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With the success of the single “Feelin’ Groovy” in early 1967, Harpers Bizarre recorded their first album also called Feelin’ Groovy in April of that year. The front cover of this album (pictured above) is a pleasant depiction of the outdoors, bright “sunshine” aesthetic and the Swinging Sixties fashions of London’s legendary Carnaby Street. These “mod” (modernist) often flamboyant subculture attitudes informed much of the decade’s hip clothing and musical tastes.
In harmony with these upbeat vibes, the album produced another hit single “Come To The Sunshine”. It’s soft but gently lilting lyrics have a dreamlike quality as they sing about “sailing off the Carolina shore and “sunswept after-glow” as the “sailboats sail two by two”, and “While they play the White Swan Serenade”. This makes me think how it’s too bad MTV didn’t exist then. I can only imagine how “Come To The Sunshine” would’ve been interpreted for a music video. I envision sparkling open waters, breezy sea-salt spray as a sailboat skims through the surf… and some psychedelics involved – – but I digress!
In any event, it’s intriguing to explore the possibilities of where else the songs could’ve led to (and become bigger hits) if videos been an integral part of the musical arts in the 1960s. However, Harpers Bizarre released their second album Anything Goes in December, 1967 which spawned two moderately successful hits. The first one is also the title track Anything Goes which peaked at #43 on the Hot 100 Singles Chart. Anything Goes would gain further life as the opening track in the groundbreaking gay drama The Boys In The Band (1970). Boys was one of the first films about the lives of gay men in New York City to get any sort of mainstream theatrical release in the US/Canada market.
The song “Anything Goes” was originally from a popular 1934 Broadway musical by Cole Porter, one of the most acclaimed and prolific composers and songwriters of much of the 20th century. Although Porter was well known for his witty lyrics “Anything Goes” is too creaky and lacking a certain charisma in the original version as part of the story of eccentric characters and their romantic complications aboard a cruise ship. The song comes off better with Harpers Bizarre’s 1967 interpretation of the song with updated lyrics that better suited 1960s sensibilities. “Anything Goes” also has a smoother, more polished sound with the 1967 remake.
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The second hit for Harpers Bizarre off the Anything Goes album was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” first recorded and a big hit for Glenn Miller & His Orchestra in 1941. This one also served Harpers Bizarre well with lyrics expressing the fun to be had while traveling on a passenger train seemingly carefree. “Chattanooga Choo Choo I’m at #45 for them on the Hot 100 Singles Chart. Harpers Bizarre had a knack for enchantment and eccentricity as songs like “Simon & His Dancing Bear” illustrate. While listening to this the first time my first reaction was mirth and non-stop laughter for several minutes. It was one of those days where I really needed a good laugh 😂!
The song has catchy, amusing lyrics like: “Oh, I’d step out in style with my sincere smile and my dancing bear…” “outrageous, alarming…” “courageous, charming”. It reminds me of a troubadours living a fantasy life on country roads traveling to small towns singing for their supper! The track “Happy Land” also has its tinkling charm reminiscent of a theme park from a bygone era. This song is appealing to me as it brings back many good memories from childhood spent at theme parks Storytown U.S.A and Gaslight Village in Upstate New York during the 1970s.
“Happy Land” lyrics like “Land that dreams are made of…”, “Carousels, wishin’ wells…”, “A Ferris wheel was turning’ And rollercoaster roared…” brings all those pleasant associations back in vivid relief, astonishing that over five decades have past since Harpers Bizarre recorded the song – – and since I’ve lived it! Altogether, they would record five albums between 1967 and 1976 greatly enriching pop music history with their knack for creating many feel good songs.
