Harpers Bizarre
Harpers Bizarre is the name of two separate musical acts.
Harpers Bi… Read Full Bio ↴Harpers Bizarre is the name of two separate musical acts.
Harpers Bizarre was an American pop-rock band of the 1960s, best known for their Broadway/choirboy sound and their remake of Simon & Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)."
Career
Harpers Bizarre was formed out of The Tikis, a Californian band who enjoyed some local success with Beatle-like songs in the mid 1960s. In 1967, record producer Lenny Waronker got a hold of the Simon & Garfunkel song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," determined to make it into a single. The Tikis recorded it, with the arrangement featuring extended harmonies reminiscent of the work of Brian Wilson or even the Swingle Singers. The song was released under a new band name, "Harpers Bizarre" (a play on the magazine "Harper's Bazaar"), so as not to alienate The Tikis' fanbase. The Harpers Bizarre version of the song reached #13 on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1967, far exceeding any success that The Tikis thus far had.
The success of the single prompted Harpers Bizarre to record their debut album. At this point the band consisted of Ted Templeman (vocals, drums, guitar); Dick Scoppettone (born 5 July 1945; vocals, guitar, bass); Eddie James (guitar); Dick Yount (bass, vocals) and John Petersen (born 8 January 1942; drums, percussion, vocals). Petersen had previously already enjoyed a brief spell of success as member of the Beau Brummels; James left shortly after the first recording sessions and was replaced by Dick Young. Under the guidance of producer Lenny Waronker (and Templeman, who emerged as the leader of the group), Harpers Bizarre developed a unique sound which experimented with heavy vocal layering. Most of Harpers Bizarre's recordings are cheerful and airy, both in subject matter and musical accompaniment often with string and woodwind arrangements, resulting in a psychedelic Broadway/Baroque pop sound.
In addition to covering several old standards (including Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" and Gordon and Warren's "Chattanooga Choo Choo"), Harpers Bizarre also recorded the work of several contemporary songwriters, including Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks and Harry Nilsson.
None of the subsequent singles, however, achieved the same level of success as their debut, and the band broke up shortly after their last album was released in 1969.
In 1976, a partial reunion of the group occurred (without Templeman) to record an album, As Time Goes By, that is often overlooked in Harpers Bizarre discographies.
Discography
Feelin' Groovy (1967)
Anything Goes (1968)
Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre (1968)
Harpers Bizarre 4 (1969)
As Time Goes By (1976)
Harpers Bizarre is also the name of an group of Harp Players from Cornwall, UK. 'Harpers Bizarre' Harp ensemble was formed in 2004 by Sarah Deere-Jones plus Sarah herself, who runs the Cornwall Harp Centre.Their first performance was at the Penventon Hotel in Redruth, Cornwall in November 2004 before going on to release their first CD 'A Cornish Pastiche' of new and traditional harp tunes.
Harpers Bi… Read Full Bio ↴Harpers Bizarre is the name of two separate musical acts.
Harpers Bizarre was an American pop-rock band of the 1960s, best known for their Broadway/choirboy sound and their remake of Simon & Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)."
Career
Harpers Bizarre was formed out of The Tikis, a Californian band who enjoyed some local success with Beatle-like songs in the mid 1960s. In 1967, record producer Lenny Waronker got a hold of the Simon & Garfunkel song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," determined to make it into a single. The Tikis recorded it, with the arrangement featuring extended harmonies reminiscent of the work of Brian Wilson or even the Swingle Singers. The song was released under a new band name, "Harpers Bizarre" (a play on the magazine "Harper's Bazaar"), so as not to alienate The Tikis' fanbase. The Harpers Bizarre version of the song reached #13 on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1967, far exceeding any success that The Tikis thus far had.
The success of the single prompted Harpers Bizarre to record their debut album. At this point the band consisted of Ted Templeman (vocals, drums, guitar); Dick Scoppettone (born 5 July 1945; vocals, guitar, bass); Eddie James (guitar); Dick Yount (bass, vocals) and John Petersen (born 8 January 1942; drums, percussion, vocals). Petersen had previously already enjoyed a brief spell of success as member of the Beau Brummels; James left shortly after the first recording sessions and was replaced by Dick Young. Under the guidance of producer Lenny Waronker (and Templeman, who emerged as the leader of the group), Harpers Bizarre developed a unique sound which experimented with heavy vocal layering. Most of Harpers Bizarre's recordings are cheerful and airy, both in subject matter and musical accompaniment often with string and woodwind arrangements, resulting in a psychedelic Broadway/Baroque pop sound.
In addition to covering several old standards (including Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" and Gordon and Warren's "Chattanooga Choo Choo"), Harpers Bizarre also recorded the work of several contemporary songwriters, including Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks and Harry Nilsson.
None of the subsequent singles, however, achieved the same level of success as their debut, and the band broke up shortly after their last album was released in 1969.
In 1976, a partial reunion of the group occurred (without Templeman) to record an album, As Time Goes By, that is often overlooked in Harpers Bizarre discographies.
Discography
Feelin' Groovy (1967)
Anything Goes (1968)
Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre (1968)
Harpers Bizarre 4 (1969)
As Time Goes By (1976)
Harpers Bizarre is also the name of an group of Harp Players from Cornwall, UK. 'Harpers Bizarre' Harp ensemble was formed in 2004 by Sarah Deere-Jones plus Sarah herself, who runs the Cornwall Harp Centre.Their first performance was at the Penventon Hotel in Redruth, Cornwall in November 2004 before going on to release their first CD 'A Cornish Pastiche' of new and traditional harp tunes.
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Harpers Bizarre Lyrics
59th Street Bridge Song Slow down, you move too fast You got to make the…
59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) Slow down you move too fast You've got to make the…
59th Street Bridge Song - Feelin' Groovy Remastered Version The 59th Street Song Simon & Garfunkel Slow down, you move …
59th Street Bridge Song [Feelin Slow down, you move too fast You got to make the…
Anything Goes In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as…
Battle Of New Orleans In 1814 we took a little trip, Along with Colonel Jackson…
Blackbird Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken win…
Chattanooga Choo Choo Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? Track twen…
Come To The Sunshine Come to the sunshine Hang your ups and downs you come…
Come To The Sunshine - Remastered Version Come to the sunshine Hang your ups and down you comes…
Happy Talk Happy talk keep talkin' happy talk Talk about things you'd …
Happy Talk - Remastered Version Happy talky talkin' happy talk Talk about things you'd like …
Hard To Handle Baby here I am Im the man on the scene I can…
I All you preachers Who delight in panning the dancing teache…
I Love You Alice B. Toklas I love you, Alice B. Toklas And so does Gertrude Stein I…
I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise I'll build a stairway to Paradise with a new step…
Interlude All you preachers Who delight in panning the dancing teache…
Knock On Wood I don't want to lose the good thing that I've…
Las Mananitas When you rise The morning′s here The sun is shinin' The sky …
Leaving On A Jet Plane All my bags are packed Im ready to go Im standin here…
Look To The Rainbow On the day I was born, said my father, said…
Mad I got about half high So I spent the whole weekend…
Malibu U Sunshine Malibu, Fun time Malibu, Malibu U There's a …
Milord La la, la la, la, la la la, la la,…
Pocketful Of Miracles PEE-racticality DEE-oesn't interest me Love's the life that …
Raspberry Rug Lately it seems I've had such colourful dreams The sounds th…
Sentimental Journey Gonna take a sentimental journey Gonna set my mind at ease G…
Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat I dreamed last night that I got on a boat…
Snow Snow Fills the fields we used to know And the little park…
Soft Soundin' Music I listened to the music of the B.B. King and…
Something Better He walks along singing his fairy song Picking up magic that…
The 59th Street Bridge Song Slow down, you move too fast You got to make the…
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (Paul Simon) Slow down, you move too fast You got to make…
The Debutante's Ball - Remastered Version In a hall filled with light so poised and polite…
This Is Only the Beginning (And this is only the beginning) From high atop the magnifi…
When I Was a Cowboy When I was a cowboy out on the Western Plain When…
When The Band Begins To Play To the park on Sunday they would take me to…
Witchi Tai To Witchi-tie-to, gimee rah Whoa rah neeko, whoa rah neeko Hey …