The World Is A Cafeteria: American Soul Music (And One Song From Ghana) 1955-1998
The World Is A Cafeteria: American Soul Music (And One Song From Ghana) 1955-1998
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The World Is a Cafeteria is the fifth installment in Cairo Records’ legendary soul anthology series—a lovingly assembled double LP of deep cuts, long-lost sides, and strange wonders spanning over four decades of American soul (plus one beautifully left-field Ghanaian track).
The emphasis here is on deep soul, Southern soul, and aching ballads—think Arthur Conley’s “I’m A Lonely Stranger,” Joyce Kennedy’s tear-stained “Darling I Still Love You,” or Doris & Kelley’s flawless “You Don’t Have to Worry.” But surprises abound: Charlotte Dada’s Ghanaian psych-soul cover of “Don’t Let Me Down” adds unexpected texture, and there’s room for Ray Charles, Nina Simone, and Jimmy Scott—each bringing their own gravity to the mix.
As always, Cairo delivers a tactile, collector-grade package: deluxe gold-foil jacket, pristine booklet with photos and liner notes, and careful sequencing that feels more like a mixtape made by a close friend than a dusty compilation.
Tracklist:
A1 Toussaint McCall– Nothing Takes The Place Of You
A2 Allen Toussaint– Go Back Home
A3 Joyce Kennedy– Darling I Still Love You
A4 Irma Thomas– Here I Am, Take Me
A5 Zilla Mayes*– All I Want Is You
A6 Margie Hendrix & Percy Mayfield– Hit The Road Jack
B1 The Pitter Pats– It Do Me Good
B2 Oscar Bishop And The Bishops*– Gonna Have To Put You Down
B3 Ben And Spence*– Get It Over
B4 Debra Lewis– What Are You Gonna Do?
B5 Alice Rozier And Little Joe (17)– I'm Gonna Hold On To You
B6 Ray Charles– Georgia
C1 Doris And Kelley*– You Don't Have To Worry
C2 Arthur Connelly*– I'm A Lonely Stranger
C3 Don Bryant– Call Of Distress
C4 Betty And Roy– I'll Be There
C5 Gene Burks– You Don't Love Me
C6 Barbara And The Browns*– My Lover
D1 Charlotte Dada– Don't Let Me Down
D2 Jhamels*– I've Cried
D3 Curley Moore– Goodbye
D4 Nina Simone– Suzanne
D5 Jimmy Scott– Nothing Compares 2 U
Note: All orders ship from France. VAT not charged (TVA non applicable, article 293 B du CGI). Worldwide shipping available.
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France
| Service | 1-2 vinyl | 3-5 vinyl | 6+ vinyl |
| Pickup Point | €4.00 | €4.90 | Free* |
| Economy Home Delivery | €7.90 | €9.50 | Free* |
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United Kingdom
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| Pickup Point | €13.00 | €13.00 | €17.00 |
| Tracked Home Delivery | €18.00 | €18.00 | €21.00 |
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| 1-2 vinyl | 3-5 vinyl | 6-8 vinyl | 9-10 vinyl | 11+ |
| €27.70 | €32.50 | €34.80 | €37.25 | €53.50 |
United States
| 1-2 vinyl | 3-5 vinyl | 6-8 vinyl | 9-10 vinyl | 11+ |
| €32.00 | €42.00 | €52.00 | €56.00 | €66.00 |
International
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| 1-2 vinyl | 3-5 vinyl | 6-8 vinyl | 9-10 LPs | 11+ LPs |
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| 1-2 vinyl | 3-5 vinyl | 6-8 vinyl | 9-10 LPs | 11+ LPs |
| €47.20 | €51.90 | €62.30 | €70.70 |
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Estimated Delivery Times
- France: 2–4 business days
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Condition/Grading FAQ
We follow the Goldmine standard (S / M / NM / VG+ / VG / etc.) and grade both the vinyl and the sleeve separately when necessary. We visually inspect every record and play-grade whenever there’s doubt.
What do the grades mean?
- S (Sealed): The record is sealed and has never been played.
- M (Mint): The record is like new, with no visible light scratches or cracks. Sleeve is in pristine condition, like new.
- NM (Near Mint): Vinyl looks and plays almost like new. Cover is free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.
- VG+ (Very Good Plus: Vinyl has a few light marks, maybe some light background noise. Cover shows only very minor seam wear or a split.
- VG (Very Good); Vinyl has noticeable wear, but still plays through without skips. Cover shows signs of human handling (ring wear, creases, seam splitting, writing or markings from a price tag).
If necessary, more detailed condition notes are included on each product page.