9/07/2026

The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 – Soul, Funk & R&B

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 – Time Life DVD

 
 
 
 
The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 Time Life DVD 25392-X

 DVD 2010  25392-X

 

 notes:


The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 is a Time Life DVD release 
from 2010, presenting performances preserved from the 
archives of Soul Train, the landmark American music and 
dance television program created by Don Cornelius.

The cover states that the program ran for more than 
thirty-five years and featured many of the most important
 names in soul and R&B. Volume 2 includes performances such as:

Line-up / Musicians


Because this is a TV-performance compilation,
the musicians vary by performance:

Bill Withers – vocals; Use Me, Lean on Me
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes – vocals/group; If You Don't Know Me by Now
The Commodores – vocals and instrumental ensemble; Still,
 Three Times a Lady, Sail On
Curtis Mayfield – vocals, guitar; Pusherman, Superfly
War – vocals and instrumental ensemble; The Cisco Kid
The Main Ingredient – vocals/group; Everybody Plays the Fool
James Brown – vocals; Get on the Good Foot, Try Me, 
Sex Machine, Super Bad
Soul Train Dancers – featured in selected performances
The release also contains more than 60 minutes of bonus 
features, including interviews with Don Cornelius, 
Cuba Gooding Sr. and Eric Casem.

Recording Dates / Original Broadcasts


Bill Withers    Use Me    Episode 37 – Nov. 4, 1972
Bill Withers    Lean on Me    Episode 37 – Nov. 4, 1972
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes    If You Don't Know Me by Now    Episode 37 – Nov. 4, 1972
The Commodores    Still    Episode 316 – Dec. 15, 1979
The Commodores    Three Times a Lady    Episode 316 – Dec. 15, 1979
The Commodores    Sail On    Episode 316 – Dec. 15, 1979
Curtis Mayfield    Pusherman    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
War    The Cisco Kid    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
The Main Ingredient    Everybody Plays the Fool    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
Curtis Mayfield    Superfly    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
James Brown    Get on the Good Foot    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973
James Brown    Try Me    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973
James Brown    Sex Machine    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973
James Brown    Super Bad    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973

The songs were written by their respective original songwriters
 rather than specifically for the DVD. Key credits include:

Use Me – Bill Withers
Lean on Me – Bill Withers
If You Don't Know Me by Now – Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Still – Lionel Richie
Three Times a Lady – Lionel Richie
Sail On – Lionel Richie
Pusherman – Curtis Mayfield
The Cisco Kid – Papa Dee Allen & Harold Brown, with songwriting 
credits associated with War
Everybody Plays the Fool – Rudy Clark, J.R. Bailey & Ken Williams
Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
Get on the Good Foot – James Brown & Fred Wesley
Try Me – James Brown
I Got the Feelin' / Sex Machine-related repertoire – 
James Brown and collaborators
Super Bad – James Brown

Recorded: Live television performances for Soul Train, 1972–1979
Studio: Soul Train television production studios; 
various recording locations


The Best Of Soul Train DVD 2    
    Bill Withers–    Use Me    
    Bill Withers–    Lean On Me    
    Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes–    If You Don't Know Me By Now    
    Commodores–    Still    
    Commodores–    Three Times A Lady    
    Commodores–    Sail On    
    Curtis Mayfield–    Pusherman    
    War–    The Cisco Kid    
    The Main Ingredient–    Everybody Plays The Fool    
    Curtis Mayfield–    Superfly    
    James Brown–    Get On The Good Foot - Part 1    
    James Brown–    Try Me    
    James Brown–    Get Up I Feel Like Being Like A Sex Machine (Part 1)    
    James Brown–    Super Bad (Part 1 & Part 2)    
        The Best Of Soul Train DVD 2: Bonus Features    
    Don Cornelius–    Interview    
    Cuba Gooding, Sr.*–    Interview    
    Eric Casem–    Interview
 
 
 
 
 

 

9/06/2026

The Best of Soul Train – Vol. 1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 The Best of Soul Train Vol. 1 – Time-Life DVD | Soul & Funk

 
 
 
 
The Best of Soul Train Vol. 1 Time-Life DVD 25391-X featuring classic soul and funk performances

on Time-Life DVD 2010  Vol. 1

 

 notes:


The Best of Soul Train – Vol. 1 is the first volume in Time-Life's collection
 celebrating the legendary American television program Soul Train. 
Released in 2010, this DVD presents historic performances 
from some of the most important names in soul, R&B and funk.

The program features The Isley Brothers, Graham Central Station, 
Barry White, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Marvin Gaye,
 Sly & the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight & the Pips,
 The O'Jays and Aretha Franklin,
 alongside performances by the Soul Train Dancers.

The DVD also includes more than 65 minutes of bonus features,
 with interviews featuring Don Cornelius, Smokey Robinson and
 Brian McKnight. The approximate running time is 180 minutes. 
The complete Best of Soul Train collection documents performances 
originally broadcast during the show's influential years.

credits:


Because this is a compilation of original television performances, 
the DVD does not represent a single recording session with one
 fixed studio line-up. The musicians are the touring/band personnel 
accompanying each featured artist during their respective Soul Train appearances.

Notable performing groups include:
The Isley Brothers: Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley and O'Kelly Isley, 
with the group's contemporary touring musicians.
Graham Central Station: the band led by Larry Graham, 
featuring Graham's distinctive bass-driven funk sound.
Love Unlimited Orchestra: the large ensemble associated with 
Barry White, responsible for the orchestral arrangement of “Love's Theme.”
Sly & the Family Stone: the ensemble led by Sly Stone, 
combining soul, funk, rock and psychedelic influences.
Earth, Wind & Fire: the group led by Maurice White, known 
for its large horn, percussion and rhythm-section sound.


Original Broadcast / Recording Dates


The performances were recorded for television on different 
dates rather than in one recording session. The documented 
episodes represented on Volume 1 include:

Episode    Original broadcast    Featured artists
Episode 33    October 7, 1972    Gladys Knight & the Pips, The O'Jays
Episode 56    April 14, 1973    Aretha Franklin
Episode 89    February 16, 1974    Marvin Gaye
Episode 105    June 29, 1974    Sly & the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire
Episode 119    December 14, 1974    The Isley Brothers, Graham Central Station
Episode 142    May 24, 1975    Barry White, Love Unlimited Orchestra
Episode 314    December 1, 1979    Aretha Franklin

Songwriters


Some of the principal compositions performed 
on the DVD were written by:

“That Lady” – O'Kelly Isley, Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley
“Summer Breeze” – Seals & Crofts (James Seals, Dash Crofts)
“Release Yourself” – Larry Graham
“Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” – Barry White
“Love's Theme” – Barry White
“What Am I Gonna Do with You” – Barry White
“You're the First, the Last, My Everything” – Barry White, 
 Peter Radcliffe, Tony Sepe
“Come Get to This” – Marvin Gaye
“Distant Lover” – Marvin Gaye, Sandra Greene, Marvin Tarplin
“Let's Get It On” – Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
“I Want to Take You Higher” – Sly Stone
“Dance to the Music” – Sly Stone
“Mighty Mighty” – Maurice White and Al McKay
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” – Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
“Back Stabbers” – Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead
“Respect” – Otis Redding
“Rock Steady” – Aretha Franklin
 
 
 
 

 

Bo Diddley – The Black Gladiator (Checker LPS-3013, 1970)


Bo Diddley – The Black Gladiator | Checker LPS-3013

 
 
Bo Diddley – The Black Gladiator, Checker Records LPS-3013, 1970 original vinyl LP

Checker Records 1970 – LPS-3013

 

 notes:


Released in June 1970, The Black Gladiator was Bo Diddley’s 
14th studio album and appeared on the Checker label as LPS-3013. 
The sessions took place on January 26–27, 1970, at Ter-Mar Studios in Chicago.

The album captures Bo Diddley experimenting with the psychedelic
 and funk-oriented sounds that were emerging around the Chess/Checker
 operation at the beginning of the 1970s. The record has been compared 
with the contemporary psychedelic blues projects of Muddy Waters 
and Howlin’ Wolf, while retaining Diddley’s unmistakable guitar, 
vocals and rhythmic approach.

The ten-track LP includes “Elephant Man,” “You, Bo Diddley,” “Black Soul,”
 “Power House,” “If the Bible’s Right,” “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Shut Up, Woman,”
 “Hot Buttered Blues,” “Funky Fly” and “I Don’t Like You.”

credits:


Line-up / Musicians
Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) – vocals, guitar
Chester Lindsey – bass
Bobby Alexis – organ
Clifton James – drums
Cookie Vee – tambourine, vocals

A&R – Phil Chess
Composed By – Bobby Alexias, Cornelia Redmond, Kay McDaniel
recorded : January 26–27, 1970.
Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois.
Engineer – Malcom Chisholm


tracklist:


Composed By – Bobby Alexis, Cornelia Redmond, Kay McDaniel

A1        Elephant Man    4:28    
A2        You, Bo Diddley    3:30    
A3        Black Soul    2:47    
A4        Power House    2:50    
A5        If The Bible's Right    3:08    
B1        I've Got A Feeling    2:46    
B2        Shut Up, Woman    3:40    
B3        Hot Buttered Blues    3:44    
B4        Funky Fly    2:55    
B5        I Don't Like You    3:10