Numero Uno is a vinyl junkie’ delight, a label that trawls through the archives and reissues music in a bewildering array of genres. They’re probably most famous for their Eccentric Soul Series, which rediscovers enormously obscure soul music, some of which was never even popular when it was created. In fact Numero Uno seem to have a yen for undiscovered genres, yet also for tales of hard dumb luck. They love to uncover great music that was never discovered due to a series of poor decisions, bad publicity, ineptitude and anything else you can think of. And in most cases you can’ understand why, because the quality and the passion is there – perhaps the planets hadn’ aligned. The genres are astounding, often incredibly obscure, gospel folk tunes, electro samba, female acoustic folk, gospel funk, power pop, all manner of Soul and R&B. Basically anything is possible. It’s all presented with much love, with extensive liner notes and pictures detailing each artist and some of the background to the labels.
This is probably the last thing you’d expect released from an ultra cool reissues label. It’s Fern Jones, they called her Patsy Jesus, referencing her smoky Patsy Cline voice and her deeply religious songs. Married to a pastor she cut a couple of records, though mostly played revival tents in relative obscurity, despite the fact that Johnny Cash recorded her “I was there when it happened’ (her version included here) on his first album. There is something decidedly raunchy about Fern Jones: The Glory Road (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes) that her pious content can’ disguise. Blessed with an incredible voice, her country tinged rockabilly gospel tunes are quite beautiful and artistic – incredible find.
It’s time to funk for the lord. Sweaty sexy sinful rump shaking tunes preaching the gospel. It was never really a genre, rather this collection Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes) is culled from the b-sides of 45′ from the late 70′ early 80′ where gospel music temporarily found the funk. And there are some really incredible tunes here with sweating straining vocalists doing their best preacher impressions over the funkiest beats around. LaVice and company offer the most swinging sermon you’ll ever hear, “I remember when hell was some kind’ve swinging place,’ they offer. Then there’ the Voices of Conquest, a 20 piece choir accompanied only by an incredibly drummer, who are absolutely mind blowing.
Continuing their dive deep down into those obscure crates that most of us miss, Numero Uno consolidate their Eccentric Soul series with the Bandit Label from Chicago. Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes)is a collection of tunes from the label established by shyster, con-man and music lover Arrow Brown. Brown set a commune/ harem of 10 or so ladies, lived off their welfare checks, and Svengali like wrote their music and formed them into bands like The Arrows, The Majestic Arrows. He even got his son the 7 year old Altyrone involved and a couple of tracks that appear here and for a while was considered Chicago’ answer to Michael Jackson. The music is a raw kind of soul, soul from the streets, the production quality varies, yet it’s the passion that shines through on this 20 track set.
When you think soul don’ think Detroit, Chicago, or Memphis, think Phoenix Arizona. Eccentric Soul: The Mighty Mike Lenaburg (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes) is another one of those tales of great music criminally ignored in the day. Lenaburg was a DJ, ran record stores, produced bands and there’ some great music on this 17 track disc, Load Back the psychedelic flute monster from Mike Liggins & the Super Souls, and the triumphant sleaze of Standing on The Corner, where Liggins sings “Standing on the Corner all Day watching all the foxes go by’ to stabbing horns and a chugging bassline. Then there’ some killer James Brown proclamations from Ronnie Whitehead, a screechy 14 year old singing about things he should know nothing about.
There’ a place for the music no one wants, and that’s the local radio graveyard shift or as DJ’ called it, lunar rotation a never ending series of 45′ destined to go nowhere in the early hours of the morning. Unfortunately it’s where most of Eccentric Soul: Twinight’s Lunar Rotation (numero uno/ Creative Vibes) could be found back in the day. Only 8 of Chicago’ Twinight label charted and those aren’ collected here on this double disc set of soul R&B and gospel tinged ballads between 1967 and 1972 . But when have the public ever had any taste anyway? There are many vocal based harmony Temptations type groups, alongside soulful funk, blues tinged doo-wop, even elements of psychedelia on this great vindication for the fact that the public have no musical taste.
Another unexpected offering, Belgian Electro Samba outfit Antenna’ Camino Del Sol (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes) is a great place to begin if you have been wondering where Stereolab got all their ideas from. They in turn were heavily influenced by Brazilian pop weirdoes Os Mutantes, yet have a calmer more focussed sound, yet one that is still heavily indebted to Brazilian music. They add this electronic lounge feel utilising synthesizers and drum machines, that takes the music to a smooth Latin bachelor pad. It’s Kraftwerk meets Tropicalia and it freaked people out in the early 80′. Their debut single, The Boy from Impanena is pretty much a statement of intent, a smooth melodic low key take on Jobim’ classic. Intimate female vocals, tripped out electro percussion and a heap of reverb. This is their 5 song 12 inch fleshed out with some additional singles and could have been made yesterday.
Even during its heyday the Prix label, the record distribution arm of Harmonic sounds Studio in Columbus Ohio was virtually unknown. That didn’ prevent some incredible soul from being cut onto 45′ and sent into oblivion. Eccentric Soul: The Prix label (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes), collects these 45′ and some demos found at a garage sale on one 19 track cd. Only 11 of these tracks have ever been released There’ some great vocal melodies, with real links to Motown, the standout being the funky grooves of Eddie Ray, who narrowly missed stardom by splitting Sam & Dave just before they hooked up with Isaac Hayes and became the biggest thing in R&B. But it’s that kind’ve luck that dogged most of the artists here. Great funky R&B tunes it’s just a shame that no one’ been listening…until now.
There’ this image of the long haired introspective coffee house female folk singer, acoustic guitar and an emotional wail that can break glass, and this collection is where it comes from. Unlike Vashti Bunyan and Linda Perhacs, the folks on Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies from the Canyon (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes) were destined to record an album or two then fade back into obscurity and not come back. The specter of Joni Mitchell hangs over this entire collection, suggesting she opened the door for these sparsely arranged, somewhat excruciating tunes to come into the world. This is a collection of incredible sensitivity and earnestness, a time capsule from a folk explosion of the late sixties that some of us were lucky enough to miss.
Despite being a fan of the Posies, Yellow Pills: Prefill (Numero Uno/ Creative Vibes) is the first time I’ve seriously considered the history of power pop – that there could even be a history. Somehow it’s always seemed somewhat frivolous, yet you can trace its influences, from rock, punk and the more melodic folk and pop world. The tunes collected here on this two disc 33 track set come mostly between 1978 and 1982. This is a collection filled with driving pop hooks, chugging riffs, guitar solos, and deeply melodic vocals about girls cars and good times in the USA. If you’re a fan of the Foo Fighters or the Posies you can’ fail to see the links. It’s put together by power pop zine writer Jordan Oakes and features 12 pages of witty liner notes suggesting it’s not just about thin ties and great hair. Rock on.
Bob Baker Fish
