Eccentric Soul: The Dynamic Label

Some people are obsessive about buying records. A select few, such as Abe Epstein of San Antonio, Texas, used his income to feed a less common obsession: starting record labels. From the early '60s through the early '70s, Epstein founded a deluge of them. Not one of the bunch came close to rivaling Stax or Motown, but his Dynamic imprint -- supported by licensing to Columbia a Jox label single, Rene y Rene's 1964 single "Angelito," which narrowly missed Billboard's Top 40 -- was productive enough to be anthologized by Numero. Active from 1965 through 1968, Dynamic was home to a Latino, black, and white mix of R&B artists who churned out a considerable sum of decent-to-stellar material. The top highlight is the Commands' winsome 1966 A-side "No Time for You," laced with undeniable background harmonies and exceptional instrumental support from Latino youngsters the Dell-Tones. It didn't become a big hit, but it went national; the O'Jays released a cover the same year on Imperial. Just beneath that, there's "I Gotta Know," a peppy cult favorite of England's Northern soul community, from a group of young women dubbed the Tonettes. Dust collectors from flame throwers Bobby Blackmon & the Soul Express, Naval buddies Doc & Sal (whose "Can't Get You Offa My Mind" answered James & Bobby Purify's "I'm Your Puppet"), the charmingly ragged Little Jr. Jesse & the Tear Drops, the promising-sounding Don & the Doves, and Galveston's storming Webs are also featured. In March 2013, when this typically generous and in-depth package was released, Numero planned other Epstein-related anthologies. Perhaps one of them will include "Angelito," which was covered by Herb Alpert and quickly forgotten by the pop world. ~ Andy Kellman