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records with dope harmonica playing (not on cover)

milliondollarsmilliondollars 568 Posts
edited April 2009 in Strut Central
hi everybody,do you know any good records which base on harmonica playing?please recommend...
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  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Karma Chameleon, son.
  • milliondollarsmilliondollars 568 Posts
    Karma Chameleon, son.

    yes but i am talking about recods that people might like, not the ones that you like, son
  • catalistcatalist 1,373 Posts
    stevie wonder
  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Karma Chameleon, son.

    yes but i am talking about recods that people might like, not the ones that you like, son

    You can't front; it is a masterclass in pop.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Zounds! What Sounds!, if you can find it.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Treat Her Right were a band out of Boston who released these two albums on RCA in 1988-89. Anyway, the band featured Mark Sandman and Billy Conway, who later went on to play in the band Morphine. If you traded Morphine's sax player for a harmonica (played by Jim Fitting), then you'd have Treat Her Right. These LP's are like a textbook example of how rock harp playing should be - no amateurish Bob Dylan wheezing, no John Popper wankfests. They had a third, CD-only album on Rounder that I haven't heard(THR came out right when the industry was making the vinyl/CD changeover), but these two RCA albums turn up dirt cheap all the time.

    Since I'm a harmonica player and have fronted rock bands (not blues), this band was right on the money for me. I gotta Google Jim Fitting, see what he's doing now! (Last I heard, he was touring with The The or some such band.)



  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Mack Simmons was a Chicago blues musician who often stretched out into soul music. But, unlike Junior Parker, Simmons actually played his harmonica on the soul sides and made the shit sound like it belonged! If you can't find his 1970's/80's records (most of which were on 45's), Electro-Fi released The PM/Simmons Collection, which comped a load of vintage singles that show him stretching the boundaries of blues (including his version of the Ohio Players'"Skin Tight"!).
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Easy to find
    Country: Charlie McCoy or Area Code 315, Charlie is also heard on thousands of other country records including ones by Floyd Cramer and Boots Randolph.

    Blues: James Cotton (the Buddah stuff is great and easy to find.)

    Jazz: Toots Thielsmen

    Rock: Jamming With Edward, Mick Jagger on harp.

    All good, all easy to find.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Slim Harpo
  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,789 Posts
    I was enjoying Chaka Khan Feel For You the other day, although I realised they go way over the top with the effects/turntable rewinds and stuff, and the beat sounds very Yamaha pre-set, but aside from that, there's some harmonica.

    Didn't Led Zep III have a tune with harmonica?
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    I like some of Little Sonny's stuff on Revilot, and if you dig the blues you can't do better than Little Walter...
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    If you want to go way back, DeFord Bailey is absolutely mind-blowing. No one has ever done more with the harmonica.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Of course, any Little Walter compilation...what people tend to overlook is how jazzy his stuff was (in a swing/jump blues kinda way).
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I like some of Little Sonny's stuff on Revilot, and if you dig the blues you can't do better than Little Walter...

    I'd like to hear Sonny's Revilot 45's. I have two of his later Enterprise albums, and his solos don't really go anywhere - the man is no virtuoso - but they still work as just music.
  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts
    I was enjoying Chaka Khan Feel For You the other day,... there's some harmonica.


    Stevie Wonder
  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Check out the man Nobuo Yagi

    try to find his cut Mi Mi Africa

    Until then, mahke do with this....

  • LumpLump 30 Posts



  • spivyspivy 866 Posts


    peter ivers- knight of the blue communion

    psych with harmonica... dope record!
  • minimini 880 Posts

    These are good ones if you like straight blues:
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Mudhoney - Pokin' Around
  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts
    Didn't Led Zep III have a tune with harmonica?

    II, and that one would've been "Bring It On Home"
  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts



    This one shows a harmonica, but is worth it just for "A Little Piece Of Heaven"


    Can't embed the video, but here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC0ZS5sAy0s


    EDIT: This too:

  • milliondollarsmilliondollars 568 Posts

    These are good ones if you like straight blues:

    the carey bell is sounding good!

    thanks for all the other recomemndations!
  • p_gunnp_gunn 2,284 Posts
  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts
    Didn't Led Zep III have a tune with harmonica?

    II, and that one would've been "Bring It On Home"

    And "Levee" was on IV, so you missed twice.
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    I like some of Little Sonny's stuff on Revilot, and if you dig the blues you can't do better than Little Walter...

    I'd like to hear Sonny's Revilot 45's. I have two of his later Enterprise albums, and his solos don't really go anywhere - the man is no virtuoso - but they still work as just music.

    took a listen to his Revilot 45 "Latin Soul" b/w "The Creeper" at a shop today, plan on going back for it, it was $12 (a little high?) I already had a bunch of stuff to buy, so it went back in the box...nice little soul tunes, but nothing face melting.

    I dig that Little Walter LP on Chess where they go a bit crazy with the slapback..one tune is solid proto psychedelia from 1952!...SO much echo and feedback
  • milliondollarsmilliondollars 568 Posts
    i found this Junior Wells LP which is a fu**ing winner:




  • markus71markus71 937 Posts
    Toots Thielemans

  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    Toots Thielemans


    ive never heard this record, but toots is the most impressive I have ever heard...heard him play Thelonious Monk tunes and it was jaw dropping...I didnt know a harp had that many notes in 'em.
  • markus71markus71 937 Posts
    Toots Thielemans


    ive never heard this record, but toots is the most impressive I have ever heard...heard him play Thelonious Monk tunes and it was jaw dropping...I didnt know a harp had that many notes in 'em.

    He really mastered that instrument perfectly. When Quincy Jones needed a harmonica, he called Toots.

    This is a beautiful track from this soundtrack. It's pretty easy to find in the Netherlands but doesn't show up all that much abroad.

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