Funk | Soul 163 Items

Driving mid-paced R’n’B crossover with nice blues on the flip.

Originally from 1961, here is a searing soul tinged R'n'B pleader. This reissue is backed with the original flip, which also is a nice mover.

Fame collectors know how rare this 45 is to find in the wild; it hardly ever happens. ‘Go Away With Me’ is a fabulously, catchy dance number from 1963 when the little-known Dixon wandered into the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals and laid these track down. It is one of Dan Penn’s very early compositions and the nascent talent of the writer is in evidence here. The tuneful self-penned ‘Time Will Tell’ flip reveals another accomplished musical bent to the singer who, though he only cut two 45s, was revered as a major Muscle Shoals influence by the likes of Jimmy Johnson, Donnie Fritts and David Hood.

Here are two great cuts, previously unreleased as singles, recorded for Al Sears’ Sylvia label in New York City in 1965. The Corvairs had one very good release on the label in a soul group harmony style. ‘I'll Never Do It Again’ and ‘A Feeling Deep Inside’ are more R&B and sound earlier than the 45 release. Both tracks have picked up admirers from their New Breed and Modernist CD releases and their release as a Sylvia repro label single will be very welcome.

A scorcher from the golden age of gospel, via its cardinal label.
From 1960, during the family’s second decade with Savoy, featuring Gertrude Ward, Christine Jackson, Mildred Means and Vermettya Royster — and Clara, totally riveting and in-your-face with evangelistic fervour and raw soul.

Plus a rambunctious, floor-filling Wade In The Water, by Jessy Dixon and his Singers.

Handsomely sleeved (showing a contemporary but slightly different Wards lineup).

Highly in demand killer 'soulful' Deep Funk smasher with great breakbeats, limited repress

Debut single from the mighty Tim Maia! Released upon his return from the USA in the late 60’s. Highly sought after and prized in its original form, we are very proud to reissue this record. Maia sings in English here – influenced by his time spend travelling and working in the USA. Both songs are very soulful, reminiscent of the great soul singers of 1960’s USA, who were clearly a powerful inspiration to him. Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed from Som Livre.

Southside sweethearts, the Dreamliners, first came into the scene as the Royaltones in 1961 when they were students at South San High School in San Antonio, TX. In 1963, label head Abie Epstein signed them to his Cobra & Jox labels producing 4 singles. On the way to a studio session, Ana (Ana) Wilburn coined "The Best Things in Life" on the dashboard of her car. Out popped a playful Farfisa and harmony-driven tune reminiscent of the Crystals or Ronettes. Ana also wrote and sang lead on the haunting ballad "Just Me & You." A song about longing and adolescent heartache that's perfect for any post-breakup kleenex session.

Very unknown artists from Brixton (London), they have recorded two singles on Beacon label in 1968. And no more info about them. But we Love these four tracks of killer Soul & R'n'B in the vein of Ike & Tina.

Reissued and remastered with replica artwork - the highly sort after classic rare groove track, 'Iron Leg' by DJ Shadow's favourite Funk band, Mickey & The Soul Generation.

Original copies trade hands for £125+. Black 7" dinked centre hole vinyl.

American Rhythm 'n' Blues singer Nathaniel Mayer (1944-2008) is mostly remembered for his raw vocal timbre and for his particularly wild live act. Originally released in 1963 on Detroit based label Fortune Records, "Going Back To The Village Of Love" still sounds like an incredibly explosive hyper-energetic irreverent piece of pure Detroit sound.

Expertly utilised in hit series 'Breaking Bad' to soundtrack Walt and Jesse's meth manufacturing, The Peddlers 'On A Clear Day You Can See Forever' is a sumptuous smooth soul journey - full of exquisite organ solos and deep vocal tones.
2019 marks 50 years since it's release and with original copies pushing £40 it's a chance to bag this iconic record at a fraction of the price.
Remastered and reissued on 7 inch with large / dinked centre hole in Epic generic paper sleeve.

Following on from the incredible success of 2020's "Teasin' You Again", we're proud to follow that up with one of Willie Tee's greatest double-siders and one of his very rarest 45s. Welcome to the incredible "First Taste Of Hurt" backed with "I'm Having So Much Fun".

This record was first discovered in Los Angeles in 1976 primarily for "I'm Having So Much Fun" which drew interest from the Northern Soul crowd, but then "First Taste Of Hurt" started catching on in wider circles. These days "First Taste Of Hurt" is the key side with a truly international audience across several scenes. An original Gatur copy of this will set you back £5000 and even the UK Grapevine reissue will cost you the best part of £100 these days. Expect another across-the-board Willie Tee smash which will match perfectly with "Teasin' You Again" and sell to many audiences.

Here are the fabulous Mar-Keys, the Memphis based group, remembered to be the first house band at Stax Records. A bunch of talented, solid studio musicians who formed the foundation for the legendary Stax sound. Originally issued in early 1962, "Do the Pop-Eye" was the band's second album, a collection of minimal, infectious Soul-Funk-Rock instrumentals. Among the players: guitarist and composer Steve Cropper, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn and organist Booker T. Jones. Just the right people to lay down the perfect groove for a quintessential album of instrumental music to dance to.

Deep/Mod Funk heavy hitter previously comped on Le Beat Bespoke and a deep Jamaican Soul cut increasingly in-demand among progressive Northern/Rare Soul deejays.

Limited Edition for Record Store Day 2019! Often quoted as being one of the greatest Soul records of all-time, “Open The Door To Your Heart” was Darrell Bank’s first release and biggest hit. A one-off UK issue copy on London Records recently sold for a huge £14,543 in 2014 and is testament to the quality of the song and recording. Here, for the first time ever, is the previously unissued instrumental version by the Funk Brothers - the Solid Hitbound musicians including Rudy Robinson, Uriel Jones, Eddie Willis, Bob Babbit and Dennis Coffey. This work of art will be reissued on the original Revilot label.

Originally released on Sue Records in 1963 this was Ike & Tina Turner fourth album, the one that earned them a first grammy nomination and a further step in the consolidation of their international success. Most of the tunes here are highly energetic up-tempo numbers while the whole album comes as the fruit of a unique combination of raw R&B and highly energetic Rock n Roll.

First official reissue of this Soul classic originally released in 1969 by Spark label.

Johnnie Mae Mathews is fondly referred to as being 'The Godmother Of Detroit Soul' as she was responsible for creating at least 8 different Detroit record labels and for discovering and nurturing many future Motown artists in their early years. In fact she was a major source of inspiration for the young Berry Gordy, founder of Motown. We are delighted to finally be releasing what many people consider to be the pinnacle of independent Detroit Soul music, the impeccable and gut-wrenching 'I Have No Choice', the defining record of Johnnie Mae Mathews many recordings with the equally impressive 'That’s When It Hurts' on the flip. 'I Have No Choice' is a record that has finally hit the heights it always deserved after being a cult record for almost 50 years and is now commanding a staggering £1200-1500 for a decent original copy for those lucky enough to be in that league. This will be a historic RSD release with comprehensive notes and photos from Johnnie Mae Mathews expert Richard Gilbert. If you’re a Soul music fan, then this record is indispensable. Full picture sleeve featuring Johnny herself in full swing, with liner notes, and fully remastered, heavyweight vinyl 45.

The Exciters began as the Masterettes, a girl group formed by high school friends Brenda Reid, Carol Johnson, Lillian Walker, and Sylvia Wilbur. A single was cut for Brooklyn’s Le Sage label before Wilbur was replaced by Brenda’s husband, Herb Rooney, and after auditioning for Leiber & Stoller, the Exciters recorded the international smash ‘Tell Him’, a song so popular that it spawned foreign language renditions. Our edition of this marvellous debut LP includes the spectacular follow-up hit, ‘Do Wah Diddy,’ another immortal nugget of irresistible pop soul. Bright, light grooves for your dancing feet!

Before there was War there was Señor Soul, which saxophonist/flutist Charles Miller formed in Long Beach, California; he played on Brenton Wood sessions for Double Shot, who released their loose interpretation of Miriam Makeba’s ‘Pata Pata,’ the hit that led to this blinding debut LP. Blending funk, Latin jazz and psychedelic soul, the group makes a range of material their own, led by Miller and vibraphonist Edwin Stevenson; everything from Heard It Through The Grapevine to Psychotic Reaction gets the Señor Soul treatment, rendered with equal doses of sensitivity, humour and funky flavour. Long before Miller recruited members of Nightshift to morph Señor Soul into War, this top-notch debut is a stone-cold winner from first note to last, a must-have for all funk and Latin jazz afficionados.

sampled by Afu-Ra, Diamond D ...

James Ray kickstarted his career as a teenager in 1959 after he left Washington DC for New York, but debut single ‘Make Her Mine’ flopped. Two years later, songwriter Rudy Clark discovered Ray and got him signed to the Caprice label, the resultant ‘If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody’ a top-30 hit that the Beatles covered in early live sets. Ray’s self-titled debut album had that hit and the equally appealing follow-up, ‘Itty Bitty Pieces,’ as well as ‘I’ve Got My Mind Set On You,’ later successfully covered by George Harrison. An overdose would tragically cut short Ray’s career, this sole LP a testament to his enduring talent.

Most listeners only became aware of Billy Preston as a solo artist after he signed to Apple Records in the late 1960s. But he'd been recording for a long time prior to that, dating back to when he was a teenager. This instrumental album for Sam Cooke's SAR label (issued on its sister Derby imprint) was cut in March 1963, when Preston was still going to high school in Los Angeles. The very fact that it's wholly instrumental indicates that it's pretty early in Preston's evolution, and though he does play some piano, it's really on the more uptempo, organ-dominated tunes where he hits the best groove. In truth, these aren't any great shakes even when it comes to soul organ instrumentals, but they have a nice swinging bounce that places them a cut above period background music, though they fall a good ways short of being spellbinding. The slower numbers (including covers of hits by Sam Cooke and Ray Charles) verge on easy listening; in contrast, the more urgent cuts are cookin', with bop, jazz, and gospel influences spicing up the soul/R&B recipe. (allmusic)

The house band at Memphis's legendary Stax Records, Booker T. & the M.G.'s played on some of the most legendary and unforgettable soul recordings in history. Originally released in 1962, the title-track of their debut LP Green Onions is arguably the most recognizable piece of instrumental pop and soul ever to be released; an absolute stone classic of a jam, with Booker T.'s organ at the fore. In addition to being a classic group, Booker T. & the M.G.'s were one of the first soul and rock groups to have both white and black members, and understandably their music is often associated with the Civil Rights Movement that was going on all around them in the American south of the 1960s. Essential American originals from Booker T. & the M.G.'s.

This is a 8-Track cartridge!

Betty Davis was a musical maverick with vision. Image, substance, sex, and grit combined with a badass band that could deliver the funk bed backbone to the sultry music between the sheets. After cutting two notorious discs for the Just Sunshine label (Betty Davis and They Say I’m Different), and Nasty Gal for Island Records, Davis went to work on her most personal and expressive record yet. After capturing 10 hard-hitting tracks in 1976 at the remote Studio In The Country (Louisiana), a creative difference with her then label caused the platter to be unexpectedly shelved. Davis would cut one final album and soon retreat from the music business, completely disappearing from the public eye.

Is It Love Or Desire is a little-known gem in the Davis catalog. Mastered from the original tapes, and untouched for over 30 years, this release features detailed liner notes, the originally intended artwork housed in a lavishly packaged digipak, rare photos, archival material, and recent interviews with Davis and her skin-tight band Funk House.

Never bootlegged, never released, never heard until now, the secret story of this lost album will finally enter the history books and cement this bold soul sisters contributions to music and popular culture. Its time to get down…

Long live Betty Davis!

This is an excellent 1964 soul-jazz album, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.

1968, in the Brazilian dictatorship, Fábio released this psychedelic gem LSD (Lindo Sonho Delirante), writed by him and Carlos Imperial.

A soul / garage floor killer till today. Besides the alucinated rhythm, the song was an explicit provocation to the political society of the 60’s.

All killers and no fillers on this fabulous 1969 Motown masperpiece. It is a shame that Jimmy lived in the shadow of those other Motown singers such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. It really is one of Motown's best albums!

1965 funky Instro-Soul album from Chicago that originally came out on Mercury. It deals with new interpretations of James Bond themes and own Bond inspired compositions. Feat. Studiomusic Clarence Perry (tenor), Richard McCrea (organ) and Ed Townsend (Piano).

180 gram vinyl

180 Gram Vinyl!

heavily sampled classic funk album!!

- "In the Middle" sampled by Chubb Rock for "Organizer"

- "The Chicken" sampled by 2 Live Crew for "I Ain't Bullshitin'",
Big Daddy Kane for "Calling Mr. Welfare",
CEO for "Hit Me with the Beat" and
Main Source for "Think"

- "Why Am I Treated So Bad" sampled by The Associates for "From the Ground Up"

- "Soul Pride" sampled by Digable Planets for "9th Wonder (Blackitolism)",
Mad Flava for "Gotz ta Flow ta This",
Mr. X & Mr.Y for "1956",
Peshay for "Psychosis" & "Vocal Tune" and
Roni Size for "Hot Stuff"

Shape of Things to Come is the fifth studio album by the American guitarist George Benson, recorded in 1968 and arranged by Don Sebesky. It was his first album for A&M Records and his first album to be produced by Creed Taylor, who would remain his producer until 1976. After four years and three different labels, Benson signed with the A&M/CTI label in 1968. He was to be the replacement for their star Wes Montgomery, who had died earlier in the year. For his first album with the label, producer Taylor brought in all of the labels heavyweights, arranger Sebesky, engineer Rudy Van Gelder, and guest artists Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter. The album is mostly cover songs from artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, The Monkees and Glenn Miller. It also contains a pair of original compositions and some reworkings of movie soundtracks.

Formed in 1964 in Watts, California, U.S. and based in Los Angeles, the original members were the texan twin brothers Wallace Scott and Walter Scott plus Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell. In 1973 Gordy Harmon injured his larynx in a driving accident and was replaced by Leaveil Degree. Planets Of Life was the result of the incoming change, a vocal soul-funk masterpiece from a renewed harmony group. Often compared to the Isley Brothers, due to Scotty Scott vocal similarities to Ronald Isley, the band was an excellent r&b combo, turning lately into an electric funk vibe with a clear Temptations twist.

180 gram vinyl!

The soundtrack to this 1969 German sexual comedy was produced by Improved Sound Limited, showcasing their killer blend of experimental pop, blues, rock, jazz, funk and easy listening, augmented with tape effects, phasing, distorted guitar... Groovy songs influenced by 60's beat and psychedelia.

Newly mastered sound by Jörg Scheuerman. Comes complete with an insert with photos and liner notes. Limited to 500 copies only.

Billy Preston’s mastery of the organ was such that he was commissioned for collaboration by The Beatles, The Stones and countless others, his classic Hammond work a defining element of ‘Get Back.’ Released in 1964 when Preston was still 19, The Most Exciting Organ Ever mixes swinging originals such as ‘Low Down,’ ‘Soul Meetin,’ ‘The Octopus’ and ‘Billy’s Bag’ with expressively soulful covers of standards such as ‘If I Had A Hammer’ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying,’ ably showcasing Preston’s awesome dexterity and unmatched ability on his chosen instrument. With every track a winner, the title rings true!

Among the most famous husband-and-wife soul duos of all time, Ike & Tina Turner scored an incredible array of hits in the 1960s and 70s, before Tina finally exited the partnership. The debut LP on the Pompeii label, So Fine dates from 1968, a couple of years after a support slot on a Rolling Stones tour boosted their profiles; in addition to a remake of early hit ‘A Fool In Love,’ there’s an awesome take of Johnny Otis’ ‘So Fine’ and a competent rendition of ‘Shake A Tail Feather.’ Tina is fully in her element, the Ikettes keep up the harmonic pressure, and producer Ike handles the rest. Recommended listening for all soul fans!

First Lady of Song Ella Fitzgerald overcame the challenges of a tumultuous youth through music, her performances with the Chick Webb Orchestra at the Savoy Ballroom and distinctive scat singing leading to early recordings and the 1938 breakthrough, ‘A Tisket A Tasket.’ After recording bebop LPs for Decca, manager Norman Granz launched the Verve label to allow her to broaden her musical horizons, exploring the Great American Songbook. Released in 1960, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas sees her tackle Christmas classics as only Ella can, the lavish orchestration overseen by noted conductor Frank de Vol.

Deliberately presented as a dance music release, this brilliant Quincy Jones album - first released on Mercury label in 1961 - comprises material from two marvelous big band performances recorded the year before in Paris and New York. Here the great composer and arranger leads a first class "dance organization", a top-flight big band featuring the cream of NY Jazz musicians, among them: Clark Terry and Freddie Hubbard - trumpets, Curtis Fuller and Melba Liston - trombones, Phil Woods, Oliver Nelson and Sahib Shihab - saxes, Stu Martin - drums. An exquisite platter of highly swinging and danceable grooves signed by the genius of Quincy Jones

Yet another collaboration between Sandro Brugnolini and Stefano Torossi, who also worked together on the masterpiece “Feelings”. “Musica per commenti sonori” consists of twelve amazing tracks that will excite lovers of the wildest funk, producers in search of rare breaks, and those with a penchant for the psycho-beat atmospheres of the sixties. One of the rarest library music releases ever, that’s never been re-released in any form until now!

“Musica per commenti sonori” is a cult series within the diverse world of Italian library music. In the late sixties and seventies, the small record label Costanza Records has published several releases precisely focusing on ‘background music’, including works of great composers such as Peppino De Luca, Roberto Pregadio, Franco Micalizzi, Vito Thomas, Giancarlo Thomas Puccio Roelens, Riccardo Luciani, and by the protagonists of this long-time due reissue: Sandro Brugnolini and Stefano Torossi.

The two musicians, who had also worked together on the masterpiece “Feelings” (1974), have often collaborated and delivered some of the best Italian library music of all time. “Musica per commenti sonori” is certainly one of the most interesting. On the two equally split sides of this LP, the first for Torossi and the second for Brugnolini (but it seems that this partition was exclusively dictated by legal demands), there are twelve amazing tracks that will excite lovers of the wildest funk, producers in search of rare breaks, and those with a penchant for the psycho-beat atmospheres of the sixties.

Among the most heated tracks featured on Torossi’s side, we can’t pass over the amazing “Sweet-Beat”, “Interrupted” (perhaps the best track of the album) and “Repetition” while “Polyphony”, “Motuproprio” and the closing track “Flyer” shine on Brugnolini’s. Virtually impossible to find, even at astonishing prices, this reissue puts back into the market one of the best examples of ‘The Italian Art of Library Music’: a genre worldwide envied and collected.

Breezy Sunshine-Pop / Soft-Rock / Psych-Pop from California, 1970, featuring Peter Clark a.k.a Chet DeMilo.

Crystal clear recording, awesome vocal harmonies, superb musicianship, bossa & blue-eyed-soul-jazz touches,folk-rock moves…

In 1969 Chet Demilo was appearing at Donkin's Inn, Marina Del Rey, where he met Arnie Marcus and Ray Hames, who together were to become part of an incredible slice of history. Donkin's became the hottest and most famous destination in Southern California for the next seven years, and Chet was the magnet that started the new singles scene in Los Angeles with Marina Del Rey as ground zero.

Arnie sat in on bongos with Chet from time to time, and Ray, who was managing an apartment complex that housed 200 flight attendants, just happened to have a unit available!! Chet moved in, and he and Ray started working on songs together. Chet suggested forming a vocal group with Arnie and SST was born. For three months they practiced the intricate vocal harmonies and in early 1970 cut the album, "Soft Soul Transition". A thousand records were pressed, and an album release party was held at Donkins where SST gave their one and only performance that night!

There was interest in the project at Burt Bacharach's Blue Seas Music, but it was not to be and SST faded away...until more than 20 years later when the SST album was discovered by a new generation of DJs and collectors looking for cool and groovy sounds from the 60s-70s.

UpTight is a soundtrack album by Southern soul band Booker T. & the M.G.'s for the film of the same title. The album features "Time Is Tight", the single version of which became a US Top 10 hit and a signature song for the band.

Originally released in 1969, “Fischiando in beat” presents twelve gems of instrumental beat music,
fabulous specimen of that music genre often labelled with the much-abused term ‘lounge’ – or ‘easy
listening’, if you prefer. Forget about the experimental “Synthi Time”: here you can only breathe an
incredible desire for fun and dream of the late 60s, Rome and its exclusive cocktail party.

'Tell Mama' is the eighth studio album by American singer Etta James. The album was originally released in 1968 on Cadet Records and was produced by Rick Hall.

A monumental force firmly rooted in the soul canon, Willie Hutch is most notable for recording two of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks, The Mack and Foxy Brown. Yet his legacy is much greater. Outside of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Hutch was arguably Motown's top male solo artist of the 70s. Prior to his association with Gordy et al, Hutch crafted his opening statements for RCA, two vital LPs that Be With Records is honoured to present today. His debut, Soul Portrait (1969), is an incredible slice of gritty, Southern-fried soul. Think Stax with a touch of Detroit sparkle. As a whole, the album demonstrates the self-contained act Hutch was; he wrote every tune on the album while also arranging and conducting for it. It features 11 timeless grooves, with a blend of beat ballads and undeniable dancers.

Debut studio album by the American instrumental R&B/funk band. The title single was a worldwide hit that has been covered by dozens of artists. 'Green Onions' was the first album released on the famous Stax label.

colored vinyl