Harpers Bizarre
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1967-68) - Eddie James -- vocals, guitar - John Petersen (RIP 2007) -- drums, percussion, vocals - Dick Scoppettone -- lead vocals, guitar - Ted Templeman -- vocals, guitar, drums, percussion - Dick Young -- vocals, bass
line up 2 (1968-70) - Eddie James -- vocals, guitar - Dick Scoppettone -- lead vocals, guitar NEW - Tom Sowell -- drums, percussion, backing vocals (replaced John Petersen) - Ted Templeman -- vocals, guitar, drums, percussion - Dick Young -- vocals, bass
line up 3 (1976) - Eddie James -- vocals, guitar - Dick Scoppettone -- lead vocals, guitar - Tom Sowell -- drums, percussion, backing vocals (replaced John Petersen) - Dick Young -- vocals, bass
supporting musicians (1976) - Bob Black -- pedal steel guitar - Richard Casanova -- fiddle - John Craviotto -- percussion - Bill Glasgow -- strings - Vince Gomez -- strings - Fred Hansen -- trombone - Henry Harrison -- strings - Ray Keller -- woodwinds - Brian Pearcy -- trumpet - Ansel Petersen -- trumpet - Rachel Rudich -- strings - Mary Silver -- woodwinds - Mike Stamp -- strings - Barbara Stover -- strings - Arnold Strong -- trombone - George Tolbert -- trumpet - Pete Vandemere -- strings - Scott Wilkinson -- trumpet - Steve Wilson -- trombone
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- The Beau Brummels (John Peterson) - The Tikis (Ted Templman)
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Genre: sunshine pop Rating: * 1 star Title: As Time Goes By Company: Forest Bay Catalog: DS
7545-LP Country/State: Santa Cruz, California Grade (cover/record): NM/NM Comments: still in shrink wrap Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $20.00
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Seven years (a lifetime in musical terms) had passed since Harpers Bizarre's last studio album and subsequent breakup - 1969's "Harpers Bizarre 4". That leaves you to wonder why the majority of the original lineup decided 1976 would be a good time to mount a reunion. Perhaps envisioned as a concept album revisiting the American songbook in conjunction with the bicentennial,, the album was apparently accompanied reunion tour. You had to wonder why anyone went to the effort.
Produced
by Tom Pascal and released on the equally obscure Forest Bay label, "As
Time Goes By" found four of the original five members rejoining
the recording fray - lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Dick Scoppettone, lead
guitarist Eddie James. drummer John Petersen and bassist
If you've trolled the BadCatRecords site you'll see that I'm a modest Harpers Bizarre fan, owning all of their original albums. I didn't know this "reunion" album existed for some fifty years and only stumbled across a copy at a yard sale. When you hear the album it becomes easy to see why it doesn't seem to have garnered much attention (and even fewer sales).
If you're going to actually look for this album, I'd suggest looking for the Canadian release () Released under the title "Harpers Bizarre" (Polydor catalog number 2424 12), the collection featured a modified track listing. Four tunes on the US LP were dropped - "Every Night", "Banana King Louie", "Beechwood 4-5789" and "That's the Way It Was". They were replaced by a remake of "Feelin' Groovy", the Dick Scoppettone "Listen To The Rain", the Howard Greenfield, and Neil Sedaka penned "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine" and "Young Love".
Lifted from the Canadian version of the LP, two songs were tapped as a US single:
- 1976's "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine" b/w "Young Love" (Forest Bay catalog number DS 7547)
"As Time
Goes By" track listing: 1.) Introduction (instrumental) - 0:53 rating: * star No idea if it was original, or an in-studio creation, but the uncreditted "Introduction" sounded like the soundtrack for a '20s or '30s radio cowboy story. Unusual way to start and album. 2.) Cowboy (Gene Bob Smith) - 3:16 rating: *** stars Blending into the "introduction" the sweet "Cowboy" picked up where the band had left off. With a western theme, the heavily orchestrated, harmony-rich track certainly sounded like a slice of mid-'60s sunshine pop - imagine a cross between Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. It certainly sounded dated, but I have to admit to I liked it. Harpers Bizarre fans will remember the band previously exhibited a fondness for the western lifestyle - "When I was a Cowboy" off of 1968's "The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre". 3.) As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld) - 2:36 rating: ** star Didn't like Dooley Wilson's version in "Casablanca" and certainly don't like the sunshine-pop remake which sounded like a poorly advised mash-up of The New Vaudeville Band and Spanky & Our Gang.. 4.) Down at Papa Joe's (Jerry Dean Smith) - 2:13 rating: * star "Cutesy" remakes like this one just irritate me. The faux-New Orleans jazz arrangement and party background sounds were just a mess. If you have to hear this one, I'd suggest finding the original 1963 version by The Dixiebelles. 5.) Every Night (Paul McCartney) - 3:12 rating: ** star Written and recorded by McCartney for his 1970 "McCartney" solo album, their arrangement didn't stray too far from the original melody, but managed to lose some of the original's anxiety. The treated vocals and cheesy synthesizers were kind of odd. McCartney one; Harpers Ferry zero ... 6.) Society Strut (Misha Mack - Jack Van Gleason) - 1:29 rating: * star Horrible old-timey dance tune. 7.) Lullaby of Broadway (Harry Warren - Al Dubin) - 2:32 rating: * star Another '30s tune given the sunshine-pop-meets Blood, Sweat and Tears treatment. As bad as the earlier offerings.
(side
2) "Speak Low" was a '40 jazz standard recorded by a slew of artists including Mary Martin, Guy Lombardo and His Orchestra and Billie Holiday. Honestly I wasn't expecting anything from this one so imagine my surprise to discover their bossa nova arrangement, complete with a Herbie Mann-styled flute solo was actually kind of retro cool. 2.) Banana King Louie (Lord John) - 3:29 rating: ** star Never heard this one before and I don't know anything about it ... Musically, with it's Mexican horns and airplane sound effects "Banana King Louie" opened up sounding like something pulled from the soundtrack from a '50s Western. And when the lyrics came in the melody shifted to Calypso and you were transported to the Caribbean Just plain weird. 3.) My Melancholy Baby (Ernie Burnett - George Norton - arranged by Ray Keller - Jack Van Gleason) - 2:32 rating: ** star Another oldie give a forgettable sunshine-pop arrangement. Most folks who've heard the song probably know if from the I Love Lucy television series where actor William Frawley (who played Fred Mertz) on I Love Lucy sang the tune on the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour television show. The song's history is even weirder. Credited with composing the music (lyrics by George Norton), Burnett served in the US Army and was wounded during the First World War. When evacuated from the front lines he'd lost his memory and his dog tags. Recuperating in hospital, Burnett reported regained his memory when a pianist entertained the patients with popular tunes including "Melancholy Baby". Hearing the song Burnett rose from his sickbed exclaiming "That's my song!". 4.) Beechwood 4-5789 (William "Mickey" Stevenson - Berry Gordy - Marvin Gaye) - 2:04 rating: ** star If you're looking for a primer on how to destroy a song, I suggest listening to the The Marveltetes original and then the lame remake. The Marvelettes version simply dripped with youthful energy. The remake didn't have enough energy for a laxative commercial. 5.) That's the Way It Was (from Dvorak's "New World Symphony") (Joseph Bocci - Robert Frost; arranged by Ray Keller - Jack Van Gleason) - 3:12 rating: ** star Built on the melody from Dvorak's "New World Symphony", the title track sank the minute the hokey spoken word section praising the country kicked into gear (remember it was recorded in 1976). 6.) Back in the Saddle Again (Ray Whitley - Gene Autry) - 3:20 rating: * star Never thought I'd suggest listening to a Gene Autry song, but his original is so much better than the cover.
© Scott R. Blackerby January 2026
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Dick Young. Busy producing The Doobie Brothers, Van Halen and
seemingly half of the recording industry,
guitarist Ted Templeman elected to sit out the reunion. Even though
they did write some original material (particularly on the later LPs),
Harpers Bizarre was never known for original material and the comeback album
was no surprise. Featuring thirteen covers, musically it was all over
the map including '20s and '30s classics ("As Time Goes By"), '40s
jazz ("Speak Low"), '50s soul (The Dixiebelles "Down at Papa
Joe's") and Motown (The Marvelettes "Beechwood
4-5789").
All of the tracks were subjected to their patented "sunshine-pop"
arrangements; showcasing easygoing melodies coupled with sweet harmonies.
That meant most of the covers were pretty worthless for anything other than
serving as background music for a call waiting line or as background music
at an senior living facility. To be honest, given how poor the LP was,
this was one of those albums where is was hard to pick a favorite
performance. "Cowboy"
probably came the closest to capturing the band's old sound. With a
likeable bossa nova arrangement, their cover of the jazz standard
"Speak Low" was the album's biggest surprise.
