For The Love Of Harry

JON BRION
"Overture" (2:10)
"He Needs Me" (3:31)
"He Really Needs Me" (3:09)
From the soundtrack, Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

One of Harry's most underrated tunes comes from his 1980 soundtrack score for Popeye. Like a lot of Harry's best work, the charm of "He Needs Me" is in its simplicity, which was ably enhanced by actress Shelley Duvall's fragile, off-key vocal allure. Outstanding pop composer Jon Brion (The Grays), understood the song's appeal when he used it as the centerpiece for director Paul Thomas Anderson's, Punch-Drunk Love. We've got three Harry "covers" from the soundtrack; "Overture" (featuring orchestrated elements of the composition), "He Needs Me" (the soundtrack's sonically refurbished and enhanced version of Shelly Duvall's 1980 original) and "He Really Needs Me" (a gorgeous orchestrated rendition by Brion). The video above will give you a taste of the imagery & orchestration that appears in the film (the Popeye film version is at the bottom of the post). Hear all three tunes below, get 'em all HERE.



Thanks to our pals at Not Very Pretty Music for donating the sheet music for "He Needs Me," which you can view by clicking each page.





Bonus:
PUNCH-DRUNK NILSSON (2011) Kristian Goddard put together this clever mix of Jon Brion's Punch-Drunk Love orchestrations with a number of Harry's own more somber numbers - found here in quieter, intimate demos (instead of well-worn album versions). It's a great listen that is just as much about pop great Jon Brion as it is Nilsson, while easily jig-sawing together like it was all pre-designed. Punch-Drunk Nilsson offers both the structural blueprint of The Point! and the themed-melancholy of music like Sinatra's Only The Lonely over 22 tracks - though Goddard credits The Beatles' Love with this collection's inspiration. Get the entire set (mixed in mono, now @192) HERE.

Punchy Tack Piano (1:05)
Miss Butter's Lament (2:17)
Barry States His Case (1:39)
Little Cowboy (0:45)
Punch-Drunk (0:55)
He Needs Me (3:30)
One (3:04)
Overture (1:34)
He Really Needs Me (2:12)
Petit Chateau (1:36)
The Moonbeam Song (1:38)
Blossoms & Blood (1:24)
I'll Never Leave You (4:23)
Punchy Tack Piano (Reprise) (1:10)
Life Line (2:30)
Barry's Harmonium (0:17)
Somewhere (1:48)
One Is The Loneliest Number (2:27)
Punch-Drunk Melody (1:42)
Think About Your Troubles (2:41)
Petit Point (1:31)
Remember (3:44)