JO HARMAN RELEASES 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF ‘JO HARMAN AND COMPANY: LIVE AT HIDEAWAY’
Some Q&A’s on the queries regarding the 10th Anniversary Edition of ‘Live At Hideaway’, which is shipping on CD today.
Q – Does this release employ the original artwork?
A – Yes, we’ve used the original artwork (people seemed wedded to it) but have included a second CD and a explanatory insert in the open pocket of the digipack (more on this below) and on the front of the digipack we have a sticker identifying it as ’10th Anniversary 2-CD edition’.
Q – How much is the CD edition?
A – Standard cost for the 2-CD edition is £15 plus postage at cost (which varies from territory to territory of course). Track listings for the CD are as follows:-
CD1
Through The Night
Summer Breeze
Heartstring
Bless Ma Soul
Sideways
Move Over
Sweet Man Moses
Better Woman
CD2
Them Changes
Seasick Lover
Song
I Can’t Stand The Rain
A Little Help From My Friends
Underneath The River
Feelin’ Alright
Q – If we already own the original CD, is it possible to buy the second CD as a ‘stand alone’?
A – Not officially (ie not from Jo’s website store) but yes, unofficially, we are happy to sell the second disc for £6 inclusive of UK p&p (contact [email protected] for overseas prices). To do this simply send the money via paypal to [email protected] and we’ll do the rest (or contact [email protected] by email for other payment options). This item comes as an ‘onbody’ printed CD, in a clear plastic sleeve, with accompanying insert.
Q – Are there any original CDs from 2011 left to buy?
A – No, sorry, these were all sold out years ago. One’s appearing on the second hand market tend to retail at £30-£50 or more.
Q – Can we buy this re-issue without the 2nd CD and the sticker (ie mirroring the original release).
A – Yes, we can sell that at £10 plus postage at cost.
Q – Can I buy this as a vinyl LP?
A – Yes, for the first time, we are offering the original release (without the songs on the bonus CD) in vinyl format. All the original tracks are included, but the running order has been adjusted as follows to better suit the timings of each side of the record:-
Side A
Through The Night – Summer Breeze – Bless Ma Soul – Sideways
Side B
Move Over – Heartstring – Sweet Man Moses – Better Woman
Q – Where can I purchase this release in a format of my choice?
A – From Jo’s website shop https://joharman.com/product/live-at-hideaway/ is as good a place as any (look out for special deals on buying vinyl and cd together) but for non-standard versions, or for queries, please contact [email protected] by email and we’ll be happy to help.
Q – When can I expect delivery?
A – CDs should be ready for despatch before the end of May, vinyls will be issued later in the Summer due to production times.any other issues, hit me up here or by email to [email protected]
The backstory to “Live At Hideaway” is largely one of happy accident. Unlike most artists who have to work the ‘toilet tours’ and pubs before establishing themselves on the circuit, Jo had the good fortune to play the first-ever gig under her own name at London’s prestigious 606 Club. The owner of that venue happened to recommend Jo to the owner of newly opened Hideaway Jazz Club in Streatham. Consequently, Jo found herself fast-tracked onto the London scene and being offered regular shows at one of London’s more prestigious venues. Despite the fact that Jo Harman and Company had, by that time, only played a handful of shows in total, with an interchangeable line-up and without any attempt at the concept of rehearsal, a record was released (albeit in a low-key way) if only, as Jo remembers it, “as a showcase to get us more gigs and to have something to sell at the merch stand.”
Because of the ad hoc nature of the performance, and (50%) cover material, Jo all but subsequently disowned “Live At Hideaway” being, as it was, something of a bridge between her role as lead singer with Soul Reality Collective and her forging a career as an original artist. As she explains: “I always had a very firm vision of who I wanted to be as an original artist, but I didn’t have too many songs of my own at that time – I was literally just starting out – and so I covered a lot of ‘classic material’, not least because we were required to do two hour sets at the various club dates that booked me. People have been very kind about it but the reality is that Hideaway is actually nothing but a jam and you can hear me, inexperienced as I was, calling off the cues throughout the songs.”
Despite Jo’s personal reservations, it’s considered by many good judges to be one of the most exciting live blues-rock albums ever made in the UK. So much so that, on two separate occasions, two noted labels offered licensing deals for “Live At Hideaway” and twice, Jo turned them down (albeit she did licence ‘Better Woman’ to Warners, France but that’s another story).
Jo further explains ‘when I started to write for my debut album, which became ‘Dirt On My Tongue’, I decided not to manufacture ‘Live At Hideaway’ once the original few thousand copies had been sold, simply because I wanted to launch myself with a self written studio album. As a result ‘HIdeaway’ has, over the years, become something of a collectors item, sometimes attracting extraordinary prices on the internet. However, 10 years on, it seems only right to make it available again, this time with a bonus CD of other live performances from around that time, as well as offering the original version on vinyl for the very first time’.
Read about Live at Hideaway in the Blues in Britain mag and went straight to the site to purchase