Peppermint Harris Lonesome As I Can Be(blues)(mp3@320)[rogercc][h33t]

PEPPERMINT HARRIS AS LONESOME AS I CAN BE
THE JEWEL RECORDINGS (1965-1972)
Label: Westside (UK)
Released: 9 October 2001
Format: [email protected]



Texas R&B singer Peppermint Harris is best known for two early-'50s hits, the classic "Rainin' in My Heart" and "I Get Loaded," a drunken boast that led to a slew of other drinking songs from Harris, typecasting him as the man with a bottle in his hand, a mixed blessing at best. With an easy baritone that came across as a sort of late-night version of Sam Cooke on too many whiskey shots, Harris arguably did his best work with Jewel Records, a Louisiana label owned and run by Stan "The Record Man" Lewis. While he didn't have any huge hits between 1965 and 1971, the length of his stay at Jewel, Harris nonetheless produced some solid material, as this anthology shows. He reprises his self-penned "Rainin' in My Heart" twice here, and turns in a fine version of Big Bill Broonzy's "Key to the Highway," as well, and working with a large band, he shows a real talent for songwriting, vocal phrasing, and arrangement. There aren't a lot of Peppermint Harris CDs on the market, and while the 1950s Aladdin sides are more famous, this one, given its consistent tone and excellent sound, makes for probably a better introduction to Harris' unique version of Texas R&B.



Tracklist:
01. True Love
02. Marking Time
03. Bad Bad Woman
04. Mama Mama
05. Anything You Can Do
06. Raining In My Heart
07. My Time After Awhile
08. Unlucky
09. True Confession
10. Tell Me I Can Come Home
11. Anytime Is The Right Time
12. Wait Until It Happens To You
13. Bad Bad Whiskey
14. Lonesome As I Can Be
15. Little Girl
16. 24 Hours
17. My Woman
18. Nighty Night
19. I'm Leaving
20. Key To The Highway
21. Raining In My Heart