The Swap Meet 22 February 2026

This week on the show Mr Campbell Ngata takes to the booth with dusty fingers and a crick in his neck after a serious dig through the Real Groovy sale bins. Expect a prime stack of low-cost, high-quality heat - soul, gospel, fusion, disco rap, boogie and jazz, all served up on crackly wax.

Campbell's stack is heavy on the late-70s and early-80s U.S. soul and jazz-funk: Dayton, Ohio’s Faze-O from ’77, when small-city Midwest labels were pressing tunes tailored for roller rinks; New York harmony royalty Ray, Goodman & Brown in the early ’80s, post-Moments, smoothing out that urban contemporary sound; and a young Peabo Bryson with grown, orchestrated soul.

In hour two it's all about Yahweh and the people who praise his name: starting with Chicago's Reverend T. L. Barrett and the Mt. Zion congregation from the tail end of the ’70s, and L.A.’s Mighty Clouds of Joy blasting some righteous crossover gospel energy that moved from sanctified churches to concert halls. Spiritual jazzers will clock Doug Carn in full Black Jazz swing, and a late-’70s edition of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, when the Messengers were still the finishing school for hard bop lifers.

Fusion-wise, from the later years: the Jan Hammer Group in their post-Mahavishnu stride, and Philly keyboardist Jeff Lorber as quiet storm and jazz-funk started sharing radio space.

Mr Ngata also dips into ’75 NYC soul with The Main Ingredient, Miami’s late-’70s disco circuit via T-Connection, early-’80s boogie 12"s from Young & Company, and Oakland’s own Lenny Williams in his post-Tower of Power solo years.

Press play today!

Faze-O – Riding high (1977)

Ray, Goodman, Brown – If we open up (1982)

Peabo Bryson – Let the music play (1976)

High Inergy – All of you (1981)

Ronnie McNeir – Just can’t let you go (1984)

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Willing (1980)

Jan Hammer Group – Don’t you know (1977)

The Main Ingredient – Rolling down a mountainside (1975)

Jimmy Castor Bunch – Mystery of me (1978)

Blue Magic – Feelin’ the love (1981)

Jeff Lorber – Seventh heaven (1984)

Ronnie Gee – Raptivity (instrumental, 1980)

 

Timothy Wright & Celestial Choir – Long way (1974)

Spirit Of Peace Singers – Choose your road (1977)

Voices Of Tabernacle – I know who holds tomorrow (1979)

St. Mark Baptist Church Choir – You can do it (1979)

Reverend T. L. Barrett – Lord’s prayer (1979)

Cleophus Robinson Jr. – Nothing but god’s word (1980)

Swanee Quintet – In a minute (1981)

Williams Brothers – Wait on Jesus (1982)

Ricky Womack & Christian Essence – Something better (1983)

Williams Brothers – Jesus is the way (1988)

Doug Carn – Little B’s poem (1971)

Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers – To see her face (1977)

Tropea – Tambourine (1975)

Michal Urbaniak – Circular road (1980)

 

Rodney Franklin – Parkay man (1980)

Ebonee Webb – Gonna get cha (1981)

Mighty Clouds Of Joy – Everything is love (1975)

Lenny Williams – I’m sorry (1981)

Michael Henderson – You’re my choice (1980)

T-Connection – Midnight train (1978)

Cecil Parker – What it is (1980)

Candi Staton – One more try (1980)

Joe Simon – Come get to this (1976)

McFadden & Whitehead – I heard it in alove song (1980)

Herbie Mann – Etagui (1978)

Frederick – Move on (1985)

Young & Company – I like (what you’re doing) (1980)