GORDON HASKELL: How Harry's Bar Songs Went Around the World
Tribute to the singer-songwriter associated with Fleur de Lys and King Crimson
Happy heavenly birthday cheers to Gordon Haskell (1946-2020), the prolific singer-songwriter known for the international hit single “How Wonderful You Are”
and the album HARRY’S BAR.
One of Gordon’s best-known career turns was as a bassist-vocalist for King Crimson (1970-71), led by guitarist Robert Fripp, who knew Gordon from high school and was desperate to find a fill-in for Greg Lake (who’d left for Emerson Lake & Palmer).
King Crimson’s eclectic progressive rock wasn’t Gordon’s cup of tea, and he left in a huff after Fripp cut the song “Prince Rupert Awakes” in a key too high for Gordon to sing (Jon Anderson of Yes guested on the final version).
Afterward, Gordon released a string of solo works (sometimes with King Crimson members in support), enduring years of “starving folksinger” status before arriving at the platinum success of HARRY’S BAR and other achievements in the 1990s.
Before those projects, Gordon worked with my friend Chris Andrews (a.k.a. Tim Andrews) in the “freakbeat” band Fleur de Lys, springboard for the careers of Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship) and guitar hero Bryn Haworth. In 1967 Gordon wrote and played bass and guitar on Chris/Tim’s solo Parlophone single “You Won’t Be Seeing Me Anymore.”
The track was recorded in London, but it has a folk-pop California sound that could’ve come from Laurel Canyon or San Francisco. On a cosmic jukebox this would play next to It’s A Beautiful Day (“White Bird”) and Love. The lyrics describe seasonal love, coming from a young man who travels for a long time and leaves his troubled sweetheart behind. The track was produced by Paul Clay (Ace Kefford, Sharon Tandy, early Yes) and Mike Noble (Joan Armatrading, Fleur de Lys, John Kongos).
Meanwhile, HB and RIP Gordon—thank you for your musical examples of talent and endurance.
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