Funky Clarence!

Clarence Reid - No Way Out

It's time to rev up something a little funky to move through what is turning into a slow Tuesday, and this gem from the Numero comp Outskirts of Deep City fits the bill nicely. I've discussed this comp in a prior post, so I'll just focus on "No Way Out" by Clarence Reid, the singer/songwriter/producer/"Blowfly" alter ego whose contributions to the Miami soul scene resulted in hits for himself and others, including Betty Wright and Gwen McRae. This funky thing would have been a Deep City 45 had it been released, but fortunately the Numero guys were able to find the track in the box of tapes that gave rise to the comp - which is doubly fortunate, because they had possession of an acetate of the tune that was too scratchy for use; to know that such a great tune was out there but unreleasable would've been criminal! Dig the Steve Cropper-styled guitar work at the end of each verse on this one.