Rufus Thomas, the “Crowned Prince of Dance” on Stax! Rufus of “The Breakdown,” “Memphis Train,” “Do the Push Pull,” “Can Your Monkey Do the Dog,” “Jump Back,” and “All Night Worker” fame. Father of Carla. Born in Mississippi. Born to DJ in Memphis. Passed on in 2001. “The world’s oldest teenager” killed them at the Wattstax concert with “The Funky Chicken”.

(13 votes, average: 3.46 out of 5)

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7″ from a flea market in Cannes.

(10 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5)

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“Totally great low-brow soul Lp from the late 60’s. The music is as good as the jacket would lead you to believe.” – Otis

(15 votes, average: 3.07 out of 5)

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Johnny “Guitar” Watson was the original “Gangster of Love” and a godfather of funk. His records from the fifties were distinquished by his funky guitar (check out “Hot Just Like TNT”). This early seventies comeback lp featured the hit “A Real Mother For Ya” and a solid gold cover that defined ghetto fabulous for the stroller set. Buy this record and then get “It’s All About the Dollar Bill,” “Ganster of Love,” “Ain’t That A Bitch” and a great album with Larry “Short Fat Fannie” Williams called “Two for the Price of One”.

(20 votes, average: 3.80 out of 5)

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The girl groups of the sixties had so much style and the Marvelettes, one of the great groups of Motown, not only made great soul records (“Here I Am Baby,” “Don’t Mess With Bill,”” Please Mr. Postman,” etc.) they always looked cool.   This best of compilation is from Holland.

(14 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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Etta James “At Last!”   Argo Lp 4003 (1961)   Designed by Don Bronstein.   What an album.   What a song.     What a performer.   What a cover.   For every Hall of Fame.     I have all of Etta James’ records.   I first heard an early R&B song “Roll with me Henry” and starting hitting the used record stores looking for more.   She was the Queen of Soul before Aretha stole the title.   There’s even an Etta James record with that title also on Argo.   I’ve seen her perform a few times.   Once at the Newport Jazz Festival where I met her.   Her version of “At Last” has become a wedding staple and was used in some car commercial a few years ago.   This cover is a stunning portrait of her at her peak in the mid-sixties.

(15 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

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This is a great record on the pink UK Island label. I just love the cool picture of Joyce with both guns drawn. There’s a killer version of “007,” the Leslie Kong song that Desmond Dekker made a hit the year before, on here. This came out in 1967.

(19 votes, average: 3.58 out of 5)

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Natural Four had a hit with “Can This Be Real,”one of my favorite soul songs of 1974 .   Their Soul Train suits and silver stack shoes make this cover a seventies soul classic.

(11 votes, average: 3.91 out of 5)

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