Creations Unlimited – Corruption Is The Thing
A.C. Jones & the Atomic Aces – Oh Baby
King James Version – He’s Forever
If you’re looking for a last minute gift for that soul-inclined someone special, once again Numero group has a collection for you. Over the past several years the Numero gang have featured tracks associated with Cleveland’s Boddie Recording Co., but nothing compares to this 3 CD / 5 LP box set that compiles some of the best tracks from the over 10,000 hours of tape and 300 records that Boddie helped to bring into this world.
With this much music it’s easy to get lost, there are many many great songs, and a wide diversity of styles on this collection, from gospel funk to doo-wop soul and all manner of funky delights in between. In highlighting a couple of the standout tracks, I’ve tried just to be representative of the various sounds, but it’s lost cause with this much choice material. If you’re a enthusiastic fan of underground soul, you need to track down this collection for yourself (and be an early adopter, there’s a bonus CD or bonus LP with even MORE music for a limited number of these collections).
DJ Shadow fans will of course delight in being to hear “Corruption Is The Thing” from Creations Unlimited, who also have their scintillating instrumental (their 45 on Soul Kitchen is a two sided monster if ever there was one!) “Chrystal Illusion” also featured on this collection. “Corruption” leads off with a bit from Shadow’s “Numbers Song” but aside from that bit of sample lore, the whole song is extra tight in a heavy psych-a-funk vein ala early Funkadelic.
A.C. Jones & the Atomic Aces’, “Oh Baby,” is a #1 soul stunner with a little bit of “I’m Your Puppet” vibe at the start before the guitar and Jones’ voice come in. There’s a really amazing turn of emotion in Jones’ voice from the first line, “Sometimes I get the feeling, I want to walk right out on you,” to the next line “Then I think about your love, I just don’t know what to do,” from clear anger to a bit of confusion then with the soaring “Oh Baby” there’s acknowledgement that this woman has a hold on him that he can’t let go, that is made clear in his sigh that follows and the doubled “I Love You (You Know I Love You Baby),” line. Just extraordinary soul on display here. For lovers of sweet sweet soul numbers, “If You Don’t Think I Love You” from Frankie Pighee & the Soulettes is another track you should adore.
By far the most unique, thrilling and bizarre track comes from King James Version. “Over the top” doesn’t seem to quite describe their song “He’s Forever.” Sometimes you hear a song and it’s just difficult to believe that it is real. If someone had told me that Eddie Murphy had recorded a song for a Coming To America sequel that featured Sexual Chocolate as a gospel group I think I would believe that more than the reality of King James Version (there’s even a moment in the song where I swear someone says “That boy is good” in the background just like in the movie). King James Version was more than a band, they were performance art, with the main singers dressing up in biblical attire, hair dyed platinum blond and calling themselves Moses and Solomon. You can’t make this up…The fact that you have a religious song built off of the melody from the theme to Midnight Cowboy, a movie about a hustlin’ male prostitute, only solidifies the utter insanity. And the song is utterly insane, it sounds like no other gospel song you’ll ever hear, particularly when “Moses” sounds as if he’s going into orgasmic fits on stage while discussing the love of Jesus. Un-be-lieve-able!
Also of note, and almost as unbelievable is “Don’t Make Me Kill You,” a song that if it were performed by a man by himself would seem pretty deplorable, but sung as a duet by Angela Alexander & J.D. Saddler, the overtly murderous vibe seems a bit more humorous than it might have been otherwise. In fact when I hear the song, it almost sounds like the theme music for a Married With Children style sitcom set in the 1970s. There are so many wonderful soul nuggets on this volume it’s understandable why Numero went so big on this collection and here’s to hoping that the trend will continue as their vinyl archeology moves into a new year.