His final album for Stax Records, ‘Crown Prince Of Dance’ proved that Rufus Thomas could still claim the throne when it came to floor-filling soul music.
His insane lifestyle might have risked overshadowing the music, but Rick James was a talented musician whose work speaks for itself.
Moving from the Motown label to the equally iconic Stax Records, ‘Kim Kim Kim’ found singer Kim Weston in her absolute prime.
You’ll find answer records in all walks of music. Some are aggressive, some motivated by a sense of injustice, and others show contempt through wit.
With ‘Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song’, Melvin Van Peebles kick-started the Blaxploitation genre with a gritty movie and an equally baadasssss soundtrack.
Released in 1961, Wanda Jackson crowned herself Queen Of Rockabilly with the raw rock’n’roll belters found on ‘There’s A Party Goin’ On’.
Hitting like a hip-hop apocalypse, ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ found Public Enemy unleashing arguably the greatest hip-hop album ever.
An album beyond compare, ‘Fear Of A Black Planet’ found Public Enemy issuing calls for a survivable lifestyle amid tremendous pressure… Sound familiar?
Representing its era of soul music perfectly, ‘The Temptations Sing Smokey’ paired five iconic voices with Motown’s leading songwriter for a stunning album.
The sophisticated sound of symphonic soul filled dancefloors and bedrooms in the 70s, thanks to the pioneering work of Barry White, Isaac Hayes, and more.
Before James Brown released ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud’ no mainstream artist had stated the case for black pride so explicitly.
Wearing its crown well, ‘King & Queen’ saw Otis Redding team up with Carla Thomas for a laidback and playful album that included the hit single ‘Tramp’.
From a tiny $800 loan, Berry Gordy turned Motown into the biggest African-American business of its era, paving the way for black-owned labels that followed.
Whether as a songwriter for himself, The Miracles, or for others, Smokey Robinson perfected the art of expression, penning countless classics for Motown.
Released in 1971, ‘Black Rock’ was the first important step towards making The Bar-Kays one of the most reliable and powerful funk groups of the decade.
