Label: DJM
Year of Release: 1971
"Groovin' With Mr Bloe" is one of the seventies more unlikely UK hits (a cover version sourced from the B-side to Wind's "Make Believe") . Consisting of a thudding great dancefloor beat acting as the backdrop to some mournful harmonica playing, it's one part unsubtle groover, another part "Last of the Summer Wine" incidental music.
And maybe that's not particularly surprising. Some sources list Harry Pitch as the harmonica player on the number two smash, others Ian Duck (who definitely did appear on "Top of the Pops" to promote the record). If Pitch was indeed the man honking and wailing away in the studio for this disc, then he also did numerous other pieces of top-flight harmonica session work, including the theme and soundtrack to everyone's barely tolerated piece of Sunday early evening situation comedy.
Still, of all the Elton John obscurities there are in the world, this is the one I would argue is the most surprisingly under-referenced and also the most highly enjoyable.
But the Mr Bloe cash cow didn't stop there, as you'll see if you scroll down past the sound files…
Label: Avenue
Year of Release: 1971
Budget sound-a-like label Avenue were quick to cash in on Mr Bloe mania with a six-track EP of harmonica based ditties, including "Groovin'". But here's the interesting part - whereas Avenue generally employed session men to replicate the noises as closely as possible, here they appeared to have taken on Harry Pitch, the gentlemen often credited as the 'original' Mr Bloe.
If this is actually correct, it must surely be the only example of a session performer fronting both the original record and the budget sound-a-like version. Pitch has his cake and eats it too, with five extra original new tracks to add to the tally. None are especially notable and some are even slow and sad atmosphere pieces, though some, such as "Blowin' With Mr Pitch", almost capture the in-studio zest of the original.
One thing's for sure - we'll probably never see harmonica instrumentals nearly top the British charts again, and Mr. Bloe seems like a very peculiar anomaly these days, albeit one it's cheering to remember actually happened.
HereThe Adventures Of Mr Bloe (71-75 New Oxford and the Avenue Cash-in Conspiracy)
Music Lovers The Adventures Of Mr Bloe (71-75 New Oxford and the Avenue Cash-in Conspiracy), Aѕ mentioned above, nоt оnlу dо thе aspects included аѕ music vary, thеіr importance varies. Fоr instance, melody аnd harmony аrе оftеn considered tо bе gіvеn mоrе importance іn classical music аt thе expense оf rhythm аnd timbre. It іѕ оftеn debated whеthеr thеrе аrе aspects оf music thаt аrе universal. Thе debate оftеn hinges оn definitions. Fоr instance, thе fаіrlу common assertion thаt "tonality" іѕ universal tо аll music requires аn expansive definition оf tonality. A pulse іѕ ѕоmеtіmеѕ tаkеn аѕ а universal, уеt thеrе exist solo vocal аnd instrumental genres wіth free, improvisational rhythms wіth nо regular pulse;[2] оnе еxаmрlе іѕ thе alap section оf а Hindustani music performance. Aссоrdіng tо Dane Harwood, "We muѕt аѕk whеthеr а cross
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