We sent a few CDs to Ada Richards, who is included on the next Good God! compilation (030, available at the end of January). One of them made it into the hands of (we believe) one of the patients at the hospital where Ada volunteers. She sent this enthusiastic letter.

My favorite thing about the letter is that usually friends and family members of the artists are only excited about the track or tracks they have a personal connection to. Our friend (as best as I can tell, her name is Carrie) is excited about the whole thing, even mentioning particular tracks she’s fond of. Refreshing to say the least.

Another thoughtful missive came from Tucker Zimmerman. It’s been 8 or 9 years since my friend Josh Bearman turned me onto Tucker’s Song-Poet LP and it’s long been one of my favorites. It’s sufficient to say, I’m very excited about working with him on the recent collection, 028 Wayfaring Strangers: Lonesome Heroes.

This is our favorite kind of mail!

The Australian critic Jon Dale sent a note yesterday:

“Numero Group – one of my favourite labels, and one whose releases I quietly covet. You’ll be pleased to know I walked into Northside Records, Melbourne’s finest (read: only) soul, R&B, funk etc record store, and as soon as I pulled a Numero release out of the shelves, the shop’s staff descended upon me, plying me with about five other releases they had behind the counter and basically raving with the kind of enthusiasm record clerks rarely muster (being such a cynical bunch of pricks most of the time). It was a nice moment.”

One of the best parts of going on the Eccentric Soul Revue tour was the record stores. Numero was hitting 3-5 different shops every day, plying our wares and emptying their bins. The absolute highlight of the 20 shops we visited had to be Used Kids in Columbus, Ohio, not only for their deep $1 racks, but because the proprieters have been big Numero supporters from day one. It hasn’t hurt that we’ve made three Columbus records in the past six years, we’ve given as good as we’ve got certainly. Except this time.

Tucked away under the counter in anticipation of our arrival was an acetate that a customer had turned up in the $1 bins, a record that could not be sold for $1. The entry for “stand up guy” should have a picture of Dan from Used Kids next to it. Not only did he refuse to sell it to the digger, he refused to sell it to us, instead he donated it to our growing archive of Columbus memorabilia. What you see above is an original cut of Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr’s “A World With Out You,” with Bill Moss’ unforgettable scribble on the bottom. Dan, if you’re reading this, you certainly made our day three Monday’s back.

The Chicago based music label Numero Group reissues forgotten gems from all different genres of music – rock and roll, gospel, funk, R&B and soul. Most recently some of the performers went on tour under the banner of the Eccentric Soul Revue. Guest host Jennifer Ludden speaks with one of the label’s co-founders Ken Shipley and one of the performers, Renaldo Domino.

It was bound to happen, after three years in our 1100 square foot basement office and an influx of over 40 releases, Numero has come to a space crossroads. Sometime around the middle of this year we noticed the warehouse was feeling a bit cramped. And by warehouse, we mean every single inch of office floor that isn’t occupied by a chair or a toilet. We already built new shelves, took out a lease on a storage unit, and reorganized the entire office, then 14 pallets of Light: On The South Side arrived and completely turned this place sideways. Hallways have gone from casual arteries to stomach-sucking traffic jams. The conference room is lined with LPs. Even the bathtub has boxes. And we’re still making records!

In an effort to get this office back to–at the very least–90% capacity, the Numero Group has decided to do something that no other business entity in the history of commerce has ever attempted: we’re going to sell items for less than the retail price! We even came up with a great name for the idea–we’re calling it a “sale.” OK, we recognize that this isn’t a new concept, but the extreme discounting of wares in an attempt to move product is a time-tested consumer hoodwink that, to date, we’ve been loathe to participate in. Until now! Sales generally indicate low prices, but this being Numero, we’re going to go one better. No, screw that, two better. Hell, let’s turn it up to three.

That’s three levels of savings, but not just savings–we’re giving stuff away. And by stuff, we mean stuff.

While supplies last (500 on the nose), buy any three (3) of the Numero titles listed below on CD for $45, get a copy of the Ant Hill Mob’s “The Number Runner Pt. 1/2″ 45 free. This previously unreleased Cleveland funk 45 is a sure shot, home hi-fi hit, and is completely unavailable outside this deal. There will be no digital dig, no iTunes, no mercy. Play it on 45, or don’t play it all.

While we still have ‘em, (500 on the chin), buy any six (6) of the Numero titles listed below on CD for $85, get a CD copy of the Eccentric Soul Revue live from the Park West Theater, April 4th 2009. If you missed that show, or any of the other five dates on our recent Eccentric Soul Revue tour, this is your shot to get back in the game. The 20 track disc features Renaldo Domino, Nate Evans, the Notations, and Syl Johnson, and cannot be purchased anywhere except in this deal. Plus the Ant Hill Mob 45 and our sincere gratitude.

And until we run out,  (89 on the cheek), buy any ten (10) of the Numero titles listed below on CD for $135, and get a hand-numbered and personalized test pressing from our archives. This has no real value beyond bragging rights to your sad circle of record collecting friends, and yet, is the must-own holiday item of the year. We guarantee the fingerprints of all Numero Group members will have sullied this trinket. And… you’ll also receive the Ant Hill Mob 45 and Live Eccentric Soul Revue CD.

Here are the titles. Have your plastic accessible.

002 Antena: Camino Del Sol
003 Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label
005 Fern Jones: The Glory Road
008 Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies From The Canyon
009 Eccentric Soul: The Big Mack Label
011 Eccentric Soul: Mighty Mike Lenaburg
012 Catherine Howe: What A Beautiful Place
014 Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay
015 Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label
016 Home Schooled: The ABCs of Kid Soul
017 Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts of Deep City
019 Don’t Stop: Recording Tap
021 Soul Messages From Dimona
022 Brotherman: OST by the Final Solution
023 Eccentric Soul: The Young Disciples
027 Eccentric Soul: Smart’s Palace
*4 Boscoe: S/T
*5 Wee: You Can Fly On My Aeroplane
*6 Caroline Peyton: Mock Up
*7 Caroline Peyton Intuition

That’s over 1/3rd of our entire catalog to choose from, and each of them are worthy of a slot in your growing Numero library. Haven’t you been looking for an excuse to fill in those missing numbers? This is it. Already have them all? Get your friends and family hooked on Numero. It’s a cheap move, sure, but buy the 10 pack, keep the limited stuff, and break the discs out one by one to everyone on your Xmas list. It’s not regifting if you do it with love.

Listen, the sale has already started. The limited items are only getting more limited as you waste time hemming and hawing. In the spirit of the season, give to us by giving to yourself.

Click here to begin the wallet emptying process.

Nice look back at Hip Hop history through a single sample: Syl Johnson’s Different Strokes.

A few weeks ago I got together with Tony Sarabia to talk about some incredible but neglected regions for music. The conversation went a little longer than planned and it’s a bit long winded so if you want to just hear the music, check the links below:

The segment on music from Venezuela:

The segment on music from Greece:

The segment on music from Papua New Guinea:

Thanks to Tony for putting some of this unusual stuff on the air, and giving an outlet for some obscure stuff deep in the Numero personal archives.

Easily one of the highlights of the tour was seeing Syl sport a Megadeth Countdown To Extincition t-shirt on stage under his jacket in Chicago and DC.  We picked up a copy of Guns n’ Roses Use Your Illusion II in Columbus for the long car ride to the 9:30 Club and midway through the highly pompous album – check “Get In The Ring” to refresh your memory – we realized that Syl has this heavy Axl Rose inflection in his voice these days.  This led us to the idea of a Syl Johnson cover album called, Blues Your Illusion I & II. Try singing this like Syl, “Ohhhh you could be miiiinnnne.  But your waaaaay out of liiiinnnnne.”  I think we are on to something….

When Chicago radio legend Richard Steele interviewed Tom and photographer Michael Abramson for WBEZ’s 848 program this morning, we discovered he and Michael had something in common. They were both prowling the same South Side clubs at the same time. Here are Mr & Mrs Steele in front of Perv’s House, circa 1976 or so:

NBC/UNIVISION threw a Light On The South Side party at the historic Bronzeville Parkway Ballroom last night. It was insane. I’ve never seen so many beautiful people in one room. Some of whom were sitting in my lap. Here’s the invite, followed by some pics Michael took at the party. And dig the pic of Herb Kent – yup, that’s him – in an afro wig.