Buying soul and funk records: labels, pressings and what collectors look for
In short: The Vinyl Room currently has 2,901 soul and funk records. A large share is 1970s US pressings –
from the golden age of funk, Philly soul and disco – plus Motown and Stax from the sixties and boogie from the eighties. Collectors look at three
things: the label, the pressing and the condition.
What is the difference between soul and funk?
Soul is singing with gospel roots: big voices, horns, songs about love and everyday life – at home in Detroit, Memphis and Chicago in the
sixties. Funk puts the rhythm first: bass and drums drive the song, every player locks into a short, fixed pattern, and the groove grows
from there. James Brown set the course from the mid-sixties; in the seventies Parliament, the Ohio Players and Kool & The Gang turned it
into whole albums. Disco grew partly out of soul and funk – and later hip hop sampled exactly these records.
Why do so many people collect soul and funk on vinyl?
Because this music was made for the record and for the dance floor. The originals often have the punchy, warm sound of their time, and
many albums have never been reissued in every form. And soul and funk records were played – at parties, in clubs, on the radio. That
makes well-kept originals rarer than you might think. In our Plattenparty stream, a 1967 Cadet first pressing (Odell Brown & The Organ-izers)
gets this verdict: if it comes into The Vinyl Room, it will be “sold within a minute”. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:05:17
Which labels matter to collectors?
- Motown and Tamla – Detroit. Tamla was Berry Gordy’s first label in 1959; Motown became the
name for a whole sound: The Supremes, The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder.
- Stax – Memphis, rawer and earthier. Until 1968 it was distributed by Atlantic.
- Chess, Cadet and Curtom – Chicago. Thomas in the stream: “Chess is an
amazing label” – with some of the best blues artists “and also a lot of good, really more soul albums”. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:10:43 Curtom was Curtis
Mayfield’s label; Thomas simply says: “It’s always good.” ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:08:22
- Buddah – New York, soul and pop of the late sixties and seventies; Curtom was distributed by Buddah until
the mid-seventies.
- King – Cincinnati, with its subsidiary label Federal; according to Thomas home to many early James Brown records, with lots of funk and gospel. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:12:32
- Casablanca – Los Angeles from 1973, disco and funk, Parliament among them.
From our stock
Motown & Tamla
Stax
Funk
Disco
Browse by style: Soul · Funk · Disco · Rhythm & Blues ·
Jazz-Funk · Gospel · Contemporary R&B
FAQ
What is the difference between soul and funk? Soul lives on the vocals and has gospel roots. Funk puts rhythm and groove first – bass
and drums carry the song.
What are Motown and Tamla? Two labels of the same Detroit company. Tamla was Berry Gordy’s first label in 1959; Motown is the best known.
How do I recognise an original soul pressing? As with any first pressing: label, catalogue number, runout engravings and cover must match
a documented edition. No single feature is enough.
Why are well-kept soul and funk records rare? Because they were played a lot – at parties, in clubs and on the radio. That’s why we list the condition of record and sleeve with the copy wherever we have it – if it’s missing, ask us.
What is a 12-inch single? A single in LP size, often with a longer version for dancing. It appeared in the mid-seventies in the disco
scene: the bigger disc leaves room for wider grooves and a higher cutting level – more punch on the dance floor.
Is disco a separate section at The Vinyl Room? Disco is part of soul & funk here and has its own style filter. In the stream, Cerrone’s
“Supernature” is called “one of the best disco tracks in the world”. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:15:15
→ Grading explained · How to spot a first pressing · The Collector’s Room · Plattenparty on YouTube
