Funky Worm - The Ohio Players

I downloaded the track "Funky Worm" by The Ohio Players from the Pleasure album using iTunes. It has a different instrumental intro than my U.S. commercial 45.

According to mymusic.com, both the Pleasure and Ecstasy albums (the latter of which is also available on iTunes) were released on CD by "Westbound (USA)" on 02/05/2007 but they are shown as "not currently available". The website also claims that the CD Orgasm: The Very Best Of The Westbound Years was issued on 09/10/2004 (also shown as "not currently available"). Can anyone confirm that these U.S. domestic releases actually exist? None are listed in the database, which lists the song "Ecstasy" as still not available on a domestic CD.

Todd:

Let us know what you find out--I also had downloaded "Funky Worm" from iTunes (not realizing that the 45 intro is different from the intro on the download).

Thanks.

Paul C wrote: I downloaded the track "Funky Worm" by The Ohio Players from the Pleasure album using iTunes. It has a different instrumental intro than my U.S. commercial 45.

Paul,

Grant sent me an MP3 of his domestic CD copy, and I'm having difficulty hearing any difference in the intro of the file he sent and the track I downloaded from iTunes. Can you pinpoint where you think the difference lies?

Paul C, I postponed my 1969 research for a moment, and pulled out my 1973 45s to help you out. It turns out that you are indeed 100% correct here, sir. My commercial 45, which states "stereo" but is, in fact, mono (and this is not the first time I have found this to be the case for an early 70's 45 issued on Westbound), is confirmed as Westbound 214 (my deadwax is also "W-2524", Paul, with a "Canadian Ltd" comment to the left of it, for some reason.) It has a listed time of (2:41), an actual time of (2:42), and runs a few seconds longer than all of the (2:37-2:38) current database CD appearances for the song. I have the song on a 1991 Ace/U.K. "Best Of The Westbound Years" CD, which is stereo, and it also happens to have the same, bogus, :01 intro that everyone who has downloaded the song has reported, which I had never noticed before. Paul C is 100% correct; this is NOT the 1973 45 intro. The actual "Funky Worm" 45 starts almost exactly like the first few seconds of the Four Seasons' 1976 hit, "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)", before the piano kicks in a few seconds after the start, whereas the :01 of music on my CD version is unique to the song's stereo mix. I suspect that this shorter, stereo mix is the original 1973 U.S. LP version of "Funky Worm". Great pickup, Paul C, and I give you credit for "sticking to your guns" on this one! I surely should've looked into this further for you, back when you first brought it up in October of '07, but "better late than never", I suppose. Nice job!

Edited by jimct

I should know better than to trust the "stereo designation" on a label!