CB recommended this band and it’s fresh sounding and I like their choice of covers. When I heard Imelda May sing…that was all I needed. I heard Hound Dog first and it sounds very 40s but yet modern. They now have a different singer but she is also great…Sophie Shaw. This is different for me and I like it…it’s nice to switch up occasionally. When I heard Hallelujah! I Love Him So it got me into them much more. I know this song very well…it was one of the first songs Quarrymen recorded and that led me to Ray Charles who wrote and recorded the song.
Blue Harlem has been one of the top swing/jump-blues bands on the London scene for over 25 years. They have become regular favorites at venues such as the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s, The 100 Club, The Hippodrome, Hideaway, Jitterbugs, and more. They have been invited on three occasions to perform at Highgrove House charity balls for the Prince’s Trust.
They are a British band formed in 1996 by tenor saxophonist and arranger Al Nicholls. Known for blending jazz and rhythm and blues, they take inspiration from the swing and jump blues styles of the 1940s and 1950s.
.They have also enjoyed international recognition, performing at festivals across Europe and the Middle East. Blue Harlem played a huge role in launching the career of vocalist Imelda May, who gained fame and success after performing with them. Sophie Shaw now serves as their lead singer, bringing a new feel to the band’s sound.
Imelda May left the group in the early 2000s. After leaving, May quickly rose to fame in her own right with the release of her debut solo album No Turning Back in 2003, followed by her breakthrough album Love Tattoo in 2008.
Hallelujah! I Love Him So was on the album Talk To Me released in 2005 with May lead singing. I added Hound Dog by Blue Harlem as well…it was on their Me And My Radio album released in 2011.
I have three songs. The bottom two feature Imelda May singing Hound Dog and Hallelujah! I Love Him So. Below is Sophia Shaw singing Swing Brother, Swing. She is a very good singer as well but I like May a little more.
Hallelujah! I Love Him So
Let me tell you ′bout a boy I know
He is my baby and he lives next door
Every morning before the sun comes up
He brings my coffee in my favorite cup
That’s why I know, yes I know
Hallelujah I just love him so
When I′m in trouble and I have no friends
I know he’ll go with me until the end
Ev’rybody asks me how I know
I smile and tell them he told me so
That′s why I know, yes, I know
Hallelujah I just love him so
Now if I call him on the telephone
And tell him that I′m all alone
By the time I count from one to four,
I hear him on my door
In the evening when the sun goes down
When there is nobody else around
He kisses me and he holds me tight
He tells me “baby everything’s all alright”
That′s why I know, yes I know
Hallelujah I just love her so
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The last track is good, I like her voice. It seems like good music to see live in a small club.
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It would be…live is the perfect situation for this music. She went on to become really popular…Imelda May that is as a solo artist.
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I have been aware of May since she went solo but I didn’t know this is where she started! Great stuff, all three tracks are excellent. Love the gender reversal on the Ray Charles tune.
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I like that as well Randy. I heard of her but didn’t know much about her until this post…yes I love her voice and their selections of covers are great. That Ray Charles song just makes me feel good.
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Amen to that!
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Good stuff and I could listen to more of this.
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I didn’t know if you would like this Jim…I really do and it’s nice to switch up…I would love to hear this live.
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Really good songs here
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Thanks Glyn…have you ever heard of them?
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I’d not heard of Blue Harlem
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May and Beck doing ‘Remember Walking In the Sand live for a Les Paul Tribute is lights out ( might have to do a “Live” cut on that one). Her stuff with the rockabilly tinge hooked me a few years ago
Good stuff Max, love that Hound Dog cover.
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Thanks again CB…we have been listening to them this week…Bailey included…some quality music. I would love to see them live.
I’m finding out more about her.
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Funny you mention Ray Charles, that’s who I have spinning this morning. I dont center out women singers because my music is in one big pile but Imelda certaily hits the spot and so does Sophie. Lots of good listening in that genre. I’m fairly new to Blue Harlem aslo. Great to discover new stuff as we keep going.
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I’ve always liked that type of 40s swing…going back to the Andrew Sisters… what I like about Blue Harlem is they are right on top of it in the modern age. Yea both of the singers are great…
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So much more for us to throw back and forth.
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Blue Harlem sound fantastic. I love all three songs you highlighted! Notably, while Imelda May has a dedicated page on Wikipedia, it doesn’t mention Blue Harlem with one word, which I find a bit strange. Perhaps May’s departure from the group was less than harmonious. In any case, I’m glad CB recommended Blue Harlem and you chose to cover them!
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I’m glad you mentioned that! I thought the very same thing with that. They did have albums but are mostly known as a live band in London…maybe that is it but it should have been included!
Yea it could have been bad feelings between them.
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Yep, agree, this would be a band to see live.
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I really want to see a band like this live. I’ll have to check some of the Nashville clubs…thats the way to hear this music.
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They’re really good, and it’s no wonder they’ve built a big following.
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It was something different…I like it.
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