Gloria Barnes – Uptown 1971 (Maple Records)

Label : Maple Records 

Value :

One of the few rare albums on the Maple label – a 70s imprint that's known for some incredible funk and soul! Despite the title, the set's a record that sounds a lot more down-home than uptown – thanks to hard-wailing vocals from Gloria Barnes herself, and a nicely rough-edged quality to the instrumentation overall – supposedly handled by Lee Moses and The Ohio Players – the latter of whom wrote a few of the songs too! The album's one of the few on Maple – and in a way, it's almost a female soul counterpart to the Lee Moses record on the same label – done in a similar mix of rootsy modes and east coast indie soul – occasionally sweet at points, but mostly deep soul overall.

Taste :

Gloria Barnes - I Gotta Get Away

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By Electric Looser

Bob Andy And Marcia Griffiths – Young Gifted And Black 1970 (Trojan Records)

Label : Trojan Records

Value :

In 1970, international recognition came when Bob and Marcia recorded Nina Simone’s ‘Young, Gifted and Black’, which sold 1/2 million in the UK and Europe, and still receives frequent airplay today. BOB & MARCIA became household names, appearing on Top of the Pops and touring extensively. They had another UK Top Ten single and two albums for Trojan Records. These two albums are now reissued on one cd. The cd offers an interesting bonus track: the Jamaican mix of ‘Young, Gifted and Black’, the hit song without the annoying strings that were added in London.

Taste :

Bob & Marcia - Young, Gifted and Black

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By Electric Looser

Peter Thomas Sound Orchester - Raumpatrouille 1966 (Philips)

Label : Philips

Value : 

Wonderful -- and one of our favorite soundtracks ever! The score was written by German jazzman Peter Thomas -- and has a mad mad mad style that blends together jazz, early electronics, bossa nova, Hammond organ -- and a dozen other musical touches you'd never really expect to encounter up in space! But it's the future, circa 1966 -- and what better way to explore that territory than by taking the mod grooves of the 60s, and "space-ifying" them a bit? The whole thing's tremendous -- funky, groovy, magical -- and one of those albums we've treasured for years!

Taste :

Peter Thomas Sound Orchester - Raumpatrouille 

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By Electric Looser

Terry Callier - Occasional Rain 1972 (Cadet)

Label : Cadet 

Value :

Terry Callier's first album for Cadet -- and the kickoff of one of the greatest three album runs that any soul artist ever recorded! This one's got a different feel than the later two, as it takes songs by Terry, and structures them with these little musical "seque" tracks in between every song, done in a sparer folksy style that recalls Terry's roots in the Old Town scene in Chicago. At the time, Terry was making the transition from folk artist to soul singer -- and he'd been picked up by Jerry Butler and The Dells as a promising young songwriter, one of the best talents of the second generation of Chicago soul stars. The record's a stripped-down affair that features a small group with Charles Stepney on harpsichord and organ, Callier on guitar, and backing vocals by Minnie Riperton, Shirley Wahls, and Kitty Haywood.

Taste :

Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe

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By Electric Looser

Love Unlimited - In Heat 1974 (20th Century Records)

Label : 20th Century Records

Value :

Classic 70s female soul – and one of the best albums ever recorded by Love Unlimited – a trio of ladies recording with Barry White during his glory years! The album's got a really incredible approach – partly in the mode of older female group soul, but also done with a hipper, more righteous style – one that pushes the sound past older standards for the music, yet which falls into none of the disco cliches of the time.

Taste :

Love Unlimited - Share A Little Love In Your Heart

Love Unlimited - I Needed Love - You Were There

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By Electric Looser