{"title":"Party Starters","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"eccentric-soul-the-capsoul-label","title":"The Capsoul Label","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhere everything Numero begins. Three guys in a purple Saturn station wagon drove down to Columbus, Ohio, and came back to Chicago with a lost label—the rest is history. In the early ’70s, Bill Moss’ Capsoul imprint could barely break wind in the larger music marketplace, and yet today the label’s output can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any classic soul of its era. Isolated in central Ohio and lacking the funds to back them, groups like the Four Mints and Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum \u0026amp; Durr might’ve easily withstood ten rounds against the Temptations, Smokey, or Otis. The scrappy Capsoul writing team of Dean Francis, Jeff Smith, and Norman Whiteside would’ve gone blow-for-hook-filled-blow with any Gamble \u0026amp; Huff or Holland\/Dozier\/Holland cared to throw at them. From Bill Moss’ civil rights meditation “Sock It To ‘Em Soul Brother” to Marion Black’s future hit about the future “Who Knows” to Kool Blues bounding “I’m Gonna Keep on Loving You,” Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label remains dollar-for-dollar the best soul compilation of its century and the perfect primer for anyone piqued by the Eccentric Soul series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eAs the capital of arguably the most soulful state in the nation, Columbus, Ohio is remarkably unassuming. Just south of the rust belt and barely above the Mason-Dixon, it is surrounded by the fertile crescent of American R\u0026amp;B. Propped up culturally and economically by the largest university in the country, it had neither the boom nor the bust of nearby meccas Detroit and Memphis. Columbus was a stable burg where talent could flourish unmolested by the prospect of stardom, a the perfect environment in which idiosyncratic, eccentric soul music could thrive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCapsoul, short for Capital City Soul, released in its five short years only a dozen 45's and one highly-sought-after LP but managed to score several regional smashes and one national hit before collapsing under the weight of its own debt and hubris. The catalog languished afterward in a sort of limbo, too obscure to find new life on oldies and dusties stations or on Time-Life collections, but too common to attract serious interest from collectors of rare soul. But 30 years after it ceased to exist, the Capsoul label would rediscover its original audience, lying in wait somewhere between the mainstream and the underground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe roots of Capsoul sprouted in 1966, during Bill Moss’s tenure as a popular DJ at WVKO Columbus. Moss pooled the resources of a few low rollers around town to launch the short-lived Nassau label, a tribute to his native Bahamas. Right out of the gates, “Ooo-Poo-Pa-Doo” b\/w “East 24th Ave” by Billy Graham and the Escalators was picked up by Atlantic Records, where it promptly fizzled. The second release on the starkly pink label would yield better results. Moss met a young singer named Ronnie Taylor who’d had recording success already as a member of the Four Pharaohs, themselves hit makers for Cincinnati’s King label and the local Ransom imprint. Taylor recorded a dazzling double-sider, “Without Love” backed with “I Can’t Take It,” which soon attracted interest outside the capital, this time with Lebaron Taylor’s Revilot label, who was currently hitting with The Parliaments, Darrell Banks, and The Holidays. Taylor’s record managed to chart with this higher profile release, but neither Moss nor Taylor ever saw any money from the release, which would begin an unfortunate trend for Moss’s productions. Before folding the label, Moss would take a last crack with “Memories Are Made Of This,” his debut as an artist, but an unfortunate and mediocre crooner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoss’s next endeavor partnered him with local promoter Jim Justus to form another small imprint, the Holiday label. Its first two singles, issued in 1968, were by the same group under two different names. Both the Vondors and the Soul Partners were made up of Jay Almon, Jimmy Norbit, Ron Farthing, Roscoe Almon, Ronnie Threatt, \u0026amp; L.A. Almon. “Walk On Judge” by the Soul Partners charted locally, giving Moss the confidence to use his WVKO clout and shove the single into the hands of Larry Uttal at Bell. Uttal picked up the 45 and even went so far as to bankroll the next Soul Partners single. Moss used this relationship to distribute his next two efforts as a solo artist, a pair of singles that matched his positive approach. Banking less on his vocal chops than on charisma and charm, both “Sock It To ‘Em Soul Brother” and “Number One” were triumphs. The former, a tribute to African-American leadership, had inherent attraction to the black radio culture that was peaking nationwide. The latter, a surprisingly irresistible “father’s lecture” set to music, may not have hit number one, but it did chart nationally. Bill Moss, however, never saw a dime, and after Bell refused to even pay for the studio time, he pulled the masters and ended the relationship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the Soul Partners channeled their success at Bell into national tours and deals with Scepter and, later, Utopia and Rainbow Collection, they backed one last session in 1969 for an up-and-coming vocal group, the Four Mints. James Brown, Louis Dotley, Bobby Shank, Herschel Davis, and James Spencer started out at East High in 1955 as the Five Mints, but by the time of their Musicol session, the Five had been whittled down to one. Joining Brown on the sublime ballad “You’re My Desire,” and its flip “You’ll Want To Come Back,” was doo-wop floater Ben Caldwell, Timeless Legend brother Jimmy Harmon, and Donald Russell. The 45 was strong opening salvo to an impressive recording career, but it failed to attract much attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1970, Bill Moss had tired of his work as a DJ and regional promoter and decided to give the label business one more try. His last-hurrah act at WVKO took the form of a talent show, a surreptitious recruitment drive for his nascent brand. All the most important local musicians of the era competed, but it was dark horse Marion Black who stole the show with his heart-wrenching performance of “Go On Fool”—later to appear as the first single on the Capsoul label. Sales skyrocketed in every city that gave it airplay. Although most deejays preferred the vastly superior B-side “Who Knows,” AVCO\/Embassy licensed the single and issued promotional copies with only “Go On Fool” on it. Nationally, “Who Knows” would ultimately be ignored.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill, that tiny morsel of success gave Moss a taste for the real thing. With a small chunk of cash and the help of a couple Ohio State engineering students, Moss built a small studio at 3504 N. High Street, which quickly became home base to a bright team of musicians and songwriters hungry for a shot. Audiophile and chronic record store employee Jeff Smith would scratch out songs on guitar. Dean Francis, already known for his locally released single “Funky Disposition,” played drums and quickly grew as a star songwriter. Moss imported the now legendary Billy Wooten from Indiana to play vibraphone. Frank LaRue, a University violin teacher created all the Capsoul string arrangements with the help of some of his best students. Dwight Cartier, Steve Taylor, and Terry Wilkes filled out the bass, keys, and rhythm guitar. And Bill’s fledging company got a boost when he was able to secure a $30,000 loan from City National Bank. Moss had taken care of the money, the music, and the management. All he needed now was raw talent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVirgil Johnson, Al Dawson, Willie Tatum, and Norris Durr were a group of neighborhood kids who called themselves the Revelations. Prompted by a friend, Moss decided to give them an audition. What they sang that day was anything but a revelation, but those voices were right on. Liking the ring that Crosby, Stills, Nash \u0026amp; Young had coming off the tongue, Moss re-christened the group Johnson, Dawson, Tatum \u0026amp; Durr. A few weeks later he would absent-mindedly swap “Dawson” for “Hawkins” while laying out the labels for their first single, “You Can’t Blame Me,” accidentally renaming them for a third time. If you haven’t heard it yet, stop reading right now and drown yourself in pure liquid soul. Moody, complex, dark, with a shockingly unique falsetto lead courtesy of Virgil Johnson and a proto-hip-hop bass line beat that grooves like a bus on speed bumps, “You Can’t Blame Me” is tense and intense. The flip, “Your Love Keeps Drawing Me Closer,” made a dent on the soul dance scene but couldn’t touch the impact of the a-side. Few records could. It was played everywhere and went to number one throughout the Midwest and up and down the eastern seaboard. While crucial cities such as Chicago and New York overlooked it, sales in places like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Cleveland were massive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe success of that first single was no mystery. Virgil Johnson’s hypnotic and unsettling lead was the linchpin of its popularity. Unfortunately, Virgil knew it as well as anyone else. After their second single, “You’re All I Need to Make It” b\/w “A World Without You” was in the can, Virgil was ready for the big time and Capsoul, he figured, wasn’t getting him there fast enough. One very heated confrontation later, Johnson was thrown off the roster. Pride-bound, he immediately moved to Los Angeles, where he encountered the hard truth of his own insignificance. One of a million singers trying to get a gig in the big city, he was forced to return to Ohio just a few years later and has, as far as anyone can tell, never recorded again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeginning a trend of recycling instrumental tracks, Moss retroactively filled a hole in the catalog between “Go On, Fool” and “You Can’t Blame Me” with a single by the generically named Capsoul Group. Moss snagged the instrumental to his second Bell single, “Number One,” and tacked it on to the string heavy instrumental to “You’re All I Need To Make It,” but the two sides couldn’t have come from further places. The a-side was backed by a gaggle of hourly session men, but its flip was a product of the scrappy group of amateurs and semi-pros plying their trade at 3504 N. High. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe instrumental to “Sock It To ‘Em Soul Brother” was also revived after Moss licensed “Pure Soul” from the South Carolina group Elijah \u0026amp; the Ebonites. Lead by Elijah Hawthorne, the original release of the song appeared on their own Superior label and featured a cover of “Yes I’m Ready” by Barbara Mason on the flip. As Moss wasn’t fond of releasing cuts he didn’t publish, he slapped “Soul Brother” on the other side and issued it on the Loren imprint, named for his first son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the wake of “You Can’t Blame Me,” pressure was on Capsoul to deliver hits. City National loomed in the rearview mirror on every out-of-town promotion junket. Hoping to change his fortunes, Moss produced and issued a barrage of singles. The Enticers, another vocal group from the WVKO talent show, had by then narrowed their line-up to a duo, Tennessee natives John Primm and William Gilbert, and were known as the Kool Blues. Their first single, “Why Did I Go,” was from the pen of Dana Middleton and Jeff Smith and would later be retread by the Four Mints. “I’m Gonna Keep On Loving You”—which draws inspiration from the duo’s home state heroes at Stax—was penned with the help of young upstart Norman Whiteside, a hanger-on around the Capsoul studio. Whiteside later formed the band Wee and recorded an LP that—along with the Four Mints’ \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.numerogroup.com\/products\/four-mints-gently-down-your-stream\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eGently Down Your Stream\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e LP and Timeless Legend’s \u003cem\u003eSynchronized\u003c\/em\u003e LP—are considered the finest soul albums in Columbus history. While it’s absurd that the single was ignored, the b-side saw life again years later on the northern soul scene. Their second single featured two excellent ballads: “Can We Try Love Again,” a funky, mid-tempo rug slasher, was backed by the eerie, contemplative “I Want to Be Ready.” Among the last singles on the Capsoul label, it barely even attracted the marginal attention of its predecessor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Moss recovered from Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum \u0026amp; Durr’s break-up, he was able to re-unite with the Four Mints, then eager to enter the studio again. Without much difficulty, “Row My Boat,” written specifically for the group by Dean Francis, went to the top of the local charts. A timeless single, the song interpolates elements of the nursery rhyme “Row Your Boat” into the melody. Lead singer Ben Caldwell’s breathtaking vocal range, somewhere between a caramel tenor and a pure sugar falsetto, was a perfect recipe for the soul style of the moment. Though originally issued on Capsoul, this single also has a scarcer alternate pressing on Loren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1973 was the year of Four Mints, with a total of three singles emerging, the largest output for the label thus far. “Can’t Get Strung Out” saw two pressings, the first with “In A Rut” on the flip, the second issue with the Mints’ take on “Why Did I Go.” They closed out the year with a reissue of their Holiday single, which fared better this time, boosted by the Capsoul imprint’s new notoriety. This surge in extraordinary output, however, wasn’t enough to save the label from receivership, despite one more close call that nearly put the books in the black. While on the road in Memphis promoting the singles, Bill Moss and Four Mints founder James Brown heard breaking news that Al Green had been hospitalized after being scalded by hot grits. Inspired, they raced back to Columbus to resurrect “Pure Soul” by Elijah \u0026amp; the Ebonies as “Hot Grits!!!” It was re-re-released on Capsoul and found life via novelty appeal throughout the south.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The final Capsoul release would be the Four Mints only album, Gently Down Your Stream, a collection of their 45’s plus one leftover, “Too Far Gone,” another Dean Francis masterpiece. Neglecting to issue this as a single may have been one of Capsoul’s greatest errors; it stands with “Row My Boat” as the Mints’ finest recorded moment. The album’s release did nothing but showcase the exceptional output of this vocal group, though its scarcity today indicates that sales never even exhausted a first pressing.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Around the end of 1974, City National informed Bill that he was too “emotionally involved” with the label and that they’d decided to pull the plug on Capsoul. Things got dire when Moss showed up at 3504 N. High Street to find the door padlocked, forcing him to break in to his own studio to abscond with the master tapes. Uneasy about keeping them at home, he secured them safely at a friend’s place in the rural outskirts of the city. Several years later, he’d return for them only to find that the tapes had been destroyed in a flood. And it gets uglier. Fed up and disgusted with the record business, Moss drove to Queen City in Cincinnati with the remaining Capsoul 45’s and had them recycled for a pittance in returns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003eCapsoul was my first love. You never get over that one.\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so Capsoul lay entombed for 30 years, the seeds of its promise spread out in hopes of discovery by a future generation. The cast and crew followed suit. Marion Black found his way to Harmonic Sounds across town and recorded a few moody singles for Clem Price’s Prix label. Taylor joined the military and recorded killer funk with Sojourner Truth in Kentucky, and even deadlier funk with O.F.S. Unlimited, also on the Prix label. Black works, as he has since his recording days, as a waiter in upscale Columbus establishments, while Taylor relocated to New Zealand, where he lives to this day. The Four Mints never made another record but still perform semi-professionally in and around Columbus. Dean Francis would keep writing and recording, working with Timeless Legend and Jupiter’s Release with former Kool Blues Billy Gilbert and John Primm. Gilbert took a job as an inspector for the City Of Columbus, while Primm moved back to Nashville. No one has heard a peep out of Virgil Johnson since his sheepish return from Los Angeles. Jeff Smith recorded a few more times in the 1970s but sadly died of cancer in 1997. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bill Moss would eventually enter politics, declaring that it couldn’t be as cutthroat as the music business. He ran for congress in 1976 and won election in 1977 (and six later re-elections) to the Columbus school board. He even ran for mayor in 1985 but was handily defeated. When we met with Moss in March of 2003, he could still be heard on WVKO radio, on Saturday mornings as the host of his “Let’s Talk” show and on Sunday afternoons with his own “Good News Sunday Gospel.” We enjoyed a few all-too-brief years of friendship with Bill before his sudden death on August 1, 2005.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Before he passed, Moss reflected, “Capsoul was my first love. You never get over that one.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"Gold Vinyl 2xLP","offer_id":43186922782918,"sku":"NUM001LP-C1","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":43186922455238,"sku":"NUM001lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40259322511558,"sku":"NUM001cd","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40259322544326,"sku":"NUM001dig1","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM001lp-C1CapsoulLabelGoldVinyl2xLPTransparent.png?v=1675449475"},{"product_id":"cult-cargo-belize-city-boil-up","title":"Belize City Boil Up","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe national dish of Belize is a diverse mixture of ingredients: pig’s tail, potatoes, plantains, bananas, boiled eggs, yams, and whole fish, thrown in a pot and stewed to perfection. 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Our sturdy gatefold double-LP edition includes two bonus tracks...dashes of extra flavoring you won’t find plated by any other Numero product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":40259431628998,"sku":"NUM006cd","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40259431694534,"sku":"NUM006dig1","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":40259431727302,"sku":"NUM006lp","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/atom-1538772176.jpg?v=1626880271"},{"product_id":"good-god-a-gospel-funk-hymnal","title":"A Gospel Funk Hymnal","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe genesis of our Good God! series, dedicated to divergent sounds from devout records, \u003cem\u003eA Gospel Funk Hymnal\u003c\/em\u003e explores injections of a profane funk into gospel music’s sacred beatitude. Completing the circular journey of a hallowed rhythm, these tracks carry sanctified messages as passed through the earthly delights of the bass and guitar groove. Mixing primitive harmonies, spacious breaks, jungle percussion, elderly rappers impersonating the devil, cast recordings, thumping bass, and James Brown impressionists, this is old time religion slathered in funk’s sinful gravy. Such a collection can only come together retroactively. “Gospel funk” lays its claim to genre only in the way that “deep soul” or “acid folk” do, as categories created by collectors and enthusiasts, ways of defining subsections within subsections. No label, artist, or producer focused strictly on funky gospel music; rather, a couple hundred groups kept a funkier number in their repertoire, then cut a budget gospel record. From Canadian Trevor Dandy’s \u003cem\u003eDon’t Cry Little Tree\u003c\/em\u003e long-player comes the laid-back “Is There Any Love”.... or check out how Sam Taylor might’ve opened his own soul-stirred \u003cem\u003eJesus Christ Superstar\u003c\/em\u003e on “Heaven on Their Minds.” Your pilgrimage begins here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":40259589996742,"sku":"NUM010lp","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40259589931206,"sku":"NUM010cd","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40259589963974,"sku":"NUM010digital","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/atom-1538772117.jpg?v=1626880281"},{"product_id":"fabulous-3-mcs-rub-a-dub-dub","title":"Rub A Dub Dub","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eBy 1980, rap was the most cutting edge musical medium in New York City, just shy of its inevitable spread from the street to the studio. 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In relative silence, the Twin Cities had been harboring a tight-knit community feverishly at work in radically manipulating American dance music, varnishing futurist funk with guitar rock’s glamorous sheen. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003ePurple Snow\u003c\/em\u003e, the Numero Group’s ambitious 50th mainline release, chronicles false starts and follow-throughs toward Minneapolis Sound, on four LPs or two CDs and 32 rare and unreleased recordings from the years just prior to, and just after, one gifted Nelson was crowned Prince. At some 30,000 words, our 144-page hardbound book meticulously directs the listener through two hours of music, and a decade dotted by adept producers, combos, and characters—like 94 East, Flyte Tyme, and Alexander O’Neal, whose less celebrated groundwork put Minneapolis’ purple launchpad on the map. From Jimmy Jam’s extroverted Mind \u0026amp; Matter collective to André Cymone’s polish-free bedroom demos, \u003cem\u003ePurple Snow\u003c\/em\u003e gathers as the sprawling, nonfiction prequel to \u003cem\u003ePurple Rain\u003c\/em\u003e’s cultural takeover. 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Unfettered nightlife and outlandish humor poured out of oddball outpost The CopHerBox II and onto TV screens, presented here as a 100-minute video mixtape on DVD. Its companion compilation features five previously unreleased tracks, joined by music culled from a trove of self-released 45s and small-time 12\"s. Die-cut cathode-ray jacket and six in-package stills put the Party at your fingertips.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAvailable on CD or 2LP, each edition of \u003cem\u003eUltra-High Frequencies: The Chicago Party\u003c\/em\u003e will arrive in one of six cover configurations, all of which are interchangeable via printed inner sleeves and enclosed booklet. Original pressing editions include our entertaining DVD mixtape, isolating the most absurd and outrageous moments from the original broadcasts. 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A perineal opener for the Universal Togetherness Band during their early days, “Missing You So” only existed as legend until a chrome cassette of the song was discovered by harmonica player Paul Hannover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero Group","offers":[{"title":"45","offer_id":40261268734150,"sku":"ES052LP","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261268701382,"sku":"ES052digital","price":2.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/ES052_UniversalTogethernessBand_MySentiment_45_Black.jpg?v=1660675654"},{"product_id":"perk-badger-do-your-stuff-pt-1-bw-part-2","title":"Do Your Stuff Pt. 1 b\/w Part 2","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Mighty Pearstine “Perk” Badger cut a handful of sides for Wax-Wel and his own Hit Sound (and Hit Bound) labels in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including a low-fidelity attempt at the anthemic “Do Your Stuff.” A few years later, Perk took another stab, enlisting the help of Arnold Albury’s Rising Sons, a major force in Henry Stone’s TK operation. The results were raw, magical, heavy-hitting funk. Issued here on a bright replica Suncut label with bottom-heavy refurbished sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero Group","offers":[{"title":"45","offer_id":40261271158982,"sku":"ES048LP","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261271126214,"sku":"ES048dig","price":2.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/ES048_PerkBadger_DoYourStuff_45_Black.jpg?v=1660675122"},{"product_id":"mind-matter-im-under-your-spell-bw-sunshine-lady","title":"I'm Under Your Spell b\/w Sunshine Lady","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn March of 1977, Minneapolis nonet Mind \u0026amp; Matter booked time at Creation Audio on Old Shakopee Road in suburban Bloomington to record “I’m Under Your Spell” and “Sunshine Lady.” Written by a teenaged Jimmy “Jam” Harris, these danceable numbers document the prolific songwriter taking baby steps as a budding super producer. A percussionist-turned-pianist, Harris’s playful use of glockenspiel would reappear in subsequent productions for S.O.S. Band, Cherrelle, and Alexander O’Neal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero Group","offers":[{"title":"45","offer_id":40261272797382,"sku":"ES051lp","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261272764614,"sku":"ES051dig","price":2.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/ES051_MindMatterImUnderYourSpell_45_Black.jpg?v=1660674556"},{"product_id":"shanghaid-soul-episode-4","title":"Episode 4","description":"\u003cp\u003eEverybody’s still talking about the good ol’ days! A rough and rugged collection of ol’ dirty classics that have inspired swarms of killer beats. A head nod to the sounds of Shaolin, the thirteen chambers of Shanghai’d Soul have moved lyrical chefs and production geniuses alike to compose some of their most ominous hip-hop. Gods and Earths alike will appreciate the raw funk and smoother-than-a-Lexus soul that come together like Voltron on this special compilation. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAs sampled by Phantogram, Common, Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, Wale, Vince Staples, DJ Khaled, Pusha-T, Meek Mill, Ghostface Killah, Mac Miller, Kid Cudi, RJD2, Curren$y, Pretty Lights, Jurassic 5, Big Grams, and Run The Jewels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numbero","offers":[{"title":"Nevermore Purple \u0026 White Splatter Vinyl","offer_id":43621886984390,"sku":"NBR007lp-C2","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Like A Ship Seaglass Vinyl","offer_id":43621887574214,"sku":"NBR007lp-C3","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":43611529937094,"sku":"NBR007lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Purple Vinyl)","offer_id":40577499201734,"sku":"NBR007lp-C1","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261688230086,"sku":"NBR007dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/NBR007lp-C2ShanghaidSoulNevermorePurpleandWhiteSplatter.png?v=1714070208"},{"product_id":"dry-bread-yamar-bw-words-to-my-song","title":"Yamar b\/w Words To My Song","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteeped in Caribbean flavor and seasoned with a fistful of hand-percussion, “Ya Mar” was initially sidelined from 2009’s \u003cem\u003eCult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay\u003c\/em\u003e. Phish fans may recognize this previously unattainable A-side as it as been a staple in their set lists since the late ’80s, imported by bassist Mike Gordon who heard the Mustangs performing it in a Bahamian hotel. Backed with the sweltering “Words To My Song,” this doubler-sider is a must for any sea side or pool side DJ. \u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero Group","offers":[{"title":"45 (Coke Bottle Clear)","offer_id":44355993632966,"sku":"ES056lp-C1","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45","offer_id":40261693964486,"sku":"ES056lp","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261693931718,"sku":"ES056dig","price":2.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/ES056lp-C1_Mockup.png?v=1736435812"},{"product_id":"all-night-long-northern-soul-floor-fillers","title":"Northern Soul Floor Fillers","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eWe all know Northern Soul, right? You know ’60s soul music, blokes from the old industrial corners of England dancing all night long. Right? Well sort of. As with all popular depictions—and there’s been a lot of this recently—things get twisted for a litany of reasons. From DJs satisfying their egos, those who were there misremembering, to those who weren’t romanticizing and wishing they were.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet somewhere in there, there is more than a kernel of truth. In the latter half of the ’60s mods and their descendants decided they loved the music that had been making them move —uptown Motown styled soul— and instead of moving forward in years they progressed their love of music by digging deeper. Others may have been doing this previously, but none tied it so centrally to a club culture. If you’ve ever been present on a club scene that demanded old music, you owe a debt to Northern Soul.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom that point on rarer and rarer sounds were required. Originally difficult to find UK pressings, then warehouse finds from the United States, then acetates, and finally unreleased masters from tapes were added to the playlists. There was a continued desire was to have something good, something that made your dance unique. It is for this reason that reissues were frowned upon, ubiquity rather than snobbishness. A point somewhat lost on those paying thousands so they can play an original of “Tainted Love” or other much reissued tunes at a club or dance. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOur compilation is a tribute to the diversity of Northern Soul and access to the Numero vaults allows us to play everything from records that have filled floors for over 40 years to others that have only recently been uncovered. Our opener by the Sensations falls into the latter category. “Demanding Man” has recently been a big sound for DJ Butch. A marvelous slice of pounding vocal group soul, it was recorded for Cleveland, Ohio, label \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-way-out-label\"\u003eWay Out\u003c\/a\u003e and was the group’s last record for Lester Johnson and Bill Branch’s imprint. Currently it would set you back nearly £2000 for a copy. Also on Way Out was the excellent Jesse Fisher, whose “You’re Not Loving A Beginner” is a slightly funky stomper which was originally destined for the Sensations. His later “Honey” on Sojam is also a big money favourite. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChicago as a centre for recording threw out dozens, maybe hundreds of records that have filled Northern floors. Ernest Mosley’s “Stubborn Heart” was released on the local La Cindy label. It was written by Eddie LaShea, who produced the version by the Shepherds on Mirwood. Otis Brown’s wonderful “I’m Ready For Love” is another single with two versions —a group called the Soulettes released a cover on the Dud Sound label. Brown’s own version was released on his own Lujuna label, and is a wonderful uplifting symphony of soul and strings. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/syl-johnson-complete-mythology\"\u003eSyl Johnson\u003c\/a\u003e would go on to be one of the most celebrated soul and funk singers of his era with his recordings on \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-twinights-lunar-rotation\"\u003eTwinight\u003c\/a\u003e and Hi. “Do You Know What Love Is?” appeared on the Special Agent label in 1965. The Notations also went onto bigger things recording for Curtis Mayfield’s Gemigo label, but “Trying My Best To Find Her” was their debut for the Tad label and is almost impossible to find these days. The Mystiques were another Chicago based vocal group who appeared on Twinight. Unlike The \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/the-notations-still-here-1967-1973\"\u003eNotations\u003c\/a\u003e they only made the one 45 there, and the wonderful “Put Out The Fire” has a rough edge that indicates its roots as an independently recorded effort bought up by label owners Howard Bedno and Peter Wright. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur other Chicago based recordings emanate from WVON DJ Richard Pegue’s \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-nickel-penny-labels\"\u003eNickel and Penny\u003c\/a\u003e operation. “Matta Baby” was the product of collaboration between Pegue and Homer Talbert, a local songwriter and producer who was a part of Jerry Butler’s Songwriter’s Workshop alongside the likes of Terry Callier and Larry Wade. It’s a cracking instrumental with a very danceable beat. Jerry Townes has left very few ripples in the history’s pond, but his pounding version of “You Are My Sunshine” was one of Pegue’s best efforts. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDetroit—as the home of Motown—is often considered to be the home of Northern Soul. We have two tracks included here that emphasise that connection. Two Plus Two were a four piece vocal group that included the songwriting team of Wilburt Jackson and Cyril Clarke—they wrote “Number One In Your Heart” for the Monitors. They were joined by Lawrence Matchett and Terry Davis and made this one 45 which was issued on Velgo. The Soul Partners went on to success with Al Hudson in the late ’70s, “Just Fun” was their first appearance on vinyl. Another instrumental groove, it was hidden away on the B-side of a single by \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/brown-bombers-soul-partners-wait-for-me-bw-just-fun\"\u003eThe Brown Bombers\u003c\/a\u003e on the tiny Amazing label. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesse Jones’ group of labels in Atlanta included \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-tragar-note-labels\"\u003eTragar and Note\u003c\/a\u003e, but for one release his great hope, singer Eula Cooper, appeared on Super Sound. That single was the outrageously good “Let Our Love Grow Higher.” Like virtually all of Jones’ releases, limited distribution makes it a hard one to track down. Richard Cook’s single is a little easier to find. An uptempo groove in an Otis Redding style, it is notable for the arranging debut of Tommy Stewart, who became one of the names on the Atlanta music scene throughout the 1970s. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nEddie Ray’s “Wait A Minute” was an example of the fine music found on the Harmonic Sound studio’s tapes when they were discovered at a yard sale in the mid 2000s. Ray was the very definition of a journeyman singer, whose talented voice was best captured on this fast paced and slightly messy number. The biggest northern smash on Clem Price and George Beter’s Columbus, Ohio, based \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-prix-label\"\u003ePrix\u003c\/a\u003e label was the Royal Esquires “Ain’t Gonna Run.” A talented four-piece vocal group they played the local circuit alongside the Soul Partners, who shouldn’t be confused with the Detroit based band of the same name. The Soul Partners became the Vondors for one record, “Look In The Mirror” for Bill Moss’ Holiday label. Our final Columbus-based group are the Chandlers whose defining moment came with “Your Love Makes Me Lonely,” released on Jeff Smith’s Col-Soul label. Its slinky distinctive sound has made the record a bona-fide Northern floor filler for years now. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBaltimore-based \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/the-chapells-are-you-ready\"\u003eThe Chapells\u003c\/a\u003e had a long history, stretching back to a 1964 single which asked the question “Are You Ready?” This was the inspiration for Barbara Mason’s “I’m Ready” hit on Artic Records out of Philadelphia the following year. By 1969 they were recording for R.B. Patterson who issued “Help Me Somebody” on his Brooklyn-based Bedford label.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOur final two recordings were made for Abe Epstein’s \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-dynamic-label\"\u003eDynamic\u003c\/a\u003e label from San Antonio, Texas. The rudimentary recording, shimmering organ and on the beat tambourine on “I Gotta Know” makes for a compelling listen. The Tonettes were a local group who sounded a lot like the Shirelles on their one shot at fame. Hailing from Galveston, the Webs had a great harmony sound, and made a handful of records of which “Little Girl Blue” is probably the best.  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAll in all, 20 tracks that shine a spotlight on the myriad styles that fall under the banner of Northern Soul. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero Group","offers":[{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":40261698355398,"sku":"JD001LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40261698224326,"sku":"JD001CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261698322630,"sku":"J\u0026D001dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/J_D001_AllNightLong_NorthernSoulFloorFillers_LP_Black.jpg?v=1658427200"},{"product_id":"can-you-feel-that-beat-funk-45s-and-other-rare-grooves","title":"Funk 45s and Other Rare Grooves","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eSo what is funk? It’s sometimes difficult to know.  In the 1950s, the piano style of both Ray Charles and Horace Silver were described as funk, and the word itself has long associations with black music, going back even further into history. Clearly the success of James Brown at the tail end of the 1960s—say from “Cold Sweat” onwards—established the funk era, but the Godfather of super-heavy funk had already set out his stall with “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)” in 1965. At the same time a series of productions he recorded with Bobby Byrd, James Crawford, and others saw him slowly perfect his groove.  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nBut he wasn’t working in a vacuum. In Memphis the studio group at Stax were creating a rhythmic template full of the funk—listen to Otis Redding’s “Sick Y’All” on the flip of “Try A Little Tenderness” or Rufus Thomas’ breakbeat friendly “Sophisticated Sissy” and there is no denying it. Whilst in Phoenix, Arizona, Arlester “Dyke” Christian and his Blazers proclaimed the word to the world when they hit with “Funky Broadway.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of these sources were influential, and by the end of the sixties every high school band was turning out covers of the biggest funk hits, whilst in towns across the US groups were forming using the instrumental template of the MG’s or the Meters—bass, drums, guitar and organ—to make their own creations. Established artists and record labels picked up on the trend also, adding the syncopated groove to their R\u0026amp;B to keep it contemporary. It was a glorious period which in today’s world is mined by collectors, DJs looking to fill a dance floor, and record producers looking for the perfect beat. This compilation reflects all of those different directions as we delve into the world of high quality and often super rare recordings that fill this release. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nWe open up with a slew of records that are in themselves dance floor classics. \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/mickey-the-soul-generation-iron-leg-the-complete-mickey-the-soul-generation\"\u003eMickey \u0026amp; the Soul Generation\u003c\/a\u003e’s “Iron Leg”—an organ-based instrumental with a ferocious opening—was a rare groove that became one of the foundation stones for the acid jazz scene in the UK. Renaldo Domino’s “Let Me Come Within” is a later discovery. One of the Chicago based singer’s singles for Twinight—he also recorded for Smash and Blue Rock —it is unashamedly aimed for the floor. Sandy Gaye’s “Watch The Dog” is one of several songs that go by that name, none of them quite match this Richard Marx penned masterpiece. It was one of Gaye’s two shots at stardom, and although it didn’t reach, it is a worthy calling card. A similar point could be made about the Soul President’s “Get It Right,” one of Detroit’s finest funk records made for Ed McCoy’s \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-big-mack-label\"\u003eBig Mack\u003c\/a\u003e label.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Miami, Clarence Reid and Little Beaver would find success in the 1970s as part of Henry Stone’s TK organization, which melded funk and early disco to world beating effect. Whilst they figured out how to reach the top, they made some stunning records on Saadia, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-deep-city-label\"\u003eDeep City\u003c\/a\u003e, and a host of other labels. Our two pieces of Miami funk are both from the former label. Robert Moore went on to success with the group Miami, but his take “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” may be his best record. Powell Dowdell takes on “Good Things” and funks up what was originally a hot slice of R\u0026amp;B by Frank Williams. Although not related to the mainstream of Floridian ’70s music, “Party Time” by Black Soul Express shows the confidence of the Sunshine state’s music scene in that decade.  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe midwestern hub for the music industry was Chicago. Home to major label distribution, Chess, Vee-Jay, and a host of smaller outfits, it had been known as an outlet for the blues, but where black music was concerned always kept itself up to date. “The Devastator” by Stormy is cutting edge for its 1967 release, and Joyce Williams “First Thing I Do In The Morning,” recorded for Richard Pegue’s \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-nickel-penny-labels\"\u003eNickel\u003c\/a\u003e label is suitably sensuous. Andrew Brown’s “You Made Me Suffer” is blues in form, but funky as hell in reality. One of the ultimate collector’s pieces.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso from Chicago were \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/boscoe-boscoe\"\u003eBoscoe\u003c\/a\u003e, whose independently pressed album on Kingdom Of Chad mixed black power, Egyptology, and other powerful influences to create a potent and enticing brew. In a similar vein are \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/24-carat-black-gone-the-promises-of-yesterday\"\u003e24-Carat Black\u003c\/a\u003e. Their debut album, \u003cem\u003eGhetto: Misfortune’s Wealth\u003c\/em\u003e was issued on Stax’s Enterprise label and was gobbled up by sample hungry producers. It’s equally excellent follow up languished for 35 years before being unleashed, including a sublime take on the Mad Lad’s “Gone! The Promises Of Yesterday.”  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOver on the west coast, “Gimme Little Sign” hit-maker Brenton Wood put together a local super-group—featuring the exceptional Gail Anderson on vocals—to demo his latest composition “Strike.” Naming the band Union, the 197_single was released on Matt Hill’s Mesa label. This was part of a small empire that Hill had put together largely focused on managing his brother, bluesy soul singer Z.Z.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the early ’70s, great funk records were being made all over the U.S. It could be the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/the-young-senators-ringing-bells-sweet-music-part-1-bw-part-2\"\u003eYoung Senators\u003c\/a\u003e recording in Washington DC for Innovations, or We The People in Phoenix working with the always-on-the- pulse Mighty Mike Lenaburg. It could be in the deep south, such as Louisiana-based guitarist and bandleader Clifton White who made a handful of great singles with his group the Royal Knights for ANLA and the brilliant “The Grade A” for PMRC, before giving up the funk for a career playing Zydeco.  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOur numbers are completed by the excellent Young Disciples from St Louis and their rare groove classic “Crumbs From The Table,” and obscure and hard to find recordings by Creations Unlimited, Black Sunshine, and Duracha filling out that definition of funk. So to answer that original question, all you have to do is give a spin to the music in this package, then repeat. You may not know the answer, but you will certainly feel it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Other","offers":[{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":40261715525830,"sku":"JD002lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40261715460294,"sku":"JD002cd","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261715493062,"sku":"J\u0026D002dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/JD002_YouCanFeelThatBeat_Funk45sAndOtherRareGrooves_LP_Black.jpg?v=1658426877"},{"product_id":"extra-added-soul-crossover-modern-and-funky-soul","title":"Crossover, Modern, and Funky Soul","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eNothing on this record was recorded less than 30 years ago, so what makes it so modern? It’s a good question, one that embarrasses some of those who love this music in the UK’s underground club scenes. Yet for all the fact that it is a misnomer, despite a myriad attempts to come up with a new name, the category holds. Those new names usually cover a fraction of the great music and don’t quite capture the beauty of Modern Soul. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIgnoring claims that the name was used earlier—and it was—the golden age of modern soul was the mid-’80s, when refugees from the increasingly fractured northern soul scene, looked to regain their enthusiasm for Black American music by digging deep into the lo-fi independent soul releases of the era. These were plentiful, and could be bought for a few pounds from Rod Dearlove’s Voices From The Shadows or John Anderson’s Soul Bowl, amongst others. Such sounds were augmented by records from the ’70s that just didn’t fit the northern soul template, either too funky, too disco, or perhaps even too pop sounding. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOf course Ian Levine and Colin Curtis at the Blackpool Mecca had started that fracture in the northern soul scene when they had begun to play contemporary records a decade earlier. Whilst they continued to play obscure independent releases, within a couple of years their sets had become dominated by the New York sound of the late ’70s and was no longer an underground scene. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the time since these historic events records have filtered back into the northern scene, been lent to the funk crowd, and been coveted by collectors of all stripes. People have laughed that records from late ’60s and early ’70s Chicago could be classed as modern and decided that they would be named crossover, and that those original independent discoveries must just been called ’80s soul. Our compilation covers most of the main bases, from the ’80s dance groove of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/donnell-pitman-burning-up-bw-the-taste-of-honey\"\u003eDonnel Pittman\u003c\/a\u003e back to two-step Chicago soul from the likes of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/nate-evans-pardon-my-innocent-heart-bw-main-squeeze\"\u003eNate Evans\u003c\/a\u003e. This is modern soul at its most vibrant and exciting.   \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nWe open up in the Windy City with Pittman’s “Love Explosion.” With a soulful vocal that flirts with the edges of disco, this is a sought after rarity on both 7 \u0026amp; 12 inch formats, released on Archie Russell’s ARPCO. Pittman released a handful of singles including the equally sought after “Your Love Is Dynamite” which featured local legends the Chi-Lites on backing vocals, before he slipped back into obscurity. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe bulk of our Chicago recordings come from an earlier period in the city’s musical development when the predominant hit sound was Tyrone Davis’ recordings for Dakar. As ever when there is a hit there’s are multiple attempts to replicate it, and many with their own slightly warped brilliance. Nate Evans “Main Squeeze” takes the template and slows it down. Produced by \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/syl-johnson-complete-mythology\"\u003eSyl Johnson\u003c\/a\u003e, it was written by Memphis legend Earl Randle. Johnson’s “Try My Love Again” is in the same vein and is an excellent showcase for the great singer’s talents. El Anthony is a further example of the style but with a slightly dirtier more rudimentary production style. He only recorded a handful of sides all for labels related to Hillary and Clarence Johnson (no relation), and all are now highly sought after collector’s items.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the greatest Chicago records of this period was Elvin Spencer’s “Lift This Hurt.” Once again this was built around the Tyrone Davis format, but was taken to new heights by the relocated Memphian on this self-written song, produced by Syl Johnson for the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-twinights-lunar-rotation\"\u003eTwinight\u003c\/a\u003e label. It was issued a number of times both under Elvin’s name and later as the Chosen Few on \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-bandit-label\"\u003eBandit\u003c\/a\u003e and on the Chosen Few label. Each time it sounded as fresh as the day it was minted.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eula-cooper-let-our-love-grow-higher\"\u003eEula Cooper\u003c\/a\u003e was just 17 when the excellent “Standing By Love” was released on Jesse Jones \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-tragar-note-labels\"\u003eNote\u003c\/a\u003e label. Raised in both Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta where Jones ran his operation, she was discovered in 1968 singing in the clothes shop located below the offices of the label. Her early singles included the northern soul stomper “Let Our Love Grow Higher,” before she released this monster. The other artist recorded for Note that year was the excellent funky-grooved “I Think It’s Time (You Were Mine),” by Alice Swoboda. This was licensed to Roulette records, but was in an atypical style for  the singer and she soon returned to the local folk scene.   \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nJones didn’t just specialise in female singers, he also had a nice line in vocal groups. The Four Tracks were introduced to Jones via his connection with Moonsong Publishing in the group’s hometown of Birmingham. “Charade” is a wonderful piece influenced by the big hits coming out of Philadelphia at the time. Our final Jesse Jones production is the Young Divines “Deep In Your Heart,” a slice of vocal harmony soul which came out on the New London International label and was picked up for national release by Cotillion. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a similar style is the wonderful “I’ll Never Say No” by the Summits. Recorded by Robert Hosea Williams at his DB studio in Silver Springs, Maryland, the group were managed by Joe Tate. Williams also produced the debut album by Clifton Dyson—including the exceptional “We’re Two Fools In Love”—which was released under the name Dyson’s Faces.  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe sound on some of these vocal group records is beginning to edge towards disco. It is a sound which is more fully realised on some of our records. For instance, Los Angeles based \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/rokk-i-want-to-live-high\"\u003eRokk\u003c\/a\u003e, who recorded an album’s worth of material in 1976, managed to issue only one single “Patience.” \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/jackie-stoudemire-guilty-the-tap-recordings\"\u003eJackie Stoudermire\u003c\/a\u003e’s “Guilty” is from five years later but is a cousin in rhythm. Interestingly, this is written by Gene Redd, whose production “It Really Hurts Me Girl” by the Carstairs started off the Blackpool Mecca’s foray into new records. \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/karriem-i-love-you\"\u003eKariem\u003c\/a\u003e’s obscurity for the Pash-Lo label has never been played in a modern soul club, but it really should be.  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nMinneapolis music is overshadowed by Prince’s giant success and skill. One of his earliest recordings was with \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/94-east-the-cookhouse-5\"\u003e94 East\u003c\/a\u003e, a group led by Pepe Willie. These sessions have often been reissued, in garish purple sleeves, that have led some of the tracks to be overlooked if you weren’t looking to get a fix of Prince. Which meant that for years the gently swaying and deeply soulful “If You See Me” was only on CD and unknown. At that time of recording in 1975 the local black music scene was a vibrant affair and could throw up something as amazing as \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/mind-matter-1514-oliver-avenue-basement\"\u003eMind \u0026amp; Matter\u003c\/a\u003e’s “I’m Under Your Spell.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBill Spoon is one of those singers who has never quite gotten the success his great voice deserved. The Louisiana-born singer worked with \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/lou-ragland-i-travel-alone\"\u003eLou Ragland\u003c\/a\u003e as a member of the Soul Notes on the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-way-out-label\"\u003eWay Out\u003c\/a\u003e label, as well as recording at Stax, although nothing was released. His 1979 recording “Love Is On The Way” was recorded with the help of Ragland and released on the Highland label. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nBoth \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/wee-you-can-fly-on-my-aeroplane\"\u003eWee\u003c\/a\u003e and La’Fez emanate from Columbus, Ohio. The former was songwriter Norman Whiteside’s project from the moment he took over the reins from founder Joe King. “Try Me” has been sought after for some time and no wonder—the rich vocal is slightly on edge which gives the record its distinct sound. La’Fez was a studio project put together by Mickey Wallace and lasted for two hard to find 45s released on his MJW label. Recorded at Bill Moss’ \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/dev.numerogroup.com\/products\/eccentric-soul-the-capsoul-label\"\u003eCapsoul\u003c\/a\u003e studio, the project was headed up by the vocals of Frans Ackers and Vess Jackson. Finally we have a true rarity with the Cosmos Universal Band’s ‘Third Eye’. Originally released on the tiny  API label out of Marieta, Georgia, it is one of the great discoveries of recent years.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nWe really do hope that the music within gives you some answers as to why this is called Modern Soul. But if it doesn’t, never mind, because the music is exceptional in its own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero Group","offers":[{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":40261722407110,"sku":"JD003LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40261722341574,"sku":"JD003CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261722374342,"sku":"J\u0026D003dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/J_D003_ExtraAddedSoul_CrossoverModernAndFunkySoul_LP_Black.jpg?v=1658426407"},{"product_id":"seafaring-strangers-private-yacht","title":"Private Yacht","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith pop music’s volume knob adjusted for deflation in the early '70s, softness begat smoothness. Crewmen arrived from the worlds of jazz, folk, rock, and soul, all peddling a product that was sincere, leisurely, and lofty. A sound that was buoyant, crisp, defined. Sometimes classified as West Coast—and, later, Yacht Rock—the compass points of our \u003cem\u003ePrivate Yacht\u003c\/em\u003e expedition are the blue-eyed harmonies of Hall and Oates, the cocaine-dusted Fender Rhodes of Michael McDonald, and the combover strums of James Taylor. Here, at the glassy apex of rock’s softer side, 20 strong swimmers are gathered together. An album for both relaxation and reflection, where listeners can enjoy the present, a cool breeze, and a taste of the good life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eAs if fired from a cannon, the cacophony of ’60s rock left a ringing in some ears. Burned out or bummed out, fatigue had set in. Free Love had come at a price. Many young couples had become young families, with their bandleaders-turned-breadwinners gracious they’d purchased a station wagon rather than the customary van. As rock began to mellow and folk began to solidify, “Our House” became a work of nonfiction—with a mortgage. Some escaped the vortex of the collective cul-de-sac and lived to headbang another day, while others followed their collective hairlines, receding into the margins of the counterculture. Stretching an extension chord to the bonfire had always posed an obstacle for lackadaisical strummers. Likewise, plugging in poolside proved a new hazard. Others found it less of a bother to get an acoustic guitar in and out of rehab than an amplifier. Everywhere the wind blew, James Taylor and Carly Simon were soft rock’s power couple, with a combined catalog mellow enough to enjoy after the kids had been put to bed. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This is not to say soft rock was a sacrifice. Rather, it reflected the refined tastes of the boomers: better wages, better dwellings, better drugs. Greater musicianship led to improved songwriting, chord voicing, and a deeper respect for harmony. Sometimes classified as West Coast—and, later, Yacht Rock—the architects of this sound were not exclusively Californians or mariners. These were stylistic tides felt in North Dakota and Colorado, along the Outer Banks and the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Softer fare could occasionally serve as a salve for city life, a coping mechanism for strong swimmers still treading the nations’ metropolises. With pop music’s volume knob adjusted for deflation, softness begat smoothness. Songs conceived on the Gibson Dreadnought were embellished with Fender Rhodes, hand percussion, and chimes. Crewmen arrived from the worlds of jazz, folk, rock, and soul, all peddling a product that was sincere, leisurely, and lofty. A sound that was buoyant, crisp, defined. Numerous artists were able to coexist along this narrow stylistic isthmus. There was Crosby, Stills, Nash \u0026amp; Young—and, eventually, Scaggs, Rundgren, Hall \u0026amp; Oates. All the while, James Taylor was still plucking away with a beautiful head of hair, no end in sight to where a capo could take him. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hands that hoisted the sail over the ’70s went down with the ship in the early ’80s. Feeding tributaries of Caucasian reggae, Salsalito, and Marina Rock, some ponds were drained while others stagnated, and others still overflowed. With the pop charts littered with shiny keyboards, sherbet guitars, and gated reverb, our celebrated strain of rock became a casualty of the gluttonous hair decade. Marriages capsized. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Staring out from either coast, a thin membrane is almost visible, one that separates the calmness of the sky from the stillness of the sea. Likewise, it’s hard to distinguish the event horizon where acoustic forces swirled around thoughtful rock, creating the estuary subgenre to which this compilation is devoted. There, at the glassy apex of rock’s softer side, away from all of the commotion, exists a place for both relaxation and reflection, where listeners can enjoy the present, a cool breeze—a taste of the good life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"2xLP (Seafoam Green Vinyl)","offer_id":42519689593030,"sku":"NUM072lp-C2","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP (Black Vinyl)","offer_id":40261837717702,"sku":"NUM072LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2xLP (Purple Vinyl)","offer_id":41156181590214,"sku":"NUM072LP-C1","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40261837652166,"sku":"NUM072CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261837684934,"sku":"NUM072digital","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM072lp-C2SeafaringStrangersPrivateYacht2xLPTransparent.png?v=1672871681"},{"product_id":"laraaji-vision-songs-vol-1","title":"Vision Songs Vol. 1","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVision Songs Vol. 1\u003c\/em\u003e is the Laraaji album like no other, located at the intersection of new age and gospel, his outlier and magnum opus, the feel-good DIY tape of the century. Casio synth jams recorded at spiritual retreat guest rooms and a tiny bedroom on the Upper West Side in 1984, lysergically-spectacular anthems for a continually arriving new moment. “Channeled from the sky,” humbly offered on vinyl for the first time, this is where this is going on, this is where this is taking place, this is how this is going on. Is this very clear? --- \u003cem\u003edigital track list includes 7 bonus recordings (included with vinyl purchase)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew Cosmic Joe Orange Vinyl!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"Cosmic Joe Orange Vinyl","offer_id":43187007881414,"sku":"NUM079lp-C2","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":40261914362054,"sku":"NUM079LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":43682536751302,"sku":"NUM079CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261914329286,"sku":"NUM079dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/NUM079lp-C2LaraajiVisionSongs_2023Repress_CosmicJoeOrangeVinyl.png?v=1708725428"},{"product_id":"pastor-tl-barrett-the-youth-for-christ-choir-like-a-ship","title":"Like A Ship...","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eRecorded in 1971 by a 27-year-old pastor and an after school program choir, \u003ci\u003eLike A Ship\u003c\/i\u003e is a stirring and powerful meditation on the wayward aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. Tracked with the help of Chess\/Cadet maestros Gene Barge, Phil Upchurch, and Richard Evans, the album is a mix of euphoric gospel and Mayfield-esque politcal soul, with sleigh bells, hand claps, and jazzy piano stabs. Sampled by T.I., Kanye, and Khalid, Barrett created a rapturous, crossover gospel classic that's still wildly relevant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP (Joyful Medley Splatter Vinyl)","offer_id":43201503789254,"sku":"NUM1271lp-C4","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Ice Wind Transparent Vinyl)","offer_id":42300035039430,"sku":"NUM1271lp-C3","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Clear with Black Splatter)","offer_id":40261922390214,"sku":"NUM1271lp-C2","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":40261922357446,"sku":"NUM1271LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40261922324678,"sku":"NUM1271dig1","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/NUM1271lp-C4.png?v=1709159562"},{"product_id":"pastor-tl-barrett-the-youth-for-christ-choir-do-not-pass-me-by-vol-ii","title":"Do Not Pass Me By Vol. II","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe sequel to Pastor Barrett’s landmark 1971 masterpiece \u003cem\u003eLike A Ship…\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDo Not Pass Me By\u003c\/em\u003e finds the young Chicago preacher and his Youth for Christ Choir continuing their genre-bending spiritual journey. Heavy drums, soaring falsettos, euphoric tambourines, sharp horns, and Barrett’s unwavering devotion dance around a 40-strong choir, working together to form sanctified slab of gospel funk. Pressed in a minuscule quantity in 1973, \u003cem\u003eDo Not Pass Me By\u003c\/em\u003e was sold primarily from the pulpit of Barrett’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church, disappearing into Chicago’s south side for 45 years before Numero’s excavation. The ten-song album has been remastered, it’s generic album cover updated to match Barrett’s vision. On the back of the jacket, he insisted on the following words: “After listening to this album you will be glad that you did not pass it by!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP (Silver Vinyl)","offer_id":40262029934790,"sku":"NUM1270LP-C1","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":40262029902022,"sku":"NUM1270LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40262029836486,"sku":"NUM1270CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262029869254,"sku":"NUM1270dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM1270_PastorTLBarrett_DoNotPassMeBy_VolII_LP_Silver.jpg?v=1657906333"},{"product_id":"don-slepian-sea-of-bliss","title":"Sea Of Bliss","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom 1970s Hawaii on to modern day New Jersey, Don Slepian has enjoyed a reputation as one of new age’s most respected and technologically-advanced synthesists. Slepian’s 1980 landmark \u003cem\u003eSea of Bliss\u003c\/em\u003e is frequently cited as one of new age’s greatest albums, and is one of the genre’s most legendary tape-only recordings. Two side-length Alles synthesizer tracks transport listeners to personal paradises for relaxation, rest, focus and reset on vinyl for the first time, only on Numero Group. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePair with the Tee Of Bliss Shirt and get 25% off both in your cart when picking up the record and shirt together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/numerogroup.com\/products\/sea-of-bliss-t-shirt?variant=42810220609734\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"488\" width=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/NUM806-T01DonSlepianT-Shirt_White_1fa18b5e-66b4-4f98-ad58-965e58ea5694.png?v=1712325218\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"Deep Blue Vinyl","offer_id":42633927884998,"sku":"NUM806lp-C1","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black Vinyl","offer_id":40262197575878,"sku":"NUM806LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262197543110,"sku":"NUM806dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM806lpDonSlepianSeaOfBlissDeepBlueVinyl.png?v=1679093294"},{"product_id":"basement-beehive-the-girl-group-underground","title":"The Girl Group Underground","description":"\u003cp\u003eWho do we become when we live our dreams? It’s all here—the high hairdos, the dreams and schemes, the tender camp, the wedding bell fantasias and chaste tragedies. Sister acts, studio receptionists, classmates, angelic voices of the 1960s; some legendary, many hidden in the basement of expired rainbows. Gathered on this deluxe double CD are 56 (28 on the 2LP) foiled escape attempts, now free to soar in girl group heaven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eWe hear who these girls, these young women are, who they become behind that mic. Voice big, authoritative, divining sure devotion, dejection, and longing. The joy cuts through the rawness. Some of these women, that is all we know of them; all we know is their voice. Not a name. Were they a group, a fantasy, did they go on to other glory, were they receptionists in the studio or some cousin from around the way?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat’s what fascinates me about these Beehive girls, what I imagine most. What was this moment to them, this minute or three we hear them on here. For some we know it was a transformative moment, a first, this space and place, this point in time where they reached out for something with their big voice and the world met them. For some of them it was sheer ambition, others it took goading, others we encounter here at a moment that feels like the dawning of an obvious fate before they swept up the charts or became a voice we would hear sampled for decades. So did because they liked to sing with their friends. You could do it anywhere. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat we encounter in these girls and their life stories is the mutability of young womanhood. We get a survey of the prospects and possibilities of teenage girl life. We see all the impossible doors that had to open again and again for them to even have something small, and as importantly we see what a superhuman feat it was to surmount all the sureness of these sealed girlfates. The young married mothers went on the road and stayed, I wonder what were the circumstances that availed that, when the same circumstances stopped another girl’s career cold. To be your own person as well care for your family, your husband, and then babies of your own was not a thing that was easily reconciled then. Until the mid-’70s, for young women to pursue a careers was still unconventional. You might do secretarial work or study until you got married. If you worked after you were married it might be at your husband’s discretion. It’s hard to imagine the teen-geniuses you heard in this box of Beehives all living grim lives, but merely suggest we consider the baseline state of girl existence then, the premium put on keeping one’s girlhood respectable and modest, as well as the racialized expectations that enclosed their lives. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGirl groups specialized magic was the energized projection of chastity—they stood starkly against all the reckless resolutions and temptation inherent to rock n’ roll. Young women were often essentially passed from their father to their husband, who were tasked with their protection and keep. How far your dreams extended outside your head were pursuant to parental permission, their attitudes and relationships with music, how far your singing strayed from church singing. Marriage and babies were a predetermination, the regular route; straying from it was a sign of a moral corruption, selfishness, or infirmity. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat circumstances had to align for the girls who got further? A husband who loved their voice? A husband in a band? Did her hope float on his ambition? A husband who saw the little bit of ends she was making and deemed the effort worthwhile? A brother who needed a singer for his songs? A mom or sister at home who could take that baby while she toured? A mom at home who lived to see her daughter thrive? A father who did not fret about what applause and stage lights might draw his daughter into?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDid these girls threaten and cajole? Did they bargain? Did they plot? Did they do it anyway? What were the stakes and the trade-offs and the risks? And what of the girls with their dreams deferred, muted by marriage and babies and band break-ups? Did those dreams live out in church choirs and lullabies? What becomes a dream in a time when the fullness of your talents, your desire, the mere existence of your ambition is not yet permissible—how do you live? How do you stake this for yourself? What of yourself do you mute? What ways do you origami-fold your dreams into being?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGirl dreams need a thousand contingencies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGirl dreams need a thousand contingencies because they had to pass through other people’s expectations. What good girls do. What’s the wrong idea you could give someone about who you are in a song. What is good enough. What is godly enough. Girls are the guardians, but not the gatekeepers, of their own dreams. These girls dreams were liable to be crushed soon as their leapt from their throats.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor decades we have cited the looming Svengalis, high hair, the tender camp of chaste tragedies of the songs, these tenth grade loves and wedding-bell fantasia made brilliant by the eager young voices that carried it; But how much consideration have we ever given of their girls own cunning and their artistry? The premium work being one of authenticity, and authenticity always seemed to mean it has to be yours, it had to come from you, your experience. Not crafted in another room and applied as a loose pop science in a studio. But what about these girls, their groups was this not as real? How to accord them what is due to them, for what imagination they capture these songs? Who do these women, these artists, become in our minds and in music history when we believe what they are expressing is their own thought and feeling?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGirl groups were considered unsellable, unmarketable, and a fad. Managers and many record labels believed they were a gimmick, despite evidence to the contrary. Though the Chantels were the first girl group to prove they had the longevity of more than one hit, and the Bobbettes before them made it to the Top 10 and #1 on the R\u0026amp;B charts simultaneously, with their own composition “Mr. Lee,” yet these precedents didn’t become standards, or accord teen girls their own genius. The Svengalis around girl groups were often the ones that insisted that they perform and record gimmick songs and novelty answer backs; and yet teenage girls were supposed to trust these men’s expertise. Ageism, racism, and sexism of the era often combined to keep these young women from being able to advocate for their own talents. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCareers were run by managers and label men who believed that the role of girls was relegated to fandom; to scream for Frankie Lyman, to scream for their Beatle, to scream for Dion. Their conception was that girls wouldn’t sell to other girls, no matter the image. They did not account for what girls see, they can be; girls as iconic to other girls is the very origin of this thing, but they also provide a sense of permission. Sometimes loving Frankie Lyman is not enough, and you want those screams for yourself. Girls were supposed to be the frenzy, not cause it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe claim and reclaim these girls post-facto; in 2018 an awakened reconciliation for these talents, talents that were considered interchangeable to the point of disposability then, is progress. We read the stories again and again of names not even being right and try to root them out and, better still, know them. Even here, we have mystery girls, their identities lost to history (Will they ever hear their voices? What would it be to find yourself here decades later?) Often the only verifiable truth of the thing is the tape; the only history is what’s audible, what they conjure in those notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat these girls gave in situations where there was no credit, little or no money, a finite chance. What they gave so fully are their voices and their talents, claiming this chance to harmonize along with their sisters, cousins, friends, classmates. To give it everything despite knowing what would likely elude them: credited by name, a chance to pursue opportunity with the same doggedness as the men in their backing band, dynamic material that reflected their lived experiences, the ability to make music the substance of their lives, their hope. Is that not the very definition of true artistry? To abandon the outcome and sing the song for the sheer sake of giving life to the thing? They sing because it’s all they can do.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"Pink Leopard Swirl (2xLP)","offer_id":42293239185606,"sku":"NUM075lp-C2","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black (2xLP)","offer_id":40262342246598,"sku":"NUM075LP","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Poodle Pink Vinyl (2xLP)","offer_id":41239113892038,"sku":"NUM075lp-C1","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":41151584239814,"sku":"NUM075CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262342148294,"sku":"NUM075dig","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM075_BasementBeehive_TheGirlGroupUnderground_LP_PinkLeopard.jpg?v=1659114744"},{"product_id":"spontaneous-overthrow-all-about-money","title":"All About Money","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eSynth chutes, synth ladders, popcorn 808 beats, dirge-y chants and busted sub-woofer hums from inner-galactic soul pioneers Nathaniel Woolridge and Anthony Freeman intertwine to create this hypnotic, mythical 1984 LP from Newark, New Jersey. The most damaged party record ever set to black, or the most partied cry of the heart ever howled into personal space. Probably both. \u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":40262383894726,"sku":"NUM801lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM801_SpontaneousOverthrow_AllAboutMoney_LP_Black.jpg?v=1657732781"},{"product_id":"blondie-heart-of-glass","title":"Heart Of Glass","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe song that burst Blondie out of the streets of the Bowery to #1 on the charts, “Heart of Glass” was the pivotal moment in punk’s choreographed slamdance with the mainstream. Inspired by Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder, Blondie transformed their campy “Once I Had A Love” into a Roland-driven juggernaut and never looked back. Explored and exploded via six distinct versions remastered from the original analog tapes, the history of “Heart of Glass” is documented here in a copious essay and packaged in gorgeous screened and die cut sleeve. \u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"12in","offer_id":42702076149958,"sku":"NUM1267LP","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM1267_Blondie_HeartOfGlass_LP_Black_02.jpg?v=1657306931"},{"product_id":"new-world-music-intellectual-thinking","title":"Intellectual Thinking","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003ePre-dotcom electro-funk from the long-running S.F. collective New World Music, gathering the best of their opium-hazed Macola-issued singles on one tidy 12\". Winding keys loosely hug an over-worked 808, as a slapping, watery bass gallops alongside, the looming bummer of the mid-’80s drug war hanging heavy over the whole affair. \u003cem\u003eIntellectual Thinking\u003c\/em\u003e finds New World Music jamming towards a techno future that never arrived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"12in","offer_id":40262605832390,"sku":"NUM803LP","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262605799622,"sku":"NUM803dig","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM803_NewWorldMusic_IntellectualThinking_LP_Black.jpg?v=1657301605"},{"product_id":"rupa-disco-jazz","title":"Disco Jazz","description":"\u003cp\u003eBarely disco and hardly jazz, Rupa Biswas’ 1982 LP is the halfway point between Bollywood and Balearic. Tracked in Calgary’s Living Room Studios with a crack team of Indian and Canadian studio rats alike, Disco Jazz is a perfect fusion of East and West. Sarod and synthesizer intricately weaving around one another for 37 transcendent minutes, culminating in the viral hit “Aaj Shanibar.” Remastered from original analogue source material and with the permission and blessing of the producers and performers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"Disco Ball Silver Vinyl","offer_id":42687635161286,"sku":"NUM805lp-C5","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black Vinyl","offer_id":43193333350598,"sku":"NUM805lp","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Disco Rainbow Vinyl","offer_id":42687635128518,"sku":"NUM805lp-C4","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Sunsugar Color Vinyl","offer_id":41640932180166,"sku":"NUM805lp-C3","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":40262642106566,"sku":"NUM805cd","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262642139334,"sku":"NUM805dig","price":6.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/NUM805lp-C5RupaDiscoSilverDiscoBallVinylMockup.png?v=1709764091"},{"product_id":"universal-togetherness-band-dreamality-bw-lucky-stars","title":"Dreamality b\/w Lucky Stars","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eTwo brilliant, previously unissued modern soul discoveries from the archive of U.T.B. mastermind Andre Gibson. “My Lucky Stars” rides the 120 BPM crest, with sharp horns, handclaps, triangle, and a wild guitar solo filling out the four and a half minute ride. “Dreamality” cops a Steve Miller vibe and goes on a spaced-out future funk adventure. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\t\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/numero-cdn\/images\/atoms\/universal-togetherness-band-dreamality-bw-lucky-stars\/atom-1562700301.jpg\"\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"45","offer_id":40262793691334,"sku":"ES067lp","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262793658566,"sku":"ES067digital","price":2.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/ES067_UniversalTogethernessBand_Dreamality_45_Black.jpg?v=1657146998"},{"product_id":"hamlet-minassian-armenian-pop-music","title":"Armenian Pop Music","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eA winsome and dizzying spin on disco pop, recorded in westernized Iran during the last moments before the 1979 revolution. All but criminalized in the wake of Ayatollah Khomeini's theocratic repression, Hamlet Minassian's solo masterpiece is a testament to the Middle East's forgotten dance music culture. This six-song, 44-minute LP hybridizes Euro attitude and Armenian traditional songs to create long, hypnotic proto-house, seemingly beamed in from another dimension.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe young Armenian musician Hamlet Minassian was born in Tabriz (North-Western Iran) in 1940. After graduating from the music school of his native city, he attended advanced courses at the Tehran Conservatoire followed by musical research work in Europe and the United States. His career began with composing chanson type songs. He then moved into the film industry where he rapidly built up a reputation as the composer of a number of popular themes. Hamlet Minassian has also produced original vocal and orchestral arrangements of Armenian folk tunes and has composed a number of romances and the ballet.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP (Sunburst Splash Vinyl)","offer_id":44197525029062,"sku":"NUM804lp-C2","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":40262819119302,"sku":"NUM804LP","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Red Vinyl)","offer_id":40262819152070,"sku":"NUM804lp-C1","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262819086534,"sku":"NUM804digital","price":6.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/files\/NUM804lp-C2_HamletMinassian-ArmenianPopMusic.png?v=1729787813"},{"product_id":"masumi-hara-4-x-a-dream","title":"4 X A Dream","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eA seamless mix of the organic and inorganic, the recent past and distant future, and the possible and impossible, Japanese multi-media artist Masumi Hara’s sophomore album arrived like a fish on the moon in 1984. An album filled with contradiction and purpose, \u003cem\u003e4 X A Dream\u003c\/em\u003e is both balearic acid folk and damaged steel drum dub, hi-tech new wave balladry and ambient synth pop. Classical and neoimpressionist vibes haunt and entrance. Quite possibly the most unique LP you’ll ever add to your collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/numero-cdn\/images\/atoms\/masumi-hara-4-x-a-dream\/atom-1580337483.jpg\"\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM811_MasumiHara_4xADream_LP_Beachball_Splatter_480x480.jpg?v=1656613978\" alt=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM811_MasumiHara_4xADream_LP_Beachball_Splatter_480x480.jpg?v=1656613978\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cfigcaption\u003eBeachball Splatter Vinyl\u003c\/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c\/figure\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP (Beachball Splatter Vinyl)","offer_id":40262920831174,"sku":"NUM811lp-C1","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":40262920798406,"sku":"NUM811lp","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262920765638,"sku":"NUM811digital3","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM811_MasumiHara_4xADream_LP_Beachball_Splatter.jpg?v=1656614008"},{"product_id":"tommy-mcgee-im-a-stranger","title":"I'm a Stranger","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eJust as Al Green’s “Back Up Train” was pulling out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a whistle-stop tour to the top of the charts, producer Palmer James began eyeing another Furniture City branch line: Tommy Mcgee. The result was 1976’s \u003cem\u003ePositive-Negative\u003c\/em\u003e, the creative apex in a career littered with endless bottoms. Gathered for the first time are Mcgee’s timeless album, singles for Golden Voice, Mercury, TMG, and Tosted, as well as the complete output of his nascent mid-‘60s funk combo the T.M.G.’s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\t\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/numero-cdn\/images\/atoms\/tommy-mcgee-im-a-stranger\/atom-1588267376.jpg\"\u003e\n","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"2xLP (Blue Heaven Vinyl)","offer_id":41156165206214,"sku":"NUM076lp-C1","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":40262966083782,"sku":"NUM076lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262966051014,"sku":"NUM076digital","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM076_TommyMcGee_ImAStranger_LP_BlueHeaven.jpg?v=1656611808"},{"product_id":"whispers-lounge-originals","title":"Lounge Originals","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eA lounge in the Poconos located just inside a Holiday Inn, 1973. The smoky haze clears to reveal a middle-aged couple on a one-foot high stage, prattling on about the weather or Watergate before launching into a serviceable cover of Burt Bacharach’s “Do You Know The Way To San Jose?” Tens of thousands of such combos littered restaurants, cruise ships, casinos, lobbies, and cocktail bars throughout the ’60s and ’70s, but far fewer cut a record worth buying from the stage, much less listening to on the home hi-fi. Gathered here are 14 lounge originals from across the entire easy listening spectrum. A spent matchbook’s worth of crooners, bossa nobodies, seafood jazzers, and Donca-Matic enthusiasts all in search of their ticket out of a red leather booth hell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/numero-cdn\/images\/atoms\/whispers-lounge-originals\/atom-1581439832.jpg\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatrons of Whispers Lounge may also enjoy a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/numerogroup.com\/products\/blue-tandem-fleetwood-jack\"\u003ebonus 7”\u003c\/a\u003e featuring two delectable lo-fi covers of Fleetwood Mac, available in a limited edition run of 500 copies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.numerogroup.com\/d\/the-cabinet-of-curiosities-a-numero-universe\"\u003eCabinet of Curiosities\u003c\/a\u003e: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e For Numero, taking time to explore the more esoteric possibilities of our creative practice provides a deeper understanding of the resulting piece of work. This curatorial exercise, usually relegated to mix tapes and oddball DJ nights, has allowed us to see the connections between our most far reaching corners.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e After years of whittling away at the art of compilation, this part of the practice came to the foreground, and an alternate view began to emerge. The outlines of a context beyond time and place, individual and scene. Threads sewn through the fabric of music history that tell a story primarily concerned with intentionality, psychic connections, and vibe. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e To tell these stories an equally symbolic medium is required.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In order to create an object that can emote the value of the like minded yet distant relationships therein we looked to the world of commercial production running parallel to these musical subcultures. The treasure chest of artifacts made during the 20th century’s post-industrial free-for-all may be the only conceptually appropriate talisman for this music, the ability to bring the studio home was after all made by the same mechanism that brought on the consumer gold rush.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The consumer experience embodied by the secondary market, dog eared, footnoted, taken apart and tinkered with. The cabinet is a simulacrum of the lost and found. Our commercially nostalgic spirit-animal, redressed to be a more accurate representation of our emotional experiences with these objects. Less concerned with function than with the memories we associate with them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Cabinet of Curiosities is Numero’s tribute to the origin of the DIY museum, with our curatorial focus as always on the heroically home-made, the expanding fan universe, the suburban studio sublime.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":40262978142406,"sku":"NUM106lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40262978109638,"sku":"NUM106digital2","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM106_Whispers_LoungeOriginals_LP_Black.jpg?v=1656531104"},{"product_id":"archie-james-cavanaugh-black-and-white-raven","title":"Black and White Raven","description":"\u003cp class=\"dropcap\"\u003eA masterpiece of the schooner rock variety, \u003cem\u003eBlack and White Raven\u003c\/em\u003e is an album that emerged from Archie James Cavanaugh’s youthful dream of recording his own music while stuck in the Alaskan wilderness. “This dream was always elusive,” Cavanaugh said, “believing either that it was only meant for those famous artists who got picked up by major record labels, or that it was just too impossible to achieve because of cost and lack of know-how.” With a freewheeling cast culled from Archie’s travels around the Pacific Northwest, \u003cem\u003eBlack and White Raven\u003c\/em\u003e was set down as the ’70s crested and self-released in the spring of 1980. Traces of disco, AM gold, gospel, and yacht mixed freely with his Tlingit heritage, creating a breezy and optimistic portrait of life in the 49th state.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"Ravenous Vinyl (Clear Vinyl w\/ Red \u0026 Black Splatter)","offer_id":42541413892294,"sku":"NUM812lp-C2","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White Raven Vinyl","offer_id":41831839858886,"sku":"NUM812lp-C1","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black Raven Vinyl","offer_id":41831839105222,"sku":"NUM812lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40263014809798,"sku":"NUM5154digital","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/ravenoussplattervinylcopy.png?v=1674077121"},{"product_id":"nuleaf-smooth-jazz-underground","title":"Smooth Jazz Underground","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs the rift between academic jazz, new age, and pop narrowed in the 1980s, DI.Y. practitioners of metronome driven riffs found new growth in a burgeoning managerial middle class, a commercial audience held captive in dentist offices and waiting rooms across America. Session players took to midi-banks stocked with every instrument imaginable and delivered on a road rage-induced demand to stay cool, relaxed, and focused all at once. The extra-wide cuts packaged here will be mint for years to come. Go ahead, break the seal on a fresh pack of Nuleafs. There’s only one sensation this smooth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/numero-cdn\/images\/atoms\/nuleaf-smooth-jazz-underground\/atom-1587496613.jpg\"\u003e\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.numerogroup.com\/d\/the-cabinet-of-curiosities-a-numero-universe\"\u003eCabinet of Curiosities\u003c\/a\u003e: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e For Numero, taking time to explore the more esoteric possibilities of our creative practice provides a deeper understanding of the resulting piece of work. This curatorial exercise, usually relegated to mix tapes and oddball DJ nights, has allowed us to see the connections between our most far reaching corners.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e After years of whittling away at the art of compilation, this part of the practice came to the foreground, and an alternate view began to emerge. The outlines of a context beyond time and place, individual and scene. Threads sewn through the fabric of music history that tell a story primarily concerned with intentionality, psychic connections, and vibe. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e To tell these stories an equally symbolic medium is required.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In order to create an object that can emote the value of the like minded yet distant relationships therein we looked to the world of commercial production running parallel to these musical subcultures. The treasure chest of artifacts made during the 20th century’s post-industrial free-for-all may be the only conceptually appropriate talisman for this music, the ability to bring the studio home was after all made by the same mechanism that brought on the consumer gold rush.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The consumer experience embodied by the secondary market, dog eared, footnoted, taken apart and tinkered with. The cabinet is a simulacrum of the lost and found. Our commercially nostalgic spirit-animal, redressed to be a more accurate representation of our emotional experiences with these objects. Less concerned with function than with the memories we associate with them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Cabinet of Curiosities is Numero’s tribute to the origin of the DIY museum, with our curatorial focus as always on the heroically home-made, the expanding fan universe, the suburban studio sublime.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numero","offers":[{"title":"LP (Cellophane Green)","offer_id":40263036698822,"sku":"NUM107lp-C1","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":40263036666054,"sku":"NUM107lp","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":40263036633286,"sku":"NUM107digital","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/1650\/7846\/products\/NUM107_Nuleaf_SmoothJazzUnderground_LP_CellophaneGreen_397e0dac-4f29-4a0b-af69-bf87ef57d2eb.jpg?v=1656528107"},{"product_id":"eccentric-funk-the-only-funk-record-youll-ever-need-to-own","title":"Eccentric Funk","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwelve unstoppable deep funk burners from across the Numerosphere. A smorgasbord of sounds from R\u0026amp;B’s dapper younger cousin. Loose guitars and chunky drums lie in wait for discerning break-makers to finely chop and flip. 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