Turn the record over...Part 2

I didn't really plan it this way, but here are the flip-sides of three already posted 45s....all arranged by Wardell Quezerque.

1. "I Don't Need You Anymore" by Willie Harper. While I understand that not everyone loves ballads the way I do, this one is just too gorgeous to pass up. That line, "tired of your cheating, your lies....misusing me", gets to me every single time I hear it. The flip is Harper's stunning, slowed down, version of "A Certain Girl".

2. "Bottom Of My Soul" by Alvin Robinson. The flip is a cover of Earl King's "Come On [Let The Good Times Roll]" that's so good I'm never sure I don't think it's better than either version by King himself. "Bottom Of My Soul" is to my mind one of those absolutely perfect tunes. Certainly one of Robinson's best.

3. "Robert & W.Q's Train" by Robert Parker. This is the instrumental track to "Funky Soul Train".....which might just be the rarest record I own [although probably not worth all that much]. I'm not usually a fan of slapping backing tracks on b-sides, but this one is worthy of exception. And it seems like Mr. Q must have agreed as I don't think any of his instrumental tracks show up on any other 45s.

Hope ya'll enjoy.....

You're number one....

We've been away for the past few days visiting relatives in Texas. Baby Girl hasn't been cooed over near enough lately so we decided to hit the road in search of newer, fresher audiences.

This is one of those 45s by Robert Parker which is easy enough to find on comps but difficult to come by on vinyl. In fact, I'm sure it's rarer than his "Caught You In A Lie/Holdin On" which for unknown reasons continues to sell for a premium. By comparison, I'd say this 45 shows up maybe one tenth as often. I doubt very much it was distributed outside New Orleans.

Anyway, a friend scored two copies within weeks of each other and kindly let me have the more beat-up of the two for a mere pittance. I am most grateful. Check another rare-ish 45 off the list.

I'd like to dedicate this to my older sis who for the 6th year in a row has received national recognition for her culinary skills. While I was busy dancing around the parlor to old records pretending to be a club hopping 9 year old fashion model/DJ, she was in the kitchen soaking up arcane cooking knowledge from the family stregas. Girl deserves every bit of recognition she receives for all the hard work, the lack of pretension, the classic touch, and ultimately, the magic.

Hope ya'll enjoy the tune...

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]

New York City, Detroit and Philly....

I'm traveling all this week. First Boston, then on to a conference in Chicago. After that, I could fly to New Orleans to catch the last night of the Ponderosa Stomp, but since I'm supposed to be in Portland the following Monday morning, the extra flight really doesn't make sense. I literally wouldn't even have time to unpack my bag, a delayed flight could make it all for naught, and it's expensive to boot.

Too bad. Last year, I made the 10 hour drive down from Austin, but was so tired and distracted by the time I got to New Orleans that I might as well not have bothered. Ya see, the previous Stomp schedule, centered in and around Jazzfest, directly conflicted with final exams and reviews. This year was supposed to be easy. I particularly wanted to see Wallace Johnson.

Maybe next year.

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The odd thing about Robert Parker's work with Wardell Querzergue is that so many of the tunes sound like hits. I mean, seriously big hits. In fact, If you'd have asked me three years ago, I'd have said most of them were huge. But they weren't. Not outside of New Orleans. "Barefootin" and to a lesser degree, "Hip Huggin", were the only two to make waves nationally.

This is a tough 45 to find. My friend C. has been watching Ebay closely for years, and he says he's only seen two, maybe three, copies offered at auction. The guy I bought my copy from said it's the only one he's ever run across.

That doesn't mean you haven't heard the song before, it's relatively easy to find on various collections and comps, not the least of which is "Robert Parker: The Wardell Querzergue Sessions". Which makes me wonder if the easy availability of collections and re-issues doesn't tend to skew history in the minds of present day listeners. In this case, you have a record that didn't sell at all, but is now quite easy to find as a digital copy, and it sounds like it must have been a hit in the day. Even with good liner notes explaining the situation, I think it's all too easy to forget how obscure some of these records were/are.

This was the last record issued on the Nola label.....which probably means it was issued in 1967. Nola was one of the labels that collapsed when Cosimo Matassa went bankrupt trying to keep up with the demand for Aaron Neville's, "Tell It Like It Is".

Hope ya'll enjoy.

I'm gonna give a party in my backyard...

Yeah you right...ain't near enough dancing goin' on.

Here's one of Robert Parker's series of singles based on his Barefootin' theme.

I should point out that Parker's Barefootin' LP on Nola records is fairly easy to find and includes many of his hits, that is if ya don't feel like messing with the 45's. I'm pretty sure I paid less than $10 for my copy.

Enjoy

Walkin'

I should have added this to my last post. It's the instrumental side of Robert Parker's second single on the Ron label.

While I've never heard anyone say as much, it does seem possible that this cut is related to All Nite Long Pts 1&2.

Perhaps it was recorded at the same time?

Honey child, this stuff suuure is good..

Here's Robert Parker's first single...that is, the first put out under his own name. He was already well-known as a session sax player.

Eddie Bo and Mac Rebennack get song writing credits on the slightly more jam-like second side. Presumably Bo is on piano, Rebennack on guitar, Parker on sax.

Most think it's Bo, not Parker, who adds a few vocal bits to the first side, and I don't disagree, as it sure does sound like him.

From 1959.

Enjoy