First, press play.
From 1958 to 1993, Thomas and Louise Boddie’s industrious Boddie Recording Company issued nearly 300 albums and 45s, recorded 10,000 hours of tape, and remained in operation longer than any other studio, pressing plant, or label group in the history of Cleveland. Long forgotten even by the standards of the chronically overlooked northeastern Ohio music scene, Boddie was a fusion of its owner’s engineering genius and his limited economic means; its DIY recording studio housed in a humble barn, churned night and day to capture the sounds emanating from Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods. The best of the Boddies’ in-house Soul Kitchen, Luau, and Bounty labels, which released an unspoiled treasure trove of kitchen-sink eccentric soul, fuzzbox funk, shoestring doo-wop, and haunted, eerily hook-laden spirituals, are collected here. Enclosed inside is a mountain of office-styled ephemera: two massive booklets brimming with detail on the Boddies and their artists; extensive notes and scores of unpublished photos; a complete detailed discography folio; reproduced fliers; and a Boddie greeting card—all rendered with the handcrafted charm that was the Boddie hallmark. Call it a self-contained record industry crammed into one box.
Close to five years was spent on the research and restoration of the Boddie archive, a feat matched only by last year’s epic Syl Johnson set. If you thought there was nowhere for Numero to go but down, prepare to be bowled over. No expense has been spared, no detail ignored. Easily our most impressive package to date, Boddie Recording Co. is a super-hybrid of our Eccentric Soul, Good God!, and Local Customs concepts all wrapped in one string-and-button or cloth bound box.
As has been our trend over the last few years, we’ve been making special editions of our year-end box sets for the more engaged Numero buyer. In the case of Boddie, there was scores of left over material that didn’t make the cut. In addition to the 58-track triple CD, we’ve created a 21-song bonus disc for the first 500 pre-orders. On the LP side, we’ve augmented the 65-track 5LP set with a replica of the Mod Squad’s one-of-a-kind LP acetate. For those not up to speed on all the Boddie mysteries, the Mod Squad is the teenage configuration of future Motown and People recording artists Sly, Slick & Wicked. Packaged in a custom Boddie LP sleeve and limited to 500 copies, the Mod Squad acetate is the cherry on top of a year of rare Cleveland soul.
Follow up question from the peanut gallery: If I’m already a 2011 CD and/or 2011 Part 2 Numero LP Subscriber, do I need to pre-order to get all the goodies? Answer: Your subscription guarantees your pre-order slot.
Want one? Click here. All orders will ship the second week of October, arriving right before Boddie’s eventual October 25th release date.
Because we know you’ve been trained to your TV following this Casey Anthony bull shit, we wanted to remind you that a few new items have been added to our website. First off, part two of the 2011 Vinyl Subscription is now open for both current and new subscribers here.
2011 Vinyl Subscription Part 2:
$150.00 (Part 1 Subscriber rate) / 165.00 (New Subscribers)
Contents:
+009 Doc Rhymin’ 12”
The Numero 12” series returns after a three year hiatus with an oddball nugget from the Boddie Recording Company vault. Cleveland rap differs from the sounds emanating from New York and Los Angeles in one major way: most of the region’s recorded output has no samples. Copies of Ultimate Breaks & Beats were extremely scarce, leaving upstart rhymsters high on VHS-dubs of Yo MTV Raps to lean heavily on programmed drum machines and keyboards rather than “Funky Drummer” and “Different Strokes.” Doc Rhymin’s basic 808 approach does not disappoint, as he lets his well rehearsed cadence carry each of the 12”s three songs with nary a gimmick to be heard.
CT-010 Stone Coal White LP
Only the 10th record from DJ Shadow’s long running Cali-Tex imprint, Stone Coal White fits the label’s bill of unearthing the most wasted and primitive funk records ever recorded to a T. Some will recognize “You Know” from the black-psych mix bible Chains & Black Exhaust, but as the group’s two 45s exist in single digit quantities, only a handful have heard the rest of this Ho Chi Min City-damaged oeuvre.Their two 45s have been bolstered with four previously unissued tracks, found in the basement of a now-condemned motorcycle gang hideout in Dayton, Ohio.
024 Titan: It’s All Pop 4LP (+bonus 10”)
From 1978-1981 the Titan label issued only eight records, but over the years their tiny catalog has crawled to the top of power- pop want lists worldwide and appeared on scads of bootleg cassettes, building a legacy to rival L.A.’s Bomp or New York’s Ork. Located in fly-over country, Titan was forced to start their own scene, import their own skinny ties, and scour Missouri for their own talent. Their midwest AM bubblegum roots are apparent in the likes of Gary Charlson, the Secrets*, Arlis!, Gems, Millionaire At Midnight, the Boys, J.P. McClain & the Intruders, Bobby Sky, and Scott McCarl, but Titan was clearly influenced by the glam-punk spit beinghocked from the 100 Club stage. 30 years since they meekly flopped out their first 7” single, Kansas City’s Titan Records finally returns to record bins everywhere in a deluxe 4LP retrospective boasting ten bonus tracks not on the double CD.
Bonus pre-order only live Boys 10” (limited to 500) is included with the subscription price.
ES-Box 003 Lil’ Ed & the Soundmasters 3×45
First featured in our 2LP+book box set Light: On The Southside with the track, “It’s A Dream,” Lil’ Ed & the Soundmasters released only three 45’s during their career on the group’s Fised and Fished labels. Housed in a custom printed 45 box, this triple single boxset also features a 12 page booklet that delves into the history of this Chicago family-funk band and its 8 year old drummer.
035 Boddie Recording Company:
Cleveland, OH 5LP (+bonus LP)
We’ve been threatening this thing for two years, and as I type this we’re putting the finishing touches on the set. The five album box boasts a whopping 64 tracks, and includes not one but two LP-size booklets chronicling the Boddies and their stable of misfit artists. The packaging on this must be seen to be believed, as we’ve spared no expense in creating the ultimate document of this Cleveland institution.
Also, In addition to the 11 LP’s and 3 Singles listed above, you will get any bonus materials we make for the rest of the year along with the 15% subscriber discount both at our online store (numerogroup.com) and at any events taking place in 2011 like the Chirp Record Fair at Pitchfork and the WFMU Record Fair.
!!!!!!!!!!!!! Part 2 of the 2011 Vinyl Subscription will close after the pre-orders for NUM024 – Titan: It’s All Pop 4LP Box Set closes at the tail-end of August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you don’t have the clams to shell out for the subscription you can pick up both Doc Rhymin 12″ and Stone Coal White before the release drops next Tuesday. Also if you haven’t picked up NUM037 – Father’s Children: Who’s Gonna Save The World, follow the link and listen to the snippets and I assure you you won’t be disappointed.
Lastly, we present to you our 2011 Numero Summer Clothing Collection with the release of our new Soul Kitchen Tee and Twinight Tee. Granted there are only 2 pieces in this summer series, these American Apparel fit tees look good in any situation. From getting bombed at the beach to hitting on your second cousin, these shirts hold up in any type of summer shenanigans, keeping you in style even if your behavior isn’t.
Filed under: Subscription, Uncategorized | Tags: 2011, Father's Children, Numero Subscription, vinyl
The deluxe LP version of NUM037 Father’s Children: Who’s Gonna Save The World has now been shipped for subscribers therefore concluding the first half of this year’s vinyl subscription. Today we all cranked out nearly 200 mailers, and we even managed to swing by Atotonilco in Little Village for some of the best al pastor in the city. Details for the second half of our vinyl subscription for this year will be available Monday on our site. For those of you who are not subscribers, Father’s Children will be dropping this upcoming Tuesday at finer record shops everywhere or you can pick it up here.
Yes, who gives a damn, right? This is a pretty minor benchmark in Numero’s checkered career. However, if you’ve ever seen how small and dirty our office is you will be astounded to know we have a total of 9 people here hard at work in preparation for the shipment of our unauthorized* record store day LP. From front to back: J.R., Ryan 3, Nathan, Zach, our tape machine (we treat it like a son), Ryan 2, and way in back there you can see Chris’ arm.
*Unauthorized, as in, not recognized by the Record Store Day war council. Anyone caught selling or possessing said unapproved product risks prosecution by Record Store Day tribunal.
Next Monday we’re closing 2011 subscriptions. Between our Record Store Day exclusive (included in the sub. and shipping imminently) and the subscriber-only bonus 45, we need to be able to plan how many are going to who and where.
To recap:
$100 CD subscription includes:
035.5 Local Customs: Burned At Boddie CD
037 Father’s Children: Who’s Gonna Save The World CD
035 Boddie Recording Co.: Cleveland, Ohio 3CD
039 Eccentric Soul: Nickel & Penny Labels CD
$100 LP subscription includes:
038 Willie Wright: Telling The Truth LP+45
011 Eccentric Soul: Mighty Mike Lenaburg 2LP
036 Cult Cargo: Salsa Boricua De Chicago 2LP
035.5 Local Customs: Pressed At Boddie 2LP
037 Father’s Children: Who’s Gonna Save The World LP+45
(LP subscription available in the US only)
Plus you get any bonus discs we make, a die-cast Numero pin, and the 45 playing in the above clip.
Subscribe now, or regret it later.
Filed under: Boddie, Record Store Day, Subscription | Tags: Boddie, Record Store Day
He keeps bringing us this awesome stuff! Behold!
The first look at the Burned At Boddie compact disc variant of our 2011 Record Store Day release. The most awesome part of this whole collection (aside from the music) is certainly the thirteen page annotated discography of items pressed at Boddie between 1969-1987, complete with legend, key and methodology.
It is worth it for that alone, making it sure to be highly collectible. Be sure to admonish your local brick-and-mortar for not ordering some (which sadly, will be too late) or… be pro-active about the situation and demand that they get in contact with us and have ordered some!
¡¡¡ To our 2010 CD subscribers !!!
Many of you are wondering “Where In The Heck Is My Willie Wright CD Already?!”
We apologize for the delay.
We know that most of you are getting anxious because:
1] it has been a while since your last installment
2] you might be seeing Willie Wright’s “Telling The Truth” offered at your local
brick-and-mortar &
3] you generally receive your subscription installments far before the official release date.
The truth is that we were waiting for the last installment, the Ebirac salsa comp,
to be shipped to us and then we had planned to ship the two [Willie Wright/Ebirac] together.
Production was halted a couple of times due to mishaps [ALL of the jackets/sleeves were ruined during the blizzard, etc...] and so we apologize for the anxiety we may have caused.
They’ve just landed on our doorstep yesterday and this is one for the gipper.
Here is a preview of what the packaging looks like:
We guarantee, it will have been well worth the wait.
These are currently SHIPPING NOW so expect to see them landing in your mailbox within the next week or so.
For anyone else wanting this over-the-top production, it is NOW on PRE-SALE FOR SALE over at the
website: so GET THAT ORDER IN NOW!
We expect the rest of the shipment to arrive within the next couple of weeks. Received this afternoon! Order away…
All The Best,
TNG
The end of the year is quickly approaching and for us at the Numero Office, business has not let up. Between the holiday deals and pallets of Syl box’s coming in and out of here every other week at the office we have had very little time to relax. The office has about hit full capacity and with Willie Wright and Lenaburg LP’s on the way, office space is at a premium. To supplement our subscribers appetite until we begin shipping out the first release for the 2011 Numero Subscription, we have begun sending out our exclusive Numero Subscriber Pins. These pins are one of the few pieces of swag along with other bonus material only available to subscribers this year. Even though tomorrow is New Years Eve we will still be working around the clock, both in the office and out, to make sure our 2011 release schedule stays on track with the return of new releases from both our Cult Cargo and Eccentric Soul series’. So make sure to pick up the 2011 Numero Subscription and be on the look out for a package with our new signature Numero Group Kraft Tape featuring our signature logo that you’ve grown to love.
Filed under: Boddie, Ebirac, Newsworthy, Numero Vinyl, Subscription, Willie Wright | Tags: Numero Subscription
After an 11th hour A&R meeting that lasted a whopping 163 minutes, your Numero Group has emerged more ready than ever to announce the contents of our 2011 CD and LP subscription. Though most of you are still living out the dregs of 2010, we’ve been facing up to and plotting for 2011 ever since we sent the Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology box set to press in mid-June. For those of you wondering where your final 2010 items are, we’ll explain it all in the coming paragraphs (Just know, for the moment, that you’ll have them shortly).
Numero’s 2010 was all about quality over quantity (adding only three records to our main line during the calendar year). For 2011, we’re shifting philosophies, to bring you a quantity of quality, delivering a multitude of small, focused projects, all of an extremely high grade. We’ve got so many LPs lining up for ’11 completion that we’ve had to break the vinyl subscription into two parts. And, with CD orders continuing to slack off on the front stoop and smoke cigarettes, we’re retooling most of our CD subscriber packages to include bonus content unavailable with the retail CD editions. Finally, we’re adding a few items that’ll be ownable via subscription only, upping the ante considerably from last year. Oh, and we’re gonna charge you less, too.
2011 Vinyl Subscription Part 1: $100
038 Willie Wright: Telling The Truth LP+45
011 Eccentric Soul: Mighty Mike Lenaburg 2LP
ESBOX002 Soundsmasters 3×45
036 Cult Cargo: Salsa De Boricua Chicago 2LP
037.5 Fathers Children LP
In addition to the 6 LPs and 4 singles listed above, you’ll get any bonus materials we make (discs, autographed ephemera, etc.), a die-cast pin, and an exclusive 7″ from the Numero vault. As this entire subscription will be filled by June, we’ll be offering a booster pack for a reduced price.
037.5 Fathers Children CD
037 Eccentric Soul: RJW 2CD
039 Eccentric Soul: Nickel & Penny Labels CD
035 Boddie Recording Company: Cleveland, Ohio 3CD
In addition to 7 CDs listed above, you’ll also get any bonus materials we make (discs, autographed ephemera, etc), a die-cast pin, and an exclusive 7″ from our vault.
2010 CD subscribers, if you’re looking for your copies of Willie Wright and Salsa De Boricua Chicago, don’t fret! They’re being manufactured now and will ship right around the first of the year.
About that die-cast pin:
Welcome to the Winter Olympics of Numero tchotchkes. In addition to being Numero logo-shaped, the color of pin you get reflects your years as a subscriber. If you’ve been with us since the beginning, get ready to affix a gold pin to your lapel. For those who’ve only been with us for 2-4 years or 1 year look out for silver and bronze (respectively). Wear this pin to get a 15% discount at any Numero event or table where we sell our wares.
Here a sip of next year’s juice if you’re not already convinced:
Filed under: Methodology, Subscription, Uncategorized | Tags: Oliver Wang, Record Shelves, Soul-Sides
Oliver Wang of Soul-Sides posted a great tutorial for building your own record shelves last week that is highly recommended if you need some more shelf space for all our boxsets coming atcha’ in 2010.
