Capsoul
, short for "Capitol City
Soul
," was a small independent label from Columbus, OH, that was extant from 1970 to 1974 and rolled out a small number of singles in that time. Columbus may have been the base of operations, but the label's sound existed somewhere in between the many larger independents of the time:
Stax
,
Motown
Brunswick
, and
Philly International
. One tune more than any other on
Eccentric Soul
points to the invisible tie to Memphis' grit and Philly's polish:
"You Can't Blame Me"
by the cumbersomely named
Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr
. It's this song that probably made the whole
collection possible. It's a legend to
soul
collectors, one of those magical moments when parts that shouldn't work together do and the results knock the dust off of even the most jaded ears. Mix together big beat drums, sweet
strings, bottomless bass, ringing vibraphone, moody electric piano, and a seasoned vocal quartet who turn in a magical
ballad
performance and you're close to what
achieves. The original flip side of the single,
"Your Love Keeps Drawing Me Closer,"
is here too, and while it travels the sunnier side of the street, it's still a great sweet
showcase for
JHT&D
. Their follow-up single had one light
Motown-esque
pop-soul
number,
"You're All I Need to Make It,"
and one blatant attempt to recapture the magic of
titled
"A World Without You,"
which in its failure to do so shines a light on the other
singles included on
. There are regional party hits, some of which were successful, like the
go-go
instrumental
"Pure Soul"
by
Elijah & the Ebonites
and label owner
Bill Moss
' upbeat pro-black dancefloor filler
"Sock It to 'Em Soul Brother,"
but many of the
sounds that were never identifiable on their own are largely recognizable through larger operations like
--
"I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You"
Kool Blues
is a ringer for
Sam & Dave
producer
Carl Davis
comes to mind when hearing
"Too Far Gone"
the Four Mints
, and even the big sound of
Jerry Wexler
and
Atlantic
is referenced with the deep rich voice of
Marion Black
on
"Who Knows."
The story is similar with other fledgling independent labels, but despite the similarities these songs are full of sweat and grit and often equal their better-equipped and bankrolled counterparts, an achievement that other labels rarely made. Even those easy reference points are swept away on
' slick,
lounge-y
, and totally infectious modern
number
"Can We Try Love Again."
There's a tune here for every discerning
taste, but they work even better as a whole, making this release as essential as it is eccentric. ~ Wade Kergan