reliant as it is on abstraction and unrepentant as it is about hijacking your physiological responses to tempo and rhythm and dynamics, is a way to get there without going through it.

Some people have to wait for fame; some people wait even longer than most. Donnie and Joe Emerson are in a league of their own.

As teenagers in Fruitland, Washington in the late ‘70s, the farming brothers dreamed of being heard. The synthesizers were sometimes crude and the 8-track recorder had its limitations, but the brothers aimed at nothing short of perfection in their home studio on the farm. They titled their 1979 debut Dreamin' Wild, and, as multi-instrumentalist Donnie later admitted, “Joe and I basically lived the dream of the title of the album.” The same goes for their parents who heavily believed in their sons' musical dreams, taking out a second mortgage on the farm and investing $100,000 in a dream that refused to die. But their privately funded, private press record sank without trace, the family lost most of their 1,600 acre farm, and as Joe focused on the family farming business, Donnie focused on his solo career.

As for Dreamin' Wild, things began to change three decades later, when record collector Jack Fleischer bought a copy of the album for $5 at a Spokane thrift shop. Something about the brothers' smiles, bouffant hair, and matching white jumpsuits gave him a good feeling. Fleischer's blogging about the album brought it to the attention of cult musician Ariel Pink, who recorded his own version of standout track “Baby.” Eventually re-released on Light In The Attic and widely available for the first time, the album chimed louder a lifetime after its conception: Pitchfork described it as a “a godlike symphony to teen hood.” The New York Times flew out to the family farm, while Jimmy Fallon took to Twitter to proclaim his love for the duo.

But Dreamin' Wild does not tell the full story. In a relatively short span of time (just two and half years) the boys put close to 70 songs down on tape, all recorded at that magical home studio on the farm. A dozen of them are included here on Still Dreamin' Wild: The Lost Recordings 1979-81 and ready to be enjoyed for the first time ever. With a familiar blend of FM rock, power pop, and new wave, these 12 tracks cover the entirety of that fruitful period, stretching from the second song Donnie ever recorded (“Everybody Knows It”) – to tracks documenting his temporary move to L.A. in 1981.

Donnie's life story is in these songs. Where Dreamin' Wild captures the teenage experience, Still Dreamin' Wild tells a broader story, one in which teenage dreams turn to painful yearning. So where the Beach Boys indebted “Ooh Baby Yeah” is inspired by a teenage girlfriend, “Big Money” shows the emergence of a naive political awareness. Later, 1981's “One True Love” captures the sound of what Donnie described as “the city as imagined from the farm,” and the epic closing track, “Don't Disguise The Way You Feel” found Donnie after high school, feeling stifled and frustrated in the isolation of the countryside and mourning the loss of his friend and occasional backing vocalist Dwayne. It is, quite simply, heartbreaking.

The long-belated success of Dreamin' Wild has given the Emerson brothere, still close and still the heart of a loving family, a new lease of life. They've finally taken their music on the road, performing at Seattle's Showbox followed by New York's Mercury Lounge. Still Dreamin' Wild proves that the album wasn't a fluke, and that Donnie's songwriting is as consistent as it is rare. All this time later, we finally have the pleasure of hearing the brothers' music. And the good news? They've still got the jumpsuits.

It is our distinct pleasure to present: Miss Sharon Jones! OST. The film, directed by two-time Academy Award winner, Barbara Kopple, follows the dynamic front-woman through her 2013 battle with cancer and her triumphant return to the stage around the release of Give The People What They Want.

The soundtrack, featuring the exclusive "I'm Still Here", boasts a nice selection of tracks ranging from her early singles on Daptone, to tracks from the band's 2014 release - Give the People What They Want. Much like the film, the soundtrack gives you an intimate, candid look into the life of a woman who refuses to be defined by the challenges she faces. The perfect accompaniment to a truly extraordinary film. Stay tuned this summer for Miss Sharon Jones! theatrical release - brought to you by Starz digital.

Can you feel it? There’s a rumble in your ears, a tremble in your knees, the world as you’ve known it is about to split, swallow you up whole and spit you out! Then, and only then, you will know you’ve heard ‘BodyQuake’ the long awaited and eagerly anticipated third album from Laura Vane and The Vipertones!

Curtis Harding says that soul music, and his music, speak for themselves. It's self-evident on the Atlanta artist's debut, Soul Power. The driving sound of his electrified Stratocaster, the foot-stomping backbeat and the lyrics swimming in reverb -- with something this flourishing, it's almost reductive to just dig around the roots. Harding's style was born in Michigan and bred on the road, a restless childhood spent singing gospel alongside an evangelizing mother, then cultivated in Atlanta, where he sang backup for CeeLo Green and befriended the Black Lips (he plays with Cole Alexander in Night Sun).

"There are a few terms that get thrown around loosely, two of which are legend and retro-soul. One of these fits Lee Fields hand and glove, one of these doesn’t
fit at all. Very few people in music have both earned the status of legendary and continue to solidify it. 50 years in the game and only getting better, gaining more
fans, and evolving his sound on each album, Lee is in fact a Living Legend. This brings us to the misuse of the term ""retro-soul"" when talking about Mr. Fields.
You don’t have to look far to find a younger generation emulating the essence and styles of an era the’ve only experienced through music and movies. It seems
unfair to tag Lee with a term that implies imitation when he is part of the generation that actually defined the genre. Plain and simple, this is not that. ""Special
Night"" is a masterclass in soul music past and present.
“I feel that every human being’s purpose is to do what their inner voice says to do,” says Lee Fields. “And my inner voice, my driving force, wants me to put out
music and keeping making better records.”
Produced by Leon Michels and Thomas Brenneck, and brilliantly performed by the Expressions, Special Night was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered
entirely to tape in three weeks at the legendary Diamond Mine Studios in Queens, NY. A sense of urgency, equal parts fun and inspiration, and a decent amount
of beer and Jack Daniels were the driving forces during the sessions that produced Lee Fields & The Expressions latest offering.
Special Night is also the first record in the Expressions catalogue in which every song was written jointly by Lee Fields and The Expressions. “When I record, I
make every song like I actually mean it. I mean every word I say. On Special Night I’m talking to my lady — literally, expressing the way I feel.” says Lee Fields.
“You can tell if a song is real or not, and every moment I’m recording, those moments are real, this is a record about what people do in real life”. For one example,
he cites the song “Work to Do,” which tells the story of “a guy going to counseling, drinking too much, apologizing to the old lady and trying to keep family
together, doing the manly thing.” On “Make This World”, Lee makes a nod back to his early funk roots with a cautionary tale about the health of the planet. The
world was designed to last indefinitely,” says Fields. “We’re the only living species on Earth who can alter that process. I’m hoping that song has a chain reaction,
helps somebody put into action whatever contribution they can to change what the world is going through.” As always, sticking to the formula but pushing the
boundaries “Never Be Another You” from the first note doesn’t sound like something you would hear on a Lee record, that is until he starts singing anyhow. A
low tempo ballad with a head nodding drum track, sparse piano lines, and all the space Lee needs to lay down what is sure to be one of the flyest love songs of
2017.
Whether tackling a tune about love lost, found, or broader topics like the state of humanity, Lee has a very unique and honest perspective that is on display with
each unforgettable performance. Also, The Expressions have never been sharper, they, along with Lee, have created a collection of music on Special Night which
holds court with pretty much any soul music that came before it."

Ahmed Malek - Algeria's Ennio Morricone

Ahmed Malek was one of the most important musicians of the Algerian scene of the 1970s. His sountrack works that were composed for various Algerian movies of the time fuse Arabic influences with jazz, psych and funk influences. Dark cineastic soundscapes meet african Jazz at times reminicent of Mulatu. Original copies of his vinyl releases have been sold for enormous amounts. For this release we combined the strongest tracks from his releases with a selection of unreleased material straight from the families archive. The vinyl edition comes with a 8 page 12” size booklet, the cd version with a 16 page booklet with lot of unseen photos, an interview with the artist from 1978 and an introduction to Algerian cinema.

‘Caribbean Roots’ represents a return to his roots for Anthony Joseph, who has always remained true to a powerful, deep-seated sense of his Caribbean identity.

For almost 45 years a complete album of Vic Pitts & The Cheaters tapes has been forgotten, waiting to be released until now. In the late 1960s, Vic Pitts & The Cheaters were one of Milwaukee’s top R&B bands. They had their own TV show, played some of the city’s biggest clubs, and backed up big name acts. Between 1969 and 1970 they recorded over a dozen songs with producer Andre Williams at Chess’ Ter-Mar Studio. The results show why they were such a popular live act; some tracks reveal their roots as James Brown fanatics, others relate the happening sounds of Sly & The Family Stone and Chicago’s first record.

In the fall of 2012, Jones left his small-town in Louisiana for the foothills of Indiana. Alto saxophone in tow he enrolled in the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. “Being a singer was never part of the plan,” Jones admits. But soon enough he found his way in front of a rowdy rock-n-roll band belting out a rambunctious rendition of “Dock Of The Bay,” to a basement full of drunken undergrads. That rowdy band unfolded into The Indications—comprised of Aaron Frazer (drums), Blake Rhein (guitar), Kyle Houpt (bass) and Justin Hubler (organ).

Inspired by a handful of dusty and obscure 45s bearing names like The Ethics, Brothers of Soul and The Icemen, The Indications set out to make a record steeped in heavy drums, blown-out vocals, and deep grooves. Gathered around a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and a case of Miller High-Life, the group spent their Sunday evenings recording into the early hours of the morning.

With comparisons from Charles Bradley and Lee Fields to Al Green, the only thing that separates this band from those greats is their youth. Having now taken their raucous live show all across the US, the band have galvanized a following that are ready to take them to the next level.

Producing under the moniker Isoul8, as well as teaming up with Domu under the Rima alias for the incredible jazz/fusion album 'This World', Volcov is a truly important player in the underground music scene.
Remixing artists such as Frankie Valentine, Azymuth & Taylor McFerrin, running his two labels Archive and Neroli, as well as DJing all over the World has given Volcov a rare knowledge of soul, funk, disco and deep house music; knowledge which is very apparent throughout this album.
'From The Archive' comprises a lovingly chosen collection of obscure Funk, Disco & Boogie tracks, alongside three very special edits produced by the man himself. From Chez Damier's sun-drenched remix of The Urban Crew's 'Go' to Bembe Segue's emotional 'Sun On My Back' via Shuya Okino's disco epic 'Still In Love', this record takes the listener on a joyful journey deep into Volcov's musical mind.

A groovy vibrant jazz / soul / funk soundtrack for an imaginary hard-boiled movie from the 70s!
The varied selection of instruments (organ, flute, moog, bongos, cello, violin, drums, bass, acoustic
and electric guitars etc.) blend flawlessly into each other and make this album an intense and
inspired trip... in fact it may turn into a movie in front of your very eyes! Featuring the legendary
Edda Dell’Orso on vocals and her husband Giacomo on string arrangements!!!

Virginia-born singer/songwriter Nicole Wray has everything you’d want in a singer: an infectious Jackson-5-family-member flare, a range like Aretha’s, and a church upbringing that’s brought a pure, healing texture to her voice. But the struggle she’s been through has made her more than a singer. Nicole Wray is an artist. To know her soul, you have to go back to the beginning. Growing up in Portsmouth was tough at times for Nicole. However, at the age of fifteen, life opened up quickly when Missy Elliot paid a visit to Nicole’s family home to audition her on the spot. Missy was there on the rumored strength and quality of her voice. Instantly blowing her away, she signed and left with Missy that night. Two years later, at age 17, she had a hit gold single off a solid debut album (“Make It Hot”). Suddenly she was part of a team that included late ‘90s R&B and rap royalty: Missy, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Playa, Timbaland and Magoo. She made it, and fast. However, as rapidly as she achieved success, Nicole then found herself needing to re-make it. By late 2001, her time with Missy and company had run its course. They amicably parted ways and Nicole, once on top of the R&B world, was unsure of what was next. It was a very low, but important, point in her life. While neck-deep in this struggle, Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records called. They signed an album deal and by 2004, in what was starting to be a pattern, just as things were looking up Roc-A-Fella suddenly (famously) split. Once again, industry factors beyond her control took charge. Like a recurring dream, Nicole found herself in a familiar situation. Having just been in the spotlight, and then again back living the “real life.” In 2013, Nicole paired up with London vocalist Terri Walker and released the album “Lady”. Terri parted ways with the group to pursue her own projects shortly after the album’s release–despite rave reviews and upcoming travel dates. Fast forward to now–the transformation from singer-for-hire to pure artist is evident in this new full-length solo release, “Queen Alone”. The record was written and recorded in 10 days at the legendary Diamond Mine Studios, in Queens NY with Leon Michels and Tom Brenneck handling production. Today, after stutter-stepping in and out of the industry, there is a new soul and substance to her songs–all of it from her life. “They Don't Hang Around", tells the story of her post Roc-a-Fella days, “Guilty", is about her brother’s incarceration, “Make Me Over" tells the relatable story of being broke with expensive taste, and ‘Let It Go”, a perfect way to end the record, is about the simple act of letting go and moving on. Almost echoing her new record, Nicole says, “You have to go through something for it to be real.” She has been living with one foot in fame and the other in real life. The result is clear: she’s feeling something real in her music again. And it’s hard for us as listeners not to follow suit.

Followers of soul music might have a pang of recognition on reading the name Frierson. That was the surname of Wendy Rene, whose work was collected into the 2012 LITA anthology "After Laughter Comes Tears", and indeed, Johnnie Frierson is Wendy's brother – a fellow member of her mid-'60s Stax four-piece The Drapels. "But Have You Been Good To Yourself" will come as a surprise to anyone expecting more of the beat-driven R 'n' B Johnnie and his sibling produced – including that compilation's much-sampled title track. A mix of spoken word and gospel songs laid down direct to cassette, these ultra-rare home recordings draw from Johnnie's religious upbringing and his history in the music business, which was interrupted in 1970 when he was sent to fight in Vietnam. Crate digger Jameson Sweiger found Have You Been Good To Yourself and a companion album, Real Education, released under the name Khafele Ojore Ajanaku in a Memphis thrift store, but it was noticeably Frierson's work. They hadn't made it far – they would originally have been sold at corner stores and music festivals in the Memphis area, where Frierson continued to perform and host a gospel radio show, all the while working as a mechanic, laborer and teacher.

The seven songs on Have You Been Good To Yourself are overtly religious; some, such as “Out Here On Your Word,” are strident and faithful; others, like the self-questioning “Have You Been Good To Yourself,” are more meditative. They reflect the difficult situation that Frierson was in when recording, shell-shocked from his time in the military and grieving the untimely death of his son. "He was really trying to find his way," remembers Frierson's daughter Keesha in Andria Lisle's liner notes. "And writing and making music were a way out for him."

The album is now remastered and released professionally for the first time, the message spread by Frierson – who passed away in 2010 – remains undimmed.

Fame Records was an off shoot of the renowned FAME Studio, and this special vinyl-only compilation looks at the very best of the label’s work during its first four years.

Helmed by owner Rick Hall, aided and abetted by his team who included Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham and the Swampers house band, this LP collects together some of the very finest music from the birth of southern soul.

The LP features hits by Clarence Carter and Jimmy Hughes, Northern soul classics from James Barnett and Art Freeman, recordings by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham as well as a plethora of cuts appearing on vinyl for the very first time.

Two albums in a single sleeve with two lavishly illustrated inner bags including extensive notes.

We are both proud and excited to present this highly sought after early 80's gem, originally created as a showcase project for young artists and composers by a community music organisation in Texas.

Originally referred to as the 'Pop Music Lab', the Peoples' Workshop was formed in 1976 at Texas Southern University as a space for students to compose and perform, free from the constrains of Western classical music education.

Swiftly gathering momentum, in 1980 the organisation was granted non-profit status and in 1983, moved off the TSU campus. The Workshop has since grown in size and scope, becoming the first Black-founded organisation to present shows in major performance venues around the Greater Houston area.

Houston Talent Expo '82 features original compositions by members of The Peoples' Workshop, performed exclusively by musicians from Houston. The songs vary in style, but remain centered around gospel, funk and soul; music and lyrics with a powerful positive message. Many of the artists featured remain active today around the world, working with such acts as Alice Coltrane and The Charles Mingus Band among others.

Houston Talent Expo '82 comprises a truly special collection of songs born from the struggle, true to the spirit of togetherness that underpins The Peoples' Workshop, written and performed by astonishing young talents.

26 early Rock'N'Roll songs by Ike & Tina Turner, Ruth Brown, Bo Diddley, John lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, etc.

We could get some more copies for a lower price, so we also lowered your price. A bargain! /

In the early seventies, Hank Swarn and Shirley Nanette collaborated to form Never Coming Back. Swarn had been on the road for five years, lending his guitar-backing talent to Earl Grant and his band. While on tour, he wrote some tunes that were ultimately released on the Never Coming Back album. Al Nanette approached Hank about putting together a record with Shirley, who was also keen on getting in the studio. Luckily, Swarn already had songs to bring to the session. With the support some talented local musicians, the album was recorded–mostly in one or two takes–in a little over a week. Unfortunately, the album saw little exposure. Needless to say, this tremendous effort by Nanette, who continues to sing and perform in Portland, has touched the hearts of many who’ve recently heard the album for the first time.

Magic Source is a project led by producer Björn Wagner (The Mighty Mocambos, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, Mocambo Records), who is renowned for creating an authentic and hard-hitting raw funk sound. Following a few acclaimed single releases on Favorite Recordings over the past few years, the French label deeply wanted to collaborate further with the German combo, for a special and exclusive project bringing their music on new paths. This new project is a step towards a new style: Analog-Electronica, or so called Cosmic-Disco sound. Recorded on a 16-track reel-to-reel tape, EARTHRISING combines raw unedited live band recording, with the refined production aesthetics of the Disco era, including the use of vintage synthesizers, group chants and processed acoustic percussions, for an organic club feeling. While maintaining an un-edited, but highly hypnotic four-on-the-floor groove, Magic Source leaves the old beaten track of cheesy Disco-Pop and overheard Dance classics.

This marks Outta Sight's second visit to Station Road. “Wigan”, another uniquely themed set featuring classic oldies from the playlists of founding Northern Soul jocks Russ Winstanley, Richard Searling and crew at the legendary Wigan Casino.

Raw gospel stuff! Most of the recordings included here were published in 45's or 78's for less known independent companies, some by tiny local labels and sometimes paid by the church congregation itself.

Moniquea's Yes No Maybe is an album that is steeped in the synthesizer-heavy aesthetics of 1980's R&B funk (often referred to as "boogie") but is modern enough to move past the "retro" label into something that builds a fresh sound upon the blueprints created by seminal 80's acts such as Prince, Midnight Star, or Evelyn "Champagne" King. YNM was released at the height of the 'modern funk' movement, as championed by Dam Funk & carried on by a small but dedicated cadre of artists such as Moniquea herself, & album producer XL Middleton. Having been out of print and growing evermore scarce in the second hand market, a reissue was all but inevitable.

From the opening bars of their debut LP, you can tell AJ & The Jiggawatts came to play rough. In a world where mid tempo and middle of the road soul permeates the airwaves, this crew of G.E.D. Soul killers are drawing a line in the sand by making soul music that hits harder, faster and nastier than just about anyone in the game today. AJ Eason's gin soaked vocal howls drip with a carefree carousing not unlike that of a street smart hustler making moves to make ends meet. The band follows suit with highly syncopated melodics, often at breakneck speed, all while maintaining an almost inhuman tightness. Toss all of these elements into a highball glass and garnish with a pinch of rock n' soul and you've got the makings for a serious raw soul cocktail.

Produced, Composed, All Instruments Performed By SUPERSTRUCTURE (Todd Osborn)