1999 studio album by Sarah Harmer
Songs for Clem is an album by Canadian singer-songwriter by Sarah Harmer, credited to Harmer and Jason Euringer, and released in 1999.
History
The album was never intended by Harmer for widespread release, but as a 1998 Christmas gift for her father, Clem Harmer. It features Harmer's personal, home-recorded renditions of several of her father's favourite pop and country standards.[1] Upon hearing the recording, Harmer's friends and family convinced her to release it independently. She did so in 1999; following her commercial breakthrough in 2000 with You Were Here, the album was re-released under Harmer's new major label distribution deal with Universal Music Canada.[1]
Clem Harmer subsequently appeared on Sarah's 2005 album I'm A Mountain, contributing backing vocals to two songs.[2]
Reception
Allmusic music critic Johnny Lofthus wrote the album feels "lovingly handmade, with cover art right out of a child's Father's Day art project and an immediate, field-type recording quality that features accompaniment from crickets and a passing rainstorm. This isn't to say it's lo-fi; on the contrary, it's crystal clear." and that "... it's a true sentimental journey for people inspired by their parents to love music."[1]
Track listing
- "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (Bill Monroe) – 2:07
- "Tennessee Waltz" (Redd Stewart, Pee Wee King) – 2:52
- "Black Coffee" (Sonny Burke, Paul Francis Webster) – 2:53
- "Stormy Weather" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) – 3:00
- "Oh Bury Me Not" (Traditional) – 1:25
- "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" (Traditional) – 3:22
- "Shine on Harvest Moon" (Jack Norworth, Nora Bayes) – 2:13
- "Trouble in the Fields" (Nanci Griffith, Rick West) – 4:02
- "Your Cheatin' Heart" (Hank Williams) – 2:32
- "Summertime" (George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin) – 3:45
- "Sentimental Journey" (Les Brown, Ben Homer, Bud Green) – 2:44
- "O, My Beloved Father" (Giacomo Puccini, Giovacchino Forzano) – 2:07
Personnel
- Sarah Harmer – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
- Jason Euringer – bass, guitar, background vocals, slides
- Spencer Evans – clarinet, piano, background vocals
- Benji Perosin – trumpet
Production
- Produced by Sarah Harmer
- Mastered by Jan Turney and Graeme McCann
- Engineered and mixed by Robin Aube, assisted by Tom Lawless[3]
- Photography by Kelsey Finlayson
References
- ^ a b c d e Lofthus, Johnny. "Songs for Clem > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "I'm a Mountain > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
- ^ "Sarah Harmer Discography". MapleMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
