Meanwhile, and with full acknowledgement to those who have gone before, let’s take a Harp Surgery shot at tabbing the live version of Whammer Jammer.Īs a prelude, we should accept that to play Whammer Jammer convincingly, the right technique is essential and this is something we may have to learn. It is meticulous and well worth obtaining. And while a perfect transcript is as likely as a flagpole bursting into bloom, the doyen of harp notation, Dave Barrett, has produced a beautiful score of the studio version, which is as close as it comes.
While neither of the projects mentioned is pinpoint perfect, both provide a strong analysis for what is an intensely technical piece. Teaching this piece is a tall order, even for the most seasoned of harp tutors. By his third instalment, Adam realised the sheer magnitude of the task in hand. His five part entry on YouTube and his interview with Magic Dick are invaluable points of reference. Indeed the end stabs in Whammer Jammer correlate directly with Cotton’s version of ‘Rocket 88’.Īcknowledgment to those who have gone beforeĪ few years ago I discovered the semi-diagrammatic harp tab for Whammer Jammer on line compiled by Rick Barker. It was a ground breaking project and remains a useful resource for anyone investigating the song’s structure.
Magic Dick himself maintains that, although he drew on both Walters when building his technique, James Cotton remained his biggest influence. Further analysis reveals influences from James Cotton ( Rocket 88) and Little Walter ( Back Track), to Big Walter Horton ( Hard Hearted Woman). He also quotes the jazz horn greats (John Coltrane in particular) as being of great influence on his own playing. It was an harmonica epiphany.įollowing the forensics, Magic Dick credits Sonny Boy Williamson II’s Bye Bye Bird as his inspiration for the opening to Whammer Jammer. With a set list that included Homework, Pack Fair and Square and Whammer Jammer, the connection should have been blindingly apparent. I was even unaware of the influence the J.Geils Band had on my favourite UK outfit, Nine Below Zero. Worse still, I’d never heard of their harp man Magic Dick (aka Juke Joint Jimmy), the man with the sexy name and the crazy mane, who blew the back off his harps like a deranged pyrotechnician. I had no idea the Centerfold band played weapon grade R&B. As the musical mayhem unfolded, my jaw dropped and I stared into space bewitched. Bluntly (being an Ozzie), he made it clear I was playing a Whammer Jammer derivative, and he duly produced his Full House LP to prove the point.ĭropping the vinyl on the turntable and grinning, he guided the stylus to track four. However, a friend brought me tumbling back to reality and landing firmly on my arse. Innocently, I believed I’d established myself at the pinnacle of power harping. My Whammer Jammer tale begins many years ago, when I learned what I assumed was a unique harp instrumental called Swing Job by Nine Below Zero. Key of A major ten hole diatonics harps at the ready. Like the lunar landing, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, every power harp fan can remember when and where they were first Whammered! So, it’s time to reminisce a little, do some research and then, with the help of modern technology, deconstruct the song for you. It is a power harping beast of the highest order. Originally recorded on the J.Geils Band studio album The Morning After in 1971, Whammer Jammer reappeared a year later on the classic live album Full House.
Here’s the top entry in our ‘ I wanna play like that’ hit list. You gonna get it all down, get it all night, get it all right, get it out of sight and get it down baby?
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