Great soul LPs

STN

sou'wester
sorry, maybe that was a bit obnoxious. This is just a boring 'please recommend...' thread.
 

stelfox

Beast of Burden
Big category and I know you have a pretty decent record collection, so what sort of stuff are you looking for? Philly? Motor City? Southern? Northern? Classics? More obscure stuff?
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
Map out your ballpark for us. What's your bias, 60s, 70s, 80s...? Are you a beginner with nowt more than What's Going On? are you looking for 'proper' albums and think 'best of's and comps don't count?
 

STN

sou'wester
Hmmm, I'd say mostly Philly and Southern, though any recommendations at all are very welcome. My soul collection is fairly paltry but the following are favourites:

Doris Duke - I'm a loser
Marvin Gaye: I want you (does this count as soul?)
Allen Toussaint - Toussaint
Some tatty Northern Soul comp with 'There's Nothing Else to say Baby' on it

I would like to get:

Ike Turner - I'm Tore Up

I really hate:

Bobby Womack's The Poet Trilogy

I cannot see all the fuss about:

Marvin Gaye's 'Here My Dear'
Candi Staton

PS: am willing to consider best ofs, definitely - already have the classics there in terms of Temptations, Miracles etc.
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
Poet was a trilogy? Thought there were only two - must admit they don't stand up today, but his early 70s stuff is great, esp Understanding and Check It Out. Great comp called Somebody Special too that EMI put out in the 80s. I'll have a rummage and stick some recommendations up later/tomorrow.
 

STN

sou'wester
Poet was a trilogy? Thought there were only two - must admit they don't stand up today, but his early 70s stuff is great, esp Understanding and Check It Out. Great comp called Somebody Special too that EMI put out in the 80s. I'll have a rummage and stick some recommendations up later/tomorrow.

Ha, maybe it's an 'unfinished' trilogy. I'll stick the other ones on my list - I'm not against the man himself, given that Across 110th Street and Looking for a Love are such wicked tunes.
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
Ha, maybe it's an 'unfinished' trilogy. I'll stick the other ones on my list - I'm not against the man himself, given that Across 110th Street and Looking for a Love are such wicked tunes.

A house it not a home until it has
 

regis

regis
how about...

here's some personal favourites of mine, mainly deep soul stuff

Sam Dees "The Show Must Go On" - normally known for songwriting, this is top quality, mainly deep soul, with some uptempo numbers

Loleatta Holloway "Cry To Me" - before all the disco numbers, total quality from my favourite ever female singer

Johnny Bristol "Hang On In There Baby" - again, known more as songwriter/producer, title track is great

the first Dave Goodin's deep soul compilation is pretty special, especially the last track Jaibi's "You got me"

and then, just to state the bleeding obvious

Marvin Gaye "What's going on" & "Let's get it on"
 

stelfox

Beast of Burden
er... best ofs and comps have to count.

here's a quick (and varied) baker's dozen of records I wouldn't want to live without.

1) Dictionary of Soul/Otis Blue - Otis Redding (Shouldn't need to say too much about Otis, he's a hero and my favourite singer of all time).
2) Live At The Apollo - James Brown (An astounding live album, that he apparently "held back" on for recording purposes. It doesn't sound like it.)
3) Hot Buttered Soul - Isaac Hayes (The best album ever to get your loverman ting on to.)
4) Curtis - Curtis Mayfield (Awesome, positive soul that makes you believe you can do anything)
5) Backstabbers - The O'Jays (A fantastic taking-absolutely-no-shit record that still sounds completely fresh today).
6) Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder (Nothing to say about this that hasn't been said countless times before, but it's just great)
7) For Dancers Only - Various Artists (You'll need a bit of Northern, so any of the millions of Kent compilations out there are a good start, but this is the first and the best)
8) Soul Man - Sam & Dave (Well, you sort of have to...)
9) Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music - Ray Charles (Country soul at its absolute best).
10) Let's Stay Together - Al Green (I just really love this record and anyone with a heart will, too)
11) I Never Loved A Man The Way That I Loved You - Aretha Franklin (Obviously there are too many female soul singers to choose from but if you only ever listen to one of them this is the record to get, a debut album too.)
12) Various Artists - Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures Series (A wealth of gentle and gorgeous songs you otherwise wouldn't get to hear compiled by a man who really knew what he was doing.)
13) the Staple Singers - The Staple Singers (One of Stax's greatest albums, gorgeous gospel-infused southern soul)
 
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regis

regis
more thoughts...

on the compilation front;

The Essential Modern Soul Selection Vol 1 is awesome
The Ashford & Simpson Songbook is great, bit more disco than soul but superb either way

other single artist lps;

Mike James Kirkland "Hang on in there baby"
Leroy Hutson, "Hutson I" & "Hutson II"
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
One of my favourite soul comps ever is Sanctified Soul on Atlantic. As you'd expect it's heavy on the gospel elements and the first place I ever heard Voices Of East Harlem (Right On Be Free is as righteous as music gets). Soul Jazz did a top comp on a similar tip a couple of years back.

Since that Lil' Wayne Gossip tune came out I've been playing Margie Joseph's In The Name Of Love comp loads too - the sample is off the title track (a cover of The supremes that goes just waaaay deeper) I think and it's got Sweeter Tomorrow which never fails to cheer me up.

Bill Withers Live At Carnegie is very expensive on vinyl but a cheap CD.
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
second otis (obv), al green, godin's series.

would add:

jimmy ruffin- what becomes of the broken hearted lp on motown

major lance- whatever you can find- can get expensive if you want vinyl (which you should). he was a curtis mayfield protege.

curtis- 'live!' (best live lp ever)

eddie floyd- 'i've never found a girl' lp on stax ('water'- oh my gosh)

king curtis 'memphis soul stew'

some solo smokey robinson- i like an lp with loads of strings on it, but can't remember the title

early barry white/love unlimited (maybe tipping over into funk/disco)

not at home so that'll do for now
 
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jonny mugwump

exotic pylon
first two Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band albums- bizarrely awesome and David Toop's truly magnificent Sugar & Poison compilation- a kind of android sexsoul collection.

Oh, Betty Davis (Miles' ex) - her first 2 except they're kind of soul, kind of funk.
 

Gabba Flamenco Crossover

High Sierra Skullfuck
James Carr - You Got My Mind Messed UP
Eugene McDaniels - Outlaw

There was an ace issue of Mojo* about seven years ago which had a top 100 soul records in, with some pretty obscure stuff, not just the obvious. It had Sly Stone on the front. That actually came with a free CD comp on the front that is a great soul album in it's own right.



*(no sniggering. Mojo's free CDs are rocking, I always get it when it's got a CD on the front.)
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
Eugene McDaniels - Outlaw

so many people go on about his stuff- i bought 'headless heroes of the apocalypse' upon recommendation years ago but remain underwhelmed. i know it's not considered his finest moment, but is there really better stuff by him about (in other words why is outlaw better)? if so why?
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Oh, Betty Davis (Miles' ex) - her first 2 except they're kind of soul, kind of funk.

The first two Betty Davis are some of the most essential music know to man, but yeah it is funk.

Then get 'Chapter Two' by Roberta Flack, alongside everything Stelfox said.
 

petergunn

plywood violin
Oh, I love Don Covay as well (but only have a best of)...

if you like Don Covay, i recommend:

Solomon Burke- any comp of his stuff on Atlantic from the early-mid 60's

Bobby Bland- 2 steps from the Blues

Gene Chandler- the Live album from 1965, can't remember the name, but as much as love Curtis Live!, this (along w/ JB Live at the Apollo 1 and Bobby Womack's "The Womack Live" ) are the 3 best live soul records ever...

if you like Doris Duke, i'd suggest a comp of Laura Lee's Chess era recordings, same for Etta James ("Wanted: Love no experience neccesary" and "Tell Mama", respectively are tracks to look for...)

if you like Alan Toussaint, get any cheapo Lee Dorsey comp that has Get Out of My Life, Woman, Ride Your Pony, and Everything I Play Gonna be Funky...

also, that Soul Jazz new orleans comp from a few years back is def another good record if you dig Alan Toussaint... "a break in the road" by Betty Harris is a nasty track...
 

petergunn

plywood violin
so many people go on about his stuff- i bought 'headless heroes of the apocalypse' upon recommendation years ago but remain underwhelmed. i know it's not considered his finest moment, but is there really better stuff by him about (in other words why is outlaw better)? if so why?

actually "headless heros" is like the unanimous choice... the record is up there w/ "Oar" by Skip Spence and "inspiration informantion" by Shuggie Otis on the record nerd collector/rock snob critic listt of "records you have not lived til you've heard" (my friend Small Change wrote the liner notes on the reissue...) i've never heard it... that said, yo, his production on those Melba Moore records is top notch... her version of Donovan's "sunshine superman" is awesome!
 
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