You got to do your thing....

When I posted Robert Parker's "Funky Soul Train" a few days ago, I should have sent you to this excellent piece on Parker by Larry Grogan. Actually, I would have, except I don't remember reading it until today.

In that piece, Grogan makes "Funky Soul Train" sound much rarer than I thought. At least I think that's what he's saying. This comment concerning the record is more than a little mystifying: "Parker’s last 45 for NOLA (and apparently the last 45 on the label by anyone) was the outstanding (and incredibly rare, according to the 2002 Night Train reissue the track was “previously not known to exist”, though there are known copies of the 45) ‘Funky Soul Train’ b/w ‘Robert and WQs Train (NOLA 742)."

[Sorry, this confused me at first, but after numerous readings it finally makes a bit more sense. Seems the folks at Night Train were overstating the case by saying it was previously unknown, right?]

Anyway, I happen to think this 45 is rare too, although I can't find a quote from anyone saying as much. Certainly, I had a hard time finding an original copy. Ya see, this record has been re-pressed twice in limited quantities just so DJ's have something to play.

And I too have been playing a re-press for some time, that is until this genuine, well-stored, un-played, old stock copy came my way. A perfect copy from God himself.

This rip sounds better than anything I've got on CD. I made it the second time I played the 45, all I did was wipe it down. As is standard on this blog, no de-clicker was used. I probably should've left the needle drop in the edit.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

[I'm almost certain Allen Toussaint produced this, and if that isn't some version of the Meters playing then I must be losing my hearing. I have no idea why the label gives Bob Robin production credit.]

[As was pointed out in the comments, the other half of the Robert Parker story has been provided by Dan Philips....here]