Richard Harris' MacArthur Park question

BTW, Marshall loved my idea on an AF SACD of "A Tramp Shining"

 

Same here!

 

That was a great skit.

 

This of course has not been confirmed, it is only an idea.

 

Who won American Idol doing this song? She did a great version (imo), and I knew she was going to win after I heard her performance too.

 

I'd buy an AF SACD of "A Tramp Shining" in a second. That's the type of release I'd like to see them do more often, something not as mainstream as many of their releases.

 

We all know that the mainstream rock releases pay the bills, but still, this kind of release is for something different once in a while. Kind of like when AF released Harry Belafonte's Calypso.

 

I try to support them. I got the Harry Belafonte's "Calypso" and enjoy it. Brad, thanks for suggesting the Harris LP. You should get a mention in the booklet if they do it. I'll thank you anyway. I really hope this will see the light of day even though you said it was just an idea.

 

If memory serves, I don't think "A Tramp Shining" promotional copies were in mono (at least not in the U.S.) when they were originally distributed to radio stations. Even the MacArthur Park promotional single was sent to radio stations on a seven inch stereo 33 1/3 RPM record. I don't remember if the regular release of the album was available in mono.

AJH

 

I have all of Richard Harris' albums. It mystifies me that so many people say he couldn't sing. His voice was clear and expressive. At times, he would break into a spoken line (He was an actor, after all), but so do lots of other singers. He actually had incredible range. A Tramp Shining is a masterpiece and one of the finest moments in the careers of both Harris and Jimmy Webb. My favorite Richard Harris album is the sadly underappreciated concept album, Slides, with a superb set of thematically linked songs written by the late Tony Romeo and ending with an "encore": Richard Harris reciting his own poem, "There Are Too Many Saviors On My Cross."

 

Any chance you could repost the mono version of MacArthur Park? I would love to hear it!

 

Webb says it doesn't.

 

MMM had heard it and deemed it a fold down...I can manage this over the weekend if still interested. while not convinced it is a folddown myself, I have no doubt in Martin's ears!

 

"Jimmy Webb wrote it", "Richard Harris dictated it" (LOL)

 

Is it thought that the 45 contains a dedicated mono mix, or is it a fold-down as well?

 

When I played William's transfer vs a US 45 that's up online, it sounded like a fold-down in comparison. I wouldn't bet part of my body on it though.

 

"MacArthur Park" was the first 7-minute hit single. It runs for 7:20. "Hey Jude" is 7:11.

 

A Tramp Shining is a fantastic album, and the first of 7 fine concept albums by Richard Harris. IMO, it's second only to the brilliant but neglected Slides which is well worth searching for. Am I the only one who thinks he was a truly great singer?

 

For the full Richard Harris experience, you also need his other great concept albums: The Yard Went On Forever, My Boy, Slides (my favorite), I in the Membership of My Days (singing a few songs, but mainly reading his own poetry, backed by Terry James' orchestral music), Jonothan Livingston Seagull (reading an abridgement of Richard Bach's book with orchestral backing), and The Prophet (reading excerpts from Kahlil Gibran's book with music composed and produced by Arif Mardin).

 

All killer, no filler!

 

It was the only record on which I remember the DJs actually announcing the timing. "That was 7 minutes and 20 seconds of Richard Harris!"

 

Much as I love Harris' voice, I've often wondered what would have happened if the song had been pitched to Roy Orbison. It may have revived his career.

 

and then Roy could have skipped recording this little ditty...

 

This is kind of cool:

 

And there was only ever one other, namely "American City Suite." ("Taxi" was close).