Wednesday, May 12, 2004  

Bill Moss, "Sock It to 'Em Soul Brother"
Elijah & the Ebonites, "Hot Grits!!!"
from Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label (Numero, 2004)

Numero Group is a new label dedicated to crate digging. Their second release is a comp CD, Camino del Sol, for the Belgian bossa-nova-n-synth band Antena who recorded for Factory Benelux and Les Disques du Crepuscule in the 1980s. (How did LTM Records let Numero get their paws on this before they did?)

The first release by Numero is a comp from the 1970s Columbus, Ohio, R&B label Capsoul. Bill Moss headed up the bedroom operation, and that's him giving shout outs to O.J. Simpson and 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche on "Sock It to 'Em Soul Brother." Such sweet irony today; so damn funky and empowering then.

And from the liner notes, here's the ridiculous story behind "Hot Grits!!!"
On a promotional trip in 1974, Four Mints founder James Brown (no relation) and Bill Moss were driving through Memphis when the story broke that Al Green had been hospitalized after being scalded with hot grits. They suddenly found themselves racing back to Columbus to resurrect the old Elijah & the Ebonites instrumental "Pure Soul" as "Hot Grits!!"

Dudes were cashing in on Rev. Green's mushy face!

While "You Can't Blame Me" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr is the tune that pretty much got this comp made---I guess it's a hit in the rare-groove scene---I like Kool Blues' "I'm Gonna Keep on Loving You" and Ronnie Taylor's church-organ ballad "Without Love" and soul stomper "I Can't Take It."

Numero's packaging is rad and their vibe right on (Rhino-like enthusiam & care). You can buy their releases direct.

Posted by CP | Link |

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