[Harp-L] lost recording found- HARP TO HEART featuring "the million dollar harmonica quintet"

[randysinger <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A rare recording long thought lost has finally turned up featuring 
Julian Dawson, Howard Levy, Jellyroll Johnson, Charlie McCoy and 
myself, Randy Singer.

On march 9th, 1990, Julian Dawson called me up (as I was living in 
Nashville at the time) and invited me to record his original song "Harp 
to Heart" along with Howard Levy (who happened to be in nashville), 
Jellyroll Johnson and Charlie McCoy.  It would prove to be the first 
time such musicians had ever recorded simultaneously!!

Using a nashville studio band, we recorded Julians song HARP TO HEART, 
each of us taking turns playing a line in the song.

It was a total experience playing with the level of harmonica talent.

I have finally been given permission to post this on the internet by 
Julian, I will do so by this weekend if anyone is interested.

Each verse of the song changes feel (from country to funk to jazz, to 
rock, etc) and the band changes each verse for each feel with a 
different harmonica player for each verse, at the end, all five 
harmonica players trade totally over the top blazing solos'.

It is really an amazing song and performance, I was able to give a copy 
to chris and rob and now I can release it, for free, to everyone.

I call it the million dollar harmonica quintet in honor of the historic 
time elvis, johnny cash, roy orbison, etc got together in the sun 
studios to make their million dollar quartet session.

anyways, congratulations to Julian for making it all happen.

sincerely,

randy singer

ps, thanks to jellyroll, he had the only copy, on a cassette, which I 
transfered to hard disc

***Julian will now offer up his recollection of the event


	From: 	  jdawson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
	Subject: HARP TO HEART
	Date: 	May 18, 2005 6:25:56 AM EDT
	To: 	  randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Randy,
I just got back (appropriately) from 3 weeks in Nashville and I've been 
up to my neck. Here's an introduction for the posting of the 
track.....I'm assuming this posting is just for fun ....no commercial 
ventures.....

HARP TO HEART copyright JULIAN DAWSON
I wrote the song "Harp To Heart" inspired by the 'Live Aid' recordings 
where one song provided a platform for a host of singers. I figured 
that my 'love song to the instrument' could do the same for the 
harmonica.

I was in Nashville on my first songwriting visit and having already 
made friends with Charlie McCoy in Europe, I called him up to help me 
record the song.

I had discussed with Jack Kavoukian (then head of Hohner USA) the idea 
of making a charity record for the emphysema foundation - the harmonica 
being unique in that it requires breath both in and out to play. Jack 
agreed to help finance a demo, so I called Charlie.

We started out by meeting at my publishers to map out the song in its 
different parts and different styles(the mysteries of the Nashville 
'numbers system'). Charlie booked time at Wayne Moss' legendary 
Cinderella Studios (where albums by Area Code 615, Steve Miller and the 
Whites had been recorded) and a band to play the track.

The angels were smiling on the project because harmonica genius Howard 
Levy was making a perfectly-timed visit to the town at the time. 'The 
grapevine' helped me find him and that gave us five harp players, with 
Nashville residents Kirk 'Jellyroll' Johnson (representing the blues), 
Randy Singer (on the chromatic, diatonic and the Millioniser harmonica 
synthesiser), Charlie McCoy, obviously as 'king of country' and me 
bringing up the rear for the rock contingent.

The atmosphere in the studio was extremely friendly and we took 
pictures of all five participants and afterwards their respective harp 
cases together on the floor!

The recording went smoothly though, with all respect, the band may not 
have completely grasped the concept of moving smoothly from one style 
into the next...
Howard showed his genius by not only playing a stunning jazz improv on 
the harmonica, but expertly replacing the piano on the track - as if 
Oscar Peterson had just walked in.

We parted new friends and I've stayed in touch with all four parties 
ever since. With the demo in hand I went on to pain promises to 
participate in 'the real record' from 'Toots Thielemans'. Charlie 
Musselwhite, Gary Primich, Steve Baker and others - I even got close to 
Stevie Wonder....then a series of changes in the Hohner company meant 
that their support was pulled and the project remained a dream of a 
great idea.

The song was first recorded in France by Ange Amadei and I finally did 
my version when I recorded my "Hillbilly Zen" CD in 2002 with Gene 
Parsons.

Here are the lyrics

JULIAN DAWSON, SOMERSET 2005

HARP TO HEART

LET THE SKIES FALL IN AND THE FOUR WINDS BLOW
YOU'LL STAY WITH ME WHEREVER I GO
LIFT MY SPIRITS WHEN I'M FEELING DOWN
NEVER BE LONELY LONG AS YOU'RE AROUND

WHEN YOU CHANGED MY LIFE I WAS STILL KNEE-HIGH
I KNEW IT THE SECOND THAT YOU TOUCHED MY LIPS
YOU WORKED YOUR MAGIC AS THE DAYS WENT BY
A WORLD OF WONDER AT MY FINGERTIPS

I TOOK YOU WITH ME EVERYWHERE I RIDE
LOVED YOU BETTER THAN MY FAVOURITE TOY
YOU STARTED A FIRE BURNING DEEP INSIDE
I COULD TELL RIGHT AWAY I HAD THE REAL MCCOY

CHORUS

OUT ON THE PRAIRIE, 'NEATH A DESERT MOON
OR STRANDED SOMEWHERE IN A MOTEL ROOM
JAZZ OR COUNTRY ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE
YOU CAN LEAD A SYMPHONY AND LOSE MY BLUES

YOU'RE A FUNKY RHYTHM YOU'RE A LONESOME WAIL
YOU'RE A GENTLE BREEZE AND A FORCE 10 GALE
FROM CALIFORNIA TO TIMBUKTU
WHEN THEY'RE FEELING LONESOME THEY TURN TO YOU

CHORUS

WHEN I LAY ME DOWN ON MY DYING DAY
AS LONG AS I'M BREATHING YOU WILL HEAR ME PLAY
AND WHEN I MEET GABRIEL IN THE PROMISED LAND
I SWEAR HE'LL HAVE A HARP IN HIS HAND

CHORUS

COPYRIGHT 1990 : JULIAN DAWSON