Just got turned on to this guy. Love his sound and tunes. On the 2 CDs I picked up he doesn't seem to use much in the way of special effects - just raw harp - very nice!
McCain was notable for use of Leslie effect on some of the Jewel recordings in the mid 60's, but whether this was down to him or the studio is another matter, they seemed to do the same thing with Oscar/Arthur Wiliams on the Frank Frost sessions.
Steady is undeniably one of the great harp instrumentals...
The nicest complement I ever received as a player was when a well-known harp player told me I sounded like Jerry McCain. It was an immense kindness for him to say that (and way too generous). I have always appreciated and remembered that moment. McCain became my exemplar of tone, and remains so.
OK - In the Jewel Records recording I hear the Leslie, but is that a special type of harp? Or is he doing some special technique? I hear that same sound in several songs on the CDs I own.
Would have loved to see him. Musta had a big streak of crazy in him. Some of the lyrics (and sound effects) really crack me up.
On 728 Texas and another instrumental called Popcorn, he's NOT using a leslie at all. What he's using is a tremolo harp played in 3rd position. The only time he actually recorded using a Leslie was on a tune called Midnight Blue that he recorded for Jewel in the late 60's and this, to the best of my knowledge, is the very first recording to ever feature harp played thru a leslie.
The harp on that Frank Frost recording isn't McCain at all, and that's Little Arthur Williams and he's not playing thru a Leslie on these cuts at all. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
@BBQ Bob - Hence I said, "they seemed to do the same thing with Oscar/Arthur Wiliams on the Frank Frost sessions." Never said it was McCain on the Frost recordings.
Better example:
...that's a Leslie & Arthur Williams. So's this...
...can't find a YT of the McCain track though.
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Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2013 9:52 AM
Did somebody say Jerry McCain? Check out "Juicy Lucy"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1XIGcpHEDY This is my favorite track from him. Juicy indeed, sounds like something from the first or second J. Geils album. The only thing wrong with it is it's too short.
(guess I need to figure out how to imbed vid)
Last Edited by cyclodan on Mar 06, 2013 7:41 AM
I was lucky enough to see McCain when I was 16. Great show. I have the collection of his early recordings but I really love 2 recordings from later years. Sadly, they are on tape and I never listen to them.
