Elijah Baker Presents Park Avenue “I Never Had It So Good” — 7" Vinyl

Founded by producer Elijah Baker—best known as a former member of the multi-platinum funky soul band Tony! Toni! Toné!—Park Avenue is a collective of Bay Area-based professional musicians and gospeldelic session legends who gathered together at Infinite Studios to create the indie classic Soulpilation album back in 2018.

Harking back to the glory days of early '70s blue heart soul—think bow ties and cravats, with The Old Grey Whistle Test on the telly and flares that could hide a pogo stick—this stylistic, sweet soul jam, I Never Had It So Good, was originally a feel-good congregation pleaser recorded by Elijah’s father, the Reverend Elijah Baker Sr.

Junior, who co-produced his dad’s gospel version, later reimagined it while serving time for a white-collar crime at the Big Spring Federal Correctional Institution in Texas.

“I wanted to play that for my father as soon as I got out,” recalls Elijah. “So, I called him on the phone and said, ‘I stole your song, Pops, and made it mine!’”

This version features the glorious lost first verse by former Otis & Shugg singer, Otis Cooper, who kicks things off by taking it back to the sound of '70s falsetto singers Ted Mills and Russell Thompkins Jr. before handing the mic to young R&B hotshot Adrian Marcel.

“Adrian made it sound like now, like something that should be on the radio today," says Elijah.

Taking it home on the third verse is Park Avenue’s East Coast-based singer Mario Corbino, a proper soul vocalist, traditional sounding, like Jody took his girl and gone.

“Mario can pretty much sing it all,” says Elijah. “He moves around the globe on tour, singing soul, but we established a brotherhood, me and him, and when it’s time to work, I can count on him. It was just some of that ol’ magic when it all came together.”

Remastered for this vinyl reissue by sonic-soul technician Donald Cleveland in New York, this is real soul music on a dinked 7”, perfect for a record bag, a jukebox, or for mounting in a frame to go above the log-burning fireplace. Dig it.

Recorded at Infinite Studio.
Written by Elijah Baker Sr., Elijah Baker Jr., Mario Corbino, Adrian Marcel & Otis Cooper
Produced by Elijah Baker Jr and BJ Kemp
Bass: Elijah Baker
Guitar: Elijah Baker Jr. and John “Jubu” Smith
Drums: BJ Kemp
Keyboards: Lionel L.J. Holoman
Background Vocals: BJ Kemp and Otis Cooper
Licensed by Ambitious Records.