Shorty Long:

Here Comes The Judge:(1968)

If you've heard Devil With The Blue Dress, you've heard a piece of Shorty Long, but you're more likely to have heard the song done by Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, as that was the "Hit" version. So, with that in mind, I encourage you to check out Long's sower, more sultry version. The version that feels more like it's pedaling sex, as opposed to Ryder's which feels more like it's pedaling a high powered drug. Tragically, Long died in a boating accident, and only released two full albums. 

Gladys Knight and The Pips:

Greatest Hits:(1970)

Greatest hits from the early part of the Gladys Knight and The Pips story. Sorry, Midnight Train to Georgia came later. I've always felt that Gladys had such an underrated voice. Sure, she had hits, but what I mean is... among most people today, when they speak of great R&B/Soul singers, I don't hear her name as much as I feel we should. You can get any party going with a record like this. It does contain GK&P's manic version of Heard It Through The Grapevine, the one that contains the infamous stripper drumbeat demonstrated in the movie, Standing In The Shadows of Motown.