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.

Sentimental Journey
Harpers Bizarre Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my mind at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories
Got my bag and got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that "all aboard"

- Seven, that's the time we leave at seven, I'll be waiting up for heaven
Counting every mile of railroad track that takes me back
Never thought my heart could be so yearny
Why did I decide to roam

Gonna take a sentimental journey
Sentimental journey home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harpers Bizarre's song, Sentimental Journey, speak of a person's desire to go on a journey back to their past to revive old memories. The song is about a journey that the person wants to take to put their mind at ease by reliving past experiences. The singer has their bag packed and reservation made and is excited about the journey that will take them back to familiar places that they have missed. The lyrics suggest that the person is filled with anticipation and is counting every mile of the journey that will take them back to a sentimental homecoming.

The song creates a nostalgic atmosphere that takes the listeners back in time to the era of the 1940s, where train rides and travels were largely romanticised. The lyrics paint a picture of a person clad in anticipation and excitement, ready to embark on a journey that will take them back to their past. The song's melody complements its lyrics, with a bouncy and a nostalgic tune that matches the theme of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Gonna take a sentimental journey
I am embarking on a trip down memory lane

Gonna set my mind at ease
I intend to find comfort and peace on this journey

Gonna make a sentimental journey
I am taking this trip to recollect the past

To renew old memories
I want to revisit and revive the past experiences

Got my bag and got my reservation
I have packed my belongings and made bookings for the journey

Spent each dime I could afford
I have used up all my savings for this trip

Like a child in wild anticipation
I am excited and eager like a child

Long to hear that "all aboard"
I am eager to hear the announcement that everything is set for the journey

Seven, that's the time we leave at seven, I'll be waiting up for heaven
I am ready to leave at seven and I am hopeful for a good journey

Counting every mile of railroad track that takes me back
I am keeping track of the distance that I am travelling to go back in time

Never thought my heart could be so yearny
I did not envision that I would feel so nostalgic and emotional