Comments on: Our First-Ever Blues Harp Albums (Part 3) http://www.harpsurgery.com/our-first-ever-blues-harp-albums-part-3/ the harmonica player's web site - tuition, reviews and interviews Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:44:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Captain http://www.harpsurgery.com/our-first-ever-blues-harp-albums-part-3/comment-page-1/#comment-6263 The Captain Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:24:04 +0000 http://www.harpsurgery.com/?p=3859#comment-6263 "Helsinki.." is the finest James Harman song not on a James Harman record (Kid Ramos's eponymous album as I'm sure you know) and possibly his best ever. Five'll Getcha Ten from the Takin' Chances album is the one for me though, when James meets his bookie: <em>He said it was a sure thing, I couldn't place a smarter bet And he'd never steered me wrong so far, at least he hadn't yet I quizzed him 'bout the odds again, he flashed a wicked grin, Removed his toothpick from his mouth, pushed back his stingy brim Then he palmed his Lucky Strike, with a mustache awful thin And then he rolled his eyes at me and then he leaned way in This time he didn't scare me, though he reeked of mortal sin..</em> Genius, that is. And the subsequent verse describing the horses.. I'm not going to print that here, it deserves to be heard sung. Laugh out loud funny. “Helsinki..” is the finest James Harman song not on a James Harman record (Kid Ramos’s eponymous album as I’m sure you know) and possibly his best ever. Five’ll Getcha Ten from the Takin’ Chances album is the one for me though, when James meets his bookie:

He said it was a sure thing, I couldn’t place a smarter bet
And he’d never steered me wrong so far, at least he hadn’t yet
I quizzed him ’bout the odds again, he flashed a wicked grin,
Removed his toothpick from his mouth, pushed back his stingy brim
Then he palmed his Lucky Strike, with a mustache awful thin
And then he rolled his eyes at me and then he leaned way in
This time he didn’t scare me, though he reeked of mortal sin..

Genius, that is. And the subsequent verse describing the horses.. I’m not going to print that here, it deserves to be heard sung. Laugh out loud funny.

]]> By: Gareth (not the) Edwards http://www.harpsurgery.com/our-first-ever-blues-harp-albums-part-3/comment-page-1/#comment-6253 Gareth (not the) Edwards Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:36:56 +0000 http://www.harpsurgery.com/?p=3859#comment-6253 Oh yes! James Harman, he's the business. You're right about the lyrics, he's got a real knack for a quirky line and creating an atmospheric scene - a bit like a film. We do a version of his "Helsinki Laundromat Blues", which is possibly the best song I know about waking up in a launderette with a strange girl....... and it includes advice on selecting a washing machine and the proper use of fabric softener. What more do you want? As well as being a briliant harp player with bags of tone - I think he's a fantastic singer too. Oh yes! James Harman, he’s the business. You’re right about the lyrics, he’s got a real knack for a quirky line and creating an atmospheric scene – a bit like a film. We do a version of his “Helsinki Laundromat Blues”, which is possibly the best song I know about waking up in a launderette with a strange girl……. and it includes advice on selecting a washing machine and the proper use of fabric softener. What more do you want? As well as being a briliant harp player with bags of tone – I think he’s a fantastic singer too.

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