G.R. Harrison
talks about
 "Gold, Love or Trust"
by Johanna J. Bodde




G.R. HARRISON
talks about
"Gold, Love or Trust"
(Inbetweens Records)

 

“Gold, Love or Trust” the title track of my debut album does not beat around the bush: What do you stand for in life? Not a simple question though.

Along with ten other songs I present myself as a singer songwriter to a bigger audience. I choose no fancy mix and mastering, just a pure and honest sound –produced by Bart Jan Baartmans-, that fitted my approach of these songs and simplicity in the lyrics.

I write my songs mostly in the spur of the moment and the emotions that go along with it. I have been writing since I started to play the guitar at the age of thirteen, but it just never came to producing an album. Also, I must admit, it is not since the last five or six years that I feel I can manage my writing process to an extend that this writing actually results to songs. I guess I will leave it up to others to judge that. 
If not solo as G.R. Harrison, you will find me as a singer / guitar player with bands like The Wild Specialties and The Royal Axe Specialties. Before I was a member of The Electrophonics, T-Bird Rhythm and Texan Tail. It therefore is not a surprise that you find names like Bas Janssen, Harald Moonen and Izzy Watson in the musicians line up of this album. 
 
Now, I will –like I sometimes do in my solo shows as well- tell you a bit more about the songs on this album and/or on the writing process of them.
 
100 Miles
At one point, this was the distance between my love and my home, meanwhile reduced to zero. So, it was more than worth writing the song. 
 
Doc Jag
An imaginary person (a doctor) living in a real house along the highway of the afore mentioned 100 Miles, conducting strange ways and methods that reveal his true inside. The moral of this story? A man is not what he drives but what drives him. By the way, I sold my Jaguar XJ type 3.4…..
 
I Cannot Believe
…her world has changed overnight, which actually happened, leaving me in despair. It also left me with the inspiration of this song. 
 
Luckiest Man in Town
The result of a 30 minute train ride staring at a beautiful woman. Does she know she made it to a record?
 

 








Monica
For this song I crawled into the mind and looked through the eyes of a man that has lived in a mental hospital for over six years now. I have met this person several times. Doing so it made me see the world from a totally different and unexpected angle realising not all we see as normal is normal and not all see normal as normal. A left over drum recording for this album was the perfect (partly uncoordinated) rhythm to jam on and the words immediately came down on me.
 
Gold, Love or Trust
Which one would you choose if it was the last choice you had?

How Strange When
This song was written in the nine days my daughter came late (assuming the doctors were right). To my opinion many soon to be fathers will be able to relate to this song. My daughter already dances to this song! 
 
The Galway Race
The one that makes the biggest effort does not always get the most recognition. That is what happens in horse racing, but also in day to day life if you ask me.  And, it does not only count for the horses themselves, but also for the jockeys training and riding them. That also goes for the retired jockey in this song, who –sitting in his rocking chair- tries to figure out what actually drove him all those years. Was it the tail that waved in his face? He rocks himself to sleep.
 
At Your Side
A song of friendship and love in an era in which relationships start and end faster than you can turn on and off your computer. 
 
Indoor Furniture
A man and a woman building up, then breaking up. Interesting subject for a song. “You messed up my past, ruined my future” says it all. “So you can see your indoor furniture, laying on the outdoor porch”. And, to rub it in, I left the light on in the front porch. Never felt bad about it! 
 
Dark Con of Man
No 'spur of the moment' song. It took a while to write this song. It ended up having two story-lines. One is that of what religion does to people causing war and hatred and how they view the rest of the world (including myself). The other is about how those people (likely because of their religion) treat (their) children. No happy song. Listen to the CNN reporter commenting on an arrest of yet another religious war criminal.
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