Noel Harrison
The Windmills of Your Mind.com
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At the Blue Angel (Live)
1960 LP and digital download
A live album recorded early in Noel's career. Quite different from the style of later albums, it shows Noel at a time when he had not really 'found his voice'.
Songs range from calypso numbers, which have aged rather badly, to classic crooning tunes.
The album serves as a good example of Noel's career at its earliest stage, but highlights how much he would move on as a singer in the coming years.
NOEL HARRISON
accompanied by The Barry Morgan Trio
with Fitzroy Coleman (guitar)
Track List:
Boom
Devil Fish
What are Little Boys Made of?
Life in London
Please
FeuiIles-O
The Penguin Dance
San Francisco Bay Blues
Hallelujah I Love Her So
The Pig Got up and Slowly Walked Away
Sarra Chi Sa
The Original Talking Blues
Stone Cold Man
Come Dance With Me
Menilmontant
Rum and Coca-Cola
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out
Listen to and download the album.
Sleeve Notes:
The son of a famous father. Noel Harrison was born In 1934.
The decision to make a career in entertainment was made early for he joined the Ipswich Repertory at I7 years of age.
His main interest, however, lay in sport and most of the spare time available when he was at Radley was spent ski-ing in Switzerland.
Such was his skill that he became British Ski Champion in I953 and represented Britain in the Olympics at Cortina in 1956.
At one time he even declared he would become a racing motorist. During these years, he gave a great deal of time to the guitar which he taught himself to play and when on holiday on the continent would frequently play and sing for his supper in cafes and restaurant.
Possibly his biggest break came when he took part regularly in the BBC TV programme “Tonight”.
Soon after this he embarked on a number of cabaret engagements, the most important of these being at the famous Blue Angel Club where he has appeared on and off with tremendous success for the last I8 months. Noel sings in five languages.
In 1960 the Americans had a taste of his quiet charm and great talent when he scored a big hit on the famous Ed Sullivan TV show.
At the time these notes are being written he is engaged on a long tour of South Africa and Rhodesia.
This album, which contains folk songs, American blues, Italian and French songs, gives one an excellent opportunity to enjoy this young man’s great versatility.
An Evening at the Blue Angel EP (1964)
In 1964, another recording from the Blue Angel club was released.
The EP An Evening at the Blue Angel features tracks by Noel Harrison as well as Blue Angel regular Peter Maxwell, and Julie Felix - who would break-out as a successful folk singer soon after this record was made.
An exact date for the recording is not known, but it is believed to come from 1964, shortly after Felix left America for the UK and before Noel left the UK for America the following year.
Noel's only performance on the record is Glowworm, a song which dates back to the early 1900s but which had been re-worked by American lyricist Johnny Mercer in 1952.
The song, which was recorded live, has a jazzy feel and is a really good example of Noel's early work. You can listen to the track on the player below:
London in the Raw:
Noel was filmed briefly at the Blue Angel for the 1964 film London in the Raw. The documentary aimed to shock viewers of the time by showing the 'seedy' side of London, including strippers and drug users - however the film notes that the Blue Angel was known as one of London's most reputable venues.
During his brief appearance, Noel introduces American jazz singer Joy Marshall, who sadly died in 1968.
The full film of London in the Raw is available on DVD.
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