A few Summers ago I got a call from Devil Dick in regards to a North Jersey backyard record sale. I couldn’t resist. We drove about an hour to a residential section where we proceeded to find some of the best records I have dug up in a while. Everything from Nu Sounds Express to General Crook to Willie and the Mighty Magnificents to this record I bring you today. We both scored big, and I have featured this 45 on a mix as well as numerous live gigs. Let’s get our Gospel Soul on today with Dorothy Norwood and “Get Aboard the Soul Train” on GRC Records from 1973.
Born in Atlanta, GA in 1935, then moving with her musical family to Chicago, the future “World’s Greatest Gospel Storyteller” started touring around the age of 8. She would go on to perform with such greats as Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland, before going on her own in 1962. Recording for Savoy, she released her song “Denied Mother”, a tune that still resonates with audiences today. This led to European tour dates with the Gospelaires and The Harmonizing Four further broadening her fan base throughout the world. Her voice caught the attention of Mick Jagger ten years later in 1972, and Norwood would go on to open up a thirty date American tour with the Rolling Stones. Since then, she has stayed close to her Evangelical ties while silmultaneously being able to record for record companies such as Malaco, and go back and forth for European tour dates inbetween. With 48 records under her belt, 5 Gold records, and 6 Grammy nominations, Dorothy Norwood shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Starting off with some great guitar and bass line, Norwood jumps into this straight up Soul number and establishes exactly what we’re working with on this 45. With a nice bunch of backing ladies, Dorothy Norwood and Company take you on a Southern Soul train ride. Complete with sweet ass drum fills and enough horns to give Stax a run for their money, I can almost see Big Boi or Cee Lo Green chopping this up and reworking it into a modern Soul classic beat. You can definitely hear how Norwood’s Gospel influence gets everybody in the spirit as this 2 minute and odd second track chugs from Atlanta all the way to the West Coast and back, all the while spreading the Soul message. I’ve seen this thing around again in the field, so if you do, make sure to pick it up! Keep Diggin’!
Download or Listen to Dorothy Norwood – Get Aboard the Soul Train from the GRC 45
Flea Market Funk 
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Hello, My name is Marlin McNichols and I produced this record on Dorothy Norwood. The music was so hot because I used the world famous and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Motown Funk Brothers as sidemen.
Also the arrangement was done by Paul Riser who was instrumetal in arranging many hits at Motown for such as artist as Steve Wonder, Marvin Gay, Glady Knight and The Pips, Diann Ross, Four Tops, etc.