BOBBY PARKER - Soul Of The Blues - LP [RSD2020-AUG29]

Virtuoso blues guitarist Bobby Parker inspired John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page and many others yet it has taken 66 years since his recording debut for a vinyl LP compilation to be issued under his name. The opening track Watch your Step was played on stage by the Beatles in their Hamburg days who by their own admission, took its riff to fashion the opening to I Feel Fine. And let’s not forget Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick, which borrowed that same riff. What a great soulful blues singer Bobby Parker was too. From his 1956 recording of Titanic, to 1969’s It’s Hard But It’s Fair, the latest cut on this album, here are 15 unforgettable vocal performances plus two instrumentals that showcase his unique way of playing the blues. Bobby Parker originals are hard to come by – apart from the hit Watch your Step, everything else is a valuable collector’s item. But this compilation brings them all together in one box and we can promise a treat in store for you.

Tracks

Side 1

1. Watch Your Step 2. Hard But It’s Fair 3. Titanic 4. Won’t Believe It Till I See It 5. Don’t Drive Me Away 6. Gimme Some Lovin’ 7. Blues Get Off My Shoulder 8. Keep Away From My Heart 9. Night Stroll (Pt. 2).

Side 2

1. It’s Too Late Darling 2. Steal Your Heart Away 3. Couldn’t Quit My Baby 4. Once Upon A Time, Long Ago, Last Night 5. You Got What It Takes 6. Do The Monkey 7. Get Right 8. Hot Gravy