At this point, Numero Group has made it clear: If you’re a soul junkie of any kind, they’ll have a monthly fix for you packed with the sweetest untapped gems that were shamefully denied any radio play. For the latest release, Ken Shipley continues to mine through the vaults of the Deep City Label and other companies in the surrounding area. Of the seven Numero Group collections I own, the Deep City one received the least play due to painfully raw production and songs that all sounded like pieces of each other. There were good songs to be found, but overall nothing really struck any heartstrings.

Which is why it’s not only amazing, but also surprising that this set of ‘leftovers’ is one of the most solid releases Numero Group has put out. Not only does the production swell with the rich Motown sound, but Outskirts of Deep City is one of the most eclectic collections released, spanning from girl groups, burning funk work outs, slow crooners, desperate pleas and good time groovers.

The set opens with one of the best, ‘Knockin’ At the Wrong Door.’ The warm groove practically melts in your ear as the song sets the tone for the rest of the collection. The chorus rises with desperate harmonies and a chiming guitar line so sweet that it’s a wonder this song never became a classic. This pearl is followed by another of the series’ best cuts, ‘No Way Out,’ written and performed by one of the owners of the label. The sweeping doo-wop ‘ooh ooh’s‘ give the classic Motown feel as Clarence Reid wails about not being able to escape his girl’s love. Betty Wright, who had several of the best cuts off the original Deep City compilation, has one of the top cuts here with Mr. Lucky. Beginning with ricocheting gun shots and squealing funeral Mar organ line, the song is a driving locomotive of soul. The guitar lines might be right out of the Isley Brother’s ‘It’s Your Thing,’ but the song has too much going for it (lyrics like “You might think you’re a smooth operator/But babe I’ll drop you like a hot potato“) to not be relished.

The second half of the collection begins with another standout and one of the finest feel good grooves ever laid to tape. ‘Do Your Stuff,’ which runs through about every possible word that rhymes with stuff, sounds like a lost signature song for James Brown’down to crescendoing horns, bouncing chorus and a reference to hot pants. The band call outs are fantastic (”Guitar man! Give me some soul! Sock it right in the ear hole!“). This is the kind of music written for cook outs or cruising on a Friday: it’s just golden. The next song is a solid funky groove that could be a close cousin of ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ (So close it could be a result of inbreeding). After that is a masterpiece instrumental entitled, well, ‘Masterpiece.’ The musicians riff off each other beautifully creating some hearty soul.

The determining factor with any soul compilation is that there be at least three or four beyond groovy cuts. I’d rather have a compilation with four killer tracks and the rest throw away than 12 mediocre records. The Outskirts of Deep City has about eight must-have soul songs and then the rest are just damn good. If this is your kind of gig, then pick up the newest by Eccentric Soul and get ready to groove…until their next release.

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