Jet Harris & Tony Meehan on Decca

[iefje]

Back on topic:

I was wondering about the lead guitar on the vocal tracks: "Footstomp", "(Doing The) Hully Gully", "Chills And Fever", "Some People", "Real Wild Child", "Clap Your Hands Once Again" and "Lonesome Part Of Town". Did Jet play the lead guitar parts or did he sing and play bass guitar, or did he just sing on these tracks?

[anniv 63]

I have read in some features and articles elsewhere, that the Mike Sammes Singers and even
Brian Poole &Tremeloes, did backup vocal/harmonies on the early 62 recordings.
Quite possible , as Decca Records would have had a roster of session players filling out the overall
dynamics of say Besame Mucho
Piano players such as Charles Blackwell, Reg Guest, Arthur Greenslade were Decca regulars at the
time, indeed the very fine arrangement of Main Title Theme was probably arranged and scored by
MD Blackwell.
Sadly many of these musicians are no longer around, so actual confirmed personnel is never going
to be definitive.

Mike

[Pinner Fan]

How come Jet didn't play lead guitar on key tracks such as Scarlett O'Hara and Applejack ?

Was he even at these sessions ?

Was he 'incapacited' during this period (which was before his car crash in September 1963)
.

[iefje]

How come Jet didn't play lead guitar on key tracks such as Scarlett O'Hara and Applejack ?

Was he even at these sessions ?

Was he 'incapacited' during this period (which was before his car crash in September 1963)
.

I think it had something to do with his alcoholism. A lot of the times, he just didn't turn up at the recording sessions. Joe Moretti played lead guitar on "Scarlett O 'Hara", "Applejack" and "The Tall Texan". Also, in 1975, Jet didn't play on "Theme For A Fallen Idol", because of the same reason. He did play on its B-side "This Sportin' Life" and the follow-up single "The Guitar Man".

[Derek Mowbray]

I have often wondered who played the fine lead guitar work on Some People I don`t think it would be Jet doesn`t sound like his style of playing he sang the vocals so his voice would have to be dubbed onto the backing track

[cockroach]

I would think it could be one of the main session guitarists working in 1962- Vic Flick, Big Jim, Bryan Daly, Joe Moretti, Eric Ford, Colin Green - possibly a little too early for Jimmy Page (although he was apparently on Diamonds in 1963) - and doesn't sound like the style or sound of Bert, John McLaughlin or Judd Proctor to me..

[howarddobson]

So it makes the jet and tony best of albums seem quite misleading if Jet isn't on some of the recordings. I suppose you get Tony's drumming but I hadn't realised Jet was missing and they were selling the single on the branding of his name.

[Paul Childs]

A lot of cheating went on with recording. Heard the story on a documentary about Phil Spector with I think it was the Ronettes, they were driving in their car through L.A. and it came on the radio saying this is The Ronettes new single and that was the first they had heard of it.
The Wrecking Crew as they were called covered a lot of acts over there.

[Moderne]

I remember being shocked when I found out a few years ago that Jet hadn't played on some of his records. I discovered this by reading Joe Moretti's amusingly foul-mouthed website. According to Jim Nugent, this was common knowledge in the mid-60s and was in the Sunday papers.

[howarddobson]

Looking back on it several decades on - it's still interesting to have those recordings to complete the picture. But I think I'd be upset if I'd bought a record promising a featured artist who isn't actually on the record. That really is a poor standard of trading.

Strangely my favourites were main title theme, diamonds and besame mucho. Strange he couldn't learn them in time - they're not that complicated are they?

I bought the Rory storm and the hurricanes album on iTunes a few weeks ago - and to be fair if they'd got a contract they sounded like they'd have needed some help in the studio.

I always thought the beatles sounded a bit rough in places and out of tune - but at last they played them.