One more updated 'flashback' unplugged Kon Kan song. I remember exactly where I was when in first heard "Harry Houdini" in my head back in 'summer of '88. I knew by then I had to follow up "I Beg Your Pardon" with more songs. I heard the musical hook first in my head, then the intro lyrics "I wanna be like Harry Houdini" came to mind out of the blue. I didn't know where it was going to go from there, but I did hear it being produced in a 'freestyle' kinda way. I wrote all the music & lyrics myself as I wouldn't meet lyricist Bob Mitchell for another 7 months (Feb '89) to help with making the lyrics better. I always regretted not including the word "love" at the end of the phrase 'cause when you look in my eyes, how can you not realize that you can never really live without....love. I suppose I thought I was being somewhat 'artsy fartsy' with the lyrics by being kinda ambiguous. "Shrugs"...oh well, it was the second song I wrote in my entire life at the time. Still proud of this song. Yes I'm not a fancy piano player and often simple is better which this song certainly is! Later in the actual L.P. production, I'd put on my "DJ hat" to include the "White Lines" sample. Fun facts - I originally had in more of the intro to White Lines using the "Freeze, Rock" with a Strafe sample of "On The Left", "On the Right" bouncing back and forth. Unfortunately Atlantic A&R Marc Nathan, hated it and I agreed to edit those 4 bars out. I still regret that decision to this day. Greg Royal was also working in the studio next door when we were mixing it down with Alan Meyerson. I knew he was a killler editor and wanted to see what he'd do with Art's In D Minor & Harry Houdini. Ended up he did a LOT of crazy freestyle type edits (of the day), but I only kept his 'stutter edit' in the middle "I want...i..i..i..I want" after all was said and done.
1 окт 2024
